Chock-a-Block Garage Blues: Tuesday, June 2nd!

The business of the poet and the novelist is to show the sorriness underlying the grandest things and the grandeur underlying the sorriest things. -Thomas Hardy, novelist and poet (2 Jun 1840-1928) 

Hi Sara Jane! Trust you are well. Life has been rather hectic, as I'm sure you can appreciate. Loads to tell but let me start with this fascinating biking link, given your upcoming ride. I just donated. Buona Fortuna!!! Hope I can ride on Saturday, myself. (Taking my car in for an oil change at 1:00 pm today so will put my Trek on bike rack and go for a spin, for a couple of hours, while work is being done!) I'll be thinking of you in Langley while I'm zipping along the eastern shore of Skaha Lake, en route to Black Sage Road and all the wineries there!

http://viewpure.com/MFzDaBzBlL0?ref=bkmk

Quite a neuro-physio-psycho-chronological complex of issues! Sorry about the virus! Cora Lee, still abed, apologizes, in absentia! Ayn phoned yesterday morning to alert her mother to what had happened. Unfortunately you were not the only casualty, although not as many folk as she feared

I wasn't up until 9:00 am Monday morning, Cora Lee rising around 7:30 am, I think. Had a mug of java and then started more unpacking. Have just about finished unwrapping all of the kitchen items but still have to figure out where to place them! There isn't as much storage in the kitchen proper so we have to decide which items should go on other shelves in the pantry and in large storage cabinets in the family room. For now we are simply putting things where we think they should go but know a certain amount of re-arrangement will follow, as we live here and come to use things.

Around 11:00 am we took off to Canadian Tire, (En route we popped in to Skaha Ford to make an appointment for an oil change.), to look at another table and chairs for patio, as well as a gas fire-pit. Bought the latter but couldn't agree on deck furniture so headed back to the Bay. This time we found middle ground and ordered six chairs and a table, along with a large, black patio umbrella. Table at CT was fine but chairs had cushions that were affixed to frames with screws. This being the case, if cushions went, at some certain point in the future, I knew it would be next to impossible to replace them easily. The set at the Bay simply have two cushions, one for seat and one for back and can easily be replaced or added to, at any point in time. Chairs also stack so much better for winter storage.

On way home we stopped at Wholesale Club to pick up some groceries and another propane tank for fire pit. Back at Burns Street we unloaded everything and soon had the umbrella in its stand and up, shading the fire-pit! That done it was time for lunch. Both replenished, Cora Lee went online to book a 10' U-Haul, for Thursday, while I did a bit of banking.  I headed out to the garage to start re-arranging and sorting. Need to decide where to pile all the boxes of books we don't have shelves for yet, as well as hauling out all the tubs of Christmas and other holiday decorations which we plan to put in the large storage cabinets in the family room. Didn't make much progress on this as I ended up cutting up many of the empty cardboard boxes we used for packing, readying them for re-cycling next Wednesday.

Had just finished this enormous task when we experienced our first exciting thunder storm. Burns Street, out the front window, was a small river, let me tell you. Heavy rain lasted far longer than I thought it would but it was quite pleasant to sit down in our "almost finished" living room and enjoy the sound of the rain while taking in what we feel will be a very comfortable space, chatting about what remained to be done in kitchen. After this short break we finally managed to unpack/remove all the kitchen boxes so, on the surface, this part of the house is an "Unpacking-Free Zone!"

By this time it was close to 7:30 pm so we both showered and changed to ready ourselves for dinner. I poured us two stiff Long Table G 'n T's and we toasted progress to date. I made a mixed green salad while Mme Coriandre prepared some salmon steaks. Once everything was ready we sat at the island counter on our spiffy new, swivel bar stools, with very comfy backs and foot rests, watching  recorded episodes of Game of Thrones and Outlander, sipping a 2013 Upper Bench Chardonnay, 13.7%. Needed a few snorts of Highland malt to help Claire and Jaimie in their on-going struggle with Black Jack Randall! Once we saw them safely off to France we both fell into bed, dog-tired but really pleased with our new home!

Busy day today as we've invited Lynne and Peter for dinner this evening as a small thank-you for everything they've done for us, of late. Cora Lee will go shopping for those dinner fixings we don't already have while I "attack" the garage. Then trip to Skaha Ford and much looked for ride. First one here since we've moved. Thought that I'd head down towards Okanagan Falls although I might not even be able to ride, according to forecast. Supposed to be periods of rain, on and off, for much of the day. Will just have to wait and see. Might take my computer to Skaha and digitate while I'm waiting for work to be completed if skies don't clear by early afternoon. Plenty of low cloud cover right now.

At any rate, after car is ready I plan to pop by Black Widow, on Naramata Road, if winery is open, to collect the case of wine that has been waiting since end of May. Christmas in June in Penticton! Must away as the garage calls! Fondestos to you and Dermot from Sleepy-Head Cora Lee. Told her it was 9:30 am when it was only 8:00 am and she's pretty kranky now! Cheers, Patrizzio!

Pics: Moving day, Thursday; moving out/in day, Friday; Saturday with Dave Fraser and Telus and Big Al!

Hi Pat Hope the move went well and that the new abode is to your liking.
As you didn't leave any stuff with either Ray or here , we presume you got it all in the truck. You left Vancouver just in time , today is cool and rainy, something we are definitely not used to .
 
See you in a couple of weeks, by which time I am sure the house will be totally organized and in a pristine state. Mick PS any chance of a bit of wine tasting on the Friday we arrive?