The sweet scent of summer

 Over they years its been a typical August long weekend or Family Day.  In Canada every month theres a Long weekend.  Victoria Day, Thanksgiving, and in August…well you get the picture.  Tradition says its spend on a motorcycle. 

 For 19 years it was a trip to South Dakota with the annual migration of bikers to Sturgis.  Every bike imaginable, great folks to share stories, drink a beer or 6, and look at what was ridden in.  The smell of 50wt oil, suntan lotion, sweat, leather and an underlying “eau de dead grasshopper”…all underscored by the roar of motorcycles.  It was another time.  

But now, in our senior years, its more like enjoying a sleep in, a trip out for breakfast, a morning visit to the farmers market and then home…feet up.  Our entertainment for the morning is a parade of yachts and small craft heading in and out, the sight of a hummingbird hovering at the nasturtium’s, and the lapping of waves on shore.  It is a different world.

Yes we have our bikes. Its calm and warm, but today..I’m plum lazy.  I am avoiding getting all the gear on, and going for a spin.  Macs bike is under the weather, his starter “shitting the bed” so to speak so it is going to the shop next week.  And today I don’t fancy riding alone.

I just read an article in Psychology Today that claimed “doing nothing is good for a persons mental health.”  I can support that theory.  Batteries need to be recharged occasionally and thats what I’m choosing to do! OK the coffee and chocolate while I sit here in the shade with feet up is like my “tender” making sure I hit Fully Charged.  My upcoming nap only makes me feel happier. 😎

  

1955 was a good year. Really.

 Yup, today I turn 67.  Good god.  And its the first time I’ve let age bring me down!  Ok its been cumulative, read on and lets see if I cheer up.

We are on the island, which is beautiful.  If you ignore the fact thats it has rained and fogged pretty much every damn day since we arrived.  Yup.  But no snow, which is a plus.  But seriously I could use some sunshine!

John is working too now.  A challenging job, but hey thats HR for you.  My job is coming along, hard to explain EcDev to folks who have no idea why you can’t  just make things happen, 9 to 5 Just Like That?  My fav is being asked at meetings “what shovel ready projects  have I got on the go?”  Um, yeah thats not how it works.  But I digress.

Since we got here we’ve had company almost every month, which is cool.  And we took a small vacation, to See/meet some of Johns cousins.  Which was nice.  But it was NOT the 10 day motorcycle trip we had planned.  Yes, we got 2 used Harleys, which are great.  But hubby didnt get enuff time off and two days before we were scheduled to leave, his starter “shit the bed” so now its How to get the bike to Victoria…6 hours hrs down island.  So we need to get our dealer to come get it! 

And so to celebrate being 2 yrs older than retirement, I bought my own birthday cake, invited a few friends for drinks and nibbles, and pouting that we couldn't be in Alberta with our buddies today, and getting ready to have a good day anyways.  Life is too short, or too long as it were, to be feeling sorry for myself.

When in Port Townsend last week, their 4th of July fireworks were amazing.  All around the bay gorgeous fireworks going off for hours.  John said how lucky we are not to be living where there are rockets and artillery going off, that it was a celebration not a bombardment.  

He’s right.  I am sitting here with my cat, in bed, listening to the fog horns, robins, etc, warm and safe.  I have food in the fridge ready to set out, cold beer and paper plates.  Lol what more can a girl ask for?  Ok maybe a few hot sunny days so I can ride before going back to work?  

Happy birthday to me. 😎🍰🍺

NO??!!! Really??? are you nuts????

 Yup - we are.  We moved.  Yup again.  And further west.  To an island in the Pacific. LOL

We have returned to Port McNeill on Vancouver Island.  On the north end - and I mean NORTH.

Not near Vancouver or Cranbrook.  Even further away from Alberta or Saskatchewan.  And no where near Montana!!! Why you ask?? Are we nuts??? Do we LIKE spending thousands of dollars on moving companies? And what of our cats - they HATE moving!

I will explain. (Or try to)

Well as you may have read, we headed west after selling our house.  Then an opportunity presented itself in Port McNowhere - and I applied. A good job!  And with my vast untapped talents, I was hired!! WOOHOO!

So now I have a great job, in a wonderful beautiful part of the world, but where o where will we live? 

Here is where  you'll see how important personal relationships can be. We've kept in touch with friends from before when we lived here - and thru them found a 3 bedroom townhouse.  Old - yup.  Only one bathroom - we can live with that.  But freshly painted, bathroom updated, it's all good.

And did I mention the view??

Oh and now back to the annoying part of moving -     unpacking.

We arrived with cats on Dec 6.  After traversing Hwy 3 in the ice and snow - it's a crazy winding highway, narrow, two lanes, and since the Floods and the TransCanada were CLOSED it was the main east west route in BC.  So we met mile after mile of big trucks - all in a hurry. In a huge hurry!!! so it was nerve wracking to say the least until we hit the TransCanada at Hope - then no problem.  

Upon arriving in Port McNeill, we got the cats settled into the not totally ready Townhouse, each had their own room.,..and we pitted into a local motel.  Yup, 10 days but oh well - we did well on our house sale eh?? lolol  On Dec 20 the furniture arrived - yay!!! And we officially moved into our place that night. Joy of Joys!

And since then we've picked up a portable dishwasher, a laundry set, and have been settling in.  Oh yes and rented a C Can for all the stuff that doesn't fit.  Christmas was very low key, with one ceramic tree and a poinsettia.  LOL But I cooked a turkey and all was well.  Until early January.  Poor Rosie crossed the rainbow bridge, she was 18, totally blind, and just not having a good life.  I still miss her snuggling up to my neck, sticking her cold nose in my ear and purring me awake in the mornings.  

But she's not suffering - Rest in Peace, you were a good kitty.

Now Casey - oh that's another story in a cat suit.  She's lovely.  Fully armed. She and I are learning to love each other - the relationship is developing.  But she wants OUT!!! she sits and stares out the window, and until we can sit outside and watch for Eagles - she's sticking put!  And she loves John.  Definitely his cat.  Now she sleeps on the foot of the bed.  Good kitty.

Her Bulkiness and Rosie did NOT get along - not one little bit - and now Casey is getting the run of the house, no interference and is making her presence known all the time.  She loves treats.  I mean all the time.  LOL 

And so life goes on - we get tons of exercise going up and down the stairs (old townhouse - steep stairs, one bathroom on the 2nd floor) and have nearly finished unpacking.  The living room is done, we got a TV set, the office is 90% finished up and the spare bedroom is 80%.  Then we organize the bedroom and voila - we are done! 

I can't wait to wander downstairs on a Saturday morning, grab my coffee, and sit outside to watch the birds.  John has a plan to put up a barrier for Casey Cat so she can come out and join us without having to worry that an eagle will pick her up - and so life goes on!

Oh and we've already got guests booked for March! 

Notice no words about Covid?? yeah, I'll save that rant for another day. Peace Out!

I’ll try the Salmon, Ella....🤢

 Some people have all the adventure, all the excitement and all the luck.  No, sadly not lotto luck, tho having a cool new job is pretty darn awesome.  I get to start work shortly,  since having Zoom means you’re never alone.

But I digress, back to the subject at hand.  My darling husband, light o my life, has been having a hard time due to old and no so old injuries.  His past sins slow him now and then, but recently he seems to be really suffering.  Started with a headache, then some annoying sneezes....hmmm perhaps a cold?  Then sore tummy... I mean really nasty, cramps, nauseated, can’t eat, aches....hmmmm perhaps flu?

Or...perhaps food poisoning!  Some online research and ho ha! (Exclaimed with enthusiasm and finger pointed in the air!)  Yes indeed, our happy albeit temporary home was the victim of Salmonella.   From whence it came remains a mystery, but it’s almost certainly the culprit.  A few days of increasing feeling like microwaved poo, then lots and I mean hours of sleep, aches, stomach pain....And just general misery.   Poor man.  I was actually getting kind of worried about him.  How worried?  I searched for and found the thermometer...thankfully he was an annoyed 98.6C.  

Then finally, fever reduced, aches almost gone, 3 days and 2 glasses of ice cold apple juice later and the prognosis is very positive.  He is over it...and tomorrow we get back to work.  OK we ease into work, no point going crazy.  And now to bed!

 On the upside, while he suffered and slept, I have nearly finished getting our bedroom packed!  Always a bright side to be found eh?  Lol 😝 

What have we done to deserve this?

When we last blogged, the reader was left. Hanging....did either of them get hired?  Are they still mired in a cardboard box hell? And what of the kitties?

So glad you asked, and even if you didn’t, here goes.  

I got  a job.  Yes, let the bells ring and banners I'm the new Manager of Economic Development for Port McNeill.  On the north end of the Island, and start work in January 2022.  O M G.  I know Its the job for me...a 2 yr contract, so no need to worry about working till I 80.  The town is beautiful, and we lived there 10 years ago...and its exciting, the prospect of seeing the changes, hooking up with old friends and did I mention a new brew pub!  We are enthusiastic about this...trip planning, booking movers, looking for a place to live.  And lurking in the far corners of my mind the biggie: packing. 

So we have been in our new apartment for maybe a month.  And with both of us shortisted for positions on the north island, unpacking ceased.  But damage had been done!  Boxes recycled, clothes hung in one closet, dishes in the cupboard, cds in their stand and books now in the office.  Gak!  Its about 1/3 complete, so it sounds like it should be easy breezy peasy to repack?  Yes, it does sound like it.  Unfortunately the reality is stuff is in a state of flux.  More like reflux! Half empty boxes, with a mish mash of what can only be described as Junk Drawer material.  In my haste to set up house, I foolishly dumped all the clean packing newsprint.  Argh!

So its back to Uhaul, getting everything back on track.  Labelling by the way is paramount in times like this!

Mac the Organized is the logistic specialist.  Booking rooms, planning the route...remember the 2 cats?  One long day on the road, then a ferry trip, and finally arriving in our town has been laid out in manageable bites.  Ok some bigger bites, but manageable. Movers are lined up. Again.  But what of the “stuff “ we put in storage?  Lets hope we can find some when we get there. I really don't look forward to a furniture dolly and tool kit in our kitchen.

Oh yes, place to live.  Well at first we found a gorgeous 2 bdrm with a single car garage....but in the wrong town!  Fortune smiled upon us, and we have a 3 bdrm 1 bath in what were the first townhouses to be built in our new location.  On the up side its being reno’d and updated, its inexpensive, on the down side I have no idea what we have to work with until we arrive. But its got garden access and an amazing  view of the ocean!  So we won’t  be living in a tent. 

And today, the 10th of November, is another day of packing, stressing and running errands, planning, eeeek.  I have read a dozen on-line “How to stay sane when you move”, “Smart moves” and no magic bullet.  Just get started, grab a jiffy marker and the tape gun and be ruthless! 

What have we done to deserve this?  Well all I can fathom is we are fearless, smitten with wanderlust.  And drawn back to the sea.  To careers we both are really really good at.   And what better place to eventually retire to than on the Island...its going to be a blast.  Oh yeah and never -40C again...lol

Stay tuned!

  

“May you live in interesting times”.....the journey continues?

 So have I mentioned the cathartic nature of writing a blog.  Or “blogging” as it were.  Sitting amid several boxes in various stages of unpacked-ness, gazing out to the mountains and morning sky, we have moved!  What a production, movers scheduled to arrive at o a.m. showed up 6 hours late, loaded and gone by 9:30 p.m.  

The cats were already housed at the pet resort....and we paid to have people come clear out what few odds and sods were left...and off to Mickey D’s an hour away for dinner!  Finally!  Then another 40 minute drive and at last we were in our motel for some well deserved rest. 

Have you ever rolled out of bed, turned on the shower and were utterly disappointed at the weak stream of water emanating from the old shower head?  Lol well at least it was warm and wet...hahaha unlike the coffee in the room which was hot and strong!  Long story longer, we collected the cats and headed to Cranbrook ....found another nice motel, with kitchenette, checked the cats into another pet place, and waited for our movers to arrive.  And waited.  7 days of motel life, one very nice owner/manager, and a lot of catch up sleeping.  Finally our movers arrive...y hrs later theyve crammed a zillion boxes into our wee apartment and bed set up and made, we collapsed!

Apparently the downsize we did, was not enough.  Our storage unit it nearly full, the place is a miasma of boxes, some unpacked, some open, some sealed, all moved and stacked so we have room to manoeuvre and Live.

During this I’ve  managed to cook a Thanksgiving dinner - couldn't find the flour and discovered cornstarch gravy is not edible.  We have been exploring the culinary scene, some amazing places and meals but lets save some of those dollars shall we?  Last night a steak dinner on the electric bbq Mac bought...wow!  Great dinner!  So we are happy, safe, sore from moving heavy boxes around as we try to locate our STUFF. 

You’d think this is where our latest adventure might end, culminate in massive donations to charities and more downsizing....But Noooooooo

So I may have mentioned an Ec Dev job on Vancouver Island, in a town we’d lived in for 4 years...well “as fate would have it” I am waiting to see if an offer is on its way.  Lol So IF I get this job, yup...you guessed it...we call the movers, and off we go! The average Joe would think this is where we end the tale, but Noooooooo.  Lol

Hubby stumbled upon an opportunity 20 min from where I will potentially be employed.  And yes, he interviews on line next week .....whoa!  What if we both get jobs!  Oh my how plans change in the wink of an eye.

So heres what is going to happen or what could happen:

A) one or both of us gets hired, we break our lease, we pack up and migrate west to the and start again

Or

B) we don’t get a job offer, and end up staying in our lovely wee apartment, reducing our possessions by about 50% and enjoy a quiet peaceful life with the felines!

And there you have it.  For now we remain in limbo or Purge-atory as Ive come to think of it...not unpacking one single item more,  and keeping a lookout for a place to live in anticipation of a westward trip into island life. 

Until then, lets read, watch British crime dramas and comedies, eat, dream and plan as best we can.  And imagine us working and buying a couple of bikes, lolol 

Stay tuned!

...we gather no moss....

 You won’t  believe this, or maybe you will.  I certainly have to give my head a shake.  Ready?  Yup brace yourselves: we are on the move again!

Ok so two years ago, due circumstances beyond our control, we returned to Albeeria.  Its been busy! Cleaning and repairing what the former renter left us, creating our wonderful victory garden, and waging war on the raspberry bushes...exhausting, yes.  Rewarding? Oh absolutely! 

I took on a new role as Education Assistant, aka teachers aide, and found it fun, albeit different from anything I’d tackled in the past.  And then, the thought of retiring kept popping up.  I mean come on, I’m 66 and have been in the workforce for a loooong time.  51 years.  Gak!  Covid reared its ugly head, and with The Hubby home now (he says no one is hiring old dudes with white hair) we have taken inventory of where we’re at.  And a 3300 sq ft home with a ginormous yard is getting too much.  This past summer was crazy, endless mowing, weeding, digging...exhausting!  I said my two month summer holiday was more like a sentence as feild hand!  Now we’ve decided want to take it easy.  To smell the roses as it were.  More feet up, quiet time to reflect and explore new hobbies.   

And what better way to relax but sell the house, truck, bikes and pull up stakes!  Westward ho! So an evening or 15 of discussions about where to move to raised all sorts of possibilities:  perhaps a move to somewhere exotic?  Panama, Chile, Columbia and Czechoslovakia were all cards on the table.  It was possible!  Why not Cape Breton Island, the east coast was beautiful, viscous winters not withstanding.  What about Vancouver Island?  We did love it there?  Apartment living seemed a doable option: someone else to mow, shovel etc..but no retirement home for us!  So the search began.  And it became an obsession!  Our demands were simple:  some place affordable, ideally newish, and where our two cats would be welcomed.  A 2 bedroom 2 bathroom location was the target. 

Our work was cut out for us.  House was “decluttered”, and listed.  Photos were taken, papers were signed, and it was on the market.  For 2 days.  And sold, just over asking price!  No conditions, no inspections, site unseen!  The market for small town living is Hot! In shock, the search for a new place to live took priority....we had just over a month to seriously downsize and purge!  Lists were made, an apartment was found and it was scheduled to open (it was under construction at the time!) and their open house checked out.  Cats were booked into a kennel during the move, so vaccinations were updated.

  Oh yes, I haven’t mentioned the two cats....old blind clawless tiny cat and her new house mate big fully armed “Miss Murder Mittens” the huntress.  Are we relaxed yet?  😂.

The new place has no storage, so what of winter tires and boots, etc?  Secure storage needed to be booked - interesting fact but mini self storage is in high demand.  Because we all have SO MUCH STUFF!  Many calls later I found a small space, secured it with a wee bribe of Pino Grigio and another item checked off the list.  Oh yeah, we’re relaxed now, 😂 

A mover was engaged, the move in date arranged with the landlord, a move out date set up with the movers....another major task completed. A few days of telephone tag and utilities are NEARLY all lined up. No stress here, 😂 

Oh and in the meantime, we’re Selling our Urals.  Can’t  have a bike without a place to keep it, so More phone calls, more driving, more papers to sign, and they are now on the market.  Mine sold in a day, Macs will sell soon.  My word yes, this is calming. 😜😮🤣  Thank goodness the market for used bikes is good! 

Whats next?  How about a YARD SALE!  Okally dokally...posters up, FB Marketplace flooded, whatever we can’t keep is going...and that is a LOT of stuff.  It means clear the garage, sell sell sell..and our friends and neighbors to the rescue!  Big items sold, heavy items hauled up from the basement, prices set, and OMG our garage is packed!  Aaaaand now its supposed to rain this weekend of the sale.  Oh how ducky.  Turn up stress-o-meter to 98.  Many trips to the second hand store and closets are sorted.  Someone mentioned that moving is a great time to  purge, to lighten your load so to speak...yeah well we missed that lesson in life and have 21 years of amassed STUFF to get rid of.  I’m so relaxed now that I am near-retired I am up blogging at 3:30 a.m.  🤣🤣😥😥  oh an we have sold the Dodge pick me up truck to our neighbor.  And booked a Uhaul to take up our storage items mid month.  Yeas this month mid month.  Best have that stuff figured out eh? yup.  Retire and relax they said.  It will be great they said.  😉😬

And if that isn’t relaxing enough my car needs new winter tires, an oil change and an AC top up while magically my car dealership is keen to see us in a new vehicle.  Give me strength, 😳😅 So day after garage sale insanity, we’re looking at this newer set of wheels.  

Yup, its going to be good...how to get thru this without hot flashing myself into cinders is to visualize: sitting on the balcony, gazing westward at the mountains with a cup of coffee in the morning, and then going back to bed for the entire winter!  😴

Tune in next week to see just what new relaxing adventures will present themselves to the Moving MacArthurs!  So far so good, we’re healthy, ok achy and creaky but making progress 😊 and eager to see a light at the end of the tunnel.  Shhhh did you hear a train whistle?