Technological advances

I took an evolutionary step forward today!  I now have a touch screen cell phone!  No, it's not a smart phone, and no I don't use it for internet.  I leave all that to Laura!  But I am happy with my new phone.  I can send text messages and make occasional phone calls, and it still costs me almost nothing.  I have been with Petro Canada Mobility now for a few years.  So all I pay is 10¢ per text (receiving is of course free) and 25¢ per minute on calls.   Usually I'm just sending text messages to Laura, so this is all I need!  I know, exciting life eh!  I bought the phone at Superstore, so it was locked to President's Choice (PC) Mobile.  But I found a site online to unlock it for just $9, then dropped my SIM card in and I'm off to the races!  I just topped up my account with $100.  (Last year, I only used $90, so this should do me no problem.)

Here is the new phone (ignore the Virgin Mobile logo):

Here is my old phone, which I will now be mailing to my Mum to replace hers.  Still a good little phone:

Here is what she is going to replace.  Apparently it still works!

Blast from the Past

I was just in the car and heard a song on the radio that brought me back to my elementary school days.

"Tears are Not Enough" was the 1985 Canadian-made song, written by David Foster and performed by "Northern Lights," a team of Canada's best artists at the time, to raise funds for Ethiopia.  I'm pretty sure I had the single and it got a lot of play.

It was made at the same time as the U.S. song "We are the World," written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Ritchie.  Both are great songs for their genre, but I think I still have to say I like the Canadian version better.  David Foster just has a magic touch, and the chorus tugs at one's heart a little more than its American counterpart.

But, both are super cheesy, and therefore impossible to avoid singing to.

A memorable date

Laura sent me this picture.  It was a date we had a while back.  She took me for a ride on her bike.  Just after this picture was taken, I made us fly. She was a bit nervous, but I was doing okay, as you can see. Not quite sure how I fit into that milk crate, but I guess I did. One for the memory books!

Another season behind us

I can't believe it's almost Christmas.  Fall just flew by.  In fact, every year seems to fly by faster than the one before.  I guess that's what happens as we get older.  I'm 35 now.  I was thinking the other day about when I went off to university.  Unbelievably, that was almost half my lifetime ago.  I digress.

We just had our choir's Christmas concert two weeks ago.  It went well and got standing ovations both nights.  We did some really nice music; all Canadian composed or arranged, and almost all of it was holiday-themed.  Laura and I went to the choir's after-party for some eats and drinks.  All the choir members are interested in seeing who I am with.  I think being the youngest choir member makes me somewhat of a novelty item, and that extends to Laura when she joins me at these sorts of events.  I was happy to have her there.  I'm always so-so on social events like this, even if I do a pretty good job of saying hello and talking to most people there.

Back in October, Laura and I had some engagement photos done.  We recently got the photos back from the photographs.  A few good ones in there.  The engagement photo session was a relatively inexpensive add-on to our wedding photo package, so we said what the heck.  Here is one taken that day.  Laura has been wanting to have a movie-themed wedding, so we brought some director's chairs with us, and got a few shots with them:

It's now only six months until the wedding.  I remember proposing and we had 11.  I wish we could say that more has been accomplished in that time, but we've both been busy, and I think we're starting to have more of an idea what things will look like now.  So I see things progressing more swiftly as we move into the new year.  So far, we have our location, an officiant, and a photographer booked, and are working hard on getting a DJ firmed up.  But most importantly, we have a concept, which is where I think we were struggling for a while.  We want something that is representative of both of us, and that's a challenge when two people have different interests and styles.  But we're slowly finding that place in the middle that will make both of us happy.  We'll find out in six months if it was a success.

What's new?

I haven't been blogging in a while.  I have just been focused elsewhere I suppose.  But I thought now might be a good opportunity, as I'm currently sitting on the bed while Laura tries on every item in her closet and asks me to give it a "yay" or "nay."  Paring down is never an easy thing to do.  With Laura having moved in about three or four months ago now, she's finally settled into this place as her new "home."

Well in addition to having a new, full-time housemate, it is probably no news to anyone reading this that I am now engaged.  It happened just over a month ago on our summer holiday seeing family in BC and Waterloo.  So now we're in the early stages of wedding planning.  (Yes, I've been here before.)  So far, not too bad though.  With the wedding planned for June 2012, we have already found a nice venue for the event, Stonebridge Golf and Country Club in the Barrhaven area, and we're close to picking a photographer and officiant for the day.  So already some good progress.  It's a bit strange for me to be doing all this wedding stuff for a second time, but it's her first of course, and I feel good about doing it.  I'm starting something with a really special person who makes me very happy.  If it was her second time, she would probably be content to have a small affair in a much more intimate setting, but it's not, and I don't want to deprive her of a wedding day in the way she wants.  Besides, it's not going to be overly extravagant.  Probably in the 80s in terms of headcount, and much less work this time.  I'm ready to make quick decisions and just move on.  I don't want wedding planning to consume my life.  A wedding is one day.  No overthinking required.

Speaking of weddings, we have three more this fall that we have been invited to.  It's strange to have three in a period of two months when I've only been to one in the past four years!

We have tomatoes growing like crazy right now.  I planted about nine plants in the spring and I think we're going to get 70-80 tomatoes at least.  It's nice to see all that come out of the backyard.  And next to no work involved!

Laura has just finished an "Internal Medicine" rotation in her school program at the hospital.  She was doing lots of overnight shifts and working over 100 hours a week on more than one occasion.  This is her first weekend off in a while so we're taking advantage of it to relax and enjoy ourselves, and catch up on a few things that have been ignored for a while.  I'm just off to go pick up a new pair of running shoes.  Anyway, off to get this day rolling!

Broadway and Baroque

Laura and I have had another busy month of shows to take in at Ottawa's National Arts Centre.  Man, does it ever pay to know someone who can get tickets so cheap!

Earlier this month, we saw Broadway's Leading Men, which was essentially just that!  There were three men, all of whom had come up to Ottawa from New York to put on one great show.  There was also a young boy, who is currently the lead in the Broadway performance of Billy Elliot, and he did a few numbers, along with a woman, who sang a few duets with the men.  Lots of well-known music from some of Broadway's greatest musicals.

Last week, we took in Vivaldi's Four Seasons.  The first half was actually a Brahm's piece that was pretty good too.  For the Vivaldi, though, while I had heard snippets in the past, I had never heard the entire work from start to finish.  I thought it was just four movements.  In fact, it was four parts - three movements each!  So needless to say, it was longer than I thought.  But still a nice evening.  I think Laura and I only closed our eyes for a couple minutes in the second half!

One little bonus that I treat myself to when we go to the NAC is an Orangina.  If you don't know what this is, it's a carbonated orange drink, and quite refreshing at that.  Laura doesn't love it as much as I do, but she is happy to share it with me at intermission.

Not sure what's up next for shows, but there is a Judy Garland tribute as well as some Rachmaninov that look interesting!  Stay tuned!

Another reno in the books

Well, these projects always take a little longer than expected, but I am happy to say that another reno is in the books!  My master bathroom took me about four months, but I came in around what I was planning in terms of cost: $2200.  Not too bad for doing it myself (with a little help!).  Thank you to my now-expert tiler.  Oh, and also helping with paint colours, picking out fixtures, etc....

Here are some before and after shots.

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

Exam

Two blogs ago, I mentioned that after Christmas holidays I wrote an exam for a manager-level job.  Though I knew before Christmas that the exam was a few weeks away, I didn't really want to spend my holidays studying, and I took a calculated risk that I would be able to put something together in the two or three days I would have upon my return.

It seems that effort paid off.  I got an e-mail this week that I passed the exam.  This means I'm one step closer, and all that really remains is an interview.  The interview should take place over the next few weeks, and then I should hear sometime in the spring if I qualify or not.  We'll see how things turn out!

More great shows!

Since seeing the opera Turandot a few months ago, Laura and I have taken advantage of further shows at the National Arts Centre.  And for just $12, how could we not!?

First on December 4, we took in the Nutcracker, performed by the Alberta Ballet Company.  I had only seen the Nutcracker once, and it was when I was probably about 11 or 12.  Of course I knew all the music, but it was fun to see the full-length show again, and performed at a high calibre.

Next, we went to one of Laura's choices: The Music of Motown, performed by the group Spectrum.  It was an entertaining evening.  Laura knew every song.  She just loves that Motown.  She also liked when Spectrum made every man in the audience sing "My Girl" to his partner.  Now I know what all that choir was for!

Last week, we checked out Canadian Brass!  This group is a brass quintet which travels around and plays with local orchestras.  Prior to the group's entry, the orchestra played a 10-minute West Side Story medley.  Laura has never seen that show, but recognized most of the music.  It's one of my favourites, so it was a great way to start the night.  Canadian Brass! then entered and played a good variety of music, including a few with a New Orleans flavour.  Good toe-tappin stuff.

Tomorrow night we're off to see Dvorak's New World Symphony and other works.  I don't actually know the New World Symphony that well, but I know it's a famous piece of music, so it's a good opportunity to check it out!  Another piece we'll hear is Mendelssohn's Hebrides Overture.  I remember studying this; it's quite nice.  And we'll also hear a violin concerto.  This concert was originally more my suggestion, but I had forgotten about it, and Laura reminded me, saying that she was interested in seeing it, since "she's likes to be cultured!"  She said it!

Lots going on, where to begin?

Well, after a hiatus I am back.  A busy Christmas saw me divide my time between Waterloo, Ontario where I spent some time with Laura's family, and Duncan, BC where I surprised my own family with a last minute visit.  It was great to see everyone and especially meet my new niece.  All in all, a whirlwhind two weeks of living out of a suitcase

Upon my return, I wrote an exam for a manager-level job.  Still to follow would be an interview, but even if I get the opportunity, I will have to assess whether or not I really want this job right now.  I like the life I have now, and I'm not sure the extra work and stress is worth the marginal increase in salary.  We'll see.

I've also jumped back into working on my bathroom, and there's finally some visible progress.  Laura helped me do some tiling, and while I still have to grout everything, here is what is looks like as of today.

Cue the next project!

As pleasant as it has been to have a break from the various house projects that seem to always occupy me, the most recent being the hardwood floors followed by the my backyard deck and fence, I have started yet another.  And this will be a new challenge.  A complete bathroom makeover.  This weekend was the gut-job.  As you can see, all that remains is a tub full of tile debris.  Laura felt like getting her hands dirty, so she swiftly picked up a hammer and joined me in the demolition.  The room smells a little of pee and there is some mouldy growth in a corner next to the tub, but nothing that can't be addressed by the modest handyman skills of yours truly!

An interesting find in shower walls -- a circa 1982 Pepsi-cola can.  (Shown sitting on tub at right.)

All Hallows' Eve!!!

I woke up this morning to the first snowfall!  So not the typical Hallowe'en, but I guess it's a sign of things to come.  The good news is that it had mostly melted off by the afternoon, and also helped to spur me to action in cleaning out the rest of my garage so that I could once again park my car inside.

Laura was at the hospital last night for a 4-12 shift, and came out here this morning.  We ran a couple errands, and then she did some schoolwork while I took care of some housework, and garage cleaning as previously mentioned.  Then this afternoon we carved pumpkins and made spring rolls for dinner.  Those things are just mouth-watering.  I'm actually writing this about an hour after gorging myself, and my salivary glands are acting up all over again!

We set up the front door with my usual skulls around the door, and tea light pumpkins lining the driveway, but Laura had brought over some spiders and cobwebs to jazz things up a little.  Here's her in action.

The pumpkin carving was a lot of fun too.  My pumpkin featured a crazy looking face with the letters "H-A-L-L-O-W-E-E-N" for teeth, while Laura did more of a smily face with big teeth.  I took some pictures of them, which don't do them justice, but you get the general idea.

We enjoyed answering the door for the kids later on as well.  I put on a troll's mask (though it's Laura in the picture below) and answered the door first, grunting, and saying "candy?... candy?"  Then Laura would tell me to "Get back to my cage" before handing the youngsters their loot.

We're finishing the evening with a movie, a thriller called "1408."  Not a genre I would typically watch, but we're sticking with a theme here, and after all, All Hallows' Eve comes but once a year!  Muah ha ha ha ha...

Dear Uncle Gerry

It's been a few weeks since you left us, and I felt I should send along a message to pass on my regards.  I'm sad that you're gone.  I wish you hadn't have gone so soon, but I guess that's how it is sometimes.

I have memories of being perhaps only seven or eight, and taking trips up to Vernon, and you would come over to Grandma's to visit.  You were always in a good mood.  You had a way of being completely serious in one moment, and laughing the next.  I don't know why, but as a kid, I remember wishing that that was a quality I had.

I remember when Corey and I went to Vernon for a visit once and got addicted to Grandma's soap operas.  You would come over at lunch time and eat, then fall asleep.  Grandma told us not to make noise while you were sleeping.  I just thought it was weird that you were sleeping at lunch time.

I remember when I saw you for the first time in Mexico and you had recently shaved your head.  I thought it suited you.  You might recall that we had a good chat out on the balcony as the sun was setting.

I wish you had taken better care of yourself.  I think you would have been around a lot longer.  I won't hold it against you, because I'm sure you would have done better if you'd known, or been able to change it.  I'm trying to do the best I can so that I live a long and enjoyable life.

I wish you and Quinn hadn't fallen out of touch.  He was family, and he should have come first.  But even if you didn't stay as close with him, I hope you were able to take some good memories from your time with him.  I will make an effort to stay in touch with him.

I remember a message you sent me once that hurt my feelings.  I don't think you meant it that way, but at the time, it was a bit upsetting.  I remember a few times you tried phoning me on skype after that, probably just to say hello, but I was still a bit angry about that situation, so I chose not to chat with you.  I think now you were just trying to give me advice and were doing so the best way you knew.  I have since forgiven you for that.

I remember the last time we talked.  My parents had told me you were seeking treatment for your health problems, and when you called me on skype, I answered.  We chatted for an hour or so.  It was a good chat.  You were the same person I remember from my childhood.  Serious one moment and joking the next.

What I would give to have another chat with you now, Uncle Gerry.  I will think of you from time to time.  I will remember you.

Reagan

Turandot

One of the perks of being with someone who is still technically a student, and yes there are a few, seems to fall right into my line of interest.  Inexpensive tickets to amazing events at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa.

The other day, I received some promotional material in the mail for Opera Lyra, Ottawa's opera company, informing me of its upcoming season.  Up first: Turandot, one of Puccini's great works, featuring probably the most well-known aria of all time: Nessun Dorma.  Out of curiosity, I looked up ticket prices, and discovered that they started out at the rock-bottom rate of $76.  (Admittedly, this is reasonable, and the venue at the NAC is great.)  But I asked Laura first if she had any interest in seeing an opera sometime, and second if she had heard of "Live Rush!"  Her answers were "yes" and "no", respectively.  "Live Rush!" is a program offered by many major box offices across Canada whereby students can purchase last minute tickets for mind-bogglingly low prices. Laura and I found the "Live Rush!" website, and sure enough Opera Lyra tickets were available.  So the two of us managed to get tickets for last night's Turandot for just $17 each, taxes and fees included.  Richard Margison, one of Canada great tenor voices, played the part of Calaf, and sung Nessun Dorma.  But that was just one of the highlights of this spectacular show.  Turandot is set in China, and the opera featured great costumes combined with well-designed sets, and Margison, along with the supporting voices and chorus really brought the show to life.

Laura enjoyed her first opera experience, and we both agreed that we would be sure to take advantage of other upcoming events through "Live Rush!"

When push comes to shove

By nature, I am a non-confrontational person.  I am accommodating in most situations, for the simple reason that I prefer harmony in my life, to discord.  That is not to say that I will simply roll over when push comes to shove, but I have found that there is often a way for one to tactfully get what he or she wants, without bullying, antagonizing, or intimidating.

This week was probably one of the most challenging of my work career.  For this week and next, I was asked to act in the manager's position while he was away, a position I have filled in for several times in the past in a previous job.  My work environment has a very interesting dynamic.  My small team of six people are colocated with a larger client group numbering about 40, to which we provide services.  The manager (or project manager) of that team is a typical alpha-male type, who runs a tight ship and is also a highly knowledgeable man.  His approach and management style is very different from mine, but admirable to me in many ways, since many of his qualities are ones that I wish came to me naturally.  And through my own hard work, I have become equally respected by him, and seen to be one of the strong points within my team.

So this week, I was asked to attend a weekly management meeting, a meeting attended by seven members of our client, (and chaired by the project manager of that team himself,) and the manager of our team, who in this week's case was me.  What I was surprised to see very quickly into this meeting, that the purpose seemed less about getting updates from around the table and sharing information, and more about pressuring and intimidating the representative of my team, (which was easy given the lopsidedness in numbers,) and this was being doled out almost entirely from the person I respected most, the project manager.  For two hours I sat in my chair, pummelled with questions posed with antagonism.  I first tried to give forthcoming responses, but found that each response was followed by another disrespectful question or remark.  I felt my efforts were hopeless, and the only thing I could do at that point was limit the damage.  My usually positive self, known to most in the room, began changing.  In defence mode, I shelled up.  I answered questions in two or three-word sound bites, and repeated these sound bites when pressured further.  "Where is this?" I was asked.  "We're working on it," I responded.  "Okay, but when will we see it?  Give us a date."  "We're working on it," I repeated.  I could see some in the room squirming with discomfort as they witnessed for the first time in a public setting someone not crumbling to the demands of their leader.  But then, their leader was not my leader, so I was in a unique position.  Still, there was fear within me.  Fear of the embarrassment I would face if I was not able to maintain composure.  Fear that I would fall out of favour with the project manager and his team.  Despite all this, however, I did not break.

At the end of the meeting, I felt I had one thing I simply had to do.  I had to confront the project manager one-on-one.  I asked him to stay following the meeting so that I could have a few words with him.  And then, I said all those things that we always wish we had have said to someone following an experience like that.  I told him how I had felt unjustifiably belittled and embarrassed for two hours straight, and I would tolerate it no longer.  I told him how (given the degree of respect I had had for him,) I was extremely disappointed in his behaviour.  I told him that the intimidation had to stop.  I told him that I had lost respect for him, and that it would take a lot of work on his part to regain that respect.  (Bear in mind, this is someone who outranks me significantly, so to hear such remarks from a "junior" employee would almost certainly never have been anticipated on his part.)  I'm not sure he really knew how to respond to all this.  He seemed to be a bit shocked.  I suppose it's possible that no one has said something like this to him before.  Though, while my words seemed to be having an impact, at times I felt I appeared weak.  Occasionally I could feel myself trembling, and even felt some emotion coming to the surface as I admitted to the pain I felt as a result of the experience.  I did what I could to contain all of that, but it was likely still visible to him.  I felt however, that it was okay, since my fear and emotion could only have reinforced my honesty.

Ultimately, he, in his position, could not lose face with me, and maintained his composure.  He never admitted that his behaviour was inappropriate, (though another person who was in the room has since shared with me that she thought it was simply "childish".)  I think I would have liked an apology, and while I didn't get one, he did say he would reflect on my words.  And while since the event I have at times questioned how I may have been perceived by what took place that day, I can live with this since I stayed true to myself and stood up for who I am.

100 years

On the occasional weekend, I have been getting together with my friend, Andy, to play music (a.k.a. "jam") where he plays accoustic guitar, I play electric keyboard, and we take turns signing.  These little sessions are not much more than playing around, since we're not exactly concert-ready performers, but they are fun occasions to hang out and do something each of us enjoys.

Last Saturday, we had one such event, and I brought with me the music and lyrics to a song by the band, "Five for Fighting."  For those of you who are not familiar with this band, it is a rock/pop band centred around the artist John Ondrasick.  Ondrasick typically plays the piano and sings in his songs, and boasts a few quality tunes which are not too difficult to play and quite pleasing to the ear.  One such song is "100 years."

Originally, I went looking for the music and lyrics just because I thought it would be a good song for our jam session.  However, as we were playing it, the lyrics started to really speak to me.  They talk about the wonder and innocence of being 15 years old, and how at that age, we have our whole lives ahead of us - "time to buy and time to lose."  How true those words are.  As a 15 year-old, I saw the life ahead of me full of immense possibility and so much time to achieve all of my dreams.

The song goes on to muse on the excitement of love at 22, how family life has crept up by 33, and living though a mid-life crisis at 45.  Whether or not this timeline is reflective of mine or yours, it does speak to the passage of time, and how the years can fly by so quickly.

I have often found myself thinking, "I can't wait for this week to be over..."  I have even wished I could fast-forward my life by a year or two, on more than one occasion.  But why?  Is life so bad that we are better off just closing our eyes in hopes to wake up when times are better?  At 33, I am a third of the way to 100.  All those years are now behind me, and I will only relive them through memories and photographs.

I wish I could be that 15 year-old again.  So much possibility, accompanied by naivety to the challenges that life will ultimately bring.  But now, at 33, I can see that each chapter of one's life is its own adventure, an encapsulated span of time in which we face the highs and lows of life that make us the people we are.  And I will choose to live each chapter with my eyes open.  Because life is too short to live only for the highlight moments.  Because life is full of possibilities at any age.  Because these 100 years are ours only once.

A Choral Experience

One of the greatest gifts I have been able to afford myself is that of music.  While many who know me would think I am referring to my experience in learning piano, I allude to not only that, but also several other valuable experiences and learning in which I participated.  In particular, three years in a junior high school band, playing the baritone, oboe, and bassoon, as well as a year in a community orchestra as a bassoonist.  I even played in the orchestra pit for my high school's production of "Oliver!"  Certainly, my years of piano represent the greatest of all my achievements in music, and I have now been able to carry that on to teaching children, and playing for myself as a pastime.  Not to be forgotten are some courses in music history that I undertook by correspondence.  These, while offering little in terms of practical music knowledge per se, did provide a valuable learning experience by opening me up to the origins of music, its historical development, and the people who pioneered it.  So, putting all of these experiences together, it is no wonder that music has a very important and special place in my life, and will remain so.

As a young boy, my parents exposed me to a variety of cultural and music events: the symphony orchestra, the ballet, musicals, for example.  One experience, however, was particularly memorable.  I was perhaps 10 years old.  A young women's choir from Estonia was travelling through my area and doing performances.  As a way of mitigating its costs, the choir was billeting with families along the way.  My family offered to take in two of these girls.  An interesting backdrop to this experience was that, at the time, Estonia was still a Soviet satellite, and I recall the girls telling us how there was someone from "the Party" who was accompanying them.  Not that this had a whole lot to do with the music itself, but interesting to think about nonetheless.

The concert for me was a first in hearing choral singing.  I wish I could say I remember more of it; what they sung, and how it sounded.  Alas, I was just 10 years old, and probably more focused on trying to spot our billets among all the other young women.  But I did take away something from the music.  I remember being impressed, and wishing I could do something like that.

Fast-forward 23 years.  I was sitting at home one day recently watching t.v. when a program came on in which there was choral singing, and I found myself humming along and wishing once again I could be a part of a group like that.  I started poking around on the internet and uncovered a panoply of choirs in Ottawa, for all kinds of different age groups and singing styles.  At first I was hesitant to pursue this further, because I have no formal training in voice, and was not looking to embarrass myself in an audition.  But I came across a choir in my area, "Coro Vivo", and I figured I would just put out a feeler, and see where it led.  A woman from Coro Vivo invited me to come see the choir's upcoming Christmas concert, and find her afterwards to chat.  I took her up on the invitation, and was duly impressed.  Her enthusiasm in my interest left me with no choice but to audition, which, in the end, was little more than "la la-ing" with the choir director.  He gave me full assurance I would fit right in, and asked me to join immediately.

I've been to five rehearsals now, and I can honestly say that there is nothing like it.  I am one of about 65 voices, singing four-part harmony.  The choir director, a young Cuban in his 20s is engaging and positive, and is teaching all of us a great deal.  Having a Hispanic background, he has us signing two pieces by José Ángel Lamas, a Venezuelan composer from the early 19th century.  But by far the most challenging and inspring piece of music we are learning is Vivaldi's Gloria.  Antonio Vivaldi, an 18th century Venetian composer, is probably best known for his "Four Seasons", but he was also a priest, and many of his works are very religiously based, such as the Gloria.  I am by no means a religious person, but this music transcends religion with all its musical intricacies and inherent beauty.  It is an incredible challenge to sing, which makes it all that much more worth working towards.  Our performance is May 1, and I know it is going to be spectacular.  And this time, I will not be sitting in the audience, taking in the experience.  Rather, I will be one of the people sharing in its delivery, and perhaps touching some other young child out there, like I was at the age of 10.

The Law restored

Well my friends, at long last, I have returned.  It is time to breath life once again into the Law.  It has been more than two years, but I finally decided to share with you my personal thoughts, feelings, and insights into the world.

This "renewal" of Newcomb's Law is, in a way reflective of a personal renewal for me.  The last time I posted, I was married and in a very different place in my life.  Obviously things have changed quite significantly since then.  But it's not just "things" that I have changed; I have changed as well.  And perhaps my writing will reflect that.

In the meantime, I invite you to check in from time to time and follow along with me as I muse on life's lessons and adventures.

Kitchen update

It's been a few weeks since my last post, so I figured people might be wondering if the kitchen's looking any different. Well, progress with renos can be slow, but I guess we have accomplished a few things since the last photo you would have seen.

We primed and painted the kitchen and family room ceiling, so it now looks nice and finished, and the pot lights look great up there. I then built the island, although the drawer fronts that we got were not well finished so we're waiting for the cabinet manufacturer to send us some new ones at the moment. Still, the island looks pretty good there. We ordered our countertops, but they won't be here for at least four weeks (maybe more...) so, we've put a temporary top on the island (made of surplus cabinet parts!) just so we can use it as a work surface in the meantime. We also installed the new light fixture over the island, which looks good too.

We've also got all out appliances now; they're all sitting in the living room, except for the OTR (over-the-range) microwave, which I installed this morning.

Probably the job that I've done recently that I'm the most happy with is doing the pantry cabinets. When they came in the box, the parts were for two-feet deep cabinets. The space we have for them would only allow one-foot deep cabinets, and this manufacturer does not make pantries in that depth. So I had to cut them all down on the new table saw that we got from Phil and Carole at Christmas (which I just assembled a couple weeks ago!), and then I had to measure and drill all new holes to make sure they would got together properly. Pretty tricky job, but it worked out nicely.

Putting the pieces together

Finally we can start turning this room back into a kitchen again! We spent a few hours on both Saturday and Sunday installing cabinets. One thing I've found out is how unlevel our floors are. I had to use shims under most of the base cabinets I installed. This house is only 20 years old, so I guess it doesn't take long for a house to settle an things to go a little off. But, fortunately there are ways to work around all that!

We've put the old countertop on as temporary fix until we have a new one. At least we have running water on the main floor though. We'll probably order the countertop this week, and then try and line up a plumber.

We also got the appliances delivered on Saturday. And is the fridge ever big. Wow. It's probably got twice the volume of our old one, and interestingly only uses 1/3 of the power! Guess we can call them "green" appliances!