In 42 degree weather...we began to unpack and set up the new house. So far the family room and kitchen are almost complete. Next room to tackle is the office and then all of the rooms on the main floor are done! The unpacking process is much more fun than the packing process because there is less of a jigsaw to contend with!
So far we have a series of broken items from the truck and are less than impressed with the quality of service that we received on this trip. We were told that this is not their fault or their problem. We don't know what will happen, but hopefully compensation for the broken items at least!
Once we have completely unpacked the house and set it up in the way that we want it...then we'll take pictures and post them.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Day 7 - Bruce Mines to Toronto
Km travelled today: 610
Number of pictures taken today: 34
Total km travelled: 4610 (this included taking a tour of Thessalon & Parry Sound)
Total km to go: 0
Total pictures taken: 1139
Pictures will be uploaded to Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/4500kmtogo/ in the Day 7: Bruce Mines to Toronto album.
Today was a crazy day of driving especially because with the end so close in sight....we just wanted to get home! We got an early start to the day, leaving the hotel at 7:15, as we were scheduled to meet with our landlord to pick up keys at 3:30, and there were a couple of stops that we wanted to make along the way - Colin had never before seen the Big Nickel in Sudbury, and we wanted to stop and pick up some fresh wild blueberries for Andrea's mom along the way.
We also discovered that deer cross the road at 2pm in the afternoon, which was a little surprising, but really pretty to see her dash across the highway. Luckily the other motorists also slowed to allow her to cross.
We arrived in Toronto happy to be in our new home. We unloaded the car and left the kitties to explore the new house because we went up to Andrea's mom's house for the evening as she had a bed and was willing to feed us after our long day of driving.
The A/C and firm bed was a real treat! Now looking forward to when the packing truck arrives...
Number of pictures taken today: 34
Total km travelled: 4610 (this included taking a tour of Thessalon & Parry Sound)
Total km to go: 0
Total pictures taken: 1139
Pictures will be uploaded to Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/4500kmtogo/ in the Day 7: Bruce Mines to Toronto album.
Today was a crazy day of driving especially because with the end so close in sight....we just wanted to get home! We got an early start to the day, leaving the hotel at 7:15, as we were scheduled to meet with our landlord to pick up keys at 3:30, and there were a couple of stops that we wanted to make along the way - Colin had never before seen the Big Nickel in Sudbury, and we wanted to stop and pick up some fresh wild blueberries for Andrea's mom along the way.
We also discovered that deer cross the road at 2pm in the afternoon, which was a little surprising, but really pretty to see her dash across the highway. Luckily the other motorists also slowed to allow her to cross.
We arrived in Toronto happy to be in our new home. We unloaded the car and left the kitties to explore the new house because we went up to Andrea's mom's house for the evening as she had a bed and was willing to feed us after our long day of driving.
The A/C and firm bed was a real treat! Now looking forward to when the packing truck arrives...
Monday, July 11, 2011
Day 6 - Thunder Bay to Bruce Mines
Km travelled today: 817
Number of pictures taken today: 134
Total km travelled: 4000 (this included taking a tour of Thessalon)
Total km to go: 610
Total pictures taken: 1105
Due to the internet settings at the hotel - I am unable to upload pictures tonight and will have to do it when I get to Oro tomorrow night. Pictures will be uploaded to Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/4500kmtogo/ in the Day 6: Thunder Bay to Bruce Mines album.
Tonight is the last night that we spend a hotel, other than the Hoath Hotel (Andrea's mom) tomorrow night! We are both looking forward to no longer living out of a suitcase, although the kitties are becoming quite the good little travellers. Tiki has taken over Andrea's pillow as her new princess perch and Ellie (who used to fight going into the cat carrier) has now taken to sleeping in the cat carrier between the passenger and driver's seats.
Today was the day landmarks, long stretches between cups of coffee, and lots of fog (but it seemed to only appear when Colin was driving!).
Landmarks:
1) Terry Fox statue & memorial - this was beautiful and very peaceful, especially early in the morning. The grounds are beautiful and the view is terrific.
2) The Wawa Goose - we first saw this while watching "One Week" and since it was just off of the highway and had a Tim Horton's down the street, it was a definitely picture stop.
3) The Carolyn Beach Inukshuk - Colin demonstrated his strength by holding it up. This was really pretty to see as the sunset behind it over Georgian Bay.
4) The Algomy Red Giant Muskoka Chair - this is a fairly new addition to the Algoma County landmarks. It was right off of the highway and needed a rest.
Other than that, we had a peaceful drive with foggy patches that made for great photos. We are both glad that our longest day of driving is over though and are looking forward to getting to the new house tomorrow! Finally! :)
Tomorrow we are visiting Andrea's grandfather's & great-grandparents' gravesites in the morning. Then we are heading to the French River to see Big Blue, Sudbury to see the Big Nickel and any other landmarks that cross our path.
Number of pictures taken today: 134
Total km travelled: 4000 (this included taking a tour of Thessalon)
Total km to go: 610
Total pictures taken: 1105
Due to the internet settings at the hotel - I am unable to upload pictures tonight and will have to do it when I get to Oro tomorrow night. Pictures will be uploaded to Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/4500kmtogo/ in the Day 6: Thunder Bay to Bruce Mines album.
Tonight is the last night that we spend a hotel, other than the Hoath Hotel (Andrea's mom) tomorrow night! We are both looking forward to no longer living out of a suitcase, although the kitties are becoming quite the good little travellers. Tiki has taken over Andrea's pillow as her new princess perch and Ellie (who used to fight going into the cat carrier) has now taken to sleeping in the cat carrier between the passenger and driver's seats.
Today was the day landmarks, long stretches between cups of coffee, and lots of fog (but it seemed to only appear when Colin was driving!).
Landmarks:
1) Terry Fox statue & memorial - this was beautiful and very peaceful, especially early in the morning. The grounds are beautiful and the view is terrific.
2) The Wawa Goose - we first saw this while watching "One Week" and since it was just off of the highway and had a Tim Horton's down the street, it was a definitely picture stop.
3) The Carolyn Beach Inukshuk - Colin demonstrated his strength by holding it up. This was really pretty to see as the sunset behind it over Georgian Bay.
4) The Algomy Red Giant Muskoka Chair - this is a fairly new addition to the Algoma County landmarks. It was right off of the highway and needed a rest.
Other than that, we had a peaceful drive with foggy patches that made for great photos. We are both glad that our longest day of driving is over though and are looking forward to getting to the new house tomorrow! Finally! :)
Tomorrow we are visiting Andrea's grandfather's & great-grandparents' gravesites in the morning. Then we are heading to the French River to see Big Blue, Sudbury to see the Big Nickel and any other landmarks that cross our path.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Day 5 - Winnipeg to Thunder Bay
Km travelled today: 751
Number of pictures taken today: 82
Total km travelled: 3183
Total km to go: 1220
Total pictures taken: 971
Pictures have been uploaded to Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/4500kmtogo/ in the Day 5: Winnipeg to Thunder Bay album.
After a great evening with Mel in Winnipeg, we woke up and had a good breakfast at the hotel, and got back on the road. At about 12:00 EDT (thanks for the reminder, Lawrence!) we crossed the border back into Ontario, and also got reacquainted with hills! Andrea did most of the driving today, and I valiantly tried to keep up with her photography skills.
It was a long drive through Northern Ontario from Kenora to Thunder Bay, but it was another fantastic, beautiful day with few clouds in the sky, and only light traffic.
Once we arrived in Thunder Bay, we checked in to the hotel and took back off to go see Kakabeka Falls, about 30 km outside of Thunder Bay. The sights there were beautiful, and were well worth the additional driving! If anyone is ever in Thunder Bay, we would highly recommend going to see the Falls.
Tomorrow will mark the longest day of driving since we began the trip. We are looking to get from Thunder Bay to Bruce Mines, which is about 70 km east of Sault Ste. Marie. We're hoping to stop to see a few monuments along the way, in particular the Terry Fox Memorial on the way out of Thunder Bay. It's going to be a long day, but if the weather continues the way it has been for the past week, it should be another great day!
Number of pictures taken today: 82
Total km travelled: 3183
Total km to go: 1220
Total pictures taken: 971
Pictures have been uploaded to Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/4500kmtogo/ in the Day 5: Winnipeg to Thunder Bay album.
After a great evening with Mel in Winnipeg, we woke up and had a good breakfast at the hotel, and got back on the road. At about 12:00 EDT (thanks for the reminder, Lawrence!) we crossed the border back into Ontario, and also got reacquainted with hills! Andrea did most of the driving today, and I valiantly tried to keep up with her photography skills.
It was a long drive through Northern Ontario from Kenora to Thunder Bay, but it was another fantastic, beautiful day with few clouds in the sky, and only light traffic.
Once we arrived in Thunder Bay, we checked in to the hotel and took back off to go see Kakabeka Falls, about 30 km outside of Thunder Bay. The sights there were beautiful, and were well worth the additional driving! If anyone is ever in Thunder Bay, we would highly recommend going to see the Falls.
Tomorrow will mark the longest day of driving since we began the trip. We are looking to get from Thunder Bay to Bruce Mines, which is about 70 km east of Sault Ste. Marie. We're hoping to stop to see a few monuments along the way, in particular the Terry Fox Memorial on the way out of Thunder Bay. It's going to be a long day, but if the weather continues the way it has been for the past week, it should be another great day!
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Day 4 - Moose Jaw to Winnipeg
Km travelled today: 651
Number of pictures taken today: 108
Total km travelled: 2432
Total km to go: 1971
Total pictures taken: 889
Pictures have been uploaded to Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/4500kmtogo/ in the Day 4: Moose Jaw to Winnipeg album.
Number of pictures taken today: 108
Total km travelled: 2432
Total km to go: 1971
Total pictures taken: 889
Pictures have been uploaded to Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/4500kmtogo/ in the Day 4: Moose Jaw to Winnipeg album.
After a long day of chasing down places that supply legally addictive hot substances (ie. caffeine!) the drive was pretty and uneventful. Unfortunately the scenery did not change much between yesterday and today! There was one discovery and that was just how many dragonflies are present and swarming in the prairies. They were like kamikaze pilots attacking the car....
The best part was that this happens about an hour and a half past Regina, which also happened to be the city where we got a deluxe car wash done as the silver paint on the hood of the Matrix was unrecognizable beneath the dead bugs.
We made it to Winnipeg safely and are now adjusting to the Central Time zone. Colin and I were treated to a "Tour of Manitoba" dinner by my dear friend (and soon to be blushing bride) Mel who loves to cook and does it extremely well (check out her food blog - A Weekend in Food). We had no problem being guinea pigs to an amazing meal of local pickeral, fresh & local veggies, tasty appies, and the BEST red velvet cupcakes that either of us have ever eaten - SO MOIST and tasty! Thank you for an amazing meal! (Please send me the recipe for those cupcakes!) Mel then took our stuffed selves down to The Forks for a tour and picture taking session. She fully fulfilled her job as our "Manitoba ambassador"! :) Thanks Melly and can't wait to see you and Darryl get married in two weeks!
Other than that, the hotel room is huge with lots of space and the kitties even get their own queen-sized bed, although I don't know if they will use it but instead take up space on our bed...
Tomorrow we are off to Thunder Bay for some sight-seeing. Unfortunately we have no friends to meet there, so we will be on our own for restaurant/meal suggestions! If anyone has been to Thunder Bay - where is a good place to eat? Also we cross the last time zone tomorrow....cannot wait to no longer do the automatic mental math of "if it is ______ am/pm in BC, what time is it in Ontario?".
The Coils' Report - safe and sound. They are currently rewrapped and the car is outside of our window with Colin promising to check them frequently. Also there is a security company that monitors the lot, but the blackout/sun shades on the back windows help to hide the big blanket-wrapped metal box in the cargo bed.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Day 3 - Calgary to Moose Jaw
Km travelled today: 704
Number of pictures taken today: 90
Total km travelled: 1781
Total km to go: 2622
Total pictures taken: 781
Pictures have been uploaded to Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/4500kmtogo/ in the Day 3: Calgary to Moose Jaw album.
Today has been a beautiful sunny day of travelling. We got to sleep in a bit, and were able to avoid the Stampede Parade thanks to some wonderful travel advice by our friends in Calgary and made it to Medicine Hat in time for a great lunch hosted by Shannon and Rob (friends of Colin's). There I discovered a great new condiment thanks to them (go PC mango-lime salsa!), and we nearly lost a cat as Tiki decided that it would be a good idea to play Hide and Seek as we were trying to get back on the road. Luckily, Rob was able to find her tucked away in a corner of their basement and we were able to get back on the road.
There were less pictures taken today partially because the scenery was not quite as impressive east of Calgary as it had been through the Rockies, but mostly because for the first time during the trip Andrea did the driving and Colin was the designated photographer. However, Colin is not quite the photographer that Andrea is - Andrea has a great talent for taking spectacular pictures from a moving car. It is obvious that her parents are police officers, as Andrea is a photo sniper!
We made it to Moose Jaw around 5:30 and, when we went to feed the cats, discovered that we had left the bag of cat food in the parking lot of the Calgary Travelodge. So after a quick trip to Wal-mart, we were off to visit with Todd, a childhood friend of Andrea's, and his wife Meaghan. We were treated to a fantastic dinner of smoked ribs and sausage, and had a great time catching up around a campfire. Now Colin wants a smoker too once we find our "forever" house.
Tomorrow is another long day of driving - our destination isWinterpeg Winnipeg and another great dinner hosted by a friend of Andrea's. Hopefully summer has come to Manitoba and we won't need our winter coats! Until then, we are going to enjoy the beautiful hotel room in Moose Jaw (and its extremely comfortable bed).
Number of pictures taken today: 90
Total km travelled: 1781
Total km to go: 2622
Total pictures taken: 781
Pictures have been uploaded to Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/4500kmtogo/ in the Day 3: Calgary to Moose Jaw album.
Today has been a beautiful sunny day of travelling. We got to sleep in a bit, and were able to avoid the Stampede Parade thanks to some wonderful travel advice by our friends in Calgary and made it to Medicine Hat in time for a great lunch hosted by Shannon and Rob (friends of Colin's). There I discovered a great new condiment thanks to them (go PC mango-lime salsa!), and we nearly lost a cat as Tiki decided that it would be a good idea to play Hide and Seek as we were trying to get back on the road. Luckily, Rob was able to find her tucked away in a corner of their basement and we were able to get back on the road.
There were less pictures taken today partially because the scenery was not quite as impressive east of Calgary as it had been through the Rockies, but mostly because for the first time during the trip Andrea did the driving and Colin was the designated photographer. However, Colin is not quite the photographer that Andrea is - Andrea has a great talent for taking spectacular pictures from a moving car. It is obvious that her parents are police officers, as Andrea is a photo sniper!
We made it to Moose Jaw around 5:30 and, when we went to feed the cats, discovered that we had left the bag of cat food in the parking lot of the Calgary Travelodge. So after a quick trip to Wal-mart, we were off to visit with Todd, a childhood friend of Andrea's, and his wife Meaghan. We were treated to a fantastic dinner of smoked ribs and sausage, and had a great time catching up around a campfire. Now Colin wants a smoker too once we find our "forever" house.
Tomorrow is another long day of driving - our destination is
Day 2 - Kelowna to Calgary
Km travelled today: 668
Number of pictures taken today: 481
Total km travelled: 1077
Total km to go: 3326
Total pictures taken: 691
Pictures have been uploaded to Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/4500kmtogo/ in the Day 2: Kelowna to Calgary album.
After a short first day of driving from Vancouver to Kelowna, Day 2 was the first of our long, 8-hour or more driving days. We took off from Kelowna at about 7 am since we would be losing an hour on the time change from Pacific time to Mountain time. The drive took us through 3 different National Parks (Mt. Revelstoke, Glacier and Banff), and Andrea took almost 500 pictures of some truly amazing scenery. It was so good for both of us to see this part of our country - neither of us can believe we waited this long!
When we arrived in Calgary, we stopped of quickly at our hotel and then headed off to Canada Olympic Park to do the zip line, which advertises itself as the fastest zip line in Canada. Andrea and I saw it on an episode of the Rick Mercer Report, and it looked like it would be a great experience. The main line runs off of the ski-jump tower, and the view of Calgary from the top was spectacular. The zip line, however, was kind of disappointing. Maybe we've been spoiled by the zip lines in Whistler, but the one in Calgary was nothing special, and was definitely not as fun as advertised.
After the zip line, we met up with friends of Andrea's for drinks, dessert and good times. After a long day and a short night, we're off again this morning. We'll be avoiding downtown Calgary, as the Stampede parade is on this morning, and downtown is nuts (even more so than usual since Prince William and Kate are participating in the parade). We're heading to Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan today to meet up with a childhood friend of Andrea's, and will be stopping by at a former co-worker of Colin's in Medicine Hat, Alberta. It will be another long day of driving, but we're glad we're getting closer to Toronto!
Number of pictures taken today: 481
Total km travelled: 1077
Total km to go: 3326
Total pictures taken: 691
Pictures have been uploaded to Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/4500kmtogo/ in the Day 2: Kelowna to Calgary album.
After a short first day of driving from Vancouver to Kelowna, Day 2 was the first of our long, 8-hour or more driving days. We took off from Kelowna at about 7 am since we would be losing an hour on the time change from Pacific time to Mountain time. The drive took us through 3 different National Parks (Mt. Revelstoke, Glacier and Banff), and Andrea took almost 500 pictures of some truly amazing scenery. It was so good for both of us to see this part of our country - neither of us can believe we waited this long!
When we arrived in Calgary, we stopped of quickly at our hotel and then headed off to Canada Olympic Park to do the zip line, which advertises itself as the fastest zip line in Canada. Andrea and I saw it on an episode of the Rick Mercer Report, and it looked like it would be a great experience. The main line runs off of the ski-jump tower, and the view of Calgary from the top was spectacular. The zip line, however, was kind of disappointing. Maybe we've been spoiled by the zip lines in Whistler, but the one in Calgary was nothing special, and was definitely not as fun as advertised.
After the zip line, we met up with friends of Andrea's for drinks, dessert and good times. After a long day and a short night, we're off again this morning. We'll be avoiding downtown Calgary, as the Stampede parade is on this morning, and downtown is nuts (even more so than usual since Prince William and Kate are participating in the parade). We're heading to Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan today to meet up with a childhood friend of Andrea's, and will be stopping by at a former co-worker of Colin's in Medicine Hat, Alberta. It will be another long day of driving, but we're glad we're getting closer to Toronto!
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Day 1 - Vancouver to Kelowna
Km travelled today: 409
Number of pictures taken today: 210
Total km travelled: 409
Total km to go: 3994
Total pictures taken: 210
Pictures have been uploaded to Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/4500kmtogo/ in the Day 1: Vancouver to Kelowna album
It has been an interesting day. The drive was absolutely beautiful and a bit of an adventure. Just as we were getting out of Burnaby and thought that the kitties were able to handle the trip...Tiki proved us wrong. When we pulled into a gas station to tidy up the mess, Colin realized that our tire pressure in the back tire was low. Unfortunately the spigot did not fit properly, so our GPS came in handy to find a Toyota dealership. The guy was fantastic and overpumped our tire. This lasted us the entire trip to Kelowna.
In this time, Andrea managed to take 210 "worthy of posting" pictures (she deleted 1 for every 4 that she took - blurriness and damn cars getting in the way!). Also she witnessed a younger boy (~ 8 or 9) peeing off the mountain top....
Andrea also tested her "sixth sense" when she asked for a truck to get out of her way so that she could take a picture from the top of another mountain into the valley. Well the truck listened and his back tire exploded like he had driven over a spike belt. Luckily all involved in the explosion were safe and not harmed. His fender wasn't so lucky but at least him and his passenger (and the Matrix) were fine.
We pulled into the hotel around 4pm local time. The hotel room is twice the size as the hotel yesterday and is very comfortable. We managed, however, to lose Ellie in the 12 square feet that is the cargo area. She had been a pest all day and wasn't happy either in the front seat (she kept trying to get UNDER the gas pedal) or the back seat. She finally calmed down and managed to squeeze herself between Colin's garment bag and Andrea's laptop bag. Neither of us have any idea how the hell she got in there. We arrived at the hotel and could visually see Tiki....but it took unpacking practically the whole car to find her sound asleep. Now she is more active playing jungle kitty stalking out her new area, but it will be an interesting trip tomorrow if she goes for an encore. At least we'll know where to find her!
Looking forward to a great night's sleep so that we can be on the road for 7am as we have a time change, a date with a zipline and catching up with three amazing friends!
The Coils Report: All safe and not moving with a fat cat keeping a corner of it warm and steady.
Number of pictures taken today: 210
Total km travelled: 409
Total km to go: 3994
Total pictures taken: 210
Pictures have been uploaded to Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/4500kmtogo/ in the Day 1: Vancouver to Kelowna album
It has been an interesting day. The drive was absolutely beautiful and a bit of an adventure. Just as we were getting out of Burnaby and thought that the kitties were able to handle the trip...Tiki proved us wrong. When we pulled into a gas station to tidy up the mess, Colin realized that our tire pressure in the back tire was low. Unfortunately the spigot did not fit properly, so our GPS came in handy to find a Toyota dealership. The guy was fantastic and overpumped our tire. This lasted us the entire trip to Kelowna.
In this time, Andrea managed to take 210 "worthy of posting" pictures (she deleted 1 for every 4 that she took - blurriness and damn cars getting in the way!). Also she witnessed a younger boy (~ 8 or 9) peeing off the mountain top....
Andrea also tested her "sixth sense" when she asked for a truck to get out of her way so that she could take a picture from the top of another mountain into the valley. Well the truck listened and his back tire exploded like he had driven over a spike belt. Luckily all involved in the explosion were safe and not harmed. His fender wasn't so lucky but at least him and his passenger (and the Matrix) were fine.
We pulled into the hotel around 4pm local time. The hotel room is twice the size as the hotel yesterday and is very comfortable. We managed, however, to lose Ellie in the 12 square feet that is the cargo area. She had been a pest all day and wasn't happy either in the front seat (she kept trying to get UNDER the gas pedal) or the back seat. She finally calmed down and managed to squeeze herself between Colin's garment bag and Andrea's laptop bag. Neither of us have any idea how the hell she got in there. We arrived at the hotel and could visually see Tiki....but it took unpacking practically the whole car to find her sound asleep. Now she is more active playing jungle kitty stalking out her new area, but it will be an interesting trip tomorrow if she goes for an encore. At least we'll know where to find her!
Looking forward to a great night's sleep so that we can be on the road for 7am as we have a time change, a date with a zipline and catching up with three amazing friends!
The Coils Report: All safe and not moving with a fat cat keeping a corner of it warm and steady.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Last Night in Vancouver!
KM Travelled from Vancouver: 0
KM To Go: 4,403
Andrea and I's possessions are now on their way to Toronto, but it was a real gong show to get this far. We chose the same moving company that moved us out to BC because of the great service that we got from that company on that move. They had packed up my 3-bedroom townhouse in 3.5 - 4 hours and were super fast and professional. This time, though, the service left something to be desired. The move out of our 1.5 bedroom (the second bedroom really wasn't big enough to be called a full bedroom) condo here took the movers nearly 8 hours to complete. Not only did it take longer, but they complained all the way through the move, and one of them even ranted to Andrea (whose parents are both police officers) that all police officers are crooked. Needless to say, the move out did not go quite as smoothly as the move in.
With that said, we are all packed up and are spending the first night of our trip in a "spacious" hotel room in Vancouver. On the eve of leaving the West Coast, here is a list that we have come up with of some things that we will miss, and some things that we definitely will not!
Things we'll miss:
KM To Go: 4,403
Andrea and I's possessions are now on their way to Toronto, but it was a real gong show to get this far. We chose the same moving company that moved us out to BC because of the great service that we got from that company on that move. They had packed up my 3-bedroom townhouse in 3.5 - 4 hours and were super fast and professional. This time, though, the service left something to be desired. The move out of our 1.5 bedroom (the second bedroom really wasn't big enough to be called a full bedroom) condo here took the movers nearly 8 hours to complete. Not only did it take longer, but they complained all the way through the move, and one of them even ranted to Andrea (whose parents are both police officers) that all police officers are crooked. Needless to say, the move out did not go quite as smoothly as the move in.
With that said, we are all packed up and are spending the first night of our trip in a "spacious" hotel room in Vancouver. On the eve of leaving the West Coast, here is a list that we have come up with of some things that we will miss, and some things that we definitely will not!
Things we'll miss:
- The views!
- Temperate summers
- Seeing the local team in the Stanley Cup Finals
- Great Thai food on the patio with great friends
- Did I mention the views?
- The amazing Vancouver public transit system
- Walking to everything (whether that be around the corner or seven kilometres away!)
- Granville Island gelatto
- Having a Michaels two blocks away (well, Andrea will miss that more than I will)
- The patio at Milestones at Broadway and Cambie
- Having Lorne (Andrea's step-dad) within a half-hour drive
- Collecting so many Aeroplan points!
Things we won't miss
- The views being hidden by never-ending grey clouds
- The ten months of near-continuous rain leading up to the temperate summers
- People complaining about the heat when the temperature gets to 24 C
- The smoker next door
- The price of everything
- Andrea's rubber boots
- Carrying an umbrella everywhere (I actually had three - the golf umbrella, the everyday umbrella, and the back-up umbrella I kept at the office in case I forgot either of the first two!)
- The parents that used the concrete courtyard as a park for their kids, especially since there was a park 5 minutes away
- Tiny hotel rooms
- The time difference when calling friends and family in Ontario
- The amount of money Canada Post has made off of us in the past two years (I think we were the reason that Canada Post has been profitable lately!)
- Spare bedroom = Andrea's office = Laundry room = Colin's guitar room
It's been a tiring day, but at least it ended well with a fantastic dinner with great friends. Tomorrow, we're off for Kelowna. Toronto, here we come!
Today's Coils Report (this is a long story for another time) - covered and anchored safely!
Monday, July 4, 2011
Less than Twelve Hours to the Truck Arrival!
Boxes Packed Today: 16 (103 total)
Sharpies Used Up: 6
Rolls of Packing Tape: 9
Boxes of Bubble Wrap: 4
It has been an insanely busy evening of last minute packing. We have 103 boxes packed...this does not include the other things such as furniture, large cat carrier and the TV.
It is hard to believe that we have finally reached our last night in this apartment. The condo has felt like our first married home together and while I will not miss the contraband smoker next door, I will miss this apartment. It is hard to believe that three months ago when Colin's transfer came through that it would go by so quickly.
Lorne dropped off some items for the trip to Ontario and Colin has been constantly checking to make sure that my mom's new air-conditioning unit is still safely sandwiched between the concrete wall and the front of the car! It is a safe parking garage, but the unit is expensive and we would hate that all of his hard work to get the unit would be destroyed by someone in the condo.
Other than that...our last night in the condo has been spent last minute packing and cleaning. Tomorrow the truck comes and we will spend the evening with good friends at my favourite BC Thai restaurant.
Looking forward to getting this show on road!
Sharpies Used Up: 6
Rolls of Packing Tape: 9
Boxes of Bubble Wrap: 4
It has been an insanely busy evening of last minute packing. We have 103 boxes packed...this does not include the other things such as furniture, large cat carrier and the TV.
It is hard to believe that we have finally reached our last night in this apartment. The condo has felt like our first married home together and while I will not miss the contraband smoker next door, I will miss this apartment. It is hard to believe that three months ago when Colin's transfer came through that it would go by so quickly.
Lorne dropped off some items for the trip to Ontario and Colin has been constantly checking to make sure that my mom's new air-conditioning unit is still safely sandwiched between the concrete wall and the front of the car! It is a safe parking garage, but the unit is expensive and we would hate that all of his hard work to get the unit would be destroyed by someone in the condo.
Other than that...our last night in the condo has been spent last minute packing and cleaning. Tomorrow the truck comes and we will spend the evening with good friends at my favourite BC Thai restaurant.
Looking forward to getting this show on road!
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Three Days to Go!
Boxes Packed Today: 16 (87 total)
Sharpies Used Up: 4
Rolls of Packing Tape: 8
Boxes of Bubble Wrap: 3
With the move only 3 days away and me finally done with a busy business tax season that ended on June 30, Andrea and I had another busy weekend of packing and preparing. The house is now almost completely packed, with only the last bits of food, clothing and other items necessary for living in the house for the next three days left unpacked. The dining room, living room and second bedroom are all full with boxes, and it's getting hard to move around in the house. We're really looking forward to the movers coming on Tuesday morning so that we can have some space again (and so that we can get on the road).
We'll be hitting the road next Wednesday and heading to Kelowna for the first night. I'll likely be doing most of the driving for the first couple of days while Andrea wears out the batteries in her digital camera taking pictures of the scenery from Vancouver to Calgary. We're both looking forward to it - I miss the driving and Andrea really enjoys the photography! She has even set up a Flickr account where we'll be posting photos from our trip for you all to see: http://www.flickr.com/photos/4500kmtogo/ We've started with an album called Farewell to Vancouver, which has some great views from the top of Queen Elizabeth Park in Vancouver: http://www.flic
Hope you enjoy the pictures, and keep checking back for more!
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Boxes Packed Today: 16 (71 total)
Sharpies Used Up: 4
Rolls of Packing Tape: 7
Boxes of Bubble Wrap: 3
Well we have hit the wall with regards to the amount of stuff that is "packable" at less than a week to go....with the exception of clothing, basic dishes and toiletries. The pathways in the condo are starting to get tighter and it is still feeling pretty surreal with regards to the fact that one week today - we will be on the road!
I had to buy more packing tape today....so I am grateful that Canada Post is back to work because they have the best (strongest!) tape! :)
Sharpies Used Up: 4
Rolls of Packing Tape: 7
Boxes of Bubble Wrap: 3
Well we have hit the wall with regards to the amount of stuff that is "packable" at less than a week to go....with the exception of clothing, basic dishes and toiletries. The pathways in the condo are starting to get tighter and it is still feeling pretty surreal with regards to the fact that one week today - we will be on the road!
I had to buy more packing tape today....so I am grateful that Canada Post is back to work because they have the best (strongest!) tape! :)
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Flurry of Packing!
Boxes Packed Today: 23 (55 total)
Sharpies Used Up: 3
Rolls of Packing Tape: 5
Boxes of Bubble Wrap: 2
With moving day looming (15 days to go!) and Colin being swamped at work, I decided to tackle the pile that is taking over my office and the dining room....I spent the day surrounded by bubble wrap and a new packing tape bracelet. I feel very productive and while I still have the kitchen to tackle...at least I made a dent!
I got 23 boxes packed! I would have gotten more done, but I ran out of boxes. :)
Sharpies Used Up: 3
Rolls of Packing Tape: 5
Boxes of Bubble Wrap: 2
With moving day looming (15 days to go!) and Colin being swamped at work, I decided to tackle the pile that is taking over my office and the dining room....I spent the day surrounded by bubble wrap and a new packing tape bracelet. I feel very productive and while I still have the kitchen to tackle...at least I made a dent!
I got 23 boxes packed! I would have gotten more done, but I ran out of boxes. :)
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Cross-Canada Itinerary - subject to change
In a very Wills & Kate moment...Colin and I now have our tentative travel schedule in place!
July 5 - official pack up the truck day
July 6 - get out of Vancouver! (spending the night in Kelowna)
July 7 - driving to Calgary - people to visit - dinner with Erin & Nick and a visit with Jon AND Colin and I hope to do the Fastest Zipline in Canada!
July 8 - lunch in Medicine Hat with Shannon and her manwich
- spending the evening with yummy smoked food in Moose Jaw with Todd & Meaghan (can't wait to meet her!)
July 9 - driving to Winterpeg to see the future Mrs. Hicks! (Melly - will we need to pack our winter stuff?)
July 10 - driving to Thunder Bay - who do we know in Thunder Bay?
July 11 - driving to Sault Ste Marie - perhaps a little cross-border shopping may take place??
July 12 - visiting Papa's grave in Thessalon and continuing on to Oro to see my Mom and Nana for some Mama homecooking!
July 13 - arrive in Toronto at the new house and not wanting to take any roadtrips for a while!
Not much new to report on this end, other than a packing stoppage due to a week at home to help move Nana from the hospital in Ottawa into Mom's house for good! Still have most of the house to content with, but luckily a few solid days should do it.
Colin is swamped with work, but that won't end for another 2 weeks until his tax freedom can take place! We are both glad that all of the Change of Address cards arrived safely before the Canada Post lockout took place. Anyone that we are visiting along the way is getting a hand-delivered card and a big hug!
Being back in Ontario this last week just solidified how excited I am to be back in the heat and humidity and close proximity of family & friends who may as well be family!
July 5 - official pack up the truck day
July 6 - get out of Vancouver! (spending the night in Kelowna)
July 7 - driving to Calgary - people to visit - dinner with Erin & Nick and a visit with Jon AND Colin and I hope to do the Fastest Zipline in Canada!
July 8 - lunch in Medicine Hat with Shannon and her manwich
- spending the evening with yummy smoked food in Moose Jaw with Todd & Meaghan (can't wait to meet her!)
July 9 - driving to Winterpeg to see the future Mrs. Hicks! (Melly - will we need to pack our winter stuff?)
July 10 - driving to Thunder Bay - who do we know in Thunder Bay?
July 11 - driving to Sault Ste Marie - perhaps a little cross-border shopping may take place??
July 12 - visiting Papa's grave in Thessalon and continuing on to Oro to see my Mom and Nana for some Mama homecooking!
July 13 - arrive in Toronto at the new house and not wanting to take any roadtrips for a while!
Not much new to report on this end, other than a packing stoppage due to a week at home to help move Nana from the hospital in Ottawa into Mom's house for good! Still have most of the house to content with, but luckily a few solid days should do it.
Colin is swamped with work, but that won't end for another 2 weeks until his tax freedom can take place! We are both glad that all of the Change of Address cards arrived safely before the Canada Post lockout took place. Anyone that we are visiting along the way is getting a hand-delivered card and a big hug!
Being back in Ontario this last week just solidified how excited I am to be back in the heat and humidity and close proximity of family & friends who may as well be family!
Sunday, May 22, 2011
A Week of Crossing Stuff off of the To-do List
It's definitely been a busy week since the last post. In that time, Andrea has continued packing, while work has picked up for me as my busy season approaches. We've donated a bunch more of the extraneous stuff that we've accumulated over the past year, and We've also been doing some more planning for the move and have booked our moving company. The big thing this week, though, was that we have locked down a place to rent in Toronto for the next year! We've just signed a lease to rent a 3-bedroom house near Yonge and Sheppard. It should work out really well, as it is pretty centrally located, near the subway, highways, and shopping, and shouldn't result in too long of a commute to my new office in Thornhill, nor to downtown Toronto.
The difference between rental prices in Toronto versus those in Vancouver is shocking. In Toronto, we'll be renting a 3-bedroom house, with a yard, for nearly $300/month less than we're paying in Vancouver for a 2-bedroom townhouse!
Andrea and I are both really excited to having the living situation solved, as we can now start to do some of the other things that need to be done - changing addresses, start cancelling our services out here, and start getting our services set up in Toronto. We are really looking forward to being back in Ontario. Keep a look out for the change of address cards. 45 days until the journey begins!
The difference between rental prices in Toronto versus those in Vancouver is shocking. In Toronto, we'll be renting a 3-bedroom house, with a yard, for nearly $300/month less than we're paying in Vancouver for a 2-bedroom townhouse!
Andrea and I are both really excited to having the living situation solved, as we can now start to do some of the other things that need to be done - changing addresses, start cancelling our services out here, and start getting our services set up in Toronto. We are really looking forward to being back in Ontario. Keep a look out for the change of address cards. 45 days until the journey begins!
Friday, May 13, 2011
Seven Weeks to Go!
Boxes Packed: 9 (32 total)
Sharpies Used Up: 0
Rolls of Packing Tape: 2
Boxes of Bubble Wrap: 1
Seven weeks to go!
Well it has been a busy few days with packing and dealing with finding car insurance. I personally cannot wait to come back to Ontario where there is insurance competition! Apparently Colin and I have the same rating as a 17 year old driver because we have only had our driver’s licenses for 1 year, which of course makes our insurance astronomical. Who charges $700 for 3 months of insurance?? Thank goodness we will have rates more appropriate to our age and years of driving soon.
Packing is going really well and the house is starting to look sparse. Most of the pictures are down, the bookshelves are empty as well as the DVD shelves. The only rooms that we haven’t started packing up yet are the kitchen and the master bedroom, mostly because of the fact that I haven’t had the energy to figure out where/what to donate yet.
Colin and I have started house shopping and I was really surprised with the cost (twice the house for the same cost) compared to Vancouver. I was also pleased with the availability of rental houses for a year. I personally want to rent a house because I am sick of our chain smoking neighbour and his lack of respect for everyone else that has to share a wall. Apparently the strata complex is discriminating against him because the rules are that all outdoor spaces are smoke-free.
Back to packing…or course work – I haven’t decided what is more fun!
Sharpies Used Up: 0
Rolls of Packing Tape: 2
Boxes of Bubble Wrap: 1
Seven weeks to go!
Well it has been a busy few days with packing and dealing with finding car insurance. I personally cannot wait to come back to Ontario where there is insurance competition! Apparently Colin and I have the same rating as a 17 year old driver because we have only had our driver’s licenses for 1 year, which of course makes our insurance astronomical. Who charges $700 for 3 months of insurance?? Thank goodness we will have rates more appropriate to our age and years of driving soon.
Packing is going really well and the house is starting to look sparse. Most of the pictures are down, the bookshelves are empty as well as the DVD shelves. The only rooms that we haven’t started packing up yet are the kitchen and the master bedroom, mostly because of the fact that I haven’t had the energy to figure out where/what to donate yet.
Colin and I have started house shopping and I was really surprised with the cost (twice the house for the same cost) compared to Vancouver. I was also pleased with the availability of rental houses for a year. I personally want to rent a house because I am sick of our chain smoking neighbour and his lack of respect for everyone else that has to share a wall. Apparently the strata complex is discriminating against him because the rules are that all outdoor spaces are smoke-free.
Back to packing…or course work – I haven’t decided what is more fun!
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Car Shopping Sucks - Until You Find Your Car
Boxes Packed: 6 (23 total) + 1 half packed
Sharpies Used Up: 0
Rolls of Packing Tape: 1
Sharpies Used Up: 0
Rolls of Packing Tape: 1
With the move to Ontario at the beginning of July rapidly approaching and the plan to drive across the country as part of the move falling into place, one critical piece was still outstanding - Andrea and I did not have a car. So we decided to spend this weekend taking a look at various dealerships to see if we could find anything we liked.
We started out Saturday morning at a Ford dealership (I have a discount with Ford through Ernst & Young), and test-drove a new Ford Focus. I never thought I'd be entertaining the idea of buying a Ford, but we both found the new Focus hatchback to be a great car and had fun test-driving it (even though the salesman decided to come with us). In the end, though, the discount wasn't as great as we'd hoped, and the Focus ended up being a bit more than we wanted to spend.
From there we went on to two different Toyota dealerships. Both were owned by the same person, but I was surprised at how different the service was between the two. At the first, we initially told the salesman that we were looking to buy used, and were looking at either a Matrix or a Yaris. The salesman completely ignored us, and from there spent his time trying to get us to buy a brand new Yaris. Now these cars are supposed to be small and economical, but by the time he was done with his sales pitch, the car was priced at over $21,000 - for a Yaris!!! Quite the change from when Andrea got her first Yaris in 2007.
The second Toyota dealership had much better service, but unfortunately had only two used cars that we were interested in - one was an older Matrix that had already been sold, and one was a 2009 Yaris that we were very interested in. After discussing the Yaris with the salesman, we decided to take another day to look around before starting to make any decisions. It was a busy Saturday, and Andrea and I ended the day feeling very disappointed and frustrated.
Sunday started out quite a bit better - despite the black clouds, the rain held off and we headed to the Richmond Automall to continue our shopping. Our first stop was another Toyota dealership, and the day seemed to start off with another pushy salesman that wasn't initially listening to us. However, he turned out to be quite helpful, and after Andrea and I had a look at their used inventory, he went off searching for the car we wanted to look at - a 2010 Matrix that had just come back on a lease. Apparently some other salesman had hidden it on the lot, but after about 20-25 minutes, our wonderfully helpful salesman had found the car. Andrea and I both knew pretty quickly that this was the car for us, and left about an hour later with a signed sales agreement!
All we had hoped was that Sunday would be a better car-shopping day than Saturday, and that's exactly what happened. Although we didn't go out expecting to buy a car, we're both really excited to have that crossed off of our to-do list, and can't wait to pick up the "Silver Bullet" tomorrow!
Friday, May 6, 2011
The recycling depot is going to LOVE me...
Boxes Packed: 5 (17 total) + 4 half packed
Sharpies Used Up: 0
Rolls of Packing Tape: 1
In an effort to procrastinate from my online course, I decided to get some packing done. I went through all of my binders from AC and recycled 2 boxes of papers from those binders alone. I was able to clean out the office and got another two boxes of paper and a box lid full of overhead pages. I can't believe how many overheads I made during practicum. I (heart) my SMARTboard! The office is now officially packed with the exception of the bookshelf, filing bins and minimal office supplies.
All of the pictures are now off of the wall and thanks to Colin's mudding last weekend, all of the holes are filled in. We are currently on a hunt for box that is tall enough for our degrees and Paris picture. I guess we'll have to buy one...
This weekend is going to be a car shopping/antique dish packing weekend. It should be interesting!
If your address has changed or will change before the end of June - please let either of us know!
Sharpies Used Up: 0
Rolls of Packing Tape: 1
In an effort to procrastinate from my online course, I decided to get some packing done. I went through all of my binders from AC and recycled 2 boxes of papers from those binders alone. I was able to clean out the office and got another two boxes of paper and a box lid full of overhead pages. I can't believe how many overheads I made during practicum. I (heart) my SMARTboard! The office is now officially packed with the exception of the bookshelf, filing bins and minimal office supplies.
All of the pictures are now off of the wall and thanks to Colin's mudding last weekend, all of the holes are filled in. We are currently on a hunt for box that is tall enough for our degrees and Paris picture. I guess we'll have to buy one...
This weekend is going to be a car shopping/antique dish packing weekend. It should be interesting!
If your address has changed or will change before the end of June - please let either of us know!
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Books & Movies
It's hard to believe that we did this only a year ago April when we moved all of our stuff from Belleville to W 6th Avenue! But....we still have lots of stuff to get rid of.
Currently there are 3 boxes worth of books waiting to head to a used book store. If you have any favourite authors/genres - please let ones of us know and we may have some new books for you!
Also - the list of (free) DVDs is currently (we will be adding more as time goes on):
- Heroes (S1 & S2)
- White Oleander
- Stardust
- Michael Clayton
- capote
- Harry Potter - Years 1-5
If you want any movies - please let Colin or I know and we will box it off and ship it out!
Less than 2 months....I can't wait! :)
Currently there are 3 boxes worth of books waiting to head to a used book store. If you have any favourite authors/genres - please let ones of us know and we may have some new books for you!
Also - the list of (free) DVDs is currently (we will be adding more as time goes on):
- Heroes (S1 & S2)
- White Oleander
- Stardust
- Michael Clayton
- capote
- Harry Potter - Years 1-5
If you want any movies - please let Colin or I know and we will box it off and ship it out!
Less than 2 months....I can't wait! :)
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Colin's Big Purge
Boxes Packed: 3 today, 15 total (4 others half-packed)
Sharpies Used Up: 0
Rolls of Packing Tape: 1
While Andrea was at class today, I spent the day doing some light packing and starting to clean out the storage room. I was amazed by the amount of stuff that I've been keeping that I haven't looked at in 15-20 years! I found old report cards, old school projects, and a whole bunch of stuff that I didn't even know I had kept. Some of it was worth keeping, but it felt good to be able to consolidate 4-5 boxes down to 2. It's amazing how much stuff that was just stored in boxes for years that I'd brought with us when we moved out to BC, especially since Andrea and I did a huge purge before we moved out.
There's still a lot to do and little time to do it in, but I know that I'm getting more and more excited about the move back!
Don't worry Sheri, Brad, and Paula - there is LOTS of bubble wrap for the girls to pop!
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Packing Commences....
Boxes Packed: 12
Sharpies Used Up: 0
Rolls of Packing Tape: 0
Colin has started to bring boxes home and the dining room & office are starting to fill up. In a fit of cleaning, I have started to pack up some of the books and Sequel-related items.
Other than procrastinating from course work, the big book sort is going well. We will also be getting rid of a bunch of our DVDs - stay tuned for the list if you want any of them! :)
Sharpies Used Up: 0
Rolls of Packing Tape: 0
Colin has started to bring boxes home and the dining room & office are starting to fill up. In a fit of cleaning, I have started to pack up some of the books and Sequel-related items.
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