Calling Canada Home

2010-05-25T09:15:00.000-07:00

Majik 11-16-2001 to 05-23-2010

Nine years ago, we decided to breed our Jack Russell terrier, Scout. We did a lot of shopping for the perfect daddy. Scout met and loved Petey, her pups' father. As the pregnancy moved along, I used to hold Scout and rub her belly. When the puppies began to move, I could swear that one of them responded to my touch. Diane and I would marvel at the activity of this one pup when I would move my finger from different spots around this pups position on Scouts belly. The morning the pups were born Diane and I stood at the ready to help as needed. Scout did all the work but with the birth of the first pup she was confused over what was happening and tried to go after the newborn. I took the pup in my hand and held her. I could swear this was the pup in the belly by the reaction to my touch. She snuggled in and kicked her legs like she was trying to become a part of my hand. We named her Majik. She was magic. After a couple of more pups were born, I returned Majik to her mother as the instinct had kicked in and Scout was ready to clean and nurse this baby. But the bond had been made.

As the time came to place the pups in new homes we agonized over whom to let the pups go to. All new owners had to sign a contract that if the ever wanted to sell/give the dog away we reserved the first right to take the pup back. This letting the pups go to uncertain futures was so painful for us that we ended up neutering Scout. Puppy days were over. We ended keeping 2 of the pups. Majik and Montana. We called them the twins.

Majik was a complete love. She loved to be held by me and she would rub her face and head against my face when I held and kissed her. One of our favourite things to do was to sit on the steps out back. I would hold her and ask her if she wanted me to tell her about the day she was born. I would recount for Majik the story about her birth and our bond. I would tell her that I have been with her from the time she was born and I would be with until the time she leaves the earth. This was my bond to this pup.

We board the dogs when we go away because we don’t trust anyone to watch them in our house. They are high maintenance with many personality issues we don’t expect people to understand. But they are our little family. When we left for Aruba 11 days ago, Diane and I told each dog how much we loved them, how many days we were going to be gone and above all, when we were coming to get them.

This was supposed to be a blog about our trip to Aruba. We just returned early this morning. But it has turned into another story. The night before we were to head back home, we got a voicemail that we needed to phone the vet on her cell straight away. The news was not good. We had just talked to the kennel the day before and all the pups were doing fine. On the morning of May 23, 2010 Majik didn’t want to eat her breakfast. She just went and lay in her cuddler bed. The kennel help left her and came back an hour later and she was gone. I admit that I fell apart at this news and was probably not a lot of help to Diane who held it together to make arrangements. I was angry and wanted to blame someone. This was not supposed to happen. We were supposed to take our whole family home. Diane had the sense to order an autopsy and preliminarily we have learned that Majik had an enlarged heart and a very large blood clot was found that probably ended her life quickly. CHF. Now reading the symptoms of this disease, some symptoms that seemed benign, now begin to make sense.

Our hearts are broken. We feel all the feelings you can imagine. From being bad parents to we will never go on vacation and board the dogs again.

I just hope Majik forgives me for not being there with her when she left this earth as I was there when she entered it. I don’t know if I can forgive myself. I will try but the pain is just too great right now.

Diane will go to the kennel today to pick up Majiks belongings and cuddler bed. She will silently tell Majik that the mommas are here to get her and it’s time to go home. Come on home to us Majik.

Like every summer before this one, I will sit out on the steps out back and silently tell Majik about the day she was born.

2010-05-01T15:39:00.000-07:00

Today we are sending in our applications for Canadian Citizenship. We have been living in Canada for a bit over three years. From what we hear, this will be an interesting process! It may well take as long as the immigration process took. I will keep you informed of the timeline and milestones as they occur. Wish us luck!

2009-05-02T17:27:00.000-07:00

Catch Up

It has been 2 months since my last confession . . .

I have moved away from blogging and have been consumed by Facebook (crackbook). This is just a simple fact. I’m not saying one is superior to the other; Facebook is just quicker and easier. The blog started out as a diary of our journey toward immigration. We are moving toward year 3 since we have been in Canada and I guess I don’t have much more to say about immigrating here. I’m not sure how many USians are still looking to immigrate. Maybe changes in economy, housing, Obama, etc have changed things.

So I will tell you about our latest adventure. We spent 8 days on Grand Cayman Island. I have noticed how living in Canada has changed things about the way we travel. In the past, the first thing we would have done upon arriving in another country is rent a car. Sometimes the car would not be used for several days. It would sit in the parking lot. But we knew it was there if we decided to go somewhere. This trip was quite different. We used a taxi to get to our hotel but that was it. We used the bus to get everywhere else. It is a bargain at $2 CI to go anywhere one way. The buses are all large vans. They beep their horns at you as you walk along and you wave at them if you want them to stop and pick you up. They stop anywhere. There are designated stops but they will let you off and pick you up anywhere. The Caymanian people were warm, helpful and wonderful to us travelers.

We met up with some American friends there and had a fantastic time. It was a much needed break. I spent the greater part of my time under the water. The beaches and ocean were like those postcards that you think have been photo shopped because no beach can be that beautiful White powder sand and turquoise blue water. Exquisite! The snorkeling was some of the best I have ever seen. Right off the beaches in front of the hotel were reefs and hundreds of fish. It was amazing. I took more pictures of underwater than land photos.

We took a tour to Stingray City. This is a reef in the open ocean that hundreds of stingrays visit. The photos below will speak for themselves.

Pirate ships would pass by on the ocean. Sure they were for the tourists’ eye, but hey, that was me. My friend Teresa and I posed by a corny tourist statue with a pirate, the good kind of pirate. Teresa and I went to high school together. She and her husband Jim were fantastic travel mates.

Every night the four of us would meet on our patio to discuss the problems of the world. Quite a few nights we spent trying to figure out how to live in this beautiful place for half the year. I do love my Victoria in the summer, though. I feel no need to go anywhere else once the farm stands open up and the organic markets are in full swing.

Iguanas roamed the island and it was quite common to run across them on your way to the beach or dinner.

Diane could legally buy Cuban cigars and rum for the first time in our travels. We only got a wee bit of flack from the American customs agent in North Carolina.

Now we are back into the swing at work and missing our vacation time. The next thing we have planned is Las Vegas for American Thanksgiving.

I will try to post more often but if you friend me on Facebook I post on there more often.
Thanks for tuning in.

2009-02-15T14:39:00.000-08:00

25 Small Things (This started out on facebook)

1) I am a circular writer and thinker. I like to read what others are thinking and feeling. I’m not overly concerned by reading incorrect and not-perfect grammar. I like the feel of the thoughts and the messiness of emotion. I like how thoughts stumble over themselves and search around until they come back to where they started. I like where they travel along the way. I like circular.

2) I love coming home every night to my house in the forest. I greet the same deer and demanding Stellar Jay’s at the bird feeder. I love the quiet and solitude. The solar fairy lights make me smile inside.

3) I read fiction. I love fiction. I would like to write teen fiction. I did write a novel in the 80’s. Sci-fi feminist-type genre. I can get lost in a book like no other experience I know. Books are my friends and I am sad when the story is over. I loved working at the Library in Las Vegas. (Not the strip club that is called The Library, either)

4) On the latest version of Survivor, they wanted to vote off the ‘Old Lady’. I’m older than she is. I don’t feel like an old lady. I am still the same person I was in 20’s. My behavior has changed. My face has changed. I have reached some of the goals I set for myself. I still feel like there is a lot to do and see.

5) I want to go to Thailand. There. That is a new goal.

6) I appreciate my friends.

7) Friday night is the best time of the week.

8) I’m very relaxed about grammar but if we are sharing a spreadsheet and you mess up the formulas, I have to stop myself from screaming ‘STEP BACK FROM THE F%^&*NG COMPUTER . . .’

9) I miss my mother.

10) I am Alpha in my pack of Russell’s. I can achieve this with a look. But sometimes I need to curl my lip and snarl.

11) My greatest fear has always been that one day I will wake and realize that I’m the crazy person who screams at invisible people on the subway. When I’m waiting in the car for Diane at the grocery store I always wonder, if this is the moment I realize, there is no Diane, I have made up the whole thing. Sometimes when I’m one my way to work I wonder if this is the day, I realize that I don’t have a job, I’m the crazy person who drives to this place and sits in the parking lot all day until it is time to go home. Then I will drive up to what I believe is my home, try to get in with a key that doesn’t work, so I beat on the door and the real owners will call the police to take me away. I have always feared these things.

12) I like the thought of snow more than the reality.

13) I am healthier now than I have ever been. Except for #11.

14) I truly feel alone most of the time, even when I am with lots of people. I live in my head. I look at the world like I’m viewing a movie. I can be disconnected too easily and have to force myself in the other direction.

15) I never intend to do anyone harm.

16) I fear making errors. If I make an error at work, I am much harder on myself than anyone else could ever be. That is why I check and double-check myself almost to the point of obsession.

17) I love the smell of the woods when I stop at my mailbox to get the mail. I always think ‘Ahhh that is why I am here.’ I like how the golden sunlight filters through the branches on the trees to leave patchworks of light on the road when I drive home at night. I pass my favorite stream and open my window, no matter what the weather, to hear the gurgle and trickle of the water.

18) I don’t get to see many movies. But I almost always read the book.

19) I religiously look at houses for sale in Las Vegas and think I will buy one when the market bottoms out. Why? I could never live in Las Vegas again. See #17.

20) I don’t have enough time.

21) When I was younger I was convinced that I would be a famous singer/actor. After I made millions of dollars I would travel to Egypt. Then I realized I could skip the waiting to be famous part and just go. I lived in Egypt when I was 19. I just went there. No plans. No idea what I was getting myself into. Very little money. A backpack with a couple changes of clothes. Then when I was 20, I hitchhiked all the way to New York. I carried everything in a duffle bag. I had no plans. I lived and breathed ‘The Course in Miracles’. I believed that I was invincible. I probably was.

22) Snorkeling in warm water surrounded by fish is my idea of heaven.

23) I should be less aloof.

24) My favorite color changes constantly as does my favorite food, favorite book, favorite song, etc.

25) I should write more but I worry about being less than perfect with grammar. My spelling is atrocious. I hope you will just feel what I’m saying and not be too critical about how I say it. See, I am a circular writer and thinker.

2009-01-18T13:13:00.000-08:00

Consumables or Trout Bait?

It has been a while since I posted anything so I thought I would just post some random thoughts. The snow has had us so preoccupied every waking minute between shoveling, plowing and spreading environmentally friendly ice melter that poof! the holidays were over. It is now a thrilling 9 degrees C and the sun is blazing so brightly it almost hurts my eyes to look at it. Yesterday we took the deprived pups for a 4 mile walk at Royal Roads. It was so incredibly beautiful it made me ache inside. We still look at one another and say “Can you believe that we live here?”
We were fortunate to have friends from Seattle come to visit over the holidays. It really felt like a celebration when they arrived. We temporarily forgot about the 60cm of snow piled up along the driveway. We watched the birds at the feeder (an occasional squirrel and deer as well). Diane had a small holiday party for her curling team. We went to a wonderful Boxing Day party despite the snow falling.
Work is work. I know we are fortunate to have jobs but it does not make it any easier to drag myself away from our forest home and my 4 furry children. The dogs were stir-crazy during the month when they could only follow the tunnels through the snow in the back yard to do their business. Montana, our child with weight issues, went to the vet yesterday for a check up and she has gained some weight. An 11.4 kilogram Jack Russell is large by any standards. And so the walking on the weekends begins.
We never make New Years Resolutions. We do look at our privilege. We are grateful for everything we have. So this year, on New Years Eve, we decided that our goal for this year is to limit our discretionary spending to consumables. Looking around at our life, we really don’t need more ‘stuff’. If we do purchase a ‘stuff’ item, we will stop to question ourselves; is it a trout item or something that we will be using for at least 10 years? We call trout items those things that appear in front of you, usually bright and shiny to catch your attention. They are a hook. You don’t know much more about it than it is attractive at the moment. Before you know it you have swallowed it, you’re hooked, just because it was interesting for a brief flash of time. We have vowed to make this a trout-free year. We are working on making the exceptions discussions to be hashed out and not jack-rabbit responses to stimuli.
This week we will watch the inauguration of Obama. I certainly have hope for his time in office but I’m not naive about what he will really be able to do. I hear rumors about the reversal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. It makes me hopeful for people I know in the US military who struggle with this on a daily basis. I’m so tired of the States and the hiding in the dark on this issue. Canada has been so refreshing. I love living here. I will visit the States on occasions, but Canada is my home. I miss my friends and the community we had there. But I would not trade this for that. (See Heather, it did not take me long after the snow melted to lose the “What was I thinking?” whine) So we will plan vacations with friends from the US and Canada and hope that somewhere in between we will build our new community.

We won’t consume like trout this year and in 2010 we will consume even less than in 2009.

2008-12-24T18:49:00.001-08:00

Have a Happy Holiday!

And in case you haven't seen enough snow where ever you are tonight . . .

From our house to yours . . .

Have a safe and happy journey. See you in the New Year!

2008-12-22T20:04:00.001-08:00

Winter Wunderland or "It never snows in Victoria"

2008-12-14T09:57:00.001-08:00

Winter Wonderland

No need to dream of a white Christmas.

After shoveling the deck you can see how deep the snow was.

2008-12-01T15:39:00.001-08:00

Salmon Running

Last weekend, Diane and I took our little dog Scout to Goldstream Provincial Park to watch the salmon run. It is literally minutes away from our house. We kept looking at each other and saying, “Yes, we live here!” I’ve included some pictures.

Everyone here is all abuzz about the new Coalition Government. It looks like it is going to happen!!! Say good-bye Stephen Harper!

We have moved our office. As of tomorrow, I will report to work in a new building that has never been used. Our furniture will be on the new carpet that has never had toner spilt on it or paperclips worked into the mat. I’m the printer room will have that ‘new car smell’. I will get to unpack the boxes I packed up last week. I will take in cookies I baked on my day off and peanut butter truffles to try and sooth the group. Even office moving can be stressful. I still remember what real moving stress is. Remember the boxes, bubble wrap and list of goods to follow? Seems like a long time ago.

It is a foggy, misty day. A very nice day off day. Magical. For some reason, the antique mantel clock above the fireplace that has not worked for several years decided today that it now works.

I just got a call from my boss. We have the green light to go into work tomorrow and start unpacking our boxes. The fun begins.

2008-10-31T20:55:00.000-07:00

US Presidential Race

Just because we need a laugh, a preview of next season's Dancing With The Stars.

2008-10-22T14:04:00.000-07:00

Ann Mary Burger (April 6, 1923 - October 20, 2008)

Diane’s mother died on Monday in Baltimore, Maryland. Diane had flown out there on Friday and got to spend a very nice day with her mother Saturday.

Along with the pain of losing her mother, her brother, who was her mother’s legal representative had Diane’s visitation privileges revoked. Why? Because he could. Because he asked her not to show up at the hospice until noon on Sunday, which she did wait until noon, but she failed to call him on his cell and ask his permission to enter the room before she walked in. He told Diane she would be subordinate to him or not see her mother at all. After Social workers stepped in and tried to mediate a workable situation an attorney friend of Diane’s in Maryland advised her to “Kiss his ass or you will not see your mother at all”. Her last visit on Sunday was a supervised 1 hour visit to say her goodbyes. Her brother informed her that her visitations would be terminated altogether on Tuesday. Diane’s mother died the next day, on Monday. Her mother’s services are private (read: Diane is not invited) Given all of this, there really was not much point in staying in Maryland so she flew back home to Victoria late last night. Diane’s relationship with her brother is strained to say the least. A lot of it is the gay thing. Diane’s brother does not hesitate to tell her how much he hates her.

Now, take a moment to imagine if Diane and I had stayed in the States and something had happened to Diane. What do you think he would have done to me?

Reason number 1909 we are glad to be living in Canada is, families are often ugly and they can not touch us here.

2008-10-14T13:06:00.000-07:00

Thanks Giving
I’ve been very negligent in blogging lately. I have lots of material in terms of social events (i.e. Oktoberfest party, Thanksgiving, etc.) but somehow I just don’t have the levity of spirit to post these events. I read WMTC and WEB’s blogs daily and feel that I really don’t have a lot of relevancy to add comments about the current politics in the US and Canada. I seem to be glued to the financial news like watching an automobile accident out the window of my vehicle as I pass it by. It doesn’t help that financially we still have a leg in the States and one here in Canada. We still have to be concerned with every bounce and fall in the exchange rate. At the Thanksgiving dinner table of dear friends who were gracious enough to include us, we all went around the table and said aloud what we were thankful for. All of the statements that were made I could identify with. I am grateful we got out of the States when we did. My good friend N. has been trying to sell her house in Las Vegas, the worst depressed housing market in the States, to move back to Connecticut to be with her mother who has Alzheimer’s and her brother with cancer. I received an email from her last week that her mother had died and she was taking her house off the market. No hope left for N. No time to get back with her mother. I have another friend in LV on a Social Security disability with a maintenance problem on his trailer. He can’t get anyone to extend him credit to get it fixed and allow him to pay it back in small installments. Winter is on the way and he will have no heat. I have made calls and I do what I can from afar, but it is difficult. I know someone else who pulled their college aged daughter out of University because they can’t afford to keep her there. The father has lost his job and the mother was a stay at home Mom, now of course a luxury they realize they can no longer afford. She now is trying to get a minimum wage job in place where the unemployment is at 11 percent and she has no job skills or experience. There is still part of me that grieves for the America that is dead. Not just as in dead Capitalism but dead as in the dreams of friends we left behind. It is a grieving process. I have a general feeling of discontent. Nothing I can point my finger to and say, ‘Aha, that is the culprit’. Just an overall uneasiness that nags at me constantly that I should be doing something, something more than going to work and coming home to do the cleaning and cooking, necessary things for sure, but lacking in that complete feeling of accomplishment. And yet, those simple tasks are what make up the complexion of my days. That and watching the stock tickers and the political pundits scoff at the idea the sky is falling one minute and then do their best Chicken Little impersonation the next. Some of my Canadian friends believe that Canada is immune to a US style meltdown. I don’t think anyone is immune, we are possibly better positioned. But it doesn’t make me feel any better to have security in the short term while people down South are struggling so much. I watch CNN report that even though the polls have Obama so far ahead of McCain that most people polled are lying. They are just saying they are for Obama and they will actually vote for McCain once they are in the booth.

Really?

That sounds awfully convenient as a reason for stealing another election. You know, the exit polls are just a bunch of Americans lying.

I took today off work to watch the election returns. I will take of November 4th, as well. I have the banked flex time at work, so why not.

The weather here is wet, misty and so fall like. I will sign off now, as I’m going to get gas for my vehicle at 1.21 a litter. Oh yes, and be thankful for everything that Canada has provided us. We are thankful and fortunate to be where we are.

2008-10-12T15:43:00.000-07:00

Naomi Wolf
It takes about 26 minutes to watch but it is well worth it.

2008-09-22T08:03:00.000-07:00

In case you didn't see this yet . . . a little bit surprising.

School cuts gay, lesbian issues from elective

Canwest News ServicePublished: Monday, September 22, 2008
VANCOUVER --Abbotsford high schools have been prevented from teaching the controversial new Social Justice 12 course because the local school board wants to review its content.
The elective course, which deals with issues ranging from homophobia to animal rights, has caused controversy among religious groups that worry it's too malleable to the individual beliefs of teachers.
One school -- W.J. Mouat Secondary -- scrambled to modify the course, removing content about homosexuality, after the board said it couldn't be offered this semester. Mouat began promoting the course early this year during course planning, said social studies department head Leanne Abrey. Ninety students had signed up for it.
It wasn't until the beginning of the summer, she said, that the board told the school the course couldn't be offered until the final version was approved.
The school rushed to take out parts of the course and expand on others, creating a new course called "Global Studies and Active Citizenship," Abrey said. She said the course no longer contains sections on homosexuality and gay and lesbian rights.
Abrey said she's been saddened and frustrated by the board's intervention.
"I kind of questioned why a ministry-approved course would need to have board approval," she said.
"I don't think it reflects well on our community. It sort of defeats the purpose of a social justice course when it can't be offered."
Abbotsford school district superintendent Des McKay said the board has put Social Justice 12 on hold because it has not yet had a chance to review the final version of the course.
"We're just trying to follow good process," he said.

2008-09-02T11:27:00.001-07:00

Cowards?

I watched the speeches of the Democratic National Convention. All were quite moving in some way. Hillary and Barack both made gratuitous mention of GLBT issues. As Barack spoke, I knew that whether he is the perfect choice for President or not, he is the only choice for a chance for the US to take some power back from the Decider and his regime. McCain seems like a foot soldier for the same government that has been in power for the last 8 years.

I have read the criticism that US to Canada immigrants are cowards. In moments of self doubt, it occurs to me that maybe I was a coward. It didn’t feel very cowardly at the time. We left the best jobs we have ever had to move to a new country with no means of employment and the expectation that when we did find employment it would be at about half the amount we had been paid in the States. We left the friends and connections one makes after 50 plus years of life. That is perhaps the hardest thing. We left our comfort zone. We left everything we knew to be true for the complete unknown. Cowardice?

Every person who knew us and our plans as we were in the process of leaving the States to move to Canada remarked on what a brave a thing it was to do. I didn’t feel brave, I felt like it was the only reasonable thing we could do. We are in our fifties. We didn’t feel like fighting for the rest of our lives to be recognized as equal citizens. We wanted a quality of life that we could only have by leaving. We wanted to know for sure that if either of us was in the hospital we could make decisions together or for one another. We wanted to know for sure that if either of us died it would not leave the one remaining destitute. Some of our family members are not supportive, nice people. We didn’t want to leave each other an unwinnable legal war in the event of one of ours demise. It didn’t feel cowardly or brave. It felt like the only reasonable alternative we had.

As I watched the speeches and felt my twinges of cowardice, I knew that we did the only reasonable thing we could. We stepped out on the precipice and jumped into the void. Depending on your motivation I guess that could be interpreted as either bravery or cowardice.

To totally change the subject –

Last Christmas Diane and I gave each other a gift of a donation to the Pacific Northwest Raptors. I have an irrational fear of birds, even a sparrow (thanks Alfred Hitchcock?). We went to visit the centre in Duncan BC and were able to go out on a hawk walk with a Harris Hawk named Annikin. I’m including some pictures because for me this was the ultimate bravery.

2008-08-12T16:58:00.001-07:00

We have returned from our holiday and go back to work tomorrow. We had a fantastic time visiting the Okanagan. We stayed in Summerland, centrally located between Kelowna and Oliver close to Penticton. It was our anniversary on 08/08/08 and wanted to do something special. We drove the Coquihalla Highway to get to Summerland. It is beautiful scenery and a very pleasant drive. The most disturbing thing about the drive is to see the damage the pine beetle has done to the trees. The mountains are covered with dead, brown pines. It is really sad. Global warming is helping these beetles to get a strong foothold in the BC forests and it is very hard to get rid of them.

We had a great time on the Kettle Valley Steam train. It is a turn of the century locomotive complete with a bank robbery and bar-be-que. Very touristy and I loved it.

We visited all of the wineries in Penticton, most in Summerland, Peachland and Oliver and several in Kelowna. So many good experiences, I can’t recall them all. I’ll include some pics.

Of course, we went golfing at 1:16 in the afternoon of the hottest day of the year for Summerland. It was 39 degrees. Diane’s truck temperature gauge registered 108 Fahrenheit. We golfed with a friendly couple who were visiting from Toronto. What do you do when you leave the golf course? Stop at more wineries on the way home.

I loved Kelowna. It is a great town to visit. It is so much like Nevada, though. A little too hot. But I really liked it there. As we drove along the highway looking out at the Okanagan it reminded me a little bit of the Laughlin/Bullhead run but on a much larger more lovely scale.

We rented a little villa with our own swimming pool. I loved this since it is one thing I miss from living in the desert. I swam everyday. It was great to come home at the end of the day, swim, bar-be-que and drink very nice wine. We ended up bringing home 74 bottles to add to the cellar. Very special occasion wines. We said before we left that we might bring back a case or two. But knowing us, and remembering our trip to Paso Robles that one or two case thing was a fantasy.

On the way home we took the southern route through Keremeos to hit all the fruit and vegetable stands. We brought home peaches, nectarines, apricots melon, cherries and blueberries. Corn, squash and tomatoes. And in case I forgot to mention. More wine. We found and vineyard/winery/fruit stand. It was really excellent wine.

Well, I treated myself to a going back to work massage today. All the stress of wining and dining to work out of my muscles.

Thanks to Doug and Dixon for the moon :) and the singing.

Thanks to Bob and Dave for the calls and well wishes.

I guess it’s time to get my clothes ready for work tomorrow.

2008-07-20T15:08:00.000-07:00

Death by brownie. A little Sunday humor.

2008-07-18T07:16:00.000-07:00

This just in . . .

SAN FRANCISCO, California (AP) -- A measure seeking to commemorate President Bush's years in office by slapping his name on a San Francisco sewage plant has qualified for the November ballot.
The measure certified Thursday would rename the Oceanside Water Pollution Control Plant the George W. Bush Sewage Plant.
Supporters say the idea is to commemorate the mess they claim Bush has left behind by actions such as the war in Iraq.

Local Republicans say the plan stinks and they will oppose it.

Finally a fitting tribute!

2008-07-05T09:16:00.000-07:00

A message from her majesty

to all ex-pats :)

To the citizens of the United States of America from Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
In light of your failure in recent years to nominate competent candidates for President of the USA and thus to govern yourselves, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective immediately.
Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will resume monarchical duties over all states, commonwealths, and territories (except Kansas, which she does not fancy).
Your new Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, will appoint a Governor for America without the need for further elections.
Congress and the Senate will be disbanded.
A questionnaire may be circulated next year to determine whether any of you noticed.
To aid in the transition to a British Crown Dependency, the following rules are introduced with immediate effect:
(You should look up 'revocation' in the Oxford English Dictionary.)
1. Then look up aluminum, and check the pronunciation guide. You will be amazed at just how wrongly you have been pronouncing it.
2. The letter 'U' will be reinstated in words such as 'colour', 'favour', 'labour' and 'neighbour.' Likewise, you will learn to spell 'doughnut' without skipping half the letters, and the suffix '-ize' will be replaced by the suffix '-ise'. Generally, you will be expected to raise your vocabulary to acceptable levels. (look up 'vocabulary').
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3. Using the same twenty-seven words interspersed with filler noises such as 'like' and 'you know' is an unacceptable and inefficient form of communication. There is no such thing as US English. We will let M*crosoft know on your behalf. The M*crosoft spell-checker will be adjusted to take into account the reinstated letter 'u' and the elimination of -ize.
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4. July 4th will no longer be celebrated as a holiday.
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5. You will learn to resolve personal issues without using guns, lawyers, or therapists. The fact that you need so many lawyers and therapists shows that you're not quite ready to be independent. Guns should only be used for shooting grouse. If you can't sort things out without suing someone or speaking to a therapist then you're not ready to shoot grouse.
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6. Therefore, you will no longer be allowed to own or carry anything more dangerous than a vegetable peeler. Although a permit will be required if you wish to carry a vegetable peeler in public.
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7. All intersections will be replaced with roundabouts, and you will start driving on the left side with immediate effect. At the same time, you will go metric with immediate effect and without the benefit of conversion tables.
Both roundabouts and metrication will help you understand the British sense of humour.
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8. The Former USA will adopt UK prices on petrol (which you have been calling gasoline) of roughly $10/US gallon. Get used to it.
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9. You will learn to make real chips. Those things you call French fries are not real chips, and those things you insist on calling potato chips are properly called crisps. Real chips are thick cut, fried in animal fat, and dressed not with catsup but with vinegar.
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10. The cold tasteless stuff you insist on calling beer is not actually beer at all. Henceforth, only proper British Bitter will be referred to as beer, and European brews of known and accepted provenance will be referred to as Lager. South African beer is also acceptable as they are pound for pound the greatest sporting Nation on earth and it can only be due to the beer. They are also part of British Commonwealth - see what it did for them. American brands will be referred to as Near-Frozen Gnat's Urine, so that all can be sold without risk of further confusion.
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11. Hollywood will be required occasionally to cast English actors as good guys. Hollywood will also be required to cast English actors to play English characters. Watching Andie Macdowell attempt English dialogue in
Four Weddings and a Funeral was an experience akin to having one's ears removed with a cheese grater.
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12. You will cease playing American football. There is only one kind of proper football; you call it soccer. Those of you brave enough will, in time, be allowed to play rugby (which has some similarities to American football, but does not involve stopping for a rest every twenty seconds or wearing full kevlar body Armour like a bunch of nancies). Don't try Rugby - the South Africans and Kiwis will thrash you, like they regularly thrash us.
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13. Further, you will stop playing baseball. It is not reasonable to host an event called the World Series for a game which is not played outside of America. Since only 2.1% of you are aware there is a world beyond your borders, your error is understandable. You will learn cricket, and we will let you face the South Africans first to take the sting out of their deliveries.
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14. You must tell us who killed JFK. It's been driving us mad.
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15. An internal revenue agent (i.e. tax collector) from Her Majesty's Government will be with you shortly to ensure the acquisition of all monies due (backdated to 1776).
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16. Daily Tea Time begins promptly at 4 pm with proper cups, with saucers, and never mugs, with high quality biscuits (cookies) and cakes; plus strawberries (with cream) when in season.
God Save the Queen!

2008-07-01T11:45:00.000-07:00

Happy Canada Day!!

2008-06-20T10:43:00.000-07:00

The money is in the bank.

The champagne is on ice.

Today is my birthday.

Happy birthday to me.

The house was on the market (20 months) for longer than we had our applications in to become PR's (18 months). We got the perfect buyer (good karma), loves the house, totally renovating the inside, didn't want any systems inspections as they were taking it down to bones. The property is totally what sold it. We know how lucky we are.

The celebration begins. Birthday. Permanent job. House sold, money in the bank. One less mortgage. June has been very good to us.

2008-06-15T15:46:00.000-07:00

Friday the 13th was a very good day for me. I had an interview for a permanent position doing the job I have been doing on a temporary contract basis. I wore the power suit and everything. I ended up being offered the position. I am the Senior Accounts Payable Technician and backup to the Supervisor at the University of Victoria. Of which I am very pleased. It offers a lot more security and benefits.

So, in celebration, Diane and I attended the wine and oyster festival at the Harbor Coast Hotel in downtown Victoria on the waterfront. It is our favorite annual event here in Victoria. They had 135 different wines available for tasting. Thank goodness, I only tasted the reds. The first oyster I ate, I felt a rock in and almost spit it into a garbage bin. Then as I rolled the rock around in my mouth it felt pretty smooth. Upon further inspection, I had found a pearl! A very small, but very lucky, Friday the 13th pearl.

Then on Saturday the 14th we hosted a Mexican Fiesta at the house. It was not surprising to find after several Margarita’s how much fun adults could have playing pin the tail on the donkey.

And, yes, there was a piñata. You can see the writing on the wall in the piñata photo. Half the contents were sprayed into the forest. Diane climbed down the hill, and threw the goodies up to us.

The highlight of the evening was Rock Band. This is the most fun game! Joe and Karen brought their Xbox 360 with the drum set, guitar and microphone.

This is the new addiction. Hours passed as we played and sang the songs. I know what I want to get next!! Add a few drinks, very few inhibitions, and great party people and voila you are a rock band. It is not as easy as it looks. But OMG, how much fun it is!

Well, it is another shitty day in paradise. About 75 degrees, sunny and gorgeous! I think I will go out and enjoy some of the sun before its back to work (my new job!) tomorrow. Next weekend is my birthday, so I get to take Friday off. A short week ahead and another spectacular weekend coming up! (I sound a little happy and like I’m enjoying life.:)

2008-05-31T19:02:00.001-07:00

It’s been a while since I’ve posted. We went to Las Vegas for a short vacation and I needed a few weeks to recuperate after we came back.

We stayed with our friend Chris who was kind enough to let us use her very peppy car. Diane had a very good time driving it. Gas was a bargain at just under $4.00 a gallon. It was surreal the first day we arrived and jumped in the car to go visit our house. As we drove through some very affluent neighborhoods, we saw the multi-million dollar properties sitting vacant with boarded up windows and doors. The once lush professionally landscaped yards were dry and barren. It was very sad. It was also a reality check for us.

When we arrived at our house, we were overcome by the realization that the property was deteriorating in our absence. We still have the water on and the yard and pool maintained but the level of overgrowth in the yard was shocking. We only managed to lose one cherry tree. I guess we are lucky for that. The inside was very dirty/dusty from being vacant. Of course we had the normal occurrences in a vacant house of people using the washroom and not flushing. Overall, the house looked pretty shabby. Another reality check. The houses on the market in Las Vegas that are in foreclosure were built from 2004 up to the present. All of them with all the whistles and bells. This is an older circa 1980’s house. Yes, it has a fantastic property but it is still very dated. With 2 plus years worth of surplus homes in foreclosure, on the market in Las Vegas, we needed to get real and get this house sold. We called the realtor and dramatically reduced the price. I will keep you updated on this front as things develop.

We had a great time in Las Vegas seeing all our friends. The highlight for Diane was the Bally’s Sterling brunch. She gorges herself on lobster and I gorge myself on caviar. We all gorge ourselves on champagne. We had a great party at Chris’s house and another fantastic party at John and Leanne’s. Their son Jack, the child Diane and I would have loved to have had, has grown so much and is such a great person. We love him very much. Robert and Dani Bell’s girls Piper and Bijou have both grown and really blossomed. We got to take Kyle, Brenda’s daughter out for a very grownup birthday dinner at 17 complete with wine and several deserts. Of course her mother and Grandmother were with, as it was Chris’s birthday, as well.

It was wonderful to get back to Canada. It was 114 degrees the day we left Las Vegas. It is 75 degrees here today. We have planted our gardens with veggies. It has been a glorious day. Actually the past several weekends have been glorious. When my friend Teresa visited Victoria last year at this time, we would get up every morning and have coffee on the deck listening to the birds, watching the eagle fly overhead and enjoying the sun. She would jokingly say to me, "Ahhhh, another shitty day here in paradise."

My job is being posted as a full time permanent position next week. Of course, I will apply. Some of the angst from the B&E has abated and I don’t feel so driven to work at Costco because it is down the street. If I got the job full time permanent at UVic, it would give me a little more security and a chance at another pension.

We have a full summer planned. We recently learned that WestJet will be flying non-stop from Victoria to Las Vegas starting in September. We have been thinking about American Thanksgiving and Black Friday . . .

I hope I will have more good news to post next week. Stay tuned, things are fantastic in the best place on Earth.

2008-04-19T15:33:00.001-07:00

It’s really my own fault!

I ordered some flannel lined Levis for me and Diane. They were on clearance since it is spring and all. They came in the mail yesterday. And then this morning, we have 10” of snow. One bright spot is I get extra activity points for shoveling snow. And we did shovel snow. We had a service man down finishing up the door repairs from the break-in. He stayed a little too long. We had warned him that our driveway was very tricky in the snow. But he was sure he would have no problem. After an hour of shoveling (3 of us) his van is pulled off the side of the road right past our driveway. He couldn’t make it any further.

Right now? It is warm and sunny with almost a foot of snow on the ground. Welcome to spring in Eastern Canada. This is not our typical spring weather for Victoria.

2008-04-05T14:09:00.001-07:00

I haven’t posted in a while and wanted to talk about our trip to Seattle over the Easter holiday. We had a wonderful and restful time. We didn’t worry about the B&E since we hired a house sitter. Everything was fine when we got home.

We went to help celebrate our friend Glenn’s birthday. We felt quite at home and like family with Glenn, Clara, Leslie and Leo. We enjoyed spending time with the wonderful house pets, as well.
I must now admit that the fine drinking and dining in Seattle almost made me cry it was so wonderful. I won’t go on and on about the comparison between Victoria and Seattle when it comes to the prices, but I could. Oh my gosh! If I could find a way to have a case or 2 of the McManis that is only $7.99 per bottle at Cost Plus, sent media mail through the post office I would! It was so wonderful to spend time with folks who love and appreciate wine as much as we do. Glenn always pulls out very special bottles from his closet (that Clara is not allowed to touch:) From the Leoville that was purchased in 1998 when grandson Leo was born to the Chateaux Margaux. We were spoiled by the fabulousness of it all. I already lust for my next trip to Seattle. If I lived on the mainland I’m afraid the trips would be much more frequent.

Then last weekend we went to the open house for Wild Arc. An organization that hospitalizes and releases back into the wild injured animals and birds. It was a great experience. The picture below is one of the success stories.

We are now preparing for our upcoming trip to Las Vegas. The weather here is starting to turn into spring. If you don’t count last week when it snowed, then hailed, then was sunny, then rained and snowed again. All of this, in the span of 1 hour. That is life on an Island!

At work our accounting department at work has joined a walking challenge sponsored by UVic. Our team name is the Beancounters. Our friend Heather and I have a personal bet for the month of April. Whoever has the most steps buys lunch. Right, Heather? Or is it the other way around? Can I use the I’m-old-enough-to-be-your-mother excuse if I lose the bet? It is fun. We wear pedometers all day long and log in our numbers everyday. I’ll keep you updated on the progress.

Well, I’d better go for now. I have a date with the treadmill before our doggie walk.

2008-03-27T13:51:00.000-07:00

Try JibJab Sendables!

2008-03-16T16:04:00.001-07:00

The latest news on Diane’s bonspiel (a word meaning tournament or “get really drunk at the curling rink”)

Yesterday was the first day of the long awaited bonspiel. Diane’s team arrived early and helped fill in on other teams that were short players. I arrived for the 4:00 game to be followed by the Curling Banquet (read: buffet line). I watched from the viewing gallery upstairs and let me tell you it was packed! I barely could find a space at the end of the viewing area to watch the game. When Diane said it was a 2 hour game, I thought ‘no way can that last 2 hours’. Two hours later, I almost missed the last shot trying to download a new ring tone for my cell phone.

I read up on the game before I went to watch by perusing the sports section of “How to be a Canadian” by Will & Ian Ferguson. I could not tell who had won the game because the numbers on the board are not really the score; they are a measurement of who is ahead at each end (what?). I would have asked one of the other onlookers but I felt very conspicuous drinking my 5-bucks (Canadian term for Starbucks, why drink one when Tim Horton’s is only 2 bucks?) chai latte while the others were heartily enjoying the Okanagan Pale Ale.

I must say I have not seen Diane smile so much in a very long time. She really loves this sport. And she is getting very good at it.

The buzz around the banquet hall was about the team of little boys called The Crazy Eights (sponsored by an area novelty store). They had shut out every adult team in the bonspiel. The game they had just won, 16 to 0, was called early because the kids were so far ahead the adults would never catch up.

Then they news came.

Diane’s team would play the Crazy Eights in the finals on Sunday. Strategy started being tossed around at the table. How to prepare? Doctor the little tyke’s cokes with some rum? See how well they can play with a hangover? At least convince them if they win they have to buy the adults their drinks?

It is Sunday and I just received word that Diane’s team has beaten the Crazy Eights, 12 to 6. The kids were very upset as they have been playing for 3 years and have not lost to adults very often. Diane’s team has been playing for 3 months. The one player on the ‘Eights with the Faux Hawk died burgundy threatened to quit saying he could not take this anymore. Poor kids. Their Dad’s approached Diane’s team afterwards and said it was really good for the kids to have to taste defeat and deal with it.

Moral of the story? Diane’s team will not be playing in the novice league next year, they have been bumped up to regular league play.

My overall view on curling is as follows. It is a gentlemanly and lady-like sport (except for the burping when drinking the beer). The only time you yell is at your own teammates and it is to cheer them on. I will go and watch again next year if they make it to the finals.

2008-02-29T13:52:00.001-08:00

I was very hesitant to post this. I know that the victims of crime sometimes feel embarrassed or even guilty. So here goes.

Yesterday, we received a call from our alarm company that the door to the mudroom had been breached. Diane hurried home because RCMP will not investigate unless an owner is on the premises. While she was on her way the alarm company called me to say RCMP would be delayed by more than a half hour. I couldn’t reach Diane on her cell so I immediately left work. I didn’t want her to walk into a situation alone.
As I was driving up the mountainous roads to the house I was passed by several undercover vehicles with flashing lights. When I reached the house Diane was standing out on the driveway holding one of our dogs. She met me at the truck and said that RCMP would not let us near the house until the canine unit had searched the house and premises. Someone had kicked in our door, shattering the frame and sending pieces of metal, drywall and wood about 20 feet into the next room. Our dog Scout was in that room. The RCMP allowed Diane to get Scout out of the room before that canine unit came in.
(Luckily I had set the alarm that day. I must say, we are not always diligent about setting the alarm, but Diane had had a dream 2 nights prior and had insisted we start setting it every day. I had had a disturbing dream about an intruder the night before. Question: Do we have a foreboding or do we create realty?) The canine unit (which was awesome to watch) cleared the house for entry and told us that the intruder(s) had approached and left in a vehicle. So hoping it had just been some kid making trouble was not the case. We were supposed to search the house and look for missing items. We could not see anything visible missing (jewelry, lap top, etc., all there) The RCMP said to keep looking; it was highly unlikely that they didn’t take anything even though they were probably scared away by the alarm. RCMP also told us how lucky we were that the dogs were not killed as they had seen this happen many times in this situation. Our insurance company sent over an emergency contractor to secure the door while a new door/frame could be ordered.
I am home from work today to meet with the alarm company, contractors, etc. We are pretty traumatized.
This is where the embarrassment comes in. We left the high crime and uncertainty of a large metropolitan and dangerous city. In Las Vegas we had (liberal readers don’t gasp) concealed weapons permits and were trained and authorized to use concealed hand guns. We gave this up gladly to move to, what is for us, paradise. Now, as victims we feel totally violated. I don’t know what level of security we can have to make those feelings go away. I am grateful that things did not go much worse. Believe me we have gone over the worse case scenarios last night. We would willingly put all our belongings out into the street with a sign that says “free” rather than have any harm come to our dog children or to each other. I guess that is the truth of the matter. It is all just stuff. But the emotions are all still there. Embarrassed and violated.

With all that said, this is still the best place on earth. We just have to reevaluate a few things. I’m going to be looking for a job that is closer to home, so that I can be here within minutes versus the more than half hour it takes now and come home at lunch. We are now hesitant to go on vacation. We have friends who will check on the house while we are gone, but is that enough? I have set it up with the alarm company that we will have a guard service. If the alarm goes off and we are unavailable a guard will be dispatched and he/she will call RCMP if necessary. Is that enough? We are talking with contractors about a gated entrance to our property and the quarter mile long drive. Will that feel like enough?

This weekend is our 1 year anniversary of our move to Canada. We love it here and don’t regret that move for one minute. We are just sorting out all these other emotions, as well. Thanks for listening.

2008-02-17T15:51:00.000-08:00

This weekend we had the pleasure of the WEB household (minus four legged child) as houseguests. We met Newly Canadian Doug and Dixon at a restaurant for dinner. It was really great to get together with part of the blogging family. Pictures above of the dining group. We had a cake for the guys when they arrived and some champagne.

Doug and Dixon presented them with a picture of the flag of BC and a caption “Welcome to Canada”. They guys decided to stay in our flamingo themed room (yes, we really have a room with 50’s kitsch flamingo stuff). Abbey fell madly in love with both of the guys and she has been threatening to run away from home since they left this afternoon.

It’s hard to believe, but in less than a month we will be celebrating 1 year in Canada. When we think of how much we have accomplished and how much has changed, it really is amazing. As I drive to work, walk to my vehicle or just look out the windows I think of all those things Canadian I would like to comment about and by the time I get to the computer I have forgotten about them.. I still don’t pronounce everything correctly Canadian (which some friends find amusing) but I did notice in conversation recently that I referred to tennis shoes as runners and was surprised when the person I was talking to was not familiar with the expression. I also made a credit card order over the phone as gave the phone operator my expiry date. I don’t think I can ever go back to writing a check, it’s now a cheque and we go to the theatre in the centre of town. Spell check still tells me that cheque is not spelled correctly. I don’t even notice the use of the word eh, as it is normal conversation. Life is a process (pronounced prohcess not prahcess) and vegetables in the market are produce (pronounced prahduce not prohduce). Inter-office envelopes are never called thousand milers here. My co-workers enjoyed making fun of that expression. I look forward to the rain as long as it’s not late at night and sure to turn to ice. The snow was not that bad this year here on the Island, although the Prairies were hammered. Shiraz wine is not pronounced Shirahz it is pronounced Shiraz as in raspberries (yes, like it is spelled). We don’t have a coffee break in the mornings at work, we go for tea.

They have returned the picture of the Queen to hang on the walls aboard BC Ferries as its removal caused much local uproar.

You can feel Spring in the air and see the light stay longer everyday. I can’t wait to put in my tomato plants and shop at the farmer’s markets on Saturdays.

I got my time off that I requested from work. So we have Seattle in March, Las Vegas in May and the Okanagan in August.

We have got a little dog at the vet today so I must sign off to check on her status. WEB will let you know, when we know anything.

2008-01-13T17:20:00.000-08:00

Okay, it’s Diane’s turn.

Here are some shots of her on the curling ice. I can’t caption the pictures because I really don’t have any idea as to what she doing. I know there are rocks and edges.

You know you are used to Canada when 41 degrees seems like a balmy spring day. The weather has been very spring-like. On the campus where I work, I can even smell the flowers starting to bloom. The bunnies that run around campus are friskier than usual (new bunnies on the way?) and they come when I call them for their carrots. I enjoy them even if there are a lot of people in that neighborhood who would like to see them gone. They damage yards, fences and shrubbery. The bunnies didn’t ask to be dumped on the University campus.

We are planning a trip to Las Vegas this May. We are very excited about going. We will see old friends and enjoy the things there that we can not get up here. We have already booked our flight.

And now, for the bad news. My job has told me to basically forget about taking time off in August. I’m low man on the totem pole. Our anniversary this year is 08-08-08. We have been planning for several years to make this spectacular. We were going to go to the Okanagan for the summer wine festival. Drive through B.C. and stay little places along the way. So we are very disappointed that this may not happen. I will not know for sure until the end of this month. If the house sells in Vegas, I will just end my contract with the University on August 2nd. If not, I guess it will be on to plan C.

But, I don’t know what plan C is yet.

2007-12-29T13:09:00.000-08:00

My Pottery

Since so many people have requested that I post pictures of some of my art in pottery (:o) I thought I would put some of it on the blog. Diane is very sick, and is very disappointed in this turn of events for the holidays. She had planned to attend a party, throw a party, etc. It will just have to wait. I have cleaned, cooked, nursed and now I'm bored.

Sandpiper

Fatanna(aka Montana our fat child)

Pencil holder for Diane with my signature lizard crawling up the side.

There you go, my first attempt at pottery.

2007-12-23T15:06:00.000-08:00

Scout finally gets her hedgehog for Christmas!

Part 1

Happy Holidays to all!

Scout has already managed to identify and partially unwrap one of her Christmas presents. She brought the saliva-soaked wrapping paper with a stuffed hedgehog peeking out the end and dropped it at my feet. She stood looking up at me expectantly, wagging her little nub of a tail.

How can you be upset? The little things are the delights.

Love to you all.

2007-12-08T08:24:00.000-08:00

Diamondhead Apricot Mousse

We lost our eldest baby on Thursday night. She had been with us for 14 years, almost 15. She was bred to be a show dog and after several wins in the ring, she told us she didn’t like it. So her career ended in the show and she became our pampered princess.

We called her our million dollar dog because she had been plagued with so many health issues through her life. Eye surgeries for entropian, back surgeries (she was paralyzed twice), eye laser surgeries, glaucoma, severe allergies, eye removals and several bouts with cancer. She overcame every one of these adversities and came back stronger every time. She was deaf because of the many ear infections common with Shar Pei’s. Many Veterinarians’ said she would have been put down by any other pet owner long ago. One Vet said he wished many parents took as good of care with their children.

It still doesn’t make it any easier or stop our doubts that we did not give her enough and make her life spectacular enough.

The trip to Canada was very hard on her. I was worried she was not going to make it. How do you cross the border and land with a dead child in the truck? But she made it and flourished up here. The allergies that ravaged her in Las Vegas went away. She loved to wander around her yard and smell the forest. The cooler climate brought her to life.

A tumor was discovered in her abdomen several weeks ago. A very, large tumor. After removal, the Vet said it was 8 inches in diameter. We had a biopsy done prior to surgery deciding if it was cancer, we would let her go and not put her through anymore trauma. The results came back that it was not cancer! But it needed to be removed or she would die a horribly painful death. Even considering her age, the lab report said the prognosis was good to very good for her survival and recovery.

We had to give her just one more chance.

We had seen her come back from much worse.

She came through the surgery but once in recovery her poor old heart just gave out on her. They resuscitated her 3 times before she just would not come back.

So it is with much pain and sorrow I post these final pictures of our baby when she was a pup. (And so were we) Notice the shirt Diane is wearing.

Cheers Moussie!

2007-12-02T12:30:00.000-08:00

The weather channel says it is raining right now in Victoria. Yes, big white fluffy raindrops. I took a ruler outside and measured 7.5 inches of fluffy white rain.

December started out very white and wet for us here on Vancouver Island. It has been snowing solid for 2 days. I made a snowwoman, which I will post a picture of. Then, a snowwoman murderer, whom shall be known only as Joe the Grinch, backed his Jeep over the snowwoman last night when he and wife Karen left our poker party. I still believe it was revenge for less than honorable poker playing. We didn’t have six shooters so it had to be handled in other ways. Unfortunately, the snowwoman suffered the most! We had a good time, despite the heavy snowfall. We had enough food for 20 people. All of it fantastic. Heather, Karen and I did most of the cooking. It was all appy's. Darren was kind enough to drive my and Diane’s trucks up the hill this morning and park them so that we can be sure that we will get to work (and pottery class :J ) tomorrow.

We were supposed to meet Doug and Dixon this morning at Starbucks and mutually decided we were going nowhere. It a shame really because the best Christmas Craft fair on the Island happens today in Dean Park, which is quite a ways away.

So, I guess Diane and I will take a walk in the forest a little later. Maybe, have some mulled wine and watch a little American football.

Diane is calling me to start the fire in the wood stove so I will leave you with some pictures of the snow, I mean, rain.

2007-11-12T10:39:00.000-08:00

It is Remembrance Day here in Canada. Diane and I have had the flu all long weekend. We are finally feeling semi normal today. Just in time to start the work week all over again tomorrow.

Diane has started a curling class. She really is enjoying the sport, so much so, that she has also joined a beginner’s league. I have yet to go watch her in the ring, but when I do, I will take pictures to post. Of course, now she must purchase the outfit that goes along with the sport. She say’s it is a lot of exercise.

I have begun a pottery class. We started out on the wheel last week and I made too rather plain looking bowls. I kept asking the teacher, “But what about a plate”. I felt like I was in an old episode of Monty Python when someone took a self defense class and the instructor said, “This is what to do if you are attacked with a Giant Strawberry” and “This is what to do if you are attacked with a bowl of sour milk” and the student kept asking “But what about a sharp stick?” Maybe this week we will get to the plate in pottery class.

We had a Halloween party at work and I wanted to include a picture of my co-workers. I came as an American Football Fan. I know it is lame and not a very far stretch. I really had nothing else. We sold off all that kind of foolishness before moving here. I do regret getting rid of my Elvis-In-His-Later-Years (read: fat) spandex bejeweled outfit.

We are still doing our walks although we have missed this weekend and last. We are branching out to others walking trails. I’ll include some pictures of the last walk at Matthiessen (sp?) Lake.

We are looking forward to the Holidays. We both have off the week between Christmas and New Year. I’ve arranged all my deadlines at work to be completed the week before. We are having an app’y party on December 1st. It will be our Christmas party. My work Christmas party is on December 8th and Diane’s is on Dec 14th.

Well, I will sign off for now as we are going to a Christmas Craft Fair this afternoon since it’s the first day we have not been tied to the washroom all day.

2007-10-22T08:20:00.001-07:00

There has been a lot of conversation here in Victoria on the immigration front. I'll post a link to an article I read today. It brings up some interesting points of view. http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/comment/story.html?id=dfb14d71-fb05-4808-87e9-b0f17c5f7b1b

2007-10-14T17:32:00.000-07:00

(Belated)Happy Thanksgiving!

Last weekend we celebrated Thanksgiving with our friends Heather and Darren. Darren rotisserie cooked the turkey and it came out fabulous!

We had all the fixings and plenty of wine to celebrate our first Thanksgiving in Canada.

It somehow makes more sense to me to have Thanksgiving before Halloween. You have the cornucopia with all the bounty of the harvest first and then the dead scary bundles of cornstalks later.

These are some pictures of the day. I know you will be able to tell what a good time we had by the laughter and smiles.

Diane had a big important lunch with the owner of her global company. She wore a blue pinstriped suit and looked very nice. She said it was very pleasant and she got on with him very nicely.

We are continuing our 7k walk on a weekly basis. We took Montana and Majik today. Heather brought her boxer, Jackson and Ann brought Westie Maggie and houseguest Westie Wilkie. The weather is beautiful with crisp autumn in the air and maple leaves turning every shade of yellow to red. Some leaves are as big as your head. Ann pointed out the eagles nest on the walk. It looks about 4 feet in diameter. No signs of eagles now, but Ann says they have used the nest for several years.

We bottled wine again last night. This time a California Zin. Right now the wine count in our cellar is about 623 with another 120 in the works. Diane says the goal is to have about 1000 bottles on hand at all times. Okay. If anything ever happens to us, Heather and Darren are directed to come and get the wine first thing. We have a small cellar and a large underbelly in the basement that we store the wine in.

Work is work. Some days are better than others. It is very nice to have a paycheck to help support our house in the States. When it sells, we will re-evaluate the whole working fulltime thing for me. This is a lot of house to try to keep up with on the short weekends alone.

That is it for now. I’m off to shop online with L. L. Bean, who is offering free shipping to Canada for a limited time.

2007-09-30T12:41:00.000-07:00

The bounty of VanIsle as in the picture above. Items purchased in the Saanich Market on Saturday mornings. We have soooooo many tomatoes from our own vines that I'm making spaghetti sauce and salsa today to try and use them.

We have been invited to join a group of friends on a weekly dog walk, at a spot we don't want to advertise since it is virtually undiscovered at this point. The walk is about 7k give or take a little. This was our second week of the walk. I thought I would share some of the beautiful scenery that we saw.

The new job is going okay. I still don't know how well I fit in there, so I'm giving it a while to see. Things are done much differently there than I am used to, so I am definitely out of my comfort zone. I will give it my best shot.

I've been reading all the blogs but have just been overwhelmingly busy. I'm hoping for good news on the last of the 'family' to get the green light to move to Vancouver.

Now if all of our US houses/real estate could sell before the Loonie gets any stronger . . .

2007-09-09T12:41:00.001-07:00

Great Canadian Beer Fest 2007

We had a good time at the festival. There were vendors from all over B.C. and some from the States. We met a couple who had come all the way from Massachusetts to be at Beer Fest. We talked to them for a long while and exchanged emails. They are very unhappy with the current state of affairs in Georgie-Land. They were dismayed by the fact that Canadians have commented that American’s voted him into office. We all agreed that W was not elected by the American public, the election was stolen. Then we drank some more beer.

This is my “I’m-buzzed-what-time-is-it?” captioned photo

Then we have Diane-has-had-too-many-Scottish-Ales.

We took public transit all day. It was a little too hot for us at 82 degrees. We are very fond of the milder climate up here.

Today, the first NFL Sunday of the season, we have joined a football pool back in Vegas. Diane actually started it when she worked at her old engineering firm in Las Vegas. We will see how well it goes. So far I’m not looking that good.

Now for the good news – I’ve accepted the position with University of Victoria as Senior Accounts Payable Clerk. The pay is pretty good but the traffic and parking is atrocious. I may end up taking the bus from Langford Park and Ride. I will have to see how it works out for me. To start out I will probably drive. I start on September 17th. I did have high hopes for taking the month of December off, but probably not now. My main function is back-up for the Accounts Payable Supervisor, so I’m sure my holiday times off desires are down at the bottom of the seniority list. It is a Union position.

Well it another beautiful day at the most beautiful place on Earth, so I’ll get out there and enjoy it! This a photo of my biggest tomato, so far. And a little visit from a tree frog.

2007-09-06T10:13:00.000-07:00

Greetings from the Best Place on Earth!

I hope everyone had a great long weekend last weekend. Diane and I enjoyed the time. We went to the Saanich Peninsula Fair on Saturday. It was a great time. We looked at the 4-H animals, passed right by the Girl Guides of Canada cookie sales, compared our tomatoes to the winning vegetables and marveled at the various baked goods and homemade wines. It was a lot of fun.

Sunday we went golfing at Ardmore golf course and Diane played the best game of her life. Well, I didn’t golf because I am recovering from a pulled muscle in my back. But I walked the course with Diane’s bag in tow. Offering her my advice on the club selection and angle of the hole, I did my best caddy impersonation. She managed to have a stellar game in spite of all that.

Friday as I was driving home from work and the golden sunlight was filtering down through the trees and the breeze held just a hint of autumn, I did feel like this is the best place on earth. My last day of work with BC Transit was great. My bosses (4 of them) started the day off with Tim Horton’s then a Shark Club lunch, a bouquet of flowers and a card. They presented this to me and told me what a great job I had done and how I was making it really hard for them to miss the girl I was temping for. It was all very, very sweet.

Now on to Diane’s news - She was hired at her Engineering firm as a Mechanical Project Manager with 3 months probation. Two month’s into that probation, one of the Principle Engineers turned in his resignation to go off on his own and start a new company. His role, aside from being a Principle Engineer, was to be the Team Lead for the Mechanical Division. Diane has been offered his position and offered an associate position in the firm, all before she even passed her probation. They have hammered out the contract details and now it is official. This has been very affirming to us in our timing for landing as Permanent Residents. Even though our house is still on the market in Las Vegas and there is always some doubt that creeps into the back of your mind (i.e. Did we leave too soon?), this has been a great affirmation that we are on the right track.

I had an interview yesterday at UVIC for a full time job. I find more and more everyday, how even though Americans and Canadians speak the same language, the differences in meaning and expressions are vast. I frequently ask for translations for things. I know in the interview, there were several phrases that I was not familiar with. I looked them up when I got home and realized that we had just called the process something different in the States. The written test was a challenge for me because the instructions given were not clear in my mind. Small differences in word meanings matter a lot. I think I will write a blog on American to Canadian expression equivalencies. (For example; a camper shell on a truck is called a canopy here. Um-humm is said with a certain inflection here that is hard to describe, accent on the humm part with a little question of interest.) I don’t think I will get the job, but if I do I’m still a little at odds about it because I really like the temping thing. I don’t need the benefits, so the in lieu of pay is even better. We will see how it goes. As my friend from BC Transit says, “It isn’t prison, you can always say no or quit if it does not fit.” I think I would have a feeling prior to taking the job, if it was a good fit or not.

Oh and I had one of my famous dreams last night. The house in Las Vegas sold for asking price. It was done. Severed. Finished. That was a really good dream.

This weekend we will go to the Great Canadian Beer Festival. BC Transit gave out free bus passes for the event if you bought a ticket – so no one drives under the influence. I’ll let you know how that goes.

Now, I'm out to the woods to load and stack firewood for the upcoming winter.

2007-08-06T10:01:00.000-07:00

Happy B.C. Day! We are enjoying our long weekend. The weather is glorious at 79 degrees.

I do volunteering for the Old Cemeteries Society of Victoria. We are currently working on the Ross Bay Cemetery documenting the monuments. When Diane goes into town on Saturday mornings for her meetings, I usually go to the cemetery and do a little work. I have a certain row that is my assignment. There are very large trees all around. The crows gather in the trees above me and chatter, flapping their wings and watching me measure and draw. After my latest visit I had a dream that night when I went to bed. I dreamed a group of crows were talking to me. They explained that why they hang out at the cemetery is because they escort the spirits of the dead into their next life. (No, I never saw the movie/comic book “The Crow”.) I said, I thought that we were all connected to the people in our lives because of karma and being drawn together life after life? The crows said, No, it’s all random. It is who ever needs a spirit (they never used the word soul) and who ever is available. When the spirit leaves the body we show them the way to their new life. I might add that none of this is my waking belief system, which is what makes the dream so strange. And no, I don’t smoke anything illegal.

We had a lovely lunch at Brentwood Bay Seagrill Pub after shopping for veggies at the Saanich Fairgrounds Market. The view from our patio table was splendid.

Yesterday we went on a walk in Goldstream Provincial Park. It was lovely and very busy. Then, we were on our way home and noticed that the new 'Everything Wine' store had opened. OMG, they had some of our favorite wine from the States. Stuff we have never seen here. It is right down the mountain, so it is close and easy to get to. That is a good thing for our palates and a bad thing for our pockets.

I am told by Diane that I have to wait several more weeks before announcing her big news.

2007-07-29T14:00:00.000-07:00

It's a beautiful day here in Victoria. This is the view of the sky from my deck. I call it the Ponderosa sky. I love this view.

Week 2 done at the new job(s). I have 5 more to go, unless they send me to another department, which they could do. One of the benefits of working for BC Transit is an unlimited bus pass. So Saturday, Diane and I took the bus into downtown. She had an appointment and I went shopping. We met up for lunch shopped a bit more and then took the bus back to the Langford park and ride. It is so much easier to take the bus versus find parking downtown.

And there is no stress to get back to your meter before it requires another loonie.

I have no news on the Vegas house yet. There is an open house today so we are holding positive thoughts about today being 'the day'.

Finally, we have tomato's on our vines. It just has not been warm enough until now. We planted an heirloom beefsteak-type tomato and it looks like little pumpkins all over the branches instead of tomatoes. i guess we will probably be able to pick the fruit in about a month.

I don't want to jinx anything, but I think by next week, I will have some big news to announce as far as Diane's job goes. There have been some major developments over the past week. So I will just throw that out there as a teaser. . .

Stay tuned!

2007-07-22T16:20:00.001-07:00

One week down at my new job. I am being shared between 2 different departments. Training & Safety, dealing mostly with the accident reports that the bus drivers or patrons submit. I only have worked there one day so far. Most of the week, I spent in the garage doing payroll. This is the kind of work I really love! The BC Transit has its own drama’s and politics (I never worked anywhere that doesn’t), but overall I’m in my element with the timesheet entry. It’s a little archaic (BC Transit admits) compared to the system I worked with in the states. Here you have to manually enter all the time sheets for the Mechanics by hand. Human error and all, it can be challenging. Especially, when several of the workers came into the office on Friday disputing their paychecks. Glad I didn’t do the time for that pay period. Although I am sure I will get my own fair share of questions/complaints.
Tomorrow, I am back to Training and Safety. This is a great way to check out an organization to see if there is any interest in working there fulltime. Part of me would still like a part-time job working in a wine makers shop. Our wine maker lost an employee this week. They are thinking of making it two 20 hour a week jobs instead of one 40 hour. I have a contract through the end of August, so I can’t jump ship and go work for much less hours and much less money. Aside from the fact Diane would not approve,. It just is not the right timing.
This weekend we went to Moss Street artists Paint-In. The great part is the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria offered free admission to the Rodin exhibit. It was a great exhibit on loan from B. Gerald Cantor collection. I’m currently wearing my souvenir t-shirt that says “I have seen the gates of hell . . .”
The Luminara took place later last night and we opted out of it because of the rain.
It’s raining outside right now. Yesterday, we had lunch at Spinnakers Pub. As we sat looking out the window at the fog and seal lions in the harbor, I realized that every other time in my life I have seen fog or sea lions, I have been on holiday. We keep having to pinch ourselves and we keep reminding each other, we really live here.

2007-07-13T13:31:00.000-07:00

Hello bloggers, happy Friday the 13th! This week Victoria felt like Las Vegas when we had the highest temperatures on record. It was 104 degrees on Wednesday. Luckily we have air conditioning. Our friends here in Victoria are convinced that we brought this weather with us. We have guests visiting from Las Vegas this week and we are officially blaming it on them.

No new news on the Las Vegas house selling. This is one of our last hurdles to overcome. Once it is sold, life will be looking pretty peachy.

This weekend we plan to take the ferry to Salt Spring Island and walk through the market. It is a great way to spend a Saturday. This time, I think we will stop at The Garry Oaks Winery on the way back to the ferry. They have a great wine called ‘Fetish’ which is worth it for the name alone.

I start a new job on Monday with the BC Transit doing payroll/timesheet management. It is a full-time temporary position. The good thing about temporary is if we don’t like each other, it’s only six weeks. The bad thing about temporary is if we really love each other it’s going to end before we would like. I hope it is the later. So I’m really excited about my first job here in Canada. I work for a temp agency that I really like. The people who manage the agency are fantastic and have very positive attitudes. I don’t feel invisible there. I’ll let you know how it goes after the first week. Another great thing is it is very close to where Diane works so we will car pool for the next 6 weeks. I have a parking lot at my job and she does not so I will drop her off and pick her up. She usually takes the bus.

Now if the house could sell this week . . .

2007-07-08T19:47:00.000-07:00

A tiny slice of Gay Pride in Victoria BC

2007-07-05T06:55:00.000-07:00

Independence Day-after thoughts.

2007-07-02T11:01:00.000-07:00

We had a great Canada Day bar-b-que. The little dogs got to enjoy their yard and frolic in the high of 82 degrees. I cooked most of the day and then didn’t feel like eating when all was said and done.
My birthday was great. We went to Oyster the 13th down at the harbor. It is a wine and oyster extravaganza. The wine tasting was from all the BC wineries. Oyster shucked, raw, bar-b-qued and grilled. We will go again next year.

We also went out to a farm and picked a flat of strawberries. That was great fun. I had to end up freezing some of them and they will eventually find a home in strawberry margaritas.

Diane bought me a Celtic design necklace from a downtown jeweler. It is beautiful. She also brought me home a lovely cake.

I went to a headhunter last week and took a barrage of tests. I scored very well. The good new is I have an interview this week for an office administrator with firm here on the west shore. So I will be brushing up on my answers to the most commonly asked questions.

We have a lot planned next weekend. We have a wedding, wine bottling and gay pride in Victoria. I will try to take video but definitely pictures.

2007-07-01T14:36:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone is having a safe and happy Canada Day!

2007-06-11T11:38:00.000-07:00

It is June 11th and it is 47 degrees outside at 8:30 in the morning. I’m still wearing sweatshirts and jeans. Last week, when it got up to 83 degrees, I thought it was too hot and just wished for the cool rainy temps. In Las Vegas right now it is 86 degrees which is cool for them.

Our Realtor says that there is an interested party in our house. They have come back to view it 3 times. I hope that this is the one. Finding a buyer would really help us out in so many ways. Two mortgagees and all utilities for 2 houses gets to be a grind. I went to the Realtors web-site and cut a picture of the for sale sign out, edited it with a large red banner across the front “SOLD”. This is probably more effective than the St. Joseph statue. Visualization is a powerful tool.

Diane is settling into her new job. It is an adjustment for her. Not only is she now working in metric, but she has the building codes of our new country to learn. She is out of her comfort zone for sure.

I continue to job seek. I had an interview on the 4th and just learned last Friday that I was not selected. It was one of the nicest rejection phone calls I have ever received.

“We regret to inform you that the position has been filled. We would like to encourage you to keep watching the job web-site because we think you would fit in very well at the University and we feel that there is a job here for you." (Read: just not this one)

So on we go. It has actually been very good that I have not started a job full time outside of the house before now. I have been very busy with appointments from service contractors, veterinarians, tour guide duties, carpet cleaning, grounds maintenance, etc. Diane used to handle a lot of these things in the States because of her position and flexibility to take off work when it was needed. That is no longer possible. She takes public transportation to work, (gas prices have just dropped from 122.9 per liter to 112.9) parking in Victoria is ghastly expensive and not easy to find. Parking can cost between $95 and $150 per month. The monthly bus pass is $72.

Another thing I appreciate about our new home other than it being the most beautiful place on earth, is recycling. You are limited to the size of a trash bin you can use but recycling is unlimited. As much cardboard, paper, plastic and glass that you can put out, they will take. This is probably not news to most of you, but to us coming from eco-enemy Las Vegas, it is refreshing.

Oh, and as an aside, we went to the First Unitarian Church of Victoria on Sunday. It was really nice to be amongst like minded folks. We already have an invitation on Wednesday evening for tea at one member’s home in Metchosin, not too far from where we live in the Highlands.

All fingers crossed for our house to sell in Vegas. Then the next to sell will be swamp land in Florida for West End Bound:)

2007-06-05T10:01:00.000-07:00

Bumper stickers for your enjoyment.

2007-05-30T12:01:00.000-07:00

This is so true, it borders on not being funny at all.

We had friends visit from the States this past week. Here are some highlights. We had a very good time visitng. We are gearing up for more friends to visit this weekend. More video to follow, of course.

This next video is in response to Diane not having anyone to smoke with here in Canada.

2007-05-22T11:44:00.000-07:00

FROM THE AP
Jimmy Carter came down hard on the Iraq war.“We now have endorsed the concept of pre-emptive war where we go to war with another nation militarily, even though our own security is not directly threatened, if we want to change the regime there or if we fear that some time in the future our security might be endangered,” he said. “But that’s been a radical departure from all previous administration policies.”
Carter, who won a Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, criticized Bush for having “zero peace talks” in Israel. Carter also said the administration “abandoned or directly refuted” every negotiated nuclear arms agreement, as well as environmental efforts by other presidents.Carter also offered a harsh assessment for the White House’s Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, which helped religious charities receive $2.15 billion in federal grants in fiscal year 2005 alone.“The policy from the White House has been to allocate funds to religious institutions, even those that channel those funds exclusively to their own particular group of believers in a particular religion,” Carter said. “As a traditional Baptist, I’ve always believed in separation of church and state and honored that premise when I was president, and so have all other presidents, I might say, except this one.”
Douglas Brinkley, a Tulane University presidential historian and Carter biographer, described Carter’s comments as unprecedented. “This is the most forceful denunciation President Carter has ever made about an American president,” Brinkley said. “When you call somebody the worst president, that’s volatile. Those are fighting words.”
Carter also lashed out Saturday at British prime minister Tony Blair. Asked how he would judge Blair’s support of Bush, the former president said: “Abominable. Loyal. Blind. Apparently subservient.”“And I think the almost undeviating support by Great Britain for the ill-advised policies of President Bush in Iraq have been a major tragedy for the world,” Carter told British Broadcasting Corp. radio.

2007-05-08T16:11:00.000-07:00

Taking a bath last night, I looked out the window and spotted this visitor to the yard.

2007-05-07T09:11:00.000-07:00

Gay moms just as good -- if not better -- for kids: study
Jack Aubry, CanWest News ServicePublished: Monday, May 07, 2007

OTTAWA -- Parenting by same-sex families is just as good -- if not slightly better -- for children than heterosexual parenting, a study for the federal Justice Department has concluded.
Commissioned by the former Liberal government in 2003 at the height of the same-sex marriage debate, the study was not released until recently when its main author, Paul Hastings of Concordia University in Montreal, obtained it by making a request using the Access to Information Act.
Hastings, with the assistance of research students, reached his conclusion after reviewing existing research relating to the impact on children of being raised in different types of families.
The report says the vast majority of studies show that children living with two mothers are as socially competent as children living with a mother and father.
"A few studies suggest that children with two lesbian mothers may have marginally better social competence than children in 'traditional nuclear' families, even fewer studies show the opposite, and most studies fail to find any differences," says the 74-page study, which cost $25,000 to produce. The paper refers to about 100 studies on parenting.
It reported that most of the available research on gay parents is on lesbian mothers. It says there is still too little research, especially about gay male parents, to reach any final conclusions.
Hastings speculated that the study was quietly shelved by the Justice Department after Stephen Harper's Conservative government came into power in 2006.
He noted that the Conservatives upheld their election promise to review the issue of same-sex marriage when a government motion focusing on the definition of "marriage" was defeated in the House of Commons in December.
Briefing notes prepared for government ministers for possible use during question period sessions in Parliament and in response to reporters' questions, obtained by CanWest News Services via an Access to Information request, reveal the department seeming to distance itself from the research paper by stating that it represents the opinions of the study's author "and not those of the department."
Virginia West, who is raising Rowan, a two-year-old boy, with her partner, Cheryl Reid, in Toronto, said the study confirms what she already knew.
But she said she is pleased it was commissioned by the federal government,
"No, I am not surprised that the study's release has been delayed," she said.
"The fact that it was done at all is great, and the fact that it is coming out is great. I think if we were living in the United States, it would not have even been done."

Amen.

2007-05-03T22:10:00.000-07:00

There have been a lot of markers in our progress toward becoming residents of Canada. First we became landed, and then we received our PR cards. Registering our vehicles and getting drivers licenses’ were very important steps. Diane getting a job was a huge hurdle that we successfully crossed. I think today, one of the most important milestones for me has occurred. Diane and I got our library cards! I had a wonderful time talking to the Circulation staff about everything from Millennium to differences in loan periods between Las Vegas and Victoria. We used the self check and it was very nice. Not like the white elephant we had in Vegas, if it was not out of service, it definitely was not convenient (you could not check out any magnetic material that could be erased or any material in locking cases). Today was a completely enjoyable experience.

Yesterday, I assembled our new barbeque grill. The box was so heavy we had to carry it piece by piece to the back deck where it now lives. In between the hail storm and the rain, I assembled most of it in the kitchen and then rolled it outside for the final touches. We are still amazed that there are no ordinances in this city against having a grill on a deck with either a floor or overhang above. We are learning new things about our new home daily.

Diane and I took a field trip into the city on public transportation to visit her new job. The bus is the only real sensible way to go. Petrol prices are not the only consideration, but traffic and the price of parking prompted this decision. It was really quite easy and fun. We looked around the bus and noticed that no one looked scary. No one was talking to themselves or someone invisible beside them. No one had urinated on themselves. I never once felt that I needed to clutch my belongings under my arm and wear a ‘Don’t fuck with me’ expression. People were generally kind, helpful and interested in our accents. Taking a bus in several metropolitan cities that shall remain nameless in the US would have guaranteed at least one of those experiences.

As I write this, Diane is downstairs watching the Vancouver Canucks play on T.V. Yes, hockey, my American friends has sucked her in. She even looked at jerseys today. She could not find one that would fit, but she was looking.
Our friends Heather and Darren got married in a secret ceremony. We are going to a reception for them next weekend. We wish them good wishes in their new life as husband & wife.

2007-04-21T16:55:00.000-07:00

Glenn, now you can come and visit.

2007-04-17T10:01:00.000-07:00

We returned home yesterday afternoon from our Seattle trip. We attended the anniversary/birthday/retirement party of Glenn P. We had a grand time and it certainly was great to see everyone again. Jerry and Linda had come to Victoria on a Clipper package and we had had a drink with them at their hotel on Wednesday night. It was a little surreal seeing everyone in Seattle and then driving home via the ferry. We loved seeing our friends but were VERY glad to come home.

In Seattle we went to Pikes Market for our big expedition. We really enjoyed the sights and sound. Yes, it is very touristy, but we had a good time there. We also managed to do a little shopping at Cost-Plus, Bath and Body Works, Trader Joe’s, the state liquor store and the various grocery stores.

We had no problem coming through Customs. We stayed in Anacortes our last night there so we could be at the ferry at 6:45am. In the future, we think it is better to go Swartz Bay/ Tsawwassen and drive down. The Anacortes ferry is small and has lovely scenery but the BC Ferry is fast and has many more amenities.

Before our trip we had the opportunity to meet with Melissa (2moms2canada) for dinner on Wednesday night. We went to Santiago’s. MSEH had dined there for lunch, as well. So now, the running joke is, ‘Where do you want to go to eat? Santiago's?’. We did love the Paella we had there. The next day we got to meet Bob of movingtocanada blog fame. It seemed like we had all known each other for years. Bob and David will be just a hop across the water in Vancouver so we hope that they will visit us here in Victoria. And who knows, MSEH, if the East Coast doesn’t work out for your family . . .

Oh, and I saved the best news for last. Diane got the job! They are hammering out contract language this week. We are thrilled. What about me? We have a plan that I am trying to stick too. I can’t talk about it in detail. It’s just that I’m a little impatient sometimes.

2007-04-06T10:43:00.000-07:00

We received our permanent residence cards in the mail on Wednesday. After 2 plus years of waiting, it becomes so real when you have those cards in hand.

This is Good Friday. Easter weekend is a huge celebration here. Turkeys, ham, pumpkin pie, cranberry hot cross scones. It is a four day weekend with many businesses closed for that time. Heather and Darren are supposed to be coming over this weekend and hopefully some of our other friends, Ruth and Tom.

Yesterday we went to get our drivers licenses. We got our 10 year driving record from the States before we came. We thought we were completely prepared.

Immigration tip#133: If your driver’s license was renewed within the last 2 years, the date of issue on the license will prevent you from getting a Canadian drivers license because it will look as if you have been driving only a few months. Logically, you think, but I have a 10 year driving record from the DMV from my state. Doesn’t matter. You could have received citations without a driver’s license. You would be issued a graduated license (substantial impact on insurance rate) and be required to take the entire driving test again here in Canada. As it was, we had to take a vision test and a verbal test with the representative. You absolutely need a copy of your original driving application (in my case from 1974) if you have renewed your license within the last 2 years. After several calls to the Nevada DMV (while standing at the counter of the ICBC), Diane managed to persuade them to get a copy of the records off microfilm, type a letter on DMV letterhead, and fax it back to the ICBC while we waited (several hours). The Drivers Services representative was very surprised that DMV was willing to do this, as she has seen it rarely done. (Well, Diane requested it, obviously the representative did not know who she was dealing with!:)

We received our temporary licenses, a yellow piece of paper, while we wait about 30 days for our official licenses to come in the mail.

We are looking forward to next weekend when we go to Seattle for probably our only vacation this year. This week we will meet on Thursday with other BC immigrants and are looking forward to that, as well.

Okay, now for the really good news. We had an offer on our house this week. It fell through, but we had an offer! Second really good news, Diane has an interview on Tuesday with a major international engineering firm that is very interested in her. All of your positive thoughts are appreciated. We love our new home and are anxious for our new lives to get going.

Canada is so worth the wait!

2007-04-02T10:27:00.000-07:00

We woke up this morning to a light dusting of snow on the ground. Yesterday, there was a mix of flurries and rain in the morning. We took a drive to Metchosin and Sooke. There was not a lot to see, but it is a part of our area we had not been to.

On Saturday night we invited Wayne and Mark over to the house. They contacted us after reading our blog. They are 2 more Americans living in Victoria. They have been here a year. It was interesting to share similar and different experiences of the journey so far. We all agreed that the limited and pricey wine selections in BC are hard to get accustomed to. When we go to Seattle next month, I know what will be on our shopping list to bring back. Since DUI is a deportable offense here in BC we will be very careful to never drink and drive. Wayne brought up an interesting point in our conversation. On the goods to follow list, you have a year to bring those items across. Use you imagination on how that rule can bend.

We still own the house in Las Vegas and want someone to buy it today. As soon as that is complete, it will take quite a bit of pressure off of us. Our realtor says there have been some looks, but nothing serious. Come on buyers, buy it!

I had been filling up the bird feeder frequently thinking that these little winter birds are eating a lot of seed. Then, yesterday morning, I got up and snapped pictures of the real culprit.

We did have sunshine for 5 days. Here is another picture of our driveway. Once we get back to reality (read: work) I probably will not have as much time for walks and picture snapping.

2007-03-24T17:53:00.000-07:00

Sometimes a picture says it all.

Diane

2007-03-22T18:10:00.000-07:00

We received the greenlight to get our vehicles inspected to complete the import pro-cess. We chose to go to the Canadian Tire in Langford . I must admit I was nervous. The service writer said they fail new vehicles all the time. Mine is 10 years old and she has felt her age at times. Diane’s truck passed with flying colors and we swapped out my truck for hers. While we waited for my truck to be cleared, we decided to go to a winemaking store and get started on our cellar. Our friends Heather and Darren suggested a store that they use and we found Penny, the store representative, to be delightful. After we told her about Heather’s recommendation she went out of her way to help us. Diane does things in a big way. We started 4 batches of wine on our first visit. 120 bottles. At the soonest, they will be ready by Christmas. At the latest, 3 years. We will certainly try to hold 1 bottle of each batch for 3 years. To be honest, there isn’t a wine alive that has made it past 12 months in our house. Even the wine we made from the fruit on our trees when we lived in Vegas was lucky to have reached maturation. (As we were getting ready to add the yeast to the crushed grapes, Canadian Tire called Diane on her cell. Basically, since the trucks were so ‘clean’ they passed easily. Whewww! I was a little worried.)Our next date at the wine store will be May 12th, when we bottle. But I’m sure Diane will come up with a few more batches to start by then. She has her eye on a Cabernet. Doing the math, with the whole process involved, each bottle will cost us $7.10. There is not a bottle of Cab Franc, Zin, Amorone or Merlot to be had in B.C. for $7.10. So, it seems to be the way to go. These are high end wine kits, not the kind you find at Thrifty Foods or Fairway Market . With real crushed grapes :)

We are waiting for the insurance adjuster to come this afternoon and assess the damage our things sustained in the move. I don’t foresee a problem with the before and after digital pictures.
Tomorrow we go to the insurance company to register our vehicles. Not the DMV. Things are different here. We cannot get our drivers licenses until our green (PR) cards arrive. They can take up to 4 to 6 weeks to arrive.

We bought fresh halibut fillets at the Save On Foods and cooked some last night for dinner. OMG it was wonderful. The bad thing about living here is the food is spectacular. The meats are very lean. It’s like when you go camping and everything tastes fantastic. That can be a very bad thing when you have Cheezies and Langford Petals Shortbreads. Tonight, schnitzel and spaetzle.

BTW I’ve been told, B.C. stands for Bring Cash.

2007-03-18T10:48:00.000-07:00

Scout surveying her castle.

A view of our back yard beyond the fence and grass.

Diane cooking in her new kitchen while our friend Heather looks on.

Our friend Darren enjoys a warm Race Rocks (long story - I will never live down)

2007-03-15T21:08:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, we have been in Canada as landed permanent residents for 2 weeks.

Last Friday Diane, myself and the driver of our moving van met in Victoria to pass through Customs. Our driver was really nervous. A) there was nowhere to park an 80’ moving van and B) they had just waived him through at the border in Blaine, neglecting to seal the truck. He also failed to mention to us that he had several run-ins in the past with a Customs official at this office. When we got there we had a small crate of any and all paperwork that might ever be asked for. It just so happened that an Immigrations officer was covering the desk for the Customs office. He was helping an elderly man who was there to pay duty on a stamp collection that had been sent to him. The Immigrations officer looked at me and asked ‘We don’t pay PST on post, do we?” I shrugged my shoulders and said “I don’t think so, GST only, I think.” Now, I’ve been in the country a week. I’ve been to the post to buy stamps once. They were standard postage stamps, not a stamp collection. I’m guessing, here, really what the fuck do I know.
And so on the little old man goes. We step up to the counter.
“We are here to present our list of ‘goods to follow’. Our driver is circling the block because he cannot find parking”, says Diane.
Immigration man looks at the extensive documentation listing our goods and glances at the crate with our personal files, “Right, well it seems you’ve got all the paperwork in order. Are you bringing in anything that you shouldn’t be bringing in?”
“No,” simultaneously we reply.
Stamp, stamp, stamp, stamp.
“Okay then, there you go.”

Yes, it was that easy. Our driver swears that if we had not had every conceivable paper that could possibly be requested it would have been much different. So all I can give as advice is, to make it go smoothly, more than cover your ass. Have every document that they could possibly ask for.

The movers delivered our stuff the next day. They had to shuttle our goods from Millstream Road to our house, in a smaller van. After a week, we are about 90% unpacked. I have to say, nothing I packed was broken or damaged. The antiques that we had ‘professionally’ (I use the word loosely) crated were damaged. We purchased 100% insurance value replacement with the moving company so I’m not going to stress about it. It will all be fixed. All is repairable. The home office is at least partially put together, I can sit at the desk and type this instead of on the floor in the corner.

I love it here. I love the weather. Usually sunny in the morning and misty rain by late afternoon. My lungs and skin feel alive. I have lost weight. I call it the “Leaving Las Vegas Diet”. I have gained joi de vive. I found myself appreciating the beauty of rain drops on an arbutus leaf while I listened to the stream run by the house. It smells good here. Pine and moss and patchouli.

I will start the job search in a couple of weeks. Diane is still working for her U.S. employer. We are having friends over this weekend for St. Patty’s and I will post pictures on flicker.

Peace.

2007-03-07T15:57:00.000-08:00

We finally got our cable connected!

We arrived in beautiful Victoria last Friday afternoon. The trip took us longer than expected because of the weather. On the first day, we were driving in white-out conditions through Utah. We could not see the road. Diane followed a tractor trailer, driving in its wheel marks and I followed on her back end. Behind me were three other vehicles all doing the same. It put us behind our time schedule so we ended up staying in Twin Falls instead of Boise.

By the next afternoon, we were in Washington. Diane called for road conditions of the mountain passes before we headed through Washington instead of going the coast route. All roads were reported clear, so we went for it. When we got half way up the mountain going toward Snoqualmie Pass, Amber alert style signs were lit that said the pass was closed until 5:30pm. It was 3:30 pm. The snow drifts were 5 feet high on the side of the roads and there was nowhere to turn around. Soon we were at a stand still perched on the mountainside. For 3 ½ hours we sat in our vehicles not moving. As darkness began to settle in the snow that was falling down got heavier. Luckily the cars were bumper to bumper so it did not pile up on the road. It seems a 60 car accident had occurred on the summit (see picture). At about 7:45 they managed to turn us around. We headed down the mountain looking for lodging. There was none to be had in the first 2 little towns we came across. Finally 60 miles later, we found a place that would take us and our 5 dogs. If we hadn’t ran into the blizzard the day before we very well could have been one of the 60 cars in the pile up. You have to be thankful for the little things.

The next day we drove down to Portland and then up the coast to Bellingham, Washington. We got into our motel at about 5:30 pm. This was the earliest we had made it to our sleep destination. It felt great. Diane went out and got us dinner. All we had eaten since the trip began was a Big Mac on Tuesday and a McGriddle on Wednesday. We had been on the road about 14 hours a day.

Friday morning we reached the border. Customs was so unbelievably easy. They loved my Excel lists. They did not want to see anything in the trucks. They even asked Diane to go out to the trucks and write down the manufacturer date of each vehicle. They did not care about the dogs, rabies certificates or alcohol. They called Diane my “other half” and “spouse”. They were pleasant, helpful and extremely impressed with how much we had in order as far as paperwork. It seems that they saw the effort that went into it and were completely satisfied. I don't know what it would have been like if we were not so well documented. We meet the moving van tomorrow at Customs downtown; let’s hope it goes as smoothly.

When we pulled into our driveway, our friends had decorated our house with all things Canadian. Flags, steamers, signs, etc. When we opened the garage door this is what greeted us.

Pretty cool welcome.

We have our Social Insurance Numbers, temporary insurance and we will be getting our drivers licenses and vehicle registrations as soon as our green cards come in then mail.

Beautiful British Columbia, it is.

This was taken this morning out our bedroom window. More to follow.

2007-02-25T08:28:00.000-08:00

This will be my last post here in America:)

Thought you would enjoy a shot of our living room.

The movers come to pack the truck tomorrow. It is an 80' truck. The driver has 2 more pick ups and deliveries to B.C. We are the first pickup and last drop-off as the driver lives about 30 miles from us on the island.

The 4 packers came yesterday. They were nice people but I am sooooo glad I packed most of the valuables myself. All the oil paintings and Persian rugs (the rugs that were not room sized) I packed weeks ago. If you make this kind of move, I would suggest the same. Just watching how they packed glass table tops and shelving left me wishing I had done that as well. They did build decent crates for the antiques. I still did my own padding of the antiques prior to them arriving and am glad for that, as well.

Well, tomorrow night we sleep on the floor. When we wake, we will load our children into the vehicles and be off. Two years of planning, dreaming and hoping has arrived. We are both experiencing gastrointestinal difficulties. It will all be okay.

Talk to you on the other side.

2007-02-09T18:02:00.000-08:00

The house is in total disarray. The dining room is the staging area for all box packing. Piles of boxes are broken down flat and stacked against the walls of every room. Bubble wrap, tape, stickers and pieces of cardboard litter the table. I am still in the clothes I wore to the jogging track this morning. I haven't bathed. This morning, feeling a little cheeky, I pulled the cover up haphazardly on the bed, not making it but covering the sheets partially. I feel strangely rebellious over this. There is a stack of laundry that needs to be put away on the wash machine. A fine dusting of white Jack Russell hair has fallen silently on all the glass table tops. I see it, but think I'm too busy to get to it just yet. Diane calls on the way home from work and I send her to the moving company in search of mirror boxes and strapping tape. I crank up 'The Emancipation of Mimi" on the sound system and begin the assemble empty boxes . . .

The phone rings. I think about ignoring it but decide to answer.

"Hello?"
"Mary" Diane sounds a little frantic. "A realtor just called, he is parked out in front of the house with a client. They want to see the house, now."
"WTF?"
"They know we are an appointment only listing, they want to see the house anyway", Diane says.
"What am I supposed to do with the dogs?"
"Just put them in the backyard. They'll just be able to look at the back yard through the window", Diane directs.
"The house is a wreck!! Did you tell the realtor that we are moving. . ." I whine.
"He doesn't care if it is messy." (I hear the doorbell ringing) "Oh, and get my jewelry box and put it away. Also my laptop is in my briefcase and my family jewels that I picked up from the safety deposit box need to bee put away . . .", she continues.
Knock, knock, knock!!!
"Just a minute", I yell in my sweetest, yet frantic voice.

You can guess how it went. The dogs were barking in chorus. The client was asking me questions that I could not hear. Thankfully, years of playing in a punk rock band trained me to read lips to a certain degree. I managed to stuff them all (the dogs) in kennels while the client & realtor looked at the garage (stacked from floor to ceiling with boxes).

The client says, "Ohhh, I don't think we could fit 3 cars in there."
I chime in, "Well, not now, but when all the debris is gone . . .we used to fit 3 cars in there".

The client is in the backyard. He is looking at the pool and asks me if it is heated. The dogs are barking so loudly that I think he has asked if the pool is pitted.

"No. it is in good condition", I explain.

He looks quizzically at the realtor who has the spec sheet on the house. The realtor points out, "It says it is heated, here."

"Oh yes, it is heated", I smile; "There is the heater over there" I point.

"That's what I asked you", the client says.

"Oh, sorry, the barking . . ." Blush.

Since I didn't get the time to put away all the jewels, I followed the realtor and client around upstairs. This did not please the realtor. The client was okay with it.

They left very quickly. The doorbell rings again. I look out the peephole and there is a young woman standing there. Not another one, I think. I open the door.

"Hi, I'm Rosa, I'm here to clean the house . . ."

2007-02-07T16:14:00.000-08:00

This is my life.

Bubble wrap, paper and boxes.

Counting the sleeps . . .

2007-02-05T18:25:00.000-08:00

My last day of work was Friday. Well, actually I took a sick day Friday so my last day was Thursday. I've been getting up every morning, as if I were going to work, to pack. Today I packed the bar glassware, oil paintings, miscellaneous chach-kas (sp?) and family photo's. Oh my gosh, when this is all over I never want to see bubble wrap again! Diane went to a packing store and got 2 huge rolls of the stuff. And on we go . . .

Diane has been on the phone getting our services turned on at our home in Canada. Trash pick up, recyclables and getting our letters of no-recall on our vehicles. The dogs have received their health certificates from our Vet and the U.S.D.A. Luckily our Vet is a U.S.D.A. certified Vet. We have received our certified copies of our driving records (required).

Tomorrow, I have plans for garment boxes, more dish packs and table lamps. I have an inventory for all our items on an Excel spreadsheet, complete with dollar value (required) and digital pictures (not required but I hope appreciated). We will have a complete inventory down to photos of all our possessions. Each box is tagged with corresponding stickers listing box number, contents with dollar value and digital pictures. The accountant in me is really enjoying the inventory diary of our fixed assets.

Let's see, we have 3 weeks and counting or as the soon to be Canadian in me says, 21 sleeps!

2007-01-28T19:44:00.000-08:00

I gave my resignation 2 weeks ago. This Thursday will be my last day working for the District. I have a whole pot of different emotions going on. Swirling into some kind of survivors-guilt soup. There really is no one that I know of who will be able to do for my department what I can do. So what, right? I guess. But there is an addictive part of me that likes to be needed and essential.

So Friday night, a group of co-workers met at the Texas Martini Ranch for some cocktails. The first half hour I was there, I just wanted to go home. But after the alcohol does what it does, I relaxed and had an interesting time.

People are scary-fucked-up sometimes. I told an ex-co-worker about my open house. She not only came and pretended she was interested, she stayed a long time and told me that she went through all my things, just looking. Okay. I feel a little violated. First of all, how does anyone who calls themselves your friend, justify going into your house uninvited and go rifling through your night-stand drawer? I’m not even going to address the “got a souvenir” comment that she made. I chose to believe it was a fresh baked cookie I left on the kitchen counter. I know I’m in denial. I informed the realtor of the whole incident.

Okay, here’s the thing. Some of the people I work with are so homo-phobic that I have never said anything about myself. I listen. I have learned more about what they really think than I ever would have if I had exposed myself. Just last Friday, one of them referred to a T.V. personality as Ellen the Degenerate. Now, this woman who made the comment believes herself to be a born-again-Christian. Why is it, all the born-again-Christians I know are usually the most hateful, judgmental and self-absorbed people you’d ever want to met? Is it a prerequisite? Or is it they need saving the most?

Just let me get through this week.

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can . . . . . .

2007-01-01T13:13:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year 2007!

A wonderful time was had by all this holiday season. We drove around and looked at Christmas lights on Christmas Eve, loading 4 Jacks into the truck. Mousse, being deaf and blind, does not appreciate this holiday ritual so she spent Jack-Free time at home.

We spent quality time with family and friends on Xmas day. Brenda and Chris come for dinner. Leanne, Jack and John stopped by later in the evening. The food, company and conversations was wonderful. We discussed our move date, which is February 26th. We can change that date once.

^^^Jackster ^^^

We met with our realtor to re-list the house. He believes that things will start to pop after the New Year. This is what I think, as well. All it takes the right person(s) to see the house and want it.

The best part of the Holiday was New Years Eve. We started the day off by Bally's Sterling Brunch. We started at about 10:30am and left when they closed at 2:00pm. Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous! Nerissa and Michael met us there. We arrived a little early, the limo driver couldn't believe how light traffic was on New Years Eve day. Prior to Michael and Nerissa's arrival Diane and I drank a bottle of champagne by ourselves at 10:00 in the morning.

New Years Eve was spent at the party hosted by our good friends Leanne and John. We had a fabulous time!!! We danced, ate and drank more champagne. Needless to say, my liver and I are taking a well deserved alcohol break.

As the pictures attest, it was great. We will miss our friends when we leave but we have promises that all will visit us.

Hot party go-er!

2006-12-24T09:16:00.000-08:00

This is Xmas eve.
We have had a great holiday season this year. Friday night we went out to dinner with dear friends, Teresa and Jim Poppino. Teresa and I were very close friends in high school. We have recently reconnected through Classmates.com. It has been wonderful to rekindle our 30+ year old friendship. Teresa's birthday was yesterday. We had a great time celebrating with dinner at Bahama Breeze and cigars and drinks at Del Frisco's.

Jim and Teresa have promised to come and visit us in Canada. We spent a great part of the evening laughing, reliving our youth and visualizing our futures.

Last night Diane and I watched 'The Secret'. It is a great message. It has worked for me my entire life. It is wonderful to see it in a life-manual format.

Tonight, Diane and I will keep alive our family tradition. We load all the kids in the car and ride around looking at Xmas lights. We drink champagne, eat chocolates and talk about all the things we have to be grateful for. There are so many this year.

We will never forget last year when we lost our dear friend Jim Sinagulia on December 22nd. Every year at this time, from now on, it will be bittersweet. Tonight we will raise a glass of champagne and toast, "Here's to you, Jimothy!" We will always love and remember you.

2006-12-08T07:52:00.000-08:00

The carpet was installed on Saturday at our house in Victoria. Thanks to our friends Heather and Darren, who shuttled the carpet and workers up and down the snow packed driveway. Here is the picture Heather sent.

Darren & Heather shuttle service.

The holidays are fast approaching. We have packed/stored all of our Yule items. I think I can easily access the menorah. I've already put in for early leave on the 15th to get home before sundown. That is also the night of Diane's work Holiday party. This year they are having it at the Hilton. I have no idea what that will be like. We are going to take a cab to and from. No drinking and driving.

We actually agreed to skip Xmas this year. This discussion happened a month or 2 ago. Now, Diane informs me she has purchased a few little gifts. I am pissed about this. I don't do the last minute gift thing. I usually search way in advance and have my gifts well thought out. Now, less than 20 days out, she tells me this. I came home from work last night and she had decorated the house with garland, rosemary tree and table centerpiece. What am I going to do? Celebrate Xmas.

We scored a personal invitation to Bally's Sterling Steakhouse champagne brunch on New Years Eve. This invitation-only event should be spectacular. It will probably be our last trip to Bally's (that's what we said last time we were there in August). B,S & O caviar and Perrier Jouët, here I come. We have had great times over the years with friends at this brunch. I remember Clara and I going to the restroom (which is quite a little trek) saying "We think we can, we think we can, we think we can". This time it will be Nerrisa and Michael. We will remember to take the camera and take photo's.

I had a dream I gave my 2 week notice at work. Ahhhh.

MPs voted 175-123 against the controversial motion to open the Gay marriage debate is tabled by the ruling Conservatives ! How about that!!

I'm not Catholic, not even Christian. On the advice of friends, movers and real estate agents, I have done it. Those of you who know us well, don't be shocked. It is just that we want to move so badly. See below

We are set to do our ritual planting of the St. Joseph statue upside-down. There is a prayer that you are supposed to say, we say affirmations anyway. It is worth a shot. Then we will watch "The secret" on DVD. We are working it!

Our realtor says things should pick up around the 15th of January. I will still give credit to St. Joseph, if the house sells by then. I will dig him up and he can live in Canada next to all our other ritualistic icons.

In the meanwhile, if you know anyone that wants to buy a house . . .

Mary

2006-11-29T11:20:00.000-08:00

So much has happened . . . Most importantly, we have received our immigration papers!! We received them on November 18th. We were officially in the system on June 8th 2005. The entire grueling process took us 1 year, 5 months and 10 days. The worst part was the health exams. Not the exams themselves, but dealing with the horribly inadequate clinic. It was a real test for Diane to not . . . well. . . be Diane and chew them a new one. We were totally at their mercy. If they wanted to, they could have just 'misplaced' the paperwork and we would have been behind for many more months.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with friends/family. Diane cooked a turkey the traditional way and John Notabartolo did the Cajun fried turkey. Aside from Diane and me, John, wife Leeanne and son Jack were present. Chris Sinagulia and daughter Brenda came over. We were so glad they did. They lost Pete, son and brother respectively a couple of weeks ago. It would not have been much of a holiday for them. A good time was had by all who attended. The food was fabulous. We did our part for the economy on Black Friday.

I'm home from work because I had a colonoscopy today. Diane and I decided to get all medical screening tests done before we go to the Great White North. All is fine with both of us. The abdominal mass scare was nothing more than that, a scare. So we have reason to be thankful.

Speaking of the Great White North, a friend of ours in Victoria took this picture for us of the entrance to our quarter mile driveway. Oh, my gosh!! And our Canadian friends swear, "It doesn't snow in Victoria".

Yes folks, that's our driveway. 18 inches of snow. No electricity until Thursday. New carpet being installed on Saturday? I doubt it.

Now what we really need is to sell the house here in Las Vegas. We had people look at it this past weekend. Any majik you all can work up to help us sell the house would be greatly appreciated. Diane and I are saying affirmations daily. We have honored the Native American tradition by placing whisky (actually single malt 18 year old scotch) in the four corners of the property. We have the color red placed on the front door. We don't pray but will gladly accept the prayers of the believers out there. We just want to get to our home in Canada. Now.

Quebec its own nation within Canada? They have already seceded philosophically generations ago. I don't know what this all means at this point. I will have to ask our Canadian friends for further enlightenment.

Fun quiz to take - How Canadian Are You? I scored 80%. I guess I need to study.

http://www.gotoquiz.com/how_canadian_are_you_1

2006-10-14T16:15:00.000-07:00

Saturday, October 14th

I’ve been reading Life Without Borders and their first two weeks in Canada. There are ups and downs to this journey. I really hope Nick and Mason find jobs. I worry about the anti-American sentiment in the job market. That is my biggest fear for myself. I just want to be there. Today. Now. I will deal with it all when I'm there.

What an incompetent lab Canadian Immigration uses here!!! The first time, they lost both of our urine tests. We had to go back and take those tests again. This same lab does pre-employment drug testing. (Our urines could have been a real gift to someone trying to get employment.) Then, they couldn't find my second blood test. After 1 month, it has finally been located and the results overnighted to Ottawa. Now we wait. Again. Still.

The rain is coming down in sheets today. I wish it was out our windows in Canada I was watching the lightning. It will happen soon enough I guess. We have been interviewing moving companies. I budgeted for this on the high end and I'm delighted so far that the move will not come close to what I had speculated. That is good. We will need all the cash we can get to tide us over until we find employment.

We had a key person in our organization give their two weeks notice last week. Management says they will not fill the position (which would have meant a promotion for one of the rest of us). They believe the rest of us can easily absorb the work. Isn't that nice?

The rain is starting to ease up a bit. I know what I'll find at the end of the storm. It is just a matter of waiting things out. I can be impatient. I want it now. I want to be in Canada now. I want to be in our house now. I want to be looking out our Canadian window at the rain. I want the rainbow to be right over our backyard.

It will come when it is meant to come.

2006-10-07T09:23:00.000-07:00

We are back from our trip to Canada and our short week at work.

First off, the report on our home in Canada.
We found our house in not exactly the same condition we left it in. A year and a half later - wear and tear does show. The renters had 3 cats (they told us all were de-clawed - we found out differently) there was some obvious damage to walls and molding. We were planning on re-carpeting the master bedroom anyway, so we are having that done before we make the move up. The fence looked good and was functional for the most part - but we are having a few minor things changed.

Victoria is really dry. No substantial rain since June. The grass in our yard is fairing okay. We are on a well, so we are not subjected to the restrictions on watering. So says our irrigation maintenance guy.

We spent much of our trip cleaning and doing chores that we really need to be in Canada to perform. We visited Home Depot and Rona and of course spent time at Costco. We were delighted with the growth in the highlands. Not just the Big Box stores but we now have PetsMart! Our Jacks will be very pleased about that. Most of the maintenance on the house besides cleaning was replacing burnt out light bulbs. We replaced about 30 of them, inside and out. I know, with a rental it could have been so much worse. At least we have our house back.

I have a tracking number for the 2nd medical that was sent to Ottawa on Tuesday. Everyone says that the time is drawing near once that hurdle is crossed. Now if we could only sell the house here in the states in a timely fashion.

We had a wonderful time with friends in Victoria. We had meals at the Fireside Grill, Brentwood Bay Pub and the Six Mile Pub. It was wonderful to see everyone again. We are all counting down the time until we are living in our house.

We met with our banker in Victoria, TD Trust. The exchange rate is frightening for the American in us and thrilling for our soon-to-be Canadian Permanent Resident status.

I took a picture from the master bedroom windows of frequent visitors to our yard. There is a rock hill just outside the master and the deer like to sun on the ridge. We can't wait to be there again.

Tonight we are meeting with friends to go to another Oktoberfest, this time at the German American Club. I will try to remember the camera so that I can take some photo's.

We talked to a new accountant in Canada and learned that we do not have to sell our house in the states before we go, as we thought. As long as we do not sell it for more than it is valued, we will not have to pay capital gains. If we do sell it for more than it is valued (not in this market!) we pay capital gains only on the amount over value. This little tidbit of information has changed the way we are looking at the whole moving thing. Diane has appointments with international moving companies over the next couple weeks to get estimates on the move.

The short work week was horrendous for both of us. It almost doesn't pay to go on vacation. You get bombarded when you get back. I'm still trying to catch up. Well hopefully tonight will help put the workweek behind us.

2006-09-24T14:32:00.000-07:00

September 24, 2006

I'm feeling a little fuzzy today. Last night's Oktoberfest celebration was a lot of fun. Fun that I'm paying for today. The thing about imbibing a little too much and feeling it the next day is this: I don't have days I can afford to waste. This move to Canada has taken over most spare moments I have. With the open house coming up this weekend, I'm trying to get things organized, put away, packed up and moved to the storage unit. The whole moving van thing I will need to address soon. I know it will be expensive. I have budgeted about $25,000 for the move alone. I hope that is realistic. I have adjusted my budget spreadsheet many times as money comes in and goes out.

Yesterday I visited my friend and hairdresser Susan. I got my hair all cut off on a whim. I'm adjusting to it. Diane (my partner/wife) loves it, she says. I don't know how much of that is being supportive or being sincere. It's okay either way, I guess.

I read a lot of blogs in which people ask "Why Canada?" At 50, I just want some peace. I look at situations in my life and ask, will this bring me peace or turmoil? At the end of this journey, I'm sure I will find peace. For now, the road to get there is the most stressful thing I have ever done in my life. I'm never moving again after this. (I know I should never say never) I'm going to a new home, a new country with no job, my excellent credit score becomes meaningless, so I hear, and I'm competing in a new job market with younger native born competitors. This is not a decision entered into lightly.
I am more than just a disgruntled Bush-ugee.

The next 4 days will pass quickly. I will be at my home in Canada before I know it. Soon, for good.

2006-09-23T08:49:00.000-07:00

Saturday September 23

This evening we are going to meet with friend's at the Hofbrauhaus for Oktoberfest. It's the Autumnal Equinox and we thought that would be a nice way to celebrate. A mass of Dunkles, a rousing chorus of beer hall tunes.

Next weekend when we are in Canada, our realtor is having an open house for us. It is the best timing, as the dogs will be boarding for the weekend. Believe me, trying to show a house with 5 Jack Russell's at home, is insane. They are cute little Tasmanian devils.

There is so much to do to prepare for the move. The amount of @$%# you accumulate when you have lived in a house for 13 years amazes me. There is somehting so liberating about throwing it out. We have donated a great deal and had our garage sales but the real fun happens when you leave it out at the curb.

My work continues to trip about my leaving. On one hand they want to extract as much information from me before I go and on the other hand they want to keep me in the dark about anything that is coming up. I am truly getting short-timers disease. My response to job emergencies is less frantic. It is good in many ways. My dress has become more relaxed on Fridays. This is the message on the shirt I wore to work yesterday.

I'm counting the sleeps before next weekend.

2006-09-20T11:51:00.000-07:00

September 20th, 2006

I'm slow to find these Canada blogs . . .but here goes. My partner and I have been officially in the system since June 8 2005. We took our first round of medicals a month ago. Then 2 days ago, I received the brown envelope you can not open. Only the doctor can open it. It is a request for a further of medicals. I was totally stressed about it! L-Girl really helped to calm my fears. I just got back from the doctor (I took the whole day off from work) and all they needed was another blood test. It seems the first time around my blood pressure was slightly elevated (NO, ya think?) I am hoping that this will suffice and that we are on our way to Canada. Finally!

We purchased a home in Victoria, B.C. about a year and a half ago. The market is so hot there, that we were afraid if we waited, we couldn't afford the kind of property we wanted. We have rented it out for the last year and are going up next weekend to final out the renters.

We were married 2 years ago at the UU church in Victoria, BC. We have made some great friends there, including the minister that married us. One of the most surreal moments of my life was walking into the license bureau and getting the marriage license. Part of me was sure they were going to turn us away because we were 2 women. They didn't flinch. They were kind and offered us congratulations. We had been together for 14 years already at the time we were married. We look much different 2 years later.

I have already told my employer that I am leaving. Since I work for a large library district, we are government. They couldn't fire me. But I sure have noticed a change in my work assignments. Its the government. When they know you are leaving they 'dumb you down'.

My partner's employer (2 owners) cried when she told them we were leaving and why. They asked what they could do to change things. Both are staunch Republicans. So that opened up a fantastic dialog of ideas. She told them unless they could change the laws in America, there was nothing they could do. No amount of money they offered can change the freedom we will gain by leaving the United States.

So hopefully soon, we will pack up our 5 Jack Russell's (I know, what were we thinking) and make the move.

Our house is on the market here and the market is really slowwwww. I just have to hope the right person (s) will see it and want it as much as we did.

Mary