Time is Flying By

Time is Flying By!

Time is flying by. Christmas came and went, the hot water heater finally breathed its dramatic last breath and had to be replaced, the electric floor I put in is for the most part heating the condo on its own and more efficiently than the tired old setup That was there before . I’ve stripped the (disgusting) carpet off the stairs and out of the upstairs hallway. That was a job that took years off my life I’m sure. I’ve repainted the living room, and in my (somewhat contradictory) efforts to save money and not be cold, I took down much of our window trim and added insulation to block the drafts that whistle through the west facing side of the condo. These are all projects I will share in more detail soon.
On a personal note, I took the plunge and answered an open submission call for a show at our local art gallery- two of my pieces were accepted I’m very honoured to say, and I’ve finally listened to my Dr's concern about my numbers. You know, age, weight, cholesterol, BMI, and so on, I’ve started a pilgrimage to better health by numbers- examination of my relationships with food and exercise, food journals, the whole bit. It’s been about two weeks and I’m cautiously optimistic that I can begin sharing it. This particular journey will probably be a separate series altogether as there’s just so much to cover and I know from experience that this is a dedicated struggle.
On the tour front we’ve Launched The Saturday Afternoon Thing- this will be our third weekend and so far it’s going well! So many great stops and interesting stories emerging!
We’re also coming into tax season, my favourite time of the year, just kidding. I do enjoy the data entry and the obsessive sorting, categorizing and organizing though......odd I know.
So, I guess I haven’t been as slacking as I thought over the past couple of months. I’ve actually really kicked some ass looking back on it. Who else is kicking ass this winter? Let me know, and stay tuned!

The floor project- at this point I’d gotten the wire down . I didn’t add insulation since we are on the second floor with a heated unit below us.

Puggy was a constant companion throughout the project- and not one bit embarrassed about the state of the carpet I pulled up- even though it was mostly his grossness

A sensor 

wire to the thermostat . I still have holes in the walls to properly patch

They delivered my tile , cement etc- this was incredibly slick and Home Depot deserves a shout out

The cement over pour I actually enjoy working with cement as it turns out!

Mixing cement 

I laid the tile- and discovered- I hate laying tile 

I did add a fun little border for some visual interest around the edges- that was fun

Puggy still in attendance 

Mixing cement in a bucket and lugging it upstairs- best workout I’ve had in Avery long time 

Ripping disgusting carpet off the stairs and upstairs hallway  -I’ve got big staircase dreams which are currently on hold due to money and time restraints- in the meantime though we’re all breathing much easier without the carpet -and when we had to drag an ancient leaky hot water heater down the stairs - cleanup was minimal.

I painted the west facing living room a bright white with A fresh green undertone to reflect the beautiful sunlight that floods the room during the day- afternoons with this colour are magical 

Gah! The carpet was so gross! This was a job that nearly broke me. I ended up removing the deteriorated underlay by shovel. I took so many showers!

My journey to better health by the numbers- like I said this is a separate blog- but the journey is going well, and I’m feeling much better already 

A new brewery stop for my Saturday afternoon tour - this is Tidehouse  brewing hidden away on Salter Street and its so cool!

Winter magic in parade square 

The nice man at  Home Depot who not only supported my staircase dreams, helped me find the lumber to build them and then loaded that lumber into the car. 

This guy is still my most patient supporter 

I am so glad I bought knee pads for this 

Cement 

Gerry, my friend and master  Electriction. Gerry set up the thermostat and made sure the electrical stuff was all good. Having someone with Gerry’s skill set do this sort of work is a little like having Bill Gates set up your printer, it gets done really really well .

The Trident- the cozy warm spot I’ve been hanging out in while downtown in SOMO . These guys roast their coffee in small batches in the back, and the books welcome you like old friends on a cold damp day. The trident is also a stop on The Saturday Afternoon Thing!