Monday Evening

 Its early early evening, not even, but it will be by the time I publish.  I didn't sleep well last night. I've been awake since 4 so it feels like 10 pm. I haven't done a yoga session for over a week and I notice it.

The weekend was very busy. Family gathering on the man's side. It was a bit of a fiasco, they always are these days. I stay on the perimeter and observe. People that don't have hobbies like to create drama is what I have determined.

I had a great time with my 3 kids, dil and grandbaby. This is going to be a very busy summer on the go for them! Baby is on the run now and into everything.

Election day today. I voted. The lineup was 0 at my polling station. I did see the list and there were more people that had voted than not. (Your name is crossed out once your ID is verified). I doubt that my riding will change from conservative as I'm in the prairies. But this riding did flip for the provincial election so I have a glimmer of hope. #neverpoilievre! I just can't stand him. He gives me the creeps. If you have never had the misfortune of knowing a guy like him count yourself lucky. 

I have started listing stuff for sale on FB marketplace. So far I have made $50 for 1 dress.  There is a dance costume that my friend wants to buy and I have a couple more dresses that I am going to list as well. I have a bunch of sweaters that I used to wear to work as a "uniform".  I'm going to hang up a bunch when I have the garage sale and hopefully make a few $$.  Purses that I don't use at all can go too. They are nice leather ones that should sell.

Kid #2's car was vandalized at his worksite while he was out of town on the job. It's going to be $750 for the insurance repair. Not covered by his employer. Caught on camera an adult sized person on a bike with a shovel at 2:30 am. He doesn't even have coffee money in the console. It was just to be a horrible human.  So now there is that to deal with. The police have less than zero interest in a punk on a bike wrecking cars. Very disheartening. My kid has been working really hard to get ahead and now this.  Of course its going to be me helping him. It's always something it seems. 

On a kind of nicer note: before Easter/on Easter I always miss my grandma. I really missed her this year for some reason. Heart ache and tears missing her. I would give anything to walk into her kitchen and see her smile and her arms open wide for me. Well (here is the nice part) a plant that I bought as a little wee thing last year - because gram used to grow one in her kitchen. Mine bloomed for the first time the day after my tears. It lifted me up for the last week to see that little bloom.  Silly I know, but it was a good thing.

The Good Things:

Little flower

Cash for cleaning closet

Sunshine

I've read 20 books in 2025 with #21 waiting for me to start

Kid 3 loving the job

Things that Suck:

Family drama (for once not mine)

The loon in office to the south

The potential maple maga in office

It's been so dry that dust is blowing all over. 

This Could Take Awhile

 To find what I am looking for might take a year the real estate agent said!  Good grief!  The market supply is very low. The 1 house we ended up looking at did not have a big enough kitchen for me and the garage would not hold both of our vehicles.  Plus kid #3 needs to park at home for the next few years off and on.  I would like to have another parking place so that we aren't playing musical chairs in the driveway.

The second house is already conditionally sold after 1 day on the market.  The conditions are removed after next Wednesday so that will stay on the back burner.

In the meantime I deep cleaned and purged one of the bedrooms. Went through all of my "work" clothes, came out with 2 large bags to donate, a big bag of misc. junk to throw away  and about 40 books to donate to a classroom for grade 7-8's. 1 box that can go into the garage sale. However I have a ton of sports awards still there from kid #3.  Apparently I still need to keep them according to dh and the kid. Trophies/medals/plaques/big framed photos/banners.... they are all over our 2 empty bedrooms.  I guess when we move they will be pared down?  But he won another big award at the end of the season, so that needs to find a spot yet!  There is zero room in his bedroom as he opted for a bigger bed vs more floor space. Ah well I've had worse troubles!

I did over do it and my neck was killing me 2 days ago.  All I could do was sit with the heating pad on.  Thankfully after a day of rest it is better. I need to keep working on the cleaning and purging every day.

Our Easter was nice.  I made a big ham. 8 people plus grandbaby.  My parental units came to the city (told me the day that they were leaving) but stayed as usual at the golden siblings house.  They dropped by for 35 minutes on their way home. Things are about the same with mother. I predict that she will be a very unpleasant handful to manage in the years ahead. She's having some sort of issue that she can't walk like usual.  She was able last summer to walk 5+ km per day.  Now she can't walk 300 m.  She's not dizzy or short of breath. "I'M FINE!". So that's going to be an issue, but since she's "fine" I won't worry about it.  As history has shown I will be called upon to fix everything when it hits the fan.

Monday is the vote in Canada.  Our advanced polls had record setting attendance.  I didn't get there as I didn't have an extra 2 hours to wait in line!  I will wait in line on Monday. There is no way that I will not vote against our rhyme throwing temu trump. The ding-a-ling that I currently have as an MP doesn't hold a candle to the person running against him.  So I'm voting for the educated, well spoken candidate.

The Good Things:
Spring time

Grandbaby

Sunshine

BBQ's

Feeling lighter with every bag and box that leave the house

Retirement

Things that suck:

Aches and pains

Mortgages

Zero self awareness of the parents

Going Hunting for a House.

A change in mindset has come over me in the last few months.  Being at home every day, spending time cleaning and purging has made me see that this house is not where I want to be for the next 20 years.

Other than my location (which is perfect low traffic cul-de-sac close to schools and parks) there isn't much else going for this place!  The house will be 29 years old this summer.  It needs a new furnace, flooring, paint, bathrooms, and really a kitchen refresh.  I am not the one that wants to do that.  $75000 plus.

We don't have nice neighbours anymore. The lovely couple beside us moved out last spring. In moved a very snooty pair and their teenage kids. They are snooty in that they both roll their eyes when talking about yard stuff (we share a bit of flower bed). Neither of them touch a blade of grass, pull a weed, water, trim a tree. All of it is done by her elderly parents. The first thing they did was to hire a company to cut down 4 big trees, 2 mid sized fruit trees in the backyard, ripped out all of the shrubs, then they paved over the garden to make it a sport court. They also don't shovel snow in the winter (just drive over it).  There were lots of birds that went to the many bird feeders that the previous couple had. The lady complained that they had too many birds in the backyard. I had said "Well there used to be a couple of big bird feeders"  She gave a humph and eye roll "That won't be happening".  Last summer while her Mom worked in the front yard with me she drove overtop of very noticeable pile of small branches that were on the driveway we made for the compost. Rolled down her window without saying hello, informed her mom she would be back by 6, she was her way to the golf course!  

Behind us new people moved in with 2 kids that fight and scream/cry every day. My kids used to play outside all of the time, yes there were some fights, but not daily and certainly not crying all of the time. The girls behind us are unable to get along for more than 30 minutes. The little one is bawling and tattling every day. They are almost 13 and 11 years old. I would think that they are well past the fighting and screaming stage, but no. (when we hear them come out in the yard the dh and I take bets on the time until crying. Under 45 minutes always wins. Loser has to get drink/snack refills)  Then add their 2 very large dogs that are let out to bark at 5:45 am. 

I'm not looking for friends, just people that don't make a lot of noise and keep their yard decent.  

I have 2 houses lined up with the real estate lady to see tomorrow.  I'm excited and also sad.  Its a big change for me. The prices aren't terrible high. I'm not looking at anything we can't have paid off within 5 years.

I'm not even dreaming about putting this house up for sale until we have bought and moved in first.  Then my plan is to empty it out. Clean, top to bottom and maybe paint a bit as I have some very dark colours in some rooms that would not be to everyone's taste and let her fly.  The market is very favourable for buyers.  I think it will sell in less than a week.  BUT that is the cart way before the horse!

Daunting tasks ahead!

I started blogging to keep track of my mortgage payoff.  I worked my tail off and did it by myself in 3 years.  This time the man is helping, in fact he will be doing the "heavy lifting".  But the time has come and I'm preparing.  I will start with having a garage sale in 2 weeks. SO MUCH STUFF!!

Wish me luck!

Happy Easter !!