Sandra and I have been in the apartment for just a couple days over a year now. And quite the year it has been. It's had all of it usual ups and downs.
When we moved in, we had some issues with the upstairs neighbors. They had two large dogs that made a lot of noise first thing every morning, as the sun started to come up. The couple tried caging them at night, but that just led to the noise of rattling cages and whimpering. After a time, they had to move out, it not being fair to the dogs to keep them in an apartment like that.
There were issues with some of the other tenants as well. A couple of them were dealing and using drugs out of their units. That is, they were until I started sitting at my computer at the kitchen table! The "clients" weren't willing to be seen at the door. It did take a tribunal hearing to get rid of the worst of the trouble makers, and the others had to be given two month notice of lease termination.
On the other hand, Christmas was lovely here. Our tree looked lovely in front of the living room window. With the tree lights on, we didn't even need the living room lights at night. From outside, you could see the lights. We had our large plastic ornaments outside our windows, and they were great too, even if we weren't able to light them up.
Speaking of winter, this apartment is a dream in winter. The air is a little on the dry side, (Can you say "Sahara"?) but it is warm and comfortable in here. The windows seal very well, and the walls are so well insulated that the worst winds couldn't even be heard. We had to open the blinds to know what was happening outside.
It had been a little difficult getting used to the trains being so close at first. Now, we hardly notice them. The cats ignored them from day one.
The spring brought with it a lot of melt and rain. Even in a basement apartment, there was no real dampness problems. This has been a boon to Sandra, who has had arthritis issues for as long as I've known her. As far as comfort goes, this place has it all.
Now in June, our superintendent took it into his head to quit. Not having all of the story myself, I can't really go into too much detail. All I know is that suddenly we were left to fend for ourselves. I took it upon myself to go around each evening and make sure the the building remained secure. It had taken so long to get it to feel like home.
Starting in July, I was hired to be the assistant superintendent on site. All I really have to do is continue to watch over the property, report problems, and handle any paperwork that comes out of the building. Tenants bring issues to me, and I pass them along to my immediate boss.
At least, that's the way it's supposed to work. I have a tendency to try to handle maintenance issues myself. With a swift kick in the butt by my wife, I've started to let these things go. It's up to the professionals to do them. I still do some of the really simple stuff, but no more trying to get up ladders and things like that. It's still nice to have tools to do the easy stuff. I like to put in the homey touches, that take the place from an apartment building to what the tenants can proudly call home.
Sandra has been doing her best to get our home organized. She purchased new shelving units for the storage room, and know there is space in there, with everything neatly up off of the floor. I can go in there to change the Kitty litter without having to back out to change my mind.
So now we find ourselves having been in the building for a full year. Things haven't always gone smoothly, but this apartment has eventually become home.
Sandra cried when we left Cardinal for the last time. May it be a long time before she has to shed tears like those again.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Thursday, August 21, 2008
My take on the Olympics.
Like everyone else, I've been following the Olympics to some degree. There are events that I really enjoy, and others that you couldn't pay me to watch. For example, the beach volleyball had my interest, whereas the baseball and basketball were to be flipped over if at all possible. That might mark me as less of a regular guy than most, but it's how I'm wired.
My wife and I are very fond of the diving events. Watching these young men and women hurl themselves off of a springboard or the 10 metre platform is very exciting. We don't even pick which athletes to be interested in (beyond normal desire to see our country get a medal), we just admire the form that they show.
Interestingly enough, after a while, you begin to understand just what the judges are looking for. Were the toes pointed on entry? How vertical was that entry? At first I wasn't sure why some divers were scored the way they were. Now I get it. It was the same way during the winter Olympics, with curling. It took me time to get that one too.
There was an interesting debate in a forum I frequent about what constitutes a sport, and what is just an athletic equivalent to a beauty contest. It seems that some feel that an event that is judged subjectively is not really a sport. Only the events with clear "first past the post" winners can be considered a sport. I haven't really come down on one side or the other. I think that all of the events are sports. If it requires physical training to the nth level, and is not something just anyone can do well, it's a sport.
The day they introduce competitive eating, I'm out of here. Now that is NOT a sport!
An interesting side note, the CBC sports program asked for viewer input on who was the most gifted athlete at the games, or something to that effect. Somebody very wisely voted for one of the horses on the Canadian Equestrian team. We get so caught up in the human element, sometimes we forget what we ask of our partners.
My wife and I are very fond of the diving events. Watching these young men and women hurl themselves off of a springboard or the 10 metre platform is very exciting. We don't even pick which athletes to be interested in (beyond normal desire to see our country get a medal), we just admire the form that they show.
Interestingly enough, after a while, you begin to understand just what the judges are looking for. Were the toes pointed on entry? How vertical was that entry? At first I wasn't sure why some divers were scored the way they were. Now I get it. It was the same way during the winter Olympics, with curling. It took me time to get that one too.
There was an interesting debate in a forum I frequent about what constitutes a sport, and what is just an athletic equivalent to a beauty contest. It seems that some feel that an event that is judged subjectively is not really a sport. Only the events with clear "first past the post" winners can be considered a sport. I haven't really come down on one side or the other. I think that all of the events are sports. If it requires physical training to the nth level, and is not something just anyone can do well, it's a sport.
The day they introduce competitive eating, I'm out of here. Now that is NOT a sport!
An interesting side note, the CBC sports program asked for viewer input on who was the most gifted athlete at the games, or something to that effect. Somebody very wisely voted for one of the horses on the Canadian Equestrian team. We get so caught up in the human element, sometimes we forget what we ask of our partners.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Casts for the summer.
Mom broke her foot in three places a while back. She's been in a cast for over a month, and is not to put any weight on the limb at all. This has left her confined to one level of her home, one small room and the bathroom. To say that she is bored out of her mind would be like saying the moon is a little distance away.
I think, if it were winter, it wouldn't be quite so bad, since she would be trapped indoors anyway. In summer, with her flower beds going wild and things to be done, it has to be maddening. When Sandra and I have gone out, she has seemed okay, but being stuck like that is worse than any kind of prison sentence. A person can appeal a court decision. There is no recourse against an x-ray.
On the positive side of things, though, she won't need to have surgery done. There were some fears that she would need to have a pin put into her ankle. Fortunately, the x-rays taken last week show the bones mending properly. They put a new, smaller cast on her leg and told her to stay off of it for another month. If all goes well, they will then put her into a walking cast, and she won't have to worry about anything breaking if she bumps that foot.
Still, I am a little concerned about the stress of the whole thing. People just aren't built to be in tiny spaces for so long. Why else would it be the standard punishment for criminals? It cannot be good for her mental health.
Mom will be coming to visit here next week. Sandra and I will go out with the car and pick her up. It's my birthday, and I want her to come and spend some time with us. If the weather is good, we will be having a barbecue and cake outdoors, or sandwiches and treats in the apartment if it rains.
The leg will heal. I just hate the time that it is taking away from Mom.
I think, if it were winter, it wouldn't be quite so bad, since she would be trapped indoors anyway. In summer, with her flower beds going wild and things to be done, it has to be maddening. When Sandra and I have gone out, she has seemed okay, but being stuck like that is worse than any kind of prison sentence. A person can appeal a court decision. There is no recourse against an x-ray.
On the positive side of things, though, she won't need to have surgery done. There were some fears that she would need to have a pin put into her ankle. Fortunately, the x-rays taken last week show the bones mending properly. They put a new, smaller cast on her leg and told her to stay off of it for another month. If all goes well, they will then put her into a walking cast, and she won't have to worry about anything breaking if she bumps that foot.
Still, I am a little concerned about the stress of the whole thing. People just aren't built to be in tiny spaces for so long. Why else would it be the standard punishment for criminals? It cannot be good for her mental health.
Mom will be coming to visit here next week. Sandra and I will go out with the car and pick her up. It's my birthday, and I want her to come and spend some time with us. If the weather is good, we will be having a barbecue and cake outdoors, or sandwiches and treats in the apartment if it rains.
The leg will heal. I just hate the time that it is taking away from Mom.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Time allotment.
I have been spending a lot of time on the computer lately, not doing anything of real importance, but I'm almost always sitting at the darned thing. I'm thinking that it might be time to get out of this chair once in a while and let the modem cool down. Real life is out there waiting for me.
There are things I do on the computer that I really don't want to give up, like chatting with friends that I really can't talk with any other way, and writing my little fan fiction stories. Those are some of the reasons I have the computer, really. Next to paying bills and the volunteer stuff I do for the church.
Maybe I should just shut down a little earlier each night, and settle in with a coffee and my books. I haven't taken nearly enough time to read. And if Sandra is up and not online, we could spend some more quality time together. She does her things in the evening, so the late morning and early afternoon should be our time.
Now that I do have some limited responsibilities around the building, time is getting to be a more valuable commodity. Time to rethink how I use it.
There are things I do on the computer that I really don't want to give up, like chatting with friends that I really can't talk with any other way, and writing my little fan fiction stories. Those are some of the reasons I have the computer, really. Next to paying bills and the volunteer stuff I do for the church.
Maybe I should just shut down a little earlier each night, and settle in with a coffee and my books. I haven't taken nearly enough time to read. And if Sandra is up and not online, we could spend some more quality time together. She does her things in the evening, so the late morning and early afternoon should be our time.
Now that I do have some limited responsibilities around the building, time is getting to be a more valuable commodity. Time to rethink how I use it.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Our new transportation.
It's been a pretty busy week.
Sandra and I have been in the process of getting a loan to buy a used car. It has been a roller coaster ride of emotions for her. We had hoped to get a line of credit at first, but were declined. The guy at the bank then ran the numbers for a loan. Well, he was pretty rude and short when dealing with Sandra that day, and that just had her in tears.
The long and the short of it is that we wound up trying at another bank, with no luck, so we went back and took the loan offered at our own. It was a little more each month than we wanted to pay, but still within our means. When we went in the second and third times (We had to go back to pick up the cheque for the dealership.) he was much nicer to Sandra.
From test drive to plating the car was a week, almost exactly. I don't think I've ever made a decision of that magnitude quite so quickly, but we really did need a newer car. The cavalier was thirteen years old, and things were starting to get expensive to keep her running. After she broke down on us in Kingston, Sandra never felt comfortable driving again.
My Dad really wants the old car. He does not care for the van that my mother has, and my brother has it half of the time. If the car can be made to pass the safety, he feels it will be perfect for the driving that he does. Dad seldom leaves the property, and never goes long distance. Or at least, he very rarely travels long distance.
Sandra is thrilled with our new car. We bought a 2002 Pontiac Sunfire GTX. It is a little more loaded than we really need, but the price was good and the mileage even better. It only had 66 thousand kilometres on the odometer. It rides well, and most importantly, has no rust. Sandra can drive in comfort and confidence again.
Sandra and I have been in the process of getting a loan to buy a used car. It has been a roller coaster ride of emotions for her. We had hoped to get a line of credit at first, but were declined. The guy at the bank then ran the numbers for a loan. Well, he was pretty rude and short when dealing with Sandra that day, and that just had her in tears.
The long and the short of it is that we wound up trying at another bank, with no luck, so we went back and took the loan offered at our own. It was a little more each month than we wanted to pay, but still within our means. When we went in the second and third times (We had to go back to pick up the cheque for the dealership.) he was much nicer to Sandra.
From test drive to plating the car was a week, almost exactly. I don't think I've ever made a decision of that magnitude quite so quickly, but we really did need a newer car. The cavalier was thirteen years old, and things were starting to get expensive to keep her running. After she broke down on us in Kingston, Sandra never felt comfortable driving again.
My Dad really wants the old car. He does not care for the van that my mother has, and my brother has it half of the time. If the car can be made to pass the safety, he feels it will be perfect for the driving that he does. Dad seldom leaves the property, and never goes long distance. Or at least, he very rarely travels long distance.
Sandra is thrilled with our new car. We bought a 2002 Pontiac Sunfire GTX. It is a little more loaded than we really need, but the price was good and the mileage even better. It only had 66 thousand kilometres on the odometer. It rides well, and most importantly, has no rust. Sandra can drive in comfort and confidence again.
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