House Tour

I found the camera cable! We can continue our colourful house tour.

Rocky Road in the kitchen (ignore the 80's cabinetry):


The living room is one shade deeper, Cabot Trail:


And the Rec Room befits my undergraduate degree, Nature Lover:


The walls are pretty much ready for hanging our artwork and a few more boxes can be unpacked.

High CQ

For the first Sunday at the new pastoral charge, things went fairly well. I fumbled my way through the order of service, learning a different flow, but everyone was quite gracious and we worshipped.

Given this is summer, there were some unusual aspects to the morning. Most striking of these anomalies was the high CQ (Clergy Quotient). In addition to the Presbyterian minister (whose church is on August hiatus) in attendance, a colleague from my former presbytery who lives in my current neighbourhood was also there, plus a former minister of the churches has retired in the community and attends.

It sounds like my Presbyterian colleague at the other point will be dropping in on a future Sunday as well.

More Update Lowdown

Returning to the recent recap:

... music ...
While we were painting the house, we were tuned into the local rock station that continues to include too much Nirvana and Pearl Jam (sorry, Urs!) in their rotation. I was pleased to hear some of my discoveries from CBC Radio 3 like Saint Alvia Cartel and Pink Mountaintops breakthrough to the mainstream. We always knew when it was 2:00 because the DJ would sign off with the instruction for us to "stay awesome".

We celebrated Shelley's birthday with the purchase of Tegan & Sara's newest release, the reigning queens of Canadian twin lesbian rock. I continue to be entertained and enlightened by the Radio 3 podcasts and have added their latest innovation to this blogsite so that you can hear the Song of the Moment for yourself.

...TV...
The kids enjoy having Treehouse TV and Shelley and I have taken a fancy to the Food Network. We're making use of the time-shifting to see our shows and figuring out the PVR. I can remember a time when we could only see a TV show during the time it was aired. If we missed it, we missed it and had to wait until the next week to see it again.

...Save me Jeebus, indeed!
Puppet Jesus is safely packed and stowed in his diaper box, on his shelf in the church office. Although the last time he was out, Kai was mildly intrigued once the initial terror wore off and Rei was decidedly less frightened. I'll introduce PJ to the churches when the time is right; it'll be his Second Coming.

Update Lowdown

Saturday night and I'm uncharacteristically finished my preparation for tomorrow's inaugural worship services with the "new" churches.

I imagine it's time I eventually recapped the past few weeks as I mentioned earlier (and I have one more entry to complete the recounting of our anniversary cruise too).

The church of ...
The primary reason for my delinquency in blogging frequency has been the move to a new pastoral charge and into the throes of home ownership. I don't know if there's much more to say beyond the heart-stopping moment when I closed the door to the manse for the last time and I thought, "Oh no! I don't have my keys; I'm locked out!"

A reflex response that really brought me to the reality that I'm leaving and it's time to go. For so long I've thought, and still do, that it's really not goodbye because we won't be that far away. But for the sake of professional boundaries and collegial respect, I'll be keeping my distance. Although the world of the church is a very small place and I know paths will cross again.

... basketball ...
NBA referee Tim Donaghy has been fixing games and point spreads for the mob. Kevin Garnett is traded to the Celtics. Does either story surprise me? Not really. Do they make me sad? Yes.

...books...
I tried reading Ann-Marie McDonald's As the Crow Flies but I had to stop. Some Bad Things Happen to Children in it that I got stuck on. Usually, I'm able to push through such developments to see how things resolve but not this time.

I did plow through Harry Potter: The Finale and found it was an appropriate and fitting end to the saga. **spoilers follow** In the grand scheme of things, there were no big surprises: Dumbledore was really dead, Snape was vindicated, Harry saves the day and the expected romantic pairings were made. But you know all of this. I found the Christ-like parallel of self-sacrifice in the face of death and the following "resurrection" rather ham-handed and didn't notice the similarities of the teen wizards and witches to Tolkien's LoTR's hobbit quest (which Jeffy pointed out for me). As for what's next? I'd love for J.K. Rowling to re-tell the entire series through the eyes of Neville Longbottom.

...booze...
Yep.

...cuisine...
It's barbeque season and the new home lends itself well to outdoor dining. I've been trying a few meals with hickory wood chips in a smoke box. I'm not sure my palate can discern the flavour in the food, but it sure smells nice on the grill.

...movies...
Haven't seen a lot. Or any. Hold on, we watched Wallace and Gromit in "Night of the Were-Rabbit" on DVD while we waited for and I saw most of "Cars" while waiting at the Walk-In Clinic with Kai. Even though Harry Potter 5 and The Simpsons movies were released into theatres, I think we'll be waiting a while still before getting to them.

I'll finish up with "music" and "TV" and "Jeebus" later. Big day tomorrow, I need my beauty sleep.

First Day at Work

Operating on the long-standing notion that Office Hours were Wednesday and Thursday mornings, I arrived at the church (with its sign out front offering a cordial welcome to yours truly) to find no one was there. I made a couple calls and someone arrived to let show me the secret passcode to unlock the key to unlock the door.

With my laptop still unpowered, I thought I could use the desktop in my office - yes, a real office with doors and windows and walls - but soon figured out (after brushing up on my Windows '98 lore) that I couldn't connect online. While my computing skills were curtailed, HandyDaddy appeared as I helped re-erect (not to be confused with "resurrect") the Organist Parking sign.

I sampled some fine family dining for lunch, did some reading for the sermon and got a new ID card at the local hospital. Then it was home for some lawnmowing and weedeating before Shelley and the non-contagious kids returned.

Nothing Rash

There's too much catching up to do, it'll have to be done piecemeal over the next little while. I may end up giving a categorized summary of our last few weeks as events and stories relate to the tagline description of this very blog.

Yesterday, in the humidity and heat, we noticed that Kai had developed a rash on his face. I wondered if it might be a heat rash, thereby putting him in good independent Canadian company - CBC Radio 3's host Grant Lawrence was complaining of a similar ailment. More seriously, we wondered if it was an allergic reaction to the antibiotic Kai was taking for his latest ear infection.

I called Telehealth Ontario and spoke with a nurse who suggested that it was likely a viral infection following his fever of last week; nothing abnormal. He went to daycare this morning and we informed his teachers of his situation and our efforts to ensure the public safety of their institution.

While on the phone with Apple to arrange for a new power adapter (replaced free of charge - I knew things would work out when the "on hold" music was Counting Crows, the powers of Ursula were smiling upon me), call waiting kept interrupting. The daycare called to say that some other kids also had a similar rash and that parents/caregivers were asked to take their children to a doctor to confirm it was not contagious.

I couldn't get an appointment anywhere with anyone, plus Kai's health card was in the other car, so I picked him up for a Boys' Half-Day at home. Once we got his health card, I took him to the After-Hours clinic in town where we waited for a couple hours to find out exactly what we knew already: viral infection, not contagious.

Considering he was missing supper and encroaching on bedtime while we waited, Kai was extremely good-natured and charming. He must take after his father (and by that, I mean me, of course).

Reconnected

We're settling in and things are finding there way to their proper places. Internet access is finally up and running. Although the frayed and fickle power adapter for the iBook started smoking and sparking tonight and I had been using the laptop unplugged, seeing if my internet problems were isolated to a specific phone jack (or any of the 10 ethernet ports available in the house), so the battery is too low to use and there's no way to recharge it.

And it's the long weekend so Apple Customer Service is on holidays, leaving me unable to wrangle a replacement part until Tuesday. So it's back to the desktop re-learning keyboard shortcuts, etc.

Soon you'll get a gushing backlog of what's been memorable and mentionable in our lives. And once I find the camera cord, I'll post some more pictures of our place. But there more important matters to attend to: Harry Potter. Don't tell me what happens, I've managed this long to avoid the spoilers.

Clean Sweep

Like model tenants, Shelley and I returned to the manse today for some heavy-duty cleaning and packing up of leftovers. We swept, vacuumed and handwashed floors; dusted, vacuumed and wiped down radiators; cleaned, vacuumed and wiped out drawers; cleared out and cleaned the fridge and freezer; and conducted other cleaning duties which I don't remember...

Shelley commented that apart from when we first moved in, this is the cleanest that the entire manse has been in the duration of our occupancy. They're are a few minor things left to do on Tuesday, my last day with Arkona-Ravenswood like sort and put out the garbage and recycling, and retrieve a stroller from the attic space that we call "The Sauna".

This evening was setting up and connecting the components of the entertainment unit. One unexpected aspect of big city living is receiving CBC Radio 2 in stereo. Although I haven't tuned in at all since the new programming changes were made, I miss night-time jazz; and I've pretty much gone all interwebby with my radio listening: Radio 3 is the 1 4 me.

Smooth Move

We are now the proud residents and mortgage holders of a home in Strathroy. The big move happened today with very little incident.

It's a good thing first impressions are often wrong because our movers were a half hour late (somewhat understandable, given the fog this morning), but came inadequately equipped to pack our kitchen. We scrounged up some extra boxes and newspapers for wrapping. Despite our initial reservations, the crew proved to be hardworking, professional, courteous and efficient.

Thanks to Shelley's remarkable organizational ability, the loading aspect of the move was well-ahead of schedule. We hit the road for "Strath Vegas" and undid all that was done this morning. Furniture and boxes gathered in their appointed rooms, ready for their re-assembly and unveiling.

The major blip was the bulkiness of the entertainment unit which proved too cumbersome to negotiate the stairs to the basement of the new home. So it sits in the living room, awaiting its component parts to be installed and plugged in. It's not quite the home plan that I had in mind, but the kids will have free reign in the basement for their toys.

I know it's been a while since you've seen a new post and perhaps I'll share what I can remember of the past week-and-a-half. But not now, it's been a long day and I need to be fresh for tomorrow's cleaning of the manse and more unpacking.

Balanced Day

Amid all our home redecorating, I'm still trying to fulfill my church obligations. This morning I tended to some office work and Bible study before bringing lunch to the Painter Sisters. Turns out Rei's room is proving to be a little difficult (well, the paint more than the room itself) and we will earn our painting stripes there.

Although we did manage to get one coat of "Clear Sailing" in Kai's room.

We've also been prepping the bathroom and the kitchen/living room/hallway so we should be good to go tomorrow. Here's hoping for more clear sailing.

After picking up the kids from daycare and having supper, I then ventured into London for a hospital visit and a couple errands. Once that was done, it was home again, home again, jiggedy jig.

Paint Party

Shelley has the next two weeks booked for holidays. And if you consider "holidays" to mean "painting, packing, moving and unpacking", you'd be eerily in sync with our lexicon.

We've recruited the skills and experience of her sister, who has worked for a couple painting companies, and are absorbing all her knowledge like a fresh roller sponge fitted onto "the cage" amid the central supply depot known as "the kit" – we're even picking up the lingo as we go! Now that Shelley and I've been introduced to the basics of patching, caulking, spot priming, cutting and rolling, we've been unleashed in the house.

First up: Rei's room. She wanted yellow.

The colour is called "Yellow Highlighter", replacing the orangey-pinkish-terracotta hue that was there. Good thing she's used to having a bright room already; I don't think we'll need to use her light switch at all.

We also got to the master bedroom. Meet Philipsburg Blue:

It's a touch more elegant than the semi-gloss grape purple that was previously on the walls.

There is something quite satisfying about seeing a room undergo such a dramatic transformation, this must be how Holmes on Homes feels all the time ...

The Littlest Hobo

The churches had my "going away" party today. Even though there's a couple weeks left, today fit the schedules for the most people the best.

I cited The Littlest Hobo and his neverending journey down the road. Such is the call that ministry folk undertake, and it's really hitting hard that I'll be relocating and beginning all over again in a few weeks' time.
After the service, I was presented with an envelope from Arkona United and a print of Rock Glen Falls; Ravenswood United's gift will be ready for my last official Sunday (I'm guessing a quilt), but in the meantime, they gave me a basketball signed by all the people of the church.

Even though there are a couple more Sundays to go, I guess I can give myself permission to start imagining and getting excited about what lies ahead. The formal closure continues here with Arkona and Ravenswood, but I'm planning on taking some boxes of books over to my new office this week. And I'll see the inside of Trinity United in Glencoe for the first time!

Saturday the 14th

I'm not traditionally superstitious. Friday the 13th isn't something that scares me; although this Saturday the 14th has made its mark on me.

This morning as Shelley was taking Rei to help purchase paint for the house, I was getting Kai ready to play outside. As I was helping him into his sandals while holding open the screen door, the window came crashing down on my fingers. Shelley heard my yelps and agony from the car and rushed to my aid.

After a couple hours, sensation (read: pain) and mobility returned to my fingertips and I headed out to mow the lawn to make the grounds look tidy for the afternoon's wedding. One of the wheels broke off. Not having the time, tools or handimanliness to fix it, I walked amidst the weeds with garden shears clipping down the most obvious eyesores. The irony is that I have a brand spanking new lawn mower at our other house.

As for the wedding itself, it rained through the afternoon, but the service was fine. Plus the array of bandages on my right hand made quite the fashion statement.

Here's hoping Sunday the 15th treats me better.

Super Girls to the Rescue

Rei and her friends were being chased by boys when I picked her up from daycare. (Her legs were tired from running so much). She talked about how the boys were Superman, Batman and Spiderman, but she and her friends were Super Girls to the Rescue. The three of them rotated through the various personae.

One of Super Girls was "Jingle Bell" who is very similar to Peter Pan's Tinkerbell, having magic powers and flight capability. Another one was Fashion Girl who apparently doesn't do too much. The third of them was "Sessy Girl". Puzzled, and fearing the worst, I inquired about this heroine's superpower. Rei shrugged and said, "I think she wears shorts".

4-years old ought to be too young to know about socialization's norms and gender stereotypes. *sigh*. Although she affirmed that they were all strong and smart and fast. Girl power!

E[a]R

After some days of fever and irritability, and a trip to Emergency, we've confirmed that Kai has another ear infection. Thankfully(?), he likes the taste of medicine, we load up the syringe and he
drinks it down himself. We'll be more thankful when/if his inner ear tubing sorts itself out.

The Reel Deal

I bought two lawn mowers today. For a while I've been intrigued by the prospect of a more environmental alternative and given the smaller lawn area of our new home, looked into a reel push mower.

After purchasing it and assembling it, I gave it a whirl and was rather embarrassed by the shoddy job. Maybe I didn't have the proper technique, or our property is too sloped, or the model that was available was too low-end to be any good; regardless, it didn't cut the mustard.

So I returned it for the smallest engine gas mower I could find and consoled my conscience with the knowledge that at least I tried. Al Gore would be rolling in his grave, if he wasn't still alive.

Jackpot Day

If you're a slot machine you live for the day of 7-7-7. Apparently it's a big wedding weekend, all the couples trying to commemorate this once-in-a-lifetime confluence of the seventh day of the seventh month of the seventh year falling on a Saturday, the seventh day.

No weddings around here though. We spent the morning doing some more shopping (groceries, garden hose attachments and a ladder). My parents came for a visit and we took them to see the new house where we watered some plants and unloaded some painting supplies.

Pretty glamorous, I know.

Spree

As we begin to mentally fill the cavernous expanse of the new homestead, we'll be undertaking a series of spending sprees. This morning's haul netted us the major appliances: fridge, stove, washer and dryer. Add in a twin mattress and box spring for Kai and a queen-size set for Shelley and me, and that should be it for big invoices (not counting a lawn mower).

On the way home, Shelley wondered if I might go golfing and I readily agreed to her suggestion, not knowing when the next opportunity might present itself. My round was unspectacular for the most part, but on the troublesome hole #4, I hit the best drive of my life, a 232-yard shot down the middle of the fairway. The rest of the game was rather forgettable with the exception of my nemesis, hole #9 which I finished with a 39-foot putt that made me wish there were others around to see it.

'Tis the Season

It is cherry season in Arkona. Monday morning, we took the kids to one of the local orchards.Reiko knew what to do:


Not surprisingly, Kai managed to eat more than he picked:

Sound Business Practice

Dear Sales Rep of a Major Moving Company:

Thank you for your time and your vigorous defence of full-service movers vis-à-vis smaller, cheaper companies. May I suggest in future that you not criticize or accuse your competitors of poor moral character and underhanded dealing? It makes you sound desperate and I wonder why you are taking this business decision to go with another company as a personal rejection.

Also, when asked for an estimate, an actual ballpark number might help our decision-making, rather than rattling off your rates and the philosophical superiority of your services. You might inquire as to the quantity and nature of the items we wish to move.

If, as you assert, your company is the biggest moving company in North America, it certainly won't be bankrupted by not having my business. I sincerely hope that you have a better day tomorrow.

Kind regards,
BuddhaKenji