Stopping to smell the roses

Yes, as idyllic as it sounds, the roads here are lined with roses! Well, in Clayton Park anyway. I'm not kidding. Dunbrack is lined on both sides and down the middle with wild (Alberta) roses for miles and miles. When you drive down Dumbrack in the summertime, make sure to roll down your windows because you can definitely smell the roses.

Before my walk this morning I made sure to pocket my SwissArmy knife so I could get a couple cuttings. At the end of my walk I took a few cuttings of both the white and fuschia roses, and arranged them in my new rose bowl.
About the rosebowl....it's been packed away in a box for almost a decade. It was one of many things my grandmother packed away in several boxes for me. The boxes were filled with all sorts of interesting things. I didn't bother to ship the boxes to Toronto because many of the things are fragile, and space was limited. Now that I'm closer I can actually use what's in the boxes, without worrying about breakage AND I have the space to store the semi-useless pieces.

I'll post photos of some of the other pieces as I start to use them.

I went home for the first time since I moved this past weekend, and had a glorious time. It really was a perfect weekend. Lots of time to enjoy with family, perfect weather - sunny, but with a cool breeze that kept the mosquitos and blackflies away, and lots of time to enjoy being outside.
While I was home Mom and I took a couple walks around the yard visiting various feathered friends. The first (above) was a mother owl who kept a very close eye on us while her young ones flew from branch to branch. If you look closely at the photo, you can see the owl - she's just a little below dead-centre. Mom had heard the owls and called me out to see them. We caught only brief glances of the young ones, but had a full-on view of mother owl. She wasn't about to move, unless we got closer to her young ....then she would've dive-bombed us.
These next photos show a nest Mom had found and pointed out to me when we crossed the brook. The photos aren't great, but we didn't want to be there too long. The nest is truly amazing. Mom determined it was a Solitary Vireo's nest. And when we first saw the nest mother bird was sitting on it. She didn't move even though we were within inches of her. She sat there as still as could be in her nest. When we went back later with the camera, she was gone, though after we had taken a couple photos we heard her hollering at us from another tree.

What I find truly amazing how such a little bird can construct something so complex as this nest. It's made from bark and grass and mud (I suppose) on a forked branch of this maple tree. It's quite secure and obviously requires architectual skill to construct. This just amazes me so I thought I would share it.

3 websites of interest (to me, anyway)

I thought I'd share a few sites I've been visiting regularly (okay, okay, obsessively).
1. www.facebook.com - For most of you, if not all, this is old news. But I thought I'd share it anyway since it's become an addiction of sorts for me. I've also had the chance to reconnect with several people from high school, from undergrad, etc. who I've lost touch with over the years. It's been really good.

2. www.spiralfrog.com - This one is probably new to all of you. I heard about it a couple years ago on CBC, bookmarked the page when they were still developing the service, and have been checking back periodically to see if the service has gone live. It's only been in the last little while that the site has been activated. The principle of the site is to offer free music downloads with the caveat that you have to be willing to watch/listen an advertisement first. I'm cool with that. I'm not tempted one bit by web-advertising so go ahead show me a promo. Now, I haven't actually done any downloading yet (partly because my silly laptop is very uncooperative!), but I've done quite a bit of searching in their music downloads, and they seem to have quite a variety. Go ahead - check it out.

3. www.archivistontheedge.com - I thought I'd share one of the blogs I've been reading for the past year or so. I'll admit, it's a little strange to be following someone else's life, but I found I was quickly drawn into her blog. It actually has very little to do with archives, and more to do with knitting, but just the sheer fact that she does both had me hooked (crocheted?). Not to mention I identify with a lot of her "about me" points...which alone is a little weird.

Getting settled

Well, I survived another move. I'm now almost settled into my new apartment, and loving it! As many of you know the last apartment didn't work out so well. There were some real security issues that I just couldn't live with - the breaking point being when my neighbour tried to get into my apt one evening - stark naked, not even socks. Need I go on? Not to mention the other issues that kept popping up: no access to laundry, an ever-present cloud of smoke, pulsating bass from the music that the stoners upstairs played all hours of the day/night, etc. etc.

So last Friday afternoon, my uncle with the big truck and my mother with her medium-sized truck came and loaded up my stuff. It took 6 truckloads to get me out of the apartment, but we did it in an afternoon, with relatively few casualties, and with a feast at Boston Pizza for dinner. Yum! Saturday Mom and I went into the old apt, cleaned out the rest of the stuff, swept up the cat hair, washed the floors, the counters etc. I left the place clean and sent the woman I was subletting from a detailed email about why I had to move.

Needless to say, this woman wasn't terribly pleased with me....but then, neither was I with her (or rather, with her apt.). We'll see how far she takes it. I really don't think she's got much of a case for small claims court if she decides to go that route. Perhaps my lawyer friends could weigh in on that matter.... From what I understand our informal email agreement is not binding, and with normal tenancy leases in Nova Scotia I'm supposed to receive a copy of the tenancy act within 10 days of signing a lease, otherwise it's considered void (ie. I'm not obligated to give notice etc.). Not sure if that applies to subletting situations, but under the circumstances I think I've got enough evidence to support my claim for lack of security. I think I might suggest that instead of trying to take me to court (if she decides to), she might be better taking her property management to court snce there's obvious neglect and "dangerous & unsightly conditions."

Regardless, I'm not terribly concerned about it now. All's well on my end.

In case you thought I was exaggerating....

I came home from work today to see this sign, an order from the Halifax Regional Municipality to Remedy the Dangerous and Unsightly conditions, under section 346 of the Municipal Government Act.

HOORAY!!!


It's officially been confirmed... I'm living in a dive!

And I'm not even scared about posting a picture of the sign (which contains the street address) because I'm moving soon, and the place can't get any worse than it already is. (I'll post a few examples later, after my move.)

Afterall, it seems to be the people inside my building that concern me the most.

Fringe benefits

There are many reasons why I moved home: to be closer to family, to enjoy a different pace of life, to be closer to the ocean and to trees and out of the concrete jungle, to be challenged in new and different ways in a new job.

And I was expecting certain benefits to being home: enjoying the company of my folks, my grandparents and the rest of my extended family, spending more time at the cottage in the summer, buying a car and having more freedom, travelling more.

And then there are the fringe benefits: produce from my mom's garden, free laundry, baked/canned goods from the fam.

My mother's backyard is full of fiddleheads, and this year I got to take advantage of being in town at just the right time! Steamed fiddleheads with a touch of butter - there's nothing better!

Except perhaps rhubarb! A whole bag of it! Doesn't look like much once it's all cut up but it'll make a good crisp, and something else too I'd imagine.

Moving again? Really?

Yep, really. It's been about 4 weeks since I moved in here, and I'm preparing to move out again. This arrangement didn't work, but I'm positive my new one will. I'm actually really excited about my new apartment - a beautiful deck/balcony, huge livingroom and bedroom, a kitchen with the most counter/cupboard space I've ever had - complete with dishwasher! The apartment has a tonne of closet/storage space - a large front closet, a walk-in bedroom closet, and a storage room in the apartment. The apt is above ground, but still not high up, the laundry is right underneath my apt., the supers seem to be super (sorry, couldn't resist), and parking is included.

The only thing the apartment doesn't have is the location - it's much further out of the city that I would've liked. But it's a trade-off.

Oh, and the apartment smells like cat urine. But I'll give it a good clean and that should go away.

Have car, will drive

So in the last week it's become painfully clear that I have to leave my current abode. For reasons I'm not going to get into here (yet) I've been truly concerned about my personal security. As a result I've ramped up my efforts to find another apartment. I've been pounding the pavement in my present neighbourhood but have come up with very little. I've looked at half a dozen apartments but they all have significant flaws and don't cover my must haves.



In order to cover more area, and increase my search radius, I rented a car (yes, a cARrrr!) for Saturday. Oh, how I enjoyed having a vehicle again!!! They gave me a Ford Focus sedan, gun-metal grey, and it was a joy to drive.

Though it took me a good while to get used to driving an automatic again (my left leg still a little tense from being ready for the non-existent clutch), the car was easy to drive and good on gas. I weaved up and down streets all around West End, Fairview and Clayton Park looking for apartments. Found a few, but there's one in particular I'm really hoping for. Those of you who are the praying sort can pray about it; those of you who aren't can send positive thoughts my way instead! I really want this place, and I'm waiting, waiting, waiting to see if my application will be accepted. If it is you can expect move in photos soon - I'm hoping to move within the next couple of weeks.

I'll keep you posted.

In the meantime, I thought I would also post a photo I took when I was driving around the city. It's a giant lobster.....to be expected in Nova Scotia (by some) I suppose. I took it because I can think of a few people who would laugh at this. I'm perpetuating the myth.

What my home will say about me...

So in the process of trying to find a new home, I've been learning more about who I am and who I've become since I first struck out on my own in Toronto several years ago.

1. I'm a city girl. This realisation caught me off-guard because I love the country, and I love wide-open spaces and uninhabited places. I love being alone and enjoying the quiet. But, I also really like being independent. I love the city because everything is accessible by foot - you can walk to work, walk to church, walk to get groceries/hardware/whatever you need. You don't have to pay to get somewhere. I can come and go as I please, and I like that. It's not so easy to feel isolated when you're downtown or within walking distance of downtown. And, as long as I'm single, I expect I'll need that.
2. I need outdoor greenspace - a balcony, deck, patio, front porch or backyard. I'm not a gardener, but I like having living plants around. The last 5 summers in Toronto, I've loved my balcony. I loved having the room to plant a couple hostas, some flowers, some herbs, and last year I even gave beets a try (though all I got were beet greens with reddish roots, but no beets). I loved being able to sit outside to read, or chat with friends. It was as valuable as another room to me and it's a "must have" for any new home.
3. I'm cheap. Actually, it's not that I'm cheap, it's that I don't want to be "house poor". I want to live somewhere where I'll be happy, but I also want to be able to afford a car and afford to do the things I enjoy doing and still afford to put a little aside for trips or big purchases, etc.
4. I'm lazy. Sort of. I don't want to go to the effort of having to take my laundry to a laundromat, so I must have onsite laundry. I've also learned how much I despise washing dishes, so I'm also hoping to find an apt. with a dishwasher (though it's not a must have). And I don't want carpet because it's hard to keep clean with a cat who sheds like there's no tomorrow.
5. The kitchen is one of the most important rooms in my home. This hasn't always been the case, but I do enjoy cooking, and if I don't like my kitchen, I don't want to be there. I learned this with my bathroom in my old apartment. I was never happy with it. The tiles were in crappy shape and I never felt like I could relax and enjoy a quiet bath because I always felt like something needed to be fixed. That's what I'd feel with the kitchen. My kitchen needs to inspire me to cook, not inspire me to try to fix it up (or worse - order in!).
6. And this may be an obvious one - but my cat has veto power. If the place isn't Millie-friendly, then it's not me-friendly!

Random question # 1

How do people in Montreal still get fooled with random acts of craziness?


I just finished watching Just for Laughs Gags and they really cracked me up! Sometimes I can watch them without cracking a smile because they're just stupid, and not funny at all. Tonight I watched them and I was beside myself with laughter.


And then I started wondering......

I've seen so many episodes now (not that I watch them religiously, but they've been on TV regularly for years), that I would almost expect funny/strange/crazy things happen if ever I find myself in Montreal during the summer. So, how do the people of Montreal still get fooled? Do they not watch the show? The Gags people must be swarming the city. Can't they spot a hidden camera and staged gag a mile away by now?

Just a thought.

462 minutes

That's how much time I've spent on the phone from May 2nd to May 16th. Is that possible??
I suppose it makes sense. Now, it's not just my family who are long-distances, it's all my friends too!

It's a good thing I switched to a better long distance plan. When I first signed up with (Bell)Aliant's combined long distance and high-speed internet, I knew I'd have to find something better. The long distance plan was basically $0.05/min. Not good.

Let's do the calculations, shall we?
462 minutes x 0.05 = $23.10/2 weeks

So... let's compare.

Primus offers an unlimited evenings/weekends plan for 14.95 + 14% tax (2.09) per month.
That's $17.04/month.
AND, on top of that, to call the UK, it'll only cost me $0.02/minute, which is almost better than a calling card!!

No comparison.

On your mark. Get set. Giv'er!

Congratulations to my friend and her friend who successfully completed the Blue Nose International Marathon's 10k in the rain! It's quite an accomplishment!

Onboard! (Part 2)

I like to think that I'm not materialistic....but perhaps I am a little. I was not just touched by the warm welcome I received from my new co-workers, but I was also touched by the "things" I received.

The flowers - a dozen roses! (which I totally wasn't expecting!!)

A Nova Scotia tartan scarf. And a lobster on a stick. (A take-away favour from a Departmental meeting.)

In Search of a Soul

...is the title of my latest book purchase.

In Search of a Soul, by Raymond Moriyama

I bought it last night at a Public Lecture given by Raymond Moriyama at Pier 21 in Halifax. He was invited to speak as part of the Nova Scotia Architect's Association's 75th anniversary celebrations.

When I saw this event advertised, I was excited to finally have an opportunity to hear Moriyama in person, and possibly even meet him. After spending so much time with his work, I'm starting to understand a bit more about the process, and about how Moriyama connects the mind, body and soul into the architectural design of his buildings.

His topic for this lecture was "sustainable architecture". And he talked mostly about the design of the Canadian War Museum, and the subtle details of the museum's architecture which reflect the stories of war. It was absolutely fascinating. For example, did you know that the windows along the hall are morse code for CWM (Canadian War Museum), and "Lest we Forget"? Did you know that the pool of water in the Remembrance room was designed for sacred reflection (not a wishing well to throw change in), and an invisible water source drops a drop of water ever twenty seconds into the pool - twenty seconds being the breathing cycle in meditation? And at exactly 11:00, Nov. 11th, the lighting hits the window to the room where the tombstone of the unknown soldier resides, and illuminates the tombstone perfectly? ...and so many more stories!

Sitting in the auditorium I became very aware of the fact that I was out of my league. I was probably the only non-architect in the room! I did, however, discover an untapped resource of single men! Who knew?! I should be hanging out with architects more often!!

After the lecture, we were invited to an exhibit hall to see an architectural exhibit and for a wine & cheese reception. I had a feeling this invitation might have been for the architects specifically, but they weren't checking credentials so I crashed the party. Raymond Moriyama was there to sign copies of his book "In Search of a Soul". I waited in line, and when it was my turn, I introduced myself as "not an architect but an archivist". His response was autographed below:

"Be a great Archivist!"

I will.

Gingergrass and the quest for a green curry

I'm not going to write restaurant reviews, however I do want to write about my restaurant experiences in my new city.

I'll admit, I was a little concerned when I moved to Halifax that I would be moving to a more homogenous culture, with not as many opportunities to sample international cuisine. And I LOVE ethnic food of all kinds!

So now I'm on a quest to try ethnic restaurants in and around Halifax.

Tonight I tried Gingergrass Thai & Vietnamese. It was enroute to the public lecture I went to this evening and from the outside I thought it might be a casual place where I could grab a quick Thai dish (like Pho Hung or Green Mango). Once inside, it was cle ar I had made a mistake. I could tell they weren't going to be cheap. So I decided to make the most of it and have a nice dinner, even if it was by myself.

Since moving to Halifax I've been hoping to find a suitable replacement for Salad King. You see, I LOVED the green curry from Salad King. I'm hoping to find another good green curry. So, guess what I ordered? Green curry (mild), and a Perrier to drink. Not 2 minutes later my server returned to say that they didn't have any Perrier, would I like bottled water? I said no, a glass of water would be fine. Several minutes later, the cook came out and said the green curry was already made and she wouldn't be able to adjust the spices. She strongly recommended I try the yellow curry instead; the green curry will be too spicy for me. I reluctantly agreed - afterall, it's the green curry I wanted. When my dinner came, they also brought a small bowl of the green curry for me to sample. It was good - spicy, but not intolerably so. The yellow curry just didn't cut it for me. I agree, it was sweeter and less spicy, but the flavour of the curry was too Indian for me. It tasted like they combined an Indian curry with a Thai dish. Next time I would definitely go for the green curry instead.

So, after I finished I thought I would order the Thai custard for dessert. It was reasonably priced, and I still had another 45 mins to kill, so I figured having a leisurely dessert would be the way to go. Again, not 2 mins later, my server returned to tell me they didn't have any custard. What? I didn't get a single thing I ordered from the menu. Not the perrier, not the green curry, not the custard. The servers were friendly enough, but really!...why bother having a menu if you're not going to have the dishes it lists!? And to boot, I had to pay for the rice, after she told me she thought it was included.

Although the food I had there was decent, and I liked their sample of green curry, and the servers were nice enough, my experience at Gingergrass wasn't worthy of a repeat visit anytime soon. There are other Thai/Vietnamese restaurants to try. And I will.

Onboard!

Totally.

Today was my first day of my new job, and to say that my new co-workers made me feel welcome would be an understatement.

When you find a vase of beautiful red roses in your new cubicle, and you're presented with your orientation package of 2 thick binders WITH a mug and a Nova Scotia tartan scarf, and your supervisor takes you and your new team out for lunch - you know you're welcomed! And all my co-workers seem to be super-nice, friendly, and there to answer any questions!

Oh and did I mentione the 2 conferences they registered (and paid) for me to attend before I was even on the payroll?!

I'm onboard.

Exploring Halifax (route 1)

Today was a lovely day to do a bit of exploring in my new city. I don't know Halifax well, so it's been nice to take some time to wander around and get my bearings. The weather today was perfect for exploring - sunny and clear, with a cool ocean breeze.

I decided the best way to start exploring was to get on a bus and go. I picked a bus route - the bus route that runs from my apartment to work - and followed it from the beginning to end. As it turned out, the end took me across the MacDonald bridge to Dartmouth. Perfect! This meant I had an excuse to take the Ferry across from Dartmouth to Halifax. I love Ferry rides - no matter how long or short!

(I have to say, the MetroPass is turning out to be a fantastic deal! For $60 a month, I have unlimited bus and ferry rides. And when a bus fare is $2, it doesn't take long to break even!)

So here are some photos from my afternoon, first from the Ferry, then from wandering around downtown.

The Halifax Waterfront

Georges Island
Historic Properties and Cows (Ice Cream!)
More of Historic Properties
The Ferry Terminal, and Theodore Tugboat in the background
And of course there were several ships in the Harbour.

By this point, it was well past lunchtime, and I was getting pretty hungry. I debated popping into a pub for fish & chips and reading through some of the tourism brochures and free weeklies I picked up, but instead decided to walk along the waterfront. I was pleasantly surprised to find a BeaverTails! But BeaverTails are no lunch! So instead I went next door (you'll see a woman standing at a counter on the right) for a lobster roll.

My first seafood since moving to Halifax. I'll admit, it wasn't the greatest. The lobster was too salty, and the bun tasted a bit stale. But the novelty of buying a lobster roll on the waterfront was worth the price I paid.

While I was eating, a deaf man approached me with a little brochure.

It's actually pretty handy, and I happily gave he $2 for it (I hope that was sufficient), and signed "thank-you".

After my lunch, I wandered up to the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, and practically tripped over this grate. It's a gorgeous piece of detail and I couldn't help but to take a photo (as crazy as some may have thought me). There's a lot of this detailed workmanship everywhere, if you look for it. And finally, my last photo of the day: Pete's Frootique! I'm pleased to find a suitable replacement for Whole Foods, and so close to my new workplace.

Current status: moving

Here's a summary of the events of the last week of moving.

I packed my boxes. (Thank-you AO for the boxes, big and small.)
And on April 26th, the movers came and loaded the tail-end of a tractor trailer with my stuff.
It took 3 men about an hour to load the truck and complete the paperwork. It was done by 2pm, leaving me with time to kill before my flight the next morning.

To keep myself busy and distracted, I went to see the Emily Carr exhibit at the AGO, browsed the CBC boutique on Front Street, then headed back to Bloor to the Korean grocery (PAT) to stock up on the perfect green curry paste.

By the time I got "home" (though there was not much left to make it home), it was time for me to turn in my keys to my landlady.

At my apartment - my very empty apartment - there was nothing to do but wait out the night. It's interesting - I left Toronto with almost exactly the same amount of luggage as when I first arrived: a suitcase, an overnight bag, a laptop and a storage bin. Except this time I'm also leaving with a cat. My flight with WestJet was due to leave at 7:15am, so I arranged for a taxi to pick me up at 4:30am. There was not point in waiting at the apartment, when I could be at the airport. So I packed up Millie in her carrier, and managed to shuffle the remenants of my seven years in Toronto to the airport. And thus ends the Toronto chapter of my life.

Current status: boxed in

I'm almost completely surrounded by boxes now. Everywhere I look I've got boxes packed and stacked. Let's just hope they're under the estimated weight. I think the home estimate guy estimated approx. 33 boxes @ 25 lbs/box. My goal should be to stick to that limit, and not go over (on weight or number).


Which reminds me, I finally settled on a mover.
Bluebird (an agent of North American Van Lines) was by far the cheapest, quoting me about $60/100lbs. At first I wasn't impressed, but the more I compared this moving company with the other two, Tippet-Richardson and Hudson's Movers, the better Bluebird looked. I'm not sure why there's a difference - hopefully it'll be no more than the difference between "service with a smile" to "service with a surly guy". It doesn't matter, I've made my decision and now I have to fear the worst or hope for the best. I'll let you know how it goes.

I have to say I'm quite pleased with myself. I've done my homework when it comes to movers. I got home estimates from 3 different moving companies (it would've been 4 had AMJ Campbell returned my 2 calls!). I've spoken to people who have moved recently to hear what they had to say about the process. I've learned how to read estimates - the rates per hundred-weight, the surcharges, and extra fees. I've asked all the right questions. And, I've looked at the Consumer Protection Act, specifically the section where I'm guaranteed my estimate within 10%.

I'm all set.

Current status: upheaval

As many of you know by now, I'm in the middle of a move. A big move. I'm leaving the big smoke for the bonny shores of Nouvelle-Ecosse. And though I'm looking forward to being "home" again and closer to my family, this move is proving to be rather traumatic. Not only am I saying goodbye to the dear friends I've made here and my church family (who really are like a family to me), but I'm leaving my comfortable and conveniently located apartment, the amenities I have at my fingertips, and the city I have come to know as "home" for the last seven years. It's all a little surreal.

On top of the emotional upheaval, is the physical upheaval. I have to pack and move all my stuff 1100 kilometres. And hiring movers is proving to be no easy task! I've had 3 quotes, each of them wildly different in their own ways. The cheapest I had originally scratched off the list, but is now back on the list because ...well because he's the cheapest. Deciding between the three is really tricky. What can go wrong, what will go wrong, and how much will it cost me - those are all the questions I need to consider before I commit to one.

Packing is relatively easy, and slightly theraputic. Boxing and labelling your life puts things into perspective, particularly when you literally have to weight the value of it. "Is this worth the cost of its weight to move?" And then there's the purging. I've literally purged an entire closet of clothes. For the last 1.5 years I've spread my wardrobe out into my two bedroom closets. I've now condensed my clothes into one (and feeling quite pleased with myself for doing so). Then there's the load of "junk" I've accumulated over the years that's destined for my church yardsale, including the particle board/laminate/assemble-yourself furniture I've acquired to store the junk. That's not going with me either. I can make do without it.

And last but certainly not least. There's the next big hurtle - finding a new home. This reminds me so much of one of my favourite books as a child "Home for a bunny" by Margaret Wise Brown.

Read it.

So dear friends scoped out a few places for me, which is so very kind and thoughtful. But I have to say none of them really hit me as being "home". I have to resign myself to being content with one of them, at least for a short while (for a 4 month summer sublet), and then find a more permanent place to settle. A home for this bunny.