One day to Go

Well, isn't this great timing. With one day to go until Mommy's departure for Ottawa, both of the boys have picked up a little cold. Oh, they're still active as always, but I'm dealing with a pair of double-barreled snot guns.

With each sneeze from Sontoo, we are scrambling to find a Kleenex before he runs his hand through the two streams of mucous connecting his nostrils with his chin. It's a pretty sight.

Sonwun seems to be coming out the other side of the cold cycle, having picked it up first. Sontoo is in the early stages and brings an extra level of concern, as he has developed croup in the past when sick. Each time it has meant a trip to the hospital, usually after midnight. We put a humidifier in his room last night, and will continue to do so until he is over the cold. With Mommy taking off tomorrow, I will also be packing a hospital bag with everything I will need for an extended visit at the ER, including food, drink and entertainment for the two boys. I really, really hope I don't need it.

So yes, it's packing day for mom. Tomorrow morning at 9 a.m., she will board a plane for Winnipeg. Once there, she will switch to a plane bound for Toronto, switch again in Toronto and board a plane for Ottawa. Not a fun day.

And I will begin a month of 24-7 care of the young 'uns. I'm a little nervous, but I'm sure we'll get through it. Hopefully these colds will clear up in short order so we can return to the regularly scheduled insanity. Mommy will come home for a short visit half-way through the course, and then it's another month on my own. But during that second session, my sister is planning a two-week visit, which will help keep me on an even keel.

To help keep both mommy and me sane, we have purchased a laptop and equipped it with Skype, so that she can see the boys and they can see her while she's away. It should also keep the phone bills at a minimum.

Anyway, that's the news. I just heard Sontoo do a double sneeze from the living room. Again, wish us luck. It's gonna be a long two months.

Sontoo's Wings

Well good morning all!

It's Friday, two days before the wife heads off to Ottawa for Forensic Ident Training. The boys and I are not looking forward to it. It's going to be difficult; difficult for mommy to be away from the boys and difficult for daddy to go through a month without backup. But we'll survive.

Sonwun starts swimming lessons Monday and I think he's looking forward to it. I'm a little concerned that he thinks he'll be spending time on the waterslide at the pool. But he keeps talking about taking swimming lessons so that he can go down the waterslide all by himself, without floaties. I'm not sure he completely understands, but I sincerely hope he enjoys the lessons.

So, recipe time. No Stay-at-home-Dad blog would be complete without one now and again. Today's recipe is Mom's Chinese Chicken Wings (aka Sontoo's Favourite Wings). I love these things and they are great hot or cold. I prefer them hot, but if you're going on a picnic, make a double batch and eat half for supper the night before and save half for the picnic.

You will need:

Half cup Soy Sauce

Quarter cup lightly packed brown sugar.

Tablespoon or so grated ginger.

Three cloves garlic, crushed.

Tablespoon or so Lime Juice

Large Ziploc bag

2-3 pounds chicken wings, separated.

(The measurements listed above are estimates. I rarely use tablespoons and teaspoons and such. I just kinda throw the stuff in until it looks right to me.)

Combine first five ingredients in the large Ziploc. Give it a little shake to mix it all up. Add the wings. If you need a little more soy sauce, feel free to add it at this point. Squeeze all the air out of the Ziploc and seal it. Put it in the fridge for a minimum of four hours - best if you do this in the morning for supper - seven or eight hours before cooking. Flip the bag occasionally to make sure all the little wingies get an equal share of the marinade.

About an hour before supper, take a baking sheet and cover it in aluminum foil. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Put the baking sheet in the oven for a few minutes to let it get hot and then take it out and spray it down with cooking spray. Lay out the chicken wings in a single layer, skin side down where possible. Put it back in the oven and cook for 25 minutes.

Then take 'em out. Reset the oven to 425. Flip all of the wings over and put 'em back in the oven for another 20 minutes or so. Then take 'em out, put 'em on a plate and you're ready to go. Yummy!

Sontoo loves them!

Oh, and my cooking tip for the day:

Keep your fresh ginger root in the freezer in a Ziploc. It's easy to grate frozen (which is how I use it 99 per cent of the time) and will keep for a long, long time.

Enjoy! And wish me luck in the coming month. I will need it.

Consider this an experiment. I've been blogging for about 8 months now at another site. But I'm not happy with it, for a number of reasons. So here I am.

The look of this thing will likely change in the next few weeks as I tweak. Don't fully understand all of my options here just yet. Stay tuned.

So, for those of you new to this blog, allow me to introduce myself. I am Mike, proud father of two, proud husband of one RCMP member. In my former life, I was a photographer, writer and editor. Some of these skills may have become a tad rusty in the past eight years, but part of the reason for the blog is to stay in shape.

As part of the RCMP lifestyle, we have just been moved from Gimli, Manitoba to Thompson, Manitoba. I am adjusting. It's only been a month. I will be posting some of my earlier blogs here once I get established.

In general, I write about life as an SAHD, life as an RCMP spouse and life in general. Yup, that about covers everything I could possibly post, yes?

In any case, this entry is more a test than anything else. Wanna see how everything looks before I start tweaking.

Stay tuned . . . It will get more interesting.

Four or Five Things

Well, I've found two more things to like about Thompson. I'm trying, I really am.

Thing 1: The Norplex swimming pool. It's an indoor pool with a great big waterslide that empties into a 2-foot swimming area. It's perfect for Sonwun to learn to trust his waterwings ("Floaties" if you ask him) and learn to stand in water that's up to his neck. We went there last Saturday afternoon and there were very few people. It was nice.

Thing 2: Paint Lake. We went there last Sunday. Nice size provincial park with several nice beach areas, some shore fishing and plenty of boat fishing if you have a boat. It's about 28 minutes from the house to the park and well worth the trip. Enjoyed a burger and beer at the marina, spent some time exploring the shore with Sonwun and Sontoo and even caught a small pike from shore - very small - but at least we caught something.

But back to Thing 1. I have signed Sonwun up for his first swimming lessons, which begin a week from Monday. The wife and I both believe in the importance of swimming lessons and it's great to have somewhere to take them. He will be in the "Sea Turtle" class.

This will be the first time, beyond babysitting, where I am entrusting my boy to the care of another. This time a perfect stranger in a potentially dangerous situation. I have mixed feelings about this. I know it's important that he learns to swim. I know it's important for him to meet and interact with other adult authority figures. I know it's important for him to meet and interact with children his own age. But it's hard. In the past, around water, I (or the wife) have never been more than arm's-length away. And now I must take the position of observer, bystander and do my best not to panic, leap into the pool or whatever.

Yeah, I know all you parents who have passed this stage are rolling your eyes right now. But I bet you went through the same thing with your first-born. Or maybe I'm just nuts - more than a few have suggested this over the years.

Anyway, this brings the total number of thing I like about Thompson to five, I think. Let's review:

Norplex

Paint Lake

Riverview Restaurant

Many shopping options within minutes of home.

. . . well, maybe it was four.

Seeking a Grant

Four weeks here and I figured I was safe. The blackflies I'd heard so much about either didn't like my blood, or I didn't react to the bites. I was in the clear.

Wrong.

This morning, the back of my neck feels like a braille beginner book. Great big bumps and lots of them. It's like the blackflies had a party and everyone was invited. Drinks on me.

But hey, I was warned. I just didn't listen. I was told the most popular cologne for men, women and children in Thompson is Muskol. I chose not to wear that divine scent.

It occurred to me, however, that I'd had a couple of shots last night before I went for our little walk in the great outdoors. And this was the first time I got chewed. So I've got to ask myself, why? Is it possible that the blackflies in Thompson are alcoholics? It would stand to reason. After all, I'm sure at least 50 per cent of the people they bite are hammered. So maybe they've become accustomed to the buzz. Maybe last night, with a little alcohol in my system, I did in fact become an open bar. And an open bar in Thompson is just asking for trouble.

I think this is worth a little more study - strictly for scientific purposes, you understand. In fact, I think I'll apply for a grant from the Canadian government, as well as the Manitoba government for my research.

Let's see, a 15-pack a week, 52 weeks, tylenol, expenses . . . $100,000 should do it. Makes about as much sense as some of the other studies I've seen funded by the good folks spending your tax dollars. I'll get started on the paperwork.

Anyway, today's garage sale day. Must get rid of some of the surplus that resulted from, or was discovered during, the move. Nice chance to meet the neighbours too. And who knows? If it's a nice sunny day, maybe I can convince a few of them to join me in a little research.

Computer Genius

Another day in paradise, another day living the dream . . .

Woke up this morning and puked. Not a great start to the day.

Not sure why it happened. I'm feeling a little off this morning and hope it's not the flu or something like that. We'll have to wait and see I guess. Nevertheless, the kids have been fed and the kitchen's clean. So whatever else happens until noon, I'm good.

Sonwun and Sontoo have been playing upstairs since breakfast. We didn't have an "upstairs" until we moved here. So, while I'm getting the kitchen in order, I can hear their little feet pounding around on the hardwood. I'm learning which "thump, thump, thump" means they're running and which one means they've both fallen off the bed while doing aerobics. The latter is usually followed by screaming.

In any case, in the course of kitchen cleaning this morning, I've had to make two trips upstairs; one for each of the progeny. Sonwun (who is now doing time in his room for teasing the dog) made a pretty good thump when he fell off the bed, but has quickly recovered. Sontoo, offering a slightly lesser thump, is sporting a bright red mark on his cheek - not sure what he hit. But he seems to be okay now.

But at least they're not on the computer. Sontoo has taken to hopping on my computer chair the second I'm out of site, and experience with Sonwun has taught me this is not a good thing.

I'm not sure if they are computer geniuses or if they are just so good at causing trouble, it translates naturally to electronics. When Sonwun was about two, he had the same habit Sontoo is developing now. And somehow, about a year and a half ago, he managed to get to the computer, bring up the home folder and rename it. This tends to cause major problems, as every program looking for the home folder can no longer find it. That was a $75 call to Apple tech support.

Sontoo, thus far in his computer experience, has managed to launch a video of himself learning to walk and, this morning, I believe he attempted to rename the home folder. Fortunately, he's not as adept as his elder brother. Silly child used a "." in the new name. Every computer programmer knows you can't do that, so when I caught up to him, the computer was reminding him of this and asking for a different name. I scooped him up before he had the chance to wreak that havoc once again.

Anyway, much to do again today. I am just waiting for Sontoo to poop, so that we can change that diaper and head out to do some shopping and return a video. So much easier to wait for that bit of paradise, than to make the change in the van.

Bad Day for Crows

Well, we're into about Day 6 of rain, rain and more rain. So we're kinda stuck inside yet again.

Yesterday we had a little excitement at breakfast. Mom had gone to work and the boys and I were finishing up when we heard what sounded like a shotgun blast in the backyard. It's a small backyard, so it was a tad disconcerting.

And then the lights went out.

I quickly looked out the back door in the direction of the sound and saw that the transformer on the pole in our backyard had exploded a little. The breaker was hanging down and swaying in the wind. Hmmm.

I called Manitoba Hydro to report this event and they said they'd send someone right over. I was interested, I'll admit, to see what "right over" means in Thompson. I was pleasantly surprised when it only took 20 minutes.

So, much to the delight of Sonwun and Sontoo, a guy dressed in bright overalls, carrying a long pole, entered the backyard to inspect. He saw something that I missed. With the long pole, he reached up and knocked one very dead crow off the transformer. It was well done, but at least it had stopped smoking.

Took about 20 minutes to repair and replace the breaker, during which time three other guys in bright overalls entered the backyard. When the lights went back on, both Sonwun and Sontoo stood in the doorway applauding, much to the delight of the hydro workers.

Anyway, wish there was more to tell you, but we're not getting out much due to the lovely weather. And, to make matters worse, I've decided that the TV is on too much during the day. And thus, I have instituted and house-wide blackout on the boob tube. This is designed to encourage the boys to play together and foster their imaginations. It is also driving daddy just a little nuts. But I think it's the right move.

We are still awaiting Sontoo's foray into the English language. He's taking a little longer than David did, which I hear is normal for the second child. Nevertheless, we're working on him.

So far, he can do the mama, dada thing and has added nana (banana) to his lexicon. Everything else is "aday." We're not sure where that came from or what it is supposed to mean, but he uses it for the dog, the cat, juice, pancakes, chairs and nuclear fission.

Anyway, just heard a loud thump from upstairs, so I must run. Hearing more of those these days. Hmmm . . . maybe if I turn on the TV. . . just kidding.

A Light in the Darkness

So it's been just shy of three weeks in the Hub of the North. And overall, I gotta tell you, it hasn't been great.

I have been disappointed at just about every turn. Take the kids to the playground: find it covered in broken beer and sherry bottles. Found a nicer one today, less glass, more graffiti and some minor drug paraphernalia.

Go to Canadian Tire to buy a lawnmower: find the worst collection of disinterested, lazy and, well, I'll say it, stupid people in red shirts that I have ever encountered. Fifteen or so of them wandering the cramped aisles with vacant looks on their faces, desperately trying to avoid eye contact and a possible question about merchandise, and one of them trying to keep up with the six people in line at the cash register.

Go to Walmart. And those of you who know me, know how it pains me to say that. But I did, because I still needed a lawnmower. And there, I found the folks that were rejected for employment at Canadian Tire.

Went to a Chinese restaurant - and I don't mean to insult all restaurants when I use that word in reference to this place. Worst I have ever been to - Wong's. If you ever get to Thompson, avoid it. Just bad. Not much else to say. Okay, I'll say a little more. It's pretty hard to screw up sweet and sour chicken balls. At least I used to think so.

Been to Tim Horton's a couple of times. If you go at 5 a.m., you can get your coffee fairly quickly. Go at other times and you're gridlocked at the drive-through. Don't bother going inside.

But there have also been a couple of bright spots . . . yeah, two that I can think of. Went to the Staples in town. Was greeted when I walked in by a clean, friendly, intelligent person. Didn't have to wander the aisles endlessly looking for help. It was there, it was offered and it was good. I think I'll be going there, just to hang out on rainy days.

And then there was last night. Finally decided to check out the Riverview Restaurant just outside of town. Before leaving, I looked for a review on line. Found one. Guy said it was the best restaurant in Thompson. I've been to several restaurants in Thompson and I'll tell you the competition is not fierce. But we had a few RCMP recommendations as well, so what the heck? Couldn't be much worse than Wong's.

The outside, I'll tell you, didn't look like much - kind of like a converted house on the banks of the Burntwood River. The obligatory mural painted on the outside. But inside, once you get past the reception area, was cozy, warm and clean. The waitress was smiling, friendly and even offered suggestions from the rather extensive menu.

And the food was fantastic, by any standard. We didn't even scratch the menu's surface, ordering the pan-fried dumplings to start (fantastic!), followed by sweet and sour sesame chicken, barbecued pork lo mein noodles and kung pao beef. All of it was awesome and I have eaten at some nice Chinese food places in Niagara and Toronto.

I can't wait to get back and try more of the vast selection which, by the way, includes a full page of sushi selections.

So yes, there is some light in the darkness, some sweet in the sour and some flavour in the Thompson food.

Food Critics

So now that the kitchen is pretty much in order, I am starting to feel creative again. And so, with that in mind, I set about creating something new for the boys for supper last night. No recipes, no guides, just combining stuff I figured would result in a delicious main course.

I browned some Italian sausage meat. I sauteed some diced onion and pepper. I mixed in some nice tomato sauce. I added a pinch of this and a dash of that. I made rice in beef bouillon and served the meat and veg concoction on top. I thought it was great.

My young charges, however, disagreed.

At first, Sonwun liked it. Then he didn't. Then mom came home and he liked it again. He was encouraged to finish his supper with an ice cream dessert incentive. A few minutes later he declared that he didn't want any ice cream.

Sontoo sat in his high chair and, after a few bites, began flicking my delicacy on to the floor. He pushed what was left on his plate around, patted it down with his sippy cup and then flicked some more at the dog. Thankfully, at least the dog didn't turn up her nose. She ate it and liked it.

In an effort to provide some nutrition, I gave Sontoo a piece of bread and butter, which he devoured. And then he returned to the flicking game.

After supper, I cleaned up the little one, the floor and the dog, in that order. And when I was done, I cleaned up the kitchen. In the meantime, Sonwun had fed the dog and Sontoo, in his final insult to my culinary creativity, helped himself. He had four pieces of the crunchy dogfood in his mouth when I caught up with him.

So I guess, tonight, it's beans and toast. They both will eat it.

As for today, I've already been up on the roof cleaning the eavestroughs. They need to be replaced, which I knew when we bought this place. The do-it-yourselfer who installed the cheap plastic crap didn't even do it correctly. There is no slope and he used enough caulking (at least I think it's caulking) to effectively block water at every joint. He should not have done it himself.

More rain in the forecast for today and the next few days. We'll see if the cleaning was enough to get by for a bit. If not, it's gonna be a busy time in the next week or two.

Storm Ahead

The day dawns in a dreary way. Thunder, rain and more to come.

But it's not so bad. It will be an indoor day and a chance to further explore the new house with Sonwun and Sontoo.

Yesterday we attended our first RCMP party in Thompson. It was good. Nice bunch of people and a few of them have kids in the same age range as our two. It's a smaller group here, in that the Ident and MCU folks tend to hang out together and the general duty folks do the same.

It's somewhat comforting to know, and meet, others in the same boat; others who are frustrated by the land prices in Thompson, others who can't believe the level of service at stores in town (at the Timmy Ho drive-through, the voice on the speaker actually said to one of the party-goers, "Welcome to hell, what do you want.") and others who are blown away by the amount of broken glass scattered around the playgrounds.

And it's nice to know there are others who have been through the "year of hell" that we are about to embark upon. It will begin August 17 when the wife heads to Ottawa for seven weeks of ident training, leaving Sonwun and Sontoo in my hands 24-7. That will be followed by 12 months that the wife will be working during the day and studying at night to complete the second phase of training. We're told we won't see much of each other and we are doing our best to mentally prepare for that. But I know that no matter how much we prepare, it's going to be tough.

At the party yesterday, I was promised help from those that have completed their year of hell. A day out here, someone to blow off steam with, a dinner there - the kinds of things we will need to survive.

So I guess we'll enjoy the coming month, scour the community for "Mommy and Me" groups that will accept Daddies, enroll Sonwun in swimming lessons, or music lessons or something to stimulate his mind and provide friends his own age. And we need to find a reliable babysitter or two, for the nights I need to escape.

That's Policy

The end is near . . . I hope.

The seas are becoming rough in what was once a calm-water voyage through the RCMP IRP. So, what advice do I have for those preparing to set sail? Read the freakin' IRP through two or three times. Make sure you understand every word. Because if you don't, it may come back to bite you in the ass.

Now I should warn you, if you plan to get into this boat and read on, put on a lifejacket and seatbelt. It's a long and rough trip.

Let's start with the appraisal on the Gimli house. When we were getting ready to sell, we were told that we needed an appraisal. I was worried about this at the time, because I was afraid the appraiser would undervalue my house, and then the CRSP would put pressure on to list it for less than I thought it was worth.

Fortunately, at the time, we ignored the advice of the realtor, put the house up for more than she suggested, and sold it in two days - before the appraisal was completed.

Now, I figured that the house was sold, no need for appraisal now. We know the market value - it is what it sold for. And so I continued by trip through the IRP process under that assumption. (And you know what they say about assuming!)

Throughout the sale, purchase and move, I contacted my CRSP regularly by phone and email. I asked if everything was in order, was there anything more I needed to do. I stayed on top of the process and all seemed to be going well.

And then came packing day. I got a call and an email from my CRSP telling me I needed an emergency appraisal on the house. This was on the Thursday before we left for Thompson (on Saturday). The reason, I was told, was that we had to pay the real estate commission on 119 acres of the land we sold. The IRP would pay the commission on the house and a little over 1 acre.

And yes, it's right there, plain as day, somewhere in the 105-page IRP. Missed that one.

Fair enough, says I. But why bother with an appraisal? Why waste the taxpayer's money? We know what it sold for, why not just decide on the split? I suggested 90/10, with 90 for the house and 10 for the land. It seemed pretty fair to me, based on discussions with the realtor prior to the sale.

No, no, no, says the CSRP. Policy dictates that we must spend money on an appraiser, have him decide what the house is worth and then just assign the rest of the asking price to the land. I didn't like that. But policy is policy and the RCMP and bureaucrats everywhere love their policy.

And so, I hired an appraiser for Tuesday - one day before possession of the Gimli home by its new owners. As I would be in transit, I asked the CSRP to make arrangements with the appraiser (the one she suggested) to have him pick up the keys at my lawyer's office on Tuesday and complete the appraisal. OK, said the CSRP.

And so, on Wednesday, I called to see who it went and how much of the real estate commission I would be choking on.

The appraisal didn't happen, my CSRP told me. Seems the appraiser, she said, went to pick up the keys and my lawyer had already given them away to the new owners. Did you tell the lawyer that the appraiser was coming? Yes, said the CSRP.

I was not impressed and called the lawyer's office to see what the heck happened. And I got another story. Seems the appraiser didn't show up at all on Tuesday. But called on Wednesday morning (possession day) at 10 a.m. (possession was at 9 a.m.) and therefore could not get the keys.

I phoned the CSRP back and, eventually, got talking with the "Team Leader," who explained that there was a foul-up, and that the appraiser had called my Real Estate agent for the keys on Tuesday and something went awry.

Exsqueeze me? How did the appraiser know who the real estate agent was? Why would he phone her? How on earth did this happen?

The Team Leader said she'd look into it and get back to me. In the meantime, from my house in Thompson, I would have to contact the new owners, get permission for the appraiser to come by and permission to give him their phone number to set up the appointment.

I was a little ticked off. And a flurry of tense emails and phone calls followed. I once again proposed a 90/10 split to put an end to this mess. It was once again rejected on three different levels. No, I was told, we need the appraisal, we need the permissions and we need them now.

Fine, I said, I will get the permissions and you can arrange the appraisal. This was agreed upon. On Monday, I contacted the new owners and got my permissions. I let the CSRP, Team Leader and RCMP Relocation Coordinator know and left it in the CSRP's capable hands. I'm still waiting to hear what happened.

Why am I so bothered by all of this? Well, in addition to all of the phone calls, emails and headaches, there is the financial impact. If I'd known that I was responsible for this portion of the real estate commission, I would have set aside money from the "Personal Envelope" to deal with it. But, as I did not see this storm coming, I allocated that money to a Mortgage Interest Buydown, and I do not have any left to cover this cost. That ticks me off.

So why am I telling you all of this? I guess it's a warning to others heading out on the IRP ocean. You have to know what has to be done. You can not rely on others to know it for you, or to protect you if they miss something. Be warned, be wary and read the freakin' 105-page IRP, as well as the 100+ pages of the CSRP document "It's your move." Know what they say, do what they say, and stay on top of everyone involved - bankers, real estate agents, lawyers and Contracted Relocation Service Providers. They may be there to assist you, but in the end, if there are mistakes, errors, ommissions, it's your ass, not theirs.

That's policy.

It's all New Again

Good morning and welcome to Tuesday.

Today, I plan to check out some on-line ways to make a little extra cash. I'm very, very leery, as most of these things seem to be scams. So, first on my list, is acquisition of some anti-virus, anti-malware software. I'm entering what I consider the red-light district of cyberspace and will feel better with a virtual condom.

So I've enlisted the help of my brothers at the Dad Stays Home website. Great place, by the way, for Stay-at-Home dads to meet to discuss everything from recipes and diaper changes to current events, sports and problems with our significant others. There are plenty of SAHD geeks here who, I'm sure, will let me know what software I need to protect my iMac.

Anyway, the first site I plan to check out is Mypoints.com. I saw a piece on the news about this site. It's not big money or anything, but it's a place to start. From what I understand, you read websites, take part in surveys . . . stuff like that, to earn points. These points are then converted into gift cards at on-line stores and such.

To be honest, I'm not expecting to make big bucks with this one, but it's something I can do in my spare time (nap time) and, hopefully pick up a little extra spending money. I will let you know how it goes. But, as I said, first step is protection.

In other news, the wife is back to work and I'm adjusting to life in Thompson. It's a different world here, I must say. And I'm feeling what I believe to be claustrophobia, to some extent. My backyard is about 1/100th the size of the old one. So stepping out back for a breath of fresh air is not at all the same. I am surrounded by neighbours, not nature. I hear a thousand sounds, but I don't hear the rustling of the leaves in the trees, or birds singing.

Must stop comparing. This is the new reality and there is plenty of positives. Must focus on those. Anyway, my little world is waking up and it's time to get busy.

Have yourselves a great day.

Well good morning all!

It's another chilly morning in the great white north and we've survived our first week in Thompson.

Sonwun and Sontoo are adjusting to the new home - Sonwun enjoying the carpeted stairs like a toboggan run, and Sontoo loving the mirrored closet doors and the little man reflected in them.

Today is my first day back as SAHD, as mommy's off to work for a 12-hour shift today. Time to establish, or re-establish the routines that have been left behind in the packing, loading, moving, unpacking, unloading festival that has been our life for the past week or so. While most of our stuff has found a new home in our new home, there are still a few things out of place, a few pictures to hang and a little readjusting of furniture to be done.

Today, Sonwun and Sontoo are very active and I'm anxious to get them outside. It's still a little chilly here, but should warm up in an hour or two.

I have an anxious feeling today, probably because there is still an outstanding issue with the house in Gimli, due to problems created by the CRSP. To make a long story as short as possible, the CRSP failed to get an appraisal of the property in Gimli before we moved. As a result, I must now get permission from the new owners for an appraiser to visit. That should not be a major problem.

Once the appraiser is in, however, he will decide what the house and one acre is worth. The IRP will pay for the real estate commission on that portion of the sale price. We will have to pay the commission on the other 119 acres. I'm bothered because, in the past, appraisers were a little inaccurate, in my opinion. If he comes up short, it means I will have to pay more than I should.

I have offered the IRP administrators a 90/10 split, with 90 per cent of the sale price representing the house and 10 the land. Based on discussions with my real estate agent at the time of sale, and on the selling price of the home, it's a fair split.

They would rather take the more difficult route and pay an appraiser, after the fact, to make this determination. I just disagree with the idea that whatever he decides the house is worth will be subtracted from the sale price and I'll have to eat the rest. I think the entire property needs to be considered and then a reasonable split needs to be determined. End of story.

But no. We're dealing with RCMP policy, which bureaucrats hide behind like a fortress. Sure, it might cost taxpayers more, but that's what policy says.

But I digress.

Sonwun is now outside playing in his new sandbox, and Sontoo is watching Bob the Builder. There is much work to be done, hanging towel bars, clearing up the basement, dishes, laundry and all that fun stuff.

First Impressions

Unloading day is behind us. Today is unpacking day and all is well so far.

Woke up this morning at 4:45 a.m. courtesy of Sontoo. The sun was pretty much up over the horizon, having disappeared last night at around 10:30. And the first thing I did was head off to Tim Horton's for a couple of coffees. Why? Because I can. After spending eight years in a Horton-less town, I will probably be drinking a few gallons a day for the next little while, until the novelty wears off.

Anyway, met a few of the neighbours yesterday. And, for the most part, they seem great. Across the street are Dave and Cathy. Each of them dropped by for a few moments during the day. He stopped in to let us know that garbage day is on Tuesday and that he actually considered taking the rails off our porch, prior to our arrival, as a practical joke. I like the way he thinks. He also let me know he's converted his garage to a man-shed, complete with beer fridge, TV and pool table. I really like the way he thinks.

Cathy had stopped by earlier with her two chocolate labs to sniff our dog Sabra and vice versa. So our dog is making friends, with the notable exception is the German Shepherd in the backyard behind our house. Sabra and that dog exchanged a lot of loud and vicious insults yesterday, but both seemed to respect the four-foot fence separating them . . . for now.

As for the cat, Oliver, he spent the day hiding up in the drop ceiling of the basement while the movers unloaded. We didn't see him all day, until the workers left and the wife and I were out on the front porch taking a well-deserved break. And then there he was, walking down the middle of the street. We had no idea how he'd escaped. But the doors had been open all day and we'd been busy.

We called out to him gently, not wanting to spook him. He stopped and looked at us, then continued slowly walking away. The wife slowly followed, calling out. Each time he heard his name, he stopped, looked and then continued up the street.

Obviously we were concerned, as Ollie has been an indoor cat from the time we brought him home. He does not understand The Hood and the roving gangs of cats in Thompson that would surely steal his lunch money and beat him senseless.

I joined the slow-speed pursuit up the street. While the wife stayed on his tail, I circled ahead, four houses up the road, to cut off his escape. Ollie found a utility trailer in a driveway three houses north of ours, climbed in and settled quite comfortably. While the wife held his attention, I snuck up on him and then gently called his name. He turned and slowly came toward me. I grabbed him by the scruff of the neck (as I didn't want to lose him or get scratched) and handed him off to the wife.

All the way back to the house, she held him and spoke soothingly, but Ollie was clearly upset with the situation. The fur on his back was up, his tail was four times its normal size. His adventure in the hood had really spooked him.

When we made it back to the house, Sabra was waiting at the door. In an effort to ease the tension, the wife put Ollie on the floor and said "Look Ollie, it's your buddy Sabra."

The cat took one look at his "buddy" hissed like a steam engine and then left skid marks on the hardwood floor as he bolted up the stairs. We thought this was a little strange. And so, on a hunch, I went downstairs to the hole in the drop ceiling where Ollie had disappeared earlier. I called out. And I heard Ollie's faint meow and then the sound of his paws in the ceiling as he came toward me.

As quickly and quietly as possible, we slipped the neighbour's cat back out the door.

In our defence, it really, really, really looked like Oliver. Same colour, same size and, hey, he did respond when we called. He walked like Oliver and even acted like Oliver (with the exception of his reaction to Sabra, but, in retrospect, I guess that was understandable).

We're just hoping that no one saw the wacky new neighbours stalking a neighbourhood cat, grabbing it by the scruff of the neck and hauling it back to their new home before traumatizing it with an introduction to a strange dog.

Anyway, today is a new day. The unpackers are expected at around 8 a.m. We're all looking forward to an end to this little moving adventure and the beginning of our new life here in Thompson.

Let's Make a Deal

So, barring any surprises during the home inspection, we will soon be the proud owners of one of Thompson's overpriced homes.

It came down to two houses. One had a nice interior, but not much of a garage and not much of a yard. The other had a nice yard, good garage, but the inside needed some carpet and other carpentry related adjustments.

Given that winter tends to last for about 8 months here, we figured the nicer interior made a little more sense than a nicer yard that will be enjoyed only from, at best, June to September.

Anyway, it's a two-storey pad; finished basement with a gas fireplace to boot. It has decent carpet upstairs, hardwood floors in the living room, an island in the kitchen, complete with cooktop, and a built-in oven. There two good-size bedrooms for the boys, and a nice master bedroom for mommy and me - and all the bedrooms are on the same floor.

We checked with the local cops regarding the neighbourhood, and we're told it's relatively quiet. There's a good school nearby with a nice playground and the neighbour I spoke to seems nice. As I said before, it's not easy to consider all things that need consideration in a short visit to a new city. But we've done our best. And while we are pleased with our new digs, we find it difficult to celebrate when we feel the prices are just ridiculous. But it is what it is and there ain't much we can do about it.

So what's next in the little whirlwind adventure? According to the IRP, once this deal closes, we need to start getting ready to move. Off the top of my head, that means letting all who need to know our new address, and making arrangements to change our phone, internet, satellite TV and hydro. We must collect our medical and dental records, vaccinate the dog (had to do that anyway), maybe have a yard sale to lighten the load for the move and talk to the folks at the post office.

We are also supposed to start using up our staples and frozen food. Anyone know of any good recipes involving the case of cream of asparagus soup we bought a year ago because it was "such a great deal?"

If you can include a couple dozen frozen waffles and pogo sticks in the recipe, it would be helpful.

Anyway, home inspection tonight, probably meet with home inspector tomorrow to go over his report, and then we head home. After a few days in a small hotel room with two early-rising tots, I'm ready. And after the same amount of time in Thompson, I'm ready to soak up all of the time I can on our acreage in Gimli - before it's all gone.