Treasures, trash, and tremors

This was a purchase from last week's garage sale foray. It's hanging on the wall in my dinette area.

It was another busy week, and definitely a productive one. I had met with M, the secretary of the social committee on Sunday and she had provided the funds collected and the bills paid during the month of December. I did a bit of work on the spreadsheet I created and realized I needed more info than she had given me. I reached out to the former treasurer and she came for a visit in the evening to go over some things and we realized the M had what I needed but for some unknown reason had held onto it. Well, I could speculate but I won't.

We (social committee) had a meeting on Monday at the bank to revise the signing authorities. What a process! T and I had to provide personal information and our ID's which was fine, and the board had provided a copy of the resolution allowing us to be on the bank account. That was fine, but the time it took for the clerk and her manager to review the documentation was lengthy. It did give us time to consider options for future events but seriously, the time they spent on their review seemed excessive. Then we learned that the board would need to complete another document with their signatures before everything would be implemented. Another trip to the bank is in my future.

I also met with E that morning to look to see what paint they purchased a couple of years for the pool. It was supposed to be done then but the fellow who was to organize did a bit of painting on his own and then walked away from it. The paint they purchased then can't be used so we'll be purchasing more... and this time the job will get done!

I've starting working on the cushions for the gazebo chairs, and picked up spay paint for the plastic Adirondack chair. At happy hour, S and I made plans to visit Michaels on Tuesday afternoon*. I needed white thread to sew the cushions closed and wanted to pick up a couple more knitting needles. I have a project started but not ready to share just yet, let's see how it goes.

Tuesday I did some necessary clean up of the gazebo in early morning. The wind had knocked over the table and my pot of succulents was smashed on the floor. I don't recall the words I used, but there definitely some things said out loud. Later I picked up another pot at Walmart - a plastic one - and I repotted them. One of them lost a few pieces but otherwise were no worse for wear. I'm going to research what I can do with the pieces of the pot - a mosaic of some sort perhaps? It was so pretty, I hate to toss it away.

About 10 a.m. I met with a couple of the guys next door to help clear the hoarder's sheds. OMG, you would not believe the stuff we pulled out of the first shed (and the second on the following day). Tools including a circular saw, two or three routers, a drill press, a table saw, several other types of saws, as well as a jack hammer. There were smaller tools too, along with several tool boxes, kitchen appliances, a 3 speed bike, and sundry other items. There was even a vintage ice cream maker! The entire shed was full and packed to the rafters. We sorted and cleared pretty much everything and took several loads to the garbage and recycling. 

We started on the second shed on Wednesday mid-morning. It was smaller than the first but filled entirely as well. Fun things we found included an old knob metal detector, a smaller ice cream maker, an old office chair, a humidifier, a foot spa, a propane tank cover, more tools - a band saw, I think, and the list went on. We threw out a number of items as well. Since it was a smaller shed, we were finished our clean-up before noon, and packed anything with any value in the sheds. The rest was sorted on the table or to one side. Besides the one fellow and I, we were joined by three other women. Two didn't have masks so I told them to stay out of the sheds, and they had the task of wiping down things as we brought things out and sorting. 

Overnight I experienced something I've never felt before. About 3 a.m. I was awaken by the feeling of the unit moving and I could hear the metal of the shed below the bedroom rattling below me. Initially I thought it was due to wind, but realized that the I couldn't hear the ornament I have on the front of the until banging. It didn't last long and I fell back to sleep. When I woke in the morning, I initially thought I'd dreamt it. Just out of curiousity I asked Google if we'd had a earthquake, and yes, there was a 4.4 earthquake at Holtsville about 50 miles away. At coffee hour, our oldest resident P reminded us that if the earthquake was more severe, we should get out of our trailers. She, however, acknowledged that she hadn't thought to do that at the time. The rest of the group seem to have slept through it.  

The sale of the salvaged items will be held on Saturday at the same time as the park garage sale. However, we'll have to keep it separate as a portion of the proceeds will be credited to the family of the former owner. 

We finished in time for me to clean myself up before Canasta in the afternoon. We played guys vs. gals and by the end of the game we were down 65 points from the guys team. We won last week, so next week will be the rubber match. Unless of course, the guys win and then we'll go best out of five. :p

I managed to fill Thursday as well, with coffee hour in the morning, a stop at the bank to make a deposit, and a run a few stores for coffee and event supplies. We are having a chili sale and bake sale to be held concurrent with the planned garage sale. Catching up on the social committee spreadsheet and reconciling the cash took up a little time too. But all is straightened out and up to date. I expect I'll be giving an update at the AGM in early February.

Friday afternoon, we prepared for the garage sales. Tables were set up across from the club house for items that ere donated by individuals in the park. L gave us direction in the pricing of items and we organized the tables by category. Stepladders with a pole between them were used to hold the clothing....and there was a lot of those items. I didn't think to take a picture until the evening, but you can see how filled the area is. We even sold several things that afternoon. :)

At Charlie's D uncovered the table and set out some of the items on the driveway, but the large tools and other items were left in the sheds. We do a "pre-sale" for the park residents, and they were able to walk through the sheds. We didn't have a lot of interest that evening, but I suspect today will be a different story.

I'll admit I'm not looking forward to a day outdoors at the sale. H has agreed to let us borrow a table with an umbrella, and I'll have my gazebo available for anyone who wants to get out of the sun for a bit. Our forecasted high is 80F/27C and while the early morning will start out cool, the heat will be on by 10 a.m. There is no natural shade but I'll make sure I have on sunscreen, my hat and shades and take a break when I can. Wish us luck!

*I cleaned up after lunch and went to Michaels with S and then forgot to buy the thread. :p I finally picked it up on Friday when I went to buy plastic bags for the bake sale items. I even managed to sew the seat cushions up before lunch!

Have a great week ahead everyone!

Friday Funny

 

Wordless Wednesday

 

Keeping busy, too busy maybe?

Despite the rocky start this week passed by very quickly! I slept for nearly eleven hours the first night and woke up happy to be in my snug little winter home. I had turned the furnace on before I went to bed, and it ran a few times overnight.

I had not turned on the water though, and did that after my breakfast of tea and toast. I don't drink the water from the tap, but had a couple of gallons on hand for cooking/making tea. 

When I went out to the car to head to the grocery store, I discovered my fob wasn't working. I'd left the second fob and another set of keys for the unit at J's place so headed down the street. But first, I ran into P and had a brief chat, and as I carried on T called out to me and I stopped for a visit there. D came out and joined us and I got caught up on the park happenings while I was away, and I shared the trials of my travels. When I mentioned my fob wasn't working, T explained the type of battery I'd need for my fob and offered to give me an extra he had on hand. I took him up on the offer and left the fob with him. 

Off down the street I went to J's where I picked up my extra fob and keys.  Then to the grocery store I went, as I needed fresh fruit and veg, bread, eggs, milk and cheese. The fridge freezer and pantry were still well stocked from November. Though I did forget a couple of things and had to make another quick trip the next day!

I got in a good visit with J in the afternoon. G, her electrician husband had taken care of the electrical issues I'd been happening. The dining room lights were a simple fix, as apparently there is a small switch in the panel that must have been bumped when we had been dealing with another issue. A fuse did need to be replaced as well and one other item that required supplies. In total, the price for those was $6. J told me G would be pleased if I paid for it with a bottle of red wine. Done and done!

I caught up with a few others on my way back to the unit, and of course I got to see everyone at Happy Hour. T also returned my other fob to me then.

Tuesday started off easy, as I had nothing planned until 10 a.m. L stopped by on her way back from the pool, with a load of boxes. I had asked if anyone had some as I wanted to sort through the items in the shed that I'd cleared out of the unit back in October. One of her swimming group had just moved and she offered to pick some up for me.

About 10, I met S at her place and we walked down to L's. It was thrifting day! Tuesday's are generally senior's day, with most shops offering a discount. I took advantage, finding a dress and cardigan, a puzzle, and a decorative item for the exterior of my unit at one store, two pairs of jeans at another, and two pairs of shorts for Eli at the third. We stopped for a light lunch at Goldsboro Bakery - I had a bowl of broccoli cheddar soup - so good - and a Boston creme donut - amazing!

Back at the park, it was time to get in some physical activity to wear off my lunch. The patio and gazebo needed to be swept and the floor washed. It was amazing how much dust had blown into the gazebo. There had been some rain too, which was evident on the patio. The furniture was pulled out and replaced as the floor dried. Meanwhile another couple, D and M were next door cleaning up the lot. The fellow who owned the trailer passed away a couple of years ago, and his family had finally agreed to have the unit removed. It was not habitable, and the removal was arranged while I was away. Apparently, a rat was living under the trailer and found its way into another unit where it ate a bar of soap! An exterminator was here this week to check things out and placed a number of traps. 

Wednesday was a busy, busy day. I started the morning pulling all of the items out of the shed and sorting them for the upcoming garage sale. The boxes came in handy and I was able to retrieve my shopping bags I'd packed things in. After dropping a load off at the clubhouse, I headed home to catch up on my banking and record-keeping. I should have gone to the exercise class but I decided I'd done enough walking with my trips too and from the garbage and recycling bins! 

There was a board meeting that morning as well, which was well attended. When the meeting was opened for questions, things got a bit heated. It's interesting to watch the interactions between various members, though at one point I did feel the need to interject on behalf of the board members. Perhaps I have a different perspective being a new member but I found some issues raised were trivial. Just for fun, the AGM is planned for next week and I've no doubt there will be more complaining at that meeting too. 

In the afternoon, I played Canasta before heading to Walmart to pick up batteries for the second car fob as it had died too. When I went to use in the morning, it wasn't working either! Good thing T had an extra battery for the first one, or I'd have been begging a ride. 

I had only one commitment on Thursday, the coffee hour at 9 a.m. I almost didn't go, as I had slept in until 7 and hadn't managed to even get my bed made that morning. After coffee hour, I spent much of my day dusting the unit, washing floors, cleaning the bathroom, and reorganizing spaces. I caught up on my U.S. banking as well and stopped by the office to confirm my e-mail address with the office manager. In other words, a whole lot of little things that kept me occupied.

The Saskatchewan provincial curling (men's and women's) had started on Tuesday and I spent the evenings (after Happy Hour) watching. In addition I was able to catch parts of the games during breaks between activities. I also managed to finish a book I had started before I left in December. "Lilac Girls" by Martha Hall Kelly is based loosely on the stories of the Rabbits - women who were used as surgical guinea pics by the Nazis at Ravensbruck during WWII. It is, at times, a difficult read, but a read worth making. 

I've been looking for a new knitting/crocheting project but haven't come up with anything I truly want to make. Instead I've turned my attention to the placemats and foam inserts I'll use to make chair pads for the plastic patio chairs. I ripped stitches on Thursday afternoon, and managed to cut the padding to the right shape for one cushion, and a second one on Friday morning. This may take a few days as I need to get some thread to sew the cushions closed. Plus it isn't horribly interesting project and I do have a tendency to procrastinate.

L and I went browsing at a couple more thrift stores on Friday, where I walked away with two t-shirts and a pair of pajamas for $3 at one, and a stapler for $1.50 at the other. She found a couple of things but neither of us spent a lot. Our next stop was Green Tree, a discount grocery type store, and finally Walmart. The last for toilet paper (me) and baking soda (her). 

In the afternoon I met with E, as she will be leaving the park on Wednesday. As our resident expert painter the task for organizing the painting party for the hot tub building is being left to me. E will give me an estimate of the amount and type of paint and primer to purchase - the walls are concrete. We will need to scrape and prime the walls before painting. In the meantime our handyman is busy rebuilding the shower area. The tile has been purchased for the shower walls and floor. It is going to be really nice when complete.

Today four of us are off to go to the garage sales at Country Roads RV park. I am still looking for a small shelving unit that is approximately counter height. I have so little counter space in my kitchen and an extra two feet to fill that space would be so appreciated. Beyond that I truly need nothing unless I find a can of paint I can use for my outdoor table. :p

Next week is shaping up to be quite busy too. For now, my plan for the rest of the weekend is rest and relax. Wish me luck. :)

Have a great week ahead everyone!

Friday Funny

 

Wordless Wednesday

 

Bumps in the road

Well, that didn't go as planned. My flight out of Regina was delayed just under 2 hours. It meant I wouldn't likely make my connection in Calgary, but just before we took off I had a message saying that flight was also delayed.

Upon arrival in Calgary I made my way across the terminal from A to E. Went through security and customs before grabbing a bite to eat at my gate. I called my daughter with an update and learned that Palm Springs airport wasn't allowing traffic and two earlier flights had been diverted to San Bernadino. Apparently 40 airports in Southern California were dealing with an FAA issue...no idea what.

I mentioned it to the couple beside me - there may have been an expletive released and I felt the need to explain.  The woman went to the counter to ask, and was told they had no idea. One of the group got on the phone and about 10 minutes layer it was announced that our flight was cancelled.

We were escorted to the Canadian customs side, provided with a piece of paper indicating DNF (did not fly I presume) and released into the main airport. Another couple and I had no checked bags so hustled to the nearest WestJet desk....back in Terminal A and were able to re-book for the following morning. 

However because the situation was beyond the control of the airline there was no further assistance.  I was able to cancel my car rental as well as my hotel. The latter was non-refundable but I'd booked through Expedia and the agent there was able to get a refund. 

I did consider getting a room at the hotel in the airport but at $369 before taxes I decided I could manage an uncomfortable night on the benches. Back I went through security and the U.S. Customs. After a few phone calls I grabbed some food and watched a few videos on my phone.

It turned out the International portion of the terminal is closed overnight so I was escorted back to Canada side by security. It wasn't a comfortable night by any stretch of the imagination but I got a few hours sleep on the bench.

In the morning I lined up at the WestJet counter again. While I was able to get a boarding pass I was directed to an agent who supposedly needed more info. She didn't and I was heading through security just after 4 a.m. The U.S. customs hall didn't open until 4:30 but there were a number of agents so I was through in no time.

I needed to eat and I wanted plain old bacon and eggs. It was pricey but I got what I wanted at Wolfgang Puck's. Then it was off to another bench for a nap to wait for the flight.

We boarded by 9:15 and after a quick de-icing we're up and on our way. I slept through most of the flight. We were delayed getting into Palm Springs due to some radio communications issue according to the pilot. Once in the ground I headed to the car rentals to determine if a car would be available. As i suspected there were none. I had a vehicle booked the day before but the company was unable to honor that booking. I has the choice of finding a hotel and trying again the next day. Or I could take a cab to the nearest bus station and take the Flix bus to Yuma. While the second option wasn't inexpensive it was less costly than the first. 

So I finishing this post as we travel through the darkening sky. I'm not certain if the arrival time is local or based on California time but at most we're about 2 hours from Yums. My friend L will pick me up at the transit location and I'll be sleeping in my own bed tonight. Hooray!