We were warned about this! We were half-expecting it. Our car didn’t pass the inspection for BC auto insurance. Supposedly this is what happens when you bring a car from another province. We drive an old (2006) Kia Spectra, which we bought two years ago when our even older (2005)
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wmtc: the north island report: update on us
Things continue to fall into place here, a little at a time. I’m enjoying our quiet weekends. Allan is off every Saturday, Sunday, and Monday; I work Saturdays until 5:00, then I’m off Sunday and Monday. This is more time off together than we’ve had in a long time, and
Continue readingwmtc: looking back, looking ahead: the year that was 2018
Last year at this time, the wmtc i hate christmas tradition — after being in decline for several years — roared back in full swing. This year we enjoyed the two extra days off, and I found nothing to hate, or even dislike. About half the houses in our neighbourhood
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: The DWR Holiday Interlude – The West Wing – In Excelsis Deo
Christmas time. Celebrate the season; live with loss. Be happy; feel the keen echoes of what once was. Remain standing; help others when you can. Have a Merry Christmas and a Joyous New Year from all of us here at DWR. Arbourist Mystro Bleatmop
Continue readingwmtc: another piece to check off the list: we have a new vet
We knew there was a veterinary clinic in our area, the North Island Veterinary Hospital. But I was a bit concerned. This is a bias a mine, perhaps unfounded, but in my experience, people in rural areas may be less vigilant about the health of their dogs and cats, leaving
Continue readingwmtc: true confessions, or will laura buy new window treatments for a house that doesn’t need them
I don’t care much about clothes, shoes, bags. I don’t buy expensive cosmetics or skin-care products. As long as I have what I need, I’m good. It’s easy to watch my spending about any of those. But. There’s always a but, right? I love home things. Towels, linens, dinnerware. Rugs.
Continue readingwmtc: in which i buy shoes on the internet and this makes me way happier than it should
I have two stories to tell about my shopping habits. This is the one with a happy ending, the story that makes me appear to be a rational adult. On our road trip from Mississauga to Port Hardy, I quickly became aware that my boots had become useless. They were
Continue readingwmtc: the north island report: about that rain
The first few days after we arrived in Port Hardy, the weather was beautiful for late November. It was overcast, occasionally sunny, but around 8-10 C, with very little rain. Through December, it’s been raining off and on — mostly on. Occasionally it’s cold enough for freezing rain or light
Continue readingwmtc: the north island report: expense check
One thing we had heard about Vancouver Island as compared to the mainland is that everything would be more expensive — groceries, wine, personal care products, and so on. We’ve been looking at our receipts and discussing them (practically daily!) and we don’t find this to be true. I was
Continue readingwmtc: home at last: three days between the end of training and the start of work
I am so happy to be home! I got home late Friday night and on Saturday gave myself a full day off from all devices. My last few days of training were very interesting. I went back to Nanaimo for an all-day meeting for professional staff — regular librarians, next-step-up librarians
Continue readingwmtc: week two of training and counting days to go home
It was wonderful to have Allan and Diego with me this weekend. The weather was “cold” — cold for the island, between -2 and +3 C — and wet, and I wasn’t prepared for that, so we didn’t do a lot. We went to Ideal Cafe twice, a famous local
Continue readingwmtc: in which an old-fashioned mom-and-pop motel saves me from union busters
For the portion of my training taking place in Campbell River — two days this week plus all of next week — I was booked into the Coast Discovery Inn, a Coast chain property. Before this trip, I was unfamiliar with the Coast chain. Their slogan “Refreshingly Local” means they
Continue readingwmtc: guest post: allan and diego’s first week in port hardy
Allan wrote some really nice things about our new life, both in emails to me and on one of his non-baseball blog. With his permission, I’ve collected some of them here. * * * * I drove into town today, thinking I would go to the library and museum, but
Continue readingwmtc: a walk on the bay and a drive to nanaimo, plus photos of the rockies
I am in Nanaimo and will be in Campbell River, for two weeks of training. My former co-workers in the Mississauga Library are amazed and envious. Training in Mississauga ranged from nonexistent to inadequate. I’m at a lovely hotel in Nanaimo with a view of the harbor, but I’d much
Continue readingwmtc: eleven things about our new life in port hardy
Here are some really nice things about our new life in Port Hardy. 1. It is very quiet. In the house, we hear bird song, the occasional barking dog, a car going by. No sirens, car alarms, bus announcements, school bells, screaming children. We have never lived anywhere quiet. It’s
Continue readingwmtc: port hardy day one: perfect fish and chips, bad movers, wild wildlife
Coming to you live from my own desk and my own computer, from internet in our own place — after my first full night’s sleep in ten days. Yesterday was quite the day. The people who I hired to unload the truck arrived early, and unpacked the truck in record
Continue readingwmtc: the move west: day nine: delta to port hardy
We are here! At our new home! Very excited! We had a reservation on the 10:15 ferry from Tsawwassen to Nanaimo, but we had to get there super early. If you get a lower berth, you cannot stay in the car — which means we’d have to stay in the
Continue readingwmtc: the move west: day eight: sicamous to delta bc
Sicamous looked like a sweet little town, nestled on the shore of the Shuswap River, with mountains visible on two sides. We had breakfast at Grandma’s and Grandpa’s Family Restaurant. Most of the customers — seniors at that time of day — seemed to know each other and were talking
Continue readingwmtc: the move west: day seven: calgary alberta to sicamous british columbia
It’s very exciting to be past the mountains and in BC! We’re having a really good time. It feels like we’re on some kind of weird vacation where we don’t do anything but drive and eat, and when we’re done, we’ll go back to where we live — in Mississauga.
Continue readingwmtc: the move west: day six: swift current saskatchewan to calgary alberta
Greetings from Mountain Time! I had a friend from Denver who always said Mountain was the forgotten time zone. He may have been right: we forgot about the hour time difference until we saw the time on a bank sign. On the way out of Swift Current, the highway was
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