The best Christmas present ever - Part 2

Whirlwind weekend of driving from condo to condo, trying to be supportive and neutral ... 

Allison and realtor-par-excellence, Chuck, discussing the prices and various merits of one place over another ... 

Hours of FaceTime between Allison in Victoria and John and Hudson in Calgary, re-jigging budgets, trying to describe rooms and neighbourhoods, and  putting in a little Mummy time ... 

Celebration dinner at Cafe Brio while juggling cellphone, gnocchi, and counter-offers ... 


And the piece-de-resistance ...

A new home for Allison, John, Hudson and baby-to-be McNeill, only six blocks from our place.

Merry Christmas!

Powerless

They replaced the hydro pole in front of our place yesterday. We were warned that there would be no power for most of the day; we had forgotten what that meant.

No power means:

• no light
• no heat

It also means:

• no phone
• no radio
• no TV
• no internet
• no recharging of cell phone and tablet
• no coffee

And in an apartment building it means;

• no Enterphone (that thingy that  releases the door for guests)
• no elevator
• no automatic garage door opening 

Oddly, what I missed the most was the hum of the refrigerator ...

Travelling Road Show - 1976 to 1978

In 1976, Northwood Building Materials moved its Head Office to Winnipeg and I chose not to go with them.

I moved into to a row housing complex on Oak Street, bought IKEA furniture, and hung real drapes.

I started a new job, as an accountant, with Family Services of Greater Vancouver.  There I met a charming white-haired man who was to figure prominently in my future.

A year or so later, I bought a brand-new house on Dollar Road in the District of North Vancouver ...and started commuting from the suburbs to work downtown ... just like I used to from Beloeil to Montreal ...