Another overdue update.
How To Unfinish A Basement (Part 1)
Our house was a steal of a deal any way you slice it. Homes in rural Nova Scotia tend not to break the bank unless they are outlandishly sized or on really large lots. Our little bungalow on its half acre came at a great price, and one key selling point was its large, newly renovated basement. The upstairs was dated to say the least, and would (eventually) need new flooring, trim, paint, etc. The basement, though, looked pretty good. It had freshly painted walls, new doors, and lovely laminate flooring. It was live-in ready.
We never got to live in it. It completely flooded before we managed to move in. And even as we forced ourselves to see the silver lining of not having lost any of our possessions to water damage, it was still a hard pill to swallow that the finished basement we had only seen once was already gone. Continue reading “How To Unfinish A Basement (Part 1)”
The Waiting Game
Kate and I arrived in Nova Scotia on a Thursday. We had driven our way across a large portion of our nation, and in the middle of December, no less. The weather had been largely on our side. We had some cold days, sure, but they were clear, and we had bare roads (or close to bare roads) the whole way… almost.
With approximately 50 km left to go in a 4,874 km journey, we hit snow. Our tiny, adorable vehicle carved its way through thick layers of white, fighting to hold her own against the wind. We traveled at approximately half speed, four-ways flashing, and we squinted to read the exit signs as we passed. Our entire cross-Canada trek had consisted of about fifty solid hours of winter driving, and this last leg was by far the most excruciating.
That experience set the tone for everything that followed. Continue reading “The Waiting Game”
Month One: A General Update
This post has been a long time in coming.
While it has been much longer than a month at this point, I’m not really counting the time we were here in December.
One, because it was Christmas.
Two, because I was sick as a dog.
Three, because it didn’t really start to feel real until January.
So why haven’t either of us written anything? Continue reading “Month One: A General Update”
The Eve of Leaving
It’s been rough since the movers came.
Between the stress of being displaced from our home, and trying to run errands almost every day, it’s made for some interesting sleeps. I’ve had more nightmares in the past week than I can remember ever having consecutively.
I’ve become very good at pushing my emotions down until I am alone. I didn’t cry on the last day of work, despite a lovely and sweet send-off from my bosses and coworkers. I didn’t cry at the last get together with some childhood friends. I didn’t cry at my last lunch with my brother. I didn’t cry when I saw my bestie for the last time this afternoon.
But yesterday, driving back to my sister-in-law’s place (where we’ve been staying during our last week+ of limbo), I broke down and bawled. Full on, driving through the freezing cold, sobbing my guts out. Yesterday was my last day at my job, working for an amazing company. I haven’t been unemployed since I was sixteen, and the constant inquiries as to what work I have or haven’t lined up yet suddenly felt like an oppressive weight on my chest. Continue reading “The Eve of Leaving”
Living in Chaos
We’ve got two full days left until the movers come, and it still feels a little surreal for me.
We’re living fully in chaos right now. Most of our stuff is packed – or sold – but we’ve still got what feels like a lot to pack. The movers come at 8 am on Wednesday, and we’re wrapping up Sunday night here. We will likely have to do our moving out walk-through by noon, so that leaves us very little time to clean after the movers are done. Continue reading “Living in Chaos”
twochicksinthesticks.com 