Lethbridge

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Thoroughly Spoiled!

This past winter was the first in my life where life wasn’t a struggle and that I was snug and warm in even the coldest temperatures. I knew that getting back into the RV would take some readjusting, but I seriously underestimated how cold it would get in there last night! I woke up around 6 and turned on the heat, but what I really needed was an extra blanket, which was in The Apartment. I don’t like to sleep with my electric blanket on, so that was out of the question. I still had a better (quieter, darker, restful) night than I’ve had in months and the cold meant snuggly cats! Oh, it’s good to be home!

I made coffee at home this morning (yay for propane, which boils water about 10 billion times faster than electric coils) and poured it into my to-go mug to take to the Apartment. I’ll focus on doing my bookkeeping this morning, then run last minute errands this afternoon. For one thing, I don’t want to forget to pick up my last pay cheque! I’m sore from all the work yesterday, but I really can’t take it easy today. I know I have way more to do than it looks like.

As an update to yesterday’s woes, a good soak with water got the toilet flapper working, and then I lubed it with veggie oil. So except for a leaky tap, it looks like I’m good to go.

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There’s No Place Like Home

My office is still set up in The Apartment and I still have some flotsam and jetsam to bring down to the rig, but the hard part of the move is done. WHEW.

Jody and Gary arrived around 6 to help me bring things downstairs. Gary brought the things I’d left at their place all winter, including the propane tank and jerry cans… which were returned to me full! Can you believe him? What an awesome going away present! The hard work done, Jody treated us to a farewell dinner at Montana’s.

My day wasn’t done, though. I made several trips down to the rig to bring the cat stuff and the cats. I then made up the bed. Now, I’m going to have a shower, make sure the iPad is loaded with a good movie, and head down for a good night’s sleep in my home.

Tomorrow is going to be full, too, but Saturday should be a reasonably leisurely departure day.

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RAIN! Why Does it Have to Be RAIN!

I awoke to a torrential downpour. On the bright side, it could have been a snowstorm. I decided to go ahead with at least part of today’s plan and at least get gas, propane, and water.

Getting out of my spot was no big deal, just a bit of back and forthing until I could swing her around. I had Miranda on the street and ready for her errands by 11:15.

First stop was propane, the Gas King on North Mayor Magrath. From Mayor Magrath, the pumps are on the wrong side for filling an on board tank, but you can turn onto 2 Avenue North to come in from around the back and get lined up correctly. I was then able to back Miranda up a bit so I could turn and get into the gas pump lanes. Propane was  75 cents a litre (about $40 for a fill-CHEAP) and gas was $1.18 a litre (about $220 for a fill-cheaper than just about anywhere else in Canada). Be careful coming out of there if you plan to turn right onto 2nd to turn left on Mayor Magrath because the entrance is super steep. I heard quite a bit of scraping, which was my tow hitch hitting pavement. It looks okay, but I am going to have to do a thorough inspection before I leave.

Next, I headed for the dump station at the corner of Scenic Drive and Mayor Magrath South to attempt to dewinterize my water system. I think I got everything, but between the sound of the rain and that of the traffic, it was hard to check for leaks.

Issues that have come up:

-The water heater won’t fire up. Could be because it’s soggy out. Will keep trying. There is water in the tank, so that’s not the problem.

-The tap in the dressing room sink is leaking. I was having issues before the winter, so I’ll take it apart and see if it just needs a new washer. I’ll just have to be sure to keep the water pump off when I don’t need water until I fix this.

-The toilet flapper won’t open. It seems to be glued shut! No idea what I can put to destickify it without ruining the seal. Any thoughts?

Besides that, everything looks good. The fridge fired up immediately both on 120V and on propane. I’ve had the fridge on 120V for a few days, so it’s nice and cold.

I was going to do a billion trips down to the rig today, but it’s way too nasty for that. I’ll focus on making sure the way is clear to get the pallets and mattress in, but that’ll probably have to be it for today. I’ll do a bit of work on The Apartment, but will do my bookkeeping work today that I was going to do tomorrow.

I am still sleeping in Miranda tonight!

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Last Night in the Apartment!

I can’t believe that tonight will be the last of sleeping in the same room that I cook and work in! And no more noisy fridge!

I have a few hours of transcription to do, and then I am off for a solid week. I have handed in my final time card for the apartment complex, so I am officially done there. Oh, I am available for questions, but I’m not going to be sitting in the office any more.

Sometime tomorrow, I will pull out and get Miranda prepped, then Jody (who has decided to come after all) and Gary will be coming to help me with the furniture. The Apartment doesn’t look anywhere ready, but I know that everything will come together quickly. I haven’t decided yet when the cats are going back into the rig. They will either be shut in the bathroom here or in the back of the motorhome during the move, but I want them to sleep in Miranda tomorrow with me as leaving them alone in a half empty apartment will be traumatizing to them.

I can’t believe how quickly the last six months have passed!

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On Schedule, But Feeling the Pressure

I have another full day of transcription, so I didn’t start anything in the rig today that I couldn’t finish in a few hours. I woke up feeling ambitious and was going to put on a coat of yellow in the front room and loft, but the amount of transcription ahead of me this week curtailed that enthusiasm. I will paint one wall that is getting on my nerves, but that is all.

So today I redid the entrance stairwell. I cannot believe what a difficult project it is to make it look nice and still be water tight. It’s much, much better than the last attempt to improve it, but still not particularly photogenic.

I also brought down a couple of loads, including some food! Having food back in the rig is really starting to make departure day feel very real. I started the fridge on AC yesterday, and it’s already nice and cold, but I won’t be putting anything into it until I fill up the propane.

With all that needs to be done with the rig, it’s easy to forget other issues I need to tend to before departure. The biggest priority are my taxes and end of this invoicing period’s bookkeeping. I did remember to call the credit card company today to inform them that I’ll be traveling through the US, but declined to purchase my travel medical insurance until I know for sure what date I’ll be attempting a border crossing (it looks like Monday, not Tuesday, at this point!).

Jody has decided that I don’t need her help to get my mattress back in the rig and the borrowed furniture out of The Apartment, so departure will really depend on Gary’s schedule. I asked him for help the last time I went for dinner and he was amenable, so it’s just a matter of finding a matching free time slot. I would really rather do it earlier in the day so that I still have a few hours to square away The Apartment so I can spend just one night in the parking lot here, but if it ends up being a couple of nights, that’s fine.

A week from today, I will most definitely be back home, on the road. This winter, the best of my life, has been an incredible personal and professional journey, but I am more than ready to see what comes next.