Willow Bunch

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Finding Treasures

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Yes, that’s a guy hunting (gophers) behind my home. Doesn’t even make me blink anymore.

Moving on…

Those of you not on Facebook are going to have to wait to find out how my first week of work with my booster went! I want to make a few more adjustments.

My work week finished at 2:00 and as I got closer to that time, I realised that I had plenty of time to go to the Willow Bunch Thrift Shop before it closed at 4:00! I’m really not disliking my 6AM start time, except for the fact that I’m starting to eat at ‘weird hours.’ Yes, I just wrote that. Me who hasn’t had a ‘normal’ schedule in years. It’s funny how slowly becoming more of a morning person has changed things. But I digress.

I was greeted to a round of applause at the thrift store for my work on the internet situation. I was actually disheartened by this because everyone is so keen to tell me I’ve done good work on this, but no one wants to help. 🙁 I caught up with one of the ladies from the museum since we’ve only been corresponding about translations, then I started digging for treasure. And treasure I found. I actually got to the point where I said, “Enough!” and I made a beeline for the cash register without looking at anything else!

The first things I found were two tee-shirts. I really haven’t bought many clothes this summer because I didn’t need anything, but I have kept my eye out for tee-shirts. I buy cheap ones and rotate through them. I found two today that were colours I liked. The blue one has stitching on the sleeve that I’m not nuts about, but it’s otherwise in good condition and the colour is lovely. The pink one still has the original tag!

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Then, I found what I am fairly certain is a diaper bag, but I am planning to use it as a computer and airplane carry on bag. It is really cute. I love all the pockets, as well as the découpaged flowers!

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It has a lot of pockets in addition to the roomy middle compartment. There’s even a separate mini case for my cell phone.

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Then, I found a little purse/wallet. Much as I love the purse/wallet I bought in Madrid, after living with it for a few months I know it’s not going to work well for its intended purpose on Isla as it’s too big and floppy and the change compartment is too small to really see what you’re working with. Like in Mexico, I use a lot of coins in Canada, and if I’ve been frustrated here by how hard it is to pull out a toonie or whatever, I will go nuts in Mexico where most of my transactions are with coins.

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I like the colour and it is just as roomy as the Madrid purse/wallet, but will allow me to be better organized.

Finally, I bought a purse… I’m a sucker for a good quality genuine leather purse in a style that I don’t own. I had a colleague back at the government who was really into high end expensive purses and taught me how to spot one at a second hand shop. So when I saw that this purse had feet and a beautiful liner, I was not surprised to find the ‘genuine leather’ tag. Danier is a brand I know well from Quebec since they made my old coat that I am still mourning (except for the fact that it was a size 18 or 20 and I’m a size 6-8 now…).

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And the colour! It’s a dark rustic rose with coarse ecru stitching, totally me. It’s the perfect “in between bag” between my giant tote and my purse/wallet. I really don’t ‘need’ another purse, but this one could not be left behind.

That was it! I grabbed my haul and went down to the cash register, where I was glad I had my chequebook since I only had about $14 total on me. That was twice as much as I needed!!!! Yes, I paid $7 for this entire haul!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Reeling from shock, I left the shop and headed to the Jolly Giant pub to get a burger to go. That would put dinner around 3:30 by the time I got home, but I had breakfast at 5:00 and lunch at 10:00, so my stomach was adamant that it was time for dinner!

The burgers at the pub are just gorgeous, with a homemade bun, homemade patty, generous slices of tomato and red onion, romaine lettuce, real cheese, mustard, and relish (I have them hold the mayo). And look at those fries, just like what I’d get back in Quebec! A real bargain for $10.45.

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In Sync

Disclaimer: Anyone who has no use for modern gadgets and is going to leave a ‘I don’t have a smart phone and am proud of it’ comment, please don’t bother reading this post as it will be an eye roller for you. 😉

I was balancing the books yesterday and was frustrated by my inability to thoroughly keep track of my cash purchases. I was out a whole $25 that I couldn’t remember spending. When in town, I try to remember to input cash purchases into a note on my iPhone, but it’s clumsy, not quick to do on the fly, and then I have to put the information into my budgeting software. Since I pretty much only use cash in Mexico and want to keep better track of where I’m spending that money this winter since I know that I won’t just be spending on it primarily on food the way I was for almost four months last year, I really needed to come up with a better system.

I decided to investigate their iPhone version of the app, which promised to sync seamlessly with the desktop version through Dropbox. Now that I just about always have internet and unlimited bandwidth, syncing across the ether didn’t sound as scary as it once did, although it has always been a huge disaster with my Apple devices…

Well, I downloaded the iOS version of the budgeting app and tried it out when I was in Willow Bunch yesterday, immediately punching into the app the amounts spent at the pub and thrift store. It was much easier than creating a note in that the app could quickly pull up my payees with just a few keystrokes instead of having to type the whole name, recognize which categories they belong to, and has really big buttons to press to punch in the numbers instead of the tiny iPhone keyboard that pops up with the notes. When I got home and connected my Mac to the internet, my desktop app updated with the new purchases. Wow, cloud syncing could be wonderful!

So today, in between fits of work, I decided to figure out why I have such a hard time syncing between my Mac and my iOS devices. I’ve been trying to figure this out for five years, but never really pressed the issue because it wasn’t a critical issue for me. But now that I have an iPhone, work has really picked up, and I spend half the year out in the world and not staying cooped up at home 95% of the time, I need to be able to better use this powerful little pocket computer. If anything, I wanted to be able to have my calendar on my phone and not have to enter reminders on my Mac and then reenter them on the phone. I also go to bed with my iPad and wish that I could check my day’s to-do list and appointments before getting up, so syncing with it too would be a bonus.

I’m not quite sure how the epiphany came about this morning, but it didn’t take long for the light bulb to go on. My problem was that I have two Apple IDs (the reason for which I won’t bore you with) and have been using them pretty much interchangeably while I should have only been using one. So I took about a half hour (would have been much quicker with non-flaky internet) and made sure that all my devices were hooked up to the correct Apple ID and then I activated iCloud under that same Apple ID for each device. Bingo!

I still wound up with some duplicates and garbage information and it took me a moment to realise that the best way to clean that up is right in the cloud where everything is stored by signing in at icloud.com. But now that everything is synced and duplicates have been removed, I can update on whatever device I want and the changes appear seamlessly on each device (well, as long as my internet is cooperating).

I’ll be getting a new computer in a few weeks, so I’ll make sure to set it up properly from the get go.

Because I haven’t paid full price for an Apple device in ages (in fact, for all intents and purposes every one of my current devices was free!*) I sometimes forget how expensive they are and that I really should be maxing out their potential to get more value out of them. Cloud syncing is going to help me do just that!

Next step, when I have a lot more time to focus on the issue, will be to figure out how to link my Filemaker Pro database to the iOS app so that I can consult my invoices on the go. It happens about once a month that I get an invoice query from a client when I’m away from the desk, so it would be nice to at minimum be able to look up invoice numbers, amounts, and due dates.

I remember life with paper dayplanners and no internet at my fingertips and this is better. I can’t imagine running my little empire without these tools. I’m not a slave to them, but now that work is so much steadier and I’m expected to keep more normal business hours, it’s good to not be tethered to my desk and to feel that I can get away without announcing that I’m away.

(*My current Mac was a straight trade for my older computer, my iPad was mostly paid for with a generous work bonus, and my phone was absolutely free with a two-year contract because it’s an older model and they were clearing out stock)

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Taking It Easy

It’s quiet at Haven today. I’m just enjoying my space and taking a breather. I went to the thrift store in Willow Bunch this morning to drop off some donations and hoped to find a dresser or other item for starting on the shed organization project. But I came home with some puzzles and magazines, a sign from the universe that it’s okay to actually take a day off once in a while!

I came in and spent some time on the swing reading and then my neighbour from last night pulled up in his truck with “something for [my] gym.” It’s a Gazelle exerciser!

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Before the comments start, yes, I know that the Gazelle isn’t much of a workout. But it is perfect for my off treadmill days as it will still stretch out the muscles and get me moving without there being any impact on my knees. I am very happy to give this piece of equipment a good home!

Now, to find some weights!

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The Day That Time Stood Still

It’s been one of those days where I have no idea what time I got up, but it must have been early because every time I look at the clock it’s a full two hours earlier than I feel it rightly should be based on how much I’ve gotten done!

Today was a Town Day. There were a bunch of really good sales starting and a number of items that have been on my to buy list were heavily discounted. So the first thing I did this morning was revise my shopping lists and make sure I had everything in the truck that I needed to bring to town. This included a 5-gallon water jug and a couple of packages for the post office that I spent quite some time preparing.

I would have been ready to leave by about 7:45, but I wanted to wait for the post since I was expecting a cheque. Thankfully, the cheque was in my box at 9:30 and I was able to leave at 9:45.

I wanted to go to Assiniboia by way of Willow Bunch because my Co-Op equity cheque would be waiting for me there. It was obviously a detour (an extra 30KM), but the Assiniboia pick up date was on Wednesday, when I didn’t need to go to town. It was much cheaper fuel-wise to detour to Willow Bunch this morning than to just go to Assiniboia for the cheque and no other purpose on Wednesday. Plus, it would give me a chance to take highways 36 and 13, which I don’t often have an excuse to travel and they are scenic!

The detour was really worthwhile since there was a $101 cheque waiting for me! I get a refund based on the previous year’s purchases and I bought a lot of building materials (my roofs) as well as propane in the colder months.

I got to Assiniboia around 10:45 and my first stop was obviously the bank. Then, I went to Peavey Mart to pick up paint for the interior of my shed ($29.99 for 10L instead of $39.99), a paint tray ($0.99 instead of $1.49), a fluorescent light fixture ($19.99 instead of $29.99), and two cans of Rustoleum Leak Seal ($8.99 each instead of $12.99).

Next stop was for fuel so I wouldn’t get caught like last time! Fuel is at $1.08 right now, which is better than the $1.30 I was paying in the fall! We were apparently below a dollar while I was away!

After fuel, I popped into the Co-Op home store since they were advertising a 75′ 14-gauge extension cord for just $34.57, about 55% lower than the best price I’ve ever seen for that product! Small hiccup when I came in, their 14-gauge 75′ extension cords were marked at $54.57. They didn’t come up in the computer as being the product advertised on sale, even though they clearly were. No worries, we’re all part owners of the Co-Op, so the manager tends to rule in the customer’s favour. She figured that the one on the shelf was equivalent and gave me the discount after looking at a few other products on the shelf. She was very impressed that I could correctly identify all the cord gauges from 20′ away. 🙂

14-gauge is still a little light, but I can string two 75′ sections and have no voltage drop on a full 20A load, so that’s good enough for my needs. I don’t have power to my outbuildings yet, so I rely on extension cords. I have one running to the cabin for the freezer and washer and I need two to get to the shed and the front part of the property for the mower. So I’ve been needing an extra 14-gauge cord since I got the freezer and have been cautiously making do with a 16-gauge one.

Next, I dropped my truck between Home Hardware and the post office. I went to the latter to mail my packages and found the prices surprisingly reasonable, although it was twice as expensive to get a tracking number for a US parcel as it was to send it without one (I took a chance and opted for the cheaper option).

Home Hardware was my next stop for some self-sealing silicone tape for a plumbing repair. When I came out, it was only 11:40!!! I was ravenous by this point and decided to just go to Andy’s for the buffet. At $11.50, it’s really the best value in town and I knew I could get in and out quickly. I pretty much just had pizza and broccoli. The server remembered how much I love their broccoli and told me as I sat down that it would be right out. I can’t believe she remembered that! They put sesame oil on it. I should try that at home.

My final stop of the day was the food store since they were having their 10 for 10 canned good sales. Those are always super good value, but you have to buy 10 to get the deal. I have enough beans, chickpeas, ham, and spaghetti sauce to get me through the summer! I’m eating a lot of spaghetti sauce again now that I’m doing the zucchini ‘noodles’ I discovered last year. At $1 for a large tin (Hunt’s brand, which is excellent!), it’s just not worth making my own sauce anymore (something I used to spend a day slaving over the stove doing).

Groceries packed into the truck, I headed home, where I pulled in at just past 1:00, just a little over three hours since I left! I’m telling you, time stopped at some point today!

First project when I got home was to get on the roof and apply another very generous layer of Rustoleum. I used up the whole can and sprayed over a wider area. While I was up there, I trimmed back some branches that were rubbing against my front window last night and actually woke me up at one point.

The next project was to install the light fixture in the shed. This was really easy, to my immense surprise. I just had to install two eye hooks into the ceiling (thankfully, I had some), attach chains to them, insert the fluorescent bulbs in the fixture, and then hang the fixture from the chains.

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It’s so great to finally have a decent light source in that dank and mousy cave! My friend Charles is going to install a window for me in a bit, but I know that natural light won’t be enough. The fixture plugs into an extension cord and there is a string for turning it on and off that I can easily reach.

I knew that painting was going to be a huge job because of the rough wood and all the nooks and crannies, so I just wanted to start today. I don’t care about a nice well-feathered paint job and any runs.

I used EcoCoat paint, a recycled product made in Alberta. It’s a low VOC paint, so it doesn’t have strong fumes, but it smells terrible. I am very impressed with the coverage, however, although I don’t think I’m going to have enough! 🙁 The label says $34.99, but there was a sign saying that the price has increased to $39.99.

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I started with the roller to get as much on as fast as I could and then followed up with the brush until I ran out of steam.

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The difference is already phenomenal! They had several colours and I decided that lighter would be better than darker, but that I didn’t want white or an actual colour. So this beigey ‘birch’ was perfect. I have a lot of work to do this weekend, but I want to try to get in a couple of hours each day of painting in the late afternoon.

Then, it was time for one last project. I have a small leak in a shut off valve for my water heater that is turning into a dramatic issue (mould starting). Normally, I would try to fix the bad valve and if that failed, I would cut it out and replace it. But there is literally no room to work and the IDIOT who put it in did so backwards so there is no hope of getting at it to try to at least repair it!

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The valve is a bypass that separates the water heater from the rest of the water system. This way, you don’t have to fill the water heater with potable antifreeze in the winter. I blow out my lines now, so I decided that I didn’t care if I couldn’t use my valve and I wrapped the whole thing in a giant wodge of self sealing tape. Don’t try this at home folks, it was desperate measures!

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I have no idea if this will be enough. It was very hard to get the right tension on the tape. I have half of the roll left to add more if needed. We shall see.

Something I bought last year made this job a wee bit easier. I can’t believe I waited this long in my life to get one!

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Then, it was time for a shower, a beer, and a break. Now, I’m thinking about dinner. It’s Friday and so I may be having a hot dog… in a corn tortilla. 🙂

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I’ve Missed the Thrift Store

I got in from a quick trip to the Willow Bunch thrift store. I wanted to drop off a bag of stuff and see the changes. I really don’t need any clothes except for rain gear so all I was actively shopping for was some household and kitchen stuff.

The ground floor was a lot neater than it was the last time I was in, but not much had really changed in terms of where items were located. The upstairs had changed a bit and was less of a jumble of stuff, but, really, the updates weren’t as dramatic as I would have expected based on the Facebook updates. It was very comforting for the place to still be familiar. 🙂

Since I keep hoping to stumble onto lawn furniture, I went out to the sheds to see what sort of furniture was in stock and hit the jackpot. No, not on lawn furniture, but on something else I’ve wanted for Haven since I sort of got running water: a slop sink. They are about $40 at Home Hardware new. I asked about the price, was told that they are $150 new (WHAT?!), so I could have it for $15. Rather than argue that they’re nowhere near $100, much less $150, I commented that the sink was quite stained and covered in paint, I was told $10, which was just about right. 🙂

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(Inside is a little basin the perfect size for washing feet, something I wanted for my Isla casita).

I want to improve my laundry set up this summer and this slop sink fits in with those plans. It’ll be a good place to soak things, hold part of the wash load while the other spins, clean paint brushes, wash produce, etc. I just need to find a big stopper for it and it can drain into a bucket. What a find! The little basin was just $1.50, so it was really worth my time to go out today!