North America

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One Day Left

It has been a very full day and tomorrow will be even worse.

I got up and did a small work assignment, then attempted to file my taxes. Attempted because CRA, in its infinite wisdom, decided to revamp its website in the middle of June when businesses have till the end of the month to file their returns. So the return is ready and I have to wait till my last day in London to send it. Hopefully, there won’t be any hiccups.

Then, I did the first dry run of packing my electronics bag. By the time I added my toiletries bag and the French press, I had to concede I didn’t have enough room, so I had to make some tough concessions after already having pared my electronics list to the bone. But I finally got both bags to close without difficulty even if they are quite full.

I then puttered around, putting things away and cleaning while I waited for Charles to come help me with a few things. This included moving things around in the cabin and putting away part of the swing so that he only needed to help me move in the frame. When he and Caroline showed up, I went on the roof, then Charles spent some time throwing things up to me to weight down a new tarp. The roof has actually not been leaking in some time now, even after several huge storms, so the tarp is just insurance and peace of mind.

Tomorrow’s to-do list in somewhat chronological order:

-laundry, including my bedding
-make a run to the post office in the hope that the two missing things for my trip have arrived at the 11th hour…
-do a deep clean of the rig, including the fridge
-put away the water and sewer hoses
-winterize
-bring things to C&C’s for storage
-remove the battery from my truck and put it in storage at C&C’s
-put away the exterior internet cable and antenna
-mow the lawn (easier when there’s no water hoses or antenna cables or swing in the way)
-finalise my packing
-collapse at C&C’s with my luggage to spend the night

On to Лондон!

Nothing behind me, everything ahead of me, as is ever so on the road. – Jack Kerouac

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I’m Always Surprised When I Find Stuff in Assiniboia

Shopping options in Assiniboia are rather dismal. I never plan on being able to find anything I’m looking for, but sometimes I get surprised. So when I went to town today to run a bunch of errands, I did have at the back of my mind four things that I wish I’d worked harder at getting for my trip, but I wasn’t going to make an effort to look for. I came home with three of the four!

Shopper’s Drugmart had the most unexpected item, a set of luggage locks, and they are better quality for less than the cheapest ones I’d found on Amazon. I’ve been going back and forth on whether or not to get some since they seem rather useless, but I thought I might sleep better on public transportation if there’s a minuscule added layer of security to my bags.

The Bargain!Shop had the second item, I decent pair of earbuds with an inline mic. They’re nowhere as sturdy feeling as the pair I’m using now, but they were super inexpensive and will mean I have a backup. The sound quality appears comparable.

Finally, Slice Athletic Wear is going out of business. I’d never been in the store and rarely go to that end of town, but I passed it on my way down 13 to take the 36 to Willow Bunch and thought they might have a fleece jacket since I’m not 100% satisfied with either one of my current options. Nope, but I did find a much better pair of black leggings than the ones I was about to leave with, which I knew I’d curse my whole time away, for a fraction of what I would have paid for decent leggings online, especially including shipping.

It was a very fruitful run to town. I also dealt with insurance matters for my truck, got my equity cheque from the Co-Op ($41), and had lunch. Then, I drove to Willow Bunch for an event at the museum that will be the subject of its own post later. Now, I have to get back to work!

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Four Days Left Till I Leave Indefinitely

The weekend was a blur of good music, even better food (Caroline made a mean venison stir fry with pesto pasta on Sunday night), and WORK.

I have a bit more work to do by tomorrow night, and then I’m calling it off as I really need to focus on my enormous to-do list.

So today, Monday, I’m finishing up work and volunteer projects.

Tomorrow, Tuesday, is going to be my last running around day. I have to go to Assiniboia to pick up my Co-Op equity cheque, get a few things I’m missing for my toiletries bag, deal with the insurance on the truck, and then go to Willow Bunch for an event at the museum. Then, Charles is going to come over to help tarp the roof, put away the swing, and spread mouse poison in the RV (I have a roommate). And then, I might have to finish a work project.

Wednesday, I get my taxes done, do a deep clean in Miranda, do a final load of laundry,and put away the water hose. This is going to be my last night in my own bed in who knows how long.

Thursday, I’m closing up the property, winterizing Miranda, bringing things to C&C’s for storage, putting away the booster, doing a final walkthrough, finalising my packing, etc. I’ll sleep at C&C’s Thursday night.

It sounds all very neat when laid out like that, but there really is a lot left to do, especially to close up the property even though I’ve only been here less than two months.

Now, I really need to get to work. I’m paying for quitting too early on Saturday…

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Dinner and a Concert

I had a lovely last Saturday night in Saskatchewan!

Charles, Caroline, and I drove to town for dinner and then attended at the Shurniak Gallery in Assiniboia a concert by our friends Saskia and Darrel, The Great Plains. I saw them in Willow Bunch last year and had seen them at the gallery in 2013 as well.

It was lovely to catch up with them and they put on a great show as always. I was so touched that the first song in their set was dedicated to me, my favourite of theirs, “My Father’s Land.” They also do a hilarious song called “Cabin Fever” during which I always lose it when they get to the bit about the propane freezing.

A major rain storm hit while the show was on and the puddles were deep on the highway on the way home. I was relieved to get in to a dry bed. So it looks like I do have my roof leak tamed and doing some additional tarping will just give me peace of mind. Charles has me scheduled for Tuesday night to make sure the roof is secure and to do a few other chores around the property.

Well, I’d better get to bed since I called off early today and I have eight hours of typing to do tomorrow and… I’m invited to supper at C&C’s! Caroline is going to experiment and needs a lab rat. 😀

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Luggage Tetris

Who would have thought that all those hours playing Tetris while procrastinating on my homework would pay off?!

As it turns out, the key to solving my packing woes was pack my clothes flat (instead of rolling) and to only compress one of my compression bags…

All I’m missing for personal items in my suitcase are my French press and my toiletries bag. I am reasonably confident I will be able to fit those into my computer bag. I prefer to travel with my toiletries in the “personal item” anyway, in case I have to check my suitcase and also to hopefully avoid having to open the suitcase at security. Anything that I think is going to scan funny is better off all together in one bag.

So this is the final weight of my suitcase, 9.7KG!

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The suitcase is definitely packed to its limit, but it zipped with ease.

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First layer has a large packing cube, which I had to compress to get the suitcase to close with ease. Next to it are a pair of sandals and below the sandals are my travel purse.

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Take off that layer and you get the other large packing cube, the two small ones, and another pair of shoes (which fit nicely in that groove between the packing cubes).

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And now we get to the magical part… There are basically “ribs” at the bottom of the suitcase for the handle mechanism. Look what fit in the dead space between the ribs! Two spare pairs of glasses, one spare pair of prescription sunglasses, my jewelry box, and another pair of sandals!

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I really don’t think I’ll be able to improve on this and hope that the toiletries bag will fit in the computer bag! Thankfully, I really don’t have much to bring on that end and I know I have a few items that would fit in the space I still have left between the ribs.

What I love about the packing cubes is how little work it is to get to the small items at the very bottom without making a giant mess!

Yes, I will be posting my packing list at some point. 🙂