So today on my lunch break I thought it would be a good idea to actually make a list of how many times I have moved, listing the street and city (I've left out the actual address in an attempt to maintain some smidgen of anonymity, as if it makes a difference, really), in order since I was born. 

Fun, right?

I even gave my mom a call to help fill in the fuzzy bits (ie before I was 5 or so)... and it would appear that my estimation of having moved forty times in my life, is actually quite a bit less and I am a huge over-exaggerator... but it's still weird and slightly impressive in a strange, sad way... heh.  

I think I should finally do what I have intended to do for a while, and go around and snap a photo of each one of these buildings/houses and put together a little scrapbook/coffee table book thing for myself...  starting with Grandma's old house on Garth Street, and ending with the house that the boy and I bought... I imagine what all the photos would look like, some of them over-exposed to infer the explosive memories contained therein, some of them dark and grainy, a few of them bright and crisp with sunlight beating down on the roof and lawn, a tire swing hanging from a tree in the yard... I would have the photos printed in high-gloss full colour, and the book would be bound in a tight little stack, and the cover would read "HOME"...

I think it would be a really cathartic experience... I wonder if some of them are even standing still?  I'm pretty certain that the house on Poirier street was condemned a few years ago...

Anyway, here is the list!  The items that are italicized are when we were technically without a house of our own, and we were mostly sleeping on my mom's friends couches and such; but they were for long enough periods of time that it constituted a move, and sometimes a new school... everything from Nonquon on is after I moved out on my own...

You'll notice that Garth and Paisley are listed twice... Garth is listed a second time to show when my dad moved back in with Grams and Popa when I was little, and since they shared custody at that time, it was a half-move for me... Paisley is listed twice because we moved out, and moved all of our stuff into my mom's friends' house for 6 months before she left Rick and the Doll's dad the first time (insert school change), then moved back in to the townhouse (insert school change) before she left him for good and we uprooted to the other side of the province...  Confused yet?

Drumroll please...

1. Garth St, Guelph
2. Willow Rd Apartment, Guelph
3. Waterloo Ave (stayed with Grandpa Herb), Guelph
4. MacDonell St (with some lady Mom met, above the restaurant), Guelph
5. Edinborough Rd Apartment, Guelph
6. Apartment Above Store off London Rd, Guelph
7. Wellington St, Guelph
8. Dufferin St, Guelph
9. Garth St, Guelph
   
10. Rosewood Dr, Guelph
11. Paisley Rd, Guelph
12. Arthur St, Elmira (Lived with Mom's friend Mandy)
13. Paisley Rd, Guelph
14. RR#2 (HWY 41), Shady Nook
15. Westmeath Rd, Westmeath
16. Leahey St, Pembroke
17. Poirier St, Pembroke
18. Bell St, Pembroke (Lived with Tammy - The Doll's friend's mom and Family)
19. Lea St, Pembroke
20. Market St, Pembroke
21. Second Ave, Pembroke
22. Metcalfe, Pembroke
23. Nonquon Dr, Oshawa
24. Woodlawn Rd, Guelph
25. Culham Dr, Oakville
26. Lakeshore Rd, Oakville
27. Weir Rd, Oakville
28. Glen Erin Dr Apartment, Mississauga
29. Winding Tr, Mississauga
30. Whitelaw Rd, Guelph

I am really hopeful that this move will be the last... that is the plan at least... thirty is too many times for a person to move in their life, and far too many times to have moved in just twenty-five years.

It's time to put down roots.

I finally got my new hook-ups for my cable, phone, and internet at the new house straightened out today... yaaaay!!

Remember Candice, the supposed miracle worker who was supposed to call me back last week when everything was straightened out? Yeah... well... she never called...

Grrrr... and to think, I had such nice things to say about her!

But luckily today I managed to get through to someone who could help me... and I only had to go through three CSRs before I got Jeremiah, who said "Oh! You've got a consolidated account! You need to talk to a consolidated Rep!" (because I have all my services with Rogers, on one bill), and he put me through to Janine, who fixed the problem in three minutes!

Three minutes people!!!

So, when we move in on the 17th, the cable/internet dude will come to install things, and then our home phone will be installed on the 20th.

Still left to do:

1. Get mine and the boys cell numbers changed to the new area code
2. Arrange the electricity hook-up
3. Arrange the gas hook-up
4. Transfer the water-softener lease to us
5. Change my address on my drivers licence, health card, and all other ID stuff
6. Change my address with the bank, my work, NSLSC, the Canada Revenue Agency, magazine subscription, etc...
7. Paint the townhouse back to white for the rental company before we leave
8. Pay land-transfer taxes and title insurance
9. Actually close on the house and sign all the paperwork
10. Pack 80% of my belongings

*sigh*

We had a very productive day today... even though we didn't mange to wash and dress ourselves until after noon, we actually were able to get everything done that has been piling up in recent weeks due to the crazy overtime the boy has been forced to work... we actually had a lot of fun... it was a nice day... I'll spare you the details and instead give a quick run-down of the day's events

I present to you the list:

• laid in bed talking for a very long time
• I made pancakes for breakfast (I'm still calling it breakfast... even if it was served at 11:30!)
• got ready to go... debated on bringing my mittens... decided to leave them
• went to Future Shop, dropped off the boy's laptop for some data recovery action
• went to Staples to fax some job applications for the boy
• i also managed to peruse some stationary... i think we may have decided on the programs for the wedding!
• went to Petsmart, bought filters for the top fish tank... also made an impulse purchase of a water fountain thingy for the cats (upon closer inspection and much discussion at home, it was decided that this will go back to the store this week)
• went to Home Depot... bought some nails, and drywall plug anchor thingies, and some thick wooden poles for supports for the shelves for the front window
• i was able to lead the boy into the home decorating area and force him to evaluate wall paper and area rug options with me, much to his dismay... yay fun!
• went to Wendy's... ate some greasy goodness
• went to Home Outfitters, where they were having BOGO on frames and art... bought 2 more of those giant photo collage frames (and a Toblerone bar)
• went to Walmart, picked up some pictures I sent in a while ago and bought a new shower curtain, tea towels, mascara, cat litter and paper towels
• back to Future Shop to pick back up the laptop
• unloaded the car... wished i had brought my mittens...

once we came home we did even more...

• we cut the pole thingies in half and put up the shelves in the front window (I got to use my new cordless drill!  can I just say... power tools... so much fun!   ~ thanks daddy! ~ )
• the boy called Dell and got help re-formatting his laptop
• I put all the pictures I'd been putting aside into the two new frames (so pretty!)
• the boy made dinner
• I read through the new Chatelaine

and now here I am... I'd say that's about the most productive day I've had in quite some time!

Feels pretty good... but now I am tired... I think we'll hit the sack early tonight... or maybe just watch a movie in bed... fall asleep all snuggled up... that would be nice...

*smiles*

I am very sleepy...

I couldn't fall asleep again last night... too many things dancing in my head... so I read until about 2:30, and then my tired eyes forced my body to fall asleep against its will...

The boy wasn't feeling well this morning before work... I wish there was something I could do to help him... I've put so much stress on him recently, and its really not fair to him...

I don't know what I would possibly do without him...

~~~~~~

My sister, the baby, and one of her friends is coming to stay with us for a while... a month, maybe two... She finally got the onions to leave before the loser gets out and comes after her again... It's going to be strange having some random friend of hers that we've never met living with us (the source of much of the boy's stress), but if it means that my sister and the baby are safe, then we will deal...

~~~~~~~

I have much to do today... the coffee smells good, dripping away in the kitchen... almost ready... Busy is fascinated (sp??) by the sounds it is making... silly kitten...

My plan for the day is as follows:

1. Drink Coffee and check emails
2. Watch the end of BT and eat some breakfast
3. Shower and dress
4. Go to the gym
5. Do the dishes
6. Sweep the downstairs floors and the stairs
7. Find a job
8. Move the boxes of old books from the office down into the basement
9. Inquire with the city about parking on the street
10. Call my sister to check on her packing and relocation progress
11. Charge my cell phone
12. Change the bedding
13. Clean the rats' cage
14. Trim Mollys & Shadows' nails
15. Make dinner for Eric



... I think the coffee is ready

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

I'm a day late in writing this but meh...

I don't know why I felt the need to scream that out in giant lime coloured letters...  I wish I knew how to center (centre, center?) that...

So 2005 has been put to bed, and it was an overall spectactular year...  So much changed and so much was added to my life, and I am truly thankful and happier than I think I have ever been.

To list some of the most significatly fabulous points of 2005:

• I finished school and started working at my (less than fabulous) job
• My niece (that I have yet to meet, but hope to soon) Julia was born, and from the pictures I've seen she is fantastic and adorable
• Eric's nephew Xavier was born, and continues to achieve some of the best dance moves I've ever seen performed by an 8 month old (lol)
• Eric and I moved in together at last, and commenced living in sin
• My nephew Matty (aka Peanut, the love of my life) was born *swoon*
• Eric got his great new job
• Eric and I bought a new car
• Rho and Jamal moved into their newly built home
• Eric asked me to marry him
• and many smaller, less life-changing, though equally as fabulous events I'm sure...

I can only hope that 2006 will bring as much excitment and goodness...

And yes, buying a car is indeed life-changing!  ...at least when it's the first one you've ever owned... er... half owned... I have to remember that it's Eric's car too... hehe

Cheers!