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Long Way From Rome

I poured the concrete in the basement yesterday. Six bags of Quickrete, and two bags of Sikagrout.

I had to use grout around the edges because the aggregate is sand, and can be feathered out, but it’s over twice the cost, so thus the use of simple bagged concrete for the meat of it. Below is half-way done feathering the edges.

After mixing every bag, by hand with a shovel on the basement floor, I can say with definitive certitude, I am not feeling sporty this morning, but it is done.

Yes DONE, or at least as far as all the preparatory work prior to placing the carpet and underlay goes. The De-Elliotation has concluded. I guess I can see what stopped it from happening in the first place, but honestly, most of this work was in the UNDOING, not the doing. Read more “Long Way From Rome” →

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Up to My Neck

Patience. Yes. That’s the long and the short of it.

I must be getting to know myself a little bit better with age, because the time I spend hand wringing, deciding whether or not to go ahead with things or try to work around something to save work, has lessened considerably. Hell, maybe it’s just experience — having bonked my head just a few too many times on the last thing I tried to “work around” — but, either way, it’s full steam ahead down below.

Let me start by saying how nice it is to be writing this up on my home computer instead of a laptop. Dual screens, mouse, full-size keyboard, all my little utility programs at my disposal, and instead of noise from wherever as a back drop, I’ve got my media player pumping out tunes. Yeah, and don’t forget a fast internet connection!!! Heaven.

So, as I said. On with it! Read more “Up to My Neck” →

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Life as We Know It

Above is the scene that awaited me when we arrived home. Any time my mind has wandered over the past several months to the thought of returning to Canada, a vision of my ruined basement came to mind, and I pushed the thought out with force, along with the ideas of returning home.

It’s too nice here — when often it wasn’t — it’ll wait until I get back — it certainly did — or I just don’t want to go home — home… what is home?

So now that I’m home… The entire first week was spent laying on the couch being swallowed by mid-afternoon naps. These are arguably one of the greatest pleasures in life. I had no idea just how tired I was until I was no longer responsible for our every move, and Cass could go about her days without me. Ahhhh!

Huh? Going where? Oh, ok, ciao. Zzzzzzzzz…….

Boredom found me after a week, and I started in on it. Read more “Life as We Know It” →

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Google Murp

So begins the restless nights and early mornings. The mind is ready to go, but for the waiting. All that’s left around here is unplugging everything, draining water tanks (OMG what a mistake!!!), calling the cable company, and sitting there thinking about things you may have forgotten.

While I wait, more playing in the monkey bars of this site, and voila! Maps!!

This is our first destination – Tocumen Airport, Panama.

We are set to arrive mid-afternoon, which is alright by me. It will be a long day already by the time we arrive, and I can’t see sleep happening until there is no choice, so cab fare into the city and a hotel should fill in the hours before dark. We’ll then be settled, and a walk in the warm evening breeze could end out the day.

If there is time, a trip to the bus terminal will be needed to see their schedules. My Spanish isn’t good enough yet for the rapid-fire phone calls. Speaking of which, I guess my old Nokia I bought down there won’t work anymore, so we’ll probably get either a SIM card for hers, or just buy a new one for 20 buks.

All phones down here are unlocked, and cheap as they should be. In a country of 3.9 million, there are 4 major providers. See? This is why I refuse to buy a cell phone in Canada. Lest I go on a rant, it’s best to stop now.

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…..And, We’re…. well, closer…

Today we got our international drivers permits. One of the last few steps left before we leave.

Wooo!