Just arrived in Bucerias about 4 hours ago after driving for 5 LONG DAYS. We’ve started a new blog to chronicle the journey, amongst other things, so check it out instead at http://www.randomgoodness.ca

Calgary weather: snow. -15ish. brrr.
This past friday we moved out of our house. We were lucky enough to fit everything into the 9×25 storage area that we’ve rented, including the bedroom suite that we’ve tried really hard to get rid of. (The day after we moved someone emailed me to buy it… sorry buddy, its piled up to the sky in the back of the storage bay). The new owner took possession yesterday, and its still a little bit sad to think about it not being our home anymore, and about how we’re technically homeless. We’ve moved an excess amount of “stuff” to my mom’s house, which currently is lying in about 5 different piles around the house. My duties today are to sort and take more back to storage.
Poor Nixon has been quite out of sorts, on moving day he spent the day at puppy day care, went swimming there, and came home to my mom’s house. How strange for him…(Where’s all my stuff? This isn’t my house…eek). The next morning we had more to empty from our house, so we left him at mom’s for a couple of hours alone. When we got back his poor little tail was floppy. It’s limber tail, i’d heard of this before, happening usually to hunting labs, from vigourous hunting, swimming or cold weather. Well, in this case it was stress. Poor guy couldn’t wag for the life of him. He’d try and try, and give up, and pout. Slowly over the last two days its been recovering, but his spirits (at least inside) are still down, and he’s fighting against wearing his socks (to save mom’s hardwood floor) and is sometimes left downstairs to pout further until he agrees to put them on. At this particular moment he’s given in to the sock war and is sporting them while lounging on the white chaise behind me. Another change for him is a live in friend, miss lily, mom’s 6 month old Morkie who LOVES to bug, and cuddle and follow him around the house. Hopefully they won’t be too lonely without each other after these two weeks are done.
Work… what’s that? I haven’t been there in a week. They’ve called, but i just have too much to do, well, yah. With 11 days to go, i dont want to miss anything on my list, which i have to find….
The VW is ready to go, almost. Just one service and oil change away.
Christmas… well, we’re not that excited about that this year. Sure its a great time of year to see the family, but i think we’ve got more on our minds. Like, let’s get the heck out of here.
Josh bought the new laptop, as our computer is too big to pack. The spanish has been loaded, and the internet will be working. Moms’ set up with skype, and as far as I’m concerned that’s all I need. Josh is creating a new blog so everyone here at home can follow the next 4 months of our journey.
And just thinking of how soon until we leave… no more soccer, 3 shifts at work, a Christmas, a New Years, 21 dog walks (at 2 per day), a vet appointment, and one more sunday spin class. : ) It’s close!!!!!

Calgary weather: -28 plus wind chill. Countdown to Mexico: 18 days. : )

We were somewhat spared of the “friday storm” this week, although it still took me one long white-knuckled hour to get home from work on friday. We’ve had a deep freeze for most of the week, not passing a single sole on our dog walks is a tell tale sign. Today there was a 58 degree difference from here to PV. YIKES.
This week will be a busy one. I’m teaching for the next 3 days, the final week of the studnents’ block, Josh is in school. Thursday is get-serious packing day and hopefully 0 degrees outside. Friday Josh goes to school, the movers come to pick up our junk, and Nixon goes to daycare with one last Canadian swim in the dog pool. For the next 2 weeks, including Christmas we’ll be all bunking at my mom’s. We’ll basically saturate her with our presence so she won’t miss us as much, at least for the first few weeks maybe. I think the three of us are sick of the weather being an excuse not to go out. Even for dinner. I’m hungry. What’s in the pantry? Crappy cereal, stale granola bars, a can of beans, and a package of spagetti with no hope of sauce. The weeks’ dinner reserve is in the freezer which is a good thing because most of the kitchen is already in boxes.

Not much to say today, except, 23 days until we LEAVE this ice-barren-freezing-snow-hole! Yes.
Even the dog is depressed with the weather. -26 today. Had to start the car at lunch, sat in bumper-to-bumper traffic for 45 minutes after someone wrecked their cars on a major route home. People still digging out their cars and homes from the friday storm. Josh getting new tires tomorrow. I’ve been driving like a grandma lately out of fear. And, i think that everyone should drive like they’ll have to pay for their vehicle to get fixed if they crash. AKA Slow down, stop being in such a hurry! And, they should drive like they don’t want to hurt their baby (car) because they have to drive it to Mexico in 22 days, which is not long enough to fix it. Knock on wood.

This is the name of the game, two fridays in a row we’ve had some freaky storms. Lucky for me, both days i’ve been across town at work, watching it happen for hours, and then having to plot my way home afterwards. Last week was nothing, just an ice storm where numerous vehicles were stuck spinning their tires, and no one wanted to stop for fear they wouldn’t get moving again. This friday, well, that’s another story.
It started about 9am, just after Josh decided to play it safe and stay home with his bald-tired-tacoma. Phew. I walked the dog, couldn’t see much due to the sideways pelting snow while making our way around the pond. I left early for work, knowing it would be a slow go, but not knowing this was the beginning of a LONG blizzard. By 1:30 in the afternoon, we were dead quiet at work, few soles braved the roads with their ill children, so we watched the news online, noting that my route home was closed after a 50 car pileup, and other cars, buses and semi trucks were sideways on the road. I worried the whole day about how I was going to get out of the parking lot, and all the way home with my car in one piece. When 7pm finally came, I put on my warmest clothes and boots, trekked quickly across the parking lot to my car, noticing the 6 vehicles already in a line up behind a few more that were stuck. I scraped off the car, went to help the others, and plodded down all the snow drifts that i saw as an obstacle before attempting the exit. AFter a few fish tails, narrowly missing the pass scanner I made my way down the sketchy back road that was the only way out, since there was still a car stuck the short way out. It was a slow nerve racking drive home… and before i left i called Josh to warn him of my future pursuit, he says “emergency, we’re out of milk. And cookies. Can you stop on your way home?” No Santa, if i get home, i’m not stopping. So sorry. We baked cookies when i made it home an hour later. No milk. No milk today still. I am not going out there. And although I never thought i’d say so, i’d much rather go out on foot with the dog, than attempt going out in the car. I can’t risk wrecking it in the next 25 days before we leave. Josh is finally getting new tires on his truck, as soon as he can make it out of the community. Work called about 7 times, and i’m sorry to say, i just can’t go. ; )
Otherwise, besides the blizzard, which i believe came about because we have to be reminded how much we hate winter before we leave it for 4 months, our house is in shambles still, with boxes and things scattered all over. Our cupboard is nearly empty, and as for the emergency stash of 72 hours of food that we’re supposed to keep, we’re hardly going to make it. And, I think that winter is like giving birth to a baby… you don’t remember how bad it is until the next one comes.

Calgary weather today? +16. Very nice. But, countdown to Mexico is 36 days. Even better. Whoopie.
Nixon and I have started training for surfing & swimming. He, on the treadmill, 20 minutes everyday this week, 25 minutes today, building up the stamina (probably not necessary, although he wants to loose those extra 2 pounds around the belly jiggler). Me, doing weights, working on those paddler muscles. Josh, well, he insists he’s already in the best shape. : )
Our house is officially and utterly sold, complete with orange sold sticker on the sign. I thought I would be really pleased with this, although after doing a bit of house hunting, we’ve realized our search won’t be that easy. We are extremely discriminating buyers. We like what we like, and that’s why we want to do a reno, or else we risk not finding what meets our needs, both structurally or aesthetically. In fact, it seems after searching the past 8 places, that none of them really float our boat, and i think its looking more like we’ll be waiting until we get home from Mexico, or shopping online from there.
I got my VW back from the shop yesterday, but not without some hitches. Some of the front headlights don’t work, so its going to the dealership to get “figured out”. That, I will tell you, is the problem with technology. No one can figure it out, unless they are “specialized”. For pete sakes. The same thing happend with the acura when we replaced the glass in the window post break-in. The glass replacers couldn’t figure out the computer in the door, and the window “thought” it was up when it was down and then they broke something else. Nothing is simple anymore. Whatever.
Tomorrow, we’re going to pick up some boxes, and get this move started. Mother hubbards cupboard is already pretty bare, and we’re off to a good start.

Apparently, we’re still holding our breath today, as we were forwarded some things to fix from the anal home inspector last night. Things that didn’t actually need to be fixed. Example A, the tub in the bathroom drains slowly. Well buddy, we’ve used it twice so unscrew the drain plug so it sits a little bit higher and more water will go through it! It’s not plugged. I think that a little OCD is a prerequisite for that guys job. Anyway, we replied to the buyer telling her we “fixed” some stuff that didn’t actually need to be fixed, it was fine, and we’ll cross our fingers that she isn’t going to be a stubborn & rediculous you-know-what. Josh and I were so grouchy last night, we couldn’t sleep. he played video games to fuel the agression into another source. Me, i just stewed like usual. Now we wait.
Today, is the big house shopping day. Mostly browsing i guess. We’ve got a few reno options, no turnkey properties though, which could be scary, although an interesting project for May or June by the time we get back from Mexico, then China.
Our lucky lab got to go practice his beast stroke yesterday at the local pool, along with an awesome day of daycare. His first experience. He loved the pool as usual, and he gets to go one more time before he learns about his own private plunge pool at the condo in PV.
And, officially i guess i started doing some Christmas shopping yesterday, and might be able to get into the mood finally. All the stores are playing the tunes now. It’s strange to think winter is coming, as we’re leaving it for another summer, but yesterday (Nov 20th) was +13 here. Its’ been a pretty great fall. I shouldn’t really complain, and in fact its turned more into looking forward to warmer.
Exactly 1 month until we move in with my mom. And, 42 days till Mexico. I’m starting to dream in spanish. Things like, “this is my husband, he’s buying milk, eggs, and bread for breakfast tomorrow”. huh. weird. i’d better expand my knowledge a little bit because that’s not a normal conversation.

I don’t want to jinx anything, because things are still conditional, but in not using the official “s” word, we have to be out of our house by December 21st. We’re off to my mom’s with Nixon in tow for a 10 day stint for Xmas and New years. Our stuff with likely be going into storage and i’m excited and scared that we will be homeless for a while. : ) This weekend we’re hoping to do some house shopping, and Josh and i haven’t really seen eachother all week to discuss what we want to look at due to opposite schedules, so we’ll see what happens.
I’m back into my teaching role, a brief 6 weeks that i’m sharing with another colleague to make a bit of quick cash before we take the next 4 months off. Emerg is unusually slow this week and last, as perhaps all the kids have infected each other and have recovered from the weeks before. They are actually breaking bones again, not just staying at home with coughs and fevers. yay. I wonder if the entire winter will be ups and downs of H1N1 like we’ve seen in the past month. Whatever it will be, i’m glad to leave it, because we’ve got the latest safety info saying we must wear the suffocation-fainting masks now as the normal surgical masks are not sufficient. Does it matter if you’ve already had the swine flu? I think i’m safe. : )
I am also happy to report the VW is almost ready to back home to me! Oh I miss it. This PT cruiser is a piece of crap. The panel that holds the seat adjustment fell off last week. : ) It is okay on gas though and we’re not racking up km’s on our new ride before we take off on the big road trip.
Anyway, this will be a busy next couple of weeks, don’t be surprised if my posts are sporatic. And i think for now that might be all i have to report. Some good news anyway…home inspection is tomorrow! How easy can a 2.5 year old house fail an inspection? Probably not likely.

If anyone has browsed the right side of our blog, they would have possibly noted some beautiful x’s and some nice long numbers in three small boxes. Well, let me explain to you that those are my computer illiterate way of showing you some photos of us and our travels and our doggy, but i have failed to fix the issue of having the pictures actually show up in thumbnails.. is that the right word?! So sorry. Feel free to browse them anyway as the pictures actually do work.

Each day we find ourselves complaining about how much we hate the cold. Although we really shouldn’t be comlaining because considering normal Calgary Novembers would put us well below the freezing mark. The pond near our house freezes and thaw’s each day, when the temperature nicely reaches about +5. The wind is nasty and freezing, so we bundle up like its -30… and today we’ve threatned Nixon with having single parent walks starting pretty soon, that way we both only have to endure one 30 minute walk per day. He and his furry shedding-rear can suck it up if he wants to go out.
I’m getting a bit impatient with the house not selling yet, we’ve lowered the price a little bit, hoping to sell in the next 7 weeks, not to mention being out of the house, our stuff either in storage or tucked nicely in our new place, which we’ve yet to buy.
My mom seems to be supportive and she says she’s excited for our adventure… she’s also asking us to figure out how to use skype, because i definitely don’t know how it works… and i talk to my mom on the phone most days of the week, and/or see her, since she lives about 5 km from us.
And, as Josh will be Captain Josh…. he’s been on the hunt for our future adventure. We read that book last year “Voyage of the Northern Magic” about the family that sailed around the world on a boat for a few years. Since then, we’ve been hooked on this idea, and he’s been searching online for catamaran manufacturers. I guess now the question is not whether we’re going to do it, its more when. We have a nearly 5 year old lab who enjoys the water far too much to be safe on board. He would need some hefty training to keep him onboard for any length of time. But, we decided this would be okay, since neither of us really has any sailing experience. We need a couple of years of practice, at least.
Oh, and dogs on boats… I’ve found a neat & helpful blog with people who took their two retrievers on their sailing adventures, and they did have some challenges. My biggest fear or frustration would be getting Nixon, the hairy mate, cleared to go on land, and he’s already a nut bar as it is going to new places, let alone making him behave for customs officials.. i can picture it now… ” hi i’m nixon… wag wag wag, pet me, love me… hi, i’m nixon. can i kiss you and get you all hairy? yeah. you love me? great! wag wag wag.” This is what its come to…being tied in the boat, and then, not coming in the boat.
So, then… the boat is expensive, but we could do it… if we invest like crazy and hope that our stocks look as good as 2007….And then, we need sailing know-how and now we need a timeline….so this winter, in Mexico we plan to do a bunch of sailing lessons, and at least see if we’ve got the sea legs to do this journey…
what better way could you see the world?? There is no answer. Oh, and one more question. When do we have kids? A great debate for any young couple….. but for us its….before the great adventure, during, or after? huh. i think there might not be an easy answer for this one. It would be nice for them to remember the trip, and nice for them to be able to help out on the boat… and well… i don’t want to be “old parents” so the 1st mate says soon please… lets just leave this question unanswered at this point.
As i’ve gone on more tangents than intended, i’ll end with a final note of… i think i might have had H1N1 this week. I’ve been sick for only 4 days, which i thank my immunization from 10 days ago for that. I’ve stayed home, and basically lived on the couch and in bed for the last 4 days. Amazingly, Josh still is germ free. How does he do that?!