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| I've finally convinced Aiden that he needs to work out his future somewhere other than the parental environment |
Dateline: 2016
December 31st Toronto, Ontario
This trips travelling map
Just another year, Family,
January - December
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| The cat. Now part of the family |
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| The ever problematic sun room here showing two well cracked windows. My summer job maybe |
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| Kayla has accepted her birthday/ Christmas gift of a one way ticket and work Visa in Australia Early February and she's off |
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| And just for a change, we have weather in Canada |
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| I dig out the bread maker an make a mess |
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| It is the year of new sewers and water pipes. Chaos on South Kingsway |
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| Somehow, this structure lasts another year without major failure through the winter, again |
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| This winters project: radiator covers |
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| Yes, all of them. Three floors worth. Seven all together |
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| March 3rd and I'm out biking can you believe? I must be desperate to get out of the house (there's a surprise) |
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| Looks pretty good eh? Now that Aiden is otherwise residential. I have an in-house workshop |
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| Looks like the entire family has approved |
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| Definitely a cat's life in this house |
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| April 4th and alls white. I should have bought some skis |
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| Aiden needs help with something Finally, he has his own place and all the problems ascribed thereto |
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| Master of all he surveys |
Here begins our trip to Australia, Tasmania, Japan, Hong Kong
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| Oh well. This too needs fixing |
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| This is what caused all the basement flooding for about 15 years. It needs a far more permanent fix |
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| Oh yes, and this too |
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| Home made radiator technology. Painting. The final frontier? |
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| I can't believe anyone will ever read this caption about a radiator cover I made |
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| Some semblance of normality returns after the gyrations with the new wall |
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| But now I start to get serious. Major renovations bekon |
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| As ever, dad gets lumbered selling Kayla's effects. Viz: her bike |
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| This one was funny. Couldn't give it away (FREE!) But got $25 for an "eco friendly lawn mower" |
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| Well, its had about 20 years to cook and rot. And it has |
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| Kayla's riding boots They sold eventually. After about 18 months |
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| Most of the real crap is still to be discovered |
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| It's all actually falling apart. Rus found a handful of dust where there should have been a solid supporting beam. ooops! |
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| Work starts. Rus is in residence and neither of us know quite how to proceed |
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| Rus is fantastically resourceful. He decides we need to support the entire structure on both floors to prevent the entire structure from collapsing. He was right! |
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| A summer break from the toil (it's a really hot summer). My old work buddies, Andrei and Michael go biking with me |
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| Well, where do you expect me to take them? |
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| Brian has a significant birthday |
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| Rus has convinced me to "just pop off the siding" "Its only take a few minutes. Oh! God! Dust to Dust |
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| This is definitely serious business. I prepare for a big project |
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| I find a window company that knows what I need and (I'm told) can supply and install all 5 windows. Replace all of them for a certain consideration. It's a deal! First, take them out and hide them somewhere |
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| Ben and his new lady, Skyler arrive for a quick visit. Where else but St Lawrence market |
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| Quite the family get together, including Skylers mum |
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| Back at the ranch, the office, recently totally renovated is now the scene of total mayhem Note supports for the upper floor and thence to the roof |
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| Of course, all the plumbing needs to be ripped out Maybe I can do it without burning down the house (It was bloody close!) |
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| Rus, as ever, totally onto the damage done |
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| I'm not sure how much longer the sun room would have lasted if Rus had not convinced me to "just pop off the siding" |
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| Neither of us having much of a clue, we work methodically and thoroughly. Painstaking but essential |
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| Every day I take off the covers, work, replace the covers |
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| Well, it will certainly be a lot safer than it was. And probably structurally more sound after we are done than it ever was before |
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| Rus is there most days. He's retired, what else is he going to do? |
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| I'm finally getting the hang of this, but my wobbles is pretty much out of control, so everything take 3 times as long to work out. Like after 10 minutes, looking for the hammer thats in my hand |
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| Greeny and clan at Yoshi's wedding in August. My Nemesis, Michael Brown, aka, my ex Kingsway partner/ nemesis, is in attendance. We still hate each other. Good! |
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| Mazel Tov? Have a Nakeela? Who knows. Just throw the bride around a bit and have a dance or two |
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| Slowly, a solution, if not a plan emerges |
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| It very quickly becomes obvious that I'm not a plumber. The plumber I usually use is about $250 per hour I learn, eventually. There are lots of leaks |
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| Everything begins to take shape. Rus must be bored with all this effort by now, but with winter coming. I have no exit |
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| Well, it's all solid and held together with real screws. Not hope and mould |
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| There is a CatAstrophe. The cats tail gets stuck in the cat flap with some of it inside, some of it outside |
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| Now there's a tail to tell. I blame myself of course |
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| We visit with Andrei and his few months old, Andy |
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| Can I go home now? Structurally, rebuilt like a brick shithouse, all I need now is windows |
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| September 19th. The guys arrive with the windows. They fuck up which one goes where (all measured, but thrown into the wrong places), but it's done. I'm still cleaning up the mess 5 years later |
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| After 6 - 8 weeks, its a bit surreal getting your life back |
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| They do a fantastic job (except the bit where the windows are in the wrong places) and a large amount of cash changes hands 19th September |
Not pissing about, September 23rd, we are in Copenhagen - See separate blog
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| Well, now that's done, I need to look after Kayla's house in London once back in October. A constant aggravation |
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| Plus, I have found, and placed another large amount of cash into another lovely persons hands for the front steps |
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| Holy crap batman! NOTE: gentle autumnal rays of the sun. Not a moment too soon by the looks of it. I wonder what I forgot to do and will it stand a real winter? |
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| It's 2016. I'm amazed that the entire gay scene is suddenly totally mainstream and proud of it |
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| Cat in the hat? |
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| Only back a day or so from Hawaii, and it's Canada. Probably for another 4 months. Sigh |
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| Life settles down for another hibernation |
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| Looks like it's even well insulated |
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| Some of the family appears ok with us being back |
And so the year, once again, ends
From Your corresponden