Home away from home

Routine - it's so easy to slip into a new one. I've only been here a few days but already I find myself slipping into a pattern.  Up by 7:30 a.m. or so, a leisurely breakfast while doing the daily crossword, watch the news and check my e-mail and Facebook (with no phone it's my contact to family and friends), and then get dressed for my morning walk.

Yesterday, I walked to my cousin's office - it had seemed a long distance when we were driving but really wasn't.  It took me somewhere between 35-45 minutes to walk (I'm not a fast walker) and since I was far too early, I stopped at Tim Horton's for a coffee along the way.  While I was in the store enjoying my coffee it began to pour but had tapered off considerably by the time I finished.

We visited for awhile and talked about cruises, past and planned...she's a travel agent and knows lots of tips and tricks for booking the best deals.  She drove me home around lunchtime, where I watched some of the Junior hockey bronze medal game before heading out again.

I needed to get a few items from the grocery store and stopped in at a local outlet hoping to find a reflective vest or tape.  I had no luck but it was a good walk as it took me up the hill into another part of town.

At home I read for awhile before the gold medal game was televised (Canada won 5-4 over Russia - first gold medal in 5 years!).  I took some photos of the interior of my home away from home.

The kitchen is bright and positioned off the front door of the house.  I really wanted this unit as it has a full kitchen, while the one-bedroom has only a microwave, electric fry-pan, and a small fridge.

The living room is the first room you enter as you come into the unit down a narrow hallway.  (The bathroom is to the left in this hallway). To the right of the lit lamp is the kitchen, the doorway you can see in the photo leads to the furnace room and past that the second bedroom and to the left of the television is the door to the bedroom.

 The bathroom is also large as it holds the in suite laundry facilities.  I was warned by my landlady not to use the dryer (much) but to allow my clothing to dry.  That's fine for most items, but not towels so I'll have to wait until she's out of the house!

The bedroom is huge with a king size bed and a double closet.  I'm still sleeping on the one side though I use more than I've been hogging the covers.

Did I tell you the furnace is wood-burning? Yesterday, Margaret was away all afternoon and most of the evening, so I kept the fire burning, The heat is turned off at night, and I hear herup and about early in the morning loading the furnace with wood.  I suspect she also has natural gas, as one morning there was heat and when I checked the furnace there was no wood in it.  Today I also noted there are two chimneys, side by side on the roof.  I don't find the house cool even in the early morning, though I do wear a sweater most of the time.

It's a lot of house for one woman to care for, and she mentioned she had it listed before her husband passed away (in December).  She's planning to list it again and find a place closer to Qualicum Beach just a few miles up the highway.  The neighbour's house is up for sale too...I checked the price on MLS...$1,295,000 though it comprises two lots.  I would suspect this house (4000 square feet) with oceanviews from the main floor would likely fetch close to a million as well.   Not for me, even if I won the lottery!

But for now, this is my home, sweet home.

Have a great day everyone!