Sunday, August 01, 2004
catching up
Well - first of all, apologies to everyone who has spent many minutes on a dial up connection loading up this page to find that it hasn't been updated since the 23rd July! While we could say we've been very busy, there isn't really a valid excuse - we simply haven't taken the time to sit and write about what's been happening in the few days or so.
Anyway, now that's out of the way, let's get on to what we've been at in the last week. The big news was that J's mum and dad managed to get very reasonably priced flights with Canadian Affair from Glasgow to Calgary non-stop. Luckily enough, they were also able to get flights from Belfast to Glasgow with Easyjet, and so were able to drop everything and make an excursion to Tuscarora Way NW in Calgary, arriving last Sunday, and staying here for three weeks. While we have the house more or less sorted out with everything that 2 people need to live comfortably, the big problem was that we didn't actually have a bed for any visitors to sleep in. However, fortunately enough, we had already been to our favourite furniture shop in Calgary (no - not Ikea!) - a place called 'Bedroom Outfitters' - and ordered a nice new wooden bed frame for ourselves, as well as a new mattress which we figured that we'd make into a spare bed by putting it on the roller frame that we are currently sleeping on (a bit confusing, but hopefully you get the picture). The only problem was that the new bed we have ordered is due to arrive by the end of August (i.e about a week after J's mum and dad are due to go home). Obviously, this would be a little too late! Needless to say, Bedroom Outfitters came to the rescue, and delivered our new mattress, as well as another roller frame on Friday morning. The roller frame that they brought has been loaned to us, and they will take it away when they come to deliver our nice new wooden bed frame. So, the spare bedroom has been transformed from a room containing only carpet and a built in wardrobe to a room with a curtain (more on that one later), a very tranquil picture on the wall, a queen sized bed (i.e. a UK kingsize), two bedside cabinets and two bedside lights (as well as carpet and a built-in wardrobe).
I said I'd say a bit more about the spare room curtains, and anyone who's read this blog before will have read about my troubles with curtains in this part of the world. We can't find anywhere that sells ready made curtains in different widths and lengths, with matching sized linings. So, we decided that we'd try Ikea. Strangely enough, Ikea Canada seem to believe that people require curtains that are 3 metres long!! They had loads of curtains in lovely patterns, but every one was 3 metres long - who needs curtains that are nearly 10 feet long??? Perhaps if you live in a Manhattan loft you might need such a thing, but there don't seem to be that many loft dwellers in Calgary - maybe I'm missing something....? Anyway, a pair of 3 metre long curtains was purchased and subsequently butchered to fit the 130cm drop window. Given that I was working with a metal DIY tape measure and a pair of kitchen scissors, this wasn't the easiest of tasks, but it worked out okay. The best bit was that Ikea thoughtfully provided an iron-on sticky strip that you could use to hem the butchered curtain, and given that I don't have access to a sewing machine here, the iron-on sticky strip was a darn sight better than hand stitching. I wouldn't say that the curtain has the straightest hem that you ever saw, but its not too bad. However, I still reckon that there might be a market for ready made lined curtains....
By the way, another difference between Canada and home is that we don't have a draining board attached to the sink in the kitchen. We were talking to Emma (previous resident of our house) today, and she said that when she asked the builder about fitting a sink with a draining board in her new house, he looked at her as if she was a lunatic. Apparently, they can be got, but they cost a fortune. While its not a huge issue because most things go in the dishwasher, it gets to be a bit of a problem when you have to wash the pots and pans. While the set we got from Ikea is very very good (cool handles even when the pots are really hot), they don't go in the dishwasher and it would be nice to be able to put them on a draining board after they have been washed.
Anyway, its only a small thing and doesn't cause a huge problem!!
Right - back to the main story....
We got the spare room sorted on Friday, and on Saturday, my friend Michelle dropped in for a visit. This was absolutely brilliant, as I hadn't seen her for ages. She lives in London at the moment, and we only get to see each other if Julie and I go to London, or if she gets home to visit her family. We were supposed to meet up at home at Easter, but unfortunately, I was struck down by a nasty stomach bug and couldn't go. Fortunately, she and her husband had booked a fly-drive holiday to western Canada, and had organised to stop over in Calgary for a night on the way home. They called in here on Saturday morning, had a tour of the house, and then Michelle and I wandered off to Cochrane for lunch and icecream. The day was really hot, so we decided that we would come back home and sit and chat. To be honest, I don't know where the time went to, but we had a great gossip. Her husband then came back to the house about 7.30pm and we put together a steak and salad dinner, which we were able to eat outside.
The steak was cooked on our latest acquisition - a gas barbecue (or gas grill as the Canadians call it). We had thought about getting one in the first couple of weeks that we got here, but it didn't seem like a priority, especially when we didn't have anything of our own to sit on! However, now that most things are sorted, it seemed like a good idea. Mr White brought it home from Rona (Calgary's equivalent of B&Q) in a box, and while Michelle and I put the world to rights, he put his hat on and constructed the BBQ on the deck. It took about 2 hours for him to put it together (including a few trips to the back garden when vital parts dropped through the deck planks), and I have to say that its a very good job.
Of course, when the BBQ had been built, we realised that it didn't come supplied with the things that heat up when the gas burners are lit, and we realised that we should have bought either lava rocks or ceramic bricks. Mr White had to head back off to Rona, and came back with a couple of bags of lava rocks (wee pinky coloured pieces of rock) that you sprinkle on top of the grid on top of the gas burners.
I think that the steaks was pretty successful, and we were able to sit outside until 10.30pm - just lovely! Oh yes- I forgot to say that we were able to eat outside because we also bought a green plastic table and 2 more chairs in Rona on Saturday...
Mr J was also responsible for bringing home from Rona a box of a very typical Canadian food - Timbits! Timbits are small doughnut things that come from a Canadian coffee house chain called Tim Hortons. Its a bit like Starbucks, but the buns are better!
Sunday dawned bright and hot (forecast high of 32 degrees C - whew!!) and after breakfast, we made our usual excursion to the Farmers' Market at Bearspaw for fruit, veg etc. We then trundled off to the airport, where the flight from Glasgow was due in at about 1.30pm. When we arrived, the boards were forecasting an arrival time of 2pm, but I think it finally touched down on Canadian soil at about 2.15pm. J's mum and dad finally emerged from customs and immigration some time just after 3pm - there having been some sort of a foo-fa with the luggage circling on a different belt than had been announced. Anyway, they made it here safe and sound, and, following yet another BBQ dinner (sausages, corn and beans - a much nicer than it sounds western style BBQ), we spent the rest of the evening chatting outside on the deck - just lovely!
They managed to stay up until about 9pm, which was pretty good, and we crashed out about 10.30pm.
Next morning dawned bright and early - especially for the visitors who woke about 4am. This is pretty typical - if you visit from the UK, you have to get used to waking about 4am for the first few days, and then wanting to go to bed about 8pm .... this is the combined effect of jetlag and altitude. As I've said before, Calgary is about the same elevation above sea level as Mount Snowdon is, and the altitude does make a difference....
Calgary isn't bad for public transport, especially if you stay within the city limits. So, on Monday, I furnished J's mum and dad with a bus timetable, a train timetable and 4 dollars and pointed them in the direction of the bus-stop (200 yards down the road). The Calgary Transit system is fine - for 2 dollars you can get a bus from the end of our street (route 421) which takes you to the Light Rail Transit stop at Brentwood. From Brentwood, you get the LRT right into town (all for the same 2 dollars). They were very happy to take themselves off to wander about the city..... and indeed, that was what they did for most of the week...
Mr White Junior had to work all day Thursday (acting as a junior resident) and so was able to get all day Friday off. I'm not sure exactly how he swung that one, but it meant that the four of us could go down into town and use our pass to visit the Calgary Tower. You get great views of the city from the tower and it really helps get one's bearings in the city. We then split up so that J's mum and dad could wander around a bit more, and we went off to hire a clarinet. Mr White had a saxophone at home, but the constraints of packing meant that it went into the roofspace, and I think he's been missing the opportunity to go into the spare bedroom and make honky squeaky noises in the name of learning to play a musical instrument. So... with the advice of the music department of the University of Calgary, he and I found ourselves at St John's Music, just outside the downtown core. They have a really nice hire policy where you can hire a brand new clarinet for about CAD$25 per month, and if you don't like it, you can take it back whenever you like. However, if you do like it, you can keep paying your hire charge, and after 36 months, the instrument is yours.
So, here is Mr White in the Devonian Gardens with his new clarinet...
Saturday dawned bright and clear, and we decided to make an excursion to Banff and Lake Louise... here are some pictures of the day out...
J's mum in Banff...
P at the Banff Springs Hotel...
J at a bridge in Banff...
Elk at the picnic spot in Muleshoe (on the way from Banff to Lake Louise)...
Mountains on the way from Banff to Lake Louise...
Lake Louise was absolutely stunning - we and the rest of the world were there...
and of course, we felt the need to eat very large ice creams...
We then drove home (about 2 hours) and had a barbecue (what a busy day!!) - where we invited Richard and Emma (previous residents of this house) and Gerry (pronounced like Gary with a posh accent) who is the surgical fellow from Switzerland...
So that's us almost up to date... I start work in the morning.... will let you know how that pans out...!
P
Anyway, now that's out of the way, let's get on to what we've been at in the last week. The big news was that J's mum and dad managed to get very reasonably priced flights with Canadian Affair from Glasgow to Calgary non-stop. Luckily enough, they were also able to get flights from Belfast to Glasgow with Easyjet, and so were able to drop everything and make an excursion to Tuscarora Way NW in Calgary, arriving last Sunday, and staying here for three weeks. While we have the house more or less sorted out with everything that 2 people need to live comfortably, the big problem was that we didn't actually have a bed for any visitors to sleep in. However, fortunately enough, we had already been to our favourite furniture shop in Calgary (no - not Ikea!) - a place called 'Bedroom Outfitters' - and ordered a nice new wooden bed frame for ourselves, as well as a new mattress which we figured that we'd make into a spare bed by putting it on the roller frame that we are currently sleeping on (a bit confusing, but hopefully you get the picture). The only problem was that the new bed we have ordered is due to arrive by the end of August (i.e about a week after J's mum and dad are due to go home). Obviously, this would be a little too late! Needless to say, Bedroom Outfitters came to the rescue, and delivered our new mattress, as well as another roller frame on Friday morning. The roller frame that they brought has been loaned to us, and they will take it away when they come to deliver our nice new wooden bed frame. So, the spare bedroom has been transformed from a room containing only carpet and a built in wardrobe to a room with a curtain (more on that one later), a very tranquil picture on the wall, a queen sized bed (i.e. a UK kingsize), two bedside cabinets and two bedside lights (as well as carpet and a built-in wardrobe).
I said I'd say a bit more about the spare room curtains, and anyone who's read this blog before will have read about my troubles with curtains in this part of the world. We can't find anywhere that sells ready made curtains in different widths and lengths, with matching sized linings. So, we decided that we'd try Ikea. Strangely enough, Ikea Canada seem to believe that people require curtains that are 3 metres long!! They had loads of curtains in lovely patterns, but every one was 3 metres long - who needs curtains that are nearly 10 feet long??? Perhaps if you live in a Manhattan loft you might need such a thing, but there don't seem to be that many loft dwellers in Calgary - maybe I'm missing something....? Anyway, a pair of 3 metre long curtains was purchased and subsequently butchered to fit the 130cm drop window. Given that I was working with a metal DIY tape measure and a pair of kitchen scissors, this wasn't the easiest of tasks, but it worked out okay. The best bit was that Ikea thoughtfully provided an iron-on sticky strip that you could use to hem the butchered curtain, and given that I don't have access to a sewing machine here, the iron-on sticky strip was a darn sight better than hand stitching. I wouldn't say that the curtain has the straightest hem that you ever saw, but its not too bad. However, I still reckon that there might be a market for ready made lined curtains....
By the way, another difference between Canada and home is that we don't have a draining board attached to the sink in the kitchen. We were talking to Emma (previous resident of our house) today, and she said that when she asked the builder about fitting a sink with a draining board in her new house, he looked at her as if she was a lunatic. Apparently, they can be got, but they cost a fortune. While its not a huge issue because most things go in the dishwasher, it gets to be a bit of a problem when you have to wash the pots and pans. While the set we got from Ikea is very very good (cool handles even when the pots are really hot), they don't go in the dishwasher and it would be nice to be able to put them on a draining board after they have been washed.
Anyway, its only a small thing and doesn't cause a huge problem!!
Right - back to the main story....
We got the spare room sorted on Friday, and on Saturday, my friend Michelle dropped in for a visit. This was absolutely brilliant, as I hadn't seen her for ages. She lives in London at the moment, and we only get to see each other if Julie and I go to London, or if she gets home to visit her family. We were supposed to meet up at home at Easter, but unfortunately, I was struck down by a nasty stomach bug and couldn't go. Fortunately, she and her husband had booked a fly-drive holiday to western Canada, and had organised to stop over in Calgary for a night on the way home. They called in here on Saturday morning, had a tour of the house, and then Michelle and I wandered off to Cochrane for lunch and icecream. The day was really hot, so we decided that we would come back home and sit and chat. To be honest, I don't know where the time went to, but we had a great gossip. Her husband then came back to the house about 7.30pm and we put together a steak and salad dinner, which we were able to eat outside.
The steak was cooked on our latest acquisition - a gas barbecue (or gas grill as the Canadians call it). We had thought about getting one in the first couple of weeks that we got here, but it didn't seem like a priority, especially when we didn't have anything of our own to sit on! However, now that most things are sorted, it seemed like a good idea. Mr White brought it home from Rona (Calgary's equivalent of B&Q) in a box, and while Michelle and I put the world to rights, he put his hat on and constructed the BBQ on the deck. It took about 2 hours for him to put it together (including a few trips to the back garden when vital parts dropped through the deck planks), and I have to say that its a very good job.
Of course, when the BBQ had been built, we realised that it didn't come supplied with the things that heat up when the gas burners are lit, and we realised that we should have bought either lava rocks or ceramic bricks. Mr White had to head back off to Rona, and came back with a couple of bags of lava rocks (wee pinky coloured pieces of rock) that you sprinkle on top of the grid on top of the gas burners.
I think that the steaks was pretty successful, and we were able to sit outside until 10.30pm - just lovely! Oh yes- I forgot to say that we were able to eat outside because we also bought a green plastic table and 2 more chairs in Rona on Saturday...
Mr J was also responsible for bringing home from Rona a box of a very typical Canadian food - Timbits! Timbits are small doughnut things that come from a Canadian coffee house chain called Tim Hortons. Its a bit like Starbucks, but the buns are better!
Sunday dawned bright and hot (forecast high of 32 degrees C - whew!!) and after breakfast, we made our usual excursion to the Farmers' Market at Bearspaw for fruit, veg etc. We then trundled off to the airport, where the flight from Glasgow was due in at about 1.30pm. When we arrived, the boards were forecasting an arrival time of 2pm, but I think it finally touched down on Canadian soil at about 2.15pm. J's mum and dad finally emerged from customs and immigration some time just after 3pm - there having been some sort of a foo-fa with the luggage circling on a different belt than had been announced. Anyway, they made it here safe and sound, and, following yet another BBQ dinner (sausages, corn and beans - a much nicer than it sounds western style BBQ), we spent the rest of the evening chatting outside on the deck - just lovely!
They managed to stay up until about 9pm, which was pretty good, and we crashed out about 10.30pm.
Next morning dawned bright and early - especially for the visitors who woke about 4am. This is pretty typical - if you visit from the UK, you have to get used to waking about 4am for the first few days, and then wanting to go to bed about 8pm .... this is the combined effect of jetlag and altitude. As I've said before, Calgary is about the same elevation above sea level as Mount Snowdon is, and the altitude does make a difference....
Calgary isn't bad for public transport, especially if you stay within the city limits. So, on Monday, I furnished J's mum and dad with a bus timetable, a train timetable and 4 dollars and pointed them in the direction of the bus-stop (200 yards down the road). The Calgary Transit system is fine - for 2 dollars you can get a bus from the end of our street (route 421) which takes you to the Light Rail Transit stop at Brentwood. From Brentwood, you get the LRT right into town (all for the same 2 dollars). They were very happy to take themselves off to wander about the city..... and indeed, that was what they did for most of the week...
Mr White Junior had to work all day Thursday (acting as a junior resident) and so was able to get all day Friday off. I'm not sure exactly how he swung that one, but it meant that the four of us could go down into town and use our pass to visit the Calgary Tower. You get great views of the city from the tower and it really helps get one's bearings in the city. We then split up so that J's mum and dad could wander around a bit more, and we went off to hire a clarinet. Mr White had a saxophone at home, but the constraints of packing meant that it went into the roofspace, and I think he's been missing the opportunity to go into the spare bedroom and make honky squeaky noises in the name of learning to play a musical instrument. So... with the advice of the music department of the University of Calgary, he and I found ourselves at St John's Music, just outside the downtown core. They have a really nice hire policy where you can hire a brand new clarinet for about CAD$25 per month, and if you don't like it, you can take it back whenever you like. However, if you do like it, you can keep paying your hire charge, and after 36 months, the instrument is yours.
So, here is Mr White in the Devonian Gardens with his new clarinet...
Saturday dawned bright and clear, and we decided to make an excursion to Banff and Lake Louise... here are some pictures of the day out...
J's mum in Banff...
P at the Banff Springs Hotel...
J at a bridge in Banff...
Elk at the picnic spot in Muleshoe (on the way from Banff to Lake Louise)...
Mountains on the way from Banff to Lake Louise...
Lake Louise was absolutely stunning - we and the rest of the world were there...
and of course, we felt the need to eat very large ice creams...
We then drove home (about 2 hours) and had a barbecue (what a busy day!!) - where we invited Richard and Emma (previous residents of this house) and Gerry (pronounced like Gary with a posh accent) who is the surgical fellow from Switzerland...
So that's us almost up to date... I start work in the morning.... will let you know how that pans out...!
P
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