So the move is officially done. Almost. We still have to pick up our plants and the left over food from the Salisbury House and bring it to our as yet unnamed new home. It has been a long day fraught with peril. I think we had a vindictive GM, I can recognize our kind...
I went to bed at about midnight last night, and was out like a light. Until the blizzard and near hurricane force winds started up, followed shortly by the popo parking outside the Salisbury House and shining their search light all over the place, including our bedroom windows. That was at about 4:00am. Fitful sleeping patterns regained until alarm clock at 7:30am. Much groaning, and attempts to hide from the universe. Efforts proved to be ineffective, and by 7:45am showers were being had.
Shortly after we got in the car to head to Caffe Rosso for caffeinated beverages of the medium roast variety and sustenance of the pastry species. But what was this? The snow had partly melted, then been whipped into sheets of glare ice a centimetre thick! Brakes: ineffective. Hills: gravity always wins. Bus vs. Parked Car, roll 2d6 for minutes delayed. Side route with a lesser grade, skating through a stop sign into a playground zone. Destination reached, coffee purchased. Roll a charisma check to glean information from barristas and other customers in line... resutls in tales of minimal woe and rumors of 'clear main thurofares'.
Some discussion was had, and the decision to continue was made. The treck to UHaul uneventful, and rumors of clear roads prove true. Did you know that UHaul charges $0.69/kilometre for a city rental, plus the $29.95 rental fee? They also do not supply a snow brush or window scraper. Yes, that is correct, in Canada, in the spring/winter you are not provided with one of the most critical pieces of auto equipment. A snow brush. Also noted once road spray was on windshield: definite lack of windshield washer fluid.
Uhaul arrives at loading point, loading commences. Winds continue to howl, whipping up snow drifts on sidewalks every 20 minutes. Roll 1D10 every five turns for minutes delayed. Rob, hero of the day, shows up and loading speed increases. Strangely enough our green hand truck ( dolly ) has gone missing. Where could it be? We do not know. Rob busts out his collapsable hand truck, and the day is saved. Uhaul loaded by 12:30pm, give or take.
Drive to new house ( as yet un-named, but located in Silver Springs ) is straight forward and uneventful. Unloading commences, and is completed in record time. Budwiser and Cokes follow. Rob heads off to beat rush hour at 2:30pm, and we head down to Janice and Lonnie's to get a couch/hide-a-bed... that weights as much as God. No, seriously. Lonnie comes up to the house, hero of the day number two, and helps unload. Janice provides Kernals popcorn. The time clicks over to 3:20pm...and my stomach begins to complain that it has only been given one travel mug of coffee and an apple cinnimon scone. Roll 1d20, on any result under 5 angry bear emerges and all around you face berserker mode. On results of 15 or higher, pleasant personality emerges. Roll a 20 and you get sainted.
I roll something around an 8, and am grumpy but not homicidal.
Treck to return the Uhaul begins. Crowchild to Glenmore has almost no traffic, at 4:00pm. What is this? Oh, I must have used up my remaining luck pool. Stop near Uhaul drop point to get fuel. Card rejected at Pay-n-Go at the pump. Damn you Shell. In to see the clerk, charisma check, prepay the pump. Petroleum storage nominal! On to the Uhaul drop point... oh, what's that? wrong turn? In rush hour? Roll 3d10 for minutes delayed. Oh no! Critical failed roll on pathfinding, a second wrong turn resulting in a 1d6 kilometre detour!
So at about 4:50pm the Uhaul is finally dropped off, and the bill is paid. At this point hunger knaws at my soul, and Kam Han on Spiller Rd. is the only option. Western pseudo Chinese food consumed en masse. Back up to the Salisbury House to load up on things left behind, like boxes of random things, bags of random things, various other bits of clutter. Back to Silver Springs to unload, Sarah stays behind and I head back for another load, unwilling to stop as long as there is light. At 7:45pm Sarah calls and says the screws to hold the bed together are breaking, heads torquing right off like dandilions in the hands of an 8 year old. Screws described. Metal file requested. Home Depot, here I come! Roll 3d10 for minutes delayed in loading.
Turns out that the screws holding the bed together are of the drywall persuasion. Why? I know not, perhaps ask the chummers who put the bed together. I mill around the hardware section and ponder options. Deck screws look too agressive. Settle on #2 Robertson 10 x 1 1/2 inch wood screws, a pack of 13. Also pick up a pack of #2 Roberson 10 X 1 3/4 just in case. One can never have too many loose screws. Metal file selected, the brand proclaiming rapid removal of metals of all sorts, including lawn mower blades.
Return to Salisbury House with hardware, and load up some more. A computer chair that feels as heavy as a Fiat by this point, a rocking chair of wicker and lathe that feels as heavy as a couple cinder blocks, and anything else that will fit around them. All that remains is food goods in the fridge and house plants, oh, and one big pot with a possibly alive Clematis that was forced to live on the front porch. Survival of the fittest, reap life in Hardiness Zone 3a.
Return to Silver Springs, stop and get Jr. Chicken Sandwich and small fries at McDonalds ( only $2.92! ) to wolf down. Time clicks over to 9:00pm, the sun has set and sinister clouds on no less then three horizons threaten coming snow. Last load of the day is unloaded and stored in the middle of where ever it fits. The house looks like a moving van exploded all over it, things are everywhere.
Metal file and screws grabbed, stumps of broken drywall screws sanded down. Fancy new DeWalt 18V 2 speed drill/driver used to drill holes and screw in snazzy #2 Robertson 10 x 1 1/2 inch wood screws, total of 4 used, leaving 9 loose screws. An auspicious number! Bed assembled! Matresses placed! Bedding applied, bed is made! Showers are had! Wifi is plugged in! Blog post added detailing the day!
Sleep, here I come!
I went to bed at about midnight last night, and was out like a light. Until the blizzard and near hurricane force winds started up, followed shortly by the popo parking outside the Salisbury House and shining their search light all over the place, including our bedroom windows. That was at about 4:00am. Fitful sleeping patterns regained until alarm clock at 7:30am. Much groaning, and attempts to hide from the universe. Efforts proved to be ineffective, and by 7:45am showers were being had.
Shortly after we got in the car to head to Caffe Rosso for caffeinated beverages of the medium roast variety and sustenance of the pastry species. But what was this? The snow had partly melted, then been whipped into sheets of glare ice a centimetre thick! Brakes: ineffective. Hills: gravity always wins. Bus vs. Parked Car, roll 2d6 for minutes delayed. Side route with a lesser grade, skating through a stop sign into a playground zone. Destination reached, coffee purchased. Roll a charisma check to glean information from barristas and other customers in line... resutls in tales of minimal woe and rumors of 'clear main thurofares'.
Some discussion was had, and the decision to continue was made. The treck to UHaul uneventful, and rumors of clear roads prove true. Did you know that UHaul charges $0.69/kilometre for a city rental, plus the $29.95 rental fee? They also do not supply a snow brush or window scraper. Yes, that is correct, in Canada, in the spring/winter you are not provided with one of the most critical pieces of auto equipment. A snow brush. Also noted once road spray was on windshield: definite lack of windshield washer fluid.
Uhaul arrives at loading point, loading commences. Winds continue to howl, whipping up snow drifts on sidewalks every 20 minutes. Roll 1D10 every five turns for minutes delayed. Rob, hero of the day, shows up and loading speed increases. Strangely enough our green hand truck ( dolly ) has gone missing. Where could it be? We do not know. Rob busts out his collapsable hand truck, and the day is saved. Uhaul loaded by 12:30pm, give or take.
Drive to new house ( as yet un-named, but located in Silver Springs ) is straight forward and uneventful. Unloading commences, and is completed in record time. Budwiser and Cokes follow. Rob heads off to beat rush hour at 2:30pm, and we head down to Janice and Lonnie's to get a couch/hide-a-bed... that weights as much as God. No, seriously. Lonnie comes up to the house, hero of the day number two, and helps unload. Janice provides Kernals popcorn. The time clicks over to 3:20pm...and my stomach begins to complain that it has only been given one travel mug of coffee and an apple cinnimon scone. Roll 1d20, on any result under 5 angry bear emerges and all around you face berserker mode. On results of 15 or higher, pleasant personality emerges. Roll a 20 and you get sainted.
I roll something around an 8, and am grumpy but not homicidal.
Treck to return the Uhaul begins. Crowchild to Glenmore has almost no traffic, at 4:00pm. What is this? Oh, I must have used up my remaining luck pool. Stop near Uhaul drop point to get fuel. Card rejected at Pay-n-Go at the pump. Damn you Shell. In to see the clerk, charisma check, prepay the pump. Petroleum storage nominal! On to the Uhaul drop point... oh, what's that? wrong turn? In rush hour? Roll 3d10 for minutes delayed. Oh no! Critical failed roll on pathfinding, a second wrong turn resulting in a 1d6 kilometre detour!
So at about 4:50pm the Uhaul is finally dropped off, and the bill is paid. At this point hunger knaws at my soul, and Kam Han on Spiller Rd. is the only option. Western pseudo Chinese food consumed en masse. Back up to the Salisbury House to load up on things left behind, like boxes of random things, bags of random things, various other bits of clutter. Back to Silver Springs to unload, Sarah stays behind and I head back for another load, unwilling to stop as long as there is light. At 7:45pm Sarah calls and says the screws to hold the bed together are breaking, heads torquing right off like dandilions in the hands of an 8 year old. Screws described. Metal file requested. Home Depot, here I come! Roll 3d10 for minutes delayed in loading.
Turns out that the screws holding the bed together are of the drywall persuasion. Why? I know not, perhaps ask the chummers who put the bed together. I mill around the hardware section and ponder options. Deck screws look too agressive. Settle on #2 Robertson 10 x 1 1/2 inch wood screws, a pack of 13. Also pick up a pack of #2 Roberson 10 X 1 3/4 just in case. One can never have too many loose screws. Metal file selected, the brand proclaiming rapid removal of metals of all sorts, including lawn mower blades.
Return to Salisbury House with hardware, and load up some more. A computer chair that feels as heavy as a Fiat by this point, a rocking chair of wicker and lathe that feels as heavy as a couple cinder blocks, and anything else that will fit around them. All that remains is food goods in the fridge and house plants, oh, and one big pot with a possibly alive Clematis that was forced to live on the front porch. Survival of the fittest, reap life in Hardiness Zone 3a.
Return to Silver Springs, stop and get Jr. Chicken Sandwich and small fries at McDonalds ( only $2.92! ) to wolf down. Time clicks over to 9:00pm, the sun has set and sinister clouds on no less then three horizons threaten coming snow. Last load of the day is unloaded and stored in the middle of where ever it fits. The house looks like a moving van exploded all over it, things are everywhere.
Metal file and screws grabbed, stumps of broken drywall screws sanded down. Fancy new DeWalt 18V 2 speed drill/driver used to drill holes and screw in snazzy #2 Robertson 10 x 1 1/2 inch wood screws, total of 4 used, leaving 9 loose screws. An auspicious number! Bed assembled! Matresses placed! Bedding applied, bed is made! Showers are had! Wifi is plugged in! Blog post added detailing the day!
Sleep, here I come!
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