A Dog's Day in Dallas!!!

Dear Fellow Blog Followers,

There are some great things in our back yard that our dog - Cosmo - would love!  He loves to chew the wood mulch at home and we have some here too.

A Cosmo Day in Heaven!!!

If Cosmo had his way here, he'd chow down on some wood mulch and then rip his "hoodie" off and dive into the pool for a swim.  Doesn't he look like he wants to GO FOR IT?

Me and My Hoodie in Calgary!!!

   

After Cosmo's swim, he would love to go for a walk in the park and maybe even take another splash in the pond.  The park and pond are just down the block from our house.  I can't wait to go there for a walk with Kevin when we have some free time.

A Dog's Day in Dallas, Indeed!!!

Tid Bits...

Dear Fellow Blog Followers,

So, we are enjoying our time here and the great weather (this time of year).  I just called the Dentist in Calgary to update our Dental Provider and spoke directly with my dentist (reception is closed on Fridays).  He asked how we are doing and told me that it was 23 C. in Calgary yesterday and snowing today!!!  Oh My Gosh!!!  It is currently 22 C. with a high of 31 C. for the next couple of days.  Then it gets really cold and drops to 25+ C. for later next week.  Hmmm....  I am not sure if we'll be able to stand the cold here...

Tid Bits to Ponder...

• Power Bar for Computer - Store clerk had no idea what we were talking about.  Suggested we were hungry and needed to eat an energy bar - Power Bar.  Go figure!
• Furnace & Hot Water Tank - We searched the entire inside/outside of the house looking for the furnace and hot water tank.  Unseemly to us, they are both located in the Attic (the last place I was going to look).  HOISH!!!  Who would have thunk?
• Ma'am - I have been called Ma'am more times than I can count (or care to remember) since we have been here.  Very polite, but I feel like I've aged 20 years.  Takes some getting used to...
• New Pet - Yes, we have a new pet named "Spot".  He lives under the mailbox and freaks me out every time I check the mail.  "Spot" is a little spotted Gecko.  He also has a couple of friends who live in a plant/planter in the back yard.  They are really harmless, but they freak me out because they move faster than the eye can follow.  OK - where did he go???
• Mail Truck - Not much bigger than a very small jeep delivers the mail to our mail box.  They even deliver on Saturdays!!!  Gotta love it!!!

          

          It's lil ol me.  Yes, Ma'am!!!

"Spot"

Yes Ma'am.  Thank you Ma'am!!!

Enough Already !!! ???

Dear Fellow Blog Followers,

Don't you hate it when you think you have completed everything you needed to do before taking a trip somewhere and then major crap happens?  Well, we thought we did everything we could before we moved to Dallas to make sure our Calgary home was in tip top shape.

Our sons (Aaron 23 and Brandon 19) remain in Calgary taking care of everything Kevin and I would normally do.  The only thing in the immediate future was to make sure the roofers showed up to put new shingles on the house/garage.  Easy peasy!!!

However, not so...  Here's what happened in Calgary while we were experiencing our first week in Dallas.

• Jeep - Needed to be booked in for new brakes as this was noticed after we were dropped off at the airport.
• Furnace - Making weird noises, booked the furnace guys in, they had to order a new part, booked them to come back and fix it.
• Huge Flying Ants - Aaron came home to huge flying ants inside the front door and foyer (too many to count according to Aaron who is afraid of spiders, so I'm thinking ants too?).  Found a bunch more at the bottom of the stairs. Vacuumed them up, discarded the bag, called the exterminator and booked them in a few days later.  Gross!!!
• ADT Emergency - Exterminators sprayed quite heavily in an area sensitive to the alarm system.  So, while Aaron and Brandon (and Cosmo) were outside raking leaves (yes, Cosmo helps too), we got an emergency call in Dallas with ADT telling us that the alarm was going off in the house as a flooding sensor was alarmed in the basement.  HOISH!!!  This obviously was from the exterminators spraying.  Aaron and Brandon had to reset the alarm system with the ADT rep.

Could anything else possibly go wrong so soon?  Let's hope we're good to go for a long time!!!

Great Job - Aaron & Brandon!!!

Stage 3: Adios Apartment - Hello House!!!

Hello Fellow Blog Followers,

Today we are moving out of the apartment completely.  It will be nice to be in the house and away from the noisy downtown.  We spent 12 hours yesterday running around and trying to unpack our Calgary stuff from the movers, but still have a lot to do.

As this is the Canadian Thanksgiving, I am sure you all are enjoying ham, turkey and all the trimmings!!!  We might have to celebrate the US Thanksgiving as I will not be making  a turkey dinner this weekend.

Have an extra piece of pie for us!!!

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!!!

Directionally Challenged !!!

Hello Blog Followers,

As many of you may know, I am extremely directionally challenged.  So, to say the least, there was a hint of panic and fear to make the drive from the apartment to the house in Plano to meet the movers (Calgary stuff).  OK, to be honest, I was really apprehensive and quite nervous!!!


I managed to make it all the way there with only one small error - turned right too quickly, had to turn around and get back on track.  HOISH!!!  I was really happy to have arrived at the house after travelling over 35 miles on the Freeway (4 lanes each way and sometimes 5 & 6 lanes).  I am now patting myself on the back and Kevin is probably relieved as well.


I made an error on the trip back home to the downtown area - missed a turn as I was not far enough over for the right hand turn.  YIKES!!!  So, I knew I was in the right area and just drove around the apartment community until I found my little apartment.  Yes, I made it home unscathed!!!

Moral of the Story:  I now have a new best friend!!!

My previous best friend was (the "Undo Icon" on my computer for all the mistakes I make):

My new best friend is (the GPS Navigator in the Jeep):

Hey Baby:  Which way do you want to go?

Safe & at Home in the Apartment!!!

Stage 2: On the Move... Calgary Stuff Has Arrived!!!

Dear Fellow Blog Followers,

Our Calgary stuff is being delivered today.  Yipee!!!

So, Kevin is at work and I'll be heading out into the traffic to find my way from the apartment to the house for the first time!!!  Pray the GPS will guide me all the way there. I am hoping I can make it there without breaking down - me crying that is - not the Jeep!!!

Wish me luck!!!

Driving in Dallas!!!

Stage 1: On the Move... Rentals Arrive Today!!!

Dear Fellow Blog Followers,

We have been busy this past week trying to pick out rental furniture and managed to stay within the allowed budget!!!  However, we did not have enough $$$ to furnish the whole house.  So, there is a huge "games" room area upstairs that will remain empty.  The room is so big that you could easily do cartwheels across the room (I have been tempted, but my age is holding me back!).

This is stage one.  Once we get the furniture set up, I will need time to buy a couple of essentials, then we'll move out of the apartment this weekend - Oct. 9th and 10th. Yippee!!!

No Sweat!!!

Happy Moving Days Ahead!!!

Trivia... Answer & Winner!!!

Dear Fellow Blog Followers,

Well, we finally have a winner.

• Question:  What TV Show was filmed here?
• Answer:    Dallas!!!  (For the young people, this was an evening soap opera starring characters of The Ewing Family - Bobby & Pamela, JR & Sue Ellen, Miss Ellie, etc.)
• Winner:    Miss Julia Giglio (one of my best friends!!!)
• Prize:       Free Entry to tour the Southfork Ranch where the TV show "Dallas" was filmed (I'll pay the Admission/Entry fee).  This prize also includes "Free Accommodations", but the flight is at Julia's own expense.

            

You might ask yourself - Why did I pick that prize?  I picked the tour of the Southfork Ranch because our home in Plano is just a mere 5 minute drive away!!!

Congratulations Julia!!!