It is a NEW YEAR.

Yes, it has been quite the NEW YEAR thus far.

Good Monday Morning Everyone!

How was your Sunday?

Mine was great.

There were changes to our coffee plans right up until a few minutes before show time.

Originally one of the girls was going to have on her driveway (she has no garage).

Would have been fine but was chilly with HUGE wind blowing.

So then we changed to the other friend who happens to live across the back lane from her.

Then decided it was too windy and cold there.

I have a garage with no cars.

So the coffee party changed to my garage.

We practiced social distancing.

We opened the big door on my garage and closed the regular door to the garage from the house (garage detached).

This shut the wind out as it was coming from the north and west.

It was not too bad ( I was dressed for cool ).

We enjoyed a couple of hours of coffee, muffins and good company.

We laughed and chatted and chatted and laughed.

Alvin was on his leash and spent the time with us.

He would never have stayed in the house by himself.

Also to note the winds were so strong that they were blowing bags of garbage all around.

So many neighbours have recently been raking their yards.

Well you can see where I am going with this story.

Luckily I have an assortment of garden gloves in the garage.

So when a bag would blow down the back lane I picked it up and threw it back to the place of origin.

I cannot believe that people are not more careful.

But I guess why would you if other neighbours watch out for your “trash.”

Anyway, we had a great time.

Our first get together in over 1.5 months.

I missed my girls.

I have seen them individually as they often drop off groceries for me.

But to have so much time together was amazing.

 

I booked this afternoon off as originally EPCOR and my plumber were to come and fix my tap.

Okay, why would I require EPCOR you might ask.

Well the builder of my home put in a very cheap water shut off valve in the basement.

My plumber had to remove the handle as it would have broken off it was so tight.

I have never had to turn it off.

In fact, I wasn’t even sure where it was (my first house).

I should have asked about it and maybe I had in the early years and forgotten.

Anyway, with no shut off under the kitchen sink as that is the leaking tap, it had to be shut off from the main one in the basement.

Had it been working.

He got it half way and decided not a good idea to continue.

My only other alternative was to call EPCOR, the utility company and have them come out and turn off the main water shut off out front.

So I called them.

Firstly, they now charge for the service.

Secondly, they had to send someone out to check things out first before setting up an appointment to actually turn it off.

So they came out on Thursday and then I set up the appointment for this afternoon.

Late after work on Friday, my plumber got in touch to say that he was unable to make it today but could on Wednesday.

I called the utility back and luckily I was able to change to Wednesday afternoon.

Now I have to change the time off.

But then I was thinking that I need to pick up the trash in the hood so I am going to keep this afternoon off and then book Wednesday afternoon off for the plumbing job.

There is possibility of rain this afternoon but because we have been having so much wind as of late and the forecast is slight wind, I am going to keep this time off.

It will be nice to have a couple of afternoons off.

 

Well Alvin is squeaking so perhaps he has to go outside.

Time to grab some coffee.

Oh, Alvin’s BF Teddy came over in the afternoon yesterday for a visit.

So it was a great day.

We had a nice walk after Teddy went home.

Good day for both of us to spend with our friends.

 

I wish you a great Monday.

With kindness and respect we shall make it through another day.

 

I/We shall remain,

As Always, Carol & Alvin