Happy Holidays :)

Wishing you all (all three of you) a wonderful holiday season. :)

I'm excited that I get the entire time off from work, that my sister is coming for a visit (with her little family), and that I'll get to spend time with family and friends. I'm grateful for the birth of Jesus and can't wait to celebrate!

working hard :)

Two Months In...

... And I'm loving it. I've been getting quite a bit of work. So much so, actually, that I had to leave my other job due to the amount of hours I was working in a week. It was getting to be a bit ridiculous trying to hold down a 24hr/week job and TOC at the same time. Since leaving the group home at the beginning of November, I've been quite busy with TOCing. That makes me happy!

I recently joined a local community choir, too. Now that I'm no longer working shift work I feel as if I can have a bit of a life again. I have evenings free to sing, hang out with friends, watch a movie, work out, head to Bible Study, or simply veg. It's been a good four years since I've had EVERY weekend off and I'm pretty excited about bringing that option back into my life!

Teaching - well, it's pretty fantastic. It feels pretty great to be in a classroom, watching kids learn, asking them questions and seeing the gears turning - all those little cliches people say are TRUE. And it's awesome.

Now, we're LESS than a month from Winter Break and THAT makes me excited, too. Of the past four Christmases, I've had to work them all (or at least the 24th or 26th, if not the 25th), so I'm looking forward to NOT working. :D A holiday! Faaaaabulous!

And it's snowing. How wonderful is that? My Dad just helped me put my winter tires on the car and as I drove home I experienced my first snow of the season. Good timing? I'd say so!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Teaching...

I'm a Teacher On-Call in a public school district. On September 15th I signed papers and as of the following Monday I was in my first classroom in the district. Feels pretty great!

New Leaf

So, after having enough with my place being up for sale (walked in on, place left unlocked after a viewing, constant interruptions, etc), my stay there came to a quick and timely end. On July 6th, after a furry of emails and texts with my landlord, it was determined that if I could be out by the 9th, I'd get my July rent back. Thank goodness I had a new place lined up already and they were flexible enough to let me in a week early! AND thank God for family. My father and oldest sister really stepped up and helped me out. So did coworkers, enabling me to take time off to do it all. Started packing after work on the 6th and had moved everything in by 615pm on the 9th. Not bad!

Since the 9th of July I've been in my new place and loving it. It's not for sale! Plus, it has a better layout, has a nicer 'feel' to it, a big back yard, and my own private covered patio. Me likey. Sure, it's not modern or sophisticated, but it's bright, clean, quiet, and private. The folks upstairs are lovely, and it's been almost two months of hassle-free living. The way it should be.

Still hunting around for some TOCing opportunities, and working full-time with my two ladies at the group home. Keeping busy for the most part. Thoughts of moving to Europe or to Eastern Canada keep floating through my head, but after a series of job offers (from the same school) in Alberta, I realized that I'd much rather stick to the Lower Mainland for a job... I'm not desperate for a position, so I've got a bit of time to get things figured out. I'd like to be teaching, but happy to be working. Or so I keep telling myself! :)

This summer has been a lovely one - got to finally meet my nephew Noah (and hang out with his mama), had Auntie/Niece days with both Lindsay (in July) and Laura (in August), spent time at the cabin (rain and shine), went to Minter Gardens, enjoyed a few BBQs and bonfires (once the weather turned warm), saw a couple movies, went on a lot of walks with friends, took in free concerts at Heritage Park, walked through the Othello Tunnels, saw some bears and deer, Canada Day celebrations, July 4th fireworks, Girls' Weekend in Penticton, bought a few bottles of wine, hung up some of my own art work, mowed a few lawns a few times, went on a birthday bike ride adventure, had a couple pedicures, got a computer fixed, built a BBQ, fell asleep on my patio, lost about 45lbs, and have plans to do a whole lot more (PNE, more biking/hiking/walking/swimming, camp, bridal shower for a friend, wedding in September, see some more movies, buy a new computer, more cabin time, and so much more!). Gotta love summer time :D

Hurricane Irene is now doing battle with the East Coast of the US and will be trekking her way up to Canada over the next 24-36hrs... Hoping and praying lives are spared, even if trees and homes and the like aren't. Be safe (and smart) out there, folks!

Time to start thinking about bed - just finished my night shifts this morning, so need to get myself back into the routine of sleeping at night rather than staying up! Maybe I need to find a boring book and head to bed...

Belcarra and more...

Went on a bit of a random afternoon trip in the Lower Mainland with my friend Lisa and her babe Naomi... seeing as I haven't got permission (yet) to post pics of either of them, you get to see some of what we saw instead :)

I need it to stop raining...

I was all set - camera, walking shoes, good tunes on the iPod - and then the wind and rain came. DANGNABBIT. I grabbed my umbrella from the trunk of the car and decided to brave the elements, only to have the wind blow my umbrella inside out and the rain to soak me in seconds. So much for that outing. *sigh*

I can feel the need for sunshine and fresh air. (Could also be because I've just finished my four night shifts which often includes me sleeping the daylight hours away.) Tomorrow, after church, I'm heading to Mom and Dad's and I'm bringing the camera again, just in case. A stroll around Mill Lake will do me good, as long as it's not pouring - it's tricky holding a camera and an umbrella at the same time.

I'm getting excited for the end of the month - going on a little road trip down to Seattle to visit H&R and their newest addition, a doggy! Craving some 'away' time and I am looking forward to the visit, a mini-vacation, big time! Rain or shine, it's happening! *smiling already*

House is being shown again tomorrow... not my suite, but that'll probably happen soon after (24hour notice, right?! right!). Hmmm, maybe if I just leave all the blinds/curtains open, they can do a sneak peek through the windows and by-pass the need to actually come inside ;) Though, that does sound a little creepy.

A walk in the park...

It had been much too long since I went for a walking photo shoot, so yesterday, in the crisp, breezy, sunshiney daylight, I meandered over to Heritage Park in Mission and took some pictures. Here are some shots I took:

Motivation

Time to find some.
I blame night shifts.

Off to an Abby Heat game tonight - no idea who the players are, but I'll be wearing red and black! (those *are* their colours, right?!) ;)

Drama drama drama

So, I'm in my new place. Yay! So, they've re-listed the house. Boo! Pretty much sums it up.

Here's the details: When I was looking at places to live I saw a lot of rather crappy apartments and some awful 'newly renovated' places. Then I found this place. It's roomie, bright, and quite private. I chatted with the owner and immediately liked her and I knew it would be a good fit. The house was on the market but hadn't been getting many hits, so when I asked her about it, she said she'd take it off the market once I moved in, and leave it that way until Spring. I asked point blank - will I have to keep the place in pristine condition so it looks good for viewings, and she said, "No, it's coming off the market." Great, I thought, a few months to just live and be on my own again. Wonderful!

The day before I moved in (31st), I got an email from the owner telling me a couple thing - that the washer/dryer were getting hooked up on the 1st, that the gas stove was ready to go, and that I could remove the for sale sign off the front lawn. Wonderful! Dad helped yank the offending sign out of the grassy front yard and we stowed it away in the garage.

The next day, mid-day, once Telus had set up my internet and cable, I checked my email to find another one from my owner, saying, "Forget about removing the sign, we've decided to re-list the house." WHAT?! Less than 24 hours after confirming what was said before I moved in, I get an email with info stating the exact opposite.

I was peeved. I didn't move in to a new place just to have strangers going trouping through it!

The owner said that she had told the realtor that there were specific requests with this listing. 1) initial viewings of the house would not include my suite; 2) any scheduled viewings of the house (minus my suite) must be confirmed by the owner and me before they occur (so I wouldn't freak out if someone was in the house); 3) viewings of my suite required a minimum of 24 hour notice; 4) viewings of my suite may only occur if it was a second viewing OR it was as part of an offer on the house - there were to be no viewings of my suite as part of the initial viewing.

Two days later, I had just gotten home from work and was pulling into my driveway, only to find a random agent (not my owner's realtor) and a family of four on the front steps of the house. I hadn't received an email during the day, so this was rather shocking. As I sat in my car, getting my items together, the realtor knocked on my window. I opened my door and right away she asks, "Are you the tenant, can you show us the suite now?" I looked at her and said, "I believe I'm entitled to 24 hour notice after an initial viewing AND an email stating you're coming in the first place." To which she states, "Oh, I'm sure you were emailed, and plus, these people want a tenant, so can you show us the suite?" To which I replied, "No, I've just moved in and the suite isn't in any condition to be seen, plus, I require 24 hour notice after an initial viewing." Eventually, she and the family left, leaving me feeling quite frustrated that this had occurred.

Immediately, I went online and checked to see if I had received any emails - nothing. I emailed both the owner and her realtor... letting them know there had been a showing, that no mention had been given, that I was approached to show my suite, and that I was not impressed. Turns out no email was sent to anyone (owner didn't receive one, and backed me up completely), so I was lied to, to my face.

A flurry of emails occurred between the owner and her realtor and myself, hashing things out. I thought we had everything figured out. Yay!

That evening I got an email stating there would be a showing of "the house" at 630pm. I replied to the email stating, "Everything but the tenanted suite, right?" and the reply was, "I assume they want to see the whole house." I CC'd my owner and she poo-pooed the showing of my suite, stating, YET AGAIN, that I needed 24 hour notice.

My point? The realtor is useless. The owner is fine and is trying to ensure that I'm happy. I am resentful that the place is up for sale when she said it wouldn't be, but at least she's got my back. But this realtor. Goodness. There seems to be no accountability in her office - no one signs the email - just a generic "somebody realty" at the end, so I have no idea who I should be upset with and who I may have to repeat myself to! PLUS, I really have no idea if the viewing is the first one or the second one - I'm not there, so I can't prove it either way. They say that the agents who show the house all have access to the four specific requests and have read them, yet not once has anyone followed them!

Well, on Saturday morning there was a viewing scheduled for the house (minus my suite), but I didn't take any chances. I had to work while it happened, but I got up a few minutes earlier than usual and VACUUMED myself out of rooms, so I'd see if people had walked on my floors while I was gone. No one did (but there are tiled areas throughout the house, so no one actually HAS to walk into the rooms with carpet), but I'm still not 100% sure they didn't check out my place while they were at the viewing. IF I had seen footprints, though, I can assure you I'd have made some quick emails and probably a few phone calls.

I am a tenant on a month-to-month, but I HAVE RIGHTS. The RTA states them, my owner seems to be upholding them, but the REALTOR is driving me insane.

At this point, I live day to day, checking my email and hoping I don't find one that says I'll have to prepare myself and my suite for strangers. Like I said - who moves out on their own into a new place just so someone else can go walking it through it? No one! Had I known that this place would immediately be put back on the market the day I moved in, I probably wouldn't have chosen to rent it in the first place. Turns out having a tenant in place makes a house more marketable, or so they say. But now that I'm here, I'm fighting for my rights.

Some may say, "Oh, Stephanie, is it worth it?" and to them I say, "Yes, it is. This is my home. I like to live my life as privately and undisturbed as possible, so yes, I will fight for that right."

Moving!

Tomorrow is the big day - the majority of my stuff will (hopefully) be moved into my new place. No longer a student, so no longer staying with the parental units, and I'm excited to finally be out on my own again. It feels like forever - so long, in fact, that I have no idea what's been hiding out in my sister's crawl space all these years (4.5 years, I believe!). I'm not allowed to buy anything for my place until I've gone through my old stuff... hopefully my tastes haven't changed too much!

Dad has helped me repaint some furniture items (chairs, dressers, nightstand, etc) and put together storage units and the like, so that's been pretty wonderful. I've been working full-time and he's had the opportunity to get in my new place and do those things there while I'm busy working - so nice to have things done in my absence! Almost magical.

I'm fighting a cold today, but hopefully a good night's rest will have me ready to move furniture tomorrow morning, bright and early! Wish us luck!