The Move

It started with a look.

Kiwi and I had stepped into the suite for the first time, and gave each other a sideways look that was of mutual appraisal. We both loved the space from the moment we walked under the Mexican plaster ceilings. The masonry wall that greeted us with a fireplace and large hearth, the bar that separated the kitchen from the living space, the small raised area that I immediately hoped to put my office in...

But I am getting ahead of myself.

July 1st, Canada Day, Kiwi got the day off work. My mother and I had spent nearly the entire day previous packing and moving my clothes and kitchen, stacking boxes and boxes of stuff into the back of my dad's pickup. I was sweating, panting, my arms had never ached so much. Another sore reminder of how out-of-shape I am. Our hard work paid off, by having nearly moved half our house in one giant load. With scrapes and bruises to show for it (one large scrape in particular on my mother's behalf, was earned by a hilariously slow fall on the sidewalk beside our house, as she tried to protect our coffee table from hitting the ground). Later that evening, Kiwi and I already having the keys to the new suite, made another two loads with my hatchback. We went to bed that night, I nervous for the events to come the next morning.


At 7:30 my brother arrived and took me to pick up the 1 ton truck I had rented for 4 hours. I have never in my life driven such a large vehicle. I have had my fair share of experiences in different automotives, but nothing of this caliber. After the associate had backed out the truck, I was told to hop in and check the kilometers and gas level. With nothing more than a quick overview of the truck's features, I was sent on my way, alone; my brother having already gone to await my arrival and assist me with backing up the leviathan that was the 1 ton truck.






For the size of the truck, you'd never know it. Well, maybe on turns (as I found out on the first one I took overtaking the sidewalk a bit) but I was enjoying my otherwise smooth trip back to my house. Avoiding the quickest route that involved a giant hill (where a cement truck had lost control of it's brakes a few months previous) I took the long route and arrived unscathed and giddy at my accomplishment.

Kiwi and his friend Arsh, were more than amazing. Moving all the heavy and awkward pieces of furniture, my brother and I were left with organizing and stabilizing everything inside the beast. With less than half the truck bed full, I realised that a 1 ton truck probably wasn't necessary afterall. Not sure what the alternative would have been, though.

Another trip in the bouncy cab of the truck to our new suite, the narrow street offered little assistance with reversing into a small driveway. As I was pulling the nose of the truck up just past the rear of a gray car, a man walked into my view (our new neighbour and owner of said car) and asked me (as I was reversing) if I was new to the neighbourhood. "Yes," I replied hastily, "Welcome to the neighbourhood!" his thick accent cooed back, "Oh! Thank you!" as I cranked the wheel tight and shimmied past his car.

Kiwi and Arsh were left alone as my brother had other matters to attend to, and we finished the move in record time. It took them no time to move the rest of the furniture into the suite already brimming with stuff. We locked up and I set off to return the truck.






Arsh and Kiwi walked down to the local restaurant, where we were going to treat Arsh to lunch to thank him for all his fantastic work. I took the truck for one last spin down to the rental office. I returned the truck with an hour to spare, and the girl working there praised me for doing so. She did a quick sweep of the truck, read the kilometers and stated with fondness that she was not going to charge me for the gas as we had traveled a very short distance and I had been so punctual. I beamed with pride.

Now, without my brother's assistance I was left stranded at the office. The girl working there told me there was a bus that could take me to meet up with Kiwi and Arsh, and it was only a 2 minute walk down the street. The 157, she said. So off I set. A ways down the road, I saw a bus speed past me with the number 159. Oh, well that can't be my bus I thought and trudged down to the bus stop. The sign above me read that there were only two buses that stopped here: the 158 and the 159. I thought maybe the 157 must make a turn farther up the street, so it wouldn't stop at this one. I figured the bus stop for the 157 must be a short ways, so I set off again on the street. I had been walking a fair distance before approaching another bus stop that read the same thing: 158, 159. I begrudgingly hopped on the next 159 that stopped at the skytrain. A quick one-stop trip away by skytrain, I arrived at the restaurant sweaty and exhausted. After lunch, Arsh departed and Kiwi and I took a bus back to our old suite to pick up the last of our things.

We squashed as much as we could into the little Kia hatchback, having a small mishap with a bottle of soy sauce. At 4pm, we were finally done outside. Kiwi and I began to slowly shuffle things about the suite, still exhausted, we managed to set up my office and the living room area. I also washed 3 loads of laundry that included our sheets. By 9:30 we both could feel the tiredness sink in. We went to bed early that night in fresh sheets.

Fresh sheets, and a fresh start.

-Strawberry

New Home Confirmation!

We got accepted into our new house and will be moving come July 1st! I can't wait to decorate :)

-Strawberry

New Home Aspirations!

Kiwi and I have been hunting for a new house for a little while. Nothing serious, but I did contact a few craigslist ads and we had gone to see some places. The last two were busts, and I thought that this one might be too but Kiwi convinced me to put pants on and give it a go.

Well I'm glad he did.

We drove just 8 minutes from our house to a quiet little street off a main road near the mall. The street was quiet and lined with massive houses, all different variety. I could tell some of these houses were built quite a while back as each had their own eclectic design (not the usual giant block houses that a lot of the foreign Canadians build). We stopped in front of a house with a masonry front, half white, a unique shape and the matching address. Older, almost reminded me of a grandparent's home. There's a driveway and a garage, which the homeowner told us (among her many different topics of conversation) that we would have a space in with our own remote.

She has two dogs upstairs she says when I ask, I see Kiwi smile broadly from the corner of my eye. The door to the suite is in the garage, which I thought as odd at first but began to like the way it felt safer. She let us in the front door and we were in the laundry room which let into the small bathroom. My heart sank a little as I saw the bathroom did not have a tub, just a shower and was a fairly small size. She told us about the hot water tank and the air closets which were adjacent to the big coat rack next to the laundry room. There was a door across from the entrance which I thought at first might go up to her floor, but as she opened it she exclaimed "this is the suite."

As we walked in and the landlord made her way into the kitchen, Kiwi and I stole a silent "HOLY SH*T" look to each other behind her back. This suite was huge, and JUST our type. The kitchen looked like it belonged in a Switzerland theme park, complete with a little breakfast bar and green bubbled glass cabinets above it. I was in heaven thinking about cooking in it. The little wall seperated the kitchen perfectly. Just what I wanted.

The living room was AMAZING! It has a real fireplace which the landlord told us she would be putting in a gas fireplace during some renos. YES. The fireplace was all stone, with a cute little hearth. There is an area that steps up, which I think will be where I put my desk. It's seperated nicely so it feels as though I might have my own little office. The landlord complained about the wood paneling around the suite and the white stuccoed ceiling. She said she might change it. But I exclaimed to her that I loved it. I hope she keeps it the same! The bedroom is small, I will admit. But there is room to put all my hanging clothes in the big closet and kiwi's dresser underneath (Or my shoes).

I am unsure whether all my bedroom furniture will fit, but as Kiwi and I said to each other giddily driving home, there will always be a solution. No matter what, we will find a way around it.

As long as we're with each other, we can make anything work.

-Strawberry

The Hunt Continues

Kiwi wont post anything unless it's planned out for days, or particularly interesting. Me, on the other hand, find some compelling reason to type out everything. A release maybe? Something creative? A small accomplishment in the sea of continuous "to do"s? It might be a few days before he decides to try this out, so until then you'll just have to deal with me. 

Kiwi and I are discussing the possibility of moving to a new place. While we do enjoy our space now, there are things about it we would like to change (the big, black, hairy legged roommates are one of the many things.) Each new place we live in will always have those "if only"s, but there is something lacking in this space. We don't really have a table. A small bistro set with two chairs that I think we used once or twice to actually dine. It's more the "catchall" at the moment. Separate spaces, or more of an area to entertain or have my parents for dinner.

Our bedroom now is my favourite spot in our cozy 900sq ft. place. A window on two sides of the walls, and a bathroom that connects directly to it. Most people think that the bathroom being connected right to the bedroom is a bad thing. People who visit have to cut through the bedroom to go to the bathroom. I am in heaven when I can walk right out of the shower to my dresser and get changed. I don't have to run freezing down the hall and around a corner to my closet, or take my clothes into the bathroom with me. As was the case with the place we went to view last night.

A bit farther away than we would have liked, the quiet house was cute and spacious. It seemed like there was transit, but not as convenient or close as it is here for Kiwi. The distance from the place to Kiwi's work was the same, but on an opposite side, farther from the freeway and my parent's place.

The living area was HUGE. I'm not going to lie, Kiwi and I would have accepted that place for the living room alone if it weren't for the other shortcomings. The living room itself was as big as both our tv area and kitchen combined, and had a beautiful working gas fireplace. The floor plan separated everything into neat little areas which was exactly what I wanted, and the price was perfect.

Another thing Kiwi and I have a great love for is trees. Big, evergreen, British Columbia trees. There were a great deal of them in the neighbourhood. You could smell them immediately. It was as if the trees made the street cozier and welcoming. 

But no dishwasher was an immediate deal breaker for me. The bathroom (with a miniature tub) was attached to the kitchen and on the other side of the suite around a corner and down a hall was the bedroom. I don't feel too happy about walking through my entire house including the kitchen in a bathrobe every day. The bedroom wasn't something I was thrilled about either. No windows and no space. A huge change for me when currently our bedroom holds a great deal of our things and has room to spare.

Our smiles were quickly replaced by analyzing criticism when we got in the car. Picking it apart on the way home, appreciating a great deal more what we want in a space. As individuals, and as a couple.

"It's a nice place, but it's not for us." I said as we stopped at a light. "Not for us." Kiwi echoed. I patted his leg and the light turned green.

-Strawberry