Sunday, July 10, 2011

Week 13: We're back!

.: April 30, 2011 :.

Given the original state of the cabin when we bought Twin Ponds there is understandably a lot to do. Thus, when we go (other than for brief visits) we try to have definitive objectives that we want to achieve. The goals this week were to finish laying the floor in the bedroom, assemble the table for the living room, get a futon, install the new television, and to assemble the dining table as well as the new charcoal barbeque. We got a late start and ended up arriving well after noon, but it didn't stop us from making progress. This was also to be the first overnight stay of the year. We had packed some travel pillows and sleeping bags and were ready!

TV for rainy days
Upon our arrival Spencer turned on the power, plugged in the fridge, and stowed our (soon to be) cold drinks. The first order of business was to get the new TV mounted. It was a bit of a task because, disappointingly, the TV's wall mount was a proprietary design that did not work with the mount Sim had procured. Spencer therefore improvised a wall mount using wood while Sim went to the ponds to check out what was going on there. By the time she got back, we were ready to mount that puppy on the wall. We stepped back, checked out the work, and the work was good.

Next up was laying the floor in the bedroom. Since the room is quite small, this task didn't take too long. Before we knew it, we were done and it was time to move the bed back to its rightful place.

We then decided to head to a department store in Al's town to see whether we cold find a suitable futon. On the way there we were, shall we say, going a little faster than the posted limit. As we came around a bend in the road there was a police cruiser travelling in the opposite direction. Although Spencer immediately slowed the vehicle, alas it was too late. The cop car wasted no time in hitting its lights and sirens, turning around mid-highway, and coming up on us from behind. With a sign of resignation Spencer pulled onto the shoulder and stopped the car waiting for the inevitable. In those few seconds we looked and each other and shrugged as if to offer a mutual albeit unspoken, "What can you do?" And then the cops drove past.

Nothing like getting caught and then realizing you hadn't actually been caught. With a sigh of relief we continued on (at a somewhat slower, but still slightly unlawful, speed).

Shiny new floor
As we rolled into town the A&W beckoned us, so we stopped and had our usual meal, which was customarily delightful. We then headed to a department store to explore their selection of home furnishings. To be honest, Spencer was not too optimistic that we would find something that was appropriate. And in fact he was almost right. But Sim managed to find their last metal-framed unit which was seemingly perfect for our purposes. Regrettably it was in a box that clearly had been opened. That is to say, the bottom of the box was nowhere in sight. We looked at each other somewhat reluctant to buy this one, even though it was their last. We each independently had visions of getting it to the cabin, being halfway through the assembly process, and realizing that parts were missing. Despite our initial discouragement Sim noticed an inner box which ostensibly contained all the parts (i.e., everything other than the futon mattress). Better yet, it was still sealed. So Sim hunted down a very polite member of the store's personnel who not only offered to help us get it to the car, but also told us that he'd "pull a few strings and get 10% off, since it was a floor model."

Futon-y goodness
Overall it was a very positive experience and once again proved that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover (unless it's been written by a German author).

After getting the futon back to the cabin and unloading it, we both puttered around for a while, each procrastinating. We both recognized, though, that sooner or later we would have to get it put together if we wanted to sleep, so we got down to business. It took a while, but eventually there it was. By this point we were both very tired and sitting on it for the first time there was an audible "aaaahhhhh" as we relaxed and enjoyed the fruits of our labours. That was a sweet moment.

By this point it was fairly late and we had not assembled the table. We had discussed going into town for supper, but procrastinated that as well until we both finally just decided that we should just relax. Before going to bed we wanted to experience the new TV, so we plugged in a memory key (the only one with any media on it) and watched one of Spencer's favourites - Three Days of the Condor. We gradually approached unconsciousness, so before the movie ended we wrapped it up, brushed our teeth, snuggled up in our sleeping bags on the futon, and drifted off to sleep.

The next morning we got up relatively early, went to Tim Horton's for breakfast, and drove back to the cabin to get down to business putting the table together. Before long ... and then it was time to pack up and head out.

Table-y goodness
This week's trip was a bit of a watershed event, because we decided to try a new route on the way home. We had been aware since last September that there was a route other than our regular one. We had not, however, counted on the new one being so much better. Not only was it far more interesting, but it shaved a good 30 to 40 minutes off the time we spent on the road.

It was also significant because we met the neighbour to the north of us (across the concession road). He is a nice older gentleman and it was a pleasant encounter, which bodes well for future interactions.

Overall we were quite satisfied with our accomplishments. Despite not getting the barbeque put together, the progress we made was substantial. This place is really starting to feel like home.

2 comments:

  1. It's looking great guys! I know you'll have years of enjoyment at TP; you're really making it feel like home. I can't believe how productive you are on your weekends! :D

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  2. Thanks, Steph! It's been extremely rewarding to watch it turn from a place desperately in need of some love into an inhabitable paradise (at least to us...)

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