This past week, we took the HUGE leap of faith once again when we closed the deal on our new condo in Wasaga Beach. In case you've missed it, we've been renting a condo in our adopted city of Guelph following the last leap of faith that saw us move communities after 30+ years in Barrie. With so little experience in the housing game, we really don't have a lot to compare it to, but here's the low-down on the week's events!
It began with yet another drive from Guelph to Barrie following what we hoped was the last 4:45 am alarm. I did a supply day at Barrie North then we dashed to the bank to purchase a ridiculous-sized bank draft to take to the lawyer's for the balance of our new condo. Finally sitting in the seat across the desk from our lawyer Doug Hill, we tested our will as we signed our lives away on forms like "No, we're not terrorists", "No, that's not my debt despite the same name", "Yes, our lawyer can do this or that", and all of the legal mumbo-jumbo with transferring the deed of real estate.
Following the lawyer, we pointed toward the setting sun for our final viewing of the condo prior to Wednesday's final proceedings. Arriving a few minutes early ... as is our habit ... we affirmed our Canadian blood by grabbing a Tim Horton's coffee before heading the the beach for a snack while relishing in the gloriousness of our new adopted community. Although we've visited Wasaga regularly during our marriage thanks to Joyce's love of the sand between her toes, this time felt oddly different since we would soon be "hanging our hat" in this little gem of a community. Our viewing was short 'n sweet and all appeared to be in order, unless you count the clutter of moving a put-off, but we had faith that things would be sorted and clean by the time we got the keys.
I don't mind admitting that the drive back to Guelph felt a little odd.
We'll call Tuesday launch preparations, what with more packing and a trip to Home Depot to purchase paint and application materials since we knew that we were not a fan of the previous owner's decoration choices. I accept that all goods and services have increased in price thanks to the pandemic, but the sticker shock of nearly $400.00 worth of redecorating tools was still a slap in the face.
June 15th will hold a small place in our marriage lineage as we packed up the RAV to the ceiling and headed for "the Beach" in anticipation of the closing of our little nest-egg. When we met with the lawyer two days prior, we were assured that all was in place and we should receive a call signifying our success around 2:00 pm, so being us, we were waiting at the condo complex by 1:30. When we purchased our first home 31 years previous, it was "old school" for the keys ... you had to retrieve them from the lawyer ... but with improvements in technology (???) we were to retrieve the keys from a lockbox at the site. We waited in the RAV for a while, mildly peeved as 2:00 came, then 2:30, then 3:00, and as we discussed a variety of ownership issues, we finally deciding to unload while we waited. Our new building is a little different since the access to the front door is from an outdoor walkway, and that proved to be the perfect wrinkle as we piled part of our lives outside our door.
3:30 came and went ... 4:00 too ... our brows were definitely furrowed.
One benefit of sitting atop your possessions in the hallway was meeting our next-door neighbour, a lovely lady named Phyllis. As we got acquainted, we discussed a variety of condo-related topics, and she was able to answer a number of questions that we had about the building and its rules. As the minutes continued to tick by, I'd finally had enough and placed a call to the lawyer's office to find out what had transpired to delay proceedings, but the gruff, "We'll call you soon" response did little to soften my angst.
At last, the call came through at 4:45, we accessed the lockbox, and opened the door to our future.
Now, I must tell you that when we agreed to the purchase we were well aware that some minor renovations were in order. The swinging door revealed that our faith in our fellow humans was justified as we were greeted by a clutter free visage. After moving our stuff inside, the cleaning process quickly ensued as we readied for the transformation. Neither of us were enthralled by the looming night's rest and a date with our daughter's high-end air mattress, but "beggars can't be choosers" and we were soon making our best attempt. A long while ago in our marriage, we were waterbed lovers, and the air mattress conjured up the less lovable of those deeply recessed memories. Our fitful slumber was interrupted by a piercing shrill at 1:30 am as a first-night fire alarm awoke the building, providing us with a middle of the night Meet 'n Greet thanks to a faulty sensor tripped by the high humidity. Our new place faces east-west so the 5:30 am early morning light shook the slumber out of our eyes as we accepted our renovation fate.
The rest of the week was a whirlwind of patching, priming, trimming, and rolling as holes were repaired, edges were taped, drop clothes were spread and we were elbow deep in the muck of painting. Can you feel my distain? I am fine with doing the deed, love the fruits of the labour, but it's not on my list of likes, that's for sure. As the transformation slowly proceeded, we found ourselves questioning our colour choices, but slowly and surely, the changes solidified into a very pleasing vista.
Joyce is a trooper!
I had accepted a supply day for the Friday about two months ago, reasoning that the extra income would offset the costs of redecorating, so in my absence on Friday, she forged ahead without me. That day at North featured the re-establishment of the annual Athletic Banquet following its pandemic-imposed absence. I had agreed to take photos of the award winners, and as partial thanks, I was gifted a leftover pizza to spare the stovetop efforts for the night, a treat that Joyce was quite appreciative of after a day bent at the waist or on the knees doing all of the fine detail trimming.
As the fading sun of Saturday slowly sank into the horizon, we were cruising the backroads of Clearview, Dufferin and Wellington counties, back to Guelph one last time (well, as residents anyway, since KP + his GF still live there), pleased with ourselves for the work we put in, and ready for the big move this coming week.
Like Sheryl Crowe famously warbled, "A change will do you good!"
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