Hooliganting: Summer Road Trip 2013: Calgary and Calaway Park

Hooliganting: Summer Road Trip 2013: Calgary and Calaway Park: Calgary during the summer is a vibrant city that has tremendous energy. Despite the flooding, the city opted to go forward with Stamped...

Summer Road Trip 2013: Calgary and Calaway Park

Calgary during the summer is a vibrant city that has tremendous energy. Despite the flooding, the city opted to go forward with Stampede: Come Hell or High Water. After much debate, we chose to avoid Stampede and spent a day at Calaway Park with friends instead. Keeping in mind the ages of the children involved and the need to spend time with friends and Grandma, this made more sense as Stampede is definitely an all day commitment. So, after chilling out Thursday in a lovely back garden complete with trampoline, and developing a bad case of Kitchen Envy, our hosts went golfing and we went for Breakfast with Grandma at Cadence in Bowness.

This is the strangest part of the Calgary/ Fort McMurray 2013 flood for me. I realize that so many areas have been devastated by flooding, especially High River. The issue is that in many of the flooded communities, the outward cleanup makes things look fine, when they are not. High humidity leads to mold and so many of the hardest hit areas will not have flood insurance. If you are constructed on a known flood plain, there is no help for you. Yet, when driving through Bowness, where you know people have lost everything, there is not one shred of evidence available on the main strip to see that they need help. It was disconcerting, yet flood relief signs in business windows are everywhere. The community is strongly supporting their community by donating proceeds from sales to the relief effort, and so we ate breakfast at Cadence. Not only was it fabulous and a great place to meet up with Grandma, it felt right.

After breakfast and shoe shopping at the thrift store WIN where the girls came out with lots of shoes and I came out with shell shocked eyes having discovered that my eldest has a ladies size 5 foot, we drove out West to Calaway Park. We had never been there before and once the girls realized it was an amusement park, we were sunk. Admission was paid and off we went.

It was a quieter day for Calaway Park thanks to Stampede. Through-out the day, we went on rides that drove, bumper cars, the log ride and spun, dropped and gamed to our hearts content. Picnics were eaten and mini-golf played. The lines were short and the coffee delicious. I will say that this place is better for the older kids as they are rigid with their height and age restrictions, but nevertheless, it was a fabulous day out.

After that, it was just enough time to have dinner in the backyard oasis and pack up for the next adventure. Idaho.

Calgary on Dwellable

Hooliganting: Summer Road Trip 2013: Highway 63

Hooliganting: Summer Road Trip 2013: Highway 63: It’s been awhile since I have travelled by road for a long stretch of time. Looking at the budget and finances, this summer seemed idea...

Summer Road Trip 2013: Highway 63

It’s been awhile since I have travelled by road for a long stretch of time. Looking at the budget and finances, this summer seemed ideal to make a long road trip to see friends, family and the scenery, at least when I started plotting this a year ago. The first leg wasn’t supposed to be that bad, Fort McMurray to Fort Saskatchewan. This is supposed to take about 4.5 hours. 

The van was loaded with suitcases, and no camping gear. That in itself is a major time saver. We left right after swimming lessons and supper to hit the road. For the first couple of hours, everything was normal. From playing on electronics, to smooth driving on the infamous 63, we were doing great. The inevitable stretch and bathroom break at Grasslands was fine: Shell won out due to having better coffee.

Next rule: before heading out on a long drive, check the weather report.

Between Grasslands and Boyle IT happened. The road was dry on our side, but over head there was a large black cloud that loomed ominiously. The center of the cloud was an angry green, but it looked as though we would only catch the edge of it. A line rippled across the road ahead and that was like driving into a thundering waterfall. The wipers couldn’t keep up and the wind pummelled the car. The clouds above felt as if it was low enough to touch and the kids kept looking for fingers touching down. 

What do you do? I advocated for getting the heck out of there. We drove forward with trepidation, but it honestly felt like either move or the storm will move you somewhere else. Boyle was a welcome sight and we turned South to try and get out of the weather. By Long Lake the rain had eased, but then, my youngest was carsick. Too much wind and rocking, coupled with her outrageous fear of storms and that adds up to more delays as we cuddled on the side of the road, in the rain.

The rest of the drive was spent juggling carsickness with storm tracking. We turned off the usual routes (thank you google maps) and found communities like Brudderheim along the way. I was never so happy to see the Lakeview Inn and Suites. It’s my favorite hotel chain thanks to the awesome staff that don’t blink twice at sick kids, the comfy clean beds and lovely breakfast in the morning. Not that I had breakfast, I was so exhausted that I slept through it. However, Tim’s is right across the road so that is what we did. Next stop, Calgary.

Edmonton on Dwellable

Hooliganting: Home Renovations: Good, Bad and Sticky

Hooliganting: Home Renovations: Good, Bad and Sticky: The weather is hot, sticky and frizz on scalp humid. The long weekend is over and done and after a week of home demolition, I gaze around th...

Home Renovations: Good, Bad and Sticky

The weather is hot, sticky and frizz on scalp humid. The long weekend is over and done and after a week of home demolition, I gaze around the debris that is my house and wonder. I hope that it will be worth it. Years of debate and saving has translated into walnut flooring so that my allergy ridden kidlets can breathe better and hopefully not get so ill in the season changes. I hope. The price tag after all is astronomical.

The thing is, the new flooring is gorgeous. She is a true brunette with blond highlights. The floor is smooth beneath the toes and the patterning is delightfully warm and cozy. I know once it is all done that I will love it. After 8 days of living with the demolition, I can honestly say that I am done with the renovations.

When I read the quote, I read that they would do the baseboards. I also noticed that I would have to repaint all the rooms to spruce it up before the flooring was installed. That was done. I read that they would not move my furniture or if they did, they would charge $50 a piece. So, I have spent two weeks with my clothing hanging out in my bathtub, bookcases in my closet and with every piece of furniture having been piled up and put somewhere. This is the process of moving things from here to there and there to here and back again. Currently, I have three rooms with furniture moved to the center so that the baseboards can be replaced.

What the quote didn't mention is that you are expected to either repaint or replace all the baseboards that they remove. They don't replace them as they finish a room, instead they wait for it to suit themselves. Instead of being able to shunt furniture back into place in order to clear another room, you wind up with having to keep furniture out. In defiance, I put some back anyway as how else can you clear another room? It all has to go somewhere.

Add to the furniture woes, it has been extremely humid and hot. 34 (39) yesterday. The upper levels of the house were stifling and each evening has been spent shuffling and balancing furniture. Who needs a gym? Then, of course, conveniently it became a long weekend. This meant that the installer was obligated to take 4 days off, adding 4 more days to the chaos.

I am so done with this project. If I ever need to purchase a house again - it had better come with the flooring already in it or it will have to be done before I move it. I am exhausted and wired simultaneously. I am excited and fed up. The drama of this process is incredible. I have had amazing offers of help, but haven't had the opportunity (Or organization) to ask. Sigh. Yep, it is going to be pretty, but the process is sticky, sweaty and downright tempermental.

Last minute painting and baseboards removed

Piano Bar Bathroom

In progress

Defiantly placing furniture so that we can sit!

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