..still will not let me convert my driver's license. I need to prove that I lived in Ontario for at least six months. I started to laugh a little when the lady at the wicket informed me of this tidbit. I have to prove it? Really? Listen to how I speak. I definitely do not possess the charming accent that is heard throughout this lovely province. Nor do I have that distinct American accent. All I really want to do at this point if provide your government with more of my money so I may acquire vehicle insurance in order to explore your scenic roads.
OK. Rules are rules. I will suck it up and deal with this new little hiccup.
How do I prove I lived in Ontario all my life?
Credit card bill.
No. Do not have a credit card.
Health Card.
Unfortunately lost during one of my moves. My bad, yes I know. Besides, this brings up a question for me. My health card was old school. It just had a series of numbers, my name and a red stripe. There was no address on it. How would that prove that I lived in Ontario for your required six months?
Doesn't matter, that is one of the accept documents.
OK
Phone or cable bill of last six months.
I will have to make some phone calls.
While I'm here, can I least change over my plates?
OK
Next drama, insurance.
I call the friendly insurance agent. I explain as best as I can that I have my license plate changed, unfortunately not my driver's license.
Why not you change your license driving?
I have to prove that I lived in Ontario for at least six months. Am I able to get insurance for my truck now that it is registered in Quebec?
I find out, hold on.
Yes, for now, but you need to have a Quebec driver's license.
OK. I'm working on that. I have another appointment next week.
Why did you not change your license while you were there?
I was not able to prove successfully that I lived in Ontario for six months.
Are you moving back to Ontario?
No. I'm trying to switch my license to Quebec. I have no intention of moving back to Ontario.
OK. So why didn't you change your license?
Um.......Insurance yes or no?
(this conversation went on in this fashion for 25 minutes)
Fast forward to the end......
I have insurance.
The kind insurance agent is giving me one month to change my license. Until then, I can at least drive legally in this province.
I telephoned the company who provided my with my cable while I lived in Ontario. They do not keep records. Try online was their suggestion. I did try online to find something that proved I lived in Ontario. No such luck. No previous address to be found my record of payments.
I telephone Bell Canada. Success!!! but it will cost me. At this point, I don't care. I just want this whole ordeal to be finished. They will gladly mail me at least eight months worth of bills so I may proved that I lived in Ontario. Fan-bloody-tastic!! I am a happy camper once again.
On a happier note....
the weather here has been unbelievable. I love how warm it has become. Yesterday it was 34C. This is a great improvement from last summer. The only downside is I have to try and coax Rebel out of his fort. With the weather being so warm, he sweats...a lot. Cat sweat in a cardboard box does not equal pleasant. Unfortunately he has barricaded himself in there pretty good. I may require a crowbar for this delicate operation. Then again, a Big Mac would do the job in a much more pleasant fashion.
Here is a tune stuck in my head. I'm going to share it so I am not the only one bopping around this little song :P
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Monday, June 6, 2011
The Week End
My week end will be complete very shortly. One aspect of my shift that I really look forward to are my three days off. It always happens every other week end and feels like a mini holiday. My first day off I spend sleeping. It's not by choice, I just seem to drift into unconsciousness rather easily. My sleep patterns have always been a little confused. The vampire in me just keeps refusing to allow me to be a day walker. My first awake day off we had a BBQ with my new family members. No pictures were taken. I keep forgetting that there is now a camera at my disposal.
The kids had a great time. I think there were six of them when I counted properly. They seemed to have multiplied after they emerged from the pool. They are going to have great memories. My favourite memories are about my sister and I playing with our cousins and all the weird little games that we made up about monsters and high espionage. There were lots of serious discussions about what we would become when we were older. I hope these children have memories like that. So far they it appears this will happen.
The next day we completed a few errands. The boy required sandals. He wore them straight out of the store. We were very lucky to get these sandals in our little town. The shop owner is retiring and her stock is decreases daily. These were the last ones in the boy's size. They have a little room for his growth spurt that I suspect will happen shortly. We also visited the pet shop, animalerie. They had kittens. Very small, very cute kittens. It was very hard to resist. I am proud to note, I did resist and Tom, Rebel and Napoleon do not have any additional brothers or sisters. I almost caved and bought a fish tank though. I really did love the ones I had in another lifetime. What stopped me was Napoleon's constant struggle to go swimming. I do not ever want to relive that indoor wading pool experience again thank you. An option I was thinking about though, is if the aquarium was fully enclosed in some beautiful cabinets. That may be an idea to run by a certain someone....It could sit in the corner, be fully encased in some wooden structure of some sort. I'm not up on my various wood options. All I know is M. is allergic to maple. There will be no maple.
Now for pictures.
Yesterday we went on a walk around town and came across a very cool nature trail.
I snapped a pic of the sign because it would have some details on the trail, like length and when it came into existence, the best time to explore to see all the flowers in bloom....or so I thought...
No such luck. I have no idea how long that trail is or even the length of time it took walk. I haven't worn a watch in quite a few years now. I just know that I was very hungry after.
There was a little bit of wildlife,
Placards placed throughout the trail to explaining the foliage,
My only complaint is that the placard did not explain the best time to view these plants or when they came into bloom. Everything was very green along our walk, which is was still picturesque, but I would love to see these flowers add a bit of colour to the scene.
There are also just some really great shots in our collection of photos:
Some sort of bug or plant threw up on our tour guide's toe. I thought that was worth a picture!
I know this is already quite a lengthy of post, so I will just share my pictures of my new home:
I think I have covered everything for now. I'm going to watch my new favourite show, In Plain Site, and then unpack a box. See you later. :)
The kids had a great time. I think there were six of them when I counted properly. They seemed to have multiplied after they emerged from the pool. They are going to have great memories. My favourite memories are about my sister and I playing with our cousins and all the weird little games that we made up about monsters and high espionage. There were lots of serious discussions about what we would become when we were older. I hope these children have memories like that. So far they it appears this will happen.
The next day we completed a few errands. The boy required sandals. He wore them straight out of the store. We were very lucky to get these sandals in our little town. The shop owner is retiring and her stock is decreases daily. These were the last ones in the boy's size. They have a little room for his growth spurt that I suspect will happen shortly. We also visited the pet shop, animalerie. They had kittens. Very small, very cute kittens. It was very hard to resist. I am proud to note, I did resist and Tom, Rebel and Napoleon do not have any additional brothers or sisters. I almost caved and bought a fish tank though. I really did love the ones I had in another lifetime. What stopped me was Napoleon's constant struggle to go swimming. I do not ever want to relive that indoor wading pool experience again thank you. An option I was thinking about though, is if the aquarium was fully enclosed in some beautiful cabinets. That may be an idea to run by a certain someone....It could sit in the corner, be fully encased in some wooden structure of some sort. I'm not up on my various wood options. All I know is M. is allergic to maple. There will be no maple.
Now for pictures.
Yesterday we went on a walk around town and came across a very cool nature trail.
I snapped a pic of the sign because it would have some details on the trail, like length and when it came into existence, the best time to explore to see all the flowers in bloom....or so I thought...
No such luck. I have no idea how long that trail is or even the length of time it took walk. I haven't worn a watch in quite a few years now. I just know that I was very hungry after.
There was a little bit of wildlife,
Placards placed throughout the trail to explaining the foliage,
My only complaint is that the placard did not explain the best time to view these plants or when they came into bloom. Everything was very green along our walk, which is was still picturesque, but I would love to see these flowers add a bit of colour to the scene.
There are also just some really great shots in our collection of photos:
Some sort of bug or plant threw up on our tour guide's toe. I thought that was worth a picture!
I know this is already quite a lengthy of post, so I will just share my pictures of my new home:
I think I have covered everything for now. I'm going to watch my new favourite show, In Plain Site, and then unpack a box. See you later. :)
Thursday, May 26, 2011
The Saga of the License Continues
I have learned that any vehicle arriving in Quebec that needs to switch the plates from an out of Province plates needs to go through an inspection, regardless of the age of the vehicle. If you arrive late to your scheduled appointment, even if it is five minutes, you lose. You need to make another appointment. So that is where I am now. I have re-scheduled my inspection. I will call that first time a trial run. At least I know where I have to go now. :)
It is still raining. So no pictures as of yet of where I live. It is frustrating for me as well. I do have a few new pictures though...
Nap time:
I thought it was all an act when they carried on as they do with their yelling and running amok.
This is a real cool pic that I think will make a great drawing when I find my pencils.
I have no idea to what sort of species the flower or the spider belongs.
We unpacked my three boxes holding my shoes tonight. Just a few more boxes to go and everything will have a place. Things are starting to come together. This feels good!
I'm off to work now. I picked up an extra shift this week. I will probably be a zombie by Monday after all is said and done. While I'm at work though, I don't feel at all tired or worn out. It is only when I arrive home and actually sit down I realize I need to sleep. I really like my work though. It feels like I'm doing something worthwhile.
I hope all is well with you. Enjoy your week end. I hope it stops raining wherever you all are. :)
It is still raining. So no pictures as of yet of where I live. It is frustrating for me as well. I do have a few new pictures though...
Nap time:
I thought it was all an act when they carried on as they do with their yelling and running amok.
This is a real cool pic that I think will make a great drawing when I find my pencils.
I have no idea to what sort of species the flower or the spider belongs.
We unpacked my three boxes holding my shoes tonight. Just a few more boxes to go and everything will have a place. Things are starting to come together. This feels good!
I'm off to work now. I picked up an extra shift this week. I will probably be a zombie by Monday after all is said and done. While I'm at work though, I don't feel at all tired or worn out. It is only when I arrive home and actually sit down I realize I need to sleep. I really like my work though. It feels like I'm doing something worthwhile.
I hope all is well with you. Enjoy your week end. I hope it stops raining wherever you all are. :)
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
We Are Adjusting
I finally feel more at ease at work. The language thing is still a work in progress. I manage to communicate and understand every one's needs fairly well. It does get interesting on occasion. As soon as it stops raining, I will be able to take some photos on my walk to work. On second thought, it will most likely be on my home. It is rather dark when I leave at night.
I am still trying to convert my driver's license from Ontario to Quebec. There is a slew of documents I require to prove that I did live in Ontario. There is another group of documents I need to show to prove that I now live in Quebec. If I had more energy and time, I would be writing letters to ask why we can't make our Canadian laws the same in all the provinces. I understand why there are differences. We pride ourselves on being a tossed salad verses a melting pot. Each province has it's own charm and history. OK. I understand. I'm just really frustrated that I have to prove I am a Canadian citizen born and bred in this fine country in order to continue driving through it's wonderful environment. This is making my adjustment a little difficult as I feel like a tourist in my home for the time being.
Let's switch to something more pleasant.
PICTURES!!!
There are not many, but it is a small start.
I keep saying Napoleon loves broccoli. It was a surprise to me that he enjoys asparagus as well.
Rebel doing what Rebel does best...
Being a little curmudgeon and hiding until the coast is clear.
Napoleon playing with his new fuzzy brother Tom.
I think that about covers it for now. There is not much left to unpack. Three boxes of shoes, two boxes of books, one box of movies, one box of nick knacks...and that is about all that is left. Pretty impressive eh?
See you all later. :D
I am still trying to convert my driver's license from Ontario to Quebec. There is a slew of documents I require to prove that I did live in Ontario. There is another group of documents I need to show to prove that I now live in Quebec. If I had more energy and time, I would be writing letters to ask why we can't make our Canadian laws the same in all the provinces. I understand why there are differences. We pride ourselves on being a tossed salad verses a melting pot. Each province has it's own charm and history. OK. I understand. I'm just really frustrated that I have to prove I am a Canadian citizen born and bred in this fine country in order to continue driving through it's wonderful environment. This is making my adjustment a little difficult as I feel like a tourist in my home for the time being.
Let's switch to something more pleasant.
PICTURES!!!
There are not many, but it is a small start.
I keep saying Napoleon loves broccoli. It was a surprise to me that he enjoys asparagus as well.
Rebel doing what Rebel does best...
Being a little curmudgeon and hiding until the coast is clear.
Napoleon playing with his new fuzzy brother Tom.
I think that about covers it for now. There is not much left to unpack. Three boxes of shoes, two boxes of books, one box of movies, one box of nick knacks...and that is about all that is left. Pretty impressive eh?
See you all later. :D
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Things are Finding Their Place....
.........and so am I.
My sleep schedule is a bit of messed up, but then again, I`ve never had a normal sleep pattern. Right now, I work two nights, off a few days, work three nights, off a few days and so forth. I like this schedule. It gives you a well deserved break after some particularly hectic days. It also provides me with the chance to be a day walker.
I just about have my truck road worthy. I`m trying to get my driver`s license and license plates switched. Then I can get the necessary insurance. There is also something about an inspection. I`m not terribly worried about this inspection. It`s a new truck. If it doesn`t pass, I`ll do the Canadian thing and write a letter to GMC. :)
We had an interesting night this week. It was for me at least. The fire department drove by and announced over their loud speaker not to drink the water. The water is bad. It sounded like something out of a movie. I suspect with all the rain and flooding in this area, the amount of water that has been accumulated in the reserves has made the purification plant go into overtime.
I still have boxes everywhere. It is like a giant puzzle trying to see where everything will fit. Meshing two households is tricky. I never thought it would be simple, but still, it is tricky. So my plan today will be to eat a bit of yogurt, unpack a box and play Assassin`s Creed. Nothing to strenuous. I already vacuumed and did up the dishes and my very important cup of coffee while playing Farmville :P.
To all you mom`s out there, Happy Mother`s Day. I hope you have a fantastic day.
My sleep schedule is a bit of messed up, but then again, I`ve never had a normal sleep pattern. Right now, I work two nights, off a few days, work three nights, off a few days and so forth. I like this schedule. It gives you a well deserved break after some particularly hectic days. It also provides me with the chance to be a day walker.
I just about have my truck road worthy. I`m trying to get my driver`s license and license plates switched. Then I can get the necessary insurance. There is also something about an inspection. I`m not terribly worried about this inspection. It`s a new truck. If it doesn`t pass, I`ll do the Canadian thing and write a letter to GMC. :)
We had an interesting night this week. It was for me at least. The fire department drove by and announced over their loud speaker not to drink the water. The water is bad. It sounded like something out of a movie. I suspect with all the rain and flooding in this area, the amount of water that has been accumulated in the reserves has made the purification plant go into overtime.
I still have boxes everywhere. It is like a giant puzzle trying to see where everything will fit. Meshing two households is tricky. I never thought it would be simple, but still, it is tricky. So my plan today will be to eat a bit of yogurt, unpack a box and play Assassin`s Creed. Nothing to strenuous. I already vacuumed and did up the dishes and my very important cup of coffee while playing Farmville :P.
To all you mom`s out there, Happy Mother`s Day. I hope you have a fantastic day.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Everything is Well
I`ve gone to work for three days now and I am really enjoying the experience. It is overwhelming as there is so much information that many people are trying to explain to me in French and in English. Night shift truly agrees with me. It fits in with my natural sleep schedule. My clients are doing their best to teach me various phrases. My boyfriend`s children are also trying to teach a few words as well. They are super great kids. I just hope they are teaching me the proper words. :P The cats are adjusting nicely. I think Rebel is trying to explain to his new fuzzy brother how best to deal with Napoleon. It really looked like they were having a tete a tete the other evening. I have an additional body following me into the washroom as well. I now have a full staff of cat body guards.
We had one wicked rainstorm yesterday. The normal two feet rivers became ten and I`m not even exaggerating. If my camera would only make an appearance, I would show you.
There are still a ton of boxes to go through. It is like Christmas for the children. They have no idea what will pop out of the next box. How can one grown woman have so many comics, video games and consoles?
I have three more shifts of work than I`m off for two days. Maybe then I can sort out the rest of my boxes. Have a great Friday night everyone.
We had one wicked rainstorm yesterday. The normal two feet rivers became ten and I`m not even exaggerating. If my camera would only make an appearance, I would show you.
There are still a ton of boxes to go through. It is like Christmas for the children. They have no idea what will pop out of the next box. How can one grown woman have so many comics, video games and consoles?
I have three more shifts of work than I`m off for two days. Maybe then I can sort out the rest of my boxes. Have a great Friday night everyone.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
I'm Here......
Seven hundred kilometers, seven driving hours, two screaming cats, two vehicles and a one very excited driver later I am home. What a trip and a half. It really is all quite a blur. My boyfriend and I picked up the U-Haul trailer Saturday morning. For some reason they did not have the 5 x 8' trailer I had initially reserved and asked if I would be ok with a 6 x 12. Sure, not a problem, especially since it is the same price. Can never have too much room. Am I ever glad fate intervened. We needed all that space and then some. Who knew that such a tiny apartment could house so much stuff. It is not even knick knacks and dust collectors. It is actually things that I use on a somewhat regular basis and really enjoy. I did a major clean up the first time I moved. I gave away or threw out things I hadn't used in over six months. We even tossed out my mattress set. The way I see it, I would much rather start new memories on a new bed. Thank goodness the boyfriend enjoys puzzles and is very puzzled. I have no idea how he managed to fit everything into that trailer. There was not an inch of space left when he was finished, not even for a pillow. Trust me. I tried to fit one in.
We stopped at my parents for Easter dinner that night. Except dinner was over. After we completed the puzzle and sorted out where the cats would fit, we didn't actually get to leave Acton until almost 19h00s. We arrived at Mom's at 21h30s. I had to drive slower than I'm used to on that 401 highway. The trailer had an odd distribution of weight. If I drove over 82kms/hr, it would really swing. At one point it must have looked really bad. All I could see in one of my mirrors was my boyfriend's eyes growing as big as saucers. I think he went through a lot of smokes on that trip. That was actually the first time Rebel and Napoleon were quiet.
I actually slept quite well that night. My shoulders were a little tired though. I'm really not used to towing anything. I have driven large vehicles before, but they were all one solid unit. I didn't have to worry about the back wheels following.
We saw some great country. There is a high way we drove from Peterborough to Montreal that is very scenic. If I knew where my camera was and I didn't need two hands on the wheel, I would have taken a ton of pictures. The screaming was also quite distracting. The only scenery that remained constant was the 'U' and 'L' in either of my side mirrors.
We arrived home at 19h00 and just took the basics into the house. We had a bit of supper and then took in a few boxes. The kids came back after being with their Mom all week end. We all sort of looked at each other for. We are all shy, unsure what to say. This will improve. Napoleon took to his new home rather quickly. He is still looking for mischief. Rebel is a little more slow. As long as he has his kibble and somewhere to sleep where no one will bother him, he is good to go. There is a cat here, Tom and a ferret, Fwin. I have no idea how to spell Fwin's name yet. That is what is sounds like when I hear it said.
I started training for my new job yesterday morning. There was a lot of information that entered my head. I'm not worried though. It is what I used to do before I became a bus driver. The people I will be working with are very kind and patient. I do not have any doubt that I will pick things up quickly. The best part is that it is night shift. My vampire hours can continue!!! This shift also seems to work well withe the routine of the family.
When I arrived back home and my boyfriend returned from work, we dropped off that trailer. I suspect even my truck was happy to be rid of that blasted thing. No more weird shaking or braking system! No longer seeing a 'U' and 'L' in my mirrors.
All of my things are now in the home. We just have to figure out where to put things. Opening up all the boxes is like Christmas. I can't remember what I packed where. I labeled them as best I could, but due to lack of time they are vague labels. It is a good thing the kids enjoy the surprise. They have been a huge help. I'm also happy to report that so far, nothing has been broken.
I am happy to be home. It is a lot of new and I'm excited for the first time in a long time to see where this path leads.
Hope you all had a happy Easter.
We stopped at my parents for Easter dinner that night. Except dinner was over. After we completed the puzzle and sorted out where the cats would fit, we didn't actually get to leave Acton until almost 19h00s. We arrived at Mom's at 21h30s. I had to drive slower than I'm used to on that 401 highway. The trailer had an odd distribution of weight. If I drove over 82kms/hr, it would really swing. At one point it must have looked really bad. All I could see in one of my mirrors was my boyfriend's eyes growing as big as saucers. I think he went through a lot of smokes on that trip. That was actually the first time Rebel and Napoleon were quiet.
I actually slept quite well that night. My shoulders were a little tired though. I'm really not used to towing anything. I have driven large vehicles before, but they were all one solid unit. I didn't have to worry about the back wheels following.
We saw some great country. There is a high way we drove from Peterborough to Montreal that is very scenic. If I knew where my camera was and I didn't need two hands on the wheel, I would have taken a ton of pictures. The screaming was also quite distracting. The only scenery that remained constant was the 'U' and 'L' in either of my side mirrors.
We arrived home at 19h00 and just took the basics into the house. We had a bit of supper and then took in a few boxes. The kids came back after being with their Mom all week end. We all sort of looked at each other for. We are all shy, unsure what to say. This will improve. Napoleon took to his new home rather quickly. He is still looking for mischief. Rebel is a little more slow. As long as he has his kibble and somewhere to sleep where no one will bother him, he is good to go. There is a cat here, Tom and a ferret, Fwin. I have no idea how to spell Fwin's name yet. That is what is sounds like when I hear it said.
I started training for my new job yesterday morning. There was a lot of information that entered my head. I'm not worried though. It is what I used to do before I became a bus driver. The people I will be working with are very kind and patient. I do not have any doubt that I will pick things up quickly. The best part is that it is night shift. My vampire hours can continue!!! This shift also seems to work well withe the routine of the family.
When I arrived back home and my boyfriend returned from work, we dropped off that trailer. I suspect even my truck was happy to be rid of that blasted thing. No more weird shaking or braking system! No longer seeing a 'U' and 'L' in my mirrors.
All of my things are now in the home. We just have to figure out where to put things. Opening up all the boxes is like Christmas. I can't remember what I packed where. I labeled them as best I could, but due to lack of time they are vague labels. It is a good thing the kids enjoy the surprise. They have been a huge help. I'm also happy to report that so far, nothing has been broken.
I am happy to be home. It is a lot of new and I'm excited for the first time in a long time to see where this path leads.
Hope you all had a happy Easter.
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