Option #1

In an effort to make up my mind, I thought I might get some help from you. Here's a list of pros and cons for my first condo option:

Pros:
Asking price is right on budget
Corner unit
View!
French doors between foyer, also between dining room
Stained glass above foyer doors, between kitchen and dining room
Elevator (but I wouldn't need it as unit is street level)
Washer/Dryer hook up
Built-in shelving in living room
Balcony
Window seat in living room
Full-size stove
Windows in each room
No apartment below
Close to bus
Locker in basement
Decent cupboard space
Nice tiles on kitchen and bathroom floors

Cons:
35% downpayment
High condo fees
Possibility that fees increase
Building not terribly well maintained
No dishwasher
No vent in kitchen
Crappy bathtub
Floating floor
Must paint living room and kitchen
Probably can hear the bus

Possible projects:
Get portable dishwasher
Replace floors
Redo closets to maximize storage
Replace bathtub

My main concern about this place is the fact that the condo fees are so high and for some reason I think they will increase. If they do, I may find myself struggling to keep up. Other than that, it's a funky, quirky little place and I think it would be ideal for me. I loved it on the first visit. It seems to be the type of place I could really put my own stamp on and really make it my own.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

7 hours later:
Just remembered that the bathroom ceiling has some weird textured wallpaper on it. Wonder what it's hiding.

Like father like daughter

After visiting another serious potential on the condo front yesterday, and revisiting another one, I had to put some numbers down on paper to compare and calculate what I can afford.

This isn't something I can do by myself though. I need my Dad to help me with the formulas, etc. While I was waiting for him to finish up his own condo selling business (May was apparently condo month in the Titcombe Family - my parents sold their place, Eric moved into his new place and I've visited over a dozen places), I started a little spreadsheet and input a few numbers. And then, about an hour or so later, I discovered that I am very much my father's daughter. The way I formatted my spreadsheet was EXACTLY the same was as he did his own - even though he did it on paper. We had a good laugh as I kept saying "I did it that way too!" Mom just rolled her eyes a little (a lot).

Cool though, eh?

If Jon can, so can I.

Fitness Test - 2

Last January I participated in my first ever fitness test. Last night I got to see how far I've come in the last few months. Some of the results were better because I am stronger - no doubt about it. Some were the same because I am a lazy ass and don't always do everything in my own workouts. And some were worse because, as you know, I am a lazy ass and don't always do everything in my own workouts. I also think that the time of day played a factor. When we did the test in January it was on a Saturday morning. I'd had a good night's sleep, was refreshed and full of energy. Last night was mid-week, at the end of the day, and also took place after an hour of paddling. (But those are probably more like excuses, the real reason is just that I'm a lazy ass.)

Here's how I did:

The maximum weight I can bench press is 85lbs. (15lbs. more!)
The maximum reps I can bench press in 90 seconds (using 45lbs) is 60 (possibly double what I did in January!)
The maximum reps I can bench row in 90 seconds (using 45lbs) is 77 (12 more!)
I can do a back extension for 4 minutes, 8 seconds (35 seconds less than in January)
I can do 40 sit ups in 90 seconds (exactly the same)
I can do 1 push-up in 90 seconds (I think I must've miscounted by 4 in January)
I can do zero chin-ups in 90 seconds (the same - but just so you know, a couple of the guys could only do 2 or 3, so that makes me feel a lot better)

This is hard

Visited two condos tonight. Both have a lot of potential.

One I liked more than the other but it's not exactly right. The bedroom may not have enough room for even the minimal furniture I have and the dining area wouldn't allow room for my china cabinet or buffet. It is completely ready to move in. Fantastic kitchen, beautiful floors, bright (3rd floor), front and back balcony, office space.

The second place is closer to my ideal budget but it's dark (ground floor), would have to be repainted completely and the living room is minuscule. Kitchen is a good size, bathroom too - but both are slightly dated. Bedroom would fit my furniture and office space is good too. Free parking out the back, nice floors, gas fireplace.

Both are close to the metro, bus and shopping.

I've also prepared a list of 4 other properties on Ridgewood that I should probably have a look at. Gosh - who has time to work? I'm trying to find a place to live!

Potential

Went to an open house on Ridgewood this afternoon. Found a lovely place, within my price range, closed bedroom, balcony, incredible view. Kitchen isn't fab and there's no washing machine but these are things that could be worked into the place.

Big decisions coming up.

Action on my place - somebody's coming to visit tomorrow morning ...

Faster than a speeding bullet

Or at least faster than the time it takes me to pull out my toolbox and open it to find the right screwdriver.

By that point Marc has already added a washer to my doorknob and screwed it in by hand, as tight as it can go.

Thank you, Marc. Now I can open and close the cupboard door without all that wiggling.

Lost Sunglasses

Lost my sunglasses in the basin last night. Not too sure why I had them with me in the boat in the first place but there you go. Had to bike home through the first bugs of the year and hope nothing flew into my eyes. The bright side - a trip to MEC is in order!

More Goodness

Made an apple crisp for our family Mother's Day celebration. Was that ever good. It's all I've been thinking of since. I may have to buy some more apples and make another apple crisp - just for me!

Happy 3rd Anniversary to Me!

Holy crap - it's the 3rd anniversary of my blog today.

As it turns out, it's also Mother's Day. So Happy Mother's Day to my Mom and my friends who are moms.

Chocolaty Goodness

Turns out I make a fine chocolate cheesecake. What was I so worried about?

Same Ol' Same Ol'

Remember how last summer I complained that it seemed to rain every Wednesday night when I had dragon boat practice? Looks like I'll be doing the same again this year. Last night was our first time on the water for the season and guess what? It rained!

100 Things To Do Before I Go - Part IV

Sorry I didn't get the chance to post these last ones yesterday. With no further ado ...

Numbers 76 - 100:

76. Teach someone to read
77. Hike through the Grand Canyon
78. Accept myself for who I am
79. Go whale watching
80. Win a trip
81. Learn to drive stick shift
82. Be the first to borrow a book from the library
83. See a Broadway play
84. Ride the Orient Express
85. Buy something at auction
86. Photograph tulips in Holland
87. Take more pictures
88. Go to the Ottawa Tulip Festival
89. Do 2 pull-ups
90. Buy a lottery ticket
91. Drink champagne in Champagne
92. Attend a Habs play-offs game
93. Live in a eco-friendly home
94. Go on a helicopter ride
95. Walk around Red Square
96. Buy myself a diamond
97. Go gliding
98. Ride in a hot air balloon
99. Tango in Argentina
100. Have mehndi (henna) applied to hands

100 Things To Do Before I Go - Part III

Numbers 51 - 75:

51. Walk out of a terrible movie
52. Build a house for somebody in need
53. Take my niece and nephew on vacation
54. Be at peace with the past
55. Learn to install tiles
56. Design my own home
57. Drive an eco-friendly car
58. Win a dragon boat race
59. Tell a person I don’t like what I really think of them
60. Cater a party
61. See a bull fight in Pamplona, Spain
62. Visit all the Canadian provinces and territories
63. Learn to whistle really loud
64. Go to Disney World
65. See my parents celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary
66. Sell my baked goods
67. Have a great big soaker bathtub and use it weekly
68. Read more
69. Leave no cheese untested
70. Recognize when life is really good
71. Learn to sew
72. Drive fast on the autobahn, not just be a passenger
73. Attend the Olympics
74. Learn how to accept a compliment
75. Send a message in a bottle

100 Things To Do Before I Go - Part II

Numbers 26 - 50:

26. Go on a multi-day biking trip
27. Blow bubbles from Jacques Cartier bridge
28. Pyramids at sunset
29. Stay up all night to see the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights)
30. Carnival in Brazil
31. Snorkel on the Great Barrier Reef
32. Boat down the Amazon
33. Sail down the Nile
34. Drive around Newfoundland, or at least as far as the road goes
35. Plant a tree
36. Fly first class, internationally
37. Take ballroom dance lessons
38. Sleep in a tree house
39. Hike to Everest base camp
40. Eat sushi in Japan
41. Take a cooking class (preferably sushi, but really any kind will do)
42. Have a front porch swing
43. Vacation with Yvette, outside of Canada and Switzerland
44. Celebrate my 40th birthday in New York City
45. Breakfast in bed
46. Join a book club
47. Make my funeral arrangements
48. Write my Last Will & Testament
49. Visit Grandmaman’s grave
50. Bake a soufflé

100 Things To Do Before I Go - Part I

At last! Finally this weekend I found the last couple of things for my list. Here you go.

Numbers 1 - 25:

1. Be debt free
2. Show my pictures in a gallery
3. Volunteer in India
4. See an author read her/his own work
5. Learn Portuguese in Portugal
6. Help put my niece and nephew through university, if they want to go
7. Own a dog
8. Hike up to Machu Picchu
9. Ride an elephant
10. Do something I think I can’t do (sky dive, hang glide, parasail)
11. Taste durian
12. Not be afraid of PDA’s
13. Stand inside the Taj Mahal
14. Ring a church bell
15. Participate in La Tomatina
16. Have my own garden
17. Go a day without speaking
18. Travel by train across Canada
19. Walk along the Great Wall of China
20. Give $100 to a busker
21. Have a meal under a lemon tree in Lisbon
22. Safari in Africa
23. Ride a camel in the desert
24. Be surrounded by sand, as far as the eye can see
25. Open a Swiss bank account

Spring Tune-Up

Seems this past week has been all about spring tune-ups. Tuesday night Marc came over and gave my bike a tune-up. So I'm all ready to hit the bike path and see if I can beat my 700-odd kilometres of 2007. And today I went to an Ayurvedic yoga workshop. Found out through a tridosha "test" that I'm a pitta, with a healthy dose of vata, and a touch of kapha on the side.

This workshop opened my eyes to new ways of thinking about why we are the way we are, how we can use what we are to our full advantage and help us find the balance we seem to be looking for. All in all, a lot of things that made me sit up and go "hmmmm ..."

It also felt wonderful to do a little yoga on a beautiful day like today. Or maybe it was the act of doing the yoga practice that helped me realise what a beautiful day it was. It's as simple as this for me - practicing yoga makes me happy.

Home Stager

My real estate offers the services of a home stager as part of her deal in getting my condo sold. Having seen my fair share of home decorating and selling house television shows, I had a good idea of what I needed to do to get my place ready for sale.

Yesterday afternoon the home stager stopped by for her one hour consultation. I know my place is small and I never expected her to be here for more than 30 minutes. But apparently I did a good job preparing my place in advance because she was in and out of my place in 15 minutes and all she had to tell me was this:

Update knobs in kitchen, bathroom and hallway
Remove wooden stairway thing leading to window
Add a few accessories to the bathroom
And if I really wanted to, replace the kitchen light

Other than that, she loved how I'd decorated (she is a decorator) and called it "Bohemian Chic" (how cool is that?!), thought it was bright, clean, a "palace" compared to some other places she'd seen, and loved, loved, loved my dining room set. She also asked if I always had it this clean and I was almost embarrassed to say "yes, pretty much".

So I have to spend a tiny bit of money to give the kitchen, bathroom and hallway a little bit more punch and the rest should take care of itself.

After the home staging visit, I headed out to another open house. Located in Les Terrasses Windsor, I saw a great two bedroom place (unfortunately over my budget) and will be seeing a one bedroom condo tomorrow night after work. Very exciting.

Night Flight

Friday night I got to fly over Montreal in a little 4-seater plane. Here are a few pictures from the flight.

It was a beautiful night, almost a full moon and super calm. We flew over my house, over the Olympic Basin at Parc Jean-Drapeau, over downtown Montreal and even the Olympic Stadium (but that wasn't lit up). It was very, very cool.

Wine Fights Female Dementia

In case anyone is looking for more reasons to drink wine, check out this article.