Where does the time go?

Hey everyone, well definately on the no going back now route ! 16 days to go before landing and residing in Canada.

Life has been ever so manic with shipping companies messing me around and yes I did sack NZ Vanlines who are the most useless bunch of ....I have ever come across. In what business can you not return clients phonecalls, ignore emails and push the price up 2 weeks before leaving when the client has taken out 4 boxes of the shipment ? I ask you, so they are history.

The new company are collecting our goods next Tuesday 24th and then the stuff gets shipped and arrives in Vancouver in 6 weeks time, yea hah.

Work has been good but manic, I am extremely tired but I am coping. Mark is being supportive and although complaining about costs of moving and the fact that we have no bed is doing ok.

Ashley has very kindly bought us a Nissan Pathfinder to drive around in which means we have trasnport immediately and I can start getting used to traffic and road systems etc.

I am over whelmed by the support of our friends and how they are keeping us going with nice emails and you will make it kindof stuff.

Have you ever done something you have been so sure of and just had a gut feeling to do it, as that's what I have.....

I also have and dare I put this out there, a feeling of an offer on the house on the 20th, that date has been in my head for sometime now, so we shall see.

The auction on the house is next week on the 26th. The agent is confident he will sell it, Mark thinks not but again we just have to wait and see. We have tenants who want it for 5 years and to buy at the end of the 5 years so again it's a waiting game and we shall see what happens. ALl depends on the market and where we are at and what we are doing.

We have already said if Canada didn't work for any reason then we would come back to NZ we would not return to the UK.

So tonight Mark is working on a friends car, so I will head home and let the dogs out of their runs, feed them and then pop the laptop on and basically just finish organising stuff. The shipping agent has said I can add a box back in as it makes no odds whatsoever to the price so I am going to quickly have a re evaluate and see where we are at. If I can add a box in I might as well take some stuff out of the suitcase but I will see how I feel. If it's looking stupid to add one box back in for a coat then obvioulsy not ! SO that's my evening all mapped out and I sincerely hope to get an early night, they have been seriously lacking in the last few months.

The weather here is still wamr, we are 28 degrees today and I am quite honestly sick of the heat now. The last few days have been showers and a bit cooler and that has been a welcome tempreture change, will be quite nice to put a jumper on, not so sure about the whole snow thing but I will let you know.

Be nice to have Christmas in the snow again !

Well that's me for a few days, tired but happy...lot's of love to everyone xx

9th March 2009

Monday the 9th March 2009. The countdown is going really fast now, I feel like I am on a rollercoaster and can't stop but we will get there, not much left to do now.

The Tv, surround sound system etc went this weekend so that's great the money is in the bank and all good. We have a borrowed TV from Christine and Roy who also came to our resuce with a fridge as our trusty beer fridge / freezer packed up yesterday too. So last night I was cooking 48 sausages, some burgers and anything else that was left in the freezer so that's empty now.

This morning I did a small food shop so am shopping on a daily basis at the moment, still we only have 3 weeks left so it's no big deal really.

Trying to get hold of the shipping company who are going to get sacked before they start if they don't phone me back. Am getting an alternative quote tomorrow just to see if I can change firms as they are driving me wild.

Everything is all good at work and Ashley has just emailed me to tell me lots of really good things about what they have done for us in the suite so I am so thrilled....

Mark is finally excited, oh my god it has taken a while but we got there in the end. He is thinking ahead and not doom and gloom and yes we know it will be cold but hey look at the cost of living difference I can live with the cold (Ithink)....

Last night Mark laughed because I said I was ocld and it was still +11 outside but the thing is I had shorts and a strappy top on now that wouldn't happen if it was mnus degrees outside would it now ? I figure you dress for it.....

So here we go ....we own nothing in the house as of now except our personal possessions. I just reconfirmed the flights and all the animals and we are good to go.

The vet kindly told me my little UK cat hasn't got long left in the world, nice huh, but he thinks, just thinks she will make the flight, nice chap...

On that note I am off, headed home shortly to check out my Trade Me listings as heaps of stuff has sold and I need to get organised for sending things out tomorrow. Would be great if just one person bought a stack of stuff as that has been happening recenlty which is awesome,....oooooh that's a kiwi word, don't tell me I have picked one of those up !

At least I don't say sweet bro, pronounced sweeeeet Bro.....xxx

One month to go !

So here we go, one month to go the countdown has begun.

Am I organised nope I am not and now I am starting to panic. The boxes need to get finalised and packed by Saturday, our truck goes this weekend and the house is empty.

We were hanging on to our TV system until the last second but now we have decided the money in the bank is better than having the TV so we have told the guy he can come and collect it this weekend. So that's the truck gone and the TV gone on Sunday this week we hope !

So all that leaves in the house that we own is our packing boxes and our clothes how cool is that ?

This weekend I absolutely have to finialise the packing as the boxes are booked to go on the 20th March 2009.

The animals are all sorted and Ginny and Roxy go for a check up an dpaperwork this weekend and Frankie doens't have to go due to being a puppy and was seen recently by the vet. SO ....we should be all systems go.

I don't think there is going to be anytime for a farewell party to be honest and also the saga of the fridge might put paid to that one too as we don't have a working fridge......

We sold our fridge and started using our beer fridge freezer which has worked perfectly for a year and it packed up. So we now have no fridge or freezer.

Christine and Roy kindly leant us a fridge so at least we can keep milk cold but that's about all.

My god, I have so much to do tonight. My mission is those bloody boxes. So I shall unpack and repack the lot and get it finished....anything that's out stay out !

To be honest we don't have a lot left to sell so thats great but its the final bits that are the tricky stuff and we just keep getting hit with bills left right and centre.

Also due to the auction being 26th march we havent' sorted out any tenants so I haven't sorted out a redirection of mail or anything. So tricky. I don't know whether to cut the power off all that sort of thing.

So much to dooooo......

Christine and Roys Wedding 28th February 2009

Where do I start .... Ok so Christine and Roys wedding was Saturday the 28th February and it was a great day apart from it chucked it down with rain all day and I went and got really drunk, really quickly and had to depart rapidly for a lie down in our truck on the main road.

Class act huh ...

Anyway so there I am all passed out when I suddenly think humm I need to go home. SO I call for Mark who comes out and takes me home, only just as he takes off I manage to throw up, I got the window down and was sick all down the side of the truck and the windows, nice huh. So here I am spewing away as he is driving down the highway.

We get home and I went straight to bed. Now I am off alcohol you will be pleased to note for the foreseeable future. It's not that I don't want a drink it's that it has dawned on me that maybe I drink too much and just maybe I should have at least a week without alcohol.

Mark and I have drank constantly since we moved here 18 months ago, not good and time to change.

So apart from that all has gone well. The big fridge freezer went from the kitchen yesterday, our back up fridge freezer has packed up so I had to go and beg and borrow a fridge from Christine and Roy this lunch time before we loose our whole food shop we did on Sunday. Nightmare huh ?

Ashley has purchased Mark a R6 motorbike so Mark is thrilled and can't wait to get out and about and have some fun with his mate. As long as I don't get forgotten I'm happy so I had better get horse hunting I recon.

Other than that nothing new this end really, we have put the house to auction to see whether it will go this time and basically just have to wait and see what transpires, hopefully we will get a sale but you never know. My main concern is our little cat gets looked after, so sad to leave her behind but what do you do when you inherit a wonderful farm cat with the house ? really she has to stay but we feel so mean.

Anyway that's enough of that and I will catch u all again soon.

Friday 27th February 2009

Well hello there,

Apologies for not being on here but like has been more than manic. For Instance...yesterday, well yesterday comprised of get up, vacumn house, tidy up, pick up dog poo, head to work, on the way to work collect works mail, then post a parcel then go to courier depot to drop off parcel, then drop Mark off then go to work, meet estate agent who has someone viewing our place at 1pm.

Then pick Mark up at 5pm, stay for drinks for leaving do for another staff member, then head home, mow the lawns, vacumn the pool, viewing at 7pm, turned up early at 6:15. Nightmare couple, refused to take shoes off and were rude but liked the place I ask you ...

Then this morning the agent has the people who viewed yesterday at 1pm coming back at 08:30am to view so the rigmerole starts again.

However Roxy caught a rabbit last night, the biggest rabbit I have ever seen, but she doesn't know what to do with it, so she spent the night licking it, and doesn't know how to eat it ! She won't leave it at all and yet doen't know what to do with it !

This afternoon I am leaving work at 2pm to go and get a facial done and my nails french manicure then off to Marks work to check he has a car to borrow as he is staying out the night and going to pre wedding drinks for one of our friends.

So thats me and an oven ready meal headed home at 5pm tonight. Let the dogs out, put dinner in the oven, clean the massive fridge freezer that I sold ready for collection and tonight for the first time in a very long time I'm sitting down and watching tv after having a long relaxing bath and you know what I CAN'T WAIT !!!!

The bed to myself the house to myself yeha .....

Am really excited now about moving to Canada. I am under no illusions I know it will be hard and the climate harsher than here but I think it's time to grow up a bit, time to live in a more grown up place and put down roots. Canada is closer to the rest of the world and has more to offer us.

I also think Mark will be happier being with his mate and being able to go and do stuff and as for me, drop me anywhere and I can chat to people so here's hoping I make oddles of friends like I have done here....

Well that's me for today...lots of love and see you again soon xxx

11th February - ding dong the Tractor is nearly gone !

Well guess what, the tractor is off to Cambodia !!! Our tractor sold on Trade me and true enough the chap paid yesterday as he said he would and now it's off to Cambodia. Apparently it will be loaded in to a truck then down to the South Island and freighted over to Cambodia. Would never have thought that but great, more cash for us and one less thing to worry about.

It is getting really exciting now, trying to concentrate on work is a good one at the moment, so much going on at work and home life is certainly not boring.

We chatted to Ashley at the weekend (that's who we will stay with our good friends in Salmon Arm) and they had a sprinkling of snow but nothing major he says......

The tempreture here today has dropped to 28 degrees but its nearly 100% humidity so you can imagine how that feels, it's sticky and yuk. Hopefully we will get some rain today or overnight as our paddocks are just wrecked. You walk on them and they crunch and crumble underneath your feet.

Yeahhhhh it's raining, just that light feathery stuff but it's raining none the less.

Well the countdown has begun. In less than 7 weeks we will be living in Canada as Permanent Residents. I can't wait.

It has been good coming here and I have thoroughly enjoyed myself but it is time to move. Mother are you sure Dad is my dad and you didn't have it away with a traveller ?? Only teasing !

Well that's me for today, catch u later...

P.s Did I tell you about the earthquake last night ? yep think I did ...going mad, too much in my head but loving it xxx

11th February 2009

Good morning everyone. Well last night I nearly fell off my chair, no seriously I did, we had an earthquake, only a 4 but a sizeable earthquake I can tell you. My chair rocked and my desk at home hit the wall and moved back again. I don't think I will ever get used to them !

This morning I am pleased to say we have sold our tractor and the money is in the bank, seems so criminal that we have spent 18 months working our butts off to buy all this stuff and here I am selling it all, but hey out with the old and in with the new.

So it's official I have resigned and the company have been great about it. I leave on March 27th and we fly on 3rd April so that gives me a few days in a hopefully empty "Sold" property just doing the final bits and pieces. For those of you that picked the "Sold" that's my wishful thinking but we do have a viewing at 4:30pm today.

Anyway I have a heap of Trade Me parcels to get labelled up and a heap of other stuff to do so will love you and leave you and be back soon, and for those of you that know me well, my tummy is rumbling and I can't do a thing without food, I might be slim but I'm a stroppy little moo without food so I'm outta here !!!

Tuesday 3rd February - The Story of the bed !

Guess what ? Harvey Normans refunded us, yipee and horay !!!

The wonderful bed we bought developed a fault and despite spending a couple of hours in the store we couldn't find a bed that suited us, ahhh, so the Manager whipped out his cheque book and hey presto, quids in the bank and we are very happy ! For once something went our way and came out the blue to help us and I for one, could not be more grateful for the assistance. Thank you whoever for making this happen....

So the great countdown begins, 8 weeks today and we shall be in Canada, well at least sat on the plane with our two dogs and UK cat. I am so excited and Mark who usually shows no emotions is actually looking and sounding excited quite a pleasant turn around.

Yes I have to say, he is being good as gold and very helpful.

Rodger, our kind neighbour came to our resuce and supplied us a bed for the next 8 weeks and we were so thankful that we went to bed at 9pm last night. Sleeping on the floor for 3 nights was no fun.

We have a fun evening tonight with items on Trade Me for sale and the pool table finishes tonight I am hoping it goes above the reserve price which someone has bid so if they get it for that, then so beit thats the price we paid and at least that gives us our money back which is more cash in the bank. I will keep you posted.

Well thats all my news pretty boring really, the only thing that has changed is Mark is now excited which is definately something to note !!!

Mandy Mac - 2nd February 2009

Ok Mandy Mac, you've done it now ...tee hee for all of you wondering what I am on about Mandy Mac is a good friend of mine and has told me off for not adding to my blog for over 10 days.

Well Mrs, to defend myself I am selling verything that isn't bolted down (almost myself but Mark said he didn't want to have to do refunds) and holding down a job and living !

As of today we have returned our bed to Harvey Normans for a refund, sold the tractor on Trade Me, just hope the guy does go through with the deal his feedback isn't so hot, and hopefully our pool table too so the house is starting to look empty.

We are sleeping on the floor, and I can tell you, it's not that flash, a duvet underneath us and that's it. Demoted from a Superking bed to the floor in one day humm...but needs must.

Today I officially resigned and have put it in writing so no going back now. I have to say I am so hyped up it's unreal I just cannot wait. People think we are mad, here we are mortgage free in a huge house with land but you know what we aren't happy ...we are happy to downsize and have our lives back.

This weekend my father contacted me and was bleating and yes bleating he was, about why am I moving do I know what I am doing etc etc, this from a man who has only been to Cornwall and never stepped foot out of the UK ! Sorry Dad but it's true, how can I take a word he says seriously ....harsh but true.

So bring it on, 3rd April here we come.... xxx

20th January 2009

Now where did I get to ? Sorry about the straight to business but if I don't offload this I might just explode !!

Ok so heres how the weekend went. SO the prospective new tenants, that I hasten to add have not been given the proeprty yet, turn up with 20 Calves and pop them in our back paddock. Anyway they apologised and we worked through that only for me to go out tothe paddock to find it was stripped bare of grass and they were full bulls not steers. Our neighbour has breeding santa catruders which are worth approx $20,000 an animal and he will not allow bulls on any of the surrounding properties and thats the deal free firewood off his land if you don't have bulls.

So I contacted him and basically we couldn't move forward he told me that he had an hourours degree and that farmers graze land to the ground and thats what they do and if he is renting the paddocks what could I do abot it so with that I decided he was not the tenant for us and out you go !

Readvertised the house last night and had a lovely couple come through who want the place, 6 month tenancy, 2 months notice at anytime which suits us perfectly.

Today I sent off the mortgage discharge papaerwork so hopefully I did that correctly and the mortgage will be off the deeds shortly. Watch this space.

Not long to go now, am frantically trying to sell the big stuff but my boss isn't back yet for me to tell him and I really want to be able to talk to him first and explain that I am leaving without him hearing it from someone else first.

Anyway that can't be helped at this stage he is still away and there's nothing I can do about that.

So tonights misison is to get the big items of furniture on to Trade Me and then I will call it a night and head to bed I recon. I already have a heap of parcels to deliver tomorrow so that's good and the money keeps rolling in, even better !

Thursday 15th January 2009

Well hello there again,

The last few days have been interesting so I thougt I would update my blog and let you all know just how mad our lives are at the moment.

So we start with Monday, Monday was fine a work day like any other and then I get told that our potential buyer (Another farmer from South Island) can't make up their mind whether to purchase or not and our tenants are hot on my heels to move their stock on to our land and move in to the house on 3rd April. So to keep everyone sweet I say yes to the new tenants and they can put stock on our land and biy our cows from us which saves us a headache - HOWEVER if the house sells before the tenancy commences then they take their stock, pay for ours and take ours with them as well.

This leads us in to Tuesday when the tenant rings me in a panic and has just cut the lock off our gate to put his 20 calfs in the paddocks that he didn't know was arriving ! So negotiating continue bearing in mind I never said the house was theirs but ho hum, he is buying our cows and that is keeping me focused $5k towards our empty pot.

Anyway so my day at works ends and we go home. Mark was in a less than pleasant mood, oh life is so depressing, I wish I was dead and all this crap to which I ignored, shut myself in the study and proceeded to sell more stuff on Trade Me. During this time I decide to pay our finance agreement off on our bed, forgetting that online banking needs a code that gets text to your cellphone, needless to say the dog had eaten our cellphone a couple of days prior to this and I had only replaced the phone yesterday.

So I manage to get the phone working and no signal, so I ran out the house, jumped in the truck, drove like a mad thing down the highway and got the banks text message, spun round in the middle of the highway and went home, put the code in only to find it had expired but the bank had done the transfer.

So guess what off I go again, while Mark sits on his butt on the sofa, I'm well impressed as you can tell !

I get back and same thing only now we are $10,000 over drawn opps...so I managed to get hold of the bank and they reversed it and sorted it out for me.

Mark then went to bed and I went in the shower, when I got out I proceeded to advise him that I was not impressed with his lack of support and I poked and prodded him for as long as I could stay awake for just so he knew i was annoyed and then I fell asleep !

This morning, he is a different man, he realises it is better to support and help me even if it is just asking the question "Hun can I help you with something" than risk the roth of Tracey !

Lesson learnt, and we are blissfully happy again ! (til tomorrow).

Tonights mission is to mow the lawns, cook dinner, sweep the barn as they hay was sold today, drag some troughs in from the paddocks and log on to Trade me where I have 30 items finishing tonight which will need to be distributed tomrrow.

I already have two appointments at 5pm in Mitre 10 carpark to drop off items and get paid, people will start thinking I'm a dealer at this rate. I turn up, wait, get paid and hand over goods !!!

xxxx

Thursday 8th January 2009

Well hello there, what a busy few days we have had. The wife and duaghter of the couple who were interested in buying our property flew up from the South Island and stayed Tuesday night. We had to run around after them as they flew in at 9pm then we had to feed them and obviously I had bedding to do so they could stay etc and then the following day Mark had to get out of work to go home, to collect them and ferry them to the airport. So all in all we thought fine not a problem, nice people and we wanted the sale of the house.

However, this morning they have pulled out. So that's it for us we have had enough of our lives on hold and are putting tenants in place instead.

I am absolutely exhausted at this stage. My mind is whizzing with a hundred and one things to get done. I had thought excellent the house is sold complete with contents and now I need to go about selling everything in it in order to fund the move etc. What doesn't break you, makes you they tell me, right now all I want to do is sleep.

Tonight we had a lady coming over to collect Trade Me stuff but shes now coming at the weekend, so tonight Mark and I will catch and drench the cows and then chill I hope. Preferably I will cook dinner, have a bath and head to bed !

Work is full on but good and keeps my mind off things at home. Ohhh just remembered I can't have a night off as I have items ending on Trade Me tonight an dmore stuff to advertise, oh well, keeps me out of mischief I guess.

Friday night we are seeing Rodger, Debbie and the kids, they are our neighbours, for drinks and a catch up as we haven't seen them since New Years Eve so that will be nice.

Well no more news to report so will love you and leave you. Congratulations to Sue and Harvey who have just produced a bouncing baby Girl called "Holly".

4th January 2009

Well Happy New Year to you all, and how is everyone ?

The piccie is little cute Missy our house cat who we adore she popped in and dived under the duvet !

We popped to our good friends next door for New Year and had a few drinks and food and that was great, but we bailed just before midnight and I have to say were tucked up in bed by the time midnight came round.

Yesterday we had a phonecall out of the blue from a lovely couple who wanted to view the house for sale. So we explained that we had prospective tenants coming out of our ears and needed a quick response. With that they booked flights from way down the bottom of the South Islan and arrived !!!

I have to say what a wonderful man, and if they don't buy the house we have made a friend as the family are great. But it looks promising at this stage.

Then out of the blue the agent brings someone through and they want a second viewing tomorrow. So my Sunday getting ready for work Monday is going to spend making sure the house is tip top and selling more stuff on Trade Me.

I have offered some people the deal of give us full asking price and you can have everything in it. This couple wantg to rent the place from us for 6 months so that's extra on top for us, all sounds good huh ?

Wow just had an email from Ashley in Canada seems he has lined Mark up a job already, can't wait for that all to get sorted, takes the pressure off me a bit as I would rather not have an office job for a while just while we ease in to life, but at least i can go work in a supermarket if needs be. Once I have learnt how to drive on the other side that is.

And yes Mother I know I am my mothers daughter and I know you did it in Spain and learnt the language and I am very proud of you but I'm a bit tired at the moment and my brain needs to sleep for a wee while !!!

Anyway on this note I am signing off and will update you all tomorrow when I get back to work after having a month off, not looking forward to that one at all.

Love n hugs Tracey xxx