Banff

I just came back from a weekend camping and hiking trip to Banff with my great friends Marty and Ruth.  I left early Friday morning, and returned late this afternoon.  I stopped in Calgary both, on the way there and on the way back, to eat some lunch, as well as taking a peak into MEC.

The above picture was taken by Marty.

We had a nice campsite, slightly outside of town and away from all the action and noise.  I didn't sleep so well though, even though I have a decent sleeping pad.  Next year I'll have to get a better one!

We brought along much of our own food.  I brought meat from BCW, and they brought rice, pasta, and veggies.  

Now as far as hiking is concerned, my goodness, I'm not sure there's a more picturesque place than Banff.  The scenery is simply stunning.

We hiked on Saturday and on Sunday, but ironically, we didn't stay in Banff to hike.  We drove to Lake Louise on both days (!) (all pictures depict the Lake Louise area, not Banff).  On Saturday, we began around noon, hiking up to Lake Agnes Teahouse, and then continuing on to Devils Thumb, eventually connecting with the return stretch of Plain of Six Glaciers, taking us back to the beginning point at the Fairmont Chateau.  In all, we did about 14kms.  Along the way, we stopped numerous times if not for snacks, certainly for picture-taking.

On Sunday we did the Moraine Lake trail, a short trail of 3kms leading us to more amazing vistas.  The second picture above is of Moraine Lake.  Marty took that picture lakeside, while enjoying a sandwich lunch!  I, on the other hand, picked a large rock overlooking the lake (picture below) for my lunch spot.

As always, we had amazing conversations.  Ruth and Marty view the world very differently than I do, and yet, we have very meaningful conversations.  We agree to disagree on fundamentals, but what I appreciate about both of them is that they're engaging conversation partners, open to hearing another's point of view, and they are interested in finding meaning and significance in the lives that we live.  They have an admirable commitment to simplicity of lifestyle, and a joyful, amicable spirit.  And their love for each other is truly exemplary.  I'm blessed for having them as friends in my life.  They are an example to follow.  Below, we're eating lunch at Lake Agnes.

We've decided to do this again, if not later this Fall, than certainly next summer.  Maybe next time we'll camp near our hiking trails!

Grasslands II

Last year around this time I went camping at Grasslands with some of my hiking friends from Regina, and it turned out to be one of the best trips of the summer for me.  Here's a walk down memory lane.

After such a good experience last year, I decided to go there again this year,  but this time with Eric.  Pavel from Regina joined us also, for the second day of hiking.

On the first day of hiking we hiked to Zahursky's Point, much like last year.  Actually, we added about 3kms to this year's loop, so it took us longer to do the hike.  And the mosquitoes were out in full force, my goodness....

On day two we did another loop, and much like last year, found ourselves "lost", miscalculating directions and distances.

I'm coming to the conclusion that I'm not a very good camper.  I like tenting: setting it up and sleeping in it; but I don't like the food portion of the experience.  Too much work goes into drying my own food (that's why I've never done it), and the packaged food that I've had is less than tasty.  I'm also not particularly good at starting campfires.  I love the hiking, I love the scenery, I love the company, but at the end of the day I wish all hikes led to small towns with albergues, like the Camino did in Spain.

In the end, we hiked around 30kms in 2 days, leaving us physically tired (but not exhausted), slightly burned by the sun, and with plenty of red welts from mosquito bites.

Eric drove his old Beamer, so the route he picked was via Moose Jaw on the way there, and via Swift Current on the way back.  A nice loop, about 800kms in total.

Ribfest

Never been to a ribfest before, but I didn't have any plans for this evening and the weather was just too good to stay indoors, so I walked the 20 minute stretch to Exhibition Park and stuffed myself full of ribs.

Over the past few years I've eaten lots at Tony Roma's and have become accustomed to their bbq sauce, thinking that it's pretty good, but after tonight I see the light.

Trips to Tony Roma's will be very limited from now on.

Anger

Here's a letter I wrote to mom and dad this evening.  I don't know where the rage comes from...

Hi mom, hi dad.

I received your voicemail, thank you.

I do not wish to speak to you.  I have a lot of anger and rage inside me, which I do not wish to unload on you.

I do not think I will come to BC at the end of August.  I am not in a spiritual or psychological condition to enjoy my trip there.

Please do not call me for a while.

Living Room

Almost a month after I moved in, I finally got my main floor cleaned up enough to take a picture and share.  Here it is.

I guess I'm taking a minimalist approach - not too much clutter.  I like the bar stools (Ted and Karin brought them from Vancouver).  I also like showing off the (sparkling!) hardwood floor.

I'm very blessed to live here.  Everything's new and smells like it.  I love going to bed at night, and feeling the warm breeze flow through my room.

Currently I'm getting estimates for putting up blinds.

Contrary to about a month ago when there was lots of activity going on as the builder tried to finish up the interior in time for me to move in, very little action is taking place right now.  The outdoor has been all but forgotten.  Canola weeds are growing in my back yard...

Vices

Gluttony.

Sloth.

Anger.

Lust.

Avarice.

Pride.

And envy.

I didn't realize until today that envy is perhaps the vice I struggle with most.

I don't think it's always been this way.

Maybe vices accompany the various seasons and stages of life.  Right now it's envy-season.

Oh, and anger too.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a Sinner.

Ted In Saskatoon

Ted, Karin, Dylan and Natasha dropped in for a visit yesterday and today.  They're on their way to Winnipeg to visit friends.

They arrived yesterday late afternoon.  I welcomed them, and together we went out for dinner at the German Cultural Centre.

After dinner we went for a walk along the west side of the river.  Walking along the Meewasin trail, we passed the Bessborough hotel (we took a peak inside too) and Memorial Park, all the way to the Mendel Art Gallery near College Drive bridge.  The temperature was perfect, cool, and not too many mosquitoes around.

Ted and Karin slept on my pullout couch, while the kids slept on the floor on air mattresses.  While it was good to be able to host them here, it was disappointing that I still don't have a queen size bed for guests.  It's on order, but hasn't arrived yet.

This morning we all got up around 8am, ate some breakfast, and by 10am they were on the road.  I am thankful for the many blessings I have received through family.  While things are hard at the moment, particularly with mom, I am thankful to have family as a strong source of support.

Dear Lord, bless Ted and his family as they travel to Winnipeg.  May they be refreshed by family, friendship, and fun.  Amen.

Germany On Top Again

Well it was an interesting World Cup.  Germany beat Argentina 1-0 a few days ago, in extra time, and it took an amazing goal by Götze to clinch the win.

Best goal: James Rodriguez - Colombia vs. Uruguay.  Rodriguez won the Golden Boot award too.  Nice to see it go to a very skilled and humble player.

Biggest surprise: I can't believe Argentina made it to the final.  Great individual players, but historically not so united as a team; Sabella somehow managed to gel the team into a nice and cohesive unit.

Biggest disappointment: Brazil losing to Germany 7-1.  It's one thing to lose, but 7-1?  And at home?

Best player: Ok, so Messi won the Golden Ball award, but I wonder whether that was a good selection.  He played ok in the first two rounds but then disappeared.  I think I'd have given it to the Manuel Neuer.

Here's an ode to futbol - the best goals of the World Cup 2014: http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/videos/goal-of-the-tournament/index.html.

Hail to the beautiful game!  Now begins the waiting again ... another 4 years...

Bedroom

Here's what my bedroom looks like.  I like the two shades of grey on the wall.

Words As Weapons

Somehow the train derailed - and badly - during mom's stay here.

She was supposed to stay here 'till at least Tuesday, but yesterday afternoon she went for a walk and upon her return she requested that I change her flight tickets to today.

I let it sit for a bit, but in the evening when she requested it again, I called WestJet and had the flight changed.

Words - both mine and hers - were used as weapons during her stay here.

And so today, at around 10am I drove her to the airport, and 20 minutes later she was gone.

We're treading on uncharted territory now...

Que Golazo!

My goodness .. what a goal by James Rodriguez.  Colombia 2 - Uruguay 0.

Coy Move

Today I finally moved into my new home in Buena Vista.  I'm very pleased.

Mom arrived on Wednesday night from Abbotsford, and as always, she helped me pack everything.  I really would not have made it through the past few years without my parents' moving help: first from Vancouver to Moose Jaw, then to an apartment in Saskatoon, and now to my new house.

After her arrival Wednesday night we went out for dinner.  Dad wasn't able to come along this time around, so it was just mom and me.

Yesterday I worked, while mom packed.  My coworkers teased me about this to no end: "So, let's get this straight, while you're pushing a pencil at the office, your mom's pushing the piano?"

Today at 8am I met the builder at the new home.  We did a walk-through, signed some documents, and then he gave me the keys to the house.  I felt so proud...

At the same time, mom was "lifting the piano" at the apartment with the movers.  By noon the apartment was empty, and mom and I were on the way to the new home.  By 3pm the movers had brought everything to the new house.

For the next day or so we'll be finding a place for everything.  Unlike previous moves, space will not be an issue this time around.  There should be plenty of space for everything.  In fact, once everything's in its place, my place will look rather empty.  I'll (finally) look like the minimalist that I claim to be!

At the end of the day I'm tired.  But today my heart is filled with gratitude.  I have good feeling about this move.  I plan to have a home blessing within the first few months.

Signatures

I've been signing papers and documents lately like there's no tomorrow.

Bankers...

Lawyers...

Builders...

Real estate agents...

They all want something from me.  Mostly money...

Spain: Another Loss

This time against Chile: 0-2. 

Spain was in a group with two of the teams that I dislike the most: Holland and Chile.

They lost to - no, they were humiliated by! - Holland 1-5.  And today they lost to Chile 0-2.

What's this world coming to.

I sure hope they have some self respect left and beat Australia!

Other scores:
Germany clobbered Portugal 4-0.  Good!
Argentina barely beat Bosnia 2-1, and they looked less than convincing in doing so.  Messi saved them from embarrassment.

Another Camino?

I've been itching to do another Camino.

Thanks to one of my coworkers who connected me with someone who'd recently completed the Camino de Santiago and who was eager to share her experiences, I met with her and a few others who have completed the walk in the past few years.  Their stories and enthusiasm brought back memories of my own experience of 1.5 years ago, and made me want to pack my backpack and get on the plane again.  Like, now.

But even before this conversation I was already pondering it.  I don't know yet what the purpose would be, but that will become clear as time goes on.

Possible timeframes are later this year in September, but more likely, mid-2015, in May.  I'm too new in my job right now to request for a month off.

Which route would I take?

How far would I walk?

Go alone or find another soul-searcher to join me?  Who?

Two Great Games

I drove to Moose Jaw today to watch some good futbol with Father Dean and other folk from my church there.

Four games were played in total, but two are noteworthy.

Costa Rica 3 - Uruguay 1.  Wow, unexpected, but here's the thing: Costa Rica looked very good.  Confident, well organized, and tactically very well-prepared - well deserved winner.

Italy 2 - England 1.  Another great game.  Oh and how happy I am that England lost.  Andrea Pirlo, what can I say - what a player!

Other scores of today:

* Colombia 3 - Greece 0.  Colombia looked very good.

* Ivory Coast 2 - Japan 1.  Blah.

So Much For La Furia Roja

España 1 - Holanda 5.

Que horror.

The least desirable score came true today.

Spain looked dismal.

Plus, Van Persie's goal was absolutely phenomenal.

Can Spain recover?

I'm consoled by the fact that Spain beat Holland at the last World Cup.

I do not think Holland has it in them to win this World Cup.

A Different World Cup

The FIFA World Cup started today in Brasil.

This is the first time in 20 years that I haven't attended it.

USA 1994 - check.

France 1998 - check.

Korea/Japan 2002 - check (I went to Japan).

Deutschland 2006 - check.

South Africa 2010 - check.

And now, Brasil 2014 - ?

I didn't go because I just don't care (did I really say that?).

Maybe I do care, but my life is in a stage right now where I feel I need to forego this tournament: new province (this may be stretching it, but it still feels new to be in the prairies, even a year after my arrival), new city, new job, new apartment, and (in two weeks' time), new house.

Today Brasil beat Croatia 3-1.  I watched some of it at work.  Almost nobody cares about soccer here.

Tomorrow is España - Holland.  Vamos la furia roja.

Favourites are Germany and Brazil.  My favourite is Spain.

I like Colombia and Uruguay.  I also like Italia.  Somehow, this time around Argentina doesn't grab me, even though Messi - the best player in the world - is on the team.

As long as Holland doesn't win I'm happy.

Prairie Lilly

I'm amazed at how much I've been welcomed at my new workplace.  There's something different, something special about this place.  People seem to genuinely care about the work they do.

Today after work we met at Kinsmen Park (literally across the street from where I live!), had a bbq dinner, and then got onto the Prairie Lilly, a small boat that does tours up and down the South Saskatchewan river.  About 40 staff came for the event.

I hung out with my closest coworkers, Deb, Laura, and Carla.

Below are some pictures.

College Drive bridge.

The Bessborough.

Broadway Street bridge.

Kiwanis Memorial Park

Hiking Waskesiu

The weekend began cool and damp on Friday, dried out and warmed up on Saturday, and ended with a huge thunderstorm - lightning and all - on Sunday.

After spending a few very good days with Sanjit here in Toontown last week, it was good to get out with John and do some camping this weekend.

I departed for Waskesiu around 5 in the afternoon Friday, arriving there close to 8 in the evening.  John was already there, having set up his campsite previously.  Mosquitoes, plenty of them, were there as part of the greeting committee also.  After setting up my tent, we made a fire and sat around and talked for the rest of the evening.

Saturday morning I got up around 8, made myself a good coffee - Bailey's and all - and then got ready for a hike.  John's friend Deana also joined us.  It was a good day for hiking as the sun came out, burning through the clouds, warming up the weather.  This meant less mosquitoes too, which we welcomed.

We hiked around 18 kms, completing most of the Red Deer trails, covering mostly level ground through forested trails, but with some nice views of the lake and town along the way.  Getting out on the hiking trails was a breath of fresh air for me, both literally and figuratively!

After the hike we settled down in our campsite again, built a fire, and made dinner.  I'd brought food along, but John was keen on trying out and sharing his newly concocted camping-quiche recipe (pictured below).

We had a good conversation throughout the evening, John and I.  It seems to me we're both bruised and battered souls, but still in battle.

Sunday morning we were greeted by ominous, thunderous clouds.  We promptly packed up our stuff, avoiding having to pack up all our tenting gear in the rain.  We also managed to eat breakfast before the intense rain began.

We decided to do another hike, though, even though it was pouring rain.  We settled for the Spruce River Highlands Trail, an 8.5 km loop with some nice ups and downs, and some nice viewpoints too.  It poured for about the first 20 minutes of our hike, but then the rain stopped, and surprisingly, within an hour, it was hot and sunny again.  The loop took us about 2 hours to complete.  We spotted a moose (my first one since arriving in Saskatchewan!) along the way too.

I took a lovely alternate route home; a narrow, windy, hilly, tree-lined highway leading out of Prince Albert National Park.  I saw elk like the one below along the way. 

It was a good weekend.  I am happy to be back home and look forward to sleeping in my own bed again!

Tomorrow a new day of work begins.  I look forward to it.  The people of St. Ann's have been like the balm of Gilead to me.

Thank you Lord for a great weekend.  Bless this upcoming week.  In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

House Progress

I went to my new home today, and took a few pictures.  The work has shifted towards the backyard now, where a garage is being built.

June 1: prep work for garage

June 2: floor laid

June 2: stairway

June 2: front of house

June 4: garage framing

June 4: master bedroom

June 4: back deck

Buying Therapy

I'm buying a lot of things these days.  The house was just the beginning.

Now I'm thinking of adding 2 gates to the property - one at the front, and one at the back.

Walkways - along the side, along the back.

Vegetable garden - extra soil.

Appliances.  Even ones that I don't need, like a dishwasher - to fill the hole in the kitchen.

Bike.

And still to come:

Window coverings.

Barstools.

Paintings.

I'm sure there's more...

I've been feeling upbeat lately.  I wonder if my fears and frustrations are being pacified through consumerism.  If they are, eventually these will come back with a vengeance; and magnified.  How will I pacify them then?

Food And Walking

During Sanjit's stay here we've done a tone of eating and walking, a great combination.

Yesterday we went for chinese food at Yip Hong's.  Afterwards we went to Broadway Roasters for some coffee.  On our way back we walked along the south side of the Meewasin trail, crossing the College Drive bridge back to my home on 5th Ave.

Today we went to Earl's for dinner.  Then we crossed the bridge across to the south side of the Saskatchewan river, and headed west to D'Lish, a gem of a coffee shop tucked away among the big mansions in Nutana.

Oh yeah, we had a few of my favourite Indonesian cigarettes too.  He seems to enjoy them even more than I do.

Tomorrow morning he's heading back to BC.  Back to my normal life...

The city has taken on a completely different colour in recent weeks. Less than a month ago grey was the predominant colour; today I noticed that grey's no more - green's in.

Prairie Daytrip

It seems that we have a hard time getting out of the house early - just like yesterday, we didn't get out of the house until after 11am.

We got on the 11 southbound to Chamberlain, were we connected with the #2 and continued through the Buffalo Pound Valley all the way to Moose Jaw, arriving there shortly after 1pm.

We met up with Alison and Paul there for lunch, at Brown's.  I haven't had many interactions with Paul, but it became clear to me today that he's a good man indeed.  Kind, gentle, and very caring.  He gave Sanjit some good suggestions for getting work, particularly with CN or CP.  I got the impression that his suggestions were falling on deaf ears, however.  I hope I'm wrong.

After lunch Sanjit and I walked along Main street and the surrounding areas, and I showed him some of the highlights of the city.  The murals, Veroba's, Coffee Encounters, Crescent Park, the library, and of course, 72 Ross Street.  We also drove by my workplace.  Memories, both, good and bad, came flooding through my consciousness as we walked through the city.

Then we got back into my Jetta and headed east, to Regina, where we went for a walk along Wascana Lake, took a nap in front of the legislative building, and did a quick tour of downtown and the eastside of town before getting back on the 11, this time northbound, and back home.

Sanjit drove the car on the way back.  He seemed to like the handling of the Jetta.

We listened to Julieta Venegas on the way home.

No dinner tonight.

Friendships are a treasure.

Busy Day!

It's so good to have friends, thank you Lord!

Today was a busy day, right from the get-go.

At 11am (ok, maybe the get-go was a rather late one...) Sanjit and I went to the Farmer's Market, where I bought a yummy strawberry rhubarb pie.

Then we walked over to my garden and watered it.  All's good on the garden front.  No mosquitoes yet...

Early afternoon we went to my new house and looked at how things are progressing there.  He seemed impressed with my purchase.

 

Around 5pm I went to a bike store on Main street and picked up the new bike I'd ordered 3 weeks ago.  I took it for a spin, liked what I felt, paid up, and went on my way.

At 8 in the evening we walked over to Chianti's for dinner.  It's not Marcello's on Commercial, but it was decent.

We've had some interesting conversations the past few days, covering topics such as work, friendship, marriage, and investments along the way.

While walking from the farmer's market to the vegetable garden we reminisced about the wonderful connections we've made with the soccerinos over the past few years.  Soccer, bbqs, games, conversations, movies ... the list of stimulating interactions and activities - the stuff of life - went on and on.  We wondered whether we'll ever have such experiences again.

Tomorrow I will take him on a day trip.  Saskatoon-Moose Jaw-Regina and return.

Community

A few days ago on Friday evening I met Lisa for dinner at Amigo's.

On Monday I met Alison and Julia for brunch.  That same evening I met Eric at Earl's for a beer.

And then tonight Sanjit arrived - all the way from Vancouver!  We walked across the Broadway bridge to the Yard and Flagon Pub for dinner.

Early next week I'll be going on a boat cruise along the Saskatchewan river with my new coworkers.

 

I'm finding it so difficult to get to know people nowadays.  Mom was right when she advised me years ago not to take friendships (and relationships) for granted.  I have her words etched in my mind: "As you get older it gets more and more difficult to meet people."  Prophetic words...

The increase in social interaction with others this past week has left me full of gratitude.  I know what it feels like to be alone and with very few options - sometimes none - to engage with others, and to have a week like this, full of stimulation, laughter, conversation, and food, cannot but bring hope into a barren situation.  I pray that it will continue this way.  Genesis 1 and 2 make more sense than ever before: we're not meant to be alone.  God made us social beings.  It's in relating to others that we become fully human.

But while I'm thankful for this past week of fellowship, I can't help also feeling slightly disconcerted at the continuing possibility (even probability) of social isolation, at least in the short term.  None of the people listed above know each other, and it's unlikely that they will even meet each other.  I just don't know enough people here to make genuine community possible.  And the real tragedy in this conversation about community is that the organism best equipped to foster true humanity, the church, is just so pathetic in actually achieving it.  What a cruel irony.  What disappointment.  I doubt there's a more inadequate and hopeless place for community than in the church.

 

In my life I can think of only two periods where I felt true community.  One was when I was a young 8-or-so year old boy, back in Paraguay, growing up with the likes of Uwe, Arnold, Claudio, Viola, Janine, and others.  I think that was possibly the only time in my life that I was truly human.

More recently, almost 30 years after my childhood experiences, my soccerino friends in Vancouver came close to giving me the same acceptance that I received as a young boy.  What made this group of souls so special was that we did the best we could not to judge one another; this, in an environment with a variety of worldviews and opinions.

In fact, part of the reason the last 2 years have been by far the most difficult years of my life is because of my inability to feel fully human as an integrated member of a community.  I lost the woman that I love, my best friend.  I moved away from the very community that affirmed my humanity.  I've exiled myself from a place and a people that I love.

I wonder if I will ever experience community to such an extent again.  I pray for it.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a Sinner.

A New Growing Season

Today after work I planted the following vegetables in my new (community) garden plot:

* corn

* carrots

* zucchini

There's a little space left for tomatoes and potatoes too; will plant them next week.

Catching Up

Alison and her daughter Julia drove up from MJ today for a visit.  Actually, they've come up here for the weekend.  They went to a concert tonight; tomorrow at around 11 or so in the morning we're going to meet up for brunch.

We were hoping to go for sushi this afternoon, but were disappointed to find out that the place I'd picked for us to go to was closed.  It's Sunday, I guess...  We ended up going for buffet at a chinese restaurant on 8th Ave East.  It was pretty good, it reminded me of The Great Wall in Broadway in Vancouver.

I'm finding that living in City Park is very convenient, as many interesting places are within walking distance.  The Broadway strip is about 20 minutes away, and there's an interesting coffee shop just south of the College Drive bridge too that is a nice and leasurely walk's distance.  And of course, downtown is full of interesting places - from buildings to shops to retaurants, even houses.

The 3 of us did do the City Park - Broadway walk.  Julia's outgoing personality amazed me.  There was a street performer along Broadway whom she just went up to and started talking to.  It came so natural to her, I couldn't help but feel envious - to have the ability to just go up and talk to a stranger without feeling the least bit self-conscious.  She mentioned afterwards that speaking to him didn't make her the least bit nervous.  Odd, I talk to strangers as part of my job every day, but yet, I still get nervous often as I approach people for conversation.  It must be grace that nobody notices how nervous I am...

A Good Sign

I noticed yesterday and today while at work that my new boss knew the name of every employee and resident we came across.  Every single one of them...

A refreshing change, coming from a place where people were often times identified according to their physical appearance or actions (good or bad):

"...the overweight nurse..."

"...the resident who's a hoarder..."

"...the guy who dropped off the flowers yesterday..."

"...the nurse with the funny walk..."

"...the pretty girl at the till..."

"...the care aid with brown hair..."

Names are important.  They form part of our identity.  You take away my name, you take away my identity.

Another Chance: At St. Ann's

Since accepting the new job here in Saskatoon, my general mood has been on the up: excited to leave a disheartening scenario, eager to prove my calling to love God and neighbour (especially the lest of these) in a long term care setting as authentic, looking forward to a bigger and wider social panorama in my new city, the prospect of owning a house with a garden I can call my own: these are all aspects of change that, while nerve racking and stressful, I nevertheless welcomed and looked forward to.  So when I arrived at St. Ann's this morning to start my new job, I was filled with optimism and hope: a new day, a new beginning, another chance.

This sense of optimism was bolstered when I walked through the front doors of my new workplace.  Smiling faces, handshakes, hellos and welcomes - it was as if I was arriving at a place where people had been waiting for me a long time already.  A strange and humbling feeling, to be sure.

My first day went as most first days go: introductions, tours of the facility, more introductions, paperwork, orientation, and so on.  In the coming days and weeks, as I adjust to this new living place, the new will become the usual, the unknown will slowly be learned and uncovered, and I will eventually come to a place of comfort that will enable me to be the welcoming face to strangers - residents and staff alike - here at St. Ann's.

That is my prayer: that God would bless this new start.  May God heal me from my brokenness, so that I can be an agent of healing in the lives of others also.  May God grant me the strength to start anew, so that I would be able to encourage others too to continue their life-battles.  May God give me the humility to accept other people's acts of hospitality and kindness, so that I know what it feels like to be helpless and alone.  May God bring friends into my life, so that I can be a friend to others also.

Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner!

Matching Styles And Colours

Below is the proposed combination of flooring, cabinets, countertops, and backsplash for my new house.  From left to right:

Tile: for front and back entrance; also in main floor and master bathroom

Floor: natural, real hardwood for entire min and upstairs floors

Cabinet (white): upper kitchen cabinets

Backsplash: glass, brick-shaped - to be placed behind kitchen sink and range

Countertop: white and black marble, for main cabinets

Countertop: brown and black, for kitchen island

Cabinet (dark brown): barely visible in the picture; for lower cabinets and island

Tile: for side entrance, laundry area, and 2nd bathroom upstairs

Offer Placed .. And Accepted

For the past two days I've been negotiating on the property I wrote about a few days ago.

I put in an offer yesterday morning.

By the evening we had a counter.  I was gutted by the counter.  I thought the game was over.  But my realtor put things in perspective and got to work on another offer.

This morning I put in a revised offer.

By mid-afternoon another counter came in.

Tonight, around dinner time, we revised the offer again and sent it in.

It was accepted.

Closing date is a week from tonight.

 

Possession date is June 27th.

I'm on a high: a new job, a new city, and now a new house.

My First Sunday

Today marked my first Sunday in Saskatoon.

In the morning I dropped my parents off at the airport.  They're now on their way back to Abbotsford.  Without their help I'd still be floundering in Moose Jaw.  While I'm excited to start anew in this city, moving here without their help would've just been overwhelming and somehow, demoralizing.

In the afternoon I slept.  A lot.

 

At 7pm I attended Mass at the Holy Spirit parish.  I will attend a Catholic church going forward.  The atmosphere - the music, the preaching - was surprisingly Evangelical.  I'm not sure I will make this my home parish though.  It's too big.

After Mass I met up with Eric at Earl's.  I've always liked the food there.  It's convenient to live 4 blocks away from one now...

It'll be nice to start off here knowing at least two people: Eric, and Francis, my mentor.

Coy Avenue House

Here's the house I've been looking at the past few weeks.

The property is a semi-detached house (duplex), in an established area of Saskatoon. 

1500+ square feet.  3 bedrooms.  Small back yard, with double garage.

One of the pluses is that it's early enough in the building process for me to make some customizations.  Earlier today I met with my realtor and the developer to discuss some of my wishes, and it seems that my requests have fallen on receptive ears.

I plan to put in an offer for the property early next week.

German Lunch

Today's highlight was a German meal, at the German Cultural Centre.

To drink - a nice dark ale.

To eat - vienna schnitzel, rotkohl, and roasted potatoes.

While waiting for our food, mom and I argued.  She questioned my decision not to pursue my last relatioship opportunity earlier this year.  She thinks it was an error in judgment on my part.

How would she know.  She'd never met her.

I don't recall receiving her support or encouragement in previous relationships.  This hurts.  Tremendously.

Moving In

Here are pictures of my new home in City Park.

Upon arrival in Saskatoon yesterday afternoon, I had some time to tour through Saskatoon with my family.  We drove around my neighbourhood, City Park, the downtown area, Broadway, and of course, my new workplace.

Afterwards I made a few phone calls, looking for a place for us all to stay.  Since I left things to the last minute, I did not find a bed and breakfast where the 3 of us could stay, so I booked my parents into a place while I stayed at another.

This morning, at 10am we met up and then proceeded to drive to my new apartment.  Below are a few picures from the move.  Overall I'm happy with my new place: it's central, bright, slightly more spacious than my previous place, and it has lots of character.  The rent is expensive though - $1025 per month, and that's without parking - and so I'm seriously considering buying a new place.  In fact, I have my eyes and heart already set on a place that I think will be perfect for me, but for now, the Parkview on 5th Ave will do.

Bedroom.

Window bay.

Living room.

 

Tired.

Dad and I talking theology.