Moving Day

Piling stuff into the moving truck...

One last look at 72 Ross Street East, my home for the past year.  Looking through my pictures from this past year I noticed that I didn't keep any of my summer pictures of the "Avalon 72" building.  So the winter pics below will have to do.

Packing .. And A Daytrip

Mom and dad have been here the past few days.  Thank the good Lord, because while I'm relieved to be moving (primarily because of working conditions), I'm overwhelmed and stressed.  I could not imagine packing all my stuff in two days, travel north for two hours, then unpack it again.  I couldn't do it a year ago, and this year is no different.  It's so overwhelming...

Mom has been awesome packing the "small" - from cutlery and cups to socks and slippers.

Dad, on the other hand, while less busy, has been a strong silent presence.

This afternoon I convinced them that we needed to take some time and see the "neighbourhood" too.  So we drove to Gravelbourg, where we my good friend and colleague Janet for coffee at the Cafe Paris.  She gave us a tour of the wonderful cathedral there too.

Here are a few pictures.

At Café Paris.

The cathedral.

Tomorrow bright and early, the movers are coming.

Still Snowing...

Last year my coworkers told me in February that "only one more month of cold, then it'll warm up and spring will arrive."

March was cold and snowy.  Very snowy; like, snowstorm snowy.

More of the same in April.

It snowed even at the beginning of May (granted, two weeks later temperatures were in the mid-teens).

Then they said that it was an unusually long and cold and snowy winter: this year it would be different!

Fast forward to 2014.

Less snowy.

But still cold.  Very cold until mid-March.

But still -15 type temperatures.

It snowed yesterday.  And today.  

I'm starting to think that I'm being taken for a ride.  It's a conspiracy.  Here are pics from the bed and breakfast my parents are staying in during their stay in Moose Jaw.

14 Months

Exactly 14 month ago I started my vocational journey in Moose Jaw.  Today was my last day here, and what a day it was.  I received a send off that was heartwarming.  I didn't expect to be sent off with such a bang (I trust the bang was because they're sad, not happy!).

Here are some pictures of this memorable day.

The chapel: a place of peace and solemnity.

Judy: cat lover and justice seeker.

The Rec staff, minus Corby and Lina.  By far the most interesting (and whacky!) group!

Arnold: I'm not sure I know a more loyal person.

Send off: CCAs, nurses, dietary, residents, and Rec staff.

Alison wrote an amazing poem for me that is worthy of its own post.  What an amzaing woman she is.

My coworkers raised money and bought me a going away present: an indoor herb grower .. how cool is that!

On a more pensive note, I cannot help but wonder where God's hand is in these last 14 months.  I've been "preaching" to others that pursuing a vocation includes enduring hardship.  And yet, here I am, taking pretty much the first bus out of town when things got tough: the emperor and the snake got the better of me, some might think.

But I'm unattached and mobile: others are not, that's why they're staying put.  If my coworkers - Alison, Dianne, Heather - weren't so locked in to their life situations, they'd certainly move on too....  Still, part of me feels like I'm letting down my coworkers and the wonderful residents I've met here this past year.  It was never supposed to be such a short stay.

God's hand is certainly in this move.  I just have a hard time discerning his purposes.

Mixed

The human heart is such a mixed bag of emotions.  As I prepare for my move to Saskatoon, I'm filled with feelings on both extremes of the spectrum ...

... excitement and terror,
... enthusiasm and fear,
... eagerness and hesitation,
... hope and despair.

Lord, have mercy on me!

This Friday's my last day of work here.

On Sunday mom and dad are flying into town.  They're going to help me move.

Next Monday and Tuesday are packing days.

Wednesday the truck comes to pick up all my stuff.

On Friday (hopefully) I will move into my new place.

S7K 2P8

Enough of S6H 0R9!

I'm onto S7K 2P8 - my new postal code, effective May 1!

I saw a duplex for sale this weekend that's about as perfect as I think it'll get.  $450K, plus some customization work.  Steep.  I can swing it financially (well, the bank can, not I), but it's certainly more than what I need, so I need to think long and hard about the wisdom of such a decision.

In the evening I went to the Easter Vigil Mass at my church.  Gorgeous liturgy.  All that's missing is the incense.

After the liturgy we celebrated the end of the fast with a feast: bread, cold cuts, cheeses, fruits, dainties, and of course, wine.

The fast is over: Christ is risen!  He's risen indeed!  Let us enjoy the feast!

Holy Thursday

Easter's by far the most special time of the Christian calendar.  And the profundity of the Easter event began to work its way through my being again anew tonight.

This evening I went to a Maundy Thursday service at my church and it all went fine until Father Dean encouraged us to go to the front and let him wash our feet.  This is, after all, what Jesus did with his disciples on the night before he was arrested.

What was interesting to me, as I reflected upon his invitation, was how my attitude changed from one of comfort and tranquility - sitting in the pews, "anonymous" - to unease and restlenesness.

Me?

Go to the front and take off my shoes and socks?

In front of everyone?

Have him wash my feet - are you for real?

Father Dean reminded us that the stole he wears around his waist represents the towel that Jesus wore around his waist, a poignant reminder of his priestly duty to follow in Jesus' footsteps and serve his disciples.  "Allow me to fulfill my priestly duty", he gently said.  "I'd like to wash your feet."  There were about 50 of us in attendance.

So, up I went, took off my smelly footwear and gave myself over to him, allowing him and his pastoral staff to exercise their priestly duty.  They washed all our feet, using warm water and soap.  Then they took a towel - they had enough towels for all of us - and dried our feet, before lathering them in sweet-smelling foot oil.  Humbling, to say the least.

Then, once the task was complete, he said: "Go and do likewise."  Gulp.  Earth-shattering silence.

Finally, the Eucharist tied the entire liturgy together.  Christ, present to us in the form of bread and wine.  The bread of life.  The cup of salvation.

It's only Thursday.  Tomorrow morning, the stations of the cross.  Then in the afternoon the Good Friday service.  Saturday, the Great Vigil of Easter.  And finally, on Sunday, the Resurrection.  

From darkness to light.

From hunger and thirst to a satisfied spirit.

Thanks be to God.

Found A Place!

I found a place to live in City Park, Saskatoon.  It's a similar building to the one I live in currently, except not as well kept.  On the plus side, the apartment is bigger than the shoebox I've lived in this past year.

I'm coming to the conclusion that a duplex is the way to go in terms of buying a place.  Small, central, small yard, bright, new.  But expensive: about $400K minimum.

227Kms North

So I drove the 227kms north to Saskatoon again this weekend, in search of a place to live when I move there a month from now.  I didn't have to go up alone this time though, as my friend Craig came along.  It was nice to have some company.

I met with Cindy again, my real estate agent, and looked at some more houses / apartments.  Uncertainty reigns...  house?  apartment?  townhouse?  rental?  purchase?

This morning I went to an Anglican Church downtown, and whereas last week I was turned off by a band acting like they're having a "religious experience" while playing songs, this week I was (perhaps even more) turned off by a priest who refused to call God "He".  He - the priest, that is - also thought that my friend Eric and I were a couple.  

Need I say more...I think now may be the time to turn to Rome; or to Athens...

After church my friend Eric and I walked from his apartment in City Park to the Broadway/8th Street area for lunch.  It took under 25 minutes to get there.

On my way back, I took this picture of downtown from the Broadway bridge.  It's a beautiful city.  Right now quite brown, but very soon - perhaps in 6 weeks or so - green, and full of life.

On our drive home we noticed the sun was on her way down, hovering right above the Buffalo Pound horizon.  Gorgeous.

 I'm looking forward to move to Toontown.  It's an open door, a new chance.  Thank you Lord.

To The Emperor

Dear Emperor,

I am writing to formally notify you that I am resigning from my position.

In order to help with the transition, my last day of employment will be April 25th, 2014.

I am grateful for having had the opportunity to support the spiritual needs of the residents/clients, staff, and volunteers.  I wish you, the leadership team, and the rest of the work family God's richest blessings.

Cordially,

Your Subject and Slave.

Timing

I wanted so badly to resign from work today, because it would've created some very interesting conversations; April-fool's type conversations...

Edgar: Hey guess what, I resigned from work today.

Response: Hahaha ... right.

Edgar: No really, I resigned today.

Response: Oh c'mmon, I'm not a fool!  You're joking: it's April Fool's day.

Edgar: I ain't foolin' you.  I resigned today.  I've had enough of the Emperor.  I'm moving north, to Toon-town.

Response: Uhmmmmmm .. really?  Are you serious?

Edgar: Yep, really.

But the timing wasn't right.  The Emperor wasn't there today, so I had to hold off.  Tomorrow'll be the day.

At Least One

When I move to Saskatoon at the end of next month, I can do so with the peace of mind that I'll know at least one other person (besides my mentor).  Eric, my good friend from Vancouver, moved to Toon-town not even a week ago, having accepted a job there with the city urban planning department.

So this past weekend we met up and hung out together.  In fact, I stayed overnight at his place.  He found himself a nice apartment in the City Park area.  Should I rent instead of buy, I will in all likelihood end up living in the same neighbourhood also.

So what did we do as first-timers in Toon-town?

Coffee: we went to a nice coffee place called D'lish.  Nice atmosphere, good coffee.

Dinner: we went to - of all places - a bookstore (!) for dinner; there's a restaurant attached to a popular bookstore in the city, so we went there to check it out.  So-so.

Church: Emmanuel Baptist.  Don't think I'll be going back.  I can't do bands in church anymore...

Prairie Harvest Cafe: now this place was cool.  Great food (brunch), and great coffee.  The building's not ideal for a restaurant setting, but in a way it had some character.

It snowed lightly throughout the weekend.  About -4.

 

I confess I'm getting very excited about this move.

Exploring Sasaktoon

I spent this weekend in Saskatoon, looking for a place to live.

At first I was thinking that I'd rent a place, but after checking out rental prices, it makes sense to at least consider buying.  To that end, my mentor in Saskatoon referred me to a good a real estate agent, and indeed, she was very helpful in exploring some interesting properties with me.  In all, I saw close to 10 properties, mostly houses, but some apartments also.  I haven't found my niche yet.

Here's what I'm looking for:

* light (no dark dungeon, so property should face east, south, or west, or all 3!)

* space (no shoeboxes; this also avails the opportunity to rent out suite or get a roommate)

* green (if possible, a small yard for a vegetable garden)

* balcony (particularly if apartment, so that I can finally have a bbq at home)

* central (within walking distance to either work or downtown, preferably both)

* hardwood (no carpets)

* ready (no project; it's gotta be ready to move-in)

I will most likely return next weekend to check out some more places.

Offer Accepted

I accepted the job offer in Saskatoon today.  No sense in waiting, I know that if there's a way out, I cannot stay put any longer.

I will resign at the end of the month, giving one month's notice.

I will move north at the end of April, and begin my new job early May.

Thank the good Lord, what an answer to prayer...

Job Offer

The miraculous happened: I got a job offer for the position in Saskatoon.

Conditions of employment are virtually the same as my current ones.  Minus, of course, the almighty, the all-knowing, the omnipresent Emperor as a boss.  That factor alone is worth acccepting the offer for....

God has opened a door to get out of this mess.

I've asked to think and pray about it until Sunday.  I will talk to my Spiritual Director this weekend, as well as other trustworthy souls.

Thank you Lord.  Oh my God, thank you Lord.

Moving To Saskatoon?

My job interview today went very well.  I have a very good feeling about things.

I had the opportunity to drive around the city after the interview and see where I might possibly live.  There's a nice area downtown near Spadina Ave, I think it's called City Park.  Another area, even a better one, is the Broadway and Main area.

As I begin to consider this move more seriously, my heart is filled with hope and optimism.  Maybe there's a way out of this conundrum I find myself in now afterall....

For dinner I went to Saboroso.

Afterwards I thought about going to a movie, but as I was parking my car near the movie theatre I all of the sudden felt like it was better to just drive home and spend a nice and quiet evening at home.

Good decision.

I got home after 9pm.

Tomorrow is church.  I look forward to it.  I haven't been to church since early February.

Open Windows

Today, March 13th, marks the first day since around the October timeframe that I had my apartment windows open.  Outside, the temperature reached a high of +5, and inside, with the heating full-on, it just got too hot.  So I turned off all heating outlets (another first for 2014), and opened all windows, for about 6 hours, until 9:20pm, when it started to get a little chilly inside.

I'm hoping that this temperature is a sign of things to come: warm temperatures and breezes.

Other things I did today.

I watched Indian Wells tennis: Milos lost against Dolgopolov.  Cibulkova lost too.  Not a good day for the players I cheer for.  Federer is on later tonight, hopefully he'll win.

I replaced the front windshield in my car.  $412.  Rocks stay away!

I picked up clothes from the alteration store.  I had 2 pants and 3 dress shirts hemmed.  $90

I went to Regina in the morning for a massage.  $73.

I went to the Regina German Club for lunch.  One word says it all: schnitzel.  $16.

I talked to Eric on the phone.  He's moving to Saskatoon in two weeks' time.

I also talked to Jun in the afternoon.  He seems to be doing well.

Tomorrow I have a job interview in Saskatoon.  I will leave around 11am.  My interview's at 2:30.

Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me, for I'm a sinner.

Mexico: Panoramic Pictures

Sunrise

Acapulco

Abierto de Mexico

The Grand

Palms

Tepoztlan

Poolside

Palacio de Bellas Artes

Back Home!

Departure from Mexico City, around 6:20am.

While at the airport, the most amazing thing happened.  I ran into my brother Ted!  He was on his way back from Paraguay, waiting for a flight to Vancouver.  My flight home went via Vancouver also, so incredibly, we found ourselves not only at the same airport, but in the same flight!

The odds of that happening are so incredibly low.  In a city of 25 million!  At the same airport!  On the same flight home!  Totally unplanned!  We were both absolutely stunned to see each other there.

Suffice it to say, once we got over the shock of running into each other, we promptly went to a coffee shop, bought ourselves a coffee and some pastry, and got caught up.  It was surreal.

Below, Moose Jaw from the air.

Landing in Regina.

I was happy to arrive at home safely.  The temperature was a very balmy +2C.  Could this be the beginning of spring?

I still feel in vacation-mode, as I still have another week of vacation left before returning to work.  So, tomorrow I will sleep in, do some laundry, cook some food, and just generally lay low.

On Thursday night I'll do some prep-work for my interview on Friday.

Thank you Lord for a wonderful vacation.  Have mercy on me!

Mexico City: Last Day

 What a gorgeous sunrise this morning.  5:55am.

Today marks my last day in the wonderful country of Mexico.  I love it here.  It tugs at all the Latin strings in my heart, and it makes me want to immerse myself more and more into the beauty of this culture.

Today was Ruth's mother's birthday, and we celebrated it with a big feast.  Marty was the chef, and I had the privilege of being his right-hand man (translation: I was the waiter).

The highlight of the day was when we all went around the table and one by one shared the thoughts on our hearts.  After each person finished their turn, we all raised our glasses of wine and said Salud!  When it came to my turn, I expressed my gratitude to Marty and Ruth for hosting me the past few weeks, but more importantly, I thanked them for their friendship.  I also mentioned that I appreciated the welcome I received by everyone present - it reminded me of being with my own family.  In fact, today, they were my family.

 

 

Tomorrow early in the morning, shortly after 10am, my return flight to Canada takes off.  This means that I have to get up even earlier: around 3am.