Sunday ; Mostly sunny and mild, a few periods during the day with threatening clouds, but only a bit of light rain.
We took the camper off the truck this afternoon in preparation for using the truck to go to Winnipeg to pick up our U-Box tomorrow.
<sigh> We’ve become very cranky and bored, living in the camper for the last two months.
Monday ; Lilac Resort/Ste. Anne to Winnipeg to Steinbach
Sunny and warm. Finally !
WOO-HOO ! We viewed our condominium suite for the first time today. We were very impressed overall, with one small disappointment.
This morning we headed into Winnipeg, arriving at the Kildonan Place shopping area around noon. I dropped Joanne off at Dollar Tree at Kildonan Crossing, and I went to Kildonan Place Shopping Mall and found the Shaw store inside. I arranged Internet service at our condominium suite, and obtained the necessary modem/router. The Shaw store clerk that served me was knowledgeable and efficient and pleasant.
I returned to Dollar Tree and picked up Joanne. She wanted to go to Kildonan Place, where I had just come from, to use the bathroom. <sigh> So … back to Kildonan Place we went ! Manitoba allows only one family member to enter shopping malls and stores, so …. Joanne went into the mall before me and … <whispering> … I followed a few minutes after her. After visiting the restrooms we decided to buy lunch at the food court. She went to the food court and … I went a few minutes after her. We bought our lunches and ate in the truck in the parking lot because Manitoba currently prohibits in restaurant dining.
At 2:30 PM we went to U-Haul nearby to pick up our U-box. I have had quite a bit of dealing with the U-Haul company in the last few months, at their Westbank/West Kelowna location in BC, in person and on the phone, and on the phone with their centralized customer service function based in Phoenix, Arizona, and a bit of dealing with their Winnipeg Regent location by phone and e-mail. All of my dealings with U-Haul to date have led me to be impressed with the organization.
Not so, in person, at their Winnipeg Regent location today. In almost fifty years of doing business as an adult, I have never encountered such horrible customer service as today at U-Haul Winnipeg Regent ! It took over an hour to do a simple pick up Ubox transaction, all pre-arranged and pre-scheduled. It should have taken perhaps ten or fifteen minutes ! I dealt with three staff members ; a totally, completely inept/incompetent young man who has been employed there for a week, and does not have sufficient training or ability to attempt (and fail) to deal with customers independently. Not entirely his fault, now is it, given that he’s been there for only a week ? An assistant manager (because “the manager left early today”) who was far more interested in chastising me for participating in the connection of their small trailer to my large truck … because the employee with one week of experience was totally inept/incompetent … before I was “authorized” <sputter … what ?!?> “to touch the trailer or connections”, than in listening to my complaints about their lack of adequate customer service, and … a completely uninvolved in my transaction employee who felt compelled to show me some of her bad attitude. Oh, baby … you think you’ve got bad attitude ? Watch THIS ! ! !
<still trying to calm myself … at 11:30PM>
We left U-Haul around 3:30 PM, with our U-Box in tow. We arrived at our Steinbach condominium at 4:30 PM. The current president of the board/HOA met us and helped us get the U-box parked in a convenient location to unload it over the next few days. Then he offered to give us a tour of the condominium building’s features and amenities, such as the location of our underground parking spot, our storage locker, our mailbox, the first floor tenants’ lounge and library, the second floor banquet room for communal social activities, the third floor games room (pool table, another library, shuffleboard, puzzles, big screen TV, fireplace, etc.) and perhaps best of all, an extremely well equipped fitness centre on the fourth floor. Then he used a master key to enter our suite and allow us to view our new home for the first time. WOO-HOO !
It’s difficult to purchase a home without seeing it, only seeing pictures on the Internet. It’s a huge risk to spend that much money that way. Nevertheless, we are quite satisfied after our first impression. There are more nails, nail holes, screws, and screw holes left on the walls than we would have liked. And there’s an area of damage on a living room wall behind where a rocker/recliner was situated that will require enough patching that the wall will likely then require repainting. I would have expected the vendor’s family members to patch and paint where necessary. Not the vendor herself, she’s an elderly lady in her nineties who was moving to an assisted living/long term care home.
<shrug> Oh, well … guess we’ll be patching and painting walls later this summer !
We left the condo about 5:30 PM and took the truck to a self-serve car wash in Steinbach before returning to Lilac Resort around 7:30 PM, tired and hungry.
Tuesday ; Steinbach
Sunny and warm.
Today was our first day as owners of a suite in a seniors’ condominium building in Steinbach. The day was long, very tiring, but also exhilarating.
We met the real estate agent at our condo building after lunch, at 2 PM. He presented our keys to us, we chatted briefly, he left, and we spent the next five and a half hours unloading and unpacking, first the contents of our minivan, then we started on the U-Box. We returned to Lilac Resort at 8 PM, tired and hungry, for a late, light supper.
Wednesday ; Steinbach
Sunny and very warm. Was able to wear shorts today. WOO-HOO ! Heat wave coming in next few days.
Another very long, very tiring day of unloading and unpacking. Didn’t get home to camper until 8:30 PM. BUT … very productive. Finished unloading U-Box. Wasn’t expecting to finish that today. AND … managed to buy condo insurance. Lots of e-mails and phone calls over last few days. Late this afternoon walked a couple of blocks from condo to downtown Steinbach insurance agency and put “finishing touches” on condo insurance application and purchase.
Purchased lunch from a “hipster” donair restaurant a half block from condo. Very disappointing. Oh, well … can’t win ‘em all !
Thursday ; Winnipeg & Steinbach
Sunny and hot. I like it !
This morning on our exercise walk I found and picked my first Manitoba wild mushroom find ; a couple of Oyster Mushooms. Wonderfully fragrant. Excellent tasting when I diced and cooked them in omelets for supper tonight.
We drove the truck to the condo this morning, hitched up to the U-Box, and returned it to U-Haul in Winnipeg. Our return of the U-Box was handled very efficiently and very promptly by a pleasant young woman who knew what she was doing, and did it well. HMPH ! What the hell happened with that same location on Monday when we picked up the U-Box ? ! ? Today’s experience was consistent with all the other experiences we have had with U-Haul with the exception of Monday’s fiasco !
We bought lunch “to go” at A&W at Kildonan Crossing, deposited a couple of cheques and withdrew cash at BMO, then headed back towards Steinbach, intending to find a nice place to stop for a sort of picnic lunch on our way. Never found one ! Ate lunch in the parking lot of Petro-Canada at Deacon’s Corner at the turn off to Lorette. Parked beside … the A&W at that location. HA HA HA ...buy lunch at one A&W, drive halfway to Steinbach, then eat it parked at another A&W.
Back in Steinbach I dropped Joanne off at Wal-Mart, I went to Canadian Tire to buy an item I need, refilled the truck with diesel at Superstore, browsed at Penner Building Supplies but did not find a couple of home repair items I need, then picked Joanne up at Wal-Mart. She worked inside our condo suite, unpacking and cleaning, and installing a new shower curtain and rings, while I unloaded the truck of guy stuff, moving it all into our storage locker down in the underground parkade.
We returned home at 7:30 PM for our final night at Lilac Resort. Before cooking Oyster Mushroom omelets for supper I spent about an hour putting the camper back onto the truck. WHEW … another very long, very tiring day of moving !
Friday ; Steinbach ; HOME !
Sunny and hot.
Late this morning, moments before checking out of the Lilac Resort, I discovered a flat tire on the truck, the passenger side outer rear dually. J**** F****** H C***** ! ! ! As always, I assumed it was just another “blown” dually valve extender, and not actually a damaged tire. I couldn’t use my own air compressor to reinflate the tire because … <fume> … yesterday I put it into our condo’s storage unit ! We checked out of the Lilac Resort at noon and I drove with one flat tire and one inflated tire on the rear passenger side to Steinbach, a distance of about 15 km. I reinflated the tire at a service station. Let’s hope it’s still inflated tomorrow !
We spent the day unloading the contents of the camper, and unpacking in the condo. Another long, tiring day, especially for Joanne. We used our washer and dryer for the first time. Haven’t had our own washer and dryer for seventeen years ! We used our dishwasher for the first time. Haven’t used a dishwasher for seventeen years ! In the evening I set up my new Shaw Internet modem/router. WOO-HOO ! My own Wi-Fi ! Extremely easy to set up … works excellently ! I’m sitting in my office on a dinette chair and using a still loaded U-haul shipping box as a temporary desk. HA HA HA ! This condo suite has a “den” / small office. I’m quite pleased about that !
I went for my late afternoon walk around our residential neighbourhood. It’s very nice, well kept homes, look to be about 1970’s vintage. A couple of schools, each one about three blocks from our condo building, in different directions. Lots of small parks, about every two blocks, one with tennis courts and picnic tables, one with playground equipment, a football field and a couple of soccer fields at the schools.
Getting ready (at 11:40 PM) for our first night sleeping in our new home.
Saturday ; Steinbach, Winnipeg, New Bothwell
Mostly sunny and hot, a brief but violent thunderstorm in the early evening. We had forgotten what a violent prairie summer thunderstorm is like.
Still unloading (from the camper) and unpacking today. At 3 PM we left Steinbach to go to Winnipeg to view a desk for sale in Windsor Park. I bought it. We’ll pick it up with the truck in a week or two, when the camper is off the truck. On our way back to Steinbach we made a quick stop at Bothwell Cheese in New Bothwell and bought some fresh cheese curds. WOO-HOO … that resulted in poutine with supper. We also went by two RV storage yards near Steinbach, one north and one south of the city, looking for a place to store our camper. We can’t keep it at our condo building. Before going home we refilled a camper propane tank and refilled the minivan with fuel.
Just before preparing supper (after 8 PM !) and just before the violent thunderstorm we met and chatted … balcony to balcony … with our next door neighbours.
DSK
