I will not stay on track
Nov. 1st, 2026 08:54 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
the_siobhanThe City Inspector came on Tuesday. She looked over the sump setup from one end to the other and then closed two permits right on the spot. I did a little victory dance as soon as she left.
That leaves two permits to go. One is simple - just finishing safety features like a light over back stairs and a smoke detector. Tomorrow an electrician is coming to have a look at the spot where the light needs to go[1]. I already have the smoke detector, I bought it months ago. I'll try to find time to put it up next weekend.
The final permit might take longer - it's once again an issue of the contractor not following the fucking blueprints. She's going to talk to her boss about what can be done to get a variance approved.
Two years to get the permits, two years to half-ass the work, another two years to get the permits closed. Meanwhile my adjoining neighbours added a whole third floor to their house in the space of three months. Jesus wept.
[1] I'm pretty comfortable putting in my own fixtures but this one is outside AND I think he put the wrong kind of box out there. Also he put a layer of plexiglass under it that I can't find any way to remove so I have no fucking clue how the electrician is going to squeeze his hands into that space. We may have to saw it out and replace with something that actually opens.[2]
[2] That fucking guy.
***
Work continues to be A Lot. British Columbia decided to stay in Daylight Savings Time instead of going back to regular time today and we have a call centre in Vancouver, so there has been a whole lot of work involved in getting them ready for that. Fingers crossed that when everybody logs in tomorrow they see the schedules they are supposed to see, because we humped our butts to make it happen.
And if they don't - I guess the humping continues. So to speak.
***
A friend moved to Toronto back in August and we finally managed to coordinate our schedules so that the GF and I could join them for brunch on Saturday. It was excellent food and excellent conversation and I'm really glad we could make it happen.
Friend wanted to go to a vendor's market in a nearby park and it was on my way home so I tagged along. Continuing my tradition of only buying things I can eat or drink[3], I bought a package of coffee imported and roasted by a local.
[3] Although I was somewhat tempted by the t-shirts with the print of a racoon on them. The trash panda appears to have been generally adopted as the city mascot.
***
Saturday night was Halloween and so I sat on the steps and gave out candy in a cape and pirate hat. I had the porch light on, but I need to put something on the lawn so people can see me better, because some kids didn't notice me until their parents pointed me out.
One very tiny little human tried to take the entire candy bowl, which was probably twice his size and then when he couldn't pick it up he tried to climb into it. His (assumed) father kept trying to apologize while half doubled-over with laughing. "He'll go far in life," I told him.
The kids and their parents all travel around in big packs and the parents wear costumes as well. This must be a good neighbourhood for scoring candy because the kids all carry pillow cases to collect their loot.
***
Things that have been crossed off the to-do list:
The basement lock has finally been replaced with a keypad version.
Things that have left the house:
A stack of empty boxes to neighbours who are moving
A collection of envelopes with seeds for another neighbour who has built an experimental green house
Things that have entered the house:
Somebody left some clippings in my Little Free Library of a succulent called Madagascar Jewel. See this is what happens when you are nice to people, they start being nice back and then shit just escalates
I was passing through Trinity-Bellwoods park the other day and they were hosting their last Farmer's Market of the season. Revel Cider were there and I got to talking to the guy at the booth about their nocino, which I absolutely love. He ended up talking me into buying a bottle of their vermouth. I once spent NaDruWriNi drinking an Irish called Writer's Tears, so that seems an appropriate time to test out a liquor called The Space Between Words.
That leaves two permits to go. One is simple - just finishing safety features like a light over back stairs and a smoke detector. Tomorrow an electrician is coming to have a look at the spot where the light needs to go[1]. I already have the smoke detector, I bought it months ago. I'll try to find time to put it up next weekend.
The final permit might take longer - it's once again an issue of the contractor not following the fucking blueprints. She's going to talk to her boss about what can be done to get a variance approved.
Two years to get the permits, two years to half-ass the work, another two years to get the permits closed. Meanwhile my adjoining neighbours added a whole third floor to their house in the space of three months. Jesus wept.
[1] I'm pretty comfortable putting in my own fixtures but this one is outside AND I think he put the wrong kind of box out there. Also he put a layer of plexiglass under it that I can't find any way to remove so I have no fucking clue how the electrician is going to squeeze his hands into that space. We may have to saw it out and replace with something that actually opens.[2]
[2] That fucking guy.
***
Work continues to be A Lot. British Columbia decided to stay in Daylight Savings Time instead of going back to regular time today and we have a call centre in Vancouver, so there has been a whole lot of work involved in getting them ready for that. Fingers crossed that when everybody logs in tomorrow they see the schedules they are supposed to see, because we humped our butts to make it happen.
And if they don't - I guess the humping continues. So to speak.
***
A friend moved to Toronto back in August and we finally managed to coordinate our schedules so that the GF and I could join them for brunch on Saturday. It was excellent food and excellent conversation and I'm really glad we could make it happen.
Friend wanted to go to a vendor's market in a nearby park and it was on my way home so I tagged along. Continuing my tradition of only buying things I can eat or drink[3], I bought a package of coffee imported and roasted by a local.
[3] Although I was somewhat tempted by the t-shirts with the print of a racoon on them. The trash panda appears to have been generally adopted as the city mascot.
***
Saturday night was Halloween and so I sat on the steps and gave out candy in a cape and pirate hat. I had the porch light on, but I need to put something on the lawn so people can see me better, because some kids didn't notice me until their parents pointed me out.
One very tiny little human tried to take the entire candy bowl, which was probably twice his size and then when he couldn't pick it up he tried to climb into it. His (assumed) father kept trying to apologize while half doubled-over with laughing. "He'll go far in life," I told him.
The kids and their parents all travel around in big packs and the parents wear costumes as well. This must be a good neighbourhood for scoring candy because the kids all carry pillow cases to collect their loot.
***
Things that have been crossed off the to-do list:
Things that have left the house:
Things that have entered the house:
