You'll love this one...!! A book club & more discussion
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Watcha Doin'? 2025
lol, Jayme! We had a lot of obstacles due to dealing with insurance and mostly because of the rebuild company they chose. I'm sure if insurance had agreed to the contractor we wanted this would have all been done a while ago. An addition is exciting! What are you having done?
Long story short, Kristie. On the day we moved into our house in 1998 a tropical storm took the screen porch that ran along the back side of the house. With some money from insurance we replaced it with one of those aluminum three season sunporches. Fast forward to the last couple of years and the roof is leaking and it's looking tired. So we decided to replace that with an actual room - knocking out walls, changing the roofline, new HVAC. It is taking on a life of it's own, but I am getting a wall of book shelves. "book shelf" has become my happy mantra word through the planning and we haven't even started construction.The upside of construction during the summer, if you live by the beach, is that no one is visiting this summer!
What terrible timing on that storm! You will love that room when it is done. We would love to turn our screen porch into a 3 or 4 season room, but it'll have too wait for a long time now. I love your construction mantra. "book shelf" "book shelf" "book shelf" lol
Janice wrote: "It's devastating for the people living there. Housing elsewhere in the city is double or triple what they are currently paying. It's likely going to take months to rebuild.My client's caregiver e..."
Oh, that's awful Janice! I hope he'll get better soon and that the apartment building can be but back to rights for them all. When a person is disabled it can be difficult to adapt to a new environment. Hope the air quality starts to improve soon, that won't be doing anyone any good.
Kristie wrote: "Oh no, Janice. I'm glad everyone was ok, but being displaced and losing your belongings is so awful. I hope the repairs go relatively quickly so they can all settle in again.The repairs on my hou..."
Kristie, I'm so happy to hear your saga is finally to an end. How 2 weeks can become 5 months is a question that'll probably be answered to your satisfaction!
Jayme wrote: "Long story short, Kristie. On the day we moved into our house in 1998 a tropical storm took the screen porch that ran along the back side of the house. With some money from insurance we replaced it..."Good plan Jayme - book space and no visitors!
Margo wrote: "Oh, that's awful Janice! I hope he'll get better soon.."Thankfully, he's not injured. He's in hospital because there is nowhere else to provide emergency housing for high needs individuals in the city. I'll find out more when one of his caregivers stops by to pick up replacement advance cheques.
I'm glad to hear that your repairs are finally winding down Kristie. That was a long time to be in an upheaval in your home.Jayme, yes to the book shelves. I hope your construction gets finished quickly.
@Margo: I hope you feel better soon.@Janice: that's horrible! I hope that your client finds soon a place where he can get the care needed.
@Kristie: I remember when you've posted about the water damage. The end is near, thankfully. It took so long for you!
@Jayme: I totally agree on your mantra!
Kristie, I am delighted for you that the end is in sight. It will be brilliant to have the room functioning again next week, all going well. Bookshelves in your future! I love it, Jayme!
They were incredibly lucky not to have any deaths from the fire. The rest might take a while, but hopefully, a few strangers will step up and help out because the situation is difficult for a quadriplegic.
I'm heading out to see a comedian tonight. She is from the UK. We bought the tickets a long time ago before we knew about any parade or protests. We are seeing her in Baltimore. She was in DC last night. Must be a crazy experience for her. Tonight's show is several hours away for us and we expected it would be an overnight trip, but our house is still not put together so we will have to drive there and home tonight. We didn't feel right asking a dog sitter to spend the night when we don't even have a couch for her to sit on. It will be a very long way for us to go in one day, especially while trying to avoid driving through DC, but we are super excited to see her.
Also, the bedroom and stairs were completed the other day, but they sent the carpet people before they sent the people to replace the floorboards, so they weren't able to carpet the living room yet. Very frustrating. Hopefully, that will get done this week.
Kristie wrote: "Oh no, Janice. I'm glad everyone was ok, but being displaced and losing your belongings is so awful. I hope the repairs go relatively quickly so they can all settle in again.The repairs on my hou..."
Wow, that's a very long time!
I'm not envious that you have a grandson, I'm not envious that you have a grandson, I'm not envious...
That's going to be a long day for you Kristie.
Kristie wrote: "I'm heading out to see a comedian tonight. She is from the UK. We bought the tickets a long time ago before we knew about any parade or protests. We are seeing her in Baltimore. She was in DC last ..."I hope you enjoyed the show because I will be seeing her tonight in Virginia Beach!!
And that is a long drive 🏎️
It was a great show! She's super funny. It was a very long drive. We got have after 2am and I and feeling it today. I may have to take a a nap this afternoon. Jayme - I absolutely would have gone to Virginia Beach if I had seen that one sooner. I was on her preorder email list and that wasn't available when I purchased my tickets. I don't know if it was added later or what happened there, but it would have been much better for us. However, we had amazing seats so that was a bonus.
Karin wrote: "...I'm not envious that you have a grandson, I'm not envious that you have a grandson, I'm not envious..."lol, he is 15 and my only one. He's been coming for summer visits since he was 6. He will be here probably around 7 weeks this year. He is training with a track group in the area and they go through the end of July. I'm just super happy that he still wants to come.
Kristie wrote: "It was a great show! She's super funny. It was a very long drive. We got have after 2am and I and feeling it today. I may have to take a a nap this afternoon. Jayme - I absolutely would have gone..."
A new venue "The Dome" opened up June 1st on the strip, so it might not have been available when her tour was first announced.
What a trip, Kristie! I'm glad you enjoyed the show so much. I can't believe your grandson is already 15. I remember when he was a little boy!
That makes sense, Jayme. I'll keep an eye on that for next time. It's much closer for us.
I know, Sandra! It goes so fast. He was asking us about license requirements here because he wants to get a learner's permit so he can practice driving while he's visiting. Plus, he's already talking about colleges and scholarships. It's wild to think about.
I still remember when you used to ask for recommendations of audiobooks to listen with him while driving. It's adorable that he still likes to spend time with you.
Oh my gosh, that's right! lol I forgot about that. I love that he still wants to visit too. :)
Kristie wrote: "Oh my gosh, that's right! lol I forgot about that. I love that he still wants to visit too. :)"Have a wonderful visit with him Kristie. You're making memories for him.
Kristie wrote: "Karin wrote: "...I'm not envious that you have a grandson, I'm not envious that you have a grandson, I'm not envious..."lol, he is 15 and my only one. He's been coming for summer visits since he ..."
I'm still envious. I have friends with grandchildren of various ages, but started later than some of them and also my eldest has Asperger's with a developmental delay in emotional maturity so she's never even had a date. My middle one is in no rush and my "baby" has just turned 25 this spring.
One of my first friends to have children has no grandchildren and by now it looks like she never will, so it's not just me and I'm still hoping, but a mutual friend who started at the same time as her has more than five of them (not sure how many--we've only seen each other once over the years due to distance, so I see them on FB. I met two of her grandkids in 2016.)
Just catching up with a good 50+ messages.Sorry to hear about all the work stress Rusalka. Im glad you made a decision and i hope things ease for you as you find out more about the changes.
Sorry to hear about your client's appartment block Janice. Thats horrible.
I hope your household has recovered from covid Margo.
What was the name of the UK comedian Kristie? I'm curious lol
I am now back down to part time with uni. Phew. Until February. So things are a little less manic now, thankfully. I started going to the gym 6 weeks ago. I've never been consistent with exercise, mainly as i get bored, often get obsessed for a few weeks then totally forget i ever did it thereafter. Probably the adhd. But now with the meds, im actually managing to go 2-3 times per week and im really enjoying it. I feel motivated to do it and its helping my mood and energy levels too. We have had a ridiculously hot and dry spring and summer with very littlerain. Very unusual for the uk. Today was 33C in Bristol which was a bit much lol.
All the rain is here, Sarah. We had rain almost every day for the last 2 weeks, and the next month is supposed to have an above the average amount of rain. I'm flying to Uruguay next Monday, though to enjoy 3 extra weeks of winter. ☹️
Sarah wrote: "...What was the name of the UK comedian Kristie? I'm curious lol..."It was Sarah Millican.
My niece is getting married at the Banff Springs Hotel next May, so I was online checking out prices. I'd love to stay there, but the lowest price is $835 a night before taxes. One hotel in Banff wants $10,080 a night! I was shocked. That would pay several months of mortgage payments for me.
Sarah Millican is hilarious. She is one of my favorites. @Sarah it is hot in Ireland, too. They say there's a heatwave for a few days.
@Janice it would be cheaper to hire a driver!
Agreed. I also find Sarah Millican hilarious. She is raunchy, but so funny. She definitely takes your mind off other issues and makes you laugh.We are also expecting a bit of a heat wave this week. It is supposed to be around 100℉ (37+℃). I'm wondering if my grandson's track will be cancelled for the heat this week. He arrived a couple days ago and is supposed to start training Monday. He lives further north than we do and you can really feel the difference in the weather. It is more humid here and the sun is stronger. He's definitely not ready to be running for hours in this.
Karin wrote: "Kristie wrote: "Karin wrote: "...I'm not envious that you have a grandson, I'm not envious that you have a grandson, I'm not envious..."lol, he is 15 and my only one. He's been coming for summer ..."
I can empathise with you Karin. I have only one child and she has Aspergers and has no intention of having children. I look longingly at friends grandkids and the new lease of life they get from them. I can't disagree with any of her reasons for not wanting kids but sometimes I wish she wasn't so damn logical about everything LOL
Sarah wrote: "Just catching up with a good 50+ messages.Sorry to hear about all the work stress Rusalka. Im glad you made a decision and i hope things ease for you as you find out more about the changes.
Sorr..."
@Sarah - Glad to hear life is calming down a bit for you Sarah. Regular exercise is so good for the mood. I had a cataract removed 5 weeks ago and I can't get new glasses till after my post-surgical check up as I can't drive to the gym! I've been going crazy stuck at home.
I hear you re unseasonable weather! I felt like we weren't living in Ireland at all. It was 29C here in the midlands yesterday which is the warmest we've had this year. On hot days, I've very happy to be living in the countryside.
Covid too a lot out of me this time around, but thank goodness we're all recovered now. Pete still coughing. I think we must have had this new variant as I'd been vaccinated the month before I came down. There was a lot of speculation about whether the vaccine would cover the newer mutations and based on my my experience it doesn't. I was every bit as ill as the others!
@ Kristie, I was just to ask which comic you saw! Sarah Millicent
Janice wrote: "My niece is getting married at the Banff Springs Hotel next May, so I was online checking out prices. I'd love to stay there, but the lowest price is $835 a night before taxes. One hotel in Banff w..."Whoo - I'd want to buying shares in the hotel for those prices Janice!
Janice wrote: "My niece is getting married at the Banff Springs Hotel next May, so I was online checking out prices. I'd love to stay there, but the lowest price is $835 a night before taxes. One hotel in Banff w..."This is insane!
I can't even imagine paying $10k for a night at a hotel. What could they possibly offer that would be worth that? I'm sure it's beautiful and likely has great service, but that's still insane. Maybe the very wealthy and famous want to go there for the exclusivity, added privacy, stuff like that.
Kristie wrote: "I can't even imagine paying $10k for a night at a hotel. What could they possibly offer that would be worth that? I'm sure it's beautiful and likely has great service, but that's still insane. Mayb..."Prestige? Who knows. That "low" price was on booking.com and there were only 3 reservations left at that price. I just plugged in dates on the hotel's website and they are offering $8000.00. It was just opened in May 2025 and is right downtown Banff. Looking at the pictures, the rooms don't look any more luxious than other 5 star hotels.
Speaking of humidity - hate. LOL!
Oooh...$8k what a bargain! lolI also hate the humidity, but I also hate the really cold days with snowy roads up north so I tolerate the humidity here. I just want moderate weather all the time now.
Wow that's an expensive hotel! I'm with Margo - hire a driver and stay at a cheaper hotel lolAh, i really like Sarah Millican, she makes me laugh.
I'm glad you are all recovered from covid Margo. Sounds horrendous!
Kristie wrote: "Oooh...$8k what a bargain! lolI also hate the humidity, but I also hate the really cold days with snowy roads up north so I tolerate the humidity here. I just want moderate weather all the time now."
You and me both. I want no snow, and no extreme temps.
Janice wrote: "My niece is getting married at the Banff Springs Hotel next May, so I was online checking out prices. I'd love to stay there, but the lowest price is $835 a night before taxes. One hotel in Banff w..."That's sad, but I'm not shocked it's egregiously expensive there now.
We once took a family ski trip to either Banff or Jasper and took the train. Must have been Banff (I was 13ish) but the prices couldn't have been that egregiously high compared with everywhere else back then because we weren't wealthy. I've also driven through there with family going to and from seeing relatives, but I haven't been through there since I was 15, sadly. The last time I went to Alberta was by plane.
It's better to stay outside of Banff if you can find somewhere more reasonable. Calgary is too far (close to an hour and a half away) but is far more reasonable; there must be something in between them you can find.
Margo wrote: "I can empathise with you Karin. I have only one child and she has Aspergers and has no intention of having children. I look longingly at friends grandkids and the new lease of life they get from them. I can't disagree with any of her reasons for not wanting kids but sometimes I wish she wasn't so damn logical about everything LOL."My Aspie would love to get married and have kids, but is emotionally never going to grow up (she has a PDD and hasn't mentally matured, but is brilliant and went to university on a full tuition, fees, room & board waiver.) She's never been on a date and is 30.
She shouldn't be a mother, but it would be lovely if she ever meets someone who can love her for who she is.
My middle daughter is finding her way and my youngest just finished grad school last year.
Now you know my life story ;)
Let me write a check right now lol
Karin wrote: "We once took a family ski trip to either Banff or Jasper and took the train.."You must have gone to Jasper. There's no train station in Banff. Jasper is a hub for both freight and passenger. I decided to take a train trip a number of years ago and went from Jasper to Vancouver return. I loved it. Only thing is, freight gets the priority and there were some lengthy delays.
I'll be staying at a resort in Banff for under $300/night. It's a 1 bedroom condo with a full kitchen. I think it's a vacation rental. I don't mind paying that for a condo where I can bring my own groceries.
There is Canmore just outside of the national park, but it's pricy as well. Okotoks is just outside of Calgary but I don't want to do all that driving. I live 9 hours away from Calgary as it is. According to Google Maps, my shortest trip is 7,75 hours if I go through the mountains via Jasper. May is going to be a hit or miss for winter driving conditions. I've driven those mountain roads in winter storms too many times to want to do it again.
I could fly and rent a car, but how pricy is this wedding going to get? I still have to buy a wedding present.
Karin wrote: "My Aspie would love to get married and have kids,"Have you ever watched "Love on the Spectrum". It's a Netflix series. There are 2 seasons in Australia and 2 in the States. I love these people and their quest to find a relationship.
Karin wrote: "Margo wrote: "I can empathise with you Karin. I have only one child and she has Aspergers and has no intention of having children. I look longingly at friends grandkids and the new lease of life th..."Mine is 28 with a degree in software engineering but lives with us and has never worked. She suffers from depression and is really naive. Her brain accumulates knowledge easily but isn't equipped to deal with the world. She's the kindest person I know.
Like your daughter, she's never been in a relationship but has good friends. I'd love her to find a partner but I don't think it's high in her list of priorities :-)
Janice wrote: "Karin wrote: "We once took a family ski trip to either Banff or Jasper and took the train.."You must have gone to Jasper. There's no train station in Banff. Jasper is a hub for both freight and p..."
There is a Banff railroad station which was declared a heritage station in 1991. I was a teen before the 1990s, and when I was a teen there were passenger trains to both Banff and Jasper :)
Born and mostly raised on the Sunshine Coast, which most of you won't have heard of. It's on the BC mainland, a ferry or plane ride northwest of Vancouver, but have lived in the States since I got married. My dad's had family in Alberta for many years, although many moved to BC or have passed away (my dad's quite old now.)
You'll love this one...!! A book club & more
Books mentioned in this topic
All the Colors of the Dark (other topics)Bag of Bones (other topics)
Cloud Cuckoo Land (other topics)
Nolyn (other topics)
Ghost Wall (other topics)
More...
Kristie - 5 months! We are finally signing the contract tomorrow for the addition we are planning now that the structural engineer has signed off. I think I'll readjust my timeline for completion for Thanksgiving. 😉