It's actually quite nice

To all of you who said Fort McMurray is a terrible place to live, I say: you were wrong.

The population is diverse, but friendly. The weather is windy, but warm. The city is bustling, but tolerable.

To date, I think we have enjoyed better weather than the OKanagan (aside from the insane snow storm in my first week) and I'm really enjoying that it stays broad daylight out until about 11 p.m. these days...even if it's wreaking havoc on my sleeping pattern.

Yes, there are things I wish were different - I wish Brodie was with me. My family was closer. My golf clubs were here. BUt all in all, it's been a pretty good experience.

I like that the land is flat so that no matter where you go for a run, you never have to pre-plan your route to avoid the hills :-)

I like that the grocery store is a 1.5 minute walk from the door of my condo, that the baseball fields are a 12-15 minute walk (depending on which diamond you're on), and that I have successfully learned to take the bus.

I have also met some really great people, found a place to live when I'm out of company housing and am, for the most part, settling in to my new home in Fort McMurray.

Now, if only everyone else would realize that this is their "home" - if only for a month, a year, or a decade - and start treating it as such.

Keep your garbage in your truck, your attitude at home and be willing to admit this place is now your own!

Miss you all.

Lanette

Oopsy!

I have obviously been slacking with the blog, but I haven't had much feedback, so it's probably not a big deal...haha

The last couple of weeks have actually been fairly busy. My mom flew in on Thursday, May 15 to spend the long weekend in the great white north. Thankfully, it wasn't white at all. The weather was actually fantastic, but we spent most of our time driving around in the rental vehicle looking at condos. We ate out quite a bit with Terri, spent a small amount of time at the mall and just spent time visiting.

The condo shopping was probably one of the most frustrating experiences ever. When you are prepared to spend $450 - 500K on a condo or a townhouse, let me tell you, you better have room in the budget for improvements! Everything in this price range is selling like hot cakes, even though places in the 600+ range are sitting on the market for a little longer. We did well on our condo in Vernon, so we've killed all our debt (yay! no more student loans...) and are now just planning to rent for the next while. I've found a place in Fort McMurray and Brodie has a place in Calgary, so we should be good to go. It'll also let us stash more cash away, which is always a good idea. My biggest fear is that we buy a place here and even with a renter in place, we don't make our money back, or even worse, lose money. It may sound silly becuase we're planning to rent, but you just never know what's going to happen. We'll wait and see...it's a risk, but one we think makes the most sense at this point. We may even consider buying a place in Calgary since we can make our money go a LOT further there the market there is slowing.

I don't think there's any other exciting news to report. I've booked my ticket to Calgary for the long weekend. Brodie and I are going to drive back for Funtastic, so it should be a good time. Then, we have Michelle and Dave's wedding in the middle of August and then I'm heading back to the Okanagan in mid-September for a golf weekend to the south Okanagan. These plans will probably make the summer go by quickly, but there's a good and a bad side to that! :)

I'd also like to send out a big congratulations to my Uncle Jon and his wife Cassie. They welcomed Jovan David Lundquist into the world on May 20. This not-so-little guy weighed in at 9 lbs. 4 oz. and really put his mom through the labour gauntlet. Contractions started Saturday and stayed steady until she had him on Monday. Yikes! Welcome Jovan and congrats Unc and Cass. xoxo.

Ooh, I have some other good news. My friend Julie, who actually set Brodie and I up, is moving to Fort McMurray next weekend with her boyfriend. This is exciting news for me! I can't wait to see her. It'll be so great to have someone else who I"ve known for quite some time here to hang out with.

Hope everyone's doing well back home.

Miss you all to pieces.

Lanette

Wooohooo - good news all around

Three excellent things have happened in the last little bit and unfortunately, I haven't been able to post because I've been out of town.

So, #1: I got to spend all of last weekend (from Wednesday to early Monday morning) in Calgary with Brodie! Yay! I had meetings on Wednesday and Thursday and because Friday was a PTO (personal time off day), I had a long weekend. It was so great to get in some shopping, get in some serious girl time with Erin and have date night with Brodie. It was a great weekend!

#2: We've officially sold our condo! That's right. The subjects were removed yesterday and now we just have to scramble around and get all the paper work done because the new owners take possession on May 15. Our items are being packed up and moved to storage in Edmonton on Saturday. I'm kinda glad I won't be there to see it empty. Our first official residence is hard to let go of!

#3: The girl who introduced Brodie and me to each other is moving to Fort McMurray at the end of this month. I'm so excited for Julie and her boyfriend to arrive so that I'll actually have someone to hang out with. It's going to be great.

Well, that's a little bit of an update for everyone. I should also tell you that it's now 10 p.m. and it's still light outside....and it's only the beginning of May. Apparently in the winter there are only about 2 hours of solid darkness. It must be true because it's definitely light outside when I get up at 5:45.

I hope everyone is doing well.

Miss you all. xoxo

Lanette

The Time Traveler's Wife

Today's post is only a little bit about Fort McMurray, and a lot about the latest book I have just finished. It's called The Time Traveler's Wife and it is one of the most stunning books I have ever read.

This book, while lengthy and a little confusing to first get into, was a page turner once you hit about a quarter or a third of the way through. Today I am sad that it's over. It was the kind of book you just wanted to keep reading - one that you hoped would never end. And, one that shouldn't end when you're sitting on a bus en route to work with about 50 other people. I couldn't read the last pages because I would not let myself start crying on the bus - haha. Instead, I just sat there with tear drops teetering on the ends of my eye lashes, staring at the bus's roof.

One of the girls I work with didn't like the book, but she's the first bad review I've come across. This book touches all your senses and is a must read for any love story enthusiast.

I miss it already.

Speaking of missing, I'm still missin the people at home, but I'm so excited because tomorrow morning I'm heading to Calgary for work. I have meetings on Wednesday and Thursday and then, because Friday is a Personal Time Off (PTO) day, I get to enjoy the entire weekend in Calgary. This means I get to have dinner and a sleepover with Erin tomorrow night and then stay with Brodie on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. yay!

In other news, I went to look at the condo we're thinking of buying (http://www.liveateagleridge.ca/). It's nice, but god I'm going to hate that $400,000 mortgage...

Anyhow, hope all is well in your worlds.

Miss you.

PS - oh sweet Lord! I just looked up this book online and it turns out they have made it a movie. It'll be out in December and Rachel McAdams is playing Clare Abshire. She is perfect. It will be perfect. See you at the theatre on December 25!

Good news!

I have excellent news to report: we have received, negotiated and accepted an offer on our condo - after only 7 days on the market!

Yes, a lawyer and his fiancee from Alberta will soon be the proud owners of unit #209, so long as no unforeseen obstacles get in the way. While we accepted the bare minimum of what we were willing to accept, having the peace of mind knowing the condo is done and our student loans are gone, will all be worth it. The best part is that the new people take possession on May 15 as long as all the subjects are removed by May 7.

It's a little bittersweet though. It was our first home together. So many memories have been made at that little red condo on Allenby Way....I bought it without Brodie knowing, we got our first puppy there, we had our first "go" at renovations and updates there, we purchased our first major appliances, we dealt with our first leaky hot water tank and cranky neighbours, and we made it our own together.

I'm glad I've already said goodbye to the place because I'd probably cry just as much as I did the night before I left to come up there, although I'm thinking I may have to make a trip back when the movers are there doing their thing....just to make sure it all goes smoothly.

In other news, I've purchased a membership to the YMCA and actually had a chance to go out driving around the town today (in the sun!). Next on the list of things to do is check out the condo complex where I'm thinking of buying and purchasing a vehicle. Simple-dee-dimple? I think not.

Miss you all so much.

Hugs.

L