We’re landscaped and we’re house warmed.. just in time for winter

It took a while, but the house is 100% Now onto wedding planning.

Given the multiple varied topics that need higher visibility on this page, I’m pushing ahead with a major web redesign. The old “tabbed page” design just wasn’t working for me.

What topics?

• Wedding planning
• Lunar Robot Project
• “The Novel”
• Up to date photo blog

Construction ahead.

The riverwalk is pristine and lined with an endless choice in local cuisine. It’s a fairly bizarre sensation actually, you can be walking along urban streets that represent a concrete jungle belonging to any city, then you walk down some steps aside any of the bridges and once below street level you’re in another world, lush with tropical plants, quaint restaurants, lively bars and an array of fantastic aromas. If only George street was quite this nice in daylight.

It’s refreshing to be able to walk around in the 40 degree heat with an ice cold Chileda in hand

Copying the style of our travel mates we searched trip advisor for the best restaurant closest to us, in a bid to satisfy our “occasional splurge” type of travel. As luck had it, Las Caranias, #1 five years running was right in our Hotel. With the opentable app we made a reservation, showed up, and were blown away by perhaps the best scallops and halibut either of us had ever had. Shocking, and… Only 1/10 the price of our last quest to taste a #1!

Of course, the hotel itself here has also been a real find (Omni La Mansion Del Rio).. And it’s pool also presents another time honoured option for beating the heat.

It could be hard to show up for work Tuesday.

Of course, I tire of shopping quickly and with the beautiful weather today (a first for me in 29 consecutive) May long weekends) we decided to explore Nose Hill Park. After spending enough time there to get a good ol’ newfie suntan (burn) I’m ashamed to admit that while we live 5 minutes away, it was our first time ever being there. The park is a real Gem! With unprecedented views of Calgary it’s beautiful. What would the Victoria Day Long weekend be without Family photos!

The final design will be as close as reasonably (read as: affordably ) possible to the following French-Furey Sketches.

Dare I hope we are ready to BBQ for the long weekend?

Of course more short vacations does mean more airfare and hence a higher total expense, but you get to see more places! Even if you do spend more getting to those places

But now, 8 days in on my 18 day vacation I am ready to proclaim my conversion. I’m now “feeling” like I’m on vacation. Usually this feeling sets in just days before I need to go back to work. There’s only one set of airfare, one place to focus plans on and generally you get to do more. I’ve often been irratated by how “my trip” seems to be just a day or two outside some festival or event that can’t be missed.

Stay tuned…Pictures and posts to come from the Vistana Village. If I’m not too busy chasing Jake late today, I hope to take a video of his first minutes in the new house. Hopefully I don’t spend part of my vacation doing repairs.

We have decided to stick with the plan to lay a stamped concrete patio , though the search for the right deal on installation continues. However, with this decision made it leaves about 90% of the lot to be decided. After reading an article on CBC about “Small Plot Intensive Farming” or SPIN Farming, I’ve been intrigued.

Apparently there is a thriving business in the city which will pay for lease of a portion of your yard to do intensive/dense farming. I’ve been reading up and the cashflow from such a lease is not non-substaintial, but obviously depends on the yield of the harvest. I’m not sure how long I’d buy into the idea, but for the next few years it could prove to be an excellent supplement cash flow, not to mention the availability of fresh organic vegetables.

I’ll need to follow-up some more and see what the exact dimensions and plot size requirements are, I’d like to have some regular yard space, but this could be a great no-hassle start as a landlord.

Can I successfully turn homeownership into a positive cashflow? How brilliant would that be

For now we’re test driving some different pieces, resting them against the wall and trying different things before we make the commitment of holes in the wall Speaking of holes in the wall, the project for this coming weekend is to connect the in-ceiling speakers throughout the house and set up the home theater system.

Planning is moving along on the wedding, slowly but surely. More on that is surely to come.

Also soon to come, details on the development of the garage and landscaping. Needless to say HGTV is my new favourite channel. Looking forward to drawing up some landscaping models and posting them.