Updates

Okay, more blogging time, and a chance to update my faithful readers on all the stuff I was bitching about weeks ago... and maybe to add some more to the list.

First, some good news:

Horay! That magical piece of electronical gizmoing is what turns my hot tub from just an outdoor bathtub, into a wonderful bubbly relaxation machine. I wrote earlier of the broken and replaced pump, well this digital control pad has been slightly broken for months. Before it was just the display, some water got into it and it stopped working bit by bit. Well right after the pump fiasco the buttons stopped working, one by one, the power button, which isn't important as it stays on unless you're changing the filter. But then the all important jet button stopped working! It was tragic. One night it would work after pushing like thirty times, the next night nothing. I ordered one online and waited. And waited. One thing about international shipping, they don't even take your call seriously until you've waited at least two weeks. You'd think they were shipping to the moon or something, not just across a wee border, and heaven help you if you want a tracking number, for some reason it's next to impossible! So I waited exactly two weeks and called, the lady was actually quite helpful and blamed shipping, and said she'd get them to ship another one as the first one was lost... A likely story, as the next day I got an email I didn't get the first go around with, gasp, a tracking number! So wait... and wait... and then finally I came last week to a delivery notice on the door! Yay! No wait... I specifically recall giving them a shipping address separate from my billing address, as from 9-5 monday to friday I am not at home waiting for packages, I am at work, so deliver it there... Ok... grumble, grumble... At least it is here, I can arrange to have it held at the depot. It was shipped UPS, which doesn't really exist in GP. I called the UPS store only to be told that purolator handles their deliveries. I went online but couldn't change the delivery to a pickup. I had to call and navigate a maze of menus to get an agent to help. They could hold it for pickup, but it would take two days to get it off the truck to the depot. OK. Finally it's there for pickup and guess what, brokerage fees. Which are a joke. But I paid, and finally have my control panel! Now to just get that baby installed...

Onto snow tires... Well... After the rims Dodge said would fit didn't fit (I have a Limited edition Dart with huge brakes) they said they'd order us new rims, and install them for us for our hassle. Derek took a day off and drove all the way to Peace River in a snowstorm. Guess what, new rims fit the car, but the studs they came with were the wrong thread to fit my car. The studs I have on the existing rims have too large a head to fit the new rims. So still no snow tires... They tried ordering another set of studs but those too don't fit, so they are just shipping me back my tires. So I have these tires we got an amazing deal on, but they are still not on my car. Worst case, I'll put them on my pretty rims and switch them out each season, but we are still holding out that maybe Derek's tire guy can round up some rims that will fit on my car (that aren't a fortune). Moral of the story, never be the first to own something, you get to find out all the quirks. I still love her though, OMG heated steering wheel, how did that not become a standard feature on all cars?

What else... I tried to order Derek a Christmas present on cyber monday but the site wasn't working right on my phone and I accidentally ordered him a small KCCO shirt. D'oh... I had to actually call him to get him to order it himself, as they are super popular and I figured they would sell out by the time I got home and my phone kept reverting the size back to small. He got one, so if anyone needs a small red Canadian KCCO shirt, I may have one for sale!

Other than that Christmas is shaping up nicely. I mailed parcels today, Julie and I are making cards tonight over some wine, and I got a free turkey at the Superstore last week. I am looking forward to cooking dinner here for Christmas, as for the first time I will have enough pots without stealing from the camper. Our work gift this year was a set of pots with etched glass lids that say LaFleur Cabinets. Actually, they deserve a photo, one sec...

They are really nice with thick heavy bottoms. This is the smallest pot, AKA gravy pot. There is also vegetable pot (with steamer basket), stove top stuffing pot, and potato pot. There is also a frying pan and let me tell you, when the lid from the largest pot (potato pot) fit on that frying pan, I was slightly teary eyed. It's a pretty darn good work gift. Plus I used the box to mail a gift back east. I was short on boxes, I think someone goes and recycles my hoarder's stash of boxes on me...

Now I am off to do some much needed Christmas decorating! We got the lights up last weekend, in -20 temperatures. Thank goodness, as this weekend it is -30 brr. A good time to throw some eggnogg in my coffee, some christmas music on the ipod, and decorate in the warm indoors!

Keep calm and Christmas on :)