voyage

our trip to Canada turned out to be a successful one, and upon returning to Charleston, we moved house.

we had a good time at my parents’ cottage in Ontario – we managed to pay three visits to my grandfather, who as mentioned in a previous post was terminally ill; the last time time we visited him Callum was smiling and waving at him and my grandfather looked very happy and proud. He passed away two days later. I miss him very much, but I am pleased that we managed to make it to Canada in time for him to meet his great-grandchild, and that I was able to tell him one last time how much he meant to me.

on Tuesday we went to Ottawa to stay with two friends who live right downtown, overlooking the Rideau Canal. We had a really great time there, and managed to eat extremely well – we went to a variety of awesome restaurants, including an excellent Chinese place and an excellent Japanese place (at which we ate seated on the floor in a private room). I am sure that I gained a few pounds! We also went on several really nice walks, visited a couple of museums, and made some excellent blender drinks. When we arrived in Ottawa it was snowing, but by the time we left the weather had turned really nice and most of the snow on the ground had already melted away.

upon returning to Charleston we went to U-Haul and picked up a moving truck – unfortunately they didn’t have the 17 foot truck we had reserved earlier – so we ended up with a massive 26 footer! Also, they didn’t have any of the blankets we had reserved, and when we got home we noticed that they had left a padlock on the back of the truck, which after some time we managed to break off with a hammer. So needless to say I do not recommend the downtown Charleston U-Haul (on King Street).

some friends and I packed the truck with furniture and boxes on Sunday, and on Monday I drove it two hours to Columbia (while Yvonne traveled in the car with Callum). The truck gobbled up pavement admirably. I could turn to look out the window and nod my head at neighboring truckers. I almost felt like one of them, though the huge U-Haul stickers plastered all over my truck marked me as a serious poser! Regardless, once I got used to driving such a huge vehicle around, it actually became kind of fun.

arriving in Columbia we found our apartment and were pleased to see that it was a lot larger than we had anticipated. Furthermore, the tile floor and the countertops in the apartment are brand new, so it is in very good condition. As we don’t know anyone in Columbia to help us move, we hired Two Men and a Truck to assist us in moving our belongings into the apartment. The service was quick and inexpensive, plus the two men doing the moving seemed to be very nice fellows – chatty and friendly yet very professional. Afterwards we returned the truck to a U-Haul center in Columbia and drove back to our house in Charleston and slept on an air mattress on the floor (as there was nowhere else to sleep!)

currently I am back at work and Yvonne is at home, preparing our house for rental. And that’s it for now.

10 thoughts on “voyage

  • March 30, 2004 at 11:43 am
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    Somehow, whenever any of my family or friends move, I always get elected to drive the Really Huge U-Haul truck ™. Probably because for some reason, I’m one of the few people I know who knows how and is good at driving a stick-shift. ANyway, I totally know what you mean about it being fun driving those big trucks around…for a while, anyway. 😉 I think it would get tiresome if I had to do it all the time!

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    • March 30, 2004 at 7:41 pm
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      I used to drive a stick-shift in India, in the equivalent of a Geo Metro (a Maruti 800 — I think that means it has an 800cc engine, which is less than a litre). But I drove very little. With the left-right inversion here, I’d probably screw up a stick shift. SO I better not touch the Really Huge U-Haul truck (nor the UPS Truck From Heck (google that)).

      Heck, I had trouble shifting into reverse the other day — reached for the shifter on my left, which didn’t exist, instead of the one on my right, which did. Turned on the wipers instead of the turn signal at one point, too.

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      • March 30, 2004 at 8:11 pm
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        That was really funny. Perhaps only because I know you. Perhaps not.

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  • March 30, 2004 at 4:03 pm
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    So Callum is still in Charleston? I need to see him before you guys leave for good. I guess I could go to Columbia.

    Watch out for your monitor! 🙂

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  • March 30, 2004 at 10:12 pm
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    I do not recommend the downtown Charleston U-Haul (on King Street).

    I’d amend that to take out the location. I just wouldn’t recommend U-Haul at all. Ever. They suck beyond suck.

    Glad your trip/move went ok, and that you got to see your grandfather.

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  • March 30, 2004 at 11:15 pm
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    My condolences to you and your family. It was good you got to see him.
    Also, good luck in the new place.

    I still remember the first time I drove a truck and I even posted about it last month. The one thing about rental trucks is that they do not have the big ol’ horn and its pull handle on the roof of the truck. Those would rock to pull as you drove all of your lifes possessions from your old place to your new place.

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  • March 31, 2004 at 3:01 am
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    My condolences to you and your family, B. I am glad that you had a few days face-to-face with your grandfather before he passed on. I’m sure seeing Callum brought such joy and peace to him.

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  • April 7, 2004 at 4:44 am
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    just ran across your LJ and find it interesting. i love charleston. i guess it is my favorite place! with your permission, i am adding you to my friends’ list.

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    • April 7, 2004 at 11:01 am
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      sounds good to me; I shall do the same. I look forward to reading your entries!

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      • April 7, 2004 at 11:15 am
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        thanks, brian, for your response. i’m glad we can share LJ.

        Reply

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