Suite Improvements

It has taken longer than expected but we have finally finished the improvements to our suite.

We have decided to rent it out on a fully-furnished basis on nightly, weekly & monthly lets rather than longer term contracts. This gives us more flexibility and control over the apartment.

We redecorated it from top to bottom, new closet doors in the entry way, updated the hardware in the kitchen & bathroom and replaced the blinds with drapes.

We have furnished the apartment using a mix of our own spare furniture plus some new bought items. We bought this 3-seater sofa from Ikea and the TV was an excellent buy from Costco, a 32" LCD HD for $439. When we think what we paid for our LCD TV....... !


We have used our kitchen table & chairs for the dining area. If the rentals go well we will bring this back up to our house and buy something specifically for this area

The kitchen already had the fridge & stove. We also had kettle, toaster, coffee maker and so on from Tracy & Paul which they gave to us when they moved back to the UK.

This queen-size bed and bedside tables were also Tracy & Pauls.

Finally, the bathroom has been freshened up too

The suite now shows very well so we are working hard on giving it plenty of exposure on Craigslist and property rental sites such as vrbo.com. We will also advertise it in local hospitals and large businesses for staff here on a short-term, temporary basis.

Mojo, if you want Mum & Dad to come and visit you have to say 'please'

Beautiful Sunrise

A beautiful sunrise this morning over Burrard Inlet and the Northshore.

Thanks Mum & Dad for sending us this, thankfully we weren't up in time to see it !

New Car !

This weekend was an expensive one for us as we bought a new car to replace my Caravan. I had been browsing for a good year or so but it was only in the last couple of months we have been in a position financially to confidently take the jump, knowing the car would already be paid for !

We decided on a 2007 Audi A3 with 25,000kms. It is a 2.0l Turbo with S-line trim which is the sport pack. Needless to say it drives and handles rather differently (read-better) than the minivan it is replacing. Who knew cars didn't actually need to roll that much when cornering ?!

It is fully loaded with all the toys and with such low mileage should last us for a number of years.






Now we just need to sell the minivan. Do you know anyone looking for a low mileage 2003 Dodge Caravan ?

Sorry Mum, it's black so you'll forever confuse it with a hearse. It's quicker than a hearse though.

Feeling Small today!?

Mojo Graduates Kindergarten !

Last week Mojo completed the first of his 8-week dog training classes. This one was designed for young puppies (Mojo was only just young enough to enroll) and was called 'Kindergarten'. This level of training was simple, basic commands such as sit, stay, down etc All of these are commands Mojo has learned very quickly so to us the most useful aspect of this class was the social interaction with other dogs - they have about 20 mins free 'playtime' at the end of each class where they can run off leash and play with other dogs, toys etc. They also get to interact with with other dog owners and their children which has been terrific socialisation for Mojo.

The next level of class begins in September and is 'Beginners' where there is still social interaction but a greater emphasis on good obedience training.

Mojo Swims!

A couple of days before his op Mojo had his first real swimming experience at Buntzen lake. A really hot sunny day and he couldn't not especially as we got in to cool off & swim too.