Back from Fredericton

I couldn't post while I was in F'ton, but I wrote notes to post later. Here you go! More soon!

Saturday Night, 19 January
Greetings from Fredericton! I got up at 4:50 Saturday morning and started my trek to Canada. I caught a 7:15 am flight to Boston, rented a car, and arrived in Fredericton at 8:40 pm, Atlantic Time. Subtract the 45 minute stop at L.L. Bean and it took me a hair under seven hours to drive up from Boston. Just before and after the border, in Houlton, ME, I slowed down to about 40 mph and lost some time. The roads were a bit slick so, better safe than sorry. Otherwise it was clear, dry, and fast all the way up.

As I approached the border I was listening to a station of the Maine Public Broadcasting Network – Prairie Home Companion, in particular. That was a hoot. “Live from the Fitzgerald Theatre in Saint Paul…” – minutes from my house – and it was accompanying me into New Brunswick – Minnesota winter jokes and all. When I started to lose the station I switched to the Fredericton CBC station and one of my all time favorite songs was playing, Harry Nilsson’s “Everybody’s Talkin’” – you may know it from the film, Midnight Cowboy. Soon I heard Diana Ross’ “I’m Coming Out” and Patti LaBelle’s “Lady Marmalade.” Can’t think of better music for the last few miles into town. A quick stop for a Coffee Crisp and here I am!

Some might wonder why fly to Boston and drive. Well, mostly because of a really cheap ticket. Since I needed to rent a car once here anyway… If I flew into Halifax it would be a four hour drive and a plane change. If I flew into Bangor, ME it would be three hour drive and a plane change. At this time of year I prefer to avoid changing planes. Too risky in terms of cancellations, delays, etc. Flying via Toronto – also a change - was just too expensive. And, there’s currently – or at least when I booked the ticket - no air service from Boston to F’ton. The other reason was that I have an old friend in Boston so I figured if I made it to Boston and got stuck we’d just have a longer visit than lunch next Thursday! I like to drive; at least when the weather cooperates. A good car, good music, good weather – that beats a massage in my book. The footnote, of course, is that I hate driving in the dark and this time of year it can’t really be avoided. Add in those damn “Attention – Moose” signs and the anxiety meter goes way up. Nonetheless, here I am!

Tomorrow I’m scheduled to meet the realtor and the builder at 11 and discuss the house plan. Then, it’s something like meet the well driller, the re-design guy, see the actual house that was built according to the plan, etc. Can we pull this off? Stay tuned!

Monday, 21 January
Whew! Yesterday I met my realtor, K, around 11, and we had coffee and a delicious sweet bread courtesy of her husband, H, a German baker/pastry chef. We then met a well driller at the lot just to cover that base. Then we went back to her house and met up with J, the builder, and, after a chat, went to meet with the re-design guy. Then – insert drum roll – we went to see the house that had been built with the plan we had been considering. Long story short we rejected it. But, get this. The woman who lives there is a Ph.D. student in the department with which I’ll be visiting next year. Too funny! We then headed back to K’s where, with another friend of hers, we began a five hour feast. It was one series of tapas-like treats after another. Then, at the table, asparagus with prosciutto and a nice sauce. That was followed by a pea and ham soup that was out of this world. Then we had salad, followed by small pastries with a chocolate mousse-like filling dusted with confectioner’s sugar and accompanied by slices of blood orange. I don’t think I’ve ever eaten food like that prepared by a host. But, then, that’s what he does for a living. I made it back to the house just before midnight and collapsed.

This morning I spent some time looking at house plans and then went to meet with R, a guy who answered my ad on gayspaces.com. We had a delightful conversation – including his homemade cinnamon rolls – and, another long story short, it looks like we’ve got a place to stay this summer. He’s going to his cottage and will rent us his place. Coincidentally it is in the same block as the place we looked at last summer, one street over! Thus, it’s two blocks from the farmer’s market. It wouldn’t work for us long term, but it’s a perfect way to spend the summer! Dog friendly, large yard, downtown… Cool.

I also think we’ve got a house plan. More on that later. Today I also met with the guys at the university, two different mortgage lenders, a construction materials rep, opened a bank account, and picked up the papers on the land from our attorney. All in all a productive day. And, I was so glad I rented a RAV4 as it was snowing most of the day.

Wednesday, 23 January
This morning I had breakfast with one of the guys from UNB. I don’t want to write anything publicly, but I’m hopeful on a number of fronts. I then had a three hour appointment with the re-design guy and the builder. We have a house – well, a plan for a house! Whenever I can figure out how to do so, I’ll post it.

I’ll be posting details to Our Canadian Home when I can, but, in brief it’s 1428 square feet, one story with a full height basement for later finishing. We’re going as green as we can afford – it’s ICF construction – foundation and first floor – and will have a high-efficiency woodstove. Because of the ICF construction, we’ll be able to use that for heat much of the time, but we’ll also have baseboard heat - the norm in new construction, it appears. We’re going to get an estimate on putting in the things (e.g., pipes) that would allow us to add solar later without having to do anything but put the panels on and make the appropriate connections, etc. And, we’ll be adding a rain barrel. If you want to know more, check Our Canadian Home in a few days/weeks!

I didn’t get out of town until around 3:00 and drove as far as Freeport, ME where I spent the night.

Thursday, 24 January
This morning I left Maine and went to visit an old friend outside of Boston. I arrived just before 11 and left just before 3. It was great to catch up and so cool that we’ll be within driving distance. Her twin boys are about eight months older than 6YO. I’m now at Logan airport waiting to board my flight.

Last night I received an email from our realtor in MN telling me that the average listing in our neighborhood is now 100 days and suggesting we list in February rather than March. Lovely. So, I head home, the semester starting next week, with tons to get done at home. Fortunately, I’ve been weeding for a year so it’s really about repairs and some light painting, not days of weeding, sorting, removing.

As I often say, stay tuned!

Duty/Tariff

I'm sure this is out there somewhere, but I've not been able to find it. Does anyone know where the tariff schedule - I think that's what they call it - is located such that one can determine the duty on items that do not appear on the Goods to Follow list?

I know, I know - they won't search, etc. But, we may decide to bring a few new furniture items. Even with duty they would be cheaper to buy and haul and since it looks like we'll have lots of room in the truck... Anyway, I'm really risk averse, so just humor me. Or should that be "humour" me?

Thanks!

Political Sixth Sense

So, I noticed that there's a tear down the middle of the latest issue of Newsweek. It runs from the top edge down to between Clinton's eyebrows. I assumed it was an accident as it had been on the floor. But, when I picked it up 6YO exclaimed something like, "Get that picture away from me." I asked why and he said something about her smile freaking him out. So, I picked up Maclean's, featuring Obama, and asked what he thought of him. He gave some unintelligible response, followed by, "He's scary." I said, "Well, there's a good chance that one of them will be the next president." He asked, "Are they good?" to which I responded, "They're not my favorites, but they'll do." His next question was, "Will they start wars?" I said that I hoped not. He started chanting, "No war, no war, no war." I said that I was glad to hear him say that and he said something about Bush and Bush's father and war, followed by the fact that his bus driver last year left in the middle of the school year to "go to war." Yeah, I'm biased, but what a cool kid.

From Arizona

Greetings. I arrived in Arizona on Thursday. My father's memorial service was yesterday and all went well. My sister and her family left this morning, as did my nieces. Their folks, my brother and sister-in-law, are here until tomorrow. I'm here until Wednesday. I figured it was better for my mother to stay a while rather than, after having been crazy-busy with the holidays, planning, and guests, have everyone leave at once. We'll probably take in a movie and there are a few things around her new place that she needs me to do.

I've been keeping up with my blog reading, but haven't had much to post. It looks like the media have decided to anoint Obama as president. Whatever. We're counting the days and keeping our fingers crossed that all goes smoothly - well, as smoothly as can be expected - with our departure. We've got tons to do before 1 February to get the house ready to show. And, every day brings another report of falling prices. Just get me out of here...

Anyway, I thought I'd take a moment to at least say "hello" and that I hope everyone's 2008 is off to a good start. More as it happens!

Happy New Year

It's 9:38 Central Standard Time. That means that it's almost midnight in Fredericton. Having been born in New York, I often think of 11 pm as my "real" midnight. Makes it easier to go to bed before the clock at home strikes twelve. Yeah, big party-gals are we. So, maybe tonight we'll use 10 pm as midnight - in anticipation of our new home. But, before then... it's the rest of our fifth episode of Corner Gas. We absolutely love this show. Just when we decide to try to become a television-free household... Bummer.

Nonetheless, I just wanted to wish everyone a happy new year for 2008! May the coming year bring you everything you desire.

Taking the Plunge

Well, after a lot of web research, discussion, etc. we've decided, at least for now, to drive a truck when we move. While the additional $2000+ for a PODS move might have been worth it for not having to drive, we decided against it, primarily because we would have had an extra load/unload step. We considered a full-service move, which wasn't as cost prohibitive as we thought and would have been home door-to-storage door, but when even the movers advise that you move your own tv, stereo, sentimental belongings, etc. what's the point? Almost all we're taking is either electronics or sentimental! We're taking very little in the way of furniture, no major appliances, etc.

For those considering a DIY move and who might happen upon this post sometime, let me address the potential "why Penske?" question. I have been reading various postings, etc. for months. Virtually everyone says to avoid U-Haul. U-Haul was the one company that would have enabled us to leave the truck in Canada, but the different between Calais, Maine - on the border - and Fredericton, NB - about 140 km into Canada - was $800. And, get this, they allowed slightly less mileage. Nah, I don't think so. Budget wasn't bad, but we get a AAA discount with Penske and almost all the postings I found had glowing reports on Penske. I had also called them a few months ago and a very nice representative had said there was no problem taking the truck into Canada, that we would just have to bring it back to Maine.

So, I've been watching the website, waiting for the 6 month reservation window. I checked this morning and discovered that I could reserve a 22' diesel truck and get both a AAA discount and web discount. But, I had a question about changing dates as we get closer so I called. I was told that we could change dates any time up to the day of the reservation and we can cancel altogether up to 48 hours in advance. Plus, it's unlimited mileage - which is a HUGE benefit - and we got an additional discount by reserving right then on the phone. So, we've reserved a truck for June for a reasonable $1047.96.

I can check periodically to see if there's a better deal, though, in my experience, the above is pretty good for a move of this distance. With a truck that's 22' we should have tons of room; so much that we won't have to pack stuff in the car like we had thought. The only down side - besides driving at all - is that we'll drive past the Maine drop-off, unload in F'ton, and have to return the truck to Maine. But, the up-side is that they give us 7 days, more than we had planned to take.

So, if all goes as planned - we'll do something like this:
Day 1: Pick up and load truck
Day 2: Saint Paul to Chicago - ~400 miles - evening with friends
Day 3: Chicago to Cleveland - ~345 miles - evening with friends
Day 4: Cleveland to Boston - ~640 miles - evening with friends
Day 5: Boston to Fredericton - ~430 miles
Day 6: Unload truck
Day 7: Return truck to Maine

There ya' have it. One of the most fun things about this blog is that I'll get to look back at this after knowing how things really played out!

I am continually amazed...

Seriously. I am continuously amazed at the incredibly useful information I find on various websites of the Canadian government. I've been trying to determine with which bank I should open an account. I accidentally ended up here, but then went here. I'm not saying it's perfect, but it sure gave me some nice information as a place to start.

BTW, I've heard so much about how different - and expensive - banking is in Canada. Anyone out there who wants to offer their advice is most welcome to do so! Thanks!

SIN

That's social insurance number, of course! This morning I was able to get ours by phone. I'm feeling so, well, so, permanent resident-like.

First, I called one of the numbers on the website and was told, politely, that I could only do so in person. I asked, politely, why the website said, "blah, blah, blah." She put me on hold and came back and told me that I would have to call the other number. Then, she looked and realized that that was an 888 number that I could only call from within Canada. So, she transferred me!

The next clerk started to take the information for 6YO and then said, no, she couldn't do it because I didn't have my SIN yet, that I would have to come in person. Again, I read from the website and said, politely, that I didn't understand why the website said one thing and I was being told another. She then suggested that we do mine first and, since the numbers are issued immediately, then try to do his. So, we did that. I then passed the phone to P who was able to get hers. Success.

What was really great was that they were so pleasant even as I questioned them and they were so helpful when I was fairly insistent. Gotta love it!

So, silly as it sounds, it's one step closer to feeling like we're actually there! Merry Christmas to me, Merry Christmas to me!

Now if I could just figure out how we're going to get our stuff there!

Immigration Exam

Now, perhaps you're thinking about some exam that one has to take in order to immigrate to someplace, say Canada. Nope. Maybe you had flashbacks to your medical exam. Nah.

P came home today, having taken her second final examination - in Immigration Law. And, while I don't have it verbatim, one of the questions was about a same-sex couple! It went something like this - A, a US citizen, and B, a Spanish citizen, met... married in Spain and were settled there, living happily. A's mother, in the US, was taken ill and A returned to the US to be with her. After a while, with A remaining in the US to care for her mother, A and B decided to try to get B to the US for an extended period of time...

Being a law exam there were all kind of little issues thrown in; e.g., B was an internationally recognized author. It probably ended with the "call of the question" going something like, "Discuss all of the options available to A and B."

Pretty cool. Not just because P thinks she must have smoked the question, but for the fact that the prof even had such a question on the exam. Rock on.

Okay, back to work!

Incremental Movement

My, how time flies when you're doing too much. It's that time of year when most of us are just too darn busy. In our house one of us is giving finals, another is taking them. 6YO is anxiously awaiting the arrival of Santa Claus and watching every holiday special that has ever been made. Add to that the recent - and stressful - closing on our lot in Canada and, whew, that's pretty much why each time I think I'll sit down and write something I haven't.

So, what's happening? I'm dreading all of the work that we have to do in the next two months to get the house ready to go on the market and I'm dreading what the market will hold. I decided to teach an overload in Spring term to make some extra cash so that will mean more work. But, it's on-line so that's great both in terms of energy and experience. I've been communicating with a couple of folks at UNB and, at a minimum, I will have dual-sponsorship as a Visiting Scholar, with office space, etc. I won't know until May or June whether I'll get any money. There's also a position to which I will be applying, though that's a long shot. Then, there's the house we hope to build...

I've decided - after much insanity with emails to and from the realtor, builder, etc. - to go back to F'ton in January. Email is great, but some things just need to be hammered out face to face. Plus, I can meet with the guys at UNB and take care of some things like opening a bank account, etc. This, of course, is all dependent on the weather.

So, here's what coming down the pike -
January - Travel to Tucson for RDW's celebration of life
January - Travel to Fredericton, as above
February - Stay put, get the semester up and running
March - Travel to Toronto! Put house on the market.
April - Travel to Portland, OR for a conference and possibly Vancouver*
May - Travel to Fredericton for a conference and final move arrangements
June - Move to Fredericton?
July - Hopefully spend Canada Day in Fredericton, New Brunswick!

* I won't know about Vancouver until after the semester begins. With all the goings-on I may not be able to be gone that long.

So much for reducing my carbon footprint on the earth. That's five round trip flights. Ugh.

BTW, check out Consumer Consequences for a game about your impact on the earth. Or, this one which is shorter and less graphic intensive.

And, to continue veering off "topic" - was there a topic? - if you are fighting consumerism you might enjoy a new documentary/docucomedy, "What Would Jesus Buy?" I'm teaching a class on affluenza/consumption so a group of us went to see it last weekend. It's by Morgan Spurlock, the guy who did "Super Size Me!"

Speaking of consumption... As 6YO has been watching the holiday programs we've recorded he's had pretty much his first "heavy" exposure to commercials. Until now he's really seen only DVDs, PBS Kids, and the infrequent Disney program. We put a block on the Disney Channel when he discovered it and got into Zack and Cody, etc. Anyway, we've decided to put the televisions away on 1 January. Yup. We're going to try to go cold turkey and see how things go. I figure this is the best time. This morning's New York Times has a piece that is highlighted with, "Because of the writers’ strike, networks’ schedules will be filled with repeats or reality programs come January." Perfect timing!

Well, P is busy in the kitchen making corncakes with cotija cheese. Yum. I'm off! More as it happens.

Greetings

I should be grading papers, but it's been so long that I thought I would just post a quick note. P is approaching finals - taking them - and I'm approaching finals - giving them. The holiday season is fast upon us, too. With 6YO, as you might expect, everything is ramped up. Add to that the fact that I'm in my second month of some kind of cold and that we traveled to Missouri over the (US) holiday weekend... then there are the hundreds of house plans I've been looking at. And, we've got tons of work yet to do on our house before it goes on the [dreadful] market in March. Oy! Anyway, I'm still here and still reading. I'm looking forward to mid-December when I will be almost done with the semester. Except for a trip to Tucson, 3-9 January, for RDW's memorial, I don't go back to teaching again until 30 January. So, lots of time to catch-up, work on the house, etc. I hope this finds you well and a particularly hearty hello to new members of our on-line family! I look forward to following your adventures!

The Post 9/11 World

(CNN) -- A Canadian firetruck responding with lights and sirens to a weekend fire in Rouses Point, New York, was stopped at the U.S. border for about eight minutes, U.S. border officials said Tuesday.

The U.S.-Canadian border is more than 5,000 miles long.

Fire officials battling the blaze called for help from fire departments in nearby Quebec, using a longstanding and often-used mutual aid agreement. But the first truck that arrived at the small Rouses Point border crossing was delayed as officials checked documentation of the firefighters and their truck, officials confirmed.

Two other trucks that arrived at the crossing next were cleared in less then two minutes each, a time that one fire official said was still too long considering the situation.

"It's embarrassing," said Chris Trombley, chief of the Champlain [New York] Volunteer Fire Department and deputy fire coordinator for Clinton County Emergency Services. "We're calling for help from another country and the first roadblock they hit is at our border."

Go here for the rest of the story.

Florida, again.

Florida Ends Shuttling of Refugees to Canada
By Monica Davey
November 10, 2007

A Florida organization that assisted hundreds of illegal immigrants in fleeing to Canada must close and return thousands of dollars it collected from the immigrants, who believed they would be given legal status in that country, Florida’s attorney general said yesterday.

Complaining of stepped-up sweeps by American immigration officials, about 450 people made their way from Florida to Canada in recent months with guidance from the organization, the Jerusalem Haitian Community Center, of Naples. Mostly Mexicans and Haitians, they presented themselves as refugees seeking asylum. Many are still waiting for hearings.

“While the state attorney general’s office cannot enforce federal immigration law in this case, my office can investigate potentially misleading or deceptive practices, and I believe this organization was engaging in questionable practices,” said Bill McCollum, the state attorney general. Many of the immigrants paid “donations” to the center of as much as $400, his office found.

For the entire article go here.

Clara Elizabeth, 1990/1991-2007

When I met P she had a tabby cat that she described as "very nearly round." At that time, Clara had been with her for almost eight years. Having once weighed 12 pounds, today she weighed a hair over 5. Clara would have been 17 in January - give or take. P never knew her exact date of birth because Clara found P when she was a kitten. I'm more of a "dog person," but I have to admit that Clara was really a great cat. Today, she went to the big kitty heaven in the sky...

Although she's been up and down with kidney disease for a while now, she pretty much stopped eating even her wet food sometime in the past day or so. And, she pretty much stayed in the same spot, not looking well. We called the vet yesterday and then, this morning, took her in.

We talked with the vet and then did blood work that confirmed serious renal distress. She also had an infection that was likely making things worse. The vet said that given her condition, if she were to treat her, in addition to a round of antibiotics, she would advise a 2-3 day hospitalization so that she could be hydrated by IV. The vet said that with aggressive treatment she might improve, but it would only address the infection and not the underlying kidney disease. And, given the kidney disease she might face the same thing in a matter of weeks. After P made the decision to let her go the vet offered, twice, that she thought it was the right decision. And, I do believe she was sincere.

This morning, before he left for school, we talked to 6YO about it. So far this year he's lost two goldfish, two snails, and his grandpa. He knew there was a chance that she would be gone when he got home and we had talked about it last time she seemed to be failing. Honestly, I'm actually more concerned about our eight and a half year old lab/spaniel given that he has never known life - save the first 8 weeks - without Clara and, unlike with P, we can't explain it to him!

So, it's been quite an autumn...

Yippee!

And, in other news, more delightful than the post below - I'm thrilled to announce that my book is now in print! I look forward to the day that it's merely an historical artifact, the policy long gone.

I had a conversation with a friend yesterday. Her 23 year old brother is in the military, wants to make it a career, etc. He recently split with his girlfriend of several years. Apparently his mother has, for quite a while, wondered if he might be gay. Even his girlfriend had come over several times bringing up articles she had read - things like "How to Tell if Your Man is Gay." Hmmm... My friend thinks that he is, but that he is really struggling because of the military. This is a guy who has already spent a year in Iraq. He also has a lesbian sister, a lesbian aunt, a gay uncle - no lack of support. His mother wants him to come out because she realizes that if he is gay, he'll be happier. His dad, with whom he served in Iraq, is, apparently, a challenge. While he had no problem with lesbians, he apparently has issues with gay men. Funny that P and I have often wondered about him... Anyway, I commented that I actually think that by the time he - the brother - is eligible for retirement, the policy will no longer exist. I've never been accused of being an optimist, but really think it's had its day. I guess only time will tell.

Run for the Border

No, I'm not referring to Taco Bell. It's "fall back" Sunday and I'm lying in bed with a miserable cold, catching up on the Times via computer. First I read Bob Herbert's (no relation) column on health insurance. Then I read Frank Rich's column on candidates, Iran, etc.

Herbert begins, "Lonnie Lynam, a self-employed carpenter in Pipe Creek, Tex., specialized in spiral staircases. Friends thought of him as a maestro in a toolbelt, a whiz with a hammer and nails. 'His customers were always so pleased,' his mother told me. 'There was this one family, kind of higher class, and he built them one of those glass holders that you would see in a bar or a lounge, with the glasses hanging upside down in different sizes. It was awesome.' Lonnie had a following, a reputation. He was said to have a magic touch. What he didn’t have was health insurance...." For the rest of the piece, go here.

Rich begins, "When President Bush started making noises about World War III, he only confirmed what has been a Democratic article of faith all year: Between now and Election Day he and Dick Cheney, cheered on by the mob of neocon dead-enders, are going to bomb Iran. But what happens if President Bush does not bomb Iran? That is good news for the world, but potentially terrible news for the Democrats. If we do go to war in Iran, the election will indeed be a referendum on the results, which the Republican Party will own no matter whom it nominates for president. But if we don’t, the Democratic standard-bearer will have to take a clear stand on the defining issue of the race. As we saw once again at Tuesday night’s debate, the front-runner, Hillary Clinton, does not have one...." For the rest of the piece, go here.

I hate to sound too dramatic, but I keep thinking that best gift I will ever have given 6YO is his permanent residency card and, hopefully, his Canadian citizenship.

Now, back to being Sparky, the barking seal...

Three Years

2 November 2004. Three years ago today. I was watching state after state amend their constitutions to "protect" marriage, blah, blah, blah. That was when I more seriously than ever before entertained the thought of leaving. Three years later we're waiting to go. I hope that next year at this time we're several months into being settled in New Brunswick. I wore my November 2 t-shirt today. You'd be surprised at how many people wondered what it meant. Or maybe you wouldn't.

Pending...

And, the big news is... if the builder gives his approval we'll close on a nice 1 acre lot in Douglas, New Brunswick at the end of November. I won't go into the whole story, but I'm really, really pleased with this decision. Although you can't tell much, here are a few photos of the lot, 15 minutes from downtown Fredericton.


And, a HUGE congrats to Tom and Emilio on what sounds like a pending sale for them! I know that's an incredible relief!

Get me out of here!

A little background. I buy family health coverage. To cover 6YO and P, as well as myself, is $546 a month, including dental. Even though domestic partnership benefits are taxable (i.e., paid post-tax), I have been able to have it as a pre-tax deduction because 6YO is my son. Now HR has been told, not surprisingly, that they have to tax me on it.

One might think that they would then tax the "portion" that provides the DP benefit. Technically that's zero since the premium is the same whether it's only 6YO or 6YO and P. But, let's call it 50%, or $273. Oh, no, silly. They have to tax me on the "fair market value" of single coverage, or $400. Thus, I pretty much lose and non-taxability of the dependent child coverage.

Yes, nice that we now have DP benefits. But, I am so tired of being told, indirectly, that I'm not a valued citizen of this nation. I looked at the benefits manager and said, "This is why I hate this country." I don't know if I posted this before, but I got a really nice raise this year. But, after the increase in tax on P's tuition "benefit," I saw an additional $17 in my paycheck. Woo-hoo. Get me out of here.

Okay, there's my rant for the morning... and how are you?

Banking

I didn't have time to do this while actually IN Canada... Does anyone know if I can open a bank account in Canada while still in the US? And, do I need an SIN in order to open an account? Just thought someone out there might know. Thanks!