Telling the kids

Today we had a 'family meeting'.

We told the kids about our internet research into emigrating to Canada.

My gut feeling was that they should be in on the idea early on, even if disappointment could follow. A change of life as major as this would change their future just as much as ours, as parents, more so really, cos they are still so young. Some would suggest waiting til a certain stage, but I went with that gut feeling to tell them now.

Gadgeteen said, "YEEESSS, I won't have to see Mr. Glover, (headteacher) anymore." He was unexpectedly excited at the prospect.

Gadgetgirlie said, "Oh, I won't see Rosie, (best friend), anymore." And then, "Lammie, (favourite cuddley toy), is definately coming." She then rushed out into the close and reported to anyone who would listen, that we might move to Canada.

We did emphasize that we are still just looking into the possibility and that Canada could decide that they don't want us because we don't earn enough points to pass the first test. We explained that this whole process could take 2-3 years, and that even then the government could reject us for any reason. We told them to be prepared for it not happening.

Gadgetman and I have both enrolled for evening french classes, which may help us marginally to achieve a couple of extra points, but we were going to do this anyway, after enjoying the french company this year in Brittany. We are booked for different evenings for our levels which also means that one of us will be at home for the kids.

Shared enthusiasm

Gman and I find ourselves having little conversations about the possibilites in Canada and he has even been doing his own research on the net. He completed the same points test I did and found that he got 81 points instead of the 67 needed.

I like that this topic unites us with shared enthusiasm, and we are just beginning today, to share our daytime thoughts and dreams of possibilities. It's all just day-dreams and research now but it's refreshing to be planning something as big as this together. It seems to be giving us alot to talk about with each other, normally conversation centres around family and work needs, with a bit of moaning about everything chucked in, so yes, it's nice. It's making us think about things differently and with a change of enthusiasm levels.

Listen to me, the way I go on you'd think we'd got our papers already!

Where will this lead?

The other night I was on the net and happened to find myself on a Canadian immigration site.

My fingers completed some general enquiry forms to see if we made the grade.

Just curious you understand.

9 points short of the required 67 points the form said.

Had a look to see if a brother could sponsor us.

Just to see.

No, Not on the sites that I found that evening. they all said child, parent, grand-parent, spouse, dependant sibling under 22 or adopted child.

Gman and I had a chat and agreed that we had complimentary skills and abilities despite our differences and that despite our conversation years ago about immigrating to Canada, when he couldn't imagine leaving his parents to go off to another country, he would now be prepared to go. We agreed that I would talk to my brother and his wife, (who is in the know about employment issues), as the next stage in general enquiries.

They rang us last night, Mum was there too. We spoke on Skype, which as many of you will know, doesn't cost a penny. They had me connected up to their stereo speakers too, and I could hear my voice echoing in the high-ceiling'd lounge with huge windows and a view through the garden to corn fields beyond, somewhere half way up Vancouver Island. They told of their force 5 sail from Vancouver to Nanaimo on Mokulana in decent weather, and the following few days sailing in the Islands with Mum, Jenny and the twins. Mum spoke of her comfort in the Dodge campervan and of enjoying herself just being around family again. Graham spoke of his sailing trip around Vancouver Island and 150 miles out to sea, with fee-paying crew who are there to learn, at various stages, including the 'off-shore' students. He spoke of heading off for another month again tomorrow. The only downside being the time away from home.

I spoke of our chat on the possibility of immigrating to Canada, and what I'd found so far. First of all as far as they know, a brother can sponsor, but we didn't discuss the implications of that further last night and secondly, there has never been a better time to go to Canada, unemployment is at a long time low, and jobs need applicants. If there are jobs with no suitable applicants from within the country then potentially companies are more likely to consider applicants from another country. Anyway, more digging to be done.

Maybe nothing will come of this but the fact that Gman is seriously thinking of giving up his job due to dissatisfaction, the realisation that I would be prepared to give my job up now,(retirement due in 9 years time), and the fact that he would now be prepared to move out there is the combination of factors that I can't seem to ignore at the moment.

I have enthused about sailing in recent months, and would dearly love to have time for sailing in my life, but the way I feel I need to prioritise means that there just isn't enough time to commit to it at the end of the day. Not now anyway.

A good sorting out

I'm feeling a bit low....and when I feel low, I know I need to find something new to drive me, or a goal to aim for, something to occupy my mind/me and to work towards.
I set myself a goal earlier on this year, of de-cluttering 'must haves' from our loft and kids rooms, and haven't acheived that yet, I've just made a start. Sundays without rain will start to become less frequent from now on so I'd better get a move on and get our once-upon-a-time 'must haves' out there. There just are not enough hours in not enough weekends.

Anyway....Back to school & back to work today.
Actually, it is quite nice to be there, to have a focus other than kids, home life and the above, especially as I've sorted the stressful problem I had last term, of trying to work a full day each day and collect Gadgetgirlie and our neighbours daughter, (same class), for 3 days per week from school. It wasn't working very well and resulted in our neighbour having to do it anyway and look after GG until one of us could get home. My work have been brilliant, and let me go early when I needed to but it was all just another pressure on me and I felt that we were imposing too much on everyones goodwill. I was all set to employ a local childminder today for a couple of hours after school-care each day at £4.50 per hour, but our neighbourly-neighbour has offered to continue to collect GG, and in return Gadgetman will do the odd job for them. How generous of them and what a relief, cos money is non-existant at the moment and belts have to be tightened.

ho-hum...better go sort...

I'd like to find time to write a bit more often to but like thats going to happen.

Mum has gone to stay with my brothers on Vancouver Island for 2 months, including a few days sailing in the islands with Graham and Jenny and kids, where they are now.

I'm hoping that one of my brothers will introduce her to this site within a few days so................. 'Hi mum'!

Sunday boot fair

Appearances can be deceptive

1) Gadgetman is ecstatic about getting up at 7am on a Sunday morning.

2) Everything you see is a 'must have'....but 70% of the 'must have' buyers went to another boot fair today.

3) We haven't sold Gadgetgirlie.

4) Gadgeteen is not yawning and has not got unusual legs.

Bootiful car

Very windy around here today, hope it improves for the boot fair that we will be selling at tomorrow.

My new car with a bootful ready for tomorrow.

Oh phew...What a relief to have this sorted this week.
I am so skint now though because of the holiday and this car has been funded entirely by the kids child benefit accounts that we have saved in since the start, as a just-in-case emergency account, or for the kids if we managed to keep saving it until driving age.

Oh well... The car will benefit them, though Gadgeteen doesn't quite see it this way.
He thinks that I am spending his money because the account is in his name, no amount of reasoning is changing his mind and he is resentful about it.

Oh dear...Where is my friendly chatty smiley son?

Oh yes... He soon cheered up and helped to sort old toys out from his room when he realised that he would financially benefit.

Oh please...Can we have boot-fair weather tomorrow?

Flickr account

I have upgraded my Flickr account and paid the $24.75 for the year. To view our photos of France, double-click on the Flickr badge in my sidebar,double-click on the France set, then click on 'view detail'. This way means that you can view my descriptions too. A slide show is also available but doesn't include the descriptions. There are two hundred and something so be warned.

France - Part 1

I'm here.....Just been busy doing all the domestic stuff, downloading our three cameras worth of photos and looking for a car.


We blend in quite well don't you think? Of course it wasn't long before the parking attendants in this Portsmouth waterfront car park were sniffing around and ordering us to park in assigned bays only. They were decent enough to class the Trike and trailer as a bike and therefore exempt from parking fees though!


The Gadget summer palace. Gadgeteen lives in his own 'summer house' now, which is the grey one on the other side.


The Gadgetkids share an interest. The clumps of seaweed are evidence of how rough the sea has been at times during our stay.


Sunset at Cap Frehel with a view of 'our 'beach' below.


We get to know the french crowd, who all have a ride around the site on the Trike...and we get lots of home-made wine and invites for 'Aperitifs' in return. No-one speaks English so I have fun with my French.


Our new German friend Julia, encouraging Gadgetman and our Dutch friend to sing. She had said earlier that afternoon, "I am coming to your tent tonight with my guitar. You will sing." We did. I think this is 'Country Roads'....or it might have been 'Leaving on a jet plane'.


Preparing our hand-picked 'Moules' for dinner one evening.

Ready to roll

The trailer is finally packed full of all the necessities, toys and gadgets that we could possibly hope to use, just the bikes to go on top in the morning and we're ready to roll. Just need to sort the headlight out on the Harley to avoid really pissing the french off at night.

We have this packing down to a fine art now, I'm the gatherer and he packs the trailer, and n'er the twain shall meet. It works every time, it's an advantage of having been together for over 14 years now, and it sure makes for peaceful stress-free packing.

I was going to post some pictures of today but I somehow managed to fry the memory card, so then I had to make a special trip into Kingston to get another one, better to find out now, I guess. At least I know I've got one in there, (unlike Greavsie recently), now I just have to remember to take the camera, (the card is definitely in there).

Longlegs is on his level 2 course down at SWAC this weekend. Apparently there was not much wind today and it was very hot, so the conditions didn't really test his reactions very much. Wasn't I lucky to have the wind last weekend.

Despite all my efforts at sorting this car business out, 1) I couldn't bank the cheque they sent me because it wasn't made payable to anyone, and now I won't be here to bank the replaced cheque so I won't have the just-in-case money for the holiday, and 2) The collectors of the sun-dried tomato have not turned up to collect the car as arranged, so now I have to leave the car key with a neighbour and they have to arrange for it to be collected next week.

Ho-hum...Sailing kit...check...RYA certificate...check....Planisphere...check... lots of Books....check...Harley docs...check...Scrabble...check...Body board... check...juggling stuff...check...CAMERA!...check, right then, that's it, I'm off...

The sun-dried tomato

Ooops! I pranged my car last week.
Not done that before.
Hit someone up the rear on a roundabout.
Obviously my fault, but I will rant a bit. Yes, just about those plonkers that approach a roundabout, and brake correctly, no problem there, then they look to the right and on seeing that the way is clear, take their foot off the brake and move on, (as does the car in the outside lane), then suddenly decide that in fact they will wait for that car coming from the right in the distance after all, and slam on the anchors again! (The car in the outside lane carried on - there was stacks of time).
The result being that their car had minimal rear damage, and my car is an insurance write-off because it's 10 years old and the parts would cost more than the value of the car.
Thank goodness I took out comprehensive insurance and have therefore been able to have a courtesy car for 2 weeks.

Yes, they have given me a sun-dried tomato to use. Or should it be a roasted red pepper.


Sounds like a suffocated lawn-mower, really it does, but what the heck, it's only for a short time, 'cos on Sunday the Gadgets are off to Cap Frehel in Brittany for 3 weeks.

So if you see a black V8 trike towing half of a black Renault-extra van as a trailer loaded with bikes and bodyboards, and a black Harley, somewhere between London and Portsmouth on Sunday afternoon, then the chances are that it's probably us, off on our camping hols....