Red Cedar

It’s been a weird one alright. Not at all what we expected or planned given a number of events that all added up to canceling everything B and I had planned for the holidays – but in the end it’s been a holiday with both relaxation and promise for the new year.

It started last weekend with the combination of a dead starter in my car and the crazy snowfall which left my little Toyota on a sidestreet in Hastings-Sunrise, too icy to tow to the mechanic and thus out of commission until the streets get plowed or the snow melts. Knowing the dearth of snowplows in Vancouver, that means we are still waiting for the warming trend this weekend that will supposedly turn this freeze back into water.

So, we revised our plans – sans car and with the headaches of dog and snowy travel we decided to cancel our trip to Victoria and go next week when I am hopeful we will have a repaired car to travel in. This is good in that we can take Mica with us and do the family thing all together – even if it’s not what we had originally envisioned. We figured, at least we can still do Xmas eve dinner in Surrey with B’s brother, given that skytrains and suburban buses were still running throughout the weather madness.

Yeah, right. Xmas eve afternoon we arrived at Broadway station early hoping to catch a quick train out to New West and then a bus to the brother’s home. (I should note here that B’s brother is a 5-star chef, having been the head guy at Bishop’s for a number of years – we were looking forward to one tasty dinner out there in the suburbs). After 30 minutes or so, a train finally came – but it was so packed full we couldn’t get on. Another 20 minutes later a second train arrived and we squeezed on for the ride which promised to be unpleasant but at least heading to our destination. Just before 29th avenue station, however, the train stopped abruptly and sat on the tracks for a couple of minutes before reversing back and heading into Nanaimo station. An announcement over the loudspeakers informed us there that a tree had fallen onto the train tracks and all service pas 29th ave was canceled until further notice.

At this point, what could we do but get off the train and make some hasty decisions about our course of action? Obviously with the snow still coming down and a non-functional train we were not getting out of the city that night, and even if we did we weren’t sure we could make it back in. And where the train broke down we were only 15 blocks from B’s house anyhow – so the three of us trekked off in the snow, helping a stuck vehicle along the way and picking up groceries for an impromptu festive dinner.

In the end, our Christmas eve was as it should be. Quiet, at home with a fire, a roasted chicken and lots of little treats, and gifts to open before bed (Mica going to her Mom’s in the morning, we had elected to do our gift exchange the evening before). I would like to rave here about the amazing and thoughtful presents B gave me, but this story is already long enough so perhaps I will do that in another post.

Christmas day we managed to get a cab after an hour waiting outside (our first cab was sent to the wrong address), and Mica went up to her Mom’s place leaving Brian and I to some afternoon cuddling and a dinner of take-out chinese from the Pink Pearl. Bronwyn and Leo came from down the street and joined us – and much rice was eaten and wine drunk before they left to go get their van unstuck from where they had left it on their journey.

So this was the holiday, which on its own was a little bit of a miracle in making do – but interspersed through the last three days we have also been dealing with house stuff. In that we have been making offers and counteroffers since Xmas eve afternoon – signing paperwork and faxing back and forth. This morning at 9 am our realtor called with a final counteroffer and we agreed to a price we think is fair to both parties. All verbal right now because the sellers are away, but on Monday we will pay the deposit and sign the paperwork, which means we have to get to selling B’s house pronto to close the sale.

For those of you curious folks – the house is located on Charles Street, right around the corner from mine and you can see pictures here. The house looks smaller in the pics than it really is, but still we will have to be creative in space use in order to fit all our bits and books in. But of course, none of this is a reality until we sell the other house – the advantage being that both houses are being sold by the same realtor which gives them an extra push to get B’s off the market.

So it’s been a funny few days really, a Christmas quite different and more memorable than I would have expected. A promise for the new year of a home for us, some quiet moments for reflecting and loving, and proof that no matter what happens we can compromise and make new traditions on the fly. That’s a pretty good end to 2008 if you ask me.