the trip part two...

So as I said, why do I recognize someone at this airport in this place I have never been at 11pm at night?

Well a wonderfully sweet woman I know from an online bulletin board I used to frequent (an SMC board I was part of for ages until it became necessary to only hang out on IF boards and blogs) was at the airport. Never mind I had never mentioned when I would be flying in.

Never mind she was with her mother and her 16 month old daughter at 11 pm and had been waiting Goddess knows how long for me to arrive, maybe. She was there, welcoming me to Canada and it was shocking and amazing. She wanted to make sure I got in ok, and have me follow her in the rental to the hotel so I would not get lost.

I was beyond touched, I was awed and speechless. I got my rental and followed them to the hotel and made it in time as I was concerned I would not (they closed at midnight). This was only to find they were booked solid, so I followed them again to another hotel and got a room there. This woman, her name is Sharon, also lifted my bags onto the hotel cart for me and off the cart into the room. She was just so amazing!!!!!

So we got settled and said our goodbyes and planned to meet up for a bit the next day after noon as the next day was Remembrance Day (our veterans Day) and everything is closed so we knew beforehand we could not look at any properties that day.

We finally got to sleep, the bed was awful and the pillows worse but we got to sleep and slept in until 9:45 which, sadly was only 5:45 our time. Well Bliss did, I woke up with a wake p call at 9:15 so I would not miss out getting breakfast for our room at the free continental buffet.

I felt hungover the next morning from the flying and lack of sleep and stress but all was ok. I was hot as well but it was cool outside and felt good.

At a bit after noon Sharon picked us up to show us around town a bit and take us by some great landmarks. I sat in the back of her van with Bliss, even though her mother offered the front passenger seat, because I knew Bliss would want me near. What I did not consider was how car sick I would become.

We did a few sightseeing things and then they tool me around looking for an open grocery store where I could get some apples (ha ha ha) and some fresh stuff for the room but nothing was open but a gas station convenience store. I was able to get some apples and bottled water and such though so that was great. I also would NEVER have found where to go with everything closed so again, having Sharon and her family of angels there was amazing. Then when they were about to drop us off at the hotel her mother tells me she wants to lend me her GOS for the week and we run by her home to pick it up. Can you believe this????? I am SOOOOOOO converted to GPS' now, btw, I would have had so much more difficulty during my trip had I not had that amazing lil thing to use. It was a lifesaver!!!!! It is also on my own list to get from Santa this x-mas for sure!

So the next day we had to leave by 7am, which is 3am our time or somewhere in between since we have not yet adjusted but are not totally unadjusted. The first property is about an hour and a half away and was one I was really looking forward to seeing. Until I saw it that is.

It should have forewarned me of my trip, truly. It looked absolutely NOTHING like the pictures on MLS and was an absolute clapboard shack. I could spit from one side to the other and I suck at spitting. The area was not what I was expecting either. All that work and research I had done meant nothing and I was bummed but knew I had many more places to see so I kept positive.

Bliss had a dvd player and lots of movies to keep him company, plus his car seat from home he likes so he was good so far. I saw another house after that one that was not planned, and it was very nice, but just too small. It was very well kept and the property was nice, but I had realized the area we were in would not do. It had become pretty much a retirement community and I want to be where there are kids and families.

After that we drove another hour and a half to get to the next area if properties. Stopping for Bliss to go potty was ok with pee but the other became a concern when we were in rural areas. Thank goodness for Tom Horton's being everywhere is all I can say.

So we get to the next property and it is ok, lots of apple trees on the property and a very quiet road, the house seems ok from the outside. Bliss has to go potty the second we walk in which is when I discover no water and plumbing problems in the downstairs. Oh and the rooms were closets, not rooms, the listing was inaccurate. Then there was the 3 feet of water in the basement with a permanent sump pump and hose coming out. Why none of this was mentioned I am still not sure. The next property was the one with the floors so bowed you could sled down one side and the floors coming up with the foundation crumbling.

After that it was another hour and a half to the next area. We stopped for fast food along the way, which can I say is sooo not what I want these days but all we had time for. Bliss was doing great and I was very proud of him. The next property had an amazing view but here is when it sunk in. Wooded areas in New Brunswick are nothing of what I was expecting.

Bear with me here, I do not think I am being strange here in thinking, make that assuming, that wooded areas would be like the wooded areas of Maine. Au contraire mon fraire the wooded areas in NB have pines and aspens and thicket and undergrowth. You literally cannot even walk through them. So all this time I am avoiding properties with lots of clear cutting having been done is now making no sense because I do not want woods we cannot walk through, especially not a majority of it.

So that house with the great view of the river, it still needed lots of work and was smaller than expected. The floors, of mustard yellow/orange shag that looked centuries old would never work, the walls were in need of major repair and the garage was falling apart. It was still not as bad as many I had so far seen but it also was not what we were looking for.

We then drove another hour and a half to Saint John NB to stay at a hotel for the night in order to catch the Ferry the next day to Nova Scotia. The hotel was fine except they put us in the wrong room to start.I had made reservations for the rest of the trip the night before and knew what I had reserved.

Bliss was tired, I was exhausted, and we got settled in and I went down to the restaurant to see what they had and get some real food. We ate healthy dinners, I had AMAZING salmon with rice and fresh steamed veggies and was in heaven. Bliss ate pasta and some meat and bread and fruit and we relaxed a bit and got to bed.

The next day we were headed for a Ferry ride, for Bliss and then a day of searching Nova Scotia.

More to come...