Rainy Day in the Peach City

Dateline:  June 4th

It's a rainy day in the Peach City therefore an excellent day to keep sifting/sorting/discarding and boxing up what's important and still relevant in my yet to be determined newly reconfigured lifestyle. On the weekend a couple of good friends came over and we all flipped through the two coffee table photo books containing my house pictures right from the day I bought the house on the last weekend of June to the possession date August 1rst through to the various theme parties I hosted over the years. A walk down memory lane through Halloween, Casino Parties, International Women's Day Mexican Fiesta Night, Survivor Party, Hotel California Party, NYC Gallery Opening Party, Greek BBQ complete with plates being broken on the outdoor patio and back again to the House Blessing conducted by Laurel Burnham. Three guest books chronicling the life and times of 401 Braid. And there were also pictures of my two feline companions, Mustang Sally who I got on Mother's Day one year and who took off for greener pastures when I moved upstairs and the much loved Marilyn L'Amour who was here on Day One of my house when she and I stayed in our house and slept on a foamie in the back room with no power on in the house and watched and listened as the ghosts of 401 Braid swirled around us checking out the new owner and inhabitants. The friends who helped me move into my house told me they could stay with them since I did not know that you had to got to City Hall to put the power on but I declined. I thought it was important to be IN my FIRST house on the FIRST day of possession power or not.

Little did I know that some years later my cats and I would once again be IN the house without power for five cold weeks starting on Halloween until I was able to secure the funds to do a complete electrical upgrade. This was the fallout retribution from a wacko tenant on a vendetta against me. OMG. As I recall it was a good thing that the natural gas was on as I was able to still take baths and showers in hot water and of course visit, feed and clean the litter box of my perplexed cats wandering around a dark house without their owner who was camping out elsewhere as I was employed full time at Carmi Elementary. Trooper that I was in those days, I still carried on with Halloween when I found out that my power had been cut by the B.C. Safety Authority. I lit a lot of candles and gave out treats as usual until a little girl asked me why all the lights in the house were off. To which I replied thinking quickly on my feet, 'Because it's Halloween, of course.' I gave the girl extra candy and hoped that she would just accept that answer, be happy with her handful of mixed Halloween treats and leave for the next house.  Which thankfully she did.

Okay, breakfast and back to my packing-up-my-life-in-Penticton...

p.s.  And yes, as a matter of fact I do love my elipseses or is that elipsisi?