Thursday, July 4, 2013

Leaving Home



It wasn’t as hard as you might think, leaving home. Not the driving away part, which was  easy, requiring only a turning of the head for a last glimpse, a “good-bye house,” a few tears and “feck you, I’ve never been so glad to drive away from anything in my life.”

It wasn’t the house’s fault. Well it was, in a way. The recently discovered asbestos in the attic, discovered like the hellish opposite of finding gold at the end of a rainbow, didn’t endear me to the little log cabin on the Muskoka River. 

Neither did the flood. (Picture potential homebuyers talking to me on the front porch. They’re Chinese and English isn’t their strong suit.  “Does ever flood here?” they asked, teeth like Chiclets in ridiculously huge smiles. “No,” I replied, earnestly, because earnest is my way of bridging the language gap. Also it was the Truth. Until the potential homebuyers decided to buy the house, that is, then it rained like Heaven had flushed the big porcelain bus in the sky and the next thing we knew Canada geese were swimming in the foot of water covering our front lawn, and my earnest “no” was suddenly a big, fat lie and the Chiclets left the faces of our Chinese buyers as they fled from their offer like the receding waters of my frustrated tears.

Cats: corralled, caged, crabby and ready to roll.
It didn’t help that the last few days of packing were done on the hottest days of the year. You couldn’t even breathe without sweating and it was bloody awful trying to pack up the moving van and clean the house. I felt sorry for the nice folks who helped us with that nasty chore. Family and friends, obligated by blood, loading our earthly belongings, enough sweat pouring off them to start another flood. (Thank you, thank you, thank you.)

Miserable isn’t a strong enough word for how rotten the last day was. We were supposed to hit the road as soon as we woke up but there was still work to be done and after several hours of sweating by us oldies, I lost it, and started bawling. The heat was unbearable.

“Get in the shower,” Dave said, trying to help.

“No, I can’t, there’s still work to done, we’re never going to finish, it’s soooooooo hot,” I wailed.

“It’ll make you feel better,” he said, patient as Job (the bible guy, not the dead computer guy).

I cried and whined for a while longer until Dave lost it and physically put me in the shower. I was still crying for a while until I realized you can’t cry with your mouth open under a shower, not unless you want to drown, and I wasn’t that far gone ... yet. So the crying became blubbering and the blubbering became choking and eventually I just stood under the cool water until my sanity returned.

This was my rig: the Dakota loaded with, amongst other things,
boats, generators, a snowblower and a snowmobile. 
I didn’t get the house as clean as I wanted, because it was just too hot. I don’t feel overly bad, though. I mean, it would have been nice if the floor had of been washed, and the cat hair plucked from the ribs of the electric baseboard heater. Still and all, I left the house in infinitely better condition than when we found it. I’ll never forget the disgusting mess left by the previous owners, the urine-soaked mattress, the adult diapers, the beer tabs flung in every corner, the stench of piss and wet dog, cigarette smoke and spilled beer. We made 14 runs to the dump, getting rid of their junk. We painted or bleached every surface. It took us weeks to make the place liveable.

It was bloody hot while we packed up and plenty of iced tea was guzzled.
Sadly, we never got around to the renovations we knew the house needed. We bought it, and loved it, for its potential.

The people who did wind up buying our house on the Muskoka River, love it for the same reasons we loved it: the charm of a 133-year-old log cabin and the wild beauty of the river. They were planning a party for the first weekend at their new home – at my old home – and to greet their guests they were going to post a sign that read, “Welcome to Potential.”

They know about the asbestos, and the flooding. They don’t care. Love has blinded them, as it once blinded me and Dave.

We loved that house. We loved each other in that house. We had our wedding photos taken on the front lawn. In every important way, we will never forget life on the Muskoka River.

Sure, I cried as I took one last look. But just a little. The air conditioning blew cool air over my sweaty face, drying my tears as I put the truck into drive.

38 comments:

  1. In Wales we say " bob hwyl"
    It means good luck
    X

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    1. How do you say thank you in Wales, John? At any rate, thank you.

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  2. So proud Cathy. Wonderful, glad to read you again! Love Kel

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  3. Good for you Cathy. I am so happy for you and your new journey! Are you going to rename your blog?

    Your post brought me to tears. When I drove away from my house in Bonney Lake, WA for the last time I made the mistake of looking back to see my sweet German shepherd looking at me leaving thru the front window. Even though I got him back after 7 months, that memory makes me weep.

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    1. I tried leaving the cats behind as a welcome present for the new owners, but when I looked back and saw their hairball-spitting, shedding, whining faces in the window, it made me drive away faster. KIDDING!!!!!!!!

      (Thanks for the kind words.. I can't imagine leaving your baby behind... Glad things turned out so well for you.)

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  4. It really hasn't sunk in yet that you've left. It doesn't feel all that weird that you've moved on. But it will! I think of myself as an only child now, unless someday I become nice enough to forgive Bill, but it's not looking good for him. So I look forward to your blogs and facebook. It's kind of like having a death in the family except I'm able to still talk to you. lol I really had a good time helping you guys pack up! Even if we all were sweating like we were throwing bales of hay on a 32' day! The jokes and laughs and hanging out with everyone made it a much easier on the tears, Maybe someday I'll write a story about it on my much neglected blog! That is if it still exists!!! lol Can't wait to see pics of the new home and hoping by this time next year we'll be able to come and see it for real!!! Hugs to all!!!

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    1. Your comments moved me to tears, Liz! Thanks so much for them, and for helping on that dastardly hot day. I can't wait for you guys to come out and visit... but in the meantime, you're not alone! You can call me anytime.. just don't text me because, as you know, I am the world's worst. Anyway, I'll be home in no time, for Christmas and maybe even before. Take care! Love ya! ox

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  5. I did both of our last two moves completely by myself. Well, my wife did help some, but, mostly, I did the work, because, this last time, I did it during the day while she was at work, and, for the previous one, we had a tiny baby. It sucks to not really have any friends or relatives that live close enough to help.
    We were not at all sorry to leave the last place we lived, which was too bad, because it was a good place up until the end. But, then, that's when corporate apartment complexes get you, because, after you've been paying to live there, they want you to pay to have lived there, and they want to stick it to you for moving out. They ruined what may have been a good experience.

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    1. I suspect my poor husband will do most of the heavy lifting (that's why I married a younger guy!!!) when we move in tomorrow. We had fabulous help leaving our old place but I think we'll be basically on our own this time around. Feeling your pain here!

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    2. Well, not yet, but I suspect you will be tomorrow! :P

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  6. Now that you're back, it's like you are not gone and never left. It's that good to see you back, no matter where you are. And we need to hear all about where you are, so let's have the rest of the story.

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  7. You've been a busy bee for sure....safe driving.....

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  8. That's great someone finally bought the place! Blinded or not, sounds like it went to the right people.
    Now a new adventure begins for you.

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    1. It did go to the right people, which makes us very happy. :)

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  9. Seek joy in knowing that they too will find joy and love there. :)

    Enjoy your new adventure!

    PS... I thought of your kiddo today as we ran the 5K this morning... one guy wore a red and white striped morph suit the ENTIRE run. Mask and all. In 85+ heat and 85% humidity. Crazy.

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    1. I read Sam your comment and he said, "But they're not hot!" I doubt that... but I guess I'm not the one wearing a nylon bag over my face.

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  10. So long neighbour! Good luck on your new adventure.
    Is Sam going with you?

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    1. He's with us! For now... but he'll be going back at the end of the summer, unless we can brainwash him! ;)

      Deb, I meant to drop you a line and say good-bye, but you know how things go. I just wanna say you are a wonderful part of Muskoka that I'll always hold dear. ox

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  11. Oh Cathy I am sorry but I am excited at the potential that you are heading to also. Safe travels it is going to be great. Hug B

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  12. Blah, blah, blah.... Come on and answer JoJo's question. We all really want to know if you're going to rename the blog.

    Oh, and see photos of the new place.

    Oh, and we're glad you're okay too.

    ;-)

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    1. "Blah, blah, blah..." You continue to crack me up, Mr. VanSant!!!!
      I really don't know what I'm going to do with the blog...but you'll be the first to know! (OK, second... after my mother)

      We're moving in tomorrow, so I'll be sure to take photos. (SO EXCITED!!!!)

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  13. Welcome back. Sooky sentimental tears here.
    And here is to new potential - for you and Dave in your new life and home!!!!

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  14. May your new home be everything good from the old, and nothing bad! :) Looks like quite a place, and what a delight that the new owners are calling it Potential! :D
    tm

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  15. Moving is never easy and almost always delivers on being harder than one expects. Especially in the heat!! I moved around A LOT when I was young and all the way across the country two times; it never got any easier.

    Wishing you all the best!! I'm sure you will be nostalgic for that house for a little while, but in your heart, wherever Dave and the kids (and the crabby cats) are will always be where your true home is. :)

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    1. Thanks so much, Jay! Moving really does suck, no matter when and where. But we're in the homestretch, moving in tomorrow... and we can't wait!!!

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  16. Wow, I have been so busy moving to a new home myself I did not know you moved too. Good luck! Moving sure is a hard job, right?

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    1. I hope you handled the move better than one of my cats, Daisy. Poor old Dodge thought he was being killed each and every day. Our other cat, Ben, didn't mind the drive at all - he sat on the console on the front seat, watching the world go by.

      Good luck in your new home, too!

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  17. That's done, and now you're on the "long, long, trail a-winding" to Alberta. I hope the odyssey goes will.

    Blessings and Bear hugs!
    Bears Noting
    Life in the Urban Forest (poetry)

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    1. Thanks Rob! We're in Alberta now, moving into our new house tomorrow and, for the most part, we LOVED the trip across our beautiful country!!!

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  18. I hope the new home gives you many happy memories, too! Happy Housewarming!

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  19. Moving away from a place you've loved is never, ever easy.

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