Curse you Joe Fresh for ruining a favourite song by using it in a commercial. Nouvelle Vague's cover of Dancing With Myself.

The contractor cleaned up the house A LOT before they left last Friday. I'm actually reclaiming some of the living space beyond my bedroom! yay. There's still some stuff to finish but I think I'll actually have my house back to myself SOON.

It's been a long haul and it's not fun having strangers in the house all day. I asked them to take a few days off when my mom died but I wish it could have been a little longer. Although it didn't feel like grieving, I was tired all the time and there was no way to have the house to myself when I wanted it. Some days I'd go home and want to cry - having to face the mess, all my possessions packed in boxes... I just keep remindiing myself how much better it is than before and what it will mean if/when I decide to sell the house.

I don't mean to sound like my life is a drag. In all of this, I got a chance to try out stand up paddling. I love our community because everyone's so encouraging and ready to help. Mike H. got a bunch of boards together and met Courtney and me at the beach at Jack Darling one night. We paddled around the bay there, switching up boards and paddles. I came away from it so pumped and asking myself why I hadn't been standing on a board on Lake Ontario (or some other body or water) all my life! It's the perfect combination between surfing and paddling.