We have AWESOME friends!

Well, the deed is done. The Siggelkow family is safely tucked into their new home in the beautiful neighborhood of Cinnabar Valley in beautiful Nanaimo. Life is, er, beautiful.

It's an understatement to say that Aileen and I were overwhelmed by incredible effort so many people put in getting all our stuff on and off the truck. Your kindness is soooooo appreciated! If a person's wealth is measured by his friends, we may well be the richest people on earth!

Step 1: Loading the truck. If you've ever moved in or out of an apartment tower you'll appreciate the unique challenges this affords. First you have to get everything out of your apartment - in this case our 5th floor townhouse - and get it out the door, down the hall, around the corner, and then packed into an elevator that you have to reserve a head of time and have a limited amount of time to use. Then you run the elevator down to the main floor, unload it, and pack everything down the hall, out through 2 more doors and into the loading bay area where you can finally put in onto the truck. The bottleneck is the elevator. You can only put so much into it, the door is not big enough to make it easy, and then if you accidentally bump the wrong button you take the scenic route to the 27th floor...

Thank you Doug, Paul & Wanda, Matt & Jo-Deane, Megan & Katlyn, Chris & Shannon, Vernon & Louise, and Micah & Jen for all your hard work. We weren't sure we were going to get it all to fit in the truck, but we did! And it only took 4-1/2 hours! You are all truly amazing friends - family, really - to show up at the end of an already long day and then work like slaves. You have blessed us profoundly. Now all you have to do is come visit us, okay? Soon, please? We'll feed you and give you a nice warm place to stay a night or two . . . and we won't make you lift anything!

Step 2: Off-Loading. Compared to the load, getting stuff off a truck is relatively simple for two main reasons. Firstly, gravity is working with you this time. Secondly, you don't have to play Tetris with the boxes to make it all fit. Having said that, it is still a whole lot of hard work! Especially when you have to carry a piano(!) and a bunch of very heavy wall units down a dangerous goat path to get in the basement patio door. I couldn't believe how fast the truck was emptied - an hour and 15 minutes and it was all in the house! And the only thing damaged was a glass lamp shade that I broke trying to get it out of the top of the truck. Thanks to all our new Island friends Kevin, Jamie, Matt, Duncan & Vivian, and Jason & Sheila for welcoming us to the neighborhood in a practical way. (And to the guys like Alistair that wanted / planned / went into special weight training to be there and help lift and then didn't get a phone call (oops...) to tell you when and where to show up, my sincere apologies.) Once we get a few boxes unpacked and have found a plate or two, come on over and well fire up the BBQ!

"T" minus 48 hours

You're not going to believe this, but I'm actually going to update my blog. Not that anyone is going to read it because things have been quiet sooooooooo long that nobody is checking things anymore. Can't blame you.

But things have been a little crazy. Moving will do that to you. I've been in Nanaimo for the past 6 weeks, and finally we get to move over as a family. It's about time. I've been going nuts being away from my wife and kids. I can't believe people who have to live that lifestyle long term!

We've almost got the townhouse packed up. Tomorrow we'll finish up, and then Wednesday we'll load the truck. We head for Nanaimo on Thursday, and then Friday we'll get to unload at our new place. Not like it takes a day to drive to Nanaimo...

Then it's a whole new world. Literally. The top picture is life as we know it, taken a few floors above us. What a beautiful city! Below is where we'll be Friday. A bit of a change, but another beautiful city. I haven't mown a lawn in 7 years. But as Aileen is quick to point out, by the look of the yard, I still won't have to.

Happy trails.