House and toilet

Okay, I did not expect to be doing this today.  I expected to go to the Vancouver coastal health isolation outreach committee meeting, and then to the trade show.  The trade show was pretty convenient, even though I had to leave the meeting early, because it was only two blocks down the street from where I have to change from the SkyTrain to the bus anyway.

Well, I got out of the meeting on time okay.  Then, the first problem was that, this being the summer and all, and it being the *beginning* of summer all of a sudden, the 257 was full.  Right at the initial stop.  Right beside the ferry terminal.  Full of people with suitcases who had just gotten off of the ferry.  So, I had to stand all the way downtown.  But then there was no problem getting the sky train down to Brighouse.  And it's a nice walk, in the sunshine (after they had been predicting showers), down to the hotel where the trade show is being held.  But, after a while, particularly having stood on the bus all the way downtown, my back was killing me.  So I had to take a break.

At first I just wanted to sit down for a bit.  Then I went back into the fray.  But that really didn't do it, so, I thought I'd find a chair with a table nearby.  While I was looking for that kind of a situation, I realized that what I really needed was the bathroom, and maybe a bit of a sit.

So, I found one, and sat down.  And, as is my wont, I set myself up with something to do.  Now, of course, being an information security maven, one of the things to try is to see what the wifi is like in the hotel.  So I checked it out.  "Sheraton Guest," of course, wants a room number and a name.  "Sheraton Conference" wasn't really open: it wanted a guest pass.  There was also "Staff 2022," which I figured would need usernames and passwords.  But there was, intriguingly, another option, of "Sheraton_CONFERENCE".  That one, while having a slightly weaker signal, was, in fact, open.

So, having established myself with an internet connection, I decided to check what the girls were doing on WhatsApp.  I reported on what I was doing, and then was surprised when I was told hey, there's another option on your house.  Are you interested in doing it sooner? 

Well, yes, as a matter of fact, a number of recent factors and events make moving sooner quite an attractive option.  However, buying a house is a big deal.  Do we have to do this right now (while, you will recall, I am sitting on the toilet), or can we talk about it this weekend?  Well, no, as a matter of fact we *do* have to do it right now.  So, I did.  I bought a house.  Literally, while I was sitting on the toilet.

For a whole bunch of reasons it's a good idea.  It has a number of benefits.  It may have some reasonable financial benefits.  There is a slight increase in the cost of the house.  But there are some offsetting savings.

There are psychological reasons why it's a good idea, such as the fact that it will, at least, be settled.  Being unsettled is a little unsettling.  There are social reasons why it's a good idea.  I will be closer to Number One Daughter.  I will be closer to Number One Grandson.  (I will be slightly further away from Number Two Grandson, but only by a matter of about fifty feet.)  I will be closer to my great-grandson.  I will be closer to my granddaughter-in-law, and will have much more of a chance to get to know her.

I will have the chance to get to know Port Alberni much sooner.  I will have the chance, possibly as early as late summer, to map out walking routes around town.  (Before winter rains?)  I think it will be an interesting test to see if I can walk to Sproat Lake, and back.  (The one-way trip is only about the same length as some of the trips that I'm doing now.)

It's a very good idea for a whole bunch of reasons.  I am grateful for the work that is being done on my behalf to get it done.  At the same time, my stomach is going, "You did *WHAT*?  I am still at the trade show.  I am walking around still checking out the booths.  I can no longer figure out whether I have seen these people before, whether I have seen everybody I want to see, and whether I have gathered all the swag that I want to gather.  My brain is just continually going processing, processing, processing, processing, processing, .....