Before I left Kingston this morning - and after I stopped for some treats at Pan Chancho - I made my pilgrimage to see my old house. I lived here, at 236 William Street, for three years while I was going to Queen's...and even stayed in the house by myself one summer when I worked at Fort Henry. There are lots of great memories wrapped up in this place...it was much more of a home than many of the "ghetto" houses.
My friend's parents bought the place as an investment (which paid off, since both of her brothers went on to go to Queen's, too)...and eventually sold it a few years ago, after everyone had long graduated. A lot of effort went into fixing up the house, the summer before we moved in - refinishing all of the hardwood floors, re-doing the kitchen and bathroom, painting, etc. We even planted flowers in the garden.
It saddens me to see it look so neglected - but I still can't seem to stop myself from checking on it each time I'm in town. I've managed to convince myself that the lace curtain on the front door (no visible in this photo) is the same one that was brand new when we moved in, some 17 years ago....so I guess some things have stayed the same.
Home at my place, more things have stayed the same. I left my pom purse and all of the necessary supplies out on the table, in hope that the fairies might work their magic. But it looks just the same as it did when I left... I'm hoping to get back to work on it later tonight.
Something that is new, is that after a very (very!) long wait, I now have high speed at home. If you've been reading my blog since the beginning, you'll know that there have been many false promises of service...but it's finally happened! Not only will this mean that will have better access to the internet, it should also result in more frequent and regular posts. I won't promise to be as reliable as Gene (that would be destined for failure ;-) ), but I'm looking forward to being more spontaneous...
Is there anything better than sipping a Chai latté while surfing from the comfort of your own couch? I don't think so, at least not today! ;-)
