Ten things on Tuesday

Weather
Its a bright and sunny day here in Halifax near the water on the Northwest Arm, but its cool. The wind is cool and we have had a frost the last two nights. Cue the fire has been re-lit and Spring cleaning of that room is on the backburner.

New Car
Our car which is a 2008 Pontiac G6 is just too expensive to commute the 100kms that I drive daily. I dont mind this travel as I love where I work and I love where I live and the drive is pretty so I just suck it up. What I cant accept is the gas cost in this 3.5L V6 engine. So ever since I started working here I have been considering my options and a few cars were in the line-up as a replacement -
Chevy Cruze - silly spellling but nice looking car that has a rating of about 5.2L/100km (about 37mpg to the English)
Chevy Sonic - cheaper to run but not great writeup
Mazda 3 with Skyactiv technology - lovely but more cash than we wish to spefnd - about 5.1L/100km
Hyundai Accent - 4.7L/100km - the most cost efficient with the best write-up
VW Jetta TDI - unaffordable unless with lots of km and reasonably costly services

Last night I got kind of tired of researching and it was the last day of a smacking good deal at Steele Hyundai with 0% finance and 20c of per litre of fuel for 800 litres
So, off I went and bought a new car. This baby will cost us each month on finance the same as our G6 even though its a brand new car. We can overpay the finance if we so wish and it should cost about half to run. YES! Its available to pick up in two weeks when I get back from Orlando

Orlando
On Sunday I leave for 4 days in Orlando, I am not looking forward to this one iota. Now this may not make sense but I shall be staying in the Disney Resort for an auditing course. Due to the location I am struggling being there without the girls.
They so love Disney. This will be hard. Part of me says, ah just get a half day pass and go to Universal each evening and go on every ride you couldnt do with kids, but I just cant do it. I cant justify the cost and besides who wants to do that alone!

I shall try to find them some nice gifts and it will be lovely to be in some major heat and I shall go to Bahama Breeze for dinner at least once. My last visit there was ruined for me by Miss Chloe refusing to eat anything in 2009 and ending up in the car, with me. So I want to go there. I wish I could look forward to it all more.

Dukie
Hes loving his new found free-dom in the garden. He comes in with very muddy paws that require a quick wash before hes allowed in the house, but its worth it.


Girls
Are closer than they have ever been,  my heart just sings when I hear them play together so sweetly. Theres much more consideration and care between them and a whole heap of love. Long may it continue.

Special Needs children without families
Every day I read blogs of amazing families who adopt these children from the Ukraine and other places and literally save lives. I so want to do this and hope that one day our family will be in the position to do this. If I could save one child.
http://www.nogreaterjoymom.com/

Paul
Is starting work back with the pool company next week and hes so looking forward to it. He will remain on the spares list at the airport but for the summer this is for him. It will allow him to be home when I am away auditing, something thats important for our family. Maybe he will go back to law enforcement in the Fall, who knows.

House
So we are now able to tick fence and water heater off this years "to do" list and the bathroom is all thats left. We bought a vanity unit for the bathroom and have the tub ready to do in. We have picked tiles and paint and now just need that tax refund to do the work.

Holiday
The roadtrip to the Keys looks like it will come sooner than later, SO excited to be planning this one. We have found a great place in the Keys to stay, just finalising the booking of that one. I am a little nervous of driving that distance in our van, I hope it doesnt break.

Key West
Each day I feel more settled here. I know this is happening as I find myself about to go back to thinking about vacations again in my beloved spot instead of emigrating. I have just realised that I have come right round to the end of my emigration list. We have made it.