Month: November 2021

Jump Start The Christmas Decorating

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Yesterday I was in the attic above the garage putting away the Halloween decorations. I figured that while I was up there I might as well bring down the Christmas decorations.

My wife happily dove into the boxes in order to see what we owned. We both sort of remember everything, but that was also laid out in our previous house. It was time to see how to create a new layout for our current home.

Today, I took advantage again of the break in the rain. Turns out the amount of exterior Christmas lights we had on our old place will fit nicely on our new home. Since we will be here for years to come, I thought it was best to add hooks and clips.

Before the night rolled in, I was able to get the majority of the lights up. There is one peak remaining to do. That is the highest and most terrifying one. I may have to “Phone a Friend” in order to get these last 25 lights put up. So far, my wife and I are enjoying the way it looks. Very festive and gingerbread-esque.

Are you ready to put up your outdoor lights for Christmas? Or do you just leave them up all year long?

Gutters, Rainbows, and Fireworks

Posted on by Josef Havelka

The autumn rain was falling periodically today. Between the rainfalls I decided to clear out the gutters of leaves and debris.

Our last home didn’t have gutters the way most houses do. Instead it was a flat roof with slopes to the drains. Cleaning these gutters was easy. I just put on some gloves, climbed a step ladder and scooped them out. In the spring, I plan on giving them a hose out as I check the shingles on the roof.

I also enjoyed another break from the rain as I drove to get the kids from school. The sky cleared up in the distance and the sun refracted beautifully off the remaining droplets in the atmosphere. Seeing the rainbows against the autumn colours was amazing.

I’m ending my day by watching fireworks from my bedroom window. Diwali is being celebrated. I really enjoy living in such a diverse country such as Canada. Especially on the outskirts of Vancouver. Those celebrating have a clear night to enjoy the festivities. I have a front row, million dollar view of the action. What a day.

Life is good.

No Harm In Asking

Posted on by Josef Havelka

This evening my wife and I went out to buy an artificial 9 foot Christmas tree for our home. Michael’s Craft Store had one on sale for half price. Instead of $500 it was $250. We hit the store, browsed a bit, then grabbed the tag that told us to take it to the cashier in order to get the tree. When we got to the cashier, she scanned the tag, but when she called to get the tree was told that they were out of stock.

Our cashier offered to check other stores for us. So she called the next nearest one, but they were also out. She also looked online for us, but again, no luck. Defeated, my wife and I left the store. We took it upon ourselves to try calling around at some stores that maybe I could get to and run a few other errands tomorrow. Again, no luck. Everywhere was out of stock. But one store made me think about a solution because they had mentioned what happened there.

Why not buy the floor model? So I called the store we had just left and asked. Within minutes, I was told “Yes”. They were even going to pack it back in the box for me. FANTASTIC! I was back to the store shortly thereafter. I going to get the tree my wife and I wanted! No more hunting around.

As I was driving back, my wife suggested I ask for a discount since it was the floor model. Hey, no harm in asking? It got us the tree already. When I got to the store, the cashier who was helping me earlier and her manager were packing up the tree for me already. I thanked them and “Dad Joked” that they could set it up for me at home after. They agreed to do it if we fed them. Banter went well, so I threw in the question, “Since it’s the floor model, how about adding a discount?”

“No problem. How about 10%? I’ll take it off at the till.”

Boom! Discount applied! But it gets better…

The 20 year old manager was unable to figure out in his head what 10% off $249 was. So he said, “How about I do $200 for the tree instead? Will that work?”

Um, yeah. Thank you. Ill gladly take 20% instead. Today’s lesson: no harm in asking. And math isn’t everyone’s strong suit.

Last Halloween?

Posted on by Josef Havelka

In life there are many events that create turning points for us. Those ones that really hit home are from our childhoods. The moment you ask your parents about Santa, the Easter Bunny or the Tooth Fairy. The truth arrives, the magic leaves our hearts and logic takes over.

But one moment is in our control. Sort of. Perhaps it’s peer pressure that forces us to change. But it is still a choice we all make. That moment?

The last time you go trick or treating.

This one hits hard because when it happens, it just happens. One year you’re dressed up and out collecting candy with friends. The next year you have one (or more) friends saying something along the lines of it being silly or immature. Then your other friends go along with it. As Halloween comes and goes you realize that your last Halloween was YOUR LAST HALLOWEEN.

That moment is when you grow up because of society. And in a way it’s also your choice. You could’ve easily gone door to door in a costume. Maybe you’d hear comments like, “Aren’t you a little old?” But that’s really for you to decide. Give in to peer pressure and save face? Or get out there and get treats? The choice was yours.

Halloween Home 2021

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Yesterday was the first Halloween in our new home. Not knowing the neighborhood made it difficult to predict how much candy we needed to purchase for giving away. In the end, we had about 60-70 kids show up.

Not to brag, but our house drew a lot of attention last night. Kids came bounding down the hill and bypassed the neighbor’s homes in order to stop at ours. We had a modestly decorated home. However, I did put up a sheet on our open garage and showed a movie. You could hear “The Nightmare Before Christmas” down the street. Perhaps that’s what drew the kids…

Some of the neighbors also came over to chat with us. This was the first time that a few of us had the chance to hang out. It was a beautiful evening so we pulled out the fire pit and talked about the neighborhood. It was a warm and welcoming experience.

My wife and I enjoyed the night hanging out, giving away candy and socializing. Afterwards we went to the backyard and watched the fireworks out in the distance across the cityscape. All in all a good evening had in our new home for our first Halloween. I look forward to many more years of this.