The Destination Inspection Trip

Alternative names for this post:

• How much more can we pack into 2 days
• How to rent a Q and lease a car in 2 days or less

All I can say is: “Wow, what a week!”

27 April

13h30 – Phone call to CFHA in Trenton. Indicate that since it is less than 60 days from 25 June, we can have a PMQ assigned.

15h30 – Receive via email offer of PMQ. Sign, date and return to CFHA Trenton via email

28 April

08h00 – Sent PMQ offer to RLRS via email. Phoned RLRS to organize DIT.

10h00 – Receive documentation from RLRS via email, sign and return via email.

11h00 – Receive more documentation from RLRS via email that has to be signed by hubby’s commanding officer in deployment location overseas. Immediately forward to commanding officer.

29 April

08h00 – Receive copy of paperwork signed by commanding officer which was sent to RLRS.
09h00 – Phone RLRS and confirm we’ve got everything in order for DIT.

12h00 – Children arrive home for lunch, pack suitcases, load car, call schools to inform them that children will be absent until 4 May.

14h00 – Start driving west.

18h00 – Arrive at my parents house where we stay for the night. Children are happy to be staying with Nanny & Poppy for 3 days.

30 April

08h30 – Call new schools and make appointment to register children.

09h00 – Continue driving to destination – Trenton

10h00 – Visit Canex Mall. Go through store and look a furniture (dining room set) and big screen TVs (LED TV is very cool)

10h15 – Visit Dental Hygienist office to get referral to orthodontist in area. Offered a job in office organization and administration.

10h30 – Arrive at CFHA Trenton. Obtain keys for new address plus another house with similar attributes. – The house is HUGE! Including the basement it is a total of 3660 sq. ft! It has 4 bedrooms upstairs + two full baths. The main floor has gas fireplace in living room a huge dining room, kitchen, office + two piece bath. The basement has huge family room with a gas fireplace + 3 piece bathroom, laundry room and storage like crazy!

12h00 – Return keys to CFHA, sign document to accept PMQ that is offered.

13h30 – Appointment to register children in schools. Visit school, meet Directors, receive job offer to supply teach math & science in the French high school.

15h30 – Visit MFRC Trenton. Investigate options for summer camps/activities for children. This isn’t easy as there is only 1 program that will take children up to and including 12 years old.

16h00 – Visit RecPlex. See pool, weight rooms, investigate summer activities, see prices on memberships. Examine other facilities.

16h45 – Check into hotel. Read the mounds of paper I’d been given all day.

18h00 – Drive around town and find a place for dinner.

19h30 – Drive around town some more and find a Wal-Mart.

1 May

09h00 – Breakfast at local independent supermarket. See prices of produce are quite high. Will need to find cheaper place to shop.

09h30 – Get a tour through hubby’s new place of work which is on secure side of air force base. Requires top security clearance. I imagine that is the only time I’ll be allowed in there.

10h30 – Take drive out to Equestrian Centre to do recce. Meet owner. Objective of riding at this establishment is enjoyment (my kinda place). They also do competitions. The smell of horses is oddly addictive.

11h15 – Drive back through town. Find Bank, Dept. of Motor Vehicles (to exchange provincial driver’s license, register car). – foreshadowing here!

11h30 – Return to PMQ. Plant flowers (seeds) that my mother gave me so that they will be in bloom when we move in. Almost get hit by bird flying out of bush. Scream like banshee, scare husband. Husband makes fun of me most of the day.

12h00 – Lunch at Tim Hortons.

13h00 – Drive to Belleville to see what kind of shopping is there. Decide to test drive a Toyota RAV4

15h30 – Sign papers to lease a RAV4 starting 29 June (NO I was NOT expecting this to happen)

16h30 – Return to hotel, a little frazzled, still wondering how I managed to agree to getting the RAV4 two days after moving in.

2 May

09h00 – Breakfast in Base Galley then check out of hotel & return to Nanny & Poppy’s house.

10h30 – Visit with Nanny & Poppy, relax, show the bazillion pictures we took of the house.

13h00 – Start driving East

16h30 – Return to Montreal, unpack, start laundry, make dinner, back into the usual routine. Recover over the weekend for another busy week. Coming up next initializing the move!