Al Zylstra

After a bit of a stressful couple of days (again) last week, we are getting sooooo much closer to realizing our dream of being home owners…

Our bank, once again, decided that having 4 different documents was not enough, even though they were the ones that told us all they needed was the 4 documents to complete the sale.  They came up with a 5th document requirement.  AUGH!!!  

This latest document was a bill of sale to be filled out by the seller and signed by her.  She reviewed it and refused to sign the document as it indicated that she had already received the funds of the sale of her mobile home.  *sigh*.  I had to agree with her as it didn’t make sense for her to sign that document.  So, we went back to our bank and after a tense exchange between myself and the bank, our realtor and the bank and then the BIG GUN, Alex and the bank, they agreed that the document didn’t need to be signed until after the sale was completed.  No kidding (note definite sarcasm here!!!)!

So, we were back at the point we were supposed to be at before all this document hellishness arose… We confirmed our home inspection with Arne Larson from West Coast Home Inspections for this Tuesday at 10:00 am.  This is the last hurdle that we can foresee.  Hopefully, the inspection will go well.  I am confident that it will.  

Once the inspection is finalized, then the conditions will be coming off on February 12th.  Very appropriate date… it is my mother’s birthday….  We will get the keys on February 14th – Valentine’s Day.  Another appropriate date to close the deal…..

Alex is so ready for this event.  We went fabric shopping this weekend as Alex wants a whole new color scheme in our new home.  So, $232 later… we have some amazing fabrics which Alex will turn into draperies, cushions and so much more.  

We have started collecting boxes as Alex will start packing as soon as I get the keys…. Then the real job starts… Moving!!!!  Alex and I will take a load over every morning for the balance of February and the first week of March.  We will also do 3 or 4 runs on Weekends.  I will drop Alex and Nykie off at the new home and Alex can start painting, cleaning, unpacking the load of boxes and generally get things going.

We decided to do it this way as it gives us more time to move in gradually as well as allows me to finish up my last show of 2013:  Murder on the Nile.  Nice segue, huh?

To anybody who reads my blogs, I would love for you to come and check it out.  It is a great Agatha Christie “whodunnit” and features a great cast.  I am equally pleased to mention that Alex is one of two costumers for this production.  He has done a great job making everyone look good.  I have always been so proud of his talents and this just further reinforces that.

To see pics, show times and ticket prices, check out the website at http://www.metrotheatrevancouver.com

The show runs from February 16 – March 16th.  I hope to see you all there.

On the Nykie front, we took him back to the Vet’s on Saturday.  This is his last visit for a while, I hope.  His recovery from his most recent affliction is bordering on the miraculous.  He is eating well, he is sleeping better, he is gaining the weight back that he lost, his sense of balance is back, he walks well again and only ocassionally trips but manages to catch himself very quickly. Alex and I are so grateful for each day we get with him now.  We now know for certain that his final years will be spent in a home with a yard where he can sit and sun himself and not have to be on a leash.  That is worth the price of the property alone….

Finally, on the personal front, Saturday was the 10th anniversary of my father’s death.  I couldn’t quite figure out why I was so out of sorts on Saturday.  Alex even commented on the fact that I wasn’t being very helpful with the fabric selections.  I couldn’t understand it either…. It wasn’t until I got home that it dawned on me…. I had forgotten the date!  So, I spent the next few hours remembering my dad.  What a card he was!

He loved to tease my mom.  Almost to the point where she would have loved to hit him with a frying pan! 

He LOVED his daughters in-law as much as his own daughter:  Sharon, Nadine and Shelley were the apples of his eye.  His own daughter, Anna was the one person who could make my dad turn into a superhero in the blink of an eye.  The women in his life were his life to the exclusion of all else. Until the grandchildren arrived.

The women graciously took a back seat to his attention and affections.  He truly doted on the grandchildren.

Then there was the dog!  My youngest brother brought my dad and mom a tiny German Shepherd puppy for Christmas in 1986.  That began the sage of Shanki – the adorable tiny puppy who became this massive monster who loved to knock over the grandkids, reveled in being vacuumed each morning by my mom and would sit on the sofa next to my dad while dad watched WWF.

My dad was a spirited man who loved to travel.  He was happiest behind the wheel of his car flying down the highway heading to Vegas.  

It was always an endurance test for the rest of us who were unfortunate enough to forget to go to the bathroom before we hit the road.

Dad and I had a distant relationship.  He never quite got me.  He knew I was gay but, didn’t want to talk about it.  He didn’t disapprove of me but, didn’t know how to talk to me.  I was fortunate to fix that.  On Christmas Eve, 2002, dad called me out of the blue,  After the customary discussion of the weather in Vancouver vs. Edmonton, he paused.  I could hear it in his voice that something was up.

“Are you happy, son?” Those 4 words changed everything about my relationship with my dad.  He was actually talking to me…. about me!  Suddenly, my vision became blurry.  I had to stop and sit down.  The tears were coming and I couldn’t stop them.

“Yes, dad.” I managed to whisper. “I am happy.”  

Those words were all that I needed to say.

“Good.  I am glad.  I will talk to you soon.”

6 weeks later, I managed to make it home in time to say “goodbye” to him.  By this time, the emphysema had taken its toll on him.  He was in the hospital, a shadow of the man I knew.  His labored breathing tore at my heart.  My mom and some of my family were there.  Mom leaned over to dad and told him I was there.  His breathing seemed to steady for a few minutes.  

I was able to spend a few minutes alone with him.  I held his hand and told him that I loved him and that if he needed to go, he should.  No one was going to stop him.  I could feel his hand tighten on mine ever so slightly.  

I went to my older brother’s to get some rest.  Around midnight, we got the call from the hospital that my father had died.  I sat up in bed, said a silent “thank you” to the powers that be that allowed me a final moment with him.

I wish that we had more time but, I will be eternally grateful for the time I did have with him.

Well, I keep singing the same tune, and so, here it is again: “What a difference a day makes….”

After one of the most angst ridden weekends of my life, things are slowly looking up.

Alex went for a series of Stress Tests at St. Paul’s Hospital on Tuesday.  They put him through the gears.  They made him run on a treadmill for a rather lengthy period of time.  They plugged him into a variety of gizmos and put him through the paces.  After he completed all the tests, the evaluator looked them over and told him that he was in GREAT SHAPE!  No damage to his heart muscles…. What a relief! He  needs to find some way of relieving his stress, though. That last part is my diagnosis and not the hospital’s.  

Next, Nykie.  He is on the way to recovery.  His head no longer tilts to the right, he is not wobbling when he walks and “Praise BE”… he is eating on his own.  Alex has discovered that Nykie doesn’t want to eat chicken or his tinned dog food anymore.  He is now demanding marinated steak!  With brown rice!! Sheesh!  I should eat so well….  But, I will not begrudge him his food.  Since this whole debacle with the “Old Dog Syndrome”, he has lost 1 1/2 kilos!  That is way too much…. So, if it is steak he needs to keep his weight on, steak it is….

On the home front, we met with our banker on Saturday and he advised us that all 4 documents they needed for the Chattel Mortgage were now complete and that they were being sent off to Toronto for approval.  We have been approved for the mortgage and it is just a matter of paperwork being approved.  Talk about pins and needles!!! Hope we hear today.

Getting into the home stretch on “Barefoot in the Park”.  Only 6 more performances before it closes.  For those theatre buffs out there, it is a great show.  Well, acted and if you watch closely, you will see my stage debut in this production.  For tickets and information, check out http://www.metrotheatrevancouver.com

Once this production closes, I have about 24 hours before I start on Agatha Christie’s “Murder on the Nile”.  Again, another great show, with fabulous sets and really good acting.  Fortunately for me, I don’t have to be on stage for this one.  Hooray!!!

This show runs from February 16 – March 16.  Again, check out http://www.metrotheatrevancouver.com for tickets and show times.

Well, that is about it for now.  Will send updates on the hubby, dog and house as soon as I get ’em….

Well, yesterday was a truly momentous day for Alex and myself.  We put an offer on another property.  We met with the realtor yesterday morning and went over all the details of our offer.  We hemmed and hawwed and debated for what seemed like forever before we settled on a price.  Our realtor, put the offer in and while we waited, we went over to the park where we met the owner of the park.  Lovely man.

We presented him with the agreement that our bank needed signed.  This was the same document which scuttled our first offer.  We held our breath while he took the form.  He glanced at it briefly and then without a second thought, pulled out his pen, signed it and handed it back to Alex.  I almost fell over.

As soon as the document was signed, Alex and our realtor went out for a cigarette.  As soon as they lit up, the phone rang and it was the seller with a counter offer.  It was still more than we were prepared to pay.  We told our realtor our final and I mean FINAL price. He presented it to the seller’s real estate agent.  We waited.  And waited.  And waited some more.  It seemed like an eternity, but, it was probably only 5 minutes when the phone rang again.  The seller accepted our offer!!!

We were ecstatic.  Alex looked like he was going to cry our of sheer happiness and relief.  So, our realtor got us to initial the new offer and he took the documents and ran away to his office to fax them over to the seller for a signature.  They were then to be sent to our bank for processing….

We decided to go directly to our bank with our copies of the documents just so that he could start working on the forms.  But, as soon as I got in the car, I looked at Alex and he looked at me.  We drove to our new home…. just to see it!  We are hoping to close by the beginning of February with a possession date of February 14th…. how appropriate!

This one requires so much less work.  It has a small garden in the front, a HUGE covered patio on the side, a lanai off of the covered patio and a small back yard!!!  

Now, the packing begins….

But, we still have one small thorn in our sides.  Nykie is still making a miraculous recovery from his recent affliction of “Old Dog Syndrome”.  He is wobbly but his eyes have stopped doing that constant shifting, he doesn’t throw up anymore and his vertigo seems to be disappearing.  We just need him to eat.  He went almost 5 days with no food.  So, yesterday, Alex pureed some chicken and wet food, put it in a large syringe and force fed him.  Boy, was he pissed!  The dog, not Alex….  But, we got food into him and it stayed down!  Hallelujah!!! Hopefully, Nykie will decide to eat on his own soon, but, if he doesn’t then we are prepared for that.  

I want him to experience our new home.  Especially the deck and yard where he can sit out by himself and enjoy the freedom of the outdoors. We take him back to the vet’s on Saturday for another evaluation.  Keeping our fingers crossed the vet will give us good news…. I remain ever hopeful that we can have the pleasure of his companionship for a while longer.

So, as my title indicated, things have changed so much in the last little while.  After the fiasco that was our original chance to become property owners went all askew, we sat back and took a deep breath.  We were very frustrated by the roadblocks put up by the park owners and it really soured us on looking for a place to live.

Then, we got a call from our landlords.  They were out of rent cheques.  So, Alex called them to arrange to get them a new batch.  They gently informed us that they were needing to raise our rent by $100 / month.  That was just too much for Alex and myself.  So, Alex got on the internet and contacted our real estate agent.  He asked for more listings for locations where we weren’t going to have the same problem with contracts and agreements.

Our agent sent Alex a number of new listings.  He reviewed them and narrowed our choices down to 2.  We arranged to have viewings this Saturday.  So, Saturday morning, we packed ourselves up and headed off to White Rock.  The one listed there looked great on the internet.  2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, separate workshop, additional room off the dining room and so much more.  When we got there, we held our breath as we ventured in.  Sadly, the place looked awful.  I commend the photographer for taking such great pics that hid all the things wrong with it.  So, we decided after 20 minutes of wandering around, it wasn’t worth the money that they wanted along with the work that we would have to put into it… On to the next one!

Our second one we looked at was around the corner from the first one we put an offer on but in a different park.  This one took our collective breath away!  It was clean, massive covered, fenced patio, concrete pavered lanai off of that, a postage sized backyard (but big enough for Nykie), a separate workshed (need some work, but, is in one piece), a huge living room with vaulted ceilings, a clean kitchen with functional appliances, separate laundry room, 2 bedrooms with attached bathrooms, a large dining room with a built in buffet.  Laminate flooring throughout.  

I think we found our place!!!!  We are meeting with the owners on Wednesday to make an offer.  Keeping our fingers crossed.  

On a separate note, we had a setback with Nykie over the weekend.  He has developed a new issue called “Old Dog Syndrome”.  He has basically developed an inner ear, eye problem.  He is now suffering from vertigo, nausea and has had some challenges walking more than 10 – 20 feet.  We had him at the vet’s (not our regular one due to the nature of the emergency) on Wednesday where they thought he was, of all things: stoned on pot! So, they did a blood test, pumped him full of liquid charcoal and sent him home.  He pooped charcoal briquettes for 3 days!

On Saturday, after our viewings, we took him to our regular vet.    Alex and I talked about it prior to going there and decided that we would be strong for Nykie and do what was necessary to make sure that he wasn’t suffering. The most terrifying two hours of our lives. Our vet, Dr. Lapittre (an amazing woman!!!!!) did all the tests and hummed, hawwed and thought about his condition.  We were sure that she was going to recommend that we put him down.  AUGH!!!!

But, our fears were allayed.  She told us that MOST dogs recover to some degree from this condition and that as long as he is able to control his bowel and bladder, we shouldn’t panic. She prescribed some anti-nausea drugs and sent us home.  After we came home, we settled him in and let him sleep.  He was traumatized at the vet but, was so happy to leave there.  He went straight to sleep.  I went out to get some air and cried for what seemed forever!  I was so grateful that I didn’t have to say goodbye to him yet.

He is slowly improving each day.  He is drinking, but, not eating yet.  I am hoping that his appetite will come back shortly.  We will be hopeful.

Well, here we are back at, basically, square one again.  We have been struggling to stay positive about the last deal falling through.  We are exploring all of our options and while, limited, there is some glimmer of hope. Our bank is still ready to pre-approve us for a mortgage, but, they have some restrictions which are proving to be somewhat onerous.

Alex is staying positive but, I know it has been real hard on him.  I wish there was more that I could do to make this all magically work, but, alas I am no wizard and cannot conjure a magic formula that will make this all fall into place.

We will find something.  It is just a matter of when. 

Well, as they say, no good deed goes unpunished….. After weeks of negotiations, paperwork, meetings, signing documents, hunting and angst filled evenings, the moment of truth arrived. We needed the park owner to sign one last document and then we would be able to close.  

I sent the document to the park owner yesterday afternoon after receiving instructions from our financial institution.  So, guess what?  The park owner refused to sign it!  I called him numerous times yesterday to get him to cooperate and he refused.  He told me that he wouldn’t sign the document and that I should just go and get a mortgage through another bank! Was he kidding?  I asked him if he was serious and he told me he was.

So, I politely told him that I would not be doing that and unfortunately, the deal would not be proceeding.  Alex is devastated.  We spent a good chunk of money on a home inspection that we will not be able to recoup.  We put deposits on flooring and appliances that we will have to cancel.  We, fortunately, did not give notice where we are living, so we are covered there, but, the damage to us emotionally is immense.

So, back to square one again.  Alex has decided to look for a new real estate agent (not that I blame him) and we will begin the process all over again.  The fortunate part of this is that we have the financing in place, the downpayment is there and we now know what it is we need to do to find the right place for us.  

On a cheerier note, the tech rehearsal for “Barefoot in the Park” went reasonably well.  A few minor glitches but, they are already fixed.  The biggest challenge is going to be bringing on all the set pieces 1/2 way through the first act.  We need to get everything on stage in under 3 minutes.  Last night was a rousing 6 minutes!!!  AUGH!!!  So, we are getting to the theatre tonight 1/2 hour early to practice bringing on all the furniture.  Oh, my back!

So, how was your day?

Well, we passed three more major hurdles yesterday:  Home Inspection went amazingly well. We were fortunate to have West Coast Home Inspection Services come and do the inspection.  Kudos to Arne Larson for doing a thorough and accurate assessment of our soon-to-be home.  There were a few small, minor issues that Alex and I can deal with when we have the time and funds.  Nothing untowards that would prevent the deal from progrssing – WHEW!!!!

The inspection took over 3 1/2 hours and was worth every nail-biting minute.  We discovered some good things and some not so good, but, the not so good are all fixable and not very expensive.  Hooray!

Right after the inspection, we ran to the bank to meet with our mortgage specialist who got the rest of our documentation together to send of to the CMHC (Canadian Mortgage and Housing Commission) for their rubber stamp of approval.  Another nail-biter.  One can never be sure that bureaucracy will ever work in your favour.  This day, it did.  They approved our mortgage!  

We then scored BIG TIME!  We found a great washer and dryer through Handy Appliances.  Alex is in love with them!  For the price of the Dryer, we got both pieces!  They are holding them until the end of the month and then will deliver them to us!  Hooray!  No more waiting in line to wash our clothes.  No more needing change!  No more having to share the facilities with 20 other families.  

Today, is the appraisal for the bank and then a copy of the pad lease agreement to be sent to the bank.  Then insurance.  Then off to a Public Notary.

If all goes well, conditions are to come off on Saturday, closing on Tuesday and then we get the keys next Thursday…..

On top of all this, my latest theatre project: “Barefoot in the Park” opens this weekend at the Metro.  Someday, I may be able to get some sleep again…..

Well, we met with the owners of the park that we are looking to move into.  What was supposed to take less than an hour wound up taking 2 1/2 hours!  We went over the agreement with a fine toothed comb.  We discussed all of the options, rules and regulations with the owners.  After that, we got in our respective vehicles and drove over to the park.  Alex had so many questions about what we could or could not do.  The easiest thing was for the owners to show us what was permissable.  We learned a lot about the land our potential home sits on.

We will, when time permits, create some very enjoyable outdoor spaces on our lot.  We have envisioned a patio with planters, relaxing seating and our barbecue.  Alex is looking at creating planting beds with exotic flora.  We have also set aside space for a nice sized greenhouse where Alex and I can indulge in growing orchids and other exotic plants.

Tomorrow is the home inspection.  Somewhat anxious about it, but, I know that it will go well.  I feel it in my bones.

On a separate note, this is also “Tech Week” for my latest production:  Barefoot in the Park.  I am out every night getting the stage set up, getting the costumes coordinated, setting lighting and sound cues and gettin my actors comfortable on stage.  We open this Friday.  Wow!  It is amazing how quickly things move, isn’t it?

Well, here it is.  My latest endeavour.  Neil Simon’s “Barefoot in the Park”:

Director Don Briard is busy putting the finishing touches on Barefoot in the Park, the beloved Neil Simon comedy which is as funny today as it was when it first opened on Broadway in 1963

In the show, Corrie Bratter (Amy Rhead) and Paul Bratter (Albert Nassrallah) are newly wed. For their first home, they live in an apartment on the top floor of a Brownstone in New York City. During the course of four days, the couple learn to live as a “couple” while facing the usual daily ups-and-downs. Corrie wants Paul to become more easy-going, to, for example, run “barefoot in the park.” Unfortunately Paul is not the free spirit his bride is, in face he could be described as downright stuffy.

A meddling mother-in-law (Sabrina Prada) and eccentric neighbour (Chris Dellinger) help to complicate things, while trying to help.

Barefoot in the Park will preview on Jan 11, and run through Feb 9.  You can order tickets through the Metro Theatre Box Office.  Check out their site:  www.metrotheatre.com