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Trial by Fire

After deciding to move to Yellowknife we needed to decide what to do with our house. Ultimately, we didn't have enough time to make a good decision, so we went with "as good as it will get". Renting our home for part of our absence and then selling in the spring.

My new job pays to move our furniture and effects, but we had very little time to prepare. I tried to organize the house as we are going to rent a small condo and most of our furniture will have to go in storage. In the end, I think it was all for not. It is just very hard to organize all that stuff. But important stuff like my Le Creuset I know will wind up in the kitchen and if I have a good pot I can do almost anything.

The company sent four guys. Jay the driver out of Edmonton, Ken out of Toronto and Scott and Wally out of Kingston. They worked hard all day until 8:00 p.m. I felt like we worked too, constantly floating from room to room, clarifying what would be going where. At 8:00 p.m. Scott and Wally were sent home, and they were so far ahead of schedule they would not be coming the next day. Brent drove Jay and Ken to the only motel in Brighton with a promise to pick them up at 8:00 a.m. the next morning.

Since our bedroom wasn't packed we got to stay at the house while the boys stayed with Ama. In the morning I headed out to Ama's to see the boys. I had parked in front of the transport truck, and as I went to pull away I checked my mirrors. Much to my surprise Jay was standing behind my car. I jumped out, totally confused. How did he get back to the house?

Here is the story he told me: Ken was asleep and he was dozing when he heard a faint alarm. At first he thought it was a clock that was set to midnight- we've all been there. But then he looked around and that wasn't it. It took him a minute to realize that it was a fire alarm. He woke up Ken and they left the room. They got out to realize that the room two doors down was on fire. So they went around and woke up anyone else who was in the motel. Luckily no one was injured. They decided to sleep in the truck rather than stay with all the firefighters and police at the motel.


I could not believe it. I think there has been maybe five structure fires in Brighton in the 11 years I have lived there, and the motel my movers are in catches fire!! Even with the fire and lack of sleep they pulled away a full day ahead. So we are hoping we will only be in the hotel for a little more than a week.

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