Nicky simply couldn’t make up his mind, as life presented him with too many good options.  He’d signed up for the two-year network telecommunications diploma which would start in September.  He was also thinking of going to Alberta to work on the rigs as Luke does, or else he thought he might go to Asia and get a job teaching English.

He was in Thailand for the month of April and met some nice people with whom he stayed in contact.  After much humming and hawing, he decided he’s going to room with a guy he met, who’s from Hawaii, and who teaches in Taipei.  Nicky applied for a job at a school there and was just sent a contract!

After a hair under 25 years of living together, not only is Nicky moving out, but he’s moving around the world.  I was one of the many people who’d said you can go to the college or Alberta any time, but if you have a chance to live in Asia, take it.

So on Canada Day I’m driving my baby to the airport, and then he’ll fly to Vancouver, wait a few hours, and then fly to Taiwan.  He’s currently in Osoyoos, celebrating at mom’s, down at the beach with a few of his close friends.

Today I mowed the lawn for the first time in many years, and it was fine.  In the spring I’d bought an electric lawn mower as I couldn’t start our funky old gas one.  The top had been permanently removed, and Nicky had to hold his mouth just the right way as he’d manually wrap the cord and try to start it.

I can mow the lawn, and shovel snow, the landscapers do the weed whacking and tall pruning, so I think I’m going to manage the empty nest without a lot of issues.  After so many years, it’s just really hard to believe it’s going to happen.

And just in case it does, I went to the paint store and got wallpaper books and have ordered a lovely floral for the basement bedroom.  Once Nicky’s dropped at the airport, I’ll just drive straight home and start re-decorating.

The plumber’s coming next week as I’m having the grotty glass-fronted shower stall taken out of the bathroom down there.  Nicky hasn’t cleaned it in over two years, so with heavy minerals in the water, and two showers a day, some involving lung-clearing, I think you can understand why it’s got to be removed.

I guess you could say I’m pretty excited about the basement renovation.  I want either new love seats or else a sectional to replace what’s there now.  All the plopping over the years resulted in pieces of metal one can actually see protruding from parts of the couches.

Everything in the house is going to be pink, floral, chintz, ruffled, girly.  As you know, I had the exterior painted a shade of mauve. I believe anyone driving up, and then coming in, will know there’s an awful lot of estrogen going on around this place.

And so the next chapter of my life begins.  In two weeks I’ll be 60, reassured by the knowledge I can mow the lawn and use a power drill.  The world’s my oyster, I guess.