What would you do for something FREE?!

  So we are all moved out of our furnished apartment. This week has flown by and in the midst of teaching four days, I've been the primary "mover" and "cleaner". Due to unforseen circumstances we didn't know if we were going to get our $500 security deposit back from our first apartment. Nonetheless, I scrubbed and polished every baseboard, stove element, knick, and cranny with my awesome Norwex cleaning supplies until everything gleamed in the few hours of sunlight Whitehorse offers. Finally, after removing the last of the moose meat from the fridge and watching one last cable TV show (lacking in our new apartment), I nervously called the landlord down for the big inspection. She was so nonchalant, talking about her weekend plans and making a couple notes on her big clipboard. I just wanted to say: "Look under the cushions! All the popcorn crumbs are gone!" or "Did you notice the sparkly new foil in the oven and under the stove elements?" or "Check out how I folded every sheet and towel in perfect symmetry." But I tried to be cool, crossing my fingers that she would be impressed and write us that $500 cheque back.
   Well, at the end of this tense walk through (for me, not her), she told me that she would tell the owner of the building to cut us a cheque for the full security deposit and I nearly jumped in my excitement. Then I went on to tell her how that would really help us since we are moving to an unfurnished place and need to buy all of life's necessities. Well, don't you know, she just happened to have a leather/microfiber love seat that she was trying to get rid of! Marcel came by with me to take a look at the love seat and we negotiated a price and they even said they would drive the couch over for us if we did all the heavy lifting. And so now this sits in our living room and we are so thankful for a comfy place to rest :)

 

 

 Then our previous landlord told us about a couch her mother had in her basement that was for free!! FREE?! Well, we best take a look at it! We headed over to the address and into the basement of a kind woman who was frying up a bacon brunch. In the dim light, the couch looked pretty decent although I didn't like that it was white. Marcel and I briefly discussed our "thoughts" in front of the kind and generous owner (always awkward) who really just needed to get this large 4-seater couch out of her basement to make room for other do-dads. We took the pillows and cushions and promised we would come back later that afternoon for the couch. After leaving, we discussed some of the dirt on the cushions and thought we probably could steam clean the couch.... and maybe buy some more colourful cushions to brighten it up.... but how could we say no to a FREE couch?! It was in better condition than the ones I'd been seeing at Salvation Army for $75 and up.

 

  Well, not owning a vehicle big enough to transport this couch, we figured we could probably walk it over to our apartment. It was a distance of about one kilometer and one major street crossing. Bundled in our finest, we walked back to fetch this new treasure. After peeling the couch around a corner and up a steep set of stairs we were out in the open. Thankfully, snow in Whitehorse is very dry and clean... none of that slushy stuff of the south. This is an important detail because our white couch took a beating in that short 1 kilometer distance. That short 1 kilometer distance was a marathon to me. The couch soon proved to be awkward to hold, and especially slippery with gloves on. So, we took our gloves off. In - 29 degree weather. With a windchill of -39 degrees. As a married couple we have handled a lot of tribultations together-- driving 12 hour days, camping in chilly weather, coming up with 25 line poems during exam time --- but I think this trumps them all.

 

  I had to drop the couch every 10 steps. It was SOOOOO heavy. And AWKWARD. And my hands were COLLLLD!!! Somehow, Marcel had some kind of super human patience and was filled with encouraging words. It is amazing how when one person is weak, the other can just rev up their engine and be strong! I was thankful for his strength physically, mentally, and emotionally because I was breaking under the pressure. Our apartment felt like it was lightyears away and my whole body was getting cold. Finally, Marcel took more cushions off of the couch and left them on the sidewalk so we could try carrying it at a different angle. This helped. For awhile. Then we got to the road crossing.

 

  I think the entire road crossing I was saying "We can do it! We can do it! We can do it!" trying to motivate myself to push the extra foot.... waiting for Bob the Builder to take my place. Finally, we made it across and I dropped the couch and grabbed for my gloves to warm my hands for the final leg of the journey. We shuffled along to our apartment entryway where Marcel left to retrieve the fallen cushions and I went inside to warm my hands under some warm water. When he arrived back, I'm sure I had some new energy and zeal. We brought the couch in the door, down the short flight of stairs, and arrived at our apartment door. This is where the story gets really sad. After an hour of angle-ing, lifting, squeezing, and strategizing.... the couch didn't fit. BIG SIGH. Oh ya. It still doesn't. After I gave up, Marcel persevered for another 30 minutes to no avail. It now sits by the mailboxes waiting for Salvation Army to pick it up on Monday.

 

    If you didn't know, I can be a bit dramatic. Sorry for the length of this post. I just needed to get it out! And guess what.... I just noticed a FREE Boxspring advertised on Kijiji that would fit great with the guest room mattress we've already acquired. Do you think we could fit it on our roof with some bungees and drive for 20 kilometers??! 

What would YOU do for something F- R- E- E?!

Its ugly anyways, right?!