Saturday, May 30, 2015

Found - A Wargaming Room (And a House)

The Canadian military offers its members a ritual known as the HHT, our House Hunting Trip.  Once upon a time the HHT wasn’t necessary.   You simply reported to Base Housing, and if married they found you a suitable PMQ (Permanent Married Quarter) depending on your entitlement by rank.   The Housing Sergeant walked you in for an inspection, and the movers arrived thereafter.   When you left, the Sergeant showed up for a white glove inspection to find dust (he always did, it was a game).   I have this from the old timers, this era was long before my time.   Today most of the PMQs are gone, and the remaining ones are administered by a civilian agency charged with showing a profit, so they rent at market rate.   Most military members, if they can afford it, buy their accommodations on the local economy, and each receives a package of benefits (a paid trip with so many days to find a house, assistance with realty costs, home inspections, and the like).   Some HHTs are arduous slogs, walking through an endless sequence of houses and hoping the missus can find one she likes before the time allowed for the trip runs out).  This trip was easy by comparison.

It took us a day to find a new house.  Madame Padre and I arrived in Barrie on Monday night and spent all of Tuesday with Hugh, our realtor (I believe he would be called an Estates Agent on the other side of the ocean).  Hugh was a splendid chap with 25 years of local knowledge.  Some realtors can be pushy, self-interested, and lazy, but we didn’t get that from Hugh.   We looked at ten houses on Tuesday and settled on this one, a lovely bungalow near the freeway and easy commuting distance to the base.


We both like to cook and bake, and the kitchen was quite seductive.


The backyard offers a lot of gardening prospects for Madame P, and a large garage/shed which has possibilities for painting and gaming in the warm months.  But what about the interior wargaming room?  This middle room in the basement offered some interesting possibilities.



I liked these shelves, but the lighting was a bit weak and as it was in the centre of the house, there was no natural light.



But what about this room at the back?


Hmmm.  Exterior light through a window on to the driveway, and three sets of fluorescent lights in the ceiling.  Room for two tables, if a bit cramped, and space for some shelving at the back.  There's additional storage in an adjoining workroom for boxes of figures and scenery.



I won't say this was the deciding factor, but it helped.  Possession date is 6 July, and move in date may be a bit later, depending on when a mover is available.  Now, a month left to finish packing, sorting, downsizing, and of course, embarking the little men.

Blessings,  
MP+

37 comments:

  1. Great find Padre. Hope the move goes smoothly and none of your minis get damaged in transit :)

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    1. Thank you Tamsin. I hope so too. We are close enough this time that I can manage the minis myself in several lifts via my own car and let the movers deal with the heavy stuff, like the furniture. :)

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  2. Congratulations Michael and Mrs. Padre. Great find.

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    1. Thanks Pat. Pity we're not going to Ottawa though. :(

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  3. Great find. Do you get to keep the drum kit?

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  4. I was just thinking: moving in is a lot more fun than moving out!

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    1. Ion: No to the first comment, yes to the second. Moving in and unpacking all those boxes is rather like Christmas morning, only better.

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  5. Great to hear, and a nice looking place.

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  6. Looks like a decent place. Wish my basement was that big....

    Cheers,

    Pete.

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    1. Cheers Pete. It is a big basement. The downstairs bedroom will be the guest bedroom, by Mme. Padre's decree. I was coveting it as a wargames room, but it's nice to have a guest room. Blogger friends take note!

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  7. That was good hunting. Best wishes for a smooth move.

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  8. Good job on a successful HHT. Looking forward to seeing AARs from the new abode.
    Cheers, PD

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    1. Thanks Pete. The AARs from the new abode will be better lit, that's for sure!

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  9. Looks lovely, Padre. Glad you found somewhere so painlessly.

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    1. Thanks HW. it was pretty painless. We were lucky. We once spent three days looking at houses, couldn't remember any of them at the end. Sometimes it makes sense to limit the selection.

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  10. I wish house hunting was always that easy! Good luck with the move.

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  11. Sweet digs! Woo and Hoo for the games room. Any room assigned for that purpose is great imo :)

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  12. Looks excellent - kitchen very smart and attractive (we'll all be round for dinner - just say when you're ready), and the wargames room looks most promising (same arrangement for visits - just say when). You've even got somewhere to practise your drums - what more could you possibly want? It will be a bit of a hassle moving in - it always is - but that looks terrific. Make sure Mme Padre doesn't overdo it during the move.

    Mention of the white glove days reminds me of a friend I haven't seen in years - he was brought up in a (British) army family, and his father was warden of a series of stately homes and castles which were in the care of the army after the WW2. He said that one side effect was that he grew up unable to do anything and unable to appreciate what was required to do anything. If a light-bulb went, his mother would phone up, and two soldiers would appear with a light-bulb "on a ceremonial cushion", salute and install the thing. It seems there were a lot of white gloves involved in this sort of regime.

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    1. Thank you Tony. Guests from Scotland are particularly welcome.
      Mme. Padre is strictly enjoined not to do any lifting, but she is a headstrong lass.
      I loved that story. It seems armies, even recently, were fond of white gloves. I did once have a white glove room inspection in basic. Under my mattress, on the wooden edge of the bed, there was dust. The horror and shame rise in my gorge as I think about it.

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  13. Give you joy of your new home sir!

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    1. Thank you, dear Duke, and bless you for the lovely use of the Patrick O'Brien phrase.

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  14. Looks absolutely perfect, I do hope you will both be very happy.

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    1. Thanks Michael, I am sure we will be very happy.

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  15. A very nice find! All that space to hobby and game... I am only a little envious. :)

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  16. Mike, that looks perfect. A really great property there. Very best wishes for the move!

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  17. Let me know if you need a hand on moving day.

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    1. Thanks Michael. Unlike previous moves you've helped me with, this one has a crew of professionals loading and unloading. You're welcome to the housewarming though.

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