Real life conversations

In the past few weeks we've had 2 garage sales (3 days), visited both sets of parents and saw all siblings. It was a lot of fun and now we're back to routine stuff.

Garage sales are interesting, for ours there was a lot of just chatting. One person came to ask us about our solar panels. We talked a little politics because the new provincial government discontinued the solar rebate when they discontinued the carbon levy and rolled the residual funds into general revenue. We agree that we didn't mind the carbon levy because the administration was so transparent; not sure about the Federal one. Some of the people who live in the multi-home unit behind us came to see what we were culling and a couple from our cul-de-sac came to see what we had for sale and check out the new greenhouse. There were people we didn't know as well - one bought our boat. Yay!

We were concerned about our visit to Medicine Hat because there was a "no dogs in the house" rule for a few years so we really pulled back on visits due to the expense of hotel stays. This time Bennie was allowed in the house and he was very good. As the new member, he was often the topic of conversation and there was a lot of travel news. I did trip into a weird taxes conversation. We were buying milk at the store and I noticed on the bill there was a deposit. When I commented I hadn't known they were returnable, I was told that is really was more like a tax. I changed the topic.

Then it was off to the coast to visit with my family. It's full of political conversation because my dad listens to the TV super loud and comments. I was surprised to find out my RCC attending Dad seems pro-choice and my brother got stopped by the cops when he was a kid and told he must live in Surrey because he looks East Indian!?! Dad's wife was chatting about first meetings. My brother's wife and her friends first thought he might be Thai. I was asked what people where I live think I am. I replied - someone who tans really well😁. (When I was a teen people thought I was Mediterranean)

Garage sale redux was a 2 day affair. Again, visitors! A fellow I worked with ages ago dropped by; he's moving to BC (Kootenays) I am a little jealous. Someone else was interested in solar. They were surprised to hear our system was only $15K (pre-rebate) and had a 7 to 10 year ROI after which free electricity! We talked climate change a little and they felt there were many routes to our destruction and clean energy is attainable so...

It was fun to socialize so much and we even sold some stuff. Nothing came back in the house and we donated some stuff that didn't sell and stored the rest in the garage. Bennie was calm in the house as people came and went.