So she's gone.

Lisa is off, stranded in a far-away place, cut off from human contact and all the amenities of a big city. Okay, it's not quite that bad, but more than anything else, she's not here with me.

It's amazing how dependant you grow on someone without realizing. You think you are this independent person, capable of living your life alone, but you suddenly see how much you depend on each other.

It's not just the little things, like how Lisa always changed the food in Pippin's dish, or how she always fed the piggies their breakfast in the morning, but it's a lot of big things.

Coming home to warm arms and a happy smile. Having someone who steals the blankets in the middle of the night, and pushes you out of bed when the alarm goes off for the third time. Someone who understands that when you point your bent back wrist at something and make a noise like 'Thwip', you are trying to grab something out of your lazy reach with imaginary webslingers.

It's all for the best. She likes her new job so far, although sitting through endless local council meetings will get to her in no time.

I drove her down last Thursday, her mom following along in another car. We saw the new apartment (Nice. A bit smaller than we're used to, but still fine), found her great aunt's place (where Lisa will be staying until the apartment is ready) and searched for the two malls in the city.

Saw the town again when I went down for Sunday and Monday morning. I think I'll like it fine enough. Medicine Hat is sort of a retirement town, filled with seniors looking for a quiet place to live. They do have one big theatre, so my mass media cravings will be filled at least.

Got the El Camino fixed. The plan was to put about $1000 into it, so that Lisa would have something she could use when I was in town with the Taurus. Best laid plans, right? $1500 later, all the problems STILL aren't fixed. But there's a new radiator that doesn't leak, the brakes are perfect (front AND back), and the misaligned battery cable that was about to short out and blow up the battery is realigned.

Tried to switch over cable and Internet, but Shaw doesn't service Medicine Hat. Had to go with a local cable provider, but their Internet can't be installed until January. Not exactly what I had in mind, given that I need to work from home three days a week.

Got Telus to switch over our phone line, and got on the waiting list for their high-speed connection. I'm twelfth on the list, so MAYBE it'll be ready in time. Maybe. We'll probably have to do dial-up for a couple weeks.

Got power hooked up there. Medicine Hat charges apartment renters fees for sewage and solid waste disposal in addition to electricity, so our bill is three times what we're used to paying (those extras are covered in our rent here).

We've got a rental van, but so far no one is willing to drive down and help us unload in Medicine Hat. We're timing everything early so people can still come back in time to go to the Non-Trad, but it being Christmas season, it's pretty hard going. Lisa MAY be able to rope in some people from her work there, but that's iffy.

Still to do:

• Apartment insurance
• Get new computer
• Get around to telling the landlady we're moving out

You haven't told her yet?

You were grumpy yesterday.

You ever get a chance to watch TV?

Take me home, big fella