We last left Eric, and his father David, visiting Eric’s aunt Judy and uncle Jonathan in Winnipeg. Enjoying the beautiful end of August (2013) that Winnipeg had to offer. The road trip with his father harkened back to the days as a child when Eric went on road trips with his father and sister. It was a also a great opportunity for Eric and David to spend time together; father and son.
When Eric got back to Edmonton, his house was transformed. Instead of a muddy front lawn he had a lush green lawn over most of the yard, a tall sapling of an apple tree, and a rock garden with flowers under the one old spruce tree. Where the dirt still faced the sun, more work was yet to come: a small garden, future front porch, flower bed with lamppost, summer patio/winter parking pad and the main sidewalk to the back of the house. Eric found it pleasantly uplifting to see progress towards the end of the home renovations.
Inside the house, electrical work was progressing, and throughout the rest of September the remaining wood paneling was removed and Ben continued with the electrical work.
As the 2013-2014 school year started, so did Eric’s work; starting his first full year substitute teaching with Elk Island Public Schools. It was slow at first. Eric filled his non-subbing days with house renovation work, volunteering for the Telus World of Science (occasionally, and most often Sunday mornings), volunteering with the Walterdale Theatre (where he was asked to be props master for their production of Proof), as well as looking for more permanent teaching positions. His late afternoons and evenings also started to fill up with tutoring through LightsOn Mediated Learning Centre.
On the social side, Eric enjoyed spending time with family and friends in such activities as attending Christa Coutour’s performance at the Blue Chair cafe in Edmonton, with Meghan Van der Giessen also performing; both elementary school friends. As well as games nights at JD’s, and other cultural events.
Eric also bought passes for the entire weekend of the Edmonton Expo (comic convention), where he enjoyed the Q& A sessions of Garret Wang’s (Ensign Kim on Star Trek: Voyager), and John Barrowman’s (Captain Jack Harkness on Torchwood) as well as other sessions on video design and writing. Eric got photos autographed by John Barrowman, Kris Holden-Ried (Dyson on Lost Girl), and Christopher Lloyd (Doc Brown on Back to the Future and Reverend Jim on Taxi). Both photos Christopher Lloyd and John Barrowman autographed were ones Eric had taken with them: Christopher Lloyd, Eric and the Back to the Future Delorean as one photo, and one with John Barrowman and Eric. Eric’s highlight of the convention was the photo op with John Barrowman and him autographing the photo (for the details of what made it Eric’s highlight see “Side Story: Adventure with John Barrowman at the 2013 Edmonton Expo” http://autobiostory.blogspot.ca/2015/02/up-yer-kilt-adventure-with-john.html).
As October came, there was more work on the house: After the electrical inspection he got the sound insulation into the basement walls and ceiling. With the help of Josh he got the drywall up. Outside there were good and bad things; Darcy managed to hire someone to pour the concrete for the sidewalk and patio, a red colour was chosen.
The misadventure happened when Eric finally got around to having an access panel opening cut from the outside into the kitchen extension foundation (to replace the one over the toilet in the basement), with the intent to then have better insulation under the kitchen floor, and seal any access for little furry, unwanted guests. Eric had done a reasonably good job of marking where the cut should be. On the day the cut was made Eric had hoped to be home to show the guys what the inside looked like, to ensure the cut was properly made, however Eric had to be away for tutoring work at the time the guys came to make the cut.
While Eric was tutoring he got some text messages from his housemate Zack who was concerned about the smell of gas around the house. By the time Eric go home the street was blocked off by 3 fire trucks, and his gas had been turned off, because the concrete cutters had nicked an elbow joint on the gas line. Luckily nothing major had happened. This meant Eric had to find a plumber to fix the joint, and an inspector come and check the fix. This took 2 - 3 days. However, it was another week before the gas could be turned back on. When it was turned off, Eric asked ATCO about how it would be turned back on, they said soon after the inspector came to check. When Eric asked the inspector to contact ATCO, he said he would, but when Eric called ATCO several hours later (almost half a day), they had no record of the inspector contacting them. So Eric had to book an appointment for several days later.
During this time, Zack stayed elsewhere, while Cesar and Eric remained in the cooling house, with no hot water or heat. Eric survived and learned, realized he should have been there, as he wanted to.
After the access panel was cut Eric got someone to insulation under the kitchen, which went smoothly.
On the career side some of his work began to pick up, not much as he was dealing with the house, but he continued to substitute teach for Elk Island Public Schools as well as tutor for LightsOn Mediated Learning Centre. He also continued to volunteer for Telus World of Science during the Harry Potter Experience exhibit, as well as continuing as props master for Proof for the Walterdale Theatre. Eric also picked up one day working for the City Election and continued to get information up on LinkedIn (http://ca.linkedin.com/in/mathesonjones/) as more of a professional presence on the internet.
Inside renovations progressed: drywall was finished, new electrical panel installed, walls taped and mudded. Eric then primed and painted the walls a warming white, followed by Josh helping to install the drop ceiling in the bedroom. Eric also installed the insulating sub floor, and had the final electrical inspection done, and passed all before Christmas.
Between Christmas and New Years, while the house was just about empty - Eric being the only one home - Eric varathaned the subfloor, making it look well suited for the basement.
Meanwhile, he continued with his normal work and volunteer activities. December brought in the production of Proof. Soon after, he began the process as props master for A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Forum), even though that production was not going to be until April. Eric also picked up a new volunteer position on the board of altView, a queer (LGBTQ) organization based in Sherwood Park.
Over Christmas, Eric's sister, Samara, and family (Geert, Sebastian and Klara) came over from Brussels, as well as his aunt Judy and uncle Jonathan from Winnipeg. It was an enjoyable Christmas time. New years was spent with his good friends Joel and Rene, and their friends at Rene's place. A fairly low key event.
In the new year the interior renovations continued with the installation of the basement closet shelves, and help from Josh and Terry with the installation of the doors (closet and bedroom) and window framing. Eric also painted the baseboards and door trim a forest green, then installed them. As January began to come to a close, the basement was finally together; back to a livable state.
Outside of the reno work, Eric continued to get more sub jobs. His second semester tutoring became a heavy load. He continued to volunteer at the Walterdale Theatre as props master for Forum, and other smaller jobs on other productions, as well as at the Telus World of Science with the Harry Potter Exhibit, and a second year as a FIRST Lego League competition judge of the Core Values.
His social activities continued spending time with his father David, friends, and games nights with JD and friends.
As the shortest and coldest month rolled in, Eric had another short term work opportunity. At first he was happy to have more work and money, not inquiring on the reasons why his old engineering company, HFP Acoustical Consulting, asked him to go do some noise monitoring in Fort Saskatchewan. Little did he know that the days he was going to do the fieldwork were the coldest days of the month, and included a day of subbing. Yet Eric was able to get it all in - checking on equipment, subbing work, checking equipment, tutoring, and then dismantling the equipment. Later Eric learned the reason he was asked to do the work was because the entire HFP company was in Houston for training; as HFP was sold to SLR Global Environmental Solutions.
Not only did Eric have to brave the cold weather of February (2014), but he also got cold news from Edmonton Public Schools that, as he was not called in for an interview within 3 years, his application was destroyed. What irked him most was this news came when he called them a week or so after dropping off an updated resume, and had heard nothing from them at that time, nor in response to his new resume. Ultimately this meant he had to completely re-apply.
Eric still had his work with EIPS, and was able to go to the North Central Teachers’ Convention, which he enjoyed.
Outside of work, he continued to some minor other renovations at the house, which included a new front door so a keyless entry system could be added to the security system. His volunteer activities changed as the season changed: He was elected Treasurer of the altView board, and stepped up as chair of altView pride week event planning committee; Learning much from his second time as props master at the Walterdale Theatre, with the production of Forum; Added extra volunteer days at the Telus World of Science on special school activity days.
He also attended plays and Art Gallery of Alberta opening with his father, socializing and watching shows with friends, especially Joel, and games nights with JD and co.
It was around this time, during the Heart Bleed bug, that Eric lost his quafaie@gmail.com email account. He has since switched to quafaie@hughkemeny.ca, a domain I own.
It was around this time, during the Heart Bleed bug, that Eric lost his quafaie@gmail.com email account. He has since switched to quafaie@hughkemeny.ca, a domain I own.
After a few months of no renos, he began to feel a reno itch, and one weekend, when no one else was around, he stripped the old, dusty, bamboo wallpaper off a small section of main floor wall. This caused the dust and paper to fall into the carpet. Eric then stripped the entire main floor bare of the wall to wall carpet, exposing the reasonably nice hardwood floor in the living room and dining room, old, yet good condition, and tiles in the hall and front entrance. Eric washed the newly exposed floor, and painted where the old wallpaper was white and the trim around the doors the same green of the basement. He did this all in 3 day, while thinking of the projects his mother, Chris, use to do in similar time scales.
It was also near this time when the city of Edmonton bylaw came by to say they were closing old permits, and that the back deck was not fully compliant. One railing was too short, and the bottom step was too high. Eric put a paving stone under the bottom step and got Terry to fix the railing overlooking the yard.
Eric experienced a couple firsts in May, that included: Having a CT scan, which Eric had never had before, to confirm he had Gilbert's syndrome - results confirmed that assessment. And arriving extremely early for an event (about 5:30 am): Rona's summer sale where he got a new push mower, the main reason for his early appearance, and an EPCOR rain barrel to replace his old rain barrel that was deformed in the winter.
This was also the time of full time teaching job postings. Eric applied to many, and got an interview at one school he had subbed at. In fact it was on one of the subbing days at that school he was asked about an interview for the following day. Unfortunately he did not get the job.
As May turned into June, Eric's subbing days became sparse. This gave Eric some time to get the front lawn prepared for the summer, and the last work Darcy would need to do; a more permanent walk to the front of the house as the concrete pour was only along the side of the house and the front patio. Eric was thinking of a brick walk that would wind its way to the front, and around a flower bed with lamppost at the end of the patio. Luckily Mike and Oriana, neighbours of his father David, had a pallet of bricks they were wanting to get rid of. So Eric got them and carted them to his house with the use of a pickup, which was also used to cart away odds and ends in both his and his father's yards.
As summer came, his volunteer duties shifted. With the Harry Potter exhibit gone from Edmonton, Eric's volunteer hours at the Telus World of Science where cut back. After the Walterdale Theatre's production of Forum in April, and the winding down of the theatre for the summer, Eric had less to do there. This gave more time for the last minute planning and preparation of altView's pride week event in June, as well as more time to apply for other job postings; including one to teach upgrading courses at Medicine Hat College in Brooks.
On June 20th Eric got a skype interview for the position at Medicine Hat College Brooks Campus, he'd had phone interviews before, but this was his first skype interview. 4 days later he was given a preliminary offer. 3 days after that he went to visit the college, to get an idea of what he might be getting himself into. 3 more days later he accepted the offer; on June 30th, 10 days after the interview.
As the summer floated by Eric spent his time teaching the Lego Robotics summer course for the 4th time, volunteering occasionally for the Telus World of Science, repainting the back deck and one side of the back fence, and socializing with friends. This included being asked to do a reading at his friend Alanna’s wedding to Christian two days before the wedding in July, and attending PanFest at the start of August, along with other summer activities with family and friends like BBQs.
August brought in a busy time for Eric. He found a tenant to rent out the newly renovated room in the basement, who in the end didn’t work out. The incident that perpetuated the short lived occupancy happened while Eric was in Medicine Hat on a 5 day training for his new job, and a day before the Fringe Theatre Festival started. Eric survived the stresses, and took a little time to rest while doing his annual volunteering at the Fringe, before moving to Brooks to work for 4 months teaching math and science high school equivalent upgrading courses. Brooks was where he quietly celebrated the end of his 37th year of life, looking forward to his 38th.
.jpg)