We're home after a month long housesit in North Bay. One of the questions friends ask is does it feels 'weird' to live in someone else's home with their stuff rather than our own. The answer is a simple and emphatic no.
From the moment we step into our role as housesitters, their home becomes ours. We care for it like our own. We collect the mail, change light bulbs, water plants, sweep floors and mop countertops, and of course, walk, feed and cuddle their precious pets. Perhaps that's why we're so suited to this lifestyle. For John and I, home really is where the heart is.
From the moment we step into our role as housesitters, their home becomes ours. We care for it like our own. We collect the mail, change light bulbs, water plants, sweep floors and mop countertops, and of course, walk, feed and cuddle their precious pets. Perhaps that's why we're so suited to this lifestyle. For John and I, home really is where the heart is.
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| Keegan |
After ten weeks in North Bay with Keegan we feel as if we know the community and area inside out. Our favorite memories include hiking Duchesnay Falls, strolling the shores of Lake Nipissing in Goulet Park, eating ice cream at the Green Store, and enjoying all of the live theatre performances at the Capital Centre.
On Tuesday evening our homeowners went above and beyond the call of duty. Not only did they treat us to Capital Center tickets to see Jim Belushi and The Board of Comedy, but they rushed back after a hectic day of workshops and appointments in Toronto to join us.
Joining Mr. Belushi on stage were the very talented Larry Joe Campbell, Joshua Funk, Megan Grano and jazz pianist Trey Stone.
Jim sums it up best. He says, "We are not stand-up comedians. Our show is not a passive, sit-back-and-watch experience. Most of the fun we have on stage comes from our inclusion of the audience - we get suggestions from them to begin each scene we perform, and in certain instances, bring them on-stage with us to add to our performance. It's less a 'show and more a party. At least it feels like one to me. This group of actors brings me right back to how I started out in comedy - maybe that's why we have so much fun doing it."
The skits were hilarious and when he asked, "WTF is up with the house on Cassells Street?" the audience went wild. The evening and laughs moved along at the speed of light with each skit funnier than the last. Mr. Belushi reminded the audience several times even the actors have no idea what comes next. They just get up on stage and "make this shit up!"
On Tuesday evening our homeowners went above and beyond the call of duty. Not only did they treat us to Capital Center tickets to see Jim Belushi and The Board of Comedy, but they rushed back after a hectic day of workshops and appointments in Toronto to join us.
Joining Mr. Belushi on stage were the very talented Larry Joe Campbell, Joshua Funk, Megan Grano and jazz pianist Trey Stone.
The evening of improv was anything but predictable. Who would've thought we'd be serenaded by The Three Tenors?
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After we drove 'home' we talked into the wee hours with Deb and Craig. In between tales of their trip to Ajijic and Puerto Vallarta they presented us with yet another surprise - a beautiful handmade Mexican rug. Here's a close-up...
Housesitting is designed to be a win-win situation for both homeowners and housesitters. Housesitters are not paid and homeowners do not have to place or pay for their pets to be boarded in kennels. Gifts are neither expected nor common, and I think that's what makes it so special. It's not predictable. It's not hum-drum. It doesn't always go according to plan. Better still, friendships grow and flourish. Memories are made, and good stuff happens. Welcome home, Deb and Craig and thank you for everything. (Give Keegan a hug for us!)
Housesitting is designed to be a win-win situation for both homeowners and housesitters. Housesitters are not paid and homeowners do not have to place or pay for their pets to be boarded in kennels. Gifts are neither expected nor common, and I think that's what makes it so special. It's not predictable. It's not hum-drum. It doesn't always go according to plan. Better still, friendships grow and flourish. Memories are made, and good stuff happens. Welcome home, Deb and Craig and thank you for everything. (Give Keegan a hug for us!)
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