Lately.

We were supposed to get a gas fireplace installed in our basement today. After a disastrous basement renovation last year we take all sorts of home improvement events with a grain of salt.

With our basement reno everything ran a month behind schedule and we ended up with a bill 20% higher than anticipated. We argued and used our stern voices and negotiated a price that still frustrated us, left them at a loss, ended up with a basement with issues we can only laugh about, and were left with some smug satisfaction in finding out the contractor went out of business not six months later. But there is no more wood panelling, fluorescent lighting, or stucco on the inside walls, so it was better done than not.

Today's one-day fireplace extravaganza was only partially completed so they'll be back tomorrow. Maybe. Wednesday at the latest. It's nice to be off work so we don't have to stress about the time off. I was initially worried about the whole... power tools, drilling, hammering, banging and tiny human with a powerful need to nap once in a while. No need to worry, though, because said tiny human took a longer nap than usual over all the noise so I got to spend the afternoon reading like a civilized person.

And, bonus, there's nothing like the prospect of having strangers over to get you up and dressed with make-up on before 8 a.m. for the first time in months. I even wore my "Democracy: Your voice matters" shirt in honour of today. Parker wore his Team Canada shirt to cheer for the country today, too. I would have taken a picture of him, but he peed on himself and had to be changed by the time I had the sense to do it.

American? Confused? It's our federal election day here. We voted on the first day of advance voting so get to stay home and look disdainfully at all the campaigners that try to sway us with their pamphlets and promises today. I have to say, I am A) so glad my job requires me to be non-partisan and B) SO glad that after today people will stop with the mudslinging and door-knocking. I have no idea how Parker will react to the doorbell ringing if he's asleep.

I probably should have gotten out the Halloween candy for all the canvassers that came to the door. 'Tis the season, right?

We finished painting our dining room table this weekend. Of all the millions of things we've painted in the house this is by far my favourite. We were given our table by one of Karl's co-workers several years ago. It was in rough shape so we stained it in an attempt to make it beautiful. I'm pretty sure we made it look worse. I finally had enough this year and decided that it was time to fix the darn thing up.

Poor quality pictures aside, it's my favourite thing we've ever done and was well worth not having a table for two and a half weeks. We'll probably paint the chairs next year and they'll need to be recovered again eventually.

That marks the third thing we've redone since Parker was born. And also the last because winter is coming and it's time to turn our attention inwards to the actual walls of our house. Eventually.

While we were table-less for a couple weeks, we took to eating our dinners in the basement in front of the television. Because we're classy and sometimes need to pretend we don't care enough about each other to actually talk. During that time we really got into Happy Endings on Netflix. If you've never seen it, it's hilarious and I love it. You should go watch it immediately. But don't try watching it on Netflix because they took it down with no warning. We took Thursday off from it and BOOM, it was gone on Friday. We still had 22 episodes left. There was much wailing and gnashing of teeth in our home. It's been a tough couple days.

We learned an important lesson, though, and that's to never take something for granted that's been on Netflix for years. If you find it and you like never stop watching it because, like my favourite burger place in Victoria, if you go away for six months when you come back you'll find it for lease and never again get to have that sweet sweet burger made from Cowichan Valley beef with a gourmet side of dairy-free onion rings a mere ten minute walk from your mother's house. And you will be sad. I loved you Cabin 12. And Happy Endings.