Month: November 2020

A look out my office window reveals a January-style winter wonderland, thanks to a pair of snow dumps, one on Monday and one today. It’ll melt, what with above freezing temperatures predicted from tomorrow until well into next week, but I’d best get used to the view. After all, this is Canada, the land of ice and snow.

The contractors finished working on the house yesterday and they did a superb job – new vinyl siding, new soffits, new fascia, new gutters and new downspouts. Our almost 50 year old home looks 40 years younger, and with fresh Tyvek house wrap replacing the old tar paper, it’s also better clad beneath the muted green siding. Of equal relief was the fact they found no major issues. The walls are in good shape – not a trace of rot, insect or animal infestation. With new outside lights and a bright new house number plate completing the do-over, we’re officially done with renos until next summer. Anyone in the Ottawa area needing a top-notch contractor to re-side their home, replace the gutters and whatnot, drop me a message via the official Eric Thomson website and I’ll give you their coordinates.

As predicted, progress on Ashes of Empire: Imperial Echoes was slow over the last week and a half, but I’m back in the saddle now, although I’m not sure I can make a late January publishing date at this time. We’ll see. In the meantime, stay healthy and safe, fellow humans. Peace.

This morning, the work on re-siding the Casa Thomson began (and it’s not just re-siding, but replacing soffits, fascia and the gutters). Considering the stuff being replaced is all original on a house dating back to 1974, the change will be tremendous. Already, the faded, dented and dinged yellow aluminum siding on one wall is gone, replaced by vinyl in a gentle cypress green. And once that’s done, as I told Mrs T., we can settle in for a long winter’s nap, since we won’t be spending the holidays in our usual scuba diving spot this year.

In other news, Ashes of Empire: Imperial Echoes is past the 20% completion mark, and though the going is slow, it’s steady, which is normal when building a new world, that of Lyonesse’s soon to be discovered existential enemy, the Wyvern Hegemony. But with the noise of outside renovations this week I expect progress will be a little slower than usual. It’s amazing how much stapling house wrap and nailing siding reverberates throughout the entire house. Right now, one of the contractors is working on the second story wall right outside my office, which is just a tad eerie when I’m used to solitude and silence on a regular weekday.

In any case, progress on all fronts. Stay safe and healthy, fellow humans.