So for the last month I’ve been doing a count-down to opening weekend - only to discover that I was out by a week - and NOBODY corrected me. It seems the long weekend is not THIS weekend, but next - May 16th - 19th. In my enthusiasm to get there I skipped a week.

On that same note, I received my Cottage Life e-newsletter. In it is an Opening Weekend check-list . No offense to Penny, and the good folks over at Cottage Life, but I won’t likely get around to doing most of the things on that list - this whole summer. UGGGGG - like cottages aren’t enough work?

The more my cottage resembles a home, the more work I create and the less I enjoy it. Listed below are just a quarter of the things they recommend you do:

• Find out why pads under deck posts are shifting
• Make ring game for kids
• Sharpen blades on trimmer and chainsaw
• Put up the flagpole and replace worn halyards
• Clean barbecue
• Fix tippy dock
• Inspect flotation in floating docks
• Fix friggin’ potholes in lane
• Tighten or reinstall loose dock cleats and rings
• Hammer in raised nails on dock and repair loose boards
• Inspect life preservers for damage; make sure there are enough for everybody
• Do kids’ lifejackets still fit?
• Make horseshoe pit before family reunion!!!
• Clean and set out porch furniture
• Sit down, have a beer

With the exception of the last item, I doubt I will do any of these things.

I’ve actually come up with my own list, designed for those folks living in western Canada, who might consider themselves to be a little more laid back then their eastern counterparts.

A Westerner’s Guide to Opening up the Cabin

1. Call and make a ferry reservation for the long weekend - chances are if you haven’t done it by now it’s too late
2. Call the marina and check on the boat - arrange a time to pick it up
3. Upon arriving at the cabin, walk around and find out who made it up for the weekend, spend most of the morning visiting with them and arrange for happy hour later in the day.
4. Make sure fire-pit is cleaned out and ready to go for evening’s campfire
5. Quick trip into town for plumbing supplies, marshmallows, beer and appetizers
6. Make a list of everything that needs fixing for the season and solicit advice over happy hour
7. Grab a bucket to prime the pump, making sure valves are all closed, and get ready to spend the next 2 hours on your back in the mud swearing at anything and everyone.
8. Haul out the deck chairs and rest - what didn’t get done today will still be there tomorrow - as long as the toilets flush, God will look after the rest.

Cheers,

Julie

This entry was posted on Monday, May 5th, 2008 at 10:32 am and is filed under Fix It. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.