Roger Varley has been in the news business almost 40 years with The Canadian Press/Broadcast News, Uxbnridge Times-Journal, Richmond Hill Liberal and Uxbridge Cosmos. Co-winner with two others of CCNA national feature writing award. In Scout movement over 30 years, almost 25 as a leader. Took Uxbridge youths to World Jamboree in Holland. Involved in community theatre for 20 years as actor, director, playwright, stage manager etc. Born in England, came to Canada at 16, lived most of life north and east of Toronto with a five-year period in B.C.
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Downtown update
It's been about 10 months now since I wrote about moving into a flat right in the downtown area of Uxbridge and I thought some of you might like an update on the experience.
It has, for the most part, been quite enjoyable. My cat, Annie, has adapted fairly well, although I can tell she misses the roaming she used to do through neighbours' backyards. But I have fixed up a rooftop pen for her to enjoy the fresh air and watch the world go by. It's restrictive, but I've given her some potted grasses and they seem to attract enough bugs to keep her hunting instincts alive.
For myself, life in a bachelor flat is anything but restrictive. Just about everything I need is close at hand, so much so that my car is rarely used any more. My trips to the south end of town have decreased dramatically, so I can thumb my nose at the oil companies even as they begin to quietly inch their prices up week by week. Heaven knows what excuse they're using these days for the increased prices, but I'm sure their greedy corporate minds can justify it.
While I have no complaints against Zehr's or Canadian Tire - (who could complain about Pat Higgins and his fantastic crew of employees or the good people at Zehrs?) - I find I have become better acquainted with the neighbourhood hardware store, pet store and organic food store. I recently bought myself a new computer and chose to buy it on Brock Street. I might possibly have found it cheaper elsewhere, but I have to stand by my mantra of many years: support your local merchant.
I find my grocery bill is drastically lower. I have discovered I can stretch out my produce and other edibles and still eat well. I have also learned to stretch my culinary skills. Meals I have prepared of late have included pork tenderloin stuffed with apricots and glazed with mustard and Demarara sugar, and chicken Dijon casserole with dumplings. My sweetheart has been subjected to most of my cooking experiments and I haven't made her ill yet.
The (almost) daily walking has become something I look forward to. At first, I admit, the feet and knees let me know they weren't used to that kind of exercise, but they have gradually become accustomed to it. And I meet so many more people when I'm walking as opposed to driving.
And I see more, too. I notice how a number of the downtown stores work diligently to stay fresh with new window displays. I notice the blossoms on a couple of trees along Brock Street West and wish there were a few more of them.
I also notice the litter (something I just cannot become used to), the number of vehicles which travel the wrong way on one-way Church Street and the incredible number of vehicles which run red lights in the downtown area. I do not notice much police presence in town, although I was visited by a couple of officers a few months ago.
They knocked on my door and informed me they were looking for a former biker and, judging by my looks, they guessed I wasn't him. I told them the disguise must be working better than I thought.
One thing that has surprised me is the amount of work it takes to keep a small bachelor flat clean. It seems the smaller the space, the faster the clutter builds up. Unless I am constantly on top of it (which I most decidedly am not), I find the dishes getting out of hand and small piles of dirty laundry appearing here and there. And one small amount of clutter makes the whole flat look cluttered. Still, when it is time to clean, it doesn't take long.
One slight disadvantage of having a bachelor flat is that I don't have a bedroom with a door I can close. Annie makes full use of this fact and uses my chest as a trampoline when she wants me to wake up in the morning. But it constantly amazes me at how she can disappear when she wants.
There is, however, one most important benefit of living in a small flat. Although my sweetheart and I have perhaps an even closer relationship now, my time alone has become precious to me. This is not the forced solitude I experienced so many years ago in British Columbia. This is a solitude in which I can be as lazy as I want, as busy as I want or as reflective as I want to be and yet, by stepping out of my front door, I can be among friends in minutes.
To my way of thinking, life doesn't get much sweeter than that.
Tell me, am I wrong?
