a peek inside the fishbowl

Well, we decided to find out.

Yesterday I fashioned a wand out of a wire twist tie and mixed up a batch of bubble juice using water, Ivory dish soap, and a spoonful of glycerin (this is available at the pharmacy and makes the bubbles a little stronger). It’s recommended you let the mixture sit for 24 hours before using.

This is what happened. We discovered that you had to blow fast or it froze:

And the bubbles popped differently than we expected:

See this crumpled stuff that looks like cellophane? That was the bubble. (!)

If we were lucky we saw them freeze up in mid-air:

We observed a few interesting things:

• It might have been our bubble mixture, but only one out of every 10 or so attempts turned into a bubble. It pays to be patient. Making bubbles in the winter is not the same as in the summer.
• The bubbles seemed to move a little slower than they would in the summer
• They popped slower too
• They needed some time in the air in order to freeze
• When they popped it was more of a collapse, and they left behind a cellophane type substance (as shown above). Methinks it’s dehydrated dish soap and glycerin.
• Also, we should have worn mittens. :)

Tip: the bubble solution seemed to work better when it was really cold. I really recommend you try this!

Our second experiment was something I saw Dr. Yoni Freedhoff from Weighty Matters do last year.

Have you ever wondered what happens to boiling water when you throw it up in the air? We did! And here’s the answer:

Cool eh?

If you need me I’ll be in the basement, making four piles: keep and pack, keep to move, toss it out, and donate to charity.

Why on earth have I been holding on to so much crap?

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted an update on this topic, but it seems fitting that my first post of the New Year be about the reno because it’s going to affect us in a big way in 2012. In fact, I predict it will eat up an awful lot of time and space in my brain until this time next year.

The final (!) plans were delivered to us right before Christmas and permit applications are in. There have been a few small updates to the plans but overall it’s pretty much the same as before. (FYI, ground floor is shown here, and the upper floor is here.) The biggest change upstairs is that the shower area will be made larger. The shower head is now further back, creating space to hang a towel and a robe in there. Oh, and there’ll be a laundry chute upstairs! Woot! Next on the list: finding a builder. Construction is slated to begin April 1 (although I would prefer April 2). :)

I think I’m ready for it now. We are slo-o-o-wly packing up our things, and I’ve been checking Padmapper every day for a place for us to live during the reno because Mark refuses to live in a yurt we construct in the backyard. Sheesh. ;)

All kidding aside, Padmapper has been a really useful resource. If you’re looking for a rental I really recommend it. It collects ads from several different online sources and plots them on a map so all I need to do is a lot of clicking and reading. And clicking and reading.

In a perfect world, our neighbours would decide they need responsible housesitters while they’re away on an 8-month trip around the world, but I kind of doubt that will happen. That’s why I’m looking for an inexpensive place to live close-by. Here’s what our ad would look like if we were writing it:

Quiet and friendly family of four (plus one small non-barky dog) seek unfurnished two or three bedroom sublet for 6-8 months. We are non-smoking and responsible home owners who seek temporary shelter while our home is being renovated. Our ideal place would be located somewhere between Woodroffe and Hampton Park and include one parking spot and easy access to outdoor space.

Oh man. I hope we find something.