Crucial Pieces of Knowledge

Before one makes a large purchase, you know the ones larger than a new MAC lipgloss or Smashbox eyeshadow.  One would think a person should actually look at the purchase in question.....well more than a picture anyways, because though a picture may say 1000 words you can't get the actual "feel or smell" of the subject unless you fully immerse yourself in the actual object a.k.a. house first.
Now we did see the farm a year or so before but didn't actually set foot in the house until we were moving in our items...after careening through the Rocky Mountains; destined first for a Heineken at Dennys, then off to our final destination The Dell. We stayed the night before at my in laws, left the kids there the next morning and started off with some good friends to unload our stuff.  Uhhhhh...now where is that farm again?  As we drove in the general direction (Brad went on earlier that morning) I realized I had no idea how to get there....it's all in the details remember?
Anyways, clearly I arrived after some cell phone instructions. As I pulled into the driveway it was as unkempt as I remember but no worries we were going to fix all that up, water the lawn, plant some vegetables and live off the land....So with that I mustered up some determination and walked into our new home...that's about when the tears started, ok and the nervous breakdown....just a little one.......
The "gentleman" that owned the house before must have been hard of smell, and any other sense required to leave in a society pleasing manner.  Since he was still there moving things off the land I actually used my filter and politely informed my husband I was going to "town" to get an installer for new carpets and go find a paint store to "fix up" the rooms...I also asked all our belongings be put into the shed as the house was uninhabitable at the present time.  Ok, maybe it wasn't that polite but you get the idea.
While waiting the next day for the carpet to arrive I grabbed bleach, a lot of bleach and started work on the kitchen. Funny I thought that there would be blue sidewalk chalk in the kitchen cupboards, I know the owner had no kids and it was an odd place for them. 
As I am scrubbing the cupboards I realized we weren't in the house alone...indeed mice loved this little piece of paradise as well....I felt pretty far from our brand new home in Calgary with our gourmet kitchen, tile floors and gated lake community.
Upon hearing activity outside I went out to see George (father in law) talking to Brad sitting on a tractor...I ask what he is doing, Brad informs me he is trying to figure out how to start it!  WHAT...YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO DRIVE A TRACTOR???  Yes, a crucial tidbit of knowledge one would imagine, you know, on a farm.  Now, I have no idea when I thought he would have acquired this knowledge in the previous 9 years we had been together...I don't recall any night school courses or weekend seminars, in between his demands as a chef/dad/rec hockey player..so yes, I guess he didn't know how......I guess I just assumed.......well, thank goodness for George he got it going and headed toward the field to "work the land" it took me quite awhile to not find it hilarious to see him driving a tractor...don't worry he knew how I felt as I always laughed when I saw him on it...for probably longer than necessary......
And by the time the kids arrived I had indeed figured out the sidewalk chalk was not at all that, but mouse poison......hmmm.....We aren't in Calgary anymore............