Found - A Wargaming Room (And a House)

The Canadian military offers its members a ritual known as the HHT, our House Hunting Trip.  Once upon a time the HHT wasn’t necessary.   You simply reported to Base Housing, and if married they found you a suitable PMQ (Permanent Married Quarter) depending on your entitlement by rank.   The Housing Sergeant walked you in for an inspection, and the movers arrived thereafter.   When you left, the Sergeant showed up for a white glove inspection to find dust (he always did, it was a game).   I have this from the old timers, this era was long before my time.   Today most of the PMQs are gone, and the remaining ones are administered by a civilian agency charged with showing a profit, so they rent at market rate.   Most military members, if they can afford it, buy their accommodations on the local economy, and each receives a package of benefits (a paid trip with so many days to find a house, assistance with realty costs, home inspections, and the like).   Some HHTs are arduous slogs, walking through an endless sequence of houses and hoping the missus can find one she likes before the time allowed for the trip runs out).  This trip was easy by comparison.

It took us a day to find a new house.  Madame Padre and I arrived in Barrie on Monday night and spent all of Tuesday with Hugh, our realtor (I believe he would be called an Estates Agent on the other side of the ocean).  Hugh was a splendid chap with 25 years of local knowledge.  Some realtors can be pushy, self-interested, and lazy, but we didn’t get that from Hugh.   We looked at ten houses on Tuesday and settled on this one, a lovely bungalow near the freeway and easy commuting distance to the base.

We both like to cook and bake, and the kitchen was quite seductive.

The backyard offers a lot of gardening prospects for Madame P, and a large garage/shed which has possibilities for painting and gaming in the warm months.  But what about the interior wargaming room?  This middle room in the basement offered some interesting possibilities.

I liked these shelves, but the lighting was a bit weak and as it was in the centre of the house, there was no natural light.

But what about this room at the back?

Hmmm.  Exterior light through a window on to the driveway, and three sets of fluorescent lights in the ceiling.  Room for two tables, if a bit cramped, and space for some shelving at the back.  There's additional storage in an adjoining workroom for boxes of figures and scenery.

I won't say this was the deciding factor, but it helped.  Possession date is 6 July, and move in date may be a bit later, depending on when a mover is available.  Now, a month left to finish packing, sorting, downsizing, and of course, embarking the little men.

Blessings,  

MP+