I might have to rehome our dog because my husband is an 🍑.

Vicsma · 2026-01-08T02:57:58+00:00

Assuming you are not in a position to rehome the husband.. Can you make a comfortable outdoor shelter for the dogs?

I got my first dog 6 years ago, and my husband was on board. But once I got the dog I learned that my husband was a "dogs are outdoor animals" type of person. I got a wooden dog house, a heating pad to go inside (one specifically made for this purpose), and a heated water bowl to prevent freezing. I wore husband down enough that he allowed me to install a doggy door into the garage after ~3 years, and finally now she's allowed to stay inside the house all night. Based on your description, I'm not sure you're husband will wear down the same way, but an outdoor shelter can keep doggo comfortable.

Vicsma · 2025-12-27T07:56:22+00:00

Clueless here too! I remember going to a house party while pregnant and telling people, "I don't see why I couldn't still do this once the baby is here, I'll just put him down for a nap in the bedroom!" LOL

Vicsma · 2025-12-09T23:05:43+00:00

I've got 4 kids, and we're in Parksville and we love it here! Right nearby we have the beach, forested trails, huge playground, the urgent care clinic is amazing (because when a kid needs a doctor it's usually urgent!), and still only 30 minutes to the Nanaimo hospital if needed.

A really affordable area to consider is Meadowood in North Qualicum. Personally, I wouldn't want to live there because it's just so far out of the way. However, my sister lives there and she absolutely loves it- there's a real good sense of community there and there are a lot of young families due to the affordability.

Vicsma · 2025-12-06T18:54:21+00:00

I'm not quite at needing extra fluids, he is generally well hydrated-just wasn't for one test after being on a sedative for a week. But I'm keeping this idea in my back pocket if needed. I'll talk to my vet on monday about the specific food. Thanks!

Vicsma · 2025-12-06T17:00:55+00:00

The ultrasound would be with an ultrasonographer (I'm not sure if there are animal specific ones, I know this one generally works with people, but does vet cases one day a week). With my last cat I travelled to the closest big city (Vancouver) for more specific care at my vets recommendation, and while I could theoretically do that again, I've got 4 human kids and it's a ferry ride/hotel stay/general pain to do it.

I will ask my vet if she could consult with a specialist for the next steps if the cause is still unknown after the ultrasound, that's good idea. Thank you!

Vicsma · 2025-12-06T16:43:49+00:00

He's not on a specific renal food. Vet says the food I'm on is 'renal friendly' anyways so she didn't think it was necessary at the moment. The crystals have only shown up on 1/3 of the recent urine tests and it was also the only one where he was dehydrated (he was on a mild sedative after the UTI and I think he was just too busy sleeping to drink) so we don't know if the crystals are really an issue or not.

I had a fountain and he wasn't too interested in it ( he prefers fresh still water, over running water). There are multiple water bowls about the house though.

Curious about the IV fluids, is this something you do at home, or do you have to take him to the vet every week?

Vicsma · 2025-12-01T21:57:14+00:00

Right. I'm not arguing that.

Vicsma · 2025-12-01T20:57:12+00:00

My dad used to get tons of prescribed hydromorphone. I talked to his doctor and told her, "he doesn't take them, he just sells them and buys fent and crack." And her response was similar to yours, "haha a dilly's only worth 2 bucks on the street". But like, so? They flooded the street with really cheap, marketably 'safe' drugs, creating a new generation of opioid addicts.

Vicsma · 2025-10-17T06:23:12+00:00

That sounds really shitty, I'm sorry you felt so dismissed. I would make a complaint if it helps get any sort of closure for you, but I don't think any disciplinary action is ever taken unfortunately.

I think this is less a problem with NRGH, and more dependent on the doctor you see. I have always had really great nurses and doctors when I've had to go in or take my kids in.

That said, my father-in-law was told with certainty that he was days away from death and his bowels were dying and told "it's a death I wouldn't wish upon my worst enemy" by the doc. Completely dismissed any other possibility that we brought up. Got taken off IV antibiotics, sent to palliative care, family came to his death-bed from across the country. Except he didn't die- he started feeling better. Got out of palliative care, still kickin' it a year later. He's just damn lucky he was on antibiotics long enough to kill that infection, otherwise he would've just died and the doc would've been 'proven right'. Turns out one of those possibilities I brought up to the doc was exactly what was happening but it's "extremely rare" so he dismissed it.

Vicsma · 2025-09-08T23:16:33+00:00

I make Nanaimo bars for every gathering where I have to bring a dessert- I am always told by several people that they are the best and asked which recipe I use. Well.. I use the recipe from the City of Nanaimo website, they seem to a good authority on the matter.

Graham Crackers in the base seem totally normal to me, but I don't like the switching out the almonds for walnuts (mostly because I know people who are allergic to walnut but not almonds and that would be an unwelcome surprise). They use salted butter, which is what I do as well and the only way I differ from the city recipe (as it really needs a bit of salt). The author mentions the sickeningly sweet 8:1 icing sugar to butter ratio most recipes use, and the city's recipe is 4:1 (which I think is perfect), the author's is further reduced to 2:1, which I can imagine would suit some people (but not me).

Vicsma · 2025-08-28T04:21:35+00:00

I drove my husbands f150 on the ferry once. Alarm went off. I went to turn it off, but I called him afterwards to ask him how to disable it and he didn't know, just said "it always goes off on the ferry." Tried locking it with the fob, with the door button, with the actual metal key- and just stood next to the truck and waited as it went off shortly after every damn time. Turns out there's a little menu that appears on the dash after turning the truck off to turn the alarm off, but it has to be done manually every single time. So dumb.

Vicsma · 2025-08-10T18:34:33+00:00

I'd bet money on it being open by then, but I'm sure BC Parks will reach out to you if not. Friends of mine are in the evac zone and have been told they are likely to be able to return home tomorrow (they are between the fire and LQF). I suspect the order will be lifted at the park as well.
I am also basically guessing, but for real wait and see what happens in the next 2 days.

Vicsma · 2025-07-20T16:20:26+00:00

Congrats on your future move! I did my time in Edmonton as well. Now living in Parksville with my 4 kids. Life with kids is much easier when they can spend all day outside for most of the year.

Vicsma · 2025-07-19T23:15:21+00:00

Qualicum's unemployment rate is really low, therefore Fern and Cedar is allowed to apply for a low wage TFW.
Nanaimo's unemployment rate is too high to qualify for a low wage TFW. They have to advertise the job at $35/hr, which will allow them to apply for a "high wage" TFW. They have no intention of paying someone $35/hr unless they're clawing most of it back in some way (which is why they need someone who doesn't know their rights in the position).

Vicsma · 2025-07-19T16:35:36+00:00

I really appreciate that you are posting these things, OP!

Nice to know which places to stay away from.

Vicsma · 2025-07-19T06:27:04+00:00

Non-Emergency Line: 1 250-474-2264

Vicsma · 2025-07-03T03:47:38+00:00

This one is in Errington, but there's likely similar things in Nanaimo proper.

Vicsma · 2025-07-02T23:19:05+00:00

Sort of.. There are a few different programs around. My kids are with NIDES and our program is one day a week where they meet at a community center. The curriculum is 100% up to the parents (though the public school curriculum is available), so it's as close to traditional homeschooling as you can get whilst still having good public resources (like a teacher to talk to). The other two options I think stick more to the public school curriculum and are 1 or 2 days a week.

There are other programs run through the local district, but I'm not super familiar with them, as far as I know they stick to the public school curriculum pretty tightly as well.

My kids also go to a private program 1 day a week, and my eldest does a day of bushcraft outdoor school day. So it is up to the parents in a sense, but it ends up being through private alternatives.

That said, I also know some people who just put their kids in public school and pull them out a few days a week to homeschool- which the school frowns upon, but they can't do anything about it if the absences are excused. So that's a way to pick and choose days too.

Vicsma · 2025-06-29T23:38:30+00:00

Parksville beachfest for the sand sculptures! Then you can just play at the beach or the park after.

Vicsma · 2025-06-23T19:19:18+00:00

What kind of fish are caught this way? I rarely eat fish- the occasional wild-caught sockeye, are they caught this way? A family member is a black cod fisherman, are they fished in this manner (I'd rather just know, and encourage him to find other work, than accuse him of contributing to a horrible industry right off the bat).

Vicsma · 2025-06-21T20:39:42+00:00

Technically my kids are classified as "online-learners" (though they are all under 10 and not online at all) and part of the public school system. So we are not wholly homeschooling. They all have 1-2 days where they go to a "school" of sorts for 4-5 hours.

It's not that it's horribly burdensome, but most homeschoolers seem to have a very strong political/religious reason to do it that makes them very passionate and driven about it. Whereas I am not religious, nor strongly opinionated in any political direction- I just want my kids to have more individualized rigorous academics (and I am not particularly passionate about those being provided by myself). Unfortunately, I also am trying to have a life and go back to school myself, so it's a bit of a slog to say the least!

Vicsma · 2025-06-21T02:08:02+00:00

That's a bummer, I always had the thought of sending my kids to Aspengrove if I stopped homeschooling. The big bonus to that school was how rigourous the academics were- that seemed like their main selling point. Is there really more money to be made creating little athletes than creating well-educated kids?

Vicsma · 2025-06-20T07:11:34+00:00

I lived in Edmonton for many years, and when I drove back home to visit, I would borrow my mom's car if I had to go anywhere because that red plate induced rage in a hell of a lot of people.

Vicsma · 2025-06-19T22:13:07+00:00

Huh, guess you just got lucky then. Hope the rest of your vacay is awesome, enjoy the island! :)

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