Finally...a day out on the land. I haven't been out on skidoo since the Spring I was in Pangnirtung. I've been going through major withdrawal. My friend L took me out for about 4 hours on Saturday. We had a fantastic day. We headed out the bay went down past Apex then back into town and up the river in the park and then out the road to nowhere to end up back in Apex before heading home. It was fantastic.







For Sale? Prime piece of real estate out the river past the airport. It looked like a great spot for a cabin and who ever owns it is very lucky.


All good things must come to an end. Actually, the site of a very minor accident. No one was hurt in the making of this picture...just lots of laughs, giggles and a few "Are you ok?" Coming down the hill and L misjudged the slop we ended up banging head first into a rock. The skidoo unharmed we simply pulled it around and headed out again.


The hill where the misjudgement took place.




Taken dockside in Iqaluit.


Almost perfect framing.


Looking out my apartment window.

It's Toonik Tyme. A week long celebration held every April in Iqaluit. There are lots of outdoor winter activities to watch or participate in and lots of indoor things to warm up the night. It is unfortunate that most of the activities take place during the day, but fortunately the territorial government gives employees the afternoon of Friday off to participate and in turn so did I.

Thursday afternoon there was an ice sculptre contest on and while I didn't get down to watch, I did rope L into coming with me Friday afternoon, blanket in tow to help me take pictures. Why a blanket? Well, ice is either clear or white and the sculptures were outside. So a white on white on white picture doesn't really work out so well. The wind unfortunately picked up around lunch on Friday and the whole blanket idea worked...but not as well as hoped.

Friday afternoon we watched an igloo making contest, a hockey game, snow golf, and an uphill snowmobile race. Then I came home and took a nap.

Here's some pictures from yesterday...

Ice Sculptures
Shadow bears (two identical bears facing each other)

giant face

person making an inukshuk

goose (the details were fantastic)

goose without blanket


Igloos

Too all you wonderful folks moving North, you can contact me at northofnain@hotmail.com

I will answer any and all questions you might have about moving North.

You may find it interesting to note though that while I have given out my email address to probably just under 20 people who are moving North or thinking about it...only one person ever took me up on the offer to ask questions.

I'm in major countdown mode here at the office. Only 4 more days till I get out. And while the trip is mostly work...you know I will have some fun as well. I have contacted my friends in St. John's and warned them of my arrival. A in Calgary is planning my spa day events and I am trying to link up with someone I met up here while I am in Vancouver. I'll be so tired when I get back I will need another vacation....I mean, err, work trip.

The plane seats are booked. The hotels have been reserved. The cars are eagerly awaiting me. I'm all set to go. Hurry up clock.

I actually picked a great day to do all my bookings, we are having a yucky day, blowing snow, lots of snow coming down and no sunshine. On the bright side it is only -9, but frankly I could live with -30 and sunshine longer than this kind of weather.

I'm really looking forward to this trip. I have a lot of great meetings lined up and an equal amount of down time. I was preparing to head to Vancouver for meetings and then two things changed. One I found out I needed to go to St. John's and two, the meeting moved to Whistler. With my Newfoundland trip going all the way to Friday I would return to the North on Saturday and then need to leave on Tuesday to make my Whistler meetings. What's a girl to do? Stay down south of course. The three extra days of hotel and per diem are still lower than the cost of flying up and down again. Sigh. Yep, it's a hard life somedays.

Last night as we were at the Storehouse listening to the North of 60 Idol competition the word storm was mentioned. Everyones eyes light up and you could feel the anticipation...almost if not worse than school kids we discussed the likelihood of having a day off. It's a bit sad and funny to see a bunch of 'grown ups' trying to figure out if they will have the next day off and can they stay up a bit later and have another drink if indeed they will get to sleep in.

The show was part of Toonik Tyme...which I will be in Iqaluit for...first time I've managed that. Last year I was in PEI for my surprise visit and the year before I was in for part of it, but didn't know it was going on. That would be the downfall of working across the street from where you are staying...the eyes never veer far off the beaten path and you can miss a lot. I've mapped out a number of things that I want to attend and with any luck the weather will cooperate and I will get to do just that. Stay tuned.

I don't even want to look at the Southern temps until Sunday when I start thinking about packing. And believe me I am hoping that someone will have temps that will be suitable for sandals.

A good friend left town this week. Their six month contract came to an end and they shipped out. It's funny how quickly people can move into and then out of your life. I enjoyed all the time we spent together and will definitely miss this person, who am I going to go for lunch with now?

Anyone else coming up on a short term contract that would like to be my friend?

It may not come as news to some of you that I have been toying with the idea of moving South. When I first moved up I told myself three years and then I'd make a decision on what to do next. I could never have dreamed that in just over two years my life would have changed this much. I really enjoy living here and I (on most days) enjoy my job...so why would I even think about moving South...I have my reasons. There are pros and cons of staying on for another couple of years just as there are pros and cons of leaving. One day I am determined to go, the next you couldn't pry me away from the North.

I've always been a go with the gut kind of person...and trust me there is a lot of gut to go on...but this time it is failing me. I'm not getting a reading either way. I make plans and give myself deadlines and it doesn't feel right, so I do a 180 and make plans for the other direction and then that doesn't feel right either. So there is no decision at this point.

I'm heading South next week; St. John's, Calgary then Vancouver and Whistler. Yep, it's a rough life...which is making the decision harder. Travel is important to me and I'd hate to lose that part of my current position. I've seen some pretty cool places the past couple of years. My salary has doubled since I left PEI...and while the cost of living is certainly higher here...I'm still farther ahead. The salary issue is tough when deciding to leave. I don't know my value down South. It's tough to figure out what to ask for. I've been searching employment sites and a lot of the positions I think I'd like to take on are so poorly paid I feel bad for the person in them...but at the same time..maybe it isn't so bad and my sense of reality is just out of proportion.

Whatever the case I don't need to make any decisions right away. And in fact at the moment all my energy is going into planning my trip South and all the wonderful things I want to do....including seeing my best friend (live in person) for the first time in three years. YEAH!

It's Friday. Finally.

Good news a couple of days ago, my camera is working again. I was getting ready to toss it out, thought I'd give it one more chance and voila! Pictures. Apparently the threat of being tossed was enough to shake off the slump. Perhaps it was just resting from all the pics in India. Either way it is good news as I will be able to take pics again and will not need to rush my purchase of a new camera.

I'm headed South in just over a week. Looking forward to it. I have another escort trip to St. John's, followed by a few days of R&R in Calgary and then off to Whistler for meetings. Yep, it is a rough life. I wouldn't get back to Iq until Saturday and need to fly out of Iqaluit again on Tuesday...so for the sake of a couple days it is cheaper and smarter (in my books) to stay down. I have all kinds of fun planned for my stay in Calgary where I will get to visit with my best friend...whom I haven't seen face to face in almost three years. Look out Calgary!

Spring is definitely arrived. The snow is melting and there are icicles everywhere. A few potholes have started to appear and it is sports bra season. (Might need to be a woman to fully appreciate that comment). We are up to 16 hours of daylight and I can't wait to arrive back in May when it will be even more.

May of course brings the Trade Show to town and an opportunity to dress up. I will be wearing one of my new sari's. The fancy blue one I believe. Hopefully I am able to find the perfect pair of shoes during my trip out. I wish Payless would let Canadians shop online.

Not much new and exciting. I haven't had milk in about 2 weeks...no skim milk at the stores. And my bread has been rather sketchy of late. Went to make a sandwich yesterday and decided against using the blue bread. Bought only a day before. Ah well. The limes I bought the other day are in fine shape, but at $6.92 for 8 little limes they should be. This time of the year will also be the beginning of the bare shelves. Where the stores will not bother to bring in certain items cause...they will be coming on sea lift (in 3 or 4 months). Yeah...why bother. Who needs soup anyway?

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and if the weather holds I will have new pics for you to look at over coffee Monday morning.

On Saturday the internet went down. And while it is on now and then for a few minutes at a time...it has been down ever since. Of course if you are reading this it came on long enough for me to upload this entry....duh!

Not having the internet on the weekend was mildly annoying. I wanted to find hotels and spas and stuff for an upcoming trip. Oh well...no biggie. Not having internet at work today meant no emails coming or going and no access to the files attached to the emails and a considerable slackening of work on my part.

I called the provider in the am and asked when it might be up...dunno. Yellowknife is 2 hours behind so we need to wait for them to get to work. I didn't get into it...but if the entire server goes down for all of Iqaluit (and maybe NU wide) shouldn't there be some kind of emergency number to call? If this happened in TO I can guarantee you there would be internet access within a few hours and likely a discount in cost. We won't see a discount in our monthly payment even though we have been essentially three days without access...and in fact the part (that I heard late this afternoon was coming on the plane) they needed to replace will likely cost me more money on my monthly bill.

I have had access for about 1/2 hour tonight...which is a record. Of course my work email is still down as someone will need to go and reset the server. Sigh. And the computer guy that used to do that is in jail on charges for child porn. Yep...it's an interesting world.

I had a nice weekend. I managed to get my truck stuck on Saturday. After a lovely drive and walk out at the park I drove my friend Chris down to Apex. And was on the road out to my look out spot (where I spent a portion of last Spring looking for cracks in the ice), and got stuck in the snow. It was deeper than I thought and much deeper than last time I was out. We rocked the truck and put it into 4X4 Low...cause is was already in 4wheel drive...and no luck. But within 10 mintues someone pulled up behind us and after a couple of attempts managed to pull me out. First time I've gotten stuck. Not bad...and it didn't cost me anything to get pulled out. Though I did pull a muscle or two on the back of my left knee which is still bugging me.

Thanks...Mr Stranger for helping out.

Today was an unusual day. Friends...break ups...that kind of thing. I'm trying not to get in the middle...but I feel I'm there anyway. I'm doing my best and about 6 months from now it won't seem like such a big deal, but for the people invovled today was very emotional. Work is going well. I got a nice big raise retro to October 1, 2007 so I'm pretty happy about that. The back pay will almost cover my trip to Vancouver at the end of the month...which is great.

I have a feeling that this week is going to be full of evenings out at the bar with friends...talking and drinking. There is a big symposium (mining) in town this week and I have a bunch of pals coming in for it...so it could get scary...and fun!

We had a small accident at the office yesterday. No biggie, but one of the guys managed to stab himself with his pocket knife while using it as a screw driver. Since I was the only one with a vehicle I decided to take him to public health instead of the hospital, knowing how long one must wait there and the problems we would have.

I felt like I had an illegal with me...because he didn't have a Nunavut health card. He has been here for over a year and you are suppossed to get one within three months of arrival...men. I recommend before he get one but I'm not his mom...so what can you do. Thank goodness I know most of the nurses down there and they fixed him up with a tetanus shot and a bandaid.


It is one thing to need to pay for a hospital visit, a few hundred dollars for a short visit, but if he needed to be medivaced (sp) to Ottawa it would cost over $25,000. Not worth the risk if you ask me...but then again I've been safe and responsible for most of my life.

I spent all day today (Thursday) helping at the Skills Nunavut competition. I was judge for the baking contest, bread and lemon meringu pie! It was rough...having to taste pies and eat bread. Sigh. Lots of fun and the two girls I had to judge were sweet. Lots of fun but back to the office in the morning...unless we get the storm that someone mentioned late this afternoon.

Mmmm...snow storm.