North of Nain

2008-11-14T17:38:00.001-05:00

http://www.cbc.ca/nunavutvotes2008/story/2008/11/14/nunavut-forum.html

YES!

2008-11-06T22:25:00.002-05:00

Here's the pics of my new apartment. These were taken by the landlord and posted in the ad I saw..so no photo credit to me.

This is the mirror image of my kitchen.

This would be my new bedroom. While I like the idea of wood in the whole house I guess I'm a bit glad that my bedroom is carpeted. In the place in Calgary I had hardwood throught and when I would flop into bed at the end of the night it would roll on the wood and move. So maybe I won't have that issue on the carpet.

Living room complete with patio. Guess I will definitely need to buy a bbq next summer. And a bike to store on the deck as well.

Since my life is a constant flow of change it will surprise no one that the plans I made yesterday afternoon to bring my belongings to Edmonton have changed. I am now off to Calgary Friday after work, meeting the movers on Saturday and back to Edmonton on Sunday. Phew. Then my belongings should arrive on Monday. The phone, internet, cable package will be up and running by Wednesday night. Whoo hoo.

I have a friend who is having a rough time of it lately. I wish I knew what to do for her. I know she knows that I am here for her and would do anything to help her. So I guess all I need to do is wait for her to ask and hope that everything works out.

2008-11-05T23:06:00.001-05:00

I coming back up North!! Part time. My new job in Edmonton...yeah, not Calgary anymore...has me working in Cambridge Bay part time. Heading up November 17 for the week...can't wait!

2008-08-26T11:06:00.001-04:00

The new blog is up. Nothing to read yet. Address link will be provided to all who asked.

Thanks for reading North of Nain over the past couple of years. My new life may not be as interesting as my Northern life...we will see.

2008-08-25T22:24:00.000-04:00

Found an incredible, amazing apartment....cross your fingers that she gets approved.

2008-08-24T21:56:00.016-04:00

The search for the apartment started in earnest. A and I drove around looking for 'for rent' signs. We found a number of them and I will give some of them a call tomorrow and see what they tell me. I also have three appointments booked to view. Hopefully something will turn up quickly.

While Calgary is a big city is seems that everything can be accessed fairly easily and quickly, even from one end of town to the other.

Here's a few pics from the past weeks journey. I admit I didn't take many...not many at all. Entire provinces were missed in the photo essay. It was more important for me to stay on the road and stay focused on my driving than to stop and smell the roses. I hope to take lots of time in the coming months to smell the wild roses.

2008-08-23T22:54:00.003-04:00

Have arrived in Calgary safe and sound. Uhaul and truck are parked until I am able to find an apartment. We will safely maneuver C'town in A's small car until a location has been determined.

Drive today went fast. Prairie roads are amazing. Fast, smooth and no police.

More updates later. Must relax.

2008-08-22T23:14:00.002-04:00

We are bunking down in Regina this evening. The drive today was good and hard at the same time. The roads in Manitoba and Sask are nice to drive on...the torrential down pour and fierce headwind were not so great. You could see the fuel just dropping by the mile. And I hate driving in the rain.

Started the morning off by getting soaked just walking from hotel to truck and again from truck to lunch. So spent majority of the day in wet clothes. Not fun...but not a total hardship. We could have pushed on and gone farther, but decided I had had enough for one day and so here we are. Celebrated tonight with a Mike's Hard Lemondade...I asked for three years for them to get them in IQ and they never did then finally this year a few days before I left town the Mike's came in on sealift...figures.

I haven't actually given a lot of thought to the whole job, move, etc. I guess I will see what happens when it happens.

What I have thought about is CBC. I love CBC. I'm an addict, a junkie. I can't get enough. Not the tv news but CBC radio. I've been addicted since high school and anyone who has ever driven with me knows that I don't have any programs set in my vehicles...the radio is only ever on CBC. My complaint this week is that you can't get coverage all across the country. There are many, many locations where I haven't been able to tune it in, including just outside Winnipeg today. If anyone who can do anything about this at cbc is reading this...please...fix it. You are the Canadian station and I need my daily fix...although I do think the hourly 8 minute olympic update is way too much.

LATE tomorrow night we are hoping to arrive in Calgary. Wow.

2008-08-21T22:56:00.002-04:00

Update from the road.

Yesterday, Wednesday was rough.
The fish died.
Both of them.
Apparently I killed them.
Apparently Dasani water has no oxygen in it...and that is the water I put into their tanks. They didn't have a chance.
I was very sad...am still sad. To have come so far only to be killed by me...it just isn't right. And this only a few hours after I had a fleeting thought of dog ownership. I don't think that is a good idea anymore. If I can't keep two fish alive how can I keep a dog going.

Cheers boys...I'll miss you.

It was a good day of driving though and I made my destination, White River, ON and celebrated the life of the fish and making it thus far with a glass of wine.

Today, Thursday, I picked up my buddy Ali in Thunder Bay and we are now hanging in a hotel in Kenora. The drive once I picked her up went smooth...almost. Before her arrival I parked at the airport...I had a bit of trouble getting into the pay parking lot and if anyone happens to swing by their long term parking you may notice that the machine is a bit off the base. Oops. I didn't run it over, just scraped it and put a small dent in it. But the sign said OVERSIZED...guess they didn't expect someone in a uhaul.

We arrived in Kenora and found a hotel. I drove around to the back to park and found out there was no way to drive around. So I had to back up. It was terrible. It took about 15 minutes to get the trailer and truck backed up into a spot so I could pull ahead and drive out. After about 10 minutes of watching me struggle a nice truck driver came over and helped. He walked beside me and turned his imaginary wheel in the direction I needed to go. It was great. The hardest part was the audience. People were standing and watching...stress level was high. But...I 'gotter done'

Tomorrow we are hoping to arrive in Regina. Wish us luck.

2008-08-20T08:14:00.003-04:00

Day 1 I went 766km
Day 2 I went 928km

Arrived last night in North Bay. It puts me in a good spot for today and tomorrow. I have a passenger to pick up on Thursday and I'd rather not be late for that event. I'm pretty sure I mentioned it before, but my BFA is flying from Calgary to Thunder Bay to drive the remainder of the trip with me...YEAH. I still have 13 hours of road to cover but I have 1 1/2 days to do it in...no problem....unless I have a problem.

Oliver James took one for the team yesterday. Some nasty Q truck driver spit a rock out from one of his wheels and it made a very large mark on the windshield. It will need to be looked at once we arrive in Calgary. The truck has been handling the whole experience well...not surprising, its a great truck. And considering I have never hauled a trailer before I think I'm doing pretty good. Yesterday not only did I survive Montreal, I went through a Timmies drive thru with the trailer. It wasn't planned, I wanted to go in, but once I had turned into the parking lot I realized there wasn't any space for me to park...so I went thru instead....then drove down the road a few miles and peed in some bushes....which had been the main reason for stopping at Tim's.

I need to confirm this with my folks, but I think this is the 15th trip I've made from PEI to AB by vehicle of some sort. We moved out west when I went into grade 3 and I think we went to PEI every summer by bus until we moved back to PEI when I was going into grade 9. I can't really say anything looks familiar, that was a few years ago, but it isn't surprising I guess that I am making the journey once again.

Taken at my Mom and Dad's a few nights ago.

Alright...enough...I need to get ready for my day...my late start is getting later by the second.

2008-08-18T20:14:00.002-04:00

Have arrived in Quebec. Not entirely sure where. My description to my mom was 'remember the place where we stopped to get gas and you tried on the cowboy hat...yeah...that one.' I suppose there must be something here at the hotel that would tell me, oh well.

So far so good. I went just over 750km today. Not that far but I had a late start to the am and didn't go as fast in the morning as I did in the afternoon. It took a while to get used to the feel of the trailer at 110km/hr. I think I got the hang of it now. At least the going forward part.

Lots to think about on the drive. Will I like Calgary? Will I find a place to live before I start to work? Will I like my new job? Will I find a nice cowboy to show me the ropes of big city life? All kinds of things to ponder as I count off the km's. My internet connection isn't great so I can't upload any pics. In any rate they would be cheating pics as they were taken when my mom and I went to Montreal last week and not from today.

Oh, and Oliver James turned over to 10,000km today! Finally broken in.

The fish are surviving thus far. I have them in LARGE plastic containers, not the tiny ones the airline forces me to use. I unscrew the lids and give them fresh air everytime I stop which is around every 2 hours. They are sitting up front just behind the gear shift upagainst the front seat in a box I bought so they don't move around too much. Hopefully they survive the trip.

2008-08-18T08:25:00.001-04:00

My dad says the last post was a bit rude...it wasn't meant to be rude...I just don't want nosey reporters with nothing better to do reading my blog and turning my feelings into news stories...again. And if you like reading the blog...a simple email will continue it from Calgary.

Looking for names and suggestions for the new one. Will continue to update here until I arrive in AB.

I'm off. I have perfected the forward portion of uhaul driving...will work on the rest as we go.

Thanks to my folks (and sister) for all the help packing.

2008-08-15T09:21:00.001-04:00

I am still alive...I just haven’t had the chance to blog. I miss it.

Time, never enough of it to get everything done. I am leaving on Monday for the next adventure and I haven’t seen or done 90% of the things on my list. Sigh.

The truck has arrived in PEI. My mom and I had a great trip up and back to pick it up. We arrived in Montreal the morning after the rioting. Not a problem, but talk about poor timing. Didn’t spend a lot of time in the city, but we did wander around old Montreal for a morning. It was delightful as usual. The trip back with the truck went well...the first time it has been in 5th gear!

The hitch was installed yesterday, I am picking up the uhaul today and will spend the rest of my weekend going through boxes and tossing stuff that I kept and now don’t know why. Oliver James and I will be leaving Monday morning. Our first destination is somewhere over the Quebec border. It will be my first time pulling a trailer and I want to give myself lots of time to get comfortable with it before I hit the major highways around Montreal and through Ontario.

My BFA will be meeting me in Thunder Bay for the rest of the drive West. She is a total trooper. Her flight leaves Calgary at 6:30am and then she has a 3 or 4 hour layover in Winnipeg. She must really like me. It provides me with a couple things...one, I get to look forward to some quality time with my best bud, and two, it will help me stay on track and on schedule while driving across this wonderful country. I can turn a three hour drive to Halifax into an all day event given the chance...so many wonderful things to see along the way.

I hope to blog as I drive along...and maybe the odd photo update. The new camera is amazing, but so far I am only using it in stupid mode and have not branched out yet to go totally manual. And I have no photos for you because I haven’t installed the software on my computer that will allow me to upload/download the pics. Maybe before I leave...maybe. That and I am on dial up...which is worse than Northern internet.

I haven’t found a home in Calgary yet. Still looking. I may yet have a place to hang my cowboy hat before I arrive, but if I don’t there are a number of couches that I can have until I find home.

The plan is to start a new blog when I reach Calgary. I haven’t come up with a name yet. If you are interested in reading the new blog send your email address to northofnain@hotmail.com or if you know my personal email send it there. At this point in time I don’t think I want to make it ‘public’ and have all the traffic from here follow me along (yes, all 20 of you LOL). If you take the time to send your email address I will make sure that you get the new site once it is up and running.

Must run...so much to do before I go.

To everyone I didn’t get to see in person while on the Island...Hello! I miss you all. Come visit me in Calgary.

2008-08-06T21:50:00.000-04:00

I had forgotten how amazing the night sky looked when it is full of stars.

2008-08-04T13:33:00.002-04:00

How quickly the lessons are forgotten. I had thought I had learned some patience the past couple of years and I thought I had learned to...take it as it comes. You can't do anything about the planes not coming in...so you don't have milk, eggs, bread, meat or fresh fruit...you have frozen and canned to get you through. Or you can wait an extra day to get to that long, boring meeting that you were scheduled to fly out for. But, all lessons were forgotten the other day when I couldn't leave.

I think the combination of ill health (some kind of weird allergy/flu type thingy) combined with lack of sleep and the emotional roller coaster of leaving the North (saying good-bye to so many wonderful people) made me forget that the plane will eventually come and that while it may not happen on your schedule...it will happen. Still, I'm allowed my moments of impatience and agravation.

What my final hours in Iqaluit turned into...was actually pretty terrific...eventually. A colleague was also scheduled to fly out that day and I think our moods combined and we feed off the annoyance of each other over a martini lunch. I was in a foul mood when I headed back to the office and didn't not want to be with people. Once my flight arrangments had been made I checked into a local hotel to sulk. I slept the afternoon away, had a frozen dinner for supper and then fell alseep watching a movie. (This was not the terrific part, btw) Saturday morning I arose, re-packed the fish, checked out of the hotel, had a nice lunch and then headed for the 'beach'. I walked out on the shore to take photos of the pieces of ice that have floated back into the bay. I spent a couple of hours taking pics and walking around in sometimes ankle deep mud. (this is part of the terrific part). I went back to my office, or what had been my office, thankfully I had kept the keys and got in touch with a pal. She picked me up and off we went on her atv for a ride. We went exploring a bit and then headed home to freshen up and go for supper. I had nothing to freshen up into...having checked in hours before...so we tried to get some of the dog fur off me and having no success went out anyway. After supper we headed to the airport where there was another delay in the flight.....sigh...and it was quickly decided among three of us to head to the Legion. I bought one last small carving, enjoyed a couple drinks, sang along to some songs and with more tears...headed back to the airport.

It was sad to leave. But it is time to go.
New adventures await. Check back if you want to see what happens next.

2008-08-03T14:37:00.002-04:00

Have finally arrived on PEI. What a long trip.

Until you have lived in an isolated community where you are relying on an airline to get you in and out I don't think you fully appreciate the "I need to get out now!" comments from my last post. Seriously. And when you are saying good bye to the place and friends it is tortureous to repeat it almost daily until you do go. I know it first hand and so does another person who was in the same boat as me the past few days.

Now...bring on the hot sunny weather everyone was bragging about.

2008-08-01T20:49:00.002-04:00

I'm stuck. I can't get out of here. The fog apparently. I won't even get into how one airline always seems to cancel and the other one manages to get planes in and out...I won't even think about that today.

We had another suicide attempt with the red fish. I had them in their small travel containers at the office this afternoon awaiting news of our new flight. Someone came into the office and I noticed that one of the covers was off. Odd. Then I looked and realized it was one of the containers that should have had a fish in it. I found him on the table and dropped him back in. He is still swimming. Phew. But they both seem depressed. I think they are getting it from me.

Yeah, I am majorly bummed. I won't be getting home until Sunday now. Sigh.

I hope the fish are ok. They will be in small travel containers for longer than I would like them to be. I put them into their tanks tonight but I didn't have the proper measuring devices to ensure their water conditioner works. Cross your fingers.

Here I am at the hotel, cranky, my throat it sore, my hand is still wrapped and sore(two weeks ago I pulled a muscle in my wrist while packing...my left hand) and I'm cranky. Yeah, I know, I said that twice. I'm really cranky.

Yeah, yeah I know, enjoy the extra time in this beautiful part of the country...I will...tomorrow. Tonight all I want to do is sulk and eat my fruit loops.

2008-07-31T09:15:00.002-04:00

I should be cleaning. I should be throwing the last few things into the suitcase. I should have the vacuum on bust. I don't. I'm blogging.

I'm sitting in my almost empty apartment adding up the weight of all my suitcases in my head. I'm trying to figure out if I am leaving with more than I arrived with-truck not included. I think it is less. I had 1500 pounds shipped up plus I had 7 suitcases upon arrival. My current amount is coming in at aroudn 1000 pounds in total. Tell me, when have you thought of your belongs by weight?

A brilliant friend suggested yesterday that I ship via cargo my excess luggage to AB instead of dragging it to PEI and back again. Excellent suggestion! So later today I am off to cargo to ship out my extra suitcases. Thank god for smart friends. You know how you get into a mind frame of thinking and you just can't seem to see any other possible way of doing it...this has been one of those things. I'm happy she suggested it, I'm even happier she offered to take me to cargo with all my stuff! :)
And I'm grateful that I am not stubborn enough to take a good suggestion when I see/hear it.

I took the truck down to the beach yesterday. The boat is due to arrive at 11pm tonight, will do one tide unload/load and leave by supper time Friday night. If we fly low enough Friday I could see it. And the truck finally has a name...Oliver James.

2008-07-29T22:41:00.002-04:00

Ok...I was going to keep this going for a few days but I can't hold out any longer. I'm no good with secrets, esp my own.

I am moving to Calgary, Alberta. 5161141 also known as latitude and longtitude for the city of Calgary. I'll be the ED for a group of professional money raisers for non profits. It is going to be a challenging position, 1st ever of its kind in Canada, and exciting.

I am scheduled to start on September 2.

2008-07-29T19:51:00.000-04:00

EDAPF 5161141

2008-07-28T21:03:00.000-04:00

5161141

2008-07-27T16:27:00.003-04:00

It's Sunday. It's my last Sunday in Nunavut.

I'm watching the tide come in and the barges get ready for the next sealift unloading. If only we had a wharf, then the loading and unloading could happen around the clock and not be dependent on the tides, which extends the process by days.

Latest update on the truck is a possible departure on Thursday. Let's hope so.

I am scheduled to go for a walk with a friend, but my desire has been packed in one of the suitcases or swept into the dust bin. I'm tired. I am doing some of the last minute dusting, sweeping, scrubing and general clean up and frankly I'm tired. I was starting to wonder this afternoon why I only clean my oven when I move out of an apartment...although, it really doesn't seem all that dirty.

Here's some pics from the walk we took earlier in the week.

I haven't been making a list of things to do when I arrive in PEI...but a few things did pop into my head recently. Wandering out into the garden in my bare feet and picking fresh ripe raspberries that still have dew on them. Buying newspapers from all over the globe on the day they were meant to be read...not days later. A drive thru meal from Wendy's. Fresh Island new potatoes with butter for supper. A feed of lobsters fresh from the pound and hot out of the pot. Sitting on an outside deck drinking an ice cold beverage while watching tourists walk by with lost but happy looks on their faces. And sitting around in the evening in front of a nice big fire, roasting marshmallows, looking at the stars and relaxing to the sound of sparks and crackles coming from the fire.

2008-07-25T17:50:00.002-04:00

Friday afternoon 4:45pm
"Navigator Restaurant"
"I'd like to place an order for pick up"
"OK"
"Salt 'n pepper shrimps and a singapore noodles."
Ok...twenty minutes.

4:59pm lock office up
-pick up chinese food
-get gas
-stop for movies
-arrange to have apartment check out
5:28pm arrive in apartment

seriously...where else can you do all of this in only 1/2 hour???

2008-07-24T08:29:00.003-04:00

Sunglasses.

I love sunglasses. I have many, many pairs. Nunavut is a sunglasses kind of place...year round.

I have my dark sunglasses for reflection off the snow/water/bright sun.
I have a lighter pair for when I go out at night...the light at midnight when you leave the bar can be a bit disconcerting.
A yellow pair I own is great for gloomy days cause everything looks brighter.
A very pale blue pair are perfect for days when the winds are whipping the sand and dirt around.
I have couple of pairs that cover more of the sides than other pairs...these are for out on the skidoo or atv, help block the wind from creeping in around the shades.
I bought a pair of those oversized ones that all of Hollywood (and my sister) seem to be wearing...I just look like a kid wearing her mothers sunglasses.
I usually have a spare pair at the office, in the truck and in my backpacks--you never know when you might need a pair.

Sunglasses are a staple for me...the next time I get my haircut I should ask the stylist to style my hair around the glasses...after all when I am inside they are generally perched on the top of my head...why not work my hairstyle around them?

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Good Byes.

I've been saying good byes almost since the day I made the decision to move. With so many people taking extended holidays over the summer months I was saying good bye in early July and they continue.

It is sad to be leaving so many fabulous people. I have very fond memories of my time here in the North. I will miss so many things. The people I have worked with over the past couple of years will definitely be missed. I have learned so much and grown in so many ways thanks to the wonderful folks working with me.

I said goodbye yesterday to one of my board members. I like him. He's funny, he's serious, he's seriously over stressed and over worked--but takes it in stride. And believe it or not W I have learned much from you. Thanks.

As my time gets shorter I realize that while I have many goodbyes to go I may not get around to them all. If you happen to read this and don't see me before I leave...thanks for being my friend...and goodbye...for now. You never know where in the world people will end up.

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I drink tea.

For years the thought of drinking tea was rather distasteful. It would seem that having strong maritime roots did not completely make me immune to the tea bug. I can not yet stomach the tetley's and red roses, but I do love to brew a strong cup in the am. I drink a lapsang souchong tea (no doubt that is not spelled right), it is a strong smoky tea and I love it. I bought a very fancy tea pot in Vancouver to have my morning tea brew in and I'm very pleased with my purchase.

I got into the habit of tea just within the past year. I know get up in the am, brew my tea, read the news, watch the news, do a crossword and then get ready for work. Ah, life is grand. Thanks P for introducing me to this wonderful ritual. I haven't gotten the hang of the evening tea ritual yet, but I'm sure that eventually it will come.

-----

The cell phone arrived the day after the cell phone bill. I called the company the day the bill arrived and said I wasn't paying for service of a phone I had yet to receive. They agreed. Amazing.

Update on the truck. Yes, it is still here. The shipping company pulled a fast one on me and said it would be headed out on the second boat and not the first. The latest report is that the ship should be in on the 30th and the truck will leave on the 31st. I'm not holding my breath but it would be nice if I could see it go before I do. I'd rather have to take care of that chore than ask a friend to do it. The expected date of arrival in Montreal is now August 6th. Get the car ready Mom...ROAD TRIP!!

I brought an empty box to the office today. I am going to fill it with all my personal stuff. I have a pile of manuals and documents that I have collected over my career that travel everywhere with me including a Canadian Writers Reference book--which I am not going to reference in this entry. I have a fantastic collection of art work from my nephew on the office walls and from some of the other kids I know from Pang. I hope they arrive safe and sound to the next office---wherever that will be.

I am hoping to get one more boat ride in before I leave IQ. One of the GN departments has a boat that is suitable for training our students and last year we had a ride on it. I have been promised a ride again this year and am anxiously awaiting it. In fact the guys and I have been down everyday asking when she is going in the water. Soon they keep saying. If the wind stays down today...the boat might go in this afternoon. I think a great way to spend my Friday would be out on the water.

Depending on how you count I have 7 days left. I leave August 1. That is 8 sleeps. I have 6 working days not including today. 6,7,8,9 days counting today. This Northern math is very confusing isn't it? No wonder I can't tell anyone how many days I have left...I just answer "August 1".

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Getting picked on. I'm not being bullied, but I am feeling picked on lately. It's my own fault really, I'm leaving and I'm selling most of my stuff. As I bring people into my apartment to view their potential purchase they seem to snoop and dig around to see what else is available. I've had people open cupboard doors, my storage closet, look at the dishes on the counter and ask "Is that for sale?"

I understand wanting to pick up things on the cheap and a number of people sell EVERYTHING, but I'm not. I do not feel the need to start over with everything I own when I reach the South. I love some of my things and they have been collected from my many journeys so no, I will not sell them to you. I have people asking on dishes, pots, pans, my left over food, toilet paper--you name it. I feel picked on because often when I answer no, it isn't for sale I get the lecture on taking it with me. Or why am I not willing to part with it. And offering me almost pennies for some of my belongings. It's making me feel really weird about the whole process and at this point I want to tell people it is not for sale, and give it away rather than sell it for the tiny amounts they are offering. Example...I have a few bags of food for the food bank. Seems like the most logical place to dispose of it...and people are asking me to give it to them. And these are people that I know have good incomes. No, it's going to people who need it.

I will be grateful when this weekend it is all over. If the remainder has not gone by Sunday I will be leaving it on the stoop of the church for a rummage sale.

I have photos to add, but likely will not get around to it until the weekend...must continue on with the goodbye socializing!

2008-07-21T13:58:00.004-04:00

I don't normally blog during the work day...but I had to share

It is 25 degrees above zero in Iqaluit at the moment. 27 with the humidex. How's that for Global Warming?

Update: It has been 26 degrees for the past 3 hours. Imagine that. :)