"Its a small world after all"

I can't believe it, I've been confirming bookings and organizing dinner reservations for the last week and a half and I still don't believe it.... In August we are jumping on a plane in Halifax and heading off to....ORLANDO, FL. If you don't know what is in Orlando I will break it down for you in one word...okay two words.

WALT DISNEY WORLD....dang that was three words.

It took longer than I anticipated to decide on the Resort - there are so many to choose from, and of course since it is Disney it all comes down to the amount of $$$ you want to spend and how close you want to be to the Magic Kingdom.

After crunching the numbers and all the perks associated with each resort Hughie and I decided on Walt Disney's Polynesian Resort. We are on the Monorail course with direct access to all 4-theme parks and the best thing is that we can lay out on our beach (yep we have a beach..it is a Polynesian Resort - you just can't swim in the lake as there is no lifeguards on duty) and watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks at 10pm nightly and they pipe the music from the Magic Kingdom into the speakers outside, so you can enjoy the fireworks without the crowds! Although I think in order to have the full effect you have to be in front of the Castle at least once throughout the trip.

I am definitely looking forward to Space & Thunder Mountain, The Haunted Mansion and of course the Tower of Terror!...Well, in all honesty I'm looking forward to being there in general...I could hardly contain my excitement when we booked the initial tickets. I honestly don't know what was more nerve wracking booking the tickets or keeping everything hush hush until it was all booked!

I've been reading everything I can get my hands on with respect to Walt Disney. From tips on Rainy Weather to tips on how to get the most of out of your Dining Plan. [Dining Plan is one breakfast, snack, lunch, dinner per person per night of your stay - it was an added perk that the Disney Resorts have this year as long as you book after August 16th to December 31st]. I look forward to figuring out how much we save.

A few good tips:

*Place camera and/or any electric items in a ziploc bag to keep out rain
*If sneakers get wet place papertowel in them to soak up the wetness
*Scotchguarding Backpack will help make them rainproof
*Beer Day @ Epcot (Try a beer at each of the countries ) - Just make sure you drink water in between. Great way to see all the countries and enjoy an "Adult" day.
*Don't turn on the television to check weather in am - it eats up valuable time (check it after you get back in the evening for the next day)
*Download Disney tunes to listen to while you fly to Disney
*Bring single Crystal Lite to add to water to give it a bit of a zing, as the water isn't the tastiest.

The countdown has officially started. Watch Eeyore as the countdown progresses!

Passing the time

Since moving to Kugaaruk I had to come to the realization that heading down to Manitoba Avenue to my local Bakery had become null and void. So I had to start baking. Don't get me wrong, I love to bake. I find it therapeutic to mix and mingle all my ingredients. Personally,half the time I don't even like to eat my creations. I think baking a cake, cookies or biscuits take all the mystery out of the food... and who doesn't like a little mystery.

I wanted to pass on one of the easiest recipes that I have been baking on a bi-weekly basis. I'm an avid watcher of "Chef at Home" with Chef Michael Smith - he cooks out of his house on PEI. He made these biscuit to have with Clam Chowder. I like them with everything from blueberry shortcake to pasta salad and of course with lasagna and chili.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do.
====================================
Chef At Home

Ease of Preparation: Easy
Makes 8-10 large biscuits

These are my gold-standard biscuits. My secret? Frozen butter! It’s an old pastry chef’s trick that has served me well. Butter tastes great and when it’s frozen it becomes very easy to shred into the dough. After you try these a few times you’ll be able to bake them in under twenty minutes – and clean up the mess too!

Frozen Butter Biscuits

Four cups of all-purpose flour
Two large spoonfuls of baking powder
Two small spoonfuls of salt
Two sticks of frozen butter, eight ounces
A cup and a half of milk
A sprinkle or two of salt and pepper

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together until they’re evenly mixed. Grate the frozen butter into the dry ingredients. Shred it through the large holes of a box grater or potato grater directly into the flour. Toss gently with your fingers until the butter shards are spread evenly throughout the flour.

Pour the milk into the flour mixture and stir with an upside down wooden spoon to form a dough mass. The handle of the spoon is gentler on the dough. Fold the dough over a few times with your hands until all the ingredients come together. If necessary add a few spoonfuls more milk to help gather up any stray flour. This kneading will strengthen the dough a bit but not enough to toughen the biscuits. It will also help them form a crisp crust when they bake.
Pat the dough out on a lightly floured cutting board forming a loose round shape. Cut into wedges – like a pie - or any other shape you’re in the mood for. Position on a baking sheet; sprinkle on a bit of coarse salt and coarsely ground pepper. Bake for fifteen minutes or so. You’ll know they’re done when they turn golden brown. Enjoy at once with lots of brown butter!

It is Official

The weather network http://www.theweathernetwork.com [Kugaaruk, Nunavut] no longer posts a time for Sunrise and Sunset. However, this is not from lack of sunlight but from the over abundance of sunlight. Kugaaruk is now under direct sunlight for 24 hours a day.

Remind me when I'm complaining about the 24 hour darkness that I once was complaining about the 24 hour sun.

50th

I wanted to do some big celebratory post considering this is a landmark.. my 50th post since moving to the North. I have ranted on about weather, food, polar bears, Easter, Christmas and the up and coming Spring season. I've even thrown in a few quizzes to pass my time. I always wonder if I didn't write a blog would I put my thoughts to paper or sit down and actually take the time to sketch a landscape scene so that one day I would look back on that piece of paper and try to remember the direct thoughts that I was harboring the second I placed my lead to carbon.
In all honesty, I've been so wrapped up in technology the last couple of years that I haven't drawn a picture or sketched a landscape in just as long. The digital camera has taken over that avenue just as blogging has taken over the hidden diary or the locked journal under the mattress. Does that mean in the next 50 years our children's children will be doing automatic voice journals like we see on Sci-Fi shows and photographs turned into holograms? Even in my 31 years I have seen progressions that I once thought was impossible.. ...

See what happens when I want to do a celebratory post.... Here I am ranting my way into the future.

Tattoo

Oh the decisions....to place permanent ink in your body is a serious thought. One that I have made before almost 11 years ago. Now the time has come again to make that decision again.
I am an avid reader and lover of all things Celtic. I am seriously leaning greatly towards a Trinity on my lower back or a intricate Celtic Knot. The decisions are endless and the possibilities infinite. This is what makes the final decision so hard - you must make a decision to place permanent ink on a part of your body - this ink can't be removed, yet it can be altered for corrections and made to dissipate through the fine work of Lasers...however even with those options it isn't a decision that you walk into lightly.

Some people think that tattoos are self mutilation or an idea someone had to inflict personal pain on yourself.. I on the other hand think they are beautiful and can enhance the beauty if done correctly.

I think my decision has been made, I just have to take the plunge and book the appointment. That is the hardest step of all.

1:45am

Is it Saturday?

I'm hiding, not looking, locking myself away for at least the next couple of days. There has never been a birthday that I've been dreading more. I just want to put my head in the sand and just hide. 31 a number that I'm learning to dread. I turned the big 3-0 last year without a thought! I enjoyed the day as I do every other day. So how come 31 is such a big scary number. I have never let age affect me before and somehow this week has caused me such grief. Grief that I haven't been sharing but for some reason the closer I get to Friday the more my anxiety is shifting into overdrive.
Maybe it is because I always viewed 30 as old when I was a kid so subconsciously I view 31 as ancient. If I'm this way now for 31 I can just imagine what life will be like when I hit the big 4-0! Which is in 9 years. 9-years doesn't seem like a long time, when you put life in perspective.

I'm not even making a cake for myself, I keep asking Hughie if he would like a Joe Louis cake. (Chocolate cake,icing with whipcream in the center). I think he thinks it is because I really don't want to feel compelled to eat my birthday cake but really it is because I don't want my own birthday cake. I wanted a PUMPKIN PIE! But noooo...that won't happen because foodmail from M&M meats only sends up good healthy products...someone should tell them that PUMPKIN is a FRUIT!

I really don't know. I just wish I could put my head in the sand and just hide...or maybe I'm just finally joining the ranks of millions and millions of women who just hate their birthdays...or maybe I'm just being silly.

Finality

Main Entry:fi·nal·i·ty
Pronunciation:\fi-'na-l?-te, f?-\
Function:noun
Inflected Form(s):plural fi·nal·i·ties
Date:1833

1 a: the character or condition of being final, settled, irrevocable, or complete b: the condition of being at an ultimate point especially of development or authority
2: something final ; especially : a fundamental fact, action, or belief

Another season deemed a failure by the fans of the Vancouver Canucks - today fans in Vancouver and around Canada are wondering about Roberto Luongo and his ability to let in 7 goals last night, something he hasn't done in 9 years. I will admit there was at least 3/4 goals that Lu should have had easily but I'm not between the posts and I can't skate so I'm not one to be passing on criticism. Kane and Toews played extremely well last night and so did the rest of the Hawks Organization. They played the better game(s) and they deserved to win this series. I just don't have to like it.

I can take some solace in the fact that we lasted longer than every other Canadian Hockey Team although I do feel like there is a big bottomless black pit in the bottom of my stomach.. my hockey season is over.
I find it hard to cheer on another team that isn't my own. I don't own any other cheering outfits beyond my Vancouver Canuck garb, I have a Fin on my backpack!!

Next year is going to be the year of change for the Vancouver Canucks. Luongo is a free Agent and we only have until the next trade deadline to sign him - which is going to be a hard fought battle with Mike Gillis and Lu's Agent. The twins are up for resigning however I'm not sure it would be worth it to keep them. They are at the point in their career that we may be better off trading them. Ohlund is a Free Agent as well! This is going to be the off-season of change. The biggest question is whether or not SUNDIN will be back....

The only little bright light is Cody Hodgson (wishing I was in Manitoba right now to see him playing with the Moose). I'm curious whether or not he will be dressed as a Canuck next season.

All I can say now is Go Jays Go!!

Lack of nothing better to do.

QUIZ TIME!
Every thing you were hankering to know about Tammy, well here it is!

1. First thing you wash in the shower? Arms & Elbows
2. What color is your favorite hoodie? Chocolate Brown & Black
3. Would you kiss the last person you kissed again? Damn Straight
4. Do you plan outfits? I use to have to match my shirts to my underwear - but not anymore.
5. How are you feeling RIGHT now? Trying to keep myself awake - had a cruddy nights sleep - tossed & turned all night.
6. Whats the closest thing to you that's red? The Tim Horton symbol on my coffee mug.
7. Tell me about the last dream you remember having? I have wonky dreams - usually involving crazy story lines and hidden meanings - but I don't remember them often.
8. Did you meet anybody new today? Nope, still in my pj's
9. What are you craving right now? Nothing at the moment - just starting my first of the morning cup of Java.
10. Do you floss? Yes
11. What comes to mind when I say cabbage? Lettuce wannabe.
12. Are you emotional ? Yes I admit I am.
13. Have you ever counted to 1,000? I would do almost anything to fall asleep at night, except...count to a 1,000.
14. Do you bite into your ice cream or just lick it? I shudder just thinking about biting into ice cream...lick all the way.
15. Do you like your hair? I do when it is freshly foiled & cut. This is the one negative to living in the north - lack of hair products!
16. Do you like yourself? Nope...I love myself.
17. Would you go out to eat with George W. Bush? God No!
18. What are you listening to right now? Sekaya snoring & Daughtry's new song "No Surprise"
19. Are your parents strict? Not since I moved out years and years ago; but they were pretty cool and got more relaxed with my sister and brother!
20. Would you go sky diving? I would love too, but I'm sure I would be served divorce papers if I did something that stupid.
21. Do you like cottage cheese? I do like cheese, yet I can't recall having cottage before.
22. Have you ever met a celebrity? I've been in the same room as celebrities (ie. Ethan Hawk, Kyle Wellwood, Who we think was Edler, The Minnesota Wild)
23. Do you rent movies often? Does anyone.
24. Is there anything sparkly in the room you're in? Yes the little sparkly things in my Vancouver Aquarium Water dome on the fridge.
25. How many countries have you visited? 1. Canada 2. United States 3. Prince Edward Island.
26. Have you made a prank phone call? When I was a kidlet.
27. Ever been on a train? Yes, and once was enough.
28. Brown or white eggs? Someone tell me if there is a difference cause all I've had in the past was White Large Eggs.
29. Do you have a cell-phone? SOB!!
30. Do you use chap stick? I have shares in Chap stick!
31. Do you own a gun? No
32. Can you use chop sticks? lol I'm way to blond to use chopsticks.
33. Who are you going to be with tonight? Hubby, Chakotay & Sekaya screaming at the Canucks on TV.
34. Are you too forgiving? Some of the time, I can hold a grudge for ever.
35. Ever been in love? Yes
36. What is your best friend(s) doing tomorrow? Not a clue my crystal ball is out for repairs.
37. Ever have cream puffs? Like the ones that have hazelnut cream in the middle...yes! YUM
38. Last time you cried? I cry during EVERYTHING! - The last thing was Greys Anatomy on Thursday night.
39. What was the last question you asked? I talk to much so I ask random questions all the time.
40. Favorite time of the year? Spring/Fall
41. Do you have any tattoos? Yes on my ankle and hopefully one on my lower back soon.
42. Are you sarcastic? Oh yeah, but I try to tone it down.
43. Have you ever seen The Butterfly Effect? Yes and a bit of the Butterfly Effect II. Not sure if I'm proud of that or not.
44. Ever walked into a wall? I'm a certifiable klutz.
45. Favorite color? Chocolate Brown.
46. Have you ever slapped someone? Yes I'm Mean.
47. Is your hair curly? It can get wavy when it is humid out - but curling no.
48. What was the last CD you bought? We went CD & DVD & Blu Ray crazy in March so I'm not exactly sure what the last CD was.
49. Do looks matter? I'm a bit shallow.
50. Could you ever forgive a cheater? Not a chance.
51. Is your phone bill sky high? Surprisingly no.
52. Do you like your life right now? Surprisingly yes.
53. Do you sleep with the TV on? No, it interrupts your REM sleep.
54. Can you handle the truth? Some of the time.
55. Do you have good vision? Without my glass, No - with them yes.
56. Do you hate or dislike more than 3 people? I hate people and I dislike people, and I'm sure it is more than 3 people.
57. How often do you talk on the phone? I'm not a fan of talking on the phone, although I'm beginning to learn again - Texting took over my thought processes for a long time.
58. The last person you held hands with? I asked Chakotay for his paw this morning.
59. What are you wearing? STFX sweat pants & Cabella's Hoodie.
60.What is your favorite animal? Dogs (Siberians)
61. Where was your default picture taken at? I chased Chakotay around the house for the perfect picture of his eyes (facebook) & On my blog the picture is just my dogs chilling out in my living room.
62. Can you hula hoop? HAHAHAHA.....Just imagining me trying..No
63. Do you have a job? No, but I'm a housewife - just ask my passport!
64. What was the most recent thing you bought? Products from LUSH
65. Have you ever crawled through a window? Not since I've locked myself out of the house in Linkletter.


Wow, there ya have it folks - I wish I typed slowly it is only 10:30 and my coffee hasn't even began to kick in.

Spring in July?

Well we are still ankle deep in snow here in Kugaaruk with wind chills still dipping into the -20s. When will Spring arrive in the snowy north. Each morning I wake up with the hope that today will be the day but alas, I put on my parka and my Sorels and tramp outside to frigid weather and icy blocks of snow.
The nights are becoming shorter with dusk like light breaking through the clouds for all but 3 hours a night. We have ordered some black-out curtains for the spare rooms - hopefully this will "stop" the upcoming 24-hour sun from filtering into our eyelids as we sleep.

Last weekend we made the most of our spring like weather (-10) by heading out on the land with Corey, Lindsay (their two wee-ones) and Jo-Ann for a picnic (Yes a Picnic!). It was beautiful and chilly. We took the sleds about a kilometer outside of town to where there was an overhang of rock and snow. We were nicely sheltered from the wind and the wind chill. After a nice lunch, photo ops and some sliding down the hill we headed back to town, only to head up to the cross on the hill above the town. It was a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

I've been passing my time lately by reading everything I can about Disney Land - I think that all of the warm thoughts have made me a little crazy. I have been opening my windows lately to the cool breeze! Don't wrap me in a little white jacket yet, to me my body says I should be stomping around in mud and dodging rain drops.

Life in Kugaaruk:

To all that have been wondering, I'm officially over my cold! Thank the Lord!! I don't get sick often but when I do it seems that it always goes into my chest and I spend an extra week coughing and hacking like I'm a 60 year old man who has smoked a pack a day for his whole life... I drank so much tea and water over the week and a half I was sick I thought I was going to freeze in the subzero temperatures.

I'm officially back into work-out mode: I learned today that the screws have come in for the weight system at the Detachment so it will be nice to be able to work out muscles that haven't been touched since from before we left Manitoba. It took a while to get back into the swing of things. All the beer and treats from our vacation in March....uggg... I'm just glad I'm back into my routine!
Hughie and I bit the bullet and upgraded our Internet package - from 2Gigs a month to 5Gigs!! I'm hoping that this will last us the full month. It allows us more downloading/uploading capabilities but also a fast speed in general. Although, at this time of the day (8:00pm) you run slow anyways because of all the people online in the community and surrounding areas.

Hope everyone is enjoying their spring weather - and if someone could send some warm air up my way I would appreciate it as would my dry skin.

Fiddlestick Sardines!!!

Today is the first official day that I truly hate living in the North! No, it isn't because of the almost 24-hour sunlight, or the lack of spring weather....it is because Bon Jovi is going to be playing in Moncton on June 27th AND Daughtry is playing in Charlottetown on July 4th (Charlottetown's Festival of Lights) with Theory of a Deadman... Yes I know I have seen both of them and in the case of Bon Jovi - I've seen them twice. Yet it doesn't make much difference to me, I am a true fan and having them so close to my neck of the woods is hard to swallow!

I guess I will wait to see when their websites get updated with their updated tour info. Hopefully I will be able to catch a concert or two while out on vacation in August.

What a way to add to my pounding headache!

Big, White & Beautiful II

The Polar Bear
All information pertaining to the polar bear has been copied from the WWF Website.
http://www.worldwildlife.org

Key Nations Gather in Washington for Historic Polar Summit
For Release: Apr 20, 2009
Read the U.S. News & World Report article: "Plight of Penguins and Polar Bears."

On Monday, April 6, ministers from nations representing the Arctic and Antarctic regions gathered at the State Department in Washington for high-level talks on climate change and other issues that are affecting the two Poles. The summit marked the first time that Arctic Council nations and Antarctic Treaty members have ever gathered to meet as one body.

World Wildlife Fund officials who manage the organization’s Arctic and Antarctic programs participated in the summit as official observers.

The summit comes at a critical time for the Polar Regions, as they show signs of significant impacts from climate change that could have serious implications for the rest of the planet. The meeting coincided with an update on Arctic sea ice conditions by NASA and the National Snow and Ice Data Center. Arctic sea ice has melted to record low levels in recent summers and NASA and NSIDC have said that sea ice cover in the Arctic in the winter months has been lower in the past six years than at any other time in 30 years of satellite tracking.

2008 On Track For Lowest-Ever Sea Ice In Arctic

WASHINGTON, DC, September 15, 2008 – Declining ice thickness and what is looking like the second lowest coverage on record means that Arctic sea ice may well have reached its lowest levels ever in terms of total volume, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) said today. The final figures on the minimum ice coverage for this year are expected in a matter of days, but this year's minimum figures are already flirting with last year’s record low of 1.59 million square miles.

“If you take reduced ice thickness into account, there is probably less ice overall in the Arctic this year than in any other year since monitoring began,” said Dr. Martin Sommerkorn, senior climate change adviser for WWF’s Arctic Program. “This is also the first year that the Northwest Passage over the top of North America and the Northeast Passage over the top of Russia are both free of ice.”

Sommerkorn said the continuing loss of older, thicker ice means that the Arctic ice cover is following a trend of becoming younger and thinner each year. The area of ice that is at least five years old has decreased by 56 percent between 1985 and 2007. The oldest ice types have essentially disappeared. Taken together, the new figures clearly show the Arctic is experiencing the continuation of an accelerated declining trend.

“We are expecting confirmation of 2008 being either the lowest or the second-lowest year in terms of summer ice coverage,” said Sommerkorn. “This means two years in a row of record lows since we started recording Arctic sea ice coverage and a continuing catastrophic downward trend. There are already signs that species such as polar bears are experiencing negative effects as climate change erodes the ice platform on which they rely. These changes are also affecting the peoples of the Arctic whose traditional livelihoods depend on healthy ecosystems.”

The trend of melting Arctic ice is also alarming for the rest of the world. “The Arctic is a key factor in stabilizing the global climate,” Sommerkorn said.

“Arctic ice is like a mirror, reflecting the sun’s heat back into space. As that ice goes, Arctic waters absorb more heat, adding to global warming. The local warming of the Arctic will also soon release more greenhouse gases from the Arctic that were previously locked in permanently frozen ground. This means there will be two powerful feedbacks from the Arctic affecting the global environment. This is not just an Arctic problem, it is a global problem, and it demands a global response.”

The governments of the world are currently negotiating a new climate agreement to come into force in 2013 when the first phase of the Kyoto Protocol ends. Sommerkorn said governments must speed up these talks and ensure a new international climate agreement is reached at the U.N. Summit in Copenhagen in December 2009, just 15 months from now.