Miss it?

Since returning from the GWN, I’ve been asked the same question over and over again. 

Do you miss it? 

I usually just nod, and say I feel “bittersweet” about the move south.  Basically, just so people will move on from that dreaded question.

What I would love to say is NO!! I don’t miss the North but  I miss aspects of my life up there; the simple way of life;  Not having to worry about bills or car payments…or putting on makeup, wearing comfy clothes 24/7, everyone waving at each other…..

Although the more I think about that question I realize the one thing that I found since I moved back South and didn’t realize was missing when I lived in the North was ME.   Only now as I sit here I only truly realize that for the last two years living in the North, I was missing ME.  I’m a very independent person, that is one of the things I love about Hughie and I. We are individually independent and co-independent all at the same time.  Up north, I was dependent on Hughie.  While there was a good many reasons why that was a good thing, but the one dark- thing was that I lost my independence.  I didn’t have a “out” a place where I could go willingly and freely to spend some “me” time.  I was stuck in the land of ice and snow.  I only realize now how much that was eating away at my soul.  I was not the person that people know me to be.

With all that said, when and if I get asked that question again; which, I know will happen – I can honestly say No I don’t miss my life in the North because I found Me again when I moved South 

Don’t misunderstand me, I enjoyed living in the GWL, I have stories and pictures that will last a life time, and god willing when and if I have children/grandchildren I want to sit them down and tell them about the two years I lived in the North amongst the Inuit.  If I could go back in time I would do it all over again.  Although if two years down the road the opportunity presented itself again, I’m positive  I wouldn’t be so willing to jump at the chance at another adventure North.

So there you have it, Do I miss the north…. No… I honestly don’t miss the North, however I do miss certain aspects of my simpler life, just not enough to do it again.

Tidbits

I feel like I haven’t posted in forever, I find it hard to find a few minute or two to sit down and fill you all in on my life amongst the trees.  Things have been going very well for Hughie and I, so well that I would hate to mention about all the good things just in case karma comes back around and kicks us in the ass… So for that reason I’ll rant on about random life happenings:

Work:  Work for Hughie and I for the most part is fantastic, I’m enjoying my job and the people I work with; and who would thought the amount of “interesting” people you’d run into during a shift at a medical clinic.  Hughie has the same thoughts as I do, unfortunately or fortunately he deals with them in a whole different way that I do.  The only negative is our lack of time together, things are much better than they were when in Selkirk, but it is hard to get anything done when we are working opposite shifts.  Lucky for Mr. Fidler, I’m a pro at cutting the grass, painting and cooking – so all he has to do is to keep his man-cave organized and clean. 

Life:  Hughie and I spent his birthday hanging out with the whales.  We drove the 75 minute drive to a 5-minute crossing ferry, then drove another 25 minutes to yet another 5-minute crossing ferry to arrive on Brier Island – a cute little Island were everyone knows everyone but at the same time caters to non-locals.  While we were hanging out in a frigid arctic, Hughie’s mom sent us a book  “things to do in NS”.  One of those things was a Whale Watching tour (Brier Island Whale Watching Tour).  We studied the area and ask questions to our friends that have been there before, and the more we heard about it, the more we wanted to go!  So go we did this past weekend.  Hughie celebrated his 32 birthday out on the Bay of Fundy and the Ocean amongst sea creatures 100x the size of our little zodiac.  It couldn’t have been a better day.

Cameron –aka Car:  I finally got my car officially registered for the NS roads – for the last month I was driving with a temporary license plate.  While we were unpacking all our worldly-goods from storage we came upon my old Sunfire license plate (2007). I thought how funny and nostalgic it would be to see if they can put Keileigh’s plate on Cameron….they had NO problem with it, and it also saved me $$$ that I would have paid for a new plate! Crazy and comforting at the same time.

Chakotay & Sekaya:  LOVE NS.  They relax for hours outside in the shade rolling around on the grass.  Playing with each other and shed like they are going to be bald tomorrow.  This has been the longest shedding ever.  I think they shedded their arctic coat months ago, and now are shedding the hair they would have shedded if they didn’t have a arctic-coat.  Sigh!  So much hair, I’m constantly walking around with a swiffer.  But I wouldn’t have it any other way.  I love my fur-beasts.

There ya have it, not a lot of information but enough to keep you going.

A few other notables.

1. Love my clothes line.

2. Love my dishwasher

3.  Not a fan of recycling, something to be said about sending your garbage to Kugaaruk’s dump.

4.  Love the sun, heat and humidity – I’m no longer a pasty white – I’m actually almost a light almond!!! Which is a huge stepping stone for me.

Relaxation

I have found a new kind of relaxation – one where I can sit back with my feet up on my deck and just listen to the sound of nothing floating around my back yard.  I hear no Hondas’ or sleds’, no kids yelling and crying, no one asking “Do they bite”…..it is peace and quite at its best.  The area we live in does have their fair share of kids – although I have yet to see them, every now and again I can hear a splash and giggling coming from a house kitty-cornered to us in the back and that is all.  I sat outside yesterday afternoon for almost 2 hours, and besides getting a slightly redish burn, I didn’t hear a peep.  Now when I say I didn’t hear a peep I don’t mean I didn’t hear the odd bird flying by or Greenwood’s Air Force base doing their formations – but to me that adds to the charm of my back yard. 

Our home is finally coming all together.  We finally received our Fridge & Stove from Futureshop and we determined that we will never purchase big ticket appliances from them again.  Our bedroom is finally organized, minus one big box of clothes and a slightly disorganized closet (but that is mostly my better-half’s mess….lol).  The living-room set we ordered has arrived, and we will pick it up on Tuesday and our guest room is all set up and just awaiting visitors.  [Just call ahead so I can take the dog’s blanket off the bed and remake the bed with the “good” linen].  The only two rooms that look like a tornado has hit them is the basement aka Hughie’s Man-Cave and Hughie’s office.  The only reason being is that we are wanting to paint them prior to organizing the items in there.  Although the more I think about it, it may be beneficial to organize the office and throw drop sheets over the items verse the way the room is looking now.  It shouldn’t take much to paint the upstairs office, but the basement is going to be a bit of a chore.  Should be fun either way; I enjoy painting. 

I look forward to the near future where my house is all in order, so I can sit back and take a breather from reorganizing and cleaning and get ready for a trip to the States, Christmas and best of all the huge BBQ party we are going to throw.

Cameron

There are times when I forget all about justification processes and wants vs need.  In this case ..I both wanted and needed my latest purchase.  Last Thursday, July 22nd, 2010; Hughie picked me up from work, and weirdly we turned left out of my workplace instead of the required right to drive home.  After a few minutes, and when I finally saw the Dodge dealership looming in the distance I finally knew where he was taking me.

I have been looking for a vehicle for the last 6-8 weeks, dealing with a Dodge dealership out of town and after weeks of not getting what I wanted I was starting to get frustrated to say the least.  I could only say so many times that “No I don’t want a Journey or a Honda Civic, I want a Dodge Caliber”. So as we pulled into the dealership  I saw a beauty… a black 2009 Dodge Caliber.  After looking up close, and with Mr. Fidler looking over my shoulder, we deemed the black Caliber a misfire (there was over 50,000 KM on her and there was no cruise control) then I looked closer to the Dealership’s main office and there he was – a Sunburst Orange Caliber glistening in the ….well dang there was no sun, but to me he was glistening in the sun.  Walking up to him, I thought there is no way I can afford a 2010 Caliber – and as I looked closer I was realizing that I may have to go back to the Black Caliber that I just said was a “misfire”.  This orange Caliber has everything….and I mean everything, even a nice little button to turn my volume up and down and the channels on my steering wheel and a IPOD jack!  After Hughie nodding his head in approval, he said “Take him for a drive” .  Needless to say after 2 minutes in this car I was ready to jump off the nearest cliff for this vehicle.  So I did the march into the office, where I realized HOLY CRAP I could afford this, and it was only going to be $70.00 a month more than what my OLD Sunfire was costing me when I financed Keely….I jumped on that deal faster than…..[well my analogies suck today so I got nothing]..so I just jumped on the deal.  So after all the financial fun was all figured out, and I signed the paperwork – Cameron the Caliber came home with me on Monday Evening.  He is sitting pretty at 295Km just waiting for a nice long drive….Bay of Fundy here we come!