Christmas 2009, Kugaaruk Nunavut.
(Above: Nativity Scene made by Emily Illuitok)
(Above: Christmas Tree sugar cookies)
(Above: Showing our love to Sekaya)
(Above: Chakotay’s favorite part of Christmas is the wrapping paper)
(Above: All done for another year)
Today marks a first; my first Kugaaruk blizzard. I’ve been living here for almost 14 months and have yet to see an “official” blizzard, bizarre I know – I have seen blustery days with the added bonus of snow and some pretty crazy winds but today marks my first “official” blizzard, and the Weather Network agrees. Not that it means much, I’m still going about my day in a normal manner; Hughie is playing Dead to Rights and the dogs are vegging in their rooms after eating a hardy supper of Iams.
Christmas was a resounding success and I’m actually a little sad that this will be our last Christmas in Kugaaruk, a milestone that I though would have taken a lot longer, it only seems like yesterday we were celebrating the beginning of 2009. We did not have a repeat of last years sewage drainage issue which we are very thankful for; and we even woke up early enough to make our way to Christmas Day Mass at church. While we did not understand what they were saying, the meaning of it was not lost on us. We made it home with time to put the Turkey into the oven (Hughie even helped make the stuffing) and curl up on the floor with our cups of coffee and then glasses of Egg Nog & Chocolate Milk. We had a awesome time opening all our presents (THANK YOU Everyone!) we were spoiled yet again, as well we spoiled each other purchasing more than we necessarily need. I’m now the proud owner of UGG slippers (Sekaya has been warned repeatedly if she touches them I’ll make slippers out of her fur…..) and Hughie can wear his Roadhog-The North Face pants with honour; anyone that knows Hughie can understand why I purchased him those pants. We received plenty of BluRay & DVD’s this year, and we have been making use of them from watching Star Trek on Christmas Day Night and then Transformers II on Boxing Day. We still have Angels & Demons to watch along with the DaVinci Code but that will keep until the weekend (New Years Eve/Day).
*I enjoyed both Star Trek & Transformers II – however I will say that Star Trek held my attention to the point where I did not finish my Diet-Coke – that is how much I loved that movie. Transformers II wasn’t as bad as I thought as long as you watched it as a “action” film and not a remake of the 80’s cartoon.
100th Post – I wanted to make an official “OMG I reached 100 post” post…but why draw attention to just one random number, sure I have wrote 100 posts – it is only I who makes a big deal out of it; so after a publish this post on my blog I will jump up and down, twirl around and kiss my husband. … ….
So here is to the beginning of 2010…will there be another 100 posts before our time is up in the north?
“First we'll make snow angels for two hours, then we'll go ice skating, then we'll eat a whole roll of Tollhouse Cookie-dough as fast as we can, and then we'll snuggle.” – Buddy The Elf
I’m prepared and ready to face the big day! My presents are wrapped, my turkey is defrosting and my tree lights are glistening against a backdrop of a winter wonderland. I would start the official “Here Comes Santa Countdown” but I wouldn’t want to warn the naysayers to his arrival down south – I mean, who wouldn’t want to try to catch Santa on Christmas Eve….
I can’t wait until later this evening when I can curl up on the couch with Hughie and our cups of steaming peppermint hot chocolate to watch Scrooge (1951) and our yearly tradition ELF. We may just have to add in Garfield’s Christmas; as we both seem to miss it this year when it aired on YTV. This is my favorite time of the year, not because of the gifts and all the commercialism but because of the family time that Hughie and I share together. We are hoping that next Christmas we will be able to share that time together with our extended & immediate families back home, however until then we will just enjoy our time together with our two little fur kids.
May all my readers have a SAFE and Happy Holiday Season.
“It's just like Santa's workshop! Except it smells like mushrooms... and everyone looks like they wanna hurt me...” - Buddy The Elf
My husband has excellent ideas, so this one was no surprise. As you see from my previous posts we are fanatics when it comes to “real” Christmas trees. So this year we decided to take it one step farther and purchase a tree for the community. Thanks is especially due to Hughie’s parents, since they made it possible.
The tree arrived on Friday and today it was passed over into our hands – we were stumped about where to ‘donate’ this tree. We were contemplating where it would get the most use without being picked on by little tiny fingers…lol cause you know it does happen, especially in a community that doesn’t have any real trees around. So after deep thinking on the subject we have decided to donate the tree to the local Catholic Church. We are heading over their momentarily with the tree!
I love Christmas!
Addendum: That has to be the most heart-warming thing I have done since moving here, We are thinking about making this an annual donation.
The excitement of a real tree isn’t only for us “adults”, our pups have found this Christmas tree enchanting and mesmerizing. I can only imagine how it will be when we put their gifts underneath this weekend.
Since we have decorated the tree it has lost its attraction, every now and again Sekaya will walk by to hit a bulb with her nose or to give the tree a sniff but that is all. They haven’t even tried to eat the candy-canes. I’m sure Chakotay is just counting the minutes until the tree is placed in his kennel outside after Christmas.
10 days until Christmas Eve
I made my first batch of “Hugh’s favorite Chilli” this evening and I have to admit it turned out pretty well. I always find it slightly scary when I make a dish for the first time, especially when we are having a guest over for supper. We have a relief member in our community for the month and I like to try and feed them at least a hot meal once a week. I can only imagine what they are feeding themselves. I’m already looking towards a big spaghetti supper next weekend and then of course we are looking at Christmas Dinner. He is also a big coffee drinker so lingering and chatting over a pot of coffee with the tree lights glistening relaxes us into a slight stupor – luckily cheering on hockey is waking us up…I suppose the caffeine buzz is kicking in as well.
I can’t believe Christmas Eve is in 12 days, I officially finished wrapping my Christmas gifts. I swear I only cursed a half dozen times, but Hughie wasn’t here so I didn’t have to add a dollar to the swear jar. I love Christmas but I truly hate..almost despise wrapping Christmas presents. However, Leo had a hard enough time finding me wrapping paper so I knew looking for Christmas bags was going to be almost impossible. I look forward to making my Christmas sugar cookies next weekend. I’ve decided to play Cookie-Santa and deliver my cookies around town on the 23rd during their coffee breaks – I plan on making about 60 Christmas Trees. (Red n Green). I’ll take photo’s of my mound of cookies next weekend.
Otherwise there really hasn’t been anything new to report – the weather is definitely warming up, but with that being said they are calling for some snow over the next couple of days (2-5cm). I, for one cheer snow, anything to cover up my yellow spots that are scattered around my back yard. I also enjoy shovelling!
*Smile List*
- The upcoming snow being forecasted so my yard will look all fresh and white.
- Having a typical Hockey filled Saturday night.
- Seeing Chakotay walk in the house last night after a run with Hughie, all smiles and walking with his tail held high.
- Howard winning over Stoughton. (Looking forward to tomorrows game verses Martin) Go Howard Go!
- Having my chilli turn out.
- My Christmas Tree
- Yule Log Channel w/ Christmas Carols.
This to me is relaxation. I don’t care if a single gift gets placed under my tree. I woke up this morning, at 7:20am (thanks Sekaya!). I poured myself a cup of coffee, turned on the television to the Yule Log and flicked on the tree lights and just took in the peace and quiet and seasonal bliss.
Well, Hughie just walked in with the LOST yoga mat, the one that was deemed “lost in transit” (sound familiar) … …. …. I really have nothing left to say about the whole thing.
Well apparently UPS’s manage was on vacation for the last 6 weeks in Yellowknife. I just got off the phone with them in Yellowknife where they are waiting for a $2.02 payment in order for me to receive my DISNEY store purchase. According to UPS that parcel has been there since November 3rd, 2009. When I spoke to UPS the end of November, looking for that parcel, they couldn’t tell me where it was and I was to speak to the shipper in order for them to divulge more information.
Disney’s customer service was awesome, they spoke to UPS and it was deemed lost in transit and they reshipped me the same products, but this time I was smart enough to have them sent to my house on PEI.
So…wow..I’m just speechless over the whole thing. Why they held the Yoga mat is beyond my knowledge. I can understand the extra duty on my Disney parcel it came from the States but why didn’t they call me on November 3rd when it came in verses sending me a letter stating I owned the money, which came from HALIFAX, NS. They called me today looking for their $2.02……
I’m not sure what has been going on at our Electrical plant here in town but we have had some small power-surges and power outages over the last couple of days. I won’t lie, the power outage we had on Saturday night was great – it flicked on and off for a good hour and a half with outages clocking 10-15 minutes in length. So Hughie and I lit my candles and turned the switch on our camping lantern and enjoyed each others company. Although I’m not sure he has the same opinion of the outage. I kicked his butt twice at Crib (I’m not sure he’ll ever play me again) and at Scrabble. Although, in his defence when we are down to the last of our letter chips and he is stuck with Z, Q, A, I, I what can you do. I on the other hand was forming 5-6 letter words throughout the game. I guess I take after my mother – she is the Scrabble Queen in our family.
The most recent outage was this morning, luckily my coffeemaker is programmed to go off at 8:30am, so we had hot coffee. I was in the bedroom making the bed at 8:59am (so I would have a spot to store my clean clothes before I put them away sometime this evening…I hate putting away clothes) and everything just went dark and all I heard over Chakotay whining (he doesn’t like the sound of the fire alarm beeping when the power first goes out) was OOPS! I thought Hughie did something at first, what I don’t know, but in retrospect his OOPS was just that he forgot to tell me, prepare me, that the outage was happening this morning. So I got him out the door and off to work and I curled up on the couch to read Twilight (again!) and eat my PB on Pita. It is a great way to start the day, even with the lack of sunlight. Nice and quiet (now if I didn’t have my coffee maker set I, and Hughie would have been bears)
With that being said, I was a little worried about the power being out this morning considering we are under a wind-chill warning in Kugaaruk:
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Wind chill warning for Kugaaruk
Extreme wind chills developing this evening. This is a warning that extreme wind chill conditions are imminent or occurring in these regions. Monitor weather conditions..Listen for updated statements.
Brisk southwest winds will combine with temperatures near minus 40 to give extreme wind chill values below minus 55 this evening and overnight at Kugaaruk. The extreme wind chills will continue into Wednesday as little change in temperature or wind speed is likely.
At these extreme wind chill values frostbite on exposed skin may occur in less than 2 minutes.
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I hope these conditions don’t last, I have a couple of steps that could use a good shovelling. I don’t mind the cold, but when it reaches –50/-60 I rather just keep it nice and toasty. Although the power outage was suppose to last an hour, after 42 minutes the power was up and running and I was still nice and warm under my blanket drinking my coffee and watching the snowmobiles fly by house (god they must be really really cold).
So last night, I finally said enough was enough – we have been stock piling gifts for our friends & family over the last couple of weeks with the last of them coming in just a couple of days ago. Hughie and I trekked to the office with all our boxes and proceeded to wrap them and address them. Unfortunately for us, Leo did not order in any wrapping paper this year, as he had a hard time selling it last year, so we had to make due with brown postal wrapping paper! lol, but we live in the North so it is to be expected. Thankfully my mother is a Christmas genius so she is sending up Christmas wrapping paper for me! My mom is awesome! We are hoping to send them out on today’s plane, as long as it arrives. I’m not so much worried about the adults receiving their gifts on time, as long as the kidlets get theirs before Christmas.
(Chakotay being a ham – he knows there is a Gingerbread house on top of the fridge!)
16 days until Christmas Eve!
I admit it, I’m slightly addicted to knowing the Weather. The first site I check in the morning is the same one I check at the end of the night. The weather network. I need to know which parts of Canada are getting a snowstorm/blizzard (Sorry Maritimes) and which part of Canada are getting warm toasty weather. I always need to be aware of the temperature outside my house on a hourly basis. For example today is: –26 with a wind-chill of –36. This is the normal as of late, however looking a head a few days I’m seeing temperatures of –40 to –50 (that is without wind-chill) which means this December is right in line with December 2009. I experienced some of the coldest weather of my life last December and it looks like it will be the same this year.
As of December 5th, we are now no longer having sunrises & sunsets although if you look outside you can see the lingering rays of sun trying to filter around our hills. However, they are not very strong and dissipate quite quickly. We will now be without the sun until mid-January.
We are still in the process of planning our vacation; we would go through a TA but we’ve heard so many ghost/horror stories about TA’s gone wrong. I know it would be easier especially if something goes wrong – that we would have an escape goat to throw things at but I think we decided to plan this vacation ourselves. I figure if we can plan and enjoy a vacation where we landed 19 times in a run of a month we can plan one that finds us sitting on a beach drinking Mimosas and Pina Coladas. We are slowly adding to our list of top 5 locations; and once we get it finalized I will post them for some general feedback.
Christmas season is finally here! I have done my major Christmas cleaning overhaul with the hope to do one more before our Christmas tree arrives (My FIL: [Family-in-law] sends us a Nova Scotia REAL Christmas Tree…Love it!) I’m definitely ready to have my tree up and decorated. I finally received my Gingerbread kit from London Drugs – so I got decked all out in my most comfy purple pj’s and set to putting my house together. I decorated one years ago while living in Nova Scotia and I loved it however when decorating a Gingerbread house in Kugaaruk you have to realize that the dryness works against you. (I still have a bit of structural damage to the roof but I think I covered it well)
(The finished product)
(That is a little-gingerbread man hiding behind the tree with his Keith’s red drinking them while his wife knows no better in the front of the house)
Christmas show list: [That I’ve watched up until December 6th]
Blizzard
Shred The Halls
The Grinch
Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer
All Dogs Christmas Carol
Merry Holidays!
First off I have to admit I did not think up this fab-tanstic idea. I was being nosy per usual and I happened upon this wonderful idea from a fellow blogger who finds herself far away from home.
I’m going to attempt to make this a weekly or bi-weekly event, it will help pass the time as well make me really think about what I’m truly thankful for.
So without further ado
I think I will go and decorate my house a little bit more, somehow I’m feeling festive after thinking about all the things that make me smile.
21 Days until Christmas Eve.
*NOTE: I write my blog on “Windows Live Writer” and it transfers to Blogspot. So the pretty little flowers are really numbers. I’m corny but I have limits.
(Above: Sekaya: This is what a quiet husky does when you are not paying enough attention to her and yes, the toilet paper was attached and she was pulling at it like a little gerbil)
It is almost like someone doesn’t want to me start “Christmas Cleaning”. I got all my products together, lined up on the counter and then I sprinkle some happy dust [Arm & Hammer dog & cat carpet deodorizer] on all my carpets (happy because it helps lift up the dog hair 10-fold). I have to be quick though, some how Chakotay developed a fetish for licking that stuff off my carpet (yes I realize how that sounds) but it is true, I sprinkle – turn my back and when I turn back around there he is having a mid-morning snack. Gross – so needless to say I can only sprinkle one room at a time, vacuum and then proceed to the next room thankfully I only have a couple rooms.
So I start a load of laundry, and for some reason I seemingly have about 5 loads (between two people that is a lot), however, since I’m CC’ing I want to wash all dogs bedding and my own. I managed to get one load of wash complete and in the dryer before I ran out of water! Blasted! Although I wish I only said that..Luckily I set the coffee maker before bed last night, and still have a full Brita-system in my fridge for the dogs drinking water.
So I’m sitting here, dusting, vacuuming and placing the odd little Christmas decorations around my house. Things are slowly coming together..but by god just don’t look at my laundry room.
My lovely-darling husband and I are planning an all-inclusive for our next vacation; and I believe I have him on the fence now about where to spend our time kicking back with umbrella laced drinks.
We are stuck trying to figure out a location; up until recently we were 100% decided on St. Lucia and we still are on the St. Lucia fence but I’m willing to widen my horizons to check out other locations in the Caribbean.
So my question to all my fellow bloggers is do you have any negative or positive things to say about your all-inclusive?
The only two guidelines I have is that I would love it to be a “Adult Only” resort, or at least a resort that offers partial restrictions to anyone under the age of 18 and a nice soaker tub where I can throw in a lush bomb and relax with a glass of wine and kick back to the sounds of waves crashing the shore.
We are not booking anything until after Christmas as we are still in limbo about our official dates. So any help you can pass along would be awesome and very much appreciated.
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Getting kissed under the mistletoe or in the snow?
Well since I live in the Arctic where you couldn’t find a piece of Mistletoe if your life depended on it. I would say snow. (Did you know that Mistletoe can be used as poison)
Santa or Rudolph?:
They come as a pair, no choosing.
Stocking or presents?:
I love stockings as you never know what could be hiding in the very bottom.
Egg nog or hot cider?:
Both, however I prefer my nog with some Rye or Rum; although I’m in Kugaaruk so neither is available.
Decorating the tree or putting lights on the outside?:
I love decorating the tree, with Christmas Carols playing in the background with an open box of chocolate nuts.
Snow ball fight or snowman?:
Snow is only snowball/man snow here in Kugaaruk very very early in the winter..September. So neither at the moment. I’ll just have to make due with Frosty the Snowman.
Open presents quick or slow?:
As a kid I dived under the tree with my brother & sister and went crazy, I’m now more refined and we take turns opening our gifts.
Fake tree or Real tree?:
I grew up with a fake tree and it was awesome but my husband has since converted me to a Real tree and you can’t beat that smell.
Red and White Candy Canes or Colorful Candy Canes?:
Well since we bought Sour Watermelon, Sour Peach and Peppermint candy canes, I will say “All of the above”
Get up early or sleep in late?:
Depends on what time we get to sleep
Old Christmas Movies or New ones?:
Love them all, nothing beats the classics: Scrooge & Miracle on 34th Street…but I love The Santa Clause & Elf
The Grinch movie or Elf movie?:
Both but as I said above, I love to watch the ELF movie, it is our Christmas Eve Tradition
White Lights or Colored Lights?:
I prefer white lights on a house, and colored lights on a tree, as long as they don’t blink or flash.
Do you put up a Christmas tree?:
It is on its way from Nova Scotia!
If so is it fake or real?:
As real as a Nova Scotia tree can be!
Do you put lights on the tree?:
yes – last year we had a Vancouver Canuck colored tree.
How about popcorn and cranberries?:
Nope, the dogs would be snacking.
Christmas Movie?:
I’m a sucker for them all.
Christmas Song?:
Winter Wonderland
When do you open your gifts?:
Around 1 or 2 in the afternoon, after the Turkey is in the oven.
Do you like wrapping gifts?:
I’m addicted to Christmas bags, I dread wrapping presents.
Do you make Christmas treats?:
yup, I love baking
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It seems like all our ‘good’ luck with online shopping has been fizzling over the last couple of weeks (excuse me for a moment, Sekaya just dashed into the spare room with one of Hughie’s slippers). So first we had the mishap with UPS and my Disney store purchase. Then my exercise mat is stuck in the land of limbo in a warehouse in Yellowknife, or so UPS says.
The most recent item of merit is London Drugs. We purchased a lot of Christmas Treats, stuff we really don’t need, although we did order candy canes that will taste like fuzzy peaches and sour watermelons. Yum! Anyways, the problem was that I ordered a Gingerbread house – I love to be artistic and unfortunately for me I haven’t had the gumption to put pen to paper or pastels to canvas in a good many years, so I figured this year I would play with my artistic side and decorate a gingerbread house. There was NO gingerbread house to be found, although, according to our shipping list manifest there should have been, they also failed to produce a couple other things as well. (If I list them, you would definitely think my blood is made of pure sugar, but in all honesty the house is for me and everything else was for the Mr.)
However with that said Customer Service has won out again, I was on the phone with them minutes after opening the box and they promised to check it out and get back to me. Well it was Friday night, I didn’t expect to hear from them until today or tomorrow (Monday or Tuesday). Needless to say they called last night on a SUNDAY to help rectify my Gingerbread house mishap. They are reshipping the lost products. They were quite interested to find out that the box was not tampered with or open prior to arriving here in Kugaaruk.
I’m a stickler for good Customer Service, no matter which company that I call or deal with. I guess that comes from years of working in the Customer Service world. I worked the Toys/Seasonal department at Zellers for almost 4 years in my younger days….yikes I just realized how long ago it really was! There is nothing worse than bad Customer Service, although I’m sure I’m one of the few that realizes that everyone has a bad day or a bad call and sometimes you are just the lucky person to talk to that person.
Christmas is almost here! We got the call yesterday (although our phone lines sucked here last night from what I was told) our Christmas Tree is ON ITS WAY! Yippee!! I pulled up the Christmas Decorations last night from the crawl space and put Dawson and Brookie’s Christmas presents in a box last night getting ready to ship it off to the Island. I’m officially done shopping for Mr. Fidler, the dogs ordered him one more gift last week so we are just waiting on that to come in. I still haven’t purchased anything for my parents or my Sister/Mark but they are just getting back from a whirlwind shopping adventure in the States so I was waiting to see what they came back with.
31 days until Christmas
*Addendum: According to UPS my Disney stuffed toys for the pups will arrive on PEI and in my mom’s hands tomorrow.
*Addendum: My Yoga mat has been lost in transit according to UPS somewhere in Yellowknife, being refunded and we need to replace the order.
(Above ~ Approximately 6-9 months old) – The photo that made me fall in love with “Mickey”. *Name was changed to Chakotay the day I knew he was mine* I saw his face on an animal rescue site and I was head over heels. Chakotay has been my protector, and my best friend ever since.
(Above) He was ours the second he walked into our apartment, he claimed us as his “people” and left his hair all over the place. Needless to say that hasn’t changed.
(Above) He claimed my papasan chair from the moment I brought it in the house, the big comfy cushion was just too much to pass up.
(Above) He was very happy to have a little sister join his family.
Happy 6th Birthday Chakotay!
I don’t know if I should or shouldn’t be surprised that it took over a year for a parcel to go M.I.A. I purchased Sekaya & Chakotay stuffed Disney toys for Christmas (yes I spoil my dogs)..A stuffed Bolt dog for Sekaya and a Dale (Chipmunk) for Chakotay. According to UPS-Canada it arrived in Yellowknife on November 4th and left Yellowknife via an air service. From that date - no one knows where that parcel could be, it is like it disappeared into thin air. Although I have a hankering that it is wrapped under someone else’s tree. (Although I definitely have NO proof of that).
I have to say I’m very impressed with the customer service I received from the Disney Store Online. I emailed them a generic “Help me” email at 2:30pm this afternoon and by 3:10 I had a reply. They contacted UPS and it was deemed that my parcel was “lost” in transit. Therefore they were issuing me a replacement order. Learning from my first MIA mail I was smart enough (or not smart enough, as I should of done this the first time around) I’m having The Disney Store online send my parcel to my parents place on PEI. Who will then stuff the presents in the generic brown box they will ship to me for Christmas. There is definitely something to be said about being wished a “Have a magical day” that just instantly cheered me up after this ordeal.
The next step is to find my Yoga Mat that Hughie ordered me from Costco that should have arrived approximately 2 weeks ago. Working out on my living-room mat leaves little indentations on my upper back/body…freaky looking but still annoying.
I look forward to Christmas 2010 when all I have to worry about is parking spots, finding a coffee shop and my Christmas list.
No not the lunch meat in a can but the Spam known as Email-worms. This morning I log onto my hotmail account only to see approximately 10 “undeliverable emails”. Excuse me? The only time I use hotmail is to receive invoice and the occasional family response. From what I can see and my limited experience I have been hit by an Email Worm. Blasted!! I wonder if the people expect individuals to call the International #? If they don't, then why, is it just to slow down hotmail’s servers?
In all honesty, I’ve been a member of Hotmail since 1997 and this has been my first “hack” into my contact list. I have to admit that is pretty good. Lucky for me my husband has a knack for computers so he will figure this out.
So, once again I apologize to all my friends & family that received this spam-email from my account. It wasn’t my intent to make you purchase products that probably don’t work, smell bad or just cost too much money.
I didn’t see the sun rise today, however, as I look out my kitchen window I can just see the dim glow over our ‘mountain’ as the sun sets. It is a blustery-snowy typical day here in Kugaaruk with one main difference, it isn’t –20. I was able to take the dogs for a walk today in just my pants, no long-johns or ski-pants. I enjoy the extra freedom, although jumping in the snow with Chakotay and Sekaya tends to be a little on the chilly side.
We are now more than half way through November. Christmas is sneaking up on us faster and faster. I have officially finished most of my shopping, although like I said in my last post I still have a couple more presents to go. I wish I could make my days go faster, I love December and the Christmas season. All the presents around the tree and the Christmas carols & cartoons on the television. It is hard to be glum about the lack of sunlight when you have Frosty learning life lessons in his feature film “Frosty the Snowman”.
In order to boost my Christmas spirit I ordered a Gingerbread House Kit from http://www.londondrugs.ca. The rule of thumb if you want to order from London drugs is to make sure you first don’t go over 10lbs (shipping up to 10lbs is $29.99 – Over 10lbs is $39.99). The second rule of thumb is to use up your 10lbs of shipping weight to make it worth while to pay that shipping fee. They have a vast collection of Christmas Treats. So I managed to wrangle Hughie into the chair and let him go shopping. I’m not a huge Christmas Candy fanatic however Hughie is. So with my Gingerbread House Kit we purchased the mandatory Christmas Nerds, Mint Christmas M&Ms and a few other things. They also have a Christmas Decoration section, however most items are breakable. If you do wish to look at their site, look at it daily as some products that “are not available at this moment for online purchase” do come available.
I’m just biding my time before I start decorating my house, now that Remembrance day is past I can officially start humming Christmas Carols. I am even becoming antsy to wrap Christmas presents, and I HATE wrapping presents…. I know..surprising considering I’m a huge Christmas fanatic.
I’ve recently ordered a couple of presents through different sites that I normally wouldn’t. Once they come in I will be sure to add my thoughts and opinions on their shipping and handling. Until then…
I have fully immersed myself into the world of Christmas Shopping. I started early this year, as my source of income is now dry and cracked beyond repair. Although; with that being said, I do have access to other funds, I just rather use them on myself! I only have a ‘few’ more gifts to purchase (My parents & my sister and her “better” half). I have a few things to send back East for my niece and nephews and then I can sit back and wait for the Christmas wrapping paper to be placed on the shelves at the co-op so I can start wrapping. I still have a few gifts in limbo somewhere between point A & B so I’m not in any rush; and Christmas is still a month and a half away. So no need to worry yet.
After a long process of thinking and dwelling over the what ifs and if nots.. I decided to get both the H1N1 injection and the seasonal FLU shot this year. I think the deciding factor was that we don’t have access to respirators and ICU’s if the situation called for them. So on Friday afternoon we all made the huge trek to the school gym (a 2 minute drive away). After waiting in line for what seemed like hours – at one point I thought I was sitting in the same chair for two hours; and in retrospect was only an hour of my time. (The clock in the gymnasium was not set back an hour). It was finally my turn. The needles were quite painless, however my left arm where the H1N1 vaccine was placed feels like I played “Punch Buggy” while sitting at a beetle bug convention. Nothing that a bit of Advil couldn’t cure, however for whatever reason I haven’t gotten up to get one yet, I call it a bit of laziness on my behalf. It is funny though, that no matter where you live there will always be people complaining about the way things are run. I’ve seen plenty of news broadcasts with regards to the way things were run in the south regarding the immunization clinics, I happen to think that things were nicely run in our community compared to those clinics down south; I much rather waste an hour of my life here in the north in a line up verses spending upwards to 5 or 6 hours in a line up down south.
The weather along with the sun has been progressing towards the land of 24-hour darkness. The air has turned dry and crisp, making you feel like a popsicle after only a couple of minutes outside; however, with two huskies you really don’t have much choice but to get outside…
Here are two pictures so you southern readers can see what I see when I look out my window.
Meaning : The night of Samhain
Samhain (pronounced “Sauwain”) – The autumn equinox. As Beltaine (May 1st) marked the beginnings of summer, so Samhain recorded the end. Samhain was celebrated with ritual bonfires and is the origin of Halloween. The Celtic year began with Samhain at the end of October, a time of deliberate misrule and contrariness. It was also thought to be a time when the dead could return to warm themselves at the fires of the living and when poets were able to enter the Otherworld.
Halloween pumpkin lanterns may have originated with Celts’s customs of placing the skulls of ancestors outside their doors at this time.
“Decoding the Celtic. Revealing the legacy of the Celtic Traditions, Claire Hamilton & Steve Eddy.”
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Last night was the beginning of Samhain. On my bucket list is to go to Scotland, but if I could put an asterisk next to it, it would say “Go during the celebration of Samhain”. I’m deeply in love with Celtic history with all of its lore and mythology and I have Michael Linkletter to thank for that. He was my Celtic professor at STFX (6/7 years ago). Since that class I’ve read everything that I can with regards to their deep history. Someday I hope to return to study the Gaelic language and divulge my time into taking another Celtic History course. However until then I will bide my time reading my Celtic Lore, History & Mythology books
Meanwhile Halloween in Kugaaruk is over and the kids are probably holding their bellies after consuming all their treats from last night. We gave out suckers, skittles – starbursts, goldfish crackers and tootsies pops. It was a great evening and over all we had approximately 110 kids, unfortunately we didn’t get to see a lot of costumes, half the kids were out in their winter garb considering it was –35 with wind-chill. We did get to see plenty of face paint that turned the kidlets into mice, cats, clowns and scary creatures. We also had a couple of furry animals grace our door early in the evening; a very adorable puppy & bear.
We thought about heading over to the Hamlet for the Costume Contest however it was damn cold out, and considering we spent a considerable amount of time there last year we felt that we wouldn’t see anything different. So Hughie and I decided to kick back with a couple of good “old” horror movies. Pet Semetary and Night of the Living Dead. Two classic horror movies that still had my skin crawling. I’m just glad we don’t own The Ring. It was a great spooky evening.
I came to the realization that we must live in one of the safest Trick n Treating locations. The whole town knows one another as does the kids and the chances of someone tainting the candy is not even thought of. As a child I was never allowed to eat “homemade” candy that was given out the doors however here I saw fudge, popcorn balls and squares in the bags of the kids . There are also no pumpkins in town for kids to destroy no hay bails to burn and eggs are so expensive kids don’t buy them to throw at doors and cars. It is nice to wake up in the morning look out the window and see nothing; in Selkirk you would see Toilet paper, destroyed pumpkins and egg shells spattering the roads and sidewalks.
I hope everyone one had a safe Samhain.
I’m not sure if it is too soon for this but…54 days until Christmas Eve.
October 31st, 2008 a very tentative and slightly nervous woman walked off a First Air flight onto the snowy tundra not knowing what the next two years would hold.
That’s me!! I was that tentative and slight apprehensive woman and today marks my one year anniversary in the GWN (Great white north). I like to think the North hasn’t changed me, but I know that it has. I’m not the same nervous apprehensive woman I once was. I hate to say I’m more abrupt and abrasive but I do border on both of them, however, on the other end of the spectrum I’m more open and friendly towards people I hardly know and that is a huge change as I use to be very sceptical about new people; judging the book by the cover.
I also find myself thinking about things that I normally wouldn’t be thinking about if I was living down south.
1. Water truck…In a happy good world the water truck would arrive like clockwork 3x per week. The world we live in is not always happy and good.
2. Sewage truck…will it arrive today; and must remember to flush the toilet in case they suck my tank dry.
3. Wednesday = Fresh produce day; the best time to go is when school is in session and preferably when it isn’t the hamlets or the co-ops payday.
4. Starting Christmas shopping in October because you never know how long you’ll wait for your shipment to arrive.
5. How I can put on enough layers to keep out the –4o weather and still manage to get some outside activity.
6. How long until my next IPA (Vacation)
I like to think I’m older and wiser and I’ve grown in leaps and bounds in the last year, but really I think all I’ve learned is that I can dust my woodworking everyday and there is still hair that collects immediately after. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining about living in Kugaaruk. I wouldn’t change a thing about the last year, well okay I would…but that can be saved for another time and place. I couldn’t ask for a better hamlet to be living in for our two year posting. We have beautiful landscaping and post office that runs consistent and clear open water with a fresh smell of salt that permeates the skin on a cool summer day.
I’m not going to rush the next year, although I know without doing so that I will be. I’m a Southern girl at heart and while I love living here and all that it entails I’m looking forward to being back in civilization where I can get my Starbucks with my Chapters with a side order of Futureshop without making do with perked coffee and the internet.
Losing the sun = October 30th, 2009 @ 2:00pm
Bring on the long stretched out winter, I think I may even enjoy this one.
Unless you live in a hole you would have heard about the newest news frenzy and the subject of my blog today. H1N1. The virus was/is highly contagious and infectious. Therefore the need for a vaccine was pushed through the conveyor belt and is now approved for public inoculations.
I have never been one to receive a FLU shot. I can’t even recall getting a FLU shot as a child. I did receive all the required inoculations as a child; Measles, Meningitis, your required baby & young child needles, and to this day I have no clue what they were for. I have worked in the “Medical” field for the past 5 years and had direct contact with both the young & the old. I will admit I did contact the FLU on the odd occasion, but I never said “I wish I got this years FLU shot”.
I’m on the fence about this upcoming injection. I like to think I have a fairly healthy immune system. However, the fact that I live in a isolated community is slightly concerning. Although, I’m a neurotic hand sanitizer and washer and I admit I’m a compulsive Lysol cleaner. Should I be concerned about the mutation of this virus, and we all know that it will mutate especially when everyone Tom,Dick & Harriet will be injected with the vaccine.
Will this become as common as the FLU shot; and if that is the case, do I really need to protect myself when I can build up a natural immunity.
What do you think? To inject or not to inject?
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I read an article today on the cbc.ca website, and this section caught my eye, does this mean that we are going to be human guinea pigs. “Canadian trials began this week
Worldwide trials of the vaccine began in September. Canadian vaccine trials started this week.A German trial involving 130 adults looked at the new vaccine itself. Several other trials involving more than 45 million people looked at various components of the vaccine, including the adjuvant.The Canadian clinical trials will look at 2,000 people at 30 sites across the country. The main goal is to determine which dosage of the vaccine, with or without the adjuvant, will provide the best immunity to the general public. Groups being tested include seniors, aboriginal people and those with compromised immune systems.The Canadian trials are useful for several reasons, said Dr. Ben Lasko, clinical director of Manna Research in Toronto."We can make changes on the fly, because we're going to have our data coming back to us fairly quickly," Lasko said. "Secondly, H1N1, I think, is going to be around. We expect that perhaps next year there will be some mutations of the virus and we can adjust the dosage next year for its use."The Canadian data will be valuable as immunization campaigns roll out, public health officials say. In about six weeks, the data will help inform regulators here whether some people may have to come back for a second shot to develop immunity.”
These two adorable little kidlets are none other than my niece & nephew. There are moments like these I wish I was able to fly back and forth from Kugaaruk to home on a moments notice.
Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends & family.
There is something relaxing about the smell of turkey roasting in my oven, the smell is inviting me to curl up on the couch with a good book and a glass of wine, unfortunately we live in a dry community, therefore a glass of red cranberry juice with a splash of Sprite will have to do.
I’ve decided to follow in the footsteps of other bloggers from around the world and of course my fellow Nunavut Bloggers and post a couple of things I’m truly thankful for: (No specific order)
1. My family: Both my immediate family and extended family. I love you all.
2. My friends: While we don’t see each other near enough for my liking. I think about you everyday.
3. My health: For all my friends and family as well as myself. You should never take your health for granted.
4. Good food: Coffee, Chocolate, Pumpkin Pie *YUM* the three things that get me through the cold Kugaaruk winter. (Warm pumpkin pie with whip cream & caramel mocha-lattes)
5. My Huskies: They keep me sane on the cold winter days and they always know when I need some cuddling and comfort. They are my everything.
Gratitude is the sign of noble souls. ~Aesop
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History: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving_(Canada) (For all my American friends)
The history of Thanksgiving in Canada goes back to an explorer, Martin Frobisher, who had been trying to find a northern passage to the Pacific Ocean. Frobisher's Thanksgiving was not for harvest but homecoming. He had safely returned from a search for the Northwest Passage, avoiding the later fate of Henry Hudson and Sir John Franklin. In the year 1578, he held a formal ceremony, in what is now the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, to give thanks for surviving the long journey. The feast was one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations by Europeans in North America. Frobisher was later knighted and had an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean in northern Canada named after him — Frobisher Bay.
At the same time, French settlers, having crossed the ocean and arrived in Canada with explorer Samuel de Champlain, in 1604 onwards also held huge feasts of thanks. They even formed 'The Order of Good Cheer' and gladly shared their food with their First Nations neighbours.
After the Seven Years' War ended in 1763 handing over of New France to the British, the citizens of Halifax held a special day of Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving days were observed beginning in 1799 but did not occur every year. After the American Revolution, American refugees who remained loyal to Great Britain moved from the newly independent United States and came to Canada. They brought the customs and practices of the American Thanksgiving to Canada. The first Thanksgiving Day after Canadian Confederation was observed as a civic holiday on April 5, 1872 to celebrate the recovery of the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) from a serious illness.
Starting in 1879 Thanksgiving Day was observed every year, but the date was proclaimed annually and changed year to year. The theme of the Thanksgiving holiday also changed each year to reflect an important event to be thankful for. In its early years it was for an abundant harvest and occasionally for a special anniversary.
After World War I, both Armistice Day and Thanksgiving were celebrated on the Monday of the week in which November 11 occurred. Ten years later, in 1931, the two days became separate holidays, and Armistice Day was renamed Remembrance Day.
On January 31, 1957, the Canadian Parliament proclaimed: “
A Day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed … to be observed on the 2nd Monday in October.”
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(This is one persons opinions of the below mentioned stores)
Bath and Body Works – When I learned that they shipped to Canada I was floored to say the least. I fell in love with this store while shopping in the states two years ago. Their anti-bacterial pump soap has been gracing my bathroom/kitchen since then.
Negative: Shipping costs changes with your purchases. The more you purchase the most you pay for shipping costs. For example: $35.00 in product (Christmas soap for bathroom, candle and a free plug in) cost me approximately $14.95 for shipping. The costs for shipping is very reasonable for Northern standards, I just wish they would set a standard straight up fee for shipping, even it if was a bit on the high side.
Positive: They offer more than the store does on their website. You can find clothes, socks and dog/cat products. As I mentioned before I’m a lover and purchaser of their anti-bacterial line of soaps and their shampoos. They don’t test their finished products on Animal and the smell of their products is quite true to the actual name of the product. (Items: Candles, soaps, shampoo & conditions, herbal, lotions, socks, trinkets, and some clothes (they run a tad small so check out the sizing chart)
Rating: 3 1/3 stars out of 5
Best Buy -- I have yet to purchase anything from this store, and I usually use it as a tool when shopping at Futureshop to determine which site has the better price. Up until now, Futureshop has always had what I needed. However, I did notice that Best Buy Canada & Futureshop must use the same warehouse company considering when Futureshop did not have something in stock at the warehouse neither did Best Buy. … Coincidence, probably not. They are also offering the free shipping promotion after you spend $39.00 *before taxes*
Cabelas *American* -- While shopping in Minnesota we were told by our friends to check out this store, not just for their products but for their displays of animals around their store. They did not disappoint. We spent hours in this store just looking at the displays and then we noticed the sales and “gear” they had to offer. This online store has the same products that you would find in the store.
Negative: This is an American site, and therefore you have to convert all the prices of the products to Canadian funds.
Positive: They have an excellent selection of Under Armour, The North Face, Columbia and Cabelas name brand items. They are all reasonably priced even with the conversion. I purchase off this site quite frequently and have found shipping to be quite organized and arrives within the allotted time the cost for shipping is approximately $14.95 I believe that is a standard fee as I have been never charged anything less or more. Products arrive approximately 14-20 days from the shipping date. (Items: Hunting & fishing gear, brand-name clothing, camping gear and accessories, and a great Bargain Cave)
Rating: 3 3/4 stars out of 5
Cabelas *Canadian* – I can honestly say since S.I.R was bought out from Cabelas I have not shopped off their website. They are still in “building” mode and don’t have the products I am looking for. I would make the assumption that shipping would be direct from Toronto so it would shave off some of the wait time that you would normally have if you shopped from the American version however I can’t say that for sure.
Chapters - I spent a lot of my afternoons frequently visiting this store back home, however the lure of Starbucks was a huge plus. However when you read as much as I do, you need to take advantage of this store from the online perspective.
Negative: On the odd occasion they don’t have the products that you are looking for, and if you purchase a toy (large) or select board games you don’t qualify for the free shipping. I also wish their packaging was better – there are times I receive my books and I wonder how they didn’t fall out of the satchel type envelope they arrive in.
Positive: Free shipping when you spend over $39.00 (before taxes). Shipping has been good to me, I receive my orders in approximately 14 days from the shipping date. Usually the date they quote me on the shipping receipt is a day or two later than when I actually receive the package.
Rating: 4 1/4 stars out of 5
Costco – Well we all love Costco however I find walking around the huge warehouse store a little frightening since I never know what I’m going to walk out with and now I find that same feeling returns when I click on the website.
Negative: I wish you would be able to purchase food items on Costco, outside the gift baskets and the odd treats you find around holidays.
Positive: Free shipping on (most) products. I have yet to find a product that I needed that was not free shipping, however with that said I have never needed a big item. However, I know of people that have ordered large items with no shipping costs. The shipping estimates and arrivals are very accurate and the boxes are well packed and secure. (Items change on occasion, however you can find pretty much what you are looking for, and if you don’t find it, check back frequently)
Rating: 4 1/2 stars out of 5
Futureshop – I am an avid music and movie watcher/listener so I have this site bookmarked as well as keep a record of the upcoming movies/music I want to purchase. I use this site more now than I ever did..the reason why is below.
Negative: I have found lately that when you want to purchase an item that has just arrived in stores you are unable to purchase it without a wait due to the product being not available in the warehouse. I had to wait approximately 2 weeks for a new box-set to arrive at the warehouse prior to it being sent out.
Positive: Free shipping over $39.00. I don’t know how long this promotion is going on for, or if this is something that will be long term like Chapters. However, approximately a month or so ago I saw the “Free Shipping” ad and I have been taking advantage of it ever since. I complained above regarding stock, however due to the fact that I waited two extra weeks for my product – my products ordered were shipped to me via expedient mail verses regular mail at no additional cost. (Items, DVDs, BluRays, Music, small kitchen appliances)
Rating: (Before F/S – 2 1/2 stars out of 5) (After F/S – 4 1/3 stars out of 5)
Lush Canada – Love, Love, Love this store. I found this store while walking through the Toronto Airport however I didn’t purchase any products until moving up North.
Negative: The products (Bath melts & bombs) can be a bit on the expensive side if you don’t break them up into halves prior to using them in your tub and/or shower.
Positive: The warehouse for Lush is based out of Vancouver, therefore most if not all of my orders have arrived within 7 business days. The items are not tested on animals and are all-natural and vegan based products. The selection is very vast and the products smell heavenly. (Just ask, and I’ll tell you a few of my favourites). The products arrive well sealed and packed. However they will discourage some items in the summer due to their ability to melt. I have not had a problem ordering these types of items especially living where I live. Shipping fees are very reasonable and I have not paid over $12.95 for an order. I placed orders approximately twice a month. (Items: Bath bombs, Shampoo & conditioner, Toner tabs, Bath Melts, Bubble bars, massage bars etc)
Rating: 5 stars out of 5. (Yes I truly LOVE this store)
Rocky Mountain - I have personally not used this store for shopping, however my husband has. They have an excellent clearance section that we frequent every now and again. Since I did not personally order from this site, I’m not aware of the shipping protocols. I will say that we managed to order a pair of Columbia & Under Armour sandals for under $40.00 – Shipping included last spring.
Roots - I did not visit this store a lot while living in civilization. However, shopping for men clothing online is quite hard, so I have found myself shopping at this site frequently especially around Christmas time.
Negative: They have a limited amount of products. Their website does not have near amount of the clothes that you would find in their store.
Positive: They offer $5.00 shipping as random promotions especially around Christmas time. They also ship your purchases in recycled paper and offer you the “Green” aspect of shopping both in their clothes and wrappings. (Items: Men's & Women's clothing, accessories, baby gear)
Rating: 3 1/2 stars out of 5
The Body Shop – I have not personally shopped from this website, although I do find myself searching around it from time to time.
Negative: The Canadian site shopping section is very hard to find, you have to search the website to find the little “store” icon. I have heard in passing that when you purchase an item you have to wait to see the shipping receipt to verify that you got the item “on sale” – I’m not sure how I feel about that. I personally like to see the sale items listed before I charge it to my credit card.
Victoria Secret *American* - One of the best “Women” stores out there. I can still remember walking into the store in Minnesota thinking this isn’t like LaSenza back home.
Negatives: This is an American store, so of course you are going to have to do the dollar conversions to Canadian dollars. Their shirts and comfy clothes run a size large, and from what I hear – as I have yet to purchase – Jeans and pants run a bit on the smaller size. (Someone correct me if I’m wrong please)
Positive: The catalogues that you receive for purchasing off their site almost always offer you some kind of discount which offsets the amount of shipping and handling that you pay to have the product shipped to you. I have not had any problems with the shipping department however I usually receive my products somewhere in the 3 week mark. They have a great selection of clothes and they have some great clearance items. (Items: Everything from sexy to comfy with the option to purchase clothes, shoes, accessories and purses!)
Rating: 4 3/4 stars out of 5
Well.ca – The online drugstore.
Negative: ….. …… ……
Positive: Free Shipping! and everything you need at your fingertips without having to sealift 20lbs of deodorant. Their shipping always has the personal touch and they seem to genuinely care for their customers. I have personally spoke their customer service rep on numerous occasions just so they can verify that I got the correct items. I also love the personal touch of the “Thank you for ordering with us” written on the order in pen after it has been filled.
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
Whole Sale Sports & Winnipeg Outfitters -These two stores I have not ordered from however I have placed them on my list with the hope that I will be ordering from them soon. When I do so, I will add my thoughts about the store and their shipping procedures. I don’t frequent their site to know much more about them than that – however I have personally walked into their stores in Winnipeg and enjoy them in that respect.
Many people today are celebrating one of the best birthdays around. The Birthday of Alexander Keith – the maker and founder of ALEXANDER KEITHS BEER [Those who like it, like it a lot!]
However, Today is the day I married my best friend, I know that may sound corny to some, however that is the truth. My husband is my best friend. We do almost everything together and not just because we are “duty” bound by a gold or titanium band on our fingers. We do have our moments when we get on each other nerves and we would like nothing better than a 5 minute window of solitude but who doesn’t from time to time. But at the end of the day we curl up in our bed with our two fur-kids and we realize how lucky we are to have each other. (Yes I know I’m lucky, even when you don’t put the tooth-paste back in the toothpaste holder or leave your dirty sock lint on my freshly vacuumed floors… )
Anyways, when it came time to figure out a gift to celebrate our 2nd wedding anniversary I was stumped and had to think long and hard. What type of gift to you give someone to show them that you appreciate and love them unconditionally…. ….
When searching online, the traditional gift giving option is “Cotton” while the more modern aspect would be “China”. If you really truly know Hughie you realizes that “china” would be a lost cause as he doesn’t speak Chinese or washes dishes. So I guess that means I went for the “Cotton” traditional gift. I thought about it, I mean a man always needs new clothes and especially warm ones where we live, however my Husband is far from traditional especially ones that span thousands of years; don’t get me wrong he has his “traditions”…like HNIC on Saturday nights and drinking his morning coffee just to name a few…but some traditions like “Cotton” needs to be broken. So I went for a more sensible gift… NHL2010 for the PS3 (Now you are wondering, OH MY GOD you just gave away his surprise…lol, he 1. Does read my blog because he lives with me 24/7 and 2…He is at work drinking his morning coffee reading cbc.ca/canada and doing his email [Yet another Hughie tradition]. . . . Now if Canada Post would only get their ass in gear and get it here then I could give it to him… …
So with that said
The Top Ten Reasons Why I Love My Husband.
(No specific Order)
10. We both think “Vertical Limit” & “Cabin Fever” stole precious moments from our lives that we will never get back.
9 He taught me all about hockey, CFL & curling..sports that I now love and curse along with him.
8 He puts up with my constant travel banter “Do you have your passport…drivers licence…boarding pass..”
7 He doesn’t complain or rolls his eyes when I go all googly eyed over Vin Diesel and Chris Daughtry. *Love my bald men*
6 He will kiss me goodbye in the morning, even with my BAD morning breath.
5 He always holds my hand so tight and never lets it go when walking in a strange place and when he does let go I know I’m safe and protected.
4 He is almost always right and even when I think I’m right.. I’m usually wrong …and he will listen to me fight my cause regardless of how winded and drawn out that fight may be.
3 He loves all animals big and small and will fight against those who hurt them. (While living in Manitoba, we walked home - 30 minutes away; while driving his truck at idle, a 13 year old husky who wondered away from his home just to make sure he got home safely)
2 He is very sensitive and has the biggest heart of anyone I know and with that said he also has a wicked sense of humour that has yet to get us into trouble…
I could say something really corny here like “You complete Me” or “You had me at hello” something that we’ve all heard a thousand time but I’m willing to keep it simple.…
1. The top ten reason why I love my husband, is because he loves me.
Honourable Mentions: We listen to the same music, enjoy the same taste in movies, we cheer for the same sports team and curse the ones we don’t, we drink oodles of beer together on vacations and hold each other up after we do..except when we forget our hotel key and you leave me in a hall way to take druken pictures of myself ….. yikes!….we can walk around Chapters for hours and not buy a thing, we can walk around Futureshop for hours and buy LOTS… … …
Happy 2nd Wedding Anniversary Hughie!
September 21st, 2009 at approximately 10:30am.
I’m usually a cool headed cucumber, I don’t worry or fret the small stuff or stress out at the littlest sign of defeat. I take everything in stride…but there is one thing I wish I could control… SNOW. Now don’t get me wrong, I love snow and a good snow storm. However…….
Last night, Hughie and I walked home from an evening of workout (boy am I stiff this morning, first official work out since returning from vacation is rough). When we walked outside the detachment we were greeted by white cold little flakes falling from the sky. Now, I don’t know why this surprised me, as we had snow on June 21st (First official day of Summer & Aboriginal day) and a few days of flurries since we returned, but this snow was different. It was sticky snow – there was snow on my front and back steps this morning. Now, the sun is warming things up nicely so the snow is melting away as quick as it came. Although, if you look out my front window you will see a scary sight. The snow is still on the “mountains” which means, WINTER!
Time to dust off the parka, and give my toques a wash I may need them sooner than I thought.
(All Hands Hoay – Avast Ye means: All Hands on deck stop and pay attention)
The Maritimer finally made it out to sea. Yesterday, along with Lindsay & Corey (with the wee-ones) and their family from afar we took the boat out into the bay. The weather was beautiful with just a little bite to the air.
The salt air was breathtaking. There is something medicinal about the smell of salt air..however when you are seeing nature at its best it is hard not to feel relaxed and honoured to be seeing what few others ever do.
We didn’t see any wildlife, unless you count the gulls that were milling about the coastline. However, with the bowhead whale hunt going on and the boats making frequent trips between the hunting ground & the docks I’m sure the seals have learned to steer clear of the area.
One of the best part of the day was that I didn’t have to cook supper. I came out of the bedroom to see Hughie pouring a can of soup into a pot. What a husband I have. The soup was delish and I added some ham & cheese sandwiches with fresh Yellowknife tomatoes & iceberg lettuce..Yum!
I’m looking forward to spending many more afternoons out on the water, however with the upcoming deep freeze that wish may be placed on hold for the next 8/9 months.
Well, we’ve been back for 11 days now and things have finally settled down. The dogs have returned to their normal schedule and are enjoying sitting out in the backyard in their dog run to relax in the cooler weather. Before long they will be enjoying snow and subzero temperatures. Side note: There was ice in the water behind our house this morning and had some flurries mixed in with rain last week…winter is coming.
Hughie and I have yet to start in on the workout routine but if all goes well Monday will be the day. Drinking for 30 days is hard on the system!! I’m definitely looking forward to spending lots of time on the elliptical over these next 7 months to make up for this past vacation.
With the barge order and vacation behind us, I am now preparing for the Christmas season. I have started online Christmas shopping for the kidlets in my family as well as for Hughie. What I will be getting the other people in my family and extended family is outside the realm of possibilities right now. Kids are so easy to shop for. I am a firm believer of giving novels for Christmas presents – even if they are not at the reading age yet. A good book can last forever and when they do read the novel the story will never be forgotten.
In all honesty I’m not even sure what I want for Christmas this year – I’m glad I still have a couple of months to figure it out!
Hughie and I are already planning for our next IPA in April (or March…or May). Considering how we plan our trips we need to take advantage of the next 7 months. We are contemplating a all-inclusive trip to someplace warm and sunny where they have little umbrellas in frosty beverages. If anyone has any ideas let me know, the only place that we are not considering is Cuba and/or Mexico – we know they are beautiful locations although they are not the locations for us as this time. We are looking towards Barbados or Jamaica… so as you can tell we are a bit on the fence, so any help would definitely be appreciated.
I am now the proud owner of a Kilt. Considering I am a Celtic Folklore and Scottish History buff I’m surprised it took me this long to get one. Hughie ordered me a kilt from (Sportkilt) the states before our vacation started and it arrived sometime while we were away. I tried it on for the first time today and it fitted perfectly (I guess drinking for 30 days doesn’t make that much of a difference…well not a huge difference )….although I put it back in the box until our next vacation – no place to wear a kilt in Kugaaruk… … …. I suppose if I wore it with thermal long johns, but that isn’t the clothes statement I want to make… YIKES!
I have officially started the countdown:
103 days until CHRISTMAS
On Friday we all awoke to a strange red beast in our bay, however on closer inspection it was realized that it was not a beast but a saviour . The Coast Guards had arrived.
The Terry Fox was in our bay bopping around the currents and having a hard trouble latching into our cold Arctic Bay flooring. It was breathtaking to see a “real” ship in our bay and not just our little dory’s with our locals fishing Narwhale. I know I’m a true Maritimer when I can stand and watch a silent ship for hours without thinking that I’m wasting my time.
Unfortunately for us, and a few other teachers etc our goods were on a bigger ship that only arrived on Sunday. Hughie and I went down to the ‘dock’ on Sunday to find that during the night another Coast Guard ship had joined the Terry Fox. Our stuff had arrived. While sitting around the dock on Sunday admiring the boats and the Pay-loader Ballet we found out since there are very few personal items our sealift order was more likely shoved down in the hold. Meaning: We won’t get it until Monday
We waited and waited on Monday jumping up (okay I was jumping) every time a Pay loader drove by the house, which wasn’t often because yesterday was Labour day. So about 4:30/5:00 I decided to curl up on the chair and have another little catnap while Hughie killed time with the PS3. I awoke to a rumble and a very excited Hughie – our box of goodies had arrived.
Before and after shot:
We are well stocked in the “treats” category – Hughie has enough Willowcrisp & Macaroons to get thru a month of Blizzards. I on the other hand, have enough cleaning goods to get me thru a month of blizzards so it is the perfect handoff.
So let the bay freeze up, I’m now prepared for winter!
(The pictures don’t do our barge room/kitchen justice – for only two people and two dogs I’m sure we will have food left over when we move out of Kugaaruk this time next year…. yikes the food!!)
