Day One In Fort Res

I began to feel a cold coming on yesterday about noon. It is here full force today. Ick. I likely caught it from my friend J. who was down with a cold all weekend. Thankfully I brought several boxes of tissues with me, because I shall need them.

The sun rose to a beautiful clear sky and was amazing. I can see the sunrise from my room, and it shines right on the television. The air is crisp, and –19C. I went to the Band Council building where my office is located about 8:20am. No sign of anyone, so I drove around town for a bit, checking things out in approaching daylight. I went back to the Band office several times, but did not see anyone until about 9am. I went in and spoke to someone from the Band council and located the community coordinator’s office, but it was locked and there was no sign of her. I couldn’t begin work until she arrived as she had the keys to our offices. She was to return last night and be at work this morning, having been in Yellowknife for a few days, but I guessed that she didn’t make it in last night. I hung around until about 9:30am, then decided to go to the nurse’s station to see if they had any idea where this gal was. It appears that she won’t be in until tonight, and was to have told me to pick up my key from them last night. Um, no. Other than communication about my flight change, there was no mention of the motel, its location, where to pick up the key, etc. I checked all emails and there was nothing there about the accommodation. That would have been nice to know ahead of time, however I managed to find my way into my motel room last night in spite of the miscommunication. The nurses then informed me that the gal won’t be returning until tonight and left word for me to just hang out for the day. I can do that. I feel like crap with this cold, so am quite content to hang out in the motel room today with the felines. What really matters of course is that it is warm, dry, and has running water and electricity in the room. I even have my own outlet for plugging in my car. I shall survive easily here.

I did take another spin around town and located the post office. The wicket is at the North Mart, so just down the street from me. No mail, but I did manage to get a post office box for when I do get mail. It arrives on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Mail goes out on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday (I think that’s what she said anyhow). Somehow this sounds vaguely familiar…flashback to Grand Bruit and it’s 3 mail days a week. Works for me, no big deal. Most of my correspondence is via the net anyhow. Now if I could just find the CAP site. I am too sick to drag my sorry ass into the school, and don’t want to infect any of the kids anyhow. I imagine that is probably where it is.

I stopped by the RCMP detachment, but it looks rather deserted today, fresh snow on the steps has not yet been shovelled from yesterday, so perhaps they are out of town, who knows. I’ll get there sooner or later.

Now it is time for some rest and relaxation – and coughing, hacking, nose wiping, etc…Did I mention that I have no control over the heat in my room? I slept with the window open last night. Anyone who knows me, knows how I can’t take the heat. I am not sure how the furnace is controlled, but I searched the room and I can’t find a damn thing, save for two floor registers and a cold air duct that I can hear my neighbor in the next room shower through. Interesting.

Late Night Resolutions

Well, I made it to Fort Resolution. It was a shorter day today than yesterday,which was fabulous, as the landscape grew rather repetitive after a while, kind of like driving on the prairies. Something very interesting and unique about it, but after about 5 hours of the SAME THING, it grows old. I love the hugeness of the sky on the prairies, and sunsets. On the Liard it is dense forest crowding the road, with little opportunity for animal viewing, although I did get a pic of this buffalo on that Liard Highway. It kind of reminded me of the Stewart-Cassiar in how remote and unpopulated it is, even more so though. I stopped at every gas station between Fort Nelson and Hay River, and that totalled 3 – Fort Liard, the one at the corner (can’t remember the name just now and can’t find my damn map – different story) and one at Enterprise. And that was it. From Fort Nelson to Hay River is 700 kms. There were three gas stations. My car was chugging it back with all the extra weight (refer to photo) and my gas light came on between that corner and Enterprise. There was reference to one on a sign if you took an off road, but some of them are very long, and I didn’t want to waste time or gas only to find out it wasn’t open this time of year, as is quite common in the north. There aren’t many travellers on the road this time of year. I saw less than 50 cars/trucks in total for the whole 2 days I reckon.

I saw one lonesome bison along the way, as pictured below. I would have stopped and took real close up photos as he passed me, but I was not going to tempt fate in the event that he chose to charge my car. It was a long way to the nearest phone. Outside of the towns where the gas stations were, there were no homes at all for about 300 miles or more. That would be a long walk to use the phone if a car didn’t come along for a while…

So I made it to Res, intact and $256 in gas! The town looks busy enough, with snowmobiles racing all over the place, usually with youth on them. Reminds me of when I lived in Labrador. All of us loved to go racing around the town on our parent’s snowmobiles, through the woods was the best! My brother usually broke the machine though, whenever he took it out. Innocently he reported…sure. I saw you jump that cliff…

I didn’t get to see much of the local area as it was dark when I arrived, at about 6:45pm. I had no clue as to where the motel was, so had to ask a few locals before finally getting myself sorted out. A fella at the local North Mart phoned the owner of the motel and he came to the store and got me to follow him to the motel. Interesting term, motel. Oh Norman, your mother is calling you.

Well, not as bad as all that, but four units perpendicular to the street. I met the fellows in the first one, looked about 24 or so. One unit looks empty and the one next to me has a nurse staying in it. She let me use her phone to call home to my daughter and my relieved mother. I have exactly the same fridge (but for color) as I have in my house in Newfoundland. There are two burners and a sink. I wish there was an oven, as I would like to bake something. The unit next door is renovated and has a 24inch oven and new fridge, countertop, etc. The bathroom is nice enough though, with a brand new insert. Did I mention that the tub and toilet are a lovely shade of lavender… The carpet is new too(variegated purples), which is always nice, as some can carry a funky smell in these older motels. There is ample storage space for what I have in my car, so that’s good. I don’t have to store everything in car. I think they built them for people staying lengthy periods, and they appear to be popular, so the owner, Angus, is having them renovated. I don’t know when I’ll get my own place, but will begin looking tomorrow. There is no phone, or internet, so that sucks, but it does have satellite, which is GROOVY. I can manage well enough with just that, and will see where the local CAP site is until I get my own place with wireless again.

The cats seem settled enough, and crashed on the bed for a while. I think they are as glad to be out of the car as I am…two days was enough of that roar. I even dragged off the roof bag tonight, as I didn’t feel good about leaving it out on the car with all that stuff in it. The mittens I made for my little ones would be lost, alas! I need to get that all in the mail next week for sure.

The town looks like a regular small isolated town. The people were friendly enough. I got a quick look at the town as I was searching for the motel. There are at least two churches and one of them is Catholic (as informed by the motel owner). The North Mart seems adequate for ordinary items you may run out of, like milk, bread, eggs, whatever canned goods you like, and some dry goods. Hay River is just 1.5 hours away and has pretty good shopping for grocery items. I drove past the school, the seniors home, the post office, and some sort of chip wagon that may or may not be open at some point. The sign said OPEN but the door was nailed shut, and a light was on in the porch. WTF?

The nurses station is next door, which has a residence, but I’m not sure which building that is at this point, but will figure it out soon enough tomorrow. Once I found the motel I was only interested in getting out of the car and unpacked, and letting the felines out into the room.

I was impressed with how well my car handled, and never had many close calls, just a couple of white knuckle moments when transport trucks swept past me clouding me in snow. Today’s drive was clear and dry for much of it, particularly from the beginning of the Mackenzie highway all the way to Fort Resolution. Nice clear highway, and cloudy with sunny breaks. It didn’t start to snow until just as I arrived in Fort Res. The luggage bag and tires strapped to the roof certainly affected the gas mileage, as normally my car can get about 700-800 kms per tank. The price of gas ranged from about 95 cents a litre to $1.17/litre. I haven’t looked to see what it is here locally, but I reckon closer to the latter price.

Northern Safari

After 13 hours on the road today, I'm a little tired but will post a few photos first. Saw so many animals that I felt like I was on safari. Here's the count:

about 50 buffalo/bison;

about 40 caribou; 2 moose (one very close up, that velvety brown face)' 1 elk, 1 deer, and a lone wolf. I didn't get photos of the others as they were not as docile as the buffalo, and it was dark for most of them. I got lucky tonight and didn't hit any!

my car was certainly loaded down today, and burned a lot of gas. I'll get reimbursed though, so not too worried. The car handled well in the snow today, so was happy about that. Now if truck in the parking lot will either pull out or shut off, I can get to sleep. It's one of those motels with the door directly to the outside. rrrrrrrr...

The felines did well, slept for much of the trip on the bed in the back seat I made them. I'll get some photos of them tomorrow as they watch the world go by...two territories and one province in 2 days...the northwest trip...

All Packed Up And Ready To Go

Well, J. and I managed to get the car packed up, propane tank and all! I managed to squeeze it all in, with some room to spare! The big bag on the roof certainly came in handy, and I didn't even have it filled up. The tires are on top of that, and all I need is a rocking chair for granny to set the full picture...

The cats have a cozy bed fixed for them in the back seats, with sleeping bags, pillows, woolen blankets and their own cat beds. Feeding station will be on the front passenger floor, and my plants will go in a bin on the front seat, with my laptop in its case on top, with my audio books playing, and I can plug the charge into the outlet. I have enough food for weeks, an assortment of basic dishes, and most of my clothes, so I am well prepared. I'll try to get some photos when it gets daylight again, perhaps at my first gas up in Watson Lake (likely unless the extra weight really burns up my fuel).

So wish me luck, the damn weather is snowy, so I will not be able to make good time, but I feel better with some snow tires on and all the weight to keep me on the road. Rooooooarrrrrrrr.....

Eastward Bound Tomorrow

Today is all about packing the car. I shopped like a maniac this week and stocked up on tons of stuff to bring to Fort Res with me, now I have to stuff it into my car. I was out last night with friends at a local pub, and had a pretty good time. Drank more than I expected to, thanks to the guys with the draft...I had to get a ride to my daughter's place so I could wind down some. I sent her over to trade cars because I didn't want to leave my car with all of its packages in the back seat, tempting passersby. I couldn't fit much in the trunk because I had my two all-season tires in there, having had two winter ones installed yesterday morning. I can notice the difference, so was glad I spent the money.

I spent a few hours with my gal last night, then came back to J. & J.'s and hung out for the evening, and was up until 2am watching a movie with one of them. Yawn....now I am tired. so have to be sure to get a good night's sleep tonight, as I have a lot of ground to cover in a short while. I'm to pick up the little bastard and miss bitch tomorrow morning at about 7am or so and then we'll be on our way. I am stopping at a friend's place in Marsh Lake to say goodbye, and hope to make it to Fort Nelson by suppertime, depending on the weather and the roads.

Interestingly enough, I don't know the name of the hotel, where it is, or the phone number, so expect to drive around a little in the tiny hamlet and find it on my own. I also don't know where my office is to present myself at work on Tuesday, but reckon it will be a similar deal - drive around until I see a government building and hope for the best...same thing happened at my last two jobs. No one sent me any information as to how to find my workplace, and my fault for not asking!

Lots to do today, packing will take hours I'm sure...gotta run, don't know when I'll get a chance to post again, but rest assured, as soon as there is net access,, there should be news and photos of the journey northeast to Fort Resolution.

Technical Difficulties in the North

(also posted on my other blog)
5:00pm I left Yellowknife this morning on a First Air flight bound for Whitehorse, via Fort Simpson. We got as far as Fort Simpson…and then there was a problem with the plane. Apparently difficulties with the propeller brakes…rather they find out down here on the ground than in the air I guess!

So here I sit in the tiny airport of Fort Simpson, along with about a dozen or so other stranded travellers, awaiting news for the continuation of the flight. There has been word that they have to get help from Yellowknife, but they didn’t specify just how or what. Hmmm…we shall see what comes of it. Good thing I was packed for distance travel. I have my laptop and a supply of movies, along with a couple of novels and a bag full of yarn for my current crochet project. We were fed a light lunch on the plane, so hunger is staved off for now, and should I get snackish, I do have a few things in my bag.

The flight attendant (garbed in flight suit, turtleneck and arctic parka) came in and asked if anyone wanted to get their laptop off the plane, since it was cooling off considerably while they waited for repairs…all but two hands went up…so as I look about the airport (it’s small, so I can see ALL of the waiting area from just about any position) there are four of us on our laptops, either watching movies or playing games.

I tried to give A. a call to let her know not to go to the airport until she heard from be, and thought it would just be an automated operator, so I would just leave her collect call message stating instead of my name “plane late, will call” but I actually got a real live operator who proceeded to inform me that cell phones cannot accept a collect call anyhow…rats. So I called my mother collect and had her call my daughter’s boyfriend, who can call A. when she gets off work at 2pm and let her know that I will call her for the ride. Otherwise she would be waiting around for hours…we’re already more than 2 hours delayed!

sigh…the joys of northern travel…a couple of women are playing luggage roller, where they sit on the luggage rollers (like at the beer store) and shove one another across them to see how far they can send them. I would have taken a photo but was not near my camera when they were at it, darnit.

update 5:50pm NWT time – we have been informed that they sent another plane out from Yellowknife and it should arrive momentarily. They need a few minutes to transfer over our luggage and then we will be able to board and shall be on our way. Yahooo! I think I just heard our plane arrive!!! Time to pack up this stuff and get ON THE WAY!

8:53pm and I’m here at A.’s, hanging out and playing a borrowed friend’s Nintendo Wii…I think I know what I want Santa to bring me…I kicked ass at bowling (well, better than these two here…lol). The flight arrived about 6:05pm, so we were about 3.5 hours behind schedule, but whatever. I got here in one piece and the plane didn’t break. Nice.

Yellowknife Cuisine

During my 16 days in Yellowknife, I've had the opportunity to dine in many of the finer restaurants, and was treated by my gracious hostess, K. at several of them. Many thanks K. for the generosity!!! You can be sure I will treat you when you get to Fort Res to visit - buffalo steaks on the house ;->

Here is a list of the places I dined:

• The Red Apple - good food, kind of shabby appearance though. Had breakfast there one day, and went back on another for Chinese lunch buffet. Not much to choose from, but what I had was tasty enough.
• Coyote's Bar and Grill - nice atmosphere, very good service (even if the waiter kept referring to Kelli as "the virgin" because she ordered a virgin drink...) The food was fabulous, and we went for supper one night and the virgin was treated to a baked alaska which we all shared (divine!) by the waiter because her birthday was a few weeks ago. We also went back for brunch on Sunday which was DIVINE! Tons of food choices, spectacular desserts, and a chocolate fountain! They also offered custom omlettes.
• Le Frolic - cozy atmosphere, good service, but looks more like an English/Irish pub than a french dining room. Food was AWESOME and I ate there a couple of times with K. and we truly pigged out last night, making for a windy night, blowing in both directions...heh heh.
• Diamante Restaurant - Nice enough atmosphere, but was quite chilly, and for me to say that, you know the others froze their asses. The pasta was not great, watery alfredo sauce, not enough pasta with the meal, and not altogether tasty. Dessert was overrated and I found the whole meal to be overpriced for the quality.
• The Office Dining Room - Nice atmosphere, but with strange chairs - upholstered swivel chairs that you might recall from the 70's. Food was delicious, but they were a little cheap on the bread - one roll each, so I had to order more. K. and I love bread!
• The Black Knight Restaurant and Pub - nice cozy pub atomosphere, great food, huge portions, but service was a little slow sometimes and we were nearly forced to gnaw on the table legs with our drinks while waiting for the appetizer. We also had to wait outside one night to get in due to fire restrictions for numbers allowed in.
• Boston Pizza - the usual, good food, mediocre services, but low prices compared to all of the above restaurants.

Then there was the usual fare of take out crap, and it was just that - CRAP. Dominoes Pizza was gross, A & W was cold food, if it was open at all - they were out of stock most of the time due to lack of inventory arriving on the trucks (ferry issues); and KFC was the usuall laxative fare...

So there you have it...now I shall return to Whitehorse to prepare for the drive to Fort Resolution, where I shall be devoid of fine dining experiences for some time. There are no restaurants of any sort in town, and the closest would be in Hay River, about an hour and a half away. I guess I shall have to return to cooking again...

Training Continues

Computer training began today, and what a treat it was. Everyone had their own laptop for the training, and once the initial bugs were worked out with regard to logging in, it went quite well. They have quite advanced software compared to the archaic scribblings I've worked with in my last two positions. In both previous jobs we used DOS based software, which was such a joke for the most part. In Nova Scotia it wasn't nearly as bad as in the Yukon. At least we entered notes and could open and close files, search easily, and get social sets in a reasonable amount of time. In the Yukon, the software is so outdated and the server SO DAMN SLOW that one would drift off waiting for the screens to load. A search for someone would give you enough time to go to the bathroom, AND make a couple of phonecalls while you waited for results.

With the NWT system, everything is on-line, from forms, notes, social sets, database, case plans, investigations, the whole nine yards. And the forms are ALL STANDARDIZED leaving no room for whimsical changes to suit managers on power trips. You can fill out the forms online, and simply print them off. There are pop-up reminders for anything and everything, ones that come automatically and those you can set. I am so impressed with it, it does nearly everything we were asking for in Nova Scotia when I attended a think-group to come up with a wishlist for the new software they were shopping for. NS has the software but implementation is taking years, and I don't think child protection has it yet.

Now, the system certainly has room for improvement, and we chatted about this today, however it is LEAPS AND BOUNDS above anything I've used previously. Nice.

And so what are the photos from? We had a fire drill/alarm during training so the masses were cleared from the tower and huddled in the -25C weather while the slow to respond fire department made its way downtown (from a couple of blocks away). Everyone was outside by the time they showed up. It didn't turn out to be much, as we were let back in shortly after. Our computer trainer was the unlucky one...left her coat on another floor so had to go out in shirtsleeves. She popped into a tavern across the street to "warm up" heh heh.

Hotel Life

Of course, there is much to be said for hotel life. I've been spent a lot of time in hotels over the years since university, usually related to my work and training for my job. There are many positives such as:

• someone to make your bed in the morning (I always wanted a housekeeper!)



• fresh towels every day if you choose (you can take the green option and reuse your towels)



• they vacuum your floor



• clean glasses and no one got hurt



• free internet these days, and in this hotel - wireless!



• fluffy pillows



• a clean bathroom (worth its weight in gold)


• location, location, location...I am next door to Wal-mart and Tim Hortons...who could ask for anything more?



• fresh soap every day if I choose to throw it out each day



• travel sizes of everything, and in this particular hotel, chapstick!!!



• free cable (though not that great at this hotel - no guide, some channels don't come in clear enough to watch)

And then there are the negatives...of course...some are completely my fault of course...

• they can be noisy, particularly when you get a room downtown near the bars - when they clear out, the drunks roam the streets and hallways...and in the morning all you hear are kegs rolling on the cobblestone as the lorry restocks the pub (that was in Ireland)



• backing onto a residential area in the north - I appear to be on a snowmobile path...ROARRRRRRR



• carpeting near the fridge. I took a tub of sour cream out of the mini-fridge and the lid appeared to not quite be on properly...of course I discovered this fact after I grabbed it by the lid and it dumped out onto the carpet...nice. What a fucking mess.



• when the hotel does not have a restaurant, they tend not to put any utensils in your room. So I have a microwave, fridge and coffee maker and not a single utensil, save for coffee stirrers. I snuck a few plastic ones out of the continental breakfast room, but they are so cheap, I can hardly get the knife through the butter. They don't even put real glasses in the room, choosing instead to place separately sealed in bags cheapo plastic glasses emblazoned with Super 8. The rest of the room is so glassy, I was suprised to see they chose cheap plastic glasses.



• some hotels tailor your cable - so none of the channels here match up with local cable and I have no idea what is coming one, or when and they have blocked out the on-air cable guide



• housekeeping sometimes likes to ignore the DO NOT DISTURB signs and comes pounding on your door at 8am on the one day you can sleep in...I don't know if they simply cannot read or just like to piss the guests off. At this particular hotel, they have at least color coded them so I haven't had a repeat of last week's episode.



• controlling the temperature in the room can sometimes be your biggest challenge. At this hotel, they have digital thermostats in both the bedroom and living area. There is a flashing wrench on the bedroom one, so I gather it is having issues...and often the heating/cooling systems are as noisy as jumbo jets lifting off at Pearson Airport...

So there are positives and negatives of hotel life...and I have a few more weeks of it in the near future. At least in Fort Res I shall have my kitties with me for comfort. But then there is the small matter of where to place the litter boxes in a hotel room...ick.

Afternoon Sunset in Yellowknife

Beautiful afternoon sunset as seen from my new hotel room at the Super 8. It was about 3:15pm. The other photo is of a trailer with a basement...who thought it couldn't be done? I seem to recall a former coworker who had a similar plan...I wonder if it ever panned out, eh M.? the one next door is even higher off the ground. I guess where housing prices are sky high, it is cheaper to get a trailer and build up than to consider buying a house.

Northern Life

In Yellowknife the temp today is -23C with a windchill of -31C. Brrrrr. Sunrise comes at 9:18am, and sunset at 3:30pm. We are heading into the shortest days of winter now, and will stay there for about a month before things really start to change again. They have managed to clear some of the roads, but have left many as they were - like frozen muddy rutted farm roads. Every ride over them is bumpity bump (trashcan man).

I'll be sure to bundle up.

The Hotel Circuit

As most of you know, I've been in Yellowknife on training this past week. My first 7 nights I spent at one hotel, then had to move to a B & B, and then today moved to another hotel. My employer was unable to secure me accomodation in the same place for the entire time. It was a hassle for sure, particularly dragging my stuff all over the city in a taxi.

My first hotel was nice enough, and close to training so I could walk. Then I went to the B & B. That was interesting. I felt like I walked onto the set of That 70's Show. The hosts were pleasant enough, however breakfast was something to be endured rather than enjoyed. I had waffles that resembled dry oatmeal in texture and taste, and bacon that was so salty it was like eating salt pork. Now I like salty bacon, but this was like brine! So I didn't bother going up for breakfast the following morning, choosing instead to toast some of the fresh bread I had bought the night before. I was told off about that when I got home last night - "you didn't come up for breakfast and I got up early to cook it for you!". Um, sorry lady. I am not the only guest there (there were 3 others) and what I choose to do is up to me. So piss off. (I didn't say that).

So now I'm here at the Super 8, and while there is no kitchen to speak of, they have a microwave and fridge. I wish they had a couple of burners too, but will have to make due with what I have. The grocery store is just across the road, so I might make my way over there late to pick up something to eat.

Last night I did something rather dumb (WHAT, ME?). I was wearing a polyester skirt and I was too cheap to get a taxi home as they are beginning to add up, so chose to walk from Wal-Mart (yes...I am still addicted) and by the time I made it within 500 yards of the B & B, I could no longer feel my legs. Seriously. My knees and upper thighs to be specific. I think I was just moments away from frostbite. Once in the door, I flung off my skirt and jumped into flannel pjs, and it wasn't long before I warmed up, though it burned at first!!!

One of the gals at training is staying at another hotel near me and we have been sharing a cab to training. I usually call her to let her know I'm on my way and the stupid hotel - Nova Court - can't even bother to answer the phone there. Two mornings it rang and rang, and this morning for about 15 minutes. I tried both lines and no one would bother to pick it up. Arseholes.

so now I'm settled in until next Friday, phew. No more moving until then, thankfully. I've seen enough of the hotel circuit.

Kiteskiing and Icebound Houseboats

During our tour of Yellowknife by our gracious hostess K. from Cape Breton, we saw some kiteskiing...look closely at this photo for the parachute in the air - they use this to pull them along on skis!

As well, we saw some of the "houseboats" that are frozen into the ice. My roomie and I plan on walking out to them today if it isn't too frosty out for a walk, and some closer photos. This water is part of the Great Slave Lake, and in a short while, the ice road will be open across it. For now, it's foot traffic and snowmobiles only.

Downtown Yellowknife

The weather hasn't been great here...kind of snowy most of the time, and frosty. The roads are hard to walk on because they don't plow, but they finally began to clear sidewalks today, much to my relief! I managed to get some shopping in today, though didn't buy much.

Went to a flea market at St. Patrick's with my friend K. from Cape Breton and two other NWT workers and picked up a skirt and 2 books for $2.25...what a bargain! One of the books was about the Saggitarius, and boy oh boy, am I ever one!

We headed out after that to some local shops before going to a local Italian place for some pasta and dessert. The pasta was ok, as was the dessert, but nothing special, however the company was entertaining and enjoyable as the four of us sat around and chatted, debated, and consoled!

I'm off for the weekend, though getting paid overtime for being away from home which I have to say is SWEET! Tomorrow's plan involves visiting a craft fair, some more shops, and then teaching K. how to make granny squares. I taught her how to knit and now she wants to crochet some granny squares. And to G. from Judique, K. says hello! She is just as bad as you for keeping in touch but we talk about you all the time ;->

We shall also be getting a daylight tour of Yellowknife as well, thanks to our friendly neighborhood tour guide, K....

Hoarfrost

Sorry for the delay in these photos...took them about a week or so ago in the Yukon, just near my cabin. The hoarfrost was breathtaking, and the fireweed had yet another season of beauty...it is such a beautiful plant! In the spring it grows up tall and leafy, and then in summer it blossoms out in purple flowers that seem to evolve all summer long. In the fall it turns brilliant shades of red, and then in winter - here it is covered in hoarfrost.

Training Day

Day one of training is over. Today was interesting, meeting social workers from all over the territory. Most of them work in small communities and are on a small team of two or three, so much like me. We spent most of the day going over the legislation and will continue with that tomorrow...yawn...it is interesting for the new workers who have not done child protection before, but for someone who has done it in two different agencies, it was more of the same for the most part. At least their act is just a few years old, thankfully. It was quite a challenge to work in the Yukon with such outdated legislation. They don't even have a duty to report, which makes them the only agency in North America...a little ridiculous, don't you think? And the Children's Act Review seems to be going on forever. However, this is no longer my problem, it is theirs!

It's snowing still in Yellowknife, and the wind chill is frosty as I sludge through the unplowed streets. What is it with the north anyway? Afraid to plow anything??? I do not understand. I'm far from cold though as I pant through another day here. Both the hotel and training room are like saunas to me. I am beginning to think my internal thermostat is permanantly on the fritz so may have to see the doc about this. Yet another thing to piss around with...arrrgggghhhh...

I had lunch with a gal from Whitehorse who is now working in Inuvik, and we have a good friend in common. She did her practicum at my former workplace so we had an interesting chat about all that.

so Kim Mitchell is playing here this weekend and I am undecided as to whether or not I wish to go. I like some of his music, but a whole night? Not sure...I think I'd rather go walking on Ragged Ass Road...

Arrival in Yellowknife

The flight was on time, and my friend K. from Cape Breton was there to meet me. They had
gotten some snow this past few days, so the roads were a mess, however K. recently bought a Toyota Four Runner so we snaked through the city easy enough. We first stopped to check me into the hotel where there was a bit of a mix-up with the room. It was to be a suite with kitchenette and a separate bedroom, but when I opened the door, what faced me was a small single room. No kitchen, only one bed. I was told we were in a two-bedroom suite…hmmm…and the internet is something different. Instead of installing high speed in each room, they hand out a unit you plug in, so I think it is that wireless stuff that runs through the cell phone towers or something. And they were out except for a broken one she taped up and wished me luck with.

sigh.

So I went back down and tried to find out what was going on with the rooms and found out that the kitchenette was in the room next to me and the other social worker from Fort Res would be arriving tomorrow in that room and we would just open the adjoining door and both use the living/kitchen area. Phew. There are pros and cons of staying in either room, and the receptionist told me I could check into either room. The one in the bigger suite has a big closet in the bedroom, but no tv in the bedroom, instead it is out in the living area. The bathroom is designed differently and you don’t need to close the door in order to sit on the toilet, lol. But mine has large vanity, where the other has a very small one on which to stash your crap. In any event, the room is nice, the internet is crap. It worked for about 2 minutes just now, but before I got anything loaded up, it was out again. They have other plug in units, but I have to wait until someone turns one in and they will call me.

After check-in, K. took me over to her apartment, just down the road. Nice place K. has there and she has it so nicely decorated. If any of you remember her antique sofa, she finally had it refinished and it looks beautiful, however her other sofa is much more comfy (we agree). She cooked a lovely pork roast dinner and we chowed down! Thanks K.!

So now I am settled and unpacked into my room and ready to call it a night. These posts might not get posted until tomorrow, but I will try and remember to date/time them according to when I actually wrote them.

I'll go where my mukluks take me!

It’s mid afternoon in the Yukon and I’m on a First Air flight heading to Yellowknife, via Fort Simpson, which is a community found near the head of the Mackenzie River as it flows out of the Great Slave Lake. As I shuffled across the tarmac in my mukluks, the wind was whipping snow around me, and I could hardly see across the runway. I was dressed for the weather though, and my mukluks have kept my feet toasty warm. Anyone knows how miserable you can feel if your feet are cold and you can’t seem to warm them up.

The plane is just a bit bigger than a puddle jumper, and seats about 40 people, max. The flight is nowhere near full, leaving everyone with an empty seat beside them if they choose. The sole flight attendant is cheerful and passing out freebies all along the way. You would never be treated this well on Air Canada. These northern airlines really know how to treat their passengers. The first round was hot washcloths – steaming actually! I was surprised to have it dangled in offering to me at the end of a pair of ice tongs, but I willingly obliged and mopped off my face and hands. It sure freshens a person up! After this she brought around recent newspapers from the territory so I snapped up one of them to pour over during the flight. Following that she traveled through with a tray of snack treats, again all free and we could have two of anything. Next round was beverages, and they don’t do it like Air Canada – hand you a cup of ice with 3 tablespoons of soda. They give you a cup of ice with the entire can for yourself. Now THAT is what I call service! And just so you know, the flight attendants in the north do not wear those cutesy ridiculous “stewardess” outfits with silk scarf and high heels. They dress sensibly in a flight jumpsuit and parka. There you go. She knows how to travel!

It only got better from there. After we landed in Fort Simpson, filled up the plane and took off, we were served SUPPER! Imagine, getting fed so well on a small airline. It wasn’t a hot meal, but it was a good dinner with chicken breast, salad, fresh dinner roll, carrot cake and a fruit cup.

People have been asking me if I’m excited about the move and the changes in my life and up until now I’ve been struggling with how I feel. My work experience in the Yukon had so many bitter corners, that I just couldn’t think about what lay ahead until I was done thinking about the toxic work environment I was leaving behind. And you know what…once the plane started down the runway for take-off I was excited. I see only positive things in my future and am now truly excited about my next adventure!

My friend J. and her husband J. took me to the airport, and my friend M. met us there as her partner was arriving shortly after my plane departed. Isn’t it always nice to have someone see you off at the airport? I think of Hugh Grant’s narration in the movie Love Actually and he talks about the arrivals gate at Heathrow airport, or any airport for that matter. Rarely is anyone UN-happy to see someone arrive, and if you’re ever feel lik you have lost faith in humanity, the arrivals gate is the place to hang out. Thanks guys!

I’ve already met someone from Fort Resolution. She doesn’t live there anymore, but she and her little son Andrew are sitting across from me. She also told me about breaking her neck a few years ago…that was surreal.

So, as I embark on the next stage of my life, heading into Yellowknife for training but also to spend time with a good friend who now lives there (from the east coast) I am really looking forward to it all. I’ve packed a small arsenal of yarn to get me through the training and expect to pack nothing but knitted goods for the return trip.

And no, there is not internet on the plane. I am posting this at the hotel when I get there tonight. Although I reckon it is only a matter of time…

Earning Wine

Well, I had a bottle of wine given to me by a co-worker at the going away potluck the other night and I forgot it at the hostess' house. Last night while in town I went to pick it up and ended up watching a movie with a friend of mine and her children. Mother Theresa - a very interesting movie and her children were so young, age 4 and 7 but still seemed to be thoroughly engrossed in the movie. At one point in the movie, Mother Theresa's character went to visit the pope and the 4 year old asked if that was Santa [in the big chair and red outfit]. Cute!

So I left her house with the wine, and went to my daughter's and not knowing how long I might be stopping by, I brought the wine into her apartment so it wouldn't freeze. And then I left it there by mistake. I even thought I might have took it out to my car and left it on the trunk lid or something and drove back to check, but turned out, I put it down on the floor to put on my shoes.

So I went into town today and picked up this wine at A.'s and brought it home, placing it in the fridge to chill. I wasn't sure if I wanted to drink it tonight or hold it for another night. At some point the decision was made in consultation with resident felines to open the wine. Wait, where the hell is the corkscrew? packed? but then I remembered that the movers forgot to take any of my fridge magnets from one side of the fridge and one of those was a corkscrew I had gotten somewhere when I was in University. The screw part fits into a cover and when you take it out, you put the cover into a metal loop at the top of the screw part, making a T. and pull. And Pull. And PULL. and PULL!!! It was one of those fucking rubber corks that I hate so much and usually break my regular corkscrew that the movers packed. This was going to be a challenge. Well I cursed, I swore, I damn near threw it through the window. So I put a second hole in it, right through to the bottom of the cork. I could smell the wine but it wouldn't come out. WTF. So then I started chipping away at it with the corkscrew, and then with a paring knife that I happened to put aside.

I must have been at it for about 20 minutes or more before it FINALLY let go. I never worked so hard for a drink of wine. Dammit. It better be good.

Thank-you and Goodnight: is it over yet?

As you know, this was my last day at my current job, and I'm heading to another territory to work next week. It wasn't particularly busy for me as things had pretty much been wrapped up, but the highlight came towards the end of the workday when I was able to cradle a newborn today for nearly an hour while the foster parent met with another social worker. It was a true reminder of why we do the work we do. He was the first baby I'd held that was born with drugs in his system. He slept most of the time, I reckon I wasn't entertainment enough for his tired little body. And my uterus didn't twinge once. I'm definitely over having more children, but isn't it nice when you get to snuggle someone else's once in a while, regardless of circumstance. Babies just like being held and I am only too glad to do it for anyone! And then hand them back when they begin to puke and/or poop, lol.

My co-workers set up a potluck supper for me tonight, so that was nice. Thanks again guys! Lots to eat, kids everywhere, with one of them showing off his new crawl until I squealed and startled him. Must be the (lastname) in me, ha ha. They also gave me a gift certificate for a local First Nations gift shop that I had been planning to visit before leaving next week. I actually tried to go today at lunch time but my friend L. wasn't interested in going, and wanted to go for lunch instead so she and I and my daughter went out. I didn't give it a second thought...then I got the gift certificate and she told me that that's why she discouraged me from going, was because they had bought me this gift certificate. What a hoot! So we all got a chuckle out of that.

I've been puttering around all night since getting home, preparing for the movers who are to show up tomorrow morning, at 8:30am. I'm not ready but whatever...they will have to take it as they get it. I'm too exhausted to do more tonight. I'll just have them pack in other places while I finish up tomorrow morning. There isn's much, mostly bringing things in/cleaning things up. I have some dishes to wash up, and stuff outside with snow all over it (kayak, patio table and chairs, bbq, bicycle...the usual. I don't know if they will clean it off before they pack it or what, as I don't want them packing wet stuff, but I don't have room for it here in the cabin either. I'm hoping that they will bring the truck with them tomorrow and load as they go along as it will get crowded in her real quick. I am also hoping that the temperature will rise some so it's not as freezing out with them opening and closing the door so much. It's funny, I moved last year from the east coast, only about a week and a half earlier in the year and it was warm enough that we had all the doors open (cats were penned into a bedroom) as they were in and out with stuff.

Did I mention that I dropped my damn fishtank in the tub and cracked it? Yeah, was plenty happy about that. So I gave the whole mess to my daughter who wanted it anyhow. I just can't be bothered with it anymore!!! Up until I had cracked the tank I was sitting on the fence about maintaining the tank again when I moved but I just don't have the energy to frig around with it all anymore. The cats are enough to contend with sometimes...

I will be glad to get settled in before Christmas. I'm staying put then until I am ready to head out on my world trip. Leaving friends behind is hard enough but dammit I have lived half in and out of cardboard boxes for half of my life, for one reason or another. I grew up moving from one base to the other, and then as and adult, I moved for education and career. I eventually hope to settle for a more lengthy period sometime in the not too distant future, possibly abroad.

So that ends tonight's broadcast. Tune in tomorrow for the movers report - can they manage to pack it all as requested or will they end up packing everything from my pile I've set aside to stay?