On my own

Last night was the first night I've been alone since we got to Nunavut since Jeff was away at training (he's back later on tonight, yay). I had a couple girls over for a Girls Night/Grey's Anatomy watch party (Sobbing forever for McSteamy!!) and as usual, there was an over-abundance of food and drinks available. It was a nice night and reminded me of home because I'd probably be doing a very similar thing for Grey's. I'm hoping we can do it weekly to watch the show throughout the season; it's nice to socialize on a weeknight and Jeff can go next door and watch football or whatever it is boys do. :) However, now I have a lot of food left in the fridge, so I may have to scrounge up some more friends and see if they'd like to come over after Jeff gets home tonight!

Blown Away

The weather has been really temperamental the past week or so. One day it will be sunny and warm, the next it will be raining and turn to big, fluffy snowflakes and then turn into fog and then be warm and everything is muddy. All in the course of a couple of hours! It's very confusing to decide what to wear when you leave the house in the morning, because you have no idea what's waiting for you when you walk out the door.

The worst part that I've been having trouble with is the crazy wind. With no trees or high buildings to break the wind, it is a viscous, bitter wind that you can hear no matter where you are in the house. Sometimes, when the house is quiet and still, and we're sitting on the couch, you can feel the house move from the strong wind. It's unnerving to say the least!

Wishes DO come true...

Much has transpired since my wife's birthday, and most of it is positive. I mentioned that we were brought the wrong fridge; turns out that a scant 15 minutes after I posted, BLCS was back on my doorstep, this time with a full-sized Frigidaire - thank God! It's probably 2/3 the size of our fridge in Burlington, yet it looks half-empty compared to the jam-packed bar fridge we had earlier. That's one of many things I've learned to better appreciate since moving here; other items on the list include unlimited water, a wide variety of shopping choices, and $11 cases of pop, to name a few. 

Lily also mentioned in our last post that she made a wish when she blew out her birthday candle, and it came true! That wish was...

Happy Birthday, Little Sis!!

Happy birthday to the most beautiful, smart, funny, thoughtful, generous, crazy, wonderful little sister I have. There are not enough sweet adjectives to describe how amazing you are.

We hope you enjoy the gift we sent!! Think of us sharing it with you when you use it. Wish we were home to give you real hugs!! 

Xoxoxo

-L

The Best Gift

I am a very spoiled girl! Aside from my wonderful husband's gestures, even 1,600 miles away from home I felt very loved and special on Monday. Thank you for all the texts, calls, Skypes, packages, mail...it meant a lot to feel so connected!

It was a great day aside from the fact that we woke up to snow! Yes, Mother Nature gave me snow for my birthday. Not a lot, just a light dusting on the ground to remind us of what's to come. It was all melted by the end of the day, but there was white stuff in the middle of September...I'm not sure I'm ready for winter this early!

Apparently my candle-blowing/wish-making skills are powerful because I wished very hard for something and by the end of the day, it had come true! No, not to get our new fridge (which did end up coming on Monday, and I'm thrilled with...so thank you to our property management company for the birthday gift!) but something even better! Had I known I had almighty wish-making abilities, I would have wished for the lottery. What I did receive came a very close second. I won't say anything more about it, other than Jeff will talk about it in his next post.

Speaking of posts, you may have noticed that we'v been cutting back a bit on posting every day. We're going to try a Monday, Wednesday, Friday schedule to see if that works better but will aim to be as consistent as possible. For those of you who have signed up for email updates and our feed, it will just automatically notify you when we post so you don't have to do anything different.

It's slippery, cold and dreary this morning as I sit with my cup of tea before work. Hopefully it will clear up before the day is out and we can go for our evening walk! Don't know how motivated we'll be once the snow really hits, so we're trying to get as many in as possible! Fingers crossed!

-L

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday Lily!

We started this morning with phone calls and texts from Lily's parents and mine, and our friends, which was really nice. I sneaked downstairs first and got her breakfast ready (we pre-make our oatmeal, so I pulled it out of the fridge, and voila!), made her a cup of Chocolate Rocket (which is one of 12 flavours from Davids Teas that she received from her sister in a care package last month), and stuck a candle in one of the cupcakes I made for her at our neighbour's dinner party on Saturday. Lily liked it so much, she made me take a photo: 

30 Was A Big Year

With my birthday coming up in just a few days, I had to stop and reflect on what a big year 30 was for me. Getting married, leaving a long-term position, starting a new one, moving 1,600 miles away from friends and family...and those are just the big ones. Plenty of smaller things happened along the way as well, and with those are memories that I'll never let go.

I've always been one to love my birthday. What can I say, birthday attention is always good attention (even if I refuse to believe I'm 31 this year!!). My favourite part though, is being with the people I love most in life and sharing the day together. This is actually the first year that I'm hesitant when it comes to my birthday - it will be the first time ever that I'm far away from home, and that makes me sad. I've always been lucky to be able to spend my birthday with my strong support circle, and this year my birthday only serves to emphasize how far away I am from everyone. With my sister being away for school the past few years, and our birthdays being only 4 days apart, this would have been the first time in recent memory she would have been home for us to celebrate together.

30 was indeed a big year, with huge life-changing events to celebrate. It was the first year that I really felt like a "grown up" and not just a kid anymore. 30 has taught me to be more appreciative. More thankful.It's also been a reminder year that no matter what you have, or where you are, the most important part of your life remains your support circle. Everything else is just icing.

Can't wait to see what 31 brings, but I'm going to enjoy my last 3 days of being 30 as much as I can...why rush it! :)

-L

Happy Birthday, Daddy!!!

Happy birthday to my daddy!

I wish more than anything that I was home to celebrate with you. Awkward singing, hugs and lots of yummy food. I miss you so much.

You'll always be my Superman, and I'll always be your little girl.
I love you!

-L

Back on Track

Sorry for the delay in posting - a lot has happened in the last few days, some of which I will detail here. First, let me tell you how our tiny hamlet is divided into areas, much like Toronto. Indiantown, which is the part of town where we live, is north of Chinatown - which is closer to the "downtown" area where all the shops and such are. I know what you're thinking - Toronto has little India and Chinatown, but they have 3 million people. How come a hamlet of 1,800 have these population designations as well? Good question, and the answer is simple enough. 

My Brush with the Law

I spent most of yesterday at the RCMP office. I was involved in a bar fight and it took three officers.....no, I'm just kidding. I had an interview today for a supply teaching position, and part of the process is to have a criminal check done, which of course is handled by the police. I walked from the school to the RCMP, and met a young woman who was the summer student at the office, and who was one of the 15 high school graduates this year. She hopes to become a police officer eventually, although some of her friends are urging her to go to college or university. A number of post-secondary institutions have preparatory programs for Inuit and other tribes whose education system isn't quite up to the standard we're used to seeing back home. A high school graduate from here is roughly on par with a grade 8 graduate in Ontario, so this prep course is like a bridge year to help transition these students to a level where they can tackle university-level coursework. Add to that significant discounts on textbooks, classes, and residency, and you've got a big advantage available, for those willing to pursue it.

Canine conundrum

Normally, I love dogs. I have enjoyed their company since we got our first puppy when I was a teenager, and miss my parents' current labrador, Miller. There are a lot of dogs here, so I know he would have lots of friends to play with. At the moment, however, my relationship with dogs is suffering, because some of the local pooches are not respectful of bedtimes. Granted, they aren't likely aware they are disturbing my slumber, and yet, they should know that barking at 1am is not going to produce the results they're trying to achieve, given that an hour later, they are still at it. Most dogs here are chained up outside (most unlike the way we coddle our dogs, as if they're members of the family) and are considered work dogs, although I'm not sure what kind of work they are supposed to be doing. Guarding rusty snowmobiles, perhaps?

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