the view from my window at work, at 9:30 this morning.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Sunday, October 19, 2008
giving up the upper hand
It's funny, you know. When we were younger and I wanted Miguel to do more things around the house, and he just wouldn't, I did them myself. Painted rooms, took up carpet, unclogged drains, dug gardens, mowed lawns. Now that we're older and presumably wiser, he is more likely to do the sort of manly things that I previously would have loved him to do. Some of our friends that have only known him since we moved up here, have commented that I'm lucky that he's handy.
But there's an uncharitable part of me that remembers stripping wallpaper when I was 6 months pregnant, planting vegetable gardens and painting fences and all that stuff for years, plus all the cooking and housework, and I want to say to them, "He hasn't always been like that. It's a recent thing."
But I don't tell them. I wonder how much of what he's doing here is motivated by the sheer danger that surrounds us so much of the time, the cold could kill us if we allowed our house to deteriorate, and maybe that's the difference here, I don't know.
What I do know is that relinquishing up the upper hand is hard. If I'm being honest (which I am) I have to say that it's difficult for me to give him credit for these endeavours. I always thought that it was what I wanted, for him to help around the house, but maybe the reality is that I became used to the paradigm that featured me having the moral high ground.
And the irony (maybe that's too global, I always tell the kids that coincidences and unfortunate turns of events aren't per se ironic) is that now that he's doing these things, I can't be happy for his personal growth because nobody in our lives at the moment can see that he's had a free ride up til now....... Although really, what does it matter.
But there's an uncharitable part of me that remembers stripping wallpaper when I was 6 months pregnant, planting vegetable gardens and painting fences and all that stuff for years, plus all the cooking and housework, and I want to say to them, "He hasn't always been like that. It's a recent thing."
But I don't tell them. I wonder how much of what he's doing here is motivated by the sheer danger that surrounds us so much of the time, the cold could kill us if we allowed our house to deteriorate, and maybe that's the difference here, I don't know.
What I do know is that relinquishing up the upper hand is hard. If I'm being honest (which I am) I have to say that it's difficult for me to give him credit for these endeavours. I always thought that it was what I wanted, for him to help around the house, but maybe the reality is that I became used to the paradigm that featured me having the moral high ground.
And the irony (maybe that's too global, I always tell the kids that coincidences and unfortunate turns of events aren't per se ironic) is that now that he's doing these things, I can't be happy for his personal growth because nobody in our lives at the moment can see that he's had a free ride up til now....... Although really, what does it matter.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
blowing in the wind
We drove out to the cabin today to retrieve the water jugs and make sure the oil valves were turned off, for the winter. It's cold enough that the water out there is frozen, Miguel walked out on the lake a bit. There isn't very much snow yet, but it's really windy. We saw this little fox in his winter coat, on the way out - I thought he was a patch of snow but then he moved.
Saturday, October 04, 2008
barge fun
Our appliances are here! It's like Christmas, but with dishwashers. We ordered a new stove and dishwasher, and also a washer and dryer, to come up on the barge. I was over at a friend's house last night, and he mentioned that when he went to get his pellets for his stove off the beach where the barge left them, there was a large crate with our name on it. We got pellets too, but that's nowhere near as exciting.
The old dishwasher was barely pretending to wash dishes, and the stove couldn't hold a temperature in the oven. Which is important, given the amount of baking that gets done by the teenagers around here. The dryer didn't shut off by itself, and the washer had that "I'm going to die soon" burning oil smell. We've been here two years now, in this house, so this is happy anniversary, house. Today was the dragging upstairs phase of things, and Miguel and I lay on the floor in the kitchen for a lot of the evening, trying to hook up the dishwasher but it's done now. Tomorrow will be washer/dryer day, after church. too much fun! And if they ever bring us water again (I begin to wonder) we will be able to try out the dishwasher...
The old dishwasher was barely pretending to wash dishes, and the stove couldn't hold a temperature in the oven. Which is important, given the amount of baking that gets done by the teenagers around here. The dryer didn't shut off by itself, and the washer had that "I'm going to die soon" burning oil smell. We've been here two years now, in this house, so this is happy anniversary, house. Today was the dragging upstairs phase of things, and Miguel and I lay on the floor in the kitchen for a lot of the evening, trying to hook up the dishwasher but it's done now. Tomorrow will be washer/dryer day, after church. too much fun! And if they ever bring us water again (I begin to wonder) we will be able to try out the dishwasher...
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Sunday
things I did today:
got up at eight to finish printing the readings for church.
had coffee with Miguel.
led the service at church. (water from the rock)
went to Patti's for coffee with everyone from church. (and cinnamon buns, yum)
came home and had more coffee with Miguel.
repotted some plants cuttings that I've been rooting.
roasted all the peppers in the fridge - food mail sent too many and we'd never be able to eat them before they rot.
admired Rachel's assorted bruises that she acquired on the cadet camping trip.
watched Ian sleep on the couch as he was exhausted from the above-mentioned camping trip.
made roasted garlic and yam soup.
made black bean hummous.
made caribou shepherd's pie for dinner and lemon cake for dessert.
watched my family phone each other with their new cellular phones
called my mom. she
worked on the blanket I'm crocheting for a friend's baby (due Oct 12)
went to work and finished what I was working on yesterday.
came home and made tea. no more coffee, I've had enough.
so now I've got a fridge full of lunch fixings for this week, I'm all spiritualled up, tomorrow I can start something new at work, and I've got plants to give away to a new lady in town who is missing the greenery of her home.
got up at eight to finish printing the readings for church.
had coffee with Miguel.
led the service at church. (water from the rock)
went to Patti's for coffee with everyone from church. (and cinnamon buns, yum)
came home and had more coffee with Miguel.
repotted some plants cuttings that I've been rooting.
roasted all the peppers in the fridge - food mail sent too many and we'd never be able to eat them before they rot.
admired Rachel's assorted bruises that she acquired on the cadet camping trip.
watched Ian sleep on the couch as he was exhausted from the above-mentioned camping trip.
made roasted garlic and yam soup.
made black bean hummous.
made caribou shepherd's pie for dinner and lemon cake for dessert.
watched my family phone each other with their new cellular phones
called my mom. she
worked on the blanket I'm crocheting for a friend's baby (due Oct 12)
went to work and finished what I was working on yesterday.
came home and made tea. no more coffee, I've had enough.
so now I've got a fridge full of lunch fixings for this week, I'm all spiritualled up, tomorrow I can start something new at work, and I've got plants to give away to a new lady in town who is missing the greenery of her home.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Turtle cheesecake
Two of my favourite things all rolled up into one. with whipped cream. yummmm. It followed a very nice meal downstairs in the restaurant. And now I'm pleasantly full.
The course is good, I'm learning lots of cool and useful things, and we even finished early today, so I was able to come back to my room and get some work done. I actually wish I'd brought more work, because I'm almost done the stuff I brought. I was feeling a bit guilty yesterday because I bought a Peter Robinson book I hadn't read at the Northern in the morning, then went hiking, and came back to the hotel room at about 3pm and spent the rest of the day reading. It's not often I get to sit down with a book and read it from cover to cover with no interruptions. (well, other than to get more Pringles and cheese...)
Tomorrow is the end of the course, and the exam. Then on Friday I head home. Via Yellowknife so I can buy some clothes.
The course is good, I'm learning lots of cool and useful things, and we even finished early today, so I was able to come back to my room and get some work done. I actually wish I'd brought more work, because I'm almost done the stuff I brought. I was feeling a bit guilty yesterday because I bought a Peter Robinson book I hadn't read at the Northern in the morning, then went hiking, and came back to the hotel room at about 3pm and spent the rest of the day reading. It's not often I get to sit down with a book and read it from cover to cover with no interruptions. (well, other than to get more Pringles and cheese...)
Tomorrow is the end of the course, and the exam. Then on Friday I head home. Via Yellowknife so I can buy some clothes.
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Iqaluit
So on Sunday night we invited people over for dinner - I think the final total came to 20 - (well, most of them were kids - 6 adults besides Miguel and I and a whole bunch of kids).
At 5:30, half an hour before everyone was supposed to arrive, I was just finishing up the Alu Gobi I was making (cauliflower-and-potato curry for the grownups) and the phone rang. It was Canadian North, to say that the direct flight to Iqaluit that I was supposed to be taking at 6:45 Monday morning was cancelled. The guy I was talking to told me that I wouldn't make it to Iqaluit before Wednesday afternoon. Which was of no earthly use, given that the two-day course I was going for would be half over by then.
As I was stirring the Gobi and glumly wondering if walking might have been a better idea, Patti came in, and when I told her what Canadian had said, she suggested I call First Air and see if they could fly me out that night so that I could catch the Canadian flight from Yellowknife in the morning.
So Miguel kindly called for me, First Air kindly obliged, and then I gobbled some Gobi, packed willy-nilly and rushed off to the airport. By 11 PM I was sitting at the Super Eight in YK.
So although I did all the cooking, I effectively missed the dinner party (and the dishes, which Miguel was left with) but I hear it was fun.
And now I'm in Iqaluit. I will be there in the morning tomorrow for the start of the course, which is one I've been hoping to take for a long time.
I went hiking down by the river at lunchtime.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
things this week
hoo boy. It was court.
1/ according to a very drunk lady, I am going to burn in hell. Miguel says he'll come visit.
2/ watched Untraceable. creepy.
3/ teenagers keep taking my car.
4/ my avocado is sprouting. it has leaves.
5/ dyed my hair. it's browner now. wanna see?
1/ according to a very drunk lady, I am going to burn in hell. Miguel says he'll come visit.
2/ watched Untraceable. creepy.
3/ teenagers keep taking my car.
4/ my avocado is sprouting. it has leaves.
5/ dyed my hair. it's browner now. wanna see?
Sunday, August 17, 2008
don't lv msg
Do people really need to have that whole spiel on their answering machine - you've reached Jack and Jill and we're not available to take your call, please leave your name and number after the beep and we'll get back to you as soon as possible?
Aren't we all trained well enough now that we'd just leave a message after the beep? And aren't we adult enough to know that if we don't leave a number no-one will bother to go look it up and call us back? And isn't it understood that if the answering machine picks up, the householders are not interested in or capable of talking at that particular moment? And really, doesn't the phrase "get back to you as soon as possible" suggest, perhaps erroneously, that the owners of the answering machine will call you back while still wearing their coats and shoes, immediately upon returning and entering the house, so that you don't have to wait a moment more than necessary to get their recipe for sex-in-a-pan.
Shouldn't we maybe tell the truth?
"You've reached the number you dialed. Unless you're drunk-dialing or dyscalculic. We might possibly call you back if this isn't the nine hundredth time you've called this week to try and get us to take a survey about our eating habits. If this is my Mom, don't tell me how much you hate my answering machine. It's an inanimate object and it doesn't care. BEEP."
(I should probably add that my answering machine says something about tacos, thanks to the collective sense of humour of the four teenagers regularly playing with the phone. And yet people leave messages.)
Aren't we all trained well enough now that we'd just leave a message after the beep? And aren't we adult enough to know that if we don't leave a number no-one will bother to go look it up and call us back? And isn't it understood that if the answering machine picks up, the householders are not interested in or capable of talking at that particular moment? And really, doesn't the phrase "get back to you as soon as possible" suggest, perhaps erroneously, that the owners of the answering machine will call you back while still wearing their coats and shoes, immediately upon returning and entering the house, so that you don't have to wait a moment more than necessary to get their recipe for sex-in-a-pan.
Shouldn't we maybe tell the truth?
"You've reached the number you dialed. Unless you're drunk-dialing or dyscalculic. We might possibly call you back if this isn't the nine hundredth time you've called this week to try and get us to take a survey about our eating habits. If this is my Mom, don't tell me how much you hate my answering machine. It's an inanimate object and it doesn't care. BEEP."
(I should probably add that my answering machine says something about tacos, thanks to the collective sense of humour of the four teenagers regularly playing with the phone. And yet people leave messages.)
Thursday, August 07, 2008
things that make you want to call the police
This is a partial list...
1> I've downloaded a program off the internet and I can't find the icon for it.
2> My neighbour slammed his door and a picture fell off the wall in my house.
3> Some kids were throwing rocks at my house at 3AM. (this at 10:30AM)
4> "Everybody's fighting". I envisioned a brawl. When the guys got there, "everybody" turned out to be two very intoxicated females who were the only occupants of the house.
However. The Iqaluit CBC radio station called to ask my boss about 'shots fired' in town. Ok. So for all the above shit you call me, and for the shots fired you call the radio??? (for the record, it wasn't shots... fireworks)
1> I've downloaded a program off the internet and I can't find the icon for it.
2> My neighbour slammed his door and a picture fell off the wall in my house.
3> Some kids were throwing rocks at my house at 3AM. (this at 10:30AM)
4> "Everybody's fighting". I envisioned a brawl. When the guys got there, "everybody" turned out to be two very intoxicated females who were the only occupants of the house.
However. The Iqaluit CBC radio station called to ask my boss about 'shots fired' in town. Ok. So for all the above shit you call me, and for the shots fired you call the radio??? (for the record, it wasn't shots... fireworks)
Monday, August 04, 2008
Eclipse
Waking sweaty, ears ringing, in my blanket nest
Jumbled half light in the cabin
It’s 2am.
At the door, you ask our plans
Ultimately, death
I say, I think
Tell myself I’m still asleep
Smoky haze on the horizon
Behind the lake
Candy-pink edges the only proof
Of the sun, spinning before the eclipse
Despite my flippancy
The plan involves treading the spine of Ovayok
(His falling down and dying made a ribbed mountain)
Approaching, half the town
Perches already, or scales the steep sides
I leave you all sprawled
At the top of the first rise
Keep going
Wind, warm animal breath from the head
Damp and alive
Tugs my clothes, whistles in my coat
Passing those I know
(Hey, Kate)
And those I don’t
Smile anyway
It’s their mountain
As I approach, one woman turns from contemplation
Kate. What time does it start?
I look at my watch but I already know the answer. Now.
The answer confuses. The sun hides.
Past scattered inukshuks and teenagers
Eyes slide away
Don’t know where I’m going or why
I need to walk but the
wind keeps blowing against
me and some watchers are
higher still and
then the sun stops.
I turn around.
Suddenly everything is downhill fast
and the light is grey
and then I’m in Ovayok’s belly button
in the middle of the night
with a whole bunch of people
and it’s dark.
Jumbled half light in the cabin
It’s 2am.
At the door, you ask our plans
Ultimately, death
I say, I think
Tell myself I’m still asleep
Smoky haze on the horizon
Behind the lake
Candy-pink edges the only proof
Of the sun, spinning before the eclipse
Despite my flippancy
The plan involves treading the spine of Ovayok
(His falling down and dying made a ribbed mountain)
Approaching, half the town
Perches already, or scales the steep sides
I leave you all sprawled
At the top of the first rise
Keep going
Wind, warm animal breath from the head
Damp and alive
Tugs my clothes, whistles in my coat
Passing those I know
(Hey, Kate)
And those I don’t
Smile anyway
It’s their mountain
As I approach, one woman turns from contemplation
Kate. What time does it start?
I look at my watch but I already know the answer. Now.
The answer confuses. The sun hides.
Past scattered inukshuks and teenagers
Eyes slide away
Don’t know where I’m going or why
I need to walk but the
wind keeps blowing against
me and some watchers are
higher still and
then the sun stops.
I turn around.
Suddenly everything is downhill fast
and the light is grey
and then I’m in Ovayok’s belly button
in the middle of the night
with a whole bunch of people
and it’s dark.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
summer
The avocado pit that I've been trying to sprout has grown a root! And my second pineapple has green shoots in the middle! I love the 24 hour daylight for growing - all my plants go wild. I have been trying to order a small seed starter, like a tiny plastic greenhouse, but the company called today and told Rachel they can't ship it to me. Not sure why. I was looking forward to getting it. Oh well. I guess I'll have to keep using margarine containers and plastic wrap.
We didn't end up going to Starvation Cove. Miguel went fishing from work (they all went on Friday - company fishing day) and caught a 12 pound char, so he didn't really want to head out again on Saturday. So we invited a bunch of people for dinner on Sunday, made caribou stew and char and had a good meal.
Next weekend is the eclipse. I've been told that we're staying up Thursday night to see it, at 3am Friday morning, despite the fact that I have to work on Friday. Miguel doesn't have to, he's off to San Diego...
Chris and Clark are within 100km of their finish point.
We didn't end up going to Starvation Cove. Miguel went fishing from work (they all went on Friday - company fishing day) and caught a 12 pound char, so he didn't really want to head out again on Saturday. So we invited a bunch of people for dinner on Sunday, made caribou stew and char and had a good meal.
Next weekend is the eclipse. I've been told that we're staying up Thursday night to see it, at 3am Friday morning, despite the fact that I have to work on Friday. Miguel doesn't have to, he's off to San Diego...
Chris and Clark are within 100km of their finish point.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Saturday
I'm getting things done. I went to work just after noon, and found there was no-one there, so I spent a couple of hours madly washing the floors and vacuuming before anyone came to muddy it up again. I also took all the blankets from the cellblock over to one of the unoccupied houses to wash (really unoccupied, not just house-where-owners-are-on-vacation). The new guy is moving in there on Tuesday and I wanted to make sure it was ready for him, too. I went to do this in one of the other houses before a new couple arrived, and the place had a dead fly problem. The floor was black and crunchy. After getting to know her, I think if that guy's wife had walked in and found it like that, she would probably have gotten in a cab and headed back to the airport...
I'm also working on a church service for tomorrow. It's my turn. Made banana bread, cleaned the kitchen, invited a bunch of people for supper tomorrow, tidied up the living room, took a stab at the bathroom, paid my taxes... (well, the huge ass penalty I got for filing late because we were waiting for a piece of paper from my RRSP.)
Also at the moment I'm caught up at work, I thought I was getting a bunch more stuff to do, transcribing-wise but the disk I was sent turned out to be blank. So until a new one with actual recordings comes, there's nothing pressing for me to do. It's a nice feeling.
I'm also working on a church service for tomorrow. It's my turn. Made banana bread, cleaned the kitchen, invited a bunch of people for supper tomorrow, tidied up the living room, took a stab at the bathroom, paid my taxes... (well, the huge ass penalty I got for filing late because we were waiting for a piece of paper from my RRSP.)
Also at the moment I'm caught up at work, I thought I was getting a bunch more stuff to do, transcribing-wise but the disk I was sent turned out to be blank. So until a new one with actual recordings comes, there's nothing pressing for me to do. It's a nice feeling.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
the preceding post is what happens when
computer is left unattended while bagels toast.
The wind is blowing, today. Taking all the bugs away. On Saturday if it's nice we're planning a trip to Starvation Cove, where the fish are rumoured to be bitey. I just like the ride.
Rachel is back from camp. (as you may have noticed) Kirsten will be back next weekend. Ian called on the weekend and said he's going on maneuvers this week, in the bush. It sounds like a good camp, and he's talking about going again next year. Despite Rachel's misgivings, she enjoyed herself too, even the cadet-ish portions of the festivities, and is also thinking she will go again next year. The cadet program is awesome, for the opportunities, the friends made, and the general sense that they can withstand a lot more than they ever imagined. Rachel has a picture of herself mugging madly in front of a canvas shelter that she and her partner made in the bush, and she's come home knowing that even though she's still afraid of bears and bugs she can survive in the wilderness and come out laughing.
Work is a bit quieter this week, and I've been napping a lot in the evenings. We discovered that the non-functioning of the internet was due to an intersection of electronics and water, probably courtesy of the dying washing machine. This has been fixed, and Miguel has dug up an old laptop for me to use until Kirsten returns with my computer.
The wind is blowing, today. Taking all the bugs away. On Saturday if it's nice we're planning a trip to Starvation Cove, where the fish are rumoured to be bitey. I just like the ride.
Rachel is back from camp. (as you may have noticed) Kirsten will be back next weekend. Ian called on the weekend and said he's going on maneuvers this week, in the bush. It sounds like a good camp, and he's talking about going again next year. Despite Rachel's misgivings, she enjoyed herself too, even the cadet-ish portions of the festivities, and is also thinking she will go again next year. The cadet program is awesome, for the opportunities, the friends made, and the general sense that they can withstand a lot more than they ever imagined. Rachel has a picture of herself mugging madly in front of a canvas shelter that she and her partner made in the bush, and she's come home knowing that even though she's still afraid of bears and bugs she can survive in the wilderness and come out laughing.
Work is a bit quieter this week, and I've been napping a lot in the evenings. We discovered that the non-functioning of the internet was due to an intersection of electronics and water, probably courtesy of the dying washing machine. This has been fixed, and Miguel has dug up an old laptop for me to use until Kirsten returns with my computer.
And it was all like woah! ...
Woah! and i like couldnt stop it! Chicken's run freely in the rain with purple umbrella while yellow smiling ducks eats their young. Cats get shoved in boxes and kids pushed them around. What has the world come to?
And i can't stop it! Why?
Cause it was all like Woah!
-Rachel
more cat pictures
And i can't stop it! Why?
Cause it was all like Woah!
-Rachel
more cat pictures