Radio recognition

Over the past day or so, I've had two separate people say thye have heard me on CBC.

The first time, Monday night, it was my co-worker's sister. We were at the hockey game, and she asked my name... and then was like "I recognize your voice!"

Yesterday, it was a fellow journalist, and Nunatsiaq News reporter, saying he oft hears me on the radio.
I guess its not really that big of a deal.

Of COURSE people hear me on the radio.
 
But I'm used to my family saying they've heard me, its a bit different when its total strangers/people I've never met.
It's kind of surreal, the idea of people recognizing me, my name, my voice.

But I guess its just part of the job :P

to buy or not to buy...

So I'm spending most of this week at the NTI annual general meeting (Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. for you "southern" folks) it appears to be much better organized than the KIA (Kivalliq Inuit Association) I was at a couple weeks ago...
But then that was regional, this is territorial.
I can imagine that makes a big difference.

Probably my favourite part of the conference/meeting is the unlimited amounts of fresh fruit available every morning, followed by veggies and dip in the afternoon... and the oft-visited "crafts table."

Local folks put their kamiks, parkas, original artwork, mitts, etc... on display for purchase for the delegates, and other folks attending the meeting (such as yours truly).

I bought a pair of mitts at the fall yard sale a couple weeks ago... but they weren't exactly what I was looking for. Originally I wanted some skin mitts... with maybe some fur on the cuffs. But there wasn't much for sale ... of the non-food variety... so I bought the only pair I could find that were for adults. They were bright orange (pleather!!) with beaver fur ruff. Not exactly what I was looking for, but I'm glad I bought them in the end because otherwise, my poor little hands would have frozen and fallen off ... as shortly thereafter, the temperature dropped to a steady -30.

So there's a pair of mitts here for sale, they are fur (really coarse, not soft... I have no idea what kind, I'll have to ask) for "just" 60 bucks (believe it or not, this is a steal... no one "down south" would dream of buying mitts for 60... seems like such a "waste" but then... I guess I wear my other mitts just about every day ... and they are much more difficult to lose (being BRIGHT ORANGE AND ALL) )

But the winter craft fair will be this Saturday, and so maybe I'll hold off, and finally buy the mitts I really want... but I have no idea if the craft fair will be ONLY CHRISTMAS stuff or not.

Meh, we shall see.

PC LOAD LETTER?????

I don't know what it is, in particular, that makes office phones so freaking difficult for me to understand.
I literally had just mastered all the quirky little features of my old phone (and programmed the speed dial for my news editor / producer...), figured out what buttons didn't work...

And today I come into work with a new one glaring at me from my desk.

Yes it's prettier than the old one. But much more confusing. The buttons don't have WORDS on them, so I have to associate a SYMBOL with a meaning... which is all very well and good when it's a red octagon we're talking about, but how in the world was I supposed to know that the swirly "Nortel" symbol actually was the "feature" key?

And when there is an incoming call, there is a triangle with a phone receiver hovering over it. When that call is picked up, the receiver moves to the left. AND THEN when its on hold, it moves to underneath the triangle.

Ok, in hindsight, the symbols actually make sense for this one. I just realized the triangle with the receiver over it is supposed to be an old-school telephone. And when it is on hold, its like the receiver is beside the phone (or in front of it) and when it is in use, its like the receiver is being held straight up-and-down... so like the phone is talking to the receiver.

Doesn't change the fact that I'm still struggling.

A post for Mom and Andrea

Check out my rockin' bathroom art:

Beautiful Stranger

I don't care what my mother told me. Sometimes, it is okay to talk to strangers.

Like when it is minus a bagillion outside, and you've waited 20 minutes for a cab, give up, and decide it's probably faster just to walk home and feed your very hungry puppy....

And someone spies your poor wind-bitten face and shivering form, pulls over, and asks if you want a ride, wherever you are going.

Its things like that, little random acts of kindness, that I would likely be wary of "down south" that give the north its charm.

Kudos "Jon" ... I'll make sure to pass on the favour.

Food for thought

What happens when Melbatoast gets stale?

Or for that fact, sour cream goes sour?

Blogging and journalism etiquette

I think I gave a fellow blogger a good scare this morning.

I was reading Lisa and Josée's blog yesterday afternoon, because I finished my story early and decided to catch up on some blogs I'd be neglecting ...

I have all my "favourites" bookmarked on my laptop, and I get home and open them all up in "tabs" when I get home from work...

But that means I don't do a whole lot of exploring for new blogs. And tend to forget to visit the new ones I find and they get lost in my various bookmark folders on my various computers.

ANYHOW, I found something she said to be really interesting, and I called her. We've never spoken before... I don't even know if I've posted on her blog yet... so I think I may have scared the crap out of her.

I guess sometimes we don't think about blogs being 100% public... and that people link off of other sites, other blogs, and read what you write. I didn't think of that initially when I started my blog, but once I "joined" the Northern blogging community, it became very apparent to me. Plus I get something like 90+ hits a day... and I doubt they are all friends of mine (it'd be great if I had that many friends though!)

Which brings me to something I've felt a bit conflicted with since starting my current job with CBC: balancing my "normal" life with my "work" life. Less in terms of workload and that sort of thing... but more like when I'm "on" and when I'm "off."

The thing with living up north... or any small community really... is that you have to look in different places for stories. Or rather, you rely more on yourself and what you hear people talking about... than swiping from other publications or press releases or whatever. If you did that... you'd never have anything to report. You have to keep your ear much closer to the ground.

And as a result, I feel like people become "wary" of what they say around me. And I hate that. So. For all those out there. These are the rules.

1. If I call you, and identify myself as "Jackie S. from CBC" then I am calling about work. About my work, and there's something I want to talk to you about.
2. If I see you, and I have a microphone in my hand, that means I am here about work. My work. And there's something I want to talk to you about.
3. If we are just talking... that is off the record! Okay? I'm just a normal person. I'm not saying if you say something I find interesting I won't call you at some other point in time and ask you about it. But I never hide my microphone... that just doesn't work (bad sound quality!) and its not like I can "use" anything you say off the cuff in a conversation... I need the sound!

The end.

More bad luck

I do not understand. Maybe its just because I'm ordering more items online than I ever have before, but I'm having the WORST time of getting things delivered to Rankin.

I am in the world's biggest barroom brawl with UPS right now. Or at least the people contracted by UPS to get my stuff to me. I'm not sure if I've mentioned this already or not, but my wii is officially lost.

As in, I will not get it.

As in, it may or may not have dropped out of the back of a Calm Air flight into the Hudson Bay at some point in the "delivery" process.

And they will refund my credit card in.... oh... a couple of weeks. Not re-shipped. Nope, because they are SOLD OUT now. So now I have to maybe try and find one online somewhere else, which is going to get increasingly impossible as the holidays near.

I am just almost past the point of being annoyed, and ...

Wait, no, I'm not. I'm still definitely annoyed. But I just wish things were a little more reliable. I'm spending serious money, can't things arrive within 2 weeks? Shouldn't be that much to ask.

And now Sully's stuff may also be lost... well Pet Smart doesn't seem to know where it is... the tracking number they gave me doesn't seem to work, and I've been talking to them since Monday trying to figure stuff out.

I mean, I know, actually, it's not just me. Jaime and Towniebastard both had "issues" with tracking and delivery with UPS and their Macbooks... but at least they eventually got their stuff.

Moral of the story. DON'T SHIP THINGS VIA COURIER IN THE NORTH.

My own personal tiny little terror

I came home from work today to this:

And this:

This is what that looks says:
Well, you didn't really secure the gate, and I decided to go exploring...
And then I had a little accident on the floor...
So I went to get some toilet paper... (and a lone cotton ball) to clean it up...
but lacking opposable thumbs.... THIS is what happened.
I'm innocent!

Nothing makes me happy like good music

I love hearing music I know and love on the radio.

Key words: know and love.

As a rule, especially throughout my angsty high school years, I was known for widely proclaiming my hate for commercial radio. I despised the music on "Magic 93," and maintained the only good radio station out there was CBC (which was sort of funny, because while I vividly remember saying this, I don't have any memory of actually LISTENING to CBC...).

I was a discman girl, through and through. And the CD that spun most often was the soundtrack from the Rocky Horror Picture Show. And second-most: Little Shop of Horrors. I was a strange kid, come to think of it. And I think I knew that I was passionate about sort of strange music, but defended it vehemently. I was the REAL THING. I had SEEN these musicals (well RHPS, anyways) and loved it, and listening to the soundtrack was like reliving the experience.

I still do this today. There's something about soundtracks that just jolt my mind's eye.

Of course, things have changed. I'm still anti-commercial radio. I am totally lost at clubs, because I don't know any of the songs or the words. I am not very good at "bringin' sexy back" and such things.

But I can, and do, and love, rockin' out to my one true love: Canadian indie music. I don't know what it is, but I am addicted. New Pornographers, Limblifter, Immaculate Machine, Joel Plaskett... all make my knees weak and heart flutter at that rare, and priceless moment ... when I hear "MY" music played on the radio. Its rare, its sweet, and for three and a half minutes I feel like an actual, normal person, humming along with the radio.

Totally worth waiting for.

Current obsessions

1. Nintendo Wii: Tennis-I am less than 200 "skill points" from being a "pro" at wii tennis. I even aggravated my tennis/softball elbow. You might think that'd be a bad thing, but I love it... next simulated-sport obsession: boxing
2. My DVD HDD recorder. It's like a VCR... only a million times better. I can record movies/ shows on the hard drive, edit out the commercials, if I feel like it, and then, if I choose, burn it to DVD. And its actually really easy to use (even though I was so hopeless setting it up... the Phillips tech support centre hates me)
3. Etsy.com. Just go. And explore. I love it, its amazing. Mad props to Jaime for this one.
4. Making wish-lists and "registering" on various websites for Christmas

Yep, that's right. I'm not going to make it home for Christmas this year. I was a little bit devastated but honestly, I any trying not to think about it. And its looking like maybe I'll be heading to Winnipeg for at least some of the holidays, do some shopping, pick up some puppy chow.... you know, normal Christmas stuff. Haha . And maybe visit some family as well.

We shall see!!

Ps-I should really go to bed but its that time of night when the really quirky infomercials are on... the guy is now cutting through a hammerhead ..... and now... is the knife still sharp? Slices through tomatoes like a warm knife through butter.

How much would you pay for this knife?

Not $90, $80,$70,$60.. .. but just three easy payments of $13.33

But wait... there's more!!!

No. There's not. I'm going to bed.

Even though you can get all 183 pieces for just 3 easy payments of $13.33

A dystopic utopia?

For the past couple days I have been spending my lunch hours at work, in the break room, eating lunch and watching Martha Stewart work her magic on the 11-inch TV we have. It was great, I could pretend my really bland rice was actually a succulent turkey, or roasted, whipped sweet potato etc. (haha, oh American Thanksgiving) It was highly satisfying and kept me from being really antsy come 2 o'clock, from sitting at my desk all day.

But then today, my beloved noon-hour passtime failed me, the channel wouldn't come in... and I couldn't figure it out. So I scoured the office for something to read that wasn't

A.) The Nunavut Land Claims Agreement or
B.) The pocket criminal code.

Note to self, bring book to work.Martha and the 10-in TV are not reliable.

And then I remembered I had two old Macleans magazines on top of my desk (next to my copy of the pocket criminal code) and settled down on the funny-smelling breakroom sofa and hoped for the best.

I'm not always a fan of Macleans. I don't really like the layout, and the first half of the magazine bores me. I like the longer articles, as long as they aren't profiles of former politicians... but I think I've hit the jackpot with the magazine's centennial publication.

The cover story is called "Lizzie's Century" and it's written by this guy who did a serious piece of writing as to what his daughter would see by the time she's 100 (aka in 2105... the issue is a couple years old).

Now, I should mention I've always had a bit of an obsession for "futuristic" predictions. When I was younger I was into some science-fiction... (never got into Star Trek though, so that kind of shows how moderate my interest was). I had this thing for "futuristic" houses... and was intrigued by the idea of artificial intelligence. So it was interesting to see what "experts" not fiction-writers have predicted for the future... or rather "our" future. Because we're not talking 500 years away now, we're talking in the next 10 years... and beyond.

I like to think of myself as a realistic optimist. I have my moments, like the rest of the world, where I think the world's going to end because my wii got lost by UPS... but generally, I like to believe the best is going to happen, but I'm not about to win the lottery tomorrow.

Its funny how different Maclean's predictions are from the hamlet of Rankin Inlet's. One of the first stories I did when I arrived here was about the hamlet's new 20-year plan. The biggest concern, of course, being where expansion would be, as there were only about 30 lots left in the current plan. Whereas according to this article... in 20 years, we'll have kettles that will alert 911 when grandma's not made a pot of tea all day.... and alarm clocks that will communicated with PDAs to select the proper wake-up-time and tone of alarm. Granted neither of those are actually LIFE ALTERING changes. But it just seems... too new-age for my sleepy little town.

But of course there's a bit of gloom and doom in "futuristic" predictions. I thing the biggest one, in the "near future" predictions was in the 2015 bracket, it read:

"AIDS will eat up more than 50 per cent of health budgets in the hardest-hit countries. In some African nations, average life spans will plummet by as much as 30 to 40 years, leaving more than 40 million orphans"

2020 is when they predict breakthroughs in "cures" for HIV/AIDS.

And, strangely enough, the thing that sort of jolted me the most, was a little one-sentence quip about the future of transportation. They say in 2080 (or so) VOTL aircraft ( or vertical takeoff and landing vehicles ... think Jetsons) will be as popular as RVs are today.

So what?

Well anyone who knows me has probably heard my great and wonderful plans for being a little old lady. I've always said I'm going to buy myself a giant RV  and drive myself and my husband around the continent. Gas prices be damned, I have always thought that would just be the best way to see the US/Canada etc. And I never ever gave a second thought to the fact that me saying that, is like saying my grandparents are spending their retirement drag racing in a Model-T. Ok, not quite, but you catch my drift.

I guess I just never even considered the fact that my "plans" for the future probably are no where near a reality...and not because I might change my mind or even just not do it, but more so because the world, when I hit 60, may very well be unrecognizable to my current self. I'm sure my grandparents... or even my parents for that fact had no scope of what the internet and wireless life would be when they were my age. The world changes so fast, its hard to keep up... or even look ahead to what "might be."

Man I'm deep

My remedy for S.A.D.

Get a puppy.
Because puppies don't care if its dark early.
At least mine doesn't.
An thus, one little furball can, in one fell swoop, singly-handedly, limit the amount of daytime napping that might take place.
Because the little bugger, whining or not, sure lays the guilt on thick for not playing with him.
Must just be that face


(ps, happy yet Jen? I'm blogging AND posting pics of Sully. Yeesh the things I do to please people I've not even met :P)

Pure poetry

Oh,squiggly line in my eye fluid,
I see you there, lurking on the periphery of my vision.
But when I try to look at you, you scurry away.
Are you shy, squiggly line?
Why only when I ignore you do you return to the center of my eye?
Oh, squiggly line, it's all right.
You are forgiven

Okay, CONTEST TIME:
WHO'S THAT POET? (hint: not me, though I have posted this because I've oft felt this way)
NOTE: You are not allowed to look it up online. That's cheating.

waaaaittt a second.

It's 10 degrees in Ottawa? WTF?

Is this actually the temperature in the rest of the country? I actually almost can't believe it.

Things I like

1. Waking up after only 5 or 6 hours sleep and actually feeling refreshed
2. Spraying and swirling in my "signature" perfume... which had been packed for the past two months.
3. Tea from Wittards in Picadilly Circus. That is long past its "best before" date, but when you only get there once every two years, you make it last.
4. How giant my hair is when I actually take the time to do it in the morning
5. Sit-down showers
6. When my dog doesn't eat his poo, and instead leaves it for me to clean up from the laundry-room floor (yes, cleanup is actually a good thing)
7. Being in the zone, and producing decent stories for the next morning, even when its ten o'clock at night
8. How the two "staple" items from my apartment in Quebec actually go with my new apartment. Multi-colour area rug + green pampasan chair + oxblood leather sofa = swanky
9. How much more relieved I feel now that all my belongings have finally arrived, even though they are piled ceiling-high in my dining room.

One picture. One million tantalized tastebuds

Coughs and cravings

There's nothing like being sick to drive you to the brink of insanity.

Or to make you remember the definite perks of living at home.

When I get sick... which, in my own opinion, doesn't happen THAT often... I tend to get knocked out something awful and become more or less completely incapacitated for a couple of days.

This weekend was no exception, and as a result I have hereby vowed to become an even MORE anal-retentive hand-washer. I don't know if I can COMPLETELY blame this weekend's fun on my co-workers children (though it sure is nice not to take any blame)... but there had been a definite bug going around the kids... and so let's indulge paranoia and decide that's what happened.

If I was to be asked what I did this weekend, I wouldn't even have an answer. I know a lot of sleeping took place. A lot of waking up at 8 for no reason, staying up until noon, then sleeping till four. A lot of nose-blowing, and other gross mucus-intense bodily functions. It involved eventually realizing that the fluorescent light I requested from my landlord was not coming that weekend, and that bathing etc. in the dark simply was not kosher. And resulted in the brainstorm that I could just plug in a lamp in the bathroom, rather than lighting all those darn candles every time I had to go.

That's how smart I was this weekend folks. It took me until Sunday to put that one together.

But in the end, I've not had to take time off work. I'm feeling about 80% and ready to tackle tomorow, which  may or may not involve the delivery of the last crate from Quebec... maybe, possibly the discovery of where my wii is shacked up...a late night (and a late start as well) to cover/stretch my brain around some mining in the area... and hopefully the re-inflation of the tires of "my" truck (aka the CBC's truck.. that has been sitting plugged in next to my front step for the past 5 days... teasing and tempting me to take it to the Northern for an orange......)

Yes an orange. All I want right now... since Friday morning when co-worker had one cut up in slices at our story meeting... and I nearly died... hypnotized by its juicy sheen, and tangly smell....

Okay I have to stop. I will get one tomorrow. And it will be great.

No blogging for me

My cold has kicked my ass. And so the long weekend is being spent within 3 feet of my humidifier. My puppy is not pleased, but then neither am I.

Northern lessons

Things I need to learn to survive in the arctic:

1. Patience. Just ask anyone who knows me. This is NOT my forte. Less because of a "everyone/thing should cater to me NOW" mentality... but more so because I get so incredibly excited about things... and then they take forever to happen. Case in point: the shipping of my belongings, my Wii (which may or may not be 100% lost), the possible purchase (notice how its becoming less and less of a definite?) of my ATV... the list continues. Honestly, I think I would just be much better off if I hadn't been told such things would transpire MUCH SOONER than they really have. Seriously, I only really get impatient when things take longer than I'm told they will.
   
2. How to gauge when I need to wear my wind pants. Yesterday, it was not quite cold enough. So I was just like a human sleeping bag, walking to work. Today, it was DEFINITELY cold enough... but I only wore my jeans, snowboard socks that go up to my knees and that were like 50 bucks (but I got them on a veeeery good sale) because THAT'S how warm they are (haha) and my POLAR-THERM long underwear. Shrug, I'm sure I'll get the hang of it eventually.
3. The magic word... or combination of words that will encourage my puppy to do ALL of his business outside... and within 5 minutes of us going out there... rather than just whining and looking at me pitifully... and then storing it all for the laundry room floor. As Jen has said... puppies make mistakes, but that's why they are made so cute. So we will forgive them anyways.
   

Ick, sick

I'm not good at being sick. In fact, I'm so bad at it that I'm refusing to acknowledge that I am sick.
It's just a sore throat.
And a cough.
I don't actually FEEL sick.
And I think maybe I had food poisoning last night.

But I'm fine. I've got Buckley's, I've got two flavours of Halls (lemon-honey because I hate it and won't eat it like candy, black cherry because I love it and is sugar-free so it won't leave my teeth all cruddy), and I've got a constant supply of cold water. I'm fiiiine.

Too bad I make a living TALKING. Sigh.

But enough about me.

I'm sure most of you have heard by now ("you" being my "southern" readers... not my northern counterparts), but we had a bit of a sad day yesterday/Monday night. A RCMP officer was shot and killed in a small community to the south of Iqaluit, on Baffin Island.

I refrained from blogging about this, because I think so many people have expressed their condolences in ways I can't quite do. So in case you thought I was too wrapped in my own personal drama (what exists of it... my moving crates, after all, are just oh-so-gossip-worthy) to have noticed there was a murder in my new home... sorry. I wish. My editor/the senior reporter in Iqaluit has been the go-to source on the story for a lot of the country. I think she's done an amazing job of handling the situation.

The RCMP station sits directly beside the CBC in Iqaluit. I can't imagine what it must have been like to be in the office yesterday/Tuesday.

I think there's a lot of concern out there... perhaps from even my family... most likely my grandparents... that the North is a dangerous place for me to have moved. I don't know what to say to that. I've been incredibly lucky. People have been very kind to me, and the "scariest" thing to have ever happened to me was when I couldn't find all the kids hiding in my closets. But then again, I know people who have been the target of some serious racism here. So you have to be smart, I guess. But let's be honest, this place is no more dangerous than Ottawa. Where more than one woman was abducted, not far from where I lived, in the four years I was there.

I think that what makes this so different is that we (us "southerners") just aren't used to being in the minority. And being a minority... especially in places where there is a sticky history... leads to "othering" and misunderstanding. I think back now to when I was being interviewed for my job... and I really brushed off their questions about "have you thought about what it would be like to be in the minority." I think I said something about I'd been a linguistic/cultural minority more than once in my life, and that its something I would have to take in stride.

And I guess that's what I'm doing, but its hard to see things like this happen along the way.

Arctic musings

I walked to work today. That may not really be a big deal to most people, but I live in Area 6, and my work is a good 20 minute walk when I'm listening to my ipod and not wearing 18 layers of clothing. Its a tad longer when it's -20 and I need to dress accordingly.

I was thinking though, on my way to work, about how crazy it is that it's November already. It can't have been that long ago that I was in Iqaluit, in Quebec... in Ottawa for that fact. Seems weird to think that just a couple months ago I was passing my weekends by reading at la citadelle... going to concerts on the plaines... in school...

I guess its part of "growing up"... where your life seems to simultaneously go by in a blink of an eye... but then months feel like they were a lifetime ago. It makes me happy and sad all at once. It means that before I know it, I will have been up here a couple years. And I will reach that crossroads where I decide to move onwards and southwards... or that Nunavut is a place I want to spend a larger, more substantial part of my life.

When I think about the places in Canada I would like to live... and work... I'm very torn. I wouldn't mind living in Iqaluit. It's a decent size, and the folks at the CBC there are just fantastic.
But the north does have its disadvantages. As I think we've (Northern Bloggers, I mean) all discussed by now, the price of getting home is substantial... and food selection is limited. I also think I'd like to live/work in Vancouver. I don't exactly know why... but the city is sort of a hub for all my favourite music... not to mention being on the ocean. Again, not very close to home, so that's hard. Finally, there's Halifax. And I'd like to think some day I'd have the chance to work there.

Debbie Downer no longer

I am one happy girl today.

I walked to work in my MOON BOOTS... while wearing my SWIRLY TWIRLY GUMDROP HAT ... and sporting my German-Kmart turquoise scarf.

Yep, that's right, Jackie's got some new clothes. Well not really new... just "haven't seen in awhile and so they feel new."

So yes, my stuff arrived yesterday... at least some of it did. Two of my three crates anyways... and when they said "crates" I expected a lot more than actually arrived (and began to worry that I had overdone it a bit in terms of moving...). But I'm relieved actually. It was probably 10 boxes, and most of my furniture. But it appears there's no real method to the madness that is "crated" moving... because while I have a kitchen table and four chairs... I don't actually have the LEGS for my table. And while I have my desk, book case and file cabinet... I have the BOTTOM of my desk chair... but not the back. So it's more like a desk-stool than a desk-chair.

But all in all, a good shipment of belongings. But the items I was MOST excited to see were...(in no particular order)

1. Moon boots
2. Box o' wine
3. My "art" - - aka two prints I picked up in Quebec City, one of a lily and the other of a poppy... both green-tinted (of course)
4. My desk (my laptop was being a huge nomad of late)
5. My wireless router

I am finally starting to feel at home. And it feels good.

It is 3:42 and the sun is beginning to set.

Oh daylight savings time. How you "SAVE" daylight is beyond me.

The saga continues....

I just received this email from my moving company.

This is, of course, after I was told that half of my stuff ACTUALLY arrived a week ago.

Hi Ms. S*

We have just e-mail J* per as the delivery of 2 crates tomorrow morning.
Please let me know when "Bing" (One of Jack's helpers) would be able to
unpack for you. Mat at First Air says that the 3rd crate might leave Sunday,
keep you finger cross. We will verify with B* at M & T Enterprises on
Monday November 12th if your last crate has arrived. Thank you for being so
patient. Have a great day.

Best regards,

M* L*

So clearly, my movers have no clue what's going on. Reassuring eh?

And while writing this... I just got a second email, with the subject heading:

CALL B* AT M & T ENTERPRISES

VERY IMPORTANT

PLEASE CALL B* AT M & T ENTERPRISE, SHE IS AWAITNG YOUR CALL. B* IS THERE UNTIL 5 P.M. TONIGHT AND IN TOMORROW AT 8:30 A.M.

Her number is 867-645-2***

M* L*

Please, let us all note how I have been ignoring this woman the whole time, and so it was 100% necessary to write the entire conversation in caps. Because I might ignore it otherwise. Because I don't actually want my stuff.

All I can do is shake my head and hope that next time I move, I will be working with less incompetent people.

*I am reverting to initials. Because even though I'm incredibly annoyed, I'm still a nice person.

Ex-cuse me?

So I just found out that HALF my stuff has been sitting at the Rankin
airport since OCTOBER 30TH! And do you THINK my movers told me? Do you
THINK I got a call? Do you THINK that half of my pop has probably
exploded?

I wish I even had the adjectives to describe how annoyed I am right now.

I am just plain SICK of measuring out cups in tablespoons. I am tired
of wearing the same two pairs of pants. I want a glass of wine. Is
that too much to ask? Really.

Puppy Mania, part 2

As promised... photos of the puppy.
You can see the full album here


I managed to capture the first time he chased his tail on film.
I nearly died.
He also thinks there's something like a million puppies in my apartment, because each of my six-thousand closets is mirrored. So he's constantly running past them, "racing" himself!

Jackie and Sully. Taken veerrry early this morning.
Please ignore the sketchy trailer-trash hair.
Haha.

Again, you can see the full album at: http://carletoncanada.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2111006&l=3f540&id=90409745

Why I have not posted pictures :P

I want to preface this entry by saying getting my puppy is (at this point) probably one of the best things I've done since moving north. I know it's an investment, both money-wise and time-wise... but I am so happy. I get outside more (something I'm sure I'll regret come the REAL winter), I watch less TV, and the weekends... well the weekends used to be hard and dull and I'd look forward to it all week but then when Friday night at 5:30 rolled around... I'd find myself thinking "now what."

Don't get me wrong, I have great friends here, and it seems that every week I sprout a couple more (apparently I am working on a gardening metaphor...) but I feel bad relying on others to make my weekends go by.

Nonetheless, as I was well aware... puppies can be hard sometimes. But I'm lucky because my guy appears to either be really well behaved (naturally) or Snookum's started some paper-training and the like before I got him. Likely a mix of the two, but it makes things easier for sure.

But the past couple days hasn't been without its challenges. I've learned to pick my crap up off the floor (actually leading to a cleaner house... again, not a bad thing)... or incidents like THIS will happen: Yep, that's a USB cord... and why I hadn't posted any photos. Chewed right in two. Now in my own defense I thought I had put him in a safe spot, and cleared the area of any yummie cords... but my cordoning-off was clearly flawed, as when I came home, he was in my room, gnawing on my USB cord. Haha. But I've now learned my lesson. Good Girl. Gooood Girl.

More photos to come. I'll post a couple on the website, but do the link to Facebook as well.

The scariest thing I saw on Halloween....

besides the sheer lack of trick-or-treaters (I bought what I thought might BARELY get me through the night... and I have two un-opened bags of Jolly Rancher suckers left)....

At some time past midnight, there was a gaggle of teens outside my bedroom window (which, unfortunately faces the road, and so I always hear the ATVs, and such late into the night...) who were either on a sever sugar high... or quite drunk (really, a toss-up on Halloween). And two of them proceeded to get the the scrappiest catfight I've ever seen. And when friends tried to pry them apart, they were throwin' real punches... it was insane.

Note to self: the chicks here fight dirty. Don't get in a fight with one. You will lose.

In other news, just bought a char. Co-worker says it is the best char in the area. Twenty bucks for a cleaned fish, a good two feet long. Yummmm guess what I'm having for dinner?

Mom, Danielle, Laura: Look who's buyin' meat off the street/side of the road/in a random house out of someone's freezer?

Piggy-back rides anyone?

I remember when I was a kid, and I was so anxious, or so excited about the next day.... I'd have troubles falling asleep.

Normally, this would fall on October 30th, or December 24th....or after a really scary dream (think head-shrinking sequence from the Super Mario Bros. movie...)

Then, my mom and dad told me to pick something that made me happy, and to picture myself doing that as I went to bed.

Well, I don't know if I ever actually pictured it, but that "thing" (or phrase, rather) became a piggy-back ride. More specifically the mantra "I'm going to go on a piggy-back ride." I would say it over and over and over again in my head, sometimes imagining my dad giving me a piggy-back... and that would ward off the "scary" thoughts...

And if it was that I was really excited about something, the mantra would change... and become "I'm going to go on a piggy-back ride... it's JUST a piggy-back ride"

Ok, now you are starting to understand why I am such a quirky adult.. I was definitely a warped kid.

Last night I had one of those "it's December 24th, and I'm JUST going on a piggy-back ride" moments. I had so much running through my head. Thinking about my puppy (ARRIVING TODAY!), what should I NAME the puppy (Buckley, Waldo, Sully) and analyzing my transportation possibilities (will I seriously consider buying a used SUV instead of my Honda?) and so on.

So I got minimal sleep, and am still revved up by the excitement of puppy arriving today, that it's going to be tricky to get through the day today. Nine hours till I pick him up!!!