Friday, 26 April 2013
Friday, 19 April 2013
INSANITY.
Well, just as things were getting hopeful, ALL HELL HAS BROKEN LOOSE AND THERE IS A BLIZZARD ONCE AGAIN. Sorry for the caps, but you have to understand my frustration. As you peeps in the south are prancing around in flip flops and bikinis, I am - still - wearing my -40 degree rated Sorel boots and SNOWPANTS. What day is it? Is it Christmas? Are we living in Siberia? NO. It is April 19th and I am living in Wemindji, the world's most wonderful snowglobe.
Alright rant over. I keep forgetting to write stuff here because nothing happens but SNOW. That can get boring! I guess I can tell you abboooutttttt.... ummm....
Alright so Facebook updated and magically all of the "Notes" I wrote (like mini blogs) reappeared after years of being lost somewhere on my page! I was really happy to see this today because I am clearly running out of interesting tidbits of my life to share and I thought I would take a walk down memory lane and make comment on some things I wrote a while back - see what has changed, am I still as immature now as I was 4 years ago? Probably yes but let's find out...
25 Things About Me (Written February 19th 2009)
1. I am nearly obsessed with cats. I have 2 boys of my own, Little Baby and Red (Big Red if you're nasty). Little Baby loves me SO MUCH its not even funny. He has massive emotional and anxiety issues and practices a strict "stranger danger" policy which applies to everyone except me. We like to hug. Red is BIG BONED okay people. He ain't fat, look at the size of his hands!
**Okay so I no longer have these cats, sadly. I had to give them up with I moved in with a now-ex-boyfriend. I am probably going to Hell for doing such a terrible thing but seeing as though I now live in the nation's snowbelt, they are probably better off.
2. I am the HUGEST procrastinator, however my best works are often completed the night before the due date or on the due date (before 4 pm for all ya'll Ryerson people!)
**Still true but now that I am apparently a real adult with real responsibilities and "flying by the seat of one's pants" isn't conducive to effective teaching, I take much more care in planning.
3. I live on my own. I thought I would go crazy being alone, but I actually enjoy it most of the time. I don't talk to myself or the kitties nearly as much as I thought I would!
**I once again live on my own and its fantastic. I don't talk to myself at all, but I also have kinda 2 "roommates"/next door neighbors who I spend almost every waking minute with so maybe it doesn't count as living alone?
4. Money (that I technically do not have) flows through my fingers like water.
**Nothing has changed here.
5. I love to read, mostly historical romance novels (ugh I know I can't help it) but also as of late, Twilight series, not a *quality* written book, but entrancing nonetheless.
**Ditto.
6. I am jealous of how well Eryl writes birthday cards, she outdoes me every time.
**A Journalism degree has only intensified her ability to write me into a corner.
7. I do not believe in god, but I pray for him to send me a streetcar when its cold/at night/when I'm running late, just in case.
**Now I curse the lord when he continually dumps snow on my front step.
8. I LOVE Law & Order in the follow order: SVU, Regular, C.I.
**Gonna throw COPS in there too.
9. I own a pair of men's stiletto heels size 10, most of you know this already. They fit Milena like a glove. <3
**I still own these. Best party trick evar.
10. I do not feel like a normal person unless I get about 10 hours of sleep. If I know I am getting less than 7, I get panicky.
**Still the same, especially since I now teach full time which drains every last bit of energy. However in my old age I find it near impossible to sleep in, no matter how late I go to bed. This angers me.
11. I am going to be a teacher one day, hopefully kindergarten, but I currently HATE my placement supervisor, today she told me she wanted my attendance record because she felt that I wasn't there at all for the month of February... I was away once.
**Wow, uber professional nii! Um.... SO at least the teacher part came true!!!
12. I can, and probably will kick all ya'lls asses at Crazy Eights Countdown. I am effing amazing, just ask Hilary. She taught me well.
**I have forgotten how to play this. Shame.
13. My best friend (besides friends my own age) is probably my mother. I moved to Nova Scotia about 3 years ago to get away from it all and came back with a deep appreciation for her and all she does.
**Still the same!! We may live thousands of kilometres away but the time we spend together is quality.
14. I dye my hair.
NAAAAATTT
**Same, except I have wayyyyyy less hair than I did 4 years ago. I'm working on it. Some advice? Avoid "Free" haircuts. Nothing comes for free...
15. I miss my dad everyday! I keep everything that has his writing on it or was his. I have a pair of his glasses in my bathroom drawer so I think of him every morning. He would have loved www.icanhascheezburger.com and facebook.
**Yep!! I actually just got one of the Cree teachers to write his name out in Cree for me so I can have it tattooed on me at Goose Break. It is simple and meaningful and I am really excited.
16. I had a cat who committed suicide. He couldn't handle life on the 14th floor so he ended it all! Goodbye sweet world! RIP Leland!
**Said cat is still dead from suicide.
17. I am SO afraid of lake/ocean water. Rivers too. Streams I am okay with, same with pools. I get palpitations when I can't see the bottom or my feet touch slimy stuff. Or when fish touch me. See photo album.
**This fear was confirmed when I had a panic attack in a cenote in Mexico.
18. I love my family, we are small but very close and traditional in our holiday and special celebrations. My grandad is getting married this spring at the ripe old age of 80 to his sweetie Pam. Woo!
**Still have a small and close-knit family, I miss them all the time!
19. I often eat the same kind of food for weeks until I get so sick of it I never want to eat it again (Sante Fe Rice and Beans ugh) except for peirogies. Those, I could NEVER get sick of.
**Salmon, Lipton Sidekick and steamed broccoli. This is my new "Sante Fe Rice and Beans" except I will never get sick of it!
20. I wanted to learn to cook this year, but all I could manage was a stew. It was pretty tasty.
**Mission accomplished, I can cook.
21. My boobs may be on the large side, but I like em. Now, anyways. Before, them watermelons were damn unmanageable. Hooray for OHIP
**Notice: they are huge again but its cool I can manage.
22. I am currently obsessed with buying movies. I CANT STOP
**See #4. This is why I am working in the North.
23. I believe in ghosts and I try not to do embarassing things while I am alone incase *they are watching*
**Still true. I think I got abducted by aliens the other night, something bright flashed in my eyes while I was sleeping.
24. I believe that I am meant to carry children and give birth to them, just not my own. I am very maternal and domestic but I don't want my own chillens. I just want to birth em.
**Still true hmmmmm
25. Anyone want to buy a Tony Little Gazelle? $100. Seriously. I hate it.
**I sold that piece of crap on Kijiji.
I wont be posting any more pictures of my town covered in snow because I am sure you can use your imagination. It is a snow covered town. There is snow everywhere. Oh but it is BUSH CAMP on Monday so really, I'll be just fine :)
Alright rant over. I keep forgetting to write stuff here because nothing happens but SNOW. That can get boring! I guess I can tell you abboooutttttt.... ummm....
Alright so Facebook updated and magically all of the "Notes" I wrote (like mini blogs) reappeared after years of being lost somewhere on my page! I was really happy to see this today because I am clearly running out of interesting tidbits of my life to share and I thought I would take a walk down memory lane and make comment on some things I wrote a while back - see what has changed, am I still as immature now as I was 4 years ago? Probably yes but let's find out...
25 Things About Me (Written February 19th 2009)
1. I am nearly obsessed with cats. I have 2 boys of my own, Little Baby and Red (Big Red if you're nasty). Little Baby loves me SO MUCH its not even funny. He has massive emotional and anxiety issues and practices a strict "stranger danger" policy which applies to everyone except me. We like to hug. Red is BIG BONED okay people. He ain't fat, look at the size of his hands!
**Okay so I no longer have these cats, sadly. I had to give them up with I moved in with a now-ex-boyfriend. I am probably going to Hell for doing such a terrible thing but seeing as though I now live in the nation's snowbelt, they are probably better off.
2. I am the HUGEST procrastinator, however my best works are often completed the night before the due date or on the due date (before 4 pm for all ya'll Ryerson people!)
**Still true but now that I am apparently a real adult with real responsibilities and "flying by the seat of one's pants" isn't conducive to effective teaching, I take much more care in planning.
3. I live on my own. I thought I would go crazy being alone, but I actually enjoy it most of the time. I don't talk to myself or the kitties nearly as much as I thought I would!
**I once again live on my own and its fantastic. I don't talk to myself at all, but I also have kinda 2 "roommates"/next door neighbors who I spend almost every waking minute with so maybe it doesn't count as living alone?
4. Money (that I technically do not have) flows through my fingers like water.
**Nothing has changed here.
5. I love to read, mostly historical romance novels (ugh I know I can't help it) but also as of late, Twilight series, not a *quality* written book, but entrancing nonetheless.
**Ditto.
6. I am jealous of how well Eryl writes birthday cards, she outdoes me every time.
**A Journalism degree has only intensified her ability to write me into a corner.
7. I do not believe in god, but I pray for him to send me a streetcar when its cold/at night/when I'm running late, just in case.
**Now I curse the lord when he continually dumps snow on my front step.
8. I LOVE Law & Order in the follow order: SVU, Regular, C.I.
**Gonna throw COPS in there too.
9. I own a pair of men's stiletto heels size 10, most of you know this already. They fit Milena like a glove. <3
**I still own these. Best party trick evar.
10. I do not feel like a normal person unless I get about 10 hours of sleep. If I know I am getting less than 7, I get panicky.
**Still the same, especially since I now teach full time which drains every last bit of energy. However in my old age I find it near impossible to sleep in, no matter how late I go to bed. This angers me.
11. I am going to be a teacher one day, hopefully kindergarten, but I currently HATE my placement supervisor, today she told me she wanted my attendance record because she felt that I wasn't there at all for the month of February... I was away once.
**Wow, uber professional nii! Um.... SO at least the teacher part came true!!!
12. I can, and probably will kick all ya'lls asses at Crazy Eights Countdown. I am effing amazing, just ask Hilary. She taught me well.
**I have forgotten how to play this. Shame.
13. My best friend (besides friends my own age) is probably my mother. I moved to Nova Scotia about 3 years ago to get away from it all and came back with a deep appreciation for her and all she does.
**Still the same!! We may live thousands of kilometres away but the time we spend together is quality.
14. I dye my hair.
NAAAAATTT
**Same, except I have wayyyyyy less hair than I did 4 years ago. I'm working on it. Some advice? Avoid "Free" haircuts. Nothing comes for free...
15. I miss my dad everyday! I keep everything that has his writing on it or was his. I have a pair of his glasses in my bathroom drawer so I think of him every morning. He would have loved www.icanhascheezburger.com and facebook.
**Yep!! I actually just got one of the Cree teachers to write his name out in Cree for me so I can have it tattooed on me at Goose Break. It is simple and meaningful and I am really excited.
16. I had a cat who committed suicide. He couldn't handle life on the 14th floor so he ended it all! Goodbye sweet world! RIP Leland!
**Said cat is still dead from suicide.
17. I am SO afraid of lake/ocean water. Rivers too. Streams I am okay with, same with pools. I get palpitations when I can't see the bottom or my feet touch slimy stuff. Or when fish touch me. See photo album.
**This fear was confirmed when I had a panic attack in a cenote in Mexico.
18. I love my family, we are small but very close and traditional in our holiday and special celebrations. My grandad is getting married this spring at the ripe old age of 80 to his sweetie Pam. Woo!
**Still have a small and close-knit family, I miss them all the time!
19. I often eat the same kind of food for weeks until I get so sick of it I never want to eat it again (Sante Fe Rice and Beans ugh) except for peirogies. Those, I could NEVER get sick of.
**Salmon, Lipton Sidekick and steamed broccoli. This is my new "Sante Fe Rice and Beans" except I will never get sick of it!
20. I wanted to learn to cook this year, but all I could manage was a stew. It was pretty tasty.
**Mission accomplished, I can cook.
21. My boobs may be on the large side, but I like em. Now, anyways. Before, them watermelons were damn unmanageable. Hooray for OHIP
**Notice: they are huge again but its cool I can manage.
22. I am currently obsessed with buying movies. I CANT STOP
**See #4. This is why I am working in the North.
23. I believe in ghosts and I try not to do embarassing things while I am alone incase *they are watching*
**Still true. I think I got abducted by aliens the other night, something bright flashed in my eyes while I was sleeping.
24. I believe that I am meant to carry children and give birth to them, just not my own. I am very maternal and domestic but I don't want my own chillens. I just want to birth em.
**Still true hmmmmm
25. Anyone want to buy a Tony Little Gazelle? $100. Seriously. I hate it.
**I sold that piece of crap on Kijiji.
I wont be posting any more pictures of my town covered in snow because I am sure you can use your imagination. It is a snow covered town. There is snow everywhere. Oh but it is BUSH CAMP on Monday so really, I'll be just fine :)
Wednesday, 10 April 2013
Snow Day
Ah! I realize I haven't written in a while, and that is mostly because nothing has happened ahah!! However, while you lovely people down south are complaining about a little rain and your tulips failing to blossom, we here in the north are dealing with SNOW SQUALLS AND WHITE OUTS.
Never have I seen so much snow fall in the space of 3 days than I have in my whole entire life. Last week after Easter we got some snow. Then some more, and then some more! To the point that on Tuesday night right after the Easter holiday, we were diligently watching the weather reports for winter storm warnings. The winds were up to 95km/hr by the afternoon creating HUGE snow drifts and visibility was 0. I went into school as if it was going to be a normal day, secretly hoping my principal and her boss would see the light (or lack thereof) and cancel school. Just the simple task of walking across the street was near impossible. Just when you thought you were walking in a straight line, you look up from protecting your precious eyes from the whipping wind and snow, and see that you have walked in the completely wrong direction! Everything, and I mean, EVERYTHING was white so one moment you are on flat ground, the next, thigh-high in a snowdrift! I'd say in some areas there was a fresh dumping of at least 5 feet of snow, depending on where the wind carried it. What was the most painful about this whole experience was that the week previous, sooo much snow had melted. I got to see my driveway for the first time in 6 months and I DIDN'T WEAR MY JACKET ONE DAY. I even put away my humidifier. So to wake up to 3 feet of snow in your doorway was a little depressing to say the least. But I made a deal with myself. I refuse to shovel. Refuse. The snow will have to melt before I pick up another shovel this year. And so, when I opened my door to FEET of snow, I kicked at it and stomped it out until I could slide down my front steps. Carmen was not so able to do the same, pretty hilarious! (See pics)
A few minutes after arriving school was called off and I spent the next 30 minutes making phone calls to various teachers breaking the wonderful news!!I, of course, spent most of the day in the classroom prepping and planning which was actually pretty awesome. It was like a Bush Camp day, and you all know how much I love Bush Camp!!
On a side note, last week the store also forgot to order fresh fruit and vegetables which immediately sent me spinning into memories of the Foodpocalypse of '12 when our grocery store burnt down. It was touch and go there but this week fresh produce arrived and I stocked up like I had scurvy.
Anyways, in case my tale of snowdrifts taller than most people and winds gusty enough to blow your socks off isn't so believable, here are some pictures to back up my story!! Enjoy! (thanks Stacy and Carmen for some the pics!)
Never have I seen so much snow fall in the space of 3 days than I have in my whole entire life. Last week after Easter we got some snow. Then some more, and then some more! To the point that on Tuesday night right after the Easter holiday, we were diligently watching the weather reports for winter storm warnings. The winds were up to 95km/hr by the afternoon creating HUGE snow drifts and visibility was 0. I went into school as if it was going to be a normal day, secretly hoping my principal and her boss would see the light (or lack thereof) and cancel school. Just the simple task of walking across the street was near impossible. Just when you thought you were walking in a straight line, you look up from protecting your precious eyes from the whipping wind and snow, and see that you have walked in the completely wrong direction! Everything, and I mean, EVERYTHING was white so one moment you are on flat ground, the next, thigh-high in a snowdrift! I'd say in some areas there was a fresh dumping of at least 5 feet of snow, depending on where the wind carried it. What was the most painful about this whole experience was that the week previous, sooo much snow had melted. I got to see my driveway for the first time in 6 months and I DIDN'T WEAR MY JACKET ONE DAY. I even put away my humidifier. So to wake up to 3 feet of snow in your doorway was a little depressing to say the least. But I made a deal with myself. I refuse to shovel. Refuse. The snow will have to melt before I pick up another shovel this year. And so, when I opened my door to FEET of snow, I kicked at it and stomped it out until I could slide down my front steps. Carmen was not so able to do the same, pretty hilarious! (See pics)
A few minutes after arriving school was called off and I spent the next 30 minutes making phone calls to various teachers breaking the wonderful news!!I, of course, spent most of the day in the classroom prepping and planning which was actually pretty awesome. It was like a Bush Camp day, and you all know how much I love Bush Camp!!
On a side note, last week the store also forgot to order fresh fruit and vegetables which immediately sent me spinning into memories of the Foodpocalypse of '12 when our grocery store burnt down. It was touch and go there but this week fresh produce arrived and I stocked up like I had scurvy.
Anyways, in case my tale of snowdrifts taller than most people and winds gusty enough to blow your socks off isn't so believable, here are some pictures to back up my story!! Enjoy! (thanks Stacy and Carmen for some the pics!)
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| A fire exit at school.... |
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| Carmen's classroom windows! |
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| I think this is the school entrance?! |
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| Carmen's view from her front door |
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| Drifts taller than cars! |
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| Funnily enough, very little snow on my car! |
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| My front door |
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| My view that morning. |
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| My view that afternoon! |
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| AHH! |
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| In front of my house! |
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| Rainbow around the sun! |
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| Current state of my steps |
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| Cool mural in the Youth Center |
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| Snowshoe tracks! |
Friday, 29 March 2013
Rouyn Adventure and Moving on Up!
So much has happened in the last few days!
Carmen and I made the 9+ hour trip to Rouyn in Quebec to take our English Proficiency Exams. It was kind of a joke because they let us write together in a room alone and away from any official eyes where we could fully cheat (but didn't of course). The test itself wasn't too difficult, answering a series of questions about an article and then writing a short essay on a specific topic. It took a couple of hours and my hand was hurting at the end!
After that we could finally relax and get shopping - oh and shop we did! I attacked that Dollarama like a hurricane. They didn't know what hit em. Carmen's parents drove up on Friday night to celebrate Carmen's 25th birthday which was pretty awesome! They stayed for the rest of the weekend until we left on Sunday morning.
On the way up my windshield sustained a few small chips and a tiny crack which I decided to get fixed since I knew I was taking a pretty rough trip home and didn't want the damage to get worse. So I got them filled - the end. Or not. On the way home, about an hour outside of civilization deep in Frenchyville a huge rock bounced off my windshield and left me with a penny-sized chip that is almost all the way through!! AWESOMMEEEEEE! So I had no where to get it fixed sadly and made it home without any further chipping or splitting but I am anxious now about the trip home at Goosebreak and I hope I don't do any more damage!!
So I came back to a pretty sweet teaching week this week which made the long trip home a little more bearable. Monday was a PED day which didn't require much mental commitment and Tuesday through to Thursday which was my class's Easter party and overall quiet day with only 8 kids! Friday and Monday are no school days due to Easter holidays and I have to say I am quite excited to have a long weekend and 2 days off school with no official school duties to attend to!! These 4 days are all mine!! I WILL SLEEP!! I am so excited. There are a couple of birthday celebrations to attend which will be quite fun and I am looking forward to deep cleaning my home, getting some hardcore planning done and relaxing!
The weather here has slowly been getting warmer which means the incredible mountains of snow are melting and there is slush, then ice, then slush EVERYWHERE. The one good thing is that this town doesn't use salt to melt ice, just sand. So while I don't have gross salt stains all over my clothes, I do have sand all over and it is killing me! Oh well, I shouldn't complain, the sun is shining, I am receiving plenty of natural Vitamin D and I don't have to shovel anymore YAY!!
This week was also our housing meeting where new houses are allocated to teachers!! Since 6 brand-new houses finally became available, 6 teachers moved on up leaving 6 houses around town available! So I will soon be moving to a really nice 2 bedroom semi-detached home with a large open concept kitchen and living room, huge bathroom, lots of storage and a laundry room and *drumroll* a wood burning stove!! It will be so nice to sit back in the winter with the fire crackling with a good book (who am I kidding I'll probably be cutting out lamination). The downside is cell phone reception is pretty awful so I will have to get a land line. I am also going to bite the bullet and arrange to start getting satellite TV. While I have lived long enough without tv in the past and managed to download everything I needed or wanted to watch, the internet here is so slow, it would actually be faster to watch the shows I like in real time :| Plus I watched 2 episodes of COPS in Rouyn and forgot how much I love that show. So sign me up!!
Anyways, Easter weekend is upon us now and I plan to do nothing but sleep, clean and plan and hang out. Goosebreak is 4 weeks away (18 school days but who's counting!?) and I will be driving down to see friends, family, get work done on my car and hopefully relax! OH AND GO TO COSTCO.
Happy Easter!
Carmen and I made the 9+ hour trip to Rouyn in Quebec to take our English Proficiency Exams. It was kind of a joke because they let us write together in a room alone and away from any official eyes where we could fully cheat (but didn't of course). The test itself wasn't too difficult, answering a series of questions about an article and then writing a short essay on a specific topic. It took a couple of hours and my hand was hurting at the end!
After that we could finally relax and get shopping - oh and shop we did! I attacked that Dollarama like a hurricane. They didn't know what hit em. Carmen's parents drove up on Friday night to celebrate Carmen's 25th birthday which was pretty awesome! They stayed for the rest of the weekend until we left on Sunday morning.
On the way up my windshield sustained a few small chips and a tiny crack which I decided to get fixed since I knew I was taking a pretty rough trip home and didn't want the damage to get worse. So I got them filled - the end. Or not. On the way home, about an hour outside of civilization deep in Frenchyville a huge rock bounced off my windshield and left me with a penny-sized chip that is almost all the way through!! AWESOMMEEEEEE! So I had no where to get it fixed sadly and made it home without any further chipping or splitting but I am anxious now about the trip home at Goosebreak and I hope I don't do any more damage!!
So I came back to a pretty sweet teaching week this week which made the long trip home a little more bearable. Monday was a PED day which didn't require much mental commitment and Tuesday through to Thursday which was my class's Easter party and overall quiet day with only 8 kids! Friday and Monday are no school days due to Easter holidays and I have to say I am quite excited to have a long weekend and 2 days off school with no official school duties to attend to!! These 4 days are all mine!! I WILL SLEEP!! I am so excited. There are a couple of birthday celebrations to attend which will be quite fun and I am looking forward to deep cleaning my home, getting some hardcore planning done and relaxing!
The weather here has slowly been getting warmer which means the incredible mountains of snow are melting and there is slush, then ice, then slush EVERYWHERE. The one good thing is that this town doesn't use salt to melt ice, just sand. So while I don't have gross salt stains all over my clothes, I do have sand all over and it is killing me! Oh well, I shouldn't complain, the sun is shining, I am receiving plenty of natural Vitamin D and I don't have to shovel anymore YAY!!
This week was also our housing meeting where new houses are allocated to teachers!! Since 6 brand-new houses finally became available, 6 teachers moved on up leaving 6 houses around town available! So I will soon be moving to a really nice 2 bedroom semi-detached home with a large open concept kitchen and living room, huge bathroom, lots of storage and a laundry room and *drumroll* a wood burning stove!! It will be so nice to sit back in the winter with the fire crackling with a good book (who am I kidding I'll probably be cutting out lamination). The downside is cell phone reception is pretty awful so I will have to get a land line. I am also going to bite the bullet and arrange to start getting satellite TV. While I have lived long enough without tv in the past and managed to download everything I needed or wanted to watch, the internet here is so slow, it would actually be faster to watch the shows I like in real time :| Plus I watched 2 episodes of COPS in Rouyn and forgot how much I love that show. So sign me up!!
Anyways, Easter weekend is upon us now and I plan to do nothing but sleep, clean and plan and hang out. Goosebreak is 4 weeks away (18 school days but who's counting!?) and I will be driving down to see friends, family, get work done on my car and hopefully relax! OH AND GO TO COSTCO.
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| Rupert River half frozen |
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| My Comfort Inn haul! |
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| KM 70, a really beautiful view! |
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| Unpacking... |
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| Bridge at the Rupert River |
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| My view for 20+ hours haha |
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| Easter Cupcakes! |
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| How Carmen and I communicated throughout the trip! No cell reception for most of the drive meant if we needed to pull over for gas etc, we could just walkie talkie! It made for some pretty funny conversation. |
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| No comment. I AM SO BUMMED. |
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| Note I did not completely over-pack my car this time! Modest if I do say so myself! |
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| Oh yeah this is KM 381, the only gas station for around 200 KM in one direction and 381 in the other. Everyone HAS to stop there for gas if you want to finish your trip. Its pretty fancy.. |
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| The grocery store in Matagami. Carmen and I had a little freak out. |
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| Mecca AKA Wal Mart |
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| Crazy slush-ice on Carmen's car |
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| The end of the Access Road! KM 0! Welcome to/Thanks for visiting Wemindji! |
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| My lopsided cake and Carmen's 2nd 24th birthday... |
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| Carmen's birthday celebration at MIKES delish! |
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| In the lobby of our hotel!! $5 WHAT |
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| FULL OF AMAZING |
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| Hallelujah! |
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| I STILL have not seen any substantial wildlife! |
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| Ommie Nommies! |
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| These are the diamonds I talk about. 1 diamond means "watch out a big bump! 2 means "AYAYAY bigger bump!" 3 means "YOU LOST A TIRE"... Sometimes. Some of these bumps are filled in but the diamonds have not been removed and some bumps have NO diamonds at all so its a surprise roller coaster ride! |
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| A bush camp along the way |
Tuesday, 19 March 2013
Girl's Club and Rouyn
The last few weeks have been crazy busy (by my standards...) and I forgot to mention that Girl's Club (formerly Girl's Just Wanna Have Fun) is taking off! The Saturdays self-esteem, girls-only program Karen and I started has evolved from a pretty structured workshop-style program to a lot more interactive, physical and motivational day of fun activities that the girls seem to really be enjoying! More are showing up this week and since we opened up the program to grades 2-6, we are getting a lot more interest from the younger grades. I am sadly missing this weekend to write my test in Rouyn but I predict a good turn out. Karen and I are already getting ideas and programming options for the next session and the boys are begging for a Boy's Club!
I am also travelling with Carmen to Rouyn this Thursday morning to write our English Proficiency Exam so that we can gain our Quebec teaching permits and secure our jobs for next year! I am a little nervous since it is a 70% pass, but I hear it is mostly grammar and some short essay writing so hopefully it should be a breeze! I haven't been out of school that long so let's hope all my essay writing capabilities haven't completely gone out the window!
Besides writing the test Carmen and I have a lot planned for this weekend! Her parents are flying up on Friday night (weather permitted) and have graciously offered to bring my mother!! I am soooo excited to be spending some surprise time with my mom and even though she is a little afraid of flying in such a small plane, it is worth it! So we have hotels booked and lots of shopping and dinner planned. It is also Carmen's 25THHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH birthday (ha) so there is lots to celebrate! The drive will take about 9-10 hours, depending on how many pee breaks Carmen's puppy needs. I at one time mistakenly thought that there was a Costco in Rouyn but sadly that is untrue. However, everything else I need (Shoppers, Loblaws and the Holy Grail - DOLLARAMA) is conveniently located there so I am a happy camper.
We are staying Thursday through Saturday nights and it will be a welcomed respite from the craziness that is my life. People mentioned when I first started here that the stretch between January and Goose Break (end of April) was the longest and most crazy. They weren't kidding. The kids are tired and attendance is spotty with so many tournaments and sickness and plain old not wanting to come to school. Teachers are stressed to the max with report cards, long days and tired students. Luckily the next 5 weeks are light as far as days of school with lots of PED days and holidays and I really need it! I have definitely developed OCD about my floors at home. I clean them and then get obsessive about keeping them clean. Carmen and Monika know this, I got snow on my floor and freaked out. I need a holiday stat. On a side note, I have gotten a lot of planning done recently so I feel less stressed and more excited to push my students further so they can go off to Grade 3 ready to tackle anything!
Next week is also the housing meetings. I am SO EXCITED for this meeting. The new houses are basically ready and people will be moving on up. Now of course I won't be getting a brand new house being at the bottom of the totem pole but I will be moving out to somewhere. I love my little triplex house, it is the perfect size and very conveniently located and I have everything exactly how I like it. I honestly probably wouldn't move if it wasn't for the issues that keep arising with maintenance and health and safety, so I will be moving to a new house sometime in the spring once everyone above me has been placed. The meeting itself promises drama so I am more excited to see that than anything else!
Anyways I leave bright and early Thursday morning so wish me luck on the highway and let's hope I can successfully transfer my Steve Jobs Biography onto my Iphone because I need something good to listen to on my 20+ hours of driving I am looking forward to!!
I am also travelling with Carmen to Rouyn this Thursday morning to write our English Proficiency Exam so that we can gain our Quebec teaching permits and secure our jobs for next year! I am a little nervous since it is a 70% pass, but I hear it is mostly grammar and some short essay writing so hopefully it should be a breeze! I haven't been out of school that long so let's hope all my essay writing capabilities haven't completely gone out the window!
Besides writing the test Carmen and I have a lot planned for this weekend! Her parents are flying up on Friday night (weather permitted) and have graciously offered to bring my mother!! I am soooo excited to be spending some surprise time with my mom and even though she is a little afraid of flying in such a small plane, it is worth it! So we have hotels booked and lots of shopping and dinner planned. It is also Carmen's 25THHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH birthday (ha) so there is lots to celebrate! The drive will take about 9-10 hours, depending on how many pee breaks Carmen's puppy needs. I at one time mistakenly thought that there was a Costco in Rouyn but sadly that is untrue. However, everything else I need (Shoppers, Loblaws and the Holy Grail - DOLLARAMA) is conveniently located there so I am a happy camper.
We are staying Thursday through Saturday nights and it will be a welcomed respite from the craziness that is my life. People mentioned when I first started here that the stretch between January and Goose Break (end of April) was the longest and most crazy. They weren't kidding. The kids are tired and attendance is spotty with so many tournaments and sickness and plain old not wanting to come to school. Teachers are stressed to the max with report cards, long days and tired students. Luckily the next 5 weeks are light as far as days of school with lots of PED days and holidays and I really need it! I have definitely developed OCD about my floors at home. I clean them and then get obsessive about keeping them clean. Carmen and Monika know this, I got snow on my floor and freaked out. I need a holiday stat. On a side note, I have gotten a lot of planning done recently so I feel less stressed and more excited to push my students further so they can go off to Grade 3 ready to tackle anything!
Next week is also the housing meetings. I am SO EXCITED for this meeting. The new houses are basically ready and people will be moving on up. Now of course I won't be getting a brand new house being at the bottom of the totem pole but I will be moving out to somewhere. I love my little triplex house, it is the perfect size and very conveniently located and I have everything exactly how I like it. I honestly probably wouldn't move if it wasn't for the issues that keep arising with maintenance and health and safety, so I will be moving to a new house sometime in the spring once everyone above me has been placed. The meeting itself promises drama so I am more excited to see that than anything else!
Anyways I leave bright and early Thursday morning so wish me luck on the highway and let's hope I can successfully transfer my Steve Jobs Biography onto my Iphone because I need something good to listen to on my 20+ hours of driving I am looking forward to!!
Oh look its snowing...
Oh yeah THIS was in the front of the Community Hall today. No biggie.
Yes that's right, a dead and gutted moose mere feet away from the grocery store entrance.
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