I fart in your general direction...

Ahh, dear reader, I'm back again.

Poor Gryphon...today he had his surgery which will ensure that there are no little 'Gryph-lettes' in the future; right now he's sleeping off the pain meds, but I'll have to keep a close eye on him and his stitch-picking habits.

So, one more thing checked off my list. My dogs have been checked and are both considered as healthy as the proverbial barn of horses; I must say, though, that they're awfully gassy tonight! That being said, my vet is really worried about the flight itself. She even asked if she could write a 'doctor's note' to the airline explaining that they should both ride in the cabin - that freaked me out. I've decided if the whole experience is worse than I expect, I will just take some of the sedative myself to calm down, cross all appendages, and hope for the best.

Today I also took care of a few other bits'n'bites. After dropping Gryphon off in the morning, the 'work' day started with another potential-tenant walkthrough. Apparently the one who had filled out the application yesterday didn't make the cut. Next stop was the bank around the corner. I know a chunka change in there is being held, so I needed to know how much I could use.

'To Staples fair child' was the medieval chant that echoed through my head next...I think I've been watching too much Monty Python. Yup, that must be it...so, fair child, to Staples I went (after buying a quick Timmy's). I needed to fax some documents to my new employer. Close to $22 later, I was ready to go. $22? It's true. To the CEO of Staples: "...your mother was a hamster, and your father smelled of elderberries!"

The local cop-shop was my next stop. Fortunately, the police station is just down the road from my place so, when I found out I had forgotten a document I needed to complete my records check, it only took me about 20 minutes to go home and get it. $40...$40 to let everyone know that I'm not some sort of pervert with a penchant for...I don't know...something weird. Gooseberries?

What was left of the day was just filled with picking up Mr.NoMorePuppies and planning for tomorrow. Since said 'tommorow' is the Friday before a long weekend, there'll be a lot to do.

...I think I'll finish the evening with a bit of knitting (that crazy polyester scarf isn't just going to appear) and movie watching (god bless the Internet).

Good night fair child...don't let anyone ever call you a "hanglish peegdog'!

What to do?

I'm torn between my desire to chronicle all the preparation that's going on for my trip north and the fact that it's keeping me so busy. I decided to take a quick break from my cleaning (because I hate it) to jot down a quit entry.

Yesterday was full of phone calls, emails, and various shopping stops. I made a final vet appointment for Gryphon's neuter and overall check-up. I've already asked about taking the two dogs north and my vet seems to think they'll be fine; neither can influence their core temperature like a husky but, by keeping them inside, they should be ok. For the past few weeks I've been trying to wean the two of them off the pee pads and introduce newsprint, the cheaper option. No luck. It doesn't absorb anything, so the dogs refuse to use it. I guess that means an additional thing to pack. Grrr.


Yesterday I also put in order for another box of contacts...they should be ready tomorrow. Although a few people have mentioned it might be a superfluous purchase, I disagree. Have you ever had to deal with the fogging up of glasses or, worse yet, the frames cracking because of the temperature variations? $40 for 6 seems like a good deal.

Also, I had to hunt down some appropriate work shoes. My super-duper Sorel boots will be ordered soon, but I still need to have something for inside. Currently, I have pointy heels in every colour imaginable (love the hot pink snakeskin) but, well, you know. I got some funky sneaker-esque soled dress shoes that should work.

To Fairweather...got a great all-purpose sweater that should work with just about everything.

Home: I sat down with my laptop and started sending out 'thank you' emails to the long-list of people who have helped me out (references, contacts, friends, etc.). Finally, I received the various documents attached to an email from my employer (official offer, housing application, direct deposit form, etc.). Every day it feels more and more real.

Phone calls, phone calls. Contacts to ask about things to bring, doctor to make an appointment. Finally, I contacted my landlord to let him know that I'd have to break my lease; he was pretty cool with it (all things considered). Now comes the part when people are traipsing through my apartment look for a place to rent for September. In fact, tomorrow morning there is already someone scheduled for a walk-though.

Today I have a huge afternoon of straightening, scraping, and scrubbing to look forward to. Oh what joy. I'm such a procrastinator when it comes to that sort of thing (as many of you know). It's so much easier to get caught up surfing the web.

Ahh, another thing...I just found out that there's no Bell Mobility service in Pangnirtung. This basically means that the current contract I have signed has to be bought out (about $400) or transferred. Finding someone to take a Bell contract isn't the easiest considering all the nastiness they regularly put their customers through.

Well, I suppose there's no good excuse to continue. There are always more things to write but there is very rarely any time to do it.

Happy Tuesday y'all!

It's gonna be freakin' cold!

I've gotten mixed reports but, as far as I can gather, somewhere between -40 and -60 will be the average temperature with windchill in the winter darkness of Pangnirtung (if anyone reading this knows any different, please let me know). I've been told to get on the Canada Goose bandwagon and hold on for dear life; is there anyone who disagrees? How far south do you have to be to sweat in your jacket? I want a warm jacket, not a steaming one. That being said, there are aspects of my job which will have me out on a snowmobile trekking around.

If I do take the Goose route, I'm still undecided between a few designs. First off comes the Expedition. Apparently it's the one that has been used at the McMurdo Station in Antarctica for years but is only now available in a woman's cut. One of its attractions is the built-in snow skirt; the others are all free-falling. Also, the hood has a bracing wire with the coyote ruff to make sure it keeps its shape. I could probably throw Gryphon in one of those front pockets and balance him out with Scarlett in the other... wouldn't that be a sight for sore eyes!

Next comes the Mystique. This one's kinda cool in that it was designed for Rebecca Romaijn Stamos when Xmen II was being shot. This one is the only one that is described as being knee-length but, from what I can tell from personal reports, all of these jackets are sized quite large. I don't know about jumping on a snowmobile with this one. Thoughts?

The Trillium is nice (I think). It's a good length, but I'm not sure of the insulation. Obviously it's warm, but it's probably not as warm as the Expedition. It has an adjustable drawstring hood and waist (the others don't), which is a nice feature...it actually shows off that you're a female and not a tree wrapped in a blow-up mattress! Unfortunately, the inside is only a 60/40 duck down/feather blend...not as warm as the Expedition and the Mystique.

The last choice, the Kensington, looks nice. Like the Trillium, it's only a 60/40 duck down/feather blend, but I think it looks like something I'd be more likely to use in the city steets of Ottawa (last Christmas, when the busses were on strike, we had to walk around in temperatures which, at times, went below -30 C with the windchill). Hmmm, I'm not sure.

Footwear is the one thing I'm pretty sure of...the hawk colored Joan of Arctic Sorel boots. The perfect mix of style and functionality m'thinks.

Anyway, if any cold survivors could give me some advice, that would be great. It's a lot of money to spend if I end up getting something that I'm not completely happy with.

I'm allergic to wool...

Yes, it's true...the title, that is. You know how I found out? Heading to the local yarn store to start knitting myself a scarf for my journey. I suppose it's a bit of a cliche to start talking about 'the Journey' as if it were something like 'El Camino' or Mecca, but I think moving to northern Canada is definitely something one does not do lightly. It involves mental and physical preparation and, at this point in my life, it is my Journey. Hey, it's already gotten me back to knitting!

I was officially offered a position last Thursday (the 23rd) and officially accepted it yesterday (the 24th)...starting August 17th I'll be calling Pangnirtung my home. Bizarre, right? Three weeks to figure everything out and move...three weeks to prepare for something that is so huge! I've been creating list upon list and still feel so overwhelmed that escaping into a movie sounds like a dream.

Must...stay...focused!!

That's all I have to report for the moment; things are still crazy, and I'm still processing. Nunavut Newbie v.2.o: Iqaluit, you're awesome for us newcomers; Jordan and Steph, your 'Shelter' blog has been great to follow. Modeling my prep routine after yours seems to be a sensible thing to do right now.

Wish me luck!

The Phone Call

Well, I finally received the call I was waiting for...it's now official. After so much waiting, it's surreal to know that the I will be moving in a mere 3 weeks. Three weeks!!

Like I had mentioned on one of my other blogs, I had an interview for a position in Nunavut about which I was cautiously optimistic. After a few weeks of not hearing, I sent out a quick email to ask whether all the candidates would receive some sort of notice even if unsuccessful. This, I was assured, was the process. I was also told that I passed the interview section of the selection process. After much more waiting, worrying, and reading northern blogs, I couldn't help myself; I shot out another quick email.

The next day, while scooping up poop at the dogpark, my cell started chirping. And there is was. A job offer. I even got to choose between a few locations! My two pups were running around and, all of a sudden, I was left in the middle of the field holding feces, freeze-dried chicken, and wonderful news. Ah, yes...what a fantastic memory to store away for future reference.

My parents were first on the 'call list' followed by my bestest of best friend, Siovone. I wasn't even back to my apartment by that point! The dogs got in a lot of wandering and not too much attention. Gryphon wasn't too impressed with the whole thing...he ran up to me, lifted his little leg, and piddled on my ankle.

You read correctly, I have two little dogs which, now, will be moving north. They're both still young (6 months and 2 years), so they should be ok. They're wee ones, so I'm going to have to be really careful that they keep warm - I'll figure it out.

Until next time, happy dog-poop scooping. You never know what you'll be doing when great news hits.