And It's back to work I go

Settled in safe and sound in my northern home and time to update. I have been doing my Spanish studies and playing with the magnetic words en Espanol on my fridge and the phrase of the day is:
soy la reina de mi casa. 

The commute is getting to be regular if not routine and this time it went very smoothly. I started out at midnight, drove to my classmate's place in Middle Sackville (where I left my car for them to store in the garage) met the cab I'd arranged for and was deposited at the airport, check-in was painless with one bag weighing 23 kg and the other 22.8 kg (max 23 kg) and then on with only the knapsack. A Tim Hortons breakfast and short wait in the departure lounge. Off to Toronto while I napped and due to some delays just walked off one plane and boarded the next. Spent the Toronto to Edmonton flight between two tradesmen going back to camps in Alberta, watched The Big Wedding (very simple story line but Robert DeNiro, Robin WIlliams, Diane Keaton and Susan Saradon so very watchable), read my book The Rosie Project (highly recommend it) and napped some more. Shuttle to the hotel, dropped the bags, arranged for a cab (lengthy wait which is apparently common in the winter in Edmonton) and then to WalMart for perishables and the liquor mart for butterscotch ripple schnapps and when I questioned the clerk as to what whipped cream vodka tasted like she suggested that putting it in orange juice made it taste like a creamsicle (sold) and that cake was like white cake  (duh) worth trying the sample sizes at least. Back to the hotel to meet up with the holder of my action packer and catch up on the news before the electrician daughter arrived after work. Roads were messy so we had a late supper in the restaurant (one of the benefits of staying in a place with a dining room) and sleepover. 

Good to spend some time together although I felt guilty in the morning when there were traffic advisories for her return trip. Her solution to the problem was to head across country and visit her sister in Saskatchewan for the weekend as they had planned to get together anyway. Had the hotel store both my action packers  in the walk in cooler so in the morning they just wheel them out on a cart - no messing with elevators/carts etc for this chickie - and over to the airport, with the daughter dropping me off, so no shuttle. Check in / security, stop at the ATM for cash, quick shop at the bookstore and wait for the flight. Bit of a delay but we're finally walking out across the snow covered tarmac and up the steps to the plane. As I move to take my window seat I notice that the Regional Nurse Manager is my seat mate. What a surprise! Quite an interesting journey from Edmonton to Yellowknife. In to the terminal, time to put on the snow pants and transfer to the Dash 8 and we're off. Not able to land in Cambridge Bay due to weather so head over to Taloyoak and arrive early. Have to have Chuck from Canadian North call the health centre and announce my arrival and I am thrilled to find that all three pieces of my baggage have arrived. The caretaker deposits me and my stuff at the health centre, I retrieve a key to the apartment (oh good I have the one with the decent oven) and begin the shuttling and storing of provisions. Well, actually I store the perishables, find my internet modem and sit surrounded by containers while I chat online. A surprise phone call from my buddy at home who is describing the huge blizzard that I so narrowly missed which is now making air travel impossible. Make the bed and crawl into it, the non perishables can wait. 

After sleeping 12 hours I awake to complete blackness at 10:30 am and have to reorientate myself "oh yeah, that's right you're up north again" I say to myself. It takes another couple of hours to organize and store the groceries and clothes and I'm good to go for eight weeks. My personal humidifier has died but this is a first world problem. Some online chats and then suiting up for the frigid temps and a quick trip to the COOP for milk, eggs etc. I introduce myself to my co-worker in the next apartment who is pleased with my arrival as they have been working short for almost a month here. At the grocery store I see lots of familiar faces and am wished "happy new year" multiple times. A cold trudge up the hill. Some Spanish studies, finished my book and fall into bed. Glad that no one knew I was coming and so I didn't get put on the call schedule for the weekend - good chance to rest up. 

Today was a quiet Sunday where I decided to head out for some photos when I noticed a slight lightening of the sky at almost 11 am. Put on my heavy pants, snow pants, heatmax socks,kamiks, parka, pang hat, scarf, sealskin mitts and realized about 30 minutes into my trek that I should've worn long johns as well since it was -46c with the wind chill - forgot just how cold that is (still warmer than Saskatoon mind you) and that my face mask doesn't ice up  

Front of the new health centre

Noon time 

as much as a scarf. The camera protested and so I slipped it into my mitten to make it cooperate. It was completely dark by 1 pm so glad I got out when I did. The construction on the health centre next day is on hold until March but they did manage to get the exterior enclosed this fall. Not much moving today except the water trucks, some road hockey and  a few hardy souls on skidoos. In to warm up and a chat with a former boss from the spring who has moved on to an 8 week job share as a nurse in charge in NWT and is enjoying herself thoroughly. The nurse in charge called to see how I was doing as I had been keeping such a low profile "hibernating" I told her. Readying for the physician's clinic this week she was (as usual) busy. I posted some photos to FaceBook and had a former co-worker tell me that she felt sorry for me and was thinking I was cold and homesick. I instructed her not to feel sorry but to feel jealous for me as this is a wonderful community, great people, good job and I am loving it! Had a FaceTime chat with the shore captain as I was wondering if there was any damage from the blizzard, storm surge, ice etc. but apparently they were fine. The dog was sleeping on the sofa which I described as the 'downward dog position' but she ignored us due to her profound deafness. And I must describe the shore captain as profoundly confused because he mentioned that today was January 7th (it's the 5th) and was insistent about this when I held my ground. I firmly advised he consult the calendar, he did and then admitted that all the paperwork he'd submitted to ship lobsters across the border had gone with the Jan 7th date, "That'll be interesting when the shipment reaches the border, when will that be?" I said. "In about an hour" he replied. So, I expect he received a call about his confusion. Made an oatmeal cranberry loaf this pm as I was putting pizzas in the oven anyway so getting into the swing of things. 

With the busy Monday tomorrow of blood draws, Dr. clinic and the usual "been sick all weekend" walk ins perhaps no one will notice that I'm frantically trying to replace all that information I erased from my memory in my eight weeks away. Here's hoping.