How suite it is

A(nother) snowy evening as I update this blog. Have been having a bit of a real winter (unusual for NS) this month with regular snowfall and cold enough temperatures for the white stuff to remain. Mind you, it's been three years since I've experienced January/February in this part of Canada. And weather is relative with temperatures of -54c in Sachs Harbour and across the high arctic this week. Will have moderated by next month a bit but there will still be lots of winter for me to experience in NWT. 

Reno kitchen

One of the bedrooms

My job share partner kindly posted some photographs of the apartment which give a real sense of where I'm headed. Although the healthcentre is 80s vintage, apparently the kitchen and furniture have had a makeover. I was clearly able to visualize myself doing crafts in that living room, baking in the kitchen or napping in that bed. As you can see with this assortment of photos. There is a lovely redone bathroom and an in-apartment laundry room - not coin operated. Ahhh but enough boasting. 

Dining room 

The cleaning lady suggested new sofa and chair covers for this living room as she struggled to conceal the stains and holes on Friday. Well, it has been almost nine years for the present ones so certainly justified. Sears.ca and the task was accomplished. They are scheduled to arrive in time to freshen up the place before we have company over on Wednesday pm. Close enough to the shades of the various pet hairs here to work. 

Living room 

Announcing….I have completed the Diploma Tropical Nursing course and passed. That is all I am going to say about it. My final paper mark was not a proud moment but….it's a pass. 
My diploma will look the same as everyone else's when it 

Living room

arrives in the mail. And I'm done. I am taking a while to regroup and think about what I'm going to do for humanitarian work. 

We have booked a last minute 10 day cruise and fly to Miami a week from today. We began looking at a balcony - hard to do without one of those in the Caribbean and by the time the search was completed we'd booked a grand suite for less than what we originally found a balcony listed for - impossible to resist the Vacations to Go 75% off deal. On previous cruises we've glanced into a suite as the cabin steward had the door open cleaning and the travel

Itinerary 

Grand suite 

partner has mused "someday we should have a suite just to see how it feels to travel that way". Will let you know. Discussion has run to room service on the large balcony at the stern of the ship, where is the sunscreen and do you have enough e-books downloaded? I attempted to do the online check in but…in my demographic details found myself listed as a male. Not wanting to take a chance with Homeland Security I phoned Vacations to Go to ask them to correct this to female. The supervisor Jonathon checked but as it was too close to departure he had to contact the cruise line to adjust it. He phoned me back shortly to advise that the correction had been implemented and I could proceed with the online check in. I told him that he could add 'gender reassignment surgeon' to his list of skills and he chuckled and said "happens frequently" and added "wasn't expensive either" and I assured him that since we're Canadian we don't worry about the cost of healthcare, we just keep paying our taxes, but I appreciated his expertise. He said "you have a great vacation, but I don't think I have to tell you to do that, you're going to have fun" and I assured him that was the plan.

A former coworker agreed to animal/house sit for us in a test run of her plan to leave almost adult offspring at home with her own animals when she goes to Cuba next month. At least this way she can intervene from half an hour away if required vs another country. I told the pets and the dog was excited, but she's excited about everything and the cats, well…they don't give a crap anyway. So all is set and it's a win win situation. 

Aside from digging out the snorkel gear, I am finishing up some last minute courses to do a Red Cross workshop the morning after we (hopefully) fly back. I am putting some strings on mittens which a neighbour has kindly knit for the grade primary class teacher's collection, downloading music for the travel partners iPod 

Have been asked to say a few words at a memorial service on Thursday for a former coworker who lost her battle with cancer last month. What a fighter she was. The difficulty is not in finding positive thoughts to share but limiting the list to a few minutes.