The way this works is that you turn up a green card or marker to keep the servers coming with the cuts of meat and turn it over to red to stop them or give yourself a rest. My friend and I tried it on the cruise in the spring and it is a great experience. I've already decided we can walk up and take a cab back to the hotel. Ahhhh
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| 3 pm boarding the flight |
So to recap on my exit from Nunavut. The final few days (as usual) were busy with wrapping up the paperwork, trying to help out with the workload and cleaning up the apartment while packing away my 'stuff' for the next contract. I asked the front desk staff if they would miss me and Elizabeth said "I miss you already" and Rita said "I'm just a big puddle of tears sitting here" which is in keeping with both their personalities. The days have been getting progressively and quickly shorter north of the arctic circle and by the time we were boarding the plane it was sunset….at about 3 pm. On Thursdays the flight is direct to Yellowknife and we had just enough time to walk off one plane, through security and on to another. Well, I took a moment to hand off the Blackberry to the flight paramedic who had left it with us on the last medevac. Could be a while before they passed that way again so he was most grateful that I was a courier. The flight to Yellowknife was an uneventful as the first segment, retrieval of bags and over to the hotel on the shuttle. Storage of my frozen and dried arctic char in the hotel freezer and then upstairs. Calls to both of the western daughters who were giving out Hallowe'en treats and working the next day. A get together with my roommate from Kugluktuk who was flying in to Taloyoak in the am and a local gal who used to work north and is now in Edmonton. Good chat and exchange of Christmas gifts for the eastern family from their western daughter and lots of community info for the staff member.
A sleep in the next morning and then checking on flights as a really strong wind and rain storm predicted for Nova Scotia. Over on the shuttle, check in, security and to the departure lounge. A final chat with the Dr who is flying out to BC about the same time and then we're off. I watch The Heat with Sandra Bullock and it is laugh out loud funny - both my seat mate and I are hysterical - you gotta see it. He hasn't been home to Ontario since June so I'm feeling rather fortunate myself. A quick turnaround in Pearson with a sandwich and drink and the flight is still on time. I make calls and check emails from home and the word is….nasty night, can't believe you're flying. That flight is going and I'm getting on it! The flight is rather smooth and I watch Two Guns with Mark Whalberg and Denzel Washington to distract myself but as we approach Halifax the word from the flight deck is that "it's going to be rough, we'll make it as smooth as we can, the flight attendants are fastening everything down and prepare for some turbulence as we head in". He wasn't underestimating the wind for sure - who needs a roller coaster ride when you can fly? You can hear a pin drop and everyone sits with their head down as we approach. But we're down and there's a communal sigh of relief and then we are having trouble standing to get off the plane as it's rocking so in the wind. Wow! The teacher daughter and son-in-law are waiting for me at the baggage carousel and we're quickly underway. Off to retrieve my car, then on the road as I just want to sleep in my own bed. I'm thrilled to discover that Tim Hortons has pumpkin spice tea and cinnamon crunch bagels and am home by 1:30 am. Ahhh, cat on my feet. Love it!
A low key weekend where I catch up on the mail (not much) and the news and fight with the husband's iPad mini to install updates. Walk the dog, enjoy the mild weather and generally settle in. Monday is a day for appointments and a buddy comes along for company to Bridgewater and Lunenburg. We manage some shopping in amongst the appointments and have a good road trip. She's now officially retired and tells me that there is nothing she misses about working.
The remainder of the week has been spent readying for vacation, doing a CPR recert for the local fire
department and having a spa day. Got my hair cut, had a mani - pedicure and some waxing, needed a nap after that. Hard life. First time I've had a pedicure but it sure won't be my last! The travel partner has been going flat out to try to tie up last minute details with the plant, getting ready for lobstering and the boy captain is having a new fishing boat constructed. The plan is to have it out of the boat shop in a few days - lobster season starts here November 25th - it'll be a tight deadline but they seem to thrive on those. The lad has applied (you have to apply for names) to call the vessel FV Offshore Detour. Kind of a nice play on words. He is over the moon, but pretending he's not excited about it at all. He has had more wisdom tooth problems and so had a dental appointment this week 'not wanting to lose any time off the water' as he said. Antibiotics and then extraction of the cracked wisdom tooth next week. Seafarers medical next week as all those details have to be taken care of before regular routine comes to a standstill.
So, time to crawl into bed for a short nap and then….let the trip begin. Can't say 'let the vacation begin' because that happened when I arrived home on Saturday morning. So from -29 c to +29c in one week. Ahhhh.
