The commute home, which has become routine over the past six years went fairly smoothly. The
eldest community elder (who visits most flights as they connect with his childhood home of Uluhuktuk) was there to see us all off, and that was nice as my return if at all, will not be soon. Although the weather was iffy the flight arrived and we enjoyed a beautiful run east to Uluhuktuk and then back to Inuvik - first time I’ve had a pilot say “welcome to Aklak Air ladies” as there were 12 females only on that leg. Still lots of sea ice below and the usual ‘arriving in Inuvik’ upwinds. Chatted with a summer student doing sports programs in various communities as we waited for the cab I'd called - the mosquitoes were terrible, in your eyes and mouth, as I remembered from Labrador years ago.
We shared my cab to Capital Suites where I discovered there was no reservation for me - the travel clerk strikes again - so paid for the only available option - a full suite and emailed the manager I would be expecting to be reimbursed in full. She replied apologizing and suggested that she could attempt to have the charges reversed. I accepted the offer as I noted the lengthy reimbursement wait at present. I am out of pocket $1500 for my travel in and out plus my RN reimbursement (which will pay for 2019 by the time I receive it) so that doesn't make me (or any of my coworkers - some of whom are owed $5K) very happy. She did thank me for all my hard work on the contract and again said I was welcome in the region anytime - she is trying but.... I reinforced that I like 'this community' and she acknowledged that this wouldn't be open until January. I ended our discussion stating 'send me the
email needs and I'll be in touch' as a reference is always required when moving on, so bridges should not be burned. Lots of visitors in town with lots of bug splattered trucks and a large coach of German tourists "that must've been a fun ride on the Dempster Highway" was the general consensus. I enjoyed a late supper of sweet potato fries and a wrap with two cocktails at Shivers and slept soundly. The only wrinkle in my Inuvik plans was that the Great Northern Arts Festival didn't open until the evening. Oh well. Off to pick up some breakfast foods from North Mart and ran into community members and so a chance to say goodbye. Managed a few 'tourist' photos and time to ready for the airport.
A seamless check in as the health centre clerk's daughter is there, the bags are checked through to NS and we're soon headed south. No station stop in Norman Wells (woohoo) and off to Yellowknife to deplane in the rain for security screening. Back onboard to await thunderstorms and off to Edmonton with lots of turbulence. The three hour lounge wait is eased by some G&Ts and a meal and we're boarding for the red eye. I discover a couple with a five month old baby as my seatmates and the little guy was the best behaved on the flight. I slept from takeoff to landing and was retrieved at at the airport by my daughter. A quick stop and the three generations were off to pick up my car and head 'down the shore' for a couple of days. What a lovely welcome home to discover that my granddaughter can now clearly say "Nanak" ahhh.
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| beauty of a commute |
We shared my cab to Capital Suites where I discovered there was no reservation for me - the travel clerk strikes again - so paid for the only available option - a full suite and emailed the manager I would be expecting to be reimbursed in full. She replied apologizing and suggested that she could attempt to have the charges reversed. I accepted the offer as I noted the lengthy reimbursement wait at present. I am out of pocket $1500 for my travel in and out plus my RN reimbursement (which will pay for 2019 by the time I receive it) so that doesn't make me (or any of my coworkers - some of whom are owed $5K) very happy. She did thank me for all my hard work on the contract and again said I was welcome in the region anytime - she is trying but.... I reinforced that I like 'this community' and she acknowledged that this wouldn't be open until January. I ended our discussion stating 'send me the
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| bug truck |
A seamless check in as the health centre clerk's daughter is there, the bags are checked through to NS and we're soon headed south. No station stop in Norman Wells (woohoo) and off to Yellowknife to deplane in the rain for security screening. Back onboard to await thunderstorms and off to Edmonton with lots of turbulence. The three hour lounge wait is eased by some G&Ts and a meal and we're boarding for the red eye. I discover a couple with a five month old baby as my seatmates and the little guy was the best behaved on the flight. I slept from takeoff to landing and was retrieved at at the airport by my daughter. A quick stop and the three generations were off to pick up my car and head 'down the shore' for a couple of days. What a lovely welcome home to discover that my granddaughter can now clearly say "Nanak" ahhh.
Home for over a week now and as usual into the round of getting reacquainted with my life. Certainly easier to head north of 60 and settle in to the cozy apartment, then return to the ‘real life’ after eight weeks of northern living. Having to consult with a housemate for meals and schedules is new to me after the ‘single life’ which I enjoyed temporarily. I was pleased to find a propane fire pit in the veranda room, while not exactly what I'd envisioned after providing photos of examples over the past year, but of course the stylist/designer has final approval and I really just want the warmth for the shoulder seasons so no worries. The in-house restoration expert also refurbished the antique head and footboard set for the spare room (museum) which I'd picked up at an auction about 10 years ago. It really completes the bedroom.
One of the major perks of the southern trek is that the gentleman farmer has approached his grow op with the usual over the top enthusiasm for projects and we are presently being overrun by veggies particularly cucumbers, all sorts of greens and zucchini. You know the rule…if you plant zucchini you need to have a lot of friends help you eat it! I processed 24 cups of grated zucchini for the freezer - the chocolate cake recipe I have calls for three cups so I see some desserts in our future. We’ve been eating a mostly plant based diet fresh from the garden and that’s a real boost to the spirits after the arctic deprivation and obviously a good problem to have. The large amounts of garden produce have led the shore captain to suggest that he should put a sign out by the road directing passers by to help themselves. Clearly there will be some preserving of various items - beets, cucumbers, basil and drying of others as in onions and herbs. We (especially with the arrival of the two grandkids) are able to keep up with the tomatoes as they ripen - can’t vouch for when those plants full of green fruit turn red - perhaps some salsa is in order. The current issue is the immediate consumption of armfuls of lettuce. The future also includes broccoli, brussels sprouts, squash and pumpkins
Our German chef friend gifted us a couple of red currant bushes (deer don’t eat those as they do high bush blueberries apparently) and although the fruit was small I managed to pick one cup (no hope of jelly with that small amount) and found an online recipe from Genius Kitchen (how could it not be good?) for muffins using that amount which turned out well with a few modifications and despite the ‘not having any milk’ factor which made me slightly uneasy:
Red Currant Muffins
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon almond extract
I cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 salt
1 cup fresh red currants
Cream butter and sugar
Blend in eggs and extract
Lightly mix in dry ingredients
Fold in red currants
Fill muffin cups 3/4 full, sprinkle tops with sugar/cinnamon. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes. Cool 5 minutes before removing from muffin tin. Freeze well.
So that took care of the red currant harvest for 2018. I suspect that this recipe would work well with cranberries as they are a tart fruit too.
A visit to the spa first thing Monday morning so I'd dare show myself outdoors. We enjoyed several swims in the pool, deciding that the seniors and babies setting is appropriate - oooh that heat pump is lovely! A trip to the garage for servicing/vehicle inspection resulted in the need for new tires as they 'wouldn't pass' but as the original tires of five years ago, they owe me nothing. I negotiated a reasonable price for basic tires with the dealership because with the low mileage I accumulate, wear isn't the issue. The bonus of a service appointment is a Frenchy's excursion where I scored big - lots of granddaughter outfits, a pair of jeans which fit me perfectly (a rare find at any price) new expensive capris and Victoria Secret underwear with the tags on. Life is good. One of the highlights of my return was a lunch date with nursing school classmates. It's wonderful to still enjoy getting together after meeting 44 years ago - we're no longer student teenagers - the majority are retired grandmothers with lots of ups and downs in their life stories but....we still connect in a unique way.
Difficult to describe those bonds to people who didn't live/learn together so intently...back in the day. I remember as a teenager my mother embarking with great anticipation for a nursing class
reunion in Quebec and I was gobsmacked by the anniversary of 35 years. Ha! A stop at the library to upload pictures for a photobook followed by a beach walk with a buddy balanced the soul. We are so fortunate to have such lovely beaches in our area, very sparsely visited and the water wasn't even as feet numbing as usual.
We have concert tickets for ZZTop in Montreal on August 17th so I finally cornered the shore captain to plan transportation. The getaway includes taking the grandson to visit his Auntie and she'll hang out with him while we rock out in Montreal Friday night. Previously all mentions of seat sales were met with the 'driving up, camping along the way' plan. When the dust finally cleared we are booked for flights to Ottawa Friday to Monday. Thus a two day each way drive and at least a couple of days visit was distilled to 72 hrs. How was driving ever an option with this schedule? Not complaining, it's better than spending 1400 km in a vehicle! Although the plan had been run by the grandson's mother, the dates hadn't been confirmed and (remembering there is a 24 hr window to cancel the tickets) I quickly messaged the "have plans to see a concert and visit Auntie. Is he available to come with us Aug 17 - 20?" and received the reply....'he is - he asked what concert'. Ha ha ha he likely thought it was Paw Patrol or some such star. I quickly corrected his misperception and assured him that he and Auntie would do something fun while we were teenagers again yelling Gimme All Your Lovin:
youtube.com/watch?v=Ae829mFAGGE
And speaking of seat sales....while I was at it, I booked my airfare to study Spanish in Cuba this fall. Down October 29, return November 26 with WestJet into Holguin (a layover in Toronto each way but no overnight) was only $527 total and I was able to use my $314 WJ dollars. I booked a seat on the Viazul bus from Holguin to Santiago de Cuba for less than $20 and my son in law is in the process of arranging accommodation - this negotiation is best done by a 'national' we agree. Getting excited for my adventure.
This weekend has been busy while the shore captain/gentleman farmer and his chef friend fed over 100 wedding guests for a buddy of the captain - they roasted a pig on our spit and barbecued 250 chicken breasts to add to the wedding buffet. Good thing the chef was invited along as the groom had apparently miscounted the chicken, thinking it was 125 pieces. That's not chicken to supplement the pork, it's pork to supplement the chicken with those numbers, they'll be eating chicken for a lonnngg time. Their work was well received by all, including myself as I arrived in time for the ceremony in the rain (good thing they had an event tent) and supper. It was a casual event...think hippie ceremony, with friends and family from near and far. I stopped for provisions on the way home at the end of a full day.
Had an online chat with my former jobshare partner to find out that she has resigned from the Nurse in Charge position effective August 6th and is moving over to do Homecare in Nunavut. Said "the straw was the fight about the expense claims" proving that if you push old folks far enough they will walk (or in this case fly) away. I may consider a short contract in the community she's heading to if the Baffin project is taking too long. Lots of options, no need to put up with crap.
Today marks the opening of the wild blueberry u-pick so I must finish off the remainder of last year's berries by baking a blueberry buckle. We're heading to the city for routine appointments and will pick up the granddaughter to stay with us while her parents enjoy tend days in Iceland. Have arranged to pick up the grandson from his softball game on Thursday as he has swimming lessons next week at the lake. Really looking forward to a fun and busy Nanak time. The fog has lifted a bit, off to check the pool temperature. Ahhh
A visit to the spa first thing Monday morning so I'd dare show myself outdoors. We enjoyed several swims in the pool, deciding that the seniors and babies setting is appropriate - oooh that heat pump is lovely! A trip to the garage for servicing/vehicle inspection resulted in the need for new tires as they 'wouldn't pass' but as the original tires of five years ago, they owe me nothing. I negotiated a reasonable price for basic tires with the dealership because with the low mileage I accumulate, wear isn't the issue. The bonus of a service appointment is a Frenchy's excursion where I scored big - lots of granddaughter outfits, a pair of jeans which fit me perfectly (a rare find at any price) new expensive capris and Victoria Secret underwear with the tags on. Life is good. One of the highlights of my return was a lunch date with nursing school classmates. It's wonderful to still enjoy getting together after meeting 44 years ago - we're no longer student teenagers - the majority are retired grandmothers with lots of ups and downs in their life stories but....we still connect in a unique way.
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| Daniels Head Beach |
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| shorebirds on the beach |
reunion in Quebec and I was gobsmacked by the anniversary of 35 years. Ha! A stop at the library to upload pictures for a photobook followed by a beach walk with a buddy balanced the soul. We are so fortunate to have such lovely beaches in our area, very sparsely visited and the water wasn't even as feet numbing as usual.
We have concert tickets for ZZTop in Montreal on August 17th so I finally cornered the shore captain to plan transportation. The getaway includes taking the grandson to visit his Auntie and she'll hang out with him while we rock out in Montreal Friday night. Previously all mentions of seat sales were met with the 'driving up, camping along the way' plan. When the dust finally cleared we are booked for flights to Ottawa Friday to Monday. Thus a two day each way drive and at least a couple of days visit was distilled to 72 hrs. How was driving ever an option with this schedule? Not complaining, it's better than spending 1400 km in a vehicle! Although the plan had been run by the grandson's mother, the dates hadn't been confirmed and (remembering there is a 24 hr window to cancel the tickets) I quickly messaged the "have plans to see a concert and visit Auntie. Is he available to come with us Aug 17 - 20?" and received the reply....'he is - he asked what concert'. Ha ha ha he likely thought it was Paw Patrol or some such star. I quickly corrected his misperception and assured him that he and Auntie would do something fun while we were teenagers again yelling Gimme All Your Lovin:
youtube.com/watch?v=Ae829mFAGGE
And speaking of seat sales....while I was at it, I booked my airfare to study Spanish in Cuba this fall. Down October 29, return November 26 with WestJet into Holguin (a layover in Toronto each way but no overnight) was only $527 total and I was able to use my $314 WJ dollars. I booked a seat on the Viazul bus from Holguin to Santiago de Cuba for less than $20 and my son in law is in the process of arranging accommodation - this negotiation is best done by a 'national' we agree. Getting excited for my adventure.
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| cutting the cake |
Had an online chat with my former jobshare partner to find out that she has resigned from the Nurse in Charge position effective August 6th and is moving over to do Homecare in Nunavut. Said "the straw was the fight about the expense claims" proving that if you push old folks far enough they will walk (or in this case fly) away. I may consider a short contract in the community she's heading to if the Baffin project is taking too long. Lots of options, no need to put up with crap.
Today marks the opening of the wild blueberry u-pick so I must finish off the remainder of last year's berries by baking a blueberry buckle. We're heading to the city for routine appointments and will pick up the granddaughter to stay with us while her parents enjoy tend days in Iceland. Have arranged to pick up the grandson from his softball game on Thursday as he has swimming lessons next week at the lake. Really looking forward to a fun and busy Nanak time. The fog has lifted a bit, off to check the pool temperature. Ahhh
