Saturday, September 22, 2012

Running to stand still....

We're in full swing now with the running club, and in the last two weeks of training before the big trip. Today we did what one student calls the "One-dump run"...a loop out to the dump, which is uphill for 2.5 km, then back and all around the outskirts of town (uphill another km) then back to the school. A total of 8.2 km...wow! My hip is sore, which is why I, standing still tonight as much as possible, LOL! At least I am not limping as much as I used to, and the cane is still resting unused for now.

Movie nights are back on, and the kids going out on the trip are doing a great job looking after the canteen and supervising for me. I manage the minutiae, such as any kids causing a ruckus. We have had a full crowd and it is nice to have something for them to do on a regular basis. Our recess canteen is also doing well, and we had a cakewalk on Friday after school. Music night will be on October 5th and that will be our last fundraising until after the trip on October 10th. The only disappointment, there won't be a chance to take the kids to a Canadiens hockey game. The boys are crushed...but we will at least take in some movies and play laser tag, so they will have lots to do along with the Science Centre, Montreal Tower, and the Insectarium!

I leave Wednesday on another 7-day travel jaunt to attend two days of training in Iqaluit. I leave on Friday for Iqaluit and return on Monday to Montreal, then home to Sani on Wednesday again. I have a day lay-over in Montreal each side, so hurray for time to shop for Halloween candy! I have a great costume idea, thanks to Katie, and the kids will be SOOOOOOOO grossed out, ha ha! We're having a Halloween costume dance with a music night, and I plan to wear it then.


Hee hee, I can't wait!

Anyhow, a short post today, and I will fill everyone in on details of my trip when I arrive in Iqaluit.

TTFN!

Terri the trekkin' traveller.

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Home again, home again, Lickety-SPLAT!

So, some of you have heard the adventure, and seen the gruesome photo story, but let me retell it anyhow. It gets funnier as I picture it, but it sure was not so much of a thrill at the time!

Packed up after a great summer in Ontario. Went to clean the cat's litter box and I knew it was going to be trouble...there were no new "additives" in the pan. Tigger got packed into his carrier anyhow, and off we went. He left a puddle in the back seat of the cab. I mopped it up. He puddled when we got into the plane. I tried to mop it up but had few paper towels. He pooped. I apologized to all the passengers near us. Then he really let loose...ick! Stinky stress ball. So, out of the goodness of my heart, I thought it would be good to clean him and the carrier out when we got to Montreal. Into the bathroom we went.

I opened up his carrier and took him out, fully harnessed and safe (I thought). I pick up his carrier and start to shake out the droppings into the toilet, and Tigger managed to wiggle out of his harness and ran out of the stall into the bathroom. I quickly threw open the stall door and lunged for him. Before I got him, I managed to step into one of his poopy paw prints, and slid full-speed into the edge of the door (I had thought it was the toilet paper dispenser, but I realized after that I hit metal full-force). I did manage to grab him, and washed him off in the bathroom sink. Then I realized how tilted my glasses looked, and took them off. That's when I saw the goose egg on the side of my forehead where I had slammed into the metal door...OUCH! Ergo the "splat" in the title for today's post...

Over the course of the next two days, the bruising migrated across my face and eye, giving me one heck of a glorious technicolour shiner.

Lovely, ain't it? The bruise goes from my eyebrows to the bottom of my nose, and from the side of my nose across to my hairline. At least I got even with the poor fur-ball. As soon as we got into our hotel room I put his carrier right into the tub and started to run warm water. Poor Tigger...he tried so hard to back up away from the water but there was nowhere to go once he got to the end of the carrier, LOL! So he got scrubbed, then I dried him off, cleaned the tub, and scrubbed myself off! He was so stressed by the ordeal that he meowed all night long. Quietly, luckily for other hotel customers, but non-stop...I slept a lot on the plane from Montreal to Sanikiluaq! That flight was completely uneventful, for which I was eternally grateful!

I am busy at school, cleaning cupboards and trying to find where I put the work I had prepared in June. I took time to do some brief running yesterday and today. I had forgotten how persistent the wind is here...today, I ran in the rain (which was a surprise as the sun was shining when I left!) and uphill into a 40k wind...I must be (a) completely nuts, (b) very dedicated, or (c) bit of both and TOTALLY scary! LOL!

Well, I'm heading into the staff room now to nuke a bit of soup for lunch. Then back to the grind for another year at Paatsaali.

TTFN from the far north!

Terri