All good things must end...

...and so our trip comes to a close.

We aimed for a zoo visit on Tuesday. But, the 6:00 wake-up call revealed no bags packed, no rooms cleaned and no readiness for check-out in time to make the trip. So, we went for plan B: a bit more sleep, clean-up time and a visit to the Museum, postponed from Saturday. We checked out but the hostel stored our bags for later pick-up. What a great little find that place has been!

The kids enjoyed the Museum. The dinosaurs are always a hit, and still one of my favourite exhibits. They also really enjoyed the First Nation/Aboriginal People's exhibit with the Inuit collection. There was a video playing showing the scraping of a seal skin so they got to talk to a few people about how it's done. Very cool!

Here's the face I knew as a kid.

It's a little different now. Still a controversial piece in Toronto...

 

This flower is a bromeliad, over 4 feet across!

The individual crystals are as large as my hand.

We have ugly fish here, but I think this guy might just take the prize!

Shades of Jurassic Park! I'll take "Objects You Don't Want To See In Your Rear-View Mirror" for $1000, Alex!

The end of his snout with the first few teeth is as large as my head.

A carved narwhal tusk from the Inuit collection.

 

A gorgeous carving made from the backbone of a whale. We have these here!

Ladies, just sayin', these baskets are kind of cool!

When the Museum visit was done, we went back to the hostel to spend our last bit of time relaxing before dinner and catching the bus to Montreal.

The boys enjoying a game of pool.

Dinner at a cool pizza place around the corner. It was a former garage, and the old doors open up to make an al fresco outdoors patio right inside the restaurant!

We caught our bus at 9:00 pm, and arrived in Montreal at 3:00 am. A cab ride to the airport, and lots of Tim Horton's coffee, donuts, and some Chinatown BBQ duck and pork for breakfast.

Even at 4:00 am, BBQ duck is SOOOOOOOO delicious!

 

 

Sad to say, the camera battery dies just as I tried to get the last shot in the Air Inuit waiting area...5 bodies stretched out on benches, sound asleep, LOL! We did nap all the way home, and I'm sure there were a few more naps taken in the afternoon.

 

All in all, it was great trip, with some great kids, and I hope that they all will have some memories that will last them a lifetime.

 

Until next trip, TTFN!

 

Terri and the Team

 

Beware: Learning in Progress!

 Ah, yes...just for the memories! Noah, Janie, Willie, myself, Paddy and Aullajuuk after yesterday's run. I am still so thrilled for us all!

Forgot to mention...Saturday evening as we were walking back to the hostel, we passed a Ferrari parked on the street. Convertible top down, completely left on its own...if it had been MY $500,000.00 car, I'd have had security guards all around it! Instead, we took a few pictures just because it was a very cool car. Janie thinks he should get one up to Sanikiluaq...

 

 

So today, we got underway early, as usual. I swear we will all need a week of sleep to recuperate, LOL! Today we headed into the east end of the city to the Ontario Science Centre. This was my all-time favourite hang-out as a teenager and it was still as much fun as I remembered!

 

Janie is using pedal-power to listen to a radio. This could be a really great way to get the kids in shape! Hook the TV up to a generator, and if they want to watch, they have to provide the electricity! Hmmmm....wonder how many watts to charge an iPod?

 

 

We then went to the electricity demonstration area. It was absolutely wonderful as NO ONE ELSE WAS THERE!!!! We had what turned out to be a private show and behind-the-scenes fun! The kids had a ball and volunteered Brad and I to get fried in various ways.

Yes, that is a grimace of pain! There are quite literally sparks flying from Brad's fingertips but they don't show up too well on my camera.

 

I also learned a few cool tricks if I ever get another plasma ball. These things are cool!

 

The whole Science Centre was built into the side of a hill, on unwanted land. It was a great way to use land that was not viable for other uses, and turn it into something that is such a benefit for young and old. The government did something right there. Oh well, everyone makes mistakes! Ha ha ha!

Here, we're in the planetarium and getting ready for a star show on the domed ceiling. The easiest way to see it all is to relax on the bean bag chairs placed conveniently on the floor. Mind you, we had to wake a couple of people when it was over...

Tonight we had Chinese food ordered in, and are packing in preparation for check-out tomorrow before we head to the Toronto Zoo. The hostel will store our bags and we'll pick them back up just before we are ready to head to the bus station. The time has flown and this will be the last post until we arrive back home in Sanikiluaq. I'll post our last shots from the zoo then, and that will be another Running Club adventure come to an end, but with memories to last a lifetime.

 

TTFN!

 

Terri and the Troops.

Paatsaali's Run! (and day 4, too, one day late...)

So, first of all, we all did AWESOME!!!!! Every runner finished, and every runner had a good time! And a good time, too, as in Noah made it in just over 2 hours, which is amazing! I will have the official times once the race results are posted, as the finish line ran many clocks simultaneously and you got about a half second to look as you went through the chute.

Backtracking a bit, here's the hostel downtown at which we're staying. The kids have met students and young people from many other countries here and have really seemed to enjoy themselves. Willie was king of the pool table for a whole night: just unbeatable. Good thing it's all for fun alone!

This was taken with zoom from the observation deck of the CN Tower.

 Saturday morning, the kids all chose to see the Hockey Hall of Fame, again not far from our lodgings. For some reason, they all seemed really keen. I suggested a library, or maybe a crocheting store, but no...hee hee! They loved it, of course!

Posing as usual for the millionth time.

Did Paddy just shrink, or is that goalie really tall?

 

 

 Next to the one and only Stanley Cup! Oooohhh...ahhhhhh...!

 



We didn't quite make it to the Museum. By the time all had been fussed over at the HHOF, we had time for lunch and a very short rest before the game was broadcast at Maple Leaf Square. What else for lunch but what is quickly becoming a Running Club tradition of finding an all-you-can-eat sushi place. This one was the Kyoto House, and was absolutely scrumpscious!

When the plate of food arrives, it's every man or coach for themselves, LOL! You could lose a finger the chopsticks are flying so fast!

 

 



We walked over to the Air Canada Centre before 7:00 pm and watched some of the game on the Jumbotron outside. So in a sense, the gang DID get to see the hockey game! Not quite as good as inside but the best we can do at play-off prices!

Early to bed, and early to rise for the half marathon team...our bus left just after 6:30 to drive us all the way UP Yonge Street. Hmmmm. Hardly seemed fair to then make us run all the way BACK, LOL! 21.1 kilomteres, 13.1 miles. It was a tough run no matter which measure you used, and the team did a great job.

Go Team! (Why is only the coach wearing the Running Club shirt?)

 

 This is how it looked...

...WTG Noah...

 

...and this is how it felt, LOL! Hamming it up for the camera! I think they're trying to use the flag as a shroud to dispose of my poor dead remains! :-D

 

The Juniors at their start, and our finishing pose...

 

 

 

We returned to the hostel for a quick change of clothes and then out to my parents' place for a BBQ burger dinner and a swim.

 

 

And knowing it would be Aullajuuk's birthday the next day, we had a small celebration for him. (I know the 'k' is missing at the end, I just ran out of room! Sorry!)

 

"Happy birthday to youuuuuuu!"

 

So once again, the team has down the town proud! They have shown what it takes to be part of a team, and to show dedication and strength to pass a challenge like this.

 

Tomorrow we will be touring the Science Centre, which should be yet another fabulous day of new and exciting things for the group. More pictures to come along with another post.

 

TTFN!

 

Terri and the Team.



Okay, Blue Jays, Let's play ball! Day 3...

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood and we have been busy.

After our post yesterday, we finished out our day by walking over to Yonge Street and spent some serious shopping time at the Eaton Centre. Dinner and then off to a movie.

"Look both ways before you cross..."

 

"Okay, coach!"

 

 

This morning we enjoyed the pancakes cooked by the hostel staff, and walked down to the Canadian National Exhibition grounds to pick up our race kits. We were all very reassured by the staff that the run was within our abilities, and we would not be the last ones across the line, LOL! Everyone is delighted to meet these students from Nunavut, and they are representing the community very well. I'm proud of them all!

The Princes' Gate at the CNE grounds.

 

 

From the race headquarters, we enjoyed a Toronto tradition of barbequed sausages on a bun for lunch, affectionately termed "Street Meat" but very tasty. And they are quite large...Janie could hardly fit his mouth around it to take the first bite!

"Open wide and say,'Ahhhhhh...'"

We continued on to the CN Tower. It does not seem so tall when you're only a couple of blocks away at night...

...but from right underneath the tower it's a whole different story!

That is one TALL Tower!

 

 

Some of the grown-ups would not dare to cross onto the glass floor, but our students piled on for their photo opportunity!

And apparently there was a teacher meltdown, and students were slung from the ramparts, LOL!

Hilarious photo! We'll display it at Paatsaali, so come in and have a chuckle!

Back to the hostel for a brief rest, and out to a very filling dinner at The Old Spaghetti Factory. Not a belly was growling after that dinner, they were so stuffed!

"Pass da pasta!"

We finished our night by walking (I swear they walked over 10K today!) back down to Skydome to watch the Blue Jays play. The mascot came over to meet the students and we got our photos taken with him. Alas, the Jays did not win, but we still had an awesome day.

"Let's go, Blue Jays, let's go!"

 

Tomorrow promises to be busy as well. We're going to the Hockey Hall of Fame, the Royal Ontario Museum, all-you-can-eat sushi lunch, Eaton Centre, and then to the Air Canada Centre where the Leafs playoff game is being broadcast on the Jumbotron screen free for 30,000 fans. Not as good as the real game, but more within our fundraising budget, LOL! And then the Big Race...

 

 

Stay tuned, more adventures to come!

 

TTFN!

 

Terri

Running Club, safe and sound, Day 1 and 2.

It was another nail-biter in many ways! After a winter with no fog, we were blanketed for almost 2 days and I had feelings of déjà vu from the October trip! No prob, says Almighty God, and blew the fog away with somewhat scary almighty winds gusting to 80 km!!!! Yikes! The regular plane could not come but we met up with it after Air Inuit sent a Twin Otter for us.

 (Not again, says Noah!)

We do get underway a bit late but up in the air nonetheless. A nasty bit of a nail-biter just as we approach Montreal, though...apparently the hydraulic system overheated, they weren`t sure if the landing gear was down, or on fire, and we had an emergency landing but a completely SAFE landing. Hurray for guardian angels! We grabbed Tim Horton`s coffees, donuts, pop and water, sandwiches, and made it to the bus on time.

Three guesses which level the boys all ran for...you guessed it, all up on the top!

 

 

It was NOT the greatest ride, and we did not get much sleep, but for convenience and cost it was fine. A subway ride and bus ride for the boys, and we got to my parents' place before 9:00 for a breakfast of juice, fresh fruit, cereal, milk, muffins, scrambled eggs and coffee! Yummmmm!

 

 



 

When breakfast was done, the boys went straight for the pool and did not come out again until they had turned into wrinkled raisins, LOL! Once dried, they found and installed the new X-Box Kinect game and got it working with the technical advice of the senior team member, hee hee! (What do you mean, the TV needs to be on video input?) ;-D

 ahhhh...chillaxin'....

 



 So, how long do you think he can hold his breath?

 

 synchronized swimming? LOL!

One...two....three....wait! 

 



                                             Look out, Willie...she's got the camera again...

Anyhow, they had a great time. McCafe at McDonald's for McLunch and we headed down to our hostel. Passable accommodations but location, location, location! Steps to CN Tower and SkyDome, steps to shopping, movies and restaurants, steps to the Museum and the race starting line, and pancake breakfast too! WOOT!

We are all off now to the shopping centre, supper, and a movie. I will keep my camera handy and the blog full of pictures for all of our friends/family back home in Sanikiluaq.

TTFN!

Terri and the Paatsaali Running Club.