I realized it has been a while since my last post. So....
We have a new contract. The NTA (Nunavut Teacher's Association) voted 95% in favout to accept a contract with a retroactive 6.5% pay raise due immediately and over the remaining 2 -1/2 years a further 5%. Nice!
We had our first polar bears in town. Locals drove off the mom and young juvenile. I was sorely tempted to look, but value my life a bit too much for that! They were at the new teacher's housing site...not a recommendation for returning next year, LOL! Right into a waiting polar bear's hungry jaws?
My weight loss journey struggles daily but continues. I have now lost 82-1/2 pounds and have reached all but my last four goals. Yay for me!!!!
I have switched housing units and am in a double now, which is working out very well for the cat and I. Tigger is very content and that makes me content.
We got a look at the new high school, due to open as soon as all of the phones and intercom systems are in place. That could be who knows when, but the building and classrooms are gorgeous!!! Very exciting!
Classes are into the second term and are going very well. Tim is still very happy with my work, although I am somewhat less confident as I still struggle to meet the needs of the kidsover such a wide range.
Plans are made for leaving during our Porfessional Development week, and I will be spending the time at Timiskaming District Secondary School under the direction of my old Math teacher, Matthew Allen. It will be a great chance to see what others are doing with the same material and how they address behaviour and learning issues on restricted budgets. I'll stay with Katie and all, so it will be a great chance to visit family too.
Northern lights continue to dellight me when it is not blizzarding, which is happening frequently, although sadly mostly on weekends. Oh well. I got a day off school with my cold, as I lost my voice completely. Hard to teach when none of us know sign language (at least not the kind allowed in school, LOL!).
Anyhow, off to tidy up and get the morning coffee ready.
Love to all!
Skinny Minnie aka Terri
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Saturday, January 8, 2011
The true story of the return home!
Just have to pass on the full story of the panic to return home to Sani from Winnipeg...
I arrived Sunday evening from Regina with no problems and grabbed a cab to the Comfort Inn, the closest motel to the far south-east end of Winnipeg Airport where the Kivalliq Air Office is located. The night passed uneventfully, and I had a quick cup of coffee before leaving. Only one cup...there is no bathroom on the Kivalliq planes and the trip is close to three hours long. I seriously contemplated buying a package of Depends just in case, LOL!
At 8:00 am I asked the front desk to call for a cab, and stepped outside to wait. I noticed that the intersection was barricaded, and saw a couple of crumpled cars. An accident overnight, and several policemen were measuring, writing, and so forth as they investigated. No problem, thought I. The driveway to the motel was accessible before getting to the barricade.
At 8:20, I went back inside as my cab had not arrived. The front desk called again, and stressed the urgency as I had to catch a 9:00 flight. No prob, sez the cab company, we'll be there in two minutes. Back out I went.
At 8:30, we called again. This time I went out into the streets and looked. Only then did I see that not only was the intersection in FRONT of the hotel closed, but the four intersections in the next BLOCK north, south, east and west, were also closed. There was no way to get a cab in or out. I was stuck!
Back in I went. The girl asked the cab company to send the cab through the parking lots of the buildings around us and I called Kivalliq to tell them not to send the plane without me. And I waited...
At 8:40 I gave up, and began to haul my cases down the road. I couldn't use the sidewalks...they don't get shovelled in Winnipeg. A lady saw me struggling down the road and offered a lift to the airport. Now, here's where it gets interesting...Kivalliq is a little independent airline, and while it is technically located on airport property, it is tucked away in a little corner with a few other offices. We started circling the outskirts of the airport trying to find it. I had seen it all of once, when I arrived 2-1/2 weeks prior in the dark. I had no clue where it was except that the road was called "Dyne Rd".
Back onto the phone with Kivalliq, after 10 minutes on hold. I was shouting, "Don't leave yet! I'm coming! We're at this point, near the Purolator...how do we get to you?" The poor gal was trying to give us directions, my Good Samaritan is driving in and out of alleys and parking lots, and we're so lost it wasn't funny! We finally pulled a U-turn and without knowing it we landed right in the parking lot for Kivalliq! Phew! Made it! Closer than I care to admit...but that's the advantage of a small airline. They will wait for you.
I am surprised that we did land, as Sanikiluaq was again buffeted by winds over 50 km/h and snow was blowing everywhere. I think that Kivalliq just didn't want me back on the phone begging for directions, LOL! So the New Year began as it should with school on the 4th as scheduled, with me in my classroom.
What an adventure!
I arrived Sunday evening from Regina with no problems and grabbed a cab to the Comfort Inn, the closest motel to the far south-east end of Winnipeg Airport where the Kivalliq Air Office is located. The night passed uneventfully, and I had a quick cup of coffee before leaving. Only one cup...there is no bathroom on the Kivalliq planes and the trip is close to three hours long. I seriously contemplated buying a package of Depends just in case, LOL!
At 8:00 am I asked the front desk to call for a cab, and stepped outside to wait. I noticed that the intersection was barricaded, and saw a couple of crumpled cars. An accident overnight, and several policemen were measuring, writing, and so forth as they investigated. No problem, thought I. The driveway to the motel was accessible before getting to the barricade.
At 8:20, I went back inside as my cab had not arrived. The front desk called again, and stressed the urgency as I had to catch a 9:00 flight. No prob, sez the cab company, we'll be there in two minutes. Back out I went.
At 8:30, we called again. This time I went out into the streets and looked. Only then did I see that not only was the intersection in FRONT of the hotel closed, but the four intersections in the next BLOCK north, south, east and west, were also closed. There was no way to get a cab in or out. I was stuck!
Back in I went. The girl asked the cab company to send the cab through the parking lots of the buildings around us and I called Kivalliq to tell them not to send the plane without me. And I waited...
At 8:40 I gave up, and began to haul my cases down the road. I couldn't use the sidewalks...they don't get shovelled in Winnipeg. A lady saw me struggling down the road and offered a lift to the airport. Now, here's where it gets interesting...Kivalliq is a little independent airline, and while it is technically located on airport property, it is tucked away in a little corner with a few other offices. We started circling the outskirts of the airport trying to find it. I had seen it all of once, when I arrived 2-1/2 weeks prior in the dark. I had no clue where it was except that the road was called "Dyne Rd".
Back onto the phone with Kivalliq, after 10 minutes on hold. I was shouting, "Don't leave yet! I'm coming! We're at this point, near the Purolator...how do we get to you?" The poor gal was trying to give us directions, my Good Samaritan is driving in and out of alleys and parking lots, and we're so lost it wasn't funny! We finally pulled a U-turn and without knowing it we landed right in the parking lot for Kivalliq! Phew! Made it! Closer than I care to admit...but that's the advantage of a small airline. They will wait for you.
I am surprised that we did land, as Sanikiluaq was again buffeted by winds over 50 km/h and snow was blowing everywhere. I think that Kivalliq just didn't want me back on the phone begging for directions, LOL! So the New Year began as it should with school on the 4th as scheduled, with me in my classroom.
What an adventure!
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Safe in the south for Christmas
Friday teh 17th dawned clear and calm, which was an auspicious beginning to my travel day. But, typical of Kivalliq Air, at 10:10 am they were still hunting for a working plane. They did find one and left Winnipeg 3-1/2 hours late at 12:30 pm. I got to the airport at 1:30 to wait and by 2:00 the weather had closed in with blowing snow and winds.
The plane finally made it at 3:30 but had to make three passes over the airport before it could land, but at least it DID land! Air Inuit then came in, and left, and we were still waiting...but by the time we boarded it was clear and calm again. It was an uneventful flight, but take note, fellow travellers: Kivalliq does NOT have a bathroom on their plane! And it is a 2-1/2 hour flight...Yikes!
I was safely in my hotel and in a tub by 8:00 pm local time, and had a good rest before heading to the airoport to catch the flight to Regina. A bit of a delay, but landed without incident just after 10:30 am. Happy happy HAPPY to be home with family!
Mom and Dad arrived on Sunday evening, none the worse for wear, and we are busy making final preparations for a family Christmas. For those who are interested, here's the daylight hours info for Sanikiluaq on the shortest day of the year:
Sunrise: 8:50
Sunset: 15:39
I'll sign off for the holidays and wish everyone a Merry Christmas, Peace on Earth, and Joy to the World and to all my friends and family!
TTFN!
The plane finally made it at 3:30 but had to make three passes over the airport before it could land, but at least it DID land! Air Inuit then came in, and left, and we were still waiting...but by the time we boarded it was clear and calm again. It was an uneventful flight, but take note, fellow travellers: Kivalliq does NOT have a bathroom on their plane! And it is a 2-1/2 hour flight...Yikes!
I was safely in my hotel and in a tub by 8:00 pm local time, and had a good rest before heading to the airoport to catch the flight to Regina. A bit of a delay, but landed without incident just after 10:30 am. Happy happy HAPPY to be home with family!
Mom and Dad arrived on Sunday evening, none the worse for wear, and we are busy making final preparations for a family Christmas. For those who are interested, here's the daylight hours info for Sanikiluaq on the shortest day of the year:
I'll sign off for the holidays and wish everyone a Merry Christmas, Peace on Earth, and Joy to the World and to all my friends and family!
TTFN!
Friday, December 10, 2010
What was that???
I woke up this morning and felt disoriented...something was DEFINITELY wrong and I could not put my finger on it. Then it clicked...there was NO WIND! Peaceful, blessed silence! Ahhhhh....that's so much better!
As I walked to school, a fresh Christmas snow was falling, frosting the surrounding buildings and hills and creating a winter wonderland. Lovely!
One week today, and the Christmas parties in the class will be on, then packing up and out to the airport to await my chariot back to home and hearth for the Christmas Holidays. :-D
TTFN!
As I walked to school, a fresh Christmas snow was falling, frosting the surrounding buildings and hills and creating a winter wonderland. Lovely!
One week today, and the Christmas parties in the class will be on, then packing up and out to the airport to await my chariot back to home and hearth for the Christmas Holidays. :-D
TTFN!
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Oh, the weather outside is frightful...tra la la!
Winds are howling, snow is streaming, waves are crashing...it's a full-scale blizzard and we are at HOME! WOOT! The locals are commenting on how the waves are crashing right onto the road. When they say they haven't seen it like this, you know you've got a real gale on your hands!
Hooray for snow days!
Hooray for snow days!
Thursday, December 2, 2010
I hadn't planned on jogging yet...
Nope. Had not planned to start running again, especially while my knee is still sore from the last tumble I took on the ice. Figured I might rest it up a bit first...but Mother Nature had other plans.
There I was, picking my way home carefully through the slush and ice while the gentle breezes rocked my body gently from side to side at about 90 km per hour. I was at a 15% tilt off level, leaning into the wind and trying to walk a semi-straight line. Turned the corner to head down the road to our house, and the wind came full at my back. My feet blew up and out, and I wound up doing a triple-time Nazi goose step jog all the way to our door, LOL! My arms were flung out trying to keep my balance, and all I could picture was the little fat angel my sister gave to me one year, all roly-poly with toes pointed and arms akimbo. Ha ha, wish I'd had a video camera! With my orange ski jacket I must have resembled a giant flying pumpkin...
A good day with my grade 7's today. They sat down, they got into groups for their levelled readers, I got a chance to work with the non-readers, they all did their work...I looked at them and said, "Did someone steal my grade 7's and sneak some new kids in here?" Giggle, giggle, "No!" I looked at them, "Reaaaally? I think someone switched kids on me!" "No!" giggle, giggle! I even walked out the door, and looked at the classroom, "Yep, this LOOKS like grade 7...but someone snuck in new kids on me!" By this time they're in hysterics, laughing. So win some, lose some, today I won one. Ahhhhhh...felt good.
If this weather holds, we may have a green Christmas here...rain has washed away most of the slush. The wind has frozen the top layer into ice again, thank heavens I finally found the ice trackers! All I can hope is that the fog stays away and the winds are settled intwo weeks from tomorrow when I fly home for the holidays!
TTFN!
There I was, picking my way home carefully through the slush and ice while the gentle breezes rocked my body gently from side to side at about 90 km per hour. I was at a 15% tilt off level, leaning into the wind and trying to walk a semi-straight line. Turned the corner to head down the road to our house, and the wind came full at my back. My feet blew up and out, and I wound up doing a triple-time Nazi goose step jog all the way to our door, LOL! My arms were flung out trying to keep my balance, and all I could picture was the little fat angel my sister gave to me one year, all roly-poly with toes pointed and arms akimbo. Ha ha, wish I'd had a video camera! With my orange ski jacket I must have resembled a giant flying pumpkin...
A good day with my grade 7's today. They sat down, they got into groups for their levelled readers, I got a chance to work with the non-readers, they all did their work...I looked at them and said, "Did someone steal my grade 7's and sneak some new kids in here?" Giggle, giggle, "No!" I looked at them, "Reaaaally? I think someone switched kids on me!" "No!" giggle, giggle! I even walked out the door, and looked at the classroom, "Yep, this LOOKS like grade 7...but someone snuck in new kids on me!" By this time they're in hysterics, laughing. So win some, lose some, today I won one. Ahhhhhh...felt good.
If this weather holds, we may have a green Christmas here...rain has washed away most of the slush. The wind has frozen the top layer into ice again, thank heavens I finally found the ice trackers! All I can hope is that the fog stays away and the winds are settled intwo weeks from tomorrow when I fly home for the holidays!
TTFN!
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Time flies...
I cannot believe that it is the first of December already,and that there are only 12 more days of school this year! And that it has been a full month since I last sat down to post...
It has been very mild, although still very windy most days. That simply means that the surfaces all freeze into sheets of ice. I have finally found my ice trackers, but not before having fallen at least six times. I have a very sore right knee now, but I am persevering. Heat and ice and some Advil are working well.
We had a lot of fun yesterday with my grade 11 Math class. The students have had to learn about income, time cards, budgets and expenses, and they have earned a "salary" as information processing technicians since the start of school. Yesterday we wrapped it all up, and held a huge auction to allow them to spend their "savings". I made brownies, all sorts of cookies, banana bread and cake. I had iPod Friday coupons, 15-minute free time coupons, Steve Spangler science goodies, and one each of a full day free time (including exclusion from homework that day) and one iPod Friday until the end of term. The scene was set...
Upon arrival, which had been VERY eagerly awaited, the students received a bidding paddle and a sheet to track their "withdrawals" as they won items. A fun demo of the science goodies, and we were underway. What a riot! The bidding was fast and furious, students laughing hysterically, and the oddest thing going for huge bids...the first brownie went for not too high a price until Timothy bit into it and made a mock swoon of ecstacy. The next ones went for many times the first bid, LOL! When the free time all day coupon came up, Daisy jumped up and yelled, "500 DOLLARS!" for the opening bid. Everyone laughed so hard no one else could bid and she got it. Some of the science goodies went for many "hundreds" of dollars. Tim popped in to see what all the laughter was and said later that he had never seen them have so much fun.
The grade 7's have been off lately. One of them wrote a rather miserable thing on the wall about another student, and everyone proclaimed their innocence. So today I had them copy a sentence out 5 times that had each of the words in a different sentence. Then I told them I was like CSI and was going to do a handwriting analysis to match it to the culprit's handwriting. Suddenly three kids felt an urgent need to go out and scrub the wall...Bwa ha ha, Stealth Mom strikes again! Don't mess with a mom, kids! Hee hee! There are days I tell them that I have eyes in the back of my head, and put my glasses on the back of my head , which gives them no end of giggles.
For Dad...
Sunrise: 8:27
Sunset: 15:45
Yep, damned dark when I go to school and when I go home...
Anyhow, 16 days and with good luck Kivalliq Air will fly, safely, and I will land in Winnipeg before heading to Regina for Christmas with my family. Ho, ho, ho-ping for good weather, LOL! TTFN!
It has been very mild, although still very windy most days. That simply means that the surfaces all freeze into sheets of ice. I have finally found my ice trackers, but not before having fallen at least six times. I have a very sore right knee now, but I am persevering. Heat and ice and some Advil are working well.
We had a lot of fun yesterday with my grade 11 Math class. The students have had to learn about income, time cards, budgets and expenses, and they have earned a "salary" as information processing technicians since the start of school. Yesterday we wrapped it all up, and held a huge auction to allow them to spend their "savings". I made brownies, all sorts of cookies, banana bread and cake. I had iPod Friday coupons, 15-minute free time coupons, Steve Spangler science goodies, and one each of a full day free time (including exclusion from homework that day) and one iPod Friday until the end of term. The scene was set...
Upon arrival, which had been VERY eagerly awaited, the students received a bidding paddle and a sheet to track their "withdrawals" as they won items. A fun demo of the science goodies, and we were underway. What a riot! The bidding was fast and furious, students laughing hysterically, and the oddest thing going for huge bids...the first brownie went for not too high a price until Timothy bit into it and made a mock swoon of ecstacy. The next ones went for many times the first bid, LOL! When the free time all day coupon came up, Daisy jumped up and yelled, "500 DOLLARS!" for the opening bid. Everyone laughed so hard no one else could bid and she got it. Some of the science goodies went for many "hundreds" of dollars. Tim popped in to see what all the laughter was and said later that he had never seen them have so much fun.
The grade 7's have been off lately. One of them wrote a rather miserable thing on the wall about another student, and everyone proclaimed their innocence. So today I had them copy a sentence out 5 times that had each of the words in a different sentence. Then I told them I was like CSI and was going to do a handwriting analysis to match it to the culprit's handwriting. Suddenly three kids felt an urgent need to go out and scrub the wall...Bwa ha ha, Stealth Mom strikes again! Don't mess with a mom, kids! Hee hee! There are days I tell them that I have eyes in the back of my head, and put my glasses on the back of my head , which gives them no end of giggles.
For Dad...
Yep, damned dark when I go to school and when I go home...
Anyhow, 16 days and with good luck Kivalliq Air will fly, safely, and I will land in Winnipeg before heading to Regina for Christmas with my family. Ho, ho, ho-ping for good weather, LOL! TTFN!
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