It's Saturday Night.....it's time to Loonie-Toonie!!!

So what's exactly is a loonie-toonie?  Well it's a raffle used to fundraise for various community events!  Last night's was for the Hip-Hop Crew's visit to Qik in November.  You arrive and get your tickets--- $1 and $2 and 50-50 draw..... there are tables laid out with different items---this one had lots of furniture, dishes and bedding.. others in the past I've gone to had things from cases of pop, flour, chocolate, toliet paper and clothing!  Just sort of depends what's had been donated! 

You have to keep ONE ticket and the other ticket goes in the bags for each item---this was something at my first loonie-toonie I had issues with... now I separate them; and put one set in my pocket---so that i don't end up putting BOTH tickets into the bags....

Here's a shot of the table action.... there are usually chairs sitting along the walls.. and once people get rid of their tickets they sit down and chat... so it's quite the social experience.... Last night it was the first one I've been to since the spring---It was really fun to see all the new babies that have arrived in the community!!

I'm waiting with my tickets waiting for them to DRAW one of them..but sadly I did not win the extra glasses or plates or book shelf I had thought it might be fun to win!  Here's my 'un-lucky' tickets.... the green was for the $1 table and the blue was for the $2 table! 

All in all it was a pretty fun night..... and when I came out there was SNOW!!!!

Oh yes... it has arrived in PANG!! :)

Friday Nights....... the best part of my week!

This week was kind of crazy... I find that short weeks are often the hardest when you work---but this week I was out sick for a day...and really busy with lots of other stuff..

Tonight I had a 'girl's' movie night...it was lots of fun... 6 friends came over.. and we ate lots of good food... MMMMMM brownies, chips, popcorn, trail mix soooo good! We ended up watching Dirty Dancing...and kind of interupted it and 'ruined' a few moments...but still it was great times!! The PERFECT ending to a crazy week---even if it meant i had to come home and 'clean' my house after work.... but it was so worth it.

After everyone left I had to check the 'Book, because it had been mere hours since I had checked it out.. and had to 'reconnect' myself...(am starting to think this might be an 'unhealthy' relationship the 'Book and I have--but then I keep reminding myself I LIVE in the Arctic it's ok..when I come south the 'Book and I will have to re-evaluate our relationship..)...I was glad I did.. My sister-in-law had posted "NEW PHOTOS" of my nephews from Thanksgiving... so cute, adorable.. and frankly made me forget about all the stressful things I dealt with this past week! (seriously...they are the cutiest kids in the world! and no I'm not that biased at all!)

So while I was on the 'Book catching up and my friend Nancy came online and we got to talking... and she shared me TWO wonderful 'gems' of internet goodness.......

Number ONE:  http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/: this little site has become a daily read for her...and I must admit it's probably going to be one for me too.... (some of the photos are just so wrong..but so darn funny!)...the comments are what makes the photos... like the following photo....posted on  October 13th, 2009

Cabbage Patch Man

Cabbage Patch Man comes complete with a birth certificate, application for adoption and they are each sold separately. from California

Number TWO: http://textsfromlastnight.com/ these are also very funny; but some I wouldn't repeat.... but some made me giggle til I almost peed my pants! they all have a number in brackets in front of them.. and that's the area code they come from.... here are few 'gems' I found tonight...

(267): i was so drunk that i ate a carrot out of her guiena pig's cage and thought it was normal

(778): tonight, alcohol would be proud of us

(603): The best revenge is premature balding


Now that I've shared... I feel like I should head to bed... Hope you have a great day wherever you might be!

Oh its' coming.... but when?!

I'm sitting here looking out my window... and see the above view... gorgeous...but lacking that wonderful white blanket of snow!....It's not that snow hasn't made it's face known in and around Nunavut yet this year.... in Iqaluit they've had 2-3 'heavy' snow falls...while I was travelling those communties had snow.... and I heard last week that people up in Qik have been snowmobiling... (that's like a 40min plane ride north!)....Heck my family even woke up in the south in Haliburton on Sunday morning to a light dusting of snow.. and inquired how much I had... when I said... none really in town!


So I sit patiently waiting the snow... I love snow... (always have)...next to fall....with the leave changing colour.... I've always LOVED snow.... and I'm just waiting for it to come and stay...I'm tired of having to deal with the DUST on the roads... from the trucks.. or from the road building in front of my house.... I just want to see WHITE... not brown....(is that too much to ask!?)

I know even typing this... people might react... "Do you really know what you are wishing for?" and the answer would be not really... am I ready for the winter? who knows....but time will tell...I arrived and there was TONS of snow.. and I remember looking out the window trying to imagine what the land looked like without that 'white' blanket lying on it... but well you know I do know what it looks like.... and I wanna see that blanket back... Now some people might think I'm totally INSANE...but here I sit and write about wanting to see the snow.....perhaps I am....and I know it's coming... I can feel it in the air.. and when I wake up there's more snow that's been added to the tops of the mountains... but I keep wondering.. when will it come to town? and when will it stay....

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

I've been thinking lately about Thanksgiving and all the blessings I've had happen in the last year... I thought I'd just take a moment to share a few of these blessings with you!  Last year I spent Thanksgiving with my family at my Mum's new place in Haliburton...she had just moved in... and it was a fun weekend...(So 3 members of my family are missing in this photo---Kat, and my youngest nephew..and ME!! I looked through my photos.. and I guess I didn't organize a group shot of us!! so this one will have to do!)

 I remember lying in the bottom bunk of a bunk bed (oh yes! my room at my mum's has my OWN set of bunk beds!)... listening to my mum and Kat talk about 'stuffing' the turkey... see Kat wanted to cook it and my mum was the teacher! (Part of me in that moment was thankful that I didn't want to learn how to do that..because it was a crazy 'god' awful time in the morning...hehehee)...She did an excellent job of the turkey by the way!!!

Overall the weekend was a lot of fun.... but that whole weekend I remember worrying about work...or should I say the lack of work!  I had finished my MA program in August and had yet to get a job... I had work I was doing--but really wasn't 'career' type stuff! 

That brings my list of Things to be Thankful for....(not just at thanksgiving but every day of the year!)... **they are in no way listed in priority of order.... just randomly put up here!**

*  I'm thankful for a job, that not only is a job but something I really do enjoy!

*  I'm thankful for family.. that loves me as much as I love them!

*  I'm thankful that I have a cozy home.... that to date is the biggest place I've ever lived.... I have windows (three years living in a basement makes you pretty amazed about windows!)....

*  I'm thankful that my job lets me travel... and experience new things... bring on the adventure!

*  I'm thankful for friends.... new ones from the north...that make my life so sweet up here in Pang....

*  I'm thankful for friends in the south... that are only a phone call or email or MSN or Facebook message away... friends that have history and get me.. with me having to explain myself...

*  I'm thankful for the opportunity to live in the Arctic...and learn about so many new things....

I'm thankful for so many more things... but well dont' want to share all of them in a 'public' forum.... so that's my list and I'm sticking to it!!

Here are a few more photos of family from Thanksgiving '08...I just got off the phone with my mum and John and Kat... I'm kind of glad I wasn't there yesterday, it sounded like 'a lot' of work was done... like raking leaves, burning old papers and files, crawling under the cottage to do something with the water pipes... and well cooking.. and dishes... hehehe (all things I 'really' enjoy!!) that being said... I did miss you yesterday... but I had lots of fun with friends up here in Pang...

I'm thankful for two adorable nephews!!

I can't wait to see the 'new' photos that Dana took of the boys this year!!

Fall and Thanksgiving have always been 2 of my favourite things!  I love watching the trees change colour...and this time of year... living in a land of no trees--well that makes me kind of sad... 

I'll leave you with 2 of my fav shots I took last Thanskgiving at my Mum's! 

My question to you the reader is....

What do you have to be thankful for??

(feel free to leave a message in the comment section)

..the Price of a Turkey!?

This week the photo below showed up in my inbox of one of my email accounts.  This photo was  taken in Arctic Bay...(this hasn't been verified..and perhaps it was just a 'mistake'...but still a funny one?!)hehee

Here's the Stats on this bird....(in case you can't see it in the photo):

11.115kg net weight at $18.00/kg which makes the TOTAL price = $200.07

I  hope that bird is a GRADE A Turkey!! (and it better stuff and cook itself too-and prehaps clean up the kitchen after dinner!!)

So this got me thinking... how much does a turkey go for in Pang?! hmmmmm I went down to the store las night to do some shopping for food... and took this photo below.....

The Stats of Pang's Bird is:

8.420 kg net weight at $6.89/kg forthe TOTAL price of $58.01!!!

I talked to my Mum last night... and asked how much her turkey cost... and she laughed at my inquiry but I just told her I was doing 'research'.... The stats of the 'Bird' that my brothers, sister-in-laws, nephews and mum will enjoy later tonight are:    8.03kg net weight at $2.18/kg for the TOTAL price of $17.51

....puts it all into perspective... hope you enjoy your turkey this weekend wherever you find yourself...

Have a HAPPY and SAFE THANKSGIVING!!!

Road Construction...

When I arrived home on Sunday...I looked out my living room window... and saw that the hamlet workers  had been busy working on the road that is being built in front of my house.  In 2 weeks that I had been travelling... there has been lots of progress on the new road that is being built... The workers never seem to stop... they work well into the night..(even in the dark) dumping and bulldozing it flat!.. Every day the road seems to get a bit closer to the bridge.  When the bridge washed out a year ago in June... the current bridge and road were made.  When you drive towards town from this side of the bridge--it's REALLY hard to see other cars/trucks etc coming on the one-way-bridge until you are 'almost' ON the bridge.... the road has an 'unsafe' turn after getting off the bridge... So Pang is getting a new road.... that goes in front of my house... not behind it!  (hmmm confused yet?!)

Here's a photo of the 'new' road.... they are dumping lots of fill to make the road level...and to fill in all the holes in the tundra I guess....

A shot of my house with the 'new' road in forground(that's what all the rubble is!) (i live in the unit on the left side--only have one floor!)

And I know my nephews Samuel and Benjamin LOVE dump trucks so decided to put photos of the 2 that keep on dumpin' just for THEM!! 

This is the view from my house---out towards the Pang Fiord... it's the BIG dump truck!! :)

This also means for the time being I have dust coming from BOTH sides of my house--it's a good thing that I'm not currently keeping my windows open... it's a bit too chilly for that!! :)

Sunsets make the day better!!

Walking home from work today at 5pm...I saw this looking out towards the sound!  I ran inside and got my camera and walked outside in front of my house.  It just confirmed with me what I already know...I live in a gorgeous place!! The sun is also setting every day a bit earlier...the darkness is coming!!

...This is the view in the other direction... another 'panaroma' that i've figured out how to make... click on the photo to see it larger! (they are FUN to make!!)....