Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Yup, brrrrrr. I am in the Yukon for Christmas with my daughter. It was 11C when I left Victoria. It was -37C when I got here on Friday. Brrrrr. I refused to buy another winter coat, having one in storage on the other side of the country, and not needing one in Victoria. So I borrowed one, but it's a little snug so I have taken to wearing several layers instead. For just going from car to building it isn't too bad, but I would not want to be walking far with my layers of clothes. I remember this kind of cold, of course, having done 3 years in the territories and 5 in Labrador where the weather is even worse. The house my daughter is living in has heat included, but does not provide the renters with access to the thermostat. So when it gets colder, you can't crank the heat. It isn't freezing in here, but definitely chilly. I have 4 layers on at the moment...they have a fireplace but have been having difficulty getting any firewood delivered, as everyone is backed up on orders or out of wood altogether and not delivering until February. We've been burning pallets and buying firelogs at the store/gas station.


I am really enjoying spending time with my daughter. She is working today and tomorrow, but is then off until I go back. We want to go sledding in the Carcross Desert at some point when the temps go up to something a little more reasonable, like -20C or so. It is supposed to get up to -17C on Christmas Day - I can do that.


I had a potluck with some old friends on my birthday, just one friend with her kids came, but that was okay. It was great to catch up with her and she was taking off for Costa Rica the following day. The others I still have time to see. I'm going out for lunch with a couple of them today, along with my daughter. I drove my daughter to work in the cold dark morning so I could have the car.


The roads are completely covered in ice and snow, and won't see daylight until spring. They rarely plow and folks just keep driving over the new snow. They don't get much all at once, and rarely with any wind, so it is straight down packed snow. When they do plow, they scrape close to bottom, but just on some streets, so the rest you have a huge drop to the road, sometimes 6 -10 inches. The same from some driveways. I think the city is in cahoots with the truck and jeep sales to sell more 4-wheel drive vehicles, but that is just my conspiracy theory. My other theory is that they don't give a shit, and don't care if you do, and will tell you to go back to where you came from if you do. It was the same mess in Yellowknife. Someone I met who worked in that dept tried to convince me it just wasn't in the budget for snow clearing. Um, you  have winter 9 months of the year, and it isn't in the budget? What is? hedge trimming in the 6 weeks a year that something grows? Stupid answer.

Let's just say I am looking forward to returning to Vancouver Island to warm up again next week. I have to start packing right away to move into a cabin in the woods for a few months. I don't own much, so it shouldn't take too long. I am truly looking forward to the cabin in the woods, by a lake. It's in Sooke, which is a pretty area for sure. There is a natural hot spring nearby that feeds a 2-person hot tub out on the deck. I just turn on the taps to fill it and drain it when I'm done. I can't wait to soak in that under the stars at night. There is also a wood stove, something else I'm looking forward to. There are tons of windows in this place, unlike my current dungeon. It has been interesting figuring out what is important in a rental and what isn't, and how it differs between people, in different locations, and the place I am in life. I hated that I had no privacy at my current apartment, mostly because of the nosy Brit who gossiped, complained and smoked endlessly while she paced the parking lot, on the phone or talking to anyone who passed by. I also hated that I got almost no sunlight and needed lights on all day just to get around. The new place is flooded with light, and has an awesome view of the lake. Spring will be on its way before I know it, and flowers begin to bloom in February and March in southern Vancouver Island.


I have decided to hunker down in the cabin for 4 months while I hopefully await visa paperwork to go through on a job I am interviewing for next month. I have passed all of the rounds of questions and interview screening so far, and will do a full interview with the employer the third week of January, after which they will either offer me a job or thank me for my time. I'm hoping for the offer, of course.  There is a lengthy visa application to go through, so they guesstimated it might take 2-4 months.


For now, I am bundled up to enjoy winter in the Yukon. It could be a whole other ball game this time next  year.

Roger Waters: The Wall Live

As always, remember to click on the photos for a larger size to see more detail. Thanks!

Epic. Loved it. Sang my heart out. Spent the first half in my seat with my 8 friends scattered throughout the Wall-crazy crowd, talking to another guy who lost his 6 friends in the crowd. After intermission, two of my friends found their seats next to me, and we roared through the rest of the show. The getting home part is where things went a little crazy. We found ourselves separated but had planned for that or so I thought. There were 9 of us, two cars, two hotel rooms, 4 beds. We gathered at my place on Thursday to have a pre-trip meeting as it was a larger group and we had some border newbies we needed to tune up for the crossing. Apparently some were not listening and others did not share the information with those who did not attend. I even had a power point presentation on my big tv...it was fun and we all enjoyed it, had some laughs. In any event, we agreed we would each get a hotel card so if we were separated, we could just show a cabbie our card and ask to be brought back there.




Well, some folks lost their card. and we separated into several small groups. I was with 4 after the show, but lost two on the way from the dome to the shuttle pick-up spot. So then I was with two, one of whom was pretty out of it, and we waited for about 20 minutes, no word on the shuttle, no cabs, and the roads were parking lots with traffic clogging them. So I suggested we hit the road and try to walk to somewhere traffic was flowing and empty cabs might be as all of the ones near us were full, and we were on a sidewalk with hundreds of other people looking for a cab. My amigas did not agree in the pissing rain, so I headed out and walked about 3 kms in the pissing rain and finally got a cab. I went in the totally opposite direction, and didn't even THINK about looking at my blackberry maps...got on a street with no exits until about 2kms down, and that was only through a pedway that was about 200 steps above the road...pant, pant, pant. I met some folks along the way - some Californians waiting for a ride from the Glass Museum, which I passed, wishing it was open! I finally climbed up the pedway and got a cab about 5 minutes later on a busy street. It was not easy. I had seen about 5 pass me down on the lower Dock road, but no one would stop. They all had their lights on, and no one inside. Jerks. I called a few cab companies, no one had a cab free and the wait was 2 hours...WTF? So that's why I kept on walking. Flagging one down was probably going to be the only way to get one.




I was drenched, and arrived back at the hotel wondering where everyone else and found 5 of them in one of the hotel rooms. 4 had gotten home after waiting an hour for the rest of the crew (dumb idea) in the pissing rain, when our friend M. finally flagged down an empty school bus and paid the driver to take them home...as 30 other people crowded onto the bus behind them. The bus was apparently some kind of shuttle, but couldn't get to any pick-up points in the traffic. So picked them all up and off they went. The 5th one that was home waited for an hour for a cab too, and finally got a ride with someone else who she was chatting up after the show. They got home about 10 minutes before I did. About 5 minutes later two more showed, up, having gotten in with a shady crowd for a ride and having to ask them to let them out again, then finally hailed a cab home. The final gal made it home when one of the security guards at the Dome saw her quite out of it and packed her off in a cab for the hotel, paying the fare. How we managed to all get home within just a few minutes of each other is beyond me! We were just happy everyone made it home safe and sound, albeit SOAKING WET.




After some hotel room partying, gambling in the casino downstairs, we eventually all turned in, 5 and 6 am for some. We hit the road just before 10am, without the second car who wasn't ready when we were, stopping at Burger King along the highway for hangover grease, and made it to the Port Angeles ferry right on time. The other car just made it by about 10 minutes, having taken the highway the wrong way, headed through Seattle and then crossed on the small ferry west to the highway that took us to Port Angeles. Smooth ferry crossing, everyone was tired, but wired, and shopping in the duty free liquor and cigarettes. A 40oz gin for $9.99, and a carton of cigs for $15...criminal what we pay in Canada.




And then we landed in Victoria and got flagged at the border for a code 7 again - DRUGS! Which we didn't have any of as that was well covered in the pre-trip meeting, and included in the power point. I refuse to take anyone across the border who tries to take weed or other drugs with them. I can't have a criminal record to do my job, and they all know this. So we were pretty relaxed about it as none of us had anything on us, knowing the risk. Maggie the search dog had a sniff through my van, but came up empty for anything currently there. She did however, smell an older smell of herbs from days gone by....the border guard was really nice, and gave the gals a break on the duty free liquor they brought as we hadn't been across for 48 hours, which is required to bring it back duty free. He packed up Maggie the dog and we were on our way. Tired, wired, but intoxicated with such inspiration from the fabulous show we all experienced together. Thank you Roger Waters, for bringing us The Wall. I had an amazing time.

a surprise

A good friend of mine for many years sent me this today in the mail. Thanks D! I love it!

Road Trip On The Horizon

The gang is about to hit the road again on Saturday - this time bound for Tacoma, Washington. We leave on the morning ferry to Port Angeles and then drive straight to Tacoma. The show is Roger Waters: The Wall Live. There are 8 of us confirmed to go and one ticket left. It's going to be an amazing show, as someone from Pink Floyd certainly knows how to do. More when we get back.

Beacon Hill Birds

After feeling a little shack-whacky, staying in because of the rainy days, I decided to don me rubber boots and get out there. I drove to the park (it's a bit far) and parked Karma, and no sooner had I parked than two peacocks came running over. I had just enough time to snap some close ups. They kind of followed me about in the park, so I had ample opportunity to take some good photos. I also came across some hybrid ducks. Notice the golden brown duck compared to the usual brown of the female black duck. There is also a male duck with a thick white neck band, more of a patch of pure white. I also saw another male duck with a spotted patch on his chest.

It was a bit misty rainy out there, but it felt great to be outside. Victoria has so many gorgeous parks and ocean front, I love it. I took the last shot on Dallas Road, with the mountains in Washington looming across the strait.

Santa Claus Parade

the Town Criers

not often you see a clown with a walker...

from the clown academy

the Lady of the Lake, and her first and second princesses

This is an organization that is part of the Mason's, for young women

well that was a first for me - playing the electric guitar in a marching band.

I went to the local Santa Claus Parade last night, here in Victoria. It was at night, so my first nighttime parade. All the floats were lit right up, and I have to say, there were several really nice floats, and they looked so pretty in the dark with their vibrant colors. I went with my friend A. and her husband and their wee one, 2 years old. It was his first parade and his father enjoyed watching his son's reaction to the parade just as much or more than the parade. Wee one would call out to the floats/trucks "see you tomorrow truck!" and "Happy Christmas!" So cute! The weather was perfect, no rain, no wind, and just crisp enough to feel like its the right time of year for a Santa Claus Parade. The streets were packed with excited folks. The papers estimated that last year they had between 50,000 to 60,000 come for the parade. This year, they estimated that about 65-70,000 people came out last night. We were standing opposite to where the television crew was set up, so I think we probably showed up in a lot of their footage as the filmed the parade as it passed by. I took a ton of photos, but am just posting a few here. My Canon rebel takes great night photos.

T'was a lovely fine parade. Then my friend A. and I went out for a girls night a the house of another friend's. Five women, several bottles of wine (and my beers), a bowl of jello and a birthday cake later. Today I'm feeling the jello...

Karma Doesn't Like Snow

And neither do I. I chose to spend fall and winter in Victoria because of the mild winter and lack of snow. So far it has snowed for the past 4 days. I am less than impressed. We don't have a lot of accumulation, but the sight of it makes me want to puke. I am so OVER Canadian winters. Winter in general. I hate it. I have a friend who loves winter and loves snow and works in the north so she can have it 9 months of the year. That is not me. Not even close. I hate looking at it. I hate driving in it. I hate shoveling it. I hate walking in it. I hate hearing about it. And this week I had to drive Karma in it, which I had hoped not to do. I had a couple of medical appointments that were too far to walk to, and I was less than enthused about trying to figure out public transit in time to get there. So Karma and I were off and about the city. It isn't my driving that worries me. I can handle the snow. I've grown up around snow, and driven in the absolute worst of it. It is the people around me who do not seem to know how to drive in snow, along with those who forgot how to drive in it from last year. They make fine spinnakers...hurtling themselves all over the road. THAT'S what scares me most - some stupid idiot driver stomping on the gas in front of me and sending themselves into a wild spin that then hits me.


I find it hilarious to see people so bundled up. Yes, there is snow on the ground, but it is 1C. It isn't -55C. There is no need for a down jacket, fur-trimmed hood pulled up over your head and drawn tight, and snow pants. There is only about 2 inches of snow, max, and most of that is melting. I refuse to buy another winter coat, or winter boots. I packed mine away in a locker on the other side of the country, and had planned on being in Mexico this winter, but instead found myself here. I wouldn't wear what is in the locker here anyhow, as it is meant for my northern travel to the REAL cold parts of the country. I can't imagine wearing my down jacket in this climate - I barely wore it in the northern one. But then I run hot too, which everyone who has shared air with me knows. Apparently I am just like my paternal grandmother...a compliment for sure, but I could do without the internal furnace.


So I am hoping the weather improves this week and I can get out walking again. It's been pretty slippery because in climates where they don't typically get snow, people seem confused about what to do with it...PLOW THE ROAD. SHOVEL THE SIDEWALKS. USE SAND because SALT IS TOO SLIMY AND SLIPPERY. It's that simple, but yet it seems to elude this city. They have taken the Vancouver stance - it's gonna rain soon, so why bother.


Is it time to leave for Australia yet? Dammit I hope I get that job...

New Blog for a New Adventure

Okay, so I have decided to create another blog, for a different adventure. I'll be writing about the process of applying for work in the Northern Territory of Australia and then will post from Australia should I be successful in being offered a job. I'll still write on this one about my Sunrise hippy tour, and the travel into California and Mexico in February and March, however, once I head to Australia in April, I will be wrapping up this blog and moving onto the next adventure! You can find the new blog HERE and it's called Australia: Tales from a Canadian Nomad. If you lose the link, just go back to any blog I've had, and through my profile you can find the link again, just click on my photo to the left.

What's this? Australia? G'day Mates! And other stereotypes...

As most of you know, I'm not currently working in a paid position, but was planning to return to work in the spring after getting some writing completed. I had been thinking of working abroad in the UK for many years, as they have been recruiting for years, a shortage of social workers. I signed up for one website's emails to keep me posted on things for when I might be in a position to work abroad. Last week I updated my resume and registered with a few sites through this website. One of them called me today to offer me an interview for positions in Australia. They are hiring over 130 social workers with new budget funds and the push is on to fill them. The agency will help me work on all of my paperwork to work abroad and pay all of the fees for the work visa and any other permits. They will also pay my flight to and from, and to ship up to 15 boxes of personal effects. The wage is as high as I made in Yellowknife, if not more. There is an annuation of 9%, 6 weeks paid holidays, plus national holidays. The terms sound reasonable. What I have to find out is if I can work in the environment - both social and physical. 


I don't particularly like the heat, humid heat being the worst. However, I have learned how to live with it when I have to. The apartments I checked out all had air conditioning, which would definitely help, and is necessary in the heat of the summer (our winter). I checked a few websites for weather information and the temperatures are not as scary as some might lead you to believe. Their record high is around 45C, and the average is in the 30's and that's mostly in the summer (our winter), while in the winter, it is more like 10-20C. Today it's 22C. The coast is very humid, but the inland is of course, rather dry, and there have been droughts. The community we talked most about today is Alice Springs, which seems to have reasonable weather, and a dry climate. Phew.


Rental housing prices are high, much like in the north, but with a high paycheck, no car payment and nearly no student loans, I can make it work easily. Many folks share accommodation, something I am not opposed to. They offer 3 months free accommodation while you search for your own place, so that's cool. They also offer a rental car for a month so you can check out the area.


There is quite a process involved in working abroad, paperwork that takes a few months to process, gather, etc. They are calling me again on Monday to go over what we discussed and see if I have any questions. I have to work on my CV, something I haven't done before, but will be a great opportunity to do my first one. They will also help me with that, and showcase my skills in the best way. I think I'm going to go through the process anyway, and in the meantime do as much research as I can about the job, area, and how it all works before signing on anyone's dotted line. At least they offer you the job quickly if they are interested, often at the interview, or the following day. That will be a relief and then I can make plans accordingly. I won't have much to ship...

My 15 Minutes of...

the three ring circus that awaited me at home. I spent 3 nights in Vancouver with my sister and brother-in-law, and just got back near lunchtime. Lots of traffic on both sides, but nothing unexpected, just loud as we all roared into Victoria as a pod of ferry passengers, often surrounded by trucks on all sides. I almost felt like I was on the 401 again...egads. So I was glad when I finally hit Fernwood and my little dead-end street...ahhh, home, peace, quiet and my own bed! I pulled into the parking lot, and loaded up the first load to carrying into my first floor apartment. And then I heard a text message come in. I don't get many but my sister and daughter both text me, and my sister was driving on terrible roads today so I knew it was probably her, but I had my arms full and couldn't answer it in my purse at the time. I figured I'd grab it once I took the first load in. 


I should have  known...I think she heard me drive up, so pulled a Mabel - she timed her exit from her apartment for when I arrived at mine so as to entice a chat. Mabel hung out the same dishcloth 20 times a day as you were coming up the road so she could have a quick chat with you as you walked up the road, talking all the way. Mabel was completely harmless, and a dear kind soul, where as this one next door to me seems to have an evil gossipy spirit; one I am trying to tune out and off. Is it the end of January yet? So anyway, that was the first hit. I was ushered over close by to hear the latest gossip. Something about this one made reports to the office about that one, and she said this, and her cat that, and blah blah blah more stuff I honestly tried not to listen to as my head was spinning from all the roar of the traffic and I just wanted to put my damn armload down and get into my house where Stormy was clawing up the door for me to come in already. 


I finally begged off and threw my stuff in, then went back out to grab the mail down past her apt. She was up smoking, and I got hauled in again...RUN! Then another text message came in. I still couldn't answer it. I was loaded up with the second lot from the van, trying to get the feck inside before I cornered again. I managed to get in with the last of it, Stormy wrapped around my legs, tripping me at each and every opportunity, the stench of an unchanged litterbox permeating my tiny apartment. I saw my voicemail was blinking and wasn't expecting any calls so thought best to check it right away. After wrestling with a hateful automated system, two telemarketing messages, and one from my doctor, I was just returning the doctor's call, and set the next appointment, when another text message chirped in. Okay, three of them, it might be serious. I should check it. Then the phone rang before I could. Stormy is still wrapping himself around me and meowing his usual complaints. The stench of cat litter is nearly ready to put me out, as I had all the windows closed while I was away (ground floor apt). It was another telemarketer. Choice words....click. I finally got to check my text messages, three from my sister and one from a friend I didn't hear come in. There was rotten weather but they were fine. Okay. Good. Then the phone rang, student loan people asking dumb questions. Piss off. 


So I thought I would check the mail, and found only one piece I had to do anything with and a lot of junk. I called to confirm an appointment and I'll be damned if the texts didn't continue. All I wanted to do was scoop the damn poop and open the windows and pick up the cat before I punted him out of the way. Breathe in, breathe out. Okay...the craziness finally settled. This all happened within about 15 minutes. I hadn't even taken my shoes or sweater off at this point. 


I managed to get something made for lunch and just finished that when the phone rang again. This time a recruitment agency wanting to interview me for positions in Australia. We were on the phone for well over an hour I reckon. That is a whole other story...

Mount Douglas Park

Had enough of the weather induced couch coma so decided to check out Mount Douglas Park. It was just spitting rain, so decided to risk it. I'm not made of sugar after all, no matter what you may think, heh heh. I parked and checked out the view from the dryness of Karma, then opted to hike to the summit. It isn't far, but it is nearly straight up and a bit of a workout for an asthmatic with a chest cold, but I did it, one step at a time. I always keep a puffer in my camera bag anyhow, given I like to photograph on my hikes. By the time I got to the top, it was no longer spitting, it was raining. Good thing my trusty camera bag came with a rain shield, which I had put on before I left the van. The view was quite good, however a lot of fog and mist clouded the mountain views in the distance. I shall have to return on a blue sky day to check out the panoramic view from the top. The park was quite busy too, with all of the parking lots near full. Karma stood out so I took her photo. She looks great in the mountain settings.