I love getting the last word

A few months ago I got an email from Aaron Spitzer who writes for Up Here Magazine. The message asked if I would be willing to do a quick phone interview on the subject of sealift. After a couple emails back and forth we agreed that he'd use a quote from one of my old posts. I was not at all disappointed that I didn't get to do a real interview. As I told him, the quote from the blog is much more eloquent than anything I would have been able to come up with on the fly. I was glad not to have the pressure.

The article was published in the July/August issue of Up Here and although it took a while to get, I finally got to read 'my' article. It's called Summertime! Aaron writes about the things that rock about summer in the the arctic and that of course includes sealift.

I'm so excited to be named and quoted in print. What I was even more surprised and thrilled about was that I got the final word. The section I contributed to was #24, the very last one. While I'm not going post the whole article I thought I'd share my section.

Up Here Magazine Page 39.

If you are interested in reading the piece in it's entirety you can check it out here. I'm sure anyone who has spent a summer up north will relate and get a good chuckle out of it.

Thanks Aaron for including me.

Five Years Ago

I married my best friend.

Thank you for being my partner in life and for supporting me in everything I try. Thank you for always making me laugh. Thank you for being the wonderful father I knew you would be. Thank you for the way you always provide for our family and put us first. You are a good man and I'm proud to call you my husband.

Wuboo.

XOXOXOX

New shoes - Pros and Cons

I bought two pair of shoes lately.

Con: After so long in Nunavut wearing nothing but sneakers, rubber boots and Sorels my feet are wondering what the heck is going on. Stuffed in pointy toes, heels jacked up a few inches... I don't think they like it.

Pro- Duh... Look at them. They're fabulous!

I bought these to go with my brand new pant suit. Suit? Me? I know!! Gotta have something dressy for my job interviews and my Nunavut wardrobe didn't have anything to fit that description. My days as a stay at home mom are coming to an end and I'm in search of gainful employment. I'd like something part-time that pays 150 thousand dollars a year. If you have any connections to make that happen for me let me know!

And then there's these:

Con: I would rather paint, decorate, organise, watch TV and eat than do exercise.

Pro: Since I would rather paint, decorate, organise, watch TV and eat than do exercise, my clothes are steadily getting tighter. I NEED to get back on the wagon. Wait, that one sounds like a con too. Try that again..
Pro: They're pretty and really comfy.

These are part of my latest attempt to get motivated and get moving.I was doing so well before we went on vacation in December and was down 17 pounds. I don't want to talk about where I am now but needless to say the vacation started a downward, or I guess I should say upward slide. Then we moved. And now I've been so busy trying to get the house and lives together that what started as a slide has turned in to, well, an embarrassment. It's time to get back to planning healthy meals and counting points.

Seven years ago when Nick went to Depot I decided that I couldn't let him get all in shape without me. When he left I started running and although I didn't get all that great at it I was running 5 kilometers a few times a week. I can honestly say it's the only exercises I've ever really enjoyed. So, I went to The Running Room yesterday and bought these since I discovered I somehow left my old sneakers in Pang. While I was there I felt motivated to set myself a goal. I'm going to sign up for a 5k event on July 1st.  My dad is going to do it with me so I my pride is on the line if I don't show up or can't finish. I'd better get training.

I'll keep you posted on how both pair of shoes are fairing in their pursuits when there is something it tell.

Bliss is....

I'm sitting in a hotel room at the Moncton Casino and am blissfully Facebooking while lounging on the king sized bed. In a few minutes I'm going to have wine and wear a plush robe before we go in for our couples massage. Tonight, we go to the Keg for dinner and then back to the casino to play blackjack.

Bad Blackberry photos but our room is wonderful

My husband surprised me with this trip as a belated birthday gift. By surprised me I mean that I didn't know where we were going till yesterday morning. I'm usually the planner in our family so to have him plan a whole 2 night getaway is a wonderful treat for me. We're having a great time but I will admit to missing the boys just the teeniest, tiniest bit.

It's been a crazy week since we've been home and I'll blog about all of that sooner or later. For now, I take these 2 kid free days and just enjoy. I think I said it best on my recent status update:

I'm sleeping in the middle of the night... My eye's pop open.
One of the kids is crying.
I listen, listen again, I hear it. It's Isaac.
I throw off my blankets and put my feet on the floor.
Carpet....That doesn't feel right...,,
... OH YEAH! I'M IN A HOTEL AND MY KIDS AREN'T HERE!.
Not sure what I was hearing but I just don't care.
Go back to sleep.
Snore..........

Shedding the negatives...

I've been feeling negative lately about pretty much everything. Just a bit of the blues I'm sure. I thought since it IS thanksgiving maybe thinking about all I am thankful for will pull me out of my mini funk.

I'm thankful for:
My kids- They keep me laughing.
My husband- He's tought me about love, compromise and cooking with taste.
My Mom- She's instilled the value of always having a bit of wimsy in your life.
My Dad- He's taught me to be organized and thorough.
My Grandparents- not many 37 year olds still have 3 out of 4 left. Miss you Grandpa.
My health- I should be thinner and eat better but so far I've been healthy.
My In-Laws- I couldn't have asked for better people to have welcomed me into their family.
My truest friends- No matter how long we're away, we pick up where we left off.
My time in the north- I've learned about a new culture, got to see what many people don't.
My past travels- Horizons are expanded when you see other parts of the world.
My easy going personality- I don't get worked up about the little things cause stress isn't fun.
My perpetual to do list- Our life would be in shambles without it.
My sewing machine-
My computer-
My TV- All things that keep me sane in my spare time. Shallow, but hey, I like things. At least I appreciate them....
Chocolate- Need I say more?

I could go on but wow... I'm already starting to feel better. Think about what you're thankful for and the negatives seem a little less daunting.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Weighing In

When I read the latest post from 'The Help' over at  A Slice Of Deep Fried Awesome the first thing I thought was that I could have written that post. I have been a fat girl for most of my adult life and even though I know I should have made the changes years ago, I think I've always been in denial. I always joke that I have a reverse eating disorder: People with anorexia look in the mirror and see a themselves as fat when they are way too skinny. I look in the mirror and think it's not that bad when clearly, it's bad. It's mostly when I look at pictures of myself that I really understand what I've become. And when I walk up the stairs, when I bend over, when I feel my gut sitting on my legs when I sit down....

The last couple of months before I went on vacation in July I had started going to the gym and spending some quality time with the treadmill. I dutifully brought my gym clothes to New Brunswick saying that I would continue but of course, I didn't. I was very busy and active however so I managed not to gain any weight even though I was eating like I was on vacation. I kept telling myself that when I got back I would finally make a change. I just couldn't be in denial any longer. Luckily, Nick also made the same decision for himself, without my saying anything. I am pleased to announce that we are both on day two of our respective diets. The day two update is: I'm starving. But I'm committed so I'm going to suffer through. Maybe I'll go and eat a big bag of mini carrots to get me through to supper.

The irony of dieting for me is that these healthy changes means plan, plan, plan. All that planning means that I'm constantly thinking about food. How many points are in that? What foods can I eat the most of for the least amount of damage? What am I going to make Nick for dinner? Since he's doing a different plan we are eating completely opposite things. And then what do I feed the kids? Isaac is still eating baby style foods so there is alot of preparation required for him too. There is also the added difficulty of living in the north were fresh meat and veggies are sometimes hard to come by.

All of this are just excuses in the end because if I really want it, I'll make it happen. I have set a not so lofty goal of losing 5% of my total weight to start out but haven't set a time frame for it to happen. Once I get there, I'll work on another 5%. My ultimate goal is somewhere in the ballpark of 70 pounds but that number is just too daunting at the moment. Smaller goals mean more successes (hopefully) and success means staying motivated.

Just like The Help, I'm not going to make the blog a platform for my diet. I am however choosing to make a public announcement about my intentions in the hope that you all might keep me accountable. Even if it's only in head. Weight loss for me is mostly a mental game and I can use all the help I can get.

SJ Ink

When I was little my mom would buy me lick on tattoos because I always said I wanted a real one. I think she knew that I would eventually want to get one and was trying to delay the inevitable. I got my first one at 19 and I knew for sure I was a tattoo person. I have never posted pictures of my tattoos before because I feel they are pretty personal and didn't really want to put them out for criticism. Having said that, I'm feeling pretty stoked about this one so I thought I'd put it out there for the world to see.

If I was on one of those shows on TLC I would be explaining to Kat Von D or to Ami James that this piece is meant to be a tribute to the woman who have made me who I am today. From top to bottom: the daisy is my mom's favorite flower. The carnation is for Grandma (Dad's mom). The tulip is for my sister and the lily for my Oma. The gerbera is for me. It's my favorite flower and that one was done to copy of the flowers I carried at our wedding.

It was a tough sitting and was very painful. My leg is swollen and there are lots of bloody spots that need to heal but hey...It's kind of like childbirth, you really do forget how it actually feels. Otherwise nobody would ever do it twice. It must be true because this one brings my total up to 7. I have one more planned and then I think I'm done. But there is a fever that goes along with getting tattoos so I will never say never. Thank you very much to Mark Jeffry at High Tides Tattoo who designed it from the pictures I have him and did a great job of bringing it to life. It's better than what I had in my head sure. The shop has a great atmosphere too. A great experience over all.

Another use for FB

Four weeks ago a random Facebook status update ended up being an impromptu on-line viewing party at 'Paula's place'. Since then I've looked forward to Monday nights as the one of the best parts of my week. It starts with a FB update invitation and about 100 comments later (150 is our record) we've talked all about how hot JP is, how we hate Ashley and laughed at whatever stupid situation ABC has dreamed up for this season of The Bachelorette. I've been enjoying it so much. It's just like the good old days when I used to spend my Thursday nights at Nicole's watching Survivor, only this time none of us are in the same room. I've missed watching my bad TV with people who can appreciate why I love watching it... which is because it's just so bad. Like a train wreck you know?

I don't get a lot of social contact around here because of being at home with the kids and having a husband that's on call most of the time. The mommy group I attend is on hold for the summer so my new Monday group is a wonderful distraction from my day to day life. I guess it's a like having a little piece of my former, single, non-mom life that a little piece of me will always miss.

Now, I know that maybe if I didn't spend so much time on FB I'd have a more active 'in person' social life. Even so, on Monday's I'd still be feeding my addiction to bad reality TV so it's great not to have to do it alone. Thanks ladies! See you next Monday.

Our wedding

It was a casual affair in my parent's back yard, overlooking the Saint John River. We had a beautiful sunny day and it went off without a hitch. Well, almost. My sister, the maid of honor, forgot Nick's ring in the house and my brother had to run and get it as my Dad waited to give me away. It was just the type of little hiccup I had said earlier in the day that I was hoping would happen. Just a little comic relief. We shared the day with 40 of our closest friends and family and it was the wedding I always dreamed of.

Since Nick had a different vision for his ideal big day, we gave him what he wanted as well. The next night we had a huge party in a big field for everyone we'd ever met and even some we hadn't. We roasted a massive pig on a spit, we danced the night away to cheesy DJ dance music. There was a bonfire, a tent village for over-nighters and lots and lots of beer. Both nights where perfect and I wouldn't change a thing about our wedding weekend.

So Happy 4th Anniversary to my wonderful husband.

Wuboo forever. X0X0X0X0

Finally getting around to it

Quite a while ago Jen posted this meme on her blog and invited others to continue with it. I knew right away I wanted to participate because I kind of like this type of thing but just haven't taken the time so sit down and answer the questions. So, I'm finally getting around to it now. Please feel free to pass it on if you feel so inclined.

Maybe I should… let Nick do more around the house. I say ‘let’ because I think he would do more but I always want to just do it myself so it’s done right. It makes me crazy that he doesn’t do more but I think it’s my own fault. If I let go my need to have it done MY way and delegate him more chores I’m sure I’d be much happier.


I love… The sound of Isaac’s cry. We call it ‘The Lip’ and you can actually hear the sound of the pout loud and clear. It’s extremely cute... not that I want him to cry of course.


People would say that I’m… laid back. They couldn’t be more wrong but I think people would say it. I try and keep my neuroses under wraps and only share it with my closest friends and family. I come by it honestly... have you met my father and grandmother?


I don’t understand… how men don’t seem to grow Daddy Ears when their kids are born like we get Mommy Ears. Nick will sleep through anything and everything but if one of the kids so much as farts in their sleep I’m awake. I’ve learned waiting for him to voluntarily get up through the night isn’t going to happen since I can get up any number of times and he will ask in the morning if I was up at all. I’ve learned to wake him up and I don’t feel guilty about it.... any more.


When I wake up in the morning… I have to lay there a while. Even if I’m very well rested I can’t jump right up to the sound of an alarm and get right into my day. I have to snooze at least once or twice before I can drag myself out of bed. Needless to say, I’m not a morning person.


I lost… respect for much of the world when I saw Jersey Shore for the first time. These are people we want raised to celebrity-dom? Even I, the queen of loving reality horror shows can’t understand why people would spend their time watching that garbage.


Life is… a process of trial and error. Someone can tell you but unless you try it yourself and deal with the consequences, you rarely learn anything.


My past is… cleaner than I would like it to be. I’d like to say I have a few skeletons but sadly that’s not he case. I’ve always had a healthy fear of my parents and/or the authorities so I’ve been pretty well behaved.


I get annoyed when… I buy something down south and don’t find out that it’s broken/wrong/used till I get it back up north and have no way to return it. Twice I’ve bought something and got it back here only to open the ‘sealed’ box and find that it’s been used before. A piss off always and rather gross in the case of the hair clippers I bought a couple weeks ago. I opened them last night to cut Oliver’s hair and who ever had the product before must have put his old clippers in the box and returned them cause the ones in there obviously used and they aren’t even the same brand!!! Grrrrrr!


Parties are… I’m not sure... parties?.... hmmm. I don’t think I understand the question. Parties.... oh yeah! I think I’ve gone to a few of those years ago. In all honesty, I like a dinner party with a few close friends or a small gathering around a camp fire. I’m not cut out for mingling and small talk so I’ve never been a fan of big parties with lots of people. Even among people I know I feel like I’m on the outside looking in. I guess that’s the introvert in me.


I wish… I could find the will power and the desire to get myself in shape. I can come up with a million excuses why I can’t or why it’s too hard at this time in my life but they are just excuses. I just haven’t made the decision to do it and stick to it. Until I do, it won’t happen.


Dogs… I wouldn’t know. Tank isn’t a real dog. He’s more of a headstrong, needy child in a fur coat. However, I think everyone with a family should have a bulldog. I don’t think we could have asked for a better pet for our kids.


Cats… live in my house but I never see them. Izzy and Zazu used to be social, loving animals that would sleep with us every night. Ever since we got Tank they live a sad existence under our bed and rarely come out to play. I miss them and wish they would give up the grudge.


Tomorrow… is my sleep in day. The best day of the week.


I have a low tolerance… for whining. That’s a hard one when you have a two year old but I’m doing my best to teach him that whining gets you no where with me.


If I had a million dollars… I wouldn’t have to eat Kraft dinner. But of course I still would eat Kraft Dinner, I’d just eat more!


I’m totally terrified… of being the mother of THAT KID. I don’t ever want to have the kid that people talk about as the worst or as the one they are so glad their kid isn’t like.

Woes

We've decided this vacation is cursed.

As I've already mentioned, our outgoing travel nightmare started us out on the wrong foot. Since we live in the arctic that's not news. But it's seems it's contageous this time around. My parents were delayed getting here by a full 24 hours. Nick's mom and sister missed their flight, and then had a 3 hour delay on the next one.

When I left last Thursday I came down with a pretty sever sore throat that continued day after day. Today it's been 7 days and the side of my neck is swollen to the size of a baseball. Nick has been running a fever for the last 3 days and has picked up my sore throat. We finally gave in and went to the walk in clinic this morning and we are now both on antibiotics.

My mother ended up with blood poisoning, we think care of one of Isaac's explosive poops. She was holding him when he did it and ended up with it all over her arm. She had a small cut on her hand from something she had done previously and by the next morning had a nice red line running up her arm. Antibiotics to the rescue there too and luckily all is well.

The weather has been pretty crappy since we've been here too. Most days have been rainy and cool although this is the least of my worries. It was -30 in Pang when I checked so no matter what, no complaining about the weather.

Lastly, nobody is sleeping well. Well, Isaac seems to be doing well which is good for me but that's the only thing working in my favor. I hate our pillows, my neck and head are sore, Nick is tossing and turning cause he's not feeling well, Oliver keeps getting up and coming to 'not sleep' in our bed. All around, we're tired.

So that's the run down. On a positive note, Isaac got some medicated cream at the walk in clinic in Ottawa when we went through and is doing so much better. His face is almost cleared up completely. We are enjoying our company and look forward to us all feeling better so we can make the most of the time we have left. Still lots to do and see and I refuse to remain angry about all the negatives.

Here is to the next 16 days. They can only get better!

The best gifts are not bought in stores

Today is my birthday and my boys got me the most fantastic gift! The gift that's perfect for both the giver and the receiver. It's inexpensive. It's always available if they are willing to do it. Everyone wants and needs it. Nobody every dreams of returning it. Ahhh, the gift of sleep!

Oliver slept till 830 today which is a rare event these days. Many days he's woken up by me trying to sneak back to bed after feeding Isaac around 6am. Sometimes we can get him to go back to sleep but more often than not, he's up for the day at that point. The mornings I successfully avoid the squeaks in the floor, he hardly ever sleeps past 730 anymore. And Isaac has slept through the odd night up to now but is usually up like clockwork from 5 to 6am. So for them to both have a really good sleep on the same night is such a treat!

Spoiled!

While this was a super great present the best one I got was that my sister arrived today! She had the typical northern travel experience and had to spend last night in Iqaluit. Of course that was after having flown to Pang only to fly over and go back. It's great having her here and I look forward to spending the next 10 days having those great talks sisters have. The extra pair of hand with the kids will be nice too.


My first attempt at red velvet cake. It turned out pretty good.


Thanks to everyone who has sent wishes my way! Happy Birthday to me!

Purging and Acceptance

Today I cleaned out my closet on a mission to purge clothes. I'll admit to being a bit of a pack rat in that department always hanging on to things that don't fit, that aren't in good shape or that I just haven't worn in forever. I think I still have every sweatshirt that I've owned in the last 15 years regardless of the shape they're in. I'm not kidding when I say I had 17 pairs of comfy/pyjama pants. And don't get me started on the tank tops in every color. And all this is after I supposedly purged the closet last winter before we moved to Pang.

The event that brought this on was an episode of TLC's What Not To Wear. The other day there was this woman on there who was 35 and her entire wardrobe consisted of Tshirts and jeans. As usual Stacey and Clinton ripped her apart talking over and over about how she should be dressing her age. All I could think of is if you add several sweatshirts to her wardrobe that woman is me. I've known for a while that I'm seriously style challenged and not dressing 'age appropriately'. Living up north has done nothing to help it. I live 95% of my days in comfies and dressing up for dinner means putting on my good hoodie and jeans.

My lack of style doesn't bother me at all until we go on vacation down south when I always feel that I have nothing to wear. To fix it, I go shopping and end up with whatever fits at the cheapest price. Being that I'm a bigger girl, and a cheap one at that, I end up with alot of stuff from Old Navy, aka: junk. I wash it the first time, it shrinks, it pulls out of shape and I'm back to square one. And yet, those clothes are still in my closet 5 years later!

So I've decided to finally accept that I'm not going to be THAT size again any time soon. I'm accepting that I need to dress my body for what it is and find a tailor that can custom fit things I find so that they fit me well and look right. I grudgingly accept that I'm going to buy more expensive, quality, classic pieces even if it means getting less. In the long run, it'll be more because they'll last longer than one or two washes. And finally, I accept that I'm a month away from 37 and I should dress like it. I'm expecting a slow turn over as I do still live in the north where comfies rule. But in two years we move back down south and I'll need a decent full time wardrobe. It may take a while but I pledge to get there.

I'm going to make Stacey and Clinton proud. And I'm going to look fierce :)

Photos of this week

This past week has been a busy one with Nick arriving in Saint John on Tuesday afternoon as well as another visitor you may recognise. Jen, Nathan and Ezri are on a east coast road trip to visit some friends and they stayed with us for a few days on their way through. It was great to see them again and the kids had such a good time playing together.


I took advantage of my friend the photographer and asked if she would kindly take some shots of my family while she was here. As always, Jen was happy to do so. Here are just a few of the hilights.

Beautiful Saint John NB

The Ocean

My favorite of the 'Belly' shots

Erik and Oliver

Thanks Jen! It was great to see you guys.

3 years ago....

Today is Nick and my third wedding anniversary. I am a lucky woman to be married to such a funny, patient and loving guy. His always logical brain can drive me crazy but it also keeps me from going off my rocker when my emotional side gets the best of me. He's my perfect match and I look forward to many more years of happiness. Wuboo!

Super Fan

I've been dying for a pair of the Olympic mitts that everyone is sporting in Vancouver but haven't got around to ordering them. Well guess what I got in the mail yesterday?? Thanks Mom!!! Now I can cheer like a pro.

I'm thoroughly enjoying this Olympic experience. I've been watching as much as I can and since I'm home almost all the time, I pretty much see it all. I'm thrilled for the medals we've earned and am just as thrilled with the great performances that have put our athletes in positions like 4th, 5th and 6th. There are several of those rankings and I say 4th (5th or 6th) in the world ain't bad. As I write this tonight we are looking at getting at least one more medal from woman's short track speed skating so by the time you read this our total will be six. And possibly seven since two of the four competitors in the final are from our proud country. GO CANADA GO!!

And my favorite non-Canadian thing from the games so far?... those checkered curling pants. Just for them I cheer Norway on to a silver medal. Second to the Martin rink of course.

Cake swap

I went to bed last night with a belly ache and no wonder when you take a look at this table.

Meaghan suggested we have a cake swap for our next girls night which we ended up having at my place. Everyone brought a sweet of some kind and we pulled number to see who picked first. I got number one so I chose the one I made... the double chocolate cheesecake. The person with number 2 had the choice to take from the table or steal from me and so on. Needless to say I didn't get to keep my cheesecake but I did end up with 'Sex in a Pan' which is mighty yummy. But I'm not stupid... When I made my cake I poured a little of the filling in a muffin tin so I had 2 individual sizes ones just for me. And Nick, but mostly for me.

It was a really good night with games, prizes, gossip, snacks and lots of laughs. It was just what I needed to get me out of my blahs and give me a better outlook on the week ahead. Maybe it's just the sugar rush but I'll take it.

The door to the blues

I've had a serious case of the blah's lately. It seems like every day is the same, and every day is boring. I am grasping at straws for things to blog about which I'm sure you've noticed. My housework, which isn't my best event anyway, is piling up cause I don't have the energy to do much but the minimum necessities.


Adding to the blues is the frustration of having a busy 13 month old. Why, WHY does he insist on opening the door 80 times a day when I clearly tell him no every time. I've done everything I know to get him to stop and all he does is smile at me and do it again. If the door didn't lead to the bathroom where he is obsessed with the toilet I'd let him play with it but playing in the toilet is just not cool. Unfortunately the door we have, and the toilet are not built for the standard baby proofing mechanisms and I haven't been able to come up with any brilliant makeshift ideas. Duct tape doesn't work well on doors. I guess if I was going to be here longer I would put a hook on it. I just thought of that. Note to self: get some for the new house..... Now I'm babbling.

Anyway, I know this is normal for kids this age but wow is it frustrating. I've done a good job of baby proofing the rest of the house and he has the run of it. I just don't understand why he insists on doing the one thing I don't want him to do. Welcome to parenting huh?


I love my son, I love my son, I love my son..... but being a parent is hard sometimes!

12 days till the big O

Get your mind out of the gutter... I mean the Olympics! I'm on the count down along with many others for something I've been looking forward to for so long. I remember the day that they made the big announcement that Vancouver was getting the games. I was living in Edmonton at the time, I lived alone and I sat on my bed bed watching and I cried in happiness.

You may remember the post telling you how I got to see the torch go through my home town in November. That was a dream come true and I thought it was so exciting to be part of the Olympics even in that tiny way. And yup, I cried just a little. Yesterday, they announced that Clara Hughes would carry our flag for the opening ceremonies. I watched the press conference and again, tears.

I don't know what it is. I've always been a big Olympic fan. It's something I've learned from my mom who will also be sitting there for those 2 weeks, watching every moment she can. I think I may have got the tears from her too. I think more so I'm extremely proud and excited that Canada is getting to host such a great event. I can't explain the pride I feel when I see the maple leaf coming out of the tunnel as the Canadians enter the stadium at the opening ceremony. And to think this time our flag will have the honor of entering last. And when I hear the anthem played at a medal ceremony, well, I think you got it by now.

I know not everyone feels the same and probably think I'm crazy. My husband would fall under that category. Then there are the people who are hugely anti-Olympics. I understand much of their protests and feel they may have some good points but I choose to think about the positives that the games bring. Among those positives are my tears.

Girls Nights

It's always surprising when you learn something profound about yourself, especially when it's something that is the polar opposite of what you believed even an hour before. That was how I felt when I found out that I'm an introvert. Really? I've always had lots of friends, I consider myself outgoing... how could this be? I never realised that being an introvert doesn't mean that you're shy, or that you're socially inept. An introvert is someone that is most energized when alone, someone who finds it exhausting to be with other people and needs lots of time to recharge afterwards. This describes me to a T. It takes alot for me to pull myself together for a night out or to get together with people, even when it's with people I really like and enjoy spending time with. And the idea of being social more than once or twice makes me feel like I've got way too much on my plate.

This long soul searching declaration does bring me to a point... One of the activities that I find easiest to gear up for is Girls Night. Everywhere I've lived in my adult life I've been lucky enough to meet a few ladies that I really enjoy spending time with and always have really good laughs. They are people I can be myself with and just shoot the shit. Last night was one of those nights. When we first moved here we had a really good group of girls that I loved to hang out with. Many of those girls have moved on from Cape Dorset over the last year and our group has got smaller and smaller. There is a new crop of ladies (Including Ashley from The Arctic Adventures of an American in Nunavut) who have set up shop here over the last few months and it's seems we're all a pretty good fit. Thanks very much Meaghan for having us over last night and welcome to all you new comers. I had a great time and I'm really looking forward to doing it again soon.