Happy New Year

Happy New Year!

Tom and I would like to wish you all a very

HEALTHY AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

F.Y.I.

Hello again - and Happy Chanukah to those of you who are still celebrating (Oh, how I wish I had an affordable potato or a way to make latkes!!!!)

I was just playing around on the computer and decided to post some information on where we live.

For those of you who would like more information on Inuvik, here are a few more web sites for you to visit:

1. This web site will take you through panoramic pictures (virtual guide books) of areas in and around down, as well as towns north of here (Tuktoyaktuk) and south of here down the Dempster Highway (to McPherson). Use the blue buttons to take you to the previous or next picture for a trip north or south of Inuvik. Please note: these pictures seem to be quite old.

http://virtualguidebooks.com/NWT/LowerMackenzie/Inuvik/DowntownInuvikL.html

2. This is a web site linked to the library that describes the history of Inuvik.

"This presentation is a collection of pictures and information on the Town of Inuvik. From its earliest conception through to its modern day state of existence, the Town of Inuvik has had an interesting and exciting history. Originally conceived as a relocation for Aklavik, the Town of Inuvik soon took on a life of its own and has expanded and grown to become what it is today."

http://www.inuvik.net/icl/InuvikHistory/

3. Highway Information

http://www.hwy.dot.gov.nt.ca/highways/

4. Travel and Tourism site for the Northwest Territories (for when all you chicken #*&%'s get off your butts and come for a visit)

http://www.explorenwt.com/



5. Tom's new place of employment - The Town of Inuvik

http://www.inuvik.ca/townhall/index.html

Christmukah

Last night we had some friends over and I have to guess that I will never win the "Hostess of the Year" Award! I felt a headache coming on around 6:30pm. By the time our guests arrived at 8:00 it turned into a full-fledged headache (First 2 extra strength acetaminophen caplets...) with someone sticking a knife into my right eye...jabbing, jabbing...then came the nausea! Wonderful - a MIGRAINE! I sat quietly for a while, trying to talk to people. Once in a while someone would turn to me with a concerned look on their face and ask if I was alright (I mentioned a slight headache earlier on, but I guess the whiteness of my skin gave me away!) I went outside to get some air (...enter the 3rd and 4th extra strength acetaminophen caplets...). When I came in I sat down for a few minutes. Then I got up (...Tylenol 3 with codeine!) and went to the bedroom.

Tom soon came in to check on me. I apologized profusely but I couldn't get up! Tom was a gracious host...handing out coffee (but mostly beer) to anyone who had an empty hand. Despite his best efforts, it was an early night for the guests at Chateau Charbonneau! Our friends had to go home early to finish their Christmas wrapping.

The good news, I woke up at 11:00pm feeling as though I had slept for 12 hours! No headache, no pain, nothing...so as far as migraines go, it was a 'good one' - just bad timing! However, this also meant I didn't sleep very well last night.

Why am I bored? Well, Tom has had back pain for over 2 weeks now, and I finally convinced him to see a doctor. The doctor gave him pills that knock him out for hours on end...it is 2:45 pm and the man has been sleeping for about 13 hours now. I should check to see if he is alive soon. UPDATE - I checked and it turns out he has been awake but immolibized...oops!

By the way, we haven't received any Christmas/Chanukah presents through the mail yet (although we hear there are quite a few boxes somewhere between Arkansas and here, Ottawa/Arnprior and here, and Thornhill and here...) - so if anyone sent Tom a chiropractor it will be greatly appreciated when he/she arrives!
CRACK!

What else can I say? Well, we were out yesterday and took a few pictures of a great Christmas display outside of a house here in town! It is definitely an appropriate arctic display!

Well, I better go because I have to get ready to head to a pot-luck dinner this evening.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!

On Holidays!

Tom and I have been off work since Friday, December 16th. I have to say, I am enjoying the holidays so far. I have all of my gifts wrapped and under the tree for Tom. Since there are no Chrismukah gifts for me under the tree yet, Tom has been punished! I have sent him for retraining and this picture demonstrates the excellent results that can be achieved at whippedhusbands.com! What a great resource! I will write more soon, but I am in need of a massage and foot rub. Oh, Tom...

December already!

The holiday season is soon approaching. There are 7 more teaching days before the "Christmas" Break. I understand that the Ontario schools go until the 23rd of December - we finish on the 16th. Not to worry teachers, we return to teaching on the 3rd!

The reason we have so few teaching days left is that we have a half day on Wednesday due to afternoon staff/committee meetings and no classes on Thursday and Friday due to rescheduled in-service days (postponed from November). Next week we have regular classes until Friday at noon - when most teachers catch a ride to the airport to travel home for the holidays. Sounds nice, but it is a busy time for us!

My friend and colleague, Carolyn, and her family moved away yesterday. Her husband was transferred to Paulatuk, about 400 kilometers east of Inuvik. We have had a few get-togethers for her and for another friend whose husband has been transferred to Yellowknife (both men are RCMP officers). I looked up the cost of a flight to visit Carolyn - $850 (roundtrip) for the 1 hour flight. There is also a staff luncheon put on by the Social Committee at my school (1 guess who the Chairperson of that committee is!) with a "Secret Santa" Gift Exchange - good thing the Jewish woman has some holiday spirit or none of this would take place! There is also the December school assembly that is put on by the Grade 6 students this month and the "Christmas Concert" on the evening of the 15th. I took on the December Assembly so I could introduce students to the variety of holidays celebrated across the cultures during the month of December.






Tom also has a staff dinner and I was invited to a party at the home of parent of a student in my class. What a busy time of the year!

As for the weather today and status of the sunrise/sunset:

Temperature: -31 degrees
Sunrise: 1:11
Sunset: 2:20 - no, really!

As I am writing this, Tom and I have the TV on. We don't have cable and only get 2 channels: CBC North and APTN (Aboriginal Peoples Television Network). We have been watching the news on CBC and just noticed that County Canada is doing a piece on the "most northerly highway" - the Dempster! This is the highway that ends in Inuvik! What beautiful scenery! I am envious that Tom was able to do the drive and see everything that he saw along the way, including moose, Dahl sheep, caribou, Walmart, ptarmigan, etc... I wish we had a blank tape so we could record this!

Well, I should be off now. Tom and I have some grocery shopping to do (by the way, the milk is still $7.99 for 2L) and I have to do some marking and prepping for this week.