Finally a few pics...

Bonshaw

The girls hanging on the couch.

Hudson

And a big ol' tree in Bonshaw.

This isn't something I have done before...but I thought I would try it for this trip. I'm going to try and do some fund-raising. As my readers know I am working two jobs, putting together my team and generally trying to enjoy life. If you are comfortable making a donation--please do.

All funds are collected through a reputable website that hosts people like myself and the money goes directly to the charity I have chosen to support--Habitat for Humanity and the trip to India specifically. Check out the website, pass it along....or not. I would never make a great fund-raiser on a professional level.



http://www.canadahelps.org/GivingPages/GivingPage.aspx?gpID=10698

Thanks.

I keep thinking about posting and then I realize I'm out of time and need to go to work. Then I come home hours later and collapse on the couch and finally crawl into bed. I'm tired. I think it is the January blahs. I am appreciative of the longer days and the slightly increased amount of sunshine that appears in the sky...but it is still January. Surprisingly to some I was enjoying today--a lot. The weather was FANTASTIC. I know, I know most of you were grumbling and complaining about the cold, the amount of oil you were burning through today, etc...but for me...it was heaven. I love the cold like today. I actually didn't even wear a 'winter' jacket. I wore a fall/winter jacket that I bought on Sunday. :) It kept me nice and toasty in the truck (and I had a back up jacket incase of breakdown) and on the walk from truck to building and back again. Many of my co-workers were grumbling and walking around complaining of the cold. I laughed. The only cold I found/felt today was inside. The heating system at work is set to bring in a small amount of outside air--good for circulation, but when the weather is below -15 and it is still bringing in cold air--it tends to get cold. I had planned ahead though and wore a nice warm sweater and drank lots of tea.

Ah, Northern weather.

The trip is coming along nicely. I seem to be stuck at the 10-11 people mark for the trip. I have some great volunteers and some repeat GV folks so I am VERY pleased with the mix of team members at the moment. I am struggling over the booking of my plane ticket--I spoke to one travel agent today and she said this is the busiest time of year for them--which doesn't entirely explain the curstomer service I am getting but oh well. If the lady I talked to today doesn't come up with something I guess I will end up booking myself. I wanted a travel agent to 'have my back' incase of travel issues while enroute or before my return to Canada.

Just talked to #11 on the team. He built with me in Iqaluit in 2009 and while we were there hit the 100 house mark for volunteer builds. Isn't that amazing! I am glad to have him on my team and look forward to working with him again.

The cats are still a source of amusement and aggrevation. I love them to pieces...but the toilet paper habit is hard to take. They managed to unroll yet another roll on me. After learning not to hang it I had been setting it beside the sink but now apparently that is not safe either and I may need to keep it in a drawer. My guests will find that amusing no doubt.

The theatre is still agreeing with me. It is a nice change and as much as I grumble before I head off to a shift I enjoy it once I am there...kinda like going to the gym. 

And that makes bed time....

20/20 That's what the man said.

A couple of years ago I got glasses--I kicked and squaked the whole time. I didn't want them. I had perfect vision why would I need glasses--but it wasn't perfect--or was it? I didn't need the glasses but what has happened is that I went from 15/20 to 20/20. Most people strive for 20/20 so it was/is still very good. Excellent. I don't need glasses to drive, to get up in the morning to read or do anything--but I do find I am depending on them more and more. My eyes get tired. This is the side effects of the astigmatism I have--in both eyes.

"Astigmatism is an optical defect in which vision is blurred due to the inability of the optics of the eye to focus a point object into a sharp focused image on the retina." Wikipedia

Some of the symptoms of an astigmatism is slightly blurred vision, inability to see fine details, headaches, closing eyes a lot, rubbing eyes...yep...that sounds like what I had before I got glasses. I still don't wear them all the time but I find I want them on more and more. Oh and the good news is that my eyes will be starting to change a lot in the next 5-7 years...the dreaded short arm menu issue--you know what I'm talking about. People holding the menu out farther and farther away from themselves so they can read it--this will soon be me.

Oh well...good to know they haven't changed since I got them a couple years ago...I don't need a new pair or a new prescription.
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Went to the Travel Clinic yesterday and have been immunized and vaccinated once again for my trip to India. Not as many shots this time--mostly boosters to previous vaccinations. Here's a question for you to think about---when was the last time you had a tetanus shot? Did you know you should have one every ten years?

My arm is sore today. Two injections into the upper right arm and I'm finding it stiff and a bit sore today.
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Busy trying to finish up all the details for the upcoming trip. I have two spots left--if you know anyone who might be interested in heading to India let me know. I would really like to fill the spots before the end of January...yikes.

Have a great weekend.

Where does the time go? I can't believe we are just over half way through January...wasn't it just December last week? There are 3 months between now and the start of the build in India--even less days until I actually depart this great country.

I started my packing list on the weekend. I always try and pack light and I always seem to end up with something that doesn't get used. I have three lists on the go: a) packing list which then breaks down to clothing, toiletries and other, b) things to buy for India, c) things to do before India which then breaks down with personal things and things for the team. Loving it!

One of the team members mentioned that she had built before and wore scrubs for it...what a great idea. I am now on the hunt for scrub pants at VV. I would prefer to not pay full price for something that I am going to either leave behind or destroy along the way.

I really should get off the couch and go finish getting ready for work...yeah....

Isn't it great how much earlier the sun is starting to appear in the sky--less than a month and I can certainly see the difference. Now the sun is creeping up over the edge of blackness before I leave the house and not once I am on the road and heading towards the office. It really is an amazing thing isn't it. Thank goodness we have people to explain these things to us. I can only imagine what it was like before we had scientific explanations. No wonder the aboriginal populations had special ceremonies to bring back the sun...I would too if I thought it might help bring it back faster.

Today according to the news is Blue Monday...the day in January when people are most depressed. The bills are rolling in from Christmas, the short days, cold weather and dismal fiscal situation--apparently more people are broke in January then any other month all make for a wave of depression. What are you doing to battle the blues this month?

It's day 4 of no cable. I'm doing fine.

I decided over the holidays to nix the cable. I experimented with Net Flix in December and decided that yes, I could go with it and it alone. Net Flix is $7.99/month vs $50+ for cable. I can watch hours of tv and movies without commercial. It doesn't have all the latest shows on it but it does have a lot of seasons worth of shows that I haven't seen and movies galore.

The news was my biggest area of concern. When I get up in the morning I like to listen to the news. I now just listen on line to the local radio station, which is actually a better plan as I don't listen to the radio in the truck so at least I am keeping up with my local news this way. In the truck I am doing books on cd.

Another food experiment tonight. Walnut Blond Brownies with Maple Butter Sauce. The brownies look good--just waiting to nibble on one and I will make the sauce in the morning before work.

The trip is filling up nicely and I am close to having a full team. Exciting!! In fact I may have my 12 now...we will see very soon.

Hopefully pictures and updates on the weekend.

I posted on my facebook page yesterday that there is 101 days to India--which means today there are 100. Yeah! It is all starting to quickly become real. I am in the midst of research with travel agents in order to book my ticket and have started to mentally draw up a list of everything else I need to buy for my trip.

At the top of that list is a new camera. Wait a minute you are saying, didn't you buy a new camera in 2008 when you left Nunavut? Isn't it an amazing camera that can do everything but the dishes. Yes and Yes....it also refuses to do laundry. I love my camera BUT I do not want to take it to India with me. If this was strickly a sight seeing trip I would no doubt bring it along, but it isn't. I will be working most of the days I am travelling and it is hot and dusty--very dusty. I hope to pick up a cheap but good small camera to take with me. I want something that will fit in my pocket and not stand out in a crowd. The less attention I draw to myself the better when it comes to money.

I realized this morning that it really is more important that I get my plane ticket than my camera...so I will hold off on this purchase until Marchish. I don't know what I am looking for yet but I do know that I want two batteries for it (rechargable) and a LOT of memory. I will be purchasing multiple memory cards so I do not feel the need to conserve my need to click. The research has started but I may try to find a camera that takes the same kind of memory card as my old camera--it already have some memory cards I could re-use. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

Sigh. Off to work.

It's 2011. Yep, 2011. Twenty Eleven. Two Thousand and Eleven. MMXI

It's all the same to me.

I worked NYE and NYE day and I gotta say--couldn't see or feel the difference. Which I guess is why I don't get the big NYE parties and events where people make all kinds of promises and commitments to themselves. Why that day? Because it is the start of a new year? Sure, it's a new year on the calendar but that's it. It really isn't much different than flipping the calendar from February to March. If you want to quit something or start doing something don't wait for the new year--just do it. When the thought crosses your mind put the plan in action and just do it. Don't wait for Monday or the start of the next month or next year, just do it when you first think about.

And that is all I am going to say about that.
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Working on a sewing project. I am attempting to turn a kimono given to me a few years back into a blazer. It is going pretty well so far--which impresses me and makes me wonder what I am doing wrong. Crafts and sewing are not my thing. I like the thought of doing them but the actual execution is generally wanting. I took a picture of the kimono after I had made the first couple of cuts and when I finish the project (this coming weekend-she says optimistically) I will take a photo of the finished product and post them.

I have a few other projects in mind for the next couple of months but I won't put them in writing as I am not guaranteed they will get done. started.

Winter finally arrived on PEI a few days after Christmas. The snow looks great but the weather is so mild I just don't feel like it is winter. It seems wrong. Wrong. WRONG. I have a number of great winter coats, hats, mitts, scarves going to waste in the closet. Sigh.

The kittens and I took a two hour nap on the couch together this afternoon. It was glorious. I forced myself to get up and get going again knowing I wouldn't sleep later tonight but they do not seem to have that worry and are napping again a mere two hours after we woke up from the last nap. I guess they are not worried because they don't need to get up and go to work tomorrow.

The trip to India finally seems as though it is just around the corner and my excitment level is building along with my list of things to do. Travel clinic, clothes shopping, suitcase purchasing, visa required, book plane ticket, etc, etc.

I have this week off from the theatre. Not sure why. Likely they are not very busy the first week of back to school and everyone is starting to feel the post holiday financial crunch. I hope to take advantage of having a few free evenings and either head to a movie or two myself or work on my craft projects. Likely I will work again on the weekend so I will take advantage of the down time while I can. No, I don't want to give up the job yet. I'm enjoying it but the thought does cross my thoughts now and then.