Internet, phone and cable are up and running and so here are a few of the promised photos from yesterday.





If anyone can identify this plant/tree/bush through all the snow please let me know. I am hoping it is a lilac bush...but it is really hard to tell without the leaves/blooms.

Today is Wednesday. The cable/phone/internet guy should arrive tonight. Finally. I know it has only been a couple days...but it has seemed endless. For one who immediately checks email upon arising in the am it has been almost like torture. Well, that might be a slight exaggeration, but I am happy it will be hooked up.

It snowed yesterday. I took pictures. I went for a walk around my new place and scoped things out. Then I went for a drive and really got the big picture. I like it. My nieghbourhood is very quiet. We have a rocking seniors only building across the street. Yep, 10 floors of wild and crazy times. The rest of the neighbourhood is single family dwellings. There are 3 schools within the 6-8 block radius that I walked. A seniors centre, ice rink, community centre, some churches...and of course some shopping. A couple of convenience stores and the mall. Within an easy drive are more grocery stores than my little stomach could ask for...a larger mall, movie stores, gas, and a few liquor stores. Life is good.

I didn't do much unpacking yesterday. The weekend caught up to me and I spent a portion of my day on the couch watching movies. No rush. And besides, what will I do all weekend?

The phone calls were flying like mad on Friday with me and the movers. What about this date/time? What about this instead? What we ended up with was...

Friday I worked 7:30am - 6:00pm
Unloaded truck at new apartment and left for Calgary.
Arrived Calgary at 11:30pm
Got keys from BFA
Saturday 6:30am arose and finished packing
8am, movers arrived
10:30am movers done
12noon I have finished cleaning apartment and hit the road to Edmonton
Stop in Airdrie for pee break and to fill up truck with gas
Stop in Red Deer for food and a stretch
Arrive Edmonton 7:30pm
Make bed on floor
9pm fall asleep
Sunday movers arrive at 12noon
Movers done at 2:30pm
Jennifer starts unpacking...and doesn't stop until she falls into bed Sunday evening.
6am Monday Jennifer realizes she didn't buy groceries on Sunday and will be eating take out for another day.
7:30am arrives at work for start of another week

Yes, the moving is done and now it is just the unpacking to finish up. I got a start on it last night and will finish later in the week. I am going in search of groceries and a video store tonight. And may finish unpacking the kitchen stuff while pretending to cook a yummy meal. Or at least while something is re-heating in the oven...then I'm going to relax.

Get this...I have moved a bit in the past few years...and my record of breakage is minimal. Going to Nunavut I didn't lose anything completely just a couple of broken wheels on a trolley and a bit of chipped glass in one picture..no biggie. I moved stuff out of NU on my own in a truck and via air cargo...no breakage. I move via a moving truck 3 1/2 hours from Cowtown to Edmonchuck and I broke two plates and the leg of my wooden ironing board. Go figure.

Here's the pics of my new apartment. These were taken by the landlord and posted in the ad I saw..so no photo credit to me.

This is the mirror image of my kitchen.


This would be my new bedroom. While I like the idea of wood in the whole house I guess I'm a bit glad that my bedroom is carpeted. In the place in Calgary I had hardwood throught and when I would flop into bed at the end of the night it would roll on the wood and move. So maybe I won't have that issue on the carpet.


Living room complete with patio. Guess I will definitely need to buy a bbq next summer. And a bike to store on the deck as well.


Since my life is a constant flow of change it will surprise no one that the plans I made yesterday afternoon to bring my belongings to Edmonton have changed. I am now off to Calgary Friday after work, meeting the movers on Saturday and back to Edmonton on Sunday. Phew. Then my belongings should arrive on Monday. The phone, internet, cable package will be up and running by Wednesday night. Whoo hoo.

I have a friend who is having a rough time of it lately. I wish I knew what to do for her. I know she knows that I am here for her and would do anything to help her. So I guess all I need to do is wait for her to ask and hope that everything works out.

I got the apartment. Apparently they move faster in Edmonton than Calgary. I will have the keys by Friday evening. I talked to the movers today and had all the arrangments made...but need to change them. The one day I was hoping to have off to be in Calgary I can't have. So I still don't know when I will have my belongings back, but it sounds like I should at have them by the time I get back from Cambridge Bay.

I was casing the joint tonight and arranging the furniture in the rooms. It's very exciting.

Work is interesting. I don't know wether to laugh or cry over this...but the smell thing has risen again. I made tea today. Apparently some folks in the office have sensitive noses and tummies. The smell of my tea put this lady off her lunch and I am not allowed to make it ever again. I just don't get it.

We also met the new President today. He isn't really new to anyone...he was Chair for the past little while...but today was his first visit in his 'official' capacity. During the meeting I could sense some definite hostility directed toward me. It isn't me...it's my position. Apparently one of the staff has been pointing out errors and problems the company has been having in HR for the past few years. She feels her talk has fallen on deaf ears. I have come along to fill that role and they still feel slighted. It was an interesting day.

I have thick skin and didn't take the position stuff personally...but wow. You could cut the tension in the air with a knife for a while.

It is going to be a very challenging position and for the next year there will be lots to do...so I won't be bored!

Now I just need to learn some of the special functions of my camera before I head to Cambridge Bay on Nov 17th! I hope I get a chance to get some great Northern Lights photos.

Viewed an apartment last night...it was gorgeous. I am filling out the papers this am and hope to get it. It is about a 15-20 minute drive to my office...close to grocery, bank, dr, dentist, etc. It is practically a new place. They reno'd in July...new paint, appliances, floors, doors, sinks, tubs, tiles...you name it. The space is nice, the walls are a soft yellow...not WHITE. It even has a small balcony....that overlooks an alley. Maybe not a great view...but that's ok.

The election in the other South is done. Yeah. I'm very happy for the US.

And...I had a brief moment of day dreaming yesterday...thinking about another Habitat trip...maybe...Bangladesh. Maybe.

Have a great day!

It is day two of the job and things are going well. I almost finished all my packing last week. Ok, I could have…but you know, I wanted to relax and be completely unwound before this past Monday. There are three or less boxes to pack. And I will be there when the movers are so I can finish it then…no date for that yet.

Sunday afternoon I headed out for Edmonton and arrived relatively unscathed. I had a close call on the highway. I had slowed down to let a couple of cars merge and well let me just say a) people don’t know how to merge, b) if someone gives you space to merge…just do it and c) I will never go out of my way to let someone merge ever again.

I was more than a bit nervous about my motel. I didn’t make the reservation, one of the girls in the new office did and she said it was the best she could do. There is a big rodeo event on this week and most places are booked. So I was set to check into the Royal Western Motel. The internet search I did ahead of time turned up only bad reviews and it certainly lived up to them.

Don’t get me started on how confused the check in lady was…but once I finally had a key I was definitely under whelmed. The carpet had so many stains on it I wasn’t sure of the original colour. The fan in the kitchenette unit I had was covered in that greasy, grey fuzzy dirt that fans tend to build up after years of use and no cleaning. The sheets had cigarette burns in them and the bathroom floor was…ick. The people in the room next door were fighting, security stopped by and kicked out about 4 or 5 people but left the woman who had rented the room….at least until the next am when she got kicked out. There were fights at least every hour during the night and lets just say I didn’t feel safe.

I stayed the one night and checked out Monday am. I went into work and my first order of business was to tell them they needed to find me a new place to stay. Luckily they did and boy what an improvement. It is a luxury executive apartment/hotel. I have a two bedroom unit and frankly it is bigger than I expect my apartment will be. The fish seem to appreciate the room and chicken is enjoying the tv in both living and bedroom areas.

Day two on the job and things are going well. I am starting on a hiring policy….if anyone has one to share…please do. I’d rather edit and add then start this thing from scratch! I have begun emailing ads on apartments and am waiting on responses to view some. Hope to find something fairly nice and at a decent price.

Nov. 17 I will be headed North to Cambridge Bay and can’t wait. I don’t know anyone there anymore, but it should still be rather nice to just be North again. I hope to pick up some musk ox jerky while I’m there. Also on my shopping list is a nice black pelt. I want to replace the fur on my winter coat and add a fur to a new coat that I bought. A whole black fox pelt will run around $300ish, but it will easily give me two hoods and two cuffs. I think the white pea coat I bought would look amazing with the black fur trim. And I’m hoping to get weathered out/in in Yellowknife at some point so I can visit my friend Nancy!

That’s all for now. I haven’t taken any photos, but I will. The sunrise out my hotel window this am was pretty nice.