I view a number of websites on a regular basis...which is to say I am addicted to the internet. I can surf aimlessly for hours. As each new thought pops into my head I am off to google.ca I love it. One one of the sites I visit on a regular basis was the following link:

LINK

The website I found the link on is for lost cameras and re-uniting them with their owners. The story above may not seem overly but I like how at the end of the comments section there guy writes in and I like the story.

North and South collide.

Ok, that is a huge exaggeration. But I am headed for supper tonight with another Northern friend. Yeah! That's 2 in a month. I was thrilled that MA could squeeze me into her schedule a few weeks ago and a Sunday brunch turned into a day of shopping! It is always nice to see a dear friend.
Tonight it is a neighbour from the North--literally from down the hall of my last apartment. We met in an odd way...and became friends.

One evening coming back from a movie I was walking with about 3 men. I didn't know them, they didn't know me we just happened to be all walking back to the 8 storey. The movie theatre and 8-storey are connected in one of the largest complex's in Iqaluit. As we continued down the hall together a bit of nervous laughter erupted from the group. As we all boarded the elevator I asked "Did everyone enjoy the movie?" We all laughed and started to chat--as one does in an elevator. One gentleman got off on my floor and we said good night and he went down the hall to his apartment. The next day we happened to run into each other again in the elevator and started chatting (I'm a great one for elevator conversation!). He had moved from Cambridge Bay. Turns out he was the friend one of my old work pals wanted me to meet and show around town. So we became friends because of and in spite of our background connection.

Anyway, he is in town tonight and taking me out for supper. YEAH! I love supper out. And I love catching up with friends.

A bit of relief in my very busy week.

And now more photos from my escape last weekend....

This is the distance from the top of the mountain to Rome...where I hope to be in March.
Taken from the top of the gondola ride. Notice at the bottom of the picture is the ledge to the viewing platform a sort of jumping off spot to fall down the mountain or at least that is what it looks like to me.

Hard to see in this picture but just below the stairs are some mountain sheep.
Here is a blurry close up of them.
Patriotic sheep taken from inside the restaurant.
I was trying to use the camera completely on my own--no automatic settings. Some of the photos came out great, some not so good....this would be a GREAT shot if the colour was right. The exposure was off and my simple picture fix program can't fix it...maybe this winter when I learn photoshop I can correct it.
The elk would not cooperate and both face me at the same time for a photo. It was nice to see them up close.

The only part of the hot springs I got to see, touch and smell. I think a soak would have been amazing.
You are going the wrong way....kind of scary to look up and think which one of us is on the wrong side of the road. Turns out no one he was being towed.
The Three Sisters Mountain.

More to come later but I have lots to do today. I almost had a ticket to the rodeo playoffs but I had prior plans for this afternoon. Ah well. Can't do it all.

It is a good news bad news story at work this week. The lady who makes my life ____ at work is off on indefinite medical leave. I can't say I'm sorry to see her off for an extended period of time. She doesn't have any physical illness...so I am not being a total _itch. Let's just say the timing is oddly coincidental. I am thrilled that the office environment will be more relaxed for everyone and that I finally get to tear apart the payroll/personnel files. Yeah! It is sad that she couldn't try and get along with everyone prior to this and that it has moved to such a drastic step.

Some of my good news from last week at work is that I got a promotion of sorts. I have a new title Director of Human Resources. It is a title change only. The title change was necessary to make me a second signer for cheques at work. I'm delighted with the change in title and responsibility. Being a signer is a huge deal (at least in my mind) and I'm thrilled. AND all my policies went through with two exceptions and I am taking those two back to the drawing table to re-jig.

My extended weekend behind me I am preparing for my return to the office tomorrow. Not really a big deal, but with the wonky sleeping pattern of the past few days I know 6am will come as a bit of a shock. And then working for 2 days and having 2 days off again will certainly screw with my attempts at 20 winks.

Sleep...not really an interesting topic, but something we all do--daily. Or at least try to do daily. For as long as I can remember I have not been a good sleeper. The snoring noises that emerge from my bedroom may claim efforts to the contrary. I recall a sleep-over when I was young around 10?. We were living in Lethbridge and one of my cousins was my guest for the night. I apparently stole all the covers and while I ended up with a mere sliver covering myself my cousin had none. I had pulled them off us and onto the floor. It was not a good time and I recall being very cranky.

I just wrote a few paragraphs about my inability to sleep and how I snore. It was so dull I almost fell asleep re-reading it. I have random thoughts and ideas for posts all the time but never seem to get them 'on paper' before they disappear.

Small brag...my Christmas shopping is almost finished. Only 3 more presents to buy or rather 3 more people to buy for. And I have started the wrapping.

The weekend in Banff and Calgary was a last minute decision. I am filling in for the nasty person at work and while she is expected back next Monday the money is on her not returning and if I needed to do payroll in her absence it was going to be from a mere 3 hours away rather than from Vancouver.....where accessing the files in the office would be much more difficult. I have decided to not go to Vancouver for the time being....so the decision was made to go to Banff and Calgary. I have friends in both locations and I apologize to the ones (the many) I did not see while passing thru.

It is often hard for people to understand how a person that lives alone needs time away and alone. I think it is all about location, location, location. Being alone at home is routine. Being alone in say...Banff...is majestic and enables one to explore thoughts and feelings that are often lost at home base in the daily routine. Being alone in a city one knows well...Calgary can enable a person to become anonymous yet still have their bearings. Wandering around a city you don't know can be intimidating and at the very least one must pay attention to where you are going and where you are on the map. Wandering around a city you know means never getting lost...expect for in your thoughts.

More thoughts and images from the trip in the upcoming days.

Here's my playing from the other night in Calgary....some of the pictures might make you dizzy...I was enjoying playing with the lights and motion.

Greetings from _______. Ok, I'm still in Alberta. I spent the majority of my weekend in Banff and today in Cowtown aka Calgary. Overall a great weekend. But I gotta say, if you are a first time visitor to Banff--don't go in November. It is closed. Everything is closed for renovations and even if they say the reno's will be done before you arrive--don't believe them. They won't.

I had plans for the hot springs--renovations were to be finished the day of my arrival--delayed for one week.
Plans to walk from gondola to telegraph tower at top of mountain--under renovation--no date for completion.
Lovely dinner at fancy smancy restaurant at top of gondola--nope, not even sure if it is under reno or just permanently closed.
The golf courses are closed and the snow stuff for non-skiers (horse and sleigh rides, cross country skiing, etc...not on the go yet)Oh well.
Even the tea store was closed...not all day, just for lunch, but still...had never seen it closed before.

It was a comedy of errors. But I left with my sense of humor intact.

Calgary has been nice. Coffee (ok, pop) break with a good friend and then not that long after a nice long lunch with her. It was great. I'm feeling more optimistic about certain things and seem to be walking on a cloud the past couple of days. Isn't it amazing what a difference a few days can make on a situation.

I hope to do a bit more Christmas shopping tomorrow and maybe a bit of chores around the apartment. It's nice to have an extra long weekend now and then, don't you think?

Morning! It's Friday. TGIF.

I am escaping for the weekend. Destination unknown to everyone but me--and a couple of friends. I had planned on a trip to Vancouver later this month, but with the shopping spree in Yellowknife and the stuff going on at work right now I have opted for this weekend away instead. The good news is that potentially there will be some great photos at the end of this.

One of the women at work (who makes everyones life miserable with her gossiping and negative chat) is off on 'medical' leave for two weeks. Which means that my extended weekend will include a few hours of doing payroll from an undisclosed hotel room (or my living room). I don't mind....in fact it is a great chance to prove that it can be done...just hope I get it done correctly. LOL

Sigh. I'm content, just trying to prepare myself for the long day ahead. I'm in front of the Board again all day presenting the rest of my Phase 1 policies. I'm looking forward to it, but the timing is a bit off. At least this will give me and the other Managers the power to apply consistent rules to all employees. It takes the guess work out of it and allows me to point and say "Do it this way" My understanding of policies is not so black and white. You can use them as enforcement or as a guideline...take sick leave. If a person is sick for more than 5 days in any one year they are required to provide a Dr note every time they are sick after that. My interpretation of that is if you have an employee who you feel is abusing their sick days you ask for the note. If you have an employee who you know was actually sick (off on surgery for eg) and then hits the 5 day limit you may not ask for a note. I think it is called common sense...too bad not everyone has it.

See you on Monday!