In Ontario we call it Garbage...

I went on a field trip last friday. It was my first time leaving town since I arrived in Dawson on December 5. Picture that for a moment. Never leaving the boundaries of a town for 3 months. Its just such a strange concept in Ontario because there are so many other communities around. We are isolated up here. Whitehorse is 6 hours away by car. Carmacks is closer. But why on earth would you want to go there.

On to the trip. It was an exciting trip. Wanda had been promising to take me to "the free store" for a few days and I was tingling with anticipation. (Not much else has been going on in my life).

We drove down the highway and got to the dump road which hadn't been plowed. Which was bad because it has snowed for 12 straight hours the day before (a rarity up here). I was worried this small car was going to slide into a ditch and we would be stuck and die. (Nobody has cell phones up here and apparently they don't work out of town). We made it safely to the Free Store.

Now I know you are all going to rush to judge me and I am ok with that. Here in the Yukon we are resourceful and are attempting to save the planet by not putting everything in the landfill. That is the purpose of the free store. Also it houses a squirrel.

There are children's toys, books, clothing, bedding, appliances, and old computer bits. I went straight for the books. You can't take your mittens off at the free store. Despite the fact that it is covered it is Darn cold. And there is snow on the clothing. I took Death of a Salesman, and this other random book that looked funny. I was slightly disappointed to see not one, but two copies of one of my favourite books. But what can you do. I also picked up a corel plate (which has subsequently been soaked in bleach).

Wanda got some books and walked up the mountain of clothing. I wish I had my camera. This would make these stories far more interesting. I also got a "winner" medal for my coworker Jo who is working like a madwoman. I'm going to give it to her when her program is over.

If you have any questions about the free store I will answer them. If you want to judge me hold your judgement until you too have lived in the Yukon for 3 months.

One week

As you might have noticed I have been quite quiet lately. I do not have internet at my new place. So I've been crafty and have been sneaking into my old place to use the internet that I am paying for. And I have been using the phone too. It's not like the house is Fort Knox. It doesn't get locked. And the guys in the house don't really care if I'm there.

Some times I get crafty and use my own phone in my old room.

Anyway back to the point of my post. Mom is coming in a week!!! Yes it does deserve 3 exclamation points. Mom is flying from Toronto to Vancouver and then from Vancouver to Whitehorse and then from Whitehorse to Dawson. The trip to see me is not a short one. When I flew up here from civilization my coworker Nancy met me in the Whitehorse airport and we flew up together. Apparently Nancy is flying up with my mom too!

My mom will be engaging in the typical Dawson Activities... spending too much on food, layering up, and volunteering. She will be taking part in my coworker Jo's program "A Night in the Museum" which I am looking forward to helping out with. Grade 5 and 6 kids will become characters coming to Dawson in the gold rush.

I am all alone at work again. No more assistant. So I've taken to having conversations with myself. Because I miss my witty banter with Wanda.

This is going to be a 2 for 1 day. Yay for 2 blogs!

Owie

I am now in my new place... right next door to my old place.

If you will recall my previous post I detailed the icy stairs of death. 3 Months and the Stairs decide to kick me in the butt on the way out.

As I'm moving (with my stuff in garbage bags) I think I'm doing pretty well. Finally its time for my last load. I have all of my non-perishable food in 3 boxes 2 of them in the biggest one.

I get to the second stair and within seconds I'm on the bottom stair on my ass with groceries all around me. It was a pretty impressive fall. And even more impressive is that fact that I'm not hurt. I survived it relatively unscathed. I'm bruised and I lost an entire box of whole wheat spaghetini. And I can't sue the bastards.

Apparently the fall rattled my brain and has affected my ability to write. Better posts later.