Gryphon enjoying his candy-cane striped rawhide chew...

Another Christmas past and another horribly neglected blog…this time I have an excuse, though: no bandwidth to help me along! The computers running in this apartment for the past two weeks have eaten up every extra byte and has left me ‘net-less’. Ahhh!! I believe it’s because of the extra person living here…sounds about right.

I had a lot going on this year. I was here in the north last year for the holidays, but I don’t remember them as being so busy…good busy, though.

Like I mentioned in my last blog entry both my Macbook Pro and Arctic Cat arrived in Qik just in time to make the season enjoyable (or so I thought). Withing 2 days I was as frustrated as h#%* because the computer wasn’t working the way I’d been promised…plug in and go. It was painfully slow to load and, whenever I could access safari, it would “quit unexpectedly”…after awhile I got to expect it. So there I was, days before Christmas, with a bum Mac. Now I realize that a lot of it was because of internet usage.

The Arctic Cat? When it arrived, it was still clicking and scraping with horrible protestations if it were ever put in reverse…sometimes to the point of “outta here bee-otch…I’m not workin’ for you!” with an immediate shut-down. I decided to order a ring plate for the clutch (you could see it was bent out of shape), 2 belts, an extra shock system, skis, and carbides. A bit pricey. Unfortunately, this was all before anyone had a chance to really look at it. When the mechanic in town finally had the opportunity to peek under the hood, he was a bit perplexed as well (having no experience with the new Cats). What we decided was to perform a type of snowmobile appendectomy…he just completely removed the electric start system leaving the pull-cord its only source of life. Gone are the crazy noises and reverse problems as well as the smell of burning rubber. Not bad, right? Bill from the Arctic Cat dealership in Iqaluit? Bad.

Today, though, things are well with the world. My internet anniversary date has passed (resetting my bandwidth allowance), I was able to download firefox, I’m working on downloading the Apple software updates now, I go for a ride-around on the Kitty Cat at least once a day, and I’ll be able to replace the skis and carbides sometime soon. Better steering…yay!

Ready for a trailride!

Aaaaannd…polar bears. They are still everywhere but, as you can see from my picture, I’m more prepared for an encounter than I have been in the past. And don’t worry, there’s someone else with me to do the aiming and actually pull the trigger!

What else? Hmmm…both Christmas Eve and Christmas dinner were spent with recent friends, and it was nice to finally relax over a cup of Keurig coffee. What an awesome rig! Hazelnut coffee brewed to perfection flew me south for just a wee spot of time. I think New Year’s Eve will be another great gathering.

Gryphon and Scarlett, resting after the excitement of tearing open the presents...

Gettin' chilly up here!

So here it is, the shortest day of the year. Not too bad, actually. We were still in a twilight state until around 2 pm, and tomorrow we will start moving towards those wonderful sunny days…the days when kids are outside playing at 3 in the morning and time is spent wishing you could forget work and head out on the land. Though there’s still no reliable sea-ice, snowmobiling out and around the island is still a possibility.

Snowmobiling? Yes. Do I have mine? Has it arrived from Pang? It flew in yesterday. On par with its reputation, it refused to start; however, after several people fiddling around with it, today it has enough juice to run. Though I think the battery might be fried, the pull-cord still works. There is still a problem with the clutch and the possibility of the belt getting damaged, but it will run until I get those parts ordered in.

I also have news on the kamik front! My duffel socks are done and trimmed (though not yet embroidered), and I’ve already bought the sealskin needed to complete the uppers of the main boot. As for the bearded seal required for the sole…I think that will be the one thing I’ll get someone more experienced put together. I’ve been wondering, though…just how comfortable is this sort of footware? My Baffin boots are pretty rockin’ – especially when snowmobiling. Are kamiks just a fashion accessory these days?

BREAK FOR AN AWESOME SNOWMOBILE RIDE AND CONTINUED THE NEXT DAY…

Last night, when Clint got back from work, we decided to take the Arctic Cat out for a spin around. Now, for anyone who followed my blog last year, you would know how nervous I am around the thing. In fact, it rarely made it above 30 mph! Last night, as a passenger on my own machine, I thought I might die…I’m not used to just sitting there, nor am I used to going very fast. Ahhh!!!

…and you know what else I learned? I’m not overly paranoid about the Beast! Last year, whenever there were problems, I had no idea whether it was something I did or because I just didn’t know what a snowmobile should feel like. How much pressure do you have to apply on the throttle to make it move? Is it normal that it seems to slow down after riding for awhile unless I squeeze harder? Is the smell normal? Apparently the answer to all of those questions is ‘no’.

Another problem? The shocks. Yes mom and dad, I think that trip we took out to the fishing derby last year killed them. The reason I didn’t notice was because I prepped it for summer-storage not long after as well as the fact that whenever I rode it, my relatively light weight was on the front. As it stands now, I can take my puny arm and push the back almost to the ground! Money, money, money…lots to fix.

…and, since we didn’t take the gun last night, we didn’t want to venture too far away with the roaming polar bears…it was still pretty awesome though!

Just a few more days till Christmas, and I’m already set with my treasures. The packages my family sent (from Nova Scotia and BC) have arrived as well as the treasure I ordered for myself. I’ll have a report on the previous gifts in a few more days but the latter? My Macbook Pro has finally wound its way into the small hamlet of Qikiqtarjuaq, and I now sit tapping away on the backlit keyboard. Saa-weet! Lovin’ it. For sure, it’s going to take awhile to get used to it, but I’m going to figure it out at some point. Right now my netbook is sitting there on the table looking a little forlorn.

Today I’m finally in-line to get someone to help me cut my sealskin and show me how to put it together…time to start sewing again! What I’m worried about now, though, is actually where I’m going to sew. Does the smell just fade after awhile? The dogs were super-interested in just licking everything as soon as I brought the skins in, and I’m not really interested in fighting them off every time I do some work on the boots.

…I guess we’ll see how it goes…

She wasn't too impressed at the beginning of the journey...

Since it’s been so difficult to walk Sophie lately, I’ve had to have someone stand in for me…someone who is actually strong enough to control her. With her big bark she can be pretty intimidating, though all she really wants is some attention.

For those of you who have big dogs, you probably know the curiousity of just how much that poop machine weighs. At least I was. My little bathroom scale worked for a bit when she was a wee thing of about 50 lbs. Now, though, it’s not so simple. Nope. Instead, I had to head to the airport to weigh her.

Grand total? 88.6 lbs at 7 months. Is that normal? I though it was a bit small, but perhaps it falls into the target weight. Female full-grown saints fall into the 120-140 lb range.

…wow, though…I’m pretty sure most of that weight is just muscle. I just took her out for a quick trip, and my hands are now raw with leash burns. Any type of distraction (ex. the neighbor’s dog tagging along behind) gets her ready to charge this way and that. It’s enough to make you want to scream! I feel like I’m on some sort of home video entitled: Small Girl, Big Dog. Not too cool…

This is Michael Vick:

This is Michael Vick’s Dog:

This is Michael Vick trying to do a little bit of damage control. Never. Not. Ever…

…sorry for the little rant, but I just couldn’t believe it when I saw it on the news today…

My first official non-family question! Thank you, to Joel down there in New Hampshire, for stopping by!

1. How did you get up to Qikiqtarjuaq and what is it like? Ahh, the sneaky double question.

As to the first part…do you mean in a ‘life-path’ sense or in a physical sense? Like all communities in Nunavut, no roads lead in or out of the community and the most common access method is by air. Two carriers – First Air and Canadian North – service the area from Monday to Friday. On the weekends, only an emergency will lift a plane’s wheels from the gravel (I can’t say ‘tarmac’ because, well, it doesn’t exist here.).

Boats can also access the island, but they’re basically cargo ships that pass through at the end of the summer to stock the community for winter.

Now, the ‘life-path’ possibility? I’m not sure if I can answer that one…it just seemed like an opportunity that I was lucky enough to take advantage of. I would like to visit a few more places up here, but I’m happy to have been lucky enough to spend time in the three places I’ve experienced (Iqaluit, Pangnirtung, and Qikiqtarjuaq). The scenery is absolutely breathtaking (as is the occasional temperature dip to -30 C).

And to answer ‘what is it like’? That’s why I keep a record on my blog; I learn something new everyday.

Ok, ok…I’ve been super horrible with this page of my site. For awhile it was because I hadn’t yet had the option to add new entries, but now it’s just neglected. So…questions…

1. Will you actually answer?

Well, I’m trying. However, as I’m sure you’ve already noticed, I’ve fallen into the general lethargy of mid-winter posting. I think the frequency of posts will change when I have my new Mac to play around with.

2. What is a ‘trackback’?

A ‘trackback’, also called a ‘pingback’, is a way to monitor when someone follows and creates a link to your site.

3. Is this more trouble than it’s worth when the mouse isn’t working very well?

Well, I’m not sure. Let me keep at it for a bit, then I’ll get back to you. And maybe you should fix your mouse.

Thanks for the questions mom…though the rest of you realize that when family members comment, it doesn’t really count; they sort of have to, don’t you think?

I wanted fresh figs, not dried dates!

Today I received my second-ever load of foodmail and, though I’m super pumped to finally get a puffy knob of fresh ginger, there were a few discrepancies. For example, I have a fantastic recipe that uses fresh figs; as a fruit, I figured this would fit into the new foodmail allowance. I think it probably does, but the picture shows what I actually received…instead of 6 fresh figs, I got 6 packs of dried dates!!! Grrr…

...I gave them to a lady at the airport...

Order? Deluxe Mini-Pizzas. Received? Bagel things. I guess I see the connection, but if you’re expecting the regular, this is a huge disappointment.

One more thing that arrived today? My Mac Magic Mouse! I still haven’t really moved from my PC yet (no flights to deliver my new computer), but this is a nice type reminder of what’s to come. Ahh!! Just looking at the controls on the thing makes me wonder how I’m going to make the adjustment.

The bulk of the teachers flew out this afternoon on the Canadian North flight; that means it’s officially the holiday season up here. Now what happens? Last year, in Pangnirtung, there were games out on the ice…what happens when there’s no ice? I guess we’ll see soon enough!

T-Shirt says: Cute & Aware...perhaps it should say: Cute & Don't Care!

It hasn’t stopped snowing here in what seems like ages. Shoveling three times a day, though an interesting story, is not exactly the most fun thing to do. But three times a day? Including smashing ice from the metal teeth on the steps? At least I haven’t yet felt that I had to get on the roof to clean out the stink pipe!

…for those of you not from the north, the ‘stink pipe’ is the gas venting system found on the tops of buildings; when they ‘ice over’, the gas backs up and empties into the house…trust me, you don’t want that kind of drama!

Ah, there we go…there’s nothing like hearing the water truck come to fill you up after an evening of bottled water! Yes, I ran out of water again. I suppose I should start getting in the habit of avoiding a complete laundry day; my tank can’t handle it. I’ll have to spread out the washes…can I really be that organized?

Today is my school turkey dinner; the season has officially begun. Though I had a Christmas dinner last weekend, Korean food hardly qualifies as a traditional holiday feast in my world. Nope, for me it’s ‘The Bird’: the gobbles have ceased, and the gobblers are showing up in the roast pans. In fact, I have one ready to be juiced and roasted right now! I suppose that means I should get going.

Even Sophie's getting into the Christmas spirit!

So: water? Check. Turkey? Check. Spices? Check. Cider ingredients? Check. Someone to take Sophie out on her pee run? Hmm, grrr, I guess I’ll say ‘check’…

One more thing – I have to include the following pictures. Sophie guarding her chair, then Scarlett and Gryphon taking over:

"My chair, it's mine!"

"What-ev...the two of us can take you on!"

So I sit here, absolutely crazy, and no one asks me any questions about it! Keep in mind that any question (at this point) is a frequently asked question. Try it out! tara.muise@gmail.com

OK, let me get you started.

Q: Why do you have a chihuahua, a chiweenie, and a st.bernard all in the same house?

A: Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time. I’ve had Scarlett, the chiweenie, for about 3 years and, honestly, I don’t know how I’d function without her. I know that it sounds pitiful, but she’s been with me through some tough times and has the infallible ability to make me feel better.

Gryphon, the chihuahua, is now a part of the pack and the wee ones get along like apple pie and chedder cheese…very different, but awesome together.

Sophie, the saint? Well, right now she’s a bit of a pain-in-the-butt. I can’t say I like puppies too much (though I love dogs). There is so much space for her here…the weather is perfect…but I’m not as attached to her as I could be. Hoping that will change sometime soon.

…you see? There it is. A question and an answer…

Warning: This post is an incredibly jumbled mess…gives you an idea how my head works these days…

The temperature has finally turned. It was only last week that I considered taking my chihuahuas for a walk; hovering around zero for weeks was insane. Realizing there might not be sea-ice for Christmas was a glaring reminder of global warming. People dying in Poland because of a cold snap while people here were foregoing coats…it’s just not right.

This is a weird icicle thing outside my door...getting dark at 11:30 am!

Anyway, back to the good news. -15 degrees Celcius is the warmest that it’s been in awhile…right now it’s -21. Of course, that’s with the windchill, but it’s still a good sign. Qikiqtarjuaq has bunches of snow, and this type of weather gives me the feeling that we’ll actually be able to head across the ice sometime soon. Apparently there’s some point nearby with really cool snowcaves to explore.

The one thing that’s bothering me right now is that my snowmobile, the infamous Arctic Cat, is still in Pangnirtung. Though I don’t really like the texture of the snow that’s fallen recently, there’s enough of it to bury the large rocks as opposed to just enough to cover them and blinding you to the fact that they’re there. That type of nastiness threw me on a flight last year.

It’s almost Christmas!!! Well, every now and then I get a reminder of that. One might think that should be every time I look at my tree, but that’s not exactly it. Let me explain…

Last week I organized a Christmas dinner for the teachers here. I’m like Monica, from ‘Friends’ in that way…I have to host the dinners to feel good. What’s that about? It’s just an extra stress and more money, but it’s how I’ve always been (though my friend, Siovone, always throws really kick-butt get-togethers).

…back to the Christmas dinner. Since all the teachers are heading south for the holidays, I didn’t really have a lot of freedom in scheduling. I didn’t want it to be last minute for them, so we have a potluck at the beginning of the month. The theme? Go international. All the food was from other ends of the world. It was awesome. I mean, the traditional turkey’s good, but you can only put up with so much! Stupid me…I forgot to take pictures.

See my beautiful tree, my ugly chair, and my crazy dog?

I decorated early. It felt early. It was warm outside. The tree just seemed like something cluttering up my living room.

…but now it’s time for Christmas. I’ve made my first batch of gingerbread (still need to be decorated and hung on the tree), and my holiday spiced candles have appeared!

I’ve decided to give Sophie a chair. It’s the ugly one in the picture, but it’ll be covered with a crazy blanket. So far, I think she likes it…

…but she doesn’t really fit…

Yes, she uses it as butt support.

Anyway, that’s the news these days. Oh wait! No! One more thing…I broke a few nights ago, decided to pull out my credit card, and ordered a Mac online. Can’t wait till it gets here!