I have not vanished into the mist

My internet connection should be working tomorrow at the new place. Heck, it might even be working now, but I haven't found the box where my router and phone are, so I haven't been able to check.

I burned my thumb on the wood-stove yesterday. I am having some major hand/eye coordination issues lately. The burn isn't really bad, although I did call over to Matt and Kara's because I couldn't remember if you're supposed to leave the blister alone or lance it (I really wanted to lance it, it feels like my thumb has grown a thumb of its own). Between the burn and all the assorted bruises I gave myself this weekend, I am looking a bit worse for wear.

I did a lot of unpacking this weekend. Probably less than I should have, but I get bored easily. Kara told me I have Adult ADD, which makes me laugh. That's better than Early Onset Menopause, which is what Dianne always used to tell me I had.

I think I heard the Cranes flying south this morning. There was a strange honking sound in the air. Everything is starting to change colour, and I'm thinking about packing away some of my warm weather office clothing. Of course, the fact that I dislike a lot of that warm weather office clothing is helping. Man, I bought some weird ass clothing when I worked at Lindor.

I fully intended to do 20 minutes on the treadmill this morning when I woke up, but wound up lying in bed with a cat-blanket from neck to knees. I should feel guiltier about that than I do.

Where have I been? (again)

Working, working, almost running out of gas on the way in to Whitehorse, having horrible experiences with my tonneau cover at the Superstore with $400 worth of meat in my shopping cart, working, and trying to move things over to my new place. Whew. That's where I've been.

Nothing super exciting to report on the personal life front. I finished the quilting on the red quilt last night, which means binding time! This will be my first quilt started and completed in the Yukon, which is pretty dorky to mention. Hurray dorkiness!

My Friday Night crew are packing up for Ross this week, so I will be all by myself. That's okay, though, because we'll be showing a movie at the Rec Centre as part of the Fireweed Festival, and I'll probably be busy with Festival stuff. And then Sunday is supposed to be the day of moving furniture to the new place. Because I've been forgetting to phone Northwestel, I might not have phone and internet hooked up right away, which is kind of a bummer, but I'll survive.

So, there you are - caught up on the life and times of Erica.

Tired of painting

My enthusiasm has waned as the project progresses.

I went over to the new place to put another coat on the dark wall in the bedroom and inside the closet. Now I'm trying to decide if the dark wall in the living room actually needs a third coat of paint or if I am just being fussy. There is one spot that definitely needs a touch-up, but the rest of it might be fine.

The people who are moving into my current place are making me feel pressured to get out of here ASAP. I'm hoping to go in to Whitehorse this weekend to buy curtain rods and pillow forms so I can start decorating as soon as my eBay purchases arrive. Should I bother buying paint to re-do the trim on the windows and doors? A perfectionist would, but a girl who is tired of painting might not.

I was originally planning to leave Friday night and stay over at a hotel, because doing the drive in and out in one day is really draining. But I've been invited to a baby shower on Friday, and I'm really torn.

I feel awkward around most of the gals my age in town (not you, Kara ^_^). I'm not a mum, and I don't have a guy, and I feel conspicuous because I work for the town. Plus, when I get nervous, my stomach reacts badly (remember the Ladies Night Out fiasco?). But if I don't try hanging out with them, the awkwardness will never have an opportunity to dissipate.

Ah well, too late in the day to worry about these things.

Happy Discover Day!

So, to celebrate the Yukon, on the statutory holiday (Suck it, everyone in Ontario who gloated at me two weeks ago when I was at work and you were at a BBQ or the beach!), I got called over to the CRIC to meet with a lady from the Yukon Heritage and Museums Association. Hurray.

Seriously, I was ticked off. I was in my PJs, trying to work up the energy to put my painting clothes on and head over to the new place to do more painting (my arms and back hate me so much now), when S called to ask me to come over. I hadn't showered, because, really, what's the point when I'm just going to get sweaty and gross over at the new place? But I put on my Big Girl Panties and said I would be over in half an hour.

The upshot is that there is a bunch of funding available to us, so yay! There's a social media seminar coming up in Whitehorse in October, and I could get that paid for, which would be super. And I got a cup of coffee out of the deal - wooo!

It turns out that my painting pants aren't dry yet (I washed them last night because they were totally disgusting), so I am having lunch and watching a little SPN before I head over for more painting funtimes! Perhaps I will check out eBay for more saris for decorating purposes ^_^

I am not, perhaps, destined to be a painter

I've been over at the new place all afternoon, taping and painting. I guess I hadn't mixed the paint up quite as much as I should have, because when I was doing the edges of the first two walls (ceiling, floor, and around the windows) there was a lot of dripping and patchy colour. So, naturally, I had to go over those spots again.

I got the first coat of paint on in the living room, though, and I think it's starting to have a bit more personality ^_^ With luck, I'll be over there again tomorrow, putting on coat number two.

Really, what's been taking me the longest time is all the taping. I hate that part - the fiddling around corners, trying to get the tape to stick to the horrible stucco ceiling. Also, someone who used to live in the house had a real thing for staples - there were staples all over the walls. They're all on the carpet, now.

My back and shoulders are on fire now, so I'm going to hit up a nice hot bath.

All in all, a pretty good Sunday. How about you?

A Severe Geritol Deficiency*

I'm developing a headache as the day progresses. I'm not sure why - the office has been very quiet with my coworkers away and a minimum of citizens coming in to pay bills. I feel it in the back of my neck and behind my eyes, though, and am looking forward to going home.

I've had some inspiration about the blocks I've been piecing for the past few days - they're made from leftover fabric from the quilt I'm making for Hunter. I thought, rather than put those scraps away until some nebulous future date where I might do something with them, I should just jump into another quilt top. I made 40 blocks, and then started wondering what to do with them. ^_^

Everything hinges on how much unbleached muslin I have kicking around in my scrap box. It used to be my sashing of choice, and there might be enough for what I intend. If not, I guess another trip to an online quilt shop may be in order.

Will I go home after work and wind up on the couch, or will I head over to the new place to continue taping corners and spackling the crazy number of holes in the walls? If I do the latter, I could start painting tomorrow. But if I do the former, I get to lie on the couch all night. Decisions, decisions.


*5 Internet Points if you can tell me who said that.**
** Internet Points are non-transferable, and are only good for gloating.

Paint paint paint

Yesterday, Heather helped me pick out colours for the living room and bedroom of the house I am moving into at the end of August. My new landlord gave me the okay to paint, and he is actually paying for the paint, so woohoo! I can go in whenever I want between now and move-in day, so things will be nice and painted before I move my masses of junk in.

The bedroom is going to be a warm yellowish colour, with a slightly darker 'feature wall' behind my headboard. The living room is ... I can't even describe it - kind of a brown, with a darker brown on the chimney. My choices were kind of limited by the crazy hideous burnt orange carpet that is all over the house. I don't know if the landlord plans to take that out when he moves back to town in two years, but I am definitely not up to the task at present. So no red walls for me ^_^

I will be jazzing the place up with exotic curtains made of sari silk and perhaps some decorative throw pillows. Hooray for eBay.

It's funny - I am becoming so totally bushed. Being in Whitehorse for more than three hours gets me on edge. Today was particularly bad - everyone was grocery shopping, there were only two cashiers, and the lines were heinous. I only managed to keep from going postal by reciting "Grow from love, accept from love," every time some kid who shouldn't have been in control of cart cut me off.

Now I'm going to eat licorice and watch movies.

Busy day

After spending Thursday night in a cooler-fuzzed haze of Ashes to Ashes and a blazing fire, and spending Friday regretting the amount of alcohol consumed Thursday night but still drinking a bunch at Matt and Kara's that night, I woke up early this morning.

We were heading out to Little Salmon Lake, where a lady named Bernice was having a yard sale - I was told her husband passed away, and she has sold their house to a couple from Dawson City, and she was getting rid of a ton of stuff. The Went crew picked me up and we drove 45 minutes out to LSL. The sale officially started at 10, according to the ad in the local paper, but people obviously had been there longer than that.

We poked and puttered around - I really wanted an axe or hatchet, so I could chop up some wood and ensure I have kindling, but alas, there was none. I did pick up a couple of jerry cans which is awesome because I have set the wheels in motion for me to pick up a truck in Whitehorse next weekend.

The real find was in the basement, though - I picked up some power tools - namely a Ryobi starter kit containing a drill, a saw, and some batteries. I threw in a box of drill/screw bits, a ratchet set (an old-time favourite, dating back to my time in Ottawa), and a hammer, and I felt ready to conquer the world. (Or at least ready to build my own coffee table.)

When we got back in to Faro, I called up this girl who has a trailer for sale in town and asked if I could come over and see it at some point. Michel had suggested it as an option, and told me to keep an open mind. I borrowed Matt as my "honourary manfolk," and we went over there after a delicious Easter dinner (thanks, Kara!).

I kept my mind open, but have ultimately decided that I'm going to stick with my original plan of moving back to the hotel for the winter. The trailer would require more work than I have time to put into it, and more money than I have to throw around. There is someone else interested in it, and I am going to call the girl up tomorrow and let her know that she can go ahead and tell him OK. I'm going back to the hotel where I can have my own furniture and the satellite TV is included ^_^

All in all, a very good day.

So early!

So, I dragged my behind out of a nice, plush, cozy, warm bed and made my way down to the office an hour earlier than usual on this chilly Friday morning (and no, I don't know the actual temperature, I haven't invested in a thermometer yet, but I can tell it's chillier than usual because the parts of my jacket near my face froze from breath-condensation)...because I scheduled a phone date with my parents this morning.

See, I haven't yet arranged for phone and internet in my new house...mostly because I am suffering a slight $$ shortage until next Wednesday. That money, too, will slip through my fingers like water...heating oil is not cheap.

At any rate, it was lovely to talk to my parentals - they are scheduling a trip up here in June (and bringing my fuzzy mens to me, oh frabjous day!) and wanted to confirm that I could take some time off, and that we could tour around. I am excited for my parents and my cats to come, and now have to think about what kind of things I can do with them. It also means I need to get cracking on getting a vehicle.

Now I am left with half an hour before work actually begins - I'm all alone in the office, and could sing or dance, or do any number of things. I'll probably do some work, though ^_^

It's official

I no longer live in the Studio Hotel.

I had some grand times there (okay, maybe not grand) and it helped me ease my way into life in Faro, but I am off to the greener pastures of the Upper Bench. (Ah, the Upper Bench, so easy to walk to work, so incredibly painful to walk home.)

Friday night I did manage to get to Kara and Matt's for supper, where I tried moose roast for the first time - delish! And it was nice to have conversation with other people, and to play with the baby, and to get drooled on by the grey cat. I went home afterward to pack...and wound up finishing my current batch of Easter Eggs.

Naturally, that meant I had to wake up at the crack of dawn on Saturday to pack up my belongings. "No problem," I said to myself, "it's not like I have much stuff. I came up here with two suitcases, and I've only been to Whitehorse once."

Unfortunately for me, the hotel room was like the TARDIS - I couldn't believe how much stuff was crammed inside closets and dresser drawers. All in all, I managed to fill the back of Kara and Matt's truck...and none of that was furniture.

So, packing packing packing, then carrying carrying carrying things down to the truck, and carrying carrying carrying things into the house, and then more carrying up the stairs.

After a while of unpacking, I decided I needed junk food, so I walked down to the store. Big mistake. I had not realized just how dreadful the walk back up would be. By the time I got home (an hour later), my legs were trembling and I was weaving from side to side like I was drunk.

Long story short, if you heard intermittent whimpering and groaning on Sunday, that was me - every time I moved my arms or legs, I was in agony. It was a pity no one was around to shower me with attention and chocolates...no matter how badly I wanted chocolate, there was no way I was walking to the store again.

The Post I want to write you is still in my head

I worked on composing a wonderful entry in my head yesterday as I came back to Faro. I didn't actually get it written down, though, because when we got into town there was a mad rush of "Get the couch and bed into the house, get me and all my groceries back to the hotel, unpack things and squeal with delight at prospect of new things!" There was no time for me to turn on my Computron and write up an entry to post at work where there is internet access.

I am happy, even though I didn't have to time to test-drive a car or go the bookstore (whose very existence right across from Mark's Work Wearhouse fills me with joy) and Mark went to Tim Horton's while I was shopping so I didn't get to buy any freezer Timbits. I'm happy I went, and happy I'm back, and happy that Kara and Matt are helping me move my stuff from the hotel to the house tomorrow - and feeding me dinner to boot! I'd better get crackin' on packin', and on making the promised loaf of banana bread.

That other entry will just have to wait a while.

Going to the Ci-tay!

Maybe this week, maybe next week, I'm not yet sure, but I am going to Whitehorse for a day! Other people may not be that enthused about the prospect (I am looking at you, Kara), but I have not left Faro since the day I got here and, with the craziness of the past week, I am due.

On my ideal agenda? Test-driving a car, buying some new work pants and shoes, a couch (and a bed, but I don't want to go crazygonuts on this), kitchen-y supplies, and maybe some groceries. And timbits. Timbits to share and timbits to put in my freezer. I am getting excited about moving to my new house.

I am never missing a town meeting again, btw. Trying to compile minutes from someone else's notes is much too difficult. If you need me, I'll be in the office, squinting.