Our move up to Manning didn't go according to plan… at all! I think saying that it went completely the opposite of what we planned is a more accurate way of describing the gong show that we've been living the last few days.
Tyler wrote his MRI final exam Tuesday morning and came home feeling really great about being done… again. He won't be studying any more and that makes both of us so happy. He finds out his results in about 4 weeks.
After he got home, we packed up the remaining items into our vehicle and headed out; our new adventure was underway. Ryan pretty much cried the whole way out of Edmonton, as did the cat. He isn't a fan of red lights and stopping because he wasn't being lulled to sleep so he was awake and miserable until we left the city. Then he slept and we had a peaceful drive to Slave Lake. We stopped somewhere for lunch but I can't remember where it was. I don't think it was Westlock but I don't know where else we would have stopped… either way, we stopped and ate some A&W burgers, which are always good going in but then it just kind of sits in your gut and makes you regret ever eating it.
We made it to Slave Lake and needed to kill a bit of time before our friends, where we were staying that night, came home from work. We went to the walmart and walked around. We decided to get Ryan some food to eat because we always forget to do that for some reason. He likes yogurt and fruit and crackers so we loaded up and then headed to our friends place.
They live in a beautiful new condo type house and it was amazing. They have big comfy couches with beautiful pictures on the wall. The whole house is just new and awesome and I wish I could live there. We had a great dinner of stir fry and fruit and enjoyed the evening talking about everything.
We went to bed and got up early. The plan was to wake up early enough so that Ryan would fall back asleep in the car and it actually worked. He didn't wake up until we were about half an hour outside of Peace River. We had to be in Manning by 10am, which by the end of this story, you will see how stupid that plan was. We stopped for some breakfast in Peace River and so Ryan could have some time to stretch his little legs out. It was a nice break from the car.
The drive to Manning was only about an hour and for the first time since Ryan was born, we made it on time to our destination. Driving into Manning, our first impressions were that they don't plow their roads. It's a slush-fest here and really icy underneath all the slush. We found our rental house and met up with the woman who is in charge of it all.
Strike #1- We found out that the rental place was still being renovated. We knew they were repairing the bathroom but we were told it would be done by the time we got there. We were then told it would probably be done by Friday or Saturday. Great! We were now homeless and our stuff was being driven up in a U-haul by Tyler's mom and uncle. We had no place to put everything we own and no place to stay until it was all ready. The woman we met told us that she was told we were staying in the Garden Court hotel, which happens to be the nicest hotel in town. We have no idea who told her that or why but it wasn't true. We were planning on being in that house when we moved or else we wouldn't have come until it was done.
Strike #2- We found the Garden Court Hotel and got very excited about staying there. It was right across the street from the hospital and looked very nice from the outside. We approached a woman smoking on the front deck and she said she only had one smoking room left. I was so irritated by the whole thing that I didn't show her much patience and just turned right around and went back to the car.
Strike #3- We found a hotel called the Aurora Hotel and since it was right beside a really sketchy looking motel, we went there first. We entered and asked where we can get a room and they said that we have to go across the parking lot to the Hillcrest Motel. I was confused and frustrated because there was a sign on that building that says "Aurora Hotel" so I assumed it was a hotel. But I was wrong so we went to the sketchy looking building and asked about a room. They said that they have rooms, but that they aren't clean yet so we would have to wait. I told them we would just check out the hotel across the street and walked out. I didn't want to wait. At this point, we were super super frustrated and were wondering why we left Bella Bella in the first place. At least there, we had a place to stay.
Strike #4- We headed to the Motor Inn and Tyler went inside to once again ask about a room. He came out shaking his head and I just couldn't believe it. This little town didn't have any place for us to stay. We were at a loss and had no idea what to do. We for sure didn't want to go back to the Hillcrest Motel because it looks like a place where bad things happen, or people disappear.
Strike #5- We went back to the seedy motel and actually got a room. We phoned up Carolyn and Brian and told them where to meet us. We then learned that Carolyn, who was driving Tyler's orange car, was blown into the ditch when a semi truck went past her and now our car was stuck. That was just one more thing to add to the pile that made this day suck.
Strike #6 - Our motel room is really gross. I didn't want to put Ryan down on the floor or bed because the whole place just screams, "I'm crawling with micro-grossness!" The walls are half covered in wood panelling and it's not even real wood panelling. The walls are cracked and the doors are peeling. It's just not the place we wanted to be on our first night in our new town. I wanted to cry but I was so upset about the whole day that no tears would come. Ryan was a great boy the whole time though so that made things less frustrating then it could have been. He played nicely and smiled and talked and it was all fine for him. One of the worst things about the whole day was the feeling I got when we laid down to go to sleep. I felt like since we were in that dump, that I wasn't providing the very best for Ryan. It really made me so sad to think that he had to spend a few nights there. It wouldn't have been a problem if it were just Tyler and I. But I'm supposed to provide for him and I felt like I had failed… and that was a huge downer.
Our first night there actually turned out ok. Besides having to call the front desk to complain about our neighbours loud country music, we slept really well. Probably the most sleep I've had in a long time because Ryan just slept the whole night.
Tyler got up to go to work and Ryan and I were left in the motel room, trying to find stuff to do. All his toys are packed away in the basement of our rental (The fact that they let us unload the U-haul into the basement eliminates on of the strikes I guess, because if they wouldn't have let us do that, we would have had to rent it for longer which would have cost us a lot more money). We managed to find things to do, like look out the window at the neon bar signs that were flashing, chase Kitty around, and Ryan took a 2 hour nap. I got to do some reading which was a nice way to spend that time.
Tyler told me that I should come to the hospital for coffee to meet everyone and I thought that was a great idea. It would get me out of this room and some fresh air never hurt anyone.
Strike #7- As I was getting Ryan and I ready for the walk, he decided that standing on the floor wasn't as good as being held by me. He was screaming and crying like I was hurting him. And he did this for about 20 minutes. I was so fed up with him. I managed to get him into his stroller and we were on our way but a huge problem presented itself almost immediately. Manning doesn't believe in shovelling or plowing their sidewalks or roads. It was nearly impossible to push that stroller through the 6 inches of snow that lay on the ground. Later I would be told that it just snowed that night and they didn't have time yet to get rid of it, but I didn't know that. And to top it all off, a trucker laughed at me while he was driving by because of what I was trying to do. That just added to anger.
I told Tyler as soon as I saw him that I was taking the vehicle home. The day got better from there though and I got to meet some of the people Tyler will be working with. And it turns out that that trucker who laughed at me is the hospital delivery guy and I met him then too. He bought Ryan a cookie so I took back all the silent bad thoughts I had for him.
I drove home and Ryan took a nap until Tyler came home. I headed out to find some dinner and some more food for Ryan. We had Subway and the evening was pretty great. I love spending time with my family because they always make me feel better.
We had a good night again last night and Tyler left for work this morning. He let me know that we will be able to get into our rental house tonight and start unpacking. This is what I've been waiting for. All our things that we have ever owned in our lives will be under one roof and with us. We haven't even looked at our wedding gifts since the day we packed them all away so I'm excited to see what kind of goodies we have. I am afraid of what will be broken because that U-haul and all the moving probably broke some things… but I'm just excited to get on with living our lives and to get out of this motel.
Ryan is currently napping and I have found someone who doesn't have a password on their wireless internet so I will be busy until Ryan decides he wants to wake up.
It has been an adventure and although I believe adventures should be fun and exciting, I'm sure the rest of our time here will be just awesome!
Sonja
Friday, January 18, 2013
Friday, January 11, 2013
The hardest part
The hardest part of the last week has been the fact that Ryan hasn't adjusted well to being without a permanent home. It's been a huge challenge and I really hate not having a place of our own. Ryan just doesn't sleep. He's exhausted but he doesn't stay asleep. Last night, he went to sleep at around 8 and was up at 2. Usually I feed him and he goes back to sleep until the morning. Instead, he was up until 6. He just wasn't tired. It's been tough to comfort him because he just cries and screams and won't settle down. It's really frustrating for Tyler and I to deal with him these days because we also don't sleep but we have a lot more things to do in a day.
We are dealing with packing and organizing all our things for our big move up north. It would be so much easier if Ryan napped his usual amount so we could have the time to do what we need to do. I'm sure it will all get done regardless but still, it's a little annoying. It's a good thing we love him or it would be unbearable.
I do think we have it all ready to go though. Tomorrow, Tyler will run into Ponoka to pick up the U-haul truck and we will pack everything we own into it. I think my favourite part of living back in Alberta is that we will have everything we own in one place and we will get to use it. For the first time ever, we will get to use our wedding gifts and sleep on our own mattress and not have to use other people's things. Actually, that's not totally true. We are renting a fully furnished place in Manning for the time being so until we get our own place, we will be using their stuff… but at least all our stuff will be with us. I'm excited to see what goodies we have stored away in those boxes.
Tomorrow is also the day we are celebrating Ryan's first birthday with the Jarrett's. I can't believe it's already his first birthday and I'm not sure when it will sink in but that's happening tomorrow. The family will gather and we will play games and hang out. I baked him a cake and it looks really good. It's not in a shape of anything, like Mickey Mouse's head or the number one but it should be tasty.
We will have a party with my family on Sunday and I'm really looking forward to that.
Right now, Ryan is screaming and crying. We tried to put him to sleep the first time at 7:30 and now it's 9:30 so we are both really ready to just get into our new home and not be any where else. We are sick of being displaced and can't wait to settle into a new routine where Ryan won't be a turd every night. So for now, I'm eating cake. It's the only thing I know how to do at this point since Ryan won't settle down for me. And it's pretty good.
Sonja
We are dealing with packing and organizing all our things for our big move up north. It would be so much easier if Ryan napped his usual amount so we could have the time to do what we need to do. I'm sure it will all get done regardless but still, it's a little annoying. It's a good thing we love him or it would be unbearable.
I do think we have it all ready to go though. Tomorrow, Tyler will run into Ponoka to pick up the U-haul truck and we will pack everything we own into it. I think my favourite part of living back in Alberta is that we will have everything we own in one place and we will get to use it. For the first time ever, we will get to use our wedding gifts and sleep on our own mattress and not have to use other people's things. Actually, that's not totally true. We are renting a fully furnished place in Manning for the time being so until we get our own place, we will be using their stuff… but at least all our stuff will be with us. I'm excited to see what goodies we have stored away in those boxes.
Tomorrow is also the day we are celebrating Ryan's first birthday with the Jarrett's. I can't believe it's already his first birthday and I'm not sure when it will sink in but that's happening tomorrow. The family will gather and we will play games and hang out. I baked him a cake and it looks really good. It's not in a shape of anything, like Mickey Mouse's head or the number one but it should be tasty.
We will have a party with my family on Sunday and I'm really looking forward to that.
Right now, Ryan is screaming and crying. We tried to put him to sleep the first time at 7:30 and now it's 9:30 so we are both really ready to just get into our new home and not be any where else. We are sick of being displaced and can't wait to settle into a new routine where Ryan won't be a turd every night. So for now, I'm eating cake. It's the only thing I know how to do at this point since Ryan won't settle down for me. And it's pretty good.
Sonja
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Waniseqa
Waniseqa is the Heiltsuk word for "See you later." I feel it is appropriate to use here because I don't think that we could ever completely say good-bye to the place and people who have been our home and family for the past 2 1/2 years. It was a tough week to go back and to wrap up our time as residents of that place. Every time we would think that we would not see someone again and have a tearful good bye, we would run into them again, and do the process all over again. So that in and of itself made for a long week, then compound packing and cleaning into that mix made it a very filled week.
But Friday came and Sonja and Ryan were off to Edmonton. I drove them up to the airport and waited with Sonja for a bit as Ryan is a handful and she was going to be dealing with him for a the next couple days. I left them around 11:00 as I had a lot of work to do yet to be ready to leave the next morning. First though I had to do the last few dishes and finish packing everything away before it all went into the car. I then got everything finally packed away, or so I thought and it was time to load the vehicle. That job took me the rest of the day. By 5 o'clock, many different configurations and frustration I finally had everything loaded up, or so I thought. I went back to the house expecting to be done and found 5 or 10 more things that needed to find a home in the Equinox. That didn't happen. Lots of Costco supplies went to our friend Kendra, our dish and laundry soap, garbage bags, our 10lb bag of rice. There was just no room anymore and I still had to fit the cat and my duffel bag of clothes in there somewhere. The car was packed from back window to front windshield, floor to ceiling and then the roof rack was full as well. 
I finally had everything accounted for and went for a burger for supper. It was a good last meal - no dishes. I spent the rest of the night relaxing, watching TV and getting ready for bed. I was just getting ready to hop into bed when the door bell rang. We had someone lined up to take our crib, change table and stroller off our hands and they were supposed to pick it up that morning, but they came at 9:30pm. So I went out to tell them about the stuff and to enjoy it etc. They rummaged around for 15 minutes doing a couple trips to get all the stuff to their vehicle. I was just settling down again and could feel that sleep was close when my phone buzzed at 10:30. It was Sonja. She wanted to remind me to get all our pictures off the wall. They were already in the car. I suddenly wasn't tired again as we talked for a little bit. So back to the couch to watch some more TV until I was ready again. That didn't happen until 11:30. So back to bed. Again I wasn't able to just fall asleep. I think I finally got to sleep when our new upstairs neighbour decided he wanted to do jumping jacks at 12:30 and woke me up. I went back to sleep, but the alarm was set for 1:30 so I didn't sleep long.
Off went the alarm and I was out of bed and packed up the last few items, cat and my stuff. I got it all packed, did my 10th final sweep, said goodbye to the apartment and dropped off my keys. I went in the hospital and saw the site coordinator there manning the phones. Not usually a good sign. But not my concern really, as I wasn't an employee anymore. I hear on the VHF that there was an earthquake that happened in Alaska and that the entire west coast was under tsunami warning again. I didn't think anything of it until I got out of the hospital and checked my phone for the time and saw that there was a text from Jan saying that the ferry was going to be delayed until the warning was over. Just what I wanted to hear at 2 in the morning, now that I was homeless. I went down to the ferry terminal to check anyway, and confirmed what Jan told me, so it was up to their house. They live in the highest part of town so it was a safe place to wait out the warning. I got there and watched the Junior game that was on. Canada lost the bronze medal in OT that night. Just as the game was wrapping up, the warning was called off with no incident. Back to the ferry. The good news about the warning was that I was the first one in line to get on the boat. The boat docked at 4am, when we were supposed to leave. Fortunately we still managed to leave shortly after 5 and managed to get to Port Hardy on schedule, which was nice, as the trip was already long enough and had many hours ahead of me yet. The drive and rest of the trip down the island was uneventful and I made good time until I hit Nanaimo. I had decided to meet up with a friend in Victoria for the night. The drive from Nanaimo to Victoria seemed to take the longest of the whole drive. The night was fun. We went to a Caribbean restaurant for supper and then did a tour of Victoria. It was a fun night hanging out with Jessica, as we don't know the next time we will see her.
The next morning started early, 5:30 the alarm went off and I got up and got on the road. I needed to be on the 7 o'clock ferry across to Vancouver. The sailing was good and I was able to study a bit for the first time of my trip. I got off the ferry at 8:45 and then off to Alberta. A quick stop at McDonald's for some breakfast, and back to the road. The first couple hours was rain filled and then I got high enough for it to turn to snow. So that slowed me down until Merritt when it finally cleared up again. It was clear sailing until I hit Sicamous and then the snow came down again. It snowed and was wet until just before Golden when it finally cleared up and the highway was snow free as well. Time to make up some lost time. I finally got home to mom and dad's at 10:45. Only 13 hours after hitting the mainland. Off to bed as I had 7 hours of sleep since Friday morning.
The next morning I unpacked the car and came up to Sherwood Park and met up with Sonja and Ryan. It was nice to see them again, but Ryan wasn't too thrilled with me that day. Sonja went out dress shopping with her sisters and mom, so it was up to me to watch Ryan, and he hated every minute of it. He's been much better today and more in sorts today.
So this is the last blog about our life in Bella Bella. That chapter of our life is now closed and we look forward to our next chapter in Manning. We look forward to what is in store for us. The new friends we will meet and the new experiences that await us. Its been a great 2 1/2 years. Thanks for everything Bella Bella.
I finally had everything accounted for and went for a burger for supper. It was a good last meal - no dishes. I spent the rest of the night relaxing, watching TV and getting ready for bed. I was just getting ready to hop into bed when the door bell rang. We had someone lined up to take our crib, change table and stroller off our hands and they were supposed to pick it up that morning, but they came at 9:30pm. So I went out to tell them about the stuff and to enjoy it etc. They rummaged around for 15 minutes doing a couple trips to get all the stuff to their vehicle. I was just settling down again and could feel that sleep was close when my phone buzzed at 10:30. It was Sonja. She wanted to remind me to get all our pictures off the wall. They were already in the car. I suddenly wasn't tired again as we talked for a little bit. So back to the couch to watch some more TV until I was ready again. That didn't happen until 11:30. So back to bed. Again I wasn't able to just fall asleep. I think I finally got to sleep when our new upstairs neighbour decided he wanted to do jumping jacks at 12:30 and woke me up. I went back to sleep, but the alarm was set for 1:30 so I didn't sleep long.Off went the alarm and I was out of bed and packed up the last few items, cat and my stuff. I got it all packed, did my 10th final sweep, said goodbye to the apartment and dropped off my keys. I went in the hospital and saw the site coordinator there manning the phones. Not usually a good sign. But not my concern really, as I wasn't an employee anymore. I hear on the VHF that there was an earthquake that happened in Alaska and that the entire west coast was under tsunami warning again. I didn't think anything of it until I got out of the hospital and checked my phone for the time and saw that there was a text from Jan saying that the ferry was going to be delayed until the warning was over. Just what I wanted to hear at 2 in the morning, now that I was homeless. I went down to the ferry terminal to check anyway, and confirmed what Jan told me, so it was up to their house. They live in the highest part of town so it was a safe place to wait out the warning. I got there and watched the Junior game that was on. Canada lost the bronze medal in OT that night. Just as the game was wrapping up, the warning was called off with no incident. Back to the ferry. The good news about the warning was that I was the first one in line to get on the boat. The boat docked at 4am, when we were supposed to leave. Fortunately we still managed to leave shortly after 5 and managed to get to Port Hardy on schedule, which was nice, as the trip was already long enough and had many hours ahead of me yet. The drive and rest of the trip down the island was uneventful and I made good time until I hit Nanaimo. I had decided to meet up with a friend in Victoria for the night. The drive from Nanaimo to Victoria seemed to take the longest of the whole drive. The night was fun. We went to a Caribbean restaurant for supper and then did a tour of Victoria. It was a fun night hanging out with Jessica, as we don't know the next time we will see her.
The next morning started early, 5:30 the alarm went off and I got up and got on the road. I needed to be on the 7 o'clock ferry across to Vancouver. The sailing was good and I was able to study a bit for the first time of my trip. I got off the ferry at 8:45 and then off to Alberta. A quick stop at McDonald's for some breakfast, and back to the road. The first couple hours was rain filled and then I got high enough for it to turn to snow. So that slowed me down until Merritt when it finally cleared up again. It was clear sailing until I hit Sicamous and then the snow came down again. It snowed and was wet until just before Golden when it finally cleared up and the highway was snow free as well. Time to make up some lost time. I finally got home to mom and dad's at 10:45. Only 13 hours after hitting the mainland. Off to bed as I had 7 hours of sleep since Friday morning.
The next morning I unpacked the car and came up to Sherwood Park and met up with Sonja and Ryan. It was nice to see them again, but Ryan wasn't too thrilled with me that day. Sonja went out dress shopping with her sisters and mom, so it was up to me to watch Ryan, and he hated every minute of it. He's been much better today and more in sorts today.
So this is the last blog about our life in Bella Bella. That chapter of our life is now closed and we look forward to our next chapter in Manning. We look forward to what is in store for us. The new friends we will meet and the new experiences that await us. Its been a great 2 1/2 years. Thanks for everything Bella Bella.
Friday, December 7, 2012
December 7, 2012
We are either going to have to change the name of this blog or start a new one all together. I'm not sure which one we'll do, or even if we will continue on writing... I guess we will see.
This has been a fantastic week.
On Monday, we went over to Jan and Carl's place for dinner. We got there and the music was blaring, the kids were running around and dinner wasn't even started yet. We don't really like eating dinner so late but we were smart and fed Ryan before we got there. He had a great time playing with all the new toys at their house. We had to watch him closely because Jan and Carl have a 2 year old son who was always interested in the toy Ryan was playing with, or he would swing a toy out of the toy box and almost hit Ryan in the face. Joseph has a cute little leather rocking chair that Ryan crawled into and started rocking in. I wish I had a video of it so everyone could see just how cute it was. We walked home in the rain and it was amazing.
On Tuesday we went over to Shearwater for dinner with our really good friends. It was just so much fun. I've been trying to figure out how to explain just how fun it was but it's been tough. All we did was sit, talk and eat, and laugh. There was much laughter. And that's what I'm going to miss the most. It's just so easy to have fun with those girls. Tyler and Jessica played some pool and apparently Tyler took a shot that jumped off their table and made it in the corner pocket of the next table over.
On Wednesday, we stayed close to home and spent time together as a little family.
On Thursday, we were invited over to Kendra's place because Jessica left town today. We knew we couldn't stay long because Ryan was with us and it was already 8. We stayed for a little while but then Ryan got upset. No one else's apartment is baby proof so our time was spent getting Ryan away from the candles and stuff. It was nice to get out of the house again.
Today, I went out for lunch with my previous co workers at the RCMP. It was really nice to get out of the house again. I had a BBQ bacon cheese burger and it was super tasty. Again, we had good conversation and they were really excited about us moving to Manning. We mostly talked about kids and all the fantastic things they do. Tyler was at home with Ryan because his union is on strike right now. So, when I got home I got to spend the rest of the day with both of my men.
Ryan is such a little sweetheart. He walks all over the place, laughs all the time, is silly all the time and I can't get enough of him. He just makes my day and life so much better.
And the thing that makes my life worse is the stupid people who live beside and above us. Right now, we are listening to the stupid cat who is running around. I'm just hoping all the noise doesn't wake up Ryan.
We are inching closer to being home for Christmas and I'm getting antsy. I always get this way before we come home because I'm just so excited. I've been on this rock for 4 months and cabin fever is creeping in. Also, I just want to move home already... one more month!!!
Sonja
This has been a fantastic week.
On Monday, we went over to Jan and Carl's place for dinner. We got there and the music was blaring, the kids were running around and dinner wasn't even started yet. We don't really like eating dinner so late but we were smart and fed Ryan before we got there. He had a great time playing with all the new toys at their house. We had to watch him closely because Jan and Carl have a 2 year old son who was always interested in the toy Ryan was playing with, or he would swing a toy out of the toy box and almost hit Ryan in the face. Joseph has a cute little leather rocking chair that Ryan crawled into and started rocking in. I wish I had a video of it so everyone could see just how cute it was. We walked home in the rain and it was amazing.
On Tuesday we went over to Shearwater for dinner with our really good friends. It was just so much fun. I've been trying to figure out how to explain just how fun it was but it's been tough. All we did was sit, talk and eat, and laugh. There was much laughter. And that's what I'm going to miss the most. It's just so easy to have fun with those girls. Tyler and Jessica played some pool and apparently Tyler took a shot that jumped off their table and made it in the corner pocket of the next table over.
On Wednesday, we stayed close to home and spent time together as a little family.
On Thursday, we were invited over to Kendra's place because Jessica left town today. We knew we couldn't stay long because Ryan was with us and it was already 8. We stayed for a little while but then Ryan got upset. No one else's apartment is baby proof so our time was spent getting Ryan away from the candles and stuff. It was nice to get out of the house again.
Today, I went out for lunch with my previous co workers at the RCMP. It was really nice to get out of the house again. I had a BBQ bacon cheese burger and it was super tasty. Again, we had good conversation and they were really excited about us moving to Manning. We mostly talked about kids and all the fantastic things they do. Tyler was at home with Ryan because his union is on strike right now. So, when I got home I got to spend the rest of the day with both of my men.
Ryan is such a little sweetheart. He walks all over the place, laughs all the time, is silly all the time and I can't get enough of him. He just makes my day and life so much better.
And the thing that makes my life worse is the stupid people who live beside and above us. Right now, we are listening to the stupid cat who is running around. I'm just hoping all the noise doesn't wake up Ryan.
We are inching closer to being home for Christmas and I'm getting antsy. I always get this way before we come home because I'm just so excited. I've been on this rock for 4 months and cabin fever is creeping in. Also, I just want to move home already... one more month!!!
Sonja
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Big News...
It's been a long time since I posted something, partially because nothing exciting seems to happen lately. We don't get out much anymore with Ryan so we don't have any cool new experiences very often. Sure I was able to go out hunting a few times, but the deer out here don't actually exist. Out of six times getting out and 50+ kms under foot I saw a total of zero deer. One of those trips even involved getting off of this island and heading to another island called Yeo Island. Still no deer. It would have been nice to actually see one that I could decide I want to shoot or not. But alas the freezer is still empty.
That brings me to the last couple days. I have been applying for jobs since the summer, mostly MRI jobs but an occasional full time CLXT job that has been posted. After months of applying I finally was at least contacted about one of the positions I had applied for recently. Thursday morning I saw that there was a voicemail on my phone, so I called to find out what was left on my phone. I called the number back and found out that it was the x-ray tech from the Manning hospital. After asking some questions about me and about me having my MRI training etc. I was then asked when I would be available for an interview. I said that Friday morning would probably be best as I had to head into work in half an hour. That time didn't work for her so it was suggested to do it right then. Ok. Sounds good. So the twenty minutes was an unexpected interview. At the end I was told that they would probably have their decision in a couple days. I then went to work and warned my references that they may be contacted in the next little bit. The rest of the work day was kind of a write-off, as the adrenaline and excitement from the impromptu interview took some time to wear off.
After work we were invited to a friend's nieces birthday party for supper and cake. That's when I received the second unexpected phone call of the day. Right in the middle of happy birthday I got answered the phone and found that it was a job offer. I was offered the CLXT job in Manning less than twelve hours from my interview. So in a matter of couple days we are now in the process of winding down our time here, saying good bye to friends and getting ready to move to northern Alberta.
We are very excited for this new opportunity. A chance to start somewhere new and more importantly to get back to Alberta and be closer to our families. Since we already have our Christmas trip planned and paid for we will be coming home on the 21st and still come back here on the 30th, but only for a week now, instead of indefinitely like it has been since we moved out here. Sonja and Ryan will be flying out of Bella Bella on the 4th and I will take the ferry early on the 5th and begin the drive home. I start my new job on the 17th. Now we will have to find a new place to live and settle down. It's also nice because we will now be able to fully move out of our parents houses' and have our own place with our own stuff for the first time since we got married.
It will be a good new chapter in our life.
Tyler
That brings me to the last couple days. I have been applying for jobs since the summer, mostly MRI jobs but an occasional full time CLXT job that has been posted. After months of applying I finally was at least contacted about one of the positions I had applied for recently. Thursday morning I saw that there was a voicemail on my phone, so I called to find out what was left on my phone. I called the number back and found out that it was the x-ray tech from the Manning hospital. After asking some questions about me and about me having my MRI training etc. I was then asked when I would be available for an interview. I said that Friday morning would probably be best as I had to head into work in half an hour. That time didn't work for her so it was suggested to do it right then. Ok. Sounds good. So the twenty minutes was an unexpected interview. At the end I was told that they would probably have their decision in a couple days. I then went to work and warned my references that they may be contacted in the next little bit. The rest of the work day was kind of a write-off, as the adrenaline and excitement from the impromptu interview took some time to wear off.
After work we were invited to a friend's nieces birthday party for supper and cake. That's when I received the second unexpected phone call of the day. Right in the middle of happy birthday I got answered the phone and found that it was a job offer. I was offered the CLXT job in Manning less than twelve hours from my interview. So in a matter of couple days we are now in the process of winding down our time here, saying good bye to friends and getting ready to move to northern Alberta.
We are very excited for this new opportunity. A chance to start somewhere new and more importantly to get back to Alberta and be closer to our families. Since we already have our Christmas trip planned and paid for we will be coming home on the 21st and still come back here on the 30th, but only for a week now, instead of indefinitely like it has been since we moved out here. Sonja and Ryan will be flying out of Bella Bella on the 4th and I will take the ferry early on the 5th and begin the drive home. I start my new job on the 17th. Now we will have to find a new place to live and settle down. It's also nice because we will now be able to fully move out of our parents houses' and have our own place with our own stuff for the first time since we got married.
It will be a good new chapter in our life.
Tyler
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
November 28, 2012
There are a few things I know about my day even before I get out of bed in the morning.
I know that I will probably crush a few Cheerios on my way to the kitchen, bathroom, living room... really, any place in our small apartment. I know that if I try to clean up the Cheerios that Ryan spreads around, I will have to touch all the soggy ones that fall out of his mouth. Some how there are always soggy Cheerios no matter how long it's been since Ryan was eating them. Soggy Cheerios get stuck to pretty much everything that touches them, and so I also know that if I accidentally kneel in one, it is forever imbedded in my pants.
I know that as a mother, I have social duties to make certain comments to passersby who mention things about Ryan. For example, when someone says, "My, he's getting big!", I have to say, "Yup, he's growing like a weed." or "Yeah, it's hard to believe." Or someone will ask, "How old is he now?" And I will say, "10 months already." That person will almost always say, "It goes fast doesn't it." Every mother out there knows about these social interactions and how annoying they can get. What's nice is when someone asks a question or says something that is kind of out of the blue. The other day, we were standing in line at the store and someone asks to see his teeth. It seemed pretty random to us.
I also know that I will always be greeted with smiles and giggles when I get him from his naps, his Taylor Hall doll will be on the floor and Ryan will be standing in a corner of his crib talking to himself.
I know I will call Ryan by various other names, such as Sleepy-potomus, hungry-potomus, Collapsable Fink (It's a Dr. Seuss character), Walk-a-potomus, Mr. Bug, Bug, Stinker, and whatever else comes to mind. It might become a problem when he starts talking and doesn't actually know his own name but for now, he just looks at me and smiles and that's all I care about.
I know that no matter how quiet people think they are being, they are still always too loud. I know that as soon as I lay Ryan to sleep I'm on edge because 7 people have the potential to ruin his sleep. The preferable decibel for every other person on the planet is 0. I know that very little upsets me but if you wake my cranky, finally sleeping boy I will huff and puff to myself and complain to Tyler and my sisters. I wont actually say anything to the person making the noise though, which is silly and pure nonsense but I'm non combative. It's something I'm working on though. A few nights ago, our upstairs neighbor kept me awake until 12:45 and by that time, I was too upset from being awake so late that I couldn't fall asleep. And when she finally stopped opening and closing drawers, all I could hear was the peaceful sound of Tyler breathing, which of course drove me crazy. I tried sleeping on the couch away from Tyler but then a slow ferry went past and those things are loud at 3 in the morning. I did finally fall asleep and then Ryan decided he was going to wake up at 3:37. Basically, it wasn't a good night but to get back to my point, I actually sent her a text message asking her to keep it down that late at night. And it worked. She's still super loud but I think I can hear her at least trying to be quieter. It's tough though because these apartments weren't made with a great amount of skill so every step she takes it squeaks like crazy, and of course when she turns the water on, the water rushes down the walls in Ryan's room. There isn't anything we can do about that though.
Today was a good day. Ryan got 2 quality naps so I got some down time. I'm reading a good book so it's nice to have lots of time to sit. I made swarties hash browns for dinner and I sliced my palm with the grater thing. That hurt and continues to hurt every time I move my hand because the wound kind of opens a little every time I do something. Ryan didn't enjoy his portion of dinner so I gave him crackers and peanut butter instead, which he then smeared in his eye causing him to cry. I cleaned it out but he just smeared more in there. I just put him in the tub and rinsed all of him at the same time. The problem with doing that is that the bath water turned mirky and brown so I'm not sure he actually got cleaner. It's more likely that there is now a fine layer of peanut butter all over his body instead of just his arms, hands and face.
We are now just relaxing, finding ourselves mysteriously hungry even though dinner was really filling. We might both read our books tonight until bed time. Is there anything better then a really good book? No. I don't think so.
Sonja
I know that I will probably crush a few Cheerios on my way to the kitchen, bathroom, living room... really, any place in our small apartment. I know that if I try to clean up the Cheerios that Ryan spreads around, I will have to touch all the soggy ones that fall out of his mouth. Some how there are always soggy Cheerios no matter how long it's been since Ryan was eating them. Soggy Cheerios get stuck to pretty much everything that touches them, and so I also know that if I accidentally kneel in one, it is forever imbedded in my pants.
I know that as a mother, I have social duties to make certain comments to passersby who mention things about Ryan. For example, when someone says, "My, he's getting big!", I have to say, "Yup, he's growing like a weed." or "Yeah, it's hard to believe." Or someone will ask, "How old is he now?" And I will say, "10 months already." That person will almost always say, "It goes fast doesn't it." Every mother out there knows about these social interactions and how annoying they can get. What's nice is when someone asks a question or says something that is kind of out of the blue. The other day, we were standing in line at the store and someone asks to see his teeth. It seemed pretty random to us.
I also know that I will always be greeted with smiles and giggles when I get him from his naps, his Taylor Hall doll will be on the floor and Ryan will be standing in a corner of his crib talking to himself.
I know I will call Ryan by various other names, such as Sleepy-potomus, hungry-potomus, Collapsable Fink (It's a Dr. Seuss character), Walk-a-potomus, Mr. Bug, Bug, Stinker, and whatever else comes to mind. It might become a problem when he starts talking and doesn't actually know his own name but for now, he just looks at me and smiles and that's all I care about.
I know that no matter how quiet people think they are being, they are still always too loud. I know that as soon as I lay Ryan to sleep I'm on edge because 7 people have the potential to ruin his sleep. The preferable decibel for every other person on the planet is 0. I know that very little upsets me but if you wake my cranky, finally sleeping boy I will huff and puff to myself and complain to Tyler and my sisters. I wont actually say anything to the person making the noise though, which is silly and pure nonsense but I'm non combative. It's something I'm working on though. A few nights ago, our upstairs neighbor kept me awake until 12:45 and by that time, I was too upset from being awake so late that I couldn't fall asleep. And when she finally stopped opening and closing drawers, all I could hear was the peaceful sound of Tyler breathing, which of course drove me crazy. I tried sleeping on the couch away from Tyler but then a slow ferry went past and those things are loud at 3 in the morning. I did finally fall asleep and then Ryan decided he was going to wake up at 3:37. Basically, it wasn't a good night but to get back to my point, I actually sent her a text message asking her to keep it down that late at night. And it worked. She's still super loud but I think I can hear her at least trying to be quieter. It's tough though because these apartments weren't made with a great amount of skill so every step she takes it squeaks like crazy, and of course when she turns the water on, the water rushes down the walls in Ryan's room. There isn't anything we can do about that though.
Today was a good day. Ryan got 2 quality naps so I got some down time. I'm reading a good book so it's nice to have lots of time to sit. I made swarties hash browns for dinner and I sliced my palm with the grater thing. That hurt and continues to hurt every time I move my hand because the wound kind of opens a little every time I do something. Ryan didn't enjoy his portion of dinner so I gave him crackers and peanut butter instead, which he then smeared in his eye causing him to cry. I cleaned it out but he just smeared more in there. I just put him in the tub and rinsed all of him at the same time. The problem with doing that is that the bath water turned mirky and brown so I'm not sure he actually got cleaner. It's more likely that there is now a fine layer of peanut butter all over his body instead of just his arms, hands and face.
We are now just relaxing, finding ourselves mysteriously hungry even though dinner was really filling. We might both read our books tonight until bed time. Is there anything better then a really good book? No. I don't think so.
Sonja
Monday, November 26, 2012
November 26, 2012
Right now, Ryan is in his crib and he sounds like he's starting a car in there. His cries seriously sound like a car being started in the dead of winter and it just wont start. He's so close to falling asleep. It's pretty cute to listen to all his sounds. He's fighting it so hard and it makes me smile.
We had a good weekend. Tyler wasn't on call so we got to hang out most of the weekend as a little family. Tyler went out hunting on each morning, excited that he finally was able to hunt for the first time since we've been out here. But he came back empty handed. He did see 5 otters swim within arms reach of him and he said they were very cute. The only deer he got came in the form of pictures from his uncles. It was almost cruel.
While Tyler was out hunting, I stayed at home with the Ry man. He makes my day so happy. He's such a happy smily boy. He surprised me by sleeping until 8:30 on Saturday morning so that was nice. It's funny how the definition of sleeping in changes when you have a kid. We played, ate some food, napped and played some more. Tyler was home before noon on each day so we all got to spend some nice time together.
We were invited over to our friends place for a Grey Cup party. It was low key and since we aren't super fans of football and have Ryan, it was tough to just sit there and watch the game. But we stuck it out and were there until the end. It was nice to get out and hang out with other people. My only complaint is that going to other peoples homes is tough because no one seems to baby proof their place. Even though it is enjoyable, it's pretty tough. The great thing is that people without babies usually have a need to take care of other people's babies so Ryan was passed around a bit. It's nice break for us.
And today was a good day too. Tyler was working the late shift so he got up with Ryan and I got to sleep in again, until 8ish. It was so nice. I've always had issues getting to sleep and it's still a problem for me. Since we live in the bottom middle unit of our apartment complex, we hear everything. That just makes me anxious because I don't want Ry to wake up so then I usually wake up when I hear someone coming home late. We have asked to move but weren't allowed to. We'll try again in the new year because I can't lose this much sleep.
The weather has been nice the last few days. It's cool and crisp but it's nice walking weather. Ryan and I try to go for a walk every day. It helps settle him down for an afternoon nap and gets us out of the house.
It's Dexter night for us. This season hasn't been overly thrilling but I'm sure it will get better, or at least that's the hope.
I've been working on a few crafts these last few months which has taken me away from my cross stitching but now that they are all done, I can get back to my elk. This is a project that has been in the works for almost 2 years now so I'm eager to get it over with.
Sonja
We had a good weekend. Tyler wasn't on call so we got to hang out most of the weekend as a little family. Tyler went out hunting on each morning, excited that he finally was able to hunt for the first time since we've been out here. But he came back empty handed. He did see 5 otters swim within arms reach of him and he said they were very cute. The only deer he got came in the form of pictures from his uncles. It was almost cruel.
While Tyler was out hunting, I stayed at home with the Ry man. He makes my day so happy. He's such a happy smily boy. He surprised me by sleeping until 8:30 on Saturday morning so that was nice. It's funny how the definition of sleeping in changes when you have a kid. We played, ate some food, napped and played some more. Tyler was home before noon on each day so we all got to spend some nice time together.
We were invited over to our friends place for a Grey Cup party. It was low key and since we aren't super fans of football and have Ryan, it was tough to just sit there and watch the game. But we stuck it out and were there until the end. It was nice to get out and hang out with other people. My only complaint is that going to other peoples homes is tough because no one seems to baby proof their place. Even though it is enjoyable, it's pretty tough. The great thing is that people without babies usually have a need to take care of other people's babies so Ryan was passed around a bit. It's nice break for us.
And today was a good day too. Tyler was working the late shift so he got up with Ryan and I got to sleep in again, until 8ish. It was so nice. I've always had issues getting to sleep and it's still a problem for me. Since we live in the bottom middle unit of our apartment complex, we hear everything. That just makes me anxious because I don't want Ry to wake up so then I usually wake up when I hear someone coming home late. We have asked to move but weren't allowed to. We'll try again in the new year because I can't lose this much sleep.
The weather has been nice the last few days. It's cool and crisp but it's nice walking weather. Ryan and I try to go for a walk every day. It helps settle him down for an afternoon nap and gets us out of the house.
It's Dexter night for us. This season hasn't been overly thrilling but I'm sure it will get better, or at least that's the hope.
I've been working on a few crafts these last few months which has taken me away from my cross stitching but now that they are all done, I can get back to my elk. This is a project that has been in the works for almost 2 years now so I'm eager to get it over with.
Sonja
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