The Kindness of Strangers

So I took my first personal day at work.  My wonderfully brave kitty had to visit the vet to get herself fixed and micro-chipped.  The closest vet is 3.5 hours away and this means a day off work.  So Friday morning, bright and early (6am), Chloe and I hop into the "beast" to begin our trek to Meadow Lake.  Luckily we both have some company to help us watch for deer and other crazy wildlife that might risk their lives and jump in front of the "beast".  My neighbour had to take her puppy, Brutus, to get snipped.  Brutus cozies up next to Chloe, well, her carrying case and Kim ..... well, there is no coziness between us, but she did keep me awake and alert for the drive.  Anyway, the drive is going smoothly until we stop for gas in Beauval .... unfortunately bad things happen to me in Beauval.  Not even five minutes after we filled up, the "beast" starts to shake and vibrate; the check engine light comes on and my heart rate speeds up.  Of course all this happens in a no cellphone signal zone and all we can do is talk sweet talk to the "beast" and beg her to get us to our destination safely.  Well, she did and after dropping our pets off for their scheduled surgeries we find the Ford center and gear ourselves up for some more begging.  You see, Meadow Lake is a very busy metropolis (not) so there was the very real possibility that the "beast" would not get attended to.  I must say, the men at the Ford center were extremely nice and courteous as they agreed to take a look at her, although, their schedule was very tight.  It didn't look good until we said, "we are from La Loche."  These five words prove to be magical .... as soon as people hear this, they seem to take pitty on us poor souls and they feel the need to offer kind words and help in any way they can.  Needless to say, the "beast" was looked at and fixed and we were able to leave almost on schedule.

Now, that is not the end of the story.  During our visit in Meadow Lake we did some necessary shopping.  One of our stops was the bargain store.  We stopped here while the "beast" was being fixed and since my purchases were big and a pain to carry around, I asked the lady working if she would hold them for me while I waited for my car.  She was not very keen on the idea and gave me evil eyes.  I said, "I'm from La Loche ...." and guess what .... her attitude changed.  All of a sudden she was willing to do whatever I asked and her evil eyes became sympathetic eyes.

Then we went to the liqueur store.  This is a chance to stock up on sweet tasting beverages that will help keep me warm in the winter months so I bought more then I normally would.  The lady checking me out gave me a stare indicating that I was a lush (she's not entirely wrong ... joking of course) so I felt the need to inform her that I'm not a boozer.  I said, "I don't really drink this much .... I'm from La Loche and ...."  Well, she no longer looked at me as though she were judging me but instead with deep understanding. 

One more stop ... the hardware store.  Kim decided to buy a game, Battle of the Sexes (we all know who always wins those battles *wink*wink*), and while checking out the lady asked us where we were from (I guess it was obvious that we weren't from Meadow Lake) and upon telling her that:  "we are from La Loche" she replied, taking a quick breath in as she spoke, "how do you like it up there?"  Diplomatically we responded telling her that it isn't that bad (and this is the truth) and she followed up with a horrible story about a friend of hers who was badly hurt while living here.  My point of sharing this with you is: not only do people feel the need to empathize/sympathize with us or help us out but they feel obligated to share any story that they may have regarding experiences in La Loche.  I suppose these stories are meant to help me out with my own experience.  They are generally warnings or .... well .... just warnings of being careful .... I guess I seem like a person who is not careful or takes too many risks.

Anyway .... to all those nice people who offered their sympathy and kind words .... and to all those nice people who shared their stories of warning .... thank you.  I appreciate your kindness ... because .... it gives me something to write about. 

Cheers!

Convention

I just returned home from spending a week in Prince Albert for a mandatory convention .  Did I enjoy spending a week away from La Loche?  Oh yes!  It is nice to be surrounded with all the unnecessary enjoyments of life:  an assortment of restaurants, shopping malls, grocery stores, bars, and a movie theater.  I spent way too much money (on necessities I assure you) and enjoyed a movie (Zombieland) and did some necessary relaxing and socializing.  This week; however, was all about convention and professional development.  Did I find this week beneficial to MY professional development?  I struggle with whether or not to speak honestly or politically.  I should say that it was a week full of interesting and important information that will absolutely help me develop as a teacher.  The truth; however, is that it was a huge disappointment.  The keynote speaker on the first day was not relevant to teaching in any way.  He spoke crudely and unprofessionally and I can assure you that his speech was meant more for a seedy nightclub rather than a professional teacher convention.  I am still confused about his purpose and what I was supposed to learn from him.  Day two was spent networking with "colleagues" (I use this term loosely) who made me feel insignificant.  Day three was when the fun really began.   This was business day and I left with a clear understanding of the division divide.  East vs. West.  The drama and lack of respect was worse then my own classroom.  The only aspect of this week that proved useful was the presentation of the final speaker on our last day.  His presentation was relevant and even provided a sense of hope.  If I take anything away from this week it will be his words and the inspiration he provided.

Now, I can't end this blog without writing about my trip home from and to La Loche.  It takes 5-51/2 hours to drive to/from Prince Albert.  I left Prince Albert at 4pm which meant night time driving and animal watching.  We spotted 17 deer .... one which almost met "the Beast" (that's my car) personally and that was just on the return trip.  I don't think I have seen that many deer in my lifetime.  We also saw 1 bald eagle, a bunny, 2 coyotes, a fox, and roadkill.  I have to admit it was kind of exciting.  I was hoping to see a bear but, alas, did not.

In conclusion, convention was a bust but I got a lot accomplished.  :)   

Pictures

Chloe watching me work.

Chloe is making sure my work prints alright.

Playing "hide and go seek".

Chloe is a big fan of "Dancing with the Stars".

Chloe wants to be part of the action.

 First snow fall in La Loche.

My backyard.

This Just In

My mom told me tonight that I need to write a new blog.  So .... here I am, trying to think of something clever, witty and utterly brilliant to write about.  The truth is, I've got nothing.  My weekend was spent visiting with friends and playing Rockband (Beatles Rockband actually) ... but this isn't anything new.  I had a not-so-good day on Monday but I don't really feel like writing about that either.  I will let you know that I had a fairly productive weekend setting up my new teacher website.  If you are interested at all feel free to check it out; you might be curious to see the kind of things I'm doing with my classes.  Keep in mind; however, that this is a website in progress and any suggestions or ideas would be greatly appreciated. 

Website:  http://teacherweb.com/SK/LaLocheCommunitySchool/MsGreensides/index.html

P.S.  To all my family and friends who read this .... I miss you and love you all very much!