Mornings

Yesterday morning, I listened to the new Weakerthans album repeatedly (thanks Bob!) Songs about curling, bus drivers, and the second album in a row with a song from the perspective of a cat. It's like John K. Sampson knows exactly what's going on in my life, and what I've been thinking about. Since I don't have my dependable Toronto record stores around, I've really been lacking music, which probably leads me to obsess over this record even more than usual.

Today, my morning is stretching into the afternoon as I drink my second cup of coffee at 1:30 to get the cobwebs from last night out of my head.

I'm currently trying to get a wireless router working, with limited success. If anyone knows anything about getting a wireless network set up, let me know.

Bones, part 3: Bones with stones

Library Book Sale Madness

Yesterday was the social event of the weekend: the Public Library Booksale.
As a staff member, I got first pick, although as Kate Nova's and Bob Izumi Jr's lists show, I missed out on a lot of good ones. I did try to hold back; after all, there are tons of good books to borrow from the library, rather than being saddled with a heavy pile of books. I think the sale was especially good since people move in and out of this town so often.
My list:
National Audubon Society Field Guide to Mammals of North America (Almost brand new!)
Common Plants of Nunavut
Better Homes and Gardens Meatless Main Dishes
Low-Fat Vegetarian Cookbook
Bonsai
Quotations from Chairman Mao
Neither Here Nor There: Travels in Europe, by Bill Bryson
The Cider House Rules, by John Irving
Catch 22, by Joseph Heller
The Indian Lawyer, by James Welch
Oars, Sails and Steam: A Picture Book of Ships, by Edwin Tunis
Star Gazing, Comet Tracking and Sky Mapping, by Melvin Berger
Icebergs, by Roma Gans, Illustrated by Bobri (a kids' book published in 1964, purchased for its awesome 60's-style illustrations)

Bones, part 2

This edition of the Bones of Iqaluit is brought to you by the federal riding of Outremont in Montreal, where only the carcass is left of the decimated Liberal candidate, after being soundly skinned and gutted by the NDP's Thomas Mulcair earlier this week.*

Speaking of politics, here's a video of Jack Layton hanging out on Baffin Island a few weeks ago.

*Metaphorically.

Snow Daze

Over the weekend, it snowed. It had kinda sorta snowed last week, but this past weekend it snowed properly, with big white blowing flakes. On Sunday, I was looking out over Frobisher Bay, and felt like something was different... it took me a little while to realize that the white across the bay wasn't entirely clouds - the hills were snow covered! If you look carefully, you can see them in the photo above. This morning, there was actual snow on the ground (or, as one of the kids at daycare put it, there were "snowmans" outside).

So far, I forget most days that I live in the arctic. That is beginning to change.

Kung Fu Fridays

I used to semi-regularly attend "Kung Fu Fridays" at the Royal Cinema on College Street in Toronto, where weird and wonderful Kung Fu movies were screened. It sadly ended a couple of years ago.

I'm currently trying to keep the spirit alive here in Iqaluit, in a sense. I've started taking Taekwon-Do classes, and my first one was on Friday. I'm a long way from kicking much ass, since I can barely figure out which direction my limbs are supposed to go, and my flexibility is pretty limited. I started learning how to kick someone on top of their head, which was cool, except that for now my leg only goes high enough to kick the heads of midgets. And, really, that would probably go against the Taekwon-Do oath:
I shall observe the tenets of Taekwon-Do:
Courtesy, Integrity, Perseverance, Self-control, Indomitable spirit
I shall respect the instructor and seniors
I shall never misuse Taekwon-Do
I shall be a champion of freedom and justice
I shall build a more peaceful world

After class, I came home and watched Magnificent Butcher, a Kung Fu Fridays-worthy film I bought in Chinatown in Toronto before coming up here. It features a fight with caligraphy brushes, a drunken chicken, a villain named Crazy Cat who meows while fighting, and stars Sammo Hung.

Saturday, we had people over. Kate Nova made a video.

The Dewey Decimal System is alive and well

If there is nothing else in Iqaluit, there are lots of jobs. Somehow, I managed to stumble into a second one. I found out that the local public library was desperate for staff, so I've started working there - just on Saturdays, and a couple of days during the week. It's kind of an ideal second job - low stress, but intellectually stimulating enough to keep me interested. It's a good complement to working at the daycare, where a complete sentence is a major accomplishment for most of the kids.

This past weekend, I attended Mass Registration, where all the clubs/groups/classes/volunteer organizations gather in one room for one day to fill the calendars of Iqalummiut for the year. Which means I'm probably not going to be bored any time soon.

Narwhal or just a big fish?

A few weeks ago, I took a picture of this cool Narwhal sculpture behind the Nunavut legislative building, which I walk past every day on my way to work:
Now, however, with the recent theft of its tusk, it's just a big fish:

Sick day

Got a virus from one of the little petri dishes I work with. Been battling it all long-weekend. Called in sick today. Not much blog-worthy happening. Currently making soup.