Baby, It's cold out here...

Well, as we anticipated, it's cold, damn cold. Really, how do you figure out how to "handle" the cold? It seems as if our bodies or brains, or our primal memory just deleted the experience. All moisture is sucked out of the air. The humidifier is going, and I must find a filter for the other one for upstairs. Windchill warnings. It's something, I must say.

We're starting to settle in, but I haven't felt like I've found my niche this week. We flew out of Melbourne a few hours before all the hooha started over the NW Airlines issue. Melbourne to Auckland we could still follow the flight via the flight tracker. I like that device -- it tells you how fast and far you've flown. The Auckland to Vancouver flight was 12.5 hours, and went very well, other than the fact that I couldn't follow our progress. There were long line-ups for additional security for all the flights heading to the U.S., but the Vancouver flight was exempt. Air NZ is exemplary with its service, friendliness, and a vast array of movies to watch to while away the hours. Tom saw District 9, plus more. I watched The Vintner's Luck and another Kiwi movie, the title of which escapes me. Nicole watched Secondhand Wedding, a Kiwi movie we clicked into when we arrived in NZ last year. Kai and Gabe watched a variety of Up, Monsters vs. Aliens, bringing them up to speed. We did find movie going in Aus very expensive, so are now looking forward to some catching up!

Joe, Allison and Jakob met up with us at the Vancouver Airport, after very little sleep on our parts. That's one thing I (and apparently my offspring) find difficult to do on planes -- sleep. Oh well. I managed to doze off for a few hours, Tom did get a bit of sleep, but the kids had very little.




























We will continue to settle in. Tom starts back to Dakota Collegiate on Monday. The kids will check our their new schools (true to form Winnipeg School Division can't accommodate what we/they requested for the Jan to June school session), and I'm back on Tuesday. I'm sure that will be a bit of a shocker, all around. I want to keep writing, just haven't figured out a good seque to my next round... Something will spring up!

We know we're back in Canada -- Stephen Harper continues his dance with democracy by once again proroguing the current session of government. Something about making everything look good for the Olympics. Or something about control. The guy's a control freak, that's for sure. Makes me yearn for Tony Abbott's shenanigans, but I can't live in the past! Sleep is still coming and going, for me at least. Each kid has had a little blast with the "gastro", as they aptly call it in Aus. Tom's had one too. The drains to the street backed up -- the plumber was called in, and for a mere $95, suggested we call Winnipeg Sewer and Drain. That guy hauled out a garbage bag of tree roots, and now everything is flowing again. After all, we only lived in this house for 4 months, so now we are going to get to know it and the new neighbourhood. I do miss ABC's Radio National. The stuff I'm tuning into on CBC seems hollow, without substance. Will have to investigate some satellite radio or internet radio options and wireless set-up in our house. Moving ahead, I guess.

Happy New Year to you all. We plan to celebrate a Canadian Christmas on Ukrainian Christmas, so we'll get our turkey! I've still got pics to upload, and will let you know how I will continue.