Temporary Life/Travel
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Fondue For Me and You
Even though we have been home for a few weeks, we are only now hosting a group of friends for a dinner party. We have missed everyone. Life in Fort McMurray allowed for very little social time. All are happy for the opportunity to get caught up, share laughter and offer support to one another. What better way to reconnect than over an old-fashioned fondue party, with a few modern twists? Starting with the location, we invite our guests to relax, enjoy a meal and spend the night at my in-laws’ cabin, just 40 minutes west of Calgary. It is a cozy spot with views of the Rocky Mountains and it doesn’t…
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Home Is Where the Heart (Attack) Is
I am suffering from DRAT (Domestic Responsibility Anxiety and Tension). My life has gone from simple to not-so-simple in the course of an eight-hour drive and it feels like a tidal-wave has crashed over me. When I try to take in all that needs my attention, my heart pounds and I have to remind myself to breathe. Now that I am back in Calgary, I have to face my domestic duties, and then some. As I enter my home, after this lengthy absence, the presence of “stuff” overwhelms me. My den is piled high with useful and not-so-useful items, extra clothes that don’t fit or won’t fit are still stored in…
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So Long, 2_05
The air’s fall scent, nature’s aromatic spice, is undeniable. The long shadows of the season protect the last hardy flowers. The refreshing chill that lingers into the afternoon tells me my time in Fort McMurray is coming to an end for this year. As I organize my belongs in preparation for my drive home, I realize I have become attached to 2_05, even with its little blemishes. I am getting used to a kitchen range with burners too hot and oven too cool. A person can adapt to a low-voltage microwave and I have learned that I can refilter chewable coffee. Mashing potatoes with a fork, roasting meat in aluminum foil…
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Like It or Not (What I Have Noticed About Fort McMurray)
I am coming up to the two-month mark on my life in Fort McMurray. Sometimes, I think that being new in town, and knowing no one, offers that anonymity that allows one to observe. I am an outsider looking in and noticing some pretty interesting contrasts to my life back home in Calgary. As it turns out, Fort Mac is quite different from what I anticipated. Having been warned of the bugs, drugs, bad service and general roughness of the lifestyle here, I would like to share my view. Most people I have met are not from here. This town is much more culturally diverse than I…
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An Audience With the Chief
A trip to the East Glacier area of Montana is like going back in time. Picture two old gents sitting on the porch of Thronson’s General Store, Babb, Montana. Their heads track simultaneously, right to left, as they keep an eye on the lone, helmetless, Harley rider passing through town. A cat leaps onto the railing in front of them and two sets of eyes turn to acknowledge the stray. This is the land of “Mo’ Betta Fireworks” and “Autentic Western Memobilla.” We are on a four-day vacation away from Fort McMurray after thirty-five straight days of work for my husband. This allows us enough time to take a sixty-minute…
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Those are Some Mosquitoes!
“Mosquitoes,” they all warned. “You are going to Fort McMurray, you had better go prepared,” they said. At my office going away party, one of my clients gifted me a can of “Ben’s Wilderness Formula Insect Repellent,” wrapped delicately in brown paper. I could tell by the orange and black spray can that it was way better than the average “Deep Woods Off” and I was grateful. Having been a wet and cool spring in Calgary, I hadn’t been able to leave the house without experiencing a major mosquito attack. I am talking about the huge and hearty variety. The “You can run but can’t hide” type that you can’t…
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Must Have vs Nice to Have
Part of my plan in preparing for my temporary move up to Fort McMurray was to take a one week exploratory trial run in order to check out our living space. I needed to find out what I would be dealing with in terms of day-to-day functionality. The condo turned out to be a pleasant surprise, with two bedrooms, two full bathrooms, open kitchen/living area, and a decent-sized deck with room for barbequing (a must-have) and a view of the Clearwater River from the far side. It was better than I had hoped. The condo is furnished so, after taking an inventory of the contents, I discovered our basic needs…
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Hey! How Does This Work?
Spring 2011 We now have a three to five-year plan. My husband will work about 6 months per year and we will have the flexibility to ski and travel in the winter. Once the kids have their lives on track and are out on their own, we”ll sell our house in Calgary and move to a condo somewhere on the outskirts of town. We will have the same length of time to upgrade the house in Calgary in preparation to sell. Things seemed to be falling into place for my temporary move to Fort McMurray where my new adventure begins. I will take good care of my husband and myself by…
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This is It!
Winter 2011 There I was sitting at my administrative desk job on the edge of downtown Calgary; my husband working in Fort McMurray, 21 year-old son at university down in Florida, and a 19 year-old daughter in second year at Mount Royal University, and I was asking myself , “Is this the way life is supposed to be?” This right-brained girl, living a left-brained life, started to squirm in her chair. Life was feeling out of whack. Acknowledging the thought started the flow of nervous excitement and anxiousness that I recognized to mean only one thing…. change was imminent! I was craving adventure – something more. I realized I would…
