Sunday, February 20, 2011

When I was a little girl, I wanted to be a pioneer.  I vividly remember picking chokecherries with my great grandmother at the lake and telling her that.  I had a passion for old things, old tales, and a different way by the time I was entering Grade 2.  I wish I could blame it on the Little House books, but my fascination began even before I started reading this.

What in the world has made this crop into my head you say?  It's the game, FrontierVille, which you can find on facebook. 



I recently started playing it out of boredom.  It has you clearing rocks, chopping trees, etc.  I actually don't even enjoy it.  I find it appaling that I'm doing it by myself, without a husband.  I have to build a fortune before a husband can be sent...ludicrous I say!  If I'm breaking my back, he should be breaking his!

Now bring things back to reality...the fact is that I couldn't have handled it.  I'm not necessarily talking about the work-because I'm a very hard worker, but the extreme isolation.  Right now, I feel pretty isolated and it's taken its toll on me.  I feel cut off, apart, and alone.  As much as I embrace where my life right now is-it's hard.  And I certainly haven't had lady luck leaning my way.  Seriously, I couldn't have been a pioneer-I'd tell the little girl, join a dance hall and dance your socks off...don't go to the prairies...

In My Own Backyard-A Horror Story

So picture in your mind the theme music to Jaws while I get ready to announce this....I met my first bedbug...(GASP)!  Yup, you heard me, the bedbug, AKA the bug that's not just for your bed...

So the story?  Well, without trying to say too much to protect some identities...somebody I know had one crawling on them...I thought maybe it was a tick because guess what?  It bloody well looks like a tick.  Check out the photo:


See what I say???

I didn't know that bedbugs looked like ticks-someone had to point that out to me...so here I tried to be the brave valiant lady and squash the bug to death as I didn't have any matches nearby to see the sucker go to bug Hell....

Truth be told, I don't know if it was squashed...maybe I squashed it so well that there was no evidence left over?

When I got home, I stripped at my back door down to my birthday suit...clothes went in a garbage bag secured to be washed in hot water and jacket and shoes got put in the freezer...I hit the shower. 

Fact is that bedbugs can live in -10 C temperatures for up to 5 days.  Did you hear me?  The suckers are like little demons....can survive most anything...

While I know I was thorough and I'm 99.9999999% sure that I didn't bring any into my home, I still feel creepy, and at times I'm hallucinating that I feel something crawling on me....it's kind of like when I was introduced to lice the first time (not that I had it, but came in contact with it)...it's the same feeling....actually just writing this, I had to hit myself in the head because I felt something crawly...

Fact is that once you get them, they are almost impossible to get rid of.  They can hitch rides on pets, they move at lightening speed (this I saw with my own eyes), can live in cold temperatures, can come in on infested items (even brand new items from the store)...

It makes me cautious in buying certain second hand items...I definitely think people need to be cautious and maybe even leave things in a safe place not inside the home where someone can investigate any possibility of bugs...

I tell you...I think this is only the beginning of me seeing these out in public, but I'm ready for it...Are you????

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Hanging in There....

Well, I'm hanging in there...I've had car problems galore (currently, I am home waiting for the garage to show up and fix my tire that went completely flat when I got home from school yesterday), things go wrong like you wouldn't believe in the little house I'm living in, and other little bumps, like a trip to the emergency room at a hospital in another town.  But, despite all of this, I'm doing okay. I really am. 

I've had a couple chances to get out and explore my new little town, and it's so pretty...people are so nice too.  While I haven't really had the chance to meet any people my own age yet, there are definitely some around.  So hopefully, I'll get to know a few people soon.  It would be nice to meet another girl or two to hang out with from time to time.

I finally found my digital camera after it being missing since the move...yay!!  Now I can take pictures galore...I was hoping for a nice weekend to explore more, but I'm not sure what's going to happen with that.  I'm definitely looking forward to what I can find...it's so pretty...you wouldn't believe how pretty it is.

School's going well...I'm seeing real success with some of my students and that is truly a blessing.  I'm proud that I'm able to be apart of their growth. 

Well, this isn't the most exciting of posts, but it's it for today...

Friday, February 11, 2011

Raising Money for a Great Cause

So my class decided to do a bake sale to raise some money for our classroom.  I've paid for a lot of things out of my own pocket, and just needed to subsidize a bit as I couldn't keep going at the rate I was going.  So the solution was the bake sale...did I think it was going to be successful?  Not really...I hoped for enough money to buy mini white boards for my students...I use them in seeing which students are understanding concepts in a way that is game like.  We were using placemats before, but they ended up being destroyed after only six uses, and no amount of chemical would remove it.

Well, with about 10 people donating baking, we managed to raise......$161.50!!!

I couldn't believe how crazy it was...the amount of money raised and the sales that were made...Holy cow...not only could we afford our whiteboards, but could now afford to consider other things.  I know one big thing that parents wanted...a microwave.  I felt it was only fair that a microwave be bought as it was the parents who donated who have been requesting one.  It'll make things easier for students and parents, and that might equal more cooperation?

It was amazing though to see that response.  To be able to go and buy a few things tomorrow for the classroom without it bleeding so much into my own pocket is such a relief.  To finally be getting supplies that the kids need is a huge relief. 

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

I think apart of me is in mourning.  A part of me misses certain things about my old life so much...I miss my painted walls, my furniture, my gardens, the way I had things arranged.  I miss being confident to walk into a place knowng people automatically.  Things have been a huge adjustment, and I know with everything within me that this has been the right move, it doesn't make it easier. 

I don't think it's a matter of feeling sorry for myself-I think I have gone through an awful lot in a short period of time and I'm adjusting.  It's just hard not feeling settled or at home.  I'm starting to love this little town I'm in, but it would be so nice to have a home that you're proud to come home to every day.  I'm hoping with income tax (when I finally get my t4s), that I can get some furniture for the living room.  It's just been very difficult and as much as I appreciate this fresh start, well, fresh starts don't come without their price.

In general am I okay?  Yes, just doing what I can to train my thoughts to be positive about this all...I'm glad I made this move and really, I know that it will do good things for me...I just have to be patient...

Friday, February 4, 2011

2 Months and Counting...

So it is official...it's been over 2 months since making the big move.  How am I doing?  Okay, but I am getting serious cabin fever.  My life is school and staying inside the house, doing school work.  It's been frigid cold for what seems like weeks now and I've about had it.  I need to do something soon to feel like I'm meeting people or something.  It doesn't seem that Birtle offers much and with the weather so cold, walks aren't even possible.  Its been quite lonely-but people are friendly and helpful.  I got stuck in my driveway the other day as it was warm, allowing the tires to sink into the snow and get caught.  A neighbor down the street was driving past, and went back for his tow rope to help me out.  I'm not used to that-people helping strangers.  Portage wasn't like that-it was cold and quite self absorbed. 

School has kept me busy and it's allowed me to be the workaholic that I am.  But I recognize that you can't devote so much time to work...I'm going to keep my ears and eyes open to see if anything comes up for me to meet people and get out a bit in town.  We'll see...I'm hanging in there...