ELEVATOR PANIC

       Several weeks ago the Micro manager was scheduled for an ultrasound at the local lab. Neither one of us were in great condition. I had just had my surgery. Her mobility is not good. It was icy.

      I tried to find a parking spot that was close to the entrance and the least ice. 

    When her appointment ended she was in another part of the building.  We walked back but were  on the wrong floor. Oh there's an elevator! Great!

    What the Micro Manager wants to do at times does not fit with the plan. So instead of going out the door to where the car was closest, she got it in her head to go down a floor and out another door. For some reason she thought this was the best route.

    Well we got on the elevator and the fun started. It must have been an elevator from pioneer days. The controls were two egg size buttons. One for up and one for down. So right away we started experimenting. There was nothing to tell you where you were. We went up and down for a while. Then the debate started and it got louder and louder. Finally, we got to the floor we were looking for but couldn't see how to open the door. Staff were outside yelling and trying to tell us what to do. Finally, we  clicked on something and the door opened. When we stepped out, I said, "I'm not with her!"

    Staff could hardly stop themselves from laughing but kept it together. I'm sure they had a big laugh when we left.. 

    I've never been on an elevator with so  few instructions. I'm sure many people have the same experience we did.

SUN CHANGES

     I'm a  bit of a nerd when it comes to sunrise and sunset at this time of year. I like to know what's happening. What are the changes?

     Well since the winter solstice not much has happened but we're slowly starting to move in the right direction.

     Sunrise on the winter solstice was 8:42 and Jan 1 is 8:44 . So two minutes of daylight have been gained. Sunset  on the winter solstice was 4:24 and on Jan. 1 was 4:33 so the daylight has increased by nine minutes .

     Okay I  promise not to make such a nerdy post until March.

    

HOSPITAL GOWNS

           Is it only me, or do other people have an issue with hospital gowns? 

           Since I have recently been in the hospital, the problems with the hospital gown is fresh in my mind.

            What's wrong with hospital gowns you say? Well, they always want the opening at the back. So then they have eleven different strings to so call close  it. Well, I can't reach the strings! And if I get the strings it's only one and I tie a knot and everything falls open. If I do get the strings , I can't tie a knot backwards. If I do get the knot tied up it's so loose, it might as well not be tied. Anyway, if you do get strings tied you walk around with your butt hanging out and I don't like that . Who does?

         I've tried being rebellious and tying at the front but exposure at the front is worse than the back and anyway they just tell you to go back and tie the gown at the back. Yes, I tried it.

       I've thought of just not putting the gown on and walk out in all my glory, but I think there's a law against nudity in public. Besides that, I think the people at the hospital may decide not to treat me.

    So I will have to hope that I don't have to go anywhere where I have to put on the dreaded gown.

           So this last time the micro manager was with me and she tied the string properly.

CRITTERS

        I quite often talk about critters going through my yard or hanging out in my yard. Usually they frequent my front yard.  the back yard is fenced but is not gated. Many critters crawl under my fence for entrance or exit.

      My usual visitors are jack rabbits. And then there are many birds. Right now its very cold so birds are hunkering down to keep warm.

     At times the white tailed deer and mule deer go through the front yard every night. One night we looked out to see three of them laying down in the front yard. I was  looking for the beggars as they had been eating my petunias. 

    So I was very surprised to see deer tracks in my back yard. In fact, they walked right under my bedroom window. With their senses , they probably knew I was sound asleep. So they nibble off a few shrubs and probably found a little grass.

THE TWO VERY BEST CHRISTMAS PRESENTS I EVER GOT

            The two very best Christmas presents I ever got were my two children. Yes, they both came a few days before Christmas. My  children are adopted so here's the story.

             We had decided to adopt children. We came out of the arctic for one year while we were looking for a transfer. We decided to make and application for adoption here. They  told us that it might be two years before we would be placed. So the application is long and detailed. There are also interviews and home inspections. A number of references are required and then you wait. We took them seriously that it could be two years.

           Well surprise, surprise. They phoned a few days before Christmas to tell us they had a six week old boy for us and could we come up the next day and pick him up.

          Well, there was no way this would work. We did not have one piece of stuff for a baby: no crib, no clothes, no food, no diapers. We had nothing for a new baby. The micro manager is quick ion her feet and asked for more time. She also phoned in her resignation. So the next day she shopped until she dropped and got everything she needed for a new baby.

        We went to Edmonton and  arrived at the appointed time. Again, more interviews. Did we really want a child? So finally the little beaner was brought out  for us to see. He was beautiful. We were left alone and asked to discuss the issue. There was  really no discussion to be had. So after a few hours we were proudly on our way home

         So exactly  two years later we get the same call just a few days before Christmas. There were fewer questions this time. We were still asked if we wanted this child. We were asked to discuss it with each other. We were given the child to hold. Who could resist this five week old little girl? Meanwhile our son was completely ignoring the issue. He found some toys to play with. He had no idea what was going on. So  a couple of hours later we were on our way home  with our new daughter.

       So that ended our association with the Arctic. Fifty six and fifty four years later I can still look back at those two wonderful Christmas presents.

      So  every Christmas  I think of the wonderful Christmas presents and how long they have lasted.

MORE WINTER SOLSTICE

     As happens many times with me, after I've posted, I remember other things I should have written.

 This happened in my last post on winter solstice.

    Here I go again. You know that I spent 5 years in the Arctic. They were years that influenced me for

 the remainder of my life.

   Many times, people including me, talk about the dark in the Arctic. Higher up in the Arctic there will

 be darkness. Where I was at 68 north, we did not get total darkness. Here , for sunrise we get light,

 quite some time before actual sun up. The same thing happens in the evening. So where I was ,we

 didn't get actual darkness. Light came from the sun when it was below the horizon. If it was cloudy it

 could get very dull. The sun stays below the horizon for about six weeks.

    My apartment in Inuvik had windows facing west. It was a fantastic view. First the East arm of the

 Mackenzie was about 800m away. The my view was of the delta and it was treed. From the west arm of

 the Mackenzie I could see the Richardson Mountians.  So for me this was a fantastic view that has

 stuck with me for all my life. 

WINTER SOLSTICE

    The four quarters of the year are of interest to me. There is a change at those times which is significant. Some changes are positive and some are negative. Now we can look forward to longer days and coming warmth if we're patient.

      Before the  internet and when I was a child we did not get details of time. As a child I would watch and wait for the solstice. we did not have any charts to tell us sun up and sun down times.

     So here it is: sunrise today was at 8:42. Sunset was at 4:24. We had 7 hours, 41 minutes and 45 seconds of sun up. For those who care, the day got .02 seconds shorter.

     I'm having trouble with blogger tonight as certain things  are missing