Lobster-tastic night!

It is possible to have a seafood extravaganza on the Prairies! But...BC people will point out that "it's just not the same - after all, it's not fresh". Well, they would be correct (to a certain extent). You see, I engaged in a lobster-tastic feast tonight. For some reason I've been thinking about seafood, and since I can't get fresh salmon, why not go to Red Lobster and partake of their fresh lobster? I know it's fresh, since I saw them swimming in the tank when I got there.

So, one ultimate feast later, I'm officially satisfied. I consumed a lobster tail, multiple snow crab legs (very messy, but sweet and delicious), prawns and sauteed shrimp. Somewhere off the East Coast they're renaming a boat "The Lisa" (Christie, 2006). This was in addition to a salad, lobster stuffed mushrooms, and those fantastic rolls. I haven't yet found a "prim and proper" way to eat crab, so I just got in there with the tools they gave me and ripped 'er apart. Perhaps not so classy, but SOOOO good. Anyway, Shannon was living a lobster-free existence, but has now tried it for the first time. See? I'm doing good deeds here in the Prairies!

A single girl's take on Census 2006

It is census time and I'm officially late getting the survey done. I was in La Ronge when the census was delivered, and now I'll have official census people knocking on my door. Thankfully you can do it all online, so I filled everything out tonight. This was a super way to remind me that a) I'm single, b) I live alone, c) there really are no other people living here, and d) yup, still single. I can't believe how many different ways they find to ask you the same question. Here is the 2006 census in brief (based on a single girl living alone):

0.5) sex (female)

1) status (single)

2) is anyone living with you? (no)

3) list all people living with you (none)

4) did you miss anyone that might be living with you? (I go and check under the bed, in the storage space, and behind the TV. Nope, still no one)

5) have you ever been married? (no - see question #1)

6) did you understand question #2 and is there anyone who might be living with you in any way? List them. (NO, still no one).

7) how much money do you have? (I'm a student)

8) how many weeks did you work? (all of them - again, I'm a student)

9) are you sure there's no illegal immigrants sleeping on your couch? (yes, damn sure)

10) when was your last date and how desperate were you at that time? (ok, I made that up, but it wouldn't surprise me at this point!)

11) do you mind if we tell your (hypothetical) great-great grandkids that you're single and have no illegal immigrants staying with you? (sure, go right ahead)

Thank you for completing this year's census (you're welcome)

Shannon wants to know the aggregate results so we know how many singles there really are. I think there are several, but we've already dated them. Statistically, I may have already dated the entire eligible populations of some towns. Thanks Statistics Canada, what an enlightening experience!

Reflections and Things I Learned (aka Lessons in La Ronge)

Three weeks down and tomorrow is the last day of class! The students better show up tomorrow looking haggard and overtired, since they need to get some serious studying in tonight.

I'm bug-bitten and I seem to be a very tasty dish for a deer fly or two, judging by the swollen welts on my legs. So much for skirt season. Today the instructors went for a post-school drink and discussion at the golf course just outside of town. I still don't golf, but I watched the golfers (none terribly good looking, but they did manage to hit the ball - well done). I think I could have some fun with one of those little golf carts. Or maybe an ATV.

Let's see, what did I learn?

1. I like teaching (I already knew this, but now I know it "more").
2. Students (including me in my time) know what's best.
3. Lectures take HOURS to prepare.
4. Sometimes good chocolate really is critically important.
5. When a student finally understands a concept, or actually makes progress, it's a great feeling for the instructor.
6. You can lead 'em to the paper and put the pen in their hands, but you can't force 'em to write
7. Some students feel that punctuation is unnecessary or "personal choice". It's not.
8. I learned some new fact or interesting thing every day.
9. You can even get good Chinese food in La Ronge.

Quote of the day: "oh no, I don't roll my own smokes! It's so much work and I'm so lazy that I'd probably quit by accident."
response from me: laughing too hard to respond

Ah, and I'm back to the booming metropolis of Saskatoon this weekend.

Oh, and as for someone's prediction that Anaheim will take Edmonton in 6 - get some Prairie pride!

Signing off from La Ronge...

BUGS!

I knew if I lived up North that a hazard of the job would be bugs. At least, I thought I knew. I'm familiar with Saskatoon's grasshoppers - you know the hoppers I mean? the ones that you need to fend off with a tennis racket? they sound like a 747 when they take off from your shoulder? Well, grasshoppers are icky, but the swarms of GIANT mosquitos that attacked me outside the co-op yesterday could probably take them.

These are not little pesky mosquitos. These are huge, armed, angry bugs. I swear they have tiny little automatic weapons on them that they use to go after you. And today, as my class was discussing these bugs (they're geographical right?), I got told about the flying beetles that BITE! And we're talking beetles measured in inches, not centimetres. Someone get me outta here...

And before you lecture me and say, "why aren't you wearing bug spray?", it's because it doesn't work up here. Some sort of DEET genetic mutation has happened and these (huge) mosquitos are immune to bug spray.

You know how people get Northern allowance in the NWT and Yukon? I want La Ronge Bug Allowance.

Midterm week

I can't believe the course is halfway over and it's only been a week and a half! I feel like I've now had the actual La Ronge experience - I've been to "the bar", I've found a favourite restaurant (great food, questionable service at best), and I located a desk lamp (after visiting every possible store here - no kidding). So yes, it's a small town, but I'm enjoying myself here. Of course, I'd prefer it if the weather would clear up, but you can only ask for so much.

Classes are going well, though the prep work getting the lectures together is incredibly demanding. Marking goes with the territory, and I'm controlling my inner "grammar Nazi" very well thanks - though the students may choose to disagree.

Today is my mom's birthday, so I sent her flowers (thank goodness for the internet!). Speaking of which, I don't have internet access at home for the first time in AGES and it's absolutely tragic. If I lived in a cardboard box on the street, there'd be cable internet in there...and yet...I'm living without it (at home).

My students are great and they seem to like me too. Although, that may change now that we've had the midterm :) Tomorrow we're off for a tour of the local water treatment plant (yay for water resources) and there's a potential uranium mine tour next week. Gotta love fieldtrips - no lesson plans!

Life in La Ronge

So I've been in La Ronge for 3 days now, and I've seen pretty much all there is to see...well, close enough anyway. I'm adjusting to the schedule change (instead of going to bed at 3 am, I get up at 7 am) and even back to making my lunch like when I was a kid!

La Ronge has a brand new co-op, located only a short drive from where I live. It's very convenient. The snow is not so convenient. When I arrived on Sunday it was balmy at about 20 degrees. Today we got several inches of snow. I'm bitter.

Looking forward to maybe getting out on the lake, though that will have to wait until the draft thesis is done, sometime in the next week or so. Not too much else to report - there's no Tim Hortons, so I though I'd have to do without Ice Caps this summer, but I'm told the Java Shack makes a good one...we'll see. As for now, I have to get tomorrow's lecture together...