Reluctant return home

Two weeks from today we'll be on our way back to Newfoundland. Unlike past trips where we left here at 2 pm and normally managed to make it back to St. John's around midnight, this will be a two day affair. Because Air Canada was asking an insane $1,100 for a trip from Ottawa to St. John's over Christmas, we opted to give Porter Air a try. Considering they were asking under $700 a ticket, we'll spend the extra night in Ottawa, thank you very much, even if means getting home a little later.

Cathy's getting pretty excited, which is understandable. She hasn't been out since August (I know, hardly an epic long time) and she hasn't seen her parents since August 2008. She doesn't like going that long without seeing her parents. However, I am a touch less....enthused.

Part of this is I just got back from a trip down south and part of it is I've seen my parents more recently than Cathy. However, if my conversation with my parents earlier this week is any indication, I think I'm mostly a touch unenthused because I know the way conversation is going to go once I get home.

Oh sure, we'll still get a few questions about life in Nunavut. I might get a bit of conversation about the Dominion. I suspect how the new house is going will certainly get lots of conversation. However, there's going to be lots of questions on how come I still don't have a job.

Look, if you told me back in July that I would still be unemployed at Christmas, I would have said you were crazy. Of course, if you told me I would have a house bought by the end of the year I also would have said you were cracked.

Even as recently as a couple of weeks ago, I thought the job situation was resolved. I had back to back interviews and a request to do a written exam. But two of those interviews didn't pan out and I have to wait to hear back about the exam. I confess to being a bit confused about why I still don't have a job. I've applied to lots of place. I'm on casual lists. However, I'm just not hearing back from a lot of these places. It's confusing and a touch scary. And yeah, all right, I'm a bit worried now. We have a new house and Christmas is going to be much more austere this year as opposed to previous years.

I imagine it's all going to work out. I'm enough of an optimist to think it will. I also know people have bigger problems to worry about this Christmas season then what I'm going through. However, I think I can be forgiven for not wanting to answer "So, why don't you have a job yet?" a couple of dozen times during the holidays.

Anyway, pardon the vent and the whining. I'll deal.

Sunday, pictures of the house, now that we're mostly settled in. The place looks not bad, I must say.

Last Five
1. People think they know me - Sloan
2. Flying down juniper - Lindsey Buckingham
3. I can't be wrong - Sean Panting
4. Love is hell - Ryan Adams
5. Goodbye yellow brick road - Elton John*