Back where I started

So the plan for today was to get up, catch a plane back to Iqaluit and be home by around 4:30. It was a good plan and I was looking forward to it. I normally don't mind a good jaunt outside of Iqaluit. I even like Yellowknife quite a bit. I think it's the trees, really.

The day, however, did not go according to plan.

It got off to a delayed start when the plane had mechanical problems in Edmonton. Which meant instead of leaving at 10 am, it would leave a little after noon. That actually worked out fine for me. The one place I hadn't had a chance to hit was M+M Meatshop, so I hopped in a cab, zipped on over and, $200 later, I had a big box of meat. Excellent.

Except when I eventually get to the airport I start checking Facebook and Twitter and there's word that a blizzard has hit Iqaluit. A quick call home confirms that things are shutting down.

Now, at this point I'm still not too worried because Iqaluit can be a real pussy place when it comes to blizzards. Stuff shuts down, you take a look around the place and go "Really? You're going to shut down for this?" So there was still hope. Although I found it fascinating to be sitting in a waiting lounge in Yellowknife and updating my fellow passengers about the odds of landing in Iqaluit, not based on the forecast, but what friends were telling me over Twitter. That's kind of cool, really. It made Twitter actually seem useful as opposed to this odd little thing I play with to say stupid things every now and then.

Anyway, we make to Rankin Inlet, I still have some hopes, which are promptly dashed about 10 minutes after I get to the terminal. No planes are landing, we have to turn around. (The best comment I saw on the weather at that moment came from Chris Windeyer on Facebook, which I hope he doesn't mind me robbing: "Here is the Environment Canada weather forecast for Iqaluit: repent.")

So yeah, the weather sounded very bad. So back to Yellowknife we go and as I type I sit in a different room, but the same hotel I left this morning. I'll be here until Friday, which is when the next plane leaves.

Part of me wants to grumble about this because I really did want to get back home today. However, I have an annoying part of my brain that likes to kick on these things. It's the part of my brain that goes:
1. You had a friend who spent nearly three months in Iqaluit and then, when finally flying home to Baker Lake, got diverted to Yellowknife, where he spent more than a week stuck there for different reasons.
2. A friend was on the plane with me today. Yesterday, he flew from Hong Kong to Edmonton and then today he was supposed to go from Edmonton to Iqaluit, only to make it as far as Rankin and then have to double all the way back to Edmonton. I think he was ready to cry.

So yeah, people had it worse than me, so I shall deal. Although I'll miss curling Thursday night and one of my players is leaving on Friday for good, so I'll probably miss him, which also kind of pisses me off. Grrrr.

Anyway....

So I'm going back into the office of the people I now work with to get a bit more familiar with how they do things. So tomorrow will not be a waste.

Oh, and I will do a review of the new Republic of Doyle, it just might be a little late getting posted. We shall see.

Last Five
1. Jim Rombolt's tune - Figgy Duff
2. What goes on - The Beatles
3. Sweet forget me not (live) - Great Big Sea
4. When anger shows - The Editors
5. Don't ask me - OK Go