bergfly - missives from the field

30 March 2006

Buying houses and giving blood

Yes, it has been cold. Didn't see -30 this winter, but pretty close!


Ice roads are just that, ice. Don't believe me, then why is it so shiny??



And this is what I do, load up satellite dishes and travel into the forest to set them up.


The rather strange title sums up my life of late. It has been more than a little stressful and we have run around a lot. I put in a 98 hour week a couple weeks back, which was actually not that bad all told. I had the privilege of heading into the North West Territories, my fourth Canadian province. But not by plane or the one main road that goes in. Instead it was in the bush, GPS guiding my crossing of the 60th parallel as night fell and the hoar frost coated the trees. The road was narrow and slick, the trees stunted. Outside my truck was telling me it was -25degrees C while I enjoyed an amaroked playlist on my laptop. Surreal, beautiful and unforgettable.

On the home front, we have a home. Well, I will believe I am a home owner when I actually sleep beneath a roof we own, but we have signed contracts and purchased mortgages. Getting some random stranger to give us $230000 was not easy, but I managed in the end, and come April 16, will finally have a place in this world!

On a bizarre front, I have been a little sick of late. Weird acid indigestion and aching kidneys. Nothing typical of any illness, so I visited the local South African doctor to get checked out. I checked out normal except my blood is like syrup. Way too many red blood cells, I would fail an EPO doping test instantly. The cure: give a pint of blood. Which I did.
Aside from a sore hole in the arm I feel about the same now, but we will see in the morning.