Stuck

So, today's blog post is NOT the post you were supposed to be reading.  That's because on Tuesday Iqaluit was hit with a huge blizzard.  If anyone remembers from the last post, Captain Jack flew back home on Monday.  JJ and I decided to stay an extra night in Ottawa because the flight back the next day was far cheaper.

On Tuesday morning we got up at 6:30am, hastily threw our bags together and drove to the airport.  We returned our rental car, and checked our bags in at the First Air counter.  Then we walked to our gate.  We sat there for about 10 minutes before First Air announced that due to the weather in Iqaluit, our flight was CANCELLED.

First Air, being the small northern airline that it is, is very accommodating.  The gate agent said "Everyone just come back here tomorrow, same time."

We called the hotel we had just checked out of, and managed to get a room (the last one). We collected our bags, and rented another car (a mini-van, the only thing the rental place had on short notice).  In the meantime I heard from CJS's teacher and school principal (via text and facebook) that despite the kids having arrived safely at school on the bus, they were now being sent home due to roads being closed.  A quick call to my mother was up next, to make sure she was in the loop.  (By 9:54 the school buses had brought the kids home again. )

We managed to make it back to the hotel in time for the buffet breakfast, around 9am.

The city of Iqaluit shut down (again), the government shut down, the roads were closed, and all the flights across Baffin Island were cancelled.

The view out the dining room window.

This is my Christmas swag hanging on the front door
(the kind with evergreen branches, fake cranberries,
pine cones, etc.).

The back deck.

The kids and my mother spent the day hanging out, crocheting, drinking tea, and playing with the kitten we are kitten-sitting (one of Freya's, whose new owners were going out of town). We spent the day 1) looking for socks and underwear, 2) eating (Popeye's chicken! Red Lobster!), and 3) watching "I, Tonya".  While this is all good news for me, it is NOT good news for you, blog reader.  The delay meant I just wasn't able to get a post together in time for Thursday.

Coraline teaching Captain Jack how to crochet.

Finnegan decided to help.

Funny story about people in Iqaluit:  Captain Jack Sparrow's teacher texted me to say she needed to know what to do with him once school was cancelled at the last minute.  Then she got word from the principal that I had already messaged her back on Facebook, so not to worry.

Thinking about my blog, I sent a text to my mother asking her to take photos of the blizzard. "Could you take some photos of the storm and the kids at home for my blog please?" After a few minutes of not getting a response I double checked my texts and realized I had mistakenly sent this message as a reply to Captain Jack's teacher. "Ooops! Wrong person! Please ignore and enjoy your day off," I texted.  She texted me back: despite not fully understanding the message she had already started taking pics for me.

The bus pulling away from the school
to take the students back home at 9:15.
(courtesy R.L., Gr 3 teacher)

Did I mention  how cool it is having unlimited internet? I've been clicking on videos!  For, like, anything!  News videos! Doofy cat videos! Silly Facebook videos! And I keep thinking "someone at the hotel is going to catch me.....oh wait! Its FREE!"

Update: We made it home without incident on Wednesday. Back to the cold! (And no more streaming videos.)

Up next: .........stay tuned............fingers crossed...............