Assets, revenue, liabilities and expenses

As some of you are aware, I spent last week in Cambridge Bay for accounting training, specifically geared to using Sage 50. After only having been home for a week since my Christmas vacation, I wasn't feeling too keen on leaving for another 8 days, mainly because my nephew is learning so much these days and I don't want to miss a thing, and also partly because CamBay is farther north, colder, and I didn't know anyone there.

After arriving at the Arctic Island Lodge, I was relieved to have my own room (and not sharing with the assistant manager, which she was also pleased with). Time to load up on groceries for the week and settle in for the afternoon and evening before the training starts Monday morning.

My stay at the hotel was decent, though the wi-fi signal was poor, and there weren't enough staff to provide housekeeping every day - this wouldn't have been so bad, but I ran out of coffee!!

The weather was very cold. Most days were 40 below feeling like -50 to -60. Luckily, just like home, it doesn't take more than 15 minutes to get from one end of town to the other, and most places I needed to be were within a 5-10 minute walk from where I was at any given time.

Just about every STOP sign in town had a hand print in the corner. I liked it.

This is Lena. She works for one of the agencies that provides funding to the Daycare. She also makes beaded jewelry. She was at the training all week, and we all got a kick out of her. I'd never seen her joker side before, as it was always straight to business, but it was so good to see this side of her! This is also an excellent example of what most Inuk women wear in the winter: Handmade parkas and kamiks.

And of course it was nice to see some beautiful sunset skies!

As for the training, I learned a lot of basic accounting: credits, debits (which in accounting are actually reverse to what they are in banking), assets, revenue, liabilities, and expenses. I learned some fancy equations, and then how to input all of our financial data into Sage 50 so that we have current financial information at all times. The trick now is to enter into the system every single invoice, bill, payment, withdrawal, bank charge, late fee, donation, fundraiser.. (you get the idea) since April 2013. SO much work, but once we're current, we can apply for so much more funding and finally be able to get the kids some new materials! 

It also helps that now I actually know what I'm doing and what happens with money. All of what I learned can also be applied to my personal finances...bank reconciliation, etc. I'm not quite a chartered accountant, but I'm getting there! 

I also had a chance to check out the Cambridge Bay Childcare centre, which is HUGE compared to ours, and has been open the longest in the Kitikmeot region. I didn't get any pictures, but it looks like just about any typical centre. Lots of colours, lots of materials, etc. I was jealous that they have separate rooms for each age group, as well as a staff bathroom, a big office and a staff room! Is it too much to wish that we'll get a new building one day that I can design?? 

skidooing

I finally made it out skidooing yesterday afternoon with a few friends. We're down to the last few weeks with sunlight. This photo (taken just before 1 pm) shows the sun at it's highest point during the day. It also shows the Coppermine River frozen over with the ice sparkling in the sun. Unfortunately, it got dark quickly, and none of my other pictures turned out at all.

Annnd my kamiks are finally done and perfect to keep my toes warm in the 30 below weather! I love them and I love showing them off!

tidbits

A lot has been happening so quickly, that despite the slow pace of life here, I've been getting caught up in the new season! Here are a few tidbits of the past week or so -

We got our first blizzard of the year. this picture doesn't really show the amount of snow that was blowing around, though winds were gusting between 50 and 70 for the whole day. I was happy to stay home sick for the day! 

 I made it out to sewing the night after the blizzard, ready to get started on the pattern I picked out for the top of my kamiks. I spent most of the class tracing the pattern and cutting it out. 

By the end of the next class, I had this.

 And 2 classes later, I have just one more top to sew on and then I'm finally on to my duffles! Almost ready to wear them, and it's almost cold enough, too!

On this particular day, I was obsessed with the ocean freezing over and how beautiful it looks to me. Also obsessed with showing how early and quickly the sun is setting these days.. While these were not all taken on the same day, they were taken within the same week.

10:50 am

12:30 pm

4:30 pm

5:00 pm

I made the most deliciously frothy hot chocolate, which ended up being way too much for just one mug, so of course I had to make 2 of them... and drink them both. Did I mention the double layered marshmallows???? 

 Another blizzard!

 And a really lousy picture of the walk back to work after lunch today (4 pm) (why isn't it as dark as the 5 pm picture from earlier, you ask? Well, daylight savings time, sillies!). That light in the sky is the moon.

And for anyone wondering - yes! I have seen the Northern Lights and they are absolutely stunning. Walking home from work last Monday (5:30 pm), the sky was clear of clouds but full of trillions of stars and dancing green lights. I nearly had to pick my jaw up off the frozen ground. Unfortunately (and quite obviously), the camera I have is not nearly high enough quality to catch the beautiful lights, but my birthday is coming up next week.... (hint hint)

3 hours

I'm not sure how I'm going to get through the next week without sewing class because I'm already itching to get back to my kamiks! With Monday being Thanksgiving, sewing won't be again until Wednesday. Last night I sewed for 3 hours straight, adding the bottom to one of my kamiks, leaving only the cuff and laces to do before I start on the duffles.

Here's how it looks so far:

I'm going to have to go to Anne's fur store to get some rabbit pelts to make some mittens in the interim to help deal with this craving for sewing!

frozen dirt road

I was walking to work this morning on the frozen dirt road, cozy warm with my long johns, parka, knitted scarf, headband and mittens, wondering what I'm doing here. As someone who is constantly cold, how did I end up in a place where the ground is already frozen, snow has been falling, and the temperature is below zero from now until spring next year? How did I end up as the girl with a parka, beaver and rabbit fur mitts and seal skin mukluks?
It's going to be an interesting winter, and I'm already looking forward to my southern vacation come Christmas - Toronto is going to feel so warm!
I'm hoping the clouds clear soon so that I can actually see the Northern Lights.

kamiks

Now that it's fall, many of the ladies in town (and occasionally a guy or two) will get together Monday and Wednesday nights for sewing class. They provide all of the materials, teach you how to make whatever you're making, and you pay for your project when you're finished. 

I was looking around town for someone to make me some kamiks (mukluks), but then I went to sewing and found this gorgeous seal skin: 

Just the right size to make tall, stylish kamiks.

 After finding the right size pattern for me, I traced it on the back of my hide.

Then one of the instructors showed me how to use the ulu to cut out the pattern. Using scissors would damage the fur on the other side.

To making cutting easier, it's best to put your foot or knee on one side of the hide to keep it taught.

The finished tops of my kamiks:

The patterns for the toes:

All of the pieces cut:

I decided to do a silver toe instead of continuing the spotted pattern - to add a little bit of excitement and contrast.

I finished sewing the toe on one, and half of the other. Next will be to stitch the back!