migrating north

To recap the nomadic ways of Stacey and Her Cat Sam, Dan left on May 25th. We were living in Ucluelet then, and after a couple of weeks I realized I could not stand to be in that big dumb house alone (much less afford it on my little income), so I decided to go wait for immigration at my sister's farm in central Alberta. Left Ucluelet on July 2.

Arrived on farm on July 8. Was there almost three months, left on September 28, thinking we were going to cross the border (Dan flew into Edmonton, we left that night), but were rejected the next morning. Drove to Victoria, arrived September 30 at his parents' house also known as The Stately. Dan stayed a week, then few back to North Carolina. I stayed on. Just over two months in Victoria.

The other day Sam and I moved up to Cowichan Bay to stay with Toni and the Skipper. There are fewer people and more bathrooms, and I have a room to myself here. I will get to be a farmhand (hopefully this can wait until all the Christmas knitting is out of the way!) Sam is the only cat and she has been alternating between lazing around and kittycatting around at night. It's good.

I'm still working away at this small project for the Cancer Agency, so that's good. I've started studying Russian, and I'm going between movies and podcasts to keep me entertained as I'm knitting. I have a whole new area to explore while running, and my running is steadily improving.

It's been a very interesting process, really, living with other people and becoming accustomed to the rhythms of their households. I do miss being the Queen of the Castle, but I know that will happen soon enough. I have learned a lot about the way other people run their households and am filing this away for the day that I once again have my own.


Mercury went direct yesterday, Uranus went direct on the weekend, around the same time there was a full moon eclipse. Whether you believe in astrology or not, there are some big changes afoot. At least one person I know has already experienced the effects of these movements. I am expecting to hear something from Dan's lawyer this week regarding my immigration. Fingers crossed.

Last weekend I was able to catch up with the friend that had introduced me and Dan, he's been overseas for a year and a half. The party that was thrown in his honour was a wonderful and relaxing event, I felt very at home and comfortable there around lots of old friends and acquaintances.

Now that I'm not at the Stately, the paths of the Alcohol Advent Calendar are diverging but they are still happening. I'll be drinking mostly wines and beers, I'm sure, and I am perfectly content with that.

As I write, Sam is sitting on my lap, wishing I would stop moving around so much so she could settle into a nap. She isn't normally a lap cat while I'm sitting, so I don't quite know what this means, but I take her moments of affection as they come.

On Christmas Day I will drive south over the Malahat (the mountain pass that is the gateway to the south end of Vancouver Island) if it is not closed due to weather, and join the family at the Stately for Christmas. I'll head back to Victoria on Boxing Day for a friend's annual Boxing Day party. December 27 is my step-father-in-law's birthday, which will mark the end of the Alcohol Advent Calendar. So lots of driving these three days, weather permitting, but it will be a fun and festive time.

That's it for now. I know I owe you all some photos of my recent adventures - worry not, they are on the to-do list.