My goodness what a week, I have been up in Mishkeegogamang (mish-key-GOH-gah-mahng)First Nation this week helping with their COVID-19 outbreak response, about 25% of their population has COVID-19 and even more have to isolate due to being close contacts. First on Monday, I got up at 5, as I had my PCR test booked for 6:20, and then my car didn’t start, so I had to walk to the clinic. It’s only about 4 blocks, but it was -35 Celsius. Which is incredibly cold. Then I got cash, because the taxis in town don’t take card, and then walked back to my apartment. I couldn’t get my car to the shop before I left, so now my car has been sitting dead for five days in my driveway, and I had to get a $30 cab to the airport. And then my flight was delayed 45 minutes, so I could have waited for CAA and not had to get a cab. But anyways, since then it was been 6 a.m. days to 9 p.m. nights and I am ready to go home for the weekend.
^^But look at the sunrises over Pickle Lake
Social media favorite: Becca @blondebrokeandbougie
This was a weird week, I think I spent all of 10 minutes on TikTok and haven’t hit the “You’ve seen all the posts from the last three days” line on Instagram once.
But anyways, Becca, Becca is the first influencer who has made me want to buy their excel sheet or resources. She religiously tracks her cost per wear and tries to get it as low as possible for each piece of clothing she wears. She shares financial advice that I find to be a bit different and less preachy than most financial influencers on social media. She’s a bit like Annie, @theLAminimalist, but she’s not as much of a minimalist as Annie is. For example, Annie dresses nicely, but Annie does not care about fashion. Becca does, so I can connect to that, which is nice. It’s nice to have that balance of being frugal and budgeting, and caring about trends and clothing.
Movie/TV Favorite: The Olympics
I have been in a hotel all week, and have had cable all week. And every night when I get back to my room I put on the Olympics Prime Time on CBC and intermittently pay attention and have it as background noise as I finish my work for the day. I think the event I found most mind-blowing was the slope-style on both the skis and snowboard, and of course, figure skating. I did go to sleep just as the women’s hockey final was starting, so I didn’t see that, but everyone says it was a great game. Anytime Canada plays the USA, it’s a fun game for us.
Podcast Favorite:
I also haven’t been listening to that many podcasts this week, but this week’s Giggly Squad was really fun. There’s a decently long drive between my hotel and where I’m working this week, and I actually laughed out loud in the work truck a few times on the road at it, more than once. So fun.
I also didn’t realize how much of a hot take it was to not care about read receipts.
Random Favorite 1: Chicken Fingers and Fries
I packed food to come up on this trip, there aren’t normally restaurants at the places where I’m going for work in Northwestern Ontario; so I packed food. However, I was only supposed to be here Monday-Wednesday, and then ended up staying until today. So I did not have enough food with me. So I got lucky that the pandemic team had put me in the hotel and that the hotel had a restaurant. I do not get takeout when I am home in Sioux Lookout, and to say that there weren’t really any healthy options at this restaurant would be an understatement. I ate chicken fingers and fries twice. It was so delicious, I’ve missed chicken fingers and fries. However, it’s funny because I used to get take out a lot when I lived down south, and now after 4 nights of it, I am take outted out. Funny how things change.
Random Favorite 2: Rapid Tests
I have never taken a rapid antigen test before, I have always gotten tested for COVID-19 in clinics and then when the government was passing out free rapids, they didn’t make it this far north and they were all gone by the time I got down south for Christmas. But for this trip, I had to have a PCR before I came in, and then we are all rapid-testing daily. It’s so reassuring, I totally understand what all the fuss is about in countries that have more access to these!
Happy Friday!
Laura
Thoughtful Millennial 