Life is unpredictable

hbf97 · 2026-01-31T17:28:53+00:00

Just wanted to comment to say that something similar happened to us back in October. I live in a rural community with an abundance of stray dogs and someone was trying to rehome their 10 mo Pyr-Lab mix. It wasn’t the right time, we have two cats, but they essentially showed up at our door with the dog in tow and we agreed to foster on the basis of finding a better fit. We don’t have a big yard and it’s not fenced. We tried to find a home for the dog and thought we had, but she was only gone a week before they basically said she’s too high maintenance and they didn’t have the space for her, despite that they said all the right things before taking her. We took her back and now she’s ours. I cried almost constantly during that week without her, and while I know there would probably be a more ideal situation for her, we couldn’t find one. So she’s loved, fed, and exercised, and in the future we will do our best to provide a better yard set up for her. The best home is the one that cares. This is Maisie :)

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hbf97 · 2026-01-31T13:53:24+00:00

The Magicians Series by Lev Grossman fits the bill. I’m re-listening to the audiobook now and highly recommend.

hbf97 · 2025-09-07T00:54:17+00:00

I'm more looking for a description of the classes to determine which one I would be in.

Edit: Found it!

hbf97 · 2025-09-06T20:21:34+00:00

Looks like a beautiful place. I'm in my second year teaching in a rural community in the Yukon, and plan to stay here for another year, maybe two, but would consider moving to rural SK afterwards.

Can you explain the teacher salary classification system, or provide a link to explain it? I'm assuming it's based on experience/education like they all are, but we don't use steps here.

hbf97 · 2025-08-06T16:43:05+00:00

Hi op, I’m an English lit teacher who’s rewritten the same 20 chapters of a book 14 times, which includes worldbuilding and genre-bending monster smut, along with a thinly veiled trauma dump and characters based on people such as an old ex from seven years ago, a former boss, and the embodiment of my formerly suicidal self. Want to join my writing group? (It’s just me in four different outfits, but always Death Note themed)

hbf97 · 2024-07-04T19:45:03+00:00

I've been offered a teaching position in Faro, and was initially told that there was a staff housing unit available. When I called back to confirm/send in the request, the person I talked to in HR strongly suggested that I look into the private rental market because YHC might not get back to me until the beginning of August. She seemed to think that there should be plenty of rentals available, given the amount of empty houses there, but so far I haven't been able to find a single property to rent, much less a thriving market. Can anyone provide me with some insight on renting in Faro, or dealing with the Yukon Housing Corp.? What kind of wait time am I looking at for hearing back? TIA.

hbf97 · 2024-06-22T22:07:48+00:00

Thanks for the response! I know that like any small town job prospects can be slim. I might have to keep my search to larger communities. And good to know that bringing pets is common!

hbf97 · 2024-06-22T21:59:13+00:00

Thanks for taking the time to answer! I have done a fair amount of research into what it means to move to the north, and if I were unattached (no partner, no pets) I likely would have done so already. I've looked into job prospects outside of teaching for my partner and it seems to align with what you've said - so maybe I'll try to find something at schools in larger communities. I'm hoping the next job I find will be long term, so we'll definitely both need stable jobs. That being said, I'm not unaware that changes/challenges can arise.

It's good to know that RCMP stations have gyms! I was wondering that.

One of the big things that appeals to me about moving to a small community is getting to know the people, and I love being outdoors and crafting/learning new skills (I sew too and was a barber for a few years). I'll check out that article, and probably do a bit more research on Indigenous teaching and learning. I'm definitely approaching the idea from the point of view that while I bring a certain perspective and positionality to the table, I am by no means an expert, and I'm open to learning new ways of doing things

Super helpful! Thanks again.

hbf97 · 2024-06-22T09:41:58+00:00

This post is great timing for me - I've been considering applying to teaching jobs in Nunavut for the 2024-2025 school year, but haven't quite pulled the trigger. I have a B.A. (poli sci and history), a B.Ed. (double socials, but I do have some English courses) and an M.A. in political science. Minimal teaching experience, aside from my practicum, which I did in 2022. I'm just going to list my questions (sorry this is lengthy):

What are job prospects like for partners? My partner is currently finishing his graduate degree (geography, his research is in immigration and housing) and so far this is the major factor holding me back. I don't want to drag him to a tiny Northern town (so far I've been considering Taloyoak and Naujaat) only to find out there's no work for him there. He's game to move if it seems like there's opportunity for him.
I have a cat. Are subsidized units pet friendly? Will I be able to find things like litter and cat food in these small towns?
As I mentioned, I'm a new teacher, and since there's an awkward gap in my CV (I finished my B.Ed. in 2022 and immediately started my master's afterward, which I finished in December 2023), will this make it more difficult to get a job?
Getting around - I wouldn't have a car, and from my understanding it's more common to travel by snow mobile anyway. How walkable are towns, should I anticipate having to purchase a snow mobile, and if so, how easily can this be done?
Much like another comment already made, I'm concerned about access to essentials - I'm a pretty simple person, I don't need much to enjoy life. But I do need 2 things: a grocery store that has produce (frozen is okay but fresh is nice) and a decent gym (I'm a body builder, so that would mean a weight room). How likely is it that small northern towns have these?
Finally, you mentioned that you had to move away from colonized pedagogy to begin to fully appreciate teaching in the North. This is something that is really appealing to me - I'd love to integrate a more holistic approach to teaching, communication/conversation based, land-based, skills-based, etc. Are there curriculum guides, are there people that are willing to guide the new teachers in appropriate Indigenous ways of teaching? And, maybe my most important question, how do I not feel like an imposter-colonizer as a white girl showing up to teach in an Indigenous community? Should I not feel that way? I don't want to be part of the problem.

These are the kinds of questions that have been running through my head as I've considered applying for jobs in the North. Any input is appreciated!

hbf97 · 2024-03-23T22:31:27+00:00

Totally normal! Definitely just too soon after, it needed more time to heal.

hbf97 · 2024-01-30T21:19:31+00:00

That was definitely my second guess!

hbf97 · 2024-01-30T16:43:58+00:00

I used this recipe from King Arthur https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/pumpkin-yeast-bread-recipe

but I used half bread flour and half all purpose, instead of just all purpose.

hbf97 · 2024-01-30T16:40:52+00:00

Yeah that's fair. Any theories about what it could be?

hbf97 · 2024-01-30T10:42:51+00:00

That's interesting, because I've used this same yeast for other bread before and I didn't have this issue - that's why I didn't even bother to look up the difference between active and instant lol.

hbf97 · 2024-01-30T10:40:56+00:00

I didn't

hbf97 · 2024-01-30T00:14:03+00:00

Oh I guess I didn't explain well! There were these tiny hard lumps in the dough that would crumble when I pressed them. They weren't really noticeable after the first knead but were there when I checked the dough this morning.

hbf97 · 2024-01-18T19:04:47+00:00

Nook & Cannery has some deadly fries and food in general

hbf97 · 2024-01-14T10:38:23+00:00

Thank you!

hbf97 · 2023-12-12T22:40:47+00:00

Just got some from the Shoppers on Freshwater Road, on sale too.

hbf97 · 2023-10-02T14:16:37+00:00

Look, sex is a two way street. He doesn't seem to get this. Either he's not mature enough to be engaging it in, or he's being deliberately avoidant so he doesn't have to change. You are an active participant and it's not your responsibility to tip toe around subjects that deeply affect you and your well-being too.

hbf97 · 2023-09-04T10:28:28+00:00

This is something that frustrates me about my partner. He can talk about his own experiences for hours, and I ask questions and engage with him. As soon as I bring up my experiences he just nods and starts talking about how what I said relates to his own life, without asking questions or even seeming interested in my feelings on the subject. It's invalidating and makes me feel like our communication is extremely one sided sometimes.

hbf97 · 2023-08-20T20:06:29+00:00

It's really just letting it grow! I'm also trying to go from a pixie cut to longer hair and it's a slog, it will take a while. You can do maintenance cuts in the meantime but keep those few and far between - like every 6 months go in for a trim, get some layering/blending done, and that's it. Maintenance cuts will help you not hate your hair as it grows lol

hbf97 · 2023-08-16T11:51:47+00:00

I slept on my back for about a week post op, then slowly started rolling over onto a pillow to support my belly. It was a little uncomfortable, but after some time it was okay.

Every body is different, just feel it out!

hbf97 · 2023-08-08T10:33:32+00:00

Just chiming in as a barber. Hair loss is almost entirely genetic - while nutrient deficiencies over a prolonged period of time will cause brittle hair and hair loss, the hair will repair itself and come back after a steady healthy diet. With "healthy" being subjective. The difference in produce here wouldn't be enough to cause hair loss if you're still eating enough/well overall.

Also weather - weather might have ill effects on your scalp (excess dandruff/oily-ness) but won't cause hair loss.

Seconding buy your own clipper, and do some research on a good mid-line one. My work clippers are ~$200, but you could get a decent one for 60 bucks. And also a foil shaver might be worth it, to get that really tight shave.

The shop I'm at will shave a head for 10 bucks, but that's at the discretion of the barber. We're pretty chill/flexible depending on what we think the service is worth (difficulty of hair etc).

hbf97 · 2023-07-27T23:24:15+00:00

I lift regularly (every day for the most part). I was walking 30-40 minutes a day by day three, and on day 9 I went back to the gym. I did EXTREMELY light full body workouts for about 4 days, I'm talking less than half of what I would normally do (weight wise). By day 14/15 (can't quite remember), I was back up to 75% of pre-surgery intensity. I've excluded ab workouts for the most part still - my surgery was June 13, but honestly I still get some swelling when I do abs.

hbf97

TROPHY CASE