Getting North!!!!!

The trip north was quit interesting. If anything could go wrong it did. What was supposed to be a 5-6 hour trip turned into a 15 hour trip. Lesson learned....make is a 2 day trip and stay over in Winnipeg.

So Bob and I get to the airport 1 hour before the flight as stated on Air Canada for domestic flights. Of course my baggage is big and heavy, therefore I had to pay for the excess weight to the tune of $195. So we are in the line to do so. We waited and waited and waited. There were 2 men at the counter for at least 30 minutes. The clock is ticking. I ended up interrupting and a manager appears to take me to another counter....end result... the plane was missed. So I get rescheduled to a later flight but they can only get me stand by 2 flight later and I would miss my connection in Winnipeg. So instead of a 0810 flight with a connection at 1230, I get a 1140 flight with a connection of 1430.

We walked the airport and I had breakfast...it was pretty good. I did this because I didn't know when and where my next meal would be.  then we had to find my luggage as it is supposed to be with you and your same plane. We go to get it and it is in the system and that is all they could tell me. As a result I did not have to pay for the $195. Bonus!!!! Once through security the plane loaded at the last gate at the end of a very long hallway...go figure!!! I was the last stand by to get a seat on the plane....the last seat in the back of the plane. Air Canada is cheap in economy...only a drink!!!!

So we land in Winnipeg and I have 1 hour to find my luggage and get a boarding pass for the next airline which of course is a smaller plane with smaller weight requirements. These arrangements were done by a travel organization that arranges all the medical travel for Northern Canada. I talk to the baggage supervisor and he is aware of the baggage with no tags...that would be mine. They could find the luggage and not the cooler of frozen food. I have an hour.... the supervisor and I become a tag team.  I start the process on a different floor to get on the next plane. He brings up my luggage and is waiting for a call for the cooler that was elsewhere in the terminal. Luggage is ++++ overweight for a prop plane, with a little juggling and prioritizing my luggage it was $283 for the overweight and size. The clock is ticking. Get the luggage to overweight area, the plane is being held because I am in process. Another plane at the far end of the terminal. I have sweating and very dehydrated. Luggage in the back door and me in the front door. We departed only a few minutes late. Georgi, the flight attendant got me hydrated again and we had a great chat on the flight.

This trip started at 1330 and I got into Rankin Inlet at 2130 because I was on the milk run with touching down 4 times in the trip. The stop in Churchhill was long because of loading cargo. My luggage did end up on the plane with me...I watched them load it.

Get to Rankin someone was to pick me up with the 1300 arrive in Rankin...what do I do? You go to the checkin attendant and ask. She called the on call nurse for the hospital and he..Mike picks me up in a pick up truck that the on call nurse gets for the shift to go back and forth to the hospital. Mike was good looking and strong so I didn't lift a bag.

I met my roommate Carol and we chatted for a bit and I crashed. I had to be at work for 0830 in the morning. I sleep like a log.

So I am now safe in Rankin Inlet Nunavut and working!!!! There will be picture over the weekend and another up day. I am doing 12 hour nights and I need to organize.