'Home' Again.....Jiggity Jig.....then Off again too.......

This posting finds me having just sailed through my Refugee Home of Oil Sands Camp.......on my way through to actual Fort McMurray for an emergency dental visit (!)

For starters, let me clarify that, under 'normal' circumstances, this is (only) a 2 1/2 hour drive....one way.....Kearl sitting North East of the actual city of Fort.
That said, Transportation is spotty at best, occasionally involving the odd spitting camel and/or donkey cart.

Camel One  deposited me, at the end of the day, back at OSL for the evening.  I'd entirely forgotten how attached to that particular place and people I had gotten....rather intense was the situation at that time (!) I was ever so happy to see so many familiar and friendly faces and I genuinely am most thankful for the warm greetings I received.

Good people are just GOOD PEOPLE.  Thank You Universe.

I awoke again this morning, at 3 am , to the ever familiar sound of Bird Bangers....I'll never get used to saying that I don't imagine......for a 5am appointment with Camel Two....which took me here to Fort.  Somewhat of a convoluted path of travel , yes, but entirely common here in the middle of Nowhere.

So, here I sit in a rather expensive motel ("Transport" requires that I stay one night in town or they don't send the camels) approximately 8 hours before I can actually check IN.

Walmart?  Closed.  Seriously.  ONLY in Nowhere is Walmart not allowed to be open 24/7.  Dashed therefore are my hopes of killing time with Walmart People....I was planning on taking pictures and everything ! 

So.

I get to People Watch in the Lobby.  Even at 6am this is not an uninteresting prospect.  The people here are, well, different.  Living in Nowhere for extended periods of time...working long days, days and days and days in a row..... it both attracts some seriously different characters and somewhat changes, over time, the nature of pretty much everyone else.  At the moment I am surrounded by rather rough looking fellows....all of which are clearly off to work in one of the holes up here judging by the PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) they are all wearing.  It's a sea of fluorescent orange and yellow...rounded out nicely by the broad silver reflective strips.  There are many tatoos.......some fellows are in work boots, others flip flops....some appear to be wearing nothing at all underneath their overalls (!).....most of them are unshaved and unwashed and appear to not care less really.....oh MY.  What a very odd way to start the day and what a completely different scene from the clients that are my usual landscape (Thank You Universe for that :)   ....interesting though. 

Remind me, please, to always CARE , regardless of how much time I spend up here......and to always shave, shower and wear clothing under my overalls, should I ever be required to wear them LOL 

.....................................Briefly interrupted by an ANGEL there.  Her name is Gloria and, oddly enough, she is from Hamilton.....City across the bridge from MY original Hometown.  Said Angel hath not only waved the $500 security deposit but hath checked me IN...WAY early to an absolutely smashing room, complete with King Sized bed (pinch me!) kitchen, flat screen tv AND ginourmous tub.  Toss me somethin' shiny (and yes it is that easy) and I am in HEAVEN. 

Thank You Universe for rewarding this extended camel trip through a literal desert with this wee Oasis.  Vastly appreciated !!

Having now received The Warnings (I am Downtown Fort McMurray, sandwiched between a homeless shelter and rehab facility...the rumours you hear about this place are actually quite factual, it is most certainly not a vacation destination ) I shall depart for Walmart....then a few cab hops to the dentist.......please pray on that one .......I'll catch y'all later !!

Light,

K

Briefly.......a request

Hola !

My apologies for neglecting this space.....after all of THAT there's really not a lot of excitement in my life these days.  Tough Act to follow and all.....just a tad.

I DO have some stories brewing but am, in this moment, inclined for more practical matters........such as finding a reliable house/pet sitter for several months time..........

TIM (who's contact info I do not have with me).............if YOU are still sofa surfing whilst finishing up your PhD ??........................have I got a deal for YOU !!!!!

:~D

Seriously........drop me a line please and I'll be happy to fill in the details over Vietnamese.....I'll buy .

(sorry folks but it's my blog and I'll do what I want with it ...priorities at the moment.....LOL)

NAMASTE