Back pack is mostly packed. Emergency numbers all 24 million of them have been written out for the kids. Health cards are beside the numbers. Phones have been activated. The school has been notified. What little food I am taking has been organized. I can only take what I can carry.
The stinky from wood smoke bug hat has been washed and packed. Latest text has been recieved and replied to.

Hey by the fire listening to jays do i need to bring xtra bpack? Hurry and get up here lol bflies need new meat! I wanna stay!

I HATE black flies but am prepared to deal with them. I am looking forward to the paddle across the lake, the deep breath of incredibly fresh air and the hours of staring into the fire as we first let it die down to cook then stoke for an evening of sitting around it just watching or chatting away.
This time tomorrow night I will head to the dock to watch the sun set and the stars come out.
As much as I would like to say I will be thinking of you all, you will be the last thing on my mind.
I am really, REALLY excited and promise to take lots of pics for those who have asked. IF the bugs aren't too horrendous I may even take a few NN style pics.
If I don't see you before, I will see you when I get back.
Feeling rather independant for the first time in many many years,
ju

I will be on a bus heading north on Wed. Leaving the kids behind for the first time ever. They can't wait to get rid of me
When I get off the bus there will be a 40 min walk and then a paddle to my destination. I am sooooooooo looking forward to it!
Obviously I will have to travel light. Tooth brush, warm clothes, cool clothes and that is about it.
Cross your fingers all goes according to plan because if the kids can survive on their own I might just be able to venture further.
Really, really looking forward to a few days in my beloved north country,
ju

Now I look like an attn whore and all I wanted to do was switch categories for my pic
I wish I could get the comments back and put it back where it belongs but I dunno what the hell happened...
I have had a shitty week, things are looking up thank god but sheesh I didn't mean to do that!!!
Slightly tipsy,
ju

On her side of the world I would just like to say,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BITCH!!
to my ol' hag of a bitch sister (just_looking123)
MWAH!

It has been crazy warm here, record breaking. We have been spoiled and been tricked into thinking maybe summer is comming.
However right now it is windy as hell which means a weather change for sure.
Tomorrow is Easter and my sons bday. No matter what the weather we will celebrate. The day he was born 14 years ago there were still snow drifts on the ground and yet this week I have been wearing shorts.
Mother nature is a total bitch!
But I can relate,
ju

There are the promises and the threats. There are the farewell blogs. There are the forums specifically designed for those who wish to announce they are leaving. There are people who will start threads about those who have left be it positive or negative.
Now lets get real. There are many many NNers who have "left" but didn't feel the need to delete their acounts, they KNEW that some day they would be back. They never expected the site to be the same but what they did know was that NN would be here, perhaps changed. Probably there were few that would remember who they were but the overall feeling of the site would still be there for them. Then there are those who really did leave, allowing us to enjoy their legacy.
There are some who feel the need to announce they are leaving. They are the ones I feel are most likely to return, NN is the Hotel California after all.
And then there is me.
I have been here forever. I have been addicted, I have been bored and I have been disillusioned but the one thing I have never been is hopeless. This site goes in cycles, there are ups when it is amazingly fun and addictive and then there are times where I wonder WHY I am here.
There is one constant.
People.
The people may not always be to my liking but inevitably I will connect for one reason or another with someone.
I have met some amazing people here which has carried over to "real" life. I have also met people here that drive me nuts.
Will I ever leave? Probably not. Will I go dormant? Perhaps but if I do it will be without fanfare.
Blogs, chat and forums combined are probably less then 5% of this site and that is probably a huge over estimation.
I think many would do well to think back, in some cases wayyyyyyyyyy back to what drew them here to begin with.
Drama, do any of us need to add it to our real lives?
I am gonna guess we don't, there is plenty there already.
Thinking of some of my fave people that just faded away.
I miss you,
ju

Vibrant natural colours.
I didn't have these meals back to back and it makes it look like all I eat is rice but these two meals appealled to my sense of sight as much as taste.





Captured by colour,
ju

I NEED one of these!

[url]http://www.cruzincooler.ca/products.html[/url]

Droolin'
ju

a good day.
Then it was a fabulous day.
It turned into a great day.
Then it was a happy day.
That turned into a frustrating day.
Then it was a make me sad day.
Out of all of that the bestest things were several conversations but the one that made me laugh the most was
"I wouldn't piss on her if she was on fire"
I really do love the real people in my life.
Smiling through the frustrations and tears,
ju

I broke it. I haven't had it off since she left it to me. I caught it on the oven drawer and a few hours later noticed a link was broken.
It can be fixed. I will take it in this weekend but I feel like I don't have her with me while I am not wearing it. I know that is dumb. It is sitting on the table beside me but I can't feel her energy while it is not on me.
I know she would scoff at me and tell me it is only a bracelet but she isn't here to say so.
A lil teary,
ju