***

***

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Surprise! (For real this time) Part 2

Now that I've had my fun leaving the bloggy world hanging...

So Josh came home from work yesterday and had found out our assignment.

First allow me to give you some background information.
Our first choice in assignments was to do a foreign flying exchange, where Josh would work with another country's Air Force. This sounded like a fun adventure to me, and we ranked our choices based on what was available this assignment cycle. The choices were bases in England, Germany, France, and Canada.

Here's where I went wrong folks.

Josh and I agreed that France would be our number one choice, mostly because it's located close to Euro-Disney.
It's about priorities people.

Enter my mistake: I allowed Josh to rank our second choice based on the aircraft that he wanted to fly. As if his job should factor in to where I want to live.

And so he did.
And so we got our second choice.
And while it's such a blessing to have been selected for a flying exchange at all...his second choice would probably have been my last choice.

Because my friends, I do not enjoy the cold.
And we shall be cold. 

Very, very cold.

Have you guessed our assignment? If you're exceptionally slow, or have been drinking heavily, let me spell it out for you:

At our next assignment, the local population is 99% French speaking.
At our next assignment, the average high during the hottest month of the year is 75 degrees.
At our next assignment, the average high during the coldest month of the year is 13 degrees.
Yes, I said the high was 13 degrees.

We will be heading out to work with the Canadian Air Force in Bagotville, Quebec!
No giggles please, I'm sure it's pronounced Ba-go-veel or something like that. Umm, right? Anyone out there speak French?
Note to self: Have Josh pick up the French Rosetta Stone at the base tomorrow.

Josh will be flying this thing:

Which I am told is the F-18 Hornet.
But I've never been that good at airplane identification, so don't hold me to it.

We don't have any details yet as to exactly when we'll be going. We're waiting to find out if we get to go to language school as well.
So now half of the waiting is over, and hopefully the details will be filled in soon.

So now I'm free to concentrate on getting our house ready to put on the market. Sounds like fun, don't you think?

Happy Tuesday,
Shivering in anticipation in Idaho.

14 comments:

Jen McD said...

YIPPIE!! I had to ask Keith to help decipher your last post and he was right. This is very exciting!! I've never been to Canada. You might want to invest in some official ski wear because that sounds COLD!

Sunk Costs said...

Canada!?! That's like the single adult shoelace of foreign flying exchange locations.

Jennifer said...

Yea for finding out! You guys are going to do GREAT and you'll figure out how to stay warm :) Will you be able to drive home to MI? 2 day drive? Although an exchange with the Viper community would have been better, I'm excited for you guys!!

I'm Erin. said...

Erin (aka Sunk Costs),
That.is.hilarious.

mikeandmelissafisher said...

Mike says congrats to Josh,"That's awesome!"

Mel says, "My condolences to Erin, that's freaking COLD!"

But really, we considered exchanges too and think it would be fun. Enjoy the change of scenery! You'll need it after Idaho :)

Karen said...

My husband and I went to seminary in Canada before active duty and I can tell you that you will be cold, very, very, very, very...cold. We're in San Antonio now and loving the hot!

One of Us said...

I couldn't help but laugh. Good thing yo picked up those snowsuits on sale!

Looks like you guys should have a good time touring New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island & New England! I hear it's all beautiful!

Trey and Mel's Piece of the Net! said...

Je suis très heureux pour vous!

It's not that cold! Yeah for you, going to the most beautiful country in the world! Too bad it's Quebec. Generally speaking, the people there are not very nice (I grew up 10 minutes from the Quebec border) Surely there will be nice people there since Newfies and other people from nicer parts of Canada get stationed there as well. Get any medical issues resolved now because the health care SUCKS!!! And you are not far from Montreal, which is where the nice Quebecers live! One more tip, Rosetta stone teaches proper French, which is not what is not the same as the harsh butchered French spoken in Quebec, but will certainly help.

The Passionate Housewife said...

Kay, that would not have been my first choice either...probably because I am Canadian and uh, live in Canada.

COLD, most definitely.

Trey and Mel's Piece of the Net! said...

Disreagard last post.... Let's just look at the positives!

1. Cleaning your floors will be significantly easier. Canadians take their shoes off at the entry!

2. There is lots of great skiing in Quebec.

3. You have unlimited access to Tim Horton's (aka Timmies) for tea (which is hot) or coffee!

4. You can have poutine made by the original inventors, Quebecers. (Poutine is a dish with French fries covered with mozzarella and brown gravy)

5. You get to learn a new language!

6. Josh will probably not be working as much as he is now.

7. Normal dinnertime (or supper as we call it) is around 5pm.

8. You are only about 5 hours from Montreal (which is pretty nice) and 11 hours from Halifax (my most favourite place to live)

9. Everything is in metric which is incredibly easier to deal with than Imperial.

10. Canada Rocks!!!

Karen said...

I forgot about the poutine (the french fries covered with gravy and mozzarella) It was SO good!

trooppetrie said...

we just recieved our household goods on friday, good luck with the move

Rachel said...

Um, je parle francais. Can I come? I have been after Bryon for an international assignment for-freaking-EVER! Even if it is to America part deux (sorry Mel). Not sure how useful my francais is in Quebec though since thier french is kinda wack-a-doodle there...sort of like the south here. And, all I'd learn to say is, "damn, I hate this cold crap."

Heather and Scott said...

YEAH!!!! We were JUST thinking about you last night and wanting to call to see if you had found out... Should've thought to look at the BLOG! Now it's time to get those ski clothes on discount! Off to look at a map of Canada.