Archive for August, 2008

The early inside passage…

Sunday, August 31st, 2008

Here I am stuck in Seattle until ‘Gustave’ decides what he’s gonna do. Except for misssing my sweet kitties, I must say there are worse places than being trapped in Seattle with a hotel room and time I hadn’t counted on. I’m blessed that all delays were tacked on the end, not the start of my trip.

We departed Seattle a week ago Saturday @ 4 PM & boarded before 1PM, and considering the state the ship was left in yesterday when I left it at 10 AM, I am completely amazed by the immaculate state I encountered a week before, not just that , but that my pretty room was fresh and ready for me by 1PM.

I meandered the ship extensively Saturday last week, and much much more the next day Sunday - an at sea day. I had Eggs Benedict at the Aqua restaurant at 7AM ( a venue only open to suite and balcony customers buy the way) If I could have found the Versailles room that’s where I would have gone, but I ended up on a dead end on a huge ship and food was my primary mission.

One of the things I came to love about everything food on this ship “The Norwegiean Star” was portion size. It would be easy to pig out, but the flavors and bit sized bulk was superb! Each bite fit perfectly and added some thing new to my palette’s experience. I walked away feeling light and completely satisfied from every meal, that 1st breakfast was no exception.

I’d pre-arranged for a hiking tour through the rain forest in Ketchican, a glacier flight tour from Juneau, a rail way trip to white pass from Skagway, and a wilderness flight from Prinnce Rupert.

I must admit that all of it was amazing…. We had two days at sea if you don’t count our Juneau afternoon where our Captain took us off course to the ‘Endicott’ arm because of visibility (more on that later).

Our 1st float days was full of harbor seals, orcha’s and hump backs, but I just wasn’t fast enough to catch them.

Breakfast = Eggs Benedict
Lunch- Greek calamari, Greek salad (to die for!!!!!)
Supper - reservation at the Ginza - Asian Calamari - spicy lamb & a bottle of recommended Cardonay that I took down stairs to Gagney’s bar.

Who cares about food or stomachs! I relaxed into the song stylings of Jana Seale for hours.

During Supper I listened to the captivating stories of a family who occupied a large table next to me. Apparently it was their parent’s 30th anniversary, and 6 of their 7 kids had chipped in to give this cruise to their parents. Unbeknownst to me I was seated beside this jovial group only to hear they’d stolen all of my family’s traditions, and had lived far too many of my life’s funnier moments.

:) It was hilarious, sweet and poigniant.

I threw grappling hooks and chipped off part of the ceramic chimney flue. I tried climbing it and ended up in the front porch snow drift so deep the fire rescue had to save me. And yes it was me - in anothr year- who backed the Studebaker deeper than deep into the drifts at the bottom of our 1970 (something) drive way that it ended up there until spring….

I took some several hundred lovely pics as I meandered around too…

Here are just a few…

YES! they really do make sweepy time animals……. aaaaawwwwwww.!!!!!!

It drizzled on and off during day one, our 1st ‘at sea cruise day, but after taking away 40 bucks from the slot machines, going no where with bingo, I more than made even, so I bought an Alaska Jacket & sweat shirt.

By the time supper came around I was busted, but the Music downstairs in the Gatsby lounge pulled me in. So, I sipped a glass of wine for four hours and listened to folk and coffee shop music from my generation.

Good thing my wake up call for the Ketchican rainforsest wasn’t until 7 AM.

Cruise day 1 was great….

Going to Alaska… Part 1.

Saturday, August 30th, 2008

More than a week ago Thursday I was stressed out, because I only own warm weather clothes. So I went shopping. Could I find anything? Arggh. Well Patty that’s what you get for living in southern most TX.

I did buy a long sleeve white embroidered blouse with an under shell and wore that on the plane out to Seattle. Lordy was I hot! At every flight exchange. Yes I expected Houston to be warm, but not Portland or Seattle. Ahhh well such is life.

I did get in some belt watching as I passed through security. One guy even got growly about it. Hmmmmm just one of the few pluses during long travel. Men having to take off their belts and being in a growly mood about it … ever think someone could get a job on the other end of the security line? Bare bottoms for annoying belt relief or bare bottoms for belt and the more intensive security check annoyance relief?

Either way, I still enjoy watching and I really enjoy the expressions. Wonder how many spankers are in the blush ‘because’ bunch?

All that aside, I’m sorry to be a week late getting started with this. I did pay for internet access while on my cruise and then promptly found out I could not get on my own site because the service considered it “porn.” LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL! So I’ve been saving my diary for now…I’m in Seattle & will be for a few more days. I booked some sleep time, and boy am I glad I did!

Before I left, Thursday was a marathon of shopping. Friday was even more intense. I lost my cell phone, needed cold weather clothes and had to gently and peacefully drop off my sweeties to the DogTor’s kennel, and I had to get to the airport by 9AM TH. Made it.

Got to my Seattle hotel shortly after 9:40PM. We flew over Mount Hood, the blown off Mount St. Helens, and then Mount Rainier. I took pictures - lololololol….

As it turns out a town car round trip is cheaper that the city shuttle, so when I got up to go to my ship, I had a nice quiet limmosine ride. The driver was amicable, and he filled me in on lots of different things about Seattle and cruising that I wasn’t aware of.

I got there (to the ship dock) at probably the perfect time. Checking my bags in and wandering through the health check and sign in lines took me only 20 minutes. Everyone was encouraged to find lunch at one of the 14 restaurants on board because rooms might not be ready & bags not delivered before 2 - 4 PM.

I had lunch at the Market. - Prime rib medium rare, scalloped red potatoes, and countless other multicultural buffet items was my choice, and a waiter coerced me into having a BananaChaluaTini. Translate, Absulut vodka with pureed banana and pina colada. It was good, but thank goodness my room was ready for me by 1PM. My luggage got confiscated though. Security thought my contact lens solution was liquor. So at about 7 PM I had to go down to the bowels of the ship the rescue it.

The result was that all of my chargers were held hostage too long. I had no working phone, all my pictures since leaving home were lost and the MAC didn’t even work any more.

But, but, but!!!!! I had some of the most amazing photos of Mount Rainier with the Seattle skyline! Ahhh well. There are many more not yet sized well… in the mean time…

Here’s a pinkish dusk (temporarily unnamed) Washington mountain as we approached Vancouver BC.

Back, but in slow gear

Friday, August 1st, 2008

I’m healing slowly. Life’s like that sometimes. I’ve begun to feel the urge to write again, no holds barred erotica seems to be itching my fingers and mind.

I resigned from my job two weeks ago, and booked myself on a cruise to Alaska - among my top 10 things I’ve always wished to do. I’ll be leaving here Aug 22 returning @ Sept 1. In the meantime I have a number of other must does I need to arrange for the next six to 12 months. Next on my list is to return to Ireland and tour some of the old castles there, then visit family and friends in Wales, Cornwall, & Scotland. After that, I want to visit Okinowa and rural Japan and taste an honest to goodness medium rare 1,000 dollar a pound Kobe beef filet or rib eye.

I’m looking for a simpler less life and soul consuming job, maybe something with variety and travel that my kitties can accompany me on now & then. I’ve got talent and tons of experience, there is something out there for me, & the peace I’ve felt this past week has given me back rest that has eluded me for what feels like years.

Why? Because it’s time and life won’t wait for me to get around to it. I’m going for it. And as I do, perhaps you’ll join me on my journey.

With Love

Patty

(is this ok Paul?)