Island to Alaska with Pictures

[cruisebie]

Carl, here's a new word for you............ SUSPENSE! Which is, of course, the state you've been keeping us in as we wait to find out about No Worries Dave and the bag. Not to mention, the rest of the cruise. Can't wait to hear your impression of the great metropolis of Whittier. :)

 

It was a dark and stormy night...

 

 

A good SUSPENSEFUL beginning! (See--there's that word again!) It looks like you might need to write in a trip to CVS to stock up on Bonine before the cruise starts, though.

 

By the way, Carl... Have you ever heard the phrase.... The check is in the mail?

 

 

MrsCWorld--Unfortunately, that hat thing is going slower than I anticipated. For some reason, my friends, family & co-workers don't see the need to contribute to the cause. I just can't believe the short-sightedness of some people! :mad: That May/June trip sounds fun--hope you can work out some way to go.

 

Tee_wrecks-Hope you don't mind that I took a peak at your site. Beautiful pics! I'm at work right now, but I hope to have more time to peruse tonight. I'm looking forward to seeing your Alaska stuff. :)

[cworld]

And I have to tell you, you're really dating yourself with the "Daisy Daisy" thing. You must be nearly as old as I and I'm so old that when I die they'll have to cut me in half and count the rings to tell how old I am.

 

Bill, I was 2 when the movie came out, but I've watched reruns... Yeah... reruns, that's it... Really.

 

By the way, checked out your site this morning, nothing yet, I'll check again this afternoon. Stoke that monkey.

 

Carl

[alwalaska]

When we got back to the Island Princess the lines to go back on the boat were terrible. There were 2 stairthingys where people were getting on the boat. Both had long lines. And in these long lines were about 100 wheel chairs. One thing I noticed (using that incredible power of perception that I so richly blessed with) is that whenever a wheelchair comes to the front of the line, the whole line stops until the stairthingy is clear. Once the stairthingy is totally clear the wheelchair is pushed up, or down the stairthingy. Up is harder. This always involves one of the Princess security people pushing the wheelchair up the stairthingy. It looks like a great way to enter the ship. I think I’ll have me a wheelchair next time I cruise. (Hey, you guys at Rodent World need to look at this for a new thrill ride. Throw in a couple of loops and a couple of curves and…) Please understand, I’m not complaining, just observing and dutifully reporting the process with the wheelchairs going up and down the stairthingys.

...

 

I hate to ask a question since it takes time away from your creative review, but I can't resist. What do you mean "the wheelchair is pushed up"? Is it like lifted one step at a time or what? My mom will have a wheelchair on board and we are thinking to take it ashore depending on the excursions we are doing. She can walk, but stairs are extremely hard on her and so is standing in one place or walking long distances. She will be mortified if someone has to carry her up. I didn't even think about this being an issue since our Rodent cruise had ramps not stairs. Any detailed info you have will be very appreciated.

 

Thanks and I will have la patience, mais ca ne cera pas facile (but it will not be easy!):D

[cworld]

I hate to ask a question since it takes time away from your creative review, but I can't resist. What do you mean "the wheelchair is pushed up"? Is it like lifted one step at a time or what? My mom will have a wheelchair on board and we are thinking to take it ashore depending on the excursions we are doing. She can walk, but stairs are extremely hard on her and so is standing in one place or walking long distances. She will be mortified if someone has to carry her up. I didn't even think about this being an issue since our Rodent cruise had ramps not stairs. Any detailed info you have will be very appreciated.

 

Thanks and I will have la patience, mais ca ne cera pas facile (but it will not be easy!):D

 

The stairthingys are more like ramps. Wheelchairs roll up them, but with the incline even the powered ones have to be pushed. No one had to get out of the wheelchair. I don't think it'll be a problem.

 

Carl

[Joy2Day]

Cruise staff are there to push the chair up. However, the ramps are steep -- steep enough that it would be hard to get the chair rolling again if you had to stop midway. Therefore, they wait for the ramp to clear before starting to roll the chair up the ramp, so they can get/keep momentum working for them.

 

We had several people in wheelchairs on our June cruise. I never saw it be a problem.

[alwalaska]

Thank you Carl and Joy2day. Now the only worry is to wait for the tender lists to come out for 2006 and see if we will have anything there to consider.

 

Waiting patiently ............

[zachnlucy]

Somebody find me a new word. Please

endurance, tolerance, persistence, fortitude, serenity, equanimity, forbearance.

 

I think forbearance fits best in this instance. Makes us sound strong and invincible. ;)

[tee_wrecks]

Bill, I was 2 when the movie came out, but I've watched reruns... Yeah... reruns, that's it... Really.

 

By the way, checked out your site this morning, nothing yet, I'll check again this afternoon. Stoke that monkey.

 

Carl

 

Um....reruns....yeah...I'm buyin that.:p 2 in mosquito years??

 

As for the web updates, there in lies the problem of having one of your best friends on the planet as a webmaster. I can't fire him! Crossing my fingers, toes, and eyes and hoping for updates to arrive this evening but don't bet the mortgage on it :(

 

Cruisebie, thanks very much for the compliment. I'm very proud of my site and the photos there but I'm equally as proud of the past trip journals and essays. Hope you have time to peruse them sometime.

 

 

Carl, as always, keep us in suspenders until the next installment.

 

Spahn and Saine and pray for rain. (Need a break in this hot weather so there will still be some wildflowers to photograph when I head for the high country this weekend.)

[tee_wrecks]

Bill, I was 2 when the movie came out, but I've watched reruns... Yeah... reruns, that's it... Really.

 

By the way, checked out your site this morning, nothing yet, I'll check again this afternoon. Stoke that monkey.

 

Carl

 

Um....reruns....yeah...I'm buyin that.:p 2 in mosquito years??

 

As for the web updates, there in lies the problem of having one of your best friends on the planet as a webmaster. I can't fire him! Crossing my fingers, toes, and eyes and hoping for updates to arrive this evening but don't bet the mortgage on it :(

 

Cruisebie, thanks very much for the compliment. I'm very proud of my site and the photos there but I'm equally as proud of the past trip journals and essays. Hope you have time to peruse them sometime.

 

 

Carl, as always, keep us in suspenders until the next installment.

 

Spahn and Saine and pray for rain. (Need a break in this hot weather so there will still be some wildflowers to photograph when I head for the high country this weekend.)

[cworld]

By the way, Carl... Have you ever heard the phrase.... The check is in the mail?

 

That's what I keep telling my daughters financial office whenever they call. Oh well, it was a nice thought. I'll start on an outline just in case you hit the jackpot. If not, maybe I'll turn it in to another Harry Potter. Just think $36 trillion dollars a day... Better get back to writing.

[cworld]

Hmmm, let’s see, where do we start? Do I dare be suspenseful? Do I dare to test your endurance (as if I haven’t already)? Do I want to see how much forbearance you really have? Will this be a test of tolerance? You keep coming back so I guess that shows persistence. Maybe we’ll all test our equanimity and take a course in serenity. Or maybe I’ll just get on with it.

 

Chapter 8

 

I noticed that the hair I had left in the door was missing so we both drew our stealthily concealed guns and I kicked open the door. I always like to open doors with a bang, especially after the Saigon incident. That was pretty ugly. I quickly scanned the room, I checked the bathroom and under the bed. Good, no feds. Now about that suitcase… OH NO, IT”S NOT HERE!!!! What are we going to do? The Mark 5 bug detector and the white noise generator were in that suitcase. I'm never going get a good nights sleep. Heads are going to roll. Better call Dave.

 

Oops, got my stories mixed up there for a minute. Sorry, I won’t let it happen again, unless I can use it to stretch this thing out a few more days.

 

The real story is that yes, the suitcase was still missing. So, showing the extreme PATIENCE that I am so richly endowed with, I ran to the phone and called Dave, the No Worries Guy.

 

“Passenger Services, how may I assist you?”

 

Oooo, baby, I think I’m in love. Hey guys, don’t you just love a dame with a husky voice and a vaguely Australian accent. You know how it is, I've heard the stories about Australian beaches, I saw the JAG where Mac and Brumby visited... (and if you missed that episode, well...) and my mind starts racing, my pulse quickens. Just think about the celebrity’s from Australia. There’s Mel Gibson, Rachael Hunter, Olivia Newton-John, Paul Hogan, Kylie Minogue, Then there that great song…

 

Buying bread from a man in Brussels

He was six foot four and full of muscles

I said, "Do you speak-a my language?"

He just smiled and gave me a vegemite sandwich

 

Were better lyrics ever written? No, well… maybe Bohemian Rhapsody was a little better, but, hey, it’s Australia. That husky vaguely Australian voice had me looking for the nearest billabong where we could throw a little shrimp on the Barbie. (Just hope I didn’t have to clean Barbie before we gave her back to the little girl we took her from.)(Anybody remember my point, cause I sure don't.)

 

Note to Mrs. cworld, this is totally fiction, purely for our newfound friends' entertainment purposes. I don’t ever have thoughts of anyone but you.

 

“Can I speak to Dave, the No Worries guy?”

 

“Just a minute please” She’s gone, I’m so lonely.

 

“This is Dave, No Worries” (another Aussie)

 

“Dave this is Mr. cworld in E632"

 

(What I wanted to say was) YOU STUPID OVERPAID, UNDERWORKED GOOD FOR NOTHING FLUNKY. DO YOU OR ANYONE ELSE ON THIS PIG OF A BOAT, HAVE ANY STINKING IDEA WHAT YOU’RE YOUR INFERNAL, GOOD FOR NOTHING, TWO BIT COMPANY HAS DONE WITH MY IRREPLACEABLE , MONEYED, MORE PRECIOUS THAN GOLD, SUITCASE?!!!!!”

 

(But, being the caring, decent individual that I really am, what I actually said was) “How are you this afternoon, Dave?”

 

“Yes, Mr. cworld… I was expecting your call.” (I bet you were)

 

“Well, Dave, what have your heard?”

 

“Unfortunately, Mr. cworld, we didn’t receive the bag in Ketchikan.” (NOOOO)

 

“And???”

 

“And I’m still waiting for an e-mail with the expedite number to let me know that the airline has actually shipped the bag.”

 

“Do you mean that the bag is still in Vancouver?”

 

“Well, Mr. cworld, it’s like this… Until I get that expedite number, I don’t quite know where the bag is. All I know right now is that our representative in Vancouver has talked to the airlines and the assured him they have the bag in their possession and will ship it to us as soon as possible.”

 

“So we’ll see it tomorrow in Juneau?”

 

“Oh yes, I’m almost positive we will.”

 

“Almost?”

 

“Well until we get that expedite tag number you never know, but usually their pretty good.”

 

“Usually?” (Do you notice my unprecedented linguistic skills?)

 

“Yes, Mr. cworld, No Worries, you’ll have your bag probably by tomorrow morning.”

 

“OK, Dave, thanks for your time.”

 

“Thank you, Mr. cworld, No Worries”

 

No Worries… No Worries… My favorite…My OU sweatshirt is in that suitcase. What do you mean no worries? Would you like to hear NO WORRIES if all of your earthly possessions were missing? Would you want some two-bit cruise flunky telling you not to worry, we’ll get your bag to you sometime. Well, Mr. No Worries britches, I am worried, and I’m starting to chafe (I’ll stop right there, there are some things you don’t need to know.)

 

What now? No bag, No camera battery chargers. No jeans. No coats. No sweatshirts. And there’s a pot of gold out there just waiting for us to pick it up and spend it.

 

But not now, gotta try live up to my reputation and keep you in SUSPENSE.

 

La Patience

 

It’s even funny in French.

[Stanley]

Carl and Alwalaska,

 

Thank you very much for your answers. I don't know my way around the different place on this board but I will venture out now into the unknown. If I get lost, I'll let you know.

 

Stanley

[flashdog_1]

Been waiting for the dog experience, but guess we will have it in person before I hear about yours. We leave tomorrow for Atlanta to pick up the cruise Friday. Carl, don't mess with my planes to get to Anchorage! I am not, repeat NOT, going to the salmon cannery in any port!!! has anyone been to the floataway lounge to discuss your Alaska trip? I've seen it recommended but haven't been over there. Duh, I haven't BEEN to Alaska yet, so don't belong there, and won't until next week when we return. I'm going to try to contain my curiosity, and NOT go to internet cafes to check to see if you get your luggage and how you spent your $500. ha

[cworld]

Phyllis,

 

Sorry we didn't get to the doggies yet, I hope you enjoy them as much as we did.

 

Have a great time,

Carl

 

PS I've called my buddies in Atlanta. They promise me that they'll give your plane the attention it deserves.

[ssapiers]

cworld- Does that Saigon incident involve a hootchie mama and a cooked dog????;)

[cworld]

Siagon, shhh, it's top secret. More like mangy cat. Like I said it was ugly.

 

Good evening all, I'm sorry to build false hopes, but right in the middle of composing tonights story I got an inspiration. I had to trash what I was working on and start over. I'll try to get finished and get it up sometime tomorrow. Suspense and la patience.

 

Just one quick thing, I have to stop and pay tribute to one of my favorite actors who passed on today. He gave me much enjoyment over the years. Probably my favorite quote from one of his shows is “Just before they went to warp, I beamed the whole kit and kaboodle into their engine room, where they’ll be no tribble at all.”

 

We’ll miss you Scotty.

[tee_wrecks]

Siagon, shhh, it's top secret. More like mangy cat. Like I said it was ugly.

 

Good evening all, I'm sorry to build false hopes, but right in the middle of composing tonights story I got an inspiration. I had to trash what I was working on and start over. I'll try to get finished and get it up sometime tomorrow. Suspense and la patience.

 

Just one quick thing, I have to stop and pay tribute to one of my favorite actors who passed on today. He gave me much enjoyment over the years. Probably my favorite quote from one of his shows is “Just before they went to warp, I beamed the whole kit and kaboodle into their engine room, where they’ll be no tribble at all.”

 

We’ll miss you Scotty.

 

He can't gi' ye no more, Cap'n..Scotty's Dilithium Crystals are shot. Travel safely Mr. Doohan. We'll all miss you.

[cworld]

Well, what now? That’s what I was asking myself. It’s 3 o’ stinkin’ clock in the afternoon and what do we have planned? Nothing, Zip, Zero, Nada. I’m getting that. ADDDDDDDHHHHHHHDDDDDDD feeling again. Our lack of planning is starting to make me crazy again. A fit is just a few minutes away, and it’s not going to be pretty. I need input. So what’s a girl to do?

 

Let’s look at the Patter.

 

Let’s see there’s, hey dear, you wanna go play bridge. No?… Snobs? Okay. Hmmm,

Ryder Cup Golf Qualifying, I’m in. Dear, you want to go golfing? What? Why not? Oh yeah, you don’t play golf. No, I’ll find something else.

Here we go… we can go to an Art Auction Extravaganza. I’ve heard they give you glasses of Champagne at some of these things. Oh, yeah, we don’t drink, and right… yeah… we’re broke. OK scratch the Art Auction Extravaganza.

Captains Circle…don’t qualify.

Basketball… and get sweaty, I don’t think so.

Hey, honey what’s this thing here that’s circled? Fish BBQ? Did you highlight this?

 

Here’s what the patter says,

 

2:30pm to 5:30pm, Princess Grill, Deck 15

 

FISH BBQ ON DECK

Come and join us for delicious Alaskan Fish and Breathtaking views while sipping on a range of our specialty selected beverages at discounted prices. Our Fish BBQ is the place to be!! (Inclement weather alternative location: Horizon Court)

 

Again, Princess needs a better writer. The first line is good, but it looks like the major thing at the Fish BBQ is the specialty drinks. And how good can BBQ’d fishys be? FISH BBQ ON DECK – what? are they going to start a fire on the deck and let us all gather around, give us all those undone hangers with fishys stuck on them and let us roast the fish? Or do they murder the fishys right there on the deck before they cook them? Maybe they’re cooking the fishys on wood planks from the deck, that might work. I hear people are paying tons of money for fishys that are burned on planks. Just might work.

 

So BBQ’d fishys and then what? The night before, after “Curtain Up”, dancing Dave, the cruise director (not the No Worries guy) said something about there being a whale spotting opportunity at around 5:00, or 6:30 or something (there was a lot of confusion as to the time) as we traveled through Snow Pass. He said there had never been a cruise where they didn’t see at least one whale while going through SnowPass. WHALES. Oh, boy, WHALES. It’s about time. All we saw today was Bald Eagles, seals, and PINK STINKIN MOSS. So we planned to be on deck at 5:30.

 

So what now? I’m not hungry, need a Coke again, but not food. What’s that on the TV? Looks like Tom Hanks in an airport. Hey, dear, what’s that movie with Tom Hanks in the airport? “Terminal”, yeah, that’s it. It’s on the TV. So I laid down on the bed and watched “Terminal”. I won’t do a blow by blow on the movie, but let me just say, here’s to the guy that invented TV.

 

Rating for watching color TV on the high (or not so high) seas – A++++

 

So much for boredom.

 

You know, this relaxing stuff might just get addictive.

 

Fishys tonight...maybe,

 

Forbearance, nah,

 

PATIENCE

[tee_wrecks]

Siagon, shhh, it's top secret. More like mangy cat. Like I said it was ugly.

 

 

Just the other night while sitting in our favorite Oriental Diner enjoying some fresh sesame pigeon I asked the blushing bride.."Honey, is it just me or is it fact that you never see any stray critters (dogs, cats, pigeons, etc) in the vicinity of most restuarants?"

 

Okay, so the web monkey has his job half finished. The trip journal and 3, count em, 3 images are up on the site. I've been assured that the other images are NOT floating around somewhere in cyber space and should reach the site tonight.

[cworld]

After the movie, it was time to go to the fishy BBQ, if we were going. It was getting close to 5:00, and if we wanted to sample the fishys, we needed to go pretty quickly.

 

BUT, before I was going to spend an hour or more on deck I needed a jacket. (I admit it, I’m a wimp, I don’t like to be cold. I was cold on the boat today, and if we’re gonna sit outside in the wind and watch for whales, it’s gonna be cold. So I need, YES NEED, a jacket. Desire has nothing to do with it. It’s a NEED. Just because it’s my favorite color combination, just because it has that nautical theme that will remind me of this cruise for years, just because it has the Princess Cruise line logo that will impress all of my lowlife friends… that doesn’t mean I don’t NEED it. I NEED IT. Yeah right.) (That’s right, sports fans, we are about to put an end to the shopping question. Will they spend the money? Some of it. Will they get the suitcase? That remains to be seen.)

 

We hustled down to Calypso Cove to check out those jackets one more time before I bought one. We got down there, and BANG, right there, in front, right before my very eyes (sing Chicago sing) there it was, just hanging there saying “I’m for you, Carl” (and if you can tell me what Star Trek adventure that was from, I’ll give you an autographed copy of my first book, if I ever get it finished) there was MY jacket. It was MY size and everything. Can you believe that, MY size right there in front. I never walk up to a rack and find MY size in front. Usually I have to dig deep to find MY size. And yes, MY size is 2XXXXXXXLLLLLLL. I know, what you’re thinking, but I’m really trying, it’s just that I’m big boned, yeah, big boned. Mrs. cworld sauntered up and said ‘that jacket looks so good I think I’ll have one of those myself.” (Now how in the world are we going to be inconspicuous if we are wearing the same jacket? How am I going to be able to slip away from you to do reconnaissance ifn we’re wearing the same jacket? People are going to suspect things. This is not very secret agent like.) So we bought 2. They cost $90.00 each. They were really nice jackets. There’s a marvelous picture of your humble host (me) wearing the beautiful, comfortable, stylish, water resistant, non-reversible, good looking, dark blue jacket, with beige trim, right here.

 

http://community.webshots.com/photo/349017044/351537428mFEecS

 

Ain’t I somethin’? (By the way, out of the 2008 pictures we took, that is the only one that has me in it. And if I’d have known she was taking that one I’d have taken the camera away from her. Can’t have this publicity stuff when you’re a secret agent man.)

 

So for all of you out there that were wondering, yes we did spend $180.00 of the $500.00. That’s all we spent. That’s all we needed.

 

And right here, let me say, dealing with Princess' insurance company was one of the most painless, YES PAINLESS things I’ve ever done. After we got home, I went to the insurance companies internet site, filled out one document, about 5 days later some paperwork showed up in the mailbox. I filled that out, mailed it off, and 2 weeks later we had a check for $180.00. No Worries. PAINLESS.

 

Rating for PRINCESS Insurance – A+ very easy to use, and came in very handy. Thank you.

 

We got the tags off and went on up to the Fishy murdering, I mean, BBQ.

 

I was pretty skeptical of a Fishy BBQ. I like fish, and I really, really, really, (it’s almost an addiction) like REAL MAN BBQ. But, mixing BBQ and fish, well… it’s probably a good thing that dinner is only an hour or so away. Hey, Look at it from my perspective, here in Oklahoma there is a BBQ restaurant on every corner. Like the Princess Fishy thing we spell it, (like true REAL MEN should) BBQ. Not Barbeque, or Bar B Que, or BarBQ or some other ridiculous spelling. REAL MAN BBQ consists of extremely large hunks of high caliber cow parts, or even better, whole pigs, slowly cooked in a rusty oil drum for hours, soaking up some fine smelling aromatic smoke. Then when the meat is to the point where it just drops right off the bones, it’s removed from the oil drum, cut up, slapped on a stack of 10 or so paper plates (for support) then it’s covered in sweet, tangy, BBQ sauce. Now that’s REAL MAN BBQ. Usually a large hunk of potato salad and/or baked beans is poured on the side, and if your really lucky, fried okra is thrown in for good measure. Mmmm Mmmmm good.

 

So here’s what's going through my small mind as I imagined what a Fishy BBQ was going to be like. Some underpaid cooker man would thrust a 4 inch long wooden spike through some poor, defenseless, freshly murdered, Alaskan fishy, then he’d pierce a semi-recently harvested, flown 2000 miles in a wooden crate, very weary scallop, then more fishy, more scallop, and every once in a while for good measure he'd throw in one of those tiny little shrimps (That’s how Emeril says it. “Shrimps”) that was left over from the Hawaii cruise. Then the cooker man would take the “skewer” to a hot plate, and for 5 minutes or so he’d kinda grillify them. After they were grillified they’d be thrown in a bin to cool and coagulate for about an hour. Then some other flunky type would hand the cold, coagulated, smelly skewer proudly to a poor unsuspecting and mostly inebriated (liquored up, for you in Rio Linda) guest. That was my general idea of what a Fishy BBQ would be. Fishy BBQ… nope, that just didn’t sound very good, but Mrs. cworld wanted to some, so off we went.

 

 

So for at least until tomorrow, I'll never… (now that one's really old)

 

Suspense

[zachnlucy]

then it’s covered in sweet, tangy, BBQ sauce.

Oh man, you and I have just reached a crossroads. There ain't nuthin better than Memphis ribs, dry rub, no sauce, preferably from Rendezvous. I respect ya, but you gotta lose that sauce.

[cruisebie]

Oh man, I hope were not all going to have to argue over Barbeque now. This could get worse than the discussions about jeans in the dining room on formal night.

 

I agree with your BBQ theory up to a point. Carl, but we gotta part ways when it comes to cutting the meat. Good pork BBQ should be pulled, not cut. Haven't you ever been to a pig picking? :D Don't know about cow BBQ 'cause we don't do that so much, hereabouts.

 

Glad you and MrsC finally spent some of that lost bag money! Cool jacket, even if we did only get to see the back of it.

 

Tee_Wrecks-I had to chuckle at your freaks of nature comment at the beginning of your cruise commentary. DH & I celebrated 30 yrs this year, too, and it sure does feel that way sometimes. Keep after that Web Monkey!

[cworld]

Oh man, you and I have just reached a crossroads. There ain't nuthin better than Memphis ribs, dry rub, no sauce, preferably from Rendezvous. I respect ya, but you gotta lose that sauce.

 

Cindy,

Been to Memphis, tried dry at one of them, famous places the Food Channel talked about, but, I was raised on sauce. Sorry. Dry was OK. But, I'm a sauce man.

 

cruisebie,

Still looking for that check. Yes, I know about pulled pork, and thought about adding something about it. Missed opportunity, I guess.

[Joy2Day]

When it comes to BBQ, nothing wrong with hitting the bottle -- BBQ sauce bottle, that is.

[zachnlucy]

Cindy,

Been to Memphis, tried dry at one of them, famous places the Food Channel talked about, but, I was raised on sauce. Sorry. Dry was OK. But, I'm a sauce man.

Okay, well we can agree to disagree. Got a smile on my face here. See? :)