California for Stefani

Monday, we tendered at Icy Straight Point.  We have never been to this port and from what my parents said, it has changed a lot since the last time they went.  There is a Cannery museum and now there is lots of shops and the worlds longest zipline.  For only $139 you can ride this zipline (and go broke if you ask me).  It did look like fun though and if money was no object, I might consider it. 

Doug had some allergy issues at the beginning of the cruise and that caused his immune system to shut down a bit, so he is currently in bed because he caught a cold.  He has bought some meds so hopefully they help and he can sleep properly tonight.   If he sleeps well, then I sleep well because I don’t do well if someone is snoring in my ear.  So for he isn’t being too much of a man baby about it though…it is only a cold…beats getting the norwalk virus (which we have gotten on a cruise before).

We are having a great time so far.   Our waiter is great.  He has been doing this for 15 years and has a 9 year old daughter and a 15 month old son.  He works for 6 months and then get’s 10 weeks off…not my idea of a great life, but you do what you need to do to provide for your family.   We haven’t really seen much of our cabin steward, but he is doing a good job…our room get’s made up twice a day.  Food has been great.  Breakfast is usually started with waffles (they are tiny) and then once my parents show up, then I have eggs benny.  Lunch is whatever we feel in the mood for…sandwhiches, pizza, salad, etc.  We are enjoying dinner…usually takes about 1 1/2 hours to get through all of dinner, but that is the fun of the it.   Doug has had frog legs and cavier already.  I stick to the normal things though…I am not overly adventurous when it comes to meat products.  I did have veal yesterday though…that was yummy.  We also share the vegetarian dish and so far every night has been very tasty.  My dad has been keeping an eye on what we all order because they cruise back and will have the same menu, so he wants to try different things.

I am missing Minnie.  Our Minniesitter works nights and sleeps during the day and so I am gathering our fur baby is having some issues with that.  Hopefully they figure out a schedule that works because usually Minnie is pretty good at adjusting.  My guess is when we come home, we will be yelled at by her for at least 2 – 3 hours…hopefully we survive the tongue lashing LOL.

Juneau was fun…we originally were going to do the tram but decided against it…too many people squished into the tram for my liking.  At $32/person, I think we can use our money somewhere else nicely.  We went out, did a bit of shopping and found the wifi at the library.  We did some facebooking, emailing and then wandered back slowly to the ship.  My best buy of the day was at the Del Sol store (color changing clothing)…they had a Disney section, so of course I bought myself a color changing Disney shirt…best souvenir if you ask me.  Once back on board, we had lunch and then headed to the pool for a dip.  Boy the ship is empty…everyone is out in port.  Soon we will be heading to the theatre to watch Saving Mr. Banks.  We are also seeing a Cirque style show tonight…all and all, a great day.

We boarded the ship on Friday, May 23rd in record time.  We got to the port at around 10am and we managed to get through security just before 11 and where on board by 11:30 eating lunch.  We would have been on earlier but for some reason the computer decided to change our booking so that Doug wasn’t on it and I was in the room twice…took a bit to get it fixed and I really don’t think it got fixed…they just gave us our room keys and told us to board…so far we both seem to exists on board LOL.   We did the lifeboat drill at 3:45 and we were sailing by 5, which was a little late, but we didn’t care.  When we went to the dining room, we found out where we will be sitting for the next 7 days…I must have pissed someone off because we are in one of the worst spots in the dining room…granted I think we have the best server we have ever had, so I guess we will live with it.  I am hoping they will put mom and dad in a nicer spot for the cruise going back to Vancouver.  We have already asked for that.

Day 2 was a day at sea and we really enjoyed it.  Was hard to find time for all the relaxing we did HA HA HA!!!  It was our formal night so we all dressed up for dinner.  I posted pictures already on facebook, so I won’t add them to this blog.   We honestly didn’t do a lot except for relax on the pool deck.  I get up at 7am…then Doug wanders down around 7:45 and about then I phone mom and dad and give them a wake up call…then they wander down around 8:30 and we have breakfast together.   This cruise has lots and lots of older people…not a lot of young ones like us, but still fun.   They tend to complain about things more than others, guess you get cranky as you get older LOL.

Today we are in Ketchikan…we started the day with breakfast, then we headed off the ship for an hour or so to walk around.  Then we got back on board for a free wine tasting…fun stuff.  We had lunch and then mom and dad went back out to do some shopping.  I did buy myself a pair of earings, but that will probably be it.  We have a very strict budget for this trip, so we are limiting ourselves from a lot of shopping. 

We are having a great time so far.  Sure it has rained a bit, but we don’t care.  I am currently typing this outside on the back of the ship…if it rains, I have some covering.  Doug and I are still in shorts most of the time.  In the evenings on the outside decks it gets cold and then I think I should put pants on, but so far I am resisting LOL.

It has been so nice to not worry about a place to rent…I am so grateful we can do this cruise without the stress of that worry.  

Here are a few more pictures of the last few days. 

9 years ago we moved from the Whalley area of Surrey to White Rock.  We moved because Doug got a job in White Rock and we have never believed that long commutes are in our life style.  Last month Doug got a job offer at a school in Downtown Vancouver.  Obviously we would love to move to downtown Vancouver, but that just isn’t possible on our budget, but we could move closer to the Skytrain, which is back to the Whalley area.   So I think after 9 beautiful years here in the White Rock/South Surrey area, we are looking at moving back to the City Central of Surrey.  Back to living among throngs of people, high rises and restaurants at every corner. 

It has been a great ride here…our first place was a cute townhouse across the road from the ocean.  Louie loved living there.  We could walk a short distance and we were at the beach.  He lived for the water and I think that was his favourite place that we lived in.  We have some great memories there with Louie.   I think we would have stayed there longer if our landlord hadn’t wanted to move back into her house…and she didn’t think it was big enough for all of us to live in.  Our next few places where nice and we have some great memories in them.  Then we moved into our dream condo, which was really, right across from the water.  We loved that place and it was with great sorrow that we had to move, but sometimes life craps on us and you have to adjust.  We where distraught about moving, but it had to be.  We figured we would have to move into some basement suite, but instead we were blessed with a home that was still walking distance to the beach and we met a great new friend in our landlord, Tracy.    We have loved this place, and the changes we have made here have been incredible.  We took down the worlds ugliest fence and put in trees, and we couldn’t have done it without the help of my family.  They have helped us make this place look beautiful and make us proud to live here.   We have had great support in all this from our landlords.  We even planted our palm tree and it looks great…but I guess it might be time to uproot it and find it a new home…it is actually the hardest part of this decision. 

We also haven’t had much luck with the tenants downstairs either, so it has also been a deciding factor in moving too.   We have been here for 2 years and we have really appreciated being here for those years.  We just about killed the last tenants, but we managed to refrain from murder and they moved LOL.  Considering the luck we are having with the downstairs tenants, we sometimes think it is us…and people turn on us because they don’t like who we are.   But why complain about things you can not change.  We can’t change who they are downstairs and I don’t think it will get any better…so maybe it is time for us to change…our location

We are looking at condo’s…on the small side, but we can put a bunch of our stuff in storage for now and see how we do living in a smaller space, but all newer appliances and kitchen.  Being walking distance to the skytrain would be great for Doug and living in Surrey is still good for me so that I can easily get to my clients.  I wish a condo would let me bring my palm tree along, but something tells me that wouldn’t be allowed on the patio…so hopefully I will find a good home for it because I won’t leave it here…nobody would take care of it. 

Our life is a journey and for the most part of it, we have had fun.  We will find our perfect place to call home and if God sees fit to tell us to stay put for now, he will somehow have to give us deaf ears so we don’t get bothered by them downstairs, and patience to do all the yard work LOL.   I would like a crystal ball to see where we will be by the end of the summer though…so if anyone has one, please share.

Doug went to his first job orientation today…he so enjoyed it and he seems to happy about the new job.  He can’t wait to start on June 3rd.  I got myself another client and so things are looking up that way too.  Here is hoping for great joy and happiness in our future.