CRUIZ'N ON THE SIXTH

It rained all night on the fifth of July....I swear it was God's way of making sure all the fireworks embers were extinguished. So, on a cloudy Monday afternoon, on the sixth of July, a ride around the hood is in order.....right?




Grandma J mustered up the best pilot and navigator in the County, and off we go.....foot on the throttle, and tongue in the air eyes straight ahead.




Slowing at the corner, and checking for cross traffic....in unison!! That's how these two roll. And speaking of rolling....




JJ has a new GF who isn't wearing a seat belt....and no one noticed, especially Grandma J....until she downloaded this picture! Bad, Bad, all the way around. It's something all Grandma J's grandkids know enough to do without being told...but we forget to remind our guests sometimes.
JJ, shame on you, that's your job.




Last night, Grandma J wandered around the Spa grounds...and noticed the moon above all the vacant apartments down the lane. Can everyone agree that the moon is shaped like a heart? Do you know what that means? Maybe Phillip Johnny Bob is missing Grandma J?




Uh, yeah, right!!

THE LAST SUPPER

....or pretty much any food for two days.

After cruising Glacier Bay.....if in fact cruise ships actually cruise, we headed up to College Fjord. I wasn't quite sure what to expect so I checked the definition and a fjord is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides, created in a valley carved by glacial activity.


It was getting a bit chillier,and damper as we made our way northward.

So here is another glacier.....

How about the same one up close....thanks to zoom lenses.

And then even closer....because it was too cold to wait for the next one.



We had one night of rough seas. I headed towards the 24 your buffet, and this is what I saw.....


The pool was dancing under the sky....creating it's own tsunami.
Before I knew it, our Alaskan Cruise was coming to an end. Nine friends got to know each other much better, and discovered stuff that we dare not share with the outside world will never forget. Our last Supper together was nice. I really enjoyed all the fun we had every night at dinner. We were probably the loudest, and we got our share of dirty looks from some of the other passengers....but Joey and Brian were cool....every night. They brought us numerous extras, especially the desserts. We had one friend, Tess, who never had dessert. Of course Tess is thin and always had salad, and never ate red meat...or dessert.

So on the last night Joey and Brian gave this to Tess....then we all fought over who was going to lick the plate take her picture!

After dinner, we pooled our resources and gave the waiters a nice farewell tip...for real. we headed to the final show of our trip in the cruise theatre.

Once again we found a couple of the desperate crew members soliciting for favors. Of course Jan and I jumped up to volunteer.

In the dark of night, our ship docked in Whittier Alaska. Early the next morning we all met for breakfast at six, Tess and I were headed for the Anchorage airport to journey to Southern California...she was on Alaska Airlines in the South Terminal, and I was booked on US Airways in the North Terminal. The rest of our pack were headed out on a four day land excursion to Denali National Park.

Tess had a four hour wait for her plane....she probably ate at Chili's or Hooter's or some other restaurant, because there were several options. I on the other hand had a soft drink vending machine, and a chip machine...that was out of order. I could have eaten at the South Terminal if I had a boarding pass. I didn't have one because the ticket counter for US Airways, in the North Terminal was closed until morning because my flight was canceled and the next one was at 7:30 a.m.

That would be the next day! When everything shut down, the last soul out of the terminal except me, was Phillip....he's also the last man in Anchorage. He was the keeper of the luggage closet...where you can store your luggage until 10 P.M. That's when he brought mine out to me after I paid her $8 each to store them.

Between my last trip to Las Vegas, where I had to spend the night in the Houston airport, and this time sitting in a chair watching CNN all night,Now, I've decided from now on, it's road trips. Then I won't have to rent a car for three weeks either. I still have one more trip back to Texas, and I've upgraded it to first class.

So there you go....my long awaited Alaskan cruise. Tomorrow morning I head down to Ladera Ranch to spend a few days with heartshapedhedges and her family. I will be zigging and zagging for three weeks, and hopefully I can get some blogging in more frequently. Stay tuned for the highlights of my first day with Pooper Beauty and Little One......most of the focus on Beauty, as we head on out for our pedi/mani and some shopping and eating....

I know it's rumored that I spent the whole time trolling for men....nothing could be further from the truth. I spent most of my time hanging out with the girls...John tagged along. Other men noted, were accidental and incidental.

TOOTLING AROUND SKAGWAY and.......

....then on to Glacier Bay.

Skagway is a quaint little fishing village that gets inundated with cruise ships from May until the middle of September.

Then business slows, and the locals can hunker down or hibernate for the winter. Either way, I'm sure it's a mixed bag for them.

I think I mentioned purchasing five hours of Internet in Katchekan that worked in all three ports....except in Juneau, I was on an all day excursion so didn't get into town to hang out. But once in Skagway, I found time to post.....

This is Skagway from the ship's deck. It's very small and is dwarfed by all the cruise ships. I never did connect with Pumpkin Delight, but I did leave her a voice message. Cell service was bizarre to say the least. I hope to catch up with Pumpkin, Jason, JLo and all the other goofballs bloggers in the LA area while I'm in So CA.

I loved all the shops in town, and stopped at a cute shop to buy fudge and some Victorian Vanilla Cremes for my travelling companions and Joey and Brian, our waiters every night for dinner. The gal that waited on me in the fudge shop was hugging and kissing her boyfriend, and after a few minutes, I started laughing...I mean it was bordering on rediculous, there were about four customers waiting to purchase candy. Finally her boss came by and said something to her. I ordered my two boxes of chocolates, and half pound of maple fudge. She put the Victorian Vanilla Cremes in two separate boxes for me, and of course my fudge. She asked if they could all go in one bag and I said sure. When I got back to the ship, I only had the fudge and one box of Victoria Vanilla Cremes. I called the shop (their number was on the bag) and told the manager. She said the other box was there and I could come back for it.....not!! She then offered to mail me a full pound to my home address next week when the fudge maker gets back. I gave her my daughter's address, since I will be in CA. I hope no one opens the fudge. She said he makes fudge every two weeks, so it will be supper fresh. I really appreciated her excellent customer service, and can't wait to get home and order some more fudge for Christmas gifts.

That evening, John and I had dinner alone because the others went on a land excursion that was delayed up some river without a paddle looking for bald eagles.

Here is Joey and Brian. Are they not the best? We had crab legs until we almost burst. They kept bringing more and more. We ordered a dessert called The Love Boat that was pure chocolate delight, shaped like a heart. Then Joey brought us each Cherries Jubilee!

The next morning we were at sea all day, travelling up an inward passage to Glacier Bay.

Here is a picture from level 18. You can see hot tubs on two separate levels in the foreground, and people looking at the scenery.

How about some pictures of different glaciers.....

These are calfing....breaking apart and falling into the ocean...or sea, I get confused.....

I'm currently at the Anchorage Airport, waiting patiently for my flight to Southern California...connecting through Phoenix in nine hours! I still have to post about our last night, but that will be coming in the next day or so. My little boy is picking me up late Sunday night, and I will spend the first day at his house before renting a car and trekking south to Heartshapedhedges.

HIT ME, HIT ME AGAIN

.......as said in the game of blackjack...on a cruise ship.

John and I are the only two who wander into the ship's casino every night after the show. John likes three card poker, which I can't afford with a $10 ante....and I play blackjack, minimum bet $3.

Now, on day one I met Carlos. Carlos was born in Morocco, but lives in Quebec. We like playing blackjack together and bring each other good luck. Carlos also likes the fact that I have a French name......some men are so shallow! Last night Carlos' wife Marilyn happened to show up. She's a beautiful woman, and seemed friendly enough but, after I took this picture of her and Carlos, Carlos asked her to take a picure of him with ME.....she said she didn't know how to use my camera...hmmmm.

Now, these are two other "regulars" who play at the same table every night. Chase is from Arizona, and Franklin is from Australia. They are both funny and they don't have jealous wives....that I know of.

One of my favorite dealers is Francisco...he lets me win..sometimes. So there you have a mini update from last night. I still have a few hours left to wander around Skagway, and take some pictures before the ship leaves port. I will post again as soon as I can....probably not until Saturday, which is when we dock in Whittier. Now, I can read your comments, and comment back from my blackjack phone, but I can't update the blog.

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

I'd like to introduce you to my good friend Joe.


Joe is someone I miss a whole bunch. It wouldn't be right for me to show you Joe's face because he is too hot for you doesn't know I have a blog. And if any of you think it's "that" Joe, it's not. It just looks like him.

Joe just got back from the very same cruise I'm going on. Next time I'm not going to insist that he takes Melissa go without me.


tomorrow, I will introduce you to Jack. Jack is Rita's brother.

WHAT'S THAT SMELL?

I have never been antsy about air travel. I do it often and I've been on some flights that had quite a bit of turbulence. It's on the really rough flights that I pretend I'm at Disneyland. Let's just say it keeps me sane and my heart rate within normal range.

Lately some pretty bizarre things have been happening on flights. Like the woman on a flight out of New York that duked it out with the flight attendant because he told her to put her cigarette out. This cause the pilot to land in Chicago instead of going on the San Francisco. People missed connecting flights, which to me, can be a major problem. With my upcoming cruise, a delayed flight could make me miss my ship leaving port. Or a delay could cause me to miss my connecting flight in Dallas on my trip to Las Vegas next week. Where I'm meeting up with my good friend, her mom.

But one of the worse thing that could happen? Here's a clue: Evidently an uninvited passenger, created a smelly situation on an American Airlines plane in Miami. That's right, a skunk was found in the cargo hold, discharging it's foul odor throughout the aircraft. When crews tried to remove the skunk, it released it's notorious rotten smell. The smell filtered throughout the cabin, and all passengers where taken off the plane.

I know from past experience, you cannot get that smell out. Do you think American Airlines will pay any claims for new luggage and contents?

**Loyal readers, and those of you who gave up on my Friday Matinees. I have temporarily renamed that feature to: Friday Matinee on Monday. With all the inconvenient interruptions lately, and all the kids hitting the theatres on Fridays, I had to make the switch. I promise I won't keep jerking you around make any further changes without your permission.

Also...Stayed tuned, I will update you soon on my visit to my new Orthopedic professional, Dr. Bob.

Love, Grandma J and JJ

NO FLY ZONE....
..or big black hole

I hate to obsess about things, especially things that should be fairly simple. I don't subscribe to the Murphy's Law Club where if anything can go wrong it will. I am a Virgo detail person, and usually take every scenario into account when planning things like vacations.

Some of you might vaguely remember me mentioning a cruise I'm taking to Alaska in September. Aboard this ship.

The Sapphire Princess. With about ten eight friends from So CA. We are meeting in Seattle, then we will rent two vans and drive to Vancouver B.C., where we reserved three rooms for the night. We don't board the ship until 4:40 PM the next day so we can do a bit of sightseeing.

I booked this cruise back in December, and it was suggested by the cruise agent, at American Airlines, that I wait a while before booking my flights. With all the bruhaha with fuel prices, and the airlines charging extra for things like seats luggage, and the rumor that they might charge fat people more, I finally booked my flights on May 26th.

Remember me telling you about flying to Seattle from Texas, which requires changing planes in Dallas? And, remember me mentioning flying back to Orange County CA after the cruise? Good...just stay with me on this. I board my first flight on American Airlines out of the small regional airport where I live at 5:30 A.M., changing planes in Dallas, then on to Seattle.

The cruise ends in Whittier Alaska, docking at 12:30 A.M, The shuttle to the airport in Anchorage takes two hours, give or take. So I book a flight out at 7:30 A.M. on USAirways, changing planes in Phoenix, on to OC. This is what my vacation routing looks like.
On may 27th I email my flight info to one of my travel friends, who calls me and says, "they don't let you off the ship until morning" ......Holy mother of God!

Expedia booked me on two different airlines because that was the most economic package. I called Expedia right away and explained that I had to change my fights going home because I didn't bother to ask when we could leave the ship misunderstood the disembarkment rules. Well, this was going to cost me $150 from the airlines, and an additional $30 from Expedia....OR..I could call the airlines and change it myself and save $30. US Airways changes it for the next morning at 7:30...because that's all they had. When they emailed me my updated itinerary this is what my route looked like.
Somehow, USAirways, or Expedia, messed with my flights on American Airlines..which were fine!! Guess what? After calling Expedia every day since, nothing has changed. No one can tell me why they were messing with the leg of my trip that was OK from the beginning.

Things could be worse....my friends are booked on Alaska Airlines, and they filed for bankruptcy.

Tomorrow, I will call again! Then get drunk go to a matinee.

A GROUP VACATION...
That was all about ME.

I spent a good portion of the holiday weekend booking flights for an Alaskan cruise I'm going on in early September. I wanted to wait to book the air travel until a good fair popped up, maybe in July or August. But with the uncertainty of fuel prices and the airlines adding charges for checked luggage and an actual seat that's not on a toilet other things like food and headsets, I decided to just book it and be done with it.

I'll be meeting up with eight friends in Seattle, then we'll rent a few cars and drive up to Vancouver, BC together. The ship departs the next day, late in the afternoon, so we'll have time to party all night see a bit of Vancouver. The cruise ends in Anchorage, Alaska, and I'll be flying home from there.

So, this isn't a round trip ticket I'm trying to book, it's a multi-destination ticket. Of course, I'm flying out of that small little regional airport that goes nowhere outside of Texas. Because really? Why would you want to go anywhere else? I am flying to Seattle, then I have to change planes in Dallas, worry about my luggage going to the same destination at the same time. I will be on the first plane out of the small regional airport at 5:30 a.m. to arrive in Seattle by 11:30 a.m. to meet up with my friends. Don't forget the two hour time difference, making my not so simple trip from Texas to Washington eight hours.

Getting back home is the fun part. We dock in Anchorage at 12:30 a.m., then have a 2-3 hour ride to the airport. The first flight I can get on back to Dallas is too late to catch the last flight to the small regional airport near home that day! I decide not to go home, but stay and become an Eskimo fly from Anchorage to Orange County CA...and start my next vacation. See? Kill two birds with eight stones.

All these details and time-lines were giving me a headache. The airlines aren't as user friendly as they used to be. In fact, I called the airlines to see if they could help me coordinate my flights, and they told me there is a fee for that service. Huh? In the past couple of years I haven't had a trip that didn't have a cancelled or late connecting flight, making me miss my flight. American Airlines has had to put me up in a hotel three times in two years. Not good.

I was reminded of a group trip I took in the eighties. When the airlines cared about their image and your travel experience. My vacation tale is one I should keep to myself, but because you guys are all close personal friends, I can tell you...and you won't be judgemental, and realize what a selfish, self-centered person I am was.

I loved skiing, and wanted to experience good skiing, not in the crowded expensive slopes of Southern California. Spending more time in traffic and long lift lines, than actual skiing had lost it's appeal to me.

The local community college had a ski class with a trip to Banff, Alberta, Canada for the final exam...dirt cheap. The class met two nights a week on the grassy slope backing up to the football stadium. For the purpose of the class, it was covered with AstroTurf,then sprayed with WD-40 to make it slick and fast. Hey, don't laugh, this is surf country, sometimes you have to fake it.

The morning we departed for our Canadian ski trip, I was supposed to meet my instructor and forty classmates on campus, then travel to LAX on a bus. Well, I over slept, and missed the bus. I took my own car to the airport and met the class in time to board the plane. The instructor was a bit ticked at me, but hey, these things happen.

So, now we're all on the plane, finally settled in for the flight. Not so fast, readers! The flight attendant makes an announcement that the flight is way over booked, they want volunteers to give up their seats.

After much back and forth offers, yep, I give up my seat for $200 and a seat on the next flight to Calgary. SWEEEEET! Of course my instructor was ticked...AGAIN. No one told me that once we landed we still had to travel about 90 miles to the Banff Springs Hotel.
So there they were, waiting for me, for four hours, to take the charter bus to Banff because we were supposed to travel as a group.

So, I have to say, the airline was very accommodating. Not only did they pay me $200 to take a later flight, they sent me a voucher for my inconvenience. Air travel sure has changed, hasn't it? Or maybe bad Karma finally caught up with me.

Oh, and the instructor gave me a failing grade.