Day 492: Ketchikan

Some facts about Ketchikan:

• It’s known as Alaska’s “First City” because it’s the first stop when cruising the Inside Passage.
• With 7,000 people it’s Alaska’s sixth largest city.
• It’s the “Salmon Capital of the World” with five different species of wild Pacific salmon found in the surrounding waters.
• Ketchikan is home to the largest collection of totem poles in the world.
• It receives over 152 inches of rain a year.

Having visited Ketchikan several times before, we didn’t feel the pressure of having to get up and off the boat immediately.  We had a beautiful early morning look out our door.

Everyone else left the ship right away, leaving the pools completely deserted. Lucky me, getting to have this gorgeous place to myself! 

We did venture into town for a Lumberjack show. I snapped several pictures but the best one was of the log roll. What looks like snow really is water splashing.

But the even better picture occurred while I was sitting there. Look to the sky, grab the camera and hope for a good shot. I think I got it.

Day 491: At Sea

Today was our first full day at sea. What does one do when you are on a cruise ship all day? As you can imagine, it had something to do with food.

It started with a beautiful morning on the balcony and some room service. I've never seen melons chopped so small!

Then we headed out to watch a fruit carving. What talent! But I kept thinking, I could use those in my juice.

Today was a special British pub lunch. Bangers and mash were on the menu but we opted for the fish and chips with mushed peas. It was all so delicious - even the peas. I cleaned my plate.

It was formal night for dinner. Since we ate in the main dining room it was a four course meal. My choices:

Appetizer - Crabmeat quiche.

 Soup - Chicken wonton.

Main entree - Seared halibut on a bed of swiss chard.

Dessert - Strawberry cheesecake.

I made sure I did not clean my plate. What a load of food!

We then stopped by as they were putting the finishing touches on the champagne waterfall. We passed on partaking.

I did partake in their Mai Tai drink special of the day when we attended the comedy show.

Then as I was loading all the pictures into the computer tonight, hubby spied a humpback whale right off our balcony.

A very full (and filling) day.

Day 490: Island Princess

You can follow our cruise with the Island Princess webcam.

The first cruise we ever took was for our 20th anniversary. Only rich people cruised but we wanted to celebrate right for a once-in-a-lifetime trip. Except the once-in-a-lifetime trip has become a once-every-few-years trip. Our favorite cruise line is Princess and we're back with them again.

Island Princess to Alaska. Two weeks of rest and relaxation. And not just in one of the tiny inside cabins we usually book. We got a call a few days ago that we were being upgraded to a balcony cabin at no extra cost.

We feel so lucky that we're able to be here on this Independence Day. Happy 4th of July!

Day 489

I thought today I'd get an amazing picture. Remember all those windmills from Day 24? I'm kind of obsessed with those wind turbines. I've seen them being hauled down the road in pieces for years now. I've always wished I could catch one of the pieces stopped at a rest area so I could snap a picture, but they have always eluded me. But at Grouse Mountain in Vancouver, British Columbia they have a turbine tour. That tour goes into a glass viewing station at the top of the turbine!

But hubby still isn't doing much but sleeping so we didn't go. Maybe I'll get to do the wind turbine when we return.

My fear of heights might get me anyway. Just standing on the balcony of our Vancouver hotel room is enough to give me the heebie jeebies. 27 floors from the ground is plenty high.

Day 488

So I thought the excitement was beginning.

The plan was to drive to Seattle and spend the night. In the morning head to Pike Place Market with all the great fruits, veggies and flowers. Chase down a juice bar up the street. Hit a Starbucks for hubby and La Panier (my favorite french bakery) for me. Go back to the hotel for the afternoon and rest up until the evening Seattle Mariners baseball game.

That plan didn't happen.

Hubby hasn't been feeling well so we only made it as far as Yakima. He's had plenty of time to rest but now we'll be missing the Market. We will be hitting the baseball game tonight, though.

So instead of an exciting day full of pictures of flowers and fresh produce in Seattle, you get to see a picture of what I stared at for a chunk of the day yesterday. It'll have to do until I can (hopefully) take exciting pictures at tonight's game.

The texture of the ceiling in the hotel room is something I've never seen before. Bigfoot must have been the one assigned to the job.

Okay, it's post game and I do have some more pictures.

A couple of Safeco Field...

 The Mariners Moose

 See the ball in this one?

 Strike!

And of course we can't forget the guy selling hot dogs...

Day 487

July 1, the self-imposed quilt deadline. Despite all the grumblings this week about math class, work-related phone calls and e-mails, and too much chocolate, four quilts are headed out the door.

Now the excitement begins.

Day 486

I was lucky enough to see how much a mamma bird loved her baby.

Baby bird fell from the tree.

Momma bird coaxed her along in the grass until baby made it to the base of the tree.

Momma bird coaxed/pushed/encouraged baby to climb up the tree trunk.

Little baby bird clung to the tree with its little baby bird feet.

Baby bird made it to a branch. Then baby made it to the next branch and the next.

Momma kept coaxing/pushing/encouraging baby bird to keep hopping along the branch until she (I hope) made it back to her nest.

Day 485

I don't know why, but the soap inside the car wash this morning seemed interesting. Is there a story behind it? Nope. Just lots of wild colors.

Day 484

I woke up with a hangover today. A chocolate hangover.

I was getting groceries last night and saw that M&Ms were on sale. On the pack it was advertised that if you bought three bags you got a free movie ticket. So I just had to buy three bags.

One of those bags wound up next to my sewing machine. Last night as I worked on some quilting, I'd stop ever so often and eat a few M&Ms. It probably wouldn't have been so bad except I worked late into the night. Like until midnight or so. I don't know how many I ate (and am afraid to even pick up the bag), but the way my body was feeling this morning I have a feeling I ate a lot.

A chocolate hangover. I'm not a big chocolate fan but by mindlessly eating I consumed more than I would by choice.

There's only one cure for feeling icky in the morning. An ice cold glass of green juice. Kale, celery, parsley, bell pepper, green apples, kiwi, and cantaloupe. Snapple isn't the best stuff on earth. Today's juice is.

Day 483

Three days of math class, three days of problems taking 90 minutes. Here's today's 90 minute math problem:

26 x 18 =

I think I don't belong in this class - I keep thinking don't make me do another number line or boxes or "decompose" or "compensate" the numbers. (Both words I never heard being related to math before taking this class.) Let's get this problem solved and move on.

Some folks seem to enjoy the class. I'm sure a lot has to do with the fact they'll have to turn around and teach these strategies and models to their students, but for me with no classroom and no reason to be all that interested it makes for a pretty long day.

I'm not the only one with a long day. One minute the cat has claimed the coffee table and the next she's parked herself under it. What a cat.

Day 482

84 + 38=
107 - 88 =
62 - 19 =

If you had to guess, how long do you think we spent in class today solving these three math problems?
a. 1 minute
b. 5 minutes
c. 10 minutes
d. 90 minutes

D. 90 minutes.

With today's new type of math we have to show kids lots of different ways to solve math problems and the conventional way of lining them up and carrying/borrowing isn't one of them. What should take no more than a minute now takes a long time - and a lot of explanation - and lots of paper and lots of lines and boxes and arrows.

Between that drain brain of a day and another two (yep, 2) work-related phone calls, I took a nap tonight after dinner. Just like last night.

The only thing that saved me today was getting to see this out my bedroom window.

Day 481

The thought of getting these quilts to Alaska is what is keeping me moving forward. Although today I felt like I was stuck in the Twilight Zone.

Part of the problem is that I had this math class starting this morning and I SO didn't want to go. To keep my teaching certificate current I have to take this class. I've put it off for a couple years and can't wait much longer. So today it started.

An entire day - an entire week - of 30+ people crammed into a 5th grade classroom with 5th grade tables and 5th grade sized plastic chairs. By the time my eight hours was up today my back was done for. (Not to mention we spent an hour and a half working through one math problem. One problem, 90 minutes. Talk about brains being scrambled.)

And those work phone calls I was crossing my fingers and hoping I wouldn't get now that I'm done for the summer? I've had two so far.

No escaping anyone or anything. I'm so thankful I can sew!

Day 480

Day 336 brought me a package of fabric from Paula O. Fabric she didn't have a need for, fabric she wanted me to have.

Day 430 brought me a package from Brenda in Alaska. Brenda who works at a fabric store and came across some strips someone had left behind.

Thanks to those two people, here's today's math problem:
Day 336 + Day 430 + working all day in the sewing room = ??

Another charity quilt top. And Brenda, when I knew where this one was going I had to make sure your strips found a way into the quilt. This one will head to a little girl who has a dad in the Army. Stationed in Alaska.

Day 479

From a bed of dirt on Day 16 to this on Day 479. What else can I say? Yum.

Day 478

I walked out of the house at 6:30 this morning to get to a work meeting. After having several different meetings and discussions in three different buildings (and a couple different towns) I finally walked back into the house after 6:30 this evening.

Now I can officially say my work is done. The way this year went it only seems fitting that my last day at work was a long one. I'll return August 1st, but in the meantime I have to go to school and be a student. In yet another town I'm taking a class all day, every day for the next week. Then I'll really be done. (I hope. It seems my job has become an always-on-call job. I'm crossing my fingers for no calls.)

Work is complete. Flowers in bloom.

Day 477

As usual it's nice to have kiddo home. This time she chased down a stray butterfly/moth flying around the hallway and picked some mega-radishes. She also scolded us for not picking the radishes often enough. She's got a point - smaller would have been much better tasting in this morning's juice. I don't say yuck about our juice much, but today? Yuck.

Day 476

No Win It Wednesday today. Time for a break.

No break from sewing, though. Another top done for Operation Kid Comfort. (Faces are blurred on purpose.)

Day 475

Once I got home it didn't take me long to get back into the groove. Another quilt top done for Quilts for Kids using their fun, bright fabric.

Day 474

After these last few days in Jackpot I am so thankful to be back home. It was a trip I didn't want to take, but I did it for my husband. I decided today that from now on if I'm not excited about going somewhere, I'm going to stay home. (Work, doctors appointments and groceries are exempt.) As for hubby's gambling urge - next time he can go on the bus. Five nights away from home was just too much right now.

Kitty thought so too. We've had this new car for three months and she's never jumped up on the hood, walked up the windshield, and peeked in the sunroof while we were sitting in the car. But she did today.

Day 473

Looks like I'm not the only one who hangs out at the pool in Jackpot.

Day 472

So far it may have been about swimming, work, and gambling but today it was about the food.

We had our usual juice for breakfast but for lunch were treated to a Father's Day weekend celebration lunch by our casino host. The best taco salad I've ever eaten (and not too ugly, either) and the richest chocolate cake (or was it a brownie?). We were also comped a seafood buffet tonight. I wasn't too hungry, but as usual the desserts were gorgeous. Who know a Rice Krispie treat could look so pretty?