Go (Way Far) North, Young Lady!

Greetings from Alaska! Yes, Alaska! Crazy, huh?

As you can tell by my previous post, I didn't think that we'd have internet while away but since we've got coverage here and there, I thought I'd drop in from time to time to tell you about our trip. Yes, we escaped Nashville. Where it's currently between 106 and 110 degrees. Like the face of the sun. We taped plastic over the holes in the floor, left the kitties and the destructive plumbing at home with a house sitter and went on the lam. Hallelujah!

The Mister's parents offered to take us with them on a cruise around Alaska. Talk about incredible. This place has got to be one of the most beautiful, awe inspiring and mind boggling places on Earth. I'm talking icebergs, glaciers, whales....the whole nine yards. We wake up to views of beautiful snow covered mountains and waterfalls. We simply walk out on our balcony and can see whales and sea lions and otters every day. People, it's incredible. I keep thinking that I'll wake up and find that I've slipped on a rogue puddle of cat pee and hit my head and am simply dreaming this experience.

If this is a cat pee head wound dream, please don't wake me. 

So far, it's been a little hard to get used to the constant pampering on the ship. It's SO completely different than my normal life. There are people that insist on doing everything for us. Turning down our beds each night...putting our napkins in our laps for us (which never fails to startle me. The waiters are lucky that I haven't gone into self defense mode on one of them and cleaned their clocks.)...and even scraping our crumbs away with fancy little tools after we eat because well, one simply can't be bothered to wipe one's own crumbs away from the tablecloth. Yeah, insane. Now I know how being royalty must feel. At one point, the Mister's Dad got caught brushing his table crumbs into the floor and the waiter ran over as if he were committing a cardinal sin!  "Oh no, sir! I'll take care of that!"

It's also the time of the year when it doesn't get dark here. As you can imagine, I never know what day it is...or what time it is. Or what floor I'm on. Or what town we're in. It's all just a blur with no deadlines, no nighttime and mysterious chocolates appearing on our freshly fluffed pillows. And the movie channel shows all movies that are set on boats. It's as if no life exists outside of the ship life.

And can I speak to you of the opulence that is never-ending fresh bread baskets on the dinner tables every night and that the food is perfection? Hello, Heaven. Dinners take hours with all of their courses and pomp and circumstance (and crumb brushing). And the fact that the air smells like fresh snow, clean air and rich green fir trees? And that this morning, the Mister and I were forced to have our photos taken with people in moose and bear costumes before we were allowed to leave the ship for port? Yes, don't wake me. Don't you dare.

Well, the Mister is off walking on glaciers and I think that I'll take a little stroll around deck. I hope that y'all are having a great July so far. And to my friends in Canada - Happy Canada Day! We visited your turf yesterday and it's glorious! To celebrate, the ship staff unveiled a giant cake. Which happens to be made of styrofoam. Totally weird but somehow almost celebratory.

Oh, and not only are the cakes classy here but the souvenirs are equally as grade-A. 

Until next time,
x's and o's (and icecaps and nightcaps)
Eartha