Week 2

My work week this time around:

Day 1: 20 minutes of Welcome aboard show.

Day 2: ......off.

Day 3:.....nothing...

Day 4:......more nothing....

Day 5: Guest Entertainer: Temptations show, Big band set

Day 6: 11pm big band set

Day 7: Farewell shows.

Wow.

Photos from the Glacier hike I took last week are up:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2114043&id=56903845&l=00eb473c5c

Working.....kindof....

Ha ha, so after playing for the Coasters I had 2 days off in a row. I worked again tonight, but only for an hour of big band! My schedule is going to be so light it is almost laughable...not going to complain though.

We arrived safely in Alaska on Sunday, and it is absolutely stunning. It reminds me of Norway in a lot of ways, with gorgeous snowy mountains and small, colorful flowers everywhere. In Juneau I went on a hike with Daniel and a few other friends, to Mendenhall Glacier. It was quite a hike, probably about 6 or 7 miles in all round trip, with a lot of steep hills and trekking through thick forests. Everything was so green and somehow magical....I absolutely loved it. The glacier was pretty incredible as well - the coolest bit being some ice caves we found. Note: it is not recommended to go underneath the glacier in the caves as we did...so kids don't try this at home. But it was absolutely incredible....the ice is melting away underneath the glacier in interesting patterns, and the light shines through turning everything a soft blue color. I took lots of pictures, don't worry!! We also walked a little bit on top of the glacier, which was a neat experience as well. The whole day was such an adventure....we felt very Indiana Jones during our deep forest bits...so fun.

In Skawgay we had a nice picnic lunch outside by a river of glacier runoff that empties into the sea, and Daniel took me to all his favorite sweet shops, which was fun. I think I'm really going to love being in Alaska, it is just so pretty everywhere. I promise to post photos soon!!!

Welcome to the Rhapsody!

I arrived safe and sound in to Sea-tac airport on Thursday night. I shared a room with a New Zealander shore excursions girl, who was really cool. I had a chance to meet up/catch up with my friend Leah for dinner (we used my free hotel restaurant voucher, and still had too much food even split between the two of us!) It was great to see her again.

After a few hours sleep I was up bright and early to make my way to the Rhapsody. We signed on the ship by 9:00, quite early by most standards. Daniel came and found me immediately and we had a wonderful little reunion. It is surreal to see him around again, and so wonderful to spend time with him. We went out to dinner in the dining room in celebration, and had such a great evening. The welcome aboard show was ridiculously easy, we hardly play anything at all, and one of the charts is the same cast bumper we did on the Voyager, so no surprises there.

Today was my second day on board. It started with the usual sign-on training, mostly to do with saftey, firefighting, and emergencies. After that I had a nice lunch with Daniel, we watched a movie, then headed to rehearsal. Tonight I got to back up the Coasters...maybe one of them was an original member, I'm not sure. But it was fun!! Thats all for now, more soon!!!

I'm gone! almost...

Well, its here already! My flight leaves for Seattle tomorrow. I'm under the impression that my hotel has free wifi (yipee!!) so I'll make sure to send out a quick update when I've arrived. I've spent the day packing, stuffing my suitcases as close to the 50 lb airline limit as they'll get. Since I know I'm going to be gone for the long haul, I'm packing accordingly - bringing things I know I'll need, things that will make me feel at home, and things that I could either bring now or spend money on later. Altogether that makes for some VERY full suitcases....and its still not everything I'd love to have with me. Its hard to pack 2 suitcases for 8 months!! But with some careful planning (I've been working on a list since before I signed off the Voyager), sacrifices, and luck, I should just about do it.

Tyler's wedding over the weekend was fantastic and special. It was a very God-centered wedding, with some beautiful moments. Tyler's face was just glowing all throughout...I am so glad he is now happily married. The reception was great as well, I got to visit with a lot of people I hadn't seen in a long time. My mom made the wedding cake herself, and it was fantastic! There were skits, the bouquet toss, garter-wrapped-around-a-can-of-Mountain-Dew toss, great food, and bubbles for the grand exit. No, I did not catch the bouquet. I'm short. And I don't like pushing people. So no bouquet for me. :-) It was a really wonderful event, and after it was over I got to spend some time with my great friends from college, which was amazing too. I crashed pretty hard that night....but what a weekend. I'm so glad that it worked out perfectly to be at both these weddings and enjoy so much quality time with friends this vacation. I loved going swing dancing at the Coffee Depot and other places as much as possible, and met some incredible people in the process (you know who you are!). I'm really not ready to go back....but Australia and Fiji are calling my name...ha ha. So, off I go!! Flight leaves in less than 24 hours!

It's Official

Yes, I have my flight information! Finally, a week before I leave....but at least I have it! My flight takes off on the 17th, Thursday afternoon. I have an overnight in Seattle, which I really appreciate. Its always better not to have to fly and go straight to the ship in the same day. This way I get to relax, sleep, and most importantly shower before I join the ship, and meet the people I'll be working and living with for the next 6 or 8 months. :-)

This next week is pretty packed with activity; I am going to be busy almost up to the moment I leave, I'm sure. Tomorrow I get to see my first opera - Die Walkure, with Dayna at the LA Opera. I am VERY excited about that!! Then Friday is the rehearsal dinner for Tyler's wedding, and Saturday is the wedding. After that, only a few short days to enjoy and to start seriously packing before I fly out. I really can't believe how soon I'm leaving - I might not believe it until I'm on the plane. I want to be able to slow down this weekend so Tyler's wedding doesn't pass me by in a blur. I want to savor every moment of it, and enjoy every second I get to spend with friends and family in the next week.

Its already June!! Make it stop!!!

I'm not ready for my time here at home to be over!! I've had so much fun seeing old friends and spending time with my family that I really feel like I don't want to leave again. 17 days left here. I don't yet have my flight information about joining the Rhapsody in Seattle, but I should know soon.

Yesterday I spent the day helping my sister and her husband move into their new apartment in Redlands. It is a beautiful place with lots of room, in a nice complex. I admit to some jealousy - I can't wait to have my own place and finally have room for all my things....I really look forward to finding a place for everything someday, decorating it, even setting up my kitchen and deciding which drawers to put things in. :-) I had a good time helping Holly do that - she and I spent a few hours organizing everything in between driving down carloads of stuff from Hesperia.

Last weekend I got to do something I haven't been home for in three years - shop Memorial Day weekend garage sales in Lake Arrowhead. The mountain goes nuts on Memorial Day and Labor day, every 10 houses has a sale, and there is a special full page of the newspaper dedicated to ads. I love it...bargains make me happy. Its my chance to buy things I couldn't otherwise justify buying, but because they cost almost nothing I can get away with it. Exhibit A: my new espresso machine. It has taken me 3 days of cleaning, vinegar descaling, rinsing, experimenting, taking a refresher course in making foam, and online research to arrive at my goal: today I finally made a myself a real cappuccino. Hooray!! And the best thing is, I only have to make one or two more for the machine to pay for itself. Best $7 I ever spent.