KmomChicago

Yesss! Thanks Kellie!

Jus’ gon’ have one a day. Bloody Mary.

It begins.

Less than one minute.

Ubering to port now and traffic is a bit backed up.

This hotel has only 8 stories, what the heck is all this noise? 😂😂 I was on the elevator headed to breakfast and we stopped at a lower floor where a beleaguered couple was desperately trying to maneuver their poorly overloaded luggage cart. Being in a rare charitable humor this fine morning I helped ‘em into the lift and out again at ground level where their appreciation was effusive. They’re getting on Edge this morning. In fact the cruise shuttle was already fully booked when we arrived last night so we’ll taxi over instead.

Trynna be good with the hotel brekky. The pudding is chia seed with coconut milk. There’s real half and half whitening that coffee, however.

Another guest at Hyatt House Downtown Seattle.

Remind me again why we’re on this itinerary in May?

CC gave me a new badge today. Less than 1300 people have this! If you’re here, keep it in mind. You could join this exclusive society! Live reviews are also how you earn the “rare” designation.

It’s entirely possible I just can’t figure it out. On the bright side, I see all the Boomers boarding these ships. I’m sure I’m not the only one in this boat, so to speak.

Ok this looks right up my alley for tonight’s entertainment.

I forgot to do the health screening yesterday and it appears to be too late so hopefully we just get asked the questions in person!

See folks, this is why I try not to be a big entitled jerk whenever I get my feelings hurt by some dumb person or dumb situation. Because there is so much more positive energy out there and it’s so much more powerful. Look at this HANDWRITTEN note from the GM of the Hyatt House at the Space Needle. This was on our kitchen table with some fresh fruit and other snacks. He is thanking me for using a FREE night (in this case, worth almost $400) and explaining they upgraded me to a room worth even more. Thanking me for accepting a highly valuable gift from him, his team, and his company. Giving me grace beyond what I deserve. Chokes me up a bit, not gonna lie. LIFE IS GOOD! BE KIND, GRATEFUL, AND JOYFUL!

Thanks buddy @Biker19. This is becoming a co-dependent relationship, at least on my end. If I mess something up on this cruise that you coulda prevented, you know where I’m putting the blame! 😂

Am I the only one who loves it when the local news channel drops a commercial like this? ”Exclusive report from the WKWK newsroom: The hidden danger that could kill you this afternoon!! Tune in for the story, tonight at ten.”

OKAY I am going to drop a teaser here. It’s 6:30 am in Seattle. @crzndeb has been kind enough, coming into port on Celebrity Edge this morning from her own Alaska cruise, to report that my ship has made it home as well. That’s always good news. I got an early check in time today, 11am, specifically to try to get free bookings on North Star, which was the final deciding detail for selecting Ovation of the Seas over so many equally excellent options. However, there is something important that has gone rather deeply wrong in Kmom’s life recently and unexpectedly. You know it’s important because of Kmom referring to herself in the third person. And see, it could be a factor at embarkation and I am mostly but not 100% confident that it’s entirely under control. I’m also mostly but not 100% confident about my decision on how to manage it. I think I took a little risk with the decision. I literally mighta messed up here and won’t know for sure till I get there.

Welcome home! Interesting observation about going downhill. I have extensive domestic travel in my background; however, I have never been to Idaho, Oregon, Alaska, or, until yesterday, Washington state. It was still daylight as we rode in on light rail through the various neighborhoods. I much enjoyed the view and I kept thinking, this literally looks like the birthplace of a revolutionary alternative rock music subgenre called GRUNGE. I don’t know what I pictured but that wasn’t it. Yet I found it delightful. It was beautiful in a rugged, in some places rundown and others, obviously renewed and redeveloped way. As always I am a weirdo but I love gritty urban and suburban areas, a sense of history and cultural richness. Seattle looks and feels unique and also stereotypically American all at once.

These Hyatt people have been very good to me for over ten years. I got a wonderful welcome last night and upgrade from the king den studio I booked to a one bedroom suite, using my annual reward free night I earn by having the Hyatt Chase credit card. I show up late and dirty, or sometimes early and dirty, stressed and tired, certainly not looking like the kind of guest Hyatt actually wants to attract. Yet they unfailingly, across America and the world, treat me like I am their absolute favorite.

@Biker19 11am check in time? You don’t sleep either I see.

There are two things I almost always enjoy on a cruise: Bagel with cream cheese and smoked salmon, and eggs Benedict. In fact those are both very characteristic of my problem. Highly processed white bread topped with concentrated umami, salty, animal proteins. On this cruise we’ll also have the Kummelweck sandwich that was so memorable on Oasis six years ago. Similar concept really. And on the other end, I sure love a nice cheesecake or brown sugar based soft cookie. Seeing the pattern? In the past cruises have been excuses to indulge even more than usual and honestly I always feel like garbage onboard as a result. I often wonder how crew stay so slim and it’s obviously because enough is actually enough and they couldn’t perform their duties if they abused their health like I do. Away from the stress and routine of my daily life, I am really hoping to kickstart a personal wellness campaign this week. Wish me luck!

It will be boring and overthinking to discuss my food strategy for this cruise. Too bad. As always feel free to just scroll past the parts of this trip report that drag. We’ll have plenty of dragging, I can almost guarantee! I don’t sleep much and I don’t really drink so lots of time for pontificating. Just look it up. My advanced vocabulary is just one of my many less attractive traits. I am a lifelong chronic overeater, like many if not most Americans raised on decades of cheap, heavily processed, artificially tasty foodstuffs. My body, brain, and especially digestive system has been telling me for years that the quality and volume of my diet is NOT HELPING. Yet it’s my addiction. It largely has control over me, and I really hate it. I have briefly broken out of the cycle over the years only to relapse. The pandemic and post world has been really bad for this, chronic stress eating and almost constant daily / hourly discomfort. It’s insane. I know this. And it just gets worse over time. If I had any sense I would eat mostly fruits and vegetables with very minimal grains and dairy, and mostly or even exclusively plant based protein. Sooooooo, that’s what I’m hoping to mostly stick to while I have the incredible resource of practically unlimited, internationally inspired, freshly prepared vegetarian and vegan gourmet options.

Up in the wee hours after a short but good quality sleep. Hoping to get more as we have no plans before our cab ride to port at 10:45. I forgot to print my cruise tags, so hoping the hotel can help me with that. Otherwise we can roll on the whole circus, reminding us why “baggage” is such a perfect metaphor / now cliche for crap you can’t escape but would prefer not to be dealing with. I also forgot to check in early for my Alaska Airlines flight yesterday but did so on the app while we were on the final leg to O’Hare in my buddy’s car, and bag drop just a couple minutes later was flawless. Thankfully I remembered everything critical and not easily replaced (kids’ prescription meds, travel documents, corrective eyewear plus spares). But it’s uncharacteristic of me to lapse on those things I forgot.

All rolling bags of course. It was me with two semi clueless 18 year year olds. None of us is in great physical shape, but no chronic injuries or other issues either. We had 2 large suitcases, 3 carry ons, and 2 personal items (handles looped over the large bags). We did fine with it in spite of being tired already from a long day of travel. There were elevators next to the escalators in each station, which we elected to use. A little extra (maybe 2 minutes) wait time for elevator vs. escalator. Ticket machines at airport were super easy, one way, single ride ticket to Westlake just $3. Monorail costs more for a much shorter ride ($3.50) but worth it. There is some walking - Link is a hike from the terminal at SeaTac. The walk between train stations at Westlake is pretty short. The walk from Space Needle monorail station to Hyatt House is the equivalent of about 2-3 city blocks.