CatLadyFemme

For Day 5, we had not been able to get a tour through Royal in Juneau after our first once was canceled, so I went with a local tour that took us to the Alaska State Museum, the salmon hatchery, the Glacier Gardens, and a photo op with Mendenhall Glacier (plus included 3 free fish tacos each at Deckhand Dave’s after). I had actually been most excited about the museum, because I am a nerd, obviously. However, I left not being sure how I felt about it. There was a ton of historical items from local indigenous tribes…however, no information on who provided the items, of any partnership with local tribes, etc., and one of their posts used the E word (esk!mo) that is often viewed as a slur (and also ch!nk in reference to the racist name of a piece of machinery). Neither were necessary and put me off quite a bit. I was surprised how much I loved the salmon hatchery. They had a ladder that was a little different than Seattle, people tossing salmon, open tanks with over 1 million baby salmon, an indoor aquarium, and a touch tank where I got to pet sea stars and sea cucumbers. So amazing 🥰 The gardens were lovely too, though by this point, I recognized I was getting physically and emotionally burned out. I leave the house so rarely that I wanted to fit in All the Things (tm), and after 3 days of excursions, I was running on low. MxCatLady took a picture of me with some moss I was loving, and though I thought I was smiling, you can see my fatigue face. We decided after the tour (and tacos!) to make the next two days much more chill, including canceling our Victoria excursion (a one hour sight seeing tour, since we got in so late and nothing was open). The tacos were surprisingly amazing. MxCatLady got the fried ones and said they were some of the best fish tacos they had ever had. I asked if they’d make a no fish version (just cabbage slaw, pico, and avocado crema), and to be honest, it was one of the better tacos I have ever had. Highly recommend and worth the wait! MxCatLady also tried candied salmon iced cream, and said it was surprisingly good (in a small quantity). Got back to the ship with another long line to board; I have never had such long lines when not tendering! Took some rest, and then grabbed a small bit in the MDR before our later Wonderland meal (especially since I had no idea I’d be able to eat a whole meal!). I had the eggplant olive tartare (tasty) and the moussaka (surprisingly good!!), while MxCatLady enjoyed a Caesar salad and tempura off the vegan menu.

I wore my rainbow unicorns and narhwals skirt for the animal watching, of course. for dinner, we started with two virgin margaritas; mine iced, their frozen. I found mine too sweet, but MxCatLady liked theirs. For dinner, I did the coconut parsnip soup on the vegan menu (a fav), a cheese plate (totally not worth it IMHO; these used to be much better), a grilled cheese (a special request I made cause I was just feeling basic), and a flourless chocolate cake (also a special request; they will always make them for you if you ask! These are different ship to ship. This one wasn’t great, but the ones on Voyager, Explorer, and Allure were all great). MxCatLady tried escargot for the first time (ate them all; said they mostly just tasted like butter and garlic), chicken cordon bleh (which Royal now serves with fries??? They were super disappointed), and some in memorable cake. Def not a great meal night for us, though we got a GF pizza (for me) and regular slices (for them) from Sorrento’s around 11pm.

So Day 4 was in Sitka. We did the Sea Otter and Wildlife Quest through Royal, and it was amazing!! The boat was much less full than when MrCatLady and I did our Juneau whale watching trip in 2018, so felt much safer COVID wise, much less sensory iffy autistic wise, and it mean that everyone who stayed in the lower deck could have a window. It was stunning! Plus we saw bald eagles and their nests, jumping fish, Northern sea otters (omg the cutest thing ever), sea lions, and a several humpback whales. Plus we learned a lot about their conservation efforts, which I really appreciated. And MxCatLady bought me a stuffed humpback whale, which our steward Derri got really into posing this trip.

Ok! So we are home now and I am going to try and play catch up. The internet was AWFUL (yes, even the upgraded surf and stream) and I couldn’t load this whole site most days. So I am going to start with our favorite cruise stuff as I usually do, and then go back in time to be specific. Top 5 Food Items MxCatLady: ▪️Birds Nest (Wonderland) ▪️Truffle Tagiltelle (Jamie’s) ▪️Rockfish Tacos (Deckhand Dave’s, Juneau) ▪️Short rib (both MDR and Wonderland) ▪️Key lime pie ▪️Honorable mention: Royal Cheesecake Me: ▪️Truffle Tagiltelle (Jamie’s) ▪️All of Wonderland (🥰) ▪️Moussaka (MDR) ▪️GF cheesecake (MDR special request) ▪️Gorgonzola pasta (MDR special request) Top 5 non-alcoholic drinks MxCatLady: ▪️Double espresso ▪️Mochas ▪️Mango lava flow ▪️Tutti fruit from Bionic Bar ▪️Virgin margarita Me: ▪️Blueberry Mojito ▪️Hot chocolate with two pumps of chai ▪️Dirty chai ▪️Frozen mojito ▪️Fresh OJ Top 5 Things We Did MxCatLady: ▪️Wonderland and the fullness of that inclusive experience ▪️Sea Otter and Wildlife Quest (Sitka) ▪️Trolly tour (Ketchikan) ▪️Local tour in Juneau ▪️Sitting on the balcony and just vibing (with some whales!) Me: ▪️Sea Otter and Wildlife Quest (Sitka) ▪️Sitting on the balcony and just watching everything go by ▪️Touch tanks at the Salmon Hatchery (Juneau) ▪️Totem park and small forest adventure with moss friends and old growth (Ketchikan) ▪️Duck Scavenger Hunt

Of course! It’s a Unique Vintage dress a few years ago. Torrid also has had some plus sizes Buffalo plaid fashion too. I’m so glad! I know how hard it can be to travel with dietary needs.

They said it was delicious and technically really well done. They just aren’t a huge lobster fan.

Thank you all for the support. It’s now become a thing where the manager has called multiple times, tried to come talk on the dining room, etc. I’ve told all the folks to pass on that I’m fine, am just going to skip the bistro, and don’t want to engage, but feel a little low key harassed. Hoping this part is over. I know I am behind (combo of sketchy internet and chronic pain/chronic fatigue meaning no brain power) and totally will catch up as the internet and sea day allows. However, I *really* want to share our fabulous Wonderland visit from last night before I forget anything. I have been to most speciality restaurants at least once, and my experiences have varied across venues and even across ships (like sometimes I have to bring my own GF soy sauce to Izumi and settle for a cucumber roll; sometimes they laugh when I bring my own sauce and so a whole vegan fried rice with grill and marinated tofu plus a fun veggie roll for me). Sometimes it has been rough (Chops on Allure where they told me all I could eat was the beet salad and some sauteed mushrooms), and sometimes really lovely (Giovanni’s on Brilliance, where they made me a lovely cheese and veggie only charcuterie board for me, plus GF vegetarian minestrone). At the very least, I have never been glutened, and am fine with not always getting the full meal like either of my partners. However, last night at Wonderland blew me out of the water. I booked it as a birthday present for MxCatLady, since I was out of town receiving an award on their birthday this year. We both love whimsical, plus are foodies, and neither of us had been. I assumed I might be able to get one or two things, but mostly was in it to enjoy the atmosphere and celebrate my love. It started night one, while hiding ducks. Bing Bing, who works there, helped us hide one, and when we told her we were coming in later that week, she made sure to put my allergies and dietary needs in the system again. She and Onur (the manager) were both great even in advance. Last night, we sat down, loving the decor, the menu experience, etc. I was given a plate of GF bread, so expected that to be my main meal. Y’all. The chefs TURNED UP. They made me a GF vegetarian item for every single item MxCatLady got. Sometimes similar (we both had tomato water, mine without the accoutrements), and sometimes unique (instead of the liquid lobster, I had a delightfully done baby turn up, a liquified apple sauce, and some other veggie). I have never once been made to feel so included. Usually folks find out I am vegetarian and offer me pasta primavera or find out I am gluten free, and offer me grilled salmon or chicken. Here? I got to experience the magic along with my partner, which allowed them to really enjoy their food. They shared their thoughts and about the nuanced flavor of each bite , and which delighted them most. They told me they don’t usually do that as I they don’t want to make me feel bad, but felt like they could last night since I got to enjoy it too. That’s it, that’s this update. Obviously will shout out these folks in my survey, but also wanted to let you know, given that many of us with allergies or dietary needs get nervous (and may have had less than stellar experiences). The staff and kitchen crew on Quantum in Wonderland go so far above and beyond that I feel amongst the stars.

I made the paid reservation around 5pm the day we boarded. I just checked the app now (Day 4) and it appears that there are plenty of free North Star spots for tomorrow AM, and free iFly spots all week, so I don’t think they are making you wait till 8am day of as they have in the past. Not sure how many people they allow on. There were maybe a total of 10 on our ride? I hope you have an amazing time!

Almost caught up!!! We got back on the ship at about 3pm. Longest line to board I have ever seen! Apparently something to do with the tides making certain gangways too steep and not useable? Unclear. we got up to our room to take meds, put on more pain patches, ice my knees and head, and heat my back. I definitely am overdoing it on some of these things, but knowing I may not get to really go anywhere for another year or so depending on how these dual pandemics go means I want to get in as much as I can, as safely as I can. Around 4pm, I realized I hadn’t eaten all day, since we left the ship after breakfast but before lunch. And at 3pm, almost all the places a celiac person can safely eat (MDR, solarium bistro, and WJ) were closed. I had an orange in my room, and looked forward not only to our MDR time at 5:15, but our time in the Solarium Bistro at 8:30 as well. I jokingly call this second dinner, but in this case, I was viewing MDR as my first meal of the day, and the Solarium Bistro as my main dinner. It was SO hard to get a reservation there (it is free), as I had booked it a year out, then like 7 months ago, they canceled them. But then they opened them again, and I booked it twice. I have a never been a ship with one, and almost all of their appetizers are veggie and GF, so I was really looking forward to it. I booked both times at 8:30, so that it would be less crowded, as we did for all of our UDP reservations last April on Allure. I know this is a lot of back story, but it is important for later. Dinner again was fine. Like…the food for sure is not bad, and the service is solid. I have definitely had MUCH worse. However, compared to some ships, it’s just fine. They check in once per meal to see if it is fine, but like last night, the tortilla soup was very tasty and also very spicy. I finished my blueberry mojito (MxCatLady was surprised with a mango/strawberry smoothie) and my glass of water, and it took 20 min for either to be refilled. Despite asking most days, I haven’t gotten a lemon wedge, and when I do ask for GF bread. It usually shows up right before or at the same time as desert. So nothing horrible at all, just not the same service we experienced on Voyager this May, for example. I had the vegan tortilla soup (so spicy that I asked for some sour cream though!) and MxCatLady started with the oft debated (on the boards) Poblano soup, which they really enjoyed. For a main, I had the mushroom risotto (FAR better than the lunch time squash risotto of the previous day) and they had the short rib (favorite thing they have eaten on board this far!), finishing with a chocolate mud pie (them), and some mediocre chocolate pudding (me). Our head waiter gave me some GF bread on request to take to the Solarium Bistro, to make sure I had something to dip in my hummus, baba ganoush, etc. Welp, we took a nap, got up and got redressed, and left our room at 8:20 to go to our 8:30 reservation. Between elevators taking forever, and two do the three doors being closed (including the one I had gone in Day 1), which made us walk around the whole Solarium, we finally found the entrance and walked in at 8:36pm. I hate being late, but figured they would understand. It was just two of us, they seat people late for stuff all the time, we had a reservation. And here is where my poor little autistic break started its’ meltdown. The manager looked at us surprised, wondering why we were there. I explained we had a reservations for 8:30 pm and gave me name. He pointed out the food area that had been totally cleared of all of the appetizers I had been so looking forward to. We were so late, he claimed, that after waiting 5 (Five!) minutes for us, they decided to close everything down…despite many 8:30pm reservation options. We both have worked in the restaurant industry, and I have NEVER worked at or visited a restaurant that would turn you away for being 5 minutes late, none the less choose to close their kitchens 5 minutes past their reservation time. Like…what if we had been on time. That would have given us 5 minutes to be seated, order drinks, look at the menu, get appetizers and then boom, no more options to eat (they don’t have a vegetarian main dish). Worse yet, we had another 8:30 reservation on Day 6, so now this man, who was quite rude and a bit mean (to the point I had to try not to cry until I got back into the elevator bay), would do this whole bloody spiel with us when we came back. My whole body was activated in fight or flight, and I know some of it was being hungry and some of it was pain, but oof. Plus, now at 8:45pm, post arguement, I was stuck again with the only available option for me to be an GF pizza. Which I had already done the night before, and I don’t even like GF pizza much. We took down the elevator to guest services, to tell them to fix their app. If they want people to not eat at 8:30, that’s fine, but then make the last reservation 8:15. If a restaurant closes at 9pm, I usually would never show up randomly at 9pm, but if they offered me a 9pm reservation, I would assume I would be able to access the same food and quality of service as someone sat at 8pm. I explained to the woman at guest services that I wasn’t mad at her, but really wanted IT to fix this on the app. To get there, we had to wade through a crowd of people to get through the esplanade, which is a huge trigger for me. Her solution was to want to call manager and have him come down to talk. By now, I was shaking and trying to explain how he had been quite mean and I really didn’t want to talk to him again. We left, and again, crowded lobby by the elevator. I tried to hold it together, but was shaking and had tears streaming down my cheeks. By the time we got off on our deck, I was having a full blown panic attack and a sobbing meltdown. Likely a combo of All the Things (tm), but definitely activated by this experience. My love, for whom I am so thankful, got me to our room as I shook and sobbed, and got me tucked into bed before they went to get me a pizza and hot coca. We had hoped to see the Northern Lights last night, but it was so cloudy. This morning, the man from Solarium Bistro has called twice: once to ask when we wanted to rebook last night and then to ask if we wanted to cancel our Saturday reservation. Thankful to MxCatLady for fielding those calls. I don’t think I want to go back there, because I am afraid he will be mean to us again. I don’t know what a good solution it…but wanted to be transparent for folks reading along that while Royal says they are great at working folks with autism, what they mean is autistic kids, not adults. Last night’s interactions (and today’s follow up) didn’t have to go like that, and if they truly wanted to welcome all autistic folks, they need to try their staff not to chastise us. Rejection sensitive dysphoria is a real thing and hits so hard. No one has asked if I am ok (I am not) or what I would like to happen, nor have they listened when I said I didn’t want to speak with this particular person. So definitely an area for growth.

After this, MxCatLady bought a fleece lined rain jacket (MrCatLady ALSO ignored my suggestion to bring a rain jacket back in 2018. Clearly, I have type! 🙄), then we checked in for our tour. As a late addition, Royal didn’t have much in the way of excursions, so we bought this separately. We took a trolly over to a (side of the road, real casual) wildlife viewing area, where we saw salmon jumping, lots of gulls, several bald eagles and two bald eagle nests, and some some very neat plants. No bears, sadly. Then we want to the Saxan Village totem park to learn more on the history of totems, and watch people carving them. Plus we got to enjoy a little time in the forest (nature therapy for sure), and I found a little patch of moss which was perfect post for Stimming and grounded. PNW forests just hit different. So soothing. I also loved the shop there, with lots of things from local indigenous artists. I got a pair of earrings for me, a hat for MrCatLady, a magnet for our fridge, and a few other gifts. We got dropped off right next to the ship, but had plenty of time. MxCatLady got some fresh fish and chips (cod), and I got a Thai iced tea bubble tea. After this, we shopped a bit. I always suggest going back a block or two, away from the big (and often franchise) stores to find more actual local stuff and better deals, plus nice people to talk to. We wound up at Bill’s something or other (BBB), and bought a ton of local jellies (fireweed, salal, salmon berry, spruce tips), fireweed honey, some devil’s club salve, and MxCatLady bought be a lovely blingy (for me) ring with a Northern Lights stone and manufactured blue opal. It looks beautiful and happens to go well with my current nails too!

Next up, we have Day 3, and Ketchikan! This was a last minute addition when they changed the stops around, and I have never been here, so it was pretty cool. Despite not being early risers, we got our butts up early, grabbed some hot cocoa for me and coffee for MxCatLady, and headed into town for the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show. Obviously, I wore my Buffalo plaid dress. It’s a bit spendy ($37/adult), but they kindly gave me an educator discount (also have them for military and veterans, and health care workers/EMTs, just FYI), which I thought was nice. I bought day of but if you know you want to go, you can buy online in advance. The person selling us our tickets (and a flannel for MxCatLady, who already has real lumberjack vibes) was a young queer person. I compliment their nail polish, they said they liked my lanyard (rainbow), as we did the dance of establishing whether we were family. They said how nice it was to be able to see queer folks, as it felt kind of lonely here. We got a similar response from a teen on board who always lights up when we come across each other. I forget sometimes how important it is for young folks to see queer and trans folks being am happy and successful, despite all the policies and social stigma contributing to minority stress. It was really sweet. The show was fun and funny. A few jokes had misogynistic undertones, so a grimace here and there, but overall, fun and well done. Definitely kid friendly. Front rom is both accessible, so we sat there, and it is also the splash zone for the pool related events, so be forewarned. show is slightly under an hour, and worth seeing. hope it is going to let me upload pictures here:

Pics from night two dinner and post dinner towel animal 💜

It’s been a pain in the butt to get enough internet signal to properly write and post, so apologies for being behind. Dinner night two was good in some ways, challenging in others. My tomato gazpacho was like a cold tomato purée (skip!) while the spinach ricotta stuffed mushroom (without bread crumbs because celiac) was delightful and something I haven’t gotten to try on board. Winner for sure. Also Sahil had them make me a version of the peach thing on the desert menu with not gluten or gelatin (a big issue with many of the desserts on board; watch out vegetarians!) and that was lovely. MxCatLady had the calamari, tenderloin, and the soufflé, and reports that they were all tasty. We also have a beverage person now, and asked her to surprise us with mocktails. I got a yummy virgin blueberry mojito (and then another!) while MxCatLady got a mango lava flow. Service was good but slooooooooow. And listen, I actually like having slower, drawn out meals. I am not a WJ style person…but it shouldn’t take almost 2 hours for a 3 course meal 🤷🏻‍♀️. after that, I had planned to see both the Starwater and Goddess shows, but 1) we heard they were both packed (and indoors) and 2) I was low on spoons and high on pain from the duck scavenger hunt, so we decided to listen to our audio book and spend time on our balcony before turning in for the night. pics to follow!

Lunch in the MDR was…meh. I usually love Day 2 MDR lunch; I get mashed potatoes, the sides from the cod (spinach and cauliflower with a caper vinegarette), and butternut squash risotto. I ordered the same thing last night for today. Firstly, even once sat, it took 10 minutes to get water poured, and another 5 for MxCatLady to order (cheese sticks, potato soup, steak frites, and key lime pie). I didn’t have my food brought until 12:50, and we had showed up at noon! And then, it was an odd looking butternut squash risotto, and a huge plate of cauliflower and sautéed spinach with no seasoning or vinegarette. Also no mashed potatoes. Womp womp. When I asked, they said the vinegarette could not be made free of cross contamination (despite ordering yesterday), and brought me a side of plain capers. MxCatLady’s cheese sticks were good, but NOT mozzarella, so don’t be shocked. They said everything was tasty, it nothing was amazing. I will say my veggies were fine but boring, and something was off about the risotto. The cubes of squash were shrunken almost like they were dehydrated, and the rice was yellow. I only ate a few bites, and then headed out to the duck scavenger hunt. Someone from our [other online platform] group put together a whole scavenger hunt around the ship, ending with you getting a large duck. I met some nice folks and we did the hunt together, and I ended up with the “nerd” duck, aka Poinduckster. I was so hot and over heated after the scavenger hunt. Despite last night being nice and cool outside, today, everything was warm and humid, indoors and out. Our AC won’t go below 68, and I don’t know if that actually works, or if they have switched it to heat only, because our room didn’t really cool all day. I opted for a shower to cool off, and then at 4:20, we went to try out North Star. Given our extra onboard credit we got because of the change in schedule, I sprung for the extended trip. I am scared of heights, but it was actually quite nice. Worth it once, but be probably won’t spring for it again. I did appreciate they had an elevator up, and that North Star *is* wheelchair accessible (though not power chair accessible, FYI). MxCatLady wanted to try the crab Rangoon at the Splash Away Cafe (former Dim Sun, former Johnny Rockets), so we got them an order. Big thumbs up here!

Last night, we went to the LGBTQIA mixer for a bit, spent some time hiding ducks, and ended up back in the room, listening to the waves and an audio book. I slept like a baby, as I usually do on cruises. Oh! And we ran into @gowensricksand her lovely family is well. today, we had a quick continental breakfast from room service, and headed over to the Top Tier event in Two70. Captain Kristoff is surprisingly hilarious. For those interested: 1611 C&A members total 913 Gold 275 platinum 112 Emerald 229 Diamond 70 Diamond plus 12 Pinnacle Following this, stopped by La Patisserie for hot cocoa (I got chai syrup in mine while MxCatLady got cinnamon white chocolate in theirs), bought a hoodie with onboard credit to replace the one lost at SEATAC, and checked out the pool deck. It was SO crowded and surprisingly warm, so back to the room to enjoy our hot cocoa and the waves. Then down to lunch in the MDR. I have NEVER seen it this crowded; as a table of two, it took us 20 minutes to get sat. We arrived at noon, and when I left MxCatLady at 1pm, they still hadn’t gotten dessert. Compared to the 30 minute MDR lunches I am used to, quite a surprise.

You’re in luck! I am an academic so have no qualms searching for random things. Found it:

Thank you! And have fun; we did Allure in April (did a live review then too!) and had a really wonderful time.

Gah! It deleted my whole dinner post. What you need to know if they bake GF bread fresh on this ship and it was super yummy, and our head waiter hooked me up with GF vegetarian mushroom soup and it was sooooooo good and I had two servings and also convinced the folks next to me to order some. Polenta was great, MxCatLady’s chicken Waldorf salad and key lime pie were also enjoyed, and as usual, I put in my MDR lunch and dinner order for Day 2 in.

A few pics from the first few hours on board.

First ship update! The Wi-Fi (yes, even the surf + stream we upgraded to) is sloooooow. So a good reminder to be present in the moment, to enjoy our time here, to read, to watch the ocean. It also means I will do a text post first, followers by pictures, is it seems to two together crash my small amount of internet juice. Boarding was slightly more hectic than most of the Florida ports and waaaaay more hectic than Copenhagen, but the people at the Seattle port are 100% nicer than anywhere I have ever been, airport, train station, or cruise port. Like, alarmingly nice. It was pretty crowded and a sizeable walk, so I opted for a wheelchair. Everyone was so kind and helpful, and they even had a shorter ramp for boarding for wheelchairs and those using mobility aids. 10/10 on accessibility! Once onboard, we checked in at our muster station, and headed up to WJ to check it out. Even at 11:30, it was SO crowded and overwhelming. MxCatLady grabbed a burger, fries, and some olives, and we headed to the Solaroum, which is STUNNING. Most beautiful one I have been to so far. That being said, the fact that it was all enclosed and over 80 degrees in Seattle made it like a green house and it was super toasty. I grabbed some salad and fruit from the Solarium bistro, and we both kicked of using our refreshment package with some virgin frozen mojitos, followed by mudslides. I didn’t love that they opted not to open the pool until after 1pm, but it was worth the wait. I was the first one in, and my body was so happy in the water (though I wish it was deeper!). Rooms were ready around the same time, so we headed down to our accessible balcony. We had paid for an accessible ocean view, but after the drama with the glacier visit being dropped, a lot of folks cancelled. I had my TA call to see what the cost would be to upgrade to a balcony if there was one….and it was free! It was almost like the upgrade fairy was back!!! I love sitting on the balcony and didn’t have one when MrCatLady and I went to Alaska previously, so it is a special treat. The room, like most of the ship, is lovely. A blend of updates (like a plug by the bed and USB ports), smarter storage (two closets!), and a lovely vintage/classic cruising feel (think more like High Seas than Below Deck). Beds are more comfortable than most RC ships, but we still blew up our travel air mattress pads for extra good sleep. I love that the chairs on the balcony recline a little, and there are foot rests! We didn’t see our steward before dinner, but found our luggage in a room down the hall, so had everything unloaded before heading down to dinner. I should note that outside of eating, we are wearing KN95s any time indoors. Many more people are also masking than on the Allure in April and Voyager in May. It’s really nice not being the odd person out! I had emailed to request a table in the quietest, least crowded two top on the dining room. As I have mentioned, I am autistic (and other flavors of neurodivergent), and can get overstimulated with too much noise, light, people, etc. We are in the Silk dining room on level 4, and in one of the back corners by a window. It’s nice because I can kind of melt into the corner. It was super bright with sun in lots of people’s eyes, but then they lowered the blind and it was perfect! Gonna see if this will post, then will talk about the food. Including the mushroom soup of my dreams!

SO many fun things. Other things I have enjoyed on previous trips were a visit to Alki island, visiting San Juan islands, Pikes Place Market, kayaking, Chihuly Gardens, and more. So good! I hope you make it here eventually 💜

I love it here so much! Today we went to meet my BFF’s pandemic puppy, got amazing Mexican food that was so good I got teary, stopped by a queer friendly comic book shop, got to meet one of my online students and her wife in person, saw the Freemont troll, hyped up the Chinook salmon going up the salmon ladder at the locks (and saw some seals!!!), and got some fun boba tea (well, I got the purple rice kind, but still), and are now icing various body parts whole noshing on GF Ethiopian food. Such a great day, but am canceling evening plans to that I can save energy for embarkation tomorrow.

For those following along, the vegan Thai food from Araya’s was amazing (except my Laad Na did not come with the noodles), and seeing my friend was delightful. I got to see more of the lobby and it really is fun to explore.

I cannot imagine they did, as I think they follow even less sports than I do. It is likely a nerdy video game life reference, though of course I always think of the silly snail cartoon. When you said Kraken, I definitely was thinking of our vein of D&D stuff more than hockey 🦑

Y’all are so nice and are gonna make me blush! I used to be a blogger back in the early days (mid 2000s), and have a few popular press books out in my area…though now mostly just write academicy stuff, so it’s nice to know people still enjoy reading my stuff. Yesterday, our flight was a bit bumpy, but ok otherwise. The Seattle airport is a bit of a nightmare to navigate, especially since I use wheelchairs through airports, and their elevators shut so fast. More than once, the doors closed before we could get me and my luggage in. Oy! However, we made it out and got a lovely and really kind taxi driver to take us to our hotel (the Graduate Seattle in the University District). Somewhere either in the wheelchair or the taxi, both of our hoodies were lost. I am particularly sad since mine had a big polar bear and little polar bear and said “Protect Trans Kids.” Alas. Hope to buy one at our first stop. Hotel is fun and funky. Definitely more of a hip and younger crowd, but lots of fun art work through out the hotel; you can even take a virtual tour. Way less expensive than downtown (same with the StayPineapple options MrCatLady and I used in 2018), and still nice rooms. The bathroom doesn’t have a roll in shower, but does have a lot of grab bars and a transfer bench, so at least is useable for me. Bed is quite comfy and SO many pillows. Last night we ordered in from Capitol Cider, an all GF place. I had charred broccoli, pea/truffle soup, and gluten free cheese curds with housemate apple compote. It blew my mind. MxCatLady had fish and chips, and said they are also phenomenal. Today, we slept in and went to meet an internet friend of mine (we met on TikTok maybe 3 years ago, and have been Instagram friends since). They came up from rural Washington with their partner and kid, so that was really lovely. We sat outdoors at the Portage Bay Cafe, where they do amazing GF Swedish pancakes (lots of other GF and vegan options, plus a breakfast bar with fresh whipped cream and tons of beautifully fresh and delicious berries). MxCatLady had biscuits and pork gravy, and reported back they were yummy. Both were huge servings so we took food back. Let me tell you, a walk downhill is much more enjoyable than the walk back up the hill, especially on Seattle. My disabled self is exhausted and my feet are swollen, so now relaxing in the cool room while MxCatLady makes a run to Target for tissues, bandaids, foundation, and bug spray; all things we forgot! Tonight’s meals will be Thai food from Araya’s vegan Thai. Thai food is my absolute favorite and most places in the Midwest are rubbish in comparison, so getting good food is the highlight of my trip. One of my friends from middle school also lives near by and is going to stop by to say hello. I actually introduced her to her now spouse a week before my wedding to MrCatLady in 2011, and now they have a 2.5 year old baby. I love that I have people in my life for decades still. 💜 If it wasn’t for all the spiders (I am severely arachnophobic), and the ridiculous gentrification/cost of living, I’d be trying to get UW to recruit me all the time. It is SO lovely here, seeing other visibly queer/trans folks, having such an easy time eating meals, having folks talk about accessibility openly. Maybe I can retire out here one, if it hasn’t gone underwater yet. Oh! We did our Emed tests too. Thought that would be easier and potentially cheaper than chasing down a free test center. I had used them for Voyager on May, and MxCatLady for Allure in April, so we knew what to expect. No problems here, and we are both negative. I basically never leave my house and mask 100% of the time inside when I ever do, and MxCatLady managers a Starbucks and has gotten it twice from work, so I was worried a bit, but not a ton. Glad to have that out of the way! For tomorrow, we are meeting up with my BFF from college (who was our wedding officiant and lives here). Plants include the Fremont troll, Ballard, the lochs and salmon ladder, and then meeting their adorable pup Turbo in person. Also, one of my online students from my class I just finished is in Ballard, so we may meet up with her and her wife to meet in person. I am autistic, and haven’t met up with this many folks in 2.5 years (other than our wedding, but I knew everyone). On our last two cruises, we didn’t meet up with anyone anywhere, and I wore my loops a lot and kept to ourselves. It’s been really nice getting to see folks I like and also really overwhelming. I am exhausted and it’s just day 2 of the trip. Really looking forward to some quite time on the balcony this trip to try and reset a bit before our semester begins. So gonna try my best to be my authentic self, and hope that my awkwardness is endearing instead of annoying to people. It’s also the first time many of my long time friends are getting to meet MxCatLady, since we had only started dating a year when the pandemic hit. They have been so good in helping me navigate all of this stuff, and I am so glad I get to show them some of one of my favorite cities (along with Denver, SF, and Portland) and take them on this cruise.