slidergirl

Last July on my Rhone barge canal trip, we were to end in Sete on Bastille Day. The 11 of us were all excited at the prospect of being docked in Sete and enjoying the festivities and fireworks. Well, the day before, our Captain gets word that a Seaborn ship was going to take our docking spot and he had to look elsewhere to tie up our little barge. We were disappointed. BUT, he found a little spot in Frontignan, a little village up the canal. Turns out it was the BEST! Our tie-up was right at the Festival area, next to the bleachers set up for the festivities. We got to watch the boat jousting matches all day and listen to the bands they had. Our captain had arranged for a really cool guitarist to play for us after dinner. We danced on the deck, people were stopping, listening and watching us. At dark, we had the most fantastic fireworks right there. The next day we went down to the dock we were supposed to be at for departure - what a disappointment next to what we had the night before. Another large ship was there and you had to shuttle into town to the place where they had the festivities. So glad we had that hiccup! Thanks Seaborn!

Cynthia - sorry you are so under the weather. Hope you feel better soon. Found out last night that 2 of my owners are pretty sure they had the 'vid last week! Fortunately, they stayed in their condo most of the time. I did take cookies up last weekend when they didn't come down for them as usual. But, I had enough contact with them that I have to watch myself. My cough has come back and I was thinking allergy, but now... ugh. OOTD: jeans and the blue & white striped shirt. It's going to be a very slow day at work - no checkins, 1 checkout.

Melody - my trusty old Slider would sit and watch NCIS. So, when I'd go to work, I'd put the TV on whichever network was doing the reruns of NCIS. Cynthia - have you ever tried an egg salad sandwich (tamago sando) from a Japanese 7-11??? I think my weather will be good on Thursday to go birthday shopping for myself. It's probably going to be the rain shell. I'm stuck between 2 of them and they are both $179. I have to try them on and feel them for comfort and packability. Until then, I've got snow coming tomorrow, Monday and Tuesday. A potential of 3.5" Sunday, 14" on Monday and 8.5" on Tuesday. After that beating, it's supposed to be sunny all the way to Monday the 10th. OOTD: Kind of a gaper - old jeans, gray longsleeve T, my Patagonia wooly vest, a bandana on my head. I used to LOVE wearing bandanas when I skied!

Man, we're all having bad luck this year! Hope it's a "normal" hernia... I keep thinking I should have chosen the Caribbean for my post-winter cruise. But, Alaska was cheaper and it's warmer there than it is here right now 😹 Have a fun cruise! Man, my feet look HUGE in that photo!!! Honestly, they aren't. They are 8.5 (39). The angle he took the shot is weird. But, they are boots I'm taking with me. My friend up North said the ladies are wearing these kinds of leather boots all the time now. Comfy, good lug sole, can wear with everything.

cynthia - if you need more than what the ship doc gave you, let me know. I'll ask my friend who is stationed on Okinawa what OTC to get.

My ski valet did a quick pic of me standing next to our snow wall outside the Lodge. Guests have to go up the steps we've built to get to the lift. Usually it's just 2 steps up from the walk... I'm 5'8". Oh - this is a bad photo, but it's what I wore today and what I jokingly said I'd wear in the MDR...

Lois - the Cuddle Duds do sound perfect. I put on my denim skirt I bought at the beginning of the season this morning - I had about an extra 1.5" in the waist!!! No clue how that happened. So, I changed my OOTD to: my white&black flowered Smartwool leggings, my black insulated miniskirt, my lt. gray Athleta hoodie sweater and my black lace up booties. I bought the Smartwools to take to Alaska to spice up my wardrobe of dull, black leggings. Super comfy and old hippie lady-like 😉. This is one of the outfits I plan on wearing on the cruise. Lois - I thought of wearing this if I went to the MDR, but, even though it adheres to the dress suggestions, it would probably be a little too much for some of the folk - I could always take my red cheetah leggings 😹 My HOA President decided he doesn't want to pay for me the extra week since there are no guests booked. So, my last day is officially April 17. That's OK. I would have been just sitting at the front desk, listening to the radio, sipping lattes and surfing the 'web. It gives me a few extra days back to do some stuff at home before I fly off to Seattle. Cynthia - I saw on the HAL board that you are down with a sinus issue. Ugh. I hope those meds do their thing and you get back into the swing of things and help Hank spice up those dead evenings!! Tomorrow is Gaper Day here in Park City. It is to celebrate those gapers who ski and ride around the world. What is a gaper, you ask? <totally tongue in cheek> "A skier or snowboarder who sucks and is usually spotted wearing clothing from 1983, but other clothing styles for them do exist. A dead giveaway of a gaper is when their pants are tucked into their boots and the famous "Gaper Gap" (a gap between the helmet/hat and the goggles)." It's a big thing here to dive into those old ski suits and things and just go out and have fun. I don't have any of my onsies anymore, but I do have one of my pullover jackets saved that I'll wear. I'll wear my jeans, too, as that was when people could be spotted wearing jeans skiing (I was guilty of that on Spring days).

So, you know what it's like! They inspire to push through.

MJC - which hotel in Tel Aviv? I used to tag along with my now-ex on a few trips there. Stayed at the Dan Tel Aviv, right on the Promenade on the beach. I loved to walked the Promenade. Melody - your PT story had me thinking about when I rehabbed my leg. My PT office here in town does a lot of rehab for the US Ski Team and some pro athletes. More than enough incentive for me to try to "keep up" with them. I did a little birthday shopping for myself at Free People. Yes, that shop. There was a pair of pants that called to me for summer fun - the First Impression Hike Pant. Yes, expensive. But, it's my birthday present. Just call me the old boho hippie lady...

Well, I did a month over in France and Italy last summer when the temps were 100+ everyday. I went with 3 dresses. One was what I guess you could call a "sundress", a sleeveless linen number. The others were a short sleeve linen button-down dress and a wool (yes, wool) tshirt dress. The tshirt dress could be dressed up or down as needed. I'm taking it on my Alaska cruise as my only dress to wear when I go to specialty dinners.

We're good. I was just trying to poke some fun at the shorts thing with a "short" dress. It's a thing I've had since I was a schoolgirl - I could never understand why we couldn't wear shorts to school or church, but my dresses/skirts were just as short. A bare leg was a bare leg. And, I fought my high school to be able to wear pants instead of skirts/dresses. I couldn't understand that one, either. Just a hippie rebel. Cynthia - those look exactly like the chips my friend had! Have you ever had one of the convenience store tuna salad sandwiches? I think it has to do with the japanese mayo used. Nasty, thick snow on the driveway this morning. Ugh. I just took my shovel and made a path on the driveway for the FedEx guy to use today - I just couldn't bear to shovel the whole thing yet. OOTD; more sweats & Tshirts. 3 days off with nothing to do, nowhere to go, is kind of nice.

Sigh. Some folks just don't understand, I guess. Just call me ordinary. Being in hospitality, I'm just very sensitive to all the work my fellow co-workers in HK do all the time. I just remember the stories of people saying their attendant was "magically" in their cabin to fix it up every time they left. It's overkill for me. Once a day will do just fine. Let's let this die.

Started snowing about an hour ago. Supposed to be about 3" overnight, 5" Thursday, and 6.5" on Friday, nothing on the weekend, then 9" on Monday. I started thinking about which toque to take with me - my plain black beanie or my granny square one I posted a month ago or so.

That was what I wanted to know. It's stupid. If I don't want fussed over, a cabin attendant shouldn't be punished. Maybe I need a big sign that says "the cabin attendant has done EXACTLY what I directed her to do" <note the sarcasm>

working in hospitality and I know how hard staff works for non-subsistence wages, I always overtip 😉

Not having the "DND" sign on 24/7 is a no-brainer. I've had to do welfare checks a few times because the sign was on the door. Unfortunately, one guest had suicided when we checked. Encountering that once is enough to be sure someone always knows I'm OK. I will enjoy my cruise, thank you.

that said: do I wait in my cabin until a cabin attendant comes around to discuss preferences? Sorry, it's been awhile since my last cruise.

Daily and multiple times in a day, yes. To me. Seeing how guests have behaved over the years in hospitality, some just behave badly toward service staff. I never want to be one of those guests.

Lois - I don't wear shorts but I do wear a short dress. Does that count? Legs are legs 😉

Yes, this is a strange question, I know. I'm on the Eurodam on the April 29th Alaska cruise. I'll be just 4 days out of finishing my winter season at my Lodge. I think I'll still be in "service the guest" mode. I don't need multiple, daily HK service. Part that I don't need new towels and my bed made every day, part that I see how how the HK staff at my Lodge works and how I've helped out with laundry when they are slammed. If the service isn't inspected by a supervisor, is there a way to let my cabin attendant know that they can spend their time with others and I will ask if I need something? Many hotels do this now with the "put the towels in the shower/tub if you want them changed" thing. I just get uncomfortable with this kind of thing. I know most love the service and being fawned over.

I'll confess I rushed to Amazon this winter to buy "the Amazon jacket" once I saw one of my owners wearing hers. I love it, but it only got cold enough for me to wear maybe 5 days. Unfortunately it will be too warm to take to Alaska with me the end of April... I don't dress for anyone but myself. If people don't like the Old Hippie Lady, too bad. The HAL dress suggestions do not say "no" to it...

37 days left to work the Winter Ski season. 32 days to Seattle to Alaska.

Cynthia - I crack up at some of the items my friend posts. The vending machines are crazy - I mean, would you buy a cooked chicken from a vending machine??? Lois - yay for feeling better finally! I do understand the "packing for weather" dilemma. I'm the opposite of you - I'd be wearing shorts & long sleeve Ts in the 60s 🙂 I've put my ports on my weather app to track so I can decide at the very last minute which clothes to take. If I was into joggers, I'd take different kinds of joggers - lightweight, heavier - that you can do depending on the daily weather. Joggers just don't look all that good on me and I really wish they did. I'm still fretting over my rain shell purchase. If I was doing just for this cruise I'd go with what I have now and have an umbrella handy (or a trash bag to wear inside the shell - did that before!!). This is going to be my all the time rain shell for however long it lasts. I really do have to get down the mountain to REI to try some on. Day off, but it's going to snow again. OOTD: sweats, long sleeve Tshirt. I feel like a slug today.

Must have happened after the end of August. Had no problems with Sky Clubs/AF lounge in CDG or DCA or SLC, all with no connections. In the past I've had 3-6 hour waits in Sky Clubs for my connections at JFK and ATL. I guess I never noticed the new notice last year.

Cynthia - thanks for the note that you arrived. Question: are you an adventurous eater? My friend who is over on Okinawa with her Marine pilot hubby, posted a photo of a bag of squid ink flavor potato chips. She wants to know what they taste like. I was surprised she didn't feed them to her son, who will eat everything Japanese now. Lois - one of my owners has had kind of a cold for 2 weeks now. She is getting a little better day by day. Hope this is how it goes for you, The slow season started in earnest today at work. 2 arrivals, then nothing until Thursday, then nothing for a week. I keep thinking people will book last-minute with the snow we have, but none so far. And, we are going to get more as the week goes on. OOTD: black jeans, black & white stripe long sleeve Tshirt, my grey Patagonia vest.