~OFFICIAL~ "SPIRIT"ing to the Majestic Land of the Midnight Sun! * May 11, 2010*~

[anamanxs]

Wow, I was just reading the opening board and it seems people were just robbed at gun point in Bahamas! Kind of scary, I thought it was one of the safer ports; guess we should do more investgations before we assume any cruise port is safe. We just went off o our own when we were there in April - makes you kind of think!

Still undecided what to do in ALASKA, I did talk to several who had been to ALASKA and NO ONE said a bad thing. All raved about the beauty and how they would do it again. The said Mendenhall was a MUST also! I actually ran into one person who used to live there in line for a Latte.

 

Three day until TURKEY day. Think I am going to try and make a sweet potatoe roll!! Something like a punkin roll. Wish me luck!

[IndpdntChik324]

Hi again everyone. Sorry about the long hiatus, moving and finding a job have been a priority over the cruise planning for the last few months. DH and I finally got out of the desert and moved back to PA, so yay for that!!!

 

Anyway, back to cruise planning! Haven't had time to go back through the posts yet. What have I missed?

[anamanxs]

Hi again everyone. Sorry about the long hiatus, moving and finding a job have been a priority over the cruise planning for the last few months. DH and I finally got out of the desert and moved back to PA, so yay for that!!!

 

Anyway, back to cruise planning! Haven't had time to go back through the posts yet. What have I missed?

 

 

Welcome back! Be sure and check with the hotel and see that you are getting the group rate. I think you were one of the first booked so you should have our rate. I will send them the names for the shuttles in Jan, so they will have a head's up.

 

So all settled in PA? Just in time for winter?

[IndpdntChik324]

Welcome back! Be sure and check with the hotel and see that you are getting the group rate. I think you were one of the first booked so you should have our rate. I will send them the names for the shuttles in Jan, so they will have a head's up.

 

So all settled in PA? Just in time for winter?

 

 

Yeah, I have that same rate for the QI in Seattle.

 

Got back home in early August. Since then it's been an awfully long job search, that's still continuing. But hubby just got a federal civilian job with the Navy, so at least one of us has some luck.

 

Can't wait for winter!!! After two 80 degree Januarys, a return to the norm is highly anticipated.

[happylady]

Haven't had time to go back through the posts yet. What have I missed?

 

Let me bring you up to speed. Luke and Laura where going to elope, but then decided to have a huge wedding. Then they found out that Brooke is pregnant. She thinks it's Derek's baby, but it could be his twin brother Fred's baby. Unfortunately, since they are identical twins she can't prove anything by DNA testing. Meanwhile, Cartwright tried to steal the format for the new magazine that Jacklyn was developing. When he thought he got away, someone pushed him down the stairs. We won't know until next season if he's dead or not. :eek::eek::p:p

 

What have I missed?

Was what my college room mate would always say when she was late getting back to the room when we were watching the afternoon soap operas........

 

Seriously...what part of PA is now home?

[MikeNKim]

Thanks for the chuckle this morning Kathi.. :D

 

Hope everyone comes back to chat soon, it is getting really close to some serious planning, once my disney trip is done in January I will be able to concentrate solely on this cruise. Training is just taking up so much time right now.

 

Annette, did I miss the photos of your cruise?

[anamanxs]

Let me bring you up to speed. Luke and Laura where going to elope, but then decided to have a huge wedding. Then they found out that Brooke is pregnant. She thinks it's Derek's baby, but it could be his twin brother Fred's baby. Unfortunately, since they are identical twins she can't prove anything by DNA testing. Meanwhile, Cartwright tried to steal the format for the new magazine that Jacklyn was developing. When he thought he got away, someone pushed him down the stairs. We won't know until next season if he's dead or not. :eek::eek::p:p

 

Was what my college room mate would always say when she was late getting back to the room when we were watching the afternoon soap operas........

 

Seriously...what part of PA is now home?

 

Thanks Kathi,

 

I needed that! Hope everyone has a GREAT DAY! And yea, Luke and Laura were the talk of the day!.....Wait a minute - we are definitly dating ourselves here....shh we don't won't them to know how old we are....it's all in the mind! We are still in our 20's .... keep repeating that, over and over....

[jleq]

[happylady]

And yea, Luke and Laura were the talk of the day!.....Wait a minute - we are definitly dating ourselves here....shh we don't won't them to know how old we are....it's all in the mind! We are still in our 20's .... keep repeating that, over and over....

 

Parts of the story are true....hurrying back to the dorm to watch Luke and Laura of General Hospital get married. I lived in a 10 story co-ed dorm that only had two TV rooms. No such thing as cable in each room. I'll never forget how many of the guys showed up to watch!!

 

Stopped for the third prescription that the doctor has given me. Had a precautionary chest xray last week (it was clear). Just can't kick this flu/cold I've had for 6 weeks. Hopefully this med will do the trick...only 167 days until the cruise....:D

 

Hope everyone has a great day tomorrow with family and friends. As I type, Steven is driving home from Tallahassee and is somewhere near Lake Okeechobee (for those unfamiliar with Florida...it's the huge man-made lake just west of West Palm Beach). Waiting anxiously, not only to see him, but worried due to the heavy rain we've had all day. Not the best driving conditions.

[IndpdntChik324]

Haha, happylady that's hilarious. Especially because I was so addicted to GH when I was a teenager and into my early 20s. Haven't watched it in years, mostly because when I try there are so many new people and storylines that I'm completely lost! And they still play that Luke and Laura wedding on SoapNet all the time.

 

Anyway, southcentral PA is now home. York, to be exact. Small town life is the life for me!!

 

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!!

[MikeNKim]

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends!!!!

[anamanxs]

Thanks Kim,

 

Happy Holiday to all! Can you believe some stores are open at midnight! Come ON..... what happened to our family days! Happy Happy Family Day to All!

[IndpdntChik324]

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!! I don't think I'll be able to even eat lunch today, I'm so stuffed!!! And I get to do it all again tonight at my Mom's house, yay!

 

So I figured the cruise is getting close enough now to post our shore excursions up. I know everyone's looking for ideas on what to do, and these are the things that caught our interest...

 

Ketchikan: 4 hour salmon fishing trip with Northern Lights. If anyone else is interested, let me know and we can add you to our booking. Price is cheaper pp when you have more people on the boat, and right now it's just DH and me.

 

Juneau: Whalewatching in the morning with Orca Enterprises, then a 1 hr helicopter glacier tour with Coastal Helicopters with a stop on a glacier.

 

Skagway: Taking Murphy's Guide and renting a car to drive through the Yukon Territory

 

Victoria: Not making any plans. Probably gonna need a break after all of the above.

[happylady]

Skagway: Taking Murphy's Guide and renting a car to drive through the Yukon Territory

 

This is exactly what we're doing.:D I think Chris & Mike (stillmysty) are also thinking about doing this.

 

We were going to rent from Sourdough Rentals, but I've read mixed reviews here on CC. From what I've read, the vehicles are older, some with 100,000+ miles, some missing window cranks, some with no A/C, engines in poor shape so that MPG is very low and frequent breakdowns. Though I have no problem with an older vehicle...I drive a 2000 Explorer with 105,000+ miles and many nonworking parts (CD player, auto headlight control, button for driver's side mirror, etc.). I talked it over with DH and he really doesn't want to take the chance with an older car during our vacation.

 

I just put in a reservation for a car with Avis at around $130 for the day.

[happylady]

 

Ketchikan: 4 hour salmon fishing trip with Northern Lights. If anyone else is interested, let me know and we can add you to our booking. Price is cheaper pp when you have more people on the boat, and right now it's just DH and me.

 

Juneau: Whalewatching in the morning with Orca Enterprises, then a 1 hr helicopter glacier tour with Coastal Helicopters with a stop on a glacier.

 

Skagway: Taking Murphy's Guide and renting a car to drive through the Yukon Territory

 

Victoria: Not making any plans. Probably gonna need a break after all of the above.

 

In Ketchikan, we'll probably just walk around. I'd love to surprise DH with a fishing excursion, but will have to check out the $$'s.

 

In Juneau, we've made reservations with Adventures in Alaska with Cap'n Jack. It's a smaller boat with only 6-8 people. The rep at their office said that all the whale watching excursions work together so that as soon as one spots a pod, they tell the others.

 

I've always wanted to do a helicopter tour. So that and the fishing will be on our wish list for our next Alaskan cruise.:rolleyes:

[IndpdntChik324]

We're gonna take the chance with Sourdough Rentals. Most of the bad reviews seem to be from a couple years ago, the newer ones are a little better. May not be quite as trustworthy as Avis, but I think we'll risk it for the extra $$. Plus, DH really wanted to drive a Ranger for the day, not sure why, but he does...

 

Speaking of older vehicles, DH just bought an '89 Bronco, practically antique, and NOTHING works right. Not sure I'm ever gonna understand him.

 

Our 4 hr fishing trip is $165 pp, but that's with just the 2 of us on the boat. It'll be cheaper pp if we can get more booked.

[anamanxs]

In Ketchikan, we'll probably just walk around. I'd love to surprise DH with a fishing excursion, but will have to check out the $$'s.

 

In Juneau, we've made reservations with Adventures in Alaska with Cap'n Jack. It's a smaller boat with only 6-8 people. The rep at their office said that all the whale watching excursions work together so that as soon as one spots a pod, they tell the others.

 

I've always wanted to do a helicopter tour. So that and the fishing will be on our wish list for our next Alaskan cruise.:rolleyes:

 

 

We really like the Cap'Jack too, just want to have some time to go to the Glacier...need to talk to my daughter to make our final choice.

 

I also contacted a tour guide about picking us up after the train ride in Skagway. We have to do at least one way on the train.

[MikeNKim]

Hey everyone.

 

Nice thing about a Alaskan cruise, the scenary is all around you, you really don't have to go to it.

 

I think DH is doing his flight seeing in Ketchikan, I will just walk around or do the duck tour.

 

Juneau, Mendenhall Glacier,

 

Skagway, the train.

 

Victoria, we hope to see our nephew, if now we will probably seek out a haunted tour.

 

Can we go now!!!

[anamanxs]

Hey everyone.

 

Nice thing about a Alaskan cruise, the scenary is all around you, you really don't have to go to it.

 

I think DH is doing his flight seeing in Ketchikan, I will just walk around or do the duck tour.

 

Juneau, Mendenhall Glacier,

 

Skagway, the train.

 

Victoria, we hope to see our nephew, if now we will probably seek out a haunted tour.

 

Can we go now!!!

 

A haunted tour sounds like fun! They also have a pub tour... not a big drinker but would be interesting to see the pubs. Also, they say the gardens are beautiful - but will it be light enought to see them. Does Victoria have as much like as Alaska? Have to research that!

 

I have to take a Haunted tour right now out to my shed to find the Christmas stuff! Hopefully no -one will have to send me a search party out to find me!

[MikeNKim]

We originally considered a pub crawl, but figuring it was the last night and we have a huge travel day home on Tuesday, that might not be a good idea;)

[anamanxs]

We originally considered a pub crawl, but figuring it was the last night and we have a huge travel day home on Tuesday, that might not be a good idea;)

 

Very good point! 4 days off, I hate to go back to work tomorrow!

[techmom]

techmom, I am so with you about the bundling up & being outside! I will still be attempting to loose weight anyway (just not specifically for this cruise). ohh the challenges of being a woman. So if you did want to get something started here anyway - I am open! Extra support always helps! I am starting back up on a diet, err I mean "lifestyle change" after Thanksgiving, so let me know... and well if anyone else is interrested :o

We are under 6 months!!! It's coming up FAST!!! I'm excited!

 

 

I lost 18lbs between January and July of this year and put 7lbs back on. Now I need to lose that 7lbs and another 9lbs. I don't eat well at work and many times skip meals so what works for me is a form of the Special K diet. I have cereal, a bar (cliff peanut butter bars are like eating a peanut butter sandwich) or oatmeal for breakfast. Lunch is a Special K drink-sometimes Slim Fast but like Special K better. My two snacks are either a string cheese, apple or yogurt. Then I eat dinner. I only do this during the week. The important thing is not to skip a meal and that is what helped me to lose weight.

So, I am going to start this tomorrow and get me up to Christmas then begin again the first of January. A pound or 2 a week will get me to my goal and that is the way we have to look at it!

[techmom]

Very good point! 4 days off, I hate to go back to work tomorrow!

 

 

I know, how depressing.:(

[happylady]

I lost 18lbs between January and July of this year and put 7lbs back on. Now I need to lose that 7lbs and another 9lbs. I don't eat well at work and many times skip meals so what works for me is a form of the Special K diet. I have cereal, a bar (cliff peanut butter bars are like eating a peanut butter sandwich) or oatmeal for breakfast. Lunch is a Special K drink-sometimes Slim Fast but like Special K better. My two snacks are either a string cheese, apple or yogurt. Then I eat dinner. I only do this during the week. The important thing is not to skip a meal and that is what helped me to lose weight.

So, I am going to start this tomorrow and get me up to Christmas then begin again the first of January. A pound or 2 a week will get me to my goal and that is the way we have to look at it!

 

Okay!! Make me feel guilty. :o I'm reading this and eating the leftovers of my Dairy Queen blizzard! :eek:

[eba1681]

Please...... i lost 10 pounds in 5 months and i just gained 5 this holiday. I really need to start the diet again.

ok well don't feel bad all of us are in the same boat! Have a good week and enjoy getting back to diet.

eva