SueWorks

Pkin on Top of the World

The Taku Glacier is a tidewater glacier located in Taku Inlet near Juneau.  It is the largest glacier in the icefield and one of the southernmost tidewater glaciers in the northern hemisphere.

Pkin looks so happy.  We got to the top by helicopter and because of his sizable, though shrinking girth, he got to sit in the front, both ways.

Alaskan Adventure

We are there!  There will be no pictures of me because there must have been five cameras on me at all times, adding the requisite 10 pounds each.

Mom and Pkin by the countryside and highway:

Anchorage Extravaganza

The panorama views that surround Alaska are magnificent.  We'll show pictures, promise.

People are generally nice (the Princess peeps are less than solicitous) and the food is interesting.  We've craft faired, window shopped, eaten expensive meals, and haven't gotten good sleep.  We're bonding, it's only our second day.  It might get a little "warmer" when we've spent a few more days in one room together.

Day 0 The Cruise Line of the Junior Royalty

It might suck.  More to come later. We're in Anchorage now.

Later ...

The hotel we're in is a best independent hotel of the world.  It's an association of hotels that maintains quality facilities and service.  We got put into what looks like a kid's room.  Think of three larger than average sized adults, with tons of luggage, in a kid's room.  It's not a pretty picture.  There are three twin beds; Mom's in the roll-away bed.  We commented to the Princess check-in person, girl would be a more appropriate title, that the room was less than adequate and not reflective of a luxury hotel.  Her response was, "this is Alaska and it's different here."  I don't think so, Amanda, Princess girl.

Day 1

I got about 4.5 hours of sleep last night, it's 3:15 now and I have a 4:30 with my boss.  That is count down!

Day 2 and Counting

Do you think that "leaders" are so consumed with important things that they forget the little, mundane items?  Like being fully dressed, for example, when leaving a hotel.   Just a thought that is totally unrelated to the countdown.

Countdown continues with acting class.  I think I'll learn at least one thing I can use but what I want to learn is how not to yawn when you're tired.  The instructor said that we need to not yawn because we are interested.  Interested and engaged people do not yawn.  I get about four to six hours of interrupted sleep a night, I yawn during the day. 

I will be home around 10 PM.  I will not pack, I will record ER, I will shower and I will sleep.  I will get up around 6 AM and then I still start the last day of work.  Then, I will think about how I'm not going to check my email or voicemail for 10 odd glorious days.  Next, I will contemplate how I should NOT be thinking about work when I'm aboard the Princess line.  Then I will go home and pack, perhaps I'll be so exhausted at that point that sleep will find me.  It's a dream for Day 2 and Counting.

Day 3 Coping is Priceless

Buying three t-shirts at Target instead of doing laundry:  $35

Taking two dress shirts to the dry cleaners instead of ironing:  $10

Blowing off the work dinner so you can blog:  Priceless

Day 4

Was Pkin's haircut on the calendar?  We accomplished that.  Another goal achieved was clean undies and, as a bonus, I have airplane clothes.  My powder blue, middle aged woman track suit is ready to go.  You know it's middle aged when it's a "track" and not sweat suit.  There is no sweating going on, except for the old aged huffing and puffing.

Countdown to Alaska

It's Day 5 and counting.  On Saturday morning we need to be packed and loaded in the car by 7:45 AM.  Between now and then I need to convince Pkin to pack nice clothes, wash my undies, send Pkin to the warehouse store for Rosey food, and lose 10 pounds.  Factor into this schedule, a mid-week work dinner and my acting class, then add a pound of procrastination and about 40 people coming in from Corporate.

Welcome to My World!

45 YO Anorexic

Pkin is striving for a helicopter ride without the big guy price premium.  He needs to be 250 or less in clothes.  For the past month he's been starving himself ... oh I mean, watching his caloric intake.

It's been working; he's definitely smaller now.

This morning he told me that if he drinks diet bottled green iced tea his hunger vanishes.  He said this with such a gleeful smile and a glint in his eye, I'm going to have to monitor the commodes for telltale signs of puking.

It's nine days before we board the plane and about 12 before we face the helicopter.