5/23/13

SHould be another good post night.  I have time for it, which the astute Adventure Nickel reader recalls, means that I am on an overnight with a patient.  Good times. 

Trying not to be grumpy.  I am in another stretch where it seems like everything is turning against me.  Same thing happened last time I worked with this LMO too.  Weird.  I tend to get this almost paranoid thing going on where I am hyper-aware of every little slight.  So I try to do something of a reality check and realize I can't because I am on a cruise ship and there is very little reality around with which to compare.  Things like losing my third call day the day the new medical crew came on and then losing it again this coming weekend because new crew are coming on.  Things like getting asked to teach a three hour class on less than 24 hours notice.  Things like somone accidentally putting my phone number under the other nurses name so I get phone calls all night on my day off.  Add to all of this some other stylistic differences and it add up to me losing my cool about completely inconsequential things. 

"What IDIOT would shred all of the ingredients on a salad bar?  And all the salad dressings are CREAM BASED?  What Moron wouldn't put some oil based italian or balsamic vinaigrette?" 

People tend to doubt your stability when you get so upset about these trivialities.  But seriously, who puts up 7 cream based salad dressings and then a lone bottle of vinegar?  Sorry, I just can't let some things go.  So how was I feeling Max?

So, we were in Sitka today.

I was first call last time we were here and didn't get off.  The weather held again today and it was beautiful.  There is a very picturesque mountain just outside the town called, I believe, Mt. Edgecombe.  I'm not sure about the name of the one next to it, but they do sort of look like a before and after photo set.

I would be lying if I said there wasn't a cloud in the sky.  There was one.  This was it.

We got off the tender and started walking through parks and down streets toward a park at the end of town.  Michael has been interested in the martial arts lately and I have been teaching him some stances.  He's getting there.

Of course, there was some goofing off too.

Then we found the Sitka Sound Science Center.  I think it was developed for the rigorous study of tongue twisters.  Or sea life.

They had a small aquarium, a touch tank and a salmon hatchery.  The kids of course, loved the touch tank.

Because you can touch.

Then we got to the Sitka historical park.  Awful place.

It teaches about the early history of Sitka and how the Russians fought the natives here and ended up taking over the place.  There is also a beautiful park with a trail through the forest.  Get the kids off the ship and they just run and run and act all crazy.  Wait, they do it on the ship too. 

The park trail displays 11 totem poles that are no longer associated with any tribe.  I am guessing that means the tribes were all killed off.  Isn't history fun?  Really beautiful park though. 

5/21/2013

Glacier gazing day! 

This one was a little different than last time for two major reasons.  First, I was first call and confined to the dungeon.  Boo...hiss.  I only managed to get up above decks for a few minutes, but I did bring the camera, which leads me to the 2nd main difference.   It was a beautiful day.  Just gorgeous.  So, there are a few decent pictures.  I have around 1300 pictures on my memory card.  Sheesh. 

After dinner Max went to the kid's club, but Michael didn't want to go this time.  Instead, he chose to hang out with us and read a book  while we sat up by the Lido pook looking out at the scenery.  We saw lots of whales, but nothing fantastic like breaches.  Just some spouts. 

Michael has become a book nerd.  At least he comes by it honestly.  Since we started this cruise on 4/6, he has read the last 4 Harry Potter books, plus The Golden Compass and Julie of the Wolves and has started another book today.  We found a little bookstore in Juneau that has a ton of awesome books and a guy behind the counter that is big a book addict as I have seen.  We get in there and leave with a book every time.  So, he and Michael are becoming friends and he is suggesting books for Michael to read.  Pretty cute really.  So, on to some pictures.  Let's start with Juneau, yesterday.


Prior to arriving we noticed a ship following in the distance.  It is the Zuiderdam.  I think they are trying to get me back...patience Zuiderdam, patience. 

A fun picture of the mural on the city hall.

Part of teh treck up toward the mountain and trails.  Quite a few stairs for a little guy. 

Along another staircase is where I found my 'gold ike substance'  Believe it or not, this is it.  There are shiny flakes scattered amongst what appears to be quartz crystals. 

On to Glacier Bay.  See, not a cloud in the sky.  You can see a glacier in this one and the beautiful mountains in the background that were totally obsured by clouds last time.

Another shot of the Marjorie Glacier.  If you look close you can see a helicopter swooping in to land on it for a tour. 

Michael and Max.

I like this one.  What a spectacular day for glacier gazing.

Michael into his book. 

I love the blue ice of the glacier. 

Tomrrow, Sitka and third call.  Should be fun, if not so clear and beautiful.

5/19/2013

Kind of a crazy day.  I was up late a few times last night as I was first call.  When you are awakened at 0200 by the phone, it can be hard to get back to sleep after.  So, we slept in this morning. When the kids did wake up, they just started playing with a new Lego set that Michael bought with some leftover birthday money.   "222 pieces and I put it together in probably less than an hour."  Since they were having a good time and somewhat distracted, we decided to skip breakfast. 

Eventually we got up and got ready, then got lunch.  After lunch we took the kids to the kids club and Sarah walked around with me while I checked CPR masks, AEDs and wheelchairs.  While I am doing this, the phone rings and it is Scott from the kids club.  Max hit his head and is asking for Mommy and Daddy.  So we got there and pulled him out, then took him for an ice cream.  Eventually the story comes out the there is this girl who kicked him yesterday and then again today.  So, we are trying to deal with that crap.  Part of me wants to tell him to just punch her right in her face, but I didn't.  Yet.

So, then I go back to wheelchair checks and right as I finish, I get a call from Sarah.  There is a tornado that appears to be right over Michelles, and our, house.  So I head back down to the room and yep, it sure looks that way.   I try to call her and get no answer, and no answering machine.  Yeah, I know, she still has an answering machine, but it let me know the power was out when I called and it didn't pick up.  Eventually we get hold of her and she tells us it appears that the tornado just missed her and went on to smash the town where I graduated high school.  She reported that the truck made it through OK and she thought the house was fine, but would go check a little more and I should call her right back.  So I hang up the phone and start to tell Sarah all about what Michelle said and my phone rings again.  I am needed in the medical center. 

I get there and am informed that tomorrow I am supposed to give a class about first aid and hypothermia tomorrow and again the next day from 9-12 using this 52 page power point presentation this other guy made.

What? 

So, yep.  I on for tomorrow.  When I express a little touch of dubious WTF, everyone else looks at me like I am being totally unreasonable.  Why does this seem weird to me.  Everyone is always asked to teach a three hour class on less than 24 hours notice.  Sometimes I hate this job. And I usually love to teach stuff. 

Then back to the room to call Michelle back who tells me that a hailstone around the size of a tennis ball broke through the skylight in our bedroom and was melting on our bed.  If that is the only damage, we are lucky.  Of course, there are supposed to be more storms tomorrow.  YEAH! 

How was your day? 

So, the first two pictures are some catch up pictures from Ketchikan.  I like them.  It is a pretty little town.

Now, Michael and Max assembling the Lego AT-RT. 

Playing with the finished product.

Michael always looks a little crazy because he doesn't want to look right into the camera. 

Max, however, knows right where to look.

And in a minor miracle of modern technology, here is the hole in my skylight at home. 

5/17/2013

We went to Ketchikan yesterday I think, it was raining and kind of dreary.  We decided to walk to a funicular car we saw in the distance.  And no, I didn't know it was called a funicular car at the time; I learned that later.  Just this time we rebelled against the constant need to document our every step and left the camera, the good camera, on the ship.  Sarah brought her phone for a quick snapshot or two. 

We wandered abou the excessively touristy cruise ship port area and up to the funicular, which is a hillside rail.    It was two dollars each and Max was free.  Nice.  The kids were grumpy and didn't want to do anything, so we drug them outing and crying. 

Then we wandered down to a fish hatchery which turned out to be closed and then wandered home.  Nothing exciting. 

Today we cruised south, headed for Victoria.  We have decided against going out.  It seems silly when we only have an hour or two.  We arrive at 6pm and stay till 11pm.  Young party people may like those hours, heck old party people might too, but we have the kids and the kids have a bedtime.  Tonight we stay aboard.

Some other trip highlights, we found gold in Alaska.  Juneau to be precise.  And it may be glitter, or a broken pen or something, but I call it gold.  We shall soon be fabulously wealthy.  Also, today I saw a whale leap out of the water entirely.  Michael was able to see the splash, but everyone else missed it.  They could only see the white water disturbance.  I teased Sarah about it mercilessly.  They only jump for me.  And...well, that's it really.  Not a ton going on.  It has been kind of nice.  I got some sleep last night.  I hope that trend continues. 

I heard that my grandfather's funeral was a party and a celebration of a life fully lived.  That is awesome.  I wish I could have been there.

5/14/2013 Wait...

Weren't we just at the equator?

We still have fog shrouded mountains rising majestically out of the water, but what is all this other stuff?  And, WHY IS IT SO COLD?!

You can see here that Sarah and Michael put on their game faces for this one. We're cold, but we are still happy picture posing.  Max, on the other hand, says no way.  It is COLD out here. 

So, yesterday we were in Juneau.  What do you do in Juneau?  Glad you asked.  If you are the Adventure Nickel clan, you look around...

WE get some coffee, good coffee - not ship coffee, and hot chocolate for the kids.  Then we wander around where Sarah says she saw a park listed on a map.  Of course, what is that in the background?  A mountain.  Is that a waterfall cascading thousands of feet down the side?  Yep.  So we wander some more, conspicuously up the slope and closer to the waterfall until we find a staircase leading...somewhere.

You can tell by the grin that this was Sarah's cunning plan all along.  The staircase led down to a soggy, muddy, baseball field.  We crossed it, lured by the sound of a rushing river and found...a rushing river.  With a trail alongside.  We walked the trail a bit until we found a river crossing.  It was very pretty. 

So we...uhhh...crossed it.  We continued the trail until we found a stream running across that was too rough to try to walk through.  Above we spied another trail and we hiked cross country until we made it.  Did I mention it was raining?  It was raining.  And slippery too. 

No matter, we hiked on until we again reached the slightly intimidating stream.  Then we turned around and hiked back out and into Juneau to return to the ship for dinner.  A few pictures:

Today was scenic cruising.  We sailed up Stephen's passage and saw Norris Glacier.

Hard to understand without a sense of perspective, but that glacier is much taller than the ship.  We obviously couldn't get very close to that one, so we got close instead to Marjorie glacier.  Which was featured prominently in teh opening montage, waaaayyyy up there on top. 


So, I'll show this picture.  I had just walked out on the deck and found a young woman had fallen.  Just as I determined she was OK, I heard sharp craking noises like tremendous Rice Crispies accompanied by several people shouting, "Look!"  So I turned and hipshot this picture.  You can see the snow fall after a large piece broke off and fell. 

We were close enough to hear the popping and the groaning as the glacier moved.  You could feel the cold radiating off the 200 foot high walls.  It was pretty cool.  As we sailed around, scenic cruising, we would occasionally pass an iceberg the size of a school bus. 

OK, so maybe a Volkswagon bus.  There were bigger ones too. 

And in case you are wondering why this is such an awesome and exceptionally well done blog post, it is because I am up standing watch with one of the two disembarks tomorrow in Sitka.  So, I had time. 


Welcome to Alaska. 

5/11/13

Sorry everyone.  I wasn't taken down to the briny deep of Davy Jones Locker by the Kraken.  I didn't succumb to the siren's song.  I just got busy, a little bit of a cold and, mostly, lazy.

We went to Victoria, BC; Vancouver, BC and then today were in Seattle.  Also, today, we changed out passenger physician, LMO and the other MO.  So, I was first call yesterday and then second call today.  Just the way the cookie crumbles sometimes. 

This morning was a busy one.  I got up early and out to the terminal for a full crew customs inspection and then back in to medical to watch the morning clinic for DonDon and get a newly required, special physical from a different doctor.  He seemed like a really nice guy.  Went back to the room and got ready to go out.  We got a call on the room phone and it was the crew office saying we needed to hurry and get Sarah and the boys off so they could get to 0 count and start loading passengers.  So, we hurried out and went to the nearest gangway, which was the normal passenger gangway.  Well, it was pretty deserted since all the other passengers were off.  There was no all aboard sign up, but we figured it was 30 minutes prior to departure as normal, so 4:30.  Out we went to explore Seattle. 

We figured, to be safe, we should be back by between 3 and 3:30.  We were in a cab on the way back when DonDon calls and asks where the heck we were.  Security had been looking for us.  All aboard was at 2:30 and it was 2:55.  Uh oh.  So, we rushed and made it back aboard by about 3:05, just in time for me to do the passenger boat drill as second call.  Crap.  I forget this is a turnaround port and all aboard is earlier because of the drill.  So, I was thinking third call, because it was supposed to be my third call day and we have done disembarkation days the past two days because of all the people who ended their cruise in Vancouver and Victoria.  Oh well, no harm no foul.  As we were rushing in from the cab I told Sarah, "They can only fire me once." 

Anyway, I am going to do a little pictures catch up from the past few days. 

Of course, Victoria...The Empress.  All we had time to do was walk from the ship to the Empress and back to the ship.  Maybe next time.

Well, Michael and Max found time to go run and play in the grass.  As would be expected. 

And Sarah had time to soak up some Knowledge. 

This was in Vancouver.  I was on the ship.  I have no idea. 

Sarah in Seattle, looking lovelier than the mountains behind her. 

I don't know why this is backwards.  The tree prohibits the real M&M picture I was going for.  I didn't get a chance to explore what that might appear between from the opposite vantage point. 

What is it?  Giant Squid.  What does Max want to do.  Climb that Fu#%*r!

5/8/2013

My Granddad passed away today.  I didn't know him very well.  We had a fair bit of superficial communication over the years.  I can't really recall any lessons he taught me or wisdom he imparted.  He was an energetic man with a strong work ethic and a constitution that was legendary.  He loved to party. 

I wasn't particularly close to any of my grandparents.  I suppose there was quite a bit I missed out on there, but they seemed to come from the school of thought that believed you earned your knowledge by living, not by sitting at your elder's knee.  When you screw up, we'll correct you. 

I'm sad, but more for his wife, my dad and the other left behind.  Granddad lived his life, his way with no apologies and survived for decades beyond what any actuary would have believed.  Not much for me to be sad about really.  So, the next time you hoist a drink, put up a toast for Dean Gaden, he would have toasted to you.