Day One: Airports & Embarkation

July 6, 2014 ~ JodiLea

Saturday, June 28th, 0500.
The Hilton’s shuttle was prompt and we got to Sacramento Airport in plenty of time to go through security at 3 different places, and be at our gate with a few minutes to spare. The TSA were efficient, even if your boarding pass was not marked as ‘TSA pre-check’. Being searched was very thorough and so was the inspection of my bag of meds. Hubby stood in pre-check with me, but his boarding pass was not marked, so he had to start over in the long line. Even so, he made it through before I did.
I noticed that the x-ray operators did not like the people who could not be x-rayed. I got snapped at, and evil-eyed at each security point. The ‘friskers’ were not hostile at all and they were professional and speedy. Finally, we found a Princess Cruises rep., and he guided us to where we turned in our luggage to transfer to the ship. The line for the shuttle to Pier 91, had 5 people, including us.

Our bus driver was really fun and she gave us a ‘tour’ of Seattle during our 45-minute ride out to the docks. The building with the colorful flag is the Starbucks Headquarters. She also pointed out Safeco field (home of those #$%&*! Seahawk’s).

After getting to the first cruise check point at the pier, we were guided into a large maze that wound back and forth, countless times. Exactly like cattle. To put it into perspective, Disneyland never has lines.We met some fun people during that 2.5 hour wait. Expecting another thorough pat-down, I was surprised at how brisk the frisk was to get onto the walkways to board the ship. My bag was rifled through, but not totally unpacked and repacked like in the airport. After going through two different winding snake lines to embark the ship, we were once again x-rayed, patted down, and we finally stepped onto our ship, and escorted to our cabin. It was now 1:45pm.

Once the passengers began boarding, our luggage began coming aboard. We did not have to worry about picking it up – it would be delivered to our door. Very nice touch 🙂

After the Golden Princess (our ship) left port, I began to feel hot and nauseous. I took my motion sickness medication, however, they let me down on the high-seas. I’ve been cruise ships, but going towards the equator. The Northern Pacific seas are much rougher.
Now I know why the corridors are so narrow.

Last Cabin Waaay at End — Heading To Last Cabin

So you can walk down them with your arms outstretched and palms flat against the walls preventing a terrible fall. We should have had those kind of corridors in college – but I digress…
In order to get around, you needed to hang on to something. Still, you swayed and stumbled like a drunken sailor.
After such a busy day, our feet were ready to lie down in our cabin and rest. That was not to be. We were ravenous! So all six of us ate at one of the restaurants, while we worked on getting a table for six in the Donatello Room. The maître d’ and his wait staff will do everything they can to grant your wish. I could really get used to this!

It’s sort of like being a princess. Without the tiara.

Until tomorrow…

The ???? Alaskan Adventure

June 27, 2014 ~ JodiLea ~ 2 Comments

Hilton's Desk Area

It might be a few days before I can fill in the title of this post. I am trying to be positive and think of adjectives like ‘great’, fabulous, and awesome. Sigh…It’s a struggle. Those of you who are thinking “what struggle?”, are obviously new readers. Thank you for stopping by 🙂

This Alaskan Adventure actually began months ago when hubby and his brother made the arrangements. Today, the adventure is underway. I’m writing this from a very nice desk, in our hotel room. We are doing the ‘park & fly’ deal because our flight to Seattle leaves early, and who wants to get up at 3:00AM and drive to the airport for 2.5 hours? Now we just have to get up at 4:00AM to drink coffee and stumble to the airport shuttle before 4:55AM. So – the real travel adventure begins tomorrow…

I most likely will only get a couple of hours of sleep, worrying about the security line. I, (for the first time) have to ask to be excused from the imaging machines. The pod part of my insulin pump should not be imaged or x-rayed. Apparently the little pod could explode. Lovely.

It is not the search that worries me, but the delay if they don’t have searchers there and available at the security line. The mental inventory of everything I packed, will take up at least two hours of sleep time. It’s how I roll.

Stay tuned!

What The – !?!

June 22, 2014June 21, 2014 ~ JodiLea ~ 1 Comment

I need to stop reading the newspaper. My blood pressure is still high from trying to comprehend an article I read yesterday morning…

** For the article in its entirety, see: http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2014/06/18/petition-seeks-return-of-grizzly-bears-to-the-west/ **

An environmentalist group, is petitioning Federal Wildlife Managers to go forth with an update to a decades old recovery plan to help the grizzly bear move off of the “threatened” species list. The group, the Center for Biological Diversity, has filed a lawsuit with the US Fish and Wildlife Service accusing them of using a ‘fragmented approach’ to recover the threatened species.

Are we still talking about grizzly bears? Just who is threatening them? I mean besides the idiots that want to relocate them? Those same idiots won’t be doing the ‘relocating’, will they? Nooooo. They expect the US Fish & Wildlife Services to do it. In other words, we taxpayers will be paying for the Grizzlies moving expenses.

“110,000 Square Miles of Potential Habitat Identified in Colorado, California, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico Could Support 4,000 Additional Grizzlies”. HA! Someone actually did a study and came up with this hooey. Did they think to ask the species’ who now occupy this ‘potential habitat’? Both Black Bears and Humans are already here in the Sierra Nevada. My family lives in the Sierras, and we vote NO. NO. NO on Grizzlies! Let them stay in Alaska and Canada where they like it. They will hate the “forested areas” in the southwest also. Why? Because they are in the FREAKING DESERT! Please re-think this plan and don’t send grumpy grizzlies out west.

According to MY studies – there is a species that lives in a diverse range of habitats. Humans. But humans are not an endangered species. So they don’t need any protection, or consideration apparently, when environmentalists protest, file lawsuits or make demands in the name of a defenseless species. Humans, could become a ‘threatened’ species upon relocating Grizzly Bears into their habitat.

There are no caribou or elk up here for grizzlies to eat. What deer we have are few, thanks to the mountain lions. Can Grizzlies out run a mountain lion? Probably not. So that leaves the grizzlies a few scrawny wild turkeys, domestic animals, and people. To eat.

Do the math. People are by far the easiest to catch. If that does not stop the environmentalists from their ridiculous quest, perhaps the red flying squirrels, black-backed woodpeckers, and gray wolves will. Grizzlies could eat those endangered species too.

The Center for Biological Diversity is a busy organization. They are suing US Fish and Wildlife Services for several species who they claim had ‘inadequate protections’.

Black-backed Woodpeckers
Southern CA Red Flying Squirrel
Florida’s Microscopic Ichetucknee Silt Snail (WTF? a microscopic snail?)
Southwest Jumping Mouse
California Gray Wolves
Western Pond Turtles
Lesser Prairie Chickens

In my humble opinion, someone should do a study on how ‘environmentalist’ groups keep screwing with Mother Nature. Better yet – a relocation plan to a different habitat that ‘would support them’ might be in order.

I have no idea where that would be. 😉

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photo credit: yosoynuts via photopin cc