Red robins

I had a bad experience at one today and thought "I have been to more than anyone I know." Hey let me list them.


1. 2006 Cleveland Ohio (first one)
2. Mason Ohio (4 times)
3. O'Fallon, Missouri (2 times)
4. Chesterfield, Missouri
5. Mt Juliet, Tennessee (at least 5 times)
6. Jackson, Tennessee (at least 5 times)
7. Nashville, Tennessee (3 times)
8. Castle Rock, Colorado
9. Louisville, Kentucky #1(St Matthews...2 times)
10. Louisville, Kentucky #2
11. Florence, Kentucky
12. Fairview Heights, Illinois (2 times)
13. Fenton, Missouri (2 times)
14. Murfreesboro, Tennessee
15. Cordova, Tennessee
16. Lexington, Kentucky
17. Evansville, Indiana

See RR, I have to drive a long way to see you. I have been to many of your stores. I expect a good experience...boo Evansville!

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Pink Oink

Well, a hero of mine has begun to earn his hero status in a new way...Mr. John McCain has taken to telling us all the ways that our leaders are adding necessary spending to our government. I hope that you take the time to read some of this waste and realize what I do....lawmakers are NOT frugal with OUR money. 100,000 for syrup. 1,000,000 for the installation of a camera. Millions for textile research...whatever .....


My point is...why can't you create a budget and live within the realms of that budget? We could only have money for cow TB research and pig waste management research if they did a fundraiser to pay for it. Do you know how long it has been since we had a balanced budget? One year is too long. How can we expect our citizens to live within their means if they very people that lead them chooses to ignore this advice? What can we do? Speak up! Let your leaders know how you feel...praise those that try to keep us living within our means, that are not wasteful, and those that get it. Keep those people in the office at election time too.! For those that are wasteful, hold them accountable! Vote them out! Tell them how you feel! Be a voice!

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My vocabulary words

Here are words and phrases that I use often and their meanings....

1. SHUT UP!-stop right now..that is unbelievable.

2. Flavor-a word used to describe a scent of air freshener..."what flavor of spray do you want"

3. Tootmister-someone who passes gas a lot.

4. Evil cat-a cat that bites for no reason.

5. J.R.-ed--meaning someone has messed you up like J.R. Ewing would do to someone.

6. Oh no you didn't-i should not have to explain this.

7. Whatcha talking about Willis?-borrowed from Arnold Drummand, an oldie but a constant goodie. I shall use this forever.

8. Amazing-epic...very good, the best.

9. Fendfer-when your family members prepare their own dinner!

10. Someone better be dead-what you say to someone who calls after 9pm and before 3am

11. No noticer-someone who thinks I can change my plans at a minutes notice...like schools who tells you the day before about a program....last minute meetings...people I an a planner...even plan my book reading time.

12. On crack-an expression used to explain NUTTY behavior, not a person actually on crack.

13. Old elvis-my elvis, the 1970's elvis.

14. Death day-The anniversary of the death of someone....usually used on conjunction with a celebrity.

15. Duos pumpkin-what you say to the carnival waiter on pumpkin soup night...other times you day tris pumpkin...even have said quarto pumpkin.

16. Travel folder-my dear little wonder woman folder that always has some type of travel stuff in it. Like an upcoming trip, boarding passes, trip itineraries, shore excursion plans, etc......

17. Kleenex-actually is a puffs plus with lotion and I always have some.

18. Tcb- taking care of brushing...i brush my teeth a lot.

19. Have you been dropped?-trevors therapy drops...i never can remember if we have applied them.

20. Bed-what I am doing now...night

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Dear Conan

My dear Conan,
I have watched you for the utmost part of 20 years. You have made me laugh, you have made me cry, grossed me out and maybe.... just maybe made me almost pee my pants. I am writing you this letter so that you know how worthy I am of a Team Coco t shirt. For starters, I am worthy just because I am breathing, but no, I shall not stop my reasons there...even though it should be enough. No, I shall go on....I shall go on to tell you that I have stalked you over the airwaves for years, I have followed through skits that were for the record books and some that kind of sizzled. I have loved the falsetto voice and your mad guitar skills. I have had to explain to my children who the crazy giant leprechaun man on the tv is and why he makes me laugh and even explain to the them the concept of a man in jeggings (that was a hard one dear Conan). You might be saying "she deserves this shirt no more than any other fan"...that may be true to some, but Mr Conan O'Brien I am above that. I am way cooler than the others...Oh YES, I am. I can make you laugh, I can make you cry and I can make you think "ok this girl is strange". I have supported you in the bad times, in the good times and even through the "New Jersey" times. You see Conan, you and I are good friends, you just have not lived up to your side of the friendship. Now Conan, all of this could be corrected if you would grant me, your dear friend Michelle a Team Coco tshirt. Yes Conan, I would forgive you for not sending me a Christmas card, and for not giving me a baby shower gift, and for not being there when I needed a friend....if ONLY you would give me a t shirt!

Friends forever.....
Michelle Champion

So in love with you, my love am I

The more I think about you, the more I love you. The more I long to stare into your face. You are carved completely out of a cold substance and I hate to be cold. Why then do I love you? Just look at you...you can see why I am in love with you...

I love to read about you, to view photos of you, and I long to climb on your crevices.

For those that don't know what you are, you are a glacier. A massive piece of ice that moves. Yeah, it moves...it leave in it's path moraine and a U shaped valley. When you start down a fjord (an inlet of water that was formed by a melting glacier) the vegetation will be larger more lush, as you travel down the fjord closer to the glacier face it will appear smaller and in most cases you will see NO vegetation. Instead what you will see is a large sheet of ice with crevices indentations and possibly icebergs. You will experience colors that may be indescribable....a topaz blue, granite gray, pure white, ice blue, azure, black, teal blue or teal green...and the list goes on and on.

the Lampley Glacierthe mendenhall 2008 The Lampley

the Herbert Glacier

the John Hopkins Glacier The Mendenhall Glacier 2008

a glacier close upnow you can imagine the size of a glacierGlacier Bay National Park and Reserve....the Majorie Glacier

The Sawyer Glacier (North) Tracy Arm Fjord

The lovely Majorie Glacier (GBNP&R)

all that is left of a glacier that is now part of the fjord

the mendenhall 2010

The Marjorie and the Grand Pacific (the GP once filled glacier bay

Marjorie glacier

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1.03.01

Who's your hero?

Did you know that kids can develop their imagination by reading a book? THey can lose themselves in a world of space, espionage, intrigue, history, fantasy, science...oh forget it this list will NEVER end...all they need from you is a book and a reading friendly space.

Reading in front of the tv is not a good idea...Reading in a crowded LOUD room is not a good idea either. Think about this when you send your little one to read.

"But my kids have too many books"...NONSENSE! A child can never have too many books. Maybe they love to read! Did you know that Thomas Jefferson once sold the Library of Congress 10,000 books at one time? And he thought that was not enough books. Look at me, I have 3 book case, some under my bed, some at work, some in the cars....and I want MORE!! I read them all...most over and over. And if your child does not, maybe it's time to donate the books they don't like to a school, charity, friend or sell them at a consignment sale. And replace them with books your child wants to read. Generally, I don't like the books people pick for me, maybe they don't like the ones that you pick for them....ever thought of that.

If your child does not like to read maybe you are buying the wrong subjects. My son did not like to read until he discover shipwrecks and now he reads all the time...mainly about shipwrecks, but he reads.

Think about the subject matter, the age appropriateness, the length, and not just look at the cover. I have a book with a spring green cover (ugly) and it just says the title on it "Gone with the Wind"...ugly ugly cover, but what is within those covers is one of the greatest books that I have ever read. I have read it 38 times since I started counting in 1994!!! I have it on my phone now so that I can read it every day if I want to and in any location.

Well, I can tell you a great place to find books!!! The OBOE book fair, from Sept 20-24, 2010. I can promise you that a super hero may come by to visit as well.


Be a HERO to your child...make them a lifelong reader!!!

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1.03.01

Trace Creek Baptist Church Crop

Well, here it is again...time for the TCC (Trace Creek Crop). This is one of my favorite times of the year (barring any cruise vacation naturally). What is it? It is a scrapbook crop (which means essentially a place to scrapbook with other people), that is held in the church multi purpose building. Why is it special? There are literally hundreds of people there that love two things: to scrapbook and God! It is a day spent with ladies of all walks of faith, religions, and backgrounds; but they are believers and it is evident in their speak, actions and generosity. There is a devotional in the middle of the day to rejuvenate you and get you thinking about your life, the life of others and your service to God. Jill Rogers is the speaker and I must say she is down to Earth and speaks from her heart. There are prayers, thanksgivings, and companionship. You get to meet people, see people that you have not seen in years, talk about life, and SHOP! The vendors are awesome as well. You can shop for a new product or go buy a piece of white paper if you forgot to bring some in the million and one things that you brought.

Oh yeah, packing for this event is like packing for a vacation. I have one "suitcase" (it's really a crop case but as big as a suitcase on wheels) and one milk cate type thing on wheels. They will both be loaded to the gills! I intend on bringing 40 layout packages and hope to scrap at least 30 of them. Last year I walked away with 32 layouts completed, and that is a record for me.

This year, I have to cut my time short. I have to leave around 4:45 (instead of 8 pm), my high school reunion (20 years) is that evening. You know honestly, I thought of skipping the reunion and being with these great TCC ladies. I do love them to pieces. As I said before, I look forward to it every year and it is less than TWO weeks away!!!

my love of a great tv show

Since 1990, I have been a fan of the Law and Order shows. At first, it was just so so...I wasn't a fan of Robinette or Ben Stone....but Adam Schiff was a bad dude...a guy that would take no crap and I like him. Yep, he kept me coming back. Then....then they added Jack McCoy! I was hooked completely. Jack McCoy was everything Adam was and more. A guy out to get the bad folks....no holds barred....and a bit of a ladies man to boot. Oh yes, he and Claire liked each other and probably (I believe yes) had a relationship. Claire was fantastic wrestling with her womanhood, the whole career lady life, and Jack McCoy. Jack McCoy has to be the greatest ADA ever! Time changes and we have lost some of our ADA and DA's too. Adam left, Nora came in. Angie Harmon came on playing a hard girl...I LOVED her character! One of our ADA's was murdered and now McCoy is our DA with

Then there were the detectives....I hated the first bunch...I did not like the cop section until Briscoe and Logan took over. Through the years...we have had many great detectives....Curtis, Green (my favorite after Lenny), Fontana, that chick that I could not stand Nina, Lupo, Bernard. Lupes and Bernard are a team that rivals the Curtis/Briscoe partnership.

Even after spin off after spin off, I kept watching. Now I do love most of the spin offs, but the mothership kept bringing me back. The formula worked, the content interested me, and the cast, well they were just outstanding.

Here we are now 2010, my show has been canceled. Canceled after 20 years, you will be forever tied with Gunsmoke. Wish you could have beaten that record!!! Would it not be great for Law and Order to have been the longest running drama of all time? I realize that the last couple of years as tv has changed you had lost your viewers, which I hate. You did not show naked butts, or drop the "s" word. You just relied on your mad writing skills and "ripped from the headlines" stories....hey, I think you held your ground very nicely trying to compete against those other dramas.

As we begin a new tv season, your name is not completely void on the tv listings...there you are Law and Order: Los Angeles. New show, new setting, new actors, new drama. Yeah, this should be good. I am sad that the mothership is no more, but glad I still have the spin offs!

Oh how I love thee, but WHY?

There is something about you...yes, on my first visit I could not quite put my finger on what it was, but I have it now! You are rich! Rich in nature! Rich in beauty! Rich in peace! Rich in culture! Rich in shopping! Rich in "gold"! Rich in stories!

There you sit at the head of Lynn Canal, which really is not a canal at all but a natural made fjord. See you start off fooling me from the very beginning. But there you are, I can see you as I approach. There is a distinctive "downtown". Rows of buildings lined up against the street. But still something is different. When I first step onto your land. I look around. There is a mountain will paintings to my right. Paintings of what? Yes, that's it paintings from crew members whose ships docked in your port and advertisements from stores that are probably long gone from your town.

And to the left and straight ahead...there you lie, Skaguay or Skagway as you are called in "modern times". We are here at the mouth of Broadway, walking up your streets heading first to what I see on the left, the Alaska t shirt company. This store, while not rich in Skagway heritage, is rich in savings. I hope to make you my first stop. On the right is the great statue for the Klondikers.

The who? The Klondikers! What's that? They are the people who sought out Alaska during the Gold Rush of the Yukon (1896). The prospective "millionaires" would board a ship and head up Lynn Canal. It was NOT a smooth journey as the canal was full of bergs, fierce winds and they were not really sailing under the best of conditions. The hopefuls landed in Skagway to begin a trek over the mountains. It was to be a 500 mile trek up the mountains into Canada's Yukon territory. While that doesn't sound so bad, it was. The mounted police did not care that you wanted to come to their country to "strike it rich", but they were NOT going to care for you. So each prospector had to carry with him 1,000 pounds of supplies (or a years supply of goods). Yeah, that is typed right ONE THOUSAND POUNDS! "The Golden Staircase" (as it was known) was a constant line of prospectors. If you stepped out of line you would have to wait 15 minutes or so to regain a spot in the trek.

This is art depicting the "Golden Stairs"

This trek proved to be deadly for some (above is pictured Dead Horse Trail) , and not as rewarding for the others. Some decided that there was too much at stake and took up residence in Skagway instead. They sold the supplies needed, opened saloons and brothels, and one guy by the name of Soapy Smith decided to run the place as a mob city. He was crooked, a thief, and just all around NOT a good guy, but a very interesting read...I recommend you read about him.

Back to the future....behind the famous Klondikers is the White Pass and Yukon Railway. This railroad is a narrow gauge train that will parallel the "White Pass Trail" that the Klondikers took. Construction began in 1898 with a goal in mind of making it easier for the prospectors to get into the Yukon territory and up to Dawson City. The WP&YR today is run as a tourist attraction and what an attraction it is. I have been on the railway twice and have learned so much both times. The tour leaves right from the cruise docks. There are many tours that you can choose from. The most popular goes to the summit and back, then there are some that go into Canada and one that will take you into Whitehorse, BC.

The views are spectacular and because you parallel the White Pass trail you will get to see many of the sights seen in Gold Rush days. Like the "trail of 98", "Black Cross Rock", the old depot spots and a bridge that will make you cringe.

This is an amazing trek, the most popular inside passage excursion and well worth the $100 plus you will spend....save your money now!

When you get back to town it is time to explore some more. The Skaguay News depot is a wonderful place to pick up information on the Gold Rush, Klondikers, old newspapers, or even today's paper. There is even a cross stitch store in town! YEAH, I could not believe it either. Check it out! You can get gourmet cupcakes (get them fast when they sell out they close), you can check out Soapy Smith's life, visit tons of jewelry stores....but there are some must dos.

AB Hall---The Arctic Brotherhood Hall. There are over 10,000 pieces of driftwood nailed to the facade of the building and then have been there since gold rush days. This building will grab your attention FAST!! It was a social place for miners in its hey day, now it is a visitors center.

There is a lovely Russian facade on one of the jewelry stores, and wonderful mouth watering fudge at the Alaskan Fudge Company (wish I could have more of the vanilla glacier fudge).

Walk around more and you will see the National Park (please visit here), Skagway river, and walk off Broadway to see how the locals live. You can visit the market...the market is interesting. The food comes in on a barge and the grocery is stocked. Prices are HIGH! As the week progress, prices go lower as the perishables are starting to go bad. Canned good will escalate in price because folks are running out of fresh food and need to eat. Yeah, that's right the food barge comes in once a week! We were told, as the week progresses you take a chance on only eating canned items if you wait. We saw chopped sirloin for $9.00 per pound.

the cementary is near here too!

Well Skagway, I have covered most of your 7 blocks in just a few short minutes. For those of you given the chance explore this quaint little mining town and all she has to offer. I am sure that you will NOT be disappointed.

where have you been?

I look forward to things but I do not wish life away. I see so many people just wishing things away. Counting down to a future instead of trying to help fix today. The countdown doesn't bother me, it's the "I wish the next few weeks would fly by" or "I can't wait until next year".

I often end the day with questions, where did I screw up today? What did I do right today? How did I make a difference? The last question is the one the resonates in my brain. Where did I make a difference? Where did I make a difference? Where did I make a DIFFERENCE? I sure had better have an answer to that EVERY DAY!!

A difference does not have to be a gigantic world wide thing that everyone knows about. Only a few people might know, only a family might know, only one person may know, only God may know....

There have been sometimes lately that life has bothered me. The older I get,the more I see that mankind is not what I thought. There are people that truly care only about themselves,that have no morals, no spiritually, no decency , no respect, no compassion, no values, no love and no ability to take one for the team. I just can't understand why people seem to take the "easy road" or what I like to call the lazy road. Why people can't be treated as they wish to be treated? Why people can't put the good of the many in front of the good of the few, or the one. (thank you Mr Spock).

I have a cousin that has been talking about this sweet precious child that 11 weeks ago she was this happy little kid playing with her family and friends. In a short span of 11 weeks, she was sick, diagnosed with a brain tumor, and now she is gone. She was 5 years old. Do you see exactly how short life is? 11 weeks!!! You have to make your plans TODAY!



I challenge my friends to this...if you don't have a relationship with God, what a GREAT time to develop that! If you don't treat others as you would be treated, what a GREAT time to put yourself LAST! If you don't spend time with your children, what a GREAT time to make a deposit in their future! If you don't take care of the Earth, what a GREAT time to better it for the future! If you have NEVER voted, what a GREAT time to register! If you have been making plans to make a difference, do it NOW! If you are wishing away til Christmas break...remember a lot can happen in just 11 short weeks! And for those that were alive on September 11, 2001, you all know how life can change dramatically in less than ONE HOUR!

Live for today! For the moments that you have! Make a DIFFERENCE!!! Be a GIVER not a TAKER!

America has had 44 Presidents but only one King!

Elvis Week 2010


http://www.elvisweek.com/

This is a week where all Elvis fans unite and celebrate the career of a man with an amazing voice. A man that could sing anything! From Country to rock, to hillbilly, to gospel....Elvis had it covered.

This is also the year that Graceland celebrates its 75th anniversary. Now we all can't get to Graceland this week, but it is kind of nice to go to the website and see what is going on. To listen to XM 18 and listen to the "out takes" of songs that you know well. To listen to songs that you never knew Elvis recorded (like Your cheating heart by Hank Williams), and even to hear him do a Bealtes tune (he is the only person that can get away with that).

In honor of Elvis Week I am including my favorite Elvis tunes

Burning Love
What'd I say?
Suspicious Minds
Kentucky Rain
Poke Salad Annie
Heartbreak Hotel
That's all right
Hey Jude
Viva Las Vegas
In the ghetto
How great thou art

this list could go on forever...Thanks for sharing your talent with us

TCB

The travel list

Everyone knows my zest for travel...the more the merrier. And you all know how I love lists...here are 2 lists that involve travel.

The Places I have been that I loved
1. Bathsheba, Barbados
2.. Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska
3. Pikes Peak
4. In the waters around Admiralty Island, Alaska
5. El Morro in San Juan, Puerto Rico
6. Charlotte Amalie, St Thomas
7. Key West, Florida
8. Phillipsburg, St Maartin
9. Skagway, Alaska
10. Washington, D.C. (everything about it thrilled me)
11. Cumberland Falls
12. El Yunque rain forest
13. Chichen Itza
14. Ketchikan, AK
15. St John
16. Mendenhall Glacier
17. Bill Clinton Library
18. The Royal Gorge
19. Charlottsville, Virginia
20. Victoria, Canada
21. The Hermitage
22. Chicago, Illinois
23. Arlington National Cemetary
24. Coke Museum in Atlanta Georgia

25. The Old Mill
26. Great Smokey Mountains National Park



Where I would like to go:
1. Kilauea
2. Mt Saint Helens
3. The Grand Canyon
4.. Denali National Park-June 2015
5. The Grand Tetons
6. Yosemite National Park
7. Glacier National Park
8. Mt Rainier National Park
9. Forks/La Push
10. Mansfield, MO-July 2012
11. Niagara Falls-July 2018
12. Muir Glacier
13. Olympic National Park
14. Aruba-Sept 2014
15. Statue of Liberty National Monument-Oct 2019
16. England

17. A Corner in Winslow Arizona

18. Havana-Oct 2015

the summer of zanniness

Yeah, it's been a little bit of a wild summer. We have gone to Alaska (which was the highlight), we took a trip to a National Park (Mammoth Cave), saw a couple of Cardinals games, spent a day at Holiday World, and spent lots of time in the pool. I have accomplished things that I wanted to do....paint a glacier, read a book by John Muir, caught up on all my scrapbooking, designed some 12 x 12 paper of my own, made a necklace (yeah I did not enjoy this), worked on finishing the painting in my house, designed and stitched my very own blackwork pattern, and bought tickets to my first ever teeny bopper concert.

Well, it has been a crazy summer. Why? What would I have in my life to be crazy? ME? Seriously, you are asking me? Ok here goes:
1. Husband backed into a parking sign at a ballgame
2. Son wrestled with his friends all the time, as a matter of a fact for 3 weeks in a row we had to get them adjusted.....well, that is until they broke.
3. For the first time in 17 years, I was NOT able to put anything into the local/state fair (this was very sad...I had to work so I could not go enter the stuff).
4. I began to be allergic to everything including the sun. This was the first year that I went to watch my son play baseball and had to take rash cream so that I could stay outside.
5. Realized I have become absolutely nuts about large chunks of ICE!
6. Read over 50 books since I got Laputa on my phone. (thanks Kelley Kelly)
7. Not looking forward to a football game for my high school reunion (I do NOT like football...NOT one bit)
8. My son completed his last year on the pitching machine.
9. My daughter has a teenager attitude.
10. Will never again dig in flower beds...I am tired of breaking out for weeks!
11. Spent almost $100 in an Alaskan cross stitch store (cause you know there are NOT any around here).
12. Realized that my kids need to see MORE of America...and see what a great place it is.
13. Actually THOUGHT about trying camping...in a cabin...yeah maybe....I will think about it again next year.
14. Realized that the volcanoes of Hawaii are closer than I ever imagined.
15. Fell more in love with my husband than before....(gag me with a spoon, sorry to gross you out, but it's true---He is a good guy).
16. Had many kids spend the night with us...our house is a regular Champion Inn.
17. My name is Michelle and I cannot stop downloading ebooks.
18. Got stopped by the cops because my kids were screaming in my car.
19. Tried for the second year in a row to use the time share points in Gatlinburg....did not work! Do they ever have rooms there?
20. My family may be crazy, nutty, strange, loud, obnoxious, and get me pulled over by cops, but they are mine and I love them. I would not trade them for the world.

My thoughts on the Twilight movies

So I have watched the movies over and over and over....There are some flaws that I have noticed and if you stay tuned to the end you will see what I think of eclipse.

Twilight:
First of all, its is a sweet little low budget teenage movie. There are some scenes that are simply wonderful such as the lunch with the apple, the wings of the owl making Edward look like an angel, and the scenery (you can see why I fell in love with this part of the country too).

1. The one that bothers me the most is the scene where she is in the hospital. Tubes near eyes, next shot the tubes are out of eyes, next shot they are near the eyes. BIG MISTAKE!!

2. In many of the close up shots of Edward's eyes, you see that he is wearing contacts.

3. Look at Carlise's makeup, especially in the hospital....bad job, they must have had NO budget at all.

4. Vampires should not have "cold breath" so why do you see Edward's breath in some scenes?

5. Did you know that Laurant is wearing contacts? Yep, look closely you will see the rim of the red lenses.

6. The van looks crushed before Edward stops it from hitting her.

7. Bella wears the same gray shirt many times during the movie, over other shirts, under shirts and alone. This gray shirt was everywhere.

New Moon:

1. The biggest problem is with lightness and darkness. The daylight/nighttime time line....it is NOT consistent through the movie at all.

2. The photo that Alice took of Edward and Bella at the party is NOT the same angle or photo as the one Bella printed off.

3. Photos appear and disappear throughout the whole sitting in the window scene for months.

4. She never changes her clothes for all those months either, but the photos on the walls change during this time.

5. Look at the werewolf tattoos, in some scenes you can tell they are fake.

6. Jake is 108 degrees in body temperature, but it is very easy to see that Taylor is freezing in the rain breakup shot. He is shivering and you can see his breath.

7. YOu can see Jane's contacts in the elevator.

8. I think I see wires when Jacob is lifting the bikes out of the truck.


Eclipse:
I have not seen it enough to notice flaws, so I will tell you what I think of it. This is my favorite book in the whole series. It focuses on Jasper and the the vampires and that is the things that I love. I do not like that the movie differed than the book so much. Now I like some of the differences but I am very much in love with this book.

I was very excited to see the Quilette stories on the big screen but very sad that they cut it down. To me this tells alot of the stories of Jacob and his people. Stories that you needed to know. I was also happy to see Jasper's flashbacks to his life. I enjoyed seeing him as the newborn trainer and Maria's mate. I wish that they had shown more about this time because I love it so much (Stephanie you can write a book on Jasper's former life before the Cullens that would be great).

Victoria was simply beautiful. I think the cast change was great. I hated Victoria in the first movie because she was like a white trash nomad. The second one she was glammed up a bit and attractive the hair was kept clean and combed and the clothes were much better. The third one, Bryce Dallas has the skin of a vampire, she was perfect for the role. I am very glad to see the cast change. I especially loved when Edward tore her apart.

I love the newborn fight scene. This played out exactly as I wanted it to. I love seeing everyone fights and how the vampires can be destroyed. I do have a question, if they are "stone" where does the blood they eat go?

Riley was wonderful....I think he was perfectly cast and portrayed. I hope Stephanie writes a book on his short little life. He has all types of stories to tell I am sure. I miss having Fred or Diego in the movie. I was hoping they would have some scenes.

All in all, it was a great movie, and I can't wait to see it again.

Took the words right out of my mouth....

This could have spoilers so please don't read if you don't want to know what happens, I am NOT responsible for you being stupid and reading on..........





My daughter summed it up nicely for me today..."hey it's almost Eclipse day".  That is right folks, just a couple of days left.  I tell you I am so excited to see this movie.  I am trying to imagine just how great the Newborn scene is going to be.  I am excited to see 20 newborns trying to attack and over come the Cullens.  How is it going to play out on the big screen?  I have grand ideas in my head and I only hope that it is true.

And the story of the third wife....I want to see if this is portrayed like a vision with real actors playing the parts of the wolves and the third wife and then flash forwards to the future with Bella and Jacob.  I certainly hope that is the way it plays out.  They did a similar thing when they showed how Edward and Esme were turned in the first Twilight....so I hope that it comes true.

And have  you people have read the book the Short Second Life of Bree Tanner.  Stephanie Meyer wants all to read the book before going to the movies.  I am sure that it has tons to do with the fact that she tells Bree's story and how Jane and the Volturi are involved in the story.  I found the book very violent, but I did however want more.  I have visions of novellas on Riley and definitely on Diego. I found myself craving more info on Diego.  There was something Cullen like to him.  Oh and then there is Fred.  Fred who would fit in great in the coven.  Bring him back, and please tell us what happened to him.  Did Edward contact him because you know he read Bree's thoughts and she had to have been thinking of Diego and Fred in her last moments. Edward might have even told him that yes Jane killed her.

One more good back story, Victoria....how she became what she did, who created her, maybe how she and James found each other.  See Stephanie, you can make this go on and on....I would totally buy the books.  I know for sure that I am not the only one that would buy them.

  I would love to know what you think about it all please share. And in just 1 day we can share what we saw and compare to what you thought and how much we loved it and when we will go see it next.  Whoo HOO!!!

Waiting for a Lunar Eclipse.....

When I was a child eclipses were some of the coolest thing around....now as an adult they put on a whole new meaning.  If you know me, you know that I have been bitten hard by these vampires that live in the Northwest.  While the books are not the best written books ever, and the movies may be a tad corny, I am hooked by some powerful fangs that will NOT let me go (and I am ok with that).  I guess I have always been interested in vampires, but this little Cullen family has brought it all to a totally new level.  The stories fascinate me so much that I read the book over and over and over and over...well, you get the picture.  When I was in Alaska in 2007, this clan meant nothing to me.  I saw signs and all types of stuff saying things about Twilight.  Fast forward two years later and I am seeking out the things that I had seen and did not care for before.  Like the forests up there, the Tongass National Forest is a bit like the areas depicted to be Forks and La Push (I have no idea if they were the real places because I have never been there). I can attest for Port Angles, I have been there twice now and the second time gave me chills because "Bella had been there".  Stupid? I don't think so.  Overboard?  No, its like some guys with their Star Wars, Star Trek, or Superman (or wait I like all those too).  It's an alter ego, the classic good vs evil, beautiful vs ugly (Laurant and James are pretty ugly), Romeo and Juliet, and then there's JANE!  I adore Jane!  She can with her mind send "waves" of pain into your mind and even though she is not hurting your body the pain in your mind is making you think she is and it is the worst thing you ever felt....all the while she smiles and looks so sweet and innocent.  I love to watch her, and I am very excited to see her in the Eclipse movie.

Oh yes, it is only a few days away, and I am all happy.  I am trying to imagine how the scenes will play out, what parts of the books will be left out, and I know there are new tidbits that are not in the original books....now that is going to be great.

So am I Team Edward or Team Jacob?  I am Team Vampire!  I love all the vampires (yes, even the evil ones).  And what do I think of Bella?  I think she is a girl that is obsessed with this vampire.  She probably even breathes in sync with his "breathing".  We have seen little Bells grow up quite a bit since even the first Twilight.  She started out as a backward girl, and has blossomed into a very nice looking girl.  Is that what love does to a girl?  Probably.  I also think she is crazy for loving Jacob too.  Everytime I read the book I think, "I just don't get you Bella Swan", but I believe that is part of the appeal for me trying to get inside her head to see why she is torn.  Vampires ROCK!!!  Jacob? I think he's a cute kid that is a bit conceited and a lot manipulative.  I think he knows exactly what buttons to push on Bella to keep her strung along, but again that may be the reason so many girls love him.

I am excited about how the movie is going to convey the story, what the sets will look like, what Bella will wear, and THRILLED to finally "see" the Newborns!!!  I am looking forward to the Newborn fight more than anything in the movie. I hope that Riley and Bree are as beautiful on the screen as they are in my head.  

So the big day is around the corner and the next hardest thing to decide is "what am I going to wear?"  Any suggestions?   

See you at the movies!!!!

My Dad

Well, he will probably never read this because he claims that he cannot find my blog, so someone please help him or tell him what I have said.



I have many memories of my dad....probably my earliest was when he went out on a date with my mom and he gave me the "superstar 77 Barbie".  I adored this doll and to this day wish that I had not loved her to death.  A very brutal death mind you, I cracked her neck.

Another memory, and really one of my favorites was looking for the nothern lights (which we thought we saw once), Hailey's Comet and eclipses.  This particular night there was to be a full eclipse.  It was supposed to be late when it happened so he grabbed the guitar and took me outside on the back steps.  He played Beatles songs and redneck country songs while we waited and waited and waited for this eclipse.  Honestly, I don't remember if it ever happened I just remember the music.  That had to be like 1980.

Another day was the day that he told me that John Lennon had died.  We were in the living room in our North Circle Drive house in front of the tv.  I don't remember if the news was on tv or if he just told me.  I just remember being sad that a Beatle was dead.

Then little did he know that he would instill in me a love of volcanoes.  He made me (at the time I was not into the news) watch the stories on Tom Brokow (maybe this story began my love for Tom) and the nightly news.  The story was about a volcano in Washington that was getting active.  Then a few days later it was very active, it BLEW......Mount Saint Helens.  I saw never forget how the ash plume excited me.  How I had tons of questions about the ash field, and the death toll, about the wildlife, about whether I could go.  He could not answer them all, but he tried. He even bought a National Geographic about it (wish I still had that).  This magazine had photos of before and after.  Of a lava dome, ash field, and the devastation left in her wake.  We read it over and over and then I read it myself.  This was very cool stuff.  Isn't it funny that I married a guy born on May 18? 

Another cool event about the eruption was that an ash cloud was moving across the United States.  Dad was determined to let me see it.  It finally did come through western ky, all be it very small, but it was evident.  I was still wanting more.

A movie was soon made about Harry Truman the inn keeper of Spirit  Lake.  Harry had lived in or around the Lake all his life.  He loved the lake and trusted the mountain.  As the volcano was proved to not be dormant, the residents were warned to "get out".  Harry was like the President of the same name, head strong and stubborn, he was going to stay right where he was.  When the volcano erupted Spirit Lake was forever changed and Harry's body was never recovered.  It is believed it was buried in an avalanche of ash.  Harry was played by the lovable Art Carney...and dad got the movie for us to watch.  it was incredible!  INCREDIBLE!!!  I wish we still had this too or at least let me see it again.

There were the times we went to Colorado (even the time with the big fight), North Carolina,  Cumberland Falls, Cumberland Gap, Knoxville, Nashville (I loved to go there).

Oh Colorado.  There was a time that Dad drove up Pike's Peak (and tried to scare us around every hairpin turn...and that is why I will not let my husband drive up there we always take the train) and we went to Summit House to eat.  We spent 2 hours on the peak (14,110) eating doughnuts, chili, soup, chips....whatever we could put in our mouths.  Dad and I got VERY sick.  Attitude sickness and all that food DO NOT mix, but man was the view great.  I could see Cripple Creek (where we had just been the day before....I love the stories about this town), Denver, and the Continental Divide.  I have never since seen the sky as clear as I did on this day.  I have tried many times, but it always clouds up before I get there. 

I remember him taking us to Cherokee NC.  He kept saying "this is where are people are from" and I believed him, since we are part Cherokee.  We drove by this one dude and he says, "he is related to us" and gets out and asks about Berryhill's.  At the time, I thought this guy was really kin to us, now I know he was just trying to impress us and I am ok with that, because we have a great picture of all of us with the dude.  And I got a necklace that I still have to this day and this was 1988.

And the time that he performed my wedding ceremony....there are some to dismiss the ceremony, but it was perfect for me and that is all that matters.  Perfect groom, perfect dresses, perfect music, perfect decorations, perfect food, perfect guests, perfect walk down the aisle dude (love ya Dwayne), and perfect preacher (DAD).





There were times I'd rather not remember too....

the time that mom was somewhere and dad fixed me a glass of milk.  I told him that I was allergic, but he thought I was faking.  He made me sit at the table until I was finished with the milk.  I did not drink it for a while because I knew I was going to throw up.  It felt like hours but it was probably not, and crying I gave in and drank the stuff.  Guess what, I threw up just as I predicted...and dad was very sorry that he did not believe me.


Then there was the one and only time that he made me mow the yard, again another allergy issue.  I cried the whole time because I was sneezing and miserable, this was before allergy pills were given to me.  It was awful, and he realized it and did come finish it.

Then there was the time that he raised tobacco and made up work in it.  We had to set the tobacco on the setter (which was not horrible), weed the tobacco (in the heat....horrible), top the tobacco (in the heat heat....HORRIBLE) and strip the tobacco (done in my grand daddy's warm garage....man I loved to play in that garage).  Yeah, I will not do that again.

I remember him getting very sick and having to stay in Vanderbuilt for what seemed like forever while we lived with our grand parents.  I was afraid that he was going to die and I would not have a dad anymore.  It was so scary.  Then when his body changed from the meds I was still afraid that he would die. I was not happy about that.  Of course, it did not help that my grandmother kept saying that he was going to die.

What about the time he was mowing the yard and threw a wire through his foot?  Or the time he stepped on a toothpick and it broke off and got caught in his foot?  Or the time he was making something on a table saw and the wood flew out of the saw and a piece of his nose bone is stuck inside the wood (I bet you still have this don't you)? 


There are many other times and things to remember, but I will neither bore him nor you....all that matters is that today I am honoring him.  I love you Dad, you are the best dad ever....

thank you for your love and devotion.

Michelle

Alaska

Alaska aboard the Sapphire Princess

You should know:
Service- 3
Cleanliness- 5
Options (things to do)- 4
Arts and crafts- 3
Itinerary- 4
Food(taste)- 3
Food (appearance)- 5
Photo prices- 2
Coke card- 5
Bands-????? where were the bands?
Comedy shows- 5
Naturalist- 5
Embarkation-4
Debarkation-5
Shopping mall-4 (could be much better and is, I have shopped in better malls on smaller ships)
More for a newbie than a seasoned cruiser.

Day 1 of the Princess experience:
WE were delayed in boarding the vessel due to an outbreak of the Norwalk virus, the week before. 98 people got sick. Here’s the deal people….Norwalk is a type of flu, you can get it anywhere. The deal comes in that cruise ships are required to notify the health dept, Walmart or you local town is NOT. This is not a reason to not go on a cruise. If that is your reason, you should stay in your house all the time. Just use logic, watch touching “public” items (elevator buttons, railings, door knobs…..) without washing your hands or using hand sanitizer afterwards. LOGIC!!! Most of the ships provide purell, in case you are too lazy to wash your hands or you choose to do both. Most of the ships will no longer allow you to eat without first using the sanitizer, just an FYI.

Once we got on board, we headed to the Lido deck to eat. This was different, the staff served you from the buffet. Now being a person that hates places like Ryan’s and CiCi’s because people use the potty don’t wash, or pick their nose and don’t wash and then use the pizza spatula or salad tongs, grosses me out. I sort of liked this, but it did make for a very slow moving line.

Oh the food…well, I am a food person so I was looking for excitement. There was a seasoned Tilapia, which I was very excited about and a salad bar (yummy) and varying other fun looking things. Ok, the staff filled my plate and I go sit down. NO SILVERWARE! They must bring it to you, you and 45 other people that just sit down. Too LONG!!! When I finally got the silverware, the fish was cold and nasty. I could not eat it. The salad was very good and the homemade dressing was amazing. All my hot stuff was cold and gross. Not a good way to start off Princess.

We got settled and began to explore the boat. It was a very attractive boat in a classic sense. I however, like a little more BLING! I enjoyed the Pearl and the Carnival ships much better because they have FLAIR. I was warned about the colors a very bland, boring, beige scheme. Not exciting, not fun and does not entice you to spend money. Someone should really talk to them about color choices.

The stateroom is very tiny. Once again Carnival has proved that they have the largest and best staterooms on the seas. This room had 2 lower beds and 2 upper beds. 7 drawers 4x8x9, 5 shelves 10x 8x 5 and a very large closet (but it was the same size as every closet I ever see on a ship. The storage space shelf and drawer wise is ridiculous for a room that sleeps 4. Actually, I don’t know about 2 people with that storage for 7 days. Very disappointed in that. The shower was also smaller than Carnival and I did not think that was possible. I was not happy at all with the room.

That evening you were entertained by Shelley Gill and a comedy dude. The dude was great, he was a comic that does observation comedy based on the folks in the audience. I love this because even if there is a repeat performance, there is still new material. He did do 3 shows and one or all of us watched each of his shows.

OH Shelley, I love her. She was the naturalist. She was on board to enhance our Alaskan experience. Her job is to narrate as the ship sails through fjords and up the Marine Highway and to give lectures on Alaska. Her first one was just a little bit of wonderful. A bonus here, she writes children’s books and sold them on board. The books are based on her environmentalist life. She is a whale detective and Iditarod competitor when she is not writing and lecturing. A whale detective is someone who follows the whales through their feeding season, recording the flukes and the sizes of the families/pods. I would LOVE this job!!! It was exciting talking to her, because until I met her, I was the only person that I know who knew a lot about whales. Her knowledge was thrilling and I learned so much more from her. I attended every lecture that she did and every book signing and tried to be around for every narration she gave.

Trivia began tonight and we won the very first one of the cruise. That was a little bit of awesome. I love finding usage for my useless knowledge. 

Day 1 At Sea:
Today was a day of fun and activities. The plan was to hit one of the many pools and hot tubs, eat a lot, take some photos, look for whales, do trivia, attend the card making class, eat some more, explore the Japanese made ship, catch Shelley’s lecture, and shop in the mall. I accomplished all of this. And to top it off, the weather was great!!! Today was the first formal night and we took the formal pictures. Check them out.

Day 2 Ketchikan:
I was so excited to return to this great little town. We had goals! Melanie and I would arise and be in town by 6 am (3 am our time) and begin the shopping and gathering of free items. There was something that I wanted last time but did not buy and was going for it first. I only spend about $15 dollars today. I got stuff at Tongass, which is one of my very favorite stores up here. And I used the coupon book like crazy. After a couple of hours, Hannah and John joined us and the girls kept shopping and John and I began our trek through town. We walked down to the IGA and went inside to snap some photos. Then we went into the marina to look around, we saw a seal, tons of jelly fish, a sea anemone, a crab and NO salmon. UUUHHHH! I wanted to see them, but we were still too early. We went shopping down Creek Street and the girl outside the brothel said “I love your power ranger hat”, that was very strange given the way she was dressed and she was supposed to be from the 1800’s. Crazy. We kept walking heading towards a Wal-mart. We walked and walked and walked. Found us some lunch at McDonalds ($18 for 2 value meals), saw a Godfather’s pizza, a mall (not great), tons of Eagles fighting over fish and took lots of photos of local fare. I LOVE this town!

Once we got back to the ship, it was time to go (we were only on board about 20 minutes before we were too leave). See I can’t even remember dinner tonight, so the food must have been just so so like I said. Dessert though was New York style cheesecake with Carmel sauce, now this was good. I do remember the after dinner show…there were whales everywhere! I had never seen so many whales from the cruise ship before. After dinner we went outside (because it was so warm) to view the whales and saw dolphins and seals as well.


Day 3 Tracy Arm Fjord and Juneau:
Well, I got up early (even though a social director said it was not worth it) and I am glad that I did. The fjord breathtaking as you entered its mouth. The landscape inside was pretty, water falls, glacial ice, trees, mountains, ice bergs, whales and fjord colored waters. I was looking for the Sawyer Twins. I was very disappointed…the twins were at the end of the fjord to the right, and then you could only see one and just a portion of the one. Even though it was pretty, after you have been to Glacier Bay National Park, this is a let down. I was very sad that we did not go back to Glacier Bay. I shall not go back to Tracy Arm and never want to.

Juneau-----Now this is what I love. Juneau is a wonderful place. We were docked at the last dock and got there early so our tour left a bit early. First stop the Mendenhall Glacier. Now this is wonderful!!!! We were dropped off at the park (which I can’t figure out why it is NOT a National Park) and walked down the path to the glacier. Of course you can see the glacier from the road, but you really need to walk up to it. It is receding at a very quick rate. I was shocked at the difference that I could see in just 2 years. I took tons of photos down by the glacier and then made my way to the visitor center. I was looking for books. I found one for Trevor on glaciers fjords and ice bergs. I did not find an adult one on glaciers, which was the goal, rats. Then it was getting time to go but I had time to go to the picnic pavilion and feel “glacial air conditioning”. It was a very warm day, so the air coming down off the glacier was not only nice, but very welcoming, and the coolest air you can imagine. I loved it.

Next we boarded our bus again and Thomas took us to Auke Bay. The bay looked the same as 2 years ago, so I enjoyed that. We boarded a larger boat than I had last time. Last time we had about 20 guests this time about 50. It was a 3 tiered boat, I was nervous about the viewing but that was to be a short lived nervousness. We headed out and almost immediately saw a whale. Actually, there were whales EVERYWHERE! Everywhere….it was perfect. At one time we had a pod of 8 right off our port side. I got 78 fluke shots with my camera, last time I got 4! What a difference!!! There were whales everywhere! We saw some calves feeding for their first time in Alaska waters and showing off a bit too. This was a great use of $170, especially if you are a whale freak like me. We also saw eagles and seals and sea lions, but that is such a backseat to the whales.

After the excursion, I did some shopping until I just ran out of time. We got on the boat about 20 minutes before sailaway. What a great day!!!

Day 4 Skagway:

John and I had been planning for months to take the train into Canada. We called Larry the Chilkoot tour operator and secured some spots on this mornings tour. Since we had all ready walked into town, Larry came and picked us up and took us to meet Shawn our tour guide. He was a bit of a surfer type, laid back kind of dude that called the town Skagwicga….he was so funny.

The first thing Shawn did was take us to the train. We had taken the train 2 years ago, but you never get to step on the Yukon soil, so that is why we took a different tour. Passports are required for this tour so Melanie and Hannah could not go. There were some photos that I wanted to take on the train this time. I had missed them the last time, and luckily I had most of the trip memorized so it was not hard to remember what I had missed. I had missed the cemetery on the right as you leave town. This is a great little place, and full of history. Then up the mountain, Bridal Veil Falls is a MUST DO on the photo talking list. I missed it last time because of a dead battery. There are rapids under the falls that NO ONE has every conquered because of the roughness and rockiness. Many have died trying. Then there is a rock about 2/3 of the way up. On this rock is a cross. The story goes….this guy was helping to build this railroad. This railroad was needed desperately. Many folks and horses were losing their lives trying to make the trek up this mountain into the Yukon country. In the Yukon there was gold and these folks NEEDED gold. They were so poor. The Canadian government was ok with American’s coming up there, but said that they must bring enough supplies to survive for one year and the Mounties checked to make sure. Now this was over a ton of supplies that each person must bring. And it was per person, so if your wife came, you brought her supplies too. The railway was supposed to help the folks get over to Canada. Well, this guy was blasting the mountain and a rock (boulder) broke loose and crushed him. The other dudes tried and tried to get the boulder off (I don’t know why, he was crushed), but they could not so they put a cross into the rock. I have just shortened the story….you get the gist but you should hear the whole thing. I got photos of the American/Canadian border and then we went to new territory (for us) up into Fraser BC. There are 9 people that live here. We thought when they called it a town there would be shopping or something….nope 9 people and a customs office. We did get our passport stamped though by customs. Shawn meet us with the bus up in Canada and took us back down into Skagway. On the way, he dropped us off at many of the great sites, glacial waterfalls, scenic overlooks, fjords, and the American/Canadian border for photo opps. He was a great guide full of the Skagway stories. Of course, my goal was to find a book of these stories once we got into town. I fell in love with these stories 2 years ago and that was on the agenda, find a book. The first thing John and I did when we got back into town was grab a bit to eat. We ate at a former brothel, the Red Onion. The chicken salad I believe was the most perfect stuff ever. I loved this chicken salad. Our server was good, but the host was rude, not the call girls were sweet, but of course they wanted to take us upstairs to the brothel and we had no desire to do that, we just wanted lunch. After lunch, we started shopping, I hit the bookstore first and got a book on the gold rush. This book does not talk about Soapy Smith so I have to keep looking. Then we found a needlework store. NEEDLEWORK!!! You never see these, do you know how hard it is to find good patterns? That is why I have taken to designing my own so that I can have some. This place was great…I probably spent more money in here then I needed too, but I will use all the charts that I bought, so I am not too concerned. I am even ordering 2 others from the clerk. Then we found a fudge store, yummy, we got some fudge and nut clusters. These were very good. I shopped for more books but did not find what I was looking for…keep looking. I went into the Alaska t shirt co (my fave store in AK) and bought some stuff. Not much only about $20 ($10 of which was a book on Alaska). Then it was time to go, once again we were just making the cut off before the ship left. We enjoyed literally every second of these ports.

Day 5 At sea:
Our second day at sea. I had a lecture, journaling class, shopping at the mall, more dips in the pool and hot tubs, cross word puzzles and reading to do, and formal night. And we had to alter our course due to very rough seas….well it was rough for us too. 15-20 ft swells. This is the stuff I love and you don’t get enough of. It was almost impossible to walk in a straight line….no it was impossible.

Day 6 Victoria:
Once again, I did not get to enjoy much of the city. I won’t bore you with details, but I will say that the government building, the downtown, the port, and the restaurants….well, I think I know a little about them all. We went into I believe every restaurant looking for somewhere to eat. Either the food was not what we wanted or they did not take minors, or they had a 3 hour wait. We settled and a little place called Wicket and Sticks and I had fajitas that were wonderful and hot tea. YUMMY!!!

This is it folks….day 7, you are rushed off the ship as soon as they get into port. I hope you enjoyed my fun.

Packing for your cruise....

The time may be here to pack for your cruise.  There are some things that you might NOT want to leave home without.  After all, you will be living in roughly a 168 square foot box.  Only IF you are lucky you will have a window, but that window wont open...so you need a few things.

1.  A alarm clock.  The room does not come with one of these babies.   If you are in an inside cabin...there is NO light to warn you it's daytime.  If you are in Alaska, the sun really sets for about 2 hours....you will get ALL messed up even if you have outside light.  Make sure it is set to SHIP time.  In some ports this varies from ACTUAL time of the place visited.  Ship time is very important.  A ship will NOT wait for you because you forgot the time.  An excursion wont wait because you had no idea that the sun was up. 

2.   A power strip or extension cord.  There will be one MAYBE two (this one will be in the bathroom) outlets in the room.  This little item can save you lots of grief but take up minimal space in the suitcase.  You will need it for the cell phone cord, the alarm clock, the curling iron.....yep, it is going to serve very useful.

3.  Highlighter.  You might want to do some of the ships activities....bring a highlighter in a different color for everyone traveling with you.  That way each person can have there own color.  They can highlight the things that THEY want to do, and it will stand out on the daily schedule.

4.  some type of lanyard to carry you ship card.  You MUST have you ship card to purchase ANYTHING onboard.  It also serves as your identification to get on and off the ship.  I wear mine in a tiny lightweight id pouch for airports. I can put my card, my id, and some money for excursions and I have all I need.  You can go to the casino and have them poke a hole in the card so that you can wear it around your neck.  If you do plastic canvas, I have a pattern to make you one just ask me.  I made mine in the Carnival ship logo (cause I love them best).

5.  Downy wrinkle release.  Irons are NOT allowed on board.  They will take them and return at the end of the cruise if they find them in your bags.  They do provide one in the laundry room, but this works GREAT!

6.  tiny basket for bathroom.  They will give you one shelf, but if you have alot of stuff or are cruising with someone, you are going to need the extra space.  Sometimes I just put all my stuff in a ziploc and put it on the shelf and go from there.

7.  Febreeze.  Lets face it some have sticky feet, or pass gas a lot, or sweat.  This will help the room!

8.  tide to go.  You will spill something on your shirt.  This way you can wear it without saying "hey I am messing"

9.  ginger...for those that might get sea sick.  Especially first time cruisers.

10.  small suitcase inside large one....put this inside your large one.  Pack your stuff in the case...then when you get there, you have an extra case for your souvenirs! 

11.  Something to decorate the outside of your door with. That way it stands out in a LONG hallway of doors.  I have seen wreaths, posters, balloons....something that is small to pack.  Might be great if you can throw it away on the day of debarkation.

12.  Hat with a strap....the deck is a place that you want to wear a hat, but the wind will take it right off your head.  Wear a hat with a wide brim and a strap to protect your little face.

13.  hangers....I bring wire hangers that you can leave in the cabin after the trip.  There are NOT enough hangers in the cabin for everything that you will want to hang up.  These will solve that problem and if you leave them, you solve the problem for the next guest.

14.  Post it notes...you can use these to leave notes for your travel mates, your cabin steward, or just to hang on the outside of your door.  FUN!!!

15.  $1 light up sticks...they come in packs of 12.  Break one at night and hang on the bathroom door knob...a nightlight without the bother of a light.

16.  Meds...bring the meds that you use often and maybe heartburn medicine.  You are going to be able to eat 24/7...and will probably overeat.  Be prepared.  The ship will sell this stuff at DOUBLE or TRIPLE the cost on land.

17.  rain poncho...for $1 you can get a poncho at the Dollar Tree NOW, or for $9.99 you can get one on the ship, your choice.

18.  walmart type bags and ziplocs....walmart bags are great for wet or dirty clothes.  Sometimes you need them for the giant sea shell you find on the beach (yes it has happened to me).  The ziplocs are for tiny shells and other items you want to bring home.  These walmart bags also make great trash bags because the cans are NOT big enough.

19.  Book...there will be a library, but it never seems to be open when you need a book.

20.  a smallish rope...you can tie this to the shower rod and across the bathroom on the towel bar.  Hang up wet suits for a while to dry.

21.  Space bags...a MUST do if you want to pack light.  You can pack your clothes....roll up the bag and you have saved 1/2 the space that you would have without the bag.  I LOVE these!  Use them even when not on a cruise.

22.  Travel documents...without these you go NO WHERE!!!

23.  Toilet paper...a roll is great.  You might want to take some with you on an excursion...Some countries do not provide any.  The cabin paper is like a leaf!

24.  Sunscreen...you don't want to get burned.

25.  Bug spray...there are sometimes fleas on beaches and mosquitoes in Alaska...BE PREPARED!!!

You are going to make me read that?

No please....don't make me read that.  I don't want to read that...Please, I will do anything.

Ok, this is my life circa 1987....yep, did not want to read any of the assigned reading.  Yeah, I was burned pretty hard with that whole Diary of a Young Girl stuff from Anne Frank...the whole girl scene...scared me to death.

Well, so I did not want to read any of the assigned reading that we had to do.  I did however have to because I did not want a bad grade so I read "A Tale of Two Cities" "The Scarlett Letter"  "The Mayor of Casterbridge"  "To Kill a Mockingbird"  "Alice in Wonderland"  "A Farewell to Arms" and this list goes on and on.

Here is the thing. I read the books so that I would not fail...yep, and guess what...I liked some of them.  Yep, to this day "The Scarlett Letter"  "The Mayor of Casterbridge"  and "A Farewell to Arms" are on my top ten list of all time favorite books.

For those that have not read them.....

A Scarlett Letter is about a lady named Hester that well....commits adultery and has to wear a scarlet "a" on her dress.  There is a baby and a priest involved and it is a GREAT book.  Written by Nathaniel Hawthorne

The Mayor of Casterbridge is about a guy named Michael that sells his wife and family because he was broke.  Only to realize when she is gone that he loved her and it was too late now.  Well, he becomes this Mayor of a town and she comes back into his life.  They reunite and well someone dies. Written by Thomas Hardy........ A GREAT READ!!!

A Farewell to Arms is a wonderful story of a guy named Henry that is an American but joins the Italian army during WWI. He falls in love with Catherine Barkley and they are very in love.  She gets pregnant, he gets injured, and someone dies...and someone else is almost killed.  I LOVE this book!!!  Written by Big Poppa himself, Hemingway.

What else is good that you may not think about?  Have you tried Gone with the Wind?   What about the North and South series (North and South, Love and War, Heaven and Hell)?  How about Jane Eyre?  The Six Wives of Henry VIII?  HOw about Edgar Allen Poe?  Or maybe Rip Van Winkle?  Alice in Wonderland is good too!  Series that are good?  How about the Little House books?  Or the Anne of Green Gables series?  Or the Star Wars and Star Trek series? 

Whatever it is pick up a book...give it a whirl, you may find out that you like...no LOVE it!!!