A few photos to share...

Disco in the Crow's Nest

MS Amsterdam

...with tour guide Willy at Alaska Brewery

Mendenhall Lake & Glacier

Mendenhall Glacier

Bear statues in chaps (for leather party)

Boys at the leather party

...with new friend Bill at the leather party!

Did I really have vacation?

Sigh....I've been back about a week now and in full swing with work (which of course pays for the fabulous vacation I just had)! It's funny too that even after a week, I'm still recovering from the balance issue from being on a ship. I find myself walking into a wall now and then. Apparently it's a common ailment if you're not use to having "sea legs". I was told it can take up to a week to fully recover. I think I'm pretty much past the worst part of it though.

The friends I met on board the ship have all returned to their normal lives as well, and we've exchanged a few emails so we can stay connected. It's funny how much I'm finding that I miss them. But my next getaway is planned for the beginning of December and since I will be in Palm Springs for a few days, both Bill and Keith have talked about meeting me there as they live in Pasadena which isn't that far away.

The first day of Fall starts this weekend. I'm not ready for it to approach...summer can't be over yet? The birch leaves in my front yard tell me otherwise though as does the dark mornings when the alarm goes off at 5:30am. My God, soon it will be Halloween and then the holidays...where did the year go? I've recently had to dig out the light jacket when I leave for work in the mornings and only too soon will I be wearing the heavier winter coats and battling the rain and wind that crops up every November...brrrrrr!

I need a cocktail...

Finally...The Cruise Update!

The plan to keep this diary going went a bit south due to the fact that the on board computers on the MS Amsterdam were quite intermittent as well as expensive, so I decided to group the rest of the itinerary in one big swoop.  This entry will be a bit longer, so I appreciate your patience in muddling through it!

Monday, September 10 | From J-Town to Bay View

On Sunday, we had a great adventure into the city of Juneau.  Heading through the passage between cliffs of evergreens and low-lying fog, we docked amongst the other cruise lines of Celebrity, NCL and Princess.  The weather was overcast and a bit chilly but my friend Don and I had signed up for a 5-hour excursion which was titled "Bike & Brew".  Once the group congregated (21 of us total) we were herded into vans and taken out of the main part of the city.  We were all outfitted with mountain bikes, helmets and assorted gear to begin our 9.5 mile trek up to the Mendenhall Glacier.  We made it around Mendenhall Lake to take some photo ops and visit with the other cyclists.

Once we finally finished the short trek, we were rewarded with a tour (and of course a beer tasting) at the Alaska Brewing Company.  I find it funny too that living in Seattle and having the opportunity to purchase the Alaska brews, I've never done so.  I'm now hooked on the Summer Ale, which now of course is seasonal and I probably won't see until next year!

Once we all got back into "J-Town", I decided to solo it and stroll the shops.  What a dangerous thing to see "end of season" sale signs.  I found a goldsmith shop and found an 18K gold ring that just jumped out of the case and onto my finger!  What the hell happened to my budget??

Later that night we dined at the Pinnacle Grill on board the ship and then participated in the costume party.  I didn't really bring anything in particular to wear so my Nasty Pig fireman pants had to fit the bill.  The costume contest went very long (I didn't participate) and as usual, you get the good with the bad in these events!  But there was some great creativity as the contestants tried to win the $1,000 grand prize.  It was fun all around and Paul Williams, our host for the event, kept it moving along with side splitting humor.  I found I was rather tired from the day and decided to retire early (that being 1:00am).

So now today we got into Glacier Bay.  The weather is overcast and rather cold but the viewing conditions are perfect!  It's amazing to view the sapphire color of these ice cliffs.  The ship went slowly in and out of the inlets and rotated around so no matter where you were on board, you would get a grand view.  A few of us were invited to a private suite viewing party where they had champagne cocktails and munchies (all I need...more food on this trip!)  We were treated by visiting seagulls swooping along side the ship so naturally we were throwing tidbits of food their way and watching them dive and battle for the scraps.  It was like a scene from "The Birds" at one point!

This afternoon is the "Lumber-jock" party.  Hmmmmm...we'll see how that goes!  I'm sure there will be a few die hards baring skin at that event.

The bear sightings on board are a bit too much at times...but at least they're friendly!

Tuesday, September 11 | Sitka Bound

Well, as I stated above, there were quite a few die hards that took the "jock" thing quite seriously.  My favorite were the ones that had raccoon tails sewn onto the back of the waistbands!  Sort of gave the impression of a naked "plushy"!

I got up earlier than Don and headed into Sitka to stretch a bit and take in the sights.  I did notice that walking down the sidewalk was rather challenging due to the fact that when you're on a rocking boat, you compensate for balance.  I felt like I was still on the ship and having the sensation of trying to keep upright.  Everyone I ran into (not literally) was having the same predicament. 

It's a quaint little town with lots of character and I found another piece of artwork to take home.  Man, I'm going to be spending a lot more money just on having to frame all these pieces I keep buying!

Tonight is another night at the Pinnacle Grill on board but we have a nice party of about 7 of us.  Amy Armstrong and Freddy are on the big stage in the Queen's Lounge tonight and I'm sure they'll put on a great show as always!  Tonight is also country dancing.  Let's see just how easy it will be to two-step on a swaying ship!

Wednesday, September 12 | Catch a Man in Ketchikan

So another late night of partying is keeping me from actually getting rest on my vacation!  It's all good, but a little exhausting.  The Amy and Freddy show was spectacular and if you're not familiar with them, check out their website, amyfreddy.com (not amyandfreddy since that will take you to a porn site...LOL)

Don and I headed into the little town of Ketchikan where the big tourist attraction is the lumberjack show (we didn't go).  It took us quite a while to find a coffee shop which isn't fun when you're from a city with a Starbucks on every corner!  I was beginning to get a bit cranky needing my morning fuel and having to go up and down the blocks to find it.  Once that task was accomplished and I settled down, we hit a few shops that all began to look alike.  I was becoming a bit disheartened at all the tourist shops so I left Don to his own devices and headed back to the ship to relax a little.

The big leather party (which apparently is a tradition on these cruises) was scheduled for 10:30pm so we decided to do some country dancing first and attend the leather event later on.  I'm glad we did!  Just about everyone was commenting on the bizarre energy that seemed to fill the space.  I lasted about 1/2 hour and then decided to go to bed...that was about 1:30am.  Again, these late nights are going to cost me...I just know it!

Thursday, September 13 | The Queens Invade the Queen's City

From Ketchikan we then sailed to Victoria BC, which was our last port before heading home to Seattle.  The guys in our little group, besides Don and myself, all had plans to go see Butchart Gardens as an excursion.  Since I've been to Victoria before, I just wanted to pick up some toffee and shortbread cookies to bring home...yeah, again with the food!  Don and I walked into town and found our treasures and then headed back to the ship.  We didn't really have all that long of a stop as it was an evening one anyway.

To reflect, most of the day was spent laying around on the Lido deck and watching the bears play in the hot tubs.  Talk about Bear Soup!  We could feel the effects of the week and it was catching up with us.  But being able to spend the day lounging and chatting was quite nice.  No big events to attend and in retrospect, to spend time with our new friends made the day all worth while!  Bedtime hit around midnight as we knew we'd be in Seattle first thing in the morning.

Friday, September 14 | There's No Place Like Home!

As expected, we awoke to the banging and clanging of rigging at around 6:30am.  They were beginning the retrieval of the luggage from the lower bays to clear the ship.  We had to have all our luggage packed and in the hallways the night before by 11:00pm, so all we had were our carry-ons and a change of clothing.  I, of course, had to deal with the hauling of my artwork off the ship myself, but at least the gallery had wrapped them up together for me in a nice carry bundle.

We had our final breakfast in the Lido restaurant at around 7:00am and then the disembarkation process began.  We were cleared and off the boat by 8:30am.  Wow...too efficient if you ask me.  It was almost like "don't let the door slam you in the ass on your way out"!  Hugs, email addresses and phone numbers were exchanged during all this as new friends and tricks were departing!  I'm just thankful that with all the luggage and carry-off, we didn't have to deal with the airport as many did!

The guys in our little group were all staying for the weekend in Seattle so there was no rush to say goodbye to them.  We agreed to meet out later in the evening for dinner and then to go dancing...like we didn't get enough already (?)

The End of a Great Vacation!

So, all in all, this was one of the best vacations I've ever had.  I was able to forget about work, not deal with emails or phone calls and just let my hair down and tear loose.  I will definitely consider another cruise in the future, and having it be a gay cruise made the events, entertainment and comaraderie even better!!

(photos to be posted later)

Boys to Juneau...

I awake at this early hour to gray skies and a chilly morning as the ship heads up the passage to Juneau. I actually thought about hitting the on board gym, as I did yesterday, but decided that since I'm doing an excursion in Juneau on bikes, I would refrain from my feelings of guilt driven by my daily workouts that have become so routine.

Yesterday we were at sea all day. A rather relaxing day of exploring the ship, receiving a fabulous massage (deep tissue no less), and spending way too much money at the art auction. But I'm thrilled in my purchases of 2 Tarkay's that I will be taking off the ship when I get home! We attended a champagne reception (not that I didn't have enough of that at the art auction) before dinner...which was an incredible Beef Wellington. I ended the night watching a female impersonator do the likes of Cher, Liza, Judy and a bevy of other divas! I wanted to hit the sack relatively early since we were hitting port in Juneau today. Plus we got the gift of an additional hour of sleep due to the time zone change. The beds on this ship are incredibly comfortable by the way!

So, as I mentioned, today is an excursion called Bikes and Brew. I can only imagine trekking on mountain bikes for 9.5 miles and then hitting an Alaskan brewery! The issue may be trying to get back to the ship without falling off the bikes!!

Tonight is the big costume party. My simple "fireman" outfit will probably be completely out shined by the likes of feathers, leather and wigs that would put Dolly Parton to shame! More on that later...with photos I'm sure!

Now...where are those "authentic" Alaskan bears?

Alaska cruis(ing)...

Okay, so they have internet connection on board (with premium prices), but hey, it gives me the opportunity to share some experiences while at sea! Don't expect long entries into this blog as the minutes tick away slowly depleting the alotted minutes!

My friend Don and I embarked on the MS Amsterdam yesterday and set sail under fabulous blues skies amidst the excitement and partying atmosphere of this RSVP cruise. Having been herded to the Lido deck, since our staterooms weren't quite ready, the boys had begun to meet and greet around the 2 pools staking claim to tables and lounge chairs (and not to exclude the women, they congregated there as well). I'm actually quite surprised at the number of women who are on this cruise. I expected a smattering, and of course they are the minority, but I didn't expect to see this many. And to be honest, it is nice to have the feminine energy on board!


Once we finally settled into the stateroom and unpacked, we were all required to participate in the life boat drill...rather humorous watching these guys try and figure out how the straps work on the life vests! Once finished, we explored the ship to try and figure out which way was up and to understand fore and aft (I'm still not quite there yet as I keep having to look out the windows to see which direction the boat is moving).


I've seen a few gentlemen from Seattle and courteous nods and hugs abound. Having met a few new guys on board from other locales has been a treat and even more so, one gentlemen I connected with rather...erm, spontaneously and well, let's just say it was a very pleasant way to leave the Emerald City in the boat's wake. And to think we hadn't been sailing for more than a couple of hours!! LOL


The dress was casual for the night, so of course I wore a kilt! People always seem to be amazed by them. But anything for attention, right? Too many cocktails later, I ended the night dancing away in the Crows Nest Lounge to the spinning talents of Kimberly S. A great way to start my vacation indeed!


Today is Saturday, and we're at sea all day. I did get up early and went to the gym...yes, even on vacation I plan on staying on track! A nap is planned for sure to keep up with the activities of the day...and the partying tonight (and it's formal due to the Captain's reception).


As I glance at the time, I'm due for my massage appointment and will run. I hope to regale you with further adventures as this trip progresses!


Ahhhhhhhh....I seem to be relaxing a bit now....

The journey begins...

Well, this is the first entry into my new blog.  Having never been one to keep a diary of any sort, and yes I've attempted it, perhaps this venture will inspire me to open and share some random thoughts, adventures, views and ideas!

As I sit here this morning, with cup of coffee in hand (and being from Seattle this is a requirement), I'm getting ready for my first cruising experience to beautiful Alaska.  I will be embarking on the MS Amsterdam (Holland America Lines) for 7 days of massive partying and playing with a boatload of 1350 men.  Yes, this is a gay cruise folks!  It leaves from Seattle and will return back here after the 7 fun-filled days!  I'm afraid I will probably need a vacation from my vacation though.  I do plan on posting some photos from the trip so stay tuned.  I'm not quite sure what to expect on the trip, but all I know is I plan on having fun on this ship.  I will be more than satisfied having a cocktail in my hand and letting go on the dance floor!

Since I've never been on a cruise, and not really knowing what to expect, I have packed an assortment of outfits and costumes (remember that this IS a gay cruise and accessorizing will be mandatory).  I can barely lift my luggage due to the array of gear, let alone the heftiness of the leather.  It's all good though considering you don't have to worry about weight issues like you do on the airlines.  And since we leave from here, I don't have to fly to any destination!

So, since time is precious this morning, and I'm due in a couple of hours, I will sign off with promises of wild tales and hopefully photos to match.

Hmmmm...now what to wear to the ship...(?)