56 +1

Today kind of sucked. For most people Mondays suck because they are back to work and have surrender their weekend for labour. I enjoy Mondays - they are like a 'do-over' for me. A chance to start the week fresh, feel good about yourself, and moving forward. All well and good except I was sick :( So I stayed home and treated myself nice for the day.

Marla had to go to the eye doctor so I took her and then we went for lunch at John'

s Place. John's is one of our favourite places to go and on a weekday you can actually get in. Because I wasn't feeling well I had their meatloaf which is really really good.

It is served on a bed of mashed potatoes which I don't eat and since I am over 56 I got the senior's size which was more than enough for me. In truth I ate only about half of it and Marla got the rest. She liked it too but she much preferred her Belgian Waffle. It had whipped cream, chocolate and cream cheese on it. I am sure it would pretty much kill me. So I let her enjoy it. I did, however, nibbled on her orange. me.

We came home and I settled down on the couch. When I am not feeling well I like to watch movies and drift on and off. We watched the new Three Musketeers and Killer Elite. I would have been better off sleeping. What a waste of time and film. Still, tomorrow is a better day, so I am hanging in for Tuesday. I have a hockey game - a playoff game for the Royals - to work on and lots of stuff to do at work.

Blake and Marla in Disneyland 2012 pt 4

Tuesday, February 14^th – Valentine’s Day

Disneyland

I think it is outstandingly romantic to spend a day at Disneyland on Valentine’s Day. I got up early and did my walk again. This time I chose to walk through Downtown Disney. I checked yesterday on my pedometer and I did nearly 18kms of walking through the day. I strolled around checking the stores as they open and just getting a sense of the place when it is not so busy. Today is Tuesday which means I can get into the park early today. So I was lined up to be let into the park as soon as the gates opened. There were only four people in front of me in my row. But soon the stampede will follow. I started by gathering some shots of the morning light on the buildings of main Street. Then I moved in to take some more pictures in Fantasyland. I then walked through the back way into Tomorrowland and had some breakfast. I had a burrito which was pretty good but way too much. On the other hand, I bought some Dasani water which was very good. Although it is about $3 per bottle in Disneyland and it really jacks up the price of food. I tried to get a Fast Pass for Marla but they wouldn't issue me one because Marla had not yet entered the park. Drats, that plan was foiled. So I thought I would go get Marla and we would pick up her pass too. But that didn't work so Marla didn't get to sleep in as I wanted to drag her into the park by 10am.

Marla and I returned to the Front gates of Disneyland and this time once we crossed under the berm we went right up to the Disneyland Railroad and caught the train to New Orleans Square. The train stops right at the Haunted Mansion so that was our first stop. After the ride was over we came out and listened to a New Orleans Jazz Band play on the street for a while then because Marla really needed some coffee we stopped for a snack by the Pirates Of the Caribbean entrance. We had some really good doughy things. Then we went down to jump onto the Pirates ride. I love that ride.

From there we went to go on Indiana Jones again but it was broken so we went on the Jungle Cruise Ride. It’s silly, and corny, and I really enjoy it. It is a little more politically correct than the first time we were on it and that is a good improvement. Then it was off to Indiana Jones again. As you can tell we definitely have our favourite rides. Once out of the ride we went shopping for a pair of sweaters for us. My blue one is just way too big and Marla is in need of a new sweater. So we bought one from a very nice but also rather scattered Disney employee. We had him send our purchases to the hotel which is another nice perk of staying at a Disney resort.

As usual we found ourselves hungry again so this time it was a stop at the Jolly Holly Bakery for a turkey sandwich. I had half the Turkey and Marla got the bread again. I really like this sharing. Then it was over the drawbridge to Fantasyland. It was time for some old classic favourite rides. Marla and I jumped on Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. When we got off the ride attendant – a lovely lady named Paula, stopped us and explained how Marla had a Mobility Device and what she should do to get on the rides at little easier. We are to go to the exit and stand at the yellow line. An attendant will come and get us and they will slip us onto the ride a little easier. She insisted we try it out on Peter Pan's Flight. So we did, which Marla enjoys much better than Mr. Toad. The system worked very well and saved Marla a whole bunch of standing. We did another round about on King Arthur's Carousel and then decided to head to Tomorrowland. But on the way we passed Alice's Adventure in wonderland. I hadn't been on that ride in ages. It is really pretty and kind of fun.

We had not gone to Toontown yet so this would be our one chance. We headed past Small World and some very noisy drummers to the home of Mickey, Minnie and all the other Disney Characters. This has been a good test for us as Marla is now ensuring that she sits down and rests when she needs some rest and doesn't push herself too hard. I don't mind since I can stop and take some pictures or just soak up the atmosphere. We began by passing the line at Roger Rabbit's Cartoon Spin. It was a voyage through LA in a runaway taxi. Then we just checked out some of the funny little places in Toontown. That being done we left for Tomorrowland. As we passed the seagulls from Finding Nemo Marla decided we should ride on the submarines. Cool, we haven't done that in years. It is a strange little trip but mostly it is a chance to sit for a while. The ride exits right by the Monorail station and so we took it back to Downtown Disney and our hotel.

After our nap we returned to California Adventure. We had a little time to kill before World Of Colour so we went to see It's A Bug's Life. Then we went out the back way to do one last ride on the Tower of Terror. When we finally got back to Paradise Pier we tried the children's portion of chicken teriyaki again and got ready to go see the show. This time we had fast passes which allowed Marla and I to sit while waiting for the show. We met this really nice couple from the Lake Tahoe area and had a wonderful conversation with them and their daughter.

The World of Color is outstanding when you can see it all. It was really pretty with lots of coloured light and water splashing about. Between the water, lasers, film, and music it really does overload the senses. That being said when it was all done we were ready to call it a day and go home.

What did we miss in our travels? I think the biggest ride we missed was Space Mountain and right beside it was Captain Eo revisited. I didn't miss Winnie the Pooh or Splash Mountain. I would have liked to have seen Its a Small World but I am diabetic and the shock might have been too much.

Overall this was a great visit to Disneyland. I can wait to come back and see Cars Land, the new Hollywood section, visit our old friends the Haunted Mansion and Pirates. But now it was time to get ready for the second part of our trip, the cruise to Hawaii.

If you would like to see more pictures of our Valentine's Day at Disneyland check http://www.flickr.com/photos/56705607@N00/sets/72157629549265431/

Catching up yet again

Well it has been a while since I have made an entry to the blog which was not back dated. So this is one for today, Monday March 19th, and I still have a lot of catching up to do. I like Mondays, they are the most optomistic day of the week. I really did feel optomistic this morning except having to change my schedule to fix my toilet, the handle broke and I couldn't find a tool. So there I was rushing in late and didn't pack up my fruit salad right, so I had juice all over the inside of my lunch back. Then I come in to find one of my guys was sick and the other on a day off. Not bad except that now I am going to have to hang in here and work until 9pm. Gotta love those 13 hour days.

So back at my desk and all is well with the world. Later I will write about what when on while I was catching up. But for now it is enough to say I am thankful for being here and doing what I do.

Returning to Victoria from LA

Blake and Marla Visit Los Angeles Day 2

Thursday March 1 2012

Los Angeles

I was up pretty early so I went for a walk over to LAX and checked out where we check in. The line ups were amazing long and that was at 6:30 in the morning. Our plane is at 6am so we have to be there even earlier tomorrow. It was a really nice walk and it looks like it is going to be a nice day. I went back to the hotel and got Marla up for about 9:30am. There was a promo channel on the station and one of the museums it featured was the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena. It looked really cool but then I saw the one on the J. P. Getty. I figured that would be the best place to go so we headed out. The GPS got us there, it was further than I thought, but with only one missed exit we found the parking lot. It cost $15 to park but on the plus side it costs nothing to get into the art gallery.

And what a wonderful gallery it is. Examples of European art form Illuminated Manuscripts in the twelfth century to great Masters of the Renaissance to Impressionists of the 19^th Century. It was wonderful. We got tuckered out somewhere between the Dutch Masters and the Louis XIV furniture so we went to have lunch in the Restaurant. We had a Flat Iron steak to split between us. My it was delicious. Because we share so many meals we can eat much better. I don't mind spending $23 a plate when it is shared between us too and still have left overs.

We continued by going through the furniture and decorations of the French regimes and wrapped things up with the English Landscape artists and French Impressionists. Our next gallery visit we are going to skip everything prior to the 1800's and just go for the art after 1850. We wrapped up about four. It would have been nice to have a coffee but coffee at the gallery is really expensive and we were leaving anyways so we opted to go a nearby McDonalds. The GPS lead us to one three miles a way in Santa Monica. It was okay and I had a Happy Meal of chicken nuggets. It was only 190 calories so it fit into my meal plan for the day. And Marla got the prize.

The downside was that we were going to go to the Griffith Observatory to see the sunset. Unfortunately it took about an hour and 15 minutes to drive a mile back to I405. So we changed our route and went up to CityWalk at Universal Studios in Burbank. We strolled through CityWalk watching some things like the iFly store, then a very cool candy store called Sugar and finally up to the Universal Store and the big Universal logo statue. We were hungry after having some really good popcorn and so we decided to eat at Tony Romas. We split a Ribs and Steak Medallions plate which was more than enough.

We got lost on the way home and found ourselves driving by Forest Lawn Cemetery and the Warner Brothers Studio. We even drove by the road to the Griffith observatory which is where we wanted to go a few hours earlier. One of the highlights of the day was when we were at the Art Gallery a trio of college girls complimented Marla on her purple hair and purple leather coat. Later when we were at CityWalk the same girls recognized us and complimented Marla again. It was fun that we were both there.

We made it home to the hotel and relaxed for a bit. The next day we had to get up quite early – 3am to ensure we would catch our 6am flight. Oh my God that's early.

Click here to see pictures from our days in Los Angeles http://www.flickr.com/photos/56705607@N00/sets/72157629185762834/

Blake and Marla Visit Los Angeles Day 1

Wednesday February 29^th 2012

Trip Report – Los Angeles Post Cruise

Check in was fairly fast at the LAX Radisson. I am not sure if it is because everything is brown or golden coloured or if it is because it looks a little natty but I am not overly thrilled with this hotel. The price was excellent and the location is very good. We got the room for $67 on Priceline and I think that makes it okay.

We got settled in the room and the first thing that didn't work was the tv set. Then Marla found the place to insert the key to make the power stay on. Very European and you don't lose your key. Marla needed some rest and I needed some exercise so I walked up to the Ralph's and CVS about a mile away to get some milk, yogurt and peanuts. I am still looking for an American Phone too but I think I will get it next trip. It was a really nice walk.

I also took this time to rent us a car. There is a car rental place in the hotel so I went to them first. It was kind of a no-brainer deal since if I parked the car at the hotel from another company it would cost and additional $25 per day. But the local place covered the parking. Also, I think because they needed the business they changed the rental charges from $210 for the two days with full insurance coverage to $120. I was okay with $60 per day for a car rental.

Marla and I drove up to hollywood. I am looking for an Academy Awards t-shirt. None to be found but we had a good time. We had lunch at Mel's Diner and then shopped a bit. Marla got some new nail things from Sephora. Then we drove over to the Pantages Theater. I stopped in to check if they had tickets for tonight's show Spamalot. We got seat in center row J. I have a lucky thing about getting theater seats.

We went for a drink at an Irish Pub before the show and then went to see it. The Pantages is an awesomely beautiful theater. I have to find some pictures of it. The Show was great – even Marla liked it. I was worried she wouldn't because it is pretty silly. But her silly-side came through and all was well. I liked the show because it was fun but it wasn't really a great show, more of a diversion. Still it was fun. As usual I did really good in getting tickets, my second apparent gift. My first gift is finding parking spaces but this gift is the ability to get good last minute tickets for Broadway shows. For this ticket we got row J center seats 103 and 104 in one of the most beautiful theaters I have ever been inside. It was the Hollywood Pantages theater just off Hollywood and Vine.

We went home after the show, I really like using the GPS in Los Angeles it got us around town with no real problems. We made it back to he hotel and called it a night.

Blake and Marla Disembark in Los Angeles - Day 14

Wednesday February 29, 2012

San Pedro, California

Well the ship has docked in San Pedro. I was up in time to see us maneuver into Pier 93a and see the sun start to shine on this little coastal city. Marla knew she had to get up early as we had to vacate the room by 8am. She was up at about 7am and was even coherent which is a major victory on her part. A few times through the cruise we got the feeling that every now and then Princess says “Get your crap and go.” This was one of those times. We did the sweep of the room to find what we may have left. For me it was insulin and my red crocs. So they were stuffed into the bags and we were ready to go for breakfast.

We found a spot by the window and had a big breakfast. Then just settled down and killed time until 9:30am when we are supposed to head to the wheelhouse bar. We were not there long before we were called to disembark. So it was a medium walk to get off the ship and a long walk to get to customs. They moved us from the Aliens line to the US Citizen line and we were processed really quickly. The customs guys were really nice, what a change.

We found our bags and with the help of a stevedore we got our bags to a SuperShuttle. $40 later and a hour long car ride to LAX we were at the LAX Radisson.

Click here to see pictures from our days in Los Angeles http://www.flickr.com/photos/56705607@N00/sets/72157629185762834/

Blake and Marla Port call in Ensenada Mexico - Day 13

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

At Sea and Ensenada Mexico

The seas have calmed down and there is no more rocking and rolling about. I was up early again but this time I stayed in bed for a little quality napping time. By 7:30am I had to get up and go the gym. Nobody was there so I picked my favourite treadmill and began my walk for the day. I am doing about two miles now in 30 minutes at an average rate of 3.1 mph. Best of all my resting heart rate is returning really quickly. Today I started watching the Impressionists Documentary series. This one was the first episode so it featured Pissaro, Monet, Degas and Renoir. It was very interesting. I have become quite taken by BBC documentaries lately.

It is still quite cold outside but I was able to go for a second stroll outside along the promenade deck. I got some nice photos of lifeboats and shadows. To warm up I came back in and tried my hand at the Casino. This time I won twenty dollars so I frittered it away by buying a couple of extra large t-shirts. One with Honolulu on it and the other with a map of the cruise. I came back to the room and got Marla going for the day. We did a little of seeing what was on sale, very little and then I took Marla to the Wheelhouse bar where she read a bit while I packed us up.

Packing to go home is easier than packing to go on a cruise. Still it took two hours to get most of it done. I took a break so that we could go for lunch. We had an interesting chat with some people from Chicago, definitely big shoulders people, and some nice quite folks from Montana. We got into a very interesting political conversation which was fun.

After lunch we came back to the room chilled a bit before we came into Ensenada. It is really cold here! But the Sea Lions are having a great time. There is a harem of them just outside of our stateroom window barking and honking. They are fun to watch.

We went into the very crowd and not very useful store selling tourist crap. I guess it is the same tourist crap one would buy if they went into town but my heart just wasn't there. So we went back to the ship to watch the sea lions a bit more. They are so noisy barking about for any unknown reason or slight from a fellow sea lion. Ouch you are on flipper.

We stopped at the International Cafe for some milk and a little rest time. We don't eat until 8pm so I had a panini to take the edge off. I really shouldn't have because there were a lot of carbs in it but also it wasn't all that good. When it comes to paninis I tried three over the course of the cruise and it was good only once. But that's okay because I only had a couple of bites.

Marla and I went up and finished packing and watching the crew release the ropes as the ship set away from Ensenada. The Sea Lions objected to this as they seem to complain about everything. We went down to Vines for a glass of wine, and a plate of sushi. They do really nice sushi which is free with a glass of overpriced wine. Then we went to our last meal in the Bernini. Cid's area was oddly quiet this night. We had a nice dinner. I am having an internal organ day because for lunch I tried Steak and Kidney Pie and here it is supper and I am having sweetbreads. I also had some blue rare new york steak which was good but the overall highlight of the meals on board was the chateaubriand.

When all was done we went back to the room and stuffed what we could in our bags. I have a bad feeling that we are way over limit in the weight department. We will see.

To see photos from our time in port at Ensenada Mexico go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/56705607@N00/sets/72157629192746838/

Blake and Marla At Sea return to LA - Day 12

Monday, February 27^th,

At Rough Seas again

Wow, it is really bouncy today. The pools are all closed, it is grey and windy outside. A good day for staying inside. So after my work out and breakfast I gathered up our stuff and went down to do the laundry. So far for clothing things seem to be working out fine. The only thing I wish I had was sweatpants.

I was doing the laundry but when I came back to the room I found her all set and ready to go. She had booked herself a head to toe massage. I like it when she treats herself well. I used the time to go watch the egg drop contest – won by a husband and wife team from Canada. I started watching the film Amazing Grace. It has been on my list of films to watch for about three years so I am glad I am getting to it.

We went to have tea and sat at what was thought by some as a Red Hat table. It wasn't but it was a nice exposure. Red Hat is something I think Marla should do now and then. When it was over Marla and I went to the Wheelhouse Bar and found a quiet corner to watch the waves.

We came back to the room showered and got ready for the formal night. Marla looked great in her black and white Nikki Babee outfit. I looked good in my Tux. Next cruise I get a new tux because this one is too big. My tie fit better tonight.

We went down to the atrium where there was the Captain's Goodbye party going on. We enjoyed another drink – I had a green thing that was more like something from the Wiz but it was okay. Marla had a rum fruity drink. The good thing was they were free. We watched the dancers waltzing about on the floor. I invited Marla to dance since we didn't really have to move but let the rocking and rolling of the ship bump us about.

We actually bumped into Richard and his Wife and had a great chat with them. Richard forgot his Tux so he was faking it for the night. We both had dinner at the same time but in different rooms. We got our table at Cid's but most impressively was that we could see what we were eating. The lighting in the room has been so horrible up until now. Now there were lights over the tables. Big Improvement.

We had a good supper. Marla really really liked her asparagus with Hollandaise Sauce and bacon bits. Yum it was really really good. She really really disliked her beef wellington. It tasted quite unpleasant so she had some more asparagus. I had lobster and frankly I over did it as well. The guys (Cid and Hermino) looked after us very well. They are very busy and popular.

We came back to the room stopping along the way to listen to a rough seas concert put on by the ships vocalists. They were not all that bad. We enjoyed them. Then we came back to the room and crashed out for the night as the ship rocked and rolled in the 12 foot high waves.

To see pictures of our relaxing day at see go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/56705607@N00/sets/72157629550325913/

Blake and Marla At Sea return to LA - Day 11

February 26, 2012

At Sea – At Rough Seas

Well the cold turned to wind and rough. We are getting 12ft waves that are approaching the ship at an angle. There is a lot of rocking back and forth and thankfully for the stablizers just a little rolling. I probably switched those terms. It doesn't seem to affect Marla or me. I think we actually are sleeping better.

I was up and at'em fairly early so I headed up to the gym for my work out. I appear to have run the gamit of Princess Television Entertainment so lately I have been watching Howard Morton documentaries on Great 20^th Century Music. I watched his session on the Beatles on the flight down, and on the boat I have watched Leonard Bernstein, and Alfred Hitchcock's composer Bernard Herman.

It is a good diversion. I must be working a lot harder because I am getting pretty sweaty up there. So I took myself up to the Horizon Grill to have breakfast. I haven't really mentioned my breakfasts up to now. They are pretty redundant because I am quite used to having the same thing each day. I have one poached egg and usually a little fruit and call it a meal. I was quite happy to spend some time chatting with one of the waiters and we had some nice chats about music and video.

Marla and I went down and reviewed all of our photographs from the ships photographers. We bought a nice pair so they will add to the collection nicely. Then we went to the Wheelhouse Bar looking for a place to get away and read. Instead we got involved in a tequila tasting. It was pretty good and the presenter was actually quite good.

We got in our traditional afternoon nap and then got set to go to the Academy Awards. They had the Awards on the Movies Under The Stars big screen (way too cold and windy) and in the Vista lounge where the bingo game delayed the seating so our seats were not the best, but soon some people in front of us left and we moved forward. These were better. We teamed up with the couple beside us for the trivia challenge. We got 16 out of 24. Which was pretty good since the winner only got 19 out of 25.

The Academy Awards were fair. Billy Crystal was his usual good but the rest was pretty badly written. The In Memoriam was awful, you couldn't read any of the names in their artistically written graphics. Also the whole show was not consistently themed. It looked like it was designed by committee. When the show was over we stayed and talked to the male member of the team beside us. His name was Richard and he is a travel agent from Chicago. He gave us some good advice about doing back to back cruises. He says to change ships and cruise lines mid-way. It is a good idea.

We were late for supper so we went to the Donatello dining room and got a table way in the back. It was nice and an enjoyable meal. We had a little Serbian girl for the dining assistance and a rather mature waiter. But they did take good slow care of us.

To see pictures of our relaxing day at see go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/56705607@N00/sets/72157629550325913/

Blake and Marla At Sea return to LA - Day 10

February 25, 2012

At Sea

Today is my Birthday! Well not really. Really my birthday is March 25^th but we are celebrating it one month early. I started my day with a really challenging work out. Because the seas are rougher and the first week of the cruise has passed the eager beavers have been staying away from the gym. It is like all the new years resolutioners departing the fitness rooms after three weeks. So I had no wait for a treadmill and really pushed it. I am attempting to get my heart rate to maintain at 115. That is a good amount for me to lose weight.

I enjoy this doing a limited amount of things mostly because I have the opportunity to write more. So Marla is getting her reading done and I am getting my writing out of the way. It is way too cold to make use of the pools for more than a few minutes. This time we tried the pool in the fitness area. It was nice. We talked to a sweet Asian couple from England. One of the things that amazes me on this trip is how many experienced cruises there are here. We have 11 cruises under out belt and we are pretty much newbies. It is the same for marriages too. There are so many people here who have been married 50 years or more it is delightful.

Marla and I shared lunch with a couple who are serious experience cruisers. We have a similar pattern to them and that is to have breakfast in our room, lunch in a group of people and supper in the dining room alone. I like it that way. After supper we shopped a bit. There are some street entertainers from Russia in the Piazza. They were very good. I think if we were to go on a Baltic Cruise we would see a lot of this. I liked it mostly because I think it reminds me of growing up in Saskatoon. Then we went to a wine tasting seminar. It was $10 each but it was quite enjoyable. Frankly I still can't tell the difference between a good wine and a bad one, but it was still fine. We got ourselves another shooter glass each. Oh boy, just what we need.

Tonight was the Captain's Circle Cocktail Party. It is so large on this ship that they have to hold it twice. We got settled in and had a couple of drinks. Listened to a sales pitch. Got thanked by the Captain. And then they literally kicked us out.

Supper tonight was pretty good. All in all the food has been quite good. We have been enjoying our meals. I have been diligent to tell the wait staff, some of them like CID already know, that I have have had surgery and will not eat very much. They have all been wonderfully encouraging and supportive. Tonight it was prime rib and it was very good. I have gotten so that I like editing the meat down to just the rare parts. It just melts and it is delightful. I am maintaining my goal to eat about a ¾ to a cup of food at each meal. Sometimes it is a little over but my blood sugars have been really good and I have been feeling fine.

After supper we went to see a ventriloquist named Don Horn. I keep thinking of Dale Horn from old Sing-Out Saskatoon days. These two have nothing in common. He was a fun ventriloquist but way down on the list. Still he had a little dog puppet who was very special and cute. With the show over we came home and called it at day.

To see pictures of our relaxing day at see go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/56705607@N00/sets/72157629550325913/

Blake and Marla return to LA - Day 9

February 24, 2012

At Sea between Lahaina and Ensenada

I started my morning with a work out in the gym. I really pushed myself today and it felt great. According to the machine I burned off nearly 450 calories – which is about one cookie – but it still felt fine. At sea days are really laid back, so I hung out a bit writing and not involving myself in much. Marla and I got up and went down for lunch at about 1pm. We shopped a bit and then went to the Donatello where we met up with this really nice couple from Chicago. They had been on over 35 cruises and are just a few years older than us. Good on them.

We had a nice relaxing afternoon, then since it was formal night we went down and got our pictures taken a bunch. It will be interesting finding them tomorrow. Then we went for a short sit down while we waited for our reservations for supper. We didn't want to drink anything so we just sat and listened to the quartet playing in the atrium.

Supper was very good again. This was the Chef's Special dinner night. Marla ate off the regular menu since everything else was pretty fishy. I had some good stuff – this time I had orange ruffy. It was very good. We are eating far fewer deserts lately.

After the dinner we came back to the room and watched a combination between Letters to Juliet and Eat, Pray, Love. Then we went to watch the comedy piano stylings of David Moore. He did a really good 60 minute show of old and borrow jokes and some wonderful piano playing.

An all round very good and relaxing day.

To see pictures of our relaxing day at see go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/56705607@N00/sets/72157629550325913/