Big floating white rocks

 May 14 2024 - Hubbard Glacier Alaska

Today started at the regular time. It felt like a good day to go up to the tippy top floor and feel the fresh air on my face. It wasn’t raining so might as well go. It was so early I knew the elevators wouldn’t be the normal vertical rush hour busy, so I thought I’d chance other people’s cooties for once. Throwing COVID caution to the wind I rode the elevator up.

I stepped off the elevator and went to the heavy wooden door and twisted the door handle down and the door flew open. It felt like what losing a door on a jet must be. Luckily there are dampers on the door so it didn’t completely fling itself open, but it did pull me off my feet in surprise. The sea was flat, so I wasn’t expecting to be slapped awake by the wind. We were still under power and making way to the glacier. Running a brush through my hair this morning was a waste of time. I was instantly back to bed head in a thrice. I sprinted to the railing to take a couple quick snapshots and sprinted back to the safe harbor of the interior of the ship.

One floor below is a huge high ceiling room with glass arcing 180 degrees facing the bow. I read that on most cruise ships the lounges around the pool were the ones that people arise with the sun and call ‘Dibs’ on for the rest of the day. Here it is club chairs in this room. We all wanted to watch the ship approach the glacier first. Why that mattered, I can’t say, but we were all in that competition. I decided not to compete and took a chair in the second tier. Relaxing and watching the sun glint on the distant mountains, I took notice of the woman next to me and the t-shirt. It was a cool one, subdued, but enough to make a statement. I told here I thought her top was great and we started talking.

She’s from the Outer Banks via everywhere else. She is the wife of a retired Navy man (I think they are called Sailors, not “Navy men” and they have been stationed from one US coast to the other with a non coastal stationing along the way. She has a pair of twin Chihuahuas that she loves, a husband I think she likes and kids that she’s glad are out of the nest. We chatted about life and as we got closer to the glacier I decided to brave the very fresh air and go outside once again. As I was leaving she asked my name and I told her. She asked “Is that with an H ?”. Immediately I knew I’d met another woman with the same name as I have. We are in a minority, since most are missing that important H. Then she goes and ruins it by saying, I go by my middle name. Fuck, just when I thought I had an easy one she goes and tosses in Rose.

A couple more pictures if ice and rocks and it was time to get some food. Down to the main dining room that has the entire 30 foot floor filled with glass panes. The ship was doing 360’s in the water allowing those with a balcony the ability to lie in bed with the curtains open and have the glacier parade in front of their toes.

The table I was given was next to the window, now if I only had my bath robe with me. The service today managed to get my food to me without spilling it in my lap. The staff here are like everywhere else. There are people people and the are wage slaves. Today’s staff had just come off shift at the oars on the galley. Today it was the galley slaves. I think the people people were on deck gawking at the glacier like the rest of us. After breakfast back to the room for a quickie shower and back up on deck for more photos. The light had changed so it wasn’t totally shooting the same shot over and over. I think the brochure said we would be here from 7am until afternoon. The daily sheet said from 7 am till noon. We were more 7 am to 1030. I guess we all had sufficient bruises from jostling and getting elbowed by our fellow photographers. All angling for that perfect shot that will get a long 10-second look by friends back home, before their attention move on to the next one.

The rest of the day was a mix if wandering from place to place watching a game contest in the main atrium where two players played Deal of No Deal. That was good for 20 minutes. More wandering and then a bar to play trivia in the atrium. Four of us made a spontaneous team and kicked ass. 22 out of 20 (don’t ask how), but no prizes only bragging rights. Moseyed back to the room of glass at the pointy end of the ship to sit and watch the world stream by. Judy and Tammy pulled up a couple chairs and a table and broke our Rumi-Cube the same game I had brought. I have only played it one time at Thanksgiving at a friend’s home. It was simple of rules and complex enough without total brain burning. I watched and relearned the game, they invited me to play, but today wasn’t the day for me. Tomorrow or one of the other 8 sea days. There is going to be enough time to play for sure.

More roving. Hmm.. how about a drink? One bar fly strongly recommended a Bloody Caesar, a Bloody Mary with clam juice. the only humans that drink that are Canadians. A man a day or so ago recommended a Smoked Peach Margarita, I have no idea what’s in it, but wow is it tasty.

Dinner time came and I needed something different. Silk is the Asian offering. The food was okay and the service was just perfect for any Chinese restaurant in the states. "What you want? Here! Hurry up! Bye-bye". After that enjoyable 10 minutes I sauntered down to the theatre to get a seat to watch the comedian. Not too bad. he did a 50 minute set and that was it.

A chanteuse at the piano, some karaoke, a peach drink and watched the sunset at 1010 pm and here we are.

I am dreading 8 full sea days.