Twas the week before Chrismtas..

...and all through my parent's house. No heat was flowing, not even the power. (I know, I know. But you try and rhyme something with house that describes electricity)

Last week my parents were without power from Friday morning at 6am till about 3pm Monday afternoon. This presented a few problems out of the typical no power issues. For one, the battery backup for their sump pump decided to fail on them, leaving them to bail our water by hand. My dad claims to have carried over 500 gallons of water out of the basement, in an effort to keep it all from flooding. The second problem was the fact that temperatures were in the single digits, and the high winds didn't help to make things warmer. So they were then stuck with having to keep their pipes from freezing in the house, as well as keeping themselves warm. Thankfully my Grandpa lived nearby and had power, so they could use that as a retreat/shower facility/food storage/sanity station.

Since there were over 120,000 people without power in Fort Wayne at the peak time, you can imagine that anything that rhymed with generator or portable heat source was hard to find. That Saturday we happened to be in Muncie with the Taylor clan, so I made a stop by a big name hardware store to pick up a portable heater with four 1 lb propane bottles. (we had to use the small ones in order to take the heater inside. If you use the bigger tanks, like on a grill, you would need to keep everything outside.) My dad then took the hour plus drive to come down and get the supplies as he was desperate to get some heat in the house.

Well, this plan worked out great...until Sunday morning hit. They were still without power and quickly running out of propane. To make matters worse, the power company wasn't planning to get the power on till Wednesday evening at the latest. My dad got a tip from an inside source that a special shipment of heaters and fuel was being sent to a nearby store. So he waited in line for 2 hours in hopes to get more tanks. Since I was back in Indy by this time, I made a trip to our stores and found shelves and shleves of this propane gold that everyone up north was desiring. Being the good son I am, I bought two full cases and planned to make the transfer Monday evening when my parents came down to get Carolyn from the airport.

That transfer would have worked perfectly if it wasn't for the fact that by 5am Monday morning, they were already on their last tanks and the temperatures weren't getting any warmer. So at 6:30 am I got a call saying my fearless father was on his way down to Indy to get the propane I bought since they wouldn't be able to wait until later that night. Luckily the power came back on that afternoon, well before the 6 pm Wednesday deadline they received. Needless to say my mom was slightly excited.

Another power loss story occurred a week earlier at my office. Although not as severe as my parents story, our office was without power for about an hour and half one morning. Seeing as how about 96% of the things I had to do that morning relied on the use of a computer, I was forced to sit around with everyone else around me and contemplate life. I did actually make an effort to think of something to do that didn't require a computer. Only problem was, in order to work on it the old fashion way, I would need to get it off the computer first (see first problem). Even when the power came back on, we were still without an internet connection for most of the day. This tends to make it hard to complete two deadlines when you aren't able to receive information from outside sources.

Moral of today's stories;
We always seem to take advantage of life's simple pleasures until we are forced to survive without them. Be it power, heat, or the new space age technology we call the internet. So take a moment today to think about those simple things you are most thankful for, remember those that may not be as fortunate, and start working on your bailout plan so you aren't stuck in the bathroom when the power goes out.

20 week update at 22 weeks

You have all waited for it, so here it is; the latest pictures of baby Farny from our recent ultrasound. I can't remember any of the details or measurements, but I know everyone is healthy and on track. I think the baby weighs 13 ounces right now (?) Maybe I am just throwing out numbers. I do know it is as long as a spaghetti squash.

Sara is doing fine. With one Christmas down (and one to go) she has been able to expand her maternity clothes collection. Now she doesn't have to keep rotating through her 3 outfits.

Baby has also decided that it is time to start moving. In the last couple weeks, Sara has been able to feel it move more and more each day. I think it moves the most when i come into the room because it misses me the most. More exciting news is that I was able to feel it move on Christmas Eve.

It's the most, wonderful time, of the year.

In case you live under a rock, it's Christmas time! (One of Sara's favorites.) Last weekend we were able to finish decorating our home and finally get into the full swing of Christmas. It's always entertaining to go through the several bins of decorations and rediscover the things we bought at the end of the season and forgot we had. We decided that maybe we should start to make a list, especially once we uncovered the massive amount of ribbon and gift bags we forgot we had. So if anyone is looking for Christmas gift bags...

Here is a shot of our tree after we finished decorating. I will have to post picture of the rest of the decorations later. Go figure..I went to the effort of trying to take time lapse pictures of us decorating the tree, we even took video after realizing this would be the last Christmas decorating adventure without a little one at our feet (Why I didn't turn on the camera to begin with is beyond me, but I think it just proves we watched to many Taylor home movies over Thanksgiving which is what inspired us to take the video in the first place), but I never got around to take pictures of the rest of the house. So you will have to just wait for those.



This past Saturday was my company's annual holiday party in Downtown Indy. The evening included a bunch of food, drinks, music, dancing, and GIFTS! Sadly I was not the winner of the grand prize, an all expense paid trip to Porta Vallarta, Mexico. BUT, I did win a $200 gift card to Macy's. So I was fairly excited especially since every morning the week before Sara woke me up by telling me to think I was going to win the big prize this year. For all you locals, the evening's music was provided by Dave and Rae, which is always a good time. And then there was the food. You would have thought that Sara had called to place the order. Along with the typical party finger foods and chocolate fountains (since everyone has them now), we also had the pleasure of some fancy spuds, a mashed potato martini bar. There were 3 different types of mashed potato's with a slew of different gravies and potato toppings, all placed inside a martini glass. I could see the sparkle in her eye as she raced towards the table, anxiously deciding which one to try first. Unfortunately baby Farny was only hungry for one serving, but I have a feeling we will be seeing this idea again at a party near you.

the growing belly part 2

I have updated the video of Sara again at the top. If you are having problems seeing it, let me know. Enjoy!

Also, sorry for the quality. It seems that when I downloaded the update for my video software, it changed some of the settings around when I go to create the file. So basically I am playing around with different settings until I can find the new ones that work the way I want. Darn software developers.

happy turkey weekend

I hope that everyone had a happy thanksgiving, and a nice restful break from work. Of course if you were one of the crazies that went out on Black Friday, then I hope you have recovered from the lack of sleep.

Sara and I have been blessed this weekend as we were able to spend time with both families, and give the little seed a taste of mommy's favorite; mashed potatoes. Actually any mashed potatoes would be mommy's favorite, so it's not like there is a particular kind.

Everything with mom and baby have been moving along quite smoothly. The start of the shopping season has added some extra walking back into our normal daily routines. I know Sara has been eager to be able to start getting some exercise after feeling nauseous during the first trimester. In two weeks we go to have the second ultra sound...excitement all around.

Now since I know the next question is coming, I will answer it now. No, we are not going to find out the sex of the baby. You can kick and scream all you want, but we have decided to wait and let it be a surprise.

So as the weekend winds down, I just want to share on some things I/we am/are thankful for;
-A beautiful, loving wife who is understanding and tolerant of my daily annoyances.
-The best, and most handsome, husband in the whole wide world who writes a blog when "we" want him too. :)
-Our caring and supportive family members who never cease to make us think, laugh, cry, smile, and hold our nose.
-The ability to begin our own family
-A healthy and safe beginning to 'our' pregnancy
-The ability to stay fed, dry, clothed, warm, and well rested in our home.
-Jobs that keep us hopping during the day and put a little money in our pocket every two weeks.
-And friends that welcome us into their madness, as we do in turn to ours.

the joys of a new car

I am sure most of you have been there before;
The thrill of driving your new vehicle.
The wonderful new car smell that fills your nose.
And the pleasure of knowing that the Incredible Hulk was the last person to tighten your oil filter.

This was the second time that I had the joy of removing an oil filter that was tighten in the factory. The first time including grunting, a mangled filter, and bruised knuckles as I tried to remove the blasted thing from my truck. Tonight I had the pleasure of tackling this milestone again with Sara's new Outlook. I tried asking it nicely to come off, but it decided to be uncooperative. So I did what any good mechanic would do....I drilled a hole through it, jammed a screw driver inside, and loosened it right up. Worked like a charm. Just wished I would have done that the first time and saved some skin on my knuckles.

I will leave you with a couple pictures taken Sunday night after Sara's company party.

the power of "we"

I had the pleasure of talking with my sister this weekend, thanks to the power of the internet and two tiny little web cams. She is currently living in Switzerland right now, so it makes live communication tough at times. Before talking, she left me a message as she reminisced about our childhood;

"So I was talking about you this weekend. I went to visit the Swiss alps and got dumped on by a foot of snow. I told everyone how when we were little we used to make igloos in the backyard. Well, when I say 'we' I mean you built them while I gave moral support...and when I say 'moral support', I mean I went inside to stay warm."

Ahh, those were the days. Little would I know that the term "we" would still haunt me to this day. Kind of like on Sunday how 'we' went outside to hang Christmas lights. Now don't worry you Christmas purists, I haven't turned them on. I was simply.... sorry. WE, were simply taking advantage of the warm weather. As history has proven, if I (we) decide to wait until after thanksgiving, the weather seems to get progressively worse, and our calender begins to rapidly fill.

Speaking of full calendars, we had 3 full nights of activity this past weekend. Friday night we each went to separate "boy/girl" parties, Saturday night was a birthday party for a co-worker's wife, and Sunday night was Sara's company party. Instead of having a holiday party, they have what they call "Founder's Day" the Sunday before Thanksgiving. The evening usually consists of a fancy dinner at a different location around the Indianapolis area, usually places in which the firm has recently done a big project. (Last 4 years have been at Bridgewater, IMA, Eiteljorg, and Conner Prairie for those familiar w/ the area) They also dedicate a portion of the evening to acknowledge those who donate their time to different organization around town. They then chose an individual to award them with a donation to the charity of their choice.

Outside our busy evenings, we spent an afternoon at Lowe's picking out tile for our master bathroom project and WE did laundry, swept the house, cleaned the bathrooms, put away the dishes, and are CARRYING A CHILD. (if you couldn't tell, I took a jab at myself.....your welcome dear)

So with that; Sara, baby, and I are going to get some sleep as we have a big week ahead of us. I just hope the little seed likes mashed potatoes.

the faithful followers

Do you enjoy reading our madness?
Do you check it everyday to see if I stubbed my toe?
Do you enjoying clicking random buttons?
Are you troubled by strange noises in the middle of the night?
Have you, or any member of your family ever see a spook, spectre, or ghost?

If the answer is yes, then don't wait another minute. Check out the side column of our blog for the 'followers' section and feel free to click on "Follow This Blog".

WE'RE READY TO BELIEVE YOU

Now will you win a prize for clicking the button? Unfortunately no, but I will pass out a gold star if you can guess the movie I semi-quoted above.

A bonus though if you are a fellow blogger. By following, it will add our blog to your dashboard and show any recent updates we make. Plus, there is a strong chance I am already following you as well.

Baby Update, Week 16

Can you believe we are already here? Just one more month and we are halfway done, or have half way to do go, depending on your personality type.

Mom and baby are doing well with no major issues to report. The munchkin still wants to eat all the time, but the nausea seems to be at a minimum these days. Sara seems to have a little bit of her energy back these days....of course we haven't decided if that is due to the changes in pregnancy, or completion of the PE exam.

Big news of the day involves ordering some maternity clothes online. She has been able to extend the life of her current pants with her favorite 'belly band', but it looks like it may be time to start making the switch. Sara also wore her first maternity top to work on friday. (I'm told this is exciting) The big question though is if her winter coat will be able to handle the growing belly or not. We figure we will either have to bite the bullet and find a new coat, or just wrap her up in blankets every time she goes out. I vote for the later.

The calm before the storm.

This weekend marked another exciting weekend of nothing...well kind of.

Friday night we headed over to Wittenberg to watch my younger sister's volleyball game. They made it into the second round of the NCAA Division III tournament, however came up short in a tough 5 game match. Saturday evening we headed over to a friend's house for a party, and today watched the Colts game with some friends at a local establishment. The only entertaining story from the weekend is that our waiter today was a tad on the creepy side. He would kind of just pop up behind you, stare for a second, then ask if everything was ok. I think he also said "super" when I went to order an second drink. Who does that.

Outside of that we did absolutely nothing. Sara read a book, which ended up being a tear jerker, and I perfected my mario cart skills. I know wild and crazy.

So if you haven't figured it out yet....that was our calm. Next comes the storm...Thanksgivamas. (Our "The Holiday Season" if you don't like my made-up word) What does that mean for the Farny's? A LOT of driving, and A LOT of parties. Next weekend starts the chaos early with Sara's company party (they like to do things a little different) plus two separate gatherings to fill our Friday through Sunday time cards.

Follow that up with Thanksgiving in two weekends with both families and before you know it, Sara will be blasting Christmas music as we begin to decorate the house.

O where has this year gone?

The Growing Belly

Many of you have asked about it, so here it is. During the course of Sara's pregnancy we plan to take pictures periodically to watch her growth. I will try and keep the video updated so everyone can see the progress. Enjoy!

(For those of you using readers, or not able to see the video at the top of the page, you can also view it here.)

Election Day

Hopefully everyone remembered today is election and daylight savings didn't throw you off. Of course if I am the first one to remind you what today is, then there are other things we should talk about instead.

Now I am not here to tell you who to vote for, but in my opinion you should pick that one guy that stands up and talks in front of people. You know that one. He wears the suits and says a lot of words and promises how great life will be when its raining candy and we all hold hands and sing "heal the world".

So this is my public service announcement to get out and vote and help control the pet population.

Return to Normalcy

Well, I obviously haven't posted anything in two weeks... and for good reason. Last Friday, Sara and I both sat for our Professional Engineer's (PE) Exam. We would like that thank everyone that wished us well on this, as it was a semi-stressful event for both of us. The PE exam is an 8 hour test that one must take to become registered. For the last 2 months we have been studying for it, trying to pace ourselves so we wouldn't get burnt out. Now I say study, but it's more just doing problem after problem after problem in order to prepare. It was an open book test, so we didn't need to really memorize anything, just know how to find it all. Of course finding the correct book and then getting the books there was half the battle. We both ended up bringing about 8-10 books/binders, and needed suitcases just to carry all of them. (Never thought I would bring a suitcase to a test.)



The test itself went fairly smoothly, unless you count the fact that we packed a lunch but failed to put it in the car. You can imagine the horror on Sara's face when she realized that we forgot the food, especially when she is still eating about every hour. Luckily we had some other snacks that did make it in, and our friends had some extra food to share. Of course I guess I would rather have forgotten the food than my suitcase full of books.

After the test, we gave ourselves an extra day off and took an extended weekend to finally relax. After two long months of doing nothing but problems, we needed a few days to try and think about nothing. However that was easier said than done. We both woke up in the middle of the night, dreaming about doing problems. We really are nerds. The rest of our weekend was filled with a trip to IKEA and a round trip tour of Ohio to visit most of Sara's family. Now we can focus on the up coming holiday season and this whole baby thing we got ourselves into.

I am sure I have more to share, but my little editor has been fast asleep for a couple hours now and I hate to wake her up. She has been having a bad headache for about the last 3-4 days. Hopefully some sleep will help. We have also been documenting the progress of the growing stomach, and I hope to get something put together soon to share with everyone.

So as I try to rearrange my brain cells, I will leave you with another safety tip.
-When you take your ID out of your wallet to show at a standardized test, always remember to take it out of your pocket before you decide to change pants and then drive around an entire state for 3 days without it.

12 Week Update

A quick update from Sara's 12 week appointment. Mom and baby are both doing well. According to the doctor, everything seems to be progressing smoothly. We were able to hear the baby's heartbeat which was nice and strong. That or it was his/her's stomach saying "feed me!", which Sara believes is the case.

Luckily I was able to carefully survey the sucker basket to find the optimal flavor for that visit's enjoyment. I started with cherry one to begin the apt., and then finished with a sour apple on the way out. For my next visit, I have my eye on the 100th anniversary pineapple-coconut. O yeah, Sara got one too, but I wasn't focused on her flavor selection. Minor details.

Busy Busy

I apologize for not posting anything recently. I am sure everyone is eager to know how mom and the little seed are doing, as well as the random thoughts stuck in my head.

Unfortunately, we have been busy with studying for our upcoming exam on the 24th. Add on top of that the deadline I need to meet at work on the 22nd, and Sara needing to rest when she gets home, makes the blog a low priority for the time being. However after the 24th, I promise to get back on track.

Since I am here i suppose I can share some tidbits. (Also since I gave someone a hard time about not posting in her blog, I should probably practice what I preach.)

Sara and baby are doing well. She has her 12 week visit this afternoon. So far she has only experienced slight nausea, hunger pains, and sleepiness. Her trick is to try and eat something on the hour, every hour, and it seems to cure most of the issues.....expect the whole tired part and being at work. Sara also purchased a belly band and her first maternity pants this past weekend. The pants are still a little big, but who could pass up a trip to Old Navy to use a gift card! She is excited about the belly band as this helps her to continue wearing some of her pants that have become a little tight. It is basically a stretchy tube-top that you wear around your waist. It enables you to keep your pants unbuttoned/unzipped, while keeping them from falling down and staying covered up.

As for me? I have been hanging in there. A couple weeks ago we had to drop off the new car at the dealer for them to finish a few maintenance items for us. Since it was on them, they provided me a rental for the day. Imagine the look on my face when they handed me the keys to a new hummer H3. The guy told me they were required to give me a like vehicle for what I was turning in, and that was all they currently had. As you can imagine I didn't question the issue, and stated that I could probably manage. At least I didn't have to pay anything!

Catch up time

Well, the last 6 weeks I have focused all my blogging energy towards our Alaskan experience. This means I have neglected to keep you informed on the daily happenings of our life. Part of that was planned to not break up the flow, but I also knew if I tried to keep pace with everything else, I probably wouldn't finish until Christmas and would have lost everyone in the process.

So what could have possibly happened in past 6 weeks?? More than we would have imagined.

6 Weeks Ago:
Once we got back from our vacation, we made a trip to Richmond to see the newest Welch. It was also our first class for the PE review test. For those not familiar, this is an 8 hour test that any engineer who wants to get their professional degree, needs to take. We were less than thrilled to have to start studying after being on vacation, but we knew it was coming.

5 Weeks Ago:
Not yet sick of the Welch's we decided to invite them over for the weekend so Sara could spend time with the new baby. I also tried to take some pictures of the new little beauty.



It was this same weekend we decided to make a major life decision...

4 Weeks Ago
...we decided to buy a new car. With some special deals going on, we figured now was the time to pounce. So we are happy to say that Sara is now the proud owner of a new Saturn Outlook. Who could ask for a better birthday gift.

3 Weeks Ago:
So what do you do with a new car...well surprise everyone with the news. We first saw my entire family at Wittenburg to watch my younger sister, Catherine, play her first home volleyball game, and to see Carolyn one last time before her trip to Switzerland for the year. After that we headed up to the lake to celebrate labor day and half of the family's birthdays.

2 Weeks Ago:
Carolyn flew to Switzerland to be an au pair for a year. She also introduced us to Skype in an effort to stay connected for free. We also faced a new dilemma. We now have 3 vehicles sitting in our driveway. So i guess it's time to sell one. So late Wednesday night I posted a couple online ad's for the car...

1 week ago:
And by Wednesday the following week, I had 11 people express an interest, and 3 offers made on the vehicle. Needless to say I was able to get the car sold and out of our hair.

So in the last 6 weeks we have been studying for a test, Bought a new car, sold a used car, seen a newborn baby, spent time with everyone on both sides of our family, racked up 1500 miles, and something else. But I can't quite put my finger on it........
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.....at least for now!



WE'RE HAVING A BABY!
Expected arrival of baby Farny: 05/01/09
Sara is about 9 weeks along and hanging in there. She is very tired and very hungry, but I suppose that is what happens when you have a little monster growing inside you that is currently the size of a kidney bean. Everyone is healthy and happy and looking forward to spring. Well, happy about the baby and not the upset stomach.

Cruise Map

If you haven't had a chance yet, be sure to check out our cruise map at the top of the page. (or here) If you zoom in on each city, it shows some of the places that we visited.

Enjoy!

Day 10: the End

Yes the end has now come. Our last day of vacation, and my last entry about the trip. Hopefully you have had enough patience to stick with me till the end. I didn't imagine it would take me over 5 weeks to write about what happened in 10 days. Of course we did do a lot....and I did tend to ramble....and these past 5 weeks have been eventful to say the least. I guess that means I'll have to play catch up in the next post. but enough of that, here's the rest of our trip.

Morning came and we got up to pack, balancing out weight between our bags so we wouldn't exceed the 50 lbs limit. Luckily, we would be taking a bag back for Carolyn, so we could put some of our extra weight in there. While packing we recievied the call that our friend's Jackie and Elijah gave birth to a healthy and beautiful baby girl. (This only caused Sara to want to get home even sooner)

we packed up the car and stopped at Portage Bay, and organic breakfast place. (I have begun to notice a trend in Seattle...) breakfast was extremely delicious as I had an omelet made with local produce, and Sara enjoyed some pancakes and a trip to the toppings bar. (Carolyn had the pancakes too)

We were dropped off at the airport, were we ran into a brick wall. We went inside to check in and made our way to what we thought was the end of the line. Nope, that was the end of the first line, we had to turn around and get in line with the people standing on the other side of the aisle...who were also wrapped back and forth around the maze of black straps. Well, it seemed long, but we had some time to kill. In an effort to find the end of that line, we were pointed to a third line....who included people waiting to get into the holding line which contained the people waiting to get into the real line. Now it was getting a little ridiculous...but we assumed we would maybe only have to wait 30 mins tops. well that was before we walk DOWN the hall and AROUND the corner.....the the real end of the line. Judging by the people and the rate they were moving...It was going to be at least an hour to an hour and half before we got checked in....and our flight was scheduled to leave in 90 mins. I tried to remain calm, but Sara was paniced, and rightfully so.

So while she held her spot in line, I made a dash out to the curb side check in the see what the wait was there. Thankfully there were only about 20 people in that line, compared to the 200+ people that were waiting in front of us. As much as I hated to pay even more money just to check in our bags...I knew it would be worth it in the end. (seeing as how we still had to get through security in time.) We we waiting in line for only about 2 mins, before they began calling out for people on the Indy flight. We instantly raised our hands and were shuffled to the front of the line to be checked in next. what luck. After checking in we headed to the gate. It had maybe been 20 mins now since we were dropped off, and we noticed the guy initially infront of us in the long line had only just made it around the corner. He would easily be in line for another 45. It was then we realized we made the right desicion.

Security was a breeze, and the flight was fairly painless, unless you count the lady infornt of me who insisted on leaning her seat back. I think after awhile my constant knees to the back of the seat gave her the hint that maybe she should move it up. I guess it wouldn't have been so bad is she didn't keep slamming back in the seat, like that would magically make it go back further. Get a clue lady...its as far back as it will go. Thankfully she feel sleep, I think from exhaustion of trying to move the seat. If she hadn't, there might have been some words.

Once on the ground we were greated by Jenny our lovely provider of transportation, and made our way home to our favorite bed. It had been a LONG week away, and we knew it had would be a long week back. Unfortunatly visting hours were over for Jackie, otherwise I think we would have tried to make one quick stop in Richmond to see a new baby. (Since a two-hour round trip was what I was looking forward to doing after a 4 hour plane ride)

We that does it....that wraps up my summary of our trip. I hope you all enjoyed it and are inspired to make your own trek to Alaska!

Day 9: Seattle (part 2)

Well, all good things must come to an end. Today we awoke to our ship pulling back into port at Seattle. The trip we had waited for all year, was finally coming to a close. As we looked back on the trip, we realized how much we enjoyed everything; the atmosphere, weather, food, scenery, family, food, and weather. Did I mention the weather? The weather was as perfect as anyone could have asked for. The kind that you see in Alaskan video's and travel brochures. We realized that this trip was probably a rarity that not many people get to experience.

Will we go back again? You better believe it
Will we expect the same kind of weather? We know better than to do that
Will that then prevent us from going? of course not!

We enjoyed it so much we made plans to go back in 2030...since that is so close. But more than likely we will make it there before that.

After packing up our bags and waiting to get off the boat, we met up with my sister as she was our tour guide for the rest of the day. Sara and I had decided to spend an extra day in Seattle to spend some time with her. She was gracious enough to help shuttle Sara's aunt and uncle to a nearby hotel while they waited for their plane latter that evening. After dropping them off, we headed off to explore the town with a semi-local.

The first stop was by her current apartment, and then over to the home she was house sitting for the week. It turned out the family was nice enough to let us stay there with her for our extra night in town. Before heading back out, both Sara and I realized how exhausted we were from the week of adventure...so we took a nap on the comfy couches while watching the Olympics.

After a little lunch we headed out for a tour around the town. Here's a run down of the places Carolyn wanted to show us (follow along the on the map above);

- Magnus Park. A place near her apartment that she sometimes visits and runs around.

- Gas Works Park. A park on the bay that over looks the city. There are places where you can play, eat, or have a wedding reception.

- Theo Chocolates - a local, free trade, chocolate factory who specialize in unique chocolates. We were unable to do a tour, but did try some of their fine chocolates. I was surprised to know that just by using beans in different regions, you get different flavors. I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves chocolate.

- The Troll. This is a sculpture underneath one of the Seattle bridges. The engi-nerd in me also was fascinated at the mini-round about the intersection by the troll.


- Ray's boathouse. A neat bar that overlooked the sound. If it didn't start to rain, it would have been fun to sit on the deck and watch the boats go by. However we were able to get a window a seat, and catch a glimpse of our cruise ship heading back out for its next cruise....what are the odds! The rain also created a bit of fog over the water, and the gave the ship an eerie pirates of the Caribbean feel as it passed.


- The Deadliest Catch Boats. What a find! As we were driving back after our dinner we passed boat after boat that was parked along an inner channel. While stopped at a red light, then front nose of The Wizard was poking through the trees and caught my eye. We did a quick 180 and headed down to the dock to get a picture. I snapped a couple shots, then walked out on the public dock to get a better view of the ship. Once out, I turn and saw the Northwestern sitting beside it. It was like seeing a celebrity, except you didn't have to worry about then running from the camera. however I guess it would only be exciting if you watched the show. (last time we were out there we saw the floating house from sleepless in seattle)


- Greenlake. Another public park that she likes to run/walk around.

- Improv. Ok, its not a place, but we went to see an improv group perform.

- WOW! Bubble Tea. I was hooked, I had to have another one before we left Seattle.

After an afternoon and evening full of adventure, it was time for bed. One last night before we head home and face the working world again... :(

Day 8: Victoria B.C.

What Alaskan trip wouldn’t be complete without a stop in Canada….makes sense right? I guess in the regards that you pass by/through/over when traveling to Alaska. It is polite of us to do them a favor and stop there to breath in the Canadian air and spend our hard earned money on their own collection of trinkets.

This morning also marked another landmark even on our trip…WE SLEPT IN. that’s right boys and girls, we had absolutely nothing to do, see, or hear that morning, so we took full advantage and slept in. Of course with our bodies so out of whack, I think we still got up around 8 am. O well.

The last full day on the boat was fairly uneventful. We attended the last Bingo, and still won nothing. Sara was able to finish her book that she started when we left, I took some pictures around the boat, and the girls watched some of the last performances on the trip. We ate an early dinner as we prepared for the arrival at our last port, Victoria, British Columbia. “O ,Canada. Our home and native land”. Its just so catchy, its hard to get out of your head. Plus that is about the extent that most people know anyway…..those people being anyone who lives outside the country or doesn’t play hockey.



We watched as the captain successfully backed our boat into its slip, then hustled off the ship for another 4 hour time window. Of course this one was from 7-11 pm, since good sight seeing is usually done when its dark out.... When one tries to compare the advantages and disadvantages between day light and darkness, its hard to try and balance the two. On one end there is day light, which means most of the human race is able to see their destination they have arrived at. Also most places tend to revolve their working hours when the sun is out. On the other end there is darkness. It's dark out. Which translates to closed stores and ..um, what is that called again...o yeah, night time.

Luckily for us, the cruise ships bring in so much tourism to the city, that most places arrange tours and adjusted hours that those of us arriving late can still enjoy part of the city…assuming you bring night vision. (haha). As much as I feel like complaining about the time frame we were given, the experience was still just as neat as had when been there during the day. One added bonus that all the day walkers in Victoria don’t get to experience, is the lighting of the federal building. It is a fairly neat sight to check off ones list... (but then again I wouldn’t plan a vacation around it)



The one stop I wished we could have made was at the famous Buchart Gardens. This was an additional 30 min drive from downtown and would've taken the entire time at port. Now I know what your thinking…its dark out. Well, they plan for these things and have the garden light up for night-time tours. I guess the place is just the magical.

In an effort to find something to pass the time, a couple individuals wanted to go find a near-by castle. Only problem was their definition of 'near-by' wasn’t really explained. Most would assume near-by is a few blocks. After walking nearly a mile, we soon realized this landmark was not as 'near-by' as once assumed. Seemed that the navigators missed the small arrow showing that the destination was located off of the map instead of right on the edge. So we split up again, with part trekking onward to the castle, and the rest making their way back downtown.



While in Victoria, we were also able to see the Empress hotel, as well as aprt of the downtown area, but time limited us from going inside. After soaking in what we could in the short time window, we decided to stand in a 20 min line for the shuttles back to the ship. Once back, we made one final trip to the buffet to fuel up for a fun filled night of packing up our belongings.

Our final night on the boat, and boy did the week seem to fly by. But before we get off, here is one quick walk around deck 7 of the boat.

Day 7: Ketchikan

Why stop the early morning trend when we have made it this far already. You think we actually went on vacation to get a rest?? Another day, another port, another 6 am wake up call. This stop would be our last port of call within Alaska, Ketchikan. However today would be a short day in port. We only had from 7:30 till 11:30 to do our exploring. So there wasn’t much time to waste when you only have a 4 hour window…. minus the time it takes to get on and off the boat.

First stop was a lumberjack show for half of the family. Sara and I weren’t feeling that adventure as we both needed to find some last min souvenirs, and I had seen a lumberjack show several, several years ago up in Wisconsin, so I was set. We made our way around the town, taking in the sights of several totem poles scattered around, as well as the famous creek street. This is stretch of town located along a small river, with small shops and buildings built up around it on a boardwalk.



Later in the morning, the girls wanted to shop, while I felt like doing some walking around the town. Like all the other ports....I had seen the same trinkets, and wanted to get a feel of what else was in walking distance. So Sara's dad and myself took off to explore what else was close-by. We hiked up a to the top of a hill, but only found a small hotel/resort. It was about 3 small buildings and overlooked the town. Next we walked back down the hill along the paved road (go figure) and over to the fish hatchery. But that required money to enter, and it didn't look that impressive from the outside. So we turned around and headed back. Although the mini adventure wasn't filled with excitement and daring adventure, it was still a nice break from the shopping.

When we arrived in the morning a heavy fog had settled on the town, covering the mountain tops and casting an eerie background for the fishing boats heading out to fish.



4 hours later the fog had risen and we were able to getter idea of the surroundings before heading back out to sea ourselves. We are just thankful it wasn’t like this everyday.



We were back on the boat, and ready to eat some food as we prepared for an afternoon of who knows what, as we were now faced with another full day of sailing. See, we were leaving Ketchikan at noon on Thursday and not scheduled to arrive at our next port, Victoria B.C., until 7 pm the next day. So we had 31 hours of sailing to look forward too. Of course we needed to enjoy the last few bits while we could, as after we leave Victoria, they would be kicking us off the boat the next morning.

After a lazy afternoon of attempting to play shuffleboard one last time, we attended our second, and last, dress up formal night. I realized then I was going to miss these times. Sitting down at a table, ordering 5-6 different courses, not having to lift a finger, and then walking out when you done without ever laying a finger on your wallet. Now we technically already paid for the food when we signed up for the cruise, but its more fun to believe that you are just that special that you don’t need to pay for anything.

The evening ended with watching Bill and Sally try their hands at Seinfeld and Movie Poster trivia. Both did well, but were each 2 answers away from domination. Sounds like some practice is in order for next time. The topper before bed was a campaign waterfall to help celebrate one of the last evenings on the ship. I was impressed to see a tower of 100+ campaign glasses…..but soon was disappointed when they only filled about an 1/8 of the tower with 6 bottles of campaign. O well, it was still fun to watch, and we got free drinks out of the deal so it was tough to complain.

For all your Deadliest Catch fans....on our way out of Ketchikan, I was able to find the Rollo. They also were offering executions to go aboard The Aluetian Ballad for a demonstration, but that sold out quickly as you can imagine. For those who aren't fans of the show, you can go here to learn more about The Deadliest Catch.

Day 6: Tracy Arm Forjd

Another day, another early morning. Yep, even though we are on vacation, we still decide to punish ourselves and wake up early, 6 am to be exact. Actually, It was almost a requirement in order to guarantee that you could fully experience the beauty of Alaska. The day would start with cruising through the Tracy Arm Fjords from around 6-11, then the finish with cruising back in the open water...the boring part. So I figured that if anything, I could just take a nap later in the day since I will have time to kill.

Since the weather was absolutely perfect, we decided to modify our original plan of camping out on our balconies, and head up to the top deck to take in view. This also helped when they started pointing out different things on each side of the ship. This way we were able to see it all instead of wondering what we were missing. However it seemed everyone else on the boat had the same idea, but we were able hang around the back and had plenty of room to spread out.



This was also the day that they waited to pull out the glorious hot chocolate. This was perfect timing considering if you bought the $20 mug, you could get free refills for the rest of the trip....you know, the whole 2 days that are left. Where were these mugs when we first got on? Be that as it may, I don't think we would have been to happy with the purchase. Turns out they use whole milk. (excuses me as I hold back the gag reflex) Don't get me wrong, I am not claiming that those who drink whole milk are bad.....I just don't like it, and can't pull myself to drink it. I was raised on skim and 1/2% milk. (yes, they do make 1/2% milk. don't ask me why they would waste their time) so the heaviest I can comfortably go is 2%. Anything above that for me and I might as well dive straight into the half-n-half and get it all over with.



Aside from our second bad encounter with whole milk on the trip, we tried to soak in as much of the surroundings as we could, because low and behold, it was another clear and sunny day in Alaska. Our bubbling tour guide for this part of the cruise informed the ship that this was a rarity, and happened maybe 10 times a year....this being the first time for them. Guess I shouldn't waste it, so we basked under the blue skies as watched the various shades of blue that floated beside us in the chunks of ice. Upon approaching the glacier, we encountered our sister ship from the Princess fleet. This was the exact same ship, which gave us a rare opportunity to see what an outsider sees as they watch us sail past.



Once our twisting and winding tour through the fjord ended, and we worked our way back out of the maze, we headed south towards Ketchikan. Along the way we spotted a few more whales, but nothing to thrilling as it was just more tails and blow holes.

That afternoon, Sara and I along with a few brave souls, decided to try our hand at swimming. We hung out in the heated 84 degree pool on the back of the boat. We figured we had to do this at least once, as it's not everyday you can say you swam in a pool, cruising through Alaska, with snow capped mountains in the background.

Later that night, all 11 of us decided to eat in one of the dinning rooms together. Most nights we each did our own thing. Half would do the buffet while the others did the formal dinning. Well this night was treat as they tried to squeeze all of us around 1 table. Thankfully the effects of the buffet hadn't fully sunk in yet, as we were all able fit in. Since they wanted to bring all our food out together, it took a tad longer than usual, but in the end we were all fed and no one starved to death (as some claimed would happen).

The day ended with a couple drinks, and the entertainment of the girls line dancing at one of the bar/lounges around the ship.

Day 5: Skagway

Another early morning, another day full of adventure.

We awoke to sound of the bow thrusters as we settled into our place at dock in Skagway. Now by sound I mean the sound of everything in our room vibrating since our room was at the back (stern) of the boat. Don't they know people are sleeping!

This morning though we couldn't sleep in as we had tickets for an 8 am excursion. The excursion would take us for a ride along the scenic white pass railway (why does everything in Alaska have to include the word 'scenic'. Can't it ever be average, or bland. Maybe I should tell everyone to come take a ride in the bed of my truck and see the scenic flatlands of northern Indiana.) Anyway, we were pumped for our 4 hour train ride, and luckily only had to walk about 26 steps to reach the train since it was parked right on the dock.

As we approached the train, one of the guides instructed us to proceed up to car 320. Apparently this wouldn't be a full train, and she felt this car would allow our group to be by ourselves. So do we follow her advice? Nope. We walked past a couple cars till we found the first empty one and decided that would be good enough.

Fast forward to the middle of the trip where we turn around. As I look towards the front of the train, there is car 320...along with 3 other cars...that are entirely empty. Why such a big deal you ask? Because an empty car means two things 1. everyone gets a window seat to themselves. 2. We are free to hang out between the cars without having to share the space with people who don't realize when their turn is over and ruin a potential picturesque moment for those patiently waiting behind them.



Back to the train ride. The train followed the historic White Pass and Yukon Route that was traveled back in the gold rush era. We were able to see pathways carved by the men on foot, a house sized boulder that killed two workers, perilous wooden bridges, rushing waterfalls, deep valleys, and the Canadian border ("O' Can-a-da"). Once we reached the summit, we traveled a few miles into Canada, turned around, and headed back down the mountain. Yes we were headed back down the mountain when we come. We were headed back down the mountain when we come. And I was taking lots of pictures, I was taking lots of pictures, I was taking lots of pictures when we come. Thankfully the return trip meant I could grab all the shots I missed on the way up, while risking my life on the metal platform at the end of the train car (at least that is how Sara describes it)

After a 4 hour train ride, we were all famished and hustled back to the boat to stuff our faces, and eat our required 3 slices of pineapple, before heading back into town. Once there we consumed ourselves primarily with shopping. And what did our wondering eyes find?? Why a bazillion little shops...all selling the same stuff that we saw in Juneau. Paint me surprised. One stop we did try to make was at the Skagway brewing company, in hopes to try and take a brewery tour. One problem....we were a little late.

One magical thing did happen while we were in town... THE SUN CAME OUT!

Leading up to the cruise, all we heard about was rain this, rain that, cloudy here, foggy there. However my keen sense of vision told me otherwise today. And just in case my eyes were playing tricks on me, the lack of clouds and blue skies prompted the temperature to raise by at least 5+ degrees, or at least enough to make it too warm to wear a jacket. Now this was the type of Alaska we could all get used to....minus the hundreds of trinket shops and bus loads of annoying tourists.

Before boarding back on the boat, Sara and myself decided to accompany her mom and sister on a small hike. Seeing as how we were steps away from the wilderness, there was no sense in not doing a little exploring. We found a trail head on our way back to the ship and decided to give it a try. What we didn't realize was this trail basically took your straight up the side of a mountain. So after about a quarter mile, we called it quits and headed back. I guess we were hoping for a more leisurely trail, and not one that would make a mountain goat sweat. Despite the tough climb, we were able to see a neat wooden footbridge and great overview of the city and cruise ships.



After a long and warm day in Skagway, we headed back to the boat as we set sail for our trip to Tracy Arm Fjords.

Day 4: Juneau

As we awoke early on day 4 of the flood, our little bird had returned to us with a branch, signaling that we had found land. Actually all we had to do was open our eyes and look out the door to see a mountainous landscape staring us in the face.



After being at sea for over a day, a large fog topped mountain range (a mere 100 yards from your boat) is not the first thing you expect to see upon waking up. Now, we really felt that we had reached Alaska. We all hurried to get dressed and have breakfast as we were eager to take in this new found scenery. The morning was very peaceful as we slowly cruised through the channel on our way towards Juneau. We were even lucky enough to spot our first whales. Now mind you, there was no free willy demonstrations or acts that would put sea world to shame, but we were able to spot them as they came to the surface for air, and then watch their tail as they dove back down.

Once we neared Juneau, we made a remarkable discovery; the front of the boat. Since all cruise ships differ, we were unaware that our current ship would allow you to walk around to the very front edge of the boat. Since we had spent most of our time towards the back of boat, no one really had the desire to walk a 1/6 of a mile to get to the front, or bow in nautical jargon. So here we stood for a good hour or more as we watched the captain dock for the fist time this trip.

Once off the boat in Juneau, we decided to do one of the city and glacier tours that were offered by one of the local groups. This enabled us to stop by several locations throughout the city and surrounding area;

- first stop was at a scenic overlook on the other side of the channel. This supplied a neat view of the city and cruise ships (there were 5 there that particular day)


- next we made a quick stop at a crossing stream so our guide could show us the salmon. Much to our surprise while looking at the fish, Sara noticed a bear maybe 40 yards away in the trees. Apparently "Ahh, BEAR!" is the key word to get it to run away. However he hung around long enough for people catch some pictures and video of it. Next you probably want to hear about how the bear ate our tour guide or you want to see some proof that we actually saw a bear that close. Well, The bear didn't eat anyone, sorry. However as far as proof, I was shooting video at the time and didn't want to stop to try and get a picture also....so I guess you will have to wait until I have time to get the video on the computer....(amidst everything else I have going on in my life)

- Then on our way to the glacier, we drove by a marsh area near the waterfront were dozens and dozens of eagles feed. However most of them were adolescents, so they hadn't developed the signature white head. Still a rare site for any midwestern to see.

- Finally we made it to the glacier. It looked so impressive from a distance...and we really weren't anywhere close to it. Being limited on time, we were only able to view the glacier from the nearby visitors center and could not hike on the near-by trails in an effort to get a little closer. Despite this set back, it was still a worthwhile trip.


Once back in Juneau, the girls wanted to do a little shopping. This would have been all fine and dandy if it wasn't for the fact that every store was the same....and every store carried the same thing. If you visit one tourist store in Alaska...then you have visited them all. The only thing that will drive you nuts is knowing that you could have saved $1 by either spending $50 with a coupon, jumping on one leg and kissing the town mascot, or by waiting till the next port city where they slashed the prices by $1. One family member witnessed this account first hand with the beloved Alaskan Ulu knife....that was EVERYWHERE. They purchased it for $24, then found it at the next store for $17 with the included cutting board, only to find it at the next port of call for $16 with cutting board AND wooden bowl. sneaky sneaky.

As the sun began to set, it was time to head back to the ship, where we enjoyed another delicious meal, and then sat on the top deck as we watched 3 of the other cruise ships leave before us. (seems there was a tour running late so we had to wait for the stragglers) Once we departed, it was time to call it a night, but not before trying our hand at room service again. See the first time we simply order cookies. This time we were going to add milk to the equation, AND see if we can get the cookies warm. Well, we managed to strike out with both requests. The cookies weren't warm, but we didn't expect them to be and were happy with them as is. The kicker was the milk though. Apparently Skim Milk translates to Whole Milk in nautical terms. Not sure where we went wrong, but none of us were ready to take the leap to drink strait from the cow. So we went to bed with a plate full of cookie crumbs, and 4 whole milks stuffed in the room's mini fridge.

Side Note: Cruise Map

As I begin to dive into the heart of our trip, I will be creating a map with all of the key places that we visited along the way. This will help give everyone an idea of where we were as you read through each post. The map can be accessed though the sidebar of this blog or at this link

For those not familiar with Google Maps, it helps to toggle between the "Map" and "Satellite/Sat" buttons in the top right corner in order to see some of the amazing Alaskan landscape (namely the glaciers!)

Day 3: All Day Cruising

Since we signed up for a round trip cruise, there is a little extra cruising involved to reach the required destinations and return in the allowed time. The break down of our cruise was;
Seattle - Juneau - Skagway - Ketchikan - Victoria BC - Seattle

So we were on our way on the first leg, Seattle to Juneau. Now they say it's just one day of cruising, but it's tough to fool an engineer. We left Seattle at 4pm on Saturday, and arrived at Juneau at Noon on Monday. This means we cruised for 44 straight hours. Hardly one day in my opinion. O' well

The morning brought more exploring and the first taste of the buffet. It was divine. My favorite for breakfast was the french toast and banana bread. (not together of course) However nothing could hold a candle to the pineapple. Now I don't know what it taste like in Hawaii, but I guessing it could have not gotten much better. Once we quickly discovered this divine treat, I don't think a meal went by where the entire family didn't have at least 3 slices of pineapple with each trip to the line.At one point Sara's mom asked her brother Jason and I why we had so much pineapple on our plate. We explained to her that it was a requirement from the wait staff that you must consume at least three pieces with each plate you use at the buffet. I am not sure if she bought it or not.

After breakfast we tried to play shuffleboard, but that proved to be difficult in the gale force winds we were encountering. So after a face numbing hour of play, we called it quits and went to find something warmer to do. The girls took up some Bingo, which Sara's aunt, Lynn, won $150. She said she would buy everyone lunch on the boat....nice try Lynn. She did however buy a bucket of beer later that evening. (Big Spender!)

Lunch was exciting because a special table was set out with sushi, one of my favorites. Only problem was it was mass produced sushi. Which means it wasn't the best I have ever had. In fact, I would have to rate it towards the bottom. At least they tried. Maybe that was why I never saw it again the rest of the trip.

The afternoon included a lecture from the "on-board" naturalist. He was a guy who lived on his own in Alaska for 2 years, had some kind of PhD in something, and wrote a book or two. The important thing to know is that when he talked he paused, and held out, the syllable, of every, sentaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnce. This became very, annoooooooyyyiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing. Near the end, your wanted to, cut your ears oooofffffffffffffffffffffffffffff. But this was another source of enjoyment for us on the trip. (Along with talking in British accents and saying "muster station D". See Day 2)

There were also some crazy family members who swam in the pool. They didn't complain to much while swimming because the water was a cool 84 degrees. But once they got out, the 25 mph winds sent them into a panic as they tried to get warm. I, myself elected to stay warm and dry.



This was also the 1st of 2 formal nights on the ship, followed by the "Taste of Broadway" as the evening show. It was performed by the dancers of the golden princess. I would have enjoyed the show if;
a.) I knew more of the songs
b.) it didn't feel like a sauna in the theater.

Personally, I would have thought they would try and keep it a little cooler so everyone didn't fall asleep. Especially considering the age of those present. (which while I am on the topic. About half of the 2,600 passengers carried an AARP card, the other were families doing the same thing we were doing. So you can just imagine how hopping the dance club was on board. We went up there around 11:30 one night and were about knocked over by a tumbling tumbleweed.) I guess the toe-tapping tunes kept everyone going. No wonder i didn't know any of the songs.

Off to bed, to rest up for our first day in port.

Day 2: Boarding the Boat

Seeing as how our bodies didn't quite know what time zone we were in yet, everyone seemed to wake up around their normal time the second day....which translated to EXTREMELY early Seattle time. So whats a person to do when your wide awake and clock reads 3:30.....Well, unless your name rhymes with Bill, you go back to bed.

Once awake we meet up with rest of the extended Taylor family from Michigan that took the late night flight into Seattle the day before. This meant a second visit to the Space Needle and Pike's Market. But we all enjoyed visiting them again...unless you count the walking. We didn't enjoy that. Especially when it was uphill.



Finally the time had come. We were ready to hop a shuttle to the port and board the boat!

The boarding process was fairly painless. Stand in line, sign some papers, stand in line, go through metal detector, stand in line, get on boat, stand in line, walk to room, collapse on bed. Ok, so maybe we didn't collapse on the bed, but our bags did.

We checked out our room(s) first, which were two mini-suits that we shared between 7 people. The rooms included a "queen" bed, which could be converted to two small twin beds, a pull-out sofa bed, and a hidden bunk bed in the ceiling. Unlike most cruise rooms, out bathroom featured a full bathtub, which we were excited about because a week of showering in a closet quickly becomes old. We also received an added bonus with our balcony. Not only could share the balconies between the two rooms, but since we were at the end of the ship our balcony had a little extra section tacked on to side, making it more like having a one and a half balcony.


From there we went our to explore the rest of the ship before participating in the required muster drill. We checked out the 3 theaters, 4 heated pools, assorted hot tubs, and the ever important...buffet. 24-hour buffet to be exact. However I don't think we ever visited it much after 10. But at least we knew we could.

Next the muster drill....where we heard "Muster Station D" from a British crew member. So try saying "muster station D" in your best British accent. It's ok, I know you tried it. Now try saying it 10 times fast with out laughing. Yeah, we couldn't do it either.

After the ship set sail, we admired Seattle from the top deck, then proceeded to head down to dinner and later the welcome aboard show. After the show, we found a place to relax and decided to get a bucket of beers to split amongst the eligible drinkers of the group. Now I say split because they were charging $4.75 for a single bottle of Bud Light, $5.something for anything premium. (Funny, didn't think we were at a concert. Of course we were floating in middle of a large body of water, so its not like we had too many choices.) Good news was if you get a bucket, you get 5 for the price of 4 to help ease the blow a little.

Our first day on the ship ended with some cookies from room service....since most of room service was included!

Day 1: Indy to Seattle

Here begins my epic tale of our trek through Alaska. Hopefully I don't lose anyone along the way and you can all make sure I finish the story. I would hate to leave you in suspense.

Technically our adventure began at Day 0. We both worked a normal day, then raced back home to meet up with Sara's parents. From there we meet up with her brothers for dinner and then crashed at Bill's house for the night. The plan was to get up early and take one vehicle to the airport to save on gas, money, and increase the level of frustration before the trip.

So that night we spent sorting and repacking every one's bag because we were unsure what restrictions the airline would throw at us...and my suitcase weights about 49 lbs itself, which doesn't leave me much room to back before I hit the 50 lbs limit.

Now on to Day 1. Bill had woke up around 4:30 to try and go work out before we left. Much to his surprise, the lady who opens the gym didn't show up at all that morning, so he was forced to turn around and come home. We all cried a tear of sorrow for him as we continued to sleep until 6.

We all rolled out of bed and packed 7 people, with luggage, into the Avalanche. This meant 3 across the front seat and 4 across the back. Needless to say, it was a tight ride down. I guess we were trying to get warmed up for our upcoming flight. Luckily the trip was flawless and we were able to get to the gate with plenty of time to spare. Now when I saw plenty I mean about a half and hour. Others in our group felt this was too close and wanted to be at the gate an hour and half early. Luckily the majority ruled.

The flight itself was smooth. No one lost their breakfast or squeezed my arm so hard that they leave welts that would last for days. We even had clear sky at one point as we flew over Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. (Our summer trip from 2006)

Once at the airport, we found an Amish taxi van and headed to downtown Seattle to check in at our hotel near the Space Needle. Now seeing that it was around 11:30 Seattle time, we weren't able to check into our room but they did hold our bags. From there we walked over to the needle to get something to eat since it was technically 3:00 Indiana time.

The restaurant we chose was actually a sports bar that had displays from all the Seattle sports championships. Here I was able to find a volleyball that was signed by my sister as she was a part of the Washington Huskies, women's volleyball national championship team. (that's a mouthful) I called to tell her and she acted like it was an everyday thing. They are just so popular that everyone worships them there. Actually she had no idea and thought it was pretty cool.



From there we did the tourist thing and visited the Space Needle, Monorail (monoraaaaiilll.....monoraaaiiilllll!! A Simpson's reference for those who didn't get it), and Pike's Market.




The Space Needle was fun, at least for those who enjoy the heights. Sara and Megan tend to get a little skittish around heights....so it was no surprise that they weren't thrilled about going up to the top of the needle. Through peer pressure and the promise of shopping afterwards, we were able to coax them into the elevator to make the assent up to the top. Although they stayed in the back of the elevator, they made it up and down in one piece. While up there, and enjoying the sites of Seattle, the Blue Angels were nearby practicing for their up coming airshow. So nearby that they decided to buzz the needle while we were up there.


At Pike's Market, we took in the smells of the fresh fish, the sights of the fresh flowers, and a quick picture with the original Starbucks. The girls also purchased a couple flowers to take onto the ship with us (which ended up staying alive the entire week!!) Of course it was hard to resist them urge to purchase them, especially when you can get an entire bouquet for $5.



Later that night Carolyn, my sister who lives in Seattle, took us around town, and treated Sara, Megan, and myself to bubble tea. Wikipedia can tell you all the techie jargon about it, but basically it is like drinking a fruit smoothie with little round gummy bears in it.....if you can imagine the tapioca balls inside are gummy. But if you close your eyes and believe, you will never know the difference...

We finally hit the sack by 9:30 Seattle time, which was really 12:30 Indiana time. Even though only 18 1/2 hours had passed...it felt like we had been running for 2 days straight.

Pictures from the Trip

Well, I am sorry to report I only took 1,271 pictures. I am sure you are all disappointed I didn't take more.

You can visit our flickr site to view them. Don't worry, I didn't put them all there, So there is no need to cancel your weekend plans to view them. I picked out a handful to share, and may add a few more once I have a chance to look through them again.

Enjoy!

We're Back!

After a week long vacation, that Farny's have made their way back to Indiana. We took a 7 day cruise to Alaska with the Taylor family, and spent a couple extra days in Seattle to site-see and visit with my sister.

Now as with any event we attend, I am bound to have oodles to talk about...especially when visiting something as scenic as Alaska while trapped on a boat with the Taylors. So in order to cover everything from being attacked by the Blue Angels to seeing blue glaciers, and chasing down crab boats from the Deadliest Catch to startling a deadly bear, I will break each day down in a different post for a more manageable read. So for all you math majors out there....a nine day vacation will translate to 9 separate postings. And knowing my blazing speed, I will hopefully be able to average one post a day.

So sit back, kick up your paws, and enjoy the tall tales of our Alaskan adventure.

(For those of you wondering, I was able to take a couple pictures while out there......1,271 to be exact. Technically though, if I take out the bad pictures, it really brings the total down to 1,269. haha.

I plan to post our favorite ones in our flickr account once I get a chance to process and sort through them all. I will also include relevant pictures along the way to help illustrate my ramblings...I mean exciting tales!!)

crazy, how it, feels tonight

After years and years of waiting it finally happened.........Sara heard her favorite Dave Mathews song in concert, Crush. It wasn't easy though. The night was filled with tension leading up to the glorious event. Before each song, Sara would secretly wish the next one would be her's. She would even hum the first few notes in a hope that would help him decide what song to play. Then they finally introduced the bassist, and tears began to fill her eyes. Its a moment she had been waiting for her whole life...and all was right in the world.

This past weekend also brought the arrival of a new baby in the family, as Sara's cousin had her second baby on Saturday. So we went to pay a visit to the hospital on Sunday to cap Sara's perfect weekend.



Now it is just getting through this week for the next adventure in the Farny chronicles......

A new "do"

This past weekend marked another fun filled adventure up to the lake house. However there was nothing overly exciting to report. Jenny (Bill's girlfriend) made her first visit up to the lake, and was greeted with a little rain on Saturday. But Sunday turned out to be a great day....which figures since we had to leave to come back home.

Sara also is now sporting a new "do", just in time for our up coming trip to Alaska....since everyone needs to be stylish there. Here is a before and after. I am sure we will have better pictures later.



While I was outside mowing the yard this week, I saw a kid ride down the street on a moped. He was talking on his cellphone that was wedged between his shoulder and ear since he needed both hands to drive. At least his parents will be happy that he was wearing a helmet. Kids these days. Just imagine if he had to text while driving...whatever would he have done!!!!

3.1 miles AND a baby shower?

This past weekend marked another action packed adventure for the Farny's (and those wrapped up in our world) To start it off, we stayed home again, for what I believe is the 3rd time this summer!

Saturday morning we had signed up to run our second 5k for the year, adding another 3.1 miles to our race total. Somehow we even convinced our friend Elijah to join the quest with us. Our first race took us through the mountainous region of Giest. Now the second would be along the flatlands of downtown Indy. Although we weren't able to run as we hoped leading up to the race, we knew we would survive given the level conditions.

We awoke early Saturday morning, got dressed, and turned on the TV to check the weather. Apparently my Taylor weather predicting skills haven't quite fully developed yet. Sara was afraid it was going to rain, I told her there was no chance for us to get rained on. Only problem was that the TV disagreed with me. There was a large red blob headed for downtown Indy, just about the time the race was suppose to start. (chalk another one up for the "Taylors") Unsure of whether the race would still happen, we drove downtown anyway to check out the scene.

Upon first arriving, the rain was fairly steady and a lot of people were still headed towards the starting area. (Now mind you, this was a 5k/1 mile 'family fun walk' race. Which translates to A LOT of walkers and A LOT of children in wagons....why wagons?) The crazies outside were a mix of the hard core runners, and the young parents loading their small children into their desired mode of transportation and handing them an umbrella.....since that would be my first instinct. "Here Timmy, why don't you hold this metal umbrella while you sit in your metal stroller while Daddy pushes you through a lighting storm." (I guess I failed to mention we were now experiencing lightning) So being the sensible people we are, we stayed in the truck were it was dry and could watch the crazies.

After 10 mins of waiting, Sara sacrificed her body to head to the front line and find out what was going on. She returned moments later as the race had been called due to weather. It seemed this storm would last for another hour or two, and they wouldn't be able to close off the streets at that time.

So we headed home to prepare for the baby shower.

The shower went extremely well. The day was filled with Sara's famous burgers and ice cream cake, games involving intense baby trivia and baby food tasting, some good quality social time among friends, and of course presents! Unfortunately none for me :(, unless you count the candy we gave out to everyone as a gift. However I was short changed of that as well since Sara ate half of it. O the struggles I have.

Sunday was a little less eventful. I played golf in the morning with a league from work, and Sara read her book on the couch. The afternoon consisted of me changing my oil, and then us relaxing at a friends for a birthday cookout.

Before I leave you, I would like to share my ice cream cake pickup experience. (Remember - this was for a baby shower.) When Elijah and I entered the place of business, the lady brought the cake out and said, "Well, here you go. One cake with ummm...'Happy Birthday Elijah' on it" Not sure if I should laugh, panic, or cry; I took the cake to look at it myself as I responded "....um, yeah. Or maybe 'Congratulations Jackie and Elijah'?" Apparently reading decorative frosting is not a strong suit at........the place w/ two letters in the name.

Last Muffin Bite

This post wraps up my mini muffin bag of 4th of July fun. Don't ask me why I picked the mini muffin theme. We never saw, ate, or even talked about them over the weekend. Basically I had Jim Gaffigan's muffin bit running inside my head, so I decided to use it. Know you know what the voices tell me.

Once arriving at the lake house, we slipped into our swimsuits, and continued to enjoy our relaxing 4th. Most of the day was spent lounging around. But then again what else would you expect from being at the lake.

One annual tradition is the 4th of July boat parade around the lake. Everyone is welcome to participate, and they only requirement is to decorate your boat (and participants) in patriotic garb.




After making our laps and listening to the stimulating cd that Sara's mom had chosen, (just imagine every "4th of July" song you have ever heard. Now cut that number in half and replay it over and over because your cd is broken) we made our way back to shore to start up the bonfire and watch the fireworks. Instead of heading to the nearest town to watch fireworks, we stay on the lake and watch the neighbors compete for the best display. Our location seems to be smack in the middle of some of the big "players" on the lake....which translates to being surrounded by fireworks. We spend part of the time on our lot to make s'mores while watching, then pack up and head out to the middle of the lake to watch what is left. We also continued our glow stick theme, as one of the Taylor pack rats pulled out a box of the remaining glow stick from our wedding. Since they were old, they didn't stay as bright, but we still had fun playing around with them.




The rest of the weekend remained fairly calm. The power stayed on, the storms stayed away, and the weather was near perfect. Saturday morning the guys went golfing after finding a course that wasn't under water. Then later in the afternoon the volleyball net was set up for a little competitive fun. We tried to rope the girls into playing, but that only last a couple games. We were even graced with the presence of the sock lady. This is a certain individual who feels that wearing a tube sock on her arm will aid in archiving great volleyball status. Unfortunately it provides little padding, but does produce some good humor for those around. After the girls left, some of the guys had a little 2-on-2 and 3-on-3 competition. I am not going to say who the overall champion was of the day, but I think everyone knows that I, I mean a certain team, can not be touched.

well, that is all from our end. I hope everyone else enjoyed their 4th as well!

(sorry meg. I couldn't think of anything exciting enough that you did to talk about. Unless I talk about your crazy form when jumping into the lake, and how it looks like your foot is paralyzed after leaving the dock.)

Mini Muffin #2

Bite #2; "Reliving Our Anniversary & The Schultz Family Reunion"

July 2, 2005
It was the perfect day. Clear blue skies, warm summer weather, and a beautiful bride ready to make her way down the isle to get married.

The wedding was near perfect, and reception could not have gone any smoother. It was truly a day to remember. To cap off the day, and send us off on our way, the guest from the wedding surrounded us with blue glow sticks as we danced our last dance and made our way out the building.

.... now fast forward three years

The day wasn't nearly as perfect.....we both started it off having to work. We were able to get out of town early though as we headed up towards Pokagon State Park to join the rest of my mom's side of family for the annual family reunion. During our trek up 69 (that would be 5 out of 7 weekends for those counting) we made a quick stop for dinner in Fort Wayne. Deciding to treat ourselves to something other than fast food, we ate at Casa's, a local Italian restaurant chain in town. (The was also the place we had our rehearsal dinner 3 years and 1 day earlier) With dinner finished, we completed our journey to Pokagon.

This is where the day turned from boring, to happy, to miserable. The closer we got to the exit, the darker the sky became, and the more we began to wonder how soon this monster would open up. We were able to make it into the park without a drop, however the conditions were rapidly deteriorating, and everyone knew that something was about to hit. Quick to her feet, Sara dialed up the Taylor weathermen (see previous posts) and got a full report of the approaching storm. It appeared that this cell stretched across the entire state and was slowly shifting south towards us. The leading edge had already produced flooding, loss of power, and funnel clouds. Luckily, this was already 60 miles past us, so all we had to deal with was wind rain and hail from the tail end. In an eerie movie type setting, the edge finally passed over, and strangely 10 mins later the rain and wind followed. The storm continued for about 45 mins before the entire inn lost power. At the time we were down by the pool watching my cousins swim. The lights flickered and went out, and we didn't think to much of it, I glanced at my watch and noticed it was 9:24, so I knew the pool wasn't closing and was probably a small power outage. I guess I underestimated the definition of small.

The entire inn was without power from 9:24 pm, until 7:00 am the next morning when I woke to the sound of everything coming back on in our room. Not only were we without power, but also water.

The next two hours were spent hanging out with the family as we tried to play card via lanterns supplied by the staff, walking around the inn to observe the madness, and partaking in the free ice cream at 11:30 as the kitchen staff tried to salvage what they could from the freezers.

At one point in the evening, my cousin Dave was coming back to the inn after going back home to pick up his wife. We asked him to swing by wal-mart and pick up some bottled water as the inn was beginning to run out. After arriving, a few brave souls went outside to help unload his car. Thankfully the rain had stopped, but my Uncle Dale and myself were about knocked to our feet as we went to grab some flash lights out of my grandpa's car. All I can remember is walking down the stairs via moon light, only to encounter an extremely bright flash of lighting. The kind that lights up the ENTIRE sky and makes you think....."hey, when did it become day?" Not a second after thinking that exact thought, did a clap of thunder hit so hard that I about lost my balance walking down the steps and had to check my pants for any accidents. With a new found ringing in my ears, I turned around to find my Uncle Dale bracing himself against the rail as he was grabbing his chest. Its not everyday you walk outside in stone cold silence, only to be rudely interrupted with a clap of thunder. He explained that he wasn't sure if we were just struck by lightening, but I knew from my cartoons that since our hair wasn't smoking and standing on end, that we were ok. We quickly gathered up the flashlights from the car and headed back inside as we didn't feel like sticking around the find out if we really could get struck by lightening.

but the day wasn't a total disaster. Amid the chaos, the staff began to pass out glow sticks, so that everyone without flashlights would have some means of light. I guess this has happened before and they magically knew the outage could last for up to 10 hours. It was then that we realized that exactly 3 years ago at that moment, the two of us were surround with glow sticks as we were ready to start our lives together. 3 years later, we were playing with glow sticks all over again.

The next day consisted of the inn recovering from being without power for 9.5 hours, everyone receiving a free breakfast due to the loss of power, a little outdoor exercise, shopping, evening hay ride, grandpa's vesper service, and some good old fashion smore's by the fire.

Come Friday morning we all said our good-byes and parted ways. On our way to the second leg of our weekend journey, we stopped at a local winery to do a little wine tasting and stock up on our supply. We then made the short jog over to the Taylor family lake house were we were welcomed with our next adventure.


Eric's Safety Tips for the week;
1. Always carry glow sticks around. They are inexpensive and provide ample light in an emergency. Plus you never know when you will need to help celebrate our wedding day. Well, actually you should at least know that since its happens once a year, same time, same people.
2.NEVER leave wine you just purchased in a warm vehicle. It "cooks" the wine, which is evident when the corks pushes out of the bottle as the gases expand and try to escape around the sides of the cork.