Cruisin'!

We are back to zero temps here in Alaska. Ordinarily I would complain and hole up under my electric blanket for the day, but I have a reason to get out of bed today! My suitcase is packed, my spending money is in my pocket and I'm heading for a warmer climate! Yes, Tom and I are going to be cruisin' for the next ten days. Sea, sand and sunshine are on the agenda and I'm voting "YES!"

Tom, unbeknownst to me, has been saving and planning a Mexican cruise for a couple of years now. I can see the signs now that I look back. My jealous rages when a friend got to go to Hawaii caused him to snicker behind his newspaper, my complaints about gaining at weight instead of losing causing him to grimace when he thought I wasn't looking. Yes, all the signs were there, I just never thought I would see the day. But at last, it has arrived!

We are keeping a close eye on Mount Redoubt today. If she decides to blow her top and the wind is blowing in the right direction, our cruisin' plans could be put on hold. We have been holding prayer vigils that she would calm down and let us get to Seattle before the excitement begins. After that...let her blow! I've been here during one volcanic ash event and that was enough to last me a lifetime. There is not a paper mask to be found anywhere (except Tom's garage has a stash), computers are sporting garbage bags and people are stocking up on groceries just in case. Life in Alaska is always a little on edge. My youngest son asked me why we live here when Alaska is daily trying to kill us? Well, in spite of the cold, the ice, and volcanic eruptions, or maybe because of them, Alaska is an exciting place to live!