Thursday, August 27, 2009

Alaska: Season in Review


So with only 3 weeks left in the Alaskan cruise season, I feel like I’ve mentally moved on. But briefly, I want to look back on a successful season and toss out some grades, some awards, and maybe even a tidbit or two. This isn’t going to be organized in anyway, so just deal.

Passengers: D-
Proudly boarding the Rhapsody of the Seas, week after week, were the people that insist on giving Americans a bad name. Overweight, and under-educated, these guests, mainly from Middle America and somewhere past middle age, paid like crazy for their all-you-can-eat vacation, and believe me, they made the most of it. Other words that come to mind: Boorish, Brainless, Obese (Exceptions go out to Emily, Evynne’s Family, Benny’s Family, and basically anyone who came on the ship who happens to be reading this. I’m sure you were in the minority…)

Ports of Call: B-
We’ll put my Alaskan bias aside for a minute and just try and call it straight. There was amazing hiking, a glacier that I basically lived on, decent eats and free wi-fi. Not to mention that the majority of the ports get a bonus for being in the US where I could use my cell. Points deducted for lack of wildlife, lack of intelligence, and Canada.

The Trevor Davis Award for most Embarrassing Moment:
(If you need to know why this award is named after Trevor Davis, I would be happy to explain) No, I want everyone to just know. Basically boils down to a lack of bladder control during a performance of “Company” at USC a few years back; basically, the pinnacle of embarrassment; crowded theater, everyone looking at you, pee.
Anyway…mine’s not that bad comparatively. But here’s the story:
During a rehearsal I decided it would be a good idea to tie a piece of magenta mylar around my head. Other than the color…it was pretty legit. I looked like Johnny from the Cobra Kai in Karate Kid. It was tight. Anyway…it was all gravy until later in the day I took off my headband. The band had stained a pink line right across my forehead. But of course I didn’t find this out until I had walked around Juneau all day long and had made a fool of myself several times along the way. The picture above shows the pink line. Recognize.
(Apologies to Trevor Davis if he’s reading…but I mean…it happened)

Interesting number: 3
When I first told my Uncle Jim that I was going to be working on a cruise ship the first thing he said to me was, “I wonder how many people die on cruises.” I thought it was a really weird thing to say. But so far the answer on my ship is 3. Sad. But true. RIP

Getting Money: A+
Getting paid every two weeks has been a highlight of this cruise. I’m spending it all. But it’s cool making money and then buying toys that I’ve been wanting for a while. Shout out to my new computer, camera, studio rig, and suit.

Saving Money: F
I promise to work harder in the Australian Season.

Overall Grade: B+
Everything in life has its pros and cons. (Take for example the Philadelphia Eagles…get it?) But I feel like this job for me has had the most clearly defined upside and downside of any job I’ve ever done in my life. But I am incredibly happy that I decided to take the journey and am looking forward to the rest of the trip and some sweet new places and some interesting new stories and experiences. But am really excited to come home eventually. Been missing a bunch of you people.

The Payson-Lewis award for best blog:
Paysonlewis.blogspot.com

dpl

Studio Love

It's small, but mighty.

Got my studio set up in my shack of a cabin.

Tunes to follow shortly.

dpl

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Saviors of My Sanity


I'm going to try not to talk about how rad Alaska is in this blog for fear of becoming completely one-note. But just because I'm not going to mention it...don't forget it.

Anyway...

With only 4 weeks left up here in the glorious last frontier (HA!), all of us on the ship are doing our best not to lose our minds before we finally escape to Hawaii and destinations tropical! I just wanted to make a quick shout out to those things which have to this point kept me in the black in my fight against insanity.

1. Seasons 2-4 of Lost
Yeah...shut up. I'm only about 3 or 4 years behind on this stuff. I've still got season 4 to go, But Charlie just sacrificed himself...and it's NOT PENNY'S BOAT. Oh god. (PS. If this show ends with less than 123618726381 plot holes...it will be the most miraculous job of writing of all time)

2. Books
Remember these things? Apparently they were really cool before TV and stuff. And since we only get FOX News and TNT ("We Know Dumpy TV")...Books are back.

3. Badmouthing Alaska
Ok. I couldn't do it. An entire entry with no digs on Alaska...for sure not! So here's what I've got this week:
Because of some nasty weather, my ship had to change up its itinerary this week and we hit up a new port, Ketchican. Trying to make the most of my one and only day ever in, wherever we were, I checked out the famed "Lumberjack" show and took a "Wild"life tour. Unfortunately, when I went to these attractions, they didn't have the convenient quotation marks I have added above.
The "Lumberjack" show was actually really fun. But, these dopes weren't real lumberjacks. They were recent graduates of obviously low caliber colleges, because they came to Ketchican for the entire summer to pretend to be lumberjacks. But like I said, it was actually really hilarious and a bunch of fun. Go here. See it.
Then there was the "Wild"life tour. I saw a nest of Bald Eagles (sitting on a tree next to a house, over a busy street) saw another bald eagle (sitting on a metal gate next to the same busy street) then I saw a bear (right next to a fish hatchery, located on, yup, a busy street). So yeah...I saw some life...but it was about as wild as discovering a racoon in your dumpster. Evidently wild is a relative term here in Alaska. Pictures.

4. Counting down to Hawaii
4 weeks away....4 weeks away...4 weeks away...

5. dpl

Thursday, August 13, 2009

No problem.



Well, another classic example of me dominating Alaska...

Apparently, Alaska is really proud of their salmon fishing. In fact, on a bunch of souvenirs they sell up here touting the "Top 10 Alaska Facts", 2 of the 10 are about their stupid salmon.

I caught one with my bare hand.

I'm starting to wonder if Alaska can really be this bad, or whether I am just utterly unstoppable? haha.

thoughts?
dpl

Friday, August 7, 2009

Proof

Seriously. Come on, Alaska.

Stuff like this makes me want to trade all of Alaska to Canada in exchange for Montreal. USA'd be making out like bandits; Dropping dead weight, Eliminating Sarah Palin from American Politics, and adding the site of one of the most epic new years celebrations in recent history. (mbfl vip fs)

I have 6 more weeks in Alaska. I think the part of those 6 weeks I'm most looking forward to is finding more evidence of Alaska's galactic stupidity and sharing it on this blog.

By the way, if you don't see a problem with that photo, please, do us all a favor, move to Alaska.
dpl

Thursday, August 6, 2009

sup?

Yes, this update is merely to tell you all that I got a haircut.

Don’t complain. When you have a sick blog (like mine), you can start updating people about the mundane details of your life.

So this is the first time I’ve had my hair short in about 8 years. It was time for a change. Also, I didn’t feel like paying for a haircut every month or so to keep my hair out of my eyes (apparently hair in your face isn’t cool with the brass here at Royal Caribbean). So I got it cut off…HA!

Let me know if you love it or hate it.
dpl

Kickin’ it 6th Grade Style

Apparently I didn’t learn anything in 6th grade. Back then our class took a big trip up to Boston to go whale watching. What we were supposed to learn on that trip is that you can see 47839 times more whales by watching “The Voyage of the Mimi” than you ever will by paying out the ass to try and see them in real life. I did not learn that lesson.

The other day I paid to be paraded around the ocean up here in search of the elusive humpback. It was a beautiful day and it was amazing out on the water, but the first three hours felt like an exact replay of that 6th grade trip; no whales. The only difference was that this time I wasn’t trying to make out with Paige Hopewell.

By the end of our 4 hours on the boat, this was the tally:

3.5 Hours of Nothing
3 Snickers Bars
2 Sodas
2 Packs of Almonds
1 Sea Lion
1 Humpback Whale (5 minutes)

So heed my warning: Never pay to go whale watching. Just rent “The Voyage of the Mimi”.

Here are pictures of the lesson learned.
dpl