Wish you were here

Greetings from gorgeous Alaska! Mike and I have been having a fantastic time on the 2011 Stampin’ Up incentive trip, a seven day cruise up the Tracy Arm Fjord. I already have over 200 pictures downloaded to the laptop, and have probably taken 200 more just this morning. Alaska is everything everyone said it would be and more. Just the Sawyer Glacier, all hemmed in with icebergs, was enough to see for one day. As I type this, we are on our way back out of the fjord, an indescribably wild and beautiful place. It is just beyond imagination. Every single window, balcony, deck, rail, holds a view to rival any postcard.

We’ll be in Juneau this afternoon, and Skagway after that, but I have to say, if the cruise ended right this minute, I would not be disappointed! We have seen sea otter, harbor seals, a school of herring, orcas, porpoises, a lone wolf, and lots of eagles. On our Bering Sea crab
fisherman’s expedition yesterday out of Ketchikan, we also saw multiple types of crabs, some wild looking fish, a starfish and even an octopus! We were able to get really close to the glacier this morning, a lucky thing (and a talented ship’s captain), and we even hit a small iceberg (no worries there, although it did strike us as incredibly ironic that the live orchestra during dinner last night played the theme song from Titanic). So it’s already been a trip we’ll never forget.

Mike is a great cruiser, really enjoying the experience, although like me, he loves to get off the boat and explore. We were a little seasick coming out of Seattle on the second morning. It was very windy and pretty rough. Laying down really helped, so we took several catnaps that morning between events and it got a lot calmer in the afternoon. We also
remembered to use our Sea-Bands and those things are awesome. We haven’t been sick since, although it’s mostly been so smooth you have to look out the windows to check and see if you’re moving! Thank goodness we’re not sick, because the food is just amazing. Shelli told us to keep grazing from morning till night and never let your stomach get totally empty. So if I gain weight on this cruise, it’s all her fault. As Mike says, we’ll follow our fearless leader anywhere : )

I know you’re all dying to hear about the Stampin’ Up side of things. I do have in my hot little hands a copy of the next Idea Book & Catalog!!! As well as a package of the 2011-12 In Color cardstock. Gorgeous!!! I can share more about those after June 1^st. We’ll be allowed to distribute the catalogs beginning on June 20^th, if I have that right. Both the catalog and the new colors are a-w-e-s-o-m-e. I am super excited about this next catalog. I know I say this a lot, but I literally want about fifty sets out of this one. I can’t spill the beans AT ALL about what is in it, but think of all the goodies we have NOW and multiply that with even more fantastic-ness and you’ll have an idea of what’s in store!

We are hoping to find a place with free WiFi today and be able to upload a bunch of photos. The internet is EXPENSIVE and intermittent because of the mountains, and we’re on a  limited-minute package, so the updates will mostly be pre-typed in advance and pretty short on photos! But I wanted you all to know Mike and I are having a fantastic time thanks to YOU, my tremendously supportive customer friends. Wish you were here!