I like to color....

I was commissioned by a fellow supervisor to make a sign to hang by the letterhead printer reminding my fellow Holland America Line minions that one ream of company letter head costs $63.00. Now with the economy in the crapper we are being asked to conserve. Hey...working in the cruise industry during a time when our main demographic is losing their retirement isn't fun. So we need to cut costs...not jobs. So ease up on the letterhead peeps!

ME

Me today...

nouns: red Wine, Spain, scarves, Queen Anne, Erykah Badu, old soul, lentils, tootsie roll piggie bank, The Fall, CrossFit, seltzer water, shoes, Nieces, soup.

verbs: Smiling, reading, typing, traveling, wearing a foxy black peacoat, cooking, eating, listening to music, scowling, talking.

My Brother cut all his hair off!!

BEFORE: (most recent pics I have with the length of his hair!)

Pulled back in a ponytail here.

Ok so yah...my brother looks ridiculous. I loved his long hair but he was starting to look quite sketchy. I had a feeling he was just going to randomly cut it all off. He needs a change....and the new buzz cut pays homage to his freshman year at Gonzaga. He had the same haircut and that was when it all began. He needed a change!

Whatcha think??

Sometimes you need a reason to go for a walk...

One of the many reasons why I am very proud to work for Holland America Line is how much time, money and resources the company gives back to the community. And when I say community….essentially I mean anywhere we cruise. We may donate food and beds to orphanages in the Caribbean or donate funds to the Seattle Children’s theater in Seattle. All I know is that Holland America Line goes to many lengths to give back…and I think it’s rad!
We started something called “On Deck for the Cure” and it has proven to be a one of a kind event in the Cruise Industry. Our ships have partnered with the Susan G. Komen breast cancer foundation to raise money for a cure. We created a 5k walk that is held on every single one of our ships on every single cruise (over 500) that year. Guests can pay $15 and will receive an “On Deck for the Cure” T-Shirt, pink wristband and enjoy a pink lemonade party afterwards. The 5k walk equals out to about 12 laps around the ship. Holland America is the only cruise line that has a teak deck that goes all the around….you can take one continuous lap. The other lines don’t have decks that go all the way around. The guests start the walk in the morning….usually on a sea day (Where the ship won’t be docking in a port) and then enjoy the festivities afterwards. We have been doing it for 2 years and have already exceeded one million dollars! Yeah buddy!

Well….today in the office was our land-based version of “On Deck for the Cure”. $15…T-Shirt, Bracelet AND a balloon. Tight. About 51% of my department signed up to do it. See Pic below.

My work is right on the ship canal that connects the sound to Lake Union. We have this incredible trail that follows the canal that we walked. Pretty awesome! *Luz, you would have LOVED it! Fall leaves GALOR!!*

See pics of our nuttiness below.

I was pretty pumped to get a balloon!

It’s blurry…but look at the color of that scarf! LOL! I was pumped to get the walk started….so I kicked it off with a sweet race walker impersonation. This is an action shot!

I love how Ena decided the balloon would better accentuate her outfit if worn as a belt. She was right

We took a break on the canal to take more pic

Inappropriate! Someone call Human Resources!

You see the big pumpkin? Yeah I know…..I look fierce. Don’t hate!

Ok….so I made it my mission to make everyone laugh the entire walk. This was me after explaining my theory that all boy bands are sent to a special school to learn the official “boy band hand gestures while singing passionately”. I nailed it!

We came across these hurdles and….

Reflection

5k walks make you tired….

All in the name to save the boobies!

The Train to Paris

I don't like France. French people do not like me (because I am American) so in return...I decided their country sucks. I was really excited to see Paris....but only had a limited time frame to do it in since the Ship docked in Le Havre which is a 2 hour train ride away from Paris.

Long story short....the guy handling the purchasing and printing of train tickets screwed me and my friend Sereana over. Basically...his disgust for my nationality made us miss the train by a minute. We had to wait another hour for the next train. So that basically gave us about 2 hours in Paris before we had to be on the train back. Paris is big....and 2 hours is not a lot of time.

Sereana was my partner in crime in Europe. She was a personal trainer onboard. She is Fijian but makes her home in Australia. She is one of the FUNNIEST people I have ever met. Oh Lord....she made me laugh so hard. We ended up SPRINTING through Paris. Down the Champs Elysee to the Louvre, taking pics along the way. Then sprinted through the most ridiculous metro system on the planet to the Eifle Tower. More pics. More sprinting. Back to the train we went. So Paris wasn't very fun...it was more of a good workout. I have to go back and take the time to enjoy it.

Memories from the High Seas!

I miss ship life. I’ve got the itch to go out on a cruise again. But I don’t think work will be sending me out anytime soon. They say it is because I am too valuable here in the office to lose me for a few weeks to work onboard. Right….or maybe it’s just the economy. Anyways….I still got the cruise ship ‘itis. I was looking through some of my pictures from previous travels and that only intensified my wanderlust. I thought I would post a few of my memories…

Oh how I long for the Black and White balls onboard where you are forced to get dressed up in a formal gown (BTW- I don't mind being forced to look foxy!) They give the officers free drinks. The reason for this is because the officers have to dance with all the old ladies onboard for a couple of hours. Then the party moves upstairs to the Crow’s Nest. That’s when it gets crazy. Dutch officers + Free Drinks = WHOAH!

This is Timmy....my cutie pie catholic Art Auctioneer. I met him in the Caribbean and then ran into him as he was getting off the ship in Venice a few months after. RANDOM!


This is Geno. I LOVE Geno. We still keep in touch. I remember he was super hot and sweaty (sorry G if you are reading this. You still smelled good so no worries!) yet couldn’t take his coat and tie off because he was technically working. He had to dance with the passengers in the Crow’s Nest.

Ah yes...days at Sea. Where there is no land in sight. The sun is out…the wind is rushing past. And all you can think about is… “If we go down we are skeee-rewed!” LOL!

My boy, Leannert…who was an Engineer Intern onboard. Very cute and hails from the Netherlands. I mention that he is cute because the majority of Dutch men are NOT attractive. Which is a shame because they are quite tall! He happens to be an exception! He and I also still talk every once in awhile. He was my dance partner in the Officer’s Bar. I like to convince people to break out into random dance parties. He was totally down with that.

Oh the random trio of hooligans who ‘Kidnapped’ me from Mt. Roberts in Ketchikan and escorted me to a very random house party being held to celebrate the return of 8 park rangers from a 3 month stint studying BIRDS in the “middle on nowhere close to civilization, Alaska”! Let me tell….this is one of the most RANDOM albeit HILARIOUS days of my life. This is what happens when you have 8 hours to kill in a port. You can go ride a tram to the top of a mountain and eat two buckets of fresh crab. And then be kidnapped on the tram ride down. Oh man……………completely ridiculous. Alaskans are very fun, very cool peeps. Shout out to AK!

More to come later......EUROPE STORIES!

I was a pumpkin carvin fool....

Grandma, Brady, Estee and the girls...

Uh for some reason I thought it would be fun to wear orange to a pumpkin patch. LOL...hmmm.

Me and my Shae bug...

Me and the chitlens at the pumpkin patch. Treshon had about enough of the picture taking.

Weekend in Spokane

So I went home to Spokane this past weekend. My friend, Brandon and Sami, were headed over that way to do some work on a house he owns over there. Sweet…..that means I didn’t have to drive. Cheaper…and I could just chill in the back seat. Niiiiiiiiiice. I talked my cousin Brady into going with me. Of course Nike (my Weiner Schnitzel Extraordinaire) tagged along. She was going bonkers when I was packing my bag to go…as usual. She hates when I leave her behind. She is sort of schitzo and is super attached to me so she stresses out thinking I am abandoning her for life every time I pack my suitcase! LOL it is sort of funny, yet sad, to watch.
Anyways….Much to my surprise and delight I found out that my Grandma and 2 cousins were going to be in town as well. Awesome. I haven’t seen my G-Ma in over a year….and she is getting up there in age so every visit is precious!
We went up to Green Bluff to enjoy the autumn harvest and pick pumpkins. Green Bluff is a community of farms and orchards about 20 mins north of my parent’s house in Spokane. It’s amazing up there. I love each season and the bounty it brings. Peaches, strawberries, potatoes, apples, etc…all you pick. It is so fun to be able to climb up on a ladder and pick ripe peaches right off the tree. It’s the simple things in life that bring me joy. So it was packed up there…people everywhere. That had food vendor booths set up (I had some delish BBQ) and a band playing and corn mazes and hay rides and all that fun stuff. Oh and of course don’t forget the pumpkin patch. It was so much fun to watch my niece and nephew pick out their pumpkins (They each got 2! SPOLIED!). There were so many young kids there trying to pick up these enormous pumpkins…hilarious to watch them try so hard to pick up 15 lb pumpkins. He He!
After picking out our pumpkins we went back to my sister’s place to carve them. I was talking a lot of crap about how awesome my pumpkin was going to be compared to everyone else’s. Hey, what can I say….everything is a competition on the Morrison household. The rest of my family cheated by using the patterns that help you carve out a design. That’s CRAP I say! It’s no fun using someone else’s design. I was the only one who went the freehand route. Little did they know that if you mess up once with cutting the design then you don’t have much freedom to change or fix it. That only puts pressure on you. So in the end I ended up finishing my Dad and Sister’s pumpkins. The designs they chose were just a bit too hard for them. Shae and Shon used these Mr. (pirate) and Mrs. (princess) Potato head pieces made for pumpkins for theirs. So cute!
Shaeli, my niece who is 7, always gets excited when her Auntie comes to visit. She always makes sure that I sleep in her room with her. Well…..her room is plastered from floor to ceiling with Hannah Montana gear. Whoa! I am talking sheets, comforter, lamp, and about 11 posters….all Hannah M. GEEZUS! That’s sort of a scary sight to wake up too. AUGH!!! Both Shae and Shon are snugglers when they sleep. They have to be touching you at all times. Shae has this annoying habit of tucking her feet under your side. It’s not very comfortable and no matter how many times you rearrange her in the middle of the night…her toes still find a way to tuck under your rib cage. LOL…so she was sleeping all catawampus (great word, HUH?!) in her bed. Shon will be 2 in February and is starting to expand is vocab. He loves his Poppa and that seems to be his favorite word. He says it in the cutest way. Popaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah?! He loves guys. Brady became his new best friend. He also loves his Sissy and would get upset when Brady and Shae were wrestling around. He thought she was being hurt and would start to freak out. His favorite words are Poppaaaaaaaaaaaaah, Mama, Shae Shae, Touchdown and Woof Woof. (He seems to like to say words twice…) We just need to incorporate “Auntie” into there. I am so happy they now live in Spokane and are close so I can visit often.

So that was the info on the weekend. Just low key chillin with the Fam.

The Sewer Pump Fiasco of 2008

Oy!

What a weekend I had. So my plan was to drive over to Spokane Friday night to see my family. My new baby niece, Addy (er “Midgemo” as this Auntie has nicknamed her. She is one chubba punkin poop. Most of you know about my family and our ridiculous “Morrison language” as well as our weird nicknames!), was going to be in town so I was excited to get to hang with all of my chitlins (code word for 2 nieces and a nephew) that weekend! But God had other plans. So Thursday night I come home and find a little ‘present’ left for me by my Weiner schnitzel, Nike. It’s always a joy to come home to find turds on your carpet. So I pick it up with some TP and toss it in the toilet. *FLUSH* It doesn’t go down….instead the toilet starts to overflow. AHHHH! So I throw down a bunch of towels and was pretty pumped that I was still in my work clothes. It’s nice to wear 4 inch stilettos when you have toilet water all up on your floor. STILTS! Kept me above the water line, folks! Good thing I wasn’t wearing flip flops!

So I run upstairs to borrow the neighbor’s plunger. It’s always fun trying to plungerfy your toilet with turds in it. (Sorry too graphic??) I am plunging and plunging and plunging. Nothing. The water does not go down. With each plunge I can hear water gurgling up through my bathtub drain. Hmmm….that’s odd. So I call my friend Brandon…of whom is a plumber and who I was going to go hang out with to watch the USC vs. Oregon St. football game before the toilet situation started. He said to not use the water….my pipes are probably clogged…and it’s not just a toilet problem. So I call my landlord and they send the maintenance guy out to snake my pipes. I figured he could handle it so I leave to go watch the game. I come back and the maintenance guy is gone….and my living room, kitchen, and laundry room is FLOODED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT THE CRAP!? (Yes that was a deliberate pun….) So I call my landlord and she calls an emergency plumber (it’s after hours by this point). He comes and tries to figure out what is going on. There is a spot in my living room that the floor gets wet every once in awhile. I couldn’t explain it but after everything flooded it seemed that the water was coming from this area. So then the plumber said a pipe may have broken….which would mean I would have to move and the foundation would have to be dug up to fix it. “NOOOOO! I love my apt and location and don’t want to move. Please Lord don’t let it be a busted pipe!”

So while they were working on the situation I head upstairs to hang with the neighbors. Who wants to stand around watching a plumber try to figure out where this gross sewer water is coming from? I call the landlord back and she offers to come help me clean it up…”I will be there in 20 mins with towels”. I laugh. “I hate to break it to ya, sistah, but this is not a towel job. We’re talking an inch of standing water in my living room and laundry room. I need an industrial shop vac stat!” So the maintenance guy is sent back out to suck up all the water. It got most of the standing water out but obviously it wasn’t going to take care of the saturated carpet. (HAHAHA so he sucked up a few unmentionables from my laundry room floor. He was dumping the full vac container in my yard. So when I found a thong in my yard the day after I couldn’t help but laugh my ass of.) The plumber and Ike (maintenance guy) tore up my bathroom. The toilet was off the floor…..mud and what not all over the place. (Segue……so it is embarrassing to have your toilet plug and have to have a plumber come over and deal with the turd issue. The worst part was that the turds weren’t even mine! They were little weenie dog turds. I mean….if he is going to think these are mine then I should have some personal pride and left a big deuce deuce. Do it big I say! Again, too much info?) So Ike comes upstairs and tells us that my sewer pump is broken and the pipes were clogged with various items not to be mentioned. (I gotta draw the line for you boys!) They left my bathroom a disaster…..we could not use the toilets or shower….or water at all. Even the upstairs neighbors had to forego flushing toilets and taking showers. So there were a few moments of peeing outside that night. Just like camping! Nothing is more fun that peeing outside in your yard at 3 in the morning…and then again at 6. Keep in mind my yard does not have any secluded spots to do this. So during the 6am relief I was just waiting for my neighbors across the alley coming out to go to work and see my squatting in my yard like a weirdo. Let’s just say I peed really fast!!

So the next morning a plumber comes to replace my sewer pump….which happens to be located in this odd counter like thing in my living room. So that explains the random leakage under the carpet over there…..it was the pump leaking. So he pulled the baseboards off and cut open the wall to get at the pump. There was mold all behind the baseboard. HEALTHY! So he replaces my pump and ends up being the nicest plumber ever. He looked like John Travolta….”Look Who’s Talking” Travolta. Anyways…he was upset that the previous plumber and maintenance guy left my bathroom such a mess so he helped me clean it up. I ended up giving him a hug when he left and thanked him profusely for all of his help. I don’t think plumbers get hugged enough on the job so he was caught off guard I think! HAHAHA! Some carpet guys came over to suck up some of the water from the carpet and too see what could be done in terms of cleaning. My landlord at first wanted to just have the carpets cleaned but they carpet dudes told her that it absolutely must be replaced! YAHOO! New carpet…….party time! I was not looking forward to having my sewer water soaked carpet cleaned. That is still icky. It pretty much smells like 20 dogs came in my house and pissed all over the place…and then I watered the carpet down with a garden hose. Yumtastic!

So I spent the weekend dealing with that mess. I had to stay home from work on Friday to deal with the crisis and then I couldn’t head to Spokane due to the mess. It was a bummer…..and my niece was very upset that Auntie wasn’t coming. *Tear* *Sniffle* I love my Shae Shae so much (That is my girl!!) and I was upset that I couldn’t make the drive….but maybe I wasn’t supposed to go.

The blessing in all of this is as follows:
1.) No furniture was ruined.
2.) My bedroom did not get flooded….which is good considering I have clothes and shoes all over the floor.
3.) Felicia’s bed is on the floor in my art studio which is part of the kitchen. Luckily nothing of her stuff was flooded either.
4.) It was not a broken pipe. So they got me a new sewer pump and that will take care of the random wet spot. And I don’t have to move. PHEW!
5.) I get new carpet!!! The old carpet was gross to begin with and was a cream color and considering I have a dog who likes to leave me ‘presents’ and I am a clumsy red wine drinker you can imagine the state it was in. I requested dark brown carpet to be put in…except that may bite me in the ass when I step on a Nike doodie that now blends in with the floor. J
6.) This did not happen while I was out of town. I would have hated to have Felicia trying to deal with all of this by herself considering it’s not her house, she doesn’t have my landlords number and she is so busy with rehearsal. Plus she may not have given Mr. Travolta Plumber a hug and that would be a disappointment.

Praise God that I have a landlord who I am good friends with and who was available when I needed her. Praise God that it wasn’t anything worse than a faulty sewer pump. Praise God for new CARPET! And I am thankful for a nice plumber who looked like John Travolta. That’s always fun having a celebrity look alike. (My director at work looks identical to Michael Douglas that it is Eerie. The only difference is that he is very short. Anyone seen that episode of Sex and The City where Samantha gets hit on by this really confident sexy guy in the bar and she agrees to go on a date with him. Then he hops off the bar stool and is so short! LOL he comes up to about chest height! LOL…..that is my Director. It’s always weird to wear heels at work and go talk to him and literally tower over him like I am a freakish NBA player!) It could have been so much worse and He was faithful to me in all of this. You gotta love when His grace is very evident in your life.

So that was my weekend. I should be getting new carpet sometime this week. So for now…..I am just dealing with the rankness of my house!

hey hey It's the first post

So it's the first post. Boo-yah!

It's about time this sister has a blog...so everyone else in cyberspace can follow my uber-interesting life. (I say this with a whole bucket of sarcasm!)

So I have lots to say....just need to type it out.

Stay Tuned!!