Wild Wild Week

My mind is simply too exhausted to go into any interesting and/or eccentric details about this past busy week. But maybe I'll give it a shot anyway.

We believed and trusted we could make the journey to Upper Dewey, but with part of the trail choked in mud and still buried in foot-deep snow, we had to turn back. Of course, what would be a story of hiking be if it doesn't include me falling on my buttox? I indulged in an icy slip-n-slide nine times on our descent, and not a single life lost. King Koopa may have hidden the Princess in another castle, but I live to rescue her another day.

And what Alaskan story is authentic without a tale of a fuel pump that crapped out? Thanks, fuel pump. My car is a 2-ton pollen collector now thanks to you. I shall have my revenge soon.

But the sun shone, and the clouds broke, and I was blessed with a seven-hour tour. I dredged their minds, they struck it rich, they drank their beer and we rode our train. And we had a blast. In fact, all three of my train tours have been superb in their own right. Beautiful scenery, a diverse mix of people, a champagne cork in my eye, what else can you ask for?

The first couple of 4-ship days have gone smoothly. My stomach caught a bad case of the grumpies last night and into today. Indulgence on homemade chocolate chip cookies and doughnuts courtesy of gift ship leftovers. Tales of bears told with none in sight.

Zip lining? Not a problem! I controlled my fear of heights to enjoy a fabulous morning of zip lining with my co-workers. High above, racing from tree to tree, we were Ewoks if only for a moment in time. The finale was a football-length zip line, allowing us to approach speeds of up to 50 mph on the way down to an adrenaline-fueled finish. Some of my zip lining tricks? Doing Liu Kang's bicycle kick and shouting Die Hard quotes as a I raced down.

And most importantly, for the first time in my life, I can proudly say I love my job. It's been a wild wild week, and I look forward to many more.