Getting reacquainted...

So, I feel like I've lost touch with many of you over these last 5 months.  I certainly didn't have anything left at the end of the day most days to even cook dinner, take a shower, turn on the tv....no energy for even the smallest things.  So, I definitely didn't have the energy to blog, or even read other people's blogs on a regular basis.

How can my job be THAT draining, you ask?  Well, consider that my quiet little town has about 700 year-round residents.  And then consider that the average cruise ship that calls on Skagway has about 3,000 people on it (approx. 2,000 guests and 1,000 crew).  Now, imagine having at least one of those ships visit EVERY DAY for five months.  Most days there are at least two ships in port and throughout the busiest days of the week (Monday-Thursday) there are 3 to 4 ships in a day.  An additional 10,000 people in town can really wear on a person.

Now, this is the nature of being a tourist town and working for a tourist attraction.  I have made peace with it as much as I can.  But it doesn't make it any less frustrating that I can't go to the post office, grocery store, or restaurant without being bombarded by people and being constantly "on".  You have no idea how much pressure it is to be always aware that you can ruin someone's Alaskan experience just by having a bad day, even if that crankiness is exhibited on your day off.

SO, you can maybe see why after a long grueling 12-14 hour day in the visitor industry that I just didn't have anything left in me for you all.  Which made me incredibly sad most days!

Because of this, I feel like we need to get reacquainted.  The thought of trying to recap the last few months in a long wordy blog post just doesn't sound appealing (for me or for you!), so I thought I'd throw out the top ten things that have happened or I have learned and we'll just leave it at that...okay?

Here goes:

1.  I've become a master at writing blog posts in my head.  And then never sharing them with you!  No offense...just didn't have the energy to type.

2.  Having a windowless office really sucks when we actually have a nice Alaskan summer.  It also sucks in the winter.  Suckage all around.   Note to self: Must purchase SAD lamp.

3.   Having a new niece can make you suddenly dream of knitting frilly ruffly pink things.  Sorry, Adelyn.  You've got some girly stuff headed your way in the coming months.

4.  Knitting can seem like a huge chore when you have to get a sample/design finished even when you don't have time or don't feel like it.  And staying up all night to get it done is no fun.

5.  A good train ride through some of the most amazing country can really lift a mood.

6.  Plants will shrivel up and die if you don't water them for months.  This is why I don't have a pet or a baby.

7.  Class reunions are a pain in the ass to plan from 3,000 miles away, even if it is an unofficial & informal BBQ style gathering.  What was I thinking?

8.  Sleeping really CAN be considered a hobby.

9. Okay, maybe I can think of only 8 things...


Whew.  Okay, all caught up? Good.

Tomorrow I head to Whitehorse, Yukon, for a 3 day conference.  They have a yarn store there. And a grocery store with produce that isn't already rotten.  I'm excited!