A "this is why we cruise Alaska" day. The weather finally broke and the day was filled with mostly sunny skies. We stopped in Sitka and took a 3 hour boat ride, beach walk. We saw some whales!!!! and sea otters and a bald eagle. Jan has some great photos but we can't get them to upload so when we get home we'll put a few up.
The scenery is amazing. We're headed into a fjord soon so I need to get out of here and up to the top deck.
More to come.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Alaskan Cruise, Friday am, August 15
The night ride was much calmer, with a few big rolls from time to time. Woke up to a cloudy morning. As we now head into Sitka the sky seems to be clearing. We can actually see mountains!
A cruise like this is really dependent on weather. Since much of the joy of the cruise is the coastline (and our room is on the right side to see the coast) nice weather is crucial. Nice to finally see some coast rather than grey skies and grey waters.
Stunning scenery!
A cruise like this is really dependent on weather. Since much of the joy of the cruise is the coastline (and our room is on the right side to see the coast) nice weather is crucial. Nice to finally see some coast rather than grey skies and grey waters.
Stunning scenery!
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Alaskan Cruise, Thursday evening, Aug. 14
It's about 6:30 pm our time. We just finished eating and are thinking about settling in for the night.
Turns out last night we were fighting 13 foot waves. The fun lasted until about 2:30 this afternoon. At that point we headed inland to Hubbard Glacier. The weather stayed overcast but the water became quite calm. Though cloudy, the views of the glaciers were magnificent. Nice to see some scenery after grey skies for so long. I guess we've had beautiful mountain ranges out our window the entire time. We just couldn't see them.
We are now headed our first port. The water is a bit choppier compared to Hubbard Glacier but still much better than what we had. Oy!
(We tried to add some pics but apparently our internet connection is not quite up to the task out here at sea.)
Until tomorrow...
Turns out last night we were fighting 13 foot waves. The fun lasted until about 2:30 this afternoon. At that point we headed inland to Hubbard Glacier. The weather stayed overcast but the water became quite calm. Though cloudy, the views of the glaciers were magnificent. Nice to see some scenery after grey skies for so long. I guess we've had beautiful mountain ranges out our window the entire time. We just couldn't see them.
We are now headed our first port. The water is a bit choppier compared to Hubbard Glacier but still much better than what we had. Oy!
(We tried to add some pics but apparently our internet connection is not quite up to the task out here at sea.)
Until tomorrow...
Alaskan Cruise, Thursday am, Aug. 14
I thought I would write up an occasional report on our Alaskan Cruise so that you can live vicariously through us.
Our day began at 2:30 am yesterday. We stayed near the airport due to a 6:20 am flight. We flew about 3 hours to Seattle. Then, after a 1 hour layover, another 3:30 hours to Anchorage. After a 1 hour wait, a 2 1/2 hour scenic bus ride to the ship. A long trip, but it went very smoothly and quickly. The bus ride was pretty amazing.
We are on Regent Seas, a smaller ship that only accommodates 700 passengers. Each room has its own balcony, which is nice. We departed at 6:00 pm Alaska time. It is now 10 am. We have been rockin' and rollin' since the moment we left. While working out this morning (an interesting experience with the ship lunging and bouncing) I asked one of the staff if this was normal. She said that normally she sleeps through the night. Last night the rocking woke her up. So we're having some fun. Thank goodness for Dramamine. (We took the advice of others and started taking it two days before the trip.)
Sitting in the room seems to be the most stable, if stable is even a word in this water. I tried to take in a lecture this morning but the rolling in the theater was way too intense for me. Jan stayed. And she's usually the queasy one on these kinds of waters.
We've been able to eat ok. Just trying to keep our balance (try taking a shower in this stuff!)
So...hopefully we're getting it out of its system.
Doesn't this make you want to cruise? :)
We saw some beautiful stuff early on last night. A big glacier tour awaits us today, weather permitting.
It's quite an adventure!
More to come.
Our day began at 2:30 am yesterday. We stayed near the airport due to a 6:20 am flight. We flew about 3 hours to Seattle. Then, after a 1 hour layover, another 3:30 hours to Anchorage. After a 1 hour wait, a 2 1/2 hour scenic bus ride to the ship. A long trip, but it went very smoothly and quickly. The bus ride was pretty amazing.
We are on Regent Seas, a smaller ship that only accommodates 700 passengers. Each room has its own balcony, which is nice. We departed at 6:00 pm Alaska time. It is now 10 am. We have been rockin' and rollin' since the moment we left. While working out this morning (an interesting experience with the ship lunging and bouncing) I asked one of the staff if this was normal. She said that normally she sleeps through the night. Last night the rocking woke her up. So we're having some fun. Thank goodness for Dramamine. (We took the advice of others and started taking it two days before the trip.)
Sitting in the room seems to be the most stable, if stable is even a word in this water. I tried to take in a lecture this morning but the rolling in the theater was way too intense for me. Jan stayed. And she's usually the queasy one on these kinds of waters.
We've been able to eat ok. Just trying to keep our balance (try taking a shower in this stuff!)
So...hopefully we're getting it out of its system.
Doesn't this make you want to cruise? :)
We saw some beautiful stuff early on last night. A big glacier tour awaits us today, weather permitting.
It's quite an adventure!
More to come.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Airline Nightmare
Before you read this post, make sure you read the one below this--the good news about the great wedding Corey and Alycia celebrated!
Yesterday (Tuesday) Corey and Alycia were to fly from LAX to Tahiti for their honeymoon on Air Tahiti Nui, leaving at around 4:30 pm. They boarded the plane at around 4:10 and then sat at the gate for almost 6 hours! An airline passenger's worst nightmare. The legroom was the smallest Alycia has ever seen in all her years of traveling the world on some pretty poor airlines. Corey is around 6' 4" so he was pretty cramped. Long story short--no real communication. 1 bag of pretzels and a drink during that 6 hours. Next to them sat another Air Tahitit Nui aircraft that they eventually boarded, 7 hours later, for the 8 hour flight. (I could go into a lot of details about the mis-steps of the airline. Suffice it to say they did very little right in handling their passengers.)
I bring this up not to get sympathy for Al and Corey but to share some stuff I learned about passenger rights during those 6 hours.
We don't have a lot of them but there is an organization working hard to get our congress to pass a bill with certain rights for airline travelers. It's being led by a woman named Kate.
I found her organization on the web. www.flyersrights.com I called their hotline number and was instructed to call Kate if stranded on an airplane. Moments later someone from the hotline called me back. Caller ID can be a good thing. She was going to call Kate immediately to get the media out there. This organization is doing what it can to highlight the abuse of passengers rights. Unfortunately Kate was not at home last night but she and I have been exchanging emails. Air Tahiti Nui did several things wrong, even illegal. The challenge is that, as with Al's and Corey's flight, few if any passengers do anything about it. We simply take it. And so the abuse continues. And trust me, it was a form of abuse. Ever felt like a hostage on a plane before?
Kate's group gives great insight into how to calmly yet confidently get your rights when situations like the above happen.
I recommend you put this number in your cell phone and keep it handy for the time when you are the victim of a delay like this. 707-337-0328.
By the way, with the exception of a bag of pretzels, the passengers received no food. And to my knowledge, nothing to make good on the lack of respect they experienced on the tarmac.
We can lovingly, proactively deal with these situations so that we and others are not taken advantage of. Think of it as a way of seeking justice for the shy ones on the plane who will never speak up for their rights.
Yesterday (Tuesday) Corey and Alycia were to fly from LAX to Tahiti for their honeymoon on Air Tahiti Nui, leaving at around 4:30 pm. They boarded the plane at around 4:10 and then sat at the gate for almost 6 hours! An airline passenger's worst nightmare. The legroom was the smallest Alycia has ever seen in all her years of traveling the world on some pretty poor airlines. Corey is around 6' 4" so he was pretty cramped. Long story short--no real communication. 1 bag of pretzels and a drink during that 6 hours. Next to them sat another Air Tahitit Nui aircraft that they eventually boarded, 7 hours later, for the 8 hour flight. (I could go into a lot of details about the mis-steps of the airline. Suffice it to say they did very little right in handling their passengers.)
I bring this up not to get sympathy for Al and Corey but to share some stuff I learned about passenger rights during those 6 hours.
We don't have a lot of them but there is an organization working hard to get our congress to pass a bill with certain rights for airline travelers. It's being led by a woman named Kate.
I found her organization on the web. www.flyersrights.com I called their hotline number and was instructed to call Kate if stranded on an airplane. Moments later someone from the hotline called me back. Caller ID can be a good thing. She was going to call Kate immediately to get the media out there. This organization is doing what it can to highlight the abuse of passengers rights. Unfortunately Kate was not at home last night but she and I have been exchanging emails. Air Tahiti Nui did several things wrong, even illegal. The challenge is that, as with Al's and Corey's flight, few if any passengers do anything about it. We simply take it. And so the abuse continues. And trust me, it was a form of abuse. Ever felt like a hostage on a plane before?
Kate's group gives great insight into how to calmly yet confidently get your rights when situations like the above happen.
I recommend you put this number in your cell phone and keep it handy for the time when you are the victim of a delay like this. 707-337-0328.
By the way, with the exception of a bag of pretzels, the passengers received no food. And to my knowledge, nothing to make good on the lack of respect they experienced on the tarmac.
We can lovingly, proactively deal with these situations so that we and others are not taken advantage of. Think of it as a way of seeking justice for the shy ones on the plane who will never speak up for their rights.
Reflections on the Big Wedding
Jan and I are headed out of town today for an Alaskan Cruise. I promised I would take her on the cruise when she turned 40. She's turned 40 11 times since then but we're finally doing it!
So before we head out a few reflections on the marriage of my daughter Alycia to her now husband, Corey.
Because Alycia was in school in Minneapolis, Jan did the majority of the planning for the wedding and absolutely loved it. And the wedding went without a hitch, almost.
Around 5:45 am Saturday, as Alycia was heading out to get her hair done (for the 10 am wedding) she yelled that she couldn't find her engagement ring. Long story short, our Beagle, Santi, had taken it. Thankfully, she didn't swallow it (as she did a year ago with one of Jan's diamond stud earrings!). She just laid it down at her feet and waited for us to acknowledge what a good girl she was for "finding" the ring.
It was an outdoor wedding and turned out to be even warmer than we had expected. The mornings leading up to Saturday had been fairly mild at 10 am (mild for Phoenix). But the wedding staff did a great job of getting 90% of the guests in shade and everyone was given a fan.
My son and I played some fooseball while pics were being taken and at one point had a laughing fit that left us in tears. In the end, it got some good emotion out of me so that I was able to lead the ceremony just fine.
Alycia was absolutely radiant, wearing her mom's wedding dress with a few touches of her grandma's wedding dress mixed in. Corey looked fantastic, as well.
As a surprise to my dad, I asked him just before the wedding if he would walk Alycia down the stairs to the start of the aisle where Jan and I would then walk her up front. It was a nice moment for him. Alycia didn't know that Jan would also walk her down the aisle. Because of Alycia's passion for women's rights, she decided not to have me give her away. While she loves the tradition, she wanted that day, as an act of solidarity with women who are treated like property to be sold or given away, to not have me do the traditional dad thing. So I had Corey's siblings give him away, instead.
It was such a privilege to perform the ceremony. Though a bit warm, it was a moving, fun, touching ceremony. During the unity sand Amber, our daughter in law, sang a song from West Side Story. Our son, Mike, ended it with a quick surprise solo of "My love opens the door..." Very unexpected. Very Mike. Very funny.
The only time when I felt I would lose it was during the opening prayer as I gave thanks for all who had shaped the lives of Corey and Alycia. I thought of my mom. Earlier dad had said this was the one wedding mom wanted to see as Alycia was the first grandchild.
The reception was great fun. Various stations with amazing brunch type food. And a big band provided the music. Corey and Alycia learned a dance to "In the Mood." Wow. Words can't describe the next dance as I dazzled people with my lack of fancy footwork during the dad/daughter, son/mother dance. Alycia and Corey did their best to ensure that the wedding was a "green" as possible, using bio-degradable plates and providing recycle bins for plastics.
It was so fun to see Alycia and Corey so happy.
Surprisingly, to me, it was on Monday that the emotions set in. Thinking about my daughter now married. The relationship will be different from now on.
Saturday was a good day. (If I get a free moment I'll try to add a pic or two.)
(On Sunday, just before we were to head out to church, Jan discovered that Santi the Beagle had somehow gotten a bag of brownies and eaten around 10 of them. A quick call to the vet and we forced Santi to throw up! Pleasant stuff. Jan had to miss church on Sunday to stay with Santi. She was a bit out of it (Santi, not Jan) for most of the day but she's back to her normal lovable, naughty self. (Perhaps not ironically, the sermon I preached that day was on Hell! We were in it for a few moments with our dog.)
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
My Daughter and I
I wrote the following today for a local newspaper. So I thought I'd post it on my blog as well.
This weekend (August 9) my daughter is getting married. I have the privilege of walking my daughter down the aisle, paying for the wedding!, and, because I’m a pastor, I also get to perform the wedding ceremony.
Thankfully, we are thrilled with her husband-to-be. He’s a tall, Minnesota boy (who has a job!) who’s a perfect partner for our daughter. Since the day Alycia was born my wife and I have prayed regularly that God would bless Alycia with a good life partner. And God has answered those prayers.
Alycia is our first-born. I’m a first-born. So the two of us have had a very special relationship. We’re both driven. We’re both headstrong. We’re both opinionated. We argue fiercely and love each other just as passionately. The challenge for Alycia is that my opinions are always right!
Usually a dad hopes he’s passed along some important life insights to his kids. But in the case of Alycia, I think I’ve learned more from her than she from me.
Alycia discovered her passion in life just before college. In searching for where she’d attend college she found Richmond University—an American University in London. She headed overseas (to the delight and sadness of her dad) to study human rights—with a particular focus on women’s rights. Because I’ve done some writing in my life, Alycia always asked me to edit her papers. It proved to be life changing for me as her papers introduced me to a world I knew existed but never paid much attention to—a world of abuse, trafficking, injustice, poverty, and heartache. (And, I must add, a world of beauty and goodness and hope!)
In her Senior year of college she headed off on her own to Rwanda to study the effects of the 1994 genocide on women. She had no contacts there. She simply went hoping for the best. I was a nervous wreck! To be honest, I had no real knowledge of Rwanda or the genocide. But in editing her paper on her experience later on I felt a stirring in my heart—a call to somehow in someway support the Rwandans as they tried to put their country together. That led to a trip to Rwanda with my daughter, in 2005, the first of 3 so far. And it leads to an active partnership with the Rwandan Lutheran Church and our congregation.
Her understanding of our broken world continues to stretch me.
Because of her I try to watch the BBC World News broadcast each day to keep up on the world. Because of her I’ve become far more sensitive to the pain of the world and how I and my congregation might make a difference. She’s even forced me to rethink many of my political views! Most importantly, she’s helped make me a better pastor in opening my eyes to a grace-hungry world.
She has one year left of law school, pursuing her dream to become a human rights lawyer. Then—she’s off to change the world in some small or big way.
But she’s already been changing it. She’s changed my life since the moment she was born. She’s had a profound impact on my ministry and the mission of our congregation though she may not know it. The Lutheran Church in Rwanda has been blessed and supported significantly because of her passion for that country. And now she has the chance to join with her soul mate to continue to impact the hurting world around her by fighting for justice and bringing grace to the world.
I’m not sad in the least that she is leaving home to get married since she left home 10 years ago. I am, however, deeply grateful for the chance to watch this amazing woman begin a new chapter in her life, and to thank her for the impact she’s had on my life by “marrying” her and her fiancé—tying the knot as tightly as I can!
This weekend (August 9) my daughter is getting married. I have the privilege of walking my daughter down the aisle, paying for the wedding!, and, because I’m a pastor, I also get to perform the wedding ceremony.
Thankfully, we are thrilled with her husband-to-be. He’s a tall, Minnesota boy (who has a job!) who’s a perfect partner for our daughter. Since the day Alycia was born my wife and I have prayed regularly that God would bless Alycia with a good life partner. And God has answered those prayers.
Alycia is our first-born. I’m a first-born. So the two of us have had a very special relationship. We’re both driven. We’re both headstrong. We’re both opinionated. We argue fiercely and love each other just as passionately. The challenge for Alycia is that my opinions are always right!
Usually a dad hopes he’s passed along some important life insights to his kids. But in the case of Alycia, I think I’ve learned more from her than she from me.
Alycia discovered her passion in life just before college. In searching for where she’d attend college she found Richmond University—an American University in London. She headed overseas (to the delight and sadness of her dad) to study human rights—with a particular focus on women’s rights. Because I’ve done some writing in my life, Alycia always asked me to edit her papers. It proved to be life changing for me as her papers introduced me to a world I knew existed but never paid much attention to—a world of abuse, trafficking, injustice, poverty, and heartache. (And, I must add, a world of beauty and goodness and hope!)
In her Senior year of college she headed off on her own to Rwanda to study the effects of the 1994 genocide on women. She had no contacts there. She simply went hoping for the best. I was a nervous wreck! To be honest, I had no real knowledge of Rwanda or the genocide. But in editing her paper on her experience later on I felt a stirring in my heart—a call to somehow in someway support the Rwandans as they tried to put their country together. That led to a trip to Rwanda with my daughter, in 2005, the first of 3 so far. And it leads to an active partnership with the Rwandan Lutheran Church and our congregation.
Her understanding of our broken world continues to stretch me.
Because of her I try to watch the BBC World News broadcast each day to keep up on the world. Because of her I’ve become far more sensitive to the pain of the world and how I and my congregation might make a difference. She’s even forced me to rethink many of my political views! Most importantly, she’s helped make me a better pastor in opening my eyes to a grace-hungry world.
She has one year left of law school, pursuing her dream to become a human rights lawyer. Then—she’s off to change the world in some small or big way.
But she’s already been changing it. She’s changed my life since the moment she was born. She’s had a profound impact on my ministry and the mission of our congregation though she may not know it. The Lutheran Church in Rwanda has been blessed and supported significantly because of her passion for that country. And now she has the chance to join with her soul mate to continue to impact the hurting world around her by fighting for justice and bringing grace to the world.
I’m not sad in the least that she is leaving home to get married since she left home 10 years ago. I am, however, deeply grateful for the chance to watch this amazing woman begin a new chapter in her life, and to thank her for the impact she’s had on my life by “marrying” her and her fiancé—tying the knot as tightly as I can!
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