A few days in the city . . . LION KING!!!

Some pictures from the trip:
Mr. Bear chillin' on the bed, the courtyard, Kenny getting his teeth whitened, the bathroom at the hotel - fancy - Kenny relaxing at the airport, some of my "office loot" that I brought home - colored staples!, "the loot" before it gets packed, me - oh so tired, Kenny and I at the Lion King

What a fun and busy few days in Anchorage. It was nice to see and feel the energy of a city again, but it is really nice to be back on Douglas Island in the peace and quiet, separated from the rest of the world.

Thursday

We departed Juneau on Thurday at 12:48. I do not like to fly, but I felt safe going with my flying buddy. That is until he went pale and stopped talking when we hit turbulents! Then the truth came out, he didn't like to fly either - so much for feeling safe!

After we arrived in Anchorage, rented a car, and checked into our hotel - which was very nice, we headed out for the first bit of shopping. The first stop - Target! Wow, it was so fun to be back at Target, I just love that store. It was fun to look up and down every isle. There was so much fun Halloween stuff. That was the first hint to me that it is so good that I live some place where there aren't many places to shop or I would buy the store out! There are many things that I wish I would have looked for there, but it is the place that I spent the most, so I did just fine. Next we went to Kohls. That was fun to look around again. I didn't buy too much here, just looked around. After shopping we spotted a Wendys and Kenny, Dorain and Meghan were nice enough to agree to having dinner there. I had a tough time making up my mind what I wanted, but I finally settled on a single combo with a frosty. Mostly I came to that decision because I didn't see the Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger on the menu. When I mentioned that to Kenny he said that it was on the value menu, I just missed it. That's okay though, my single with cheese was yummy! I couldn't finish it all, but I did enjoy what I ate. I got the same freezing cold feeling while eating my frosty - brrr. After dinner we went to see about seeing a movie. First we stopped by the cinema at the mall. Kenny and Dorain looked around, it was neat to observe them checking out the cinema and what they had. We had about an hour to wait before the next show, so Kenny asked where the 3-D theater was and we went to check it out. There we decided to see Love Happens. We got some snacks, I liked to bulk candy - I got sour, gummy stuff and went in to watch the movie. I had forgotten all about stadium seating in theaters. The seats we big and cushy and if you were on a date, the arms raise up and you could snuggle. I know, we are so out of date. After the movie, which I must admit I almost fell asleep - I was tired, we headed back to our hotel and I crashed - oh so sleepy.

Friday

On Friday I didn't wake up until 8am. That was nice, the bed was fluffy and warm and I slept like a baby. We ate breakfast at the hotel. It was the biggest and best continental breakfast I have ever had. There was: cereal, oatmeal, biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs, sausage, oj, ice water, tomato juice, two waffle makers - one with four mini waffles and one large waffle, strawberries, watermelon, muffins, bagels, bread for toast, english muffins, jellys, jams, butter and syrup. There was a crazy amount of food.

After breakfast we headed to Diamond Mall. The plan for the day was to shop at Diamond Mall, then have a nice dinner before the Lion King. First stop at the Mall, Old Navy, love that place. Not many places you can go, buy 13 items and spend $136. Next was the Gap, checked out Forever 21. The largest store they own. It was crazy big. I have never been in one, it had so much stuff in it. W had Arbys for lunch, I got to go to a Hallmark store with a card collection, that was like running into an old friend, had a cupcake cookie at Mrs. Fields and just walked around window shopping. After shopping we went back to the hotel for a bit of a rest and to get ready for dinner and the Lion King. I spent my time packing my suitcase and being thankful that I packed an extra bag, but wishing that I had brought the largest suitcase we own.

For dinner we went to O'Sullivans. I do believe that it was the nicest, classiest restaurant that I have ever to. The service and food were both excellent. They had a Lion King special, which we all ordered. The fillet I had melted in my mouth - it was the best steak that I ever had! I felt guilty that Bob wasn't there to enjoy it with me. The salad, green beans, sauteed mushrooms and cheesecake were all exceptional. What a treat. After dinner we went to the show.

I don't even know how to explain the Lion King, it took my breath away. The voices, colors, scenery, music, all of it stimulated all of the five senses. It was stunning. The opening act I realized that my mouth was gaping open and I had my hand at my heart, just taking it all in. It was incredible. If I could see it again, I most certainly would, again and again.

After the play we made a quick stop at Walmart. I did not make a purchase, it was hard enough to just be in that store - evil Walmart.

Saturday

On Saturday I actually slept until 9am! Woohoo - that was nice. We had the yummy, yummy breakfast again, checked out and headed to Borders. I could have spent all day in there. It was nice to wander around, drinking coffee and smelling that new book smell. It was very relaxing. Next stop, the Fifth Street Mall. On the way we made a stop at REI. I had planned to look for many things here, but honestly, there was just too much to look at, I believe that I was shopped out. I guess I will be looking for things online or waiting until we go to MI. The mall was pretty crazy, four stories, elevators, escalators, glass roofs, skywalks, it was a neat place. We shopped around, had a lemonade at Hot Dog on a Stick, a hot pretzel, went into Nostrums and observed a bit of a shopping frenzy, who has that kind of money. Oh yeah, maybe a bit of PFD pre-spending.

Kenny was on the hunt for shoes so since we were done at the mall, he suggested we go find a store called The Walking Shoe. Well, that was a fantastic suggestion! I found the sweetest shoes! They are so cool, I'll have to post a pic soon. After shoe shopping it was close enough to being time to head to the airport.

A bit more browsing, a bit to eat, meet some dude who packed it up to move to JNU - connected with a chic who helped him find a place, I refused to spend $8.99 for 12 Dramamine (Kenny said later he would have paid), went to board the plane a half an hour before departure and found out they were only waiting for six more people to board - we were four of the six. It was an uneventful flight home, but I still hate it! I always feel like I am going to plummet to my death.

I thought that we arrived in JNU at 9:48 pm and Bob was to pick me up at 10pm. I was a bit off and thank goodness Bob was home.

Thus ends the trip to Anchorage. It's Sunday, I have unpacked, handed out the few treats for Bob and Steven, spent the day doing laundry and enjoying being home. I do live a blessed life. MJ

Little tidbits:

*Dorain and I booked seats on the same row, both ways, without even talking about it. We found out while we were boarding the plane.

*When sharing a room with a friend it is best to ask about the room layout. Especially the bathroom set up!

*It is a bit of a hoot when people don't know what floor the elevator has stopped at, there are only four floors, it shouldn't be that confusing!

*I wish TSA was on the same page, do I leave my netbook in my carry-on or take it out, depends on which airport you are in . . . confusing!