Half Moon Cay, Bahamas

Holland America has it’s own private island in the Bahamas called Half Moon Cay (pronounced key.) Some of the other cruise companies have their own islands too. The company actually doesn’t own the island. They are leasing it for 99 years from the Bahamas. So it’s still under Bahamian law and everything. I was able to get off for just a quick walk on the beach and it was amazing! The sand felt like satin and the water was so clear and beautiful. And yes those are my big footprints in the sand.

Katie

Photo Contest #3

Here's a shot of the side of the ship at sea with a cool reflection in the windows. You can see some of the life boats below.

Katie

Photo Contest #2

Near St. Thomas in the morning. This was back when I was getting up at 5:30AM because of the schedule the guy before me had. I changed that schedule real quick and now I get up at 10:00AM. So there won’t be any more sunrise photos. These files are a little larger than usual, as per request from Uncle Todd.

Katie

Photo Contest #1

There’s a quarterly photo contest that Holland America has and I need to send them my best picture by the end of the month to get in on this quarter’s contest. They only let you send one picture per quarter, so I have to make it count. I’m going to send a few photos over the next few days so cast your votes and tell me which one you like best. This one was taken at St. Thomas at sunset.

Katie

"dam ships"

I’m starting to get adjusted to my new life on the Zuiderdam. Holland America is owned by Carnival… well Carnival owns just about everything. All the Holland ships are something “dam.” There’s the Amsterdam, Noordam, Westerdam, etc. So they have apparel for sale that says “dam ships.” And the puns never end among the crew. ‘you like working on that other ship?’ ‘well you know, these dam ships are all the same.’ Back when Alpha was still roaming the Caribbean, one of the Carnival ships got stuck in some rough seas. I have some pictures of it. It’s amazing they made it out in one piece. Don’t look at the pictures if you get seasick.

Katie

New Cell Number

I've just done my first bit of training on the ship and I'm getting ready to go out on my own now. I'm still a little nervous, but I know once I get through this first cruise, I'll be fine. The ship is nice. It's really big, just about as big as my last ship. I can go eat up stairs any time I want and the food is good. I've had a whole bowl of strawberries at every meal! I haven't even seen my cabin yet. They put me in a guest entertainer's room with a window while I was training. That was really nice. Well I'm off to the bahamas now...such a hard life. I got a new cell phone, so you can all call and leave me messages and I'll call back when I'm in St. Thomas or Ft. Lauderdale. The number is 828-215-0269.

Katie

Landed in Curacao

I made it to my hotel in Curacao (pronounced cur-a-sow.) I wish I had more time to play here, it's a really nice hotel on the beach, but tomorrow morning I'm joining my new ship.

Katie

Halloween

For a little pre-Halloween festivities, Brie, Rebecca and I decided to dress up and go downtown for a costume contest. I went as Sarah from the movie Labyrinth complete will my David Bowie owl. Rebecca was a medieval alchemist and looked really cool with a black wig. And Brie was a garbage bag. All of our costumes were home made. We didn’t win anything in the costume contest, but Brie got a lot of attention and laughs. She had to have all her drinks with a straw.

Katie

Joining my next ship: Zuiderdam

I have just accepted a contract with Holland America Cruise Lines. I will be broadcast manager on the Zuiderdam. As manager I will get my own room and much better pay then I got at Celebrity. My uniform is pretty much my own clothes as long as they are all black. There isn’t a staff mess, I just get to go up and eat with the guests. On Holland America I will be considered a two stripe officer (no cool officer’s uniform though.) My friend Dave got me the job. He’s on a Holland ship too.

The Zuiderdam does an East Caribbean run for the whole time I’ll be there. I’ll be in Ft. Lauderdale most every Sunday. From there the ship will go to the Bahamas, St. Thomas, Tortola and that’s pretty much it. My contract will be short, only four months. I leave in five days and I will be back by March 4th. Which will be just in time for the Oscar Party. It will also be perfect timing to start working as a photographer.

That’s right, as soon as I get back, I’m going to be working as an associate photographer with Woodward and Rick Photography. They are my favorite photographers in Asheville and I’m so excited about working with them. They can’t start me right away and winter is slow anyway so this contract will be the perfect filler (not to mention an escape from the cold.)

There’s no free internet access for me on the ship and since I will be manager and a first timer at that, I imagine I will be very busy to begin with, but I will of course keep you all updated as much as possible. Well I have to get packing and get everything in order before I ship out, tee hee.

Katie

Walking the Dogs

The weather is getting cooler and the leaves have finally changed a bit. It’s starting to feel and look like fall here. Honey is my sister’s hound dog, but somehow I always seem to be the one taking her on a daily walk in the woods. Not only do I take her, but her friend Bella (our neighbor’s dog) comes over almost everyday at right about the time I take Honey for a walk so now I usually take them both. Our pug, Mae, is old and likes nothing more than to curl up in someone’s lap and be petted, but sometimes I make her get some exercise too.

I’ve attached some nice pictures I got on one of our evening walks. And some walking sticks that I’ve been working on. That pitiful expression in the first picture is the same one I see every afternoon from Honey so that I can’t possibly skip out.

Katie

Chimney Rock

Chimney Rock Park is just a short drive from Asheville. Biltmore Estate Employees can get themselves and family members in for free. So Brie and Rebecca and I set off on a spur of the moment adventure (I’m so sorry I forgot to call you Michael, I will get you next time.)

We stopped by an apple orchard to pickup some fresh apples and pet the animals they had. Then we hiked all over Chimney Rock Park. My favorite is Hickory Nut Falls. It’s over 400 feet of cascading water. You might recognize it as the sight of the final scene in Last of the Mohicans.

Rebecca played in the water a bit and then when it came time to take a group picture she put her icy hands on my neck and Brie’s. That’s why our smiles look more like grimaces. We all had a great day and hope to go back again before winter.

Katie

The House

We have long since finished the major construction on our new house and have been living in it for a while. There are still lots of little things to be finished. Putting in a wood burning stove is my top priority, but we are waiting until we sell the house we were living in before we move forward with any major projects on the new house. So if anyone feels like moving to Asheville, we have a cosy little 3 bedroom house with a full basement on the market. And if you just want to come for a visit, you’re welcome to the nice big new house (sans wood burning stove.) I’ve attached some pictures of the new house we’re living in to temp you.

Katie

Movie Review for Vanity Mirror

My horror movie just got a great review. Check it out at:

http://www.pretty-scary.net/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=339

The woman who wrote the article is also writing a book on female horror film directors and she wants to include me in it.

Katie

Mt. Mitchell

Rebecca and our friend, Brie (yes, sounds just like the cheese, but it’s actually short for Gabrielle) and I drove up to Mt. Mitchell to watch the sunset. After driving for an hour to get to the summit which is one and a quarter miles above sea level and the highest peak in North Carolina, we found ourselves enveloped in a cloud! We had been to Mt. Mitchell before and enjoyed breathtaking scenery, but this time it was just fog and more fog. Attached is a picture of Brie and I threw in a nice scenic shot of the mountains that I got the time before so that you wouldn’t be too put off.

Katie

Rejected

Well this isn’t the exciting news I promised, that’s still to come. I’m waiting on pictures to include with that Chronicle. Rebecca and I just got our rejection letters from the masters program we both applied to. So she’s looking into other degrees for teaching and I’m looking for work as a photographer. I’m still going to finish my manuscript. It’s just too good to abandon. Then I guess I’ll have to find an agent and get it published. I also want to make a feature film out of that story, but we’ll see which comes first. Thanks everyone for your encouragement and support. Too bad that program didn’t see the incredible talent they let go ;P

Katie

The News

I haven’t sent a Chronicle for September because I have been completely boring the entire month long. I am still waiting to hear if I have been accepted to the masters program I applied to. In the meantime I have been working on my manuscript (regardless of weather I am accepted to the program, I plan on finishing this novel, getting it published, adapting it for the screen and making my first feature with it.) So I’ve been mainly writing. I’ve also been putting together a photography portfolio of large prints. And that’s boring to write about, but look I just did :)

Rebecca is looking into taking her GRE so that she can get a job teaching (can’t be a Biltmore Estate house host forever.) The old house is on the market! I have also been helping to get the old house ready. Mom and dad have put a lot of work into repainting and fixing it up.

And that’s where things stand now. I’ll have more exciting news later, so stay tuned.

Katie

A Note From Katie

Unfortunately the lack of posts here is not because I have been too busy, but because I have been completely boring this month and didn’t send out any Chronicles. Next month I have a few adventures and I also explain my lack of posts in September. So please proceed to October.

Katie

More Cabin

We've had a full house at the cabin. In addition to Jessica, her boyfriend Jose Miguel came for the weekend as did Kristin, Rebecca’s friend from school. We all had a blast. Miguel learned to shoot a bow and arrow, we cooked dinner one night, we’ve been riding Papa’s four-wheeler, and of course playing lots of Canasta. I even got around to doing some writing. Jessica, Kristin, and Miguel have all gone now, and it's finally time for Rebecca and I to go too. Time really has gone by too fast.

Katie

Blackberry Picking

The other day we went blackberry picking at a local friend’s farm. Jessica had never been before and she didn’t believe us when we told her to get out and start picking blackberries on the side of a dirt road in the middle of nowhere. We suspect Rebecca ate far more than she picked. Grama made a delicious blackberry pie for dessert that night, sorry there are no pictures of that, but we ate it too fast.

Katie

At the Cabin

Our cousin Jessica (the J in JKR Productions, for those of you who don’t know) is visiting for a few days with Rebecca and I at the cabin. We’ve been watercolor painting and swimming in the creek and just having a grand time in general.

Katie