From the Future

The future is here I promise, not much to say yet it is here though. I will post more later.

As the New Year Approaches

Hello dear readers, how have your holiday's been? Did Santa bring everything you asked for? Were you good or bad? On the night of Christmas I played elf, as you can see by my previous post. We caroled and shared gifts as we had a few drinks, it was pleasant and nice and still a bit bittersweet. The year is almost over, what have you done? Where have you been? Who have you given to and taken from, who have you loved and been loved by? Even more important what will you do differently in the year to come.

6 months ago I was very much unemployed, with a hundred dollars left to my name. I was very lucky with the interview that led me to this job and now here I am. After coming from working 2 jobs a holiday season before that I sometimes still can not believe it. I vowed not to have to repeat being stuck in the rut I was in and I have to thank my family and friends who helped me out in those rough times, weather you put food in my stomach, or a shelter over my head, or simply hung out with me. You have all made for a wonderful life thus far, I cannot wait and I have no guesses what might be coming next. I only know that where my heart is, that place is set. It is with you my parents, my brother and sister in law, my nanny, aunts uncles, family friends... it is with you my lovely metaphorically adoptive polish family, as well as my college and Long Island friends. Now a bit will be with my ship life left behind in different places around the world, spread from NY to Alaska to Cali, to Hawaii, French Polynesia, Australia and New Zealand. You all make this world a wonderful place, thank you.

Alright enough sobbing go eat some great food, drink the best wine you can afford, do things you have never dreamed of and live life while we still have it, from the deepest part of my heart yours Michael / Fynn

Elf on a Counter Photos

A Few Night's Before Christmas (a bedtime story)

On a far away sea a ship sailed and rocked, the seventies party had recently stopped
Liars club was over and the crew held a great feast
but one boy was not hungry not in the least
he was upset, he was preturbed he was feeling somewhat low
so after grabbing a bite he got up to go
he noticed what he felt he was missing,
he was missing his home.

He had been here for months and had been to great places
gone on many adventures and met many intresting faces
but the boy didn't always feel like here he had family
Yes there were some who had gotten quite close but tonight they seemed busy
so he went to his room and he wrote on his blog as he listened to music to get him off of his tissey

The boy wanted to go but he knew he would stay
for the job was still wonderful 99% of the days
It was just in these moments that he wanted a cuddle
or hug or a small chat while walking through the snow
he was at sea in the south, no snow
and noone to cuddle
so he finished his writing and laid down to bed
tommrow will be better, tommrow I will do something new, he said
I will teach my first improv to guests on the ship
i hope they get how to play think and skip
so good night dear readers do not worry or fret
this writer, this boy just needs his rest.

Good night I do hope you all have a good holiday, please hug your family, hold your loved ones close, remember them always that is my toast.

Akaroa

Among Headstones

Akaroa is a small town, unless your coming in on something not much larger then a sail boat then you are not getting in. My first task in my head is to get to the lighthouse that I passed on my way in on the tender boat. My second get into the lighthouse for free, so I flash my crew pass  and in I go. Please if you are ever in Akaroa pay the kind lady who works here it is well worth it I told her I would do my best to send ten people her way who would pay. This lighthouse is small but it a gem. It is only two and half floors but the view from its deck is something else.

After exiting the lighthouse I had planned on going to find an "Artist's Studio" that was another 200 m... I however still have NO clue how far that is so instead I crossed the street attracted by a sign reading... Cemetery. Close by was another sign that said the headstones and monuments were unstable after the earthquake that had struck Christchurch. I think if there is anything I have learned about small towns is they seem to have larger cemeteries. This could be due to the fact that many people leave and wish to be buried back at home, that sounds logical and sentimental.
 Anywho... Some of these headstones are beautiful, some are forgotten and plenty look like toppled chess pieces.
The stones are cracked and mossy. This is the first time I have ever noticed, it does not take long for a head stone to deteriorate. I found one from the early 90's it is very uncared for. I felt sad about this and said my apologies as well as that I would try do my best to remember the poor soul. In my head I justified that it would be alright to take pictures of some of the headstones as long as they had left this earth before the 1980's those ones if they hadn't moved on probably would of liked the attention, if they stuck around that is. I know I wouldn't mind. A sign pointed me into the woods down a trail towards other cemeteries. I followed. This path was not used often. I did get lost for a short bit and slightly regretted my risk taking but the lostness payed off with another great view. Then I found my way back to the R.C. and Dessenters cemeteries. Less toppled stones here. Although This cemetery was on a hill and I got a little bit of a feeling that the ones at the top might have paid more to either get a better view or be closer to the sky... that was just a passing thought. I did find out in this graveyard there were three Elizabeth headstones very close surrounded by ivy and growth from the woods, beautiful but still a little sad. I will stop talking about cemeteries now I promise, unless I find another one, but to be honest I don't look for them.

A great reason I will be happyy to work here

I just got to workshop out how my first improv class on board will work so now the class will be put on the daily schedule, that is right now I can be a "paid improver". Mini goal achieved, status unlocked, theatre major degree so worth the student loans. That is right Mom and Dad I am kind of an actor, woot woot.  First I teach a basics warm up and line games class maybe I can work up to teaching Herald. The more I teach the more I learn, the more I will understand how to see things from an unusual perspective for me.

Writing

I have been writing a bit lately in my spare time trying to expand the next story I wish to publish "The Knights' Wishing Well." Once a story that was no longer then five pages now it is verging on the fifty page mark. Morally I am struggling on it because I keep putting one of my characters through so much that I don't know if he would make it and then he pulls through, guess that is what makes him a hero. I know I read once "Writers must be sadistic people, they like to put others in horrible situations, they must also be optimists cause they hope if their character can't make it that someone else will, or that it will change the world enough for the characters death to have a meaning." Something along those lines has been reverberating around my skull for the last two days.

Why Christmas music just is NOT the same...

Well it is eighty degrees in Akaroa NZ, I am walking around the ship as White Christmas plays in the background, then Baby it's cold outside, etc etc and suddenly I realize what most Aussie's and Kiwi's know as December is supremely warm weather, this should have dawned on me a while ago but it just never actually clicked. I asked an Aussie if they ever had a white Christmas they said no but once they turned the a.c. all the way up and lit the fireplace... Christmas in Florida kinda sorta... that is what I thought of.