Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Me and Billy

This is a picture of me and my friend Billy Vader, better know as Lord Vader on the Princess line. We had someone take this for us in front of the Hubbard Glacier. Billy has been a headline comic for this cruise line for thirty years. He was there when this was the Love Boat and has worked with every body in the business. He has great stories and being that I love to collect stories pick his memory every time we get together.
I don't know if he remembers all the times he has been to Alaska on a ship, hundreds at the least. But each time we come to the Hubbard Glacier he knocks on my door and says only one word "ICE". We share a reverence and awe of that phenomenon. And you have to get to an open deck. It is all about the sound. The white thunder. There is nothing like it. The rumble and growl of the ice as it calves onto the sea. Hubbard moves about five feet a day which makes it one of the more active glaciers up here. It is not a matter of seeing an iceburg fall it is a matter of how spectacular it will be. Like Billy I will never grow tired of watching it. In the last three weeks I have seen it four times, and will see it a total of eight times before this contract is up. It is one of the joys of sailing up here. How lucky can a guy get to be able to see all this splendor while working at the job he really loves?
I know that some tend to see cruise ship entertainment as the bottom of the show biz ladder, I don't get it. For me there is no down side this gig. My room is not a suite at the Four Seasons, but get a load of the view.
As you were,
Jay
www.monkeyjoke.com

3 comments:

Roomie said...

R,
White Thunder, Billy Vader, your Princess contract....what more can you ask for besides Sandi being there with you....you a one lucky dude!But you know that...just a reminder....bottom of ladder...HOGWASH!!!! They're jealous!!!! We're jealous...keep sending those pics....
Carry on,
B&P

Dave Robison said...

Envy and hate...these photos and all the accounts of your recent gig make me still admire you, still give me inspiration and yeah, still envious of you...with a liberal dash of friendly, seething hatred.

Hope you understand.

Dave

Kenny Croes said...

if i had it to do all over again, i'd be auditioning for a spot on a cruise. took one once as a passenger and enjoyed it, including the shows. i think it would be a great adventure to entertain on cruise ships. so glad you're sharing your experiences.