Now, where was I?

Sailing from Nassau. Atlantis in the background.

Now, where was I?

Moved to a new stateroom.  Check.  Lifeboat drill.  Check.

My endeavors for Royal Caribbean today have been sandwiched in between other things today, making me pay attention to the clock.

Worship service was at 8:15, and I was told that a private meeting was going to use the Maha at 9:00, so I told the assembled worshipers that I was going to do something I never do back home at Macedonia UMC – watch the clock.  I explained that there is no possible way to beat the Baptists to Miss Jane’s, since we are 5 miles away and the Baptists are next door, so why watch the clock (all that in Camak, you know, not on board the Explorer of the Sea). 

The technician sent to help me was not a sound tech, so I could not use the CDs for music.  Instead I asked if anyone was a praise and worship leader at their church back home, and got a volunteer who opened us with “To God Be the Glory.”  I preached “Where to Go When Troubles Come,” and Bonnie and I served communion.

A funny note from last week’s communion.  Keith Williams, the cruise director, apologized to me for sending a bottle of Manachevitz (speeling doesn’t count in wine) for communion.  I know almost nothing about wine, but I think the name has Jewish origins, which makes it pretty cool celebrating the death and resurrection of a Jewish carpenter.  The only thing I noticed was a sweet taste – something totally lacking in whatever high priced vintage they sent today.

A lady last week touched me at communion when she said, “I am a recovering alcoholic.  May I receive the wine by faith?”  Absolutely, I assured her.

I had a full house for my 2 p.m. talk today “Space: The Final Frontier.”  After talking about the Mercury 7 and the Mercury 13 – the 7 original astronauts and 13 women who tried to get into the program, a woman came up and told me she had worked at Goddard Space Center and had served as an engineer on two shuttle flights, including STS7 which sent Sally Ride into space (the first American woman to orbit the earth) and she had never heard the story of the Mercury 13.

Bingo was at 3 p.m. and we beat a hasty retreat.

Rocket Garden at KSC

My next talk is Tuesday morning at 9 a.m. as we sail to Nassau.  We have a 2 p.m. docking, so I will do “Democracy in the Bahamas: The Pirate Republic” as we sail in.

Bonnie asked for ketchup.

We always arrive on board without an assigned table for supper, and we always ask for a large table which seats 8 or 10.  We like to meet new folk, and the more at the table, the better chance of having a companionable meal.  So far our table for 10 is populated only by your humble scribe and his beloved wife and Bob and Barbara.  It is not unusual on the first night for folks not to come to the formal second seating being tired from the day’s journey and events, so hopefully more folk will show up tonight.

The sea has been rough today, with 8-10 foot waves, so the barf bags are out on all the stair landings.  But we are well.  Bonnie did walk out on the deck to get an ice cream cone and she thought the wind would blow her away.  Fortunately she was not,  because then I’d’ve had to go for ice cream.

And this is Formal Night, so once again we will don our best bib and tucker, and que up to meet the Captain.

Tomorrow in Port Canaveral, and hopefully a posting of these jottings.

Port Canaveral here.  Your intrepid explorers, from Explorer of the Seas, went ashore for 2 hours and 20 minutes.  We visited Ron Jon Surf Shop, walked onto Cocoa Beach (about 15 feet out – did not experience the ocean), bought a box of Q-tips, 3 Mountain Dews (outside of Georgia, they seem never to have heard of Mello Yello) and 3 caffine free Diet Cokes.  And caught the first bus back to the ship.

Next stop Nassau.  We dock at 2 p.m., sail at midnight, so I will try to get some new ramblings from our stop there posted before we leave.

Sorry for the layout mess.  This thing won't put the pictures where I want them.  Oh well.

TTFN.