ET PHONE HOME

April 6, 2017

The pianist tonight closed with a medley from movies.  He started with Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones, and Star Wars, then threw some slow stuff in (Schindler’s List and others) and concluded with ET.  That de de, de de de de de de is stuck in my pea brain.  Hence, the title of tonight’s blog.  De de.  De de de de de de.  It’s a small world after all!

Holland America Line is the only line we sail for that takes our passports, as members of the crew, and holds them (I guess until the last port so we can’t jump ship and stay in one of these paradise stops).  Well, if I am remembering correctly, and there’s a good chance I’m not, they gave our passports back the last time before the first stop.  So "we" went up this morning to get them.  You don’t need a photo i.d. one lady told us.  Since when, "we" inquired.  Well, okay, we’ll make you a copy of your passport.  Tonight the printed agenda for tomorrow said you must take a government issued picture i.d. off.  Back to the front desk.  Yes, your driver’s license will do very well.  Okeydokey.  But always before it’s been passport.  I guess "we" are satisfied.

Two of our dinner table companions were running up charges on their sea pass cards for adult beverages tonight.  Two glasses of wine each.  And two after dinner drinks each, called “B 52s”.  Does that make them B 104s?  And they walked away from the table.

After my 11 a.m. talk today, there was a noon movie, and they passed out bags of popcorn.  Bonnie gathered up two bags, even though we weren’t staying for the movie, and they have become our late evening snacks.  A little cold.  A little stale.  But it’s popcorn.

Tomorrow we dock in Funchal, Madeira.  We were there in December, and enjoyed it very much (we missed Ponta del Gotta because the weather was bad).  This time we are going to walk out to the cable car and ride it up to the Botanical Gardens.  Not sure what else we will do, but it will be a fun day ashore.  The weather is to be in the low 60s, so it’s long sleeve shirt and jacket time.

The internet has been down all day today until somewhere around 5:30 this afternoon.  No problem getting the blog posted last night, nor gathering email, but this morning, zippo.  One of our sober dinner companions said he had gotten on to check his email just before coming to the table.  So, I’ll know in a few minutes.

My companion is not writing tonight, so ...

TTFN!