WHO HAS THE SALT?

December 5, 2017

Well, it had to happen sooner or later.  It is a wonder we went this long without doing it.  You see, we are traveling with salt substitute – our doctors having told us to limit our intake of NaCl.  Food has enough in it naturally, we were told, without adding more, so Bonnie found a salt substitute and put some in a small container which we carried with us from 233. 

This morning, back in our room, after breakfast, she asked me, “Do you have the salt?”  No, I told her, but I thought about picking it up from the table – did you pick it up?  She did not.  So we decided when we went up to the Lido for lunch we would ask if anyone found it and if they kept it for us.  It might have been thrown away, we thought, and with only a couple of more days, we could survive.  But there it was!  Waiting for us on the table where we ate breakfast.  One of the waiters had found it, saved it, and put it out for us.  Good job!  And many thanks!

I did my “Space: The Final Frontier” talk today about the early days of America’s manned space program (with a few Russian touches thrown in – after all, they put up the first satellite, put the first living creature into space, put the first human being into space, put the first woman into space, and on and on).  After introducing the Mercury 7, I tell the story about the Mercury 13.  “The Mercury 13?” you say.  Yup.  Thirteen woman who wanted to become astronauts, but the social morays of the 60s and the attitude of NASA kept them out of space.  It was not until 1983 that Sally Ride became the first woman to fly into outer space, 21 years after Valentina Vladimirovna Tereskova went up in a Vostock capsule.

I always enjoy the comments after this talk (I enjoy the comments after all of my talks) because I’ve never done it that there wasn’t at least one former NASA engineer in the audience, and I get some insight into the early days of our space program.  Two engineers today, and a documentary maker who did the story of the Mercury 13 for PBS (she met and interviewed all of the women).

Well, tomorrow is “Flight 19 and the Legend of the Bermuda Triangle.”  I’ve never met anyone who was a victim of the Bermuda Triangle, but after one talk two people told me they had seen a UFO.  I asked them if they had pictures, and they allowed as how they’d left their camera in the car.  Oh well.

As I suggested last night, this will be the final blog for this cruise.  I know there is one more day at sea and then the private island, but posting this one will use up almost all of the megabytes I have left.  I will have enough to check email and respond, so keep those cards and letters coming in.

And so it is Bon Bon’s turn.

TTFN

Well, here goes my last blog for the trip. Tomorrow and Thursday I will write my tales in my book and we can post them when we get home.

Just a note to Kyle and Cathy, whose blog we haven’t been able to read because of our data supply, how you liking that 30 and 20 degree weather that the Times says Salt Lake City is having.

Well, today started as all my days here on the Veendam. I was awake at 5 and up at 6. He slept on. We did have the alarm set for 7 because of an early talk. We got up, showered, dressed (heard this before haven’t you) and headed to breakfast. They had put out the multi grain cherrioes yesterday and I had decided if they were out today I was having some. They were and I did. They were good. I tried hot chocolate again this morning but it just tastes like dirty water. My beloved asked how I would know what dirty water tasted like. He is so helpful. After consuming our breakfast we headed to the room, he to study and me to collect my kindle and headphones and head outside to walk. The Captain has still not found any smooth water so my walk was a little bumpy but I made it around four times.  It was breezy out but not to cold.

After walking I headed to the theater to get my seat. There was a UNESCO trivia at 10 so I listened to that and learned some stuff. Dad’s talk was good and he stayed around talking for about 20 minutes.

Then, off to lunch. He ate the soup a purred vegetable soup. I had a tuna fish sandwich. It was really good. Then, we headed to the theater to get out seats for the last talk by Dave Russell on the battle for Midway and the end of WWII. It was followed by a show put on by some of the Filipino crew at 3. I have never seen the theater so full. There was standing room only for the crew show. They were good and it was fun to watch.

Then, back to the cabin for a rest before supper. Tonight was formal night so we went to the lido for supper. It was not good. Oh well. They had lobster tails and people were getting 2,3,4 or more. Yuck. I don’t like them. I tried a NY strip steak but it wasn’t good. And why would you put ham chunks in twice baked potatoes. Oh well, the ice cream was good.

The show tonight was the singers and dancers. They did the music from the Beatles up to today. They were very good. It would have been better if the guy sitting beside us didn’t sing all the songs out loud with the singers. Oh well, at least he wasn’t off key.

Well, back in the room. Getting ready for bed and maybe a game of cards.
Love you all. Mom, Granny, Bonnie