December 21, 2018
By popular request, here is the potato joke:
The daughter of a family of potatoes horrified her mother when she announced that she had met the perfect man and was going to marry David Brinkley. Her mother reasoned with her, but the girl would not listen. She demanded, “You must speak to your father. He will be horrified at your choice of husband.”
When the daughter told her father, there were fireworks in the family living room.
“Your great grandfather was julienned during the French Revolution. Your grandfather was scalloped by the Indians. Royal starch flows through your veins. And David Brinkley is just a commentator.”
And with that the blog from Sailing #834, Pacific Princess repositioning cruise comes to a conclusion. We are packing (my companion is obsessive about this – we must get it done now!! – even though it doesn’t have to be out by 11 p.m.) and this computer will soon be in Bonnie’s suitcase.
We will text you once we are in Fort Lauderdale, perhaps as we disembark, but certainly when we pick up the rental car.
See you soon!
Love
Dad – David – Pappy
TTFN
Friday, December 21, 2018
THE POTATO JOKE
December 21, 2018
By popular request, here is the potato joke:
The daughter of a family of potatoes horrified her mother when she announced that she had met the perfect man and was going to marry David Brinkley. Her mother reasoned with her, but the girl would not listen. She demanded, “You must speak to your father. He will be horrified at your choice of husband.”
When the daughter told her father, there were fireworks in the family living room.
“Your great grandfather was julienned during the French Revolution. Your grandfather was scalloped by the Indians. Royal starch flows through your veins. And David Brinkley is just a commentator.”
And with that the blog from Sailing #834, Pacific Princess repositioning cruise comes to a conclusion. We are packing (my companion is obsessive about this – we must get it done now!! – even though it doesn’t have to be out by 11 p.m.) and this computer will soon be in Bonnie’s suitcase.
We will text you once we are in Fort Lauderdale, perhaps as we disembark, but certainly when we pick up the rental car.
See you soon!
Love
Dad – David – Pappy
TTFN
By popular request, here is the potato joke:
The daughter of a family of potatoes horrified her mother when she announced that she had met the perfect man and was going to marry David Brinkley. Her mother reasoned with her, but the girl would not listen. She demanded, “You must speak to your father. He will be horrified at your choice of husband.”
When the daughter told her father, there were fireworks in the family living room.
“Your great grandfather was julienned during the French Revolution. Your grandfather was scalloped by the Indians. Royal starch flows through your veins. And David Brinkley is just a commentator.”
And with that the blog from Sailing #834, Pacific Princess repositioning cruise comes to a conclusion. We are packing (my companion is obsessive about this – we must get it done now!! – even though it doesn’t have to be out by 11 p.m.) and this computer will soon be in Bonnie’s suitcase.
We will text you once we are in Fort Lauderdale, perhaps as we disembark, but certainly when we pick up the rental car.
See you soon!
Love
Dad – David – Pappy
TTFN
APPROACHING THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE
December 20, 2018
That’s right. Sometime tonight or in the morning we will enter the mysterious Bermuda Triangle where planes and ships disappear in the most mysterious circumstances, always when the weather is great, the seas are calm, and there is no mechanical difficulties with the craft. Darn those UFOs! My talk tomorrow is “Flight 19 and the Legend of the Bermuda Triangle.” It’s one of my favorites and usually one of the best attended, although attendance has been great on this cruise for every talk – the Cabaret Lounge has been almost full every day.
Speaking of talks, Neil, our cruise director, told me they were going back out Saturday for a 14 day Caribbean cruise and they didn’t have a destination lecturer. He asked if I could do it. I told him I’d love to do it. Except for two things. We have a cruise booked on Carnival Pride January 6. And more importantly there are 4 kids, 3 kids in law, and 10 grandkids back home, and if we don’t come home for Christmas, we don’t need to go back home (did I say that in an earlier blog – oh well, in case you missed it). He told me today that he had gotten someone and said if that ever came up again, he was going to contact a speaker directly and not fool around with the office. I gave him my card.
One of our table mates, Ted, placed second in the on board Olympics and won a bottle of champagne, which he brought to the table to share. I remember a cruise director saying one time that the reason they gave that champagne as prizes was it tasted so bad they couldn’t sell it.
Other than black bean soup there was nothing interesting on the menu tonight, so I had one of the items that’s always on the menu, Fettuccine Alfredo. And it was tasty. I don’t think I told you, last night at formal night they had escargot. They were served in a garlic sauce and were excellent. I got creme brulee for dessert, but the surface hadn’t been caramelized correctly. Oh well. Good snails. Bad dessert.
Our cabin steward always leaves us two chocolates when he does the evening turn-down. There are several different varieties. Tonight was peppermint patties, small about the size of a quarter, or two quarters since there were two of them. We’ve saved almost all of them to bring back for Tate who loves chockit. But I ate both of these. Sorry Tate, but I know you don’t like peppermint patties.
Okay, I’m through rambling. It’s Bonnie’s turn.
P.S. The internet wouldn’t connect last night. Bermuda Triangle!!
TTFN
I think the Captain has the crew fishing off the stern of the ship because there have been more suppers with fish in them then I remember on any other ship. And you know how much I like fish, NOT! I didn’t want beef again, because I try not to eat too much of it, so I had the chili shrimp tonight. They should have been spicy but they weren’t. And by the way I let him take me to the Pub Lunch today and I had to have fish and chips. This has been a fishy day.
We were a little late getting to breakfast this morning but I still had time to get in my 2+ mile walk before his talk. I didn’t get to listen to my book today because Roberta, from our dinner table, wanted to walk with me and she talks non stop. But she talks nonstop all the time.
After his talk and the pub lunch we stopped by guest services to check our bill. While he was doing that, they had set up easels with paper on them and paints and brushes beside them. You could paint a picture of anything you wanted to paint. So while he was at the desk and then talking to one of his fans, I painted a picture. I signed it “Belle”. They are going to display all the paintings tomorrow and you can have yours after the show. I think I will bring mine home.
Well, tomorrow we have to pack and I have to figure what is the cleanest thing I have that I can wear home. I brought a small foldable bag that I am going to but some stuff in to carry off. We don’t have to worry about weight because we are driving home and not flying. Yeah.
Did he tell you we are going to drive to Baltimore on the 4th of January to go one the next Carnival cruise that leaves on the 6th. They have gotten cranky and won’t pay to fly me any more. So we will drive. We are going to stay a week or so at Kyle’s after we get back from the cruise anyway.
Nothing much exciting happening here. They had a medical emergency earlier today and were looking for someone with O negative blood. Don’t know if they found someone or not.
We are close enough to the Bahamas if we had to make land and then, still would be able to make Ft Lauderdale on time. We are supposed to be getting off the ship sometime around 8.
The clocks go back an hour tonight and then the last hour back tomorrow night. So tomorrow I will only have to add one hour to my watch to know what time it is here. His talk isn’t till 11:30 tomorrow because of the culinary show that is at 10:30. So that will make the lunch late. We, will probably pack most of our stuff after lunch.
Well, I guess I should stop rambling. Love you all. See you in a few days.
Love Mom, Granny and Bonnie
That’s right. Sometime tonight or in the morning we will enter the mysterious Bermuda Triangle where planes and ships disappear in the most mysterious circumstances, always when the weather is great, the seas are calm, and there is no mechanical difficulties with the craft. Darn those UFOs! My talk tomorrow is “Flight 19 and the Legend of the Bermuda Triangle.” It’s one of my favorites and usually one of the best attended, although attendance has been great on this cruise for every talk – the Cabaret Lounge has been almost full every day.
Speaking of talks, Neil, our cruise director, told me they were going back out Saturday for a 14 day Caribbean cruise and they didn’t have a destination lecturer. He asked if I could do it. I told him I’d love to do it. Except for two things. We have a cruise booked on Carnival Pride January 6. And more importantly there are 4 kids, 3 kids in law, and 10 grandkids back home, and if we don’t come home for Christmas, we don’t need to go back home (did I say that in an earlier blog – oh well, in case you missed it). He told me today that he had gotten someone and said if that ever came up again, he was going to contact a speaker directly and not fool around with the office. I gave him my card.
One of our table mates, Ted, placed second in the on board Olympics and won a bottle of champagne, which he brought to the table to share. I remember a cruise director saying one time that the reason they gave that champagne as prizes was it tasted so bad they couldn’t sell it.
Other than black bean soup there was nothing interesting on the menu tonight, so I had one of the items that’s always on the menu, Fettuccine Alfredo. And it was tasty. I don’t think I told you, last night at formal night they had escargot. They were served in a garlic sauce and were excellent. I got creme brulee for dessert, but the surface hadn’t been caramelized correctly. Oh well. Good snails. Bad dessert.
Our cabin steward always leaves us two chocolates when he does the evening turn-down. There are several different varieties. Tonight was peppermint patties, small about the size of a quarter, or two quarters since there were two of them. We’ve saved almost all of them to bring back for Tate who loves chockit. But I ate both of these. Sorry Tate, but I know you don’t like peppermint patties.
Okay, I’m through rambling. It’s Bonnie’s turn.
P.S. The internet wouldn’t connect last night. Bermuda Triangle!!
TTFN
I think the Captain has the crew fishing off the stern of the ship because there have been more suppers with fish in them then I remember on any other ship. And you know how much I like fish, NOT! I didn’t want beef again, because I try not to eat too much of it, so I had the chili shrimp tonight. They should have been spicy but they weren’t. And by the way I let him take me to the Pub Lunch today and I had to have fish and chips. This has been a fishy day.
We were a little late getting to breakfast this morning but I still had time to get in my 2+ mile walk before his talk. I didn’t get to listen to my book today because Roberta, from our dinner table, wanted to walk with me and she talks non stop. But she talks nonstop all the time.
After his talk and the pub lunch we stopped by guest services to check our bill. While he was doing that, they had set up easels with paper on them and paints and brushes beside them. You could paint a picture of anything you wanted to paint. So while he was at the desk and then talking to one of his fans, I painted a picture. I signed it “Belle”. They are going to display all the paintings tomorrow and you can have yours after the show. I think I will bring mine home.
Well, tomorrow we have to pack and I have to figure what is the cleanest thing I have that I can wear home. I brought a small foldable bag that I am going to but some stuff in to carry off. We don’t have to worry about weight because we are driving home and not flying. Yeah.
Did he tell you we are going to drive to Baltimore on the 4th of January to go one the next Carnival cruise that leaves on the 6th. They have gotten cranky and won’t pay to fly me any more. So we will drive. We are going to stay a week or so at Kyle’s after we get back from the cruise anyway.
Nothing much exciting happening here. They had a medical emergency earlier today and were looking for someone with O negative blood. Don’t know if they found someone or not.
We are close enough to the Bahamas if we had to make land and then, still would be able to make Ft Lauderdale on time. We are supposed to be getting off the ship sometime around 8.
The clocks go back an hour tonight and then the last hour back tomorrow night. So tomorrow I will only have to add one hour to my watch to know what time it is here. His talk isn’t till 11:30 tomorrow because of the culinary show that is at 10:30. So that will make the lunch late. We, will probably pack most of our stuff after lunch.
Well, I guess I should stop rambling. Love you all. See you in a few days.
Love Mom, Granny and Bonnie
Wednesday, December 19, 2018
THE GLAD RAGS ARE PUT AWAY
December 19, 2018
Tonight was the last formal night of our cruise, and the tux and other fancy duds are back on hangers awaiting unveiling on the Carnival Pride next month. The singers and dancers did an excellent show called “Bravo” which featured a lot of show tunes and great choreography. It is one of the best cast shows we’ve seen and we’ve seen a lot of good ones.
I have two more talks to give, and that’s good because there are only two more sea days. And it is also good, because I only have two more jokes. One is about the potato wedding and the other is The Hub Cap Joke. We have received our disembarkation instructions and luggage tags, so Friday night we will pack up our stuff and prepare to go to Budget rental and secure a ride for the trip home.
We won no competitions today. A good reason for that is we entered no competitions today. I guess it’s fair that we give others a chance. There is a bean bag toss championship tomorrow, but it is during naptime, so I guess we won’t be in it. I’d like to participate in the horse races or maybe a game of bingo, but on Princess we are not allowed to gamble in direct competition with the full-fare guests.
Well, it’s late. She’s tired and will go blogless for the second night in a row. Up early tomorrow for breakfast and rehearsal.
See you later.
TTFN
Tonight was the last formal night of our cruise, and the tux and other fancy duds are back on hangers awaiting unveiling on the Carnival Pride next month. The singers and dancers did an excellent show called “Bravo” which featured a lot of show tunes and great choreography. It is one of the best cast shows we’ve seen and we’ve seen a lot of good ones.
I have two more talks to give, and that’s good because there are only two more sea days. And it is also good, because I only have two more jokes. One is about the potato wedding and the other is The Hub Cap Joke. We have received our disembarkation instructions and luggage tags, so Friday night we will pack up our stuff and prepare to go to Budget rental and secure a ride for the trip home.
We won no competitions today. A good reason for that is we entered no competitions today. I guess it’s fair that we give others a chance. There is a bean bag toss championship tomorrow, but it is during naptime, so I guess we won’t be in it. I’d like to participate in the horse races or maybe a game of bingo, but on Princess we are not allowed to gamble in direct competition with the full-fare guests.
Well, it’s late. She’s tired and will go blogless for the second night in a row. Up early tomorrow for breakfast and rehearsal.
See you later.
TTFN
Tuesday, December 18, 2018
MINE! ALL MINE!
December 18, 2018
My cruise buddy stayed in the Cabaret Lounge after the comedian’s performance (not your ordinary comedian, kind of strange, but funny, and clean). She wants to watch the evening movie: Mamma Mia – Here We Go Again. We’ve already seen it. We have the BluRay and I have it on Kodi. But she’s up there watching it again. The bad thing is there is no popcorn. The good thing is, the blog is mine! All mine!
Today after lunch we copped a squat on Deck 4 to play some Yahtzee and as we walked by there was a miniature golf hole in one contest going on. Two of our table mates had already played and Ted hollered at me to join as there was a place yet in the tournament. Bonnie went around the other way to our table so she didn’t see the competition. The staff had constructed a small castle with the drawbridge down and you had two shots to get the ball through the door. Make one and move on to the second round. My first shot was one ball width off. My second shot was right in the middle so I got to move to round two. The second challenge was putting a ball – one shot only Vasily – through a Dixie cup that had the bottom out of it. I was the last to shoot and the only one who made it, and I won the competition to thunderous applause. My prize was a Princess water bottle. When Mom won frisbee she won a Princess carry bag, but could have had a water bottle. I think now she is jealous.
The talk schedule is straight now. The cruise director and I met this morning and got the kinks out. “Raise a Glass” tomorrow. “Potatoes” Thursday. “Flight 19 and the Legend of the Bermuda Triangle” Friday. There will be no talk Saturday.
We didn’t get the May cruse from Dublin to Vancouver, so we are planning a Western Road Trip to Carlsbad Caverns, Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Las Vegas (where we have been invited by Jack and Pam to stay with them). I have several offers from Carnival, and we are sorting them out. One of them is Hawaii in 2020.
Well, I’m off to post this and then rehearse. Until tomorrow ...
TTFN
My cruise buddy stayed in the Cabaret Lounge after the comedian’s performance (not your ordinary comedian, kind of strange, but funny, and clean). She wants to watch the evening movie: Mamma Mia – Here We Go Again. We’ve already seen it. We have the BluRay and I have it on Kodi. But she’s up there watching it again. The bad thing is there is no popcorn. The good thing is, the blog is mine! All mine!
Today after lunch we copped a squat on Deck 4 to play some Yahtzee and as we walked by there was a miniature golf hole in one contest going on. Two of our table mates had already played and Ted hollered at me to join as there was a place yet in the tournament. Bonnie went around the other way to our table so she didn’t see the competition. The staff had constructed a small castle with the drawbridge down and you had two shots to get the ball through the door. Make one and move on to the second round. My first shot was one ball width off. My second shot was right in the middle so I got to move to round two. The second challenge was putting a ball – one shot only Vasily – through a Dixie cup that had the bottom out of it. I was the last to shoot and the only one who made it, and I won the competition to thunderous applause. My prize was a Princess water bottle. When Mom won frisbee she won a Princess carry bag, but could have had a water bottle. I think now she is jealous.
The talk schedule is straight now. The cruise director and I met this morning and got the kinks out. “Raise a Glass” tomorrow. “Potatoes” Thursday. “Flight 19 and the Legend of the Bermuda Triangle” Friday. There will be no talk Saturday.
We didn’t get the May cruse from Dublin to Vancouver, so we are planning a Western Road Trip to Carlsbad Caverns, Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Las Vegas (where we have been invited by Jack and Pam to stay with them). I have several offers from Carnival, and we are sorting them out. One of them is Hawaii in 2020.
Well, I’m off to post this and then rehearse. Until tomorrow ...
TTFN
Monday, December 17, 2018
ARE YOU A YINZER?
December 17, 2018
I wore one of my Pirates t-shirts to breakfast this morning to celebrate the Steelers win over the Boston Cheatriots (I don’t have any Steelers t-shirts, just a sweat shirt) and a man approached me and asked, “Are you a Yinzer?” You Pirate fans know what he was asking, but for the rest of you, he was asking, “Are you from Pittsburgh?” To which I replied – all together now – “No, I grew up in Oakland, Maryland which is 2 hours south of Pittsburgh and as a child we got two TV stations, half of them KDKA ...”
It turns out he was a photographer for the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, now retired. I asked him if he knew DK (this is in-house for Michael and Matthew) and he does, both of them having worked for the PPG. We chatted about Pittsburgh in particular and baseball in general and The Best Management Team in Baseball. It was fun.
I told you yesterday that I was supposed to do my Spice talk today and the Salt talk was advertised. I am supposed to do the Cod talk tomorrow and the Spice talk is advertised. I found that out about 30 minutes ago when we got back to the room after the show (a really great production show called “Do You Want to Dance?”). So I need to start over again on my rehearsal, and I need to cut it because tomorrow I only have 45 minutes instead of an hour with the Captain following me with a Q&A. I am approaching the big time – I am the opening act for the Captain of the ship!
Speaking of said Captain, at 4:20 today he instructed his communications officer to “address intercraft” (see Star Trek: The Menagerie) and reported that we had sailed 1762 nautical miles from Tenerife and were now 1762 nautical miles from Fort Lauderdale, or halfway back to dry land. I thought you should know.
Well, there’s more stuff, but rehearsal calls, so ...
TTFN
Well, the music was very good and the singing was good and the dancing what I could see of it was good. Seats tonight were just so-so. Most of the show we viewed from the side of it or the back of it as the stage area extends down onto the floor and we were three rows back. Oh well, I enjoyed it none the less. The kids, well not really kids, but a whole lot younger than us old fogies were good.
Well, the clocks went back last night so we got an extra hour of sleep. Other than waking up on the hour every hour after 1 am, I am sleeping pretty good. After breakfast I walked
2+ miles on the jogging track. It was great outside. I listened to my book and walked away. Not to many people out. After walking I went back and picked up my crocheting stuff and headed for the cabaret. The salt talk was good and well attended. There was a ship talk about food and how they get it on board afterward and we stayed to listen to that.
We met up with Roberta and Richard after the talk, and Roberta had fallen in her cabin this morning and hurt her knee. She was hobbling and we told her to go to see the doctor. She did and she has bruised her knee pretty bad. They gave her a brace to wear if she walks but told her to ride in a wheel chair for a couple of days plus they gave her some drugs. She is doing okay. Her husband is a large man who has diabetes and has had a heart attack in the past so managing pushing her in the wheel chair is a challenge.
After lunch we went to deck 4 and played in a frisbee challenge game. They had crocheted discs which you threw. First we threw for distance, I scored 28 and you Dad scored 27. Next we threw for accuracy and I scored 15 and Dad 5. Nobody got even close to my accuracy score. So I won a prize for it. I picked a little princess bag. After the game it was back to the room for a nap.
Tonight at supper it was Italian night!! Yeah!! They had a fantastic penne for an appetizer and spaghetti for main course. I had the three flavors of gellato for dessert. Best dinner so far this cruise.
Well, we are back in our room and he is studying and I am trying to make a crocheted frisbee. Don’t have a pattern so I am playing it by ear. Will see.
Mac I hope you are feeling better.
Love Mom, Granny, Bonnie
I wore one of my Pirates t-shirts to breakfast this morning to celebrate the Steelers win over the Boston Cheatriots (I don’t have any Steelers t-shirts, just a sweat shirt) and a man approached me and asked, “Are you a Yinzer?” You Pirate fans know what he was asking, but for the rest of you, he was asking, “Are you from Pittsburgh?” To which I replied – all together now – “No, I grew up in Oakland, Maryland which is 2 hours south of Pittsburgh and as a child we got two TV stations, half of them KDKA ...”
It turns out he was a photographer for the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, now retired. I asked him if he knew DK (this is in-house for Michael and Matthew) and he does, both of them having worked for the PPG. We chatted about Pittsburgh in particular and baseball in general and The Best Management Team in Baseball. It was fun.
I told you yesterday that I was supposed to do my Spice talk today and the Salt talk was advertised. I am supposed to do the Cod talk tomorrow and the Spice talk is advertised. I found that out about 30 minutes ago when we got back to the room after the show (a really great production show called “Do You Want to Dance?”). So I need to start over again on my rehearsal, and I need to cut it because tomorrow I only have 45 minutes instead of an hour with the Captain following me with a Q&A. I am approaching the big time – I am the opening act for the Captain of the ship!
Speaking of said Captain, at 4:20 today he instructed his communications officer to “address intercraft” (see Star Trek: The Menagerie) and reported that we had sailed 1762 nautical miles from Tenerife and were now 1762 nautical miles from Fort Lauderdale, or halfway back to dry land. I thought you should know.
Well, there’s more stuff, but rehearsal calls, so ...
TTFN
Well, the music was very good and the singing was good and the dancing what I could see of it was good. Seats tonight were just so-so. Most of the show we viewed from the side of it or the back of it as the stage area extends down onto the floor and we were three rows back. Oh well, I enjoyed it none the less. The kids, well not really kids, but a whole lot younger than us old fogies were good.
Well, the clocks went back last night so we got an extra hour of sleep. Other than waking up on the hour every hour after 1 am, I am sleeping pretty good. After breakfast I walked
2+ miles on the jogging track. It was great outside. I listened to my book and walked away. Not to many people out. After walking I went back and picked up my crocheting stuff and headed for the cabaret. The salt talk was good and well attended. There was a ship talk about food and how they get it on board afterward and we stayed to listen to that.
We met up with Roberta and Richard after the talk, and Roberta had fallen in her cabin this morning and hurt her knee. She was hobbling and we told her to go to see the doctor. She did and she has bruised her knee pretty bad. They gave her a brace to wear if she walks but told her to ride in a wheel chair for a couple of days plus they gave her some drugs. She is doing okay. Her husband is a large man who has diabetes and has had a heart attack in the past so managing pushing her in the wheel chair is a challenge.
After lunch we went to deck 4 and played in a frisbee challenge game. They had crocheted discs which you threw. First we threw for distance, I scored 28 and you Dad scored 27. Next we threw for accuracy and I scored 15 and Dad 5. Nobody got even close to my accuracy score. So I won a prize for it. I picked a little princess bag. After the game it was back to the room for a nap.
Tonight at supper it was Italian night!! Yeah!! They had a fantastic penne for an appetizer and spaghetti for main course. I had the three flavors of gellato for dessert. Best dinner so far this cruise.
Well, we are back in our room and he is studying and I am trying to make a crocheted frisbee. Don’t have a pattern so I am playing it by ear. Will see.
Mac I hope you are feeling better.
Love Mom, Granny, Bonnie
Sunday, December 16, 2018
WEEBLES WOBBLE BUT THEY DON’T FALL DOWN – USUALLY
December 16, 2018
Don’t worry, we haven’t, but coming back to our room from the show – a great singer, beautiful lady with a tremendous voice, and she’s from Scotland, hooot mon – a man in front of us fell. It took 3 of us to pick him up. He wasn’t large, but he’s feeble and just went kersplat. Fortunately nothing was broken, including himself.
Mom may repeat the sea condition in her part. She has been blaming the Captain for his driving in the rough seas, and occasionally there is a loud kerthump, and that, I think, is when we hit a whale. Just kidding. But the seas have been rolling 6-9 feet which makes for some interesting navigating around the decks. We hold on to everything we can. Including each other (Okay, who just threw up in their mouth?). CJ, we wish you and the Bro were on board with us, but you would not have enjoyed the last two days.
As I announced in a recent blog, I led the worship service this morning. It was in the Pacific Lounge, a beautiful room on the top deck of the ship and as far forward as guests can get. Out three sides you can see the sea and the skies, and because of our latitude, the sun rises late and we were still getting some great reflection off of the waves as we started. The ship has a standard order of service with some old prayers and creeds – very nicely done. The pianist from the ship’s band played for us and we concluded the musical selections with “How Great Thou Art.” I did a short reflection from 2 Chronicles 14:11 – “Oh Lord our God, we rest in Thee, and in Thy name we go against this multitude.” I’ve preached several times from that passage and enjoy it very much.
It’s almost time to turn the keyboard over to Bonnie, and with a little more urgency tonight than usual. You see when we got this cruise back in February, I sent them my topics and included in the Edible History series one on Spice. I decided later that I like the Salt talk better and sent in a change. The list I’ve been working from for my rehearsals still has Spice on it. Well, you can imagine my surprise when we got back into our room tonight and I read the “Princess Patter” and saw I am doing “Salt: The Rock We Eat.” It’s okay. As I said I like it better anyway.
Okay, hereeeee’s Bonnie!
TTFN
Maybe if I had a stiff drink I would have a reason for staggering or I would walk better. Oh My Word!!! It is wobbly. Well, haven’t fallen yet but it has been close a few times. We kind of hang on to each other and anything else near by.
Morning started about 6:30 as we had to get up and have breakfast to be in the Pacific Lounge by 9 for the worship service. While waiting for it to start because we got there by 8, I walked a mile on the jogging deck. Beautiful sunrise and I got some very pretty pictures. Every time I made a round on the track the sun had moved up so I could get a better picture. But it was soon behind all the clouds. Nice day outside. The wind blowing as you walked was great. Not too many people up there so I wasn’t dodging joggers this morning.
After the worship service it was down to deck 5 for the lecture. We rode the elevator down because he had his brief case and the ship was rocking. Usually we walk the stairs. Talk was good. It is my favorite because of the Minions piece at the end. After the talk he was talking to people till almost noon. One guy wanted to know how to do this lecture stuff.
We went back to the room and headed to the buffet for lunch. We looked at the menu for supper and it wasn’t much so I decided I would have a hamburger and fries. But wouldn’t you know it the grill wasn’t open today!!! So I opted for pizza and melon. Then, we headed to the cabaret because at 2:30 there was dancing with the crew. Three men and 3 women from the passengers were dancing with members of the dancers from the ship. Two of the ladies were Pam and Roberta from our supper table. So we had to go and watch. They had the 6 couples dance a dance and then 3 judges from the staff eliminated one pair. Pam and her partner were eliminated first. They danced two more different dances until only 3 couples remained. Roberta and here partner made it into the final 3. Then, each couple chose an envelop which named two totally unrelated dances and each couple had to dance to there 2 dances. It was very funny the dances they mixed, like salsa and Irish fling!
Roberta and her partner didn’t win it all but everybody got a prize.
Well, after the dance show we headed to the room and a nap. I was tired and we both slept.
Then, it was up and off to supper. Only 6 of us tonight as Jack and Pam went to the Italian specialty restaurant. Dinner was okay.
The show was great. The young singer began with Amazing Grace. She sang Auld Lang Syne and others like Coming through the Rye. Sometimes her accent made it difficult to understand but her voice was beautiful and so was the music. She ended her show by singing three Abba songs that are in Mama Mia. I really enjoyed that part.
Well, we are back in our room and the clocks go back another hour tonight so I will only need to add 3 hours to know what time it is here. I always know what time it is at home because I didn’t change my watch. I can’t change it actually because it is paired to my phone and the phone is on airplane mode. That is okay it keeps my mind awake if I have to add hours.
Well, it is time to play some games, eat some pretzels, have a drink and take my nighttime pills (which I forgot to do last night).
Oh, by the way Tate, Pappy ate another one of your chocolates tonight.
Love you all, Mom, Granny and Bonnie
Don’t worry, we haven’t, but coming back to our room from the show – a great singer, beautiful lady with a tremendous voice, and she’s from Scotland, hooot mon – a man in front of us fell. It took 3 of us to pick him up. He wasn’t large, but he’s feeble and just went kersplat. Fortunately nothing was broken, including himself.
Mom may repeat the sea condition in her part. She has been blaming the Captain for his driving in the rough seas, and occasionally there is a loud kerthump, and that, I think, is when we hit a whale. Just kidding. But the seas have been rolling 6-9 feet which makes for some interesting navigating around the decks. We hold on to everything we can. Including each other (Okay, who just threw up in their mouth?). CJ, we wish you and the Bro were on board with us, but you would not have enjoyed the last two days.
As I announced in a recent blog, I led the worship service this morning. It was in the Pacific Lounge, a beautiful room on the top deck of the ship and as far forward as guests can get. Out three sides you can see the sea and the skies, and because of our latitude, the sun rises late and we were still getting some great reflection off of the waves as we started. The ship has a standard order of service with some old prayers and creeds – very nicely done. The pianist from the ship’s band played for us and we concluded the musical selections with “How Great Thou Art.” I did a short reflection from 2 Chronicles 14:11 – “Oh Lord our God, we rest in Thee, and in Thy name we go against this multitude.” I’ve preached several times from that passage and enjoy it very much.
It’s almost time to turn the keyboard over to Bonnie, and with a little more urgency tonight than usual. You see when we got this cruise back in February, I sent them my topics and included in the Edible History series one on Spice. I decided later that I like the Salt talk better and sent in a change. The list I’ve been working from for my rehearsals still has Spice on it. Well, you can imagine my surprise when we got back into our room tonight and I read the “Princess Patter” and saw I am doing “Salt: The Rock We Eat.” It’s okay. As I said I like it better anyway.
Okay, hereeeee’s Bonnie!
TTFN
Maybe if I had a stiff drink I would have a reason for staggering or I would walk better. Oh My Word!!! It is wobbly. Well, haven’t fallen yet but it has been close a few times. We kind of hang on to each other and anything else near by.
Morning started about 6:30 as we had to get up and have breakfast to be in the Pacific Lounge by 9 for the worship service. While waiting for it to start because we got there by 8, I walked a mile on the jogging deck. Beautiful sunrise and I got some very pretty pictures. Every time I made a round on the track the sun had moved up so I could get a better picture. But it was soon behind all the clouds. Nice day outside. The wind blowing as you walked was great. Not too many people up there so I wasn’t dodging joggers this morning.
After the worship service it was down to deck 5 for the lecture. We rode the elevator down because he had his brief case and the ship was rocking. Usually we walk the stairs. Talk was good. It is my favorite because of the Minions piece at the end. After the talk he was talking to people till almost noon. One guy wanted to know how to do this lecture stuff.
We went back to the room and headed to the buffet for lunch. We looked at the menu for supper and it wasn’t much so I decided I would have a hamburger and fries. But wouldn’t you know it the grill wasn’t open today!!! So I opted for pizza and melon. Then, we headed to the cabaret because at 2:30 there was dancing with the crew. Three men and 3 women from the passengers were dancing with members of the dancers from the ship. Two of the ladies were Pam and Roberta from our supper table. So we had to go and watch. They had the 6 couples dance a dance and then 3 judges from the staff eliminated one pair. Pam and her partner were eliminated first. They danced two more different dances until only 3 couples remained. Roberta and here partner made it into the final 3. Then, each couple chose an envelop which named two totally unrelated dances and each couple had to dance to there 2 dances. It was very funny the dances they mixed, like salsa and Irish fling!
Roberta and her partner didn’t win it all but everybody got a prize.
Well, after the dance show we headed to the room and a nap. I was tired and we both slept.
Then, it was up and off to supper. Only 6 of us tonight as Jack and Pam went to the Italian specialty restaurant. Dinner was okay.
The show was great. The young singer began with Amazing Grace. She sang Auld Lang Syne and others like Coming through the Rye. Sometimes her accent made it difficult to understand but her voice was beautiful and so was the music. She ended her show by singing three Abba songs that are in Mama Mia. I really enjoyed that part.
Well, we are back in our room and the clocks go back another hour tonight so I will only need to add 3 hours to know what time it is here. I always know what time it is at home because I didn’t change my watch. I can’t change it actually because it is paired to my phone and the phone is on airplane mode. That is okay it keeps my mind awake if I have to add hours.
Well, it is time to play some games, eat some pretzels, have a drink and take my nighttime pills (which I forgot to do last night).
Oh, by the way Tate, Pappy ate another one of your chocolates tonight.
Love you all, Mom, Granny and Bonnie
Saturday, December 15, 2018
THE LAST SATURDAY AT SEA FOR 2018
December 15, 2018
Let’s have a moment of silence as we celebrate the last Saturday night on board a cruise ship, sailing for an exotic port. Okay. Moment’s over.
And so, almost is 2018, but first it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, everywhere you go. Take a look in the Five and Ten, glistening once again, and other words I can’t remember.
It was a good day today. A good crowd for “Water: It’s Universal.” Followed by a pub lunch – mine was chicken curry, hers was fish and chips and mashy peas (and she gave me her peas). Seafood stew tonight for supper, chased down by a great cream brulee and decaf coffee. A very strange comedian on stage tonight. He had a great routine of jokes and then juggled ping pong balls with his mouth, rolled an apple down his back and stabbed it with a fork thrust between his legs, repeated with a melon and a garden tool, and capped off by juggling plastic grocery bags. It reminded me of the craziness of Gallagher, but not nearly as messy.
My part in this blog will be short tonight because I need to rehearse my banana talk and also do some preparation for leading the worship service tomorrow. Worship is at 9 and bananas are at 10, so it will be a full morning.
Until tomorrow night then.
TTFN
Turned clocks back last night so now I am only adding hours to know what time it is here. Up at 5 something and he got up not long after. Off to breakfast had some cantaloupe, muffin and rice pudding, and hot chocolate. I didn’t feel like zumba today so I walked 2 miles. It was nice outside and I could listen to my book and enjoy the fresh air. After walking, I went up to deck 10 to find the Pacific lounge where he is doing a worship service in the morning before his talk. Wanted to make sure we knew where it was. It will be a busy morning.
I really only wanted the french fries at lunch but our supper table mates wanted us to join them in the British pub for lunch and they are pretty demanding wanting something extra or special all the time so I just ordered the fish and chip basket like it came. I ate my fries.
After lunch I was feeling really tired so we went back to the cabin. I crocheted finally finishing my second crochet project and started on fourth besides taking a nap. I have one project I have started that I will finish as we drive home.
Then, dress for supper. We both wore sweaters tonight because it was very chilly in the dining room. I was comfortable but he was still cold. I had pineapple infused with something, beef skewers with a peanut sauce and jerk chicken followed by a key lime pie. The jerk chicken wasn’t very spicy, and I don’t know why people rave about key lime pie, it wasn’t anything special.
Well, after dinner it was off to the cabaret for the show. Some of our table mates had saved seats and wanted us to sit with them. It was on the first level and we were behind them in the second row. Not my favorite place to sit. It is just hard to see. Oh well, the guy was funny in a different kind of way. He told jokes, juggled strange things like ping pong balls with his mouth, and then 3 plastic grocery bags. He had 5 ping pong balls in his mouth at one time. With three he looked like Richard Nixon smiling. He also did face juggling with a pool ball and even with an apple and then a cantaloupe. I guess you had to be there. He was okay.
Well, we are back in our room and I am playing on my kindle. I am to tired to crochet tonight. The Captain has found some bouncy weather again so we are rocking and rolling. It is good sleeping weather.
Not many days left till Christmas and this is the last week of school for everybody, WOO WHO!! I know Mac and Aunt Jenner are happy.
Well, love you all. Miss everybody. Be back on land in a week and home the next day or maybe the same day. Who knows? The shadow do. HaHa!!
Love Mom, Granny and Bonnie
Let’s have a moment of silence as we celebrate the last Saturday night on board a cruise ship, sailing for an exotic port. Okay. Moment’s over.
And so, almost is 2018, but first it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, everywhere you go. Take a look in the Five and Ten, glistening once again, and other words I can’t remember.
It was a good day today. A good crowd for “Water: It’s Universal.” Followed by a pub lunch – mine was chicken curry, hers was fish and chips and mashy peas (and she gave me her peas). Seafood stew tonight for supper, chased down by a great cream brulee and decaf coffee. A very strange comedian on stage tonight. He had a great routine of jokes and then juggled ping pong balls with his mouth, rolled an apple down his back and stabbed it with a fork thrust between his legs, repeated with a melon and a garden tool, and capped off by juggling plastic grocery bags. It reminded me of the craziness of Gallagher, but not nearly as messy.
My part in this blog will be short tonight because I need to rehearse my banana talk and also do some preparation for leading the worship service tomorrow. Worship is at 9 and bananas are at 10, so it will be a full morning.
Until tomorrow night then.
TTFN
Turned clocks back last night so now I am only adding hours to know what time it is here. Up at 5 something and he got up not long after. Off to breakfast had some cantaloupe, muffin and rice pudding, and hot chocolate. I didn’t feel like zumba today so I walked 2 miles. It was nice outside and I could listen to my book and enjoy the fresh air. After walking, I went up to deck 10 to find the Pacific lounge where he is doing a worship service in the morning before his talk. Wanted to make sure we knew where it was. It will be a busy morning.
I really only wanted the french fries at lunch but our supper table mates wanted us to join them in the British pub for lunch and they are pretty demanding wanting something extra or special all the time so I just ordered the fish and chip basket like it came. I ate my fries.
After lunch I was feeling really tired so we went back to the cabin. I crocheted finally finishing my second crochet project and started on fourth besides taking a nap. I have one project I have started that I will finish as we drive home.
Then, dress for supper. We both wore sweaters tonight because it was very chilly in the dining room. I was comfortable but he was still cold. I had pineapple infused with something, beef skewers with a peanut sauce and jerk chicken followed by a key lime pie. The jerk chicken wasn’t very spicy, and I don’t know why people rave about key lime pie, it wasn’t anything special.
Well, after dinner it was off to the cabaret for the show. Some of our table mates had saved seats and wanted us to sit with them. It was on the first level and we were behind them in the second row. Not my favorite place to sit. It is just hard to see. Oh well, the guy was funny in a different kind of way. He told jokes, juggled strange things like ping pong balls with his mouth, and then 3 plastic grocery bags. He had 5 ping pong balls in his mouth at one time. With three he looked like Richard Nixon smiling. He also did face juggling with a pool ball and even with an apple and then a cantaloupe. I guess you had to be there. He was okay.
Well, we are back in our room and I am playing on my kindle. I am to tired to crochet tonight. The Captain has found some bouncy weather again so we are rocking and rolling. It is good sleeping weather.
Not many days left till Christmas and this is the last week of school for everybody, WOO WHO!! I know Mac and Aunt Jenner are happy.
Well, love you all. Miss everybody. Be back on land in a week and home the next day or maybe the same day. Who knows? The shadow do. HaHa!!
Love Mom, Granny and Bonnie
Friday, December 14, 2018
9991909
December 14, 2018
That was my lottery ticket for a drawing at the Effy jewelry counter for a $50 on board credit. The drawing was held after the fashion show. Several guests volunteered to wear clothing and jewelry that is for sale on board and stroll down the cat walk. It was all pretty cheesy, but two of our table mates were in the show, so we went to support them. And lottery tickets were passed out before the show. The winning number was 9991908! And that person wasn’t there – you have to be in it to win it. So they drew again. This time 9991906! And that person was there. So close, and yet so far (hmmm – there’s a song in that!).
After the show tonight, the cruise director, Neil, asked me if I would lead the worship service Sunday. Of course I said yes. It’s been several years since I’ve done one on board. Ships today don’t ask (and don’t tell) for fear of hurting someone or another’s feelings I guess. On Holland America, they have a chaplain, usually protestant and Catholic. I carry a couple of services in PowerPoint with hymns and such, but they have a regular service that they use, and I will be the leader. Service is at 9 and my talk is at 10 and they are in different locations. Hustling I will be.
Good crowd today and good response for “History: It’s What’s For Dinner.” Tomorrow is “Water: It’s Universal.” And I am on the cover of the Princess Patter two days in a row! Neil told me this evening after the show that they do not have a lecturer for the next cruise that leaves out of Fort Lauderdale the day we get back. I told him I would volunteer for it, but I am already booked on the Carnival Pride, and I have 4 kids, three kids-in-law and 10 grandkids and if Pappy and Granny don’t come home for Christmas, we don’t need to come home. He wasn’t asking, just remarking, but one of my unfulfilled cruise fantasies is to be asked to stay on in just such a situation when we could legitimately do it. There is always next year.
The Atlantic Ocean is a bit rough where we are, smoother tonight than this morning when we had – according to the Captain – 3 meter waves (9 feet for all of us non-metric folk). He said there was a storm about 1,000 miles away from us that was causing the conditions and he was steering us in a course to get away from that. Not having a destination that we have to reach tomorrow makes that course correction possible. And we all appreciate smooth seas and following winds. Or is it calm winds and following seas. I need help from a naval expert or a fan of Leroy Jethro Gibbs.
Okay, it’s time for BonBon to tell you her version of today’s events, and I’ll see you tomorrow night.
Oh, we set our clocks back an hour tonight, so tomorrow we will only be 4 hours ahead of you.
TTFN
Well, where shall I begin. As they said in the “Sound of Music” , let’s start at the very beginning. That was somewhere around 3 or 4 when I started to wake up on an hourly basis adding 5 hours to my watch time so I would know what time it was here. We finally got up at 6:30. I showered, shampooed and shaved my legs ( I know TMI). But you get what you get when I blog.
Breakfast was an English muffin, hot chocolate, a piece of cheese and cantaloupe. There was much rocking this morning and breezy outside so I went to Zumba and did the best I could. Then, it was time for his talk. Had a crowd of about 100. Nice group. After the talk we went and sat on Deck 4 in the Atrium until about 12:15 and headed up for lunch. I had a pasta salad, carrot sticks, feta cheese and cantaloupe. Three chocolate chip cookies finished off the lunch. Then, down to the fashion show. Very cheesy.
After the drawing, which we lost, we headed back to the room where I crocheted for a while and then took a nap. We finally got dressed and left for supper at about 5. It was formal night, so I had to dress extra. Dinner was long!!!! Our table is the last to be served and the last to get out every night! Uggh!! [editorial comment by the founder of the blog – I enjoy the long leisurely suppers, so there]. Supper: was rum infused pineapple and fruit, a lettuce salad, Chateaubriand beef ( that was the best meat I have had all cruise) and dessert was a sugar free crepe with chocolate filling and chocolate sauce. The chocolate filling was disgusting. The chocolate sauce was good. There was a scoop of some kind of sugar free ice cream and it was gritty and tasteless. This was formal night meal but really nothing extra except for the beef.
Because we didn’t get out of the dining room till 7:30 there were almost no seats in the cabaret lounge. We sat behind 2 rows of seats with very tall men. There was a line of sight through them, so I could see the show, which was on the same level as the seats. The show was great except for the young girl guest who did ear piercing screams through out the whole show. She was seated just on my left and literally my ears were hurting so bad I had to put my fingers in my ears. And after the show I had a horrible pain in my ears.
Well, we are back in our room. I have on my pajamas and am playing on my kindle. It will soon be time for bed.
Love you all, Mom , granny and Bonnie
That was my lottery ticket for a drawing at the Effy jewelry counter for a $50 on board credit. The drawing was held after the fashion show. Several guests volunteered to wear clothing and jewelry that is for sale on board and stroll down the cat walk. It was all pretty cheesy, but two of our table mates were in the show, so we went to support them. And lottery tickets were passed out before the show. The winning number was 9991908! And that person wasn’t there – you have to be in it to win it. So they drew again. This time 9991906! And that person was there. So close, and yet so far (hmmm – there’s a song in that!).
After the show tonight, the cruise director, Neil, asked me if I would lead the worship service Sunday. Of course I said yes. It’s been several years since I’ve done one on board. Ships today don’t ask (and don’t tell) for fear of hurting someone or another’s feelings I guess. On Holland America, they have a chaplain, usually protestant and Catholic. I carry a couple of services in PowerPoint with hymns and such, but they have a regular service that they use, and I will be the leader. Service is at 9 and my talk is at 10 and they are in different locations. Hustling I will be.
Good crowd today and good response for “History: It’s What’s For Dinner.” Tomorrow is “Water: It’s Universal.” And I am on the cover of the Princess Patter two days in a row! Neil told me this evening after the show that they do not have a lecturer for the next cruise that leaves out of Fort Lauderdale the day we get back. I told him I would volunteer for it, but I am already booked on the Carnival Pride, and I have 4 kids, three kids-in-law and 10 grandkids and if Pappy and Granny don’t come home for Christmas, we don’t need to come home. He wasn’t asking, just remarking, but one of my unfulfilled cruise fantasies is to be asked to stay on in just such a situation when we could legitimately do it. There is always next year.
The Atlantic Ocean is a bit rough where we are, smoother tonight than this morning when we had – according to the Captain – 3 meter waves (9 feet for all of us non-metric folk). He said there was a storm about 1,000 miles away from us that was causing the conditions and he was steering us in a course to get away from that. Not having a destination that we have to reach tomorrow makes that course correction possible. And we all appreciate smooth seas and following winds. Or is it calm winds and following seas. I need help from a naval expert or a fan of Leroy Jethro Gibbs.
Okay, it’s time for BonBon to tell you her version of today’s events, and I’ll see you tomorrow night.
Oh, we set our clocks back an hour tonight, so tomorrow we will only be 4 hours ahead of you.
TTFN
Well, where shall I begin. As they said in the “Sound of Music” , let’s start at the very beginning. That was somewhere around 3 or 4 when I started to wake up on an hourly basis adding 5 hours to my watch time so I would know what time it was here. We finally got up at 6:30. I showered, shampooed and shaved my legs ( I know TMI). But you get what you get when I blog.
Breakfast was an English muffin, hot chocolate, a piece of cheese and cantaloupe. There was much rocking this morning and breezy outside so I went to Zumba and did the best I could. Then, it was time for his talk. Had a crowd of about 100. Nice group. After the talk we went and sat on Deck 4 in the Atrium until about 12:15 and headed up for lunch. I had a pasta salad, carrot sticks, feta cheese and cantaloupe. Three chocolate chip cookies finished off the lunch. Then, down to the fashion show. Very cheesy.
After the drawing, which we lost, we headed back to the room where I crocheted for a while and then took a nap. We finally got dressed and left for supper at about 5. It was formal night, so I had to dress extra. Dinner was long!!!! Our table is the last to be served and the last to get out every night! Uggh!! [editorial comment by the founder of the blog – I enjoy the long leisurely suppers, so there]. Supper: was rum infused pineapple and fruit, a lettuce salad, Chateaubriand beef ( that was the best meat I have had all cruise) and dessert was a sugar free crepe with chocolate filling and chocolate sauce. The chocolate filling was disgusting. The chocolate sauce was good. There was a scoop of some kind of sugar free ice cream and it was gritty and tasteless. This was formal night meal but really nothing extra except for the beef.
Because we didn’t get out of the dining room till 7:30 there were almost no seats in the cabaret lounge. We sat behind 2 rows of seats with very tall men. There was a line of sight through them, so I could see the show, which was on the same level as the seats. The show was great except for the young girl guest who did ear piercing screams through out the whole show. She was seated just on my left and literally my ears were hurting so bad I had to put my fingers in my ears. And after the show I had a horrible pain in my ears.
Well, we are back in our room. I have on my pajamas and am playing on my kindle. It will soon be time for bed.
Love you all, Mom , granny and Bonnie
Thursday, December 13, 2018
SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE
December 13, 2018
When we started out on our excursion this morning I had on an Old Navy t-shirt, a long sleeve shirt, and a light weight jacket and was very comfortable. As we wandered around, first the jacket, then the shirt came off and I finished the day in the t-shirt. It was that warm. Knowing how the cold bothers me, you know it was nice. And yes, I kept my pants on – for you smarties who were going to say something.
Checking email when we got back on board, my agent sent a list of Carnival cruises for next year and I told her about 3 we’d like to do. I’ll give you more details on that after I hear back from her.
Jack and Pam, two of our table mates, have invited us to come and visit them next year in Las Vegas. Jack said they have a master guest suite or he’d put us up in a hotel on the Strip. I said, if we come, and we’d like to, we will stay with you. I’d like to do a western driving trip, going to the Grand Canyon, Carlsbad Caverns, Yosemite, stuff like that.
Great entertainer tonight, Joe West from London. He sang, tap danced, and played the flute, the clarinet, and the saxophone. He did several old standards – appreciated by we old standards – including Sammy Davis, Jr’s “Mr. Bo Jangles,” and finished up with Don Quixote’s show stopper from the Man of LaMancha, “The Impossible Dream.” He received a well-deserved standing ovation.
And now, to tell you about our excursion into town, the churches, the craft fair, and the scum bums who unzipped her backpack, I give you your mother, your sister-in-law, your friend – let’s give it up for Bonnie!
TTFN
In a church no less. We had come upon a church and the doors were open so we went into it. As we were getting ready to go in this young couple appeared to have come out. They actually turned around after we entered and followed us into the church. Your Dad was in the center aisle taking pictures and I walked up to the right side of the platform where there were candles set out that you could light for .20 euros. I was getting my coin out of my change purse and getting ready to put it in and I heard my pack back being unzipped. I thought maybe your dad had come up to get something. But as I said something the young girl walked from behind me up beside the young man who was positioned immediately to my left. I took my pack back off and it was unzipped. She had unzipped my pack and attempted to steal something. Unfortunately for her there was nothing of value except your Dad’s jacket rolled up in it. I should have confronted her but I didn’t. I told your Dad and we zipped it back up. They left the church. We did also after taking some pictures. That is the first time someone has every done this to us. They were just what looked like a young couple. How sad and in a church to boot.
Well, on to better stories. The dock and port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife looks very much like the island of Madeira and the city Funchal. We had to take a free shuttle bus in order to get into city center. The port area was very confusing. We got up to the street level after walking through some sort of terminal and up some steps. We found an info booth but the young lady in it was more interested in trying to sell tickets to people than helping. We finally got a map to go along with the maps your Dad had printed and headed up the streets ( and I do mean up) to tour around.
One of the first things we did was visit a museum with old art works. It was two floors and there were some great old paintings. Well, worth our time. Then we found a small chapel in a large church where they were getting ready to have a service. We took some pictures and stayed for a minute or two. Then, off onto the streets.
Next we saw what looked like a park up above the street we were on so we climbed the stairs. Large trees, benches and the pathways in it were pretty muddy. They were setting a bandstand area for some kind of celebration and all kinds of tents. We wound our way through to the street beyond it. There was a tent set up and beside it were tables where people were making all kinds of crafts. One man was weaving baskets. We looked and the things they had out on the tables that were for sale and found some goodies for Christmas. We bought 4 things and the prices on them said 16 euros but when Dad went to pay she said no, no just 10 euros. It looked like this was a fund raiser for elderly people. The things they had were very nice hand made things.
We left there stopped in some small novelty type stores. I bought a diet coke and some candy. It was after this we had our encounter with the would be thieves. There were so many beautiful flower beds. They were many, many poinsettias. We walked up and down streets looking in shop windows and at some of the statues and buildings. We wanted to visit other museums but couldn’t find them even though we followed the signs posted. Finally after about 4 hours of walking around we headed back to the shuttle bus pick up point. I did manage to find a newspaper that was printed in Spain on today and that was in English. Yeah me. As we got back to the building where the shuttle was there was a last chance touristy shop and we picked up a few more trinkets. Then, onto the bus and back to the ship where turtle was patiently watching out the port hole for our return.
Off to the room to return stuff to the safe and drop off our goodies. Then, up to the buffet where today I splurged on 2 pieces of pepperoni pizza and your Dad had a cheeseburger and fries. I also had 2 scoops of ice cream. Back to the room to read email and he napped and I started my 3rd crochet project for this trip. After nap time I dressed and went to watch the ship sailing away. He joined me when it was time for supper.
Supper wasn’t much. “Chicken noodle soup” where the noodles was spaghetti noodles and mainly broth, and a way to thick chicken and leek potpie followed by a sugar free Neapolitan dessert.
As your Dad said the show was great. Well, he has a talk tomorrow so we will be up early and off to breakfast.
Love you all, Mom, Granny and Bonnie
When we started out on our excursion this morning I had on an Old Navy t-shirt, a long sleeve shirt, and a light weight jacket and was very comfortable. As we wandered around, first the jacket, then the shirt came off and I finished the day in the t-shirt. It was that warm. Knowing how the cold bothers me, you know it was nice. And yes, I kept my pants on – for you smarties who were going to say something.
Checking email when we got back on board, my agent sent a list of Carnival cruises for next year and I told her about 3 we’d like to do. I’ll give you more details on that after I hear back from her.
Jack and Pam, two of our table mates, have invited us to come and visit them next year in Las Vegas. Jack said they have a master guest suite or he’d put us up in a hotel on the Strip. I said, if we come, and we’d like to, we will stay with you. I’d like to do a western driving trip, going to the Grand Canyon, Carlsbad Caverns, Yosemite, stuff like that.
Great entertainer tonight, Joe West from London. He sang, tap danced, and played the flute, the clarinet, and the saxophone. He did several old standards – appreciated by we old standards – including Sammy Davis, Jr’s “Mr. Bo Jangles,” and finished up with Don Quixote’s show stopper from the Man of LaMancha, “The Impossible Dream.” He received a well-deserved standing ovation.
And now, to tell you about our excursion into town, the churches, the craft fair, and the scum bums who unzipped her backpack, I give you your mother, your sister-in-law, your friend – let’s give it up for Bonnie!
TTFN
In a church no less. We had come upon a church and the doors were open so we went into it. As we were getting ready to go in this young couple appeared to have come out. They actually turned around after we entered and followed us into the church. Your Dad was in the center aisle taking pictures and I walked up to the right side of the platform where there were candles set out that you could light for .20 euros. I was getting my coin out of my change purse and getting ready to put it in and I heard my pack back being unzipped. I thought maybe your dad had come up to get something. But as I said something the young girl walked from behind me up beside the young man who was positioned immediately to my left. I took my pack back off and it was unzipped. She had unzipped my pack and attempted to steal something. Unfortunately for her there was nothing of value except your Dad’s jacket rolled up in it. I should have confronted her but I didn’t. I told your Dad and we zipped it back up. They left the church. We did also after taking some pictures. That is the first time someone has every done this to us. They were just what looked like a young couple. How sad and in a church to boot.
Well, on to better stories. The dock and port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife looks very much like the island of Madeira and the city Funchal. We had to take a free shuttle bus in order to get into city center. The port area was very confusing. We got up to the street level after walking through some sort of terminal and up some steps. We found an info booth but the young lady in it was more interested in trying to sell tickets to people than helping. We finally got a map to go along with the maps your Dad had printed and headed up the streets ( and I do mean up) to tour around.
One of the first things we did was visit a museum with old art works. It was two floors and there were some great old paintings. Well, worth our time. Then we found a small chapel in a large church where they were getting ready to have a service. We took some pictures and stayed for a minute or two. Then, off onto the streets.
Next we saw what looked like a park up above the street we were on so we climbed the stairs. Large trees, benches and the pathways in it were pretty muddy. They were setting a bandstand area for some kind of celebration and all kinds of tents. We wound our way through to the street beyond it. There was a tent set up and beside it were tables where people were making all kinds of crafts. One man was weaving baskets. We looked and the things they had out on the tables that were for sale and found some goodies for Christmas. We bought 4 things and the prices on them said 16 euros but when Dad went to pay she said no, no just 10 euros. It looked like this was a fund raiser for elderly people. The things they had were very nice hand made things.
We left there stopped in some small novelty type stores. I bought a diet coke and some candy. It was after this we had our encounter with the would be thieves. There were so many beautiful flower beds. They were many, many poinsettias. We walked up and down streets looking in shop windows and at some of the statues and buildings. We wanted to visit other museums but couldn’t find them even though we followed the signs posted. Finally after about 4 hours of walking around we headed back to the shuttle bus pick up point. I did manage to find a newspaper that was printed in Spain on today and that was in English. Yeah me. As we got back to the building where the shuttle was there was a last chance touristy shop and we picked up a few more trinkets. Then, onto the bus and back to the ship where turtle was patiently watching out the port hole for our return.
Off to the room to return stuff to the safe and drop off our goodies. Then, up to the buffet where today I splurged on 2 pieces of pepperoni pizza and your Dad had a cheeseburger and fries. I also had 2 scoops of ice cream. Back to the room to read email and he napped and I started my 3rd crochet project for this trip. After nap time I dressed and went to watch the ship sailing away. He joined me when it was time for supper.
Supper wasn’t much. “Chicken noodle soup” where the noodles was spaghetti noodles and mainly broth, and a way to thick chicken and leek potpie followed by a sugar free Neapolitan dessert.
As your Dad said the show was great. Well, he has a talk tomorrow so we will be up early and off to breakfast.
Love you all, Mom, Granny and Bonnie
Wednesday, December 12, 2018
EXCELLENT DINNER
December 12, 2018
Tonight the 8 of us from Table 57 went to the Sirloin Steak House for supper. Dead cow was served all around. No one selected anything but steak: filet mignon, New York strip, Porterhouse, and rib eyes for your favorite cruisers (medium-rare – the steak, not the cruisers, which are well-done). A great variety of appetizers and soups made it hard to choose. There was a selection of potatoes – we all got baked – plus grilled asparagus, mushrooms, and creamed spinach (no one ate any creamed spinach). The desserts were all different from the regular dinner menus. We started at 6:30 and left the table after 9. Bonnie and I thought the timing was great. One of the group grumbled that we didn’t get the meat until 8, but then she grumbled that her steak wasn’t between rose colored and pink. And the couples from Las Vegas picked up the tab for the Canadians and the Augustans. That was special!
Oh, the afore mentioned bellyacher, who speaks only one language, corrected our waitress, who speaks at least two. She said it’s not ee-dible, it’s eh-dible. Good grief! If my phonetics led you astray the word is edible. I repeat. Good grief!
We set the clocks back an hour tonight, so we will only be 5 hours ahead of you on Thursday. The next set-back will come in 2 days.
Tomorrow is the Canary Islands, specifically Tenerife, and the port is Santa Cruz. Yours truly wrote a destination lecture especially for this sailing (at my agent’s urging) and I’m not doing it because back on day one I dropped all of the destination talks and substituted three from the Golden Age of Sail. In preparing for the talk I spied out several churches, museums, and forts for us to wander around to. We get in at 9 and all aboard is 4:30. This is a new stop for us and we are looking forward to exploring it.
I must tell you about the close up magic show this afternoon. I will have to do it because my companion doesn’t like magic, plus she had a headache (not me – some other cause) and went back to the room to rest and recover. I sat about 6 feet from the magician and watched his hands as he manipulated playing cards and balls and I never saw how he did a thing. It was a great performance, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Richard, one of our table mates, was asked to hold a card in his hand, he saw the denomination of the card (it was the 3 of Clubs and had actually been autographed by Pam, another of the group), and when he opened his hands it was the 8 of Diamonds. Unbelievable. An hour of tricks like that. Great stuff!
Today the destination lecture, Ken, did his final talk. He has been on board two months (I think that’s right) as the contract destination lecturer. Tomorrow he and his wife, Leslie, will get off and fly home to England to their home in Little Applington (I was thinking Little Dribbling, but that’s in the title of a book by Bill Bryson, one of my all time favorites). I asked him about the version of PowerPoint he uses because he does animations with photographs that my 2003 version won’t do. He uses 2010 and I have it at home. I am going to install it and switch to that version (2003 will import to 2010, but they won’t go the other way). There will be some considerable time of practice figuring that out. Ken made it all look so simple, but that’s never the case for me when learning a new program.
Well, my body thinks it’s 10 p.m. although I’ve already set the clocks back, so I’m going to move out of this seat and let it be filled by my cruise buddy for her version of today’s events.
TTFN
Well, we get one hours extra sleep, ha!, just means I will be up an hour earlier. Last night when we got ready to go to sleep the banging on the pipe was back. So he called the desk to complain that this was the third night in a row when there was banging and they said they would send someone to check it out. Well, they must have done something because soon after it stopped and I could take out my ear plugs. You could still hear it through the ear plugs that is how I knew it had stopped. They called this afternoon to check on us and assured us that someone would be downstairs at 10:30 tonight to watch and to see what was happening to make the noise.
Well, it was after 8 before we got to breakfast so I couldn’t do Zumba and walk. So I opted to walk 2 miles. Then, went down to hear Ken’s talk about our stop tomorrow. After the talk your Dad wanted to talk to Ken so I sat in the Cabaret lounge and listened to the Bingo till he got finished. There were about 10 people playing. The jackpots were $30, $40 and $50. The coverall prize if done within 49 balls was $750, if no one covered all until after 49 the prize was $70. Small ship, small prizes.
When he got back we went to lunch. I had been crocheting all this time and for whatever reason had a terrible headache. I had taken some Tylenol but wasn’t getting much relief. I tried to eat but only managed some carrot sticks and broccoli and some cheese and crackers. I knew he wanted to see the magician and I didn’t so I went back to the cabin and napped. I did feel better after the nap. After he got back from the show he napped and I crocheted some more. I was making a hot pad and I wanted to finish it in time for supper because it was going to be a belated birthday present for Gita. Her birthday was Sunday. I finished it and I had bought a small Christmas gift bag in Cadiz and I gave it to her tonight. Tomorrow if I have time to crochet I will start my 3rd project. The first one I will try and finish as we drive home from Ft Lauderdale. I bought some yarn in Cadiz to finish it with.
Dinner was good. I had black and blue French onion soup, a salad of some kind, baked potato, ribeye steak and a somores and graham cracker and chocolate dessert. All was good. But way to much to eat, the steak alone was 14 oz.
Well, it is 10:20 now before we turn the clocks back, so it will be probably just 10 by the time we finally get in bed and have turned them back. Tomorrow will be our last day to see dry land and spend some euros. Excited to see some place we have never been before.
Well, I have to take my pills, floss, brush the teeth and fix my machine. Maybe a few minutes of kindle games before it is off to bed.
Love you all. Mom, Granny and Bonnie
Tonight the 8 of us from Table 57 went to the Sirloin Steak House for supper. Dead cow was served all around. No one selected anything but steak: filet mignon, New York strip, Porterhouse, and rib eyes for your favorite cruisers (medium-rare – the steak, not the cruisers, which are well-done). A great variety of appetizers and soups made it hard to choose. There was a selection of potatoes – we all got baked – plus grilled asparagus, mushrooms, and creamed spinach (no one ate any creamed spinach). The desserts were all different from the regular dinner menus. We started at 6:30 and left the table after 9. Bonnie and I thought the timing was great. One of the group grumbled that we didn’t get the meat until 8, but then she grumbled that her steak wasn’t between rose colored and pink. And the couples from Las Vegas picked up the tab for the Canadians and the Augustans. That was special!
Oh, the afore mentioned bellyacher, who speaks only one language, corrected our waitress, who speaks at least two. She said it’s not ee-dible, it’s eh-dible. Good grief! If my phonetics led you astray the word is edible. I repeat. Good grief!
We set the clocks back an hour tonight, so we will only be 5 hours ahead of you on Thursday. The next set-back will come in 2 days.
Tomorrow is the Canary Islands, specifically Tenerife, and the port is Santa Cruz. Yours truly wrote a destination lecture especially for this sailing (at my agent’s urging) and I’m not doing it because back on day one I dropped all of the destination talks and substituted three from the Golden Age of Sail. In preparing for the talk I spied out several churches, museums, and forts for us to wander around to. We get in at 9 and all aboard is 4:30. This is a new stop for us and we are looking forward to exploring it.
I must tell you about the close up magic show this afternoon. I will have to do it because my companion doesn’t like magic, plus she had a headache (not me – some other cause) and went back to the room to rest and recover. I sat about 6 feet from the magician and watched his hands as he manipulated playing cards and balls and I never saw how he did a thing. It was a great performance, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Richard, one of our table mates, was asked to hold a card in his hand, he saw the denomination of the card (it was the 3 of Clubs and had actually been autographed by Pam, another of the group), and when he opened his hands it was the 8 of Diamonds. Unbelievable. An hour of tricks like that. Great stuff!
Today the destination lecture, Ken, did his final talk. He has been on board two months (I think that’s right) as the contract destination lecturer. Tomorrow he and his wife, Leslie, will get off and fly home to England to their home in Little Applington (I was thinking Little Dribbling, but that’s in the title of a book by Bill Bryson, one of my all time favorites). I asked him about the version of PowerPoint he uses because he does animations with photographs that my 2003 version won’t do. He uses 2010 and I have it at home. I am going to install it and switch to that version (2003 will import to 2010, but they won’t go the other way). There will be some considerable time of practice figuring that out. Ken made it all look so simple, but that’s never the case for me when learning a new program.
Well, my body thinks it’s 10 p.m. although I’ve already set the clocks back, so I’m going to move out of this seat and let it be filled by my cruise buddy for her version of today’s events.
TTFN
Well, we get one hours extra sleep, ha!, just means I will be up an hour earlier. Last night when we got ready to go to sleep the banging on the pipe was back. So he called the desk to complain that this was the third night in a row when there was banging and they said they would send someone to check it out. Well, they must have done something because soon after it stopped and I could take out my ear plugs. You could still hear it through the ear plugs that is how I knew it had stopped. They called this afternoon to check on us and assured us that someone would be downstairs at 10:30 tonight to watch and to see what was happening to make the noise.
Well, it was after 8 before we got to breakfast so I couldn’t do Zumba and walk. So I opted to walk 2 miles. Then, went down to hear Ken’s talk about our stop tomorrow. After the talk your Dad wanted to talk to Ken so I sat in the Cabaret lounge and listened to the Bingo till he got finished. There were about 10 people playing. The jackpots were $30, $40 and $50. The coverall prize if done within 49 balls was $750, if no one covered all until after 49 the prize was $70. Small ship, small prizes.
When he got back we went to lunch. I had been crocheting all this time and for whatever reason had a terrible headache. I had taken some Tylenol but wasn’t getting much relief. I tried to eat but only managed some carrot sticks and broccoli and some cheese and crackers. I knew he wanted to see the magician and I didn’t so I went back to the cabin and napped. I did feel better after the nap. After he got back from the show he napped and I crocheted some more. I was making a hot pad and I wanted to finish it in time for supper because it was going to be a belated birthday present for Gita. Her birthday was Sunday. I finished it and I had bought a small Christmas gift bag in Cadiz and I gave it to her tonight. Tomorrow if I have time to crochet I will start my 3rd project. The first one I will try and finish as we drive home from Ft Lauderdale. I bought some yarn in Cadiz to finish it with.
Dinner was good. I had black and blue French onion soup, a salad of some kind, baked potato, ribeye steak and a somores and graham cracker and chocolate dessert. All was good. But way to much to eat, the steak alone was 14 oz.
Well, it is 10:20 now before we turn the clocks back, so it will be probably just 10 by the time we finally get in bed and have turned them back. Tomorrow will be our last day to see dry land and spend some euros. Excited to see some place we have never been before.
Well, I have to take my pills, floss, brush the teeth and fix my machine. Maybe a few minutes of kindle games before it is off to bed.
Love you all. Mom, Granny and Bonnie
Tuesday, December 11, 2018
WE MUST BE IN THE FRONT ROW
December 11, 2018
For the first time that I can remember on any cruise, we were in the front row for a show. Tonight was E. Sarah Carter, a fantastic violinist or fiddler – not sure which, but an incredible talent. We avoid front rows for comedians and magicians (Mom would like to avoid magicians altogether, but she goes with me because I like them). Anyway, E. Sarah finished her performance with the two highest energy fiddle songs I know: “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” and “Orange Blossom Special.” It was standing ovations all around, and to tell you how much I enjoyed the show, I bought her CD (which she autographed and then talked crocheting with Bonnie).
A great day in Cadiz today, one of our favorite cities. We’ve probably told you before – raise your hand if you’ve heard this story – we finally found out how to get to the Cathedral and the Tower Taveira with the camera obscura on our last visit here. We set out about 9 and got back on board after 1. For the first time we were able to go up in the bell tower at the Cathedral, but we didn’t make it all the way to the top. There are no stairs, but a ramp which spirals up 140 feet. The grade is not too steep but it is relentless. I noticed we were slowing down when we passed marker 32 and when we got to 44 Bonnie said she’d had enough (and I was glad – I couldn’t wimp out and call “calf rope” first).
So we went back down, went across the square and shared a pastry called Naples-something, and I had a Café Americano which was great – Star Bucks could take lessons. Then we went next door and had fabulous gellato. There is only one more chance for gellato on this trip, and we plan to take advantage of it.
After lunch we napped for almost two hours – the total steps today was over 10,000. Supper was good, or at least mine was. I had a seafood dish with cod flavored in bacon, spicy sausage, Portobelo mushrooms, and teeny tiny potatoes. Mom’s beef dish was good, but nothing extra and the red cabbage, which we both usually like, was gross.
A day at sea tomorrow and I am off so the magician can do a close up show in my time spot. And tomorrow night all 8 of us from Table 57 are going to the steak house for some really good (I hope) dead cow, lightly browned, still pink inside. Stay tuned for a report tomorrow.
Oh, and I bought a can of Pringles and three more tubes of Zovirax (Bro, watch your mailbox).
Okay. Turning the keyboard over to my roommate.
TTFN
Well, it was a good day. We walked over 4 miles from the time we left the ship till we got back. We visited one of the “made in China” flea market type stores and a got a couple of skeins of yarn to help finish one of the projects I am working on this cruise and a real cute Christmas present for someone. After the camera obscure, which I will not go to again unless the group on the tour is all English speaking. This is the second time we have had a tour guide talk in Spanish for 90% of the tour and barely 10% in English. Today there were only 3 of us and the girl talked almost exclusively to the other man and barely told us anything. Oh well, the pictures were great and we saw a fresh food market that we went to visit after the camera tour.
It was a huge outdoor but indoor market. It was in a huge rectangular shaped building with a second rectangular shaped building inside. There was tons of fruit, meats, and FISH!! Any kind of raw fish you could imagine. A lot of them still had their fins, heads and tails. I took a picture of one pile to show you when I get home. I just loved looking at all the fresh fruit and vegetables. The fish were interesting but didn’t make me hungry.
After the market we looked at lots of little shops, shoes, leather pocketbooks, a large scissor and knife store and many typical touristy stores. The pastry was very good and so was the gellato. The temperature was about 60 but it is never to cold for gellato. The last stop we made was at a small “7-11" type store for diet cokes and his pringles.
The ship was parked a good distance away from the square we walked to last time so it took a good half hour to walk back to the ship and through security. And yes I set it off as usual.
Back on the ship and up to lunch. Carrot and celery sticks, half a tuna fish sandwich and some cantaloupe. I did take one of my cokes along. I didn’t get to see “White Christmas” because we got back to late.
Supper was good tonight. I had a sugar free guave neapolitan for dessert. It was very tasty.
The show was good.
Well, we can sleep in tomorrow but I do want to walk and go to Zumba. Tomorrow night we will turn our clocks back for the first time so we will only be 5 hours ahead.
Well, I am having some coke and pretzels then it will be time to take my pills and head to bed.
Love Mom, Granny and Bonnie
For the first time that I can remember on any cruise, we were in the front row for a show. Tonight was E. Sarah Carter, a fantastic violinist or fiddler – not sure which, but an incredible talent. We avoid front rows for comedians and magicians (Mom would like to avoid magicians altogether, but she goes with me because I like them). Anyway, E. Sarah finished her performance with the two highest energy fiddle songs I know: “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” and “Orange Blossom Special.” It was standing ovations all around, and to tell you how much I enjoyed the show, I bought her CD (which she autographed and then talked crocheting with Bonnie).
A great day in Cadiz today, one of our favorite cities. We’ve probably told you before – raise your hand if you’ve heard this story – we finally found out how to get to the Cathedral and the Tower Taveira with the camera obscura on our last visit here. We set out about 9 and got back on board after 1. For the first time we were able to go up in the bell tower at the Cathedral, but we didn’t make it all the way to the top. There are no stairs, but a ramp which spirals up 140 feet. The grade is not too steep but it is relentless. I noticed we were slowing down when we passed marker 32 and when we got to 44 Bonnie said she’d had enough (and I was glad – I couldn’t wimp out and call “calf rope” first).
So we went back down, went across the square and shared a pastry called Naples-something, and I had a Café Americano which was great – Star Bucks could take lessons. Then we went next door and had fabulous gellato. There is only one more chance for gellato on this trip, and we plan to take advantage of it.
After lunch we napped for almost two hours – the total steps today was over 10,000. Supper was good, or at least mine was. I had a seafood dish with cod flavored in bacon, spicy sausage, Portobelo mushrooms, and teeny tiny potatoes. Mom’s beef dish was good, but nothing extra and the red cabbage, which we both usually like, was gross.
A day at sea tomorrow and I am off so the magician can do a close up show in my time spot. And tomorrow night all 8 of us from Table 57 are going to the steak house for some really good (I hope) dead cow, lightly browned, still pink inside. Stay tuned for a report tomorrow.
Oh, and I bought a can of Pringles and three more tubes of Zovirax (Bro, watch your mailbox).
Okay. Turning the keyboard over to my roommate.
TTFN
Well, it was a good day. We walked over 4 miles from the time we left the ship till we got back. We visited one of the “made in China” flea market type stores and a got a couple of skeins of yarn to help finish one of the projects I am working on this cruise and a real cute Christmas present for someone. After the camera obscure, which I will not go to again unless the group on the tour is all English speaking. This is the second time we have had a tour guide talk in Spanish for 90% of the tour and barely 10% in English. Today there were only 3 of us and the girl talked almost exclusively to the other man and barely told us anything. Oh well, the pictures were great and we saw a fresh food market that we went to visit after the camera tour.
It was a huge outdoor but indoor market. It was in a huge rectangular shaped building with a second rectangular shaped building inside. There was tons of fruit, meats, and FISH!! Any kind of raw fish you could imagine. A lot of them still had their fins, heads and tails. I took a picture of one pile to show you when I get home. I just loved looking at all the fresh fruit and vegetables. The fish were interesting but didn’t make me hungry.
After the market we looked at lots of little shops, shoes, leather pocketbooks, a large scissor and knife store and many typical touristy stores. The pastry was very good and so was the gellato. The temperature was about 60 but it is never to cold for gellato. The last stop we made was at a small “7-11" type store for diet cokes and his pringles.
The ship was parked a good distance away from the square we walked to last time so it took a good half hour to walk back to the ship and through security. And yes I set it off as usual.
Back on the ship and up to lunch. Carrot and celery sticks, half a tuna fish sandwich and some cantaloupe. I did take one of my cokes along. I didn’t get to see “White Christmas” because we got back to late.
Supper was good tonight. I had a sugar free guave neapolitan for dessert. It was very tasty.
The show was good.
Well, we can sleep in tomorrow but I do want to walk and go to Zumba. Tomorrow night we will turn our clocks back for the first time so we will only be 5 hours ahead.
Well, I am having some coke and pretzels then it will be time to take my pills and head to bed.
Love Mom, Granny and Bonnie
Monday, December 10, 2018
FINALLY WE HAVE COME BACK TO THE ROCK
December 10, 2018
Several of you would have been disappointed. Well, now you are not.
And now I will turn the keyboard over to Bonnie and I shall return later.
First of all my sleep last night was interrupted because they were banging on a pipe under our room almost all night. It was terrible, even earplugs did not block it out.
I am trying to stay awake right now. I was just bored to death. Yes, the magician was back for his second show. And the day after tomorrow he is going to do a close up show in place of David’s talk. And we get the day off. HaHa.
Well, we were up at 6 am because we had to be in the Cabaret lounge by 7:30. Our tour was an early one. We were actually off the ship and on our way before the sun rose at 8:15. It was very overcast this morning but it was not too cold and turned out to be a beautiful day. Our tour took us first to the lighthouse. Beautiful spot down below the rock. Then, we headed up very narrow winding streets to St Michael’s Cave. David has wanted to see this forever. So we saw it today, and it was everything he wanted except we only had 20 minutes to explore. This was just a 2 hour tour. After cave we went to visit the monkeys! We would have rather stayed at the cave. They jumped all over the bus and two males got into a screaming match over a female. It frightened me. They were running around us and screaming at each other. The guide said don’t worry they won’t hurt you. HA! Again I say HA!! Easy enough for him to say. We stayed there about 15 minutes. I took some pictures and videos to show you. Then, we drove down to the airport and the one landing strip that they have to stop traffic whenever a plane comes into land because the main street between Gibraltar and Spain runs through it. Then it was off for a ride down the mountain and through the town.
We didn’t go all the way back to the ship but had the driver let us off in town so we could walk to the shops. We stopped at the glass blowing factory and shop. We have been here 4 times and this is the first time we have ever seen them actually blowing the glass. It was cool to watch. Then, we stopped in the little store that is a flea market type store where he bought some stamps(?) And a small statue of a monkey for one of the dancers on the ship. He can tell you about that.
Heading on down the shopping street we bought a London Times newspaper( Yeah) and I got a new arrow words magazine (there double Christmas issue). A little later in a toy store I got a minions advent calender. Later we visited a church, lit a candle and made a donation to the fund for a new sound system. We picked up a newsletter and a calendar for the new year. Beautiful church. Later we stopped in a Marks and Spencer store and picked a Christmas present. Then, it was 11:30 and we headed back to the ship. It took about an hour to get back. It is a long walk. We did stop at the supermarket so he could get some Mountain Dew.
Back on board up to lunch, carrot and celery sticks, small salad, half a sandwich and ice cream. Then, today the 2 pm movie was “Skyscraper” with the “Rock” and I had not seen it yet. So I went to the movie and he went to nap. Then, back to the room for a little rest and then to a miserable supper. I had “Southern fried” chicken, NOT, it tasted like banquet fried chicken. The Goat cheese souffle was great but the bibb lettuce salad was not. Dessert was ice cream, it was okay.
Then, off to the show which was the magician where I played on my kindle and he watched. Now in our room and having some coke before bed. We arrive in Cadiz tomorrow and I have a few things I want to look for. Having fun. The weather has really been good. Not to cold not to hot.
Well, here he is to tell you everything I forgot.
I’m baaaaack.
I did not buy stamps. I bought 6 First Day Covers. For all of you non-philatelists out there, they are envelopes with postmarked stamps, from the first day they were issued. One of the neat things about these British FDCs is they have all of the series of stamps in the issue. For instance, the one celebrating Gilbert and Sullivan (and yes, the Pirates of Penzance is on it) has stamps which range in price from 18 pence up to 39, a total of 5 stamps in all (U.S. FDCs only have one stamp on them). This one is dated 21 July (almost the Bro’s birthday) 1992. And they are addressed to the person who subscribed to the issue. There is a Christmas set from 1980, Village Churches from 1972, Christmas 1990, Christmas 2000, and the final set I purchased is from New Zealand (the home of the woman who almost became Skinny Granny – if you haven’t heard the story, I’ll tell it to you another time). And this set was mailed to a gentleman in Ontario Canada. Now I have to find a place to display them!
Now as to the small, very cold, brass monkey I purchased (I have taken a picture of it so you can see it, since I will give it to Becky the next time I see her – and her butt is not soooo big). Becky, who is the captain of the dance troupe, went with us on our tour of Naples. She was greeting the audience as we left the Cabaret lounge last night and I asked her if she was touring again. She said, “No, it is my day to work, and I really wanted to see the monkeys.” I told her that Bonnie and I were going to see the monkeys and that I would take pictures for her. She was pleased by that, and when I saw the little monkey in the shop your Mom mentioned above, and costing only 2 pounds sterling, I bought it for her. She was not on duty at the lounge tonight, so I will carry the little critter in my pocket until we meet up with her again.
My traveling companion has told you that dinner was not very good tonight. 4 of the members of Table 57 (oh, I saw a taxi out in Gibraltar whose taxi license number was 57, and it advertised seating for 8 – just like on board the Pacific Princess) ordered Southern fried chicken. Mom and I knew it wasn’t going to be SFC because she has gotten it before and she described it as Banquet Frozen Chicken. It was worse. It was well overcooked, dried out and tough. She didn’t even like the coleslaw, but pronounced the French fries as good. One of the group got pork tenderloin and he didn’t like the sides with it. And the other three of us got seafood stuffed trout. Roberta took a bite and said, “This isn’t good.” Richard took a bite of his and said, “This isn’t good.” Not to be outdone, I took a bite of mine and said, “This isn’t good.” We all three sent it back. R&R got SFC and I got scallops and the scallops were deeelicious.
I enjoyed the magician. So there.
There was a note on our bed when we arrived back at 3003 stating that hot water will be off tomorrow from 9 a.m until 11 a.m. So we will be up in time to shower, shave, and shampoo before that event happens (kind of like being in Russia when they are working on the water lines). Then we are going out into Cadiz and explore. One of the shops we will seek out sells yarn. Guess who asked for that stop?
Well, that’s it for tonight. It is almost 10 p.m. here, and we turn into pumpkins soon after that.
Oh, mom wants you to know that the movie tomorrow afternoon is White Christmas and she is going to go see it. Yipeeeeee!
TTFN
Sunday, December 9, 2018
THAR BE DOLPHINS HERE
December 9, 2018
I saw them first. We were at breakfast in the Panorama Buffet, sitting near a window and I saw something move 9 decks down in the Mediterranean Sea. I watched and they appeared again – dolphins leaping out of the water in graceful arcs and then plunging back into the sea. Bonnie and I were eating breakfast with Roberta, one of our evening table mates, and we enjoyed them as they swam closer to the ship and then swam away. Later Bonnie was doing a mile up on Deck 10 and the Officer of the Watch came on and said there was a pod swimming off the starboard side. She saw four come up at once in perfect synchronization and disappear back under the waves. Other than flying fish, they were the first sea life I’ve seen on any of our cruises – she has seen whale’s tales (and not just the kind on Carnival ships).
Today was one of my favorite meals on board – the English Pub Lunch with offerings of fish and chips, bangers and mash, chicken curry, and steak and kidney pie. We both had the fish and chips – which were also served with mashy peas (she gave me hers).
I had seafood stew tonight – Japanese sea bass, clams and mussels. There must have been two dozen mussels. A very good dinner, finished off with cheese cake (I had creme brulee last night).
Two of our table mate couples, Jack and Pam, and Richard and Roberta, are reserving a table for the eight of us (Ted and Gita being the others) to go to one of the speciality restaurants, the steak house. Mom and I had talked about it, but hadn’t made any definite plans, so we will join the gang from Table 57. Rib eye medium rare, please. Someone said they have a 20 ounce porter house steak. PHS is scrumptious, but 20 ounces is enough for two and maybe three people.
We are back in Gibraltar tomorrow and several of you know what the title of tomorrow night’s blog will be. Before that happens, however, we are taking the “Best of Gibraltar” excursion to the Ape’s Den, St. Michael’s Cave & Europa Point. We’ve been to number one and number three, but the real reason we are taking this tour is it is the only one going to the cavern, a spot I’ve wanted to visit since our first stop in Gibraltar. Looking forward to it!
Tomorrow we are supposed to hear whether or not we get the May cruise from Dublin to Vancouver BC. Pray saints!
Okay. Bonnie’s turn.
TTFN
Well, he stole my big news!! I got to see the dolphins the second time because I had found the jogging track and was on my way to my first mile walk. The dolphins were fantastic!! The just glided through the water. Made my morning. Well, it takes 13 times around the track to get one nautical mile, 6070 feet, which is 790 feet longer than a mile. The air was marvelous. I enjoyed every time around. After I finished I walked down to deck 5 and the Zumba class was just getting started. So I Zumbaed. It is great fun. I can’t do everything Tobi does but I do my best. Tobi goes right up to the last second before David has to get set up for his talk. Good crowd and the talk was enjoyed by all. He had to finish on time today because Bingo was on at 11:30 and they always need time to set up.
We headed to deck 10 where the English Pub was operating out of the steak house. Great table looking out the window of the back of the ship. It was crowded and another young man joined us at our table. When we left there was a line of people waiting to come in and eat. Glad we went up right after his talk.
After lunch it was back to the walking track for me for another mile and he went to the Cabaret lounge to wait for Ken’s talk on Cadiz. After walking I joined him. Ken’s talk wasn’t till 2 pm so we sat in on the future cruise guys talk the Top 10 Cruises Bucket List.
Wow, they sure do have some fantastic cruises. He was promoting cruises all the way up through 2020.
Ken’s lectures on destinations are interesting but his voice is very soft and sing songy. It will put you to sleep in nothing flat. After hearing about Cadiz and Seville, both places we have been to before, we headed back to the cabin for a short nap. Then, up and dressed for supper. Supper tonight was watermelon cup, baked potato soup with corn, Austrian steak (was just chewed up steak in gravy)with cabbage and potatoes, followed by cherries jubilee.
The show was the crooner singer tonight and quite good.
We are now back in our room and soon off to bed as we have to be in the Cabaret lounge at 7:30 for our tour tomorrow. So up early, quick breakfast and off we go. The ship is in port till 8:30 pm so we will probably go back out and walk around after our tour which is only 2 hours. We don’t have any pounds but they will take your euros and credit cards.
Love you all, Mom, Granny and Bonnie
I saw them first. We were at breakfast in the Panorama Buffet, sitting near a window and I saw something move 9 decks down in the Mediterranean Sea. I watched and they appeared again – dolphins leaping out of the water in graceful arcs and then plunging back into the sea. Bonnie and I were eating breakfast with Roberta, one of our evening table mates, and we enjoyed them as they swam closer to the ship and then swam away. Later Bonnie was doing a mile up on Deck 10 and the Officer of the Watch came on and said there was a pod swimming off the starboard side. She saw four come up at once in perfect synchronization and disappear back under the waves. Other than flying fish, they were the first sea life I’ve seen on any of our cruises – she has seen whale’s tales (and not just the kind on Carnival ships).
Today was one of my favorite meals on board – the English Pub Lunch with offerings of fish and chips, bangers and mash, chicken curry, and steak and kidney pie. We both had the fish and chips – which were also served with mashy peas (she gave me hers).
I had seafood stew tonight – Japanese sea bass, clams and mussels. There must have been two dozen mussels. A very good dinner, finished off with cheese cake (I had creme brulee last night).
Two of our table mate couples, Jack and Pam, and Richard and Roberta, are reserving a table for the eight of us (Ted and Gita being the others) to go to one of the speciality restaurants, the steak house. Mom and I had talked about it, but hadn’t made any definite plans, so we will join the gang from Table 57. Rib eye medium rare, please. Someone said they have a 20 ounce porter house steak. PHS is scrumptious, but 20 ounces is enough for two and maybe three people.
We are back in Gibraltar tomorrow and several of you know what the title of tomorrow night’s blog will be. Before that happens, however, we are taking the “Best of Gibraltar” excursion to the Ape’s Den, St. Michael’s Cave & Europa Point. We’ve been to number one and number three, but the real reason we are taking this tour is it is the only one going to the cavern, a spot I’ve wanted to visit since our first stop in Gibraltar. Looking forward to it!
Tomorrow we are supposed to hear whether or not we get the May cruise from Dublin to Vancouver BC. Pray saints!
Okay. Bonnie’s turn.
TTFN
Well, he stole my big news!! I got to see the dolphins the second time because I had found the jogging track and was on my way to my first mile walk. The dolphins were fantastic!! The just glided through the water. Made my morning. Well, it takes 13 times around the track to get one nautical mile, 6070 feet, which is 790 feet longer than a mile. The air was marvelous. I enjoyed every time around. After I finished I walked down to deck 5 and the Zumba class was just getting started. So I Zumbaed. It is great fun. I can’t do everything Tobi does but I do my best. Tobi goes right up to the last second before David has to get set up for his talk. Good crowd and the talk was enjoyed by all. He had to finish on time today because Bingo was on at 11:30 and they always need time to set up.
We headed to deck 10 where the English Pub was operating out of the steak house. Great table looking out the window of the back of the ship. It was crowded and another young man joined us at our table. When we left there was a line of people waiting to come in and eat. Glad we went up right after his talk.
After lunch it was back to the walking track for me for another mile and he went to the Cabaret lounge to wait for Ken’s talk on Cadiz. After walking I joined him. Ken’s talk wasn’t till 2 pm so we sat in on the future cruise guys talk the Top 10 Cruises Bucket List.
Wow, they sure do have some fantastic cruises. He was promoting cruises all the way up through 2020.
Ken’s lectures on destinations are interesting but his voice is very soft and sing songy. It will put you to sleep in nothing flat. After hearing about Cadiz and Seville, both places we have been to before, we headed back to the cabin for a short nap. Then, up and dressed for supper. Supper tonight was watermelon cup, baked potato soup with corn, Austrian steak (was just chewed up steak in gravy)with cabbage and potatoes, followed by cherries jubilee.
The show was the crooner singer tonight and quite good.
We are now back in our room and soon off to bed as we have to be in the Cabaret lounge at 7:30 for our tour tomorrow. So up early, quick breakfast and off we go. The ship is in port till 8:30 pm so we will probably go back out and walk around after our tour which is only 2 hours. We don’t have any pounds but they will take your euros and credit cards.
Love you all, Mom, Granny and Bonnie
Saturday, December 8, 2018
WHEN PIRATES SAILED THE ATLANTIC
December 8, 2018
I did my first talk today – the title of which is the title of tonight’s blog. It is one of my oldest talk, in fact, if may be the first talk that I wrote when we started cruising back in 2008. It’s the one that has my pirate jokes and tells the audience that one of the greatest pirates of all time came from Puerto Rico: playing right field, number 21, Roberto Clemente. The Great One is still appreciated.
I bought a lightweight jacket today. I didn’t bring one because of the weight of our suitcases and flying to Rome. But I’ve been cold – so what else is new – and I bought a nice jacket today. Mom looked at several but couldn’t find one she really liked.
Put this one down in the “people are strange” department, or maybe the “people are weird” department. There are folks who rush, stampede, and trample their fellow guests to get to the theater and claim the front seats and then sit like bumps on logs, never smiling, never clapping. Why bother if you’re not going to respond to the show? Tonight was “Motor City” – 45 minutes of high energy singing and dancing which we enjoyed thoroughly and responded appropriately. I think it is the same show we saw recently on one of the Carnival ships (the Carnival corporation owns Carnival, Princess, and Holland America, plus others) and I’m guessing they share the choreography. Anyway, back to my why, oh why. Here are these kids working hard and performing to a front row of bumps. Throw them out!
Tonight was the first of three formal nights, one of my favorite nights on board because I get to wear my tuxedo and Bonnie dolls it up. There were more gentlemen in suits and tuxedos on this ship tonight than there were on all of the formal nights of the last three cruises combined. And it was the Captain’s reception and the champagne waterfall. We missed the waterfall because we tarried long at Table 57. We are usually one of the last tables to leave the dining room, enjoying companionable table talk.
Well, I need to rehearse for Captain Kidd tomorrow, so I will turn the keyboard over to my beloved, the bride of my youth, my snookums, my sugar booger (and who said, “I just threw up in my mouth!”).
TTFN
ZUMBA!! Couldn’t go walking outside on the promenade or the jogging track. When we got up at 7, I looked out the port hole and there were waves coming up to and over our port hole. Yeah! NOT! It was cold outside the wind was blowing. So after our breakfast I headed to the Cabaret lounge where his talk was to be at 10. The Zumba class was starting at 9 so I joined in to the class. I did not go down to the dance floor but stood up and behind so I could participate but have a rail if I needed to grab on. The ship is rocking so I do need some extra support. It was high energy and moving fast for 45 minutes. I could not do the jumping or hopping but I kept pace as best as I could. It was fun. I shall try again tomorrow before his talk. I will take a picture of the instructor, Tobi. He is an officially trained Zumba leader. Interesting looking.
Well, after the class it was Dad’s turn. It went well. Had a good size class. After the talk there was a group of about 5 people who said they had heard his lectures on another cruise on a different cruise line. So we talked to them for a while. Nice folks.
Then, it was off to lunch. Today was oriental day. All kinds of sushi, noodles, rice, etc. I had a bowl of chicken tortilla soup and half of a pulled pork sandwich. Both were good though I only ate half of the bread. Then, for dessert I had a cinnamon roll with raisins, and it was fantastic. I wanted to eat a second one but I resisted the urge because tonight was formal night and there was to be a great chocolate dessert.
Supper was french onion soup, rum infused tapioca and fruit ( fruit was good Tapioca not so much, couldn’t taste any rum), and shrimp with rice and broccoli. The dark chocolate mousse was okay. It was really rich.
Dinner conversation was loud and joyful tonight. Good time had by all. Almost the last table to leave. They found out your Dad was the lecturer and wanted to know all about that. They said they would come tomorrow. Ted had ordered beef tenderloin medium but it came out well done twice, so he did give up and just eat it. Ted is a smoker and leaves the table at least 2 or 3 times in the meal for a cigarette. The waiters were upset that it wasn’t right and wanted to do it again. They are very nice. His wife Gitta leaves several times too but I think she is going to the ladies room. They have the drink package and do drink a lot.
Well, we are back in our room after the show. It was good. There are two singers, one female and one male, and 6 dancers, 3 girls and 3 boys. Both singers are black and have great voices. All of them are very good and high energy. We didn’t get our usual seats because some one was saving a seat. So we sat over on the side. We could see good but a lot of times we were watching the backs of the performers. As your Dad said some of the people who sit in the front seats really do look like they are miserable. They have grumpy looks on their faces, never smile, don’t applaud or show any appreciation for the show.
Well, we are having fun. Jennifer did you mail my Christmas cards? Hope you got all your class work done and have a week off. We met a man this morning at breakfast that had on an Alabama shirt and of course you Dad talked to him. Nice person. Later when Dad noticed he was carrying a Bible he talked to him again and we found out that he attended and graduated from Liberty. Small world.
Well, he has work to do and I have games to play and crocheting to do.
Love you all. Mom, Granny and Bonnie
I did my first talk today – the title of which is the title of tonight’s blog. It is one of my oldest talk, in fact, if may be the first talk that I wrote when we started cruising back in 2008. It’s the one that has my pirate jokes and tells the audience that one of the greatest pirates of all time came from Puerto Rico: playing right field, number 21, Roberto Clemente. The Great One is still appreciated.
I bought a lightweight jacket today. I didn’t bring one because of the weight of our suitcases and flying to Rome. But I’ve been cold – so what else is new – and I bought a nice jacket today. Mom looked at several but couldn’t find one she really liked.
Put this one down in the “people are strange” department, or maybe the “people are weird” department. There are folks who rush, stampede, and trample their fellow guests to get to the theater and claim the front seats and then sit like bumps on logs, never smiling, never clapping. Why bother if you’re not going to respond to the show? Tonight was “Motor City” – 45 minutes of high energy singing and dancing which we enjoyed thoroughly and responded appropriately. I think it is the same show we saw recently on one of the Carnival ships (the Carnival corporation owns Carnival, Princess, and Holland America, plus others) and I’m guessing they share the choreography. Anyway, back to my why, oh why. Here are these kids working hard and performing to a front row of bumps. Throw them out!
Tonight was the first of three formal nights, one of my favorite nights on board because I get to wear my tuxedo and Bonnie dolls it up. There were more gentlemen in suits and tuxedos on this ship tonight than there were on all of the formal nights of the last three cruises combined. And it was the Captain’s reception and the champagne waterfall. We missed the waterfall because we tarried long at Table 57. We are usually one of the last tables to leave the dining room, enjoying companionable table talk.
Well, I need to rehearse for Captain Kidd tomorrow, so I will turn the keyboard over to my beloved, the bride of my youth, my snookums, my sugar booger (and who said, “I just threw up in my mouth!”).
TTFN
ZUMBA!! Couldn’t go walking outside on the promenade or the jogging track. When we got up at 7, I looked out the port hole and there were waves coming up to and over our port hole. Yeah! NOT! It was cold outside the wind was blowing. So after our breakfast I headed to the Cabaret lounge where his talk was to be at 10. The Zumba class was starting at 9 so I joined in to the class. I did not go down to the dance floor but stood up and behind so I could participate but have a rail if I needed to grab on. The ship is rocking so I do need some extra support. It was high energy and moving fast for 45 minutes. I could not do the jumping or hopping but I kept pace as best as I could. It was fun. I shall try again tomorrow before his talk. I will take a picture of the instructor, Tobi. He is an officially trained Zumba leader. Interesting looking.
Well, after the class it was Dad’s turn. It went well. Had a good size class. After the talk there was a group of about 5 people who said they had heard his lectures on another cruise on a different cruise line. So we talked to them for a while. Nice folks.
Then, it was off to lunch. Today was oriental day. All kinds of sushi, noodles, rice, etc. I had a bowl of chicken tortilla soup and half of a pulled pork sandwich. Both were good though I only ate half of the bread. Then, for dessert I had a cinnamon roll with raisins, and it was fantastic. I wanted to eat a second one but I resisted the urge because tonight was formal night and there was to be a great chocolate dessert.
Supper was french onion soup, rum infused tapioca and fruit ( fruit was good Tapioca not so much, couldn’t taste any rum), and shrimp with rice and broccoli. The dark chocolate mousse was okay. It was really rich.
Dinner conversation was loud and joyful tonight. Good time had by all. Almost the last table to leave. They found out your Dad was the lecturer and wanted to know all about that. They said they would come tomorrow. Ted had ordered beef tenderloin medium but it came out well done twice, so he did give up and just eat it. Ted is a smoker and leaves the table at least 2 or 3 times in the meal for a cigarette. The waiters were upset that it wasn’t right and wanted to do it again. They are very nice. His wife Gitta leaves several times too but I think she is going to the ladies room. They have the drink package and do drink a lot.
Well, we are back in our room after the show. It was good. There are two singers, one female and one male, and 6 dancers, 3 girls and 3 boys. Both singers are black and have great voices. All of them are very good and high energy. We didn’t get our usual seats because some one was saving a seat. So we sat over on the side. We could see good but a lot of times we were watching the backs of the performers. As your Dad said some of the people who sit in the front seats really do look like they are miserable. They have grumpy looks on their faces, never smile, don’t applaud or show any appreciation for the show.
Well, we are having fun. Jennifer did you mail my Christmas cards? Hope you got all your class work done and have a week off. We met a man this morning at breakfast that had on an Alabama shirt and of course you Dad talked to him. Nice person. Later when Dad noticed he was carrying a Bible he talked to him again and we found out that he attended and graduated from Liberty. Small world.
Well, he has work to do and I have games to play and crocheting to do.
Love you all. Mom, Granny and Bonnie
Friday, December 7, 2018
A DATE THAT WILL LIVE IN INFAMY
December 7, 2018
Seventy-seven years later, is there much remembrance of Pearl Harbor? There was no mention of it on the Pacific Princess. But I remember the time a ship contacted me and asked me to put together a 9-11 remembrance and then cancelled it so people wouldn’t be offended. But you’ve heard that story.
It was a good date to remember here on the Pacific Princess. I did not set the alarm and we slept in. At least we slept in until my beloved, who got up early in spite of no clock signaling, heard the Captain making an announcement and opened the door to hear what was being said and woke me up, too. But it was in the shower for a shampoo and a shave and then up Panorama Buffet for two eggs over medium (sorry Luke, they don’t make ‘em like we do so I do something different), two sausage links and toast. There were two pans of sausage links – turkey sausage in the back and real sausage in the front. I picked up two links, and someone had dropped a turkey into the pigs. It was nasty. But I had enough, and all washed down with hot, brown, flavored liquid (that’s decaf coffee for all of you non-caff-aholics).
We headed ashore and bought tickets for the Hop on Hop off bus. The bus was late getting started which meant we were late getting to the spot where we had chosen to see two of Palermo’s sites – the cathedral and the catacombs. One of our tablemates told me tonight why the bus was late. First of all we were blocked in by a truck who was in a no parking zone. Second, they extended the ramp to let a woman in a motorized wheel chair on board and then couldn’t get the ramp to unextend. Finally, there was a hearty shove and a shim shoved into something and off we went.
Because of the delay, and the fact that the cathedral closes for almost two hours in the afternoon, we went only to the cathedral. I think when we go to Italy next year we will take a couple of days and come to Sicily where we can see more of the history than a 10 hour cruise stop will allow you to experience.
We hopped back on the bus and came back to where we started, went into a Bistro and ordered a Napoli pizza. It was good, but not near as good as yesterday’s. In fact, it was probably on one-fourth as good. Here is why. Half of the bottom of the pizza was overcooked – I mean burnt. The other half was okay. And they split the pizza into two parts, giving us each a plate with a section of pizza. Well, after we had consumed half of our halves, Bonnie turned her remaining half over and discovered not well done pizza crust but charcoal. I offered to change, but she said she’d just eat the goodies off the top. If they had only turned it 90 degrees before they cut it, each of us would have had a good piece and a burnt piece. But the gellato made up for the pizza!
And Mom found the Palermo equivalent of a Dollar Store. It was a One Euro Store. Everything in it was really one euro. And she packed a bag of goodies which will show up in several Christmas stockings. I bought a pair of sun glasses for a euro because mine got left at 233. They are either on the kitchen table, or they fell off of my computer case as we loaded the Ivy Uber.
Well, the one euro pair is really goofy looking. The temples are on the bottoms of the lenses instead of on the top, but sunglasses are sunglasses. And I’m not paying $100+ like some of my kinfolk do. Back out on the street we came upon a souvenir vendor who said, “Oh my goodness! Would you like to buy sun glasses?” His first price, not the last price Mister, was 10 euros. I said, “Thanks,” and kept walking. He said, “Discount for you, Mister. Eight euros.” I tried a pair on and said, “Seven.” He said, “Okay,” too quickly, but I bought them anyway. The temples are on the top, at least.
And on the way back to the ship we stopped in a Farmacia, the local drugstore, and I enquired about Zovirax – a very good fever blister cream. I used to buy it in Russia for about 35 rubles which was equivalent to less than $10, probably closer to $5, but since I haven’t been back to Russia since 2008 (a moment of silence) I’ve had to buy it from Walgreens. The co-pay is $35 and I have to get a special exemption. When I tell you the regular price of a tube the same size as the one I used to buy in Samara for 35 rubles was $600, you’ll understand why they wanted an exemption. Well, stuff this in your mortar and pestle, 9 euros in Sicily. Just over $10. And I bought two tubes.
Okay, that’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.
Bonnie’s turn.
TTFN
PAIN!!! did I say pain. Yes. The top part of my legs from the hips down to the knees are really hurting and have been since I got up this morning. Those steps yesterday were really bad. But no sense complaining there was Palermo to go and see. After a muffin and some canteloupe and OJ, we packed up and headed off. The pedestrian does not have any right in Italy. Yesterday and today it has been hazardous to try and cross streets. But we safely navigated our way to the hop on hop off bus after getting a special price, 15 euros , for each, usually priced 20 euros. I thought the bus would never move but it did finally. In the seats we had chosen on only one of the outlets for headphones worked. The kind lady behind us, who was sitting alone , offered to plug David’s into her spare one. Worked so we could both hear. I remembered quite a bit of the talk as we had heard it the last time we were here and had ridden around twice on the red line. After we had gotten off at the cathedral, toured the cathedral, very beautiful,( in the cathedral I got a new Nativity scene for our room, made in China of course but it is very nice) , and then we had gelato, After consuming our gelato, we got back on the blue line of the hop on hop off bus which happens to have the stop for the port on it. So when we got back to the port we hopped off.
We weren’t ready to go back so we decided to explore the streets down near the ship. Lo and be hold I spotted a store called a “Eurorama”. Everything was one euro. Whoopee. I had a great time shopping. We got some cokes and sprites for just 1 euro each. I got a new snowman Christmas decoration to add to the snowman tree I got last year in Cadiz. And lots of other cool things.
The first pair of sunglasses Dad bought, I have confiscated. I like them and they fit over my glasses and look “cool”. I like them. After the euro store we went to the “Bistro” and had pizza and a drink. Then, I wanted to look in some more shops. So we wandered up and down a couple of streets.
Finally, we headed back to the ship and a nap. About 4:35 the captain came on to tell us everyone was on board and he was going to sail. He said the wind was to be about 16 knots this evening and 35 knots tomorrow. He hinted at the fact that we were going to have some weather over the next 2 days. He said he would tell us more at 9 in the morning. We shall see. Looking out our port hole you can see the waves splashing on the side of the ship as he plows through the sea.
Then, it was time to get up and dress for supper. Supper was good. Our table mates keep playing musical chairs. I think they may want to confuse the waiters, Ricardo and Angel. Oh well. I sat beside Jack tonight. Not much conversation happening there. Dad was beside Richard and they talked almost none stop. The other three ladies go at it all night. Gitta and Ted bought the liquor package for one, $59 dollars a day plus 15% gratuity. You aren’t supposed to share it but everybody does. He gets 15 drinks a day. No matter the cost. And tonight I think he had drunk all of them. They are spending about 1700 Canadian dollars on this for the cruise. OH MY! Richard had complained about the $7.95 plus 15 % gratuity charge for the soda and water package. He didn’t buy one.
Well, the show tonight was a magician! So I played on my kindle. I do not care for magicians. Dad talked to the tech for his first talk tomorrow after the show. His talk is at 10 am. He is doing one of his pirate talks. We will see how many come out.
Well, that is all for tonight. It has been a great cruise so far. The tablemates are okay but it is hard to hear at a table for 8 and I sure can’t outtalk these people.
Love you all.
Mom, Granny and Bonnie
Seventy-seven years later, is there much remembrance of Pearl Harbor? There was no mention of it on the Pacific Princess. But I remember the time a ship contacted me and asked me to put together a 9-11 remembrance and then cancelled it so people wouldn’t be offended. But you’ve heard that story.
It was a good date to remember here on the Pacific Princess. I did not set the alarm and we slept in. At least we slept in until my beloved, who got up early in spite of no clock signaling, heard the Captain making an announcement and opened the door to hear what was being said and woke me up, too. But it was in the shower for a shampoo and a shave and then up Panorama Buffet for two eggs over medium (sorry Luke, they don’t make ‘em like we do so I do something different), two sausage links and toast. There were two pans of sausage links – turkey sausage in the back and real sausage in the front. I picked up two links, and someone had dropped a turkey into the pigs. It was nasty. But I had enough, and all washed down with hot, brown, flavored liquid (that’s decaf coffee for all of you non-caff-aholics).
We headed ashore and bought tickets for the Hop on Hop off bus. The bus was late getting started which meant we were late getting to the spot where we had chosen to see two of Palermo’s sites – the cathedral and the catacombs. One of our tablemates told me tonight why the bus was late. First of all we were blocked in by a truck who was in a no parking zone. Second, they extended the ramp to let a woman in a motorized wheel chair on board and then couldn’t get the ramp to unextend. Finally, there was a hearty shove and a shim shoved into something and off we went.
Because of the delay, and the fact that the cathedral closes for almost two hours in the afternoon, we went only to the cathedral. I think when we go to Italy next year we will take a couple of days and come to Sicily where we can see more of the history than a 10 hour cruise stop will allow you to experience.
We hopped back on the bus and came back to where we started, went into a Bistro and ordered a Napoli pizza. It was good, but not near as good as yesterday’s. In fact, it was probably on one-fourth as good. Here is why. Half of the bottom of the pizza was overcooked – I mean burnt. The other half was okay. And they split the pizza into two parts, giving us each a plate with a section of pizza. Well, after we had consumed half of our halves, Bonnie turned her remaining half over and discovered not well done pizza crust but charcoal. I offered to change, but she said she’d just eat the goodies off the top. If they had only turned it 90 degrees before they cut it, each of us would have had a good piece and a burnt piece. But the gellato made up for the pizza!
And Mom found the Palermo equivalent of a Dollar Store. It was a One Euro Store. Everything in it was really one euro. And she packed a bag of goodies which will show up in several Christmas stockings. I bought a pair of sun glasses for a euro because mine got left at 233. They are either on the kitchen table, or they fell off of my computer case as we loaded the Ivy Uber.
Well, the one euro pair is really goofy looking. The temples are on the bottoms of the lenses instead of on the top, but sunglasses are sunglasses. And I’m not paying $100+ like some of my kinfolk do. Back out on the street we came upon a souvenir vendor who said, “Oh my goodness! Would you like to buy sun glasses?” His first price, not the last price Mister, was 10 euros. I said, “Thanks,” and kept walking. He said, “Discount for you, Mister. Eight euros.” I tried a pair on and said, “Seven.” He said, “Okay,” too quickly, but I bought them anyway. The temples are on the top, at least.
And on the way back to the ship we stopped in a Farmacia, the local drugstore, and I enquired about Zovirax – a very good fever blister cream. I used to buy it in Russia for about 35 rubles which was equivalent to less than $10, probably closer to $5, but since I haven’t been back to Russia since 2008 (a moment of silence) I’ve had to buy it from Walgreens. The co-pay is $35 and I have to get a special exemption. When I tell you the regular price of a tube the same size as the one I used to buy in Samara for 35 rubles was $600, you’ll understand why they wanted an exemption. Well, stuff this in your mortar and pestle, 9 euros in Sicily. Just over $10. And I bought two tubes.
Okay, that’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.
Bonnie’s turn.
TTFN
PAIN!!! did I say pain. Yes. The top part of my legs from the hips down to the knees are really hurting and have been since I got up this morning. Those steps yesterday were really bad. But no sense complaining there was Palermo to go and see. After a muffin and some canteloupe and OJ, we packed up and headed off. The pedestrian does not have any right in Italy. Yesterday and today it has been hazardous to try and cross streets. But we safely navigated our way to the hop on hop off bus after getting a special price, 15 euros , for each, usually priced 20 euros. I thought the bus would never move but it did finally. In the seats we had chosen on only one of the outlets for headphones worked. The kind lady behind us, who was sitting alone , offered to plug David’s into her spare one. Worked so we could both hear. I remembered quite a bit of the talk as we had heard it the last time we were here and had ridden around twice on the red line. After we had gotten off at the cathedral, toured the cathedral, very beautiful,( in the cathedral I got a new Nativity scene for our room, made in China of course but it is very nice) , and then we had gelato, After consuming our gelato, we got back on the blue line of the hop on hop off bus which happens to have the stop for the port on it. So when we got back to the port we hopped off.
We weren’t ready to go back so we decided to explore the streets down near the ship. Lo and be hold I spotted a store called a “Eurorama”. Everything was one euro. Whoopee. I had a great time shopping. We got some cokes and sprites for just 1 euro each. I got a new snowman Christmas decoration to add to the snowman tree I got last year in Cadiz. And lots of other cool things.
The first pair of sunglasses Dad bought, I have confiscated. I like them and they fit over my glasses and look “cool”. I like them. After the euro store we went to the “Bistro” and had pizza and a drink. Then, I wanted to look in some more shops. So we wandered up and down a couple of streets.
Finally, we headed back to the ship and a nap. About 4:35 the captain came on to tell us everyone was on board and he was going to sail. He said the wind was to be about 16 knots this evening and 35 knots tomorrow. He hinted at the fact that we were going to have some weather over the next 2 days. He said he would tell us more at 9 in the morning. We shall see. Looking out our port hole you can see the waves splashing on the side of the ship as he plows through the sea.
Then, it was time to get up and dress for supper. Supper was good. Our table mates keep playing musical chairs. I think they may want to confuse the waiters, Ricardo and Angel. Oh well. I sat beside Jack tonight. Not much conversation happening there. Dad was beside Richard and they talked almost none stop. The other three ladies go at it all night. Gitta and Ted bought the liquor package for one, $59 dollars a day plus 15% gratuity. You aren’t supposed to share it but everybody does. He gets 15 drinks a day. No matter the cost. And tonight I think he had drunk all of them. They are spending about 1700 Canadian dollars on this for the cruise. OH MY! Richard had complained about the $7.95 plus 15 % gratuity charge for the soda and water package. He didn’t buy one.
Well, the show tonight was a magician! So I played on my kindle. I do not care for magicians. Dad talked to the tech for his first talk tomorrow after the show. His talk is at 10 am. He is doing one of his pirate talks. We will see how many come out.
Well, that is all for tonight. It has been a great cruise so far. The tablemates are okay but it is hard to hear at a table for 8 and I sure can’t outtalk these people.
Love you all.
Mom, Granny and Bonnie
Thursday, December 6, 2018
THAR BE BLOGS HERE!
December 6, 2018
Yesterday afternoon, Boris, the internet manager, told me to go to the crew office and try to get a voucher for the crew internet ($20 for 300 megs downloading or $40 for 667 megs). Before I could go, I had a meeting with Ken, the destination lecturer (I am the special interest lecturer – and you already knew I was special, right?), told me that Toby, the deputy cruise director, could get it for me easier.
When I went back to the internet café this afternoon to have Boris set up my account (you techies will understand this) because the crew access is hidden from the passenger access. He growled because I hadn’t done what he had told me to do. I had the code, that’s all I knew, and all I knew I needed. But Toby had gotten me a crew number instead of a contractor number and this is all more complicated than it needs to be and way more than you were interested in knowing, but Boris got it set up (after growling about having to work with Windows XP – our backup computer and the one we use for the internet – you may remember problems on another ship caused by the Windows 10 computer trying to access the internet immediately before I was to give one of my talks).
And I learned that I have a Princess Crew employee number. If you are keeping notes it is 343056 – been doing this for 10 years and never knew I had an employee number. So, there you go.
Last night I cleaned my contacts preparing to go to bed and when I opened the contact case, there was another pair of lenses in it. I vaguely remember changing contacts on a recent cruise – couldn’t tell you which one – and keeping them because I didn’t have another pair (I change lenses every two weeks and only had the one extra pair on board). Evidently I used a different case on the last cruise because there were no contacts floating in the case I used on the Carnival Splendor. One more strange occurrence in the travels of David and Bonnie.
Since there was no first night’s blog, you do not know that I was able to get our late dining changed to early dining. This ship, the Pacific Princess, one of our top three ships, has only one main dining room and two dining times, there is no any-time dining. Come to think of it, if it is a main dining room, it is the only main dining room, all others are sub-main or under-main or lesser-main or something.
We are seated at Table 57 with Ted and Gita from Canada, Richard and Roberta originally from New York now transplanted to Las Vegas, and Jack and Pam originally from New York now transplanted to Las Vegas – and the last two couples know each other. A decent group of dinner companions. But a couple of notes. LA and DO. Now: Jack talks while chewing his food; Roberta eats with her mouth open; Gita wears low cut blouses with push up bras; and Jack and Ted know everything. But we have enjoyed these first two evenings.
The entertainer tonight was David Copperfield. No not that one, nor the one from WWE in Augusta (if you don’t get the reference, ask someone who was there). He is a British comedian, singer, ventriloquist whose name really is David Copperfield. It was a great show, laughter from start to finish, and he added a couple of guitar solos (excellent) and singing (even better).
We took a ship’s excursion today, a “Walking Tour with Borbonic Gallery & Pizza Tasting.” I will let my cruse companion fill in the details, but suffice it to say if you have eaten with Bonnie and I at the Napelio (speeling?) Wood Fired pizza place in Aiken, SC, you know we had great pizza for lunch. And the Aiken is authentic.
Well, here she is, direct from the Carnival Splendor, for your blogging pleasure, please welcome to the keyboard (for hunting and pecking) Bonnie Belle Carter Sisler. Hereeeee’s Bonnie!
TTFN
Well, getting on board was not a big issue, however when we got to our cabin the keys did not work. He went up and they changed them. Yeah we were in the room. Very nice room, roomy and we have a port hole. We have stayed on this floor before. Later in the day we had to go to the boat drill. Well, my card was invalid. So I hopped on( well really walked) down to the desk and got a new key. Back up to the drill and I am still invalid. Uggh!! They young man finally typed my name in and I was okay. When he finally arrived, his was invalid too. So after the drill it was back to the desk for a fourth key for me and his third. (Oh by the way they have my name spelled wrong on the key, they did “Bell” and not “Belle”) The rest of the day was fine and I slept very well.
We got up at 6 am so we could have breakfast and then, get to the meeting place for the tour.
The walking tour was described as a strenuous, very active tour. But I walk all the time so I felt I would be okay. The said the tour includes walking on uneven, flat surfaces and “several” stone steps, a great understatement, they also said people with claustrophobia shouldn’t go. We were walking to a tour of the underground area of Naples. The “few steps” were ninety down to start with and then other places followed by probably at least another 40 up and down till we were finished. I did fine but the steps were very uneven in height and some were very slippery. The area around the steps was generally low and close into you. Well, there were two other people of the 14 total, who had canes. But they both had 2 canes. One a man and another a lady. Just as we were within 10 of the end of the first 90 steps the “large” man fell and tore his shoulder. He refused to leave the tour and go back and continued to the end. Neither of these people were in fit condition for this tour. Oh well.
After our walking and exploring down under in an area that once had held the water for Naples and then became bomb shelters during WWII, we walked along the ocean and were treated to a marvelous pizza lunch. The tour was definitely worth it. We got to see the Castles, Royal Palace , churches, and much more. When we walked along the sea, you could see Mt. Vesuvius in the distance. Quite spectacular. Also, we saw the traps for catching mussels floating out in the ocean. The guide said the boxes we could see floating had ropes extending down into the ocean below them. The mussels grow on the rope. You could see fishermen in their boats going around pulling up the ropes to see if they were growing and were big enough to harvest. WOW.
After returning to the ship and reaching our cabin we found we had put the wrong sign in our door and our room had not been made up. So we called the steward to tell him all he had to do was bring fresh towels. He caught us as were leaving and we learned we had our third different steward. This one is Neil. He was very nice and when we got back from the show he had completely done our room. How nice. Ice and fresh made bed and all. Tell Tate we are getting chocolates every night on our pillow and Granny is saving them for him, that is all the ones Pappy doesn’t eat.
Tomorrow will be a slower paced day, maybe. We are going to start by riding the hop on hop off bus to a Cathedral and then explore some catacombs. Well, it is time to take my drugs, brush my teeth and soon off to bed.
Love and miss you all, see you for Christmas. If you want donuts you need to text me so I will have your lists when I get home.
Love Mom, Granny and Bonnie
Yesterday afternoon, Boris, the internet manager, told me to go to the crew office and try to get a voucher for the crew internet ($20 for 300 megs downloading or $40 for 667 megs). Before I could go, I had a meeting with Ken, the destination lecturer (I am the special interest lecturer – and you already knew I was special, right?), told me that Toby, the deputy cruise director, could get it for me easier.
When I went back to the internet café this afternoon to have Boris set up my account (you techies will understand this) because the crew access is hidden from the passenger access. He growled because I hadn’t done what he had told me to do. I had the code, that’s all I knew, and all I knew I needed. But Toby had gotten me a crew number instead of a contractor number and this is all more complicated than it needs to be and way more than you were interested in knowing, but Boris got it set up (after growling about having to work with Windows XP – our backup computer and the one we use for the internet – you may remember problems on another ship caused by the Windows 10 computer trying to access the internet immediately before I was to give one of my talks).
And I learned that I have a Princess Crew employee number. If you are keeping notes it is 343056 – been doing this for 10 years and never knew I had an employee number. So, there you go.
Last night I cleaned my contacts preparing to go to bed and when I opened the contact case, there was another pair of lenses in it. I vaguely remember changing contacts on a recent cruise – couldn’t tell you which one – and keeping them because I didn’t have another pair (I change lenses every two weeks and only had the one extra pair on board). Evidently I used a different case on the last cruise because there were no contacts floating in the case I used on the Carnival Splendor. One more strange occurrence in the travels of David and Bonnie.
Since there was no first night’s blog, you do not know that I was able to get our late dining changed to early dining. This ship, the Pacific Princess, one of our top three ships, has only one main dining room and two dining times, there is no any-time dining. Come to think of it, if it is a main dining room, it is the only main dining room, all others are sub-main or under-main or lesser-main or something.
We are seated at Table 57 with Ted and Gita from Canada, Richard and Roberta originally from New York now transplanted to Las Vegas, and Jack and Pam originally from New York now transplanted to Las Vegas – and the last two couples know each other. A decent group of dinner companions. But a couple of notes. LA and DO. Now: Jack talks while chewing his food; Roberta eats with her mouth open; Gita wears low cut blouses with push up bras; and Jack and Ted know everything. But we have enjoyed these first two evenings.
The entertainer tonight was David Copperfield. No not that one, nor the one from WWE in Augusta (if you don’t get the reference, ask someone who was there). He is a British comedian, singer, ventriloquist whose name really is David Copperfield. It was a great show, laughter from start to finish, and he added a couple of guitar solos (excellent) and singing (even better).
We took a ship’s excursion today, a “Walking Tour with Borbonic Gallery & Pizza Tasting.” I will let my cruse companion fill in the details, but suffice it to say if you have eaten with Bonnie and I at the Napelio (speeling?) Wood Fired pizza place in Aiken, SC, you know we had great pizza for lunch. And the Aiken is authentic.
Well, here she is, direct from the Carnival Splendor, for your blogging pleasure, please welcome to the keyboard (for hunting and pecking) Bonnie Belle Carter Sisler. Hereeeee’s Bonnie!
TTFN
Well, getting on board was not a big issue, however when we got to our cabin the keys did not work. He went up and they changed them. Yeah we were in the room. Very nice room, roomy and we have a port hole. We have stayed on this floor before. Later in the day we had to go to the boat drill. Well, my card was invalid. So I hopped on( well really walked) down to the desk and got a new key. Back up to the drill and I am still invalid. Uggh!! They young man finally typed my name in and I was okay. When he finally arrived, his was invalid too. So after the drill it was back to the desk for a fourth key for me and his third. (Oh by the way they have my name spelled wrong on the key, they did “Bell” and not “Belle”) The rest of the day was fine and I slept very well.
We got up at 6 am so we could have breakfast and then, get to the meeting place for the tour.
The walking tour was described as a strenuous, very active tour. But I walk all the time so I felt I would be okay. The said the tour includes walking on uneven, flat surfaces and “several” stone steps, a great understatement, they also said people with claustrophobia shouldn’t go. We were walking to a tour of the underground area of Naples. The “few steps” were ninety down to start with and then other places followed by probably at least another 40 up and down till we were finished. I did fine but the steps were very uneven in height and some were very slippery. The area around the steps was generally low and close into you. Well, there were two other people of the 14 total, who had canes. But they both had 2 canes. One a man and another a lady. Just as we were within 10 of the end of the first 90 steps the “large” man fell and tore his shoulder. He refused to leave the tour and go back and continued to the end. Neither of these people were in fit condition for this tour. Oh well.
After our walking and exploring down under in an area that once had held the water for Naples and then became bomb shelters during WWII, we walked along the ocean and were treated to a marvelous pizza lunch. The tour was definitely worth it. We got to see the Castles, Royal Palace , churches, and much more. When we walked along the sea, you could see Mt. Vesuvius in the distance. Quite spectacular. Also, we saw the traps for catching mussels floating out in the ocean. The guide said the boxes we could see floating had ropes extending down into the ocean below them. The mussels grow on the rope. You could see fishermen in their boats going around pulling up the ropes to see if they were growing and were big enough to harvest. WOW.
After returning to the ship and reaching our cabin we found we had put the wrong sign in our door and our room had not been made up. So we called the steward to tell him all he had to do was bring fresh towels. He caught us as were leaving and we learned we had our third different steward. This one is Neil. He was very nice and when we got back from the show he had completely done our room. How nice. Ice and fresh made bed and all. Tell Tate we are getting chocolates every night on our pillow and Granny is saving them for him, that is all the ones Pappy doesn’t eat.
Tomorrow will be a slower paced day, maybe. We are going to start by riding the hop on hop off bus to a Cathedral and then explore some catacombs. Well, it is time to take my drugs, brush my teeth and soon off to bed.
Love and miss you all, see you for Christmas. If you want donuts you need to text me so I will have your lists when I get home.
Love Mom, Granny and Bonnie
Tuesday, December 4, 2018
IN ROME
December 4, 2018
IN ROME
I’m better than this! I ought to erase that and start out another way, but I’m still brain dead from our flight.
It started in Atlanta with a 2 hour delay of our flight to Newark (we needed Captain Ivy because we got to the airport without delay). At first I thought perhaps they were keeping the airspaces clear for Special Flight 41 which was taking President George H. W. Bush’s body to our nation’s capital for funeral things. But it was because of severe winds in the Newark/New York area and they wanted to keep a good space between planes. Once we lost our take-off time, we had to be worked back in.
Next was another 2 hour delay in Newark. We pushed back on time, but as we were taxi-ing out, a man began to talk above the noise of the conversation and the noise of the engines, finally screaming. “Don’t hurt me! Why are you keeping me here? I don’t want to be here!” Then when flight attendants approached him he said, “Don’t hurt me! I won’t hurt you!” My very uneducated guess, and based only on the sound of his voice, was that he was a special needs individual. At any rate, he appeared to be traveling with two other men who tried to calm him, but to no avail. So secured with handcuff ties, he was taken off the plane with his friends following him.
Of course we had to taxi back to the gate and then wait for a tractor to be hooked up to us to pull us into the gate. Well, by now we had lost our place in line for take off, and it was just as well because the Captain told us that one of the communication panels in the cockpit wasn’t working and maintenance was coming to fix it. Which they did, and we taxied and lifted off 2 hours late.
En route, we encountered some of the worst turbulence we’ve ever encountered. In fact, I’m pretty sure we’ve never hit any rough air like that before. Several passengers hollered out when we bumped and jumped. I knew it was coming when the Captain said, “Flight attendants, be seated immediately!” And about 2 minutes later we experienced it. Later the Captain said that a plane in front of us had told him about it, but not in time to avoid it. There was a touch of rough weather later, but nothing out of the ordinary. A new experience we hope never to repeat.
As we flew over France, about two hours before touchdown, Bonnie looked out the window and exclaimed with delight, “Look! The Alps! And they are covered in snow!” It was a beautiful sight. I like snow when I am 30,000 feet above it and don’t have to walk in it, drive in it, or experience its cold.
Okay. Here is where the I-am-better-than-this starts. We got a taxi to bring us to our apartment, and I did what I said I would never do again – pick up a driver inside the airport. He was a gypsy cabber, safe drive, and got us to our destination, but we were way over charged. Never mind how much.
Our apartment is very nice. Our host was at work and his mother, who speaks as little English as we speak Italian, greeted us and showed us around. My plan was to go out to Ostia Antica, the remains of an ancient Italian city. It was covered with mud when the local river moved inland over the centuries and was only recently uncovered. Lots of stuff to see and all close together. The trouble is, the apartment is about 6 kilometers from Ostia, and it would have taken us over an hour to walk it. Public transportation passing by the apartment is irregular, and it gets dark here about 5 p.m., so we passed on exploring, choosing rather to nap and restore ourselves.
I don’t know what I did when I looked at the map back in February because I picked this place because of its proximity to Ostia. But not proximity enough. Oh well. Another time.
We sat out on the balcony this afternoon – glorious warm sun – and played 6 games of Yahtzee, winning 3 games each, but Mom is up by 121 total points. The battle is on!
Our host has secured a taxi to take us to a nice restaurant and the driver will wait for us to bring us back. We are looking forward to a good Italian meal of insalata mista (salad of mixed greens), spaghetti pomodoro & basilico (tomato sauce with basil) for Bonnie and either spaghetti al la carbonara (eggs and bacon) or bistecca di manzo (beef steak with potatoes) for me. And maybe dolce del giorno – dessert of the day.
Then it’s back here to sleep the sleep of the just and get ready for our driver to pick us up at 10:30 in the morning and drive us to Civitiavecchia and the Pacific Princess.
Until the next time, then.
TTFN
IN ROME
I’m better than this! I ought to erase that and start out another way, but I’m still brain dead from our flight.
It started in Atlanta with a 2 hour delay of our flight to Newark (we needed Captain Ivy because we got to the airport without delay). At first I thought perhaps they were keeping the airspaces clear for Special Flight 41 which was taking President George H. W. Bush’s body to our nation’s capital for funeral things. But it was because of severe winds in the Newark/New York area and they wanted to keep a good space between planes. Once we lost our take-off time, we had to be worked back in.
Next was another 2 hour delay in Newark. We pushed back on time, but as we were taxi-ing out, a man began to talk above the noise of the conversation and the noise of the engines, finally screaming. “Don’t hurt me! Why are you keeping me here? I don’t want to be here!” Then when flight attendants approached him he said, “Don’t hurt me! I won’t hurt you!” My very uneducated guess, and based only on the sound of his voice, was that he was a special needs individual. At any rate, he appeared to be traveling with two other men who tried to calm him, but to no avail. So secured with handcuff ties, he was taken off the plane with his friends following him.
Of course we had to taxi back to the gate and then wait for a tractor to be hooked up to us to pull us into the gate. Well, by now we had lost our place in line for take off, and it was just as well because the Captain told us that one of the communication panels in the cockpit wasn’t working and maintenance was coming to fix it. Which they did, and we taxied and lifted off 2 hours late.
En route, we encountered some of the worst turbulence we’ve ever encountered. In fact, I’m pretty sure we’ve never hit any rough air like that before. Several passengers hollered out when we bumped and jumped. I knew it was coming when the Captain said, “Flight attendants, be seated immediately!” And about 2 minutes later we experienced it. Later the Captain said that a plane in front of us had told him about it, but not in time to avoid it. There was a touch of rough weather later, but nothing out of the ordinary. A new experience we hope never to repeat.
As we flew over France, about two hours before touchdown, Bonnie looked out the window and exclaimed with delight, “Look! The Alps! And they are covered in snow!” It was a beautiful sight. I like snow when I am 30,000 feet above it and don’t have to walk in it, drive in it, or experience its cold.
Okay. Here is where the I-am-better-than-this starts. We got a taxi to bring us to our apartment, and I did what I said I would never do again – pick up a driver inside the airport. He was a gypsy cabber, safe drive, and got us to our destination, but we were way over charged. Never mind how much.
Our apartment is very nice. Our host was at work and his mother, who speaks as little English as we speak Italian, greeted us and showed us around. My plan was to go out to Ostia Antica, the remains of an ancient Italian city. It was covered with mud when the local river moved inland over the centuries and was only recently uncovered. Lots of stuff to see and all close together. The trouble is, the apartment is about 6 kilometers from Ostia, and it would have taken us over an hour to walk it. Public transportation passing by the apartment is irregular, and it gets dark here about 5 p.m., so we passed on exploring, choosing rather to nap and restore ourselves.
I don’t know what I did when I looked at the map back in February because I picked this place because of its proximity to Ostia. But not proximity enough. Oh well. Another time.
We sat out on the balcony this afternoon – glorious warm sun – and played 6 games of Yahtzee, winning 3 games each, but Mom is up by 121 total points. The battle is on!
Our host has secured a taxi to take us to a nice restaurant and the driver will wait for us to bring us back. We are looking forward to a good Italian meal of insalata mista (salad of mixed greens), spaghetti pomodoro & basilico (tomato sauce with basil) for Bonnie and either spaghetti al la carbonara (eggs and bacon) or bistecca di manzo (beef steak with potatoes) for me. And maybe dolce del giorno – dessert of the day.
Then it’s back here to sleep the sleep of the just and get ready for our driver to pick us up at 10:30 in the morning and drive us to Civitiavecchia and the Pacific Princess.
Until the next time, then.
TTFN
Tuesday, November 27, 2018
Pictures from the Ecstasy
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| Oscar, our tour guide in Amber Cover, Dominican Republic |
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| Great lunch on the tour. |
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| These fish are all made out of cans. |
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| Church of Saint John the Baptist in Aruba. |
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| For the Bro. Remembering Mom saying, "You Kelly boys go home!" |
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| Getting ready for the Aruba sunset cruise. |
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| Positive thinking in Curacao |
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| No idea who the Toegang is, but they are to keep out. |
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| At the Yoda Guy Museum |
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| Found someone you have. |
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| Wars do not make one great. |
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| In San Juan |
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| Towel animals on deck. |
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