TAX AND DUTY FREE

January 12, 2019

I’ll let Mom begin tonight’s blog – it is related to the title – and I’ll be back in a few minutes.

Well, I forgot to tell you about one of our other adventures yesterday. We both remembered it was a funny story but we both forgot. Then, this morning I found the object that caused the funny story, so now I can tell it to you. 

Well, here goes. You remember I told you before with went on our walking tour we did some shopping. There was one store where I found a nice stone coaster of Antigua and it was only $5. So I bought it. When I went to pay for it the lady asked if we were on a ship. I said yes. She said she needed to see my sail and sign card so we wouldn’t have to pay taxes. So I gave her my card and she started typing into her computer. Then, she asked for our room number. Then, what port we were going to next and so on she went.  I began to think I was going to have to give her the name of my first born child or grandchild. May be I should have just paid the tax. I thought it was a lot to ask.

We both made up some other funny things she might have asked but I won’t tell you what we made up. Censored!!

Well, today was a yucky day. Since he got up so late, I was up at 6 am and should have gotten up and gone for a walk, because it was way to hot outside to walk at 10:30. So no walk today. I really miss when I don’t get outside in the air. It makes the day long. After lunch and some more Yahtzee, which I lost again and again!, we did nap, well he napped and I did, kind of nap. We got up and dressed for formal night.

At supper of course there was the lobster tail and jumbo shrimp, which we did not have. However everybody else was chowing down. At one table near us they had 3 lobster tails each, three out of four of the people. Another table there were 2 or 3 each. Whoa, it was amazing how many these people ate. Then, of course tonight was the parade of Baked Alaska desserts. There baked Alaska is not good. Every time I get it all I get is strawberry ice cream and that is my least favorite flavor.  And sure enough that is what I got. Oh well. For supper I had the vegetarian dish of vegetables in a cheese sauce. It was quite tasty. Mostly peas, carrots, cauliflower and broccoli. It was supposed to have asparagus on top but that was missing. That was okay because I don’t like asparagus but I would have given it to Dad because he does.

The show was a DUD!! I have seen this guy before and I don’t care for his act. He is like a smooth talker from the Music Man. I would be very distrustful of him if I met him outside of his show. Oh well, Dad enjoyed the illusions.

Well we are in our room. I am having some diet coke and he is having mountain dew. Off to bed soon as we have an early tour.

Love, Mom, Granny and Bonnie

Okay, my turn.

A lazy day at sea.  It is unusual for me not to have a talk on a sea day, in fact, I can’t remember the last time that happened. 

I slept until 9 a.m.  Another, I can’t remember the last time that happened.  I think it was in Samara, Russia – that’s how long ago.  Anyway, we did the breakfast thing – I had two hard boiled eggs and polish sausage – then just hung out until it was time for the what’s happening in St. Maarten’s talk.  Actually, it wasn’t the what’s happening in St. Maarten’s talk.  It was the what’s for sale in Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, Puerto Rico, and Grand Turk Island talk.  Everywhere there is a Diamonds International and a Tanzenite International and all the places where we can shop and save money – guaranteed.  But we entered our names in the drawing and won a week’s worth of sale flyers and brochures delivered right to our stateroom!  Wooo Hooooo!

Eric and Barbie (she writes her name with a heart over the “I” instead of a dot) were supposed to teach a rumba class at 12:30 and we were going to go.  Instead the Michael Jackson “Thriller” dance class ran long, E&B got started late, and we didn’t go.  Grilled ham and cheese sandwich for lunch, followed by a nap, and the second formal night of the cruise. 

Tonight’s entertainer was a mentalist, and although Bonnie thoroughly dislikes that type of performer, she went with me, and said, she’d like to be the person asked to pick a number between one and five.  She’d say 3.1416 and a couple of more digits following.  Actually, we’ve seen him before and guessed what was in the box on stage – a volley ball (same as the last two times, actually).  But he did other things which have me completely bumfuzzled.  I liked it.

We have an early excursion tomorrow in Grenada, a four hour tour.  Fortunately not three hours like the ill-fated “Minnow,” so we should be back on board long before sail away.

Okay.  That’s it for tonight.

TTFN