SHE WAS COLD!

April 15, 2019

All of you who read this blog know that I am always cold, and she is always hot.  Well, this afternoon I came back to the room following Robin Ross’s talk (he’s the other guest speaker on the cruise – a former DJ with lots of stories about famous people that he’s interviewed) and our cabin was like an ice cube!  I voiced the same and was surprised – in fact, I had to hold onto the wall to keep from falling – to hear my wife of 50 years, the mother of my children, the granny of our 10 grands, exclaim, “Me, too!”  Before she could change her mind (was there something wrong with the one she has) I got on the phone to Guest Services and asked for maintenance to come and do something so I could raise the temperature in here. 

They sent a woman with a digital thermometer, which suggests to me that we are not the only ones to complain, if they have a special device on board to check.  She assured us it was between 21.7 and 22.1 degrees Celsius.  I don’t care – we were cold.  A few minutes after she left the phone rang and a man said, “That’s as warm as it gets.  Our system is not made to be any warmer.  But we can send you a blanket.”  I said, “Can you send ear muffs, a nose cozy, and gloves?”  He said, “Sir, we don’t have any of those, but we’d be glad to send a blanket.”  I replied, “No, I’ll just turn on the hair dryer and thaw my ears.”  He replied, “Very good, sir.  Let me know if there is anything else I can do.”

Well, most of that paragraph is true.  Right down to the point where I asked for ear muffs, etc.  So when we left for supper, I left all the lights on, figuring that would help.  Even fluorescent lights put off some heat.  Our cabin stewards do a turn down each evening and leave chocolates on the bed and turn off the lights.  But we are convinced it is warmer in here tonight.  We’ll see what tomorrow brings.

I did my first talk, “When Pirates Sailed the Atlantic,” this morning in the main theater.  The bottom floor was full, and the top floor over half.  A good crowd and a responsive crowd.  They liked my pirate jokes, and gave a good applause when I told them one of the greatest pirates of all time came from Puerto Rico, showing them a photograph of Roberto Clemente.

All of you Star Trek fans out there know the line from Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country: “I’d pay real money if he’d shut up!”  We ate with those folks tonight.  Lucille, from Connecticut has done everything everyone has done, more often and better.  She breathed twice during the 100 minutes of supper, and the second time was when she choked on pepper corns.  Her husband, Fred, finally got to say something, asking if she was all right.  We have a regular time to eat, but we don’t have a regular table, so with luck we won’t sup with them again.

It is time for Bonnie to blog, and then I’ll post this, check email, and rehearse for tomorrow’s talk, “Are We There Yet?”

Oh, I forgot something.  Last night we turned the clocks up an hour.  Mom was asleep before I finished the blog and I rehearsed the talk.  It was midnight new time when I finally swallowed my evening pills and went to bed.  When I woke up at 8:15 this morning, I looked around and I could see perfectly.  For just a second I thought that a miracle had occurred while I slept and then it dawned on me – I hadn’t taken my contacts out before I went to bed.  I haven’t slept with my contacts in since taking the Tashkent train from Moscow to Samara, and that time I did it deliberately.

And now, TTFN

Well, I am still awake. Last night I was REALLY tired. I think I was asleep before he quit reading me his blog.  Tonight I am a little better. After getting up we got ready and went to breakfast. He went back to the room to get ready for the 11 am talk. I headed to deck 6 the Lower Promenade and went walking while listening to my new Clive Cussler book. It is 4 laps around the deck for a mile. I lost count but I did at least 4 laps. I headed back to the room to change bags and get my daytime crochet bag with the crocheting projects for this trip, my puzzle book and other stuff. I wondered as I headed to the room if I would be able to get in as my key is still not working all the time. After 4 tries it turned the lock green and let me into the room. I changed my stuff and headed back out. At about 10:45 I headed to the showroom, which is what they call the theater, to wait for his talk. The EXC and tour person finished up at 10:55 and then they hooked David’s computer and the EXC guy came out and gave a nice intro. According to the letter he had received when we got on board he was supposed to stay for the talk and close out the show. He did not. Oh well. Most of the stuff he said in the letter he didn’t do. But they did do a new schedule and now the talks are at 10 and 2. The other speaker and David switch times each day.  Tomorrow we are on at 2.

After his talk we went to Lido for lunch and then out on deck 2 to sit in the warm air. It was great not too cold or warm. There are some pretty big waves and a wind of about 30 knots. I thought it felt great. We had to search to find some deck chairs that were dry and not reserved. You see on deck 6 there are cabins that have sliding doors that open onto the deck. They don’t have a balcony but each room has 2 reserved deck chairs on the deck.  But there are still other chairs for us peons who only have a port hole on the lower decks.

He went to Robins talk. I did not. I sat for a while more. Then, we met back at the cabin for a nap. After the nap it was dress and go to supper at 5:15. Definitely don’t want the same table companions. The one couple was okay but the other lady almost never took a breath. 

Holland has changed their menus and tonight you ordered everything at the same time. No separate menu for dessert. I had a zucchini cream soup, rigatoni with sausage and tomato sauce and a raspberry and ricotta cheese torte. All was good. They have also changed the shape of the water glasses and the water pitchers. The waiters are not used to them yet and have difficulty filling your glass with water. I was sitting at the end of the table for 6 by the window and when the waiter went to fill my glass he poured water all over the table around my glass. At the time I did not realize he also pored water all over the crochet bag containing my kindle and his fire which was laying on the floor at the foot of the table. When we got to the theater I realized my bag was sopping wet, my kindle was wet but not his fire. Where is the bowl of rice. Fortunately it was mainly the case and my bag that got drenched and not the kindle itself. So now the bag is hanging in the shower. Hopefully it will be dry by tomorrow night.

Tomorrow is formal night and the first show by the ships singers and dancers. Always a good show. The comedian tonight was very funny. We laughed the whole time.

Well, now it is almost time for me to take my pills and floss and brush my teeth.

Miss you all but the water is great. It is rocky but I love it. This one of my favorite cruises across the ocean to Europe.

Well, grand kids it is off to school tomorrow.  Love you. Have a great day.

Love Mom, Granny and Bonnie