FORMAL SHMORMAL

January 16, 2020

Regular readers of this space (people who read this regularly, not people who are regular and read this blog) know that formal nights are my favorite nights on board.  Pull out the old tuxedo (and that is not just a qualifying modifier – it is 30 years old this year) and we sport ourselves around the ship.

Well, last evening when we were looking at the Fun Times, the ship’s daily newspaper of goings on, and then reading the menu (always posted early on the phone app) we decided to leave our formal duds in the closet and go to the Lido for supper.  I had a talk from 4-5 and it would have been at least 530 until we could have gotten back to the room, changed and gotten to the dining room. 

But the clincher was tonight’s menu.  For a formal night it was rather slack.  There were several offerings I could have ordered – I’ll eat most anything – but for Mom’s refined taste there was nothing other than a caesar salad.  So I kept my work clothes on and we went to the Lido.  We grazed the buffet.  Bonnie had flat iron steak which she pronounced as very good.  I had a small piece of barbeque chicken and a small slice of Hawaiian baked ham.  We each had baked potatoes and a selection of small desserts.  Oh, I also had a very good bowl of clam chowder.  My dinner companion thought it was potato soup and was enjoying it until she pulled up a clam and that was it for the soup.

My talk today was in the photography category and my subject was “How to Take Better Pictures with Your Cell Phone and Your Digital Camera.”  This talk always generates a lot of after-talk questions and discussions.  One lady asked me where were some good places on our next stops (and we have 6 in a row) to get some good photo opportunities.  I was honored by her request, but talking about taking better pictures doesn’t necessarily mean I know where to go on Grenada, Martinique, Barbados, St. Kitts, St. Maarten, or Tortola for good pictures.  As it happens, I could point her towards some promising spots in 3 of the 6.  And she was happy.

I don’t have another talk until before sail away from St. Maarten and Tortola (doing the astronomy talk on both of those evenings) so my cruise buddy and I will be tourists for the next several days.  And try to take some good pictures.

Okay.  It’s Bonnie’s turn.

TTFN

I did not even try the soup . I had put my spoon in it and he said it was clam chowder and that was the end of that!!

Anyway, I forgot to tell you about a small adventure we had yesterday. You know I hate riding elevators, however it is up to deck 10 from 2 for breakfast and we usually ride up and walk down. Well, yesterday since we knew we would be walking a lot in St Croix we decided to ride down to 2 from the Lido. Well, we get on and are riding and all of a sudden the elevator jumps and stops at 5 or almost 5. The door does not open and we just set there. Great! It started back up again and proceeded to our floor but I did not like the hesitation.

Well, up at about 6:30, we got ready and went for breakfast. We were there early today and the omelet line was very short so we both had one. I went to get my cup of hot chocolate out of their hot chocolate machine and all it was giving me was a cup of hot water. It was not mixing the chocolate into it. So I went to the other side and used that one. As I was making my cup a young server was there and I told him the machine on the other side was not working. And he took his hand and tapped the side of the chocolate dispenser on top and said just give it a good slap. He said the chocolate sometimes gets stuck. Funny. I shall remember that.

As my kindle is working I had brought it and my earphones to breakfast so afterwards I could maybe go for a walk. I proceeded up to deck 12 and the jogging track. It was quite windy but I got my mile plus in before heading back to the room to change bags and head for the room where his talk was to be.

Deck 5 where his talk is and our card playing place is located is a COLD floor. Now you know I like the cold but this place is frigid. Back to the cold in a little while. Well, when he had arrived at the lounge for his talk he had forgotten his name tag. So while he set up and schmoozed with the crowd, I went to the room and got it. After the talk we took our stuff to the room, he changed clothes and then we went to Brunch. They have it on sea days. It was okay. After brunch we went to our spot on 5 to play cards. At the moment I am ahead. We played about an hour but by then we were both freezing!!! So we went to the room and both took a nap. Then, off to his second talk and supper etc.

The show tonight was called “88 Keys” It is about a piano bar and piano man and they sing a bunch of great songs. It was very good. We have seen this show probably 4 times but this group did the best job of any of the times before. They sang really well and two of the guys were excellent piano players. Great singing and dancing by all.

Well, we are back in our room and will just be tourist for the next couple of days. By the ways I got over 11,000 steps almost 5 miles. Yeah me.

Love you all and NO IT IS NOT MY BIRTHDAY!! But thanks for all the greetings and thank you to the Herrington’s for the card and Hershey bar. Tate I loved the o’s and hearts you drew in the card and the Love Mac and the Happy Birthday from Luke.

Love Mom,   Granny, and Bonnie