April 30

 

I’m tired tonight and my cruise buddy has written so many notes, I asked her if she is going to write “War and Peace 2” tonight.  But like you, I look forward to seeing what I missed.

Talk number two was this morning. “You Create: Photography.”  All about taking better pictures whether on your cellphone or digital camera.  After the talk a lady asked me if I had published a book, and I thanked her for the compliment, and told her no.  But I have been asked that before.  Maybe later. Nah!

We bought our  shuttle tickets from Southampton dock to LHR so we can get on Delta 37 and fly home.  $200 for the two tickets, but it’s the tariffs I’m sure.

You remember the kerfluffle on boarding day about the UK ETA that I’d paid for, but only have proof of one and had to buy another one for Mom.  Well today I contacted the folks I bought them from and they sent me duplicate receipts.  So other than the extra expense that is settled.

While we were taking care of the shuttle tickets a lady in a wheelchair joined the line for Guest Services. The sign on her chair is great:

Humor

At dinner tonight -- Asian and very good -- we posed for a picture with Astri and Fushawn.  She is from India, he is from China.  I sent the picture earlier to the JAMM kids and Michael sent back a funny gif saying something about no gang signs (Fushawn's "peace" sign). I explained that he is Chinese and it must be to ward off tariffs.

Astri and Fushawn with your favorite cruisers

 The show tonight was Ventriloquist Kevin Johnson -- he’s on YouTube. The funniest show we’ve ever seen and one of the best all around performances on our travels.  Check it out.  Funny stuff.

Tomorrow is Bermuda, docking at King’s Wharf – where we know where everything is.  Miniature golf, rum cake shop, glass blower, pharmacist, shopping mall.  So out and about.

Ok, like I said earlier, I’m tired tonight, so I’m going to give the keyboard Mom/Granny/Bonnie.

 

Hello all you kids in radio land….. 

Well, we were up at 7 and got ready for the day, at least I did. We headed for the Windjammer for breakfast and were of course greeted by “Washy Washy” . I always wash my hands and he uses the sanitizer. That stuff makes my rings yucky. Not a whole of people up here yet since we turned the clocks ahead last night.  After breakfast he needed to go back to study and dress for his talk. 

So I headed out to explore the ship. I started on deck 11 where the windjammer is located and headed out the door onto deck 11. At the other end of deck 11 is the Solarium (Adults only) part of the ship. Really nice, lots of loungers, 2 huge hot tubs and a pool. I walked all the way around to the other side and came out onto 11 into the “Smoking” zone. Yuck!! Stinky. 

So I found a set of stairs on my left heading up to deck 12. As I proceeded up the flight of stairs I passed the roped off zones for the concierge suites and the pinnacle. You can only sit in these elevated seats if you have the right colored key card. I soon emerged onto deck 12 where the walking/running track is located. So I decided to have a go at it. I made a half mile, yeah me. Probably have done more than a mile today because I have walked up and down many flights of stairs. It is difficult to walk around the track, (right hand lane for walkers, left hand lane for runners), because on both sides at the rails they have casitas you can rent and sit in all day covering the lane for walkers. So I am often in the running lane as I go around. So I could see the shadows of people approaching from behind on one side and I would move out of their way. On the other side I just checked often behind me so I could get out of the way. The weather was absolutely wonderful. Nice wind blowing and sun shining. 

I found some things we didn’t know where they were, for example the free ice cream cone station (but it didn’t open to 11am)  is just outside the Windjammer and the steps up to 13 and the miniature golf course is at one end of the walking track. 

Well after walking an exploring I decided to head back to the room. It was a little after 9 and he needs to go to the theater about 9:30. I was a little creaky by this time so I decided to ride the elevator down. I took one of the glass ones and I saw the most amazing piece of art work hanging between deck 10 and 11. WHOA! We went after lunch to see it and take a picture. (He will try and send a picture of it) It was made entirely out of wires and spools of different colored  thread! They made a great picture using the different colors. Probably more than 50,000 spools!

The spools of thread art.

Well, we started our card tournament after lunch. Found a table in the Windjammer and began the tournament after lunch. Well! It ain’t looking good for me.

 He told you about buying the shuttle tickets. Almost $200 for about an hour and a half bus ride from the port to the airport. Wonder what UBER would charge?

 I had also insisted he check to make sure he had a ETA visa to get into the UK. He wrote to the people he had bought ours from and was able to get the documentation for him and me even though Royal Caribbean had already made me buy one before they would let me on. I already had one but they did not believe us because the confirmation of the order only had his name on it. So now I have two! When I had been walking back to the cabin earlier one of the crew storage/work areas door was open. I saw a crew member was scraping up loose paint up off the floor. Curious. Well when we came back from the talk for him to change out of his coat and tie we smelled this horrible smell on our hallways back to the cabin. They had painted the floor and the door was hanging open and it was horrible. It was still bad when we walked to and from supper tonight.

 Well, yesterday while I was working on my first crochet project something was not right. I finished one of the 10 I need to make for Mother’s day and it was not right. At first I thought it was one of the skeins of yarn I bought not being the right kind. So I started a second with the other colors and it wasn’t working either. I tore apart the first one I made and most of the second one, I read the pattern over and over again but couldn’t find what I was doing wrong. So I put it away and we went to bed. It took me about an hour when I woke up in the middle of the night to figure out what I thought I was doing wrong. This morning I tried and yeah I figured it out. The pattern is not quite written clearly. I now have completed 2 and have 8 to go. What’s an hour sleep.

 Well, he is sitting on the couch reading his book and he is sleepy so I will say goodnight. It has been a good day and I am looking forward to visiting Bermuda and having a fun day tomorrow.

 By the way supper was Chinese oriented tonight. It was okay.

 Love you all, Mom, Granny, Bonnie

 

PS:  Hey Mac that was some good bass guitar playing. But I couldn’t see your handsome face and beautiful smile. And Luke you better watch out your little brother is coming for you!!