What I'm reading/watching/listening to this winter

Just as I did last year, I've been loading up my iPhone with a winter's worth of entertainment for those times when the ship's entertainment doesn't measure up to some quiet time alone. I take this quite seriously...my phone has 32G of memory, and entertainment options have to really appeal to make the cut. This year the process was made infinitely easier by my new laptop (thank you again G!). I've downloaded several hours of TV shows on it, and can download the photos from my phone to it throughout the cruise, thus freeing up phone memory.

My favorite "reading" actually comes from my audiobooks. I love listening to them when I walk and lie on a beach...no reading glasses required, and on a beach my eyes can stay safely closed (a good thing on a windy beach with hard contacts). I have about 30 of them loaded on my phone, which, at a rate of two per cruise and allowing for a few that I won't like, should carry me through.

The Sugar King of Havana is the closest
the library had to a Caribbean history ebook.

eBooks are much easier. Since they're such small files, I can download one even over slow ship's WiFi in just a few minutes. Using the Overdrive Media app (my favorite app!), I can "check out" ebooks from my local library at home, read them and return them, all from my iPhone on the ship.  I'm doing this more and more even while home, and haven't been to the library in almost two months. It's a brave new world folks!







Music? I have lots. Too much. I've cut back to just my 745 favorite songs for the cruise. ;-)




But what I'm most excited about are the two seasons of Downton Abbey I've downloaded on my laptop. Last winter that's all I heard about when I was on the Emerald: Downton Abbey, the costumes, the actors, etc. I had never watched the show, but spent a very enjoyable afternoon on a beach in Barbados with three British couples who raved about it. I was on a mission when I returned home to see what all the fuss was about, and now I get it.

I purchased the UK HD version of both seasons, but I've only allowed myself to watch the first episode of the first season. It's a bit like sitting alone by a Christmas tree surrounded by presents all for me...and not peeking until Christmas morning. I've put the first and second show on my phone for the flight to Fort Lauderdale (I predict G will be asleep before the plane takes off), and will enjoy the rest on the ship.

It should be noted here that this fixation with entertainment on an iPhone is not shared by my husband. He'll snag a copy of the airline magazine on the way to Fort Lauderdale and be good to go. He doesn't generally sit still long enough to listen/read/watch. And when he does, he's asleep in 5 seconds.

It's a talent I wish I had.