We disembarked the Caribbean Princess on March 7; we embark the Pacific Princess cruise tomorrow, September 7. Instead of waiting until after the Labor Day holiday to begin preparing for our next cruising season as we usually do, we actually started as soon as we returned home in March, but kicked it into high gear right after our Fourth of July road trip. The second half of summer found us busy completing our "must-do's", deciding which non-essential projects could wait until next year and filling up the calendar with medical and other appointments. It's not an exaggeration to say that, for some inexplicable reason, six months at home flew by much faster than last summer's six months and three weeks did.
My perpetual packing process began when I was unpacking last March. Many of the items I take on cruises (lanyard, macrame bag, dressy sandals for formal nights, etc.) simply aren't used at home and so these were immediately set aside in a spare bedroom. Over the summer, the stack of items on the bed in there grew, but I've learned not to put anything in a suitcase until the last day at home. It's too easy to forget what is packed! I've also been compiling a shopping list for the WalMart in Hilo, of primarily heavy or liquid items, and it is not short. Once again, we'll return to the Pacific Princess in Hilo with shopping bags hanging from every finger.
While I was smart enough last winter to never wear my swimsuit without a long sleeved SPF50 rash guard over it in the near-equatorial sun, this year I bought a swim hood that tucks into the neck of the rash guard, providing extra protection while snorkeling. Stylish, this is not. (As bad as it looks on the model, it looks worse on me). It is also not a look one sees featured in cruise brochures, where fit young ladies snorkel wearing bikinis while their long hair magically flows out behind them without ever getting in their faces. Shockingly, I really don't care, which is another unmistakable indicator that I'm growing old while the rest of the world gets younger.
And, one final new purchase for this year... When I first started blogging, cameras were not equipped with the ability to transfer photos to iDevices via their own WiFi signal; that's why I purchased the Lifeproof underwater case for my iPhone. Well, all that has changed and, as the battery on my old iPhone 4S is starting to fade, I decided to take the plunge (haha) and purchase an underwater camera. But I was reluctant to put a lot of money into one; it simply doesn't get used that often. Both G and I did our research, and finally decided the Fuji XP80 was adequate for our needs. The fact that it was on sale for under $150 at Sams Club in June, and came with its own flotation wrist strap and cushioned case helped in our decision, but what really sealed the deal was its bright yellow color (matches my mask and snorkel, which is very important!) and $25 three year total replacement coverage. Given where this camera is going - boats, jet skis, snorkeling trips- that's a very good thing.
My perpetual packing process began when I was unpacking last March. Many of the items I take on cruises (lanyard, macrame bag, dressy sandals for formal nights, etc.) simply aren't used at home and so these were immediately set aside in a spare bedroom. Over the summer, the stack of items on the bed in there grew, but I've learned not to put anything in a suitcase until the last day at home. It's too easy to forget what is packed! I've also been compiling a shopping list for the WalMart in Hilo, of primarily heavy or liquid items, and it is not short. Once again, we'll return to the Pacific Princess in Hilo with shopping bags hanging from every finger.
 |
| Source: http://www.amazon.com/Tilley-Medium-Brim-Raffia-Hat/dp/B003Z9EPXG |
Despite my aversion to possession accumulation, I did breakdown and purchase a few new items this summer. It has been strongly (!!) impressed (!!!) upon me the need to be totally (!!!!) protected from the sun, so, in addition to my workhorse Tilley hat (four years old, washed every week all summer long in the washing machine and still like new), I added a Tilley raffia hat this year, a bit more stylish for sea days and dry days in port. It was one of the few raffia hats with SPF 50 coverage and a chin strap, which is a must on windy docks.
 |
Source: http://www.swimoutlet.com/p/splashgear-swim-hood-8820/
 |
| Source: http://www.fujifilmusa.com/products/digital_cameras/xp/finepix_xp80/ |
We've been forced to eat healthily- ridiculously so- for several weeks now, attempting to empty the freezer before we leave. It's been Tyson's Grilled and Ready chicken breast strips (many bags were purchased at a great sale price in May), accompanied by tomatoes from the garden, all day, every day. Dinner prep has been no more challenging than cutting open a Dole Sunflower Crunch chopped salad kit or a Dole spinach kale Caesar salad kit, emptying the contents into a large bowl and topping them with the aforementioned chicken strips and tomatoes. Every. Single. Night. While it's certainly more nutritious than the Hebrew National 97% fat free hot dogs with barbecue sauce, or the homemade spaghetti sauce every pre-cruise night of prior years, it may be a long time before we order a chicken-topped salad for dinner on our cruise. Instead, for weeks I've been falling asleep with visions of Princess' flourless chocolate cake dancing in my head,
Our plan was to have big outdoor projects done by last Sunday (we almost made it; working until 10pm Monday night allowed us to finish on Tuesday), and, wouldn't you know, that last week of work again involved pry bars, a saw, two drills, caulk, primer, paint, ladders...and flashlights after sunset. We've been slowly making our way around the outside of the house, ripping off wood trim, sealing up corners and installing PVC trim; by next summer, we should be back where we started. Some day, I promise myself, I will spend summer afternoons lazily reading on the deck while I sip freshly made lemonade and gracefully fan myself. I've had visions of that dancing in my head, too, which explains why, from Mom's enviable inventory of kitchen paraphernalia, I snagged that citrus reamer.
This past week was busy with packing finalization, three more medical appointments, license plate renewal, prescription pick up, a flu shot, one last massage, a pedicure, haircut and color, lunch with friends (the most self-absorbed moments I've enjoyed all summer), and, of course, the traditional Last Supper at Sweet Tomatoes with the twins. More salad- oh boy- but tradition rules! The Last Supper was held early, last Monday night, to accommodate the boys' many activities and practices. Their busy schedules mean it's the tiniest bit easier for me to come to grips with leaving them for months at a time than it was when they were 6, but, as always, a piece of my heart will remain at home. :-(
Almost 12 and so darn handsome!
I'll admit that we're leaving home with a few things - Christmas cards and gifts- unfinished. Knowing we'll be home no later than early December, I simply was unable to wrap my head around the holiday while mired in the heat of summer. I think that, somewhere, deep inside my being, I'm holding those tasks hostage in case G starts talking about extending our trip. "Oh, no, dear. Can't! Must get the Christmas cards out and presents bought. Tis a pity, though!" ;-)
Have I mentioned we will be home for Christmas this year? Yes, I know I have but have I mentioned it lately?
Our last minute tasks related to closing up the house become more routine every year (easy for me to say, since G does most of the work). I spent today cleaning and doing laundry one last time. It still amazes me that the house stays cleaner during several months away than it does during one week at home, and returning to a clean house always eases the pain of disembarkation day. Tonight we shut down the sprinkler system (I did a little rain dance to help the cause), disconnected hoses, winterized outdoor faucets, moved the deck furniture into the family room (rendering it unusable so we had no choice but to go to bed early), closed up the suitcases and weighed them. Then opened them up, redistributed and weighed them twice again until everything was juuuuussssst right.
We're fully loaded down- not just suitcases but also iDevices with plenty of books and maps and magazines and music and videos- and ready to go. Just one more sleep and a very early wake up and we'll be on our way.
Does the night before a cruise still hold that same giddy anticipation as it did years ago, before we turned cruising into a part-time job?
Giddy? No.(1) Anticipatory? A little.(2)
There is still something about walking
up the gangway on the first day of a cruise that makes my heart beat a little
faster and plants a perma-smile on my face.(3)
(1) Not true.
(2) So not true.
(3) Times 1000
(1) Not true.
(2) So not true.
(3) Times 1000
Life is good. :-)