A huge part of it was that we both took a melatonin last night and slept like babies. It also helped a great deal that the bounciness calmed down overnight. In fact, when we first woke up and laid there in bed (I don’t think I’d even taken off my sleep mask yet), I said, “Is it my imagination or has it finally stopped?” And G assured me it was not my imagination, and, though it hadn’t totally stopped, it was much more tolerable. Hallelujah!
It was also warming up outside (my watch said 70° at noon), and people are spreading out around the ship. It was brightly sunny, the pools were filled and open and the cruise seemed to change tone overnight as a result. Just for the record, I still didn’t wear shorts today, although I could have. I wore my ‘travel’ pants, which are my least forgiving pants (in a roominess-sense), in the interest of seeing if they were still comfortable. I usually wear these on turnaround days because they have large zip pockets that hold my passport, but it was warm in LA on turnaround day, and I wore shorts instead. That left me wondering if I could still tolerate my tightest pants; hence wearing them today. (G weighed himself today in the fitness center and took an average of the 12-pound range on the scale as the ship moved for a similar reason). I’m happy to report my pants still fit, albeit a smidge less comfortably than they did when we left home on November 30. I’m not counting the nine days at home over Christmas, because, truly, those are as bad as being on a cruise when it comes to eating sensibly. Cruise on!
We met up for breakfast on the Terrace Deck (very comfortable in the shade, dressed as I was). If I felt 100 years old yesterday, trying to weave my way around the ship, today, with smoother seas I felt as nimble as an athlete.
I went to Club Fusion at 10am for astronomer Fred Cink’s lecture on Cruising to the Moon. Cruise Critic’s Astroflyer had given me a heads-up about this enrichment lecturer being on board for this cruise, but I somehow missed his first presentation two days ago (and I don’t think he gave one yesterday), and it was everything I’d hope it would be. I nearly ran (being so nimble today, and all) down to the Princess Theater for naturalist Daniel Gohkind’s next lecture on the Hawaiian islands. I’m not seeing those in the right order at all, but by the end of this cruise should have heard them all.
I took note of Tsiolkivsky’s name during Fred’s lecture and, it being a Saturday, texted it to McGee (who is studying some kind of rocket science -AI meld) to ask if he had ever heard of him. His response? “Of course I have NeeNee. We studied him two years ago.” Okkkkkaaaayyyy then. I’m guessing he won’t be needing any further Algebra 1 help from me. 😉
Then it was time for lunch in the Botticelli Dining Room with G (we both had the Cobb salads with yogurt parfait for dessert…yes, it was definitely weight reality day for both of us). Once again, pinch me at the beauty of the sun sparkling on the water. That’s what I will miss most when we are home. Well, that and the variety and ease of food access and live entertainment and lectures, and twice daily housekeeping service and…
Ukulele was up next and we learned four new chords that we performed in a song during class, but, if we felt defeated by that effort, Brian then returned us to the familiar C-F-G7 chord combo of Jamaica Farewell and life felt safe again.
Finally, I was able to get back to the cabin where I caught Fred Cind’s first lecture that I had missed two days ago on our TV and recharged my social battery a little before the Elite Lounge in Skywalkers.
More ocean views
It’s not chicken korma but it’s delish
We can’t currently see the sunset from our dinner table, but we were up on the Promenade Deck in time to catch the afterglow before heading to Club Fusion to get seats from comedian Carl Strong’s 8pm set. He went on for 50 minutes and had us roaring with laughter.
And then it was up to Adagio where we are waiting for the Imperial Strings Duo to perform their Candlelight Concert show.
Do you see why I started with “This was the BEST day”?
And tomorrow is another big day, Super Bowl LX on the Emerald Princess. Allow me a minute of self pity while I contemplate what could have been, what might have been, had one broken ankle not stood in the way.
Sigh.
G is already planning our day, starting with staking claims early in the day on two loungers. We may actually be too old for MUTS Super Bowl viewing (it’s not as easy to sit in a lounger for hours on end as it used to be), but, fortunately, unlike in the Caribbean, the game will be over and done by late afternoon. Let’s just hope for some really good football, because we then enter the Dark Ages, a sports drought until the craziness of March Madness.
