Keeping busy, too busy maybe?

Despite the rocky start this week passed by very quickly! I slept for nearly eleven hours the first night and woke up happy to be in my snug little winter home. I had turned the furnace on before I went to bed, and it ran a few times overnight.

I had not turned on the water though, and did that after my breakfast of tea and toast. I don't drink the water from the tap, but had a couple of gallons on hand for cooking/making tea. 

When I went out to the car to head to the grocery store, I discovered my fob wasn't working. I'd left the second fob and another set of keys for the unit at J's place so headed down the street. But first, I ran into P and had a brief chat, and as I carried on T called out to me and I stopped for a visit there. D came out and joined us and I got caught up on the park happenings while I was away, and I shared the trials of my travels. When I mentioned my fob wasn't working, T explained the type of battery I'd need for my fob and offered to give me an extra he had on hand. I took him up on the offer and left the fob with him. 

Off down the street I went to J's where I picked up my extra fob and keys.  Then to the grocery store I went, as I needed fresh fruit and veg, bread, eggs, milk and cheese. The fridge freezer and pantry were still well stocked from November. Though I did forget a couple of things and had to make another quick trip the next day!

I got in a good visit with J in the afternoon. G, her electrician husband had taken care of the electrical issues I'd been happening. The dining room lights were a simple fix, as apparently there is a small switch in the panel that must have been bumped when we had been dealing with another issue. A fuse did need to be replaced as well and one other item that required supplies. In total, the price for those was $6. J told me G would be pleased if I paid for it with a bottle of red wine. Done and done!

I caught up with a few others on my way back to the unit, and of course I got to see everyone at Happy Hour. T also returned my other fob to me then.

Tuesday started off easy, as I had nothing planned until 10 a.m. L stopped by on her way back from the pool, with a load of boxes. I had asked if anyone had some as I wanted to sort through the items in the shed that I'd cleared out of the unit back in October. One of her swimming group had just moved and she offered to pick some up for me.

About 10, I met S at her place and we walked down to L's. It was thrifting day! Tuesday's are generally senior's day, with most shops offering a discount. I took advantage, finding a dress and cardigan, a puzzle, and a decorative item for the exterior of my unit at one store, two pairs of jeans at another, and two pairs of shorts for Eli at the third. We stopped for a light lunch at Goldsboro Bakery - I had a bowl of broccoli cheddar soup - so good - and a Boston creme donut - amazing!

Back at the park, it was time to get in some physical activity to wear off my lunch. The patio and gazebo needed to be swept and the floor washed. It was amazing how much dust had blown into the gazebo. There had been some rain too, which was evident on the patio. The furniture was pulled out and replaced as the floor dried. Meanwhile another couple, D and M were next door cleaning up the lot. The fellow who owned the trailer passed away a couple of years ago, and his family had finally agreed to have the unit removed. It was not habitable, and the removal was arranged while I was away. Apparently, a rat was living under the trailer and found its way into another unit where it ate a bar of soap! An exterminator was here this week to check things out and placed a number of traps. 

Wednesday was a busy, busy day. I started the morning pulling all of the items out of the shed and sorting them for the upcoming garage sale. The boxes came in handy and I was able to retrieve my shopping bags I'd packed things in. After dropping a load off at the clubhouse, I headed home to catch up on my banking and record-keeping. I should have gone to the exercise class but I decided I'd done enough walking with my trips too and from the garbage and recycling bins! 

There was a board meeting that morning as well, which was well attended. When the meeting was opened for questions, things got a bit heated. It's interesting to watch the interactions between various members, though at one point I did feel the need to interject on behalf of the board members. Perhaps I have a different perspective being a new member but I found some issues raised were trivial. Just for fun, the AGM is planned for next week and I've no doubt there will be more complaining at that meeting too. 

In the afternoon, I played Canasta before heading to Walmart to pick up batteries for the second car fob as it had died too. When I went to use in the morning, it wasn't working either! Good thing T had an extra battery for the first one, or I'd have been begging a ride. 

I had only one commitment on Thursday, the coffee hour at 9 a.m. I almost didn't go, as I had slept in until 7 and hadn't managed to even get my bed made that morning. After coffee hour, I spent much of my day dusting the unit, washing floors, cleaning the bathroom, and reorganizing spaces. I caught up on my U.S. banking as well and stopped by the office to confirm my e-mail address with the office manager. In other words, a whole lot of little things that kept me occupied.

The Saskatchewan provincial curling (men's and women's) had started on Tuesday and I spent the evenings (after Happy Hour) watching. In addition I was able to catch parts of the games during breaks between activities. I also managed to finish a book I had started before I left in December. "Lilac Girls" by Martha Hall Kelly is based loosely on the stories of the Rabbits - women who were used as surgical guinea pics by the Nazis at Ravensbruck during WWII. It is, at times, a difficult read, but a read worth making. 

I've been looking for a new knitting/crocheting project but haven't come up with anything I truly want to make. Instead I've turned my attention to the placemats and foam inserts I'll use to make chair pads for the plastic patio chairs. I ripped stitches on Thursday afternoon, and managed to cut the padding to the right shape for one cushion, and a second one on Friday morning. This may take a few days as I need to get some thread to sew the cushions closed. Plus it isn't horribly interesting project and I do have a tendency to procrastinate.

L and I went browsing at a couple more thrift stores on Friday, where I walked away with two t-shirts and a pair of pajamas for $3 at one, and a stapler for $1.50 at the other. She found a couple of things but neither of us spent a lot. Our next stop was Green Tree, a discount grocery type store, and finally Walmart. The last for toilet paper (me) and baking soda (her). 

In the afternoon I met with E, as she will be leaving the park on Wednesday. As our resident expert painter the task for organizing the painting party for the hot tub building is being left to me. E will give me an estimate of the amount and type of paint and primer to purchase - the walls are concrete. We will need to scrape and prime the walls before painting. In the meantime our handyman is busy rebuilding the shower area. The tile has been purchased for the shower walls and floor. It is going to be really nice when complete.

Today four of us are off to go to the garage sales at Country Roads RV park. I am still looking for a small shelving unit that is approximately counter height. I have so little counter space in my kitchen and an extra two feet to fill that space would be so appreciated. Beyond that I truly need nothing unless I find a can of paint I can use for my outdoor table. :p

Next week is shaping up to be quite busy too. For now, my plan for the rest of the weekend is rest and relax. Wish me luck. :)

Have a great week ahead everyone!

Wordy Wednesday

We're less than three weeks from moving day, and a full three weeks to possession date for this house. While I'm thrilled to be moving on, as this has been in the works for nearly five years now, I can't help but think of all the memories we've made here and the things I will miss.

We moved in on July 15, 2010. This photo was taken shortly after we'd moved. I laughed when I saw it, as the furniture wasn't yet in place, the room is full of boxes, and yet the cable television is up and running. Sami, one of the four cats who moved here with us was helping hold down the boxes.

This was the spare room then, it obviously had been used as a nursery. The windows in the two bedrooms had been ordered by the previous owners but not yet replaced. (They paid for the windows, and I paid for the installation.) It took me a few months before the wallpaper was removed and the room painted a more neutral gray.

The kitchen had wonderful oak cabinets, as did the bathrooms. I liked them, but knowing that someday I'd want to sell, I decided to renovate. Here's how part of the kitchen looked before:

If I remember correctly, by this point (2013) the dishwasher no longer worked. I'm amazed at how much stuff I had loaded on the counters. After two attempts to sell, I've grown accustomed to keeping the counters more clutter free.

After the renovation, which included re-facing the cabinets, adding new drawer fronts and doors, replacing backsplash tile and countertops, and adding a new dishwasher and over the stove microwave, the kitchen looked like this:

I note the over the stove microwave hadn't been installed just yet (not the one on the counter). Sadly the first one lasted just beyond it's warranty date and I had to have a second one installed. (It really isn't that dark - just a bad photo).

I will miss this kitchen; compared to one in C's house it is huge with lots of storage. I suspect some less used items will end up in the basement storeage area. However, I'm hoping a smaller kitchen will be easier to keep clean and tidy.

Another one of the rooms I'll miss most is the sunroom. It was a big reason I purchased this house, and there were several years we were able to use the space well into winter.

When we moved in, it was a blank space, with only the window treatments. I added a set of wicker furniture, a couple of rugs, towels on the furniture to keep down the cat hair, and a small space heater. My small stereo was also kept out here.  The best part of the sunroom was watching the summer thunder storms, the second best part was grabbing a book and reading in my recliner even in January. One needed socks and sweater but with on a sunny day it was quite lovely out there. On the other hand, using the room on July and August afternoons was often out of the question. A metal room with large windows heats up quickly, despite the new room darkening curtains I purchased. Oddly, I cannot locate any photos of the sunroom in it more recent iteration, but if you saw the listing photos you'll have seen it. I sold the furniture shortly after the listing was up.

More changes were made in the front yard over the years. As you can see there was originally grass between the evergreen and the house. It was in bad shape (and even worse in front of the evergreen). I hated the scrub bush that took up a corner, and the front bed had little more than lily of the valley.

I had hired a local garden center to give me an idea of what I could do with the space. She suggested a circular patio, but after meeting with the landscaper, I chose this fan shape instead. The patio was another wonderful space to spend time outdoors. It got the sun in the morning, but was mostly in shade in the late afternoon. When it was too hot to be out in the sunroom or on the deck, it was my go-to place. 

The ferns really took over this year, and there are several hostas, bergenia, Jacob's Ladder, bleeding heart, lamium and many more perennials in the bed. I'm glad I was able to see the results, at least for one year.

There is a front patio at C's house, and a large raised bed made of stone. He's informed me I'm not allowed to grow anything, but I may just need to add a few perennials when he's not noticing. At the moment there are two or three lilies. I'm hoping he'll be amenable to adding more. 

I won't bore you with the more recent changes as those have been posted in this blog over the past five years or so. That included replacing the shingles, several windows, renovating the basement to finish what became my craft room, new flooring and basebords. This year, it was the main floor that received new flooring, a new railing to the kitchen, and new baseboards. 

I do love this house, and it has been a great home for us over the past 13 years. But I'm more than ready to let it go, and move onto a different stage of my life. Not having the responsibility of a house and the associated bills feels a little odd, but definitely exciting. Like C did here, I'll provide a certain amount of "rent" each month to him to help cover a share of the costs. That's a simple e-transfer each month. For practical reasons, my name will appear on the utility bills (in case I need to call in a reading or advise of a disruption in service). But otherwise, beyond the expenses for my car and cell-phone, I'll be bill and debt free. That, in itself, is incredibly exciting!

I'm sure there will be a few tears shed, the day I walk out of this house for the last time. It's where my grandson took his first steps, where my three angel kitties (Sasha, Sami, and Silas) spent their last years, and where I was able to play in the dirt to my heart's content each year. But I'll take those memories and so much more with me when I leave.

What I won't miss is this:

At least I hope the city snow clearing will be better at the new house!

Living in my bubble

 I'm posting this on Friday because I'm off to see Eli and D, around mid-day on Saturday.  She may make one more visit to the city this month before Eli starts attending pre-kindergarten, though that isn't a certainty.  At that time, all visits will cease and my bubble will grow smaller again.  It makes me sad, but he is really looking forward to being around other children and D needs the break.

I don't generally share much about her problems but I can say that she suffers from both depression and anxiety on a daily basis.  As a result, I get four to five phone calls a day, most often to check-in but almost always with something that she is worried about.  The pandemic has made this worse, and being at home most of the time with a rambunctious 3 year old doesn't help matters.  I'll admit I'm not always the most sympathetic, especially when we've had the same conversation for three days running, but I do know that my spending a few days with them is helpful to her.  Not only do we put her house to rights, but I take some of the attention off her from Eli, and she gets an opportunity to spend a little time on her own.  I'm hopeful Eli attending school part-time will offer this respite for her as well.

Back at home, we've had a much cooler week, with temperatures in single digits (40's F) first thing in the morning and warming up several degrees during the day.  This weekend we'll have a couple of nice days and then the forecast is suggesting we'll drop to near freezing on Monday morning.  I haven't yet needed to switch on the furnace though D has said she has done so just to take the chill off in the morning.  Even though we'll still have decent weather for several weeks yet (fingers crossed), I pulled the tomato plants on Thursday.  I got mounds of cherry tomatoes off two small plants, sweet and juicy.  Eli likes them too, so I'm taking a sandwich bag full for he and I to share.  My onions didn't do very well sharing the pot with the tomatoes - I guess they didn't get enough light.

I also brought my pot of herbs indoors.  It can sit in the kitchen window which looks out onto the sun room.  Maybe this way I'll remember to use some of it!  I realized today, one plant is peppermint, another rosemary and I'm not certain of the third.  I've got a succulent in a pot on the windowsill, the only one of three to survive, and a piece of coleus that is currently rooting.  Saku is the only cat who gets up there and he hasn't bothered the succulent so perhaps I'll have a window of greenery this winter.  

Even with the cooler temperatures, or perhaps because of them, I got in a walk every day.  I didn't have my camera with me so there was just one photo taken with my cell phone.  The number of birds are growing less each time I walk, though there are still at least one and often three or four cormorants at the pond. 

On this walk, I wanted to get in some extra steps and activity so walked another loop around the creek before heading to the pond.  There are still a few ducks hanging out here, but the godwits and killdeer have moved on.  No geese either, as they prefer the pond.

Today I made sure to bring my cellphone with me so I was able to get a few more photos.  There were dozens more ducks on the creek and similarly more geese at the pond.  The godwit was back too, and there were two cormorants on the pond.  One was out feeding and I stood for a while watching.  It would dive and stay under water for 10-15 seconds at a time.  I'm not sure how successful it was, but I assume it found something.  No video of that, but the ducks at the creek had lots to say...if you can hear it over the noise of the wind.

More than a gaggle of geese

I've been taking advantage of these days to walk, even on the one day that it was lightly raining.  As I tell my daughter, I don't melt, even if I wish I would.  It was cool but with a light rain jacket over my hoodie, and my hands tucked into my sleeves I was toasty warm.  About half way through the walk, the rain ended and I was able to unzip my jacket.  We really truly have been blessed with wonderful weather and I am going to take advantage of it for as long as I can.

Another blogger (thanks Cheryl) had mentioned changing things up, and I was inspired to re-arrange the furniture in the living room this week. Now this may not mean much to anyone else, but my living room furniture has been in the same position (though I did get a new couch and chair five or so years ago), for the ten years plus that I've lived in the house.  My son did a double take when he arrived home that day, and even commented the second day it would take a little time to get used to it.  I like how much more open and larger the room feels. 

This photo doesn't do it justice as it really doesn't show the length of the room - there is still another 3 feet behind the chair.  No before photo (of course because who thinks of that?)  The couch used to sit a little forward of where the grey chair is now and closed off the space.  I moved side tables as well and made sure everything was spic and span.  The ottoman in front of the couch stays there to help my old cat Sasha to climb up.  I had to laugh, both cats were quite confused about the placement of the furniture.  Sasha, more so than Saku, as he couldn't figure which end of the couch to sleep on.  Didn't take long before they were content, as am I!  A change is as good as a rest, right?

I've had a more productive week than last, getting the household chores completed, laundry, floor washing, vacuuming, bathrooms cleaned, and so forth.  On Sunday I had finished the last of the three blankets.

I weaved in the ends and washed them, and I'll take them to D tomorrow.  She'll hold onto them until a little closer to B's due date.

Since those were finished, it was time to move onto a couple more projects.  I whipped up the poncho dress, but was disappointed by the size and length - even with blocking based on the gauge it just didn't look the same as the original pattern even though it was the same size she made. Do you suppose the author messed with me or did I mess up?  To be honest, it's probably me.  It certainly isn't dress length but will make a nice tunic with leggings and black top underneath.

That's alright, as I have sufficient yarn to make another one,  I'll use my daughter as a guinea pig model, and play around with the pattern to get it to where I want it.  My brother was able to tell me L's sizing too so will use that information to ensure it will fit my niece.

I also started on a balaclava for my nephew.  And because the first project finished up so quickly, I've started a sweater for Eli as well.  The pattern I'm using for the sweater is knitted from side to side, from one sleeve to the other, and then the sleeve and side seams are sewn up.  It is a cardigan so requires holding some stitches while working thre right and left sides.  I've never worked a sweater this way, but read through the pattern and in my head it makes sense.  It also has a hood that is knit separately, but I'll check with D to see if she wants it.  If not, I'll figure out how to add the collar later.  

If anyone is keeping track and frankly I doubt you are, I have yet to finish the tank top I started knitting for myself in the spring.  I'm not sure why but I just don't feel like picking up that UFO (unfinished object) but it will happen, just later rather than sooner.  Another blogger, (thanks Jackie) had mentioned yarn on sale at Michaels so several more skeins of yarn made it into my cart again this week.  I have to make another baby blanket and about half what I need to make a larger afghan.  The prices were 50% or less of regular pricing so it was definitely worth stocking up.  I'll wait for another color to go on sale, and I know exactly which one, to ensure I have enough for the large afghan.  It is my intent to eventually sell the baby blankets but I'd like to have ten or so ready to go before I list them on our local buy and sell.  I have six or seven at the moment so I'm close.  The afghan will likely end up being sold as well, because I made a new one for myself last year.

Before I head out tomorrow, I need to dig up a few perennials to transplant into one of D's flower beds.  The neighbour has been kind enough to share from her own yard so there is a variety of plants already there in a large bed in the back yard.  Unfortunately it hasn't been properly weeded over the years so there are unwanted trees and large weeds.  My goal is to get some of it cleaned up while I'm there.  Eli loves to be in the out and so do I.  

I've still got my bag to pack for the next few days and a list of things to take with me that need to be loaded in the car.  On that note, I'll sign off for the week.

Have a great weekend everyone!  Take care and stay well.

Changes in St. Thomas

I managed to get out of bed early enough on our arrival in St. Thomas to catch a bit of the sunrise. 

It was actually a bit late but the hills kept the sun hidden until I got my lazy butt up on deck.  (In my defense, inside cabins are dark so I had to set an alarm to wake up in time).

The last time I was in St. Thomas was 2011 on my very first cruise.  Wow, have things changed since then!

The red building you see to the right of the port was a Senor Frog restaurant and bar.  On my last visit, it was hopping (pun intended).  I recall the music was blasting, and the pool was full of people. 

Not this time.  It doesn't appear the building was damaged in a hurricane, but the whole operation has been closed up.  
Now, there are a multitude of shops at the port including jewellry (typical of all the islands), clothing, souvenir, and even a drug store.  

This view hasn't changed.  It is what I remember the most about St. Thomas; the sheer number of boats/ships in the harbor is astounding.  

And that water! Such an intense blue - it is one of the reasons I love the Caribbean so much.  

I didn't have a tour booked here either, instead I decided to walk into town.  I think it was just over a mile and there were shuttles available (for a fee).  It was a lovely morning for a walk though there is a fair amount of construction along the way so it wasn't a pretty walk.

The shops are the port are, for the most part, duplicates of the shops in the town.  I recall the vendors were quite aggressive in the past, but perhaps I've gotten better at saying, "no thanks" and carrying on.  My goal was to find a lovely little cafe for a cold drink and to sit and watch the hordes of people.  I asked one of the men who was trying to convince me to shop at his store, where I would find such a place.  He gave a recommendation along with his business card to give to the wait staff.  I assume he gets a bit of commission for sending tourists their way.

His recommendation was spot on! The side street pub was a great place to hang for an hour or so.  The lemonade was refreshing after my walk!  Note the paper straw.  Plastic straws are pretty much passe these days...a good thing as there is far too much plastic in our oceans and landfills.

I used the free wifi to get in touch with D and Eli.  TMI alert - potty training has started.  :)  

It was a short walk back to the area where the shuttles were waiting to transfer passengers back to the ship.  By this time, it was getting hot and I really didn't feel like walking.  I think it was $3 to return and while it's a short ride, it was worth the price.

I did walk about the shops, stopping at the drug store, where I found a book for Eli.  It's an ABC book of Caribbean creaturse.....my favorite is "I is for Iguana".  

One final photo from St. Thomas.  This a Marriott hotel that was badly damaged in the last hurricane.  It still hasn't opened but is expected to do so later this year.  

Some final thoughts on the cruise.  I loved the itinerary, in my opinion and for what it's worth, I think the islands of the eastern Caribbean are so much prettier than the western side.  My favorite port on this trip was Martinique.  Despite the rain, I appreciated the close proximity to the town of Fort-de-France.  Even if I were not to do an excursion, I'd enjoy walking around the community.  I'm not certain I'd want to go back to Grand Turk, but perhaps if I were to do a tour of the entire island I'd feel differently.

As far as the ship goes, I'm a big fan of the Crown Princess.  It is a smaller ship and as I've noted, I love the area at the aft of the ship.  As it is with any cruise, the people make the difference.  I had a great room steward, the wait staff at the dining room were fantastic, and best of all were the people I met at dinner, by the pool, and at various venues. 

Normally after a cruise, I fly home.  This time was different because I had arranged to stay in Fort Lauderdale for two nights.  There was something on my bucket list I wanted to do.  And I did!  Next post I'll share the rest of the story. 

Have a great day everyone!





  

Return to Bayonne

Sunrise January 9, 2019

I don't have many photos from the last few days at sea, because, well there really isn't much to see on those days.  There was no other traffic within viewing distance, so the sights beyond the ship were  the sea and sky.  I'll add a few photos from various days sunrise and sunset.

It may sound odd, but sea days tend to be busy.  The ship's activity cruise director schedules additional activities during the day, so one can be as busy or as lazy as one likes.  This cruise I spent a lot of time at trivia.  It was held a few times a day, more frequently on sea days and I was part of a somewhat nebulous group who came together to play.  Along with L (who I met at the airport), there were Sandy and Jeff, Beth and Tom, Kate and John, and Nora. At one point we said we should call ourselves the "one away" team as we were often one right short.  However, the group did win occasionally, I was there for two of the wins so came home with a highlighter and a key chain.  The latter was won on the sea day, when the category was Captains.  We had finished one trivia and waited for the second an hour later, and brainstormed possible captains.  Many of the questions were in reference to a captain, for example what was the real name of Captain America? - Steve Rogers.  We missed only one question, when was Captain Crunch cereal introduced.  We guess 1962, but it was actually 1963.  

Another sea day, I went to the afternoon matinee of We Will Rock You - a musical play featuring the music of Queen.  It was set in the future; musical instruments no longer exist, and the music is synthesized.  A Queen and her minion are in charge, the young people are near robots, with the exception of two, Galileo and a young woman who wears black and doesn't fit in with the rest of the young women.  The two find each other, and embark on a trip to a place where rock and roll still exists.  After a number of mishaps, they eventually find the one last instrument (a guitar) and rock and roll is reborn.  It was fun to watch, and best of all was the guitar player Joyce Kuo (not one of the actors).  She was truly amazing!

One afternoon I was playing Soduko in 2-70 prior to a presentation the Royal Caribbean cruise line history, when I was joined by Alan and Teresa (from the pre-cruise dinner).  We chatted about cruises we've done and our plans for the future.  Oh, by the way, I did book another cruise while I was on the ship.  I'd been looking for a British Isles cruise for 2020 but the prices were too much for my pocketbook.  RCI was offering significant discounts for booking on-board.  I'd gone down to the Cruise Next desk a few days earlier just to see what the price might be and ended up booking the Brilliance of the Seas for June 12, 2020.  The price differential between what I was seeing and their cost will more than cover my flights and hotel!  The presentation was interesting and I was excited to learn that the Brilliance will be undergoing a refurbishment this year.  Teresa told me, too, that the crew of the Brilliance are very loyal to the ship, and many have been there for years.  

Sunset January 11, 2019

I also spent as much time as I could outdoors, either on my balcony or on deck 5 (promenade deck).  I kept thinking it seemed stuffy in the ship - and then learned that the air conditioning wasn't working in the forward areas of the ship.  Luckily my cabin was in the aft and I wasn't affected.  It took several days for the issue to be resolved and by this point there were many upset passengers.  RCI did provide compensation between $200-500 per cabin but from what I understand many people were not happy with this and that saga goes on.  Of course, by the end of the second sea day we didn't need a/c any longer.

Sadly, we also had a medical emergency and as a result were diverted to Bermuda.  We arrived late one evening, the passenger was removed to a waiting pilot boat and sent to the hospital there.  A nurse from the ship escorted the passenger, so we anchored offshore until she returned.  We were told she had a respiratory issue but beyond that I've heard no further news.  I hope she recovered and is at home by now.  

As a result, the ship was delayed into Bayonne.  Initially the captain had indicated we'd have a two hour delay, but that was later changed to 3 hours. It was abundantly clear that I would be missing my flight.  That took up a fair amount of time, as I had to call the airline and Airmiles to make the changes and was on hold for 45 minutes or more each time. Here too, the cruise line was awesome, I was able to make the calls at no charge, and my change fees are being reimbursed.    

Sunset January 25, 2019

On the final sea day, I met Alan and Teresa, Angelina and Marcel, at Jamie's for lunch.  This is a franchise of Jamie Oliver, the food is fresh made and so very delicious.  We had a lovely lunch with lots of laughter and way too much food.  I even ordered the small order of the entree, penne carbonara and it was too much.  I left before dessert to meet L at the Cruise next desk - we'd met for dinner a few nights earlier and she mentioned she had also booked another cruise. It turned to be the same one I'd booked!  We thought we'd look into the cost of booking a balcony room to share, as I'm in a studio and she is in a virtual balcony (it's basically a video screen of the wake of the ship).  However, we discovered the cost was too significant to make the change.  But we both would like to spend some time in London prior to the cruise, so will plan to travel together.  We'll likely meet in Toronto and fly from there...lots of time to figure all that out!

On Friday morning, we docked in Bayonne shortly after 9 a.m.  My original flight had been scheduled for 10:30; the ship had to clear customs before we could disembark and the airport was about 25 minutes away so there was no way I could have made that flight.  Fortunately while this was happening I was on the telephone finalizing my changes with the airline and I was able to change to a 3:15 flight out of Newark.  I was scheduled to take first shuttle from the port to the airport, so had only a short wait until I was off the ship and through customs.  (I don't they really care in the U.S. when one is transiting to Canada - I basically walked straight through).  We did have a wait on the shuttle for about 20 minutes waiting for the bus to fill.  

When I got through security (very brief - hooray for TSA prechek) and into the gate areas, I decided to grab some lunch.  There was a cafe a short distance beyond security, I looked in and who should I see but L.  We sat and enjoyed another meal together before heading to our gates, which were side by each.  She was scheduled to leave shortly after 2 but due to weather my flight actually left prior to hers, even with a delay of 20 minutes.  Then it was off to Calgary, and finally back to Regina.  We arrived shortly before midnight and I was in bed by 1 p.m., tired but glad to be home.

It truly was the best cruise ever!  I loved the ship, the itinerary, and met some absolutely wonderful people.  The entertainment on the ship was fantastic, my favorite was "The Gift" - an original RCI muscial production, sharing the story of a family devastated by the loss of their mother - in an artful dream sequence.  It was odd, but beautiful, especially as the gift is revealed at the end.  I can't recall the actual words, but the message was that love lives on beyond death.  I'm an odd ball because I liked it, most people I talked to did not.   The weather was fantastic, though I suspect I would have not enjoyed it as much had I lost the a/c in my cabin.  Even with the delay returning to Bayonne, RCi made what would have been a stressful time much easier.  As the captain stated in his messages, the passengers are their priority.  

Thanks for sharing in my latest journey.  I'm home now for a couple of months before I head out again.  I expect my posts will be more sporadic, as it is time to start prepping the house for sale, and doing some sorting and clearing out of stuff. But I'll be around! 

Have a great day!