Another day at sea has found the weather agreeable, although not really hot, it has been pleasant. The seas, now they are something else. The rolling swells have left one of us slightly queasy overnight. Never sure if it will get worse, a small seasick pill was in order. The only downside was drowsiness most of the day. Better sleepy, than sick.
We made the most of the day by continuing to pack our stuff. One of the hardest parts was getting the mattress foam pad we brought with us into the original size it began with. Simply impossible. Folding it length-wise, then rolling it, we secured it with two luggage straps. It was pretty close to the same size that we brought it. It does take up a larger part of one of the duffels, but it was really worth using it. By noon, we were pretty far along, but it was a good time to take a break.
Lunch in the dining room was that break we needed. Barb was waiting when we showed up. Her trivia mates came in very happy since they happened to come in first in trivia this afternoon. Now this did not gain them any more than 10 cents, since that is all you get for simply showing up. But now they have bragging rights, and were proud of it. They teased Barb, since she recently gave trivia up. Her 10 cent coupons were not adding up quickly enough. There is a $5 minimum to buy anything.
There was a singles and solos meet for lunch in the dining room as well. Some folks had already connected, but for the most part, many of them were still sitting silently while they dined. Certainly some gatherings like this find couples meeting with possible friendships that could last a lifetime.
There was a guest talent show at 3pm, where the passengers had a chance to take to the stage with a three minute performance. The show went on for almost two hours, ending with the HAL chorale group singing. They were the best. Some of our friends were in this show, such as Harvey and Barbara, who did an act consistent with the Motown theme for dinner tonight.
Did a little more shopping , but since our luggage has filled up quickly, something small, like earrings were a good idea. And we still have more to spend before the trip ends.
The usual things were happening around the ship, but everything seemed slow. Guess many of the long-time passengers would be packing like us. Some of our buddies were searching for boxes to take their collection of wood carvings home. Some of the wooden animals were reportedly over 6 feet. It has been our experience that if you ask Eddie and Calista, they seemed to have the bottom line when it comes to suppling old flower boxes for these odd-shaped items.
Today would be near to the final chance to exchange foreign money back to the US dollars. Or save it for the next time you travel abroad. The coins would not be cashable, but you can donate them to a fund for charity at the front desk. They do add up.
Dinnertime found the dining room decorated with gold records (cardboard) hanging in the entry. The waiters were dressed in several colors of velour shirts. Bet those were warm, especially for our waiters Slam and Dewa, since they were hot pink. The looked like they belonged in the Travolta movie from years ago, dancing their hearts out.
There were only seven of us at the table, with two missing. It seemed that the meal time was ended about 9:30pm, with the service a bit faster and the food hotter. Having a smaller table might be better in the future. Actually, the same table, but leaving seats available for occasional guests instead. We see that being done with other frequent guests at this later dining time. We can get away with it, since the demand seems to have shifted to early dining these days.
The entertainer was Jason Lyle Black, an award-winning pianist. But a fun activity was taking place earlier, at 8:45pm, in the Crow’s Nest with the Magic of Motown with the Station Band. We were invited to enjoy hot appetizers and drinks as we grooved to the hits of Motown.
We grooved to the time change….one hour back again. One more too go, and we will be on Eastern Time.
Bill & Mary Ann
President’s Club flower arrangement
The final delivery for this cruise
Oh boy……what a job!
