The third day at sea found the skies partly sunny, which turned to mostly cloudy, then ended up raining. The showers continued for the most part of the day, just as Captain Frank had predicted yesterday. If we had a choice, it would be nice to see the sun as we wind up this trip. But obviously, we do not have that choice. We are still happy that we can sit outside on the veranda, getting some fresh air, and not get wet.
Today there was the first of three Mariner Society brunches starting at 11am in the main dining room. Since it was not hosted, and there was a fixed menu, we decided not to attend. Truthfully, we had forgotten about the invitation and had gone to breakfast like we always do. No way could we eat again at 11am, but it is always nice to be invited. Guest relations manager Michelle did give us a phone call to see if we were coming. It was possible they had some tables reserved for our PC group, but we really do not know the other members except for Howard, who had said he was not going a few days ago. The menu was basically the same as always with starters of a Caesar salad or a potato and sausage chowder. Mains were a choice of braised beef pot roast, butter basted fish fillet, or a broccoli and cheddar quiche. Dessert was a slice of key lime pie. We also heard there was complimentary champagne, and according to assistant maitre'd Johnny, there were about 300 guests. The second brunch will be tomorrow, followed by the third one on Monday. By the way, when they have these brunches, the dining room is not open to the regular diners, nor do they serve the regular lunch.
We did some packing of the small stuff this morning. It was mostly the drug store and jewelry things that fill the shoe bag and earring pouch. It is tedious work, but someone has to do it. We did take a break to walk the promenade deck, but the rain got heavy , and we were getting too wet. The squalls the ship passed through are usually windy, and blow the rain sideways making walking dangerous. So we did one lap, then gave up. We can always come back later.
We kept busy by filling one suitcase. There are four days left to pack the other three. This is the time of truth when we find out that we may have bought a few too many things along the way, although it has only been a few t-shirts, pareos, and fabric. The extra toiletries we picked up along the way are gone, as is most all of the stuff we brought with us 71 days ago. That should give us the extra room in the suitcases. The smart folks we know keep their luggage weights well under 50 pounds and do not worry about it.
We ordered our "day at sea" room service lunch which consisted of a bowl of chicken noodle soup (spaghetti, not noodle actually), a Caesar salad, club sandwiches, apples and a couple of cookies. By staying out of the Lido, we have successfully kept our lunch at a minimum, because we do not go back for seconds.
The rain continued and with that came choppy seas, high winds, and deeper swells. It became difficult to walk a straight line, and it appears that we are going at a fast clip. The internet has not improved much, but at least we are getting some connectivity sporadically. Strangely, we have not received any emails since yesterday, but may have been able to send a few. We still have a long time to go before Tuesday, when it is supposed to get better. In addition, the Kindle is not working at all. Even though I never attempted to go online, it is trying to download updates, but unsuccessfully. In the meantime, the games that are played on it (off line) will not come up. It is an older model, but it is obvious this has been blocked. Darn….I miss playing those silly games, as they are relaxing and take your mind off of everything even if it is briefly.
Dinner was in the dining room, with different starters once again. One of us ordered the cold lettuce wrap lumpia, and the other had deep fried portobello mushrooms. One salad and one bowl of soup was followed by the corvina fish entrée, and linguine with short rib Bolognese sauce. It is not quite like the sauce I make at home, since I use home-made and canned tomatoes. They tend to be much sweeter. Still, the meal was just fine. We skipped dessert, preparing us to get ready for the real world when we go home….no dessert for us!
The clocks went ahead the final ½ hour tonight, which is nice since it will give us a few extra days to adjust. We did feel tired all day, and we think it is due to the time change going forward. For one of us, it seems to take longer to go to sleep, then you are waking up earlier, making last night's sleep time a total of about 4 hours. Time to go to bed now as it is already 11:30pm.
Bill & Mary Ann
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