Day 90 ~ Busy Sea Day

You can do as much as you want, or as little as you like.
~ Tobi, our assistant cruise director

April 22, 2018

Today was the busiest sea day we’ve had on this cruise. We woke around our usual fairly early time of 6:30, but it felt later because we earned back another hour of the day we gave up in February when we crossed the International Dateline. (We’re only 3 hours ahead of home now.) We had coffee delivered to the cabin, as is our decadently spoiled habit, and then breakfast in the Panorama Buffet. We’ve come to enjoy that venue more than the Main Dining Room in the mornings, because I can get my omelet made to order and how often can we have breakfast on the fantail of a lovely ship, even if it is pitching more than I’d like? After that, our day took off at a trot.

8:30 AM ~ Church service in the Pacific Lounge. We miss our own church, but it’s been nice to worship on board when Sunday falls on a sea day.

9:15-10:45 AM ~ Cabin time. After walking for a bit, I worked on Lord Bredon and the Bachleor’s Bible, and updated this blog. The DH spent the time reading Green Mars. He’s not sure if he likes the series yet, but he’s already finished Red Mars, so he feels like he has to see it through. Reading for pleasure is a luxury for him because when he’s home, he always thinks there are other things he should be doing. I hope he realizes that isn’t the case. Everyone deserves some “me” time.

11:00-11:30 AM ~ Trivia! We had sixteen right answers out of twenty this time. The winning team had seventeen so we (Kristy, David, Mary, Brian, the DH and I) didn’t disgrace ourselves too badly. We’ve already won all the little nothings they give out as prizes anyway, so we play for pride’s sake now. The Belinda King dancers take turns calling out the questions and I’m sad to report that some of our fellow  passengers have been quite ornery with them from time to time—arguing over the answers, and correcting their pronunciation (Never mind the fact that all those twenty-somethings are multi-lingual and English is likely their second or third language!). I’m afraid the kids feel like they’ve been thrown to the wolves, so I try to encourage them when I can. After all, it’s only a game, people. And the prizes are sort of Dollar Store rejects. ;-)

11:45 AM-12:30 PM ~ Harmony Choir rehearsal. The lion’s share of the group are disembarking in Ft. Lauderdale, so David will have some serious recruiting to do for the final FTL to LA leg of the World Cruise. We’ve been singing together long enough that we’re starting to pay attention to dynamics and phrasing.

12:30-1:00 PM ~ Passenger Talent Show rehearsal. George from Table 22 has repeatedly requested we sing Drop Kick Me Jesus Over the Goalposts of Life, but for some reason, it’s not in our repertoire. Instead, the DH and I are singing a medley of Jesus Loves Me and Oh! How I Love Jesus, two little diddies we used to sing to our girls on road trips.

Jane and Glenn demonstrate a new step.

1:00-2:00 PM ~ Tango Lesson. Amazingly enough, we’re able to do a basic Tango and make it across the dance floor and back without my O2 sats dropping. Jane and Glenn, the dance instructors, were wonderfully helpful. We’ve tried dancing before, but always with me wearing Backpack Herkimer or trying to stay within the seven foot circumference of my cannula attached to Herkimer in his rolling bag. The turns and traveling always tripped us up before. This time, the DH wore Backpack Herkimer and we danced “in hold” the whole time. If we don’t try any underarm turns, there’s no chance to get tangled up.

I so wish we’d taken dancing lessons from the beginning of the cruise. We’d have a lot more steps in our little quiver by now. But I didn’t think it was possible then, and I wasn’t in as good a shape at the start of this trip either. I hadn’t been walking as I should, but now, for example, I had over 9300 steps yesterday and feel so much better for it.

2:00-3:00 PM ~ Resting in our cabin. We missed lunch. I supposed we could have wandered up to the Panorama Buffet, but neither of us like to sing on a full tummy. I worked a little more on Lord Bredon, so the manuscript will be ready to go to NYC by the time we get home.

3:15-4:15 PM ~ Passenger Talent Show. We were 10^th out of 11 in order of appearance. As we were singing, my phone in my pocket began to chime an alarm. It was my reminder to take my 4:00 pills! We kept singing and finished our a capella piece. (Unfortunately, my phone was tinkling in its own key!) This, my dears, is why you need to turn off your phone when you enter a theater! Anyway, when the song ended (to very appreciative applause) I admitted it was my phone. (There were several relieved faces in the audience and my friend Candy told me the lady next to her was giving everyone around her the fisheye of accusation until I ‘fessed up!)

4:30-5:30 PM ~ Walking. I don’t like to fight for time on a treadmill, so I use Deck 7 as my track. Folks are used to seeing me making my rounds now and invariably offer words of encouragement. It always surprises me when people tell me they admire the way I keep going, even with my POC (Portable Oxygen Concentrator). What’s my other option? But I do appreciate the encouragement and often they want to learn more about my machine because they have a loved one who needs supplemental O2. Too many folks fight using it for pride’s sake and I certainly understand how they feel. It’s a starkly public display of disease. It’s the first thing people notice about me.

I’m determined it won’t be the last.

5:30-6:15 PM ~ Primping for our “evening out.” We like to change for dinner and our evening show even when it’s not a formal night. Smart casual is the dress code. I usually ask myself, “Would I wear this to church?”

6:30-7:15 PM ~ Encore Showtime. Becky O’Brien, who won Britain’s Got Talent, sang a collection of Broadway hits. She’s a pint-sized 4’ 9”, but she has a really big voice! Very talented.

7:30-9:30 or so PM ~ Supper with our friends at Table 60. Emily and David were given a free bottle of champagne because of their travel status. They have over 750 days on Princess.

9:30 PM ~ Crew Show. On a normal night, this is the time when we go to the Cabaret Lounge for the guest artist’s show, but we got to see Becky O’Brien early so the crew could present their talent show at 9:30. Personally, I wish we had an early show every night. It’s bad enough to be at the late seating for dinner. I’ve slept through a number of shows that started late. We’re still not late night people.

Only 4 more days and the World Cruise will be over for us. We’re starting to pack…but that endeavor deserves a post of its own.

More soon…