Sea Day. Final day with parents here. This sure has been a great cruise with them. The only real vacation I can remember with my family was in 9th grade when we went to Disneyland. I can kind of remember pieces of our cross country vacation when I was five. Other than that it has usually been trips to the beach to visit grandparents or trips to bend to visit grandparents. So, I didn’t really know what to expect as far as how they are as travelers. In reality I’ve only recently found that out about myself.
Anywho, things went great. Today was mellow for Deanna and I. Long breakfast that concluded with a nice chat between the parents and Massimo. I FINALLY got to the gym. Lunch. Shower. Uno with Deanna, my parents and Jen…it was probably the best time ever. We play “House Rules” when we play Uno. There was some uno contest where you could submit rules you made…they published some and we use all of them. Incase you want to freshen up your Uno game, here they are:
Jump-in: if someone plays a card and you have the same card AND it is the same color, you can “jump in” with that card regardless of who was supposed to have the next turn…this works for wilds as well.
Build-up: (or something like that) if someone plays a Draw 2 on you, and you have a draw two of ANY COLOR you can play that and the amount “builds up” to Draw 4 for the next person to draw INSTEAD of you drawing two. If THEY have a Draw 2 it becomes Draw 6 for the next person instead. It can only build up in order of play (unless you’re using Jump-in and it is a Draw 2 of the same color). This also works for Wild Draw 4 (we overlook the “you can only play a wild draw 4 if you can not play any other card” rule for the additional wild draw fours).
0-7: If you play a 7 you have to trade hands with someone (not optional). If you play a 0 everyone rotates hands over one in the direction of play.
I mention these rules because I got majorly screwed while playing. It went Deanna, her mom, my mom, my dad, me. Deanna’s mom played Wild Draw 4. My mom played a wild draw 4 building it up to 8 for my dad…but Deanna had made me draw a lot earlier so I jumped in with a wild draw 4 to make it draw 12 for Deanna. BUT, my dad jumped in with a wild draw 4 thus making it draw 16 for me. Make sense? Didn’t matter much because someone played a ‘0’ and I rotated my hand to Deanna.
From there we watched Jane L. Powell’s show and had dinner.
At the end of the night Deanna and I were a part of Liar’s Club. Four people each read a definition for a word…only one of the definitions is right. There were four words. It was…interesting. We’ve only seen this done once on the ship. That was with Andy, Larrance, Edge, and Andre and Cirell as the guests. This time it was Deanna and I with the Cruise Director and the Asst. Cruise Director.
From there we stayed to watch at least the beginning of Ship n Males…we watched the whole thing. Christopher had a new intro spiel. To spoil it for everyone, he is in drag as Sapphire de la Mure…but her real name is Whitney Jean Speares. It used to be that she went crazy and shaved her head like her cousin Britney. She saw a bunch of guys with haircuts like hers getting on a ship that said US Marines. They said they had a policy called don’t ask don’t tell…how was she supposed to get any work done if she couldn’t ask any questions? The next port she saw the Jewel and has been on ever since. She would hang out in the bar actin’ a fool every night. Pretty soon people would show up just to see what the hell she was doing. So they gave her her own show.
But Christopher changed it. Instead of the marines thing she now went to Chicago to have world famous photographer Rance Rizzutto jump start her international modeling career. It worked and we had a torrid love affair. Then I got on the Jewel. She followed me regardless of the restraining order. That is when she found out I was engaged to the blonde from Second City…Deanna. What has Deanna got to offer that she doesn’t?
So, I managed to be in the Ship n Males show without even being in it.
Tomorrow starts early and also transitions back into normal…or whatever “normal” was for us on this great adventure.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Day 77
George Town, Grand Cayman. Today was fantastic. Dad treated me to our own excursion and it pretty much went as planned. We wanted to rent a jeep and just drive around taking pictures. We got off our tender boat and found an info table. The lady called a rental place, but they only had a minivan and a Nissan Sentra. We had her check one other place…they had a jeep and sent a shuttle to get us. We read in…well…in something (travel book or excursion info) that Barkers National Park had blue iguanas. We couldn’t any specific mention of a national park, but one part of the map said Barkers, so we headed that way. Stopped at a few places randomly on the way there, but ultimately ended up where our map said “Barkers”. It went from paved road to dirt road. Basically dirt/sand road with nothing but bushes on the sides. I tried to put the jeep in 4-wheel drive. I got it into 4-wheel neutral and then it was grinding. Put the car in park and got it into low gear…then I couldn’t get it out. We drove some more until we found a road with water on either side. We were in the middle of nowhere on a sandy road in a low gear. Dad told me to just back up, but there was one really narrow spot that was easy going forward, but could mean us in the water going in reverse. I found an area to turn around and THERE was a large iguana sunning in the grass. We did it! We found a blue iguana!
From there we headed back. Stopped in Hell. A tourist trap of rocky limestone formations. There were some iguanas in trees there. Stopped to check out the turtle farm just in time to meet Deanna and the moms who were haggling with a cab driver to take them to the beach. We took them.
Mostly just nice to drive around. I haven’t driven in at LEAST 77 days, so that was nice. We got on the ship, had dinner, got our parents some ok seats for Cirque Bijoux and then did our improv sets for the cruise.
It’s been a really great time having my parents on board. This morning my dad said this was a highlight of his life and he could die happy…looks like we’ve created a cruiser.
From there we headed back. Stopped in Hell. A tourist trap of rocky limestone formations. There were some iguanas in trees there. Stopped to check out the turtle farm just in time to meet Deanna and the moms who were haggling with a cab driver to take them to the beach. We took them.
Mostly just nice to drive around. I haven’t driven in at LEAST 77 days, so that was nice. We got on the ship, had dinner, got our parents some ok seats for Cirque Bijoux and then did our improv sets for the cruise.
It’s been a really great time having my parents on board. This morning my dad said this was a highlight of his life and he could die happy…looks like we’ve created a cruiser.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Day 76
Cozumel. Today I got up early after a night of fitful sleep. Really early compared to what we’re used to…6:00am. My Christmas present to my parents was an excursion to the Mayan ruins in Tulum, Mexico. This was great. I learned a lot of great things about the Mayans and how one catholic priest pretty much destroyed all of their knowledge. Knowledge that was important. Not just knowledge of their culture (like what the hieroglyphics stand for) but their knowledge of math and astronomy. Thanks, preist. Their calendar is more accurate than the Gregorian calendar we’re using…and their calendar ends 12/22/2012. There are a lot of theories about what is supposed to happen, and I think they’re all bad.
We had to ride a 30 minute ferry to a 1 hour bus ride. Lots of pics. What did our guide tell us when we arrived? Be back at 1:00. If you’re back at 1:05 you’ll make it, but you’ll be holding up people. If you make it later than 1:10 the bus won’t be there because it needs to take off to get us back to the ferry and back on our ship by our 3:30 all-aboard time. Sounds ominous and official, right? Like you definitely would make an effort to be on time? Not for two people it didn’t. We left at 1:15 without them.
Jen or Larrance said they saw a boat catch up to our ship not long after we left. We assume it was them.
In other news, Deanna went out to snorkeling with her mom and her mom may have broken her toe in the water…and maybe even stepped on an urchin.
We had two great shows tonight. We changed up our show ending to a different improv game. I like the change and think it is the right pace for the audience. So THAT is good…plus our parents saw us perform for a company that isn’t ComedySportz.
Alright, I gotta sleep if I want 8 hours before breakfast.
We had to ride a 30 minute ferry to a 1 hour bus ride. Lots of pics. What did our guide tell us when we arrived? Be back at 1:00. If you’re back at 1:05 you’ll make it, but you’ll be holding up people. If you make it later than 1:10 the bus won’t be there because it needs to take off to get us back to the ferry and back on our ship by our 3:30 all-aboard time. Sounds ominous and official, right? Like you definitely would make an effort to be on time? Not for two people it didn’t. We left at 1:15 without them.
Jen or Larrance said they saw a boat catch up to our ship not long after we left. We assume it was them.
In other news, Deanna went out to snorkeling with her mom and her mom may have broken her toe in the water…and maybe even stepped on an urchin.
We had two great shows tonight. We changed up our show ending to a different improv game. I like the change and think it is the right pace for the audience. So THAT is good…plus our parents saw us perform for a company that isn’t ComedySportz.
Alright, I gotta sleep if I want 8 hours before breakfast.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Day 75
Sea Day. Full day one with family. Today was all about really finding out how parents vacation…not all parents…just ours. It started with our usual breakfast just minutes before 10:30. It was pretty busy out in the garden so we weren’t at our usual table. After eating a while I noticed that my mom was sitting at a table by herself, so we brought her over. Shortly after that my dad showed up. I was really surprised they were up and about. They’re on Portland time which puts 10:30 to us at 7:30 to them. I guess my dad was up at 8:00am and out and about. Crazy.
They joined us until 11:15…Bingo time. And if you’ve worked on a ship and Jon from Australia was on cruise staff you know exactly how to say “bingo time.” Deanna and I headed back to the room and she called her mom…she was still in bed…on Portland time. It is very easy to keep sleeping with no window in your room.
After some chill time we went to get lunch around 1:30. We found Deanna’s mom, and then my mom and hung out out there. My dad came by in his swim suit and towel saying he had signed him and the moms up for the murder mystery tomorrow. Cheryl didn’t want to do it so he went right back to change it to two people. We hung out a long while again and talked about plans for the port days. My parents and I are going to see Mayan ruins tomorrow. Deanna is going to a beach with a bar with her mom. Grand Cayman day means snorkeling for the ladies and father/son car rental photo excursion (not through the ship…our own creation) for the men. Those plans are pretty solid.
The next time we met was at 7:00 for the VIP party. This thing was PACKED. Normally the VIP party is a chance for the people in the spendy suites to meet the captain, officers, and some crew…we (second city) attend these because they like having us there and we don’t mind. Guests of crew are also invited to these parties and I think there were a lot of those. Alex, the concierge, has been fantastic to our parents. They got little sandwiches in their room yesterday, chocolate strawberries from the captain today, who knows what comes tomorrow.
Charlotte’s birthday was today. We all met at Tsar’s Palace to eat. It was a little busy and we made it out of there to catch most of Band on the Run, but missed the beginning.
Now I’m sitting in bed early hoping I’ll fall asleep. C’mon sleep, let’s do this!
Oh wait, when I tried to explain “freestyle cruising” to my mom I said it means do whatever you want…you could even punch a kid. She remembers that when ever she wonders if she should be doing something.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Day 74
Miami, FL. Free from those kids! Finally.
Today started off as trying to get a hold of Deanna’s mom. She took someone else’s suitcase from the airport and they called our number when the couldn’t reach her. That go taken care of.
I got my in-town stuff done and headed back a little early so I could make excursion reservations and food reservations. Started some laundry. Then, TADA, the parents arrived!
We started off showing them around the ship. They had a safety drill. I finished laundry and went to the gym. We had dinner reservations for Teppanyaki at 8pm. It was 5:30 so I grabbed a light snack and headed out back. There they were! Listening to Pepe play guitar and sing.
We met at 8pm for Teppanyaki. Each main entrée came with two items. I asked if we could get more than one entrée. The server said I could have one item from another entrée. So, I got the Shogun (chicken and steak) with Teriyaki Tofu from another thing. The server misheard me and though I wanted the Chicken Udon as an extra thing (both the chicken AND the noodles) but the noodles are what my dad wanted. I ended up eating steak, chicken, chicken udon, tofu, and the appetizers we had.
We made it to Keelan and Charlotte’s show.
Sorry the details are lacking. I’m very tired as I try to write this before forgetting it and sleeping. Use your imaginations, people.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Day 73
Sea Day. These dipshit teens are unruly. This is the last full day with them and then they are gone. Gone! They get under everyone’s skin. Except their supposed parents. Where are the parents? Who knows?
I don’t know if they are going to get arrested (although I hope so) when we get to Miami. They also snuck into a life boat and broke one of the windows. They also climbed over some serious railing to break into the Garden Villa…a private area for the people staying in the villa suites. Apparently they through all the deck chairs in the pool, ate all the food that was out there and drank all the juice. Again, this is all rumor, but from good sources. After talking to some of them it appears this is not a first cruise for these kids. One of the 10-11 year olds asked if we were on the Dawn, and then if we were on the Spirit. He’s been on the cruises before. That means this nightmarish cloud of pre-pubescence haunts passengers at least once a year.
They were at our first improv show tonight. We told them multiple times to be quiet. The audience even got in on it. Apparently at the ventriloquist’s show security kicked them out and the audience gave a standing ovation. That’s how bad it’s been…the whole rest of the ship hates them, and more so…their supposed parents.
Late tonight we were in the Blue Lagoon and about five or six of them came running through. A passenger told the first few to stop running. Larrance told the stragglers “Hey. This isn’t a jogging place!” After they got through he said “I can’t believe I just said that.” He meant race track…and then commented that he just made an old-man comment that probably did nothing but make them laugh at the comment. At least we were all laughing.
In other news, Deanna and I took some private dance lessons today with Sveta. I don’t even remember what dance it was, but we’re getting better at dancing with each other.
My parents get here tomorrow and a new adventure begins.
I don’t know if they are going to get arrested (although I hope so) when we get to Miami. They also snuck into a life boat and broke one of the windows. They also climbed over some serious railing to break into the Garden Villa…a private area for the people staying in the villa suites. Apparently they through all the deck chairs in the pool, ate all the food that was out there and drank all the juice. Again, this is all rumor, but from good sources. After talking to some of them it appears this is not a first cruise for these kids. One of the 10-11 year olds asked if we were on the Dawn, and then if we were on the Spirit. He’s been on the cruises before. That means this nightmarish cloud of pre-pubescence haunts passengers at least once a year.
They were at our first improv show tonight. We told them multiple times to be quiet. The audience even got in on it. Apparently at the ventriloquist’s show security kicked them out and the audience gave a standing ovation. That’s how bad it’s been…the whole rest of the ship hates them, and more so…their supposed parents.
Late tonight we were in the Blue Lagoon and about five or six of them came running through. A passenger told the first few to stop running. Larrance told the stragglers “Hey. This isn’t a jogging place!” After they got through he said “I can’t believe I just said that.” He meant race track…and then commented that he just made an old-man comment that probably did nothing but make them laugh at the comment. At least we were all laughing.
In other news, Deanna and I took some private dance lessons today with Sveta. I don’t even remember what dance it was, but we’re getting better at dancing with each other.
My parents get here tomorrow and a new adventure begins.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Day 72
Sea Day. Oh boy. So. Albert…he is one of many cookie cutter kids on this ship. Meaning there are four other “Alberts” on this ship but they just vary in age. Really…they all look very similar but just younger or older than the next. AND there are about 5 groups of kids like this. About 20 kids all in groups of 3 or 4 brothers or sisters who look very much alike. The youngest kids are always wandering off during shows or wandering up on stage in the middle. They annoy the hell out of me…except Albert at breakfast.
Apparently the older ones (teens) have been unruly. Rumor has it (reliable source) that they vandalized and destroyed two video games in the arcade because one of the machines ate a dollar. Surprise, surprise little hooligans…you’re going to be charged $10,000 a piece for the machines. AND, arrested when you get to Miami. See. These kids I see everywhere…always. Who don’t I see? The parents intervening. That’s who. I don’t think I would let my kid act like they have been, but I DEFINITELY would get a clue when I saw an interesting $20K room tab. Let alone a visit from Miami Police. I picture them (all the families…so, about 40-60 people involved) all missing their flights as they deal with the whole situation on Sunday.
They had to be kicked out of Spinaker tonight and we kicked them out of Fyzz as well. Our improv show tomorrow is going to be interesting if they’re there.
I also found out that I was part of the Ship-n-Males show last night…and I wasn’t there. Ship-n-Males is the male erotic dance show…if you can call it that. Basically the cruise staff dancing around in their underwear. Christopher dresses in drag and hosts the show as Sapphire de la Mure. He usually has a story of how he got on the Jewel and it has been the same every time I’ve seen it…but last night Sapphire got on the Jewel because he was stalking famous photographer Rance Rizzutto…regardless of the restraining order. So, I hope he keeps it in for the next Ship-n-Males…and I know he reads this.
Apparently the older ones (teens) have been unruly. Rumor has it (reliable source) that they vandalized and destroyed two video games in the arcade because one of the machines ate a dollar. Surprise, surprise little hooligans…you’re going to be charged $10,000 a piece for the machines. AND, arrested when you get to Miami. See. These kids I see everywhere…always. Who don’t I see? The parents intervening. That’s who. I don’t think I would let my kid act like they have been, but I DEFINITELY would get a clue when I saw an interesting $20K room tab. Let alone a visit from Miami Police. I picture them (all the families…so, about 40-60 people involved) all missing their flights as they deal with the whole situation on Sunday.
They had to be kicked out of Spinaker tonight and we kicked them out of Fyzz as well. Our improv show tomorrow is going to be interesting if they’re there.
I also found out that I was part of the Ship-n-Males show last night…and I wasn’t there. Ship-n-Males is the male erotic dance show…if you can call it that. Basically the cruise staff dancing around in their underwear. Christopher dresses in drag and hosts the show as Sapphire de la Mure. He usually has a story of how he got on the Jewel and it has been the same every time I’ve seen it…but last night Sapphire got on the Jewel because he was stalking famous photographer Rance Rizzutto…regardless of the restraining order. So, I hope he keeps it in for the next Ship-n-Males…and I know he reads this.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Day 71
Castries, St. Lucia. Holy Tired! Deanna and I were beat after a day of swimming, jet skiing and dancing. We went to breakfast at the usual time, but came back to the room. I fell asleep until 2:00 and then went into town to find a coffee place (there weren’t any). Deanna went to the spa, then to Spinaker, then came back and slept for eternity.
Something of note at breakfast. They close down the main buffet around 10:30. I try to get there right at 10:30 to get oatmeal and then go out back to get an omelet. I also usually get coffee. I missed oatmeal and noticed there was a table blocking one of the coffee stations. Went out back, the beverages were blocked off with an employee serving. I got oatmeal and decided to just get some boiled eggs…there was an employee who served them to me. This isn’t normal and probably means one thing. We’ve just had our first GI outbreak during our contract. GI (a.k.a. poopy pants) gets spread when people think they are the one who doesn’t need to have their hands sanitized…but they are…and then they use the buffet…and everyone who touches those utensils gets their grubby hand germs.
Mom, Dad, Cheryl…sanitize your hands before and after you get a plate of food in the buffet. And by “after” I mean after you fill your plate but before you actually eat it.
Something of note at breakfast. They close down the main buffet around 10:30. I try to get there right at 10:30 to get oatmeal and then go out back to get an omelet. I also usually get coffee. I missed oatmeal and noticed there was a table blocking one of the coffee stations. Went out back, the beverages were blocked off with an employee serving. I got oatmeal and decided to just get some boiled eggs…there was an employee who served them to me. This isn’t normal and probably means one thing. We’ve just had our first GI outbreak during our contract. GI (a.k.a. poopy pants) gets spread when people think they are the one who doesn’t need to have their hands sanitized…but they are…and then they use the buffet…and everyone who touches those utensils gets their grubby hand germs.
Mom, Dad, Cheryl…sanitize your hands before and after you get a plate of food in the buffet. And by “after” I mean after you fill your plate but before you actually eat it.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Day 70
Barbados…something-town…like “road” or “bridge.” Remember how I said there was no way I was going anywhere today? That was a clever trick I pulled on Barbados! It seems like every time we come here we have a show, or the night before we say we’re going to go to the Boat Yard (more on what that is later) and the weather sucks when we arrive. So, this entire cruise I was saying I wasn’t going anywhere. It worked. But first…more stories of Albert.
A lot of us were at breakfast together this morning and along comes Albert. Doing the same thing where he stands right by us without saying anything, and then he finally does. Keelan and Charlotte were actually with us this morning when he arrived. After much pause Albert told Keelan he was going to go get some cards. Keelan and I decided to switch seats to see if he would notice, but then they both left before he could get back.
I’d bet $50 bucks that he’s from Brooklyn. He’s got that accent. When Albert shows up he says “Where’s Charlotte?” to which I reply with embellishment “I made them…DISAPPEAR!” His reply was the best. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Where are they?” He started trying to show me tricks and I would feed it with things like “Wow. That was great! What do you call that trick? All great magicians name their tricks.” He showed me The Vanishing Joker (he puts the joker on the top of the deck, I watch him move the top card to the bottom, he shows me the top card and it isn’t the joker anymore) and his famous Bubble Shuffle (it is hard to explain because it is so easy). At one point he asked me to guess his name. I tell him to put his hands out in front of him and pretend that I’m reading his mind. I say it’s Albert. He says “No. It’s Eddie. Albert is my brother.” Turns out he was lying. That’s not even the best part! Picture everything he says in a Brooklyn accent. He wants me to pick a card. I do. He says to put it back. I ask if I should put it on top. With attitude and the accent he says, “I don’t care where you put it. Put it back!” I told Albert…OH! Not Albert. His magician name is Zach Danno. I tell Zach, “I don’t think any other magicians are doing that. You should stick with it. Try to not care about the audience and let them know it as much as you can.” Later he did a trick where he took a Joker and said “I’m just going to crumple this up in my hand.” And then took the other Joker, ripped it up, and produced the crumpled Joker from his hand all in one piece! Everyone at the table went “Ooooo!” I said, “They all seemed pretty impressed. What do you say about that?” Zach Danno replies, “I don’t care if they liked it.” God bless Zach Danno. I can’t wait for breakfast tomorrow. Oh, also he asked Jen if she was from Harry Potter.
Enough about magic kids. So, we went to Boat Yard. It is a place that gives crew a discount. You pay $5 to get in and you get a free drink coupon and access to their beach. Lots of loud music, beach chairs, two floating trampolines, a floating iceberg that you climb, and about 1,000,000 guys offering to rent jet skis. There were so many people. It made me cringe when we arrived. I wanted to get out of there immediately. Deanna talked me into staying and I’m glad I did. We swam out to the trampoline. There were three people just laying on it, but that is what beach chairs are for. I had no qualms about just jumping on it…two of them got off as I was climbing the ladder. I went and climbed the iceberg. I had heard this thing was extremely tough to climb. Andy said this little side part was new. Without the new side part (something to get your feet on) I don’t think I could have climbed it. We hung out with the JARs a bit and then I took Deanna out on one of the Jet Skis. I had been wanting to rent one at least once and today seemed like good prices.
I drove out first with Deanna hanging on behind me. Usually I’d hear her say things like “Careful!” or “I’m falling!” About 5 minutes into our half hour we switched places. She took off like lightning and all I heard was “Weeeee haaaaa!” It was a blast. Jen and Andy went out there too so we were crossing paths every so often.
Later was lazy town, and then our first dinner at Mama’s. Mama’s is the Italian restaurant on the ship and it is very near the spot where we always eat lunch. When I called for reservations no one picked up the phone, so I went up. I asked for reservations for two at 8:30 and the manager said “We only have seating outside at 8:30…where you normally eat breakfast.” So, they know us.
There was another crew party last night in Spinaker. This time it was a cocktail party with dance lessons. I had heard that the crew wanted lessons…there were eight of us up there learning and only two weren’t second city or JARs. It was a new step though so it was well worth it. I was having trouble and then Sveta stepped in…she was amazing. I was trying to do this turn around move with Deanna and lost count. Sveta grabbed me and we were spinning like crazy. Deanna and I are going to do private lessons.
There was also a weird moment when Christopher pulled us (Second City) aside and said he had major news. We thought he had heard something bad about something happening to us, but it was some gossip (albeit major gossip…too major to feel comfortable writing about as it is not my business) about the JARs.
Busy day.
A lot of us were at breakfast together this morning and along comes Albert. Doing the same thing where he stands right by us without saying anything, and then he finally does. Keelan and Charlotte were actually with us this morning when he arrived. After much pause Albert told Keelan he was going to go get some cards. Keelan and I decided to switch seats to see if he would notice, but then they both left before he could get back.
I’d bet $50 bucks that he’s from Brooklyn. He’s got that accent. When Albert shows up he says “Where’s Charlotte?” to which I reply with embellishment “I made them…DISAPPEAR!” His reply was the best. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Where are they?” He started trying to show me tricks and I would feed it with things like “Wow. That was great! What do you call that trick? All great magicians name their tricks.” He showed me The Vanishing Joker (he puts the joker on the top of the deck, I watch him move the top card to the bottom, he shows me the top card and it isn’t the joker anymore) and his famous Bubble Shuffle (it is hard to explain because it is so easy). At one point he asked me to guess his name. I tell him to put his hands out in front of him and pretend that I’m reading his mind. I say it’s Albert. He says “No. It’s Eddie. Albert is my brother.” Turns out he was lying. That’s not even the best part! Picture everything he says in a Brooklyn accent. He wants me to pick a card. I do. He says to put it back. I ask if I should put it on top. With attitude and the accent he says, “I don’t care where you put it. Put it back!” I told Albert…OH! Not Albert. His magician name is Zach Danno. I tell Zach, “I don’t think any other magicians are doing that. You should stick with it. Try to not care about the audience and let them know it as much as you can.” Later he did a trick where he took a Joker and said “I’m just going to crumple this up in my hand.” And then took the other Joker, ripped it up, and produced the crumpled Joker from his hand all in one piece! Everyone at the table went “Ooooo!” I said, “They all seemed pretty impressed. What do you say about that?” Zach Danno replies, “I don’t care if they liked it.” God bless Zach Danno. I can’t wait for breakfast tomorrow. Oh, also he asked Jen if she was from Harry Potter.
Enough about magic kids. So, we went to Boat Yard. It is a place that gives crew a discount. You pay $5 to get in and you get a free drink coupon and access to their beach. Lots of loud music, beach chairs, two floating trampolines, a floating iceberg that you climb, and about 1,000,000 guys offering to rent jet skis. There were so many people. It made me cringe when we arrived. I wanted to get out of there immediately. Deanna talked me into staying and I’m glad I did. We swam out to the trampoline. There were three people just laying on it, but that is what beach chairs are for. I had no qualms about just jumping on it…two of them got off as I was climbing the ladder. I went and climbed the iceberg. I had heard this thing was extremely tough to climb. Andy said this little side part was new. Without the new side part (something to get your feet on) I don’t think I could have climbed it. We hung out with the JARs a bit and then I took Deanna out on one of the Jet Skis. I had been wanting to rent one at least once and today seemed like good prices.
I drove out first with Deanna hanging on behind me. Usually I’d hear her say things like “Careful!” or “I’m falling!” About 5 minutes into our half hour we switched places. She took off like lightning and all I heard was “Weeeee haaaaa!” It was a blast. Jen and Andy went out there too so we were crossing paths every so often.
Later was lazy town, and then our first dinner at Mama’s. Mama’s is the Italian restaurant on the ship and it is very near the spot where we always eat lunch. When I called for reservations no one picked up the phone, so I went up. I asked for reservations for two at 8:30 and the manager said “We only have seating outside at 8:30…where you normally eat breakfast.” So, they know us.
There was another crew party last night in Spinaker. This time it was a cocktail party with dance lessons. I had heard that the crew wanted lessons…there were eight of us up there learning and only two weren’t second city or JARs. It was a new step though so it was well worth it. I was having trouble and then Sveta stepped in…she was amazing. I was trying to do this turn around move with Deanna and lost count. Sveta grabbed me and we were spinning like crazy. Deanna and I are going to do private lessons.
There was also a weird moment when Christopher pulled us (Second City) aside and said he had major news. We thought he had heard something bad about something happening to us, but it was some gossip (albeit major gossip…too major to feel comfortable writing about as it is not my business) about the JARs.
Busy day.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Day 69
St. John’s, Antigua. Action PACKED!...kinda.
Remember that little kid from the show last night? Well he has about 50 brothers on the ship (4 or 5, but they always seem to be where ever we are). This morning at breakfast we were sitting with Keelan, Charlotte, Roman, and Sveta. Shortly after Keelan and Charlotte left this kid…Albert…comes up to our table. He stops about a foot away from the table and just stares at us. Picture Seth Weitberg at age 4 or 5…that’s this kid. He had yellow paint on his face so I used that to break the stare down. “What’s on your face?” I say.
He starts talking and asks Deanna if she’s the lady from the comedy show. She says yes and asks if he saw any of the other shows. He’s seen them all. She asks if he recognizes me. He gives me a good look and says “Say something.” I say “like what” in a falsetto voice. “No. You’re not the magician.” He thought I was Keelan the magician…from England. She asks if he recognizes Roman…no. I say…in a British accent “did you see her show?” His face lights up because he thinks I’m definitely Keelan. He doesn’t say anything. He takes a deck of unopened cards out of his pocket and puts it on the table.
This went on for a little bit. Me faking British and him talking. I then let him know I wasn’t Keelan. He did a magic trick and was on his way. I have to say, it is pretty fun pulling pranks on 5 year olds.
The rest of the day was pretty normal. I didn’t go to the beach.
We played Settlers of Catan again tonight. Twice. Jen won the first one and Deanna won the second. The first one was the worst game of Settlers I’ve ever played. For those of you who know the game I had built one road and one settlement (besides the usual starting roads and settlements) by the time Jen won.
In other news, Heath Ledger died today. He was 28. I thought he was a good actor. I found out about it relatively quickly on the news in the gym…about an hour after he was found. The police said it appeared it was from a drug overdose. Drug overdose. C’mon, famous people…learn a lesson already! Remember how one person dies from an overdose and then someone else usually does too? Chill out on the drugs already, famous people and relatives of famous people who have died from drug overdoses.
Tomorrow is Barbados. There is no way I’m going anywhere tomorrow. Mark my words. More on this later.
Remember that little kid from the show last night? Well he has about 50 brothers on the ship (4 or 5, but they always seem to be where ever we are). This morning at breakfast we were sitting with Keelan, Charlotte, Roman, and Sveta. Shortly after Keelan and Charlotte left this kid…Albert…comes up to our table. He stops about a foot away from the table and just stares at us. Picture Seth Weitberg at age 4 or 5…that’s this kid. He had yellow paint on his face so I used that to break the stare down. “What’s on your face?” I say.
He starts talking and asks Deanna if she’s the lady from the comedy show. She says yes and asks if he saw any of the other shows. He’s seen them all. She asks if he recognizes me. He gives me a good look and says “Say something.” I say “like what” in a falsetto voice. “No. You’re not the magician.” He thought I was Keelan the magician…from England. She asks if he recognizes Roman…no. I say…in a British accent “did you see her show?” His face lights up because he thinks I’m definitely Keelan. He doesn’t say anything. He takes a deck of unopened cards out of his pocket and puts it on the table.
This went on for a little bit. Me faking British and him talking. I then let him know I wasn’t Keelan. He did a magic trick and was on his way. I have to say, it is pretty fun pulling pranks on 5 year olds.
The rest of the day was pretty normal. I didn’t go to the beach.
We played Settlers of Catan again tonight. Twice. Jen won the first one and Deanna won the second. The first one was the worst game of Settlers I’ve ever played. For those of you who know the game I had built one road and one settlement (besides the usual starting roads and settlements) by the time Jen won.
In other news, Heath Ledger died today. He was 28. I thought he was a good actor. I found out about it relatively quickly on the news in the gym…about an hour after he was found. The police said it appeared it was from a drug overdose. Drug overdose. C’mon, famous people…learn a lesson already! Remember how one person dies from an overdose and then someone else usually does too? Chill out on the drugs already, famous people and relatives of famous people who have died from drug overdoses.
Tomorrow is Barbados. There is no way I’m going anywhere tomorrow. Mark my words. More on this later.
Day 68 Pt.3
Still Tortola. We got back on the ship with not a lot of time before rehearsal. Just about an hour. Enough to eat and iron my shirts. Then a couple of hours in between rehearsal and the shows.
We got a note at one of the shows…I think it was before the second one. It was from a kid who said he saw us before. We thought it was the kid who snuck into our rehearsal…it was. He definitely saw the first show too. In the second show he was in the front row, but way off to stage left. When we asked for suggestions he would shout things as loud as he could…and that was not very loud. It made me giggle. If you’ve ever seen the character Stuart on MadTV, the kid sounded like that. He just couldn’t be loud. So he was just loud enough for us to hear. The even funnier thing about it was that in the second show (when we could see and hear him) he would shout out the suggestions that we took in the first show…so we didn’t take any of them. Luckily in our final number when we were getting made up titles to songs he said “OO OO OO!” and Deanna took that…literally. He was happy as a clam (they’re happy, right?)
In the first show we had a guy thinking he was clever…real treat, this guy. In a restaurant scene there are a few moments with awkward pauses…on purpose. Right before the end of the first pause some redneck-soundin’, “git ‘r done” guy says “Lindsay Lohan.” Apparently he thought the pause was for him to shout stuff out. This is the second show in which this happened. The other time was in our very first show and also by a redneck soundin’, “git ‘r done” guy. In the second awkward pause…right before the end of the pause he says “git on with it.” In light of over ranting on the blog I’ll just say I hope he comes to the improv show. It is hard to deal with hecklers in the middle of a sketch show. It is easy to do it in improv.
I sat down to dinner with Stevie, Amy, and Keeva in between shows. They were fun to talk with and took my mind off the guy. Thanks, ladies!
I’m almost through the first ¼ of the Italian. There are four units in each lesson, and four lessons on the first CD. I’m almost through lesson 1. Deanna is almost done with 2.
We got a note at one of the shows…I think it was before the second one. It was from a kid who said he saw us before. We thought it was the kid who snuck into our rehearsal…it was. He definitely saw the first show too. In the second show he was in the front row, but way off to stage left. When we asked for suggestions he would shout things as loud as he could…and that was not very loud. It made me giggle. If you’ve ever seen the character Stuart on MadTV, the kid sounded like that. He just couldn’t be loud. So he was just loud enough for us to hear. The even funnier thing about it was that in the second show (when we could see and hear him) he would shout out the suggestions that we took in the first show…so we didn’t take any of them. Luckily in our final number when we were getting made up titles to songs he said “OO OO OO!” and Deanna took that…literally. He was happy as a clam (they’re happy, right?)
In the first show we had a guy thinking he was clever…real treat, this guy. In a restaurant scene there are a few moments with awkward pauses…on purpose. Right before the end of the first pause some redneck-soundin’, “git ‘r done” guy says “Lindsay Lohan.” Apparently he thought the pause was for him to shout stuff out. This is the second show in which this happened. The other time was in our very first show and also by a redneck soundin’, “git ‘r done” guy. In the second awkward pause…right before the end of the pause he says “git on with it.” In light of over ranting on the blog I’ll just say I hope he comes to the improv show. It is hard to deal with hecklers in the middle of a sketch show. It is easy to do it in improv.
I sat down to dinner with Stevie, Amy, and Keeva in between shows. They were fun to talk with and took my mind off the guy. Thanks, ladies!
I’m almost through the first ¼ of the Italian. There are four units in each lesson, and four lessons on the first CD. I’m almost through lesson 1. Deanna is almost done with 2.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Day 68 Pt. 1
We’re in Tortola today. There were grand plans of going to Beef Island with Brewer’s Bay as a backup. I let Deanna know that if they were going to Brewer’s I was going to an internet café. Later in the night I also let her know that if it was cloudy I would be in the internet café. Today is totally overcast. We are all (except Shreeman) in the internet café.
This at least lets me catch up on flickr and blogging. So…you’re welcome…all 6 of you.
This at least lets me catch up on flickr and blogging. So…you’re welcome…all 6 of you.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Day 67
Samana. Happy Birthday, Shad!
Today was mellow, grey, and somehow busy. Samana isn’t the best port. Nothing too exciting on the island itself. BUT! There is a private island right near by that the ship offers excursions to. It is called Caya Levantado (spelling is pretty close if not 100% correct). Deanna got us excursion tickets with a crew discount last night. And of course, this morning was grey. It had the look of “these clouds could break!” but it got thicker by the time we were on the island. I imagine it is a great place when the weather is good. We didn’t hang out too long before coming back to the ship. We were just glad we didn’t cave and stay on the ship in the first place.
Once we got back it was a mix of eating and working out again. We watched some of the Patriots vs Chargers game. Then dinner and some Settlers of Catan! I won the first game. Larrance won the second. I had no chance in the second one. My advice is if you play two games back to back, and you just won the first one…well…guess what? You’re the target. It wasn’t even so much that I was a target, but that I tried a new strategy…it was not good.
In other news, with 48 days left it is starting to feel like we’re running out of time…and we still have 48 days left. We received an email asking for our travel plans on the last day. That makes the end of this contract a little final.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to catch up to Deanna. She is speaking full sentences in Italian and I can say “The man reads” or “a bicycle”.
Today was mellow, grey, and somehow busy. Samana isn’t the best port. Nothing too exciting on the island itself. BUT! There is a private island right near by that the ship offers excursions to. It is called Caya Levantado (spelling is pretty close if not 100% correct). Deanna got us excursion tickets with a crew discount last night. And of course, this morning was grey. It had the look of “these clouds could break!” but it got thicker by the time we were on the island. I imagine it is a great place when the weather is good. We didn’t hang out too long before coming back to the ship. We were just glad we didn’t cave and stay on the ship in the first place.
Once we got back it was a mix of eating and working out again. We watched some of the Patriots vs Chargers game. Then dinner and some Settlers of Catan! I won the first game. Larrance won the second. I had no chance in the second one. My advice is if you play two games back to back, and you just won the first one…well…guess what? You’re the target. It wasn’t even so much that I was a target, but that I tried a new strategy…it was not good.
In other news, with 48 days left it is starting to feel like we’re running out of time…and we still have 48 days left. We received an email asking for our travel plans on the last day. That makes the end of this contract a little final.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to catch up to Deanna. She is speaking full sentences in Italian and I can say “The man reads” or “a bicycle”.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Day 66
Sea Day. Holy crap! Today is Roman’s birthday. Happy Birthday Roman!
Today was active with usual stuff. Laundry, eating, working out, VIP party. We ate dinner together…this time instead of going to Tsar’s and dining with Sveta we went to Azura. We thought about calling Sveta but figured she was watching the show. And then, she just showed up! First sea day dinners are meant to be.
We then went to the show and had cake with Roman and the JARs.
The waves have picked up a little. All these waves and all this cake make me feel like crap.
Today was active with usual stuff. Laundry, eating, working out, VIP party. We ate dinner together…this time instead of going to Tsar’s and dining with Sveta we went to Azura. We thought about calling Sveta but figured she was watching the show. And then, she just showed up! First sea day dinners are meant to be.
We then went to the show and had cake with Roman and the JARs.
The waves have picked up a little. All these waves and all this cake make me feel like crap.
Day 65 Pt. 2
Deanna and I have been going crazy with Rosetta Stone. We both have it on our computers and the headset/microphone I bought works fine. For the rest of Deanna’s bday we ate cake (I had the room decorated while we were out in Miami), met the cast for dinner, and saw a show.
Andy shaved his mustache. He also gave Deanna a birthday card. Inside that card? His mustache. It was the most hilarious and gross gift.
After that we went back to the cabin and learned Italian.
Andy shaved his mustache. He also gave Deanna a birthday card. Inside that card? His mustache. It was the most hilarious and gross gift.
After that we went back to the cabin and learned Italian.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Day 65 Pt. 1
Miami, FL. Happy Birthday to Deanna!
We went to South Beach and met with some of the JARs and some of our cast for Deanna's B-day Brunch at a place called News Cafe.
After eating we walked around with Christopher and faux-shopped. A lot of walking led to finding a headset/microphone for me to use with the Rosetta Stone Italian software. We also went by the tattoo shop "Miami Ink"...from the show on TLC. I looked in the window and the working tattoo artists weren't the guys I normally see on the show. I haven't watched the latest season though.
We then crammed into John's car with Matt and Candy to drive back. Tight fit.
Since we were walking around the whole time I didn't have any online time. Photos will come on Antigua day.
We went to South Beach and met with some of the JARs and some of our cast for Deanna's B-day Brunch at a place called News Cafe.
After eating we walked around with Christopher and faux-shopped. A lot of walking led to finding a headset/microphone for me to use with the Rosetta Stone Italian software. We also went by the tattoo shop "Miami Ink"...from the show on TLC. I looked in the window and the working tattoo artists weren't the guys I normally see on the show. I haven't watched the latest season though.
We then crammed into John's car with Matt and Candy to drive back. Tight fit.
Since we were walking around the whole time I didn't have any online time. Photos will come on Antigua day.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Day 64
Sea Day. I spent a majority of today in my cabin. Got to show Massimo, Alesia, and later, David, the photos I took of them practicing on the silks.
I pretty much worked out, ate, and then watched about 3 hours of documentary/special features on the Band of Brothers DVDs. I finished the series. It made me want to know more about my dad’s experience in Vietnam, and my grandfathers’ in WWI or II (not sure who was in what).
Other than that I sorted through photos, ate, did a couple improv shows…usual. Deanna…and this is for those who know her on an improv level…had some great misspoken stuff. In Sing It she said “go pack up all your wees and woas cause were moving to the land of prosterity.” That whole line became her Sing It line. And no, not “prosperity”…prosterity. In the middle of her song she tried to make some reference to George Bush and how prosterity is an actual word to him…but she said “George Bish”. I was lovin’ it (ba dap bap ba ba).
I let Deanna open her presents today. I got her a camera case, because she has been toting her camera around in a sock, and something she has been talking about but didn’t expect. RosettaStone: Italian. It is a program for learning language. She has been thinking about getting it since she went to Italy. I figured I would get it for her while we were on the boat and could practice with Massimo. The only problem is it is now 2:31am. This thing comes with a mic and headset so you can hear audio and say words. Now she is sitting next to me saying things like “una bambino” over and over. The system is actually very good. It uses audio, pictures, and written words to teach. What it DOESN’T use is translation. You are left to your intuition. It is great. It’s like learning from scratch when you’re a kid. You don’t translate “apple” from the previous word you knew for apple…you translate “apple” from that red thing I always eat, but not that other red thing that is a tomato. Oh, I just lucked out…she has moved on to the typing part. Nevermind…”Buon giorno…un panino…del pane” which I think is “hello…the sandwich…the bread.”
I pretty much worked out, ate, and then watched about 3 hours of documentary/special features on the Band of Brothers DVDs. I finished the series. It made me want to know more about my dad’s experience in Vietnam, and my grandfathers’ in WWI or II (not sure who was in what).
Other than that I sorted through photos, ate, did a couple improv shows…usual. Deanna…and this is for those who know her on an improv level…had some great misspoken stuff. In Sing It she said “go pack up all your wees and woas cause were moving to the land of prosterity.” That whole line became her Sing It line. And no, not “prosperity”…prosterity. In the middle of her song she tried to make some reference to George Bush and how prosterity is an actual word to him…but she said “George Bish”. I was lovin’ it (ba dap bap ba ba).
I let Deanna open her presents today. I got her a camera case, because she has been toting her camera around in a sock, and something she has been talking about but didn’t expect. RosettaStone: Italian. It is a program for learning language. She has been thinking about getting it since she went to Italy. I figured I would get it for her while we were on the boat and could practice with Massimo. The only problem is it is now 2:31am. This thing comes with a mic and headset so you can hear audio and say words. Now she is sitting next to me saying things like “una bambino” over and over. The system is actually very good. It uses audio, pictures, and written words to teach. What it DOESN’T use is translation. You are left to your intuition. It is great. It’s like learning from scratch when you’re a kid. You don’t translate “apple” from the previous word you knew for apple…you translate “apple” from that red thing I always eat, but not that other red thing that is a tomato. Oh, I just lucked out…she has moved on to the typing part. Nevermind…”Buon giorno…un panino…del pane” which I think is “hello…the sandwich…the bread.”
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Day 63
George Town, Grand Cayman. Adventures a plenty, dear reader. Today we stuck to our plan. Deanna and I woke up a little early…not much, but we had also turned our clocks ahead one hour, so more than it seemed. Deanna went to get tickets for the tender boats. This is a first for us. If you want to get off the ship at the start you need to go get a ticket. They then start calling blocks of numbers. After a while they open it up for anyone…that is what we usually do. But not today. We met Keelan and Charlotte for breakfast, grabbed our stuff, and headed out. The tender boat was pretty full…this is a good thing. The fuller the boat the sooner it leaves…remember this.
Charlotte had gone online and found Moby Dick Stingray City and Snorkel tour. We were to meet at the pier and leave at 11:45. We got there at 11:00. Keelan and Charlotte hadn’t gone snorkeling before and weren’t strong swimmers, but they were up for it. We walked around town looking for snorkel gear but only found jewelry, watches, and t-shirts.
We got on the boat and headed out. The sun was out pretty much until the moment we set foot on the boat. There was a big grey cloud blocking the sun for most the time. This was problematic on the trip out because we were getting hit by spray from the boat hitting waves. I just sat there in my swim suit rather than keeping my other clothes on. Stingray city is basically a sandbar where you can stand in the water and hang out with stingrays. Sounds ok, right?
When we arrived there were four or five other boats there so we went snorkeling first. A little reef area nearby. They had snorkel gear, but it’s kind of gross using someone elses snorkel. Deanna and I brought ours and borrowed fins. I got in pretty quick. Right as I did our guide announced that there was a scuba diver taking pictures of a moray eel. He then mentioned a few things about the eels being blind and having sharp teeth. I look under the water and there it is. The diver was sort of coaxing it out and then taking pictures…and then it started heading towards me and another guy. I got outta there. After clearing out a bit I turned around and tried to snap a few more shots. I found Deanna and we headed to the reef. Unfortunately the waves break right at the reef so it was a constant fight against current. Add to that the people were almost all of the boat and that is a recipe for sucks-ville. I got out of the current and headed back to see how Keelan and Charlotte were fairing. They weren’t. Charlotte had an inflatable vest, but it wasn’t helping…panic took over a little. We assured them that this was not optimal “first time snorkeling” and said we’d take them somewhere that was in the future.
I got out. Too many people. Then I jumped back in to “wash the sand off my feet.” While I was doing that I saw some fish swimming by the boat…little pieces of stuff floating in the water. One of those pieces looked just odd enough for me to get closer. It was less than half an inch long and less than a quarter inch wide…it was a crab. A tiny, tiny, wee little baby crab. Before I could get my camera it got lost in the current.
We then headed over to the Stingrays. This…was…awesome. There were maybe 10-15, but they were all right there swimming all around us. I have photos. I have video. Gimme time and high speed DSL. I can’t describe it in words. Deanna and Keelan even kissed one.
After that we headed back and I went through an hour and 15 minutes online deleting emails from a spam attack…3500 emails. I almost fell asleep during that process…about 5 times.
Tomorrow is relax day.
Charlotte had gone online and found Moby Dick Stingray City and Snorkel tour. We were to meet at the pier and leave at 11:45. We got there at 11:00. Keelan and Charlotte hadn’t gone snorkeling before and weren’t strong swimmers, but they were up for it. We walked around town looking for snorkel gear but only found jewelry, watches, and t-shirts.
We got on the boat and headed out. The sun was out pretty much until the moment we set foot on the boat. There was a big grey cloud blocking the sun for most the time. This was problematic on the trip out because we were getting hit by spray from the boat hitting waves. I just sat there in my swim suit rather than keeping my other clothes on. Stingray city is basically a sandbar where you can stand in the water and hang out with stingrays. Sounds ok, right?
When we arrived there were four or five other boats there so we went snorkeling first. A little reef area nearby. They had snorkel gear, but it’s kind of gross using someone elses snorkel. Deanna and I brought ours and borrowed fins. I got in pretty quick. Right as I did our guide announced that there was a scuba diver taking pictures of a moray eel. He then mentioned a few things about the eels being blind and having sharp teeth. I look under the water and there it is. The diver was sort of coaxing it out and then taking pictures…and then it started heading towards me and another guy. I got outta there. After clearing out a bit I turned around and tried to snap a few more shots. I found Deanna and we headed to the reef. Unfortunately the waves break right at the reef so it was a constant fight against current. Add to that the people were almost all of the boat and that is a recipe for sucks-ville. I got out of the current and headed back to see how Keelan and Charlotte were fairing. They weren’t. Charlotte had an inflatable vest, but it wasn’t helping…panic took over a little. We assured them that this was not optimal “first time snorkeling” and said we’d take them somewhere that was in the future.
I got out. Too many people. Then I jumped back in to “wash the sand off my feet.” While I was doing that I saw some fish swimming by the boat…little pieces of stuff floating in the water. One of those pieces looked just odd enough for me to get closer. It was less than half an inch long and less than a quarter inch wide…it was a crab. A tiny, tiny, wee little baby crab. Before I could get my camera it got lost in the current.
We then headed over to the Stingrays. This…was…awesome. There were maybe 10-15, but they were all right there swimming all around us. I have photos. I have video. Gimme time and high speed DSL. I can’t describe it in words. Deanna and Keelan even kissed one.
After that we headed back and I went through an hour and 15 minutes online deleting emails from a spam attack…3500 emails. I almost fell asleep during that process…about 5 times.
Tomorrow is relax day.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Day 62
Cozumel, Mexico. Finally! We did something again in Cozumel. For whatever reason we usually walk around in the nearby shops or go get internet access at a coffee place when we’re in Cozumel. I think a lot of the shopping was because we were leading up to Christmas and Secretest of Santas. After that the weather hasn’t been the best when we’re here.
Today was cloudy, but looked like it would break. Jen and Larrance were off on the Mayan ruins tour with Jen’s parents so Deanna, Andy and I made plans. Deanna did some research and found a place called Palmar Estates on Dzul Hal Beach. It had a butterfly sanctuary and a private beach for snorkeling…all for $8. It was actually great. It was hard to photo the butterflies…especially the cool big blue ones. But it was guided and the guy with us pointed out caterpillars and chrysalises that we were pretty much just looking at without realizing they were creatures. One of the caterpillars looked like a bird turd, but then you touch it and these orange antennae show up. I got pics.
They also had lockers, so I locked up my big camera and we headed off to snorkel…right across the street. It was right next to a not-private entry to the exact same water, but the $8 also included chairs and a couple dudes to watch over stuff. It was rocky getting into the water, but we made it. Clearest water yet. Fantastic snorkeling. I got in by the rocks. Deanna and Andy went down 50 feet or so to more of a smoother entry. I’m glad I went in where I did…after swimming out and over about 10 feet I thought I saw a little tiny octopus. It wasn’t, but for whatever reason my brain was triggered into octopus mode. Why? Because five feet from where I was I saw a hole, and I saw something sink down into that hole. An octopus. Much bigger than the thing I thought was an octopus that wasn’t. Big enough to make me keep my distance. Small enough to have me not back up (so I could get pics). Jen has stories of how smart octopi are…of cornered octopi being smart enough to pull your mask and scuba respirator off your face. I stood my ground and flagged Andy and Deanna over. Jen would have to settle for photos.
Towards the end of our visit it started raining while we were in the water. It was cool and our stuff stayed mostly dry on land. My only complaint was that my photos got worse with the thicker clouds. I’ll be snorkeling in Cozumel again. I also plan on renting a jeep and just driving around the island taking photos.
We had rehearsal and our shows tonight. The first show was great. We did a great job and the audience was fantastic. Unfortunately there were two things working against us for the second show: it was later in the evening (after a day of Cozumel (which means booze for most people)); the crew show was shoe-horned in between our two shows. When there is a crew show in between our show it means people either have to sit and watch it and our show together (about 2 hours of sitting for shows) or decide between the two. The later show is usually our more well-attended show. Not tonight. Those who chose the “I’ll watch the crew show and then the Second City” have a higher percentage of changing their mind after seeing the crew show…especially when the tiredness of the day starts to hit. Our audience was a quieter one, but we had a great show with a fun musical ending.
Tomorrow we plan to go to Stingray City with Keelan and Charlotte.
Today was cloudy, but looked like it would break. Jen and Larrance were off on the Mayan ruins tour with Jen’s parents so Deanna, Andy and I made plans. Deanna did some research and found a place called Palmar Estates on Dzul Hal Beach. It had a butterfly sanctuary and a private beach for snorkeling…all for $8. It was actually great. It was hard to photo the butterflies…especially the cool big blue ones. But it was guided and the guy with us pointed out caterpillars and chrysalises that we were pretty much just looking at without realizing they were creatures. One of the caterpillars looked like a bird turd, but then you touch it and these orange antennae show up. I got pics.
They also had lockers, so I locked up my big camera and we headed off to snorkel…right across the street. It was right next to a not-private entry to the exact same water, but the $8 also included chairs and a couple dudes to watch over stuff. It was rocky getting into the water, but we made it. Clearest water yet. Fantastic snorkeling. I got in by the rocks. Deanna and Andy went down 50 feet or so to more of a smoother entry. I’m glad I went in where I did…after swimming out and over about 10 feet I thought I saw a little tiny octopus. It wasn’t, but for whatever reason my brain was triggered into octopus mode. Why? Because five feet from where I was I saw a hole, and I saw something sink down into that hole. An octopus. Much bigger than the thing I thought was an octopus that wasn’t. Big enough to make me keep my distance. Small enough to have me not back up (so I could get pics). Jen has stories of how smart octopi are…of cornered octopi being smart enough to pull your mask and scuba respirator off your face. I stood my ground and flagged Andy and Deanna over. Jen would have to settle for photos.
Towards the end of our visit it started raining while we were in the water. It was cool and our stuff stayed mostly dry on land. My only complaint was that my photos got worse with the thicker clouds. I’ll be snorkeling in Cozumel again. I also plan on renting a jeep and just driving around the island taking photos.
We had rehearsal and our shows tonight. The first show was great. We did a great job and the audience was fantastic. Unfortunately there were two things working against us for the second show: it was later in the evening (after a day of Cozumel (which means booze for most people)); the crew show was shoe-horned in between our two shows. When there is a crew show in between our show it means people either have to sit and watch it and our show together (about 2 hours of sitting for shows) or decide between the two. The later show is usually our more well-attended show. Not tonight. Those who chose the “I’ll watch the crew show and then the Second City” have a higher percentage of changing their mind after seeing the crew show…especially when the tiredness of the day starts to hit. Our audience was a quieter one, but we had a great show with a fun musical ending.
Tomorrow we plan to go to Stingray City with Keelan and Charlotte.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Day 61
Sea Day. Today was typical. Eat, workout, go to VIP party to meet passengers. I spent a lot of time working on the photos from yesterday’s shoot.
That’s about it.
That’s about it.
Day 60 Pt. 2
Miami, FL. Well, once we got back on the ship it was a gambit of laundry, photos, and eating.
Massimo and Alesia (the adagio couple from the JARs) practice on “the silks” from time to time. “Silks” are two long pieces of silk hanging from the ceiling. Doing an act on them means climbing up them and suspending yourself in different ways from them. I know they are used in a commercial for some hotel to show how spacious the rooms are. A lady is in a room by the curtains (actually silks) and ends up flying around the room doing silk maneuvers. Why do I mention all this? I talked with them and found out when they would be rehearsing so I could take pictures. I did just that. I wanted to get a few key shots that I had in mind, but I ran out of time.
From photos I went to meet Jen’s parents for drinks with everyone else. By this point Deanna and I were starting to get hungry. After drinks Deanna and I headed to Azura to eat. They were full. We then went to Tsar’s…they had the same menu as Azura that night, but with more space. When we got there we were well into our “hangry” phase (hungry that makes you angry). When I’m hungry like that I’d just assume go to the buffet, but we had already put the effort in and were nearing a table. The hostess said “would anyone mind sharing a table with other passengers?” Without dropping a beat Deanna raises her hand. They march us and two other groups of two off together. I’m hangry. I don’t want to spend dinner playing getting to know you with passengers…I want food. On our way to our table we saw Keelan and Charlotte. They invited us to sit with them. We were saved!
We had a nice dinner. The first time we had dinner together was in a bigger group of people. I didn’t care for the appetizers that night so I ordered two entrees…beef and duck. Keelan and Charlotte are both vegetarians and there I am digging into two plates of meat. The next time they ate with us was the next day and I had two turkey burgers. Charlotte asked if I always had a plate of meat for my meals. Pretty much.
I also watched some more Band of Brothers. If you’re interested in WWII, watch this series on DVD.
Massimo and Alesia (the adagio couple from the JARs) practice on “the silks” from time to time. “Silks” are two long pieces of silk hanging from the ceiling. Doing an act on them means climbing up them and suspending yourself in different ways from them. I know they are used in a commercial for some hotel to show how spacious the rooms are. A lady is in a room by the curtains (actually silks) and ends up flying around the room doing silk maneuvers. Why do I mention all this? I talked with them and found out when they would be rehearsing so I could take pictures. I did just that. I wanted to get a few key shots that I had in mind, but I ran out of time.
From photos I went to meet Jen’s parents for drinks with everyone else. By this point Deanna and I were starting to get hungry. After drinks Deanna and I headed to Azura to eat. They were full. We then went to Tsar’s…they had the same menu as Azura that night, but with more space. When we got there we were well into our “hangry” phase (hungry that makes you angry). When I’m hungry like that I’d just assume go to the buffet, but we had already put the effort in and were nearing a table. The hostess said “would anyone mind sharing a table with other passengers?” Without dropping a beat Deanna raises her hand. They march us and two other groups of two off together. I’m hangry. I don’t want to spend dinner playing getting to know you with passengers…I want food. On our way to our table we saw Keelan and Charlotte. They invited us to sit with them. We were saved!
We had a nice dinner. The first time we had dinner together was in a bigger group of people. I didn’t care for the appetizers that night so I ordered two entrees…beef and duck. Keelan and Charlotte are both vegetarians and there I am digging into two plates of meat. The next time they ate with us was the next day and I had two turkey burgers. Charlotte asked if I always had a plate of meat for my meals. Pretty much.
I also watched some more Band of Brothers. If you’re interested in WWII, watch this series on DVD.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Day 60 pt.1
Miami, FL. Well, I'm here in the Holiday Inn. This lobby is always packed with people. People sometimes bring drinks with them and leave their cups behind.
Well...Deanna is on her computer and just grabbed for her coffee to take a drink. She grabbed a cup alright. Not hers, though. She took a drink and said, "Rance. Rance...I just took a drink, but out of this cup. I think I'm going to throw up." Later she also stated that she was pretty sure it was spit in the cup and that she swallowed a loogie.
We're both now sitting in the Holiday Inn trying not to barf.
Enjoy your day!
Well...Deanna is on her computer and just grabbed for her coffee to take a drink. She grabbed a cup alright. Not hers, though. She took a drink and said, "Rance. Rance...I just took a drink, but out of this cup. I think I'm going to throw up." Later she also stated that she was pretty sure it was spit in the cup and that she swallowed a loogie.
We're both now sitting in the Holiday Inn trying not to barf.
Enjoy your day!
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Day 59
Sea Day. I had a pain in my neck today and it made me want to do nothing but stay in the cabin and watch Hot Rod again (see it…at least three times).
Today was pretty much all about waiting until night. Tonight was Star Seekers…the passenger talent show. I didn’t have any plans on going, but by the time it was 7:30 I had been lying around all day and felt like going with Deanna. There were a couple good acts, a couple terrible ones, and mostly ok ones.
We were supposed to meet Jen and Larrance at 8:30 to play Settlers of Catan, but we were late by 15 minutes because of the show. We did play though. Deanna almost won, but I built a longer road than her and that took 2 points away…those who play will understand. The important thing is Jen didn’t win…she is a powerhouse all-american at everything else. She has never won Catan and it must stay that way to keep her humble.
Today was pretty much all about waiting until night. Tonight was Star Seekers…the passenger talent show. I didn’t have any plans on going, but by the time it was 7:30 I had been lying around all day and felt like going with Deanna. There were a couple good acts, a couple terrible ones, and mostly ok ones.
We were supposed to meet Jen and Larrance at 8:30 to play Settlers of Catan, but we were late by 15 minutes because of the show. We did play though. Deanna almost won, but I built a longer road than her and that took 2 points away…those who play will understand. The important thing is Jen didn’t win…she is a powerhouse all-american at everything else. She has never won Catan and it must stay that way to keep her humble.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Day 58
Sea Day. And a fairly typical one at that. Today was mostly spent eating and chillin’ out. I edited photos too…that was a big one. I had a lot of photos from earlier in the week. See, they need to be prepped before I get to Miami to upload them.
Tonight we had our improv sets. Normally we do a show, catch most of Cirque Bijoux, and then do our other show. I decided to go catch the beginning of the first Cirque show since I had only seen the beginning once. I ended up staying for almost the entire show. I had to leave to get to our call time for improv. When we came back to the second Cirque show it hadn’t started yet, so I got to see the opening a second time. Only Johnny wasn’t there this time…for the whole show.
We started wondering what happened. The only thing I could think of was that he might have fallen in the very last silk routine since that was the only part I missed in the 7:30 show. Andy said he heard the captain talking to someone in the hall about someone falling. Now, earlier in the day I sat down to lunch with Christopher (name drop…I found out he reads the blog so had to mention him by name), Candy, and Ryan. Christopher mentioned how rumors spread about him and the Ship n Males show he hosted the previous night…and the rumors spread in a four hour period. So, as we were trying to find out what happened to Johnny I said “let’s just wait until we actually hear what happened from one of the JARs.” Luckily we ran into some of them in Blue Lagoon and they let us know he had a bad sinus infection and he wasn’t able to do the second show. Take that, rumors!
Tonight we had our improv sets. Normally we do a show, catch most of Cirque Bijoux, and then do our other show. I decided to go catch the beginning of the first Cirque show since I had only seen the beginning once. I ended up staying for almost the entire show. I had to leave to get to our call time for improv. When we came back to the second Cirque show it hadn’t started yet, so I got to see the opening a second time. Only Johnny wasn’t there this time…for the whole show.
We started wondering what happened. The only thing I could think of was that he might have fallen in the very last silk routine since that was the only part I missed in the 7:30 show. Andy said he heard the captain talking to someone in the hall about someone falling. Now, earlier in the day I sat down to lunch with Christopher (name drop…I found out he reads the blog so had to mention him by name), Candy, and Ryan. Christopher mentioned how rumors spread about him and the Ship n Males show he hosted the previous night…and the rumors spread in a four hour period. So, as we were trying to find out what happened to Johnny I said “let’s just wait until we actually hear what happened from one of the JARs.” Luckily we ran into some of them in Blue Lagoon and they let us know he had a bad sinus infection and he wasn’t able to do the second show. Take that, rumors!
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Day 57
Castries, St. Lucia. Today we headed to a place called Marigot Bay. This is a place that is supposedly used in movies a lot when they need a Caribbean setting. It was ok in my book…ok. Jen, Larrance and Andy liked it better. I just wasn’t inspired to get in the water and snorkel because it was cloudy. Cloudy means so-so pictures. I figured I would just relax until the sun broke through…it never did. Well, it did once we went to the restaurant.
We also had a workshop today led by Deanna…it was a hit.
From there we went to see Kenny Byrd…ventriloquist. I laughed more than I thought I would. His ending was so simple in a “not that fancy” way…not in a “level of skill required” way, but it killed. It got a very fast standing ovation for him, that’s for sure.
Deanna and I came back to the room and started watching HBO’s Band of Brothers. We watched the first two episodes. It’s pretty great so far!
Somewhere in between today and tomorrow is the exact moment of our journey being exactly half-complete/half-over. 58 more days to go. Where will the future take us?!
We also had a workshop today led by Deanna…it was a hit.
From there we went to see Kenny Byrd…ventriloquist. I laughed more than I thought I would. His ending was so simple in a “not that fancy” way…not in a “level of skill required” way, but it killed. It got a very fast standing ovation for him, that’s for sure.
Deanna and I came back to the room and started watching HBO’s Band of Brothers. We watched the first two episodes. It’s pretty great so far!
Somewhere in between today and tomorrow is the exact moment of our journey being exactly half-complete/half-over. 58 more days to go. Where will the future take us?!
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
Day 56
Barbados…Bridgetown? I can never keep them straight. Brigetown, Road Town, George Town…European settlers couldn’t keep “town” out of town names apparently. The Boat Yard was awesome!!!!...so I’ve heard. We woke up and it was cloudy. I didn’t feel like going and as every minute of breakfast passed I was more and more sure of it. So, what did I do? I got a massage, that’s what. We get a discount on port days so I took advantage of that. It was great. My shoulders have been tight from being a workout powerhouse so it was just what I needed.
Other than that it was a lot of eating and waiting. At breakfast we were talking about comments we’ve heard other people make without thinking. The one in question was made by someone from Australia to Mike…talking about making fun of some group of people…”you know, like you Americans make fun of the Jews.” This inspired an introspective into jokes of our youth. We chatted about how the joke of our youth were about the polish or “Pollack jokes.” It dawned on me that over time the groups change and the jokes stay the same pretty much. I started telling standard jokes I remember but tailoring them to today’s groups. Example. I replaced “blondes” with “environmentalists”…”how can you tell if an environmentalist has been using the computer? There is white-out on the monitor!” I told a bunch of these with apparently stellar delivery. Jen was laughing to the point of tears and Deanna as well…although Deanna was laughing because of Jen. I have pics of both of them.
I ate lunch with the two female singers from the JARs. That was a nice treat. They are both fantastic singers, but fun to hang with as well. Bianca was putting powdered creamer into her coffee, but the creamer was in an ex-holder-of-gum…I thought it was some mint powder.
Deanna and I finally got our beds put together. When they are separate we call it sleeping “Ricky and Lucy” style…but Deanna called it “Lucy and Ethel” last night so we’ve been fighting over who is Ethel and who is Lucy. I think we spent most of the day referring to each other as Ethel.
Tonight was a crew party. It was sponsored by the JARs. It was supposed to be on Christmas, but they wanted to do it in the Spinaker Lounge and they wouldn’t allow that so soon after the last Spinaker crew party. So, they had the theme of White Christmas and everyone was supposed to dress in white. If you like scantily clad women or men you will want to go see the 1/9/08 photos. The JARs are sexy as all get out and the photos prove it.
I feel like I’m forgetting something. OH. Crew normally have a curfew of 2:00am, but the captain allowed them to go to 3:00am because of the party and good behavior. When we did our crew show I played the captain’s voice in announcements for a sketch and they had me make the announcement on the mic at the party that we could party until 3. The crowd of course cheered. I went up to the captain afterwards (because he was there hanging out…he is awesome and mighty) to make sure we were cool. We’re cool.
Other than that it was a lot of eating and waiting. At breakfast we were talking about comments we’ve heard other people make without thinking. The one in question was made by someone from Australia to Mike…talking about making fun of some group of people…”you know, like you Americans make fun of the Jews.” This inspired an introspective into jokes of our youth. We chatted about how the joke of our youth were about the polish or “Pollack jokes.” It dawned on me that over time the groups change and the jokes stay the same pretty much. I started telling standard jokes I remember but tailoring them to today’s groups. Example. I replaced “blondes” with “environmentalists”…”how can you tell if an environmentalist has been using the computer? There is white-out on the monitor!” I told a bunch of these with apparently stellar delivery. Jen was laughing to the point of tears and Deanna as well…although Deanna was laughing because of Jen. I have pics of both of them.
I ate lunch with the two female singers from the JARs. That was a nice treat. They are both fantastic singers, but fun to hang with as well. Bianca was putting powdered creamer into her coffee, but the creamer was in an ex-holder-of-gum…I thought it was some mint powder.
Deanna and I finally got our beds put together. When they are separate we call it sleeping “Ricky and Lucy” style…but Deanna called it “Lucy and Ethel” last night so we’ve been fighting over who is Ethel and who is Lucy. I think we spent most of the day referring to each other as Ethel.
Tonight was a crew party. It was sponsored by the JARs. It was supposed to be on Christmas, but they wanted to do it in the Spinaker Lounge and they wouldn’t allow that so soon after the last Spinaker crew party. So, they had the theme of White Christmas and everyone was supposed to dress in white. If you like scantily clad women or men you will want to go see the 1/9/08 photos. The JARs are sexy as all get out and the photos prove it.
I feel like I’m forgetting something. OH. Crew normally have a curfew of 2:00am, but the captain allowed them to go to 3:00am because of the party and good behavior. When we did our crew show I played the captain’s voice in announcements for a sketch and they had me make the announcement on the mic at the party that we could party until 3. The crowd of course cheered. I went up to the captain afterwards (because he was there hanging out…he is awesome and mighty) to make sure we were cool. We’re cool.
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Day 55
St. John’s, Antigua. What have I seen in Antigua before? The shops right outside the port…that’s what. Every time we’ve been here it has usually been after an active day in Tortola. Tortolla? I’m pretty sure there is just one “L.” So, normally I have been Christmas shopping, getting coffee, getting Ting, or using the internet. This time Jen and Larrance proposed a taxi tour around the island stopping at a few key spots. The plan was to go to Nelson’s Dockyard (an old timey dock), Devil’s Bridge (an old timey natural rock formation), and Long Bay Beach (a beach with soft, white sand…old timey sand). We followed the plan.
Nelson’s Dockyard was a nice little place. We didn’t have much time to spend there, but it was still in working order with old buildings as well. There were a lot of nice boats docked there. On the drive to the Dockyard our taxi driver told us island info. He stopped by an odd building made of limestone. He said it was an old sugar mill. There were 156 (or something like that) originally on the island (I think they had windmill blades originally). Around 100 still stand (no windmill things). We saw them every so often on our travels. We also saw a lot of livestock wandering around.
Devil’s Bridge looked huge and mighty in pictures we have seen…not so much. It was still cool though. Water crashed underneath it and sprayed up sometimes. I got hit by a big one while I was taking pictures. I just had enough time to turn and protect the camera. I’m really glad I just brought my little camera with me…I almost brought the big boy, but our last destination was a beach and I didn’t want sand on it.
The beach had some snorkeling…not as good as Smiths Cove, but it is hard to compare to that place I guess. I can tell I’m not going to be satisfied until I find a better place…and then I’ll have to find something better than that. I guess by “better” I would settle for “clear water for good photos.”
We had to be back on the ship by 4:30…we got back to the port by 4:17. As we were walking back on the boardwalk a guy dropped his drivers license and it went right through a crack in the boards. They couldn’t see it through the cracks at first, so I used my height to lie down and look around and under the pier. I saw it floating there. The guy who dropped it quickly took off his shirt and shoes. Someone said “you can use that boat!” and pointed to a little nearby raft…it was locked up. I don’t know what he said to his wife, but he put his shirt on and I looked again. The license was gone. He could have jumped in and got it, but he missed his window. Oh well.
Tomorrow is our first chance to go to a hang out beach place called the boat yard in Barbados. Normally we have a show on that day, but it got switched, so we’re free!
Nelson’s Dockyard was a nice little place. We didn’t have much time to spend there, but it was still in working order with old buildings as well. There were a lot of nice boats docked there. On the drive to the Dockyard our taxi driver told us island info. He stopped by an odd building made of limestone. He said it was an old sugar mill. There were 156 (or something like that) originally on the island (I think they had windmill blades originally). Around 100 still stand (no windmill things). We saw them every so often on our travels. We also saw a lot of livestock wandering around.
Devil’s Bridge looked huge and mighty in pictures we have seen…not so much. It was still cool though. Water crashed underneath it and sprayed up sometimes. I got hit by a big one while I was taking pictures. I just had enough time to turn and protect the camera. I’m really glad I just brought my little camera with me…I almost brought the big boy, but our last destination was a beach and I didn’t want sand on it.
The beach had some snorkeling…not as good as Smiths Cove, but it is hard to compare to that place I guess. I can tell I’m not going to be satisfied until I find a better place…and then I’ll have to find something better than that. I guess by “better” I would settle for “clear water for good photos.”
We had to be back on the ship by 4:30…we got back to the port by 4:17. As we were walking back on the boardwalk a guy dropped his drivers license and it went right through a crack in the boards. They couldn’t see it through the cracks at first, so I used my height to lie down and look around and under the pier. I saw it floating there. The guy who dropped it quickly took off his shirt and shoes. Someone said “you can use that boat!” and pointed to a little nearby raft…it was locked up. I don’t know what he said to his wife, but he put his shirt on and I looked again. The license was gone. He could have jumped in and got it, but he missed his window. Oh well.
Tomorrow is our first chance to go to a hang out beach place called the boat yard in Barbados. Normally we have a show on that day, but it got switched, so we’re free!
Monday, January 07, 2008
Day 54
Road Town, Tortola. Split decision. Yesterday Jen and Larrance said they were going to go to the botanical gardens when we got to Tortola. So, that is what I was mentally prepared for. At breakfast they said they were going to go to a beach. What? Well, Andy and I were preprogrammed for gardens so we took our cameras and headed out.
There were a lot of little lizards, some cool spiders, and plant life of course. See pics.
That was about all we did. After getting back on the ship it was time for rehearsal and then shows. The shows went really well. Both audiences really had us worried. Usually there is a good amount of applause when the “show is starting” announcement happened…nothin’. But, by the time we got a few sketches in they were loving it. A lot of the JARs came to the first show and a few to the second. Support = good.
There were a lot of little lizards, some cool spiders, and plant life of course. See pics.
That was about all we did. After getting back on the ship it was time for rehearsal and then shows. The shows went really well. Both audiences really had us worried. Usually there is a good amount of applause when the “show is starting” announcement happened…nothin’. But, by the time we got a few sketches in they were loving it. A lot of the JARs came to the first show and a few to the second. Support = good.
Sunday, January 06, 2008
Day 53
Samana. I’m really back tracking here. For whatever reason this new room doesn’t remind me to blog at night before I go to bed.
Things I remember are that Roman and Sveta got a chance to join the excursion that goes to some private island. I remember this because I remember sitting outside for breakfast under a covering while rain poured down. The rain storms come and go pretty fast. It’s sunny, then rain, then sun, then foggy. At one point all we could see off the ship was grey…there is a picture.
Because of all the clouds the sunset was pretty dramatic…see pics as well.
Today was mostly about hanging out with whichever JARs came by where we were.
Things I remember are that Roman and Sveta got a chance to join the excursion that goes to some private island. I remember this because I remember sitting outside for breakfast under a covering while rain poured down. The rain storms come and go pretty fast. It’s sunny, then rain, then sun, then foggy. At one point all we could see off the ship was grey…there is a picture.
Because of all the clouds the sunset was pretty dramatic…see pics as well.
Today was mostly about hanging out with whichever JARs came by where we were.
Saturday, January 05, 2008
Day 52
Sea Day. This morning I set my alarm for 10:00am…usual wake up for breakfast. It is the first morning waking up in the windowless cabin. The numbers on the clock meant nothing. It could have been night, afternoon, who knows. I got up to get food, Deanna had apparently got breakfast at 7:30 and come back to bed. I never heard her leave or come back.
Other than that, today was filled with fun chats with JARs and laundry. Not a lot of action.
The six of us were going to have, what has now become a tradition, Band on the Run night dinner with Sveta. Seven of us tried to get a table at Tsar’s when Keelan and Charolette (magician & assistant/quick change partner) showed up and joined us. It was nice getting to chat with them.
I’m tired. Later suckers.
Other than that, today was filled with fun chats with JARs and laundry. Not a lot of action.
The six of us were going to have, what has now become a tradition, Band on the Run night dinner with Sveta. Seven of us tried to get a table at Tsar’s when Keelan and Charolette (magician & assistant/quick change partner) showed up and joined us. It was nice getting to chat with them.
I’m tired. Later suckers.
Friday, January 04, 2008
Day 51
Miami, FL. Oh boy. Today was rough…mentally. Announcements started at 7:00am letting people know it was time to leave. Express is first and then groups of people organized by colored tags on their luggage. Normally we get up at 8:00, have breakfast, and we get out of customs by 9:00. Today we were up a little earlier (because of the announcements). I was 95% packed…Deanna was about 80% packed. We finished packing and left…hoping that our luggage would magically make it to our new room as promised.
Since we know the truth about the employee shuttles we went to get on one. And waited. And waited. No dice. With our status (passenger) we can get off the ship when we are ready to get in the fray with the other passengers. Crew leave via a window system. They let a certain amount of people off for a half hour every hour or something. As Deanna and I sat in the van I said “We always get out by 9:00 and start walking, and we always see someone by starbucks just getting off the shuttle.” But, we were cranky (a theme for the day). I said we’re going to get a cab. Deanna was out of cash…so regardless of us going shuttle or cab, I was paying for it. It ended up being twice the amount the shuttle would have been. Oh well. Sure enough, when we got to starbucks, there were the other people just getting off the shuttle.
Every little thing was getting on our nerves. We went in to get coffee and found Johnny, Candy, and moments later, Christopher. They were having debacles as well, but cheered us up. Side note, Christopher, Jon Paul & Johnny were telling us that they play DING in the dressing room before their shows. If you’ve seen ComedySportz you would know it as “New Choice”…we call it Take That Back. In an improv scene, when ever someone rings a bell (DING) the last thing you said doesn’t exist anymore and you replace it by saying something else. So, with them, someone will randomly say DING to a person talking. Side note justified. When Christopher got to starbucks he was third in line. Johnny had just finished telling us about some trouble he had getting through security. The end of it was him saying “I am from this country. I’ll drop my bag and walk right off this ship.” It was at this point that Candy…first in the line at starbucks…turns and said DING. Chris, without missing a beat, came up with a new sentence and then looked at Candy and said “Oh! It’s you! I was like ‘who the hell knew to DING me in Starbucks?’” That whole scenario cheered us up.
Deanna headed off to the wonders of the library with Andy. I headed off to the blunders of the hotel (no real blunders…just a fun little play on words (one brittle sleigh on turds)).
We found out that someone stole a starbucks gift card from our mailbox in Miami. How? It was supposed to be a Christmas gift for Andy…ordered on 12/8. Larrance and Jen checked with starbucks on it today and they said it had already been used. SCANDAL! So, if you sent/send me something, let me know you did. Someone else may be enjoying it.
I didn’t even have time to try and catch up on online TV. I headed back and Deanna and I met up to get keycards to our new room. It is…smaller. We either got screwed by the change or we were lucky to have the room we did. Andy looked at our new room and said it was the same size rooms they had on the Pearl. Our old rooms were kept within the SC circle for many contracts though. Regardless, we’ve gone from 6 drawers down to 3 narrower drawers, 1/3 less closet space, and no desk. The bathroom seems a little bigger though. Also, no window…this is a good thing. We shouldn’t hear the tender boats at all being in the center of the ship and up two decks. Let’s hope. It is just slightly shakier because we’re pretty much right over the engines. There is also one cool thing about this room that will only be a secret known to Deanna and I. Don’t bother asking, I will tell you an answer, but chances are it will be a clever fabrication.
Also, by the looks of our planned path on the ship info channel we’re doing a different order this week. I can’t be for sure just yet. More info on that as I collect clues.
Since we know the truth about the employee shuttles we went to get on one. And waited. And waited. No dice. With our status (passenger) we can get off the ship when we are ready to get in the fray with the other passengers. Crew leave via a window system. They let a certain amount of people off for a half hour every hour or something. As Deanna and I sat in the van I said “We always get out by 9:00 and start walking, and we always see someone by starbucks just getting off the shuttle.” But, we were cranky (a theme for the day). I said we’re going to get a cab. Deanna was out of cash…so regardless of us going shuttle or cab, I was paying for it. It ended up being twice the amount the shuttle would have been. Oh well. Sure enough, when we got to starbucks, there were the other people just getting off the shuttle.
Every little thing was getting on our nerves. We went in to get coffee and found Johnny, Candy, and moments later, Christopher. They were having debacles as well, but cheered us up. Side note, Christopher, Jon Paul & Johnny were telling us that they play DING in the dressing room before their shows. If you’ve seen ComedySportz you would know it as “New Choice”…we call it Take That Back. In an improv scene, when ever someone rings a bell (DING) the last thing you said doesn’t exist anymore and you replace it by saying something else. So, with them, someone will randomly say DING to a person talking. Side note justified. When Christopher got to starbucks he was third in line. Johnny had just finished telling us about some trouble he had getting through security. The end of it was him saying “I am from this country. I’ll drop my bag and walk right off this ship.” It was at this point that Candy…first in the line at starbucks…turns and said DING. Chris, without missing a beat, came up with a new sentence and then looked at Candy and said “Oh! It’s you! I was like ‘who the hell knew to DING me in Starbucks?’” That whole scenario cheered us up.
Deanna headed off to the wonders of the library with Andy. I headed off to the blunders of the hotel (no real blunders…just a fun little play on words (one brittle sleigh on turds)).
We found out that someone stole a starbucks gift card from our mailbox in Miami. How? It was supposed to be a Christmas gift for Andy…ordered on 12/8. Larrance and Jen checked with starbucks on it today and they said it had already been used. SCANDAL! So, if you sent/send me something, let me know you did. Someone else may be enjoying it.
I didn’t even have time to try and catch up on online TV. I headed back and Deanna and I met up to get keycards to our new room. It is…smaller. We either got screwed by the change or we were lucky to have the room we did. Andy looked at our new room and said it was the same size rooms they had on the Pearl. Our old rooms were kept within the SC circle for many contracts though. Regardless, we’ve gone from 6 drawers down to 3 narrower drawers, 1/3 less closet space, and no desk. The bathroom seems a little bigger though. Also, no window…this is a good thing. We shouldn’t hear the tender boats at all being in the center of the ship and up two decks. Let’s hope. It is just slightly shakier because we’re pretty much right over the engines. There is also one cool thing about this room that will only be a secret known to Deanna and I. Don’t bother asking, I will tell you an answer, but chances are it will be a clever fabrication.
Also, by the looks of our planned path on the ship info channel we’re doing a different order this week. I can’t be for sure just yet. More info on that as I collect clues.
Thursday, January 03, 2008
Day 50
Zzz Day. The rockiness continued. I joked with a lot of people yesterday that it was 75 degrees in Cozumel and that that was CHILLY (HA HA HA…ohhh…ha ha…haaaaaa). As we kept rocking through the night I watched the ship info channel. 66 degrees. What? Ok…it was night time…I guess it would get cooler. This morning? 54 degrees. That means jeans, shoes, hoody sweatshirt. THEN I watched the news…snow in Florida? Things got cold in a place where it doesn’t. It was inconvenient…and it was the truth. Catch my drift?
This is the first morning that I haven’t been up in time for breakfast. I never eat breakfast at home…at least not in the morning. I’ve done nothing but out here. It was tough to go anywhere on the ship because there are stir-crazy passengers all over. The pool area is inactive and pretty much shutdown so everyone is hanging in the indoor areas. I spent a lot of time in my room.
I DID go to the bridge viewing area for the first time. A nice little area that lets you see what is going on in there. Next time we hit a big storm late at night I’m going to go up there.
We had to pack up today…at least Mike, Deanna, and I did. We’re moving to rooms with no windows. The windows are obstructed so no loss to me. Hopefully it will be better on tender morning and we won’t hear the winches. It’s almost like leaving a legacy behind. These rooms have housed many different casts. Brendan and Beth were in this room before us and I thing Steve and Katie before them. Keeping this in mind…a mystery is afoot. I have three drawers right by the TV and Deanna took the three by the desk. My bottom drawer never closed all the way. Tonight as I was unpacking I though “I bet something is back there!” I found a lavender thin fleece pair of pajama pants, a grey thin fleece pj pants with thick purple stitching, two pairs of underwear, and a white silk night…all size Medium. If you’re the owner, email me.
Later tonight we did a photo exchange. Andy has a lot of great photos of Deanna and I that I will be printing. We then played a card game called Quao (cow). The goal is to be the first to get rid of your cards. One card says challenge someone to a staring contest…the loser draws a card. It is usually played and usually Jen vs someone and Jen loses fast. I played it as my second to last card and challenged Andy. If I didn’t he would win. We had an epic staring contest…epic. Even with Jen blowing in my face. Andy’s eyes even teared up and cryed without him blinking. He ended up winning. Epic.
It is now night and the seas have finally chilled out. Tomorrow, Miami. I plan to catch up on TV via internet…it usually doesn’t work well in the hotel. We also have to do the actual room move tomorrow. Yikes!
This is the first morning that I haven’t been up in time for breakfast. I never eat breakfast at home…at least not in the morning. I’ve done nothing but out here. It was tough to go anywhere on the ship because there are stir-crazy passengers all over. The pool area is inactive and pretty much shutdown so everyone is hanging in the indoor areas. I spent a lot of time in my room.
I DID go to the bridge viewing area for the first time. A nice little area that lets you see what is going on in there. Next time we hit a big storm late at night I’m going to go up there.
We had to pack up today…at least Mike, Deanna, and I did. We’re moving to rooms with no windows. The windows are obstructed so no loss to me. Hopefully it will be better on tender morning and we won’t hear the winches. It’s almost like leaving a legacy behind. These rooms have housed many different casts. Brendan and Beth were in this room before us and I thing Steve and Katie before them. Keeping this in mind…a mystery is afoot. I have three drawers right by the TV and Deanna took the three by the desk. My bottom drawer never closed all the way. Tonight as I was unpacking I though “I bet something is back there!” I found a lavender thin fleece pair of pajama pants, a grey thin fleece pj pants with thick purple stitching, two pairs of underwear, and a white silk night…all size Medium. If you’re the owner, email me.
Later tonight we did a photo exchange. Andy has a lot of great photos of Deanna and I that I will be printing. We then played a card game called Quao (cow). The goal is to be the first to get rid of your cards. One card says challenge someone to a staring contest…the loser draws a card. It is usually played and usually Jen vs someone and Jen loses fast. I played it as my second to last card and challenged Andy. If I didn’t he would win. We had an epic staring contest…epic. Even with Jen blowing in my face. Andy’s eyes even teared up and cryed without him blinking. He ended up winning. Epic.
It is now night and the seas have finally chilled out. Tomorrow, Miami. I plan to catch up on TV via internet…it usually doesn’t work well in the hotel. We also have to do the actual room move tomorrow. Yikes!
Day 49 Pt. 2
(tada! video! I don't know why I have "Sean Connery 'S's" in this)
Cozumel, Mexico. It was still windy and still wavy on the way back to the ship. We took off and the ship slowly started rocking again…but not as bad as during the night.
Still, we worried for the JARs show…and ours. Our improv shows start after each JAR show. They have a 7:30 and 9:30, we have an 8:45 and a 10:45. We usually manage to watch a good portion of the 9:30 show and tonight wasn’t any different. There was only the slightest sign of struggle with the waves on their part. It has got to be tough. Even though the rockiness might not be super bad it still causes what I call “gravity pockets.” Either the ship is moving up because of a wave, which causes double gravity, or the ship moves down after a wave, causing half gravity. I’m sure this was happening during their show. It has got to be hard on the male dancers doing lifting. A 110 pound dancer suddenly becomes a 160 pound dancer if the timing is right.
Apparently the ship was going slow for their show and kicked into gear right after it ended…and just in time for our second improv set. Rock-y.
Most of us ate afterwards. There were some passengers sleeping in the atrium. It is on deck 7 midship. So, it is pretty much the middlemost point on the ship and therefore the least rocky. Barf bags are also everywhere now incase anyone needs them.
I’m watching the front of the boat channel…every so often a flood light turns on and I can see the waves very clearly. I wish I could see a weather radar.
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Day 49 Pt. 1
Holy Balls! We hit a major storm last night. Major. At around 4:00am it woke me up. The ship was a-rockin', I could hear the constant hiss of rain hitting our tender boats. About 45 seconds after it woke me up Deanna said "are you awake?". We turned on the TV to the info channel. Violent Storm. I can't remember if it said the wind was 45 or 73 knots...but it was hard. Waves 12-18 feet high. We turned to the "front of the boat" channel. It was dark and then they turned the lights on. Major waves.
I managed to fall back asleep. Deanna stayed up and watched a movie.
Today I'm in Cozumel using free internet at a restaurant. The wind is 45 mph and there are still major waves. Needless to say, we didn't go snorkeling.
More as the day happens.
I managed to fall back asleep. Deanna stayed up and watched a movie.
Today I'm in Cozumel using free internet at a restaurant. The wind is 45 mph and there are still major waves. Needless to say, we didn't go snorkeling.
More as the day happens.
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
Day 48
George Town, Grand Cayman. I don’t remember if I’ve mentioned it, but we flipped the port order on this 5-day. Usually we hit Cozumel and THEN Grand Cayman. We’re doing it backwards this time.
We knew we had shows tonight, and we knew we had rehearsal at 4:30. This meant we could still do something on land. We chose to go back to Smiths Cove. Snorkeling, baby! That means more pictures of fish. Smiths Cove has a rope with floats that say “Swim Area.” The first time we were there I thought it was to keep us in…nope. It is to keep boats out. Roman and Sveta were with us and brought along a nice trick. Bread. Bring bread in the water and the fish come out to play (eat it). I don’t like being around people when I snorkel. I’ve already had a head on collision and now I’m always watching for people. Deanna and I had to find a happy medium. She would be too close and I’d get space or I’d go out kind of near other people, but they would head back in and I would be snorkeling alone. Not the safest thing. I’ve gotten more daring with experience. We’re going to try a spot in Cozumel tomorrow (theory).
My parents got me these waterproof cards with pictures and names of fish in Cayman and Cozumel. Pretty handy. I’ll use them to go back and name fish in my photos (another theory).
After that we had to come back for rehearsal and shows. I had my first failed coffee quest. I seek out a “big” mug, 3 raw (Domincan Brown) sugars, and a spoon for my coffee. Coffee and cream are easy to find. I don’t think the ship ordered more raw sugar. All last cruise the numbers dwindled. I would have to look around on the tables because it wasn’t in the sugars by the coffee makers. Then I started going into Mama’s restaurant to find them on the tables. Tonight I had to use regular sugar. A crying shame. I’ll fair better in the morning hunt.
Our shows tonight were great. These crowds really loved the shows. We were eating in the Blue Lagoon later afterwards and two girls and a guy walked in saying how great the show was. They gave the suggestion “Ice Princess” for our musical title. The guy said “you can thank us for Ice Princess.” At which point a girl slapped him hard on the back. “I didn’t say it. Mark did!” he said to her. I said (to our table) “I guess now we know who the ice princess is.”
We knew we had shows tonight, and we knew we had rehearsal at 4:30. This meant we could still do something on land. We chose to go back to Smiths Cove. Snorkeling, baby! That means more pictures of fish. Smiths Cove has a rope with floats that say “Swim Area.” The first time we were there I thought it was to keep us in…nope. It is to keep boats out. Roman and Sveta were with us and brought along a nice trick. Bread. Bring bread in the water and the fish come out to play (eat it). I don’t like being around people when I snorkel. I’ve already had a head on collision and now I’m always watching for people. Deanna and I had to find a happy medium. She would be too close and I’d get space or I’d go out kind of near other people, but they would head back in and I would be snorkeling alone. Not the safest thing. I’ve gotten more daring with experience. We’re going to try a spot in Cozumel tomorrow (theory).
My parents got me these waterproof cards with pictures and names of fish in Cayman and Cozumel. Pretty handy. I’ll use them to go back and name fish in my photos (another theory).
After that we had to come back for rehearsal and shows. I had my first failed coffee quest. I seek out a “big” mug, 3 raw (Domincan Brown) sugars, and a spoon for my coffee. Coffee and cream are easy to find. I don’t think the ship ordered more raw sugar. All last cruise the numbers dwindled. I would have to look around on the tables because it wasn’t in the sugars by the coffee makers. Then I started going into Mama’s restaurant to find them on the tables. Tonight I had to use regular sugar. A crying shame. I’ll fair better in the morning hunt.
Our shows tonight were great. These crowds really loved the shows. We were eating in the Blue Lagoon later afterwards and two girls and a guy walked in saying how great the show was. They gave the suggestion “Ice Princess” for our musical title. The guy said “you can thank us for Ice Princess.” At which point a girl slapped him hard on the back. “I didn’t say it. Mark did!” he said to her. I said (to our table) “I guess now we know who the ice princess is.”
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