Are You Kidding Me?

     The timing couldn't have been worse.   This can't be happening this morning of all days.  It was early and I was in the bedroom getting ready to leave for the airport.   Kenneth was already a nervous wreck over me leaving for 8 days.  He doesn't like flying and to make it worse I was going to be on a boat surrounded by water...also not high on his list.  Then, just as he is putting on his shoes to go to the dairy barn the horrifying pictures are plastered across the TV screen.  Five more minutes and he would have been out the door, but instead he stands dead in his tracks listening to every word.

Photos: Italian cruise ship disaster

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Credit: AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia

A luxury cruise ship Costa Concordia leans on its side after running aground the tiny Tuscan island of Giglio, Italy, Saturday, Jan. 14, 2012. A luxury cruise ship ran aground off the coast of Tuscany, sending water pouring in through a 160-foot (50-meter) gash in the hull and forcing the evacuation of some 4,200 people from the listing vessel early Saturday, the Italian coast guard said. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

     This was terrible.  My heart bled for those poor people on the ship and their families.  I was about to embark on the trip of a lifetime and this has to be the last news story I hear before leaving.  I could put it in perspective and know that my trip would be safe  but I knew it was weighing heavy on Kenneth.  He didn't say much as he walked out the door.  

      Shortly he returned to take me to meet the girls to go to the airport.  I knew he was worried but he loves me and didn't want to keep me from having a good time.  We didn't mention the sinking ship as we drove to the designated meeting place.  Conversation was light and we said our goodbyes in the truck before the girls arrived.  By the time they came he was smiling again and even joking with Linda as he loaded my luggage in her car.  I would miss that smile but knew I would see him again in a few days.  Not even a distant sinking ship was going to ruin my cruise.

Until next time...that's my view.

Kat

Sailing the High Seas (and I do mean high!)

     Last week was amazing!  So amazing that I don't even know where to start...so, I guess I'll start at the beginning.

     This is our first picture on board.  We had just walked up the ramp onto the ship, our home away from home for the next 7 days.    From there we were sent up to the Windjammer Cafe on Deck 11 where lunch was served.  This was the beginning of a never ending array of food available at our beck and call.   The food was wonderful and always plentiful any time of day or night.  Most mornings we had breakfast brought to our cabin where we could enjoy at our leisure and drink coffee on our private balcony.  

     Exploring the ship was so much fun.  I was totally in awe everywhere I looked.  It was so glamorous  and beautiful - unlike anything I have ever seen.    We had 2 adjoining cabins on deck 7.  They were great...much roomier than I expected, and were close to the elevators making access to almost everything convenient.  It was like being in a city that never closed; shopping, restaurants, movies, live shows, music, swimming, rock climbing, putt-putt golf, casino, you name it, it was available.

     Our second night out was our first formal night.  We felt so glamorous going to dinner that evening.  There were photographers at every corner waiting to take your picture.  Of course, I took just a few myself.  By the time  I got home my camera had 442 pictures on it.   I guess I got carried away!  At dinner each evening we had the same waiter and assistant waiter, Fnu and Christian.  Fnu was from Indonesia and Christian was from Peru.  They were so nice and by the end of the week you really felt like they were family.

     Now, before I go any further, I must include the fact that not everything went according to plan during the first 3 days.  On Sunday when we pulled out of Florida, it was extremely windy.  As we got further out to sea the wind seemed to pick up speed.  I knew the ship was definitely rocking but since I had no previous experience to compare to I thought maybe it was normal.  I was hoping not.  Let's just say it was really hard to walk a straight line.  One minute I would be on the right side of the hall and next thing I knew I was on the left side - and I wasn't even drinking!  On Monday morning we were supposed to dock in Cocoa Cay, Royal Caribbean's private island where they were to put on a big bar-b-que and we were to spend the day at the beach.  This was the only stop where the ship could not dock at a pier but instead had to drop anchor a ways out and passengers would board small tenders to row into shore.   As luck would have it, the wind was so strong that it was unsafe to take the small boats into shore because of the rough waters.  We completely missed our day at the beach.   Even though I was so looking forward to a day at the beach, I can't really say the day was a disappointment.  There were so many activities on the ship that we had a great day anyway.

    

     Before we knew it, Wednesday arrived and we pulled in to the beautiful port at Charlotte Amelie, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.   After taking a guided tour of the island, we returned to the shopping district closest to the ship and shopped till we dropped.  It was dark when we pulled out of port. 

                                      Next morning we arrived in beautiful St. Maarten's, on the Dutch side of the island.   This was my favorite of the 2 islands we visited.  It's beauty was breathtaking.   After getting off the ship we walked up the pier toward the shopping district.  We had just passed through security and suddenly realized Brenda wasn't with us.  We all began looking around for her and finally spotted her.  We nearly rolled on the ground with laughter.  You would have to know Brenda to understand why none of us were surprised. 

This is where we found her...

    

     Once we tore her away from the band, we spent the morning shopping and then took a bus tour of the island which took us over to the French side where we shopped at a local bazaar. 

Beautiful beaches everywhere!

                                            Definitely our favorite port!

     

    

     Every evening when we returned to the cabin we were greeted by a new pet.  A rabbit, a swan, a monkey, we never knew what the cabin steward would leave on our bed.

    

     Luckily, after the rough wind and waters the first three days the rest of the cruise was smooth sailing.  None of us got the least bit sea-sick and we all had the time of our lives.  Both days in port were perfect weather and couldn't have gone any better.   I could ramble on and on for days about the great times we had but I'll just leave it at - IT WAS AWESOME!

Until next time...that's my view.

Kat

Surviving Blood Mountain

     One of the blogs I enjoy reading is called Simply Suthern (http://simplysuthern.blogspot.com).  His post today called The Honeymoon and the Deliverance Gang brought back memories of a trip to Atlanta Georgia a few years ago.  Picture this:

      It was February and seven women set out in two cars to go to an Avon leadership conference in Atlanta GA.  With GPS thing-a-ma-jigs in both cars we feel perfectly safe and sure of finding our destination.   We head south on the interstate, stopping here and there along the way until mid-afternoon when the GPS tells us to turn off onto a 2 lane side road.  Against better judgement, we decide the GPS is supposed to know the best route so we take a left and off we go.

      Things go along smoothly until it starts getting dark.  Next thing we know it is pitch black and we are in the middle of nowhere land.   We haven't seen a town for miles and few houses.  Suddenly, that little box tells us to turn and we turn onto this rough narrow path that looks like we are driving through the middle of a junkyard.  When we finally get back out on a 2 lane highway there is not a house in sight, it is so dark you can't see anything, it is now snowing hard, none of us could get a signal on our cell phones and even On Star was out of range.  Talk about scary!    And all the while this irritating little box tells us to proceed.

     Around midnight we finally reached a civilized town, although, at that time of night it looked pretty deserted and snow was falling harder.  The only place in town that was open was an allnight convenient store.   As if we didn't already feel like we were in the middle of a nightmare that we couldn't wake up from, things were about to go from bad to worse.  We walked out of the nightmare and right into a B movie horror film.

       The clerk in the store looked like one of the characters right out of Psycho or Deliverance.   We told him where we were trying to go and he immediately proceeded to scare the living daylights out of us.  "Noooooo", he screeched.  "The only way to get there is over Blood Mountain and there's no way you women can make it over that mountain at night!  Roads are slick and you'd slide right over the edge!  No one makes it over the mountain at night!  You need to get a room in the motel just down the street!"  (Visions of the Bates Motel put us all in a panic.)  We decided we would take our chances with Blood Mountain.

      As fate would have it, our guardian angel appearred out of nowhere.  While Bubba was trying to get us to go to the motel, in came a truck driver who overheard the conversation.  He was headed over Blood Mountain.  Assuring us there was no danger he said we could follow him and he would lead us to our destination.  He gave us his cell number so we could stay in contact in case of a problem.  Without any doubt we knew he was our guardian angel sent to rescue us from some terrible fate, never to be heard from again.

      Sometime in the wee hours of the morning we arrived safe and sound at our warm, cozy cabin located at the resort where we were staying.   The conference was good, but not what made the trip memorable.  For the rest of our lives we will be able to say...we survived Blood Mountain!

Until next time...that's my view.

Kat