Hi All!
Boy, do I have a lot to catch up on... I missed the thirty day dance, I missed most of the requesting a favored server discussion, but most of all I missed yet another Pirate or Elizabeth Swan... curses, foiled again!
Sharon: Congrats on your son making such a brave and grown up decision. I am very proud of and grateful to every person who decides to join our Armed Forces and serve our country.
When my oldest DSS enlisted in the Army his dad and I were both quaking in our boots about what his future might entail but when all was said and done, it gave him opportunities he wouldn't ever have had otherwise (good and not so good) and it truly allowed him to spread his wings and take flight (literally and figuratively
.
As for the server question, one of my traveling companions on our Alaska cruise did the most recent PC Repo and enjoyed her serving team so much that she requested them again. She was assured by
DCL that our entire group (we are all linked) would indeed enjoy their assistance on this upcoming trip as well. She is traveling concierge so perhaps that has some sway and of course, as you more seasoned DCL travelers know far better than I do, what they tell you at DCL and what happens on the ship can indeed be two very different things.
Regarding the Thirty Day Dance... whilst you were all boogieing your brains out
the DH and I were off on our 8th anniversary Bye-Bye. Our actual anniversary is tomorrow. We headed off to the Owen's Valley to explore Bodie (the State Park and Ghost Town) and to hunt down additional cemeteries to add to our forthcoming California Cemetery Guide website.
We had a lovely weekend, the weather couldn't have been better, the views of Mount McKinley and the Sierra Nevada's couldn't have been better and, because of the elevation of Bodie (8370 feet) I got to do a bit of testing of our Alaska garb. Temperatures were in the 80's in Bishop but it was 52 degrees when we arrived at Bodie at around 11 AM. It warmed up to around 60 or so but I found that I was just fine wearing my new layering clothes. Yeah!
Of course I also discovered that I will need to get new shoes before we set sail. My Target brand Skecher's Shape-Up's knock offs gave their all on this one. And, since my hiking boots are decidedly not comfy (not sure if it is because they aren't broken in enough or if it is because they aren't quite right for my weird feet but the upshot is the same), it looks like I will need to look into getting replacements.
On another front, while I was composing this opus, I stopped for a second to go pop the laundry into the dryer only to discover that our garage door was wide open and our most adventurous, youngest (just about 1 year old), and decidedly indoor (though not by his choice
cat was nowhere to be found. Where we live (in the shadow of Mount Baldy) there are lots of critters that love the taste of tender kitties. Coyotes, Owls, Hawks, Mountain Lions and even the extremely occasional but still very threatening Bears have all been seen prowling about our neighborhood. Not to mention the fact that we live near two blind curves which prevent drivers zooming up our street from having much, if any advance notice as to what or who they may encounter in the street. So, my heart was pretty much in my throat.
Fortunately, Jasper (the cat) actually comes when he is called (amazing, I know...) and after a relatively short amount of bellowing on the entire family's part, he came running home. With the exception of having even grubbier than usual paws, none the worse for wear. We will all have to be even more careful to make sure that he doesn't repeat this little stunt.
As for cruise planning, I am starting my packing list "Officially". As someone who can tend toward the OCD end of the spectrum where trip planning is concerned but who also has been known to, after painstakingly listing every last article, alphabetically, leave critical components home (evening gown hanging on the outside of the hall closet door before our last
Disney Cruise, anyone?). I tend to live and die by my packing list.
And, since I pack for both the DH and myself, and since this cruise has additional components which I didn't have on our last cruise (FE's), there is a whole lot to remember. I am confident that you can all relate...
Truth be told, since some of the things that we will be taking with us on the cruise won't be items that we will need before we depart, I may actually start putting things into the suitcases in the next day or so.
As for those cursed Pirates and Swans... I really need to be quicker on the draw here, either that or I need to donate the ones I have garnered to so worthy soul who will be able to put them to better use than I seem to be able to do. The little dears are getting bored hanging around with the same two or three of each other and are decidedly lonely for the others that have come before and since.
Still, the race isn't over yet and an underdog could still pull out a stunning upset... or the horse could talk.
Take care all, help lots of people and have a "Wonder"ful day!
Tisza
This Sunday on the 26th he will be picked up @ our home by a Marines staff sgt, driven up to Denver where they will check him in. On Monday he flys to California for a 3 month Marines Boot Camp @ Camp Pendleton. He leaves as my little boy but will come back (albeit briefly) as a man who finally knows how to clean a toilet.
because I know it's only by God's grace & mercy that he's going to make it through!
Here's to hoping your request is granted!
