SOUTHERN CARIBBEAN

A couple of weeks ago Judy found a super deal on a seven day cruise for approximately $150.00 plus port charges etc per person for the whole seven days. (Ask Judy for the exact details.) Not only was it a super deal on its own but it was in an extra deep, extra wide cabin that was meant for sleeping a family of six. That included an alcove near the door with bunk beds; no dropdown berths.

Our cabin, #7500 was in the middle of the ship side to side wise and had two large portholes looking forward over the prow of the ship. We could see what was ahead of us.

The cruise was on Royal Caribbean's Adventure of the Seas. In July of 2007 we cruised on this ship, also from San Juan to the Southern Caribbean though we saw only one of the same islands as on that one, St Maarten.

Getting to the ship we flew Friday to Atlanta getting in after dark and staying overnight at a Hyatt near the airport. It wasn't one of their big nice hotels but one of your average type hotels you see alongside the freeway.

The next day, Saturday we flew to SJU (San Juan, Puerto Rico) and took a cab to the Sheraton Convention Center which was not far from the cruise harbor.

The next day, Sunday we took another taxi to the boat, waited in a long slow line to drop off our luggage then waited in another long line that wasn't moving at all. Finally they opened the doors for us to check in and then get on the boat.

It was windy in San Juan and the next two days. Monday was an "at sea" day so we spent much of the day in the Solarium on cushioned beach chairs. The whole cruise I spent a lot of time jogging in the cool salt water pool then rinsing off in the hot tub then lying on my beach chair next to Judy. After a short while I started my routine over again.

When we got to Barbados on Tuesday it was still quite windy and we ended up staying on the ship doing a lot of the same.

The next day, Wednesday we were in St. Lucia where we took a mini bus tour of one section of the island. St. Lucia receives a lot of rain and was quite lush.

The next day, Thursday we were in Antigua where we did the same thing. Antigua is dryer than St. Lucia but quite nice and interesting. The last stop before the end of our minibus tour on Antigua we spent some time walking around the Lord Nelson's Dockyards, the only still working dockyards from that time period. (If memory serves me correctly.)

The next day, Friday was St. Maarten which we had done before so we stayed on the ship.

The next day, Saturday was St. Croix walked in and wandered through the shops near ship.

Coming home was adventure. It wasn't until the last flight of the night that we could get a seat out of San Juan. It got us into New York's JFK at around eleven at night. We stayed in the airport until our flight to Salt Lake at 6:50 the next morning.

I slept all day yesterday while poor Judy went right from the airport to work.

Jim took us to the airport and picked us up again when we returned as well as going back and getting Judy when she got off work.

Last night the three of us met Corey and his family at La Costa Restaurant in American Fork for Mexican; our valentines dinner.

SPEAKING OF DEMENTIA

I did my hour in the pool this morning. I wasn't going to go because of the cold, but Jim went over and there was only the slightest of breezes.

Jim swam for ten to fifteen minutes really hard then got into the hot tub for a short time. After that he got out and went home.

I did my full hour of walking and jogging; a half hour of walking is what Shelly, my doctor ordered.

It was nice. I hardly noticed the cold at all.

When I got home, I noticed that Corey had tried to call me.

I called him. He said that if I were in American Fork he would like me to do him a favor.

I nuked a chicken enchilada then fried it crisp in butter. Yummmmmy!

I walked to the circle and got in the van. At that point I realized I had forgotten my wallet so I parked in front of the garage and ran into the house.

I have no idea what I did in the house but afterwards I drove to Lowes (another phone call)and got a barbeque grill grate for the smoker he built. I picked up a couple of other things too.

When I got to the checkout counter, I realized I didn't have my wallet.

I excused myself, drove all the way home, ran in the house repeating over and over, "Get your wallet, get your wallet, get your wallet."

I grabbed a pound of butter and a pound of bacon out of the freezer and I swear if I hadn't gotten my wallet first I would have forgotten it again.

“POTATO SALAD”

Monday, January 31, 2011

When the family was over for dinner last night, Jayden made a point of showing me that he got his first zit; right on the end of his nose. Today when I picked him and Bailey up from school he told me he had scratched the zit in the middle of the night and there was blood. He didn't get too specific on the blood details.

When Bailey got in the car she yelled out, "POTATO SALAD!"

She said that a "guy" in her class yelled it out and the rest of the class yelled, "SHUT UP!"

As we were pulling out of the school parking lot she told me to roll down the window. There were some of her class mates standing there. She yelled out the window, "POTATO SALAD!" and laughed.

She potato salad-ed me and giggled one more time before we go home.

MORE OF THE SAME

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Well, I made it to the Chiropractor. He made me feel better physically EXCEPT the headache business. I am still having them pretty much constantly.

Been fighting a little depression including subject-appropriate dreams; waking up sad and feeling unloved.

Oh well.

It is Corey's birthday today and everyone is coming over this evening for dinner; everyone except possibly Alexa who is sick and, I assume Greg who will stay home with her even though we were going to include his birthday which is coming up soon.

Oh well again!

Judy flew to Phoenix this morning to pick up a dress for Sierra that they (Dillard's) didn't have in her size here. Brittany picked it up and met Judy at the Phoenix airport. Sierra is having some sort of to-do that she needs that dress and another one that they bought here the other day.

I have never seen Sierra in anything that she didn't look wonderful in.

WAVE AFTER WAVE OF HEADACHES

As the title suggests, I have had headaches pretty much constantly for a week or so. Bummer!

I was going to go to see my chiropractor, Tom Allen on Main Street in Lehi but as I suspected he is not open on Tuesdays.

(I called in advance for a change.) I can never remember if it is Tuesday or Wednesday he is not open.

I got my lab results from my doctor, Shelly yesterday. My sugar is good. I am low on sodium and a few other things…fatigue…anemia…

‘NUTHER day ANOTHER DOLLAR

Jim and I went to Lowes to look into building some storage in the garage. We postponed making a definitive decision.

From there we drove to the Paul Mitchell Hair Salon School in Provo and got haircuts. This is where Jim always goes. He likes the scalp massage which ironically this time he didn't get but I got a really good one.

Jim was disappointed to say the least.

Not too far into my "cut" (no clippers here) I got another one of my migraines. Bummer!

I had Jim drive home while I sat in the passenger seat with "shades" one.

Jim got out at home and I left to get Jayden and Bailey from school; early day, 2:40. I got there five minutes early.

The kids climbed in the car and we headed home.

We go in front of their house and Jayden changed his mind; "Take me to Cameron's house."

"Ok" I've been there enough time to knew about where they live. Now I have no question.

At Zach and Cameron's house Jayden jumped out and ran to the front door.

Just as I got ready to leave, Bailey yelled out, "Stop, I'm going in too!"

I laid on Corey and Stacey's bed nursing my migraine until five when I thought I should check up on the kids. Bailey and Zach were in their yard playing with their new dog; a cute little white something or other. She said they were fine.

Twenty or so minutes later they came running down the street. Jayden had run the whole way, maybe a forth to a half a mile. Bailey wasn't far behind. The boy's mother had asked them to go home. She had, had a panic attack when she couldn't find her little girl for a while. She was in her parent's bedroom which was being repainted and there were paint cans all over the place.

That's not why they were running. They just decided to run.

While we were in the living room, Bailey said, "Grandpa, I want to tell you something. Don't tease me, I will get embarrassed and kill you."

"OK, what is it?"

"I gave Dezi my house number and he is going to come and he is going to bring his two dogs!"

Now it's Dezi. Just the other day she was calling him Desmond and they were not really friends.

I am not saying this because of the above, but…I have observed that our little nine year old Bailey is looking, sounding and behaving more and more like a young lady every day!