When things are a bit nutty in my world, I find a simple escape and lose myself in either a good long novel or find a movie that interests me. Thank goodness for Netflix and the endless stream of cinematic entertainment that it affords the movie lover in all of us. I learned early on from my parents of the joy to be found in finding an entertaining movie, and passed my love of film and theater to both of our children.
I never really know what will strike my fancy, or what particular genre will pop up on the Netflix listing whenever I turn on the tv and enter the world of my trusty little Roku. For whatever reason this week, I've stumbled upon a few thought provoking, intriguing movies and one particularly heartbreaking documentary. Although I've recently made a conscious decision to avoid the media in almost all of it's incarnations, it in no way keeps me from viewing an in-depth, research driven documentary on almost any given day. I rarely discriminate in my choice of fascinating subject matter, and consider it to almost be a form of continuing adult education. Having never been a big fan of history as a student, I welcome and embrace these learning opportunities whenever they present themselves.
I recently found myself standing on the well worn cobble-stone streets of San Juan, and spent a few hours discovering the history of its citizens as well as the military installation at San Cristobal Castle. I was reminded of my own personal loosely based link, to the wars that have been fought since what seems like the beginning of time. Having experienced the first part of my married life as the wife of man enlisted in the Army, I may be a bit more aware of the harsh reality faced by members of the military, and their own families. I still recall as a young bride of 18, walking through the very same streets in Germany, where Hilter once gathered and marched his Nazi troops to battle. When we were stationed overseas from 1978 to 1981, the wall dividing east and west Germany still existed. It was very apparent to me on one particular day when I inadvertently discovered, during a simple shopping expedition, that I had traveled within the 10k border zone. A highly guarded boundary separated this once solid european country, where I resided with my family, which had been split as a result of a world war.
I have always been thankful, now more than ever, that Roger's service to his country ended shortly before the United States was involved in the Gulf War. There were many times in the early 90's that I found myself watching a newscast about the conflict, knowing how my own husband could have easily been part of that deployment of soldiers.
I'm never more aware of this, nor is the fact very far from my mind, than when I happen upon a documentary as eye opening as the recently released and Oscar nominated film called Restrepo. Watching the movie alone, in my darkened living room one evening this past week, I was immediately transported to that remote location and fully immersed in the reality of the war torn country these soldiers are still bravely defending. I find it extremely difficult to actually describe every emotion I felt while I witnessed, from a third person perspective, the horrors of this ongoing war. These men will be forever scarred, both mentally and physically, by their tour of duty while stationed in this remote small corner of the world. I am saddened on every level, for the families of those who lost their lives during the constant gun battles fought in that valley. I don't believe I've ever witnessed such a realistic view of what the citizens of this country commonly refer to as the ongoing war in Afghanistan.
Please correct me if I'm wrong....as far back as the history of all civilizations have revealed to us, aren't all military conflicts based on either political, land-based or religious issues? Is it no wonder with how I feel about the senselessness of war, that I've chosen to distance myself from all things political and/or religious? I believe I am not alone in my personal perspective and perception.....there are many of us who will continually ask the question....Why?
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
Shake It Up!!!
Ok, so I made it through my first week back at work after being gone for 4 days on vacation. To be perfectly honest, and I really try to live by the old saying that honesty is the best policy, "made it through" is pretty darn close to how I feel right now on this Friday evening. What is in store for me tomorrow, well....unfortunately, not exactly what I look forward to every Friday night when I come home from work. There will be no full 48 hour reprieve from my job for me...no sir!
As most folks know, when you are away from your desk for anything more then a day or two, the piles waiting for you upon your return, are just not pretty. Not to mention the avalanche of emails that you must wade through just to get up to speed on current issues. If I was really smart, I'd read them while I was out of work and get ahead of the game...then again that would be foolish because I would never truly get a break from the hustle and bustle of my all consuming job responsibilities. They have me for 40 hrs a week, 48 weeks of the year...if I can't completely steal away from that place for a measly 160 hours every 12 months, then there is something wrong with what I commonly refer to as my life.
Of course it didn't help matters any, that I was doing work outside the office during the week before I left for vacation. And now looking towards the month of February, it appears that I will once again be working outside the office, for approximately 2 weeks. Another project to add to the already busy case load of work that crosses our desks on a daily basis.
And that my friends, is why tomorrow morning when I would usually be dilly dallying around the house in my robe and slippers enjoying a quiet Saturday morning, I will instead be sitting in my all-to-familiar cubicle wrapping up 2 weeks worth of work, as I prepare for the month ahead. Some days, work feels like a merry-go-round and I'm the "lucky" recipient of the never ending ride of a lifetime.
I often times wonder how to make sense of the hectic pace we are expected to keep at work each day. I know how lucky I am, during these difficult economic times to have a wonderful job that contributes to paying the bills, helps to keep food in the fridge and a roof over our heads. However, after spending a few days in the Caribbean, witnessing the simple lives of those who choose a less complicated existence, I'm not always so sure that this is ultimately "it" for me. Does everyone come home from a vacation feeling the same way as I do?
Roger and I have often joked about running away and living on an island somewhere...then of course reality sets in, and we put our nose to the grindstone and continue to plod on. I actually feel like when we left Connecticut, we were searching for a slower way of life that would carry us into our senior years, and to a point, we have. However, being empty nesters 10 years ago when we moved, was a huge contributing factor to our state of mind. Here we are at 51 and 54...still more than a decade away from any retirement plans, and we find ourselves longing for a less hectic pace...at least I do at times.
On Tuesday afternoon at about 5pm when I arrived home after what can only be described as the day the other shoe dropped, I turned to Roger and for the first time in 33 years of marriage I said to him, "you are taking me out for a drink." For anyone that knows me, this was so far out of character, that even my own husband knew not to do anything other than ask me where I wanted to go.....clearly I had a place in mind. Of we went to find a 2-for-1 chocolate martini happy hour special at Carrabbas, which just so happens to be about 3 minutes from home. A loaf of crusty Italian bread, some tasty herb infused olive oil for dipping and two martinis later, I was mellowed out and ready for a great night's sleep. I had finally found a solution to ease my transition from vacation mode back into the workplace. I'd think about the logistics of what was ahead in the morning...and I knew with certainty that the world would look rosier as the week wore on. By Wednesday mid-day, I was able to get my head around the enormity of the project and realized I would have support in tackling everything set before us. I knew it was just a matter of time before my initial misgivings would quickly fade into the background.
Although a drink every now and then is something I'm only familiar with indulging in on vacation, somehow I think that may be changing. I don't like the idea of drinking and driving, so having the "fixings" at home will be a plus. When we were on the ship, I found and purchased a cute little martini shaker with the company's logo on the side. I figured it was time to bring a bit of that martini fun home to help remind me that no matter where I am, after a long busy day, something sweet and tasty helps the medicine go down. I found a recipe, will be purchasing the ingredients and fully intend to indulge whenever the spirit moves me and I have enough energy after a long day at work to just Shake It Up!
As most folks know, when you are away from your desk for anything more then a day or two, the piles waiting for you upon your return, are just not pretty. Not to mention the avalanche of emails that you must wade through just to get up to speed on current issues. If I was really smart, I'd read them while I was out of work and get ahead of the game...then again that would be foolish because I would never truly get a break from the hustle and bustle of my all consuming job responsibilities. They have me for 40 hrs a week, 48 weeks of the year...if I can't completely steal away from that place for a measly 160 hours every 12 months, then there is something wrong with what I commonly refer to as my life.
Of course it didn't help matters any, that I was doing work outside the office during the week before I left for vacation. And now looking towards the month of February, it appears that I will once again be working outside the office, for approximately 2 weeks. Another project to add to the already busy case load of work that crosses our desks on a daily basis.
And that my friends, is why tomorrow morning when I would usually be dilly dallying around the house in my robe and slippers enjoying a quiet Saturday morning, I will instead be sitting in my all-to-familiar cubicle wrapping up 2 weeks worth of work, as I prepare for the month ahead. Some days, work feels like a merry-go-round and I'm the "lucky" recipient of the never ending ride of a lifetime.
I often times wonder how to make sense of the hectic pace we are expected to keep at work each day. I know how lucky I am, during these difficult economic times to have a wonderful job that contributes to paying the bills, helps to keep food in the fridge and a roof over our heads. However, after spending a few days in the Caribbean, witnessing the simple lives of those who choose a less complicated existence, I'm not always so sure that this is ultimately "it" for me. Does everyone come home from a vacation feeling the same way as I do?
Roger and I have often joked about running away and living on an island somewhere...then of course reality sets in, and we put our nose to the grindstone and continue to plod on. I actually feel like when we left Connecticut, we were searching for a slower way of life that would carry us into our senior years, and to a point, we have. However, being empty nesters 10 years ago when we moved, was a huge contributing factor to our state of mind. Here we are at 51 and 54...still more than a decade away from any retirement plans, and we find ourselves longing for a less hectic pace...at least I do at times.
On Tuesday afternoon at about 5pm when I arrived home after what can only be described as the day the other shoe dropped, I turned to Roger and for the first time in 33 years of marriage I said to him, "you are taking me out for a drink." For anyone that knows me, this was so far out of character, that even my own husband knew not to do anything other than ask me where I wanted to go.....clearly I had a place in mind. Of we went to find a 2-for-1 chocolate martini happy hour special at Carrabbas, which just so happens to be about 3 minutes from home. A loaf of crusty Italian bread, some tasty herb infused olive oil for dipping and two martinis later, I was mellowed out and ready for a great night's sleep. I had finally found a solution to ease my transition from vacation mode back into the workplace. I'd think about the logistics of what was ahead in the morning...and I knew with certainty that the world would look rosier as the week wore on. By Wednesday mid-day, I was able to get my head around the enormity of the project and realized I would have support in tackling everything set before us. I knew it was just a matter of time before my initial misgivings would quickly fade into the background.
Although a drink every now and then is something I'm only familiar with indulging in on vacation, somehow I think that may be changing. I don't like the idea of drinking and driving, so having the "fixings" at home will be a plus. When we were on the ship, I found and purchased a cute little martini shaker with the company's logo on the side. I figured it was time to bring a bit of that martini fun home to help remind me that no matter where I am, after a long busy day, something sweet and tasty helps the medicine go down. I found a recipe, will be purchasing the ingredients and fully intend to indulge whenever the spirit moves me and I have enough energy after a long day at work to just Shake It Up!
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Final thoughts
As long as we have been spending our vacation dollars and using up all our vacation days at sea, we are still pleased to continue to find new information regarding the world of cruising.
--On our last day, my hubby came across a miniature version of the printed daily schedule that fits easily in your pocket (instead of ripping the full size Celebrity Today page in half and folding it up like an accordion)
--We enjoyed the 2 for 1 drinks 10pm-midnight in 5 bars throughout the ship on Tues & Wed (port days).
--I personally was a bit put off by one of the guest enrichment speakers soliciting good reviews at every turn. Not to say he was not entertaining, I just don't necessarily feel the need to be reminded that he is looking for a full time job with the cruise line.
--We had a time change on first night (lost an hour) and 2nd to last night (found the hour we lost)
--My husband is a big fan of the oceans ahead program and enjoys speaking with the ship's navigational and engineering staff
--Late night comedy is repeated throughout the cruise--if you love to laugh...don't miss it
--Brunch in MDR usually on sea day (for us, the day we pulled into San Juan because we docked at 2 pm)
So many things we intended to do, had them all on our list, but missed due to lack of time, a conflicting time schedule, an exhausting day and/or our need for sleep
--Karaoke nights
--Liar's Club game show
--Persian Gardens (steam room)
--watch feature film in Celebrity Central
--Dancing with the Stripes
--70's party
--Edge (production show)
--Eclipse (production show)
--Senior Officer's Cocktail Party
--sushi in the buffet
--free bag of wash/fold laundry (we need to pack less, let them wash it, and repeat an outfit)
--backstage tour
--cooking demonstrations
--wine and cheese concert on the lawn (7:30-8:30 pm evening of San Juan port day)
--Motown pool party
Clearly many great reasons to book a back-to-back!!!!
--On our last day, my hubby came across a miniature version of the printed daily schedule that fits easily in your pocket (instead of ripping the full size Celebrity Today page in half and folding it up like an accordion)
--We enjoyed the 2 for 1 drinks 10pm-midnight in 5 bars throughout the ship on Tues & Wed (port days).
--I personally was a bit put off by one of the guest enrichment speakers soliciting good reviews at every turn. Not to say he was not entertaining, I just don't necessarily feel the need to be reminded that he is looking for a full time job with the cruise line.
--We had a time change on first night (lost an hour) and 2nd to last night (found the hour we lost)
--My husband is a big fan of the oceans ahead program and enjoys speaking with the ship's navigational and engineering staff
--Late night comedy is repeated throughout the cruise--if you love to laugh...don't miss it
--Brunch in MDR usually on sea day (for us, the day we pulled into San Juan because we docked at 2 pm)
So many things we intended to do, had them all on our list, but missed due to lack of time, a conflicting time schedule, an exhausting day and/or our need for sleep
--Karaoke nights
--Liar's Club game show
--Persian Gardens (steam room)
--watch feature film in Celebrity Central
--Dancing with the Stripes
--70's party
--Edge (production show)
--Eclipse (production show)
--Senior Officer's Cocktail Party
--sushi in the buffet
--free bag of wash/fold laundry (we need to pack less, let them wash it, and repeat an outfit)
--backstage tour
--cooking demonstrations
--wine and cheese concert on the lawn (7:30-8:30 pm evening of San Juan port day)
--Motown pool party
Clearly many great reasons to book a back-to-back!!!!
Day 7
One final lazy and breezy morning on the balcony...Rog slept through all my photo sessions :)
Last sea day morning for breakfast I finally decided to visit the Oceanview Cafe, then I was bound and determined to relax most of the day.
Yes, there is a lawn on this ship, and it appears it's that time of the year when they "replant"
Clearly, not much growth is allowed...dirt level seems a bit low...interesting
Wow, they even have "garage" for the lawn tools
I'm not fond of coming home from vacation so exhausted that I need time to recuperate before resuming my normal work schedule. That being said, I found a cozy cocoon chair in the solarium and spent the entire morning napping, reading and munching on the delicious muffins in the Aqua Spa Cafe. Rog decided to attend the bridge tour around 9:30, than I joined him for the engine control room tour around 12:30. I was back upstairs to grab a quick plate of wings, then it was time to get changed for the Captain's Club reception in the Sky Lounge at 1:30. Next up, Elegant Tea which is served at 2:30 in Murano on the last sea day. A couple ladies from our CC roll call joined me for a lovely afternoon tea and a nice glass of champagne. We all thoroughly enjoyed listening to the soothing string quartet while indulging in a never ending procession of sweet and savory treats, served by the white gloved wait staff.
My Champagne and
High Tea friends
Our view from the lounger in the Solarium
As you can see from the back-to-back afternoon schedule, it was probably a smart move on my part to lay low and rest during most of the morning. While I was out of the cabin at tea, hubby started his packing...something we both always dread doing at the end of each cruise.
I had one more scrap booking session to attend at 4:45, then it was time for our final dinner in Blu. Over the course of the last week, we had some exceptional meals in this venue, it will be very difficult for us to eat in the MDR again after such a wonderful experience. Aside from the obvious delicious food options, we loved how quiet and calm the entire setting is, away from the crowded dining room. Arriving at just about anytime in the evening, having my husband's meal requests honored and meeting a new couple at each meal, suited our needs perfectly. I must say that my favorite dishes were the lobster appetizer, soft shell crab appetizer, lobster tail entree and blackened tuna entree served with forbidden rice. My hubby and I are not "meat and potatoes" folks, so the menu options appealed to us on every level. I only heard great comments regarding the food from everyone else we spoke to during the week. The service was top notch across the board, as it is in all eating venues.
After having missed a few shows during the week, we were set on heading to the theater early enough to get a seat. I've never seen such a large group of passengers filling the audience to capacity, long before the shows were scheduled to start. Karen Grainger was part of the final show, she sang a few songs in her own voice rather than impersonating other entertainers. Her surprise duet with Paul Banya brought the entire audience out of their seats for a standing ovation.
Before saying our goodnights, we stopped to indulge in a bit more of the gelato. The deserts in Blu are very light and I had no problem supplementing my sweet tooth even that late in the evening.
We completed our packing, had the suitcases out in the hallway by 11pm. We made plans to have our final breakfast in Blu, then wait until we could no longer put off the inevitable debarkation process. We spent a couple minutes walking through customs, then we were in a taxi on our way to pick up the car.
It's 10:30 and I'm feeling the need for another morning nap as hubby drives north on 95 towards home. The weather is drizzly and overcast, with temps inching their way to the 70's, but neither of us mind as we both hold on to the afterglow of a wonderful week of memories cruising on board Celebrity Eclipse.
Last sea day morning for breakfast I finally decided to visit the Oceanview Cafe, then I was bound and determined to relax most of the day.
Yes, there is a lawn on this ship, and it appears it's that time of the year when they "replant"
Clearly, not much growth is allowed...dirt level seems a bit low...interesting
Wow, they even have "garage" for the lawn tools
I'm not fond of coming home from vacation so exhausted that I need time to recuperate before resuming my normal work schedule. That being said, I found a cozy cocoon chair in the solarium and spent the entire morning napping, reading and munching on the delicious muffins in the Aqua Spa Cafe. Rog decided to attend the bridge tour around 9:30, than I joined him for the engine control room tour around 12:30. I was back upstairs to grab a quick plate of wings, then it was time to get changed for the Captain's Club reception in the Sky Lounge at 1:30. Next up, Elegant Tea which is served at 2:30 in Murano on the last sea day. A couple ladies from our CC roll call joined me for a lovely afternoon tea and a nice glass of champagne. We all thoroughly enjoyed listening to the soothing string quartet while indulging in a never ending procession of sweet and savory treats, served by the white gloved wait staff.
My Champagne and
High Tea friends
Our view from the lounger in the Solarium
As you can see from the back-to-back afternoon schedule, it was probably a smart move on my part to lay low and rest during most of the morning. While I was out of the cabin at tea, hubby started his packing...something we both always dread doing at the end of each cruise.
I had one more scrap booking session to attend at 4:45, then it was time for our final dinner in Blu. Over the course of the last week, we had some exceptional meals in this venue, it will be very difficult for us to eat in the MDR again after such a wonderful experience. Aside from the obvious delicious food options, we loved how quiet and calm the entire setting is, away from the crowded dining room. Arriving at just about anytime in the evening, having my husband's meal requests honored and meeting a new couple at each meal, suited our needs perfectly. I must say that my favorite dishes were the lobster appetizer, soft shell crab appetizer, lobster tail entree and blackened tuna entree served with forbidden rice. My hubby and I are not "meat and potatoes" folks, so the menu options appealed to us on every level. I only heard great comments regarding the food from everyone else we spoke to during the week. The service was top notch across the board, as it is in all eating venues.
After having missed a few shows during the week, we were set on heading to the theater early enough to get a seat. I've never seen such a large group of passengers filling the audience to capacity, long before the shows were scheduled to start. Karen Grainger was part of the final show, she sang a few songs in her own voice rather than impersonating other entertainers. Her surprise duet with Paul Banya brought the entire audience out of their seats for a standing ovation.
Before saying our goodnights, we stopped to indulge in a bit more of the gelato. The deserts in Blu are very light and I had no problem supplementing my sweet tooth even that late in the evening.
We completed our packing, had the suitcases out in the hallway by 11pm. We made plans to have our final breakfast in Blu, then wait until we could no longer put off the inevitable debarkation process. We spent a couple minutes walking through customs, then we were in a taxi on our way to pick up the car.
It's 10:30 and I'm feeling the need for another morning nap as hubby drives north on 95 towards home. The weather is drizzly and overcast, with temps inching their way to the 70's, but neither of us mind as we both hold on to the afterglow of a wonderful week of memories cruising on board Celebrity Eclipse.
Day 6
I am sitting here on the balcony listening to the water rushing by and watching the full moon reflecting off the ocean.
The sun is not yet up and I can see the faint lights of another cruise ship off in the distance. As we head back to Miami, we've had two ships following along off to the port and starboard sides of the Eclipse. It's quite obvious, we are not the only passengers enjoying the last 48 hours of a cruise vacation.
One more lazy morning
Good morning sun
Thursday turned out to be more of an eating and sleeping day than I think either of us intended. Not a big rush for breakfast, so I had mine around 9 am. We popped into the shore excursion desk and found that the ship's tours of the Everglades and Miami (that would ultimately drop us at the airport), disembarks at 7:15. That's not exactly our idea of a relaxing morning and we've decided to enjoy a leisurely breakfast and disembark when we no longer have a choice in the matter. No rush for us, just an hours drive north up 95, and we will be home sweet home.
Good night moon
We had a nice chat with Gil Pool, the comedian who is running one of the enrichment series. Next up, we arrived late, so we missed the champagne toast for the honeymooners and folks celebrating their anniversaries and found out we would have won the bottle (33 years being the longest amount of time) if we had been there earlier. Not to worry, I have had more than enough of the bubbly stuff over the last 6 days. I was able to catch about an hour of the hot glass show and then our plans to eat at Bistro on 5 around noon worked out perfectly.
It appeared that the remainder of the afternoon, until about almost 3, we would both be napping. You know how you think you'll just lay down for a short rest....well that is certainly how it began, and then the next thing we knew, it was almost time for me to get ready for afternoon tea in the Tuscan Grill. I shared a table with another wife who left hubby behind, and 2 nice couples. Rog decided to opt out of tea and instead began to prepare for cocktail hour and our final formal night.
I attended another scrap booking session before finding my way to the Sky Lounge to join hubby for a quick pre-dinner drink. Our evening in Blu was once again a fantastic dining experience shared with a couple we met at sail away. The beauty of that loosely organized gathering allows us to meet a group of folks that we may or may not spend time with during the remainder of the cruise. As yet another cruise comes slowly to an end, we have so enjoyed meeting all of our fellow cruise enthusiasts and are pleasantly surprised to be sailing with quite a few who are first timers. What a way to begin experiencing the world of cruising, on board the Celebrity Eclipse!
As we settled in for the night, I glanced at the final day of listed activities trying to decide if I'd be repeating our eating and sleeping agenda....you just never know :)
The sun is not yet up and I can see the faint lights of another cruise ship off in the distance. As we head back to Miami, we've had two ships following along off to the port and starboard sides of the Eclipse. It's quite obvious, we are not the only passengers enjoying the last 48 hours of a cruise vacation.
One more lazy morning
Good morning sun
Thursday turned out to be more of an eating and sleeping day than I think either of us intended. Not a big rush for breakfast, so I had mine around 9 am. We popped into the shore excursion desk and found that the ship's tours of the Everglades and Miami (that would ultimately drop us at the airport), disembarks at 7:15. That's not exactly our idea of a relaxing morning and we've decided to enjoy a leisurely breakfast and disembark when we no longer have a choice in the matter. No rush for us, just an hours drive north up 95, and we will be home sweet home.
Good night moon
We had a nice chat with Gil Pool, the comedian who is running one of the enrichment series. Next up, we arrived late, so we missed the champagne toast for the honeymooners and folks celebrating their anniversaries and found out we would have won the bottle (33 years being the longest amount of time) if we had been there earlier. Not to worry, I have had more than enough of the bubbly stuff over the last 6 days. I was able to catch about an hour of the hot glass show and then our plans to eat at Bistro on 5 around noon worked out perfectly.
It appeared that the remainder of the afternoon, until about almost 3, we would both be napping. You know how you think you'll just lay down for a short rest....well that is certainly how it began, and then the next thing we knew, it was almost time for me to get ready for afternoon tea in the Tuscan Grill. I shared a table with another wife who left hubby behind, and 2 nice couples. Rog decided to opt out of tea and instead began to prepare for cocktail hour and our final formal night.
I attended another scrap booking session before finding my way to the Sky Lounge to join hubby for a quick pre-dinner drink. Our evening in Blu was once again a fantastic dining experience shared with a couple we met at sail away. The beauty of that loosely organized gathering allows us to meet a group of folks that we may or may not spend time with during the remainder of the cruise. As yet another cruise comes slowly to an end, we have so enjoyed meeting all of our fellow cruise enthusiasts and are pleasantly surprised to be sailing with quite a few who are first timers. What a way to begin experiencing the world of cruising, on board the Celebrity Eclipse!
As we settled in for the night, I glanced at the final day of listed activities trying to decide if I'd be repeating our eating and sleeping agenda....you just never know :)
Day 5
You get more than halfway through your cruise, and begin to realize that there are so many parts of the ship you have yet to enjoy and/or explore. With that understanding, Wednesday evening as we were reviewing Thursday's lineup of events, I made my short list of what I'd like to do and see before we leave :( the ship on Saturday. At times, we are in denial that we might even have to get off the ship...it's all part of the cruise addict's fantasy spell we live under. The unfortunate reality does set in at some point, but not before we enjoy our next two sea days.
Small cottage where the cooking class was held...you can see the ship out in the distance
Our day in St Kitts was vary relaxing, even though we booked a shore excursion and spent an hour browsing through a few stores by the port. We had decided to try the Caribbean Cooks tour option and thoroughly enjoyed our dining experience. We were only 1 of three couples who attended, and our small numbers kept the pace moving quite nicely. The short ride to the lovely small blue and white cottage, was over quickly and we began our caribbean food education the moment we stepped through the doorway. I will write a more detailed review in the port section upon my return home. Suffice to say, our american chef has lived on the island for 6 years, and is very well versed in the island's cuisine as well as the history of it's eating habits. The meal was very tasty and equally enjoyable to watch being cooked.
It was a great setting for our excursion
We were back at the port area by 1 and decided to do a bit of window shopping. There are a decent variety of stores right near the ship, so we felt no need to walk the few blocks into town. At this point in our cruising life, we rarely shop much and prefer to peek at what they are offering, then move on to something a bit more relaxing. If it's after noon, it must be time for a nap! Of course I have the rude habit of falling asleep while listening to demonstrations, and yesterday was no different. I actually found my eyes closing while watching one of the executive chefs making roses out of hot pulled sugar. Yikes...what is wrong with me????
Almost time to head back to the port and a bit of window shopping
Back to the cabin to find a proper sleeping venue, and I grabbed a quick nap out on the balcony as we anchored off the coastline of that beautiful island. Not such a rough life, waking up to views of sunny skies over blue water and green mountains. Someone compared the land formation on St. Kitts to the islands of Hawaii, having never been there...I will take their word for it. The dormant cloud covered volcano may have something to do with the similarity they spoke of, which I saw as we pulled into the port that morning.
Before we knew it, the 4 pm cocktail hour had rolled around and we'd planned on an early dinner and a late show for the evening. We are really loving this anytime dining in Blu, and the view out the window at 6 pm, is still very nice. We never know who we will run into in the dining room, more often than not, we see one of our roll call friends seated at an adjacent table. Afterwards, I had my favorite chocolate martini, then met up with a few friends, watched the passenger fashion show, listened to the jazz band and a cappella group in ensemble lounge, and saw yet another incredible Karen Grainger show in the theater. After falling into bed so early the previous night, we had a pleasant evening enjoying a few different musical venues, before returning to the cabin shortly before midnight.
What is still on my To Do List... a few silly things and some not so foolish:
--try the yummy wings either from room service or at the outdoor eatery by the pool
--take the IPad art tour
--enjoy another nap in Persian Gardens and/or the Relaxation Room
--watch the Hot Glass show
--eat at Bistro on 5 and taste the Nutella crepe everyone is always raving about
--taste a few more flavors of gelato
--spend a few minutes enjoying the interactive Planet Earth display
--order room service for a midnight snack
--maybe book a tour for Miami when we disembark (never been to the Everglades or taken an airboat ride after 10 years of living here)
--find a cozy cocoon seat in the solarium and take yet another nap
Next up...another sea day....YES!!!!!
Small cottage where the cooking class was held...you can see the ship out in the distance
Our day in St Kitts was vary relaxing, even though we booked a shore excursion and spent an hour browsing through a few stores by the port. We had decided to try the Caribbean Cooks tour option and thoroughly enjoyed our dining experience. We were only 1 of three couples who attended, and our small numbers kept the pace moving quite nicely. The short ride to the lovely small blue and white cottage, was over quickly and we began our caribbean food education the moment we stepped through the doorway. I will write a more detailed review in the port section upon my return home. Suffice to say, our american chef has lived on the island for 6 years, and is very well versed in the island's cuisine as well as the history of it's eating habits. The meal was very tasty and equally enjoyable to watch being cooked.
It was a great setting for our excursion
We were back at the port area by 1 and decided to do a bit of window shopping. There are a decent variety of stores right near the ship, so we felt no need to walk the few blocks into town. At this point in our cruising life, we rarely shop much and prefer to peek at what they are offering, then move on to something a bit more relaxing. If it's after noon, it must be time for a nap! Of course I have the rude habit of falling asleep while listening to demonstrations, and yesterday was no different. I actually found my eyes closing while watching one of the executive chefs making roses out of hot pulled sugar. Yikes...what is wrong with me????
Almost time to head back to the port and a bit of window shopping
Back to the cabin to find a proper sleeping venue, and I grabbed a quick nap out on the balcony as we anchored off the coastline of that beautiful island. Not such a rough life, waking up to views of sunny skies over blue water and green mountains. Someone compared the land formation on St. Kitts to the islands of Hawaii, having never been there...I will take their word for it. The dormant cloud covered volcano may have something to do with the similarity they spoke of, which I saw as we pulled into the port that morning.
Before we knew it, the 4 pm cocktail hour had rolled around and we'd planned on an early dinner and a late show for the evening. We are really loving this anytime dining in Blu, and the view out the window at 6 pm, is still very nice. We never know who we will run into in the dining room, more often than not, we see one of our roll call friends seated at an adjacent table. Afterwards, I had my favorite chocolate martini, then met up with a few friends, watched the passenger fashion show, listened to the jazz band and a cappella group in ensemble lounge, and saw yet another incredible Karen Grainger show in the theater. After falling into bed so early the previous night, we had a pleasant evening enjoying a few different musical venues, before returning to the cabin shortly before midnight.
What is still on my To Do List... a few silly things and some not so foolish:
--try the yummy wings either from room service or at the outdoor eatery by the pool
--take the IPad art tour
--enjoy another nap in Persian Gardens and/or the Relaxation Room
--watch the Hot Glass show
--eat at Bistro on 5 and taste the Nutella crepe everyone is always raving about
--taste a few more flavors of gelato
--spend a few minutes enjoying the interactive Planet Earth display
--order room service for a midnight snack
--maybe book a tour for Miami when we disembark (never been to the Everglades or taken an airboat ride after 10 years of living here)
--find a cozy cocoon seat in the solarium and take yet another nap
Next up...another sea day....YES!!!!!
Day 4
After another late night on Monday, we ended up sleeping in on Tuesday morning. Of course for me over sleeping really means that the sun had come up before I've rolled out of bed. Considering we are one hour ahead of my normal time, I was actually up by 6:30...which still equates to "sleeping in" for me.
Our group from Cruise Critic gathering before the tour of St Marten
Now that we've gotten all the important stuff out of the way, I'll tell you a bit about our 2nd port day. We quickly showered, dressed and stopped at Michaels for breakfast, then went to meet our group once the ship was docked. Our CC group had planned a private excursion with Bernard tours in St Martin, and we had the one and only Bernard as our host for the day. We had 13 folks join us and at $45 a person, we felt that the day was well worth the effort made to schedule our tour. We were looking for a couple hours in Marigot with some sightseeing along the way for photos at Oyster Pond, a stop at Orient Beach and Maho Beach, and to be returned to the ship by 3:30 pm for those folks who wanted to doing some final shopping in Philipsburg. It ended up being a perfectly relaxing day with no stress coming or going on the tour. Bernard did a wonderful job as our tour operator, and I'd recommend him to anyone looking for a nice day on the island. We booked the trip from 9:30-3:30 and we both agreed that it was a great private tour with some very nice folks.
Back on board to grab a very tiny snack (our reservations for the eating extravaganza in Qsine was booked for 6pm), and perhaps a nap before dressing for dinner.
It was pretty warm on the island that day...a cool drink of coconut water saved the day
Saying good bye to Marigot and our lazy afternoon in St Marten
Edge, one of the big production shows is on tap for the night, so we were hoping to make it through that at 9pm, then Dancing with the Stripes at 10:30, and then still have energy for the 70's Disco party at 11:15.
Later that night....
Hahahahahaha....never made it to any of the above planned activities...we got Qsined big time!
Yes, I made it up and that is my own word...it means we ate too much to fit through any other doorways except the one that led out of the restaurant and then back to our cabin to crawl into bed. Our reservation was for 6pm, and by 9pm we stumbled from the table, and we were both laying in bed a few minutes later and watching a movie. I thought I was going to have to steal the wheelchair sitting outside of Qsine to roll hubby back to our room. He really didn't believe me when I tried to warn him about the amount of food served...he's a man, they never listen. I was giggling all the way down in the elevator (he didn't have the energy to go DOWN the stairs--what a wimp!!!), and I could have kept going all night but decided to keep him company while he groaned his way to bed. To add insult to injury, after finishing the meal, he had to pop across the hallway to Blu and pick out his dinner selection for the following evening (routine associated with food allergy passengers). He swore he's not eating again until we walk into Blu Wednesday night...ya right?!?!
Getting ready to eat our weight in food?!?!?
Seriously though, he never stopped smiling as he ate his way through our 6 choices, which is about 5 courses less than what I shared with the ladies back in November...guess we know who's the eating champion in our family??? Actually, I had the waiter bringing me hot pots of my special digestive tea throughout the meal, and my tummy was very happy when all was said and done. We were very impressed with how diligently the kitchen and chef accommodated hubby's allergy issue, and the meal was incredibly tasty without any trace of onion or garlic. Please don't hesitate to try this venue, it was all that we expected from a dining experience and more.
Good bye St. Martin, we enjoyed our day on the French side of the island
Up next, our final port day in St. Kitts....here's a kicker...we have a cooking demonstration excursion planned for the day...let's see how hubby does looking at food again :)
Our group from Cruise Critic gathering before the tour of St Marten
Now that we've gotten all the important stuff out of the way, I'll tell you a bit about our 2nd port day. We quickly showered, dressed and stopped at Michaels for breakfast, then went to meet our group once the ship was docked. Our CC group had planned a private excursion with Bernard tours in St Martin, and we had the one and only Bernard as our host for the day. We had 13 folks join us and at $45 a person, we felt that the day was well worth the effort made to schedule our tour. We were looking for a couple hours in Marigot with some sightseeing along the way for photos at Oyster Pond, a stop at Orient Beach and Maho Beach, and to be returned to the ship by 3:30 pm for those folks who wanted to doing some final shopping in Philipsburg. It ended up being a perfectly relaxing day with no stress coming or going on the tour. Bernard did a wonderful job as our tour operator, and I'd recommend him to anyone looking for a nice day on the island. We booked the trip from 9:30-3:30 and we both agreed that it was a great private tour with some very nice folks.
Back on board to grab a very tiny snack (our reservations for the eating extravaganza in Qsine was booked for 6pm), and perhaps a nap before dressing for dinner.
It was pretty warm on the island that day...a cool drink of coconut water saved the day
Saying good bye to Marigot and our lazy afternoon in St Marten
Edge, one of the big production shows is on tap for the night, so we were hoping to make it through that at 9pm, then Dancing with the Stripes at 10:30, and then still have energy for the 70's Disco party at 11:15.
Later that night....
Hahahahahaha....never made it to any of the above planned activities...we got Qsined big time!
Yes, I made it up and that is my own word...it means we ate too much to fit through any other doorways except the one that led out of the restaurant and then back to our cabin to crawl into bed. Our reservation was for 6pm, and by 9pm we stumbled from the table, and we were both laying in bed a few minutes later and watching a movie. I thought I was going to have to steal the wheelchair sitting outside of Qsine to roll hubby back to our room. He really didn't believe me when I tried to warn him about the amount of food served...he's a man, they never listen. I was giggling all the way down in the elevator (he didn't have the energy to go DOWN the stairs--what a wimp!!!), and I could have kept going all night but decided to keep him company while he groaned his way to bed. To add insult to injury, after finishing the meal, he had to pop across the hallway to Blu and pick out his dinner selection for the following evening (routine associated with food allergy passengers). He swore he's not eating again until we walk into Blu Wednesday night...ya right?!?!
Getting ready to eat our weight in food?!?!?
Seriously though, he never stopped smiling as he ate his way through our 6 choices, which is about 5 courses less than what I shared with the ladies back in November...guess we know who's the eating champion in our family??? Actually, I had the waiter bringing me hot pots of my special digestive tea throughout the meal, and my tummy was very happy when all was said and done. We were very impressed with how diligently the kitchen and chef accommodated hubby's allergy issue, and the meal was incredibly tasty without any trace of onion or garlic. Please don't hesitate to try this venue, it was all that we expected from a dining experience and more.
Good bye St. Martin, we enjoyed our day on the French side of the island
Up next, our final port day in St. Kitts....here's a kicker...we have a cooking demonstration excursion planned for the day...let's see how hubby does looking at food again :)
Day 3
We were finally able to make it to Blu for breakfast, and hubby enjoyed his table-side muesli experience. I opted for the blu-berry pecan pancakes and met up with another few CC members who were also eating their first meal of the day in Blu. I'll repeat once more how much we enjoy the choice of sitting at a two-top next to another couple, it allows conversation with different passengers each time we enter the venue. We quickly stopped in Michael's Club for a specialty coffee, then did a bit of shopping on the way to a 10:00 am talk on "What to do in San Juan"
A short visit with the staff in Qsine to discuss our dinner choices for the following evening. Roger's allergies are accommodated at every turn, even with such a diverse menu as the one offered on the IPad. We can't wait!
I had plans at noon to pop into the first scrap booking session (love the great free kits they hand out), after grabbing a quick snack with hubby at the brunch in the MDR. Always a great meal, wonderfully executed and fully appreciated on a day we would be heading off the ship for some strenuous exercise. I enjoyed the crafting time with some nice ladies, and reconnected with another CC member who was also a part of the group.
There are so many folks we have spent time with over the last two days...we love running into them around the ship and in the ports. Roger and I always go out of our way to engage in conversation wherever we go on a cruise, whether it be staff or fellow passengers. We love people and it further enhances our cruise experience. Before our vacation is over, we have had the pleasure of spending time with so many fellow cruise lovers from all over the world and we continually run into those familiar faces throughout the week we are on board the ship.
Our sail into San Juan was perfect, the view from the forward deck and our balcony, allowed us to get a couple great photos.
A view from a gun turret in one of the towers
We had chosen a 5 pm ship excursion for a Segway Tour of Old San Juan, but we wanted to figure out what the city had to offer us from 2-4, before we joined our group later in the day. We've met a nice couple our first day and decided to share some time together off the ship. We all planned to walk through the old city together, and make our way up the hill to San Cristobal Castle, the fort to the left of the ship. We were very happy to see that in honor of the Martin Luther King holiday, our entrance fee for the day was waived. The historical site was very impressive, and the warm temps high up on the hill, kept us on the breezy side of the fortress, seeking shade more often than not.
The view was incredible no matter which area we were standing in at the fort
My own soldier boy, having been an Army wife for the first 12 years of our marriage, the history and vastness of this fort was pretty incredible for me. During WWII, this post was still being utilized as an active military installation.
We waived farewell to our new found friends and headed back to the ship for a quick bite to eat before joining our small group for our segway adventure.
We had so much fun on the Segway...fuzzy picture taken by the tour guide
I must say, as we were all climbing the steep hill up to the fort earlier in the afternoon, I did have a premonition regarding our ability to maneuver through the cobblestone streets on a segway. We'd previously ridden on these interesting two-wheeled vehicles in Cozumel beside the beaches, which was pretty much a flat straight-away along the coastline. Interestingly enough, I was correct in assuming, we would be out on those bumpy narrow streets buzzing up the hills on our way to discover San Felipe Del Morro Castle, the fort to the left of the ship. We were divided into two groups of five, and along with our tour guide spent the next 2 hours riding our segways through the various paths to the far reaches of Old San Juan. We had such a great time and for someone who is not the least bit athletically inclined, I held my own riding up and then down those old streets. I was so glad we had opted for the late session of the tour, I can only imagine how hot it was during the 2:30 outing. Our trip was a blast and I'd do it again in a heartbeat!
The ship in port at night in San Juan
On the way back to the ship, we ran into yet another couple from our CC group, and the husbands shared a beer while the ladies popped into CVS for a quick minute to pick up a few items. Only as we finally made our way back to the ship, did we feel a few sprinkles falling from the sky...our anticipated chance of showers, had held off for the entire day.
We shared an incredible dinner in Blu (lobster appetizer--sea-bass entree) where the staff helped celebrate hubby's birthday with a cake and a song. We met another nice couple sitting at the table adjacent to ours, who joined us for the Masque dance party in the Grand Foyer. This is an activity not to be missed, the interactive concept has recently been introduced across quite a few of the ship's fleet, and we have enjoyed participating on several occasions. Quite a few folks complain about the venue...the theater would not work for this type of entertainment because the interaction of folks who happened to be strolling by, would not occur in a remote area like the Sky Lounge. I applaud Celebrity's innovative ideas and welcome more forward thinking actives like what we experienced at the party. The crowds were having such a great time, and before the evening was over, everyone who heard the music joined in and could be seen dancing, including the passengers going up and down in the elevators. It was a sight you would not want to miss.
I intend to post photos when I return home, it is almost impossible to include any with the slow Internet connection as it stands now. I'll also add some detailed excursion reviews to the proper boards at another time.
Next up....St Marten and our first trip to Marigot on the French side of the island.
A short visit with the staff in Qsine to discuss our dinner choices for the following evening. Roger's allergies are accommodated at every turn, even with such a diverse menu as the one offered on the IPad. We can't wait!
I had plans at noon to pop into the first scrap booking session (love the great free kits they hand out), after grabbing a quick snack with hubby at the brunch in the MDR. Always a great meal, wonderfully executed and fully appreciated on a day we would be heading off the ship for some strenuous exercise. I enjoyed the crafting time with some nice ladies, and reconnected with another CC member who was also a part of the group.
There are so many folks we have spent time with over the last two days...we love running into them around the ship and in the ports. Roger and I always go out of our way to engage in conversation wherever we go on a cruise, whether it be staff or fellow passengers. We love people and it further enhances our cruise experience. Before our vacation is over, we have had the pleasure of spending time with so many fellow cruise lovers from all over the world and we continually run into those familiar faces throughout the week we are on board the ship.
Our sail into San Juan was perfect, the view from the forward deck and our balcony, allowed us to get a couple great photos.
A view from a gun turret in one of the towers
We had chosen a 5 pm ship excursion for a Segway Tour of Old San Juan, but we wanted to figure out what the city had to offer us from 2-4, before we joined our group later in the day. We've met a nice couple our first day and decided to share some time together off the ship. We all planned to walk through the old city together, and make our way up the hill to San Cristobal Castle, the fort to the left of the ship. We were very happy to see that in honor of the Martin Luther King holiday, our entrance fee for the day was waived. The historical site was very impressive, and the warm temps high up on the hill, kept us on the breezy side of the fortress, seeking shade more often than not.
The view was incredible no matter which area we were standing in at the fort
My own soldier boy, having been an Army wife for the first 12 years of our marriage, the history and vastness of this fort was pretty incredible for me. During WWII, this post was still being utilized as an active military installation.
We waived farewell to our new found friends and headed back to the ship for a quick bite to eat before joining our small group for our segway adventure.
We had so much fun on the Segway...fuzzy picture taken by the tour guide
I must say, as we were all climbing the steep hill up to the fort earlier in the afternoon, I did have a premonition regarding our ability to maneuver through the cobblestone streets on a segway. We'd previously ridden on these interesting two-wheeled vehicles in Cozumel beside the beaches, which was pretty much a flat straight-away along the coastline. Interestingly enough, I was correct in assuming, we would be out on those bumpy narrow streets buzzing up the hills on our way to discover San Felipe Del Morro Castle, the fort to the left of the ship. We were divided into two groups of five, and along with our tour guide spent the next 2 hours riding our segways through the various paths to the far reaches of Old San Juan. We had such a great time and for someone who is not the least bit athletically inclined, I held my own riding up and then down those old streets. I was so glad we had opted for the late session of the tour, I can only imagine how hot it was during the 2:30 outing. Our trip was a blast and I'd do it again in a heartbeat!
The ship in port at night in San Juan
On the way back to the ship, we ran into yet another couple from our CC group, and the husbands shared a beer while the ladies popped into CVS for a quick minute to pick up a few items. Only as we finally made our way back to the ship, did we feel a few sprinkles falling from the sky...our anticipated chance of showers, had held off for the entire day.
We shared an incredible dinner in Blu (lobster appetizer--sea-bass entree) where the staff helped celebrate hubby's birthday with a cake and a song. We met another nice couple sitting at the table adjacent to ours, who joined us for the Masque dance party in the Grand Foyer. This is an activity not to be missed, the interactive concept has recently been introduced across quite a few of the ship's fleet, and we have enjoyed participating on several occasions. Quite a few folks complain about the venue...the theater would not work for this type of entertainment because the interaction of folks who happened to be strolling by, would not occur in a remote area like the Sky Lounge. I applaud Celebrity's innovative ideas and welcome more forward thinking actives like what we experienced at the party. The crowds were having such a great time, and before the evening was over, everyone who heard the music joined in and could be seen dancing, including the passengers going up and down in the elevators. It was a sight you would not want to miss.
I intend to post photos when I return home, it is almost impossible to include any with the slow Internet connection as it stands now. I'll also add some detailed excursion reviews to the proper boards at another time.
Next up....St Marten and our first trip to Marigot on the French side of the island.
Day 2
First off, we love sea days and would prefer them over being in port. That being said, it was our first day at sea and we are more than happy to be following a schedule and/or doing absolutely nothing. A quiet relaxing day was something that would have to wait until later in the week. The CC gathering was at 10am, which conflicted with the Elite backstage tour, which seems to happen quite often. Because we had plans to travel as a group in St. Marten, I wanted to touch base with everyone to confirm our arrangements. Then we were off to the galley tour, which we'd never done previously on a Celebrity ship. The Elite wine tasting was scheduled next, and we managed to find time to be in all three places before noon. Up next, lunch in Aqua Spa Cafe then we went in search of a quiet spot for a nap. I finally experienced what everyone has been talking about and fell asleep in the relaxation room, then spent a little while in the Persian Gardens. We love the Aqua Class perks and intended to enjoy all the little extras that are included...from Blu to the complimentary bottles replaced in our cabin each morning and evening. My husband began looking forward to the different flavored teas delivered to the cabin with the fresh fruit bowl.
I saw very few early mornings on this cruise...too many late nights I guess :) this is the view from our balcony
Quite a few "self portraits"
on the balcony this cruise..my "photographer" was still in bed :)
Later in the afternoon, I participated in one of the Beyond the Podium Enrichment Talk Series, which happened to be an interactive seminar on improv comedy. We both look forward to and like to attend the various offerings, my husband chose the talk on Secrets of Navigation.
Galley tour...so many meals...so little time!
Our first visit to the Elite cocktail lounge in the Sky Observation Lounge where we met a few more nice couples who share our love of cruising. Another quick nap, then we were headed to an enjoyable dinner with the Captain. More great conversation with yet another interesting group of couples, then we were off to the late show in the theater. I had seen the same show when I was on board in November, and still enjoyed it the second time around. Last stop of the day, the late night comedy show with Al Ducharme. We both laughed so hard that tears were running down our cheeks...it was the perfect ending to our day at sea.
Up next, a quiet morning at sea, then a full afternoon in San Juan.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
I saw very few early mornings on this cruise...too many late nights I guess :) this is the view from our balcony
Quite a few "self portraits"
on the balcony this cruise..my "photographer" was still in bed :)
Later in the afternoon, I participated in one of the Beyond the Podium Enrichment Talk Series, which happened to be an interactive seminar on improv comedy. We both look forward to and like to attend the various offerings, my husband chose the talk on Secrets of Navigation.
Galley tour...so many meals...so little time!
Our first visit to the Elite cocktail lounge in the Sky Observation Lounge where we met a few more nice couples who share our love of cruising. Another quick nap, then we were headed to an enjoyable dinner with the Captain. More great conversation with yet another interesting group of couples, then we were off to the late show in the theater. I had seen the same show when I was on board in November, and still enjoyed it the second time around. Last stop of the day, the late night comedy show with Al Ducharme. We both laughed so hard that tears were running down our cheeks...it was the perfect ending to our day at sea.
Up next, a quiet morning at sea, then a full afternoon in San Juan.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Eclipse 1/15--1/22 Day 1
I kept a running log of this trip, and am now posting to this blog upon our return adding a few pictures along the way, if possible. I seem to be having a major issue with posting photos on blog press...not sure what the problem is, but it's very annoying. For those of you who are unfamiliar with cruising...this may be a total bore and some of it may not make much sense to you. I originally wrote this to post to a Cruise Critic bulletin board that I contribute to regularly, so I'll revise some parts as I add this to my personal blog.
For anyone who is unaware, Roger and I cruise for the sheer pleasure of being at sea, spending time together as a break from our busy "real" life, meeting new people, and enjoying some wonderful cuisine.
We began our anniversary/birthday adventure leaving home at 7:30 am, driving towards Miami to embark on a 7 day cruise on board the Eclipse. Living only a little bit more than an hour from the port, we had plans to meet a friend for breakfast, who happens to work on another Celebrity ship. After a few hours of visiting with him and wishing him a safe voyage, we dropped off our car at a parking lot nearby, hopped on the hotel shuttle (through my employer, we are able to take advantage of free parking for the week) proceeded through the check-in process and were sipping our welcome aboard drinks by 1pm.
I'd been on Eclipse for three short nights in November without my husband, so he was pretty much seeing the ship for the first time. I use that term loosely because in Nov. 2008, we were both on Solstice (sister ship almost identical) for 2 night pre-inaugural and he'd only remembered a few details of this class of ship.
Daily fruit-welcome aboard champagne
All kinds of goodies, the weekly planner and invites to various activities...I guess they knew we were coming!
Entering our Aqua Class cabin, he quickly recalled just how much we enjoyed our previous visit and was very pleased to know that we would finally have the chance to experience a full week on board this ship. I always enjoy all the extra little goodies left for us in the cabin. At home, I still wear the shower slippers from 2 years ago and think it might be time to retire them now that I have a replacement pair. I love seeing the first day of activities mapped out on the Celebrity Today sheet left on the bed, and was very pleased to see that they have done away with the grid format as a way to list the scheduled items.
One of my favorite spots in the Solarium
We went off the discover the ship once a gain and grab a quick meal in the Oceanview Cafe...delicious as always and we had no issues finding a seat. A quick visit to Qsine to confirm our dinner reservations, then we popped across the hall to Blu to discuss hubby's food allergy with the staff. All was taken care of, then we continued our explorations of the ship. I am not sure how many times my husband mentioned just how happy he was to be spending a week on the Eclipse and that the ship was "so beautiful"....I couldn't have agreed more!
By 5 pm, we had finished the safety drill (our muster station was Michael's Club), and went in search of our CC group for sail away. It was windy but still sunny enough to stay warm, and we had a nice little turnout from the roll call listing of members. Quite a few of us would meet again at the CC gathering the next morning in Quasar. I firmly believe we always seem to have less than expected turnout, because there are so many things scheduled at the same time. Lets face it, who really wants to be up, dressed and finished with breakfast by 10 am on the first sea day. I am an early riser, and it was a struggle for me. Then again, it may have something to do with the time change, as we were asked to turn our watches back an hour the first night.
Dinner in Blu was incredible as expected, blackened tuna and the forbidden rice which was like nothing I had ever tasted. We shared some great conversation during our dinner, with a nice couple sitting next to us. We actually enjoy having the option of picking our table location, and eating at whatever time suits our schedule. We were looking forward to many more dinners in this venue. They are extremely accommodating with finding ways to work around my husbands food issues and provided the following 2 night's menus for him to make his choices. We would be dining in the MDR at the Captain's table for formal night, and that menu was also available, for him to review.
The show was adequate for a mixture of vocals, juggling and music. I was exhausted and sadly dozed off a few times. We called it an early night and headed back to the cabin to unpack by 10pm.
Next up...sea day
For anyone who is unaware, Roger and I cruise for the sheer pleasure of being at sea, spending time together as a break from our busy "real" life, meeting new people, and enjoying some wonderful cuisine.
We began our anniversary/birthday adventure leaving home at 7:30 am, driving towards Miami to embark on a 7 day cruise on board the Eclipse. Living only a little bit more than an hour from the port, we had plans to meet a friend for breakfast, who happens to work on another Celebrity ship. After a few hours of visiting with him and wishing him a safe voyage, we dropped off our car at a parking lot nearby, hopped on the hotel shuttle (through my employer, we are able to take advantage of free parking for the week) proceeded through the check-in process and were sipping our welcome aboard drinks by 1pm.
I'd been on Eclipse for three short nights in November without my husband, so he was pretty much seeing the ship for the first time. I use that term loosely because in Nov. 2008, we were both on Solstice (sister ship almost identical) for 2 night pre-inaugural and he'd only remembered a few details of this class of ship.
Daily fruit-welcome aboard champagne
All kinds of goodies, the weekly planner and invites to various activities...I guess they knew we were coming!
Entering our Aqua Class cabin, he quickly recalled just how much we enjoyed our previous visit and was very pleased to know that we would finally have the chance to experience a full week on board this ship. I always enjoy all the extra little goodies left for us in the cabin. At home, I still wear the shower slippers from 2 years ago and think it might be time to retire them now that I have a replacement pair. I love seeing the first day of activities mapped out on the Celebrity Today sheet left on the bed, and was very pleased to see that they have done away with the grid format as a way to list the scheduled items.
One of my favorite spots in the Solarium
We went off the discover the ship once a gain and grab a quick meal in the Oceanview Cafe...delicious as always and we had no issues finding a seat. A quick visit to Qsine to confirm our dinner reservations, then we popped across the hall to Blu to discuss hubby's food allergy with the staff. All was taken care of, then we continued our explorations of the ship. I am not sure how many times my husband mentioned just how happy he was to be spending a week on the Eclipse and that the ship was "so beautiful"....I couldn't have agreed more!
By 5 pm, we had finished the safety drill (our muster station was Michael's Club), and went in search of our CC group for sail away. It was windy but still sunny enough to stay warm, and we had a nice little turnout from the roll call listing of members. Quite a few of us would meet again at the CC gathering the next morning in Quasar. I firmly believe we always seem to have less than expected turnout, because there are so many things scheduled at the same time. Lets face it, who really wants to be up, dressed and finished with breakfast by 10 am on the first sea day. I am an early riser, and it was a struggle for me. Then again, it may have something to do with the time change, as we were asked to turn our watches back an hour the first night.
Dinner in Blu was incredible as expected, blackened tuna and the forbidden rice which was like nothing I had ever tasted. We shared some great conversation during our dinner, with a nice couple sitting next to us. We actually enjoy having the option of picking our table location, and eating at whatever time suits our schedule. We were looking forward to many more dinners in this venue. They are extremely accommodating with finding ways to work around my husbands food issues and provided the following 2 night's menus for him to make his choices. We would be dining in the MDR at the Captain's table for formal night, and that menu was also available, for him to review.
The show was adequate for a mixture of vocals, juggling and music. I was exhausted and sadly dozed off a few times. We called it an early night and headed back to the cabin to unpack by 10pm.
Next up...sea day
Saturday, January 15, 2011
It's all about perspective...are you more full than empty?
I am reminded on a daily basis, that our perception of all things can and will, contribute to our well being, and how we view the world around us. We can either look at everything as a whole and make general statements, or bring our prospective closer, and focus more on the microcosm of the life we lead. I have been known to make some pretty broad observations, but most of the time, I tend to concentrate on the little things that affect each day.
After a very hectic week, I am slowly getting back to my quiet simple daily rituals, always appreciating the "norm" as opposed to what is often referred to as life's little roadblocks. At this time, I won't go into any details regarding the last four days, suffice to say, I love my normal life and am more than happy to have it back.
That being said, here it is almost 4 am in the morning (having woken up at my normal 3 am) and I am once again preparing to pack my suitcase and hit the road with Roger on our way to Miami. It's that time of the year, when we celebrate our anniversary and his birthday on board a cruise ship. Two days ago, someone made the comment that we cruise all the time, which is not exactly the case, but is certainly something I would hope to be accused of at some point further down the rode. In reality, during the last 5 months, I have been on board a ship 3 times, however, this is not really normal for us, and certainly won't be continued in the upcoming 5 months. With our ever changing circumstances, this just happens to be the way things played out for us in 2010 moving into 2011....what the remainder of the year holds for Roger and I, is as much a mystery to me as it is to anyone else.
Getting back to the subject at hand, while running a few errands last evening, I happened to find myself speaking with a lovely woman, who had been unknown to me until the moment we struck up a conversation. I thoroughly enjoy talking to strangers in any manner of situations, and she seemed to welcome the opportunity to chat. She was a bit saddened by her circumstances, being alone on a Friday night and made a few comments relating to her deceased husband, and how much she missed having him in her life. Obviously, I am unable to understand her grief on the level of such a great loss, to lose one's spouse is a life-altering and devastating experience. I was however, able to relate to the absence of a loved one in my life and immediately felt the need to offer some words of comfort. To her, the cup was half empty...and rightly so...or maybe not???
In almost every situation, we can choose to see from whichever perspective we want, it's entirely up to us as individuals, how we actually view the world. Our freedom of choice is not limited to which lever we pull in the voting booth, or how we feel about the right to life...it's prevalent in every aspect of our lives, no matter how insignificant the situation may appear to be. No one can deny, that this is all about our perceptions...each decision we make and every view we take, affects how we will eventually cope with whatever life has to throw at us.
I must continually remind myself of all the good I have encountered along this journey, and remember the important lessons that I learn each day. If you keep going back for more, your glass will never be half empty...there is always the potential for it to be half full...and sometimes, when you least expect it, you might even find it running over. It's all about each person's perspective...please try to keep your view towards the horizon, you never know when you'll be taking that next sip from the bottomless cup of life!
After a very hectic week, I am slowly getting back to my quiet simple daily rituals, always appreciating the "norm" as opposed to what is often referred to as life's little roadblocks. At this time, I won't go into any details regarding the last four days, suffice to say, I love my normal life and am more than happy to have it back.
That being said, here it is almost 4 am in the morning (having woken up at my normal 3 am) and I am once again preparing to pack my suitcase and hit the road with Roger on our way to Miami. It's that time of the year, when we celebrate our anniversary and his birthday on board a cruise ship. Two days ago, someone made the comment that we cruise all the time, which is not exactly the case, but is certainly something I would hope to be accused of at some point further down the rode. In reality, during the last 5 months, I have been on board a ship 3 times, however, this is not really normal for us, and certainly won't be continued in the upcoming 5 months. With our ever changing circumstances, this just happens to be the way things played out for us in 2010 moving into 2011....what the remainder of the year holds for Roger and I, is as much a mystery to me as it is to anyone else.
Getting back to the subject at hand, while running a few errands last evening, I happened to find myself speaking with a lovely woman, who had been unknown to me until the moment we struck up a conversation. I thoroughly enjoy talking to strangers in any manner of situations, and she seemed to welcome the opportunity to chat. She was a bit saddened by her circumstances, being alone on a Friday night and made a few comments relating to her deceased husband, and how much she missed having him in her life. Obviously, I am unable to understand her grief on the level of such a great loss, to lose one's spouse is a life-altering and devastating experience. I was however, able to relate to the absence of a loved one in my life and immediately felt the need to offer some words of comfort. To her, the cup was half empty...and rightly so...or maybe not???
In almost every situation, we can choose to see from whichever perspective we want, it's entirely up to us as individuals, how we actually view the world. Our freedom of choice is not limited to which lever we pull in the voting booth, or how we feel about the right to life...it's prevalent in every aspect of our lives, no matter how insignificant the situation may appear to be. No one can deny, that this is all about our perceptions...each decision we make and every view we take, affects how we will eventually cope with whatever life has to throw at us.
I must continually remind myself of all the good I have encountered along this journey, and remember the important lessons that I learn each day. If you keep going back for more, your glass will never be half empty...there is always the potential for it to be half full...and sometimes, when you least expect it, you might even find it running over. It's all about each person's perspective...please try to keep your view towards the horizon, you never know when you'll be taking that next sip from the bottomless cup of life!
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Laughter each day, keeps the doctor away and helps your precisely planned progress stay on path
Although I do consider myself to be among those commonly referred to as a procrastinator, once I set my mind to a task, I'm quite good at following through. Well, most of the time I am...umm...perhaps some of the time...I really do try, and as we all know, there is certainly always room for improvement.
That being said, I consider all that I have accomplished in the last 6 days, to keep myself on track for the next 6 days, is nothing short of miraculous for someone like me. I'm amazed at times at my own capacity for reorganizing my priorities, regardless of the change in plans, and soldiering on to complete whatever is set before me. Long hours, working during lunch breaks and giving up a portion of my weekend, has kept me right on schedule for the coming week.
Last weekend, I honestly thought I had plenty of time to wrap up all my work issues before transitioning into vacation prep mode. Little did I know exactly what was in store....when business and pleasure collide, it can open up a whole new can of worms. However, when push comes to shove, I have been known to transition into a finely tuned version of my younger self. Just don't ask me how the TV got turned off Thursday night or what I ate for dinner (I think it was a bag of pretzels???).
Prior to taking off on vacation, I find myself with a long "To Do" list of tasks, some of which are either never completed or completely ignored. I find a way to talk myself out of a few here and there, then realize that I was a bit over zealous in my expectations of accomplishing everything I'd jotted down. I always say, it never hurts to aim high, and when things fall short, I'm rarely disappointed. The best I can do is learn a small lesson for the next time around....isn't that what this is all about?
As hectic as it seemed at work this past week, I usually have a handle on things and know exactly how far I can push myself to reach my final goal. As Friday rolled around, I found a little humor here and there always "helps the medicine go down" and by the time I packed up to head home, I had laughed myself silly.
It started with a ritual Roger and I share for picking out cards for each other...we find a funny card, along with a serious one, to commemorate special occasions. We both derive great pleasure in making each other laugh, and it was Roger's turn to tickle my funny bone early in the morning. That was just the beginning of a long but rather laughable day...and I continued to bump into giggly situations, throughout the next 9 hours. In the same way that an athlete gets a "high" from running, I often times find myself getting such a rush from a good hearty laugh. Amazingly, no matter what else I have to contend with, it can sustain me for the remainder of the day.
I won't go into detail about exactly what kept a big smile on my face (you really had to be there), suffice to say, we can all find humor in the most inane subject matter, whether it is the silliness of a cute anniversary card, the long overdue task of recording a voicemail message, or someone questioning the dimensions and/or capacity of a simple cardboard box...laughter is always the best medicine when it's necessary to stay on the path of a precise plan of progress...just keep smiling :)
That being said, I consider all that I have accomplished in the last 6 days, to keep myself on track for the next 6 days, is nothing short of miraculous for someone like me. I'm amazed at times at my own capacity for reorganizing my priorities, regardless of the change in plans, and soldiering on to complete whatever is set before me. Long hours, working during lunch breaks and giving up a portion of my weekend, has kept me right on schedule for the coming week.
Last weekend, I honestly thought I had plenty of time to wrap up all my work issues before transitioning into vacation prep mode. Little did I know exactly what was in store....when business and pleasure collide, it can open up a whole new can of worms. However, when push comes to shove, I have been known to transition into a finely tuned version of my younger self. Just don't ask me how the TV got turned off Thursday night or what I ate for dinner (I think it was a bag of pretzels???).
Prior to taking off on vacation, I find myself with a long "To Do" list of tasks, some of which are either never completed or completely ignored. I find a way to talk myself out of a few here and there, then realize that I was a bit over zealous in my expectations of accomplishing everything I'd jotted down. I always say, it never hurts to aim high, and when things fall short, I'm rarely disappointed. The best I can do is learn a small lesson for the next time around....isn't that what this is all about?
As hectic as it seemed at work this past week, I usually have a handle on things and know exactly how far I can push myself to reach my final goal. As Friday rolled around, I found a little humor here and there always "helps the medicine go down" and by the time I packed up to head home, I had laughed myself silly.
It started with a ritual Roger and I share for picking out cards for each other...we find a funny card, along with a serious one, to commemorate special occasions. We both derive great pleasure in making each other laugh, and it was Roger's turn to tickle my funny bone early in the morning. That was just the beginning of a long but rather laughable day...and I continued to bump into giggly situations, throughout the next 9 hours. In the same way that an athlete gets a "high" from running, I often times find myself getting such a rush from a good hearty laugh. Amazingly, no matter what else I have to contend with, it can sustain me for the remainder of the day.
I won't go into detail about exactly what kept a big smile on my face (you really had to be there), suffice to say, we can all find humor in the most inane subject matter, whether it is the silliness of a cute anniversary card, the long overdue task of recording a voicemail message, or someone questioning the dimensions and/or capacity of a simple cardboard box...laughter is always the best medicine when it's necessary to stay on the path of a precise plan of progress...just keep smiling :)
Friday, January 7, 2011
Happy Anniversary
I wrote this as a part of my travel blog before we left on our cruise back in September, as an intro to our upcoming renewal ceremony. For anyone who has already read the story, I apologize for the repeat...for everyone else, I felt the need to revisit this time in our lives and remember just how far we have both come as a couple in the last 33 years of marriage. Instead of only recalling these special moments on our anniversary, I thinks it's important to remind ourselves more often, how lucky we are every day, to share our lives with the ones we love.
"I do" again...who are these people?
There was a young girl who met a young boy. They were introduced by her friend, who happened to be his sister. She recalls she wore a long sleeved navy blue shirt with a red embroidered fish across the front. She thought he was pretty funny and he thought she was pretty cute. He remembers being fascinated by her long brown hair and she remembers being entertained when he blew a huge pink bubble and got gum stuck in his brown hair. She can still remember hearing Grand Funk Railroad's "Locomotion" play over and over as the sun went down. She fell asleep, thinking of him, in a room full of 14 year old girls, camped out for the night on the basement floor. Monday morning at school, the girl came to find out that she'd been added to his long list of potential girlfriends. Of all the girls at the party, he had chosen her. Of all the boys she would ever meet, she had chosen him. It was many years ago, in December of 1973 when Joanne and Roger met.
This is a story I've told more times than I can remember. It's a very simple story, without much drama or suspense. And that is exactly how we've lived most of our married lives together, trying to keep the drama and suspense to a minimum. Sometimes we were successful, and sometimes, not so much. But here we are, after almost 33 years of marriage and he still thinks she is pretty cute, and she still thinks he is pretty funny. If you try to keep love and laughter in your marriage, not always in that particular order, you will be together forever. If either one of those two ingredients goes missing, you will struggle and lose your way. All the rest really does not matter, lesson learned--keep it simple sweetie :)
We both have been witness to the love our children share with the two people they have chosen to spend their lives with...it gives us such peace and pure happiness to know that they are truly and simply loved. To commemorate the beginning of our love, which is shared by Stacey, Scott, Brian and Taryn, we will be renewing our wedding vows on the day we arrive in Venice. It will be a simple ceremony, shared by a couple who were just a boy and a girl, that happened to meet one night, 37 years ago.
Home on leave from the Army--Christmas -1976
Home on leave from the Army--Easter 1977
January 7, 1978
September 23, 2010
Happy Anniversary Roger...I Love You...today and always...
"I do" again...who are these people?
There was a young girl who met a young boy. They were introduced by her friend, who happened to be his sister. She recalls she wore a long sleeved navy blue shirt with a red embroidered fish across the front. She thought he was pretty funny and he thought she was pretty cute. He remembers being fascinated by her long brown hair and she remembers being entertained when he blew a huge pink bubble and got gum stuck in his brown hair. She can still remember hearing Grand Funk Railroad's "Locomotion" play over and over as the sun went down. She fell asleep, thinking of him, in a room full of 14 year old girls, camped out for the night on the basement floor. Monday morning at school, the girl came to find out that she'd been added to his long list of potential girlfriends. Of all the girls at the party, he had chosen her. Of all the boys she would ever meet, she had chosen him. It was many years ago, in December of 1973 when Joanne and Roger met.
This is a story I've told more times than I can remember. It's a very simple story, without much drama or suspense. And that is exactly how we've lived most of our married lives together, trying to keep the drama and suspense to a minimum. Sometimes we were successful, and sometimes, not so much. But here we are, after almost 33 years of marriage and he still thinks she is pretty cute, and she still thinks he is pretty funny. If you try to keep love and laughter in your marriage, not always in that particular order, you will be together forever. If either one of those two ingredients goes missing, you will struggle and lose your way. All the rest really does not matter, lesson learned--keep it simple sweetie :)
We both have been witness to the love our children share with the two people they have chosen to spend their lives with...it gives us such peace and pure happiness to know that they are truly and simply loved. To commemorate the beginning of our love, which is shared by Stacey, Scott, Brian and Taryn, we will be renewing our wedding vows on the day we arrive in Venice. It will be a simple ceremony, shared by a couple who were just a boy and a girl, that happened to meet one night, 37 years ago.
Home on leave from the Army--Christmas -1976
Home on leave from the Army--Easter 1977
January 7, 1978
September 23, 2010
Happy Anniversary Roger...I Love You...today and always...
Thursday, January 6, 2011
How may I help you?
While it's certainly my goal to avoid beating a dead horse, work has pretty much consumed my every waking moment this entire week, and will continue to do so for a very large portion of next week. That being said, I have no extraneous energy, nor thoughts in my head that do not resemble a product of the office environment that I spend most of my lucid hours in...so there it is. It may be this type of blog about work or nothing...and sometimes, unfortunately....it will be zippo!
I'm very pleased to report that my time killing trees has slowed back down to a normal pace...the rain forests of the world are safe for the time being from this "copy happy" litigation team. Instead, we now spend most of the time playing 20 questions...or is it 30...or maybe even 40??? Ok that's just silly...I'm asking myself a question about asking questions???
Most days, I field inquiries, ask my own set of questions, respond to other employees and outside vendors via email, phone, fax and of course, in person. I love to talk and enjoy interacting with other individuals so this has always been a pleasant aspect of a normal 8 hour work day. There are however, some times when the extreme limit is reached, long before I call it a day, and find myself on the way back home.
Today felt like a 50 question day, or maybe I just lost count somewhere along the way...here are a sampling of those that were asked and answered...
Kristen, can you provide me with the exhibits from our deposition transcript which appear to be missing?
Vinnie in NJ, was asked if it's possible to get the labels delivered overnight?
Dawn in Naples, was asked if there is availability for yet another hotel room?
Laura, can we reschedule today's lunch?
Barbara, do you have another day available for lunch beyond next week?
Brad, did you receive your reservation confirmation?
Lori asked if we could please use this credit card number for the reservation?
Will you please add Brendan to the reservation?
Patti in Coral Gables requested location confirmation of the depositions
Mary in Ft. Lauderdale, requested dates for depositions
Christine..did you get the docs she sent?
Please change Brendan's reservation to one night
Barbara, I used the last boxes, how soon before we can get more?
Does our rolling cart work for all these boxes?
Barbara is requesting a finalized version of the monthly report
Can we get an exhibit chart that looks like this?
You know those boxes you have stored by the cubicle…do you think you could move all 12 of them right now?
Will the subpoenas arrive today?
How should I include the video?
Ron in Melbourne wanted to know where his packet was and while he is trying to get service on the husband, can he serve the wife instead?
How much credit do we get for taking our health assessment?
Any chance we can update one of those hotel rooms to a suite?
Why are the color photos missing?
Are you a customer of ours?
When are you going to Milwaukee?
Do we have a confirmed date for mediation?
Which version of the DIAR do you have?
Will there be anything else?
This binder mechanism is awful, can I get another one?
Is the view from my room any different?
Do they have a gym?
Is that machine broken again?
Is there a room at the hotel we can all meet after being in court all day?
WHAT TIME…WHERE…WHO…WHICH ROOM (asked and answered more times than I care to mention)
Can we make the witness files different colors?
Which documents are going into the trial binder?
Which dates are those witnesses appearing?
Do you want me to email the subpoena?
When are the enlargements coming back from the printer?
Why isn't the expert report included?
Is there a copy for the clerk?
Who is marking the exhibits?
Can you please send me an email with the Word version?
Which one of you is covering the depo?
I've left a message, did she put me into the wrong voicemail?
What do you want on that?
Is the telephone conference delayed?
Is she going to accept service by email?
Can you swap out the color version for the b&w one?
How many binders do we have?
What is this Fed-ex email about?
Before you go...can you get me the....?
If by any chance you are wondering...the answer is yes, I will be working Saturday this week, so that I can get some of my "regular" work done. And I've already warned the two attorneys on my team, that if they are also in the office that day...they are NOT allowed to ask me any questions!!!
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Grey skies are gonna clear up....Timber!!!
I had a feeling as we closed out the work year of 2010, that 2011 was going to come on like gang busters, and I proved myself to be more than correct. With a very busy trial schedule during the first quarter of the year, it stands to reason that the three of us would all have our hands pretty full. Little did I know just how much, and to what extent, I'd actually be involved.
It's no secret in the legal world, that various documents are heavily relied upon as an integral part of either the defense or prosecution of a case. This aspect of my job is no more evident to me, than when we are preparing for a final hearing and even more so as we go to trial. Although all of the support staff finds themselves standing in front of the copy machines at least a few times a day, in the weeks leading up to an appearance before the judge, the amount of copying that is required of us often times goes beyond reasonable imagination. It has been my experience to spend almost an entire day, producing such large stacks of copied documents, that I am unable to carry them back to my desk all at one time. Although I am not the only one heard to make this statement, we commonly refer to the hours we stand in front of those copiers, as "killing trees".
Every time it's necessary to load 3 more reams of paper into one of those monster copiers, inside my head I hear myself saying "Timber!" as yet another tree has fallen for the sake of our cases. When dressing in the morning, I almost feel like I should be reaching for my plaid flannel shirt, as I join the legions of lumberjacks as they sacrifice the forests of the world, to support my own paycheck. It may seem silly, but I've thought of how my future grandchildren will be affected as we deplete these limited paper resources, during our lifetime. Yes, I have spent endless hours mindlessly standing in that wonderful little copy room, it's the nature of the business. The machines never move quite fast enough for me, when I'm in the middle of one my major document production projects.
I must say, that in this advanced world of technology, the court systems have made great strides to economize the amount of paper involved in the everyday legal grind. We have many electronic filing programs in place, where we are no longer required to mail every single document to all legal counsel involved in each case. I am always pleased when instead of wasting reams of paper, I'm able to simply push a button, and our somewhat voluminous pleadings are received by the court, via an online filing system. However, that is not yet the case, when we eventually prepare to go before the judge to argue our case. On those particular occasions, it's right back into the copy room for days on end, to once again fill an unknown number of legal file boxes with documents, the likes of which you cannot even imagine.
Please know, that unless you have been involved in any legal proceeding, you can never truly understand how much paperwork is involved in several years of litigating a lawsuit. At times, one single litigation file has been known to completely fill an entire four drawer filing cabinet. It is difficult to comprehend the effort necessary, for document production only, to bring just one case to trial. In the last two days, this has been my world.
Next week, our appearance before the judge is scheduled to occur over the course of two days. The attorneys I work with are busily preparing witnesses and their legal arguments, to present the company's defense of the issues at hand. On many occasions, my assistance has been necessary at trial and I've always enjoyed being a part of this group effort. However in this case, being on a smaller scale, early on, it was decided that my presence would not be required. My participation would be solely in preparing them before they traveled across the state to attend the proceedings, which suited me perfectly....until late on Monday when they changed their minds...and now I'm also traveling to Naples.
On any other occasion, I would be more than happy to spend 3 days out of the office, attending a trial or lengthy hearing, allowing the company to pick up the tab for hotel and meals for the duration of the business trip. However, the timing could not be worse as I'll now be packing yet another suitcase (we know how much I LOVE doing that), the very same week I'm preparing to leave on our annual anniversary/birthday cruise. It's not often that work gets in the way of my vacation schedule....however, this was not the way I had envisioned spending the last week before we go away. I'll be returning from this business trip only 36 hours before Roger and I leave for Miami....fun, fun, fun!
In a nutshell, here's the issue---I am the type of person who, prior to leaving the office to go on vacation, prefers to leave my desk with all the loose ends wrapped up. Papers filed, phone calls returned, inbox empty, reports submitted and generally, my desk in a presentable state. I somehow doubt that this will be the case, when I'm walking out the door of my office next Friday. It may seem a bit silly on my part to be concerned about something so insignificant, but this is how I roll.
In an effort to keep myself "up" regarding these unforeseen turn of events, I spent a good portion of yesterday, walking back and forth to the copy room, singing under my breath..."grey skies are gonna clear up, put on a happy face" because all I can do, is grin and bear it....and/or rack up a bit more overtime over the next 8 days of work!
So the next time you have an occasion to stand in front of a copier, think of me working my way through yet another box of paper and whispering "Timber" with a great big "smile" on my happy face :)
It's no secret in the legal world, that various documents are heavily relied upon as an integral part of either the defense or prosecution of a case. This aspect of my job is no more evident to me, than when we are preparing for a final hearing and even more so as we go to trial. Although all of the support staff finds themselves standing in front of the copy machines at least a few times a day, in the weeks leading up to an appearance before the judge, the amount of copying that is required of us often times goes beyond reasonable imagination. It has been my experience to spend almost an entire day, producing such large stacks of copied documents, that I am unable to carry them back to my desk all at one time. Although I am not the only one heard to make this statement, we commonly refer to the hours we stand in front of those copiers, as "killing trees".
Every time it's necessary to load 3 more reams of paper into one of those monster copiers, inside my head I hear myself saying "Timber!" as yet another tree has fallen for the sake of our cases. When dressing in the morning, I almost feel like I should be reaching for my plaid flannel shirt, as I join the legions of lumberjacks as they sacrifice the forests of the world, to support my own paycheck. It may seem silly, but I've thought of how my future grandchildren will be affected as we deplete these limited paper resources, during our lifetime. Yes, I have spent endless hours mindlessly standing in that wonderful little copy room, it's the nature of the business. The machines never move quite fast enough for me, when I'm in the middle of one my major document production projects.
I must say, that in this advanced world of technology, the court systems have made great strides to economize the amount of paper involved in the everyday legal grind. We have many electronic filing programs in place, where we are no longer required to mail every single document to all legal counsel involved in each case. I am always pleased when instead of wasting reams of paper, I'm able to simply push a button, and our somewhat voluminous pleadings are received by the court, via an online filing system. However, that is not yet the case, when we eventually prepare to go before the judge to argue our case. On those particular occasions, it's right back into the copy room for days on end, to once again fill an unknown number of legal file boxes with documents, the likes of which you cannot even imagine.
Please know, that unless you have been involved in any legal proceeding, you can never truly understand how much paperwork is involved in several years of litigating a lawsuit. At times, one single litigation file has been known to completely fill an entire four drawer filing cabinet. It is difficult to comprehend the effort necessary, for document production only, to bring just one case to trial. In the last two days, this has been my world.
Next week, our appearance before the judge is scheduled to occur over the course of two days. The attorneys I work with are busily preparing witnesses and their legal arguments, to present the company's defense of the issues at hand. On many occasions, my assistance has been necessary at trial and I've always enjoyed being a part of this group effort. However in this case, being on a smaller scale, early on, it was decided that my presence would not be required. My participation would be solely in preparing them before they traveled across the state to attend the proceedings, which suited me perfectly....until late on Monday when they changed their minds...and now I'm also traveling to Naples.
On any other occasion, I would be more than happy to spend 3 days out of the office, attending a trial or lengthy hearing, allowing the company to pick up the tab for hotel and meals for the duration of the business trip. However, the timing could not be worse as I'll now be packing yet another suitcase (we know how much I LOVE doing that), the very same week I'm preparing to leave on our annual anniversary/birthday cruise. It's not often that work gets in the way of my vacation schedule....however, this was not the way I had envisioned spending the last week before we go away. I'll be returning from this business trip only 36 hours before Roger and I leave for Miami....fun, fun, fun!
In a nutshell, here's the issue---I am the type of person who, prior to leaving the office to go on vacation, prefers to leave my desk with all the loose ends wrapped up. Papers filed, phone calls returned, inbox empty, reports submitted and generally, my desk in a presentable state. I somehow doubt that this will be the case, when I'm walking out the door of my office next Friday. It may seem a bit silly on my part to be concerned about something so insignificant, but this is how I roll.
In an effort to keep myself "up" regarding these unforeseen turn of events, I spent a good portion of yesterday, walking back and forth to the copy room, singing under my breath..."grey skies are gonna clear up, put on a happy face" because all I can do, is grin and bear it....and/or rack up a bit more overtime over the next 8 days of work!
So the next time you have an occasion to stand in front of a copier, think of me working my way through yet another box of paper and whispering "Timber" with a great big "smile" on my happy face :)
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Especially stylish souvenirs
On more than one occasion, we've probably all fallen into the "gotta have it" typical souvenir pot hole. In the beginning, we'd usually find ourselves coming home with brightly colored t-shirts that shouted out the name of where we had traveled to, a couple postcards, and even a mug or two to remind me on a daily basis, as I drink my cup of tea, that I'd much rather be on vacation.
Although I have indulged in a few useless souvenirs over the years, I tend to lean towards purchasing more practical keepsakes. I have amassed quite an interesting collection of one item in particular, that also happens to be very useful while traveling, and at times, during my life at home. Being the type of person who enjoys colorful clothing and has fun accessorizing....I found years ago, that traveling to different places allows me the opportunity to find interesting and unique scarves wherever we go. Because cruise ships tend to be freezing for me, I actually wear one as a wrap each night on the ship, so they get plenty of use. And don't forget, this is me we are talking about...rarely do I spend more than $10 on any of them, ever!
Yesterday, when I began my organization project...I was putting a few away, then pulled out the collection I most often travel with, and had fun reminiscing with Roger, about exactly where each one was acquired. Because he loves talking about our various trips, I think he had as much fun as me, matching the scarves to all our adventures. Not only that, he now follows in my footsteps, and also chooses practical souvenirs when traveling. In 2008, he purchased a leather wallet at a street market in Madeira for 5E that to this day, looks as new as the day he bought it.
Here, in no particular order...are a few of the scarves and wraps I've collected over the years.
In China town while we were in London...such a tough choice, I took all three! One night on the ship, a gentleman made me an offer to buy the green one right off my back....sorry, no sale!
In New York City, the day I walked the "half marathon"--I wear this one all the time
On our Thanksgiving road trip last year...at Target!?!? Who knew it was going to be so freezing in New Orleans....this one also gets a lot of use
I fell in love with this while in Venice.....interestingly, when I was on my solo cruise in November, a woman in the elevator grabbed it out of my hands and insisted on keeping it....ummm nope....go to Italy and get your own!!!!
Also purchased in Venice....well we did have two shopping days in that city :)
So practical, thrifty, stylish and a bit selfish...that would be me in a nut shell. Perhaps in the future, I should purchase more than one of each and start my own especially stylish souvenir stand!!!
Although I have indulged in a few useless souvenirs over the years, I tend to lean towards purchasing more practical keepsakes. I have amassed quite an interesting collection of one item in particular, that also happens to be very useful while traveling, and at times, during my life at home. Being the type of person who enjoys colorful clothing and has fun accessorizing....I found years ago, that traveling to different places allows me the opportunity to find interesting and unique scarves wherever we go. Because cruise ships tend to be freezing for me, I actually wear one as a wrap each night on the ship, so they get plenty of use. And don't forget, this is me we are talking about...rarely do I spend more than $10 on any of them, ever!
Yesterday, when I began my organization project...I was putting a few away, then pulled out the collection I most often travel with, and had fun reminiscing with Roger, about exactly where each one was acquired. Because he loves talking about our various trips, I think he had as much fun as me, matching the scarves to all our adventures. Not only that, he now follows in my footsteps, and also chooses practical souvenirs when traveling. In 2008, he purchased a leather wallet at a street market in Madeira for 5E that to this day, looks as new as the day he bought it.
Here, in no particular order...are a few of the scarves and wraps I've collected over the years.
In China town while we were in London...such a tough choice, I took all three! One night on the ship, a gentleman made me an offer to buy the green one right off my back....sorry, no sale!
In New York City, the day I walked the "half marathon"--I wear this one all the time
On our Thanksgiving road trip last year...at Target!?!? Who knew it was going to be so freezing in New Orleans....this one also gets a lot of use
I fell in love with this while in Venice.....interestingly, when I was on my solo cruise in November, a woman in the elevator grabbed it out of my hands and insisted on keeping it....ummm nope....go to Italy and get your own!!!!
Also purchased in Venice....well we did have two shopping days in that city :)
So practical, thrifty, stylish and a bit selfish...that would be me in a nut shell. Perhaps in the future, I should purchase more than one of each and start my own especially stylish souvenir stand!!!
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Resolutely resigned to a reasonable resolution
As the first day of January greeted us all this morning, many individuals find themselves facing the upcoming 12 months, with some ideas about how they would like to improve upon their personal goals of the preceding year. I am quite sure everyone is familiar with the term "New Year's Resolution." Why is it, that we all wait until a new year rolls around every 365 days, to whip ourselves into shape, and buckle down with an "original" plan of sorts?
I am completely guilty of the same bizarre thought process myself...as I always say... "Why do today, what can be done tomorrow?" That's the procrastinator's creed that many of us live by...sadly...it seems, that tomorrow never comes. Or, if it does, unfortunately, our efforts tend to be extremely short lived.
We are all aware that something usually needs to change...are we ever totally pleased with the choices we make about our every day life? I guess if we were, there would be no such thing as a New Year's Resolution! Here are just a few that may or may not have been a fleeting thought that crossed your own mind, on December 31st, over the last couple of decades...
I could use that piece of exercise equipment that sits in the corner mocking me each time I almost trip over it
I could make better choices when eating
I could find a more interesting/better paying job
I could spend more time volunteering
I could spend less time in front of the tv
I could read a new book and step away from the computer
I could be more conscientious about staying in touch with people I don't see very often...
...and for me, one of the things I really need to work on...being more organized...it's one thing that frustrates me to no end.
Please don't misunderstand me, I'm truly not looking for perfection in my actions...I'm too much of a realist to even entertain those thoughts. What I do expect of myself, beyond what others might consider an area where "improvement" is necessary, would be a concerted effort on my part to banish the evil procrastinator that resides inside my head. Perhaps I should clarify...the lazy-evil procrastinator would be more like it. The happy-go-lucky child in me wins out every time over the authoritative adult who whispers in my ear...."You really should get your bottom up off the couch and do....." feel free to fill in the blank, with anything related to running a household. If something does not get done, I only have myself to answer to. Roger in no way pushes me to do much of anything. As a matter of fact, he usually encourages me to just relax and take it easy...who am I to argue with the man???
So today, just like millions of other people, I decided to begin my day with a small project (baby steps here folks) for self improvement. I opened up my suitcase, (the one on the floor in our extra room that I've been tripping over for the last two weeks), and finally removed whatever items that were still sitting in there, since December 16th--we are talking unworn clean clothes (yes, I overpack) belts, formal shoes, wraps and the like. It was my goal to put everything back in it's specific storage spot, so that when I get ready to repack for our upcoming trip, I am better able to locate each item I intend to bring. What a concept....why didn't I think of this before??? Silly me...I'll just never learn, and therein lies the crux of the matter...we all know what works for us, we sometimes just choose to ignore it.
I've resigned myself to the fact that no matter how resolutely we approach each New Year's Day, rarely is a complete resolution reasonable...then again, there's always next year!
I am completely guilty of the same bizarre thought process myself...as I always say... "Why do today, what can be done tomorrow?" That's the procrastinator's creed that many of us live by...sadly...it seems, that tomorrow never comes. Or, if it does, unfortunately, our efforts tend to be extremely short lived.
We are all aware that something usually needs to change...are we ever totally pleased with the choices we make about our every day life? I guess if we were, there would be no such thing as a New Year's Resolution! Here are just a few that may or may not have been a fleeting thought that crossed your own mind, on December 31st, over the last couple of decades...
I could use that piece of exercise equipment that sits in the corner mocking me each time I almost trip over it
I could make better choices when eating
I could find a more interesting/better paying job
I could spend more time volunteering
I could spend less time in front of the tv
I could read a new book and step away from the computer
I could be more conscientious about staying in touch with people I don't see very often...
...and for me, one of the things I really need to work on...being more organized...it's one thing that frustrates me to no end.
Please don't misunderstand me, I'm truly not looking for perfection in my actions...I'm too much of a realist to even entertain those thoughts. What I do expect of myself, beyond what others might consider an area where "improvement" is necessary, would be a concerted effort on my part to banish the evil procrastinator that resides inside my head. Perhaps I should clarify...the lazy-evil procrastinator would be more like it. The happy-go-lucky child in me wins out every time over the authoritative adult who whispers in my ear...."You really should get your bottom up off the couch and do....." feel free to fill in the blank, with anything related to running a household. If something does not get done, I only have myself to answer to. Roger in no way pushes me to do much of anything. As a matter of fact, he usually encourages me to just relax and take it easy...who am I to argue with the man???
So today, just like millions of other people, I decided to begin my day with a small project (baby steps here folks) for self improvement. I opened up my suitcase, (the one on the floor in our extra room that I've been tripping over for the last two weeks), and finally removed whatever items that were still sitting in there, since December 16th--we are talking unworn clean clothes (yes, I overpack) belts, formal shoes, wraps and the like. It was my goal to put everything back in it's specific storage spot, so that when I get ready to repack for our upcoming trip, I am better able to locate each item I intend to bring. What a concept....why didn't I think of this before??? Silly me...I'll just never learn, and therein lies the crux of the matter...we all know what works for us, we sometimes just choose to ignore it.
I've resigned myself to the fact that no matter how resolutely we approach each New Year's Day, rarely is a complete resolution reasonable...then again, there's always next year!
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