I am not a fan of shopping in general. It overwhelms me. It makes me anxious. I have to spend money, and, worse, I have to make choices. I am quite indecisive. So that's why, when I need to shop, I head to Wal-Mart. It's my one-stop shop. Everything I need under one gigantic, flourescent-lit ceiling. Rows of groceries, racks of clothes, aisles of entertainment and toiletries. Even places to get your nails done, your hair cut, grab a quick meal, and then play some arcade games. Who could ask for anything more??
So of course when I pull into the Wal-Mart parking lot I'm super excited for my shopping adventure. Not because I like shopping, since I've already established that I abhor the whole practice, but because it's Wal-Mart. I wait for the teeny old lady to cross the crosswalk at a snail's pace, and then creep forward as people and carts spill in and out of the automatic doors...well, the one set that works. Cars playfully race in and out of the aisles of spots. I laugh at their antics as I slam on my brakes. I park next to the giant, rusted out, bumper stickered van and head inside. I smile at the small girl in pigtails, handing her daddy beer bottles to be exchanged for money at the can and bottle return machines. I greet the elderly women in the entrance and select a cart with as little rust and as many wheels as I can find. I take a deep breath and venture into the land of sweet and joy and joyness...oh wait, that's Candy Mountain...well, I go in anyway.
The cart I have chosen bumps and makes a loud noise as I push it into the store. It pulls to the left, almost taking out a small child. No worries, it'll be good for my arm muscles. I pretend I am in a movie, where the villian goes after innocent shoppers with a noisy shopping cart, but he's not a very good villian because of course the shoppers hear him coming. But it's still very scary. I decide to call it "The Chopping Cart Chronicles." Ooooo, creepy, right?? "Chopping Cart" hahaha I slay me...especially if I'm in the movie!!
Ahem.
I make my way across the store, weaving in and out of the groups of people who have stopped to chat or stare dazedly at the ceiling. I pick through the shampoo to find a bottle that isn't sticky, and shake the DVDs to make sure the disc hasn't dislodged and become scratched. I tap my toe patiently as the woman in front of the milk cooler attempts to shove more merchandise into her already overflowing cart. I attempt to find the least smushed loaf of bread, and lettuce with more green leaves than brown. I suppress my sigh at the carts parked across aisles as people stare in confusion at the wide variety of choices and attempt to make the best decision. I think tiny thoughts as the man in the motorized shopping cart attempts to squeeze between me and the post positioned in the center of the aisle.
Finally my list is complete and I am ready to check out. The lines are usually pretty busy, so I pick the closest one. Surprise! The next one over only has one customer, and the cart isn't very full. I quickly skip over. What? Price check? Okay...welll...that's fine. I unload my cart as the person in front of me searches for their checkbook. Who writes checks anymore? The cashier and then customer laugh over something. The price check comes through and the cashier finishes ringing up. The customer pays and leans up against the counter, engaging in a lengthy conversation with the cashier. My original line is now open, but all my merchandise is on this conveyor belt. Finally the customer bids his new friend farewell and I walk to the counter just as my cashier goes off duty. The new person, a high schooler it appears, comes on and takes several minutes to sign into their cash register. Finally she glances my way and says, "Hi, did you find everything okay?" I briefly wonder what would happen if I told her I didn't, but then smile and say, "Yup."
As I dodge cars in the parking lot, pushing my cart around the potholes, I think about my trip to the smiley face zone. I load up my trunk and grab the extra carts in the parking spaces I pass as I trek to the nearest cart corral, half a block away or so. What wonderful people. What excellent service. What low prices.
Wal-Mart.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Don't forget your life jacket
A few weeks ago, I texted something to my sister and she responded with, "Sometimes I wish I could dive into your brain to see how it works." Oddly,enough, she isn't the only person to have ever expressed this sentiment. Truth be told, I'm not sure even I know how my brain works. Sometimes (lots of times) I get the feeling that I exist on a completely different wavelength from everyone else. And I really don't think it's a bad thing. I was reading my horoscope yesterday (no, I don't believe in astrology, but sometimes I get sucked into those silly Facebook apps and it was pretty much a one time thing) and was suprised to see a fairly accurate description of me. People think I'm a little strange, pretty quirky, very eccentric. (Eccentric is the word I prefer to use, others may have other ideas...Phyllis, stop it.) I happen to be very amused by me most of the time, and if I'm lucky I amuse others too. Sometimes in the "I'm shaking my head and patting you on the head" sort of way, but hey, I'll take what I can get.
Anyway. In a similar fashion to that "25 Random Things About Me" fad that went around Facebook months ago, I am going to attempt to uncover some of the mysteries of my mind for others out there. This will be in no way comprehensive, since there is no way I can possibly type everything out and still get some cleaning done tonight, and also because I am continually learning new things about myself. I am trying to peer-pressure Phyllis into guest blogging in the near future with her views on my brain, since she apparently has MANY opinions. We'll see how that turns out. So. On with the show.
~I am very sarcastic. Not only do I speak in sarcasm, I also hear almost everything in a sarcastic tone. I believe this is why I have a hard time taking compliments. "Wow, you did a great job on that," turns into a snarky judgment. "You look nice today," makes me second-guess not only the outfit/hair I am sporting at the time, but also makes me think back to how I must look other days in order for someone to make that comparison. I'm not saying it's right, I'm just saying it is.
~Let's get this out of the way right now. I think waaaaay too much. I read into everything, and actually have to talk myself down sometimes. Not literally "down" like I'm on the verge of doing something crazy, but I have to mentally beat down certain thoughts that keep popping up. What did she mean when she said that? Did I say the right thing with that client? Is she avoiding my call or is she really not home? Seriously, it's annoying. Different from hearing voices, because it's my own voice and I can control it, but just as distracting at times.
~I'm pretty sure in my chosen profession I have no idea what I'm doing. Don't tell my boss. (HI, Amanda!) If anyone reading this doesn't know, I'm a family therapist. I currently work with punk teenagers, and I actually sorta love it sometimes. Teenagers are hilarious. However, why on earth would a teenager listen to me? Let alone his parents, who have been raising this kid sometimes for almost as long as I've been alive. Yet somehow, change happens. One of my supervisors told me the other day that the result of therapy is 50% therapeutic alliance, 25% method, and 25% outside factors having nothing to do with the actual therapy. I guess if there's one thing I know I'm good at, it's connecting with my clients. Sometimes all they need is someone to listen and believe that they aren't bad kids/parents. The least I can give them is that.
~Even though I've chosen to be a therapist, I also want to be a writer and a book editor and a marine biologist and an ice skater and a photographer and I want to be in a band. Sometimes I wonder if I chose the safe route, if you can call an almost completely subjective profession the "safe route." I decide approximately monthly to change my career. However, I feel so stuck sometimes (by student loans, education, lack of opportunity) that it never seems realistic. I want to do something that takes me to exotic places, but I am terrified to leave my family, not to mention my comfort zone, behind. How can I want to be far away and stay here all at the same time? I have no idea. Thus far my opportunities remain where I am, so here I stay.
~I am a fiercely loyal friend. I also work very hard at keeping in touch with friends. This is one of those things I have to talk myself down about, because I tend to take it personally when friends don't keep in as close contact with me as I do them. I know (really I do!) that it isn't personal, and that my friends love me as much as I love them (maybe more, I am very loveable, after all), but man, when I don't hear from people for weeks/months it makes it hard! This is made worse by the fact that many of my closest friends live far away, so seeing them face to face isn't at option. Good thing I'm a phone person and a very persistent stalker;)
~As much as I love my friendships, and have several friends I am convinced will be in my life forever, I am terrified of committment of the romantic sort. I think I have reached the point in my life where two things have happened. Number 1, I have gotten hurt in the past. And seriously, that shouldn't even be an issue because most of the hurt was my own fault for not speaking up. Does that change me speaking up now? Of course not. I'm too scared. Number 2, I have gotten very comfortable with my life as it is. I'm not good with change, and even good change can be uncomfortable. Do I want to be married and have kids? Absolutely. Am I sometimes ridiculously jealous of my friends who are doing just that? I'm ashamed to say that I am. Not that I'm not ecstatically happy at the same time. It's a very strange dichotomy of emotions. It's going to take an awesome guy pursuing me to convince me the change is worth it...even though I already know it will be...it's okay, I still don't understand me...
~I talk to inanimate objects. No, I don't think they talk back (mostly), but when you live alone, it's hard not to strike up a conversation with the microwave. A couple weeks ago I was home for five and a half days straight with walking pneumonia. The time was fairly void of human contact. However, you'd be amazed at the conversations I had. I also talk to other cars while driving. Not to their drivers, to the cars themselves. I used to have some major road rage issues. Now it's more road annoyance. I mean, really, a car should have its lights on if the fog is so thick you can't see five feet in front of you, right? I thought so. Silly cars.
~I constantly make up stories in my head to keep myself entertained. Anyone can star in them. Sometimes it's people I know, sometimes it's people I've heard of, and sometimes the characters are completely made up. Some of these stories have the potential to turn into novels, but I need to finish the two I'm working on before moving on to any of my other ideas.
~I have the strangest/funniest dreams. And I almost always remember them. One of my all time favorites is the one where I was a green M&M in the M&M army and they didn't know I was a spy who was planning to eat them all. I recently had a dream in which I was dating Evan Lysacek, Olympic gold medal figure skater. I also dreamed my friend Libby was a cat and her mom set her tail on fire, and that my best friend's brother could sing like Josh Groban. Sometimes I adapt my dreams into the stories/daydreams I use to entertain myself. Amazing how fast car trips go with these stories!
~I get bored very easily. I often have to be doing three things at once to keep part of my brain from falling asleep. (Although you would be proud because right now the TV is muted and I'm not even chatting with anyone, so this blog has my entire focus...probably why it's getting so long!) You'd think that a short attention span would not be conducive to being a therapist, but it's amazing how I can focus in during those times when it's really important. It also explains why I want to be a play therapist instead of doing talk therapy forever. And why I enjoy the skill teaching part of therapy because I can play games with the family. Also, I like sparkly things. I have recently been very distracted in staffing due to the sparkle of a new engagement ring on a coworker's finger. Seriously, it's bad sometimes, like I will be completely out of it, completely lost in the sparkles, and have no idea what's going on. That degree of distractedness does not occur very often, but I can lose minutes this way. Phyllis has a pair of sparkly sandals she wears when the weather is warm that I love to stare at. Good thing she doesn't put her feet on the table during meetings.
~I am still awed by things that should by now be mundane. Every time it snows, I sit at the window and watch the flakes come down. Same with rain. I appreciate every sunny day, and the birds singing when I wake up. When I am by a large body of water, I can sit and stare at the movement of the waves for hours. Every time I walk outside when it's dark out, I look up, and if the sky is clear I stand in amazement and stare at the stars, which never fail to take my breath away. That's the thing I miss about living in the country. I love visiting my brother because the stars are so bright and beautiful. I even enjoy the sight of the gold-domed Captiol building I see every day on my drive to work. I'm almost paralyzed when I get places like the mountains, because the beauty overwhelms me. I fully appreciate every aspect of God's beautiful creation, and often feel as if I'm seeing it for the first time.
~I think things like squirrels and pirates and sporks are funny. I like to twist people's words (all in fun) until they are flustered with trying to get their meaning across. I can be having a conversation and suddenly be on a topic about 5000 miles from where we started. I could trace the train of thought, but it would take too long and probably wouldn't make any sense to anyone else. I always have good reasons for the things I do and say, but usually they just come across as bizarre. And I think usually people appreciate the bizarre. I also know when to be serious, but sometimes I say things I mean seriously as a joke, hoping people won't take them seriously.
~The last paragraph was a whole bunch of different things all in one. I'm pretty sure I'm forgetting something I wanted to put in here, but I feel as if it's gotten long enough.
So yeah. I may add more as time goes on, in different posts. Clearly this is just a small part of what makes me, me, but hopefully you got just a glimpse into my inner workings. Any deeper and you might just never recover ;)
Anyway. In a similar fashion to that "25 Random Things About Me" fad that went around Facebook months ago, I am going to attempt to uncover some of the mysteries of my mind for others out there. This will be in no way comprehensive, since there is no way I can possibly type everything out and still get some cleaning done tonight, and also because I am continually learning new things about myself. I am trying to peer-pressure Phyllis into guest blogging in the near future with her views on my brain, since she apparently has MANY opinions. We'll see how that turns out. So. On with the show.
~I am very sarcastic. Not only do I speak in sarcasm, I also hear almost everything in a sarcastic tone. I believe this is why I have a hard time taking compliments. "Wow, you did a great job on that," turns into a snarky judgment. "You look nice today," makes me second-guess not only the outfit/hair I am sporting at the time, but also makes me think back to how I must look other days in order for someone to make that comparison. I'm not saying it's right, I'm just saying it is.
~Let's get this out of the way right now. I think waaaaay too much. I read into everything, and actually have to talk myself down sometimes. Not literally "down" like I'm on the verge of doing something crazy, but I have to mentally beat down certain thoughts that keep popping up. What did she mean when she said that? Did I say the right thing with that client? Is she avoiding my call or is she really not home? Seriously, it's annoying. Different from hearing voices, because it's my own voice and I can control it, but just as distracting at times.
~I'm pretty sure in my chosen profession I have no idea what I'm doing. Don't tell my boss. (HI, Amanda!) If anyone reading this doesn't know, I'm a family therapist. I currently work with punk teenagers, and I actually sorta love it sometimes. Teenagers are hilarious. However, why on earth would a teenager listen to me? Let alone his parents, who have been raising this kid sometimes for almost as long as I've been alive. Yet somehow, change happens. One of my supervisors told me the other day that the result of therapy is 50% therapeutic alliance, 25% method, and 25% outside factors having nothing to do with the actual therapy. I guess if there's one thing I know I'm good at, it's connecting with my clients. Sometimes all they need is someone to listen and believe that they aren't bad kids/parents. The least I can give them is that.
~Even though I've chosen to be a therapist, I also want to be a writer and a book editor and a marine biologist and an ice skater and a photographer and I want to be in a band. Sometimes I wonder if I chose the safe route, if you can call an almost completely subjective profession the "safe route." I decide approximately monthly to change my career. However, I feel so stuck sometimes (by student loans, education, lack of opportunity) that it never seems realistic. I want to do something that takes me to exotic places, but I am terrified to leave my family, not to mention my comfort zone, behind. How can I want to be far away and stay here all at the same time? I have no idea. Thus far my opportunities remain where I am, so here I stay.
~I am a fiercely loyal friend. I also work very hard at keeping in touch with friends. This is one of those things I have to talk myself down about, because I tend to take it personally when friends don't keep in as close contact with me as I do them. I know (really I do!) that it isn't personal, and that my friends love me as much as I love them (maybe more, I am very loveable, after all), but man, when I don't hear from people for weeks/months it makes it hard! This is made worse by the fact that many of my closest friends live far away, so seeing them face to face isn't at option. Good thing I'm a phone person and a very persistent stalker;)
~As much as I love my friendships, and have several friends I am convinced will be in my life forever, I am terrified of committment of the romantic sort. I think I have reached the point in my life where two things have happened. Number 1, I have gotten hurt in the past. And seriously, that shouldn't even be an issue because most of the hurt was my own fault for not speaking up. Does that change me speaking up now? Of course not. I'm too scared. Number 2, I have gotten very comfortable with my life as it is. I'm not good with change, and even good change can be uncomfortable. Do I want to be married and have kids? Absolutely. Am I sometimes ridiculously jealous of my friends who are doing just that? I'm ashamed to say that I am. Not that I'm not ecstatically happy at the same time. It's a very strange dichotomy of emotions. It's going to take an awesome guy pursuing me to convince me the change is worth it...even though I already know it will be...it's okay, I still don't understand me...
~I talk to inanimate objects. No, I don't think they talk back (mostly), but when you live alone, it's hard not to strike up a conversation with the microwave. A couple weeks ago I was home for five and a half days straight with walking pneumonia. The time was fairly void of human contact. However, you'd be amazed at the conversations I had. I also talk to other cars while driving. Not to their drivers, to the cars themselves. I used to have some major road rage issues. Now it's more road annoyance. I mean, really, a car should have its lights on if the fog is so thick you can't see five feet in front of you, right? I thought so. Silly cars.
~I constantly make up stories in my head to keep myself entertained. Anyone can star in them. Sometimes it's people I know, sometimes it's people I've heard of, and sometimes the characters are completely made up. Some of these stories have the potential to turn into novels, but I need to finish the two I'm working on before moving on to any of my other ideas.
~I have the strangest/funniest dreams. And I almost always remember them. One of my all time favorites is the one where I was a green M&M in the M&M army and they didn't know I was a spy who was planning to eat them all. I recently had a dream in which I was dating Evan Lysacek, Olympic gold medal figure skater. I also dreamed my friend Libby was a cat and her mom set her tail on fire, and that my best friend's brother could sing like Josh Groban. Sometimes I adapt my dreams into the stories/daydreams I use to entertain myself. Amazing how fast car trips go with these stories!
~I get bored very easily. I often have to be doing three things at once to keep part of my brain from falling asleep. (Although you would be proud because right now the TV is muted and I'm not even chatting with anyone, so this blog has my entire focus...probably why it's getting so long!) You'd think that a short attention span would not be conducive to being a therapist, but it's amazing how I can focus in during those times when it's really important. It also explains why I want to be a play therapist instead of doing talk therapy forever. And why I enjoy the skill teaching part of therapy because I can play games with the family. Also, I like sparkly things. I have recently been very distracted in staffing due to the sparkle of a new engagement ring on a coworker's finger. Seriously, it's bad sometimes, like I will be completely out of it, completely lost in the sparkles, and have no idea what's going on. That degree of distractedness does not occur very often, but I can lose minutes this way. Phyllis has a pair of sparkly sandals she wears when the weather is warm that I love to stare at. Good thing she doesn't put her feet on the table during meetings.
~I am still awed by things that should by now be mundane. Every time it snows, I sit at the window and watch the flakes come down. Same with rain. I appreciate every sunny day, and the birds singing when I wake up. When I am by a large body of water, I can sit and stare at the movement of the waves for hours. Every time I walk outside when it's dark out, I look up, and if the sky is clear I stand in amazement and stare at the stars, which never fail to take my breath away. That's the thing I miss about living in the country. I love visiting my brother because the stars are so bright and beautiful. I even enjoy the sight of the gold-domed Captiol building I see every day on my drive to work. I'm almost paralyzed when I get places like the mountains, because the beauty overwhelms me. I fully appreciate every aspect of God's beautiful creation, and often feel as if I'm seeing it for the first time.
~I think things like squirrels and pirates and sporks are funny. I like to twist people's words (all in fun) until they are flustered with trying to get their meaning across. I can be having a conversation and suddenly be on a topic about 5000 miles from where we started. I could trace the train of thought, but it would take too long and probably wouldn't make any sense to anyone else. I always have good reasons for the things I do and say, but usually they just come across as bizarre. And I think usually people appreciate the bizarre. I also know when to be serious, but sometimes I say things I mean seriously as a joke, hoping people won't take them seriously.
~The last paragraph was a whole bunch of different things all in one. I'm pretty sure I'm forgetting something I wanted to put in here, but I feel as if it's gotten long enough.
So yeah. I may add more as time goes on, in different posts. Clearly this is just a small part of what makes me, me, but hopefully you got just a glimpse into my inner workings. Any deeper and you might just never recover ;)
Saturday, February 27, 2010
A message from the sickly
Being sick is boring. I always get in trouble for doing things like texting and emailing while I'm sick. People seem to think that when I'm sick I should just watch TV and sleep, maybe wake up to eat some soup and drink some orange juice. I hate being sick. I like doing all those things by choice, but force me into it and I become downright belligerent. It annoys me that I can't walk to the bathroom without feeling like I've run around the block. It's frustrating to see my dishes pile up when I haven't got the energy to be up long enough to do anything about it. It's been almost a week that I've felt sick, four days that I've been stuck in this apartment. I went out Thursday to go to the doctor, who cheerfully let me know I have walking pneumonia, and to fill my prescriptions, and it about did me in. So of course I went out again yesterday. Now yesterday was a very important errand, because I really needed to get something to chase my cough syrup, which has a taste that is indescribably nasty. Really, I was trying to think of something with which to compare it and came up empty. I need to take another dose and I'm avoiding it. Other than those times out I've been mostly staring off into space or watching movies. OH and I finished my 19th book this year. But reading makes my head wonky. See how boring being sick is? It even makes this blog more boring than usual!
I did watch an interesting movie called "The Invention of Lying." It's just recently come out on DVD, so I'm sure most people have heard of it. Such an interesting idea, a world where everyone tells the absolute truth, not even lies of omission. It made me think about how many times we lie or stretch the truth day to day. Even at the doctor's office, when the doctor came in and asked how I was, I was like, "Oh, I'm okay," when couldn't have been further from the truth. In the movie, every time someone asked how someone else was, they got an answer like, "Not so good, I'm really depressed and actually contemplating suicide." When this guy discovers his ability to lie, he actually helps people by telling them there is hope, even if he doesn't believe it. Really kinda made me think. But not too much, because my brain is fuzzy these days.
I'm watching a movie adapted from a Jane Austen novel, and I can't decide if I like it or not. I'm not really following though. Maybe I should stick to reading the books first so I at least know what's going on. But I still sometimes want to live in those times. And I want to go to England. And to the ocean. But mostly I'm just ready to get off this stupid couch. And sleep. I kept waking myself up with my wheezing while I was breathing last night. I tried to stop, but that probably wasn't the best idea either. It kept working its way into my dreams. I dreamt a woman was crying, but I woke up and it was just my lungs. Crying.
Achoo.
I did watch an interesting movie called "The Invention of Lying." It's just recently come out on DVD, so I'm sure most people have heard of it. Such an interesting idea, a world where everyone tells the absolute truth, not even lies of omission. It made me think about how many times we lie or stretch the truth day to day. Even at the doctor's office, when the doctor came in and asked how I was, I was like, "Oh, I'm okay," when couldn't have been further from the truth. In the movie, every time someone asked how someone else was, they got an answer like, "Not so good, I'm really depressed and actually contemplating suicide." When this guy discovers his ability to lie, he actually helps people by telling them there is hope, even if he doesn't believe it. Really kinda made me think. But not too much, because my brain is fuzzy these days.
I'm watching a movie adapted from a Jane Austen novel, and I can't decide if I like it or not. I'm not really following though. Maybe I should stick to reading the books first so I at least know what's going on. But I still sometimes want to live in those times. And I want to go to England. And to the ocean. But mostly I'm just ready to get off this stupid couch. And sleep. I kept waking myself up with my wheezing while I was breathing last night. I tried to stop, but that probably wasn't the best idea either. It kept working its way into my dreams. I dreamt a woman was crying, but I woke up and it was just my lungs. Crying.
Achoo.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
A fat baby with a weapon
Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! I hope everyone had an enjoyable VD. My VD was alright, not too exciting, I just laid around for most of it, although I did see my sis and fam towards the end. I hope you all celebrated VD with the ones you love, because, single or attached, VD is all about love. What do you mean, I shouldn't use that abbreviation? What do you think it means? Huh? Oh... Ohhhhh... Color me embarrassed! Heh heh...uhh...ahem...
(Okay, deep breath, just keep going...)
So this is the day we have set aside each year to let our loved ones know that they are, in fact, loved. Good thing we have a day for that, because otherwise we might be forced to do nice things for our loved ones on our own, without the pressure of card, candy, flower, and jewelry companies. Phew.
Really, as far as holidays go, Valentine's Day is really strange. I laughed really hard the other day at a skit that Jimmy Fallon does called "Robert is Bothered." I believe there is a website, robertisbothered.com. Anyway, this latest one is about Valentine's Day, and it was hilarious. Some of the high points:
-> "Here's an idea, let's give pictures of our internal organs to other people we love. That's not weird at all. Here honey, happy Valentine's Day, here's a picture of my kidneys!"
-> Cupid. "Am I supposed to find this romantic?...A fat baby with a weapon?"
-> Chocolates. Pieces of poo covered with a maxi pad.
Much funnier if you watch it, but you get the idea. So funny. I did get one Valentine this year, from my friend Kaija. It made me smile. I kinda suck at sending things like that, sending out nice cards. I have a bunch, but I forget to send them. I even have one with Kaija's name written in it, but that's as far as I got.
So...Valentine's Day... I'm pretty cynical about the whole thing. I'm not sure if I would be less so if I weren't single. I think I'd still find it kind of silly. I would much rather get surprises, flowers, whatever when I'm not expecting it. In fact, when/if I get married, I hope we start a tradition for Valentine's Day like sitting at home in our pajamas and watching a movie with a big bowl of popcorn. Mmmm. There's a good time.
Anyway, as I said, I hope you all spent your day celebrating all the different kinds of love present in your life. Who says your Valentine has to be a romantic love? Happy middleoffebruarymeansspringisgettingcloser!
(Okay, deep breath, just keep going...)
So this is the day we have set aside each year to let our loved ones know that they are, in fact, loved. Good thing we have a day for that, because otherwise we might be forced to do nice things for our loved ones on our own, without the pressure of card, candy, flower, and jewelry companies. Phew.
Really, as far as holidays go, Valentine's Day is really strange. I laughed really hard the other day at a skit that Jimmy Fallon does called "Robert is Bothered." I believe there is a website, robertisbothered.com. Anyway, this latest one is about Valentine's Day, and it was hilarious. Some of the high points:
-> "Here's an idea, let's give pictures of our internal organs to other people we love. That's not weird at all. Here honey, happy Valentine's Day, here's a picture of my kidneys!"
-> Cupid. "Am I supposed to find this romantic?...A fat baby with a weapon?"
-> Chocolates. Pieces of poo covered with a maxi pad.
Much funnier if you watch it, but you get the idea. So funny. I did get one Valentine this year, from my friend Kaija. It made me smile. I kinda suck at sending things like that, sending out nice cards. I have a bunch, but I forget to send them. I even have one with Kaija's name written in it, but that's as far as I got.
So...Valentine's Day... I'm pretty cynical about the whole thing. I'm not sure if I would be less so if I weren't single. I think I'd still find it kind of silly. I would much rather get surprises, flowers, whatever when I'm not expecting it. In fact, when/if I get married, I hope we start a tradition for Valentine's Day like sitting at home in our pajamas and watching a movie with a big bowl of popcorn. Mmmm. There's a good time.
Anyway, as I said, I hope you all spent your day celebrating all the different kinds of love present in your life. Who says your Valentine has to be a romantic love? Happy middleoffebruarymeansspringisgettingcloser!
Monday, February 8, 2010
Chapter 3: The rest
Okay, these are getting tedious even for me. I was all about doing one day at a time and being all descriptive, but if you know me you know I have a short attention span. So I'm going to just cover the everything else and do my reflections tomorrow. K? Good.
Day at Sea:
-> Angie and I ordered room service for breakfast (did I mention we were spoiled???) but forgot to put milk on for Angie's cereal. She ate Raisin Bran with chocolate milk. She was not impressed.
-> The ship rocked a lot this day, and it was pretty cloudy, some rain. We attempted to sit outside and actually both fell asleep for a while, then fell asleep in the cabin and almost missed dinner
-> Went to the first official show, saw a lot of girls in thongs. Talented performers, too much skin!
-> We were going to do karaoke, but when we got there it was "Karaoke Idol" with judges and stuff so we just watched
-> R-rated comedy show was pretty funny but not sure why he had to use quite so many swear words.
Cozumel (2/1/10):
-> At breakfast, our server Marie An saved us a table and we offered to share with these two older ladies in front of us in line. They were named Rosemary and Rose and had been friends for 35 years. They were from Jersey and Brooklyn (though Rose now lives in FL) and were hilarious. They were possibly my favorite people we met, and I want to be them when I grow up.
-> It was sunny for part of the day, which was fabulous.
-> Our excursion for Cozumel was going to play with stingrays. The guy in charge was hilarious. I was a little nervous, even though he told us they clip the stingers. We fed them, pet them, held them, and even kissed them! After that we got to snorkel. which I've never done. I kept thinking I was going to inhale water, but I never did. Also, this was my first taste of the ocean, and I forgot that it would be so salty! Still cool though. I look hot in flippers and snorkel gear.
-> It was terrifying being driven through Cozumel in a taxi. They drive super fast between speed bumps and then slam on the breaks. Scooters are weaving in and out and cars go bumper to bumper. Insane. I will never complain about Des Moines drivers again. (Okay that's probably a lie...)
-> It POURED for a while during our stay. Not cool, dude. Not cool.
-> Shopping is insane in Mexico. Crazy good deals, but the vendors are super pushy. We got our picture taken with a guy in a strange feather outfit and this guy was like, "Okay, he had his turn, now you come see what I have," and opened up this door. We got out of there pretty fast. You gotta be good at saying no!
-> Back on the ship we hit up the hottub. I was enjoying it until some older men got in and started making suggestive comments. Not to me directly, but it was still pretty uncomfortable. People are weird.
Costa Maya:
-> Ang and I got up to catch the sunrise, but it was cloudy. Sad day. The sun finally came up over the ship and we got some cool shots though.
-> At the port, there were military guys wandering around with big guns. I made Angie pretend to pose for a picture so I could capture them on my camera. They were a little intimidating but didn't even look at us twice. Guess we don't look suspicious!
-> In line for our excursion to Jungle Beach, we met a man named Scott who is 7'2. We talked about his height and I commented that he must get it a lot. He's like, no you're the first to mention it. In all fairness, he brought it up first!
-> The sun finally came out full force at the beach. It was beautiful. We sat in the sun for hours, went swimming for a bit, and took advantage of the open bar. I also made friends with a sand crab. So cute. Rosemary and Rose were there in all their glory. Lol. Still so spoiled. There was a bathroom attendant who opened up the stall for me, turned on the water, got my soap, and got my paper towel. I almost thought she was going to follow me in the stall and offer to help. I felt a bit of the American privilege guilt. Some things are just unnecessary.
-> Loading up to leave the beach, a bunch of drunk people got ahold of a megaphone. Instead of taking it away, the workers just laughed. We were slightly embarassed to be Americans. Of course we had to sit near them on the 30 minute bus ride back to the port. They were soooo wasted.
-> Vendors were even more pushy here, and would yell insults if you didn't stop at their store. I was glad to get out of there actually. I'm glad we went to the beach instead of spending the day in town.
-> We got our picture taken with a monkey and a pirate. Best. Day. Ever.
-> The serving staff did a dance after dinner. It was so great. I loved our servers. Plus, Von showed us some toothpick puzzles I will definitely use again.
-> Entertainment for the evening was the "Love and Marriage Show" with GARY as host. So hilarious. Probably my favorite show of the trip. After that was a talent show, and people were...well...not that talented. But it takes a lot of guts to get up in front of so many people! One of the ladies sang "Like a Virgin" and did a very suggestive dance. We could see Gary backstage from where we were sitting and he was on the floor, it was hilarious.
-> We had tried the dance club the night before and it was lame, as it was this night as well. However, there was a party under the stars and we did all the cheesy wedding dances (led by Gary!) and conga lines and all that. It was awesome. This was probably my favorite night.
Last day at sea:
-> I didn't take notes on this one, so I'm winging it. Yes, I took notes on what I wanted to remember. So?
-> Slept in. Beautiful. I slept so well with the rocking of the boat!
-> Went to debarkation talk. I only mention this because it was with GARY. And he's hilarious.
-> Went to find food. Got fried chicken and tried to dip it in ketchup. It tasted weird, so I looked down and there were bubbles in my ketchup. Like it was carbonated. That's just not normal. Of course I took a picture.
-> Tried to sit out on the deck but it was FREEZING! We were both wrapped in towels and finally gave up the fight and spent a couple hours just vegging out in our stateroom. That's what vacation is for, right?
-> We started to get sad about having to leave the next day. Took some final pictures on deck before dinner. Took in the show after dinner. Leah and Tara made us sit waaaay up front. Way too close for such skimpy outfits! They are definitely better when seen from a distance. Lol. Pretty much just hung out in our room after that, organized and got ready to leave. We were kinda lame and went to sleep earlyish since we had to get up so early the next day.
Final morning:
-> Up at 5:30. Last breakfast.
-> About 7:30 Gary told us we could debark if we were taking our own luggage. He looked all cas as we left the ship. Bye bye, Gary.
-> Customs was a joke. This is how my conversation with the officer went:
Officer: Passport?
Me: *Hands it to him*
O: Who are you traveling with?
M: Her *points to Angie*
O: *Ignoring Angie's passport* Anyone else?
M: Nope
O: Where are you headed next?
M: Back to Iowa
O: Going back to school?
M: Nope, I wish. Back to work.
O: What do you do for work?
M: I'm a family therapist
O: *Immediately averts eyes and gestures for us to continue on*
LOL. Apparently he had no interest in continuing a conversation with a therapist. I really need to learn to start lying when people ask what I do for a living. Probably it was good I didn't lie to a customs officer though...
-> Saw the weird/awkward guys from dinner one last time. They skipped dinner a couple times. Much less awkward without them there. Lol.
-> I found my new bodyguard in the bus driver. He was huge! Crazy driver though. I should have just closed my eyes.
-> Many hours at the airport. Not fun. Saw Leah and Tara once more. Switched seats to sit next to Angie. Kid screamed on the whole plane ride to Minneapolis
-> Had to say goodbye to my dear Angie, not knowing when I would see her again. I almost cried when I walked out into the cold and snow. It was nasty weather all weekend.
Okay so that's it for now. I will maybe post some reflections, but no promises. I have research topics to begin on...
Day at Sea:
-> Angie and I ordered room service for breakfast (did I mention we were spoiled???) but forgot to put milk on for Angie's cereal. She ate Raisin Bran with chocolate milk. She was not impressed.
-> The ship rocked a lot this day, and it was pretty cloudy, some rain. We attempted to sit outside and actually both fell asleep for a while, then fell asleep in the cabin and almost missed dinner
-> Went to the first official show, saw a lot of girls in thongs. Talented performers, too much skin!
-> We were going to do karaoke, but when we got there it was "Karaoke Idol" with judges and stuff so we just watched
-> R-rated comedy show was pretty funny but not sure why he had to use quite so many swear words.
Cozumel (2/1/10):
-> At breakfast, our server Marie An saved us a table and we offered to share with these two older ladies in front of us in line. They were named Rosemary and Rose and had been friends for 35 years. They were from Jersey and Brooklyn (though Rose now lives in FL) and were hilarious. They were possibly my favorite people we met, and I want to be them when I grow up.
-> It was sunny for part of the day, which was fabulous.
-> Our excursion for Cozumel was going to play with stingrays. The guy in charge was hilarious. I was a little nervous, even though he told us they clip the stingers. We fed them, pet them, held them, and even kissed them! After that we got to snorkel. which I've never done. I kept thinking I was going to inhale water, but I never did. Also, this was my first taste of the ocean, and I forgot that it would be so salty! Still cool though. I look hot in flippers and snorkel gear.
-> It was terrifying being driven through Cozumel in a taxi. They drive super fast between speed bumps and then slam on the breaks. Scooters are weaving in and out and cars go bumper to bumper. Insane. I will never complain about Des Moines drivers again. (Okay that's probably a lie...)
-> It POURED for a while during our stay. Not cool, dude. Not cool.
-> Shopping is insane in Mexico. Crazy good deals, but the vendors are super pushy. We got our picture taken with a guy in a strange feather outfit and this guy was like, "Okay, he had his turn, now you come see what I have," and opened up this door. We got out of there pretty fast. You gotta be good at saying no!
-> Back on the ship we hit up the hottub. I was enjoying it until some older men got in and started making suggestive comments. Not to me directly, but it was still pretty uncomfortable. People are weird.
Costa Maya:
-> Ang and I got up to catch the sunrise, but it was cloudy. Sad day. The sun finally came up over the ship and we got some cool shots though.
-> At the port, there were military guys wandering around with big guns. I made Angie pretend to pose for a picture so I could capture them on my camera. They were a little intimidating but didn't even look at us twice. Guess we don't look suspicious!
-> In line for our excursion to Jungle Beach, we met a man named Scott who is 7'2. We talked about his height and I commented that he must get it a lot. He's like, no you're the first to mention it. In all fairness, he brought it up first!
-> The sun finally came out full force at the beach. It was beautiful. We sat in the sun for hours, went swimming for a bit, and took advantage of the open bar. I also made friends with a sand crab. So cute. Rosemary and Rose were there in all their glory. Lol. Still so spoiled. There was a bathroom attendant who opened up the stall for me, turned on the water, got my soap, and got my paper towel. I almost thought she was going to follow me in the stall and offer to help. I felt a bit of the American privilege guilt. Some things are just unnecessary.
-> Loading up to leave the beach, a bunch of drunk people got ahold of a megaphone. Instead of taking it away, the workers just laughed. We were slightly embarassed to be Americans. Of course we had to sit near them on the 30 minute bus ride back to the port. They were soooo wasted.
-> Vendors were even more pushy here, and would yell insults if you didn't stop at their store. I was glad to get out of there actually. I'm glad we went to the beach instead of spending the day in town.
-> We got our picture taken with a monkey and a pirate. Best. Day. Ever.
-> The serving staff did a dance after dinner. It was so great. I loved our servers. Plus, Von showed us some toothpick puzzles I will definitely use again.
-> Entertainment for the evening was the "Love and Marriage Show" with GARY as host. So hilarious. Probably my favorite show of the trip. After that was a talent show, and people were...well...not that talented. But it takes a lot of guts to get up in front of so many people! One of the ladies sang "Like a Virgin" and did a very suggestive dance. We could see Gary backstage from where we were sitting and he was on the floor, it was hilarious.
-> We had tried the dance club the night before and it was lame, as it was this night as well. However, there was a party under the stars and we did all the cheesy wedding dances (led by Gary!) and conga lines and all that. It was awesome. This was probably my favorite night.
Last day at sea:
-> I didn't take notes on this one, so I'm winging it. Yes, I took notes on what I wanted to remember. So?
-> Slept in. Beautiful. I slept so well with the rocking of the boat!
-> Went to debarkation talk. I only mention this because it was with GARY. And he's hilarious.
-> Went to find food. Got fried chicken and tried to dip it in ketchup. It tasted weird, so I looked down and there were bubbles in my ketchup. Like it was carbonated. That's just not normal. Of course I took a picture.
-> Tried to sit out on the deck but it was FREEZING! We were both wrapped in towels and finally gave up the fight and spent a couple hours just vegging out in our stateroom. That's what vacation is for, right?
-> We started to get sad about having to leave the next day. Took some final pictures on deck before dinner. Took in the show after dinner. Leah and Tara made us sit waaaay up front. Way too close for such skimpy outfits! They are definitely better when seen from a distance. Lol. Pretty much just hung out in our room after that, organized and got ready to leave. We were kinda lame and went to sleep earlyish since we had to get up so early the next day.
Final morning:
-> Up at 5:30. Last breakfast.
-> About 7:30 Gary told us we could debark if we were taking our own luggage. He looked all cas as we left the ship. Bye bye, Gary.
-> Customs was a joke. This is how my conversation with the officer went:
Officer: Passport?
Me: *Hands it to him*
O: Who are you traveling with?
M: Her *points to Angie*
O: *Ignoring Angie's passport* Anyone else?
M: Nope
O: Where are you headed next?
M: Back to Iowa
O: Going back to school?
M: Nope, I wish. Back to work.
O: What do you do for work?
M: I'm a family therapist
O: *Immediately averts eyes and gestures for us to continue on*
LOL. Apparently he had no interest in continuing a conversation with a therapist. I really need to learn to start lying when people ask what I do for a living. Probably it was good I didn't lie to a customs officer though...
-> Saw the weird/awkward guys from dinner one last time. They skipped dinner a couple times. Much less awkward without them there. Lol.
-> I found my new bodyguard in the bus driver. He was huge! Crazy driver though. I should have just closed my eyes.
-> Many hours at the airport. Not fun. Saw Leah and Tara once more. Switched seats to sit next to Angie. Kid screamed on the whole plane ride to Minneapolis
-> Had to say goodbye to my dear Angie, not knowing when I would see her again. I almost cried when I walked out into the cold and snow. It was nasty weather all weekend.
Okay so that's it for now. I will maybe post some reflections, but no promises. I have research topics to begin on...
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Chapter 2: The boat
Clearly my last entry was scintillating, judging by the number of comments. Wait... Lol. Remember, this blog is as much for my own memory as for the entertainment of others (although you guys definitely come first. Really.).
So picking up where we left off, Ang and I got to sleep in a bit the next morning since our shuttle didn't leave until noon. I got up first, and walked into the bathroom, and found the toilet seat had been left up. Obviously I was a little disturbed. We're still not sure what happened, but this launched us into calling Angie "Mangie," since she has a low voice sometimes and apparently left the toilet seat up. Lol.
Anyway, we checked out and caught our shuttle. Let me tell you, driving through Miami is frightening! And the port was CRAZY! We got into the building and they herded us through like sheep. Of course there was bright music fit for a fiesta playing in the backgroung. Cha cha cha baaaaa! It was pretty cool in the building where we checked in though, because there was a whole wall of windows through which you could see the ship. Of course, being me, I took a couple pictures of the ship and of the people waiting in line. It was only after I'd snapped the pix that I saw the sign requesting that no pictures be taken in the area. Uhh...whoops? As we got closer to the ship, I realized that from the outside the ship kinda looked like a rundown hotel. You know, those types that you drive by but would never stay at unless you were seriously broke? Good thing it didn't look like that on the inside!
Before we could get on the ship, we had to have our picture taken. Photographers were ALL OVER during the entire cruise. I felt like a celebrity being followed by the paparazzi. It was crazy. The first was my favorite though. Every time a couple was in front of him, he goes, "Huggy huggy huggy!!" except in a really funny accent. Hilarious. He didn't say that to me and Ang though. Go figure. That was the one picture I bought. So we got on the ship, and it was like immediate sensory overload. Kinda like a casino, except the actual casino was nowhere near where we entered. People were everywhere, lights were everywhere...it was overwhelming! We weren't sure what to do, so we decided to try to find our room. We tried a couple doors and found where the staterooms were, then walked down the loooong hall to find ours. We thought it was a little strange that there were no other passengers, just housekeeping people in the hall. But whatever, right? We found our room, took pictures, and were sitting on the couch when the announcement came over the loudspeaker that passengers were now allowed to go to their rooms. Whoops!
We explored the ship a bit, ending up on the top deck to take pictures of the port. It was really windy, so we got some great pictures of us with hair in our faces. Then we settled in to wait for the ship to leave port. It was there, on the top deck at the back of the ship, that I first heard his voice. Gary, the cruise director, came over the loudspeaker. It was like an angel's voice, complete with English accent. Beautiful and smooth. I was instantly infatuated. He welcomed us to the ship, explained emergency procedures, and then told us to go to our muster stations to be briefed. I would go anywhere Gary said. We lined up at our muster station like good little soldiers and watched while the crew demonstrated the life jackets. I concentrated on Gary's voice. *sigh* After that, we were free to roam. Angie and I had a drink and then went to get ready for dinner.
We sat at a table in the back of the dining room with a bunch of other younger people. There were two girls, Leah and Tara, who were cool. We hung out with them quite a bit actually. There were two guys who just seemed to make things awkward. One of them gave a different name two nights in a row. Weird. There was also a couple who came, but they usually came late, ate quick, and left. No conversation except the guy talking to the guy with many names about football. We had the best servers though, Marie An and Von. They were so friendly and hilarious. We were very lucky. The first night at dinner there was also a pirate running around making everyone take pictures. Papa-paparazzi! Also at dinner I managed to spill water down my front and drop my fork. Neither of which was noticed by anyone. I made up for it later though. Just wait...
After dinner we explored the ship a bit more and then went to the opening show. Let me tell you, it was CHEESEtastic. The singers and dancers were super talented, but sheesh. There was a blow up ship bookending big letters that spelled out "F-U-N." Wow. But it was all worth it, because I got my first look at GARY. He is a small man. I could put him in my pocket. And I'm okay with that. He's hilarious and his voice...ahh! So great. Enough about that...for now...
Went to one of the bars after to listen to "Adam" play and have a drink. (The daily schedules always put the names of the performers or facilitators in quotes. Of course I used air quotes to talk about them all week.) It was pretty empty, and this is where I really drew attention. I was gesturing with my hands and I knocked my glass (of Sprite) over onto the bar. Of course, everyone looked anyway, but then the bartender was like, "That's it! I'm cutting you off!" Good thing I don't embarass easily. I just laughed. A lot. While everyone looked at me. And laughed.
All in all, a good first (partial) day on the ship. We were so very spoiled. Servers offering drinks constantly, room cleaned twice a day, room service day or night, and food food food. It was awesome, but I did feel a little bad sometimes, especially when people were rude. What those servers must think of Americans sometimes! Anyway, more on that later. For now, I must put myself to bed. There may be a snowstorm coming (or here) but I must return to work tomorrow regardless. Thanks for reliving my vacation with me, one day at a time. :)
So picking up where we left off, Ang and I got to sleep in a bit the next morning since our shuttle didn't leave until noon. I got up first, and walked into the bathroom, and found the toilet seat had been left up. Obviously I was a little disturbed. We're still not sure what happened, but this launched us into calling Angie "Mangie," since she has a low voice sometimes and apparently left the toilet seat up. Lol.
Anyway, we checked out and caught our shuttle. Let me tell you, driving through Miami is frightening! And the port was CRAZY! We got into the building and they herded us through like sheep. Of course there was bright music fit for a fiesta playing in the backgroung. Cha cha cha baaaaa! It was pretty cool in the building where we checked in though, because there was a whole wall of windows through which you could see the ship. Of course, being me, I took a couple pictures of the ship and of the people waiting in line. It was only after I'd snapped the pix that I saw the sign requesting that no pictures be taken in the area. Uhh...whoops? As we got closer to the ship, I realized that from the outside the ship kinda looked like a rundown hotel. You know, those types that you drive by but would never stay at unless you were seriously broke? Good thing it didn't look like that on the inside!
Before we could get on the ship, we had to have our picture taken. Photographers were ALL OVER during the entire cruise. I felt like a celebrity being followed by the paparazzi. It was crazy. The first was my favorite though. Every time a couple was in front of him, he goes, "Huggy huggy huggy!!" except in a really funny accent. Hilarious. He didn't say that to me and Ang though. Go figure. That was the one picture I bought. So we got on the ship, and it was like immediate sensory overload. Kinda like a casino, except the actual casino was nowhere near where we entered. People were everywhere, lights were everywhere...it was overwhelming! We weren't sure what to do, so we decided to try to find our room. We tried a couple doors and found where the staterooms were, then walked down the loooong hall to find ours. We thought it was a little strange that there were no other passengers, just housekeeping people in the hall. But whatever, right? We found our room, took pictures, and were sitting on the couch when the announcement came over the loudspeaker that passengers were now allowed to go to their rooms. Whoops!
We explored the ship a bit, ending up on the top deck to take pictures of the port. It was really windy, so we got some great pictures of us with hair in our faces. Then we settled in to wait for the ship to leave port. It was there, on the top deck at the back of the ship, that I first heard his voice. Gary, the cruise director, came over the loudspeaker. It was like an angel's voice, complete with English accent. Beautiful and smooth. I was instantly infatuated. He welcomed us to the ship, explained emergency procedures, and then told us to go to our muster stations to be briefed. I would go anywhere Gary said. We lined up at our muster station like good little soldiers and watched while the crew demonstrated the life jackets. I concentrated on Gary's voice. *sigh* After that, we were free to roam. Angie and I had a drink and then went to get ready for dinner.
We sat at a table in the back of the dining room with a bunch of other younger people. There were two girls, Leah and Tara, who were cool. We hung out with them quite a bit actually. There were two guys who just seemed to make things awkward. One of them gave a different name two nights in a row. Weird. There was also a couple who came, but they usually came late, ate quick, and left. No conversation except the guy talking to the guy with many names about football. We had the best servers though, Marie An and Von. They were so friendly and hilarious. We were very lucky. The first night at dinner there was also a pirate running around making everyone take pictures. Papa-paparazzi! Also at dinner I managed to spill water down my front and drop my fork. Neither of which was noticed by anyone. I made up for it later though. Just wait...
After dinner we explored the ship a bit more and then went to the opening show. Let me tell you, it was CHEESEtastic. The singers and dancers were super talented, but sheesh. There was a blow up ship bookending big letters that spelled out "F-U-N." Wow. But it was all worth it, because I got my first look at GARY. He is a small man. I could put him in my pocket. And I'm okay with that. He's hilarious and his voice...ahh! So great. Enough about that...for now...
Went to one of the bars after to listen to "Adam" play and have a drink. (The daily schedules always put the names of the performers or facilitators in quotes. Of course I used air quotes to talk about them all week.) It was pretty empty, and this is where I really drew attention. I was gesturing with my hands and I knocked my glass (of Sprite) over onto the bar. Of course, everyone looked anyway, but then the bartender was like, "That's it! I'm cutting you off!" Good thing I don't embarass easily. I just laughed. A lot. While everyone looked at me. And laughed.
All in all, a good first (partial) day on the ship. We were so very spoiled. Servers offering drinks constantly, room cleaned twice a day, room service day or night, and food food food. It was awesome, but I did feel a little bad sometimes, especially when people were rude. What those servers must think of Americans sometimes! Anyway, more on that later. For now, I must put myself to bed. There may be a snowstorm coming (or here) but I must return to work tomorrow regardless. Thanks for reliving my vacation with me, one day at a time. :)
Friday, February 5, 2010
Chapter 1: Arrival
So. I'm back. (From outer space. Da da da da da da da da da da da da da da your face...) I had an absolutely amazing time on the cruise. I have never felt so spoiled in my life. I have been contemplating for days on how to best recap my experience, share my stories, whatever. I wondered if I should do it chronologically, or by topic, or just a whole mishmash of things. Would I do it all in one entry, or in several installments to give people a break from the awesomeness. Clearly, I have way too much time on my hands ;) Ultimately, I decided to go fairly chronologically. Sorta. We'll see how it comes out. So without further ado (haha what a funny word), we begin the adventure... dun dun DUUUUUUUUUUUN...
January 29, 2009: Trip to Miami
I had traveled to the cities the night before since I had a morning flight to Atlanta to catch. Also, it was my birthday on the 28th, and I very much wanted to hang out with my homies up there. (What, you don't think I have homies? Totally do.) I stayed with my darling Kristen, and of course we stayed up way too late chatting, so I was a bit groggy on the way to the airport. And it was COOOLD. I refused to wear a coat because I wasn't going to deal with it during the trip. Who needs a winter coat in the Caribbean, right? At the airport, I bypassed curbside check in since it was cold, took one look at the check in line, and walked right back out those doors and checked in in -4 degree temperatures. Lines are lame. I met my first interesting person in the security line. She was actually the security lady, and she commented on everyone's name and made sure to say it at least once or twice. I love people, especially when you can tell they enjoy their job so much.
I think airports are funny. They have evolved so that now most airports seem to resemble malls that just happen to have airplanes. Really. Stores everywhere, food places. Of course, the prices for everything are ridiculously inflated, but I guess that's just good business. If you have people waiting for hours, give them something to do, and then force them to pay more. People will do a lot to escape boredom. I blame television.
(I am at Kristen's, and Zach is playing this assassin game, and I keep getting very distracted by it, so if I'm a bit disjointed, blame the assassins.)
My flight to Atlanta was a little bumpy. I was happy to be leaving the snow behind though. I sat next to a nice couple from Wisconsin who were on their way to the Bahamas. They had been delayed several times, but were actually going to make it to their destination about the correct time, which was pretty impressive I thought, since they left about 3 hours later. They were telling me about all the fun things they do in the Bahamas, and then what I should do in Mexico, because they'd been there several times before too. They also warned me that bad weather was coming to Atlanta, which worried me since Angie was headed through late. No worries though, it wasn't as bad as they said, although I heard some flights did end up cancelled. Not Angie's though. Phew!
My flight from Atlanta to Miami was uneventful except for an exceptionally rude passenger right when I got on the plane. I'd already noticed that people were more rude here than in the ever-friendly midwest. One lady was trying to put her luggage in the overhead bin and tried to move aside for another passenger, and the guy was like, we're waiting for YOU to move, all snotty like a middle school girl. The really rude passenger, though, was supposed to sit next to me. I walked to my seat and he took one look at me and said, "This just isn't going to work." He then spent all the time until takeoff moving from empty seat to empty seat until he found one that actually was available. He was a jerk. Joke's on him though, because I had a very pleasant flight with lots of room. ;)
The Miami airport was pretty disappointing. Hardly mall-like at all. I called for a shuttle and waited 45 minutes for it, which was kind of annoying, but I was enjoying the warm weather so much that it didn't bother me too bad. I entertained myself by..well...this is a bit strange. For some reason I got the "Superman" chant in my head, like, "SuperMAAAAN." So I started reading the shuttles in that chant. It worked pretty well for most of them. "Hampton INNN!" "Employee SHUTTLLLE!" "Hyatt PLAAACE!" Oh that was mine! Of course I did that for a good half hour with every car that passed ("Small red CAAAAR!") Don't judge. I got another taste of obnoxiousness when I got in the shuttle though, which was full of a group from Michigan, I believe. They were going on the Carnival Liberty for a 7 day cruise, and they actually got to go to Jamaica and Grand Cayman, as well as Cozumel. They were super rude though, constantly making comments to the driver about his driving and talking about the cars people drove. Just those sort of people who think the world revolves around them. Glad they weren't on my ship ;)
The hotel was super nice. Very fancy, huge rooms, good service, overinflated prices. I checked in and ate at the hotel grill, then just chilled. Angie showed up at about 1am. We went pretty much straight to sleep.
Well Day 1 ended up being longer than I planned. I would like to continue, but I believe I'll wait. Perhaps later in the day I'll make another entry, or tomorrow...or the next day... Promise I'll get to it all though! (Because you all care so much ;))
I'm sitting here feeling like I'm rocking back and forth still. Wonder how long it will take to feel normal on solid ground.
January 29, 2009: Trip to Miami
I had traveled to the cities the night before since I had a morning flight to Atlanta to catch. Also, it was my birthday on the 28th, and I very much wanted to hang out with my homies up there. (What, you don't think I have homies? Totally do.) I stayed with my darling Kristen, and of course we stayed up way too late chatting, so I was a bit groggy on the way to the airport. And it was COOOLD. I refused to wear a coat because I wasn't going to deal with it during the trip. Who needs a winter coat in the Caribbean, right? At the airport, I bypassed curbside check in since it was cold, took one look at the check in line, and walked right back out those doors and checked in in -4 degree temperatures. Lines are lame. I met my first interesting person in the security line. She was actually the security lady, and she commented on everyone's name and made sure to say it at least once or twice. I love people, especially when you can tell they enjoy their job so much.
I think airports are funny. They have evolved so that now most airports seem to resemble malls that just happen to have airplanes. Really. Stores everywhere, food places. Of course, the prices for everything are ridiculously inflated, but I guess that's just good business. If you have people waiting for hours, give them something to do, and then force them to pay more. People will do a lot to escape boredom. I blame television.
(I am at Kristen's, and Zach is playing this assassin game, and I keep getting very distracted by it, so if I'm a bit disjointed, blame the assassins.)
My flight to Atlanta was a little bumpy. I was happy to be leaving the snow behind though. I sat next to a nice couple from Wisconsin who were on their way to the Bahamas. They had been delayed several times, but were actually going to make it to their destination about the correct time, which was pretty impressive I thought, since they left about 3 hours later. They were telling me about all the fun things they do in the Bahamas, and then what I should do in Mexico, because they'd been there several times before too. They also warned me that bad weather was coming to Atlanta, which worried me since Angie was headed through late. No worries though, it wasn't as bad as they said, although I heard some flights did end up cancelled. Not Angie's though. Phew!
My flight from Atlanta to Miami was uneventful except for an exceptionally rude passenger right when I got on the plane. I'd already noticed that people were more rude here than in the ever-friendly midwest. One lady was trying to put her luggage in the overhead bin and tried to move aside for another passenger, and the guy was like, we're waiting for YOU to move, all snotty like a middle school girl. The really rude passenger, though, was supposed to sit next to me. I walked to my seat and he took one look at me and said, "This just isn't going to work." He then spent all the time until takeoff moving from empty seat to empty seat until he found one that actually was available. He was a jerk. Joke's on him though, because I had a very pleasant flight with lots of room. ;)
The Miami airport was pretty disappointing. Hardly mall-like at all. I called for a shuttle and waited 45 minutes for it, which was kind of annoying, but I was enjoying the warm weather so much that it didn't bother me too bad. I entertained myself by..well...this is a bit strange. For some reason I got the "Superman" chant in my head, like, "SuperMAAAAN." So I started reading the shuttles in that chant. It worked pretty well for most of them. "Hampton INNN!" "Employee SHUTTLLLE!" "Hyatt PLAAACE!" Oh that was mine! Of course I did that for a good half hour with every car that passed ("Small red CAAAAR!") Don't judge. I got another taste of obnoxiousness when I got in the shuttle though, which was full of a group from Michigan, I believe. They were going on the Carnival Liberty for a 7 day cruise, and they actually got to go to Jamaica and Grand Cayman, as well as Cozumel. They were super rude though, constantly making comments to the driver about his driving and talking about the cars people drove. Just those sort of people who think the world revolves around them. Glad they weren't on my ship ;)
The hotel was super nice. Very fancy, huge rooms, good service, overinflated prices. I checked in and ate at the hotel grill, then just chilled. Angie showed up at about 1am. We went pretty much straight to sleep.
Well Day 1 ended up being longer than I planned. I would like to continue, but I believe I'll wait. Perhaps later in the day I'll make another entry, or tomorrow...or the next day... Promise I'll get to it all though! (Because you all care so much ;))
I'm sitting here feeling like I'm rocking back and forth still. Wonder how long it will take to feel normal on solid ground.
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