meals and more with my girls!!!

Monday, it was time for Music Bingo again!

This was the first time any of us had been since the debacle a month ago.

"Us" would be me, Sandy, Marcia, and Elissa.

Hey, we've been busy, vibrant, women, a'ight, with family from out of town, cruises, and what-not going on!

I remembered to bring my free appetizer reward that I won about six weeks ago, too.

Fortunately, Midtown Sports Grill has changed their menu yet again.

Potato Skins is a new entry, loaded with bacon and cheddar, and that made for a mighty fine "welcome back" dinner with my friends!

And just look at that first bingo game of the evening!!!

That "Dance Party Mix" yielded me the first "Bingo!" of the bar!

Russ was even surprised that I'd won without using the 'Free Space' - I'd managed to do it with five actual songs that had been played, straight down the "I" column!!!

Andrew, the new bartender, was glad to bring me a free lemonade as my "free drink" reward for the game!

How wonderful to have shared that those three hours with friends!

(smile!)

Then, today, my first niece came to share a favorite movie with me!

This was the last week of the NCG Summer Camp Film Festival and they've been screening "The Wild Robot" since Sunday.

We love that movie about parenting and kindness!!!

Want to know how much?

She stayed awake through the entire movie!!!

That's saying a lot, as she has sleep apnea and tends to take a nap if she sits in one place too long.

That wasn't the case two weeks ago when she joined me for "Sing", but that was okay... it let me munch some of her popcorn!

That time, she was early and bought our tickets and kids' packs; this time, she was running on her standard time, so I bought the tickets and snacks.

(smile!)

After, we popped over to the Chick-Fil-A on Victory for our luncheon.

So glad the lunch crowd had mostly passed by then!

She grabbed the last table and we had a leisurely two hours together...

just us, no children, no boyfriend...

letting us truly talk about issues with that latter item.

Here's hoping for the best resolution for that problem.

Oh, plus a really bright spot!

We had been talking about friends from the past and she mentioned one of her middle-school buddies and spoke of them spending nights together.

"So, you're friends still, on fb?"

No, they weren't... but she quickly found her on that social media... and they are now reunited again!

Maybe I should do a few searches of lost friends, too.

(smile!)

Paradise: day 4

"Whatcha got there?"

 

It's an origami parrot, and I made it!!! My first niece had joined me briefly at breakfast, as the rest of her group were still asleep. It was after 10 AM! I was dining with a Jamaican couple. Then she came up and they talked about being parents and teaching and her being a Pisces. Their teen daughter joined us, too. Then Christina left to wake the family, and I went down to the Euphoria to watch more of the Jimmy Buffett concert.

 

"Well, it looks like you had 'Arts & Crafts' today."

 

I did!!! Jason had already started showing some others how to make the folds. He backed up to show me and the others had a chance to repeat. I was the first to get the knack for the little legs!

 

"Joe Guy would have been pleased as punch with you!"

 

I know, right? I even showed the others how to hold the parrot so he looked like he was perched on your finger.

 

"And just where are y'all?"

 

The ship is docked at Freeport, Bahamas. I thought it was funny that the sand mounds looked like the snow-capped mountains in Marcia's pics of Alaska! That's where she was last week. 

 

"Ummm... is that a duck??"

 

It is! A Lady Liberty rubber duck! That's the first duck I've found on Paradise, and I only have the one Jesus. The girls have gotten quite a collection of ducks!

 

"Hahaha! I see that the room steward made you a duck, too!"

 

Mohamed said he was inspired by the ducks I had on my little nightstand. Isn't that sweet of him? I refer to this as "having my ducks in a row". Nice to have another inside joke!

 

"Yes, dear."

 

The tiny duck is one Chloe gave me, and the one wearing shades belongs to Anthony. Chloe had been playing with it nonstop at dinner last night, so I put it in my pocket. I gave it back to him tonight, and gave her the Jesus she found on the ship. It has a red sash.

 

Christina's quartet missed the origami session, as they were at breakfast. But when they all joined me for the onslaught of trivia games at the Euphoria Lounge, her hair was different! It was loose earlier, at coffee with me. Mine had been different, too, in just the one braid on top of my head. Now, with no coordination at all, we both had twin braids, down low!!! That's how Mama wore her hair, too, when I was growing up! 

 

"That's very cool! Y'all's telepathing link is still working! Hooray!"

 

Right? I had changed my hair when I put the green parrot in my cabin.

 

"I wondered when you got the pigtails. Now, talk to me about the trivia."

 

There were only the three, but they were right in a row! First was "Landmark Landshark Trivia" with Jason hosting. I got 15 out of 20; Christina had 17. Mohammed hosted the next two games. "Slogan Trivia" went pretty far back for some of it's 'mercial jingles, but I still managed to score 15 out of 21. I'll take that, gladly! She did better again, of course. The last game was "Guess The Young Celebrity Trivia", and I absolutely sucked at that! I think I had 5 correct out of 14. Yikes! She did better than me again, but neither of us won any of those. That's okay, we still had fun!

 

"And what did Miyah and Chloe do during that time?"

 

A woman with a bag of little ducks gave the bag to the girls, as well as the children in the family from Nicaragua, and asked that they hide them for her. The kids were only too glad to do so!!! LOL!!! That's how I got that teensy blue one.

  

"Great googly moogly! LOL!!!"

 

After all that, we bounced back to Deck 10 for lunch. I went to Frank & Lola's Pizzeria and had an entire Paradise Pepperoni pizza!!! So delicious!!! She got Cheeseburgers for her and the girls... and none of them liked them. They weren't "like Mom's" - hahahaha! Nothing wrong with the chocolate ice cream, though, and they each ate every bit of that! Then they went down to 4024 to change into swimsuits. I headed up to Deck 11, to the License To Chill pool, and snagged a table for us, then relaxed and grooved to the music of DJ Decibels as the "Sail Away Party" began. Ah!!!

 

There was just one snag... I never saw them come up.

Maybe I was too busy singing along with the music, or watching the tugboat that escorted out of the harbor...

or maybe it was because they exited the elevator on the other side of the ship than they usually did.

I waited for them for almost an hour, then I went back inside.

Emmanuel was strumming his guitar again in Euphoria, so I hung out there with him.

I knew they would eventually show up for dinner.

When the Philippine guitarist saw me, he played "Pretty Woman", again - nice of him to do that!

I sang along, of course!

And, sure enough, I caught my girl and her peeps when they showed up for Fins Dining!

However, it was already 7 PM and there was a dinner rush.

We were given a pager and then waited at least 30 minutes for a table. 

Then the maitre d' took us the long way around in the vast dining hall, with Christina speeding along pushing Anthony in the wheelchair as he was too slow with his hands on the wheels.

I could not keep up...

and the sun was setting...

and I didn't want to miss this final sunset on Paradise.

So I left.

I took the elevator to Deck 11, then walked past the pool to the open metal staircase that led to the 12th floor, with nothing but open, darkening, sky above me.

That's where I remained for the next thirty minutes, enjoying the music and the soft sea breeze and that lone star (upper left corner) as the sun kissed the world good night on its rouged cheek.

Yes, others were out there, too, but they were staying in the moment, as was I.

Bliss...

even though it meant I missed dinner.

Renewed in spirit, I knew it was time to head for the Stars On The Water Theatre to snag a table!

Mohammed, the emcee, had said to hit him up for a seat, so I did, getting a fourth row table in the reserved section.

Then Auntie Terry saw me and moved me up to the front row, right where we all sat that first night!

No extra charge to gaze up at Tevin the steel pan man and that scrim of parrots!

Just before the 9:30 PM show time, Christina and her merry band joined me, just in time for the "tourists" checking out the "fishing shack". 

LOL!!!

A fish go snagged and flew up past them, making us all laugh out loud!

What a fun way to start off "Caribbean Heat"!!! 

More music, more acobatics, more twirling on the Luna!

With all the music being played on stage, some of my favorite Bob Marley tunes got mixed in there, too.

I managed to catch the scrim for "Three Little Birds" before they flew off!!!

"Singing, don't worry about a thing, 'cause every little thing is gonna be all right, yes, don't worry, about a thing..."

I just love that song!!! 

Then the show was over... but not the fun!

 

Mohammed was there on camera duty, taking photos of folks with the cast after the last twirls had been done and the last notes were played.

Such patience he had!

He had to traipse over to the right to get the person's phone, go and get in the middle to live up the shot, then given them their phone back...

over and over and over!

Miyah and Chloe were the first to get their photos taken, then they went over to Auntie Terry and burst into tears while hugging her...

oh, poor dears!!!

She even had tears in her eyes!

But that wasn't the last time we saw her... oh, no!

Even though it was already after 10:30 PM, we headed over to the Euphoria.

 

That's because Cruise Director Terry was the emcee for the game show, "Lip Sync Or Swim" and we had been invited to come!

Christina even managed to grab us some chairs, as the former occupants were up there trying to win free margaritas... or a free cruise!

The game ended in a tie, with both men winning cruises - wow!

Then the girls went up to dance with Terry, and get one more hug, before going back to the cabin to pack and sleep.

Me?

I found out the pizza joint on Deck 10 was still open, so there I went!

It was too late to eat it tonight, but the two slices of Paradise Pepperoni would be perfect for a quiet breakfast tomorrow.

And when I returned to 4089, I still had time to pack my suitcase and sit it outside the door for pickup.

i thank you, God!

Paradise: day 3

I like to think of this as the day I found Jesus.

Like, literally.

The ship docked in Nassau, Bahamas, and I felt the need to at least walk on the pier, maybe even go into town.

Ah, but the sun was so very hot at 10 AM...

still, I made it to the entrance to the city...

then remembered I had no photo ID with me.

Nope, that wouldn't do!

So, back I walked to the Paradise, maybe a little slower, and that pace allowed me to spot the image atop one of the yellow concrete posts on the sidewalk.

What is the message inscribed on that pink sash he wears?

"I AM WITH YOU"

Admittedly, I have not felt alone on this vacation though I travel solo.

Mama's presence has been with me from the start, partly due to the luggage I bought in 2001 with some of her insurance money.

Mostly, though, it's because she always travels in my heart, so there's that.

I know she would have enjoyed this cruise with my first niece and her little girls!

And just where were they on this port day?

They took one of the day trips to go swimming with pigs.

I'm absolutely serious!

I knew the deadline to be back on board was 3:30 PM, so I started hanging out at their door (4024, Deck 4 Fwd) around 3 PM.

Finally, I heard her voice rising from Deck 3 Fwd and went down the hall... and there they were, at last.

The time was 3:41 PM.

It was his fault, though, that they were late, as he broke his dad's walker.

He said he was going backward in it and hit a rough place and bent the wheel.

That'll make the trip easier on him, as the ship is letting him borrow a wheelchair.

I'm glad I decided to forego that side trip!

I'm just as glad to have been viewing Nassau from the windows in Euphoria.

All of those colorful buildings remind me of River Street, as well as Nice, France, which I'd visited in 2002 on that Mediterranean cruise.

Did I say what I did while they were gone?

I hung out in the Euphoria Lounge, up on Deck 8 mid, sipping on a free Frozen Lemonade while I watched Jimmy Buffett sing in a long-ago concert in Memphis!

I was there for Arts & Crafts with Melinda and Kaylee, but that didn't happen, so we chatted instead.

Then I popped up to the Mexican Cutie Cantina for lunch, then back down to Euphoria for "Guess The Flag" Trivia, a la Sheldon's "Fun With Flags".

Guess I should have paid more attention!

After that, I'd stood watch on Dec 4 Fwd until I was assured that Christina had safely returned, then I'd bounced back to Euphoria for "90's TV" Trivia with Mohammed.

I managed to get 15 out of 20 on that!

My score was only 5 of 14 on the flags.

Pete the Parrot came strolling by for a meet and greet, but the family was still getting clean from their swim at a beach with pigs.

High Five to Pete from me!

We all met up again for Fins Dining - we had to, a'ight? - though their appetites were a bit off from a day in the sun.

I started with Caribbean Cauliflower Soup, which was more like potato soup.

The Santa Cruz Fish, however, was fabulous, fresh, and fancy!!!

Want to guess what I ate for dessert?

Of course I had the Key Lime Sponge Cake - it's delish!!!

Christina had the Margarita Bars, but they were too sweet on their own.

So we took it with us to the High Tides Market up on Deck 10, after dropping off Miyah and Chloe at the Parakeet Club on Deck 8.

(Yes, there's a lot of bouncing up and down on elevators! Now, imagine it with a man in a wheelchair and that just adds to the fun! LOL!)

Christina had the Fins Dining dessert with a glass of milk and that made it perfect enough that she had a bit of salad and pasta, too.

That was good, as she'd eaten hardly any dinner and none of them had lunch while they were on the island.

We played some kind of Rummy game with cards until time for my first niece to go fetch her girls.

Then they all had chocolate ice cream and I had Margherita Pizza - ah, yes!

We'd missed the 'clean' show by the comedian at 7:30 because we had been late going to Fins for dinner...

and the girls couldn't go to his 'dirty' later show...

but they were all tired from their day ashore with the broken walker.

 

Time to head back to our rooms and call it a night...

especially as it was already after 11 PM.

And what had my room steward, Mohamed, left there?

An elephant in my room!!!

Hahahaha!

Paradise: day 2

What's better than a day at sea for a veteran sailor?

A day of pomp and circumstance, of course!

But first, breakfast with my peeps at the High Tide Market after a few minutes enjoying this view in my cabin!

Today I dined on Belgian waffles with orange marmalade, as well as pancakes with sliced ham - just what I needed to get some energy!

I was the first one up and I managed to snag a table for 6 for our party of 5 - perfect!

My next stop was the Euphoria (Deck 8-mid) for a game of "Name That Tune" with Cruise Director Terry Ann Barrett!

The first thing she did was ask me where her "friend Chloe was, and her sister, Miyah" - how about that!

They made quite an impression when they hugged her last night after the variety show!

Part of that was their closeness in age to her daughter, who is 8, and is living at home in Jamaica while her mom works on the Paradise for 3 months.

I had to tell her they were still at breakfast, but they joined us before the game was done, so that was good!

As for the photo, the folks as dancing to "Cotton Eyed Joe" while the contestant who guessed the song is singing it for an extra point.

Very much a lot of fun to watch!!!

Christina and family went down after that to change into swimwear.

 

Not me!

The "Salute To The Heroes" was coming up in the Euphoria, again with Terry.

Recognize that setup, with that little table and empty chair?

That's familiar to everyone in the American Legion, regardless of which branch of the service, as the spot for the MIA service member.

I'm going to have to share that with Post 36 and Post 500 at home!

 

Then came the big part of the celebration: the parade of the flags that represent each branch, as well as a brief narrative of their mission.

They even included the Coast Guard, the Emergency Responders, and, as I recall, the National Park Rangers.

That was very nice!

Plus, I was given a free Margarita to commemorate my service!

I turned down the first one, saying that I couldn't drink...

but when they came around again, I accepted that $15 gift.

As my first alcoholic drink since I was diagnosed with A-fib, I can state this for certain: either that was a strong drink, or I'm a lightweight now!

I suspect a bit of both was true.

 

After just a couple of sips, I decided that food was needed to offset that dose of tequila, so up to Deck 10-mid I went.

I headed straight for Mexican Cutie Cantina, as it's Taco Tuesday! 

Yes, that was a very good way to get back to me again!

My next plate was from the High Tide Market, fetching some Jamaican fish, Pollo adobo, and pork loin with lemon.

I sat with a trio from Panama, of all places, and we talked - kinda sorta - about life there in Colon and Panama City.

See, only Isabel spoke any English, and that was sparse.

Glad I had a chance to pull out my high school Spanish from Mrs. Gary!

Then I bopped back down to the Euphoria for "Charades With The Fins Up Crew" and found Christina and Anthony there!

She'd dropped off the girls at the Parakeet Club, so it was just us adults.

She and I each took a turn trying to get the other to guess -

me trying to be "Minions", her contorting as an "Elf", with no help from Anthony either as a guesser or a charade artist -

and didn't win a free margarita at this game, but still had fun.

 

Then she had to collect the girls and I went off to the "Love & Marriage" Game Show at the Stars On The Water Theatre (Deck 8 Fwd).

That was only for 18+, so they went off to the "Family Parrot Quest" with Pete The Parrot over at Keys On The Water Lounge, at the opposite end of the ship (Deck 9 Aft). 

Cruise Director Terry hosted the game show, eventually getting four couples on stage with varying amounts of time together: 51 years, 34 years, 28 years, and 3 days.

Such newlyweds they were!

His answers tended to be the raciest, so it was good the children weren't there and were off chasing parrots!

At game's end, they were all announced to be winners and each won a free future cruise with Margaritaville At Sea - woohoo!!!

 

I managed to beat feet back over to the Euphoria Lounge just in time for the 5:30 PM "Captain's Margarita Toast"!

All of the ship's officers were introduced and lined up in formation behind Captain Dimitrios Papatsatsis...

and all of the spectators of age were given -

that's right! -

a free margarita to drink with him!

Again, I took a couple of dainty sips, then put it down.

 

Christina, her girls, and her boyfriend were there, too for the occasion!

Then she and Miyah and Chloe headed over to "Strike A Pose" for the free photo shoot, that had no strings attached.

Just look at them vogueing it up there! 

 

Then we all headed over to Fins Dining  - not to be confused as the 'Fine Dining', lol! - for some elegant fare! 

The good news was it was right beside Euphoria Lounge, so no need for elevators or traipsing off to another end of the ship!

I started off my four-course dinner with the Trinidadian Vegetable Curry, which followed the bread lead-off.

Then, for my entree, I chose the Antigua Shrimp - ah, fond memories of a much earlier cruise in the Caribbean that visited that lovely isle!

(I think that was in 2006? Or was it 2004?) 

I finished up tonight as I had last night with the Key Lime Sponge Cake.

Jimmy Buffett is right - sponge cake is quite delicious! 

Then it was time to work off that meal and take a hike.

I'm not kidding!

We went from Deck 8 mid, to Deck 9 Aft, to the Keys On The Water Lounge, where they had been for the Parrot search.

That meant going through the casino, which is huge!

At least we had a sunset waiting for us at the Lounge.

 

Then it was time for "Lip Service Family Karaoke"!!!

First up for our group were Chloe and Miyah.

It was originally going to just be Chloe singing "Party In The USA", with Miyah as her back-up dancer.

However, the emcee encouraged Miyah to take the microphone...

and off they went, singing and dancing and never once looking at the screen for the words of the song!

Hahahaha!

Christina and Anthony went next, and guess what she chose?

"Barbie Girl" - hahahaha!!!

Honestly, every time I see anyone do that song, my mind flashes back to Sam Johnson singing it at his birthday fundraiser! 

Good times, good times, so long ago.

More good times were to be had tonight, though!

 

No time for me to sing a song as we needed to go back through the casino, catch an elevator to Deck 8, then bop over to Stars On The Water Theatre (Deck 8 Fwd) for the entertainment!

"Showtime Radio Margaritaville Live At Sea" was set to begin at 9:30 PM.

This time we had second row seats, in the reserved section, courtesy of Cruise Director "Auntie" Terry, who was serving as the D J tonight.

All music was provided by the Fusion Groove Band for all the song and dance routines up there on the stage.

My favorite was the skit for "A Pirate Looks At Forty", one of my favorite Buffett tunes, especially as I've gotten older.

 

All too soon - at least for me! - the 45-minute show was over!

We hung around for the girls to greet Terry when she came out of the D J Booth and guess what? 

As well as hugs, she had gift bags for them!!!

Then she and the girls had a photo session in the D J Booth and even invited Christina up there for the fun!

How very nice for sweet dreams!

Christina and family headed back to 4024 (Deck 4 Fwd), but I said I was going to change into my Spring Dress and go dance!

The "White Hot Neon Nights" shindig had started at 10:30 PM at Keys On The Water Lounge and I was excited when I'd heard about it on fb before the trip.

However, now that it was 'go' time...

and knowing how far off that lounge was...

and my right leg letting me know it was too tired for shenanigans...

I opted to give it due consideration before I set off.

 

Then I opened my cabin door and saw this towel critter waiting!

What a sweet and funny crab!!!

The schedule of events for tomorrow was waiting with it, tempting me to sit a minute and glance at my options for Wednesday.

After all, I'd have the day to myself, as they were going onshore to swim with pigs at some beach.

Seriously.

So, I sat... and before I knew it, I was asleep!

Sweet dreams of pirates and key lime sponge cake!

Paradise: day 1

"That looks like a cruise ship!"

So it does! That's because it's Paradise, one of the Margaritaville At Sea vessels, and it was our destination there at the Port of Palm Beach, Florida. That was my first view of it, from the jump seat in Christina's van. Anthony had driven us the seven hours down yesterday, to West Palm Beach, then she drove us to the port this morning for our noon-1 PM boarding time.

Here is my first niece, with me, waiting our turn outside the Port terminal. 

"And just where are you? I'm not seeing you in this photo. Is she talking to you?" 

Actually, she is! You can see my reflection in the window, over her left shoulder. That's him in front of her.

"LOL! Are they wearing matching shirts?!?"

You betcha! The girls have on matching outfits, too, though in muted peach tones. Really cute, too, as you'll see later.

That was us, about 11:30 AM. Two hours later, there she comes up the gangplank! You can see him trailing behind her with his dad's walker. 

"Why did it take that long for them to board?"

There was some snafu with their paperwork, so they called her back. I waited for about fifteen or twenty minutes for them to come. I tried to get the girls in the shot, but they moved too quickly! LOL!

The cabins weren't quite ready yet, so everyone was encouraged to go to Deck 10, mid-ship, to have lunch. They didn't have to tell us twice!

"Let me guess. You've got Jimmy Buffett's cheeseburger in Paradise!"

So close! It's actually without the American cheese, but with plenty of pickles. The dining area is called Cheeseburger In Paradise, of course. Great grilled burger!

They all chose other options in the High Tides Market to munch. With six areas there that are included in our ticket, there are so many choices, from pizza to deli sandwiches to international dishes! Plus, of course, ice cream.

"Did you remember to bring Lactaid pills?"

Oh, yeah!

"What's this map for?" 

It's on the wall of every stateroom, showing the ports we can visit. 

Our cruise is the 4-Night Bahamas Duo, as we'll have stops at Nassau and Freeport. My cabin is 4089, on the Coral Reef deck, and is Ocean view. I love it! I'm hoping to see stars outside the porthole very night!

"Oh, that will be lovely!!! But what's with the magnets from your fridge?"

They're for my cabin door, so I can easily find it in that long hallway. There's even a fb group for this cruise and they had nice hints like that one. Christina turned me on to that!

It was 5 PM before I had access to them, as I had to wait for my bag to be delivered. That was fine, as we had the "Sail Away Party" on Deck 11, mid-ship, by the License To Chill Pool, to keep us busy! That's the Fusion Groove band on the stage - they were awesome! Such a large repertoire they had! I even danced to The Weeknd's "Blinding Lights", as I just can't resist that song!!! I even had a woman come up to me after and tell me what a great dancer I was! That is still so nice to hear!

"Wow, good to hear that even with the hitch in your giddy-up you still got it, girl!"

Just a little bit. I knew to stay away from the line dances. Christina joined those, though, and even had the girls come and join her for the Conga line! And when they asked for folks for the "Strong Woman" contest during the party, she jumped to be in it!

She even won a free beer just for holding that stein out there during "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun"! 

"And where were Miyah and Chloe during all this dancing and such?"

They were already in their swimsuits, so you know they were in the pool! Christina let them stay for an hour or so, until the party ended. Then they bounced down to Deck 4, Forward, to their cabin to change for dinner.

We went fancy, choosing Fins Dining. Can you believe they've never experienced white-tablecloth restaurants?

"I don't doubt it. Having children doesn't much allow that in the budget."

Hey, wanna hear something funny? We all read the title as "Fine Dining"! That gives us a little inside joke for this family vacation!

I chose Cuban crab cakes to start, then Jerk Chicken, with Key Lime Sponge Cake to finish. Let me just say this: that dessert is at the top of my list for next time! That's toasted marshmallow on its left - yum!

"Oh, that does sound totally delish!!! Tart and sweet, together! I wonder it willl be on the menu again?"

I certainly hope so. Oh, remember I said the girls were dressed in matching outfits? Well, there they are... and them being so cute snagged us front row seats at a reserved table! That's in the Stars On The Water Theatre, on Decks 8 & 9 Forward. We'd come early, hoping for good seats for the "Nassau Nights Variety Show". We couldn't have gotten any better than these! We had songs and dances and even aerial work on silks!!! Wow!!!

"Wow!! What a great ending for your first day!!!"

Magnificent, just magnificent!!! Sweet dreams for all tonight!