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Mothra, Crickets, and the Cage Match

You may not think anything exciting happens on sea days, and you would be SO WRONG. 

Exhibit 1: Food Carving Demonstration

I am currently mastering several line dances. It’s a challenge keeping my balance while the ship rocks, so it’s a good core workout. We go through the steps first, then add the music. I seem to be okay with the steps at first, but when the music comes on, I get so into the groove that I’m constantly missing steps. But no one cares – we encourage each other, and with repetition I eventually get it. I’ve got a few weddings coming up next year where I may break out my moves. There’s a fun young Serbian girl named Angela who’s teaching us, full of boundless energy – oh to be that young again! I’ve been writing down the steps, but it sounds like a secret code in an eight-count: double heel, double toe, heel, toe, heel, toe, rock step front, rock step back, John Travolta, John Travolta, grapevine to the right, and pivot. It’s going to take all the rest of the sea days for me to get all the dances down.

Exhibit 2: Rocking "Into the Groove" by Madonna

Mothra flew into my room the other night. This is the first time I’ve had any flying bug issues, but the night was so humid and still and we were so close to the coast that he decided to explore. He was too big to squish (at least 2 inches long and fat), so I tried to shoo him out the door, but of course moths like light, not darkness, so he stayed inside. Then a darned horsefly came in the open door. I thought the moth was gone, so I chased the fly around, spraying it with hairspray to stick its wings together so it would crash and I could dispose of it (Sister Marie Jean swore by this method when she got bees in her office). But Fly was too fast, so I ended up opening the hallway door and he took off for parts unknown. As I was getting ready for bed the moth jumped out at me and the battle was on again. I ended up catching him in a glass with a piece of paper and took him back outside. All was right with the world again and I could sleep in peace.

Exhibit 3: Cornhole in the Plaza

Crickets have invaded the ship. How they got here, I don’t know, but I noticed them after Los Angeles. I was on the Promenade desk (7) near one of the lifeboats and heard them chirping up a storm. I think the staff tried to eradicate them and the crickets ran off in all different directions. Somehow one made it up to my balcony on the 11th deck. He is HUGE, and he scared me when he hopped around at night. I paid good money for my balcony and I’m going to use it, so I sprayed my all-natural bug repellant around the floor and the door, and he moved to the neighbors very quickly. I was ready to pull out the deet spray if I needed to – I’m not playing with bugs. On my walk around the promenade today (3.2 laps around equals 1 mile) I saw the dried carcass of a cricket on the deck, so I think the humans are winning.

Exhibit 4: casualties of war

We had another medical evacuation by helicopter – I got to watch from my balcony again. It wasn’t much different from the last one except this helicopter was white instead of red.

Exhibit 5: rappelling heroes

Remember the big bus snafu in Cairns? Well, some people from Group #23 (my group without a bus) got onto another bus that was also going back to the ship and refused to get off so the people on that tour could get on with their assigned group.  So we had about 6 people from that bus join us at the bus stop to wait for a ride. The Facebook group was burning up the comments and it turned really ugly fast. Glad I was not one of those people!

Exhibit 6: Winning big at the casino - I'm actually ahead!

Sea days are good laundry days too. I almost forgot the BIG SCANDAL: someone was inconsiderate in the laundry room and either took someone’s laundry out of a machine so they could use it, or someone didn’t come fast enough to get their stuff while someone else was waiting, and two older gentlemen exchanged words and ended up in a fistfight. They both got thrown in the brig and got put off the ship in Airlie Beach to find their way home. Yikes! Laundry room etiquette has been discussed thoroughly among the passengers and we are all on our best behavior now. I wonder if their significant others left with them or said screw you and your nasty temper! See you in a few months!

Exhibit 7: Strolling the Promenade

Its a good thing there is so much to do on sea days, because Mother Nature has struck again, and our last port in Australia has been canceled due to the weather. High winds and high seas kept us out of port in Darwin. So, we have an extra sea day (I know I will be missing them later, but it seems a bit much now) as we head toward Komodo Island in Indonesia.

Weather's coming!



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MzKath
2023 is all about trying new things. I am sailing around the world on a trip I've been dreaming of, and I am dipping my toe into the Social Media world with this blog. I hope you enjoy following me on my travels!

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