Day 2 : whats that lump?

Setting an alarm on holiday? Are you kidding me?
Nope. I have to or I’d miss out on breakfast! And what a way to break the fast it is.
But I’ll come back to that.
The second I looked at my bleary eyed reflection, I knew it had to be a gym start or all was lost in the addle bags stakes. So I kitted up and went in search of the gym.
Have to say - Fabo gym. As I took my position on the treadmill - yes Tan … the TREADMILL :)- In a moment of weakness I decided that the fact that I could see open ocean to my left and out front through the ceiling to floor glass more than compensated for my aversion to the ubiquitous treadmill and trundle away I did for at least 15 minutes. After which I did weights , crunches and stretches rounding out the ¾ hour workout. And I can honestly say, there is something wonderful about starting the day looking at the ocean while you hurt.
It came to my attention soon after that how if I shower when everyone else is, I’m more likely to get wetter in the basin than under the dwindling droplets of water - it all but stops. Washing my hair tomorrow morning is going to be a lengthy process.
So I wandered down to the Lido for breakfast with just ½ hour to spare before the Cruise Critic meet and greet in the Crows Nest.
And as I made my way to finding a woindow table I spotted Steve, Sherri , Evelyn and Bill who invited me to join them for breakfast at their window seat.
I am SO going home fat. I had to stop asking for things. I wanted it ALL. The pancakes, the waffles, the fruit, the cereal, the made to order eggs anything, the sausages, the hashies the bacon and on and on and on.
I settled for fruit, one small waffle (and believe me, mlly head was screaming ‘2’ waffles but mercifully out of my mouth came ‘one’. ) with …wait for it….. OMG MAPLE SYRUP! And honestly, it was MUCH nicer than that stuff they call maple syrup back home. it’s a well known fact amongst my family that maple syrup and I just don’t get along. It makes my nose wrinkle in disgust.
But this stuff is yummy.
And I had crispy bacon and a hashie and the most beautiful pineapple juice this side of Moorea. Super sweet just the way I like it.
After I gulped down my breakfast it was time to head up a few decks for the meet up with the other CC’rs.
What a lovely bunch of people :). Barbara and her daughter Stephanie were there, I met David, Terri and her mom Laverne, and of course there was Steve, Sherri, Evelyn and Bill, who have looked after me so well. I’m having some wonderful fun with my Southern friends, teaching them to speak ‘Strine’ and learning at the same time how to say Y’all with the right accent.
And of course Harry and his wife and other folks too that I didn’t get a chance to catch up with, so if you see this and I haven’t written your name, I’m sorry I didn’t get over to you.
We had the cruise director come up and chat to us and she has an Aussie husband from Adelaide so we had a lovely chat too.
So I’m sitting in the most wonderful library I’ve been in. Magnificent views, more books than I could read in a couple of years and lovely reclining leather chairs with matching pouffes for your feet to go up on and relax - the outcome of which is usually sleep…. So they are hard to get cos no one shunts the sleeping beauties off to their cabins where they should be sleeping and not taking up the reading chairs ( or more importantly, where I like to do my writing J )
I LOVE this library.
Another fun thing( or what might prove to be fun) is my cocktail card that I purchased today. I saves me a little money (maybe - as long as I choose expensive ones) and I’m sure I’ll have no trouble using it all before I disembark.
After today the drink of the day is hereafter to be known as the DOD which Sherri ,Steve and I test out daily. At least once. Todays was a champagne and something cocktail and they were divine… I had a strawberry version with pureed strawberries and of course lots of lovely bubbles in it ( more than one actually) and there was also banana, and mango versions as well.
The first of which were consumed in the sports bar where we sat for over 3 hours on the stools watching baseball and I learned the fine art of Hog Calling ( as in the Arkansas Razorbacks) which has a ‘soooie’ in it somewhere loudly… which after much hilarity - I still haven’t got right. I must practice apparently.
The cocktail card is just like a Bakers Delight card or one of those Vacation Bible School cards that get clicked as you use them - but with much gigglier results.
Tonight was the first of the Formal nights meaning the total dress up thing going on - the dress, the strappy heels and all Purtied up….
Dinner was a swish affair finishing with the Bombe Alaska ( of course) which was quite nice but the desserts in the Lido are better cos of the quantity on offer.
After dinner I met up with Steve, Sherri, Evelyn, and Bill for more cocktails before the Captains champagne toast and the evening show in the Queens Lounge. It was Broadway love songs and pretty good, the dancing was so so but the singing was wonderful.
Then it was off to the Crows Nest to watch other people attempt karaoke and after an hour or so it was time for Cinderella to go home from the ball, take off the swish dress and wake up as Jeans girl again. I didn’t scrub up too bad…