Ho hum…another day of boundless ocean, gigantic puffy clouds, repeated noshing, Lido Deck swimming, and Sun Deck strolling…yawwwwnnn!* We are chugging our way back up the East Coast toward Baltimore today, and I believe the kids are ready to return to their Home Port. How do I know? The first clue appeared last night, when Riley huffily stomped up the ladder into the top bunk, flopped himself down, buried his head under the pillow and emphatically declared, “I’ve had ENOUGH of family togetherness for this vacation!” This morning he was calmer, but he still fondly reminisced about his bed and his “own room” that he was looking forward to seeing again (jeez, you’d think we’d been gone for a month!). Meanwhile, it suddenly occurred to Derek that he’d been without Disney Channel and his DS for days! (His horror at this realization was as sarcastically dramatic as only a 10-year old can be…) He calmed himself by reviewing in his head all the shows he had set up to record on the DVR in his absence. (Hey, some of us take deep, cleansing breaths, others meditate in more unusual ways…)
For me, this week-away-from-home has meant much more than Sun, Surf, and Sand (although those have been fabulous!). It has been a glorious respite from mundane tasks like laundry, for instance (okay, I did ONE load while on the ship, but it’s far better than my usual one load every day!). I have basked in an endless array of delicious food, all of which has been prepared by someone else! (and whoever you are, BLESS YOU! now can you come home with me?) Friendly, efficient Cabin Stewards have stopped by to tidy up twice a day, thereby eliminating all of my usual cleaning duties. Most of all, this week at sea has given me a vacation from the chore that is the absolute bane of my existence: grocery shopping. Seriously, remember the old Cheers theme song “Where Everybody Knows Your Name”? I swear they sing a chorus of that for me every time I enter Giant Foods. So, while I’m not a “lie-in-a-chaise-lounge-reading-for-hours” kind of girl, I feel that I have experienced a refreshing week of rest and relaxation nonetheless. Tomorrow, it’s back to laundry, and cooking, and trips to the supermarket…but today, call me Queen of the Riviera Deck, if you please!
*how seaworthy am I? while walking around on deck today, I glanced up at the darkened sky and instantly thought “hmm, storm clouds off the Port Side!” next I’ll be checking my sextant and…nevermind, that’s about all the navigational lingo I know!
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