Sea Monsters and Pirates: 1/13 - 1/14

Two more days at sea. Nothing real exciting. A huge sea monster did not come and did not eat the ship. No pirates and as far as we know, no one was chucked overboard.

On the thirteenth we had a Virtuoso cocktail party in the main theater. The people running it have never done this kind of thing before, have never been travel agents before and will be with us for the entire cruise.

Bobbi has been doing crafts which I fondly have been calling craps. The first one was great. I think I told you. They took a sun visor, the kind you wear on your head, and wrote something one or made a design with various kinds of beads. Bobbi flunked her first shot a t it and destroyed the visor. But she did a real good job on the second. She now has a visor that has “BEARS” written on the brim. Oh joy. This time it was flowers. She took perfectly good bread, mixed it with glue and attempted to make it into what looks, to me, like cauliflower. Tomorrow she will paint them. Oh goody. The best was really her second attempt at crap, I mean craft. This was something really valuable. She made a bag. I mean a bag. A paper bag. Not a purse, but just something to put garbage in so you can throw it all out together.

On the 14th, all the world cruisers were invited to a party, in the main theater, by a fellow passenger. There were the usual drinks and appetizers, hot and cold and a full orchestra. An entertainer sang and the ship dance group did a nice number. This had to cost the guy a fortune. He does it every year.

Just before the Kramers got here we had dinner with a third couple. A discussion about politicks came up. It was our usual type of discussion. I guess some would call it a heated discussion? Naaa. Verbal war would be a better description. I guess we scared this couple pretty badly. They ran off and didn’t want to see any of us again. Last night we started to have another of these political mayhems again. I guess finally Murial has given up and admitted she is wrong. I said to her, admit it, if you had it to do all over again, you would vote for George Bush. She said, yeah, sure. So I guess I finally won. And I can just see her when she reads this. She will turn all kinds of colors just before she explodes. I can’t wait for her reply.

Nate is keeping a map of our progress across the planet. Nate, our position on 1/15 at 10:52 AM central time is:
1° 52’ 41” North
134° 31’ 44” West

We are supposed to cross the equator on 1/15 at 1:30 PM our time or 4:30 central time. Wait a minute. This is getting too confusing. We turn our clocks back another hour tonight, so it will be 12:30 our time. Or did they figure that in when they made the announcement? Whatever. We are supposed to have a Neptune party on deck after we cross. If you have never crossed the equator, you are a pollywogs. Those that have crossed before are shellbacks. We are shellbacks. I hope this party does not cut into our lunch time. I mean I’d hate to miss a meal or part of one. We have to keep our strength up.

Shellback Sherm out.

(Posted on behalf of Sherman Rootberg)