Progreso and Cozumel

I took over 100 pictures, but I was only allowed to put ten in the slide show. I think this is a pretty good collection from the trip! The slide show goes pretty fast so read quickly!

As I've said, the cruise vacation was wonderful! I went with my cousin and we both had a really great time. Trust me, I could go on and on reliving every detail of the trip, but I'd get finger cramps and you'd get bored! So, I'm just going to hit the highlights.

Nightly Shows: Each night we were on board, there was some type of show. I really enjoyed the ones with the singers and dancers. The Blue Sapphire was always cold and after watching one show I knew why...to keep the dancers cooled off! The energy level never dropped from the time the show started to the time it stopped. And we went to the late show several times so it was the second go around for them. Also, there were four comedians. The first guy, Greg Ray, was the funniest. They had a family style show and then at midnight they did an R rated adult show. Most of the guys were vulgar for the sake of being vulgar (something I'm NOT a fan of) but Mr. Ray was extremely funny throughout.

Breakfast: As you've probably heard half the fun of a cruise is the food. And there was food...all the time and everywhere! My favorite though was breakfast. We at up on the Lido deck every morning. I had the same thing the whole time (eggs, hash brown potatoes, bacon, crossant, chocolate milk, and orange juice) and it was so yummy! We were what you'd call the late risers so I was very glad that breakfast was served until noon!

Dinner: You didn't think one little paragraph was enough about the food did you?! Dinner was my other favorite meal of the day. This time it wasn't so much for the food (though that was wonderful!) but because of the people we sat with at dinner. The whole dinner attire was a little misleading. When I called Carnival to ask about how dressy dinner was, they said that it was dressy every night. We took two "dressy" outfits. So the first night we skipped dinner in the dining room and just made do with hot dogs by the pool. The next night was the formal night and we ate in the dining room. That is where we discovered that dinner in the dining room is resort casual...meaning jean capris and a t-shirt was perfectly fine for dinner the rest of the time. Also, we sat with a very nice group of ladies. Out of our table of ten six of us were teachers so we had plenty in common! Everyone was so nice and friendly so dinner was a pleasure each night. And the food was wonderful too! I thought I'd get brave and try some fish but I never did. One of the ladies at our table said, "How can you be on the sea and not eat fish?" Easy...enjoy all the beef! I think every meal was beef of some kind. I did step out of the box a few times though. I had chilled avacado soup and a spicy pumpkin soup. Several times I wondered if they made a plain jane menu so I could know what I was eating, but all in all it was wonderful!

Progreso, Mexico: This was our first port of call. The pier was so long that we had to take a bus onto the mainland! When we booked, I didn't realize that Progreso is the home of one of the seven wonders of the world or we'd done an excursian there. What we did do was wander around a little market square and then headed to the beach. The beach was crowded but it was nice. My cousin was ingrossed in Harry Potter so I was the only one to get in the ocean. It was an ocean...big and salty! I splashed around for awhile and then got a tattoo! It was a henna tattoo, but I like the shock value of saying I got a tattoo. I wasn't supposed to get it wet for 40 minutes so I laid out on the beach. This was the start of one awful burn. Progreso was a fun stop!

Cozumel, Mexico: The water in Cozumel is beautiful! It was so clear that you could stand in it and see your own feet. Plus it had a nice sandy bottom. We went on a dune buggy exploration of the island. It was a stick shift so there wasn't any way I was going to drive! We were in groups of two so for the first part of the tour the other guy drove and then on the way back, Amanda drove. She did pretty good considering there wasn't power steering! We also stopped at a private beach for lunch (which was real Mexican food in Mexico and was out of this world!) and swimming. The ocean was pretty rough that day, but it was beautiful to watch those foamy waves crash into the rocks! I felt pretty small next to those huge waves and that was perfectly alright.

Snorkling: I had never been snorkling before and I wasn't sure how much I'd enjoy it. I like to breathe...a lot! After sitting through the instruction course we trotted over to the ocean. The guide told us there was fire coral on either side of where you enter the water. Great...I wasn't steady anyway stepping on the rocks so I looked pretty funny gingerly getting in the water. One lady didn't pay attention and got a pretty nasty welt on her butt when she brushed up against the coral. Snorkling is a workout! I finally got my legs and arms all moving in the right direction. I had some trouble keeping my goggles from fogging up but after several rounds of spitting in them they cleared up. Snorkling was fun but I was a little disappointed that we didn't see more fish. There were two schools of fish but that was about it. Still...I'd snorkle again. I have some pictures but they are being developed from the underwater camera so it might take me a while to get them posted. That is if they are any good...it was kind of like aim at what you think is fish, point, and click!

There's so much more to tell, but I might be here all day! This is just a sampling of all the fun things we did on this cruise. I would highly recommend cruising! I'll definitely go again. Maybe next time to Alaska...

A Tad On The Crispy Side

So, how do you like your world (and yes if you get to use a passport you can officially say world!) traveler? Crispy and just a tad tired?! Oh, good! Then you won't be disappointed.

The cruise was great and I had a wonderful time. Of course there are so many details and pictures to share but not tonight. Believe it or not, laying out on the deck, splashing in the waves, and eating yourself silly is quite tiring. :) Oh and the slightly charred back, arms, shoulders, thighs doesn't help either. Much more on that topic coming up.

Anyway, I just wanted to touch base and settle any one's mind who feared I'd drink and fall overboard (you so know who you are...) that I didn't do much of the former and didn't do any sort of the latter. Safely back at home now. And thanks for all the well wishes in the previous post's comments. It was indeed a great vacation. Just give me a few days to get back in the groove and I'll share until you'll wish I'd stop!

These Toes Are Ready...

for the beach! As a matter of fact, all of me is ready for the beach, the sun, the surf, a few days of freedom to relax and just enjoy myself. Yesterday afternoon I went and had my feet pampered with a deluxe pedicure. These toes of mine are ready.

Now if only my suitcase was ready! I've really put off getting ready for the trip. Don't get me wrong I'm excited about going on the cruise, but where I'm normally packed up and checking my list twice I haven't even made a list this time. My mom says it's because I've become an experienced traveler. I'm not so sure. I think I'm just ready for the fun part. Unfortunately my suitcases won't pack themselves! So, I know what I'm going to be doing today.

Y'all take care and enjoy yourselves this week. I know I'm going to!

Rain Rain Go Away

I've always heard that if you didn't like the weather in Texas to just wait a minute and it would change. Well, I've waited but there has been no change. You'd think we were living in some tropical rain forest with all the daily rain and humidity that we have going on. When you look at a 5-7 day outlook forecast all you see is the little thunder cloud and rain symbol. The rain seriously messed with me while I was hauling in my luggage and stuff from home. And with it so overcast all day long I've gotten practically no where on the sun I was hoping to get before the cruise. Any other summer and I'd be toasted to a crisp! Where has the normal summer weather gone?!

I know I shouldn't be complaining too hard because a lot of areas needed the rain. But good grief, you'd think they'd have had enough by now! Also, I guess the rain isn't all bad...it has kept the temperatures in the manageable range. Normally by now we're hovering around the triple digits. I think I saw that it was 78 when I was out yesterday around noon.

Anyway, while I'm sure people have enjoyed the rain (hey...no more spending money on watering the grass!) I think it's time for us to spread the wealth...say with our Northern friends. (Linda that was just for you!) So, rain rain GO AWAY!

I'm A Little Altered

It's that time of the year. Ladies, you know what I mean...time to get a new swimsuit. Did anyone else just get the shivers? I don't know about you, but I tend to wear out my swimsuits each summer. I hardly ever get to wear them two seasons in a row. Anyway, since I was going to be near the sun and surf so much this summer I decided I might need a couple of new ones. And there in lies the problem.

Finding the swimsuits isn't the problem. It's getting them to fit my body the right way that provides the frustration. This year I have a black with pink flowers tankini, a black and white one piece, and a turquoise with white straps one piece. They are really cute...well except for the turquoise one which is more functional than cute.

I've been blessed...well how else to word it...with a pear shaped body. My hips and bottom are bigger than the top of me. So while these swimsuits fit well on the bottom (staying put and being flattering) the tops are rather large. That or I'm rather small up there. My mom usually has to wag out sewing machine and pull and pin me up so I don't end up on some Girls Gone Wild video.

Well, this year was no different. The black and white swimsuit (which has turned out to be my absolute favorite!) has some gathers around the bust which makes me look fuller on top. I'm all about that! After shortening the straps and tacking the V neck together a little more it fits perfectly. She also criss-crossed the straps on the black and pink flowered tankini in the back. I think I have a pretty back so I like the extra little detail back there. Again, it was all in an effort to keep those girls from falling out. Ever wish you could rearrange parts of your body? I'd definitely move some stuff north!

As for the turquoise one...well it was fixed but by the end I think both of us were frustrated with it. But, my mom seems to be a miracle worker with the sewing machine because it now fits right in the bust and the straps keep it up where it should be. As my mom said, "It won't ever be your favorite, but it does work."

So, I'm ready for these next few summer vacations. I've got my beach towels, the Hawaiian Tropic dark tanning lotion, and three swimsuits that cover me up and look pretty good on me. So, speaking as someone who has to work for the perfect swimsuit I wish all you the best of luck when it comes to finding the perfect suit.

Look out ocean...here I come!

Oh Babies!

Do you remember these adorable little ones? They are my friends' twin boys. I couldn't believe how much they had changed from the last time I'd seen them. If possible they were even cuter and the personalities were plain as day. John seems to be very laid back and mellow. Taylor is the little ham...always laughing and squawking. Actually that squawking is really cute. It's just like he's telling everyone all about it!

Anyway, holding them and loving all over them for the weekend caused just a few pangs of baby envy. On most days I want to have kids some day. But some days I think well...I'm not sure. Everyone (okay well most everyone) loves a baby but they don't stay that way for long. Pretty soon they are kids and then teenagers who will think I don't know anything. It's easy to say I want a baby, but before I jump into being a mama I want to make sure I'm ready for them to be toddlers in the terrible twos, little kids who'll play in the dirt and get dirty, teenagers who might storm around and slam doors, and young adults you have to let go off into the world.

Truth to tell, I'm still a little selfish right now. Now that I'm older I can see just how many sacrifices my mom made for me. And I love her even more for them. I'm just not sure I'm ready to do that yet. All the moms that stop by might find that a little bad on my part, but I'm being honest with myself. It makes me wonder what kind of world we'd live in if more people thought about what having a baby meant before they had one. Those babies are cute but they come with a lot of responsibility. Before I take that on I want to be sure I'm ready for it.

Up For A Change?

I like to think that I can roll with the punches and handle change well, but I'm just fooling myself. I like routine. I find it comforting when things are the same and I know what is going on. I'm not good when it comes to limbo and waiting to see what happens. I'll never be a fly by the seat of my pants kind of girl...just ask those I've traveled with!

Anyway, as much as I don't like for things to change, I need to make a change on my blog. You thought it was going to be something big and important right?! Yesterday I uploaded a bunch of pictures from my camera and started thinking about adding one of those photobucket things to my blog. Several people have little slides and such with pictures of them or things that are important to them on their blogs. I think they are really neat and you get to know the person just a little bit better. So, I made one and tried to put it in this blog. It didn't work exactly right...I think the template is not suited for it. The picture cube fit on the top but didn't look right. I wanted it to be on the side and it looked cut off.

So, if I want to add pictures I have to change the template...or find some nice blogger to help me figure this out! I looked at new blogger templates yesterday and I couldn't find one that just suited me. I figured I'd play around with them today. I see some really neat templates (like Trina and Lori to name a couple) and I wonder how they did that.

I've grown fond of my green and yellow dots but I think it's time for a change. I'm not promising this is going to happen today, but I think pretty soon.

I Heart My Bed

If someone were to ask me what my favorite thing about my home is I would say my bed without missing a beat. I love my bed! And more specifically I love being in my bed.



There it is...my bed. I thought briefly about making it up before I took the picture but I'm all about being honest on here. My bed usually gets made once a week...when I change the sheets. I love to just straighten out the covers before I crawl in at night. It's a lived in bed. What else can I say?!

When I was in college the only sitting room we had in those dorms was the bed. I really think this is when the love affair began. I got so used to doing everything (from eating, homework, watching tv, etc.) on my bed and the habit just stuck. I'm sure there are people that think I'm the ultimate in lazy because I spend so much time there but I get stuff done on the bed! It's my absolute favorite place to grade papers and watch TV.

Anyway, after having been gone for so long from my bed, I was really looking forward to getting a good night's sleep in my own bed last night. Y'all know about my flare for travel and I do love it, but the one thing always missing on trips is my bed. I'm still working on how I can fold it up and pack it in with all the other essentials. So far...well I think it's a pipe dream!

When I got home yesterday (and yes it's great to be home!) I brought in my suitcase and immediately put my body in bed for a few minutes. I snuggled down into the feather pillow top and my plethora of pillows. Now that is coming home! I hadn't been home maybe three hours when the power went out. Yep, the lights flicked and the computer turned off...power outage. My first concern was mainly the heat. Since I'd been gone for a while I'd turned the air up (to save money which is a whole other story...grrr) and it was still pretty warm in here. Plus, while it wasn't dark when the power went off it would get that way soon. Being in a hot dark house didn't sound appealing. So I left. I went to get coffee and then shopping with a friend. If I couldn't be enjoying my bed I figured the next best thing was shopping!

I kept calling the power company and every time they kept pushing back the time when the power would be back on. By 9:30 I was afraid that I'd be spending yet another night without my bed. It may sound wimpy but I wasn't staying in a house where the thermostat was hovering around 86 and I couldn't even turn on a fan. After making the decision to come home and gather up my toothbrush and a pillow I was headed to the nearest hotel. Thankfully, when I pulled in my drive lights were on in my house! I had power once again.

I was happy with the power being back on, don't get me wrong, but I was thrilled that I'd be sleeping at home...cradled in pillow top...surrounded by cool pillows...in my comfy sanctuary...in my bed. And after having slept soundly for several hours I'm refreshed and ready to face the day.

I heart my bed!

Miss Me? (Updated)

****Hey everyone! Now I'm logged in at the public library...still no computer but I'm going home next Monday so I'll be back plugged in! Thankfully for you I've been keeping little notes for future posts...watch out I'm about to become wordy!

The garage sale went great! I didn't have much stuff so I was pleased to get $200 while my parents did great...they raked in close to $1000. Nothing was priced over $10...tell you how much crap we had?! It's gone now and I'm glad!

Well, not much to report. Like I said I'll be back to my home computer next Monday. I miss all my blogger friends and hope you're well! ****

I miss you!

This is going to be very quick because I'm at a coffee house because my mom's computer has crashed. Well, I assume that happens when you run an obsolete operating system (read Windows 98). Anyway, the computer guy (who happened to be super hot...not geek squad material at all!) is supposed to have it back in our house working next Tuesday. I simply couldn't wait that long!

In and among the crashed computer, we're getting ready for a big garage sale. When I say big I mean the ad in the paper was 100+ words. We have a lot of crap! Hopefully, I can pull out a couple hundred dollars to use on my upcoming cruise trip.

Also, before I forget...Mary THANK YOU so much for nominating me for the cool blogger award! I can't wait to pass it on to some of my favorite bloggers!

Okay, fellow bloggers, this seems to be the only working computer in Java City and the line is getting long so I'd better wrap this up. Y'all keep my blog company until I can get back to lavishing attention on it okay?!