SNORKLING & SHOPPING

Yesterday was all about Grandma & Grandpa. After the ship anchored off Belize City, we headed down to bottom deck. Yep, we left the kids at 8am, and boarded our snorkle boat for a 20 minute ride to the barrier reef. We're told that this reef off Central America is the 2nd largest in the world, and only the Great Barrier Reef in Australia is larger.

We were among the first in the water, and for the next hour, we snorkled in crystal clear water.
We saw everything from sting rays to small, multi colored fish. After the hour flew by, our boat took us to a small, white sandy beach island, where there was of course a bar, serving tropical drinks like rum punch. Almost made us both wish we still drank, but not quite. We were there another hour or so, then it was a short ride back to the ship.

Bannister Island just off the coast of Belize City

White sandy beach with warm tropical weather and water.

When we got back to the ship around 1pm, we quickly put away a few things in our room, and scurried back down to the bottom deck, where we boarded a tender for a ride into Belize City.
Patty was on a mission to find a white windbreaker, and after finding it, bargained the price from $25 down to $20. By the time we got back to the ship, it was late afternoon, and everyone reconnected in our adjoining room cabins.

The only patriarch rule on this cruise is that we all join for dinner at 6 pm in the dining room. This picture below is what awaits us every evening, and the food and service is excellent. By the time we're finished with dinner, most of us are stuffed, and I can't speak for the kids, but Grandpa and Grandma don't last very late into the evening. Lets just say that we're not up in the disco until late into the night.

As I write this, we just pulled into Isla Roatan, an island off the coast of Honduras, and we'll be here until about 3pm. We can see a beach from the ship, and since Laila spent the night in our cabin, and we have her for most of the day, that beach just might be our destination later today.

SWIMMING WITH DOLPHINS

Yesterday morning, we all left the ship for an adventure with Dolphins. Only Patty had done this before, in Cabo San Lucas, while we were on a Panama Canal Cruise a few years ago. Cameras weren't allowed while we were in the pool with the Dolphins, and the one of Laila was one that Mom & Dad purchased.

We spent just under an hour in the water with "our" Dolphin, whose name was Atlas. To be able to touch and interact with this amazing creature, was indeed an experience that will never be forgotten. Atlas gave all of us an individual ride across the pool, and even Laila was able to hang on by herself. When my turn came, and Atlas took off, my swim trunks were a little loose, and by the time we had made our way to the other side of the pool, my trunks were down around my ankles! Fortunately, the photographer didn't get that shot.

Grandma and Laila in front of the Dolphin facility.

In this shot, we're waiting for the van to take us to the Dolphins.

After our swim with Atlas, lunch was part of the package deal, and this picture shows us eating fajitas. After returning to the dock, the girls did the shopping thing for a couple of hours before returning to the ship. At 5pm, our ship, and the Carnival Triumph which was docked alongside, set sail from Cozumel.

The Carnival Glory (our ship on the right), and the Carnival Triumph are docked together in Cozumel.

At a little before 5pm, there's a pretty good line waiting to get back on the ship.

This Royal Caribbean Ship was docking with an incredible full rainbow in view.

FIRST DAY AT SEA

Our first day at sea was mostly about just taking it easy, and getting used to navigating our way around this huge ship. Grandpa and Laila were the only ones to tackle the water slide, but everyone else at least got into one of the pools. The temps were in the upper 70's, and we couldn't have asked for better weather.

Since all of our rooms are adjacent to one another, Laila has been room hoping, and ended up in our room for much of yesterday morning. In this picture, she and Grandma are lounging on the balcony in their jamies. We took our time getting up on the top decks, and enjoyed having Laila with us while we drank our coffee.

Two generations of the Chance Boys, Marc, Dad, and Mike

Last night was the first dress up dinner, and we had some photos taken by the ship's photographer, which we'll pick up this evening. It was another great dinner, and the most popular entree was Lobster. We've already learned that the portions are on the small side, so, it's now 2 of everything. Two salads, two lobsters, and two cherries jubilee. Yep, we were all stuffed by the time the desert was finished.

This morning, we just docked in Cozumel, and we're all headed to swim with the dolphins at 9:45.
Patty has done this before, but it will be the first time for the rest of us. Can't wait to see the expression on Laila's face when she first touches a dolphin.

Enjoying food and beverage on the Lido Deck.

SAILING AWAY

From Left to right, Chandra, Patty, Laila, Marc, Mike, and Amy

Internet time on the ship is purchased, and it' reallllllly slooooow. It took almost 1/2 hour to load these pictures, so there won't be a lot of narrative. Maybe that's a good thing!

Standing in line before getting on the ship

The Limo picked us up at the hotel, and took us to the ship where we went through the embarkation process, before actually getting onboard the ship. The usual stuff, like metal detectors, passport checks, etc. Once onboard, we found our cabins, which are all balcony rooms adjacent to each other.

Yahoo, we're all on board the ship!

Our sister ship, the Valor sails past us on the way out to open sea.

Grandpa with his favorite young lady before we headed down to the dining room for dinner.

When we awakened this morning, we were far out to sea, somewhere between Key West, and Havana. This is a full day at sea, and tomorrow we'll be in our first port which is the island of Cozumel, Mexico. So far, can't get much better!

FLYING HIGH

At 37,000 feet above the earth, even cities look like miniature objects. Some of the larger landmarks that we flew over on our way from Las Vegas to Florida, like the Grand Canyon, are distinguishable from that high up, but not much else. In my opinion, there's only a few good things about flying the so called friendly skies. The take offs and landings are pretty cool, and you get to where you're going a heck of a lot faster than if you were driving. Other than that, flying is way over rated.

In the last few years, Patty has flown all over the world, from China to Greece. Since we retired from our Harley-Davidson Dealership, I haven't flown hardly at all, and that's a good thing. The airport security thing is necessary, but in some ways, it seems like overkill. We didn't make it through the screening process, because my small travel toothpaste, and a small aftershave container wasn't inside a plastic zip lock baggie. We had to stand and watch a TSA dude go through our carry on bags, as all of the other folks who weren't singled out for "secondary inspection", passed by, looking at us like we were either stupid, or perhaps even something worse. When the small tube of toothpaste was securely inside the plastic baggie, and no threat to humans or property, we were allowed to proceed to our gate.

Both flights, Vegas to Tampa, and Tampa to Fort Lauderdale were sold out, and as the hours dragged by, my feet began to do the itchy, twitchy dance. How my wife, or anyone for that matter, can sit on an airplane for hours and hours is beyond me. When we touched down in Tampa, after 4 hours in the air, my restless body was real happy to get up and walk into the terminal. We had over an hour to get a bite to eat before getting back on a plane for the short hop to Fort Lauderdale.

When we got to the hotel, and stored the bags in the room, we met Mike and Amy who flew down from Augusta, GA, and Marc, Chandra, and Laila, who flew in from Tucson, AZ. It was nice to be with my two boys and their families, and after a visit, we retired back to our room.

This morning, the limo picks us up at 11am, for the ride to our ship at the pier in Miami, and we'll set sail around 4pm this afternoon. Hopefully, I'll be able to post from the ship, and keep everyone up to date.

Lake Ponchetrain in Louisiana, just north of New Orleans.

THE NFR IN LAS VEGAS

Since we'll be heading to the Airport tomorrow morning at O dark thirty, this post is for tomorrow. We left Lake Havasu a little after 9 am, driving east on I40 to Kingman, then north on Hwy 93 into Vegas. After lunch at Applebees, we drove over to the Las Vegas Convention Center, and checked in with our friends Jim & Megan, and Dave & Louise who were hard at it selling the NFR Official Merchandise. I'll miss the paycheck, but I sure don't miss working at this event. We did it for 9 years, that was enough.

This is the booth where we worked last year.

Louise is behind the counter, helping a customer.

After quickly saying hi to our buddies, we wandered through the exhibit hall, checking out all of the neat stuff. Most everything offered for sale is western living related, and includes but is not limited to - art, furniture, tack, apparel, jewelry, and a whole bunch more. Patty made the comment that if we wanted to get rid of our furniture, and spend a bazillion dollars on western style furnishings, this would be the place to accomplish that. Are you reading this Nancy? Some of this stuff would look pretty darn good in the Kastle!

Later this evening, we're meeting Jim/Megan, Dave/Louise, and Len/Ellie for dinner, and a visit. Except for Jim & Megan, who came down to our house for a BBQ a couple of weeks ago, we haven't seen the other folks in several months. Tomorrow morning, we have the airport to deal with, and an arrival in Florida around 7 pm. We're both excited to see the kids and our Granddaughter, then get on the BIG Boat.

WE'RE OFF

When our pet/house sitter arrives this morning, we'll be driving the approx. 150 miles north to Las Vegas, where we'll spend the night. Tomorrow morning, our flight will take us to Fort Lauderdale, FL, and the following day, Sunday, we'll be cruising the Caribbean for a week with the kids and our Granddaughter.

This is the first year in the last 10, that we haven't worked at the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. So, when we get to Vegas later this morning, we'll have a few hours to check out some of the vendors at the convention center for the first time. In the past, most all of our time was spent in our booth working. Then later this evening, we're set to have dinner with some of our buddies who are working at the rodeo expo.

I'm quite sure the next 10 days will absolutely fly by, and the next thing we know, we'll be right back here in Lake Havasu. Hopefully, I'll be able to post some thoughts and pictures of this trip, that for the first time in quite awhile, won't include the motor home. Back at ya from Vegas!

BLOG TO BOOK

Since starting this Blog in early 2009, today's post will be the 699th. One of the options available to the thousands (millions?) of Goggle Blogger's, is to have their Blog turned into a book. My original reason for starting this method of communication, was to keep our family and friends up to date with our travels, and adventures. When I discovered that there was a company that would turn this Internet tool into a hardcover book, I didn't hesitate.

I decided to have the book cover a calendar year, and had the 2010 book printed many months ago. Sometime in January, I'll have the 2011 book printed, and it will start the 4th year of this form of social media. So far, each year, we have 4 books printed. One for us, and 3 for each of the kids. I just put the 2010 book in the mail to Dave & Mike. We'll take the 3rd one to Tucson after the cruise, for Marc.

With the advent of electronic devices like the IPAD, and Kindle, the way of the printed book may be going away, but I suspect if that indeed happens, it will take a few more generations. There are still a lot of us who prefer holding printed material in our hands while we read. I have no idea how long I'll continue to keep this online journal going, but to convert it into something a little more tangible was a simple decision. Our kids will at least have a snapshot into our life for several years, and will have a better understanding of what we did, and how we lived.

We're down to just a wake up before starting our cruise vacation. When I was overseas in the Army, a zillion years ago, everyone counted down the days until they returned to "The World", by counting the number of days, and a wake up. Counting down to our cruise with the kids, yesterday was 1 day and a wake up. Today, it's just a wake up. Tomorrow, we will be in Vegas, and the following day in Fort Lauderdale. Sunday, we sail for the Caribbean. I'm taking the computer, so my plan is to post frequently, but I'm not sure about connectivity on the ship. We'll see how that goes....

COUNTING DOWN

The bags are almost packed, the pet/house sitter is lined up, the tickets are all purchased, and the jeep is full of gas. Now, we just have to wait till Friday morning before departing for Las Vegas, and a nights stay in Sin City. Our flight leaves Vegas Saturday morning for Fort Lauderdale, with a stop in Tampa. We'll be meeting my oldest son Mike, & his wife Amy who will be flying down from Augusta, GA, and my youngest son Marc, his wife Chandra, and our Granddaughter Laila, who will be flying in from Tucson, AZ. We'll spend Saturday night in Fort Lauderdale, before the Limo picks us up on Sunday morning for the ride to the cruise ship.

We sail for a week on the Carnival Glory Sunday morning, with stops at Cozumel, Belize, Mahogany Bay, and Grand Cayman, all in the Western Caribbean. We've already booked a few shore excursions, like snorkeling in Belize, and a swim with the dolphins in Cozumel. Patty and I have cruised and vacationed in the Eastern Caribbean several times, but this will be our first trip to the Western side of Central America.

We're looking forward to spending a week with the kids, and being catered to for our every need. Cruises are cool, especially the abundance of food, that's available during all hours of the day. There's no doubt in my mind that there will be a few extra pounds to shed when we get back home. Wait a minute. We'll be leaving for Tucson in the motor home almost as soon as we return to Lake Havasu, so there will be even more food to consume at Marc & Chandra's. Maybe any thoughts of dieting will have to wait until after New Years. Yep, that's the plan, eat everything in sight for the next couple of weeks, then I'll start thinking about getting serious. Oh heck, I almost forgot about IN N OUT when we get back home. Well, maybe I'll just have to go on an exclusive IN N OUT diet, and not eat anything else. And then, if I run at least 5 miles a day, perhaps I can shed a few pounds. Yep, I think I've got a plan!

FLEAS & ANIMAL FRIES

When a bunch of folks get together, setting up their portable stores, or displaying their household junk in parking lots, who in the heck came up with the word "flea market"? Was it because somebody actually tried to sell some fleas, or was it because the crowds that were scurrying from vendor to vendor resembled a bunch of fleas on an animal? No one seems to know the exact origin of the term flea market, not even the all knowing Internet resource - Wikipedia.

Starting about October, the Lake Havasu City Sunday Flea Market kicks off, and runs every week for the entire winter. For a one day flea market/swap meet, it's a pretty big one, and more often than not, Patty and I usually take a Sunday morning stroll through the rows of vendors. We usually don't buy anything, but yesterday, we both had to have a pair of bifocal sunglasses, that have magnified readers as one part of the dual lens. Now, we have two more pair of glasses to go with the bizillion other pairs that we already have.

When we finished our weekly tour, it was a short drive over to IN N OUT for my more than once weekly double, double. Patty is so disciplined, that she usually just watches me eat my burger, and occasionally, she may nibble on a french fry.

For those that don't know, IN N OUT has a secret menu, with several variations to their burgers and fries. For years, I've been watching what are called "Animal Fries", being served to customers who know the secret menu. And, for years, I've been saying that I've got to give them a try. Well, yesterday was that day, and as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. Fresh cut potatoes, topped with cheese, grilled onions, and IN N OUT's thousand island dressing, is what is pictured below. Patty had more than her usual nibble, and I finished the rest. I'm sure the naysayers will probably swear that this culinary delight is an artery clogging, cholesteral building, instant heart attack, and they're probably right. But boy, it sure was good! This morning, I need to run an extra mile.

A PARADE OF LIGHTS

Last night, just after the sun had set, we set up our chairs along the London Bridgewater Channel, and waited for the boat parade of lights to begin. This was the first time in our 9 years of living in Lake Havasu City that we've been here for this water parade. In the past, we've always been out of town, working at the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas.

What we didn't have any idea about, was how big an event this was. As we searched for a parking place, it didn't take long to figure out that it is a pretty big deal. After finally finding a place to park, and we had walked over to the channel, we discovered that it was lined with people on both sides, and folks had their fire pits blazing away, some even roasting hot dogs and marsh mellows.

One of the local car clubs turned a pontoon boat into a 57 Chevy!

When this entry, "The Polar Express" came floating by, I thought to myself, this is the first time I've ever seen a train floating on the water. Some of the entrants were pretty creative with their displays of lights. There were about 30 entries, and it didn't take very long for them to all pass by. The route of the parade of lights was from Thompson Bay on the south end, through the channel, under the London Bridge, continuing north to the lake. We didn't stay for the return trip, as the parade came back through the channel.

As we were leaving, beating most of the mass exodus, we commented that next year, we'll have to come a little earlier with the fire pit, and enjoy the festive atmosphere a little longer. Fortunately, our bad weather system had moved on, and except for a little chill, all of the boats cruised through the channel on smooth water.

RAIN IN THE DESERT

Yes, it actually does rain here in Western Arizona. According to the Chamber of Commerce website, the average annual rainfall totals in Lake Havasu City are 3.2 inches. The last couple of days have put a dent in that total, as the weather has turned wet, and cooler. I had to turn on our house heater for the first time this morning, with the outside temperature in the low 40's.

These early days of December are ones that we have never spent here in Lake Havasu. This is the first year in the last 10, that we are not in Las Vegas, working the National Finals Rodeo. After a new company took over the official merchandise booths last year, and all of the problems associated with that takeover, we said adios when the event was over. Even though we had increased sales over the previous year, and made a nice paycheck, the experience turned from mostly fun, to drudgery, & frustration. We've always said that we'll continue to seek out mostly seasonal jobs, as long as they are enjoyable. Last years work experience at the NFR was not enjoyable.

Since we've always been in Vegas during this time period, we've missed the annual boat parade of lights under the London Bridge. The parade takes place on two different evenings in early December, and tonight is the second performance. It looks like the rain has moved on, so our evening routine will be a little different later today, as we check out a water parade of lights for the first time.

A NEW TOY

Christmas came a little early for Patty yesterday, with the delivery of a new Kindle reader from Amazon. She has been dropping hints for several weeks, that perhaps this new way to read a book, just might be something that she would use a lot.

Because we are flying across the country in just a few days, and because my wife is an avid reader, I decided to play Santa yesterday. I/We are often slow to embrace new technology, but when we finally get around to pulling the trigger, we usually discover that we can't live without whatever the new device is. Kind of like getting accustomed to an ice maker, and thinking how did we ever live without one!

After registering the Kindle with our WiFi DSL connection, the first book that Patty downloaded was Big Lake by our pal Nick Russell. My reading is more oriented toward newspapers and periodicals, but occasionally, I do read a book. I have a feeling that when Patty finishes reading this first novel on her new Kindle, I just might find myself also becoming an e-reader.

Patty doesn't typically buy hardcover, or new books. Rather, she typically finds most of her reading material at thrift shops, used book stores, or on the internet. This new gadget adds another source for purchasing books at a fraction of the new, hardcover book price. In addition to all of the above, by putting on my Santa hat a little early, I'm now a hero!

NO LONGER A SECRET

When our friends, Kurt and Phyliss Hanson were here at the house a little over a week ago, Kurt shared with me some blockbuster news about an upcoming announcement in the Drag Racing World. The news, of which I was sworn to secrecy, was that Del Worsham, who had just won the Top Fuel World Championship, was going to retire as a driver. If that wasn't big enough news, the next tidbit was that he was going to become the crew chief for Alexis Dejoria's Funny Car, and that those announcements would be made in the near future.

Sure enough, about a week ago, right after Kurt & Phyliss left for Florida, NHRA released a news release that Del Worsham had retired as the current NHRA Top Fuel Champion. Yesterday, just as Kurt had predicted, the new press release from NHRA stated that Worsham had joined Kalitta Motorsports as the new crew chief for the Tequila Patron Funny Car.

Not a big deal for those that don't follow drag racing, but for this fan of the fastest motor sports racing on the planet, it was a big deal to learn that news ahead of the official announcement. When the 2012 season kicks off in Pomona, there will be lots of changes, but the Worsham switch from driver to crew chief will be one of the biggest!