After a busy 10 days at home, I'm back in Fort Lauderdale waiting in the hotel room to meet a ship.
This time, I'm headed to the Veendam. It's supposedly similar to the Maasdam, but I've heard about quite a few things are different: it has a Loft, AND an "Oasis" (outdoor relaxing hangout area). I'll let you know when I see how different or similar the two are.
Anyway, now it's just the time of waiting in a hotel room until I can sleep so I can head to the ship in the morning. 4 weeks of New England/Canada, here I come!
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Sunday, April 21, 2013
gotta love these sea days
April 17, 2013
I slept in this morning. Unintentionally of course. Then again, maybe my body did it intentionally. I woke up as usual with my first alarm and turned it off, then my second went off and I was a bit more awake. Next thing I know, I wake up, look at my clock and it's already 10! My third alarm (the one I set and have trained by body to think "get up NOW" to) didn't go off. All it really meant was that I missed breakfast. It kind of threw me off the rest of the day having lunch be my first meal. I took my time getting ready since there wasn't much else I could do.
Lunch was quick and I visited Charlotte in the library for a while until I went up early to Club HAL. The late afternoon shift I think is the easiest. The schedule goes as follows: activity, sports deck activity, ice cream in the Lido, activity (if time permits). Usually we continue with whatever game they'd been playing when I arrived until it's time for outside stuff. We run around outside for thirty minutes, go back in and play a quick game to cool down a bit while I find the sign to put on the door saying we're at the Lido. Then we spend a long time in the Lido. Somehow we always end up arriving when there's a long line, so have to wait for it, then take a long time eating it. By the time we finish, there's only about 15 minutes left until I have to close.
I wandered around the ship and visited Charlotte again for a while, went through some pictures and finally it was dinnertime! Club HAL went quickly tonight, the theme was "un-birthday" so we decorated paper cupcakes, played their favorite games, and played "Scene It?"
I went down to the room, changed for formal night and went out with Jessie since it was my last formal night. Not many people were out strangely, probably because it was hour forward. We went by the photo gallery to see Erich, but they were already taking down the pictures, so we listened to the HAL Cats in the Queen's Lounge before going up to the Dessert Extravaganza. She was ready to get out of her formals as soon as we finished our food, so we changed and went to the OB just to hang out with people, enjoying having time with friends!
April 18, 2013
My last day on the Zuiderdam. Wow, it's gone so quickly and so slowly at the same time! Ship life does that to you. Time goes more slowly; one cruise is like a month, but we still refer to it as a week unless it's a VERY long cruise. It's also very confusing sometimes because we become so close to other people so quickly because we work, live, and go out together. Everything is intensified. Leaving becomes difficult, especially if you've been friends with someone from the start.
Anyway, I found out yesterday that this ship didn't have record of me doing the safety course (the one they told me I hadn't done on my last few days on the Maasdam), so I went to the Training Room to take that course AGAIN. It wouldn't let me take the assessment though, so I left. I ran into Kassie in the HR and she told me that the 'record' of it can just be our NEOP/new-crew card. Luckily, I'd brought mine with me (the one I completed on the Oosterdam) so I ran to grab that, and ended up finding the actual certificate for the course! YAY I don't have to do it again!
By the time all this happened, it was lunchtime, so I went up and had a leisurely lunch with Jessie. We went by the photo gallery to see Erich, but it was really really busy, so instead we went to her room to watch a movie until I had to work.
The afternoon went by extremely quickly. It was my last session with these kids so a bit sad as well. I don't think some of them realized that; they probably thought I'd come tonight as usual, but Christine is covering the night session so that Chrissy, Kassie and I can go to the Pinnacle Grill for dinner.
I went by the photo gallery again, but it was still really busy (everyone buying photos at the last minute and reserving DVDs) so I went to the room to rest for a bit. A few minutes after I made it to the room, Chrissy called so we could go over my Evaluation, so I had to go back upstairs. After our Evals, Chrissy Kassie and I went up to the Lido to get some tea and relax for a bit. Kassie went with me back to the photo gallery (Erich told me yesterday that I should come visit, that's why I kept going back). Finally it wasn't crowded, so we talked for a bit. Kassie left and I stayed to help put the DVDs into boxes and take them out to the desk. Soon it was dinnertime. I was kind of hungry, but wanted to have enough room for the good food at Pinnacle, so I went up and had some fruit and hung out with all my friends over one last meal. :)
I hung out in the room getting ready for dinner for a while, then went to Kassie's room while she got ready. Chrissy and her fiance Troy (who's an executive chef, he organized it for us to go to Pinnacle) met us upstairs and we had an awesome dinner. I had a spicy coconut soup as appetizer, then steak followed by Creme brulee. So much good food and conversation!! It was a lovely last night on the Zuiderdam!
I slept in this morning. Unintentionally of course. Then again, maybe my body did it intentionally. I woke up as usual with my first alarm and turned it off, then my second went off and I was a bit more awake. Next thing I know, I wake up, look at my clock and it's already 10! My third alarm (the one I set and have trained by body to think "get up NOW" to) didn't go off. All it really meant was that I missed breakfast. It kind of threw me off the rest of the day having lunch be my first meal. I took my time getting ready since there wasn't much else I could do.
Lunch was quick and I visited Charlotte in the library for a while until I went up early to Club HAL. The late afternoon shift I think is the easiest. The schedule goes as follows: activity, sports deck activity, ice cream in the Lido, activity (if time permits). Usually we continue with whatever game they'd been playing when I arrived until it's time for outside stuff. We run around outside for thirty minutes, go back in and play a quick game to cool down a bit while I find the sign to put on the door saying we're at the Lido. Then we spend a long time in the Lido. Somehow we always end up arriving when there's a long line, so have to wait for it, then take a long time eating it. By the time we finish, there's only about 15 minutes left until I have to close.
I wandered around the ship and visited Charlotte again for a while, went through some pictures and finally it was dinnertime! Club HAL went quickly tonight, the theme was "un-birthday" so we decorated paper cupcakes, played their favorite games, and played "Scene It?"
I went down to the room, changed for formal night and went out with Jessie since it was my last formal night. Not many people were out strangely, probably because it was hour forward. We went by the photo gallery to see Erich, but they were already taking down the pictures, so we listened to the HAL Cats in the Queen's Lounge before going up to the Dessert Extravaganza. She was ready to get out of her formals as soon as we finished our food, so we changed and went to the OB just to hang out with people, enjoying having time with friends!
April 18, 2013
My last day on the Zuiderdam. Wow, it's gone so quickly and so slowly at the same time! Ship life does that to you. Time goes more slowly; one cruise is like a month, but we still refer to it as a week unless it's a VERY long cruise. It's also very confusing sometimes because we become so close to other people so quickly because we work, live, and go out together. Everything is intensified. Leaving becomes difficult, especially if you've been friends with someone from the start.
Anyway, I found out yesterday that this ship didn't have record of me doing the safety course (the one they told me I hadn't done on my last few days on the Maasdam), so I went to the Training Room to take that course AGAIN. It wouldn't let me take the assessment though, so I left. I ran into Kassie in the HR and she told me that the 'record' of it can just be our NEOP/new-crew card. Luckily, I'd brought mine with me (the one I completed on the Oosterdam) so I ran to grab that, and ended up finding the actual certificate for the course! YAY I don't have to do it again!
By the time all this happened, it was lunchtime, so I went up and had a leisurely lunch with Jessie. We went by the photo gallery to see Erich, but it was really really busy, so instead we went to her room to watch a movie until I had to work.
The afternoon went by extremely quickly. It was my last session with these kids so a bit sad as well. I don't think some of them realized that; they probably thought I'd come tonight as usual, but Christine is covering the night session so that Chrissy, Kassie and I can go to the Pinnacle Grill for dinner.
I went by the photo gallery again, but it was still really busy (everyone buying photos at the last minute and reserving DVDs) so I went to the room to rest for a bit. A few minutes after I made it to the room, Chrissy called so we could go over my Evaluation, so I had to go back upstairs. After our Evals, Chrissy Kassie and I went up to the Lido to get some tea and relax for a bit. Kassie went with me back to the photo gallery (Erich told me yesterday that I should come visit, that's why I kept going back). Finally it wasn't crowded, so we talked for a bit. Kassie left and I stayed to help put the DVDs into boxes and take them out to the desk. Soon it was dinnertime. I was kind of hungry, but wanted to have enough room for the good food at Pinnacle, so I went up and had some fruit and hung out with all my friends over one last meal. :)
I hung out in the room getting ready for dinner for a while, then went to Kassie's room while she got ready. Chrissy and her fiance Troy (who's an executive chef, he organized it for us to go to Pinnacle) met us upstairs and we had an awesome dinner. I had a spicy coconut soup as appetizer, then steak followed by Creme brulee. So much good food and conversation!! It was a lovely last night on the Zuiderdam!
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
ziplining again in Costa Rica :)
April 16, 2013: Costa Rica
I worked 8-10 this morning because I’d worked it out with Chrissy so I could go on the ziplining crew excursion in the afternoon (when I was originally supposed to work). Only one of the kids came, a 3-year-old girl I hadn’t seen yet this cruise. She was good, we colored for a while, played with Legos, played foosball and I taught her Lego Star Wars. She was only there for an hour, so after she left I got to go back to studying Italian again. Chrissy relieved me a bit early and I went down to get a little bit of breakfast before the raft drill. The normal people were at breakfast (a wife on board and one of the steel drum band members; I sit with them most every morning), as well as Erich so I sat with them until nearly time for drill.
Drill went pretty quickly, probably because the officers in charge thought it was too hot to be outside for long, they actually let us take off the life jackets because it was so hot (more humid than anything; I would’ve been fine if I was wearing flipflops). After drill, I changed for ziplining then headed out to the pier with Charlotte.
Ziplining was fun, I knew more people so we kept conversation going from platform to platform. A lot of people hadn’t done it before so it was fun to watch them go. I did actually see a monkey AND a sloth this time!!! Exciting! :) The tour guide talked the whole way back, but most of us zoned out since we were tired from the party last night and the excitement of ziplining. I got back and tried to stay awake while listening to music and looking through my pictures, but I fell asleep instead.
Club HAL tonight was quiet. Only two of the kids were there. It was game night, so the first thirty minutes I was there they were working on making their own games, which we then played. After we played their games, we played hot potato, ticking-time-bomb, and celebrity heads. Calm night and we finished early.
Kassie and I changed and went to the magic show. I’d been told there were a few new tricks and I really wanted to see them. One of them was anticlimactic but the other was really cool; I wish I could see it again so I could figure out how it works (I have most of the tricks figured out). After that, Kassie went to bed and I went to the OB to get a sprite. No one was in the OB, but there was a movie on, Timothy Green so I sat with my sprite watching the movie. It’s funny that it’s so much more comfortable to watch a movie there than in the room. In the room, I have to sit sideways and backwards in the bed to even be able to see the TV.
I worked 8-10 this morning because I’d worked it out with Chrissy so I could go on the ziplining crew excursion in the afternoon (when I was originally supposed to work). Only one of the kids came, a 3-year-old girl I hadn’t seen yet this cruise. She was good, we colored for a while, played with Legos, played foosball and I taught her Lego Star Wars. She was only there for an hour, so after she left I got to go back to studying Italian again. Chrissy relieved me a bit early and I went down to get a little bit of breakfast before the raft drill. The normal people were at breakfast (a wife on board and one of the steel drum band members; I sit with them most every morning), as well as Erich so I sat with them until nearly time for drill.
Drill went pretty quickly, probably because the officers in charge thought it was too hot to be outside for long, they actually let us take off the life jackets because it was so hot (more humid than anything; I would’ve been fine if I was wearing flipflops). After drill, I changed for ziplining then headed out to the pier with Charlotte.
Ziplining was fun, I knew more people so we kept conversation going from platform to platform. A lot of people hadn’t done it before so it was fun to watch them go. I did actually see a monkey AND a sloth this time!!! Exciting! :) The tour guide talked the whole way back, but most of us zoned out since we were tired from the party last night and the excitement of ziplining. I got back and tried to stay awake while listening to music and looking through my pictures, but I fell asleep instead.
Club HAL tonight was quiet. Only two of the kids were there. It was game night, so the first thirty minutes I was there they were working on making their own games, which we then played. After we played their games, we played hot potato, ticking-time-bomb, and celebrity heads. Calm night and we finished early.
Kassie and I changed and went to the magic show. I’d been told there were a few new tricks and I really wanted to see them. One of them was anticlimactic but the other was really cool; I wish I could see it again so I could figure out how it works (I have most of the tricks figured out). After that, Kassie went to bed and I went to the OB to get a sprite. No one was in the OB, but there was a movie on, Timothy Green so I sat with my sprite watching the movie. It’s funny that it’s so much more comfortable to watch a movie there than in the room. In the room, I have to sit sideways and backwards in the bed to even be able to see the TV.
Panama
April 15, 2013: Panama
My last time in Panama (at least that I know of)! I ended up unintentionally sleeping in this morning; my last alarm didn’t seem to go off, so I woke up at 10 and hung out in the room until lunchtime.
After lunch, I worked on my pictures some, then went up to work early. Only one of the kids had showed up as of 2 (that one only stayed for 30 minutes in the morning with her parents). Luckily I took my Italian book because no kids showed up for the rest of the afternoon. It’s been a while since I’ve really studied much, but I was happy to find that I remembered most of what I’ve learned already! I closed up a little early, changed and went off-ship for a little while for internet. It took me a while to connect, but I didn’t really need to do anything so I sat around waiting for my phone to connect. I didn’t spend much time online, then I walked around one or two of the shops before getting back on the ship. Charlotte was watching The Hobbit on TV so I joined her in that, trying to work some more on my pictures at the same time.
Dinner was pretty quick, I didn’t really feel like hanging around and talking for some reason so I went back down to the room to listen to music and play FreeCell on the computer. Chrissy called as I was about to leave to get to work early. She was in the Lido waiting on a cake for Kassie (it’s her birthday!) so I went up there to keep her company as we waited for a few more people to come so we could surprise her.
She was very happy about the surprise, plus the fact that I got there early which meant she could leave. Christine and Chrissy left not long after Kassie did, so I was left with 4 kids for our “Brave the Night” theme. The two younger kids weren’t wanting to behave or participate at all, and it was annoying the older kids. When I finally got them calmed down so the older ones could work on creating as many words out of “pineapples” as they could, the parents of the older two came to pick them up. I gave up on the theme night and just let the young boys build airplanes with legos and “battle” with them. I was glad when their mom showed up early to get them. It took me a while to clean up since I had to wipe down the whole room alone, fill out the sanitization forms, and fill out the form for code yellow (we’ve been in Code Yellow since Chrissy got on the ship). I feel like I’m starting to get trained for YPC already; I’m filling out the forms that the YPC is supposed to fill out and turn in.
There was a crew party tonight in the Crow’s Nest. I went up on my own, then ended up hanging out with some of the front office girls for a while, then with the rest of Club HAL when they finally got there. Sami and Erich came up and the three of us hung out for the rest of the time. It was a lot of fun, one last big social time before I leave.
My last time in Panama (at least that I know of)! I ended up unintentionally sleeping in this morning; my last alarm didn’t seem to go off, so I woke up at 10 and hung out in the room until lunchtime.
After lunch, I worked on my pictures some, then went up to work early. Only one of the kids had showed up as of 2 (that one only stayed for 30 minutes in the morning with her parents). Luckily I took my Italian book because no kids showed up for the rest of the afternoon. It’s been a while since I’ve really studied much, but I was happy to find that I remembered most of what I’ve learned already! I closed up a little early, changed and went off-ship for a little while for internet. It took me a while to connect, but I didn’t really need to do anything so I sat around waiting for my phone to connect. I didn’t spend much time online, then I walked around one or two of the shops before getting back on the ship. Charlotte was watching The Hobbit on TV so I joined her in that, trying to work some more on my pictures at the same time.
Dinner was pretty quick, I didn’t really feel like hanging around and talking for some reason so I went back down to the room to listen to music and play FreeCell on the computer. Chrissy called as I was about to leave to get to work early. She was in the Lido waiting on a cake for Kassie (it’s her birthday!) so I went up there to keep her company as we waited for a few more people to come so we could surprise her.
She was very happy about the surprise, plus the fact that I got there early which meant she could leave. Christine and Chrissy left not long after Kassie did, so I was left with 4 kids for our “Brave the Night” theme. The two younger kids weren’t wanting to behave or participate at all, and it was annoying the older kids. When I finally got them calmed down so the older ones could work on creating as many words out of “pineapples” as they could, the parents of the older two came to pick them up. I gave up on the theme night and just let the young boys build airplanes with legos and “battle” with them. I was glad when their mom showed up early to get them. It took me a while to clean up since I had to wipe down the whole room alone, fill out the sanitization forms, and fill out the form for code yellow (we’ve been in Code Yellow since Chrissy got on the ship). I feel like I’m starting to get trained for YPC already; I’m filling out the forms that the YPC is supposed to fill out and turn in.
There was a crew party tonight in the Crow’s Nest. I went up on my own, then ended up hanging out with some of the front office girls for a while, then with the rest of Club HAL when they finally got there. Sami and Erich came up and the three of us hung out for the rest of the time. It was a lot of fun, one last big social time before I leave.
I made it off the ship in South America finally!
April 14, 2013: Colombia
It was a beautiful morning in Cartegena! I got up around my normal time, then went off-ship to the port area. There’s not a whole lot there, but it easily kept me occupied for two hours! There was a small shop with all sorts of souvenirs and jewelry, a café, and a kind of zoo area. There were peacocks, flamingos, iguanas, parrots, toucans and monkeys roaming around! I had such a great time taking pictures of all of the creatures. I wish now that I would’ve brought my long lens with me because the monkeys were high up in the trees, and the peacocks were far away behind a fence. I did get good pictures though of the other birds. I was right next to a parrot for a while. One parrot tried to nibble on my toe (probably because I was wearing bright yellow polish), and a toucan kind of spit on me as I was taking its picture. I had my camera out, he was eating some kind of fruit and then suddenly shook his head, spraying me with the fruit! Kind of gross, but who else can say they’ve been kind of spit on by a toucan!? :)
After an hour or so of wandering around seeing the animals, I got on the internet for a while (not too expensive and it was pretty quick) before having to get back on the ship. I didn’t work until 8:30 so I was at a bit of a loss at what to do. I had lunch late, trying to avoid the crowd, then went out to the pool area to see what was going on for the 140th birthday of HAL. Each department had a booth. I made it halfway around before I was recruited to help out with the Explorations Team booth. I sat with my legs out to hold up the cornhole board against the wall, and picked up bean bags and threw them back to the person running the booth. It was extremely hot. The cruise director did finally bring us lemonades and someone else brought popcorn by. I stayed there working until 4 when the party finally ended. It was so hot, I had to shower when I got back to the room. Then I just hung out going through all my pictures from the morning until dinnertime.
It was spy night in Club HAL and I got there right as they got back from a scavenger hunt. We had snack and played Black Magic until they figured out the trick, then I taught them Chinese numbers. By the time that ended, we only had two, so we played a game called ‘ticking time bomb’ that Christine taught us. You throw a ball and start counting down from 10 when it touches the ground, the last person who touched it when you get to 1 is out. Hard to play with only two boys who tend not to listen. We gave up on that and just let them play Shrek the board game until their parents came to pick them up.
After cleaning up, I went down to the photo gallery to see Erich since he said he’d give me some music. He finished up a promo for the week’s DVD and set the computer to burn it to a DVD (which takes an hour) then we went downstairs and I got my hard drive for him to put some music on. We talked music for a while, then I went back to my room and got my camera to show him some of the pictures of the animals I took in port. We talked photos for a while and then ended up watching a TV show on his computer. I’ve missed getting off work before midnight.
It was a beautiful morning in Cartegena! I got up around my normal time, then went off-ship to the port area. There’s not a whole lot there, but it easily kept me occupied for two hours! There was a small shop with all sorts of souvenirs and jewelry, a café, and a kind of zoo area. There were peacocks, flamingos, iguanas, parrots, toucans and monkeys roaming around! I had such a great time taking pictures of all of the creatures. I wish now that I would’ve brought my long lens with me because the monkeys were high up in the trees, and the peacocks were far away behind a fence. I did get good pictures though of the other birds. I was right next to a parrot for a while. One parrot tried to nibble on my toe (probably because I was wearing bright yellow polish), and a toucan kind of spit on me as I was taking its picture. I had my camera out, he was eating some kind of fruit and then suddenly shook his head, spraying me with the fruit! Kind of gross, but who else can say they’ve been kind of spit on by a toucan!? :)
After an hour or so of wandering around seeing the animals, I got on the internet for a while (not too expensive and it was pretty quick) before having to get back on the ship. I didn’t work until 8:30 so I was at a bit of a loss at what to do. I had lunch late, trying to avoid the crowd, then went out to the pool area to see what was going on for the 140th birthday of HAL. Each department had a booth. I made it halfway around before I was recruited to help out with the Explorations Team booth. I sat with my legs out to hold up the cornhole board against the wall, and picked up bean bags and threw them back to the person running the booth. It was extremely hot. The cruise director did finally bring us lemonades and someone else brought popcorn by. I stayed there working until 4 when the party finally ended. It was so hot, I had to shower when I got back to the room. Then I just hung out going through all my pictures from the morning until dinnertime.
It was spy night in Club HAL and I got there right as they got back from a scavenger hunt. We had snack and played Black Magic until they figured out the trick, then I taught them Chinese numbers. By the time that ended, we only had two, so we played a game called ‘ticking time bomb’ that Christine taught us. You throw a ball and start counting down from 10 when it touches the ground, the last person who touched it when you get to 1 is out. Hard to play with only two boys who tend not to listen. We gave up on that and just let them play Shrek the board game until their parents came to pick them up.
After cleaning up, I went down to the photo gallery to see Erich since he said he’d give me some music. He finished up a promo for the week’s DVD and set the computer to burn it to a DVD (which takes an hour) then we went downstairs and I got my hard drive for him to put some music on. We talked music for a while, then I went back to my room and got my camera to show him some of the pictures of the animals I took in port. We talked photos for a while and then ended up watching a TV show on his computer. I’ve missed getting off work before midnight.
Sunday, April 14, 2013
sea day
April 13, 2013: Sea Day
I got up at the usual time this morning, despite not having to work until 2:30. It’s odd having nothing really to do in the morning. I may have to talk to the band and see if they want to watch a movie or something the last two sea day mornings. I did laundry after breakfast today, and actually managed to go through pictures finally. I surprisingly don’t have a lot for this contract (for me at least, I’m sure I took more pictures this contract than other people take in a year).
After lunch and finishing laundry, I finally got to go to work. The late afternoon shift is probably the easiest you can get. It’s 30 minutes outside on the Sports deck followed by ice cream in the Lido and 30 minutes of an activity back inside. We just ended up extending an activity into Sports Deck time, going outside a bit late, then going down for ice cream and getting back to Club HAL with about 10 minutes until close.
At 4 Erich came by since we’d agreed to play MarioKart after I got off work until he had to go get ready for work/formal night. He hasn’t played in a while, but still beat me (not that I’m that great at it anyway). It was fun, we laughed a lot and talked some, and just enjoyed having something to do in our time off.
I went down to the room finished working on my pictures until dinner. After a somewhat long dinner, I still had an hour to kill before I had to go to work, so I ended up watching part of a movie that was on one of the crew channels then going to work early.
When I arrived, they had the lights off and were playing hide-and-seek (which I told them we could play tonight while we were getting ice cream this afternoon). They kept on playing that for an hour. When they finally stopped listening to me and Christine when we told them to walk inside instead of run, we turned on the lights and continued with our alien night theme. I cut paper and we traced them and spent the rest of the evening turning their outlines into aliens. By 9:30 all the parents had come to pick them up so Christine and I talked for a bit, then I showed her what was in the Loft (she’d been here before, but I figured I’d make sure she remembered everything because it was a few years ago, and she’s been at Disney for a while now; plus I knew Chrissy wouldn’t know anything about the Loft to give handover notes about it). We wiped down all the tables and stools, then left a bit early.
I got up at the usual time this morning, despite not having to work until 2:30. It’s odd having nothing really to do in the morning. I may have to talk to the band and see if they want to watch a movie or something the last two sea day mornings. I did laundry after breakfast today, and actually managed to go through pictures finally. I surprisingly don’t have a lot for this contract (for me at least, I’m sure I took more pictures this contract than other people take in a year).
After lunch and finishing laundry, I finally got to go to work. The late afternoon shift is probably the easiest you can get. It’s 30 minutes outside on the Sports deck followed by ice cream in the Lido and 30 minutes of an activity back inside. We just ended up extending an activity into Sports Deck time, going outside a bit late, then going down for ice cream and getting back to Club HAL with about 10 minutes until close.
At 4 Erich came by since we’d agreed to play MarioKart after I got off work until he had to go get ready for work/formal night. He hasn’t played in a while, but still beat me (not that I’m that great at it anyway). It was fun, we laughed a lot and talked some, and just enjoyed having something to do in our time off.
I went down to the room finished working on my pictures until dinner. After a somewhat long dinner, I still had an hour to kill before I had to go to work, so I ended up watching part of a movie that was on one of the crew channels then going to work early.
When I arrived, they had the lights off and were playing hide-and-seek (which I told them we could play tonight while we were getting ice cream this afternoon). They kept on playing that for an hour. When they finally stopped listening to me and Christine when we told them to walk inside instead of run, we turned on the lights and continued with our alien night theme. I cut paper and we traced them and spent the rest of the evening turning their outlines into aliens. By 9:30 all the parents had come to pick them up so Christine and I talked for a bit, then I showed her what was in the Loft (she’d been here before, but I figured I’d make sure she remembered everything because it was a few years ago, and she’s been at Disney for a while now; plus I knew Chrissy wouldn’t know anything about the Loft to give handover notes about it). We wiped down all the tables and stools, then left a bit early.
Saturday, April 13, 2013
last Curacao
April 12, 2013: Curacao
I got up and got ready so I could run up to breakfast before the fire drill. It was interesting because I ate quickly and went to visit Kassie at work, but they were going to be doing the fire drill there so she had been evacuated, but had to stay nearby in case kids came. I’m glad I wasn’t working this morning! We ended up getting another YPC today as well. She’s on for Chrissy to start doing handover with her since she’s been off HAL ships for a while now.
The fire drill in the front office wasn’t very eventful. It ended quickly though, so I decided to get off for a while and try to find internet. I did manage to find some internet that worked (first time having decent internet in Curacao!) so talked to Mom for a bit before getting back to relieve Kassie in Club HAL. None of the kids came until 3:15. I nearly fell asleep at one point because I was so tired and reading wasn’t keeping my attention. When the kids came, I got to watch them play on the Wii for 30 minutes until their parents came back to pick them up.
I was so tired, I went back to the room and fell asleep until dinnertime. I had a quick dinner before going back to the room and watching a little bit of “Under the Tuscan Sun” before heading up to Club HAL. All of us were there for about 45 minutes, with 6 kids there. I played Monopoly with two of them until it was time to close. They’re not good at following the real rules of the game, so I just let them play how they’d been playing before I got there.
I’m still pretty tired, so I’m going through my pictures for a while, and then I’m going to sleep early!
I got up and got ready so I could run up to breakfast before the fire drill. It was interesting because I ate quickly and went to visit Kassie at work, but they were going to be doing the fire drill there so she had been evacuated, but had to stay nearby in case kids came. I’m glad I wasn’t working this morning! We ended up getting another YPC today as well. She’s on for Chrissy to start doing handover with her since she’s been off HAL ships for a while now.
The fire drill in the front office wasn’t very eventful. It ended quickly though, so I decided to get off for a while and try to find internet. I did manage to find some internet that worked (first time having decent internet in Curacao!) so talked to Mom for a bit before getting back to relieve Kassie in Club HAL. None of the kids came until 3:15. I nearly fell asleep at one point because I was so tired and reading wasn’t keeping my attention. When the kids came, I got to watch them play on the Wii for 30 minutes until their parents came back to pick them up.
I was so tired, I went back to the room and fell asleep until dinnertime. I had a quick dinner before going back to the room and watching a little bit of “Under the Tuscan Sun” before heading up to Club HAL. All of us were there for about 45 minutes, with 6 kids there. I played Monopoly with two of them until it was time to close. They’re not good at following the real rules of the game, so I just let them play how they’d been playing before I got there.
I’m still pretty tired, so I’m going through my pictures for a while, and then I’m going to sleep early!
day at the beach in Aruba
April 11, 2013: Aruba
This morning started out with nothing going really to plan. I had planned on getting up early and going to work out with Chrissy. I apparently slept right through that alarm. I woke up at my normal time, got ready and had breakfast. By then, it was 10 and I had no idea what to do since I didn’t have to work. I went by the crew office to rent a bike to ride to the beach with Milan and Erich (from the photo dept), but all the bikes were claimed for the day. I went upstairs to see Charlotte in the library, but she was at Bingo. I then decided just to go to Club HAL and help out with the rest of the morning shift. I got there just as they were starting to make bracelets. I started making another one, but then realized that I needed safety pins to do it best, so I ran downstairs to grab them. I met Justin (HAL Cats drummer) in the hall and we agreed to watch a movie in a few minutes. I ran back upstairs, taught one of the girls how to make the bracelet, then went back down to watch a movie.
After the movie, I went up for lunch, then back down to wait until we could get off. I’d planned on waiting for Jessie and going with Kassie and her to the beach. After the drill (which I know Jessie had to work), I didn’t hear from her; Matan had been calling to ask about going and he was getting anxious about time since his band played later in the afternoon. So, Matan, Kassie and I went. I left a message for Charlotte to give Jessie if she called since Charlotte had IPM.
Kassie, Matan and I met up with Erich and Milan (from the photo dept) at the beach. We lay out in the sun for a while before getting in the water for a bit. It was kind of cold so I didn’t stay in long. Kassie had to leave to go to a meeting for her internship and Matan left with her. I stayed with Erich and Milan since I didn’t have to be back to work until 7. Erich and I talked for a bit, enjoying the sun, but then we decided to build a sandcastle. It was a pretty great sandcastle (especially since we didn’t have buckets or anything). I started to dig down to make a moat. I had to dig pretty deep to get there. By the time Erich and I finished the castle and dug down to water, we had a fan club gathered around us. There were quite a few kids on the beach with their families and they all watched us dig and shape the towers on the castle. They helped out a bit too as we dug more on the moat, it was pretty fun. They spoke to each other in fast Spanish, then to us and we would attempt to respond (I ended up responding in French, haha). They were rather impressed, but we had to leave before we finished the moat. I wonder if they finished it for us after we left.
Erich walked with me back to the ship since he was going to meet Milan, Milan’s girlfriend and some others to go out to dinner later. I changed quickly and went up to work for the first time today. I arrived a few minutes late, and there were 5 kids waiting for me. It was movie night, so we picked two movies and immediately started one of them. It was the easiest work night ever: eating popcorn and watching Kung Fu Panda 2. After work, I went down to the room to wait for Jessie to get me so we could go back out before we left.
We went out and I got dinner while we played cards and chatted. I’m going to miss that girl, she’s probably my best friend on this ship. After I finished eating, we came back to the ship and hung out in the OB with most of the crew. It was a fun night, we played quite a few card games and talked to a lot of different people.
This morning started out with nothing going really to plan. I had planned on getting up early and going to work out with Chrissy. I apparently slept right through that alarm. I woke up at my normal time, got ready and had breakfast. By then, it was 10 and I had no idea what to do since I didn’t have to work. I went by the crew office to rent a bike to ride to the beach with Milan and Erich (from the photo dept), but all the bikes were claimed for the day. I went upstairs to see Charlotte in the library, but she was at Bingo. I then decided just to go to Club HAL and help out with the rest of the morning shift. I got there just as they were starting to make bracelets. I started making another one, but then realized that I needed safety pins to do it best, so I ran downstairs to grab them. I met Justin (HAL Cats drummer) in the hall and we agreed to watch a movie in a few minutes. I ran back upstairs, taught one of the girls how to make the bracelet, then went back down to watch a movie.
After the movie, I went up for lunch, then back down to wait until we could get off. I’d planned on waiting for Jessie and going with Kassie and her to the beach. After the drill (which I know Jessie had to work), I didn’t hear from her; Matan had been calling to ask about going and he was getting anxious about time since his band played later in the afternoon. So, Matan, Kassie and I went. I left a message for Charlotte to give Jessie if she called since Charlotte had IPM.
Kassie, Matan and I met up with Erich and Milan (from the photo dept) at the beach. We lay out in the sun for a while before getting in the water for a bit. It was kind of cold so I didn’t stay in long. Kassie had to leave to go to a meeting for her internship and Matan left with her. I stayed with Erich and Milan since I didn’t have to be back to work until 7. Erich and I talked for a bit, enjoying the sun, but then we decided to build a sandcastle. It was a pretty great sandcastle (especially since we didn’t have buckets or anything). I started to dig down to make a moat. I had to dig pretty deep to get there. By the time Erich and I finished the castle and dug down to water, we had a fan club gathered around us. There were quite a few kids on the beach with their families and they all watched us dig and shape the towers on the castle. They helped out a bit too as we dug more on the moat, it was pretty fun. They spoke to each other in fast Spanish, then to us and we would attempt to respond (I ended up responding in French, haha). They were rather impressed, but we had to leave before we finished the moat. I wonder if they finished it for us after we left.
Erich walked with me back to the ship since he was going to meet Milan, Milan’s girlfriend and some others to go out to dinner later. I changed quickly and went up to work for the first time today. I arrived a few minutes late, and there were 5 kids waiting for me. It was movie night, so we picked two movies and immediately started one of them. It was the easiest work night ever: eating popcorn and watching Kung Fu Panda 2. After work, I went down to the room to wait for Jessie to get me so we could go back out before we left.
We went out and I got dinner while we played cards and chatted. I’m going to miss that girl, she’s probably my best friend on this ship. After I finished eating, we came back to the ship and hung out in the OB with most of the crew. It was a fun night, we played quite a few card games and talked to a lot of different people.
Friday, April 12, 2013
sea day
April 10, 2013: Sea Day
None of the teens came this morning, so when Chrissy came in to check on me, she decided that we should just give up on them coming. So, she re-worked the schedule. Not we’re working 1.5 hour shifts except for port days. I didn’t start until 2:30 this afternoon, got off at 4 and started again at 8:30.
I thought I’d be a little bit bored after 4, but I met up with Stephanie (wife of one of the officers) and we chatted for a while, then I met up with one of the HAL Cats and we chatted for a while before decided to play cards in the OB for a while. So, that filled up my afternoon. I hung out at dinner for a while before going up to Club HAL to take over for Camp night. We built a fort and played hide-and-seek with one of the bears they had made. It was an easy hour.
Chrissy and Kassie came back up to help me supersan. They let me go get change and return the bucket while they waited for the person to come by and check it. I met up with Jessie and we went to the Queen’s Lounge. It was great being out at night. I’d been working until midnight since I got on this ship! We listened the HAL Cats play in the Queen’s Lounge, then went to the OB and played cards.
None of the teens came this morning, so when Chrissy came in to check on me, she decided that we should just give up on them coming. So, she re-worked the schedule. Not we’re working 1.5 hour shifts except for port days. I didn’t start until 2:30 this afternoon, got off at 4 and started again at 8:30.
I thought I’d be a little bit bored after 4, but I met up with Stephanie (wife of one of the officers) and we chatted for a while, then I met up with one of the HAL Cats and we chatted for a while before decided to play cards in the OB for a while. So, that filled up my afternoon. I hung out at dinner for a while before going up to Club HAL to take over for Camp night. We built a fort and played hide-and-seek with one of the bears they had made. It was an easy hour.
Chrissy and Kassie came back up to help me supersan. They let me go get change and return the bucket while they waited for the person to come by and check it. I met up with Jessie and we went to the Queen’s Lounge. It was great being out at night. I’d been working until midnight since I got on this ship! We listened the HAL Cats play in the Queen’s Lounge, then went to the OB and played cards.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
And so starts my last week on the Zuiderdam!!
April 8, 2013: Ft. Lauderdale
The last two sea days of the cruise were pretty boring, as usual. So, nothing really to report.
Charlotte and I got up early and did some shopping before hurrying back to the ship for work. I had to work open house which basically meant I read and listened to music for two hours until two families showed up.
It was a kind of busy afternoon after open house, I had to do wristbands, then quickly went up to text Mom and Dad until the entertainment department meeting at 4. By the time the pointless meeting ended, we were almost already out of the port.
The night went by really really slowly. None of the teens showed up, so I ended up just sitting in the Loft playing Lego Harry Potter and doing sudokus and reading. Chrissy came by when they closed Club HAL and said I could just leave at 11 if no one had shown up by then. No one did, so I got to leave early.
April 9, 2013: Half Moon Cay
It was Charlotte’s birthday, so after I got off work (I dug a huge hole in the sand with one of the kids, and made a volcano, haha) I joined her, and a few others on the beach. We had snacks: chips and brownies and mini-cakes, and the cast invited us to play volleyball with them. I just took pictures. It was pretty fun, but I had to leave early since I was scheduled to work at 2 and wanted a quick lunch beforehand. I had 15 minutes to change, run upstairs and get food before work because they wouldn’t let crew on the tender for a while. I ended up taking my pizza upstairs and eating it in the Loft. No one came this afternoon, so I did a lot of sudokus, read, and gave instructions on how to get to the library/Crow’s Nest. It was a pretty boring afternoon to be honest. I had dinner with Erich (videographer) and Jessie then went down to the room to shower and get all the sand off of me finally. I went to visit Charlotte and helped her shelve books until I had to get back to the Loft. Again, no one showed up so I played Lego Harry Potter, then went to the show with Chrissy and Kassie before going back to close up the Loft. I can already tell it’s going to be a strange week.
The last two sea days of the cruise were pretty boring, as usual. So, nothing really to report.
Charlotte and I got up early and did some shopping before hurrying back to the ship for work. I had to work open house which basically meant I read and listened to music for two hours until two families showed up.
It was a kind of busy afternoon after open house, I had to do wristbands, then quickly went up to text Mom and Dad until the entertainment department meeting at 4. By the time the pointless meeting ended, we were almost already out of the port.
The night went by really really slowly. None of the teens showed up, so I ended up just sitting in the Loft playing Lego Harry Potter and doing sudokus and reading. Chrissy came by when they closed Club HAL and said I could just leave at 11 if no one had shown up by then. No one did, so I got to leave early.
April 9, 2013: Half Moon Cay
It was Charlotte’s birthday, so after I got off work (I dug a huge hole in the sand with one of the kids, and made a volcano, haha) I joined her, and a few others on the beach. We had snacks: chips and brownies and mini-cakes, and the cast invited us to play volleyball with them. I just took pictures. It was pretty fun, but I had to leave early since I was scheduled to work at 2 and wanted a quick lunch beforehand. I had 15 minutes to change, run upstairs and get food before work because they wouldn’t let crew on the tender for a while. I ended up taking my pizza upstairs and eating it in the Loft. No one came this afternoon, so I did a lot of sudokus, read, and gave instructions on how to get to the library/Crow’s Nest. It was a pretty boring afternoon to be honest. I had dinner with Erich (videographer) and Jessie then went down to the room to shower and get all the sand off of me finally. I went to visit Charlotte and helped her shelve books until I had to get back to the Loft. Again, no one showed up so I played Lego Harry Potter, then went to the show with Chrissy and Kassie before going back to close up the Loft. I can already tell it’s going to be a strange week.
panama
April 4, 2013: Panama
All of my teens went on excursions so I hung out in the Loft alone all morning, playing lego Harry Potter, doing sudokus, and going over the books we have in the Loft. I had a quick lunch, then went outside to enjoy the warmth for a while. By 1, I was a bit warm and had no idea what to do for the next hour until work. I went to the library to see if Charlotte needed any help. She had just opened the book drop to check in and shelve everything and had a headache so was very happy that I showed up, since she probably would’ve had to stay past 2 to get everything done without help. I met my teens and we went down to participate in the dance class: samba today.
The rest of the afternoon went quickly, then I had a short dinner break before going back. Only a few came tonight, so we hung out and played cards the whole night.
All of my teens went on excursions so I hung out in the Loft alone all morning, playing lego Harry Potter, doing sudokus, and going over the books we have in the Loft. I had a quick lunch, then went outside to enjoy the warmth for a while. By 1, I was a bit warm and had no idea what to do for the next hour until work. I went to the library to see if Charlotte needed any help. She had just opened the book drop to check in and shelve everything and had a headache so was very happy that I showed up, since she probably would’ve had to stay past 2 to get everything done without help. I met my teens and we went down to participate in the dance class: samba today.
The rest of the afternoon went quickly, then I had a short dinner break before going back. Only a few came tonight, so we hung out and played cards the whole night.
Friday, April 5, 2013
Aruba/Sea day
April 2, 2013: Aruba
Fire drill this morning, then I got off with Charlotte and went to the ice cream place. We both got muffins since it was still early. The internet was working well there this week, so that was nice. I left on my own because I had to work at 12. There weren’t any kids when I got there, so I put up a sign and headed down to lunch. Around 1, someone showed up. It was the son of the acrobats that had been on the Maasdam for the crossing back to the US! He recognized me and he told me about what they’ve been doing since then. Quite a few other kids came, but it was pretty quiet: some of the boys were playing xbox, the other older kids were playing on the wii, and the little ones were coloring with me.
I ended up going to the room and reading until dinner and work again. I sat alone in the Loft for awhile while everyone was at dinner, then a few came. We played cards for a while before going to the acrobat show, then went back to the Loft, listened to music and played more cards. It was a pretty easy night, all the teens seemed pretty tired.
April 3, 2013: Sea Day
This morning wore on for a while. I sat in the Loft alone for a while, then played cards with the one teen to come until some others came, then I taught them all Phase 10 since we’d been playing Rummy a lot. The afternoon was pretty much the same. A group of them watched a movie on one of their computers (a scary movie, they knew I didn’t want to watch it), while the rest of us played Phase 10, then made friendship bracelets. The evening was pretty much the same, not much to talk about. I did meet the other Club HAL girls at the OB after work though, Michelle and I went out on the bow and talked. Turns out that she took the contract on the Rotterdam that I turned down during Christmas/New Years.
Fire drill this morning, then I got off with Charlotte and went to the ice cream place. We both got muffins since it was still early. The internet was working well there this week, so that was nice. I left on my own because I had to work at 12. There weren’t any kids when I got there, so I put up a sign and headed down to lunch. Around 1, someone showed up. It was the son of the acrobats that had been on the Maasdam for the crossing back to the US! He recognized me and he told me about what they’ve been doing since then. Quite a few other kids came, but it was pretty quiet: some of the boys were playing xbox, the other older kids were playing on the wii, and the little ones were coloring with me.
I ended up going to the room and reading until dinner and work again. I sat alone in the Loft for awhile while everyone was at dinner, then a few came. We played cards for a while before going to the acrobat show, then went back to the Loft, listened to music and played more cards. It was a pretty easy night, all the teens seemed pretty tired.
April 3, 2013: Sea Day
This morning wore on for a while. I sat in the Loft alone for a while, then played cards with the one teen to come until some others came, then I taught them all Phase 10 since we’d been playing Rummy a lot. The afternoon was pretty much the same. A group of them watched a movie on one of their computers (a scary movie, they knew I didn’t want to watch it), while the rest of us played Phase 10, then made friendship bracelets. The evening was pretty much the same, not much to talk about. I did meet the other Club HAL girls at the OB after work though, Michelle and I went out on the bow and talked. Turns out that she took the contract on the Rotterdam that I turned down during Christmas/New Years.
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Curacao
April 1, 2013: Curacao
I kind of feel like today was completely unproductive. I wish I could have just started it all over and maybe have things go right, or at least go... This morning, I was in the loft for the morning shift, and none of them showed up. At 11:30, Chrissy came to tell me that we had to have a Club HAL meeting with the Event Manager to talk about the ‘new’ rules. They’re basically the same rules that are common sense for working with children. It took an hour and we only went over the health and sanitization information. The rest of it wasn’t on the computer so we’re going over it later, so Michelle and I went to lunch.
After lunch, the two of us went to the bow to watch us dock. It was pretty cool, but really windy. Michelle couldn’t get off today sine she stll hasn’t finished her new-crew card to get her ID. I found out that the Celebrity Eclipse couldn’t dock in Curacao because the wind was too strong. I was supposed to meet Blake (from the Maasdam, now works on that ship) and go to the beach, get some internet and catch up. When I found out they weren’t here, I was at a loss about what to do since I’d told everyone I had plans already. I tried calling Kayleigh, but she didn’t answer. So, I decided to just venture out on my own (again. It’s not fun here really unless you’re with friends). On my way out, I met Matan who was going out for internet so I joined him. When we got to the café, I could connect to the wireless network, but not the internet. I stayed as Matan did stuff online for a while, then he let me use his computer to check my emails really quickly before we went back to the ship. I attempted to nap until dinner, then hung out with Charlotte in the library until work.
The teens were tired (not a surprise at all this week), so we just put in a movie to start. Not a fan of that movie at all, it’s called “Knowing” and it’s pretty creepy. Luckily, the pool party was happening and they all like to eat so we went down to the Lido to get some food. I got coerced into doing the line dances again (not too bad this week now that I dragged my teens to dance as well. After that, we went back upstairs and played card games until they all went to bed.
I kind of feel like today was completely unproductive. I wish I could have just started it all over and maybe have things go right, or at least go... This morning, I was in the loft for the morning shift, and none of them showed up. At 11:30, Chrissy came to tell me that we had to have a Club HAL meeting with the Event Manager to talk about the ‘new’ rules. They’re basically the same rules that are common sense for working with children. It took an hour and we only went over the health and sanitization information. The rest of it wasn’t on the computer so we’re going over it later, so Michelle and I went to lunch.
After lunch, the two of us went to the bow to watch us dock. It was pretty cool, but really windy. Michelle couldn’t get off today sine she stll hasn’t finished her new-crew card to get her ID. I found out that the Celebrity Eclipse couldn’t dock in Curacao because the wind was too strong. I was supposed to meet Blake (from the Maasdam, now works on that ship) and go to the beach, get some internet and catch up. When I found out they weren’t here, I was at a loss about what to do since I’d told everyone I had plans already. I tried calling Kayleigh, but she didn’t answer. So, I decided to just venture out on my own (again. It’s not fun here really unless you’re with friends). On my way out, I met Matan who was going out for internet so I joined him. When we got to the café, I could connect to the wireless network, but not the internet. I stayed as Matan did stuff online for a while, then he let me use his computer to check my emails really quickly before we went back to the ship. I attempted to nap until dinner, then hung out with Charlotte in the library until work.
The teens were tired (not a surprise at all this week), so we just put in a movie to start. Not a fan of that movie at all, it’s called “Knowing” and it’s pretty creepy. Luckily, the pool party was happening and they all like to eat so we went down to the Lido to get some food. I got coerced into doing the line dances again (not too bad this week now that I dragged my teens to dance as well. After that, we went back upstairs and played card games until they all went to bed.
Easter on a ship
March 31, 2013: Sea Day… EASTER!
It’s been a busy day for me. I got up at 7 to be at a church service at 8, then met Chrissy at 9 to do egg-dying with the kids (Michelle and Kassie had one of the new-crew meetings). In the middle of that, Chase (the DJ) came by and needed my help to get face paint so we could turn him into the Easter bunny. Then, I had to go get extra candy for him to give out to the kids and guests as he wandered around the ship as the bunny. Then, I had to get the eggs for the teens and hide them in the Queen’s Lounge before I went to work at 10 and our egg hunt at 11. We played cards for an hour, then went downstairs for the egg hunt only to find that a cooking demonstration was occurring in the Queen’s Lounge, where I had already hidden the eggs! We went back upstairs only to go back down at 12 when it was done. Less than half of the eggs were left in the lounge, and half of the ones left were empty of candy! What a wonderful scheduling error. I definitely wish the entertainment department had had a meeting to discuss the plans for Easter, that way there would be no double-scheduling of rooms and I would’ve known to get stuff for Chase to become the Easter bunny. It could’ve all gone a lot smoother than it did if someone would’ve at least MENTIONED some of this stuff to me. I didn’t find out until 10:30 last night that I was going to have to help at 9 with the egg-dying!
At least I did get to go to church though. :) The pastor talked about joy, how we should leap for joy at Jesus’ resurrection, and in general all the time because of His return for us. Joy. I’m usually happy, but I really need to work on being truly joyous about life and remembering all God has done for me! I won’t forget it today, despite all today’s problems/insanity.
I went to the show with a few of the teens and then was alone for a little while before a few more came and we played cards until almost midnight I SuperSan-ed then went to meet people at the OB for a while.
It’s been a busy day for me. I got up at 7 to be at a church service at 8, then met Chrissy at 9 to do egg-dying with the kids (Michelle and Kassie had one of the new-crew meetings). In the middle of that, Chase (the DJ) came by and needed my help to get face paint so we could turn him into the Easter bunny. Then, I had to go get extra candy for him to give out to the kids and guests as he wandered around the ship as the bunny. Then, I had to get the eggs for the teens and hide them in the Queen’s Lounge before I went to work at 10 and our egg hunt at 11. We played cards for an hour, then went downstairs for the egg hunt only to find that a cooking demonstration was occurring in the Queen’s Lounge, where I had already hidden the eggs! We went back upstairs only to go back down at 12 when it was done. Less than half of the eggs were left in the lounge, and half of the ones left were empty of candy! What a wonderful scheduling error. I definitely wish the entertainment department had had a meeting to discuss the plans for Easter, that way there would be no double-scheduling of rooms and I would’ve known to get stuff for Chase to become the Easter bunny. It could’ve all gone a lot smoother than it did if someone would’ve at least MENTIONED some of this stuff to me. I didn’t find out until 10:30 last night that I was going to have to help at 9 with the egg-dying!
At least I did get to go to church though. :) The pastor talked about joy, how we should leap for joy at Jesus’ resurrection, and in general all the time because of His return for us. Joy. I’m usually happy, but I really need to work on being truly joyous about life and remembering all God has done for me! I won’t forget it today, despite all today’s problems/insanity.
I went to the show with a few of the teens and then was alone for a little while before a few more came and we played cards until almost midnight I SuperSan-ed then went to meet people at the OB for a while.
beautiful Half Moon
March 30, 2013: Half Moon Cay
Interesting day. I got off around 9, spent 45 minutes on the tender waiting for it to fill up so I could get to shore to help out with the island activities. None of my teens came so I helped make sandcastles and played Frisbees with some of the tweens. After that, I walked down the beach to see if I could find anyone. I didn’t see anyone, so I set my stuff down and continued walking for a few minutes to check further down the beach. When I came back to my stuff, I found August and one of the Adagios who joined me. Kayleigh came a bit later, followed by Kassie. We chatted and just enjoyed the sun since it was pretty cold in the water.
I had to be in the Loft at 2, so I headed back a bit early, changed quickly, then ran upstairs to put a sign on the door saying I was in the Lido (I needed to get lunch, and there was still another 30 minutes or more until all aboard for guests). Charlotte and I ate together, then I went up to the Loft and hung out with the few teens that came up.
Tonight, a few more teens joined us. We played ping pong for a while, then wii sports resort games until they were all too tired to stay up any later and went to bed.
Interesting day. I got off around 9, spent 45 minutes on the tender waiting for it to fill up so I could get to shore to help out with the island activities. None of my teens came so I helped make sandcastles and played Frisbees with some of the tweens. After that, I walked down the beach to see if I could find anyone. I didn’t see anyone, so I set my stuff down and continued walking for a few minutes to check further down the beach. When I came back to my stuff, I found August and one of the Adagios who joined me. Kayleigh came a bit later, followed by Kassie. We chatted and just enjoyed the sun since it was pretty cold in the water.
I had to be in the Loft at 2, so I headed back a bit early, changed quickly, then ran upstairs to put a sign on the door saying I was in the Lido (I needed to get lunch, and there was still another 30 minutes or more until all aboard for guests). Charlotte and I ate together, then I went up to the Loft and hung out with the few teens that came up.
Tonight, a few more teens joined us. We played ping pong for a while, then wii sports resort games until they were all too tired to stay up any later and went to bed.
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