Pat bought her Boots and Marks and Spencer supplies. She buys a big boquet of fresh cut flowers at each port to given color to her stateroom! When we returned to ship, we celebrated with a drink in Chart Room. Ginger beer is not for me, too sweet, but Pat adores it. 
It's odd to watch new people come aboard. I am so tempted to help them locate themselves but all the old hands assure me that can lead to unanticipated problems. Let well enough alone. I'm finding my rural/suburban openness at odds with the isolationist walls of my urbanite friends.
It's odd to watch new people come aboard. I am so tempted to help them locate themselves but all the old hands assure me that can lead to unanticipated problems. Let well enough alone. I'm finding my rural/suburban openness at odds with the isolationist walls of my urbanite friends. Tea in the Queen's Room. Drinks before dinner in the Commodore Club. No dressing up, informal attire. Ron joined our table for dinner but managed to tick off Sheila as he vacillated between remaining or returning to his original table. She argued in private that he "upset the dynamics of the group." I am uncertain why she is so annoyed. She surprised us all by bringing her small Cunard Bear to the table and setting him up as a dinner guest, complete with water and roll. Sometimes the sprite in her erupts!
After dinner, Tim shared his nightmare about his ex and the new husband. Tim looks Teutonic but is one of the most emotionally fragile humans I know. Selfishly, I am very glad he does not live near me nor is into electronic communication. I was kind of harsh but I believe what I said when I told him to move on, that after 5 years, he needs to accept no emotional recociliation will occur, though a social one seems likely.
Sheila captured me for drinks before bed to talk about her day at Windsor. I was exhausted and happy to have the extra hour as we set the clocks back.
Today is Friday, December 16. We have a new captain, actually he came aboard yesterday. Kevin Oprey was captain during my Quebec/St. Lawrence cruise in October. His rule is very different from Wells's. He seldom leaves the bridge, nor consorts with passengers unless they're seated at his dinner table. The seas seemed calm today, yet the ship is rolling like in a big storm. My conclusion is that he does not have stabilizers out, thus increasing speed and lessening fuel use. Sheila opined he just wants to get from A to B, believeing if you've chosen sailing the North Atlantic in winter, you deserve the experience, not to be coddled with a smooth ride. I don't know. What I have seen today are multiple wrists and arms in casts and passengers puking in the stairways. Hopefully tomorrow will be better. I can't help but recall that Wells is the last remianing Cunard-trained captain in the fleet; all the others come from some other Carnival line.
Attended two excellent lectures. Dr. Chris Crowe (Royal Naval Observatory) spoke on Big Bang theories. He brought his telescope and on every clear day at noon has invited us to see the sun using the special lens, then at 10:30 PM on Deck 12 to see the stars. Today is cloudy but clearing, so I won't join him until tomorrow. Then George McGhee spoke on Errol Flynn. Marvelous! Pat sat next to me and we were entranced.
Knitting went well. Nancy Sheck liked the Alpaca wool I got her at John Lewis, though she paid me in pounds!! Met and chatted with Karen, Matthew (son) and Jerry from Liverpool, trading stories about the city and the Dance of the Qeens last year.
Dinner was interesting. Sheila has table set up for 7: our original 4 plus Ron and Robert and Craig from Reno. Charming and fun. Looks like I won't be missing any evening meals!
I found the curry bar, so had that instead of cakes and scones for tea!!
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