Hilton Head - Monday

Excellent day. We breakfasted at Burger King where B ate her first ever Croissandwich and fell for it! Then we grocery shopped. Tried to follow Google Maps directions to Walgreens to acquire the “magic elixir” Joe recommended to cure my post nasal drip only to discover it was a few doors down from grocery store. An old moment!

I discovered a neat little melting icicle hanging from the building’s shutter. Unfortunately, I took a video, and I still can’t figure out how to post one. Sigh.

Back at Waterside, Barbara bound her Hawaiian quilt and began working on Julie’s surprise quilt. I napped, then almost finished quilting Duncan’s baby quilt.

At 4:30, we headed out for Reilley’s Monday night lobster dinner. Yum. Yum. Yum.

We ended this quietly productive day watching several episodes of Leverage.

Hilton Head - Arrival

Okay, so I know it’s been cold up here in South Carolina but I did not expect Snow and Ice within the resort! I wish I could have stopped on 95 to snap a picture of the snow piled up on the highway. There was none until I passed into South Carolina, but then it was everywhere. Even driving over the bridge onto HHI, the ocean had bits of ice and snow on the shorelines, but traffic was so heavy, I couldn’t even slow down.

Barbara and I spent the evening unpacking, menu planning, knitting, having soup and crackers. We talked almost non-stop while previewing quilt projects and admiring the ones Jean quilted for us. We even watched the Saints win with the tv muted so we could chat over it.

A good day. I wonder what tomorrow will bring.

Caribbean Sea - One day out from New York

The Bermuda Triangle has kind of jinxed the wi-fi - I can get online but nothing connects and keeps timing out. It’s been like that since last night, which was really rough. 

This morning I woke to closed off decks as gale force winds whipped across the ship and seas that are more reminiscent of the North Atlantic than the Gulf Stream!

 On the positive side, I did manage to catch a glimpse of a rainbow (always an uplifting sight) though I had to see it through a window!

I have become a fan of Dr. Hal Tinberg and may have to write him a note about how much I appreciated his lectures. It never occurred to me that animal DNA could solve crimes as easily as human DNA. And his lecture on Jack the Ripper was myth-debunking. In a way it was kind of off-putting that he was a nobody. If the mystique of the Royals had not been tied to him, he would never have become as famous as he did.

Gary McKechnie, MBE, has also become a lecturer I will look forward to hearing again. His attention to detail makes the musicians he has discussed seem more human than I antiicpated. I know they were all kind of tortured souls whose fame burst on them and caught them unawares but it’s intriguing to learn how some coped better than others and no one knows exactly why. This afternoon’s lecture was on the Beatles. I would have though that, like Elvis, there was nothign else to say about them but not so. I really need to share this man's info with Jack as his Dad would like to chat I'm sure and Gary does live in Florida.

I skipped the Captain’s Invitation Only Cocktail Party for two reasons. 1. The thought of alcohol at 11:15 AM does absolutely nothing for me. 2. I would have had to dress up and I’m too comfortable in my jeans and top. Sheila said I couldn’t attend in these clothes and as I walked by, I confirmed her assertion. Most of the guests were attired in formal dinner wear. Excuse me!!!!

I gave Cristian my bonus tip yesterday and he was touched. I also wished him a happy 36th birthday.

Health-wise, I’m still battling a slight scratchy throat but that's all. I slept a lot again today in bewween lectures and knitting, like I wrote, which you can read whenever I finally get a good enough connection to upload posts. Hugged Tommi good bye until next Crossing in November. Yo-Yo gave me $600 credit and free gratuities!!!!

Connections are good now. I'm off to pack and gather stuff for flight home. I hear is frigid in NYC and hope Sheila does not have plans involving being out and about much. Signing off from Queen Mary 2.  Good night all.

Caribbean Sea - The Bermuda Triangle

What a day. I mostly slept through the Triangle, which doesn't look so scary, trying to get rid of the croup before I head for SC to visit Barbara. It is everywhere, even crew have been out two-three days with it.

I went down for knitting and met a charming man named Walter who is a touring patron for Alvin Alley (sp) dance company. He “ran away” from home in Alabama when he had a disagreement with his father in the 60’s and went to NYC. He started talking when I kidded him about sitting with the knitters, when he asked if he looked like a knitter, I told I never judge and shared the story about Mom and Rosie Greer. He laughed and we talked for another hour or so about Barcelona and its part in Dan Brown’s latest novel and his almost poetic descriptions of places. Delightful man but not a Cunarder, he prefers Silver Seas which is completely beyond my price range.

While Sheila and I were sharing tea, a woman admired her hat and I commented that they also shared an affection for Faye Kellerman and she was carrying one of Sheila’s favorite novels. While they talked, her husband and I “bonded” over Clive Cussler. He remarked he wished his book was as popular. Turns out Dr. Mike Zimmerman’s book My Patients Were Mummies is now on my too find and read list. He’ll be lecturing at British Museum in September. Wish I could go.

I slept right through the Masquerade Ball. Darn it! The phone range, Sheila calling to see why I wasn’t at the Ball. I had to admit I had no desire to dress for about an hour, so curled up back under the sheets. I had my cool mask and everything.

I not sure what this augurs for 2018, that I began it curled up in bed most of the day. Happy New Year all!!