We're BAAAAACCCKKKKK!

Back from our "adventures," as we call them.

The cruise was great and we would love to cruise again, but not to a hot place like where we just went! It was WAAAY too hot for us!

The hotel in Tampa was very nice and we enjoyed our stay there, in the beginning of our trip and for two days after we docked.

Our first stop was Key West. It was HOT HOT HOT....so we walked around a bit and then got on a train tour....it was a sister tour to the trolley tour Maria took us on in Boston when the Swedes visited last year. It took us all around Key West and they pointed out all the sights: Harry Truman's house, where Hemingway stayed, the bars where Hemingway hung out, etc. Very interesting and a great way to see stuff without having to walk and sweat!

That night a big rain storm blew up and we were delayed leaving Key West for a bit. We found out later that sea water ran into the upper decks and down the elevator shafts, putting three out of four of them out of commission! I know it was raining hard as I sat out on our verandah and watched women running for the boat, screaming because they were getting soaked!

Then we went to Belize and we went on the zipline/rappelling excursion. It was GREAT! It was also very very hot....I was soaked through and through with sweat when we finished. We had to travel an hour and a half by bus to get to the jungle and we saw a lot of sights along the way. Soldiers with rifles, patrolling the streets. Dogs lying flat out in the shade, looking dead. Goats and more dogs.

We had to hike up the mountain to get to the zip lines. We were all in helmets, harnesses, etc. I was sweating. Me, who is so afraid of heights did not have one moment of nervousness about the adventure. Sandy, who is not afraid of heights, was very nervous. I looked down as I zipped over the rain forest, checking out the sights. Sandy held onto to her line, grimly zipping to the next platform.

Then we had to rappel straight down from the platform to the ground below. I don't know how big a drop the first one was, but it zipped right by! Lots of fun.

Vicky Shaw, the comedian who was performing on the ship, was on this trip with us. She and her partner had lunch with us later...they served us a great meal. The ride home was as bumpy as the ride out, and we got to see lots more sights. Belize is really a nation of "haves and have nots."

In Guatemala we went to the beach. The beach was shitty (I think it was a river, like the Thames, not the ocean) but the pool was nice, with water slides and a waterfall. It was 92 degrees and the humidity was 98%. We had a nice coconut drink on the beach that was very refreshing and we stayed in the shade as much as possible. We also had a nice barbecue there, very good.

In Cozumel we went out in a glass-bottomed kayak and then snorkeled along the beach. We could have done without the kayak part, it was SO DAMNED HOT! I would dip my Tilley hat into the water and put it on my head and a few minutes later it would be dry and I'd have to dip it again. The snorkeling was great, saw some neat stuff, but I wish I could have had my glasses on (or worn contacts) so I could see more. Mid-way through the snorkeling I started to crash, energy-wise, but fortunately I got my second wind and was able to make it to shore.

The ship life was wonderful. The food was fabulous and the shows we went to were great. I laughed my ass off at the comedy shows. We wore our zombie outfits for the Halloween Party and participated in the Halloween Parade. We scared the shit out of several people. We didn't say anything, we'd just stare at them...that would really blow their minds!

We decided that we would love to go on another cruise, but not to where it is so hot. It really took the starch out of me to be in that heat. We loved our cabin, our verandah, "our guys" who took care of us. Maybe next time we'll cruise to Alaska, where I've always wanted to go.

When we got home I tried to download my new Windows Seven program to my computer. It told me to uninstall some programs from my computer before I could continue with the installation. I did uninstall some of them and now my computer can't get online and it doesn't recognize that I have an "E Drive" which is the drive that powers the CD/DVD. So that means it won't run the upgrade disc! I will have to get someone from Dell or the Geek Squad to come and fix it for me. I'm so disgusted now. I'm really looking for any excuse to shitcan this computer and get an Apple!

We're happy to be home. We've put on a few pounds from all that eating, so it's time to get busy working out and watching our diets.

I go tomorrow for one of my favorites: a CT scan. Yuck! I don't work again until December, so I have plenty of time to work out and recuperate from our adventures. Have to get work done in the yard, pulling up some plants and planting some others. Also raking. UGH!

Dunno when I'll get a chance to use Sandy's computer again, so I'll say Nighty night and will post again when I can.

Nighty night!