Catching Up With My Life

It’s been  a few weeks since I have posted anything.  The last few weeks have been exciting.  One week ago today I was walking around in the Grand Cayman Islands.  However, let’s start at the beginning….

A week ago this past Sunday I flew to Tampa, Florida to board the Carnival Paradise for a five day cruise.  I went to Tampa a day early so that my family and I had plenty of time before the ship left the Port of Tampa.  A highlight of my short stay in Tampa was lunch at a place called Whiskey Joe’s.  I had a few beers which inspired my son to say, “Dad is a lot more fun when he’s been drinking”.  Normally I am quiet and withdrawn.  However, a few drinks removes all my inhibitions and I become much more extroverted and chatty.

The ship left Tampa at about 5:00 PM.  It would take about a day and a half to get to the Grand Caymans.

There was a real party atmosphere on the ship around the pool.

After leaving the Grand Cayman Islands we had another day at sea.  I loved the days at sea.  The Gulf Of Mexico was very calm and I did not experience any motion sickness.  I also slept like a baby at nights which is something I rarely do at home.

This past Thursday I woke up in the Port of Cozumel, Mexico.  I liked it much better than the Grand Cayman’s.  As soon as I was off the ship I was overwhelmed with the beauty and the colors of this part of Mexico.  The people were very nice if not a bit aggressive in their salesmanship.  The best line I heard from a shopkeeper was, “Amigo, we are not like Donald Trump tells you we are.  We are nice people”.  This was certainly my experience.  Some shopkeepers offered me shots of tequila or bottles of beer while I shopped!

All good things come to an end so Saturday morning I found myself back in the Port of Tampa.  Getting off the ship and through customs went smoothly.  Sone enough we were at the airport for a long wait before our flight home.  All in all it was a great vacation.

Last night I spend a pleasant evening with a dear friend that I have known for many years.  We attended a Jackson Browne concert.  It was my first Jackson Browne concert and her 47th!

Now life is back to my new normal of daily retirement living.  With all the food and drink I consumed on my cruise I have surely gained some weight so tomorrow it is back to the park to resume my walking and exercise.