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The sea days are blurring together now. Forgetting what day of the week it is. Where was I? Oh yes, going to the main theatre for the show.
With Tropical Storm Polo safely behind us and with distance between us growing the waters have started to calm. That seems to have brought more people from bunkering down in their cabins and the main theatre seems more full than usual. Could be the entertainer as well. It's an Elton John Tribute featuring Jeffrey Allen. He's an American from Florida who puts on the British accent and has a couple of costume changes mixed between songs. Stacey only seems to know a couple of songs, but I know them, they are big hits of his. He's quite good, and by the end of the set has the theatre clapping along.
Yesterday was the first day that everyone from our assigned dinner table showed up and stayed all the way through dessert. Food was good as usual, but we have to hurry to finish before the late 10:15pm show with Rich Purpura, a comedian and "mentalist". Basically reading peoples minds with simple jedi mind tricks, I mean, simple math tricks which I've seen before, though there is one or two that are impressive that I'm not sure how exactly he did it. I have a guess, but nothing firm. Otherwise, he tells jokes along with his act, and he is HILARIOUS. We can't remember the last time we've laughed so hard! Like, gasping for air hard.
He's recently broken up from his girlfriend due to religious reasons, he being Catholic and she being ...the devil! She claimed he was nosy, at least, that's what she wrote in her diary. He's got a new girlfriend now, but she thinks he's a stalker. Well, she's not really his girlfriend yet...
With all the movement on the ship and a late night being "overserved" with some other entertainers on ship last night, he gets to his cabin, his clothes hit the floor and falls onto the bed, and literally 2 seconds later is passed out, fast asleep. He didn't notice the chocolate mint left by the cabin host when the host turned down his bed. He wakes up in the morning with dark brown streaks on his bed. So right away he thinks one of two things....either he really needs a shower right away....or he's gonna be smelling minty fresh all day! lol
And try to shower that chocolate off in those huge cabin showers! (The showers are really really small, and Rich is a really really big boy, gotta be easily over 300 lbs) Do you do like I do and just lather up the walls of the shower and spin? lol If he could find that chocolate foil the mint was wrapped in he'd be REALLY happy. hahaha. Great stuff, the crowd is roaring, and he appreciates it. "You're a great crowd. My last cruise the crowd was a bunch of Jehovah's Witnesses. All they wanted to hear was knock-knock jokes.
After Rich ends to a standing ovation, we're all encouraged to go down to the Wavebands lounge room for an "I survived Hurricane Odile and Tropical Storm Polo" party. We can't get in, the place is packed to standing room only and Stacey doesn't do well with crowds so we find a seat across from the entrance and watch and listen to the music and dancing. Lots of weather related music, You are the Sunshine of my Life, Rock the Boat, Rock and Roll All Night, It's Raining Men, etc. We leave a little after midnight, with the party promising to continue until 2 am, but I'm done and ready to sleep.
This morning, with calm water and clearing skies we get up and go to the morning show and breakfast and then to listen to the Q & A with the Captain. We get a bit more info on Cabo San Lucas. They are without power and expect to be for about 10 days, so no cruise ships will be there for a little bit. There has also been looting of the shops, so it doesn't sound like a good situation.
Someone asks about the distance we've had to travel extra to avoid the storms. He thinks roughly 500 miles extra which has taken it's toll on the ships fuel. They've been running 4 engines since we've left San Diego, burning a lot of fuel to try to get away from the storms as quickly as possible at around 22 knots. This morning we have started using only 3 engines and doing 16 knots to save fuel. The chief engineer has ordered an extra 200 tons of heavy fuel above what they had originally ordered before the cruise. At $600 per ton, it's quite a cost. The Captain thinks he'll be flying home from Panama economy class rather than business class. He's supposed to be on vacation and has had to promise his wife a new car, a new $1200 dishwasher and a rescheduled vacation in November sometime to make up for his being away now, instead of being home on his "honey-do" list.
I'm still tired after this and want to go for a nap while Stacey goes taking pictures, doing a draw Minny Mouse class and making a craft of some kind. She wakes me in the early afternoon because she wants me to go for pictures with Mike and Sully and Remy and Emile. I hate getting my picture taken. I always have red eyes, and a stupid look or grin on my face, but Stacey insists. Later she wants us to go for pictures with Mr and Mrs Incredible. /sigh
Tonight we have Heath Hyche, another comedian type entertainer and after dinner, another set from the Elton John impersonator. Have to try to get to sleep early tonight, as we are going to lose another hour of sleep to our second time zone change.
We're scheduled to arrive at Balboa Anchorage sometime on the afternoon of the 19th. There we anchor overnight, overlooking Panama City and await our timeslot to transit the Canal. We pull up anchor at 6am and should be starting in the Panama Canal around 7am. Cruise ships have number one priority to transit the canal and generally do so in daylight hours to give the best view to the guests. It will cost about $340,000 for us to go through. It's estimated that when the new locks are finished, it will cost $1,000,000 to go through that new part, for the bigger ships. Depending on traffic, it will take between 10 and 12 hours to get through to the other side of the canal on Sept. 20th. I hope it's not raining, though it is the rainy season, so we'll have to hope for the best.
Time to get ready for the show.
WYWH!
Kim =) and Stacey :)
- comments
daughter You guys seem to be sleeping through your vacation! Glad you are safe. You both look great in the picture :) mamma stop losing weight! Imma have to give you all my clothes. Hope you port soon. Ocean days must suck. Please post a picture of the view from your veranda window :) Love you!
Jasmyn Knock-knock jokes, LOL