Monday Monday Monday

I am home and kicked back. My feet hurt something fierce. We walked and walked and walked some more. Why is it vacations involve more work than not vacationing? I think my poor little Toms shoes are worn out. They put up the good fight. Four days on a ship in which our cabin was in the stern with the buffet in the aft. Did I mention the ship was longer than three football fields? We walked. Lots. And climbed stairs. Lots of stairs. I wish I had partaken of the hot tubs. Okay not so much, since even at sea with the sun blazing down and no shade I couldn't figure out how people could sit in steaming hot water in hundred degree weather. Just didn't get that part. Anyway. We walked through the area surrounding the cruise ship port in Nassau. Through the shops and The Straw Market. Nearly sweated to death. Had my hair braided by a very determined woman who spoke fast and thought I wouldn't understand. Honey, I live near New Orleans, I've heard all the accents, I can keep up. And I'm not quiet as naive as I look. Helps to have a baby face, people discount you. Spent way too much money in The Straw Market but it didn't count because it was vacation money right? And where else you gonna haggle for a better price? We don't do that here.
Back on ship where we walked some more. They had this wild idea that scheduling shows on opposite ends of the ship with fifteen minutes between them was somehow good. Felt like high school, when you have five minutes between classes and you have to get across campus with a stop at your locker. I kept waiting for the ship to tip over. Really I did. The way everyone congregated in one area.

Home, well not home home, but my husband's family's home, where we left our kids for four days, was another experiment in...okay, so we are clear, I don't understand my in-laws and they don't understand me and we've sort of agreed to pretend we are all one big happy something for the sake of...yeah, okay so most of the family were figuratively running around like headless chickens getting ready for a wedding. My little baby was the flower girl. The princess attitude has yet to evaporate. Had to threaten a come to Jesus meeting in which her hind end would not feel good for a few days today. (Don't write me on that, she wasn't spanked, the threat works just fine) (for now). Little terror. She is a great kid but sometimes she forgets we aren't staff. Oh yeah and we went to Disney, in June, in hundred plus degree heat and it didn't rain at 3. It always rains at 3 in central Florida. Oh my goody gosh it was hot. Hot. Hot. The pavement burned through the soles of my poor little Toms shoes.
In the middle of all this my little terror celebrated her fifth birthday. Today is my middle daughter's birthday, she is now sixteen. Yes there is an eleven year age difference. And yes I do know what causes that.

Weddings birthdays vacations and a long drive home. But it isn't over. Oh no, the fun just had to carry over one more day. You see my oldest daughter who is twenty had a present waiting for her when we dropped her off at her apartment Sunday morning. It was white gold with a little diamond in the center and it fits on her left ring finger.

I can't stand all the happy. I'm going to go sulk in writer's cave until the happy goes away and we're back to our normal maudlin selves.

Oh and did I mention my feet hurt? Well, my feet hurt dammit, and I'm going to have to throw my favorite shoes away because I killed them. dammit. I knew I'd find something to bring it all back into perspective.

So, what happened while I was away? And yes I have some serious catching up to do. Nine days with very little internet has left me dreadfully behind.

Mercy

PS: And now for a treat. Personal photos for a change instead of borrowed hot men. Say awww now. Go on I mean it aww.

 This is our towel buddy for the first night on board. I think he's a doggy. He was so cute.

 The Lido deck area. There were no cabana boys, but there was lots of pretties to look at.

 Night two towel buddy. I say elephant, kids say ant eater. Tomato, potato. Whatever. He was adorable.

 There are no traffic lights the streets are narrow and congested and pedestrians take their lives in their hands to cross. But it's pretty. I have no idea what street this is, I was just trying not to melt.

 Sort of reminds me of The French Quarter in New Orleans crossed with Charleston, SC. Made me want to drive over to Nola, but not until October. Whew no not in the summer. Have I ever mentioned I'm not a fan of hot. I like fall. Wish we had that season here.

 The Straw Market, or one aisle of it anyway, but it all looks pretty much the same. I was offered a great deal on a Prada purse. I've never seen Prada before, not really sure I saw it then. nudge nudge wink wink

 Proof!!!!!

 Night three towel buddy. A monkey hanging from the faux window. He was cute at first but after a while he sort of got creepy. Just hanging there staring at me like that.

And night four, our little stingray buddy. Too bad he fell apart when the hub unit moved him from the bed.

Sorry there aren't more. The camera wasn't so great and well I'm just not ready to plop myself on the page yet. When I do it will not be dripping sweat with ridiculous braids in my hair.

Have a great day, I've got edits for Wicked Game waiting in my inbox. So catch ya'll later.

M