We’re home…..it was fun…..will do it agin……not tomorrow.   All those statements are true, even tho it sounds as tho it was not a ’10’.  Cruising is  be so ‘so ordinary’, ‘so fabulous’, and yet ‘so shocking’…..More about shocking later.

The ship is very nice….100′ shorter than the last ship we were on, but half as many people.  They had to drag me to my first crise.  I mean, it really sounded boring.  Same stuff to do on the cruise as I do at home, so why pay to fly and cruise….Well, I was wrong, in a way.   Cruising is truly a way to get away…I am forced to do what I want to do sometimes, a good example being..reading.  I love to read, but I put chores first, so when I get into bed to read, I last about  4 pages.  I tell myself to read in the AM, but then chores get in the way again. I read 5 books in 2 weeks…..Good for me!

Cruising and eating have to go hand in hand.  I can read and eat, I can watch TV and eat. I can sit by the pool and eat. I can drink and eat. I can do almost anything, except exercise, and eat.  Same with drinks, any kind,  any time, any where, doing almost anything.  Now that is not something I crave, nor need to do, but it was nice to be served a Tequila Sunrise  by the pool.

Yes there were art auctions, nights of bingo, magicians, comedians, dancing, games, the spa, restaurants, bars, a library, pools, quiet spots, and a casino, but most of all…..THERE WERE OLD PEOPLE!!!!!!!        I LOVE OLD PEOPLE!!

Probably 96% of those aboard were over 60.  Folks came from US, UK, Spain, India, Argentina, and Jersey…….It was a delight.

We sang Queen together, we talked about our home towns, our countries, our politics (local and foreign), our clothes, our retirement and former occupations, our families,and our lives as  we know them.  It was great…it was powerful, it was a learning experience and a confirming experience.

We were with a group…’that made it’, thru 30 to 60 years of marriage, family expectations and family sadness, illnesses,  and loss of parents. We talked of 50 and 60 year high school reunions, and the warmth of long friendships.  We talked of war and we talked of peace. 

“How lucky we are”…..they repeated, “to be sitting here today”.  We “oldies” are confident and hopeful group, but not proud in a ‘haughty’ since. We have seen the past, lived the past, done our best and look forward to tomorrow.  We are strong, opinionated, political, moral and ethical, and our values do not waiver. 

We have seen leaders come and go, we’ve seen strife, and victory….and we’ve been a part of it.  Our beliefs are strong, our faith remains, and we are not a selfish group.  You see our pictures……when ‘been there, done that’ is looked up.

So cruis’in is really pretty good……isn’t it……(took the chevy to the levy but the levy was dry……and good ole boys were drinkin whiskey and rye, sayin……(cm’on you know the words))

later