We’re off – taking our family on a Disney cruise to Cozumel, Mexico, Grand Cayman, and Jamaica, and of course also stopping at Disney’s Castaway Cay. We leave from Port Canaveral.
We did a cruise with the family a few years ago, but only Marcelle, Ken and the boys as well as Tim and Jenni were able to go since at that time, the girls were too young, as was Matty.
This time the families who missed the first adventure are going, and we are also taking Gavin and Rowan since we wanted all the cousins to be together.
We’re all flying in on Friday and staying overnight at an Embassy Suite since with airport delays, we wanted to make sure we were at the port in time for boarding the ship on Saturday. This way… we won’t have to lament the possibility of saying…”That shipped sailed!”…without us!
The other day we were in Costco. I don’t know about you, but we never seem to get out of there without a cart load of items…many of which we know we don’t really need in bulk, but the price is so good we can’t resist. So what if we have to consume three gigantic bottles of ketchup within the next year. It was a great bargain!
So it was with a curious eye that I observed a man leaving the warehouse with a cello bag of celery. That was it. Nothing more.
You have to wonder. Why shop in Costco just for celery? Did he realize that his wife was hosting the neighborhood toddler play date at their home on the morrow and she needed to make 53 Ants on a Log for snack? (For those of you who have forgotten…that’s a stalk of celery smeared with peanut butter with raisins ingeniously placed atop.)
Or perhaps his wife is pregnant and having cravings. She said “You know honey, I’m getting tired of the satisfying crunch of potato chips and Kit-kats. Be a dear and run down to Costco and pick up a cello bag of celery stalks for me to munch on during American Idol.”
Did his doctor say at his last check up “Steve, you’re not getting enough fiber in your diet. Get on down to Costco and pick up one of those cello bags of celery and have at it.”
Or maybe he just loves tuna fish salad sandwiches. A lot.
Video games are apparently good for you. Of course, kids have been touting the benefits of Medal of Honor and Space Fortress for years, but who knew that students in the Israeli Air Force who actually played Space Fortress regularly, had better rankings in their pilot training than those who did not.
“People that play these fast-paced games have better vision, better attention and better cognition,” said Daphne Bavelier, an assistant professor in the department of brain and cognitive science at the University of Rochester.
Some fear that because the games are so violent, kids will become hardened to killing and not feel human emotion. Others feel that it will instead give kids a better understanding of what it means to be harassed and they will go out of their way in real life to help someone in need.
Video games are here to stay, no matter what your feelings are on the matter. And I would say that eventually on job applications for brain surgeons, fighter pilots, crane operators and the like, there will be a section that requests the candidate to “list the video games you are proficient in.”
Ms. Bavelier did admit that perhaps some of the violence could be too much for women. “As you know, most of us females just hate these action video games” she said. “You don’t have to use shooting. You can use, for example, a princess which has a magic wand and whenever she touches something, it turns into a butterfly and sparkles.”
I’d venture to guess the kid who aces THAT video game would be a great candidate to play TInkerbell in a Broadway play of Peter Pan.
The news today wasn’t good. It started out with the realization that apparently, I have undiagnosed depression. It seems people who consume copious amounts of chocolate are in reality self-medicating for an underlying despondency. And the more melancholy you are, the more of that heavenly confection you consume. Consuming 11.8 servings a month puts you in the “most depressed” category. Are they kidding? I can consume that much in a DAY! According to their research, it’s amazing I get out of bed each morning. (But it does explain why the Easter Bunny is so happy all the time even though he knows he ranks second to the calendar’s other celebrity – Santa Claus. He’s probably stuffing his face with those chocolate replications of himself all year long…keeping his depression under control.)
And finally, Allan was reading some back issues of AARP and found out that stress can shorten your life. In the “Living Longer” section of the September/October 2006 issue, anything from having many offspring, living in polluted areas and drinking alcohol can shorten your life. I have four kids, lived in New York and love my red wine every night. Given the fact that the lifespan of a parrot is over 100 years, that’s probably one creature I shouldn’t contemplate on purchasing if I ever decide I want another pet. And given the fact that 21 years of my life in New York were in Queens, that daily glass of red wine sometimes turns into an extra dirty Martini and those four kids were boys…I think a goldfish might be out as well.
It’s all so depressing. I think I’ll run down to CVS and see if they have any leftover Easter chocolates that I can wash down with an extra dirty martini.
I recently read that it seems the latest Christian fad is learning how to pole dance to upbeat Christian music. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that when this newscast aired, men all over America were singing the hymn “Now Thank We All Our God”.
Every second Sunday of the month in Houston, Texas, Crystal Deans – owner/instructor of The Best Shape of Your Life – invites female church-goers into her pole dancing studio. “On Sundays, we do pole fitness for Jesus,” Crystal told the media.
And not just anyone can waltz in for a lesson either. You apparently have to bring your Sunday church leaflet with you as your ticket for admittance. Apparently, before you work the pole…you have to worship first.
Tiffany Booth, a newcomer to the pole dancing frenzy at the studio, says “I think it’s a fabulous thing.”
And with names like Crystal and Tiffany, if the Pole Dancing for Jesus doesn’t work out…there’s always the local gentleman’s club – where the men will no doubt be singing that old Christian favorite “What Thanks and Praise to Thee We Owe”.
We showered, had breakfast, and went back to our room to pack. Packing was easy since we really didn’t take much in the way of clothing for the week.
After packing, we sat in the living room with Lisa and John and waited for our van to take us to the airport. It’s another beautiful day and I for one will miss Grenada.
The van arrived promptly and checking in and going through security at the Grenada airport was a piece of cake. We weren’t looking forward to security and customs at Miami which is usually chaos.
Our flight was uneventful and we arrived in Miami. Unbelievably, going through customs and security went very quickly and we sat in the American lounge for awhile and then boarded our plane to Philly.
We grabbed our luggage off the carousel and met our driver and we arrived home around 3 am. We brushed our teeth, changed into pj’s, and went promptly to sleep.
We had a wonderful and relaxing time in Grenada. It is a beautiful island and the weather for the week was perfect.
I love the laundromat. I guess I love it because thankfully I don’t have to frequent it that often…only on the rare occasion when either my washer, dryer, or both gives up the ghost.
The first thing I love about the coin-op is, after you put your clothing into whatever machine is required, you make your way over to the vending machines. You take quarters from your pocket, purchase a can of diet Pepsi, a bag of chips and then you scout out one of those pale turquoise sculpted plastic seats to perch on while you enjoy your snack and wait for the machines to work their magic.
The second thing I love about the laundromat is the sound the washing machines make when they enter the spin cycle. You only hear that frenzied whirl in a laundromat where all they have are front load machines. It sounds like the washers are going to take flight…right out the plate glass windows.
The people in the laundromat are so interesting as well. You have your “regulars”. They’re the ones that live in apartments and don’t have a washer/dryer of their own. The regulars are willing to help you in any way they can. They know the drill. They are familiar with the machines that take your money for a 20 minute dry…but in actuality, only gives you 15 and a half minutes. They give you the lowdown on the washer on the left in the middle that will snarl your clothes without mercy and have your clothes emerge twenty four minutes later as if they went through the beaters of a Kitchen Aid mixer on high.
You have your vacation people…the ones who are just passing through with their hot and sticky kids in tow. These little ones are usually enjoying a bribe of a melting chocolate ice cream cone which is dripping down their shirts and onto their socks and sneakers. You can hear the mothers sigh as they realize that laundry on vacation doesn’t take a vacation.
Once, when living in North Carolina and having to visit the laundromat because ours was on the blink, I met a Sous-Chef from the Greystone Inn in Toxaway. Her previous career was Marine Biologist and then unexpectedly she became a cook on a small boat after her mother bragged to the crew about what great culinary potential she had. From there, she seriously studied the art of creating gastronomic delights and went on to work at the Greystone Inn. She confessed with her knowledge and bonding with ocean creatures, she still has trouble putting a lobster in the pot for the surf and turf entrees.
Her mom was at the laundromat too. She told us that her husband passed away a few years ago and now she lives with her daughter, the chef. She told me she does the laundry for the two of them and what a challenge it was to get some of the food stains out of the white coats that her daughter must wear when cooking. A lesson on laundry products was then proffered. Apparently, Oxyclean is the winner in making the coats whiter than white and taking out those pesky tomato sauce and gravy stains.
She went on to tell us that after the laundry was washed and dried, they were going to inspect the cabin that they own in Brevard. They were concerned about the cabin’s ability to weather the rain that has pelted the area in the past week. The shanty was 90 years old and had been in the family for as long. “It needs work”, they lamented, “but we can’t bear to part with it.” It was all about family and tradition for them.
Our dryers ticked down to zero minutes and soon we were both folding our clothing. We said our goodbyes and parted ways; she with her gleaming white chef coats and me with my not so white sheets and towels.
I made a note to pick up some Oxyclean next time I’m at the food store.
We had a lazy day today. The weather was beautiful although a bit breezy, and we had a nice breakfast and then arrived at the pool around 11 whereupon I enjoyed probably my last margherita for the trip.
Lunch was French cuisine, but I just had a salad which was very good. After lunch we stayed at the pool until 2 pm and then Lisa and I went to a soap making lesson. It was interesting watching how soap was made…with lye powder, coconut oil, water, and essential oils. She also added some salt and sugar. The person doing the demo couldn’t understand why the soap wasn’t thickening while she did the immersion blender. She followed the recipe, but it didn’t thicken. I have the recipe to make soap now, so maybe I’ll try it at home. I googled the recipe and it seems it was the same as she was using so I don’t know why it didn’t thicken. Anyway..be prepared to get soap at Christmas for presents as I try my luck at soap making. 😂🌲🎅
Lisa, John, Allan, and I met up at Kimonos for dinner. Kimonos is like Benihana. The chef put on a show and the food was very good.
After dinner we went to the living room and heard a singer and then Allan and I stayed on for karaoke…and yes, I sang Where the Boys Are. The audience was great and they really made me feel special. I started by telling them I just had had two drambuies (they gave a rousing applause at that) and then I told them I was 75 , so be kind. (More applause.) I then told them they were all so young, but I was taking them back to the 1950’s with Connie Francis.
I should have looked at the lyrics on the screen as the song was much faster than I was used to… but I persevered and everyone clapped the whole way through. (Maybe they wanted me off the stage as fast as possible. 😂😂). They applauded so loudly at the end with whistling and high fives when I finished and one lady came over and hugged me and said I was wonderful. (I’ll be here all week folks!!!😂😂😂)
And then… It was to bed!
Going off to dinner. I have on my elephant pants from Thailand.
The traditional “onion volcano”!
Heart of rice.
Warming up the audience before singing Where the Boys Are.
John had arranged with a local tour company, to take the four of us on a six hour tour of Grenada. Our driver and guide Marcus picked us up at 10 am and off we went to see the sights.
The van we rode off in was spacious and Marcus was a perfect host – insuring we were comfortable and asking if we needed anything.
Marcus gave us a brief history of Grenada. Grenada has the lowest crime rate of any other Caribbean island. Grenada does not have an army… Only police departments. Years ago, countries wanted Grenada because of its spices, nutmeg being the most important.
The head of the government is the Prime Minister, however, he/she is not elected. The PM is appointed by the Governor General, who acts on behalf of the monarch, who right now is King Charles III.
The United States invaded Grenada in 1983 in a military operation code named Operation Urgent Fury. It was done primarily to protect American medical students in Grenada and also to prevent the expansion of a Cuban and Soviet influence in the Caribbean. A new long runway was being built at the time with assistance from Cuba, which raised fears that it could be used for Soviet military planes.
During the operation, several hundred American medical students were rescued, Soviet and Cuban influence was mitigated, and a democratic government was restored in Grenada. 24 Cubans died in the operation as well as 19 American soldiers.
Grenada has had several names reflecting its indigenous roots and colonial history, including Camerhogue by the Caribs, Concepcion by Columbus, La Grenade by the French, and finally Grenada by the British, pronounced differently than Grenada in Spain. It is also famously known as the “Spice Isle”. In 1974, Grenada declared its independence from Britain.
We passed cocoa trees, which we have seen on other trips, but this time we learned that the trees are pollinated by mosquitos, no-seeums, and gnats.
Marcus took us to a waterfall, but before we arrived at the falls, we bought spices from a vender that Marcus recommended. The falls were lovely and a great photo op.
Marcus took us to the highest point in Grenada, to the park where monkeys reside, and to some beautiful overlooks. The monkeys were not out at the park, even though Marcus tried very hard to entice them to make their presence known, so instead we had fun feeding the Koi fish.
We visited a chocolate factory and tasted some different chocolate and then we purchased some to take home. We also bought chocolate nuggets with spices that you boil in two cups of water, add sugar, and enjoy as a hot cocoa.
After tasting the chocolate we went for lunch and the guys had a shot of the “manly potion” made from the Bois Bande bark, along with a glass of water to follow it up. It was pretty strong (hence the water) but does it really work? Time will tell! 🫢
Then we enjoyed a Grenada signature dish…Oil Down. Oil down is a stew of breadfruit, salted meat, chicken, dumplings, callaloo, and vegetables stewed in coconut milk and spices. It was delicious!! We also had a drink made of coconut water and nutmeg. The whole meal was $20 for Allan and myself. What a deal.
Then we did a rum tasting and we were feeling pretty, pretty, pretty good by the time we were ready to go back to Sandals. .
It was a great tour and we thank John for finding it for us. We experienced so much of the culture of Grenada! A perfect day.
We met at the living room for a drink and then we went to the Tipsy Turtle for dinner. We had fish and chips but they must have sat out before being delivered to our table, because everything was kind of soggy. Disappointing.
Then the night came to an end, and it was bedtime.
Memorial to the 24 Cubans who died during Operation Urgent Fury
US war monument honoring the 19 US soldiers killed during Operation Urgent Fury
Delicious coconut water
Overlooking St. George
The Athletic stadium
This flower felt exactly like fake plastic.
At the waterfall
The highest point in Grenada
We fed the Koi in the water
The guys had a drink of a mixture made of spices and bark and liquor… Said to give a man potency. It was pretty powerful stuff and Marcus gave them both a drink of water to counteract the drink. Oh boy!
Oil down
Sampling rum. It was a lot of fun. In the center is our guide and driver Marcus
We had a nice breakfast this morning…I had two poached eggs, spinach, and fruit – and I was a happy camper. Allan enjoys a bowl of oatmeal in the morning – a nice healthy choice, but then he negates the health benefits by following the bowl up with a slice of banana bread laced with chocolate . Decadent!
We took a walk along the beach after breakfast and then sat by the pool until lunch. Today’s lunch menu was Caribbean fare and we tried many of the dishes and they were very good.
After lunch it was time to go to the Travel Loyalty Program to book another vacay for next year. We booked Barbados for a week in January 2027 right before our India trip with Overseas Adventure Travel. We did get a great deal since we are Sapphire level now, and we have the option to postpone the trip into 2028 if need be.
We went back to the pool and I enjoyed a quick dip…and then…Val and Mike… If you are reading my blog… Allan and I ordered BBC’s! Remember those BBC days??? We’re convinced that although these were very good… Mike… Yours are better!!
Then it was back to the room to get ready for our photo shoot. While we were getting ready, a different butler – Mikey- delivered a cheese platter and shrimp cocktails for us and told us that one of our regular butlers, Shane, had had an accident and would not be present during the evening shift. We were so sorry to learn this and we hope Shane will be okay.
We went off to our photo shoot and the photographer did a nice job, but set up too many kissy-kissy photos. At our age… One or two are enough. The rest look contrived.
We met Lisa and John for dinner at Soy, the sushi restaurant, and enjoyed albacore tataki with sesame dressing and leeks, and we also ordered seared tuna with Wasabi. Allan had the eel as well. We also enjoyed Champagne Lobster rolls, with avocados, and soy yuzu pap. Delicious!
We ordered some more tuna, but sadly…we were really full and couldn’t finish the last few pieces. But… Since there are a lot of cats roaming the grounds, I decided to smuggle the tuna out when we left and I fed it to one of the cats. That cat thought he had died and went to heaven!!!
After dinner, Lisa and John went with us to the photo shop to help us choose our free 5×7 photo. After much deliberation, we finally chose one shot and ordered it digitally so we could send the digital copy to Shutterfly to have a 5×7 made.
Then we all went to the “living room” and watched the show for the evening. There were amazing Caribbean drummers and dancers and of course, when they asked the audience to participate in one of the dances, I volunteered. It was a lot of fun and all in all…a fabulous evening.
Tomorrow we have a tour booked so we’re looking forward to that. Night night!
During our walk along the beach
It was very windy and the surf was pretty wild.
The coconut is gone. Happy to say… We survived!! 😂
