Good Things About the “Ghost Ship” Cruise

Feb. 6, 2013…0:30 a.m.

I know, I know.  Back there in the states it is only Feb. 5^th.  But here we have crossed the International Date Line,  and that may be where the whole problem started.  But, back to good things.  I have been thinking.  And thinking.  And thinking.  Then, my daughter Betsy figuratively shook me by the shoulders and told me to stop complaining and start looking for good things.

Her exact statement:  “Mom, even people on the Titanic weren’t hot and sweaty like you guys.”  And she was right.  I have had a bad attitude ever since I left St. Louis.  So here goes:

1  1. We are not on the Titanic…yet.  It is god-awful hot and humid here and no icebergs. From our perspective, that’s a good thing!

1 2. We have air conditioning and it works. The TV is out, but we are cool inside.

3 3. We have a butler.  Now, this is our 5^th or 6^th cruise with Regent and we have always had a butler.  BUT I do not know what to do with him!  What does one do with a butler, really??!  He brings us our breakfast.  And he asks what he can do for us.  But we can never ever think of anything.  Shine shoes?  How does one do that with flip-flops?  So I guess we are grateful for the butler, somehow or other.

I  4. I'm grateful I don’t have to go ashore on Komodo Island where you slip-slide away in dragon poop and get bitten by flying insects.  We make Bos do that.  But more about the komodo adventure later.  Just glad I’m on ship.

55. Glad I have had a chance to read 12 of my 79 books downloaded on my kindle (so I won’t run out).  The only problem with this is, when one book is finished, I seem to want to download two more and, darn it, even in Indonesia, Amazon makes that possible!!

66. Truthfully, we have met some amazing people who actually like us!  Previously we met some now close friends who live in Florida and, without their friendship, our lives would be much at a loss – and that was on a cruise.  And now we’ve met a couple from Portland that we can laugh with at dinner each night.  But they are leaving in Singapore and we have to stay on for another couple weeks…alone with 700 strangers!

7 7. I’m not seasick.  Now, you may not consider this a big deal, but Betsy thinks this is a big deal.  And I am grateful I don’t have it.  But Bos, Boy Scout that he is, has wrist bands, bug spray, glass cleaners, pain killers, ad nauseum for any occasion, should we need it! I guess I’m glad I married a Boy Scout.

   8. I’m trying really hard to think of other good things.  I suppose we are grateful that, even on 3 engines, we are chugging along.  And by next week, we will be in Vietnam so I can regale my St. Louis Vietnamese nail ladies with our adventures.  But now I know why they are so happy in the US and don’t want to move back to this part of the world!  Two words:  HOT, HUMID!!! (Oh – and Equator)  ‘Nough said.  If you can think of any more, please let me know!  I want to try to be positive…