Cozumel- Day 3

When we woke up Monday morning we still had not pulled in to Cozumel yet but by 8:30 we were there. We ate breakfast in the main dining room then got ready to get off the ship. Getting off was no problem, no line and no rush. There were people holding signs with all of our shore excursions at the end of the pier and right across the street was lots of shopping. The guys were going on and ATV Beach Adventure and we were going to a cooking class. We forgot to give them a camera so we have no pictures but from what we hear it was lots of fun, they got really muddy, and the loved it.
We were driven to a private beach club and escorted in to a glass room so we could see the beach but we were not cooking outside. There were stations set up with 4 people at each station. First they took drink orders then we started on the food. We prepared Mexican Sopes (a flour tortialla topped with spanish sausage, potatoes, lettuce, cheese, and beans), Grouper Fillet with mango sauce and stuffed banana pepper, and rice pudding tower with layers of rice pudding and cookies. I have lots of pictures above with our plates and how we got to decorate them so we had lots of fun. When we were done cooking- we went to the top floor and ate our lunch overlooking the beach with spanish wines that were coordinated with each dish. Then we went down to the beach and sat by the water and took a nap. Unfortunatly we failed to listen to the driver very well when he told us what time to be back at the bus and when we asked someone she said 3:30 but it was 2:30... she was on the other ship that was in port that day. So we jumped in the cab and headed back to the city.
We had agreed to meet the guys at a restaurant called Senior Frogs. Big mistake. When we got there they were almost done eating, thank goodness, and they said "if one of those girls asks you if you want a shot- say no". That wouldn't have been a question for me because I don't do shots but I realized why when we watched the girl next to us take a shot. The waitresses have whistles which they blow during the whole "shot" routine and then they continue to molest you. I won't describe it here, you will have to call if you want to know but it was not cool. We ran out of there as soon as possible and headed back to the ship to relax.
After showers and dressing for dinner- i decided we should go to something on our schedule called "The Ultimate Mind Game". We didn't really know what to expect so we headed to the location of the game and sat in the back. There were quiz games going on all week but we had never participated before. Well, you get a piece of paper to write down your answer and the entertainment director reads out about 20 questions. Luckily for us, 3 of the questions were the same logic questions that I had used during our CMA party a few weeks before. A few more we figured out and we ended up winning the game. When you win, they give you carnival metals. I was so excited I decided we had to go to every quiz game from then on to try and win metals, and I was very sad we had missed the first 3 days of trivia!
We went to our dinner then the show that was rescheduled from last night. It was called a "vegas style review show" and that means they wore flashy costumes and sang and danced to songs you know. It was pretty good, not Broadway, but good. After that I went to bed and the guys went upstairs to the midnight Mexican buffet. The rocking of the ship really came in handy when it was time to go to sleep, it rocked you to sleep so quickly, it took me days after we got back to get used to sleeping in a still bed.

Fun Day at Sea- Day 2

Day 2 began with waking up with rough seas. It didn't bother me at first but by the end of the day I was pretty tired of it. So, we got up and went for a walk on the top deck to try and work off some of the food we planned on eating. Then we headed to the formal dining room for breakfast. They served breakfast in the dining room and as a buffet on the lido deck. We typically chose to eat at the dining room because it was nicer and they had eggs benedict that the buffet did not have. Also, they had baked apples for a starter and stewed bananas and whipped cream for your pancakes and waffles so I liked that. Everything was presented nicely, they would even cut up your banana for you.
After breakfast Rachelle and I went to a Travel and Adventure talk by our cruise director. He reviewed all our excursion options at our stops and gave us some facts about them as well as shopping tips.
After that we met up with the guys and headed to lunch on the lido deck. Along with hamburgers and hot dogs, and 2 other buffet lines, they also have a new theme for lunch every day. Today it was Indian so I didn't try that but I'm sure it was good.
After lunch Rachelle and I went to a Champagne Art Workshop in one of the lounges. The cruise has many different works of art on board from Rembrandt to Picasso to Peter Max. They had all different pieces on display and the art expert on board talked about the different eras and medias that the artists used. It was like a mini art history class with free champagne.
Next came a nap then I met Rachelle for tea time. Now this was probably my least favorite experience. As stated in previous blogs, I love having tea so I was very excited they had a tea time. First of all, tea was held in the Neon Bar. All I have to really say is "bar". Whatever queen started tea over in England probably just rolled over in her grave when they put the tea ritual in a bar, but that aside, this bar was covered in neon signs- they were everywhere and they were all ON. Then, we sat at a table in the middle of the room. We were served tea rather quickly and then they started to bring out the tea snacks. We got a smoked salmon sandwich first. i'm not a big fan of smoked salmon but i thought i should eat it because it was part of the experience. Next we watched as the servers served every other table but ours the rest of the snacks. It was like they started with the table next to us, walked all the way around the room and ended with the table on the other side of us. I finally got fed up and walked to the cart where they had placed the trays before they took them around and picked up some cucumber sandwiches and a muffin thing. Later a server finally stopped by the table and we asked for the beautiful scones and cream they were passing around earlier and they were out. Not happy about that but that's okay.
We met up with the guys so they could have a pre-dinner snack then started getting ready for formal night. On a 5 night cruise there is one "formal" night. Our guys were in sports coats and we were in cocktail dresses. There was a captains welcome party where we were introduced to the captain and the only time where the drinks were free. It was crazy really, if you had a 1/2 full drink on your table they would walk by and give you another one. Plus there were appetizers. None of us were feeling great at that point, the ship had been rocking all day and I think it had finally caught up with us. We had about 30 minutes before our dinner seating so we found one of the 30 something photo stops and had formal pictures made. They were super cheezy next to a piano with a rose and champaign glasses but it was fun. They actually turned out really good but the ship was quite proud of them so we didn't purchase any. Really, all the photos the ship photographers turned out good, I was really impressed with them.
We headed to dinner but at that time we really didn't feel well so I just got soup and fruit and tried to feel better. Our waitress said it was the first time she had someone not order a main dish.
We went back to the room and got into bed hoping to feel better by the show (it was supposed to the a musical review show but it was canceled due to rough seas so it was a comedy show instead). We didn't make that which was okay but I was really upset that we missed the midnight buffet. This was Grand Gala night where the buffet is a work of art and it was supposed to be really amazing but we missed it. oh well, a little seasick medicine and off to sleep.

Here is our sign and sail card and the deck plans of the boat.
Here is a view of the main corridor leading to bars, casino, internet cafe, and lounges.

Mike and Cory had a soft drink card that gave them unlimited soft drinks throughout the trip. The only place to get the soft drinks is at one of the bars every 10 feet so here we are at the atrium bar.


Here is the main Lido deck at dusk. I'm sure we were enjoying a pre dinner snack here.

Our First Cruise- Day 1

The adventure started at 7:00am on Saturday Feb. 9th. We have been planning to go on this cruise for 9 months with some friends from church and it's finally time to go! So, we loaded up the car and headed for the long drive to Galveston.
We arrived in Galveston around 11:30 or 12 and found our parking lot. As we were pulling in we wondered what the age demographic of the other people on board would be. Since school was in there probably wouldn't be a lot of children our youth so it might be a lot of seniors... which was fine. Well, we pulled in to the parking lot and got out of our car about the time 5 other carloads did. Immediately I started laughing because there were 2 wheelchairs, 1 walker, 1 cane and an oxygen tank. We were by far 30 years younger than everyone else on the bus to the boat. *As a side note, once we got on the boat with everyone else, there was a wide variety of ages. We were cruising on the Carnival Ecstasy- 5 day cruise to Mexico.
We got to the terminal and the porters quickly took our luggage and we headed up to check in. I had filled everything out online so we passed through security and check in very quickly. You walk through all kinds of steps- bag scan, get your key and sign and sail card, get your photo taken for security, get your photo taken to buy later on board for way too much money, and finally, you walk on the ship.



This is our ship at night- we didn't take this picture, it came for free when we purchased the photo below and the leather double photo holder. Thank you Carnival.


Here is our photo we took right before stepping on board. I actually took a picture of the picture so it doesn't look that great here but it turned out pretty cute. Especially since we had just gotten done with a 5 hr. car ride.

We were directed straight up to the Lido deck for lunch since our rooms would not be ready until 1:30. Like amateurs, we stopped at the first buffet line we saw and got burgers and hot dogs. Minutes later, we discovered that there were 4 buffet lines each with different food plus a salad bar and fruit station and 2 additional dessert stations. well, you live and learn. The hamburgers were great and we were just loving that we were eating it on a cruise.

We went exploring a bit. This is a photo of the main lobby that is about 6 stories tall. There was a grand piano and player next to a bar at the lowest level of the atrium. This boat was built in 1991 and is is full of glitz and neon. At first, it bothered me a bit but after a day, you grow to like it.

This is a view from one of the upper outside decks. The main Lido deck is behind me with the pool and casual dining room.

So Happy.
Thought we would take a moment to relax in the sun before continuing to explore.

Mini putt putt course on the very top deck. Mike and Cory played before we left port. Rachelle and I went to a Spa tour- when we looked up from the tour of the gym, we could see the guys playing through the skylight (in the background of the photo).

We booked an interior room for the cost savings but were upgraded to a room with 2 portholes. I'm glad we had a window because it was fun to see the waves and sky. it was bigger than we thought and the bed was super comfortable. I love getting rocked to sleep by the moving boat.


This is a photo from the other direction looking back to the door.

After we got settled in the room and explored, we had a mandatory lifeboat drill. Everyone had to take their life jacket and head to their designated station then move in an orderly fashion to the deck where we would board out lifeboat in the case of an emergency. About the time we were done, we were heading out of Galveston so we stood on the deck and waved goodbye.
At 7:00 we had a "Welcome Aboard Show" where we were introduced to our Cruise Director Goose, the Captain, and heard from one of the comedians on board, Marvin Bell. At 8:30 we had dinner. I can't remember what i ate but i know it was very good. Every night is a 4 course meal, but you can have as much or as little as you want. I usually started with the fruit plate, then soup, then main dish and dessert.

When we got back to our cabin for the evening, the bed was turned down and this was waiting for us as well as chocolates on the pillow and a newsletter with tomorrows activities. I think I'm going to like it here :-)

I Won, I Won!

One of the few perks of being in the design industry is that we often get invited to hear great lectures and see the latest releases. Tonight, I attended a lecture hosted by Herman Miller on the architect and art director George Nelson. It was incredibly interesting what he allowed this company to accomplish and become the top name in design that it is today. So, at the end of the lecture, they had a drawing for a Nelson Platform Bench and I won... much to my co-workers dismay. Problem is, this isn't the first time I have won something. I got a large custom rug, a gameboy, dinner and comedy show tickets, and now an iconic bench. I have not always been this lucky... actually, I don't think I have ever won anything in my life before I started winning those things. I hope this isn't the end of my streak because I would not have purchased these things on my own.

Linda's LOST Theory

I can't take credit for this myself, I'm not smart enough to come up with a theory but I think my mom came up with a good one. The more I think about it the more she could be on to something.
Theory: This entire "thing" is a carefully constructed experiment by Oceanic Airlines to see how people would survive in the event of a catastrophic occurrence such as a plane going down. Some of the people have been given hallucinogenic drugs and some have not. all of the strange circumstances have been set up to test them - polar bears, smoke, etc. There was not a mass grave really, it was all fake, to test the reactions. Sort of like that movie that was filmed in Seaside , FL...Truman Show.

It does seem like a lot of trouble for an airlines to go to for experiment but I think that's part of the mystery.
A coworker said that there was no way that could be true- all the survivors have something major they are overcoming on the island. But if you think about it, if you were stranded on an island and someone started looking at flashbacks of your past, who wouldn't have major issues they would have to get past. I think you would learn a lot about yourself in that situation and there would be some serious soul searching going on no matter who you are.

Did you see the ad that Oceanic Air made? Well, it might add something to the above theory. Take a look and then search "Oceanic Air Commercial" on youtube to get more good stuff. Also try the web site www.find815.com

CMA Holiday Party

Here are the photos from our Holiday party. I will have to add more detail later but I wanted to go ahead and get these posted. The theme was "Magical Mystery Tour" and we had a magician, riddles on the tables to answer for prizes and a tree reader who would interpret the tree you would draw - lots of fun!

Full Weekend

Ever wonder what it would be like to have 7 12th grade girls sleeping in your living room? Well, here are some pictures to help you imagine.



Mike and I hosted the 12th grade girls for the d-now weekend our church was doing. We had a blast but I'm convinced that at the end of the weekend, we were more tired than they were. Both of us enjoyed a long nap on Sunday. I picked this age group because I knew they would be easy and fun. For some reason I didn't expect the massive amounts of hair straighteners that ended up in the bathroom (even after me repeatedly telling them there was much more room in my bathroom).



No, they all wanted to be together and use their own straightner. I don't have that many plugs in there so I guess it was 2 at a time until everyone had perfectly straight hair... only to head to downtown ft. worth to hand out hamburgers in a homeless area.
They were so nice, so polite, and even put all my furniture back before they left. I couldn't have asked for better house guests. I'm so excited for what God is doing in our youth department. Just hearing them talk I realized they are faced with things I never had to deal with. Also, I grew up in a small town with only one high school. All my good friends were in the youth department at church and I saw them every day at school. Here, there are so many high schools these girls are lucky if they see each other once a week. A lot of the time was spent with them really getting to know each other and growing closer in their relationships. As much as we enjoyed it, i hope it's at least a year before we do this again. I need that much time to recover :-)

1 new thing at a time...

I love getting new things for the house. Unfortunately, I can't afford new things all at once so I settle for one at a time. This time, I have a new rug for the entry hall. It's actually carpet squares from Interface. It's commercial carpet so it should withstand anything and be stain resistant and all that. I love the look, and the color, and everything. It's so much fun. I also love that the paisley can be modern... or at least I think it can. I have a great design for mirror tiles and wood trim on the ceiling to make the room really sparkle but until one of my friends (who will remain nameless) helps me with the construction- I will have to wait.

Party Perfect

I'm the unofficial party planner for my office at work... well, after 3 years of parties, I guess it's probably official by now. Anyways, I just got finished with the Holiday party and it was so much fun, I wanted to share some of the details. I'll start with how I got ready for the party and when i get the pictures in I'll post those and tell about the actual event. At 3:00 mom and I went to set up the room and didn't get home until 5:00 then had to be back up there at 6:00- that's not a lot of time to get ready. I had put on makup earlier that day so that cut out some time. I had also put my hair in rollers that morning. I thought the longer I kept the rollers in the curl would stay. I thought i would try a new rolling technique- when i watch the style shows on TV, they curl with the curling iron and put it at the root then twirl the hair around to the tip- and it always looks fabulous. So.... I put the roller in at the root and twirled it to the tip and left it in for about 3 hours of uncomfortableness. When i pulled them out and wadded my hair in a bun to hopefully hold the curl in. Okay, back to getting ready for a big party in 30 minutes. I ran in at 5, took my hair down to reveal very flat curls. i was hoping to wear it down and curly but that was not going to happen so i grabbed it at the shoulder to form a low side ponytail. i guess the 2008 version of the high side ponytail popular in the 80's. it looked something like this:
Yeah, i looked exactly like that. Another trick i had was Sally Hansen airbrush legs. Thanks to a tip from Connie, i found this helpful item at my local CVS. you spray it on your hand and rub it on your legs. it is basically concealer for your lets- it smooths them out and covers blemishes and gives you the look of hose without the hassle. I think the color i used was a bit too dark so I probably look like i fake tanned but given the correct color, i can see where it would be a total help. I just wish they could airbrush them skinny.

The side ponytail and spray painted legs all complimented the beautiful dress i borrowed from my sister. She found an amazing BCBG dress that was marked at $400 and she got it for less than $100. I don't know how you pay $400 for a dress, my furniture doesn't even cost that much. Whatever, it was perfect. okay, i'm tired so more later- hopefully i'll get the photos back soon!

Random Thought...

Do you ever feel like life is a series of loading and unloading the dishwasher? There are always either dishes to go in the dishwasher or a clean load ready to be unloaded. Even at work, you can't walk in the kitchen without seeing that darn dishwasher. I find myself driving home from work or church or whatever and thinking "I wonder if I need to unload the dishwasher?" or waking up thinking "I wonder how many dishes are on the counter waiting to be put in the dishwasher... after being scrubbed because they have just sat overnight in their filth because there was something else more important to do." Does anyone else feel this way or is it just me?

S.A.D.

Seasonal Affective Disorder. It's a real thing. I did a report on it in the 10th grade. That's what I think I have, it's my self diagnosis. Here's the description: Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), also known as winter depression, is an affective, or mood, disorder. Most SAD sufferers experience normal mental health throughout most of the year, but experience depressive symptoms in the winter or summer. The condition in the summer is often referred to as Reverse Seasonal Affective Disorder. I don't think I have this because I teared up during Grays Anatomy- that happens most every week. And I don't think I have this because I freaked out over our $530 electricity bill (I thought last months $230 bill was high). No, I just seem to have the winter blahs. The treatment for this is light therapy. That means, you sit under a big light for a few hours a day. I don't think the horrible fluorescent lights in my office count. I need real sunlight. The next time I'm going to see real sun is on my cruise next month. I realize now that I say that you have ceased to feel sorry for me... but this is serious. I wonder if my doctor can prescribe the cruise and file it on insurance.
Really, I think it is partly all this talk of recession. I don't know why it bothers me so much but it really does. Every time i hear about it, I get upset. I really don't know much about it at all so I have no reason to be upset. I'm guessing that it's because during the last recession after 9/11, I was graduating from college and looking for a job when there were none to be found. I really don't have many fond memories from then. This time I'm a lot more tied to the economy and I have a lot more to loose. Again, I have no idea why i'm worried, I don't even know what exactly to worry about, which makes the worrying thing really pointless. I'm going to blame it on the S.A.D. A cruise is defiantly in order. I'm pretty sure that's the only thing that can cure me :-)

Grad School...

I just got an email from Interiors and Sources with this article:

SCAD Ranked America’s Best Interior Design Graduate Program1/8/2008

SAVANNAH, GA - The Savannah College of Art and Design's industrial design and interior design programs are among the top five programs in the nation, as ranked by DesignIntelligence in the 2008 edition of "America's Best Architecture and Design Schools."
The SCAD interior design graduate program was ranked No. 1 in the nation. The program was also ranked No. 1 for quality of graphic presentations and presentation skills from recent graduates.
SCAD's industrial design graduate and undergraduate programs were ranked third and fourth in the nation, respectively. Both programs were ranked No. 1 in the South and among the top 10 in the East. The undergraduate program was also ranked No. 2 in the Midwest.
DesignIntelligence's annual survey provides students, parents, counselors and corporations with the necessary tools to evaluate the nation's best architecture and design schools.
The nation's leading industrial design firms and those in the corporate sector were surveyed to evaluate which schools produced industrial design graduates prepared for real-world practice.
The 2008 edition of "America's Best Architecture and Design Schools" can be ordered online at www.designintelligence.com.
About the CollegeNamed one of Kaplan's "25 cutting-edge schools with an eye toward the future," the Savannah College of Art and Design is a private, nonprofit, accredited institution with locations in Atlanta and Savannah, GA, and in Lacoste, France. Undergraduate and graduate degree programs also are offered online through SCAD-eLearning. The college offers Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Master of Architecture, Master of Arts, Master of Arts in Teaching, Master of Fine Arts, and Master of Urban Design degrees. For more information about the college, visit www.scad.edu.

I have to brag a bit becasue this is where I went for Interior Design grad school. It wasn't the easiest year of my life so I was happy to see that in the least, I got a great education. Sorry for my bragging but I didn't know who to share this with. This really affects my life in no way since I already have a good job but maybe gives some comfort as I write those huge student loan checks- it was worth the money.... I think.

A Little Perspective

I love it when God helps to put things in perspective for you. Lately, I've been feeling down. Probably a great combination of things but it's mainly been work. I'm frustrated because the project I'm working on it's as challenging as I'd like. It's a cool project, but it's moving a little slow and I'm not in a leadership role that I was on my last project. I should be happy that I get a break from the fast pace that we usually move at but it's hard. I'm so tired of being frustrated but this morning, I was reading the daily devotional in the book "Streams in the Desert" and here's what it said: I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. Phil. 4:11. Paul wrote that from prison. Wow, I'm pretty sure it would be hard to be content there... why am I complaining? It went on to tell a story and here is the conclusion.
Others may do a greater work,
But you have your part to do;
And no one in all God's family
Can do it as well as you.
People who are God's without reservation "have learned to be content whatever the circumstances." His will becomes their will, and they desire to do for Him whatever He desired them to do. They strip themselves of everything, and in their nakedness find everything restored a hundredfold.

I just loved reading this this morning. I know it's Gods will for me to be in this job and I think part of me growing involves me learning to slow down and be content even when the circumstances aren't what I want them to be. So, Praise God for still speaking to us today through His word!

My House Looks Like Santas Workshop

I'm working on my company holiday party and my home has turned into the workspace. The red presents are the prizes people can win if they answer the riddles correctly. The black and white packages are actually empty boxes, they are to put the answers to the riddles in. I'm using all of these as a dual purpose for decorations so I tried to make them look decent. I constantly feel like I clean up one mess and make another one. All these boxes are sitting in the spot where the Christmas decorations were. I fully realize I do it to myself, but I can't seem to do anything about it. I even have a craft room, but it's too full of other crafts to do work crafts in. A vicious cycle. Someone help me.

and down they come.

There's something bittersweet about taking down the Christmas decorations. I hate taking down what I spent time to put up, and what's made my house nice and glittery for a month. Now the spaces where the trees were feel bare. It's nice to get my house back in order. As Christmas got busy, cleaning got less frequent and recently i haven't cleaned because I felt like I should just wait until I got all the decorations down, I would have to clean then anyways. Well, now everything is put away and the house is still a mess...but there is always tomorrow. Goodnight.