It is now St. Patrick;s day. I’ve completely given up on trying to know what time it is. So, the clock moves forward an hour every day at noon. And while you might think this is pretty simple to grasp, I assure you, it is not. One thing is- there is never a noon. At noon, it is immediately 1. That’s messed up. Also, our phones are on airplane mode so they can’t keep up with the time. So everyday we have to try to remember how many hours off the phone is. And, because it happens at noon each day, you spend the first part of the day understanding one time and then the second half trying to adjust to a new time. My brain has died.
The seas continue to be very calm. I wasn’t sure what to expect about a transatlantic crossing, but this exceeds expectations! I’m keeping up some with the Dramamine because you have to stay ahead of it. I’m not messing around here.
We’re meeting some people now. Usually when we’re sitting at dinner. We always have our own table, but we’re seated close enough to chat. I have to say, being wine maker/olive growers never seems to bore anyone. The other night at dinner, half the wait staff was gathered around Jason talking. This started with us sending back our wine. We never send anything back- ever. But this was truly awful. Jason told the steward that the wine was corked. Thus it began.
One thing we’re realizing is that this cruise we’re on is really at least 3 cruises. We thought it was just two. When we get to Barcelona in a week, people will get off and new ones on. We’re excited about that mostly because we’d love to meet people from Barcelona and become friends before we end up there with days to spend in a month. This happened on our last cruise in Australia and it was such a delight! Also, perhaps some younger people will come onboard because the cruise lengths will be shorter. We shall see.
The staff on board are terrific. Excellent memories. Shoot, there is already one guy, Ivan, who works in the art gallery, who might now be naming his first child Rachel. Bam!
Yesterday, we got wild and went to bingo. On the first game, I won and didn’t know it. Jason called bingo and didn’t have it. The next game, I played the wrong card. Jason got bingo (for real this time) and scored $125 bucks. The 4th game I had to play the card I’d already played which was truly more effort than I was wanting to make. We are both not good at bingo and also quite good at bingo, depending on how you want to view it.
We watched a Hans Zimmer concert on the huge projector by the pool in the late afternoon and got some sun. It’s oddly easy to spend a lot of time inside and not notice somehow. The fresh air and sunshine was great. I want to do this again today because it will be a Mumford and Sons concert (Irish, after all) but we have a winemaker’s dinner tonight.
Oh, so we signed up for this dinner like…well, one day. But no one has been able to tell us when it is. Or where. We’ve asked waiters, bar tenders, the maitre’d, called some random phone number. Finally, we were told it was the 15th and we would receive an invitation that morning with the time. Which is sort of odd, really. I mean, I am trying to see all the live music here. I have plans! Anyway, on the morning of the 15th, there was no invite. Finally, someone told Jason the cancelled the 15th and it was now the 17th. But no time or place. Wait for the invite. WHY MUST IT BE MYSTERIOUS? Today, the invite arrived by hand delivery from some chef. That seems a bit overkill, honestly. Also, apparently, we have to dress up. They are eager for my “graceful presence” which is English for them obviously having never met me. But, I brought wine colored velvet pants for such an occasion as this.
We’re now 4 days from Portugal. Time finally feels like it is going slowly, which I am very thankful for. I want to feel every single one of these stress free days away from my very busy life. That said, I continue to be very pleased that I miss the ranch and the busyness of it. It is a very good life, indeed.
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