Scanning Memories

I've had a little project going the past few months.  I've been going through our old family photos and scanning them.  Here are some observations....

-We're completely spoiled by digital cameras.  More than half the pictures taken in the '80s and '90s should be thrown away.  I can't tell you how many pictures of pets' tails we have...or blurry pets....or people's heads chopped off.  It's amazing really, just how bad the pictures are.  

1993.  Heads optional.

 -The quality of these pictures is awful.  Even with software to brighten, darken, straighten, crop, etc, a lot of pictures are still grainy, which is disappointing.

1988.  A blurry picture of my birthday cake.

-It's amazing just how much I'd forgotten.  One picture can trigger so many memories, a smile, and a "oh, yeah!"  

-There are not enough pictures of every day life, unless you count the everyday lives of our pets.  Ha!  This makes me so thankful that I found and am doing Project Life this year.  We're capturing little moments that would be lost forever now.  That makes me happy!

1989.  Our dachshund, Hans.  So many pics of pets!

-I was teased pretty mercilessly as a kid.  Heck, who wasn't?   And I can see why.  My grandmother loved to sew...and she sewed most of my dresses through elementary school.  The most exciting clothes I got were hand-me-downs from my half-sister.  Looking back, I wish I still had all those dresses my Granny had sewn!  


-In high school, I took the baggy style a little too seriously.  I was never really overweight, though I wasn't athletic, but I was determined to be covered up.  No wonder I never had a boyfriend!


-Sadly, I have very few pictures of my grandparents.  Since my grandmother had emphysema and was often on oxygen, she didn't like her picture taken.  But I have so many memories of her, and none of them captures on film.  


-I have an awful memory, especially for names.  When looking at all my birthday parties across the years, I recognize the faces of my friends, yet I have no idea what most of their names are.  How depressing!  


I'm so glad to have these pictures more accessible.  There are so many good memories there.

Summer Blues

It's summer.  Let's not dance around the subject.  In Texas, it's summer...in May.  Yay.

I cannot believe that we skipped right over the 70s and have been steady in the 80s for weeks now.  One can only hope that last year's 80 days of 100+ temperatures is not repeated.  That was a fluke, right?  Surely.  

Every year, I dread summer like the plague.  The only redeeming factor is that campus is less busy and fewer students loiter about.  That means, every so often, I can leave for lunch - a small blessing.

This summer offers something new, though.  A baby!  My best friend just had the cutest little girl!  I'm hoping to spend a lot more time with her!  I'd never thought to see my friend as a mother....but she's great.  So much better than I'd ever be!  It's heartwarming to see.  

And a baby to knit for?!  Great!!  

Hunger Games

I wanted to read The Hunger Games before seeing the movie.  Since I got a late start on the book, I'll be seeing the movie on DVD.  

Everyone told me they couldn't put the book down....but I could.  It took me at least a week to read it.  I guess I have more going on than everyone else who couldn't put it down.  I thought the premise was good and unique, though perhaps a bit violent.  

However, the writing was awful.  I realize this is young adult fiction but is that really an excuse for bad writing?  The romance was a bit too contrived for me.  I couldn't really see the attraction Katniss had towards Peeta; she was way too smart for such an uninteresting, unimpressive boy.  

Personally, I'd like to know more about Panem and the war that led to the hunger games.  Perhaps I need to keep reading the books for this. But I must admit to not being too motivated to keep reading.  We'll see how the summer goes. 

Change

My boss of six years is officially gone, his office  vacated. 

While I'm glad to be done with the endless packing his departure involved, I'm really sad to see him go.  He is such a likable guy; I know his presence will be missed.  It's a pity, too, that his last year on campus was spoiled by petty department politics.  (To get a laugh out of academic politics, you should read Straight Man by Richard Russo.)  I tend to hold on to grudges, but after seeing what harboring grudges will do after 10, 15, 20 years, I think I'll just forget most of them.  Too many people suffer from such petty immaturity.  

And so I look now to the arrival of my new boss....which means unpacking boxes.  Ha!  At least I'll have over a month to rest up.  Hopefully, too, I can mentally check out of work to concentrate more on my writing.  

Yep, my goal for the summer is to get re-immersed in my writing.  I can't wait!

Stomach Ails

I've been MIA this week because I've been sick.  Sick during the week of our anniversary, sick during the final week of my boss' move.  Sick.

Let me just say that stomach viruses are awful.  I wished for death many times on Tuesday and Wednesday, especially at night when my stomach hurt so bad that I was writhing in pain, my body covered in sweat.  I can deal with a lot of pain (I think most women can), but this just about got the best of me.  

When my symptoms had not abated after three days, I broke down and called the doctor.  My biggest fear was appendicitis....or gallbladder.  During the physical examination, the doctor was able to mostly rule out the appendix; I had absolutely no pain on my right side.  But I got blood drawn, just in case my white blood cell count was up.  In the end, it was concluded that I most likely have a nasty stomach virus that's going around town...one that can last up to seven days.  Er, seven days?  WTF?!

I'm doing much better today after an almost uninterrupted, blessed night of sleep.  And this comes none to soon as my boss really needs me today.  

And it's so good to back amongst the living!

A Blessed Year

A year ago today, I married my best friend, Mr. Higgins.  

It feels like our wedding was yesterday....or five years ago.  The year has gone by so quickly....but not so much.  I remember the day of our wedding so vividly.  The entire weekend was so perfect, it was like a dream.  And the past year has seen so many great things happen; we are very blessed.  

Thank you, Mr. Higgins, for bringing such happiness and love into my life!

Manual Labor

A short break from the cruise pictures...

We're in the final weeks of packing up my old boss.  He has to be out of the office by next Friday.  To say I'm sick of boxes, sick of packing and unpacking, is an understatement.  I've moved homes four times in the last six years.  I'm tired of the entire process.  So, it's a bit of an insult to have to do it at work.  I didn't sign on for this.

On Tuesday, I came to work, opened my office door, and found my entire floor covered in old files, meant to be recycled.  I'd told my boss not to worry about the recycling, that I'd take care of it.  I did not mean for it to be discarded so haphazardly that I couldn't get to my desk, let alone pull out the chair.  I threw a minor tantrum, kicking the papers across the room and cursing.  Thankfully, only the custodians were here to hear me.  One of the nice ladies came to get my trash and asked about the papers.  When I told her, she said, "I'm sorry for you."  So am I.  So...am....I.

I'm trying to not think of moving the new boss in, later this summer.  I'm really trying to not think of the remodeling that's supposed to take place for our building in a few years.  Good grief!  

I want to do the work I'm meant to be doing at work.  Not manual labor.  

St. Kitts

This was our second time to St. Kitts - a lovely island that is not as built up as St. Maarten or St. Thomas.  On this day, we ventured to the extreme tip of the island to Cockleshell Beach.

The main reason we wanted to spend the day at Cockleshell was the view it had of Nevis.

We spent the day on the beach with this view.  Pretty cool, eh?  We thought, surely, the clouds at the peak of Nevis burn off at some point during the day.  But the didn't.

Interestingly, there was a brush fire going on in the hills behind us the entire day.  None of the locals seemed alarmed so we tried to adopt the same attitude.  By the time we left, the fire had scorched several hills.  And, later that evening, when we left the port of St. Kitts, we could see the fire still burning.  It's still the dry season in the Caribbean.  Hurricane season is, naturally, their wet season.

St. Maarten

Next up: St. Maarten, the island that is half French and half Dutch.



We were here in February, on the Dutch side.  This time, we headed to Orient Beach, on the French side.  We got some chairs and an  umbrella and enjoyed the view.


 
A rain shower dampened our spirits so we headed back to the ship.  






There was a Disney ship docked with us here.  Though the idea of being confined to a ship with tons of kids and tons of Disney characters is just about my worst nightmare, it was a nice looking ship.



After a swim in the pool, we headed to lunch.  We sat outside and this was our view.  If only our meals in Texas had this kind of scenery!

 

Virgin Gorda

We docked in Tortola for the day and our destination was The Baths at Virgin Gorda. Above, the nondescript entrance to The Baths.


After hiking down to The Baths, you're met with this spectacular beach, Spring Bay.


In The Baths, you walk through huge rocks that have formed passageways, pools, and coves. There were some really tight squeezes in these passageways, but you're rewarded with some breathtaking sights.


These stairs don't look difficult to tackle, but when you're wet and the stairs are wet, they're tricky.


Once you're through The Baths, you get to enjoy this beach, Devil's Bay, which had the clearest, most perfect water we saw on the trip. Not a bad place to spend the day!


We hiked some trails around Devil's Bay and found some smaller, rockier beaches. Just lovely!

If you're ever in the British Virgin Islands, you must get to The Baths!

Serenade of the Seas

This was my fourth cruise and the first time to sail on a Royal Caribbean ship in a class other than Voyager. This is a class of ship that is one step smaller than Voyager class - Radiance class. She is named Serenade of the Seas.


Ironically, our next two cruises will be on Radiance class ships.


I thought I would notice a difference between classes of ships - that I could tell it was significantly smaller. I could tell but I mostly noticed other things. Like how much more elegant this ship seemed with more wood paneling and graceful lines. The Centrum - above - was the heart of the ship.


The Solarium (the adult pool) is really cool on Serenade. It has a retractable glass roof - convenient since this ship used to go to Alaska. The Solarium is like an oasis - very nice!


One of the biggest differences between the classes of ships is that Radiance class ships have outside dining. Awesome! We spent a lot of time out here, watching the ports come and go.


The only real place this ship felt smaller was on the pool deck. Having only one pool here - usually overly crowded - made the space feel a lot smaller. The ship itself seemed much skinnier.

But, overall, Serenade was a very elegant ship. I'm glad I'll get to sail on two more ships in her class in the coming year or so.

Travel Madness

Our day, last Friday, April 7....

2:30 am - wake up.
3:30 am - leave for the airport.
4:05 am - park car at the airport, catch a shuttle to the terminal.
5:00 am - pick up McDonald's breakfast to eat on the plane.
5:45 am - plane leaves for Miami, on time (thank goodness!).

At check in, the very nice lady got us onto an earlier flight from Miami to San Juan. Our ten hour layover was reduced to two. Yay! On top of that, she forgot to charge us the baggage fee. Awesome!
9:00 am - land in Miami.
9:15 - 11:00 am - I work on....work. Yes, unbelievable.
11:35 am - flight leaves for San Juan. I spend it all working on a massive spreadsheet. I'm such a dedicated employee!
2:05 pm - land in San Juan.
2:40 pm - arrive at and check in to our San Juan hotel.
3:00 pm - walk to the beach (see below) and then to a Walgreens for various supplies.


4:15 pm - sit down at our favorite restaurant in SJ...order our first pina coladas of the trip! And eat way too much.
5:30 pm - back to the hotel to relax. Exhausted! But, wait! I finish my spreadsheet and email it to my boss. Work is now done!
8:30-ish pm - go to bed. We'll sleep for ten hours straight.

The fun begins the next morning!

Wake Up Call

We leave for our second cruise of the year on Friday. In other, somewhat random, news, there were a lot of storms in DFW on Tuesday. Perhaps you heard of our tornadoes?

This morning, at 4:45am, my phone rang. I didn't get to it in time and dismissed the call....until Mr. Higgins' phone rang. He answered his, to be informed by American Airlines that our flight to San Juan was canceled. W...T....F.

We got up - 45 minutes early - to get on the phone with AA. After 45 minutes on hold, when every good and worst case scenario had already run through our heads, we finally talked to a representative. She was super nice considering it took her an hour to get us booked on different flights. But at least we're on flights.

We're leaving at an hour of the morning that I'm still not fully capable of processing (it's so early) and will then have to wait ten hours in the Miami airport for our flight to San Juan. Our first and only concern: luggage. What do they do with checked bags for ten hours? Perhaps we should check them only to Miami and re-check them to SJU later on?

I love vacations. I love to travel. But there are always variables....like tornadoes. Here's hoping this is the only hiccup in our trip. It happened last time - we sat on the runway for three hours - and will hopefully be the same, and work out, this time.

Fiber Fest

My new knitting friend and I went to the local Fiber Fest on Saturday. I'm so glad we did! This fiber, of course, is not the kind you eat; it's the kind you knit. Yarn!

I hadn't been in four to five years so I was super excited to have someone to go with this year. And boy, had the fest grown since the last time! It was about four times bigger! So much yarn!! Our favorite booth was a locally grown alpaca yarn company. Have you ever felt alpaca? There's nothing softer! I spent way too much on a skein...and could have bought a lot more!

I also bought some bamboo, which I adore. How do they get bamboo so soft?! I avoided further temptation and was amazed that I stayed exactly within my yarn budget. Yay! Such a good day!

Umbilical Cord Hat

Pattern: Umbilical Cord Hat by Jennifer L. Jones (in Stitch n' Bitch)
Yarn: Knit Picks Comfy Worsted
Needles: US 7 and 8 circs, US 8 dpns
Made for: Baby Juliana
Time to completion: 3 days
Cast on 72 stitches for a bigger baby!

I needed a simply, quick hat to make for a 2-month old. I ordered some yarn from Knit Picks...only to be a bit disappointed in the color. Oh, well. It feels good, at least! And I learned something new: how to do an i-cord. It seemed strange but was super easy and came out great! I love - successfully - learning new things!

As Mr. Higgins and I plug our way through season six of West Wing, I've been knitting every evening this week. It's amazing how much more productive I feel at the end of the day! I've even been making progress on this project from long, long ago.

It was a good knitting week!

Candidates

It looks like the decision of my future boss has been made. Of course, I had no input in that decision. However, I think the right person is getting the job.... Unfortunately, I don't think that person is going to be the easiest person to work for.

This entire selection process has been a nightmare from the very beginning. Then, after the candidates were decided, we found out the hard way that some were never really prepared to move and fill the position. Why then, pray tell, did you apply for the job to begin with?! They wasted our time and their own by pretending to take this job search seriously.

In a time with so many people out of work, this makes me sick. It also undermines a tedious search. Here's how it works.... An academic department posts a job. Applicants apply. A committee narrows it down to about 20-25 candidates who are interviewed for half an hour at the annual national meeting. After those interviews, they narrow it down to 10-12 candidates. The entire faculty decide to bring 3-4 candidates to campus for a 3-day long interview process. This interview is not fun for anyone; it's grueling, especially for the candidate. After this, the faculty vote on who gets the job.

This entire process takes a year. So, you can imagine everyone's frustration when one - or a few - of the final candidates never really wanted to move to assume the position. Arg!

And now I have to move one boss out and another in. Fun times.

GOT

We had a Game of Thrones, Season 1 marathon over the course of the last two Sundays and now I'm really looking forward to season 2, which starts this Sunday.

Few shows have been done as well as GOT. HBO, though obsessed with showing as much skin and sex as possible, does a great job with their shows, especially the period pieces. GOT is fantasy, which causes even more obstacles with the effects needed to create another world. If any network can handle fantasy, it's HBO.

Mr. Higgins and I blazed though all of Martin's Song of Fire and Ice last summer. Whenever I read something that quickly, I forget a lot of the details. So, the second season will be full of suprises and "oh, yeahs."

I can't wait!

Childhood Classics

Mr. Higgins and I have been watching some of our favorite movies from our childhoods. It's been a lot of fun!

I think the most interesting of them all was BEDKNOBS AND BROOMSTICKS. I vaguely remembered bits and pieces of this movie so it was a delight to fill in the gaps. For instance, I had completely forgotten the Nazi plot line!

ANNIE was something I thought I remembered pretty well. However, I did not remember the bad language...and how the ladies' dresses were very revealing when they were dancing around! Geez! I must have watched this on TV back in the day, where the language was cleaned up a bit.

Of course, I'd seen THE SOUND OF MUSIC several times but it was fun to watch it all the way through on Blu-Ray. And it's always a joy to watch Julie Andrews.

They really don't make movies like they used to, do they? I was going to say that a lot of children's movies of today have political overtones....but so did all the movies I mentioned above. The Nazis play a part in two and doesn't Annie meet with FDR and talk about the New Deal? And look at the significance of Daddy Warbucks' name!

After watching these, one thing is for sure: the music will stay with you for days and weeks after. Ha!

Cavity

Is there anything worse than the dentist? I've gotten to where I try to forget my dentist appointments just so I don't worry about them for two weeks in advance.

So, I was slightly alarmed to remember that I had to have a filling this week. Ugh! Ever since my first cavity (at the age of 20) turned into a root canal, I've been a little nervous about any and every filling. Yesterday, the dentist got out that needle to stick in my gums to numb them and I quickly closed my eyes, determined to not even see the dreaded contraption. The shot took too long and hurt too much. Then, he got another vial and that needle came towards my mouth again! I closed my eyes and kept them shut so tight that tears threatened at the corners of my eyes. This one took too long, as well. How long does it take to inject that stuff?

And why is the shot to numb the area worse than the actual drilling? Geez!

I wouldn't agree with my dentist that the cavity was done "in no time" but it was relatively easy. My mouth stayed numb way too long, however, probably because of the double dose. Actually, my jaw still hurts from the shots.

I hate the dentist!

Having Kids

I guess it's that time. Many of my friends are having babies. When friends of friends find out that I don't want kids, the response is a vehement gasp, "why?!"

Let me just say that not wanting kids does not mean that you're strange. It means that you're responsible enough to make a decision that goes against what many in society view as the norm. From an early age we're told, "you'll be a mother some day," and "one day, when you have kids, you'll understand..." It's drilled into us that we're supposed to have kids. Our lives are supposed to follow a typical road - get married, have 2.5 kids, have even more grand-children.

I never thought I'd have kids, I never wanted kids, and I always argued when someone said, "you'll change your mind." I've never changed my mind. Kids are not something I need for my life to be complete. I want other things out of life.

This is not wrong. As I said before, it's responsible. There are enough people on this planet. There are enough people chipping away at our natural resources. I'm tired of people. Therefore, why in the world would I attempt to make more?!

I admire those who start families these days. It's not easy in this world, with this economy. I wish them luck. I'll be happy to knit them baby clothes. After all, baby clothes are less time consuming than adult clothes! And I'm perfectly content being an aunt only. That's the way it's supposed to be.

Neglected Knitting

My knitting has sat, sadly neglected, for over two weeks. I picked it up for Knit Night on Wednesday and was happy to get to knitting again.

The fingerless gloves are coming along, though they probably won't be done until fall or winter. The pattern was much more complicated than we - my knitting buddy and I - thought. But I made the thumb hole and am happily knitting the hand. This happiness will end, I'm sure, when I have to knit the thumb. Ha!

There are so many things I want to knit for newborns and my friends who are pregnant or trying to get pregnant. There are, literally, not enough hours in the day for me knit and craft all I want. It's very frustrating!

But I love it!

Black Bottom Banana Bars

Last night, I had three overripe bananas and wanted to bake something. I thought about banana bread but something held me back....possibly the two cups of sugar required for my family recipe.

I started looking around the internet and found Becky Higgins' recipe for Black Bottom Banana Bars. It sounded interesting. I haven't had much chocolate banana stuff and was curious to see if I'd like the taste. So, I whipped it up.

Yum! I would in no way describe this recipe as bars, though. Mine came out as cake....moist, yummy cake! I don't know if I did something wrong (I can't see anything I screwed up) but the result is definitely to my liking. And that's all that matters, right?

The Wedding

My best friend's wedding ended up going off without a hitch. I've known Stephanie for twelve years now (!!) and I've never seen her so happy.

The rain held off until the reception, thank goodness! I still got soaked when we left, though. Let me tell you.... Running around in the rain when it's 45 degrees in sandals with no hose and a chiffon dress on is not my idea of a good time. I thought I would surely get sick....but, thank goodness, that hasn't happened.

The wedding was gorgeous. Stephanie was stunning in her dress, her skin glowed with happiness. The minister messed up a few times but we laughed it off. I always like it when someone makes a mistake...it causes everyone to take a deep breath and laugh, ending any stiffness in both the audience and the wedding couple. Everyone seemed to have a good time at the reception - so it was all good!

I now Stephanie is glad it's over and so am I. The stress was getting to all of us, I think. Now the bride and groom can enjoy each other.

Stupid Rain!

I've not been sleeping well this week. It probably has to do with my best friend's wedding on Saturday. I'm not worried or stressed....but obviously some part of my brain is.

Perhaps it's the rain... The forecast for Saturday keeps getting worse. We're now up to an 80% chance of rain. It's every bride's nightmare and one that, as a bridesmaid, I'll have to help her get through with her sanity intact. When I got married we had a saying that kept me calm: "no matter what, you'll be married by the end of the day and that's all that matters." It definitely helps put things in perspective!

This cute video made me laugh yesterday and I hope it will do the same for you! See you next week!

Freshmen

I'm helping out a professor by meeting with his students to discuss their writing. They've been assigned a book review of The Kite Runner and I'm supposed to help them with the topics they've been told to discuss.

After reading about seven papers, I've made a few observations.... I really like copy-editing! I'm actually not supposed to worry about grammar (the Writing Center will help the students with that) but I can't not correct something that's obviously wrong. I'm too OCD! But I actually like it! I'd considered copy-editing before and actually interviewed for and was offered a job that would have led to a career including copy-editing....but the pay was way too low. Even then, I thought I'd be bored to tears doing what I'm currently really enjoying! Wow!

That being said, I'm saddened to report that there will probably be very few coherent books published from this current generation of college students. Literature is dead. The writing is just too awful. Granted, these are freshman, but I came across a girl who had no idea what a pronoun was....or how to use it! It was very tedious inserting "him" and "her" throughout her paper.

This is proof that the American public education system has failed. There is very little hope, from what I see on a day-to-day basis.

Isn't that a cheery thought?

Religious Digression

In case you haven't figured it out, I work in a religion department. My colleagues are extremely intelligent people who have broad religious interests and understandings. They teach tolerance to college kids who probably have ever known one religion.

So imagine my surprise when I heard not one, not two, but FOUR digressions on their part on the absurdity of the Catholic Church yesterday. Really?

Most of you know that I'm Catholic. While I have some issues with my Church, and while I'm not the most faithful of Mass attendees of late, I will never be anything other than Catholic. Why? Because it's the oldest form of Christianity; it's the root of all Christianity; and I believe the purest form of anything is the oldest form.

Most of my colleagues know that I'm Catholic...and I'm amazed that I'm the only Catholic in my department (we are in the deep, Protestant South, however). I couldn't believe what I was hearing yesterday! I know that none of them meant to insult me personally. I know that none of them gave it a second thought....and that's the problem. Everyone is so self-absorbed that they forget that what they do affects others.

And I expect this from most people....but not the intelligent among us. Especially those who open so many young minds to the religious variety of our world.

P.S. Just because Rick Santorum is crazy and Catholic, doesn't mean the rest of us are. That's like assuming all Protestants are members of the Ku Klux Klan.

A Picnic

It has been an incredibly mild winter here in Texas. Given how harsh it was last year, I don't mind the change. High temperatures are now hovering around 70-75 degrees. Nice!

To celebrate the lovely weather, Mr. Higgins and I went on a picnic yesterday. We picked up sandwiches for dinner and sat out to enjoy the glorious weather. It's funny how we forget to do this....to enjoy something so simple as great weather. In Texas there is very rarely a transition period between too hot and too cold to be outside. This year, however, seems to be the exception.

Last year, the harsh winter transitioned to the hottest summer on record. I'm really hoping our mild weather will continue through summer.

In the meantime, Mr. Higgins and I have vowed to continue to get out and enjoy the weather as long as it continues to be nice. It was nice having a date night in the middle of the week; it really breaks up a long work-week!

The Kite Runner

I'm helping a professor with a class where the students have to write a review of The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. I had seen the movie a few years ago and was more than willing to read the book. It was good to see that the movie closely followed the book; usually, Hollywood screws up the story!

And it's such a good story! Taking place in Afghanistan, it shows a world few of us have ever seen or fully understand. I love the history involved and seeing Kabul before the Soviet invasion through the eyes of a young boy. It's heartbreaking to see it after the war, through the eyes of a grown man. But more than anything, this is the story of friendship, betrayal, and guilt. I laughed and cried throughout this novel for these are emotions we are all familiar with.

This is one of those books that should be required reading for all Americans....and Afghans. It shows that we are all human and we share the same emotions and heartbreak...despite our differences.

Shower Favors

My best friend is getting married. Being a bridesmaid in her wedding, I co-hosted (with her maid of honor) a shower for her on Saturday.

The maid of honor found the idea for these favors and then found the old classic books (for dirt cheap) to wrap. I took it from there and designed the library card, holder, and tea bag. I think they turned out pretty well!

Work Stress

It's been an insane two weeks at work since the cruise. I don't think I've ever had more stress than during these two weeks. Let's just say that I'll be very happy to live through February and see March.

In March, I should also find out who my next boss will be. My job is primarily working with one person - and one person only. So this is a big deal. I'm not actually stressed about the process of finding out as it's completely out of my hands.... But it will be stressful when the time comes to finally work with this new person. I've spent six years with my current boss and he's pretty awesome in his absent-minded professor ways. A new boss brings all kinds of possibilities and uncertainties with him. (And, yes, it will be a him.)

So, stress. And more stress. This year has definitely been one very long emotional roller-coaster at work.

Labadee

When we first booked this cruise, I was ambivalent about the stop in Labadee, Haiti. This is Royal Caribbeans private island - or chunk of peninsula. Then Mr. Higgins described it as a carefree beach day. Then he told me about Labadoozies, the drink they sell there that is so, so good. Before I knew it, I was looking forward to Labadee! Above, the beach (to the left) where we spent the day.



Royal Caribbean has built a lot here - a zipline, a roller coaster, cafes, shops.... They even bring food off the ship (and the Labadoozies) for a cookout! It was a great day!


We found a nice place to spend the day, complete with hammocks! It was very relaxing!

That's about it from the cruise. We made a lot of incredible memories with our family and had a very enjoyable, relaxing time.

El Morro

Our third port was San Juan, Puerto Rico. We had a short day here so we used it to go to El Morro Fort. This was a fort that Mr. Higgins and I missed last time.


The fort was really neat to see and everyone seemed to enjoy it.


The iguanas have quite a view! I love the lookout towers!


El Morro was charged with defending this narrow strip of water.


Here, we see the fort from the channel above. Looking down the coast of San Juan is always such a sight; the water is so spectacular.

It was a good day in San Juan.

St. Kitts

I really enjoyed St. Kitts. We'd booked a tour of the island that we were all really looking forward to. Our first stop was a botanical garden on the former property of Thomas Jefferson's great-grandfather (or some-such). The plants were incredible! The flower above was the most unique thing I've ever seen!


Our second stop was Brimstone Hill Fortress, a historic sight. It was amazing! Mr. Higgins and I kept thinking it looked like the fort out of Pirates of the Caribbean.


Here, you can see St. Eustatius, in the distance, out of one of the fortress' windows.


The best view of the entire trip is above, as seen from Timothy Hill on St. Kitts. This is the narrowest part of the island with the Atlantic Ocean on the left and the Caribbean on the right. In the back, Nevis is visible.


Our last stop of the day was a beach where we got to relax a bit - South Friars Beach. It was good, thought not as amazing as Mullet on St. Maarten.

One cool thing about St. Kitts - the monkeys! We them a few times from our tour van - so cute!!

St. Maarten

After two days at sea, sailing south in the Atlantic (which meant a rocking boat - fun) to the Caribbean, we arrived at St. Maarten. Mr. Higgins had been here before and took us to his favorite beach: Mullet Bay.


Mullet ended up being my favorite beach of the trip. The water was amazing - just look at those colors! - and there were just the right amount of waves to make things fun.


Almost all of us got in the water that day and it was a blast.


After Mullet, we went to Maho Bay, which is truly unique. The airport sits just to the other side of it's sandy shores, so the planes come right over the beach. We sat at a restaurant/bar for an hour or so and watched the planes comes in.


At the end of the day, after all the excitement, we had something else to look forward to: cheesecake! They had so many delicious flavors during the week: Kahlua, Irish Cream, raspberry, strawberry, passionfruit, and plain.

Yum!

Navigator of the Seas

This is Royal Caribbean's Navigator of the Seas, docked in Labadee, Haiti. She was our home for a week and I really liked her. She was my third ship, one of the Voyager-class ships. Ironically, Voyager class ships are the only ships I've sailed on!


Royal Caribbean's ships are the only ships with a Royal Promenade - a huge, hollow area in the middle of the ship where all the shops are located. it makes you feel as if you're outside, not inside a ship in the middle of the ocean!


The RCCL ships also have centrums - an area at the end of the ship where all decks open into. It's like looking straight up through the ship. Navigator had a very cool sculpture there.


This is the Solarium (the adults-only pool) at night. Doesn't it look inviting?


And here is the hot tub where we spent a few nights relaxing.

More on the cruise tomorrow!

Cruise Teaser

Here's a teaser picture from the cruise last week. Pretty, huh? I should have more pictures for you later this week, once I get a chance to sort through the 700+ pictures we have from everyone who went on the trip. Ha!

We had a great time and my mom seemed to really enjoy her birthday cruise - her first cruise!

More tomorrow!

Birthday Cruise

I'm off this evening on a flight to Florida. From there, I'll board the ship above with Mr. Higgins, my parents, and his parents on a Caribbean cruise to celebrate my mother's sixtieth birthday.

She's been wanting to do a cruise ever since she heard me go on and on about the one Mr. Higgins and I did in 2010. Mr. Higgins and I found a good itinerary out of Florida (most of the good, exotic cruises leave from San Juan) and my dad agreed to finance the trip...though he's a little unsure of the whole cruising thing. Ha!

It's going to be an adventure. Mainly, surviving an eight-day cruise with my father. We'll see how it goes. I'm determined to have fun, though, and the timing is perfect: both my mom and I have had very stressful months at work. We need warm Caribbean breezes, girlie drinks with umbrellas, and pristine beaches.

See you in ten days or so!