Middle Aged Drama Queen's Eastern Carib Review: Fun on the FREEDOM!!!

[KansCocoa]

Well…after playing with the woefully under-appreciated creatures of the land, our next stop would be to play with the woefully under-appreciated creatures of the sea…

 

A Sea Urchin Farm!

 

Okay. Not really. I mean, it wasn’t a farm…but we DID stop alongside a beach and visit some spindly sea thingies.

 

The first one they let us hold was this white one…and it was still ALIVE, which meant it was kinda’ squiggly and wiggly while it was in my hands…WEIRD, but in a COOL way!

 

 

 

Of course, Mickey wasn’t so sure at first about holding an alive squiggly- wiggly thing, so she graciously made me do it first. Once she saw the big grin on my face, she dove right in:

 

 

 

John, one of the Bernard drivers, then holds up this little monster:

 

 

 

Oh, wow. It’s big. And black. And spiky. And it's alive, too! It’s like the sea version of a porcupine. Again, Mickey pushes me up first to try it:

 

 

 

It was pretty cool, and surprisingly, not sharp at all. I imagine if I’d STEPPED on it, it would feel sharp. But it’s not sharp in your hand.

 

 

 

There was a little boy in our group who was adamant about not holding these things, no matter how hard we tried to convince him that they wouldn’t hurt. He’s looking at Mickey in the above photo with a bit of awe.

 

Mickey couldn’t resist running down to the water’s edge and getting her feet wet:

 

 

 

All too soon, our little creatures were returned to their happy resting places in the water, and I’m happy to say that no sea creatures were harmed in the photo-shooting of this trip.

 

And was it worth it? This little stop for seaside spiky thingies?

 

Look at those grins on our faces, and I'll let that be the answer!

 

So...where to next??!!

[KansCocoa]

Motrin usually helps but you have to take more than the recommended on the otc package.

 

Yup. And guess what I hadn't packed on this trip?

 

This would necessitate a trip to the Stupid - I mean, General Store - the next day! And pay a small, outrageous fortune for some pain relief.

[KansCocoa]

Well...no more tonight. It's Date Night at our house, and I must go get ready for dinner...tonight, we feast on Italian, to see if the Best Italian Restaurant in Kansas City will compare to the Italian food we had in Italy. Either way - it will be fun to spend some time with Hubby Mike tonight...

 

...more to come tomorrow!

[Tkriger]

 

I didn't even SEE anyone drinking the rum punch, let alone imbibe too much. :D

 

We tried the Rum Punch...I'm pretty sure it was just rum, no punch. One little glass after Orient beach was all we had, but I could certainly see how some people would take advantage of the all you can drink punch.

[NeuroQueen]

Sherri, you have kept me captivated, first in Europe, and now the Caribbean. Your reviews are soooo entertaining. I loved the Lost in Space reference. I know I'm dating myself as well but I loved that show. That is, until Penny found a monkey on one of the planets....and named it Debbie!!! I took a lot of grief for that in junior high school. Yep, my name! Kids can be so cruel! I'll bet you pack lots of OTC meds next time! Kudos to you for staying in shape on vaca. I prefer the Pool Sloth aerobics! Have a great date night!

[barbienj]

Question about Mountaintop. We were there in 2008, didn't it burn down right after that. It is all rebuilt?

[jrh61]

Off topic, but I must know - which is the best Italian restaurant in KC? I love Italian, and there's not much quality in Eastern Jackson County (at least that I've found).

[My2Kitties]

 

In the center of the ship is the HUGE casino. Seriously, this thing is HUGE. And it’s configured…weird. There are no straight paths for cutting through, which made navigating it difficult at times. You might be asking, “Sherri – why would you have to navigate through the casino?” Good question. I’ll answer that. Sometimes, the Royal Promenade on Deck 5 would be packed – perhaps due to a parade, or a party – and so the ship’s Powers-That-Be ENCOURAGED you to navigate the ship on Deck 4. (You can’t cut through on Deck 3 due to Studio B- the ice rink.) The casino is all twisty and windy and narrow – and smoky – so it’s just not a good place to cut through if you’re attempting to get from one side of the ship to the other. A small complaint, though – nothing major.

[/i]

 

they fixed this on the Oasis/Allure...Studio B has a walkway on either side that takes you into the casino and the casino is broken into 2 sides...smoking and non-smoking...so you can walk thru the casino on the non side if you are a non like me...it is nice to have the choice...and the studio B is not blocking the flow...

you need to go on one of them and do a review...huge ship but I still love the smaller ships too...

[IrishLassie]

Thanks so much, Sherrie, for the info on Johnny Rocketts about breakfast. I wonder why they don't do it on FOS. :confused:

Do you remember what the cost was for your Bernard's tour in St.Martin?

Look forward to more of your review tomorrow. Hope you had a nice "date night" (we do that every Sat.). :D

[Microcruiser]

Just got caught up on your review and had to laugh when you were talking about the donkey in St. Thomas. My husand and I got married in St. Thomas almost 5 years ago and I have my picture sitting on that donkey in my wedding dress with Randy standing behind me. It still makes me laugh. The donkey's name (at that time) was Monica Lewinsky :D

 

Sounds like you guys were definitely enjoying your cruise. I did the bootcamp on Oasis last October so reading about your experiences made me laugh and brought back some memories.

 

Hope you had luck finding Italian food that is even close to what you had in Italy. If it is good you'll have to share the name...I've been looking for a good Italian restaurant.

[Hstergo]

Thanks so much, Sherrie, for the info on Johnny Rocketts about breakfast. I wonder why they don't do it on FOS. :confused:

Do you remember what the cost was for your Bernard's tour in St.Martin?

Look forward to more of your review tomorrow. Hope you had a nice "date night" (we do that every Sat.). :D

 

I was on a Bernards tour .. I paid $ 40.00 per person and well worth the money they take you everywhere super friendly staff .. just be aware of the Rum Punch :D it will take you on it's own tour

[FloGaleRNTX]

Sherri, thank you so much for updating us!!! I will wait (impatiently, LOL) for the rest of your report!!!

 

You and Mickey look like you are having a fabulous time!!

 

Barb

[gypsyrose]

We went to an iguana farm in Roatan OMG!! I will need to find a pic and post for you. They were EVERYWHERE. And...it must have been mating season because there would be several groups all around, all over each other, sometimes 6 or 7 on top. Oh my, it was funny. But it was really freaky when we first got there to see so many, especially when they would come near you.

Loving your review

[MelLG]

 

Back on the van, Mickey and I do a self-portrait...not our best effort. We'll manage to capture a better one as the day goes on.

 

 

So...on to our next stop? Where is Sexy taking us next???

 

Hey, that's my two sons sitting behind you!! When I started reading your review and you mentioned Sexy, I knew we must have been on the same tour w/Bernard's! We really enjoyed the tour, too. I know you're probably getting to it next, but did you guys get blasted by the jet at Maho? It knocked my 15 y/o into the water!!

Edited August 18, 2012 by MelLG

[KansCocoa]

We tried the Rum Punch...I'm pretty sure it was just rum, no punch. One little glass after Orient beach was all we had, but I could certainly see how some people would take advantage of the all you can drink punch.

 

I am SO glad I didn't partake...rum hits me really, really hard! What kind of container was it in? I just kept seeing the water bottles and cans of soda; I didn't even SEE the punch!

 

Sherri, you have kept me captivated, first in Europe, and now the Caribbean. Your reviews are soooo entertaining. I loved the Lost in Space reference. I know I'm dating myself as well but I loved that show. That is, until Penny found a monkey on one of the planets....and named it Debbie!!! I took a lot of grief for that in junior high school. Yep, my name! Kids can be so cruel! I'll bet you pack lots of OTC meds next time! Kudos to you for staying in shape on vaca. I prefer the Pool Sloth aerobics! Have a great date night!

 

Thank you! Debbie the Monkey - I think I remember that!!!

 

Question about Mountaintop. We were there in 2008, didn't it burn down right after that. It is all rebuilt?

 

Yes - an electrical fire destroyed it in May 2009; they rebuilt better than ever and reopened in February 2010...so the Home of the Banana Daiquiri reigns again!

[KansCocoa]

Off topic, but I must know - which is the best Italian restaurant in KC? I love Italian, and there's not much quality in Eastern Jackson County (at least that I've found).

 

Just got caught up on your review and had to laugh when you were talking about the donkey in St. Thomas. My husand and I got married in St. Thomas almost 5 years ago and I have my picture sitting on that donkey in my wedding dress with Randy standing behind me. It still makes me laugh. The donkey's name (at that time) was Monica Lewinsky :D

 

Sounds like you guys were definitely enjoying your cruise. I did the bootcamp on Oasis last October so reading about your experiences made me laugh and brought back some memories.

 

Hope you had luck finding Italian food that is even close to what you had in Italy. If it is good you'll have to share the name...I've been looking for a good Italian restaurant.

 

Hello, fellow KC'ers! We went to Jasper's Restaurant - at 103rd & State Line...recently named in the Top Italian restaurants in the country by Zagat's. I thought it was good - but not as good as the "real deal" from Italy! Large portions, though - we have enough food to last two more days, I think!!!

[KansCocoa]

they fixed this on the Oasis/Allure...Studio B has a walkway on either side that takes you into the casino and the casino is broken into 2 sides...smoking and non-smoking...so you can walk thru the casino on the non side if you are a non like me...it is nice to have the choice...and the studio B is not blocking the flow...

you need to go on one of them and do a review...huge ship but I still love the smaller ships too...

 

I'm glad the designers recognized the problem on the Freedom and fixed this, as it was my one complaint about the design of the ship. I am still "considering" the bigger ships...and if I go, I'll definitely post a review!

 

Do you remember what the cost was for your Bernard's tour in St.Martin?

 

As Hstergo says below, it was $40 pp...great tour!

 

I was on a Bernards tour .. I paid $ 40.00 per person and well worth the money they take you everywhere super friendly staff .. just be aware of the Rum Punch :D it will take you on it's own tour

 

See...another mention on how strong the rum punch was...I'm glad I stuck with the Diet Coke!

[KansCocoa]

Sherri, thank you so much for updating us!!! I will wait (impatiently, LOL) for the rest of your report!!!

 

You and Mickey look like you are having a fabulous time!!

 

Barb

 

Thanks, Barb! We had a great time...she still talks about the spiky thingies!

 

We went to an iguana farm in Roatan OMG!! I will need to find a pic and post for you. They were EVERYWHERE. And...it must have been mating season because there would be several groups all around, all over each other, sometimes 6 or 7 on top. Oh my, it was funny. But it was really freaky when we first got there to see so many, especially when they would come near you.

Loving your review

 

Yes, once I got past the "ick" factor with the iguanas, and realized they were harmless, then I enjoyed myself...similar to my experience years ago at Stingray City in Grand Cayman!

 

Hey, that's my two sons sitting behind you!! When I started reading your review and you mentioned Sexy, I knew we must have been on the same tour w/Bernard's! We really enjoyed the tour, too. I know you're probably getting to it next, but did you guys get blasted by the jet at Maho? It knocked my 15 y/o into the water!!

 

OMG, your two sons were FANTASTIC! I couldn't help but overhear some of their conversation behind me on the van, and they reminded me so much of my own boy Klingons, I was cracking up! I don't know how old they are, but I was struck by their intelligence - and some of the their observations of the island were hilarious - and so dead-on!

 

Ha - I'll be posting today about Maho - but no. I knew I'd get sandblasted with the sand and shells and such - so I observed everyone ELSE getting blasted!

Edited August 18, 2012 by KansCocoa
Because grammar is important....

[KansCocoa]

After we left the squiggly-wiggly sea creatures, Sexy drove around the island a bit, pointing out various sites…we eventually arrived at Orient Bay, where we ended up at the La Playa Beach resort on Orient Bay Beach. This is a very nice beach with smooth, white sand. It’s normally windy here anyway, so today was especially gusty. We rented two chairs and an umbrella for $10, and for an additional $5, Mickey rented a boogie board.

 

 

Here's our chairs...the umbrella wasn't needed, due to the clouds....

 

 

The waves were incredible for boogie-boarding… I once boogie-boarded on a beach in Mazatlan, and made the mistake of wearing my super-incredible and super-expensive prescription eyeglasses while doing so…those eyeglasses are now swimming with the fishes in the Pacific Ocean, and so now I refrain from giant waves. I just observe, which is fine with me.

 

 

Mickey, checking out the waves....

 

 

We have about 2.5 hours at the beach, and most of that time was spent shooing away the constant stream of (mainly) women who approach you, wanting to sell you a variety of stuff (hair braiding, textiles, beaded jewelry). Next time I visit, I’m bringing a permanent “No, thank you” sign and just posting it by my chair.

 

 

 

I’m next to another family on our bus, who has a 7-year old precocious daughter and an 18-year old son. They are spending some great quality family time, building sand castles, when the 7-year old spots her first topless woman walking by (my daughter, too busy with her boogie board, was oblivious to this). The little girl runs up to Mommy, and says, “Mommy! That lady doesn’t have a top on!!!!”

 

The mother, thinking fast on her feet, quickly comes up with a reasonable explanation: “Oh, the wind blew her top off and she’s walking up and down the beach, trying to find it.”

 

Mom looks over at me to see if this explanation will fly, and I give her a thumbs-up. Sounded good to me…and I have to give her props for thinking so fast. However, the 7-year old ponders this for a minute, and then asks, “Okay….but why doesn’t she put a towel around herself??!”

 

Oh. Good question. Mom looks at me, and I shrug…I’ve got nuthin’…..as the afternoon goes on, we see several women who have apparently lost their tops in the wind…that wind WAS really gusty today.

 

 

Eventually, it’s time to head back to the van and meet up with the rest of the group. Somewhere – some place – I make a wrong turn (go figure), and we are now lost. I can’t find the parking lot ANYWHERE! In somewhat of a panic, I turn around and retrace my steps, and bump into John, a Bernard’s driver for a different van. John recognizes me and quickly points out the correct location of the van, and Mickey and I do the walk of shame as we realize we are the last family to board. Why would I think that a Caribbean cruise would be any different than a Mediterranean cruise? Leopards don’t change their spots, as the saying goes. Sigh.

 

 

Back on the van, Mickey quickly realizes the downside to boogie-boarding....Sand in the suit. She is somewhat sensory-sensitive, and she now starts whining, in a typical (almost)13-year old fashion, about how GROSS the sand feels in her suit. Frustrated, I tell her I can't exactly wave a magic wand and eliminate the sand...but her complaining doesn't stop. Argh. I want to apologize to any of my fellow tour participants if our Mother/Daughter bickering was overheard...part of this probably stemmed from low blood sugar at this point. We were both getting hungry.

 

 

As we drive into Marigot (the French side), we stop right in the heart and Sexy gives us about 30 minutes to explore. There’s a little market close by, but pretty much the entire van heads to Sarafina’s, a fantastic little French bakery along the waterfront.

 

 

It’s a pretty popular place, both with the tourists and locals, so we wait in a long line as we peruse the shelves loaded with a huge selection of breads, quiche, sandwiches, desserts and pastries. Holy Chocolate Éclair, Batman – it all looked sooooooo good!

 

I WANTED IT ALL!!!!

 

However. I showed incredible restraint by only purchasing two Croque Monsier sandwiches for Mickey and I. That’s a grilled ham & cheese sandwich, for those of us who don’t speak French. Like me. But Croque Monsier sounds so much…sexier…than ham & cheese, right?!

 

 

 

We get back to the van with nary a minute to spare, and are pleased to see that we are NOT the last family this time. As we nibble and nosh and enjoy our absolutely-delicious sandwiches, I see that some of the people on the van are indulging in the chocolate éclairs and cookies and such….which leads to a HUGE case of dessert-envy on my part. When I go back to St. Maartin – I am SO going back to Sarafina’s and indulging in those desserts. And another Croque Monsier, as well, just because it’s fun to say and it’s also really tasty.

 

Anyway…with food in hand, and drinks from the cooler…on to our next stop!

 

[MelLG]

OMG, your two sons were FANTASTIC! I couldn't help but overhear some of their conversation behind me on the van, and they reminded me so much of my own boy Klingons, I was cracking up! I don't know how old they are, but I was struck by their intelligence - and some of the their observations of the island were hilarious - and so dead-on!

 

Ha - I'll be posting today about Maho - but no. I knew I'd get sandblasted with the sand and shells and such - so I observed everyone ELSE getting blasted!

 

Aww ... thanks so much! Goodness only knows what they were talking about! They were 15 and 17, with the oldest turning 18 right after we got back. The youngest was very, very sick over the winter (so much so that we moved our cruise from March to July), so it was so wonderful to have him healthy again and be able to travel & enjoy such a great vacation. :)

 

AND ... Yay! You got pics from the French bakery. We were the chocolate eclair & pastry eaters on the bus (and for a moment, thought there might be a mutiny when many folks were eyeballing our food, LOL). Later, my husband had a head-slapping moment for not taking ANY pictures. We were so mesmerized by the endless cases of yumminess, and of course we were starving so no pics. We got a couple of quiches and then all four of us got a dessert pastry.

[KansCocoa]

 

With happy tummies abounding in the van, it was time to head to what for some, would be the highlight of the day…Maho Beach.

 

Maho Beach, on the Dutch side of the island, is famous because of the adjacent airport. An airport means planes. And the planes must fly really, really low, right over the beach, before landing on the runway. You can go to YouTube and see tons of cool videos of the planes seeming to land on people’s heads….pretty freaky, and something that I was excited to be seeing for the first time.

 

On our way to Maho, we got caught in a rather lengthy traffic jam…there was some road construction going on, and the authorities had the main road shut down to one lane…and we sat forever waiting to get through the mess. This didn’t seem significant at the time, as we didn’t have to be back on the ship until 4:30 – but it did come into play later.

 

So, now it's later. About one minute before we arrive at the beach, a huge, HUGE KLM jet comes in for a landing…Ack. We missed it. Because of that darned road construction. Drat.

 

 

Not to worry, Sexy says…although we missed the KLM landing, there should be an American Airlines jet coming in around 2:00 pm…so he parks the van and we all hop out and explore the beach, awaiting the arrival of the jet.

 

 

Mickey is still in full-pouty mode, and she doesn’t really understand why we’re here. All she can focus on is the sand in her swimming suit, as I imagine it’s a bit…abrasive. I finally leave her sitting on the one of many boulders strewn along the beach, so she can enjoy her pity party by herself, and I head off to explore.

 

 

 

Speaking of boulders…they’re everywhere. I found out that these are a result of Hurricane Omar, back in 2008. It’s a little treacherous trying to hop and skip your way across to check out the beach, so be careful.

 

 

 

Soon…an itty bitty plane comes in, and Mickey whines, “Ho hum. That was boring. MOOOOOOMMMMMMMM….I have sand in my suit.” Yes. I know. It's all I've been hearing about for the last two hours. At this point, I’m looking around to see if anyone wants to adopt a (almost!) 13-year old whiny teenager…but no such luck.

 

Boring....

 

 

I got a kick out of the Danger signs they have posted…I thought the little flying man was funny….

 

 

 

While waiting, another jet took off from the runway…the backend of the jet faces the beach, so if you want a free sandblast facial, you can stand behind it…and you can get a free soak in the water, as the force of the engines will blow you backwards.

 

Getting ready for take-off....

 

 

Soon, I could hear the chatter around me pick up in intensity…it must be getting close for the American Airlines jumbo jet to land. I send Mickey over to the mob of people assembling on the beach, while I took to the sidelines, so I could get the magic photo. Our wait was rewarded:

 

Awesome!!!!

 

Even Mickey had to concede that this experience was “totally cool!” She had a grin on her face when she walked back over to me, seeming to not mind the sandy swimsuit so much at this point….

 

After the AA jet landed, the group reassembled at the van to head off for the conclusion of our day....

 

[ksawyercruiser]

If you can handle another superfan ...

 

Such an amazing review! I loved your Med one, and I think I'm enjoying this one even more. I'm a sucker for the mom-daughter trip. I have a 9-year-old and would love to do something similar when she's older. (BTW, you have a beautiful family.)

 

I'm currently doing a review of our Allure sailing. So I know how darn time consuming it is. You do such a great job ... your level of detail is so impressive. I feel like I'm on the trip with you.

 

Thank you so much for sharing!!! :D

 

-Kim

[sapphireblue]

I see that some of the people on the van are indulging in the chocolate éclairs and cookies and such….which leads to a HUGE case of dessert-envy on my part. When I go back to St. Maartin – I am SO going back to Sarafina’s and indulging in those desserts. And another Croque Monsier, as well, just because it’s fun to say and it’s also really tasty.

 

Sarafina's - the BEST!! On our second last cruise we went there for our first time. I was beside myself - what an amazing, delectable display of pastries. We made our purchase and rushed back to our tour bus (we also did a Bernard's tour that time - excellent, by the way). Right then and there I vowed if I ever get back to St Maarten - this is my FIRST stop. And... it so it happened. My daughter and I were on a Mother/Daughter cruise this spring and the minute we stepped onto St Maarten, we got the transfer to Marigot, straight to Sarafina's and ate ourselves silly on 3 desserts each. SO GOOD!!! And, since the Freedom will sail us there in March next year...... we're going back!!!

Edited August 18, 2012 by sapphireblue

[KansCocoa]

If you can handle another superfan ...

 

Such an amazing review! I loved your Med one, and I think I'm enjoying this one even more. I'm a sucker for the mom-daughter trip. I have a 9-year-old and would love to do something similar when she's older. (BTW, you have a beautiful family.)

 

I'm currently doing a review of our Allure sailing. So I know how darn time consuming it is. You do such a great job ... your level of detail is so impressive. I feel like I'm on the trip with you.

 

Thank you so much for sharing!!! :D

 

-Kim

 

Thanks, Kim! And yes...it is time consuming, you're right! But...trying to keep the memories longer, and to help others with their own future cruises, so I guess it's worth it! And a Mother/Daughter cruise is pretty awesome...we had our moments, but she's an angel.

 

Sarafina's - the BEST!! On our second last cruise we went there for our first time. I was beside myself - what an amazing, delectable display of pastries. We made our purchase and rushed back to our tour bus (we also did a Bernard's tour that time - excellent, by the way). Right there and there I vowed if I ever get back to St Maarten - this is my FIRST stop. And... it so it happened. My daughter and I were on a Mother/dDaughter cruise this spring and the minute we stepped onto St Maarten, we got the transfer to Marigot, straight to Sarafina's and ate ourselves silly on 3 desserts each. SO GOOD!!! And, since the Freedom will sail us there in March next year...... we're going back!!!

 

I am SOOOOO doing this when I go back! I can't BELIEVE I didn't get any desserts...ack. What was I thinking???!!!

[KansCocoa]

 

So…back on the van…while waiting for everyone else to come back from Maho, I decide it’s time for another self-portrait of us…to show what a GREAT time we’ve had today in St. Maarten:

 

 

Okay. Maybe not.

 

It’s been a windy day – a VERY windy day – and my hair is pretty trashed. I decide to start brushing it, to work out the tangles, and it’s a rather painful experience. Mickey decides that it would be fun to capture “Mommy in pain” for posterity:

 

 

By the way…that’s my Boot Camp face, as well.

 

Along the way back to the pier, Sexy stops for a quick photo of the ship across the bay…

 

 

 

The above picture captures the wind…if you look at the palm trees, you can see how they’re blowing….no wonder my hair was trashed.

 

 

Sexy stops the van at…um…somewhere…for some shopping. I cannot remember the name of it for the life of me, but it’s your usual beach souvenir shop with trinkets, clothing and rubbish that we all love and MUST have when we travel.

 

Sexy dropped us off back at the pier at 3:00 pm, and I managed to capture, for ONCE, a GOOD self-portrait of Mickey and I…smiling over the delightful day that we’ve had with Bernard’s Tours.

 

 

 

Once back onboard, our first order of business is to get cleaned up…especially Mickey. When she took her swimsuit off, I could swear 3 cups of sand hit the floor. I have to give props to Karen, our cabin attendant, as she had that sand all vacuumed up before the evening was done.

 

While Mickey showered…I headed up to the gym. Which was a long, slow process, as the effects of the Boot Camp Massacre are worsening as the day continues. Oh, don’t worry. I’m not heading up there to work out. Are you KIDDING?! No. I need to talk with Jayla, as Session #3 is scheduled for bright and early tomorrow morning, and I’m not sure I’ll be physically able to participate. Heck. Who am I kidding?! I am SO bad off at this point, that if the ship’s Medical Facility wasn’t so darned far away, I would have made a trip there to get checked out by a doctor. This from the woman who once went 48 hours, bent over at the waist, trying to tough out immense pain that turned out to be an almost-ruptured appendix. I NEVER go to doctors.

 

So…I finally make up to the gym, only to find that it’s Jayla’s day off. Of course it is. She’s not there. I almost start crying, as it had been so hard to get there – only to find my visit thwarted. Vanya, the other personal trainer, looks at me with some concern, and she asks what’s going on.

 

“Well,” I begin, not sure how to begin…”I’m in Jayla’s Boot Camp class. And I’m basically crippled.”

 

Sure that I’m exaggerating, Vanya talks with me for the next few minutes and does a quick assessment. She then concludes that yes, I’m basically crippled. And she then gives me a very stern lecture. No more Boot Camp for me, she says. No exercise, period…for at least 3-4 days. She doesn’t even want me using the stairs on the ship. I’m to get some Motrin immediately, and to alternate hot tubs with ice packs.

 

“Why didn’t you SAY something to Jayla about this?” she asks.

 

Well. Um. That’s why I’m here now, I explain. But I didn’t say anything during class, because I’m the girl who wants to get an “A” – and I wasn’t about to let Jayla know how much I was suffering. It basically boils down to:

 

I DIDN’T WANT TO FLUNK BOOT CAMP…AND IN SO DOING…I DID. I FLUNKED BOOT CAMP.

 

I hope none of you put your money on me to be the Last One Standing in Boot Camp. So. Here’s a tip. Don’t push yourself to physical extremes to impress anyone…or to deny the fact that you aren’t cut out for it. Listen to your body. Slow down when you need to. Your vacation will thank you.

 

So. Back to the cabin. Nice hot shower. Send Mickey to the General Store to buy overpriced Motrin. She not only comes back with Motrin, but a (free!) cookie from Cafe Promenade. Gotta' love that girl. Lay on the bed for awhile, wallowing in self-pity and pain. But…the evening promises to be lots of fun, so my pity party was short.