Miscommunication

There was a bit of miscommunication between me and my Muse which lead to a somewhat heated phone conversation today. He wouldn’t allow me to say a word until he had his say. I have to admit assumptions on my part have led to this entire blow up.

How two people that have always had open communication suddenly don’t, is the responsibility of both parties. He kept asking me what was wrong and I kept saying nothing. I had some personal things going on in my life and went into quiet mode. This broke an agreement we had, we don’t have to say what’s wrong, just ask the other to pray.

By the end of our conversation, he had regained his position as my Muse. I realized I have a great friend in him, he just wants me to be happy, even at the risk of his feelings being hurt. And since I hurt his feelings by something I wrote, the published and the one that shall remain unpublished, it’s up to me to make amends. He said there’s no need to make amends, but if I were on the receiving end, I would want him to make amends. So if I want it, he deserves it.

My Writer Friend

I have a friend that writes. I can't define her writing in a box because she has the talented ability to cover all areas. To understand you would have to spend time on her blog. There are several books within her waiting to jump out. As gifted as she is, the books will always be on time no matter when she publishes them. We have never met face-to-face, nor spoken on the phone, but yet I call her my sister/friend. She is the reason my blog was developed. She has always provided advice and discipline, what any true friend would do. I'm amazed at her ability to take a single word, thought or situation and turn it into a work of art. Whenever I need something, I go to her blog and without doubt I will find what I need at the moment, and more. My bonuses are the private emails she sends me. I thank my friend for taking the time and interest in what I have to say through my blog. So when you have the time, check out her blog http://serensojo71.blogspot.com. Grab your laptop, your favorite beverage, your favorite throw cover, find a comfortable position and explore the world through A Serendipitous Sojourn...where you're guaranteed to find that which you didn't realize you were seeking.

That is A Pregnancy: Weeks 1-5

That's what one of my coworkers said when she saw my marathon training schedule. Thirty weeks of training and two weeks of recovery, like a pregnancy, but not the full 40 weeks and 6-8 weeks of recovery. You have to get the proper rest, the right amount of exercise and the correct diet. In the end, I will be giving birth to a marathon, 26.2 miles, 26 miles and 385 feet.

Weeks 1-4 (May 13 - June 9) were completed during my training for the Omaha Marathon. I have since miscarried that idea and conceived the Dallas Marathon to be held in December. I'll have more people to training with and a better support system. When you have your first child, it's important to have a strong, supportive group of family and friends. No pregnancy can survive without the added support of family and friends. I realized that after the Wounded Warrior 10K on June 9.

Week 5 (June 10 - 16), I'm about to head to the gym when I log off. I'm determined not to waste my FWA Mondays laying in the bed, finding excuses not to go to the gym. Not anymore, I'm determined, today that is, to do the right thing, get my butt out of the bed. Training will also affect my social life, I can't hangout late on Fridays when I have to get up and run at 6:30 am on Saturdays.

This week ended with the Nappiology, Inc. Frofest 5K. It was a fun event. Lots of natural hair women walking and running for fun and health, sprinkled with a couple of men and some kids. I was making good time until I decided to stop and start walking with one of my BGR sisters. She looked like she needed the company and I really wanted the company. I had intended to run the additional 3 miles to makeup for the 6 miles I was required to run, but didn't. I'll just swap my weeks around and run 6 miles next Saturday.

My Muse is Gone

The thing about text messages vs verbal conversations, things get jumbled in translation. Which is what has happened between me and my Muse. His preferred method of communication, is not mine. He may have meant something different from what he texted, it came across to me another way. One text lead to another, and another, and so on. Before the night was over, we were both angry and no longer texting each other. He blames me, I blame him. 

So if someone has placed you in a position to break a promise you made to them, are you still obligated to keep that promise?

My Journey Away from God and Back

I had no intentions of walking away from God, but I did. When I really sit back and think about it, I actually began my journey away with the end of my marriage. The nightmare marriage affected my prayer life, I spent so much time crying at night, I stopped praying before going to bed. Then I was upset because I was still hurting in the morning, I stopped praying when I woke up. My big journey away started with the death of my Dad. I was so angry and hurt, but thankful my Dad's pain and suffering was over. I had all kinds of emotions going on. I refused any counseling because I knew I was pissed off, didn't need anyone telling me something I already knew.

First, I started being late for my ministry duties. Then I was late or skipping our meetings. When I did attend, I impatiently waited for them to end. Finally, I decided to step down. Our ministry leader, Mrs. Opera Brown said honey go get healed and come back, take all the time you need. With those words, I left Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship.

So from 2004 to present, I jumped around visiting different churches trying to find my missing part. I joined two different churches during this time, Friendship West and the Potter's House. I never felt like I belong to either church, I couldn't get myself to commit to a ministry or regular attendance. Whatever was missing in me, I wasn't finding it in those churches. I even tried the club scene, I still didn't belong. The drinking heavy scene didn't work for me either. I soon realized that no matter how far I strayed from God, His grip on me never loosened, no matter what I tried.

In August 2011, God orchestrated me getting introduced to running. I fell in love with running, it gave me true peace. During my first half marathon, April 2012, I ran right back into the arms of the Lord. The more I ran, the more I connected with Him.

My mother, my spiritual mom and my best friend Jo, never judged me or condemned me during this journey. They loved me unconditionally. Shared their wisdom and slipped in advice every now and then. I'm not sure what made Jo start opening our Sunday conversations with "did you go see Jesus today", but I'm truly thankful. I got so tired of her say it, I made a commit to myself that I would start back attending church regularly with OCBF during their Solemn Assembly. Solemn Assembly is a time of fasting and praying the first full week of the new year. My fasting goal was to find something I would really miss, so I picked Facebook. I also committed to reading a daily devotion in the morning and studying my Bible as much as possible. I also asked God to give me peace at church again.

I attended the Solemn Assembly services and I kept coming back every Sunday. I felt at home, like I never left. The only time I have missed church have been to attend church with my daughter, running events, vacation or illness. Only once I've missed because I wanted to, and I felt like I missed a whole day of life.

One Sunday, the message came out of Psalm 23. The verses spoke to me, He spoke to me:
I AM your Shepherd; you shall not want. I WILL maketh you to lie down in green pastures: I WILL leadeth you beside the still waters. I WILL restoreth your soul: I WILL leadeth you in the paths of righteousness for MY name's sake. Yea, though you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, you will fear no evil: for I AM with you; MY rod and MY staff they comfort you. I WILL preparest a table before you in the presence of your enemies: I WILL anointest your head with oil; your cup will runneth over. Surely I WILL cause goodness and mercy to follow you all the days of your life: and you will dwell in the MY house for ever.

I'm back at OCBF, where I belong. I haven't renewed my membership, but I plan on it. I even attended church one Sunday after a running event. I arrived just in time for the sermon. I will always love my mother, Delsine Hearst, for introducing me to God. My Aunt Christine Harrison, for never failing to show the Jesus in her. My spiritual mom, Betty Evans, for sharing her wisdom and giving me discipline. My best friend, Jo Jay, for making sure I got up every Sunday morning to attend church. And my coworker, Evangelist Louise Turner, for her subtle, but direct guidance. Through these ladies, I remain His no matter what. I may at times get it wrong, but I'm still His.

Change of Plans: Marathon Goal

I changed my marathon goal race to the Dallas MetroPCS Marathon to be held December 8, 2013. Why, because of the stronger support system I have in Dallas, my BGR sisters, my adopted family here and my supportive coworkers. I know for sure when I'm struggling along the 26.2 miles, someone will be there to cheer me on. I can't guarantee the same support system in Omaha.

Last week my coworker, that is also an experienced runner, strongly suggested I complete my first marathon in Dallas because most of my training and running history is in Dallas, which means a stronger support system. After participating in the Wounded Warrior 10K on June 9th, I understood what he meant. The BGR Dallas women are my running sisters, we push and pull each other to the end. Then we wait at the finish line to make sure everyone makes it across safely and vertical. As much as I love my family and friends in Omaha, I cannot guarantee I will receive the same much needed support as I know would with my Dallas family and friends, my BGR sisters and my supportive coworkers. I'll participate in the Omaha Marathon as half runner, one of these years, maybe.

So I'm starting my training all over again, plus I'm trying to move up a planet or two with the Half Fanatics. I stayed up late last night planning my training schedule until race day. Let countdown to delivery begin.

26.2 Miles Equals A Roadtrip by Foot - Part 4

Week 11 (May 13-19): I'm so off track with my training it's ridiculous. I got in two training days this week, almost 3 miles on Saturday and the Disco 10K at Fair Park on Sunday. The almost 3 miles occurred because my stomach had the bubble guts. It was amazing I made it that far. As for the Disco 10K, my running buddies Brenda and Cheryl pulled me through the entire race. I couldn't have finished with 1:10 without them. And they saved me on Saturday too. Brenda was showing off her new skills of endurance she has gained from her personal trainer. She had me strongly considering getting a trainer.

Week 12 (May 20-26): This week I was able to do some extra activities at home and I made it to the gym two days. The gym staff missed me and so did some of the early morning regulars. They all gave me that where have you been look. I missed my Saturday long run because I attended a graduation. My plan was to run my miles Sunday morning before church, but my cycle started a week early, I was in severe cramps by Saturday night. I went out Sunday night, had a glass of wine and decided to make it my last glass of wine or any liquor until after my marathon in September.

Week 13 (May 27 - June 2): I made adjustments to my training schedule to accommodate my change in my work and school schedules. I have to limit my time in the gym to one hour. I need to be walking out of the gym by 6:30 a.m. every other week. Which means I have to shower and dress fast. I'll practice on Tuesday because today, Monday, I'm still cramping and I refuse to take anymore Aleve. I've also decided to really work on my diet. I've decided to go back on the South Beach Diet because it teaches you how to eat for life. I still incorporate some of the eating habits I learned the first time I tried it.

I made to our BGR Saturday neighborhood run, in time to take the group photo. I was scheduled to run 4 miles, I didn't want Bobbie running by herself so I extended my distance to 6 miles. Bobbie has untapped talent that's unknown to her. After my run, I headed to the gym. If I stopped too long, I would be done for the day. One of the training articles I read recommended weight training after long runs to build strength. Well, I had too much strength and energy, I missed my Saturday nap.

Week 15 (June 3-9): Yes, a week has been skipped because I realized, while reviewing my training schedule, the weeks were off. Which has caused me to do some poor planning on my part. For instance, I have to run 14 miles this weekend and I'm scheduled to run the Wounded Warrior 10K on Sunday. I can say this, if I can complete both with a descent speed, then I will be able to attempt a double day half marathon. I've stayed on track with my training. If I missed my morning workout, I went in the evening. I didn't stick with the South Beach Diet, but I did eliminate using sugar, pasta and bread. I did slip on the soda usage. No slips on the wine or liquor. I attended a function and I only drank cranberry juice and decaf coffee. My body is sore from increasing my reps on the weights, it hurts to sit down, my butt that is. I need to add yoga every evening because stretching on my own just ain't doing it.

This week's training ended with the Wounded Warrior 10k. When I left my house the sky was clear. By the time I made it to Irving, it was storming, heavy rain, thunder and lightning. The race would either be canceled or delayed. The race director gave us an hour delay to make sure the lightning was gone. Unfortunately, the run path had some flooding and we had to take several muddy detours. I paced with several BGR members that were faster than me, it helped with my time. I finished 6.2 miles in 1:06, I shaved off 4 minutes from my last 10K. The first part of the course, I walked through the water/aid stations. After mile 4, I started my 3:1 intervals. I wasn't exhausted or overworked. But I did make the decision to move my marathon to one that is local because I have a stronger running support system here in Dallas verses Omaha. You have to be a runner to understand how it feels to see several people you know either passing you or you passing them. The comradeship we have after finishing, to know at least one person that will wait at the finish line until you cross it.

So my training has been changed and I will begin another journey to add the completion of a full marathon to my bucket list. 30 weeks is like a pregnancy, here I go again.

My Bucket List Cruise of 2013 - Day 7

Today is our last day at sea and I am depressed. I have had such a wonderful time. I've created visual and non-visual memories. I am still sick from last night, so I'll be skipping the breakfast line. Instead, we went to the dining room for the brunch comedy show. Since we arrived so late, we missed the first 2 comedians. The food is much better in here than the breakfast grill.

There wasn't much to do today. We hung out on the deck. The cruise staff held a Challenge The Cruise Staff contest and I entered with 4 other people. We each had a task to complete, I had to do more pushups than Katie. Katie was only able to do 2. When it was my turn, the announcer turned his head to avoid counting mine. What he didn't realize, I do pushups almost every day. I ended up doing 12 in total. I guess he finally realized this lady can keep doing them. Our team won and we all got a trophy.

The temperature was dropping so we went back inside and people watched the rest of the night. The line to dispute charges to the Sail & Sign account was very long. I had settled my account with my last unplanned purchase. I had overspent my planned budget, therefore my leisure and entertainment budget will be suspended for a couple of months.

All in all, I have had the best vacation as an adult in the last 28 years. Emptynest is looking and feeling even better. Also, I decided to post only a couple photos on Facebook. If anyone wants to see everything, they will have to come over and view my scrapbook.

 

My Bucket List Cruise of 2013 - Day 6

Today's destination, Cozumel, Mexico and our excursion for today, Playa Del Carmen Beach & Shopping. The only problem...I woke up this morning (4 am) to menstrual cramps. My cycle isn't scheduled until Sunday. I think the rock climbing, all the walking and constant up and down of the stairs was a bit strenuous on my body. I'm going to enjoy my day anyway, I just pray I don't start vomiting.

I tried to lay back down, but the pain was starting to increase, thank You Holy Spirit for reminding me to put the Aleve in my purse. To keep my sister from hearing me moan, I went out on the deck. And since the sun would soon be rising, I decided to catch it. I went up to the 12th deck, it was so windy, but felt so good. I tried to walk to the back of the ship but the wind was extremely strong. So strong I thought I was going to get blown off the deck. One of the ship's patrolers saw me trying to hang on and strongly advised me to go back the other direction.

The sun took its time coming up but it was so worth it. The different shades of yellow, red and orange. The Carnival ship the Conquest was behind us so I was able to get a picture of it in the sunrise. Now it was time to start my excursion day.

We docked in Cozumel and got off the boat as quickly as possible, we had to collect our free gifts before our excursion boat left us. My sister can zoom through some stores. The store staff was unhappy we only came for the free gifts.

Next we headed to another dock to board our excursion boat. We were headed to Playa del Carmen for shopping and beach escape. I wasn't too impressed with the selection of stores, but I was impressed with the history. I'm not a big souvenirs collector, I love jewelry. Walking through the streets was pretty entertaining, the store owners were calling us brown sugar sisters.

We headed to the beach after shopping. Along the way we made friends with a newlywed couple. Some chick flashed her breasts at us. I kindly let her know I only do men. The resort we hung out was called Kool. We had lunch and took the couple of steps to the white, sandy beach. The beach was filthy which was an immediate turn off for me. I was ready to go. Unfortunately, the other members of the excursion were enjoying the beach.

Four o'clock couldn't have arrived sooner, we headed back to the excursion boat. We had a slight delay because two people were missing. We needed to be back aboard by 5:15 pm, it was 5:40 pm. The custom agents were furious, they rushed us to our cruise ship. A storm was moving in and they needed our ship to leave ASAP.

The ship has been rocky every since we left the dock. I went outside on the deck and the wind shocked me, I jumped and screamed. This lady burst out laughing. I tried to stay outside to watch the movie, but when I saw lightning, I jumped up and came inside. No Latin Beach party for me tonight.

  

 

 

 

 

 

My Bucket List Cruise of 2013 - Day 5

Today's destination Grand Cayman Islands. We were awoke again to see the boats drop anchor offshore. The coral reef was so high, the boats weren't able to come to the shore. I met some guy from Houston and we stood on the 12th deck waiting for the signal to disembark.

My sister and I were doing separate excursions today. My sister did the tour of the Cayman Islands and I did the Cayman Parasail & Beach Escape. Well, I had eaten so much, my bikini didn't fit as it did before I left Dallas, but I wore it anyway. Even though it was snug, I was still getting compliments.

My excursion didn't depart until 10 am, so I got off the boat at 7 am to do my free souvenir and jewelry shopping. Yes, I said free. We attended a seminar on diamonds and other precious stones. At the seminar we received gift cards for free jewelry. As we passed through the customs gate, we received some more gift cards for free jewelry. I also bought a necklace, sunglasses and rum cakes, all at a discount. After my shopping, I headed to the pickup point for my excursion.

There were 10 people for our excursion. There were 3 blacks on this excursion, this guy and his daughter from Illinois and me. This caused some stares because US American people of color do not try dangerous activities like parasailing. We hopped on a small tandem boat to the parasail speed boat. Once we boarded the boat, we were given safety instructions. In the two years they have been in business, they have never had any incidents, we were not to the first.

The guy and his daughter and I went up first. We laughed so hard and I yelled, God is the Truth. We were 400 feet in the air, above the ocean, viewing the multiple colors of blue and green. We were only suppose to be in the air for 6-8 minutes, but because of the wind, he had to keep us up longer....AWESOME, GOD IS THE TRUTH!!! 

I was on such an adrenaline high, I was the must pumped person on the boat. My high carried over onto the beach, I walked from one end of the beach, to the next and back. By the time was done thanking God for today and enjoying the waves splashing onto the shore, I was exhausted. The boat was suppose to come back and get me, but I was too tired to wait the additional times for him to come back around, so I started to walk. Then I realized how hot I was getting and didn't want to risk passing out, so I caught a taxi back.

I was suppose to meet my sister at the Port of Authority after my excursion, but since her phone was dead, I wasn't able to contact her. So I decided to board the tandem boat back to the ship. As soon as I step on board, there sat my sister and the fussing began. She thought something had happened to me during my excursion. Why people think it's okay to frighten people with the worse possible, is beyond me. Someone told my sister that since the wind was so strong, we were probably stuck out on the boat.

Back on the ship, I just wanted to shower, eat and sleep. I smelled like sea water...fish. I had the best hot shower, nice lunch and an even better nap. I woke up just in time to see Scandal. Since I had napped longer than I had planned, I decided to get a glass of wine, my Hot Tamales and head out on the deck to watch whatever movie was playing at the Dive-In Theater. Tonight's movies were "The Natural" and "Field of Dreams". By the time Field of Dreams started to get good, I was sleepy again. Another great day of life.

    

  

My Bucket List Cruise of 2013 - Day 4

We woke up in time to see our ship and another Carnival ship pulling into the shore of Montego Bay, Jamaica. Absolutely beautiful, God is the Truth. I was running around the boat taking pictures of everything. As soon as we exited the boat, we entered a market place. I couldn't get my credit card to work with my Ship & Sail card and the ATM was out of money. It must have meant I didn't need to spend any money. Good thing my sister had extra money. I was able get a 2 bracelets, a necklace and earrings.

We had to hurry to catch our van to our excursion in Ocho Rios. I was kind of leery of this excursion, Bobsled Jamaica & Dunn's River Falls, because I really didn't think I would enjoy it. Boy was I so wrong. The first stop was Dunn's River Falls. The tour guide was this very nice, young lady. She gave a very interesting and detailed description of everything along the route to our excursion and a good history lesson. She sang several songs to us as well.

We had to take these huge steps down to the beach, cool right. The beach was beautiful, the various shades of blue and green water. Then the guide asked everyone to hold hands as he lead us to the bottom of the waterfall. The sight was amazing. The hand holding didn't work to well, so we each assisted the person behind us, my sister was after me, I was after this very muscular teenaged boy. There was a couple behind my sister. Our group had a total of 9 people. I immediately started laughing and saying this is AWESOME!!! My sister on the other hand didn't like the climb, which would be 600 feet of rocks and cascading water. She cussed most of the way up the rocks. She even tried to get off the rocks early, only to be detoured back to the rocks. The couple behind her wasn't going to allow her to get off the rocks anyway. I slipped a couple of times, I'm so glad I had already pulled off my big toenail because it would have ripped off. One lady lost her balance and slid down a ways. Another lady slipped through some rocks and cut her leg. Finally we made it to the top, everyone was cheering. We did it, we climbed Dunn's River Falls.

Our next stop was Mystic Mountain to ride the Sky Explorer chairlift, which would carry us 700 feet through the topical forest. Our tour guide rule was "whatever falls in the forest stays in the forest". Odd thing to do for two women that are afraid of heights. I was just a snapping pictures and enjoying the view of Jamaica. Once at the top, we were directed to the Bobsled ride which was 3280 feet of downhill, twist and turns, then back up to the top of Mystic Mountain. With all the yelling and screaming we did, I know we woke up the dead. But it was a great ride and I would probably do it again.

After a lunch of jerk chicken, beans and rice and fried dumplings, we headed back down the mountain in the chairlift. We were exhausted, but had enjoyed every moment we spent in Jamaica  We had experienced the top 3 attractions on Ocho Rios. Tonight would be an early night, next destination Grand Cayman Islands.

   

 

    

My Bucket List Cruise of 2013 - Day 3

I tried to catch the sun rising but missed it, it must appear before 6:30 am. My head still hurts and my allergies are trying to take over. We are going to start the day off in the spa. Since we have a spa room, we get free unlimited access. They gave us a special spa robe and slippers. Maybe the sauna treatment and the detox pool can get the bloating to go down. No breakfast for me, I still feel full from the day before.

We spent time in the detox whirlpool, just a taste of heaven. The jet sprays were so relaxing, we both almost fell asleep in the water. Next we tried the various sauna rooms. The Oriental room was the best with the peppermint aroma therapy. We were able to watch the ocean from the windows. At that moment I told myself I would start saying God was the Truth. No more the devil is a liar for God is the Truth. After the sauna rooms, we took the rain forest shower. While I was taking mine, this guy asked if he could join me, I said sure just make sure you tell everyone you took a shower with this lady from Dallas. His wife didn't appreciate my comment, but then again she shouldn't have agreed for him to enter with me.

After breakfast we attended a Jewelry and Gem seminar. We were given a free bracelet charm, a gold cruise ship. We were also given gift certificates for free jewelry once we were on the Cayman Islands and Cozumel. I also purchased a coupon book to obtain more free jewelry. Next we headed to the gift shop for my sister to purchase souvenir T-shirts. While she was standing in line, I started flirting with this old guy. Before long, he had bought me a souvenir T-shirt. His friend started teasing him, telling him he needed to buy all the ladies in the store a T-shirt.

We were able to see the sunset, what a beautiful sight. Then we decided to attend the family comedy show, the guy was just as funny as his adult only show. Then we went to dinner and sat with a couple celebrating their first vacation without their kids and other family members. We made an early night of it, by walking around the deck at night, viewing the stars. It would be romantic for couples. Tomorrow we would wake up in Montego Bay.

   

  

  

My Bucket List Cruise of 2013 - Day 2

My sister woke up first and left the room. A few moments later, she came back saying it was pitch dark outside. Pitch dark at 7 am, hmmm, something wasn't quite right. I eventually woke up around 9 am and my sister said you sure did sleep a long time, you must have really been tired...I was. We got dressed for the Punchline Brunch Comedy Show. We got to the show at about 12:30 and everyone was gone, we were like well what time is it really. We went to the Customer Service desk and asked the representative what tine zone are we in. I noticed the clock on the wall had 7:30 am and thought maybe it wasn't working. The guy said we are on central time and we both looked puzzled. My scary mind went to thinking about one the many crime shows I have watched, then he interrupted my thoughts, we stay on Galveston time the entire trip. WHEW, we weren't being kidnapped. Now I had to figure out how to set my phone to the correct time. Where ever we were in this beautiful water land, it was a 5 hours time difference. We headed to the deck cafeteria.

My sister was going to planned our day. First, we were going to watch the hairy chest man contest. Of course the contest was rigged for this old guy to win, but it was so much fun. Next, we headed to the fitness center to attend a seminar on Detox and Weight Loss. Great seminar and great sales pitch. The presenter never gave tips on what to do, she only gave tips on how your body functions. To gain that information, you had to sign-up for their program, they didn't get any takers. But I did realize, I couldn't sit still too long because the movement of the boat was rocking me to sleep. Our next activity, learning about fine art. Since we both like art, this was going to be a good seminar. But guess what, I couldn't sit still, I was being rocked to sleep. So I got up and walked around looking at the art.

Our next adventure, shopping. My sister wanted a nice Carnival T-shirt. The boutique was also having an accessories sale. I hadn't planned to buy anything but this bracelet caught my eye and this lady named Velma. I put the bracelet on my waist, good fit. Velma wanted the bracelet too, so we searched through the entire container to find her one, no lucky. She told me I had better not take it off or she was grabbing it. I didn't take it off until I reached the cashier.

Our next adventure was Noontime Karaoke. The singers were pretty good. But guess what, sitting still was rocking me to sleep. Some time later, Velma and her daughter-in-law arrived and we sat around talking about how much we were enjoying ourselves. So peaceful and relaxing and most important, stress free. Our next adventure was to walk around the entire ship on the 5th deck, and we did. I had to walk all this food off or I wouldn't be getting into any of my clothes. I have eaten so much, I was beginning to get sick. And since we decided to only take the stairs, my legs were beginning to hurt. So we went to the casino for a drink. We had to leave because of the cigarette smoke.

We had some time to kill before dinner. I needed a nap because the movement of the boat was rocking me to sleep. I don't remember laying down, but I woke up several hours later to my sister fussing at me, get up, we are going to miss dinner and the comedy show. My stomach still felt stuffed. Tonight was dress-up night and my gold dress did not fit too well, yep, I was eating too much, time to cut back on the eating. Also, because of the climate change, I was beginning to get a migraine and my allergies were activated.

We headed to dinner, everyone was looking nice. The line for dinner was long but moving fast. Tonight's special was lobster and prime rib. Since I'm allergic to shellfish and I no longer eat beef, it wasn't a special for me. But I did try something new, pumpkin soup and red fish. The fish tasted like they had just caught it that day; new for me since I only eat frozen fish. Good meal choices, but I still felt stuffed. After dinner, we took our formal portraits. Then we headed to the comedy show. The comedian was so funny. One time I almost spit my drink out. When the show was over, my sister was tired so we headed back to the room. She was sleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.