Sea Day on the Northeast Australian Coast

I have spent a lot of time on the water, but none as pretty as today, water wise.  There was nary a ripple.  We spent the day cruising along the northeast coast of Australia and the water was mirror smooth all day.  We even saw some dolphins swimming by.  I cannot ever remember seeing such flat water in all the years we have been boating in ocean waters.  It doesn’t even feel like the ship is moving.  I will treasure this day and try to remember it when we get into rough seas.  Please remind me of this day if I should ever complain about a few bumpy days.

It seems like I have found a new bridge partner.  She goes to all the lessons but has been unwilling to play in the duplicate games.  She has decided I was non-threatening to play with and will not play with anyone else, so guess who is playing regularly now?  It is a good thing I have actually been listening to Michael’s lectures and my play has greatly (?) improved.  The weird thing is that we have scored each time we have played; one day, we came in first.  So I am stuck playing, but that will have to change as I cannot be permanently partnered with someone.  Michael has tried, once again, to get me to agree to play duplicate when we get home.  NO WAY is that gonna happen. 

I am getting tired of dressing for dinner and actually having to eat it.  It is as much a social event as one to fill your stomach.  Goodness knows my stomach does not need to get filled.  Dining takes from one to three hours, depending on how many people are at a table and the time you dine.  The earliest dining time is 6:30pm.  We either go with people we know or will sit at a “table to share.”  That way you get to meet new people.   If you want to kick back and get comfy, you can have room service.  Those are your options. 

All the fancy food is becoming a drag; once in a while they have some “comfort” foods like meatloaf or spaghetti.  Oohhh, I would just love to have a cold meatloaf sandwich for lunch.  It is hard to get a decent peanut butter and jelly sandwich (which I have ordered in the dining room).  They cut the crust off and barely coat the bread with P&J, so when I order it I have to explain how to properly make it – you know, until the P&J oozes out from between the bread and for goodness sake leave the crust on.  The waiters go crazy when you don’t order an appetizer, salad or soup, and an entrée. 

There is usually a show in the evening that starts around 9:30pm.  If it is a show we don’t care to see or we have already seen it, we just go back to our stateroom and read, watch a little TV or work on the blog.  That is basically our life at sea (except Michael LOVES to dine each night).  What are we going to do when we return to “real” life on land???  Who will feed us?