Four D's and a C

Most of the sail-away parties, held on the aft outside deck seemed to be scheduled for 6 pm, just when I should be sitting down to dinner.   The service on board was the most excellent I have ever experienced and my waiters (waiter and assistant waiter as well as the Head Waiter for my section) were wonderful.  They, along with many other crew members, spoiled me wonderfully - thanks guys.  But, as I hated to make them wait (in the other sense of the word) for me, I would always miss the sail-away.

However, the last Southampton sail-away began about 4 pm and while standing next to a dance host, I saw the Isle of Wight, his home.  He pointed out various landmarks and really should work for the tourist board. 

As I turned to dance with some people doing the Electric Slide, my best friend from the crew said, "There you are.  I want you to meet some other friends of mine".  And thus, I met the 4 D's and a C - Iris, a big-band singer with a lilting voice, Steve with a very dry English sense of humor, Jaimie, tall, blonde, ebullient and irrepressible and Tom, by turns a serious businessman and a hilarious party animal and great dancer.  

C, husband of the aforementioned Jaimie, is one of the most interesting people you are likely to meet.  I can imagine him in a "MacGyver" situation, having to prevent x-number of bad guys from taking over the world.  He would devise a fiendish plot (only fiendish to the bad guys, brilliant to the rest of us) using a spanner, burned out light bulb, plastic cup, lemon juice and string and would, in fact, save the world without harming anyone or the environment.

Jaimie and Tom are best friends, best siblings, best off-spring and a tribute to their parents.  Steve and Iris are the kind of parents many of us wish for and rarely get.

The D's and C exude love for each other and it radiates around them.  I was lucky enough to be within the circle and it was one of the most wonderful times of my life. From the trivia quizzes at the crack of dawn, 10:30 am, to the after-disco trek to the buffet from 2 am on,  we talked, laughed, negotiated trivia answers, danced, sang in the ballroom with Pat at 2 am, joined in singing BUILD ME UP, BUTTERCUP at the karaoke and laughed some more. 

Another "amazing" adventure which ended with an invitation for me to visit them - I'm looking forward to it. 

Thanks for the memories.

Three Opinions and The "D's"

I have mentioned, probably more than necessary, that the accident in December changed my life.  It convinced me to travel on the RMS QUEEN MARY 2, originally for NYC and back, which kept getting extended until May.  During this time, I had some right knee/right leg pains but only when I was inactive.  I could dance, walk around the deck, go up and down the stairs - quickly - but sitting for long periods seemed to freeze my knee and make the entire leg throb.

So, after absolutely no consideration and a very long time, I began the rounds of doctors, specialists, physical therapists.  The surgeon was very cute, 40-something, with a deep, well-modulated voice guaranteed to send women my age into a swoon, but not before signing the consent form.

After enough x-rays to cause my knee to glow in the dark, the surgeon began to describe the injury:  when I fell, the top of the fibula was split but no one in the ER noticed it - he skipped over the not-noticing part.  Actually the ER doctor didn't notice the blood caked on my left leg even though I was wearing a skirt.   I told her that I didn't want to get blood on the clothes so I didn't wear trousers - the temperature was close to freezing, "it being winter and all".  She was more surprised about my not feeling the cold and kept telling me that.  I kept telling her that my knees hurt and finally she said, "Of course, you just fell down!" - in parentheses, "You Dummy!"

So, everything healed, new bone grew but all in the wrong places.  By the time I got my knee looked at in July, it was no longer possible to prove that the injury was from the December accident.

So, the surgeon began, in deep, reassuring tones, to describe the proposed (7+ hour) operation, which seemed to involve shaving the new growth........that's when I tuned out and simply smiled at him.  When he was finished, I asked him what he would recommend if I were his mother.  For a moment, he lost his "cool" so I repeated my question, pointing out that I was more than old enough to be his mother.  He sighed and said, "Lose weight and live with some pain and take aspirin on a full stomach if the pain interferes with sleep".   Sounds like a winner to me!  We parted, if not as lovers, certainly as friends.

So, back to the ship, for my "reward" - a continuation of the voyage and meeting the  4 D's and 1 E -  five barking mad, extremely warm, welcoming and wonderful people.  More about them when I get their permission.