Today we plan to explore the the beautiful island of Bermuda, more specifically the Royal Navy Dock Yard. Serena awoke from her morning nap ready to take on the world and who were we to hold her back. We decided to start off slow and do a little shopping before hitting the beach. Serena was getting very excited about going in the water that she had a hard time sitting still in her stroller. We decided to give Mr. and Mrs. S a break and walk around on our own while they shopped. You may be asking, “How can such a small gnome push such a large stroller?” First of all, I take offense to the statement that I am short. I am rather tall for a gnome, or at least I was. Over the years, like many people, I have shrunk a bit as I aged. Back in my youth I was a star on my high school volleyball team. I used to almost be able to touch the bottom of the net with a good leap. I was heavily recruited for college but after the doctors found a bone spur in my shoulder I decided to hang up my knee pads. So back off with the short jokes or I'll give your shin a good thrashing. To answer your original question, while I can't reach the handles I have adapted the lower basket into a makeshift Gnome control center. I can put my legs through the bottom and drive the stroller with the best of them. And, when I get tired I can hop up and use the basket as a hammock to catch a few Z's while Serena eats. The only bad thing is that on more than one occasion, Mr. S has forgotten I was down there and folded the stroller with me inside. One time I was so soundly asleep that I didn't realize what had happened until I awoke inside the Xray machine. The good news is that I was unharmed. The better news is that I finally found out what had happened to that penny I swallowed as a child.
After strolling around the dock yard for half an hour and feeding Serena some lunch, it was off to the beach. None of us knew how she would react to the sand and the water. She had always like bath time so we had high hopes. We got to the beach, set up a towel, and let her loose. At first she had no idea what to make of the sand. She picked it up, mashed it between her fingers, and tried to eat it (I stopped her just in the nick of time). Finally she stood up on the cool sand, smiled, and she was off to the races! She had no problem walking on the sand at all and loved picking up the small shells and handing them to me. We played in the sand until Serena got a little bold and tried to run to the volleyball court. She tripped and fell on her face scratching her cheek a bit. Of course she came running to me to help console her. I gave her boo-boo a kiss and she was back to her giggling self in no time. Now it was time to play in the ocean! For safety sake I let Mrs. S hold Serena as I tend to get very buoyant in sea water. Mrs. S walked her down to the waters edge...I floated a few feet off short to capture the event. A few tense minutes passed as she tried to figure out what was she was seeing. Suddenly, a big smile signaled it was play time! She splashed and giggled as Mrs. S bounced her in and out of the water. If she had her way she would have stayed all day in the ocean! We kept this up for about 20 minutes until Serena started to get sleepy as we approached nap time. I think Mrs. S was grateful Serena was tiring as her arms were exhausted. Mrs. S took Serena back to the blanket to get cleaned up while Mr. S started packing up the stroller. I, on the other hand, being distracted by the cheerful Serena, started drifting away from the beach. If it not for the kindness of a sea turtle, I may have been another missing gnome with his face on the side of a milk carton!
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Friday, May 21, 2010
5/20/2010 Bermuda
We arrived at Bermuda a little before 4 pm with our expected docking around 5 pm. As we pulled near the port there were already two ship docked and thus no room for us. This is not a problem as one of them was scheduled to deport imminently. So we waited...and we waited.....and we waited. Five o'clock came and went and were still waiting to dock. It wasn't until 5:30 pm that the other ship finally departed, allowing us to dock by 6 pm. I'm not sure of the cause of the delay. Mr. and Mrs. S think it was a ship sponsored excursion that was late getting back. Personally, I believe that the captain threw a temper tantrum because he didn't want to leave this beautiful island.
We decided to take it easy the first day on the island since it wouldn't be too long until Serena's bed time. We walked around the Royal Navy Dock Yard letting Serena take in the sights and sounds of her first foreign country. Serena really seems to like it! She was making friends with everyone that passed by and seemed to smile the entire time. Unfortunately we got into port a little late and did not make it to the nearby beach but we were able to play in a fountain. That little girl loves the water!
After we returned for the day, Mr. and Mrs. had a nice romantic dinner on their balcony as I baby sat Serena in the cabin. Serena and I had a great time together. We played a marathon session of “Peek-a-boo” which of course I let her win. It was hard throwing the game. Not many people know but I placed third in the “34th annual 'Peek-a-boo' and 'I've got your nose' games” in 1984. It was a tough year. The Soviets fielded an excellent team but the surprise of the games was the strong showing by the Jamaicans. They went on to dominate for the next few years until the doping scandal of 1989. When we were done playing I read her a few bedtime stories and then rocked her to sleep. She used to be a lot easier for me to rock to sleep in my arms. She has gotten big over the past 11 months!
Tomorrow we shall explore Bermuda!
We decided to take it easy the first day on the island since it wouldn't be too long until Serena's bed time. We walked around the Royal Navy Dock Yard letting Serena take in the sights and sounds of her first foreign country. Serena really seems to like it! She was making friends with everyone that passed by and seemed to smile the entire time. Unfortunately we got into port a little late and did not make it to the nearby beach but we were able to play in a fountain. That little girl loves the water!
After we returned for the day, Mr. and Mrs. had a nice romantic dinner on their balcony as I baby sat Serena in the cabin. Serena and I had a great time together. We played a marathon session of “Peek-a-boo” which of course I let her win. It was hard throwing the game. Not many people know but I placed third in the “34th annual 'Peek-a-boo' and 'I've got your nose' games” in 1984. It was a tough year. The Soviets fielded an excellent team but the surprise of the games was the strong showing by the Jamaicans. They went on to dominate for the next few years until the doping scandal of 1989. When we were done playing I read her a few bedtime stories and then rocked her to sleep. She used to be a lot easier for me to rock to sleep in my arms. She has gotten big over the past 11 months!
Tomorrow we shall explore Bermuda!
5/19/2010 At sea
Today was our first day at sea on our way to Bermuda. This was the first opportunity for all of us to explore the ship. I really enjoy the layout of this ship! It's not as big as some of the other vessels we have sailed on but everything is nicely laid out and looks beautiful. We found a toddler play area for Serena on one of the upper decks and she is having a ball. There are so many great toys and she got to play with another baby only one month older than her named Jax. They both played together for about a half an hour and had a great time.
One thing I failed to mention earlier was that Serena did find one thing she did not like on the ship... the elevators. She doesn't like them not for the reason that I dislike them (no day of the week on the floor), but because of the motion. She had been on elevators before but I guess they have never accelerated as quickly as this one. Mr. and Mrs. S have been working with her all week and she is getting better. The down side to this is that Mr. and Mrs. S have been carrying her up and down the stairs to get to their destinations. Seeing how tired they were getting I volunteered to give her a Gnomi-back ride. Not fully appreciating her current size she proceeded to topple me over and face plant me into the carpet. She thought it was hysterical...I thought it was painful. Not wanting to lose face, other than what I just lost to carpet burn, I forced myself to pick her up and give her a ride down the stairs. It was the longest four flights of stairs in my life! When we got to the bottom of the last flight I passed off Serena to Mr. S and collapsed on the floor exhausted. Serena, sensing how tired I was, bent down and gave me a big hug. That made it all worth it.
One thing I failed to mention earlier was that Serena did find one thing she did not like on the ship... the elevators. She doesn't like them not for the reason that I dislike them (no day of the week on the floor), but because of the motion. She had been on elevators before but I guess they have never accelerated as quickly as this one. Mr. and Mrs. S have been working with her all week and she is getting better. The down side to this is that Mr. and Mrs. S have been carrying her up and down the stairs to get to their destinations. Seeing how tired they were getting I volunteered to give her a Gnomi-back ride. Not fully appreciating her current size she proceeded to topple me over and face plant me into the carpet. She thought it was hysterical...I thought it was painful. Not wanting to lose face, other than what I just lost to carpet burn, I forced myself to pick her up and give her a ride down the stairs. It was the longest four flights of stairs in my life! When we got to the bottom of the last flight I passed off Serena to Mr. S and collapsed on the floor exhausted. Serena, sensing how tired I was, bent down and gave me a big hug. That made it all worth it.
5/18/2010 Everybody knows my name
Today we stopped in Boston and decided to walk around the city. Stopping here was like coming home for me. I spent about six months in Boston when I was a foreign exchange student in college. It's an amazing town and has always been one of my favorite places to visit. Since I had some experience navigating the town I volunteered to be Mr. and Mrs. S's tour guide. After leaving the ship we caught a bus to the market where we indulged ourselves in some of the local delicacies. After our nice lunch, we decided to grab a beer at my favorite local bar. I was very excited as I wanted to take Mr. and Mrs. S to my favorite watering hole in the city. I spent many a night there regaling my fellow patrons with stories of my homeland and of my travels. I remember all the locals fondly. The owner of the establishment was a very friendly man who was quite a hit with the ladies. He did seem to have a very unnatural fascination with his hair though. Then there were two of the long time regulars, I wish I could remember their names. One was a portly fellow who was always complaining about his wife. The other was a delivery man, I believe for UPS, who would always tell the most amazing stories and seemed to be an expert on everything. There was one bartender who was a simple country boy and never really got the hang of the big city. One waitress there frightened me to no end. She was roughly my size but was very gruff and often threatened the UPS driver's life! I made sure to always tip her very well.
As we walked into the establishment, I was amazed that not only did they remember me but they greeted me the way they used to. As I entered, the entire bar yelled “NITTANY!” Mr. S later recalled the rest of the conversation
The bartender: “How's the world been treating you, Mr. Nittany?”
Nittany: “Like it's a dog and I'm wearing milk-bone underwear.”
We always used to kid around like that. We stayed at the bar for a few hours while I caught up with my old friends. It seems like a lot has changed since I left. One of the usual customers, a psychiatrist, moved out to Seattle to live with his father. I hear he has his own radio call in show now!
Well I finally had to say goodbye to my old friends and get back to the ship. It was great to see them and I promised to visit more often.
As we walked into the establishment, I was amazed that not only did they remember me but they greeted me the way they used to. As I entered, the entire bar yelled “NITTANY!” Mr. S later recalled the rest of the conversation
The bartender: “How's the world been treating you, Mr. Nittany?”
Nittany: “Like it's a dog and I'm wearing milk-bone underwear.”
We always used to kid around like that. We stayed at the bar for a few hours while I caught up with my old friends. It seems like a lot has changed since I left. One of the usual customers, a psychiatrist, moved out to Seattle to live with his father. I hear he has his own radio call in show now!
Well I finally had to say goodbye to my old friends and get back to the ship. It was great to see them and I promised to visit more often.
5/17/2010 Island of Rhode....I think not
I feel betrayed.... I feel angry....I feel, well, very embarrassed. As you may have read from my past posting, I had deduced from my vast cruising experience that the Island of Rhode would be a tropic paradise complete with warm beaches and fruity drinks. I was wrong....so very, very wrong. First of all, the name of the state is not the “Island of Rhode”--it is Rhode Island. I was wondering why everyone was chuckling and when I said that. Second of all, this place is nothing like a tropic paradise. While beautiful in its own way, it is not what I expected at all. Thankfully I discovered this before I embarrassed myself further. I packed away the snorkel gear, hung up my flip flops, and put my speedo back in the drawer for another day.
Instead of docking at the port the ship was going to tender us into the town of Newport. Serena wasn't wild about the tenders but she undertook the short boat ride without summoning schools of wild porpoises. I think our fellow passengers appreciated this a great deal. We spent the morning walking around the cute little seaside town which used to be the playground of the very, very rich. I seem to remember hearing stories of a Gnomistani robber baron, the Gnomdervilts, having a small getaway “cottage” here of 85 rooms, or so. We also saw the church where the famous president JFK was married to his bride Jackie.
Instead of docking at the port the ship was going to tender us into the town of Newport. Serena wasn't wild about the tenders but she undertook the short boat ride without summoning schools of wild porpoises. I think our fellow passengers appreciated this a great deal. We spent the morning walking around the cute little seaside town which used to be the playground of the very, very rich. I seem to remember hearing stories of a Gnomistani robber baron, the Gnomdervilts, having a small getaway “cottage” here of 85 rooms, or so. We also saw the church where the famous president JFK was married to his bride Jackie.
5/16/2010 I'm sailing away....
We have left port and are sailing to the Island of Rhode. For the first time we are traveling on the Celebrity Cruise line instead of our normal Royal Caribbean. I must say this ship is nice. The crew is fantastic, the ship is very well laid out, and our cabin is roomy. So far, I am very happy. Serena is also adapting extremely well to her new environment. The gentle rocking of the ship has not affected her in the slightest. She has also been a perfect angel at dinner, sitting though the entire meal on her best behavior. I see that the full month of etiquette training I have been subjecting her to has paid off! She is also very excited about the food. Mr. and Mrs. S, always the diligent parents, brought with them a large bag of her normal food for the trip. It looks like most of it will not be needed. On the first night Serena sampled pasta carbonara, caprese salad, and fresh fruit. She is a very good eater!
Serena is also in her glory around all her fellow passengers. Walking around the ship she smiles at everyone, waves to them hello and good bye, and when she is feeling adventurous, the occasional high five. I think she might have a career as a cruise director some day!
I do have one small gripe with this ship. Unlike the other vessels I have sailed on in the past, this ship does not display the day of the week in the elevators. How am I to know what day it is? I don't wear a watch that displays the date and my irrational fear of calenders precludes me from that simple solution. Without knowing the day of the week how ma I to know what underwear to put on in the morning. Could you imagine the social shunning I would receive if I wore Sundays underwear on a Friday. Oh the Gnomanity of it all! I guess I will have to ask our room attendant every time I wake up. Ahhhh, small sacrifices.
Serena is also in her glory around all her fellow passengers. Walking around the ship she smiles at everyone, waves to them hello and good bye, and when she is feeling adventurous, the occasional high five. I think she might have a career as a cruise director some day!
I do have one small gripe with this ship. Unlike the other vessels I have sailed on in the past, this ship does not display the day of the week in the elevators. How am I to know what day it is? I don't wear a watch that displays the date and my irrational fear of calenders precludes me from that simple solution. Without knowing the day of the week how ma I to know what underwear to put on in the morning. Could you imagine the social shunning I would receive if I wore Sundays underwear on a Friday. Oh the Gnomanity of it all! I guess I will have to ask our room attendant every time I wake up. Ahhhh, small sacrifices.
5/16/2010 And so it begins again.
Once again my fine readers I am off on a cruise adventure with Mr. and Mrs. S, although, this cruise will be special. Not only am I visiting two ports of call that my Gnomish legs have never set foot on but I also have have the special pleasure of accompanying Serena on her first ever cruise! No one knows what to expect of this adventure. Will Serena enjoy her sea voyage? Will she be oblivious to what she is experiencing? Will she act like a Gnomistani tree cat where the mere sight of water throws them into a uncontrollable terror that the only thing that calms them down is the soothing melodies of the Gnomistani pan flute? Only time will tell.
Our first port is the city of Newporton the Island of Rhode. Mr. S tells me this was one of the original 13 colonies of the United States. This is very fascinating to me as I sort of an amateur history buff. Sadly, because of a very busy schedule the past two weeks, I have not been able to do my normal research on our upcoming ports of call. I am going to have to use my vast knowledge of cruising and a bit of Gnomish intuition to plan my adventure.
Based on what I have learned from all of my cruise adventures to date, all cruise ports that mention the word “Island” have been warm tropical paradises with beautiful beaches, warm sand, and tasty fruity drinks with small umbrellas. I can't see why the “Island of Rhode” would be any different. Based on this, I am packing my normal Caribbean attire: Hawaiian shirt, snorkel gear, beach umbrella, speedo, SPF 185 sunblock (gnomes have very fare skin. On more than one occasion we have burst into flames on sunny days) and finally, my three piece steel drum set.
Let the adventure begin!
Our first port is the city of Newporton the Island of Rhode. Mr. S tells me this was one of the original 13 colonies of the United States. This is very fascinating to me as I sort of an amateur history buff. Sadly, because of a very busy schedule the past two weeks, I have not been able to do my normal research on our upcoming ports of call. I am going to have to use my vast knowledge of cruising and a bit of Gnomish intuition to plan my adventure.
Based on what I have learned from all of my cruise adventures to date, all cruise ports that mention the word “Island” have been warm tropical paradises with beautiful beaches, warm sand, and tasty fruity drinks with small umbrellas. I can't see why the “Island of Rhode” would be any different. Based on this, I am packing my normal Caribbean attire: Hawaiian shirt, snorkel gear, beach umbrella, speedo, SPF 185 sunblock (gnomes have very fare skin. On more than one occasion we have burst into flames on sunny days) and finally, my three piece steel drum set.
Let the adventure begin!
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