Now that we're on our way home, our thoughts have turned back to our lives on shore. Having gotten closer to Vito over the past few days, I consulted with Mr. and Mrs. S. We decided to invite Vito to move in with us. Much to our surprise, Vito rejected our offer immediately and ran back to the cabin. With the help of some liquid courage, Vito revealed that he is currently a wanted man in Maryland and can never return. Apparently he owes some large gentlemen hefty sums of money from a failed “business” venture. It seems that gnomes knees do not react well to baseball bats. So much for my dreams for a family reunion between Vito and my western Pennsylvania cousin Gnomer (“Hi, Gnomer!). Unfortunately, Vito must return to his day job at the Jersey parking lot.
Thought you would enjoy these photos of my second day on Bermuda. We explored the Crystal Cave, the Aquarium and Zoo, and the towns of Hamilton and St. George's.
With Vito confined to the ship while I was away on Bermuda, he made some new friends. I had no idea that Jersey boys were so popular with the ladies. My gosh, he practically has a harem of hares!
Today we started our adventure by taking a ferry ride to Hamilton, the capital of Bermuda. I greatly enjoyed the ride as the wind blew through my hair. After a short bus ride we arrived at the Swizzle Inn, a quaint little bar and restaurant famous for serving rum swizzles, a Bermudian favorite. After imbibing a few of the yummy cocktails, I can understand why most patrons stagger out.
I am completely overwhelmed! Mr. and Mrs. S have managed to keep our destination a secret for two days but they finally let the cat out of the bag. I have never visited Bermuda before but it has always been a lifelong dream of mine. When I told Vito of our destination, he seemed a bit despondent. Apparently Vito has had some legal problems in Bermuda in the past and he is considered a “gnome non grata” in the country. Sadly he is going to have to stay on board.
Upon returning from dinner tonight, Mr. & Mrs. S, Vito, and I found our first fuzzy room companion—a giant rabbit! Being the worldly traveler that I am, I was not surprised by this development. Vito, on the other hand, was initially terrified but he soon came around to see their advantages. For example, they make for great transportation around the ship.
On our travels to the port we made a quick pit stop along they way. Since we are driving to the port with Mr. S's parents, we are dropping off one of our automobiles at Mr. S's Aunt and Uncle's house. Apparently the fee to park in this part of town is quite steep! In fact they insisted in lieu of money that Mr. S must solve some of their ongoing computer issues. I have never heard of this type of barter system in Gnomistan but I do like it indeed. Finally my degree in computer science from GIT (Gnomistan Institute of Technology) will be of some use!
The surprises did not stop there! While Mr S was haggling with the proprietor of this parking lot, I made a SHOCKING discovery. Out from the parking garage came my long lost cousin Vito from Jersey! I have not set eyes upon him from many years. My, the cold Jersey nights have not been kind to him. He seems to have shrunk several inches since I have seen him last and his skin looks all rubbery. He is also much more gruff than I remember and he seems to have a vacant look in his eyes. With a little arm twisting, I was able to talk him into coming on our journey. It seems anything is better than working at the parking lot in New Jersey.
Welcome back, loyal readers! I am off on another adventure but my destination is unknown. Mr. and and Mrs. S are taking me on a trip with them to celebrate my one year anniversary in this country but they want the location to be a surprise. All they will tell me is that we are all going on a cruise. Oh my, my Gnome mind is a-racing with all of the possibilities! I do hope I packed appropriately!
Arrived back at home today to find that the house's heating system went kerplooey. It's a wee bit chilly in here but our memories of the Caribbean are keeping as warm. We're taking turns snuggling up together to conserve body heat. It seems to me like Mr. S is taking more than his fair share of time with Mrs. S.
Hello again from the rocking and rolling Explorer of the Seas! Our wild ride has continued throughout the night well into today. Captain Erik informed us during his noon report that we are unable to make up the 10 hours lost during the medical evacuation due to the really bad sea conditions. Our new estimated time of arrival is high noon on Friday-- 5 hours later than expected. Not only are the seas still very rough but within a 30-minute span today we witnessed a rainbow, sleet, and even SNOW from deck 14! Of course, us gnomes are seafaring creatures and not easily phased by such harsh conditions. I remember when I was a small gnome off the coast of
