still having difficulty uploading manila pics... will try again in awhile.... someone who doesn't know better is probably downloading movies or music and slowing everything on our tiny bandwidth down...
today i willingly woke up early to be ready to volunteer at 8am to help check in crew family visitors for a second day of family visits on board. though i am technically on ipm, they let me get off the ship to go to the end of where we are docked to a large gymnasium shoreside where the visitors were bringing their id’s to exchange for visitor passes. i worked there for awhile in the morning til the next person came to relieve me, and was obliged to go back to the ship. today was quite rainy, so it was a good thing we had yesterday (only a few scattered sprinkles compared to the steady rain of today) to go out as well…
i am glad i held off packing everything for my room change right away as i received official notification that my move-in time is not going to take place until after manila, another sea day, and two days in hong kong… the sea day after hong kong between 9am and noon bob and i can move into our new digs… bob will be living out of a suitcase for a couple of days, so i probably will at least pre-pack everything i know i don’t need for the next several days to make some room… i am sooooooo excited he is almost here! he was very smart to book an extra day to travel early to hong kong to adjust a little and unwind after a 16 hour flight without having to go straight to work that night… i was able to call him at his hotel after the gig tonight and it was great knowing he got there safe and sound and that he will have some time to adjust!
i called johnny and nino to find out how they are faring as bachelors on their first night, and they are fine, though i know they will miss bob (and his casseroles and his housekeeping!)… i was also so proud to hear that in addition to the newspaper staff for his senior year, one of nino’s teachers is also tapping him to join the yearbook staff… both these activities would not only be fun, but would also be a great addition to his high school art and media portfolio as he gets ready to do college prep this summer and into next year… i think it will also balance the force between fun stuff and required stuff, a necessary balance to find! i’m so proud of you, bean! you rock! can’t wait to see you when i get home and make plans for some adventures together this summer!
the gig tonight went well – my theme tonight was “bette and barry,” featuring the music of musical pals bette midler and barry manilow… i chose some of their bigger hits and a few standards they each covered as well… i was aware as i worked that my crew pals just went through quite the emotional roller coaster; there was the anticipation of manila, the excitement of having an extra day added, the drama and hassles bureaucratically in doing all the paperwork required to get family on, the joy of seeing their loved ones, the frustration of still having to work and not getting a day off, and the sadness of saying goodbye so soon… i tried putting myself in their shoes, and i think that would be an awful lot to handle… it would almost, in my thinking, be easier not to go at all for the frustration of just getting a wink at everyone, basically, but i guess you’d take the few hugs or a few free hours over not seeing them at all… bittersweet, for sure, and there were a few long faces in the halls below deck, though they would never show it upstairs in front of our guests, and a very quiet and empty crew mess after hours last night… ciao for now! -di
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