• 72 Steps

    12/21/20097:56:59 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment

    72 steps

    That is the distance climbed for the Carnival Dreams newest water
    slide. 72 steps . . . . 4 ½ stories . . . . . overlooking the ocean from more than 150 feet above.
     
    Then it’s 18 seconds of twisting in the enclosed water flute, not knowing where the end is. And that is the Twister. For your second trip . . . . . you may want to try the Drainpipe.
     
    This closed tube will drop you from the platform and shoot you into the drainpipe below. See how many times you can spin around before flushing yourself down the stairs. For your 3rd slide, grab a friend and head over the racing slides. Soon you will be having your competitions to see who the king of the waterslide is.
     

  • I will nevver have what you have

    12/14/20092:23:54 PM Link 0 comments | Add comment

    The last night of a cruise . . . . . for Linda and me . . . . . . is usually met with a walk around the ship to say our good-byes to some of the crew, which we have become friends with. This cruise was no different . . . . . . especially with the outstanding staff of the Carnival Supper Club.

     

    As we are standing just outside the Supper club entry, we are telling the hostess, Erika, what a pleasure it was for us to be there for the week. After a few minutes, a man rushes up and asks Erika how late he is. She looks at her watch and says . . . . . . in her Hungarian accent “26 minutes, sir and your Auntie is at the table”.

     

    In his attempt to walk . . . . . or rather stumble . . . . . past her, she says “Sir, you will have to button your shirt”. He makes an attempt before asking her to do this for him. She did not . . . . . and he finally managed on his own. Now Erika needs to tell the guy . . . . which is in desperate need of a chair . . . . . that he needs to remove the large cigar . . . . . although unlit . . . . . from his mouth. He had one in his mouth and another in his hand. He wishes to argue this point as he states “I would not be smoking these fine cigars in your meager dining establishment, Ma'am”. During mid argument, I thought I needed to jump in and mention that other guests may not appreciate a cigar in his mouth while dining. He reluctantly removed it and began his entry.

     

    However, before he completely enters . . . . he stumbles, turns and comes over to me. He bends over to get into my . . . . . . face space . . . . . and says softly to me. . “I have this $200.00 cigar in one hand . . . . and this $600.00 hand rolled Cuban in the other, . . . . I have everything, but I will never have what you have . . .“now, with my wife standing nearby, and my earlier proposal in the staircase, I am expecting a compliment . . . but, he continues . . . “I will never have what you have . . . . a short body with a fat stomach”. And with that . . . off he goes (as Linda sticks her foot in his path) to compliment many others . . . . . . before this cruise is over. He may have money, but he certainly has no class.

     

  • the Proposal

    12/6/20098:43:59 PM Link 0 comments | Add comment

    Formal night . . . . or elegant night as it is now called . . . . . is when we all want to dress up in our best. Last night was no different. We began our evening by putting on our best. Linda in an elegant brown layered outfit . . . . and myself in tux with Christmas studs adorning my buttons.

    As we make our way up the stairwell for our first night in the Carnival Steak House, Linda tells me her shoe strap is loose and asks me to affix it.                  I do, but with my physique . . . . . remember the 42 x 28 . . . . . I ask her to stand high on the stairs so that I can more easily reach the foot of my wife . . . . by kneeling on the lower steps . . . . . and not have to bend over as much.
     
    It seemed simple, but as I am on one knee attaching Linda’s shoe strap . . . . I hear a voice
    behind me.              "Be quiet . . . . he is proposing".        Said the gentleman to his wife.     
     
    As we turn around . . . . . we see the crowd which has gathered . . . . . . waiting to see if Linda would indeed . . . . . say yes or no.
     
    And you thought I was talking about the movie.

  • 12/5/200911:17:15 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment

    i don't know why the schedule posted below, but pass that and continue

  • an unexpected drink

    12/5/200911:15:16 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment

    Day Port of Call Arrival Date Arrival Time Depart Date Depart Time
    SAT MOBILE, AL     09/25/2010 4:00 PM
    SUN FUN DAY AT SEA        
    MON PROGRESO, YUCATAN, MEXICO 09/27/2010 7:00 AM 09/27/2010 4:00 PM
    TUE COZUMEL, MEXICO 09/28/2010 9:00 AM 09/28/2010 5:00 PM
    WED FUN DAY AT SEA        
    THU MOBILE, AL 09/30/2010 8:00 AM

    We set sail aboard the new Carnival Dream and it is a wonderful ship. More on that later when I give a comparison to the 2 new ships which arrive this week in the Caribbean . . . . . the Carnival Dream now . . . . and the Oasis of the Seas last week.
     
    The day of embarkation is usually met with some crowds, surprises and unexpected circumstances. This trip was no different.
    The excitement of a new ship, however . . . . . . is always a mostly pleasant experience. Maybe not so for a few guests on this trip.
     
    We all enjoy our first drink upon boarding a cruise vessel. For a dozen or so passengers . . . . . . . . the drink they received was not the expected fun ship special. And by no means was this drink delivered by Carnival, but delivered by the shore side stevedores . . . . baggage handlers . . . .  with an uneventful special. A drink for their luggage.
     
    An entire basket of luggage . . . . . . . While taking a quick turn . . . . . . was dumped into the channel. For years we have joked about this . . . . . did you tip the guy? Will the luggage make it? Well, after leaving two hours late . . . . . . . while they fished the bags out of the ocean . . . . . . . we set sail as the Carnival staff was making arrangements to reimburse and replace or clean any damaged items. Carnival did a great job with a bad situation. One which I have never seen in my 20 years.
     
    I offered one of the guests a pair of my slacks, but after offering this . . . . . I realized that he is 6 foot 5 . . . . . And I on the other hand, wear a size 42 - 28 slacks. I don’t think he needed another pair of baggy shorts.
     
    Anyways . . . . . . all is now well and it seems they are happy today basking in the sunshine.
    So when you come aboard and ask for the drink of the day . . . . . . ask what it is first.

  • Iron Things Out

    11/9/20097:53:06 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment

    The day of boarding a large ship can be met with surprises. Will the liquor make it aboard? Will the  clothing be wrinkled? Did you pack the right items? Was anything forgotten at home? Or worse . . . . . at the hotel?

    You never know what surprises await you.

    It begins with leaving your car at the hotel while you take a shuttle bus. Will the car be there when you get back? Are you parked in the proper spot? How long will the return shuttle delay you?

    You already know to expect lines as you enter the port as well as the crowds when you first board. Today went smoothly as we enter the ship at 11:00 and make our way to the Schooner bar for our celebratory first drink. Later, the lunch buffet is met with 2000 hungry guests . . . . . . . most of which are not in the best of moods, but you expect this as most woke up early this morning. The rooms won’t be ready until 1:00, but that’s OK. We are now cruising.

    Later that day, luggage begins to arrive at the cabins. We . . . . . as well as the other 3000 guests . . . . . . . anxiously wait for the suitcases to arrive for the unpacking and getting on with the day. The first three bags arrive and we organize the clothing between the closet space and the drawers. One bag remaining. We will explore the ship a bit and return later.      I know - 4 bags - are you kidding me.

    We return to our cabin in preparation of the lifeboat drill . . . . . . . still no bag and Linda begins her panic. Did I watch the bag leave the hotel?  Did I see the bag get on and off the bus? Did it make it to the ship? And then Linda asks me . . . . . . What did I do with it? We have our cabin steward on the lookout, but to no avail.

    We return from the mandatory drill to a message on our phone. "Mr. and Mr.‘s DeMark, your bag has been confiscated. You need to come to security and discuss the contents of your bag." Great. Now Linda goes into panic mode high def.

    Down to deck 1 security where our bag awaits us. Tucked into a corner of the bag, Linda’s travel iron must have sent the alarms into overdrive. 1 travel iron in decorative leather pouch . . . . . confiscated.

  • Can I have someone younger, please?

    9/4/20094:14:46 PM Link 0 comments | Add comment

    As we prepare for our move, I have been ordering the necessary items such as . . . . chairs . . . . . desks . . . . . audio / video . . . . . computers . . . . . . and a security system. After nearly 20 years . . . . . . plenty of updates are needed.

     
    Our building is almost ready and our move-in date of October 5th is becoming more and more likely. We can’t wait. This advance preparation will make it so much easier for the move.
     
    Yesterday, I purchased a couple of wireless speakers for our new office, but, I wanted to try them out in our current office. The antenna has a small MP3 type jack for connecting to my receiver. My receiver . . . . . . . it appears . . . . . .does not understand MP3. It only knows LP and CD. Not a problem . . . . . . I can connect it through the headphones. Of course, . . . . these headphones look like a Minnesota child wearing earmuffs in the middle of February.
     
    The headphone receptacle looks like I could stick my finger in it . . . . . and my new antenna has this little delicate pin. What to do . . . what to do. For all questions electronic . . . . . . go to Radio Shack.
     
    The girl asks me if she can help . . . . . and I responded with a “yes . . . I need to convert a ¼ inch headphone jack to an MP3 size jack”. She then tells me that there is no such thing as a ¼ inch headphone jack. Again . . . I start my explanation with a little more detail . . . . . as she is explaining how all headsets are small I-pod type . . . . “I need a plug which is ¼ inch with a receptacle on the opposite end which will fit the little MP3 plug-in”.  “You can not have a headset like that”, she says. I try again . . . . as I am looking through the shelves myself while she is saying “I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what you need” . . . . . . . I chuckle and as I am telling her I know what I need, I pick up a bag containing exactly what I described. I turn to her and ask . . . “is this what I need”? . . . . . . “I don’t know . . . you won’t tell me what you want”.
     
    Is there anyone older in the store . . . . . . . maybe someone over 25?
     
    Well, my new speakers work fine . . . . with an older receiver . . . . . and a part which doesn’t exist. It’s a good thing I wasn’t looking for a new stylus . . . . . . . . . . I would have wound up next door at the hair salon getting braids and a new  look.                                  Well . . . . . . that might not have been  such a bad idea.

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