Eastern Caribbean Cruise - Port Day (01/28/25 - Charlotte Amalie, USVI)

 

Unlike the other days so far on this ship, we finally made it to the buffet for breakfast.  It wasn't what either of us would have wanted, but it was something to ease any hunger pains we had.

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Breakfast at the buffet is always a hunt for something interesting to eat, something which doesn't seem to industrial for one's taste.  Today, I found some scrambled eggs (yecch), bacon, and some chocolate cheese blintzes which weren't that objectionable.  So, around 1 pm, we finally made it to land to walk around a bit, and get some lunch.

RQS bought some costume jewelry, while I sat outside in the shade. And then, we decided to get a bite to eat off the ship, at a restaurant called the Smoking Rooster.  We ordered a sampler plate, a dish which had more than enough meat for the two of us.  Once done, it was back to the ship - it was way too warm to walk around, then be fresh enough for dinner at 5:30 pm.

Sadly, our friends are no longer going to dinner, so we took their seats in the restaurant.  (We believe they might be going to the buffet, where one of them can more easily find vegan grub.)  It seems like the service is getting much more attentive in the dining room the longer we are there.  I guess they really want us to give them a good review after we leave the ship.

After dinner, it was time to go to the buffet to pick up some fresh fruit for the morning.  I asked a uniformed staff member where we could get some uncut apples, and an assistant brought us 3.  What more could you ask of these people?  I'll be sure to give them a good write up as well.  And, finally, it was back to our cabin for the night.  We'll sleep well....

Sometimes, you find stuff you weren't looking for.

 

It's been a little under 27 years since my late wife passed, and things related to her life still pop up now and then.  Today, I stumbled across some items related to her life and our life that I didn't expect to see. First came baby pictures of my wife in a small book related to her early life.  Then, I found our wedding certificate near the book.  It doesn't mean much, save that it is a reminder that she was an important part of my life.

Soon, it will be the 27th anniversary of my wife's death.  I was very lucky to have had her in my life when I did, and I cherish the memories of that time.  Yes, she did know that I liked wearing women's clothes (I didn't know what being transgender was) and accepted this on all but our wedding night.  But I'll always wonder, that had she survived, would she have accepted me for who and what I am?

While cleaning up the apartment, I also found something I wasn't looking for - some costume jewelry that I liked to wear, that usually hung on the knobs of a dresser near my computer desk. When the electricians were here in August, I had to move the dressers, so that they would be able to get at the electrical outlets behind them.  So, I put everything into a bag, and stuffed it into the mess sitting on a chest near the foot of my bed.

At this point, cleanup was a big "might as well" task, and I started to empty out one of my dresser drawers, so that I had a place to stash some of the mess on top of my desk. And I realized that I could start another donation bag for charity.  There were 6 sweaters in that drawer, and 3 of them went into the donation bag.  Now, I had a place where I could put my leggings, so that I knew where they were.

In the end, I still had a mess, but I was making progress towards getting this place in shape....

Two meals out, and I feel bloated!

 

Lately, I haven't had much energy to do much of anything.  But when it comes to meeting people, I find the energy, as being with friendly folk is very important to me.  Today was a day where I might have overdone things a little....

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Last night, I received a text from my friend SJM asking if I could change out lunch from Friday to today.  And I said, "Yes," as I had nothing else planned for the daytime.  But I did have a meetup scheduled for the evening, and I wasn't too sure if I wanted to go.  So, I set my alarms to wake me up, and I got to the restaurant before her.

SJM and I discussed many things, my travels being one of them.  And then she discussed the details of her life, with some good news - her husband's gradual recovery from a health ailment AND a therapy program that he wants to go to.  He is finally optimistic about his life, and she will move heaven and earth to give him the chance to again live a normal life.

All too soon, lunch had to end, and I drove up to the Poughkeepsie Lane Bryant to see the costume jewelry they had in the store.  Unfortunately, nothing interested me.  So I drove home, with a quick stop at Walmart.  Arriving at home, I took a quick nap.  Then I realized that I'd be running late for the evening meetup at The Melting Pot in White Plains.  I texted the organizer to say I was going to be late, and got in the car.

30 minutes later, I was in White Plains, and in the restaurant before 7:00.  I didn't hold up dinner.  We sat down at the table and chose a pair of fondue dips for our veggies, and then had a good conversation while waiting for our food to arrive.  Not having fondue before, I was game to try it.  But it is not something I'll go out of the way for again.  I prefer to go to the meetup for human company, and not for novel food.

Just before 9:00, we left the place, and I drove home.  It was a nice day out as Marian, and something I haven't been doing enough of lately.