Day 485 - The Joys of Flying

As I type this blog post, I have my iPod cranked. There is a screaming child 2 rows back & she is barely audible as I go deaf to the sounds of ‘Your Never Fails’ & no, it’s not a ballad! She has been crying pretty near the entire flight. Now it’s becoming a hysterical breathing/crying mixture. Only 1.5 hrs to go.

I forgot what flying red eye is like. I booked this flight, as it was the shortest wait time in Toronto. We left at 0040, arrived at 0640, flew again at 0940 & arrive in Bridgetown at 1600.

I have enough luggage for about 6 people. Thank goodness Mom2 & Dad2 came with! They must feel like my sherpas!

I have had a splitting headache since I woke up yesterday. It’s finally dissipating, although it’s probably just due to the fact that I have a kink in my neck from the neck pillow which deflated part way through this flight. Sure enough, there is a big hole in the side of it. I have only had it for 3 flights. Grr.

Btw, I remembered that I had my voice recorder with me. If you want to experience part of the joy of this flight, here you go:

(Insert Audio Clip Here) (sorry, couldn't get it to upload - ship internet!)

In a few short hours, we’ll be in Bridgetown, Barbados. I’ll collect my luggage (5 cases plus carry-on), make my way through Quarantine Inspection (smoothly) & then the three of us will find a taxi cab (van) to the ship, where I will finally be reunited with my husband. I can’t believe it’s been over 3 months since I saw him last.

I am always grateful for the time we have together. Of course, being able to be with him in warm, sunny locations always makes life that much more exciting. I still adhere to the belief that I am the luckiest girl I know.

I’ll do my best to get updated on the blog & share the love of my life, the blue waters of the Caribbean & the joys of life with you.

Thanks for hanging in there while I fumbled through my hiatus.

xxxx Maria

I only wish the girls were part of my luggage! **sniff, sniff** I sure do miss them! Already!

The adventure is about to begin!

Miss you Mom! Miss you Valentina! Miss you Oceana!

Day 483 - Officially Nuts

Today I collected my nuts from CNF. I have enough nuts to keep many small, buck-teethed rodents happy for a very long time! I’m very excited to get to the ship & start making some raw cuisine!

It’s been a big challenge to try & determine how much of each nut I’ll need for 6 weeks. I don’t even know what I’ll have access to once I’m onboard or what is available once I start visiting the different islands. I’m not one to spend much time in the kitchen, either, so that doesn’t help the situation much.

I do know, however, that I should be earning frequent shopper points at CNF, as I’ve bought a ‘boatload’ of nuts, seeds & other elements necessary to make the raw thing a success.

Now the challenge comes to try & figure out how to take 24 lbs of nuts & seeds in my luggage to the ship. And still have some clothes to wear!

Speaking of which, I better get cracking. I’ve got plenty of lose ends yet to tie up… And bags to pack… And dogs to cuddle!

xxxxMaria

Day 454 - Dentist, Bank, Luggage, Packing!

Oh my. I’m so far behind I don’t know how I’ll ever catch up. I’m sitting her trying hard to remember what I did on the 20^th of January. The day before I left for West Palm Beach, Florida. Then it hits me!

I had a dental appointment for a cleaning in Black Diamond. I raced over for that. I visited with Lois, my favourite Hygienist, about the past 6 months. Her dog is not doing well. I am very sad for her.

I will see her in a few weeks when I return from Florida. I have to see the Dentist, so I’ll be back into the clinic. My teeth are still very sensitive, despite using special toothpaste for the past 6 months.

I picked up a few boxes of dog food for the girls to last while I’m gone and then headed for Okotoks. I stopped at the TD bank to close my business account & deposit some money. The Teller was so kind. She didn’t ding me for closing the account early. When I had opened it, I was under the impression I would ‘pay as I go’ for transactions, but apparently they were still going to charge me $9/month regardless of my transactions. We started chatting & her Mom had recovered from Breast Cancer last year. She had shaved her head in support of her Mom! That made my day! Shockingly she received a lot of judgment for doing so. She had clients at the bank who refused to be served by her! Some even commented audibly, questioning why the bank would let someone sick work at a bank! The nerve! I tell you!

After the bank, I boogied to the city & picked up my suitcase. It had come back damaged from Cuba & I had it replaced. (Eagle Creek – No Matter What – Best Luggage Ever!) I picked it up & stopped at Mom2’s for a quick visit. I didn’t stay long, as there was still plenty of packing to do! Honestly, I’m amazed at how much stuff is in that room! My goodness!

One more day until I fly away… Wish me luck!

xxxxMaria, Oceana, Valentina & Adios

Adios stretched out

Oceana keeps warm by the Mac

The girls help me pack

Day 197 - The Journey Home

Forgive me if I'm not too excited to be coming home. I'm leaving my husband, getting off a luxury cruise ship, leaving the warm weather of the Caribbean & heading home to snow & 6 months of chemo. Yay.


I was up early & in the shower before Jaco was up. That's a rarity! I had to disembark by 0915. Luckily they were running behind, so it actually gave Jaco & I a chance to say goodbye. We hugged & hugged & kissed & kissed & hugged some more. It was awful. I'm getting really tired of saying goodbye. I have such a wonderful husband & all I ever seem to do is say goodbye to him. What's that about? 


After he left, I called the photo lab. Galina, AKA Gorjus Galina, was embarking today. I met Galina on the Star in South America. She is a STUNNING lass from Bulgaria & her personality matches her smile. To my happiness, she came to the dining room where I was waiting to leave & we had a quick visit before I had to go. It was wonderful to see her! My heart was a little happier after having just said goodbye to Jaco. 


But soon enough, it was time to go. Ronel came to my rescue & helped me with my luggage straight through to the taxi cab's door. What a sweetheart. Ronel is the Medical Steward who also helps keep the cabin neat & tidy! Luckily we were swept through a quick line. Sometimes it pays to be Canadian in a slew of British passengers! :o)


And then I was off. I had a bit of a wait in the airport, but thankfully it wasn't long before the Westjet folks showed up to take away my luggage. I visited with a Surgeon from Toronto who specializes in retina surgeries. Wow! While I was visiting with him, I spotted my friends from Pennsylvania from the ship! We said our farewells & I lugged my stuff onto the scale. I was 1/2 a lb under on one case & spot on the money on the other. That's 25 lbs over spot on the money... $50. Told ya. :o)


Luggage free, I grabbed some lunch & ate outside. The bench I sat on was concrete & it was so hot from the sun, I had to put my scarf under my butt because it was actually causing me pain - it was that hot! I took Valentina down one level & let her roam around on a grassy patch so she could get a bit of exercise & have a potty break before the flights. 


I then came inside to call Jaco. Today was his big day at the fertility clinic. I was so nervous he wouldn't make it to his appointment in time & the chances of ever having a mini-wee running around one day would be shot. Thankfully he was there & everything was in order. He said the people were really nice & he was enjoying the medical/scientific side of things. 


During my flight, I ended up sitting next to a lady from Ontario. She was heading home to celebrate her parents 65th wedding anniversary! She is a semi-retired events planner, so she had organized a big To-Do for them. The local newspaper & TV crews were going to stop by & an Italian radio station was going to do an interview. The were Italian - I knew I liked her from the beginning! How fun!


Westjet had told me I would sit behind the bulkhead with Valentina, but when I checked in online, I had no idea where the bulkhead was, so I just picked a seat. When I boarded, I went to the seat I had selected & got settled. (row 22) I had no sooner settled in when the Attendant came by & told me they had a seat for me in the front. Sigh. Okay. I haul my stuff all the way to the front of the plane. I was grateful for the seat, but would have appreciated being told a little sooner! Oh well. I'll know to ask for the next flight.


Next flight. Nope. Sorry. Dogs are in rows 21 & 22. I asked if that was where they put service dogs. She told me to wait until everyone had boarded & then we'd see if there were any bulkhead seats available. Luckily there was a lady who couldn't use the arm tray in the front, so she gladly took my seat in row 18. That left me in the front. But then the Attendants said I couldn't sit there with my dog. I explained that I had done so on the previous flight & I had been told I would have a bulkhead seat on both flights. They said 'All dogs are in rows 21 & 22'. I said, 'Even Service Dogs?' & showed them Valentina's card. It was like I'd slapped them across the face. They instantly apologized & said, 'Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry, yes, this is where you sit.' Done. Thank you very much.


While I was in TO, I asked at information if there was a spot for dogs to relieve themselves. No. NO?! What do you mean, no? Is there seriously no grass anywhere at the Toronto airport? No. Now that is a crying shame. I'm sure I'm not the only person to travel through Toronto with a dog! Hmpf. Shows how much they know. I walk out the arrivals door & lo & behold... Across the road is a nice chunk of grass, trees, & shrubs. No where to go, huh? Yeesh. I had a notion to leave them a 'donation', but I didn't! I did, however, let them know where it was located when I came back inside! They didn't look overly impressed. 


On this flight, I sat next to a man whose eyes didn't really stay together & he prayed out loud the entire time they were doing the safety announcements & the Captain was speaking. I was slightly nervous. I was listening for the words, 'Allah, Allah, Allah', but didn't hear them. He went to sleep after his prayers were over. I'm typing this after I've landed, so nothing horrible happened, but it was creepy nonetheless! 


Naturally, Mom was late picking me up, but when she did arrive, oh boy! Valentina was pretty excited to see her! She went crazy! She whined most of the way home & didn't want to sit on my lap, only Nonna's lap! 


I was horrified to see snow on the ground. It made me want to cry. Oh please, send me back to the land of heat & sunshine. I could feel the vitamin D deficiency settling in already! I prayed that it would be melting & gone by morning!


What a day. I'm home, safe & sound & I suppose that's all that matters. 


xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox
Maria & Valentina

Ronel has a 3 month old baby back home. That he's NEVER EVEN SEEN! :o( 45 days to go!

Contemplate is frozen!

to.snow.es

NeverLate made it through the snow!

Nonna & Valentina

Just a little unpacking & rearranging to do!

Out for the count!

Day 196 - Last Day At Sea

The packing is finally complete. The last of the deliveries has been made & I am exhausted. I spent the day running around & trying to fit every last thing into the suitcases & still keeping them underweight. If my new scale is correct, I'm 25 lbs over on one case & just under the wire on the other. 25 lbs gives me a $50 fee, whereas another bag is a $75 fee. One of these days I'll be underweight! 


Jaco was busy as ever, so it was a long day for him too. We hardly saw each other all day, which really bites, as it is our last day together for awhile. I will try to come back in a few weeks, but I'm not sure what lies ahead of me as far as treatments & such. Fingers crossed I will get to see him again soon!


Today was another stunning day outside. I made it a priority to get out on deck for a bit. I'm glad I did, as while I was out, a few dolphins were swimming alongside the ship & it was quite the sight! I've seen pods of dolphins before leaping out of the water, but these dolphins were AWESOME! They were flying out of the water, doing backflips & twists, they were really having a blast! It was fantastic to watch! I was excited! When I had dinner at the bar again & David was there, I asked him if he saw the dolphins. His reply: 'Dolphins? What's so exciting about dolphins? They're just gay sharks!' Okay. Never mind. I thought they were exciting!


Several people stopped by to see Valentina, as I had her tied to the lounger so we could both get some fresh air. One lady came by & visited for nearly an hour! She was a breast cancer survivor & filled me in on her experience. It was nice to visit with her. Another fellow stopped by to tell me of his neighbours sausage dog, Otto. Apparently Otto is quite the character!


I gave Eddie his photos, Johnny his edited ones from the shoot, collected my photos from the cruises & delivered thank you cards to all the appropriate parties! Jaco & I bought a Spa Certificate for Kirsty, the gal who organized all of Valentina's trips ashore. She was a real miracle worker, as I didn't expect Valentina to be allowed off much. 


I took Valentina around the ship to say farewell to the friends she had made throughout her 3 weeks onboard. We visited the Spa, the photo gallery & of course, the shops. I think she easily could have stayed onboard & become the ship's mascot! We'll have to go back again, as she never got to visit the Bridge. Next time! 


Finally, the day was through & it was only the three of us. We enjoyed our last evening together & dreaded the morning to come.


Sleep well & be grateful that you have the ones you love close by & if you don't, they're only a phone call away.


Maria, Jaco & Valentina
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Tired of packing

My Man & my Tweet Pea

Snoozin' with Papa

Crap photo of a dolphin, but the best I could get with my Point & Shoot!

Goodbye kisses for Daniela!

Thanks Kirsty for the trips to the beach!

Thanks Melissa for keeping us safe @ sea!

More cuddles for the Security Team!

The sun sets on my holidays.

Goodbye kisses for Eddie

Upside down dreaming wiener dog

Do you mind? I'm trying to get a little shuteye before the flight?

Day 159 - The Next Next Chapter

Back to where it all began. Well, the blog anyways! Yup, today Lil’ Miss V & I boarded a big ol’ aero-plane bound for San Diego.

I had a particularly crappy night’s sleep, probably because I was so worried about today’s flights & getting to the airport on time always stresses me out. (No just because I’m generally always late, but also because my luggage is usually too heavy & today I was flying on my own with Valentina.

My day started off with a call from Roxy. Then Collet. Then Granny. Then Jaco. Then Laura. I will certainly say, I am so sad to be saying goodbye to all my wonderful & dear friends. They have been there for me through thick & thin & I will be quite lonely without my daily calls to at least one of them! I know I will have Skype & Facebook for awhile & then email, but it’s just not the same. Don’t kid yourself, today saw a lot of tears fall from my eyes!

Mom took me to the airport & we also had a teary goodbye. We’ve had a rocky few months, but I’m happy to say that we parted on proper Mother/Daughter terms & not disgruntled roommate terms! :o)

Security was a nightmare. The queue was ridiculously long & they didn’t even have enough bins to put your stuff in! I put my shoes, belt, jacket, (1/2 my clothing) in one bin, with my liquids. My laptop in one bin & then I had my carryon case, purse & of course, Valentina’s carrier. Apparently one person can’t have 5 ‘scans’, so they made me chuff the bag full of Valentina’s food & treats into my existing luggage. They swabbed ALL of my bags & clothing & even made me put my hands in my pockets & swabbed them! Thank the Good Lord I didn’t have to do the full body scan! It was there, but I didn’t notice anyone in it.

Getting on the plane was just as bad. I had just bought a tea from Starbucks when the started boarding. Having my hands full, I awkwardly made my way down the passage. When I approached the plane, the ‘friendly’ stewardess tells me I can’t bring my carry on case onto the plane. Yeah, right. It’s the one that has my laptop, hard drives & cameras in it. Like I’m going to let those out of my sight! Thank goodness I’d used my bowling bag of a purse, so I could fit my cameras in it & I just carried my laptop onboard.

I sat next to a beautiful Mom from California. She had her 3 month old son with her & we chit chatted our way through most of the flight. Her Grandma stays in the same Assisted Living Home my Granny used to live in! Her little guy had the cutest dimples & was all smiles until we started to descend. With half an hour to go, he got quite fussy, understandably so, and I started a game of peek-a-boo with the in-air shopping magazine. When peek-a-boo didn’t cut it any longer, I tore a page out of the magazine & crinkled it. MAGIC!! He was completely enthralled! It sounded just like those little crinkle book toys you get for babies, so I thought, ‘Why not?’ I went through about 5 pages – they lose their crinkliness after awhile – so sadly, if anyone wants to order the ‘Caveman/Yeti’ for their garden or the hair growth powder, I’m afraid I’ve ruined their chances! The little fellow fell asleep shortly before we landed.

After a brief wait in the San Francisco airport, they announced it was boarding time. I had my luggage prepared like they had asked me to on the previous flight, so when I fumbled my way up to the attendant checking us in, he took one look at me & said 'You're going to have to check one of those bags. You've got 4 bags & you're only allowed 2. You'll have to put a 3rd one inside one of the other bags.'


I looked at him in disbelief. 'You're kidding me, right? This is what they made me do on the last flight & it was fine. One bag is my carry-on, which is too big, so I put it a la carte & take out my camera gear & laptop. Another bag is my purse & the third bag is my dog's carrier.'


He considered the LIVE ANIMAL a bag. Are you kidding me? After I notify the airline & no one tells me this will count towards my carry-on total... I don't think so! I was furious! I rammed my laptop into my purse & asked if he was happy. I was so frustrated getting on that plane! Then, to my surprise, I see these HUGE overhead bins! I could have left everything as it was & been fine! I really wish these airlines would get their act together. And Mr. Jeremy Smith should be a little more helpful when it comes to his paying customers! Yes, United Airlines will be getting an email from me!


I sat next to a Swedish Pole Vaulter. What? You haven't met a Swedish Pole Vaulter before? You need to get out more! Ha ha. I thought this was about the most random combination I could have possibly met! He was a sweet young chap, on his way to San Diego for 5 weeks of training. 


I was met by Alexandra, who turned out to be Dr. Castillo's daughter! I was tickled pink when I saw the sign reading:
'JILL & VALENTINA'


Awh! How cute! They even included Valentina in the welcome sign! Alexandra drove us to the hotel & helped with the luggage. On our drive there, I asked what she did. It turns out she is a Psychologist & she helps people with addictions, eating disorders, and hey! Did I ever have some questions for her! She helped me understand the reasons behind my 'closet eating' & well, I just love it when things like that happen! Little serendipity moments make life beautiful!


Exhausted, I crashed at about 0200. Morning is going to come early! Sleep well & see you in Tijuana!


xxxxx
Maria & Valentina

Tweet Pea & Nonna enjoying a ride in NeverLate

Nonna says goodbye to Valentina

Last minute stuffing before we leave Canada!

The Gorgeous Alexandra who fetched us at the airport