The Long-Awaited Vacation, Part Eight

Exactly one month ago on Wednesday evening, March 2nd, our ship got ready to head out of Saint Thomas en route to our next port of call at San Juan. Barb and I were rather hungry after our "what the hell" of a day on the island so just before six o'clock I made my way aft to our assigned dining room where I joined the hungry crowd waiting outside of the still-closed doors. See? I wasn't kidding about there being a lot of people on the ship despite what most of my other pictures have shown so far!



Before I get to the rest of the pictures in this post, allow me to tell you right up front that they aren't very good as I was shooting on low level lighting without a flash as I was trying to take some pictures and not disturb people in the process.  As such there is a lot of blur and the exposure isn't all that great but I think you'll forgive me just this one time, right? 


This picture of Barb and I was obviously not taken by myself hence the lighting is good and there's no blur - thanks, Zane!  I think Barb was telling me something about her drink or I was telling her that "what the hell" was no longer an acceptable answer - I forget which! 


Miss Bee will need to correct me if I'm wrong but I think this was Lobster Bisque which was a'ight but not the best I've had (that honor goes to my boss, Matt, who makes one mighty fine Lobster Bisque!)  There were some very tasty soups on the Glory but this wasn't really one of 'em though it is the only I have a picture of!


A shot of Sandy who is a true Georgia Peach if I've ever met one.  I can't think of enough nice words to say about this lovely lady or her husband ... 


... and her own personal Maytag Man, Dick, who was giving me the Evil Eye for pointing the camera in his direction! 

Sandee, Sarge Charlie, and Miss Bee.  Oh, and that cute guy in the back?  One of our waiters who did a fantastic job.  Honestly, for customer service I will say that you cannot beat a cruise ship! 


My entree for the evening - obviously some sort of fish but again I don't remember what kind! Heck, it's been a month since I had this meal and I generally can't remember what I had the day before! 


Another shot of Dick and Sandy and a partial shot of Zane. 


Sandee and Zane with our head waiter, Miguel, who was a very nice man as well as most courteous and conscientious.  There's just something about being called "Miss" at my age that I rather like!  


Sarge Charlie was obviously hungry, too, as he tucked into his Southern Fried Chicken.  I had that one other night and it was very good so I don't blame him in the least!


This dessert was highly recommended by Miss Bee but again I can't for the life of me remember the name of it but I bet she does!  You made a hole with your spoon in the center and then the waiter poured cream in the middle - delicious!  Almost as good as the Grand Marnier Souffle I had one our last night which was in my opinion the best dessert of the whole cruise! I could really go for one right now but alas there is none in sight!


Partially through dinner I noticed that we didn't really seem to be moving though we were due to have pushed off already.  Turns out that there was some sort of problem with the propellor and we hadn't even left the dock in Saint Thomas yet so following dinner Barb and I made our way to my favorite deck to enjoy the evening air and watch our departure. 


A night view of Saint Thomas and the tramway that Barb and I should have taken rather than the tour that we did.  Ah well - what the hell - live and learn, right? 


The blue lights on the deck made this orange life preserver look like it was actually purple! 


Finally we started to push away from the dock and make our way towards Puerto Rico. 


Hey!  Who were all these other people out on my deck??  I guess Barb and I weren't the only ones who wanted to watch as we left Saint Thomas. 


I really should have had my tripod with me if I was going to try to do some night photography but I propped my camera on the railing and hoped for the best.  This one isn't too bad I reckon. 


A small boat came out to give our ship a nudge and a little help putting us on our way before heading back to shore. And yes, I had to hang part way over the railing to get this shot but thankfully neither I nor my Nikon ended up in the drink!  If we had, somebody else would be writing this post with different pictures!


Once we were away from the lights of the island, Barb and I took a walk down to the aft section of Deck 5 where some of the nightclubs/bars were located. Superstar Live, which is basically karoake with a live band and back-up singers, was going on so we decided to take a seat and watch for awhile. I believe the gentleman singing above was named Larry and boy, did he like to sing.  He'd finish one song and a couple others later he'd be right back up there again!  He was a decent singer but his enthusiasm was better than his voice.  Still, I give him major points for getting up and singing in front of strangers - major points! 


Being that we were in a nightclub I did what any good cruiser would do and ordered a drink.  This rather colorful combination is called The Twilight Zone which is made up of Midori, Appleton Estate Rum, Blue Curacao, coconut cream, and crushed pineapple.  Let me just say that it was very, very tasty and probably added to my good night's sleep!

I don't remember this gal's name but she was really, really good.  Unfortunately she only did one song which is really too bad as I'd have liked to hear her sing a couple others.  I think Larry jumped back on the stage after her! At that point Barb and I decided to call it a night as we would be in Puerto Rico early the next morning and it was a port that we were both looking forward to so we wanted to make sure we'd be ready to head out bright and early to explore what turned out to be the favorite port for both of us.

A Saturday Evening Out

After talking about it the better part of forever and having to change plans a time or two due to weather and unforseen illnesses, I was finally able to meet up again with Ralph of Airhead 55 and his lovely wife Patti of the Late Bloomer Boomer. Both are fellow Nutmeggers whom I have had the pleasure of getting together with the past.

The first time that I met Patti (or Princess Patti as she has been dubbed by Her Majesty Mimi, Queen of Memes) was exactly one year ago yesterday when she and I were invited to dine with Her Majesty at a local Bertucci's Brick Oven Pizzeria in Glastonbury. The Queen had deigned to fly north from Bloggingham Castle during her Spring break and Patti and I, mere commoners at the time, were granted a royal interview which ended up including plastic petunia posing, the assignment of royal titles, some definitely unroyal-like behavior, and a lot of giggling. Somehow, I don't think Bertucci's has been right ever since but we sure did have a good time!

The second time I got together with Princess Patti in August, she brought along an entourage which included Prince Ralph and Lady Allegra, and we made bloggers of our ourselves in a local Olive Garden!

This past Saturday's visit was again in my neck of the woods as Ralph and Patti made the drive from Ansonia (in the New Haven area for those slightly familiar with Connecticut) to Waterford where we met up at Charley's Eating & Drinking Saloon in the Crystal Mall. Charley's is a nice restaurant where the service is beyond exceptional and the staff couldn't be friendlier if they tried. Even if the food wasn't all that great - though it is - the staff alone makes a trip there more than worth it.

I knew that Patti had been feeling pretty pooped from a previous bout with the flu so I brought her a pretty potted purple pansy to perk her up as well as maybe a hint to Mother Nature to kick it up a notch and bring on Spring as we all agreed that we had had quite enough of winter - thank you - and some warm weather would be more than welcome!

Having sung the praises of Charley's clam chowdah in a bread bowl, I naturally ordered that for dinner and even though it was quite tasty, I have to admit that I have had better in the past. I'm not sure if they've changed their recipe or what but it seemed to be missing something - either that or my tastebuds suffer from the same problem as my memory which tends to be quite forgetful these days!

Following our main course (Patti also had the chowder while Ralph opted for a pulled pork sandwich), we had to order dessert of course as what good is dining out if one doesn't get dessert every once in awhile? Exactly!

I opted for the strawberry New York style cheesecake while Ralph and Patti decided to split one of the new desserts that the chef had created that morning. I believe it was a big Reese's peanut butter cup (or something very similar to it) topped with fresh whipped cream and a very large strawberry. Patti said that it was a little too sweet (I think peanut butter filling has a tendency to be that way) and would have preferred to have some vanilla ice cream on it but that the fresh whipped cream was a treat.

Conversation was lovely as we talked about the pursuits of our respective children, the sorry shape of our economy, the downfalls of Medicare and Medicaid and then I got Patti up to speed with some of the bloggers that she hasn't had a chance to visit since being taken ill. This flu has really knocked her for a loop and it was easy to see that she wasn't quite feeling 100% as Princess Patti is usually pretty perky but she seemed pretty peaked instead and more than ready to go home and take a nap by the end of the evening. Methinks if she doesn't feel better soon she should get herself to a doctor as it's been several weeks since she was sick and I'd hate that it was more than just a passing flu that has worn her out.

In parting, I told Patti & Ralph that our next get-together would be in their part of the state as, from the posts I've seen on both of their blogs, it appears that there is quite a bit of history as well as some enchanting older buildings. Plus it's good for me to get to other parts of Connecticut and get to know the place I live that much better. I've had relatives in Connecticut since before there was a Connecticut and they didn't originate in this area of the state but more towards the Hartford/Southington area. A road trip sounds great - once the weather decides to cooperate! Whenever that may be ...

Mona Lisa Smiles!

When it comes to nice restaurants in Norwich that don't fall into the "Pizza Parlor" category, the list is painfully short. Unfortunately, Norwich is just not the restaurant mecca of southeastern Connecticut but I am now happy to say that I have found one more place that serves some excellent food in a nice atmosphere complete with friendly waitstaff - Mona Lisa's Restaurant & Lounge!

During EMS Week last month, I was lucky enough to win a trivia contest and receive a prize in the form of a $100 gift card to Mona Lisa's. I had never been there before so wasn't sure what the food was like or when I was going to use the gift card but I was pretty sure that $100 would buy one heck of a nice meal; I just wasn't sure when I would have occasion to use it. It dawned on me that perhaps Amanda's birthday would warrant the perfect occasion to make use of that particular windfall but when I broached the subject to Amanda and Darci after getting home from work on her birthday neither of them wanted to go! Apparently they had feasted on chicken fingers and fries just before I got home and they just weren't hungry. Oh ...

Still, better late than never as far as birthday celebrations go and we decided to go Thursday evening instead. The girls were told with ample time to plan ahead so as not fill up on anything else and after a brief stop at the Yantic Cemetery so I could take some cloud pictures (yes, more cloud pictures!) we got to the restaurant with plenty of time to beat the dinner rush.

After we were seated and had menus in hand, I told Amanda and Darci that they could order whatever they wanted including an appetizer or two. Amanda's eyes grew big as that's not generally something she hears from me - usually it's more like, "don't go overboard because I'm not made of money! " Given carte blanche with the menu, she was free to choose something she really liked but might not normally get the chance to have. Unfortunately they didn't have her all-time favorite - fried shrimp - on the menu but Amanda loves all sorts of seafood so she decided on the Broiled Seafood Platter. Darci chose one of the evening's specials, Chicken Kiev, and I decided to treat myself to the Surf and Turf with a 12-oz New York strip steak and broiled swordfish - which is one of my all-time favorites!

When the mozzarella sticks and stuffed potato skin appetizers the girls had chosen arrived at the table they immediately dug in but I had to interrupt and tell them to hold up, I needed to take pictures! Darci looked at me a little funny but Amanda, who has been the daughter of a blogger long enough to realize that everything gets photographed, told her that it was okay, it was "a blogging thing and just go with it." In that respect, I believe I have taught her well!

We had a lovely dinner - the food was quite excellent and the portions were more than ample, the waitress was very attentive and offered free refills (take note of that, Mr. Gus!) of our drinks, and the girls really seemed to have a good time even though we weren't at Burger King or the local Chinese buffet or wherever else it is that teenagers like to go!


All in all, it was a lovely evening and I wouldn't hesitate to go back to Mona Lisa's again should the occasion warrant it. Of course, I probably won't have the benefit of a gift card at my disposal the next time but it would be worth paying out of my own pocket! I'd be more than happy to recommend the restaurant to anyone who might be in the Norwich area, too - I'm sure Mona Lisa's could make anyone smile!

We Meet At Last!

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Aside from Boukie who occasionally (and that would be very occasionally) writes something in his blog, The Fire Insider, and my dispatch partner Jen who launched Mommy 911 last Fall, I haven’t had the opportunity to meet any fellow bloggers – at least not until yesterday.

Despite the fact that we both live in a State that’s only 5,018 square miles total, it took months of planning before Ms. Maggie Moo and I were able to organize our lives enough to plan an evening out but it was well worth the wait as Mags is one of the nicest people I’ve had the pleasure of meeting in a very long time.

We met at the Cuckoo’s Nest in Old Saybrook which is about 35 miles south of me and a bit more of a drive than that for Mags. Apparently that part of Connecticut was her old stomping grounds and she was familiar with the area so it seemed a good place to meet. Besides, I hadn’t had Mexican food in a long time and I’d heard that the Cuckoo’s Nest was supposed to be pretty good. I was under no delusions that it was going to be anywhere near as good as what I was used to in California (there are times I think I would give my left arm for a #12 from the Cancun Mexican Restaurant in Stockton!) but until I can win the lottery and open my own authentic Mexican restaurant, the Cuckoo’s Nest was just going to have to do!

After a big ‘hello’ hug at the door the very first thing Mags asked me was “is Amanda really tall?” I told her that she was about 5-9 and she said “Oh, that explains it then because I thought you were really short but it’s just that Amanda is tall.” Oh … it never in a million years occurred to me that I appeared short in the pictures with the girls but apparently I do! Just the for the record in case anyone else is wondering, I am actually 5-7 though for some stupid reason I always wanted to be shorter. I guess the trick is just to stand next to Amanda and I will at least appear shorter!

We were shown to our table and Mags graciously took the bench seat (which looked suspiciously like a church pew in another life) as she thought a regular chair would be better for my back. What a considerate person in addition to having the most wonderful smile and laugh (guys, I don’t know what you’re waiting for here – this girl is a catch and then some!). Being that we were in a Mexican restaurant, we each ordered a margarita and were a little surprised when it showed up in what was most definitely NOT a margarita glass …

Uhm … I could’ve sworn the sign outside said Mexican but apparently it wasn’t traditional Mexican – at least not when it came to their margarita glasses! Mini-margarita in hand we perused the menu and both ended up ordering the same thing which was the combination plate. I had decided beforehand that lo-carb be damned and I was really looking forward to a couple of tacos. I should point out here that one of the standards I have for a Mexican restaurant to be considered authentic in my mind is that the beef tacos need to be made from shredded beef and not ground beef. I never ate at a single Mexican restaurant in California or Mexico that served up a beef taco with ground beef, that sort of thing is reserved for Taco Bell or wannabe Mexican restaurants. Looking at the ala carte part of the menu I saw that a single taco cost $5 so that seemed to bode well that they were going to contain shredded beef because who would have the nerve to charge $5 for a taco made with ground beef? Uhm, yeah, the Cuckoo’s Nest apparently does because that’s exactly what arrived on my plate nestled next to my chicken taco and cheese enchilada. Sigh … oh well, I sure wasn’t going to let a ground beef taco and a mini-Margarita spoil my evening as it wasn’t about the food but about the company I shared the table with.

Mags and I had no trouble talking and before we knew it, close to four hours had passed and I’m sure our waitress had long ago decided that we had become a permanent part of the restaurant! But it’s really true that time flies when you’re having fun and in no way did it feel like we had been sitting there laughing and joking for so long. Well, I take that back, it apparently felt like it had been that long to poor Mag’s backend as that pseudo-church pew she had been sitting on was not the most comfortable of seats! Still, even though talking to me was a pain in the ass, not once did she complain! I am so honored!

Hopefully we’ll have the chance to get together again before she makes the move to Boston where she wants to ply her culinary talents and skills. Next time maybe we can make it somewhere closer to Mags’ part of the State and definitely a place that has more comfortable seating! Oh, and it won’t be Mexican as I have given up hoping that I am ever going to find a good Mexican Restaurant this side of the Mississippi. Come to think about it, though, Mags is Italian so maybe we could find a nice little Italian place in Hartford – now that sounds like fun!