DAY 47 - AT SEA - OFF COAST OF BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 15, 2010

YESTERDAY WHILE TALKING TO THE KIDS JOSH LET US KNOW HE HAS BEEN PLAYING WITH THE VARSITY TEAM WHEN NEEDED. YOU COULD HEAR THE EXCITEMENT IN HIS VOICE. WE SURE WERE HAPPY FOR HIM. DECLAN WAS PLEASED TO SHARE WITH GEORGIA THAT KOALAS ARE NOT BEARS, AS SHE HAD STATED IN HER CONVERSATION WITH HIM. “THEY ARE NOT BEARS, GRANDMA, THEY ARE MARSUPIALS.”

SCOTT’S JOB WILL PROBABLY END IN MID APRIL, AND WE UNDERSTAND FROM GRANNY HE PLANS COMING TO PITTSBURGH FOR A WHILE. SCOTT MENTIONED TO US THAT HE INTENDS TO GO TO BEE’S WEDDING IN LOUISVILLE. BEE IS GETTING MARRIED ON THE 10TH OF APRIL.

MEANWHILE BACK TO THE SHIP.

AS MOST SEA DAYS GO TODAY WAS NOT ACTIVE. GEORGIA WENT TO A FEW CLASSES AND I SPENT MOST OF THE DAY PRINTING MY BANK STATEMENTS SO I COULD RECONCILE THEM TO MY COMPUTER PROGRAM. GEORGIA’S ACCOUNTS ARE IN GOOD SHAPE BUT MINE ARE OFF A FEW DOLLARS. I THINK IT’S THAT WAY BECAUSE I JUST SWITCHED TO A NEW SOFTWARE PACKAGE WENT WE GOT THE APPLE LAPTOP. SOONER OR LATER, IT WILL GET RECONCILED.

THE REMAINDER OF THE DAY WAS SPENT BRINGING THE BLOG UP TO DATE. I WAS BEHIND THE TWO DAYS IN SYDNEY AND THE THREE DAYS AT SEA PRIOR TO ARRIVING IN SYDNEY.

WE ATTENDED THE LATE SHOW THIS EVENING. THE GROUP WAS CALLED THE ENCORES AND VERY TALENTED. THEY ALL HAD OPERATIC TYPE VOICES AND BY SHOWS END THEY SANG SEVERAL SONGS THAT GEORGIA AND I RECOGNIZED FROM OUR BOCELLI CD’S.

DAY 48 - AT SEA - WHITSUNDAY ISLANDS, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 16, 2010

WE BEGAN THE DAY WITH BREAKFAST ON THE PRIVATE VERANDA, WITH LOTS OF UNINVITED GUESTS. IT WAS SO WARM, WITH JUST A SLIGHT BREEZE GEORGIA AND I DECIDED TO DO SOME iPHOTO WORK AT OUR TABLE. WE WATCHED AND EDITED PICTURES TAKEN FROM ABRUBA THROUGH GUATEMALA. WE WERE HERE FROM 9:30 UNTIL 3:30.

WE HAD NO INTENTIONS OF EATING LUNCH AT THE BUFFET BUT THE FOOD SMELLED SO GOOD, AS THE UNINVITED GUEST WALKED BY, THE TEMPTATIONS OVERTOOK US. TODAY ALL THE FOOD ITEMS WERE FROM ASIA, IT WAS JUST TO GOOD TO PASS UP. THEREFORE, SO YOU DON’T THINK WE ARE PIGS, WE SKIPPED DINNER IN THE DINING ROOM, AGAIN. WE CAN BE GOOD AT TIMES.

ADDITIONALLY, WE CAVED IN AND WENT TO THE STAFF PRODUCTION, “SHAKE RATTLE AND ROLL.” I HATE TO SAY IT BUT IT WAS ACTUALLY PRETTY GOOD.


DAY 49 - AT SEA - OFF COAST OF QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 17, 2010

WE HAD NOT REALIZED IT UNTIL TODAY BUT WE TOOK ON A NEW CAPTAIN IN SYDNEY. THE CAPTAIN ALTERED THE COURSE TO CAIRNS BY TRAVELING THROUGH THE WHITSUNDAY ISLANDS OFF THE COAST OF BRISBANE.

THE GROUP OF ISLANDS WAS DISCOVERED BY NONE OTHER THAN CAPT. COOK, WHAT DIDN’T HE DISCOVER, AROUND THE 1750’S. THERE ARE 84 ISLANDS IN THE GROUP, ONLY 8 ARE INHABITED. THE LARGEST OF THOSE IS HAMILTON WHICH WE SAILED BY IN MID MORNING.

AFTER WATCHING THE SCENERY SAIL BY I BEGAN TRANSFERRING THE BLOG MATERIAL TO THE WEB. THE TEXT TAKES VERY LITTLE TIME BUT THE PICTURES TAKE A LONG TIME. IF I TRY ATTACHING MORE THAN ONE, IT BECOMES A HIT AND MISS ADVENTURE, SOMETIMES TAKING SEVERAL ATTEMPTS BEFORE GETTING ANY ACCEPTABLE RESULTS.

GEORGIA AND I WENT TO THE FREE LECTURE ON DIGITAL PHOTOS AND WE FOLLOWED UP WITH A PRESENTATION BY MAJOR GENERAL MARK ROSENKER TALKING ABOUT WHITE HOUSE SECURITY AND WHAT GOES INTO KEEPING THE PRESIDENT SAFE. HE HEADED THE STAFF THAT DID EXACTLY THOSE THINGS UNDER BUSH 43.

FRANKIE HAD A GATHERING IN THE CASINO LOUNGE CONCERNING INVESTING. THERE MUST HAVE BEEN 50 PEOPLE IN ATTENDANCE. LOTS OF GOOD DISCUSSION BUT NOBODY WAS WILLING TO TALK DIRECTLY ABOUT WHAT THEY SPECIFICALLY MADE THEIR INVESTMENTS IN.

WE RETURNED TO THE CABIN TO GET READY FOR DINNER IN THE DINING ROOM, FOR A CHANGE. AS I OPEN THE CABIN DOOR I SAW A WHITE PAPER ON THE BED AND I KNEW IT WAS NOT GOOD NEWS. IT DIDN’T LOOK LIKE THE USUAL IMMIGRATION STUFF.

I WAS RIGHT, IT WAS FROM THE TOUR OFFICE. THE TOUR OFFICE HAD BEEN NOTIFIED BY THE SHORE AGENT THAT THE BARRIER REEF TRIP WOULD BE VERY ROUGH AND ANYONE WISHING TO CANCEL COULD DO SO BY 5:00. GEORGIA AND I FELT THE 90 MINUTE TRIP GETTING THEIR WOULD PROBABLY BE THE TOUGH PART AND WE WOULD CHANCE IT.

WE TALKED TO CINDY AND RICK AT OUR DINNER TABLE AND HE WAS STILL GOING BUT CINDY FELT BETTER STAYING BACK ON THE SHIP, WASHING, RELAXING AND SLEEPING. HOWEVER BY THE TIME WE RETURNED TO THE ROOM AFTER DINNER THE TRIP HAD BEEN CANCELLED ENTIRELY.

THERE WERE ONLY TWO OTHER TOURS AND GEORGIA AND I JUST FELT LIKE STAYING AROUND THE TOWN. IT WOULD BE A BREAK FROM THE HUSTLE AND BUSTLE OF TOURING. WE ENJOY WALKING THROUGH THE TOWNS AND CITIES, BUT, HAVEN’T HAD THE CHANCE WITH THE SCHEDULE OF TOURS WE BOOKED BEFORE EVEN GETTING ON THE SHIP.