An essential trait I have picked up in grad school that I also forsee being a major handicap later in life is the ability to seamlessly pick up and assimilate information, and carry on as if I have know all along. I catch myself reciting the off-handed responses by my coworkers as if they were bio 101 knowledge. It is essential, because our classes no longer take the time to dissect information- we hear it, we learn it, and we know it all in one breathe. I hope you can forgive me if I occasionally pull this routine on my family- especially with regards to the process of grad school. Who besides a grad student has access to this information?
Without further ado- your primer on grad school- namely graduating from it.
What is the title of your dissertation?
I mentioned before that I don't get to graduate until I discover something, and I am starting to suspect that this discovery IS the title- so, I don't really know yet. However, it will probably be something about finding small molecules that inhibit virus replication (not drugs, not treatment, just has to work in a tube). We've got some good leads, and I can now DO all the assays I can envision wanting to do to wrap this up, just need to get it done.
When will you graduate?
Although this depends on the success of the above discoveries, the better question is HOW. I only just learned this, but I think I've told 3 ppl like I wrote the policy myself. First, I need admission to candidacy- this is to say that I've finished the formal requirements for my program, and am transitioning to 'writing.' The catch is that this process (or form with signatures from my committee), must be complete 1 YEAR before I actually defend. At this point I will be ABD (all but defense). This is the soonest I could graduate, not a deadline- a person could languish in ABD purgatory for years without good advising. The first step usually comes with copious string attached- 'you can go ABD, but don't start writing until you have these experiments done and this paper published.' Second, I actually write a thesis (~200 pages, double spaced with generous formatting), which is presented to the public and defended privately with the committee. THEN I can graduate.
And at graduation, PhD candidates don't 'walk.' They get hooded.
Who is this committee?
I assembled my committee of 5 people, including Dr. Boss and Dr. Rockstar, who are smart folks with some interest in my research. Most of them are not experts in my field, but for whatever reason they like me and what I do- I selected people who think I am smart, and deserve a PhD. This is their most endearing trait, really. I have talked to them enough to know that they think I should have 2 (first author) publications on hand before I graduate. For those keeping count, I currently have none, but am arguing for (ie writing) my first.
What will you do after you graduate?
I recognized sometime ago that the obvious thing to do with a PhD, is to do more post-doctoral training so you publish more papers so you can get a faculty position. You can do lots of things with more post-doc training, and it is a really easy track to get on. Then you end up like my post-doc coworkers who've been post-docing for many years and STILL are in a training position, at low pay ($40K isn't much for someone with that much education), few benefits and grueling hours. I have been considering other options, and the current front runner (not winner, just the current top of my stack), is to work in public policy. The world at large needs help understanding science, research scientists don't have time to explain it, hopefully they hire me to help develop informed opinions so they can, for example, make intelligent legislation. I get to learn about new things, teach without giving grades, advocate for things I believe in and really serve in a way that I would be valuable. This dream may be bigger than curing cancer. And more vague.
I also need to work on cracking into this system- namely, how does a person with no policy training get this type of job? Well, AAAS has fellowships that place recent PhDs into government offices to act as science liasons and get some experience. There are several programs like this, and it currently seems like a very viable option. For reference, the application deadlines for these things are in winter.
You just posted this on a BLOG. Does your boss know all this stuff?
He does now. Earlier this week I had a conversation about all this with Dr. Boss. He graciously acknowledged that many people will serve science and help science to serve in a variety of non-faculty ways. That made me feel good, but we had previously discussed graduating in 2012- and I want to be done way before then. I pressed him a bit- "there are these fellowships, see, and I have to be completed my PhD requirements before I apply... and do you think I have to wait until 2013?" We walked through my sort of idealized timeline- paper #1 this winter, teach bioethics fall 2010, paper #2 next winter (2011), then write and defend and move to the new job by the fall 2011. And he didn't say it was stupid or unrealistic! He actually said to do that, we need to be sure that I need admission to candidacy at my next committee meeting in March. So yeah, the rest of the committee needs to get on board, and then I'll have 'just a couple more' years to wrap up, but the most important person to convince agrees with me, and I am taking a LOT of satisfaction from that.
____
Women in Science Careers met tonight to talk about work/life balance. This was a great topic, and lead us to what I hope will be a new series of topics that will go from changing attitudes in science about careers (because when 70% of graduates are in 'alternate careers,' it is demeaning to call it a fall back), developing positive working environments, and being a good mentor.
Also, Matt and I leave this weekend to fire the Wood-Fire Kiln which is the highlight of this semester's ceramics class. The process takes about 60 hrs of active work, and we won't see the results until the next weekend. Wish us luck!
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Our Cruise, Day 5
Day 5
Our last day, and the one we were probably most excited about. Nassau, Bahamas. And the Atlantis Water Park. Atlantis is a MASSIVE resort built on a beautiful island, and they have an awesome water park in the backyard. Jess was really excited about this one, and so was I, but first, we had to fix something.
You see, Jess has always been afraid of aggressive water slides. As she tells it, she was never able to go on them when she was young, and she never got over the fear. Well this place had a lot of slides like that, and Jess decided she wanted to try them out. So she was nervous, but she had her husband with her who would go down first to make sure it was safe. :)
We got to the water park early on, and as soon as the rides were open, we got in line for the “Leap of Faith”, a massive drop down a long chute that then goes *through* a shark tank. It’s really impressive, and Jess was nervous, but intent on defeating her fear. So we got in line, got to the top, and I went first. Everything went fine for me, and so Jess got in position, steadied herself, and then took the plunge!
My brave girl conquering her fear.
I managed to get a shot of her just as she was coming out of the ride. She was laughing and excited, and kept saying “I did it, I did it!” over and over. I was really happy for her, and I could feel her shaky adrenaline when I gave her a congratulatory hug. But she was glad she did it and thought it was a lot of fun.
After that, there was no stopping her. We went on this ride called ‘The Abyss’ right afterwards, which was the same kind of ride, but totally in the dark. At the end, it dropped us into a ‘hidden’ grotto with awesome aquariums filled with exotic amazon fish. Jess was all excited because if she hadn’t done the ride, she would have missed it.
After that, we did all the rides in the park, over and over. We especially liked their ‘lazy’ river, which had stretches with rapids and a long wave pool that we went through several times. My personal favorite was right next to the ‘leap of faith’ one. It was a twisty ride on a tube, and it went through the shark tank more slowly so you could see the fishes and get a good look at them.
After a long day of water partying, we took a tour, backwards, through the aquariums in the resort, and we nailed the timing, because it was feeding time. They had a massive tank with a couple of manta rays that would do slow, underwater loop-de-loops when their food showed up. There were a lot of other highlights, not the least of which was the style. Since the resort was called Atlantis, they had ruins in all of their tanks that looked really nice. There were also lots of lobsters, jellyfish, and other interesting sea life. Very cool.
The resort was very nice looking, too. They had several glass sculptures by Chihuly, there, too. Really beautiful ones. There were columns adorned with water accents and slowly spinning granite spheres among the paths. I really liked the place.
We picked up a couple of souvenirs on the way back to the boat. Some rum cake for work, some magnets for the Florida family, and a Conch shell for me, continuing my tradition of getting ‘containers’ from all the countries I visited. This one held fish. :)
Then another evening on board the boat, with food, music, and sleep.
Day 6 was our debarkation day, where we got off the boat. The one interesting note from this day was that if you were able to cary your own luggage, you could debark first, but everyone had to go through customs, so it would be a long day, and everyone just wanted to get home. So they gathered all the self-carying people all in the auditorium, had us wait until customs was ready, and then said, ‘okay, everyone, go!’ There was very nearly a stampede to get out there first. Jess and I, more restrained, just found our route and quickly made our way off the boat, through customs, and on to the mainland. Mom Swanson picked us up, and off we went.
So that was our vacation.
-N
Our last day, and the one we were probably most excited about. Nassau, Bahamas. And the Atlantis Water Park. Atlantis is a MASSIVE resort built on a beautiful island, and they have an awesome water park in the backyard. Jess was really excited about this one, and so was I, but first, we had to fix something.
You see, Jess has always been afraid of aggressive water slides. As she tells it, she was never able to go on them when she was young, and she never got over the fear. Well this place had a lot of slides like that, and Jess decided she wanted to try them out. So she was nervous, but she had her husband with her who would go down first to make sure it was safe. :)
We got to the water park early on, and as soon as the rides were open, we got in line for the “Leap of Faith”, a massive drop down a long chute that then goes *through* a shark tank. It’s really impressive, and Jess was nervous, but intent on defeating her fear. So we got in line, got to the top, and I went first. Everything went fine for me, and so Jess got in position, steadied herself, and then took the plunge!
 |
| From Caribbean Trip |
My brave girl conquering her fear.
I managed to get a shot of her just as she was coming out of the ride. She was laughing and excited, and kept saying “I did it, I did it!” over and over. I was really happy for her, and I could feel her shaky adrenaline when I gave her a congratulatory hug. But she was glad she did it and thought it was a lot of fun.
 |
| From Caribbean Trip |
After that, there was no stopping her. We went on this ride called ‘The Abyss’ right afterwards, which was the same kind of ride, but totally in the dark. At the end, it dropped us into a ‘hidden’ grotto with awesome aquariums filled with exotic amazon fish. Jess was all excited because if she hadn’t done the ride, she would have missed it.
After that, we did all the rides in the park, over and over. We especially liked their ‘lazy’ river, which had stretches with rapids and a long wave pool that we went through several times. My personal favorite was right next to the ‘leap of faith’ one. It was a twisty ride on a tube, and it went through the shark tank more slowly so you could see the fishes and get a good look at them.
 |
| From Caribbean Trip |
After a long day of water partying, we took a tour, backwards, through the aquariums in the resort, and we nailed the timing, because it was feeding time. They had a massive tank with a couple of manta rays that would do slow, underwater loop-de-loops when their food showed up. There were a lot of other highlights, not the least of which was the style. Since the resort was called Atlantis, they had ruins in all of their tanks that looked really nice. There were also lots of lobsters, jellyfish, and other interesting sea life. Very cool.
The resort was very nice looking, too. They had several glass sculptures by Chihuly, there, too. Really beautiful ones. There were columns adorned with water accents and slowly spinning granite spheres among the paths. I really liked the place.
We picked up a couple of souvenirs on the way back to the boat. Some rum cake for work, some magnets for the Florida family, and a Conch shell for me, continuing my tradition of getting ‘containers’ from all the countries I visited. This one held fish. :)
Then another evening on board the boat, with food, music, and sleep.
Day 6 was our debarkation day, where we got off the boat. The one interesting note from this day was that if you were able to cary your own luggage, you could debark first, but everyone had to go through customs, so it would be a long day, and everyone just wanted to get home. So they gathered all the self-carying people all in the auditorium, had us wait until customs was ready, and then said, ‘okay, everyone, go!’ There was very nearly a stampede to get out there first. Jess and I, more restrained, just found our route and quickly made our way off the boat, through customs, and on to the mainland. Mom Swanson picked us up, and off we went.
So that was our vacation.
-N
Our Cruise, Day 4
Day 4:
Day four found us in Half Moon Cay (pronounced ‘key’, I think), a private island owned by the cruise ship companies. It has, no lie, on of the most beautiful beaches I think I’ve ever seen. I think they probably filter the sand during the off season, it’s so white and clean, and the water is very, very nice.
We anchored off the island and took a boat (tender) onto land, and when we got there it was HOT. We had some time to kill before our excursion, and we spent it mostly trying to find good shade.
We made a good choice, though, because our excursion was a glass bottomed boat tour. Covered from the sun and out on the ocean, the weather was much, much nicer. And the glass bottom tour itself was very, very pretty. It started off simply enough, cruising along the ocean and seeing the occasional fish, but before too long we were at a very tall coral structure that was teeming with ocean life. We got a really nice view through the bottom of the boat. After that, we got to feed the fish, and as you can imagine, they were excited for the food. Every piece of bread you threw would get instantly snatched up by hungry fish. So bright and colorful, it was a lot of fun to watch.
When we got back to land, the weather had cooled down and so we hit the beach. We hung out and soaked up the ocean salts for a while, avoiding sunburn with floppy hats and shirts, and then we played around in the sand on the beach, avoiding sunburn by covering ourselves with sand. We made a sand ‘castle’, with a working river flowing underneath it, for a little while, until the river ate down the walls. Then we just buried Jessie until the tide unburied her again.
We took tender back a little bit early, after having some lunch on the island, and spent some time riding the water slides while they were unoccupied. The rest of the day was equally relaxing: dinner, cuddling and watching the ocean go by, and watching some more Blood Power up on deck.
Then to bed. We had to save our energy for the morning.
-N
Day four found us in Half Moon Cay (pronounced ‘key’, I think), a private island owned by the cruise ship companies. It has, no lie, on of the most beautiful beaches I think I’ve ever seen. I think they probably filter the sand during the off season, it’s so white and clean, and the water is very, very nice.
We anchored off the island and took a boat (tender) onto land, and when we got there it was HOT. We had some time to kill before our excursion, and we spent it mostly trying to find good shade.
 |
| From Caribbean Trip |
We made a good choice, though, because our excursion was a glass bottomed boat tour. Covered from the sun and out on the ocean, the weather was much, much nicer. And the glass bottom tour itself was very, very pretty. It started off simply enough, cruising along the ocean and seeing the occasional fish, but before too long we were at a very tall coral structure that was teeming with ocean life. We got a really nice view through the bottom of the boat. After that, we got to feed the fish, and as you can imagine, they were excited for the food. Every piece of bread you threw would get instantly snatched up by hungry fish. So bright and colorful, it was a lot of fun to watch.
 |
| From Caribbean Trip |
When we got back to land, the weather had cooled down and so we hit the beach. We hung out and soaked up the ocean salts for a while, avoiding sunburn with floppy hats and shirts, and then we played around in the sand on the beach, avoiding sunburn by covering ourselves with sand. We made a sand ‘castle’, with a working river flowing underneath it, for a little while, until the river ate down the walls. Then we just buried Jessie until the tide unburied her again.
 |
| From Caribbean Trip |
We took tender back a little bit early, after having some lunch on the island, and spent some time riding the water slides while they were unoccupied. The rest of the day was equally relaxing: dinner, cuddling and watching the ocean go by, and watching some more Blood Power up on deck.
Then to bed. We had to save our energy for the morning.
-N
Our Cruise, Day 3
Day three brings us to, finally, a port of Call. Our first one, in Grand Turk, known for its beautiful beaches and excellent snorkeling and scuba. We had two excursions planned, one in the morning, where we would snorkel, and on in the afternoon for SNUBA. More about that later.
We had to get up early for our morning jaunt. Quoth Jessie: “Whose idea was it to wake up this early and go snorkeling?” We ordered some room service for breakfast, which did show up late, but there was smoked salmon with bagles, so I forgave them. Delish.
We did snorkeling at two places. The first was about thirty feet deep, a coral bed with lots of fish and neat looking underwater plant life to look at. And then right over to our right, directly to the side, was a 7000 foot drop. No exaggeration. And it was a sheer drop, too. A couple of coral clinking to the cliff face, and then *nothing*. It was a good thing we float, or we might have fallen over. The guide there brought some food for the fish, and so there was plenty of life to be seen. Jess and I, more experienced snorkelers, jumped right in first and swam around mostly on our own. We used the buddy system, though, so we were safe. As we came back to the boat, I got followed by a tiny, tiny little yellowtail fish. I think he thought I was some sort of manta ray or other massive fish he could take refuge beside. Either that or my sunscreen tasted good.
The second location was more shallow, only about 14 feet deep, and so it was much easier to see there, and boy was there a lot to see. There were more crags and crevices to look around in, which was nice for exploring, but a little intimidating, as far as hidden sea life goes. For example, Jess found a shark.
See that fin in the middle underneath the rock? Yeah, that's Jessie's shark.
It was sleeping, just lying there under an outcropping of coral. Jess told the guide and he brought everyone over to take a look. Meanwhile, Jess and I zipped around to see tons of urchins, fish, and other creatures that may or may not have been poisonous. I’m just saying I was the nervous one, that’s all. On the way back into the boat, we saw some jellyfish. Very small, and almost transparent in the water.
After a quick lunch break, we did some SNUBA. Now snuba is like scuba, in that you breathe air from a tank, but whereas scuba requires some training and you strap the tank to your back, in snuba the tank floats at the surface of the water, so you can only go down about 15 feet, the length of the tube. At that distance, decompression and the bends aren’t a consideration at all, so you don’t need to be certified to do it.
Anyway, we went out to the location, got all suited up, and then got to swimming around underwater. Having been scuba certified was definitely helpful, and Jess and I felt really comfortable in the water. It was very relaxing and a lot of fun. Being able to swim around wherever you want is a very nice sensation. You do tend to keep it slow, though. Nice and relaxed. There were fish and shells and coral and other strange sights to see, and all too soon it was over and time to head back to the boat.
After that, we came back, had some food, and relaxed away the evening. Jess found the new Star Trek movie on TV, and we watched it 1.5 times while I goofed off, read a book, and jotted down some notes about our trip. So that I could write this, as it turns out.
And then, once again to the rocking of the cruise ship, we fell asleep.
-N
We had to get up early for our morning jaunt. Quoth Jessie: “Whose idea was it to wake up this early and go snorkeling?” We ordered some room service for breakfast, which did show up late, but there was smoked salmon with bagles, so I forgave them. Delish.
 |
| From Caribbean Trip |
We did snorkeling at two places. The first was about thirty feet deep, a coral bed with lots of fish and neat looking underwater plant life to look at. And then right over to our right, directly to the side, was a 7000 foot drop. No exaggeration. And it was a sheer drop, too. A couple of coral clinking to the cliff face, and then *nothing*. It was a good thing we float, or we might have fallen over. The guide there brought some food for the fish, and so there was plenty of life to be seen. Jess and I, more experienced snorkelers, jumped right in first and swam around mostly on our own. We used the buddy system, though, so we were safe. As we came back to the boat, I got followed by a tiny, tiny little yellowtail fish. I think he thought I was some sort of manta ray or other massive fish he could take refuge beside. Either that or my sunscreen tasted good.
 |
| From Caribbean Trip |
The second location was more shallow, only about 14 feet deep, and so it was much easier to see there, and boy was there a lot to see. There were more crags and crevices to look around in, which was nice for exploring, but a little intimidating, as far as hidden sea life goes. For example, Jess found a shark.
 |
| From Caribbean Trip |
See that fin in the middle underneath the rock? Yeah, that's Jessie's shark.
It was sleeping, just lying there under an outcropping of coral. Jess told the guide and he brought everyone over to take a look. Meanwhile, Jess and I zipped around to see tons of urchins, fish, and other creatures that may or may not have been poisonous. I’m just saying I was the nervous one, that’s all. On the way back into the boat, we saw some jellyfish. Very small, and almost transparent in the water.
After a quick lunch break, we did some SNUBA. Now snuba is like scuba, in that you breathe air from a tank, but whereas scuba requires some training and you strap the tank to your back, in snuba the tank floats at the surface of the water, so you can only go down about 15 feet, the length of the tube. At that distance, decompression and the bends aren’t a consideration at all, so you don’t need to be certified to do it.
 |
| From Caribbean Trip |
Anyway, we went out to the location, got all suited up, and then got to swimming around underwater. Having been scuba certified was definitely helpful, and Jess and I felt really comfortable in the water. It was very relaxing and a lot of fun. Being able to swim around wherever you want is a very nice sensation. You do tend to keep it slow, though. Nice and relaxed. There were fish and shells and coral and other strange sights to see, and all too soon it was over and time to head back to the boat.
After that, we came back, had some food, and relaxed away the evening. Jess found the new Star Trek movie on TV, and we watched it 1.5 times while I goofed off, read a book, and jotted down some notes about our trip. So that I could write this, as it turns out.
And then, once again to the rocking of the cruise ship, we fell asleep.
-N
Our Cruise, Day 2
Caribbean, Day 2
When we woke up, we went out on our balcony and saw flying fish. Yeah, actual flying fish, darting alongside the boat. I’d never seen them live before, but Jess tells me they follow boats all the time in that part of the world.
This was our ‘day at sea’, which is to say the boat didn’t stop anywhere, so we took our time and explored most of the nooks and crannies of the boat. We found a pool at the back of the boat and hung out there for a while, which was really fun because the boat was rocking a little bit and so the pool had this neat, wavy motion pretty much the whole time. We boated through a downpour, too, but only a brief one, and since we were in the pool already, we didn’t have to worry about getting wet.
Jess took another nap (hey, we’re on vacation!) and I went on the galley tour. I got to see the big, main kitchens where they do the dinners in the fancy dining rooms. It was a lot of stainless steel, and they had set up a little ingredient tour for us where we got to see some of the stuff they work with and some of the things they make with it. They had a guy carving elaborate patterns in a cantaloupe there. I’d seen pictures, but never anything like that in person. Very pretty.
I also dropped by the art auction, which was nice in its own way, if not a little silly, and the Cigar bar (where Blood Power would be performing later!)
Then it was time for dinner. Formal night, this time, which meant we got to dress up in the fancy clothes we brought along. Something I hadn’t mentioned before was that you always had dinner in the same location, with the same people. We were with a nice couple from Boston and another from the Florida area. We would sit and chat about cruising, what we had done, and what was upcoming and exciting. There was another couple there the day before, but we never saw them at dinner again. The may have just hung out by the Pizzaria.
After dinner, we went to the ‘Show’. They had one on the boat most every night. This night it was a ‘revue’ of a sort, which is to say people singing and dancing and some ladies in costumes with massive feather fans and the like. I sat there through several of the songs trying to figure out what the point was. I didn’t like the music much, and if I want to see scantily clad ladies, I don’t have to put up with bad music to do it. Eventually we just dodged out of the theatre early and hung out on the balcony, watching the sun set and the boat move. The motion of the waves against the bow is really hypnotic.
And then more blood power band! We saw them in the cigar bar and listened for quite a while, but not quite so late, we had to get up in the morning. There was *adventure* to be done.
-N
When we woke up, we went out on our balcony and saw flying fish. Yeah, actual flying fish, darting alongside the boat. I’d never seen them live before, but Jess tells me they follow boats all the time in that part of the world.
This was our ‘day at sea’, which is to say the boat didn’t stop anywhere, so we took our time and explored most of the nooks and crannies of the boat. We found a pool at the back of the boat and hung out there for a while, which was really fun because the boat was rocking a little bit and so the pool had this neat, wavy motion pretty much the whole time. We boated through a downpour, too, but only a brief one, and since we were in the pool already, we didn’t have to worry about getting wet.
 |
| From Caribbean Trip |
Jess took another nap (hey, we’re on vacation!) and I went on the galley tour. I got to see the big, main kitchens where they do the dinners in the fancy dining rooms. It was a lot of stainless steel, and they had set up a little ingredient tour for us where we got to see some of the stuff they work with and some of the things they make with it. They had a guy carving elaborate patterns in a cantaloupe there. I’d seen pictures, but never anything like that in person. Very pretty.
I also dropped by the art auction, which was nice in its own way, if not a little silly, and the Cigar bar (where Blood Power would be performing later!)
 |
| From Caribbean Trip |
Then it was time for dinner. Formal night, this time, which meant we got to dress up in the fancy clothes we brought along. Something I hadn’t mentioned before was that you always had dinner in the same location, with the same people. We were with a nice couple from Boston and another from the Florida area. We would sit and chat about cruising, what we had done, and what was upcoming and exciting. There was another couple there the day before, but we never saw them at dinner again. The may have just hung out by the Pizzaria.
After dinner, we went to the ‘Show’. They had one on the boat most every night. This night it was a ‘revue’ of a sort, which is to say people singing and dancing and some ladies in costumes with massive feather fans and the like. I sat there through several of the songs trying to figure out what the point was. I didn’t like the music much, and if I want to see scantily clad ladies, I don’t have to put up with bad music to do it. Eventually we just dodged out of the theatre early and hung out on the balcony, watching the sun set and the boat move. The motion of the waves against the bow is really hypnotic.
And then more blood power band! We saw them in the cigar bar and listened for quite a while, but not quite so late, we had to get up in the morning. There was *adventure* to be done.
-N
Our Cruise, Day 1
So, because people seem to like reading about it, is a rundown of our Caribbean vacation. In brief, though, because there’s a lot of stuff that happened.
How about we start with DAY 1
This was monday, and we got in a little early to check in and enjoy the lunch buffet. They were smart to make the check in process as much as possible like an airport, because that way everyone knew what was going on. There was a pretty long line, what with 5000 people all trying to do the same thing, but they did a pretty good job of ferrying everyone through the process and before we knew it, we were on board and enjoying a lunch buffet. The rumors are all true, there is a lot of food on a Cruise Ship. There was different stuff at the buffet every day, and we had to be careful not to stuff ourselves to destruction every time we sat down for food.
We checked out our room next, and then we had to do something called a ‘muster drill’ where we all went down to where we would have to go in the event of an evacuation and put on our life vests. After ‘passing muster’ we come back to the room, where Jess took a nap and I looked over some options for stuff to do on the boat and in the various ports. And then it was time for dinner.
We had dinner in the Universe Dining room, and while understated, I have to say that dinner was the most impressive feat on the boat. Simultaneously serving 1700 people, in two dining rooms, with delicious prepared foods...while at sea. For a week. But they did it, and they made it look easy. We just had to sit down, order appetizers, entree, and dessert, and the food just started coming out. You could order whatever you wanted, as much as you wanted, and it was all covered by your ticket. The food was delicious, too. Jess and I would order food and then taste each others stuff to see who had the best dinner. I like being married. Jess also ordered the ‘Chocolate Melting Cake’, with extra ice cream. That became her favorite dessert on the trip. I generally went for whatever they were serving that I hadn’t tried before. With the exception of the one time I ordered the smoked salmon, because I love smoked salmon.
After dinner, Jess went off to get a massage, which is always nice because I ask her to teach me things she liked every time she goes. I’m slowly becoming a massage expert. While she was doing that, I consulted the ‘Carival Capers’ newsletter, which is this thing they hand out every day that details what will be happening on and around the ship. It’s a good summary of events, times, and places to go do things.
One of the things that caught my eye on the guide was a band called ‘Blood Power’. I had no idea what they were, but with a name like Blood Power, I had to go check them out. As it turns out, they were a rock cover band, four gentlemen of Phillipino descent. When I got there they were halfway through the solo to Freebird, and were doing quite well. I decided to stay until they played something I didn’t like, and I ended up staying for the entire first set. I went back to the room to get Jessie, and we came back and listened to them until 1 in the morning. We are big fans of the Blood Power Band.
While we were listening I also discovered that I like whiskey. My drink of choice for the tour was Jameson on the Rocks. I would get that whenever I ordered a drink, which wasn’t often. Jess liked the big fruity things with little umbrellas in them. It’s a cruise, what did you expect?
After a long night, we crashed in bed and slept. Jess loved sleeping on the boat, neither of us (evidently) gets motion sickness and the gentle rocking of the boat put us both right to sleep.
-N
How about we start with DAY 1
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| From Caribbean Trip |
We checked out our room next, and then we had to do something called a ‘muster drill’ where we all went down to where we would have to go in the event of an evacuation and put on our life vests. After ‘passing muster’ we come back to the room, where Jess took a nap and I looked over some options for stuff to do on the boat and in the various ports. And then it was time for dinner.
We had dinner in the Universe Dining room, and while understated, I have to say that dinner was the most impressive feat on the boat. Simultaneously serving 1700 people, in two dining rooms, with delicious prepared foods...while at sea. For a week. But they did it, and they made it look easy. We just had to sit down, order appetizers, entree, and dessert, and the food just started coming out. You could order whatever you wanted, as much as you wanted, and it was all covered by your ticket. The food was delicious, too. Jess and I would order food and then taste each others stuff to see who had the best dinner. I like being married. Jess also ordered the ‘Chocolate Melting Cake’, with extra ice cream. That became her favorite dessert on the trip. I generally went for whatever they were serving that I hadn’t tried before. With the exception of the one time I ordered the smoked salmon, because I love smoked salmon.
After dinner, Jess went off to get a massage, which is always nice because I ask her to teach me things she liked every time she goes. I’m slowly becoming a massage expert. While she was doing that, I consulted the ‘Carival Capers’ newsletter, which is this thing they hand out every day that details what will be happening on and around the ship. It’s a good summary of events, times, and places to go do things.
 |
| From Caribbean Trip |
While we were listening I also discovered that I like whiskey. My drink of choice for the tour was Jameson on the Rocks. I would get that whenever I ordered a drink, which wasn’t often. Jess liked the big fruity things with little umbrellas in them. It’s a cruise, what did you expect?
After a long night, we crashed in bed and slept. Jess loved sleeping on the boat, neither of us (evidently) gets motion sickness and the gentle rocking of the boat put us both right to sleep.
-N
Things to do while waiting for a party to start
Well, today we are celebrating Matt's birthday. We started with hefty breakfast at Pamela's (famous for their fried in butter pancakes- ooooo :), and then I surprised Matt with tickets to the Steel City Big Pour, an amazing event that benefits Construction Junction, and features breweries from all over the country. We chatted with some people, had great food and beer and headed home to prepare the house.
Right now, we sit with munchies in place, a sextel of Dogfishhead's 60 min IPA in the kitchen and a happy Matt on the couch. Should be a good night.
I am sharing a photo below from Papa's birthday party (lovely!), and also and album of pictures of Raoul. Betty make him a brand new kitty bed for his birthday, which, you can see, he enjoys a lot.
The position on top of my dresser is where he has been settled in this summer- the new bed makes him really happy.
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