Bond, Sandy Bond

'007' was the theme in the casino last night and if you hit on "00" or "7" straight up, you also won a martini. I won on 7! So, they paid me 35-1 and brought me my martini. I felt so Bond-ish and international sitting there drinking it. Well, I can't say I'm a fan of vermouth but I kept trying to get an acquired taste for it. Then when Candice and I went up for pizza, the martini lost all it's mystic. Since there wasn't money floating around the table, no James Bond movie theme music being played in the background, and the lack of tuxedos the allure was long gone. Needless to say I left the rest of the drink on the table with the plate of pizza crust up on the Lido deck. I just need them to change it to a Jack Daniel's promo so I can win a free whiskey sour instead!

I've taken up fencing as of 9 a.m. this morning. Quite the sport! More exerting than you think. It was fun and our instructor, Chris, is certified with the British Fencing Board to teach the class. If you can believe it, we had to sign a waiver. I asked if we were signing our 'eye' away instead of our life. It was very safe but deceivingly wearing, hot and sweaty. Other classes to follow once Candice gets her first lesson under her belt, I'll duel her. On-guard!

Pollywogs - We'll be No More!

Pollywog: Someone who has never crossed the equator by way of water. We crossed the equator today, Friday, Feb. 5th, and there is an historic tradition which dates back to the 14th century when the Spanish and Portuguese explorers discovered that the world was not flat. The excitement of sailing into the southern part of the world became a quasi religious/mythological play involving King Neptune and his court for all those who were 'crossing the line' for the first time. Pollywogs would be coated with various nasty liquids found in the bilge of the ship and then suspended by the ankles and plunged into the sea.

Well the bilge that Cunard used today was leftover breakfast foods from the buffet, pasta and whipped topping. After King Neptune and his court 'came aboard' we paraded in and duly kissed the fish! Then the prosecutions started, punishment was administered and the food started flying! What fun! After the ceremony we all got in the pool to wash off and I felt a little sorry for the crew that had to clean up the mess. Needless to say this pool was closed for the rest of day for cleaning. Candice and I thought we survived pretty good until one of the pirates spotted Candice waving to the camera and smiling. Soon she was pinned down on the table and getting the 'full works' treatment. I tried to come to her rescue but the floor was one big slick mess. It was funny and the pictures that Gail and Leona took for us tell the whole story. We'll post them later when we are on land when the uploads won't take so long.

We survived the crossing and received a certificate from the captain that was delivered to our cabin marking our initiation. Just call us Shellbacks from now on! Of course, all this will be played out again as we cross back over the northern hemisphere.

Timing, Postings and E-mails

I think we are about to get our bearings down as far as getting our messages out. We thought we had it all figured out the other day when we had moved the pictures and the text to our jump-drive but when we went to the internet cafe on the ship there was no way to access the computers. I guess they are afraid of catching a virus. So it wasn't as simple as we planned. We have since re-grouped and think we have a plan of attack. We will post text while on the ship and post pictures while on land IF internet is available. So these first few postings will be long and contain quite a few days. Hopefully, we'll get this down pat. We only have 11 more weeks to figure this out! Ha, ha.

Shout Out

Welcome to the Jackson's. Our newest fans on the blog! Welcome to all other first-timers too!

Cyclone

We went through a cyclone last night and on to early this morning. It was in its infancy, so that was a good thing. The Captain announced today that we didn't get a warning soon enough to change course and it was going to be inevitable. So scratch that off my list of things to do in life, experience a cyclone - check. We call our hallway the 'chasm of death' because it squeaks, creaks, and talks so much. This ship was just launched in 2007, so it's not because it's old. I think it is because we have the weight of the life boats on both sides of our deck and that puts a little stress on the boat but Candice thinks its because we are in the center of the boat. Probably a little bit of both.

Stealth Alphabet

Tomorrow, Superbowl Sunday, we will be in Pago Pago. We have discovered that Pago Pago is pronounced Pango Pango. Now we've gone from the Hawaiian language of very few consonants to a language with hidden ones. At least we are not renting a car on this island. As a matter of fact I don't even think there is such an animal on this small island. There is no public transportation so it will be all foot work for us. I will be hunting for this hotel called the Rainmaker Hotel. It was built back in the 60's and is now owned by the government. it is in such disrepair that they tell you, you must stay at least one night for kicks. Doors are off the hinges, shutters missing and the swimming pool is green with algae. It has been dubbed the shabbiest hotel in the South Pacific. They say politicians meet there regularly. I'll check out who is 'in the house' if I can find it and report back to you. Care to lay any bets?

Sandy

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