Too Cheap To Be True Answered

 A few months ago I wrote about a Carnival cruise we had booked that was so cheap it was Too Cheap To Be True. I meant to come right home and tell you about it but my cold/flu and bum knee made me forget about it...til now. Here is my honest opinion of our Carnival Venezia cruise that cost a grand total, including gratuities, $1402.

  First off we had an interior stateroom which I didn't think I would like. Wrong! What a perfect sleep you can get with only a teeny amount of red light coming off the exit light. Enough to get to the bathroom safely but not enough to keep you awake. The room was small but with only two of us, it seemed spacious. Lots of hangars, drawers, and hooks. Even though the TV hung on the wall, the console table with open shelves was a nice bonus as was the built-in fridge. A makeup table with seat was well-lit and equipped with enough plugins for an entire family. The two bedside tables had USB ports but no outlets. With so many people using CPAP machines that seems to be a huge oversight. Like all cruise ship bathrooms storage is not an issue. There are more than enough shelves and countertop space for everything.

  Okay let's discuss food. I always say if I don't have to cook it I'm happy. The app allows you to book a table for dinner in the main dining room and it works amazing! My only complaint is that there are two entrances on different floors and when your table is ready it doesn't say which floor to go to. It never failed we were on the wrong floor. Some food I didn't like. That's a matter of personal taste. But it all looked delicious and was presented perfectly. Sometimes the service wasn't the greatest but I think there were quite a few "newbies".

  The late-night pizza place was a hit if the lineups were any indication. We only got it once and it was good. The after-hours buffet had quite a few choices but again we didn't sample it often as we ate our dinners later than most. I never saw a chicken wing except on the room service menu and one late night after several margaritas we splurged. They were really good! And cheap...$6 I think. Only once did I send a meal back and that was my lobster tail. I'm from the east coast and I know when a lobster needs a few more minutes on the grill. 

  We went to the piano bar, comedy club, sports bar, and the main theater. The shows were very good and I liked that there were several comedians during our 9 days. I spent a bit of time at the art auction but everything I liked was crazy expensive. The outdoor movies were a hit. As were the dance parties. There was always trivia which I love. You could always be doing something if that's how you spend your vacay.

  Ours was a casino deal which is why it was so cheap. I always play the slots on every cruise however even though we have been on two other cruise lines with casinos only Carnival has ever offered me discounts. Interesting considering this deal was offered after we had only traveled with them once. Norwegian we've done 7 or 8 with you and nothing...what's up with that? The deal also included free drinks for both of us while in the casino. Nice perk since the drink package was very, very expensive. I know people complained on other blogs that they rarely got served but we had a totally different experience. We had excellent service and always brought some cash with us to tip which I'm sure helped.

  Like every single cruise we have been on you cannot get a deck chair by the pool.  Too many people stay in the hot tubs for too long drinking too much. You know what some of them are doing in there. Your fellow travelers will push you out of the way, forget their manners, and be rude. There are always kids running around with no regard for anyone else and parents who couldn't care less. A few drunks will misbehave and several couples will have huge fights right in the middle of your enjoyment. With 4K plus in a small space how can it not be a little chaotic?

  Overall the cruise was fantastic. The staff was always wonderful. We never saw our stateroom attendant though the room was always spotless and any midnight snack dishes were removed before we had a chance to put them out. The cruise director MarQ Anthony was so energetic, and fun and always had time to chat. He knew who needed a little nudge to let loose and how to keep the party going. 

  I would give the staff, service, entertainment, food, and cleanliness all a 9 out of 10. We really had few complaints. I wasn't a fan of the Italian theme and thought it looked a little tacky though hubby disagreed on that. The shopping wasn't great but it never is and the constant photographers at dinner were annoying. Those factors dropped it down to an overall 8 out of 10.

  The big question "Was it too cheap to be true" is answered simply with not by a long shot. In fact, had this been a $2500 or even $3000 costing vacation it still would have been great! It was 9 days after all. There are real deals to be had and we got one. 

  Thanks Carnival Venezia! Ciao!

  Ang

  

It Can Always Be Worse

    "There's always something isn't there?" That is my Mom's favorite saying. In fact, I hear her say it every single time I speak to her on the phone. While I don't use it half as much as she uses hers, my go-to is "It could have been worse". That's what I have been saying to others about myself this week in record numbers. If I'm honest many times these past seven days I've murmured it to myself. Cause what happened last week could have been much, much worse!

  The days are getting warmer and the sunshine makes me want to head outside. After fighting a flu/cold for four weeks I was ready to dip my toes in the sunshine and take my velcro dog Cricket for a walk. He was very excited when the harness came out! In hindsight too excited! As I stood on the top step, with my hand on the leash strap, he took off. And so did I. While he managed to stay on all fours I was not so lucky. 

  Long story short, I landed on my knee, twice, then my side on the concrete while he ran at the apparently threatening school bus. I knew I was hurt. Instantly. I couldn't get up by myself but with the help of a few neighbors, I hobbled into my house to ice my expanding knee. And man did it expand! I even had to take my capris off as they were cutting the circulation with the swelling.

  After a long, painful thirty minutes I knew I needed an x-ray and a health care professional to take a peek. It only took five hours to be seen at Urgent Care, and no I am not being sarcastic I was the final patient of the day and very happy to be seen at all, to be told no ligaments were torn. But an x-ray was needed in the morning to check for a fracture. They gave me a "fast pass", yes like at Disney theme parks, for the morning and sent me home.

  I couldn't maneuver the stairs but the sofa was comfy and we left early to get my x-ray. No fracture, nothing torn but an unbelievable amount of swelling and tightness. Trauma the doctor called it. A few meds for pain, a knee brace and cane, and directions to rest as much as possible for a few weeks. See? It could have been much worse!

  That was a week ago. My entire leg is bruised and the knee is still swollen...itchy too and no matter how much I scratch it doesn't stop. Unexpectedly the bruising and swelling have gone down into my ankle and foot. Weird isn't it? Even my toes are bruised! There hasn't been much pain for a few days now. I sleep in my own bed using my handy cane to take the stairs slowly. Walking is easier and I even managed a shower! Hubby however won't leave the house with me. He's scared of what people will say to him and honestly, I can't blame him for that.

  We are so wrapped up in our own worlds, which is perfectly normal, that sometimes we need to remember that things can always be worse. I've been confined to my house and my recliner. How lucky am I to have both? Lots do not. Having to give over the reins to my family...how lucky am I to be loved by people who will do it without complaint! Imagine what my week would have been like in a cast with no one to care for me or an extended hospital stay and surgery. I'm very thankful it wasn't worse.

  Count your blessings people. Life can always be worse. And yes Mom there is always something!

  Ang

  

  

The Blacklist - Thanks - Sort Of

 Anyone who knows me even remotely well can tell you I love James Spader. Alan Shore was one of the greatest characters ever written. Honestly, I never thought I could ever see Mr. Spader act in anything and not see him as Denny Crane's husband on Boston Legal. Ten years ago I was proven wrong. The Blacklist hit the small screen and I was once again in awe of the acting genius that is James Spader. Raymond Reddington was an even better character. Quirks and all!

  The pilot episode started out with Red walking into the FBI building and being surrounded by security, guns drawn, alarms sounding. He was, of course, number one on the FBI Most Wanted list. From that opening scene, we are whisked away on the adventure of a lifetime. I've laughed, cried, covered my ears, and shielded my eyes. Some characters I loved. Others I hated. But each week we met a new "blacklister" and watched Reddington and his FBI task force apprehend the criminals law enforcement didn't know about.

  Jon Bokencamp, the show's creator, is brilliant. He made the most horrible people not just likable but lovable! Teddy, a torturer who uses animals to get information and who tried to get his son into the family business, made criminals talk using violent yet inventive methods. Glen, aka Jellybean, worked at the DMV and could track anyone no matter how hidden they were. He was crude and rude not to mention a fabulous bowler. When Clark Middleton died, the actor who played Glen, the writers penned an episode about his funeral that included Huey Lewis and the Statue of Liberty and introduced us to his mom Paula who was a real hoot!

  After 10 years of watching and rewatching, trying to figure out answers to long-held questions, and wondering who exactly Raymond Reddington was, last night was the series finale. In two hours they were going to answer all my questions and explain what I couldn't figure out. I was excited. I was sad. I was on the edge of my seat. I was ready! 

  What I ended up being, and it hurts me very much to say this, was disappointed. Yup I said it. It wasn't the ending this spectacular show deserved. It certainly wasn't the ending the fans deserved. When the two hours were over I was left with the same questions I've had since the beginning. If anything I had more things I needed answers to. 

  I don't know how the show should have ended. Red alive or dead. The task force in jail or off to find new adventures. But I do know last night's ending was not it. Right up until the final scenes I was on board. I even knew Raymond would die. Maybe an hour three was needed. To tie things up. The reading of his will perhaps or a letter left for Harold Cooper. Perhaps Dembe, played by the fabulous Hisham Tawfiq, could have spilled the secrets he knew. Something. Anything.

  This morning I checked other fan reactions on social media. Apparently I was not alone. I would say for every "great ending" comment I saw there were twenty "disappointing" ones. Blacklist fan groups are hating on it in record numbers. Everyone seems to be thinking the same way...good for Raymond going out on his own terms but bad for those of us wanting answers. Many use the words cheated and robbed. 

  Like many shows before it, Lost springs to mind, we are left without answers to the questions we carried with us from season to season. After ten years to still be in the dark about the show's core "secrets" is one thing but to end it without answering even one of them is wrong. It's disrespectful. And it's what we got.

  Ang 

  

  

No Thank You

 Recently someone asked me if I wanted to do something with them to which I replied "no but thanks for the offer". That should have been the end of it. You asked. I answered. But it wasn't. And that bothered me.

  Why do people feel they deserve an explanation when told no? Isn't no enough? Ummm yeah, it most certainly is. My response would have been different if one of my nearest and dearest had asked. I would have given a reason as I declined though none was necessary. They would understand without being told. Yet somehow someone who I spend very little time with thought it was her right to demand an explanation. Then ask yet again for one when none was provided.

  Would the truthful answer have stopped her questions? I don't think so. The reason I said no was that I just didn't want to. Period. But I have my doubts that to this particular person that would not be a valid reason to refuse. She would be wrong.

  We all wake up some days and want to do nothing. Watch a little tv or read a book. Stay in pj's and bake cookies or eat ice cream out of the container. And that's perfectly okay. Sometimes we change our minds and cancel plans and that's okay too! Our friends will know if we are just having a moment or if we are going into a slide and in need of some help. Then "no thank you" will not be enough for them and they will figure out a way to help or get you to people who can help. Those are your close friends.

  From birth we are hard-wired to ask for explanations. Remember asking your parents if you could go somewhere and they said no? I'd bet money your next question was "why not". I'd bet my life savings that they replied "because I said so". No further conversation was going to happen. You asked. They answered. End of discussion. 

  Does that mean we don't owe an explanation to children but we do to adults? I'd say the total opposite. Explain to your kids the reasons why. Tell them your job is to keep them safe and what they want to do might not be safe. Or that you did that as a child and the results were disastrous. They might learn from your mistakes or at least not fight back quite as hard because you didn't dismiss them. 

  Bottom line...if an explanation isn't offered, don't ask for one. Don't think you know better or that if you cajole me enough I'll change my mind. I won't. What I will do is resent you for not respecting me or my wishes. 

  Ang 

  

Happy Canada Day!!

  Happy Canada Day!!! July 1 is our day to celebrate being the greatest country on earth. We watch concerts, see fireworks, paint our faces, and put flags all over ourselves. It's the one day a year we proudly display our patriotism. For reasons unknown to me, tomorrow those displays are gone and we are back to our quiet self-deprecating ways. So let's enjoy these 24 hours while we can!

  Canada has made the world a better place in so many ways. Think about Frederick Banting who at 32 was the youngest person ever to receive the Noble Peace Prize for medicine. As amazing as that is, his work in the discovery of insulin changed the lives of tens of millions of people worldwide. Pretty impressive.

  Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone. James Naismith gave the world basketball. What would the weekend be without Saturday Night Live, the brainchild of Lorne Michaels? Terry Fox and Rick Hansen showed us all that physical challenges could be overcome with mental fortitude and kindness. And how many of you chose Celine Dion singing My Heart Will Go On as your wedding song? You're welcome!

  Margaret Atwood is one of the greatest authors of this century. She and Lucy Maud Montgomery are heralded throughout the world. Ten years before Rosa Parks started a chain of events in the US, Viola Desmond refused to move out of the "white's only" section of a movie theater. And we claim both Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Ryan Reynolds as our own. 

  We lead the world in freshwater and our military is praised for its many peacekeeping missions.  Our politeness and willingness to help others is legendary. Wayne Gretzky, Sidney Crosby, Brooke Henderson and Steve Nash all call Canada home. We have the highest tides in the world, the best view of the northern lights and world-renowned maple syrup.

  Universal healthcare, an old age pension, and the "baby bonus" are all things we can be proud of.  Mr. Dressup and The Friendly Giant entertained the kids while their parents watched This Hour Has 22 Minutes or played Trivial Pursuit. We gave the world the paint roller and garbage bags...imagine life without those! Not to mention peanut butter, the Wonder Bra and the pacemaker.

  Canada is not perfect. We have skeletons in our closets we are deeply ashamed of. Our historic, and more recent, treatment of Indigenous people is horrific. We need to overhaul both the healthcare and education systems. There is a lot of work to do with this fentanyl crisis and kids dying by their own hands. But...

  I still believe for all our faults we live in the greatest country on earth! Happy Canada Day to us!!

  Ang

  

Prince William & Homeward UK

  Prince William is a founder, supporter, and benefactor of a British charity known as Homewards UK. This noble group is trying to end homelessness in the UK. Their goal is "Demonstrating that together we can end homelessness - making it rare, brief and unrepeated." How is that for an objective! Yesterday the Prince of Wales pledged 3 million pounds from his foundation to get things rolling. Of course, naysayers are attacking him as throwing money at the problem leaving someone else to do the actual work. Those comments infuriated me.

  People being "unhoused" is a problem all of us have to help with. Even those with lots of money like William. We can't attack someone who wants to be part of the solution. In this case, the POW can bring attention to the cause in a way most others cannot. He will spotlight needs and solutions as the press covers his every move. And come on 3 million pounds is nothing to sneeze at!

  It used to bother me when Leonardo DiCaprio lectured us on environmental issues as he arrived on a private jet and commuted in a big SUV. Or Angelina Jolie talking about poverty in her designer clothes and expensive jewelry. I always wondered if they saw the hypocrisy in their words compared to their actions. Whether they do or not is irrelevant. They bring attention to the cause. Much-needed conversations take place because they showed up. Prince William is in that same category. And for the record, these things don't bother me quite so much anymore.

  So many of us, myself included, sit back and do nothing about the issues we say we care so much about. Or we send a one-time donation. Then we sit back in our moral superiority and judge other people's actions. When in reality we should be getting off our asses and doing something about it. Voting for those who agree with us on issues, emailing our representatives, giving our time to said causes, and donating when and what we can are all positive steps.

  Homelessness is a human problem. It's our brothers and sisters. Our school friends and military veterans fall victim to it. The mentally ill and the abused suffer most often. It's the educated and uneducated. Children are affected too. If we really care that much we all need to follow William's lead or stop judging him. 

  Keep showing up Prince William! Make your Grandma proud!

  Ang

  

  

  

Baby Boom

  Mr. Al Pacino and his girlfriend Noor are having a baby! Isn't that wonderful news? A baby should always be celebrated, especially when it will be in a home filled with love. Like his friend Robert DeNiro, who welcomed his 7th child a few weeks back, Al is a little bit older than the average new father. The "average" age of fathers is 30 years and 9 months. Both of the men mentioned above have that number beaten by almost 50 years!

  These babies are by no means the men's first child. DeNiro has five adult children and a tween...not to mention grandkids. Pacino has 3, all twenty-plus. And both men are with significantly younger women. Mr. DeNiro is 79 and his "rumored" girlfriend is estimated to be 45 or 46. Al Pacino is 83 while his latest baby momma is 29. I ask the age-old question...what do they have in common?

  These highly successful actors have the financial means to look after their newborns forever. Children are expensive so their millions will come in handy. But raising kids isn't only about money. It's about time. Guidance. Kissing cuts. Reading bedtime stories. Soccer games and dance recitals. Giggles, nightmares, and snotty noses. And the harsh reality is these men have a very real possibility of dying sooner rather than later. Al Pacino will be 101 when his child graduates high school. DeNiro 97. Doesn't seem realistic to me that they will be around to see that walk across the stage.

  I wrote earlier that all babies should be celebrated and I meant it. However, I believe these men are irresponsible and vain. These infants will read about their dads and watch their movies not sit and color with them or go on play dates to the park. They are robbing these children of their most precious resource...time with their father. They both should know better and do better.

  Is that ageist? Maybe. Women get criticized for having babies in their forties. We hear that we are too old for late-night feedings and diaper rash. And that's at 45! Imagine what we would hear in our 70's! Oh wait most women are terrified of the thought of a baby in their late 40's let alone in their geriatric years.

  Bottom line is no one would think this was wonderful if it was Grandpa Bob who was retired from the gas company. Or octogenarian Al who was a middle manager at the local grocery store. Creepy would be more like it. This is okay only because they are celebrities. We give them all a pass because of how they earn their fortunes. That's on us.

  Remember just because you can doesn't mean you should.

  Ang