November 29 and 30 - The Gulf of Aden

Sea day number 4.  We’re motoring along doing 16.1 knots on our way to Salalah, Oman.  We haven’t seen any pirates or rockets or much of anything except a few freighters.  Our excitement this morning  was a small plane that flew over us at a pretty low altitude and all of us on deck had to have a look. Since it wasn’t a helicopter we weren’t concerned.  (I’m guessing you heard about the ship last week that was taken over by people coming down from a chopper.)

I'm just going to add some random photos so you don't have to only read my blathering about nothing.

Some of us girls at dinner in the TK Grill a couple of nights ago

I asked this bartender what his name was because he wasn't wearing a name tag. He said his name wouldn't fit because it's "Super-duper Amazing Brian."  He makes the best cocktails.

Last night we had a girls’ night dinner in the restaurant.  My two new friends and I dined with the Guest Services Manager who is a delightful lady from Berlin, Germany.  I met her on my cruise to Antarctica and just coincidentally she’ll be on my next one too.  Anyway, I don’t think the four of us had laughed so much in a long, long time. Afterwards we went to the show which was a production with the Seabourn singers and dancers and it was enjoyable.  As usual we went down to the club afterwards but the music ended early for some unbeknownst reason.  We were not happy campers because we were ready to burn off at least a few calories.  Today we did let the cruise director know of our displeasure and we’ll see if that did any good tonight.

You know, this really is a small world.  My next-door neighbors here on the ship sailed with Al and me years ago when we did a similar cruise and they came to a party we had in our cabin on that voyage.  One of the ladies I’ve met lived in Kingsmill and then Williamsburg Landing for 20 some years until her husband passed away and then she went back to England.  It turns out that lady, Joyce, knows Cathy, one of my friends and neighbors in Holly Hills.  Last night when Joyce and I were having a drink before dinner we realized that we both follow Cathy’s volunteer dog-walking blog and Cathy has been reading my blog.  What are the odds that that would happen on a cruise in the middle east?

We’re still plugging away at trivia at noon.  We haven’t won, but there’s hope that our cumulative score will put us in the running.  Today a question was how many points does a knight get in chess.  I think everyone in the room  was flummoxed because we didn’t think there are points in chess.  We all guessed and we happened to guess correctly the number three. I’ve got to run now because my friends are in the jewelry fashion show and I have to cheer them on.

Some of my trivia team before a game. Notice they aren't studying.😁 

It’s tomorrow now.  The fashion show was nice.  One of my friends, Jude, wore a ruby and diamond  necklace that sells for over a quarter of million dollars.  I don’t think they actually sold anything. I had dinner with my friends and a man who is traveling solo since his wife died.  There is something about being on a cruise.  It hits you that the people on the ship can be anything they want to be; in other words there can be a lot of embellishment and puffery going on. He may be a wonderful guy but for whatever reason I take everything he says with a whole saltshaker of salt. It's just a feeling I have.

Some of my friends who modeled beautiful jewelry

After dinner we went to a magic show (bad – should have missed it) and then to the club.  The band did a better job; at least they played, but I was feeling a little off so I left around midnight.  I must have needed sleep because I turned off the light and woke up at almost 10 AM. I missed breakfast (no great loss) and now am writing a little before it’s time for trivia again.   I'd better post this.  Sorry if it's not exciting but sea days are just like that.