Planking

Being the adventuresome little monkey that I am, I'll try anything once, but this planking stuff seems a little ridiculous to me...


Watching the space shuttle take off was much more fun...

Help me!!!

I was sitting on the old lady's lap in the big car thingy when she opened the door to reach for the mail out of the box and I fell out!!! She didn't know! She shut the door and drove off and left me there!!! Then it got darker and darker. I was so scared. At last I saw headlights going coming down the drive and thought, at last, the old lady has come back to save me... but she drove right by!!! I remembered she'd said something about a meeting she had to go to so she must have been headed there. By now it was pitch black out. I was hearing rustling in the bushes and then a big bird flew right over my head! I thought it was an owl or a hawk and it would grab me and carry me off. Finally, I saw headlights coming back down the road and was sure the old lady would get me this time, but she drove by again!!! I was doomed. I started sobbing and calling but no one heard me. Then suddenly I heard a noise that sounded like the golf cart coming down the drive. I hate that golf cart after I got left in it once in the rain, but it gave me hope this time. Sure enough, it came down the driveway, but went right passed me! The old lady had the recycle bins in the cart and set them off by the road. She turned around and came past me again, but this time she was going really slow. I shouted and called and tried to jump up and down. Just when I thought she'd missed me again, she stopped the golf cart, backed it up, jumped out and ran over and got me. She told me she was so worried when she couldn't find me and that no one else in the house would get off their lazy butts and help her look. She had no idea I had fallen out of the car by the mail box. She just happened to see something out of the corner of her eye on the ground that didn't look like it belonged there.

So now I'm safe and sound once again. The really scary part is, later that night, it poured down rain! If I'd stayed out all night, I would have been soaked and I'd have the wet disease for sure!

Monday Morning

Waaaaaaahhhhhhhh....

Last Full Day

Sunday:

Last day on the ship. We didn’t do much today but sit around, eat, shake our heads at the crazy girls getting tans, eat, read, eat, watch the dolphins play in the surf from waaayyy up out a window, eat, gamble, eat, and eat some more. If you look really closely at all that blue, those little dots are dolphins leaping out of the water.

I really tried to win the cost of the cruise back for the old lady, but every way I hit that little button, we lost. I tried standing on my head, holding my tongue differently, using my foot but nothing worked. I even kissed and petted the machine, but still nothing.

So now the sun is setting on the final day of our cruise. When we wake up tomorrow morning, we'll be back in Tampa. It's been a lot of fun, but I'll be happy to see Auntie and Daddy again.

Cozumel!

Saturday, 4:00 pm

So what does the crazy old lady do this morning?! After making me stay up until 2:00 am, she pops out of bed at 6:45!!! We had to be at the end of the pier by 8:45, but that’s ridiculous!!! We were looking out the window and couldn’t see land, so we thought we were still coming in, but as soon as we got up on deck for breakfast, there was Cozumel on the other side!

We had breakfast (STILL no bananas!!) and disembarked down to a huge long dock. When I turned around, there was the whole ship. It was even bigger than I thought. We met our tour under a sign for Mayan ruins and beach. I stayed hidden because I didn’t want to get in trouble for stowing away, since I didn’t have a ticket. Our guide was called Nacho and he was very friendly and knew all kinds of stuff about Cozumel and the Myan’s. My head hurts from all that learning.... We took a short bus ride through the island and landed at some simple ruins (not the stuff you see on TV), but still interesting. I was amazed at how well all that stuff held up, considering how old it is. I wonder if I’ll look that good when I get that old.... There was a really scary iguana living in one of the walls. I had to hide for awhile because I thought he was going to eat me.

At one point, the old lady placed me in the middle of the road to take my picture. Good thing there weren’t any cars around and then I got chance to pray to the Moon goddess and her husband the sun. After that, we saw the biggest tree I’ve ever seen. I wanted to climb it, but the old lady wouldn’t let me. On our way back to the bus, we bought a cool monkey t-shirt for Daddy and the old lady bought herself a pendant with the Myan calendar on it. Just as we were loading, the old lady spotted a hummingbird right outside the bus. I wanted to take it home with us, but she said we couldn’t catch it.

Then back on the bus for 30 min (at least I didn’t have to go back in the backpack) to a nice little beach. Too much water though... The old lady had raspberry and pinacollata something-r-others (which I stole a few sips of) but she kept getting in that scary water, so I just sat under the palm trees and napped.

At one point, she started jumping around and yelling. It turned out a little yellow fish, long and thin like a 4 inch shark with a brown stripe, kept bumping against her leg. He never bit her, but he wouldn't stop swimming in and out and around her legs. She finally had to get out of the water to get away from him. Guess he liked the taste of her sunscreen!

We had very yummy chicken quesadias there (nothing like American ones). Then we loaded back on the bus and headed back to town and the dock. We were supposed to meet all the other crazy girls at a place called Senior Frog's. It turned out to be a very scary place! Lots of loud music and, well, the staff was um kind of crazy.... Connie showed up after about 10 mins but none of the other girls did so we gave up after 45 min and left. But not fast enough because some crazy guy, that turned out to be from our ship, poured his drink down Connie's back... It was all sticky in her hair. Glad it wasn't me!!!

The old lady bought some more junk, like a hat for the man with the fuzzy face and some little rings for Auntie and I got a cool sombrero and a scarf. Then we headed back to the ship. The old lady swam in the pool on deck because no one else was around. She said it was nice, but it's a salt water pool, so she got all itchy and had to go down to take a shower. Salt or no salt, you won’t catch me anywhere near there!

Then the old lady and Connie sat in the room for awhile and read (while I snuggled with my Chica) but it was 20 below in there (you can't control your own thermostat, except to open or close a vent) so we left to wander about, but it was cold everywhere. So they came back and changed into long pants and jackets (yes, it was THAT cold) while I jumped under the covers. I’m not telling if I was alone or not. We monkey’s don’t kiss and tell. The old lady wandered around with Connie until dinner at 8:15. Then they looked for the supposed pool party, that never really materialized, the old lady went and sang a karaoke song by herself (so glad I missed that again) and now she’s back here in the room interrupting... Well, never mind.

Time for sleep! One more day....

Late Friday night

Just wanted to add an update... I think I’m in love... I wonder if the captain will marry us?

We had one scare where I had to hide under the pillows. These guys in uniform came in. I thought the law had finally caught up with us, but they just moved things around and turned down the corner of the bed. They left this guy behind to guard us...

The old lady said I didn’t miss much at dinner. There was tons of food again, of course. All they do around here is fatten you up and try to get you drunk. Of course, being a good little monkey, I stayed waaayyyy away from alcohol. Pay no attention to those pictures on Facebook...

After dinner, the old lady went and sang karaoke (glad I missed that!) Then they went and listened to a comedian named Kenny Miller. The old lady said he was surprisingly good (but no monkey jokes). Then it was back to the kareoke room again. I’m so glad I stayed here!

Finally she is back in the room... totally exhausted. Tomorrow we hit Cozumel. She says I can go, but Chica has to stay on board. I don’t think that’s very fair. Not sure I want to be separated so soon.

Day Two

Friday, 8:00 pm

I couldn’t believe the old lady woke me up at 7:45 this morning! I thought the whole point of being on vacation was to sleep all the time. And then she spent an hour screwing around with the little computer we brought, trying to get the internet to work, because she missed Auntie and Daddy and wanted to know if they were doing ok. I don’t miss anybody... Daddy who....

We went out on deck and all we could see for miles and miles was water!!! Ahhhhh... It was beautiful blue water.... but it was water!!!!

Breakfast was a big buffet, but no bananas! What’s wrong with these people! The old lady stuffed herself again and then started walking around the ship some more. I’m already getting very tired of all this walking around. Finally she and her really nice roommate, Connie went and changed into bathing suits and took me up on the deck to get some sun. Of course, everyone else on the ship had the same idea. I've never seen that many half naked people in one place in my whole life! At one point, the old lady said she was going to check out the people soup. I hid under the towel as she went down and put her feet in the pool, but she complained there were just too many people. Then another time she and Connie went down this big slide, but it was full of water, so I hid under the towel again. Mostly, we just read and got tanned. Do I look any darker?

More food stuffed in the old lady’s face and then she and Connie went back to the cabin. Connie napped while the old lady tried to get on the internet. Still nothing from the family. Guess they don’t miss her either. So she read awhile until it was time for dinner. This evening is supposed to be formal in the dining room. I can’t wait to wear my tux again. What’s this!??? The old lady says I can’t go! That she’s not bringing little monkey’s to the formal dinner! Well, I never!!!

But actually, that’s ok, because I met the most wonderful person in the whole world and we get to spend the evening together. This is me with my beautiful Chica. Isn’t she the most wonderful thing you have every seen? Connie found her in a shop on the ship. I know she’s been waiting there for me forever.