Plan "B"

... Josh. Well, not really [wink], but I did just buy some braces for my tuxedo pants. Ya'll call them suspenders, but they're called braces. Some nice, old fashioned, Y-backed leather-ended braces. I took them home and tried on my tuxedo. Yep -- "Cameron" from Ferris Bueller, but that's o.k.. I'll have a vest over them. Gone are the days of cummerbund. Someday though, I think it would be fun to find one of those retro tuxedos with the powder blue fringed ruffle shirts and go my high school reunion or something. I think that would be festive.

I also just ordered some woven name labels for my shirts. I spent enough on these puppies that I don't want some random laundry person scrawling my name on the colar with a Sharpie pen. Yes, it's just "things, things, things" with me lately, but it's all in preparation for the cruise. O.K. that's just a thing too, eh? But I'm not getting materialistic on you.

Those nightstands I purchased a few weeks ago wasn't the top of some slippery slope or anything. I just tend to go a wee bit (just a little) crazy before a cruise with things I think I need.

I think cruises are as much fun and as luxurious as you make them. I enjoy oogling over the 94 forks and knives that I have to pick from. Especially the little ones at the top of the plate. Those are always a surprise (unless it's for the snails - bleck). I love seeing the people in uniforms all running around making sure we have enough water/coffee/whatever. You can learn a lot from someone just by observing how they treat waitstaff. How demanding or understanding or high or low maintenance or easy going or terse or mellow or indecisive or assertive or whatever.

I'm hopeful that this next Caribbean won't be like the one with Hurricane Wilma was last time.