tedwords

“Like lavender, I bloom in the most unlikely places.” – Atticus

After the entry that never ends, I promise to keep this one short and sweet.

After the day to end all days, the next morning we exited our flat and headed off to Southampton by train, to board our cruise ship, the Anthem of the Seas.

Our junior suite was on the "we'll surprise you" plan, but turned out to be fairly large and luxurious and has…check this out! Has two toilets, on opposite sides of the hallway. This would be pretty useful if we wished to have conversations while we were doing our business, but Corb and I don't roll like that. Still, I have to admit, there have been several occasions where a side toilet has come in quite handy.

Saturday was a cruise day, so we spent it on the boat, getting back into the swing iof things and just relaxing after what have been an incredible exhausting five days. The best experience was in the afternoon, where I chanced upon an unused cuddle cup (these things are never available!), which we occupied for the afternoon, all three of us.

We also rediscovered our love for lavender martinis, which are very light and frothy, but can pack a wallop, which I had discovered on last year's infamous "gay grotto" cruise.

Speaking of three, one thing I should mention is Corb’s mom. This has been quite an adjustment for all of us, and while we have been able to maintain the peace, it hasn’t been completely stress free. I absolutely did get terse with the night with Steven, but there have been countless times where Corb and I have had to use each other to talk things through. It’s really helped us to stay sane.

For example, one recurring obsession of hers has been the fact that she is not located on the same floor as we are, cabin wise. Our room is located on the 10th floor, hers on the 6th. She was very nervous about the fact that we are four floors apart, and it was something we debated endlessly. In fact, the only way we got this far was to promise her to ask if her room could be moved when we arrived at port. And once we got there, she must have asked when we could check on that five times before we actually could. And no, we couldn’t.

To try and calm her down, we have promised to walk her to her cabin at the end of the night and every morning. And she has admitted that she does like her room, which is small and fits her perfectly. She does refuse to talk to the attendent, in part because he is male. The good news is, since that first day, where she looked petrified, she has gotten increasingly comfortable with the ship. She is now at the point where she will even venture out to Windjammer on her own, or to the fourth floor to get a coffee. So, these have been positive developments.

The first night we took her to Wonderland, which (again) she was nervous about going to, since it would be strange food and she is quite a finicky eater. But turns out, she enjoyed maybe 80 percent of the food and found the whole thing a really fun experience. Not like our dinner by the Thames, but still, a good meal.

So, maybe old horses can learn some new tricks. As long as Corb and I keep talking ourselves down, we might be able to get through this.