Happy Valentine's Day

Well, the stars and planets and what not aligned somehow yesterday to make for one of the weirdest days I've had in a long time. First, the sea has been a real adventure around here lately. We've had beautiful, warm, sunny days with huge sea swells rocking the boat all over the place. Actually rocked all the food off our breakfast buffet the other day. Sometime you really must try running on a treadmill aboard a ship that is pitching in all directions. I've gotten used to it in calmer seas but the last two days were an adventure. So yesterday began with that as we coasted into Noumea.

Once there, I went for a walk, as I often do, and turned down a road I had never been down before. This was fortuitous. I found a host of things I'd not seen before, including a monument to the US armed forces who helped keep New Caledonia free during the Pacific campaigns of WWII. So that was nice and refreshing, despite sweating my ass off.

I got back to the ship, where my roomy was running about 3 hours early for our usual dinner set. He had an interesting day himself, but that is for another blog. I grabbed dinner and sucked down one of the bottles of (warm) Gatorade I picked up in Noumea and headed up to the dinner sets in the steakhouse. Jerry was in a particularly good mood this night. He completely threw me during the first tune when he gave me a completely unsolicited compliment regarding my solo. I was dumbfounded. Especially since I was playing softer than I usually do, which is often a problem for him.

Meanwhile, during dinner, a passenger came into the steakhouse who is just about a dead ringer for my last girlfriend....the one who dumped me when I told her I was leaving for four months to play on a cruise ship. That completely threw me, especially when you consider that it was Valentine's Day.

Add to that, I had just read an email from home that, among other things, informed me that they are experiencing blizzard conditions back home. As I was walking down the deck with the sun setting out the window, I was noting all the women holding roses and thought, "isn't it odd to see people wearing shorts on Valentine's Day when I'm used to freezing my butt off on that day."

There was also a party in the crew bar after hours. The crew bar is not a great venue for much of anything and last night's party was strange. Lots of people possibly looking for love but no one actually loving, just lots of drinking. And when I came home, a little drunk, my 58 year old roommate was not in bed asleep as I'd expected. Strange again. (He's just fine, don't worry) So I finally gave up and went to sleep....after I helped the girls across the hall hang chasing Christmas lights from their ceiling and checked out all their photos of friends and family....but not without putting in a movie; V for Vendetta (or crazy Valentine's Day....you pick)

ps. Less than one month til I fly home. Couldn't get local leave and can't really afford to pay for the flight myself, nor can I extend my contract as I have too many obligations back home. So on March 17, Steve-o will come marching home. Miller, if you're reading this, I think I'm in for NCAA if that happens. Keep me posted.