All of the diesel generators are back on line, so our chances of making landfall in San Diego on schedule are now excellent. This is good, because we didn't buy our airfare through the cruise line, so we'd be a bit hung out to dry on our non-refundable tickets if we arrived late.
My seasickness problem abruptly improved yesterday afternoon for no apparent reason. In a conservation of nausea, Jeff's has gotten worse. This is good for me, not so good for him.
In the meantime, our trivia team has now won three consecutive rounds of team trivia up in the Crow's Nest and we've also won a couple of games of Taboo. (
daisy_knotwise says "Roma Downey". I respond "Angel". I say, "This critter swallowed an alarm clock, except it was the other one," and Gretchen responds, "Crocodile, alligator." It was like that.) We have accumulated a ridiculous store of Holland America knick-knacks, including hats, luggage straps, luggage tags, mugs, umbrellas, and some very nice Maglite penlights today. It's not the souvenirs that we bought that are going to be the problem when we pack.Of course, the other trivia teams may throw us overboard soon.
Gretchen and I watched De-Lovely, the Cole Porter bio pic, in the ship's theater last night.
This turns out to be a wonderful film. The trick is that you need to recognize that it's a filmed musical play, not a movie. (I don't know if this was ever performed on stage or not, since I'm not spending Internet time googling right now.) Once you know that the conventions that are being used are those of the theater instead of the movies, you setlle back in your seat and relax.
The cinematography is excellent, right down to the use of period color tones and lighting in the various scenes as we move forward through time. You look at the screen and your mind's eye recognizes the characteristic color palettes that were used in various eras of film history.
My comment to Gretchen at lunch today: "It's traditional for your life to pass before your eyes as you're dying. It's not normal for it to be a musical."
Gretchen replies, "Of course it's a musical! It was Cole Porter's life!"
Well, yes, point taken. :)
We had a bit of unscheduled excitement today.
A passenger has fallen ill and a Coast Guard plane flew out from California to drop medical supplies. We're just getting back underway after the plane circled the ship, dropped the supplies on a parachute for the waiting tender, and then buzzed the ship at low altitude as he flew across. That was cool! (As in, "You don't see that everyday, Chauncey.")
Gretchen and I survived the rehearsal for the talent show earlier today. She's off getting a manicure now while I type up this entry. The show goes up in a little over an hour. Wish us luck!
(One of the other fellows in the talent show is from Elk Grove, Illinois, plays the harmonica, and reads science-fiction. We're sending him a flyer for Capricon.)