I went on a whale watch!

Day 5 – Papeete Day 4

My room aboard the Pacific Princess is an outside with a porthole. Tons of closet space so I spread out. The room is easily doable for 2 people but no more than that or you would go nuts. There are plenty of pictures online, so I won’t post any! Big bed, couch, desk, closets and a bathroom with a very tiny shower.

I did the Whale Watch today! That was rather interesting. We headed off in one direction and did not see anything. So they turned the boat around and off we flew over the waves—huge chop. I didn’t mind it one bit……But when we neared the whale and her baby, they slowed the ship to a stop and just steered a bit to keep us in place. OMG—now I know what my friend, Aunt Linnie, feels like every time she gets on a boat. I thought if I move one muscle, I am going to hurl all over everyone. I just kept taking deep breaths and trying to keep my eyes on the horizon.

So, when some others got into the water with the whales, I didn’t move. I was so disappointed in myself. That has never happened to me, ever. But, I will say, I was not the only one that was feeling sick. When I get home, I will publish the videos I took and you will see how much the boat was pitching.

They did give us tea and ginger biscuits which I sipped and nibbled but the only thing that helped was when the boat got moving again.

It was very cool seeing the mama and baby whale. Our guide told us the calf is less than 1-year old and whatever the Mama does, the calf imitates her. We didn’t see a full breach, but some beautiful whale tails! Right now, the baby is drinking milk-I can’t remember how many liters per day the baby drinks but I do remember the milk is 60% fat.  During this time, the mother doesn’t eat. She added a lot of weight in Antarctica feeding on krill and she will lose it as she feeds her baby. The babies stay with the mother for 4 years and she won’t reproduce until after that time.

The word baby makes you think of something small, but the baby is actually about 8 feet long.

The scenery along the way was spectacular.

Still I was majorly disappointed in myself. I am told they do a whale watch on Moorea and I may try it again. One of the Top Dive guys said with all the wind today, the waves were bigger than normal.

Oh, and the other thing—everyone had to wear wetsuits. I will tell you right now, there is no way in HELL I am posting a picture of that. Well, maybe from the chest up. LOL And, I will tell you that I believe I sweated off a few pounds in that thing during the trip.

We sailed from Papeete about 5PM. We are on our way to Huanhine (pronounced Hoo-wah-he-ne). I have a tour scheduled called “Mark’s Motu Picnic”. It’s highly rated on Trip Advisor. I guess we shall see. It’s from 9-330. We are in port from 8-5 and this is a tender port.

I am not scheduled for dinner until 8PM. Which is pretty late but the only other choice was 530 and that is just too early. Of course, I can eat in the buffet at any time, but I prefer the restaurant. I’ll report back in on dinner!

Back from dinner. I was seated at a table for 5 with one other person—A Cruise Critic roll call member from Australia named Phil!! The maitre’d came by and explained that there are 390 people at early dinner and only 250 at late seating. Many tables for 4 or more had only 2 people at them.

There were so many choices for dinner tonight but I am just not used to eating a big dinner so I had a shrimp cocktail, a cold soup and an appetizer sized pasta dish for my entrée. It was all delicious. Then the dessert menu came out and I had a heart shaped chocolate covered chocolate mousse. It was very, very rich and I had maybe 3 bites before my teeth started to hurt.

It’s after 10PM here and I think I am in for the night. I’m going to read for a bit and try to get up with the sun again tomorrow to see us arrive in Huahine.

Harley Davidson is Alive and Well in Tahiti

Papeete – Day 3

Last night was fun! I stopped at a bar/coffee shop/restaurant down the street from my hotel. They had a group of men playing Polynesian Music and an audience member dancing like a crazy woman! It was ‘happy hour’ and I had 2 beers and a Pina Colada so delicious that I don’t think any other Pina Colada ordered in the future will be as good.

I also made some biker friends—none of whom spoke English and me with like 5 words of French.. but somehow we managed to communicate. They travel to the US every year to go to Bike Fest. The one guy had a Sturgis t-shirt on and the other guy kept saying “Las Vegas”. LOL It was very interesting!

When I left there, I made my way to the roulottes and had an ‘average’ dinner. Grilled chicken and French fries, followed once again by a crepe that was so rich, I couldn’t finish it.

I was up with the dawn again (I know very strange) but once I get back to the room, there is nothing to do. All the TV shows are in French and Internet is so expensive that I don’t get online. So, I try to read and fall asleep in like 10 minutes.

I saw my little ship cruising into port about 530 this morning. Then a little before 7, this gigantic monster of a ship arrived. A Royal Caribbean. It’s amazing to watch them dock and back in. I can’t even back a freakin’ car into a parking spot. I guess that’s why they have a special Port Pilot in the ports to do just that. I wonder how you practice for that ?

It’s now about 7PM here. I walked across the street and a little ways around the harbor to the ship. I dropped my huge suitcase with a porter and I waited maybe 10 minutes to move to the area inside the gate. As I walked past the tent where they were keeping the luggage, I was absolutely AMAZED to see another suitcase like mine. I didn’t think that was a likely event. Perhaps the suitcase was more popular than I thought. Oh well.

I went to the registration tent—no wait. Got my room key and off I went to the ship. Once on board, I moved to the comfy chairs in the lobby and was going to wait until Noon when the restaurant opened for lunch (no buffet for this gypsy!) I heard someone calling my name and who was sitting there?  Jeannie, from Cruise Critic—better known as Pescado Armadillo. I have been following her blog since last year when she and her husband did something like 10 back to back cruises on this ship around French Polynesia!  I chatted with her for a few minutes and then made my way upstairs to the dining room. They had a shrimp and avocado cold appetizer that was wonderful. I had two  of them and a crusty roll!

The cabins were ready at 12:30 and I went down and unpacked my backpack and tote. Shortly after that, my cabin steward introduced herself. She seems just lovely. My luggage arrived. I unpacked and was struck with a killer headache that has been brewing for days. I laid down but couldn’t really sleep. So, made my way around the ship and about 6:30 went to the buffet for a plate of fresh fruit—just not hungry—more half sick to my stomach with this headache.

So, tonight will be an early night. I have to be up by 5:30 tomorrow. I am being picked up at the Tourism Center at 7 for a whale watch!!!!

So, ta-ta for now. Oh and the ship internet is horrendously slow. Not sure if I can post any pictures at all. But I will see how it goes early tomorrow morning.. maybe not so many people online will make it faster!

Just another day in paradise......

Day 3 – Papeete 2

Sunday, normally a day of sleeping in for me was not a normal day. After eating dinner at the Roulottes last night, I walked home and crawled into bed around 9PM. I was awake at 5:30—no alarm. Amazing. What’s more amazing is that I willingly got out of bed and into that weird shower.

Dinner last night: Grilled MahiMahi, Shrimp (which I already ate) Risotto with Parmesan cream sauce. Of course it was delicious.

The roulottes are a great place to people watch. It’s not just for tourists either. Entire local families come here to eat. There is a heavy Chinese food presence due to the large population of Asian families here.   This meal and a large bottle of COLD water was 2 460 (about $25)

And then I had to have a crepe. I chose a Nutella, banana Chantilly crepe. But they also had homemade waffles, plain ice cream, and more. It was a difficult decision and required me to make my rounds twice, stopping to view various menus. Decadent does not begin to describe the taste of the crepe. The Chantilly is homemade whipped cream and I’m thinking there was least 2 cups in this crepe. It was so rich and sweet it made my teeth hurt and I had to have some table salt afterward!!!  But I did eat the whole thing!!! No picture—maybe next time.  The crepe was about $8 American.

Breakfast this morning was the same as yesterday. European style. It’s good but I need EGGS. LOL I met the only American people since I left the US this morning at breakfast. They are also cruising on the ship for their honeymoon and staying at this hotel! Very friendly people! Their names are Jason and Courtney. They told me they’d already met 2 other people that mentioned cruise critic and are also on the ship. 

I have a tour scheduled at 940AM. So, more later!!!

Back from my most excellent tour of the island of Tahiti. There were 2 other couples and me along with the driver. A very nice air conditioned van. Our guide’s name was Phillip and he was ½ Samoan and ½ Polynesian. Wonderful arm sleeve tattoo! (Sorry, no picture) I was asking him about it and he says you tell the tattoo artist your family’s ‘story’ and the tattoo he draws on you is that story, in ancient designs.

The 2 couples are both boarding the Pacific Princess. One couple is from England (Kevin and Bernie) and the other from Florida—although the woman is originally from Japan. (Phil and I think it's Mimi for short) At any rate, all were very nice and we had some good conversations. It will be nice to ‘know’ some people right away.

At first, I thought I was lucky to be sitting up front, next to the guide but that opinion changed in about 15 minutes. The sun was beating through the windshield and it was HOT even with the air blasting.

I’ll try and add some pictures I took on the tour at the end of this post, but they upload very, very slowly. Phillip gave us lots of interesting Tahitian facts about culture, history etc. Here a few memorable ones:

• ·         The artist, Paul Gaughin, did not leave Tahiti voluntarily. The people of Tahiti tried to kill him because he apparently spread syphilis to a large number of woman who then spread it on to their lovers.  (Woman were known to have many lovers and it was OK)
• ·         His wife was 13 years old when he married her.
• ·         The last King of Tahiti is not buried with the other kings. He was the one that gave Tahiti to the French in exchange for wine.
• ·          20% of Tahiti’s population is Chinese—they were ‘gifted’ a mountainside in Tahiti by Jacques Ciroch (not sure on that spelling)
• ·         The Nonni fruit is said to prevent all sorts of disease, even cancer. It grows wild here.
• ·         There is another fruit (he said this was on CNN) that is only in Tahiti that is said to kill cancerous cells. And that representatives from the US and someplace else were there and developed some sort of serum. I guess time will tell.
• ·         Marijuana is ‘no big thing here’. There is no penalty to smoke it, only if you deal. It grows wonderfully in this climate and is said to be a way better high because it’s grown naturally. (They use things like rotted shrimp or rotten fruit as a fertilizer)
• ·         The country was originally under English rule in the 1700s. They tried to impose their standards onto the natives. No long hair on men, no breech clothes, men had to wear trousers, shirts and shoes. No tattoos either. They also outlawed the “primitive’ religion and replaced it with their own.

I had my first Tahitian beer today. It’s called Hinano. It was pretty good. While we were at the restaurant, we were talking and one woman said how she preferred wine and I said, well, I like a good gin and tonic! And Kevin (the Englishman) said….welllllllllll, I guess we’ll be seeing a LOT more of you on the cruise. LOL LOL LOL I said I would try and behave myself. Time will tell. I did mention that a good friend of mine usually had to tell me repeatedly “GIN IS NOT YOUR FRIEND”

This is the lighthouse called Point Venus. This is where Tahitians and Captain Cook first met. Cook wanted to track Venus' path across the sun.  1769

This is one of the many sacred sites located in Tahiti.  

An upripened Nonni fruit 

The view from a scenic overlook in Tahiti. 

Day 1 Papeete

Day 1 

My transfer from Unique Tahiti was waiting, as promised after I cleared customs. My luggage did make it although it looks a little beat up.

For the cost of my transfer, Tracey included a tour of downtown Papeete to orient me on this unique city. It’s very urban but has little pockets of beauty all over the place. There are multiple parks and benches set into the shade everywhere I looked. And although they like their graffiti, the downtown area was surprisingly litter free.

Cars here completely understand the meaning of the crosswalk!

After Tracey dropped me off at the Hotel Tiare Tahiti, I checked in unpacked a bit and headed down for the breakfast included in my rate. It was delicious—the bread was amazing but the coffee was strong enough to stand your spoon in. But, I added milk and drank it anyways. I needed all the help I could get!

My room at the hotel is on the 4^th floor overlooking the harbor. It is immaculate. It reminds me of the rooms in Italy. The most important aspect is that it has air conditioning! Which works in an interesting sort of way. On each wooden room key fob, there is a piece of metal that you insert into a slot near the door. This turns on the electricity for the lights and AirCon.

This is my view from my room. The cruise ship in this picture is just leaving port now.

After my breakfast, I headed out to an ATM and a walk along the waterfront and through some of the side streets. It was EARLY—I’m talking 7:30AM early. Tracey told me most people here rise with the sun and get out because the weather is so pleasant early in the morning. By noon, she says, it’s just too hot and people wait until late afternoon to come back out.

So today I saw a sunrise from the airplane while we were high above the clouds, had my breakfast and walked about 2 or 3 miles and was back at the hotel by 930. I turned on the A/C in my room, took out my contacts after 30 plus hours and BAM, I was out. I slept for about 4 hours and got up and showered. That felt heavenly but I don’t know if I get the whole shower thing here:

To the left of that, behind the shower door is an elevated tile, one step up and on the wall in back, a towel bar. I guess you take the actual shower in the recessed part and step up to the back to dry off? Who knows, but that is what I did.

The water in the industrial port here is even pretty!

That’s the ferry that you take to Moorea—the island you see in the background.

 There were lots of women on the sidewalks with fresh flowers making flower crowns and hats. It smelled wonderful.

The temperature has dropped a lot and there is a nice breeze now. I see people out walking with their kids on the waterfront—on their way to the park for a little play-time.

I am told the food trucks (roulottes) will start setting up down the street around 6PM. That is where I am having my dinner tonight!  And then this Gypsy will be heading to bed. I am still tired. I have a Western Isle tour tomorrow morning. They are picking me up at 9:40.  Snaps from the roulottes:

Oh and you know what else? I forgot to say last night, during some fairly decent turbulence, we crossed the equator! This is the first time I’ve ever been I’ve been in the Southern Hemisphere! And for a little education: Directionally, French Polynesia is sort of directly below Hawaii and it is as far south of the equator as Hawaii is North. The days and nights here are almost exactly even, year round. Sunrise and sunset about 6:30 or so. And because I’ve been dying to know, I filled up the sink in the bathroom and when I let the water out, it spun in a counter-clockwise direction! So now we know!

The Good, the Bad and the Perverted

Day 1sh

Well, I’m on my way to Tahiti. We left LAX late and taxied for 30 or 40 miles… at least that’s what it seemed like. The seatback monitors were set up with a cool thing. We could see what the pilot saw—the whole line up of jets in front of us. Anyway, we are now far above the clouds about 3 hours into the 8 hour flight and I cannot sleep despite the fact that I’ve been awake for more than 24 hours.

There must be a bright moon out there even though I can’t see it because the clouds below us are illuminated and I can see a bunch of stars too. It sort of reminds me of Peter Pan…what does he say?  Third star on the left and straight on ‘til morning. It’s very surreal up here.

This is my first time on Air Tahiti Nui and I am impressed with them. Even in coach you are treated well. Each seat has a pillow, blanket and amenity kit. That contains ear plugs, head phones, an eye mask, socks and something else… can’t remember. And the seat pitch is decent for coach. The flight attendants are gorgeous—men and women both. Service is wonderful and the first meal was surprisingly good. We also get breakfast closer to landing. All the booze you want too.

I am sitting in the emergency exit by the window and I have leg room galore. It’s one of those with the slide thing at the exit. So, in addition to being nice and cool, I also have a wonderful leg rest.

I debated writing about this next part, let alone publishing it on my blog, but it is a travel journal so I feel like I need to tell the good and bad and ugly.  So here goes.

When we boarded I got to my assigned seat, 33a, and there was a guy already sitting there passed out reeking of booze. The attendant woke him and he was supposed to be sitting in the aisle. (I was counting on leaning up against the window and sleeping most of the way) Anyway, my first impression of this guy was… drunk, French Asshole—although attractive—very French looking and probably in his late 30s or early 40s.  Anyway, I settle in, he passes back out I doze off and I wake up and the guy’s arm is sort of hanging over the arm rest touching my leg. So, I skooch to the left and that seems to wake him and he immediately moves his arm back to his own side.

I go back to trying to sleep and awhile later he puts his hand on my knee—nothing accidental about it. I said… HEY, NO and he takes his hand away and puts both of them up like I wasn’t doing anything.

So, I again settle back in and what do you think happens?  Strike 3. He puts his whole hand around my mid upper thigh. This time I YELL, NO, STOP IT. Then I say you need to let me out. Of course this French Molesting Prick won’t move. I say let me out now or I make a scene. He lets me out. Just for ‘atmosphere’, I will tell you that the cabin was very dark with only emergency type lighting on while all this was happening.

I move up to the exit row and sit there wanting to punch the asshole or cry or I don’t know what. I am thinking I have traveled a lot of places on my own and never once did anything like this happen to me. It sort of rocked my world and made me feel sort of scared.. and I have never felt that way. Then I got pissed because not only did this asshole rob me of my peace of mind, he is depriving me of much needed sleep.

I got up and went back to where the flight attendants were in the little galley and I told one of them what happened. Actually what I said was, excuse me, but the man sitting in 33b in a fucking French pervert. And then told her what happened. She said she would tell the chief flight attendant and the captain. Of course, it’s my word against his. So, I hope he is not getting off the plane in Papeete because I really don’t want to see him again.

So there you have it. The good, the bad and the perverted. Actually, now that I wrote this down, I can feel the anger leaving me. Maybe I will be able to get a few hours of sleep now.

 PS. I did manage to sleep all wrapped up in a comfy, soft blanket for about 3 hours. Then they scared the crap out of everyone by turning on the lights and stating over the PA system that breakfast was being served.  2 hours later we landed in Papeete. 

And so it begins....

Part I

My friend, MaryAnn, arrived early this morning to take me to the airport. I even managed to sleep last night

OMG—I am at HIA waiting to board my flight to Philly. I actually heard the plane arriving before I saw it. Eeeeee---eeee---eeeeee. It looks even smaller in person. Then I saw the pilot arriving and being admitted to gate C3. He looks about 14. He is now ‘checking’ the plane over.

I have been assured that my luggage will be checked the whole way through to Papeete. I guess we shall see. The big suitcase weighed 50.5 pounds per the airline scale. I guess they give you some leeway or they don’t care. LOL  No, actually, the woman at check-in was very nice and very funny.

I’m not sure why but the last couple of flights my boarding passes have been noted with TSA Precheck. I did not purchase it but I have it. That means, I can leave my shoes on and if I had a jacket, I could leave that on too. They did not make  me go through the ‘make you naked’ scanner either. Just a plain ol’ metal detector. So far, life is good.

I hear the plane revving up outside although we don’t board for another half hour. No luggage aboard yet either. Hmmmmm. I see someone loading a bag of ice onto the plane. I guess we will be having beverage service. A double Bloody Mary for me. It’s 5 o’clock somewhere right?

A plus for using HIA is that there was absolutely no security line—well like 5 people. It was painless. Unlike BWI where security is always a nightmare. I only hope we don’t have to gate-check all the carry-on. I am in boarding group 2 so hopefully, there may be room for my stuff.

Rush hour at HIA:

Dunkin’ Donuts was open and I treated myself to a pumpkin spice donut. Meh. Glazed would have been better.

We actually have a jetway! I was very surprised. Hopefully, this flight won’t be as bad as I anticipate. But my Ativan will still be in my pocket!  

Next stop Philadelphia. Thankfully, the Pope and I came to an understanding and he is staying in NYC until tomorrow so my flight from there won’t be impacted.

Part II

Walked down the jet-way and OUT a door and down a flight of steps and across the tarmac to board my flight. LOL The jet-way had me confused. I did not have to gate check anything though.

Arrived in Philly after a surprisingly ‘ok’ flight aboard the Buddy Holly plane. Upon arrival, at Gate F22, I had to take a shuttle bus to the A gates. That was interesting. (Made me think of that bus we had to ride in FCO, Italy.)  As our bus drove along the RUNWAYs, we had to stop several times to Yield to departing planes. At one point, we were driving alongside a taxi-ing plane. It was interesting though because I got to see the business side of the airport—luggage being loaded, refueling etc…

Arriving at the A-B gates, I immediately made my way to the Admiral’s Lounge. What a difference this makes in the whole airport experience!  You enter by a not very visible doorway, like a secret club….make your way down a carpeted staircase and to a desk where your ‘credentials’ are checked. Then you are in. A quiet space with complimentary breakfast, snacks, drinks—including alcohol. There are comfy chairs with power supplies and a secure wi-fi connection that is password protected, newpapers, magazines and beautifully furnished restrooms.

Part III

After an uneventful, but very full flight, I arrived in Chicago. The taxi to the gate was almost as long as the flight. I made my way to the Admiral’s Lounge, once again. It’s very large and it is very busy. The view is of the tarmac. They have some nasty looking food out for free—but of course you can buy better stuff. My stomach feels disgusting though. I’m sticking to coffee. Each flight is getting progressively longer. This one to LAX is about 4 or so hours I think.

Part IV

I was paged at the gate and asked if I would switch seats so a couple could sit together. The man said the move was up three rows and still a window. I said OK. Not so sure that was a good move. It started off OK, the middle seat was empty and stayed empty as the plane filled up. The very last person on the flight was an off-duty pilot and he took the middle seat. He was very nice to talk to and very informative about airplanes. He told me to ask away. All was going well, until we reached cruising altitude. Without any warning at all, the man in front of me reclines his seat right into my laptop. He didn’t get any more endearing as the flight progressed. First he fidgeted and kept pressing back on the seat, shaking my tray table. Then he starting coughing and sneezing—repeatedly—without once covering his nose or mouth. UGH He twisted his hair around constantly and wiped his nose with his hand. I could feel the germs settling on me. I used my anti-viral inhaler a bunch of times. I hope it works.

We arrived in LAX after doing a touch and go landing and had to circle—but we still got in early. Once again, I went to the Admiral’s Lounge and immediately asked for a shower. They are very nice. After scrubbing the day’s dirt and germs from me, and changing into comfy clothes, I am now in the quiet lounge typing this report. Beside me is a plate of complimentary cheese & crackers and some vegetables. I’m going to wait until I transfer over to the International Terminal to get a real meal. After chilling here for a bit, I will head over to the complimentary bar and have a few drinks. I think I hear a Bloody Mary calling my name.

My Air Tahiti Nui flight doesn’t leave until almost midnight and it’s only about 5:30 here.

Pictures of the shower in the Admiral's Lounge. 

Just in time for my upcoming trip.....

 Just in time for my upcoming trip..... security reminders. A few years ago, I wore a long flowy sort of sundress to the airport. Of course, I had to have the manual pat down because God knows what I might have had underneath that dress between my legs. But to my horror, they also did a pat down on my breasts. I must say, it was more thorough that the one I get from my OB/GYN. The 'exploration' of the area between my legs involved not only a pat down BUT me having to pull up the front of my dress to the top of my underwear. I guess I should be glad they allowed me to face only the Agent and a wall.

At least now, you get to go through the machine that makes you naked to the examiners (she says sarcastically)

For your viewing pleasure:  (the captions are not mine!)

"If you so much as blink without me telling you to, I'm takin' you to interrogation. You hear me?"

Is this this a pushup? These are surprisingly firm. Where do you shop? 

"Ma'am, I need you stay calm. This is all procedural."

"Are you shaking? What, are you nervous? Rick, she's shaking. Let's take her to the back room for questioning."

"I'm hoping you're just really well endowed, because that looks awful suspicious."

Trying things out

I went over to my sister's pool today to try out my snorkel equipment and my new underwater camera. I definitely needed a new snorkel mask and snorkel. My old mask wasn't sealing correctly and was leaking water and my snorkel needed a new mouthpiece.

As for the camera, I don't think it's as user friendly as other Canon cameras I've had, and that is sort of disappointing. The movie button is where the zoom was on the previous cameras. And the zoom button for the new camera is on the back of the camera, which I think makes it a bit awkward. But, I'm sure I'll get used to it.

You can set it up to take continuous photos when the shutter is held down. That's sort of nice too.
I'm going to play with it some more in the next few weeks so I am really comfortable with it.

It was very user friendly to set up and change from auto to water mode or any other mode you want to use.

This was under the water, using zoom. 

Then I switched to 'auto' and took this picture:

I thought the colors came out true to life. 

All in all, I'm happy with the camera. 

Pictures of things to come......

I am following another blogger that is on her way to Tahiti on a Trans-Pacific cruise. She will be leaving the Pacific Princess the day I board. I am hoping to meet her and her husband.

I am 'borrowing' two of her many drool-worthy pictures to give you an idea of a few things I hope to experience in a few short weeks!

The Promenade Deck (rush hour)


And of course, a formal tea-complete with scones!


I've never sailed on a ship this small. (only 640 passengers) I've read the vibe is so different than on the larger ships. I'm glad to have the opportunity to experience this as the ship is for sale and will likely be leaving Princess for a more up-scale cruise line-that I will never be able to afford!!

I cannot wait to get his party started! And once I am over the Buddy Holly portion of the trip, I will be feeling much, much happier!

On a Serious Note...

I had an appointment this morning with an attorney to create a will, a power of attorney and a living will. It was a pretty simple process and very painless. But thinking about what you want and who you want to give things to and who to leave in charge in not painless.
I started to obsess over it a little bit (I know me? LOL) but then I realized, I'll be dead, I will have less than one Efff to give!
So now, that's done. All I have to do is go back next week and sign the papers. Easy peasy!

I Wish Karma had a Facebook Page

I have never been one of those people that could lie to your face and get away with it. I apparently have what is known as a glass face. Ask anyone that knows me well and they will tell you they know exactly what I am thinking simply by looking at my face.

Playing poker? Doesn't work very well for me. I an unable to mask my emotions well enough to bluff. The entire table knows what type of hand I have no matter how hard I try to keep a 'neutral' expression.

As for telling a lie, not only my face gives me away but I also flush a lovely shade of red and I stumble over my words.

When I was a kid, I was always the weakest link. Regarding the neighbor's broken window during a kickball game:
"Some big kid took the ball and threw it through the window and ran away" "No, we never saw him before"  "A baseball came out of nowhere and went right through the window" "A leprechaun ran out from the bushes and punched a hole in the window" "God made lightening come down and strike the window"  "It was like that when we got here."  Well, you get the idea... AND All told with a straight face and innocent eyes.

Then there was me, cowering in the background, head down (because my face was already red) and the 'adult' asks me what happened. "Ummm, there was this ball and a kid and lightening... and..." The 'adult' says, "Are you telling me the truth?"  ME: "We were playing kickball and second base was at the window and I was running and Brad threw the ball at me and it hit the window and broke it."
Immediate LOSER status with the neighborhood kids.

My skills have not improved much with age. That is why it just blows my mind that certain people can lie their asses off and #1-get away with it and #2-live with themselves afterward. And I'm not talking that little white lie you tell someone.. like Oh, your hair looks great. I'm talking a lie of epic proportion---one that will impact someone's life or livelihood or damage their character.

Even if I was the type of person to tell believable lies, I still don't think I would. My upbringing lurks in the background and I will always hear my Dad's voice telling me, if you are lying it will be twice as bad for you when the truth comes out. And the truth does come out--eventually. And also because of my sense of right and wrong, ingrained in me all during my childhood.

I also have to believe that someday, Karma will sort through this stuff and people will get what they deserve.

I sometimes wish Karma had a Facebook page and posted pictures and updates of all the wrongs it righted.

Buddy Holly

Three weeks from today, I begin my journey to Tahiti!!!!!
I will hopefully have survived my experience on the Buddy Holly plane.
(Otherwise known as a DH8)  The flight from Harrisburg to Philly is only 49 minutes---49 minutes I will spend white-knuckled and praying to God, Buddha, Allah... whoever may be listening.
For your viewing pleasure, below is a picture of the "airplane".   Any type of  aircraft that makes that eheheheehhhhhhheeehhhhh noise instead of WHOOSH like a jet, is a Buddy Holly plane in my book.
   Look at those little propeller things, do they have to spin them manually to get the damn thing started?   Jesus Jenny, this is going to be a 3-4 Ativan start to my day since, I'm sure the bar at the lovely Harrisburg International Airport will not be open early in the morning.
And of course, my friends at SeatGuru tell me, EVERYTHING larger than a small purse needs to be gate checked and put into the belly of the plane as we walk across the TARMAC to board. Great--I want my electronics, laptop etc in the freezing cold or ungodly hot part of the airplane. Well, maybe it will be OK as these planes appear to fly low enough to barely clear the tree lines.
Ahh, but enough about that, I'm going to Tahiti!!!!!!!!!!!  I just have to remember to keep my eye on the prize here! And of course, make sure my Ativan stay in my pocket.

I will leave you with this:

All shall be well, and all shall be well and all manner of thing shall be well.” 
― Julian of Norwich