We love L.A. (we love it!)

So, embarkation day began at 11am with a costume fitting with the big bosses, in our theatre, the Galaxy (it's really called the Galaxy Lounge, but I choose to ignore the "lounge" portion of the name, it seems derogatory somehow) for a new dance section in one of our shows.


It was then a mad scramble to try to get OUT, as is always the case in a port where one can find Wal Mart's, starbucks, Nordstrom Rack, general retail therapy, all the things we crave after sea days. I went with a cast-member to Long Beach, and a few blocks of shops called The Grand Place I believe.





I got to speak to my lovely man, Eric, who is on vacation (sorry Brits, I took on this Americanism, nobody says holiday here!) whom I miss pretty badly, he's the bass player onboard, he gets back on March 11th, and with the wonderful new Skype system we've got going, I get to rock on round to the nearest free wi-fi place, or if all else fails a Bux, and have him soothe my day from his rented shack in Montreal. I'm posting a pic of him, and his favourite all of all the things I've written to him (it's a riddle really, it's not too difficult, send me a message when you get it!)


A preliminary game
A pre-chiselled upper body
I sculpt again
As mile is to smile
Then add the catch of slumber
Put before toi, after j'espère,
Être

Next time I may well post one of his, maybe I'll check if he minds(!), but he's a good writer, particularly as English is not his first language.

Back on the ship, we do the Guest Boat drill (I call out stateroom numbers and people comply that they are present and therefore they CARE about safety!) and for the first time ever in my cruise-ship career there's a real emergency, someone in my lifeboat station collapses. It's a lady, and I go into auto-pilot: Ring the bridge on 3333, say where you are, what happened. I hope she's okay, it was hot up on deck and maybe she just got too hot, stood next to 116 other people all in lifejackets. I felt so helpless when I saw her, I do not know how to administer or even really WHEN to adminster CPR confidently, I may well brush up on it.

Tonight, out of a cast of 4 female dancers, 2 will not be performing due to injury. It's tough trying to fill a stage with only 2, rather than 4 couples (even if it is really just a lounge!) and the reblock (where you stand on stage is what we call your 'blocking') is a strange one. It's going to be an interesting cruise, but at least it's the last one I have to spend, all-being well, without Eric.

Note to self: forgot to use a template, this blog looks particularly 80s! Will do better next time!