Yikes, I need to update this more often!

Well… congratulations to me for being the laziest blogger on the planet. For those of you kind enough to check up on me, there isn’t a whole lot to report since last time. I took a week off in February for my uncle’s wedding in Sarasota. I had a great time, supplemented by the presence of my girlfriend Emily! My family came to visit me on the ship in March. It was Pam’s spring break, and she came with her roommate Shelby, along with Mom and Dad. We did shore excursions in each port of call. In Grand Cayman we did a tour that included a visit to a sea turtle farm, the Tortuga Rum Cake factory, a rock formation claimed to look like “Hell” and the famous Stingray City Sandbar. In Cozumel we went to Chankanaab National Park and did a dolphin encounter and hung out at the beach. In Belize we did the popular Cave Tubing tour. It sounds exactly like you think it is – you sit in a water tube with a helmet and a light strapped to your head, and you float through a river that goes through a series of caves. The best day was our day of relaxation in Roatan. We spent the day at nearby Mahogany Beach, enjoying sun, sand, snorkeling, and margaritas! Aside from the on shore fun, I enjoyed spending time with the family. I would go and eat breakfast and lunch with them most days, and even met up with them for dinner a few nights. The best night was dinner at the Golden Fleece Steakhouse on board. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Carnival Supper Club Steakhouse experience, you pay $30 per person for your choice of appetizer, salad, super great entrée, and dessert. The price for your regular meals is already included in the price of the cruise, so this extra $30 is just added to that. There is a great selection of gourmet appetizers, five-star entrées, and tantalizing desserts. I ordered a crab cake appetizer, a warm spinach salad with sautéed mushrooms, bacon and blue cheese crumbles, a 24 oz. Porterhouse steak done medium, and homemade Bailey’s Irish Cream ice cream for dessert. Nobody though I could power down a 24 oz. steak, but everyone knows that there weren’t any leftovers after that night. If you ever go on a Carnival cruise, I highly recommend booking a cruise with a steakhouse on board (not all ships have them – they are found on larger ships). And of course, the family took part in watching me “work.” They came to see me play in the shows every night, as well as the other gigs I played around the ship. I didn’t ask what their favorite show was, but I got the impression they really enjoyed The Big Easy. I was also able to hook them up with a few discounts. As a crew member, I was able to get 20% off their shore excursion tickets (mine were free), as well as 50% off all bar purchases and 20% off gift shop purchases on board. Speaking of family, my grandparents were a big help to getting my family on board. My family drove back and forth to Florida, and they left the vehicle at Grandpa and Grandma’s house for the week to save on downtown parking. They served as shuttle service to and from the port, which saved lots of time and hassle. My grandparents continue to be a big help to me as well. They still come and pick me up every week I get off the ship and take me home for a good breakfast, take me to Walmart to stock up on whatever I may need, and Grandpa even hooked me up with his snorkel equipment so I can save on rentals every time I want to go snorkeling down here. It’s been such a blessing to spend time with them while I’m working down here. Even my Uncle Tim has picked me up a few times and helped to take care of my on land errands. Although I am away from my parents, my sister, my girlfriend and her entire family, at least having someone down here to call family makes it a lot easier. I have about seven weeks left on this contract, and you’d better believe that Emily is counting down the days just as much as I am. For the rest of the time I’m here, I plan on trying to get some use out of that snorkel equipment. Also, FINALLY my practice mute arrived, so now I can practice on the ship and not disturb people (as much). Also, I think it’s about time to start another multi-week Scrubs DVD marathon! I’m continuing to work out, and it’s helping me to lose weight and hopefully keep it off, as well as tone and gain some muscle. I’m on a 10-day workout streak, and I plan on keeping that going. At first my goal was not to skip a day for a whole month, then I thought I should start with less of a lofty goal and go at least one week without skipping. Well, I’m up to 10, and still going strong. So, that’s about all I’ve got now. Keep checking back for more; I’ll try to do a much better job of updating this blog. God bless!

Update – News Report

02/09/10

Well, a very good morning to all of you out there. Here is a quick update on what’s new and exciting for me and my life aboard a cruise ship. At the top of the list, there was a really great Super Bowl party in the Follies Lounge onboard. There was a HUGE projector screen showing the broadcast of the game, and there were lots of guests cheering and having a good time. It was a great game by both teams. My bass player roommate left this weekend to go back home, and I got another roommate. He works in the A/V department and he’s from Romania. All is well with him except his luggage was lost in New York Airport as he was flying over, so right now he has none of his things. What a bummer! I used this opportunity to snag the bottom bunk in the cabin. No more climbing a ladder to get to bed! In the showband, we got a replacement piano player and the addition of a guitar player, but we are still without a bass player. So, it’s going to be another short work week for us in the band. I am leaving next week to take the week off for my Uncle Steve’s wedding in Siesta Key Beach, near Sarasota, Florida. I’m really looking forward to seeing all my family, and even more looking forward to my girlfriend Emily flying down to join us! We’ll both be celebrating post Valentine’s Day/pre Birthday while we’re together. I’m assuming my parents safely arrived back home from Costa Rica. I talked with them briefly on Sunday morning, and they were a few hours from flying out of San Jose. It sounds like everyone had a really great time. Now they’re going to get home, chill out for a few days, and quickly turn around and go on another trip for the wedding. I am continuing to maintain my healthy eating habits (for the most part) and exercising, and I’m up to the point where I’m tightening my belt by another notch. On occasion I lay out in the sun on the top deck of the ship, and last Friday I got one line of sunburn right across the bottom of my stomach – right where I neglected to put on sunscreen. At least it’s warm enough to enjoy the sun. Every day the ship arrives in Tampa and the new guests are coming aboard, I always have to assure them (as they’re dressed for a Caribbean cruise vacation wearing long pants and sweatshirts) that it will, in fact, warm up as the week goes on. So I’m hoping it continues to warm up, because these people I give this promise to vow to hunt me down if it isn’t warm. I decided that at the beginning of my next work week, I’m going to take my camera everywhere with me and document pictures (and some videos) of what I’m doing. I realized that even though things as mundane as the hallway of the crew area to me, it’s still something that you all would want to see. Be on the lookout for a giant media upload! Well, that’s all the time I have. Until next time, so long. Have a great day!

Sun, Sand, and Jazz!

01/30/10, 8:45 pm

I apologize for being EXTREMELY LAZY and not ever updating this blog. One main reason is that I’m still sort of figuring out which days I do and don’t have internet access (not counting ship internet, which is ten cents a minute). I’m coming to the end of my second week aboard the Legend, and I’m finally in a routine and I finally feel settled down. This ship itself is really cool and unique. The name Legend is supported by the many different names of clubs, venues, and lounge areas. Some include the Follies Lounge (main lounge), the Firebird Lounge (a smaller lounge), Satchmo’s (where karaoke takes place), Atlantis Lounge (another smaller lounge for music and social gathering), the Dream Team Sports Bar, Medusa’s Lair Disco club, Fountain of Youth Spa and Gymnasium, and Noah’s Ark Children’s play area.

Our weekly schedule is pretty easy to follow, and the work is pretty evenly distributed from day to day. Sunday is our port day in Tampa, and as always, guests are busy coming aboard, getting familiarized with the ship (“Where’s the Lido deck?”) and as always, that’s my one day on US land where I can use my cell phone. There are a few lounge sets that evening, followed by the ever popular Carnival Welcome Aboard Show. Monday is a Fun Day at Sea, en route to the Caribbean islands at which we will be stopping. The first of two production shows, Jazz Hot, is performed on Monday night. It’s a great show, and the crew members I talked to on the Paradise who said they had worked on the Legend said lots of great things about this show specifically. The music samples some of the best hits from the Big Band era, swing jazz, Latin jazz, jazz influences in Broadway, and a lot more in between. The showband is placed on stage, and the singers and dancers use our setup as part of the staging area to which they perform. Tuesday morning, we arrive in Grand Cayman Islands. There is a lot of shopping and some great restaurants here. Tuesday night we play a Past Guest Reception, in which Carnival recognizes guests who have sailed multiple times. Then later that night, we play a set in the Firebird Lounge. We play some jazz oriented dance music, followed by some rock, R&B, and even a few disco tunes. Wednesday is the day off for the showband, and lucky for us – we’re in Cozumel, Mexico! Again, there are lots of shops and a few restaurants right at the port, and there’s a lot more for me to discover as the weeks go by. Thursday we arrive at the island of Belize City, Belize. There isn’t as much shopping here as there has been in the other ports of call, but for the passengers there are a lot of different and exciting shore excursions available. Thursday night we provide some music in Atlantis lounge as guests pass by on their way to dinner. Friday is our last stop, as we pull into the Isla Roatan of Honduras. The past two Fridays, we’ve pulled into two different ports. The first port, Mahogany Bay, is a brand new cruise port completely exclusive to cruise ship passengers. This place is filled with more shops and restaurants, and there is a pathway that leads to a beach area, covered with lounge chairs and right on the edge of the clear blue water. There is snorkeling and scuba equipment available for rental, and I’m definitely looking forward to taking advantage of those things! Yet for some reason, we pulled into a different port this past Friday. Even though it was an area exclusive to cruise ship passengers, it was a little more centrally located to the rest of the city. Friday afternoon we perform a Lido set outside, with some tunes by Chicago, Steely Dan, and others. Friday night we play the second production show, titled Big Easy. As the title lets you know, it’s a New Orleans themed show, and features Dixieland music, some country music, some R&B, a tribute to Louis Armstrong, and the longest medley of “When the Saints Go Marching In” on the entire planet! Saturday is the second Fun Day at Sea, as we make our way back to the good ole United States. All week in karaoke, people have been secretly auditioning for their chance to be in the spotlight as the stars of Saturday night’s performance of the show called Legends. Hit songs from top artists include James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Elton John, Britney Spears, Ricky Martin, Garth Brooks, Gloria Estefan, Madonna, Elvis Presley, and Frank Sinatra. And it’s always interesting to see how guests react to being on a stage with a microphone in their hand, an odd costume on their body, and a giant spotlight on their face as they stare into the faces of 2,000 other guests. I’ll let your imaginations do the rest…

01/31/10, 9:30 pm

Well, hello! I’m gearing up for another week of work. Since I’ve been here, I’ve had a blast spending time with my Grandma and Grandpa and my Uncle Tim. Grandpa and Grandma live in Ruskin, which is about a 30 minute drive from the cruise port in Tampa, and Uncle Tim lives in the downtown area of Tampa, about 10 minutes from the cruise port. They’ve picked me up, taken me to their house, fed me, taken me to Walmart, and it’s really a blessing to get to spend time with them. I always remember hearing from other entertainment people on the Paradise how nice it was that they had family in the Long Beach/Los Angeles area, and now I’m experiencing that as well. In other news, for those of you that don’t know, Mom and Dad are in Costa Rica this week for the annual church mission trip. It’s led and organized by a group of people from a Methodist church in Ashland, KY. For the past several years, they’ve teamed up with a group from our former church in Louisville, St. Matthews UMC. I was fortunate enough to attend the first year we all teamed up (back in 2005), and my Mom has been going with the group every year since. And this year, my Dad was fortunate enough to attend as well. I wish them both, as well as the rest of the group, continued safe travels and God’s blessings as they work to spread the love of Jesus to the people they serve by their actions and their words. And I hope they bring me back some Costa Rican coffee… mmm! Even though today is Sunday, this won’t be online until Tuesday. Again, for those who actually follow this blog, I apologize for the massive delay in posting, and I hope that I can continue to keep it up and keep adding to it as often as I can. Also, I need some more exciting and interesting things to be happening so I actually have something to add!

My address on the Legend

Here is my address on the ship. I love getting mail, so if you feel so inclined to send something, I would love you forever!

Carnival Legend
Bradley J. Keesler
#428882 Entertainment Dept.
301 West Platt Street
Suite #446
Tampa, Florida 33606

Thanks!

Carnival Legend

01/17/10, 12:00 pm

Hello, and Happy New Year! Here I am, ready for round two of Carnival employment! I am on the Carnival Legend, sailing out of Tampa, Florida. The Legend will be sailing a week-long Western Caribbean itinerary, stopping at Grand Cayman Islands – Cozumel, Mexico – Roatan, Honduras – Belize. There is a lot to look forward to. Most importantly is the much more exciting itinerary, but also I will be in a 10 piece band as opposed to a 7 piece band. The 10 piece band has more horns, and is a little more like a big band, which is what I’m more used to performing in. This ship is bigger than the Paradise, and a little newer. The room I’m staying in is much nicer looking and newer looking. Also, I finally have a bottom bunk! No climbing to a top bunk! I flew into Tampa yesterday, and stayed in a very nice Sheraton hotel. I got to the ship this morning around 10 am, because I wasn’t sure what time I was actually supposed to be here. They had me put my luggage on a cart outside, and I assume they’ll be bringing it by my room later, but right now, I have no luggage. No big deal, I just wanted to get unpacked. I’m kind of hanging out right now in my room, waiting for my luggage, and waiting for my sign-on orientation meeting. I figure I’ll find out some more info there. I don’t know where anything is on this ship right now either, so I figure I’ll try to sneak around and figure out where things are.

01/17/10, 3:00 pm

So much progress in three hours! I found lunch, I found my luggage and got unpacked, and there was a very brief meeting for the new sign-ons. I got my schedule, met my musical director, and now am waiting for boat drill to start. He said it usually starts around 3:15, which is much earlier in the day than on the Paradise. There will be a meeting for the musicians afterwards, and I’ll meet the rest of the band. The schedule seems pretty good. Today, there is an hour and a half set in one of the lounges, and the infamous Carnival Welcome Aboard show… Other days include production shows, a few lounge sets, one Lido set, and a Past Guest reception. We have a full day off on Wednesday, the Cozumel day, and I’m really excited about that.

01/19/10, 12:00 pm

Here I am in the Grand Cayman Islands! It’s nice and warm here, around 80 degrees. Because I am coming back to Carnival from a vacation, I had to retake some orientation seminars on safety and other such ship-board matters. We finished earlier than scheduled, so that gave me time to get off the ship and mosey around Grand Cayman. More pictures of the ship to come. I knew this ship was bigger than the Paradise, but geez, this is a BIG ship! I feel like I keep walking and walking, and I never actually hit the front or the back of the ship. I have found several of the lounges, including the huge lounge that we play the production shows in – it’s called Follies. It has an orchestra pit that is power operated and rises up into the hall. I also found the gym, and it’s much bigger than the Paradise. Most importantly, my head doesn’t hit the ceiling when I’m on the elliptical! More pictures to come! I had my first try at the production show called “Jazz Hot.” It’s a very cool show, and the music is great. It wasn’t pretty sight reading it last night, though. I know it’ll get better – it already did for the second show last night. That’s all for now – time to head back to the ship.

I love you, Grandma

My grandma, Lydia Garza, passed away Sunday night, January 10, 2010. She was sick for a long time, but I am comforted by the fact that she is in a better place now and her body is not suffering anymore. I have always loved her and always will remember her, and I will miss her very much. She’s always been proud of me and all that I’ve accomplished, and I was very happy to see her at my graduation from UK. I know she was always thinking about me, caring for me, and hoping for the best for me. Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers.

My grandma and me at graduation

Christmas Break Update!

12/28/09, 8:15 am

Hello, all! Here’s my report after the big ski trip and Christmas in Kentucky! It took me about 12 hours of travel time to get to Beaver Creek. I took a cab, two airplanes, and a shuttle van to get there. Nothing was delayed too much, which was a good thing. Because of the sign-off procedures and going through Customs and Immigration, I had to be on the Embarkation Deck at 5:45 am. And of course, that was the day that my alarm decided it didn’t want to wake me up on time. Luckily, I had everything already packed from the night before, so all I had to do was roll out of bed and get dressed. I was finally off the ship around 6:30, but my flight didn’t leave until 12:30, so I had A LOT of time to kill. I called my mom and dad and talked to them for awhile, then I caught a city bus to a coffee shop to get some breakfast and kill some time. I anticipated that there would be a large back up checking in at the Long Beach Airport, so I caught a cab around 10:00 am, thinking that if I was there two hours before my flight, I would have plenty of time to get through security. Of course, it took me about 10 minutes to get through everything and get to the terminal. And, thanks to Delta’s lack of details regarding extra fees, my suitcase was 15 lbs. overweight, and I ended up paying a combined $110 to check one suitcase. The weight limit was 50 lbs. and my bag weighed 65 lbs. The lady at the counter said my only other options were to take 15 lbs. out and put it in my carry-on, or buy another suitcase from the gift shop and put stuff in there. Either way, it was going to cost a lot of extra money and be a lot of extra hassle, and I was mad enough about it, I just wanted to get through and be done with it. Once I got to the terminal, I passed the time by watching some Scrubs on my laptop. Finally, the time came for me to get on my plane. It was a typical flight – terrible leg room, screaming child behind me, and I was starving, but the two tiny handfuls of peanuts were at least enough to get me through until I got to Salt Lake City. The flight departing from Salt Lake was delayed about 20 minutes, but it still got in the air without too much of a delay. Which was good, because it was starting to get darker and colder, and we did have to take some time to de-ice the wings of the plane. My flight got into Denver just on time, and I got my luggage and checked in for my Colorado Mountain Express shuttle to Beaver Creek. I waited about another 30 minutes for the shuttle van to be ready, and right on the dot at 8:00, we were loaded and ready to go. There were three other passengers in the van with me, but we all stayed quiet and kept to ourselves. Which was good, because I was tired and just ready to see the family. It ended up taking about 3 hours to get to the house in Beaver Creek. I was greeted by my lovely girlfriend, and we talked and hugged, but we had to go to sleep because I had a big day ahead of me.

The next morning, we all got up and got ready for skiing! Everyone was very happy to see me, and I was happy to be there. After breakfast, we packed lunches and got bundled up, then we headed into the ski area so I could get my ski rentals. (Let me preface the whole skiing experience with my past skiing experience – I have only been skiing once, and it was with the St. Matthews UMC youth group. This was several years ago, maybe early high school, so probably 8 years ago. We went somewhere in North Carolina, meaning primarily artificial snow on the slopes. I only remember skiing one day, and there was enough time in the day for a few runs, and I remember going up the lift on only my second attempt at skiing and missing the exit part of the ski lift at the easy slope, and it took me higher up to the harder part of the mountain.  Needless to say, I was not prepared to ski down the mountain, and instead I scooted my butt the whole way down.) So, since then, I haven’t been skiing, but I was ready to go that day. We went to the Vail Ski Resort, which was about a 20 minute drive from Beaver Creek. I got my ski equipment, and I made my way to the slopes as quickly as I could with giant, heavy ski boots.  I stuck with Emily, Katie (Emily’s sister), Scott (Katie’s husband), and Lorie (another one of Emily’s sisters) for the first part of the day. Emily was my designated ski instructor, and overall she did very well. I started out really excited about being on skis. After lots of falling and tripping – I fell about 10 times in a row on the same spot on my left hip/butt cheek – I started to get a little frustrated, and very tired. A combination of a lack of oxygen and using way too much strength to push myself up every time I fell over added to my frustration. I took a break with Emily and Lorie to eat some lunch, and I realized that packing a banana in my backpack was a bad idea, because falling on it 20 times was not good for it. The next time up the lift, I sat and took a long break at the lodge, just to catch my breath and rest my feet. The rest of the group caught back up with me, and I felt a lot stronger and better about skiing, I felt more confident about my turns, and I was starting to have fun again. Once that day was over, we made our way back to the house in Beaver Creek. Katie and Scott made chili, cornbread, and mashed potatoes for dinner. The family ended up taking a big family picture at night, but once that was over, everyone was ready to go to bed again.

On Wednesday, I took some ibuprofen and hit the ground skiing! We went to Beaver Creek that day, and I was felt like I picked up right where I left off the day before. I was much more confident with the turning and stopping, and didn’t fall as much. It had snowed about three inches during the night, which put lots of fresh powder on the slopes, and even though that took some time to get adjusted to, it sure helped ease the pain of falling! I started out skiing with Emily and some other family members, but the experienced skiers broke off from the pack and tackled some of the black diamonds, and even a double black diamond. I went off with Emily’s parents Paul and Patti, Emily’s oldest sister Julie and her husband Brent, and Katie’s husband Scott. We stuck to the simpler parts of the mountain, and later on that day, we finally went down some blue square slopes. The first part of the hill was about a 1000 yard very steep, downhill stretch of snow. I made it with just a few falls, albeit it was very slow to begin with. Every time down a mountain, I caught on to turns and stops, and started to feel more comfortable with things and was having lots of fun. Somewhere along the way, I fell once, and I must have kicked the inside of my left calf muscle with my other boot really hard, because at the end of the day, I took my socks off and discovered a bruise the size of my fist on my leg muscle. It didn’t hurt, unless Emily poked it with her fingers.  5 days later, and it’s still there. So is some of the discomfort in my thighs. Everybody said I was using too much leg power to turn, but I somehow felt more comfortable turning when my center of gravity was lower, and that required constant leg squatting. We packed up that day and headed back to the house, and I finally got a chance to get in the hot tub. Being in a hot tub while it’s snowing outside is a great combination of fun! I stayed in for about 30 minutes, and then I left so I could prepare dinner. It was Emily’s and my turn to make dinner for the family, and I pulled up an old favorite – Mexican Fiesta meal – chicken and steak fajitas with all the works, cilantro lime rice, chips and fresh pico de gallo, queso, bean dip, guacamole, and Corona beer. I requested margarita mix, but they weren’t able to pick any up. Everyone loved the food, and everyone was stuffed afterwards.

We were planning on leaving at 3 am so we could get back to Kentucky at a reasonable time, in order to get some sleep before Christmas day festivities. However, there were reports of severe snow and ice throughout Kansas, so we made a decision to hit the road early and try to make it through Kansas and the bad weather sooner rather than later. If we were to get stuck in the snow, we might possibly not have been able to make it back to Kentucky until Saturday. I rode in the van with Brent and Julie, the kids Maura and Tristan. Emily and I sat in the back, and I made a good pillow/foot rest for her. Poor Tristan was not happy about being in the car seat for such a long time. The whole trip ended up taking about 25 hours. All night long, the roads had a sheet of ice on them, and the wind was blowing across the highway at very strong speeds. Trucks were stopping to put chains on their tires, cars and trucks alike were being stopped, driven off the road, and overturned on the highway. Thankfully, we made it through the night without any major problems. Once the sun came up, it helped to melt some of the ice, but there were still strong winds, and once we hit Central Kansas, it was a torrential downpour of rain almost the rest of the way home from there. I drove from Central Kansas to Central Missouri – I said I was tired of sleeping so much, so I had to drive. We got back to Georgetown at about 12:30, and everyone promptly went to bed to await the arrival of Santa Claus!

This was the first Christmas I can remember not waking up at 7 or 8 in the morning in anticipation to open presents. Don’t get me wrong, I was excited about Christmas, it’s just that the sleepiness in my body was stronger at that point. I woke up and went downstairs with Emily, her parents, and her brother Jeff. We ate breakfast with Katie and Scott, and then we opened the first batch of presents. Once all five Bridge siblings were present, there were more presents to be shared. The children were here too, and it was fun to watch them tear into the wrapping paper and be so enamored with the toy at hand that they forgot about the next toy to come. Everyone seemed to have a great Christmas! We also spent the day eating, snacking, and somehow, everyone was engaging in conversation, even though we all had just spent the last 25 hours in vehicles together.

It has taken me several tries to complete this blog entry, but I’m finally done. Since Christmas, I’ve played some video games and watched some Heroes on DVD with Emily, and we had another family dinner on Saturday. Sunday, we went to church and heard a great message about how to head into the new year without past regrets and with hope to successfully live out the future. Emily and I went to the mall and I convinced her to get matching Kentucky t-shirts for us both. We both got black shirts with blue block letters. Despite having a new Kentucky shirt, the Cats lost last night in the Music City Bowl. I guess we win some, and we lose some. We are planning on going to Chicago for New Year’s. She is going to meet her friends from her Vienna study abroad this past summer. I’m excited to meet her friends, as well as be in Chicago and be with her for the big New Year’s Eve celebration!

Sorry for the delay in the update! I hope you had a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and hope you’ll have a great New Years also! Please pray for my grandma, she’s in the hospital and very ill. Thank you.

Freedom!

12/21/09, 8:30 am

I’m a free man! Officially, my first contract for Carnival is over. In a few hours, I’ll be on a flight headed for Denver, Colorado, and then I’ll be getting on a shuttle van on my way to the resort! I totally slept through my alarm this morning, and the immigration staff called and gave me 5 minutes to get up there. Then I got up there and waited for another half hour. I love hurry up and wait! I got to say goodbyes to the guys in the band last night. I bought everyone beers and listened to the guys play one last time, then went to finish packing. I had to sit on the suitcase to get the zipper to close, but I finally got it! I’m currently sitting in the coffee shop taking up one table, two chairs, and my bags are blocking the only multi-plug outlet in the whole place, so hopefully I won’t get hassled too much. I fly out of Long Beach around 12:30, and I plan on getting to the airport well in advance to avoid crazy holiday travelers. I’m prepared to watch the entire Scrubs season 8 on DVD while I wait in airports today. I’ve already watched the whole season twice in the past six weeks (Thanks, Mike!) but it’s so good. I love that show!

A big thank you to all who have been keeping up with my life for the past six weeks via this blog. Next chapter is Colorado and spending the holidays with Emily and her family. Don’t worry, I’ll be heading home to SC in a few weeks to see my Mom and Dad. I’ll also be auditioning at USC for graduate school (this doesn’t mean I’ll become a football fan – GO CATS always!!!) Happy Holidays to all! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

And, Go Cats! Beat Clemson! Let’s get 4 bowl victories in a row!

It’s the Final Countdown!

12/19/09, 12:00 pm

I’m getting closer to finishing this contract! 2 days left, officially one cruise left before I sign off. Today is my last free day in Ensenada, Mexico. It’s been nice to be out here for the past several weeks. I’m really looking forward to going to Colorado, also. I’ve always wanted to see more of the US, especially the western half of the country, and now, in less than two months, I will have been in two different states (three if you count my flight transfer in Salt Lake City). On my plate for the rest of the day: buy a few more Christmas gifts, wrap Christmas presents, writs some Christmas cards, maybe all while enjoying some hot chocolate and listening to the slim selection of Christmas music I have on my laptop, just to make it feel authentic. Not until I get one last helping of tacos from Mexico – and maybe even a margarita. Say it with me, “Margarrrrrrrrrrrita!” (While rolling your tongue – sorry for those of you who aren’t gifted enough to roll your R’s). Even though it’s the middle of December, the weather is still great here. Not as great as somewhere like the Caribbean, but it’s still good. I’m managing to stay comfortable in jeans, a polo shirt, and flip flops. Those tacos are callin’ my name. Bye for now!

Horseback Riding in Mexico

12/16/09, 3:30 pm

I’m taking a ‘siesta’ in Starbucks after having a great time horseback riding earlier today. Paul and I met up outside on the pier, and we went on a 20 minute bus ride with about 10 other guests to “Ranchero Los Bandidos,” a horse ranch owned by a really nice American lady. She briefly told us how she had turned the property into a ranch and was in the process of building it up for use as a bed and breakfast, as well. It was a really pretty place, up on top of a hill, and overlooking part of the city and the bay and the ocean. I was afraid for a little while, because the brochure we read on the ship said ‘maximum 220 lbs. per rider.’ I’m not a contestant in waiting for “The Biggest Loser,” but I’m not quite at 220. That wasn’t really an issue, I just felt a little sorry for the horses there. None of them were as big and strong as the horse that I rode in the beginning of November with Emily (I’ll show pictures of both horses and you can compare). The ranch employees were somehow systematically pairing riders with horses, and when I wasn’t initially brought forward to get on what to me looked like the bigger horses, I got a little nervous. But, they brought out another bigger horse, named Dos Equis (like the beer). Ironically, I was wearing a Corona shirt that day, so there was a brand-name discrepancy there; sorry, I don’t own a Dos Equis shirt. Maybe that’s why we were paired together – we’re both big because of all the beer we drink… Once everyone was mounted and ready to go, we were on our way. Giddy-up! ¡Vamanos! We went on about an hour long ride, up and around a mountain. It was a bumpy ride – there were lots of rocks, and lots of trotting. As we went higher up the mountain, we continued to see some great views of the ocean and the city. When we got back to the ranch, we had some beef tacos on fresh corn tortillas and some really good hot salsa. Emily would be so proud of me for riding a horse!

Philippe from Georgetown, KY

Ranchero Los Bandidos

The stables

The main building on the ranch

The landscaping was really nice to see

Bringing out the horses

The tour guide’s horse

A GIANT cactus!

My horse – Dos Equis

The pack of horses

Lots of good scenic views!

Side of the mountain

The coastline of Ensenada

The Pacific Ocean

It was a great day outside!

A look down the mountain

Thanks to Paul for getting good pics of me!

Cowboy face

My butt was only a little sore at this point…

Thumbs up!

Smilin’ for the camera

Paul, Me, and the better halves of our horses

Almost back to the ranch

Thumbs up!

Paul and me

Paul and his black horse

Me and Dos Equis

Me outside the ranch

Paul outside the ranch

Paul and Me! Good times at Carnival!

Snake skins inside the ranch

The Black Pearl! Arrrrgh!!!

The picture of the Black Pearl is from the actual movie (according to the tour guide). There’s an extension of a movie company here that does some filming off the Ensenada coast, and apparently, some of the shots from Pirates of the Caribbean were done here, using that ship. Cool!

And I forgot, here’s a picture of my horse from November – compare it to Dos Equis!

Philippe from Georgetown, Kentucky

Dos Equis from Ensenada, Mexico