Debarking the Carnival Liberty

Today, we debarked the ship in Miami at 7:30 am, due to our Platinum status. We rented a Town and Country from Dollar at the Miami airport. I went to the get off the elevator after dad and the doors tried to shut, so I put my hand through the doors and my bag knocked over, getting stuck under the metal kick bar, in the Rental terminal.

We drove to the Wal-Mart in Sunrise to get some tools to fix mom's wheelchair, because some of the brackets kept falling off. We went to the Sawgrass Mills Outlet Mall and I bought some books. We stayed at La Quinta in Cypress Creek. We couldn't check in until 3 PM. After our nap, we went and ate pizza at Big Louie's Italian restaurant. We drove around the beach, trying to find a Krispy Kreme and had to settle for Dunkin' Donuts, to have something for breakfast tomorrow. When we came back to the hotel, there were two police cars out front and they were questioning a man in what appeared to be a domestic disturbance case. The guy tried to get on the elevator with Mom and I, but was distracted and walked off. We were glad he didn't ride the elevator with us, which would have been awkward.

Third Full Day at Sea

Today, was our final full day at sea. We packed our suitcases before eating breakfast. Afterwards, we went and looked at the shops for the T-Shirt and Sea Glass sales. We watched the Joran Van Der Sloot sentencing on TV. After our nap, I ran upstairs and got some lunch for Mom and I. After lunch, Dad came back down to the room and then we went up to shop so he could buy a watch for $19.99. I went and sat on the Balcony for a while, watching the British version of the Office.

For dinner, I had fettucini with mushrooms as a starter, Mango Cream soup, Bacon Mac and Cheese, and Grand Marnier souffle. We went back to the shops and Mom bought another watch and some earrings. We went to the Venetian and played Movie trivia, for which I earned a medal, cause I tied for third place with another woman. We got 12 out of 20, with the winner getting 16. We watched Gender showdown competition, involving hula hoops, red solo cups, and trivia. The men beat the women 10 to 4. After the games, we went back to the room and saw our dog towel animal. We also put the suitcases with tags out into the hall to be picked up for debarkation.

Grand Turk

Today, we arrived in Grand Turk at 11 AM, so we went to the Shopping Talk beforehand. The last time we were here, we took the bus tour to the lighthouse and the prison. This time, dad took a snorkeling trip and got to pet a 6 foot long nurse shark. Mom and I walked around the port shops. She was looking at some glass earrings in one of the shops and broke one on the floor.

When we were getting back on board, the security screener questioned me about my change purse in my purse and Mom's seashell candle holder with no candle, wanting to know what they were. That was pretty weird. Lunch was Caribbean again, so I had another Guy's Plain Jane Burger. After our nap, I got ready for Elegant night, by wearing some nice dress pants. We watched Two Weeks Notice on tv.

For dinner, I had bing cherry soup, fresh fruit, Chateaubriand with Bearnaise sauce, and Amaretto cake. We went to the Punchliner club to see the comedians, Allyn Ball and Tony Esposito. We went to the Photo gallery to look at our pictures. The show in the Venetian was Singin' with the Big Band with Christopher Alan Graves, which we had seen twice, so we skipped it. When we came back to the room, there was a plate of Chocolate Strawberries and a Platypus towel animal waiting for us. We watched The Office on TV.

San Juan, Puerto Rico

Today, we arrived in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The last time we were here, we were only on the island from 5 PM to midnight, and we walked through the shops in Old San Juan, so it was nice to see the island in the daylight. Before we got off the boat, we watched Rango on TV. We were in port with the Celebrity Millennium, the Norwegian Gem, and the Holland American Niew Amsterdam.

This time, we took an independent tour for 10 dollars a person, around the city. It was with an American man named William who promised us we wouldn't wake up without any kidneys. LOL. We saw the memorial for police officers and the walk of U.S. President Statues, the beach across from the Hilton, and the fort. Our tour bus driver, dropped us off in the town square and we went to the flea markets and the shops in Old San Juan.

We got back on the ship and ate lunch on the lido deck, which was Italian. After our nap, we watched the sail away. We went to the Past Guest Party in the Venetian and had free appetizers and punch. We went and looked in the shops before we had dinner. For dinner I had, peach soup, caesar salad, farfalle with turkey and peas, and bitter and blanc. In the dining room, the servers formed a giant conga line and did the limbo under two napkins to the song, "Hot, Hot, Hot."

After dinner, we went to the Venetian and played Name that 80's tune trivia, saw the MJ dance moves competition, and the Big Hair competition. We went back to the room and found a towel animal waiting for us.

St. Thomas

Today, we arrived in St. Thomas. The last two times we were here, we went to Coral World and we took a ferry over to St. John so Dad could go snorkeling. This time we took a taxi to Charlotte Amalia, which is considered their downtown. We went to a flea market, where I saw two women fighting over which one had the wooden birds in their hand first. Then we walked around the ship approved shops. We took a taxi back to port, after the driver took some people to K-Mart. Dad went on a snorkeling excursion to Buck Island, while Mom and I walked around the Havensight shops until it started raining.

We got back on board and went up to the lido deck for lunch. They were serving French food, so I grabbed a plain jane burger from Guy Fieri's Burger Joint. I took the top off my bun to put bacon and mayo on it at the topping bar and dropped the top on the floor, so I went back to my table and ate the burger with a fork. After our nap, we watched Rise of the Planet of the Apes on tv. Dad went shopping in Havensight after his tour. I went and took photos on deck 10 before we sailed away.

For dinner, I had a chicken quesadilla, fresh fruit, Meatloaf with cheesy potatoes, and warm chocolate melting cake. After dinner, we went to the shops and Mom bought a watch for 10 bucks. We went to the lounge to watch Bingo and Mom opened the bag her watch was in and it was sticky, so Dad went back to the shop to return it. When he came back with a new watch, the second hand was broken, so he had to go back to the shop and get another one. The show was "Just Rock" with the carnival singers and dancers. They were showing Soul Surfer on the seaside theatre as we walked by and we grabbed some popcorn.

Second Full Day at Sea

Today, We ate breakfast on the lido deck and I read some stuff on my ipad. We watched Zookeeper on TV. We went to the Jewelry shop to pick up Mom's necklace and look at our photos from Formal night. We watched the Bean Bag Tournament in the atrium. For lunch on the lido deck, they were serving Caribbean food. After our nap, we watched Just Go with It on TV.

For dinner, I ate fresh fruit, chips with guacamole and salsa, shrimp and fries, and chocolate, raspberry vanilla cake. We went to the Punchliner club in the Victoria Lounge to see Smiley Joe Wiley and Percy Crews II again, since the show in the main lounge was a juggler and Mom can't watch shows like that with her vertigo.

First Full Day at Sea

Today was first full day at sea. In the morning, the ship tilted about 40 degrees and knocked some stuff off the shelves in our room. The cruise director, Butch, called it a "Technical error" over the PA. After we ate breakfast on the lido deck, we went to atrium and to the shops. Mom bought a necklace and 2 bracelets at the Gold by the Inch sale. We went to the Fun Ashore, Fun Aboard talk by Butch. We also attended the Shopping Talk for St. Thomas and San Juan, hosted by Jimmy. For lunch, they were serving American food on the lido deck.

After our nap, we watched Mean Girls on TV. It was the first elegant night on the boat, so we wore dress pants to dinner. We went to our new table, table 551 for dinner in the dining room. Our new waiter, Ralph is from Jamaica. I had Spaghetti Carbonara, Strawberry Bisque, Prime Rib, and Warm Chocolate Melting Cake. Dad ate alligator fritters and liked them.

After dinner, we went to the Punchliner club to see the comedian, Percy Crews II. We strolled past the shopping desk to get Mom her VIP shopping card. The show in the Venetian was "Wonderful World," with the carnival singers and dancers. When we got back to the room, there were some free Carnival lunch bags and pins for mom and dad, since this was their 10th cruise on Carnival. I watched some of "X-Men: First Class."

Carnival Liberty

Today, We ate the complimentary breakfast at the Hotel. I finished reading Room by Emma Donoghue, which is a very sad but amazing book. We drove around South Beach, and found the Kardashian store, Dash Miami. We checked out of the hotel and when we got to the parking lot, I noticed I had left my purse in the room so we had to go back in and get it. On the airport shuttle to the port, mom's red bag kept falling off the shelf on the bus.

We boarded the Carnival Liberty in Miami around 12:30 PM. We have a cabin on the eighth floor, right under the lido deck. I love staying on the eighth floor, cause I can just run upstairs and get a drink or and ice cream cone for Mom. Our room wasn't ready until 2 PM, so we ate lunch on the Lido Deck in Emile's. They were serving Italian food and we had cake pops for dessert. After our nap, we went to the safety briefing in The Cabinet lounge. We watched parts of Mr. Popper's Penguins and the Lincoln Lawyer on TV. We have a balcony, so we were able to see the sail away from our room. After the sail away, we unpacked our suitcases.

We were seated for dinner at table 334 in The Silver dining room with 5 people who only spoke Japanese, so we asked for a seat reassignment. For dinner I had a fruit plate, a caesar salad, sweet and sour shrimp, and sugar free orange cake. After dinner we went and watched Karaoke for a bit, before going to the Venetian Palace to watch a 70's dance class and Game Show Mania. After the fun, we went to the lido deck to get another treat. I had the black forest cake.

Heading to Florida

Today, we flew on Southwest to Ft. Lauderdale, with a layover in Las Vegas. It seemed weird and counterproductive to go west and then go east. We ate breakfast at Burger King in the airport. On our way to Fort Lauderdale, we were sat next to a lady with her guide dog. The flight attendant made us sing Happy Birthday to a man and God Bless America to the veterans onboard. I finished reading Night by Elie Wiesel, which is a very sad book. When we landed, we rented a car from Budget. We ate dinner at Sonny's BBQ on our way to Miami. We went to K-mart to get some soda for the boat. We stayed at the Hampton Inn and Suites next to the airport.

17 Miracles

17 Miracles (2011) is a movie about the Willie-Martin Handcart company's trek to Zion. Along the way, they deal with faith testing situations like death, famine, pain, wolves, and heartache. Each miracle, through their faith, brings unexpected results. One woman was promised all of her family would arrive in Zion alive and her sister rises from the dead. A woman is offered beef jerky from a man, but when she goes to thank him, him and his cave have vanished. There's one man who carried people over the river, only to die afterwards. It's a really good movie.

Stories I Only Tell My Friends

Stories I Only Tell My Friends is the autobiography by actor, Rob Lowe. In the book, he tells us about his childhood, being friends with Estevez/Sheen family and rise to fame, casually mentioning his love life. I have been a Rob Lowe fan since I saw him in The Outsiders and watched him on Brothers & Sisters. The parts I found most interesting were his involvement in 9/11 and the murder of limo driver while he was dating Princess Stephanie. I hope he talks more about his romances in his next book, Love Life. It would be interesting to hear his side of his breakup with Melissa Gilbert.

Amazing Grace

Amazing Grace (2006) is a film staring Ioan Gruffudd, based on a true story about a man named William Wilberforce who tried for twenty years to abolish the slave trade in Britain. I had never seen a movie about slavery, with a British perspective before. It's always good to see real life heroes, who have impacted their communities, throught their works.

The Green Lantern

Maybe, I've seen too many superhero movies, but I felt like The Green Lantern had a similar plot to every other one. I liked Ryan Reynolds as the lead but everyone else fell flat. The effects could have been cooler, especially the smoke alien and Hal Gordon flying through space. I haven't read the comic book, so I don't know if the plot was accurate or not. I was also distracted by the alleged romance between Reynolds and his costar Blake Lively, trying to watch if they had any chemistry together. They make a pretty couple.

Super 8

Super 8 (2011) is a film directed by J.J. Abrams and executive produced by Steven Spielberg. The film is about six kids trying to make a zombie movie and stumbling upon a train accident, carrying an alien. It was like watching Goonies, E.T., and War of the Worlds all in one film. I liked the plot and I thought the kids were funny. I watched this my parents and they both thought it was weird.

One Day

One Day by David Nicholls is about a British woman and man who try to be just friends after their first meeting. Every two chapters flash forwards to another year and tells what the characters are up to at the point in time. It involves their careers, marriages, divorces, children, and death. I haven't seen the movie starring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess, but I intend to see it at some point.

Jayson Wolfe Series

The Jayson Wolfe series is written by Anita Stansfield. The Sound of Rain is the first book about a struggling musician named Jayson Wolfe, returning to Oregon, twenty years after he first moved there. He reflects on his teenage days, which involved him and his brother and mother escaping his abusive drunk father. He meets a new friend Derek and has a crush on Derek's sister, Elizabeth. He and Elizabeth's relationship is tested through tragedies and growing relations. It was a pretty interesting novel with a lot of unexpected twists.

Shadows of Brierley

Shadows of Brierely by Anita Stansfield is a series of books based on her previous book, Towers of Brierley. I read Towers back when it first came out in the year 2000. It was hard trying to remember who the characters they were referring to in the Wanderer, that debuted in Towers. I almost needed to read Towers again. Overall, it is how the Scottish family first got involved with the LDS church, by hearing a preacher and reading the book. The first book seemed similar to one of her other series, In Search of Heaven. The Wanderer deals with religion, mental illness, and has a bunch of soap opera like twists.

Button Tree

I took an old canvas that I didn't care for and painted it orange and then glued some old buttons on it.

Then I painted the canvas and buttons with Gesso and waited for it to dry.

Then I painted the buttons in pink, blue, green, and yellow:

Confessions of a Shopaholic

Confessions of a Shopaholic is a series by Sophie Kinsella, consisting of six books about a woman named Rebecca Bloomwood, a shopping addict and often gets in over her head with her debt. The books have her meeting the love of her life, traveling to America, planning a wedding, meeting a long lost sister, and preparing for motherhood, while having a shopping addiction. There was a movie version of the first book, starring Isla Fisher, but it was set in New York instead of England, making Becky an American.

Snowglobes

Buy a plastic snowglobe from Michael's

Unscrew the lid and the pull out the cork and the instructions.

Buy ornaments you want for the globes. Glue the ornament on the cork with a glue gun and let dry.

Cut ribbon into pieces to go around the lid.

Glue the ribbon around the side of the lid.

Fill an upside down globe with fake snow with at least 1/4 cup. Turn cork upside down and push into globe. Then attach to lid and tighten.

Glue a Christmas themed or colored button on the seam of the ribbon to hide where you cut it.

You can even try larger jars you have left over from canning.