The Silver Lining

Remember that *rush* you felt, when you were 16, and you'd just passed your driving test?  That license -- still warm from the laminator -- fresh in your hand, gave you a new-found freedom.  You could DRIVE! I remember the day I got my license in 1972.  The examining officer in our town had a reputation for NEVER giving a 16-year-old a license on their first try.  I was nervous when my mom took me to the little white cinder-block building that served as the Highway Patrol Office.  Sure enough, there was Officer P. -- sitting at a cluttered desk, typing rapidly with his index fingers only -- which I thought was absolutely absurd, and stifled a giggle!  He growled at us to sit down and wait, he was busy.  I wiped the snicker off my face and did as he ordered.  Rat-a-tat-tat went the manual typewriter -- pounding on my 16-year-old nerves.  Then another officer came in the building.  He looked at me and my mom, smiled, then said, "Hey,...

Our first night aboard the Grandeur of the Seas....aaaahhhhhh a little rest & relaxation is good for the soul... Very early the next morning, David prodded me awake. "Come on! Let's go! Let's walk around the upper deck and start this beautiful day!" Now when I am at home, I rise early and take my morning walk, and quite honestly I'd sort of planned to sleep in a bit on the cruise. So much for sleeping in! I got up, donned my walking shoes and we made our way to the upper deck. Surprise!! It was still dark. Even the SUN wasn't up yet! As we made our first round, I saw maybe 10 people, and 9 of them were crew! I was seriously ready to grumble. Toward the rear of the ship, the lights were dim. We were so far out at sea that there was no land in sight in any direction. David and I stopped our walk to watch the wake our ship was making: a frothy trail that seemed to glow in the dark water. Cupping my hands around my face, I blocked out as much of...