The Ship

Derek got up very early on Sunday morning to take a walk. He got to see our ship, The Star Princess, come in to port. Emilie, on the other hand, knows how to enjoy a vacation and slept in a bit.

The ship has 17 stories (and a few more below the waterline) and holds 2,600 passengers. We boarded the ship about noon, via a tower of walkways.


We had heard bad things about long lines and grumpy employees at embarkation. But everyone was efficient and friendly. Except for some passengers. Obviously, a few people had never attended kindergarten. So they didn't know about things like standing in line and taking turns.

It is always exciting to board a cruise ship. This one had a huge, beautiful atrium. Sort of like the lobby in a very grand hotel. With those 17 levels, there are lots of elevators. That's what is behind the swirling silver foliage--a glass elevator.


We went to our cabin first. They are usually small, but adequate, with plenty of storage. We went for the least-expensive option, but were upgraded to a room with a window.


Our stateroom was ready when we boarded. That is amazing when you remember that the previous group of passengers only left the ship at about 9:30 that morning. Each room steward is a combination housekeeper, delivery man, and mother: they clean the room, bring you ice and the ship's newspaper, and even turn down the bed at night. Once he realized I liked to take naps and had long hair, our steward made sure to pop in to make the bed AGAIN after my nap and to leave extra towels. We got so spoiled. Somehow, our bed at home has not learned to make itself twice a day. Nor have chocolates appeared on the pillows.

The first order of business, after dropping our hand luggage in the cabin, was to explore the ship. It was really beautiful. The inside pool was warm and sunny, with beautiful mosaic decorations. We hung our here a lot of read, sun, and gaze out the windows.


The mosaics are glittery and colorful. Derek already looked relaxed and happy.


Just a few steps away from the pool (and the cushy lounge chairs) is the food: pizza, hot dogs, hamburgers, french fries, a bar. We had our first meal at the buffet. There are stations for soup, salad, bread, lunch meats and cheeses, fruit, dessert, ethnic foods (varying every day: Chinese, Japanese, Italian, etc.), and carved meats like turkey and roast beef.


And thus begins the endless food extravaganza that is cruising. Food is included in the price of the cruise, although soda pop, alcohol, and fancy coffee is not. You could truly eat 24 hours a day. The buffet is always open, there is room service, poolside snacks, and four meals a day served in the dining rooms. (Yes, there is afternoon tea, just in case you feel a bit peckish before dinner.)

The service in the dining room is as lavish as in our cabin. Two waiters serve 4-8 tables. We chose "Traditional Dining," which meant we ate at the same time, with the same waiters and the same tablemates, each evening. Our waiters learned what we liked to drink and had it waiting for us, just like our own personal staff might do. We were never able to empty our glasses of water and tea. New silverware was brought for each course and the table was crumbed before dessert. The level of service was beyond anything I have ever experienced on land, except possibly at the old Pump Room in Chicago. No fancy restaurant in D.C. or Chicago lavished as much care on its diners as even a basic cruise ship does. When we got back to shore and I had to use the same fork for salad and entree it was such a rough return to reality! Here is a typical menu. Depending on your web browser, you may be able to click to see it larger.

You can order as many courses as you like, or two things from one course. Or, if you like, two servings of the same thing. This first night, Emilie chose the melon appetizer, cream of mushroom soup, prime rib, and something chocolate for dessert. Derek had the spring roll, tortelleni soup, and pan-fried barramundi (which is a kind of fish), with cheesecake for dessert. For some reason, we forgot to take a picture of the dessert menu. There were always 5 or so choices, including cheesecake, a sugar free dessert, and house-made (ship-made?) icecream.

Amazingly, we managed to waddle off after dinner to watch comedians or stage shows, or to do a little dancing. There was live music in the various small bars around the ship: oldies, ballroom, Latin, country, classic rock, big band. Derek was a very good sport about dancing. On the other hand, he figured he would never see any of these people every again, even if we did look silly. There were several serious ballroom and swing dancing couples, ranging in age from mid-twenties to perhaps mid-eighties. It was almost as fun to watch them as it was to dance!

There were two formal nights on the cruise.


Emilie got a new dress just for the occasion.

Derek brought his tux. Isn't he handsome?

Of course, if you didn't want to dress up, you could eat at the buffet or order room service. We dressed up and even had pictures take by the ship's photographers. The photos are just one way the cruise line parts you from your money. Alcohol and duty-free shopping are two others.

The second formal night:


The food is even fancier on formal nights. Derek had lobster, which the waiter even removed from the shell for him:


Emilie had Beef Wellington. It was tastier than it was photogenic. And, amazingly, it was served as requested: genuinely well-done.


I can't decide which is cuter, the swirl of duchesse potatoes or the tiny bowl made out of yellow squash!

Next time: more fine dining and a behind-the-scenes tour.

Cruising

Okay, okay! By popular demand, the Puppy Party Post will be delayed. Here, we will report on our totally awesome cruise to Alaska. I kind of thought Derek would be posting about this, since he took about 700 pictures during our vacation. No exaggeration. But he has this JOB thing that is taking up a lot of time, and since I am only teaching one hour a week this month, I guess Emilie will tell you about our cruise.

We kicked off our trip at the new, renovated Indianapolis airport. It was pretty, but I can't help but wonder if it was strictly necessary to spend quite so much on things like a 4-story atrium and Indiana themed art. Maybe more bathrooms would be a better use of my tax dollars? Here is the rather industrial-looking food court:


Our cruise departed from Seattle. We spent a day there before we got on the ship.



I had never been there before, and it was just beautiful. Plants that are small shrubs in Bloomington turn into TREES in Seattle.


Seattle is a very dog friendly city.


That just made me miss Dharma. We had to take her to Canine Companions for TEN WHOLE DAYS while we were gone. It was really hard to leave her. She is the smallest dog staying there. What if she thought we weren't coming back for her? What if she was lonely? What is the other dogs were mean to her? (Do I sound like Hagrid, worrying about Norbert, the baby dragon?) I admit, I did go look at her on their puppy cam while we were in Alaska. Yes, you can look at your pampered pooch on a live web cam while you are gone. This tells me that there are other puppy parents who are as over-protected as I am.

The best part of Seattle was getting to see our friend from college, Girl in Greenwood. Emilie had seen her for a few hours at the Chicago airport in 1999, but Derek hadn't seen her since we graduated from K-State in 1997. And we had never met her husband. It was wonderful to see our friend, and it felt like we had just seen each other the day before. She gave us a wonderful tour of the city, including the troll under the bridge. Not every city can say they have one of THOSE!


Next post: the ship.

Birthday Dog!

Yes, as you can see on her neckerchief, Dharma is having a birthday. She is two!

And she got lots of presents! Unfortunately, she now thinks all tissue paper belongs to her. And it better have treats inside! She really "got into" opening presents!

She got a cute little sundress. Perfect for warm, sunny days on the patio.

And a reversible bandanna. A regular bandanna is too big for her, it looks more like a cape. This one is just right. And it coordinates nicely with her chocolate brown fur.

She is all ready for Independence Day, with a red, white, and blue ruff. It even has stars.

She also got a lovely cookie/cake from the London Dog bakery. It was so big, it lasted for two days (as doled out by Emilie, Dharma would be happy to eat until her little legs couldn't reach the ground, if she had half the chance.) She wasn't sure if the cookie or the crinkly bag was more fun.

Next: Puppy Party!

We have a garden!

The average last freeze date for Bloomington is supposed to be April 15. So, does that mean it is safe to finally plant something? Only about half of the time.

We planted some tulips in front of the house last fall. They were supposed to be white, pink, maroon, and white with purple edges. Unfortunately, the maroon came up more fuschia or purple. And the white came up looking . . . yellow, with red streaks.

I guess they were mislabeled. The overall effect is a bit like Mardi Gras. I was hoping to have pink and maroon flowers in the front of the house, to harmonize with the gray and white house and go with the maroon front door. Purple and yellow weren't exactly what I was picturing. At least the yellow tulips are big and beautiful. And the yellow seems to fade a bit as they open fully. Or am I fooling myself?

I was so eager for spring I couldn't wait for warm weather, so I started some seeds indoors.


We planted them yesterday.


We hope to have cornflowers, blue and white morning glories, moon flowers, and lady lavender (a lot like true lavender, but blooms the first year and is slightly less invasive) by the trellis. So far, we have . . . bean sprouts.


We have tulips in the backyard, too. They were supposed to be purple. I suspect they are the exact same variety as the ones out front that were supposed to be maroon.


Oh, well. At least they came up. I think the hydrangeas next to them are alive. But I have serious doubts about the lilac bush. Other people have actual lilac blooms in their yards right now. I have some tiny buds on the end of dry sticks.


I think I have garden jealousy. "Thou shalt not covet they neighbors shrubs." The book "The Princess Bride" says that originally, all jealousy was reserved to plants. That's where the phrase "green with envy" came from. Tee-hee.


Maybe I can just stick these pansies in front of the slow-growing lilac bush. It IS a rather small bush.


Our snowball bush has little blossoms on it. They're just more green than white. Is there such a thing as acid snow? Maybe that's why its green. I have fond memories of a snowball bush in the house where I grew up. A branch with a "snowball" on the end makes an excellent fairy wand.


Out front, the little faux gas lamp will be surrounded by echinacea, red morning glories, cosmos, and zinnias. I hope the cosmos attract as many caterpillars and butterflies as last year. Dharma loves to chase the butterflies. But they cheat: they can fly and she can't.

Dharma has been enjoying the warm weather, too.

Guests

We managed to put the guest room at Johnson's Meeting House to use again over Easter weekend. Derek's mom and stepdad came to see us.

Left to right: Terry, Gerry, and Derek

They had planned to come last October, but Terry (the stepdad) fell and broke his foot, which made driving 11 hours to see us sound a LOT less appealing. They brought their puppy, a Maltese named Abby.


Abby and Dharma met last Christmas when we stayed with them (and, crazy people that we are, took Dharma with us.) I would say they learned to tolerate each other, that's about all. This visit they did play a little bit, but we made sure to keep them in different rooms when we were gone.

Dharma says "Who is this, and WHAT is she doing on my pillows?"

Dharma kept stealing Abby's toys. And even a whole bag of her things!

Bad doggie!

Nonetheless, both doggies were visited by the Easter Bunny. They shared the treats fairly well. Abby had an easter-egg print bandana and Dharma had a little spring frock from Emilie's mom, and they both looked adorable. Clearly, dog spoiling runs in BOTH families.


The non-puppies among us had Easter brunch at the Tudor Room, a restaurant in the IU Memorial Union. It is, as the name suggests, a gothic revival style hall. The food was nice, our server was sweet, and we all had more than enough good things to eat. On the other hand, they need to hire me next year to organize them. Reservations were lost, lines were formed and then ignored, some people gave up and left without dinner, kids cried, and everyone waited much longer than necessary. Step one to fixing this mess? Get someone with good English skills to work at the reception stand. Really. The person working there was not able to answer questions like "Is this the right line for people with reservations?" On a more cheerful note, we also walked around and admired the flowers and trees on campus. They were lovely, and set off our Easter bonnet and flowery dresses very well.


Emilie had to keep teaching all week, but Derek was able to take the week off. He took our guests to Indianapolis, the outlet mall in Edinburgh, and lovely downtown Bloomington. Emilie joined them to go to Nashville. Much eating and shopping was enjoyed by all. Well, Derek probably enjoyed the eating somewhat more than the shopping.

Next post: spring gardening update!

Birthday...or birth week

Emilie is a year older. And she managed to drag out the festivities for over a week. It helped that Ivy Tech decided to honor her birth with a week of Spring Break.

Siberian Iris. Not at Ivy Tech, just a sign of spring.

One present that came in the mail was supposed to be opened at once. So the puppy could start wearing it immediately.

On her birthday, Emilie slept late and then opened presents. Opening presents in bed is a bit like having breakfast in bed. But without the crumbs.

There were so many gifts . . .

That Dharma had to help open some.

Then yet another present came in the mail.

It was a shirt from Derek, in Emilie's new favorite color. (And it apparently matches Dharma's eyes, too.) Is that what business people call just-in-time inventory?

Puppy in pink

The nice lady at London Dog ordered some special coats to fit dachshunds. Most doggie clothes don't fit them so well, and then their little tummies get cold. So I spent way too much money on this cute little pink, soft, fleece jacket.


The brand is TeckelKlub. Teckel is German for dachshund. No, actually, they don't call them dachshunds in German. They are sometimes called Dachels, which I think is some sort of diminuation of dachshund. Dachs means badger (not to be confused with Dach, roof.) Full-sized doxies were bred to hunt badgers. That's why they are so fierce. Would YOU want to head down a tunnel with a badger at the other end? Me neither. The mini doxies were used to hunt weasels--also not an easy job.

Dachshunds can even compete in an event called "Earthdog." They have to track down rabbits (or rabbit-scented items) in underground tunnels. I think Dharma would love that. She likes to dig and burrow. And she thinks the trellises are little doggie tunnels. Isn't it nice that we have a doggie playground in our backyard? Boy is she going to be mad when we move the trellises.

On a chilly night recently, Dharma and Emilie both wore matching pink pjs. Yep, that is totally disgusting. But, boy, were we cozy!

Signs of Spring

Our last post was about a foot of snow. Well, with the melting snow comes signs of spring...

Our trees and bushes are starting to get their buds...

Our tree in our front yard

Our lilac bush

And one of the hydrangeas (we're not too sure about the other one)

Now that the buds are on the trees, Emilie has also started making plans...

The pots are ready

Emilie has plenty of seeds on hand

Emilie is going to take the trellises (from our neighbor's tent that was destroyed in the remnants of Hurricane Ike), stand them up on end, and grow some viney plants on them.

I have been instructed to get this arch assembled so we can put it in front of our gate at the back of the yard

Another sign of spring? Robins! These two birds (one on each side of the fence) came out to say "Hello" while I was taking pictures. (Then they saw Dharma and decided it was best to fly off to safer territory.)


Oh, and the final "sign" of spring? Us wishing everybody a Happy Valentine's Day!


Dharma is in her Valentine's Day best, too!

It snowed this week, just a little bit.

Emilie's mom sent Dharma a little doggie vest for cold, wet weather. It is quite reflective.

It matches Emilie's new coat.

Dharma's coat arrived just in time for the biggest snow storm of the year. It snowed.

And snowed.

And snowed some more. Derek had to shovel snow just so a little doggie could get outside to do her business!

Derek also had to shovel the driveway. Three times.

Derek's new weather station was buried in snow.

So we had to turn to more primitive methods of measurement. It snowed more than twelve inches in all.
And it is just starting to melt.

Books, books, books!

The new bookshelf isn't QUITE full, yet.

Books are one of my favorite gifts, to give and to receive. As I mentioned, we got lots of books for Christmas. Here are a few of them:

The City of Dreaming Books, a novel about a fantasy world obsessed with books.

Swindled: The Dark History of Food Fraud, from Poisoned Candy to Counterfeit Coffee, by Bee Wilson (this one is part of my weight-loss program!)

Maps that Made History, by Lez Smart (Is that his real name?)

The Garden in Bloom, Ann Lovejoy (So nice to read when it is snowing outside!)

Sacred Food: Cooking for Spiritual Nourishment, Elisabeth Luard (With recipes.)

The Naming of Names, Anna Pavord (A really cool book about Linnaeus and binomial nomenclature.)

How to Cook a Hippopotamus: The Folio Book of Quaint and Curious Advice (Includes "How to Behave on a Sinking Ship," "The Market Value of Good Manners," and a recipe for Bear Rump Roast.)

When you Catch an Adjective, Kill It: The Parts of Speech, for Better and/or Worse, Ben Yagoda (This brings to mind a friend's t-shirt: English doesn't borrow words from other languages. It knocks them out in dark alleyways and goes through their pockets, looking for loose grammar.)

Bizarre Books: A Compendium of Classic Oddities, Russell Ash and Brian Lake (Such as "Living with the Dead," "How to Avoid Work" and "The Art of Faking Exhibition Poulty." I haven't noticed How to Cook a Hippopotamus in here, but I'm not finished reading. Unfortunately, this book lacks ordering information!)

So, let me know: what books did you get for Christmas?

Daily doxie dose:

Even a puppy can't make this carpet look good! Doesn't she look disapproving? This ugly carpet was in our hotel on the way to Kansas. We learned there are two kinds of hotels that accept dogs: the kind where Paris Hilton stays with her little chihuahuas and the kind where a little dog pee can't really make the room any dirtier. Seriously.

Home improvement

Derek would like to state, for the record "I hate home improvement projects!" We managed to take an entire evening to put up a second towel bar in the guest bath. Someone might have lost the drill, then someone might have not held the drill very steady while drilling. If you do that, the hole ends up too big. Then the plastic anchor disappears into the little hole. (We eventually just pushed it in and let it fall down in between the walls. 'Bye-bye little plastic problem!) Then we had to find a bigger anchor and a bigger screw. Someone even insisted on using the level to make sure the towel bar was perfectly straight. But, we got it done.


I'm not sure it was worth it. Even though I did hang some pictures I made over the new towel bar. That part went much better.


And, don't forget, your daily dachshund dose. Here is Dharma, trying to prevent Derek from playing video games. After all, he should be playing with HER.

Finally!

On the twelfth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Twelve drummers drumming

Tapping their dainty paws on tiny golden drums.

Actually, her paw is behind the drum. Isn't it a cute little drum? It was part of a somewhat gaudy floral pick from the craft store. It was so tiny, I was afraid she might try to eat it. When we started taking pictures, Dharma got all excited, because she gets treats for posing. And she practices her "sit" and "stay," so it's very educational. I love this picture because you can see the cute little whorl of fur on her chest. Take my word for it, it is a very soft spot to pet when she rolls over on her back and lets you rub her belly.

Behind her, you can see part of our new bookshelf. We got so many books for Christmas that we needed more shelves. (Not that books are a bad thing, not at all!) And my mom is cleaning out her house by filling up mine. So she sent me most of my childhood books, including some Little Golden Books. I remember those fondly. When we went to the grocery store, if I was really, really good, sometimes I got a book. That was way better than candy. So, clearly, I have always been a nerd. Even before I could read.

On the 'Leventh Day of Christmas

My true love gave to me
Eleven Pipers Piping

What? You didn't think we'd let her smoke a pipe, did you? How do you get a doxie so interested in a horn-shaped Christmas ornament? With peanut butter, of course.

I know, this series is taking a bit longer than twelve days. Epiphany was the 5th, and that was when the 12 Days of Christmas should have ended. I'm not sure why "having an epiphany" means coming to a sudden revelation. It seems like it should mean something more like "getting a surprise present." Since, of course, that's what Jesus got when the Three Wise Men showed up on Epiphany. Or maybe it should mean "getting a strange and totally impractical present." I mean . . . frankincense? What a great baby gift. Actually, come to think of it, maybe an air freshener IS a good present for a new baby. They CAN be kind of stinky, especially before disposable diapers and plastic trash bags were invented.

It is still the Christmas season, though. To prove it, I present a picture of Dharma getting a slightly delayed Christmas present today. It was a squirrel, from two little doggies she gave cookies. Doggies aren't so big on calendar dates, its more of the thought that counts.

Ten lords a-leaping!

Well, really only one cute "lady" leaping. But she's really leaping!

Air Dharma!

She also does hurdles.

Elapsed time: .3 seconds

Elapsed time: .5 seconds

Excellent form! Just look at that dismount! Did you see those ears fly?

After so many jumps, Dharma decided maybe she needed a parachute. Unfortunately, sometimes you get tangled in your own 'chute.

It is so embarrassing!

Actually, that isn't a parachute harness. It is the little harness for her cute doggie car seat. Yes, she has a car seat.


Partially for safety, but also so I didn't have to hold her for 12 hours straight while we drove to Kansas over Christmas. I think she liked it. She could see out of the window or curl up and sleep.


Of course, I did hold her part of the time.


This is the only way to travel: a book in one hand and a doxie in the other!

Ladies dancing!

On the ninth day of Christmas,
My true love gave to me
Nine ladies dancing.

Dharma dancing, with a little help from Emilie.

Dharma says, "Enough with the pictures. Let's boogie!" (While, apparently, flashing the "puparazzi.") I know, it looks like she's going to bite me, but she's actually crunching up a Milkbone.

All that dancing makes for a tired puppy: