Hey Chicago, Wha'd'ya Say?

Cubs win!!! Cole and I were able to enjoy a fun weekend in Chicago to meet up with friends and watch the Cubs game against the Rockies. We got in around 9 or 10 on Friday night to my friends' Eric and Lauren's place. We brought a cooler of beer and mimosa ingredients for the morning (gotta start the morning out right!).

We're Going on a Ship, WHAT!?

I keep thinking of this scene from Hardball, except my version is "We're going on a ship! What!?"

We did not go on a cruise for New Year's this year, and I thought that we weren't going to go on a vacation this year since we are saving for a house.  But I was so excited when Cole asked about going on a cruise for spring break.  A few of Cole's friends caught wind of the trip and are going cruising as well! So it's me and the guys going on a ship. I'm so excited for multiple reasons, the top ones being number 1: This is a great crew! And number 2: We are flying to the port!

La Isla Boni-i-ta

Cannot wait until spring break this year--my family and I will be going to Belize! We took a trip there last year for spring break as well, and I have been itching to get back. Previously, we stayed at Ramon's Village, which has a tiki theme with grass huts and bamboo--right up Big Jim's alley, no doubt.  I absolutely LOVE Ramon's, but we are trying out a condo this time around and live out the week like locals. We will be renting a golf cart; there are very few full-size cars on the island due to necessity of passing over a bridge that will not hold a car.  This is also to help my mom get around since she will still be recovering from total knee replacement surgery.

Although I don't wish for my life to fly by, I can't wait for the next 10 weeks to pass so that I'm laying on the beach! Oh, and we will also be there for my birthday, yay!

In the Knick of Time

What a wonderful vacation! We docked on Saturday morning after visiting the Bahamas, St. Maarten, and St. Thomas. The weather was beautiful and the ship was amazing-- truly a Dream. I had a goal for myself to not buy a huge amount of souvenirs on this trip, and I stuck to it. I bought a spoon (I'm a collector) and a t-shirt from when we went snorkeling, totaling to $25 spent beyond the expense of the trip itself. Go, me!

We made it back in great time--14.5 hours, including rest stops. During the drive, we fired up the satellite radio to listen to the Colts vs. Chiefs game. WOW! What a finish! Second biggest comeback in playoff history.

As we headed north, everyone was calling about the terrible snow storm on its way. Lucky for us, we managed to get home before any snow fell. I slept in today until 10 AM (which is pretty late for me) and I have been thinking about all the things I want to get done after getting home from vacation--laundry, cleaning, organizing. I looked at the clock a bit later and realized how much of the day was already gone and that I wouldn't be able to finish it before going to work tomorrow. As I was sitting in my disappointment, an "unknown" call rang in on my phone. When I answered, it was a message from the superintendent informing me that we have a SNOW DAY tomorrow! This is good and bad; you can see some of my thoughts on snow days in a previous post here. 

The mature thing to do, knowing that there is a snow day tomorrow, would be to get even more things checked off my list. However, I am contemplating going sledding. Every time it snows, I ask my students if they went sledding. Maybe this time it will be me saying yes to that question.

I may have to flip a coin to make this decision. In the meantime, I'll prepare for a possible power outage during a storm likely to produce -40°F

It's Such a Pretty Boat...

Technically, it's a ship.  I have been so impressed with the cruise ship this year! Last year, we were aboard the Carnival Legend. I found nothing wrong with the boat during our stay (well, travel), but now that we are on the Carnival Dream, I can see and feel a huge difference. This is definitely a party boat (yes, I know it's a ship)--there is a ton of energy from the crew and fellow travelers! We watched the Eagles beat the Cowboys on the jumbo-tron.

We always (as in this trip and the last, since I'm such a seasoned traveler of Carnival cruises...) buy the Cheers! package which includes adult beverages and sodas. Only one member of the group so far (who shall remain nameless) has had a maxed-out day of drinks, but it was 1 AM by then, so no big deal. 

I am down on my money when it comes to the casino, but I have greatly enjoyed my time in there. We have made friends with other roulette players. I watched a man lose $1,000 and turn around to win $5,000 betting on black. Rest assured that I do not bet that sort of money. I'm down $70 at the moment, but we have spent more than 10 hours in there, so really I've paid to be entertained, which I'm okay with that. Maybe tonight Lady Luck will be with me.

I have held up my intentions of working out while on vacation, which is something that I don't usually take on. Yesterday, we were at sea, so I woke up early and rode a recumbent bike for 30 minutes and then rowed 2200 meters. Worked up a sweat and felt great! I plan to do something similar two other days while on board. 

We are looking forward to celebrating for New Year's Eve tonight! Until then, we will be sipping on strawberry daiquiris and piña coladas! See you next year!