What does it all mean, anyway?

I am going to the zoo today with a 10 year old girl. (And a whole bunch of other people). I should be getting dressed, as we speak (or as I type). But I am drinking coffee and reading blogs.

Going to the zoo makes me a little nervous. Where are the bathrooms? Don't get so close to the monkey cage!

I was bitten by a white burro at a petting zoo when I was about 10 or 11 years old. My mother thought I should feed it and was holding my hand under its muzzle. My hand was cupped and its teeth chomped on the little fat pad in the palm of my hand by my pinky finger. It hurt a little but the sound of its teeth going "clunk" scared the holy hell out of me, and I started wailing. We had to go to the zoo infirmary. I got a little blood blister from it. My mother still feels guilty about holding my hand under the monster's muzzle. (Good!)

Wow! So I guess I kinda lost my momentum there. And by now my memory is starting to fade. But I will try to give you at least a brief idea of that the rest of the cruise was like.

Being at sea was a mixed sort of experience. You had to get used to the constant rocking of the ship. You have heard the term "sea legs", eh? Well, you gotta get them. Your legs, inner ear, and all other mechanisms involved in balancing your body have to adapt. I kinda felt on the edge of reality most of the time. Of course, that had to do with more than just the rocking. I am not accustomed to being around hundreds of people constantly, nor am I accustomed to being waited on hand and foot, nor am I accustomed to such opulent surroundings.

As I said in my earlier post, the ship was awesome in its appointments. Polished brass, glass, crystal, mosaics, tile, rich carpeting, lovely artwork all over this 12 story floating city. It was not just a floating hotel- there were so many restaurants and bars, and shops! It was definitely more like a small city. I found myself feeling a bit guilty about living in such luxury. This is not who I am in my everyday life. But I will go into that more later, or maybe I will save it for another post.

There was so much to do on board, that boredom was simply not an option. Rather, over-stimulus, was more likely. Especially if you tend to be a bit of a hermit, like myself. The first day on the ship, while we were at sea, we did a lot of exploring. We walked every accessible inch of that ship with our jaws hanging open. I am sure we looked like a couple of excited kids much of that day. "OOOH! Look at that!" "Aahhh! So beautiful!" All day long. We were not the only ones looking like that. But there were a surprising number of women on that ship who appeared to be right at home with all this elegance. I never met so many wealthy lesbians in my life! It was quite an eye-opening experience for both Jen and me.

The first of the theme nights for the week was formal night. Now- on a lesbian cruise the rules are not the same as they are on a hetero cruise. We saw everything from ball gowns and tuxes to jeans and t-shirts. The vast majority chose to do something other than jeans and shirts. I never saw so many varieties of tuxedos and suits in my life, actually. It was fun. We all like to play dress up in one way or other, right? I love my tux. I have only gotten to wear it one other time. That was at a gay prom 15 year ago. So, needless to say, I was out there struttin' my stuff! LOL (Cheri, Deb, get a close look there- I made my studs. Oh yes I did.)

Everyone and everything on the ship was decked out extra special for formal night! The waiters wore white gloves that night. They put white jackets on the chairs in the dining room. It was like being at Cinderella's ball for lesbians! And we wore our fomral attire for the entire evening- to the shows and the clubs, etc. The shows that night included Kate Clinton & karaoke. I was pretty impressed by the karaoke. Heckuva lot of talented women on that shop. FUN, FUN, FUN!

Stay tuned. I promise to finish this up, this week. Part 4 will have a run down of the ports of call and Part 5 will be my overall reflections on this hedonistic, adventurous vacation of Spring 2009.