There and Back

I made it back to The States alive, with no virus or flu-like symptoms. The cruise was good times, but it was not exactly as fun as what I experienced on my first cruise. I guess the first cruise sort of set the standard for the rest of all cruises. I am not saying that I did not enjoy myself. I think Beth has as couple of pictures of me that show I am enjoying myself, maybe, too much. The ship (Jewel of the Seas) was a relatively new boat, as it was built in 2004. The décor was not suitable for Disco Stu, so I was happy. It actually looked pretty swank. Casino, what?!?!?

We left Ft. Lauderdale on Sunday afternoon. Our first destination was Key West. The scene was tropic and the weather was excellent. We walked around the town for a couple of hours and shopped for souvenirs. After a couple of hours of this, we ended up at Sloppy Joe’s Bar on Duval. Duval Street is where it all goes down. I had a couple of Yeunglings and some crazy nachos that had Sloppy Joe stuff (a.k.a. Manwich) on it. I had to ask the bartender, who had been there for a couple of years, if the Real World Key West cast ever came in there. She said a couple of times, but the manager wouldn’t let the underage cast members drink so they didn’t stay long. I had to ask, sorry. The strange surprise on the island is the population of wild chickens that are everywhere. They walk down the sidewalk with you. They roost beside the fire hydrants. They hang out with the stray cats in the alleys. Chickens.

The next destination was Cozumel. Put Tiajuana on an island and there you go. Beth and I had been here before so we decided to just roll off the ship and eat a late lunch at Pancho’s Backyard. We had eaten at Pancho’s other restaurant on the other end of Cozumel and we really dug their queso con salsa verde (cheese and green salsa dip for the Non-Spanish speaking followers) and their not-from-a-mix margaritas. We figured it was worth another shot. The grub was good, but the margaritas (or I should say the lime flavored tequila shots) were harsh and too grande for me to drink two of them. However, I knocked down two fishbowls and a Tecate and a Sol. Hey, I was just trying to help out the local economy. This lead to an ill-advised purchase at a jewelry shop. For details, ask Beth.

***RANT ALERT***

If you have ever been to Mexico, I am sure you have encountered the pushy street vendors. I, personally, have decided not to return to Mexico due to the irritation these people provide. The country of Mexico has a great natural resource in the beauty of their land and their native traditions. Why does it have to be ruined by their attitudes and sales tactics towards tourists? Honestly, I would be more inclined to purchase products peddled by the vendors if they didn’t run at me, grab my arm, or yell at me. I am not sure who advised them on their sales procedure. Maybe, it was used car salesmen. Ba-Dum, Chhhh!

Costa Maya was the third destination. It was a Lee City-sized Cozumel with a pier. So, see above.

The last port of call was Georgetown, Grand Cayman. Beth and I had been here before. We walked around the town and shopped. The people there were really nice. A Margaritaville had recently opened. Joel, holla, if ya hear me! We had a couple of cheeseburgers in paradise and rolled back to the boat.

After a day at sea, we sailed back into Ft. Lauderdale on Saturday morning. We changed a couple of flights to get back to Lexington earlier. While in Atlanta waiting for our flight (delayed flight, of course), I ran into a old college buddy’s mother, who happened to be sharing our flight back to Lexington. It was none other than the mother of one-half of NWA:TNA’s The Franchised Naturals, Andy “The Wild Child” Douglas. It was really great to catch up with her. I probably hadn’t seen her since I was in school at Morehead. Small world, indeed.

I heard Ampletime was back on stage this past weekend at Avio in Lexington, I couldn’t find anyone to go with me, so I sat this one out. I’ll catch them next time, hopefully.

Florida or Michigan? Hasn’t that been the question for a week? I would say Michigan and you know I am not a Michigan homer. They played number one, OSU, to a three-point game at OSU two weeks ago. And that alone, tells me they are at least number two. If the game was played at a neutral site or even at Ann Arbor, who knows what would have happened? But, in reconsideration, what would happen if there would have been a rematch and Michigan won? Two number ones? What if Florida beats OSU and Michigan destroys USC in the Rose Bowl? I am not saying that it will happen nor will I predict the remote chances of it happening. But, what if?