Last Formal Night

My collar on my dress shirt feels somewhat tighter each time I put it on.  Must be the ocean air that causes shrinkage. 

It could having nothing to do with chowing down every minute of every day on this ship like it was feeding time at the Shamu show. 

The mass consumption of goods into my gullet has been profound. I remember hearing a lot about cruises from the housewives in my Weight Watchers group in Los Angeles.  Cruises were the curse AND the graduate program of Weight Watchers I remember. When Shirley came home only 2 pounds up we applauded. When Silvia was 11 pounds over we gave support.   I never thought the dessert trolley on a cruise would even be within my sights. 

Now, here I am wolfing Beef Wellington like there was too much room in my arteries and ordering a side of ice cream with everything because I can.  (I just heard you can get milk shakes from the ice cream guy by the Trident Grill.  Thank God I did not know this earlier.)

 

So tonight I went to Formal Night with tight collar.  We had a wonderful evening with our tablemates, Bernice and Igor.  (Sound like names from the appropriate cruise demo, right?)  Lovely people.  Each evening with each grouping provokes/invokes/bespokes new tales and different energy.  Tonight's theme was "Secrets and Lies" and what parents do to survive. It was quite moving and some day I would like to write about what we shared with each other - virtual strangers.   I was very moved from the exchange of stories from this wonderful couple and from Ellie. And I have lived enough now to have my own.