Thirteen Days

Two Weeks Out

Well, yes, we do board the Allure of the Seas in 14 days,
but our vacation actually begins in 13 days. That is the day when I get to see
my oldest son, his wife and their two children. I haven’t seen them for almost
two years. I am super excited about getting on that cruise ship, but I am even
more excited about seeing my kids and who are we kidding, my grandbabies. I
have been fortunate to see my other four in the past couple of months, but it
is more problematic to travel to Seattle than it was Kansas City. I can’t
really drive to Seattle. Besides, my son booked this incredible cruise for us
so I held out. After three or four (I’ve lost count) cancellations, we are
finally getting to take that vacation together.

After months of planning, I think we are about ready to go.
I do think we will need an additional suitcase but I guess we will see. We will
probably begin the packing adventure next weekend. If we find there are things
we are lacking, there is still time to order it on Amazon. If not, we can
probably get what we need using store pickup. We really are trying to avoid
contact with people over the next couple of weeks. We aren’t afraid of getting
the virus, we just don’t want to get infected and potentially, ruin our
vacation. We live in a county where fewer than 50% of the eligible population
has been vaccinated.

But before we begin packing, I have to get as much of my
unlisted inventory up in my ebay and Poshmark stores. I have been working
through my backstop and only have about 25-30 things that I really want to have
listed before I start packing. I will put my business on vacation before we
leave, but since it will be almost September when we return, I want to be well
prepared for the start of the holiday season. Sales normally begin picking up
just after Labor Day.

After we get packing started, then the scrubbing of the
house begins. There is nothing worse than coming home from a wonderful vacation
to a messy house. I want to make sure that it is neat and tidy before we leave.
We still have a few loose ends to tie up like a vet visit and Dr appointment,
but about five days out, we will be sticking really close to home.

So, yes, I still need to put all my outfits together for the
cruise and make sure that I am covered for the eight days we will be gone. I
think I am good, all the way down to my shoes and make-up. At some point I will
download someone else’s packing list for cruising and cross-check my list
against theirs. No sense in taking expert advice.

Now to the topic of swimwear…

Yes, I have five (maybe six) swimsuits that I am taking with
us. I expect to spend a lot of time at the pool and hanging with the
granddaughters at the kids’ water play area. We are scheduled for a beach
excursion on St Thomas and we have a cabana for Coco Cay. And yes, I have three
cover-ups for the trip. So what? He has nine Hawaiian shirts for the trip. I
feel no remorse.

Anyway…we are counting down the days and so excited that it
is hard to concentrate on adult responsibilities. We will, however, manage. I
am just keeping my fingers crossed and hoping against hope that nothing will
interfere with our cruise. I trust that Royal Caribbean is doing everything it
can to keep passengers safe and will endeavor to keep the industry from
shutting down again. So, until next time…

See you shipside!