Vacation starts TONIGHT!

I wrote that on FB this morning, and then I immediately had to add a comment on my own status.  I had to acknowledge that I really am on vacation all the time, so maybe those of you who are working are unsympathetic.  I get it.  It's ok.  I would have been jealous reading about others' vacations when I had to get up and go to school.  LOL!  Don't hate me.

We are going to shul today, and some might say it's about time.  We have missed the last five weeks due to company, shows, and sheer laziness.  We are now up and dressed and WILL make it there today.  When we return, we will finish packing and head out to Miami.  We had to time it so that we get there after dark in order to check in and go to a restaurant for dinner since it's Shabbat.  I got my car all gassed up tomorrow, so I think we can easily make the 230 miles to the hotel on one tank. We can take our own coffee from home.  The maps say it's only about a four hour drive.

I will blog tomorrow from the hotel probably, but I don't expect to blog from the ship.  It's just too expensive.  All pictures and blogs will wait until we return the evening of Sunday, Dec. 16.

I am starting this cruise off at the highest weight I have gotten on a ship since I lost weight in 2009.  This morning I weighed in at 261.  That's more like the weight I usually disembark from a cruise.  Yikes.  I will just have to walk a lot and try to watch myself at the buffet.  Maybe I can just stay the same.  At this point, I'd take that.

Happy Hanukkah to all who celebrate.  The first candle should be lit tonight.  Mark and I have presents for each other, and we have already received presents from our kids and some of our friends, and more presents will be waiting when we return.  (Thanks, Cindy!) Obviously, we are NOT taking all of those presents on the trip. Mark and I have written down the presents on eight slips of paper and folded them up.  Each night (tonight in the hotel and the rest onboard the Carnival Valor) we will light our little electric menorah and open a slip of paper.  The good news is that I didn't actually have to wrap any of Mark's presents! 

Here is our itinerary on the ship:
Sunday we board between 1 and 3 p.m.  Sailaway is at 4:30.
Monday we are at Nassau.  This time we chose a tour of Atlantis.
Tuesday is a day at sea. YAY!  We love sea days.
Wednesday we tour a town in the Dominican Republic.  We have some historical tour planned.
Thursday we have our big tour of San Juan, Puerto Rico.  We are going to the two big forts.  Mark's Aunt Flor is from Puerto Rico and he is feeling an affinity for the place.
Friday we will swim at the beach right at the dock in Grand Turk. It  looks beautiful.
Saturday we have our second and final sea day.
Sunday we disembark and drive home.  We are kicking around the idea of spending most of the day in Miami going to a museum before we drive home. That will probably depend on how tired we are when we get off the ship.

Once again, let me wish all of my friends and family who celebrate Hanukkah a wonderful, warm holiday.  Light the lights; sing the songs; spin the dreidles; eat some latkes and donuts; give presents if that's your tradition.  It's a wonderful holiday!  Go Maccabees!