JCCC3: Gettin' my flippy-floppies ready

The first thing that popped into my head today was this: I cannot wait to go on vacation. In February. on JCCC3. Nerds rejoice!

We will be sailing on the Freedom of the Seas to the Bahamas, St. Thomas and St. Maarten.  

Last year's cruise was phenomenal and we met the greatest people.  So excited to see them on JCCC3!! Table for 6, anyone??

Our shipboard activities include the following:

• Q&A session with Jonathan and the other performers
• Dedicated, 24-hour tabletop gaming space and info center for competing, scrabbling, delving, magicking and gathering, Analog Tweeting, and a central hub for information/planning (with wipeboards and pens and stuff!) What’s more, this year’s shipboard Conference Center is more than twice as large as last year’s!
• The return of JoCo Karaoke and NoCo Karaoke (a.k.a. Karaoke Regular)
• Movie Night Strikes Back: Movie Harder
• 3rd Annual Paul F. Tompkins Memorial Moustache Formal and Fezstravaganza: an evening of formal wear (optional but recommended), fezzes (optional but recommended) and moustaches (optional; provided)
• A Dance with Daquiris: A Song of Ice and Alcohol shove-off complimentary cocktail hour for EVERYONE
• Trilogies Always End Poorly farewell complimentary cocktail hour for EVERYONE

The entertainment that has been booked so far includes:

Jonathan Coulton

The Doubleclicks

John Hodgman

Zoë Keating

Randall Munroe

Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett (from Rifftrax)

Paul and Storm

Mike Phirman

David Rees

Wil Wheaton 

Personally, I can't wait till we get to the Bahamas and I can get off the boat, get handed a towel, and relax on the beach. :o) 

I'd also like to at least get on one excursion this trip.  I've picked this one:

Castaway Shipwreck and Snorkel

If this looks interesting to you, you should come! It's really the best time, especially for the Geek- Adjacent Wife.  Maybe I'll get to fist bump Wil Wheaton again! 

That reminds me: I've got to get to work on my fez....

 

 

I'm on a boat.....well, I WAS on a Boat.... The Ports of Call

As my husband returns to his other mistress, Skyrim, I thought it would be a good time to regale you about the cruise we just returned from. After trying to explain this to several snorks* already, I fear I must start at the very beginning.

The cruise we went on was JoCo Cruise Crazy II , JCCC2 for short. It was run by this man, Jonathan Coulton (he also wrote "Still Alive" for Portal):

He set up a cruise for his fans featuring many artists from w00tstock and some new additions. It's basically a week for his fans to gather on a cruise ship to listen to nerdy/geeky music and play games and socialize with their equally geeky counterparts. It's also a time for their geek-adjacent significant others to bond in the Caribbean :o)

The cruise left out of Port Everglades in Ft. Lauderdale bound for three ports of call: the Bahamas, Aruba, and Curaçao.

Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas was the best port of the trip, IMHO. As Holland America's private island it boasted groomed white sandy beaches, crystal clear blue water, and a special section of beach reserved just for seamonkeys. Vi Hart entertained us with human geometrical figures while in the surf and a few of us lucky ocean-goers got to see both baby barracudas and they're well-toothed mother.

Our second port of call was Aruba. Thought it offered what appeared to be the best excursions, Aruba was our least favorite port of call. As discussed with our new friends at dinner, Aruba seemed so commercialized that it lacked the Caribbean soul we were hoping for. We kept getting told it was a great port to shop, especially for diamonds at ridiculously cheap prices. We were overwhelmed my jewelry stores and other American staples such as McDonald's and the Hard Rock Cafe not 100 feet from the boat. The view from our balcony was breathtaking though:

What also might be playing a factor in our opinion of Aruba was the shooting that occurred not more than 20 mins before we disembarked. Unfortunately, this shooting resulted in the deaths of two would-be robbers at the hands of the Aruban police. The hearses, shell casings, and ridiculous police presence put a damper on the island atmosphere to say the least. 

Shooting Headline

I also stumbled upon the PwC Aruba office which automatically had me thinking of how my clients were faring at home. Obviously, a gulp of a cocktail dispelled those thoughts immediately. 

Our last port of call was Curaçao. Paul and I enjoyed this port the most as it was so authentic. A short trolly around the island offered views of the floating markets, historical houses, and authentic battlements. It was strange yet exhilarating to know how close we were to South America.

As I walked the floating markets I yearned to buy and bring home the fresh fruit and produce for sale. I've never had a mango so sweet or an orange so tangy and full of flavor before!

I also found yet another PwC office:

I wish we could have had one more day at Half Moon Cay on our return trip.....our daily concerts did make up for it though :o)

Up next.... The JoCo Cruise Entertainment!!

*non-seamonkeys on the cruise. You can substitute mundanes if you like, or muggles. Ha