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

It's the Little Things

Had a moment yesterday when I thought to myself, "yep, that person is soooo not a geek."

One of my colleagues commented on how he was so psyched for the new season of Game of Thrones. Specifically, he uttered, "I can't wait for all the dragons!" my impulse reply was, "aren't we all...."

This utterance inevitably lead to a conversation during which it became clear this person hadn't read series by George RR Martin and had no clue how frustrating both the HBO series and books were.

So, being the geek I am, I set out to educate (recognize!). I told him the series was good for what it was, but the books were much better. I then went on to tell him how his hope for many scenes with dragons would go unanswered as the second book (well, all really) doesn't talk dragons much. I then explained how his hope for more dragons was echoed by every Game of Thrones reader in the world, and how so far, we've been left wanting. Also, btb Game of Thrones was the FIRST book...it's not the series title...that would be A Song of Ice and Fire.

Then he threw me the softballs of all softballs, "well, I've been waiting FOREVER for the next season to start!" oh have you? Have you really? Punkin, I've been reading this series since 1996 and THERE ARE STILL TWO MORE BOOKS TO GO! But I digress...my frustration isn't with this colleague... it's with George RR Martin, himself.

Enter, Paul and Storm. They have put to music the anguish of every reader out there:

I had the great privilege to see this performed live on JCCC2, but my fellow seamonkeys haven't posted this video yet,...so you get the one from w00tstock.

My one request: George, please don't die before you finish the final books. Please? And maybe, write a bit faster?? Just sayin....

I also leave you with the Game of Thrones Season 2 trailer:

Did anyone else notice Daenerys' long, flowing locks? Wasn't her hair burned off when she walked into the funeral fire of her beloved Khal Drogo and awoke/hatched the dragons? Like I said, it's the little things.....