pool, people and pina coladas...

so this was my day... i woke up at seven. ate breakfast (free). watched the ship dock next to the mountain range in maui. walked up to deck 12 to ocean drive bar, which is poolside. clocked in. then talked to people. sold a few drinks. talked to more people.

walked around a bit. then it was 12:30, time to be off. went back to eat lunch (again, free). smoked while watching off the aft mooring deck. got off the ship and wandered around maui. went in a few shops. mapped out where i'm going after this... just strolled around.

then i came back to my cabin... small as it is, it's not bad. the magnets and such that i bought to keep my organized and best use the small space can only help, and do. the lei i bought yesterday (full of orchids but just eight bucks) is hanging from my shelf. the room smells of magnolias.

at four, it was time to be back poolside. such a hard task. more drinks, more conversation, more friends made. at five-thirty i was off to eat again (yep, it was free, too!).

i lazily went back to work at six, only to close the bar at six-thirty. cleaning took less than an hour and here i am.

i'm lovin' this. it's an amazing sight, a terribly easy job and one that allows you - almost mandates - to make friends. there was even some idiot on here today with a georgia tech hat. i would have asked where he was from but he probably couldn't tell me...

i've often thought about home and my friends and i truly miss both. but this is unlike any other experience i've had. there's no reason to be homesick. i'm five time zones away but i'm surrounded by beauty, comfort and, surprisingly, a close-knit group of people whom i'm certain will be awesome friends come time to leave.

there aren't many people from the east coast here, mainly texas, california and oregon, of all places.

i'm not sure if tom has made his final decision, but he has applied with ncla and should be leaving for piney point on friday. i haven't been able to call yet to learn his final decision. it's possible he'll be on the pride of america as well.

leslee... give my congrats to jenny on the baby girl. and send me pictures as soon as you get them. every time i get a new job, she has a baby. (that's dangerous!) tell her i can't rush away to see her this time. send me her address so i can send the baby something.

oh shit! macadamia nuts... i need to look for those. oops.

oh... if anyone wants to send me anything for christmas, i'm going to make a wishlist. normally, i think that is tacky. however, since i work and live on a ship, i think it's a better idea to let you know what i might need and, most importantly, have room for...

here's a few: anything magnetic, such as a cork board to post pics, etc. pictures... i didn't bring any. the magnets that have clips on them to hold paper, pics, etc. hmmm... i had a whole list before i started typing. oh! white footie socks. black footie socks. cute underwear. haha. keep in mind that i've gained a little weight... seven pounds. you weren't ready for that, were ya?

i gotta go. i'm getting silly and laughing out loud and people are staring.

aloha.