On about April of 2008 we booked a cruise connected with our daughter and her husband. We booked with the CRAZIES. We sure didn't know what we were getting into. So the adventure begins. This was to be for my husband's 50th birthday. For those of you who have never booked with a group or with CruCon, it is an adventure. We started talking on the thread non stop and then some. We helped each other with births, death, divorce, health issues, and offered up prayer for those in need. Funny story and true - The first 3 days on the thread we were talking with Floatie, Jenn, and Hillie.- Those are screen names. At that time we were taking care of 2 of our Grandkids and had very strict rules about internet behavior. They went away to their Dad's for the weekend and when they came home on Monday, we were discussing what we had done in our lives. Well when it got around to us, we told them about meeting Floatie and Jenn downtown at Toby Kieth's Restaurant. Now we were very excited about our adventure and we were getting nothing but sad and disappointing looks back from our Grandkids. We stopped and asked what was wrong and they shock their heads and their fingers at "US". Our 10year old said, Grandma, you broke the rules. We went and met "strangers" from the internet. Never in my wildest dreams did I think we were meeting strangers and we might be in danger. After all we were with our daughter and her husband, they were 4 of us and 2 of them. We were all cruisers with a common ground and were learning about each other every day. That was just food for thought. I learned my lesson, if I do something that I have taught the kids is wrong, keep it to myself....HAHA! So for the next year, we had meet and greets and Christmas parties and dinner and over all fun. We really got to know the people we were going to be with on this magnificent ship. All the planning and talking really paid off as you will read. I'm a believer of the "6-P's" - Proper Planning Prevents Pizz Poor Performance.

Okay, getting on with it. We read and read and planned and planned. My daughter made us a cruise book with everything you could want to know about the ship, the 3 ports we were going to and Galveston, where we get on the ship. WOW....what a gift. You can get lost on the thread gathering up information, not knowing what to save and what to believe. I can honestly say that I did not receive any information that wasn't correct. We went applied for our passport in January of 2009 and received it in about 8 weeks. (give or take a week or two). O.K. we made a decision. We are going to treat Galveston as our 1st port. We are going 2 days early. Hurray!!!! So if you add 2 more days to the cruise and 1 day going home, we are having a 10 day cruise. Yippee!!!! Everyone knows there is no such thing as a perfect vacation. We had to replace the brakes the morning after we got to Galveston. It was no big deal and the guys fixed it in no time. We stayed at the Hilton to be with the Crazies. Now we had booked at the Best Western and changed our booking. We love the Crazies, but Best Western was the better bargain. They had free internet and continental breakfast and frig in your room all for the same price. It was worth being with the Crazies and I still wouldn't change a thing. We chose to do the out of way Ma and Pa Restaurants. We ate at Sonny's the first night and it was great. The atmosphere was just right. Now the next morning we went to "The Drug Store". Wow!!!! I highly recommend this place for breakfast and lunch. It was cooked right there in front of us. I have a picture of Woody standing next to the water line, the water line won. Woody is 6'1" tall. They lost everything and then some. It took them about 4 to 5 months to get going again. It's been a stuggle, but it was worth the wait. Some history on "The Drug Store". It was not de-segregated until 1989. They were the first to start de-segregation. Can you imagine in the USA that this was going on? Anyway well worth the visit.

Okay, off to shopping on the strip. We all love to shop. One of the first places we went into was an antique store of all places. I have looked for a year for a formal clutch that I could afford and that I like.....BINGO....$5.00 Bucks - right up my alley...yea!!! Off to another shop. Roar....Roar....Roar....Motorcycles up and down the street. And where there are bikes there must be cops. The Bikers parked on the sidewalk and of course someone complained. So they made them move them. The other shop owner was upset that someone complained, so he went outside and played his bag pipes. I thought it was pretty cool that he would want to stand up for his patrons. He owns the house of mystic and magic. I'm not so sure of the name, but he has my respect. We hit a lot more stores and it's lunch time. We decided to do Yagas at lunch instead of dinner with the crazies. It was busy at lunch, so add about another 100 or so at dinner. It would be way too crowded for me. We had the most amazing lunch - I had chicken Quesada and Aundrea and Jeff and Woody split a surfer's paradise pizza. Boy, everything was great tasting and the service was outstanding. Anyway we found 2 pirates outside and they were more than willing to pose for pictures right outside of Yagas. So I volunteered to pose. You see I'm the photographer and have never been in the pictures for the last 25 years. It's not happening this time. I want my presence known. We found a painter doing pictures outside with spray paint and torn up pieces of cardboard. What an incredible artist. I dabble in painting, but nothing like this. Maybe I could pick up this medium? I was just thinking on the ole' keyboard. - sorry. Okay, off for more shopping. I found sand dollars very cheap which saves me form cleaning them up. It will make a nice gift for the Grandkids. I'll put them in frames when I can. We are back at the hotel and putting our goodies away. We are all putting on our swim suits to go sit in the Jacuzzi and maybe for a swim....off for a good soak. Well guess who we find? We find "THE CRAZIES". We didn't find all of the but we found a lot of them. Oh goodie goodie - there is the banner and mach and stitch and the rest. They are just as I pictured them. No that's not correct - they are better than I expected them. It's hard to tell you how we are feeling. At this point I'm feeling a little shy. I know the ones who do know me - know I'm NOT shy - not in the least. You see on the boards, I read the words one communicates with and in person I have to read lips. Funny story - sitting in the hot tub and watching Mach and Stitch and I cracked up laughing. You see they were talking to each other and I wasn't supposed to be privy to the conversation. Mach makes the comment that one could fart in the hot tub and no one would ever know. He turns to me and says "what"? I repeated what he said and then had to tell him that I read his lips....I couldn't hear a thing anyone was saying so I tried real hard not to eaves drop, but I did anyway. Sorry! Everyone was just standing around talking and cutting up that I hated to leave. Have to get dressed for dinner. The Crazies were going to Yagas and we were going to the Spot. Well not a chance in hexx were we getting in so we settle for some mexican restaurant. Great food and no waiting - another great choice. The service wasn't very good, but who cares. I'm not complaining. I'm on V A C A T I O N!!! We are off to bed and up at the crack of dawn to see our ship come in. We were to meet on the patio at 5:30 am to see her come in. So off to bed were go. Read more