LIFE, I MEAN WIFE, ON STAGE!

  TUESDAY, JUNE 12TH., 2018
LIFE, I MEAN WIFE, ON STAGE!

   Our Travelworld cruise to Canada
offered some fantastic entertainment
opportunities!
    Every night the stage on the
Norwegian Gem was filled with
dancers, comedians, singers, and
even a husband and wife acrobatic
act that thrilled the audience with
feats of daring.
     Nearly every lounge along the
length of the ship provided live
entertainment for those who stopped
by for a drink or just to listen.
      Then there was my wife!
      Somewhere along the line she
felt the need to volunteer for some
of the audience participation portions
of the events offered on board.
       She was picked for one called
"Battle of the Sexes!"
        Basically the game pitted a
group of women against a group of
men with some unusual challenges!
        The first had each team racing
to see which could put on then take
off a T-shirt passed from person to
person then back to the front of the
line. The women won.
         Next members had to hold an
apple under their chin and pass it to
the next team mate until it had come
full circle back to the first contestant.
The women won.
          The third challenge alternated
boy-girl in a line with everyone
challenged to sing a different song
(at east part of a song) without
repeating any tune. Any player
repeating a song or taking more than
three seconds to come up with one
was eliminated. The team with the
most players left standing was the
winner. The women won.
         Finally, with the help of
"supplies" from the audience, both
teams had to stack a pile of shoes to
see which could build the highest
"tower." The men won. But as someone
pointed out, they wear bigger shoes!
           Overall, as you can see, the
women won the day and  a plastic
water bottle from the cruise line.
            Fortunately we were not
selected to compete in the "Perfect
Couple game" which involved, among
other things, the task of having the woman
place a lime in the bottom of the man's
trouser leg, then rolling it around until it
came out the other side!
            That sight had me begging my
wife not to volunteer "us" for any other
games!
              That said I must admit the fun
never stopped until the cruise came to an
end.
             Think I'll confine my entertainment
offerings to my Blog. Hope that's OK and
that all your NEWS is good!

(Game Video at  https://youtu.be/awoeKPqVi_I )

SAILING!

   MONDAY, JUNE 11TH., 2018
                 SAILING!

     It's already been a week since our
Travelworld Cruise to Canada got under
way!
      The Norwegian Gem was a fantastic
vessel. Literally a city at sea!
      Everyone has been asking what I
liked best or what impressed me the
most about our cruise. Several answers
come to mind. Some serious and some
rather amusing. But I have to say one of
the things that really sticks out in my
mind took place just a short time after
we pulled out of our berth and started
down the Hudson River heading towards
the open ocean.
        Our route took us right past "Lady
Liberty." The Statue of Liberty! And as
we approached the rock and roll that
had been entertaining passengers since
the moment they stepped on board
halted and the ship's massive PA speaker
system began playing the Star Spangled
Banner!  Most of us stopped what we were
doing and stood to honor our country.
        It was very moving!
        And speaking of moving the deck
band picked up the pace as we headed
out to sea with a call for folks on the
dance deck to show off their moves to
the tune of "YMCA."
        We were again impressed to see
many of our senior citizen sailors joining
in! And a couple were pretty darn good!
        Afterwards most folks dug into the
bar-b-q served on deck or danced to the
music sending us out to sea!
        There's much more to tell, and show
so check in with the Blog for "the rest of
the story!" Meanwhile, Hope all your
NEWS is good!

HE'S BACK!

    SATURDAY, MAY 9TH., 2018
                 HE'S BACK!

    Well dear Blog friends my ship has
come in and is was not the Titanic! It
was the Norwegian Gem and a gem of a
ship it is!
      Our Travelworld Cruise to Canada
was fantastic and shared with some
wonderful people from the Dingman's
Ferry area as well as Wilkes-Barre and
Scranton.
       But before launching into today's
Blog I must offer a big thank you to
my daughter Cassie who filled in this
space while I was at sea! After reading
her blogs I think it's safe to go on
vacation more often and turning the
column over to her!
        In fact her blogs were so good
many of you would probably prefer
I stay on vacation!
        Karl is one of those folks! He
watched the house for us while we were
gone and I was happy to find it still here
upon our return!
         I've come back with  a few stories
and enough photos to drain Walmart's ink
supply should I decide to print them all!
         But let's begin with Canada...eh?
         Canada is amazing. But there are
two things about our visit that really
amazed me!
          First, we couldn't find any popcorn!
          My wife's now year long obsession
with popcorn had me checking everywhere
for the treat. There were chips and nuts
at virtually every turn. But no Popcorn!
            This information could, I believe,
prove to be very profitable to some
aggressive entrepreneur willing to move
to the land of Mounties and Maple Leaves!
             My wife had to go "cold Turkey"
until we found a gourmet popcorn
place in Bar Harbor (and you thought
all they had was lobsters!)
             I am also amazed and happy to
report I have returned to the United States
with no Canadian dimes, nickels, or pennies
in my pockets!
              I paid cash for a Coke at a Food
Truck and received all of my change in
U.S. currency! I didn't ask any questions.
I just took the money and ran!
              More on our exciting adventure
will be coming up as soon as I get my
"land legs" back! Till then here's hoping
all you NEWS is good!

I'M DELUSIONAL

Tuesday, June 5th
I’M DELUSIONAL
I’m not quite sure where Dad finds the list of unusual holidays, observances, and celebrations he often shares with his readers, but it must be different from the one I’ve been using. Of course, many of his musings are inspired by daily life events and travel experiences. He never seems to run out of interesting things to share.
I’ve only attempted to fill in for three days now and feel like I’m running out of material. (In fairness, I warned you ahead of time that I’ve never blogged before.) You should also keep in mind that I wasn’t exactly invited to do this, either. I hope Dad’s blog fans will return when he does!
I guess I’ve always felt that Dad and I have a similar sense of humor, a need to keep others informed, and an inclination to entertain. So I figured my writing style might not be too far off from his. Additionally, my grandmother, Dad’s mom, wrote a lot of poetry and my cousin, Dad’s nephew, has authored several books. (Check out Anthony DeCosmo on Amazon.com). So, I thought writing might be “in the blood”. Alas, my writing amounts to a few love letters to my husband, birthday notes and thank you cards to friends, and a short skit for our Kindergarten class graduation this week. To call myself a writer is delusional.
Luckily enough, June 5th is the “Festival of Popular Delusions Day” so I guess it’s alright. According to my (extremely limited) research, this observance has its roots in World War II. June 5th was the day before Allied troops stormed the beaches of Normandy. Thus it was “. . . the last day that Nazis could have had the delusion that their Reich would last 1,000 years . . .” (Checkiday.com)
I think to a certain point, we all have ideas that we cling to despite evidence to the contrary. So whether you believe yourself to be a writer, a chef, or an athlete, I hope your dreams come true, your efforts pay off, and that all your NEWS is good.

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SAY CHEESE!

Monday, June 4

SAY CHEESE!
(My apologies to the lactose intolerant community and Vegan readers.)

It’s National Cheese Day! I love cheese! Mozzarella, Provolone, Pepper jack, Brie, and freshly grated Parmesan are among my favorites.
I feel like Bubba from “Forrest Gump” when I think of all the ways it can be enjoyed: grilled cheese, mac ‘n cheese, cheese pizza, cheese fondue, cheese and crackers, wine and cheese, cheesecake, and nacho cheese sauce to name just a few.

You can slice it, shred it, bake it, melt it, and deep fry it! Cheese makes a great addition to mashed potatoes, hamburgers, sandwiches, and even pie crusts (so I’ve heard. I’ll have to try it and let you know.).

The thought of a delicious dish featuring cheese makes many people happy. Maybe that’s why photographers have been asking us to “Say ‘cheese’!” all these years. I know it sure makes me smile!

I’m glad to see this delightful dairy product gets a special day of recognition. The best part is that you don’t have to be from Wisconsin or a fan of the Green Bay Packers to celebrate! According to dairydiscoveryzone.com, eating certain kinds of cheese can help you lose weight and have cleaner teeth. Sign me up!

I don’t want to close by being cheesy, but this version of the Eurythmics “Sweet Dreams” seems like a great way to end today. (Author unknown).

In the spirit of the blog’s founder, May all your cheese and NEWS be good!
Thanks again for reading!

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THE BLOG, THE BLOG!

Sunday, June 3
THE BLOG, THE BLOG!

Many of you may remember a popular T.V. show in which a main character heralded the arrival of guests by shouting, “De plane, de plane!” After reading yesterday’s blog, you might welcome today’s in a similar fashion, “The Blog! The Blog!”

Of all the unusual observances noted today, I thought “Impersonate Authority” might be an appropriate choice for me to share with you. You see, I am trying my hand at blogging today and I am by no means an authority on the subject. I’ve never written a blog in my life! I’ve read and enjoyed quite a few, though, and jokingly offered to add a post while Dad’s away. It’s Cassie, David’s oldest daughter, stepping in as guest blogger today.

I wouldn’t recommend impersonating authority unless you are prepared to suffer the consequences of your actions! I guess there are some people out there who aren’t concerned, though. You know who I’m talking about. Have you received your call from the IRS or police threatening jail time if you don’t call back to discuss the charges against you? All you need to provide is your Social Security information or credit card number to pay the fines. Yeah, right.

This is also “Repeat Yourself Day”. As a teacher and a mom, I never realized there was only ONE day for this! To me, it seems like every day is “Repeat Yourself Day”.
Please keep your hands to yourself . . . keep your hands to yourself . . . keep your hands to yourself!!!
Please pick up your toys . . . pick up your toys . . . pick up your toys!!!
I think you understand what I mean.

Maybe you’d rather celebrate by enjoying a piece of cake and then eating another piece! I know I would!

Regardless of how you choose to spend the day, I hope you enjoyed “The Blog, The Blog.” It’s not quite the same as Dad’s, but I know he appreciates your support and wishes “All your NEWS is good!”
Thanks for reading!

SIGNING OFF!

  SATURDAY, JUNE 2ND., 2018
            SIGNING OFF!

    Well dear readers I am sorry to
report that this will be my last Blog.
Not forever! Just for a week or so.
     I'm not short of stories or strange
holidays. It's just that I'm cheep!
     My wife and I and about 54
travelers will be sailing for Canada
Saturday as we host another tour
for Travelworld.
       I'm so used to getting free
internet at motels, libraries, and
even at McDonalds that I figured
I'd have it on board ship as well.
       Wrong! Oh there's internet
on the ship. But there's a charge
of nearly thirty dollars a day! That's
a bit more than I want to pay to
make fun of myself on the Blog!
        As usual Karl has moved in
to housesit while we're away. I'd
ask him if he'd like to do the Blog
till we return but he assumes "the
web" has something to do with
spiders. Technology is not his
strong point!
         For those of you who have
become addicted to my daily
nonsense (both of you) you can
scroll below today's post and go
as far back as you'd like to go.
          As for me I'll have to go
"cold turkey" during the trip and
hope I can catch up with everyone
when I return. And, I shall return!
(Unless the Canadians take us
hostage to negotiate a better
aluminum trade deal!)
           I'll miss writing to you
via my Blog and. hopefully, you'll
miss me too!
            Hope all your NEWS is
good!