Monday Dec 18th

…somewhere in the Yucatan…oh yeah, Progresso….

It is soooooo foggy you can’t see your hands in front of your face. We are up and out by 8 am…this time we get grandpa outta bed and make sure he has breakfast with us. Old fart. The party boy is passed out on his bed. Why am I not surprised? Grandpa seems to be ok after his bouts last night and no more worse for wear. We head down to the Four Seasons for breakfast off the menu. Yummmm, eggs benedict! Paul and grandpa got omelets while I scarfed down just one egg benedict…why waste food and why be sick? I also had fresh fruit which was really not in season and tasteless IMNSHO.

After breakfast we head back to wake up the party boy. He won another dance contest last night. The life of the party so I am told. Everyone knows his name as they see him on the TV all the time…the video of the previous evening’s activities is shown on the in-room TV’s. One of these nights I am going to have to stay up and catch his act, yanno?

We decide to go into Progresso. I am going to use my scooter. I have yet to use it for more than a few minutes or so and I still am not 100% in control of the thing. Of course, I have not one but THREE critics telling me how to drive the damm thing. Shut up everyone! It is 85 and hot in town. We proceed to go to the little shopping area. I was thinking it would be like Costa Maya with the beaches and shops all along the waterfront. Wrong. A couple of shops and a bar…not much to see or do. You hafta take a bus into town and I am on the scooter…not gonna work. So. I head back to the ship and the boys decide to check out Progresso. They wind up doing a city tour that was very entertaining and informative. They all had a great time. Of course, the cheapskates won’t buy lunch, they come back to the ship to eat lunch at 3:30.

The ship was deserted as everyone was ashore in Progresso. I go to the cabin, and put on my swimsuit and cover-up, thinking I will buy some sun screen and sit up on deck 12. I stopped off at the library to browse for a book. Up on the uppermost deck, I get myself settled into a deck chair and start the baking process. Oops, I forgot the sunblock. It is so hot, I don’t stay out there very long. I meander into the sports bar and get some fruit, again it was terrible. Just not ripe. I go to deck nine and check out tonight’s dinner menus. I stop at the coffee bar and get myself a Mexican coffee(Kahlua, express and cream). Oh. So. Good. After drinking this, I need to take a nap! I head back to the cabin to nap. Paul got back to the cabin about 3:30. I went with him and grandpa up to 11 so they could eat. Somewhere they had lost Zack when getting back on the ship. Prolly went to get a beer. The big Texas hold'em tournament is today at 4:30, once we sail out from Progresso. All three of the Ziaja’s will be playing in this…hey only 60 bucks each entry. And they all scolded me because they said I didn’t need that $2.00 hat in Progresso! Pffft!

While the guys played poker, I went to a shopping seminar about Cozumel. Diamonds International. I need say no more. After the seminar, I walked over to the casino and both Paul and Zack had been bounced from the tourney. Grandpa was still in. I tell Paul to let me know what’s going on so we can make plans for dinner. I headed up to the room to shower and take my afternoon siesta. It is about 5 p.m. I really didn’t sleep at all. By now it is 7 pm and I am getting just a little bit pissy. No one is around. I get dressed for dinner, leave a nasty note for Paul and go down to the coffee bar. It is formal night(if you care to participate this being a free style cruise) and all these folks have lined up for photos before they have dinner. Finally about 7:45 Paul shows up in the coffee bar. He is so very surprised I am not in a happy mood. But, But, But…grandpa came in THIRD in the Texas tournament! Like I know this!?! Did anyone call the room…did anyone come up and tell me this? NO. Paul had put our name in for dinner and Zack and grandpa appeared. Paul went up to change, and by the time he got back, two of Zack’s new friends, Paul and Cindy had arrived. They joined us for dinner. Steak was on the menu, so that’s what we all ordered, except for Cindy having chicken. I actually experimented with the appetizers. Lamb sausage with grilled peppers and feta cheese rolled up in spinach leaves was the appetizer. I followed up with a vinaigrette salad of pita, peppers, onions and cucumbers. Oh my goodness, it was soooooo good. I donated most of my steak to Zack who had not eaten all day or so he said.

After dinner, we parted…our guests to shower and get ready for the late night activities, which was a sock hop, me to the cabin to go to bed and only God knows where Paul and the old fart would be. I was kinda bummed out…I would have gone to the sock hop to see the dance contest, but I can only do so much.

Later…..