The Christmas Tree Date

For twenty-eight  years Terry and I picked out our
Christmas trees together.
Last year I looked out the kitchen window
and saw a Christmas tree on the porch.
I was crushed he bought a tree without me.
I thought maybe he didn't love me anymore.
I told him I felt sad we didn't go together.
This Tuesday he came back from Grocery Outlet
and told me the trees were in and he had seen one he liked.
This morning we went to the store and I glanced at the trees,
removed the tag, and went to pay for it as he loaded it in the van.
 While we were driving home  he turned me and said,
"Honey, you just picked out the same tree I liked best on Tuesday."

Dancing With Sponge Bob on the MS Jewel

As I entered the dim Spinnaker cocktail lounge I
was assaulted by the noise of one thousand chattering kids.
My friend Coconut smiled and waved at me and
told me what to do. Our supervisor,  Josh, was already
down on the stage explaining to two thousand happy,
half-drunk parents all about our complimentary child care center.
We were cruising somewhere between NYC and the Bahamas
when next thing I know, it's pitch black and the spotlight
pops up on me at the top of the cavernous lounge and I hear Josh
announce, "And all the way from Seattle, Washington,
we have Ginger Snap!" The loud rock music started
back up again and I smiled and waved at the crowd,
danced my way down the carpeted stairs of the lounge
and joined Coconut, Abracadabra and Nunchuk on the
stage and started dancing with the rest of them.
The crowd was going wild with the loud music
and dancers on the stage and then everything
went black and quiet and I heard Josh say,
"And now, the moment you have been waiting for...
SPONGE BOB SQUARE PANTS!"
The stage lights came up and there was a deafening roar
and out came a dancing Sponge Bob to the loud rock music.
There were two of us youth staff dancing and waving
and smiling on either side of Mr. Pants and you'd think
Josh had introduced Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones.
Sponge Bob is the rock star for the under ten set for sure.
The house lights came up and we scurried back up the
stairs and back to our youth center as kids lined up to
get their pictures taken by the ship photographer with
Sponge Bob.

I never did find out if Sponge Bob was Smile or Speedy!
Thanksgiving Eve 2011
http://www.iceportal.com/brochures/ice/Brochure.aspx?did=3719&brochureid=ICE886&mtype=4280&type=vr&browser_popup=700x450