Happy Anniversary!

To my Dayray:

Two years ago today, we were standing on a beach at sunset with our friends and family, under a strange cow canopy, with even stranger officiants in a sea of Hawaiin t-shirts. That day we made a committment to one another to stay together forever, and after two years of marriage, I feel the bond of love more keenly. Here's to two years, to cotton, and to many more years.

I love you!

C'etait un Bon Voyage

As my last post indicates, I recently boarded a short cruise with my wife and her parents, Morry and Janis. It was Carnival Cruise Line's Ensenada Cruise, which sets out from Long Beach, over to Catalina Island, and then swings by Ensenada, before heading back to the beautiful industrial port of Long Beach. When I mentioned to people that I was taking a cruise, many people responded that they, like I, have never been on a cruise. So after my maiden voyage, what do I have to say about cruising?

To be honest, I was expecting something more maritime, less cheap Las Vegas hotel. More Queen Mary, less Circus Circus. Sure, I was aware of the onboard casino, and the chorus line-type shows, not to mention the 24-hour buffets, but somehow I pictured a tranquil voyage along the ocean, reading a book, watching the giant ship's wake churn peaceful water into a bubbling, boiling brew. I pictured writing poetry on the deck, as islands passed by in the setting southwestern sun, with the dulcet tones of a pedal steel playing in the background. Instead, there were harry man competitions, bingo, and endless trivia games, surrounded by the occasional passing whiff of vomit. The shows were glammy, and reminded me of a polished high-school musical. 

Now it's not to say these are bad things, but they were much different than my expectations. In short, the cruise was somewhat campy. In fact, it felt very much like a giant sleep-away camp for overweight adults.

Still I had a good time. As busy as we were running around from activity to activity, or to the ports of call (more on them later), I still managed to slip in a nap every day, and I finished each day with a relaxing read. Also, I managed to keep on top of the latest Obama/Hillary news from the comfort of my suite.

I had a great time with Dara and her parents, eating fancy dinners overlooking the ocean, or playing a round of mini-golf, or laughing at the disappointing ports of call that Carnival had chosen.

Speaking of which, since living in California, I have always wanted to visit Catalina Island (just off the coast of L.A.) and Mexico. After being on this cruise I can now check those two destinations off of my list, but that's about it. Catalina was not as pretty as I had hoped it to be, and Ensenada is above all else, a gaudy tourist trap where impoverished locals hock their (often useless) wares on tourists looking to show a memento of their experience. It was a buzzing place, and not altogether pretty, though it was rather humourous to witness my mother-in-law asking the border patrol for directions as Dara and Morry yelled at her to keep moving.

I think I'll have to try another cruise and another destination before I can fully make up my mind about the cruising industry. Some elements appealed to me (all-you-can-eat food, despite my diet, the ocean views, the gentle swaying of the boat), while others did not (see above). Still, I can't complain about getting some time off work, spending it with family and creating new and interesting memories.

First post in a long time. Last post for a week.

Well it has certainly been a crazy couple of months. February and March were intensely busy at work, so when April rolled around, I figured, why not make it a hat-trick. As such, I have had very little free time for the blogosphere. But I thought I'd put in a few words before Dara and I cast off to sea on a 5-day cruise with her parents, Morry and Janis.

Not much has been going on besides work. Little things here and there. I started dieting and exercising several months ago, and I'm down 25 lbs so far (as a Canadian, I should probably use kilograms, but I still don't know my weight in Kg). So that's exciting news for me.

I took Dara out shooting comps with me in San Bernardino. Unfortunately, this proved to be a bad idea, as we both discovered when she started freaking out from lack of food, an intense need to pee, and fatigue (among other things). But we got the comp shots, and made it back to OC, where we caught up with the latest buzz flick, "Forgetting Sarah Marshall." 

Moany people will probably say that the most difficult thing to forget about this movie was the, er, elongated penis shot (sorry, had to say it) at the beginning of the movie. But, despite my misgivings, it was a respectable showing (the movie, not the penis). Not a bad rom-com popcorn flick.

I had rented "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" this weekend, which I had heard good things about, but unfortunately, we were so busy running around taking comp shots and getting ready for the cruise, we weren't able to watch it. And so we returned it. You win this round, Blockbuster.

Today we hosted a BBQ for 9. It was a sunny, slightly cool day (my favourite weather!) and we had family visit us from Beverly Hills down to Temecula (not to mention Georgia). It was a fun, if somewhat chaotic afternoon of too much steak and salmon, but it's always nice to catch up with family, and collectively pray for a Democratic victory this November. Except for Morry, the Republican black sheep of the family. It's okay, Morry, we still love you.

Speaking of victory, the Lakers pulled off an impressive win today. Anyone who knows me knows I'm not much of a sports fan, but there are a few teams out there I will occasionally root for in my own clumsy, girlish way. I'm the kind of guy who would give a passing glance at the game, casually ask "how we doin'?" and nod my head impressively at the score as I grab the drinks and head out into the dining area. But I'm an absolutely FANTASTIC basketball player, as my brother-in-law Larry can attest to.

So after the BBQ, it was cleanup time, and time to pack and get ready for tomorrow's cruise. Check. Then a quick game of Wii bowling. Check. Then we must ridicule Morry's terrible virtual-bowling skills. Check-check. Then it's off to BJs for some amazing deep-dish, guilty, late-night pizza. Check. Must return video to Blockbuster (see above. Damn you, once again Blockbuster). Check. Also: library book. Check.

Well, this is why I haven't blogged in a while. Just not too much to say. So I will say adios. Happy Cinco de Mayo tout le monde. If you don't hear from me after a week, comb the regional islands looking for a skinny man trying to use a coconut as a radio. Otherwise I'll see you on May 10th.

Ahoy hoy,

Myke