Cruisin' Back from the Caribbean

I have just returned from a seven-day cruise in the Caribbean with my best friends from high school and while I do feel bad that at least two feet of snow and ice were dumped on New England in my absence, I feel even worse about returning to the mountains of snow piled so high that they're now towering about four feet above the mailbox and halfway up the house.

Have I mentioned how much I hate New England in February?

But lest you fail to have any sympathy for me, I will add here that I suffered more than hangovers from this cruise that had the three of us on a first-name basis with the wine steward and earned us a reputation in the piano bar. Apparently someone was wishing revenge on me because I came home with sun poisoning, as well as a few other unpleasant skin eruptions that I'd like to blame on swimming with the stingrays (except honestly -- they, the shark and piranhas freaked me out too much to spend much time in the water with them).

In any case, if you think some sun-drenched photos from the Caribbean might cheer you up amid this unpleasant winter weather, or you'd just like to see what I look like after scoring three free pina coladas in Puerto Rico, click on this link: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=107855&id=1312841992&l=bd0292ff0c and then click on the first photo to see the album. If you click on "next" at the upper right of the photo, you'll be able to see all of them and their captions. (You don't have to be a Facebook member to view them.)

I'd like to write more about this great adventure but now I have to go try to treat my physical reaction to cruising -- and it ain't nearly as pretty as these photos!