Brrrr…it’s cold in here!

Yesterday was a very cold day for us both. This is not normal for Bill as he usually runs warm and would live in shorts all year long if he could. His disdain for full length leg coverings can be comical at times. Last night when he willing put on jeans for dinner, I knew he must have been freezing.

Yesterday was our first port day in a town called Dunedin. We had planned to get off the ship and do a little shopping, but the nearest shop was over 11km away. We decided to chance our luck at the shop on board instead. The atmosphere of Dunedin was nice and we actually docked next to a shipping yard which never ceases to remind me of my Dad. He worked as a mechanic on the waterfront in Oakland and so the cranes/containers have always been an image that I will forever associate with him. 

Fun fact for those who are interested - the cranes at the Oakland/SF Waterfront were actually inspiration for George Lucas when we he was creating the Star Wars Universe and their influence can be seen in the AT-AT’s (All Terrain Armored Transport) featured in The Empire Strikes Back. I think Bill was impressed that something from my childhood had a connection to one of his favorite Sci-Fi franchises. 

Now that I have given you even more backstory on my childhood and a nugget of knowledge for those trivia nights, let me get back to recapping our day. The ship cleared out as soon as we hit port and the ship was like a ghost town. We thoroughly enjoyed the peace and quiet and decided to pass on getting off the boat. The tours that were available for this port were not all that interesting for us. 

After hitting the Lido deck for lunch, we decided to play some Bananagrams and got our first inquiry of what game we were playing. This usually happens a few times each trip that we take and we love to share the games that we bring along. This time around we only have Bananagrams (a condensed version of Scrabble where you build your own board), Qwirkle (a puzzle game with lots of shapes and sizes that you put together in order to score points), and a deck of cards for playing games like Solitaire and No Knock Summer Camp Rummy. Limiting our games was important since we only allowed ourselves a carry-on bag and backpack for this trip. Bill won both games that we played at lunch so the score is now: Bill - 2.5 and Valerie - 2.

After lunch we decided to hit the gym and continue our exercising streak. I managed to hit just under three miles and Bill went for the full 5k. I think we both would have preferred walking on the track outside, but the weather was just too chilly for me. After our gym time, we headed back to the room for a little relaxation and reading time. During this chill time we were both absolutely freezing! This is not new for me and we usually keep our room pretty cool as layering up is easier. I sat down to write a post about our room and Bill hibernated under the covers. I asked him if he wanted me to adjust the thermostat and he replied, “I don’t know nothing no more. All I know that I think I am dying of hypothermia!”

Neither one of us was thrilled with the main dining room choices for dinner last night so we opted to hit the Lido deck instead of getting dressed up. Remember when I said that Bill has a hate relationship with pants? Imagine my surprise when he voluntarily put on jeans and grabbed his jacket for dinner! I have only seen this happen a handful of times in our 12 years together. 

We grabbed a table after loading our plates with food and then I left to grab us some drinks. In the few minutes that I was gone, it appeared that Bill had completely forgotten how to eat. Food was falling off his fork left and right, he couldn’t hold the utensils properly and just looked so dejected every time something would happen. I tried my very best to be supportive, but the giggles won out eventually. I just couldn’t help it! Bill tried to say that he had lost the feeling in his fingers/hands as a result of the hypothermia. I am not sure that I believe him, but I ended up getting a small crouton piece stuck in between my teeth so the food issues weren’t exclusive to him last night. It took me far too long to get it out and as I tried explaining to Bill what happened he exclaimed, “You got crouton tooth!” That set off another set of giggles and that was the theme for our dinner. 

We played one more game of Bananagrams before hitting the shop on board and I won that one so now the score is: Bill - 2.5 and Valerie - 3. The shops on board have very little in the way of personal hygiene products which was we needed, but we managed to secure what we could. Perhaps we may need to some more shopping in Wellington tomorrow. This is first of our two ports that include Lord of The Rings stops and to say that he is excited is an understatement. I am also excited, but this has been his dream for so long while it has only been in my dreamscape since he came into my life. We shall see what the day brings us. 

Tomorrow is also our 10 year wedding anniversary and we can both hardly believe it. It feels like yesterday and a lifetime ago all at the same time. I sure have enjoyed my time with him and can’t imagine my life without him. 

Tonight is our second formal night in the main dining room and I plan on trying a dish that I have never tried before, Beef Wellington! I can’t wait to see if it lives up to the hype and hope that it is worth wearing a dress for! 😃

Here are a few pictures from Dunedin!