Next Cruise
January 28, 2008
Well, it didn’t take too long. We thought we would skip a cruise this year because of two family reunions that we already have planned. Now, I am not sure that is going to happen. Cruising is our favorite way to spend a vacation and the thought of not doing one this year has not appealed to us.
It’s only been 7 months since our last cruise to Alaska, but the though of not cruising again until 2009 was more difficult than it should be. Anyways, we have decided to tighten the belt and see if we can’t go ahead and swing a cruise this Thanksgiving season, which is a common time for us to cruise.
Nothing is for sure yet as we want to make sure we don’t stretch ourselves too far, but we have been zeroing in on a couple of cruises that look really appealing to us.
The first is a 15 day cruise from San Diego to Fort Lauderdale. The cruise stops in a couple of ports in Mexico and then goes through the Panama Canal before making stops in Costa Rica and Columbia. This cruise would be on one of our favorite ships, the Celebrity Mercury. We like this cruise as leaving out of San Diego tends to save us a few bucks as we only need airfare back from Fort Lauderdale. Going through the Panama Canal would make for an exciting cruise.
The second is a 15 day transatlantic crossing. We have really been itching to do a transatlantic crossing since days at sea tend to be our favorite part of a cruise. The cruise originates in Barcelona, Spain and ends up in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It features stops in Spain, the Canary Islands and St. Maarten. If we did this cruise, we would probably try to spend a day or two in Barcelona before the cruise. This would allow Suzanne and the kids to take in some authentic Flamenco dancing in Spain since they all take dance classe. {Suzanne and Savannah actually take the Flamenco classes.} It us unlikely we would spend any time in San Juan.
The transatlantic cruise would require the kids to miss more school since it leaves on the Saturday after Thanksgiving while the Panama Canal cruise leaves the weekend before Thanksgiving. Either cruise, perhaps a bit more so for the transatlantic cruise, would be a unique learning and cultural experience for them. On either cruise, the kid would still have homework responsibilities.
I am do to learn what my yearly bonus will be in the next few weeks and the taxes will soon be finished and we are expecting a refund. With the drop in interest rates, we are also refinancing our home and should reap some monthly savings there too. Hopefully, the combination will be enough to allow us to take a cruise this year.
Thanksgiving Day Menu
November 19, 2007
Thanksgiving is only a few days away. Soon, the kitchen shall be bustling as I prepare a wonderful day of food. Suzanne’s parents will be here for Thanksgiving this year, so I have to show out a bit. Below are my creations for this Thanksgiving Day celebration.
For Lunch, while watching the Lions (come on guys) vs the Packers, we will be enjoying a hearty soup. I plan to prepare a nice Corn, Smoked Sausage and Wild Rice Soup. Hmmm…. Delicious…
Then comes the big meal itself. This year, the bird will be prepared as a Roasted Turkey with a sage and bacon butter rub. That might sound odd, but it tastes wonderful. Of course, the bird will be stuffed. This year, I will prepare a Sourdough Bread Stuffing with Wild Mushrooms.
On the side, or shall I say many sides, I will serve Buttermilk Bacon Ranch Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans with Caramelized Onions, Spiced Cranberry Sauce with Honey and Baked Butternut Squash and Apples Drizzled with Maple Syrup. Of course, I will also have plenty of my traditional nut bread available for consumption too.
For dessert, I plan to keep it relatively simple by serving my much requested Pecan Pie with my special brown sugar and vanilla whipped cream. I hope everyone saves room for this baby.
Ah, what a time of the year. I am eagerly looking forward to cooking most of the day Wednesday in preparation and then a bit more leisurely on Thursday as we enjoy the NFL games on the TV. With us having been cruising three of the last four Thanksgivings, I kinda missed cooking for the big day. Of course, I would still rather be on a cruise ship, but I can’t wait to start cooking.
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