I’m a bad little blogger. I’ve been back from vacation for a whole week and am just now posting something. I could list my lame excuses (like being busy, sick, can’t find the cord for my camera, in-laws accidentally deleted pics of my camera when we found the cord and uploaded pics at their house for slide show, wanting to convert and edit a video file for the post, etc), but I know I could have made this happen sooner.

It was a good trip. My husband, parents, brother and I all went on a seven-day-cruise on the Carnival Valor through the West Carribean. We went from Miami to Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Belize, Roatan and back home. I’ll just play a game of plus minus plus to give highlights and low points, and then I’ll entertain ya, okay?

Rum Punch Van Party in Belize! Yay for no open container laws!

Plus

•  New Years Eve with my mom’s family was boss! (Despite Justin Beiber’s terrible version of Let it Be…shudders at the thought)
• Weather was nice, low 80s.
• Buying dollar beers at a 7-11 in Cozumel (Best Chelada ever)
• Cave Tubing and Zip Lining in Belize was super cool!
• Rum Punch Van Party

Minus

• The wind was high, and the water was rough.
• I learned what it feels like to get sea sickness
• I later learned what it feels like to get land sickness
• I got a rash from my life vest in Belize (From friction…nothing gross)
• Being nickled and dimed constantly to do fun extras made me feel poor.
• Drunk family can be a hit or miss

Plus

• The food was exquisite.
• I didn’t gain too much weight because I was seasick!
• There was a fight in the dining hall
• I got to go to the beach for one day (I find it ironic that you spend seven days on the water but very little time in it unless you want to pay out the ass for a taxi!) .

• I have tan lines. They are light, but they exist!
• And finally…I was Aretha Franklin in the Carnival Legends Show!

Yes, that’s right. I auditioned for this karaoke on crack show. My parents were thrilled. Only one other chick from Ontario tried-out. Poor thing. Anyways, this was a fun  event to participate in because I got to go back stage and see a little bit behind the scenes. You know those hot dancers? Yeah. I got to get ready in their dressing room and saw all their neat costumes and wigs (and bras…lol). Each singer was given a dancer escort to literally walk them through their stage sets.  My guy was Dan, and he was a hottie. We all got costumes, and mine was clearly made for a black woman. I may have been the first white Aretha because I didn’t see one in the previous group photos.  Anyways, here is the video (I cut all the other people out. Just because I’m willing to show-off my embarrassing shenanigans doesn’t mean they want to. What happens on da boat stays on da boat!):

I felt like a little drag queen. My wig even fell off when the lights went out.
Now that’s what I call “Show Boating!!!”
Lol.

Now I’m back and ready to attempt 2012…we’ll see how that goes. At least my first week of this year was better than the first week of last year, right?