Force 10

We have had very high winds, yes, force 10, for the past day & night. Our cabin is toward the back of the ship but not at the very back. And we are on deck 8. The ship has cabins up to deck 12. So although we noticed the rolling of course and when I woke up to go the bathroom in the night I felt the roll, it wasn’t uncomfortable at all. However I was speaking to a fellow this morning—we are still getting up at 5:00 in the morning—who said he and his partner didn’t get any sleep as they are at the front of the ship and it was going UP and DOWN all night with a great whack every time it went down.

The captain said yesterday at his noon announcement that there is a storm out in the Atlantic that they are trying to skirt around. It rained off and on yesterday so I guess that was the storm. No thunder or lightning though. 

As I am writing this, the sky is turning blue with great puffy clouds:

I was very tired yesterday. Actually fell asleep in the lecture on the Middle East and was rather dopey most of the day. I missed the flute concert last night because I just couldn’t summon the energy to go for an 8:45 pm concert. In fact, I think I was asleep before it even started. I did do the Yoga Stretch class and the Zumba, which had changed its time from 2:00 to 10:00 am. There were a lot more people at Zumba than usual and it was a bit difficult to move around. Still fun though.

I also went to a “meet the author” presentation by Joanne Harris, who wrote Chocolat 20-odd years ago. In fact, they will be showing the movie today at 5:00 with an introduction from her. She didn’t talk very much specifically about the book, it was more of an autobiographical talk about who she was, where she came from (Yorkshire) and how she came to be a writer. She had originally been a teacher—Cambridge grad no less—but had always wanted to write. So she did and kept submitting her stories to a publisher until she finally hit fame with Chocolat. I know I have read at least one of her other books but can’t remember what it was. Anyway, I don’t know if I will go to the whole showing of the movie today. I have seen it at least twice and, for me, Alfred Molina as the rigid mayor carries most of the film. But I would like to find out her thoughts on how the movie turned out.

As I wrote above, I struggled to stay awake in the  2:00 lecture by the former ambassador about the Middle East. And I was unsuccessful, only remembering bits and pieces here and there. Afterward I went down to the Grand Lobby and staked out a comfortable chair for watching the 15-minute presentation by the RADA group of another scene from An Ideal Husband. Enjoyed it and felt a sudden longing to get back to Stratford-on-Avon and/or Shaw Festival. They, to me, are still the epitome of live theatre.

The rest of the day and night we spent very quietly. Didn’t go to the fancy dining room as I’d eaten a big lunch in the buffet of, wait for it, roast lamb and veggies. Yes I know I said I didn’t eat lamb at the Easter Sunday dinner but that was more because it was Easter. I do need to cut back on the heavy food and R feels the same way.

I have plans for today—the usual exercise programs, another RADA workshop on character development, and they have spaghetti and meatballs in the fancy dining room at lunch. Hope I have the energy for everything, especially if I have the spaghetti!