Lee McKusick

Day 8: At Sea

Saturday, December 6th, 2008 | Uncategorized | 2 Comments

1:53 PM - Ahh, the final day. The day of packing, of last minute sunbathing, and of making sure you don’t leave anything (clothes, jewelry, small children) behind.

Spent most of the day so far poolside. Enjoyed a line dance “class” in the center of the pool area (was the only guy, among like 20 women… ), and some pool volleyball. Guests vs. Crew, we got owned. So did the other 3 guest teams though, hehe.

Soccer @ 3.

6:01 - Got beat at soccer, 3-4. Did better than the other teams though.

8:51 - At the farewell show, starts at 9. Did a salsa class at 8 in the Latin lounge, Boleros. At the end of the class, all the people came up two at a time for their “15 seconds of fame.” There were a few single girls there (where were they before?! =P ), so the instructor had me go in 3 times. =D

I. Love. To. Dance.

I especially like to show off what I know at times. Applause is always a welcome sound… =D

12:46 AM - Great night. Show was really good. The juggler from the first night came back. Didn’t do any comedy/speaking but damn was the routine cool. After him was another comedian, Louis Johnson, I think was his name. He was a lot funnier than the other guy.

After, I went back to Boleros for some more dancing. Had a blast! Even had some older Irish woman buy me a drink. I’m so glad that particular skillset comes in handy. =D

I feel bad though, I told some woman I’d dance the next salsa with her, but noticed it was 12:30, which is when I told myself I’d stop and retire for the night (had to get up early next morning). She’d walked off though, so I don’t know where she’d gone.

I need to find a Latin club in Rochester…

Going to bed for the last time on the Liberty of the Seas. Goodnight all, and farewell!

Overall, this vacation has been a great time, and I’m exceptionally glad I went. I would totally do it again, although there are some things I would recommend for anyone considering taking a cruise, but it’s a great experience.

Tags: cruise, vacation

Day 7: Cozumel, Mexico

Saturday, December 6th, 2008 | Uncategorized | No Comments

7:55 - OMG, I SWAM WITH DOLPHINS!!!

Pulled into port around 10:30. Headed to Chankanaab Park for our dolphin Royal Swim.

They bring you out in a small group (ours had 7; around 10 was the normal size), and you get to pet them, dance with them…

…kiss them…

…let them tow you with their dorsal fins, and my favorite, push you through the water standing on their noses. I ended up coming completely out of the water. It was amazing!

We then hung out on the beach for a while. The water was crystal clear, and there were some really cool fish swimming around. I’m pretty sure I even touched one as it was swimming away.

Grand Cayman and Cozumel were both astounding. They certainly saved the best for last.

9:37 - The show tonight was really cool. It was a Cirque du Soliel-like performance; certainly not quite as impressive as the real thing, but very cool nonetheless.

Just finished playing some more Rock Band. Fact: I love to sing!

Checking out the Majority Rules game show; then a scavenger hunt later. Should be a fun night, now that I’ve given up trying to go against the flow…

10:17 - Majority Rules was fun; sat with a cool group of people. Good times were had by all. Gonna go see if there’s any new pictures in the Photo Gallery (pictures are fricking expensive!), to kill some time before the Quest.

11:59 - Wow. That about sums up the Quest.

Ok, so a little explanation is in order. As I mentioned, the Quest was a scavenger hunt. Basically, the arena was divided up into 10 teams, all with 2 team captains, one male and one female. For each quest, one of the captains had to find, from their section, a particular item, with bonus points to the quickest team. And about every fourth one or so, it was a group activity where people would come down and make some form of scene.

I ended up being a team captain.

We started off with some simple ones, like “an empty purse”, and “a business card”, then we had a group scene of 10 people playing Twister.

After that it got a little harder, with “a sock with a hole in it” (one lady was trying to chew through a sock!), and “an iPhone.” The next group activity was making human pyramids, whihc was pretty fun.

There were some clever ones in there, like 4 fake hands, i.e. two watches.

Then it started getting a little ridiculous, hilarious, or both, depending on how you looked at it, and probably how many Thursday Thriller’s you had.Things such as “4 men’s shirts (not being worn)”, “4 men’s pants (also not being worn; we didn’t get that one)”, “4 bras” (almost had that one, but one lady couldn’t get hers off), and the guy captain wearing lipstick…

Yeah…

So for the very last thingall the guy captains had to be wearing ladies’ shoes, shirtless, wearing a bra, wearing lipstick, and carrying a purse…

…and no, I don’t have any pictures. Sorry, ladies.

So yeah, I now have a fill for the slot of most embarassing memory. (Sometimes I regret being a blogger…) I’ll tell you though, being a team captain, in and of itself, and getting everyone fired up and into it all, was rather fun.

Drink of the Day: Thursday Thriller - Mango Rum, Pineapple Juice, Triple Sec, and Grand Marnier (I think)

Probably the best DotD so far; you could barely even taste the alcohol, which is both a good thing for it’s smoothness, and potentially a very bad thing, hehe.

Shot of the Day: Mudslide - Bailey’s, Kahlua

It was good, but it seemed like deja vu. They must have been overstocked on Bailey’s or something, cause every single shot this week has been Bailey’s.

Tags: cozumel, cruise, vacation

Day 6: Grand Cayman

Wednesday, December 3rd, 2008 | Fun, Life | No Comments

2:26 pm - Swimming with Stingrays was cancelled because the cove was too choppy. =(

Instead, we did some shopping, got a tour of the island, visited the Tortuga Rum Cake factory, went to the Turtle farrm…

…went to Hell…

Welcome to Hell.

…then headed back.

5:18 - Just left Grand Cayman. Awesome place. Best island out of the three so far. Dad wants to move down here…

Interesting thing is, they’re very strict about who they let in; you have to be married to a Caymanian, there on a work permit, or rich enough to prove that you’ll never ask for a cent of government assistance, otherwise, they deport you. Because of this, there’s virtually no crime.

8:43 - Waiting for the show to start in about 15 minutes. Just got done with a Rock Band competition. Only lasted a half-hour, and only played one song, but it was fun. We should totally have more Rock Band parties…Hmm…Small group after-event! Speaking of which, I wonder what the latest is on that…no! Must not think about anything responsibility-related!

Ship’s rocking again. Odd, because when we left, the sea was pretty calm. As long as I get to swim with dolphins in Cozumel tomorrow, I’ll be happy. I definitely want to check that off my list.

Anyway, show’s about to start…

10:04 - Show was cool. It was a fairy tale-themed performance, with a lot of modern songs built in (i.e. “You’re So Vain” for Snow White’s Queen [random thought: did Disney create the name Maleficent for her or was it preexisting?])

Pizza time, then probably gonna go back and read for a bit, then sleep. Throat’s a little rough, so I’ve taken massive amounts of vitamin C, and am probably gonna call it a night. I am NOT getting sick. Not for the next two days, anyway.

Tags: cruise, grand cayman, hell, turtle, vacation

Day 5: Montego Bay, Jamaica

Tuesday, November 18th, 2008 | Fun, Life | No Comments

11:00am - Rain.

On the plus side, I probably won’t be getting sunburned further today.

Probably gonna get off, just to say I’ve been to Jamaica, but likely won’t stay long.

12:54pm - So, Jamaica wasn’t overly impressive in my book. I mean, it was cloudy and ouring rain while we were off the boat, but once we got wet, we didn’t really care about that anymore. We checked out the Jamaican Bobsled Cafe, Margaritaville, and did some souvenir shopping, but beyond that, I can’t say that I liked it, or would go back.

Let me tell you, the roads? Nuts. For one, they drive on the left, which would throw me for a loop. For another, the streets are total zoos! It’ll be hard for me to complain about New England drivers once I get back. I’ll still do it, of course, but at least it’ll be tougher…

The boat’s got a pretty good sway to it, and has since we left port. So far, we’ve had pretty calm seas and smooth sailing, but now the movement is definitely noticeable, which made the “Dancing Like The Stars” event an interesting time…

It was great though; they had the ship’s band playing Big Band music, and a quick swing class and everything. Tons of fun. After that was the “Dancing Under The Stars”, which was supposed to be on deck, but ended up being mroe of an “under the ceiling” affair. The wind outside is insane, especially on the top decks.

Ended up being a hero though (at least in my own mind). We were doing the Electric Slide, and the ship must have hit a good wave or something, cause it came down hard on one side, and this older lady toppled, but I caught her. She was fine. Where’s my medal?! =P

The Lava Flow (like a strawberry-banana pina colada) was delicious. I like being inebriated enough to complement and unlock parts of my personality that don’t usually come out, but not enough to affect my motor skills or thought processes. In other words, I’m glad I’m a silly drunk.

Drink of the Day: Terrific Tuesday (Bacardi rum, sweet & sour mix, grenadine) - SImple, tasty, but didn’t go well with the superb lamb we had for dinner.

Shot of the Day

• 1/2 Butterscotch Schnapps
• 1/2 Bailey’s

Irish creme is my favorite liqueor, and I love butterscotch, so this was great.

Tags: cruise, Jamaica, vacation

Day 4: Labadee, Haiti

Monday, November 17th, 2008 | Fun, Life | 1 Comment

7:39 PM - Ow, ouch, OOH! @&%#! Sunburn!

Today, I laid on a Haitian beach and did nothing. It was fantastic…

So today we arrived in Labadee, Haiti, a portion of the island that is owned by Royal Caribbean. That being the case, you didn’t see quite the natural culture found in other parts of the island, but it was still really cool to set foot on foreign soil (and sorry to Canada, or U.S. North, but you don’t really count…).

So yeah, Labadee involved a lot of sunbathing, some swimming, some shopping, some eating, some cooking (of my own flesh), and was generally a relaxing time. The Haitian Flea Market they had was interesting. For one all the guys would be like “Sir, let me show you something.” For another, they all had the same stuff. They all had the same wood-carved jewelry box (basically all of it was wood-carved) that said Haiti on it, the same tribal masks, etc. I eventually ended up getting a necklace that I don’t think was made in Haiti, but was still cool.

8:58 - OK, so I’ve come to a conclusion: cruises are a horrible idea for single nightowls. As I said before, days are great and sailing the Caribbean is awesome. But unless you have a companion, you’re shit out of luck for a dance partner, or anyone to share any sort of romantic moments with. In short, nights fricking suck. There’s only so much stargazing a guy can do alone.

9:26 - Great. Now I get kicked off the deck at the front ’cause they’re closing the heli deck. It’s not even windy… Wonderful.

9:31 - As I’ve said before elsewhere, it’s not easy to make me angry. In fact, I’m an extremely patient person. But right now, I’m fuming.
…
…
I’m not even sure what I’m mad at.
I think deep down I’m pissed at everyone who’s having a good time. Sure, I’m happy for them and all, but everytime I see a couple dancing, or holding hands, or laughing or something, I can’t help but flare up with a tinge of…jealousy, I suppose.

I think I’m going to go hang out in the coffee shop and read for a while. I’ve heard the coconut coffee is really good.

11:49 - So the coffee was really good. The night’s gotten better to. They had a big “Dancing in the Streets” dance party out on the Royal Promenade, which, although disco isn’t really my scene, was fun. Now I’m sitting in the theatre waiting for the late-night comedy show to start. Hopefully will be funny; the guy’s been on the Tonight Show 11 times. Could use a good laugh…

1:33 - Yeah, he was funny. Not the best by any means, but got a few chuckles and guffaws.
Good night!

We’re in Montego Bay, Jamaica tomorrow. Got nothing planned, so I think we’ll be checking out the town.

Drink of the Day: Marvelous Monday (Sex on the Beach)

Shot of the Day: Italian Stallion
1/2 Frangelica
1/2 Bailey’s Irish Creme

Tags: cruise, vacation

Day 3: At Sea

Sunday, November 16th, 2008 | Fun, Life | No Comments

2:30 - Today is a good day so far. Did a bit of sunbathing; I have a feeling I’m going to stick out when I get back to RIT. =D

Again, the Flowrider is totally sweet! I managed to show off a bit for the guy taking pictures (and the crowd )…right before screwing up a barrel roll. Almost had it though…

Heading to a dodgeball tourney at 3.

4:00 - Lost the dodgeball tourney, but had a blast! Won 2 games, lost 2. The second game, it was down to me vs. 4 big guys, and I ended up taking all but one down until he got me in the gladiator match. So much fun. But now I’m all sweaty and tired…shower time.

Ooh, and it seems I’m sufficiently red… =)

1:08 (AM) - In short, today was great; tonight sucked. Dinner was phenomenal, the Oxtail Broth was very good (I don’t usually eat soup, but this was yummy). The Filet of Beef was nice and tender, and the Cherries Jubilee was a great dessert. I love cherries, can you tell?

The after-dinner show was called Somewhere in Time. I didn’t quite pick up the plot much, other than this guy was travelling through time to find this woman… It was good; no Phantom of the Opera or Spamalot, but good nonetheless.

Even the Battle of the Sexes game show thing was fun, even though clearly rigged in favor of the women. Go figure… =P

But after that, things started getting sucky. I had some time to kill so I checked out Boleros, the Latin dance club/bar, because after all, I am a ballroom/Latin dancer; I enjoy it. Unfortunately, as a solo flyer, it’s really awkward when everyone is already coupled. I did end up dancing with a crew member; I definitely needed that, but it was somehow less than satisfying…

So I went to check out the single’s mixer at the Catacombs. Complete bust. There didn’t appear to be anything at all going on; just the typical nightclub scene. Smoke, booze, and “dancing” are not particularly of my idiom.
So basically I walked around for a bit, but due to “high winds,” I couldn’t even go to the front of the ship to wrestle it out with God (Yes, I know I can do it anywhere, but there’s just something about that space that makes me feel closer.)

So yeah. Tonight sucked. Tomorrow is Haiti so hopefully that will be better.

Drink of the Day: Sunday Sensation - not sure, but whatever it is, it pretty efficiently screws you up…

Shot of the Day:
1/3 Creme de Cacao
1/3 Amaretto
1/3 Irish Creme

Tags: cruise, vacation

Day 2: Leaving Port

Sunday, November 16th, 2008 | Fun, Life | No Comments

The Liberty of the Seas…

160,000 tons floating–no, gliding–on the ocean. This ship is amazing. It’s opulent, beautiful, and elegant; a supreme example of human engineering. An example that serves as a frame for the portrait of God’s creation.

As I write this, I’m sitting at the front of the ship, looking out over the nighttime Caribbean Sea, watching the waves roll by, as a nearly full moon reflects off of them. Patches of cloud drift in the sky, highlighted by the moonbeams, and serve to accentuate the stars as they shine above. It’s an extremely romantic scene (of course, I’m a bit of a romantic at heart), and I can easily see why cruises are so popular as honeymoon destinations. Alas, for now I quietly enjoy it by myself…

The ship itself is gorgeous. Many different archictural styles are represented, and it is all pulled together tastefully and nearly seamlessly. Some of my favorites are the Sphinx, an Egyptian-themed lounge, the Catacombs, the Norse/Medieval nightclub, and the Hoof and Claw, the Irish pub.

The Flowrider, the surfing area at the back of the ship, is awesome. Basically, they pump massive amounts of water, nearly 30,000 gallons per minute, up an incline, and you surf or boogie-board in place. It’s so much fun!

The ship’s shows are really good so far too. Tonight’s “Welcome Aboard” show featured a hilariously funny and incredibly talented juggler.

And the food…
Oh goodness, the food is absolutely delicious. Tonight at dinner, I had a Strawberry, Kiwi,and Pineapple starter, a Black Angus Top Sirloin steak, and a slice of Chocolate Cherry Cake for dessert. Let’s just say anyone who goes hungry on a cruise ship has only themselves to blame.

Well, that about covers today.

Ooh, I see the lights of another liner in the distance. Hi!

Tags: cruise, vacation

Day 1: Flight

Friday, November 14th, 2008 | Fun, Life | No Comments

I love flying. I love it so much I put up with the long delays, the cramped seats, and the horrible pretzels they serve. I deal with the overbearing security and the stuffy cabins. I endure it all for the pure joy of speeding down a runway and severing your connection to the earth. The sight of rising above the clouds, even out a tiny window, is simply astounding.
My heart is overflowing with joy and anticipation of where this gorgeous journey is taking me…

…and no, I don’t mean the stopover in Atlanta.

P.S. Ooh! Lightning in the distance! This flight just keeps getting more and more awesome!

P.P.S. It’s so weird seeing a small bit of cloud hovering in midair when you’re level with it.

P.P.P.S. This will likely be a teaser post. The hotel has free wi-fi, and the Wordpress app for iPod/iPhone is awesome. The ship on the other hand does not have free wifi, but I can still write and just mass upload at the end.

Tags: cruise, vacation

Vacations

Saturday, September 6th, 2008 | Life | No Comments

This past week has been great. Being back home without the day-in-day-out nightmare hell-hole life-drain that is Cape Cod has been amazing. Between the inordinate overtime doing what I changed my major from in the first place to my chauvanistic, asanine wonderful roommate, let’s just say I’m looking forward to my Caribbean cruise in November.

Hell, I’m even looking forward to RIT; what does THAT say…?

But it’s been really nice being home. Being with my family for more than a weekend, lunch with old friends, my first legal drink; it’s all been fun.

Last Saturday we went down to Foxwoods to see Cirque Dreams Pandamonia, a show related to Cirque du Soliel, and it was phenomenal. From the clowns before the show proper started (whom I got to act with a little; made my night =D ), to the amazing acrobatics and athletic feats, to the final curtain call, the entire show was astounding. I would go again in a heartbeat (and for any guys reading this, it makes a great date. A little pricey, but totally worth it.)

I’ve been able to cross something off my list as well. My dad, brother, a few friends, and I went paintballing last weekend, and had a blast. Running through heavy woods, going after the other team’s flag (even if it was just an old t-shirt on a stick), getting shot at, and sweating our asses off…ohh, damn was it fun. Definitely something I’m glad I did, and will certainly do again.

I’ve also been able to rekindle some stagnant friendships, which has been great. There may even be the possibility of something deeper than simple friendship on my horizon. I’m hopeful, but only time will tell if the winds of change will sail my ship in that direction. (C’mon God, praying for a little breeze here…)

It really has been a great week. But alas, all good things must come to an end. In the meantime, I just keep telling myself:

Two more months…

Two more months...

Tags: cirque dreams, cruise, home, vacations