I'm an addict

Negative thoughts creep in my head. It sets the tone for the rest of the day. These little "movies" that I create in my head,  anger, sadden, or frustrate me.

I walk out of my cabin on the deck of my ship and see every "fault" that should be addressed. Chipped paint. Tattered sails.

Suddenly, a porpoise pops his nose above the water to greet me. And I laugh.

I study his beauty. His strength. His joy.

When he disappears beneath the surface I find I'm smiling. When I look back at the ship, the paint doesn't seem so bad. The sails not so tattered.

Negative thoughts are an addiction. It is an ongoing chore to stop them. But when I do - it literally becomes smoother sailing.

Satellites are smarter than us

So after an annual exam, my Doctor suggested I get a routine blood screening. His assistant gave me a list of several locations to choose from - with maps on the back. This paper was produced by the company that owned the labs. It had highly detailed directions, phone numbers, and maps for each of the twelve locations in my area.

Of course, I picked the location closest to me. I left early this morning hoping to be seen right away so I could get a great start on my day.

The first location did not house the lab for which I was looking. Instead it was a small sandwich shop. Hmmm.

So I made a phone call to the number and it had been disconnected.  I searched for the next closest. My GPS showed it was 12 miles and 20 minutes away. So off I went.

My GPS had me turn into the parking lot of a shoe store. I verified the address on the shoe store's door as the address for which I was looking. I called the number associated with the lab at this address and it, too, had been disconnected. Double hmmmm.

Now I'd given up on this paper I was given. The words and maps just didn't convince me any more.

I proceeded back towards my ship but decided to speak the name of the lab into my GPS to see if the great satellite in the sky had a more current location than the company itself that provided my maps.

Lo and behold! My GPS lady suggested I take my next left and THERE! Behind a bank and down a side street - THERE was my destination!

I skipped into the building and beamed my smile towards the receptionist. I was so happy to see her! If she only knew how many miles I had traveled...how many locations I had surveyed.

She asked for my paperwork and she saw I had their very own copy of the directions and maps in my hand. I gently suggested " you may want to update this list. A couple of the labs are no longer there". She sat up cheerfully and thrust her hand towards a file. "I have updated ones - would you like one?".

To find an appropriate vein, the nurse didn't have to ask me to make a fist. I was one step ahead.

Keep on dreamin'....

I was talking with my son yesterday. His very first exams are coming up and he is one to day dream instead of study. I started to give him the typical parental speech...then stopped myself.

I ended up telling him "Son - you have a great gift! You like to day dream. Keep it up. Day dream as often and as much as you can. Set time aside to study so you can keep your grades up, then go back to day dreaming".

You see, we need day dreamers. Lots and lots of day dreamers. Day dreams created this great country of ours. What if we had told Henry Ford not to day dream. Einstein? Edison?

Thank you Steve Jobs and Bill Gates for day dreaming! Or else I couldn't post this message!

The only product name we don't pronounce

I love M & M's. Love 'em. 

They are a part of me. Literally. I've had a bit too many. BUT (see! That's a big BUT) I am too intimate with them to call them by their initials. To me they're mmm and mmmms. 

Yesterday I asked a grocer which aisle held the mmm and mmmms. He looked at me rather perplexed. So I changed it to M & M's.  "Aisle 3" he replied.

Then I asked where to find M, I, L, & K.

I admit it. I was wrong. I thought St Augustine shut down at 5PM. Nope. Tonight was magical - I was with two of my favorite crew members. (Not my only favorites...I wish you all could've been with me). We were walking down St George and were very surprised to see most of the shops were open. The street was bustling. It was perfect weather. 70 degrees. Clear sky...a sliver of a moon. Incredibly good pizza. There ate too many shops to mention but two of my favorite stores are Peace Frogs (well, duh!) and Aquamarine. Oh Aquamarine...how I love thee. If I owned a store...you would be it.

St. Augustine. This is our closest thing to a European town. The buildings are the oldest in the US. The people are friendly. And there ain't nothin like seeing shadows of curious tourists cast upon the old walls of Fort Castillos De San Marcos on a moonlit night. And, since no cruise ships stop there, the stores are eclectic and interesting! There is a not a multitude of t-shirt shops vying for tourist dollars. Instead, there are amazing artisans and shop owners simply doing what they love and hoping you'll stop by to say Hi.

Please, visit St Augustine. Better yet, please share with me your favorite spot and why. I'd love to hear about it.