Spanish Bay Resort

We spent the day at sea on Wednesday and pretty much just relaxed after working out in the gym all morning while listening to the instructor give a class about detox and learning all sorts of health stuff about toxic poisons we put into our body. I learned that the largest organ we have is our SKIN! I didn't know skin was an organ. When we put anything onto our skin and rub it in (like sun tan lotion) it is absorbed into our blood stream. So we take in poison via absortion. We also breath in poisons from the air, and consume poisons via consumption like alcohol. I was
impressed by all the instructor knew but in the end he wanted everyone to register for a detoxification for your body (only $100). I asked him a few questions but bypassed the $100 deal. After dinner, Peg and I had some wine..... and went to the dinner show which was very entertaining. Peg and I ended up on the NEWLYWED game! I talked her into volunteering but she never thought we would get selected......we DID! It was fun (we didn't win). She was asked what is the first thing I touch in the morning when I get up.....she told the crowd of 300 people he touches HIMSELF! When the guy asked me what my favorite condoment was, I said TROJAN....the crowd loved it! The guy then said, "No, not condom.....condiment, like what do you like on your meat.......more laughs. Anyway, it was all fun, we won tee shirts too!


On Thursday, Peg and I spent the day at the Spanish Bay resort. We laid in the sun, walked on the beach, went snorkeling, and fell asleep in my chair until I snored. It doesn't get much better than that. The picture is our shipped parked at Grand Cayman. Now it is 5PM Thursday and time to pull out. We are parked here next to the Carnival Conquest and the RCCL Radiance and Majesty (4 ships in port today......and waaaaaaay many people). Tomorrow is a sea day but more importantly, the dining room has Lobster for dinner tonight......and I am going for two!

Fishing in Key West

After saying so long to Tony Sunday night and going to bed early, Peg and I made it up at 3:30 AM for that 6:30 AM flight. All went pretty smoothly but one could not believe how busy it is at ORD at 6:00 Am on a Monday morning after Turkey Day. We felt we were there in plenty of time but the TSA security line took all extra time away from us and by the time we got to our gate, it was already time to board. Three hours and a bad movie later we landed in Ft. Lauderdale and hopped an Airport Express to the Port of Miami. Before we knew it we boarded the Celebrity Century we had heard so much about and were greeted with glasses of Champaign. Our room 8174 is awesome....the flat screen TV on the wall will let you order movies, review your account balance and even allow on board gambling via TV (all on your account). I passed up the TV gambling for the real thing after we sailed away and let me say that roulette was very very good to me on this our first night. We had a great dinner with 6 people from Canada (Saskatchawa) who drove to Miami 2,700 miles to go on this cruise! We were dead tired so we crashed and I got ready for my fishing adventure in
Key West. Once we pulled in to Key West On Tuesday morning I went light tackle fishing with 3 other guys and the captain aboard our Boston Whaler craft with a 200HP Evinrude motor. We went 9 miles out into the Gulf and could not see land anymore. It was really rough most of the time but I didn't even notice it because we were catching so many fish, mostly of the snapper variety. The two in my hands were typical for the morning and these fish really fight hard! The
captain was happy to have them as they were fantastic eating according to him. Our buddies in the next boat caught a 70lb. jew fish (ugly monster sort of thing) and ran into a school of cobia as well. We were not that lucky but the day was fun, the weather was great, the captain was a riot and before we knew it the Century left Key West and we were heading for Grand Cayman Island.

Time has a way of making you forget.....

Well, it has been a long time. Seeing the posting of babybrock has inspried me! So many things have happened in months gone by but this blogging thing is all about the now. Last night I started my eighteenth season as a basketball coach in some capacity (5 years at Bethlehem Lutheran, 5 years at Fox Valley Lutheran, 1 Year at The University of Wisconsin Center, 3 Years with the Libertyville LadyCat Travel Basketball program, and now my 4th year with the Gurnee Park District recreational league. This year I have 7th and 8th grade boys. Last night was another beginning to a basketball season. I have a great guy helping me for the 2nd year in a row (Doug Cygan) whose son is also on the team. Before the first practice, I looked at this as another responsibility I needed to step up to (since I had already volunteered ahead of time). After showing up, seeing the boys, and taking them through one hour of practice, I came home realizing how much I have missed this game I love so much. I feel there is so many things that one learns throughout a basketball season (ups, downs, teamwork, success, and failure too). The similarities to real life are endless. I never believed in the tee shirts some of my high school players would wear (e.g. "Basketball Is Life"). I do believe though, that much can be learned about life.....through playing on a basketball team. I look forward to this season, I look forward to trying to give the player who can do it all, something else to add to his trickbag, I look forward to helping the player who has no experience....become a major contributor. I mostly look forward to helping a player learn to do something.....he never thought he could do. Last season ended with a very average player (maybe even below average,) getting himself open, catching a pass, and scoring a game winning basket....for me, it doesn't get much better than that. It was such a joy to see this young man do something that he probably never imagined he could do. I am sure my own daughter goes home every night with little joys like this. I am sure she feels these joys on a daily basis in the classroom. I don't get this same great feeling working in the corporate world each day, but I do find it on the basketball court, and in that way....much about life can be learned playing basketball. Thank God a new season has begun.....I cannot wait until our next practice.......and thank God babybrock is back blogging again!