We set the alarm for 5:45 a.m. and were in the Windjammer when it opened at 6:30 for breakfast. For the first time all week none of us had much of an appetite. ;-) We went back to the room to get our bags. At one point the ship pitched sharply to the starboard side. Jack was convinced we'd been pushed by a tug boat. Brian and Lisa had been walking down the Promenade and a cart full of donuts had gotten away from it's pusher. The thought of a run away cart gave me the giggles. We never did hear what had happened but all was well.
We made our way down the hall with all our bags and were lucky to find an empty elevator. Down to the 4th floor we snaked around and into the casino where a line had already formed. There was a delay due to fog and strong winds. We had hoped to be off the ship and on the road by 7:30... that wasn't going to happen. There were only about 100 people in front of us.
I was thankful to find somewhere to sit.
A tired girl...
and a tired boy
rested their heads on a poker table.
After about 45 minutes the line started to move. Ever so slowly we meandered through a mass of people waiting in gridlock. It was a bit claustrophobic. Now there were hundreds of people behind us. We could all breath easier when we got into the dining room. We went into the back area and...
Jake had to lay down.
The sign above says DIRTY NAPKINS.
Eww!
Then outside we went for the final - d'oink of our SeaPass card. It was over... except for customs.
It's hard to see but there is a long line of people under the lifeboats and off to the right.
We had never self tendered before. We are usually relaxing and waiting until the last possible minute to get off the ship. So, I don't know if this is usual or not but it seemed like there were hundreds of people anxious to get off the ship.
And the post cruise sadness set in.
We were on the road by 8:45 a.m. The temperature was 59 degrees. We got through Houston in no time - less than 40 minutes to our turn off! We made good time. It was amazing how much the Texas landscape had changed in a week. So many beautiful blooms - trees and flowers - including lilac, lily and iris. At one point the median was covered in yellow, orange and purple flowers.
I don't care if they're weeds -
it was gorgeous!
As we headed North the temperature started to fall. We knew it had snowed at home... 6-8 inches. Where exactly we'd run into it, we weren't sure. We did not stop for seconds at what Annie appropriately nicknamed Beetlejuice BBQ.
We played a game of chicken with the gas tank.
In the middle it didn't give us miles to empty - it only said LOW.
And the needle on the right was below E.
We saw the first bits of snow near Miami, Oklahoma and it was 20 degrees colder outside.
Called ahead and made a quick stop at Chicken Annie's in Pittsburg. Two orders to go, please - one meal for my folks and one for us. We didn't have time to stop and eat and eating in car wasn't a possibility, so we got food for Monday night. We grabbed burgers and ate on the road.
It didn't get slick until Louisburg, Kansas, but slow and steady got us home safely. Jack and Jake made quick work of shoveling the driveway while I went and got Suzy from my dear friend, Mary.
After cleaning out the rental car in 25 degree weather, Jack and I headed to Sprint to get his truck and on to return the car. I was so glad we decided to return it that evening, rather than fight the traffic in the morning! It made for a late night but all was well!
What a fun trip!
xo
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