#they keep parroting 'direct lines of communication' as if they really do care about individual employees

[sylvrndoodles]

( ง •̀ᴗ•́)ง!

[giraffles]

Hellbent

iiiit’s day two! I’ve actually been working this for a while, but finished it up for this week. \o/ today’s prompt is “favorite battle” so how about a BATTLE OF CONFLICTING EMOTIONS. it starts silly but gets feels-y, sorry. 

prompt that inspired this is here and from the lovely @writing-challenges-and-prompts​

this is set in the modern AU/Lights Will Guide You series!

Hellbent - (Young!Harlock/Warrius Zero)

"We're just friends." Harlock deadpans.

"Friends don't kiss." Kei counters, and she's not entirely wrong.

you can also read it here on AO3! 

"We're just friends." Harlock deadpans. "Friends don't kiss." Kei counters, and she's not entirely wrong. "Some friends do. Like the kinds with benefits." Kei is not amused. It shows in the way her dark eyes glare at him, and the unusual force she puts into organizing the papers on her desk. If he didn't know her better, he might have thought her jealous; but Harlock is very, very aware of her preferences for partners, and they don't include sulky ex-Navy men. "I don't trust him," She says at length, "I don't trust any of them as far as I can throw 'em." In some ways that's a roundabout compliment. Kei Yūki may look sweet and possess a slight figure, but he's seen her take down fighters twice her size. And while outnumbered. So really, she could throw them all pretty far, Zero included. And she's not a force to be taken lightly, like a storm at sea, waiting to sink ships and sink hearts. The two of them aren't related by blood, but sometimes he wonders if she isn't another long lost sibling. Kei is overly cautious from being burned one too many times. He can't say he blames her. The world is already cold and cruel, and it's done a number on all of them. She doesn't often share what happened to her in the period between running away from home and meeting up with the Arcadia crew, and he's not one to press her for details. But he knows enough to realize it wasn't pretty and it wasn't kind. So Kei has good reason to be suspicious of anyone who hasn't gained her respect, and it's a hard thing to earn her trust. The only reason she's here in the first place is because Harlock asked her to be. "Tori likes him," Harlock mentions, "I'd say that's a good litmus test." She shoots him an incredulous look. "That's a terrible example. That bird doesn't even like you." "He likes me enough," Though really, that was only because he fed the dumb parrot, "That totally counts." "What on earth are the two of you arguing about?" Marina materializes out of nowhere, a startling and all too common habit of hers. She comes armed with what look like case files, petty grievances they'll need to take care of if they want to keep their jobs. Before he can come up with an excuse for her, Kei is already counting mutiny. "Someone has been kissing the commander in the fire escape." When she put it that way, it made it sound like they were a couple of teenagers skulking around for kicks. Which, maybe wasn't that untrue, but that didn't mean she had to tell Marina of all people. The one person there who had known Zero the longest, who wasn't often found far from his side, and who always managed to look stunning regardless of the situation. Delivering mission briefings or breaking noses, she never faltered or lost her composure.  "Oh, is that all?" Marina's voice rang true and calm, yet there was an edge of ice to it, "Anyway, look into these security breaches. We need to know how deep they've gone." Then Marina sweeps away, leaving without another word like a receding tide, barely sparing them a glance. Kei throws her hands up. He shrugs. "You trust me, don't you?" He counters, knowing it's a little unfair to pull that card, because she's never been anything less than devoted, "I know what I'm doing. Relax." Kei grumbles something along the lines of 'I don't know why any of us bother with you', and his phone pings that a new email has come through. It's a very specific notification, reserved for anything from the government server they're all wired into, and he frowns when he sees it's from the same M. Oki who was just talking with them. She's also only a few yards off, there's no reason she needs to be messaging him when she can communicate in person like a rational human. He flicks the email open. It's a curt correspondence, no introduction or signature, just her name attached to the top and his in the receiving field. <If you hurt him, there will be consequences.> Few people can get away with threatening Harlock so openly. There are fewer people who legitimately terrify him. Marina is very close to the top of both lists. "What is it?" Kei asks. "It's nothing," Only quite possibly the shortest and most direct shovel speech he's ever gotten, "We should be working." "You never want to work." She points out, but lets the subject go. He doesn't dare look in Marina's direction. Really, he's not sure how much of a secret it all should or shouldn't be; Zero can be so prickly on a good day, to the point that it's hard to decipher between the officer's normal personality or if he's being an ass on purpose. He's so flighty for someone with a reputation for being loyal and steadfast, shying away even behind closed doors and hidden from prying eyes. He's not even sure where the two of them even stand at this point, if there should be labels involved or it's better to keep it off-brand for now. (Fraternization laws probably don't apply in this case, even if they did, he'd ignore them anyway, because to hell with that.) And yet kissing him is so good that Harlock couldn't resist catching him by the back door that morning. Which of course was when Kei wandered by, nearly choking herself to death on her coffee when she saw them. He's probably lucky Zero didn't pitch him out the nearest window for that one. It's not like it had been on purpose, and they were all bound to find out eventually. It's impossible not to, when they're working and living in such close proximity to each other. And they're glorified experts in espionage, for crying out loud, he could find out everyone's favorite color and childhood pet in twenty minutes if he put his mind to it. If he was really determined, he could probably find every dark and embarrassing secret of every person in a five mile radius, and the whole city if Kei and Ishikura helped. So how were they supposed to keep a relationship of all things under wraps, under the noses of individuals trained to sniff out deceptions and half-truths? Only an idiot would try. Or, someone so stubborn and deep in denial that they ran the risk of drowning. Fucking Zero. Harlock had taken a calculated risk with him, when he had asked for his handler to be the same agent who had spent years trying to bring him to justice, but he hadn't expected this. Because, maybe, he hadn't planned on an infatuation, or half jokingly flirting with him, which  may have turned into whatever it is that they've been avoiding talking about. It wasn't Harlock's fault that he was stuck living with someone who was so accidentally attractive. (Except, it was his own damn fault, and now he had to deal with the consequences.) It started as just a way to pass the time, an exercise in seeing how he could get under his keeper's skin, and now he's fallen. Hard. This wasn't part of the plan. None of this was part of the plan. Not that the plan had been fool proof, or even fully baked by the time Harlock had put it in motion. Its still a vague sort of idea, floating about with loose strings he's tying together on the fly, but it had worked out so far. Mostly. Present situation not included. But the plan comes first, it always come first, because he'd die before he'd let a vow go unfulfilled. Even if it was hard to come to terms with the fact that they would eventually be jumping ship, slipping back into the sea once they'd gotten what they came for. What Arcadia members are on this team may not know exactly what's going on, but they're smart enough to realize they're all acting the parts the government wants them to until they're ready to bail, a deception and treason of the highest order. He never said he was an honest man. Harlock sinks low in the office chair.   This would have been easier without lingering attachments. And yet had made them anyway, like the idiot he was, repeating the same mistakes over and over again. You would think he would have learned by now, but there was still that stubborn part of him that was a hopeless romantic. At least it would be good while it lasted. Marina couldn't kill him if she couldn't find him. 

On his way to the vending machine, Zero ambushes him. Which would have been great if it was for some midday fooling around, but instead Harlock has a snarling totally-not-a-boyfriend to appease. "Who did you tell?" Zero growls. "I didn't tell anyone!" "Bullshit." This is it. This is how he dies. In a back closet of an undisclosed office somewhere within the greater-Boston area. There are worse ways to go, and Harlock always knew he'd kick off young, but it's a little disappointing that it won't be in a blaze of glory. It really isn't fair. "I swear to god it wasn't me," He pleads, "If anything, it was Kei." She probably doesn't deserve to be thrown under the tracks like that, but at the same time, she had started it. If he's going to die then he's not going down alone. And technically he hadn't breathed a word of anything; that had been other people's doing. Zero looks both indescribably livid and so very tired. "I hate you. I hate you both," Zero bites out, "You're the worst." Before Harlock can come up with a defense, or a snappy reply, Zero is kissing him. It's not where he expected things to go, but he's not going to complain either. Zero is hellbent on taking every piece of his being and spinning it upside down, even if that defies logic, because it's alway been Harlock who's taken people on rides. Although, none of those had worked out very well in the end, so maybe it's just as well. This is better than any of them anyway. His hands curl in the front of that dumb Navy jacket Zero was always wearing so he can pull him closer, to cut his tongue on teeth. It's so easy to fall like this. It won't be easy to leave.

[illustir]

Highlights for The First 90 Days

To transition effectively, first identify the risks you face as you move into your new role using the Transition Risk Assessment.

No matter where you land, the keys to effective delegation remain much the same: you build a team of competent people whom you trust, you establish goals and metrics to monitor their progress, you translate higher-level goals into specific responsibilities for your direct reports, and you reinforce them through process.

They attribute the high failure rate of outside hires to several barriers, notably the following: Leaders from outside the company are not familiar with informal networks of information and communication. Outside hires are not familiar with the corporate culture and therefore have greater difficulty navigating. New people are unknown to the organization and therefore do not have the same credibility as someone who is promoted from within. A long tradition of hiring from within makes it difficult for some organizations to accept outsiders.

Transitioning leaders should use this checklist to help them figure out how things really work in the organizations they’re joining. Influence. How do people get support for critical initiatives? Is it more important to have the support of a patron within the senior team, or affirmation from your peers and direct reports that your idea is a good one? Meetings. Are meetings filled with dialogue on hard issues, or are they simply forums for publicly ratifying agreements that have been reached in private? Execution. When it comes time to get things done, which matters more—a deep understanding of processes or knowing the right people? Conflict. Can people talk openly about difficult issues without fear of retribution? Or do they avoid conflict—or, even worse, push it to lower levels, where it can wreak havoc? Recognition. Does the company promote stars, rewarding those who visibly and vocally drive business initiatives? Or does it encourage team players, rewarding those who lead authoritatively but quietly and collaboratively? Ends versus means. Are there any restrictions on how you achieve results? Does the organization have a well-defined, well-communicated set of values that is reinforced through positive and negative incentives?

Table 1-2 is a simple tool for assessing your preferences for different kinds of business problems. Fill in each cell by assessing your intrinsic interest in solving problems in the domain in question.

Like many new leaders, he failed to focus on learning about his new organization and so made some bad decisions that undercut his credibility.

Ask them essentially the same five questions: What are the biggest challenges the organization is facing (or will face in the near future)? Why is the organization facing (or going to face) these challenges? What are the most promising unexploited opportunities for growth? What would need to happen for the organization to exploit the potential of these opportunities? If you were me, what would you focus attention on?

Specifically, you must establish priorities, define strategic intent, identify where you can secure early wins, build the right leadership team, and create supporting alliances.

The performance of people put in charge of start-ups and turnarounds is easiest to evaluate, because you can focus on measurable outcomes relative to a clear prior baseline. Evaluating success and failure in realignment and sustaining-success situations is much more problematic.

Negotiating success means proactively engaging with your new boss to shape the game so that you have a fighting chance of achieving desired goals. Many new leaders just play the game, reactively taking their situation as given—and failing as a result. The alternative is to shape the game by negotiating with your boss to establish realistic expectations, reach consensus, and secure sufficient resources.

You might simply say that you expect to notice differences in how the two of you approach certain issues or decisions but that you’re committed to achieving the results to which you have both agreed.

By the end of the first few months, you want your boss, your peers, and your subordinates to feel that something new, something good, is happening.

keep in mind that your early wins must do double duty: they must help you build momentum in the short term and lay a foundation for achieving your longer-term business goals.

You cannot hope to achieve results in more than a couple of areas during your transition. Thus, it’s essential to identify the most promising opportunities and then focus relentlessly on translating them into wins.

Addressing problems that your boss cares about will go a long way toward building credibility and cementing your access to resources.

Close personal relationships are rarely compatible with effective supervisory ones.

Effective leaders get people to make realistic commitments and then hold them responsible for achieving results. But if you’re never satisfied, you’ll sap people’s motivation. Know when to celebrate success and when to push for more.

Accessible but not too familiar.

Early in your transition, you want to project decisiveness but defer some decisions until you know enough to make the right calls.

Effective new leaders establish authority by zeroing in on issues but consulting others and encouraging input. They also know when to give people the flexibility to achieve results in their own ways.

It’s never a bad thing to be seen as genuinely committed to understanding your new organization.

Simply blowing up the existing culture and starting over is rarely the right answer. People—and organizations—have limits on the change they can absorb all at once. And organizational cultures invariably have virtues as well as faults; they provide predictability and can be sources of pride. If you send the message that there is nothing good about the existing organization and its culture, you will rob people of a key source of stability in times of change. You also will deprive yourself of a potential wellspring of energy you could tap to improve performance.

Strive, where possible, for clear lines of accountability. Simplify the structure to the greatest degree possible without compromising core goals.

The most important decisions you make in your first 90 days will probably be about people. If you succeed in creating a high-performance team, you can exert tremendous leverage in value creation. If not, you will face severe difficulties, for no leader can hope to achieve much alone.

Who defers to whom when certain topics are being discussed? When an issue is raised, where do people’s eyes track?

You will also begin to recognize the power coalitions: groups of people who explicitly or implicitly cooperate over the long term to pursue certain goals or protect certain privileges.

Over time, the patterns of influence will become clearer, and you’ll be able to identify those vital individuals—the opinion leaders—who exert disproportionate influence because of their informal authority, expertise, or sheer force of personality.

The work you’ve done to map influence networks in your organization can also help you pinpoint potential supporters, opponents, and persuadables.

Keep in mind, too, that success in winning over adversaries can have a powerful, symbolic impact. “The enemy who is converted to the ally” is a powerful story that will resonate with others in the organization. (Another example is the story of redemption—for example, helping a person who has been marginalized or labeled as ineffective prove himself.)

People are motivated by various things, such as a need for recognition, for control, for power, for affiliation through relationships with colleagues, and for personal growth.

The power of active listening as a persuasive technique is vastly underrated. It can not only promote acceptance of difficult decisions but also channel people’s thinking and frame choices.

The art of effective communication is to repeat and elaborate core themes without sounding like a parrot.

People asked to engage in behavior inconsistent with their values or beliefs experience internal psychological dissonance.

Decision-making processes are like rivers: big decisions draw on preliminary tributary processes that define the problem, identify alternatives, and establish criteria for evaluating costs and benefits. By the time the problem and the options have been defined, the actual choice may be a foregone conclusion.

You do this by setting up action-forcing events—events that induce people to make commitments or take actions. Meetings, review sessions, teleconferences, and deadlines can all help create and sustain momentum: regular meetings to review progress, and tough questioning of those who fail to reach agreed-to goals, increase the psychological pressure to follow through.

via English – alper.nl https://ift.tt/2rhrO7f

[deladane]

Day 10: Saturday, March 10 ~ Barbados

Day 10: Saturday, March 10 ~ Barbados

(Eddy’s pronunciation: BAR – bah – dose)

This was my third visit to Barbados and my third trip to the Boatyard Beach club at Carlisle Bay.  It is such a pretty beach with powder-soft white sand, turquoise blue water, and it is close to the cruise port, making it an easy and enjoyable plan for the day. They have a package where $20 USD buys you a lounge chair, a shared umbrella, a cup of rum punch or a beer, use of their bathrooms, use of their water toys on the beach, and free wifi. They also have a bar and restaurant with decent prices if you want to buy lunch.  One thing that has changed since our last visit here 3 years ago is that they now also include a short boat ride out to the bay to go snorkeling, whereas we used to have to pay for that separately with a vendor on the beach. We had a not-so-great experience with that last time we were here (see my Carnival Valor review for more details!), so we were happy to have it included with admission this time.  The $20 also includes a taxi ride back to the port at the end of the day, but you need to find your own way there in the morning. They open at 9am, so my goal was to leave the ship by 8:30am to get a taxi and arrive there just as they opened so we would get lounge chairs in a prime location.

Today’s daily schedules:

As usual, we started our day with room service breakfast on the balcony.  

At 8:30am, we gathered up our bags and took the elevator down to Deck 2 to exit the ship.  I have always been on the only cruise ship in port when I visit Barbados and I have always been docked very close to the cruise terminal. Unfortunately, today there was a P&O ship docked in that spot so we were docked further away from the terminal. There is a shuttle to bring you from the gangway to the terminal, but it was not there when we left the ship so we just started walking.  It took us 15 minutes and over 2,000 steps on my Fitbit to get from the gangway to the taxi stand on the outside of the cruise terminal!  We were walking very quickly because we were eager to get to the beach, so the walk probably would have taken a lot longer at normal walking speeds.  

We asked one of the taxi dispatchers for a taxi going to the Boatyard and he directed us to a van that was nearly full. Half of the passengers were getting off downtown for $2 per person, and we were charged $5 per person to get to the Boatyard.  I guess they don’t have inflation in Barbados because that is the same price I paid in 2012 and 2015 haha

We arrived at 9:05am and there were already a lot of people at the beach.  Our goal was to arrive early enough to get lounge chairs in the front row along the water, and while we did accomplish that, there were only a few chairs left in the front row, so it’s a good thing we didn’t arrive any later! At the entrance, they explained everything included in the package, collected our $20 per person, and gave us each a wrist band with a pull tab flap to redeem for our free included drink.  We went down to the beach and got settled in our loungers, and then realized that they never told us about the snorkeling tour.  DH went back inside and put or name down on the list for the 10:30am tour.  We didn’t know if this was the first tour of the day, but there were already a few names on the list.  I usually prefer to snorkel as early in the day as possible before the other tour boats arrive and it gets too crowded, but the schedule is less flexible now that the tour is included with admission.  

We spent some time relaxing on our lounge chairs, and then at 10:10am, they made an announcement over the PA system to call several parties by name to go on the tour.  This was sooner than we expected so we rushed to get our belongings ready.  We took our money, ID, and seapass cards with us in a plastic bag in the pocket of DH’s bathing suit, but we left the rest of our stuff behind on our chairs, including our towels.  I am actually pretty sure that they did not allow anyone to bring their bags, towels, or shoes on the boat.  It was okay to bring hats, sunglasses, and of course, snorkeling equipment.  The reason they called us so early was that everyone was given an inflatable life vest which they put on each of us individually, and they also gave out snorkel equipment if you didn’t bring your own.  There were about 25 to 30 people on the tour with us, so that took a few minutes. Once we were all ready, they walked us up the pier and onto the boat.  The boat was pretty big, with plenty of seating and shade, and there were cubbies below the seats to stash your hats and sunglasses while swimming.

We went out a short distance into the bay and then dropped anchor next to the ship wreck.  There were already 2 or 3 boats snorkeling at this spot, so the water was crowded with lots of swimmers.  The heavy winds continued to follow us through the Caribbean, and the water looked very choppy with a strong current.  The guides instructed us to stay directly over the ship wreck and not to swim further away, and everyone was required to keep their life vests on at all times.

As soon as I jumped in the water, I immediately felt the current.  It was really hard to stay over the ship wreck because as soon as I stopped actively swimming and tried to float, I was carried away.  Plus, with so many people in the water, we kept bumping into each other and getting kicked.  It was definitely not the greatest of experiences, but on the bright side, the snorkeling was wonderful!  This was my third time snorkeling over the ship wreck here, and I think this was the most fish I have seen.  There were tons of the sergeant major damselfish that I am used to seeing all over the Caribbean, but there were also lots of other fish.  The current made it hard to take good photos, but this is the best of what I could get…

I spy two parrot fish!

I stayed out in the water for 15 minutes, and then went back on the boat to save some energy to swim with the turtles. The guides never told us how long we would stay at this location (and shame on me for forgetting to ask!).  It turned out that I could have stayed in the water an extra 15 minutes so I only did half the snorkeling time.  That’s okay, we are still going to the other snorkel spot with the turtles, right?  Wrong!  Once everyone was on board, the guide said we were heading back to the Boatyard.  I asked him if we were going to snorkel with the turtles and he said there have not been any turtles in Carlisle Bay for over a week so we were just doing the one snorkel stop today.  I understand that the guides probably assume we are all first timers to this our and didn’t know anything was missing, but there was a sign posted at the entrance to the Boatyard which mentioned snorkeling with turtles and when DH signed us up for the our, they told him it is not guaranteed we will see a turtle.  That implies that we will TRY to see it, but the guides indicated we were not going to try because it had been so windy all week that there were no turtles in the bay.  If that is the case, it would have been nice for someone to tell us that upfront so we would know what to expect.  I wasn’t even that upset about missing the turtles… after all, this isn’t a zoo and the turtles are free to come and go from the bay as they please!  I was really just bothered by the poor communication. I like to be kept informed so I can make my decisions accordingly, and I would have stayed in the water to explore the ship wreck longer had I known this was our only stop.

Anyway, we got back to the pier at 10:55am and the next group was already lined up to take their tour.  I guess they try to make it an efficient process to get guests out to snorkel quickly.  From the pier, I could see the cruise ships docked in the distance.

There is also a great view of the Boatyard and the neighboring restaurants and beach clubs.  The yellow umbrellas are all part of the Boatyard.

Every lounge chair is occupied by 11:15am so you have to arrive early if you want a seat!

I also wanted to point out those 3 brightly colored Adirondack chairs in front of all the loungers.  Those are a new addition since I was last here 3 years ago and they seem to be a big annoyance.  When we first arrived this morning, nearly every seat in the front row was occupied, except the seats directly behind those chairs!  They have these chairs on the other side of the pier too, and those were also the only vacant seats in the front row on that side.  We were lucky to get a spot 3 umbrellas over (you can see our spot if you look closely- it’s the 2 vacant chairs to the left of the Adirondack chairs, with grey towels and my bright teal beach bag on the seat). Notice how there is more space between the sets of lounge chairs that are behind the Adirondack chairs?  That’s because the people on either side moved closer to their neighbors so the Adirondacks don’t block their view!  I guess these chairs look cute and beachy, but they sure do cause an annoyance to people wanting front row seats with unobstructed views of the beach and water!

My hair was a mess after coming back from snorkeling, so I went to dunk my head under water really quickly.  I was holding my camera at eye level to take this photo- notice how close I was to the water line?  There is a steep drop off not to far into the water so just be careful not to lose your footing!  No need for water shoes here- there is nothing but soft sand on the floor of the bay.

As evidenced in the photos above, our bags were waiting for us back at our lounge chairs when we got back from snorkeling. Unfortunately, the other thing waiting for us was the wind!!  It was very windy the whole day and the waves were quite loud crashing in on the shore. Usually the water is very calm here, but not today!  Much like we saw in St. Maarten, people kept getting knocked around by the waves.  At least it was entertaining to watch them from our front row seats haha

At around 12:30pm, we started to get hungry.  We always bring a few Clif Bars into ports with us because they are filled with protein to fill us up, and they meet the requirements of being pre-packaged food that is safe to enter a foreign country.  Today, we decided to try something new and we ordered food from the restaurant.  We have never tried flying fish and I have read that people really like it so we ordered the Flying Fish Fingers and Fries appetizer to share.

DH placed the order at the bar and they told him to pick it up from the counter when his name was called.  They said it would take 30 to 45 minutes for our order to be ready, so we used this opportunity to redeem our free drink coupons. I ordered the Shark Bite (left) and DH ordered the Pirate’s Punch (right), and both were strong and tasty. We brought them over to one of the tables at the restaurant and waited for our food order to be called.

Sure enough, it really did take 45 minutes for our food to be ready!  I guess they needed time to go out into the bay to catch the fish fresh for us??  The portion was a bit on the small side, but it was very good and I’m glad I tried it.

We returned to our lounge chairs to enjoy the rest of the afternoon at the beach.  This isn’t exactly a calm and relaxing beach because they play loud, upbeat pop and hip hop music in the background, but I enjoy the fun vibe here.  At some point, DH went up to the pier to use the rope swing, but I didn’t join him because I was too comfortable sitting in my lounge chair.  I was so lazy that I didn’t even take any more photos here for the rest of the day! To be fair, this was my third visit here and not much has changed in the last 6 years, so I guess I just didn’t feel that inspired.

At around 2:30pm, we decided it was time to head back to the ship.  When we got to the front parking lot, they immediately directed us to one of the waiting taxis with another couple.  I think the first shuttle back leaves around 11:30 or noon, and then the shuttles run every 15 minutes or so for the rest of the day, so there is never much of a wait.  The ride only takes about 10 minutes, and they dropped us off at the front of the cruise terminal.  We walked passed all the shops and exited at the other end to find a nearly-full shuttle bus that was about to leave.  Perfect timing!  It was standing room only, but we didn’t mind standing for the 2 minute ride back to the ship, considering that saved us 20 minutes of walking!  

Once we were back on the ship, we went upstairs to the Solarium to spend 20 minutes soaking in the hot tub.  There were a few people in there already when we arrived, and they were still in there when we got out. I always thought you aren’t supposed to sit in a hot tub for too long, and the water actually was quite hot, so it seemed weird to me that these people were spending so much time sitting there, but I guess it’s not for me to judge!

Neither of us was feeling 100 percent tonight. I’m not sure if it was a little sea sickness from the boat rocking so much, or maybe it was dehydration, but we both just felt off.  Instead of our usual routine of bar hopping before dinner, we decided to take it easy and relax in the cabin.  For the first time ever, we spent a few hours watching TV!  I watch tons of TV when I’m at home, but I have never spent any time watching TV on a cruise ship before!  We found a marathon of Property Brothers running on HGTV, so that was the perfect way to pass the time until we had enough energy to go downstairs for dinner. I was kind of bummed that I didn’t feel well tonight because this was another new menu for us and I was really looking forward to trying some of the new dishes!  The first appetizer on the list was Hawaiian Tuna Poke.  In the last year or two, poke bowl restaurants have popped up all over San Jose and it is one of our favorite dinners, so I was really looking forward to trying Celebrity’s version.

Tonight’s menu:

Poached Anjou Pear and Gorganzola Cheese

Hawaiian Tuna Poke (this was delicious and had I had more of an appetite, I would have asked for a second round of it!)

Pappardelle Con Funghi

I am still disappointed that I didn’t have more of an appetite that night because I would have loved to try the pate and the lamb kebab, but I guess that’s a good excuse to take another cruise!  In the end, I only had room for my 2 appetizers and about half of my entrée, so I definitely didn’t have room for dessert. We finished eating rather quickly since we didn’t order as many courses as we usually do, so we just wondered around the ship to walk off the meal.  They have this funky wall sculpture back near the entrance to the Ensemble Lounge, and we thought it made a nice background for a photo.

I really like this piece that is located next to Qsine.  It reminds me of origami…

The Wine Cellar was almost always empty.  I liked the décor in here but we never spent much time here because it was always deserted and boring.  It does make for a pretty place to take photos though!

Tonight’s show was a solo performer named Liam Ryder. We thought he was a very talented pianist, and a pretty good singer.  He played a few classical music pieces, and a few rock and roll songs.  

My favorite part was when he played the full version of The Flight of the Bumble Bee and played a cartoon that was perfectly synced to it.  I was able to find the cartoon on Youtube so you can see what I am talking about. Imagine seeing this live with the cartoon playing on a big screen at the back of the stage, and a pianist playing the music perfectly synced to the cartoon.  I can’t really give him credit for the cartoon itself, but seeing him keep up with the music was absolutely incredible to watch in person.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZG8bN8tAws

After the show, we were feeling much better so we went over to Café Al Bacio for dessert.  The cakes in that display case always look so yummy, and since we skipped dessert after dinner, we thought this was a good opportunity to finally try it out.  DH had the coconut cake, and I had a slice of strawberry chiffon cake.  Honestly, both were just okay and they looked a lot better than they tasted.  Maybe it just wasn’t sweet enough for me?

Tonight was one of the theme parties up in the Sky Lounge, so we headed up there to check it out.  The Eclipse Orchestra performed songs from the Big Band era while the performance dancers danced to it.  

The Sky Lounge has a terrible set up for a show like this where everyone wants to see the dance floor.  The chairs and banquets are positioned poorly and block your view, and there are thick support beams surrounding the dance floor area.  There are very few seats offering a good view, so people end up standing around the perimeter of the dance floor, just behind the first row of chairs, and that blocks everyone else’s view.  We had to keep asking people to move so we could see the show from where we were sitting, and it made for a frustrating experience. We stayed for about 20 minutes, then gave up and grabbed a quick snack at the buffet before going to sleep just before midnight.

Step Tracker Daily Total:  7,632 steps; 3.060 miles