Hold the starch

The Paper Mache Santa Project is underway.

I know they're unrecognizable at this stage, but soon they will come to life--filled with Christmas spirit and hopefully no mold.  I used a dollar-store vase for the one on the left, and a Costco olive oil bottle for the other.  No need to spend money when the recycle bin is handy.  That's one of the great things about paper mache.  If you forget to take the empty bottles and the old newspapers out to the curb, you've got craft supplies at a great price.

So you know how Mr. Gadget and I love to cruise.  I've probably mentioned it before...  Since we usually go with the same cruise line, we accumulate frequent cruiser points that enable us to have certain perks.  And it just so happens that after our next cruise (on Halloween to the Caribbean) we will have reached the top of the ladder, so to speak.  Visualize a short ladder with 4 rungs.  We're presently on number 3.

One day I got to thinking. I seemed to remember taking a couple of cruises long ago, before Mr. G and I were married, on this same cruise line. So feeling rather silly, and a little bit greedy, I called their 800 number.  Would they consider, I asked, adding those cruises to my permanent record, even though it was back in prehistoric times?  After some consideration, they said they would.

So with a great deal of glee, I informed Mr. G that on our upcoming cruise I would be up on rung #4 while he would have to dangle on rung #3. This means that he will be in the sorry state of having to observe me as I enjoy free laundry service, priority boarding on the tenders to shore, and a stock of free booze in the mini fridge.

Well.  As you might imagine, he wasn't too happy to hear that.  So after listening to him whine for an hour, or maybe a day, I told him I would take pity on him and share some of my free booze. I'd even be willing to attempt to sneak him on the tenders as my date. But I informed him in no uncertain terms that I intended to draw the line at the laundry service.  It wouldn't be pleasant if stories got around the ship about the weird lady on Dolphin deck who wears boxer shorts.