Thursday, May 19, 2016

766. Graduate

766. Graduate
Definition: (n) a person who has successfully completed a course of study or training
Location Placed: High Point Solutions Stadium, Piscataway, New Jersey
Date Placed: 5/15/16 at 2:41pm





I was lucky enough to be able to attend the Rutgers Commencement this past weekend as a relative was graduating. Rutgers University celebrated its 250th year of being around as an institution of higher education. To celebrate this momentous occasion, the university president spent several years trying to get the President of the United States of America, Barrack Obama, to give the commencement address. After much deliberation, he was confirmed as the speaker just last month. Not many people can say that they have had the POTUS speak at their graduation. Heck, I can't even remember who spoke at my graduation or the majority of graduations I've attended. However, I certainly won't forget this one!

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

765. Diplomatic

765. Diplomatic
Definition: (adj) of or concerning the profession, activity, or skill of managing international relations.
Location Place: 8th Floor Centrum, Grandeur of the Seas, Middle of the Ocean
Date Placed: 4/26/16 at 11:56am





Unfortunately all good things must come to an end. However, not before I leave a crane with one of my favorite parts of the ship: the cross-section that shows where all places on the ship are and which floor. Made it really easy to remember how to get to places, especially since it's so easy to get lost on a big ship. It definitely helps you to orient yourself and figure out if you're heading in the correct direction. Didn't manage to stop most of us from going the wrong direction at some point, but it isn't perfect!

764. Healing

764. Healing
Definition: (n) therapeutic, the process of being healthy again
Location Placed: Challengers Arcade, Grandeur of the Seas, Middle of the Ocean
Date Placed: 4/26/16 at 11:51am





One of the hardest things about a cruise vacation is trying to remember what day of the week it is. Aside from port days, every day is just like the day before it and the day after it. There is no where that you have to be, or nothing that you have to do. Unless you have the internet plan or calling plan, you are in a self-contained little town without contact to the outside world. Of course, TV manages to come in so you get your important news. But all good things must come to an end, and of course on the last full day, you always remember the day and having to go back to your everyday life. However, you still manage to take the healing properties of vacation back home with you.

763. Abundant

763. Abundant
Definition: (adj) plentiful
Location Placed: Palladium Theater, Grandeur of the Seas, Middle of the Ocean
Date Placed: 4/26/16 at 11:47am





The funniest show at the Palladium Theater was the Newlywed Show. They ended up taking 5 couples, one newlywed, one married over 50 years, and then 3 more couples in between than asked each partner a question about the other. The questions were of course very personal and always answered in the funniest way. But it was even funnier when they answered very wrong. It was all in good fun and everyone ended up winning. It's definitely always a hit of the cruise!

762. Valid

762. Valid
Definition: (adj) having sound basis in logic and fact
Location Placed: Photography Center, Grandeur of the Seas, Middle of the Ocean
Date Placed: 4/26/16 at 11:42am





When determining I wanted to place a crane in the photo center, I didn't really think my plan through. That perhaps on the last full day of the cruise, people would be in quite a state to get the professional photos of their dinners, random events, and posed photos at each port. However, that was quite the case. It was like being in a hive where many of the bees had already returned and were making honey. So the GoPro display was the only flat area not consumed by photo buying cruise goers. Next time, I'll make sure to hit up the photo center early on!

761. Sacred

761. Sacred
Definition: (adj) regarded with great respect and reverence
Location Placed: Park Cafe, Grandeur of the Seas, Middle of the Ocean
Date Placed: 4/26/16 at 11:35am





The Park Cafe was the best spot to stop at before turning in for the night. They had a lot of late night foods when all the other eateries had closed. They were always good for picking up a cookie or drink before calling it a night. They also had particularly good fresh cut roast beef sandwiches. I definitely wish I had had a few more of those before the trip had ended!

760. Opportune

760. Opportune
Definition: (adj) well-chosen or particularly favorable
Location Placed: Viking Crown Lounge, Grandeur of the Seas, Middle of the Ocean
Date Placed: 4/26/16 at 11:31am





I decided to do a little exploring of the ship before it was time to get off the cruise. I had been to most of the places, but hadn't made my way up to the Viking Crown. It was a fun lounge at the highest part of the ship. It was nice and quite when I made my way up there. If I had more alone time and wanted to read, I would've snuck away to this quiet indoor area over looking everything. At night, it turned into quite the club as you could see the lights strobing from the pool deck in the evenings!

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

759. Prized

759. Prized
Definition: (v) value extremely highly
Location Placed: South Pacific Lounge, Grandeur of the Seas, Middle of the Ocean
Date Placed: 4/25/16 at 6:56pm





The South Pacific Lounge was where many of the shows and activities in the evenings took place. We played a number of the game shows, watched a couple of the karaokes, and just hung around there. We had our set table, along with some of the other regular folks. It was funny that you ended up seeing the same people in the same places with how many people are on the ship. But it's really just like a small town. You run in the same circles based on activities you enjoyed. You get to learn people through the activities that they participated in. While we didn't make any lasting friendships, we certainly have some "friends" we can bring up when talking about the vacation and they are a part of our vacation memories.

758. Motivate

758. Motivate
Definition: (v) stimulate someone's interest to do something
Location Placed: Vitality Spa, Grandeur of the Seas, Middle of the Ocean
Date Placed: 4/25/16 at 3:24pm





One of the things I liked most about the cruise was being able to see where all of the employees were from just by looking at their name tags. Disney does the same thing, which I think is very neat. Our normal trivia runners were from Canada, Trinidad and Tobago, and Slovenia. Our normal bar tender was from Russia, and our dining staff were from India. It was really interesting to see all of the different countries represented by all of the types of cruise crew.

757. Forgiveness

757. Forgiveness
Definition: (n) the act of pardoning or absolving
Location Placed: Guest Services, Grandeur of the Seas, Middle of the Ocean
Date Placed: 4/25/16 at 3:17pm





The guest services desk was right in the heart of the ship in the Centrum. We visited the guest services desk once to call the cruise line on the mainland to adjust a future booking we had since it couldn't be adjusted on the ship. They were extremely helpful!

Sunday, May 15, 2016

756. Entertain

756. Entertain
Definition: (v) provide with enjoyment or amusement
Location Placed: Cafe Latte-tudes, Grandeur of the Seas, Middle of the Ocean
Date Placed: 4/25/16 at 5:12pm





Cafe Latte-tudes was a pretty neat place in that it served both Starbucks items, as well as ice cream. However, since were were able to get ice cream for free elsewhere, we didn't end up buying any of the Ben and Jerry's ice cream on the ship. It was located right across from the little art "gallery" where the art was rotated out daily. Lots of lovely items that made me want to look for some new stuff for our walls when we hit dry land!

755. Authentic

755. Authentic
Definition: (adj) genuine
Location Placed: Schooner Bar, Grandeur of the Seas, Middle of the Ocean
Date Placed: 4/25/16 at 5:10pm





The Schooner Bar is a favorite spot on the cruise mostly because that's where all the pub trivia happens. If there was a trivia event at that bar, it was a more likely assumption than not that we would be there. Even if we didn't win (and we mostly didn't), it still was a lot of fun. It is happened to be in a pretty central location, so it was really convenient for meeting up!

754. Miraculous

754. Miraculous
Definition: (adj) occurring through divine or supernatural intervention
Location Placed: Shaw Park, Ocho Rios, Jamaica
Date Placed: 4/23/16 at 10:50am





Shaw Park was a wonderful park that overlooked the water as well as had a number of wonderful plant species. Having previously been a hotel, it had a lot of overgrown park like settings where the guide would tell us all of the information regarding the history of these items. The coolest feature, to me, was the natural water pool that was fed from a stream. It was fed through a series of locks that could be unlocked in the event of a storm so that muddy waters didn't fill up the pool. Afterward, we were able to climb Dunn's River Falls, which was a really neat experience. Although I didn't as much appreciate the guides trying to sell us things, they definitely had some useful information regarding the falls and how they use a wire brush to scrub the rocks for the path so they don't get slippery. And if you do wind up on one of those rocks, you're definitely going down!

753. Compliment

753. Compliment
Definition: (n) polite expression of praise or admiration
Location Placed: Cayman Islands National Museum, George Town, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
Date Placed: 4/22/16 at 2:00pm





As the only national museum of the Cayman Islands, this museum was quite a wealth of knowledge! I didn't really know all that much about the Cayman Islands, but I definitely learned a lot more about the 3 major islands that make up the Cayman Islands, as well as the population division between nationals and foreigners, as well as the issues regarding hurricanes that have ripped through the islands. If you happen to be walking around the shopping areas of George Town, I definitely suggest you pop in for the lovely video history tour as well as a walk around the different exhibits and old gaol (jail).

752. Luscious

752. Luscious
Definition: (adj) having a pleasingly sweet, rich taste
Location Placed: The Mayan Cacao Company, Cozumel, Mexico
Date Placed: 4/21/16 at 11:54am





It was pretty interesting to learn about how cocoa beans were used as currency, as well as how they made hot chocolate back in their time as sugar was not a crop they were able to grow at the time. The hot chocolate was bitter, but not all that bad! I probably wouldn't drink it that way all the time, but I can see how that was a wonderful treat for them. Additionally we were able to try a number of different types of chocolate bars that were produced locally. It was an interesting stop on our tour!

Saturday, May 14, 2016

751. Heavenly

751. Heavenly
Definition: (adj) divine, cosmic
Location Placed: San Gervasio, Cozumel, Mexico
Date Placed: 4/21/16 at 10:16am





San Gervasio is one of the historic Mayan ruins that have been preserved for you to visit in Mexico. Although not as popular as Chichen Itza, it is still a really neat site to explore. Our tour guide talked all about the Mayan calendar, traditions, and significant contributions that the Mayans provide to society. Aside from some sprinkles of rain, this whole excursion to the ruins was a lot of fun. I definitely recommend booking a tour that sees this if you find yourself looking for something to do while in Cozumel.

750. Obliging

750. Obliging
Definition: (adj) willing to do service or kindness
Location Placed: Book Nook, Grandeur of the Seas, Middle of the Ocean
Date Placed: 4/20/16 at 3:28pm





I was very happy, while sitting within eyesight of the book nook, to see that people were enjoying the "take a book, leave a book" policy that the book nook on the ship seemed to have. If I hadn't already been handing my book off to another traveling companion, I definitely would've left it for others to enjoy. The previous ship I had been on had an actual library, although I'm unsure if it was a function of the ship being bigger, or of people reading less of physical books. Either way, I was happy to see the book nook getting some love whenever I passed by it.

749. Mangeable

749. Manageable
Definition: (adj) able to be controlled
Location Placed: Medical Bay Floor 1, Grandeur of the Seas, Middle of the Ocean
Date Placed: 4/20/16 at 3:25pm





One of the things that I find interesting about cruises is where the crew are held. On the first floor, the only thing available to cruisers is the medical area, or on a day where we are at a port, the docking area on that floor. However, there are secret doors that hold the crew quarters as you see a row of very small windows on the first floor. I'd be interested to see what the crew cabins look like. Who gets a windowed room? Who is stuck in an inner room? That said, I did find it interesting as I hadn't realized before that the crew must get off the ship only to get right back on again! Obviously those who are done with their contract are able to get completely off, but those who stay around retrieve their passports from one of the staff, go through customs, and then get right back on to the ship.

Thursday, May 12, 2016

748. Considerate

748. Considerate
Definition: (adj) careful not to cause inconvenience or hurt others
Location Placed: Casino, Grandeur of the Seas, Middle of the Ocean
Date Placed: 4/20/16 at 3:21pm





I'm not really a gambler, but one of the fun things to do on the rocking ship is check out those quarter pushing machines to see if any had slid over the edge. It basically was a rule that if you saw one, you had to put it back in and see if more came out. Apparently on the really rocky days, sometimes people get lucky. But mostly it was just a fun little game to see if any of us could turn a free quarter or two into more. (Spoiler alert: We couldn't.)

747. Protection

747. Protection
Definition: (n) the act of defending, securing, or preserving something
Location Placed: Stairway between levels 5 and 6, Grandeur of the Seas, Middle of the Ocean
Date Placed: 4/20/16 at 3:19pm





I got a bit overzealous around Christmas with making my Christmas cranes and then not quite placing all of them around the holidays. However, one cannot waste a folded crane of peace! So the Christmas paper lasted well beyond the holiday season, hopefully to bring a little holiday cheer to someone in April when in the middle of the ocean on our way to our first stop!

746. Absolutely

746. Absolutely
Definition: (adv) with no restriction or limitation
Location Placed: Centrum Level 6, Grandeur of the Seas, Middle of the Ocean
Date Placed: 4/20/16 at 3:17pm





The Grandeur of the Seas is a lovely ship. There were a number of lovely places to sit and read, people watch, or just enjoy a bite/drink. The Centrum is one of those places. It is an open area of 5 stories with a bar on the bottom level and lots of musical acts and an aerial act that took place there. It's the first thing you see when you get on the ship at the beginning of the cruise, and the last place you queue up to leave at the end. A lovely place to book end a trip.

745. Forever

745. Forever
Definition: (adv) for all future time
Location Placed: Holiday Inn Express Baltimore at the Stadiums, Baltimore, Maryland
Date Placed: 4/17/16 at 10:51am



I ended up being a bit rushed in the morning due to having to take care of a work issue, so I managed to forget to take a full picture. But when you are on the brink of going on a week and a half vacation on a boat, you end up getting a little excited. The ride to the boat was an easy one as the hotel wasn't very far. Getting onto the boat was a breeze. We quickly dropped off our things and went exploring our home away from home for our time there waiting to meet up with the rest of our group.

744. Chivalrous

744. Chivalrous
Definition: (adj) courteous and gallant
Location Placed: Baltimore-Washington Airport, Baltimore, Maryland
Date Placed: 4/16/16 at 11:53pm





A little late arrival into Baltimore, was pretty uneventful. My first trip to Baltimore was mighty quick with it being less than 10 hours where most of them were sleeping. I hope I can pop down there one day to check out the Aquarium. Is there any Baltimore activity that you really enjoy or hope to do when you visit?

743. Voluptuous

743. Voluptuous 
Definition: (adj) categorized by luxury or sensual pleasure
Location Placed: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Terminal A, Atlanta, Georgia
Date Placed: 4/16/16 at 9:38pm





It's always nice to be able to clock out after a long week of work. And even nicer to be able to do so when the next step is a flight to head off on vacation! The Atlanta Airport is a very nice airport where, on the way out, I stopped into get a sandwich and listen to a fellow in the piano bar play some familiar tunes. I hadn't been to this airport before and it is quite massive! There are several terminals that are big enough to get lost in! Thankfully I didn't get lost and was in the same one coming as I was departing. It certainly was a whirlwind trip to Georgia, but I look forward to when I get to come back and visit for fun!

742. Exquisite

742. Exquisite
Definition: (adj) extremely beautiful and delicate
Location Placed: Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, Georgia
Date Placed: 4/16/16 at 7:29pm





The Georgia World Congress Center was my home away from home (or rather home away from hotel) for the week while at a conference. It was a solid conference venue with a lot of stuff nearby. Having not been to Atlanta before, I definitely appreciated the central location in that it allowed me to quickly pop out for a bite to eat or a quick site to see. Hopefully I won't see it on my next trip down as I would like it to be a fun visit rather than tacked on again to another work trip!

741. Flexible

741. Flexible
Definition: (adj) capable of bending without breaking
Location Placed: Omni Hotel, Atlanta, Georgia
Date Placed: 4/14/16 at 8:12pm





The Omni Hotel was a lovely looking hotel. I didn't stay there, but a lot of my colleagues did. I popped in there for a before dinner drink and the lobby and bar were all pretty impressive. I hope I get a chance to pop down to Atlanta again as I will definitely make sure I stay at the Omni.