Second Things Second

First things first, as they say when they (whoever they is), thinks that second simply won’t do. Tipper and Al. Tipper and Al. Tipper and Al. My oh my oh my oh. (Is that too many oh’s?). Here are the questions that should be answered. After all, we were practically family – or at least we did go to the family Christmas party so doesn’t that mean that we are owed some explanation? Maybe not, so it means we will have to speculate—at which, let’s face it, we are quite accomplished.
Question number one: Why would you bother to get divorced after 40 years unless there was someone else in your life by whom you were pregnant.

Question number two: Is getting rich and living in places where only celebrities live mean you a.) start to believe you are one. b.) think you have to live like one (despite your commitment to a simple environmentally healthy life style). c.) all the weight you gain goes to your brain as well as your tuchas.

Question number three: Is it possible to stay friends with someone of whom you can’t stand the sight? (Otherwise why not just carry on instead of dividing the property?)

Question number four: If you stay friends, do you celebrate all the holidays together en famille, thereby preventing relationships with other people because that would seriously piss off the other friend who may not have found a new playmate.

It is unclear why this seemingly perfect relationship fell apart. Some would call it an unfortunate disaster. Whoever those people are would be wrong. Forty successful years together (let’s say it was only 38 because they had to take a couple of years to make this monumental decision) cannot be called a disaster. So what does all this mean?

Maybe it means that they were and are just sick of one another. It could be that simple. Or maybe they, like the rest of us, could not stand one more video of “the kiss”. You remember the one that went on and on and on and made everyone in the USA over 30 feel uncomfortable, and everyone under 30 totally grossed out.

All of this is to say I am saddened by their separation. It was nice to have one public couple genuinely committed to one another – not just to power or fame. As my mother would say, “nothing is forever -- what was, was, and everyone should stay out of their business.”
the last dawn on the ship...
With that in mind, David and I did spend almost a month together – in a confined space—and we didn’t kill one another. What is still amazing is just how much Burnett enjoyed the month at sea. So much that almost everything we see or do he somehow relates to the trip. Take for example one of his latest e-mails, and thank you Harpers for the list idea.

128 The number of times we have explained the seating arrangements at Allan and Diane’s wedding

62 The number of references to La Veranda and Compass Rose in the last 7 days (restaurants on the ship)

34 The number of people we have tried to explain the concept of "enrichment lecturer"

73 The number of times we've said "well, maybe once or twice a year, but not more"

985 The number of e-mails we have had with people we met on the ship.

539 The number of people/friends we had in common with at least one other shipmate.
(Case in Point:

August 1968: Diane and Allen's Wedding... Table 16: at left, sitting: Iris (and Allan); at right, standing, Jim (now of northern California) and new pal... they hadn't seen each other in 41 years! )
And there are more numbers involving continuing coincidences -- maybe its that romantic desire for oenophilic perfection.. (and i have no idea what that means!)/.

We miss so much about that wonderful month. It’s been a week since we left the ship and what we have found is that the time sure flies when … well it just flies.