Shi(r)t Happens

1/24/26

There are many times I think people want to engage in conversation, but they just don’t know how to get it started.  Maybe they're in a line waiting for service, or maybe they’re seated next to someone in the theater, where the weight of an awkward silence is a real sensation.  If you make eye contact but don’t say anything, it creates an even more awkward moment.  Statements like “The weather sure is hot” or “How ‘bout them Yankees” were born for moments like this.  It’s particularly evident on the ship’s elevators where I see this awkwardness most accentuated, as they are mirrored, meaning it’s nearly impossible to completely divert your eyes unless you stare at the floor.  We all do it.

But sometimes, the simplest of things can break the ice with a complete stranger.  I have found wearing shirts with clever and humorous sayings on them can give strangers that unspoken permission to start a conversation.  “I love that shirt, where’d you get it?” with a smile that conveys genuine interest coupled with a bit of relief.  Many of my shirts convey that I’m a proud father or grandfather, which is the best ice breaker of all; because in our stage of life, we all want to talk about our wonderful children and grandchildren. 

My three most popular T-shirts on the cruise are:

1)       You can’t tell me what to do.  You’re not my Granddaughter

2)       I don’t know how to act my age.  I’ve never been this old before

3)       I’m not retired, I’m a professional Baba

I have dozens more I didnt bring. Talk about a Sophie's choice 😉. It’s really an honor when someone approaches and says, “You’re that guy with the great T-shirts”.  How fun and engaging it is.  Such interactions always leads to questions about where we all live and what we all did pre-retirement and of course, how many grandchildren we have.  And just like that, you’ve made a friend….a least for the duration of the cruise. Shi(r)t happens.

Please note that the shirts in the top middle and top right are designed to be worn as a couple. See pic below. These were a BIG hit in the embarkation line when everyone was filled with nervous energy and they wanted...no, needed a distraction.

Today was another good day, albeit still chilly.  My first fitness class (Pilates) didn’t start till 8am, so I had time to write yesterday’s blog after waking up.  Class ended about 8:45 and I headed up to Pickleball for the first time since LA. We lost some great players and gained some new ones.  We have more players than in the first segment and the caliber of player isn’t quite as high, but it’s still fun.  I played just 2 games and then headed to breakfast, where I again had a grits bowl. It was more of a brunch.

I returned to the room to get my tablet and headphones so I could get in my steps on the treadmill, but had failed to charge the tablet sufficiently, so suffice it to say, I didn’t get my steps in today.  I just can’t do it without music or a book or a video.  Sherri returned to the room shortly thereafter and we decided to head to lunch.  I wasn’t hungry so I just sat with her.  In no time, it was 1pm and time for cards with Scott & Anita.  The ladies came from behind and wooped us.  Oh well.  It’s a long cruise and we’ve got time to catch up.  I guess It wasn’t my day for cards as I had a tough night at the casino tables too.  I’m down quite a bit for the cruise now.  It’s ok.  Again there’s time to catch up.

At 3pm, we had our wine tasting event for this segment as part of being the Elite Loyalty Level.  It was fun and educational.   But I’m not running out to buy these particular bottles of wine.  We may start dabbling in Pinot Noirs as Sherri seems to be gravitating in that direction. 

After a brief walk around the ship, it was time for dinner, which took an unusually long time…almost 2 hours.  Not complaining but we did miss the early show as a result.  Sherri wanted to watch the Australian Open anyway.  I went to the aforementioned casino and played for about 90 minutes.  It’s entertaining, even if I did lose.  Scott and I tried the Texas Hold’em game for the first time and suffice it to say, not my type of game.

Tomorrow’s the first Sunday of the new segment.  We’ll have a weekly church service from now on; usually a retired minister is on board and willing to lead it.  And then we have dinner reservations with S&A for the Crown Grill.  Lastly we made reservations today to climb Diamond Head in the state park of our first port in Hawaii.  So we have some great plans on the docket.  Until tomorrow.