Tuesday, July 1st – Evening at sea

Our first night on board the Ruby Princess, after unpacking and settling in we went off to dinner. As is normal, while we eat, our steward enters the cabin, turns back the bed and leaves a chocolate candy on the pillow. It is a nice custom, and one more example of customer service that makes me smile.

That evening we returned to find “Gus” wedged between the pillows as if playing hide-and-seek. I got a chuckle, and thought to myself, I wonder if he thinks we are nuts, two adults traveling with a stuffed toy.

In case you have not met Gus yet, he is a small stuffed animal (I think a fox) that Tim liberated for me on one of our first dates at the Santa Monica Pier. He was buried inside one of those glassed-in arcade games where you put in some money and then must manipulate a claw around and above the item of interest, carefully lower the arm down, grasp said item and without it dropping, maneuver it to the opening where it will (hopefully) come tumbling out of the machine.

One can easily spend enough to send your first born to college before successfully retrieving a stuffed animal that one could buy at the 99 Cent store.

Anyway, Gus was fortunate to escape his cage on Tim’s first attempt and he has been our faithful travel companion ever since, traveling to many countries around the world. He pops up in our pictures on occasion.

Back to my story…

The next day, when our steward, Darieus (“D”, as he asked us to call him), made up the cabin, we returned to find Gus trying to read the menu through a magnifying glass and drooling over our chocolates. This time I laughed out loud and took a picture.

Gus reading? Or perhaps wishing the chocolates were bigger???

Day Three: Gus was found on the end of the bed looking toward the TV with the remote control and a bag of popcorn watching the movie.

Watching a movie on TV

Tim decided to get into the game and when we next left the room, he set up Gus playing poker complete with cards, chips, and drinks. It appeared that the visitor who was playing against Gus had a better hand, but Gus had a pocket Royal Flush.

Poker game – don’t bet against Gus – he has a Royal Flush

Day Four: When we walked into the cabin, Gus was nowhere in sight. I was disappointed as by now I had gotten used to Darius leaving us a surprise greeting. I looked around the room, just in the event I had missed something, even moving back the pillows in case he was hidden from view.

Nothing

Tim wondered aloud if we should check the bathroom. Sure enough, Gus was in the shower, wrapped in a towel and his head covered with a shower cap.

Shower cap and all…

I can’t wait to see what he comes up with next!

Gratitude Moment: Today I am grateful for whimsey and seeing the twinkle in “D’s” eye when I tell him how much I am enjoying his sense of humor.  It is funny how sometimes the simplest of things in unexpected ways can brighten a day.