To Cruise or NOT to Cruise...

After several hours of debate and conference calls with each other and Carnival, we finally came to the conclusion at 1:30 this morning that we wouldn’t be on Ecstasy when it sailed. As of last night, part of Galveston had been issued a mandatory evacuation notice, but Carnival still planned to beat Hurricane Ike out of the Gulf and not give any refunds for those who didn’t board the ship. The factors that made us decide against going were:

1. We have 28 kids between the 7 of us.

2. Hurricane Ike is tracked to go right over our houses.

3. We would have to pass all the evacuees as we drove into Galveston and leave a car there.

4. Puking over the side of a ship doesn’t sound like a fun getaway.

So, we made a good responsible decision…right? I thought we did, but when I woke up this morning I was SO bummed. (Somebody tell me why there always drama surrounding my birthday?) Later this morning the rest of Galveston was issued a mandatory evacuation, so we were sure the ship wouldn’t sail. Alas, the Houston Port Authority granted them permission to board as long as they left by 4 pm. The Ecstasy sailed without us! Stupid boat. The good part is the cruise line finally refunded our money. Now I am just worried that we will be able to pull off another girls trip soon after this disaster.

Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who was a little, shall we say, depressed over the fiasco. We decided that the girls needed to go out this evening to make up for it. Most companies had either given their employees the day off or encouraged them to leave early, so we took action and made appointments at a spa for massages and pedicures. I called Damian to inform him of our plan, but I had a hard time getting a hold of him. The third time I called he finally answered the phone giving me vague answers to my questioning.

Me: When are you going to be home?
Him: “I dunno. Pretty soon”

Me: What are you doing?
Him: “Checking some stuff out.”

Me: What is that suppossed to mean?
Him: “Just looking at stuff.”

Me: Where are you?
Him: “Academy”

Me: Are you there buying a shotgun?
Him:“Yep”

He had our family’s best interest at heart I am sure, or was he using this hurricane as an excuse to feed his desire to buy a shotgun? You be the judge. I thought a rifle and a handgun would be sufficient protection, but apparently we are way more valuable than that! Thanks for protecting us honey, and let me know when Carter’s gun safety classes start. I couldn’t be mad though. I knew we would have a new shotgun someday anyway and as long as he would be home in time for me to get a massage followed by a shower with 12 showerheads, I would have been okay with him coming home with a tank.

After our pampering, we were hard pressed to find a restaurant still open because most places had already closed down in preparation for the hurricane. But we persisted and even found a place for dessert after dinner. We wouldn’t have been able to call our night out a success had we not topped it off with some kind of sugar, and yes I do feel better! Besides, I know ‘Ecstasy’ awaits me at home!

**Update: Carnival’s Ecstasy sailed, but they were not able to port in Cozumel and they returned a day late and in New Orleans instead of Galveston. Passengers then had to find their way home from there or were bussed back to Galveston, where their cars that were under water awaited them.