Feb 2 - At Sea (Caribbean)

DONNA KAY PHILLIPS : The double-time work load seems to have gotten the best of Sandy. A bit of a cold & cough has set in. Lots of rest and room service in the form of jewish penicillin (chicken soup) and hot tea has been a welcome benefit to being sick on a cruise ship. Fortunately the staff aboard the Carnival Spendor has been incredibly accommodating and we are all doing what we can to get Sandy up and rolling again.

These past two days at sea has been the first time we've taken time off in a long while and we're grateful for the opportunity. There's something about having a simple blue horizon line to focus on for a few days that allows perspective to come once again. I call it Blue Line Therapy, something I long for when life gets complicated. It's the simplest view of scenery I've ever found and that simplicity just stares back at you asking you to reckon with yourself and your choices. At the same time, it brings quiet to a busy mind - it has always been my best solace and source of comfort.

My favorite perch is on the aft deck by the flagpole watching the ship's screws churn the deep blue into many facets of itself. The SmoothLounge.com playlist, which I carry on my iPod, has provided the perfect accompaniment to this scene as I watch us leave the past in our wake. -dkp