Feb 9 - At Sea for Sandy's Birthday

SANDY SHORE : I’m 46 today… and I’m way out here, below the equator, really far from home, just trying to get comfortable in my own skin. So I decide to take it easy today. Take a solo journey up to the pool where I want to soak up some sun and try to dry out this wet cough. I hang out with Donna's step-mom Diane, who has thrown down the gauntlet on tripping the tan meter to the darker side of Brazilian. I seriously doubt I’ll catch up to her, but I intend to try… just as soon as I move on from SPF 30!

Donna’s folks planned a wonderful dinner in the ship’s supper club… The Pinnacle. It’s a special restaurant where for only $20, guests can partake in a “fine dining” experience. The meal was lovely… in fact, I probably enjoyed some of the freshest seafood ever… followed by generous and thoughtful gifts and a beautiful, large (read: enormous) and very chocolatey layered cake designed with an edible microphone just for the mid-forty year old radio gal.

Mid-life crisis? What? Me?

And back to that centered place of feeling comfortable no matter where I am in the world…

DONNA KAY PHILLIPS : We celebrated all that is Ms. "Shore Excursion" in the Pinnacles Supper Club. This is a 5-Star dining experience offered on Carnival ships for a fraction of what you would pay in a comparable land-based restaurant. The staff is highly attentive, the service impeccable and the presentation art museum quality, and the flavors produced by unique preparations are worth the trip alone.

Sandy has the unique ability to keep track of many bits of information at one time, she is very hard to pull something over on. Despite this fact, she was perfectly pleased her supper club at sea birthday event as it was. She had no idea that we had managed to get her two most coveted items gift-wrapped and onboard without her knowledge. It took a small team of dedicated folks, especially my parents, to pull this one off and it was so worth the look of surprise on her face when the gifts were brought out.

Ken, our favorite "Sinatra meets Vegas Crooner", Maitré D' and the Pinnacles staff surprised us with a custom triple "death by chocolate" masterpiece complete with microphone centerpiece, designed by the head pastry chef. It was an over the top blow out including our dining room neighbors joining us in song, well wishes and birthday cake.

Much thanks to my parents and to the staff of the Splendor for a celebration on the high seas that we won't soon forget. - dkp