Today, I took Mum and Dad to a big American style shopping mall called Bluewater. It’s about 45 miles from where they live and they never get to go there very much and I wanted to treat them to a special day out………………..so armed to the teeth with credit cards, I went shopping…………..which as you know, next to flying and the French, is something I dislike with a huge dollop of passion……………can you imagine a place where I had all three at the same time……………shopping…………on Air France.
Anyway, back to today and as I said I headed to this big mall with my credit card ready to spoil Mum and Dad.
In the mid-1970s, shortly after credit cards first were introduced in the UK, just one in ten people had one. Today, the average British citizen has two per person and in North America that average is 3 per person………..we are living in a world of credit.
As a result, the economy, we are told, is teetering on the brink of reccesion and little old ladies are having to sell their cats for medical experiments to be able to pay for the mortgage.
But there’s a darker side to credit cards. A sinister underbelly that is rarely talked about. I’m talking about the misery of not having the right one.
We’ve all been there. Dinner is over, the bill has arrived and everyone is chucking their plastic onto the table. It’s a sea of platinum and gold. Someone has produced something with a Wells Fargo stagecoach on the front while someone else has one made of real gold with their name written in diamonds. And then it’s your turn and all you’ve got is your booger shade of green American Express card .”……………..bugger.
The day was very successful and we had a nice time and my snot coloured credit card helped buy some clothes for Mum and some books on trains and buses for Dad. They will have been married 50 years this year. In fact, their anniversary will be the same day as the naming ceremony of the Carnival Splendor and I am hoping that they will be able to come and share their special day by witnessing the christening of our spectacular new Fun Ship.
My sister Sue Drip (the one with the broken ankle………….cost me a fortune to get her boss to run over her foot) and I used to go shopping every Saturday with Mum and Dad and those memories came flooding back today from when I was 12 and Sue Drip was 8……….obviously, if Mum and Dad went out shopping………………so did we.
Today however, things are different as 12 is the new 17 and families ………….including friends of mine seem quite happy to leave kids of that age home alone.
If I’d been left at home alone when I was 11, I’d have been dead of hunger or electrocution within the hour. Come to think of it, if I were left at home alone now at the age of 43 nothing much will have changed………I cannot cook and still have no idea where electricity comes from.
We might like to think of an 11-year-old as some newborn foal, all slimy and incapable with wobbly legs, but it’s not that long ago that 11-year-olds were skilled in the art of chimney cleaning and pickpocketry……………………. and nothing’s changed.
Today, most 11-year-olds can hot-wire a car, outrun the police, fight an entire army of aliens, drink a bottle of vodka without being sick and operate a digital satellite transceiver and speak a language all of their own. I called Alan the other day and his 11 -year -old son answered. I asked him how he was spending his Saturday and he told me he was playing with his wee………………..it took me a few moments to realise that he had not in fact urinated in a plastic cup and was now filling his water pistol with it but was in fact playing with his Wii thingy game thingy.
Let’s change
Of course for the wonderful older folks being on a cruise ship is also a blessing and some as we may have mentioned before actually live…………on the ships. Their is of course the famous Cunarder “Bee” who has lived on board the Queen Elizabeth 2 for many years. I wonder what she will do once the ship retires to Dubai……………I will try and find out.
I spoke to Kerry Stables our Director of Production Entertainment today about one of the new shows she has produced for the Carnival Splendor called “The Beat”…………here is what she said.
Just to let you know I went and watched a run of the Splendor shows yesterday, and the cast are simply amazing!! They ran all of ‘The Beat’ and I have to say I am very excited, it is so much fun and some of the best choreography I have seen. With a mixture of George (GREAT partner work!!!!!) Joan, Mic and new choreographer Alexandra Ferdinand it is very diverse! The fact that I got excited and they were just in the studio dancing to midi tracks, makes me feel confident that when we get it on stage with lights, scenery and costumes we will have another great show, and so different from Vroom! Warning, it is going to be very taxing on the dancers bodies, they do not stop!
Wow………….I can’t wait to see the show and of course I will tell you all about it as soon as I do.
Yesterday evening I had two long conference calls. The first was about the naming ceremony and plans for this great event are coming along well and I will share them with you as soon as I can.
The second call was to finalize the charity we will be working with in New Orleans for the pre 2009 Bloggers Cruise. Again, this is in the early planning stages but I hope soon to tell all of you who we are planning to help with what will be a great cause and what is going to happen very soon.
Back to the 12 year olds…………….Of course, the benchmark for what 12 year olds are today was set many years ago by the movie Home Alone starring the Macocky Culkin…………..whatever happened to him?
I remember watching that movie and thinking how I would have loved to have been left Home Alone at Xmas. Now I may not have stopped Joe Pesci from breaking into my house by building booby traps and land mines out of legos, bubble gum and an old toilet roll but it would have been heaven for me, and for 12 year olds today it would be heaven for them as well.
Imagine………….being 12……………….and being Home Alone at Christmas.
No old ladies with camel breath queuing up to kiss you on the mouth. No Brussel Sprouts. No need to wait until Christmas morning to play with your new X-Box game, and no need to worry that someone might want to watch television instead.
No need to open presents which you know are sweaters. No being dragged off to church on Christmas Eve. Putting your feet on the furniture, watching the Playboy Channel, eating what you want, where you want, with your fingers, while slouching, and with your elbows on the table, and safe and comfortable in the knowledge that if you want to fart you can …………without fear or trepidation of a close encounter with the back of Mum’s hand.
Kids are so different today and as I saw bunches of 12 year olds happily mincing around the mall in packs I remembered that I had never been allowed to do that when I was 12. This reminded me of the ship and what a wonderful safe environment it is for kids today and how from the moment they walk up the gangway 12 year olds immediateley want to disown their parents and meet up with other 12 year olds to hang out in our Circle C Club and listen to Fergi, Limp Cookie and Jay Zee Hammer.
Certainly, most 12-year-olds are far better able to fend for themselves on the ship than most 80-year-olds and on the rare occasion housekeeping has been called to clear up a puddle on the promenade deck it won’t have been the 12 year old that didn’t make it in time.
Nope……….things are different these days and unlike me who at the age of 12 had a family holiday hanging on Mum and Dad’s coattails, they can today have the run of a cruise ship…………lucky buggers.
So, it was a day for memories as I spent the day with Mum and Dad and remembering when I was 12 years old…………………..and that I have the best Mum and Dad in the world. I have a lot in common with my Dad including the fact that when we have been sitting in the car for a long time, when we get out we make little noises with our bottoms. As I mentioned, when I was 12 that would have warranted the back of my leg turning red but today after 1 hour in the car,when we both got out we sang a duet together………………and we all laughed.
Goodnight
Your Friends
John and Heidi and Mum and Dad
Filed under: Europe | Tagged: Carnival Splendor, Circle C
I wasn’t even let out to the pictures at 12.
Yes, I’m almost recovered from the purple and oranges. George wasn’t tired going in so had a grand time. I’m looking forward to reading the Farcus interview and yes, do tell all about Bee. What will she do.
John…..Sounds like a wonderful day with your Mum & Dad. Susan and I are packing right now to leave for Rome tomorrow. We will join the Freedom on the 22nd for 12 wonderful days. If any other bloggers are on the cruise please track us down and we can share a drink. John…We will write a journal everyday and let you know how your old ship is being handled. We are so excited…..We’ll miss reading the blog everyday but can’t wait to cruise again!!!
Say hello to Heidi and your parents!
John & Susan
John,
God bless your Mom and Dad any may they have many more years together.
The Charity thingy you are having for the Bloggers cruise, I want to know if it is possible for those of us
who cannot make the cruise, to have it set up so we can make a donation.
Best to Heidi and thank you Stephenie
Papanh
Hi all
funny how you spent the day at bluewater and i was over at the lovely lakeside! nothing more exciting than trying to pick ideas for a new kitchen, there is so much choice it makes the job harder, giving me a real headace, nice to come home and see our two new baby bunnies (our old rabbit flash died last week, very sad) bob and spot playing, trying to house train them at the moment.
so looking forward to the splendor naming ceremony, hope to get to say hi to your parents.
enjoy the weekend, we’ve got a skip to fill (great!!) and more bunnie training (so cute)
love michellex
Childhood memories… You’re right, John, those were wonderful days. I fear that today’s 12 year olds are missing much because they have so much latitude and so many high tech toys… They don’t have to use their imaginations any more… all they have to do is react.
When oh when do we get to see more pictures of the Splendor?? I keep scouring MyTube for new videos and whatnot without success.
Here’s hoping for a relaxing weekend for you… and one for me, as well…
Cheers, mate!!!
GregB
“I cannot cook and still have no idea where electricity comes from.”
This reminds me of a story I heard that supposedly really happened:
A customer care person at an electric utility gets a call from an older lady. The lady explains that her husband used to handle all the financial affairs but he had recently died, so she needed an explanation for the bill she had just received from the utility. The utility employee explained that it was for the electricity she had used last month.
Then the lady said, “I don’t see why I should pay YOU. I get my electricity from the walls of my house!”
John, I am SO sorry you were fed Brussel Sprouts for Christmas. In my book, that’s tantamount to child abuse.
John the anticipation is electrifying!!! Cannot wait to hear about the plans for the Bloggers cruise!! Cannot wait!!!
And thank you for checking up on Beatrice….I learned about her from Mach…and it changed my retirement planning lol…I would love to know what her plans are after she leaves the Queen…
I have caught up (again), and bravo to your plans to change your health for the better! Bravo!! I too have more work to do on this, and happily am on my way in the right direction for the last two months. Once you make a decision, it works.
Safe travels to Heidi, and hugs to you both and Stephanie too!
Eva
Well now John, Since Heidi will be away and your nights will be lonely why not blog some of us blogger friends, we miss hearing from you! PLEASE! PLEASE! I am sure you know who the Godmother of the Splendor will be, how about sharing that “secret” with us! We promise, we won’t tell! HA! I am glad you got to spend some time with your mum and dad. How special! Well, gotta go and watch Dr. Phil! I love hearing all his advise to these people with PROBLEMS! Gas is close to $4.00 a gal. in the states now. Linda & Mike
Good evening Mr. Heald, Mum & Dad. Sir it is so great to see a man to show how much love he feels for his parents. Thank God you still have the both of them with you. Your parents seem to have brought up a brilliant yet thoughtful and loving human being. I still miss my dad. He passed away 8 years ago yet I still feel he is with me everyday. My Mom will turn 81 in June and is starting to slow down yet she could still whoop me if I don’t follow the rules of life that they both taught me. Mr. & Mrs. Heald I commend you for being true positive parents in this world of parents who bring children into the world and just have them watch in front of a TV, give them as much as they want but don’t give them the main thing that they need and that is love, affection and discipline. You are a lucky man Mr. Heald. Ciao my friend.
Paul F. Pietrangelo
What a lovely way to spend a day John! I’m sure your parents are grateful to have some time with you before you and Heidi go to the Splendor.
Congratulations to your mom and dad on their upcoming 50th anniversary! That’s quite a milestone these days…….
Enjoy the rest of your holiday.
Cheers,
Cindy
So until you learned to enjoy shopping and gardening you never got a whole page in Currents magazine like I just read in the summer 2008 issue. You may now get your own book next if you learn to enjoy flying and the French.
Congratulations — 2.1 million visitors and over 17,800 comments this Blog thingy is really alive!
HI TO YOUR MUM AND DAD!!! Hey John, you need to get some more of your mum’s recipes and pass them on to us! Get some from her while you are home and drop us a new one every once in a while.
Sheryl
Hi John, We received our Currents magazine in the mail today and I must say I enjoyed every article from cover to cover. Has it been updated as has the Carnival website? Maybe they just hit on a lot of articles that I liked this time.The comments from cruisers and the article “All the Seas a Stage” but best of all is the article written by our favorite, one and only cruise director. I really enjoyed your article as well as the pictures of you. You are going to have to start writing a book, if you haven’t already.
Be kind to your sis and while she is having to take it easy with the broken ankle, maybe you could entice her to write some on your blog. I’d love to hear about some of the things she and her family did while on their vacation recently.
Tell your Mum and Dad hello for us. I hope Heidi and her Mum are enjoying their visit together.
Carolyn… ooops forgot…. temporary Princess of the order ofBid Ed’s Evil Krewe
My bottom sings accidentally every time I stand up from a sitting position. I think it’s old age.
John -
Just got our Summer 2008 issue of Currents.
I must say that you look coc-o-nuts in that picture.
And who is that impish person peaking out from behind the curtain?
Loved the pictures.
Jon
Hi John….as always I enjoy all your messages. When I hear you talk about your sister, I can relate. That’s how I got the nickname Wil-da-beast. My 3 brothers lovingly called me that. I just had my 70th birthday on May 8th and my brother called to say happy birthday to the +BEAST+. Also wanted to remind you to bring up the subject of the British Isles cruise when you have your meeting. We’re ready to make our reservations. We have the count down to our Splendor cruise with you in October. So get it ready for us…………..As always our best to you and the gang…
John, that does sound like a wonderful day with your parents. I’ll be flying home to spend a long weekend with my parents next week for Memorial Day, and this will be the first I’ve seen my mother since our Liberty cruise in March. I haven’t been able to see my father since last November, since he didn’t go on the cruise with us. I am so looking forward to it!
Have fun your last couple of weeks at home before you jet off to life on the Splendor. I love your blog!
Hi John,
What a lovely day to be able to spend it with your parents. You are a lucky man. I lost my mom when she was 46 in 1975 and I still miss her.
Looking forward to more news on the newest ship “The Splendor” Everything I have seen and heard she is fantastic.
Tell Mum And Dad I wish them many more happy years to come! Hope Heidi and her Mum are having a great time!
Take care and Goodnight!
Kathy
John, you MUST love the French right now! We are cute and clumsy and board the Splendor July 25. Practice as we will surely put you to the test!
Lovely blog John, thank you for doing it. I perked up when you talked about your weight-loss goal and feeling “old”. I lost 100lbs in the last year and I feel 10 years younger. Best thing I’ve ever done. I blog about it here: http://www.obesityhelp.com/member/jolimont/uzone,blog/action,view/blog_id,55512/
Best wishes to you and thanks for the updates on the Splendor, I can’t wait! Oh, do the French get to ask obnoxious questions here too? How nice of a cabin do you get on the ship? Photos? Do you also get a steward? Do you tip?
Annie in Toulouse
Hi John.
I always knew that I was above average – now I have independent proof!
I looked in my trousers to check. Yes, I’m definitely above average. No – not that way – don’t be mucky!
Yay! I’m above average! Yay! **
I looked in my trousers for my WALLET! Seven Credit Cards! SEVEN! 1 black MasterCard (very VIP!), 2 platinum (but they give them to absolutely everyone these days, dahling), 1 gold amex (but almost nobody in the UK takes it), 2 blue, 1 red….. Choose a card depending on what everyone else puts on the restaurant table…. platinum is just SO vulgar these days….
** (or I owe an above average amount of money – it’s one or the other……..)
Good morning, We are packing for our cruise which leaves tomorrow and the whole family is getting “wired.” I hope to go on line on the Legend so I can keep up with your blogs. I’m afraid I’ll somehow miss the information regarding the Bloggers cruise! We will probably fly to New Orleans from Florida and are eager to know what day to plan to arrive.
Your shopping trip sounded like great fun to me. We spent a lot of the time this week pre planning for our granddaughters’ November wedding. I didn’t realize how complicated weddings had become.
Enjoy the rest of your vacation and tell Heidi we hope she enjoys her visit with her mother.
Suzanne (Sue Drip),
Sorry to hear about your ankle. Sending prayers for a speedy recovery. We really got to watch that brother of yours. John told me I would be living my own type of Bill Murray’s “Groundhog Day” on the Bloggers Cruise. The only difference I will be reliving April Fools Day for all 5 days.
BIG ED
Shaking in my boots
PS. Bloggers, so I you want to see what John has in store for me you better get yourself booked on the 2009 Bloggers Cruise on the Carnival Fantasy leaving New Orleans on Feb. 7th.
Hey John!
It’s so nice that you are getting to spend time with your Mom & Dad. When you’re away so much the time together is even more special.
I got back from the Freedom transatlantic, and my jaunt just before it to Europe on another line, this past Monday. So, I was gone more than a month total. Within 24 hrs. of arriving home I had to take my Dad to the hospital. He’s 91 so any time together is getting even more precious. We can only hope that he gets stronger, and gets out to spend more time with us.
Too bad you weren’t on the Freedom during the crossing. The “events” would have provided you great “material” for the blog…. it did for me. LOL
You should check on Todd and see if his nervous system has returned to normal. Poor Todd had a lot to deal with. For the CruiseMates group onboard it supplied great entertainment; up to and including debarkation, where poor Todd was begging people to get off the ship.
Now that I’m home I’ll be back to enjoying your blog, and look forward to you bring the Splendor out, and telling us all about it.
Regards,
Kuki
CruiseMates.com
John – glad to see you had a great day with mum and dad. I’m sure you miss Heidi, but she’ll be back before you know it. Any news on what hotel you have lined up for the blogger cruise?
Suzann
P.S. Can’t wait to see the two of you!
Oh John you keep teasing us with hints on the naming ceremony and Godmother for Splendor………..it’s almost like being a kid and waiting for Christmas or Birthday to arrive…………which always took forever……now they come every few months it seems.
Since we don’t have Malls here that is always on my to do list when I fly to the big city. My Mom used to get upset with my Dad because he always wanted to tag along to the Mall but then he would plant himself on a bench and people watch.
I was able to get a little fix for my Carnival addiction yesterday…..watched the Carnival Spirit sail into Juneau for the first visit of 2008……….wonderful seeing the blue and red funnel again. Almost as if on cue 2 Bald Eagles flew from stern to bow between the pier and shore (about 80 feet) right at Promenade Deck level just as they were tying up and placing the gang ways……………wonder if that was one of the things Bubba arranged last month.
Got my flight info to London for July 13 sailing so need to get serious about planning just how much can be squeezed into 1 suitcase and stay under the alloted tonnage…….would rather use the money for shore tours than excess pounds. Are you still planning on having a blogger get together on that cruise John?
Enjoy your last couple weeks on solid ground. Make sure you water those plants while Heidi is away.
Kersplott
“I asked him how he was spending his Saturday and he told me he was playing with his wee………………..it took me a few moments to realise that he had not in fact urinated in a plastic cup and was now filling his water pistol with it but was in fact playing with his Wii thingy game thingy.”
————-
Just gotta love puns, haha… And technically you can “shop” on an airplane; they have those weird magazines that allow you to purchase weird household items that could never be used, except as displays for the home…
John,
I can tell you right now that our granddaughter will be extremely joyful when she turns 12 and we sail on Carnival. The neat thing about it is, that the programs offered are so inviting, she will want to stay involved in organized activities. She loves being on the ship and having some independence.
When she turns 12, she will no longer have to endure being with her brother in Camp Carnival.
Jim will always be wondering if she is doing okay, but he does that anyway. That is nothing new.
We are looking forward to the Splendor! Can not wait to see some actual pictures from the ship!
Ruth
Mom and I wanted to send Congratulations to your wonderful parents, Hilda and Nev on celebrating 50 years of marriage. We also hope that they could share the day with you at the naming ceremony for the Splendour. That would be such a fine day! Keep us posted.
Andrea (& her mom, Janet)
Can you please tell me if the excursion for Berlin(Experience Berlin by Road & River) makes stops at the Berlin Wall and CheckPoint Charlie?
John:
I know what you mean about credit cards and debit. I do fear the “we must have it now” generation don’t get the joy of truly appreciating “saving” for something special.
We love our American Express Blue Sky because they give us $100.00 for every 7,500 points and they gave us 30,000 points to join. They make it very easy to redeem your points on travel.
So our card is not green…it is actually CLEAR and really weird looking. And there is no annual fee!
(and no interest since we always pay it off at the end of the month)
Debt is something we use as a tool, that needs to be used correctly to do someone any good.
That’s why we don’t buy something unless we can pay for it in full by the end of the month. Including our home and new cars!! (and our cruises…of course)
Linda
Hi John/Heidi:
Nice blog down memory lane today. Thanks!
I despise the mall in general. Ugh. Drives me crazy.
Have to walk 3 miles to go to the one store that i need something. Forget it.
Hope all is going well.
Great to hear from you!
David