Mayo Doesn't Need to be Refrigerated!

Seriously, even after opening mayo doesn't

 need to go in the fridge. This subject came up last time I was visiting my husband in the Bahamas and I found mayo with other condiments (like mustard) left out on the tables in the chow hall and not taken in to be stored in the fridge at the end of mealtimes. Then I saw the mayo/ refrigerator issue mentioned on MSN. I’m really not a mayo fan anyway but seeing it out on the tables at room temperature in the chow hall pretty much cemented my dislike. I thought the main ingredient in mayo was mostly eggs and I know they require refrigeration. I was told as a child that mayo would spoil in my lunchbox, hence there began my long love affair with the pb&j sandwich for lunch on school days. But as far as the need to refrigerate mayo after opening goes, I was wrong. If you look in my fridge at home however you will find the mayo (and the miracle whip-which does require refrigeration after opening) on the top shelf on the left or in the door by the mustard!

Gold Rock Beach

As a bona fide Bahama beach bum fan, I recently had the opportunity to visit and enjoy Freeport’s Gold Rock Beach on Grand Bahama Island. It gets its name from the beautiful golden cast the rock off shore gets when the sun sets behind it. This off shore rock, Gold Rock, is surrounded by coral reefs. The beach by itself is beautiful and anchored by some of the highest dunes on the island, windswept casuarinas, and seagrapes. Resident hermit crabs and some friendly raccoons seemed to enjoy the beach as much as I did the day I visited. The beach is part of Lucaya National Park and though it is open to the public it was nearly deserted, giving it a serene private feel. There are a couple of walking trails (one through the mangrove swamp and the other via the creek) that make travel to the beach interesting and easy to access. The sea breeze when you finally reach the beach feels even better as you trade the humidity and hum of insects along the trails for the gentle sounds of waves lapping the white sand. Gold Rock Beach is a place you shouldn't miss if you get a chance to visit Grand Bahama Island, I know I look forward to returning there again.

Hello Kitty? Not a Cat?

So yesterday I read that Hello Kitty isn't a cat and couldn't find that anywhere in the news today. Maybe this means no news is good news in regards to Hello Kitty and whether or not Hello Kitty is or isn't a cat. Or maybe that says something about yesterdays’ news being old news. Then I got the idea to actually Goggle Yesterday’s News, for the rest of the quote and discovered that it’s a brand of cat litter which leads me right back to Hello Kitty. Hello Kitty also has cat ears and whiskers and that is an obvious cat indicator, in my humble opinion. I don’t care what anyone says (even the creators and producers of Hello Kitty), Hello Kitty is a cat! 

G-Uncontrol

A 9 year old girl killed her instructor with an Uzi at a firing range in Arizona. It was an accident. Apparently the recoil caused her to let the weapon go and the Uzi kept firing. An expert stated it would be unlikely that a 9 year old girl would be able to control an automatic high powered weapon like the Uzi and that most gun ranges have age limits and strict safety rules when teaching children to shoot that would preclude allowing a 9 year old to shoot an Uzi without the instructor also holding the weapon. Something went wrong in this instance though and the child (unnamed as of yet in the news story) will bear the trauma along with the family and friends of the deceased instructor. Charles Vacca, 39, of Lake Havasu City, another victim of gun uncontrol.

New Cruise Experiences, Yes, even after all those past cruises

Here are some first time things for me, a seasoned veteran cruiser. Day one, upon embarkation, it was enthralling to be escorted away from Jacksonville, FL by pods of dolphins. Yes there were tugs, pilots, and the Coast Guard too, but none of those were as cool as the dolphins swimming alongside, cutting through the waves, and blowing through their nose holes. Day two, I got to watch the life boats lowered into the water, motored about in the water beside the ship, and finally hooked back up and winched back into place along both sides of the ship. Day three, I got to watch (and it was not a drill) the fire crew spring into action to fight a fire on a Royal Caribbean docked across from us in Nassau. Apparently it was a galley fire and because we were so close by (not close enough to smell smoke but we did see guys in chef hats come out where the fire guys went in) we were able to listen to all the announcements including an all clear when the fire was completely out. I’m not sure what new experiences tomorrow, the final day of this cruise may bring, but one never knows what the future may hold. 

Kayaking in Lucaya

If you tuned in yesterday, you found out I’m enjoying a Fascination cruise, not to be confused with a Fantasy cruise which may or may not require being onboard a seagoing vessel. As it turned out, a respite to Freeport would engage me in a different kind of cruise – it was fascinating but not onboard the Fascination. Today I cruised the mangrove waterways of the Lucaya National Park on Grand Bahama Island. I did so in style – in a two-person kayak. The Lucaya National Park is so named for the alleged first “settlers” of the island known as Lucayans and also because it supports 6 distinct eco-systems which happen to include four different types of mangroves. Mangroves are important to sea life replenishment because numerous fish and crustacean creatures, not to mention a variety of fowl, use the mangroves as a safe haven for their off-spring who will grow up there until they graduate to the open ocean reef. The creek we kayaked was a mixture of both sea and fresh water and had nice gentle turns and both open and narrow spaces. I love to kayak but hadn't done it for a while. My enthusiasm has been renewed. Our kayak guide, Sam, gave us a brief instruction and off we went. My rust showed but I was able to shake it off and have some fun as we (the group of 14 I was with) cruised the waterway, occasionally playing bumper cars with each other and frequently getting up close and personal with the mangroves we ran into as we tried to stay on course. With only one rest stop in the 2 ½ mile course, it was both laborious and exhilarating! The good news is that even if you’re bad, you won’t get paddled! Instead, you come away with a greater appreciation for nature and your own ability to have a wonderful adventure. I may not make it back to Lucaya National Park in the near future but I definitely know I will be kayaking again at my first opportunity.

Underway with Fascination

Leave it to my other half to have a fascinating idea. Why not escape the skullduggery of day-to-day existence? Why not go where there are no dishes to do, no chickens to feed, no errands to run, no appointments to be kept? I was fascinated with the idea and agreed. That’s when my anticipation became reality, the fascinating concept of care-free existence became an engulfment in Fascination! In case, you haven’t guessed by now, my dapper darling has ensconced us on the Carnival Cruise ship Fascination! The great escape has become the fun escape! We may be all “at sea” but I, for one, am glad of it. If you've never “cruised” before, it is the best bang for your buck for vacation. They truly do take care of you and all you have to do is nothing or everything. There are plenty of activities onboard and ashore when you pull into ports of call. You can veg in your cabin or you can see the sites. Knowing my commitment to escape the waist land of excess poundage I had misgivings about such an endeavor because they FEED you from a variety of culinary perspectives and in copious quantities! (They even have a Tasting Bar where they come up with exquisite edible delights that you can try it to see if you like it.) My concerns were unwarranted because we had lunch at the newly added Mongolian Grill where you can pick your portions and enjoy “wok” ever you like. The veggies were delicious and the sauce was spicy enough to make my nose run. And just so you know, no Mongolians were harmed in the making of my meal.