Unimagined levels of energy

Monday 26^th November

It’s not surprising that I slept until 10am, and stayed in bed even later. I am missing my scrambled egg breakfasts in the restaurant, but not missing them enough to give up the dancing! Instead I get to breakfast after 11 and just have fruit and perhaps a muffin.

Life on the ship can be busy! We had another dance class today – this time the rumba. Again I sat out with Peggy until we needed to learn the turn, and again I had the chance to practise that with the professional. When it came time to string the steps together, one of the gentlemen hosts asked me. I was amused when he said to me afterwards ‘You’re getting the hang of this now!’ I was too polite to tell him that actually I was dancing better than he was and my mistakes were because he was departing from the set routine and not leading me well enough for me to realise what he was doing!

I was not sure whether to be amused or insulted when one woman, talking to me afterwards, waffled on and said: ‘Oh, you know Trevor? I saw him dancing with you last night. He’s wonderful. I hear he’s going to get your daughter dancing by the end of the cruise.’ My daughter? She meant Chris. Chris is only a year younger than I am! I meant to take a photo of the two of us to let you decide that one for yourselves, but life is too busy onboard ship. I’ll do that another day.

I joined Chris and Peggy for lunch, along with a couple of other people they knew who had been watching the dancing. They went off to the music quiz (‘Name that Tune’) while I was sensible and returned to my room, supposedly to rest. I have to be sensible sometimes.

I am amazed at all I am managing to do on this cruise. I knew I’d had a breakthrough in energy a couple of months before the cruise, and had done even more in the weeks leading up to the cruise. However, I had not expected to be out dancing and to have no ill effects the following day! I’m used to crashing for a couple of days on a cruise, and having to stay on ship instead of visiting a port. I will have to learn my limits anew, but they are certainly more expansive than they have ever been.

At dinner tonight I sat between Barbara and Vince. I always feel that our waiter is kicking us out at about 7.30. It’s quite obvious – something I’ve never had on a cruise before. Peggy, Chris, Trevor and I went to the show, and were later joined by Alan. The four singers were spectacular. I really enjoyed it.

The evening’s entertainment in the Queen’s Room was Party Night. We went to have a look, starting off with a bit of musical chairs as we tried to find somewhere to sit, until Peggy remembered that she had promised to sit with friends and they had saved seats, so that became our fifth set of seats! I got up for one dance with one of the hosts (the educationalist I’d spoken to the night before), and Peggy danced too (on the right, in black sequinned top). Mother, take notice!

I wasn’t interested in all that bopping to loud music when I was a teenager, and I’m still not interested. I must be either too old or too young. Peggy, at age 85, stayed there, as did Pam who is older than I am, while Chris, Trevor and I went upstairs to the Commodore Club (with a cocktail pianist) and talked until 12.30.