And.... We're back.

Sorry about the prolonged absence, its been a long month. As my brain is stilled crispy around the edges, I'll give a simple list as a snapshot of what the nerd has been up to. Normal updates will resume later this week.


1- The company the Prime Geek works for? Rocks. While I'll never book a trip on Monarch of the Seas myself* send my spouse and I for free and I'll be packed in an hour.


2- Ohio when we left - 92'. Mexico when we arrived – 52'. Some aspects of the global warning issues got joked about.


3- Children on airlines are often better then adults, I'm sadly out of my depth when a tween star from Disney sits beside me (seriously, I think I crushed a young soul when I had to explain I had no idea who the Jonas Brothers are. Still don't.), and some grownups need remedial lessons in manners when stuck in a confined space with other humans.


4- Pandas can bounce on their bums after 40+ feet drops, I now have far too many pictures of koala bums then is really necessary, and when confronted by any itty bitty of the animal kingdom I will still issue a high pitched squeal more in keeping with an eleven year old girl.


5- NEVER EVER book a trip through Monarch of the Seas. Repeated food poisoning and a pretty careless time sense (never a good thing when being left in a country not your own is a possible outcome to a late bus.) make for a difficult time. I WOULD however offer any of the people working on board from 26 countries a job anytime. Quite possibly the friendliest, best trained, highest educated bunch of folks this nerd has ever met. The blue hair went over well with most of the workers from Asian countries as well.


6- Attempting to camp for 8 days after being out of the country less than a week before is a game for younger people. This nerd is too old for that horse pucky.

7- When to leave the campout early = RAIN OF FROGS! Seriously. Hail, flood, rather harsh injuries on the field, lightening... all fine and dealable. When the locusts and the june bugs hit we were still fine. Frogs suddenly hitting our tent? Packed and loaded while keeping an eye out for a tall skinny dude carrying a farming implement.

Night.



*Okay, here's the issue. Monarch of the Seas? Beautiful boat. Service? Amazing. But here's the thing for me... the sheer mountain of cross contamination regarding food allergies was something that is going to get someone killed. We'd filled out the forms listing my allergies, I still got plate after plate of shrimp tossed in front of me. Everything cooked together, nothing posted (oh so fun to reach for some plain rice at a buffet and suddenly seeing a random crab claw sticking out), no warnings or options given. We even talked to the head waiter and was told “Oh yes. Some people where telling us they had children with severe peanut allergies as well” then they walked off. Okay.... so you KNOW you could kill someone, you just don't care. Greeeaaat.