My cruising experience is rather limited but certainly story-worthy.
A few years ago, I got a call around supper time on Friday night from my good friend, Janet, asking if I was interested in going on a cruise to Mexico. Sure, who wasn’t? She said there was room for 4. It was ours if our family could catch the last ferry off our island and drive for 2 days to LA. “The boat leaves from LA Sunday morning at 11:00”, she said.
Our teenage boys were out playing hockey, due home soon, so we threw their dirty clothes in a bag, piled our stuff together, gathered passports, relayed the details, hopped in the car and headed to the 11:45 pm ferry. It wasn’t until we were into the northern part of California that we were able to reach the necessary people to convey our plans. Long story short, we drove 22 hrs, slept a bit then boarded the boat in LA before it slipped south along the westcoast as far south as Mazatlan and back to LA over 7 luxurious days. 
Our second cruise story is much like the first but the trip was shorter, 4 days, and took place between Vancouver and Seattle. Very last minute too.
When Janet emailed with another cruise deal for one night from Seattle to Vancouver with the girlfriends, we all jumped at the offer. Though not as last minute as the previous two, the spontenaity still had its appeal. Our rental car drive from Vancouver to Seattle took nearly 10 hours with all the shop-stops enroute and the 5 star weekend was nothing short of classic. Deluxe accommodation, superb food, downtown Seattle’s charm, a memorable encounter with the homeless and a living, thriving market added to the experience. Our collective memories accumulate; we always revisit the old and talk about our geriatric days ahead. I, for one, am grateful for these girls in my life. They remind me to laugh, don’t panic when I cry, pray for my family and they inspire faith in God and hope in all the good things.
We all missed Sharon and played a song sung at her funeral in remembrance while we sat on our balcony overlooking sunny Seattle. She is ever present in my life, but especially when I am with these girlfriends. I think she would have loved our one night cruise.
Thank you, girlfriends!
