We had a lot of fun and so many misadventures that it finally made us all giddy and we just laughed about them. Ruth and Dallas came down from Wichita on the 21st and we got up early the next morning to drive as far as Baton Rouge. At Baton Rouge, there was an Louisiana State game and every single motel was full. We drove on to New Orleans and the only one we could get in had only l room with 2 queen sized beds. We were so tired by that time that we didn't mind sharing the room.

The next morning we went to our ship, N. C. L. Spirit and were able to board very easily. They greeted us with Champagne and Mimosas. We had tried for three hours to find the ship because the Port Authority does not have the proper signs up. At the Captain's reception I won a big, sturdy canvas bag and Dallas won a painting at the art auction.

We absolutely fell in love with Guatamala and I can see why Fredo goes every year. It is the most beautiful place that I have ever seen. The sea and the volcanic mountains with all the palm trees are like an artist's painting. We went about fifty miles into the interior and looked at the Mayan
ruins.

The next day we went to Costa Maya and it was nothing to get enthusiastic about but it was colorful and so very warm.
The following day we went to Belize and nothing much was happening there,but I was able to get Adrienne an adult size chess set and a smaller one for Ashley that was pink and white. Her colors. She is a girly little girl. I also got vanilla there. I love Mexican vanilla because it is almost cocanuty in flavor.

We went to Cozemel the next day and all four of us had been a number of times. I did a bit of shopping. I am a bargaining fool so I did the buying for Ted. He got me an Acquamarine necklace, ring and ear rings and told me I wouldn't get another present all year because it was for all occasions in 2009. I have never had an Acquamarine and it is my birthstone.

Ruth was ill a great deal of the time but she did manage to shop a little. Each couple did their own thing and then we tried to have dinner together.

Customs is always a nightmare but we got through it just fine. Dallas insisted that we see the WW II war museum and we let him stay one and a half hours. We were all anxious to get home. Little did we know that he was going to
terrify us with his driving. He is deaf and night blind and a terrible, horrid driver. There was a 5 car pile up on interstate 10 and the traffic just moved as slowly as molasses. We almost ran out of gas and the only fuel stop was closed. Miraculously we got far enough to get gas altho the tank said empty. We were almost sideswiped three times and we were in fear of our lives. Ted got a migrane headache but he took over the driving until it got to be too much for him. He got us to the Indian Nations Turnpike and it was a straight shot with no traffic. He thought Dallas would do fine. Not so. Dallas hit the median so hard that the car flew into another lane, and wouldn't start again. Ted yelled, "Pull over God damit, you are about to kill us all." Dallas meekly went around and got in the passenger's seat. We had a flashlight and read the
instructions and found out that the fuel pump shuts off and
that we had push a red button in the trunk to restart it.

We finally got home about ten and I warmed up some soup and
made a batch of Laura's biscuits . We are good enough friends that Ted's outburst didn't ruin our friendship but wait until you hear this. Ruth's morphene looks exactly like Dallas's blood pressure pills and they had gotten them mixed up and Ruth was taking the blood pressure pills and
Dallas was taking the morphene.

We took a lot of pictures and hope to get some on the blog.
Right now, we are so tired from catching up on the laundry and unpacking that we will do it another time.



white.