Sailing Solo in a Studio

It was a short taxi ride from the Doubletree to Pier 88
in New York City!

Here she is:
The Norwegian Breakaway

Nothing subtle here, but I LOVE it!!!

Got on board quickly and was able to drop my heavy

coat and my carry-on in my room, a studio for one!

Here's a tour I did of my little cabin after I had placed

everything in its spot.

I actually had two of these closets--plenty of space.

That's the shower wall on the right side of the pic.

It is full size and very adequate.

That's my wireless speaker and iPod on the window!

(Later I figured out how to open my blinds!

My room steward didn't even know!)

TV above. I kept up with the election nonsense progress.

I think our studio hallways are beautiful.

The Studio Lounge--only steps from my cabin door.

 Lattes, cappuccinos, etc. at our disposal!

We sailed past the Statue of Liberty,

which never ceases to thrill me.

Then we sailed under the Verrazano Bridge,

which connects Staten Island and Brooklyn.

My first room service:

Day 1 turned out to be most exciting.

I went down to the shopping area just to browse.

Two ladies asked me if I would like to have their two

tickets for the upcoming jewelry giveaway because

they had to leave for massage appointments.

Then I was given 3 more.

You know--the kind that look like this:

All of a sudden I realized it was time for the drawing

and I was still holding both halves of my tickets.

I had to squeeze through the throng of people packed

into the shopping area to get to the place to 

drop in my tickets. 

I can't even estimate how many people and tickets

there were, but A LOT.

This is a mega ship with over 4,000 passengers.

(And I think they were all crowded in there!)

So the girl said she wanted us to "make some noise"

if we had the numbers as she called them.

"Five," lots of noise, same with four and one,

cause we all had them;

then "Zero," and much less noise, then "Zero," again, 

and I kinda went numb,

then "Six."  

I, Linda Jane Lynn Stovall, had WON!!!!!!

I had 541006!

Here's my prize:

It's a tiny tanzanite and tinier diamond.

But the thrill of hearing MY number called--

that was HUGE and PRICELESS!

Some of my favorite things about Norwegian:

The fish on the hall carpet always swim FORWARD!

(Which helps only if you know which way you

need to be going!)

Your room card must be in the slot for the lights

to operate, making it easier to keep up with the card.

(I only lost mine once this trip!)

Ahhh.  The Mandara Spa.

Right down this hall!

 Beats you to a pulp!

The salt room.

Heated tile recliners.

H.e.a.v.e.n.l.y.

I guess you might be wondering about ports!

Yes, we did stop at 3, but I only got off at one.

It was Great Stirrup Cay, Norwegian's private island.

 My prize picture of the Breakaway from 

Great Stirrup Cay was the best thing about the port,

 along with...

meeting Charlie while waiting for the tender.

As our third friend Debbie took this picture,

she said I should start making up my story then!

Charlie was on spring break, lived in Philadelphia,

and works with the Wounded Warrior Project.

I'm out with my selfie stick trying to get me and

the Atlantis Hotel in Nassau.

It didn't look near that far away on my phone!

If you've hung in there with me,

THANK YOU!

I was not kidding when I said that traveling

alone would not be near as much fun

without friends who would look at my pictures!

If I were onboard, I would treat myself to a

latte and a cookie!

Breakin' Away!

February 26, 2016!
London worked out so well that
I decided it was time to try New York!
I certainly never thought I would see this day!

I stayed on the 33rd floor of the Doubletree,
Times Square, as recommended by the Metzgers.

My first dining experience--very New York!

A street vendor hot dog and trimmings!  Yum yum!!
(I actually went down and got a second hot dog!)

My day had begun at 3:00 A.M., 
so I took advantage of this for a little nappie poo...

 until it was time to get ready to go to
the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre to see
Finding Neverland.

The theatres are so beautiful and elegant!

I loved Finding Neverland.

And it was right across the street from my hotel.

Dining experience #2...from the hotel gift shop.

Well, you see, it was late, and I was tired!

Night, night, lovely New York!

My plan was to ride the red double deck bus around.
I discovered that I had already seen all the
spots on the tour and that it was pretty cold.
So I decided to have lunch at the hotel--
at Ginger's (as in Rogers)

I really think this sign could do with some glamorizing!!!
Maybe a few exclamation marks!!!
But it was early, and I was the only one there!

My quesadillas.

Then it was time for An American In Paris,
which was only steps from my hotel.

The Doubletree doorman stepped out and took
this picture for me!

And a fellow theatre goer took this one!

And I took this one.  I had a great seat

for another fabulous show!

Tonight I'm going to have a real New York meal.

On my way in, I walked right by

outside this window where

Bryan and Deanne Hammons

were dining!

I think Bryan almost choked on his dessert!

I knew they were in NY, but they didn't know I was!

It's truly amazing that we saw each other!

 I had a long wait, so I went next door to
 Junior's Bakery.
One is supposed to buy cheesecake there,
but I couldn't get past the lemon coconut cake!

Ahhh.  After dinner dessert and coffee in my room. 

Hey, it's Sunday morning, and look what I see
from my hotel window!
That's the Norwegian Breakaway
waiting to whisk me away from my daily drudgery!
{Oh, I can just hear Jack guffawing!}

Please come back tomorrow!
Whether you're a brother or whether you're a mother,
You're breakin' away, breakin' away.
Feel the city breakin' and everybody shakin'
And we're breakin' away, breakin' away.
Ah, ha, ha, ha, breakin' away, breakin' away.
Ah, ha, ha, ha, breakin' away!

Thanks, Bee Gees, and sorry!


**Remember**
Click on a picture to enlarge it!
(In case you want to see my hot dog or cheese
crackers better!!!)

We Interrupt This Blog Because...

Disaster has befallen!

I guess I typed too many exclamation points on my computer.

It refuses to type another one--or even come on.

I am typing this on my iPad mini,

which seems to be taking its name to heart.

This mini print is all it has to offer,

at least in my less than expert hands!

This happened at a somewhat opportune time,

since I thought I might take a little "Breakaway"  anyway.

So please miss me and

eagerly await and anticipate my return!

I shall be back with some tantalizing tidbits and pics!

And lots of exclamation marks!

XOXOXOXO

Will Wonders Never Cease!

Does anyone else frequently and obnoxiously

use this expression?

It was one of my mother's favorites, and 

going one step further, I have even set it to music.

Just ask my kids.

Well.  It has never been more applicable than today.
Remember this?

Click Here

Even though I felt foolish and like I was wasting
my time,
I wrote American Airlines a detailed letter
about the circumstances under which my 
brand new bag was ruined.
Of course, I sent several gruesome pictures.


About two weeks ago I decided to give the baggage
service number a call so I could put the
matter out of mind.
Again, I got an extremely nice lady.
(It surely must have been the same one!)
She said that it takes 12 to 14 weeks after
they receive a complaint before it is 
assigned to a handler.
I told her how unreasonable I thought that time
period to be.
And, guess what?
She agreed!!!
(Musical notes..."Will wonders never cease,
will wonders never cease,
will wonders never, ever, ever cease.")


Well...I want so badly to show you a picture
of what I received in yesterday's mail,
but my computer is not cooperating.
It is a check from American Airlines to moi
for $69.95!
Really!  Can you believe it?
In spite of the fact that the bag is still
technically usable,
and that the imposed time limit to complain
was outside of my capability,
  and that I fully expected them to just ignore me,
they paid me.


Sometimes we don't receive because we don't ask.
Even if we feel foolish doing so!
And feel free to ask me to do a chorus of
Will wonders never cease
next time you see me.
You may find occasions where it fits perfectly.
 


 

Don't Be Scammed, Friends!

I would guess the ads appeal to a lot of us.

They pop up on your Facebook page,

and are for getting rid of pesky belly fat,

relief from painful knees,

miraculously reducing wrinkles, eye bags, dark spots,

etc., etc., etc. 

They have a lot in common.

They have been carefully engineered to draw you in.

They are usually very long,

and you have to keep going to the end to find out

"how much."

And...they almost always offer a "free trial."

WHOA!  That is a giant RED FLAG, friends!

Mark my words and don't believe it for a nanosecond.

Although it pains me greatly to admit it,

I have fallen for Scenario #1.

It was for not one, but two "samples" of 

miracle face products.

It was for a 14 day "free trial" of both--

for shipping charges only--$4.95 each.

I knew it would be risky, 

but I had no idea just how risky.

When the products arrived, I thought them to be

remarkably big for trial samples.

And, before I knew it,
 (and before I'd even gotten around to trying what I had)
 I received two more bottles--

same size--of the products in the mail.

Sparing you all the details, I ended up paying for

the first shipments.

I'm too ashamed to tell you how much.  

I had to stop payment on my credit card for the

second two.

The lady at my credit card company was

all too familiar with the scam.

She told me right away that those first two

were not "samples."
They were full sized products.

She had heard my sad song before!


 The ad for my beauty products has now been suspended.

However, I had gone back and put in a fictitious name, etc.

on this site, and I realized you have to be

almost past the point of no return before you are

able to see the "small print."

The products I received were waaayyy too large

to use in a month, and yet they were mailing

them to me that often.

The "free sample" would have had to be returned

to them in 14 days--from order date to

date of receipt back at their warehouse.

In other words...impossible.

It was time consuming, frustrating, even infuriating!

Don't get fooled.

Today a new approach appeared on my Facebook.
Scenario #2 was called "Instaflex"

and is supposedly a miracle for knees like mine--they hurt!

You actually receive a 14 day supply--

for only the shipping charge of $4.95.
In the (fake) "comments,"

someone asked, "Why do you charge shipping?"

The answer (a big fat lie) was that 

otherwise people might take advantage and order

under different names, etc.

The truth?  You HAVE to give them a credit card
to pay the shipping charge.

And, guess what?
Then they've got you!

You've signed up for monthly, very $$$ shipments

unless you cancel before you even have a

chance to see if the product works.


I've been trying to make myself admit for about a year
that I, Linda Jane Lynn Stovall, 
fell for one of these scams.
I wanted to try to keep it from happening to any of you.
However,
I convinced myself that no one else would fall
for such a thing.
But...that knee pill this morning would have looked
pretty tempting if I had not known better.


So, dear friends.
Forewarned is forearmed!
Don't think (as I did) that you will stay on top
of it and not be taken advantage of!
If you can find the small print, you'll realize that's where they've got you, and you will not win!
Besides, any company that would work that hard
 to trick us probably has a no-good product anyway!


_____________________


I would surely appreciate it if any of you have
ever "experienced" one of these scams,
you would tell my kids.
Otherwise, I may be required to forfeit my computer.