10.13.8 PROLOGUE

OK.... now lets check that again...
1 Return Language CDs to Library
2 Pick up re-sized Fat Boy pants at tailors
3 Check luggage for needed repairs
4 Finish downloading Audio Tours to MP3 player & Phone
5 Check Carnival website for Upgrade possibilities
6 Confirm Turkish tour count, get final payoff
7 Confirm Sara & Phyllis for Athens Tour, Pay Stephen
8 Cancel un-needed car and hotel rooms
9 Call Avis Italy, change Resv to Nov 6, D/O at FCO

MedCruise 2008 is just 10 days away and this is just TODAY's "ToDo's"!!! You should have seen yesterdays and last weeks...
Yeah...Chuckie's making Lists again [frequent senior moments and his AADD do not allow for mental check lists] and he hasn’t even gotten to the Dragon Lady’s list.
How the hell am I supposed to get any work done!

Oh... and just had my 1 year P.E.T. scan [4 months late thanks to the Medicos] I'll get the results Wed.

While researching this adventure, I found a Message Board on http://www.cruisecritic.com/ called a “Roll Call” in cruise lingo that has been a helpful exchange of info and ideas on this Cruise with some perpetual cruise types. If you're REALLY bored...you can peek in on everyone’s preparation at http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=572038&page=54

This a very Port intensive cruise and reviewing all tour options for each port has been a nightly project, Mid-nightly that is... Trying to get Dragon chick to sit down long enough to discuss them is another issue. It’s a NO-WIN deal competing with 17 pounds of wailing grandbaby. Soooooo I retreat to the Bat Cave and try to work it out myself.

Via the Roll Call, we’ve hooked up with two retired Ohio school teachers who want to share the Turkish and Athens Tours. This will bring the cost down dramatically and that’s a good thing cause all the nickel and diming with this fee here, that train fare there etc… is adding up.

I was going to highlight the agenda for the various stops but as it stands some plans are still up for grabs ‘tween now and then so we'll just handle it on the daily report. [Say “Thank You, Chuckie for not boring us with the details this soon"].

One highlight worth mentioning, Thanks to #4 Son Stevie [OK, so he’s not really blood, but we practically raised him], we have a tour planed at Castelo Banfi winery in Montalcino [mid-way between Firenze and Rome]. Since its 2.5 hours up and 2.5 back [Not to mention all that wine tasting] we have a room booked overnight in the Tuscan Hills. I guess this will have to suffice for the Villa in Tuscany that we originally planned. And hey...now it WILL involve a spiffy Alfa Romeo [and probably a few Girare-U's... "u-turns"].

Stay tuned for the usual Departure Chaos… I'm sure it will be mildly amusing, remember China’s departure?

Ciao 4 Now,
Chuck and the Baby cuddling Dragon Lady
[Boy is SHE gonna have baby withdrawals for 2 weeks]