We proceeded to sit by the pool, drink beer, and watch Bonepony, Roddie Romero, and the Greencards by the pool. Part of the package you get on board is getting your picture taken with your “Twice as nice” artist. We got our picture taken with John Hiatt. This was a cattle call if I ever saw one. They whisked us through. I wondered aloud to Polly if John Hiatt gets a copy of his picture with everyone. The woman in front of me said yes, I'm sure he cherishes those pictures. I imagined him flipping through an album of all of these pictures of him with strangers.We grabbed a bite to eat and the captain came over the PA system. He spoke in his morose Norwegian accent and told us that the waves were too high and that tendering operations required for us to go to Stirrup Cay, NCL's private island, would be too dangerous. So instead we're going to Nassau tomorrow! Woot!
That night’s ticketed event was Shawn Colvin. She does a great job live because her sense of humor comes through during her between-song banter. She was talking about the Poseidon Adventure, and how if the Norwegian Dawn were to capsize, her cabin would put her on the bottom. She also mentioned the Titanic. She performed her favorite lines from Titanic: “Jack?” “Rose!” Jack!” “Rose?” The seas were angry again that night. I’m not sure how the performers kept their balance while playing and singing. “These Four Walls” was her best performance that night. She closed by saying, “have fun on your boat.” Not sure exactly how she meant that, but the idea I got was, “Y’all are crazy for paying to be on this boat.”
After the show we met Lee and Rebecca at the premium French restaurant. The ladies brought a bottle of wine (you’re allowed to bring 2 bottles on board). It was a delicious French burgundy and we made quick work of it. Then we had a Syrah. Quite delicious. Then Lee ordered another bottle of the Syrah. Delicious. This after a day of drinking beer around the pool. It was shaping up to be quite a session. Brandi Carlile was in the Star Bar rehearsing her piano skills, but we were not allowed, seeing as we’re not stars.
As we were walking to Gatsby's, we looked outside the window and the sea looked so rough, probably the roughest we’d seen. Huge waves smashed the front of the ship, leaving a churning white foamy surface that streamed by the window. A woman walked by and said, "I told you it was crazy out there."
Then she looked at us again and said, "Well, maybe it wasn’t you, but I told someone that."At Gatsby's, where we drank yet more beer. It was open mic at Gatsby's. Matt Bianco did a few numbers, as did Joel Guzman and his wife (whom we realized was the woman who said the funny line about the ocean in the hall to us.)
We talked and talked with Lee and Rebecca. These are fantastic, smart, and funny women. We vowed to come visit them in New Orleans. They said, "We have a big place, so bring all the kids." I said we would, and then Polly and I would get a hotel room in the French Quarter. She said never mind, then.
At 2:00 AM, we made fun of the poor perspective technique used in painting the murals, mimicked in the pictures you see here. Polly lasted late on this night, and we all guessed we'd seen as much cool stuff as we could handle. Polly headed off to bed. As soon as she left, Lee, Rebecca and I had one more beer and then it was time for bed. As we walked down the hall, we saw in one of the lobbies Brandi Carlile was doing an impromptu concert on the piano. After she finished a song, she solicited requests. Someone yelled for an Elton John song, to which Brandi responded, “That WAS Elton John.”Then she sang Turpentine. Someone next to us sang along, which irritated Rebecca, who is quite a talented singer/songwriter in her own right. When the song was over, I requested Turpentine.
We laughed. Vienna Teng and the twins helped Brandi out on Let It Be. This was one of my favorite parts of the cruise. Sadly, Polly missed this one too.
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