School is back in for me as it is for most other students. I have to say this has been the most unusual back to school that I have ever been through. I’m taking two classes one Oracle Database class and one on Adobe InDesign. I go to my first Indesign class albeit a bit late read that as really late) The professor was very cool about it. Class was interesting, homework assigned. Great. I come in the next week, late yet again, to find that I have a brand new teacher and we’re starting from scratch. Okie Dokie. So I go through all the craziness and frustration of getting the right textbooks (don’t get me started on the textbook buying debacle or the fact that the textbook industry is a racket). Then my new teacher informs me that she’s using the book I already have. Grrr…
Ok, so I go to class the next evening. Let me preface this by saying I take night classes on Monday and Tuesday for wa and a half hours each night. Anyway, I go to my second class to discover that due to lack of enrollment it’s being run as an independent study. What does this mean. I only have to go to class five times all semester. Ok, that was a pretty cool discovery. The down side is I’m largely on my own in figuring this massive program out. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

So let’s add to the back to school craziness final prep for NJRW’s Put Your Heart in a Book Conference. I’m the conference chair so I’m running around like a nut making sure everything is all set. Still the end result will be terrific. Oh and of course, edits on my book and working on a new manuscript.

Yes, folks I am insane. And now I need to go pay attention to what’s going on in class.

Somewhere beyond the sea,
Somewhere, waiting for me,
My lover stands on golden sands
And watches the ships that go sailing;

I’ve been humming that tune for the last few weeks. Why? Well aside form the fact that I do tend to enjoy Bobby Darin’s music. I just spent last week on the high seas. For my 30th birthday Me, my Mom and some very good friends enjoyed 5 days of sun, sea, and sand. We had a ball! We were on Carnival Cruise’s ship IMAGINATION. Here’s a picture of her.

From what I can tell she’s one of the smaller boats in the Carnival Fleet, she only holds about 3,000 people total.
As I was saying I had a total blast. I got to hang with my best bud Michele and her family. We went and visited a relatively new port of call Grand Turk Island. It’s a lovely little island. It’s only about 7 miles long and 4 wide. We took a historical bus tour which was nice because the bus was the only place that had air conditioning. We stopped at the old prison. Initially the biggest crime was public drunkenness so the jail was fairly small. It was funny when they were talking about jail breaks. Sure they happened but the island so small and the surrounding waters so treacherous where were they going to run to? Here’s a picture of the main cell block.

Next stop was the island lighthouse. Ships complained about the dangerous waters around the island and demanded a lighthouse and then the islanders would purposefully leave it off so ships would wreck. Why? Because they used the wrecked boats as wood to build homes plundered cargo and it was also a way to ensure their salvage boats had work. LOL! Here’s a picture of the lighthouse and of the surrounding waters. Don’t let the beautiful tranquil waters fool you.

Next stop was Half Moon Cay. They pronounce Cay as Key, but hey it’s spelled cay I’m saying cay. Anyway, I don’t have any pictures from there because I was too busy swimming in the the crystal clear, but very salty waters, and snorkeling, and getting burnt to a crisp. Remember folks just because you can’t reach the center of your back doesn’t mean that it won’t burn. I turned redder then Rudolph’s nose, but I had a marvelous time doing it.

Then off to the Bahamas. This is my second time there and I have to say it was even better then the first time. We took a tour through the botanical gardens and to Fort Charlotte on a Segway. If you’ve never seen a Segway here’s a picture. They are the coolest machines ever.

The historical sites and gardens were neat, but being this machine was the best of all. I totally want one now just to ride around the neighborhood.

Anyway, I could go on and on about all the good times we had and the fantastic food we ate, but I’ll save it for another time. With my classes starting back up and summer heading into fall I’m just going to hold on to my memories of warm sandy beaches to get me though. Oh and of course I have to dive back into NJRW conference planning.