Graceland?

As Mia and I were making our way through Princess Grace’s Palace in Monaco, I happen to voice a thought I should have kept in my head.

ME: This is probably what Graceland is like

MIA: Are you serious, you Muppet?

Now even Mia, being from the United Kingdom, knew how dumb of a statement it was. Comparing silk lined walls edged in cording and lined with centuries old oil paintings to a place that houses a Velvet Elvis was kind of ridiculous; I guess I am lucky I only voiced one thought.

Later that night I got a page from Big Daddy, John, to accompany him for dinner. I love my boss. He really is the greatest cruise director out there. He is Nurturing, he is caring, and he is the first person to ask if everything is alright. He is a friend, and it crushed me when I had to turn down his offer when he asked me to do the next brand new ship next year. For the sake of our friendship I really wanted to go with him; however for the sake of my career, I had to accept my full Assistant Cruise Director Promotion.  Although November is a long time away yet, I want to spend as much time with him as possible, not as a boss, but as a friend.

We ordered the usual from the Pub on Board: Wings for him and Conch salad for me, before settling down to a great conversation:

Big Daddy John: What’s up Gay Lord?

Me: Nothing much Big Daddy.

BDJ: I told you not to call me that for god sake, it makes you sound like you’re my boy toy. I told you I’m not gay.

Me: You can do a lot worse than Calvyn Sean Champagne -Martens.

BDJ: Love you

Me: Love you

The bantering between John and I will be something I miss deeply, and even though he won’t admit it to my face I know he will miss it as well.

After leaving the Pub I jumped into a closing guest elevator and ran into Mia who was going for dinner.  I decided to come along. We would have called Juzzy, but she was back in Scotland going to her friend Muriel’s Wedding. Mia ordered her usual three orders of steak fries while I munched on some cherry tomatoes. I was tired from the day and I so I came up and went to bed.

As I was falling asleep, I was thinking about how much my life had changed in the last year and a half. I had gone from complete desecration to slowly climbing my way up to the top once again. Much Like Princess Grace I suppose.