First thing’s first: I occasionally ran on a treadmill. I hate treadmills.
There. Now that the unwritten rule of “run kevin run dot com” that says it’s all things running all the time has been addressed:
Our Keys To the World to board the Disney Magic
We were met and greeted by Captain Mickey… albeit I was hoping to meet newly promoted (and a long overdue promotion at that) Captain Minnie. We’d see her real soon, though.
Pre-captioned on my phone.
We could only get into a Champagne Tasting on the first day, mere minutes after boarding…
So it begins…
With five champagnes to be tasted.
This one has ice in it…
…it’s supposed to though…
But I’m not so sure…
This non-Dumbo inspired pink champagne bottle has a different “secret message” on every label.
So long, White Cliffs of Dover!
A Sunrise aboard as we head to our first port of call.
It was NOT because I stopped for this.
Weymouth
It’s this-a-way.
I’m looking for the Knights Who Say Ni.
Running on land…
A Bowie Tribute Band > A Bon Jovi Tribute Band in my opinion.
Views from the run in Weymouth
Just a nice way to start the day.
Why did the bird cross the road?
Holy Bat Villain Lair, Batman!
A typical British seaside town.
Weymouth, England.
Running selfie
AWARD WINNING BEACH, y’all!
This it — the beach at Weymouth.
NOT Big Ben… but a big-ish clock
Contemplating the beach
Baywatch Weymouth (previously posted to Instagram)
This is not an abomination.A cow COULD enjoy ice cream.
It’s not like she’s eating a hamburger, ya know?
More beach
And yet, she didn’t see me coming?
Mr. Whippy… one of my favorite tales of the “Mr” or “Mrs” kid books.
Punch and Judy.
Helter Skelter…
Here’s where I kinda got turned around — thought I could cut over on this but alas, it’s a pier — it dead ends.
Run along.
Weymouth
We’re allowed to bring aboard 2 bottles of wine at each port…
I onlyhad enough on me to buy this 4 pound “Zesty” white. But I carried it back to the ship.
Portland, where the ship was docked.
Directional signs.
Slogans.
Not so secret entrance.
Is there anything more British than a cruise ship next to a double deccker bus advertising the Downton Abbey movie?
Mom and I had never done this before.
We were supposed to paint the Beast’s Enchanted Rose.
Got our paints all set.
And our first of three cocktails to help us along.
I started early.
Mom’s painting!
A toast to our instructor Maria!
A martini, painted.
A couple of happy little roses… with the great Maria in the background.
Here’s what Maria painted…
And here are ours in the room.
The pilot was more interested in shooting GoPro than directing the ship… I get it, man.
Donald Duck has always been number 1.
Mom looks great for our dinner at Palo.
That’s Palo’s chocolate soufflé.
Cork, Ireland offers tour buses.
This is the best we’ve ever done drawing Mickey Mouse.
Donald can’t believe it!
A great pic with the duck.
One of our favorite thugs.
Hook Hand, killing it at Rapunzel’s Royal Table…
why Rapunzel isn’t a brunette remains a mystery.
Thuggery 4 Life.
So many desserts.
Sunrise as I run Deck 4.
That’s a lot of avocadoes.
SpiderMan is a fan of my Mom.
Two Heroes… and me.
We did get into a Stem to Stern wine tasting…
Spoiler alert — not NEARLY as good as the champagne tasting.
Cheers, Mom!
Meh wine.
Mickey loves my Mom!
Formal night with Mickey Mouse.
Aw, Minnie…
Rough seas the next morning.
Thanks in some ways to the reverberating Hurricane Humberto… which prompted us to reroute and head to sea.
But we found better skies and better seas that way.
Cindy says hi.
I didn’t bring a frying pan so I CGI’d it later… I think it’s seamless.
Princess Tiana… I was a huge fan.
Due to safety concerns over the pointed utensils, they weren’t making Forky on the ship… but I was able to borrow some art supplies as Mom and I smuggled our own plastic utensils aboard.
Unfortunately, we only sourced one spork and one fork…
So may I introduce to you, Forky and his cousin Sporky!
Cheers to being alive, Forky and Sporky!
Celebrating with the gang.
Talking to the big cheese.
The quiet of the night.
A hallway outside our door.
Olaf says hi!
Mom’s a fan… not as big a fan as she is of Thor, but a fan.
This is when I mentioned this to Cap… and he was not happy.
Sorry, mom! Sorry, Cap!
Mickey thought it funny.
Selfie with Spidey!
We’ve got a Goofy piper!
We made our own hammers!
DefCon 2 – they were running low on Diet Coke and started rationing.
I met Captain Minnie! I met Captain Minnie!
But I quickly realized this was a bigger thing than me…
So here’s GIRL POWER — Captain Minnie and her friends Socoya and my Mom! That’s a TV Show right there, folks.
This was a broadway star on board who played Mary Poppins on the Great White Way. When I said I had a fanboy question she immediately said she couldn’t date me. A pre-emptive shoot down when that wasn’t even my question — must be a record. I actually wanted to know if she was Mary when the orchestra pit flooded. I was so flummoxed I asked to snap a photo with a crew member. Awkwardness for $1000, Alex.
Speaking of game shows — guess who later got to play?
More importantly, guess who was a winner?
Deck 4 morning runs continued at sea. Three loops was a mile.
Talking to Chip and Dale.
Posing with the boys.
Pirate Mickey, y’all!
It’s how we roll.
Minnie should be a Pirate Captain too!
Another day, another run on Deck 4.
The seas and skies.
Shuffling off to a run.
A pirate night with Hook and Smee
Not the best positioning — the back row needed to be higher but who am I to judge.
Captain Jack Sparrow and Mom
The Captain and I discussing ships
He was right… I was wrong.
Whomp, whomp.
Mom and our cruising friends the Ramseys.
People felt I was a very French pirate.
So I embraced that.
And as is often the case, ran the joke into the ground.
Me drawing a pirate at Animator’s Palette.
Mom said she couldn’t have a serious discussion with me in this wig.
So I dropped the wig and put on a moustache.
Pirate night pyrotechnics.
Kaboom!
Explode!
Pew Pew!
BOOM!
A morning after run.
Mom meets Captain Minnie and is just as thrilled as I was.
Piper dance.
Piper dance.
Where’s Mom? I’ve lost my Mom!
My hammer is JUST like Thor’s!
Everybody neat and pretty?
It’s a wonderful world of color!
Mmmmmm…. donuts.
Defcon 1 – We’ve totally run out of ALL diet cokes — Diet Coke, Coke Zero. It was… ugly.
Maria was a delight… and inspired me to try my hand at another animation class… even though my Hades looked more like The Joker.
But look at Maria’s — she nailed it! Hashtag – Maria Made Me Draw This.
Two Captains, One Heart.
Three captains and me.
Goofing around.
Around rhe ship.
I asked Donald if he ever is told he needs to be in his sailor’s costume if he ever gets confused and puts on his blue suit by accident.
My mom and Pluto.
Who’s a good dog?
Hook Hand in disguise?
My Mom and Rapunzel!
Here comes the smolder.
A cheesecake toast to Rapunzel and her beau.
This dessert? Served in a frying pan.
Me and my mom!
You know what, Disney? You don’t own the wind… yet. It’s not your fault. Stop apologizing.
My mom watching the sunrise as we steam into New York.
I still believe in the tired poor and huddled masses yearning to be free.
Sailing into New York.
Lady Liberty.
My Mom and Lady Liberty.
Sunrise over the skyline.
Heaading into port.
We have arrived.
And yet it took so long to clear the ship, I opted just run on the dreaded treadmill as we waited for Customs and Immigration inspected the whole ship.
New York at Night from the ship.
Last night with the ‘Munks.
… and the dogs…
…and of course the mice.
Moonlit nights.
Most had gone out into the city but I stayed aboard.
I was a bit people’d out and so… just wandered alone.
Live the journey… for every destination is but the doorway to the next.
Quote taken from MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE (1987).
“Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
