Back to the Bahamas on the Carnival Freedom

Back in March this year we dropped our friends Keith and Barbara off at the Galveston Cruise Terminal so they could board the Carnival Freedom. Cindy and I weren't on this particular cruise, as we would be joining some of our fellow scuba club members the following month in Roatan, Honduras. Yes, that should sound familiar. I wrote a detailed account of that wonderful week in Roatan (try saying "wonderful week in Roatan" fast, three times) that you can find by clicking here. Go ahead and click that critter. 

Before I go any further, I'd like to remind my faithful readers, and inform my new readers that any links you click will open in a new window. You won't lose your place here. The same holds true with photos you'll see. If you'd like to see a larger version of the photo, just click on it. 

As Cindy and I were on our way back from the cruise terminal, she mentioned how hard it was to drop people off for a cruise and not join them. I mentioned that they still had two more cruises booked later in the year. Well, that settled it! When we picked them up the following Saturday, Cindy wanted to know when they'd be cruising next ("Details, I want details!") so we could potentially book one of the cruises with them. Cool, works for me!

Well, long story short, we decided to book an Eastern Caribbean cruise on the Carnival Freedom for October with them. The last time we did this route was 2010, so we were more than ready to return. When we did that cruise the previous time, we weren't diving yet so this would allow us to dive in the Bahamas for the first time.

Carnival Freedom

We haven't been on the Freedom since 2015 when we did a western Caribbean itinerary: Montego Bay, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel. As an additional bonus, I found out that our favorite piano bar entertainer, Ben Gentry, would be on our ship! And there was much rejoicing. While we've had the pleasure of some quality piano bar entertainers on other cruises, Ben is by far our favorite. You'll read more about him later.

Our specific itinerary had us leaving on a Saturday, and returning the following Saturday, as is typical for most cruises on the Freedom out of Galveston.

Saturday: Embarkation in Galveston

Sunday: Fun day at sea

Monday: Key West

Tuesday: Freeport

Wednesday: Nassau

Thursday: Fun day at sea

Friday: Fun day at sea

Saturday: Disembarkation in Galveston

Once we booked the cruise, I started looking for dive operators for each port. Of the three, I really wanted to dive in Key West so we could dive the Vandenberg wreck. I've heard so many good things about the "Vandy" that it's been on my list for a few years now. And of course, the one port where we docked too late in the morning was.....you guessed it.....Key West. I'll elaborate more on that when I write that day's blog. 

I found an active Facebook group for this cruise and joined the fun. I enjoy cruise groups, as it's a good way to meet new people and share ideas and tips on excursions, as well as find potential dive buddies. Cindy and I usually dive as a team, but we try to find others on a given cruise to join us. Keith and Barbara wouldn't be diving on this cruise, so I figured it would be just Cindy and me diving this trip.

Another tradition of sorts we like to follow is a pre-cruise dinner the night before we leave. We don't have to cook or try to save leftovers by eating out. Since we normally sail with at least one other couple, and oftentimes several others, it's a fun way to start our vacation. I invited anyone from the Facebook group to join us, and we ended up with more than a dozen at Southern BOI Cafe. I got to meet several of the members who I'd been interacting with online.

Pre-cruise dinner

photo courtesy of Oscar Valadez

All of us had plenty of good food to eat and enjoyed getting to know each other. We spent at least two hours there and called it a day. Some of our group had already traveled all day and were ready for some rest before starting a weeklong cruise. Keith and Barbara stayed the night with us to avoid a long drive for them Saturday morning. 

And so it begins...

I'm glad we didn't have to wake up early. We got up around 8:30 Saturday morning, and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast of pastries and coffee. Knowing we'd be eating lunch on the ship once we boarded in a few hours, we didn't need anything more than that. All of our bags had already been packed and tagged, so we waited until 10 a.m. and started a relaxed drive to Galveston. 

A few weeks before our cruise date, I booked a covered parking spot in an offsite parking lot. This lot sits several feet above the street, so if there happened to be a flood, the car would be high and dry. As I pulled into the lot, the attendant instructed me to "find any open space over there," pointing to a row of covered parking spaces. What's this? The first open spot I found just happened to be space 19! Oh, yes, this cruise is already starting out nicely. Stephen King fans will appreciate why I thought this was the perfect spot. Not a King fan? No worries, just click here and you'll get an idea about what I'm referring to. To add a nice, thick layer of frosting on this cake, the shuttle bus was just unloading people from the ship so we wouldn't have to wait. We unloaded our luggage and climbed aboard the bus for the short ride to the terminal.

Even after multiple cruises, both Cindy and I can't help but feel excited when we see the ship and know we will be boarding in short order. If we didn't get excited, what would be the point of cruising? We unloaded our luggage, triple checking that we had everything, and flagged down a porter. Other than our carry on bags, we left everything else for the porter to drop off with Carnival. Our bags would join us in our cabin in a few hours.

Cindy and I have a different status than Keith and Barbara, so we went into different lines. Another detail I like to keep track of is the time it takes "from curb to cabin." A glance at my watch showed 11:10 a.m. as we walked to the terminal entrance. Security at the cruise terminal is similar to that at the airport, with similar being the operative term. There are no restrictions on the amount of liquids (aftershave, toothpaste, shampoo, that type of thing)  you can have in your bag. Several staff members checked our boarding passes and identification as we entered the terminal and approached the security line. Like the airport, we placed our carry on bags on the x-ray conveyor belt and walked through a metal detector. No beeps, so we retrieved our bags and proceeded to the next station. There was no line at all, so we barely broke stride through this whole process.

Boarding had just begun, so the line was moving steadily and we boarded the Freedom just over twenty minutes after dropping our bags off with the porter. Since we knew our cabins were immediately available, we made our way to our cabin to drop off our carry on bags. Our home for the next week would be a balcony cabin on the starboard aft side of the ship. We were just a few steps from the elevator bank ideally located for both the main dining room on deck 4 and the Lido, two decks above us.

Cabin 7397

A quick look around our cabin to make sure everything was in order, and we off to Lido for some lunch. Not many had boarded yet, so lines at the various buffets and other venues were generally short. We decided on the Mongolian Wok for a light lunch, as dinner would be just a few hours away at 6 p.m. As we finished our lunch, Keith and Barbara found us and we sat with them as they ate their lunch. Keith told us they were able to board without much of a delay, as their line moved along at a brisk pace, too. By this time, their cabin was ready, so we parted ways and went back to our cabins to relax before the safety briefing.

Our luggage had been delivered, so we took the time to unpack and organize our cabin for the week. Both of us enjoyed a little downtime and soon enough we were on our way to deck 4 for the safety briefing. On this particular class of ship (Conquest-class), our muster stations are outside by the lifeboats. On the larger classes of ships, like the Dream-class, the muster stations are inside, such as in the dining rooms, main lounge, etc. The weather was perfect for an outside muster station with cool temps and a mild breeze. 

Hey, cool! One of our muster station attendants just happens to be Ben! Yep, the same Ben I mentioned earlier. I greeted him with a "bro hug" and chatted with him briefly before we had to take our place in the muster area. Thankfully the Freedom crew was efficient and after the mandatory information was given we were released. Sailaway time was fast approaching so we all headed up to Lido for the festivities. 

I knew from the weather forecast that the winds would start picking up in the afternoon, and sure enough, they did. The day was overcast, as expected, with an occasional light mist. That didn't bother us at all, and soon the sailaway party was in full swing. By this time tomorrow, we'd be in the Gulf of Mexico with warmer temperatures and blue skies.

Adios Galveston, hello fun!

Vacation mode....activated!

Sailaway from any port is one of my most favorite parts of a cruise. I love to stand at the rail and watch as we thrust away from the pier and begin the journey to our next destination. We stayed on deck until 5:20 or so, then returned to our cabin to get ready for dinner. I'm glad we ate a light lunch so we could enjoy the scrumptious dinners Carnival prepares. 

For this cruise, our dining assignment would be in the upper dining room deck 4, table 551. It was a four-top that we shared with Keith and Barbara. The view was less than desirable, but we could live with it. Other than dinner, we wouldn't be spending any time here, so we didn't try to change our table assignment.

Table 551

No matter what's on the menu, we always order a cheese plate as an additional appetizer to share with the table. Even though this is on the dessert menu, many request it as an appetizer. We asked our waiter Lousito to bring us this each night as a "standing request." We ordered just one cheese plate, but Lousito brought us two each night to split between the four of us. It made for a nice snack while waiting for our actual appetizers to arrive.

Cheese plate

As I nibbled on some Swiss cheese, I looked over the menu and made my selections for tonight. We've had this menu before, so I knew what was good and what was better. 

Appetizer: Jalapeno poppers

corn and bean relish

While the poppers had good flavor, they had no heat, at least to me. In all fairness, though, being born and raised in Texas, I'm accustomed to some really spicy food. These poppers had a nice crunch to them, and just enough cheese inside to give it a pleasing, gooey texture.

Entree: "BBQ brisket"

Baked beans and sweet potato hash

Yes, this was brisket, but no, it wasn't barbecued, at least in the traditional sense. It did have a nice BBQ flavor, though, due to the sauce. The sweet potato hash had a nice texture and the seasoning made it the perfect balance to the brisket.

Dessert: Warm chocolate melting cake

This is Carnival's signature dessert and is available every night. Notice the two small ramekins of ice cream? This is "Mickey Mouse style," available upon request. The standard serving is just a single ramekin of ice cream. I encourage new cruisers to try this at least once, especially the chocolate fans. 

After dinner, Keith and Barbara thought a soak in the hot tub would be an enjoyable way to spend the evening. Cindy and I would join them in the aft Lido hot tubs, at least for a while. On our way back to the cabin, I wondered what towel animal Mario, our cabin steward, had made for us for our turndown service.

Hello, Mr. Elephant

Ollie's "good side"

In just a few minutes we had changed into our swimwear and were climbing the stairs to Lido to soak in the hot tubs. On the Conquest-class ships such as the Freedom, the aft Lido pool area has a retractable glass cover that closes at night or in rainy weather. Keith and Barbara were already in the hot tub when we got there, so we joined them and the others. We spent about an hour or so and decided to rinse off in the cabin and check out the piano bar. Keith and Barbara opted to stay in the hot tub, so we bade them good night and returned to our cabin to shower and change into shorts and t-shirts.

For being the first night, Ben was already rocking the piano bar and we joined right in on the fun. And fun we had! And had.....and had. So much fun, in fact, that we ended up closing the piano bar. The next day would be a sea day, we didn't have to get up early, so why stop the fun until we had to?

If this first day was any indication of how the rest of the cruise would go, we would need a vacation just to rest up from this vacation. Cindy and I trudged back to the cabin and after spending about half an hour on the balcony, we called it a day. At 1:15 a.m.

If you enjoyed our first day on the Freedom, I've written accounts on two other cruises that you might find interesting. They are a series like this one will be. Links for the first blog of each cruise are below:

Life is a Breeze on the Carnival Breeze

My Grand View of the Carnival Vista

For those that have cruised before, what was embarkation day like for you? Did you find it generally stressful or fun? For those who have never cruised before, did reading this make you feel like you were there with us? I'd love to read your thoughts. Please leave your comments below.

Coming up next, our first sea day, which you can find by clicking here.

Until next time....

carpe cerevisi

To Bean or Not to Bean...

...that is the question.

Or is it? 

With fall upon us, temperatures are noticeably cooler, even here in SE Texas. I look forward to this time of year, knowing that this is the season for football, festivals and hearty food. Of course, there's no law saying I can't prepare a batch of carne guisada or chili in the summer, but such heavy fare really isn't suitable for hot days. Our first major cold front blew through here recently and we seized on the opportunity to whip up a batch of chili. And that gave me the idea to write a quick blog on the subject.

Before I get too far along, I'd like to point out to my new readers, and remind my regular readers that any link you see will open in a new window when you click it. You won't lose your place here. The same holds true for photos. If you click on a photo, you'll see a larger format of the picture in a new window, without leaving this one.

Many of y'all participated in a poll I posted across several Facebook groups, and for that I thank you. I obtained some interesting results about the preference of beans or no beans in chili. When I posted this poll, I made sure to specify that I wasn't looking to start a debate about what was "right" or "wrong." My intent was just to determine a general trend of who preferred beans in their chili or not. You'll see the results a bit later in this blog, I promise.

My main goal in this blog to celebrate what a wonderful dish chili is, in all its forms. I'll eat it with or without beans, although I prefer my chili with beans in most cases. And yes, I'm a native Texan, born and raised in the Corpus Christi area. When eating a chili dog, though, I prefer a beanless chili. To paraphrase Dr. Seuss, I will eat it in a house, I will eat it with my spouse. I will eat it here or there, I will eat it anywhere. Well, as long as it's good chili.

Our most recent chili

(with jalapeno cornbread)

This most recent batch had ground beef and two different types of beans. I added chopped onion near the end of the simmer so they wouldn't be too mushy. When cooking the beef, I aggressively seasoned it with Fiesta brand fajita seasoning (salt-free) as well as black pepper and just a touch of salt. To add a little heat, I chopped some chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and added most of the sauce from the can. We like a lot of heat in our chili, so we use peppers quite liberally. There are a few other ingredients, but I wanted y'all to get the gist of what it was. We rarely use a written recipe, but if you'd like my recipe, please let me know in the comments section at the end of this blog and I'll post it.

Many people added comments when they voted in the poll, explaining their reasoning behind beans or no beans, what types of beans those that prefer them enjoy and as asked, whether or not the respondent was a Texas native. I asked for that last detail so I could see whether or not that had a significant effect on their choice to add beans or not (it didn't).

One aspect I found most interesting was what people even considered chili to be. A form of stew or soup? Did the addition of a specific ingredient, namely beans, change what it was they made or ate? Well, Wikipedia describes chili as a type of "spicy stew" in their article which can be found here. The article does touch on the bean controversy, but also notes that the Chili Appreciation Society International does forbid beans in their official competitions. If you are interested in a more in-depth history of chili, I found a detailed article here, which includes even more links to explore. 

Another organization that sponsors chili competitions is the International Chili Society. The ICS sanctions four specific categories, which can be found here. While their "Traditional Red Chili" category forbids beans or any other filler, the "Homestyle Chili" category specifically requires the addition of beans. I think that settles, at least for me, the question of beans or no beans. My interpretation? Unless you are in a competition with specific rules about beans, add 'em if you want 'em, or leave 'em out. It is, after all, your dish to cook and enjoy as you see fit. Life is too short to stress over such details. 

Let's look at the actual results of the poll I posted on Facebook:

Total votes:            1605
Votes for beans:    1095 (68.2%)
Votes for no beans: 510 (31.8%)

The totals came from all of the groups I posted to and reflects an overall count. In all groups but one, the percentages were pretty close. The poll from my scuba club group, Bay Area Divers, showed just the opposite. 60% of my fellow divers preferred no beans, with the other 40% wanting beans in their chili. Could I be immature and make a joke about divers not wanting to worry about excess gas affecting their buoyancy? I guess that would give a whole new meaning to "blowing bubbles." Let's not even get started on "off-gassing."

From all the comments, it didn't seem to matter whether or not someone was a Texas native when expressing a preference for beans or not. Of course, I collected all of this data in a very informal manner so you can make of it what you wish.

I think a look at some different types of chili might be interesting. Following are a few different types of chili that I find both tasty and interesting. Naturally, I'll start with the most traditional chili, the iconic "Texas Red Chili." This chili won't have beans and has a deep red color.

Red Chili

photo courtesy of Jennifer Lopez Fuller

This style especially lends itself as a topping for chili dogs or chili burgers. Kick up the spice level and it'll be even better. A nice, spicy red chili on a hot dog? Yes, please!

One of my fondest memories of junior high was going to the Friday night high school football games and enjoying Frito pie. We bought this at the concession stand and thought it was divine. Take a small bag of Fritos corn chips, and cut it open along one of the long sides. Add some chili and top with cheese and you have instant Frito pie. To this day I still enjoy Frito pie, and when we shop for chili ingredients, I always buy a bag of Fritos for the leftover chili. It makes a tasty and filling lunch.

My version of Frito pie

Stirred up, to show the corn chips

Growing up, my idea of chili was limited to the "basic" chili, with beans, and a moderate heat level. As I grew older and became exposed to other styles, I realized just how versatile this dish was. Thanks to The Food Network, I learned about something called "Cincinnati chili." Glancing at photos of Cincinnati chili showed me a bed of spaghetti with chili and cheese on top. Until I actually tasted it, though, I had no idea just how different it was. A friend of mine at work made some authentic Cincinnati chili and let me taste it. 

What a revelation! I was expecting the "standard" chili flavor but was surprised just how different it tasted. My first reaction was "Wow, this reminds me of jerk seasoning." No surprise, really, when I actually read the recipe. Not only does it have cinnamon and allspice, hence my impression of jerk seasoning, but it also has chocolate in it. Yes, chocolate! Honestly, it won't be my first choice when making chili, but I'd definitely like to try it again.

Cincinnati Chili

image from Google search

Sometime in high school, I think, I got to try a pork-based "green chili," or pork chili verde. 

The green comes from the puree made from tomatillos, poblano peppers, and cilantro. This is my second favorite style of chili. Yes, it's a bit more labor intensive than what I grew up with, but the extra effort is totally worth it. Don't want to make it? No worries, just look for it at most Mexican restaurants.

Pork Chili Verde

image from Google search

Finally, my wife Cindy will occasionally make a white chicken chili. This chili is more on the mild side of the spectrum. It's a nice change of pace every so often, but not a style that I naturally desire. When eating this chili, I prefer biscuits or Hawaiian sweet bread instead of cornbread.

White Chicken Chili

Photo courtesy of Pillsbury.com

So there we are my faithful readers, a celebration of chili. Do you have a favorite chili recipe you'd like to share? Please post it in the comments section below. I bet there will be some fantastic recipes out there.

I'll leave y'all with something I found many years ago on the internet. Please be aware that there is some adult language scattered throughout, so use discretion when scrolling through this next part. I think it's funny and surprisingly accurate. Unfortunately, I don't know who the author is to give him or her credit for this masterpiece.

Notes from an inexperienced chili taster named Ed Griffin, who was visiting Texas from the East Coast:

“Recently I was honored to be selected as a judge at a chili cook-off.  The original judge called in sick at the last moment and I happened to be standing there at the judge’s table asking directions to the beer wagon when the call came.  I was assured by the other two judges (native Texans) that the chili wouldn’t be all that spicy, and besides, they told me I could have free beer during the tasting, so I accepted.”  Here are the score cards from the event:

  Chili #1:         Mike’s Maniac Mobster Monster Chili

JUDGE ONE:    A little too heavy on tomato.  Amusing hint of spice.

JUDGE TWO:    Nice, smooth tomato flavor.  Very mild.

Ed Griffin:         Holy shit, what the hell is this stuff?  You could remove dried paint from your driveway.  Took me two beers to put the flames out.  I hope that’s the worst one.  These Texans are crazy.

Chili #2:           Arthur’s Afterburner Chili

JUDGE ONE:    Smoky, with a hint of pork.  Slight jalapeno tang.

JUDGE TWO:    Exciting BBQ flavor, needs more peppers to be taken seriously.

Ed Griffin:         Keep this out of reach of children!  I’m not sure what I am supposed to taste besides pain.  I had to wave off two people who wanted to give me the Heimlich Maneuver.  They had to rush in more beer when they saw the look on my face.

Chili #3:           Fred’s Famous Burn Down the Barn Chili

JUDGE ONE:    Excellent firehouse chili!  Great kick.  Needs more beans.

JUDGE TWO:    A beanless chili, a bit salty, good use of red peppers.

Ed Griffin:         Call the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), I’ve located a uranium spill.  My nose feels like I have been snorting Drano.  Everyone knows the routine by now, get me more beer before I ignite.  The barmaid pounded me on the back; now my backbone is in the front part of my chest.  I’m getting totaled from all the beer.

Chili #4:           Bubba’s Black Magic

JUDGE ONE:    Black bean chili with almost no spice.  Disappointing.

JUDGE TWO:    Hint of lime in the black beans.  Good side dish for fish or other mild foods, not much of a chili.

Ed Griffin:         I felt something scraping across my tongue, but was unable to taste it; is it possible to burn-out taste buds?  Sally, the barmaid, was standing behind me with fresh refills; that 300 pound bitch is starting to look HOT, just like the nuclear waste I’m eating.  Is chili an aphrodisiac?

Chili #5:           Linda’s Legal Lip Remover

JUDGE ONE:    Meaty, strong chili.  Cayenne peppers freshly ground, adding considerable kick.  Very impressive.

JUDGE TWO:    Chili using shredded beef; could use more tomato.  Must admit the cayenne peppers make a strong statement.

Ed Griffin:         My ears are ringing, sweat is pouring off my forehead and I can no longer focus my eyes.  I farted and four people behind me needed paramedics.  The contestant seemed offended when I told her that her chili had given me brain damage.  Sally saved my tongue from bleeding by pouring beer directly on it.  I wonder if I’m burning my lips off?  It really pisses me off that the other judges asked me to stop screaming.  Screw those rednecks!

Chili #6:           Verbs Very Vegetarian Variety

JUDGE ONE:    Thin yet bold vegetarian variety chili.  Good balance of spice and peppers.

JUDGE TWO:    The best yet.  Aggressive use of peppers, onions and garlic.  Superb.

Ed Griffin:         I’m starting to shit lava!  My intestines are now a straight pipe filled with gaseous, sulphuric flames.  I shit on myself when I farted and I’m worried it will eat through the chair.  No one seems inclined to stand behind me except that slut Sally, she must be kinkier than I thought.  Can’t feel my lips anymore.  I need to wipe my ass with a snow cone!

Chili #7:           Susan’s Screaming Sensation Chili

JUDGE ONE:    A mediocre chili with too much reliance on canned peppers.

JUDGE TWO:    Ho Hum, tastes as if the chef literally threw in a can of chili peppers at the last moment.  I should note that I am worried about Judge Number 3.  He appears to be in a bit of distress; a vein in his forehead is starting to throb and he is cursing uncontrollably.

Ed Griffin:         You could put a grenade in my mouth, pull the pin, and I wouldn’t feel a damn thing.  I’ve lost the sight in one eye, and the world sounds like it is made of rushing water.  My shirt is covered with chili which slid unnoticed out of my mouth.  My pants are full of lava-like shit to match my damn shirt.  At least during the autopsy they’ll know what killed me.  I’ve decided to stop breathing, it’s too painful.  Screw it, I’m not getting any oxygen anyway.  If I need air, I’ll just suck it in through the 4 inch hole in my stomach.  Are those flames shooting out of my ass?

Chili #8:           Helen’s Mount Saint Chili

JUDGE ONE:    A perfect ending, this is a nice blend chili, safe for all.  Not too bold but spicy enough to declare its existence.

JUDGE TWO:    This final entry is a good, balanced chili, neither mild nor hot.  Sorry to see that most of it was lost when the vein in Judge Number 3’s head burst; he passed out, fell over and pulled the chili pot down on top of himself.  Not sure if he’s going to make it.  Poor Yank, wonder how he’d have reacted to a really hot chili?

Ed Griffin:         ----- (note:  Judge #3 was unable to report)

Coming up next, I'll start another series of my day-by-day account of our last cruise on the Carnival Freedom.

Until next time......

carpe cerevisi

Halloween Fiction 2018

It's that time of year again, my faithful readers. My friend and author Eric Douglas is hosting another Halloween fiction event on his website, and this is my contribution to it. 

You can find the 2018 stories here. I encourage y'all to visit his site and read what he and others will have to offer.

For my new readers, any link you click will open in a new window. You will still have this page open to you without having to backtrack. Clicking on any photo will display a larger version of it in a new window as well.

image from Google search

This year's creation is about a poor soul who attended a game night that went horribly wrong. 

So, without further ado, I present you with:

Game Night

image from Google search

Journal entry, November 7th:

After what's been happening these past several days, I thought I'd better record all the facts in this journal. Nobody will believe it anyway, but I need to write all this down. Has it been only a week since it happened? It already feels like a lifetime ago. Maybe it was. I guess I better start at the beginning. If you are reading this, I can only hope that everything is normal again, whatever "normal" is anymore.

My girlfriend Tasha and I host game night every Saturday at our condo. Our friends bring their favorite board game and a dish to contribute to a potluck dinner. Sometimes we just order pizza or Chinese for delivery. Tasha insists on making the dessert though. Crap, why am I wasting time with trivial details? I don't have time for trivial details right now. Come on, Ernie, get yourself together and focus!

This past Wednesday was Halloween, so our regular group decided to have a special game night. So what if it was a work night? Arnold and his wife Nancy host this exchange student from Wales, and decided to bring one of his games that he brought over with him. We've had Eurig over for game night before, and his Goth appearance should've been a clue to his tastes in games. Apparently, this game is popular with his type all over Wales, and he described it to Arnold as an "intensely realistic" role-playing game. 

Nancy told us it was called "Goroeswr Enaid," which loosely translates to "Soul Survivor." We would play as a clan, cooperatively trying to match wits with supernatural forces that we would summon with incantations and common household items. Would we capture the souls of the various demons and ghosts, or would we lose our souls to them? Game on!

Eurig translated the rules for us, and as Arnold started setting up the game, I got a good look at it. A rolled scroll looked like human skin, which was a nice touch if you were into that kind of thing. A sort of pentagram was printed onto this scroll in what looked like dried blood. Whoever created this game put a lot of effort into making it look creepy, and they succeeded in spades. 

My first indication that maybe we should've played something else was the requirement that we each had to place three drops of our blood into the white bowl. Wait, we have to use real blood in this game? What the hell? As I was about to back out of this game with the excuse that I didn't want an infected finger, Karen reached into her purse and pulled out her blood sugar testing kit. 

"Here we go, guys, we can use my test kit and get blood this way. It's sterile so we won't have to worry about infection."

Great, there went my excuse. I still thought it was morbid, though. 

"Hey, in order for us to be a true clan, we must share a common blood bond." As Arnold swirled the white bowl with our collective blood, the black bowl on the other side of the pentagram twitched. All of us looked at each other, but blew it off as an effect from the ceiling fan. A peal of thunder shook the windows and all of us jumped. 

I don't know why we were surprised, as the forecast called for thunderstorms throughout the night. Tasha, in her best Slavic accent, tried to lighten the mood with a "It was a dark and stormy night" comment. We all giggled nervously and glanced at each other. 

Eurig's notes said to add some salt to the black bowl and place animal blood and soil from a cemetery in it. Nancy removed two plastic baggies from her purse and smiled.

"It's chicken blood from the meat market and some dirt from Eternal Pines. Eurig and his friends did a seance there the other night and he collected some for me."

Crap. No backing out now. As soon as Nancy added all the ingredients, the black bowl started spinning and another loud clap of thunder made us all scream. 

Then the power failed.

We all sat there in stunned silence, wondering what to do next when an icy blast swirled through the room. 

The next thing we knew, it was dawn and we were still sitting in a circle. All of us had a bloody nose and felt sore all over, like we had been in a bad car wreck.

Arnold and Nancy exchanged a look as she asked us all "What the hell just happened here?"

I wish I knew. The black bowl was inverted, and the white bowl looked like it had been licked clean. I don't think any of us would've done that, and we don't have cats, so I was at a loss. We decided to go home or go to work. Tasha and I decided to call in sick at work and shower and rest. I would love to know what happened to all those lost hours.

On Friday the second, our game group decided to go ahead and have another game night on Saturday as usual, but not with Soul Survivor. Screw that! We hadn't heard from Jerry or Blake, but figured they'd eventually let us know. They were always deciding things at the last minute. Neither have been on Facebook, which was very unusual for them. Both were typically very active on Facebook and Twitter, but the complete absence of any posts from them made it seem like they had fallen off the face of the earth. Come to think of it, they hadn't answered any texts, either. Very strange.

By Saturday afternoon, the rest of the group had canceled on us, citing different reasons. Arnold and Nancy were having some sort of difficulty with Eurig, and Karen was sick in bed. Even Tasha felt out of sorts. Fine, so be it.

I'll give it until tomorrow and send a group message out to see about this coming Saturday. 


Journal entry, November 9th:
What is going on?? Nobody has heard from either Jerry or Blake. We've left voicemail on both of their phones, sent multiple texts and messages through Facebook, but haven't heard anything from them. Very weird! Maybe they had a fight and are trying to work things out. Still, though, it's not cool for them to totally ignore our messages like that.

Arnold and Nancy said Eurig has been insufferable to be around, acting belligerent to them and having a constant smirk on his face. Nancy texted Tasha saying she was getting strange vibes from Eurig, like he was reading her thoughts.

Karen's diabetes has been flaring up, and she can't seem to control her blood sugar. 

I guess game night is off for this Saturday as well. Bummer!


Journal entry, November 10th:
With game night canceled, Tasha and I were going to the movies when she got a call from Blake's mother. Apparently he called her, and sounded strange, as if coming out of anesthesia. He told her that both he and Jerry were going out of town for some alone time and that they would be in touch. Blake's mom sounded worried and told Tasha that was very out of character for both of them.

Tasha got several strange voice mail messages from "unavailable" numbers. Some jerk was pranking her, and speaking in some strange language, probably made up. It creeped Tasha out so much that she didn't want to go out after that. We'll just order a pizza and watch something innocuous on TV. Neither of us is up for anything too intense tonight.


Journal entry, November 12th:
I can't believe I'm having to write this. Holy crap! Karen's boyfriend found her dead in her bed this morning! He said she seemed to finally be getting her blood sugar under control when he found her body in bed, withered as if she'd been dead for months. This just can't be. Things like this happen only in the movies. Come to think of it, we haven't heard from Arnold and Nancy for the past couple of days, and we still haven't heard anything from Jerry or Blake. Nothing at all. If this is all an elaborate prank by the group, I'm gonna be pissed! This is not funny!


Journal entry, November 14th:
It's now been two weeks since.....that night. Karen is really dead. We read her obituary in the paper, and arrangements are pending for her funeral after an autopsy. Arnold left the strangest voicemail on my phone. Eurig and Nancy had a huge argument, and after he said something in Welsh Nancy doubled over in agony, clutching her stomach. He's at the hospital now, and they are running tests on her. They aren't letting anyone see her, even Arnold. Still not a peep from Jerry or Blake. It's not like we can even go to the police over this, either. Maybe a priest?


Journal entry, November 15th:
Tasha and I are stunned. Nancy is gone. Arnold called me early this morning with the news. The attending physician has ordered an autopsy, and based on what he described to Arnold, Nancy died the same way Karen did. This is getting way too creepy! Arnold hasn't been home since he took Nancy to the hospital. He's staying at a hotel, but won't tell us where. He's afraid Eurig will find him. Maybe it's just my imagination, but I'm not too fond of being around Eurig right now, either.


Journal entry, November 16th:
Blake's mom called Tasha this afternoon. Both his and Jerry's bodies were found clear across the country in an old Scottish cemetery. Both looked like mere husks of their former selves, according to the police photos conveyed to Blake's mom. Tasha is really freaked out by all of this, and wants us to leave and go into hiding. Had she said this a week ago, I would've laughed in her face. Now? I think she's right.


Journal entry, November 17th: 
This is just nuts! I just got a text from Arnold's phone: "I'm next. You and Tasha need to leave NOW. Get out! It's too late for me." 

I tried to call him back, but his phone went straight to voicemail. That's it. Tasha and I are packing a bag and leaving. To hell with this! We're outta here.


Excerpt from Salem PD, case number H-2018-21259, Salem, Massachusetts: 
Two decedents found in Broad Street Cemetery. One male, tentatively identified as Ernie Hutchings and one female tentatively identified as Natasha Tarasov. Both bodies appear to be victims of ritualistic murder. Autopsies pending on both. Special note is made of papers found on male decedent, which appear to be a diary. This "diary" appears to be written by a single person, with the exception of the last sentence. The last sentence is in an apparent different hand. A facsimile of which follows:

Rwy'n ennill. Fi yw'r enaid sydd wedi goroesi.

Case to be referred to the FBI due to apparent multi-state jurisdiction.

The End

I hope you enjoyed this spooky short as much as I enjoyed writing it. 

Coming up next, I will begin posting a day-by-blog of our most recent cruise on the Carnival Freedom to the Eastern Caribbean.

Until next time.....

carpe cerevisi