Sea Day/Southampton

June 21st/22nd
Sea Day/Southampton

I don’t remember much from the sea day coming into Southampton, which is strange because it was only two days ago. I had a farewell show that night, and OH!!!, a Dixie land set! I knew there was something worth remembering. Anyways, yes, I had a Dixie set to play, which once again had me playing clarinet. By the time I get off this ship I might just be a decent Clarinet player with all the shows I end up having to use it for. Dixie Land clarinet isn’t especially easy either seeing as it requires me to improvise on that dreaded black tube. But surprisingly enough, after having to improvise every tune, transpose into Bb, and fight my clarinet-phobia, I actually really enjoyed the set. That’s not to say I didn’t let out a few choice squeaks (no, I’m not to proud to admit), but as soon as we started playing, I guess that Dixie Land spirit just came over me and I had a great time. I’m even looking forward to the next one, which as far as my relationship with the clarinet goes, is a first. Over all, it was a really busy day for playing, almost 6 hours worth, so I took it easy that night and watched some movies in my room.
The 22nd was my first time back in Southampton (to the extent that I could actually go do my own thing). After some much needed internet time, my friend Ben (the tenor player) and I headed into the mall to do some shopping before heading back to the ship for boat drill. I ended up with a loofa (sp?) and some soap…I was “fresh” out. But aside from some errands around the port, there wasn’t anything all that exciting to report back about. Today we start our Baltic cruise to St. Petersburg, of which I’m sure will be a lot of fun. I’m hoping to meet up with some old ships friends and get some tours in this cruise, so there should be a lot of blogging going on over the next two weeks - keep checking in!!!