OK, let’s start with the BIGGEST NEWS of the day: Cyd won Dan’s eight-day trivia contest. She was tied with Ronnie and Ricky for first place before tonight’s bonus question. Test your skill: Is the following statement true or false? Albert Einstein invented the Rule of 72, an accounting shortcut to estimate how long it will take an investment to double in value.

Rick fell out with that question which left the little vixen tied with Ronnie necessitating three tie breaker questions.
1) In the last four years how many states have enacted legislation or passed resolutions to provide for year-round daylight savings time: 19 or 8?
2) What is the most popular and least popular color in the world: blue/yellow or red/purple?
3) According to U.S. News and World Reports what are the top three luxury cruise lines: Viking, Seabourn, and Crystal or Azamara, Regent Seven Seas, and Oceania?

Our little winner got all three correct (Ronnie missed one) before graciously receiving her prize of a Celebrity umbrella provided by the quiz master.

Aside from mounting anticipation of who would win the umbrella tonight, this sea day was similar to the others in that we slept late, ate, attended two wonderful lectures, ate, relaxed, walked the deck, ate, and then luxuriated in not having to be anywhere or do anything before another date night.

Brent lectured on green sea turtles, so named for the color of their fat, not the color of their shells, by the way. We learned about their courting rituals, breeding sites, life spans, and their horrific odds—one percent—of living to breeding age. Almost unbelievable since a single healthy female in her prime can lay up to 800 eggs in one breeding cycle! Oddly the youngsters are carnivores but switch to vegetarianism after their fifth birthday. In case you were wondering about all that sea water they take in while grazing, it is expelled with massive burps.

Mary Amanda’s lecture was on the building of the Panama Canal. I’ll share lots more tomorrow, but for now let me offer a few teasers. Passage through the canal saves 8,000 miles and 22 days when compared to a trip around South America! Ships can’t just show up and think everyone will be happy to see them; nope, a reservation is required. Payment must be in cash and in the case of cruise ships is determined by the number of beds, regardless of occupancy. Celebrity paid in the neighborhood of $600,000 to transit. If, let’s say, you do not want to wait your turn in line, you can get a speedy pass for an early slot. I can only assume that is payable in cash also. These charges include the service of a mandatory canal pilot, most of whom are now women.

Tonight’s entertainment: vocalist Rachel Tyler packed a punch.

For What it’s worth…..

Albert Einstein is Not the brains behind the Rule of 72.

Tie breakers: 19 … blue/yellow … Viking, Seabourn, Crystal