20 November 2023

Where's My Toolbox?

The first day on a cruise ship is almost always frenetic. There are 4000 guests and 1600 workers on this boat, so when it left the dock it was like a small town sailing away. The "Norwegian Bliss" feels HUGE. Finding your stateroom, then getting a feel for "lay of the land" on the ship is disorienting and takes awhile. By the time you're ready to hit the hay you're tired.

I needed a shower. Our bathroom is fabulous... LOTS of room.
But the shower itself has two knobs- the top one is a multi-position thingy that allows you to direct spray from four different places in the stall. The bottom lever selects the water temperature and how much pressure you want directed to your body.
To say the least, it was confusing.

So I'm standing in the stall trying to figure out what to do with each lever, wishing I had an "on/off/hot/cold" system. Symbols on the levers were impossible to read without my glasses so I grabbed 'em. They immediately fogged up from previous attempts to make the system work for me.
And then my glasses fell off my face and the right lens popped out onto the shower floor.
This is "slapstick comedy" stuff, except I'm pretty useless without my glasses these days so I ain't laffin'.
I grabbed the lens from the shower floor and held it in place while I finally sorted out this Rube Goldberg shower system.

Ya have to have the glasses off your face to study them-
Is that tiny screw still hanging on them? It's hard to tell.

In the morning I go to the med clinic hoping someone there can help.
No luck.
In Filipino English - "Go to the Gift Shop. They may be able to help you there."
I ask for Scotch tape and tape the lens in place.
I look like a Goober :>) but that's okay. I can SEE.
The Gift Shop won't open until 1000 hours so we go upstairs for breakfast.

Sitting at the table Sara Jean says "Let me see your glasses".
"The screw is just sitting there on them!"
Then "Oops, I dropped it!"

What are the chances we'll find this tiny screw on a multi-colored carpeted floor?
It's literally "A needle in a haystack".
Seeing Sara Jean on hands and knees 'neath our table...  the gentleman in the table adjacent hands her his phone, flashlight on.
One of the attendants cleaning tables joins the search beneath our table.
"HERE IT IS!" he shouts, holding the tiny piece of metal between thumb and forefinger.
Unbelievable.

Now all I have to do is find a jeweler's screwdriver.

5 comments:

Jess said...

A few years ago, while out of town, a lens fell out of my glasses. We were in a small town, I was little panicked by my first futile attempts to find a repair kit, but finally found one in the local pharmacy. Luckily, my wife had some readers, I replaced the lens, and swore I would never travel again without an eyeglass repair kit....and haven't.

Good luck. You might ask a crew member to put out the word, and some kind person will help.

Greybeard said...

Jess, FIRST THING I will do when I get home is get TWO PAIR of new glasses.
I feel quite blessed that I can afford that expense.

Ed Bonderenka said...

When you need glasses to survive, one is none.
Glad you got it fixed.
I've used a pen knife as a jewelers.
First Amtrak, then this. :)

Old NFO said...

Miracles DO occur!

Ed Bonderenka said...

Trusting you are enjoying a Happy Thanksgiving on your trip with your bride.