The good news came while we were in Southern California–I got an offer for a full-time job! The company is top notch, the people I’d met were cool, the compensation outstanding and their location in San Jose is within biking distance from home. I didn’t have to think long before I accepted.
To celebrate, Dick and I splurged on dinner at Sir Winston’s on the Queen Mary. Restaurants in tourist destinations usually don’t have the best in food and are often pricey, but Sir Winston’s got great ratings on Yelp. Plus we wanted to tour the ship anyway. So I made dinner reservations on OpenTable and rushed down to the Queen Mary ticket office and booked passage on the Twilight Tour later that evening.
As darkness fell, we slapped lights on our rental bikes and cruised a short half mile down the waterfront path. The air and water were surprisingly still–all the better for reflecting the lights from the city. We found the well-hidden bike rack and took the elevator up to the promenade deck to start our tour.
With her maiden voyage at the height of the Great Depression, the Queen Mary symbolized the grand life and sleek sophistication at a time when few could afford such luxury. During World War II she served her country ferrying troops across the ocean to fight for the Allied forces, carrying to up to 16,000 people in a trip–more than six times greater capacity than in her peacetime voyages.
After oohing and aahing the beautiful wood paneling, furniture and fixtures and watching children’s eyes grow wide during the ghost stories, we headed up a metal flight of stairs to an upper deck for dinner at Sir Winston’s. It was old school elegant with a glorious view and utterly divine. The perfect way to celebrate.
How do you like to celebrate the big days and happy occasions in your life? A fancy dinner, an expensive trip, a big party or simply a quiet evening with friends?
About Bike Date Friday: Since September 2010, my husband and I have had a standing date every Friday night. We eat at a different place every week and arrive by bike. There’s no better way to end the work week.
cindy
March 2, 2012 at 3:01 pm
I always want to visit when I go on Mexican cruises; have yet to do it.
Thanks for the info!
ladyfleur
March 2, 2012 at 7:01 pm
It’s worth a stop. The tour was only $12 so it’s not expensive. You can also just walk around on your own. There are touisty shops, a range of decent to great restaurants and it’s a hotel too. So you can see a lot just walking around.
Patty
March 5, 2012 at 7:19 pm
Congrats on the new job Janet! That is fantastic. Were you unemployed long enough, though? You seemed to be enjoying that too!
ladyfleur
March 5, 2012 at 9:26 pm
Let’s see. It will be three months of not working full time, with a month or so of working part time. And travel to Las Vegas, SoCal, Sacramento and Solvang (next weekend). Feels about right.