Welcome to the first ball of the season. Well of this cruise anyway. The show lounge glittered in its coating of black and silver and so did we.
As I’ve said before, balls are a job of work. This time though I wasn’t actually involved in the prep work. Because there are no shows before the Grand Balls on this cruise, they decorated during the day instead of at night, which meant I was on library duty while the others were clambering around hanging silver fans and glitter walls. They put the whole thing together in an hour and a half, and it looked truly amazing. I wish I had been a part of it.
As it was, tonight was a princess turnout night for me. Our CD on this cruise insists on full length gowns for the balls, so black chiffon it was, straight to the floor and trailing behind me, with silver accessories glittering in my ears, on my feet and in my hair. My hair has gotten so long now that its length curled equals the length it once was straight (I have to braid it when I sleep, and the tip of the braid touches between my shoulder blades), and there’s not much I can do for it except apply a curling iron and a few bobby pins and hope for the best. Between that and my seldom-worn contact lenses, I had more than one guest come up to me without realizing who I was. I’m never quite sure how to take that – I mean I certainly don’t look poorly put together during the day…
Anyway, the night progressed as usual, all staged elegance and glittering smiles. All “proper’ all “correct”.
And then of course, the trailing black gown gave way to the short black cocktail dress, the silver slippers were kicked off for the jazz shoes and I headed upstairs for the after party. There may not have been many of us, but we sent that after party off with a bang, from clinking martini glasses to flaming shots (yes I downed a flaming shot, not something I’m sure I’ll be doing again, but I did it), from the electric slide to hitting the floor with ‘Shout’ to easing into “Low” (‘I can play it’ the DJ says, ‘but let me mix it in, you have to lead up to that song’).
There are many people I wish were here on nights like this. Those who top the list know who they are.
Also, nights like this are ones that I don’t need to drink, (though the little bit of alcohol that’s in my bloodstream will probably help me sleep better) because it’s just a good night, with good friends and good music and a decent outlet for so much of the tension that’s been hanging around me for the last three weeks.
And I so very much needed it.