Never While the Grass Grows--Discussion Thread

When our fair heroine sees that Lucas is a professor she assumes that he's a schoolteacher, that's why he's so bossy. Until immersing myself in the land of Neels I had no idea you could be a Doctor/Professor. Also,I get an Ichabod Crane vibe when I think of lecturing professorial types not vast and lazy-eyed.

The cruise ship name is the S.S. Socrates. I'm a fan of the philosophizing--why else is there a horizon to contemplate and various buffets? (I eat therefore I am.) But would there be a better name? I vote the S.S. Plato--with his Theory of Forms (yes, I had to look the name up), surely the puns about the sunset being a Platonic Ideal would flow fast and furious.

While lolling in the nurse's home one of the younger nurses says, "I votes we get married". (Because chasing tots and changing fecal matter all day would be a step up.) According to an informal survey of nurses I've met (maybe five or six), I'd say that it's an unusually accommodating profession for married mommies who want to spend lots of time at home. A friend of mine had twins and was able to work a a couple of 12 hour shifts each week to maintain her credentials and stay with her babies for the other five days. Another of my nurse friends has 8 kids. Do we have any other nurses out there with an opinion?

The whole idea of an on-board hospital is fantastic. Whenever I read books wherein the heroine has to travel by ship, they always seem to luck out in the sea-sickness department. This Betty has a notoriously weak stomach and I'd be sure, if I was one such heroine, to fall in love with the infirmary doctor because of his open-handedness with the Dramamine.

On shore Lucas wears his white uniform! It's actually darling to see an RDD stray from the strict formality of a well-tailored suit. And since it's a cruise, I can forgive the white pants. But the white smock top? That's a little dental. Hmm. Maybe since it's a ship they gave him something more military--in which case I say, "Aye, Aye, Skipper!"

"Like all large men, the doctor was a good dancer." Erm...bunkum. Most large men worry about crushing their partners as though they were Godzilla and the lady a Tokyo high-rise. Maybe The Great Neels was channeling John Travolta--he did famously twirl HRH Princess Di at a White House shindig...

Our gal remembered to bring a scarf for sight-seeing at the Cathedral of St. John in Malta. I haven't had to do this when I've been to Protestant and Catholic European cathedrals (or even wear a skirt, come to that) but I understand that veiling heads is less common than it used to be within the faith. Still, as a tourist I appreciated the convenience of not having to change clothing for a religious destination but as a church-goer I was a little sad to see the cathedrals treated as cultural curiosities with good acoustics rather than houses of worship. Secular Europe bums me out. There. I'm off the soapbox.

On the ferry to Holland he says "If you want anything, don't hesitate to knock me up." I think I'll just leave that as it stands.

Lucas calls his father 'Vader' - which I assume is Dutch for 'father'...but makes me think of 'Darth Vader' and also makes me think that George Lucas is like an onion--so many layers!