We used to be invited aboard most of the ships that stopped here for R&R, giving their crew some fun in the sun that wasn't shining on an unfriendly country in the Persian Gulf. Since 9/11, however, shipboard parties have been few and far between, unfortunately. Fully understanding the importance of heightened security, we've not complained, but were very happy to hear that we were to once again be welcomed aboard.

Imagine my chagrin when I learned that ONLY US citizens were invited, meaning that my husband, and virtually every other spouse of an American in Seychelles, was basically chopped liver.

Apparently, however, the powers that be down in Port Louis caught on to the fact that the only Americans Mr. New Guy would be meeting would be those he already knows because they're working for him ... in Mauritius. The next email explained that we could, indeed, bring our husbands and wives IF we sent their names and dates of birth, along with ours, to the embassy by last Friday, AND made sure everyone have their passports with them on the night.

Okay.

Then we got this:

Dear guests:

The USCGC MIDGETT (WHEC 726) will be anchored in Port Victoria and will not be pierside. There will be a water taxi ride until the ship. Then you will need to use a rope ladder to come on board.

Dress code: Casual
Footware: Appropriate

I hope you will all enjoy that everning.

Followed by this:

Just to inform you that there will be only ONE water taxi tonight and it will leave at 18:00 sharp. So please be at Port Victoria as early as 17:50.

Not being to cool on climbing a rope ladder up the side of a warship from a dinghy in the dark ... and back down again after a couple of glasses of wine ... and not sure I own any appropriate footwear for doing so, we passed on the event and I decided to stay home and fight with my blog software program instead.

(I've not met the new Ambassador, obviously, but my editor and I have been growing closer by the minute with every frustrated email.)

I'll find out soon enough who went and how it was, if anyone fell off the rope ladder into the drink, and what the new guy is like.

By the way, if you're wondering about a Coast Guard Cutter in the Indian Ocean ... it happens a lot these days.