Author Archives: Sparky
Back to The Buck
Now that Ooma is gone, she can no longer lay claim to the Buckingham Blues Bar as “her” space. And, I assume, the ban imposed by the owner is no longer going to be enforced. So on Wednesday night this week, I (with Marlene on my arm) went back to The Buck. It felt a … Continue reading
The absolute last of Ooma
Ooma died May 21. I can’t post her obituary here and maintain her anonymity but if anyone wants a link to her obituary, send me a message. UPDATE: I was told that she died in New Hampshire, of complications from some kind of simple, low-risk surgery.
Out with the old(er), in with the new(er)
I guess this is the month for vehicles. Got the truck back (see previous post) and gave some thought to upgrading my other ride – my 2017 Toyota Corolla. It was running just fine, but was getting a bit “long in the tooth” – almost 130,000 miles. My plan was to exchange it for a … Continue reading
Back from the dead
I got my truck back this week. It had been in the shop for nearly 2 months. Before my last cruise I had been unable to get it to start. It turned over but didn’t fire. I figured it was a computer issue. Probably an EXPENSIVE computer issue. So I had it towed to the … Continue reading
NCL2 Days 27-29: Anchorage AK
We stayed at the Wingate by Wyndham in Anchorage for 3 nights. The construction, that was well underway when we arrived, got progressively worse each day. I am baffled why the hotel management thought it was acceptable to undertake that scale of renovations without disclosing the situation when someone booked a room. And why significant … Continue reading
NCL2 Day 26: Whittier and Anchorage AK
This was the last day of our 25-night cruise. The Norwegian Jade docked in Whittier AK at 7am and we were off the ship by 8am. The “long walk” to the bus was less than a quarter mile (Marlene thinks it was more, I think it was less) and the buses were waiting to take … Continue reading
NCL2 Day 25: At sea
This day was billed as a “glacier transit” day – a slow cruise near the Hubbard Glacier. Like much of this cruise itinerary, the plan changed. Rather than cruising near the glacier – which is 7 miles long where it meets the sea – we stopped several miles away and did a “360 turn” (a … Continue reading
NCL2 Day 24: Skagway AK
We docked early – around 6am – but we didn’t get off early. Because we had to make arrangements to get to Anchorage when the cruise ends. Normally getting from the cruise terminal to the hotel is not difficult. But this cruise terminates in Whittier AK. As I have learned, Whittier is a tiny port. … Continue reading
NCL2 Day 23: Juneau AK
The Jade docked in Juneau around 9am and we headed into town shortly thereafter. It was a very cool (43 degrees), cloudy day and a steady rain soon began. Not a pleasant day for sightseeing so we weren’t tempted to take a whale watch, a trip to the Mendenhall glacier or to ride the tram … Continue reading
NCL2 wrapup
This was a full month of travel – 26 days on a cruise (Norwegian Jade), almost 4 full days in Anchorage and a long flight home. It was a good trip, overall, but had some bumps. I will review the ship first, followed by an accounting of highlights and lowlights. The Norwegian Jade This is … Continue reading »