Commentary
ATW-2 wrapup
This was the longest and most complex of the 3 ATW segments, taking 28 days of travel by auto through Italy, France, Germany and Austria. We rented a car after two days in Rome and returned it before our final 3 days in Rome (a total of 23 days of auto rental). By the numbers: … Continue reading
ATW-2 Day 18: Paris, France, to Landau, Germany
The four nights in Paris were memorable in both good and bad ways. But the hotel in which we resided for the final 3 days was very fine: Sejours and Affaires Paris Vincennes. This seems to be a hotel geared toward long-term stays by students. But it isn’t a dormitory, isn’t affiliated with a school … 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
A Florida low
It might be a meteorological low that is responsible, but what I mean is that the weather in Fort Myers this week – or this entire month, for that matter – is the worst I have ever seen since arriving in Florida over 10 years ago. And I have been through 5 hurricanes and 2 … Continue reading
The $900 (mis)adventure
Marlene and I have booked a 25-night cruise from Tampa FL to Anchorage AK in Aprill 2025. This will be the most expensive cruise we have ever taken together – over $2,500 each. This is because it is on the Norwegian Jade rather than a Carnival ship where we both get major discounts. But we … Continue reading
A laptop death in the family
My laptop died 4 days ago. It was working fine, with about half the battery time remaining. I closed the top and put it on the charger. An hour later I took it off the charger and tried to start it. Nothing. Put it back on the charger but the light indicating that it was … Continue reading
I am not a loser!
That sounds like a mantra and I should probably say that to myself every day while I shave. I believe that am not a loser and two recent events reinforce that belief. First, the 2024 senior softball season ended with my team having a 9-9 record. Not a winning record, but not a losing record … Continue reading
Topsy-turvy weather
This past summer – “wet season” in Florida – it was very hot and very dry. I heard many people say they had never seen such a hot, dry summer. Ft Myers was officially in a moderate drought. So there was some concern as winter – “dry season” approached. Not to worry. December and, so … Continue reading
2023 in review
Last day of the year. Time to reflect on what was good and bad. Highlights: Marlene. We made it through an entire calendar year, which made this relationship considerably more durable than the preceding one with Ooma. It wasn’t all sweetness and light, but it was a lot of fun and a lot of adventure. … Continue reading
ATW wrapup
Each of the three segments of the ATW has its own wrapup (ATW-1, ATW-2 and ATW-3) so all I can add here are some observations about our epic around-the-world trip.