Places
Our new Heartland BigHorn 3875FB
Yes, we traded in Patience – our Open Range 399BHS – in favor of a brand spanking new Heartland Big Horn 3875FB. We plan to travel for at least 3 more years and, with the sale of the house, felt justified in upgrading to a unit that better fit our current needs. We don’t have a separate … Continue reading
Practically homeless
We sold our house in Medford MA on Friday. Jett shed a tear as she locked the door for the last time. My eyes remained dry, but even I had to acknowledge the significance of the event: for the first time since 1978, I do not own a residence. We are now back in our … Continue reading
Carnival Breeze – Days 7, 8 and 9 – At sea and in the Everglades
We like ports of call, too, and shore excursions, but one the the best things about cruising is sailing along on the sunny open ocean, with nothing to do. Having two long, lazy days at sea to end this cruise – with beautiful sunsets – was just fine with us. The final days of a … Continue reading
Carnival Breeze – Day 6 – Aruba
Aruba was the one destination on the itinerary that we had visited before. We are probably in the minority as we are not enchanted by the island. We found it windy, bustling, overbuilt and visually uninteresting – it is basically a sandbar with big hotels. The beaches, while very nice, are not noticeably better than … Continue reading
Carnival Breeze – Day 5 – Curacao
Curacao was another first-time visit for us. It was an unusual docking as we were ashore late – departure was 10pm. That gave us a rare view of our cruise ship at night. I had seen the photos of the colorful buildings along the harbor in Curacao and seeing them in person didn’t disappoint. But … Continue reading
Carnival Breeze – Day 4 – La Romana
We finally got to dock at a Caribbean island on Day 4 of our cruise. And it was one of the places we have never been: the Dominican Republic. Specifically, La Romana, a port on the southeast corner of the island and the third-largest city in the DR. We had been told not to expect … Continue reading
Carnival Breeze – Days 1, 2 and 3
Jett and I are midway through a 9-day (8 night) Caribbean cruise on the Carnival Breeze, one of Carnival Cruise Line’s biggest and best ships. Our itinerary includes stops in Grand Turk (Turks and Caicos Islands), La Romana (Dominican Republic), Curacao and Aruba. After the winter we have had, we felt the need to get … Continue reading
Snowiest? Coldest? Why not both?
We have just put the month of February, 2015, into the record book here in Boston. And what a month it was! Yes, it was the snowiest month since meteorological record keeping began in 1891 – some 124 years ago. It obliterated the old record of 44.5 inches with a new total of 65.5 inches … Continue reading
So not Florida
Because the house did not sell in the fall, we committed to staying in Massachusetts for the winter, living in the house and working on a series of minor improvements and repairs. And one major upgrade: replacing the countertop with beautiful new quartz. We missed Florida. We missed the weather and we missed the camaraderie … Continue reading
“You guys don’t do shit around here”
We have had a brutal winter here in New England. Record cold, record snow. I have spent countless hours shoveling the driveway and the sidewalks. And once, early in the winter, I shoveled the street in front of my house, to make room for someone – a guest or a neighbor – who might need … Continue reading »