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ATW-2 Day 5: Chengdu, China
We changed planes in Hong Kong two years ago and expected the experience in Chengdu to be similar. It wasn’t. First, the plane parked at a remote location with no skyway and we had to walk down a long metal staircase and get on a bus. No big deal. But the bus traveled, I estimate, … Continue reading
“The Maze” by Nelson DeMille
Copyright 2022 by Nelson DeMille. Published by Scribner, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Inc, New York. This is #8 in the series of mysteries featuring John Corey, former NYPD detective and also formerly a member of a shadowy government anti-terrorism force. I haven’t read any of the other Corey books, but there are plenty … 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.
NCL2 Day 6: Panama Canal
This was a bucket list item for us: a transit of the Panama Canal. It was one step above watching paint dry, but it was still good. We went through the original locks, but we saw ships traversing the new, expanded locks. It took about 10 hours to traverse the canal. It was interesting, to … Continue reading
NCL2 Day 5: Colon, Panama
We had a day in Colon, Panama, before we entered the Panama Canal. It has a reputation as being dangerous so we didn’t leave the port area. But what a port area! Cheap stores galore. Marlene was in heaven She got a basket full of sundries for $8. And a bottle of nice perfume for … Continue reading
NCL2 Day 4: Cartagena, Colombia (almost)
I had been impressed with the speed of the Jade. For the first two days at sea we had been clipping along at a very fast rate – probably around 24 knots. But when we rose for breakfast we had slowed to a crawl. I had also noticed, from a look at the cruise map, … Continue reading
Ooma resurfaces
I have not seen Ooma, communicated with her or even thought about her – except briefly when passing by her street on my way to softball, or during my few clandestine visits to the Buckingham Blues Bar (where I am still banned, thanks to her) – in over a year. I have not mentioned her … Continue reading
2021 wrapup
My first full year without Jett. I survived. I even had a modicum of fun. But I still miss her. So… 2021. Another year of COVID. A trip north (TN7) and a longer trip south (TS7). A cruise (PCL2). What were the highlights and lowlights? Highlights: Good health. I was healthy all year, which is … Continue reading
MSC1 Day 9: At sea
This was a lazy day. It can be described easily: sleep, eat, read, gamble, sleep some more, eat some more, gamble again, eat again. The casino was not kind; we lost $100. But we got new dinner companions. Harvey and Shirley, a newly retired lawyer couple, new residents of south Florida. We all love dogs … Continue reading
Letting my (freak?) flag fly
Jett has, for years, wanted to get a large American flag that we could display at our site. On taking up residence for at least 5 months – perhaps longer – it seemed like a good time to make it a reality. So we ordered an American flag and a new “thin blue line” flag … Continue reading