To Make Old Age Comfortable

William Enston Home Charleston, SC

When I was staggering back to the GoodShip Vision of the Seas in Charleston I  discovered this sign. Of course, it intrigued me. Since at that instant,  I was old and not very comfortable.

William Enston Home Charleston, SC

Another sign. Is this an ancient old folks’ asylum? I take these photos to remind me to do some research when I have time and WiFi.

There were a lot of these very charming red brick buildings. But, they don’t look extremely “old age” friendly to me.

It’s Day 3 of NO online shopping, doom scrolling, social media, YouTube, or games until after dinner. So there is time to research the William Enston Home. 

The US Park Service has a nice little article about The Home. It is now Section 8 housing.  For many years it was a benevolent home for the city’s aged and infirm residents which would “make old age comfortable.”

Mr Enston’s will stipulated that potential residents be old and sick, from 45 to 75 years old, of “good honest character,” and not suffering from “lunacy.” That would leave me out on numerous accounts. 

I wish I had taken better pictures. But, I had walked over 6 miles and I was still a couple of miles from the boat and I just wanted to be back on the boat. 

Monday

Sock Drawer. CHECK.

Day 2 of NO online shopping, doom scrolling, social media, YouTube, or games until after dinner. And before breakfast, I had done serious decluttering in my sox drawer and undies drawer. I bagged up some “stuff” to take to Goodwill while I waited for lunch soup to heat. I am still amazed at how much time I was frittering away. And, I don’t have that much time left to fritter.

And now for a little Asylum humor.

Death has been canceled until we get a bigger “Table of the Dead”. 10 people have “transitioned” as management calls it. “Died” as the residents call it.

Actually, management likes us better dead than alive. We don’t complain anymore and they get to “resell” our apartment. This place is a ponzi scheme.

What else did I do? Some correspondence, messed with photos from 2022, did a little yoga, went for a walk. Folded some paper. Read. Napped. Nothing very substantial.

Looking Back at Norway

And the best avocado toast on the planet is at the Opus XVI Hotel in Bergen.

I may have to return to Norway just for the avocado toast.

I have 6,000+ photos from 2022. I am taking one last lap through them before moving them off the computer onto the Photo Storage External Drive.  Usually, I delete a bunch before making the transfer. 

But, I am having a very hard time deleting any of my Norway images. 
The Twilight Zone

I understand that nobody except me cares about my photos. Long ago I got rid of my prints and negatives. But, I  continue to be a hoarder of digital images.  After I die or forget how to turn on a computer, just trash them. I am not Ansel Adams or Henri Cartier-Bresson. Not even close.


Surprise! If I don’t use my computer, iPad, or phone for online shopping, doom scrolling, social media, YouTube, or games, I have a whole lot more time in my day. Can you imagine that? Who knew how much time I was frittering away? Today I watered the orchids, finished getting the tax stuff ready to go to the tax guy, did laundry, went for a walk, took a nap, cleaned a bunch of junk off of my computer, and started processing the 2022 photos. Read the weekend WSJ. Also found time for a leisurely breakfast with friends. My inbox is empty. Let us see if I can keep this up. 30 days. One day at a time. 

Orchids

Late 2020 Covid Year Orchid – Gift from The Asylum
Spring 2019 Orchid. Gift from Carol
Foundling Orchid # 1 – Summer 2023 First bloom.

The orchids make me happy. They require some attention. But not too much. The other foundling orchid has buds. I wonder what it will look like. And I have two more getting ready to bloom. They were a gift in 2022. They were on notice. Bloom this year or you become compost. 

Gratitude

Grateful that my income taxes are such a big hassle. That means I have enough money to support myself in the style to which I am accustomed. Always remember what Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr wrote in 1904: “I like to pay taxes. With them I buy civilization.” However, I am not sure I am getting my money’s worth these days


New Rule for The Old Bat: No using screens for non-productive tasks until after dinner. This includes online shopping, doom scrolling, social media, and YouTube.

Cruise Days 7 and 8 and Home

Returned home to find one of the orphan orchids bloomed.

Got back into the Old Bat’s Cave well before noon. Getting off the boat, grabbing luggage, going through passport control and customs was quicker than simply getting off the plane if flying Economy.  

Would I do another cruise? At this time of my life. Yes. 


Cruise – Day 8


Cruise Day 8 – At 4:45 PM on the last day the weather is still sunny and a little warm.
Cruise Day 8 – In case you were wondering.
Cruise Day 8 – So, you end up with 4 cartons of ciggies. But you can only bring one carton back into the US. And we dock tomorrow. A whole lot of smoking tonight!
Cruise Day 8 – How will I get along without my daily dose of towel art? This was the last one and I think my favorite. 
Cruise Day 8 – Hapag-Lloyd Container Ship

Cruise Day 7 


Cruise Day 7 – Salute to Veterans and Valentine’s Day.
Cruise Day 7 – The obligatory “cruise” photo.

Time to plan my next escape from The Asylum. 

Cruise Day 6

Sunrise over Bimini

Nice start but there was too much wind and chop to dock. So we hung around offshore for a while and docked a couple hours late. By then it was cloudy with sprinkles. You take the weather you get. 

I head off the boat with no plans or expectations. 

Early in my walk, a seaplane lands.
Later I find the plane parked. It soon leaves. Guessing it’s a commercial operation. Miami is only 50 miles away.
Bimini Rush hour
That’s the boat.
Exciting downtown Bailey’s, Bimini, Bahamas.

Time to head back to the ship. I don’t have a lot of stamina these days.  And they don’t have Uber on Bimini.

The good ship waits at the end of a very long pier.

This is it from me until I hit the old bat’s cave. Ship will start hauling ass north around 7PM tonight.  

Cruise Day 5

Day 5 coming into Grand Bahama

It’s not noon yet. But there’s some cell signal. It is 77 degrees and windy. 

I can read on the port side and look at the trinket vendors
I can read on the starboard side and watch container ships.
Or I can read inside and look at really hideous art. Which is for sale.

I picked watching the contain ships

Cruise Day 4

The Elephant In The Room.
From Day 3 Ft Sumter. Where the First American Civil War Began.
Florida. I thought I would be able to get to this beach. But it didn’t happen.
Port Canaveral turned out to be a huge cruise ship dock and we were parked in  a pedestrian hostile area

Spent the morning lounging around in and out of the pool. Japanese is scheduled for dinner this evening. The adventure is halfway over and I doubt that there will be sufficient cell service to do anything until Friday and the asylum. 

Kennedy Space Center

Cruise Day 2 and 3

Day 3 Charleston

Charleston is my kinda town. I walked about 6.5 miles and discovered that I was still two miles from the ship.

Day 3 Charleston

As I was considering Uber or a bus, a studly young man piloting a pedicab pulls up to the stop sign. And that’s how I got Back to the ship. He is a student. Studying black smithing. 


Day 3


Day 2. At sea.

We had an excellent Japanese dinner. That was the highlight of the day. I rested more than anything else. 

Day 2. At sea.

This cabin has way too many mirrors. You can’t get away from your self.

Port Canaveral tomorrow. But after today. I might need another rest day. 

Oh tonight there will be a Thomas Kinkade seminar. Pretty sure I will be busy then washing my granny panties. 

Cruise Day 1

Cabin 2572 Home Sweet Home.

Like this passenger, The Vision of the Sea is showing her years.  The ship is 25+ years old and is about 10 years since it’s last dry docking. But it’s restful enough. At least while it’s tied to the dock.

Wednesday

The end of the Hawaiian memorial service. Sunday, Feb 4, 2024
The end of the Hawaiian memorial service. Sunday, Feb 4, 2024

Time to get ready for this cruise.

 

I don’t think I have ever taken this many clothes on a trip!

And I am pretty sure that these clothes are totally inappropriate for “cruising”. I don’t want to embarrass my friend. I don’t mind embarrassing myself. 

OK, here’s the deal.

Leaving Baltimore on the 8th. Returning on the 16th. Feb 10th in Charleston. The 11th outside Orlando. 12 and 13 in the Bahamas. I will have cell service in Charleston and Orlando. There might be service in the Bahamas. Will just have to see. 

I am considering this trip a “digital detox”. 

Wonder – should I take my computer? Maybe I could get caught up on photo editing. No. Not happening. I plan on reading. 

Tuesday

While I was away this wonderful invite to a lunch hosted by our local crematorium at a pit barbeque joint arrived in deadtree mail. Talk about synergy! There’s no free lunch. 

I did shit stuff today. Like completely empty my inbox. Also did an inventory of all of my digital subscriptions and canceled some. They get to be like blood sucking leeches. 99 cents a month here, 124 dollars a year there. After a while it adds up to real money. Oh and I tweaked my investments a little. (I gave some financial advice and decided that I should follow it myself.)

And tomorrow. I really have to get ready for the cruise I am going on come Thursday.