Category: The DayBook

And with my binoculars I can see some truly awesome yachts in that area.

1605 nautical miles so far. St Croix still my favorite stop. But I am optimistic about Martinque tomorrow.

What do you expect when you’ve been at sea for three days and you’re fellow travelers are at least as old as you are?
I got off and had a fine little walk around Frederiksted. It’s a sweet little town. With lots of good looking snorkeling right off the pier. Also, good diving. But now, I just wander slowly and watch

I did see a couple of sea turtles.

And, even if I could still snorkel and dive, I would not have been able to participate because of my leg with the open cut. Not smart to go in the ocean with any kind of cut. Carlton did not listen to me about this. Much to his regret.

1450 nautical miles so far. St Croix is my favorite stop.so far.

Will I ever stop trying to tack bird fotos wit a phone?I couldn’t even take bird fotos with a 500mm lens.

Very gentle sea day. I was able to do my yoga class over zoom. Zoom yoga is maybe the only good thing we got out of COVID.

1218 nautical miles in 73 hours.

But wait…

I didn’t walk into the chair. It flew across the deck and hit me. Thinking it would have been worse if I had not been wearing my compression socks.

Got a big ass bandage from the pool lifeguard. But it will take a while to heal with my elderly skin and suspect circulation. Wreckage of the future.

820 nautical miles in 49 hours.

And we have all the usual cruise ship things.

A fine first day at sea. We have traveled about 400 nautical miles in 24 hours.

I am being indulged with a visit to the Japanese restaurant for dinner this evening. 

We are on the ship and the ship is safely underway. It appears that the ship is almost if not completely full.

Most of the passengers appear to be at least as old as Christy and I. Lots of mobility devices. But that’s what we expected.

There is very little good news coming out of USA today.

Instead of being on an old boat going to St. Croix, I feel like I should be on an old bus going to Minneapolis. At my age. There’s damn little I can do. But at least I could “woman” a cauldron in a soup kitchen.

I should be getting ready to leave tomorrow morning. I have watered the orchids. I have 90% packed. But I only feel 10% ready. Nevermind. I have 90 minutes before happy hour. If I spring into action NOW, I can be 90% ready to go.

But it is oh so seductive being a slug.

And what am I going to do on my 12-day cruise to St Somewhere? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I am taking my well-stuffed Kindle and my iPad. Hope I fold a little paper and read a few books. And maybe fold paper while listening to an audiobook. Oh, have some cocktails. 

Springing into action now. Next post from Vision of the Seas. I hope.

OK. Today’s big event was: Going outside.

Gratitude

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Grateful for this nice sunny warm winter day.

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It wasn’t freezing.
The sun was shining.
No sign of ICE or ice.

And one of the elevators returned to service today. Maybe I can ride up after dinner this evening. But it’s Bingo Night, so there will be a crowd. Eleventh-floor walkup.

Let the record show: I have never been to Bingo Night. Never say never. But…

Truly evil winter weather is on tap for the East Coast this weekend. Saturday and Sunday look grim. It should be merely very cold when we get on the boat in Baltimore. It might be interesting to sail to St Somewhere in the middle of a blizzard.

It doesn’t spend much time in the Old Bat’s Cave. But, for a couple of minutes a day, it manages to peek in the windows. Welcome back. By March, Mr Sun will be back in force.

Just got an email saying they hope to have #5 back by Friday. 11th floor walk-up.

And it’s just cold. Considerable snow is forecast for the night that we leave for St Somewhere. We should be safely on the ship before the snow. I will wear my so-called winter coat. Just in case.

Here’s the deal, people. An elephant has taken a shit on our living room floor. It isn’t our elephant. We don’t know how it got in. We had nothing to do with it. But it is our living room, and we have to clean it up. We cannot live with a pile of elephant scat for another three years. Today is not too soon to start. Next month may be too late.

First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

Martin Niemöller

Rev Niemöller voted for the Nazi Party in 1933. In 1937, he was arrested and remained a political prisoner until 1945, when the Allies defeated Nazi Germany and liberated him and other concentration camp prisoners.

Went way back in the archives for some warmth today. I spent Christmas in American Samoa the year after Carlton died. I didn’t want people to worry about “what’s Auntie Peg doing for the holidays?” Great place, American Samoa. We decided that we needed Pago Pago in the late 1800s. The US and Germany sort of divided up the Samoan islands.  Don’t believe anyone consulted the Samoans. 

And there is still Greenland. 

And 133 years ago, Jan 17, 1893 – the US Marines “stormed” the capital of the Kingdom of Hawai’i and imprisoned Queen Lili’uokalani. Actually, Queen And 133 years ago, Jan 17, 1893 – the US Marines “stormed” the capital of the Kingdom of Hawai’i and imprisoned Queen Lili’uokalani. Actually, the Queen surrendered to avoid bloodshed.

America may well be lost.  Maybe we can still save Greenland from us. 

Time for a gratitude check. Carlton would say: Are you sleeping indoors tonight? Did you have something to eat today? Is there a reasonable chance that will be the case tomorrow? Then quit your bitching.

And this time next week, I’ll be on my way to ST. CROIX, ST KITTS & NEVIS, MARTINIQUE, DOMINICA, and ST. MAARTEN.

I am a lucky old woman. For sure. I just hate winter.

It might be too late to save America. But I hope we can save Greenland.