Back Again!

After a lengthy hiatus from blogging, I am attempting to write again, hopefully with some regularity. My schedule for the last year has not allowed me the luxury of extra time to write. Between Church work, yard work, and working myself into the ground to please Rhonda, I have little time for anything else.
I will, however attempt to rectify this situation, if only temporarily. If Rhonda thinks I have any spare time, I am sure she will find more for me to do.
There are many things I could write about. The most important of which is a new Grandson. But I do not want to steal Annie and Dan's thunder, suffice to say it is one of the happiest events of my life. I could relate to you another job gone down the crapper, but that is pretty boring. So I decided to write concerning a long weekend trip that Rhonda and I recently took. Because it was a really long weekend, (32 days to be exact) I will not be able to chronicle the whole trip, but I decided to give you one a one day description of our trip.. The day I will share with you is about day # 20 of our excursion. For those of you who are unaware, at the end of April, Rhonda and I flew to Beijing, China. We were there for about 6 days sightseeing and such and then we embarked on a cruise ship for 23+ days and nights. We went to 3 cities in China, Busan, South Korea, Vladivostok, Russia and then across the Pacific Ocean to Alaska down the inside passage finally ending the cruise in Vancouver, B.C. I'm sorry that I can't share any pictures(I took about 1400 of them) but my computer is broken and I don't know how to load pictures on Rhonda's computer.


MAY 13, 2011
Captain's Log
1000a.m
2200 GMT
6455 Zulu

At sea between Vladivostok, Russia and Whittier, Alaska.

Seas: Moderate
5" Swells.(that is just my ankles)
Temp. 51F
Wind, blowing from somewhere.

10 a.m. I finally get up. Shower, Dress. Sleep is not easy. Between the constant time change, and constant coughing on Rhonda's part, it's tough to get enough sleep. Rhonda has a terrible cough. She will not go to the Ship's Doctor. She says she will not pay him $60.00 for him to tell her she has a bad cough. Rhonda did not go to medical school, but she knows she has a cough.


10;30a Off to breakfast. Mountains of food. I opt for English Bacon(it looks like cheap ham), prunes(looks like golf-ball size wet raisins),and scrambled eggs with salmon. Eggs are nice and runny. Salmon appear to be spawning in the eggs. Also some watermelon.. Watermelon must be cheap. It is served 24 hours per day.

11:30a.m. Off to the gym. Lots of people trying to fool themselves that 10 minutes of looking at a treadmill will burn the extra 5000 calories they sucked in yesterday.I cut a dashing figure in my mid-sixties cruise wear.(age of cruise and age of cruise clothes).Some chronologically challenged Irish tart starts to try to engage me in conversation. I can understand Korean better that I can understand Irish.I cut my workout short, excuse myself in my best Irish Brogue, and hurry back to the room to ready myself for lunch.

12 Noon. Rhonda just returned to the room having finished book # 183 of the trip.She has to make an entry in her "Books I Have Read Journal". She make copious note about all books she has read. She has enough of the aforementioned journals to fill a bookcase. When finished, she leaves to get a slice of pizza(served 12 hours a day of the Fiesta Deck) and her 24th diet coke of the day.
I eat lunch at about 2p.m. I opt for the minute steak. I think there is a dog missing in South Korea whose name is Minute. Also some grapes and watermelon.I don't chew the steak(?) enough and get some lodged where it shouldn't be lodged. Since my surgery, the opening to my stomach from my esophagus is about 1/4 the size it use to be. If I don't chew enough, the food will get lodged at checkpoint throw-up. I need to throw up.. I do not like to throw up in public venues. The room is so far away, I need a taxi to get there, I decide to try to wait it out. In about 45 minutes, Korean Fido clears checkpoint throw up. I feel better. I check the daily program for the rest of the daily activities.

3 p.m. Health lecture on the Lido Dec. "Liver Spots and How To Accessorize Them".

4 p.m. Fiesta Deck. Dr. Paine, Ship Doctor. Lecture on "Ensure or Prunes. Making the Right Choice".

4:30 p.m. Lecture on Dolphin Deck by Herman(Stubby) Limb, physical Therapist. "Walkers or Motorized Wheel Chairs. Recommended AARP Suppliers.

5 p.m. Getting ready for diner. Tonight's dress code is Smart Casual". I guess I will have to scrape the Vladivostok mud off my tennis shoes before I dine.

6 p.m. Very nice dining companions. A retired couple, John and Jane from Richland, Washington and a Mom and Dad and son from London, Ontario Ca. All very nice. John and and are on their 12th cruise.

That pales in comparison to a couple on the ship who have spent a total of 937 days on cruise ships over the last few years.

7;30 p.m. !0 minute power nap.

8:15 p.m. Movie under the stars on the pool deck. This is a great concept when in warmer waters. In the Bering Sea, however, it leaves much to be desired. I grab a bag of popcorn and move on. I position myself by the hot tub fully intending to read. Bad choice of a place to sit. An extra large Russian man is in the hot tub. No one is with him as there is no room for anyone else. He stood up to exit and there is only 7" of water left in the tub.The really bad part of him standing was viewing his swimming attire, or lack thereof. He was wearing a speedo. Once again the urge to throw up was upon me.. This time, however, it was not from chewing to little, but seeing to much. I know obese, and this man had a graduate degree. he was much bigger that I was at my heaviest (412lbs) and around a 6 inches shorter. I am considering consulting a maritime attorney to see if I can sue for damages. Aggravated optical assault on a cruise ship passenger.

10 p.m. The Japanese on board are now headed to the buffet in large numbers. Many of them have thier own soup mixes in styrofoam containers and they just add hot water and fill up their containers with tea. Then they sit for a couple of hours getting quite loud while playing majong or table tennis. The Japanese have no idea how to stand in line for anything. They constantly butt into line and invade your space. Rhonda has had it with their crowding. She now pushes them back, gives them less than Christ-like looks, and I heard her mumble to some of them as she was pushing "Remember Pearl Harbor". Rhonda needs to get home and go back to church..

11 p.m. It is time for bed. Rhonda is still coughing. I can;t sleep. I turn on the TV.
Chanenl 4 msnbc...Oh Barf
Channel 5 Fox and Friends...Oh Barf
Channel 6 Romance Channel Double Barf.
Channel 8. Australian Rules football game. It is the Alice Spring Jackalongs Vs. The Ayers Rock Kangarobies direct from Bilabong Pitch in Dongaling, New South Wales. It is not very interesting but still much better that the NBA.

I cannot find the Andy Griffith Show. I need to get to sleep. I don't want to miss breakfast in the morning.