I'm in the process of baby steppin' my way closer to Florida! (I know, sometimes I can't believe it's actually starting to happen!) I notified my landlord that I will be vacating the apartment at the end of this year.
So, once again, the packing begins! Although I do have way fewer possessions this time around, I do think another 'purge' is needed. My strategy this time around is to start packing boxes with the stuff I know I want, other things will go into a different set of boxes.
I'm thinking of doing this Tag Sale my brother told me about. Friends of his put prices on all the things they wanted to sell and on a specific date, opened their house for Cash and Carry sales. Although, if you know me, you also know I don't like people touching my stuff. LOL So, I'm sort of torn about what to do. If you can think of an alternative, post a comment!!
I just joined the Buy/Sell pages for the West Shore and I'm going to start by putting up photos of some stuff and see how that goes. I did not have the best luck when I tried to sell a bedroom suite on one of those pages--60 people posting that they want it and I said, first one to my home gets it. People were crazed and in the end, NO ONE bought it. I donated it to the ReStore. So we'll start baby steppin' into this resale thing. I'll keep you posted.
Where am I going you may ask? Well, a few weeks ago I started asking around for a room to rent and a very surprising opportunity came up that I could not refuse! See this mind of mine kept going over and over expenses and quite honestly, maintaining 2 residences was seriously cramping my style--funds wise. I mean, I could afford both places, I just had to be on a strict budget. So that is why I started thinking about this renting a room thing---SAVINGS and more disposable income--for what else? Travel, of course!!
And of course, this is the absolute perfect time to move---NOT. I am hoping the weather will cooperate because ladies and gentlemen, I am going to have a POD to load. I don't want to be hoicking my sofa outside during foul weather, nor do I want to have to shovel a path to load said sofa.
So what's the plan after that? Ummm... I really don't have one! I would love to keep my current job and just work 'remotely' but I feel pretty certain my current management would not allow that. But, I do know on the insurance side of the business, they do offer opportunities like that. So, I will be on the internal job boards looking for a job!
So another path, down another unknown road for this Gypsy. It doesn't seem like that long ago that I was posting about that last road I turned onto: Turn the Page
That's all for now! Enjoy the link to the music video below!
Your baby steppin' Gyspy!
Credit for the Title of This Post: Little River Band
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bKwRW0l-Qk
Sunday, November 26, 2017
Saturday, November 11, 2017
Vanuatu - Stars and Stripes forever!
As 2017 winds down, discovery and planning begins for my 2018 adventure. One country, with four different stops, on the itinerary is Vanuatu. It may sound familiar because a season of Survivor was filmed there many years ago!
For me, reading a bit of the history of the Islands made me even more curious and excited to visit. Although I will not visit the island of Tanna, I am most fascinated by the God some folks on the island worship. His name is John Frum and his home is the active volcano, Yasur. Today, John Frum is both a religion and a political party with a member in Parliment!! He is worshiped by what is called an "indigenous cargo cult". (a movement attempting to obtain industrial goods through magic)
Here is an excerpt from the article in Smithsonian magazine:
The island’s John Frum movement is a classic example of what anthropologists have called a “cargo cult”—many of which sprang up in villages in the South Pacific during World War II, when hundreds of thousands of American troops poured into the islands from the skies and seas. As anthropologist Kirk Huffman, who spent 17 years in Vanuatu, explains: “You get cargo cults when the outside world, with all its material wealth, suddenly descends on remote, indigenous tribes.” The locals don’t know where the foreigners’ endless supplies come from and so suspect they were summoned by magic, sent from the spirit world. To entice the Americans back after the war, islanders throughout the region constructed piers and carved airstrips from their fields. They prayed for ships and planes to once again come out of nowhere, bearing all kinds of treasures: jeeps and washing machines, radios and motorcycles, canned meat and candy!
But the venerated Americans never came back, except as a dribble of tourists and veterans eager to revisit the faraway islands where they went to war in their youth. And although almost all the cargo cults have disappeared over the decades, the John Frum movement has endured, based on the worship of an American god no sober man has ever seen.
A link to the full article is here and very much worth the time to read!
An excerpt from the article on CNN:
Full article can be read here.
February 15th:
In the morning heat on a tropical island halfway across the world from the United States, several dark-skinned men—clad in what look to be U.S. Army uniforms—appear on a mound overlooking a bamboo-hut village. One reverently carries Old Glory, precisely folded to reveal only the stars. On the command of a bearded “drill sergeant,” the flag is raised on a pole hacked from a tall tree trunk. As the huge banner billows in the wind, hundreds of watching villagers clap and cheer.
Chief Isaac Wan, a slight, bearded man in a blue suit and ceremonial sash, leads the uniformed men down to open ground in the middle of the village. Some 40 barefoot “G.I.’s” suddenly emerge from behind the huts to more cheering, marching in perfect step and ranks of two past Chief Isaac. They tote bamboo “rifles” on their shoulders, the scarlet tips sharpened to represent bloody bayonets, and sport the letters “USA,” painted in red on their bare chests and backs.
John Frum Day, on the remote island of Tanna in the South Pacific nation of Vanuatu. On this holiest of days, devotees have descended on the village of Lamakara from all over the island to honor a ghostly American messiah, John Frum. “John promised he’ll bring planeloads and shiploads of cargo to us from America if we pray to him,” a village elder tells me as he salutes the Stars and Stripes. “Radios, TVs, trucks, boats, watches, iceboxes, medicine, Coca-Cola and many other wonderful things.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Another fascinating thing about all the islands of Vanuatu is the consumption of Kava. I didn't really know much about it until I started researching the islands.Kava is a plant with calming properties.
Here is what Wikipedia has to say about it:
The roots of the plant are used to produce a drink with sedative, anesthetic, euphoriant, and entheogenic properties. Kava is consumed throughout the Pacific Ocean cultures of Polynesia, including Hawaii, Vanuatu, Melanesia and some parts of Micronesia for its sedating effects. Its active ingredients are called kavalactones. A Cochrane systematic review concluded it was likely to be more effective than placebo at treating short-term anxiety.
And from what I've read, you only want to consume drinks made with "noble" kava. Vanuatu's most popular noble strains are "Boroguu" or "Boronggoru" from Pentecost Island, "Melomelo" from Aoba Island (called sese in north Pentecost Island), and "Palarasul" kava from Espiritu Santo.
Kava is prepared by either chewing, grinding or pounding the roots of the kava plant. Grinding is done by hand against a cone-shaped block of dead coral; the hand forms a mortar and the coral a pestle. The ground root/bark is combined with only a little water, as the fresh root releases moisture during grinding. Pounding is done in a large stone with a small log. The product is then added to cold water and consumed as quickly as possible.
Fijians commonly share a drink called grog made by pounding sun-dried kava root into a fine powder, straining and mixing it with cold water. Traditionally, grog is drunk from the shorn half-shell of a coconut, called a bilo. Grog is very popular in Fiji, especially among young men, and often brings people together for storytelling and socializing. Drinking grog for a few hours brings a numbing and relaxing effect to the drinker; grog also numbs the tongue and grog drinking typically is followed by a "chaser" or sweet or spicy snack to follow a bilo.
How does Kava make you feel:
When the mixture is not too strong, the subject attains a state of happy unconcern, well-being and contentment, free of physical or psychological excitement. At the beginning conversation comes in a gentle, easy flow and hearing and sight are honed, becoming able to perceive subtle shades of sound and vision. Kava soothes temperaments. The drinker never becomes angry, unpleasant, quarrelsome or noisy, as happens with alcohol. Both natives and whites consider kava as a means of easing moral discomfort. The drinker remains master of his conscience and reason.
I may have to report back on my personal experience with Kava!
But here is the most important reason I wanted to visit Vanuatu:
For me, reading a bit of the history of the Islands made me even more curious and excited to visit. Although I will not visit the island of Tanna, I am most fascinated by the God some folks on the island worship. His name is John Frum and his home is the active volcano, Yasur. Today, John Frum is both a religion and a political party with a member in Parliment!! He is worshiped by what is called an "indigenous cargo cult". (a movement attempting to obtain industrial goods through magic)
Here is an excerpt from the article in Smithsonian magazine:
The island’s John Frum movement is a classic example of what anthropologists have called a “cargo cult”—many of which sprang up in villages in the South Pacific during World War II, when hundreds of thousands of American troops poured into the islands from the skies and seas. As anthropologist Kirk Huffman, who spent 17 years in Vanuatu, explains: “You get cargo cults when the outside world, with all its material wealth, suddenly descends on remote, indigenous tribes.” The locals don’t know where the foreigners’ endless supplies come from and so suspect they were summoned by magic, sent from the spirit world. To entice the Americans back after the war, islanders throughout the region constructed piers and carved airstrips from their fields. They prayed for ships and planes to once again come out of nowhere, bearing all kinds of treasures: jeeps and washing machines, radios and motorcycles, canned meat and candy!
But the venerated Americans never came back, except as a dribble of tourists and veterans eager to revisit the faraway islands where they went to war in their youth. And although almost all the cargo cults have disappeared over the decades, the John Frum movement has endured, based on the worship of an American god no sober man has ever seen.
A link to the full article is here and very much worth the time to read!
An excerpt from the article on CNN:
...who explained how the spirit first appeared on Tanna in the form of an American serviceman, who ordered the tribe to reject Christian missionaries and promised boatloads of American cargo in return.
Then came World War II and boatloads of American cargo.
To this day, the Stars and Stripes is a religious symbol for the people under the volcano and their children are shamans in training, learning to talk to the spirits in the trees and shoot birds from the sky.
February 15th:
In the morning heat on a tropical island halfway across the world from the United States, several dark-skinned men—clad in what look to be U.S. Army uniforms—appear on a mound overlooking a bamboo-hut village. One reverently carries Old Glory, precisely folded to reveal only the stars. On the command of a bearded “drill sergeant,” the flag is raised on a pole hacked from a tall tree trunk. As the huge banner billows in the wind, hundreds of watching villagers clap and cheer.
Chief Isaac Wan, a slight, bearded man in a blue suit and ceremonial sash, leads the uniformed men down to open ground in the middle of the village. Some 40 barefoot “G.I.’s” suddenly emerge from behind the huts to more cheering, marching in perfect step and ranks of two past Chief Isaac. They tote bamboo “rifles” on their shoulders, the scarlet tips sharpened to represent bloody bayonets, and sport the letters “USA,” painted in red on their bare chests and backs.
John Frum Day, on the remote island of Tanna in the South Pacific nation of Vanuatu. On this holiest of days, devotees have descended on the village of Lamakara from all over the island to honor a ghostly American messiah, John Frum. “John promised he’ll bring planeloads and shiploads of cargo to us from America if we pray to him,” a village elder tells me as he salutes the Stars and Stripes. “Radios, TVs, trucks, boats, watches, iceboxes, medicine, Coca-Cola and many other wonderful things.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Another fascinating thing about all the islands of Vanuatu is the consumption of Kava. I didn't really know much about it until I started researching the islands.Kava is a plant with calming properties.
Here is what Wikipedia has to say about it:
The roots of the plant are used to produce a drink with sedative, anesthetic, euphoriant, and entheogenic properties. Kava is consumed throughout the Pacific Ocean cultures of Polynesia, including Hawaii, Vanuatu, Melanesia and some parts of Micronesia for its sedating effects. Its active ingredients are called kavalactones. A Cochrane systematic review concluded it was likely to be more effective than placebo at treating short-term anxiety.
And from what I've read, you only want to consume drinks made with "noble" kava. Vanuatu's most popular noble strains are "Boroguu" or "Boronggoru" from Pentecost Island, "Melomelo" from Aoba Island (called sese in north Pentecost Island), and "Palarasul" kava from Espiritu Santo.
Kava is prepared by either chewing, grinding or pounding the roots of the kava plant. Grinding is done by hand against a cone-shaped block of dead coral; the hand forms a mortar and the coral a pestle. The ground root/bark is combined with only a little water, as the fresh root releases moisture during grinding. Pounding is done in a large stone with a small log. The product is then added to cold water and consumed as quickly as possible.
Fijians commonly share a drink called grog made by pounding sun-dried kava root into a fine powder, straining and mixing it with cold water. Traditionally, grog is drunk from the shorn half-shell of a coconut, called a bilo. Grog is very popular in Fiji, especially among young men, and often brings people together for storytelling and socializing. Drinking grog for a few hours brings a numbing and relaxing effect to the drinker; grog also numbs the tongue and grog drinking typically is followed by a "chaser" or sweet or spicy snack to follow a bilo.
How does Kava make you feel:
When the mixture is not too strong, the subject attains a state of happy unconcern, well-being and contentment, free of physical or psychological excitement. At the beginning conversation comes in a gentle, easy flow and hearing and sight are honed, becoming able to perceive subtle shades of sound and vision. Kava soothes temperaments. The drinker never becomes angry, unpleasant, quarrelsome or noisy, as happens with alcohol. Both natives and whites consider kava as a means of easing moral discomfort. The drinker remains master of his conscience and reason.
I may have to report back on my personal experience with Kava!
But here is the most important reason I wanted to visit Vanuatu:
Thursday, September 14, 2017
All is Well in my World
A good friend emailed me because she had not seen an update from me here regarding how I made out during the hurricane. Shame on me!
I got so caught up in the trip back North, pouring over Hurricane articles etc, that I forgot to update my status. I arrived home on Saturday and pretty much face-planted into the bed after I unloaded the car. Sunday was spent obsessively watching and reading about the Hurricane.
Monday morning I got the call I'd been waiting for. The president of the Condo board called me to let me know that he, personally, walked over to my place and all was well. Nothing broken, my little palm tree is still intact! I was so relieved I could have wept.
Of course, there was no power all week, but the last article I read on the County website said that power to the entire county was to be restored by midnight tomorrow.
Now that this is all behind me, I feel like I can share some experiences and observations I had on the long, long trip North.
The hotel I stayed at the night before I boarded the train was weird:
(I did tell the person at the desk about the gas cans and he sent someone out to get them)
Sleepy time!!! I turn from the window and do my best to sleep. Not happening! Even my sleepy music is having no effect. Noises in the hall wake me at one point. Who is slamming the door to the stairs at 2am? Then I am awake for a long time, finally falling asleep soundly about 5.
I got so caught up in the trip back North, pouring over Hurricane articles etc, that I forgot to update my status. I arrived home on Saturday and pretty much face-planted into the bed after I unloaded the car. Sunday was spent obsessively watching and reading about the Hurricane.
Monday morning I got the call I'd been waiting for. The president of the Condo board called me to let me know that he, personally, walked over to my place and all was well. Nothing broken, my little palm tree is still intact! I was so relieved I could have wept.
Of course, there was no power all week, but the last article I read on the County website said that power to the entire county was to be restored by midnight tomorrow.
Now that this is all behind me, I feel like I can share some experiences and observations I had on the long, long trip North.
The hotel I stayed at the night before I boarded the train was weird:
- There were sheer curtains on the window and the heavier black out curtains. However, the blackout curtains did not move--you couldn't close them. Thankfully, I was on the 4th floor but the room was so bright from exterior lighting, it was hard for me to sleep.
- There were strange goings-on in the parking lot of the hotel.:
(I did tell the person at the desk about the gas cans and he sent someone out to get them)
Sleepy time!!! I turn from the window and do my best to sleep. Not happening! Even my sleepy music is having no effect. Noises in the hall wake me at one point. Who is slamming the door to the stairs at 2am? Then I am awake for a long time, finally falling asleep soundly about 5.
I had set an alarm for 10 but at 8:45 someone (the maid, I believe) is pounding on the door and asking in very broken English am I in the room. Now, if your house keys cannot open the door because of the night guard and there is a Do Not Disturb sign on the door, wouldn't you get the hint? UGH I yell back through the door, check out is at 11. I'll be out then.
Back to righteous sleep and YEP you guessed it, more banging on the door asking if I am in the room. So, I get up about 9:20 and jump into the shower. While showering, I hear her at the door AGAIN. OMG. I take my time getting ready to leave and I keep hearing all this banging around outside of my door. At 10:58, I open the door to my room and find myself just about surrounded by large cardboard boxes of some sort. My room is not only across from the stairs but next to a storage room of some kind.
I say nothing just continue to the elevator and out the front door. I head over to Perkins for a leisurely breakfast before heading to the train station. I LOVE eating breakfast out. Dippy eggs, toast, bacon...all is right with the world again!
The scene at the Train Station really made this situation more of a reality:
I enter the ginormous station to complete chaos. There are more people in wheelchairs than I've ever seen in one place, at one time. The place is very noisy and there are more people than seats. It's hard getting to the line at the counter. After saying "excuse me" at least 20 times, I am in line. This time the priority line is even more of a blessing.
I feel like I am in a bad movie where people have stormed an embassy trying to get out of some besieged country. It's that chaotic. I wish I had thought to take pictures. The only way to escape the masses was to return to the 100-degree heat outside, which I did.
I say nothing just continue to the elevator and out the front door. I head over to Perkins for a leisurely breakfast before heading to the train station. I LOVE eating breakfast out. Dippy eggs, toast, bacon...all is right with the world again!
The scene at the Train Station really made this situation more of a reality:
I enter the ginormous station to complete chaos. There are more people in wheelchairs than I've ever seen in one place, at one time. The place is very noisy and there are more people than seats. It's hard getting to the line at the counter. After saying "excuse me" at least 20 times, I am in line. This time the priority line is even more of a blessing.
I feel like I am in a bad movie where people have stormed an embassy trying to get out of some besieged country. It's that chaotic. I wish I had thought to take pictures. The only way to escape the masses was to return to the 100-degree heat outside, which I did.
We boarded at 2:30pm and I watched the sea of humanity making its way up the narrow steps and past my seat. I must say, a crisis does not bring out the best in a lot of people. At one point, a woman about my age was berating her much older mother so much that my seatmate and I felt the need to consult the older woman about elder abuse. She said she was fine and that is just the kind of relationship she and her daughter have.
There was another scene very late after lights out. Some azz was screaming at the porter for 'disrespecting him'. It was quite ugly. Thankfully after that, it was quiet and uneventful.
I partook in the continental breakfast, which was very good. Coffee, juice, pastries, cereal, bananas, bagels... All served in the dining room.
So there you have it folks, my long strange trip to Florida and back!
I'm planning to head back down in a couple of weeks--Flying both ways this time! Hopefully, I will have nothing more to report than the condition of a few beaches I want to visit!
ttfn!
Sunday, September 10, 2017
The New Reality Sinks In
I had another blog post prepared full of witty, sometimes snarky comments about the Auto Train trip North. But after reading the new storm track information, I'm feeling neither witty nor snarky. I'm actually feeling scared and worried.
Yes, I know it's only 'stuff' and I have insurance but it's the 1st time I've ever experienced this. I imagine in years to come I will consider myself experienced at this whole hurricane thing--but now, I'm a scared newbie 1000+ miles away from my new home.
I will know more Monday night or Tuesday and expect another trip to FL will happen not long after that. But until then, please pray for the safety of all in the path of this hurricane and for those living on the islands already impacted.
jilly
Yes, I know it's only 'stuff' and I have insurance but it's the 1st time I've ever experienced this. I imagine in years to come I will consider myself experienced at this whole hurricane thing--but now, I'm a scared newbie 1000+ miles away from my new home.
I will know more Monday night or Tuesday and expect another trip to FL will happen not long after that. But until then, please pray for the safety of all in the path of this hurricane and for those living on the islands already impacted.
jilly
Tuesday, September 5, 2017
The Madness Has Begun
Well, let's catch up on my week so far. It's been an adventure to say the least. When I last left you, I was about to drive off from the Auto Train.
So, after a 2 1/2 hour drive, I arrived at my destination! It was super hot and humid, but I unloaded and unloaded and unloaded some more until everything but the Chaise was in the condo. I was drenched with sweat. After turning the air conditioning down to 72, I took a seat on the floor and waited until my hair stopped dripping and drank my last bottle of water.
Feeling somewhat recovered I drove to my local Publix and bought water and some food for the week. I did have the good sense to turn on the refrigerator when I got there, so by now it was nice and cold. I lugged all that stuff home and deposited a 10 pound bag of ice in the freezer. I then proceeded to fill a glass with ice and poured water over it. I drank 2 bottles immediately and for the rest of the day, I kept sipping.
At about 2:30 the mattress was delivered. At 3:00, I was taking a nap. enjoying the coolness. Ahhh.
I set an alarm for an hour later and finally dragged myself out of bed about an hour and a half later.
Huh, it seems a bit warmer in here than it was I check the thermostat, lower the temperature. NOTHING! Great.
I then go and look for water shut-off to turn the water back on so I can take a shower. No idea where it is, I look inside and out. NOTHING! Great
I start to sweat because now the termp inside is 82. I decide to look around for someone to ask.. a neighbor, anyone. I know the people on both sides of me are home so I knock repeatedly at each of their doors. No answer. So I hop in my car, and start driving slowly around the development looking for someone outside. The first person I encounter, is an older man, wearing nothing but a bathrobe, bare foot, drinking a glass of wine. I decide to pass on him and continue driving. After making a complete circuit of the neighborhood, bathrobe man is my only hope.
So, I put down the window and say, excuse me, do you live here? And he slurs that he does in fact live here in the 'cell block' behind him. Ooook. So I ask him if he knows where the shut off valve is for the water. He says, Oh I don't mess with anything like that. So I proceed to plead my case and also add in about the air conditioning--of lack thereof. He says, well let me call Joe somebody. He is on the board. So I give him a business card with my number and pray he remembers until he gets back to his place .
I return home and wait. Sweating. About 20 minutes later, a knock on my door and it's Joe. A nice looking guy about my age. He says the shut offs are either inside or out. He looks in the closet of my sun room and says, definitely out. We go outside and he can't find it. Just as we are ready to go back in, he spots it. It's been painted the same color as the stucco and kinda blends in.
Water problem solved! He then proceeds to look at the thermostat and breaker. No idea. He suggests I go and buy a fan. GREAT It's now 84 degrees inside. After he leaves, I call the Home Warranty company to place a claim. Turns out that no air conditioning, in Florida, in the summer does not qualify as an emergency. And it will take a minimum of 48 hours for someone to get back to me
I go and buy a fan.
I make it through Saturday and Sunday sleeping with the fan pointed directly at me and through the day, I move it around to wherever I'm at. UGH. By Monday, I am online filling out a request for bids on Thumbtack. I get a response within 1/2 hour. A minute later the phone rings. It's a Contractor !!!
I tell the woman my story and she says, oh well, we can have a Tech out there today. Today? As in Labor Day? Yes!!!!!!!!
So around 6:30 a truck pulls up a guy gets out, looks briefly at the thermostat and exchange and then sets up his ladder and is on my roof checking things out. I hear his drill a few times and then he comes down with the verdict. Ideally, I need a new central air system. In Florida, most units last about 10 years on average. My unit is from 1999. Now, I knew the unit was old but was hoping it would last another year or two. But that wasn't meant to be.
He says it probably has a slow coolant leak and that if he puts coolant in the unit, it will work again, but he can't say for how long. He said it could last 2 hours, 2 months or 2 years. I tell him to add the coolant. I will be happy if I can have one decent night of sleep at this point. Immediately after he does that, the unit turns on and I see the temperature inside drop from 84 to 83....I could have wept.
We talk about the cost of a new unit and he checks and says they could install this Thursday. Hmmm.
The issue is, with me not being here all the time, if the AC does go out the humidity will cause all sorts of nasty mold to grow very quickly. So, I decide to bite the bullet and have a new unit put in.
Great
Now we are current and I can say the AC is still working and I slept like the dead last night. Then my friend calls me and asks me if I have been watching the news. Oh God now what? Are we at war? What? Ummmmm........ just a Category 5 hurricane headed towards you. Great
So after I run my errands, I do what any sane person in the path of a hurricane would do............I head for the pool to catch some rays.
After listening to some of these men that were sitting in the shade of the clubhouse talk, I wanted to slit my wrists. Bathrobe man was there--clothed this time but with his wine. He was talking about when to evacuate and telling everyone that if it hits the near us this whole area will be flattened with winds that high. A kind of a know-it-all type naysayer that has experienced everything you have and done it better or had it worse. UGH.
And, you will never guess who I ran into while I was at the pool: Remember Tan Mom... or it could be Magda from Something about Mary!!
After all that pleasant talk, I came back to my place and changed into dry clothes and decided to go and get gas.
This was interesting...................The Madness has truly begun. In line to get gas at Wawa.
I've been thinking of driving up closer to Sanford because of rush hour traffic etc.. well now it will be evacuation traffic if the hurricane comes our way. So I have a hotel room for Thursday night about 20 minutes from the train station and will leave Friday afternoon on the train............Could really be a crazy train if we are being followed by the hurricane. Great
So, tomorrow I have a new piece of furniture coming. I think I am going to think a good thought and have it delivered. As for getting the AC put in......I may postpone that until I can get back down here.
So that's all for now Folks. Just another crazy week in my life. Prayers, positive thoughts etc would be greatly appreciated by Florida!
TTFN
So, after a 2 1/2 hour drive, I arrived at my destination! It was super hot and humid, but I unloaded and unloaded and unloaded some more until everything but the Chaise was in the condo. I was drenched with sweat. After turning the air conditioning down to 72, I took a seat on the floor and waited until my hair stopped dripping and drank my last bottle of water.
Feeling somewhat recovered I drove to my local Publix and bought water and some food for the week. I did have the good sense to turn on the refrigerator when I got there, so by now it was nice and cold. I lugged all that stuff home and deposited a 10 pound bag of ice in the freezer. I then proceeded to fill a glass with ice and poured water over it. I drank 2 bottles immediately and for the rest of the day, I kept sipping.
At about 2:30 the mattress was delivered. At 3:00, I was taking a nap. enjoying the coolness. Ahhh.
I set an alarm for an hour later and finally dragged myself out of bed about an hour and a half later.
Huh, it seems a bit warmer in here than it was I check the thermostat, lower the temperature. NOTHING! Great.
I then go and look for water shut-off to turn the water back on so I can take a shower. No idea where it is, I look inside and out. NOTHING! Great
I start to sweat because now the termp inside is 82. I decide to look around for someone to ask.. a neighbor, anyone. I know the people on both sides of me are home so I knock repeatedly at each of their doors. No answer. So I hop in my car, and start driving slowly around the development looking for someone outside. The first person I encounter, is an older man, wearing nothing but a bathrobe, bare foot, drinking a glass of wine. I decide to pass on him and continue driving. After making a complete circuit of the neighborhood, bathrobe man is my only hope.
So, I put down the window and say, excuse me, do you live here? And he slurs that he does in fact live here in the 'cell block' behind him. Ooook. So I ask him if he knows where the shut off valve is for the water. He says, Oh I don't mess with anything like that. So I proceed to plead my case and also add in about the air conditioning--of lack thereof. He says, well let me call Joe somebody. He is on the board. So I give him a business card with my number and pray he remembers until he gets back to his place .
I return home and wait. Sweating. About 20 minutes later, a knock on my door and it's Joe. A nice looking guy about my age. He says the shut offs are either inside or out. He looks in the closet of my sun room and says, definitely out. We go outside and he can't find it. Just as we are ready to go back in, he spots it. It's been painted the same color as the stucco and kinda blends in.
Water problem solved! He then proceeds to look at the thermostat and breaker. No idea. He suggests I go and buy a fan. GREAT It's now 84 degrees inside. After he leaves, I call the Home Warranty company to place a claim. Turns out that no air conditioning, in Florida, in the summer does not qualify as an emergency. And it will take a minimum of 48 hours for someone to get back to me
I go and buy a fan.
I make it through Saturday and Sunday sleeping with the fan pointed directly at me and through the day, I move it around to wherever I'm at. UGH. By Monday, I am online filling out a request for bids on Thumbtack. I get a response within 1/2 hour. A minute later the phone rings. It's a Contractor !!!
I tell the woman my story and she says, oh well, we can have a Tech out there today. Today? As in Labor Day? Yes!!!!!!!!
So around 6:30 a truck pulls up a guy gets out, looks briefly at the thermostat and exchange and then sets up his ladder and is on my roof checking things out. I hear his drill a few times and then he comes down with the verdict. Ideally, I need a new central air system. In Florida, most units last about 10 years on average. My unit is from 1999. Now, I knew the unit was old but was hoping it would last another year or two. But that wasn't meant to be.
He says it probably has a slow coolant leak and that if he puts coolant in the unit, it will work again, but he can't say for how long. He said it could last 2 hours, 2 months or 2 years. I tell him to add the coolant. I will be happy if I can have one decent night of sleep at this point. Immediately after he does that, the unit turns on and I see the temperature inside drop from 84 to 83....I could have wept.
We talk about the cost of a new unit and he checks and says they could install this Thursday. Hmmm.
The issue is, with me not being here all the time, if the AC does go out the humidity will cause all sorts of nasty mold to grow very quickly. So, I decide to bite the bullet and have a new unit put in.
Great
Now we are current and I can say the AC is still working and I slept like the dead last night. Then my friend calls me and asks me if I have been watching the news. Oh God now what? Are we at war? What? Ummmmm........ just a Category 5 hurricane headed towards you. Great
So after I run my errands, I do what any sane person in the path of a hurricane would do............I head for the pool to catch some rays.
After listening to some of these men that were sitting in the shade of the clubhouse talk, I wanted to slit my wrists. Bathrobe man was there--clothed this time but with his wine. He was talking about when to evacuate and telling everyone that if it hits the near us this whole area will be flattened with winds that high. A kind of a know-it-all type naysayer that has experienced everything you have and done it better or had it worse. UGH.
And, you will never guess who I ran into while I was at the pool: Remember Tan Mom... or it could be Magda from Something about Mary!!
After all that pleasant talk, I came back to my place and changed into dry clothes and decided to go and get gas.
This was interesting...................The Madness has truly begun. In line to get gas at Wawa.
I've been thinking of driving up closer to Sanford because of rush hour traffic etc.. well now it will be evacuation traffic if the hurricane comes our way. So I have a hotel room for Thursday night about 20 minutes from the train station and will leave Friday afternoon on the train............Could really be a crazy train if we are being followed by the hurricane. Great
So, tomorrow I have a new piece of furniture coming. I think I am going to think a good thought and have it delivered. As for getting the AC put in......I may postpone that until I can get back down here.
So that's all for now Folks. Just another crazy week in my life. Prayers, positive thoughts etc would be greatly appreciated by Florida!
TTFN
All aboard........Nope it's not the Crazy Train
So, it's the night before a new adventure begins and I am sleepless, of course. Thankfully, I do not have to be up at zero dark thirty in the morning. I am planning on adding the last few items to the car, having a leisurely breakfast and then starting my trek south!
Oh the best laid plans.....Fast forward to the next morning:
I wake up......stretch, look around the room, lean over and check the time. ACK it's 11am and I have to be at the train station in Virginia by 2:30 -- PM -- today!!!!! Leap out of bed, jump in the shower and get ready in record time. Thankfully, just about everything was packed and ready to go last night. I fly out the door with the remaining bags by 11:20 and make a quick stop at the Smoothie Cafe for a late breakfast.
If you haven't tried the Smoothie Cafe, you have no idea what you are missing. I finally had to buy my own smoothie maker because I was spending so much money at this place! They have a new seasonal flavor that's green apple and peanut butter and that is what I got this morning. Such yumminess should be illegal! But I digress........
I hop on 11/15 towards Maryland. Then hit 270 to Washington. I made really good time until this point...then the DC area traffic hit. I haven't been down this way in years and my how it's changed. I noticed they have express lanes completed where I'm guessing you pay for the privilege to drive on them using your EZ pass--no cash accepted. I opted not to use this method as I wasn't sure where they joined the rest of the peons in the non-paying lanes.
I eventually picked up 95 and from there Lorton was just a short way. Whew! I pulled up to the gate at 1:50. I'm not sure if I mentioned this, but I paid extra for 2 things----business class seat and priority offloading. Trust me on this when I tell you that it is worth every penny. I was told to pull my car
forward in the 'priority lane'. You are asked to leave the driver's side window down and the keys in the car. After you collect your personal belongings (they do have free luggage carts for your use, if needed), they use a hand held camera and video the exterior of your car. I'm sure over the years people have tried to accuse them of causing damage to their vehicle and I totally understand.
Area to pull your car up
Videoing your car:
You then make your way a short distance to the terminal. There are 2 lines. One for Coach class passengers and another for Sleeper Car and Business passengers. Because I arrived at the tail end of check-in time, the lines were non-existent for both classes. However, looking around the cavernous space, I saw hundreds of people already checked in and waiting to board the train. This time of year there are not a lot of passengers riding the train, but during snow-bird season, the train is packed and the prices reflect that.
Car Carriers:
This was confirmed when I checked in and asked for a seat in a row by myself, if possible. The woman said, Honey there are only 9 people in business class today, you are all going to have your own row! Great news!! As I waited for boarding to start, looking around the room, I saw tons of kids, tiny babies and just generally most seemed to families en route to Disney.
Business class also boards first with the Sleeper Car passagers.--nice! You enter on the lower level of the car and climb a very narrow set of twisting stairs to the second floor. I was given the option of having a seat in business on the first floor--and I would have been the only passenger in the car. I thought about it but then decided that it would be too creepy at night trying to sleep. So, I am in seat 49, window, and the aisle seat has my stuff! The seat has a great recline and another piece can be raised--kind of like a recliner chair.
We had a porter come through, put our train tickets up above the seats and told us everyone that paid for business will have a ticket and if we see anyone in our car without one, to let him know. He told us where everything was located, where our dinner would be served--again we dine with Sleeper Car
passengers. Dining was at either 5 or 7. There is also a private lounge car as well as a beverage station serving coffee and hot chocolate all night. Also, an ice machine as well as snacks and booze for sale.
A little while later he came by again, this time with 2 bottles of water for each person. The third visit he dropped off a nice little blanket kit in a drawstring bag. (Just like the ones you used to be able to buy on US Air) The bag contained a blanket, ear plugs, a blow up neck pillow and an eye mask!
Each row of 2 seats has 2 outlets for charging your various devices--and it's a real outlet, not a USB port. The train also has free wifi. Now, it's not reliable in certain areas of the country, but it's free! Amtrak provides a home page of sorts that shows a map of where you are, news, the dinner menu
There are 4 entree choices. Formally dressed waitstaff escorted you to a linen covered table where a tossed salad and dinner roll awaited. There was also ice water and iced tea on the table.
The Dining Car:
Tonight there was: Beef Tenderloin with Baked Potato and vegetables, Salmon and Risotto, a chicken dish and a vegetarian lasagna. In addition, there was a chef's sepecial which was a pork chop. For children under 12, chicken nuggets.
The dessert menu had your choice of tiramisu, cheesecake, sugar free jello and ice cream with your choice of topping.
Bar service was available as well.
I was seated with an older couple and a young man. We had some very pleasant conversation during dinner. It's so funny, this couple looked like a typical retired snow bird pair. It turns out the woman designs websites for a living. They are computer experts and they hold seminars on internet security. HA Very interesting to talk to. We found common ground talking about travel and passed the time very pleasantly!
It is now 6:28pm and I am finished with dinner. What to do? I have an e-book to finish. Perhaps that will be next. I'll check in later or maybe not until tomorrow. Who knows?
We are somewhere near North Carolina I think. The Amtrak web is not working at the moment. It's rainy outside. We are moving at a decent speed right now. There were several starts and stops so far. Not at stations but maybe for another train to pass. Our only scheduled stop around midnight will be in South Carolina where they will change crews.
You do make other stops along the way. Seems the passenger trains do not have as much importance as the cargo trains. Twice that I know of, we stopped on the tracks to allow other trains to pass. I guess trains have certain areas where the tracks cross?
AT any rate, after dinner I read the rest of a book and at 9pm they turned out the lights in the cabins. Much like an airplane, there is safety lighting and a light above your seat. I read some more and then tried to get comfy and sleep. Yeah, not so much. I did sleep for about 3 hours and then off and on
until they made an announcement over the PA that a continental breakfast was being served in the dining room. Then the lights came back on.
It's now about 7:40 and they tell us we will be in early. We shall see!
PS: We did arrive early however, they had to uncouple the cars and get the car carriers in place then we had to be towed to the terminal area. We got off the train about 8:30.
Here again is where your extra money spent is really going to pay for itself. I paid $50 each way to have my car one of the 1st 30 cars to come off the train. Considering the train was considered lightly occupied, there were 190 cars and 398 passengers on board. My car was number 26. They drive it over to a small parking area, you load your stuff you brought on the train and off you go!
Interesting experience--I would do it again if I had a lot of stuff to bring down to FL.
Oh the best laid plans.....Fast forward to the next morning:
I wake up......stretch, look around the room, lean over and check the time. ACK it's 11am and I have to be at the train station in Virginia by 2:30 -- PM -- today!!!!! Leap out of bed, jump in the shower and get ready in record time. Thankfully, just about everything was packed and ready to go last night. I fly out the door with the remaining bags by 11:20 and make a quick stop at the Smoothie Cafe for a late breakfast.
If you haven't tried the Smoothie Cafe, you have no idea what you are missing. I finally had to buy my own smoothie maker because I was spending so much money at this place! They have a new seasonal flavor that's green apple and peanut butter and that is what I got this morning. Such yumminess should be illegal! But I digress........
I hop on 11/15 towards Maryland. Then hit 270 to Washington. I made really good time until this point...then the DC area traffic hit. I haven't been down this way in years and my how it's changed. I noticed they have express lanes completed where I'm guessing you pay for the privilege to drive on them using your EZ pass--no cash accepted. I opted not to use this method as I wasn't sure where they joined the rest of the peons in the non-paying lanes.
I eventually picked up 95 and from there Lorton was just a short way. Whew! I pulled up to the gate at 1:50. I'm not sure if I mentioned this, but I paid extra for 2 things----business class seat and priority offloading. Trust me on this when I tell you that it is worth every penny. I was told to pull my car
forward in the 'priority lane'. You are asked to leave the driver's side window down and the keys in the car. After you collect your personal belongings (they do have free luggage carts for your use, if needed), they use a hand held camera and video the exterior of your car. I'm sure over the years people have tried to accuse them of causing damage to their vehicle and I totally understand.
Area to pull your car up
Videoing your car:
Car Carriers:
This was confirmed when I checked in and asked for a seat in a row by myself, if possible. The woman said, Honey there are only 9 people in business class today, you are all going to have your own row! Great news!! As I waited for boarding to start, looking around the room, I saw tons of kids, tiny babies and just generally most seemed to families en route to Disney.
Business class also boards first with the Sleeper Car passagers.--nice! You enter on the lower level of the car and climb a very narrow set of twisting stairs to the second floor. I was given the option of having a seat in business on the first floor--and I would have been the only passenger in the car. I thought about it but then decided that it would be too creepy at night trying to sleep. So, I am in seat 49, window, and the aisle seat has my stuff! The seat has a great recline and another piece can be raised--kind of like a recliner chair.
We had a porter come through, put our train tickets up above the seats and told us everyone that paid for business will have a ticket and if we see anyone in our car without one, to let him know. He told us where everything was located, where our dinner would be served--again we dine with Sleeper Car
passengers. Dining was at either 5 or 7. There is also a private lounge car as well as a beverage station serving coffee and hot chocolate all night. Also, an ice machine as well as snacks and booze for sale.
A little while later he came by again, this time with 2 bottles of water for each person. The third visit he dropped off a nice little blanket kit in a drawstring bag. (Just like the ones you used to be able to buy on US Air) The bag contained a blanket, ear plugs, a blow up neck pillow and an eye mask!
Each row of 2 seats has 2 outlets for charging your various devices--and it's a real outlet, not a USB port. The train also has free wifi. Now, it's not reliable in certain areas of the country, but it's free! Amtrak provides a home page of sorts that shows a map of where you are, news, the dinner menu
There are 4 entree choices. Formally dressed waitstaff escorted you to a linen covered table where a tossed salad and dinner roll awaited. There was also ice water and iced tea on the table.
The Dining Car:
Tonight there was: Beef Tenderloin with Baked Potato and vegetables, Salmon and Risotto, a chicken dish and a vegetarian lasagna. In addition, there was a chef's sepecial which was a pork chop. For children under 12, chicken nuggets.
The dessert menu had your choice of tiramisu, cheesecake, sugar free jello and ice cream with your choice of topping.
Bar service was available as well.
I was seated with an older couple and a young man. We had some very pleasant conversation during dinner. It's so funny, this couple looked like a typical retired snow bird pair. It turns out the woman designs websites for a living. They are computer experts and they hold seminars on internet security. HA Very interesting to talk to. We found common ground talking about travel and passed the time very pleasantly!
It is now 6:28pm and I am finished with dinner. What to do? I have an e-book to finish. Perhaps that will be next. I'll check in later or maybe not until tomorrow. Who knows?
We are somewhere near North Carolina I think. The Amtrak web is not working at the moment. It's rainy outside. We are moving at a decent speed right now. There were several starts and stops so far. Not at stations but maybe for another train to pass. Our only scheduled stop around midnight will be in South Carolina where they will change crews.
You do make other stops along the way. Seems the passenger trains do not have as much importance as the cargo trains. Twice that I know of, we stopped on the tracks to allow other trains to pass. I guess trains have certain areas where the tracks cross?
AT any rate, after dinner I read the rest of a book and at 9pm they turned out the lights in the cabins. Much like an airplane, there is safety lighting and a light above your seat. I read some more and then tried to get comfy and sleep. Yeah, not so much. I did sleep for about 3 hours and then off and on
until they made an announcement over the PA that a continental breakfast was being served in the dining room. Then the lights came back on.
It's now about 7:40 and they tell us we will be in early. We shall see!
PS: We did arrive early however, they had to uncouple the cars and get the car carriers in place then we had to be towed to the terminal area. We got off the train about 8:30.
Here again is where your extra money spent is really going to pay for itself. I paid $50 each way to have my car one of the 1st 30 cars to come off the train. Considering the train was considered lightly occupied, there were 190 cars and 398 passengers on board. My car was number 26. They drive it over to a small parking area, you load your stuff you brought on the train and off you go!
Interesting experience--I would do it again if I had a lot of stuff to bring down to FL.
Saturday, August 12, 2017
So, it's been a while....
It's been months since I blogged so I wanted to fill you in on what's been going on in my life!
Since the cruise I took in April, I've been staying very busy. A lot of long weekends were spent jetting back and forth to Florida in pursuit of the perfect condo. After looking at what seemed like a hundred places, I finally found the perfect place!!!
It's two bedrooms, a cute Florida room and of course, living, dining room, kitchen & bath. It's on a quiet street and has a gorgeous pool. But the best part.................it's only 10 minutes from the beach!
Thankfully, I was able to look past the clutter that was in the place and see it the way I would decorate it. I can tell you, the woman that owned it was a semi-hoarder with a love of teapots, plants and bird houses.
However, I've redecorated it in my mind several times. And it does have a lot of nice features: the wood floors are gorgeous, each bedroom has a walk in closet, there's a pantry and the Florida room has a huge closet with room for a washer/dryer! There are many other things to love about it as well, but I won't bore you with more details!
I will be sure to take before and after photos. The kitchen is updated but it is so not my taste. That will be the first project. It involves paint and a back splash!
For now, this place is just a vacation home......but some day........my full time home!
When I flew down for settlement, I filled two large suitcases full of things to help make the place habitable. It's amazing what you can fit into suitcases when you use those space bags!
Next, I'm planning on taking the Auto Train down in September. That way I can jam my car full of items to begin furnishing the place. A bed will be delivered when I get there. And, of course, I plan to do a little shopping while I am there.
My goal is to be able to be fairly comfortable when I visit and I will add things as time and money allow.
I am hoping to be able to fly down regularly during the winter months. I found an airport very close to home that flies Fridays and Mondays to an airport quite close to my place. The plan is to have quite a few long weekends this winter!
So, that's all the news for now!
Your Domestic Flying Gypsy,
Jilly
Since the cruise I took in April, I've been staying very busy. A lot of long weekends were spent jetting back and forth to Florida in pursuit of the perfect condo. After looking at what seemed like a hundred places, I finally found the perfect place!!!
It's two bedrooms, a cute Florida room and of course, living, dining room, kitchen & bath. It's on a quiet street and has a gorgeous pool. But the best part.................it's only 10 minutes from the beach!
Thankfully, I was able to look past the clutter that was in the place and see it the way I would decorate it. I can tell you, the woman that owned it was a semi-hoarder with a love of teapots, plants and bird houses.
However, I've redecorated it in my mind several times. And it does have a lot of nice features: the wood floors are gorgeous, each bedroom has a walk in closet, there's a pantry and the Florida room has a huge closet with room for a washer/dryer! There are many other things to love about it as well, but I won't bore you with more details!
I will be sure to take before and after photos. The kitchen is updated but it is so not my taste. That will be the first project. It involves paint and a back splash!
For now, this place is just a vacation home......but some day........my full time home!
When I flew down for settlement, I filled two large suitcases full of things to help make the place habitable. It's amazing what you can fit into suitcases when you use those space bags!
Next, I'm planning on taking the Auto Train down in September. That way I can jam my car full of items to begin furnishing the place. A bed will be delivered when I get there. And, of course, I plan to do a little shopping while I am there.
My goal is to be able to be fairly comfortable when I visit and I will add things as time and money allow.
I am hoping to be able to fly down regularly during the winter months. I found an airport very close to home that flies Fridays and Mondays to an airport quite close to my place. The plan is to have quite a few long weekends this winter!
So, that's all the news for now!
Your Domestic Flying Gypsy,
Jilly
Wednesday, April 26, 2017
(This post goes after Grand Turk) Happy Earth Day from the Deck of the Sunshine!
This post is out of order--but because of when I posted, I can't change the order.. Oh well.
Today is the last day of the cruise and a Sea Day. I think that is a good way to end a cruise—it gives you a chance to mentally prepare for the end of the vacation. More practically, it gives you a chance to pack and organize things for the trip back to reality.
Today is the last day of the cruise and a Sea Day. I think that is a good way to end a cruise—it gives you a chance to mentally prepare for the end of the vacation. More practically, it gives you a chance to pack and organize things for the trip back to reality.
I am using my last day to pack up the cabin and get the luggage ready to go out in the hallway tonight so it can be taken off the ship for me and ready for pick-up tomorrow morning. Another perk of being platinum is that my luggage will be ready first and I can be one of the first off the ship tomorrow, if I choose. I will choose that tomorrow as we have a car rental for the day.
I’m sitting in a sunny window taking advantage of the faster Wi-Fi in this location. The water is that deep, dark blue indicative of the ship being in very deep water. God, I will miss this.
I am also using this last sea day, which by the way is very calm, not windy and just partly cloudy, to gather my thoughts about the cruise and this ship.
While there were many things I loved about the ship there were other things I did not care for. In no way did any of the things I didn’t like have an impact on the great time I had. Instead, it will make me carefully consider choosing this ship for another vacation. Just consider this “first world ramblings”.
We are so privileged to be able to have a vacation like this on a regular basis and I am very aware of how blessed I am.
First, the things I loved:
· The Crew – these people are the friendliest, most hardworking people you will ever meet. From my Cabin Steward, Ryan, our wait staff in the dining room, Mario, Rocky and Slav, and just generally any staff member on the ship had a smile for you and behaved as if your happiness was their purpose in life.
· Mongolian Wok – I am going to have severe withdrawal when I leave the ship!
· The variety of areas to have a meal or a snack was incredible. Guy’s Burgers, Blue Iguana Cantina, Mongolian Wok, the Deli, and the Pizza place, the lido buffet-with too many selections to name, the Main dining room, the Taste Station and ALL included in the price of your cruise. There are also several up-charge restaurants you can choose to dine at—Bonsai Sushi, a steakhouse, Japanese restaurant, Cuban food at the Havana Bar and an Italian restaurant.
· The cabins were somewhat updated from standard Carnival décor, which was a nice change.
· The port selections on this cruise were wonderful and the main reason I chose this cruise.
· The Comedy Club was great and something I attend multiple times during a cruise.
· The Serenity area on this ship was beautiful and spacious.
· Increasing the number of outlets in the cabin from 1 to 2.
· The décor and seating areas on the Lido deck were updated and very cheery and inviting.
· The Havana Bar was my favorite area to sit and eat lunch. It was in the aft of the ship with large, aft-facing window to watch the wake. The décor is also Cuban-like right down to fake palm trees that look like they are growing up and out of the room. It also usually features an acoustic guitar player, which was very nice.
· The Soups and desserts in the main dining room.
· The overall cleanliness of the ship. That has been a constant on every ship I’ve sailed on.
· How the wait staff dances for us a couple of times during the cruise. It’s pure Carnival and it looks like the staff really enjoys it too.
Now, the things I did not care for:
· The persistent sewage smell that was present in several areas of the ship for the entire cruise. One place it was very noticeable was in the lobby on Deck 3—which is a heavily used area. It caused us to relocate more than once.
· Items that should have been repaired or replaced. There were several in my cabin: the caulking in the shower was pulled loose in an area about 8 inches long, there was black mold specks in the caulking and a screw sticking out of the shower plate that I caught my toe on. An outlet plate that was on the verge of pulling out of the wall.
· The biggest thing for me was the American Table dining experience in the Main Dining Areas. I did not like it at all. I prefer (and expect) the same level of service in the dining room as I’ve had all the other times I cruised with Carnival. I missed the white table cloths, charger plates, the large assortment of silverware at your place setting, having your chair pulled out and your waiter placing your napkin in your lap, waiters coming around with warm bread and allowing you to choose a piece, having your water glass filled almost the moment it was empty. Just the whole decadent, pampering experience. Instead, we had a water bottle on the table, a bread basket placed on the table, less silverware, etc. Even the wait staff was attired more casually.
· The more casual attire allowed into the Main dining room. I don’t want a formal atmosphere but just people decently dressed. Make people take off the baseball hats, turn them away when they look like they are dressed in their pajamas, things like that. I guess ENFORCE the dress code they state in the Carriage of Contract. Resort Casual is not specific enough for some people. UGH
· This was one of my biggest complaints—but not with Carnival, with the azzhole parents that allowed their children to go stomping down the halls at all hours of the night—just generally letting them run amok. And adults, clomping past the staterooms at 1-2 in the morning, not bothering to lower their voices and carrying on like no one was sleeping a few feet away from them. WTH is wrong with people? I find myself asking myself that more and more. I think that may be a true sign of getting old. LOL! I need to remind myself of the time of year of the cruise and not pick a Spring Break cruise or any time when the possibility of lots of children are aboard.
· The American Table menus. I think I can honestly say there was no night in the main dining room where I was ‘wowed’. Don’t get me wrong, the food was edible and you certainly wouldn’t starve but the entrée selections were not that great. One night I had an appetizer of soup, a salad and a chicken entrée that was really gross—tough and tasteless. I ordered another soup and called it dinner.
· Along that same vein—the fact that they moved the salads to the appetizer section and honestly if you didn’t know you would probably limit yourself to an appetizer or salad, when, in fact, they are different courses.
In summary, I will look for ships not using the American Table Menus and if Carnival decided to move this across the whole line, I will look for a different line—platinum status here or not. I will choose to cruise at times when schools are in session unless the itinerary is one in a million.
In closing, I will tell you that the vacation was fabulous. I had wonderful traveling companions and would not hesitate to cruise with them in the future. And as stated, the dislikes were relatively minor but when spending my money, I like to have the vacation meet the expectations I have and this one missed on a few items.
Oh and the cabin I choose—be warned, it was 9177, on the Lido deck forward. It was convenient obviously to the Lido deck and Serenity—the reason I chose it. And it is directly below the spa. I thought there would be little noise in this location. HA! Every day, early morning, afternoon and evening, they drag stuff around up there and it’s a bit annoying. If you are a light sleeper, reconsider.
Until next time,
Gypsy Jilly
Monday, April 24, 2017
Epilogue—Our Day In Orlando
The alarm went off far too early for me after a very late night at the casino. Three Card Poker called to me and I started with $100 in chips. That allowed me to play for about 4-5 hours and leave with $170. Not bad for an evening of entertainment!
Thankfully, I had packed up most everything and put 1 piece of luggage outside the cabin door to be picked up and taken to the warehouse after we left the ship.
Once again, platinum status was a huge friend to us. We had Priority Debarkation in Group 1. This group would be called immediately after the people that were carrying off all of their luggage. Do people listen to the announcements? No, they do not. They just rush to the exits and clog up the traffic leaving the ship. UGH At about 8:30 we took the stairs from Deck 9 to Deck 3 only to find a madhouse. The atrium and areas all around it and the elevators were solid people and luggage.
I found a crew member and asked her where the priority debarkation line was. OH well, let me just whisk you and your guests to the immediate front of the line, past everyone else. BOOM! We were off the ship. I immediately flagged down a porter who loaded our luggage onto her cart and off we went—through the very short porter line and to the customs agent. Easy Peasy! Well worth the $10 tip we gave her. Plus, she wheeled our bags the whole way over to the rental car shuttles.
After a wait of about 20 minutes, the rental car company shuttle arrived and we were off to pick up our car. No wait there and we loaded our stuff into the Jetta we were given. Zoom Zoom! We were off. We decided to go Disney Springs and spend the day.
No traffic problems and we arrived and parked our car in the Orange parking lot. The parking lots here were kinda interesting—They gave a count of all the available spaces on each level of the garage AND it was free to park there.
It was fairly early so we walked around a bit and I immediately found a couple of great Christmas presents for my son! We decided to pick them up on the way out instead of lugging them around. We walked and shopped at a variety of stores and then we decided we were starving. We went to Splitsville, the bowling alley/restaurant to eat and bowl! It was $12 each to bowl for an hour and fifteen minutes. Food was extra of course. We decided to order just appetizers so we wouldn’t waste our precious bowling time.
I will tell you right now, I suck at bowling. And with my hands and now shoulders acting up, after two games it was starting to become fairly painful. In between throwing gutter balls, we shared an order of nachos and chicken tenders. Then realized we were very full and no additional lunch would be needed. Kolton won, Betzi came in second and I, of course, won the Bronze medal. LOL My play was actually pitiful. My highest score was 73 I think. LOL
We strolled around some more and did a bit more shopping and then decided we needed to see a movie so we could sleep…errr rest. We decided on the Disney flick “Made in China.” I think that was the name. It was about animal families. Very beautifully filmed and narrated. And of course, it was dark and cool inside. Comfy seats that reclined, oh yeah… I think we may have nodded off for a short time.
Aaaaaaand, it was only 3:30. Oh God, how much time to kill before can go to the airport? All we wanted to do was sleep. We actually considered just going to the car, turning on the air and napping. But, we soldiered on. We went to a ginormous Disney Store and then went looking for the Disney Art Gallery. I was hoping they would have some of Uncle Pete or Harrison’s artwork on display there. They did not but when we asked a salesman, he said no, unfortunately, they hadn’t had any in 5 or 6 years. Bummer. He did pull out a large binder and showed us a couple of photographs of art they used to have.
Cousin Lynda, if you are reading this blog, the man said he had been employed there many years and Uncle Pete’s work always sold very well. He was disappointed they no longer sold it. They would welcome the opportunity to sell his and Harrison’s work again!!!!
At 6 or so, we decided we had enough. I stopped at the store where I spotted those future presents, we made our way back to the car. I made an executive decision while we were on the highway NOT to go to the airport. I asked Kolton to look up IHOP on maps! We stopped there and had breakfast for dinner and I had 2 cups of coffee.
It was still early so I said we were going to cross the parking lot to a large souvenir store! We killed about 30 more minutes there and it was time to go to the airport. Yessssssssssss!
After an uneventful trip to the airport, we dropped off the rental car and made our way to the skycaps and dropped off our luggage. It boggles my mind why people will past the skycaps and inside the terminal to queue in line to check in at an airline counter. Craziness. It so much speedier to stop at the skycaps outside.
Anyway, once inside we headed to the security line. What??? No TSA pre-check? The lines were not very long so I took the plunge. Kolton and Betzi were already in line. OMG What an awful experience—one I hope I do not have to repeat in the near future. First, the line itself was so long, then you have the TSA goons bellowing constantly, laptops out of bags, shoes off, pockets empty, blah, blah, blah. Then you go through the make you naked scanner, where once again, my right breast and armpit needed and extra pat-down AND my carry-on luggage was pulled for further inspection. OH effing JOY!
The Goon opens my bag and of course, all my careful packing is undone as he mauls my stuff and checks for explosives. And he is a foul tempered, full bodied, bespectacled, balding azzhole. After pawing through my entire suitcase, he finds the offending and dangerous item. It’s the mostly empty 5-ounce tube of toothpaste. I said, but it’s almost empty. He said, we don’t care, we go by the original amount on the item. We don’t have time to weigh everything. Ok Dick, whatever you say. Oh wait, there is another item I need to locate. Oh, my conditioner—again a mostly empty container I forgot to transfer to the checked luggage.
Then, he jams everything into the suitcase, totally haphazardly, and then uses his sizeable girth to force the zippers shut. I grabbed the suitcase and stormed off to repack the darn thing. I couldn’t even get the laptop back in the outside compartment. I was BEYOND irritated. UGH
I am now much calmer after guzzling a double Jack and Coke, waiting to board a completely full flight home. I don’t think my mood is going to improve much. We are supposed to get in at 12:50 am. Then a shuttle to the hotel to pick up my car (I pray it’s not damaged) Then the 90-minute drive home. Sigh. I hope to be able to sleep and awake in a much better mood. Back to gray and rain, probably not. LOL
New day, new temperament! After a solid 10 hours of sleep, I unpacked, did laundry and got everything put away. I have yet to sort and open the week’s mail—tomorrow is another day.
Regarding the flight home, it was great! I snagged a front row window seat, propped myself against the window, plugged in headphones and with relaxation music blocking out all the sounds, I was asleep before the plane took off. I was startled awaked about 10 minutes prior to landing—now that is the perfect flight!
We got our luggage and had to take a taxi to the Aloft to pick up the car because the shuttle stops running at midnight. But they reimbursed me for the taxi fare and tip and off we went in my undamaged, un-dinged car. After an uneventful drive home, I dropped off Kolton and Betzi and made my way to my place where I hauled all my stuff in and after retrieving a few necessary items from the carry-on pretty much face-planted into my bed about 4:30 am.
Final thoughts:
· Nothing tastes better than the first cup of coffee from your ‘home’ machine.
· Never go through the regular security line
· I love the way my place smells when I walk in.
· Life is very, very good!
I hope to have more news to report in the next few weeks.......I'm scheduled for a mini-vacay over Memorial Day Weekend!
Signing off for now as this Gypsy has arrived back at home base!
Saturday, April 22, 2017
What a Grand (Turk) Day!
We walked to a small boat docked right next to the ship and set off for the first snorkeling stop. And what a great spot it was. The boat anchored about 20 or 30 feet from the "WALL". This is an area that drops hundreds of feet from the snorkeling depth of about 20 feet deep. It was amazing and a tiny bit creepy at the same time. There were tons of fish and interesting coral formations. The Captain of the boat actually had to yell at the group several times to get back aboard. We were there for at least an hour--and I am pretty sure I only lifted my head out of the water 3 times.
Our next stop was in an area that much more shallow and had much less living coral. It made me sad to see so much dead coral. But they are trying to rebuild reefs using boulders and sinking ships to the bottom. However, there were still areas of living coral and lots of fish to see. This stop was about an hour but was sort of irritating due to these creatures that had no regard for anyone but themselves and just kicked and paddled their way wherever they pleased. UGH I was kicked 3 times, once in the head. Not even a hint of apology. Azzholes.
I did get some good photos of lots of fish several, I've not seen before.
Another Gorgeous Sea Fan
And a video, somewhat disturbed by the 'creatures' on our boat. Right at the end is where I got kicked in the head. Fun!
After that, the boat drove right up to the beach and we went down the little ladder and there we were -- in the soft sand. Today's sand was so different than St. Kitts. It was light colored and very powdery, lovely to walk on.
We were starving so we made our way down the beach to a place recommended by our tour guides. We could see the grills smoking and smell the jerk chicken. On Yum. We found a table and ordered a variety of food and drink. I must say this was the BEST jerk chicken I've ever had and I wish I had
some right now!
We spent the rest of the day lounging in chairs, under umbrellas at the beach near the ship.
A very good time had by all!
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