Back To Reality

Our last day of the cruise was a sea day and I spent most of it out at the pool. I entered the pool pole contest where two people shimmy out over the pool on a long pole and proceed to try and smack each other off the pole using a pillow case full of balloons. I almost won....but lost and was wacked into the water. Then I entered a volleyball competition and had lots of fun beating the ships crew VB team. After sailing all day Friday from Grand Cayman Island, we arrived back in Miami on Saturday morning. We were parked at the pier before 6:00 AM. Even when you get up in the morning on the last day, even before you get out of bed, you can feel the reality of what lies outside the ship. No more room steward, no more room service, and no more cruise. At this point..... it is all about how can we get you outta here ASAP. Even some of the friendliness seems to go away.... it is as if the crew is saving and storing up their cheerfulness for the next arriving customers. This view outisde the rear of the ship is the Port of Miami. The Miami arena (where the Heat plays) is very close by. The picture is of the RCCL Majesty of the Seas. Our disembarkation was very quick and very not crowded. We jumped into a cab and headed for our Ft. Lauderdale hotel. Before we knew it, the cruise port was no longer in sight and the only cruising Peg and I were talking about..... was cruise vacations for other people....In other words....back to work. I did learn that when you jump into a cab at the Port of Miami, you can ask the driver about a flat rate to anywhere you want to go. I should have done that because just getting to the FLL airport is $65 on the meter. Anyway, we are drifting out of vacation mode and back into work mode......and I mean drifting. Past cruisers will know what I mean. We have heard of the terrible snow storm up north but at this point it is hard to imagine with all the heat here in Florida. Well, I am going to spend my last 2 hours of warmth in the south...... out by the pool....where I will ponder my next cruising adventure.

Spanish Bay Resort

We spent the day at sea on Wednesday and pretty much just relaxed after working out in the gym all morning while listening to the instructor give a class about detox and learning all sorts of health stuff about toxic poisons we put into our body. I learned that the largest organ we have is our SKIN! I didn't know skin was an organ. When we put anything onto our skin and rub it in (like sun tan lotion) it is absorbed into our blood stream. So we take in poison via absortion. We also breath in poisons from the air, and consume poisons via consumption like alcohol. I was
impressed by all the instructor knew but in the end he wanted everyone to register for a detoxification for your body (only $100). I asked him a few questions but bypassed the $100 deal. After dinner, Peg and I had some wine..... and went to the dinner show which was very entertaining. Peg and I ended up on the NEWLYWED game! I talked her into volunteering but she never thought we would get selected......we DID! It was fun (we didn't win). She was asked what is the first thing I touch in the morning when I get up.....she told the crowd of 300 people he touches HIMSELF! When the guy asked me what my favorite condoment was, I said TROJAN....the crowd loved it! The guy then said, "No, not condom.....condiment, like what do you like on your meat.......more laughs. Anyway, it was all fun, we won tee shirts too!


On Thursday, Peg and I spent the day at the Spanish Bay resort. We laid in the sun, walked on the beach, went snorkeling, and fell asleep in my chair until I snored. It doesn't get much better than that. The picture is our shipped parked at Grand Cayman. Now it is 5PM Thursday and time to pull out. We are parked here next to the Carnival Conquest and the RCCL Radiance and Majesty (4 ships in port today......and waaaaaaay many people). Tomorrow is a sea day but more importantly, the dining room has Lobster for dinner tonight......and I am going for two!

Fishing in Key West

After saying so long to Tony Sunday night and going to bed early, Peg and I made it up at 3:30 AM for that 6:30 AM flight. All went pretty smoothly but one could not believe how busy it is at ORD at 6:00 Am on a Monday morning after Turkey Day. We felt we were there in plenty of time but the TSA security line took all extra time away from us and by the time we got to our gate, it was already time to board. Three hours and a bad movie later we landed in Ft. Lauderdale and hopped an Airport Express to the Port of Miami. Before we knew it we boarded the Celebrity Century we had heard so much about and were greeted with glasses of Champaign. Our room 8174 is awesome....the flat screen TV on the wall will let you order movies, review your account balance and even allow on board gambling via TV (all on your account). I passed up the TV gambling for the real thing after we sailed away and let me say that roulette was very very good to me on this our first night. We had a great dinner with 6 people from Canada (Saskatchawa) who drove to Miami 2,700 miles to go on this cruise! We were dead tired so we crashed and I got ready for my fishing adventure in
Key West. Once we pulled in to Key West On Tuesday morning I went light tackle fishing with 3 other guys and the captain aboard our Boston Whaler craft with a 200HP Evinrude motor. We went 9 miles out into the Gulf and could not see land anymore. It was really rough most of the time but I didn't even notice it because we were catching so many fish, mostly of the snapper variety. The two in my hands were typical for the morning and these fish really fight hard! The
captain was happy to have them as they were fantastic eating according to him. Our buddies in the next boat caught a 70lb. jew fish (ugly monster sort of thing) and ran into a school of cobia as well. We were not that lucky but the day was fun, the weather was great, the captain was a riot and before we knew it the Century left Key West and we were heading for Grand Cayman Island.

Saying Goodbye To London....

I am up, I am packed, I have had breakfast, and I am ready to go. It is only 6AM at home. Somehow I felt like I had to write one more time before leaving the United Kingdom. This picture I took from a river boat ride down the River Themes, going under the Tower Bridge at the Tower of London. The cool thing about the city here is that you will see an ancient structure like this right next to the most modern of office buildings. The city has truely conserved the history of this place. While under the bridge, there was a 61 gun salute going on from the Tower shores. This was not a normal 61 gun salute as they were using 8mm cannons which were drove onto the shore with military vehicles! I just happened upon all this by accident. I didn't get to go inside the tower of london and see the dungeons, torture chambers, or the crown jewels, there were just too many people!

Well, the car is waiting for me downstairs to go to Heathro (3 hours early for this international flight mind you). I will arrive in Chicago at about 6:30PM central time, but it will be past midnight according to my body clock! I am hoping a cool glass of wine when I get home will help me adjust to the drastic change in time zones. Once again, I will be at work tomorrow morning, it just so happens that it will be in a place that is 6,400 air miles from here.

If you have enjoyed reading of my travels, then that makes me even happier that I took the time to document them. If you haven't enjoyed reading this documentary, then why are you reading this now? Well, I am heading for the Air India terminal.

Until I get to see you all again ....and share perhaps, some of the video tape I have of this trip.....I love you, God Bless You, and God Bless The Queen!

Mind Your Head...........

The use of the english language here never ceases to amaze me. When listening to one speak, you find yourself familiar with all of the words that are being used, but it is the context or the accent or the combination in which they are used, that makes the language quite off. If you look at this picture, you understand all three words, but look how they are put together! Here you will see signs like this all over.....mind the gap, mind your head, way out, etc. The other day one of my colleagues had to leave us and start moving quickly to the rail (the train). He said very seriously, "sorry lads, I got to get on....straight ahead to the rail". He meant he had to start moving quickly and start running toward the train, so he didn't miss it. I understood all the words, it just sounds funny in the way they are put together.



I have learned quite a bit while here....you really have no choice but to learn if you are going to get by. I feel I could get anywhere I wanted to go on the subway....the signage, etc. makes it very easy for one to follow. Just for fun, I thought I would show you a typical view on an underground rail car while bouncing around the city.

Anyway, today I took a river boat ride down the themes river and got off at the tower of london. I didn't visit inside the tower because there were a billion people trying to get in today. I moved on to Oxford Street and did a little shopping. It was very hot today though, so I made my way back home.....and now I am starting to think of all the things I am going to be doing to get home in the next 24 hours such as transportation to Heathro, customs, times, etc. This may be one of my last posts from London England.

Their First, Their Last, and a whole lot of history....

I took a walking tour today which was actually an extension of a bus (hop on and off) tour. At 4PM each day in London, the Big Bus company takes people on a walking tour through the SOHO district of London and tells them all about the band from Liverpool who came to London in 1961 and tried to make a name for themselves. The tour covers the Beatles life here through 1969 when they played their last live performance ever.....even though it was an impromptu performance. The building in this picture was where the Beatles performed in London for the first time in 1961 (very close to Picadilly Circus...latin for Circle). They were already famous in Liverpool but wanted a record and needed to come to London to win over a record company label. Thier manager did all he could but only 17 people showed up in this theatre to watch them. They went through lots of changes including switching drummers when Ringo Star came on the scene. I didn't know this but their first record company was so nervous about using Ringo that they recorded every song twice, once with a show drummer, and once with Ringo. They used the show drummer versions on singles and Ringo on the album cuts. When John Lennon was later asked if Ringo was the best drummer in the world, he jokingly said, hell, he ain't even the best drummer on the Beatles! It was a great tour and I filmed almost the entire portion where the guide was telling us stories. He also pointed out places where Eric Clapton and Jimmy Hendrix became famous. He told us the story of Jimmy Hendrix's last live performance in a little club that is still there. Jimmy Hendrix died of a drug overdose in London two days after playing at the club the tour guide took us to. We stood in front of the club as he told the story.

When YOKO ONO entered onto the scene, the Beatles really started to fall apart. They recorded Let It Be in a recording studio they eventually moved into (recorded in the basement) but one day decided to take all their gear upstairs and play on the roof. That was in 1969. The building can be seen here on the right. It was sort of a residential area and the people all came out and went wild. A bank manager got pissed off (figures) at all the ruckus and called the police. The police came and almost broke down the door to the studio so they could get up on the roof and stop the hysteria below. The Beatles stopped playing, John said in the microphone, "Thank you all for coming to our audition"....and the group never played together again...ever. The tour was awesome, it was great to hear such a great speaker know so much regarding the history of that band. I would love to share the video I have of the highlights of the walking tour . The tour took us by an awesome building that was very modern and had the letters "pml" over the entrance. The guy said, "ladies and gentleman, welcome to the in-town studio of Paul McCartney Limited. He also said he has been doing the walking tour for 2 years, every day at 4PM and never has seen Paul yet! So there you have it, it seems like years and years they were together but it really wasn't. These buildings though, represent where they played their first "gig" in London, and their last "gig" together. Tony....this is the SOHO you must see in your lifetime. Tomorrow I hope to find a way to get to Abbey Road......

Another Amazing Experience.....

I met with the client today and had a great chat with them over coffee, sweets, and tea. We discussed where we are and where we are headed. The associate director of the corporation could not be more pleased. He thanked me for travelling so far to meet him, to hear him, and to clearly understand his position and his plan. We ended the meeting with him saying.....Bill, if you hurry along....you will see the changing of the guard just down the road at the palace. I couldn't believe it. He wanted me to catch this event. As my title suggests....today was truely an amazing experience. We have all heard the expression "Changing of the Guard" but until you see the event, the expression has little meaning. I always have my camera with me now, so I took lots of footage and lots of pictures. Lots of patience got me a front row position at the gate! I was still with my newest best friend Michael Dugard from Cassapian....Duggy for short. Michael was excited that I got to see this but after a while said he needed to be a bit rude and leave.....after all, this happens every day! This day was a little special in that they are preparing for the Queens Birthday Sunday. Michael and I said so long and fare well. He was awesome to work with and the people we worked with together loved him too.

At the palace, there were bands playing, police everywhere, guards marching (with real automatic rifles), horses, and lots of people. It was a very festive event. The poor guards were dieing in the heat of the day. Anyway.....it was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and everyone should attempt to see this in their life time. As I was standing in front of the palace, home of the Queen of England, ruler of all Great Britan, I thought to myself.....life has been very good to me.

Sunshine on My Shoudlers.......Makes Me Happy

Well, for those of you looking for an updated blog........leaving comments tends to lead towards more blogs! Just kidding. I actually do not even know where to start. My last two days at work with people and with the Cassapian people have been amazing. I continue to learn lots about the country and lots about the language here. I thought it was side walks that are walk paths but those are actually what we call alley's. Sidewalks here are actually referred to as pavement. When walking around it is important to stay off the road and on the pavement. The London tubes are un-real. They are probably the most modern form of public transportation I have ever seen. Some of the stations are 8 stories deep! You learn lots about the language via signs. They have no EXIT signs here in London, the EXIT signs all say Way out. You simply follow Way out signs and you will eventually be out of where ever you are. I also noticed that where ever we would have a sign Watch Your Step..... they have Mind The Gap! When walking over areas that are not level, you must Mind the Gap! The picture I have included in this blog is of one of the oldest Cathedrals in England and is where Prince Charles was married to Diana (St. Pauls Cathedral). This church is very close to where our Weiland partner offices are in Guildhall, Blackstone House. I didn't go in but I might attend mass there Sunday morning just for the experience of a lifetime. Speaking of Blackwell house (remember everywhere here, there is a building called a house of some name) , inside is a LIFT (what we call an elevator) that is the OLDEST LIFT in England. You have to see it to believe it. I made the mistake at lunch today by telling my business friends all about how much I love cruising. They started laughing at me and mentioned to me that the word CRUISING here means a gay man "out looking" for another GAY man! You should have seen their face when I spoke about the fun it is to go cruising! The differences in language go on and on. I learned today that the people of Whales do not like the English people. They have gone so far as to put travel and road signs up in WELCH (and English) just to piss off the English. Nobody from London reads the Welch signs, but they are there anyway just to piss people off. I also learned that while Whales and Scotland, and other surrounding areas have a local parliament, they are governed by the queen of England based in London. Did you know that when the British flag is full mast, it means the queen is in the palace? Half mast means she is on Holiday (what we call vacation). The British flags adorn the streets around the palace.... tomorrow I hope to see the changing of the guard at 11:30 AM local time. These dudes are amazing in that they do not MOVE! Today the Cassapian folks took me to dinner at London Bridge. I remember a nursery rhime about London Bridge falling down, but I can tell you it hasn't because I was there today! I never thought when I was a little kid that I would be eating under London Bridge one day! As we were having a drink outisde a bar there, a zillion people went running by in a 1 mile run for homeless people......the only issue I have is that I have been all over the city streets and I haven't seen any homeless people! I cannot find any garbage, any homeless people, and I haven't seen a Mexican yet. I am not prejudice mind you, but there are absolutely ZERO Mexicans here. We went out for a coffee this morning and a guy swept up a cigarette butt off the sidewalk right it front of me before I stepped on it. Anyway, more will come to me later, but today was a bit surreal, I found that Paris is a 2 hour train ride away (40 minutes under the English Channel), french fries are not called that at all (they are chips),
and people here love the sunshine more than anyone I have ever seen. It has been shining for 3 days and the guys here tell me it never comes out, that is why so many are outside! The sun has been shining ever since I arrived on Air India 124.

Oh My Oh My....The London Eye

Sometime not long ago British Airways decided it would be cool to have a Ferris Wheel sort of structure that would raise people in space like capsules hundreds and hundreds of feet above the earth. They call it here...the London Eye. It is quite amazing to see the entire city from this
capsule and after seeing this structure from far away......I just had to do it. It is about a 30 minute ride round trip and if all people get on and off as they are told, the thing never stops moving. You actually get in one of these capsules as they are moving. The good looking guy there in yellow might look familiar. It probably is a good thing Peg was not with me as we raised to the top. The bottom of these things are almost clear glass around you and it sort of a freaky site looking down. My ticket came with a complete brochure about how it was designed and built, and all the things you see when you are on top. This was one of my highlights of the day! I learned another off term today.....they don't have sidewalks here, they are called foot paths. People have to stay on foot paths and bikes have to stay on the road. I also learned all about the tubes today. The tube will take you anywhere. i got a 3 day pass to ride as much as I want for 15 pounds. The circle line does just that.....goes in a circle around the city. I took the the circle line from Westminster station to the Mansion House station. I got off there to see St. Paul Cathedral and then went to Guildhall to find Blackwell House where I am going tomorrow to meet our friends from Cassapian. Every building here seems to have a house name...there is Douglass House, Blackwell House, Vincent House, etc. It is sort of a name for a building instead of the address of the building. Some buildings do have numbers though. Tomorrow I am working at 30 Buckingham Gate....in the Cayzer House. The zip codes are cool too. The first 3 letters of the zip code tell you right away what part of the city is being referred to. I am staying and working in SW1 (westminster is in the south west portion of the city...district 1) . After learning how to use the tube and riding it a bit, I went to speakers corner in Hyde Park. I thought this was going to be some people getting up and speaking about something they were unhappy about but it turns out to be a bit of a historic place where this was done years ago. It may be being done now...but it wasn't when I was there. I bought an ice cream cone, sat in a chair in the park, and for a moment I just enjoyed the moment. I enjoyed the fact that I have had this chance to visit a country so very far away. London is 6,400 air miles from Chicago. This puts me about 9,000 miles away from my son.....and farther away than I have ever been from those I love. This is a nice play to live I must say.....it took me until about 4PM to realize I have been all over this city today...walking for miles in the city, in the residential areas, and at the touristy places too...and NOT once did I ever see a homeless person, a person soliciting money, any garbage, any scary people....I never even saw an unhappy person! There is something very strange about this place! Anyway....I have tons of pictures and will post more too. Now it is time to focus on work, and to get ready for meeting people tomorrow who are more interested in work issues than they are all the things I am getting to experience while being here. I hope to have more time free because now that I know the tube system...getting around to see anything and everything is all the more easier. Even though today is 6-6-6, the day could not have been better!

My London Fog has lifted......

Well today I feel like myself again. After a good night sleep, a healthy breakfast and a fresh shower, I was ready for some walking. I took lots of pictures and video. A couple blocks just outside my hotel is westminster abbey, the tower of big ben (shown here), and the london eye. One hour and twenty minutes after I took this photo, the chimes from big ben rang at noon. like washington dc, this place is a tourists dream. after leaving the london eye, i headed up mall drive through st. james park at to the buckingham palace. the park and all its' surrounding are very clean and well kept. it was a beaautiful day for video tape and my london story has quite a bit of footage thus far. most things are normal here but every once in a while you pick up little strange differences in language. there are no LINES here, if you have to wait in line for something, you get into a Queqe. Everything here has to do with a "bit of a". It is a bit of cool day, there is a bit of crowd over there, and there is a bit of a traffic jam everywhere. Everyone is very friendly. after leaving the palace i went down buckingham gate and found where I needed to be tomorrow for a 2PM meeting. On accident I found a barber shop and got my hair trimmed for 10 lbs. actually, it was 9.90 lbs and I got a 10 pay back. so far i have learned that a penny here is called a pence and a dime is a 10 pay. you have to think twice about money here. for a tip i gave the girl two coins that looked like quarter and i thought they were pounds. after looking closely, i found they were two pound pieces. so i got my hair cut for 9.9 pounds and the tip by mistake was 4 pounds. all i know for sure is that i have lost pounds ! anyway, i wil catch up with my work now.....and be sure i am ready for tomorrow. my next adventure is to take the underground to where i am meeting people tomorrow morning....i have a lot to learn about the tubes today.....more later.

Hell and Damnation...

I left Sunday's baseball game in Vernon Hills at 6PM and headed for ORD. The instructions I got were to be there 3 hours early for a 9:30PM flight. Having never flown to Europe or the UK, I thought I would follow instructions. I knew this was about to be a bad experience because as I arrived at ORD economy parking, I learned that the largest lot (Lot E) is now CLOSED for the summer and they are cramming everyone into the other remote lots.....and they are cramming people into little busses..... and cramming their luggage onto the busses, and stopping at 6 different parking lot locations to cram more of these things ON and OFF the busses. I couldn't believe it when a guy was cramming past me (sitting down) and caught a woman's fingernail in one of his bags hardware! He ripped her fake nail off and she screamed ....first in pain ....then in dis-belief. With the bus fully crammed, the driver says he is not moving until everyone is sitting somewhere! This one dude had to sit in another dude's lap! I was going nuts...... I finally arrive at the remote train station and make my way up.....first time ever to exit at teminal five. When the doors openned, a million international people atempt to load the train before anyone could even get out. I was starting to see why they were saying 3 hours ahead! I fought my luggage out the train and up the escalator but a guy behind me got anxious at the top....made a quick move....and dumped my laptop case off of my suitcase roller. I recollected myself and found a sign that said Air India Flight 124 (3 Hour Delay)! I hadn't quite hit damnation yet, but I was definitely entering HELL! It was exactly 6:51 PM and I have just been informed my flight will board at 10:30PM! So I put my bags through one xray machine just to get into the check in line, check my bags in......walk them over to the TSA dudes for more XRay. I look around and am surprised at the fact I am about the only caucasian (I am surrounded by people of the Indian decent). At first I thought wow, look at all the Indian people going to London. Then I find that London is just a refueling for where they are really going......INDIA! Moaib is exactly 8 hours beyond London. Well, after a good dinner at the local Hilton (BTW this is a great travel tip...if you have time at ORD, forget the terminals and head over to the HILTON where they have 2 great sit down restaurants) I go back to terminal 5, buy a large water and prepare to board cause it was almost 10:30. Our 747 pulls up, lets off the people....and trys to open the only cargo door available (at the ass end of the plane). The door opens up 1/2 way and stops. No kidding....i was already in hell but I was NOW at the entrance to damnation. The people who got off now cannot get any luggage and the captain will not allow us to board until the problem is solved. Four hours later (yes 4 hours) they announce the door is open and let's board. I was asleep in 59A before we ever took off but the take off awoke me to find it was now 3:30am and we were now 6 Hours late leaving ORD. The only other planes this airline had, were in India.....so there were no options. Durring this ordeal, we watched 3 British Airways planes leave for London!

Accepting the fact that I had now been through both Hell and Damnation, we flew all night and I slept 6 hours of the 8 hour ordeal. We landed at Heathro (a very large ultra-modern airport now) and I had few problems getting through customs. I felt sorry for all the people going on to Moaib because they wouldn't even let them off the plane. The guy next to me said they cannot go through customs anyway because the UK doesn't allow people from India into the country without a Visa. I guess I felt a little lucky here. I jumped into a Hotel Link bus and drove around London for a while before getting to my hotel here at about 7:30 PM local time. Rush hour here is nuts and the double decker busses are everywhere. Being too tired and beat to do anything, I went downstairs and had 2 pork chops for dinner before returning to my room to write this. it is 5PM Chicago time now....... but oh soooo late according to me! I have been in transit for 24 hours. I am ready for sleep, I am ready to think good thoughts of my life, my wife, and all my children, and to start a new day tomorrow............ with a one way ticket OUT of hell and damnation.

Celebrity Zenith Spring Break 2006

Sunday March 19th, 2006

Well.....time away is upon us. I can feel it. I don't know why and I cannot say for sure, but for some reason, I have been working harder, longer, and more intensely than I have in years. For some reason, there is a sense of urgency about work, people at work, things that need to get done at work, and important issues to deal with at work. There also seems to be a cloud of stress over it all as well. It hasn't always been like this. Seems it has been very much a country club atmosphere for a long time. I used to be so focused on fun things to do outside of work but now it seems work is all there is... and fun things to do outside of the job have seemed scarce.

This is perhaps why I am looking forward to some time off. It has been at least 9 hours a day, 6 days a week since Christmas day. Even now, it seems like time will be stolen from the job to try and have some fun. In any case.....fun is going to be had!

We are leaving Wednesday to head down to West Palm Beach to spend a few days with one of Peg's dear old friends Diane. She is very excited about having us which makes it even more exciting to be going! Saturday Peg and I will board a Celebrity Ship (Zenith) with 2 of the very best people we know (Bobbi and Arnold). Saturday night we head out for the Western Caribbean but it really doesn't matter because I will have stopped caring about anything... 3 days earlier.

When you think about it, that is what a vacation is.....a place far away from where you normally are (like work), where you don't seem to have a care in the world (like worrying about responsibilities). Just getting away seems so good for the soul. In that light, we could just as well be going to a hotel in a town far away or to Land O Lakes, or to visit Colorado Springs, or wherever. I guess you could say that a vacation is a state of mind (or an escape from a prevailing state of mind).

When I think of Tony out in Portland and what being there has done for him, I guess you could say that getting away from it all......might apply to more than just vacations. In any case, I am out of here in 3 days......but I will post daily if possible to share my experiences! Somehow, that is part of the fun too! If you are reading this, there is a damn good chance that I wish you were going away with us.....

Thursday March 23rd, 2006

Well, we left the house at 5:30AM sharp and headed for Mitchell Field in Milwaukee. As usual, the Milwaukee check-in was very smooth....no worries. There is always lots of people on the early morning flights out of there but it flows smoothly. We ended up having a long conversation with the TSA dude about fishing......as he was checking out Billy's fishing poles. I almost had to say to him....."get back to work, there are people coming!".

It was very warm when we arrived, and after an hour or so we were headed for West Palm Beach to Diane's home. It reminded me of the many times I did this routine to visit Peg, but this time it was Peg and I together and the first time she had been back to West Palm Beach since our wedding.

We had a relaxing night and morning before going to a POLO match in Wellington Thursday. The weather was great most of the day and we all just sort of enjoyed being there and starting to forget about work.

The cruise business has taken a few hits today. Our honeymoon ship (the STAR Princess) caught fire on its way to Montego Bay and the Celebrity ship Milenium had a shore excursion go bad with 11 people dieing. Through it all, we are looking forward to a great trip out of Miami on Saturday afternoon. Arnie will be here tomorrow night and we will get a good night sleep before boarding on Saturday.

Anyway.....vacations do teach you a valuable thing about life. There is life and there is work, between them a balance is needed..... I love my work and I would not say that if I didn't mean it, but I choose life.

Saturday March 25th, 2006

Today is the day. We are all in the process of getting up, packing up our things, and heading off to do what I enjoy more than just about anything....going on a cruise. It is a gorgeous day today although cool (70 will be the high in west palm beach). We will board the ship in a couple of hours. Peg got an email this morning from a client who just returned from their cruise (14 days to the Panama Canal and back). It is always so nice to hear people express their happiness with their vacations. The client described many details of the things she loved, but ended her note to Peg with this:

"Thanks again for all your help in securing our verandah suite. It was a special treat to come to our room everynight and spend time sitting outside enjoying the night and the stars. I will defintely refer any one who asks about cruising to you. I know they will be in good hands."

These words are actually what makes CruiseoOne® so fun. Getting constant feedback and appreciation is not something we find in the every day workplace of most jobs.

What I really enjoy these days is time away, relaxation, a chance to work out and try and get back into healthy shape, and going on little adventures doing things I have never done before (scuba diving, deep sea fishing, para-sailing, etc. I have done all 3 of these things in the past 15 months).

This will be a short cruise but a relaxing one. I got my favorite VB.Net book with me and hope to understand all there is to know about ADO.Net on sea days. The 5 days will go fast and before you know it, we will be home. Until then I intend to enjoy each day to the fullest, and appreciate all the moments of the trip. I thought that if I break the 5 days down into moments, it will be a much longer vacation.

I told Peg that when my days are done I would like to have a quilt made of all the cruise ship tee-shirts I now own. I am saving every one of them, even if they get stained with paint, oil, grease (or red wine) they still remain in my dresser. I would like to tell you I remember every one of the islands and all the events but the truth is, I don't. I do remember lots of good times, lots of laughs, and amazing sites in general.....did you ever see a cruise ship clear an overhead bridge on the Chesapeake Bay by 6 feet? We did, we were on it.....another amazing view. It is the people though, that seem to make a difference. It is the people you are with and the people that you meet. Last summer, Peg and I met and had dinner with Una.... from Ireland, who is the HR director for 750 crew members of Grandeur of the Sea....very interesting person. What was really impressive is that she knew every crew member by name and never hesitated to stop and chat with them while walking around the ship.

Friday March 31st, 2006

For those who were waiting to hear the blow by blow about our vacation, I must apologize. The Celebrity Zenith is a nice ship for being so old, but she doesn't have the high tech needs to update a blog in a few minutes or less. I could hardly respond to an email much less post a blog. The web response time was horrible (netscape only) and the cost was .50 per/minute. At that price, you all can wait till now to hear about the events and such.

The cruise was great....mostly being with great people made it great. Arnie and Bobbie are wonderful to be with.....easy going, fun no matter what, just want to relax and enjoy. Even when things didn't go quite right, time with them was still great!

EMBARKATION on the Zenith -- We thought our embarkation onto the Zenith was the easiest ever. We rode in a van to the Port of Miami. We arrived at the port around noon, walked to the Express check-in line, turned in our Express boarding pass which we printed before we left home and we were on the ship in less than ten minutes. Wait staff were passing out champagne and orange juice as we stepped onto the ship!

We’ve wanted to try a smaller ship like the Zenith for a long time. Our first impression was pretty much what we expected. An older ship that didn’t have all the amenities of the newer, larger ships but that was OK with us. The public spaces such as the lounge areas were very nice and the ship was very easy to get around.

SHIP CONDITION of the Zenith -- The ship was a mixed bag. Some areas, like the public lounges (Fleet Bar, Cova, Rainbow Room, Rendez-Vous, the Celebrity theater) were in fabulous shape. The newer furniture was all in good condition. The coziness of the Cova along with the entertainment and friendly crew made this our favorite spot on the ship. But there was noticeable wear and tear in other areas of the ship. The pool deck and outer areas of the ship were in need of attention.

PORTS OF CALL -- There were only two ports of call on this sailing. Grand Cayman and Key West. We tendered in Grand Cayman. We met in the Fleet bar and were escorted down to a tender. They were using local Grand Cayman tenders. The entire tender trip took about ten minutes. Weather for the trip was great, warm and sunny but not too hot.

THE CRUISE ITSELF -- I got to do a little working out, a little reading, a little sun, and more than anything, a lot of just kicking back. I thought a 5 day cruise would go by too fast but it was fine....just enough of everything....enough gambling, enough sun, enough food, and enough of doing nothing before realizing you cannot live your life (or a vacation) doing just nothing. Everything was smooth....the trip down, the days at Diane's, the Polo, the ship boarding, the cruise, and the return. I liked the idea of coming back on Thursday..... for work on Friday.... to prepare for Monday. It seemed to mesh well.

Our shore excursions did not work out to well....one snorkel trip was cancelled due to high seas and another should have been cancelled due to high seas. Have you ever tried snorkeling in 3 foot waves? Forget about it..... We had the most fun just sitting around, talking by the pool and listening to the greatest cruise band I have ever heard ("Changez" from St. Lucia).

We returned home to normalcy...a little more tan, very relaxed, and happy to know the Munson’s just a little better. We met Doug and Jean (a retired art collector and his wife from St. Augustine, FL) and Bill and Robette from the south shore of New Jersey (two people dedicated to helping unfortunate [disabled] / Autistic people) on the cruise at our dinner table. It was nice talking to them and learning about them.

While the Celebrity Zenith is a little old and a little worn, she was still in great shape and a pleasure to experience. As for shore excursions, we have learned to be even more inquisitive....as in .....how many people will be on our tour? We love people....but sometimes there are just too many! For the tour operators, it is often about money......and sometimes they forget that what makes a tour special is the right number of people (not too many and not too few).

Anyway, vacation is over.....Reality is back. I can look forward to the next vacation like this (I think next October) but I will not dwell on it. Instead I will look forward to simple weeks and weekends, time spent with family and friends, celebrations of sorts (Carie will be getting her masters degree, Tony will finally return home for a visit, Jamie will soon be a year older, Jim and Jamie will celebrate a wedding anniversary in May.....and no matter what else I have to say about life, I know it will simply go on).

I did get two more tee shirts this vacation and I wore one to work today. More memories, more pictures, more video, and ......more to remember. The quilt just got bigger. I know I will never see or hear from them again, but I wish the best of luck to Bill and Robette because people like them are few and far between. I wish Jean a happy remainder to her life, and Doug all the art in the world....and I hope that we cruise again with Bobbie and Arnie, because we had a wonderful time with them, and vacations are meant to be filled.......with wonderful times.

A Wonderful World....

For those who were waiting to hear the blow by blow about our vacattion, I must appologize. The Celebrity Zenith is a nice ship for being so old, but she doesn't have the high techness needed to update a blog in a few minutes or less. I could hardly respond to an email much less post a blog. The web response time was horrible (netscape only) and the cost was .50 per/minute. At that price, you all can wait till now to hear about the events and such.

The cruise was great....mostly being with great people made it great. Arnie and Bobbie are wonderful to be with.....easy going, fun no matter what, just want to relax and enjoy. Even when things didn't go quite right, time with them was still great!

I got to do a little working out, a little reading, a little sun, and more than anything, a lot of just kicking back. I thought a 5 day cruise would go by too fast but it was fine....just enough of everything....enough gambling, enough sun, enough food, and enough of doing nothing before realizing you cannot live your life (or a vacation) doing just nothing. Everything was smooth....the trip down, the days at Diane's, the Polo, the ship boarding, the cruise, and the return. I liked the idea of coming back on Thursday..... for work on Friday.... to prepare for Monday. It seemed to mesh well.

Our shore excursions did not work out to well....one snorkel trip was cancelled due to high seas and another should have been cancelled due to high seas. Have you ever tried snorkeling in 3 foot waves? Forget about it..... We had the most fun just sitting around, talking by the pool and listening to the greatest cruise band I have ever heard ("Changes" from St. Lucia).

We returned home to normalcy...a little taner, very relaxed, and happy to know the Munsons just a little better. We met Doug and Jean (a retired art collector and his wife from St. Augustine, FL) and Bill and Robette from the south shore of New Jersey (two people dedicated to helping unfortunate [disabled] / Autistic people) on the cruise at our dinner table. It was nice talking to them and learning about them.

While the Celebrity Zenith is a little old and a little worn, she was still in great shape and a pleasure to experience. As for shore excursions, we have learned to be even more inquisitiive....as in .....how many people will be on our tour? We love people....but sometimes there are just too many! For the tour operators, it is often about money......and sometimes they forget that what makes a tour special is the right number of people (not too many and not too few).

Anyway, vacation is over.....Reality is back. I can look forward to the next vacation like this (I think next October) but I will not dwell on it. Instead I will look forward to simple weeks and weekends, time spent with family and friends, celebrations of sorts (Carie will be getting her masters degree, Tony will finally return home for a visit, Jamie will soon be a year older, Jim and Jamie will celebrate a wedding anniversay in May.....and no matter what else I have to say about life, I know it will simply go on).

I did get two more tee shirts this vacation and I wore one to work today. More memories, more pictures, more video, and ......more to remember. The quilt just got bigger. I know I will never see or hear from them again, but I wish the best of luck to Bill and Robette because people like them are few and far between. I wish Jean a happy remainder to her life, and Doug all the art in the world....and I hope that we cruise again with Bobbie and Arnie, because we had a wonderful time with them, and vacations are meant to be filled.......with wonderful times.

This Shirt......

Today is the day. We are all in the process of getting up, packing up our things, and heading off to do what I enjoy more than just about anything....going on a cruise. It is a gorgeous day today although cool (70 will be the high in west palm beach). we will board the ship in a couple of hours. Peg got an email this morning from a client who just returned from their cruise (14 days to the panama canal and back). It is always so nice to hear people express their happiness with their vacations. The client described many details of the things she loved, but ended her note to Peg with this:

"Thanks again for all your help in securing our verandah suite. It was a special treat to come to our room everynight and spend time sitting outside enjoying the night and the stars. I will defintely refer any one who asks about cruising to you. I know they will be in good hands."

These words are actually what make Peg's job so fun. Getting constant feedback and appreciation is not something we find in the every day workplace of most jobs.

I used to count the days until vacation and then drink too much for fun. What I really enjoy more these days is time away, relaxation, a chance to work out and try and get back into healthy shape, and going on little adventures doing things I have never done before (scuba diving, deep sea fishing, para-sailing, etc. I have done all 3 of these things in the past 15 months).

This will be a short cruise but a relaxing one. I got my favorite VB.Net book with me and hope to understand all there is to know about ADO.Net on sea days. The 5 days will go fast and before you know it, we will be home. Until then I intend to enjoy each day to the fullest, and appreciate all the moments of the trip. I thought that if I break the 5 days down into moments, it will be a much longer vacation.

I told Peg that when my days are done I would like to have a quilt made of all the cruise ship tee-shirts I now own. I am saving every one of them, even if they get stained with paint, oil, grease (or red wine) they still remain in my dresser. I would like to tell you I remember every one of the islands and all the events but the truth is, I don't. I do remember lots of good times, lots of laughs, and amazing sites in general.....did you ever see a cruise ship clear an overhead bridge on the Chesapeake Bay by 6 feet? We did, we were on it.....another amazing view. It is the people though, that seem to make a difference. It is the people you are with and the people that you meet. Last summer, Peg and I met and had dinner with Una.... from Ireland, who is the HR director for 750 crew members of Grandeur of the Sea....very interesting person. What was really impressive is that she knew every crew member by name and never hesitated to stop and chat with them while walking around the ship.

Well, time to go now....I will end this rant by saying the only problem with making a quilt at this point, is that I do not yet have enough tee shirts. I will add the Celebrity Zenith to my collection this week.....and I want to add many more in the future........but my real hope is that all of you can be with me for some of those future adventures because while the sites and views are amazing, the tee shirts leave marked memories of time spent together with what's really important to me, the people I love so much....

Drifting Away....

Well, we left the house at 5:30AM sharp and headed for Mitchell Field in Milwaukee. As usual, the Milwaukee check-in was very smooth....no worries. There is always lots of people on the early morning flights out of there but it flows smoothly. We ended up having a long conversation with the TSA dude about fishing......as he was checking out Billy's fishing poles. I almost had to say to him....."get back to work, there are people coming!".

It was very warm when we arrived, and after an hour or so we were headed for West Palm Beach to Diane's home. It reminded me of the many times I did this routine to visit Peg, but this time it was Peg and I together and the first time she had been back to West Palm Beach since our wedding.

We had a relaxing night and morning before going to a POLO match in Wellington Thursday. If you are not familiar with it, POLO is a very interesting game that lots of people get excited about....but really just has a lot to do with money....lots of money and lots of wealthy people. You for sure have the feeling that we are not in Kansas anymore.

The weather was great most of the day and we all just sort of enjoyed being there and starting to forget about work. Forgetting about work is not easy, we have banks and corporations with software issues all over the map.....and somehow I am trying to just forget about these issues for a while so I can enjoy being away. There are always issues....it's really how one deals with them in the end. Sometime we have a real crisis and sometimes we have just a Joe Smith crisis. It is important to know the difference.

The cruise business has taken a few hits today. Our honeymoon ship (the STAR Princess) caught fire on its way to Montego Bay and the Celebrity ship Milenium had a shore excursion go bad with 11 people dieing. Through it all, we are looking forward to a great trip out of Miami on Saturday afternoon. Arnie will be here tomorrow night and we will get a good night sleep before boarding on Saturday.

Billy is with his dad (they went to a Panthers game yesterday) and he called today to say he was having fun. We probably should call Katie tomorrow and tell her we have all left on a vacation while she has headed back to school!

Anyway.....vacations do teach you a valuable thing about life. There is life and there is work, between them a balance is needed..... I love my work and I would not say that if I didn't mean it, but I choose life.