I make the site on an iPad with some pretty serious photography equipment. Currently, I’m in seat 26B of Southwest Airlines on the way to Orlando. I recently bought a new MacBook Air but I haven’t really even spent much time on it. My laptop is just a little bigger than the iPad I’m typing on now but it’s just not something I want to travel with, so I just took the iPad. I’m doing the same thing as I did with the Quantum of the Seas cruise we did in January, blogging about it on the fly, literally in this case.
Writing and photography gives me something to do, putting it all together, it’s fun. Typically people my age (65) don’t blog. It’s just what I do and I’ve been doing it since 1996. The devices, the software, putting it all together and pressing, “publish” and in this case adding to it as I go.
A family member is getting married, I’m giving her away in the wedding and it’s on a Disney cruise ship headed to Nassau in the Bahamas. I’m pretty stoked about it as my wife and two of my three sons are with me. I’m a full nerd to them. Whatever. I do what I do. On this trip, I just want to spend a little time with my family and that’s what I’m going to do.
I have the AirPods Max, blasting Angine de Poitrine, a Canadian math rock band that’s gone viral and taking the internet by storm. The AirPods Max are very popular on the plane and in the airport as they work very well to tune out the masses and zero in on just what you want to hear. Too bad they can’t tune out the little girl in the row behind me that is bugging the crap out of me. Flipping the tray up and down kicking the seat, every single minute of the hours long flight but the baby a few rows up? Tuned that constant screaming out. I dig my AirPod Max though. They keep me focused and at the same time, distracted.
Now I keep hearing about how Disney cruises are over the top in customer service, for adults. We are about to see. We land in Orlando tonight and tomorrow we board the Fantasy and debark. Traveling without a backpack this time. I bought an aluminum carry on roller. I’ve got my Nikon D780 in a camera bag and that slips over the handle. I’m traveling with six days of clothing plus a suit. I wanted to bring my trunk but my wife gave me the stink eye about so many bags in the cabin, it’s true so I just crammed it in the carry on roller. No silk pajamas, no gold lame’ turban with a red jewel, no fantasy on the Fantasy. We are going to bonefish heaven so I didn’t bring my travel tenkara rod either. Not that kind of story.
We are packed in like sardines, elbow to shoulder (I’m trying not to curse Karts) and it will be over soon, next step, get the XL LYFT to the hotel, get something to eat. The travel snacks are fine but the Nerds and Jack Links teriyaki jerky aren’t good for my delicate constitution. I want a meal. I love a window seat on the plane, it’s dreamy to look out over the ocean of clouds. It reminds me of my time hang gliding.
Day 2: it’s a little hard formatting the picture on the tiny iPhone screen. But I am managing. Apparently I have all the time in the world.
Cue in the Beatles, Paperback Writer.
7:30a, everyone is sawing logs. I’m up, face washed, teeth brushed, dressed, hungry. I go over and gently rub my wife’s back, “who is in charge here?” “You be in charge” “Ok, everyone get up…”
Crickets
I check the trip notes I shared with everyone. Found the time to muster and I’m not going to be a dick. Going to get my continental breakfast and get some water. Then I’ll gently return hoping the ship has righted itself again. I feel like Heather Cox Richardson or whaterever that cool reporter/writers name is. But I don’t know what side I’m writing about.
I’m not cursing, it’s a good thing, I’ll get used to it. But today was a good day. We chilled on the beach in the Bahamas. That’s a good day. But it’s humid. Every once in a while a gentle breeze puffs through and it cools off. My family had an intervention with me. They said no one cares about your (cursing) photography, leave the camera back at the ship with the Internet connection. I looked at them and thought to myself, “they are right” so I left my DSLR and brought Pikaichi, my Nikon point and shoot film camera. It takes great pics.
I wish I could say the night in the hotel was uneventful, it wasn’t. We went on foot looking for adventure trying to cross a busy 8 lane divided surface street that intersects with a freeway. #2 son wanted to get his steps in, #1 son and wife went along with it. I resisted slightly wanting to chill (nap) but what followed was like the old video game Frogger. Melissa was almost hit and I got a big slap in the chest, “No” for trying to cross the busy streets. The gator water, the construction, the humidity. We finally capitulated at a 90% crossing of the 200 yard construction zone intersection. College age kids giving it a try. I yelled at M, “Hey hey HEYYY!” as the 45mph car fully stood on his horn brakes loaded up. “You saved my life!” M said with the scared face. They all had asked me to stop hang gliding at one point, this street crossing was much more dangerous…
My app skill is sub par. Not sure why I can’t update my LYFT app. My cards expired in the app, can’t update them. I’m the bad guy. Duh.
Playlist so far: Angine de Poitrine, the Beatles, Billy Eilish, Tool, Pop Will Eat Itself.
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| Resting Bitch Face in the happiest place on the planet! |
Oh my, Disney shock. Again AirPod MAX on, drowning out the park piped soundtrack. Maynard screaming, listening to Tool, Stinkfist. Appropriate but I’m going to have to accept it eventually, I’m in Disneyworld.
It’s interesting, I’m from the desert brown, we flew into the sky blue, we are in Florida, sea of green. Florida sign, “Spending more? Thank Trump” I thought this was his state? I know New York was. Fox News this morning reporting negatively too.
Soon we will board, sea of blue.
I wonder if I lived in Florida if I would like a different film stock? For the brown of the desert, Fuji Velvia but also E-100, I’m liking Cinestill 50D for 35mm, Kodak Pro Image bla bla blahhh. Photographer stuff. Disney is trying to creep in, hanging in with Maynard.
Finally, on the bus from Disneyworld to the Fantasy. I have a girlfriend that is super sarcastic and we have become good family friends. I shared my last trip pack list and I was shy 1 pair of underwear less than the days of the trip. I literally packed another pair, she gave me the business about it. This trip, I’m wearing the same clothes as yesterday and… you guessed it, same underwear. I turned them inside out for day two. Just want to let you know.
Observation, as I sat in front of the hotel, next to me was a gentleman with the scariest tattoo I’ve ever seen. Demons coming up from the depths of hell on his Lilly white skin of his upper arm. He was a big guy too, lots of arm, lots of hell. He wore a wife beater so his hell tattoo was fully exposed for the children of Disney to see.
We live in an upside down world.
I know I’m different, therapists in the past have told me I’m quite normal. What do they know? Apparently quite a bit because after I see them, I feel normal and am able to deal with extraordinary events. I think psychotherapy is good yet I think psychologists are different. The case studies they use? The psychologist they historically are weird AF. I think it may be I’m having such a good time, I’m ok, on vacation. I don’t have hundreds of ill and well people to take care of, cardiologist to communicate with. I’m ignoring that thought. THEY have lots to deal with, they are different, extraordinary, they have to be.
I’m going to be bored now. I’m putting the phone in my pocket. I’m on vacation. Time for Pop Will Eat Itself.
Listen to the victim, abused by the system
The basis is racist, you know that we must face this
"It can't happen here", Oh yeah?
"Take a look around at the cities and the towns"See them hunting, creeping, sneaking, breeding
Fear and loathing with the lies they're speaking
The knife, the gun, broken bottle, petrol bomb
There is no future when the past soon comeAnd when they come to ethnically cleanse me
Will you speak out? Will you defend me?
Or laugh through a glass eye as they rape our lives
Trampled underfoot by the right on the rise
We made it aboard, hung out for a bit, got to our cabin annd figured it out. We did the safety meeting and the embark party on the top deck. The ship is away and it is really rolling! Internet is $25 per day for one device. So we share it and it’s not fast. It takes about a minute to load up two of these pictures.
Tonight we see Aladdin, the play and tomorrow we will stop and de-bark at Cast-a-way Cay. A Disney owned island.
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| Cape Canaveral coastline |
The cabin is a little tight for 4 adults/family. Two bunks that are similar to Murphy beds and one Queen. There is a small patio with two chairs and a table. The moon is out between clouds and for as big as the ship is, it is really moving out. The literature says like 24 knots. Your sense of movement forward is from on the patio looking down at the wake. Like a car going by in your neighborhood, about that fast. For a thousand foot long boat, that’s fast.
There is a television in the room with a schedule of all events, you pick out what you want. We chose a show called Match Your Mate. Three couples and the spouses leave, questions asked. The host picks a newlywed and an average couple and a married long couple. It’s hilarious as inevitably the host asks the craziest place they did it, that kind of questions. The long married couple wins, they know each other.
Tired, hitting the hay, long day, had fun. Time for some zzzz.
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| Having a MOMENT with my boys… |
Go Pikaichi!
I took a nap on the beach, it was glorious.
I wasn’t at work.
Not dealing with that, off.
My #2 son is the cruise director. We have stuff to do on the ship. Movies, game shows, fun stuff. The air conditioning is nite and day difference. Dehumidified cool air, I take my Nikon outside and instantly the lens fogs up, immediately. I asked the professional photographers and they said just let your camera warm up and it goes away quick. Yeah, back in the desert, everything dries up instantly. 90%+ humidity here, less than ten at home.
I understand we have a hurricane targeting Sonora just south of us at home. It’s a cat 5, here I am in the Bermuda Triangle prime hurricane season and… never mind.
I’m excited to spend time with #2. I don’t get to see him as often as I did in the past. He is doing well. He’s a great guy and will make a good catch to a beautiful woman one day.
Speaking of good catches, closer to the wedding we are. I’m going to be giving my niece away soon. At the ships big grand staircase? I don’t know, somewhere Disney cool. I brought my Doc Martin boots, a suit jacket, I’ll wear a tie. I have two pins on my lapel, one is the small 25 INF Tropic Lightning Class A unit insignia, the other is my Otto Lilienthal award for climbing 5,000’ in a hang glider, I’ve actually climbed twice that height in a single thermal but the award was so cool, I’ve always have worn it on my suits. The 25th INF pin just means I was in a badass infantry unit at one time. Recognized by other badasses, it’s what we do.
[…in Progress]
