6:59 , Sunrise At sea

I get up early, with the brightening sky... The ladies sleep in... They needed it... It had been a hard night... Tanya had developed a rash... A scary rash, accompanied by a fever... All late at night... Which resulted in a visit to the ship's medical clinic, an IV loaded with anti-biotics, with prescriptions for more... The diagnosis was cellulitis, an infection of the skin, generally easily treated, , but complicated but history... Tanya had suffers from a significant post surgical infection last fall, and the cellulitis was in the same area affected then... They return to the cabins well after midnight...

As a result, I find myself alone this morning....

It is likely the place speaking, but sitting on the aft deck, with coffee and A crosont and butter, the sun rising in the west, seems the most civilized meal in the world.

I have checked my email (no crises have emerged in my absence), Have read the paper (the ship publishes an 8 page digest of the New York Times, as well as a 4 page "Australia Today"). I have a book (Straying from the Flock by Alexander Elder... The ship has a book club, this is the book they are reading... I will try it). At sea, or at least aboard a ship, tend to rise with the sun, find coffee and a crosont, and read or write. Later, after Tina rises, we generally go in search of breakfast...

Following our pattern, Tina and went to the dinning room in search of breakfast... we were seated with a woman and her daughters... Commonly you exchange names and where you are from... They were evasive... "northern California" and, "It's a small town" finally, "Occidental". Tina said "Great Itallian food", I made a reference to Howard's, the 19th century name... They were a bit surprised to find someone who knew the place...

Following breakfast, Tina and the sisters returned to the clinic, where Tanya once again received IV antibiotics... She was stable, even a bit better, but concerned...

We had our Cruise Critic gathering (www.cruisecritic.com) ... Tina joined us then retuned to the clinic to see Tanya... Then releases, all went to lunch (this is a cruise, food is important)

The afternoon was spent lazily, sitting, reading, and for Tina, napping...

Dinner was the first of the three formal nights aboard... I have a dinner jacket (and a tail coat) but left them home to save weight... My dark suit along instead... We spent over 2 hours at dinner, missing the Captain's introduction before the late show... So back to the cabin...

I changed, then went to the library to check emails... Tanya was there, and announced that she had decided to abandon the cruise, and return home...