Headed Home…. and travel gremlins… or… Stuck in San Diego, again…

At least its not Lodi…

The cruise is over… we were just beginning to find our rhythm… get up, eat, sit and read, eat (maybe even drink),  sit and read, upstairs to the Crow’s nest for drinks… if lucky we might see a whale or dolphin… then downstairs, nap, then up for dinner (with wine) and walk about a bit before bed… 

It has been an exciting morning… starting aboard the ship, being awakened by noise about 5:00 am… I looked out the window… we have not yet docked, but are in the channel…. Why are they vacuuming the passageway this early?  I roll over and try to go back to sleep…

Sometime after 6:00… more noise (really ongoing noise)…  now at dock… I surrender and decide to get up… foot on floor, splash…  or was it squish… the floor is wet…  the floor is flooded…  We are on a ship… this cannot  be a good… the water is supposed to be outside, underneath… never underfoot

Tina calls the purser’s desk…  They are not surprised, and ask if any water was coming from the ceiling… (it wasn’t)… I stick my head out into the passageway… they are working 5 cabins down… likely the origin point…  The water extends from the outside wall the length of the bed… the other end of the cabin is dry… I shower, pack stuff… Tina showers… uses the blow dryer to dry her purse…  We lose some receipts and museum brochures to the flood…

We abandon our cabin… heading upstairs for breakfast, carrying everything…  

Breakfast was good… our disembarkation number is called… we walk off into the line for customs… In line we encounter the people who formerly occupied the cabin 5 doors down…  They awoke to water running down the wall, lights coming on randomly (shorting from water) and lots of water in their cabin… things floating lots of water….  It was a hot water line in the ceiling that failed… clean hot water… not brown smelly water or salty water… if you have to have water it is the best kind of water… 

They were moved to a different cabin for their last hours on board, surprising a cabin stewart who was concerned that he had not checked that cabin, not cleaned that cabin, not turned down beds in that cabin, or supplied towel animals or little chocolates for the voyage…  

Back in line… for customs…  The gentleman from Customs and Border Patrol was satisfied with our papers… clearing that line, we reclaim our bag, walk by several dogs… outside… to a waiting taxi and are at the airport in minutes…

Find the Virgin America (Best Damn Airline in America!) counter, and ask if there is room on the earlier flight…  Tina (the Virgin counter staff, not the lovely Tina standing next to me) says yes, and gets us checked in on the 10:30 flight...

We clear security… (shoes off, belts off, computer out of bag… nothing in pockets… stand with hands over head…) and find our gate… call the daughter…. And… our flight is delayed…  at least an hour… 

A bit later the Virgin staff comes, to staff the counter… answering questions… (it's fog… in San Francisco)  Then, one of the staff does something I have never seen before… after making announcements, he walks around the gate area asking if anyone has any questions…  It was proactive, friendly, informal approach…  It was some of the best customer service I have ever seen… His name was Markos… I think he may be cabin staff on our plane (he is wearing a black shirt… gate staff wear red)…  I love Virgin…

With luck, the fog is clearing and we will be off soon…

Aboard M.V. Statendam

We flew into Vancouver early, cleared immigration and customs, walked across the street and took the Canada line, one of the local subway lines... It delivered us two blocks away, cost $7.50 each ( a taxi would have been about $30.00 for two)

We checked our bag at the pier, saw guest still disembarking, so walked around for a bit, saw the steam clock, and had a bite to eat at the Rogue Kitchen & Wet Bar...  

 We returned to the pier about 12:15 or so, got in line... Security was a bit backed up, but once passed, it took about 10 minutes to collect our documents and walk on the ship.  Our room was ready... But the suitcase not yet in evidence...

We explored, changed our dinner seating (to late seating) found a couple of books in the library, and returned to the room where our luggage was waiting.  We unpacked, then napped while waiting for the lifeboat drill...

Immediately after the boat drill we headed up to the crows nest, got the center table, ordered drinks, read and watched the sail away...

Monday morning... When we (I) awake, the ship is docked in Victoria.   I get up, shower, and go up to the Lido for coffee and croissant.  Tina will sleep in a bit.

It is 7:00 as I reach the Lido.... 132 stairs separate deck 4 where our room is, and deck xx where the Lido is... Below, the dock is bustling with activity... Tour buses, mini vans (for smaller tours) taxis, all awaiting us, the ships passengers... After a busy summer tourist season, ship calls are starting to end, as the ships flee south for the winter.  Our port call will be brief... 7:00 to 12:30, sailing away at 1:00.  Tina and I have been here before, and have small plans... Walk off, take the shuttle to the inner harbor, visit the BC Museum, bu some chocolate, gifts for those left behind, then return, probably by noon...

Back aboard... We have spent time over a leisurely lunch...  Ashore we visited the British Columbia Museum... We bought chocolate...

The museum was one of the best I have ever visited.  One floor dedicated to dinosaurs... A temporary exhibit... About how dino's worked... how bones fit together, how they walked… New ideas about how they lived... Fossils mixed in with computer models, touchable artifacts...

Upstairs, it was all about man, both the First Nation peoples, and the Europeans... Transitions, new industries, daily life... Artifact rich, with exhibits to tour, hidden exhibits, within larger exhibits... All done well...  

Within one exhibit, a sign…

“Selected Collections

Museum Collections bring together objects for study,

comparison and exhibition.  They allow us to reflect

changes in our lives.

We collect objects to learn about place, use, attitudes

and relationships with the world around us.   How we

interpret an object can change over time – we can look

at even the simplest of objects from many perspectives.”

The sign was spectacular… not for the idea, the idea of why we collect, and how we interpret is basic museum science; instead, it is a sign that the staff has respect for the visitor… even to the point that the visitor might have their own interpretation…  an interpretation different than that presented, equally valid…  I love great museums…

Outside we found a military band posing for photos on the steps of the legislative building... with a garden gnome... Such are the surprises one discovers when traveling...

Now, back aboard... Sailing the Strait of Juan de Fuca, headed for the north Pacific... A pod of Orcas playing off the port side... Fog slowly closing in... We are beginning to feel the swells of the open ocean, but are still a couple of hours away from clearing the strait...

We are sitting in the Crows Nest, a bar, forward, up high with a great view ahead... Music is playing... Edelweiss, Dorris Day singing Que Sera Sera... Now Santana, yes Carlos Santana...  Visibility now down below a quarter mile... The fog horn is sounding...  Fog closes in, obscuring all... The sea strangely calm, when it can be seen... For a moment there is a bright spot off to port... Sun... Peaking under the fog... Then, it is gone... Fog horns again...  But who cares, it's happy hour...

Vacation, part two...

Having spent four days, driving through the wilds of Nevada, It is time to reboot the vacation...

It is now the end of summer, and with the end of summer comes the shorter days here on the north end of our planet, and with shorter day come colder weather, sometimes even snow, and so, end of the tourist season in Alaska.  A significant part of the Alaskan tourist industry is cruise ships... Lots of cruise ships... With the end of the Alaskan cruise season, the ships need to be moved to their new homes...  hence the second half of my vacation... We are joining, sailing on Holland America's Statendam as she sails from Vancouver to San Diego...

So, today, we (the lovely Tina and I)  are up too early after arriving home too late (myself, not the lovely Tina) at the airport before dawn... We are flying to Vancouver, which is in Canada, so are leaving from the International Terminal... Passports in hand...  I search of Air Canada Ft 559...

It's a two hour flight... It hardly feels like it should be an international flight... I understand they speak English and accept American money...  But passports and customs forms are required...  We arrive about 90 minutes ahead of the flight... But this is an international flight and at least officially, we are late... We are supposed to be here a couple of hours before... It is not an issue, but we can't use the check in kiosk... We require human assistance...  assistance is graciously offered and we Check in, check a bag...

Off to, and through security...  The TSA officers all wear blue latex gloves, I understand the why, but, this makes an emotional statement... We, the passengers are somehow dirty... In some cases this might be true, but it is one more step in the process of dehumanization which is airport security.  Today there seem to be more security than passengers... We pass through quickly, recover our stuff, put on shoes and belts, and head for the gate...  It is 6:00 am... all but one airport shop, a Mexican grill is closed...

We find our gate, and board the plane after a short wait... And discover a curiosity... The seats are lettered A-C-D-F...   There is no B or E... This is a smaller jet,  an Embraer 190... There is no way they could shoe horn a couple of extra seats across, so why save the extra letters?   Making the whole thing more ridiculous the little sign over the seats across which reads "17CA)"... Suggesting the graphic artist was unfamiliar with alphabetical order as commonly practiced...

The flight is not full... Carry-ons are not an issue... There is more leg room than expected... We settle in...

Below, as we fly north, broken clouds, fog...  The clouds have a soft hazy quality that suggests ice and winter...  I suspect the effect is magnified by the planes polarized windows. Of  course, the coming of winter has is why the ship is fleeing south...  Now, more than an hour into the flightThe is a stream of smoke, likely a wild fire.  A single peak  stands tall through the clouds and fog, Mt Renier or Mt Hood... More likely Mt Hood, based on the time left before we arrive.   A few minutes later Renier appears below, settling the question.

The co-pilot comes on to announce we are beginning our descent...  Soon I will have to turn off and stow the IPad... Then we will de-plane, disembark, line up for immigration, claim luggage, line up for customs... Find the train down town, find our ship, check luggage aboard, check in, then likely sit and wait to board... Such is the nature do travel... Rush, line up, wait, rush, sit and wait...

Now, downtown Vancouver Canada... We have checked our luggage dockside, but still have our carry-ons... People are still disembarking, so we take a walk... We have found the local Rogue brew house ("Kitchen and Wet Bar")... It opens in a minute or so, so, it appears the vacation, 2.0 starts.

A fast trip across Nevada, and back...

Thursday, 8:00, Carson City... Check out... Head out...

Breakfast at the Cracker box... Then east on Hwy 50... Up the hill, under the new V&T bridge... Into Mound House...

In Nevada, brothels are legal, but not in "urban" ares, so alng the fringe, certain businesses are found... It has become a default boundary, a line between urban and rural Nevada, so in Mound House I past the "Bunny Ranch Business Park" ...  Past the Kit Kat Club and several other similar businesses...  I had  never thought of a whore house as an anchor business in a business park...

I stopped for gas in Fallon...  At 9:57...  The reservoir was near empty, but there was lots of alfalfa being mowed, bailed, and trucked out...

A road sign tells me it is 258 miles to Ely...

Out, into the desert...  A surprisingly green desert... The salt flats, dry lakes are wetter than they look...

10:56, Middle Gate Station... An accessible (aka, visitor friendly) desert road house... It's too early for a beer... But I stop, look about, and talk to a local...

A few miles beyond, I find the shoe tree... or the new shoe tree...  The original tree was cut down by a vandal a couple of years ago, but now, a nearby tree has assumed the role...

I get stuck, moving slow behind a couple of dump trucks climbing New Pass and spend nearly 10 miles at 40 mph...  Eventually, the road steightens, I pass, and again, am up to speed...

Just outside of Austin, I encounter a "reduced speed" sign as I approach a slow moving truck... Poetic justice or just a coincidence...

I head out of town, climbing on a road increasingly dominated by dump trucks carrying mining concentrates...

As I approach Ely, I detour, and head to Ruth, the mining area... I drive up to the pit overlook... Explore a bit further on the dirt roads, then back track, and head into Ely, and east Ely...  At the depot (train depot, Nevada Northern Railway)  I encounter a friend, a fellow speaker at the symposium... We wander off, check into the hotel, look at each others presentations, work on our own, and eventually, go across the street to the local Mexican place...

The next day (now Friday) we rise early, attending the symposium... Highlights included a demonstration of the railroad's steam wrecking crane, and a hands on riveting demonstration... There was a train ride and a bar-b-Que... Back to the hotel to polish our talks... One version of the schedule has me talking for two hours(with a break)... A second has me talking for an hour, followed by Jim for an hour... We revise it to me for close to an hour, Jim for a short complimentary presentation, a break, then me again... (Narrow gauge railroad cars of Nevada)...

Saturday... Up early, revise the talk (again) head over to the railroad yard...
The talks go well... I eat lunch, then... About 12:30, I head west... Home... For the return journey I head south on Highway 6... Through Tonapah, into the Owens Valley, left at Benson, along the South Side of Mono Lake, over Tioga Pass, thought Yosemite... Then home via the Big Oak Flat road... 530 miles... About 9 hours...

So, Klinger's (my new Jeep) can go fast, but isn't happy above 80... Gas mileage falls above 70, faster as speed increases.  Klinger's loves dirt roads... And seems to almost float over them at moderate speeds...  I didn't have a chance to test Klinger's rough track skills... That will have to wait for another trip...

Now, late, Saturday, mostly packed for a cruise tomorrow... (aka, vacation, part II) I am blogging instead of sleeping.... I should be sleeping.

Nevada Bound

Klinger the Jeep and I are off on an adventure... pointed east, across the Sierras... to the east side of Nevada, Ely, for a conference...

50 minutes into the trip, only 35 miles covered...   A slow start... It's am rush hour, for those headed to work... I am not... And am headed away from the great mass of employment centers... But there is traffic...

Klinger has a timer, multiple odometers, and fuel mileage read out...  So, I can test my progress against my plan...

Just outside Stockton, I turn off the freeway, not to return until late Sunday night... Just beyond Waterloo I encounter an over size load with a police escort... Half a house, with pilot cars, one ahead one behind, and no less than three CHP SUV's two ahead, one following... They are stopping on coming traffic, holding the cross traffic at intersections...  The house and entourage are running red lights... with CHP protection... All at 45 miles an hour for some miles, through Lockford, through Clements... Luckily, they were not headed for Jackson...

Once free of the flying house, I encountered a construction project (really several)... With one way traffic and flag men... Again progress slowed...

By the time I reached Jackson Klinger's timer and odometer and readouts suggested that I was about 30 minutes behind...

Up the mountain.... Over the Sierras... Climbing...  Through digger pine and oak, as I climb through sugar pine and fir, still higher into lodge pole pine... I don't reach timberline.. This trip...

Over the top at Meyers Pass... Then down, Aspen now... Starting to turn... They should be good in a couple of weeks when I need to cross over again....

I reach Carson at 12:30... The Stanford car is out... Waiting for me... I pull out my paint cards and go to work... I have been here twice, exposing paint windows, taking notes... Notes that don't make sense once home... This is the way of a paint study...   You keep looking... Sampling... And suddenly the fog clears and sample 1 and sample 4 start to mesh...  Others follow.

By 5:00 I am done... Down the street to the next Best Western... Check in (Free... I have stayed in Best Westerns frequently recently...). I check email... I walk across the street to the Old 395 Grill... Beer and pork tonight.... I am on vacation, the ladies are at the Giants game... (Go Giants!).  I am writing this as I eat...

Back to the room to work on the presentation... Giants on TV... The Giants win... All is good...

Tomorrow... Up early... Stop for breakfast at the Cracker box, then east on Hy 50...

 "Every car is full of stories.  Who rode in 'em, where they went, how they ended up, how they got here..." Neil Young

Radio Musings... my daily music

Most morning I get up early, and turn on the radio, KFOG, 104.5

This am, early, the daughter (Steph) and I went to the Epic Roast House for the KFOG birthday party… We got up early, and were rewarded with the front table…  It is KFOG's 30th... accidentally I was listening when they changed formats... I was at the mother-in-laws who likes "Easy listening" which was their previous format... Her (the mother in law) has her easy listening station on when... Rock this town was played, changing the face of SF radio, and upsetting the mother-in-law... All was good...

Back to the Epic Roast House... There was good food, good drinks, and like minded folks nearby….

Rosalie was doing “Acoustic Sunrise”… Her husband was there… (we, Steph and I) met him (her husband, not Shawn) at a concert in the play space many years ago… Shawn Mullins… Latter I win tickets to his (Shawn, not the husband) GAMH show…  Tina and I go, and are now regulars at the ”Music Hall”

This morning, Annalisa was there, later in the morning… we got hugs… Steph made a connection at a Live from the Archives roll out some years ago… she was buying CDs for the two of us, as I and the lovely Tina were on vacation… I received a phone call while boarding a cruise ship in Tampa… from Annalisa…  I bet your favorite DJ doesn’t call you while you are on vacation… mine does…  I am spoiled.  Steph and Annalisa talked about Steph’s love, infatuation with singer Matt Nathinson…

Since we (Annalisa, Steph and I) have met at a “Concert for Kids”… the Pretenders and Amos Lee….  I won tickets on KFOG, in the last 2^nd to the last row… then once seated, early, was upgraded by Amos Lee’s manager to a much better seat… At intermission Annalisa saw, recognized Steph… Dad (aka me) was introduced…  It is kind of good when your radio heroes know who you are… it is unexpected… it is good…

I have seen her at since Live from the Archives roll outs… once without Steph (who was in Maryland…) since with Steph…  a couple of times… she remembers us… this is not expected… One CD was signed in a  faux Matt signature…   Steph is the girl who likes Matt… 

Today, we have a front row table… We drink Mimosas… corn chowder, apples empanadas, French toast, lots of food… all good… No, great… we need to go here for lunch… we are impressed….

Today, Annalisa arrives, sees us, gives us hugs…  Our radio station or at least the mid day DJ, loves us… 

Then, late in the broadcast, a surprise… Annalisa is leaving the station, the mid day role… there is a ceremony… Rosalie, Annalisa, Rene… handing off the role… the mid day, including 10 at 10…. From Rosalie, to Annalisa, to Rene… the spirit of Dave Morey is there, in the room… There are tears…  Dennis, the program manager is there… this is not a firing… it is a transition… Dennis will be blamed…  He always will be, deserved or not… this time not… Rene talks to us… 

It is weird and unexpected when the staff at “your” radio station are friends, or at least folks you know…

After the broadcast, Steph and I go up to say goodbye… To Annalisa…  Annalisa comes around the table for hugs…   It is unexpected…  We walk away… Annalisa calls to Steph… You will get your Matt some day (Matt Nathinson) Steph calls  back… There is the wife issue (sadly Matt is married…) …   All laugh… 

Annalisa’s sign off…  On Friday…

Last song: What a wonderful world by Johnnie Ramon.  Annalisa then said "I love you" and left….She  realized “just like many of my past boyfriends did to me.”

Through the day we listen… to friends… to music…  And hope Annalisa has  better boyfriends…

Happy Birthday KFOG, good luck Annalisa… 

PS… new information… Annalisa will start as the morning DJ on KFOX…  as someone on her Facebook page said, X is the new G…  Steph programmed one of Klinger the Jeep’s radio buttons… for KFOX…  KFOG still has button No. 6, but KFOX now own’s No. 5…