Another storm is headed our way over the next few days. Tropical Storm Nicole will make landfall on the Atlantic coast, cross the state, and then move up the Gulf Coast, hopefully skirting north of our area. Regardless, we will get some strong winds and rain that could cause further damage to the many unstable trees in our neighborhood. HOA workers have installed wood braces on the trunks hat survived Ian and there are still a few roofs that have yet to be fixed other than covered with blue tarps. Unlike most area neighborhoods, there are no longer massive piles of debris, a credit to our association’s diligent efforts.
This has been our first full year in Florida, and we’ve had more than our share of destructive weather. Yes, it’s warm and beautiful where we live, but danger continues to lurk – not just alligators. Insurance companies are backed-up on claims and financial relief is slow to materialize. It will take years to recover already, so another set-back would be catastrophic. We still have a refrigerator in need of repair and a homeowner’s assessment to pay. My son is waiting on his insurance claims regarding roof, vehicle, and water damage. He’s fortunate not to have an unsightly pile of limbs, siding, shingles, mangled grills, and twisted outdoor furniture like most of his neighbors.
I joined one of my fellow joggers on the route this morning. He’s training for a half-marathon and I struggle to keep up with his faster pace. All three of my miles ended up in the 14-minute range, still nothing more than a comparative crawl, but “fast” for me these days. He went on for an additional 7-miles this morning. For me, today marked 5,064 consecutive despite the long cruise and eyelid surgery. This incoming Tropical Depression could impose another challenge to “The Streak,” but I will certainly find a way to get my miles in one way or another. Streak On!
Through swollen eyelids, I watched baseball history last night with a Houston Astros combined no-hitter against the Philadelphia Phillies. It was the second no-hitter in a World Series game, the first by Don Larsen of the Yankees in 1956, who was “perfect” against the Brooklyn Dodgers. That record will never be topped. Cristian Javier, Christian Vazquez, Bryan Abreu, Rafael Montero, and Ryan Pressly only gave up three base-on-balls, one was to Kyle Schwarber of the Phillies, extending his post-season on-base streak to 11 straight games.
I can remember the buzz around the Don Larsen “Perfecta,” even though I was only 5-years old. I was already into collecting baseball cards at that age and had all the Yankee greats that year. The 1956 Mickey Mantle Topps card alone is now worth thousands of dollars but somehow it got lost or thrown out. Three years later I became a White Sox fan, so those Yankee cards apparently didn’t matter any more. Don Larsen is valued at about $80 and probably went up in value with the exposure from last night’s no-hit feat.
I spent my second straight night in a chair sitting up with ice-packs pressed against my black-and-blue eyes. It made it even tougher to watch Manager Dusty Baker pull Cristian Javier after 6 innings and nine strike outs, taking away his chance of solo heroics. Instead, he shared the honor with four other bullpen mates for a 5-0 victory, tying the series at 2 games each.
My eyelids are now thick lips with Frankenstein-like stitches. I joke that I got a special deal on surgery by waiting until the day after Halloween. I’m also not supposed to exercise, but I did get the minimum mile in both days to extend “The Streak” to 5,058 consecutive days. It was especially difficult the day after surgery as I waited until afternoon and the pain-killers to wear off before lacing up my running shoes. This morning was easier and tomorrow I could be back to normal, hiding behind my cheap sunglasses.
We’re safely back home and watching live sports once again, although I’m not happy with what I’m seeing. I.U. football blew their opportunity for a win, Alabama was upset, and the Braves have been eliminated from the playoffs, while the Bad News Bears have the day off after losing by inches on Thursday night. I was much better off without TV.
My internal time clock is still on Hawaiian time and my legs have yet to adjust to solid ground. I did get a full 3.1 mile run in this morning, the first of that distance in 27-days without the balance challenges of an on-board treadmill or unsteady ship’s deck. It’s been tough to get back into the routine after just three nights back. Memories of Alaska and Hawaii have been replaced with damage concerns for our home and neighborhood.
We’re hearing some of the horror stories about Hurricane Ian and seeing the damage that surrounds us. Neighbors had to literally nail their front doors shut with the massive winds that tore apart pool cages, damaged siding, and stripped trees. I just had an inspector check our roof and attic and got a report of minimal damage. We were lucky, as I look across the street at a pile of twisted metal to be discarded. Broken roof tiles, strips of sheet metal, rubbage, and tree limbs are scattered everywhere, not to mention the uprooted palms that line our streets. Lanai screens at both our neighbor’s homes are ripped and left flapping in the breeze. How we escaped damage I’ll never know, but there will certainly be an HOA assessment charged to every resident, so financial loss is inevitable.
On top of fees for the inspector, gift cards for neighbors who helped ready our home while we were absent, food loss, service costs to repair an inoperative refrigerator, pool chemicals, and landscaping replacements, we’ll all be paying for this storm damage for some time to come. I’m just glad we weren’t around to experience the terror that many endured with window and door damages, leaks, flooding streets, and no power. The only turbulence we felt was the bobbing and weaving of the ship as we tried to fill our plates. There’s a definite sense of guilt in missing this neighborhood bonding experience that will be talked about for years. We have our share of heroes to thank in minimizing our losses while we were thousands of miles away.
It’s day #21 of the cruise and 27 days since we left our Florida home. We’ve left behind our schnauzer pup, Tally, and some storm casualties including our roof tiles, refrigerator, and frozen food. I’ve called an inspector and the Kitchenaid warranty department about potential repairs we’ll have to deal with once we get home this Friday and back to reality – just four days away. This morning was the first outdoors run I’ve enjoyed since downtown Vancouver just before the boat left the dock. I finally able to get out on the main deck that is four laps to the mile. It had been too cold, too windy, or too slippery to step foot out there until today, as we approach Kauai. I’ve been stuck on the treadmill every morning as we bobbed and weaved our way along, but “The Streak” persists after 5, 034 consecutive days. I could feel the strain of the harder surface on my heels, as I counted the number of times through the engine room tunnel. Also, in trying to maintain my balance with the constant movement of the ship, the outside muscles of my legs are sore. It’s a challenge to run at sea, and I’m proud that I never gave up or took a day off despite the temptation.
Yesterday was definitely the most boring of the trip, as I drifted off to sleep early. I have yet to get sea sick but the lack of sunshine and fresh air coupled with too much food & drink has taken its toll on my stamina. I have to remind myself that I am no longer a spring chicken but rather a 71-year old senior citizen that wears himself out every single morning. I’m stuck with the same crew, the same people, and the same restaurant choices every single day with no land in sight. Everything is starting to run together, while laying in bed while the boat rocks is the most comfortable position without a doubt. I’m also never really sure what time it is with all the time zone adjustments that we’ve been through. My phone still shows it to be two hours later than the ship clocks.
I’m ready to get on solid ground tomorrow, although it’s for a catamaran tour of the Kalapaki & Hule’ia River, but still a calmer body of water. Only three more nights at sea and then a miserable overnight flight from Honolulu to Houston to Tampa. It’s been a month-long journey of planes, trains, automobiles, taxis, and boats. We’ll be home soon! No more endless buffets, luxury accommodations, or First-Class seats as we head back to reality!
Last Monday, six days ago, we set sail from Dutch Harbour, Alaska and haven’t been on solid ground since. We have another full day to go before we reach Kauai. It’s the longest stretch of my life at sea that will probably never be matched. I’ve been bobbing and weaving my way around the ship to the point where the outside muscles in my legs are sore trying to maintain balance. The treadmill has been another story of holding on while battling ocean swells. At the same time, the Pacific Ocean looks peacefully blue with no sign of land on either side. Fuel and food storage have I’m sure been a challenge for crew members, as none of us expected a month ago that we would be at sea this long. Initially, stops were scheduled for Russia and Japan. Those that aren’t debarking in Hawaii will go on to Australia for another long stretch of ocean travel. No one signed up for this level of torture.
A week from now, we’ll be home with only faint memories of this excursion that got me to my 49th of 50 states. I mentioned my need for a live sports fix in yesterday’s post, but it will also be over a month without my regular TV habits like House of the Dragon and Sons of Anarchy that I left behind on this journey. I’ll have a lot of catching up to do, and some maintenance to perform on our Ian damaged property. We don’t know yet all that we missed, like the fact that our neighbor just reported that the power never returned on our main refrigerator even after reactivating the breaker.
There isn’t much new to report on activity other than night after night of fine dining, wine & whiskey tastings, movies, lounge shows, and chocolate, but not much in the way of fresh air or sunshine. However, I’m now witnessing a blue-sky day with white puffy skies and smooth sailing, for once, as we near a full week at Sea.
If today is any indication, the next few days of this cruise could be miserable. I tried my best to run on the treadmill, unable to run beyond the minimum mile while weaving and bobbing the next couple of miles in a quick walk. I had to hold on to the side-rails to keep from falling off and even the sit-ups and push-ups were difficult despite being flat on the floor. It was, however, a busy day in the fitness center as passengers tried their best to exercise, knowing that we would be another 7-days at sea. “The Streak” barely continues at 5,028 days.
We have officially left Alaska, on the Pacific Ocean path to Hawaii. I’m feeling a bit queasy with a slight headache and in need of fresh air. This is the first day that I’ve really regretted being on a cruise. Tomorrow, however, we meet with the Viking travel consultants about future options. We do have a $10,000 credit voucher as a result of sticking it out for this venture that caused many cancellations once the leg to Japan was changed to Hawaii. Hopefully, we can find some smoother sailing in our future.
Walking from one end of the ship to the other is a major accomplishment. I did manage to do laundry, knowing that most people just stayed in their cabins. Room Service was very popular and after hearing the crash of dishes in the kitchen probably the safest way to eat breakfast or lunch. Dinner tonight will be at the Chef’s Table once again with a Mexican menu planned. My wife played bridge while I went to the movie documentary, “Wonders of the Sea,” produced by the Cousteau family. It was truly an underwater marvel narrated by Arnold Schwarzenegger. The swaying of the boat and thumping of the waves against the side of the Viking Orion added to the realism. The captain was facing 20-foot swells but indicated that the ship was built to handle at least fifty to make us feel safe. It’s been a swell day so far!
With the month of October suddenly upon us, September running mileage only totaled 78.1 miles. At least I got the minimum mile in every day to keep “The Streak” alive on this cruise adventure. Normally, I routinely do about 90 miles each month and 1,000 for the year. Between fewer miles and excessive eating I will naturally expect a weight gain that should be perfectly normal on a three-week cruise. They say if you don’t put on a few pounds then you didn’t enjoy yourself. Tonight, we’ll be back at Manfredi’s for more pasta and wine, The big relief of the day, was from our thoughtful who took the time to drive all the way to Schnauzerville to assure my wife that our precious pup Tally was doing fine. The dog sitters were relying on a generator and had no way to communicate with us, so a simple picture was worth a thousand words.
We should know more about our roof tile damage in the next few days when my son is able to once again check our property. He has been pre-occupied with rising water, soffit damage, and potential structural concerns after the hurricane. This goes along with his marital concerns and financial problems that have been his primary focus long before Ian rocked his world. His wife and kids have been sharing time with their parents, so I was glad to see them temporarily united as a family to deal with the storm. This once again shows that tragedies like this often bring people together, whether it be neighbors, relatives, or even strangers.
There are still street, landscaping, sewer and internet problems in our Islandwalk neighborhood. I do have some guilt having to rely on others for help while we’re thousands of miles away at sea. Our timing couldn’t have been better or worse, depending on how you look at it. Here we are stuffing our faces, bathing with clean water, and enjoying all the luxury cruise comforts while those back in our home town of Venice are suffering. We’ll have some serious dues to pay when we finally get back to Florida.
The onboard treadmill was an adventure this morning as we sail the rough seas on the way to our final Alaska stop, Dutch Harbor. We’re not sure what to expect since there are no excursions available but at least we’ll be docked and I won’t be rocked from side-to-side while running again tomorrow morning. After that, I’ll just have to somehow get used to occasionally grabbing on to the support bars to keep from falling off. It’s seven long days at sea from there to Kauai, our first of three Hawaiian ports.
Yesterday was sightseeing in the town of Kodiak including a military settlement, three museums, and a Russian Orthodox church. Like Sitka, it was once an important Soviet port before they sold the entire territory to the United States back in 1867 for a price of 7.2 million. The Kodiak History Museum is housed in the oldest standing log structure on the West Coast, called a Magazin (Russian for store), built circa 1808 as a storage facility. Across the street was the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge Center where on display was a fascinating skeleton of a Gray Whale that was found on the local beach, intentionally buried for four years to allow bacteria to strip it to bare bones, cleaned, and eventually reassembled to be suspended from the ceiling of this museum. It was the tourism highlight of the day.
Dinner last night was once again at the Chef’s Table where we were entertained by dozens of whales just outside our window-side table. The evening ended with Reuel, a fabulous pianist from Austin, Texas that put on a dazzling performance in the Star Theatre. It was the first act on the boat to keep us awake for the duration, although some of the other artists had their moments. My wife is currently at a French cooking class while I write this and will spend the afternoon playing bridge. She was particularly excited this morning when we found out that power had been restored to our Florida home and a thoughtful neighbor had moved and watered our sheltered plants. However, we were also informed that we may have a couple of damaged roof tiles as a result of Ian. We’ll assess all the minor damages when we return in less than two weeks. Still no word on Tally, but as more homes get power, communication will certainly improve. We’re confident that she’s fine with all her schnauzer brothers and sisters but some reassurance would be welcome. Tally where are you?
Tomorrow will mark my 200th game of Wordle, the New York Times daily puzzle that has become part of my routine. Since they only provide one game a day, it’s not something you can get obsessed about, although there is Quordle (four puzzles at once) and Octordle (eight puzzles at once) where you can play as many times as you wish. I have a 98% solve rate with a one-time 76-game streak. There are two ways to stop a streak, either by failing to solve the puzzle in six attempts or by forgetting to do the puzzle on a given day. I’ve be subject to both, as my current streak is only at two after somehow spacing out on doing it a few days ago. Normally, I do it right after my morning run, so it should be automatic considering that my current running streak is 5,025 consecutive days. I certainly have yet to forget the running part of my day even though they often times blend together.
We’re currently docked on Kodiak Island, one of the largest in the world. I’ve opened a Diet Coke, that I now limit to just one a day, as I sit at the keyboard. It looks like another chilly, rainy day here in Alaska, although we’ve also gotten a surprising share of sunshine. Last night, as we were having dinner, we experienced our first Alaskan sunset over the mountains we were cruising by. It was just before the big Viking 25th Anniversary dance party on the pool deck. It’s not easy to dance when the ship is rocking, so we left early for bed on Day 11 of this journey.
Early this afternoon, we’ll head into town to tour another museum before tomorrow’s long day at sea on the way to Dutch Harbor. We’re looking forward to another great dinner tonight at the Chef’s Table followed by the Austin pianist performance that was cancelled the other evening due to rough seas. There is still no power at our Florida home and we’ve yet to get word on our Schnauzer pup, Tally. We’re sure she’s fine but phone and internet service are spotty in the Venice area. Flooding has prevented crews from getting in to do repairs.
I will miss another Saturday of football, unless one of the bars in town has a satellite dish and will wait on word of Aaron Judge’s efforts to top the Roger Maris and Yankee home run record. Tomorrow, of course, will start with checking scores, strength exercises in the onboard gym, and another run on the treadmill, followed by (unless I forget) the much anticipated 200th game of Wordle.
We’re having a CAPITAL time as we head into Juneau, the second largest city in the U.S. by area but a population of only 32,255. It’s kind of like the half-full boat we’re on with plenty of space to call your own. The Viking Orion is designed to handle 900 passengers but with all the itinerary changes and Covid challenges less than 400 are on board for this cruise that ends in Honolulu several weeks from now. Our stateroom is on the Starboard side, meaning that in the direction we’re heading there are always great views from our room of the coast line, mountains, and settlements. Today, we’re going to spend some time on a glacier once we arrive in port about noon.
This morning is not as rushed as yesterday, so I was able to get my full 3.1 mile run in. However, the treadmill is still my only option with high wind warnings on the outdoor decks. I remember back on our Athens to Greece cruise a few years ago when my windbreaker (windbreaker broke) ripped apart during an early morning run on the Prominade Deck. I have a secondary battle on this trip because of the much cooler temperatures. I have a feeling that most of my jogging will be in the fitness center with the slight sway of the boat adding to the chore at hand. I did move into the top 400 (now #399) on the all-time U.S.R.S.A running streak list at 5,018 consecutive days. That doesn’t count the 450,00 push-ups and sit-ups that I’ve done in just this timeframe as part of the daily exercize ritual. As long as I keep going, no one will ever pass me and I’ll continue to move by those that have retired their streaks. There are also those warriors that are on the list twice, having discontinued and then restarted again with a combined total of over 10,000 days. At my age, once I stop, I know I’ll probably never get started again.
Mendenhall Glacier is our destination this afternoon, the only glacier in the world that is apparently still growing in size. There’s also a visit to Brotherhood Bridge that will likely test my fear of heights as we watch the waters of the Mendenhall River rush by. There may still be gold in “them thar hills,” as we’re entertained by our bus guide with stories of the Alaskan Gold Rush! Juneau what I mean!
