Bermuda Triangle Cruise 2026 - Final Preparation (04/15/26)

Twas the day before cruising, and all through the house.
Two partners were stirring, one using a mouse....

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As you can guess, one of the last things I do before a cruise is to double check that I have everything with me, as we won't be able to recover once we're on the cruise.  Do I have enough socks, underwear, shirts, trousers, etc?  So many questions to answer and check off a packing list. 

This morning, I had to do some last minute packing before going out.  And then, I had to type up last night's co-op meeting minutes.  This would be a busy day.  Yet, I'd be able to rest once at RQS's place.

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For the most part, virtually everything is packed - including my CPAP machine.  My passport is inside my carry-on, and virtually everything is ready to go.  Yet, I won't leave the house until after the rush hour, as I'm not really ready yet to go on the cruise.  Too many small things are different for me to feel comfortable with this trip.  But I always seem to feel ambivalent before every cruise I take lately.  This could be that part of me fears new things.  And maybe this is why I force myself to go - I need to keep overcoming challenges, no matter how small, to keep growing.

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Last night, we had a co-op board meeting.  As I might have noted, we are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel with our most pressing problems.  But we won't be out of the woods until next year (or, I hope so.)  Although I had several weeks to record the meeting minutes, I rushed to take care of them while I could remember the subtle nuances that needed to be captured, and those that needed to be left out.

Examples of things that need to be captured include:

• Key Topics being discussed
• Decisions made by the board (applicant approvals, financial issues, etc.) 

 Examples of things that should be omitted include:

• Opinions regarding individuals or organizations. (e.g.: No slander or libel.)
• Identification of individuals, save where information recording is necessary.
  (e.g.: Do not name people whose issues are covered by privacy laws.)

This Tuesday, we had to deal with a mental health issue in the middle of a public shareholder meeting.  What should we do?  What must I record?  According to the examples above, it makes sense to list that we had a disruptive shareholder cause trouble in the meeting, but not identify her by name.  Because other shareholders have issues with this person, and have complained about her, we had to include minimal identification information in the minutes, but not this person's name.  This way, any person who needs to review our meeting minutes can do so, while preserving the privacy of this disruptive person as much as realistically possible.

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I am looking forward to visiting Bermuda again.  But the timing of our visit stinks.  Having an overnight stay coupled with a 4 pm arrival time makes it hard for us to enjoy the capital of Hamilton.  There are places we'd like to visit in Bermuda which we'd try to reach with a 9 am arrival that we won't bother to visit with a 4 pm arrival.

Nassau, to me, is a wasted port stop.  But then, in the 3 or 4 times I've stopped here, I was totally bored.  Yet, others find this port a place worth visiting.  But, this cruise is redeemed by the opportunity to visit Charleston, SC again.  Sadly, I would not be able get the chance to visit Fort Sumter or the USS Yorktown on this stop.  But, RQS and I will be able to visit historic parts of the city.  (I'll report on this in a future post.)

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Tomorrow, we'll be leaving for our cruise.  

Keep your fingers crossed.  

Lunch with a friend who I used to work with.

 

The docket for the day had me lunching with SJM.  We skipped our monthly lunch in June, as she had too many things pop up that got in the way - right before the cruise we were supposed to take.  So we had a lot more to say than usual, but less time than we wanted.

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For some reason, my CPAP turned itself off last night, and it wouldn't turn back on.  I wondered why it did.  So, I switched the transformer and power cord (I have an extra in my CPAP travel bag) and it worked.  Now, I had to check out the original transformer and power cord.  This time, I plugged it into a different outlet - and everything worked!  Because I can't explain why things happened, I will need to swap the original back to my CPAP machine and make sure it works - then keep it that way for a while.

Now that I was wide awake, I decided to eat breakfast and nap until 11 am.  At 11:15, I started to get showered and dressed for lunch.  Making it to lunch at 1 pm, I met SJM and sat down for our meal.  I told her about my cruises, and she told me about what was going on with her, her sons, her husband, and her "headaches" with everything.  Her older son has the problems that one would expect from someone who needs more real-world experience before he can safely be completely on his own in life.  The other is willing to take on more challenges than his mom is comfortable with.  All of her problems share one detail - she is not a superwoman who has a solution for every problem. 

All too soon, lunch had to end and we parted.  I then checked in with my brother and found out that I still needed to get a document so that we can submit paperwork needed to rent out our house.  Tomorrow, I'll call up the town, and get things done.  But first, I would stop by the local Walmart to buy myself some anti-chafe slip shorts to wear under my dresses.  By the time I was home for the night, it was 7:30 - just enough time to get a load of laundry done.

It was a nice day to spend as Marian.  Soon, I'll have to switch back to Mario mode to get some paperwork notarized.... 

A visit to the pulmonologist, followed by a co-op board meeting

 

There were two things on my docket for today, and both required that I present myself as Mario.  This was just as well, as it rained in the morning, making trousers a more practical garment for the day.  

But first....

When I last visited my now former pulmonologist, I knew that this would be my last visit with him due to his coming retirement at year end.  Everything went well, and I made sure to schedule my follow-up with another pulmonologist in the same medical group that day.  Today was that follow-up.

The first thing I did was to transfer my ID and money into Mario's wallet, and got dressed to present as Mario.  Around 1 pm, I drove to the doctor's office and checked in.  Within 5 minutes, I was brought into the back, and an assistant took my vitals - everything was OK.  Then the doctor came in, saying that the CPAP machine reported my daily use, and the machine was effective in helping me sleep properly.

My next step was back home to rest, as I was feeling tired.  After a rest, I opened up the co-op board meeting.  Unfortunately, the co-op president was caught in traffic, and I had to fill in the gap for an hour or so.  Eventually, our president joined in, and we got down to business.  Our new member was welcomed, and he looks like he will become a valuable member.

Once done with my business for the day, I called RQS.  She was much more energetic than usual, noting that she had a much worse time with the weather than I did - she got soaked on the way for her medical visit (or, at least, her shoes did).  But she was able to resolve a problem with her transit card.  That was good news.  And on that note, I'll end this post....  

Returning to Reality After the Cruise

 

We returned my place in Croton and were exhausted, something that always seems to happen to us after a cruise.  I am not sure whether it was from waking up at 4:30 am with minimal sleep, or whether it's because we're just getting old.  A third possibility exists for me, as I've been coughing and feeling a bit achy today.

When we arrived at my place, we decided to rest a bit.  I couldn't fall asleep, yet I was tired all day.  Eventually, we needed to go out and get something to eat.  So, it was off to a local Mexican joint for dinner. We wanted to go to a place where we could hear each other speak, so the two closest Mexican joints were out of the question. So it was off to the "new" Mexican joints in Croton. We were pleased that we made this choice, as the place was busy, yet quiet.  We could chat without shouting for a change.  I ordered  the Fajitas while RQS ordered the Enchiladas Mole.  Both were very good, and made us put this place on our list of go-to restaurants.

Our next stop was at Stew Leonard's in Yonkers.  $120 later, I had enough food to restock my larder. But I was running out of energy.  After 1 more stop at CVS for cough medicine, we were home for the night.  Hopefully, I don't have anything more serious than a common bug....

PS: While at the new Mexican joint, I received a text from the firm supplying me with a new CPAP machine.  Why they would send this the night before my appointment is a total mystery to me.  So, I clicked on their link for a facial scan, and also gave them information on both my health and the CPAP Mask I prefer wearing.  Since I know more than the average newcomer to CPAP use, this was a waste of my time.  But, I know that certain inefficiencies need to be tolerated, so that adjustments for the individual can be made ahead of time....

PPS: The facial wasn't needed when I picked up my new machine and new mask. Why they bothered with this extra step befuddles me!

The Sleep Test Results are in!

 

Today ended up being the last day I was going to present as Marian for a while.  So I made the most of it when Vicki mentioned that she wanted to talk about something serious, but not critical.  Instead of laying around the apartment and doing nothing, I told Vicki that I'd meet her at 5 pm, and we could get a bite to eat.

Although I started getting ready around 3 pm, I was late getting out of the house, and barely made it to Lefteris Gyro on time to meet Vicki.  (The food is healthy, plentiful, and reasonably priced.  What more can you ask of a restaurant.  When I arrived, Vicki was already waiting for me at the table.  I almost didn't recognize Vicki at first, as she had her hair scrunched to the back of her head, exposing the area which alopecia has taken its toll.  (I made sure NOT to say anything about this.)  And then we got into our conversation.

I'm not going to say much about the conversation, save that it was related to health issues.  I mentioned that I got a call from the sleep doctor's office today telling me that I have severe sleep apnea, that I'd be getting a new CPAP machine and put on a regular schedule of new supplies.  YAY!  The only problem is that it will take 2 weeks to get approved by my insurance, and another 2 weeks before it arrives.  AARGH!  The way things are going, it will arrive when I'm away on another trip.

On my way home, I called RQS, and found that she was having trouble with printing a luggage tag for our upcoming cruise.  Since I couldn't solve the problem from a moving car, I suggested that she contact MSC to figure out what was wrong - and she now has a luggage tag for her suitcase.  Next, I stopped at the bank to deposit a check, then onward to home.

Arriving at my house, I met a new resident - a nice woman raising a child on her own.  Although I don't want to get her in trouble, I figured that I should ask our managing agent for information to find out if she's an approved resident.  Then, it was doing the last load of laundry before my trip.  

I can't wait to get on the ship!

 

 

 

PS: I received test results from the lab several weeks after the sleep test.  They confirmed what I already knew - I need my CPAP machine!

Sleep Test - How did I do?

 

Nine years ago, I was diagnosed with Sleep Apnea. For those who don't know what this is, it is not snoring.  It is that the person gets so tired, that s/he falls far enough into sleep that the body stops breathing.  I have grown to depend on my CPAP machine to go to sleep, and take it with me whenever I plan to sleep away from home.

Recently, my CPAP machine has displayed a message that it is past its predicted life span, and that it is on its last legs.  This meant that I had to schedule an appointment with the sleep doctor, and then an appointment to take a sleep test.  Last night was that sleep test.

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Before I went to the hospital for the test, I bought a set of men's PJ's (aargh!) to wear during the test. Last night, I packed up my PJ's and a full change of clothes to take with me for the next morning.  When I was finally wired up, I found out that this would be a diagnostic test to see if I had sleep apnea, and not the test I'd need to get a new machine script.  (The doctor was starting from scratch to be safe.) And it took me 2 hours to fall asleep for the first time this evening.

I was awakened around 3 am to fit me with a nasal mask (presumably to see if my breathing improved with a CPAP device), and I was able to get to sleep much quicker than I did the first time.  I was awakened again at 6:30 am, and proceeded to get showered, dressed and out the door.  While on my way out, one of the reception personnel and I chatted a little before I got into my car and drove away for a breakfast sandwich.

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My question is: When should I contact the doctor's office for the next step in this process?  What were the results of this sleep test?  Will I need to get a new CPAP machine?  Inquiring minds want to know.