I started writing this entry and didn't know what to say at first

 

After I got home from my most recent cruise, I had to say something about the current state of domestic politics. When I saw what was going on with the Orange Snowflake, I was again reminded of a Don Imus album title: "This Honky's nuts!"  Today, I could easily say it about our president.  At the recent Charlie Kirk memorial service, his widow said to forgive her husband's killer.  However, the Snowflake has a grudge against anyone who opposed him in any way, no matter how slight an opposition.  He can't handle the concept of people not loving him.

When I think of the Snowflake and his personal flaws, I think of an old cartoon from the WW2 era: "Der Fuhrer's Face." The song, originally performed by Spike Jones and his City Slickers, is a satirical take on the Hitler's personality cult and his henchmen.  Considering that the Snowflake is following the Nazi guidebook from the 1930's, I feel that this tune could easily be reworked to make fun of the Snowflake and the people who once supported him

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But enough about the Snowflake.  Today, I started the process of cleaning out the mess from behind my loveseat (I've been using the area for storage), so that I can take care of the following:

1. Selling/Giving away a pachinko machine and an awkwardly shaped storage chest.
2. Storing summer clothing in storage containers, placing them behind the loveseat.
3. Moving a steel filing cabinet away from my computer desk to shift 2 bedroom chests/dressers.
4. Calling A/C repair to remove/fix/reinstall an air conditioner with a bad master control unit.

This is not a one day project.  I have to move some storage containers from the bedroom into the newly vacated space behind my loveseat. (Winter stuff comes out from the bedroom, and summer stuff will be placed first in the living room.)  My desktop computer then moves off the filing cabinet, so that I can move it to a new location.  Following that, I can shift the two chests/dressers, making room near the A/C so that the A/C repair men can do their thing.

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I was still feeling slightly under the weather when I got up, so I didn't go to church as I originally planned.  Taking my time to get moving, I started taking inventory of what I needed to do to start organizing things.  And the first thing that came to mind was packing up my summer stuff.  I have way too many summer dresses, so I started culling a few to be put in donation bags. 

Next was the "fun" part - exploring the boxes/containers behind the loveseat, and tossing out unwanted stuff.  In my case, I decided to throw away a 14 y/o computer that ran Windows 7.  It wasn't worth much anymore, so I decided to trash it.  (I still have another old laptop that I have to trash.  But until then, it takes up space in my bedroom.)

The process of moving things around has only begin.  Keep your fingers crossed that I keep up the momentum....

Now that I'm back....

 

Now that I'm back, I'm concerned about many things.  First, will the assassination of Charlie Kirk trigger a gestapo like crackdown on those who oppose Trump?  I hope not.  Although I will not condone violence, I will not mourn the loss of an evil man.  As Clarence Darrow once said: “I’ve never wished a man dead, but I have read some obituaries with great pleasure,”  Kirk's was an obituary I enjoyed reading.  Why is this important?  The Orange Snowflake is awarding the presidential medal of freedom to Kirk posthumously.  The snowflake has no sense of ethics or morality.  In short, he is a clear and present danger to our nation.  His incendiary rhetoric has become normalized, and no one calls him to account.  The longer this man goes unchecked, the greater the damage he will do to our country.

When Kirk was killed, the snowflake accused transgenders of killing Kirk.  We now know this to be a falsehood.  A trans person is now safer outside the US than inside the US.  We are under attack, and we must find ways to lay low until the storm passes. But what about the rest of the nation?  It appears that the snowflake is turning ICE into the modern day version of the Nazi SS.  How can Americans defend themselves without triggering the aftereffects of a Kristallnacht?    Hopefully, we will find leaders who can show us the way.

The other day, I saw a presentation on how the business elites put Hitler in power, and helped silence the middle and lower classes in German society.  The arms makers supported Hitler, as they stood to gain a lot by the renunciation of Versailles Treaty limits on German power and German rearmament,  Union power was crushed, and targeted "Non Aryan" victims were used as slave labor by these firms.  Could this happen here?  The way things are going, Yes! 

Not everything is gloom and doom yet.  We still have the freedom to leave the country.  I, for one, have applied to be on a nation's foreign birth registry, so that I have a place to go to if the worst happens.  People inside and outside this country are making fun of the Orange Snowflake and his actions.  They see the man for what he is, a weak person inside his shell of toxic masculinity. 

With all of this being said, what do I recommend we do? 

Nonviolent protest as would be advocated by Dr. M.L.King and M Gandhi.  Gum up the works of ICE and other government agencies by getting in their way and broadcasting all human rights transgressions to the world.  One day, the snowflake's henchmen and supporters may called before the International Criminal Court in the Hague, and get the judgement they rightfully deserve.  Let's make that day come sooner than later.

 

Thoughts about my recent cruise....

 

If the Democrats had won the election last year, I would have been in Marian Mode with RQS on this cruise.  (We had booked it with this intention.)  Sadly, I had to travel as Mario, given the fascist assault on our individual liberties by the current administration in DC. This pisses me off to no end, as he is trying to take away any dignity we have in public. With that being said, we had a great cruise, save for not visiting one port due to weather conditions. 

The cabin we stayed in was relatively quiet.  Although we were under the Lido deck, just under the hallway leading to the buffet, we weren't disturbed by noise coming from the above floor.  We had one unfortunate issue with this cabin - it was way too close to the buffet, and we found ourselves walking out our door, up the steps, and into the buffet in less than 2 minutes. It was way too convenient for us to go up for an unplanned cup of coffee or a quick nibble. 😁

My current cruise goal is to visit a couple more ports in North America's northeastern areas, specifically St. John's, NL and Eastport, ME.  Many cruisers have heard of St. John's and its beauty.  But how many of us know that Eastport has one special attraction that requires people to leave the United States to visit?  If you haven't guessed, it's Campobello Island, the summer home of FDR.  We considered taking one cruise line out of Boston, just to see this place.  But we chose this 10-day cruise instead.

The next time we visit Boston on a cruise, we will likely already have "Charlie Cards" preloaded with money enough to get us around town and visit a few sites outside of excursions sold by the cruise line.  As it was, we enjoyed having a ship to ourselves, as the weather was perfect for us to sit outside and enjoy the view from the ship (or, what little of it there was in this port).

Hopefully, we will finally get to visit Charlottetown, PE on a future cruise.  High winds prevented us from making port here - the second time we had a cruise scheduled to make port here.  However, we did get to see the Giant Fiddle in Sydney, but were unable to take our shore excursion at this port.  Instead, we walked around the cruise terminal and picked up some items from local vendors.

Next year, Brooklyn will likely be mostly closed for cruising during the summer.  Supposedly, NYCEDC will be fixing up the Brooklyn Marine Terminal area (of which the cruise terminal is a part) in 2026, and cruising should restart after the summer is over.  Do I believe that?  I'm not sure.  But I know that Brooklyn is the only NYC area cruise terminal large enough to handle the Queen Mary 2 (a ship I'll be on soon).  So, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for now.  One thing I know: MSC will no longer be making Brooklyn a year-round home port after Spring, 2026.

And one last thing: RQS enjoys the coziness of a smaller ship, now that she's been on one.  I'm glad of that, as I'm tried of these elephantine ships carrying 3500+ passengers and all of the large ship hassles.  Give me a ship I can get on and off quickly, without fuss, and I'll be happy.  

Canada/New England Cruise 2025 - Disembarkation Day (09/18/25)

 

As usual on the nights before disembarkation, I didn't get much sleep.  But I was lucky to be awake enough to capture this view of the Verrazzano Narrows Bridge on our way to port.  This was one of those rare days where it was warm enough to go out on the balcony in my jammies (please don't imagine how I look in them) and capture a few more shots like the one below:

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Today's disembarkation ritual went off easier than expected. But first, a little explanation on how luggage gets organized on the pier for collection....

Each cabin is given a set of tags listing an assigned disembarkation group by color and number.  Each color designates where the cruiser is going post cruise:

• Silver: To the Airport with cruise line arranged transfers.
• Silver: To the Airport with cruise line arranged pre-flight excursions, with Airport drop-off.
• Blue: Self-Arranged post-cruise travel 

Each group disembarks in numerical order, Number 1 being first, and Number 30 being last.  We were in Blue 29, with group 30, usually the last of numbers to be called. Although the announcements implied that all groups should be disembarked by 9:30, the paperwork we were given said 10:15.  If the paperwork was true, we would miss our 10:00 ferry and have to wait for 75 minutes for the next ferry up the East River.

Knowing that we had a lot of time to kill, we had a very leisurely breakfast at 7:30, making it possible for the room steward to turn the room for the next cruiser as soon as possible.   Around 9, we left the main dining area one last time and went to a seating area to wait for our group to be called.  This time we got lucky.  We were hanging out where all the handicapped passengers wait to be wheeled on shore.  So, when we heard that all Blue groups' luggage was on the pier, we walked out with others being wheeled.  (Both of us were using our canes this trip, so we technically qualified to get off the ship a little early.)  Within 5 minutes, we were off the ship looking for our luggage in a "virgin" storage area, and were out the door and at the ferry dock by 9:20.  

There is something very new going on at the Red Hook ferry terminal on cruise days.  NYC Ferry was giving away free rides to Wall Street for cruise passengers debarking today. (They plan to continue this for a while, hoping that they can drum up enough passengers to relieve automobile congestion at the cruise terminal, and make this a long term solution to traffic problems near the cruise terminal.)  We took one of these rides, then transferred to another ferry taking us to North Williamsburg.  Although we may have spent more time in getting home, we spent much less on our return trip's Uber ($44) than on our trip to the terminal ($84).  We made it to RQS's place around 11:30 am, and were able to stay relaxed until we got home.

Canada/New England Cruise 2025 - Sea Day #3 (09/17/25)

 

Our last day on the ship, and we already reached a high point with the culinary challenge and galley tour.  Princess seems to do this on every cruise, and it's a fun presentation by the culinary staff of the ship.  On one side is an actual chef who knows what he's doing and does it very well.  On the other is a staff member acting as a clown, having fun and ruining a recipe for (usually) an appetizer, a main course, and a dessert.  This presentation shouldn't be missed.  Following this presentation, cruisers are encouraged to visit the galley and ask questions of the staff.

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But let's put first things first....

We were unable to do laundry last night.  So, I knew that I had to wake up bright and early to get to the laundry room and not wait for a machine.  Showering and dressing before 8 am is difficult for me (it'll be much worse tomorrow, on disembarkation day), but I made it to the laundry room by 8:05 - where 2 of the 5 washers were in use.  I asked some people to watch my laundry bag as I walked down to guest services to get some tokens.  On my return, I loaded up the washer and struck up a chat with 2 people from Canada.  It was a good chat, and I stayed in the laundry room until the wash was done.  And that's when RQS came in, saying we had to get some breakfast.  I loaded the dryer, paid another token for a 60 minute run, and it was off to breakfast.

We didn't have time for a dining room breakfast, so off to the buffet we went.  And again, I struck up a conversation with another out-of-towner wanting to see a baseball game.  Again, I was an instruction manual for someone wanting to see a game in Flushing.  Once the couple left, we decamped to the laundry room to await our dried clothes. 

Once our clothes were dry, we dumped them off in our cabin, then went to the culinary challenge.  There were no seats left, so we sat in the aisle's steps to watch the show.  RQS enjoyed it (as I expected), and then we went to the galley tour.  From there it was off to the gastropub for lunch.

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Lunch at the gastropub was pleasant.  I chose their mushroom dish for an appetizer, as the other 2 menu choices were not appetizing to me.  And then I had the signature burger - which was tasty, but over embellished with fried jalapeño peppers.  This was the high point of the meal, as the pudding like dessert was marred by the popcorn embellishments.

And then, we packed for our return home....

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At 7, we went for our last specialty dinner of the trip.  It was a good meal,  Around 9, we put out our luggage for delivery to the pier.  And then we went to see the comedian in the main theater.  He was funny, but I left just before the show ended - I was ready to pass out, and I needed sleep.

 

 

 

Canada/New England Cruise 2025 - Boston, MA (09/16/25)

 

The above was the view from our Bridge Cam this morning.  At first, it looked like it would be a cloudy day. But as time went on, the day improved.  Yet, we just weren't in the mood to get off the ship.  So we spent this last port day on the ship instead of exploring Boston as we originally planned.

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We woke up around 9, and were having breakfast in the buffet until 11.  And then we walked outside to get some fresh air.  There is something about being on a quiet ship on a port day that is relaxing. For example, there was no crowd around the pool today.  If one wanted a deck lounge chair, it was there for the taking.  The ship was empty, and those left on the ship had it to themselves.

There is one problem with staying on the ship on port days - all of the shops and most of the restaurants are closed while in port.  One can't take advantage of everything the ship has to offer, as this is the one time many of the ship's personnel get a break from work.  Although the spa may be open, I've never found anyone rushing to get treatments due to the inflated prices charged by this venue.

For the most part, this was a day to relax, and relax we did - until it was time to go to dinner.  Tonight was "Surf and Turf" night, the one night that the main dining room goes all out to serve cruisers.  Was the surf and turf good?  Yes, but the steak was drowning in sauce - something I don't like on most cuts of meat.  (At least, RQS had the duck breast, and she enjoyed it to the fullest.)  While at dinner, I struck up a conversation with the man at the table next to us. RQS and enjoyed talking with this man about cruising, life, and other things, and chatted for the better part of an hour after our table was cleaned by the wait staff. 

After dinner, we tried to do a load of laundry.  Unfortunately, we were too late to get a load in and done in time.  Tomorrow, we'll have to squeeze this task in, between everything else we have scheduled. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Canada/New England Cruise 2025 - Portland, ME (09/15/25)

 

Portland, Maine.  It's a nice place to walk around when the sun is not too high in the sky.  There is enough old architecture in the port district, that one can easily find interesting buildings to photograph. And yet, it's a relatively modern place to be in, most of the traditional seaside businesses having left the main road years ago.

When we arrived in Portland, US Customs and Border Control requires everyone to get off the ship, so that they can verify every passenger on the ship's manifest.  We woke up early, so that we could get off the ship at our appointed time.  And then, we hit a minor roadblock: someone typed my name wrong on the manifest.  My name was changed from Marian to Narian.  AARGH!  Once the CBP person caught this error, he fixed it and sent me (and RQS) on our way. 

However, this doesn't mean that Portland's nautical past has been forgotten.  Take a walk down any of the side streets and you'll see traces of its nautical past.  For example, the above establishment has been here for years.  Now, it's a full service tavern.   

At the end of the pier is the original Luke's seafood restaurant. From its humble seafood processing beginnings in Portland, it has morphed into a restaurant chain with branches around the world.   We killed a couple of hours before walking to Luke's as it normally opens at 11 am.  One problem: they had no electricity when we arrived.  (A circuit breaker was triggered, and they had to reset it.)  We appreciated this delay, as it gave our breakfasts more time to be digested.

When we finally got into Luke's, we ordered the fried clam bellies, and they were on our plates before RQS was finished in the washroom.  We feasted, and the lady at the next table struck up a conversation on cruising.  It was a nice thing to chat with a stranger about something we all enjoyed - especially our trips to Bermuda.

All too soon, it was time to return to the ship.  So we walked the mile back to the ship and decided to rest for a while before the evening's activities started.

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Tonight was dress up night, and we again donned our finest for the photographers downstairs near the atrium. I couldn't wait to take off my blazer and tie to be comfortable while dining at the ship's steakhouse.  This would be our second visit to the place, and I tried to order different things from what I ordered on our last visit.  Well, I almost did just that, but had the same dessert.  Today's main course was a veal chop so thick that I couldn't finish it all.  RQS was wearing something similar to what I would have worn had I been able to go as Marian.  (Well, there will be opportunities to do that once the Orange Snowflake leaves office.)

After dinner, we went back to our room to relax for 30 minutes, and then on to tonight's entertainment in the ship's theater. Tonight's show was a musical revue called "On The Bayou", and it was a pleasant performance of songs with a New Orleans area theme.  (Mind you, this was a little bit of a stretch, but the best way to label these numbers.)  Most of the performers did their songs justice, and in contrast to the last night's performer did her songs better.

 

Next it was off to the lounge where we saw Carlos Oscar and his comedy routine.  (Think of Joe Pesci as if he had a Puerto Rico background.)  As much as most comedians don't get me to laugh, Carlos did. Much of his routine got into the differences of men and women, but not in a nasty way.  Instead, he exaggerated how our behaviors seem, such as women flothes shopping for themselves and then for their partners.  Would I see him again?  If this show is an example, it will be on the last night of the cruise.