The Cruise--Details
I didn't include more details in the prior "The Cruise" post for two reasons. 1) I didn't think anyone would be interested; and 2) This trip didn't include much of the normal topics: good beer, good coffee or John-style travel. But there are details, which may be useful to some people contemplating how such a trip is put together. On the first day of the trip, we drove three hours to pick up my mother in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. At 85, she isn't comfortable driving for long distances and hadn't flown for many years. We then drove 3 1/2 more hours to Chicago, where we checked into the Wyndham, where you can get a room that includes the cost of parking for up to 12 days. We were up early on the hotel shuttle to O'Hare, where we then boarded the a non-stop American Airlines flight to New Orleans. Here, we checked into a Hampton Inn near the port. My mother was pretty tired, so Julia and I went out for a Cajun dinner and live music. Rememberi...
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A couple of those photos almost - almost - made me nostalgic about Michigan winters.
At every birthday over 50 I used to say "one more year closer to retirement!", then at 58 I retired. . .
After that it was "One more year closer to Medicare!" - well, I passed that mark last year.
Now I don't know what I'm going to say. "One year closer to The Daughter changing my diaper!" just doesn't have that celebratory ring to it. Maybe I'll switch to "One more year down without needing the walker!"
I take careful note of the "almost" part. I must admit that I'm sometimes jealous of the warmer weather of the West and South during the winter. Because I would miss snow, I think someday we might settle in the mountain west. I go back and forth on that. Wisconsin has a pretty low cost of living, and it makes a good home base. Anyway, due to family considerations, we're going to be here for awhile, so I might as well make the most of the winters.