So Many Trips So Little Time

Well, it has been a very very active year and I decided it was time I tried to update what, where, when, why, how and who have happened. Especially since in just over 2 months we will leave for our 4th Trans-Atlantic crossing in as many years.

This time we will spend a week in Rome before boarding our ship. We spent 6 days in 2009 and saw less than half of our 10 most wanted. In 2010 we didn't venture into the city since our ship was docked for only one day. Last year we did  venture in for a very long busy day in order to show Dominick as much as possible. We took him to the Coleseum, the Pantheon, and the Trevi Fountain. The Vatican was too crowded with locals to even attempt since on the last Sunday of each month all the museums are no charge for entry. And of course that was the day we were there. This time we will stay in the main part of Rome so we are closer to everything. Then we will board our ship on November 20 and sail 12 days to Venice, stay aboard and sail 20 days back to Galveston, Texas arriving home on December 22 just in time for Christmas.

Since returning from our trip last November, we have been thru New Orleans in February during Mardi Gras to board a ship for the Western Caribbean with 9 old friends and their spouses. We so enjoyed sailing with them and are hoping to do it again next year. Perhaps out of San Francisco for 10 days to Alaska since a number of them and some of Tony's cousins want to go there. We have already been twice but we just enjoy being on the ship so we're happy.

In March we traveled to Texas for my "nephews" wedding. Man that was the best elegant, sophisticated, shit-kickin' wedding we have ever been to! I know, I know your thinking how can those three words be combined in the same sentence? I'm telling you I wouldn't have thought it possible either but you had to be there to understand. Had a great time and hope the next wedding in my family will invite me again.

We flew from Texas to So California the beginning of April so Tony and his brother Roger could put new windows in their mom's house. Spent a week there and then brought her home with us for a few weeks.

In between all this flying, sailing and partying the contractor was remodeling the guest bath here at home. He started just before we left for New Orleans and we finished the paint just in time to leave for Texas. We took out the claw foot tub and replaced it with a glass and tile enclosed walk-in shower, tiled the floor, painted and did a general spruce-up.

Fast forward to June. The contactor started the remodel of the master bath. We thought it would work out great like the other bath with all the noisy dirty stuff taking place while we were gone. WRONG!!

We traveled to Chicago for Tony's Vietnam Veteran Reunion and to spend some time with our godson and his family and his mom who is one of our oldest and dearest friends. Spent two great weeks there.and came home on July 1st to find nothing repeat NOTHING had been done the entire 2 weeks we were gone. Not happy campers at this point. So 10 days later we left again, with the grandkids this time, to go to Disneyland for a week.

Fast forward to 2 days before we leave for Disneyland. Our neighbors across the street decided to sell their motorhome. Now mind you we have talked about buying another motorhome. But just in general terms such as Tony's favorite quote, "When I get to the point that I can't make it up and down the gangway of a cruise ship, then I'll buy a Winnabago and start terrorizing the highways," You know, vague, casual remarks like that in general conversation. But we had speculated several years ago that if these particular neighbors ever decided to sell theirs we really would take a look since they are extremely picky and everything they have looks brand new. He's 80 and she is 78 so you get the general idea right?  I digress... So we look at the motorhome, are impressed, (even though it is blue inside ...my least favorite color) test drive and buy in a matter of 1 1/2 days. It was a godsend with the 3 grandkids. The oldest two, Dominick and Sophia, are like gas and a match, so it kept them separated into their own war zones. The youngest, Evan, was pottie training and it saved stopping at every rest area, gas station, fast food joint, restaurant, and large bush between here and So California. The trip went so well that for the 3 weekends after we got back and before school started on August 20th we took them camping. First up to Hat Creek then to Medford, Oregon and finally over to Eureka at the coast. They love it and so do we.

The day after they started back to school we left for So Cal again, this time flying. Our purpose was a 90th birthday party for Tony's Aunt Mary who also happens to be his godmother. Spent a week visiting and flew from there to Texas for a very short visit with my brother, then on to Little Rock, Arkansas for a Labor Day reunion with some other guys from Vietnam. Just got back home on Tuesday and now it is time to clean house, do laundry, start a check list for November and start packing again.

Oh, the bathroom you ask? They finally got everything taken care of while we were gone these last two weeks so I can add the touch-up, cleaning and move stuff back in to my other list of Things to Do Before November 12th. Yep that is launch day for Europe 2012. So stay tuned, and we'll see what happens next.