Bermuda Cruise: Day 1

Friday morning went mostly according to plan. We left the house on time forgetting nothing. Erika and the kids had us to the Black Falcon Pier with aid of Garmin by high noon. Jen got out of the car, put her water bottle in “my carry-on backpack” and we took our luggage to the porters.

While waiting in line, Jen suddenly realized that the water bottle was missing – I must have dropped it when I picked up the backpack. So I dutifully went to look for it while she called Erika just to make sure it still wasn’t in the car. Luck with neither option – someone must have seen our coveted water bottle and stole it and its precious contents. Jen was incensed. The vacation was ruined.

Nevertheless, we boarded around 1PM, drank some free champagne and went to lunch. We walked around a bit killing time before we could go to our stateroom when Jen realized she had a message on her voicemail. Erika had phoned to thank her for putting the water bottle in Erika’s backpack and she had been hydrating her kids as they walked around Boston for the afternoon eventually realizing that she didn’t actually own the water bottle which was providing such nourishing contents. Disaster averted – the trip could go on.

We read the schedule to find out where our next best bet for drinks was. The casino was offering free Rum Swizzles for the first 30 minutes after opening (5:30 – 6PM). After drinking about 5 apiece, we walked through the lobby where a “try before you buy” Duty Free alcohol presentation was happening. We pretended to be highly interested in each beverage they were peddling thus allowing us free samples of each spirit. Thoroughly liquored, we headed to Trivia in “Henry’s Pub” only about 5 minutes late.

We did fairly well – 14/20, the winner had 17 right, but alas, they cheated (they must have to beat us). We met and chatted with a nice couple – Jack and Jill (no, we were not drunk, this was real) and then adjourned to dinner.

At 8:30PM, we went to the Art Gallery to admire the Monet’s, view the Van Gogh’s and of course, drink the free champagne. Finally, the 9PM welcome show with the cruise director was a laugh riot and we were ready for bed.

Our Kitchen is PINK!

Pig Poetry

I am so excited,
All my wildest wishes come true,
The other night on the news,
I heard "the swine flew"!

Massasoit State Park Trail Run

This is one of my favorite trail runs. Albeit short, I can loop it 2 or 3 times for the desired mileage.

He Made Off with the Money

So Bernie Madoff pleads guilty to running the biggest Ponzi Scheme in history. Great, that ruins it for the rest of use. There goes Social Security and banking.

Oh, wait, he was talking about a different Ponzi Scheme? Oh, sorry, carry on then.

Marathon Telethon

On April 20, 2009, I will be running in the 113th Boston Marathon to benefit the Hopkinton Athletic Association.

The HAA is a non-profit, 501(c) (3) organization whose mission is to promote the health and fitness of the Hopkinton community and surrounding area through innovative, multi-generational programs. A few examples of the programs the HAA has granted funds to in the recent past include a multi-year commitment to the Hopkinton Special Olympics, the Hopkinton Council on Aging, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, The Angel Fund (for ALS research), the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, an innovative fitness program for 2nd and 3rd grade students, various youth athletic programs, and cultural arts programs.

Then and Now