The fun of modern day flying

We just got back from a flight to Michigan to see the grandkids.  Flying today is very reminiscent of taking the Greyhound bus in the 60's.  And just about as pleasant.  We are always TSA pre-checked so we can go to the short line through security.  But Richard always has to wear his high top shoes with 48" laces that are almost impossible to get off and on.  Then he sets off the metal detector.  So he empties his pockets (and they throw away his pocket knife) and then he has to take his belt off and eventually take his clodhoppers off.  He is 77 and all this activity wears him out.  Meanwhile, I have breezed through and collected his bag and his coat and his shoes and wait 10 minutes or so for him to get through security.  Thank goodness we always show up early.  We flew from Myrtle Beach to NYC and gathered up our stuff to find our next gate.  Luckily, I asked before we actually got off the plane because that same plane was continuing to Detroit.  Why this was never mentioned is a mystery to me.
From NYC to Detroit, I sat next to a very talkative man who was flying to Michigan to help his 85 year old mother get moved to Naples, Fl.  I found out that he has one 16 year old son who was conceived through IVF.  He makes a lot of money, lives in Rye, NY, his wife was 42 when their son was born.  The boy goes to Fordham Prep instead of the nearby high school in Rye because his wife thinks he needs to be taught by Jesuits.  His mother currently lives on a lake with  gorgeous view so he convinced her to move to a retirement home with a good view even if the entrance fee is $1,000,000.  She can afford it.  There was no stopping his mouth.  when we go off the plane, I told him to say "hello" to his mother for me.  I felt like part of the family.

Crusing and learning

I just got back from my first - and perhaps my last - cruise.  I know many people who cruise frequently and love it.  I got the opportunity to cruise with some friends from western PA, people I used to work with in labor and delivery.  There was a group of L&D nurses going on this cruise to attend an educational workshop and earn CEUs.  Since I am retired, I opted out of the educational portion.  We went on the Harmony of the Seas, the largest cruise ship in the world.  That means it holds a lot of people, 6500 passengers and 2500 staff.  Does the term "herding cattle" mean anything? We left Port everglades in Florida on Saturday afternoon and docked at Nassau the next morning.  Since it was early Sunday, all the stores were closed when we got off the ship, although some would open at 10:30.  We were not staying long so we rushed to take a tour that included some beach time.  I understood nothing of what our guide said and I couldn't really see any of the things he was pointing out.  At the beach, which was beautiful, we slathered up with sunscreen and set out to enjoy the water.  But the water was a little rough for swimming at this particular place and it had a steep drop off, so we didn't actually get in the water much.  We had to be back on the ship by 2:00 pm so there was not much we could do.  The next stop was Charlotte Amalie at St. Thomas.  We booked an excursion for a tour and a stop at the beach of Magen's Bay.  Again, the tour was not so informative but Magen's Bay was nice.  We actually went to the beach first which meant we were in wet bathing suits when we headed to Blackbeard's Castle.  After that, we were on our own to find our way back to the ship as return transportation was not provided.  Day 5 was a stop at St. Kitts.  Another unintelligible tour ensued.  It was hot and humid and I felt sick most of the day.  The best part of St. Kitts was the shopping. Days 6 & 7 were the best days as we were at sea and I could just relax by the pool, do some Zumba, finish reading my Margaret Maron book.  There were lots of activities on board, many at the same time.  There were also many that were not well publicized, like the Zumba class.  I only did half of it because the deck was too crowded.  The pools were also very crowded after 10:00 AM. It was on day seven that we tried the enclosed water slide (did NOT like) and I attempted to climb the rock wall (didn't get very far).  We donated to the WWF and got turtle tee shirts.  As far the entertainment on board, the less said, the better.  Columbus the Musical, about a distant cousin of Christopher named Marvin Columbus was the stupidest thing I have ever seen.  Grease was vulgar and not at all like the original and the stand up comics were OK.  The ventriloquist got raves from those who caught the show but, by the time I heard about him, he had left the ship in St. Kitts.  One acrobatic show had to be cancelled because of rough seas.    The highlights were the fitness center, the fact that I didn't have to fix any meals and the mostly beautiful weather.  Not to mention the outstanding waitstaff in the dining room.  For me, a better vacation would be to fly to a tropical paradise and stay put in one place for a week.  Remind me of this if I ever think about going on another cruise.