The Zipper Game

My bags-within-bags exploded on the bed

A fun game my mother taught me:

Buy cute luggage that has many convenient zippered pockets to organize your stuff. Further organize your stuff by first putting it all into convenient zippered bags, before stuffing those bags into the convenient zippered built-in pockets. Then, see how many zippers you have to open to find the thing you need RIGHT NOW! Bystanders can enjoy it too!

I wrote the above during my June voyage aboard Pride II. I was embarrassed as I tried to lay out my clothes for my 4 am watch while trying not to disturb my roommate in the upper bunk. Aboard the ship, all of my stuff has to live in my bunk with me, which means I’m constantly moving stacks of convenient zippered bags around trying to find the one I need. 

After a couple of days, I figured out which bag and/or compartment held what, and so my average numbers of zippers per clothes change went way down. I further refined things on my car trip to Maine. Now, I think I’ve got it down. 

I am hyper about packing light but also about having everything I actually need, and a few things I want to make life more pleasant. I know from my previous trip that folks on the ship wear the same clothes for several days in a row. I cut back on some quantities (tshirts, pants) but held the line on types of stuff: long sleeved shirts as well as tshirts, shorts as well as pants. Also one each of rain gear and swim suit. My use of toiletries was at a minimum on the last trip, so that got cut back as well. 

It’s really important that I be able to lug all my stuff myself. On this kind of a trip, I can’t ask my peers to carry my stuff for me. I remember reading an adventure travel book some years ago, about a woman doing white water kayaking in Indonesia. She was miffed that no-one offered assistance in lugging her boat - she had always depended on guys helping her out. She wondered in the book if it was a sign she had become less attractive to men. My mind was blown away by this. Wait, guys help you out? You expect it? When ;you sign up for an exotic outdoor adventure, you are not expecting to pull your own weight? And, this is your due because you are cute? This is not an expectation I ever had. 

On all my travel, this year and before, I expect to lug my own stuff through airports, train stations, up and down escalators. Wheels help, of course, but no wheeled bags on the Pride, no space to store them. Collapsable duffles or packs, that are soft for sharing bunk space with, is the best bet. So my current favorite bag is a pack that is carry-on sized, where all the straps can be secured inside so the multiple handles allow it to be treated as a duffle. 

I was pleased to see that the total amount of walking for Amtrak was much less than getting to and from airport gates (especially at Dulles, where I had booked my Boston flight). Still, metro to Union Station, off to the Amtrak platforms, through Boston’s South Station and the Silver Line T to the hotel, I was glad of the shoulder straps. 

Now, I’m taking a break in my tour of Boston before heading to the ship via Uber (because of the hurricane, they changed docks to Charlestown).  This morning, I walked from the hotel to Faneuil Hall via the Harbor Walk - following each pier out to the end and back in again. The area where my hotel is, Seaport, is undergoing a tremendous amount of development and construction. It’s noisy, and the still active fish market smells. Planes taking off from Logan are low as they pass overhead. The convention center is here, and last night there were groups of people with tags around their necks searching for places to eat. This neighborhood is very much a work in progress. But it’s got a similar vibe to DC’s waterfront and the new Wharf development. But gotta go - late checkout at the hotel is nearly up, and there is likely to be ice cream in my near future. 

Pandemic Thoughts

Pandemic Pup

We thought we were done with this! It is SO DAMN FRUSTRATING! This was so avoidable. It proves we need the vaccine to be universal - and that includes internationally, because variants will continue to arise unless the whole world gets vaccinated.

Way back in the 1980s I read some science fiction books* that tell the story of a planetary epidemic, of flu. Scores of people all over the planet are sickened and die. A vaccine is developed. Then the crux of the story: the vaccine must be distributed planet-wide within a short period of time or else it won't work - the virus is evolving quickly. A risky time-travel method is used, and our hero self-sacrifices to get the job done. But the basic point was made. Everybody needs this, and needs it now, or it won't work. We know what to do, people. We need to do it!

I went past a lovely coffee shop in town today, Kaldis. Back in the Before Times, but post-retirement, I went a few times there with my laptop to get various things done, including blog posting. Every time I went I felt I was play-acting the life of the freelance writer, as so vividly told by my New Jersey friend. This coffee shop was late to re-open for seated service, but today as I went past there were people seated with their computers. The sign outside noted limited hours - daytime, not into the evenings. But I won't go in there to sit, not now. 

My grocery shopping habits have changed so much during this time. I was probably going to the store 3-4 times a week before. In January and February of this year, probably my most hunkered down in place time, I only went about every three weeks. I started growing my own lettuce on the countertop, so I had something fresh all the time. I'm so much more focused on using up my food before buying more. I keep an inventory written on front of the fridge, and I add expiration dates to somethings noted there. I also maintain a much better shopping list. It's on my phone, and I add to it often while in the kitchen or perusing recipes. For non-perishables like dishwasher detergent, I add to the list as soon as I open a new container, so I always have another standing by. Folks, this may not sound remarkable to you, but I've never been this organized before. 

There was a long, comprehensive article about masks in the NY Times Wirecutter section this week. I got into designing and engineering cloth masks, and I have a substantial collection now. It's time to review them - replace the elastic, in some cases, replace the metal nose wire in others. I've also got some disposable surgical masks and some KN95s. I thought maybe I had overbought, but no. I think I'll get a chance to use them. I feel KN95 is the most secure, but not the most comfortable. 

I'm so glad I went traveling when I did. I've another trip coming up, by public transport - either a plane or train (depending on hurricane impacts - I have reservations on both). I went and got tested today - I have no symptoms, but it seemed a responsible thing to do, to head off inadvertent spreading. I'll get tested again when I get back. Testing remains easy here - I waltzed right in (mid-morning) and was out in five minutes. I'll be wearing a mask during my travel, of course, for several hours, and so will probably take several to be able to change when they get damp.

I went ahead of the science and got myself a booster vaccination, of a different technology. I had the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, single shot. Not so many of us had that shot, compared to Pfizer and Moderna, so there is very little information available on its efficacy. Recommendations expected soon will not include the J&J, because they don't know. Not, you will note, because they think it isn't needed. In fairness, the J&J was distributed two months later, so if there was any reason to think its efficacy period would be similar to the others, it can come later. But wait - it's a totally different technology! Why would its period be similar? When they do come out with recommendations, they will focus on whether J&J should be boosted with another J&J shot. But I decided to roll the dice and get a booster of one of the other ones, a "mRNA" version. Studies in Europe of mix-and-match technology have shown increased efficacy from the mix-and-match approaches. I believe the U.S. should be widely distributing the vaccines around the world, but I still got my own booster. Shading of principles with self-interest.

The picture of the pandemic pup is only for the cuteness factor. He loves his lobster from Maine!

*The science fiction books are part of the "Dragons of Pern" sagas by Anne McCaffrey. She wrote a bunch (16?) books all set in the world of Pern, and now her family members have continued the business. Several of the books have references to the epic song cycle "The Ballad of Moreta's Ride", and finally she wrote a book with the story of the ride. She also wrote another book taking place at the same time with a different main character, much more focused on the effects of the pandemic.

Report Card

 I have continued to compile and look at statistics about me. It helps motivate me to look at the actual data of what I have done versus what I remember doing. I like to know if I am moving more or less, how I'm spending my time, what I'm doing to take care of myself. My memory is fallible, so actually entering the data into a spreadsheet is helpful. Turning it into a picture can be even more helpful. But then I need to look at the data and figure out what story is it telling me? What can I learn from what I've been doing in order to do better?

So herewith is part of my report card through July. On the individual months, more green is better. On the comparisons of years, the darker blue is better. I've had to play with the sizing, so the numbers may be hard to read. Luckily, the actual number matters less than the relative colors (darker is better, except red is bad). If you are on a phone, turn it sideways.

ACTIVITY

By any way you look at it, I'm less active this year than the two previous years. In fact, it's been a pretty steady decline each year. The one thing that is better this year than last year (so far) is the amount of working out (strength and flexibility) I'm doing. After the gyms closed last year, I lost focus. But now I'm working with my trainer twice a week, via video.

To focus on this year, I really worked to get in shape in May, to get ready for my big offshore voyage to Bermuda. (See Kedging It works!).  My mileage and steps were up significantly from the previous months. June has very few steps, at least partly because I had a whole week on a 100 foot long ship - not so much walking required! July steps reflect not only my daily efforts but also a couple of really long hikes in Maine. I'm aiming at averaging above 8,000 steps in August, at least until I get back aboard that big ship. The "miles walked" records deliberate walks, where I start up my GPS to track the distance. So I could have a fair number of steps if I get them just incidentally while going about my business during the day, but a very low number of miles. You can see by the high number of miles in May that I really went about deliberately getting those steps in. 

Mental Health

 I tend to meditate when I feel bad. In January, it was dealing with migraines. In May, it was dealing with the tsunami of anxiety I had about the upcoming voyage. I had been hopeful that my migraines were on the run, when I got socked in July after both vacations. In other news, I'm sleeping less, but that is actually a very normal pattern for the summer when it stays light so long. My resting heart rate increase probably reflects both the decrease in my aerobic conditioning as well as my high anxiety during vacations. (They make me anxious, but I want to do them. I've decided "thrilling" is my word - I'm scared, excited, and happy.)

Amusements

 I am a master of distraction. I am reading, listening, and watching rather than doing things pretty often. I had actually set myself a Goodreads target of fewer books this year than last, because I think I spent too much time curled up with a book rather than getting up and doing things. But I also set myself a target of more movies, and after the Oscars surge I let that slide. I'm now, when casting about for "what next" in my unstructured life going to my list of movies I want to watch. (I didn't keep track of movies in 2019.)

I added something new here: number of days away. I went back and reconstructed 2019 and 2020 travel - pretty easy, since there wasn't that much. I don't have a target, but I do want to be aware. It turns out that I slept at home in my own bed every single night from March 1, 2020 (after the Brooklyn Bash) until I boarded the ship in Baltimore in June 2021. Wow. But I'm making up for lost time now!

Did I mention I'm doing another Pride of Baltimore II voyage? At the end of August, from Boston to Baltimore. I'm hopeful my anxiety this time around will be much less, since I have such a good idea of what I'm getting into. And it's another kedge to keep me moving!

Rocky

Rocky, Rockyrockyrocky, Rachmaninoff. My sweet Hufflepuff of a dog, true of heart, even of temper, focused on his objective. You will be missed. 

He came to me with heartworm disease, and spent 30 long days confined to his crate during treatment. But he beat it, and became my constant companion.

I believe dogs have a strong work ethic and need to know they have a job. Rocky actually found two jobs: being with me, and foraging for food. His misspent youth as a stray had apparently led to a vow of never going hungry again, and he had a very broad definition of what could be food. A full stomach was what he wanted, and his foraging led to not only constant attacks on my kitchen garbage, but several near-death experiences involving socks, his own food supply, a knit hat swallowed whole (retrieved by the vet the way it went in, and I still wear it), and a mango pit that wedged into his intestine, requiring surgical removal. I won't add up the cumulative cost of his medical bills, but it was not trivial. He was christened "The Very Hungry Labrador" by my girl, and he had his very own tumblr blog celebrating his exploits. As his adventures in eating became more and more life threatening, I found them less amusing and the blog tapered off.

Being my companion was also a very strong motivator. He didn't need constant attention, he just wanted to be within reach. Just in case I wanted to pet him, or maybe give him a treat. When he could get on the couch, we would snuggle and share the space. Whatever room I was in, he wanted to be there, following and getting as close as he could. But for the last year, he couldn't manage the hop off the floor to the couch. 

In the garbage

He also loved walks together, so he could forage in the wild while keeping me company. After several incidents involving socks and dishcloths (how do those end up on the road?) I bought a cage muzzle for him, to save him from himself. I said to all the neighbors, "he's not vicious, he's voracious!". When the pandemic hit, I realized he was a pioneer in outdoor mask wearing, and he was cited as an example for several children.

The pandemic was good for Rocky. He loved having me around all the time. But over the last year, walks got shorter and shorter, and for the last three months, he didn't leave the yard. Rocky lost eyesight, hearing, and control over his back legs. He had a syndrome that affects old Labradors, that led to respiratory distress. Still, last month, I left the kitchen gate open and he was in the garbage in minutes. But when I got back from vacation this week, he was gasping. I quickly decided it was time.

I had gotten contact information for a couple of at-home veterinary services (that do euthanasia) a few months ago, when I saw the writing on the wall. They had a very quick response - they would have come the same day I called, but instead I scheduled it for the following (Friday) morning. I invited my girl and BIL to join me, and they came over early in the morning to be with us. In fact, my BIL made a special trip over the last evening to have more time to say goodbye. I was touched. 

We assembled on the dog bed outside in the back patio, site of many a long nap. Bixby, the little drama queen, was confined to his crate at the far end of the house because Bixby thinks everything is about him. Rocky's last meal was watermelon, peanut butter, and a can of cat food my girl brought him. He was hugged and petted as he went to sleep. My tears mostly waited until I was alone. That afternoon I had to explain to the eye doctor why my eyes were so red.

I'm so glad I have Bixby, because the house seems almost empty without my good big boy. They were not friends, but they tolerated each other and were company for each other. Now Bixby gets to follow me from room to room, and get pets with both hands, instead of one hand for each dog.

I miss him and I loved him. But there is an element of relief in what I feel now, and guilt for feeling the relief. He had lost control of his sphincter muscle and I've been cleaning dog poop constantly. (Big dogs, big poops, even when they start to lose appetite.) I have gates everywhere, and each trash basket is behind a fortress to protect it. The walls will start to come down. I've taken the huge crate out of my TV room, cleaned the rug, and rearranged the furniture. And, for the first time in years, I've put toilet paper in my bathroom on the spindle in the holder, rather than up and out of his reach. He loved to eat the paper like it was corn on the cob off the roll. So I had to hide it from him. The things we do for our beloved animals!

I'm sad, but I have no doubts I did the right thing.

Acadia

Mount Desert Island, Bar Harbor, Acadia National Park. So very lovely!

There was an article today in The NY Times about how crowded the National Parks are. Apparently we were not the only people who decided to vacation domestically when foreign travel is still so uncertain. We are staying in a recently renovated classic motel on Main Street of Bar Harbor, the center of the crowds. I’ve been here twice before - once on the last family driving vacation we took the year my brother graduated from high school, and once for a few hours off a cruise ship going from Montreal to Boston. 

When I say the motel is a classic, I mean it is a long, two-story building set at a right angle to Main St., with room doors opening to the outside on both sides of the building and both levels. Office at the street end. Little outdoor splash pool.  I love the location, but had low expectations of the rooms, based on the 1950’s aspect of the outside. But it’s been recently renovated, and the interior, far from being mildewy, is stylish and functional. Nice big vanity in the bathroom to hold all my stuff, comfy sitting chair with footrest, enormous good bed, places to open suitcases that isn’t the bed. My travel friends booked it and did very well. I’m not thinking about the money!

We got reservations to drive up to the summit of Cadillac Mountain early in the morning, but not at sunrise. There were people there, but I wouldn’t describe it as crowded. We admired the view for a while, and returned to town for breakfast. We got used to a real breakfast in the Camden BnB, and there are cafes here to feed our habit.

Later, we rode the bus to the visitor center, and did a hike from right there. Again, there were plenty of people there, but not in a way that made it unpleasant. The hike we did, on a “carriage road” (gravel road closed to cars but open to bicycles) included a section labeled family friendly for biking, and sure enough, there were kids who are never quiet. But they were out there! Yay!

The route took us up to a series of ponds, most likely formed by beaver dams along a stream. I am drawn to intimate landscapes, and there were wild flowers, blooming water lilies, ripe low bush blueberries, creepy dead trees that had been flooded out. Very nice!

The way we did the hike also included sections with considerable elevation gains and losses. All told, it was over six miles, and I was done in by the end. My knees did not like the steep downhill at the end, and I took tiny little slow penguin steps, but I got there. And, recovery was quick, I feel fine now the next morning. 

Today is forecast very rainy as the remnants of TS Elsa pass by. We plan to do more park bus riding, and if its just drizzling, maybe try some short hikes. There is more I want to do and see - especially hiking - but I will be ready to come home soon.

Another Day, Another Schooner

View of Camden from Mount Battie

Vacation in Maine continues to be delightful. Here in Camden, the weather has turned lovely, making up for lost time. We’ve had time to explore the fun little shops in town, admire the view from Mount Battie, explore the neighboring town of Rockland, and go on a short sail on a cute little historic schooner. 

My friends I’m traveling with have friends here. A young woman they have known all her life moved here permanently (from Manhattan) last year with her husband, and she now has a brand new, month-old, baby. Her parents, also from Manhattan, rented an AirBnB whole house for six weeks because of the baby. So there has been some visiting and socializing as well. 

Camden Harbor close up

There was a Fourth of July concert, moved to Monday because of the rain, in the Camden amphitheater, an outdoor grove by the harbor. Just a community thing, barefoot kids, sailor boys in sea boots and man buns, old folks like us, all dancing on the grass to well known tunes. 

So its all very chill. We’re walking - I’m getting 12,000+ steps a day - so I feel I deserve my daily ice cream in the afternoon and a beer or cocktail in the evening. I finished a book, but have several more stacked up on the kindle and not making a lot of progress on them. Which is good.

We had lobster rolls from a hot dog cart for lunch and pizza after the boat trip, so it’s not all big fancy food, but we’re definitely eating well!

Penobscot Bay from our boat ride

Today, on to Bar Harbor!

Maine Events

 

View from Botanical Gardens

Greetings from the great state of Maine! 

I drove up Friday to Boston - well, Newton - where I checked in to the hotel my friends from Michigan were staying. They had spent a few days there already, visiting other old friends. My drive was uneventful, though annoying. I had a smooth and fast journey from home to the George Washington Bridge, pretty much with cruise control set at 72 uninterrupted, even though it was raining the whole time. I filled the tank at the last stop on the New Jersey turnpike, and things deteriorated rapidly when I arrived in New York. 

Waze, my guidance app, decided to take me on a tour of scenic byways, bless its little algorithmic heart. I’ll never know what was happening on the main roads, but from arriving in New York to arriving in Newton, I never once could set cruise control, and I averaged close to 45 mph. Luckily, I had a good book playing, which kept me alert and engaged the whole time, but I was exhausted when I got to the hotel. 

The three of us set off Saturday (yesterday) morning for Maine in another downpour. But, I was able to foist off the driving to J., and we made decent time (even though I95 was closed due to a massive police manhunt). The rain slowed and then stopped, and we made our timed entry to the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay.

The gardens were fabulous. We were there a total of three hours, including a short stop to eat sandwiches from their cafe. Besides spectacular display gardens, there are some new and very intriguing large sculptures of trolls, designed and installed by Danish artist Thomas Dambo, with the help of “hundreds” of volunteers. I’ve included several of the shots because each was different and they were all huge.

Run away!

Then on to Camden, another hour up the coast. I never would have known to come here without Alice’s blog, her very enthralling writing about how lovely this place is. It truly is amazing. Yes, it is a tourist town, but hey, I’m a tourist! 

My room.
In other news, I have a new phone
with a wide-angle lens!

We’re staying in a BnB (not AIRBnB), a great Victorian mansion with each room done up so nicely. I’m staying in the The Library, the only guest room on the first floor, with my own door out to the patio and gardens. I have a four-poster bed that I need a step-stool (provided) to get into, with the loveliest, softest sheets I’ve ever slept on. They must have had a huge renovation to convert to BnB because each room has its own facilities. For my room, that translates to three separate nooks for the toilet, shower, and washbasin (which is in the main room). It’s cold and rainy here - I have a gas fire and two lovely side chairs with a table set before it. Breakfast was served on tablecloth-covered nicely set individual tables, with the menu of the day freshly printed at each place. Today we had a yogurt and blueberry confit parfait followed by a potato cheese frittata. Yum! 

It’s very walkable into town, and so far it hasn’t been pouring when we wanted to do it. For dinner last night, at the harbor, we had reservations for 7:45 - the only time available - at Fresh & Co at the harbor. I had lobster risotto with peas and sweet corn - fabulous. Just now, for a late lunch, it was pouring, so we drove six miles up to the Lobster Pound (another Alice recommendation I think) for lobster rolls with a view of the Bay. Tonight, a brew pub with small plates. Maybe I’ll have room to eat again by then.

This is all fabulously expensive, but I keep telling myself, “at least it’s cheaper than Iceland!”.