Author Archives: Holly

About Holly

fiber person - knitter, spinner, weaver who spent 33 years being a military officer to fund the above. And home. And family. Sewing and quilting projects are also in the stash. After living again in Heidelberg after retiring (finally) from the U.S. Army May 2011, we moved to the US ~ Dec 2015. Something about being over 65 and access to health care. It also might have had to do with finding a buyer for our house. Allegedly this will provide me a home base in the same country as our four adult children, all of whom I adore, so that I can drive them totally insane. Considerations of time to knit down the stash…(right, and if you believe that…) and spin and .... There is now actually enough time to do a bit of consulting, editing. Even more amazing - we have only one household again. As long as everyone understands that I still, 40 years into our marriage, don't do kitchens or bathrooms. For that matter, not being a golden retriever, I don't do slippers or newspapers either. I don’t miss either the military or full-time clinical practice. Limiting my public health/travel med/consulting and lecturing to “when I feel like it” has let me happily spend my pension cruising, stash enhancing (oops), arguing with the DH about where we are going to travel next and book buying. Life is good!

Errands

Posted on 2022-11-04 by Holly

I went out today. Doesn’t seem like much does it? Prior to the pandemic, I went somewhere, did something every day. Whether it was to San Francisco to class, to Cal more of the same, visiting kids, running errands. Then … Continue reading →

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One hassle fixed

Posted on 2022-11-03 by Holly

First – yes, I did get the issues with USAA resolved. But it took turning on my phone, accepting the AT&T charge and having to spend time wading through the automated menus, speaking with a poor woman in Texas in … Continue reading →

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Not fun

Posted on 2022-11-02 by Holly

Remember in the “old” days – let us say about five years ago – when you had a bank/credit card problem and you were unable to call you could send them a message? And a real, live human being would … Continue reading →

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Schlange

Posted on 2022-11-01 by Holly

(snake, queue, Stau etc) It was an adventure getting off the ship this morning. I can’t even start to imagine what it would be like if the ship was full. We came into Brisbane right on time. that is our … Continue reading →

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Witches & Wizards & Skeletons

Posted on 2022-10-31 by Holly

It is Halloween. (Local Time is 2000) There are a few dressed up, some decorated doors, and a party planned for late tonight.  As you can probably guess, I am not going to stay up for it.  There is also … Continue reading →

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Play that funky music

Posted on 2022-10-30 by Holly

through your headphones please! What is it with people anyway? WHY do they obliviously noise pollute public areas? Tomorrow is the last sea day prior to the end of the cruise. The only thing I can think of is that … Continue reading →

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Waited too long

Posted on 2022-10-29 by Holly

(Just for clarity –  I am at GMT + 11 and my server, located in California is GMT – 7) It was lovely this morning as we sailed into Noumea, New Caledonia. Earlier we passed a number of smaller islands … Continue reading →

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Across the DateLine

Posted on 2022-10-28 by Holly

And here I am, on the other side of the dateline from just about all of you. So for me it is evening on the 28th (Friday @ 1848). I find that it is better that I just don’t do … Continue reading →

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Two hour day

Posted on 2022-10-27 by Holly

Perhaps, if you are from the US, you remember the old TV show Gilligan’s Island?  It was the silly (not reality) show where some passengers and a couple of crew went off for a “Three Hour Tour” and got stranded … Continue reading →

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Door Chicken

Posted on 2022-10-26 by Holly

Remember what I said about the vast majority of passengers on this ship coming from Australia & New Zealand?  Now, think about cars and driving rules/ Got it? Now expand that to walking, stairs, and going through doors. North Americans … Continue reading →

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The final hour

Posted on 2022-10-25 by Holly

Well, as of 0200 the ship made the final time zone change on this side of the International Date Line. I promptly ran into the obvious problem – no way to set my phone etc. The result was spending the … Continue reading →

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Flipping the clock back

Posted on 2022-10-24 by Holly

Or turning it back, or having another time zone change.  Whatever. There were three hours change from the North American west coast to Hawaii. This morning we had another change of an hour to put us on the same time … Continue reading →

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The Laundry Challenge

Posted on 2022-10-23 by Holly

  There are those things, mostly daily household chores, which go away when you sail on any ship that owned/operated by someone else. So I am not speaking about family sailboats, houseboats, or any of the ‘work for a living” … Continue reading →

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Not worth an hour

Posted on 2022-10-22 by Holly

Our “port” today is Raiatea, Society Islands. With a population of around 12000, it has beaches, agriculture, tourism, and a small airport. (that small bit of very flat land right along the shore between the beach and the mountain.) Again … Continue reading →

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Just to take a photo

Posted on 2022-10-21 by Holly

After spending the morning listening to an interesting lecture sponsored by the BioEthics Department of U of MN and stitching, I joined my friends on deck 14. But there were no whales today. There were also remarkably fewer bar staff … Continue reading →

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Whales and Mountains

Posted on 2022-10-20 by Holly

Rather than force you to look back at the schedule I included when this leg of the cruise began on the 13th, I will just tell you that we are in Moorea, Society Islands. More accurately, this is Mo’orea of … Continue reading →

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French Polynesia

Posted on 2022-10-19 by Holly

What we forget, in our constant bashing of the UK as a former Colonial Power and the strangler of the Commonwealth – is that France is still a colonial power. It owns islands in the Caribbean plus (according to Wiki) … Continue reading →

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Another Dinner

Posted on 2022-10-18 by Holly

Apparently the idea of a special dinner for the “Pinnacles” was so well received last cruise, they decided to do it again this cr-19Ouise. The date picked was today, again in the Solarium Bistro at 1830. The menu was essentially … Continue reading →

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Cheers with an officer

Posted on 2022-10-17 by Holly

Which, prior to the pandemic, was RCCL’s “Meal with an Officer” This particular benefit kicked in at about 350 cruise points, if I am remembering correctly. It would include a table of passengers with tan officer at each. Often this … Continue reading →

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Ignoring Neptune

Posted on 2022-10-16 by Holly

About 1600 today, we headed south across the Equator. It actually could have been a bit earlier, or perhaps later – I wasn’t paying any attention. As seems to be a tradition shared among the cruise shops and perhaps other … Continue reading →

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