Hectic Times

 

Wednesday, March 29, 2023

Surprise. My swim gear has shipped! That was super-fast. Glad I ordered immediately and didn’t wait. Life lesson. Summer items always go fast. Speaking of which… did an online search for comfortable pants for travel. Found something I have been looking for years, loose fitting cargo pants. Nice big pockets that are functional, because the pants are not skintight. The green they had was lovely, but the black pair I wanted was sold out. So, I ordered a neutral golden khaki color as well as the green.

Did research on my health insurance. Turns out they cover emergency and urgent care treatment when we travel, even internationally. Super. Moved money from my online bank to my local bank today, so it will be there when my next (balloon) payment is due. Will move more in April, since the money isn’t due until late May. This will be a wire transfer from my bank.

The last few days have been hectic. I felt the need to do some household chores to catch up on what I have been skipping. Laundry was on the top of my list. Finished two loads in time for lunch, followed by another webinar. Irina, the director of sales welcomed us, and gave us some updated information. The most exciting, new renderings of our cabins are available to see online. There will also be an online portal for passengers. This will make asking questions and staying up to date a lot easier.

Mike, the Managing Director, came next. For those interested, about 40% of the cabins are still available. This is much lower than expected at the time. But hurry, prices are going up! Mike introduced the owner of Miray Cruises. He radiates experience, confidence, and excitement. Then they went to answer questions from the audience.

After hearing one of them, I realized I needed to investigate the cost of flying to Istanbul, to start the cruise on November 1, versus waiting to the board in Miami 16 days later.

Much to both my surprise and delight, I will come out a few thousand ahead by starting in Istanbul. Why? I pay rent where I live. Leaving early means I won’t have to pay for November. As a side benefit, it will be autumn in both L.A. and Istanbul, so packing will be easier. This simplifies things. Nice.

Thursday, March 30, 2023

I had hoped the excitement was waning, and I would have a good night’s sleep. No such luck. Fell asleep quickly but woke up only three hours later. Don’t think I slept after that. Up at 7:00 not rested at all.

Did my morning routine and was ready for my regular Friday Zoom meeting with two local friends. As a joke, I set Bob on a cushion by my iPad camera, so they could see him instead of me. We chatted about politics, health, family members, our Etsy stores, and my trip.

They made a very good suggestion. After we ended our call, I looked up walking canes with seats. I damaged two spinal vertebrae a few years ago and the pain hasn’t left. It’s not bad when I sit, and not even terrible when I walk. However, if I must stand in line, the pain increases. I ordered this, CLICK HERE (ad), so I’ll be able to sit when needed.

Friday, March 31, 2023

UPS arrived with the swimming gear I ordered from Coolibar. The swim shirt and swim pants fit great. The top, on the other hand, didn’t. A pleasant phone call with a very nice lady solved my problem. The correct size is on the way.

After lunch I worked in my Etsy shop, Enjoy the View Totes, (ad). I added a new French shoulder bag for Aries. Using one of the languages I taught for decades is always fun. Then my friends and I exchanged messages to discuss topics that need to be addressed before my trip. Their first question was about dental insurance. The ship provides a dentist on board for routine matters. They will also help with dental emergencies.

Went to bed early, hoping my excitement level will have dropped sufficiently to allow me sleep. The last few nights have been brutal. Too much planning going on in my mind to sleep well.

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