Europe, part 8

Smart move by me to get ear plugs from the front desk. The snoring was in full force. I ran 3 miles to go with chin ups and dips before eating my typical huge main dining room breakfast. Then, time for the final excursion, this one to Cinque Terre and Portovenere.

 

This group was huge, 46 people. And there were four groups doing the dance tour so it was around 180 people total. We started by taking a bus ride to Portovenere, yet another beautiful town in the mountains. It seems I've been seeing towns like that all week. Alessandro dropped us off and we wouldn't see him or the bus again for about six hours.

 

We walked down a tight alley with lots of local businesses, another frequent find in Italy. One shop makes pesto and nothing else. We all got samples of their amazing pesto genovese, which used garlic and both Reggiano and pecorino cheeses. Just fresh and clean. Mom and I later went back to split a cup of their pesto pasta salad.

 

A lot of the churches in this region are black and white in color. I don't recall the exact reason, but it was definitely nodding to the abundance of marble in the area. Now I've seen a lot of magnificent churches in Europe this trip. They had classic statues, magnificent art work, and bright lights. This one felt like going into the catacombs. It was small, but tall with a tower overlooking the sea. Very dark inside, only about six rows of seats. But it felt very mystical at the same time and I think that appeals to man's natural sense of wonder about God.

 

We took an hour to explore the area and found a retreat area that the great poet Lord Byron used. The temperature was really starting to increase and all we really wanted was cold bottled water and a seat in the shade. We took a boat ride to Cinque Terre. But specifically, what we did was pass the five hillside/seaside village towns that comprise Cinque Terre: Riomaggiore, Manarola. Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso, which is the town where we spent two hours. The ride took maybe a half hour and I was just baking in the sun.

 

We all got a glass of local white wine and a bottle of water. Truth be told, I had no desire for alcohol in that moment. I just wanted to cool down. We grabbed a meal at a local restaurant, Caprese salad and octopus salad. I later got a cup of cherry swirl gelato, hey I was back in Italy, what else was there to do on a hot day?

 

We all took the train to the next western town on the line. Considering how remote these towns are and that the workers had to dig through miles of mountains to create this train line, I had quite an appreciation for this train ride that may have lasted only six or seven minutes but probably took months or years to complete.

 

The bus was waiting for us and I quickly fell asleep on board. We got back to the ship at 4:45, and it's funny because mom thought we'd get back around seven at night. To be honest, I thought it was an ok excursion, but not great, at least not compared to the others. I could have been totally content spending a half hour less in each town.

 

I immediately changed into my bathing suit and headed up to the 15th floor for pool volleyball. I played for 90 minutes and it was my moment of redemption God had for me. Not because I played on a team that won a game or because I played exceptionally well. Instead I got to focus on others, make sure they were included and they got chances to play. I guess I was at my best was when I wasn't focused on myself. There were a lot of kids playing too, and maybe that motivated me to behave a little bit better.

 

After I had my fill, it was over to the bar for two mojitos and one last Mediterranean sunset. It kind of became a ritual. Go on the 16th deck, drink a mojito, and look at the really cute mother and daughter that always tanned in the same chairs with the tops of their bikinis unstrapped. Hey I'm sorry and not sorry, I was merely admiring.

 

I returned to my room for my second shower of the day and to pack. Dang, my last full day on the cruise. So many moments in our lives we love as they happen, but in retrospect we struggle to recall the details. This is a time I really want to hold onto closely. We went to dinner and I had shrimp cocktail, steak Diane, and of course, the fantastic strawberry cheesecake. More than that, mom and I had a really good conversation about a lot of topics from her retirement to human interaction to our favorite cruise moments. I have to say the last 36 hours were productive in my eyes, but then again, it needs to be that way for both of us.

 

Over at Schooner's, I got to listen to Andrew play one more time. Much to my surprise, he saw me and played "How Deep Is Your Love." That was pretty freaking amazing. He then played "Always and Forever," my parents' wedding song. It's a very difficult song for me to hear. I don't cry or get emotional, but it does conjure great disappointment. I also chatted with an Indian couple from London for maybe ten minutes, which was quite pleasant. I think I was on my second Johnnie Walker Double Black. Anyway, I tipped Andrew and I later also tipped Stephen, the British guitar player who did an awesome job playing every kind of music on one acoustic guitar down in Copper and Fiddle.

 

The jazz club had a different band for the final night. Instead of the trio and vocalist, there was a five piece horn section accompanying a new quarter that also featured a guitar player. I stayed for a half hour, hoping to hear a guitar solo, but that didn't happen. But I did get to hear a Charlie Parker number. Then it was upstairs to the fifth floor for the Caribbean party. It had nowhere near the buzz or energy of the 80s party, but still kind of fun. After enough alcohol, I can make most dance parties fun. About fifteen of us danced just about every dance. It started with the electric slide, then went onto a bunch of other white people dances with fist pumps, grapevines, and quarter turns. I was just baffled to not hear any Buffet or Marley for the entire hour.

 

Then at midnight, it was Battle of the sexes. I never ever ever expected how that would go down and if I did, I would have had someone record it. So let me break this down. The host, a female, asked for five ladies and five gentlemen. I didn't intend to play, but when I saw four women and two dudes, I felt it was time to take a stand. I left my Johnnie Walker on the bar and walked up. The ten of us stood in a semi circle, alternating by gender. They had us sing lines of random songs, and if we hesitated or repeated a number, the crowd could vote us out. Thankfully I'm a big music guy, but not being a fan of pop, I had to think of songs that would surprise people and get a reaction, but they had to know the songs. I knew it wasn't going to work if I busted out Eddie Rabbitt and the Oak Ridge Boys. But they started on the opposite side of me so I had time to prepare. I definitely had variety between "Hotel California," "Jingle Bells," "Friends In Low Places," "If You Want To Be My Lover," and "Amazing Grace."

 

At the end of the music round, eight contestants were eliminated and two people survived: a long haired blonde named Jenny and me. I saw the staff bring out a ton of unblown balloons and my heart sank. I have no idea how to blow up a balloon. Next thing I know, I get a black t shirt handed to me. I put it on and figured out the next step in the game. The other guys in the room were going to charge the stage. They had to blow the balloons up and stuff as many of them as they could under my shirt. And the ladies would do the same to Jenny. Well as soon as the host said the word "Go!," at least 20 or 25 guys stormed the tiny stage like the bulls being released in Spain. At one point my head got banged against the back screen. After the 60 seconds were up, I started thinking that this was probably going to be on You Tube. The guys got a dozen balloons under my shirt compared to ten for the ladies. I figured we'd won at this point.

 

But then came the conga line. We each had to gather as many people of the same gender as we could and see who could form the longest conga line. In that tiny room, we were knocking into each other. I was literally pulling guys up by the arm to get them involved. I don't think that round was actually counted because it was so crowded.

 

The last part was the guys and girls throwing chants back and forth at each other. There was everything from "We Are the Champions" to "We Will Rock You" to "Who Let the Dogs Out" to "R-E-S-P-E-C-T." Tough to counter Aretha. I don't even remember who had the last chant or what it was. But they called the whole contest off right at that point.

 

The night was almost over but I listened to a little more music at Schooner's before turning in. Two of mom's favorites are "Close the Door" and  "If You Don't Know Me By Now." And they got played back to back. I did get the latter on video with my assistance on vocals. I can't say I had much of a voice left after the contest though. Mr. Pendergrass and Mr. Melvin, forgive me.

Europe, part 7

And country number three on the trip is France. Marseilles is the oldest city in the country, over 2,000 years old, founded by the Romans. I slept till 8:30, which didn't give enough time for breakfast in the main dining room. Quick run to Windjammer.

 

We got off the boat and I swear there were 300 people trying to board shuttle buses to downtown. Then the port had a fire drill so everyone was moved outside on the street. Then they went back inside. Meanwhile we were just trying to find the person organizing the electric bike tour. I noticed two women, maybe in their 40s with confused looks on their faces. I had a gut instinct that they were looking for the same person that we were. Eventually I found a short haired, olive skinned girl holding up the sign written in a dry erase board marker. And those two women were indeed looking for the same tour. They both are from Chicago, and one of them lives in the same town my best friend used to live. We also had a Chinese family of five that ironically lives on Long Island, but recently moved there away from Newport News. Small world.

 

I don't even remember how long it's been since I've ridden a bicycle. Probably 2012 with Jean before she broke my heart. But I think if I ever purchased a bike, it would be an electric. That motor makes going up hills so much easier. We went through a newer neighborhood and then into the city center. I can't even begin to write names down, there's no way I could understand her accent. I did have a few issues with the seat early on, it kept falling down on me, even though I had it locked in place. Anastasia, our guide, did a good job of fixing it, even though it was a little high for me, but I was not about to adjust it again.

 

But oh my goodness, that town was so remarkably beautiful. The bluest water I've ever seen, ships in the inlets, outdoor cafes, well maintained streets, respectful people. I could easily spend a few days there, even though I know maybe four words in French.

 

Climbing uphill to the Basilica Notre Dame was a bit of a challenge and I don't know if I could have completed it on a bike that wasn't electric. It was super steep. But it's been so great to see all these old churches in Europe. All I can do is pray that faith connects with the next generation of young people over there.

 

Soap is a big deal in Marseilles. We stopped in a shop that specializes in soap made primarily of olive oil, called 72%. Back at the terminal, I picked up a package of herbs de provence for myself and a nice coaster of the Marseilles coast for LB.

 

It was 3 pm when we returned to the ship,  too late for lunch, too early for dinner.  So after eating pretty sensibly all week,  we went to the sports bar Playmakers, and we really didn't care that it cost extra money. We both ordered the burger, with two patties, cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickle, onion rings, and sauce. Not to mention steak fries and more pickles. For 9 bucks, it was fantastic.

 

Feeling adventurous,  I decided to do the zip line. While eating the burgers, mom and I could see people going down the line right over us. She said she'd try to watch me. Well it took me a long time to find the entrance. The signs says the 16th floor, but I had to go to the 15th floor and then walk upstairs. Then I had to sign the waiver. Then I was told I needed socks. Back down ten floors to my room. Back up ten floors to the entrance. Then the staff had issues deciding what harness I should wear, I guess my size was right in between middle and large.

 

I didn't think mom was still watching but just in case, I decided to take The Final Abyss slide down to the sixth floor, right near where we'd been eating. It took about 15 minutes to get in. It was a pretty freaky slide, with sharp turns and total darkness. After that, I went back to the room where mom was reading her book with a British game show on the tv for background noise.

 

I went outside to the pool for a mojito and to take in the sunset. After fifteen minutes, the wind kicked up and I was back downstairs. I must have fallen asleep because all of a sudden, it was 7:30 and time to get ready for the 80s music quiz. We got 13 of 15 songs right, I didn't know Centerfold and some song about Axels. Maybe it was Curtis Axel, who the hell knows. Three teams aced the quiz, so hey, what can you do.

 

We went to Paul's next comedy show, some of the jokes were the same as the show I saw, but some changed. I wound up sitting with three couples from Canada who were arguing over their next excursion to take, so I guess I was the seventh wheel in that group.

 

I headed up to Family Feud, which was being advertised as Friendly Feud. Well, I don't know what kind of family it was referring to. The host looked and acted like a complete queer. And one of the questions was that Steve Harvey classic,  Name something you put in your mouth but don't swallow. Thankfully nobody had the balls to say what we were all thinking. I don't know why I went to Boleros, I guess it was because I just wanted a drink. But I wanted something more adult oriented, not a beer, not a fruity beverage, not even red wine. After glancing through the menu, I went with the Gentleman sidecar, which has Gentleman Jack, cognac, and lemon juice. It was a delicious drink.  Mature, yet approachable, and satisfying, just like me. Next thing I know, a guy and his wife stood by me at the bar. I recognized him from being one of the Family Feud contestants and I remembered him saying he was from Brooklyn. So I said to him "Hey Brooklyn!" He started laughing and I told him I was a Jersey boy and my dad was from Brooklyn. He then said he had an important second question for me. I was pretty sure I'd get a sports question, this is just the standard follow up. The only thing I didn't know is what sport he would bring up. The question came..."Giants or Jets?" Thankfully I answered correctly. The guy was named Gene and we talked about everything from sports, to travel, to work, to moving. Really it was that good human interaction that's so important to me.

 

I decided to head down to the jazz club. After having breakfast with the drummer a few days prior, I felt I should go down and see the band. I took a seat on the couch in front and almost immediately, Jeff saw me and gave me a wave. Pretty cool feeling. Across the club, I saw something that I still can't shake from my memory. It was a man who looked exactly like the spitting image of my paternal grandfather, just with rosier cheeks. I couldn't help but gaze in his direction a couple of times. He's been dead 11 years, but I wish I could have said goodbye to him. Just wasn't meant to be.

Regardless, I stayed about a half hour before going upstairs to the 80s party. For only lasting 45 minutes, it was a pretty wild scene with the loud music, leg warmers, and the abundance of lime green and neon pink colors. Plus a guy came dressed as PacMan. I managed to get a spot near the main stage and I got a few selfies with the staff. Finally I went to Copper and Fiddle for another 40 minutes of music. American Pie closed the set.

 

I have one full day left on this boat and the inevitable ending of the trip is starting to hit me. I have to ask myself. How do I explain everything to people who will inevitably ask me how my trip was and what did I do. I've had so many experiences that I don't know where to begin.

Europe, part 6

Sunday was a bit of a transition day on the ship. Half the passengers departed in Barcelona as they had boarded the ship a week prior. And with that, we brought on maybe 2,000 or 3,000 new passengers.

 

So Mom and I had our excursion planned apart from the cruise line to Montserrat, which is a small town in the mountains about an hour from Barcelona. We woke up at seven and grabbed a quick breakfast downstairs. I went with steak and a large cheese omelet along with breakfast potatoes and plenty of fruit. Sadly, this was the only day steak would be available for breakfast. After getting off the boat, we hailed a cab to Plaza Catalyuna. I have to be frank and say I wasn't impressed with downtown Barcelona at first. I expected a colorful, artsy city. Instead, I got drab concrete buildings, several homeless folks, trash in the street, and an inordinate swarm of pigeons. I mean dozens of pigeons. Some were actually dead and gutted; they really looked like they had been shot.

 

Four different groups did the tour, and there were sixteen of us in our group, mostly Americans with some folks mixed in from Japan, Portugal, and the Netherlands. Actually I need to include a side note. As best I remember, our tour guide was explaining the details of the tour. All of a sudden, I heard a stern warning... "Hey! Give it back!" Our heads all shot over in the direction of an elderly gentlemen with a prosthetic leg. A pickpocket had swiped a passenger's wallet and he saw him in the action. The police soon caught up with him, and they were in our midst within ten minutes of the incident. Pretty impressive.

 

Now Montserrat is a small mountain community with a beautiful dark old church, and it has a boarding school that houses the oldest children's choir in the world. 50 students, 32 teachers. Schools like to brag about their personalized attention they give to students, but I'd like to see them live up to this. There's also a cog railway station and the train really does seem to travel up the mountain at a 45 degree angle, maybe even a little steeper at times.

 

As we walked into the facility from the bus, on a faraway cliff, I noticed a cross. After we took a tour of Montserrat, our tour guide told us we could hike to that cross, Cruz de Sant Miguel. I made the hike along with Mike and Wendy, a married couple from Frisco. There were also couples from Portugal and New Jersey. It was a great and challenging 20 minute hike uphill, as I got to know those people better. Although I admit, part of me felt like the spare prick at the wedding. But seriously, it was a pretty magical feeling to make that hike to the top, to touch that great symbol of Christ's crucifixion, and to take some of the most magnificent mountain, city, and valley views that I've ever seen.

 

Probably the most iconic feature of Montserrat is the chamber with the Black Madonna, where people go to pray and confess. It was closed for some unexplained reason, maybe because it was Sunday. There was also a farmers market with cheese and honey... and pretty much nothing else. I sampled three different cheeses, two sheep's cheeses, including one with rosemary, and oh dear God, such an amazing cheese. It was sharp, it was fresh, it was aromatic. I also had a goat cheese with fresh herbs that I enjoyed as well.

 

We then headed a half hour down the road for our wine tasting at Oller Del Mas, which is a huge castle. It's a small family owned winery that has been around seven generations. We sampled a white and two reds. After touring the facility privately, we went to a tasting room that had plates of tapas arranged for us. Tuna with olive oil, Spanish salami, serrano ham, and an egg and potato croquette all on different kinds of bread. A few pieces of soft white cubed cheese which tasted fine, and a bowl of Spanish green olives, which I didn't go near.

 

I never had been taught to tilt the glass forward and check the top to see if it had any kind of color to it, like orange or pink, this helps determine how high the alcohol content is. Also, if when the glass is lifted and tilted, you put your fingers underneath, the less you see them, this indicates the body of the wine is fuller. I really didn't expect to learn about this. I usually swirl and smell and taste. Now I'll look and tilt as well.

 

We took an hour bus ride back to Barcelona and it felt like a totally different city. There were street vendors and pedestrians began to fill the plaza. But we caught a cab back to the port. I went straight to the gym, which was a bit of a cluster. I did two sets of squats and then two staff members came over to me. They told me because of the emergency safety drill, I had to stay in the free weights room because the geniuses who design the safety rules decided to put a hundred people in the gym. So basically these new arrivals were all watching me and me alone work my arms and do bench lunges. Awkward, until I decided I didn't give a damn who was watching.

 

So I figured whatever and I went back to my room to change into my bathing suit. I found a hot tub and oh baby....Feeling those jets on my back and feet....I don't know if there's a better feeling on earth. The Einsteins actually put up a sign to not exceed thirty minutes of use. Yeah like anyone follows this crap. About thirty minutes later...I could have fallen asleep.

 

Back to what I was saying earlier. The people being on in Barcelona got way more love than those of us in Rome. There was a welcome dance party. Now since it was a cruise, they had to do all the classic white people dances, also only the ones I can probably do.

 

"To the left, take it back now ya'll"
"Left, right, forward, back, turn, and repeat..."

And whatever this "Despacito" song is, I guess it has a dance that is going go right with them.

It really felt like a brand new cruise had just begun. God knows there wasn't any welcome party for those of us who boarded in Rome. But it was the kind of party I felt comfortable with. Maybe it was because I'd been drinking. Seriously though, I think it was because everyone felt like an individual.

After a shower in my room, I turned on the British tv station and began watching a dog show. It was sort of like their take on "Dog Whisperer." I guess I passed out in the room, because when I woke up, the time was at 8 pm. I went downstairs and was annoyed to find out that mom and I had to wait 40 minutes for a dinner table in the dining room. The only thing there was to do was kill a few minutes in Central Park listening to live classical guitar.

 

Dinner was at 8:45 and I had beef carpaccio. Thanksgiving Turkey, and creme brulee. From there, I went to the 60 seconds game show, where contestants competed against each other. Not much needs to be said except I found out the host was a New England fan... which led me to booing incessantly. Hey, he offered the info about himself, it was my job to show him the error of his ways.

I went to another comedy show in more of a club setting as opposed to a theater setting. All I can I is that Paul Ogata is way funnier when he can be dirty and not family oriented. At midnight, a big balloon drop was scheduled on the main promenade. There were probably a thousand that got dropped. I can't imagine the cleanup crew was too overjoyed around 2 am. Three beers at Copper and Fiddle and that was the end of my night.

 

I've got to say something about the evenings here. I feel civil inside. I can't bear to stay in my room with nothing to do. I'd go crazy with boredom. So I go out, I listen to music, I see a show, hear some comedy, play some trivia. The issue with it is it's so difficult for me to see everybody else with someone else. I really want to be over that. I mean I can go have fun, but in the back of my mind, the isolation bug bites at me. And the informal singles meetups are ridiculous. Nothing but seniors.

Most of Monday was played simple. I woke up at 8:30, went to the gym (only ran half a mile and then lifted), ate breakfast, sat by the pool, and had salad and jerk pork for lunch. And a few thin slices of rare roast beef and cheese.

 

Volleyball was a defining moment. As I'm typing this, I'm really trying to make sense of it. In spite of constant judgment and slander that I face constantly, I am continually trying to grow as a person. I will never be perfect. I may never have a perfect day. But in seeking that perfection,  perhaps I'll catch excellence.

 

I had been waiting hours and I probably think it was about five hours for volleyball to start. I love playing it in the pool, some of the best memories of my life are playing it in Mexico. And I played with a dozen people for maybe 45 minutes today. Had an amazing time, I was laughing, passing the ball around, handing it to the little kids because I wanted them to feel included. Then... the pool guy announced there would be a tournament. And inside, I knew my mind shift had changed. The happy guy who is inclusive, generous, and funny gave way to the competitor who is determined, who's focused, and worst of all, had to do well.  I'm not saying my team had to win, but we had to be competitive. What I have felt is I can't handle is lack of effort. It wasn't about winning a prize.

I had five other guys on my team and they all seemed athletic. We lost both games we played. In the first, we surrendered the last four points to lose 20-18. The second, this one guy served nine straight points to close the game out. It was embarrassing. I walked off, disgusted with myself. I got a Boston iced tea from the bar. I couldn't shake the anger all the way back to the room. I got back inside and as I opened the door, mom had just gotten out of the shower. I shrieked. All I wanted was to change clothes and go drink.

 

I sat on the balcony and asked to be left alone. She came back five minutes later and dressed me down about as bad as I've ever had it. I almost feel that I shouldn't even include this, but I'm a straight shooter even if it's about my own flaws. She accused me of not being able to hold a mature conversation, which is really just a reference to the two men she married and her sister and so now she throws it on me. Apparently because I miss my two dead dogs and bring them up most days, that's a character flaw and a sign of immaturity. She also said she'd leave Italy immediately after the cruise if she could. I'm dreading that damn upcoming day in Rome because I'll need to be near her most of the time. How sad is that? She referenced twenty years ago when she stopped traveling with me because of how I treated her friends and their kids and nothing had changed. It was so absurd. First of all, I didn't have friends as a kid, I was bullied. I didn't trust people because I expected them to ignore or bully me. I've never thought about this aspect of it until today, but maybe I looked at her friends as threats in that they would take her time and attention from me.

 

She also said I give these mean, cynical, disrespectful smiles in the midst of conflict. I think that's only because I don't want to get angry and I'm trying to counter the angry thoughts and my tendency to become defensive. I don't want to yell and escalate the situation. I really don't think there's any acceptable response in her eyes other than for me to say she is right about everything. And of course she made her grand future statement, every rant from her includes one of these. She can't count on me mentally, physically, or financially and it will take a ton of work on my end (see how it's only my end) for us to be right. And it's for reasons like these that she's doesn't think I have a girlfriend.

After a few minutes of this, I subtly turned my audio book back on, trying to figure out what had happened in my mind. But I made an effort to block out what she had said. There were no questions from her, none of my thoughts were welcome. And I knew I could not show any emotion whatsoever. I just sat there, blankly looking out to sea, as one verbal bullet after another struck. This time, I was not smiling. I didn't think we were going to be together the whole trip... that's why we're on a cruise!!! Maybe it's just different expectations.

 

Anyway I had dinner alone in the Windjammer cafe; I had zero desire to dress up for a formal dinner. I started with a plate of Mongolian stir fry, I got to create my own with mushrooms, peppers, onions, carrots, garlic, beef, chicken, chili paste, and noodles. All I needed was the broccoli. It tasted great, just a little oily. Then I had a plate with salmon, two chicken breasts, grilled vegetables, and a piece of rosemary focaccia. No dessert. Guess I'm really going for that high protein, low carb thing.

There wasn't any entertainment I was especially interested except guitar hits in Central Park. Well there was no guitar player to be found. But there was a mother. She was having dinner at Chops, one of the specialty restaurants in Central Park. I would never dream of eating in one of those restaurants on my own. I left before she could see me, or maybe she did see me and played it cool. I just couldn't bear to talk to her in that moment. I didn't really think a productive conversation was going to happen in that moment.

 

Thankfully for Schooner's, there were a couple of Brit girls to be found. I didn't really care that I'd had four shots of Johnny Walker on the rocks, I loved getting to know them, even the married ones. Something about those foreign accents, they can be damn seductive.

Europe, part 5

So it was onto day #2, counting full cruise days anyway. There were no excursions, it's just a full day of sailing to Barcelona. I decided I would do as little as possible on this day. In my day to day life, I'm so driven by the clock that I wanted to spend as little time as possible thinking about the current time or where I had to be at any given moment.

 

After what happened the previous evening in Schooner's, I had no desire to say anything to my mother. I dressed for the gym and left quietly. I did thirty minutes on the elliptical before lifting weights for maybe 20. I was especially pleased to see that the gym had an assisted chin up/dip machine, it's one of my favorite machines because it works so many muscles in the upper body. Unfortunately, they can be hard to find, even at a decent gym.

 

I then headed down to the main dining room for breakfast. The reason I went there is because I had access to fresh orange juice with my beverage package and I was not going to let another morning pass by without it. The omelet station was running and I ordered one with spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, and cheese. I also got an extra cheese omelet, regular bacon, English bacon, breakfast potatoes, and a small waffle.

 

When I returned to the room, my mother had left. I guess she had a nail appointment that morning and had already began that. So I made my way to the pool. Even though it was mostly sunny outside, the wind was howling, resulting in the upper deck getting closed. The other consequence was most every chair had been taken. So I had to take this one chair that didn't fold down and only tanned my front side. I sat in the sun for several hours drinking a pina colada and mojito before grabbing lunch.

Those crazy winds didn't really ever let up. I stayed for the World's Sexiest Man contest, but I was really there for the pool volleyball afterwards. By the end of the contest, water was blowing out of the pool and coming towards me.  I don't mean spray in the air, I'm talking about the entire deck getting soaked. I didn't even stick around for pool volleyball, there just wouldn't have been any way to play.

So with no shoes and no shirt on, I rushed back to the room, showered, and went to dinner with mom. More strawberry cheesecake! Plus a rice ball and long prawns with spinach and crab mashed potatoes. We also snuck in a game of Scrabble, which I hadn't played in maybe ten years.

 

Not sure what event to check out, we returned to the room, but I quickly grew restless and left. I went up to the outdoor Central Park section on the eighth floor and heard a trio playing smooth jazz. Keyboard, electric guitar, and saxophone. One guy from Texas, one from Argentina, and one from the Ukraine, how random is that?!

 

While I was listening to the music, a couple walked by me that I can't get out of my mind. The girl was completely made up like a Hollywood starlet, elegant red dress, white lace laying over her shoulders, her make up took plenty of time, hair up and carefully styled. Her man/boy, on the other hand, he didn't take as long to get ready. He had on a blue oxford shirt. which was hardly long enough to reach his belt. The sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. His shoes were beach shoes, the pull on kind. And the kicker... he was not wearing pants. He was wearing dark boxer shorts with little white sailboats printed all over them. I mean... did he lose a bet? Did he forget all his pants? And did she even care?

 

I would have stayed longer, but it was getting pretty cold out, so I decided to venture inside. Then I went to a stand up comedy show, which was pretty good. Not outstanding, but there were a few good laughs. That got me out at ten pm, just in time for the informal singles meet up. I walked over to the Rising Tide, which is a bar that sits on an elevator, it literally goes up and down between the fifth and eighth floors. There were maybe 15 people inside... all of them at least 45-50 years old, except maybe one guy around my age. I checked the schedule, thinking maybe I'd stumbled into the AARP event. In fact, if I closed my eyes, I'm pretty sure I could smell Ben Gay. Not worth hanging around so, it was off to Copper and Fiddle for a beer. Finally it was back to Schooner's for another piano night till 1 am. I requested "Bad Bad Leroy Brown" and "Tired of Being Alone," as it turned out Andrew kind of knew the latter. "Amazing Grace," "She Believes In Me," and "Piano Man" were some of the other favorites.

Europe, part 4

I think I need to make a medical appointment for mom. For her incessant snoring. I slept through most of the night and then... all of a sudden, it sounded like someone started mowing the lawn. I checked my phone and at least it was 5:15, only 15 minutes before I had scheduled the wakeup call. So I got dressed and headed to the gym, only to find out that it didn't open until 6. So instead, I ran 3 miles on the track that surrounds the perimeter of the ship on Deck 5.

 

After a shower and breakfast, we were ready for our excursion to Pompeii and the Amalfi coast. Probably about 25 people on this particular tour. We first stopped at a place that makes cameos, which is essentially art made out of local shells. It was very unique art, but after five minutes, we were all ready to go.

 

I was able to see Mount Vesuvius from the bus, and I couldn't help but wonder if I could get a plate of chicken vesuvio in the area. And then onto Pompeii. We spent about 20 minutes exploring the local outdoor tourist market. One thing about other countries, they really try to make you buy merchandise. Mexico has some really pushy people, but Italy isn't far behind. But what was strange for me personally was that three different sales guys thought I spoke Spanish. I don't know what country I look like I'm from, but I guess it's Spain or somewhere in South America.

 

We arrived in Pompeii pretty early,  before the ancient city even opened. For the historical significance, we visited the famed ruins of Pompeii. It involved a lot of careful walking on uneven stones. They were certainly interesting to visit, but after an hour or so, it felt like I was just seeing the same thing again and again. Broken walls, limestone mortar, tightly crammed rooms. If I'm honest, lunch was a bit of a disappointment. We literally had no options. A fine mixed salad, creamy cannelloni with spinach, and a bit of lemon cake. I don't even like ricotta cheese! But somehow I managed to finish the pasta. On a bright note, each table got its own bottle of Italian red wine. I probably drank half of my table's bottle. Next thing I knew, I was passed out on the bus. And I do mean out.

 

I think a half hour later I woke up in Sorrento to view their amazing coastline. This was one of the most treacherous drives I have ever experienced. We were driving in a huge bus on a winding two lane mountain road. On at least ten occasions, an incoming car had to brake and back up so that we could pass through. I have no idea how Mario, our bus driver, was able navigate turns that a Prius shouldn't have even attempted. And we were able to see the Sea of Napoli and the town of Sorrento.

Our first stop on the coast was the Capri limoncello factory. The only other place I'd tried this potent little concoction was in Argentina. This one was 32% alcohol. I was surprised to find out that the beverage is made with lemon peels and no lemon juice. The sample was certainly good, but a little sour.

The Amalfi coast is an absolute gem. The sights are breathtaking between the mountains, the sea, the colorful villages, the homes and hotels right on the sides of the mountain. I've never seen a tapestry quite like this part of Italy. And they feature numerous restaurants that have earned Michelin stars. But my gosh, to drive it is unreal. Almost no parking to be found. Gas is almost eight bucks a gallon. Only one road to drive, so the traffic is constant.

 

We eventually made it to downtown Amalfi. No doubt this packed little town had the nicest merchandise I'd seen in Italy up to this point. I purchased a hand painted olive oil holder/pourer that depicts the town of Amalfi. I've never owned one of these before and this was just the kind of town from which I wanted to take a souvenir. Plus it's unique and something that can't just be purchased randomly on Amazon or Ebay.

 

We grabbed a quick plate of spaghetti and clams and then we boarded a speedboat to Salerno. Counting the 45 minute drive back to Naples, we were gone from the ship a total of nine hours.

The dress code for dinner was formal. Now I was not about to bring a suit in my bag as I knew it was heavy and it would get wrinkled. But I had my black slacks and a black collar-free button down shirt along with my black dress shoes I wear to work. I put them on and went to dinner alone. Looking at the empty chair across from me, it made me long for companionship. Of course I would have liked my mother to join me. I don't know where she went after we got back. But I couldn't help but visualize a woman who I could love, and would love me, and I could take these kinds of trips with. The more time goes on, the more I doubt that it will ever happen. Maybe LB could be it. But I don't know, I think the long distance may be messing with me. As much as I like traveling, I don't know if cruising is something I would want to do alone when I'm surrounded by couples.

 

In regards to dinner, I was quite impressed. I had a Chinese waitress and we talked for maybe ten minutes about the different places we've visited. She mentioned her trip to Capri that day and I told her about Amalfi. I started my meal with a nice glass of Chilean red wine. My appetizer was a crab cake with an apple slaw. Then although I considered ordering the lamb shank with roasted garlic mashed potatoes, I had prime rib with broccoli and potato croquettes. Really, really good, I just wish I could have had horseradish to spice it up. Dessert was strawberry cheesecake and I was definitely impressed, and I don't say that about cheesecake very often. Not too much topping, but just enough to flavor it. The cheesecake had that little bit of tartness to it as well to liven it up. I will definitely get it again.

 

"Flight" was a musical about the history of aviation, starting in the present and working backwards to the early 1900s. Probably the highlight was the reenactment of the Wright brothers' first flight in Kitty Hawk. The lowlight was the six year old girl who wouldn't stop screaming three seats down from me. I don't believe spanking kids is an ideal method of discipline... but for this girl, she deserved it. And I'd have been the first to get in line with the belt.

 

After the show ended, I decided to drop into Schooner's to listen to Andrew play the piano. I took a seat at the bar and began downing mojitos. I requested "How Deep is Your Love" and right towards the end, my mother showed up. I knew she'd been drinking as I had and I wanted some time alone. I don't remember much of the five minute conversation. I do remember not saying anything critical. But I remember so well that lead in. She has a way of setting you up when she's about to say something hard.

 

"This cruise has hit me like a bomb. And now I finally realize it. Not only do I realize that you don't love me..."

 

I interrupted right there. It was so selfish, so nonsensical, and so ridiculous, that I had to cut the conversation off. I don't know if that was the alcohol or a personality problem. I couldn't bear to hear one more word. I told her this was insulting and I didn't need to be part of this conversation. I got up and walked off.

 

The Perfect Couple game show. I admit I'm always hoping there will be a question so awkward, so embarrassing, so revealing, that it will inevitably lead to a breakup. Is that bad of me? Honestly, as hurt as I've been and as I've messed over as I've been, it's hard for me to not be bitter. Copper and Fiddle pub for a couple of beers and that was the end of my night.

Europe, part 3

The train ride itself was pretty relaxing. I played a lot of music, including "When in Rome" by Nickel Creek. Getting to the boat from the train station, well, that was a tremendous pain. There were no working elevators to go downstairs and then upstairs. So I had to lug 70 pounds of suitcases downstairs, then through a 15 foot long tunnel, and then finally upstairs. My mom kept telling me not to run over the woman in front of me. Like it was my intention to take her down. Anyway we tried to get Euros for the bus to get to the shuttle bus, and no, that's not a misprint. After a little pleading and reasoning, we got the ride. Then we were the last two to board the shuttle bus, and I had to hold on because there were no seats to be found.

 

Check in was pretty simple. We did give in and we got the deluxe drink package, which includes the alcohol. I hesitated to do it because I didn't know if I'd drink enough to justify the price. But after a  Mai Tai, and sampling a mojito, and seeing the ridiculous prices, it wasn't a hard choice.

 

The Symphony of the Seas is just about the largest boat on the Royal Caribbean cruise line, not the longest, but the biggest in terms of gross tonnage. I'm particularly looking forward to the zip line. I've never had a balcony room on a cruise ship before. But I'm glad mom upgraded from an interior balcony, where we'd have a view of another room to an exterior balcony where we could view the ocean. The Central Park feature on the eighth floor is a nice addition with fine restaurants and shops. In other words, more opportunities to spend a lot of money.

 

Mom and I triumphed in a disco trivia contest, as we correctly identified 14 of 15 songs. Thankfully, three of them were Bee Gees tracks, so that made me useful. I also hung around for Motown night and spent a few minutes in the jazz club before calling it a night.

Europe, part 2

Telling time is not as simple as looking at my phone. I haven't owned a watch in eight years and I have no desire to get one again. I can mentally add six hours to my phone time, which will leave me second guessing myself, or I'll have to use my iPod, which doesn't update automatically.

We thought about getting the breakfast buffet at the Marriott for $18, but we passed on that in order to make sure we got to the Vatican on time. We knew we had a train station across the street from our hotel, but it took ten minutes of walking underground to reach it. And we regretted not converting some of our money to Euros, and not just for tips. But the ticket vending machine only was accepting cash. I mean, how is there not a machine that accepts cards? So we nearly began walking through another side of the tunnel to the street, when we saw a ticket booth being manned by actual human beings.

 

Three stops and five minutes of walking later, we stood in the shadow of the high ancient stone walls of the Vatican. Even though I'm not Catholic, there is some of it in my history and lineage, so I feel a small part of that was for my paternal family. There were dozens of tours going on, plenty of noise and not much room for walking. There were about 15 people in the group total and we all got head sets so we could hear the guide speak to us. We learned about the history of the Sistine Chapel before working our way through many museums, all connected together, which had some of the most remarkable paintings and sculptures I've seen. I also didn't expect to see so many ceilings so carefully painted, in addition to the Chapel. We have Raphael to thank for that.

 

To see the Sistine Chapel from the outside, it looked a little like the inspiration for our Capitol buildings with its classical gothic dome. I was really disappointed we couldn't take pictures inside the chapel with its iconic ceiling. I guess if it was permitted, then people would stay inside for hours at a time to capture all those details, but then again, they'd all be in vain. The work of Michelangelo is so intricate, so detailed, so meticulous. Photography could not capture all that was done in that rectangular room over 500 years ago. Robin Williams said it right in Good Will Hunting. I guess you just have to experience it.

 

The Basilica of St Peter was tremendous in its own way. It's the largest church I've ever seen. It may be shaped like a cross,  but there are so many little parts with candles, statues, and confession booths. And I never planned to St. Peter's Square and the tomb of Pope John Paul II. I thought about all the history and dedication of these people to their faith. Though I don't understand certain Catholic beliefs and practices, I respect the people who devote themselves to that particular faith because it's not easy. And I also thought it's sad about the mistakes people have made on the inside and how that's hurt the Christian faith in general. The reassurance I have is Jesus does not change no matter how many mistakes his followers make. And that's why it's tough for me when I see people refuse to forgive others. Because who among us does not need to be forgiven for something?

 

I guess I got a little off topic. We returned to the hotel in a cab to check out and grabbed a quick lunch at a local outdoor restaurant. Pizza with artichokes, mushrooms, and prosciutto. Another amazing one,  I think that's four on this trip. The Caesar salad with chicken and peppered bacon. And this amazing chewy Italian bread... so good.

 

Then another cab to Roma Termini. The 1:42 train to Civitavecchia. Almost cruise time...

Europe, part 1

For the first time in my life, I'm on my way to Europe. I have a seven day cruise on the Mediterranean Sea, covering Rome, Naples, Marseilles, Barcelona, and Florence/Pisa. Plus an extra day in Rome on both ends of the tour, so we're looking at nine days total.

I didn't really start to feel the butterflies until I checked in for the flight to Philadelphia. I had already researched trains, printed cruise documents, and set clothes aside on top of my now overstuffed black duffel bag. But as I entered my passport information into the computer, I could feel my pulse beating. I was preparing to do something I had never done before.

I had been weighing whether to take an earlier flight to Philly. I could then hang a little longer in the Admirals Club and load up on whiskey and ginger ale. But I'm glad I didn't. I needed the extra time to sleep in after a stressful night of work at Tucano's, run five miles, clean up, and pack. I took an Uber to Norfolk, although I wasn't sure my gift card actually got used. Not the easiest app when it comes to selecting payment options.

The flight deal has been as smooth as can be expected. We pulled out of the gate at 2:20, literally on time. Sitting in the first row wasn't a major inconvenience like I usually find it; there was plenty of overhead storage space for my backpack. I began listening to a Johnny Cash biography on Audible, I'm about two hours into a 14 hour recording. Hopefully I'll get it done on this trip.

After landing in Philly, it was straight to the Admirals Club for the free guacamole bar and multiple bourbon and ginger ales. Then Chickie and Pete's for chicken cutlets. As much as I wanted to try their crab fries, I couldn't justify spending $6.75 for a single order.

Mom and I both got seats in business class, we just weren't able to sit together. This sounds so bougie, but after my second time doing this, it's hard for me to imagine flying six or more hours without having my own tv screen, a menu of food options, and a padded seat that reclines into a flat bed. God help me with what I just said, I sound so entitled, which is not something I would ever strive to become. But it's a hell of a lot more desirable than becoming a pauper.

For dinner, we started with a plate of melon and manchego cheese along with a salad of arugula, spinach, strawberries, and hearts of palm. They also had a bread basket and I happily took a sourdough and a pretzel roll. My main course was a porcini crusted filet with asparagus and a mushroom corn pudding souffle. Then came dessert. The flight attendant prepared an ice cream sundae with butterscotch, berries, whipped cream, and chopped pecans. Pretty much the perfect ending. Once dinner was over, I reclined my seat with a second glass of red wine and watched the movies Paterno and, I Tonya, before passing out in a deep sleep.

I felt a bright light shining in my face, it was a multicolored blue, white, and red light. It was that kind of light you'd see while sitting in a dentist's chair. I tried to dismiss it, my eyes refused to open, or maybe I just wouldn't allow them to open. Before long, the flight attendant woke me up to let me know breakfast was about to be served. I swear I'd only finished dinner 20 minutes prior.

We landed at 9:05 after the quickest 8 hour flight of all time. Looking outside the window, the first thing that stuck out to me was the rows of trees that almost looked handcrafted, so precise. Customs couldn't have gone smoother. Less than a half hour, it seems like it's getting easier all the time. We hopped on the Leonardo Express train which is a non stop train to downtown Rome, €15 for a 30 minute ride. From downtown, we had a 15 minute cab ride to the Marriott Grand Flora. I was starting to notice that a lot of cab drivers either don't speak English or pretend that they don't.

The check in process was a little crazy, our reservation was set for a week out. We did make a date change to the reservation, but either it didn't go through, or the operator didn't understand the change that was needed. Thankfully we were able to switch it to that day and also check in immediately.

After a brief nap, as in a half hour, we began walking around Rome. The Trevi Fountain was especially spectacular, with its carvings of King Neptune and other mythical figures. We have our King Neptune in  Virginia Beach on the coastline, but this one looks like he took a lot more time to construct. The Pantheon was a round chapel with sculptures and statues that's a huge draw for tourist groups. I took a panoramic picture of the ceiling, and I think that was the first one of those I'd ever attempted. The artist Raphael, has his tomb in the chapel. I also tried my first margherita pizza from Italy. The crust was spectacular, crispy, full of flavor, and a little chew. The sauce was really good, but it was a full blanket of melted cheese, just like a regular pizza. It also had one basil leaf for the whole 12 inch pie, no parmesan, no salt, no pepper. It was wonderful. With walking this city, it's not too easy. The streets curve, they constantly change names, and they dead end frequently. It's not hard to find yourself lost. And if I had a nickel for every pizza joint and gelateria I saw, I could buy a couple of first class tickets back to the states.

Our food tour began at 4:30 in the southwest section of downtown. And almost everyone was from the NY area: a family of four, a young married couple,  and then the was another young couple from Florida. One of the kids was wearing a Noah Syndergaard t-shirt, so I knew it was gonna be good. We went into a 100 year old grocery store and sampled salami,  Pecorino Romano cheese, and buffalo mozzarella cheese. That buffalo is really unique, it's so soft on the inside with a firm outside. Then came a 200 year old bakery, not a misprint. Red pizza with no cheese, white pizza with potato, and a little mortadella in between some of the freshest focaccia I've ever had. Oh and a little red wine after! The best part was seeing one of the kids, maybe 13 years old, try his first glass. Suffice to say, he preferred Sprite.

Next came the Jewish ghetto, which is a pretty nice section in spite of the name. The rice ball wasn't that great, certainly not as good as NYC. The breading was too heavy and the inside could have been more moist. Outside, the city has what looked like fire hydrants that are actually fountains that produce clean, drinkable water. Even though I don't advocate reusing plastic water bottles, I could not fill that bottle enough times, as thirsty as I had become.

Our whole group was getting really tired, but we were just thankful the sun was starting to go down to relieve us of some of the heat. I was starting to wish I had ibuprofen on me. We walked 15 minutes from the ghetto to a nice Italian restaurant where we had some wonderful pasta. I had bucatini with tomato sauce, plenty of Romano cheese, and guanciale, which is the pork cheek. Fantastic. And... two more glasses of wine. Daniella showed us how to swirl the pasta on a fork without a spoon. Even though it isn't culturally approved, I'm sorry, I'm a pasta cutter.

The last stop was for gelato. The rain was just starting to fall as we headed down a busy narrow pedestrian street. I had absolutely no idea where we were, as I'd misplaced the map hours prior. But we headed inside a small gelateria. I tried a few flavors, but I went with two flavors: the Fred and the black cherry ripple. The Fred was a frozen golden custard with cookie crumbs mixed in. Absolutely fantastic. About the time I got my gelato, the rain increased to a monsoon. Apparently it was the first rain that Rome had seen in weeks.

We charged through the street and the downpour to hail a cab, getting back to the hotel around 8. I wanted to go out to explore, but I knew inside that I just had to crash. Woke up and it was 10:30. Back to sleep again.

Ready to go

1)  I'm watching Miracle for about the fortieth time. It just never gets old.

2)  My move is done and it feels good to have a new apartment. Hopefully I never have to hear back from the people I rented from again in my life.

3) F Officer Barrett of Portsmouth. Eighty five year old bitch. Retire already!

4) I do miss having a dog. Very much.

5) Four days until Europe!!!

NFL predictions

AFC

AFC East

b-New England 13-3
Buffalo 6-10
NY Jets 6-10
Miami 4-12
 
AFC North
b-Pittsburgh 11-5
Baltimore 7-9
Cleveland 4-12
Cincinnati 4-12
 
AFC South
y-Jacksonville 10-6
x-Houston 9-7
Tennessee 8-8
Indianapolis 6-10
 
AFC West
y-Kansas City 11-5
x-San Diego 9-7
Oakland 6-10
Denver 5-11
 
NFC

NFC East
b-Philadelphia 12-4
x-NY Giants 11-5
Dallas 6-10
Washington 5-11
 
NFC North
b-Minnesota 13-3
x-Green Bay 11-5
Detroit 7-9
Chicago 5-11
 
NFC South
y-New Orleans 11-5
Atlanta 10-6
Carolina 7-9
Tampa Bay 5-11
 
NFC West
y-Los Angeles 11-5
San Francisco 9-7
Seattle 8-8
Arizona 6-10
 
AFC Championship Game
New England over Kansas City
 
NFC Championship Game
Minnesota over Los Angeles
 
Super Bowl
New England over Minnesota
 
 
Ovahs/Undahs
Three Ovahas
Kansas City 8.5
New England 11
NY Giants 7
 
Three Undahs
Washington 7
Cleveland 5.5
Dallas 8.5

32 hours to 37

So I am one day away from turning 37 years old. This birthday has really snuck up on me, like it was Christmas or a weekend festival. This is one of those ages were it's not going to feel a whole lot different. It probably won't feel different until 2021 when I hit a certain number. More specifically, I reach a certain decade. Right now the biggest change is I need to enter a higher number on the age setting when I use the treadmill.

Speaking of which, I signed up to do my first 10K and that is going to happen right before Halloween. I have an eight week training program ready and it's going to start right after I return from Europe. I'm not sure what my goal is yet, but I definitely want to finish in under an hour. I'm thinking maybe less than 55 minutes would be really good. The other factor is will I wear a costume of some kind. My focus is really to run. But I will do some searching and if I can find something cool that won't inhibit my ability to run, then that would be great.

One year down

So it's now been more than one year since I moved from St. Charles to Newport News. Those two towns are 900 miles apart and they seem like two completely different worlds. So with that in mind, I decided to take a brief moment and point out some of the most memorable moments and happenings that have occurred over the last twelve months.

1. Underwater hockey.
I really tried to make this work, being that I I was new to the area and loved playing hockey. But one night of this was enough. I swallowed maybe half a gallon of pool water that night. I don't think I've ever had so much trouble breathing. But i'm glad I tried it once.

2. Aroma's chai tea.
What a cool coffee shop I have less than five walking minutes away. Excellent drinks, homey atmosphere. It blows Starbucks out of the water.

3. Run club.
This became a tradition for me on Monday nights. 3 miles and back from Whole Foods to City Center Blvd and back. I met some pretty good people there, most notably Ira, Dave, and Deb. I slacked off by the fall though, but I probably ran close to a dozen times.

4. Stop sign.
That asshole cop. Never been to that peculiar intersection before, but I just didn't see the stop sign. Cop didn't care and I went to court twice over it, ultimately paying a $100 fine.

5. Community group.
This was the main reason that I decided to go to Grace Bible Church. The group met at the right time of day on the right day of the week and it had people around my age group. I just hope they are friends who I will still have in my life after the group comes to an end one day.

6. Men's breakfasts.
This was one of the other reasons why I went to Grace Bible. Once a month, I would meet with other men in Virginia Beach at a restaurant and we would have breakfast together and here and inspirational message. Very few other churches have regular meetings like this for men, and if they do come of the usually around 5:30 in the morning.

7. Virginia Jets Fans.
Well what can I say. I never expected to find us superior jets group in Virginia as opposed to Chicago, but that's what happened. Between Stirling, Ken, LeShay, Barb, Ray, Dennis, Sam, Chip, Joe, Patrick, Suzanne, and others, we really are a family.

8. Hollydazzle.
The city center shopping area where I live is very strange. A lot of times it feels like a ghost town. But when there is a festival going on, there is hardly room to walk. And their Christmas festival is the epitome. I am literally could not walk for 3 hours because there was no room to move. But at least I got to see the tree light up.

9. Basketball.
At least I got to get back into athletics for a little while. Even though Stratford was doomed to fail, I got to travel with a basketball team and I really enjoyed tracking the statistics. I just wish I could make a living at what I enjoy doing.

10. Bored Nevermore.
Meetup became a pretty big deal for my social life. I met a lot of very cool people and also a few people who I didn't really care to hang around but they were definitely the minority. Alisa is a great organizer. Ann adds a lot of spunk despite not living the most moral lifestyle. John will speak his mind, he's a little older and really doesn't seem to give a damn anymore. Susannah...I just wish she'd give me a chance.

11. Indoor gardening.
Mom got me an Easter present of an indoor garden that plugs in. I really enjoyed growing my own herbs for the first time.

12. Yelp.
The Yelp community does not meet as often in the Hampton roads area as it doesn't Chicago man. But I've gotten to do some very enjoyable events such as New Orleans seafood, Outback on two occasions, and several fitness classes.

13. Shamrock 8k. Less than 38 minutes on St. Patrick's Day. Cold in the morning. Loads of Yeungling beers afterwards.

14. World Mission Alliance Church.
My worst church experience ever. I'm thankful that I have a firm faith.

15. Quitting my job.
I've said so much about this in my recent post. Maybe God used that job which wasn't meant to work out in order to get me here for another reason. I'm not totally sure what the reason is aside from my independence. But I'm excited to find out.

Work transition

I started working my new school job on July 9 and started a restaurant waitering job about two days later. Fast forward one week, and between Monday and Saturday, I worked over 75 hours. So in a span of two weeks, I went from working zero hours to working 75.

I expected too much of myself too quickly. Being that I had three years of waitering experience, 11 years working in education, which is really just a form of customer service, and that I'm a foodie, I thought I would come in and immediately be great. So even during my four day training process, it was tough to hear criticism and correction. It's not that I didn't want correction, I appreciate constructive criticism. But between Friday and Saturday, I took some strides forward in terms of my approach and willing ness to ask for help. I made between 28 and $38 my first three nights. I would have hoped for a little better than $38 on a Friday though. But I made just shy of $100 on Saturday, which is a really good number, despite it being an eight hour shift. And keep in mind that I only get to keep 40% of my tips, because I have to tip the bartender, the busser, and the many meat servers. So my total in tips was around $235. But that's just a side dish, if I may use a food analogy. If it doesn't work out, it'll leave me with a little less money, but certainly more time.

What matters is the new school job. How am I feeling at the moment? Well after ten days, I cautiously think there is a future for me. Mostly, I'll be working with military students. One of the reasons I have confidence it will work is the management is hands on but supportive. Our campus president is very interested and has a lot of energy. The two financial aid managers are very straight forward and are going to make sure I get this down. The bad part is I have no paid time off until at least mid-February. But it's a price I have to pay.

Wal-Mart experience

I don't think I stepped into a Wal-Mart until my later teenage years, and most likely, it was out of necessity when I went on one of my many trips. May have been a missions trip or a vacation, I don't know. But I can safely say I've never quite had an experience like I did this past Saturday.

It started out innocently enough, not giving any money to a cause nodding at the greeter, and getting the items I had come for like cream cheese, yogurt, lemonade, and beans. Then, it was time to head over the hardware and sporting good sections; I was looking for zip ties and a headband. I'm walking down the aisle just minding my own business when all of a sudden, a guy walking with his kid stops me and smiles, shakes my hand, and immediately, I'm thinking...what is going on here? I have to remember that I'm in the south. He wound up inviting me to his church and to an event that evening called Saturday Night Extreme, which was sort of what Saturday Night Live would be if it was done in church. I explained I was busy but I do appreciate churches that get creative in their presentations. I found out later that this church does street preaching every Saturday at 10 am.

So I took his card and went over to the next aisle. There were about five guys in that aisle, and the guy who I would be chatting with soon joined them. So right away, I knew they were all together from this particular church. They were casually passing a toy football around. One of the guys took a 3 step drop towards me, he was maybe three feet away from me, and he gave me a quick look and said two dreaded words.

"I'm Brady."

That was all I needed to hear. I slapped the football down from his hand, looked right at him, and casually but firmly said, "F Brady." The other guys left, leaving just me and him. Now he was a decent sized guy, he is actually in the Navy, so he'd probably whip my ass. I explained I was a die hard Jets fan, and he admitted to me that he was a fair weather fan between the Jaguars, Cowboys, and Patriots. He also explained that he starting rooting for New England because of a girl he was dating at the time. My immediate response was to question the girl's intelligence and decision making.

We wound up talking for about 20 minutes and exchanged numbers at the end. I'm not sure that we'll communicate, but it went pretty well. I'm not sure how to feel about the church, just because I'm so uncomfortable with outreach. Maybe I'll visit one time, but I'm not sure as of yet.

The fun was just beginning. I get my zip ties, but not the headband, and I get on line. I'm behind 3 carts and they moved so slowly, so I called my father and told him what had just happened. Our conversation lasted ten minutes and I was still waiting. The person right before me was some 50 year old weathered looking Southern woman with a sharp mountain accent. She was trying to use a business check and it wouldn't process. The manager came over and still couldn't get it to work. I groaned, and the woman said "Sir, be patient, sometimes things don't always work." I ignored her, feeling it wasn't worth it to engage. The cashier and manager asked if she had another method of payment and she angrily responded that she used the business check every week and she was never going to shop at Wal-Mart again. She pushed her cart away in disgust.

And I don't know why I said this, but I just casually said, "And you wanted me to be patient." Her response was to yell at me, "Shut the hell up asshole." I just really pitied her. I couldn't not say anything, but I was not going to let myself get angry. I just said, "God bless you too!" She walked away and the cashier rang up my order. We just couldn't get over how rude she was. I admit to having a temper, but in that setting, to insult someone personally like that? Pretty sad.

Walking out of the store, everything came together. First, I had to make sure this crazy woman wasn't waiting to beat me down or anything. Thankfully, I didn't see her. But I'm walking back to the car and a guy is passing me slowly in his car, looking for a spot. He had a NY Jets license plate frame. I had him pull down his window and told him about the Virginia Jets Fans club. So who knows, maybe I helped the club to grow!

Sunday reflections

1) I had three Yelp Fit Club workouts in three days during the course of last week. Tuesday was yoga, followed by Explosive Performance at a new One Life gym on Wednesday, and it culminated with Muay Thai on Thursday. The yoga really didn't do anything for me, it was a little too meditative. Sure I felt a little more relaxed afterwards, but I didn't feel al that enlightened, and certainly not challenged. The EP focused a lot on conditioning and functional strength. There was a lot of power moves, squats, lunges, and even a sled race relay at the end. It was a load of fun and I would definitely want to do this again. Muay Thai was a radically new experience for me. I've done some kickboxing classes in the past and I took karate for a few months when I was a little kid. Truth be told, I never gravitated to them. But I really liked how this style requires balance, concentration, technique, and energy. Not only that, but it's one hell of a stress reliever. And unlike in kickboxing, I didn't have to spend the entire time pounding those heavy bags. My partner, Rachel, did a great job with her strikes. I could tell she had a little experience as soon as I saw that she had brought her own gloves along. We really clicked in terms of coaching each other, positioning the pads, and timing our strikes. I would definitely do this more often, but when it's an hour away without traffic and the prices are rather prohibitive, I just can't justify it.

2) My Sunday night is being spent watching Ken Burns' documentary from 18 years ago about jazz music. Looks like I'll get through the first two episodes of the ten part series. I'm not an expert on jazz at all, but after watching his baseball series so many years ago, I figured it would be a good way for me to learn about a genre of music that is distinctly American. And maybe I'll discover some artists that I didn't know about.

3) Bub n Pops in DC. I cannot visit the city without stopping in there. They may just be the best sandwich joint I've ever been to, along with Defonte's in Brooklyn and Graziano's in Chicago. They just can't make a bad sandwich. The roast pork, the brisket, the Italian, the Jewish hero. Just unbelievable quality.

4) I think it's time for me to purchase a TV set for the first time. Most likely, I'll be buying it at Costco. On the surface, there doesn't seem to be much to do except check the price tag and the inches. But upon further research, I'm learning about HDR, pixels, HDMI ports, etc. I see some sets that have Wi-Fi capabilities and I can hardly imagine how that would work. I'm currently watching a 32 incher and the one I have that is all but dead is a 37 inch. I've been seeing articles that insist on a 55 inch or a 65 inch, but I believe I'd be satisfied with a set over 40 inches.

5) I'm disgusted with my apartment complex, specifically the business practices of the agents. Not only did they raise my rent by $125 per month (would have been $225 if I did a 6 month lease instead of a 12 month lease), but they won't even negotiate. This in spite of me quitting my job and now having a new one which pays a little bit less than what I was making. So why don't I just move? There's really two reasons why I'm leaning towards staying. One, my new job is five minutes from this apartment. Two, I don't want to go through the aggravation of moving. But I gave them notice two weeks ago that I was leaving since they insisted on it. Now that my work situation has shifted, I'm hoping I can stay. Yet, I'm still waiting to hear back from the leasing office. So annoying.