We are back from Europe, suffering from jet lag and not enough sleep. Here are some impressions I'm left with as a result of our trip. Let's start with really trivial things. At the end of the cruise we flew from Athens to Paris. In Paris we were driven to the Trianon Palace, a Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Versailles outside of Paris. There were black limos and people who looked like security around the outside of the hotel. Inside, a…
The ship is docked in Corsica on our fourth day of cruising on the Seabourn Sojourn. It is Friday May 16th about 3:30 PM. We sailed on Tuesday afternoon from Barcelona Spain to closeby Palomas Spain on our first day. From there we went to St Tropez France. It was a memorable trip at night with huge seas and winds up to 50 mph. Very rough and apparently the worst storm the crew has experienced in some time. We made…
The ship is docked in Corsica on our fourth day of cruising on the Seabourn Sojourn. It is Friday May 16th about 3:30 PM. We sailed on Tuesday afternoon from Barcelona Spain to closeby Palomas Spain on our first day. From there we went to St Tropez France. It was a memorable trip at night with huge seas and winds up to 50 mph. Very rough and apparently the worst storm the crew has experienced in some time. We made…
The ship is docked in Corsica on our fourth day of cruising on the Seabourn Sojourn. It is Friday May 16th about 3:30 PM. We sailed on Tuesday afternoon from Barcelona Spain to closeby Palomas Spain on our first day. From there we went to St Tropez France. It was a memorable trip at night with huge seas and winds up to 50 mph. Very rough and apparently the worst storm the crew has experienced in some time. We made…
lita and I leave this Saturday, "God willing and the creek don't rise" – as Hank Williams was fond of saying. We will be on the Seabourn Sojourn. This is the second of the line's new class of ships. She was built in Italy and launched in 2010. This ship is 650 feet long and has capacity for 450 passengers. All of the rooms are ocean view and most with balconies. There are 330 crew members and 225 cabins with eight…
I was sworn in as an attorney in 1959. After 55 years of representing people, and not corporations, I have retired from the practice of law. My wife Lita, who has been my law partner as well, has retired with me. Today is the first day of our change in our life work. We have never played golf and don't plan to start, but we have many unfinished and planned projects to occupy us. It's been a great privilege representing…
Last Sunday the Catholic Church canonized to new Saints: Pope John 23rd and John Paul the 2nd. These were two very different pontiffs. The easier one for me to evaluate was John who was so clearly a holy and decent man. There are a large numnber of Catholics who are John Paul supporters and who believe him to be worthy of sainthood. There are also a large number, including me, with serious reservations about naming him a saint. So, to…
This week there was a cloud of rain that moved across the water towards our house followed by a heavy rain. When it finally stopped the sun broke through and there was an amazing rainbow in bright colors starting at the water level at the end of Vashon Island and curving through the sky to a point a mile away where it ended in the water as well. We came out for a better view and after enjoying the unusual sight…
I probably should report the status of my recent problem when my knee replacement joint gave out requiring surgery to replace a broken piece. It wasn't a huge problem to repair, but required opening the knee to do it. The result is that I am now recovering from the knee surgery with minimal rehab. I can walk on it and have no pain, but I use a walker as a precaution until released by the doctor. I'm grateful it wasn't something…
I've managed to damage the interior of one of my artificial knee joints. As a result I will have surgery this week on the knee. We won't know the seriousness until the surgeon takes a look. I won't be posting for a while as a result. In the meantime, here is Emily Dickinson's poem (1830-1886) entitled Surgeons Must Be Very Careful: "Surgeons must be very careful When they take the knife! Underneath their fine incisions Stirs the Culprit—Life!"
