The last six weeks have been very busy.  On December 16^th we left Bloomingdale to drive to NYC for Andrew and Krissy’s reception and Christmas.  We decided to go as far as the PA border on Route 80 and stay overnight.   Since we had taken Ernie with us the choice of hotels, we could stay at was limited.   We ended up in a Quality Inn in Hermitage, PA which rightfully should have been called the NO Quality Inn.   One whole wall was raw, untaped, unpainted sheetrock.  The shower was so disgusting I refused to use it.  We had been in the car for about 10 hours and I was in no mood to work through the situation so I slept in as much clothing as I could and prayed Ernie did not pick up fleas.

The next day we arrived in New Jersey and stayed at a quaint Airbnb that was in a home from the late 1880’s.  We were in the housekeeper’s rooms and there was an old call box on the wall.   The lighting was really nice, perhaps old Tiffany fixtures, as was the view.  It was literally 10 minutes from all my NJ relatives.  We had dinner with my sister-in-law Marie and this is where my troubles began.  We went to a restaurant I really liked and there was bread I really liked, and pizza I really like and a salad I really like and I really like, ate too much.

Wednesday, we relaxed and then had dinner with a cousin and Marie.  It was nice catching up. Again, we had too much food and cookies and donuts and I really like, ate too much.

Thursday, I met a friend from high school, Kathleen and her husband Jay who has decided at this late stage of life he would prefer to be called Wolfe, like some exotic Swede so of course we are all calling him Wolfe now.  Think fur coat and dark sunglasses.   We had a great time and laughed all afternoon.  We were at The Molly Pitcher Restaurant and can you guess, I really like, ate too much.    

Friday, we went to Queens to stay near Andrew and Krissy.  Laura and her family were staying there with Andrew and we stayed at a nearby hotel.   Krissy’s family was in the same hotel so we had some time to spend with them at coffee shops and other activities.  Friday after we checked in Jerry and I took the subway to Manhattan and to Rockefeller Center where I worked in my early twenties.   I lot has changed since I worked there and it was so crowded but I did want to see the tree I could see from my office window.  I spent the day “sampling” foods I miss.  We never ate a full meal, but I ate more than I usually do in a day.

Saturday, December 21^st was the reception and the day started with Laura and I going to have our hair fixed.   When we left it was so windy and freezing cold! Most of the styling was gone by time I arrived at Andrew and Krissy’s for makeup.   Krissy knows many people and two of her friends are professional makeup artists and wow how they made my eyes look amazing.  It was so fun being pampered.  Then back to the hotel to dress and wait for the van to take all of us to Brooklyn for the reception.  

There are no pictures of the bride – who looked amazing in her custom-made dress or the groom or anything!  Phones were forbidden and if Andrew saw you with a phone, he literally called you out and told you to put it away.  You also got called out if you were not sitting at your assigned table.  I don’t like to get in trouble so, I have no pictures and stayed in my seat.  The food was amazing and plentiful and I just had to at least try everything served.  I can hear you saying so you really like, ate too much and you would be right.

Sunday, Jerry, Krissy’s parent and I went to St. Patrick’s Cathedral for Mass, I created a mix-up since we were going to take the train but the train, we took on Friday does not run on Sunday so by time I realized it was not coming we were late to church.  It was really late and when we arrived it was hard to find a seat.  The whole place was packed.  After Mass, we split up since Krissy’s stepmom knew some people in NYC they wanted to meet for lunch.   We all got back together again at Andrew’s and were served home made pizza and lots of deserts which include cannoli, my favorite.   Krissy’s family had come in from southern CA and the cold was shocking to them.  If I remember it was in the 20’s.  It had been in the 40’s to 50’s on Thursday and dropped a lot over the weekend.  The breeze (think gale force winds) off the East River didn’t help anything.

Monday Krissy’s family went back to CA and people started to get sick.  My son-in-law Alex was the first to become sick.  He did not join anyone on Sunday and slept most of the time everyone was there and had food and drink delivered to him, turned out he had the flu and pneumonia.   Monday morning Jerry and I met Laura and the kids for breakfast.  After breakfast we left to go back to NJ and met my cousin for lunch, then back to the AirBnB where Jerry promptly went to sleep.  

The next day Tuesday, was Christmas Eve and we went to urgent care and Jerry had the flu and received some medication.   Later that day, my nephew Danny and his whole family were sick.  Christmas Eve dinner was at my nephew Bryan’s home and they were worried they would not have enough chairs.  We were down 6 guests so not a problem.  Danny loves just about every sport you can think of and follows UK football.   Theo has been interested in UK football so I was telling him about his mom’s cousin who likes football and how he should talk to him.   While we were at Bryan’s, Theo comes over to me and says, I talked to mommy’s cousin and he didn’t know anything about football.   I said, oh, I’m sorry Theo this is not the football cousin but the one who is sick and did not come is.  Theo said, ok grandma, it was very disappointing to talk to this cousin because he knows nothing about football.

Christmas Day Jerry and I were to go to Andrew and Krissy’s for dinner.  Jerry was still sick so instead of driving in I took the car to the NJ transit station and took the train to Penn Station and then to Queens.  It was a quiet day and Theo, Penny and I were able to play a lot.   I love when they laugh, even if it is mostly at my expense.  We watched a bit of Home Alone 2 and laughed but one of the adults said, now don’t do that yourself, quite a bit.

Thursday was to be a visit with my brother-in-law and nephew and niece, but too many people in the group were sick and by this time Laura had the flu, so it was cancelled.   At about 9 am Jerry and I decided there was no reason to just hang around and we should start home.   He could not drive since he could not keep his eyes open.   Once I started driving, I decided might as well finish it up and sleep in my own bed and we were home by about 11 Chicago time, 15 hours in the car.  

It was great to see everyone and I would do it again and not fly, but will find a hotel before we are on the road to replace the NO Quality Inn.

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After being home for just a week, on Saturday January 4^th we left for Ft. Lauderdale.   We stayed in a very crowded Garden Inn that probably does a great business the day before cruises leave and no other time.  The place was packed with cruise guests.  Sunday morning when we left, you couldn’t find a place to stand to wait for your cab, but it was sunny and 70* and we had left Chicago it was in the 20’s so no problem!

We boarded the ship and walked around to find where everything was and at 3pm music started and didn’t stop until Saturday, Jan 11 at 11pm.  We saw 4 shows on Sunday until we couldn’t keep our eyes open and fell into bed and so it went each day. 

Tuesday we were in Key West and disembarked and took a trolley tour around the island.  We also toured the Winter White House of Harry Truman and it was used by other presidents for various reasons, like a meeting before the Cuban Missile Crisis that I spent in the basement of 135 Penn Avenue because my mother thought we would be protected from the bombs coming to NYC.   The real problem was there was no bathroom in the basement and every time I went upstairs to the bathroom I thought – will this be the time they will drop the bomb?  It was less than a month to my 8^th birthday.

Even with going on shore, we managed to see four shows that day.  Wednesday was an at sea day and we were able to see six shows and some talks.  Thursday the ship was in Belize and we chose to stay aboard.  We saw five shows and talked to a lot of artists and other cruisers.  

Friday we were in Cozumel we went on a tour to see some Myan Ruins and to a chocolate shop.  They showed us how they ground the coco beans and what they add to make the chocolate.   My complaint was not enough free samples.   We also briefly stopped at the beach. 

Saturday was our last day and it was a full cruising day.  It was our last day to see anyone we missed and we stayed for half a show and then went to another one, there was always two shows going on the same time.  We saw about 10 artists that day.

There was also a painter on board.  His name is Frenchy and while a show is on – about 75 minutes he paints a complete picture of the band, some were sold and others were auctioned for different New Orleans charities.   It was a lot of fun to watch him.

The ship was a bit rocky on Tuesday and Jerry had a bit of motion sickness, but he hydrated and got some sea sick pills and was back in action soon.   The artists talked about how the ship was rocking and it was throwing their timing off since it was not it the musical time of the song. 

Holland America had good food and we enjoyed our meals and the buffet was not like other ships I have been on, admittedly the last cruise I was on was with Laura and Alex about 8 years ago and before COVID.   I never liked eating at the buffet since people touch things.   All the stations on the ship were behind glass, you could see your choices but there were several servers that got what you asked for.  It moved really quick.   The ice cream was really good and soft and creamy like Culver’s custard.   I loved it – three flavors every day and no repeats.   One of the performers said he loves playing a cruise because where else can you have ice cream six times a day.   I never made it to six times but consistently made it to two, several times three and once four.  No surprise from when we left December 16^th to January 13^th I gained 4 pounds.   Back on Weight Watchers with a vengeance.  I think just because I am no longer having ice cream, I have dropped one of those pounds.

Here are some videos and pictures I took.

Along with the music it was a great people watching opportunity.  There was one man who caught my eye because he looked like my cousin Thomas and was short like me.   Then I noticed he was always dancing with complete abandon.  I thought surely, he must be drunk, but I watched and he was drinking water and soda with an occasional beer so not drunk.   I kept staring at him and eventually he was staring at me.  The last night I was dancing and he came and danced next to me.  When the music was over, I said to him I am sorry I have been staring at you all week, but you look just like my cousin.  He laughed and I asked him where he was from and he said CA.  I said we are all from the east coast.  But he did look like he could be related to us.   I said also, you are always dancing and you are so free and express so much joy it is fun to just see you.  Of course, I was talking with my hands and they were moving all over the place.  He grabbed my hands and said, thank you that means a lot that you said that.   I wished him a safe return to his home and he wished the same to me and I walked away.   After he left, I thought, maybe he really was a cousin.   In the mid sixties one of my dad’s uncle’s, my grandmother’s brother and his whole family moved to CA and his uncle had grandchildren my age.  What would be the odd’s that I run into a cousin on a blues music trip?   Wish I had asked more questions, here he is in action.

Two and a half weeks to London.