Saturday, October 8, 2016
Idle thoughts
Now that I have cleared up a lot of web space by condensing my photos on Google I will be able to post on this blog a lot more.
So here are some idle thoughts for Oct 8, 2016
1. Is anyone still following the US election smut campaign - how any woman can still support Donald after the video from yesterday is beyond me. Enough said.
2. Vancouver Canucks - Jim and I have purchased a half season pack - both think it will be a very interesting and hopefully not a long frustrating season - if they stay healthy we feel they have a shot at the playoffs - if they suffer key injuries to the key core it will be a long season because while the youth movement has started they aren't for the most part seasoned enough to step in and provide the needed leadership.
3. My volunteering - I continue to volunteer for many events - this weekend - Sunday and Monday I am helping with the Turkey Trot race on Granville Island but for the most part until I return from my fall cruise and holiday in mid-November don't have a lot planned.
That's all for now.
Boston to New Orleans Oct 28, 2016 to Nov 11, 2016 -
In less than two weeks I will heading out of Vancouver with my ultimate destination being Boston where I will board the Norwegian Dawn and set sail for a 14 day Caribbean cruise and end up in New Orleans - at least that is the plan but it's hurricane season so some of the ports etc could change depending on where the active storms are.
I have been lucky over the years on these repo cruises - while there has been storm activity in the region we have not missed a scheduled port or being rerouted.
Stops on this cruise are San Juan, Puerto Rico, Bonaire, Aruba, Curacao, Ocho Rios, Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Cozumel, Mexico - all except Bonaire I have visited before.
As this will likely be my last long distance east coast cruise - this old body can't take the 4 - 5 day train trip both ways and since I don't fly there aren't a lot of ways to get to the east coast ports - I am taking a somewhat circuitous route to get there.
Amtrak train will be my main form of transportation to Boston and home from New Orleans.
Here's a brief outline of how the train trip will unfold - Vancouver to Seattle to Chicago to Buffalo where I will transfer to the Maple Leaf Service and head for Toronto - two night - one day stay there then it's off to Montreal for an overnight stay and then the train to NYC - overnight there and then the Northeast Regional to Boston - only coming in the night before the cruise - for some reason and partly because of the low Canadian $$$ the hotel rooms in Boston were around $250 - $300 US so I couldn't justify more than one night.
New Orleans streetcars are always fun to ride.
Hotels rooms were also very expensive here - partly because it's the Nov 11th holiday weekend and also because there is a large convention in town. I was able to get the Drury Inn - a very desirable hotel for cruisers using my RBC Rewards points.
After arriving in LA I will take the Coast Starlighter up the coast to Seattle and then transfer to a bus to get me back to Vancouver early in the morning.
How am I coming with my preparation? Well it's a slow process for me - for some reason I haven't started to pack and I am less than two weeks from leaving.
One of the major challenges in packing for this cruise is the need for taking some colder weather clothes - Chicago, Toronto, etc can be cool in late October early November - as much as possible I want to check my main luggage but will still need the colder clothes on the train and at some of the stops along the way.
Don't know if I can fit the heavier clothes into my day pack and still have enough room for my toys - two cameras, one laptop, two cell phones - one for the US only - and there various chargers etc. + at least one change of clothes and a second pair of footwear.
One thing that helps is that I am leaving Vancouver in late October so can likely wear some of the bulkier items.
That's all for now.
Tuesday, March 8, 2016
The condo is sold and I am now renting
I had been entertaining the idea of selling my downtown condo for some time and almost put it up for sale before Christmas but choose to hold off.
I know some people question why you would want to get rid of one of your biggest assets in retirement but there were a couple of factors at play.
While my pensions were providing me with enough to live on each month they weren't providing enough for the longer holidays etc - also when I started down the retirement road some 10 years ago the markets were providing a much larger return on their investments than they are now - so I have been using some of the equity in my condo to finance the cruises etc.
My condo building is coming up to 40 years old and will need to be upgraded and renewed over the next three to five years - there were likely to be several significant assessments over that period of time - all of which I would need to use the equity to pay for.
That in itself isn't necessarily a bad thing - if the market continues to grow etc - but that is a big if - some were predicting a market correction here in Vancouver. etc.
Also while my health is okay now - okay I have the usual aging problems - hearing loss, cataracts etc I don't have any major life threatening or altering issues BUT you never know when that could happen.
I didn't want to be stuck in a situation where a health issue arises, there is a bad real estate market etc., etc., etc.,
So in early February I called an old real estate friend that I knew from my working days at the Y - we discussed the situation on Wednesday, agreed on a price and he arranged an open house for the Sunday - over 100 people viewed it - three offers were tendered on Monday - I accepted the middle one - only $1000.00 less than the highest but there were no subject clauses and it was still $6000.00 over asking.
It also was a month end closing so I needed to get a place to rent - while I could have rented in a condo building I choose to go with an all rental building - still in the downtown core - about 6 blocks from my old place - it's closer to the shopping core - I am 17 stories up in the sky - in a roomy 580 sq. ft one bedroom apartment with views to the south east and around to the northwest as it is a corner unit.
The move in when fine - I will be able to pay for about 80% of my rent from the proceeds of the sale and with a saving on condo fees and a friend repaying a private loan it takes very little from my monthly budget and will still have monies available for trips etc for many years to come.
So for the first time really in my adult life - except for one year in the 70's - I am not a home owner but a renter - my new place is managed by a large rental management firm and if first impressions mean anything I am very impressed on how they manage the building.
Since moving in I am heard almost no noise from either the suite above or below me.
I also have a built in washer and dryer, a large balcony - can't barbecue but there is a barbecue area on a lower floor - I have a good parking spot - a large storage locker and a good secure bike storage.
So the next chapter in my life is unfolding and it's time to say Cheers!
I know some people question why you would want to get rid of one of your biggest assets in retirement but there were a couple of factors at play.
While my pensions were providing me with enough to live on each month they weren't providing enough for the longer holidays etc - also when I started down the retirement road some 10 years ago the markets were providing a much larger return on their investments than they are now - so I have been using some of the equity in my condo to finance the cruises etc.
My condo building is coming up to 40 years old and will need to be upgraded and renewed over the next three to five years - there were likely to be several significant assessments over that period of time - all of which I would need to use the equity to pay for.
That in itself isn't necessarily a bad thing - if the market continues to grow etc - but that is a big if - some were predicting a market correction here in Vancouver. etc.
Also while my health is okay now - okay I have the usual aging problems - hearing loss, cataracts etc I don't have any major life threatening or altering issues BUT you never know when that could happen.
I didn't want to be stuck in a situation where a health issue arises, there is a bad real estate market etc., etc., etc.,
So in early February I called an old real estate friend that I knew from my working days at the Y - we discussed the situation on Wednesday, agreed on a price and he arranged an open house for the Sunday - over 100 people viewed it - three offers were tendered on Monday - I accepted the middle one - only $1000.00 less than the highest but there were no subject clauses and it was still $6000.00 over asking.
It also was a month end closing so I needed to get a place to rent - while I could have rented in a condo building I choose to go with an all rental building - still in the downtown core - about 6 blocks from my old place - it's closer to the shopping core - I am 17 stories up in the sky - in a roomy 580 sq. ft one bedroom apartment with views to the south east and around to the northwest as it is a corner unit.
The move in when fine - I will be able to pay for about 80% of my rent from the proceeds of the sale and with a saving on condo fees and a friend repaying a private loan it takes very little from my monthly budget and will still have monies available for trips etc for many years to come.
So for the first time really in my adult life - except for one year in the 70's - I am not a home owner but a renter - my new place is managed by a large rental management firm and if first impressions mean anything I am very impressed on how they manage the building.
Since moving in I am heard almost no noise from either the suite above or below me.
I also have a built in washer and dryer, a large balcony - can't barbecue but there is a barbecue area on a lower floor - I have a good parking spot - a large storage locker and a good secure bike storage.
So the next chapter in my life is unfolding and it's time to say Cheers!
Friday, January 22, 2016
Just some dribble on a rainy day in the City.
January has had it share of rainy days and with little in the way of volunteering I have been busy planning my fall 14 day Boston to New Orleans repositioning cruise.
With the Canadian dollar in the tank - although it has rebounded a little bit the last couple of days - it is still adding to my costs significantly.
As most of you know nowadays most credit cards etc have rewards etc so I started to explore what I might be able to use for this trip - without getting into all the details I was able to book a hotel room in New Orleans with bank rewards - still enough for one more night in either Toronto or Montreal - also have some Air Miles that can get me a night in either of those two cities - only thing I don't like about Air Miles is that you have to pay the taxes and a booking fee so it isn't totally free,
Next I turned my attention to my Amtrak Guest Rewards - this is where I achieved a good saving - was able to book the Los Angeles to Vancouver part of the return trip entirely using points - includes a sleeper on the LA to Seattle part - that saved me over $300.00 US.
So the only things remaining to do is the hotel room in Toronto for 2 nights and one night in Montreal.
Still waiting for the cruise line to list the excursions for the cruise this fall - particularly interested in what they are offering for Bonaire which is the one port that I haven't been too before.
More later.
D
With the Canadian dollar in the tank - although it has rebounded a little bit the last couple of days - it is still adding to my costs significantly.
As most of you know nowadays most credit cards etc have rewards etc so I started to explore what I might be able to use for this trip - without getting into all the details I was able to book a hotel room in New Orleans with bank rewards - still enough for one more night in either Toronto or Montreal - also have some Air Miles that can get me a night in either of those two cities - only thing I don't like about Air Miles is that you have to pay the taxes and a booking fee so it isn't totally free,
Next I turned my attention to my Amtrak Guest Rewards - this is where I achieved a good saving - was able to book the Los Angeles to Vancouver part of the return trip entirely using points - includes a sleeper on the LA to Seattle part - that saved me over $300.00 US.
So the only things remaining to do is the hotel room in Toronto for 2 nights and one night in Montreal.
Still waiting for the cruise line to list the excursions for the cruise this fall - particularly interested in what they are offering for Bonaire which is the one port that I haven't been too before.
More later.
D
Wednesday, December 30, 2015
To cruise or not to cruise?
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that I like to cruise - so why you ask would I be asking such a question in the title page.
Well you see - there is this thing called the Canadian $$$ - and well like lately it has been in the tank - dropping almost daily in value - it has long been associated with the price of oil and despite gas prices not dropping enough we all know what has happened to the price of a barrel of oil - it is in the tank as well and no pun intended - so you get the connection.
In other words - it is now costly me almost 35 - 40 % more to cruise than a couple of years ago.
While cruise lines do allow you to pay in Canadian $$ at a discounted rate - the rest of my expenses - hotels, train rides, excursions etc have to be paid in US $$$.
It should now be coming clearer why I have given this post that title.
I have two cruises currently booked.
1. A 10 Pacific Coastal in April and
2. A 14 day Caribbean repo from Boston to New Orleans.
What are their future?
That is a question that I have been mulling for awhile and now the decision has been may.
I will be canceling #1 and doing #2.
While the dollar is a factor in the cancellation there are other factors also in play.
I will be having cataract surgery sometime in the New Year but may not know the dates before final payment date in early February.
I am also hoping to get hired once again by Stats Canada for the 2016 census - I have applied for both a supervisor and/or canvasser position.
If I get the former I will need to have the dates of the cruise available for training of workers etc. I am also unlikely to know the dates for this before final payment.
If I get either job it will provide me with some funds for the second cruise.
When I booked this repo almost two years ago it was partly because I don't know how many more years I am going to want to spend four or five days taking a train ride across the continent to take a cruise.
So I want this trip to be a little different - one way I can save on some costs is by taking Via Rail across Canada - when compared to Amtrak it looks like quite a bit more but when you factor in the exchange rate it is is more competitive plus I haven't used Via rail since my student days when I took it as far a Winnipeg for a convention.
I will take the train across Canada to Toronto and then onto Ottawa for a day tour and then to Montreal for a couple of days before taking the train to NYC - where I will overnight and then head to Boston the day before the cruise.
One major concern I found was finding a place to stay in Boston that wasn't $300.00 a night and that was before the exchange rate - I know I could stay in the outlying areas but there are challenges with that as well.
I finally found a place called "the Copley House - looks like it is a step up from a hostel and a step down from a B and B - but it is close to the Back Bay train station and many of the attractions in Boston.
For New York I will once again stay at the Vanderbilt YMCA - it's near the UN Building and Grand Central Station and an easy subway ride from Penn Station to the Y.
Next up - booking the train from Montreal to NYC and then from NYC to Boston.
More in 2016.
Cheers!
D
Well you see - there is this thing called the Canadian $$$ - and well like lately it has been in the tank - dropping almost daily in value - it has long been associated with the price of oil and despite gas prices not dropping enough we all know what has happened to the price of a barrel of oil - it is in the tank as well and no pun intended - so you get the connection.
In other words - it is now costly me almost 35 - 40 % more to cruise than a couple of years ago.
While cruise lines do allow you to pay in Canadian $$ at a discounted rate - the rest of my expenses - hotels, train rides, excursions etc have to be paid in US $$$.
It should now be coming clearer why I have given this post that title.
I have two cruises currently booked.
1. A 10 Pacific Coastal in April and
2. A 14 day Caribbean repo from Boston to New Orleans.
What are their future?
That is a question that I have been mulling for awhile and now the decision has been may.
I will be canceling #1 and doing #2.
While the dollar is a factor in the cancellation there are other factors also in play.
I will be having cataract surgery sometime in the New Year but may not know the dates before final payment date in early February.
I am also hoping to get hired once again by Stats Canada for the 2016 census - I have applied for both a supervisor and/or canvasser position.
If I get the former I will need to have the dates of the cruise available for training of workers etc. I am also unlikely to know the dates for this before final payment.
If I get either job it will provide me with some funds for the second cruise.
When I booked this repo almost two years ago it was partly because I don't know how many more years I am going to want to spend four or five days taking a train ride across the continent to take a cruise.
So I want this trip to be a little different - one way I can save on some costs is by taking Via Rail across Canada - when compared to Amtrak it looks like quite a bit more but when you factor in the exchange rate it is is more competitive plus I haven't used Via rail since my student days when I took it as far a Winnipeg for a convention.
I will take the train across Canada to Toronto and then onto Ottawa for a day tour and then to Montreal for a couple of days before taking the train to NYC - where I will overnight and then head to Boston the day before the cruise.
One major concern I found was finding a place to stay in Boston that wasn't $300.00 a night and that was before the exchange rate - I know I could stay in the outlying areas but there are challenges with that as well.
I finally found a place called "the Copley House - looks like it is a step up from a hostel and a step down from a B and B - but it is close to the Back Bay train station and many of the attractions in Boston.
For New York I will once again stay at the Vanderbilt YMCA - it's near the UN Building and Grand Central Station and an easy subway ride from Penn Station to the Y.
Next up - booking the train from Montreal to NYC and then from NYC to Boston.
More in 2016.
Cheers!
D
Thursday, October 8, 2015
Canadian election Oct 19, 2015 - My thoughts
RE:Canadian Election - some thoughts
What do I think will be the outcome? - it will be a minority government - no one party will have 170 seats and none are likely to be close to that number.
Which party will have the most seats and is likely to be asked to try and form a government? At one time any of the three major parties appeared through polling etc to have a chance with emerging with the most seats.
All three main parties have they geographical strong points - the Liberals in the East sans Quebec, the Conservatives in the West and parts of Ontario and the NDP in Quebec and somewhat in Ontario and BC.
In the last week or two the NDP campaign seems to have faltered and their support for the most part seems to have moved to the Liberals and as of this morning many of the polling firms have the the Conservatives and the Liberals neck and neck in the popular vote and the Conservatives with a slight lead in the seat count.
Some of my political friends feel the Liberals will come out on top and one even suggests a Liberal majority. I have one die in the wool Young Conservative who volunteers at the BC Lions games who still thinks the Conservative will win a majority.
Having studied the parties, platforms, polls etc over the past weeks I still can't determine whether Harper will still be Prime Minister with a minority or Trudeau will follow in his dad's footstep and be Prime Minister elect.
However since I am used to having egg on my face and tears in my eyes over wrong predictions I will predict that Justin Trudeau and the Liberals will end up with the most seats.
Let the flaming begin.
Cheers
Postscript - well I did predict the Liberals winning and i did say they would have the most seats - so I will gloat and say that i got it right this time.
Cheers!
What do I think will be the outcome? - it will be a minority government - no one party will have 170 seats and none are likely to be close to that number.
Which party will have the most seats and is likely to be asked to try and form a government? At one time any of the three major parties appeared through polling etc to have a chance with emerging with the most seats.
All three main parties have they geographical strong points - the Liberals in the East sans Quebec, the Conservatives in the West and parts of Ontario and the NDP in Quebec and somewhat in Ontario and BC.
In the last week or two the NDP campaign seems to have faltered and their support for the most part seems to have moved to the Liberals and as of this morning many of the polling firms have the the Conservatives and the Liberals neck and neck in the popular vote and the Conservatives with a slight lead in the seat count.
Some of my political friends feel the Liberals will come out on top and one even suggests a Liberal majority. I have one die in the wool Young Conservative who volunteers at the BC Lions games who still thinks the Conservative will win a majority.
Having studied the parties, platforms, polls etc over the past weeks I still can't determine whether Harper will still be Prime Minister with a minority or Trudeau will follow in his dad's footstep and be Prime Minister elect.
However since I am used to having egg on my face and tears in my eyes over wrong predictions I will predict that Justin Trudeau and the Liberals will end up with the most seats.
Let the flaming begin.
Cheers
Postscript - well I did predict the Liberals winning and i did say they would have the most seats - so I will gloat and say that i got it right this time.
Cheers!
Saturday, September 5, 2015
Upcoming cruise
In two weeks I will once again be back at sea - doing a 10 day Alaskan cruise starting in Seattle and ending up in Vancouver.
I will take the train down to Seattle and stay overnight - hope to meet up with Hazel who lives in the area and do a little exploring and then have dinner somewhere.
Next day board the Norwegian Jewel and join up with a group called the Cruzin Cuzins - I know some of them from previous cruises and they were on my Boston to New Orleans repo cruise last year.
The port of call will be Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Sitka, Icy Strait Point and Victoria.
I have been to all of these ports except Icy Strait - although it as been many years since I was in Sitka.
This is one of the last Alaskan cruise of the season and hopefully the weather won't be too bad.
Regardless with all the volunteer work I have done the last few months including almost 100 hours in August I will be glad to be able to take a step back and relax.
I haven't booked any excursions partly because NCL unlike Princess requires payment at time of booking and partly with the Canadian $$ in the tank it has added an additional 30 % to the cost so I am likely to just do things on my own.
Weather permitting I want to return to the Mendenhall Glacier and do the short hike to Nugget Falls - about 1 mile from the Visitor's Center.
While I have brought up the suitcase and printed off the packing list I haven't really started to put anything into it.
More later.
D
I will take the train down to Seattle and stay overnight - hope to meet up with Hazel who lives in the area and do a little exploring and then have dinner somewhere.
Next day board the Norwegian Jewel and join up with a group called the Cruzin Cuzins - I know some of them from previous cruises and they were on my Boston to New Orleans repo cruise last year.
The port of call will be Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Sitka, Icy Strait Point and Victoria.
I have been to all of these ports except Icy Strait - although it as been many years since I was in Sitka.
This is one of the last Alaskan cruise of the season and hopefully the weather won't be too bad.
Regardless with all the volunteer work I have done the last few months including almost 100 hours in August I will be glad to be able to take a step back and relax.
I haven't booked any excursions partly because NCL unlike Princess requires payment at time of booking and partly with the Canadian $$ in the tank it has added an additional 30 % to the cost so I am likely to just do things on my own.
Weather permitting I want to return to the Mendenhall Glacier and do the short hike to Nugget Falls - about 1 mile from the Visitor's Center.
While I have brought up the suitcase and printed off the packing list I haven't really started to put anything into it.
More later.
D
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
FIFA and me
I am currently volunteering for the FIFA Women's World Cup that is been hosted by 6 cities across Canada.
Vancouver is considered the hub city for the tournament - that is where the officials etc are based and then dispatched to the various cities as there expertise is required - referees, doping, media etc.
My basic job has been in the transport area - airport arrivals, departures and game day shuttling between the hotel and the stadium.
When an event of this size and scope is planned many assumptions are made usually using the worst case scenario as the planning tool. This is particularly true in the area of transport and as a result we have on many days far more drivers than assignments so some different roles were offered to us.
Many of the drivers have jobs, family or sport commitments so they can't take extra shifts.
I of course don't fit that criteria so I volunteered to help out in the area of media relations - there are two aspects to that - practices at the practice fields and game day.
For security reasons I won't mention the practice field sites but basically we are to ensure that the protocol in place is followed as per team instructions - teams can have open or closed practices - if opened media have access on the field for the entire time - if closed - the first fifteen minutes they are allowed on the field and then at the end their is either a post practice news conference and/or individual request for an interview. The actual clearing of the field is done by the media liaison person for each team.
There is also a media tent with wi-fi and power - it is opened one hour prior to one hour after the practice - only media with proper ID are allowed on the site - they must show the accreditation and sign in.
The other part of the media task is game day - I got my first experience with this at Monday night's game between Japan and the Netherlands.
There are two main media areas at the stadium - broadcast - ie - on air radio and TV and print - I worked in the print area for that game.
But before I could do that there was the little matter of my own accreditation - our initial accreditation was issued on the basis of what we were approved and scheduled for.
I my case that was transport - media requires additional access so it was a quick trip to the accreditation trailer - a new picture and more access stickers - I was off to the media center and then up to media area.
While working transport we get a meal voucher from our base hotel to order from their room service menu - when doing the stadium we get a ticket and a catered meal is provided - water and pop from the sponsor is free and unlimited.
I was also lucky enough to get to see part of the Canada/Swiss game and did see the only goal of the game.
As for last night game - it was a clear view of the field from high up in the stadium.
I have a day off today and then return to driving tomorrow - at least that is what is scheduled.
Canada next plays on Saturday against England - because of some other commitments I didn't schedule myself to work that day but did buy a ticket for the game.
The game is a sellout so there will be around 54,000 screaming fans, mostly wearing Canada's red and white.
This is a just a little summary of my activities of late.
Cheers
Vancouver is considered the hub city for the tournament - that is where the officials etc are based and then dispatched to the various cities as there expertise is required - referees, doping, media etc.
My basic job has been in the transport area - airport arrivals, departures and game day shuttling between the hotel and the stadium.
When an event of this size and scope is planned many assumptions are made usually using the worst case scenario as the planning tool. This is particularly true in the area of transport and as a result we have on many days far more drivers than assignments so some different roles were offered to us.
Many of the drivers have jobs, family or sport commitments so they can't take extra shifts.
I of course don't fit that criteria so I volunteered to help out in the area of media relations - there are two aspects to that - practices at the practice fields and game day.
For security reasons I won't mention the practice field sites but basically we are to ensure that the protocol in place is followed as per team instructions - teams can have open or closed practices - if opened media have access on the field for the entire time - if closed - the first fifteen minutes they are allowed on the field and then at the end their is either a post practice news conference and/or individual request for an interview. The actual clearing of the field is done by the media liaison person for each team.
There is also a media tent with wi-fi and power - it is opened one hour prior to one hour after the practice - only media with proper ID are allowed on the site - they must show the accreditation and sign in.
The other part of the media task is game day - I got my first experience with this at Monday night's game between Japan and the Netherlands.
There are two main media areas at the stadium - broadcast - ie - on air radio and TV and print - I worked in the print area for that game.
But before I could do that there was the little matter of my own accreditation - our initial accreditation was issued on the basis of what we were approved and scheduled for.
I my case that was transport - media requires additional access so it was a quick trip to the accreditation trailer - a new picture and more access stickers - I was off to the media center and then up to media area.
While working transport we get a meal voucher from our base hotel to order from their room service menu - when doing the stadium we get a ticket and a catered meal is provided - water and pop from the sponsor is free and unlimited.
I was also lucky enough to get to see part of the Canada/Swiss game and did see the only goal of the game.
As for last night game - it was a clear view of the field from high up in the stadium.
I have a day off today and then return to driving tomorrow - at least that is what is scheduled.
Canada next plays on Saturday against England - because of some other commitments I didn't schedule myself to work that day but did buy a ticket for the game.
The game is a sellout so there will be around 54,000 screaming fans, mostly wearing Canada's red and white.
This is a just a little summary of my activities of late.
Cheers
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Cruise update and port report April 29, 2015
Well it has been a busy four days with visits to San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Catalina Island and Los Angeles.
We are now on our way back to Vancouver - we will spend the next 2.5 days cruising up the Pacific Coast, throught the Strait of Juan de Fuca and into Georgia Strait and Burrard Inlet before tying up at Canada Place.
I have taken lots of photograph but with the slow internet on the ship I will post those on my return.
Cheers!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Well today should be one of those days where you sit back and enjoy a day at sea - well fine in theory but in reality it is not all that enjoyable on board - we have heavy seas, high waves and the boat is root tootin rockin.
Hard to concentrate when you don't knwo nwhen the next major shake is going to occur - the Captain did warn us last night that it would be a rough day - the skies are sunny but there is a very strong persistent northerly wind.
I am sure that many people are feeling ill at ease and in the stomach as well.
Fortunately I haven't had problem with sea sickness in the pass so hoping to continue that string.
Tonight is formal night which menas that it will be the buffet for me and where is the buffet - up on deck 14 where the winds are most noticeable.
Unlike Norwegian when they have a dress up night they designate on the dining rooms for causal dressers - not so with Princess.
More later.
Cheers!
------------------------------------------------------------------------
A review of my ports:
1. Victoria - walked along the seashore to the Quadra street entrance to Beacon Hill Park and then explored park before heading into the downtown core. I stopped by the Legislature and went inside and looked around. There was a private function for the MLA's in the main rotunda. First time inside the building since the 1970's when I sat in the visitor's gallery and we were introduced by our MLA Garde Gardom as part of a visiting student Liberal delegation.
I did spot the office of my current MLA Sam Sullivan but didn't knock on the door.
Then proceeded along the waterfront to the houseboat marina and Barb's Fish and Chips.
The waterfront walk is now called the David Foster Heritage Walkway in honor of one of Victoria's more recent native sons.
Then it was back to the ship.
Weather - sunny, windy but cool.
2. San Francisco - lots to write about here but will only provide the highlites.
Once cleared of customs headed for the Embarcadero station and the "N" line train to Golden Gate Park - I started near the 6th Ave entrance and worked my way down to the Ocean Beach by 1:30 which was also my turn around time.
Back on the train and straight to the Golden Gate ferry for the 35 minute trip across to Sausalito to meet up with Adele and Cliff for dinner.
After dinner a brief walkabout and then back on the ferry and back to the ship.
The following morning I headed out early and walked all the way to Fort Mason - about 4 kms.
Then it was back on the ship for an early afternoon departure and we are headed for Santa Barbara.
Weather - mixed - started out nice then late afternoon and evening shower and then sunny for the sail away.
3. Santa Barbara - I wasn't originally going to do a ship's tour but onboard decided to do a tour to Montecito where many of the stars lived. It wasn't the tour that I hoped for - We saw none of there million dollar homes - only the gated entrance and long driveways.
After the tour I walked through the town taking in the Stearns Wharf and the Red Brick walking tour that I had downloaded from the internet. It was quite worthwhile.
Weather - Sunny and warm
4. Catalina Island - another ship's tour - I had been here once before so had seen some of the sights - today's tour would lead us pass some of the famous Wrigley family houses and up into the interior of the Island. We are travelling in an old 1953 bus that was in great condition and handled the nearly 20% grade without do much trouble.
Our first stop was a a bald eagle reserve near the Middle Ranch.
Our seciond stop was at an overlook looking down onto Little Harbour - beautiful pristine looking beach and apparently where the surfer's like to surf.
Our last stop was at the Airport in the Sky - would have liked more time here but as we were running late only time to grab a side of fries and a pop.
Back on the bus for return trip to town - then walked along the waterfront in both directions.
Weather is sunny and warm and my arms and newck are getting fried.
5. Los Angeles - we were originally suppose to dock at Long Beach at the Carnival dock next to the Queen Mary but the Captain announced the night before that because the gangway was having mechnical trouble we would dock in San Pedro instead.
For me this wasn't much of a concern as I had a 5 hour Los Angeles tour booked.
This was my best tour of the cruise.
We may our way through various neighbourhoods and Century City - pass the Fox studios - Beverly Hills and finally came to the Farmer's Market - this is a real tourist area and entertainment and upscale shopping destination. As we had an hour here it was our lunch stop as well. I ordered a burger combo and couldn't finished it.
I was joined on this tour by Charles and Phyllis McLean - I have known Charles for years when he was a member of the downtown Y - saw him on board on Day 2 and we have chatted a few times since.
Our next stop was at the Chinese Theatre - at Hollywood and Orange which is also where the Dolby Theatre is located - this is where the Oscars are presented. It was a fun stop - a little too short for some.
We continued to see the sights including the Capitol Records builkding at Hollywood and Vine before heading to our last stop at the Pueblo de Los Angeles - where LA was founded.
I had visited the area once before as it is only a couple blocks from Amtrak's Union Station.
Then it was through downtown LA, passed the Staples Center and back to the ship.
Weather was sunny and hot.
Hope you enjoyed this brief summary of my port visits.
Once back I will add some photos.
We are now on our way back to Vancouver - we will spend the next 2.5 days cruising up the Pacific Coast, throught the Strait of Juan de Fuca and into Georgia Strait and Burrard Inlet before tying up at Canada Place.
I have taken lots of photograph but with the slow internet on the ship I will post those on my return.
Cheers!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Well today should be one of those days where you sit back and enjoy a day at sea - well fine in theory but in reality it is not all that enjoyable on board - we have heavy seas, high waves and the boat is root tootin rockin.
Hard to concentrate when you don't knwo nwhen the next major shake is going to occur - the Captain did warn us last night that it would be a rough day - the skies are sunny but there is a very strong persistent northerly wind.
I am sure that many people are feeling ill at ease and in the stomach as well.
Fortunately I haven't had problem with sea sickness in the pass so hoping to continue that string.
Tonight is formal night which menas that it will be the buffet for me and where is the buffet - up on deck 14 where the winds are most noticeable.
Unlike Norwegian when they have a dress up night they designate on the dining rooms for causal dressers - not so with Princess.
More later.
Cheers!
------------------------------------------------------------------------
A review of my ports:
1. Victoria - walked along the seashore to the Quadra street entrance to Beacon Hill Park and then explored park before heading into the downtown core. I stopped by the Legislature and went inside and looked around. There was a private function for the MLA's in the main rotunda. First time inside the building since the 1970's when I sat in the visitor's gallery and we were introduced by our MLA Garde Gardom as part of a visiting student Liberal delegation.
I did spot the office of my current MLA Sam Sullivan but didn't knock on the door.
Then proceeded along the waterfront to the houseboat marina and Barb's Fish and Chips.
The waterfront walk is now called the David Foster Heritage Walkway in honor of one of Victoria's more recent native sons.
Then it was back to the ship.
Weather - sunny, windy but cool.
2. San Francisco - lots to write about here but will only provide the highlites.
Once cleared of customs headed for the Embarcadero station and the "N" line train to Golden Gate Park - I started near the 6th Ave entrance and worked my way down to the Ocean Beach by 1:30 which was also my turn around time.
Back on the train and straight to the Golden Gate ferry for the 35 minute trip across to Sausalito to meet up with Adele and Cliff for dinner.
After dinner a brief walkabout and then back on the ferry and back to the ship.
The following morning I headed out early and walked all the way to Fort Mason - about 4 kms.
Then it was back on the ship for an early afternoon departure and we are headed for Santa Barbara.
Weather - mixed - started out nice then late afternoon and evening shower and then sunny for the sail away.
3. Santa Barbara - I wasn't originally going to do a ship's tour but onboard decided to do a tour to Montecito where many of the stars lived. It wasn't the tour that I hoped for - We saw none of there million dollar homes - only the gated entrance and long driveways.
After the tour I walked through the town taking in the Stearns Wharf and the Red Brick walking tour that I had downloaded from the internet. It was quite worthwhile.
Weather - Sunny and warm
4. Catalina Island - another ship's tour - I had been here once before so had seen some of the sights - today's tour would lead us pass some of the famous Wrigley family houses and up into the interior of the Island. We are travelling in an old 1953 bus that was in great condition and handled the nearly 20% grade without do much trouble.
Our first stop was a a bald eagle reserve near the Middle Ranch.
Our seciond stop was at an overlook looking down onto Little Harbour - beautiful pristine looking beach and apparently where the surfer's like to surf.
Our last stop was at the Airport in the Sky - would have liked more time here but as we were running late only time to grab a side of fries and a pop.
Back on the bus for return trip to town - then walked along the waterfront in both directions.
Weather is sunny and warm and my arms and newck are getting fried.
5. Los Angeles - we were originally suppose to dock at Long Beach at the Carnival dock next to the Queen Mary but the Captain announced the night before that because the gangway was having mechnical trouble we would dock in San Pedro instead.
For me this wasn't much of a concern as I had a 5 hour Los Angeles tour booked.
This was my best tour of the cruise.
We may our way through various neighbourhoods and Century City - pass the Fox studios - Beverly Hills and finally came to the Farmer's Market - this is a real tourist area and entertainment and upscale shopping destination. As we had an hour here it was our lunch stop as well. I ordered a burger combo and couldn't finished it.
I was joined on this tour by Charles and Phyllis McLean - I have known Charles for years when he was a member of the downtown Y - saw him on board on Day 2 and we have chatted a few times since.
Our next stop was at the Chinese Theatre - at Hollywood and Orange which is also where the Dolby Theatre is located - this is where the Oscars are presented. It was a fun stop - a little too short for some.
We continued to see the sights including the Capitol Records builkding at Hollywood and Vine before heading to our last stop at the Pueblo de Los Angeles - where LA was founded.
I had visited the area once before as it is only a couple blocks from Amtrak's Union Station.
Then it was through downtown LA, passed the Staples Center and back to the ship.
Weather was sunny and hot.
Hope you enjoyed this brief summary of my port visits.
Once back I will add some photos.
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
Almost there.
Well the time has come. In a few minutes I will shut off this computer - put on my shoes and coat and grab my suitcase and day pack, lock the apartment door and start the 20 minute walk down to Canada Place to board the Grand Princess and the start of a 10 day round trip cruise.
I am quite familiar with that ship as I spent 49 days on her two years ago doing a South American cruise and again last year on a coastal repo cruise.
Hope to be able to post to this blog along the way - will depend on how good and fast my internet will be - I get 250 minutes so should be able to post text - photos will have to wait my return.
Cheers!
Dennis
I am quite familiar with that ship as I spent 49 days on her two years ago doing a South American cruise and again last year on a coastal repo cruise.
Hope to be able to post to this blog along the way - will depend on how good and fast my internet will be - I get 250 minutes so should be able to post text - photos will have to wait my return.
Cheers!
Dennis
Sunday, April 19, 2015
Just about time for my cruise
On Tuesday I board the Grand Princess at Canada Place and embark on a ten day round trip cruise with stops in Victoria, San Francisco overnight, Santa Barbara, Catalina Island and Long Beach before returning back to Vancouver.
This cruise is somewhat unique in that it is a Pacific Coastal southbound when most ships are doing northbound at this time of year in preparation for the Alaska cruise season.
After this cruise the ship will stay in Port and due a wet dry dock - mostly upgrades etc that don't require the ship to be taken out of the water.
As for what I might do in the various port - here is a rough outline.
Victoria - we have an early arrival and a 2 PM departure - depending on the weather intend to walk into town via Beacon Hill Park and then have lunch at Barb's fish and chips on the waterfront before returning to the ship.
San Francisco - as this is an overnight stop once I have cleared customs intend to head for Golden Gate Park and explore it and then return to the ship and freshen up and then take the Golden State ferry across to Sausalito and meet up with my friends Adele and Cliff who I met on a cruise about 10 years ago and have become good friends - we will have dinner at a restaurant I first visited a number of years ago and then take the last ferry back to the ship.
The following morning I will spent a little time exploring the Fishermen's Wharf area - we have an early sailing time 11 AM so I won't be far from the ship.
Santa Barbara is a tender port - haven't booked any excursions as it looks like it is fairly easy to see the sights by walking or grabbing a hop on hop off shuttle. It will be my first time visiting Santa Barbara by cruise ship - have stopped there on car trips but never really did a lot of exploring the area.
Catalina Island - is another tender port - was there once before where we had a light rain - this time have booked a ship's excursion to visit more of the inland areas of the Island.
Long Beach - we will be docking at Carnival's dock in Long Beach instead of the usual Princess dock in San Pedro. This is apparently what is done when it is a day visit only and not an embarkation/debarkation stop.
I have booked a ship's excursion to see some of LA - Hollywood and Rodeo Drive - a fairly longest drive but as I have spent time in Long Beach on a few others cruises I decided to go a little further afield.
Then it back to the ship and a straight non-stop return to Vancouver.
As I have a fair number of internet minutes I will try and post some reports as the cruise progresses.
Cheers!
D
Sunday, March 22, 2015
Cruise season is starting early this year
The first cruise ship on the season arrived in Vancouver this morning - about a month earlier than normal. The Grand Princess is here - it will do two fifteen day round trips to Hawaii and then a 10 day Pacific Coastal to LA and back before starting its regular summer Alaska cruises.
I will be on the 10 day coastal - really nice that I only have to walk down to Canada Place - about 10 blocks to board the ship and repeat it again when it returns.
In anticipation of this I did my usual and walked down to Canada Place to see the ship and take some pictures and talk to some of the others whom were also down taking in the event.
Two of the TV stations - Global and CBC were there when I was down there.
Here's a link to my photo essay of this visit.
https://plus.google.com/photos/106928179206906309023/albums/6129201361608204609?banner=pwa
Wednesday, December 24, 2014
Season's Greetings
TO THE MANY READERS OF THIS BLOG:
A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HOLIDAYS OR SEASON'S GREETINGS - THE CHOICE IS YOURS.
ALSO WISHING YOU A HAPPY, SAFE AND PROSPEROUS 2015.
CHEERS!
DENNIS
Monday, October 20, 2014
Packing has started Oct 19, 2014.
Yesterday I got the suitcase out and starting the packing for my departure my Sunday.
Here are the some of the clothes that I have selected to take on the cruise with me.
The suitcase is now packed - all of these clothes are for the cruise part of this trip and will be sent on as luggage on the train trip.
I have a separate overnight bag with the clothes that I will need on the train ride and the overnight stay in Boston.
In addition I will also that my day pack - it will contain the electronics, cameras, important papers etc.
More later and cheers!
D
Sunday, October 19, 2014
Almost time to depart Oct 19, 2014
Well in a week's time I will once again be on the road and heading for Boston to board the Norwegian Dawn and the first of my 2 back to back cruises on that ship.
First it will be seven days coming and going to Bermuda provided another hurricane doesn't get us rerouted - While Hurricane Gonzola packed a punch and left many without power, Bermuda unlike many other countries in the region has strict building code and its infrastructure is designed to withstand these storms.
The second cruise will be a fourteen day repositioning of the Dawn from Boston to New Orleans - with stops in San Juan, Aruba, Curacao, Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Cozumel before dropping anchor in New Orleans.
All of my land travel will be via Amtrak.
Due to time constraints I will only be arriving in Boston the night before and leaving NOLA the same day to get back to Vancouver for the Grey Cup festival where I have a volunteer assignment.
I have just started to process of packing - trying not to take as many clothes as on some of my previous cruises for a couple of reasons.
1. Less exposure to cooler weather - other than a stop over in Chicago on both legs and where you don't have to leave Union Station if you don't want to and
2. I get a free laundry on both legs of the cruise being that I am platinum on NCL. This time will try not to misplace some of my pants.
Over the next little while I will be posting more often and then as Internet becomes available or I pay for the ship's service I will attempt to provide a daily log of this trip.
Cheers
D
First it will be seven days coming and going to Bermuda provided another hurricane doesn't get us rerouted - While Hurricane Gonzola packed a punch and left many without power, Bermuda unlike many other countries in the region has strict building code and its infrastructure is designed to withstand these storms.
The second cruise will be a fourteen day repositioning of the Dawn from Boston to New Orleans - with stops in San Juan, Aruba, Curacao, Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Cozumel before dropping anchor in New Orleans.
All of my land travel will be via Amtrak.
Due to time constraints I will only be arriving in Boston the night before and leaving NOLA the same day to get back to Vancouver for the Grey Cup festival where I have a volunteer assignment.
I have just started to process of packing - trying not to take as many clothes as on some of my previous cruises for a couple of reasons.
1. Less exposure to cooler weather - other than a stop over in Chicago on both legs and where you don't have to leave Union Station if you don't want to and
2. I get a free laundry on both legs of the cruise being that I am platinum on NCL. This time will try not to misplace some of my pants.
Over the next little while I will be posting more often and then as Internet becomes available or I pay for the ship's service I will attempt to provide a daily log of this trip.
Cheers
D
Sunday, September 7, 2014
A much ado about nothing post
Well September is upon us and the weather here on the west coast is still sunny and warm - I have kept myself busy doing lots of volunteer assignments - completed my training to be a member of the City of Vancouver Emergency social services team and the Vancouver Fire department's Neighbourhood Emergency Assistance Team.
That's me at the end of the red arrow.
My next focus will be further planning for my 21 day B2B cruises in late October/early November from Boston.
I have also been keeping busy on strata matters as a number of projects are coming to pass.
That's all for now.
Cheers!
Sunday, July 27, 2014
Volunteering for the Hondo Celebration of Light Fireworks show Saturday July 26, 2014
Here's a photo of me and Uta in our Vancouver Volunteer Corps vests - mine is a different color as I was a "captain" last night - each team of three or four has one person named as the crew leader - this is done by the team leaders - who are either City of Vancouver Emergency Services personel or Vancouver Fire department personel.
I have a radio and clipboard - a flashlight and a small first aid kit - last night for the Fireworks - we had 4 teams on the downtown side and three over by Vanier Park - we had 4 no shows so our teams were two person only.
We were each assigned a sector to walk back and forth - and every hour to we move to the next sector - our prime goal is to act as Ambassadors for the City and to keep our eyes alert for any possible problems - if we spot something we radio it in to our command leader who them alerts which ever authority is needed - police or fire etc.
To my knowledge there were no incidents.
Once the crowd was settling in for the big show we then moved onto our second role for the evening - crowd control at the Burrard or Yaletown Skytrain stations - in past years it has been a free for all - this year Translink put in place a plan to try and create a more orderly flow and I feel it went well. I was at the Burrard Skytrain station so this is what I experienced - it is the second station on the Expo and Milleninum lines and was expected to be the busiest for about an hour after the end of the fireworks - 100 people per train leaving Waterfront station every 2 - 3 minutes and upto 200 to board at Burrard - during the 45 minute rush there were only 3 times that the line stopped completely and only for a couple of minutes each time. By 11:50 we got our orders to stand down - return to our meet point - outside the Starbucks in the Hyatt Regency - turn in our vest and other equipment - with no incidents we didn't need to debrief.
For me it was a quick cheeseburger and pop at McDonalds in Royal Center and then a leisurely walk home.
This was my second VVC assignment and my first time doing volunteering for the Fireworks - I will do it again on Wednesday but not on the finale next Saturday. Hope you have enjoyed this rather lengthy recap of the event. I will also be posting it on my blog. Cheers!
I have a radio and clipboard - a flashlight and a small first aid kit - last night for the Fireworks - we had 4 teams on the downtown side and three over by Vanier Park - we had 4 no shows so our teams were two person only.
We were each assigned a sector to walk back and forth - and every hour to we move to the next sector - our prime goal is to act as Ambassadors for the City and to keep our eyes alert for any possible problems - if we spot something we radio it in to our command leader who them alerts which ever authority is needed - police or fire etc.
To my knowledge there were no incidents.
Once the crowd was settling in for the big show we then moved onto our second role for the evening - crowd control at the Burrard or Yaletown Skytrain stations - in past years it has been a free for all - this year Translink put in place a plan to try and create a more orderly flow and I feel it went well. I was at the Burrard Skytrain station so this is what I experienced - it is the second station on the Expo and Milleninum lines and was expected to be the busiest for about an hour after the end of the fireworks - 100 people per train leaving Waterfront station every 2 - 3 minutes and upto 200 to board at Burrard - during the 45 minute rush there were only 3 times that the line stopped completely and only for a couple of minutes each time. By 11:50 we got our orders to stand down - return to our meet point - outside the Starbucks in the Hyatt Regency - turn in our vest and other equipment - with no incidents we didn't need to debrief.
For me it was a quick cheeseburger and pop at McDonalds in Royal Center and then a leisurely walk home.
This was my second VVC assignment and my first time doing volunteering for the Fireworks - I will do it again on Wednesday but not on the finale next Saturday. Hope you have enjoyed this rather lengthy recap of the event. I will also be posting it on my blog. Cheers!
Friday, June 13, 2014
Volunteerism galore June 13, 2014
Well the time of the year is rapidily approaching when I start to fulfill many of my volunteer commitments - over the next six weeks they will be numerous and there are some new ones this year.
In addition I have enrolled in the City of Vancouver N.E.A.T. program with stands for Neighbourhood Emergency Action Team - to help authorities if there were ever a major diaster - ie earthquake , in the neighbourhood. It is an intense 4 nights and one full day of training.
Volunteer assignments over the next few weeks are - training for the Special Olympics - Dragon Boat Racing, Underwear affair - Canada Day at Canada Place and the parade , Special Olympics, Kneeknacker race, Subaru Western Triathlon, Fireworks supervision, Pride Parade.
In addition I will also be working some of the BC Lions games again this year.
And as I was typing this I just found out my niece is engaged to a great guy - Thankfully the wedding won't be until sometime next year.
Cheers!
In addition I have enrolled in the City of Vancouver N.E.A.T. program with stands for Neighbourhood Emergency Action Team - to help authorities if there were ever a major diaster - ie earthquake , in the neighbourhood. It is an intense 4 nights and one full day of training.
Volunteer assignments over the next few weeks are - training for the Special Olympics - Dragon Boat Racing, Underwear affair - Canada Day at Canada Place and the parade , Special Olympics, Kneeknacker race, Subaru Western Triathlon, Fireworks supervision, Pride Parade.
In addition I will also be working some of the BC Lions games again this year.
And as I was typing this I just found out my niece is engaged to a great guy - Thankfully the wedding won't be until sometime next year.
Cheers!
Sunday, June 8, 2014
The little bike spill Sunday June 1, 2014
After getting settled into the camping spot I decided to get on the bike and take a leisurely bike ride around the trails in the Village area - everything was going fine until while riding on the hard packed gravel Lost Lake trail I ended up off the bike - while riding all the trail which had lots of folks walking and riding I missed a small boulder in the middle of the trail and hit it head on and went for a tumble - people came to my aid - after a moment on the ground I got up - my hands took the brunt of the impact and I tried to break the fall - not the first time that my hands have being used for such a purpose - because it was just a leisure ride I didn't have gloves on but whether they would have helped much is debatable - not being seriously injured and the bike apparently not damaged I rode very slowly back to the resort.
However I wasn't feeling all that great so I decided to pay a visit to the Whistler Medical Center which is an urgent care facility - that means the worse the injury the faster the treatment - there were a couple of hard core mountain bike types who despite wearing the proper protective gear still managed to hurt themselves coming down the Whistler Mountain bike course.
My wait was about an hour - saw the doctor who washed the wounds , checked my blood pressure - it was 99/63 - which is pretty good - remember I have been exercising and it was also quite warm - then applied some oinment and a large bandaids and I was on my way to the Old Spaghetti Factory for supper.
The rest of the camp trip went off without any further incidents.
First selfie - tent is set up and the second one - me by the campfire the last night.
Whistler wildlife sightings Part Two Monday June 2, 2014
On Monday I decided to drive up to Birkenhead Lake - haven't been into that area for a good number of years so since I wouldn't be on the bike today - the hands need a rest - after taking in the scenery - on the return trip down the gravel Birkenhead Park road I had this in front of me - fortunately I saw them in plenty of time and was able to stop the car without scaring them off.
They waited for one late comer and then moved off the road and into the bushes and I was able to proceed down the road.
They waited for one late comer and then moved off the road and into the bushes and I was able to proceed down the road.
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