We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.
Well, that's really what she asked me. I always try to be agreeable - except when I do not.
Yes, I am always ok with picking up a nice rental car at any airport in the world and heading out towards God knows where like some farmhouse miles up unmarked dirt roads in the Sicilian boondocks, but rockin and rollin at sea on an elegant craft with interesting people is fine with me too. It's the lazy way.
Windstar, best small ship sailing in the world. We'll be sailing in the eastern Atlantic and stopping by some cool ports, including Lisbon, Tenerife and North Africa.
New places for the curious to explore. Carpe diem. Home and constant work may suit me best, but I can't be a stick in the mud and Mrs. BD is a skilled, adventurous, and resourceful travelmeister who only wants to do things the average American tourist doesn't do. Lucky me. All of my kids are like her with adventurous travel.
I love being at sea. I love a smoke and coffee on deck watching dawn break over Mother Ocean when everybody is still asleep. I like stormy weather at sea. I am fascinated by the maneuvering into ports. I especially like to hang out with the helmsman and the navigator during transits. Shoulda been in the USN and I could have gotten it out of my system as my brother in law did.
He still regrets his 'Nam tattoos, and now hates boats of all sorts but especially Destroyers.
Holland-America Line is the official line of Maggie's, but we have several friends who love Windstar so we have to give it a try. A free ad for Windstar:
"I like stormy weather at sea."
I don't think anyone in a sailboat likes stormy weather when at sea...
I've experienced a few and it's not something I want to repeat.
When it's pitch black, the waves are 30 feet tall and you're waiting for a lightning flash so that you can see which way to angle the boat... that's not something you want to repeat...
Navy? Ha! Shoulda joined the Merchant Marine! Real sailors! Not some tricked-up, politically-correct white suits with a ton of scrambled eggs on their "No we can't navigate by the Stars" sleeves and covers.
With a Merchant Marine rating and a Naval Reserve commission, I think you're judging the Navy by aircraft carriers, which is like judging the Merchant Marine by the QE2. I have four trans-Pacific crossings (Pearl Harbor to Vietnam) and a monster typhoon on a Destroyer Escort 300' LOA and 36' beam, and there was nobody aboard senior enough for gold braid. Celestial navigation was all we had before GPS, and the crew were true seamen, if envious of those big fat comfortable freighters and tankers we saw. Unlike BD's brother-in-law, it was one of the great experiences in my life!
Well, that's really what she asked me. I always try to be agreeable - except when I do not.