Lake Grapevine Cruise

So Covid is sliding into our rear-view mirror and Texas, in particular, is opening up to its residents and visitors. Just before Covid hit big, Diane and I had planned an ocean cruise with Norwegian, a five-dayer from San Diego to Mexico to test out her sea legs. Diane hadn't been on a real, lengthy cruise and this would be her first. On that fateful day, Covid was racing through the country (and the world) and suddenly, cruise ships had become Covid petri dishes for the virus and, in March 2020, they were shutting down.

The night I was preparing to fly to San Diego to meet Diane and get on the boat, I got an email from Norwegian saying "thanks for playing but we've cancelled your cruise with no new sailing date scheduled." With no other real alternative (well...except for an indefinite future cruise date to be named later), we took our refund and did a stay-cation in San Diego as, slowly but surely, everything around us began to close down as stay-at-home orders were permeating the countryside.

As we celebrated our first wedding anniversary in May of 2021, the question came up.... what are we going to do? Well, cruise lines were debating the viability of starting up with limited numbers of passengers, Covid vaccinations or not, and the end of the buffet-style dining (kind of a non-starter for me). Diane had a brilliant idea (one of the many.... many reasons I married her). How about a dinner cruise on a local lake? We have several of those here in North Texas and if there's food involved...I'm in.

Diane suggested a dinner cruise on Lake Grapevine a short drive from home (well.... for Texas standards, about 40 miles one-way). Captain Dave and  Black Watch Sailing Charters offered a cruise package including a sunset cruise with a chef created dinner on a sailing yacht. The best part is your party are all that's aboard so you get the whole boat to yourselves (how cool is that?).

Lake Grapevine is located in the heart of Dallas/Fort Worth on the northern border of the City of Grapevine (home to DFW airport). The roughly 8,000-acre lake is home to many outdoor activities like fishing, recreational boating, camping, and hiking.

Little known fact...Texas only has one, count 'em, one natural lake, which is Caddo Lake in East Texas. Everything else is reservoirs thus our struggle with water in our rapidly developing State of Texas thanks to all those recent transplants (you know who you are).

In anticipation of future water needs, in March of 1945, the U.S. Congress approved the River & Harbors Act of 1945 which, among many projects, provided for the construction of Benbrook Lake, Grapevine Lake, Lake Lavon and Lake Ray Roberts, as well as modifications to Garza Dam for the construction of Lake Lewisville. All the projects were for the purposes of both flood control and navigation. These lakes became part of an extensive floodway system that is operated in a coordinated manner to minimize flooding along the Trinity River floodplain.

The Grapevine Dam and Reservoir project, as it was originally known, was initiated in January 1948. Located on Denton Creek, a tributary of the Elm Fork of the Trinity River, the project spans both Tarrant and Denton Counties. In this area immediately north of the City of Grapevine, the Corps of Engineers obtained approximately 15,700 acres (63.5 km²) of land.

The dam is a rolled earth-fill type (scary earthen dam), 28 feet (8.5 m) thick, which spans 12,850 feet (3,920 m). The crest of the dam is located at 588 feet (179 m) above sea level.

Interesting sidelight is that just as the lake had been finished and ready to fill, heavy rains fell, unexpectedly filling the lake in weeks before all the construction equipment could be removed. A mammoth gravel washer and a towering conveyor, along with a tractor and two dump trucks, were on the lake’s floor when the dam’s gates were closed.  When the lake opened in 1952, the machinery stayed. They have lain dormant, undisturbed, since. In some dryer years, the rusting hulks lurk just beneath the surface of Grapevine Lake.

The City of Grapevine's story began in 1843 when General Sam Houston and representatives of the Republic of Texas met with members of 10 American Indian nations. They joined to negotiate a treaty of peace and friendship at Grape Vine Springs, also known as Tah-Wah-Karro Creek. It resulted in a document, the Treaty of Birds Fort (because, coincidentally, they met at nearby Birds Fort), which opened the area to homesteaders. I'm sure, in retrospect, the natives probably regret signing any such agreement. By 1859, Texas had removed all Native-American tribes from the state and most other tribes were in Reservations by 1892.

Within a year, the first settlers started arriving, rolling in on covered wagons, on the Grape Vine Prairie. The wild mustang grapes that were abundant there gave the area its name, Grapevine. Grapevine is the oldest settlement in Tarrant County (the largest City and County Seat in Tarrant County, Fort Worth, was established in 1849), originating under the Lone Star flag of the Republic of Texas in 1844, a year before Texas was annexed by the United States of America.

Although a now modern city with a great historic downtown, Grapevine has a more onerous history leading back to the days of the notorious Bonnie and Clyde. Always on the run, Bonnie and Clyde had parked their car by the side of Dove Road (now South Lake, Texas) on Easter Sunday 1934, maybe to catch some sleep, maybe to await a rendezvous with Bonnie's mom, who lived nearby. Their plans changed with the arrival of two curious motorcycle cops, State Troopers H.D. Murphy and Edward Wheeler, who were immediately shot dead, their pistols still in their holsters when they were found.

Sixty-two years later, a memorial to the two slain officers was erected on the spot. The slab pins the officers' deaths directly on the outlaw lovers, labeling them "infamous criminals." There is disagreement among historians as to whether Bonnie ever fired a shot here while others say that Clyde didn't either and that both patrolmen were possibly killed by another gang member in their car.  A month later, both Bonnie and Clyde were both killed in Louisiana.

Ok...I digress (a lot) so back to the cruise. Diane and I contacted Captain Dave for an anniversary sunset cruise in early May. Only problem was, May turned out to be the wettest month in North Texas in like forever. Thus a few cancellations later, we settled on June 14th, a warm but clear Monday.

Now, some of you may know, I'm a bit of a worst-case scenario kind of a guy so understand when I say that I went prepared. I had my water-proof bags for our phones and wallets, my three-way flashing 30,000 candle-power flashlight, distress flares and Google Map images of the lake and surrounding area. I was in want of a cutlass in case we encountered Pirates if they wished to board but could find none around the garage. All Diane was armed with was an eye-rolling sigh and mumbled her recurring mantra that she "should have asked more questions" before we married.

When we got there, as we boarded, I was intently seeking out life-preservers and the quickest and easiest path to the life boats. Back in the day, we actually had to show up to the Lifeboat drill wearing our life vests to show we knew how to put them on for the Titanic moment I knew someday would come. I had always been dismayed on my recent cruises where we no longer had to stand on the wind-swept deck by our assigned lifeboat, clad in our vests, lined up in the positions we would take to board.

When I inquired about the lifeboat drill, I'm accustomed to on my many past cruises, Captain Dave looked at me quizzically and said, "No sir.... we’re just a 50-foot sailboat. We have some life vests available and a raft, but hopefully we won't need them." He did mention in the safety brief that the ship had "tons" of preservers in various locations in case we needed them.

The captain’s ship, the Fourth Watch, is based on a Bristol 477 hull design with a whole bunch of upgrades that make the interior nautical but quite plush. The sailboat is 13 feet wide, 50 feet long and 70 feet tall from top of the mast to the bottom of the keel and displaces 50,000 lbs. A typical 477 may only weigh 36,000. Clearly the extensive use of heavy woods in and around the ship make the difference and adds to its stability. The boat was designed and built by Ted Hood in the 90s for a wealthy couple who wanted Ted to build them the ultimate sailing vessel to retire in where cost was not a factor.

We started out with a little tour of the Silver Lake Marina and an introductory history lesson about the boat and Capt. Dave's life on the high seas talking about the "A" list folks he's skippered for around the world. Then we boarded the beautifully appointed craft, a single mast surrounded by a weathered grey Teak deck. We stepped down from the pilot house to the main salon and were greeted by the green marble counters anchoring exotic wood walls and cabinets with a bedroom fore and aft. Twin diesels provide propulsion and generated power with a full (though really) compact kitchen) with a wine refrigerator and an icemaker that makes "Sonic Ice" (a proprietary form of ice cube by Sonic Restaurants, who knew?) and a freezer. We’re reminded that the ship is not only their "office" but also Captain Dave's and his partner Deana's home as well. Of course, what's a ship without a sea dog. There was Dobie on his bed monitoring the latest guests to his domicile.

We were seated in the main cabin and handed an amazing appetizer and cracked open a bottle of wine to start things off. The appetizer was an assortment of cheeses, marinated artichoke hearts, olives and a thinly sliced ham. Accompanied by some great scratch-made bread slices and the exquisite Danish whipped sweet cream butter that invaded all the nooks and crannies of the bread and literally melted in your mouth.

Capt. Dave

Dobie

Deana

We then moved on to the main course. When we made the reservation, we had five meals to choose from, I decided on the Chicken Rollatini, a chicken breast wrapped in baby spinach and mozzarella cheese swimming in a pink vodka sauce. Diane chose the Chicken Carciofi, chicken breast sautéed with Portabella mushrooms and artichoke hearts in a white wine and olive oil sauce on top of Rigatoni noodles.

 

Barely able to rise after all that food, we made our way topside to the bow and settled into our seats for our cruise around the lake. We were delayed when we first booked the cruise in that North Texas experienced an unusual Spring rainy season. All the runoff accumulated in our reservoirs and the seemingly constant rain closed down operations in many lakes, including Grapevine Lake. 

We finally got a date when the sky opened up but now, we were heading into Summer and temperatures were starting to rise. But what started out as a humid heat on shore dissipated once underway and with a gentle breeze across the lake brought the temperature down significantly.

The lake is quite expansive and soon the marina was well behind us as we were heading out into deeper water with other pleasure craft darting in and out as the sun slowly slipped from the sky above. As described, the Fourth Watch is heavier than most and even with the occasional meeting with a wake or two from passing boats, she remained stable and had very little rocking to speak of.

As we bobbed along, Capt. Dave brought forth a wonderous dessert. A miniature, delicately baked pie cup filled with French vanilla custard with blue berries, kiwi, a peach slice and a strawberry on top on a bed of sweet orange slices. Really sweet and refreshing. By now the sun was setting and the sky was turning a kind of pinkish-orange and it was time to head in. 

Back to the dock and the ending of a great experience and some quiet time away from the hustle and bustle of the concrete jungle. There's something to be said about living life large and having the ability to set sail and disconnect from your everyday life. It does require a life style of the rich and famous but it’s good to know there are folks like Capt. Dave, Deana and, of course, Dobie to give us a taste of the high life without breaking the bank. Thanks, Dave, for the great ride!

What's Up with America

It is not my intention to embarrass or offend anyone but I do need to vent a little. Over the last few years it has become apparent that normal conversation has gone out the window and replaced by single-minded agenda driven intercourse on both sides.

My question is...how did we get here? As a democratic experiment, we were supposed to be an all-inclusive force of humanity that recognized that we, as a people, were a mixed bag of cultures sworn to rid ourselves of Monarchy's and serfdoms. Yet we, over a couple of hundred years, have gradually returned to our European roots like a boomerang to the thrower.

What I see, currently, is an over-reaching government (mostly National and State) that wants to push its agenda over the wants and needs of the average citizen who put them in that position. We have seen Presidents and Governors wearing out their supply of pens writing volumes of edicts from on high like kings to their subjects.

I believe this truly defies our Constitution we supposedly relish so much and cite whenever things go awry. Yet, those that do get on Fox or CNN, only push their interpretation to satisfy the moment. And, lately, their have been lots of those moments. The 24 hour news cycle brings us new crisis and concerns, it seems, every moment of every day. Its a never ending parade of shootings, riots and mayhem the likes we've never seen. It certainly gives one pause to see so much trouble in the world with no end in sight.

And I think that's the problem. How can we possibly make sense of a situation when we're constantly bombarded with TV news, Facebook updates, Tweets, text messages, FaceTime and YouTube videos to distract us from what's important. We are humans with inherent bias's and a trunk full of baggage we carry around with us that color everything we see and hear.

I want to know why we still struggle with accepting people of color and other cultures. When did being a Caucasian American be the select race or culture? Why do we still accept laws which demean or put-down other races? Why do we try to limit access to government or resources based on gender and race?

Lincoln tried to bring America together after the Civil War but after he was gone, many, North and South, still worked very hard to keep people of color down even as far as denying immigrants entry into our country (the Chinese Exclusion Act 1882), the incarceration of Japanese Americans (yep, already citizens) in World War Two and other Acts to deny access to America because they were considered by the Caucasian Americans as "undesirable" or "enemies of the State".

Our Eurocentric attitudes still permeate America and its government everyday. Please don't try to tell me we're somehow "protecting" America's values or culture. Folks...there is no such thing. ALL OF US, came from foreign lands to settle here and no amount of time can pass to nullify our immigrant histories (and don't get me started on how early homo sapiens emanating from what is now the Middle East were NOT Caucasian (yep, dark skinned folks). The only exception are Native Americans who we did an exceptional job of "discovering" (i.e. invading) then subjugating the actual "owners" of North America by trick and deceit. Something we "apologize" for in hushed tones but still continue to ignore a people we have sentenced to poverty and sub-standard living arrangements on Reservations which, in many cases, are treeless wastelands which are incapable of growing crops or supply enough water to drink.

All of these things we do to people where "all men are created equal" (Thomas Jefferson, July 1776, second paragraph). Apparently equal only if you're Caucasian, go to right church, are wealthy and vote a certain way. And don't whine about the evil one or two percent of the wealthy. Hey, through our unabashed consumerism, we made them that wealthy. We have only ourselves to blame for that. And I do think we have a right to ask they pass some of that wealth around in the way of better pay and working conditions which, in the long run, would allow more upward mobility to those who work hard to support their friends and families. That's an American Dream we can all strive for.

I want to say emphatically...I reject all of that. I am a firm believer that this country's foundation is beholding to immigrants of many nations and we should never forget that. Nor should we discount women's roles in that endeavor. Why then are women treated so differently? Why don't they get paid the same as their male counterparts? Why are women's credentials and abilities ignored in favor of male proposals and ideas? Pure sexism...that's how. Somehow, women too have been minimalized by white males for centuries yet they, like people of color, have persevered through the ages creating life, running homes, raising generations of children, running circles around their male counterparts (see Simone Biles and the ENTIRE American Women's Soccer Team). We owe it to them to get the Equal Rights Amendment ratified (Holy Cow! How has THAT not happened yet?).

Bottom line to my rant, why can't we stop all this nonsense and get back to a real Democratic-Republic (yeah...we're not a pure Democracy folks. Where everybody can be safe in their homes with heat (sorry Texas), food and an equitable education for everybody. We can't keep America, America without inclusiveness IS un-American. Until that day, we will NOT be in a position to criticize or hold other Nations accountable. We need to make these changes and make them NOW, not a Presidential term from now.

Chicago

During this Covid-19 period, we, as a people, have forgone our historic inclinations to travel far and wide. I, for one, miss the travel bug of climbing into a shiny metal tube destined for faraway locales or even a hop into my truck to careen down long stretches of asphalt to little known backwaters to meet new people and locate some little known facts or places.

I should preface by saying I did recently do just that by transporting my new wife (and dogs) to Texas from their home in San Diego. A long and arduous trip in June in the midst of a heat wave. Well for Diane, any temperature above 90 is a stay on Mercury. It involved a side trip to a friend in Prescott (I am informed it’s pronounced “Prescutt”), Arizona, El Paso, Texas and ultimately to our home in Aubrey, Texas. The dogs, Oliver and the elderly Gordo, handled it well with several stops for potty breaks and two nights in “Dog-Friendly” hotels. It was reminiscent of a similar series of treks I took back in 2005 to move my family from San Diego to Frisco, Texas. I did experience some PTSD flashbacks.

We left the beautiful mountains of California for the flat, high and low deserts of the southwest and, what I like to refer to as the “no FM zone”, where only the most powerful AM radio can be heard as distant crackling dis-embodied voices of radio pastors preach their fire and brimstone sermons for Sunday, as you stare out the windshield at the straight ribbon of concrete to a point you’ll be in about two hours from now. No…we didn’t have Sirius Radio. There was one point where there was no cell service and the old Google Maps failed us.

 But I digress. This tale involves a courageous break in a never-ending shifting quarantine status and a deep need to get the heck out of town. Our friends Chad and Sara had invited us on a one-day foray to Chicago, Illinois. Yes…a little weird but it was as a gift trip for their daughter Lorna and they wanted to make it a party. We were also joined by another friend, Jack. Now I’ve been to a lot of places but never to Chicago. Well, I did make it to Chicago O’Hare Airport for business and pleasure but never to the city. Diane was similarly disposed and agreed it would be cool to go into the City. Thus we got some CRAZY cheap tickets on American Airlines, direct from DFW, for a Wednesday trip to the inner-city.

A little background: Chicago’s first permanent, non-indigenous resident was a trader named Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, a free black man from Haiti whose father was a French sailor and whose mother was an African slave. He came there in the 1770s via the Mississippi River from New Orleans with his Native American wife, and their home stood at the mouth of the Chicago River. In 1803, the U.S. government built Fort Dearborn at what is now the corner of Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive (look for the bronze markers in the pavement). It was destroyed in 1812 following the Battle of Fort Dearborn, rebuilt in 1816, and permanently demolished in 1857.

Incorporated as a city in 1837, Chicago was ideally situated to take advantage of the trading possibilities created by the nation’s westward expansion. Today, 50 percent of U.S. rail freight continues to pass through Chicago. It is the confluence of the Chicago River and the Des Plains River which run into the Mississippi River and, of course, Lake Michigan. It is also the start of the "Historic Route 66" which begins at Grant Park on Adams Street in the front of the Art Institute of Chicago. Oh…let’s not forget The Blues Brothers high-speed chase scenes in downtown Chicago and the Bob Newhart Show.

We can’t forget the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Interestingly, the Chicago Fire Department training academy at 558 W. DeKoven St. is on the site of the O’Leary property where the fire began. There’s the Sears Tower (now the Willis Tower) which was the tallest building in the world until 1998. There is the Trump Tower, which was supposed to be the tallest building in the world until the people of Chicago objected (and then Mayor Daly) and it ended up being the third tallest after the World Trade Center and the Willis (Sears) Tower as of 2001. Since then, there’s been a bunch of new buildings much taller in Asia.

So at O-Dark Thirty, Diane and I made our way to DFW to begin our day. Luckily for them, there was an open Dunkin’ Donuts right there at gate C-12 or Diane might have had me make a trip into town to get her coffee, mini-bagel and cream cheese. Some disappointment, due to a mask miscommunication (I’m sure everybody’s had one of THOSE), she ultimately didn’t get her mini-bagel but, being a real team player, accepted her regular bagel. Turns out, Diane’s not a big morning person…who knew?

At the appointed hour, we hopped on a FULL flight of masked travelers in our 737 and two hours later (with no food or drink service) landed at O’Hare. With only carry-on, our exit was swift and we made our way to the Ground Transportation side and our Uber. Chad had arranged for an UberXL luxury car and we jumped into our Lincoln Navigator and a drop-off at Millennium Park. This is a large walking park in the heart of the city. Also there is the “Cloud Gate” or more commonly referred to as the "Bean". Of course, we’ve all seen it many times on TV but it’s pretty cool when you’re there looking at its amazingly reflective surface. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get close because of Covid concerns and the recent spate of rioting/protesting where it had been graffitied. Still cool to look at.

Speaking of the protesting, we got there after all the big-time rioting/looting took place but there were still ample signs of the craziness that had occurred. As we walked down Michigan Avenue (locally referred to as the Magnificent Mile) most businesses were open and many still had their layers of plywood over the broken doors and windows. I couldn’t help but notice the only stores hit tended to be high-end stores like Ferragamo’s, Tiffany’s and, wait a minute…the Disney Store? I am struggling to understand the connection between Black Lives Matters and the destruction of the Disney Store. Wow. 

One of the stores left untouched was…the big Starbucks Reserve Roastery. This is the biggest Starbucks I’ve ever seen: five, count ‘em, five floors of coffee  and goodies to eat including a rooftop café. Hey...they even serve alcohol. 

There was a large visible police presence on Michigan Avenue. It seemed every few yards there were either uniformed cops standing around or patrol cars parked in the street. I felt safe but the locals say all the fun is after dark and the Mayor, Lori Lightfoot, has basically instructed the police to stand-down and not engage the protesters. All in all, I do want to say Chicago seemed very clean for a major city. Except for random graffiti, the streets were clean and I didn’t see any trash or many homeless on the boulevard.

And now the pizza debate. One of our missions was to taste deep-dish Chicago-style pizza. I’ve been to “Chicago Brothers Pizza” in San Diego but I’m sure that’s not the real thing. First of all, it’s not IN Chicago. So our friends have been to Chicago before and have sampled a place called “Labriola’s.” 

They thought it was good but wanted to try another Chicago staple, "Giordano's" by the Navy Pier. After walking ALL the way down the pier, we discovered we had to back-track because the joint was back at the beginning of the pier (at the end of the day, those with step counters on their phones had us at like a MILLION steps).

Anyway, we get ourselves seated and had several mask exchanges with our Eastern-European server who set us up with two pizzas and some pasta for Lorna. One pizza was a traditional thin-crust and the other was a deep-dish pepperoni. Ok…my Italian heritage kicked in and I got snobbish. 

We cracked open the deep-dish and were immediately accosted by a river of cheese emanating from the cup-like crust. When I bit into said pizza, all I tasted was the cheese. The crust was tasty and crispy. Now I’m not a complete snob and I’ve never met a pizza I didn’t like but I was a little underwhelmed. I did try Sara’s Gluten-free thin-crust which was good but the crust was a little overdone. Of course, wherever you go, the locals will have their favorites and if you’re brought up in a region where that’s the norm, then that’s what you’ll like and order. No problem. And I should point out, those I spoke with had other pizza joints they thought were classic Chicago Pizza, so the take-away is…we’re just going to have to return and try another joint and keep trying until we’ve hit them all. 

So after a little shopping and coffee drinking, we met up with our Uber driver who whisked us back to O’Hare with plenty of time to get through security and hop on our 2/3s full flight back to DFW on a spacious 787. We did what can only be characterized as a carrier landing at the end of 17 Right and then spent the next 20 minutes (big airport) returning what was left of the aircraft to the gate. All-in-all, a pretty nice 18 hour day of fun and frivolity. We’re thinking about doing something like that again. With the crazy low Covid prices for tickets, it’s a little hard not to.

Not sure what to say about this, found in the Chicago O'Hare Airport Terminal. So....who cleans out the bin and where does it go? Hmmmmmm.....

Everybody's got their sh*t

No....not me, digital model

It has become apparent in these “Covid” times that people are under great stress.  Now, I certainly do not wish to diminish or make light of the current world situation.  But I do have to point out some incongruities (hey…  somebody’s got to do it).  As I like to point out, everybody’s got their sh*t (I even had a tee shirt made).  But it’s times like these where it really starts to show.

These times can bring out the best or worst in people.  I’ve discovered both.  The current crisis has provided us with numerous opportunities to view other people’s stuff online.  I’m talking about well-meaning people who have decided that publishing their latest crazy video on YouTube, Instagram or Facebook is the way to go for all to see; sometimes well-received but sometimes ill-advised.  It is clear to me that people have waaaayyyy too much time on their hands.  Now, I understand, we are prisoners of our homes and really can’t get out much.  And once cabin fever sets in all bets are off.  With screaming kids, home schooling, disinfecting everything that moves and a partner you’re living with (that person your mother warned you about) who has turned out not to be the same person you first met or married.  This can be seen in a very humorous but poignant YouTube video “Woman in the Closet”. 

I’ve seen it in action.  I’ve attended a grocery store not too long ago where anxieties were high and there was the smell of paper products in the air.  We had all dutifully lined up for senior shopping time and when the doors opened (this was before strict separation was in place) a flurry of humanity, I would like to say trotted, but actually ran, toward the paper products aisle.  I was not in need of paper products but I tagged along to watch the insanity.  There I watched grown people zigging and zagging their way like wide receivers on the football field to get to their precious paper product. What’s up with that anyway; did people really think we would never see toilet paper again? Most took it in stride but there was at least one person who “lost their sh*t.” Luckily, cooler heads prevailed and a very nice store worker reached back into their cart and personally handed them their precious toilet paper.  Crisis averted.  It’s kind of like survival of the fittest yet more like a civilized “Lord of the Flies” scenario.

I will confess I have cheated death on several occasions during my state’s “lock down” orders.  Thus far, I have made flights to California and driven to other than retail stores.  During those forays I have seen people in various states of compliance from wearing masks, not wearing masks, wearing gloves, not wearing gloves and even the occasional grocery bag over their heads (true story).  I have enjoyed hearing experts tell all that wearing masks was first not necessary, then recommended and then mandatory, while not telling us where we could access or purchase said masks.  Once this was recognized, it was suggested that everything from pillowcases to bandannas were authorized.  Once government gets going, it’s hard to stop making rules that suit their agendas. Diane and I did our civic duty and volunteered at  The Rock Church in San Diego (three hours, I have the finger blister to prove it) to help assemble N95 style masks for the County of San Diego’s Office of Emergency Services. We dutifully tied rubber bands together to be attached to the blank face masks.  Very rewarding stuff.

Don’t get me started on all the stimulus talk. I need to point out that the once derided monthly check put forth by Presidential candidate, Californian Andrew Yang, was one of the first suggestions for the stimulus.  The stimulus ended up to be a nonstarter not to mention the poorly implemented small business stimulus.  Let’s face it: it’s an election year and people in power love to give free money to enhance their positions in an election year.

Old stuff

Shiny new stuff

On a personal note, I do need to point out one other thing.  In my travels to California, I’ve been tasked to fix items to repair my lovely fiancées’ condo so she can lease and/or sell it in the State of Taxation (California) she lives in.  I’m sure it’s no surprise to anyone that whenever you take apart anyone’s plumbing it never stays simple.  As soon as you turn the first wrench, there is a cascading effect (sometimes water) that occurs where you end up replacing everything to make it work.  What started out as a simple change of bathroom faucets, turned into a battle of wits with aging copper parts.  After an entire afternoon of jousting, I came out victorious with no leaks the first time.  Amazing....sorry, I digress.

Now, I’m not much of a sports guy but I recognize the importance of sports in today’s society.  You can tell that importance when you tune in to ESPN and wonder how entertaining it is to watch Super Bowl 2009 in its entirety like you already didn’t know the outcome.  Let’s not forget all of the outdoor activities that have been put on hold.  Outdoor concerts, parades, chili cook offs and even evening strolls along our beaches have been taken from us.  This has provided many of us with a “bunker mentality” that has driven most of us to relieve ourselves of this “stay at home” situation.  And thus, we are now seeing people protesting (clearly violating physical distancing mandates and frankly scaring the hell out of government officials) and asking to open up their states to get back to “normal” or perhaps the “New Normal” that will be our future.

The other thing is the change we are seeing in the marketplace.  Since this thing got started, it’s become the business owner’s mission to up their game and comfort us with the knowledge that they are sanitizing everything for our safety.  I mean, I’m watching a commercial for a plumber where he is spraying down and sanitizing his entire truck.  How is sanitizing his truck going to make my life better?  Another thing we’ve seen is a newfound embrace of technology (that’s been around for years) providing contact-less consultations, meetings, home visits and purchasing apps never before seen. (Where were you guys before this?) The same has happened in schools, grocery stores and (for goodness sake) hospitals and medical centers. It seems everyone on the planet has suddenly discovered soap and water as an avenue to good health.  Who knew?

Daily, we hear about things and activities that are being taken from us.  It seems like a never-ending list of disappointments.  Some not so disappointing like when I heard today that, due to commercial pressures, Chip and Joanna Gaines were having to delay their latest addition to their Magnolia Empire, the “Magnolia Network” they were about to start.  Oh no, what will we do without more Chip and Joanna? AND the Scripps National Spelling Bee. There is no justice! I mean, we already have the plague, now I’m looking out the window looking for the locusts. How will we manage?

Fox 4s Evan Andrews and dog Penny

I wanted to point out another thing about all of these “at home” celebrities, newscasters and others.  It gives one a unique opportunity to see into the lives of the people you may see every day looking all official and dressed to the nines.  I challenge you, the next time you watch your favorite newscasters or celebrities, look beyond the made-up faces to what’s going on behind them.  Check their bookcases and collections of art, photographs and most of all their pets.  That vaunted newscaster and their “fair and balanced” style is shattered when you realize that they are secretly that scary “cat woman” everybody makes fun of on YouTube.  And let’s not forget the “One World: Together at Home” concert.  I did enjoy the music and saw many famous acts but Charlie Puth needs to make his bed and put his clothes away before going on worldwide television.  Seriously, his mom must be beside herself when she saw that.

Charlies bedroom studio

The Cruise that Never Was

MS Oosterdam

This blog was supposed to be about my wonderful Mexican Riviera Cruise. I had booked the trip months ago to get my long time friend (and now fiancee...more on that later) Diane her first cruise experience. I had booked a fantastic rate for a balcony room on the Oosterdam with Holland America. Diane lives in San Diego where we were to debark from so I thought it would be an easy trip for both of us.

Then Corona Virus struck. The cruise ship Diamond Princess was held in Japan, people were sick and dying and it seemed like the Apocalypse was upon us. In the weeks before the cruise, we were inundated with doom and gloom newscasters telling us we were all going to die and the end of mankind was just around the corner. Diane and I were being asked daily by friends and family if we were still committed to the cruise after all the cruise ships seemed to be quarantined or often not allowed to port for stops or even just returning to home ports. There came a string of missives from the cruise line stating our safety was paramount and they promised us a great adventure AND an added cabin credit of $200 to keep us from canceling. Awesome! Cabin Credits, right cruisers?

Mostly due to my former occupation and the experience that came with that, I've never considered myself an alarmist and I wasn't about to start now. Ok, some would suggest that when all others are losing their sh*t around you...it may be time to re-evaluate your position (sorry Mr. Kipling). My experience dictates one constant, people are well meaning but they're going to screw up. They can't help themselves. I just need to point to the massive hoarding that took place after the first announcements of staying home and riding out the storm. There was never a hint of a food shortage or a complete halt to the production and distribution of toilet paper or paper towels (I'm still mystified at THAT nonsense). I believe people have been binge watching Zombie movies like "Walking Dead" for too long. I know this because, in my state, Texas, gun and ammunition sales went up 100% in the week we went into stay-at-home was enacted.

So Friday night before departure, I'm literally zipping up my bag for the trip to the airport in the morning when I get an email from Holland America saying the cruise was canceled and we were entitled to a refund or future cruise credit. I get the cruise line was acting prudently and clearly afraid of future fallout lawsuits from sick passengers or quarantining people on their ships. All bad press for the publicity department.

Ok...I still have lemons (a really low fare round trip to San Diego) and can make lemonade. I can still go to San Diego and visit Diane and friends. This will NOT hamper my vacation. It's San Diego in the Spring for goodness sake. How bad can it be? How wrong I could be.

I could see the handwriting on the wall when I got to Love Field. Love is the headquarters for Southwest Airlines and is usually a bevy of activity. Security has like 20 lanes and usually there are lines even at O-dark thirty as I was. Nope, I literally walked right up to the TSA guy, handed my phone and ID to him and waltzed through X-Ray and retrieved my carry-on in about five minutes. The hold-up was I had neglected to remove a juice box for my grandson I keep for our outings. They were treating it like a plastic explosive. I saw it as the TSA tech walked up with it and I pulled it out, unannounced, and caused a stir, but I apologized for my cavalier attitude and they sent me packing.

One of 30 people on my flight

Anyone familiar with the Southwest boarding policy knows we had to lineup so the Agent could get us aboard in an organized fashion. I had checked in 24 hours before and got an A-59 assignment....Ok, I have NEVER gotten an "A" assignment before. I was doing air high-fives the day before. I get in my spot and can't help notice the few passengers lined up. The Agent then calls, "Let me have A 1 thru 30 for boarding." Nobody moved. A 1-30 was sans passengers. The Agent realized this and then said (to my dismay), "Well......let me have A,B and C passengers for boarding." I was one of 30 people on a stretch 737-800. There was no pushing or shoving or waits while people put their bags into the overhead. Victory was ripped from my hands. I was robbed.

The trip to San Diego was quick and quiet...not a word was spoken among the vastly scattered passengers and the crew was equally quiet and unseen. After the safety briefing, they only appeared to distribute drinks and some snacks. They kept the night-lighting on and you caught an occasional ghost-like flight attendant wander up and down the aisle to collect trash as we entered final approach.

Now California had not locked down yet so Diane picked me up and took me to Old Town Mexican Cafe for my favorite breakfast. We drank lots of coffee and had our fill of their handmade tortillas (best on the planet). You know, the kind you just want to curl up with a tub of butter and try to catch the melted goodness running down your wrists as you eat.

Diane lives in Chula Vista, California and we needed to pick up some stuff for her condo so I had my first real experience with crazy grocery stores. We got to the Walmart and the shelves were bare. I'm not talking just paper products, entire aisles of bread, pasta, eggs, dairy were gone. Let's not even mention the lack of sanitizing and cleaning products. We saw people walking out with pallets of water. It was like those disaster movies.

So the first night I had Diane ask her sister Carol and Brother-in-law John to join us for dinner. They picked the  Dolci Cafe Italiano  in Rancho San Diego. There we had a wonderful dinner. I had the Lasagne Bolognese, Diane had the Pollo Parmigiana. The Lasagna was interesting in that it wasn't the traditional wide pasta in cake form but a  Pappardelle style wide Fettuccine pasta...really done well. During the evenings discussion was Diane's future plans to Texas. Diane recently retired and wanted to taste the wide open spaces and State tax-freedom of my adopted state.

We have been friends for about 20 years and had been long-distance dating for about a year and I had decided to propose to her (with witnesses) on the cruise we were supposed to be on that week. I had the presence of mind to bring the ring with me that night expecting to propose over dessert. So the conversation moved on to when we were getting married. Diane's response was something like,"Well, I don't know, he (that would be ME) hasn't proposed yet."

Ok...let me digress, in the past couple of months I was getting photo texts of pictures of rings and subtle hints as to where I could locate similar rings for sale. Let me point out the descriptions of her wish list were for "big ass" rings. The photos were evidence of a need for something significant to wrap around her diminutive (size 6) finger. I dutifully located and purchased said rings. I then had a family member do a cursory temperature check of the family's response to a proposal. I got the go-ahead and had planned on a proposal at the first Formal Night on-board so we could get photo evidence for future generations. Those plans were dashed when Covid-19 showed up.

So there we were at dinner when her remark about proposing hit home. Not waiting for dessert....I kicked my chair out from underneath me and got down on one knee (which is a significant undertaking at my youthful 65) and pulled the BA ring out of my pocket and proposed. Well, a very pregnant pause took place and my future bride and sister got vapor lock as I awaited her response. Thankfully, future BIL John had the presence of mind to take some phone photos of the moment as I had to prod dear Diane to come up with a verbal response, "Ahhhh...you're supposed to say something." Thankfully she said yes and it was hugs and applause all around the restaurant.

I should point out, our female server quickly made her way to the table as she was informed by the kitchen staff I had proposed and she was a little miffed she had missed the event. As a sign of her congratulations, she offered us a free dessert which we gladly accepted  and shared a Chocolate Hazelnut Ganache...Wow. And, right on queue, two days later California closed restaurants except to drive-up and pick up only.

So for the next week, as the stay-at-home order took hold, we did a lot of book reading, movie watching, dog walking and home cooking with an occasional meal delivery (Door Dash) of Olive Garden delights (they didn't include bread sticks...Bastards!). Luckily, we had brave friends and relatives who took us into their homes under the cover of darkness, for dinners (thanks Carol and John as well as Frank and Michele).

The week went relatively fast and I found myself back at the Lindberg Field Terminal saying goodbye to my newly ringed fiancee' (I was reminded its Fianee' feminine and Fiance' for the male).

I saw a familiar check-in the day before my departure when I checked in late and STILL got an "A" assignment. When I got to the airport the next day, again, I was the only person walking through security at 4 pm on a Monday, usually a busy time for Lindberg Field. I stood at the entry point and couldn't see a way through the chicane of barriers. Waayyyyy back by the X-Ray machine a TSA guy called to me, "Sir...just come straight back", and waved me toward him. Again, I was the only person going through and took me maybe three minutes to get to the redressing area. Up to the gates and was presented with an empty terminal. There were more Gate Agents than passengers. I got a snack and sat at my gate. When it was time to go, we all were called up to the Gate and just walked our way to the plane. There were 10 of us going to Dallas and three were Southwest employees deadheading back to Dallas.

Wait...I saw this on "Airplane"

Back at Dallas, I made my way through a completely empty Terminal. The only place open was a Dunkin' Donut shop at the top of the stairs to exit. I was hungry and got my plain Old Fashion and a cup of their coffee. I quickly got my bag from the turnstile and out to my pickup in record time.