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| Talk about “trying new things!” Tom, the pickiest eater on the planet, actually enjoyed these Oysters Rockefeller aboard ship, the last night on the 15 day Panama Canal cruise. Yeah! Way to go, Sweetie!
AN ADDITIONAL POST FOR TODAY, SATURDAY, JANUARY 19TH IS AVAILABLE |
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| View as we sailed away from the Panama Canal area with numerous ships awaiting beyond the breakwater for their upcoming transit through the canal. |
Most likely, cruising is one of the safest modes of travel.
We haven’t given our safety a second thought until last night during dinner as the ship was literally rolling back and forth, our glasses tinkling at our dining table nearly splashing out their contents.
Tom and I glanced at each other with a look of uncertainty. We shrugged, returning to yet another enjoyable evening, again sitting next to a new couple engaging in lively animated conversation. They had cruised many times and had traveled the world extensively. It was reassuring to hear they’d been to and loved many of the places we plan to visit in the near future.
A discussion ensued concerning our upcoming
cruise to Dubai in May 2013 which they had the pleasure of experiencing a few years ago. This particular cruise offers several excursions in which we’ll surely partake: the Great Pyramids; the Sphinx and Giza. They advised against paying additional fees to actually venture inside the Great Pyramids, saying that it was a waste of money with the space too small, too commercialized, and outrageously hot. We take their advice seriously.
We welcome any advice from our readers worldwide as we share places we’ve yet to visit or while we’re staying in a particular area. Please suggest restaurants, markets, local foods, places to visit and people to see. Also, if you have knowledge of medical resources/doctors in the area, let us know. We can’t be too prepared. Please comment at the end of each daily post to which we’ll respond within 24 hours, once we’re able to get online.
We find ourselves suspicious and cautious of commercialized offerings that make one feel like cattle herded along to awaiting salespeople barking to “buy, buy, buy” which is often the scenario at most ports of call.
Most of the excursions offered by the ship present the ultimate goal to place the passenger into a “buying” mood. Most outings end up in some form of a retail area. We’ve recently discovered that most of the
excursions are owned by the cruise lines. Certainly, they are entitled to their profits. But then again, we are entitled to keep our money for our chosen future plans, not trinkets, artwork, local clothing, or jewelry.
After yet another elegant dinner and the 9 PM show in the Celebrity Theatre, a nightly event we’ve only missed twice (the first night aboard ship and the Panama Canal night after which I was too exhausted with only two
hours sleep), we headed to our cabin as the ship continued its wild thrashing about in the strong winds.
Tom, bless his heart, can go on and on into the night but then again, he is five years younger than I. Oh, it’s “hell to get old.” How we used to be able to manage the next day on so little sleep!
Walking down the long hallway to our cabin, we faltered back and forth between the narrow walls as
the ship continued to sway. I had a particularly difficult time walking in 3″ heels weaving as if I were drunk (I don’t drink).
Once inside our cabin, we turned on the TV to the ship’s GPS station, showing our exact location, wind speed, etc. After checking our email, we decided to try to get some sleep as the ship raced toward our next destination, Cartagena, Columbia, (expected time of arrival at 8:30 am today). We were asleep by 11:30.
At 1:30 am I was startled awake by the sound of something falling off of a shelf in our cabin as the ship
flailed wildly in the sea. Twice, I got out of bed stumbling over our shoes and power cords scattered on the floor to witness the high white waves splashing up the sides of the ship. On the 8th deck, the floor of our balcony was
covered with water. I was a bit scared, to say the least.
Tossing and turning for hours unable to fall back to sleep, the sounds escalated around
4 am. I wanted to wake up Tom during that period. I couldn’t believe he was sleeping through it all. Finally, I turned toward him and in a whispered tone, I asked, “Are you awake?”
Mumbling, he said, “No, not really.”
Hesitant to awaken him further I said, “Do you feel the rollin’?” Hard of hearing after 42 years on the railroad, he said “Did you say “rollin’…rollin’?”
“Yes,” I answered in a louder voice, “rollin’!”
“On the river?” he asked.
“No,” I laughed aloud, “on the sea!”
Leave it to my guy to make me laugh when I’m scared. He has a magical way of comforting me with his non-stop sense of humor. It was 4:00 am. Cuddling up we both wandered off to sleep.
At 7:15 am we were awakened by the loud roar of the ship’s side thrusters. We were finally approaching Cartagena, Columbia. Bolting out of bed at exactly the same moment we threw back the balcony door drapes, opened the heavy sliding door and this is what we saw.
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| Downtown Cartagena Columbia. All the buildings are white. |
Again, tonight we’ll dine in the Grand Restaurant to later attend the live show “Groove,” an interactive 60’s party in the Grand Foyer, and then off to the Celebrity Theatre for their last live show of the evening. Quite fun! We’re having the time of our lives! Our new lives couldn’t be more fun, rolling seas or not.
Last night while dressing for dinner we heard an announcement over the loudspeaker. Inaudible from our cabin, we brushed it off as most likely a promotion to spend money, dismissing our inability to hear it as insignificant.
After dinner, we scurried to the Celebrity Theatre for the 9:00 pm musical/comedy show, a medley of impersonations of past and current “divas.” I was reminded of Simon Cowell berating performers on both “American Idol” and “The X Factor” as to sounding comparable to a “second rate cruise ship act.”
However, cruise-ship-like the performance, we enjoyed every moment, chatting all the way back to our cabin as to the professional performances. As we entered our cabin we noticed an envelope sitting atop the well-turned down bed. Hum, we both thought, “another promo” as I tore open the envelope.
Dear Celebrity Century Guest,
During this sailing, there has been a small percentage of guests onboard who have experienced gastrointestinal illness, thought to be Norovirus.”
The content of the letter continued to make an earnest effort to minimize the potential hazards of such an outbreak on board, extol the virtues of frequent hand washing and inform us that attendants will be standing outside each restaurant, restroom, and elevator equipped with an ample supply of hand sanitizer.
We were encouraged to immediately contact the ship’s medical facility for a “complimentary consultation and treatment” should symptoms of nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea be experienced to any degree.
That event was what distracted us during dinner, the sudden turning of the ship, and eventual landing at a pier to drop off the ailing passenger(s) to awaiting medical professionals. Do we need to worry?
It’s evident that the ship’s staff is on high alert while we also take responsibility for remaining diligent every step of the way including reminding each other of potential risks.
Growing up in California, sunning has always been a favorite pastime of mine. Living on a lake in Minnesota these past 26 years has provided limited periods of time to lounge in a lawn chair, unpredictable weather a frequent deterrent during the short summer months.
On occasion, we’d lounge together in the row of crisp white lounge chairs that lined our yard, laughing, talking, and taking in the warming effects of the sun. In less than 30 minutes, he’d be a rosy pink while I tanned easily.
With many tropical locations as part of our worldwide adventures, we discussed how we’d manage our sun exposure to avoid the risks while enhancing our exposure to much needed Vitamin D. Besides, a bit of a healthy glow of a tan works well with our skimpier warm weather clothing.
Lying on our stomachs to “work the backside” our faces squished into the navy blue cushions we looked at one another smiling, the little crinkles around our eyes accentuated by our positions, our sunglasses perched atop our heads. Tom asked, “Do you know that song?” as the well-played music blared from the nearby stage.
For a moment, time stood still as we gazed deeply into each other’s eyes, knowing that at exactly that moment we were thinking the same thing. “This is our new life. Not a vacation. Not a trip. But a new life that ends only when we want it to or, when it must end due to unforeseen reasons.
To our readers: We will be adding photos here as soon as we are near land and able to use XCOM Global Mifi device which doesn’t work away from land. We are at sea all day today arriving in Cabo San Lucas at which time we’ll upload photos. The cruise ship’s wireless connection is too slow at this time to upload any photos.
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| The Celebrity Century which we boarded yesterday in San Diego, California. |
Dining in the Grand Dining Room last night, a table for two by the window, ensconced in the gentle rolling of the ship, we found ourselves relaxed and at ease for the first time in the many months of planning our year’s long journey to see the world.
Our dietary restrictions were generously accommodated with gluten-free references to the well-appointed menu, offering a wide array of what one might consider being upscale dining. Surprised that we weren’t herded about as cattle at a buffet line, we chatted with nearby guests and teased our articulate Croatian waiter. We couldn’t wipe the smile off of our faces.
We’ve yet to unpack other than the items we had had in a duffle bag in San Diego, a few pairs of jeans, underwear, a small bag of toiletries, and my workout clothes. Soon, we’ll leave our “comfy chairs” in this casual dining area after a hearty breakfast and head back to our cabin to see if the overflowing toilet is repaired. Ah, so it begins? No big deal, we laughed. The toiled overflowed in Scottsdale too.
Some items were to be left for Richard who flew in from Las Vegas to pick up the car and my sister and her partner who drove from LA, all of whom came to see us off at the pier. The remainder was our orange Antler luggage, two computer bags, two duffle bags, and my bulky overloaded handbag. (We “converted” Tom’s”murse” into a computer bag. Now he likes it).
In moments, we were on our way to the Fish House Restaurant less than 1/4 of a mile away to meet up with Julie, Maureen, and Richard for our final goodbyes. (We drove past the USS Midway, wishing we had time to explore. We’ll save that for another time).
Having said our goodbyes to our other three adult children, their significant others, and the six grandchildren (who Tom lovingly refers to as the “pallbearers!”) in Minnesota only two months ago and again over the phone in the past few days, we now were faced with more goodbyes.
At 2:30 PM after entering through two relatively painless checkpoints and security, hundreds of passengers before us, we found ourselves aboard the ship. Our luggage would be outside our door within a few hours while we were free to roam the ship after a mandatory 3:30 lifeboat training session in our designated muster station.
Our luggage had arrived in part when we returned to our compact cabin. We were missing a bag
with all of our power cords and another with my space foam neck pillow and Tom’s unfinished bottle of Courvoisier which we had anticipated would be confiscated.
Passengers are not allowed to bring alcohol aboard the ship which they tag to be returned upon the day of departure. We were aware of this but it was a shame to toss a bottle of VSOP which no one we knew wanted. Finding our way to security we discovered our two bags. Not only was alcohol not allowed but no power strips, extension cords, and multiple adapters were allowed onboard due to a potential fire hazard. With only two electric outlets in our cabin, we knew we’d have to
improvise.
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| We made 5 giant Poppy Seed Strudels today, rolling the dough with a tall bottle of flavored water. |
With guests arriving soon for the holidays, it was time to put aside my culinary restrictions and start baking for those that do enjoy high carb, sugary, mouth-watering pastries and baked goods so appropriate this time of year.
One of our favorites is an eastern European recipe for Poppy Seed Strudel, Tom’s favorite, having missed it over the past year and a half on our restricted way of eating.
I love this delectable pastry beyond words, a slice warmed in the microwave, covered with unsalted butter. Unfortunately, I consumed very little in the past knowing it could cause a spike in blood sugar. Now I will have none of it, not a taste. My health is more important, especially now that we are only 13 days away from leaving the US.
So here is the recipe reminiscent of Tom’s childhood, found online some years ago (no creation of mine, other than pulling it all together). It’s really not hard to make. The prep time to make this entire recipe is less than two hours.
We have no rolling pin here. Stubborn, I won’t buy one and will use a tall skinny bottle of chilled flavored water to roll the dough. It doesn’t have to be rolled very thin, so this will work. There was no small mixing bowl either here, either so I used a soup bowl to mix the yeast and warmed milk. Oh well.
(We also noted the lack of a potato peeler this morning. My sister Julie is bringing one from LA!).
An Eastern European dessert table would invariably include something sweet made with poppy seeds, either ground or whole. This poppy seed strudel is made with a yeast dough and is known as makowiec (mah-KOH-vyets) in Polish. Canned poppy seed paste is available in the ethnic or the baking aisle of most supermarkets.
Preparation:
7. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Brush tops with additional melted butter. Bake 45 to 60 minutes or until strudels are golden brown. Don’t let them get too brown.
Over the years, Tom made dozens of bottles (over 150 wine sized bottles, one year) of this fabulous holiday treat. We’ve given them as gifts to family, friends, and co-workers nicely bottled, corked, and imprinted with a custom made Christmas labels.
Due to time constraints, we won’t be making it this year and wanted to share the recipe with our readers, many of whom have enjoyed this in the past. Here you go! Enjoy!
Tom Lyman’s Irish Cream (Equivalent to Bailey’s)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1-pint ½ and ½ or real whipping cream
3 pasteurized eggs (important for safety)
1/8 teaspoon coconut extract
1 tablespoon chocolate syrup
1 cup Irish Whiskey or other bourbon or whiskey
Blend all ingredients in a blender for 2 minutes, then add 1 cup whiskey, measuring into the empty can of sweetened condensed milk in order to remove every last drop of the creamy sweetened condensed milk.
Blend for another 30 seconds. Pour in a glass bottle with a tight-fitting cork.
Keeps for 30 days in the refrigerator.
Should you decide to try either of these recipes or any other recipes we’ve posted, please don’t hesitate to email me with questions. I check my inbox frequently and will get back to you quickly.
Ah, the holidays. We love this time of year. So much gratitude. So much love. And of course, so much food!
Years ago, when our kitchen was being remodeled and we had literally no kitchen for six months, Tom began to suffer from a variety of severe intestinal symptoms. He rapidly lost weight, running back and forth to the bathroom dozens of times each day and night.
One may assume that this was due to the fact we were eating fast food, processed food, or pre-made food products while our kitchen was being remodeled. It was not.
During this time, around 2004 our dining room table became our food prep area with various George Foreman grills, an electric skillet, an electric griddle, a toaster oven, two microwave ovens, cutting boards, seasonings, plates, and silverware, which we washed in the bathtub (we don’t like paper plates).
During this period, we ate that which we perceived, at the time as “normal” meals; a protein, a vegetable or two, a starch, and a salad. It was winter. On warmer days, above 30 degrees, we cooked on the outdoor grill. These were the same type of meals most of us prepare when cooking at home. Why was he getting so sick?
When the symptoms exacerbated over time, months after the kitchen was done, we made an appointment to go to the Mayo Clinic for a week while poor Tom experienced every gastrointestinal test known to man, many gruesome, uncomfortable and embarrassing. He didn’t eat a morsel of food for five days.
Diagnosis: irritable bowel syndrome, commonly referred to as IBS, treatable (they said) by avoiding cruciferous vegetables, too much or too little fiber (which is it?), and medication to calm the digestive track taken three times a day. Also, he was told he had Barrett’s Esophagus, which required the proton pump inhibitors, now being touted by some researchers as causing serious side effects.
Following this treatment was relatively easy with Tom’s little interest in cruciferous vegetables, general aversion to fiber laden foods, and desire to eat “white” bread, potatoes, and doughnuts. I must confess, in a desire to please him, I cooked and baked his favorite foods while he faithfully took the medication. The symptoms continued relentlessly.
Our lives revolved around pacing our activities in order to be close to a bathroom or, by his not eating at all. No food. No symptoms. It was frustrating for him and for me, the official cook in the household, feeling responsible for feeding him foods that caused him severe illness. Its treatment wasn’t so clear cut at the time since we were following a recommendation made by the medical profession. Could they possibly ill advise us?
After hours of researching online data, the advice was always the same; low fiber, medications, low stress, lots of water, all of which he followed meticulously.
In 2008, four years since the onset of his symptoms, I stumbled across some information on Celiac disease. Many of the symptoms suffered by patients with Celiac had symptoms similar to Tom’s. What did we have to lose to try? Much to my amazement, Tom agreed to go totally gluten-free for a one month trial.
Filling our cupboards with gluten-free mixes for desserts, coffee cake, doughnuts, and pasta, we began the process of living a gluten-free lifestyle. I avoided many of these products since they were often filled with high fructose corn syrup and other sugars, which I had “given up” many years ago. Tom gained weight, eating these high carb sugary foods.
Most of these treats were palatable and he didn’t complain. Over a period of about three weeks, his symptom improved by about 75%. We were satisfied with this result and continued along this path for a few years. With few symptoms of his condition, he gradually incorporated gluten back into his diet.
Surprisingly, his symptoms didn’t revert to the state they’d been a few years back. Apparently, without gluten for a while, his intestinal tract healed to a degree and although he wasn’t symptom-free, it was manageable. He was willing to suffer some problems in order to eat an occasional coffee cake and doughnut.
His weight ballooned to almost 240 pounds, all in the belly. At barely six feet tall, he was rotund. My guy, rotund. During this period of time, the news was filled with stories on the dangers of visceral fat (fat surrounding the internal organs) causing heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and of course, digestive disorders.
Tom shrugged off the risks, relying upon the longevity in his family while refusing to try any type of diet including gluten-free.
In August 2011, after years of severe full-body pain (which I wrote about in a prior post), I decided to try an anti-inflammation diet when a specialist explained that I’d require a total spinal fusion at some point as my spine continued to deteriorate. It was August 2011.
Tom attended my doctor’s appointment with me, for the first time seeing the degree of damage to every disc in my spine on the multiple MRIs from C1 to L5 hearing the doctor extol the virtues of a low inflammation diet.
However, he suggested going one further step to enhance the possibility of extraordinary results; low carb (keeps blood sugar under control, thus reducing inflammation, according to many researchers at Harvard) no wheat, no grains of any type (no rice), no starch (no corn, no beans), no sugar (no fruit), no chemicals, high-quality grass-fed meat, free-range chickens, limit dairy to butter and hard cheeses, organic produce (when possible).
Miraculously, Tom agreed to follow along with me. He had read an article in the newspaper about the rapid increase in the incidence of Celiac disease over the past 60 years. Here’s the link to the article that influenced him in going along on this path with me.
We eat eggs and nitrate-free bacon for breakfast, grass-fed meat, organic vegetables, and salad with homemade dressing for dinner every night. We nibble on nuts and hard cheese and an occasional sweet treat made with Stevia sweetener.
Now 18 months later, Tom has lost 44 pounds, has NO symptoms of IBS, has quit smoking, has stopped taking seven pills per day, and had stunning blood test results (better than ever) a month before we left Minnesota, as I have done as well.
I am pain-free (except for that darned shoulder!). Already slim, I didn’t lose weight during this period. Nature has a funny way of taking care of its own when we respect the body, feeding it nourishing clean food.
So, this is why we eat the way we do, which we’ve mentioned here before. Yes, cruises will be hard, especially the “sweets” tables. However, we would not be able to go on this adventure if we hadn’t followed this way of eating. Tom was too bulky to haul that luggage. I was in too much pain to go anywhere, let alone around the world.
Upon the recommendation of our Minnesota physician, amazed at our results, Tom is having a final endoscopy and a colonoscopy next week after having seen a local gastroenterologist yesterday, here in Scottsdale. He too was amazed by his improvement. He explained an important point. One may not have Celiac disease (which Tom will be further tested for next week) and yet be sensitive to gluten.
A few years ago, he had a DNA test for Celiac Disease, which stated “he had a likelihood of Celiac disease” but was not conclusive. We’ll apprise you of his result after the tests are completed next week. The only conclusive test is a biopsy of the small intestine, which he will have.
For those of you yet to have a colonoscopy, please follow along with us. (You can sign up to receive an email when we prepare a new post by entering your email on the right side of our site. You will not be further solicited).
You may discover that this life-saving test is not painful, difficult, or embarrassing. The only sacrifice is one day of a clear liquid-only diet and the drive to and from the facility. IV medication makes this pain free leaving you with little or no memory of the test itself. You are completely covered up during the procedure.
I had put it off having this test myself, for almost 10 years, only to be pleasantly surprised at how relatively easy it was. This will be Tom’s third procedure, required more frequently due to his past bowel issues.
Please understand, we are in no manner, trying to prescribe, diagnose, or claim to have any medical knowledge or experience other than that of the average layperson. We simply want to share our experience with you, as we will as we travel the world.
Next week, we’ll post the results of Tom drinking the two little bottles of the prescribed, SUPREP BOWEL PREP KIT, drinking one small bottle at 5 PM, the night before the procedure, and then again at 5:00 AM, the morning of the procedure.
Once these two tests are completed and, providing the result is good which we expect, Tom will have no further testing until we eventually return to the US. Of course, if he has any new symptoms, we will do so wherever we may be.
His tests are next Thursday morning, December 6th. We will begin a “blow by blow” description on Wednesday, his prep day, and he what eats and drinks, and his reaction to the two little bottles. Perhaps, not suitable for the squeamish.
Over the past many months of writing this blog, I have mentioned the need for 2nd passports. One may ask, “Why isn’t one passport sufficient?”
Usually, one passport is sufficient for most travelers. If visas are needed for travel, one must send in their passport to the appropriate embassy along with other pertinent documents as required by the country into which one is seeking access. Doing so, would leave us in a foreign country without a passport in our possession for a week, a dangerous situation.
Visas are not required by all countries, many are only required for stays of 30 days or more, many for as much as 90 days. It is imperative that we check the requirements at the embassy of the countries we’ll be visiting, found easily online at a number of sites.
Rather than take the time and effort to apply for all the visas we will need as we need them and, based on our long stays in many countries, we have decided to use the services of VisaHQ, a company located on Embassy Row in Washington, DC. They have the ability to quickly and easily process the paperwork, not only for our 2nd passports but also for our many upcoming visas.
Unfortunately, it is necessary to wait about 30 days before traveling to a specific country, since they usually are only good for a specific period.
Of course, there are additional fees for processing each visa, usually under $79 each. Early on in our budgeting discussions we decided to include this expenses rather than taking the time and the effort at each of our locations to do the paperwork ourselves. Doing so would create stress, distracting us from the enjoyment of the experience at the time.
VisaHQ, along with other such websites, has the traveler complete a master form kept secure on their site. When a visa is needed a single page is all that is required to complete online along with sending in the 2nd passport and any necessary documents which are quickly returned.
Second passports are only good for two years. We’ll note the renewal date on our calendar upon receipt. For this reason, we are waiting until we are down to the wire to ensure we have full use of the two years.
Once we apply and have experienced the process of our first application online with VisaHQ we will report back here with the details. Of course, we already have our “first” passports, good for another nine years in our case. (US passports are valid for a of a total of 10 years).
This past Friday while here in Nevada, we had additional passport photos taken at a Walgreens pharmacy, who along with CVS are certified to take passport photos, making this process easier than in years past. The cost for each pair of photos is $10.99.
We each ordered two sets leaving us with a total of four passport photos plus a fifth we already had of an older photo. Generally, passport photos are valid for six months. (Yes, us old timers do change in appearance in six months, I suppose).
The time here in Henderson, Nevada has been low key as we continue to prepare to leave the US, visiting family, playing with family kids and dogs, Monty and Owen.
We dined in the past two nights. On Saturday while at Whole Foods we purchased a huge chunk of bison sirloin steak, gluten free of course, that I cut into two nice sized pieces to marinate. After all, we are trying “new things.”
Nah, Tom took one bite and gagged. It didn’t help that we were watching a show on TV, Extreme Cheapskates, whereby the “star” of the episodes would go “dumpster diving” at restaurant dumpsters for dinner.
That didn’t bother me! I busily chomped away on my big steak, noticing a “gamey” flavor but hungry enough to eat the entire thing. I eyeballed Tom’s plate considering attacking his steak also deciding not to “pig out.” Bison in the future? Not so much.
Undoubtedly, we’ll have plenty of opportunities to try new foods along the way as we travel the world. Later.
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| This quaint old fashioned motel, the Sandia Peak Inn Motel run by the most charming woman on the planet was well worth the $100 (plus 13% tax) nightly rate. |
Halfway to Albuquerque by 1:00 pm, we searched for a hotel on my Android smart phone during the intermittent times we had a signal. Driving across the barren lands of Texas we expected to settle down for the night around 5 pm after another 525 mile day.
Only one day from Scottsdale, our destination for the next two months until we leave the US, we were pleased that we had traveled about 1300 miles in a little over two days.
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| Delightful Kate, manager of the Sandia Peak Inn Motel, hugged me when we checked out, moments later running out to our car to hand us a crisp red apple along with well wishes.
No words can describe the delightful property manager Kate, other than “wow.” She couldn’t do enough for us! Her charming demeanor and concern for our comfort reminding me of times past.
The adorable motel and our king room, not a disappointment in any manner, was reminiscent of the 50’s and yet updated with modern conveniences including HD TV, working wireless Internet and a newer over-sized Jacuzzi tub . Our room was spotless, spacious and comfortable. We couldn’t stop smiling over this surprising find. My painful shoulder thanked the Jacuzzi.
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| My fajitas dinner minus the tortilla. Fabulous! |
Tom had the tender pot roast stuffed corn tacos, although “Mr. Picky” won’t eat Mexican beans or rice. What a waste.
After a good night’s sleep in the comfortable king bed, we decided to hit the road early this morning while it was still dark.
An hour into the drive on Highway 40 we were rerouted to famous Route 66, when a tanker truck overturned ahead of us spewing a dark cloud of some toxic chemical requiring Hazmat trucks, fire trucks, police cars and ambulances speeding to the scene. Luckily, we made it safely out of the area with only a half hour delay.
Another productive day of driving behind us, we made it to Scottsdale around 2:00 PM. We were confused about the time change, referring to our phones for accuracy. Arizona, (most of it) does not acknowledge Daylight Savings time.
There’s a one hour time difference between New Mexico and Arizona. Plus, the clocks change tonight but, not here in Scottsdale. In our tired condition, it was difficult to figure out the time. We’ll go with whatever our phones say in the morning.
The last time we changed clocks was the first time I wrote this blog, March 14, 2012. If you’ve yet to read from this blog from beginning, this date is listed in the archives on the right side of this page.
Contained in those archives since March 14th, we share with our readers the long process of getting to this point. Today, we are exactly two months from the date of January 3, 2013 when we officially leave the US.
I deleted the Retirement Countdown Free app on my phone. We no longer are counting the hours, the days, the weeks and the months. Every moment will be treasured now that we are free, together at long last.
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| Our crab cracking and dining tools |
As a person entrenched in the details, it’s not unusual to me that I have six tools one could use to crack crab legs: two types of crackers, two types of crab scissors, a pick and a small fork, service for eight. It’s not coincidental that I have service for eight. Who would want to “shell out” (couldn’t resist) enough crab legs for more than eight people?
This came to mind yesterday when I recklessly spent $48 for two bags of king crab legs plus $28 for the accompanying grass fed New York strip steaks.
This is for three of us for Sunday night’s dinner; Tom and I and our friend Sue, who comes for dinner every Sunday night since the passing of her dear husband and our beloved friend Chip. She’s a trooper. Our hearts break for her. They were our role models as a happy, retired couple. Now, we are witnessing the depth of the loss of a beloved partner, excruciatingly sorrowful, a double whammy.
We laugh, we cry and we tell endless stories of our 26 years here on the point. (You can read about Chip in my post on June 1, 2012 found here in the archives). We three deserve steak and crab.
The combined cost of the meat at $76, plus the veggies and the salad, it may prove to be a $90 dinner at $30 each. We seldom eat in a restaurant. However, each of the past two Saturday nights we did, first at Osaka in Coon Rapids with daughter and family and then at Biella In Excelsior with son and his wife.
Dining in those restaurants, the average cost per person was in the $40 range. This justifies my $30 per person cost dining at home on this special night. After all, this is one of five remaining Sunday nights we have left before we leave for our world wide adventure.
Around the 15th of October, the processing of the estate sale begins leaving us no longer able to cook while everything in the cabinets and drawers; the dishes, the silverware, my gadgets and the pots and pans will be marked for sale. Ouch. My gadgets. Bye, bye, gadgets.
So today, while Tom is off to our oldest grandson’s football game, I’ll stay behind and begin the process of going through my many cookbooks.
Most of my favorite recipes have been scanned, leaving hundreds we’ll never enjoy again due to our low carb, gluten free, grain free, starch free and sugar free diet.
This diet gave us back our health, evident in the amazing blood test results we each received this past Thursday after Monday’s final doctor appointment. Best results ever. Everything perfect. The diet worked. We’ll never fail to remember that we wouldn’t be able to travel the world for the next number of years if we hadn’t greatly improved our health by eating in this restricted manner. A small sacrifice in the realm of things.
However, king crab and steak is no sacrifice, allowable for our way of eating. Besides, I can’t wait to set the table one last time with those six crab utensils before some crazy detail orientated fool such as I, buys all eight sets for a ridiculously low price.
Hum, could I fit two sets of crab tools inside a shoe in one of the six orange suitcases? Or perhaps, four sets in case we have company.
As a logical, numbers crunching individual, I learned a long time ago, “there is no such thing as a free lunch.”
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| My Tempur-Pedic neck pillow before deflation |
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| My Tempur-Pedic neck pillow after deflation |
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| Elaborate dessert: Homemade Ice Cream Cake, perfect for a hot summer night. Bye, bye, cake! |
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| Elaborate dessert: Homemade Puff Pastry Napolean! No more! |
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| Elaborate dessert: Homemade Butterscotch Meringue Pie (I used 12 eggs whites)! Never again! |
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| New dessert: Unsweetened Greek Yogurt topped with GF, SF, low carb chocolate sauce, unsweetened organic shredded coconut and bits of low carb chocolate coconut protein bar. Not bad at all! (Tom won’t try this). |