The Measure of a Man

Today is the first anniversary of my dad’s death.  It has gotten me thinking of what is the true measure of a man?  I don’t think my dad actually knew how many lives he touched just by being himself.  He wasn’t “famous.”  He wasn’t “rich.”  He didn’t invent anything that changed the course of history.  However, I think by any measure that matters, he was a good man.

It seems to me that a man should not be measured by what accumulates over his life, but by what he has given away. When my dad first got sick in 2009, I didn’t give much thought to him actually dying.  Yes, I knew he had cancer and that it was serious.  Yes, I knew that he could die.  But, the reality is that he had always overcome adversities in his life (whether it be shattering his heel or having acid spilled into his eye) and my family has always seemed to weather serious illness (my aunt beat a very rare and deadly cancer shortly before my dad was diagnosed) so I believed that he could beat this as well.  Unfortunately he didn’t.

His death has impacted me differently than others in my family.  I have always been somewhat of an independent soul with my own quirky way.  I am a fatalist and so am very accepting of what happens and take a practical approach to things and move on.  That being said, I find that I miss certain things about my dad a great deal.  I miss being able to call him up and talk about obscure facts or trivia.  I miss talking to him about the trials and tribulations of being a Cleveland Indians fan.  I miss seeing his eyes light up when he laughed or my daughters walked into the room.

So what is the measure of a man and why do I think that my dad was a good man?  A good man gives more than he takes.  He guides, teaches, and supports without reservation or an expectation of reciprocation.  He helps the helpless.  He provides for those that depend on him.  He puts the welfare and happiness of those around him before himself and by doing so, finds true happiness.  He advises without commanding.

My dad was a good man and I don’t think he knew just how good or how many people he touched over the years.  After his death I heard from people who may not have seen him in 20 years but still remembered how he helped them, or touched them, taught them, or mentored them.

My dad was all of these things:  a son; a brother; an uncle; a cousin; a husband; a confidant; a protector, a best friend; a coach; a mentor; a Gapa and GopGop (grandfather); and so many other things.  But most important to me, he was my father.

Write what you know??

Write what you know? Seriously? Is that the best advice I can find? Most of the stuff I know would interest no one, and that includes me. I’m not an expert on anything. I’ve never invented anything or made some great discovery. I’m a dad and a lawyer. I suppose I could write about being a dad and the goofy things my daughters do. . .I’m sure that’s never been done.

Well, while I try and figure it out, here are some things I *do* know

-I like that my daughters aren’t old enough to be embarrassed by me all the time but old enough to be able to make their own breakfast.

-I think I love my iPad 2 and iPhone 4 but not enough to ditch the PC. . .yet

-I do not think Steve Jobs singlehandedly killed music (so there Jon Bon Jovi). . .I think rap and hip hop are more to blame.

-I think that the autocorrect feature on my phone and iPad make me a much worse typist on other things because I keep forgetting to capitalize my i’s and keep hitting the space bar twice thinking I’ll have a period there.

-I think there is no better vacation than a cruise.

-I think that there are few better feelings in the world than the one when you walk into your house after a long day and your dog is there ready to just be your friend.

-I still think nuclear energy is a bad idea right now.

-I think that the United States is being shortsighted in retiring the Space Shuttle (flawed as it may be) without a replacement ready to go.

-Along the same lines. . .can we go to Mars already? I can only watch Capricorn One so many times.

-No matter how strange or out there he is, or more specifically his guests, I think Art Bell was a great radio host.

-I think that no matter how good Rachael Maddow is at her job and researching things, I still won’t watch MSNBC because of the whole Keith thing

-I think its more important than ever to standup for what is right when that thing is unpopular.

-I think that I’m done.

Remembering Marshall 1993-2009

Well, it has been a tough few months in my house. First we lose Eli and then just a few months later our 16 year old cat Marshall had to be put to sleep.

Marshall was our very first “kid.” We rescued Marshall from the Anti-Cruelty Society shelter right after we moved to Chicago.  He was named after my favorite Supreme Court Justices (yes, I’m a dork but I was also just starting my first year of law school).  In fact, we had Marshall before our bed even arrived and for the first few nights, he would sleep on the floor in between Stacey and I. We were very lucky to get him. It was discovered in the shelter that he had an upper respiratory infection and if he had not been adopted the day we did, the shelter would have likely put him to sleep that night. So, at about 5-6 weeks old, we had him home for maybe two days before he had to go into the hospital. That was alright though as he made it through and began his journey with us that would see him survive additional pets, a move across the country stuck in a car with Eli and our other cat Hearsay, the birth of our daughters, and numerous other trials and tribulations.

Marshall was, from the beginning, Stacey’s big baby. When we first got him, he was a tiny little kitty with giant ears and a long tail. We knew that he would be a big cat and we were right. He would routinely top out at over 16 pounds and whenever we had a new vet, we invariably would get the “We’re going to need to talk about a diet for your fat cat” talk from the vet before they saw him. We would try and explain that he wasn’t fat, just big to which we would always get the skeptical “Sure Whatever” look from the vet. That is, until they say him and then we would get the “Wow, that’s just a big cat” exclamation from the vet. Marshall’s tail alone was 14 inches long and he had a nice long stride.

Unlike a lot of cats, Marshall certainly reflected his owners. He was, by no means, a “graceful” cat and would frequently slip of miss a jump (kinda clutzy like us). It just added to his charm.

Marshall was many things, but most of all, he was a talker and a big baby. He would love to sit and meow and meow from the other room just to hear us respond to him and he never shied away from “uppy time” with Stacey.

Despite being a big baby, he was also a good big brother to Hearsay, our second cat. We rescued Hearsay a year after Marshall. Now, as big as Marshall became, Hearsay is the exact opposite having never grown beyond six pounds. She is a petite girl who, when she was a kitten, would follow Marshall around and he would show her the ropes. There were many times when Hearsay would find herself stuck on top of kitchen cabinets and it would be up to Marshall to either walk her down or, on a few occasions, he actually came into the living room to fetch us to help her. He was her guardian angel. Hearsay misses him in a terrible way. They were the perfect pair opposites that attracted.  One of their favorite past times was to “hunt” the taxis from the windows of our apartments in Chicago.  Being a city cat didn’t stop him from trying to capture the elusive prey, even if it was a Yellow Cab.

When Eli came into our lives, Marshall wasn’t sure what to make of the big disorganized mess that was Eli. Eli was loud, annoying, and basically the bane of Marshall’s existence. However, over time, he learned to tolerate Eli and while they were never “friends,” they did share one important responsibility. Both took to watching over Shelby when she was born in 2000. It wasn’t unusual to find them both in her room making sure no harm to the baby. Marshall loved Shelby (as long as she was asleep).

As time went on, we noticed that his back leg wasn’t working as well as it had in the past and that he was having more difficulty in cleaning his back. However, he adapted and it never really slowed him down and he managed to learn to jump and move about without restriction. One day, Stacey took him to the vet for a possible cracked tooth. They did some routine blood work and we discovered that he had the onset of kidney failure. Well, we monitored the situation; had him in for additional workups, etc. Given his age, i wasn’t unusual and we just plugged ahead. He never really seemed to let anything bother him and he never whined or complained. Over the next several months he would start getting different foods to try and help and we began our daily routine of giving him IV fluids. However, he wasn’t getting better and he just kept losing weight.

Despite all this, he remained active and didn’t seem to be losing a step even though his other back leg started giving him trouble he still managed to walk and jump and even sometimes play. However, every time we had him checked, his kidney values were worse and we knew it was just a matter of time.

We went away for a few days back to Ohio and checked Marshall into the vet. He was fine and moving around. We had a talk with the vet and just asked him to make sure Marshall made it through the weekend. Our daughters were staying in Ohio and we had them say goodbye just in case.

Well, Marshall made it through the weekend although by the time we got home he had gone downhill faster than I thought possible. The vet said his body temperature was so low that it was a bit surprising he was still alive. He had basically stopped eating and wasn’t really moving around and had begun to lose bladder control. The change was so dramatic that it really surprised me.

Stacey and I took him home and honestly didn’t expect him to make it though the night. We wanted him to be comfortable and in familiar surroundings. Well, Stacey keep him on her lap all night and the next morning, we knew that we had to make another tough decision. There was no way we were going to leave him all alone at home and we knew that he wasn’t going to get any better as he had always done over the past few months. We called the vet and took him right back in. The vet took us into the same room where we had taken Eli and as we were sitting waiting, Marshall tried to purr and was so content in Stacey’s lap.

Almost at the same exact hour that we lost Eli, Marshall slipped away. It was especially difficult because he was our first and for so long he was our kid. He loved to sleep at Stacey’s head and she would wake up all the time because he would be chewing on her hair. He loved to be petted and never missed an opportunity to lay on top of my chair which was in convenient reach of my hand. His favorite past time as a kitten and young cat was to chase the plastic rings that came on gallons of milk. He would chase and chase them. He never had much a love for other “cat” toys, but give that cat a milk ring and he was in heaven.

So now I’m confident that Eli has shown Marshall all around and Marshall is living it up, unencumbered by bag legs or failing kidneys, chasing milk rings all over heaven. He was the perfect first pet and a great companion for 16 years. I just hope he enjoyed his time with us as much as we loved having him in our lives.

A Few Thoughts About Eli

Well, its probably a good thing no one really reads this because this post is probably not of interest to anyone but me. Plus, I’m sure some people think this is lame but, I don’t care because its my space and right now I want to remember my dog Eli.

Growing up I always had pets. My mom wasn’t a dog person, she was a cat person so we had cats. I still love cats and have 3. It wasn’t until I met my wife Stacey that I really was introduced to dogs. Stacey’s dog Rebound was a wonderful Shetland Sheepdog who loved to herd his family. I knew I made it in her family when two things happened. First, Rebound would try and herd me into the pack and when Stacey’s mom called me by the dog’s name which I am told is the highest complement in the family.

In any event, I found that I liked dogs and that I liked how they were always right there waiting for you and couldn’t be happier just because you were there. When Stacey and I moved to Chicago, we couldn’t have dogs in the places we could afford at the time and so, we got a cat. We always knew that, as soon as we were able, we would get a dog. It took a few years (and a second cat) but finally in 1998 we were able to buy our first place and would celebrate our first home with a dog.

Being animal people all of our pets are shelter rescue animals. So one day, shortly after we closed on our place, we made the trek to the Anti-Cruelty Society in downtown Chicago in search of a dog. We didn’t have any expectations other than that it had to be a smaller dog and potty trained. Well, one of the first dogs I saw was a small black Cockapoo which the fully name Eli. He was a year and a half old and was full of energy and spirit. I wasn’t thrilled about the name but somehow it fit and I knew I wanted him. Unfortunately, someone else had already started the adoption process so it looked like Eli was going to another home. I was frustrated and sad because he was a great looking guy and he kept looking at me with his dark eyes that sparkled. Well, Stacey and I kept looking and found another dog who we were about to seriously consider when I noticed that the hold on Eli was gone (his other adoption had fallen though). Well, it was fate and Eli and started our journey. Several hours and many questions later (the anti-cruelty society is famous for refusing to allow people to adopt) we were on our way home with our new dog. When we arrived home the cats were none too fond of the new family member but, after some hissing and raised backs, things settled down.

Back then, Stacey was traveling all the time so during the week it was just me at home. Eli was always so happy to see me when I’d come home from work and we’d hang out together. On the weekends, when Stacey would be home, he would look at her at bedtime and wonder why she was taking his side of the bed. We would go to the doggie beach on Lake Michigan, go to training classes, and basically just hang out. Eli, like me, hates bad weather and the winters in Chicago were always interesting. When it would rain, he would do almost anything to avoid having to get wet when we’d go outside. When we’d get lots of snow, he would literally buried up to his chest in snow when we’d go outside and we’d come back in and his fur would be packed with snow that wold take me forever to get off. He looked sorta like half an Oreo cookie the top half of him black and the bottom white.

One of Eli’s favorite activities was, like me, just laying in bed and relaxing watching TV. We would lay there, me on my side and him on Stacey’s…err his or in my lap. He never complained and was simply happy hanging out. Every time we’d go for a walk, there would be new adventures as the city constantly had new smells and things that Eli had to mark as his own.

Well, the time came that Stacey and I basically grew sick of her long travel and the crappy weather and made the move to Las Vegas. In the summer of 1999, Stacey packed up our Jeep Grand Cherokee with the two cats, my computer, and Eli and headed west while I stayed in Chicago to finish up a couple of things and then fly to Las Vegas to take the Nevada Bar Exam. I heard stories of Eli getting a little car sick over the Rockies and adventures of having three animals in hotel rooms and worries about barking and getting kicked out of hotels.

July in Las Vegas is not ideal weather for a black coated dog but Eli didn’t seem to care. He loved the house (it was at least 3 times the size of our place in Chicago) and he loved the big backyard. Life continued for us much as it had before just with a much better climate (Eli really like the fact it never rains here). Eli never got used to the idea that in the summer the streets were *really* hot and he was always surprised when he tried to walk on the hot blacktop.

Eli was in for a very big change in the fall of 2000 as we prepared to welcome our first child. Thinking that Eli would feel left out and wanting to make sure he had a playmate, we adopted our second dog Gabby a month before Shelby was born. Eli however was having none of that. He tolerated Gabby and I think really enjoyed her at times as they would sometimes play but as soon as Shelby was born, he became her chief protector. He would lie by her and watch over her. He was ever the loyal dog and, despite the fact that he was very stubborn, he was a good soul.

Stubborn is a word that describes Eli very well. Being part Cocker Spaniel and part Poodle (thankfully more cocker), he knew what he wanted and the consequences be damned. When I took him to training classes, is was abundantly clear that he was doing it because he wanted. I would say “sit” and he would look right at me, wait a few seconds to make sure I knew he was doing what he wanted, and then he would plop down. Whether it was pushing my limits, Stacey’s limits, or whatever, he really knew how to get his way.

Life continued and Eli continued to be my best dude and continued to be a challenge at times. I have always liked to say that cats are perpetual teenagers (somewhat aloof and independent always thinking they know best) while dogs are perpetual toddlers (always underfoot, innocent, fun loving, with a wide eyed view of the world). Eli was a perfect example of this. Every day brought new discoveries (at least in his mind) and no matter that he may have seen or done the same things over and over, it always seemed like it was the first time. He had no concept of consequences to his actions whether it was that running along the wood floor may cause him to slip to he would get in trouble for chewing holes in underwear (his favorite pastime); it didn’t matter.

As the years progressed, Eli’s beautiful black coat became mixed with gray (just like my hair) and he started to slow down. He never love his love of life or the curious look in his eyes. He started having problems with his back, just like me, and from time to time, we’d have to carry him upstairs at night because the steps would bother his back. He never complained or whined, he would just look at me with his eyes grateful that he could sleep at our feet. As more time progressed, his back would get better and he’d be back to running and racing Gabby up the stairs and fighting for the prime positions on the bed. He’d be ready to bound downstairs in the morning and to start another day.

Over the years though, time started to catch up. It was hard to see him as an old man but thats what he was becoming. He had several health scares and it was becoming clear that there was something wrong with him but, no matter how many tests we ran the vets couldn’t figure it out. It wasn’t cancer or something similar but it started to seem like his body was fighting itself. He lost weight, seemed to lose a lot of his hearing, and started to lose his balance. In late 2008, he took a nose dive and was refusing to eat and we thought maybe it was time. We discovered he would eat homemade chicken and rice so we went through a lot of chicken. He perked up a little but then started refusing that. He moved from the chicken to hamburgers and bacon. Stacey was very concerned and I was thinking that maybe he was finally done fighting. However, as he had always done before, he perked back up and began a normal eating pattern again (although with a different dog food than the other dogs of course which made meal times interesting). He got a lot better for a short time and was able to get around and even manage the stairs. This was all around Christmastime and looking back now, I’m convinced it was one last present from him to us.

As we moved into 2009, he started to go back downhill again and we knew it was just a matter of time. By this time he was over 14 and his body was just done. His spirit however refused to give up. I would pet him and he would still look at me with his curious eyes and it always seemed like he was asking “what’s next? Can we go play?” He would get progressively worse and would simply lie on the couch. He became unable to stand without assistance and going to the bathroom was a major undertaking. Finally, he had had enough. He wasn’t able to stand, and would have accidents on himself. For the first time since he came into our lives, he wimpered. He was done. He looked at me with his dark eyes, still ever alter and shiny, and I knew. He was ready. He didn’t want to leave but it was time. I didn’t want to let him go but I knew that was selfish. No matter how much I wanted or needed him, it was time. It wasn’t fair to him. He had fought long and hard and his body was just done. I think by this week he wanted desperately to run and play and it pissed him of that he couldn’t.

So today, April 4, 2009, we broke the news to our daughters that Eli was going to the vet and wouldn’t be coming home. They said their goodbyes and everyone cried. At 10 am, we dropped the girls off at my parents and Eli took his last car ride in my lap. He was loving all the extra attention and he loved being in my lap. As we waited at the vet’s office, he and I had one last minute alone as Stacey went to pay and I had my chance to say goodbye and thank him. He looked at me his eyes sparkled. He licked my hand and was just content in my lap. After the vet had put a catheter in and brought him back, we all laid on the floor and Stacey and I petted him and rubbed his ears like he loved until he was gone. He was finally able to rest peacefully. I laid there on the cold floor crying not wanting to let go but knowing he was already gone and probably that his spirit already was running and playing.

I imagine that he is somewhere now with bowls full of burgers and bacon, piles of toys, many small animals to chase and play with, and, of course, piles and piles of underwear to rip endless holes in. I can only hope that he is happy and not lonely.

I couldn’t have asked for a better first dog or friend. He never cared if I hadn’t showered or if my hair wasn’t brushed. He cared for me when I was sick and sad. He was always ready to play or simply lie with me. I still have 3 cats and 2 dogs and will have more in the future I’m sure, but there will never be another first and there will never be another Eli. He was one of a kind and the best friend I could ever have asked for. We were destined to be together from that first day and I’m grateful that he shared his life with me.

Independence of the Seas Review 3/7/09-3/15/09 Part Two

Here is Part 2 of my Cruise Review

Wednesday-Day 5

Day 5 brought us to St. Maarten. This is one of our favorite ports mainly because of the excursion. This was our second trip to the Tree Top Adventure at Loterie Farms. The excursion is through the trees and combines various rope bridges, zip lines, and climbs through the trees. It’s a blast and we highly recommend it to everyone. I’ve seen kids as young as about 10 and people as old as their 70s complete the course. The one caution I have is that you will sweat. I learned the first time and now take a second shirt to change into as I always sweat through the one I have on when I start the course.

After completing the course, we had to wait about 50 minutes for the last part of our group to finish the course so we had a chance to relax and enjoy the scenery. After getting back into town, we wandered around the town for a bit and then got back on board in time to have a late lunch at Johnny Rockets. The price for Johnny Rockets has gone up to $4.95 and if it wasn’t for the free coupon that we get in our Crown and Anchor booklet, we’d probably skip it. The food is fine, but its not worth the money as its not that much better than Windjammer. The shakes, on the other hand, are very good and worth the extra money.

After a stop at the Diamond Lounge for a pre-show cocktail for the wife and Coke for me, we did make it to the production show with the singers and dancers. This is one area where I’ve noticed an improvement over the years. The onboard singers and dancers have gotten much better and the shows have also improved in quality. I enjoy going to the shows as it always just seems part of the “cruise experience” to me.

After almost winning at trivia, we headed to dinner at Portofino. This is the other specialty restaurant onboard (along with Chops). Our Portofino experience was nicer than our Chops experience in overall décor, service, and experience. In my opinion, the food was better at Chops. My wife enjoyed her seafood skewer more at Portofino. The service staff at Portofino was more attentive and responsive than at Chops but we highly recommend both restaurants and both are worth the extra charge.

Tonight was Quest night and for those of you who have sailed Royal Caribbean before, you know about Quest. For those that haven’t, I won’t spoil the surprise but I will say that Quest is an adult scavenger hunt that shouldn’t be missed. My one complaint about the bigger ships is that Quest is held in Studio B over the ice rink instead of one of the lounges. I really like playing and watching Quest on the smaller ships. In Studio B, the game loses something but it is still a lot of fun to watch.

After Quest, it was time for a little relaxing at the Piano Bar in the Schooner Bar. During our first Royal Caribbean cruise in 2002, we had the best piano bar entertainer in Matt Yee who was simply hilarious. Since then, the singers haven’t measured up but the bar is still a nice place to sing along to piano songs and enjoy the people watching with a nice late night drink.

Thursday-Day 6

Today was an at sea day. We love the at sea days as it lets us just veg out, read, hang out at the whirlpool, nap, whatever. This morning, we got up and headed to the Windjammer to get me some breakfast as I was pretty sure I wouldn’t like anything offered at the Diamond Breakfast. After some quick food, I decided it was time to show off my shuffleboard skills and managed to take 4 games in a row before it was time for the Diamond Breakfast that the ship offers for Diamond members. The company was great as we sat with a bunch of our Cruise Critic friends. The food, on the other hand, left much to be desired. The menu was very limited and for a picky eater like me, there was nothing that looked good.

Prior to the cruise, Cathy, ever the little Miss Organized she is, organized a cabin crawl. We toured several different cabin categories including a very nice Aft balcony. The balcony was HUGE but the best part of the room was the “stripper” poll that was right at the foot of the bed. After running all over the ship looking at cabins, we enjoyed a nice lunch in the main dining room. I had to leave the lunch a bit early to attend to some business (I know it was challenging doing a conference call on my cell from the middle of the Caribbean Sea). The rest of the day was spent relaxing and lounging and eating soft serve ice cream. One little comment here about ice cream. Royal Caribbean has a soft serve machine set up by the pool and this is invariably one of my favorite hangouts all week. I usually average 3 cones a day and I’m not ashamed….somehow, even with all that yummie ice cream (its actually frozen yogurt but saying ice cream makes its taste better) I still mange to hardly gain any weight on a cruise.

That night, we went to the 80s dance party and had a blast hanging out and dancing the night away. I was ready for a late night but I had tuckered out my dance partner.

Friday-Day 7

Friday brought us to Labadee, Royal Caribbean’s private area on the island of Haiti. In the morning, the wife did another spa appointment, this time getting a foot massage, hand and neck massage, eye treatment, scalp treatment, and a mini facial. I lounged around in the whirlpool.

We aren’t big beach people which is really the bulk of what Labadee is, so this isn’t one of our favorite stops. However, Royal Caribbean did put in the longest zip line over water in the world so we were anxious to try it out. On our last cruise, we had booked this excursion but it was unfortunately cancelled due to head winds. This time, it was almost cancelled because of tail winds. The normal weight limit is 250 pounds. In the 35 minutes it took to do the practice run and drive to the top of the mountain, they had lowered the weight limit to 200 pounds because of the winds. Two poor guys in our group got to the top of the mountain but couldn’t zip down. They strap you into the zipline and your harness becomes a little seat. The ride itself is not all that long but it was a great ride. It didn’t go as fast as I thought it would so you could really take in the surroundings as you came down and over the water.

After completing the zipline, we headed back onboard as we don’t enjoy just sitting on the beach. Managed to make it back in time for the afternoon trivia game and then one of our favorite activities, napping. That evening we made our routine stops at the Diamond lounge before early and late seating dinner to see our friends and enjoy a wine (and a Coke for me). We did make it to the production show (on this cruise they have 3 different production shows) which was again very enjoyable. After dinner in the main dining room, we went to the Family Feud game show which was so-so. Tonight was late night comedy. This is usually a must see for us on cruises and we were looking forward to it. The cruise director, Graham actually does his own stand up routine for the late night comedy. He was very funny and kept us laughing for the whole hour he was on stage. I tried to get the wife to play putt-putt at 1am but would have to settle for a game the following day.

Saturday-Day 8

Ahh the last day. This was another sea day, and it was packed with stuff to do. We slept in and barely made it to the last morning trivia. I had tried to convince the cruise director staff all week to do a flag trivia but to no avail. After grabbing a late breakfast in the Windjammer, it was time to demonstrate my putt-putt greatness. The weather was great, warm and not too windy on deck and I managed to keep my cruise putt-putt record perfect (although only by 2 strokes).

After putt-putt, we wandered to watch the Flowrider. After a few minutes, we saw Dale and Jackie, a couple of friends we had met onboard and through Cruise Critic. They were all deck out in the Cruise Critic T-Shirts and Jackie got in line to try the Flowrider. She did awesome. Now, let me say that I had always planned on trying the Flowrider but made a conscious decision to wait until the last day. Anyone who knows me knows that a ride like the Flowrider and me really don’t mix so I was fully expecting to break or sprain something so I wanted to wait until the last day so that it wouldn’t ruin my vacation (and depending on what happened could’ve extended my time off work). In any event, after Jackie went, I ran back to our cabin and put on my swim trunks. I managed to return just in time to see Dale start his ride and cutting through the waves on the boogie board like a pro. Then it was just up to me to wait in line and hopefully not flop around like a dead fish when it was my turn. Well, eventually, it was my turn and, much to my surprise, I did OK. I didn’t tear it up or anything, but I also managed to stay on for a bit and not break anything. Emboldened, I got back in line and 15 minutes later, I was again riding the wave. This time I did much better and was able to control my movements around the wave and even managed to save myself from wipeouts a couple of times. Not wanting to wipeout, I choose my own time to get out which earned me a rating of “Lame” from the crew member running the show because I wouldn’t wipeout.

While I relaxed in the whirlpool, my wife went off to try and do another wine tasting which was unfortunately, cancelled due to lack of interest. She did, however, have a nice flight of wines and, I’m told, had a nice time at Vintages. A word here about Vintages. I am not a wine drinker (I’m not much of a drinker period although on this cruise I did have 2 beers and 3 glasses of champagne), but my wife loves Vintages. I must admit the atmosphere is very nice inside and I’m sure that if I liked wine, I would spend lots of time there. The crew who work there seem very knowledgeable and its clear they love wine and talking about it which is important in a place like that. I’ve never heard a bad thing about Vintages and its unfortunate that not more people enjoy what they have to offer onboard.

This afternoon we went to the backstage tour of the theater which was very entertaining. We learned a lot and it was cool when they lowered the orchestra pit so we could see how all that worked. Its amazing the shows they put on with all the costume changes etc. in such a small space. After the backstage tour, it was off to afternoon trivia (second again…drat!). We did a little last minute trinket shopping on the Royal Promenade and then met up wit ha couple of friends for a quick drink before it was time for my second shave of the week. I enjoyed the first one so much (and didn’t need to shave for like 2 das after) that I went again. It really is very relaxing and, in the future, I may skip the spa all together and just get shaves. While I was getting pampered, my wife used the time to get to know a couple of more wine varieties and enjoy some time at Vintages.

That evening, we got ready and headed down to the Diamond lounge and then caught part of the farewell show just to see the promo for the Cruise in Review Video. We ran upstairs to finish our packing and then pack down to the Diamond Lounge to say a final goodbye to some of our friends there. We went to the main dining room for dinner and enjoyed our final night with our waiters and tablemate. We have a cruise tradition that we started a long time ago that we have carried forward since. On the lat night of the cruise, we arrange to have a bottle of champagne for our table (or in this case our table plus a table of friends nearby since our table was so small) to celebrate another wonderful vacation and of meeting new people.

After dinner, we went to the final adult karaoke and cheered on Cathy as she “brought the house down” with her “singing” of Wild Thing. By this time, it was after midnight and we knew we had an early morning of getting off the ship and activities in Fort Lauderdale.

A word here about our wait staff and stateroom attendant. Our stateroom attendant, Jonathan was very good. While we didn’t see him as much as other attendants we have had in the last, he was great in keeping my collapsible cooler filled with ice for my Pepsi and the stateroom was always perfect. Our wait staff, Murat and Steve got off to a rocky start but, by the end of the week, were great. I think a large part of the problem at the beginning of the week was the weird situation with our table and tablemates (or lack thereof). Murat didn’t seem overly social but, as the week went on, he became much more social and animated and was a very good waiter. Steve, our assistant waiter took a couple of days to remember my drink preference at dinner (Coke of course) but by the 3rd or 4th night, he had them lined up and waiting for me. This was the first cruise we’ve had where our Head Waiter actually impacted our dinner experience. Jason, our head waiter, was excellent and was able to smooth over a few problems quickly and very nicely. We usually think the Head Waiter is unnecessary, but Jason really did a wonderful job in enhancing our dining room experience.

Sunday-Day 9

Well, time to get off the ship. We always fly in a day early and fly out the day after we disembark so we don’t have to rush or have any travel problems. This allows us to loiter on the ship and we are always one of the last off. We had no problems with disembarking and were able to get our bags right away and catch our shuttle to the hotel.

After stowing our bags at the hotel, we caught the city trolley to the beach area and then off to catch an afternoon harbor cruise on the CarrieB. This was an hour and a half cruise around the harbor on the Carrie B which looked like a paddlewheel boat. Their website is http://www.carriebcruises.com/index3.html and it was a lot of fun. I learned of the tour through www.inletcam.com as the Captain of the Carrie B hangs out in the chat area. Seaton was a great captain and we learned a lot about the houses on the water and the local flavor. I would highly recommend the tour to anyone who has the time either before or after their cruise or if you’re just going to Fort Lauderdale.

After the tour, we walked around the beach area and then headed back to the hotel. We had a nice dinner with Jeff and Cathy and Joanne and Fred who were also staying in town for the night and then it was off to bed for our flight home the next day.

A few final observations. First, Independence is a great ship. Very familiar feel from the Voyager Class but still a little different. She was beautiful and the crew was great. The additions made to the Freedom Class, mainly the cantilevered whirlpools, the Flowrider, and a Close Shave were excellent. I was a bit disappointed that they removed the bookstore and replaced it with the Loyalty Ambassador. The other disappointing thing was the selection of merchandise onboard. I don’t know if Royal Caribbean changed vendors for the onboard shops, but I thought the selection, variety, and just the overall experience were not as good as on past cruises.

Several things made this trip very special. The first was the great group we had from Cruise Critic. We made several sets of new friends and at least three are planning on visiting Las Vegas in the next year which will be very nice. A big thank you to Cathy and Jeff, Dale and Jackie, Vicki and Claude, Joanne and Fred, Ronnie and Grant and all our other Cruise Critic friends we met during the week. The second was the availability of the inletcam and the www.inletcam.com website. Wiley does a wonderful job with his site and chat and it was very special for our daughters and family to get to watch sailaway and chat with us as we sailed away. I’m looking forward to seeing the pictures that Wiley took of the sailaway soon. The last was the cruise on the Carrie B. Seaton and his crew were excellent and we really enjoyed the tour. It was an excellent cap to a great vacation.

Well, until next time (hopefully the Oasis next year)

Independence of the Seas Review 3/7/09-3/15/09 Part One

So this is Part 1of my review of our most recent cruise. It was an eight night cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas from Saturday, March 7 through Sunday, March 15, 2009, out of Fort Lauderdale. A little background about my wife and I. We are both in our mid-30s and this was our 9^th cruise and 8^th on Royal Caribbean. I should warn you, it will be very long as I am an attorney, and by definition, long winded.

As is our normal habit whenever we cruise from a port that we need to fly to, we left a day early. Being from Las Vegas, we had a long flight day on Friday the 6^th and arrived in Fort Lauderdale around 8pm. Unfortunately, there was no shuttle service from the airport to the hotel so we took a cab. We stayed at the Embassy Suites that was very near both the airport and the cruise terminal. The room was very nice with a separate living room and bed room. There was a small fridge in the room which was also nice. After arriving in town, we set out to buy a collapsible cooler and soda. I carried on a 12 pack of Pepsi and my wife carried on a 6 pack of Diet Dr. Pepper with no problems.

Saturday-Day 1

Saturday morning arrived and I made arrangements to use the hotel’s shuttle to the cruise terminal. The earliest shuttle was at 10:15. My wife and I then headed to the “free” breakfast offered at the hotel. My advice is to skip it if you can. The food wasn’t great and it was a scene of chaos with all the cruise passengers getting ready to head out.

We arrived at the cruise terminal and were on board before Noon. The departure terminal at Fort Lauderdale looked like it was set up ok with chairs etc. Being Crown and Anchor Diamond members, we were seated upstairs for priority boarding but there looked to be lots of seating in the main room as well. As is our custom, as soon as we’re on board we head up to make spa appointments for sailaway night. We also managed to switch our reservations for Chops so that we were at dinner during sailaway from San Juan.

A couple of observations about the ship herself. The Independence is still very new (as it was still technically its first season) and as expected was in very nice shape. This was our first Freedom Class of Ship and while we could definitely tell it was bigger, it still felt very familiar when compared to the Voyager Class. The whirlpools sticking out the sides of the ship were very cool and the wife took advantage of them right away.

After lunch in the Windjammer, we headed to check out our cabin and the Diamond Lounge on Deck 14 and then to meet up with Cruise Critic friends at the Schooner Bar. The cabin was a Junior Suite on Deck 9 mid-hump port side. The Diamond Lounge was very nice although the evening cocktails were held in the dance club because of the number of Diamond cruisers.

Prior to the cruise, I had discovered a great webcam site, www.inletcam.com which has a cam right on the inlet of the port as well as a chat feature where people will gather to watch sailaways etc. The owner of the site is a great guy and he takes pictures of sailaways. In that spirit, I had offered our cabin balcony as a gathering place for sailaway and Dale, a fellow Cruise Critic buddy made a banner that we held as we sailed away. My daughters were able to find us and were very excited about seeing us sailaway and I’m told there are some good pictures as well of us and our banner. We had a great time with everyone on our balcony and met a bunch of great people that we would hang with for the week. Hi to Cathy and Jeff, Dale and Jackie, Vicki and Claude, Joanne and Fred, and everyone else.

Dinner in the main dining room was as remembered. Prior to the cruise, I had contacted Royal Caribbean and requested a 6 or 8 top near the Captain’s Table. Well, it turned out we ended up with a 6 top that ended up only having me, my wife, and one other lady. She was very sweet and really an inspiration. She is 94 and travels all over by herself. I can only hope that when I’m that age, I’m as active as she is.

After dinner, we watched the parade on the Royal Promenade and remembered why we usually skip it. After some wandering, we headed to bed to rest up for Day 2.

Sunday-Day 2

Day 2 is at sea and boy it was windy! We noticed the wind almost right after sailing from Fort Lauderdale and it never let us until we hit San Juan. This was due to the ship cruising at over 22 knots the whole way to San Juan.

Having two young daughters means that no matter how much we try on vacation, we never sleep in real late. We were up and in the main dining room by 9 for breakfast. We usually just grab something in the Windjammer or have breakfast delivered and eat on our balcony but wanted to try the main dining room once. It was nice but not being a big breakfast person, I could take it or leave it. The first sea day is traditionally the Cruise Critic Meet and Mingle and this one was one of the beat (and longest) we’ve been to. I swear Royal Caribbean was trying to empty out its prize closet as they must have given away like 20 prizes. Cathy, one of the great people we met, organized a gift exchange online via our roll call. Each couple was to bring a small item from their town or state to exchange with another couple. Being from Vegas, we brought a mini-Welcome to Las Vegas sign and a deck of cards from the Bellagio. In the exchange, I got a real nice Michigan State sweatshirt which came in handy because of the winds on deck.

After a looooooong nap, I headed to the whirlpools which the wife worked out. Sunday was formal night so we got all dressed up (only time I can wear my tux so I take advantage). In general, I found the food on this cruise in the main dining room to be much better than my last couple of cruises. After dinner, we caught the Millionaire game show and then enjoyed watching the adult karaoke with Jeff and Cathy and Vicki and Claude which was always good for some laughs.

Monday-Day 3

Day 3 was our first port, San Juan. We had been to San Juan a couple of times before so we had no specific plans in port. After lounging around a bit, we went into town and just strolled around. Visited the Cathedral and then on to the birthplace of the Pina Colada where the drink was as good as my wife remembered from our last trip.

After getting back on board, I decided to try out one of the new things on the Freedom Class that I was looking forward to (no, not the Flowrider, that’s later in the week). I made an appointment for a shave at A Close Shave. It was very cool and I would highly recommend it to any guy. It started with hot towels and more hot towels and then a shave and more hot towels and then a second shave and more hot towels. Then there was a facial and a hand and arm massage. It was fabulous and I enjoyed it more than the massage I had gotten on Day 1. The only downside to it was that it was on the Royal Promenade so it was a bit noisy with people coming back on board from San Juan.

Throughout the week, we participated in many trivia games as anyone who knows me can attest that I have a very trivial mind and enjoy the games. I can’t remember exactly when we did them but this ship, unlike others had at least two games a day (usually at 10 and 3) so I got lots of games in. For the week, I didn’t do too badly and managed to win twice (once with lots of help from a Cruise Critic friend Stan), came in second a few times, and third a couple of times.

Dinner was at Chops, the specialty restaurant/steakhouse. The food and service were fabulous as always and well worth the extra price. We had a wonderful table by the windows and were able to watch as we sailed out of San Juan.

Well, it’s Day 3 and we finally managed to make it to the theater for a show. This was a comedian who was very funny. We try and make as many shows as possible during the week but somehow hadn’t managed to make it either the Welcome Aboard or first production show.

Tuesday-Day 4

Day 4 brings us into St. Thomas. We have been to St. Thomas a couple of times before and had done snorkeling and scuba diving before so this time we wanted to get out of the main shopping area. We booked a private tour with Spiderman Tours and had a very nice trip. After giving us a couple of hours to just wander around the shopping area, he took our group up to the mountain top where there were banana daquiris and wonderful views. One of the interesting things that I learned was the big difference between the temperatures on the Atlantic side of the island compared to the Caribbean side. It was a good ten degrees cooler on the Atlantic side. After the banana daquiris, we went to another area with wonderful views where the specialty was a mango daiquiri. Being one who doesn’t really drink, I take my wife’s word for it that both were very yummy. After seeing some more the island sights off the beaten track, we went back to the ship and relaxed in the whirlpools.

Tonight was the Welcome Back party for past cruisers and we had fun sitting with Cathy and Jeff and I began lamenting the lack of any chocolate covered strawberries which O love and they used to have the welcome back party. As is standard procedure, they gave little pep talks about how much they loved having back on board etc. and made a hard push for the Oasis.

Tonight was an early night for me as I had a headache and went back to the cabin right after dinner. My wife went to the Love and Marriage show which she said was excellent and much funnier than on past cruises mostly because of the Cruise Director Graham.

A quick word about Graham Seymour the Cruise Director. He was, by far, my favorite CD. He was funny and spirited and when I watched the replay of the Love and Marriage show, he really did make that show. One thing he did that I loved was that every morning he had a short show on the TV where he would go through the daily compass and crack jokes about events etc. (I particularly liked the day when the Drink of the Day tasted like feet and we learned way too much about Graham’s past love like). While I got the impression that he thought quite a lot of himself and his self worth, I thought he was quite funny and he managed to make even the lame stuff funny.

Back Soon With Part 2

Waiting Sucks

For anyone who knows me, they know that I hate to sit still and hate waiting for things.  I’m Mr. Instant Gratification.  That makes waiting for vacations pure hell.  Like now.  We have booked our next cruise for March 7, 2009, on the Independence of the Seas.  We’ll be going to St. Maarten, San Juan, and St. Thomas as well as a stop at Royal Caribbean’s private beach area in Labadee, Haiti.

Whenever I book a cruise, I put myself through hell by counting down to the cruise; visiting cruisecritic.com all the time and probably bugging everyone I know to death talking about vacation.  About the only thing that makes the waiting somewhat bearable is that, for the most part, I don’t finalize plans much mo ethan 60 days before we leave.  That way, i only have a couple of months of hellish waiting..  I see people who have booked cruises a year in advance or more and basically just know that if I did that, I would die from waiting.

Interestingly, the cruise isn’t even the closest “vacation” I have.  This weekend, we are taking the daughters for a long weekend to LA that will include taekwondo black belt national championships as well as a day at Disneyland (a first for our 5-year old).  So basically, I’m trying to make it through the work weeks until the trips.  I’m looking forward to seeing my younger daughter at Disneyland.  Her big sister has gotten to go to Disneylad and DIsney World but this will be the first time she is old enough to go along.  Seeing their faces light up and how excited they get is a lot of fun.

Well, will let you know how the LA trip goes and then the real tough part of my wait starts because there will be nothing else to distract me from the cruise wait

The Norovirus and sick ship myth

Hey all.  I will start this post off with the disclaimer that I am not a doctor nor do I have any special medical training.  That being said, I’m sick and tired of cruise ships getting a bad rep over the Norovirus and it being unique to cruise ships.  I’ve seen posts on the Cruise Critic message boards talking about the Norovirus and whether its OK to go on a cruise out of fear of getting this dreaded bug.  The simple fact is that I would bet most people have had a type of Norovirus at some point in their life whether they ever stepped foot on board a ship.  There is support for the statement that upwards of 90% of certain types of epidemic non-bacterial outbreaks of gastroenteritis around the world are from the Norovirus.  The important word in that statement to me is gastroenteritis which is basically a stomach flu.  In other words, the Norovirus is basically the stomach flu.

A brief history is in order.  The virus, its actually a bunch of related viruses, got its name after an outbreak in Norwalk, Ohio.  The virus seems most easily transmitted through food and human to human contact.

Contrary to popular opinion, the virus is not unique to cruise ships but is most commonly found in catered meals.  In fact, cruise ships was bunched together with vacation settings and was the smallest percentage of reported outbreaks investigated at 10%.  The idea that there is a “sick ship” syndrome is a creature of an overactive media.  Even if a ship does suffer an outbreak, I’ve never heard of more than 17% of the total ship population being infected.  In other words, if there are 5,000 passengers and crew on board (not impossible given today’s megaships), you’re looking at maybe 850 sick people.  Certainly not fun, but it is also not the end of the world.

If you assume that there are approximately 5 outbreaks on all cruise ships per year (which is conservative given the number of reported outbreaks between 1997-2000 identified here) the odds of getting a ship that actually experiences an outbreak are so small to make it hard to count.  For example, Royal Caribbean Cruises have I think 21 ships currently in service.  Most of those are between 7-10 days but there are others that are 3 and 4 days.  If one assumes that the entire fleet makes a total of 30 cruises per year (probably a low number) then you have 630 total voyages just on Royal Caribbean ships.  If you have 5 outbreaks worldwide on all cruiselines per year and even if all those outbreaks were on Royal Caribbean Ships, you still only have a .7% (that is point seven percent) chance of getting on an infected ship.  And that is just one cruise line getting all the outbreaks for an industry that serves approximately 12 million passengers in a year.  In other words, I would think you’d probably have a better shot at getting struck by lightning then contracting the Norovirus on a cruise ship.

My advice to people who are thinking about a cruise and won’t do it because of the Norovirus is for them to lighten up and just wash their hands.

Paying for Pillows and Blankets on the Airplane….Seriously?

Ok don’t get me wrong, I have some sympathy for the airlines and the problems they face because of rising costs of fuel etc.  However, given the level of service they have given over the last 10 or so years, I have just one word for them….KARMA.  I mean they nickel and dime us for years; cram us in like smelly fish, are rude, take away services, make it much more inconvenient to fly, and basically make a trip to the airport to fly about as enjoyable as a trip to the dentist for a root canal.  Toss in the stupid “security” procedures we have to go through and you can add wisdom teeth removal to the root canal.

That all being said, I figured there wasn’t much more the airlines could do to screw us then they already had.  I mean they know they have us by the proverbial balls because we need to fly so why not just squeeze as much as possible.  However, I was wrong.  Jet Blue has made it known that they are now going to take away the crappy pillows and blankets and start charging $7 for a pillow and blanket on flights.  Seriously?  SERIOUSLY?  I’m not sure what is more upsetting; that Jet Blue would think to charge for a damn pillow and blanket, or that they expect to make millions off of the deal.

Of course, the idea of charging for pillows is still not quite as asinine as charging for water.  Yup, fly US Airways and kiss the free water goodbye.  I refuse to pay for bottled water as it is on the ground for God’s sake.  I grew up on tap water and I haven’t dropped dead yet so tap water is good enough for me.  This idea that we now need to pay extra money for water on an airplane where we get dehydrated anyway is just too much.

I’m trying to figure out what is going to be next.  Maybe a $1 fee for seatbelts and an extra 50 cents if you want ones that actually snap together.  Maybe $10 to buy out of a middle seat.  Maybe $15 for extra leg room (oh wait Jet Blue already does that too).  How about $5 for the privilege of having frequent flyer miles?  Maybe an extra $1 if you want that liquid refreshment with ice, or even in a cup.

Monarch of the Seas Review

Hi all.  My wife and I just returned from a nice quick weekend getaway cruise on the Monarch of the Seas so I thought I’d give you a little review.

By way of background, this was our seventh cruise on Royal Caribbean and for those of you who are Crown and Anchor members, this cruise put us over the hump into the Diamond category…woo hoo.  We had been on Monarch last October for the 3 night cruise as a present to our older daughter to celebrate her getting her tae kwon do black belt and to introduce her to cruising.

The cruise itself is a three night leaving in the late afternoon on a Friday from Los Angeles and returns early Monday morning.  The only port of call is Ensanada, Mexico.  Suffice to say that you don’t take this cruise for the port.  Ensanada is, for the most part, not a great place.  The real appeal of this cruise is the price, convenience, and the ship itself.  While the Monarch is an older ship and doesn’t have all the super special bells and whistles, she more than makes up for that with her crew.  While I’ve almost always had good service experiences on Royal Caribbean ships, the crew on Monarch is a step above.  Maybe its because the ship is smaller and more intimate; maybe its because there are a lot of repeat cruisers (I met passengers who had 20 and 15 trips just on the Monarch); maybe its the attitude of the Captain and senior staff.  I don’t know but the Monarch crew was great.

This was our first time in having a straight inside cabin.  We have always had a balcony or suite before this.  However, since it was only a three nighter and we were trying to keep costs down, we took the plunge into “steerage.”  While I wouldn’t want the tiny cabin for a longer voyage, for the three nighter, it was more than adequate.  I can now appreciate all the “small cabin” jokes the on board comedians make.  I dropped the soap in the shower one morning and had to basically step out into the hallway in order to have room to pick it up.

Since it was just my wife and I, our cruise routine differed from our last trip on the Monarch when we had a 7-year old with us.  The lunch upon boarding in the Windjammer Cafe was fine with normal buffet fare.  Living in Las Vegas, I know a good buffet when I see it and while it wasn’t great, it did hit the spot.  One routine we always have is to make our massage appointments first thing on boarding.  This is a good tip for those new to cruising.  Get to the port early so you can get on right away and then head straight to the spa and any speciality restaurants.  Bypass the buffet for 10 minutes so you can pick and choose your spa times.  If you wait too long, all the good times are taken.

We both got massages later on Friday.  While they aren’t the best massages I’ve ever had, I love the massages on board because it really gets me relaxed and into the “vacation” mindset.

Dinners in the main dining room can be hit or miss for someone like me who is a very picky eater.  However, I’ve been pleasently surprised with Royal Caribbean’s “alternative” menu as it always has a nice steak for those nights when I can’t find something on the main menu.  I think I this cruise, I managed to have multiple appetizers and/or main courses on 2 of the three nights so I was doing well.

Activities on board the ship were not as numerous as I remember from other cruises or even my Monarch cruise last year.  There was never a time when I had to choose between multiple activies and there were even times when there was no activity scheduled.  This was a bit disappointing but it just meant that I had more time to read/watch movies/lay out and relax/nap etc.

I don’t really view the three night cruise as a “cruise” in the real sense.  Its a great weekend getaway but as the place you “cruise” to is like within a couple of hours of the homeport, its a stretch to call it a cruise, especially when you spend the sea day basically sitting dead in the water off the coast of California.  However, there is no better way to spend a nice weekend then sitting and looking at the beautiful blue water.

One of the best parts of the three night cruise is the attitude of the other passengers.  Everyone is just out to have as much fun as possible over the weekend.  We met some really great people on this trip and hope to see Jean, Jim, John, Shauna, Mike (and family), and everyone else again really soon.

I would encourage everyone to get on board and enjoy the Monarch before she leave Los Angeles.  Her last 3-nighter is October 10, 2008.  She is then moving to the east coast to replace the Majesty of the Seas.  Unfortunately, Royal Caribbean is not replacing Monarch on the 3-night run out of LA so my long weekend getaways are over