Unexpected Freedom

 

Yesterday at work I got an email saying that I had eighteen hours of personal holiday to use by the 30th or I would lose it. I talked to my new boss at the training session, and the HR person was able to convert eight hours of vacation to personal holiday, but no more, since it had to be time I'd taken since my conversion to being salaried. That was my Juneteenth day off, for those keeping track at home. My boss suggested I take some time off today and tomorrow, but I had meetings in the morning both days, so I am taking the afternoons off, and then the morning off on Monday to go to a thrilling meeting about town planning that our condo board president suggested we board members should attend. So this is what I did with my unexpected freedom today:

Once I logged off of work, I went for a long, very hot walk with my former neighbor, who came back to the old neighborhood to say hi to everyone. Afterwards she gave me some peaches. Then I talked to a guy who is writing a book about people who feel disillusioned with the church or other Christians but choose to stay anyway, and he seemed very happy with my contribution. Guess I'm efficient, too - he said the interview would take about forty-five minutes, but after twenty minutes he said I'd given him plenty of information. Travalon came home not long after that (he has short hours at work at the moment), and he wanted to go to a new coffee shop on Atwood called Forward. He got some "deconstructed cake" mocha concoction with Ghirardelli chocolate, blood orange, and oat milk. I didn't want caffeine that late in the afternoon, so I got a rose French soda, which was as delicious as it was beautiful.

(I had already drunk some of it before thinking of taking a photo.) We hung out there for a while, and that was my afternoon vacation today. Then we battled terrible traffic so I could attend another organizing class with my Union peeps. Tonight we were supposed to do role-playing, but fortunately there wasn't time for everyone in the class to get up and act in front of everyone else. I think I could handle the role of Reluctant Worker, but not Union Organizer. The weirdest rule (that everyone who did the role-playing broke) was that we weren't supposed to say "we" but "you," which seems really counterintuitive. I guess the emphasis is what the Union can do for the other person, but I thought the whole point is that it is all of us working together. We had pizza, and there was a leftover piece for Travalon (it was - don't read this part, Jilly Moose - mushroom pizza), but that wasn't enough for him for dinner, so he used the parmesan garlic sauce we got in the "Welcome Home!" package we got at Make Music Madison to flavor some chicken wings. He gave me three little ones, and they were very tasty. Maybe I should have taken a picture of the stuff in the package. It was so random: dishwasher pods, his and her deodorant, some sauces, and I can't even remember everything. I think it was the deodorant that got me: "Welcome to your new home! Now stop stinking!"

I was going to take a late rosary walk in my high vis gear, but when I stepped outside, it was sprinkling, and I could see lightning in the distance. I came back inside just in time before it began to pour, but then I realized I should bring in the dracaena in a pot with no drainage or it would drown, so I got soaked anyway. Plus the plant already got soaked, and not long after that, the rain stopped, so my heroic effort was probably for naught. At least I tried, right?

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Vacation under Quarantine

Today was my first day of vacation. Vacation under quarantine: just like working under quarantine, except that I didn't have to look at my computer all day. But now my FitBit needs to be charged, so I had to boot up the computer anyway. I did sleep in, and eventually we went to Sauk and walked in the VFW Park, where we saw four eagles. We went to the dam, but it started to rain, so we just headed home. It rained all day, so I cleaned around the house. Guess what? The dust made my right eye turn red and painful! I took a picture to send to Rich, so if there is any demand for it, I could post it on this blog. After all, I have posted a photo of Rich's finger after he squished it in his garage door, and a photo of the earwig that was baked into a tamale I was eating. See? This is the danger involved in being at home! If I hadn't been home, I wouldn't have been cleaning, and then my eye would be fine.

The virus has hit home for us because someone from Travalon's organization got it, but we don't know if it's one of his coworkers because they can't say anything more for confidentiality reasons. Now we really don't know what will happen with his job.

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Hanging Out in the Everglades

Today was a really fun day. Getting off the cruise ship was a smooth affair, since they have everything down to an art. Then we headed to the Everglades and took a walk in the national park by the Shark Valley Visitor Center. You have to pay $25 a car to get in, but it is well worth the cost. You would think they paid the animals to just hang out and pose by the side of the canal, because that is what they were all doing. They weren't even scared of people! We saw so many birds, and a number of turtles and alligators too. We were standing on a bridge from which you could see a number of gar fish, and suddenly an alligator swam out from under the bridge.

After the park we went to the Miccosukee restaurant and had frog legs, alligator bites, and Indian fry bread for lunch. Then we took an airboat ride, and halfway through it the Native guide took us to a place where he said there are often baby alligators - and we saw two tiny ones! Then he took us back into the swamp, and suddenly he stopped and showed us a big one. After the airboat ride, Travalon and I went across the street to the Miccosukee Indian Village, and we watched an alligator show. At the end of the show, everyone got to hold a young alligator, and then Travalon was brave enough to sit on the back of a full-grown one!

We drove along Lake Okachobee, but you really can't see it from the road because there is an embankment built up along it. We did go through the very cute town of Pahokee, which is a historically black town, and where I saw just about the only Catholic church I have seen in this state, outside of the basilica in St. Augustine. For dinner we had fried oysters and more alligator!

Here are some pictures from our adventures.

Anhinga

 Snowy Egret

 Anyone know?

 Blue Heron

 Alligator

 Gar

 Another Alligator

 Bougainvillea

The next two shots are decorations from the Miccosukee.

 Baby Alligators

 Alligator we saw from the airboat.

Here are a couple of pictures of Travalon with alligators at the Miccosukee Village.

This is a shot of beautiful Pahokee State Park.

And finally, a movie of one of the alligators swimming.

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Packer Cruise: Day Five

Today was a very Packer-filled day for us. We had our photo taken with Dave Robinson and James Lofton, then we had very potent coffee drinks with a punch before going to a talk with Bill Schroeder and Naje Davenport. We went up on the sports deck and watched some Packer players and other people play basketball, then we played ping pong, and then we went to an auction of different Packer memorabilia for charity. We didn't bid on anything; I wanted the football signed by Davante Adams, but that started at more than we wanted to spend. A giant painting of Vince Lombardi sold for eight grand! We actually found a hot tub with nobody else in it and enjoyed it for a bit before dinner. There was a "farewell party," but it was just a concert of CWA, or Cheeseheads with Attitude, a rap group that take well-known rap songs and write new words having to do with Wisconsin and the Packers. They took a break, and as we wandered around the ship, we saw Ahman Green! So we got a picture with him. This cruise was so much fun - I would recommend it to any Packer Backer!

Just a couple of pictures: a giant painting of Reggie White that took the guy eight minutes to paint, and Ahmad Green with Travalon and me!

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Packer Cruise: Day Four

Today was a wonderful day in Cozumel. We went with about two hundred and fifty other Packer fans to an all-inclusive resort, where we ate and drank. They also had swimming and kayaks, like the resort Travalon and I had gone to in Costa Maya, but today was cooler so the weather was perfect for just sitting around and talking to Packers. We talked to a bunch of them, like Travalon used to see Gilbert Brown at his old job in the Milwaukee area, and when I told George Koonce that I collect stamps too, he gave me his business card and said we have to talk about stamps sometime. They were all so friendly, but none more so than Dave Robinson, who showed us his two Super Bowl rings and told us about playing in the infamous Ice Bowl. He said the practice the following week was even colder, and when the hot coffee froze, Coach Lombardi said practice was over. Then the Packer players and some fans participated in the Beach Olympics, while the rest of us watched them. First they did a sack race, then they did a tug-of-war, then they did a balloon toss, and of the six teams, the two with the highest scores at the end of all that played a game of beach volleyball. Naje Davenport's team won! It was such a great day. Travalon and I sat at a table with a couple of fans from Arkansas who were very friendly. I ended up buying a hat with the Green Bay G that says "Cozumel"; I'm sure my readers will be gobsmacked to learn that in Costa Maya I bought a rosary.

When we got back to the ship, Travalon and I looked for a hot tub not packed with college students, and we found only one. I started talking to a lady from Georgia as we sat in it, and when I said my fear was that at least three of these college students would have their IDs stolen, she said yesterday a girl walked back to the ship wearing only a tiny bikini - she had lost her ID, her clothes, and even her shoes. She also met a college boy who said, "I guess I'm staying here - they stole everything in my wallet." So that's two confirmed, which means a third is more than likely. I cringe watching how stupid these kids are in a foreign country, but you can't really say anything to them - would I have wanted some middle-aged busybody telling me what to do when I was a college kid? Hopefully nothing even worse happens to any of them, because they are drinking like I have never seen anyone drink before, and I thought Madtown was notorious for its drinking culture.

Here are a few pictures for you. This first one is from last night, when they had a recap of Super Bowl 31. It's a portrait of LeRoy Butler, the player who invented the Lambeau Leap.

This was a really interesting-looking ship. I couldn't tell if it was a passenger ship or a cargo one, but a Google search revealed in Spanish only for some reason that Transcaribe is a shipping company out of Cartagena, Colombia. So it is a cargo ship, but why with a French name and French flag colors? The mystery deepens...

The water off of Cozumel was so blue!

Here is a shot of the all-inclusive resort where the Packer Beach Party was. I thought I took some action shots of the Beach Olympics, but apparently I was too into watching them to take pictures. Travalon took some good ones on his camera, so once we get home I can post some.

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Packer Cruise: Day Three

Today was the most fun day yet of our vacation. We got off the boat in Costa Maya this morning and got on a bus that took us to a glass-bottomed boat. We boated to a coral reef and saw lots of coral and fish and even some sea turtles! After the tour we took a shuttle to the town of Mahahual, where we went to a resort called the Krazy Lobster. We kayaked and swam in the warm Caribbean waters, then we took a taxi back and went to a tequila tasting. One tequila came in a particularly beautiful bottle, so I took a picture of it... and then it was the one Travalon and I both liked best, so he bought the bottle! When we got back to the ship, they made us check the bottle, but we can get it back just before we get off the ship. Then we sat on our balcony and watched the sun set over the ocean. This evening at dinner we were supposed to wear an outfit with a tropical theme, and Travalon and I have got that covered! Now he is at a Journey tribute band concert, and while I love a lot of Journey's songs, especially "Separate Ways," we got there as they were playing that song and it was way too loud for me. I always need earplugs during rock concerts!

The coolest moment of the day may have been as we were eating lunch outside, by a pool full of college kids having a water balloon fight and drinking from a beer bong, and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix walked by and said to Travalon, "It's too hot for me! I can't wait to get back to Wisconsin!" We cannot complain about the number of Packer players we have seen on this cruise!

Here are some pictures from our glass-bottom boat tour, including a sea turtle that has a remora riding on it.

There was an aviary in the tourist area with these flamingos in it.

Then, at the beach, we saw these brown pelicans - in Spanish, "pelicano cafe."

Here are a couple of pictures from the tequila tasting: Travalon enjoying a sample and the beautiful hand-carved bottle we ended up buying.

We brought some "pets" with us on the cruise: Randy and Andy Panda!

And also Dineen the Irish Bear and Saoirse (pronounced seer-she) the Shamrock City Lamb!

We also get towel animals on this cruise. Yesterday we got a bunny much like the ones I have previously posted, but today we got one I hadn't seen before - a crab!

Finally, who ever gets tired of pictures of tropical sunsets?

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Packer Cruise: Day Two

Not a very eventful day today, except for the "Packer Service" this morning. There was no Mass onboard, so Travalon and I went to this service, which was very evangelical with people singing songs we had never heard of. LeRoy Butler did talk about his faith journey, which was interesting, but I could have done without the rest of it. I have a feeling Travalon may never complain about going to Mass again! Afterwards he went to soak in one of the on-deck hot tubs while I competed in sudoku and trivia tournaments with strangers; we came in second, but there is no prize for second place on this ship. I also prayed a rosary in the ship's chapel, which is very nice and would have been a wonderful spot for a Mass. (Hint, hint, Royal Caribbean.) So far there have been two weddings there, but the service we went to was in an auditorium. After lunch we sat on our balcony as I played the ukulele, then we played miniature golf and ping pong, swam, and soaked in the hot tub. Tonight there was a Q&A with current Packers, which was very interesting, but we had to leave partway through to get to dinner, which was formal tonight. We ended with a drink at the highest level bar; I asked for the driest red wine they had, and they gave me something Spanish that was wonderful.

Just a few pictures from today. First is the artwork right across from our door, which seems appropriate because there appears to be a bright yellow ukulele.

Here are Brett Hundley and Blake Martinez waiting for Ha Ha Clinton-Dix to show up so they can start the Q&A session.

Finally, a shot of the deck from the bar we were at this evening. I think this is the kiddie pool, since it is shallow and brightly colored, but honestly I see very few people of any age in this one. They tend to hang out in the other two, or in the case of the obnoxious drunken college students on spring break, in all the hot tubs. It is very hard to find one not infested with them, taking selfies and throwing limes from their adult drinks at each other.

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Packer Cruise: Day One

This morning Travalon and I walked through the subtropical paradise of southern Florida about a mile to get some coffee, then we got in the car and drove to Fort Lauderdale. We parked and took the shuttle, and a guy on the shuttle informed us that the Packer Backers were only about one-sixth of the people on the ship. Here we thought the entire cruise was going to be our people! As always, there was a long line for check-in, but it went quickly, and soon we were eating lunch while gazing out at palm trees, turquoise water, and sailboats. We had to be present for the muster, and Lynn Dickey was right next to us so I got to shake his hand! After that there was a party up on the main deck, and we got to meet Paul Coffman, James Lofton, and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, and we saw Dorsey Levens but didn't meet him. Apparently there are 700 of us Packer Backers on this cruise! Travalon and I enjoyed our balcony, and I played the ukulele as we sat out there watching the boat leave Fort Lauderdale. The one thing about this cruise that didn't occur to either of us is that, since it is during Spring Break time, there are a ton of really obnoxious college kids on it. We weren't expecting that - back when we went to college, nobody could afford to take a cruise! We explored the ship, which has a lovely chapel but unfortunately no Mass tomorrow. I guess there is a non-denominational service with the Packer players tomorrow morning that I will try to attend. At dinner we sat with a lovely couple from a town about forty minutes east of us. Now I am blogging while Travalon is exploring more. Right now it is raining and lightning out, but the sea doesn't seem too rough. Hopefully that continues to be true...

Here are some pictures from the town we were staying in, I believe it was called Lake Worth. First are three different colors of bougainvillea. They had them everywhere there!

Next, some lovely golden bromeliads.

And some cute cacti!

Behold the colorful town hall of Lake Worth.

This was our view at lunchtime. I could get used to this!

Here are pictures of Travalon with two former Packers: Paul Coffman and James Lofton.

And here I am with Ha Ha Clinton-Dix!

I also made a short movie of the reggae band that greeted us as we boarded the ship, but then I read that we are not supposed to make videos of the performers. So you'll just have to imagine three Jamaican guys in yellow shirts playing reggae.

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Day at the Dells

Today Travalon and I took the day off of work and went to the Dells. The day started on a sad note, when I found out my cousin's husband, who had a stroke back in May, died early this morning. They had just celebrated their second wedding anniversary. Then Travalon and I went to the Coffee Gallerie, and a sign on the door said it was their last day in business. That was a shock! We wondered what the third bad thing today would be, but other than having to get a tire patched before we hit the road, we had a great day. We took the same Upper Dells boat ride that Ma and Pa Hat took earlier this summer, and it was a very scenic ride. We stopped at a place called Witch's Gulch and took a walk, and then we stopped at a place called Stand Rock, where back in the 19th century a photographer named H.H. Bennett took the first action photo, of his son leaping from one rock formation to another. Today they have a German shepherd that leaps from one rock to another, and I made a short video of it. After the boat ride, we went to Nig's for a Swig, where we bought a raffle ticket to win a Harley Davidson, then to Bennett's old studio, which is now a museum, and then we had a delicious dinner at the High Rock Cafe, where we ran into Handy Woman. I knew she had the day off of work too, but I didn't know she was also going to the Dells! The last thing we did was go to a T-shirt shop where I had a tie-dye shirt emblazoned with the words "Famous Hat." I dithered about whether to have the letters done in black or white but settled on white, which turns out to be hard to read. I guess you can say it's subtle...

Here are some photos from our day. First is the writing on the sidewalk that says "Dells," but from the other direction looks like it says "sttop."

Here are examples of the beautiful rock formations called the Dells, from a French word for layers:

 This is Louie Bluff, named after a French fur trader who settled on it:

This does not seem like a very PC name: "Nig's"!

I took this photo for the typo at the bottom: "liqour."

This is my new "Famous Hat" shirt, but you can probably barely read it:

And finally, here is a short video of the dog leaping from one rock formation to the other:

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