Nothing exciting to report - which is the point of a vacation, after all!
We've spent a while on the beach, enjoying the pleasantly warm (rather than ridiculously hot) weather and the equally warm Gulf water. To my unpleasant surprise, my difficulties with balance (due to my spinal injury and nerve damage) turn out to be magnified as I get into deeper water; if I lose my balance when waves are pulling me around, it's difficult to get to my feet again. I really don't like that, but there's nothing much I can do about it. I'll be starting another round of physiotherapy when I get home, so I'll mention it to the therapist as another symptom to be addressed.
We spent a few hours yesterday aboard the USS Lexington, an Essex-class aircraft carrier that was the last World War II-era carrier to be retired from active service in 1991. This was my second visit to her, having seen her a couple of decades ago during a visit to southern Texas, but my wife's first. Due to my mobility limitations, this time I restricted myself to the hangar and flight decks, where everything is on a level. The ladders and stairs below decks don't lend themselves to using a walking-stick! My wife went through them all while I enjoyed a leisurely stroll around the flat bits. We enjoyed our visit.
We've taken the opportunity to visit several local restaurants. The fresh seafood is great - we both enjoy it. (I'm sorry, but fresh water fish is not "sea" food - it's just fish, not sea fish. The real thing tastes much better, IMHO!) There's also a German restaurant in town, where we tucked into schnitzel, strudel and Black Forest cake. So much for our diets . . .
We're thinking of driving down to SpaceX Starbase tomorrow or Thursday. It's about three hours from here, making for a long return drive, but we're much closer to it now than we're ever likely to be again, so it seems like a good idea to take advantage of that. The main road goes right past the SpaceX compound, so one can see almost everything going on around the launch complex. Furthermore, the upper stage from Starship flight test 13 is due to return to Starbase this week, after splashing down in the Indian Ocean and being recovered intact. It'll be great if we can see it coming home. We're both big fans of SpaceX and Elon Musk.
The nicest part of this break is that we don't have to do anything. We can sleep late, go where we wish, eat whenever and wherever we want, and ignore our normal daily routine. Just what we needed! Of course, come next Monday it'll be back to normal, with my wife returning to work and me heading for another physiotherapy session, but we'll take what we can get this week.
Peter
It sounds like both of you are enjoying your time out there. Good for you - everyone should take a little time off and relax. Plenty of time to worry about what Life is going to throw at you (which will happen anyway) so wait to worry and have fun.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree with you on the fish and it's not just fresh vs salt water fish, once salt water fish goes into fresh water (mostly salmon) their quality goes to heck. The best Copper River Red is no where near as good as any other King caught in the ocean.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy, and no, you DO NOT want to try the 'ladders' on the Lexington...
ReplyDeleteWhen I go in the Gulf (of America) almost daily, I do so only with a "helper": a friend, someone who will help me to stand vertically when I try to get out and the sands are shifting beneath my feet.
ReplyDeleteI love the wave action and can still swim long distances comfortably (even if/when the OL isn't )
But it's a safety measure as well; the OL told me she doesn't want to start visiting the local VA cemetary yet.
Never been aboard the Lex, but I served aboard two carriers when I was in (1988-92). Next Monday I'm seeing LST 325, which is visiting Clarksville. I've been on it once before, but my girl and my mother haven't, so I'll accompany them. They're bound to have questions about what apparatus does what function.
ReplyDelete--Tennessee Budd
Envying the visit to Lady Lex. When I was in the Guard, I had a chance to visit with her during carrier quals off Boca Chica NAS in Florida. Unfortunately there was only one slot available because the MN Guard Adjutant General and his son (a newly-minted 2nd LT) were also going. As I didn't want to leave my lady friend at loose ends I decided not to go. Some hours later as we were going into the BX for beach snacks and drinks, we encountered AG's son walking out. I asked him what he was doing there, and he blithely shared that he just decided not to go because it sounded boring. Closest I ever came to striking an officer.
ReplyDeleteDon't forget that the time in the water counts as aquatherapy. :-)
ReplyDeleteGlad you're having a nice time.
The drive to Starbase is long, but it was absolutely worth while. I haven't been for years (the first tower base was just going in), and it's completely changed now, so I should get going again. Boca Chica beach was also nice. So cool to see a highway just end at the ocean. We drove a couple miles south (in a 4x4), waded in the mouth of the Rio Grande, and waved at the Mexicans just across the water.
ReplyDelete