Rip Van Winkle Wakes Up!

Ok, it's been so long since my last post that my news aggregator has greyed out Ephemeris. There a a couple of excuses for the silence. There have been a number lot of pending things that I had mixed feeling about and so didn't quite know what to write and when. And the other excuse is that I'm now living a life newly structured and seemingly less interesting. So there seems to be less topicality in my day-to-day life.

Some things appear to be resolved. I won't be going to University this term. I was signed up for an online Psychology course. But events overtook the plan and I cancelled the course. University is on hold until the Summer semester in May.

The event that overtook this plan is a cruise from Tampa to Venice. I had carefully planned a Panama Canal cruise that would have fit in between the school terms (late April and early May). But the wife has a love affair with Europe and a sale came up just days after I signed up for the Psychology course. It was actually cheaper, even air fare included, to do the Trans-Atlantic cruise. So off to Venice we go.

We'll be at sea during Holy Week, not touching land until Easter Monday (the Azores). That's a bit of a downer, since Holy Week observances (Palm Sunday, Mass of the Last Supper, Stations of the Cross and Good Friday Service, and, the highlight of the Church worship, Holy Saturday Vigil Service) are a family tradition. Fasting on Good Friday while at sea trapped on a ship overflowing with delicious food will be a penance indeed. I've repeatedly warned the Mrs. that this is the absolutely last trip to Europe. She laughs and points out that that was what I said the last time. True enough, but I'll be seriously broke after this adventure, so it is true this time.

And I will have to sign up for my Summer course probably during the Trans-Atlantic trip. We'll see how that works. I do have the ability to sign-up online, so it's theoretically possible. Wish me luck on that one.

What little news there is I'll save for another day. Happy New Year to all and I hope that everyone's Christmas was Merry.