Originally written in 2012
It's 4:30 AM as I started this article and I've already been up for an
hour. Insomnia has hit me frequently through my adult life and I wonder if it's
going to get worse as I continue to get older. I've often heard that older
people don't sleep as well. I have one friend, well into his seventies, who has
described ways of passing the time while tossing and turning in his bed. One is
to recite the names of New York's Finger Lakes going west to east, and then he
will reverse the order, east to west. I'm not sure if he does this truly to
pass the time, or if it's a way to lull himself to sleep, similar to counting
sheep.
My issues of insomnia go
back to the days when our first daughter, Kristi was born. Mary and I tried to
share overnight duties at first, taking turns handling Kristi when she was up
crying at night. The problem I ran into is that I could never get back to sleep
again once Kristi was settled, whereas Mary would fall asleep rather quickly.
In addition to my sleep issues, Mary realized that she was usually awake the
whole time I was taking care of Kristi just because, as a new mom, she wanted
to know what was going on. We finally came to the conclusion that she might as
well be the one to take care of Kristi at night. I was the one who had to get
up for work and she was on maternity leave, so she could easily sleep into the
day or take naps if necessary.
That did not put an end to
my insomnia. For about 15 years I worked a very early morning shift and had to
be up anywhere from 3:30 to 5:00 AM. Bedtime was a reasonable 8:30 PM or so. I
would go through cycles where I'd wake up around 1:30 AM and not be able to get
back to sleep. A pattern arose: After trying for an hour or so to get back to
sleep, I'd know it's fruitless so I might as well get up and do something.
There's not a whole lot you can do in the middle of the night without waking
other people in the house, so I'd often watch TV, play on the computer or read.
Often around a half hour or so before I'd need to be up for work, my body would
feel ready to sleep again. Then it became a struggle to fight the urge to stay
asleep when the alarm rang. I'd get ready for work, go to work and get an
hour-long nap in during my lunch break at 9:00 AM. Yes, lunch at 9:00 AM.
That's the life of working crazy hours in the TV business. The day would end at
1:30 or 2:30 PM. I tried all sorts of ways to get into a reliable sleep
schedule, including regularly staying up until 10:30 or 11:00 PM, sleeping
solidly until the alarm rang, but then taking a one- or two-hour nap in the
afternoon. It didn't work very well; it usually left me feeling extremely
"spacey" through the evening.
Then I switched to the
evening shift, which usually started around 2:30 or 3:00 PM. This shift was
much more compatible for me. Getting home from work around midnight, I never
felt like going to bed right away so I usually watched TV for an hour or two
first. I did have insomnia while on the evening shift; I might sleep four or
five hours and then wake up. The difference was I could take a long nap in the
late morning, then wake up and feel refreshed rather than "spacey."
Why would this matter? It
all has to do with the circadian rhythm. I went to a sleep specialist and did a
lot of research on circadian rhythms. According to the National Institutes of
Health, circadian rhythms "are produced by natural factors within the
body, but they are also affected by signals from the environment. Light is the
main cue influencing circadian rhythms, turning on or turning off genes that
control an organism’s internal clocks." They change sleep-wake cycles,
hormone release, body temperature, and other functions. Light and dark are
primary factors in determining the body's internal clock. More melatonin is
released at night, helping you get to sleep and affects the various stages of
sleep.
According to the National
Sleep Foundation, insomnia is the most common sleep complaint among Americans.
Their website lists many causes and reasons for insomnia with a long list of
suggestions for getting over insomnia. In reading it, I have to conclude that
I'm not very consistent in my bedtimes even today, when I work a
"normal" shift of 7 AM to 4 PM. I can't help but wonder if it's just
that I need to work hard at being consistent.
Back to the question of
whether insomnia gets worse as we age, as I scan various websites on aging and
insomnia, the general consensus seems to be that yes, insomnia can get worse.
The reasons include medicinal side effects, other health problems, and taking
overly long naps during the day that affect our circadian rhythms.
Tuesday, August 20, 2019
Monday, August 19, 2019
Sterling Renaissance Festival
After years of both of us putting it off, Stacey and I finally visited Sterling, NY for the annual Renaissance Festival. Yesterday was the last day of the season.
I had planned on wearing my kilt, and Stacey had a dress that she was going to wear. But when we woke up to thunderstorms in the area and a forecast of high humidity, we both decided to wear cool street clothes.
The setting is Warwick, England in 1585. The website (www.sterlingfestival.com) describes the realm as "Tucked within a luscious forest, surrounded by a sea of rolling green, hides the village of Warwick, England. You’ll find that people are spirited and the grounds are especially well-kept—particularly on the eve of the Queen’s arrival. Come and explore this majestic, boisterous celebration set upon more than 35 acres of untouched land." There are plenty of shows, artisans, food, shops and music. Guests and workers alike dress in period costumes, and guests can rent or buy costumes on site if they wish.
We watched a musical performance by Empty Hats at the Merchant's Bend Stage, a group of singers and musicians performing Celtic music. After walking through the village to see what else was on the premises, we walked down to the Grotto Stage to be entertained by an "R" rated performance of Filthy Irish Stories, told by "Churchyard" O'Shea. He wasn't kidding when he joked that we wouldn't expect to see that kind of humor at this festival. But they did warn us to keep kids away.
I then tried my luck with archery; I don't recall doing it since grammar school, and I thought I did pretty good! I had 12 arrows and I actually hit the bull's eye with one of them! After walking around some more, we stopped at the Rose and Crown Tavern for lunch.
We sat down at the Swan Stage to watch an "opera" by the Da Vinci Brothers. It's a comedy where the audience does the sound effects and acts out the show. The next thing I knew, I was called upon to be one of the actors in the skit called "Go Figaro." I played the part of Viva De Las Vegas.
Then we went to the Festival Stage to watch a show featuring Judas and Magnolia, a husband and wife team of escape artists.
Late in the afternoon, with a thunderstorm approaching, we decided it was time to head back home.
I had planned on wearing my kilt, and Stacey had a dress that she was going to wear. But when we woke up to thunderstorms in the area and a forecast of high humidity, we both decided to wear cool street clothes.
The setting is Warwick, England in 1585. The website (www.sterlingfestival.com) describes the realm as "Tucked within a luscious forest, surrounded by a sea of rolling green, hides the village of Warwick, England. You’ll find that people are spirited and the grounds are especially well-kept—particularly on the eve of the Queen’s arrival. Come and explore this majestic, boisterous celebration set upon more than 35 acres of untouched land." There are plenty of shows, artisans, food, shops and music. Guests and workers alike dress in period costumes, and guests can rent or buy costumes on site if they wish.
We watched a musical performance by Empty Hats at the Merchant's Bend Stage, a group of singers and musicians performing Celtic music. After walking through the village to see what else was on the premises, we walked down to the Grotto Stage to be entertained by an "R" rated performance of Filthy Irish Stories, told by "Churchyard" O'Shea. He wasn't kidding when he joked that we wouldn't expect to see that kind of humor at this festival. But they did warn us to keep kids away.
I then tried my luck with archery; I don't recall doing it since grammar school, and I thought I did pretty good! I had 12 arrows and I actually hit the bull's eye with one of them! After walking around some more, we stopped at the Rose and Crown Tavern for lunch.
We sat down at the Swan Stage to watch an "opera" by the Da Vinci Brothers. It's a comedy where the audience does the sound effects and acts out the show. The next thing I knew, I was called upon to be one of the actors in the skit called "Go Figaro." I played the part of Viva De Las Vegas.
Then we went to the Festival Stage to watch a show featuring Judas and Magnolia, a husband and wife team of escape artists.
Late in the afternoon, with a thunderstorm approaching, we decided it was time to head back home.
Sunday, August 18, 2019
Dashcam Adventures 1
Since I do a lot of driving for both the school district, my marching bands, and my wedding officiant business, I'm always witnessing a lot of bad driving habits. Drivers on their cell phones, passing the red lights of school buses, speeding, not using turn signals, using lanes and shoulders inappropriately, cutting each other off, racing to beat red lights, and more. While I do not have access to the video recordings on my school bus, I do have my own dash cam. This video is a compilation of a lot of situations I happened to catch.
People are so impatient. There's a lot of speeding out there and I captured some of it on my dash cam. I generally drive pretty close to the speed limit, so when you see my video of someone speeding, you'll get a perspective of how much over the speed limit they are going. Both in my school bus and in my own personal vehicle, people cross double yellow lines to pass me.
This summer I had a kindergarten student on Manitou Road in Ogden. I've had conversations with his mother, who has complained about the number of people racing down Manitou Road. I once had a couple cars pass me while picking him up and my bus's red lights were on This video shows two times when other drivers crossed the double yellow line to speed past me on Manitou Road.
I often see signs asking people to drive carefully and watch out for motorcycles. I totally agree; everyone should always be checking twice before making a turn at an intersection. However, there are a number of motorcycle drivers who ruin it for the others by racing their crotch rockets on the expressways. To those riders I say, "Yes, I'm watching out for you, but you need to ride carefully, too! It goes both ways!"
I caught a lot of different situations on my dash cam and they are compiled in this video. Hopefully, you're not in it! And if you are, or you recognize someone, take this as a lesson to improve your driving habits.
In any case, the video has a happy ending!! 😉
https://youtu.be/QAx4bQlrxH0
People are so impatient. There's a lot of speeding out there and I captured some of it on my dash cam. I generally drive pretty close to the speed limit, so when you see my video of someone speeding, you'll get a perspective of how much over the speed limit they are going. Both in my school bus and in my own personal vehicle, people cross double yellow lines to pass me.
This summer I had a kindergarten student on Manitou Road in Ogden. I've had conversations with his mother, who has complained about the number of people racing down Manitou Road. I once had a couple cars pass me while picking him up and my bus's red lights were on This video shows two times when other drivers crossed the double yellow line to speed past me on Manitou Road.
I often see signs asking people to drive carefully and watch out for motorcycles. I totally agree; everyone should always be checking twice before making a turn at an intersection. However, there are a number of motorcycle drivers who ruin it for the others by racing their crotch rockets on the expressways. To those riders I say, "Yes, I'm watching out for you, but you need to ride carefully, too! It goes both ways!"
I caught a lot of different situations on my dash cam and they are compiled in this video. Hopefully, you're not in it! And if you are, or you recognize someone, take this as a lesson to improve your driving habits.
In any case, the video has a happy ending!! 😉
https://youtu.be/QAx4bQlrxH0
Saturday, August 17, 2019
Rock Band "Free Agent"
Stacey and I generally look for local bands that we can dance to. When a band specifically bills itself as "dedicated to bringing you a variety of music that will make you dance or sing along," we take notice! Such is the case with Free Agent, based in the Rochester Region.
Singer Kim Kotel, who does most of the booking and PR for the group, said, "I was looking for a group after one I was in had folded. I auditioned with drummer Scott Hayes and what was supposed to be the remaining members of a band whose singer had left. Only one other person came to the audition and nothing came of it, but Scott and his wife came to see Ian( Kerr) and I in our duo. She suggested he work with us. Eventually, after a bunch of false starts with separate bands, Ian and I were ready to be in a band again together as other things we were in had either folded or were not working out. We joined with three remaining members of Scott's old band and the name Free Agent was chosen when I said to them I had left the group I was kind of in and I was now a free agent. The group worked as it was for a month or two and then the bassist and guitarist left. Scott, Ian and I found replacements and we worked to be ready to play out. The first Free Agent gig was in May of 2015 and by the late summer of 2017 we had gone through two lead players and three bassists before lead guitarist Richard Gramm and bass player Karl Joslin joined us in November of 2017. That incarnation had its first gig on May 4th of 2018 at Jose' and Willy's. We have been playing out as this group since."
Free Agent doesn't have a particular influence. The original concept was for them to be open to just about every genre and every decade. Kim calls it variety rock. Their goal was to make people dance and sing along; it's a very broad musical palate made possible by the four members who sing leads. Another focus is making sure they have a lot of great harmony.
Richard (Gramm: lead guitar and vocals) has been playing and singing most of his life. He first picked up the guitar at age 12 and three years later added the bass. He has performed and recorded mainly in upstate New York, but has been fortunate enough to play shows across the U.S., Europe, South America and more. He also plays in other bands.
Scott( Hayes: percussion and vocals) has a diverse musical history playing with such local bands as the hard and progressive rock band "Euphoria" in the 80's. Later he moved to the sounds of Neil Young and Crazy Horse along with Santana in the late 80's with the band "Dark Light". Scott's favorite drummers include Peter Criss of KISS, and the legendary Neil Peart of Rush. Scott also played in Skyway and Red Sky.
Karl (Joslin: bass guitar) cut his teeth as a bassist in South Florida at the age of 13. Prior to bass (his instrument of choice), he played French horn for a few years. His main influences at the time were Geddy Lee, John Entwistle, John Paul Jones, Chris Squire, John Deacon and Jaco Pastorius. By the time he was 16, he was writing, collaborating and performing with an all-original band called “The Astronomical Artouche”. He played around with several bands in the Treasure Coast area until the late 80’s. He has also played locally with Wayward Wynd, Killing Time and 5 Hole.
Ian ( Kerr guitar, keys, vocals) People always told Ian he had an ear for music. As a kid he used to mimic what he heard on the radio and play it on the piano while tossing in a harmony that wasn't included originally. Growing up, he listened to oldies with his dad and they would sing along with them together. His father was one of the many people who has inspired him and got him started. While he started on keyboards as a child, he then learned sax in High School but didn't begin playing the bass guitar until 2007. Until recently the bass was his primary rock band experiences. He has also played in Black Ice, Curveball and Shifting Gears. He and Kim have the duo, Tuned InK, but play in Free Agent for the full band experience.
Kim (Kotel: vocals, aux percussion) has been singing since she was a young child, but until 2010 it was only for her own enjoyment in a choral setting or out at a Karaoke night. That all changed when she joined a band called 7 Green. Although that band only lasted about 4 months after she joined, her whistle was whetted and soon she was lucky enough to be part of Black Ice which became her first real band experience. When that folded she went through a number of bands trying to find her niche again and also teamed up with Ian to form Tuned InK. Free Agent is now her band "home" Free Agent plays in a variety of locations around Rochester and surrounding areas. You can find their Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/vareityrocksyou/
Kim and Ian in their duo, Tuned InK
https://www.facebook.com/TunedInK/videos/1289852081131721/
Singer Kim Kotel, who does most of the booking and PR for the group, said, "I was looking for a group after one I was in had folded. I auditioned with drummer Scott Hayes and what was supposed to be the remaining members of a band whose singer had left. Only one other person came to the audition and nothing came of it, but Scott and his wife came to see Ian( Kerr) and I in our duo. She suggested he work with us. Eventually, after a bunch of false starts with separate bands, Ian and I were ready to be in a band again together as other things we were in had either folded or were not working out. We joined with three remaining members of Scott's old band and the name Free Agent was chosen when I said to them I had left the group I was kind of in and I was now a free agent. The group worked as it was for a month or two and then the bassist and guitarist left. Scott, Ian and I found replacements and we worked to be ready to play out. The first Free Agent gig was in May of 2015 and by the late summer of 2017 we had gone through two lead players and three bassists before lead guitarist Richard Gramm and bass player Karl Joslin joined us in November of 2017. That incarnation had its first gig on May 4th of 2018 at Jose' and Willy's. We have been playing out as this group since."
Free Agent doesn't have a particular influence. The original concept was for them to be open to just about every genre and every decade. Kim calls it variety rock. Their goal was to make people dance and sing along; it's a very broad musical palate made possible by the four members who sing leads. Another focus is making sure they have a lot of great harmony.
Richard (Gramm: lead guitar and vocals) has been playing and singing most of his life. He first picked up the guitar at age 12 and three years later added the bass. He has performed and recorded mainly in upstate New York, but has been fortunate enough to play shows across the U.S., Europe, South America and more. He also plays in other bands.
Scott( Hayes: percussion and vocals) has a diverse musical history playing with such local bands as the hard and progressive rock band "Euphoria" in the 80's. Later he moved to the sounds of Neil Young and Crazy Horse along with Santana in the late 80's with the band "Dark Light". Scott's favorite drummers include Peter Criss of KISS, and the legendary Neil Peart of Rush. Scott also played in Skyway and Red Sky.
Karl (Joslin: bass guitar) cut his teeth as a bassist in South Florida at the age of 13. Prior to bass (his instrument of choice), he played French horn for a few years. His main influences at the time were Geddy Lee, John Entwistle, John Paul Jones, Chris Squire, John Deacon and Jaco Pastorius. By the time he was 16, he was writing, collaborating and performing with an all-original band called “The Astronomical Artouche”. He played around with several bands in the Treasure Coast area until the late 80’s. He has also played locally with Wayward Wynd, Killing Time and 5 Hole.
Ian ( Kerr guitar, keys, vocals) People always told Ian he had an ear for music. As a kid he used to mimic what he heard on the radio and play it on the piano while tossing in a harmony that wasn't included originally. Growing up, he listened to oldies with his dad and they would sing along with them together. His father was one of the many people who has inspired him and got him started. While he started on keyboards as a child, he then learned sax in High School but didn't begin playing the bass guitar until 2007. Until recently the bass was his primary rock band experiences. He has also played in Black Ice, Curveball and Shifting Gears. He and Kim have the duo, Tuned InK, but play in Free Agent for the full band experience.
Kim (Kotel: vocals, aux percussion) has been singing since she was a young child, but until 2010 it was only for her own enjoyment in a choral setting or out at a Karaoke night. That all changed when she joined a band called 7 Green. Although that band only lasted about 4 months after she joined, her whistle was whetted and soon she was lucky enough to be part of Black Ice which became her first real band experience. When that folded she went through a number of bands trying to find her niche again and also teamed up with Ian to form Tuned InK. Free Agent is now her band "home" Free Agent plays in a variety of locations around Rochester and surrounding areas. You can find their Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/vareityrocksyou/
Kim and Ian in their duo, Tuned InK
https://www.facebook.com/TunedInK/videos/1289852081131721/
Friday, August 16, 2019
Tommy Tutone, Loverboy, and Rick Springfield at Artpark, 8-13-2019
We saw the concert with Tommy Tutone, Loverboy, and Rick Springfield on August 13, 2019 at Artpark. For me, it was the first time I had seen any of them. Stacey has seen Rick Springfield multiple times in the past. She said this was the best viewing spot she's ever had of Rick Springfield.
Tommy Tutone was out first. I was impressed when I saw him with a Vox guitar amp. These amps were made popular in the 1960s by such groups as the Beatles. They brought their distinctive guitar sound to the masses. His backing band was the same band that Rick Springfield used later in the concert. Tommy Tutone is best known for 80s music, especially 867-5309. But he shows a lot of appreciation for older music, and did his own rendition of "Operator" by Jim Croce. Naturally as expected, the crowd went wild when he did his big hit 867-5309. Other songs he did included "Angel Say No," "Sylvia," and "Cheap Date."
It was clear that most people were there to see Rick Springfield. We had the good fortune of being right up by the stage, standing with one or two people in front of us. This allowed me to see the facial expressions of all of the musicians and singers and get some good camera shots. We were in the center of the area where Rick Springfield got the audience involved. Some handed roses to him. He threw a wireless microphone into the audience and ask people to sing a line or two and pass it on to the next person. I almost grabbed it myself but the person next to me got it first. Springfield headed out into the audience and walked through the area up front without any sort of escort at all. I thought it was very brave that he would do this. Rick's set list included "Light This Party Up," "I've Done Everything for You," "Love is Alright Tonite," "Little Demon," "Affair of the Heart," a medley, "The Voodoo House," "Don't Talk to Strangers," "Human Touch, " "Love Somebody," and "Jesse's Girl."
Tommy Tutone was out first. I was impressed when I saw him with a Vox guitar amp. These amps were made popular in the 1960s by such groups as the Beatles. They brought their distinctive guitar sound to the masses. His backing band was the same band that Rick Springfield used later in the concert. Tommy Tutone is best known for 80s music, especially 867-5309. But he shows a lot of appreciation for older music, and did his own rendition of "Operator" by Jim Croce. Naturally as expected, the crowd went wild when he did his big hit 867-5309. Other songs he did included "Angel Say No," "Sylvia," and "Cheap Date."
Loverboy rocked as hard as I imagine they always did. Although they are much older, I was impressed that they have four out of the five original members. Original bass player Scott Smith died in 2000. They played "Notorious," "Lucky Ones," "Queen of Broken Hearts," "Take Me to the Top," "The Kid is Hot Tonight," "Lovin' Every Minute of It," "Hot Girls In Love," "Turn Me Loose," "Working' for the Weekend," and "Jump."
It was clear that most people were there to see Rick Springfield. We had the good fortune of being right up by the stage, standing with one or two people in front of us. This allowed me to see the facial expressions of all of the musicians and singers and get some good camera shots. We were in the center of the area where Rick Springfield got the audience involved. Some handed roses to him. He threw a wireless microphone into the audience and ask people to sing a line or two and pass it on to the next person. I almost grabbed it myself but the person next to me got it first. Springfield headed out into the audience and walked through the area up front without any sort of escort at all. I thought it was very brave that he would do this. Rick's set list included "Light This Party Up," "I've Done Everything for You," "Love is Alright Tonite," "Little Demon," "Affair of the Heart," a medley, "The Voodoo House," "Don't Talk to Strangers," "Human Touch, " "Love Somebody," and "Jesse's Girl."
Thursday, August 15, 2019
A Special Anniversary and Catching Up
It's been awhile since I had time to write on this blog. Things have been very busy for me in the past couple of years. I got into a new relationship, ultimately got married, I bought a new house, and I've switched jobs around a couple of times. I'm happy that things are settling down for me and I will be able to get back to writing this daily blog that I enjoyed.
I have always enjoyed writing. I like to write in my blog, I like to write poetry, I like to write about the trips I have taken, and more. A couple of years ago shortly after my first marriage came to an end, it was recommend, that I write my autobiography. A lot of people seem to think I have led an interesting life so far. Whether you agree with that or not, writing my autobiography was actually quite therapeutic. Most of my autobiography is posted here in this blog and you can see it on the right side of this page, where it says "autobiography." I still have more to write, and life does go on so my autobiography will never be completely finished.
Probably the biggest change in my life in the past 3 years is my new relationship with Stacey. As of today Stacey and I have been a couple for two years. We first met in March of 2017 at a nightclub in Rochester. We were both in other relationships at the time so neither one of us was looking for someone new. But after a couple months we both became single again and we struck up a great friendship. That friendship lasted through the summer of 2017 until August 15th when we decided that we were a couple. A lot of people saw it coming. We had been saying we were just friends, but most people saw more than that in the two of us. I'll be writing more about my relationship with Stacey, our wedding, and our honeymoon, as time goes on.
Other events in my life over the past several years include the success of my business officiating weddings. When I first got into it in 2014, I figured it would be something fun to do on the side. I figured if I did four, five or six weddings a year, it would be a nice little extra for me. But it is turned into something more than that. I'm probably more surprised than anybody else that I average about 40 weddings a year. It has truly been an amazing experience for me, and I absolutely love doing it. I love meeting a couples, I love hearing stories about how they met, and I love having what I believe is the best spot to witness the wedding, because the couple is literally two feet away from me. As someone with hearing issues, I can't beat the spot I'm standing in to hear what they are saying in the wedding.
Another adventure that is starting up again for me is selling travel. I had sold travel in the past for six years, from 2005 until 2011. I have continued my travels around the world over the past few years, especially cruising. A lot of people ask me for advice about cruises that they want to take. I also like traveling with groups of people. I can meet the needs of people who are looking for someone who can help them book their cruise, and I can help myself by arranging group trips and cruises in order to have a fun group of people to travel with. You will also continue to see more stories about my travels and about weddings on my blog pages. For now it's good to be back and I will continue writing on a daily basis. You can either go to the link yourself, you can follow the link on my Facebook page, or you can sign up for a daily email that includes my blog.
I have always enjoyed writing. I like to write in my blog, I like to write poetry, I like to write about the trips I have taken, and more. A couple of years ago shortly after my first marriage came to an end, it was recommend, that I write my autobiography. A lot of people seem to think I have led an interesting life so far. Whether you agree with that or not, writing my autobiography was actually quite therapeutic. Most of my autobiography is posted here in this blog and you can see it on the right side of this page, where it says "autobiography." I still have more to write, and life does go on so my autobiography will never be completely finished.
Probably the biggest change in my life in the past 3 years is my new relationship with Stacey. As of today Stacey and I have been a couple for two years. We first met in March of 2017 at a nightclub in Rochester. We were both in other relationships at the time so neither one of us was looking for someone new. But after a couple months we both became single again and we struck up a great friendship. That friendship lasted through the summer of 2017 until August 15th when we decided that we were a couple. A lot of people saw it coming. We had been saying we were just friends, but most people saw more than that in the two of us. I'll be writing more about my relationship with Stacey, our wedding, and our honeymoon, as time goes on.
Other events in my life over the past several years include the success of my business officiating weddings. When I first got into it in 2014, I figured it would be something fun to do on the side. I figured if I did four, five or six weddings a year, it would be a nice little extra for me. But it is turned into something more than that. I'm probably more surprised than anybody else that I average about 40 weddings a year. It has truly been an amazing experience for me, and I absolutely love doing it. I love meeting a couples, I love hearing stories about how they met, and I love having what I believe is the best spot to witness the wedding, because the couple is literally two feet away from me. As someone with hearing issues, I can't beat the spot I'm standing in to hear what they are saying in the wedding.
Another adventure that is starting up again for me is selling travel. I had sold travel in the past for six years, from 2005 until 2011. I have continued my travels around the world over the past few years, especially cruising. A lot of people ask me for advice about cruises that they want to take. I also like traveling with groups of people. I can meet the needs of people who are looking for someone who can help them book their cruise, and I can help myself by arranging group trips and cruises in order to have a fun group of people to travel with. You will also continue to see more stories about my travels and about weddings on my blog pages. For now it's good to be back and I will continue writing on a daily basis. You can either go to the link yourself, you can follow the link on my Facebook page, or you can sign up for a daily email that includes my blog.
Wednesday, August 14, 2019
Cruising Solo
by Paul Pakusch
Facebook
Altogether, I have been on 18 cruises. In the past four years, many of my experiences have been to cruise alone as a passenger. On these cruises, I have had a cabin to myself. Usually cruise lines charge for two people per cabin. You can add a third or fourth guest in the cabin for a reduced rate. But when you travel by yourself, cruise lines still want the minimum of two passengers per cabin.
Altogether, I have been on 18 cruises. In the past four years, many of my experiences have been to cruise alone as a passenger. On these cruises, I have had a cabin to myself. Usually cruise lines charge for two people per cabin. You can add a third or fourth guest in the cabin for a reduced rate. But when you travel by yourself, cruise lines still want the minimum of two passengers per cabin.
Once in awhile, you can find a deal where you get a reduced rate for traveling by yourself. In my experience, most cruise lines do not have this option. If you talk to a travel agent, look on the various web sites, or do web searches, you can sometimes find one of these deals. You have to be persistent about finding them. I have found these deals with Norwegian Cruise Line. I stumbled onto it for the first time in March of 2016. It was not something I expected, I just happened to get lucky because I booked it at the last moment, about four days before the cruise was scheduled to depart. What I discovered is that Norwegian Cruise Line will sometimes offer a solo cruise rate at the last minute when they are trying to fill up the cabins on a ship. That particular Cruise was on the Norwegian Jade out of Houston, with a Caribbean itinerary.
Norwegian Cruise Line in general seems to have a better deal for solo cruisers than most if not all of the other cruise lines. Norwegian has been building cabins on its newer ships designed specifically for a solo cruiser. These cabins are smaller than the other cabins, and they offer no privacy for the shower stall. If you're by yourself, quite frankly you don't need any privacy. The bathroom does have a door on it. I've found the cabins to be layed out in an efficient manner for the amount of space available.
The solo cabins are grouped together in the center of the ship, so they don't have any outside views or balconies. What they do have is a shared private lounge called The Studio that is accessible only with your room key. The studio is a good place for solo travelers to get together, have a drink, chat, and meet to discuss activities that they can do together. A crew member is assigned to the solo travelers, and they meet early each evening to discuss possibilities of activities to do together. These activities include the dining rooms where all can sit together. Sometimes they get seats together in the theater for the evening show. Depending on what other activities the solo cruisers are interested in, they can make plans to do those activities together.
On that March 2016 cruise, five of us solo cruisers got together to rent motor scooters to to travel around Cozumel Mexico for 4 hours. We had a blast! I have been involved in other activities with solo cruisers such as going on shore excursions together, dancing, dance contests, and other games. I have never felt alone while cruising solo. It's been a great way to meet people from all over the world. I have stayed in touch with many of them.
The solo cabins are grouped together in the center of the ship, so they don't have any outside views or balconies. What they do have is a shared private lounge called The Studio that is accessible only with your room key. The studio is a good place for solo travelers to get together, have a drink, chat, and meet to discuss activities that they can do together. A crew member is assigned to the solo travelers, and they meet early each evening to discuss possibilities of activities to do together. These activities include the dining rooms where all can sit together. Sometimes they get seats together in the theater for the evening show. Depending on what other activities the solo cruisers are interested in, they can make plans to do those activities together.
On that March 2016 cruise, five of us solo cruisers got together to rent motor scooters to to travel around Cozumel Mexico for 4 hours. We had a blast! I have been involved in other activities with solo cruisers such as going on shore excursions together, dancing, dance contests, and other games. I have never felt alone while cruising solo. It's been a great way to meet people from all over the world. I have stayed in touch with many of them.
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