Eldership Sweden Mission - You Know It's Swedish Spring If It Is Above Freezing

Ensign Almada's Personal Log:

Were the Captain (de-I) and the Commander (Wife) having some kind of personal inside joke when they saw me, a Salarian, noted for our planet's intensely warm, humid climate, and recruited her for the World of Gothenburg mission? We were scheduled to do our first day of away missions to explore the local area where we will be setting up base. Here is how it went.

Wife - "de-I, have you happened to see what the surface conditions are today?

de-I - "No. It's late spring there. Should be nice.

Wife - "Do you consider 5 degrees C (40 degrees F), raining and windy nice? 

de-I - "Uh no. Actually it sounds like it sucks. But, dear, aren't you scheduled to be the lowly ensign doing the initial away mission reconnaissance?"

Wife - "No way! It's your turn."

de-I then looked across the bridge. He beckoned Wife to do the same. I knew what they were looking at. They both smiled the predators' smile. I tried as hard as I could to be innocuous and look busy...very busy...importantly busy.

The two renowned ElderFleet Seniors said in unison, "We have Almada!"

"Why did my partner watch officer suddenly come down with appendicitis, acute pancreatitis, massively low blood pressure, and an almost terminal ingrown toenail just before we were to set off causing him to be evacuated from the Eldership?" I thought, wailing inside.

Thus I found myself the first Eldership officer on the surface of Gothenburg, freezing my ass off, trying to keep the rain protecting umbrella from blowing away, counting the 15 different Kebab joints between my landing area and the site of the local transportation hub. I was to survey the bus and tram stop locations. The first I found fine. The second I had to wander up and down in the cold, wet until I realized it was actually below ground level. 

Thankfully, de-I and Wife had been doing some surveying from the ship and directed me to the Hemkop supermarket which blessedly was in an enclosed mall. I was to shop for certain food specialties like 'cheese in slices' and 'Dr. Pepper (diet if you please) and corn nuts. Then there was the:

Weird Raw Cured Fish (Pickled Herring)

Captain de-I said it was great.

 And I brought up for them a rather pedestrian Roast Chicken with Cole Slaw and Potato Salad. Choosing the potato salad was tough as there were so many different options (as a member of a species that only consumes mineral matter all this 'local food' stuff is a bit of a challenge.) which both Wife and de-I declared delicious.

I am going to take myself to the holo deck, dial up Salaria at the height of summer, and try and thaw out.

Eldership Mission Sweden - We Arrive Gothenburg

Many of the usual joys of international travel were experienced on our way flying from Albuquerque to Gotheburg Sweden. 

We changed flights and airlines in Chicago from United to Lufthansa. You needed to have your passport checked and there were two lines but no one was there to tell you which line you should be in. However, there were random employees of Lufthansa who would give you one instruction and then in a bit, another one would come with the opposite instruction. We finally after changing lines four times, Wife just butted our way to the head of a line (the right one it turns out). Her righteous indignation got us into the proper pre-board line and we got on the plane first.

We were in Lufthansa's newly reconfigured business class. I was not terribly impressed. Our flight was late getting out of Chicago. There was along line at passport control in Munich but we had plenty of time to get to our plane.

Once in Gothenburg, I went looking for an ATM to get some cash. All that was there were Forex Bureau machines. I go to one and it will give me Euros, Pounds, Dollars, and Thai Baht. I couldn't find one that gave Swedish Kroner. I went to the information desk and a lovely woman told me "No one uses cash in Sweden. Last time I used cash was 7 years ago." So were going cashless this trip.

We had to wait a few hours before we could get into our Airbnb. Ordering an Uber was easy peasy. But getting our Airbnb, after much initial wondering about the place we were renting, turned out to be exactly as the listing had shown.  We needed to get some provisions. There is a Lidl close by. Google Maps had this 5 minute walk. We're 20 steps out the apartment building and Wife looks to her left and says, "There it is!"

Wife - "Damn how did I get to be the lowly crew member on this away mission."

 

When you are exhausted and the supermarket has not ready-to-eat food, the French picnic is a great fall back.

Eldership Mission Sweden - Preparing To Launch

Ensign Almada's Personal Log:

I believe I am the first Sarlarian to serve under Commander Wife and Captain de-I. We are readying the Eldership which will launch momentarily. It is a very curious thing to be on a vessel that usually only has a crew of two. Most ships in the Elderfleet have many more. I truly believe that my comrade and I were taken on this mission simply so the Seniors have some one to send down on away missions with the dreaded red tunic. 

Excuse me, but I must sign off. The two are arguing over who will be in command first and who will have latrine cleaning duty first. Oops. They've remembered I'm here. Off to the latrines I go. 

Eldership Revival

At Elder Fleet Command HQ, two young officers were on watch. Looking down from from their enclosed perch above the large docking area holding the Elderships taking repairs or getting outfitted for their next mission. The Eldership closest to them was the famous Eldership One, commanded since it's commissioning by the renowned elder travelers de-I and Wife. 

Rumor had it that the One might be decommissioned. Wife had come back from its last mission seriously injured. When the One's next mission was scrubbed, the whispering had grown louder. It was a fact of life at Elder Fleet Command, all who took missions were going find an end at some point. Maybe this was the end for the famous couple. 

One of the officers suddenly pointed down. "Look! There! By the entrance ramp. Isn't that Commander, First Officer, Maintenance Officer, Accounting Clerk, Hydroponic Gardening Head, Room Maintenance Cleaner Wife?"

"By the Great Maker, you're right." He went to his screen and tapped up the upcoming missions. "You're not going to believe this. The One is scheduled to go off on mission this Tuesday!"

"But where are they going to get a crew on such notice." 

Even though the two renowned Eldership pioneers were known to carry out most of the functions of their Eldership, there were occasions where additional crew were required. Their ruminations were interrupted by a commanding presence. In their command room was none other than the near mythic Captain, Weapons Officer, Revenue Officer, Navigation Ensign, Chauffeur, and Cook...de-I!

"Gentlemen, I am glad to hear you notice that my co-command Wife is at the Eldership One. And yes we are leaving soon on a mission. We are in need of crew for this one. I inquired of Elder Fleet Command and was notified that the two of you are next up for off station assignment. So welcome to our mission to the World of Gothenburg. Here are your uniforms."

The two officers stared, hardly being able to speak. For the tunics of each uniform were RED!

Europe Fall 2024 - Lauching The Eldership On A River Of Blood

As previously noted, it is time for Wife and I to hit the road again. Gosh, I've been home from Ghana for 9 days! Isn't that long enough to get itchy and need to get back to Airport World?

Europe 2024 is intended to be a pullback from the insanity of Around the World of this spring. We are first going to Amsterdam for a couple of days of nostalgia visit (after having visited their so many times during the 12 (or was it 14) years Daughter #3 lived there. (#3 is even coming to visit us to make the nostalgia reunion complete). Then we are going to Italy. Our goal is to find another place that 'resonates' with as a place we might want to go for a longer stay. We'll be going from the Slovenia coast of the Adriatic to about half way down. Then we go to Spain, returning to El Compello where we are staying for a month. 

No Eldership voyage is considered complete without some crisis during the 24 hours preceding departure. We've had multiple electronic devices die the day before, banking issues, twice we had electrical lights disconnect from the ceiling and dangle precipitously from an electrical wire. Yesterday we decided to go with a medical based alternative.

It's around 11:30, I'm driving a short way to a drug store to pick up an item for the trip. I feel something dripping out of my nose. I put my hand to my nose and see blood. I stop the car in the parking lot. The blood is really flowing. I can't find anything to hold to my nose other than a few old face masks still in the car from Covid days. Holding these my nose, I manage to drive one-handed back to the house. 

I go from the car to the bathroom by the kitchen. Releasing the face masks, the blood gushes out in a volume greater than I've ever seen. I'm freaking out. I'm trying to get tissue and paper towels to try and staunch the flow, while pitching my nose. The bathroom sink is a total bloody mess. I keep cleaning up while trying to hold my nose with a wad of bloody paper products. 

I manage to get to my phone in the kitchen and again one-handed key in a search for what do if you have a bloody nose that won't stop. The answer is simple - get medical help. I finally call Wife down and we head to the hospital emergency room. Even though it is a holiday, there are few people in the waiting room when I get there. Of course, my mind is going overtime assuming I have a brain tumor or something, going to have to cancel our whole trip, etc. 

If you are familiar with U.S. emergency rooms you know there will be a lot of waiting...waiting to be checked in, waiting to actually get into the treatment area, waiting to be treated, waiting to be discharged. This visit did not disappoint. As soon as they checked me in the put this clamp like thing over my nose, which over the almost two hours of waiting was like some torture device from the inquisition. 

When finally seen, things had finally slowed up substantially. Turns out there are some arteries in your nose as well as veins (I guess that's pretty logical) and when they go, the flow is spectacular. Once they got things stopped, they cauterized the wound to create scabbing. 

After four hours, I was able to come home and finally get packed. 

I've taken one of the clamps with me just for insurance.

Back Home - Temporarily

Sunday I made the flight back to Albuquerque. There were minor inconveniences but (within the scope of air travel) for the most part the trip was uneventful. I even got back in early. 

I did another pretty good adjustment to the time zone changes and have been back in the swing of things here. I'm catching up with my few clients. Doing stuff needed by Wife in the house. 

BUT,

At the same time, we are working like crazy on the Eldership. For in exactly one week, it will be launched on another de-I / Wife travel adventure. 

The camera batteries are being charged. The packing is being arranged. Getting the prescriptions filled. Last minute shopping. Trying to get some of the house projects in some semblance of progress. 

But, get your vicarious travel thirst ready. Because by this time next week, Wife and I will be winging our way to Europe.

Elder Fleet Mission Orders

 We have received our briefing. We will take possession of the Eldership at 07:00 hours Mission Central Time. However, we have been instructed to unseal and review our orders tonight. 

"Commanders de-I and Wife,

You have been selected for this mission as you have shown your ability to navigate the intricacies of the semi-civilized world of Earth. You are needed to conduct another reconnaissance mission to help us determine whether we aid the progress of this world or eliminate as a cancer cell. 

For this mission you will need to circumnavigate the entire globe. You will start your mission at the locale you have established for your permanent disguise, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. From here you will proceed to Taipei, Taiwan. After conducting information in Taipei, you will be required to enter the mysterious Middle Kingdom, The People's Republic of China. In the PRC, we want you to infiltrate Shanghai, Xian, Guilin, Hangzhou, & Nanjing. 

We will then ask you to continue your ongoing research in the southern peninsula that comprises Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Myanmar. You will specifically spend time in the Thai city of Krabi with transits in Kuala Lumpur. 

Finally we will be sending you back to Ghana, West Africa with a transit in Istanbul. However, now we want you out of the capital of Accra in cities such as Takoradi, Cape Coast, Elmira, Kumasi, and Prampram. 

Then you will return to the home base. We wish you success on your mission!

ELDER FLEET OFFICERS - REPORT FOR DUTY!

All Elder Fleet Officers are required to relinquish their current on planet duties. You will assemble at Eldership Command on 25 March wherein you will receive your orders. The Eldership has been refurbished and is ready to sally forth at 0700 hours on 27 March. You will receive your orders on 26 March. This is a mission of the utmost importance. We are confident you will do your duty.

All Hands Report For Duty - The Eldership Prepares For Another Mission

 The word has been passed. 

Leave has been cancelled. 

All hands (all two of them) have been required to report for duty immediately. 

The Eldership must be put in shipshape condition. It must be supplied. The mission must be understood. What will be the rotation between Wife and de-I as to who is Commander and who is Number One. 

How many unwitting people can we recruit to be 'red shirt extras' for certainly there will be times we need someone to be sacrificed?

And where the heck is the Eldership off to this time anyway?

All will be revealed. We are too busy getting the Eldership ready for its scheduled departure on Thursday. 

STAY TUNED.

(And fear not. I suspect strongly, photography and gastronomy will be involved.)

Eldership Ready For Takeoff

 Our intrepid crew of two Elder Fleet officers (and enlisted people as we do everything) have all loaded and ready to go for the great Cefalú, Sicily colonization adventure. Eldership Fleet Command is anxious to to get data on the longest stay in one place ever attempted.

Packing is complete with everything loaded from underwear to tripod to microwave popcorn (don't ask). We have placed our bets on Uber reservation - will they actually show up at 5:15 as reserved? I don't know. History says the odds are 50-50. 

The Magical Unicorn Pony God of Travel has already announced it is on the field and ready to engage. We fly to Munich, Germany arriving Saturday to fly on to Palermo, Italy. On Friday the Lufthansa pilots are going on strike for 24 hours. Will it be over by the time we arrive? Who knows. 

Let the travel adventures begin.

Preparing The Eldership For The Next Adventure

The Eldership is out of dry dock. It is being fitted out with all the latest updates to its equipment. Supplies are being taken aboard and the crew is going through intense training. Wife and I are flipping coins to decide who gets to be Captain for this trip. Lift off is scheduled for Thursday. This time we will be going literally half-way around the world!

Road Trip 2018 - Return Of Navel Gazing II, Reflections

This trip represented yet another step on the road of travel experience experimentation. And there were plenty of firsts for us.

 It was our first long trip within our own country. Sure we’ve gone to plenty of places in the US. Mostly we’ve gone to a specific region, locale or place to see it and then returned. On very rare occasions we made a decision to explore a particular area or route. But never for any great length of time.

It was the first time that we traveled extensively without a detailed itinerary and accommodation reservations ahead of time. (Well maybe second – on our trip to New Zealand while we had a general itinerary we were making reservations for where we would end up for the most part the night before.)

And it was the second time (New Zealand again the first), that we were in an automobile exclusively for transportation with no fixed base. (We have had numerous trips where we used a car predominately but usually were staying in one place for two, three, or four weeks).

So here are some observations and learning from the trip.

Driving is not relaxing – One reason for having selected this type of trip is we’ve been feeling the strain, the wear and tear, on our systems from the trips of the last two years where we’ve gone to a number of countries involving various trips by various non-driving transportation. We theorized that the freedom of our own vehicle (a vehicle we knew unlike a rental car) would make the process of getting around less hard on our bodies and less stressful. Wrong!

Instead what we found was that being in car so much was really hard on our bodies. And the stress was more. Yes you didn’t have to deal with all the issues of the public transportation systems. But you also never had any down time. You were either driving and having to pay attention. Or you were a passenger and often having to help keep the driver alert and helping them navigate.

Would I freak out not having any kind of plan? NO! – Hats off to Commander Spouse (inactive). It was actually great fun to have the freedom to change our itinerary and we do so numerous times based conditions (the hurricane), interests (staying in numerous towns extra time to catch all we wanted to see – adding cities once we decided getting to as many State Capitols was now a goal), changing interests (skipping things we got tired of like going into Nashville rather than spend two days seeing little towns in Tennessee), and physical condition (taking a longer time to get back so we wouldn’t have a couple of long trips).

Since we hadn’t done a whole lot of planning – at least I hadn’t, CS had done her own research – we hadn’t really discussed at all how we were actually going to execute this type of travel. So naturally we both had expectations that were not communicated leading to misunderstandings. But as the month went on we were able to observe what where the misunderstandings were, discuss them and come to some compromises and mutual understanding. Of course being the mature adults that we are, there were no loss of tempers, no one getting upset. Everything was done calmly and rationally because that’s the kind of Elder Fleet Command professionals we are.

A road trip of this nature would save money – compared to international travel, absolutely. Since we lease our vehicles (and are way below our allowed mileage) other than gas, we are already absorbing the cost of transportation without the travel. On all other expenses we were right on budget. The net result was a cost for the month that was a good 40-60% less expensive than the lowest one country trip to Europe or Asia would have been.

Amazed at the diversity in my own country – I am not talking about the stereotyped differences between regions that get bandied about. I am talking about the rich historical threads that can be found from state to state and even within states. I don’t think I will ever lump together an area – whether it be the ‘Deep South’, the ‘Midwest’, the ‘Northeast’ – again in my own mind. Now I visualize the country as this complex painting, like the Renaissance paintings I am so fond of with the multitude of stories within stories.

And we found such interesting interactions and things in such unexpected places. For example:

• Talking to the shrimp boat operators in Pass Christian Mississippi
• The guy who ran the ‘micro-museum in the Eastern Tennessee mountains whose family had been there for 150 years
• The crazy ‘English’ style mansion in Pikesville, Tennessee
• Historic Little Rock Museum where we spent three hours, didn’t get close to seeing all we wanted because we were exhausted and needed to get going, all for a cost of $1.50 each (with our Senior discount)
• The wild history Guthrie Oklahoma and evidence of a town built overnight
• CS’ cousins and family and their deep introspection related to their Native American blood that they are now aware of and how they looked at history now 

Seeing the Deep South in a whole different light – Going to this part of the country as a traveler looking for history is going ground zero of events that have had such a profound influence on modern racial relations – whether black/white or Native American/white. It is also the area where the Civil War was battled one. It was the battlefield. Remembering we were there for only a short period of time and that were tourists, not getting into depth as to actual day-to-day life, the overwhelming impression I got was of an area that was in profound reflection. Not coming to conclusions or having reached a consensus. Certainly with differences of opinion. But at least on the official level of what was being presented in museums and capitols organized by the states themselves, there was an amazing amount of candor about the past. And this is from the governments of states that are hardly classified as liberal. When we got back and I talked to a number of people who hail from what I will call the effete, arrogant coasts, I was rather shocked by a general reaction of “Oh how horrible to go to such a place. We would never go to the South.” To tell you the truth I was stunned.

In conclusion while we are going to have to make some adjustments in how we do this type of travel to reduce the wear and tear it induces, I think both Wife and I feel this is an important augmentation to our travel repertoire and are both excited to continue exploring the US as well as the world.

We are so blessed.

Road Trip 2018 - Day 27, Fatigued In Fayetteville

And on the 27th day even Captain Spouse was ready to drop.

Our plan had been to spend a day driving through the Ozark Mountains taking advantage of the fall colors for (what the State tour guide for motorcyclists called) 'drop dead gorgeous' and 'spectacular' scenery.

Unfortunately when we woke up it was raining and the forecast was for the rain and gloom to continue all day.

Unfortunately when we woke we both realized that we were at the end of our rope energy and physical resilience and really did not have the energy to do 153 miles (the trail we were going to follow) of mountain driving.

Now there are certain people who follow this blog and know the Captain and her faithful Engineer, Scottie (DE-I damn it!) and might bring up the subject of 'repetitive behavior patterns', 'not learning from past experiences' and 'acting ones age'. Your comments are duly noted and accepted for consideration...as they have been after every other one of the Eldership's voyages. We have a special place for them and have scheduled a time to give them our full attention. That time unfortunately keeps being pushed out. Captain and I will be sure to notify you when Eldership Command schedules the preliminary hearings.

But I digress. So here we were in our lovely Airbnb in the outskirts of Fayetteville, Arkansas (Home of the Fayetteville High Bulldogs, Go Dogs!) and the University of Arkansas (Home of the Razorbacks, Go Hogs!) with not much to do. Serendipity, our ever present companion in travel, stepped in. Our Airbnb host had mentioned the previous night if we had time they had a winery just a mile and half away. At the time I didn't think we would have time with the long drive planned but with now time to kill we went on over.

Then I remembered that there was a Rotary club meeting a lunch on Thursday so we decided to go to that as well.

The winery (Sassfras Springs Winery) was a totally pleasant surprise. 

It is a family venture. The parents are the owners and funding source. Two brothers and one daughter-in-law are the management. While they are serious about wine making, the primary revenue generator is being a wedding and events venue.

Here is our contact Drew

It would be hard to find a more enthusiastic and articulate spokesperson for the venture

Here is his brother (sorry forgot his name), who is the wine maker. Not the best picture but he was very busy at working

There were all kinds of neat spaces designed for weekend events to gather and have wine and food

And a lot of attention was paid to decorative details. I found them bright, colorful but not over the top. They all seemed to fit it. LOL by the way, Drew DID NOT pay me to promote his venue. I just was impressed by what I saw

 Some examples of design detail

We tasted the wines

They are still in the process of planting out their own vineyards so most of what they produce is with unpressed fruit purchased in California

The grapes they are growing are all new varieties being developed by the University of Arkansas that will work in their climate

I liked what we tasted

Those who know de-I's opinion of a lot of US non-traditional production will know that is significant compliment

There is a tongue in cheek aspect to the venue that I found hilarious

This is the main venue for wedding ceremonies

It is called (I think) The Ruins Chapel

I thought

"This is cool. Someone has traveled around enough that they understood what ruins look like and figured out a way to incorporate that look without being too hokey"

Here are some shots of what Drew called 'the smallest wine production facility in existence'

Finally the area where the post ceremony celebrations are held

This was converted from a large stable

Keeping with the 'tongue in cheek' motif they made use of a stall door in the men's room!

We then went to the Rotary Club of Fayetteville. A large club but nowhere near as large as the one in Little Rock. We didn't even send a notice we were coming, just dropped in. We felt very welcome. We did the whole exchange of flags thing which was cool. I was asked to do a couple of minutes on who are club was so mentioned that we are female majority club and that because so many of us are retired we do most of our service in the form of actual hours worked at various venues. Evidently that is a very rare model and it seemed to impress a number. There was a speaker from the University, a woman professor of Political Science who talked about the trends of woman involvement in the political process. Very interesting. I think Captain Spouse and I are getting more and more warmed up about using the Rotary connection to expand our experiences as we travel.

The rain had ended by the time we had finished with Rotary so we decided to give part of the drive a chance. But we were too tired and we cut it off and went back.  I ended up taking a 45 minute nap!

Tomorrow we are headed to Guthrie Oklahoma where Captain Spouse has a cousin we will be having lunch with.

Road Trip 2018 - Day Twenty Two, Eastern Tennessee Wandering

Like all of our trips,we start out thinking, "OMG we have only gone so long...we have so much more time to fill." And then before we know it we're saying, "OMG we've only got ___ days left!" We are at the one week mark before we return and we are making our way gradually westward.

Today we were meandering through Eastern Tennessee. We had a number of small towns we'd looked up as potentially interesting.

Dayton

Home of the...

 The Courthouse

The prime actors

Captain Spouse as head of the away mission engages with the universal translator with one of the local species

Signs of Rotary everywhere

Courthouse seen from Park

We stopped for ice cream but unfortunately it wasn't very good

But the girl who served us was very nice...even if she (as a home schooled student) did not know that the Dalton High mascot is the Fighting Catamounts!

A hot dog from the Hot Diggity Dog stand was equally disappointing

Generally speaking since we left the Louisiana/Creole culture influenced areas (including the Gulf Coast of Mississippi), the quality of food has dropped substantially. Later in the day we tried fried chicken from a reputed good spot that was exceedingly disappointing.

On to Pikeville!

As we drove into town I caught sight of building that seemed completely out of place

It looked like some kind of English Manor house

And on the front lawn, an event, a wedding, was being set up

We were concerned that we would not be allowed to take pictures

But we asked politely and were told to go ahead and shoot away

As I was doing so, I struck up a conversation with some of the guys working 

They proceeded to tell me this incredible story of the building having been built in the 1930's. They didn't know exactly who the owner was or where the money came from or why they decided on building such a flamboyant place in this locale. But they said that the builder's family was still here. The building was sold some 30 years ago to a family out of Florida. They never did anything with the interior but they keep heating/cooling and a dehumidifier going so the place doesn't deteriorate.

Then the guy on the right said,

"I think we might be able to get in"

We were

It was really dark but I was still able to get these pictures

What a cool experience!

We did more wandering around Pikeville

There was a neat church but my pictures did not turn out that well

It had some cool windows that I wish we could have seen from inside

Captain Spouse then put us on a course to make up for lost time

"Scottie, bring us to warp"

"My name is de-I Captain"

"We need more speed Scottie!"

"My name is de-I Captain!"

"No more speed...more speed Scottie!!!"

"I dinna think the Eldership kin take it Cap'n...and MY NAME IS DE-I!"

"Argh, now look at what y'done Cap'n. We've gone back in time and all they have is farm animals"

Despite the space/time disturbance, we made it back to 21st century Tennessee and the city of McMinnville, town of church spires

The United Methodist

First Presbyterian 

Church of Christ

One gets the distinct impression that all the churches got together at the same time and to save money they hired an architect to create a single design all three could use!

There was a converted gas station that used the old brand name 'Pure' to develop their own brand for an interior decorating firm

Really? A restaurant that specialized in a canned beef stew?

Civil War references always

I thought it very cool that United Methodist has a 'Drive Thru' prayer window

More from McMinnville

Punctuated with the famous McMinnville water tower