Here's Where I am....

The Union Station in downtown Chicago has been restored to its former beauty. You can almost imagine how crowded this station used to be back in the heyday of train travel. I continue to be amazed at how many people are opting for train travel these days. Of course I love it, but society these days places speed over comfort. The train isn't just the way to get somewhere, it is part of the vacation...or at least it is for me.

Cunard has sent us our voyage brochures and our luggage tags. We have also received our cabin assignments for both of our crossings and the itinerary for all the formal balls. We learned yesterday that the QM2 can't dock over in Red Hook because another cruise ship damaged one of the docks. So that means the Queen has to dock in Manhattan. We don't know whether the Red Hook dock will be fixed by the time we embark on June 7th...

Peggy and Judy's Excellent Adventure

You may know her as Margaret, but she will always be Peggy to me.

For those of you who may wonder...how are these two sisters going to be able to spend a whole month together...in a cabin aboard ship...in a small rental car driving on the wrong side of the road...clunking around grave sites looking at piles of rocks? So, I thought I would find a picture that will answer all of those questions for you. As you can see, my sister and I always have a good time no matter where we are. We love to laugh, we love to go on adventures, and we have spent a lifetime waiting for this one.

Over the years Peggy and I talked about going to Ireland. Those conversations always ended prematurely when I would inevitably say..."you know I don't fly..." In 1980 I had a bad flight into Ohare Field and that was enough for me. Then a few years ago two of my friends took the QM2 over to England and went onto Ireland. AHA...now there's a plan. Now that I have left the courtroom for the classroom at Culver-Stockton my summers are free to travel. So, I started calling around and found out that due to the recession I could get two inexpensive tickets on the QM2. I snapped them up and told Peggy to pack her bags for Ireland. We will celebrate Peggy's 60th birthday on board the night before we dock in England.

My Mother would be so proud of us, and frankly a little astounded. You see, she was a fancy pants sort of person and there is nothing fancier than the Queen Mary2. You are required to dress for dinner...men in black tie and women in their fancy duds. Well, Peggy and I are not in the least bit fancy...so this has been quite the challenge to our wardrobes, but I think we have that figured out. I know at sometime during our elegant dinners while we are all dressed in our fancy pants clothes, our Mother will be laughing somewhere. We will have to toast her while crossing the Atlantic.

A Few Short Weeks to Go

Peggy and I board the Queen Mary2 for Southampton, England on June 7th. We are finally going to Ireland after all the years of talking about it and wondering when we would actually do it. Graduation was last Saturday so now I have to get serious about all the last minute details for our trip.

We are sending one suitcase ahead and that bag will catch up with us on board the QM2 the day we embark. Of course that means I have to pack it early and make sure the manifest is filled out correctly. There are so many things to do for my Dad before I leave and I need to finish my end of the year report for the Dean. Hopefully that will get done tomorrow.