Flight of the Axiom

Distance: 3.2 miles

Boarding, getting acclimated to CruiseLife, took up a good part of the day yesterday. It is very fun, and remarkably stress-free to be in the bosom of my family this weekend. It was not always so. We are having a lovely time together, we had a great meal last night, some of us took breakfast and lunch together today ... I am spending the lion's share of my time following the kids around, doing whatever it is they want to do. For some of them (okay, the boy) everything is never enough.

Unlike my one previous cruise experience (Honeymoon to Alaska, 1999) it is not this crew's responsibility to shovel food down your throat. But it is easy to overindulge. And the problem is, going for the gold can often mean missing out on something better. Yes, I was tempted to have prime rib last night, but they also featured Aloo Ghobi on the menu and so I took that, and was extremely glad I did.

After dinner and putting the kids down, the wife gave me the opportunity to sit around with my brothers - and Mom! - in a lounge to talk as late as we liked. After striking a distance as far from any lounge performer as any other (how many of them knew "Piano Man"? Or was that the same guy playing it every hour?) he had drinks and talked about movies until eleven before turning in. I instigated turning in, because we were turning our clocks forward ... and I wanted to run.

Haven't run since Tuesday. I wanted to get up at six, but just let myself go until an unconscionable 7.30. That was almost a little late, and I will tell you why. By 7.30, the "Jogging Track" on Deck 12 is already people by a great many walkers. Not, like, mall walkers, not seniors, but people who walk. Who walk and talk. Who walk and talk in pairs, on this narrow, .2 mile track (5 laps = 1 mile.) Every one of my 16 laps, I had to say "excuse me" a couple of times. Bad enough the track is, nu, .2 miles, and that it winds in and out of the deck chairs, but I have to be the noodge on the jogging track actually jogging.

Having said that, it was wonderful. I felt great. The air was ... well, let's face it, it's open Atlantic sea air in utterly gorgeous, cloudless weather.