Storybook Ending: Wedding at Sea

After his heart attack and return to New York by  plane from Bordeaux, Bob and Betsy rejoined the ship in Halifax to finish the remainder of the cruise. He had asked her from his hospital bed to marry him. Once in Bermuda, after pressure from almost all the passengers on board the ship, they agree to have a wedding at sea.

The planning was on in a rush. Marcia and others got together to make the arrangements including staff from the ship. Her favorite flowers. A facial and make-over at the spa.  Picking out jewelry and clothes. The ship's orchestra  practiced their song that Bob sang to her after his proposal; "Waiting For  a Girl Like You" by Foreigner. Luigi, the Italian singer had not heard of the song but, looked it up and practiced it.

My part as Best Man was simple: Don't lose the rings.

It was a beautiful ceremony in the largest venue on the ship, the Insignia Lounge.  This is where all the shows and musical performances were held. I think every passenger on the ship was there.  It was standing room only. Everybody knew and liked both Bob and Betsy.

We all knew they would likely get married after the cruise but, this was so much better.  They all wanted to participate and congratulate the couple. The champagne flowed freely and the camera flashed endlessly.

It was truly a storybook ending on the end of a six month cruise around the world. No one could have foreseen this, especially after all the health emergencies, flights back to the U.S. with an unlikely return. This couple, so different, met, fell in love on the ship and married on the ship by the ship's captain. Bob was a 71 year old bachelor and Betsy had been married 50 years before losing her husband to a heart attack while on a previous world cruise on this very ship. 

You just can't make this kind of thing up. A very happy ending to a near tragic adventure.

Bermuda

The islands here at the end of the Around the World cruise are a nice easing into normal life after six months of absolute hyper-activity.  It was sunny and laid back.  Mark Twain loved the place and I can understand why.

I had some really good barbeque and a long easy conversation with locals in the long wait for both service and to get my food and then my change back. I had a $100 bill and they brought me back 70-something in Bermuda Dollars. Money that is absolutely worthless anywhere else in the world. I asked for and got, after a long delay, change in U.S. dollars.

The barbeque was good but, not $100 good. All this had little to do with cheating the tourist (although there was that) and more the extreme laid back attitude.  It did allow a lot of time sitting around in the shade and having a real and fun conversation. They did tell me were to get a beer (with 8.6 alcohol content) It is the same attitude that Mark Twain wrote about Bermuda a century ago.

It gave us time to visit with each other before we part ways. It gave us time to pack and, that ain't easy.  I have one of my suitcases that is nothing but stuff I bought over the last six months.  I am abandoning clothes, worn out shoes, toiletries are trashed and paperwork thrown out.

I am looking forword to going home but, this is a good place to chill out and slow my pace. Another day at sea, then kicked out of the room and at 8:00 in the morning and kicked off the ship at nine. Then a long-lined visit to U.S. Customs and Immigration, paying duties and then off to the airport.

Hiding ship.

6 ft. deep clear water.

Amtrak Police New York City

I know most of you guys have worked with the Amtrak Police over the years. They, of course have a large presence at Penn Station in New York.  We had one Amtrak Special Agent in Fort Wort Texas to cover most of Texas and all of Oklahoma.  There are more agents in cities like Chicago and Los Angeles .

It's been 15 years since working with them in New York but, very little has changed since then.  I was able to find my way through Madison Square Garden down through to Penn Station and locate them very quickly.

I ran into David, who had just been the past president of the police union. He was a great guy and very engaging.  He was very surprised to see the UP Police patch.  That is because their patch is almost an exact replica of ours, except for the name.  I told him the reason they were similar to which he replied that it made since. Small thinking by upper management.

He was on the radio pretty quick contacting everyone on duty to if anybody had an Amtrak police patch. No body did but, I'm pretty sure I have one at home somewhere.  I gave them some UP calendars as well, which being a railroad, they really appreciated. 

Compare to Amtrak shoulder patch on their uniforms. 

We talked about several past Amtrak employees we knew mutually but, which all are retired or fired in the last 15 years. During the 2004 Republican National Convention, which was held in Madison Square Garden , we all spent a lot of time here. Our Agents were allowed by Secret Service to have their service weapons on during the detail.  There were state police officers that were not allowed to be armed while protecting their governors.

This is also where Landon McDowell got pissed off at Madonna. We were on a planning trip to NYC a month before the RNC convention started and there was a restaurant really wanted to try right next to Madison Square Garden.  We got there and it was closed because the area around the Garden was closed off due to Madonna having a concert there that night. Landon called her a bad name.  He was not happy. That same street was blocked off today for Trump's visit.

It was good way to end my journey of meeting with police around the world.  I started in New Jersey with my friend Chip Griener, all away around the world and ending in New York City with the Amtrak Police. 

One thing I can say definitively is that our job is the same all around the world.  We live in different countries with different forms of government, different ideologies and a number of different problems and law enforcement challenges but, the job is always the same: to keep the peace and defend the ones who can not defend themselves, which one might find hard to believe in some of the more restrictive human rights countries.

There are plenty of things that we all have to do for politicians that we don't like or don't agree with. However, most of us really care about our community's safety and well-being.  And, we all have to watch our backs and look out for our fellow brothers and sisters in law enforcement. Like I always part by saying, "Be safe. Watch you six."

33nd at MSG blocked off for Trump visit.

Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor...

Well, after six months at sea, I'm tired. After the cost of this cruise I'm definitely poor but, it's been well worth the cost.  As I arrive back in the country the day after Independence Day passing the Statue of Liberty at 7:00 in the morning, I can not but feel free and happy.  The world is big and diverse but, I am so glad to be home. The wealth and inclusiveness of our country, the freedom of speech and religion are just not that common elsewhere.  Many peoples don't even know what they don't have.

I love history.  I even did post graduate work in history I love it so much. I follow news, especially international news. I was a Naval Intelligence Officer so I've had extensive training and study in international issues and politics. But, until I traveled the globe and actually saw and experience things for myself, talked to people from other countries and listened to their experiences and opinions, did I get a better, more objective and rounded view of the world.

Part of that is the realization and just a little feeling of relief of being back in my country.  It is easy to be comfortable with where you live and the freedom you have.  It is easy to be judgmental from afar and critical of those who live in the situation in which they were born and live.  Not everywhere is like it is here in the U. S.

My friend Chip Greiner came and picked me up at Pier 88, right next to the USS Intrepid, and we went into the city.  I UPS a large item I bought in Taiwan for my son.  It was too big to put in a suitcase.  We went to Penn Station so I visit with the Amtrak Police.  It's been 15 years since I've been to NYC (expect 6 months ago when I started the cruise) and it still seems the same.  I went right through Madison Square Garden to the lower levels of Penn Station and everything is the same.

I also brought Chip on board the ship to tour it and have lunch on the Tarrance overlooking the Hudson River right where Capt. Sullenberger landed U.S. Airways Flight 1549 without power.  It was great to spend time with my long time but, rarely visited friend. It's a good feeling to be home even in NYC.

Although I have now circumnavigated the entire earth, I still have a week left on this trip.  We are headed for Bermuda for a couple of days of beach time before ending the trip in Miami on July 11th, then a full 6 months on the cruise. We are also having a wedding on the ship before we get to Miami, and I am honored to be the best man. Almost there.  Almost back to Fairfield Bay.

Staten Island Ferry

Verrazano Narrows Bridge entering New York Harbor

Canadian Cops, Eh?

I've worked with both he RCMP and the Canadian National Railway Police over the years.  While in the Canadian city of Saint John, New Brunswick I went to the newly built police station. I met with a young officer who'd only been with the Saint John Police Department for 6 months but, he'd moved over from Winnipeg after being there over 6 years.

He said Saint John was a much slower paced town than Winnipeg and had much fewer violent crimes and guns used in crimes. He and his girlfriend liked it much better and had both been able to quickly find jobs soon after they had moved.

There were all kinds of similar police issues but the best innovation, old school no doubt, was the heavy duty suspenders used to hold his heavily laden duty-belt.  His gear included a handgun, handcuffs. expandable baton, pepper-spray, stun-gun, radio, and flashlight.  It looked like 30 pounds of gear on his hip. I have no idea how he could sit in a patrol vehicle.

There are not a lot of differences between Canadian and U.S. police but, it was good to talk about.

Front desk.

Bay of Fundy

The St. John River in New Brunswick, Canada flows into the Atlantic Ocean and is the location of the highest tides in the world at 28 feet in a 12.5 hour cycle.  The rapid falls in the river flow at low tide and then eventually reverse at high tide with the sea flowing back upriver. The only time ships can navigate the river from the Atlantic is during slack tide, when the water is calm with the river flow and tide equalizing out.  This is for only less than an hour twice a day.

It is very picturesque and a rough topography which make for a very beautiful area of Canada to visit. I also went by the lobster and fishing fleet docks, the beach with a 28 foot tidal surge different and downtown St. John where our ship was docked.  The gangplank ramp to the shiip was like an accordion that had to be constantly adjusted to the water level.

These next few photos are of he fast moving water and rapids before the slack tide and
the water starts moving just as fast in the opposite direction.

Beach exposed by lowering tide. The grass to the left is earler in seawater
and a wide plain of mud when the tide is down.

Beach still has 100 yards to be exposed by the lowering tide.

Scallop nets.

Canadians out for a swim with the rest of us in jackets.

Downtown Saint John.