Why did I do That?

A Calm and Peaceful View
Loxahatchee River North Fork
Tequesta, FL'
October 7, 2026

 Yesterday became a disaster. 

I did not intend for three dissimilar appointments to create an incredible amount of tension, but they did.

In an effort to get everything accomplished, the resulting conflicts and resulting tension was all my fault. 

The two appointments which became most tangled were Chris to the dentist and the Ford dealership coming to perform a software update on the Mach-e to clear a safety recall. In position three was the completion of our impact window installation, a project that started during February. 

My Truck
Elkridge, MD
April 22, 202

I believed that I had deconflicted the events by planning to leave the key in the Mach-e for the Ford technician while we went to the dentist. We would use the truck to travel to the dentist. 

Enter the wild card!

I did not plan for the truck to not start because it had remined unused for almost four weeks. That situation threw the morning into disorder.

Initially I thought "no problem," I have a portable battery booster. Which was great, except that I had not checked it in a long while and it was discharged and would not start the truck! Ugh. What to do? Time was critical at this point. We took the car to the dental appointment arriving with five minutes to spare. The Ford dealership had a wide window and I hoped the dental appointment would conclude before their planned arrival. 

The good news was the window technician called and confirmed he would be arriving outside of the immediate window. One possible conflict resolved. 

But nothing actually works out. Within minutes of arriving at the dentist, the Ford technician called and told me he would be arriving in about 15 minutes. I left Chris and raced back to the house to meet him. 

I thought I might be able to use my trickle charger to start the truck and return to Chris at the dentist. Fortunately, the Ford technician had a booster battery and offered to help--something that actually mitigated the crisis. The truck started easily and I was elated. The next looming disaster was--what if the truck does not start at the dentist? Well, I'll call AAA. Since it started with so easily with the boost, I was confident that all of the battery cells were working and it had just discharged because we have not been driving it much due to the cost of gas--and we have a great EV.

Crisis averted, the truck started when we were ready to leave the dentist. Upon arriving home we actually had about an hour and a half before the window tech arrived. Sadly, only one of the two panes could be replaced because it started raining. That project continues unfinished. 

When the window tech departed about 1 PM, Chris and I enjoyed lunch and relaxed. We had survived the morning. 

Lesson learned.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Celebrity Beyond - Infinite Veranda is a Nook

 

Infinite Veranda
Celebrity Beyone Stateroom 12155

It is no secret that I am not a fan of the Infinite Veranda on Celebrity Beyond. 

Apparently, there are some measurement differences, maybe in the conversion from metric to imperial,  because Celebrity lists the Infinite Veranda for the stateroom in which Chris and I stayed at 42 sq ft. I measured it as just short of 30 usable sq ft. I compared the Celebrity Beyond Concierge Class stateroom we were in to a comparable stateroom on Celebrity Reflection and here is how the comparison came out:

Celebrity Beyond Stateroom 12155 is a Concierge Class cabin—about 201–202 sq. ft. inside, plus a 42 sq. ft. Infinite Veranda.

A comparable Concierge Class cabin on Celebrity Reflection is about 192–194 sq. ft. inside, plus a 53–54 sq. ft. veranda. So 12155 has roughly 8–10 sq. ft. more interior space, while Reflection’s veranda is about 11–12 sq. ft. larger.

One design difference: Beyond’s Infinite Veranda is integrated into the stateroom—the window opens to bring the outside in—while Reflection has a conventional outdoor veranda. celebritycruises.com

As can be seen from the image, the Infinite Veranda is not a veranda at all. It is windowed area at the end of the stateroom complete frosted glass folding doors. The space is not sufficient for lounge chairs or to comfortably enjoy breakfast. It is not a veranda; it is more correctly a nook. 

When the window was down with the folding doors closed, the A/C leaked out of the room. I have previously written about my angst with the window which would not go down when I desired and so I will not plow that field again. 

Another problem with the Infinite Veranda is the window shade. It is modern and nice and motorized, but has its own issues. I get up before Chris and like to sit and look out at the ocean or the port as the sun rises. With the screen open and the folding doors closed, it still gets very bright in the stateroom and that disturbs Chris. With the screen closed, I can't enjoy the morning from the nook.

Did I mention that the window was dirty and I could not take images through window? Since the window would not go down reliably, I was very frustrated.

My Opinion:

I paid for a veranda and got a nook. I feel as if I was the victim of a bait-and-switch. 

The Infinite Veranda, apparently, is designed for people who like to pay for a veranda, but probably use it once during the cruise. For people who enjoy the outdoors and sitting on the veranda for breakfast in the morning, napping in the afternoon, or staring at the moon and stars at night; the infinite veranda doesn't get the job done because it is nothing more than a window and a nook at the end of the stateroom.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Celebrity Beyond - One Particular Statue

L’Origine (“The Origin”)
by French contemporary artist Fabien Mérelle
Celebrity Beyond
September 29, 2026

 The art collection on the Celebrity Beyond is eclectic. The art is varied from paintings, to photos, to sculptures.

The signature piece in the 4,500-piece, mostly contemporary art collection is a large statue of an elephant standing on a man--in near real size. The piece is L’Origine (“The Origin”) by French contemporary artist Fabien Mérelle.

I was fascinated by this particular piece and why it was prominently placed on a cruise ship. It is huge and stunning at the same time. Why is a white elephant standing on the shoulders a man?

Coincidentally, during the Chef's Table discussion about the meal with the head chef, I asked about the theme that tied all of the dishes together and what the chef was trying to help us understand or experience? Sadly, the head chef on the ship had not had this discussion with Daniel Boulud, the master chef who created the meal.

But why such a statue on a cruise ship? It makes sense. The original is installed on a beach near Le Harve, France.

One interpretation of the statue is:

The piece reflects Mérelle's exploration of themes related to religion and the human experience. It serves as a metaphor for the burdens that individuals carry, particularly in relation to faith and belief systems.

This sculpture is a notable example of contemporary art that engages with deep philosophical questions through visual representation. (Jaques Bravo) (Chat GPT)

Why a cruise ship? 

Cruising, especially Sea Days, provide the perfect opportunity to tune out the world and deal with the crushing issues that the elephant represents, or just escape from them for a moment. 

Who knew cruising could be so deep an undertaking?

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Tequesta Sunrise

 

Tequesta Sunrise
Tequesta, FL
October 6, 2026

I stepped onto my veranda this morning and was greeted by a vibrant sunrise. 

What could be more perfect than to see the signature palm tree silhouetted against a brilliant sunrise. It caught me immediately. For my second morning back after the cruise,  I was reminded why I love Florida living. 

Impressionist Tequesta Sunrise
Tequesta, FL
October 6 ,2026

I am looking forward to heading out on my bike for my inaugural October ride. I have been slacking when it comes to riding my bike--but mostly due to an aggressive travel schedule. 

I took the image into my photo editor and created an impressionist interpretation of the scene--just for fun. That was a fun exercise. 

Let me know which you prefer.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Monday Musings - October 5, 2026

 1. Monday Musings returns. This is the first Monday of October and the first Monday of the Fiscal New Year--at least we did not have a shutdown this year. There are 12 Mondays remaining in 2026.

Miami in the Morning
Port of Miami on Celebrity Beyond
October 4, 2026

2. One of the things I enjoy at the end of a cruise is getting an image of the port as we sail in under the cover of darkness. I thought I was thwarted during the most recent cruise due to the dirty infinite veranda window that would not open. But, I snapped an image anyway and with the help of AI to remove the haze caused by the window and optimize the image, I am pretty happy with the result. It is Miami in the Morning. I took the image at 5:50 AM as Celebrity Beyond was approaching the Turning Basin. Amazingly, Chris and I would be off the ship, in our car, and on the way home in about two-and-a-half hours.

3. Family Football Catch-up. Well, the family teams continue to be mediocre, often snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. They went 3-3 for the week and are now 12-12 for the season.

Ravens (3-1) held on against Titans (0-1), 24-18

Steelers (2-2) lost ugly to Browns (3-1), 24-27

TFKATR* (1-3) lost to Colts (2-2), 13-30 

*TFKATR - Team Formerly Known As The Redskins

Cowboys (2-2)  snatched victory from Texans (0-4), 34-30

Dolphins (0-4) failed to execute against Vikings (4-0), 10-15

Chiefs (4-0) snuck past Raiders (0-2) 30-27

4. It is just over one month to the mid-term elections. I have never before noticed the incredible amount of corruption hovering on the edge of the elections. Votes are being bought. Offers of $5000 if Republicans win, an $100 to seniors on Medicare are nothing more than vote buying schemes designed to coerce votes. And worse, remember the Big Beautiful Bill? The absolutely negative aspects of that bill go into effect after the elections. I am concerned there will be pain and suffering as has not been seen since the Great Depression across America. 

5. Today in History. On October 5, 1892, the famous Dalton Gang attempts the daring daylight robberyof two Coffeyville, Kansas, banks at the same time. But if the gang members believed the sheer audacity of their plan would bring them success, they were sadly mistaken. Instead, they were nearly all killed by quick-acting townspeople.

For a year and a half, the Dalton Gang had terrorized the state of Oklahoma, mostly concentrating on train holdups. Though the gang had more murders than loot to their credit, they had managed to successfully evade the best efforts of Oklahoma law officers to bring them to justice. Perhaps success bred overconfidence, but whatever their reasons, the gang members decided to try their hand at robbing not just one bank, but at robbing the First National and Condon Banks in their old hometown of Coffeyville at the same time.

Yemeni government launches offensive to seize all areas from Iran-backed Houthis - Reuters

US removes B-1 bombers from UK base amid security concerns - Reuters

Ukraine will hit Russian refineries in response to Moscow's 'new doctrine' of airstrikes, Zelenskiy says - Reuters

In crude Ohio speech, Trump says he may not help the state if Democrats win - Reuters

Trump is suddenly urging Republicans to ‘vote by mail’ - MS Now

Why doesn’t high speed rail work in America? - CNN

California woman arrested for spying for China and surveilling Taiwanese president’s son, officials say - CNN

Iran’s Top Security Official Warns of Dire Economic Conditions - The New York Times

Measles Outbreak in Amish Country Forces Some to Rethink Vaccines - The New York Times

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

And it is Over

Brown Boobie
Celebrity Beyond, North Atlantic
October 3, 2026

Disembarkation day is generally a sad day. Last evening we sat at the Martini Bar and said good-bye to some of the friends we had made during our cruise.

We enjoyed a relaxing day, spending some time watching the brown boobies dive for fish. I enjoyed seeing them chase flying fish. It seemed to be an even battle. The birds would sometimes snatch the fish out of the air, but alternatively the fish would make a severe trajectory change and the bird would miss. 

Sitting on the Magic Carpet
Celebrity Beyond
October 3, 2026

Leaving the ship went smoothly as we enjoyed a last breakfast aboard and precisely when we rose from the table our departure number was called. Perfect timing. Even better, our car was right where we left it and ready for the return trip home.

Despite some of the annoyances we felt during the cruise, Chris and I both had fun and really appreciated the attentiveness of the crew and the diversity of the food. 

It was a sad good-bye, but being home felt good as well. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL