Let's try that again...

After a few months of recovery we're ready to try that cruise again. This time in reverse from Auckland, across the Pacific Ocean, and back to Vancouver over the course of April/May 2020.

Hopefully no medical emergencies this time!

It didn't happen...

Unfortunately my partner suffered a knee ligament injury at the start of our journey to meet the Ruby Princess in Vancouver & sail south.

Despite the original hospital taking x-rays & confirming no breaks, three days of hobbling on crutches led to our travel insurer to advise we should not board the boat & re-present to hospital to scan for any blood clots.

Nothing there, but Dr #2 advised safe to fly home ASAP.

After night in Vancouver another 12hr flight (arriving 4:30am) we're now waiting for a final flight home (2:30pm).

To make it worse, one of our bags were mistakenly uplifted with the owners identical brand/colour left on the conveyor belt. By the time they'd answered their phone, they were already 1 & 1/2hrs away.
Luckily, once alerted they got the bag to their local airport to be sent back for where they'd uplifted. It's in our favour because our airline won't forward their bag, until we receive & confirm ours.

Overall a week of disaster after another, & bad diet due to limited mobility.

Hopefully insurance will cover most of what cruise fares we lost & additional unexpected costs.

We'll try again once all better...

In the meanwhile, here's our first experience of Vancouver transport. Big up to all the medicos we encountered there.

It's happened again...

For all my readers, all one or two of you, it's happened again.

1) Job Change
Apparently I must mean something to someone, because they wanted me ASAP. I couldn't even get a week off from leaving old role into new one. Finished on a Friday, and started the following Monday.

Fortunately the skills I've acquired over the last 4-ish years have got me up to a reasonable canter in the new job.

Big pluses, so far, is no more not getting paid for >40hr week efforts, and far more supportive colleagues/management so far.


2) Another Cruise
Still across the Pacific, but this time from Vancouver to Auckland. 

This was booked in March, asked about in the new role interview, and not an issue. The only problem for me will be negative leave when I get back.

New places to visit, experience and photograph. Better & cheaper internet so less reliance on free wi-fi, and more frequent food pics to torment readers with.

Hopefully not so long between entries next time.

It's Christmas and it's happening again...

Another Christmas and again we're off on another cruise around the south-west pacific.

This time next week my partner & I will be very near boarding on 2 weeks out of Sydney, first stop New Caledonia, port hopping around Fiji, & back to Sydney.

The good thing about cruising at holiday time is that the boat ain't full of OAPs waiting to pop their corks or looking for a senior fling.

The bad thing is that there's plenty of families & their offspring.
Gone are the days when you could actually bring the bad behaviour to the attention of the parents, & a clip around the ears would resolve the issue. Now days imps can literally get away with murder because touching them will be a breach of universal law. Actions don't matter & consequences of bad actions ain't a thing to these entitled little toads.

Anyways, hopefully it'll be a fair & fun time full of new experiences, and a break to relax from an interesting work year.

Happy holidays to all. If you're not holidaying then make the most of whatever you're planning to do.

Nearly a year since last post...

and nothing much has changed apart from every workmate in my team over the last nearly 4 years.

This will be a ramble of mixed words, experiences & whatevers over that time.

4 years. After choosing to change from the easy stuff that would come to an end to got to the hard stuff which just about killed my brain I've actually survived 4 years. FFS.


I've been pretty much stagnant since the last blog because I've put too much effort into doing work to my own perfectionist standards & not enough into the rest of life. I literally cannot think of what I've achieved in both work & home place over that time.

The short sharp learning lesson is that you can't please all of the people of the time & when you do apparently your efforts are not always appreciated. Aim to be average unless you can constantly be outstanding.


Your are your ruler of your destiny & life is what you make of it.
Surround yourself with situations & people you want to bring goodness to you life, BUT do not be afraid to ask for help.


Enough waffle. Eff knows how long I'll leave this up after I post it.