October 2025 – Home again

First, my apology for this being written 1 1/2 weeks after I got home. Life got in the way. My bags are unpacked, my laundry is done, and all my bills are paid.
Flying to Raleigh from Ft Lauderdale was a trial. My Southwest flight to Baltimore ( the only way to get to Raleigh?) was delayed so my connecting flight got rebooked. I finally got to Raleigh at 9pm. Carol was waiting at the baggage carousel. The frustrations of the day faded as soon as I saw her. We had a laughter filled ride to her house.
On Sunday Tom, Carol, and I took a short walk in her neighborhood until Boone, her dog, decided he was tired. In the afternoon, Carol and I went to see a local production about a 16 year old who wanted to be a drag queen. The production is not yet ready for Broadway. That night Carol’s sister Barbara joined us for dinner.
On Monday Carol and I went to the North Carolina State Fair. It is huge and was very crowded. We watched clog dancers, listened to blue grass music, and avoided eating any of the hundreds of varieties of deep fried foods. We saw every kind of farm animal, fruit, and vegetable produced in NC. It was a very full day.
Tuesday morning Tom, Carol, and I went out to brunch. Carol dropped me off at the airport and I had 2 easy flights back to Oakland Airport.
I really enjoyed the cruise and my visit with Carol.
2025 will be a busy year for me. In January, I’ll take a Holland America Panama Canal Cruise. In May, I’ll be spending a month in NY and Connecticut visiting friends and family but also taking 2 Road Scholar classes in NYC. Finally in October I will do a Holland America 45 day cruise round-trip out of NYC to the Mediterranean.