Rant #2,222: A Tonic For the Troops

Yes, I am finally back, returning to the Ranting and Raving Blog after several days of vacation, and one day to observe the holiest of the Jewish holy days, Yom Kippur.

Happy New Year to my Jewish friends, and yes, the vacation that my family and I just concluded was a tonic for the troops, so to speak.

I needed this vacation perhaps more than any vacation I have ever needed. I was completely burnt out from work, and everything revolving around work, and this short break recharged my batteries, I hope.

One thing that I am certain of is that my family and I had a great time.

If you remember, Hurricane Florence was wreaking havoc with our cruise, but happily, it did not effect it as much as it could have (and that is not minimizing the devastation that it had on the Carolinas and other areas, which was great).

Anyway, we sailed, we did finally get to Bermuda, and we had a great time while there.

This was my family's second time in Bermuda, but really the first time that we were able to get the lay of the land, so to speak.

When we went there the first time, a couple of years ago, there was an impending storm coming directly there--I don't remember exactly what storm it was--and we were only able to stay there for an hour or two, before we had to board our ship again and sail away from the rough waters that came from this storm.

This time, it was overcast, and then sunny, so on our excursion--which was a tour of Bermuda from top to bottom--we got to see the main island, learn a bit about its history, and work in a little shopping in between.

The main island of Bermuda, which includes its capital, Hamilton, is absolutely beautiful. The residents keep up their homes in a very nice, colorful way, the beaches have white sand and real blue water, and the entire island is sort of the Caribbean without being squarely in the Caribbean, getting its influences as much from the U.S. as from England.

It is definitely a nice place to visit, and we would love to go back. Maybe sometime in the future.

As for the cruise itself, we had a great time.

Whether it was swimming, playing ping pong, shopping or viewing a recent movie at the onboard IMAX theater--we saw "Predator," which was a raucous a film as I have seen in a long time, but kind of kept my interest in a "one eye in, one eye out" sort of way--we kept busy, and the sea air was good for the soul.

At dinner, we sat with some very nice people, professional water skiers who traveled the globe performing in the water. Very interesting indeed.

Anyway, If I have said it once, I will say it again: if you have never taken a cruise vacation, you should try it at least once. It is truly the ultimate vacation, where you can do a lot or do just a little, or anything in between.

We would love to cruise again sometime in the future, and maybe we will.

But now we are back to reality. The cruise is just a recent memory, and we have to go back to the rigors of work today--my son has already been back to work, but myself and my wife are going back today.

It isn't easy going back to work under normal circumstances after a week away, but for me, I am wondering what more can happen that can knock my world off its axis.

Since I got home, my cell phone finally died--it was on its deathbed for the past few months, and finally croaked while we were on the cruise--so I had to get a new one, which I did the other day.

Then yesterday, my car battery died, and I had to get a new one put in.

Are these further omens into what is going on at my place of work?

Remember, right before we left for the cruise, a colleague of mine succumbed, making him the second coworker to pass onto the great beyond during the past few months--not including a former coworker, who died in a auto accident not far from where my family and I were lucky enough to survive our own auto accident four years ago.

I look at these "deaths"--the real ones and the loss of what amount to devices--as omens, rightly or wrongly, and I wonder, what can be next?

And I will wonder that as I walk into work today for the first time in more than a week.

But at least right now, the glow of the vacation remains, and maybe that glow can protect me, at least right away, for whatever else hits the fan in the coming days.

At least I will always have this vacation to remember, to cherish, to look back on in glee.

We had such a wonderful time. I just want it to continue.

But I know that it simply can't.