Rough waters
Details are coming in, from a harbour in Norway. A large (aren’t they all?) ocean liner got caught in the mix of stormy seas and engine troubles. The passengers suffered. Photos of hundreds of people wearing life jackets is hardly the sort of advertising that pushes those safe on shore to see the world from the portholes of luxury.
I’d still go, because this is an isolated incident, but the fun of bouncing off a bulkhead or two might deter others. Are you paying attentions, my siblings? Wouldn’t you rather go by train?
No matter. Travel has never been easy, or easier. Sure, we’re long removed from weeks below deck with wormy biscuits. Still, we have to get to the departure point, and for anywhere interesting, it will require crossing a border or two. I’m not committed to going anywhere, soon.
The federal government payroll system continues to disappoint. Not only do people miss regular paychecks, but fixing the mess created by optimistic IT shops is going to cost more than expected, or budgeted. The Phoenix situation will serve as a learning model for years to come. Step one, in retrospection: don’t throw out your old hardware and software until the new replacement actually works. You know, common sense. I consider myself fortunate that my work experience never included messing things up to this degree. The closest we came was with a new telephone system, and I am finally starting to sleep without recurring dreams.
We gave away a big chair, today. One that was in the living room, declared surplus to our needs and put into storage for a couple of seasons. The new owners picked it up, and now I can relish the extra floor space (empty).
