This is one of the state owned hotels that are all over Spain (photo taken while on a moving bus). Next cruise begins in one month. We sail from Tampa on January 4. 21 days into the Caribbean, then home to cold and windy and icy and yuck. October, 2015 will be Los Angeles to Hawaii to Samoa to French Polynesia and back to LA. Been to all those places except Samoa. 28 days.

I keep thinking of all those ladies who like to wear bright sunny dresses for Easter Sunday. It's not going to be quite the same this year, even if it is going to warm up a bit (and rain) for the weekend. 27F out there this morning, and we're well past the average last freeze date and nearing the average last frost date (next Tuesday). And yet it's been such a mild winter overall; I know I didn't drop below 20F here the entire season. But spring marches on. Warm weather will get here eventually. I hope! The long term forecast suggests above normal temperatures for April, so I guess the NAO is heading back where it belongs.

I craned my neck up the two 3 x 10 inch vent apertures to re-evaluate the galvanized steel vertical run this morning. Couldn't get any flash up there for photos. The front "convexity" turns out to be due to the front steel vertical run on the cabinet side having being installed about 110 degrees from the horizontal rather than 90 degrees (straight up) at the top. The short vertical steel run along the back of wall is straight up. So that's what makes it appear convex (curving out, or in this case, leaning out about 20 more degrees from 90). This caused one recent kitchen GC to wonder if a duct was in that "convexity" running horizontal (towards the brick wall), which there is not. The two sides (front high and lower back) clearly show the created hole (a space) on the rear side. Thus the answer is this is the first 90 degree turn of the entire run to outside, which somewhere probably merges to an 8" or 10" duct for exterior squirrel fan. Not being a vent person, I doubt I'll ever figure out the entire run. Since this kitchen was installed sometime in the mid 70's (a St. Charles kitchen, metal boxes, wood doors and all the unique design drawers and cabinets they were known for) it's impressive to me that a 1000 cfm exterior fan was utilized. This suggests the vent run is long with several 90 degree turns, and that the real amount of cfm draw by the fan system along the ducts is pragmatically a good amount less. Ventilation physics doesn't change with time, but it showed foresight. On to a total house gas estimator sheet, focusing on the kitchen MP gas regulator, the kitchen gas supply line diameter and any downsize adaptor, and emergency shut off valve, Then I can move along to a gas or dual fuel range and vent hood choice. It's been a long ventilation study process.

I’m such a fashion maven, that I know you will want to follow my plan precisely! 😂 Nevertheless, here it is. It is comfortable to sleep in and still look put together when you arrive. I wear the same day-of-travel outfit every trip, either in navy (warm weather) or black (cooler weather). Pull-on leggings that fit but aren‘t too tight, a long-ish knit shirt in a color that won’t show spills, and a long cardigan sweater (navy is a linen knit, black has some wool in it). A scarf around my neck or folded in my carry-on (cotton when warm, cashmere when cool). Compression socks and slip-on sneakers (I’m partial to Ecco). Sister similarly has a day-of-travel uniform. She prefers a long skirt (black), a tank top (black), and a denim jacket in warm weather. She also carries an appropriate weight scarf in her carry-on. She says a skirt is easier to handle in an airplane bathroom! We both have this ultra-lightweight down jacket that packs super small, small enough to slip into a medium size purse. (P.S. The gray that we have is currently on sale for $30).