Home Base...Isaac Pryor Dr.

We've been at Barri's place since December 20, on duty, taking care of their pets, a dog and

two cats. John and Joan are at the Condo but we get to see them daily. Last night we had dinner

with Ann and Tom Bickley, John, Joan, Judy and Bill Evans. Quite a family congregation. Judy

picked up the tab which was mighty nice of her. Tonight, we get to see Robin, another of Annabelle's nieces. Tomorrow, John and Joan depart then I pick up Barri and family who are

returning from their visit to snowy Michigan.

We have about 2 more weeks before departing for Ft. Lauderdale and our journey on the

QM2. I still haven't received information about getting shots for yellow fever which may or may not be required in South Africa. Since we will be flying on a small plane from Johannesburg to Kruger, we will have to carry minimal baggage so somewhere along the route we'll have to locate a place to stow most of our gear. I'm thinking of leaving my Mac home since it is one more item to carry and watch while we navigate our way Cape Town, etc.

The other day we did visit the LBJ Museum with John and Joan. It's a commanding structure

and certainly befitting a larger than life Lyndon Baines Johnson. Too bad he got so embroiled

in the Vietnam fiasco. Instead of remembering his Great Society contribution most people

think of the war. Too bad these presidents get involved in these no win wars and never learn

that even the best militaries can't overcome insurgencies. That's how the infant US was able

to gain independence from the best military and naval forces at that time, the British Empire.

It seems that each new president as Commander-in- Chief thinks that he must show his

military prowess or lack of it by stepping into the same quicksand. Tis a pity and we all pay

the price.

We are back at 360 after dropping off John and Joan at the airport and picking up Barri

and Walter. Today, Adrienne, Jon and Alexander came to visit. Adrienne is Judy's

daughter and Alexandra is Judy's grandchild. Now if you are still with me, Annabelle

is Alexandra's Great Aunt.

Alexandra is an active 2 year old and it was a considerable challenge for all of us trying

to keep her interested in the very few items we have in our small apartment, however,

she did find some pleasure in our furry sofa pillow.

It's New Year's eve Barri is throwing her annual celebration but we decided to do our

partying at home and if we can stay up until midnight to watch the fireworks near

Lady Bird lake. We have a front row seat from our balcony if we can stay awake.

Tomorrow, we plan to spend part on New Year's day with Barri, John, Aubrey and

Walter. Of course, we will help consume the remains of tonight's party.

New Year's day, a beautiful one in Austin. The Lady Bird Lake was glittering in the bright

sunshine. Although the temperature was still quite cool, we warmed up during our walk.

The area looked fairly clean after last night's fireworks celebration.

It's less than two weeks before we depart for Ft. Lauderdale and the Queen Mary 2.

We plan to stay in Florida for several days before boarding the ship and spend two

days with Pete and Debbie who will be coming to see us from their place in St. Petersburg.

Hopefully, I can decide how much clothing to leave behind before flying out of Austin.

This is the first time we will be leaving the QM2 at a foreign port and not returning to

the ship which means that all the fancy dress gear for life on the QM2 must be carried

during our stay in South Africa. This involves flying in small aircraft with their weight

limitations.

Around Austin

We're getting to know our way around town, at least to the places where we go frequently;

Costco for the weekly hot dog, H.E.B. for grocery shopping and the library. Of course,

the walk on the trail around the lake that takes us over the 1st street and Pfluger bridges,

is a short distance from the 360 Condos. So far we've been able to walk that 1 1/2 almost

daily since we arrived here in November.

Some documents have arrived both from Cunard and Liselle of Sunsafaris. Fortunately,

John Trapp installed a printer in 1303 so I've been able to download all the necessary

vouchers and electronic tickets for the trips. The other day, we made a trip to Passport

Health, an outfit that provides consultations regarding vaccines, etc. for the various

places you plan to visit and also gives you the appropriate shots. We particularly needed prescriptions for Malaria since it is prevalent in the eastern part of South Africa where we safari. Along with the pills, we bought clothing sprays and Deet to ward off the biting bugs.

We also have hat nets to keep the mosquitos away.

Sunday, December 19 . Took our morning walk around the lake and spoke to Lauren.

She's still getting acquainted with Panama, however, she is running into the usual problems

found in 3rd world countries; Bureaucracy at its finest...no one knowing exactly how to

answer your inquiries. In the meantime, we're checking out things to do when John and

Joan arrive December 24. Looks like one activity will be the LBJ Museum near the

University.

Our trip preparations for Cape Town is complete. The final documents for the QM2

arrived the other day including the ID tags for the baggage which had to

be printed from my computer. The tags seemed rather flimsy since they were made on

the usual computer paper, however, you were required to fold the paper in a format that

added to their strength, I hope. All the tickets, vouchers, etc. from Sunsafaris and QM2

were E-mailed and I often wonder how people are able to plan things at this time

without considerable computer skill. I guess they just have to go the old fashion way,

by travel agents.