Taking a Chance In Point Loma

If you ever find yourself walking along the coast in Redondo Beach, watch for a black mask embalzoned by a  Loren's pop-art version of our American flag.  That converted tee-shirt is me!

Sometimes, I'm a red bandana who looks like he got separated from a dusty cattle drive, but that can be confusing, because there are a few others who look a lot like me.

Julie saw one beneath a straw sun-hat identical to my own and wondered who that shapely flower-pattern mask strolling next to me might be.

Fortunately, she realized it wasn't me just before shouting, "Wes, you have some 'splainin' to do!"

Perhaps more distinguishable, Julie is the repurposed airline sleep mask accompanying me on these walks.  If you see a red banana beneath a straw sombrero, look for her, because I wouldn't want to miss the chance for a real human connection.

Of  course, the black airline mask often walks a few feet behind or in front of me, because we wouldn't want to violate the six-foot social distancing mandate when we inevitably pass someone on the sidewalk, even if that happens to be you or some other friend we can't recognize.

Risking the ire of the Los Angeles Health Department's Der Fuhrer, the airline mask and I took a road trip beyond the Orange Curtain to visit my sister and brother-in-law down in San Diego.

It's always so nice spending time with real live faces.  

Royal edicts from Pharoah Newsom also limit Constitutional freedoms in the southernmost California District, just as similar rules were universal in The Hunger Games, if you happened to read or see that teen saga, but so far, compliance observation cameras have not been installed in our private residences, which is where we spent most of our time.

We did take a field trip to hike around Cabrillo National Monument.  When exercising alone in California, we're allowed to not be masks as long as we don't walk within six feet of other masks, so they (we?) mostly remained tucked under the chins of our smiling faces.

At the risk of possible imprisonment, I took a photo of Brooks, Darlene and Julie not wearing masks.  By the way, if you're reading this Pharoah Newsom, will I be receiving a bounty for entrapping them if I turn state's evidence at the non-trial?

The 2-mile hike past the Old Point Loma Lighthouse curves downhill toward the ocean.  As we walked, we could see ghost cruise ships anchored offshore, awaiting approval from the CDC to begin cruising United States waters.

Unfortunately, the Celebrity and Carnival ships we saw, along with all other ships, will not be serving the American public until January at the earliest.  While the CDC relented to allow cruising to begin effective November 1, they lay down regulations that will keep cruise ships sidelined until January at the very earliest.

The ones we saw from our rocky perch on the southern tip of Point Loma have the advantage of being at least close to US waters, where all ships must be for a minimum of 28 days before resuming service.

Because ships have been deployed all over the world awaiting government guidance, getting those which plan to cruise U.S. waters back will slow down the progress. The ships also need to have full crews to hazard that voyage, which will require summoning workers.  That re-staffing alone takes about 45 days.

If all that goes right, and the ships meet the long list of ship upgrades including extensive re-training of crews, then they may begin doing practice cruises carrying volunteers in order to test the protocols.  With each test cruise, reports must be written and approved or denied by the CDC, with corrections carried out on the next trial voyage.

One ship cannot represent a fleet, so any specific ship that will be cruising U.S. waters must go through all of these steps.  It makes a lot more sense while so many ships with years of life ahead of them have been prematurely scrapped.  The cruise lines always look ahead and anticipate the best they can.

The CDC fought hard to suspend cruising until at least March of 2021, and they seem to have attained that goal through the backdoor.  However, I have seen over the years what quick-learners and early-adapters cruise lines prove to be over the years, so I am optimistic that at leat a handful of ships representing the major brands will filter through the rigors and return to service early next year.

Keep your fingers crossed!

As far as the rest of our vacation in Point Loma, we mostly talked loudly over TV shows, with Darlene sharing her hopeful vision of Republicans somehow overtaking overwhelming Democrat majorities to restore sanity in California.

We didn't exactly ride a Red Wave for California in the election.  As usual, Democrats swept about everything.  Then again, there wasn't the national Blue Wave predicted by lots of highly-paid professional pundits either.

The split government that seems to be unfolding to hold in an altered form on the national scene is usually sufficient to keep things from getting too crazy, although of course 2020 was the clear exception to that.

Frankly, the counting isn't over yet.  I wouldn't be shocked if another block of 140,000 votes 100% for Biden as found in Michigan "luckily" pops up for Democrats in Georgia, Pennsylvania or some other close state.

It could become the "UNITED States" ruled by unelected scientists as envisioned by my high school friend Ron, who would further require those scientists share his views.  I believe Ron must now be a recyclable mask emblazoned with "Green New Deal," based on his smartphone persona.  He'll always be a smiling young guy chasing nubile young ladies in my non-politically correct memory.

If that conversion to one party rule is completed by giving Democrats a Senate majority using found votes, I assume there will always be a new crisis to tag-team in for last year's virus, though of course the "existential crisis" of Manmade Global Warming has been demanding everything the COVID-age has brought us and more in terms of economic shutdowns.

I generally rationalize that regardless of who wins office that as free Americans, we have the ability to choose how we personally respond to whatever craziness comes to pass to make it work for us in our personal lives for our greatest good, until the next pendulum pulls us back toward normal.

However, I can't say I expected to live another year --- much less the rest of my life --- as a socially-distanced mask.  In the mean time, when the chance comes to break free, take it!