03.13.2020 Mid-afternoon update

Hello from rainy Southern California,

Turkey sandwiches seem to be the food choice lately.  On the bus to the plane they gave us turkey sandwiches.  On the plane, they gave us turkey sandwiches.  Today for lunch they gave us turkey sandwiches.  Breakfast was regular breakfast fare.  Bacon and egg sandwich type.  Can’t wait for dinner!

There are other foods.  Apples, granola type bars, potato chips, coolies, fruit salads, muffins, tootsie rolls and tootsie pops, water and other liquids.  No wine though, no non-alcohol beer.

But since we arrived at the federal facility, the food is being supplied by Panera.  It’s often toward cold, but what can we expect?  It’s decent and nutritious.  They are feeding hundreds of us.  There were three or four planes and ours had 98 on it.  We think we are all from Washington State and Alaska.

We left the ship about 5:30 and the plane took off at about 9:30. The wait on the bus was long; we were waiting for a flight crew to arrive.  The plane had flown to Miramar and back and then had to be sanitized.  This is the norm for this sort of operation.  They took the bus to port-a-potties (not port-a-johns) for those that needed to use them.  There was a lineup of 14 of them.  We were the last 500 of the ship’s 2400 passengers to leave, thus last to use the potties. Use your imagination here.  The plane taxied for so long and at a high speed that we wondered if they plane was driving us to San Diego.  Exaggeration, but at this point, so what?  We will try to post a photo of a flight attendant.  We landed at Miramar at 10:40 and to our hotel room at 12:30, really late for us.

LUGGAGE!  A tale in itself.  Several days ago, we put out our two large bags for Princess to pick up and take to the soon to arrive airplane. Insert sarcastic laugh here.  So, they left although we didn’t for a couple of days.  Now we were down to two rolling ‘carry on’ bags, each packed for overnight and Colleen’s walker.  No problem. Right?  Uh-uh.  When we got to the bus all three went underneath.  On the bus they said that overhead space on the rented 737s would be tight and if anyone could allow bags to go under the plane, that would make it easier.  Being the people we are, we decided to agree.  You know, for the common good.  So, John got the medications out of one bag and under the plane they went.  What they had not told us is they had no system to retrieving them and returning them to their owners when we arrived in San Diego.  Well, we could do without the bags in a pinch, but the walker?  No way.  First, they told us we would have them within 48 hours.  But Colleen found a sympathetic pair, had a bit of a tear, and they went out and found them for us.  Sweet, except they told us that the other bags were most likely at another part of the base that they didn’t have access to.  At this point we were just hoping that they didn’t go to Texas or Georgia.  This morning, however, a passenger in an other area  of the base called us and told us they had found one of our bags.  We described the other and she said she didn’t see it.  Mid-afternoon, another passenger called and they had found the other bag.  So, we know that they are nearby, but no one can tell us how to get them.

About the same time, we were told that we could actually go out of our room and walk the grounds as long as we wear our masks.  We need to wear our mask when we answer our door.  John has been wearing masks for four years now, but for Co it is a new thing, not enjoying it much.  We are not allowed out of the fenced area but it is still much better than walking in the room or in the ship’s cabin.  And it is outside.  It is very much like Seattle, drizzly then pouring.  The lawns are a deep, lush green.  Some of the best, healthiest herbs and weeds we’ve seen.

 It is now just past 3:30 and we still haven’t been tested.  John ran into the doctor and asked when.  Soon.  We will see.  You all have heard the saying:  Hope for the best and prepare to have things change.  Slight modification of the editors.  So now, wait a bit more.

Just FYI, all of these folks from the government, Health and Human Services and the CDC, have all been totally wonderful. They are kind, cheerful, and sympathetic to our plight.  The do everything in their power to accommodate our wishes.  It has not always been possible, but not for lack of interest in helping us.

Colleen and John