Author: David Haldeman

Tuesday, January 13, 1976
[No entry]

Monday, January 12, 1976
Slept well & when I woke during night realized the ship wasn’t rocking! After breakfast to design school on dried materials & Miss Teenage America doing Ikebana. Took tour of the bridge – ship is 674 ft. long & makes 40o tone of water a day with desalination plant & at 10:45 AM we were 150 miles from San Juan. Met Floyd Claprood on this tour. Then to Lido Deck for sun bathing. So pleasant. After 5 course lunch napped from 1:30 to 2:30 & woke just in time to see land port side. Approaching by ship is an experience to be savored – not rush like a plane. Was 5:45 before we could get off. With 6 others took limousine tour of old city. Back to ship at 7 for dinner. Shower, Hair wash.
9:30 PM – In cinema waiting for movie to start – no good so to bed about 10:15.

Sunday, January 11, 1976
First “sitting” is great for lunch & dinner but breakfast at 7:00? But since I hadn’t slept all night it was hard to get up. This rock a bye baby didn’t work for me! Design session in Four Seasons Lounge was really good on novelty things. But by time for lunch I was too queasy to get beyond the hors d’ouvres. The weather was great on deck after the green plant session. Sunny, warm & not too breezy. But in our cabin – forward – it’s very rough. Dressed for Captain’s cocktail party & Kathi looked darling in blue print she didn’t get to wear on Cape Cod. We’re both queazy so had sea sick shot. Couldn’t eat dinner but better in time for floor show & end of Streisand in “Funny Lady”. But this cabin is really rough.

Saturday, January 10, 1976
After office at Marge’s – out to breakfast. Then to Ft. Lauderdale’s “Historic” section where Branch P.O. is. The downtown area looks like a hurricane hit it – a renewal project that backfired. Also to Historical Soc. Bldg. to see progress Marjorie has made in a year & to a mangrove area park at Wilton Manor along Middle River. Back to apt via Los Olas Blvd & the beach. Picked up luggage & to pier at 3 to board Angelino Lauro. Gala sailing at 4:00 with streamers & whistles & tugs pushing. A little rough when we got underway but got unpacked in our little cabin & to dinner at 6:45. Ship is big! & it’s easy to get lost.

Friday, January 9, 1976
-4 degrees 2 inches snow.
Breakfast with Howard – Left Kristi’s bike seat at East Side Auto Trim – to Teetor’s with bird count addenda & to Mother’s to say goodbye. At shop wrote Martins to tell them house at 552 [N. Greenwood] is for sale. To Kathi’s at 12:15 & Bill & Erma there to take us to airport. Flew Delta 341 at 2:05 – landed Atlanta – at Ft. Lauderdale about 5:30. Limousine to Marjorie’s [Patterson] & she had dinner for us.
Kathi to bed early & Marjorie & I talked. Her job as Executive Director of Ft. Lauderdale Historical Society very interesting. To bed about 1.
Weather here about 60 and overcast.

Thursday, January 8, 1976
All day until 3 packing after washing, ironing, sorting, mending, discarding, adding! Dasher called at 8 to see if I really wanted the $1,000 a month deal as Commonwealth wants to stary. I said I was counting on it for July. Kathi called saying many calls from Quest Club members wanting to cancel the meeting – 2″ snow scared them out. In at 4 to Bordeaux – Maul’s moving out. To John Teetors to take bird info. At shop Bill Lahmers had everything laid out so we went through the while line in an hour. Chris Granger in & I put 552 up for sale. Finished inventory – $11,000.
Supper with Kathi & kids at Dutch Pantry. Bought jacket for Davy & gloves for both. Home & finished packing & put away Christmas angels, etc.

Wednesday, January 7, 1976
[No entry]

Tuesday, January 6, 1976
With John Bauldauf to Commonwealth Ins. to give him idea of how we want remodelling. They didn’t know they were not going to have lease renewed!
To Mother’s with her bank book & inventoried garage. Then to Straub’s with Dave & Martha to do Christmas buying. Did next Monday’s payroll with raises for everyone. Makes basic payroll about $3,000 plus $1,000 for me. Figured some inventory but calculator not working.
Mrs. Jones here early with a towell she scortched. Had really worked trying to get it out.

Monday, January 5, 1976
[No entry]

Sunday, January 4, 1976
Got clothes out for trip & washed things but Howard seems to want to go someplace so we drove to Killdeer. Ducks all gone & only 1/20 of the geese of last Sunday but saw Pine Siskins, Meadowlark, White Crowned & Field Sparrows to add to our “seen in count period.” Took cold supper to Mother’s. Got copy of her hurricane story to take to Ft. Lauderdale Historical Society & when a group of kids from Trinity came called read them part of it.