Hi Everyone,<br /><br />I realize I&#39;ve been absent quite a bit...medical problems, too much work AND some cruising.  Just<br />returned on the 5th from my final CA cruise on the Monarch of the Seas - a very sad occasion for me.<br />It was my 22nd cruise with her and I had to say goodbye to two dear friends who are leaving the<br />ship for good, cellarmaster, Wilson Phillip from India, a friend of ten years, and Charlie Dean, bartender from the Phillipines.  Many tears.<br /><br />I&#39;ve already booked the Monarch, though, for January 20th out of Port Canaveral.  It&#39;s sad, though, <br />that we Californians can&#39;t just run down and cruise at a whim&#33;&#33;&#33;<br /><br />I&#39;m off to celebrate my 64th birthday in Rome, arriving on the very day, October 3rd.  Am going <br />with two friends.  We&#39;ll be in Rome two days, then board the Legend out of Civetivecchia for thirteen<br />days in a nice balcony cabin.  Really great for me since three stops I&#39;ve not done - Portofino, Split and Dubrovnik.  Overnight in Rome on the return, then fly directly to Florida for the next to last sailing of the Sovereign.  Have a lot of crew friends on that ship and they will be all over the Royal Caribbean<br />fleet.  Can&#39;t afford to hit 21 ships to see everyone.  It&#39;s no longer about the ships or the destinations<br />but about seeing the crew friends I&#39;ve made over the years.<br /><br />Work is the same...sad, major budget cuts, all of our therapists have resigned because UCSF took<br />away their faculty status decreasing their salaries about &#036;10,000/year.  I am glad I am close to retirement.  I think it will happen in another year.  I think 22 years of dealing with sex abuse cases might be my limit, more because of all the city/county difficuty than about the work itself.<br /><br />Sorry to be absent but you all are always in my thoughts and I miss you.