Thirty Percent Club (Alaska: Part VIII) #writephoto

Saturday, July 7

I woke up at 05:50, and after dressing, went with Levi to the service desk to inquire about my stateroom bill. Because I linked a credit card with the account, I need no further action on the ship. We then went to the Horizon Court one last time. I ate a croissant to start, and drank some orange juice. But, I interrupted my meal at 06:15.

Bina was in the International Cafe, and I met her there to hug her “see-you-later.” The rest of her crew had left at different times. I want to keep in touch as friends! Returning to the Court, I got an omelette and a chocolate croissant, as well as a banana. We all finished by 07:00, and headed down to the Explorer’s Lounge for our “Brown 2” debarkation group.

Dependence on Transport on Independence Day (Alaska: Part V)

Wednesday, July 4, 2018

At 07:00, I got up and donned clothes as Levi also got up. We went to the buffet and had breakfast, which was nothing to write home about. I also checked out the spa by crossing from Aft to Forward on the Sun (15) Deck, but it wasn’t open yet. I wanted to see if I could use the $50 coupon I got for my birthday, but it must be today because today is our last port day!

Heading toward the gangway, we saw David, Bina, and Bina’s mom before encountering my family. It is nice to be so friendly and enthusiastic (though that sounds like tooting my own horn). When the Weiss squad all arrived, they ganged off to dock in Skagway. There was rock painting from cruise lines, and other graffiti similar to the Northwestern Lakefill. The White Pass train was also ready for us to board, for our first adventure of the day!

Registration Rocks in Skagway, Alaska.

Multimodal

The picture is an old one from last summer, but I still wish to use it once again. It’s part of the story from yesterday and today. If you recall from M.A.P.L.E. V, I had a post entitled “Manifold.” This is yet another good thing to talk about.

Yesterday, my summer research student met with me at 09:00 instead of 14:00. I was due (or maybe overdue!) for an oil change, so I headed to Racine with a car, and also with my folding bike in the trunk.

I had planned, during the oil change, to go eat lunch at a nearby Chick-Fil-A, just for the heck of it. Indeed, I got a spicy chicken sandwich (no cheese of course) and waffle fries for free (plus $7.20 for shipping and handling :p [and I probably shouldn’t use that quote since I don’t actually know where it comes from!]).

But just before I got in line, Wally World called me and said that one of my tires had damage on the side wall. This resulted in a three-ring circus between myself, Walmart Auto, and my Dad for advice on the situation.

Evidently the damage was such that the tire was unsafe to drive on, but they didn’t have the identical tire or a superior brand in store. They said that they could get it today, and therefore I took advantage of being bimodal! Since I was already riding my bike anyway, I just rode it the 9 miles back to my apartment without any problem.

Then, today I returned to Walmart on the same two wheels after meetings and lunch, and the car repair was completed.

It really makes me happy that ever since I have started riding my bike, I’ve always been in a situation where I have at least two viable alternatives (excluding cabs) to any failed mode of transportation. If my car isn’t working, I can ride my bike, walk, or take public transit depending on where I am.

If my folding bike is out of service, I can ride my road bike or vice-versa in good conditions. (Of course, I am now wary about riding my road bike if my folding bike is out of service, due to the Rule of Three. Number One was The November Crash, and Number Two was the March Larceny. Though I know that those were merely coincidences.)

And when it’s too icy to ride my bike, I’ve got four wheels or two feet!

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MathFest: 7 days

Nebraska Regional: 18 days

Semester Kickoff: 49 days

[M.A.P.L.E. V-21] Commute

I was considering making my post today about the tournament that I participated in today, but I think I’ll save that post for tomorrow. Instead, I’ll describe something about commuting and my take on it, as well as somewhat of a funny (?) story.

[M.M.X.I.V. 333] Camera and credit card

The title of this post is based off the time that my family went on a cruise in January 2001. During the early going, one of the talks was about timing. The quote sticks with me.