Chester H ~ Are you OK?

[SheilaNC]

Thanks for the hello, Chester. Finally ordered your book - been meaning to for a long time, but so busy getting ready for Chanukah, working on two major projects AND planning our trip to Hawaii in Feb. I will relish reading it on the plane while everyone else is sleeping - something that I don't do well on planes. Will wait impatiently for your next installment on the board. In the meantime, tgreat to hear that your Dad may be coming home soon, Happy Anniversary and wishes for a happy, healthy holiday season.

[carlyshenk]

Happy anniversary to you and Kris. It's wonderful that your father can go home. What a great Christmas gift for him and your family.

Good to hear from you

Happy Holidays!

[blindone]

Hi Chester--- greetings from the seacoast! Isn't this weather something?? I could take the whole winter like this. We wouldn't have much of a mud season then , would we! We finally got a bridge replaced that washed out last May in the Mothers Day floods. It just opened last week. They did a great job on it, too. It took so long because they were waiting for government money!!

 

Happy Anniversary and have a wonderful holiday, too.

 

Hope you can get back to your writing again--

 

Nancy

[gkm]

Hi Chester! That's great news about your father! Happy Anniversary and I hope your Christmas is a merry one.;)

 

Garry

[CaroleSP]

Hi Chester,

 

I echo all the sentiments expressed here and in addition wish you, Kris, the boys and your extended and happy, healthy and better 2007!

 

You, of course, know that there are at least 5 million of us waiting to hear about your mysterious late night eye trauma from back on HAL. Please fill us in and let us know that you have had no permanent disability from these attacks.

 

Now we will all see if that was a successful guilt trip!:D Have a wonderful holiday season.

[chesterh]

Thanks, all. My father is finally home. Ryan and Wells went down to Connecticut today to help out - they had to carry him into the house and up the stairs, but he is very relieved to be home with his cat.

 

Nancy, the weather has been amazing. Ryan took his dog, Joe, to Hampton Beach last weekend. The water was only 45 degrees, but Joe was perfectly willing to body-surf for sticks.

 

 

I got a good warmup writing the holiday newsletter. See you soon...

 

chesterh

[SheilaNC]

Chester,

Love the picture of Joe and so glad that your Dad is home with his cat...probably the best medicine for him. Hopefully, now you can really enjoy the holidays!

[Offtune Angel]

Chestah, it's good to hear from you! Happy Anniversary to you and Kris. That is wonderful news about your father. Looks like the blessing for 2007 are starting early this year.

 

Turrah

[SheilaNC]

Chester,

Just wanted you to know that we FINALLY received your book yesterday and I've finished it and DH is now reading it! Well done - we did that cruise on Galaxy a few years ago, but NOT in a suite. Now you've made us hunger for one. You brought back so many wonderful memories (we've sailed on Galaxy 3 times on 3 different itineraries). Next is Journey in April followed by Mercury Down Under in Feb 08).

 

Wish I had a way with words like you have...just awaiting your next rendition - soon I hope. Again wishes for a wonderful, productive and publishable 2007.

[chesterh]

Thanks, Terry. We haven't opened the anniversary champagne yet - maybe we'll just save it for New Year's Eve. My mother reports that Dad, for the first time in at least 3 years, read some of the newspaper and watched some basketball on TV. The comfort of home...

 

Sheila, I thought you were going to save the book for the plane ride. Now what are you going to do while everyone else is sleeping?

 

All the best,

chesterh

[SheilaNC]

I know, Chester.... :( I opened it to take a peek and I was hooked...then I told DH that it would be a good one for him to read on the plane AND he finished it!. So now you'll just have to quickly write another one or be responsible for us being awake all the way to Hawaii!! :D

 

And I've also read your report on the Mercury since then...just can't stop reading your stuff. Interestingly, our first cruise was on Galaxy to Alaska and we sailed Mercury to Alaska last July so it felt like going home to read both stories. I think you and Chris will have to let us be part of the family - we feel like we know all 4 of you (plus your folks).

 

Thanks so much for sharing.

[essgee_ca]

Chesterh

It was really good to read of your travels again. I was hooked way back when, when you wrote the first review - while I was eagerly anticipating my own first cruise (March 04). It took me quite a few days (an hour or so at a time) to get through all the posts but I absolutely loved it. I read it again just before my second cruise. (As you can see, your writing style wasn't the only thing I got hooked on!) I was thrilled to read about your next cruises on your website and checked in daily to see if there were updates.

With the business of school and the daily grind I had forgotten to check your website. Then my sister booked a honeymoon cruise on Enchantment of the Seas and I decided to go back to cruisecritic to see what I could learn. Suddenly I thought of you, did a search, and lo and behold here I am!

I hope all is well with you and your family. You mentioned in an earlier post of writing during the shorter, colder days of winter. Since it is now March and there are still no updates I can't help but worry if everything is ok. As others have said, I feel like I know you and your family.

[CaroleSP]

Hi Chester,

 

Thought I'd check in too. We are once again having wonderful weather and hope you are, as well.

 

I hope you have just been busy with the day to day stuff that seems to eat up all our time and not dealing with any more health issues.

 

Maybe, you've been busy planning a new itinerary for your next vacation; sure hope so.

 

Happy end of winter; regards to Kris, the boys and all the grandparents!

[chesterh]

Thanks, and you're most welcome, Sheila.

 

essgee_ca and Carole - Ah, the daily grind - I know it well. Winter didn't really come to New Hampshire until fairly late in January. Before that, we had daily temps pushing 70 degrees as I recall. Today, I'm looking out the window at the remnants of a foot of snow that fell a couple of days ago. Strange year...

 

My only writing activity in the last several months has been the annual holiday newsletter and a bunch of stuff related to the book relaunch, which is imminent. The day job has reached a new level of intensity, and it seems I'm only home long enough to eat and sleep.

 

Ryan has completed his studies, and takes the certification exam for radiography in a few weeks. He and his dog, Joe, left the roost recently, moving in with some friends in Manchester, NH. At long last we're known as Kris and Chester, the empty nesters.

 

That will all change some time in May. Ryan plans to fly out to Tucson, rent a car, and pick up brother Wells when the semester at U of A ends. They'll make their way back to NH in tourist mode. Two brothers on a road trip - sounds like fun. At the end of that journey, Wells will come home to work for the summer.

 

Kris, meanwhile, has become obsessed with training our dog. She'll soon be qualified to open an east coast franchise for the Dog Whisperer - if only he offered such an arrangement.

 

There's not a vacation in sight, and I'm afraid it'll stay that way until we're through the college years. I'll have plenty to do at the camp in Maine to keep it from falling down, and there's a long list of repairs and improvements right here at home to keep us occupied. I could spend a month just renovating the garden railroad, which has been neglected since we went on that fateful first cruise five years ago.

 

See y'all sooner or later...

chesterh

[Nancynurse]

Chester,

 

 

Great to hear from you! We have missed your posts. Glad to hear the boys are doing well. Too bad you can't tag along as tourist for a couple of relaxing days as the boys head cross-country. I don't know how relaxing it would be though.

 

Take care,

 

Nancy

[TPKeller]

Hi Chester!

 

That garden railroad is really cool! You need to add a bigger pond off to one side and put yourself a scale model of cruise ship in there!! ;)

 

Theron

[Offtune Angel]

Hi Chestah,

 

What a lovely surprise, in the Easter basket, to hear from you! I'm happy that Kris and the boys are well, but, it is disappointing to see your cruising plans on hold. Maybe Ryan and Wells will send you on a Graduation cruise when Wells graduates;).

 

I've recommended to our local librarian that she should include "What time is the Midnight Buffet" in her purchase order. Time will tell.

 

Turrah:D

[essgee_ca]

Hey Chester

It is great to hear from you and especially to hear that you and your family are well. Hope work slows down for you enough so you can relax and reaquaint yourself with Kris! Also maybe you'll have time to finish your forth cruise story - you did kinda leave us hanging! Besides if your weather is like ours up here in Ontario, it is snowing so you'll not want to be working outside and what better to do than hang around and type your story? LOL.

Seriously though, thanks for checking in and letting us know how things are.

S.

[satchiesmom]

Chester,

Glad to hear all is well with you. I was another late comer to your book and website and would like to thank you for the enjoyment I have gotten from both. Also, I am a TA and your book makes a great thank you gift for my first time cruise clients!

 

Susan

[chesterh]

Here's a semi-cruise-related story. In October, a friend at work named John left for a 2-week sailing trip on a 42' vessel, SV Epiphany. The plan was to sail from Salem, Ma., to Bermuda, and then on to St. Thomas. We all thought John (and the rest of the crew) were out of their minds. In a brief fit of good sense, John had his will redone, but the rest was madness as far as I was concerned. It was, after all, still hurricane season, and it's a long way from Massachusetts to the Virgin Islands. This is what cruise ships are made for...

 

At work, we watched the boat's progress on a website that used GPS to update its position every couple of hours. The crew made it to Bermuda in about 4 days. After a few days R&R, they departed for St. Thomas. I went in to work one morning and found this image on the tracking site

 

 

It seemed a safe assumption that something had gone wrong, but it would be many days before we found out just what happened.

 

I have created a web page for John and the rest of the crew that includes excerpts from the boat's log book. It describes the events leading up to a rather dramatic rescue. There are some pictures, too, and I have some video that I'm still editing - it'll be up soon.

 

Take a look if you like - it's a scary story:

 

http://www.chesterh.com/epiphany/

 

All the best,

chesterh

[gkm]

Hi Chester! I just finished reading about the Epiphany. It was fascinating! Thanks for posting it.

 

We've missed you on the boards. I'm glad to see you're rereleasing your book "What Time is the Midnight Buffet?" I have read my copy many times and still enjoy your adventures.

 

I hope your holidays are happy ones! :D :D :D

 

Garry

[c-legs]

Absolutely awesome !!!

 

Thanks for '' publishing '' this episode. Luckily, no human injuries.

Quite revealing on the various ''goings-on'' at sea, rarely experienced on boards the MV Spirit of whatver, or the So & So of the Seas, or various DAM ships.

Thanks

:)

[CaroleSP]

Wow!!! That's way too much adventure for me. These gentlemen have much for which to be thankful this year.

 

It's wonderful to hear from you and I'm sure there are many cc members happy to know you are well and still around.

 

No pressure :D but a few hints about the HAL trip would be nice.

 

Congratulations on all the great press and reprinting of your book.

 

Happy holidays to you, Kris, the boys and the rest of the gang, both furry and not!

[chesterh]

Hey, y'all.

 

Some of the guys were interviewed by Boston's Fox News 25. I'm not sure how long the piece will be up, but it includes footage of the rescue (from the material that I am still editing). Kindly note the parting comments when the guys are asked, "Would you do it again?"

 

Click here for the news report

 

For the written story, please see:

http://www.chesterh.com/epiphany/

 

I'll be back...

chesterh

[CaroleSP]

Looks like that was a lesson learned! I have to say it's time to give up those sails and just enjoy cruise sales.