The Faculty Arrive

I had hoped to make progress on my two goals (boxes and patron list) but was told in the morning that it will be at least two days before I get the list of the patrons and probably tomorrow before I get the books. Not what I would call a productive moment. I looked through some more library manuals but quickly came to the conclusion that this was getting me nowhere fast.

So, I put on my walking shoes and headed off to the ferry for Coronado. After a fifteen minute trip across the harbor I walked a mile to the other side of the island where the Hotel del Coronado is located on the beach. What a beautiful hotel and the scenery was gorgeous.

I walked along the beach by the water and enjoyed the sand squishing between my toes and the water lapping around my feet. I walked about ½ mile down the beach and soon came upon the sight of the Navy training facilities for the Seals. Sure enough, a group of Seal wannabes were in the water swimming parallel to the shore. Those poor guys were swimming out there for a very long time. I can’t even begin to imagine how tough their training is.

Watching all of that intense physical activity made me hungry so I abandoned the beach and found a restaurant and had a quick bite to eat and then walked back to the ferry. After another short trip across the harbor, I returned to the ship to check on the boxes and found they were still missing.

At this point, the faculty and staff were beginning to arrive and I discovered that I was supposed to get a notebook filled with useful information about orientation and meetings that were supposed to begin in only two hours. Go figure. It pays to wander aimlessly around the ship sometimes. At 4:00 I dutifully trooped into the union with the other faculty and staff members and we introduced ourselves. It’s nice to finally put some faces to the names that I’ve been communicating with for the past several months. We were also introduced to the captain and his senior level staff.

After the meeting, there was a reception in the faculty/staff lounge which is on the top deck of the ship at the bow. It has one of the most beautiful views on the ship. I anticipate spending some quality time there.

After dinner, the faculty went back to the lounge for another quick meeting and then adjourned for the day. That was my cue to head back to my cabin for some down time and gear up for tomorrow which promises to be a full day of meetings and such. Maybe I’ll also get a few things done on the library to-do list but I’m not holding my breath.