Boarding the USS Nimitz

I have a nice berth with only two beds.  A lieutenant commander's room is nicer than most.  Others share a room with 8 people or even 80 people.

The gray wool blankets are warm but itchy.

A sign in the officer berthing hallway.

The female officer's head (bathroom)

Today is the big day I've been waiting for - the first day of my tiger cruise on the USS Nimitz.  I woke up at 5. I wanted to see the Nimitz as it sailed into the big harbor of San Diego.  But I missed it because the ship came in at the same time that the sun came up.  Offspring #1 didn't think he'd be able to meet me until 3 pm at the earliest and late evening at the latest.  I hung out at my hotel until check out time.  Burdened as I was with a bulging back pack and a tote bag, I didn't want to walk around all day.  I decided to spend the day in Little Italy.  Turned out I made a good choice.  Little Italy was only six blocks from where I was staying.  The Italian shops and restaurants were pleasant and they had outdoor seating where I could sit and watch the people and the pigeons.  I really enjoyed just relaxing in the sunshine and watching the neighborhood.  From where I sat on the corner I could see the sign over the road proclaiming this to be Little Italy and I could see down the side street into the harbor.  Statues of a nutcracker adorned every corner.  A potted evergreen was decorated for the season and limes grew in planters on the street.I spent the whole day there.  In the late afternoon Offspring #1 met me and we ate at an Italian place.  Then we walked about a mile to downtown San Diego to meet some friends of his at a bar that specialized in craft beers.  I enjoyed meeting his friend who had three tigers with him; his parent

Nutcrackers adorn every street corner in Little Italy.

s and his philosophy professor.  At about 7 we hired a SUV taxi to drive us to the North Island Naval Base.  To get there we had to drive over the high Coronado Bridge that I saw the day before.  I checked in at the tiger booth.  Somehow I expected this part to be more difficult than it was.  All I had to do was show them my identification.  They handed me a name badge on a lanyard and told me to wear it at all times on the ship.  They gave me an envelope and a gift souvenir backpack full of gifts including a Nimitz hat, a Nimitz water bottle, a Nimitz pin and a Nimitz patch.  The ship looked huge to me.  We walked up a ladder to get to the gangplank.  Cranes were offloading pallets and forklifts were offloading pallets.  The hangar bay, usually crowded with planes, was mostly empty.  I waited while Offspring #1 got my room assignment.  I was assigned the room of a lieutenant commander.  I share the room with Offspring #1's friend's mother who I just had dinner with.  With only two bunks this was a plush berth.  Offspring #1 has 7 people in his room.  He showed me where the head (bathroom) was and I was ready to retire for the evening.  I'm meeting him at six for breakfast.