Today is sunny and clear, and cold.
A few stars were visible last night, but there is too much light
pollution here, close to the city.
Most of the cargo work must have been done yesterday, because the pace
is much slower today.
I cannot wait any longer to start laundry. I had delayed because the
dryer in the officer's laundry is still broken. There are 2 special
marine washers and 1 dryer. The washers are programmable tumble
machines. Only a half scoop of soap is required. Except during spin,
they tumble a few turns one way, stop, and tumble a few turns the other
way. There are 4 rinse cycles. During the final spin, I was sure the
washer would defy gravity and levitate, if it had not been secured to
the deck. There is not much moisture left in the clothes. So, that
load is drying in my cabin; jeans, a tee shirt, and 13 pair of black
wool-blend socks. The black wool socks were a very good choice for
shipboard life. Actually, they were my only choice.
As a young child in 1950, I remember visiting my grandmother's house.
She took in laundry, and had a Bendix tumble washer. I liked to sit and
watch the clothes go around. The TV screens at the time were about the
same size, and no more enlightening. The laundry was in color, and the TV
was not.
By mid-afternoon, it was clear that my first load of laundry would dry, so I
started a load of whites. Looks like I can get by doing 3 loads of laundry
every 2 weeks. Let's see, that's only nine more times.
I remembered a few more things about Philadelphia during the night.
The Liberty Bell was originally the Pennsylvania State House bell.
Constitution Hall was the State House. There are 3 bells. The bell in the
visitor center is a fake, and photos are not allowed. However a
concessionaire is happy to take your picture with the fake bell, for a fee.
The real Liberty Bell is in a separate building. Admission is free, and you
can take all the pictures you want. The third bell is the replacement bell in
the bell tower. It rings frequently, at least on the hour.
I failed to mention one artwork by the Flemish artist Peter Paul Reubens. The
title 'Promethius Bound' has always created an image in my mind of someone
headed to a place called Promethius. The painting is a large piece. In the
myth, Promethius was a minor god who gave fire to man. The major gods were so
angry, that they punished Promethius, by binding him across a large rock.
Everyday, a large eagle ate his liver, and every night, his body was
regenerated. Perhaps Reubens is a distant relative of Dante. Reubens
actually subcontracted the painting of the eagle.
