Saga Rose Greenland Voyager August 2007

[bcscot]

I intend to make notes on cocktail napkins, ship’s stationery, and graffiti reminders on walls so as to return with a personal review of Saga Rose.

Ruby

 

Ruby: In just what sort of a state did you leave Saga Rose for Conte to find?

 

Graham.

[Kapricorn]

Ruby: In just what sort of a state did you leave Saga Rose for Conte to find?

Graham.

 

LOL, Graham!!! You're really witty! :D

 

A previous post wondered if Laura S. would consign this thread to the dreaded Floataway Lounge. I shouldn't think so, as there are a couple of other threads with even more longevity - "Starship Gemini", created January 18/06 and currently in post #873, and "Viking China", created November 5/05 and currently in post #1228.

 

Donald.

[bcscot]

A previous post wondered if Laura S. would consign this thread to the dreaded Floataway Lounge. I shouldn't think so, as there are a couple of other threads with even more longevity - "Starship Gemini", created January 18/06 and currently in post #873, and "Viking China", created November 5/05 and currently in post #1228.

Donald.

 

Yes Donald & have you noticed that they really come to life at night. They have a strong Australian & Asian 'night shift'. Speaking of which, we have not heard from our Australian night shift in a while.

 

Graham.

[wynkys]

Hello Graham & All,

This part of the night shift is reporting in. I'm still monitoring the thread and like everyone else am eagerly awaiting Ruby's review.

 

Wayne

[CGTNORMANDIE]

GOOD MORNING EVERYONE!!!

 

I was just looking at the Stephen Card collection of paintings that he did for HAL. I saw several nice ones he did of the NIEUW AMSTERDAM II. She, being the great ship of 1939...sailing right into WW II. I almost sailed on her in 1972...and I wished I had. She was one of my all time favorites.

 

I think it will take Ruby some time before she gets herself ready for prime time. We forget the awful let-down when we return from a voyage...not to mention the laundry and shopping etc.:(

 

Ross

[Druke I]

Yes, the reality of being home, with laundry and grocery shopping, etc., certainly is depressing, and good reason for not reporting immediately on the voyage.

 

I'm sure SagaRuby will regale us with her tales when she is ready.

[Saga Ruby]

I had to laugh at Conte saying that he was monitoring this thread before his departure. When I left the first of August, we had 6,530 views. And you know the current count. Which means to me that he did an awful lot of lurking!

 

I'm still in the "house" mode and it will be next week sometime before I can get the cruise diary edited and input online. Here's a note to all who get exasperated with computers: The computer guy on Saga Rose, a nice man and quite sharp, suggested I email the cruise diary notes to myself - it'll be so easy! -and I'm thinkin', "Uh huh." So on the last day, we sat down to do same and neither Verizon, Yahoo or AOL would work, probably due to the satellite transmission problems.

 

Lee gave me a disk with the chapters on it, I brought it home and had forgotten my new PC has no disk drive. Uh huh. Tried scanning it over the weekend and no joy, the document reader will have to be set up by Geek Squad next week. Uh huh. The whole time Lee was telling me it was easy, I was running off hard copies so at least I have the information. Anybody surprised? Hands? I didn't think so.

 

One note from my trip - in Reykjavik, I went to a nice, small bookstore downtown and bought one calendar, two leather bookmarks, two paperbacks, one magnet, and two USA Todays. It cost USD170. And yes, folks, that is no typo. The UK is expensive (USD10 for a glass of orange juice) but Reykjavik makes Britain look like a bargain.

 

Ruby

[bcscot]

Nice to hear from you again Wayne. I am glad to hear that the 'night shift' are not all sleeping. I thought for a while that you Australians were all nocturnal, maybe something to do with living upside down all the time, you know, a bit like bats! Then I realised that it was just the time difference!:)

 

Ross: I always enjoy seeing the many Stephen Card paintings on the HAL ships when I am aboard. I wonder if they are for sale as prints. For me, the one of the Prinsendam with the Waverely in the English Channel was special.

 

Ruby: Where on earth (or at least, the UK) did you find a glass of O.J. costing $10? They must have seen you coming!

 

The UK & Europe can be very expensive.It is not always across the board though & it often pays to find out what is better value & plan accordingly. For example; hotels in the UK are very expensive but 'bed & breakfasts' are very good value, so you can do even better than at home by using these. Also, eating out in Europe is expensive but shopping in supermarkets & markets is comparable or cheaper, so going to self catering places can save a lot (like we did in Rome). I know that you get caught while travelling & 'tourist places' are always the worst. We also like to take drinks, sandwiches & snacks with us, so we do not have to depend on these tourist 'rip off' places (unless they confiscate them at the airport!).

 

I think you tend to get to know where the better values are at home & get caught out elsewhere. I have always found the USA to be expensive!!

 

Graham.

[Kapricorn]

Graham, I picked up my tickets for the September 19 cruise. I got a four-category upgrade, from E through EE, F, G and finally to H. Fortunately Cabin #2670 is near the stern on Main Deck, below the Lower Promenade Deck. So, I don't have to worry about Peeping Toms (or Thomasinas) peering into my cabin. :)

 

If you don't mind me asking, which cabin do you have on the Ryndam?

 

Donald.

[bcscot]

We have a midship outside cabin on A deck. On the pre-Vistas, we usually go for the Dolphin or A deck cabins, outside. They are usually quiet & suit us nicely.

We were on Main deck on the Amsterdam. It was fine but we were aware of people walking or running above on the Promenade deck. It was not noisy though, although joggers would be a nuisance.

We have always had verandas on the Vistas, one of their few advantages. I have been concerned that the non-veranda cabins on the Vistas might be noisy due to their location. Have you tried them?

 

Graham.

[Kapricorn]

Graham, your cabin on A Deck on Ryndam certainly will be quiet, being two decks below the promenade deck. Plenty of ZZZZZZZs for you!

 

I had an inside cabin on Zuiderdam last year to Alaska. It was immediately above the Upper Vista Dining Room on the Promenade Deck. The cabin was just fine during the nights.

 

I will let you know how I like my Main Deck oceanview cabin on the Zaandam.

 

Donald.

[patwell]

Hi Folks...just a lurker here wanting to welcome my friend Ruby home....hi there kiddo...welcome back. Look forward to reading about your "Affair" too. Glad to see it wasn't you helicoptered off!!! Yes, I kept checking for the blog!! So glad you enjoyed my dear Sagafjord...

 

And just an aside...as to having your very interesting thread moved, my old QM2 (yes, I'm one of those people) was started 12/8/05...it has 2415 posts and 26,800+ views and we are still going strong on the main Roll Call page...so I'd not worry hopefully, altho we wonder how long they'll let us play.

 

Cheers all, thanks for letting me interrupt, Penny

 

Penny’s Affair to Remember QM2 Review

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=471053

 

November 10,2007...the “Affair” continues....

[Kapricorn]

Hi, Penny!

 

I have just now gone through your review of QM2 and it is a fabulous read! Especially, I couldn't have described the effect of the departure horn any better than you!

 

Donald.

[Saga Ruby]

August 6 – Monday - Dover Priory Station. This building is the magnificent Victorian-age train station now used as a cruise terminal by Saga Cruises. Cabs and car services drive into a long glass-and-ironworked shed with glass skylights, wooden benches, red telephone boxes, and war memorials to railway workers lost in WWI and WWII. I sat on a bench and watched the hurly-burly of arriving passengers, baggage, new crew, supplies being delivered and loaded.

 

Porters are in full strength with various sizes of hand carts to tote the luggage of this contingent of senior passengers. At first I am taken aback with the sight of walkers, canes (“sticks”), and the odd-lot wheelchair, then think how strong and brave they are to be exploring Greenland and Iceland. Nothing stops the British. And suddenly, I feel like a puppy.

 

Onboard Saga Rose, when the door opens to Cabin 283 I am so happy. It is a huge room with twin beds and a large bathroom with tub/shower. No step-ups into the bathroom, just a flat floor. I take note of the free two 2-liter bottles sitting on the desk/lowboy. Most cruise ships charge a pretty penny for those bottles of water. This desk will be my catchall for the fruit basket, ice bucket and glasses, tour information, keys, swipe card, and contains the pull-out shelf for writing postcards and notes for a cruise diary.

 

The cabin has four closets, and two dressers full of drawers. Even occupied by two people, there is a massive amount of storage space, much of which I will never use. Saga Ruby uses only swipe cards for door lock and shipboard account; on Saga Rose we use both a door key and a swipe card. Having pants pockets is useful.

 

At lifeboat muster, we run through the usual announcements and demonstrations. Just before we are dismissed, Capt. Neil Broomhall says, “Do you see the crane on portside forward? That is the crane that mounts our forward cargo hatch which is currently sitting on the ground. The crane is broken so we will move the ship slightly and affix the hatch ourselves.” Much laughter from the crowded Promenade Deck.

 

After a bit of a pause, Saga Rose backs briskly out of the dock area, turns prettily, and we sail out into cool, blustery winds while passing Dover Castle and those beautiful (and emotional) White Cliffs of Dover.

 

Dinner begins at 6:45pm. I take my “Table 45” card to the dining room, enjoying the magnificent grand staircase sweeping down one floor from Upper Deck into the grand dining room on Main Deck. Much of the ship is furbished in an Art Deco style but there are three chandeliers down the center of the room which are fiber-optic “fairy lights” which seem out of place in an otherwise well-appointed dining room.

 

A headwaiter leads me to the table, I am the first to arrive. He asks where I would like to sit and I immediately pick a chair with a perfect view of the grand staircase. The next person to arrive is a tall, slender, imperious woman who says her name is Joan. When our waiter asks how to address her, she turns her head toward him and says, “You may call me Madam Joan.”

 

The rest of our six seats are filled by Vida and Mary who are long-term friends traveling together, Janet, a retired computer expert who uses a walker, and eventually a “gentleman host” named Roger appears. He is one of two Hosts who will be dancing the light fantastic during the cruise in exchange for a free cruise. After seeing the other Host, we ladies agree that we got the better of the pair.

 

Modesto and Romeo are our waiters. I mention in passing to Modesto that I have always wanted to hear and speak a bit of Tagalog - his smile blossoms. He tries to teach me “Good Evening,” but I can’t understand the accent.

 

August 7 – Tuesday, at sea. The tour director gives a lecture with excellent overviews and slides of Cobh, Qaaqortoq, and Nuuk. She pronounces “Qaaqortoq” in two different ways and explains that no one knows how to pronounce this Inuit name. She relates that “Eskimo” is a pejorative, meaning “people who eat meat” while “Inuit” means “the people” and is the preferred designation by that culture.

 

Today’s weather is periods of sun then light showers. Every time I get settled into a deck chair, it starts to rain. I pull a chair over to the overhanging HVAC vents where it’s warm but the rain starts to really come down and I retreat indoors.

 

Being forced inside, I am inspired to read the “Today” programme which lists a lecture on “Titanic” by Peter Boyd-Smith who proves to be a fine lecturer showing vintage photos from that time period and comments that the Titanic rudder was “too small.” He says it would have been better to ram the iceberg and take the damage to the bow rather than trying to pass along its sides where the rivets were popped off like so much popcorn. The Titanic bridge staff had no clue as to how she would sail in the North Atlantic – nowadays, bridge staff practice on simulators to get a feel of these modern behemoths.

 

At the “Captain’s Welcome Aboard Party,” Capt. Broomhall makes a comment that this cruise should be considered an “expedition” rather than just a cruise. My ears perk up – I had helped the meteorologist lecturer with his print job in the Computer Center and mentioned that the weather by the weekend would be “interesting.” Who knew at that time that I would not set foot on dry land for eleven days out of Dover?

 

Capt. Broomhall goes on to say that we will not be able to take on potable water until Iceland, over than a week away, so please conserve water. When he said the weather might be “different,” I was mentally buckling my seat belt as he talked.

 

Dinner had menu selections of foie gras terrine with fig chutney, Madeira jelly and warm baby Brioche, lamb consommé with herbs and mushroom quenelles, Tournedo “Prince of Wales” stuffed with Stilton Cheese, wrapped in bacon with Port wine reduction and truffle reduction, Chateau potatoes and vegetable medley.

 

There were “Plain and Simple” selections every night, a vegetarian main dish, and there is a daily availability of grilled steak, chicken, or salmon with your choice of potatoes. Main courses always had appropriate wine suggestions listed for the chosen course. Each evening was similar with vast selections to choose from – my only regret is that the Brits require some form of potato with every single meal while rice, my personal favorite, was rarely offered. Desserts were a good variety with daily choices for diabetics and “gluten free” desserts.

 

One evening, the menu was offering “sushi and eggroll” for an appetizer. When the plate was presented, I recognized the sushi but couldn’t figure out the “eggroll.” I finally realized that the galley cooks make a scrambled egg dry, flattened it, then they rolled the “omelet” up into a spiral and cut it into segments for an egg roll.

 

Fighting jet lag, I totter off to bed, happy to be in Cabin 283.

 

Ruby

[Kapricorn]

Great reading, Ruby!!! I felt as if I was aboard with you. I'm looking forward to the rest of your narrative.

 

I'm curious: when Madam Joan was the second person to appear at your table, where did she decide to sit? Beside you?

 

Donald.

[Saga Ruby]

I'm curious: when Madam Joan was the second person to appear at your table, where did she decide to sit? Beside you? Donald.

 

Table 45 was a rectangular 6-top, as they say in the restaurant biz. She sat in the middle chair facing me so when she left the table, they took away that chair, gave some elbow room to Janet and Vida, and we all lived happily after.

 

Ruby

[Kapricorn]

Table 45 was a rectangular 6-top, as they say in the restaurant biz. She sat in the middle chair facing me so when she left the table, they took away that chair, gave some elbow room to Janet and Vida, and we all lived happily after.

 

Ruby

 

Ah, I see! :D Thanks for taking the time to explain.

 

Donald.

[Saga Ruby]

August 8 – Wednesday – Cobh, Ireland. The town’s name is pronounced “Cove” and for awhile it was named Queenstown when it was the last port of call of Titanic. We are berthed just down the pier from where Titanic sailed for the first and final time. The town is full of memorials for those doomed souls. Over two hundred Irish immigrants, seeking a better life in America, were booked on the ship.

 

The Cobh Heritage Museum is just steps away from our gangway, a restored railway depot. It is brightly lit with overhead skylights and has several restaurants and coffee shops. Christy’s gift shop was well-stocked with all manner of Titanic souvenirs. I was able to find what I wanted, including a small box of Irish shortbread. After buying two postcards and postage, I was directed to a mailbox “in the side of the building on the left of the exit.” There was a tiny emerald green slot in the side of the building which may, or may not, have been a post box. Slipping the postcards in the slot was an act of faith.

 

Back on Saga Rose, I stood on deck watching local fishermen on the dock catching mackerel which had flashed in swarms into the harbour. Looking down, I spotted fishing lines off our stern and realized that some of our crewmen were also fishing while enjoying the fine day.

 

It is humbling to watch the British senior passengers walking slowly but surely up 4 flights of steps set into the side of the cliff at Cobh. They hike up to the corniche above this small town then continue their walk up even higher hills. There is a steep street downtown with commercial establishments – the tightly-packed buildings are called the “Playing Cards.”

 

I visited the Computer Center to check CNN. Onboard, there is no news from the States – all weather, daily newsletters, and daily information is about the UK. The computer guru says we will lose satellite service for several days. With the cost per minute being $.50 a minute and the “speed” is less than that of a 56k dial-up, I realize I will be doing very little email and Internet usage.

 

Heavy seas were the night’s standard – in the sense of pitch, roll, and yaw, much of the motion is “yaw,” a hard one to anticipate. Never having experienced motion sickness, my only problem was tired muscles that haven’t been used in years which now had to correct for the ship’s motion.

 

August 9 – Thursday – at sea. The waiters are having a good time teaching me Tagalog. Modesto has given me a written list of phrases and I can now understand what they are saying while giving the appropriate reply. I am dedicated to practice, practice, practice as that is the only way I’m going to “get it.” Lunch is open seating and when I greet the waiters in Tagalog, they are fascinated. One waiter is calling me Maganda which confused me. “Magandan umaga” is good morning so what is maganda? He replies, “It means ‘beautiful.’” I am embarrassed and say so.

 

Today there are golf lessons literally in the Lido pool. The golfers stand in the tiled rim of the pool and hit shots into the water. A crewman using a skimmer fetches the balls out of the water and hands them to the next person.

 

Sent a note to Dawn Cartwright, the Hotel Director, who was on Saga Ruby with me when we saw the polar bears in Svalbard in 2005. She sent back a nice letter saying how amazing it was to see the bears, how kind of me to remember her, and we will catch up at tea some afternoon.

 

Our guest lecturers cover the subjects of ornithology, meteorology, geology, destinations, and Peter Boyd-Smith is the maritime historian. As always on a Saga cruise, these lectures are well-attended – one has to admire the British attitude toward ongoing education.

 

The tour director mentions that most of the shore excursions are sold out, however “the 7-mile hike over rough terrain in Nuuk is still wide open.” Hearty laughter from the audience. No one could have predicted at that point that we would never set foot in Nuuk.

 

Attendance at the meteorologist’s lecture and the Titanic lecture is informative. The Cinema’s silver screen reacts to the heavy seas and sways back and forth to mesmerizing effect while revealing the frayed edges of the screen which have been rubbed ragged by heavy velvet curtains for over 40 years.

At dinner, “Madam Joan” has moved on to another table, making the “finding friends onboard” excuse. We are quite pleased with this turn of events as we have a lark every night at dinner and her stone face and judgmental ways were a drag.

 

There are original Stephen Card oil paintings placed in strategic places around the Britannica Lounge. He is a retired merchant marine captain who found his real talent in being an artist and has enjoyed his new profession with great enthusiasm and a warm reception from maritime enthusiasts.

 

August 10 – Friday – at sea. Seas have leveled out, we are steady on. I spent some time in the Computer Center visiting with Lee, the computer guru who calls computers “machines.” Which negates all that money and all those years of Bill Gates insisting they be called “computers” to differentiate them from fax machines and typewriters. Lee tells a story of a Saga captain who wanted to send birthday wishes to a teenage son but the satellite transmission was out. He picked up the phone, called the Bridge, ordered “Five degrees starboard course” which moved the funnel out of the way, sent his email, picked up the phone and ordered, “Resume normal course.”

 

Roger, the gentleman host at our table, is fascinated with all things American. He sits next to me and leans into my elbow, asking multitudinous questions about “America.” He is quite nice and his curiosity is welcome. He has visited the US a few times and likes to learn what other tourist spots might be of interest. He tells a great story about his visit to Cripple Creek, Colorado. In a demonstration of weights and scales, an assayer hands a visitor a piece of paper and a pencil to write their name. The scales are so sensitive that they pick up the weight of the lead from the pencil. Since I have endless questions about the UK’s politics, race relations, crime rates, culture, financial status, it is a good give-and-take amongst my most pleasant tablemates.

 

Ruby

[Kapricorn]

Ruby, was Madam Joan something like the matron in the attached photograph? :D

 

Also, thanks for providing the pronunciation of Cobh, as I've always wondered about it!

 

Donald.

[bcscot]

Thank you Ruby. Your travelogue so far has made for very enjoyable reading. Definitely worth waiting for. I look forward to the rest of the story unfolding.

 

Donald: Is the 'Grand Dame' one of your old tablemates? A face like that could curdle milk.

 

Penny: Welcome. We dont mind visitors from Cunard (honest!). Thank you for reassuring us that they are not about to cast us adrift in an open boat in:...... 'Floataway Lounge' :eek: !

 

Graham.

[bcscot]

I noted on the Cunard/HAL/Whatever happened to..... boards that Host Doug is now dougnewmanatsea (he could have chosen something a little less longwinded!).

 

I hope you continue to visit this ship Doug. & give us your valuable & interesting input (otherwise we wont put in a good word with Saga for you!!)

 

PS- Penny: Ruby's long running board is turning into something of a 'saga'!!:)

 

Graham.

[Kapricorn]

Donald: Is the 'Grand Dame' one of your old tablemates? A face like that could curdle milk.

Graham.

 

Ha-Ha, Graham! That picture was scanned from a photograph of a Captain's Table on the Queen Elizabeth. This matron was listening (imperiously? condescendingly? disapprovingly?) to what the Captain was saying. Whenever I encounter such types as "Madam Joan" at my dining tables, my goal always is to coax - at the bare minimum - the slightest hint of a smile out of them by the cruise's end (and I usually succeed :D). Of course, a pre-dinner martini for me helps ... ;)

 

Donald.

[Kapricorn]

I noted on the Cunard/HAL/Whatever happened to..... boards that Host Doug is now dougnewmanatsea (he could have chosen something a little less longwinded!).

Graham.

 

I do hope that Doug will continue to participate in this "Saga" thread. I'm relieved about his new handle, which is one letter longer than mine (which I thought was longwinded enough!).

 

Since I don't exclusively cruise on Celebrity (see my signature of cruises taken and booked), and I've begun to post on the Holland America board, I've been thinking of changing my handle from Celebritymania. Any pros or cons about that?

 

Donald.

[Saga Ruby]

Donald, I got quite a kick out of the photo of the Cunard version of my tablemate. It's that stiff neck that never bends, physicallly or mentally, that gets my attention.

 

As far as changing your moniker, my thoughts: You will become a new member as of the date you change your screen name and lose the "post count" up to then. When people Search for your words of wisdom, they will find only what you posted as your new screen name or they will have to know what your previous name was.

 

Give it some thought. If you choose to broaden your screen name, we look forward to your new name being presented at the Purser's Desk on our lovely Nostalgia Cruise.

 

Ruby

[Saga Ruby]

August 11 – Saturday – at sea. As predicted, we have Force 7 winds, rain, lots o’ pitch and yaw. It is amazing to watch the sea birds out in force, looking for fish in this weather of high winds and heaving sea. The winds break off mists of spume from the white-capped waves and create a fog which completely blurs the visible line between sea and sky. Grey is the colour of the day.

 

Edward, my cabin steward, brings an “Inclement Weather Menu” and I sign up to eat in my room, more to try the club sandwich than to stay steady. One does get weary of all the fancy food in the dining room.

 

All lectures are standing room only – nothing else to do. Being out of satellite transmission means that we watch in-cabin programs that show different shore excursions, last evening’s program of entertainment, and plays occasional classical music. The well-stocked ship’s library is keeping my interest with a vast array of subjects. The furniture in the library consists of fine leather chairs and ottomans with other comfy chairs which are consistently occupied by snoozing passengers who camp out after breakfast and never move.

 

Capt. Broomhall, in his daily announcement, says that the phrase “under the weather” comes from the crew member assigned to the forward crow’s nest in bad weather.

 

As the seas pitch and toss, the sounds of crashing cutlery, dishes, and desktops throwing off their contents are a common occurrence. It is easier to put the ice bucket, key chain, paperwork, and fruit basket on the other twin bed than to pretend it will stay in place on the nubby plastic desk top.

 

I enjoy my cabin’s dark woods and the Art Deco lamp in the bathroom. Good lighting allows me to read in one of my two chairs while listening to radio music. While I was reading late this evening, I heard a mysterious sound, like a large screw rolling around behind my bed. Oh well. This is to be expected in these angry seas.

 

The dining room staff and I are playing language games. When I say Hello in Tagalog, they reply in Spanish, I start spouting Spanish, then I say Grazie or Danke Schoen. Everybody cracks up.

 

During the night, all hell broke loose with enormous seas, slashing winds, the ship pitching in every direction. Every single item on every flat surface went flying in the cabin, the closets, the bathroom. If one heave didn’t get it, the next one did. One of my cabin chairs on metal feet was sliding around on the carpet.

 

After midnight, my travel clock went flying off the end table and its plastic faceplate disappeared. I sat on my bed, fighting the ship’s motion, trying to spy a clear plastic disk on a flower-patterned beige carpet. After deciding it was not to be found, I lifted up the bed skirt and spied that little beauty.

 

The heavy metal screw sound was now loudly apparent. I pulled off the padded headboard which was secured by Velcro to see if I could find a loose pen or pencil, then decided it was in the wall lamp over my bed. It was so loud as to be impossible to sleep, like Chinese water torture which doesn’t bother you at first but then drives you mad. At the exact moment sleep would beckon, the metallic object would roll one way, roll the other way.

 

At 12:35am, I called Reception and asked for help. The same night maintenance man from Saga Ruby I had met two years before arrived at my cabin door and we stood talking about the problem with not one sound from the wall. As he turned to go get a screwdriver, the ship heaved, the metallic object rolled, and he heard it. We agreed it was probably in the lamp so this brave man stood on my pitching mattress with his hands over his head, unscrewing the fixture. Nothing. And no further noise.

 

We chatted for a mo’, the ship rolled over severely, and the object rolled along with it. Huzzah! This older man who looked like a Filipino Father Christmas got back up on the bed, fighting to keep his balance, put his hands up over his head and painstakingly unscrewed a facing plate in the ceiling. As the last of the 6 mounting screws came out, so did a piece of heavy iron pipe, 1”x2”. I almost cried with relief at the idea of being able to sleep.

 

Ruby