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Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! I had to look up Jenkins Ear Day ... ouch!! I love elephants, and feel sorry for poor Jumbo being paraded around like that. I'll cherish the antique I'm married to. Thank you for the anniversary wishes, it's hard to believe it's been 47 years that we've been together. As I said on my FB post this morning, things have been better, they've been worse; we've been richer and we've been poorer, but through it all we've loved and laughed, and we are truly blessed. Here we are in all our finery at our tiny wedding in my in-law's living room (only 18 in attendance). @luvteaching I know today is a bittersweet day for you as you celebrate your birthday and also it should have been your 47th wedding anniversary. I hope the memories of the years and times you shared will bring you some comfort. Sending you hugs across the miles. @grapau27good luck at your skin cancer check-up today. @rafinmdI hope the cardiologist appointment meant things were on an even keel for you. @Quartzsite Cruiserhoping all goes well for DH's CT scan today. This morning we are heading out to a lovely restaurant by the river called Scarlet where we've gone - with the exception of the 2 Covid years, and the 2 when we were in Japan - every year on our anniversary. When we were working, we'd both take the day off, go for breakfast and enjoy watching all the people going by as they were headed off to work while we were relaxing with a nicely served breakfast and coffee. Looking at the memories section of FB, on this day in 2012 and 2016 we were in Tokyo - the first time so I could officiate our son's wedding, and the second so that the Japanese grandparents could meet their first grandchild. Great memories of both experiences. I'd love to try the drink, but bet that bartenders wouldn't enjoy making it - they want to do it quick and easy, while this takes "less than 5 minutes" which in bartending minutes is a long time! I'll pass on the wine, but do enjoy broccoli and cheese egg muffins. The kitchen is closed in our house today, so we'll be enjoying something delicious that is prepared and served by others at a lovely Greek restaurant tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, in pain, in grief, and in turmoil. Cheers to all with celebrations. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! In high school, our DS was part of the D.A.R.E. group and was shunned by a number of others at the school because of his affiliation. Interestingly enough, I saw some of those same classmates in my courtroom for having engaged in drugs and dealing, so what goes around comes around. I'm still proud of his standing and ethics; it couldn't have been easy for a teenager. Can someone please draw a bird for me? I have no artistic ability. The Romani culture is an interesting one to be sure. Right now it's only partially cloudy, but according to the weather app, it is likely to be cloudy most of the day. That's the way it's been here for absolutely ever - you have no idea how many celestial events we've missed because of clouds. I guess the positive part is that I'll save my eyesight by watching the eclipse on television. Happy Birthday to @StLouisCruisers, DS Linda, and to @Norseh2o; I hope you have a great day of celebration. Happy Anniversary to @erewhon and @Overhead Fred; wishing you and your spouses many more years of love and laughter together. Not much on the agenda today except getting the car washed and an oil change so it's ready for us to head off to Calgary on Wednesday. I'm going to take a pass on the drink of the day, as it makes my teeth hurt just thinking about it! The wine may be good, but a little pricey, and if I was making today's menu suggestion, I'd leave out the artichokes. I need to use up some things in the fridge, so tonight it's going to be Denver omelettes and fruit bread toast for us at the kitchen table. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, in pain, in grief, and in wars not of their making. Cheers to all our Daily family who are celebrating today. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

@Haljo1935yikes on the prices! What's the 0.99 surcharge for? For the privilege of buying their stuff???

Good morning, thank you for the Fleet Report and Daily! We have beavers in our city and as a result, many trees along the river have wire skirts so they can't be taken down. We still get the newspaper, but it's down to 5 days a week; I did google snail papers and it refers to custom rolling papers if you "roll your own". I'm used to the metric system, but vacillate between metric and imperial measures all the time. A quiet Sunday morning right now with cloudy skies and no wind. As I opened the curtains this morning I realized our front lawn is almost clear of snow, while the neighbours across the street still have tons on theirs. Not sure why, as we received the same amount as they did. Our front lawn faces east while theirs faces west, but other than that I don't know what the reason would be for theirs not melting as quickly. Even our back yard (which faces west) is clearing nicely - not enough that we can work in the yard, but the glaciers are definitely receding. Bon Voyage @Heartgrove's DW and DSIL, @Vict0riannand Pat, and @Overhead Fred; I hope you all have wonderful cruises. @smitty34877your teenager seems to be a good help to you around the house, starting to cook and helping with the clean-up. He sounds like a sweet guy, although I'm sure he has his moments, too. @kazuhave you had any relief from your pain with the acupuncture treatments yet? It was good to get together with our friends Wayne & Fran yesterday for brunch, just catching up on the past 3 weeks. They said over Easter with family they'd played "Catch Phrase" which turned out to be quite funny, so I think the next time we're together, that might be part of the evening's entertainment. On the way back we stopped at Ollie's just to check in on her. Thankfully about a month ago she and Gord adopted a new kitty - tabby/Maine Coon cross - and she's been a great comfort for Ollie. I'm so glad they have each other. Today at noon I'm heading out to get my nails done so I don't have to worry about breakage, or having to file them down while we're in Calgary, and I'll be dropping my thoughts on Gord off to a friend who will read on my behalf at the memorial on Friday. I'd like to try the drink of the day, but unlike so many, am not a real fan of key lime pie. I'll pass on the white wine, and I use my own made-up recipe for potato salad using Miracle Whip and dry mustard in the dressing. My mom always sweetened the mayonnaise and finally just used Miracle Whip instead, so that's what I use. I don't feel like cooking today so on the way back from dropping off my envelope to our friend, we'll stop and pick up some burgers to enjoy at the kitchen table tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, in grief, in turmoil, and in wars. Cheers to all who have celebrations today. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Not sure if I can make it for sail-away or not, we're heading out for brunch with friends at 1 (3PM FLL time). Smooth sailing to all today!

We had dinner at Carrabba's last time we were in FLL (last year) and enjoyed it; it was similar to Olive Garden. What hotel are you staying at? I was thinking it was the Hyatt which is just a hop, skip and a jump from the Outback, but it sounds like you're farther away than that. @aliaschiefthanks a bunch for the photos from the Gardens By The Bay - one of our favourite places ever! We can't wait to get back there and enjoy it again.

Bon Voyage Lisa and Tom; have a wonderful cruise!!

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! Until we got cable, I had never heard of Charlie the Tuna. Drowsy drivers are as dangerous as drunk ones. DH always lets me know when he's starting to lose his concentration on the highway and we quickly pull over and switch places. I've never had a passion for Twinkies; for me it was one and done. I remember bringing rolls and rolls of film along for our cameras on vacations over the years. Bright sunshine out there this morning and we're above freezing again - yay! Currently +4(39) with a predicted high of +15 (59) means a lot of the snow will be disappearing. As I opened the curtains to the front yard I could see a noticeable improvement just from yesterday's warmth and it will soon be time to get the rake out to remove the debris left from the junipers over the winter. Welcome home to all our Daily cruisers - I hope you came back with wonderful memories. While DH was away with his kids yesterday I accomplished a lot - 3 loads of laundry washed, dried and put away; vacuumed the entire main floor; ran the cleaner through the dishwasher; vacuum sealed 12 packages of chicken breasts; removed, recharged and replaced our doorbell camera, and walked a mile on the treadmill. I figured it was time to bring it out again, as I've neglected it for so long, so when I was downstairs doing laundry, I turned on the TV and walked. Not a lot on the agenda for us today, but we're meeting our friends Wayne & Fran for brunch around 1. I feel bad that we haven't seen them for some time, but we've been busy with Ollie and Gord, and I know they understand. It will be good to catch up with them and talk about happy things. I would try the drink if someone made it for me, I've had the wine and enjoyed it, and we do like rotisserie chicken, although I've never made one. We've got an air fryer but it doesn't have the rotisserie feature - I'm sure it would be fine just in the tray though. I've got a couple of salmon fillets thawing right now that will be coated in panko crumbs and baked, and will be served along with air fried asparagus and baked potatoes at the kitchen table tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, in path of storms or earthquakes(!), in grief, and in wars. Cheers to all with celebrations. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Late departure means a quiet sail-away.

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! I will definitely honour Gold Star Spouses and will include a gentle hug for each. Some days you just have to give it your all and go for broke. Ever wonder if some folks just don't have a conscience? The skies have cleared and the sun is coming up, but I see we've got wind again, which in itself will help tame down the glaciers. Looking at the computer it tells me we should expect a high of +14C (57) which is fine by me. Yesterday it began raining around 10 and carried on until almost 5; it was great to see water running down the street again. Today on the radio people are talking about how attitudes in rural areas have changed dramatically with the rain, and I can understand why. @NextOne wishing you a very Happy Birthday with many happy and healthy returns of the day! @lobsternightBon Voyage! Today DH and his son and daughter will head out to the son's acreage just to do a check on the property. On the way they'll stop at the lady's place to drop off our income tax information so she can work her magic (fingers crossed) again this year. While he's away I'll do some clean up around the house and will likely head over to WM to pick up cat food and a couple of incidentals as well. We were with Ollie yesterday as she made arrangements for the venue for Gord's celebration of life. Unfortunately it will be next week while we're away in Calgary - the only time she could accommodate her brother from Ontario. Normally we would have cancelled our trip, but we traditionally go to Calgary to celebrate our oldest DGS's birthday and we don't want to disappoint him. Also, it's just going to be an hour of people sitting together reminiscing - there's no real service to speak of because that's what Gord wanted. I told Ollie I would script our message so that someone else could read it on our behalf and she was comfortable with that. She knows how close we are as a family, even though she and hers aren't, so wasn't bothered that we couldn't attend. We know she'll be surrounded by family and friends, so although we feel bad about missing the service, we know Ollie will be alright. I'd give the drink and the wine a pass, as well as the menu suggestion, so it's 3 for 3 today. Yesterday I looked at the recipes and decided to make the first one shown and it was delicious. I used plain white rice without the chicken broth, and didn't have fresh thyme, so used dried instead, but it turned out nicely. That's definitely a casserole that would be great for breakfast guests! For us it's Friday night pizza night, so when DH gets back this afternoon we'll check the online menus and order something hot and cheesy to enjoy at the kitchen table tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, in pain, in grief, and in wars not of their making. Cheers to all with celebrations. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! Jeep 4x4 riding can be fun, but the topless days are limited here on the "frozen tundra." I will honour all victims of violence, and clearly remember the day MLK was killed. We usually have oranges in the morning, so that takes care of our vitamin C - if we feel a cold coming on, we pop a couple of tablets throughout the day. It's cloudy out there this morning and according to the forecast, we "should" have rain for a few hours around lunch time. I don't mind it at all, because it means it's not snowing and blowing. I'm sorry to hear about the storms in the US and Canada, and feel for everyone in their paths. Today is a day for gathering up all our income tax documents, packaging them and making arrangements to deliver them to the lady who performs her magic annually. She's a farmer's wife with amazing accounting expertise, and over the years has saved us literally thousands of dollars. She lives about an hour out of the city and we're more than happy to make the drive for her service. I don't know if we'll get there today or tomorrow, but the sooner the better in my mind. I'm happy to hear our Daily family and extended family are safe in Taiwan after the earthquake. Also pleased to hear that Tana had a better night - continued prayers for her, @smitty34877's whole family, and particularly Tana's son. @dfish I'm glad you went to get your eye checked yesterday; at least you know what you're dealing with. @Seasick SailorI am praying Allen's biopsy results come back favourably, and that the cream helps quell the itching. @Nickelpennyyou are hesitant to get a knee replacement; you sound like my DH who complained bitterly about his until he finally relented and went for one. 3 months after the surgery we were walking all over the streets of Tokyo and he was so pleased he had the surgery. It's worth thinking about. I'd like to try the drink of the day (will add it to my list), will let others enjoy the white wine, and could get into today's menu suggestion. I grew up eating leftovers - we didn't have much money, so any food there was, was eaten. My darling mother was very creative with leftovers so every meal looked different, even though it might contain the same basic ingredients. For that reason, we're definitely having leftovers tonight. I'm going to slice up cold baked potatoes, fry them in a little butter with green onions until browned, then heat up the ham and will make a coleslaw for us to enjoy at the kitchen table tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, in pain, in grief, and in wars not of their making. Cheers to all with celebrations. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! I've never seen a fan dance, would love to see a rainbow because it means it would have rained, and what would movies be without the film score? Today's quote rings true for many individuals in public life. Bon Voyage @SusieKIslandGirl and DH Loren - have a wonderful time! @smitty34877I'm sorry to hear Tana's condition has deteriorated. Will continue prayers for the best possible outcome for her. I'm so glad you finally had a night of sleep. @JazzyVspeaking of sleep, I don't know how you manage; I'd be a zombie if I tried getting along with 2 or 3 hours of sleep nightly. @RMLincolnI'm happy to hear DH's eye has settled and there's hope for saving his sight! @summer slopesending prayers for your friends Mike and Sue; I do hope he's able to be released from hospital so they can make their way home. @dfishif your eye doesn't get better, maybe drop into a medi-clinic to get it checked out. The sun is starting to shine and looking and the forecast, we're starting to get out of the winter temps. Currently we're sitting at 2C(35F), but the predicted high is for a whopping 19C (66), which should really make the glaciers recede a foot or two from the back and front yards! Not a lot on the agenda today except a trip to the family physician for DH's bi-monthly blood check up, etc. Still no word from the valve replacement clinic, so we just bide our time. Maybe the doctor today can get some info for us, we'll see. I'd love to have one of the salted caramel martinis - sounds like a great dessert drink! Today's wine would be acceptable - and I think the description meant it was nice to have a glass outdoors in the evening under a cozy blanket. I like today's menu suggestion, but have never been successful at cooking steak - nor has DH, so as a result the only time we have steak is at the Pinnacle on a BHB. We've got leftover hard boiled eggs from Easter that need to be used, so I'll be making them into egg salad sandwiches that we'll have along with some turkey soup(from the freezer again) at the kitchen table tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, in pain, in grief, and in wars, not of their making. Special prayers to the people of Taiwan and to the innocents in Gaza. Cheers to all with celebrations today. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Our first ever cruise was July, 1989 to the Eastern Caribbean on Carnival's Jubilee. Ports over the 7 days were Nassau, San Juan, and St. Thomas. I was hooked from the beginning.

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! I find ferrets too wyley and cunning, and they're awfully quick - much prefer cats. We have pretty good produce managers at the grocery stores near us, but nothing competes with the farmer's market. Love peanut butter and jelly - it goes on anything flat: crackers, bread, toast, waffles, pancakes . . . . Thank you all for your beautiful words of condolence yesterday; they were so appreciated. I'm not that great of a person, just that when I see others in need, I'm willing to help in any way. I'm blessed to have such a sweet support group like you to help buoy me up in dark times. Having re-read yesterday's post, I have to apologize for the lengthy diatribe; I could have simply said Gord had passed away and I was there to support Ollie, end of story, rather than going into detail. The house is quiet, but yesterday I did get all the beds stripped, some of the laundry done, and all but a few fingerprints wiped off the coffee tables. I'm almost hesitant to take the last of them off, as they are a great reminder of the little people and their presence. Today is a day to finish the laundry, do a once-over with the vacuum and to relax - there might even be a nap in the afternoon for both of us. LOL @smitty34877I'm sorry to hear Tana had a bad night; I'm glad you've got a call in to the hospice nurse, especially when you know the cough sounds different. Prayers that everything turns our alright for her, and please try to get some rest when the aide is there. I'd like to try the drink, but seriously, how many bars carry lavender syrup? Pretty sure I'd like the drink, and a healthy French toast casserole? Sure. We'll go with that. I like breakfast casseroles, but don't care for the flavours of almond or oat milk, so will continue to make them (as infrequently as I do) with regular 2% milk. As for us, we've got leftovers from Easter dinner to work on, so it'll be warmed up ham and baked potatoes along with freshly cooked asparagus (it was on sale, and I bought WAY too much!) at the kitchen table tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, in pain, in grief, and in wars. Special prayers to the aid workers killed in the air strike in Gaza - as if things there weren't horrible enough!!! Cheers to all with celebrations today. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Rabbit, rabbit, white rabbit. Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! No tom foolery happening here today, and I hope April Fool's day is a quiet one for everyone. The quote is pretty cynical; how unfortunate that she was seeking the happiness that was just so elusive. Yesterday morning started with shreiks of delight as the Easter Bunny made his appearance and left treats all over the house. We got the kids settled with breakfast, then I started getting things together for our early dinner (4:30PM). I had just unwrapped the ham and was putting it into the roaster when the phone rang; it was a number I didn't recognize, but thought I should answer it. It was the social worker calling from the hospital asking if I could come in to support Ollie. I hastily tossed the ham in the oven on low, wrote out a few cryptic notes as to what should happen for the rest of the meal and drove over to the hospital with my wheels barely touching the pavement. Gord had not progressed at all, and the CT scan showed extreme damage to his heart; combined with the fact that he had not had a heart beat for 12 full minutes on Thursday at home meant that there was no hope for his recovery. I stayed at CCU with Ollie, talking to Gord, reminiscing about the times we spent together, and generally being there for both of them. We laughed, we talked, we cried, and we prayed. And at one point Ollie said to me "Do you think it's time?" I replied that the decision was hers as to whether or not she wanted the medical interventions to cease. She did, but couldn't tell the nurses, so I relayed the information for her. From the time the machines were disconnected to the time he took his last breath was less than 2 minutes. So sad, as there was still so much they wanted to do as a couple, now Ollie is on her own. I drove her home and offered to spend the night with her, but she declined, saying she wanted to be alone. On my return home, the kitchen was bustling with activity - getting the ham carved, retrieving the baked potatoes, vegetables, etc., and the table was already beautifully set. DH and our lovely DDIL Noriko did a great job of pulling it all together for us. My sister in law arrived, as did DH's adult children, so there were 10 of us around the dining table for Easter Dinner. This morning the family got up, packed everything up (the back of their SUV looked like the Clampitt's moving to Bev-er-lee!), and started on their way back to Calgary. Now the house is eerily quiet, but we'll be heading that way in less than 2 weeks, as we always go to Calgary to celebrate our oldest DGS Logan's birthday - he'll be turning 9 on the 11th. @ottahand7sending you virtual hugs as you struggle to get through today. @kazuI'm so pleased that you've got care for Ivan taken care of; what a big burden off your shoulders! Today it's laundry, getting the house back into shape, doing a bit of vacuuming, and just breathing. Late in the day we'll head over to Ollie's to see how she's doing and to see what we can do to help. Although we've got lots of leftovers, we'll be picking up roast beef sandwiches and Tim Horton's coffee to enjoy at Ollie's kitchen table tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, in pain, and in grief. Cheers to all who have celebrations today. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry