GUT2407

No thisis a pie from Ridley Didge

Check, or even wait till you board, like back in the good old days.

On which ship do doors open out? Never seen it on any ship I’ve been on.

And when she died we found hundreds of canned food way out of date, “You never knew when times would go bad again”.

My Nan always added some to apple pie, you’d never know if you hadn’t sat helping peel them. But she was of that vintage where every dunny had a Chook vine and fleshing out meals was necessary.

Well I sure did. What was touching was that the staff knew all about Doc, apparently the student talks about her all the time.

Mrs Gut bought it home last day of school, and shared.

Yeah love cheese sauce on corned beef and on spuds.

My wife got one lovely gift this year a voucher for a cheese maker (the kids family owns the store). She went to get it “Is it a preset platter or do I pick” The shop assistant wasn’t a family member “Ohhh I’m sorry they are away, you must be the famous Doc, my instructions are to ignore what the voucher says and give you whatever you want, you do know you were the only teacher given this?”

On one of our longer cruises, avg age in the 70s we were told that they “plan” on two deaths a week for such a cruise, but hope that about 80% of that get evacuated to a land based hospital before passing. That was a 34 night cruise, at the end of the cruise we were told that they had indeed had 10 passengers who started the cruise that were dead by the end, but only 1 actually died on the ship. The others dies either in hospital or on the way to hospital.

One cruise we were met by at least one ambulance at every port.

I never pre-tip, tip per drink, or even tip weekly, but always try to be nice and polite, find out about them if they have time for a chat, and always have Stella service, often my Diet Coke on the bar before I get there, one cruise first day, at the cafe wife orders a coffee from the back a voice calls “and give her the biggest Diet Coke we have lots of ice no straw” he served us a year earlier on a different ship. What had we done to be so memorable, I guess just been nice, had a laugh and treated all the staff respectfully.

A lot of dads mob were around your old stomping grounds too. Forgotto mention grandad ended up with a few thousand chooks to add to the list, and before taking up truck driv8ng dad had a market garden.

Dads family were all “on the land” Sugar cane, cattle, market gardens etc, so for years dad’s birthday and Christmas presents have been Buy a Bale. And maybe a flagon of Creme Sherry or a big bag of licquorice.

We did one on Solstice a few years ago and the Casino was open. We went from Sydney to just off Nelson Bay and back. It was a nice weekend away but very boozy, Captain kicked one group off before we left Sydney, also couldn’t try a lot of options I guess unlike a longer cruise everyone was trying to cram in everything.

I can only imagine the angst of shopping, going out etc, on a budget in some parts of USA. And come time to pay my carefully calculated spend is blown but state taxes, plus tips. I have been in the position where a calculator was a shopping tool, or a visit to Pizza Hut for one of the kids birthdays was preceded by “only one Pizza and jug of drink between us”. But imagine then discovering that my carefully calculated sales tax and tip were out, by even just a couple of cents. Even worse is who to tip, you must tip a barista but don’t tip at a McDonalds. Why? Tip a hairdresser but not your mechanic.

First night we like to eat on deck, either from the buffer, burger joint or whatever is available, and enjoy sailing out of Port as the sun sets.

It was dreadful, but sounds like a bit more to it than we have heard. Probably neve4 hear the full story, but so sad.

There are tons of Tender Ports in Aus/NZ but I can’t find that cruise so would only be guessing.

which terminal is an issue OPT or White Bay Rather than flight time, what is latest check in, normally be 11:00 am. And doable, but it doesn’t take much to go wrong, a breakdown or accident on the way to the airport. Ship getting in late. Problems with disembarkation. Or of course the new factor of COVID, in my opinion the same day is always risky. We often park at the airport long term car park. Now one time we needed to get home for a funeral a Noon. Walked to Circular Quay, Train to Airport, Shuttle to long term car park, picked up Mrs G at OPT by 9:00 Another cruise she was still sitting sipping coffee (and starting to worry) at 1:00, just everything went wrong, delay on the train, shuttle got a flat tyre, accident on the road back, that meant as I approached the OPT the traffic was heavy with the next lot arriving.

Imagine checking us both in at once, wouldn’t that make your day. And two Mrs Gut’s as well.

Its most weeks the only outside interaction I have other than with Drs.

If you head to Ross via Richmond the Coal River area has some lovely wineries and chocolate makers, tons of historic buildings around Ross and Richmond, but for my $ the best photography is up Mt Wellington or heading more South

Better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.

When you spend 99% of your time in bed you need something to distract you.