St. Louis Sal

4 hours ago, mamaofami said:

Good morning everyone.
 

Sam left here by ambulance yesterday afternoon. He had chest pain and pain down his arm. The medics asked me to give him 4 baby aspirin to chew as they were on the way. The hospital did blood work, a CAT scan of his chest and an EKG. Everything was normal. They moved him to a room for observation and might do a stress test this AM. If everything is normal, he will come home. Once again, my kids stepped up. I don’t know what I would do without them.

Stay safe everyone,

Carol

Oh Carol, how frightening for both of you. Our children can be such a blessing. Yours sound like troopers. Prayers for all of you that all will be okay. 🙏

St Louis Sal

On 12/3/2019 at 12:30 PM, cat shepard said:

I am one lucky woman. I have used the unlimited laundry packages to the fullest on different ships, and NEVER had a problem. Though one of my workout bras went missing for a day.

Same here. Everything including the unmentionables have come back, no problem. Giggled the first time all my undies arrived nicely folded, wrapped in tissue paper, nestled in a basket. Service, HAL style. 

It’s always a good feeling to tip extra on my cruises.
 

I tip our dining room staff if we are assigned the same table for the whole cruise because they get to know us and our likes. I give it to them the last night. One time I did the Pinnacle last night, so I tracked them down 😀 so as not to miss. 

I rarely do room service but do tip when I get it, amount depending on size of order.

For drinks I usually only tip extra if I’ve chosen a particular bar to hang at and get to know the bartender. 

I always tip my room steward(s). Usually on the last night, I leave it on the bed when we go to dinner. On holiday cruises I tip an additional small amount on the day of, usually in a happy holidays card I bring along or else just write a note. 
 

I always remind myself that those amounts are small to me, but may be special for the recipient. 
 

St Louis Sal

21 hours ago, Gunther1 said:

I’m sure it exists: what is a good site to go to for comparison of two specific suites on a specific HAL ship ?

 

We will be on a 12 day honeymoon cruise soon and I want to surprise my new spouse :).
 

thanks much in advance !!!

I am curious to know if you are more interested in the looks, the size, or the location of particular suites? If you have it narrowed down you could post a question asking if anyone has experience with those particular cabins. Most of us love to respond if we were in a specific cabin. For instance on the Koningsdam, I’d avoid Signature Suite 5001. So let us know, maybe we can help you with specifics.

St Louis Sal

6 hours ago, Quartzsite Cruiser said:

After all the appliance woes the past year, I felt I had to post this when I saw it on Facebook.

 

 

Lenda

The uglier those things were, the longer they lasted. I was “lucky”  enough to have avocado green at one house and harvest gold at another. 🤢

St Louis Sal

Good evening all!

Getting late, but I wanted to post before bedtime.

I don’t know if others read the Daily like I do when I’m late and there are a lot of pages. I read Rich’s morning page, catch Roy’s concern and celebration lists, and check the entree, the wine. and the drink. Thank you @dfish@cat shepard@summer slope Then I go to the last page and read my way back. Crazy I know.

I wish women were truly equal in the eyes of the law as well as everyday living. (Still hear the echo of the supervisor when I started a new job, “well we’ve never had a woman do this job before.” *sigh*)  I have made my own luck, never lucky with things like lottery tickets.  Of course it’s National Dog Day every day in this household.

Welcome aboard @JAM37 !

@kazuI love your plants, they are so beautiful and you take such good care of them. One summer we decided on a last minute cruise and my neighbor offered to water all my hanging baskets for me. I was embarrassed at how much better they looked when she took care of them 😊

It’s been a busy week. My dinner talk last night at the Optimist’s netted our food pantry $500 with more promised, a successful evening! 
 

Prayers for all on our concern list 🙏 And no wine handy, but I will toast with some spring water for all the celebrating. 
 

St Louis Sal
 

P. S. Here is a Fritz picture in honor of National Dog Day. We used it when he announced his presidential candidacy in 2019 😂.  I figured he was just as qualified and in a spirit of diversity he planned to choose a cat as his running mate.

13 hours ago, StLouisCruisers said:

Good morning!  Not very pretty outside - it's gray and hazy instead.  Thanks @richwmnfor the Daily today.  We have a very specific destination today with the daylight passing of Mt. Pelee.  Too bad if you passed it during the nighttime hours though that might be more exciting if the volcano were active.  I don't recall having passed Mt. Pelee before so no photos from me.  Thanks for the photos already shown though.

 

Women's Equality Day is of course very important.  No one wants to feel like a second class citizen.  Cheers to all the dogs today as they celebrate National Dog Day.  I try to make my own luck any day of the week.  

 

Today's casserole selection doesn't appeal to me so I'll have to go with the steak.  Thanks @rafinmdfor our lists.  I hope all on the Care list improve with our prayers and cheers to those celebrating something today.  

 

Nothing exciting to report today, so that could be a good thing.  I'm using Edge instead of Chrome to post here and it hasn't helped at all.  It's taking me so long to do anything anymore with this crazy keyboard.  Probably something I did to it.  About a month ago I splashed a little peach tea on it when I forgot to put the lid on tightly on my insulated mug.  I cleaned it up thoroughly including absorbing droplets from the edges of the keys but I think that has come back to haunt me.😟

 

 

 

Not a computer geek, but is your keyboard wireless? Mine started doing funky things and it turned out it needed a new battery. Of course peach tea might still be the culprit 😁

Edit: reading late today and going from last to first, so I saw you are talking about your laptop. Well there goes my theory.
 

St Louis Sal

Just now, atexsix said:

Oh my gosh, how terrible, how old is Fritz?  Our vet first recommended a couple teeth get pulled, but a 2nd opinion said no and that we can wait, hope waiting doesn't lead to this 😲🙏

Fritz is 15. He is showing his age-graying, arthritis and his tooth troubles. The seizures were quite frightening (dachshunds are prone to them), but since he’s been on phenobarbital he has had none. He has his own account at Walgreens 😂. The problem is phenobarbital is a controlled substance so we must always have a written script to get them.

37 minutes ago, iancal said:

We have never been stopped or questioned.  Anywhere.  Even the odd time when we had drugs that were considered to be highly controlled prescription drugs in our own country.

 

Think of the practicalities of customs/immigration personnel questioning or examining anyone and everyone who is traveling and entering a country with a personal drug  prescription of some sort...let alone OTC vitamins etc.

 

The enlightening part....how much less expensive (sometimes incredibly less expensive) these drugs often are in other countries when one needs to have an RX filled while traveling.

It is also surprising how many drugs that are prescription only here in the U.S. are OTC in other countries.

Sal

2 hours ago, atexsix said:

I would die in 97% humidity now, and I grew up in Illinois and lived in Georgia, so I'm no stranger to it.  Can't tolerate heat since all my neuro issues started.

Here in St Louis this morning it is 95 degrees, but feels like 107!  Our humidity is ONLY 52%. Of course we have a heat advisory. 
 

Sal

Back from the vet. Poor Fritz has an infected tooth and is now on antibiotics. He was not a happy camper, even peanut butter on a stick from his favorite tech was not enough to make up for it.  He should have two teeth removed, but he is on phenobarbital for seizures and anesthesia can make the seizures worse. So we will just deal. He hasn’t lost his appetite (one of his nicknames-chunky monkey).

I have been to Talkeetna 5 times (although 3 times we were just stopped at the station on the train, so that doesn’t really count). The other two times were road trips, once on the bus, once in our RV. I have no decent pictures because both times it was rainy and foggy and nasty. In fact on our RV trip we practically bottomed out in a huge pothole that we didn’t see because it was filled with muddy water. What I could see of Talkeetna through the rain looked interesting.

Off for a haircut in a bit.

Take care all,

St Louis Sal

Good morning all!
 

I guess I missed the messy morning Daily issue. Glad to be here, but not much time as Fritz has a vet appointment this morning.

DH and I don’t fight (maybe once in a blue moon) so we don’t have to kiss and make up. I am a super fan of National Parks, celebrate them with visits whenever I can. I am an ice cream lover, but not such a big fan of banana splits. 
 

Today’s  entree will be passed on to my vegetarian daughters. The drink 😱. The wine worries me just a little with that “hint of sweetness”, but with the price, may be worth a try.

Busy day today capped with a dinner with The Optimists at a wonderful Italian restaurant. They have invited me to talk about Feed My People, one of our largest area food pantries, where I have been a board member for over ten years. I am going to talk about our upcoming building project. Our building was built in the early 60’s (we are second owners) and it is in desperate need of upgrading. Our bathrooms are not handicapped accessible (frankly they are kind of dark & spooky looking, stuck in the back corner of what was originally a grocery store.) Looking forward to making the food pantry a more inviting place for our clients.

Time to head off. Keeping our care list in my prayers today 🙏. And 🍷 for the celebrations.

St Louis Sal

29 minutes ago, KirkNC said:

Happy Wednesday!  I like cauliflower and I like beef Wellington but that dish combined appears to be a bridge too far.

I agree.

5 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Folks just had fun and enjoyed the normalcy.

I think normalcy in this instance is a bit of a misnomer. It’s like a fairy tale where you think you live in this bubble, untouched by reality. I doubt that any of the places you’ve been were 100% free of Covid. And the comments about airport experiences reinforce that normalcy misnomer and frankly make me feel eeeww. Travel has always been a bit of a gamble, never more so than now. 
 

St Louis Sal

3 hours ago, atexsix said:

I worked with a gal that pointed to an old IBM Selectric and asked what it was.

 

I'm like, "young lady, believe it or not, that was once cutting edge technology" LOL

Totally off topic, but your comment reminded me of my days in typing class.  We would all be on time because the classroom only had 3 IBM Selectrics and all the rest were old Remingtons, so only the fast kids got the electric typewriters..  But I admit to still missing the feel and sound of throwing that carriage. If you ever get to Chicago, visit the American Writers Museum; they have an interactive room full of all kinds of typewriters, including those old Remingtons AND Selectrics and you can type to your heart's content.

St Louis Sal  

On 8/22/2021 at 2:08 PM, seaoma said:

For months and months I've read posts here where people were so concerned for the crew and their livelihood and now, when they get the first chance to get onboard, they potentially put crew at risk, both for their health and their employment.

 

Does anyone think that the cruise lines may have learned a thing or two about the cruises that have been sailing in the past few weeks? Perhaps there is more active infection on the ship than they want, so they have added a couple of additional layers of protection to try and slow it down, making it safer for all, passengers and crew, to sail. I am all for that and I would have thought more than half of us would have wanted it too.

I have no inside information so some of this is speculation on my part, but I believe a part of restarting cruising depended on arrangements with the various ports for the care of ill passengers/crew in the event of a Covid outbreak.  This was an issue at the shutdown.  And I remember as the last two HAL ships pulled into Fort Lauderdale, how appalled I was at the comments being shared on the TV station chat as they were livestreaming the docking.  People were quite upset at the very idea of bringing sick patients off the ship.  The cruise lines can't risk a repeat of such an event.  As cases have risen sharply not only in America, but in other ports of call, there may need to be more stringent passenger/crew safety procedures to comply.  I realize Florida seems to be in an anything goes frame of mind, but I think other places don't share that same attitude.

St Louis Sal

12 hours ago, cruisetheworld67 said:

LOL! I am laughing at this! Can't help it! So THIS is an enjoyable vacation? Too funny!

This reminds me of all the endless threads on "appropriate" attire for formal ( now GALA nights) and how some expressed that their cruise was just "ruined" because of how others dressed during dinner!

Chill out.   Some people may not be clear on the rules. Some may not have a mask covering their mouth AND nose. I see this ALL the time and it is mostly with the elderly! 

Some do not wear a mask correctly. HAL recommends a "medical grade " mask. What the hell is that? I wear a cheap  surgical mask. Especially if I need to wear a new one every day. Buy them in bulk.

I am sure some will wear 2  or even 3 masks. Some will wear only N 95 masks. Guarantee there are those that will criticize others for only wearing a "cheap"  mask. "THEY ARE NOT DOING THEIR PART TO PROTECT OTHERS!"

Some will probably chose to bathe in gallons of sanitizer gel. Whatever. This is getting ridiculous!

Believe me, I am one to follow the rules; but if this  is what it takes to cruise......I will wait.  As I am sure many others will.  Just NOT worth my time or money. HAve fun!

Where we are now is a combination of a very uneven playing field (it's hard to keep up with the rules from place to place, day to day) and a reluctance among some people to be inconvenienced in any way.  It does seem to be related to those age old topics of chair hogs and parents allowing their children to run amok.   Some people just have an entitled viewpoint and find being asked to do something that they don't want to do...well they just ignore it and do their own thing.

There is excellent information in many places about the efficacy of various types of masks.  And if someone finds masks uncomfortable, some research into better fitting ones would be worthwhile.  The one thing that would really inconvenience someone on a cruise would be to get sick with Covid.

Just a reminder that "chill out" belittles the seriousness of both the disease and the precautions that may help stop it's spread. If someone is not wearing a mask or not wearing it correctly, if they are told about it, they should comply with grace or as you suggested, they can stay home until Covid is no longer so prevalent. And I hope that the sanitizer is not unduly harsh on your skin if you are bathing in it and you're are not hogging it so that others find it in short supply.  There is ridiculousness out there, but it's interpretation and application is quite different from one of us to another.

St Louis Sal  

8 hours ago, RuthC said:

You can request the kind of chocolate you want. I prefer milk chocolate, so ask for two of those when I meet them the first day. 
I always come home with a nice supply of milk chocolate HAL candies as a souvenir. 

You reminded me that after one of my cruises my DH found my stash of chocolates and started turning the bed down and putting a chocolate on my pillow to ease my cruise withdrawal!

St Louis Sal

Good evening all!

Just got back home from Branson. Need to do a little unpacking and finish polishing my sermon for tomorrow at our local retirement home. 
 

We are having a block party by my house this evening, a summer bash complete with a band. My DH and I are torn about attending. It is outside and we are vaccinated, but St Louis County had over 300 new cases yesterday and we have a lot of kids around, all of whom went back to school this week. Hard to say whether we are being over cautious or not. Especially since I will be with a group of (vaccinated) 80 year olds tomorrow, I think I’ll err on the side of safety.

Thanks for all that goes into the Daily; I always read even when I don’t post.

Sending prayers for all on the care list. So sad to hear of Notman, the young man who died. How awful for his parents. And praying that all those in the path of Henri (and Grace as well) are safe. We passed a huge convoy of electric trucks from Oklahoma Public service. I imagine they are heading northeast to help in Henri’s aftermath. Safe travels for them, they have quite a ways to drive. 🙏🏻  And celebrating with all. Hard to believe the 5th HAL cruise is already leaving from Seattle. Good times for everyone! 🍷

St Louis Sal

5 hours ago, Vict0riann said:

Does that make it a sunrise instead of a sunset?

I usually post sunset pictures every time I cruise. Once I posted a sunrise just so everybody would know I didn’t always sleep that late. 😁

St Louis Sal

7 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

We went out for dinner tonight.

Pauline put some of her pizza on my plate.

 

After that picture I have absolutely got to go have lunch!

St Louis Sal

3 hours ago, Horizon chaser 1957 said:

Good morning, all! It would be nice to celebrate the day by drinking lemonade and listening to the radio. I also salute medical transporters, so essential and so often undervalued. It would be nice to buy them lemonade as well. The Moroccan Fish good, as does Roy’s lamb alternative.

We have, and haven’t, been to Macapa Brazil. That is where the Princendam picked up the paperwork for entering Brazil, and possibly the pilot, although memory is less clear on that. The officials came out in a boat and although we sat there for a long time we didn’t dock and no one went ashore. Apparently is is even less safe to go ashore there than Belém or Recife, which is pushing the envelope a bit! It is known for a monument where the Equator runs through town.

@Gail & Marty sailing awayHappy Birthday, Gail! It’s too bad you aren’t celebrating it on the Eurodam in Santorini.

@cat shepard Ann, that’s awful about your sisters DGS. 8 positive in his class alone! Wow! The numbers there are very concerning, especially right after Canada has opened the border to visitors from the US again. At least it is only opened to fully vaccinated, which should help. And as of today, the US has extended on Canadians crossing the border for another month. This may be just as well, until the delta surge passes. 

Yesterday was a happy day processing the silk I ordered into a state ready for printing. Instead of doing a few scarves at a time when I want to print something a day or two later, I have everything ready to go whenever the right leaves come along.

We have a forest fire across from us on Vancouver island. There is a large smoke plume heading east, rather than spreading out to blanket the region. It’s alarming, but did make a pretty sunset from our friends deck.

This will not post right side up, no matter what I do.

 

Happy Friday, courtesy of the elevator mats of our BHB’s!

 

Your picture of the sun is so gorgeous. I attempted to turn it, let me see if it works. 
 

St Louis Sal

Good morning all!
 

Love that it is Aviation day. Unlike some of my family and friends, I love flying! I have been in everything from a two-seater Cessna on up. Biggest regret-that I never got to fly on the Concorde. My last flight was February 23 , 2020, flying home from Miami after a cruise. This is the longest time I’ve gone not flying in over 40 years. I miss it. 
 

When I was growing up, no matter the menu, there was always potatoes. I love them however they’re prepared.

How lucky all of us on the Daily have been to have taken photos all over the world. That said, I haven’t been to today’s destination, but I know you will all share some good pics.

I love a Chardonnay, even oaky ones. The drink matches the day, perfect. Frittatas are nice, you can throw in whatever veggies you have handy.

Here is more good news to balance our care list. (I think we have several teachers on here, so they should appreciate this.) A young friend from my church has been chosen teacher of the year from our district, plus she is a finalist (one of 17) for Missouri Teacher of the Year.  She is so thrilled. She is an English Language specialist. Her elementary school has a large immigrant population; 17 different languages. She has worked to fill the library with bilingual books in all the languages. She started a program (before Covid) of having neighbors from around the school come and meet the buses in the morning. We would each have a sign saying “good morning” in the different languages and we would greet each child individually. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for Amanda, she really deserves this honor.

Prayers🙏Each day for those on our care list. And a smile and a toast 🍷 for all the good news.

Take care all,

St Louis Sal

P.S. Here is one of my favorite travel photos. Do you know where it’s from?

14 hours ago, GeorgiaPeach51 said:

Yes we are, and believe me, I have squawked at my husband about it.  Ugh.

 

We live in Big Canoe, between Jasper and Dawsonville.  Very familiar with Blue Ridge....we were last there for a chili cook off pre-covid.  It was a lot of fun.  😃

Have you tried changing the flight? The airlines have changed and/or canceled a lot of flights. They changed one of mine in February 2020 (made it into a 3 stopover flight!) and I was able to get them to change it to a better one for us. Of course I was negotiating from strength (original change was theirs), they may not be willing to do it just because your husband messed up on the time 😁. Doesn’t hurt to ask though. Hope it all works out.

St Louis Sal

Good morning all!
 

I’m pretty sure all the poetry I ever wrote was really bad. Love daffodils, will celebrate them even out of season. Yes, yes, to a good Pinot Noir. 🍷

Haven’t been to Uruguay, or much of South America to my regret. Pictures will have to suffice.

The pot roast sounds good. I have avoided buying an Instant Pot; I think I have enough small appliances already. Three cheers for a Chilean Red wine! I have always thought of a Brandy Alexander as a sophisticated kind of drink. 
 

I have some good news from my liver transplant friend! This is from his wife: “the doctors say he is doing much better. He is well over the worst of Covid with just a lingering cough. It is quite a testament to both the power of prayer and that vaccine he got! They believe the vaccine enabled him to weather the crazy new variant despite the immunosuppressant drugs he is on. He may get out of isolation this weekend!” Thanks to all of you who have joined in prayers. Prayer is indeed a powerful medicine. And hallelujah for the vaccine!

Continued prayers for all on our care list. 🙏. And raising a glass to celebrate the good times (while trying not to be jealous of those cruisers in Sitka today 😁) 🍷

St Louis Sal