jimgev

3 hours ago, shuyak said:

Received email from HAL informing us due to covid cases surge in Alaska, our 6/26/22 Nieuw Amsterdam Whittier to Vancouver cruise requires mask indoor except eating and drinking.  Outdoor mask is strongly recommended.

Just received the same email regarding our 6.26/22 cruise on the Noordam.

Good Morning.

As always, thanks for the daily and the care lists.

I love the quote. Reading is essential to keeping ones mind sharp.

I like cod but not the salted kind so much so I will pass on the meal suggestion.

Ball poiint pen day took me back to the time before they were popular. Does anyone remember school desks with ink wells? When the day came to learn to write in ink the teasher carefully poured a small amount of ink into each student's ink well and distributed the ink pens. by the end of the lesson the ppractice papers were filled with ink blotches but even more ink was on our hands and cloths.

Bon Voyage!

Good Morning.

Thanks for the daily and the care lists.

Today and tomorrow will be dominated by the first tropical storm of the season. It is headed right for us but, fortunately, it is not a very strong storm. It will mostly be a rain maker here but we are anticipating significant flooding with the ampunt of rain that is predicted. It has already begun to rain here.

The quote today is so poignant. Jimi was incredibly talented, We lost him way too soon.

Stay safe everyone.

1 hour ago, dfish said:

Well, I am ready to go.  The house is clean, including bathrooms.  I put fresh sheets on the bed, fresh towels in the bathrooms, dusted the furniture, and swept the floors.  The kitchen has stayed clean because I wasn't allowed anything to eat!   I'm even doing a home Covid test just to be sure I'm negative and won't have this surgery delayed.  

@Cat in my lap, @ottahand7, @Sea Viewer, @cat shepard, @cunnorl, @JAM37, @marshhawk, @0106, @ger_77, @kazu, many thanks for all the good wishes and prayers.  I'm so glad the surgical team was included as they are the ones I'm not sure of here.  

Good luck on your surgery and have a speedy recovery.

Had some fun playing aroung in the kitchen today. Put together some old recipies along with somenew ideas Came up with this It turned our really well.

I called it:"Risotto Funghi Etoile"

Basically a mushroom risotto with some pork to complete the dinner.

Creativity keeps us going.

2 minutes ago, StLouisCruisers said:

 

I remember that!  I'm much too old.

What does that make me? LoL

5 hours ago, USN59-79 said:

I am sometimes confused how we use acronyms to describe relationships here on CC.  For example, is DS a dear sister or dear son?

Not sure what BFF means - best female friend?  I assume that somewhere on CC there is a listing of these.  Can someone point me to it?  Thanks.

Ray

Ray>

i agree. it is all getting rather craxy.

I think it all started with LSMFT back in the 50's. LOL (whatever that started)

Bon Voyage!

Good Morning. Thanks for the daily and the care lists.

Nurses are incredible. We can't thank them enough.

The quote from Marilyn is hauntingly sad.

Looks like another beautiful day here.

Stay safe everyone

Good Morning>

Thanks for the daily and the care lists.

Happy Mothers Day to all the Moms.

It's a beautiful day here after a day of wind and rain yesterday.

Stay safe everyone.

Good Evening:

It has been a busy day. Our band played at a large annual outdoor event: "Rock, Blues and Brews" here in SW Florida. It was interrupted several times due to nearby ightening strikes but the five bands that playerd were all good and lots of fun.

I must admit that I have never paid much attention to the Kentuckey Derby. Horse races, dog races, car races just are not my thing. I can enjoy people racing one another in track and field events but that is about itl.

Bon Voyage!

Bon Voyage!

16 minutes ago, kazu said:

he update may be delayed this week.  Word press ‘burped” and I have to back track a number of weeks.

 

And I’ve hit a bump in the road.  I hope to do it on Friday and if not, it will be shortly after that.  Please bear with me.

no problem. you have other priorities.

Hi Jacqui:

We have booked an Alaska Cruise/Land  "double denali"  trip. 

Departing Vancouver on June 26 on the Noordam.

Best wishes for you and Jose.

Jim and Gevanne

We have recently booked an Alaska Cruise with a "Double Denali" land tour. We are experienced HAL cruisers but have not experienced a cruise with a land tour added. There is very little information about this on the official HAL website  or even in the various CC forums.  The role call for this cruise is not active at all.

For those who have experience with this. information would be very appreciated. Here are some basic questions:

1) Luggage. The instruuctions say that only a small bag that could fit under your seat on the train is allowed. There is no mention about the rest of ones luggage. Can we assume that it is loaded onto a baggage compartment and follows us?

2) Food and Beverage. It is said that the trains have food and beverage services. Are we allowed to bring our own snacks and beverages aboard? Can one bring a bottle of wine aboard to enjoy on the train?

3) I understand that "food packages" for the tours are available. They seem to be rather expensive and also provide large, multi-course meals. After spending time on the ship and battling the constant temptation to over-eat, the last thing I want are more huge meals. What options are there for smaller meals?

Any other tips or insights would be welcome.

1 hour ago, puppycanducruise said:

It's our anniversary!  It was 40 years ago today, that Jim and I were set up on a blind date.🙂 

Happy Anniversary!

1 hour ago, richwmn said:

When I was looking for today's celebrations the picture for New Kids on the Block day showed two children looking at a laptop. I thought the day was for accepting new children in school, those that transferred into an existing class.

That makes much more sense than having a national day for a boy band.

Bon Voyage!

Good Morning.

Ilove a good german beer - especially from the tap and in Germany.

Visited Amsterdam a while back  (1972). Vvid memories of the Ann frank house and espefially the Van Gogh museum. For a long time after that I couldn't get the song "Vincent" out of my head.

Even today, every time I hear that song i remember the Van Gogh museum.

43 minutes ago, USN59-79 said:

One thing I remember from it was that we were encouraged to be members of the "Clean Plate Club" and eat every bit of the lunch they served. 

I remember that too. I think it had a lot to do with our parents hasving gone through the great depression where you just didn't waste anything. We were a frugal generation.

Where I grew up, they had a strange set up for kindergarten. It was a half-year program. So they started in September and ended at the end of December. Then a new class would go from January to June. It resulted in half-year programs in the school system.

My parents told me that I was almost left back in kindergarten because I never wanted to take a nap . Taking a nap was part of the program. We all had to breing blankets and lie down on the floor and nap. I guess I thought that was a dumb idea and rebelled against it - lol.

I started kindergarten in September, finished in December and then started first grade in January. I did the second half of first grade the following September through December. It was fine until we moved to another town with a more "normal" system. We moved at the end of March. I had just begun 4th Grade. Between moving and Easter vacation, I missed a month of school and picked up 4th grade in Mid April. But it ended in June. So I only had a few actual months of 4th grade.. Even though I passed the exams (as did my sister in the 1st grade), our parents decided to have us repeat that grade the following school year.

It was a good decision. As it was, we both graduated High School as one of the youngest in our respective classes.

43 minutes ago, dfish said:

I sent the New York Deli a recipe for Reuben sandwiches when I was on the Koningsdam.  I got a sandwich with one tiny piece of corned beef and no sauerkraut.  Seriously?   

I had a Reuben at the NY Deli on the Nieuw Statendam last November. It was perfectly done and delicious. Sounds like they could have used your recipe on the Konigsdam.

Bon Voyage!