lazey1

Good afternoon everyone. I pass on the food, drink and wine today but Roy's @rafinmdalternative looks good as does Grahams @grapau27 food porn. My only experience with Istanbul was being in lockdown on the tarmac for 7 hours because a plane on the adjacent runway was hijacked. This was in 1987as we were on the way home for a Holy Lands land tour..Thank you Sandi @StLouisCruisers and Lenda @Quartzsite Cruiserfor the wonderful photos. I started packing today for my cruise; as usual I need to go buy a few last minute items such as a small hair spray and a small toothpaste. Thanks to new rather massive doses of Cortisteroids my colitis is enough under control now than I am no longer having seconds thoughts about going on the cruise on May 2. Eva @superoma please take me off the care list. Prayers for all who need them and hoorays for all who are celebrating including all who are at sea. Jane

Finally! Thank goodness. I don't think I could manage being so cold. Others feel better cold than warm; not me. When I get cold it is teeth chattering and bone chilling then it takes a very long time to warm up afterwards. Jane

Looking forward to traveling along with you as I will be doing the 4 day Coastal on Volendam beginning 5/2. Jane

My GI Doc called. The tests have ruled out Cdiff as a cause for my colitis flare; it is seriously inflammed. So back on the opoids I go, will probably be on a maintence dose once he gets it under control. That said, Dr. did say I should be feeling better soon and gave his blessing for the May cruise. Only proviso, I call him as soon as I return. I have been to Puerto Quezel several times and enjoy the Mayan Ruins along with their colorful costumes, purses etc. The first time there we went on a Hal excursion that took us to Lake Atitlan which is considered one of the most beautiful lakes in the world. The governor or president (senior moment, I don't remember which) has his summer palace right on the lake, it is magnificent. It was heartbreaking to see native women doing their laundry in the lake within a few hundred yards of the palace. Sorry, no photos to show I suggest you Google Lake Atitlan. Jane

Thank you for all the info about the brunch @Sharon in AZ. I am looking forward to seeing you on 05/02. Jane

Your photos of Copenhagen and Oslo are bringing back very good memories. My late husband and I visited these cities on a Voyage of the Vikings/Baltic Capitals cruise in 2008 in celebration of our 50th wedding anniversary. Thank you very much. Jane

I had a flare up of the colitis but Dr. prescribed a new medication for me and it seems to be helping; feeling better today. A big wind is nothing but trouble in numerous ways; I don't want to be anywhere near a big wind. I love grilled cheese sandwiches, sometimes to be different I will put a couple slices of dill pickle inside. Having worked in insurance claims for almost 40 years I really appreciate lawyers and have always been kind to them. In all that time I only dealt with 1 lawyer that was not courteous. No thanks on the meal (pesto ugh), the drink and the wine. @Sharon in AZI got my new cabin assignment yesterday, I will be just a couple of cabins back from the previous assignment but will not have to change cabins. I am hoping that you will be able to introduce me to @AV8rix and @Dismomx5. Prayers for all who need them and cheers for all who are celebrating. Jane

@ger_77 Gerry,Thank you for the porcupine meatball recipe. It looks so good and so simple. I am going to try it, probably tomorrow, as I need to buy an onion. @Sharon in AZSharon could you post your porcupine meatball recipe also? I would love to try any of the Cod and Asparagus dishes if someone else would cook them for me, would be wonderful with the wine of the day. I have been to Boston twice, once spending 3 days precruise there. It was a great disappointment that we did not get to see a game or even tour Fenway Park. Other that that we did nearly all of the tourist things and really enjoyed out limited time there. As usual I have no photos to post. Jane.

Hi Jacqui, I have procrastinated far to long. Please add me for the following: Volendam 5/2/23 4day Pacific Coastal BTB with Volendam 5/6/23 4day Pacific Northwest. Next Konigsdam 11/18/23 Classic Pacific Coastal Thanksgiving 7 day cruise. Thank you, Jane

Bon Voyage

@Sharon in AZThank you Sharon for asking the B2B questions and to all of you dailyites who have answered. I will also be doing my first B2B on the Volendam at the same time. Only mine is 5/2/23 with 5/6/23. No cabin assignment yet for the 5/2/23 portion, I do have an assigned cabin for the 5/6/23 cruise. Congrats, Sharon staying on for the Alaska cruise with your DH joining you. I believe that my grandmother did tatting when she was young but I have never seen a sample, I am not an athiest, I am retired and I have never been to Hammerfest so I am out on all counts. The chicken taco with avacado does sound wonderful. I may go to Pollo Loco for one tomorrow as today I am going with a church friend to see The Duttons then afterwards going for Pizza. Jane

I have never been to Africa and at my age it is no longer on my bucket list to go. Enjoying seeing the photos. I haven't seen a bunsen burner since I was in high school. The red snapper sounds good but I will take my clams in a bowl of chowder please; either Manhatten or New England, I am not prejudiced. Met with my new cardiologist on Tuesday. He told me that the hole in my mitral valve was very small and something I was born with. The CHF is well controlled by the new medications. I do have moderate stenosis in both the mitral valve and the aortic valve, and news to me, I have a significant blockage in the rt. femoral artery. If I ever hurt my leg he will have to do surgery before the leg can heal properly. I guess that means I need to be more careful that usual when I go on shore excursions. I am feeling pretty good but like a lot of you dailyites I have very little energy; this is caused partly by my COPD and partly by my CHF. My mind thinks I should be able to do the things I did in my 30's and 40's, my body thinks my mind is an idiot. Jane

Are Redneck Bob and I the only dailyites who see the name Joe and think of females. I have 3 good friends named JoAnn, plus 1 Joan and 1 Jody. Now who here doesn't know about JoAnna Gains, JoDee Messina, and there is always Jolene, Jolene by Dolly Parton. All right I will now acknowledge my favorite uncle, the late Daniel Joseph, and his son, my cousin, the late Donald Joseph. Jane

This expresses my thoughts better that I ever could. Paul I know that you ove your cats as much as I love my cats. Jane

Beautiful sunrise. Thank youRoy, your sunrise/sunset photos have been greatly missed. Jane

I pray that your surgeon will have a blest day and that the surgery will relieve you of the problems you are suffering. Jane

Every time I have gone to Mexico I treat it exactly the same as I would treat a known BAD area in the United States. Always have a male companion with you, dress down instead of up, do not wear jewelry and do not carry a camera or your key card around your neck. For years I did this whenever I had to field work in some of the worst areas of Los Angeles City and County and never had a problem.

Happy Birthday Pauline.

Perhaps your TA did not understand what Holland America was telling her. I have booked with the minimum deposit and Club Orange and received the upgraded cabin immediately on several different cruises. I suggest that you ask your TA to try again or IF you can find anyone at Holland America that will talk to you sk them yourself.

I was a working woman from the time I was 17 until I retired at 63. 40 of those years were in the insurance industry. I always do my best proof-reading just after I hit enter or send. The meal of the day looks fantastic. Will someone please cook this and invite me to dinner. I will bring wine but the the wine of the day as it is above my pay grade. We were on a VoV aboard the Eurodam when we recieved word that my mother had passed so we had to disembark at St. John's Newfoundland.. All I remember is our cabin stewart loading our suitcases over a fence into a waiting cab and proceeding up a steep hill to the airport. Thank you to those who posted photos as I will now have an idea of what we missed. Jane

Good afternoon, or is it evening for most of you. Dinner time here and oh those pot roasts look good. I will take all the carrots any one wants to throw at me. My parents names were Gladys Faye and Woodrow Wilson. Good thing I am an only child and was named my grandmothers middle names. My female cousin was named her grandmothers first names. Male members of the family were not so fortunate; lots of Ruebens and even more Chesters. Our city just got the first Aldi a few months ago but it is 8 miles away from me. Not very convenient for shopping. Someday I will have to go there to find out why so many of you shop there. I am genuinely curious. Jane

I also requested that this be made a sticky thread. Semi related. On my last cruise I had enough carry over credits that the cruise was fully paid for. I asked a friend if she would like to cruise with me, told her the cruise was fully paid for and that her only expenses would be the flights and excursions. She did come with and we both enjoyed it.

His name was Gary. Yes it was on the Maasdam but in 2009. We were on the Eurodam in 2008 celebrating our 50th anniversary. Jane

@vswanI am sorry you lost your husband and so unexpectedly. My late husband and I had been on approximately 20 cruises, usually in a balcony. We preferred cruises of at least 14 days and enjoyed even longer cruises of up to 30 days. 7 days was just to short a time for us. It seems that most of your questions have been answered except for sharing the personal experiences. My husband of 57 years passed away in Sept. of 2015. The first Thanksgiving and Christmas I spent with my in-laws as I have no relatives except a son who had used all his timeoff prior to his dad's illness and death and was unble to take any more time off work. I neeeded some time to myself and went on my first solo cruise over Christmas and New Years of 2016/2017; a 16 day cruise. The ship I chose was The Prinsendam, a small ship that I had not been on before. I was very shy but went to the Singles and Solo's luncheon which was quite difficult for me. I met a lovely lady of over 90 who had literally been all over the world and was an excellent story teller, had lunch with her several times. I spent a lot of time on my balcony reading but did go to all of the entertainment in the show room. I also went to several trivia games and just observed. The Christmas celebrations, singing carols while the tree was officially lit, listening to the Santa Claus countdown then seeing the Captain and other officers give the children Christmas presents were by far the most healing experiences that I had. Since that first solo cruise I have gone on several other cruises, some by myself, other with friends. Each has it's own rewards. I believe that you will know when it is time for you to resume cruising.