Quartzsite Cruiser

I'm sorry the weather did not cooperate today, but I'm glad you had a nice tour in spite of the rain. Bergen is a lovely town, and we've enjoyed many visits there. The times it was raining when we were there were not as wet as what you experienced.

Good morning from a mostly sunny central Texas where it will probably be our hottest day so far with a predicted high of 104F. Beginning tomorrow, our high temperatures will gradually go down to normal summer highs. Right now it is 80F and feels like 83F with 66% humidity and a dew point of 67F. I wish I was staying in keeping cool today, but unfortunately I'm heading to the dentist this morning for what will be, for me, the worst part of the implant process. They will be making the impressions. This is one procedure they can't use the digital wand to make the impressions. I will survive, but it probably won't be pretty. At least, my dentist is understanding. Accessible air travel is important. We don't listen to the radio as much as in the past. Thanks to Graham, @grapau27 I will honor world mosquito day and the meaning behind it. Another funny quote from a funny man, George Carlin. A hard pass on the Chicago-style carrot dogs. Yes, I like cooked carrots, but not as a hot dog. We'll pass on the drink. When we were in Australia, we had several bottles of Pinfolds which we enjoyed, but not the Shiraz. I'll pass on the Shiraz, the one red wine I don't like. We have not been to Dunedin. I have enjoyed seeing the pictures, and hope to get there someday. A good day in 1741 when Vitus Bering first sighted Alaska. I've always enjoyed the 1812 Overture. @Horizon chaser 1957 Welcome home, Laura. @StLouisCruisers Glad you found some shoes you liked yesterday, Sandi. @kazu Jacqui, congratulations on the house sale and getting what you thought the house is worth. Wow, 16 offers! It's natural to be weepy and sad leaving the house you and Jose loved for so many years. I hope the visit with the vascular surgeon goes well. @LambKnuckles I'm sorry your father contracted malaria, Lambie. @aliaschief Bruce, that's good news your lawn service could work you into the new schedule. Safe travels tomorrow. @Seasick Sailor Joy, sending positive thoughts today for a successful surgery and a good recovery for Bonnie. I read your first post just after I posted my post to @MISTER 67. We all know you would never deliberately or offend anyone. Lenda

@MISTER 67 Please don't let one person on another thread make you feel like you have to leave the Daily. As others have said, everyone is welcome here whether or not they cruise HAL. Seeing other Dailyites thoughts and insights into other lines gives us an idea about which other lines we might try in the future. I hope you will reconsider your decision. Lenda

@TiogaCruiser Laura, I hope you have a wonderful cruise. Lenda

Tonight I took my golf cart ride shortly after sunset and could see the moon behind the trees. Just after I got back home, the moon was just rising above the trees. For a few minutes it was beautiful, huge orange ball. Worth being outside even though it was still 95F with no breeze. We justnreceived an excessive heat warning for tonight. It is 92F and feels like 95F. Our overnight low will be 78F about 7am. Annie, I'm glad Munchkin is home and doing well. Way, way back when we had cats and had them spayed and neutered, vets never used the cone of shame. Somehow, the all survived unscathed. Lenda

Welcome to the Fleet Report and Daily. I'm sorry I missed you earlier. Brenda, that is a stunning pin. She did some amazing work in spite of her checkered history. I loved the pictures from Japan. Lenda

Good afternoon from a hot central Texas. It is 100F and feels like 107F, and going to 103F. At least, there was a breeze and the car was in the port when I got everything unloaded and put away. We also stopped at W-M. The humidity is now 33% with the dew point at 66F, so the dry heat is bearable in small doses. I'm inside for the rest of the day until the sun goes down. Normally, we get to the hospital for the CT scan a bit early and are on our way by the time of the appointment. We're not sure what the problem was, but even though we were earlier than usual, they didn't call him back until at least 45 minutes after the appointed time. The tech said there had been a problem earlier, and DH said they were short handed. Whatever the reason, it was a long morning. Welcome to The Fleet Report and Daily. Terry, I agree with Debbie @dfish that Tana is sounding feisty today. Tell here that I might surprise her with some of the words I know, too. I do understand the path, though the circumstances are not as serious. However, I've been know to employ gallows humor at times. Welcome home, and I'm glad you had a great weekend. The picture is beautiful. Karen, I'm glad your DBIL will be there this afternoon so you can have a good visit. I hope he can get the scooter running again. I saw the news about Phil Donahue just after I turned off the computer this morning. I enjoyed his afternoon talk show back when we had three tv channels. RIP, Phil. Welcome the Fleet Report and Daily. Please wish your DB a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY for us. And listen to the fur babies about dining out tonight. Vanessa, I was surprised they said stop the maneuver when the symptoms disappeared. Many years ago, it took DH a while for the maneuver to work completely. Ann, I hope your appointment goes well, and that Pat finds out something about the angiogram results soon. The mug is pretty. Susan, we're lucky that our PCP contracts for a phlebotomist to be on site every day to do the blood draws. That makes it very convenient. He also has a small x-ray machine, and a x-ray tech who comes in one morning a week. I hope the sewer repair does minimal damage to the driveway. I'm glad you arrived in Boston safely, and are enjoying your day there. Lenda

Good morning from a soon to be sunny central Texas. It is 77F and heading to a high of 103F this afternoon. We are more than 100 miles south of where Sandi @StLouisCruisers is, and our temperatures are always a bit lower. We have a 4mph wind that is not apparent looking out the window. The humidity with a dew point of 70F. The humidity and dew point will drop as the day warms up, so brief excursions outside won't be too uncomfortable, but I'm not planning on being outside this afternoon. DH has a follow up CT scan this morning in preparation to his follow up visit to UTSW on Friday. These are both routine appointments, and he doesn't need to be put on the care list. I enjoy root beer floats, but it's been quite a while since I had one. I think I mentioned a few weeks ago, that Blue Bell has developed an A&W root beer float ice cream, that tastes just like a real root beer float. Coco Chanel changed women's fashion with her little black dress. Chanel No. 5 is my favorite cologne. The Great Bird of the Galaxy is an interesting day to honor. The quote is interesting, and we need to remember that Chris Rock is a comedian going for laughs. We'll pass on the meal and the drink. To me chickpeas are a replacement for meat, and one that I avoid. We'll also pass on the drink, but would enjoy the wine. We have not been to Toyama, and I had to look it up on Google Maps. It appears to be a little inland from Toyama Bay. Two good days in the history of space exploration to celebrate. @marshhawk Annie, I hope Momma Munchkin did not cause to much trouble getting her in the carrier. I hope she does well with her surgery. @kazu Jacqui, I hope you get lots of good offers that exceed the asking price. I hope you and Ivan enjoy your looker free day. @Cruzin Terri Terri, I hope your DH can be treated for his rash soon. @Heartgrove Jack, thanks for the update on your DSIL. I hope her surgery on Thursday goes well. @doobieb Debbie, I'm sorry your DH tested positive. I hope he feels better soon. I also hope you do not get sick. @dfish Debbie, that is good news the critters seem to be locked out of the house. @grapau27 Graham, thanks for telling us about the Great Bird of the Galaxy. @Mr. Boston Safe travels tomorrow for you and your DH. @smitty34877 Terry, safe travels to your DS and DGS later today. It's always nice when visitors leave prepared meals. @RedneckBob RNB, I hope the Chanel frames did not ruin your redneck reputation. @Seasick Sailor Joy, your sister will be in my thoughts until she is successfully out of surgery and doing well. @Haljo1935 Elizabeth, I hope your DH can get the cat out from under the bed this afternoon. Lenda

The smoked chicken turned out very good even if it took a little longer than expected, but it was bigger than what the recipe called for. The meat was moist and tender, but we did not are for the smoked skin. It was not crisp and did not taste that good. It we do it again, it would be without wood chips or in the regular grill. If the weather is cooler, I prefer to roast the chicken in the oven. While tomorrow is supposed to be the full moon, the moon tonight was spectacular. With clear skies and low humidity, you could see details. Elizabeth, I hope the vet can get the back in good health quickly. Jane, that is good news youd son is continuing to improve. Hope you are able to go on your Thanksgiving cruise. Jacqui, for some reason we seem to make everything more difficult than it should be. Lenda

When we lived in Newark, DE, we drove over to Cape May once day, This was in the mid 70s, and traffic was bad even then. I hate to think what it will be like with the bridge closed for however long it takes. What wonderful memories. Thanks for sharing that with us. Lenda

I'm lucky that we have an electric smoker. We can set the temperature and not worry about it. We had a charcoal/wood smoker when we lived in The Woodlands, and DH had to check the fire and add wood often. When his father had their mesquite trees trimmed, he's ship us a box of the smaller branches. Once the UPS driver asked what was in the heavy box, but I don't think he believed me when I said mesquite wood. 😁 Lenda

Oh no, Vanessa, about the spinning returning along with the nausea, and on top of that the eye flare. I hope everything is better very, very soon. Thank you for encouragement about smoking the chicken. FWIW, it is in the smoker and we have smoke. As I said, we smoked a turkey a few times, many, many years ago. For some reason we just never did a chicken. In the past couple of years, I've been doing the meat smoking instead of DH, and I'm getting better at the job. I did look up recipes on the smoker's website more for time and temperature. I usually do the chicken in the oven, but it's just to darn hot right now. I love watching the quail run around our neighborhood in Quartzsite. The have their morning patrol and then their afternoon patrol. Joy, still sending very positive thoughts for Bonnie's surgery Tuesday, and an easy recovery. My advice to you is to take a deep breath or two, and pour a glass or two of wine. You'll still worry of course, but it might help you relax. Besides, what harm can a glass of wine do. Lenda

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I was thinking that if they could pack up and clear out the apartment, they could proceed with the cleaning, sanitizing, painting, etc. Lenda

Linda, I hope you go on the cruise. At least, you would be having fun while waiting. Very elegant, Graham. I'm sure Sarah and her boyfriend will enjoy the dinner. Thanks for the pictures. Hope you you get some cake today. Carolyn, that was another near miss meeting. We were in Miraflores on March 9 that year. Jacqui, I hope I'm right too. I know there's a lot of paperwork and financial stuff before ownership changes. Plus, there's time needed to change the names with the utility companies, and get on a movers schedule. Just wondering if the place you're moving to, could pack up their belongs and put them in storage since the son has not kept his word. If your lease begins September 1, that would give them an excuse to get the apartment ready on time. If not, I hope they pro-rate the first months rent. Lenda

We have been to Lima twice. in 2001, on Ryndam, we took a taxi, along with two tablemates, to see the catacombs under the cathedral. If you have never been to the catacombs they are interesting, but a little creepy. I won't say any more about them so I won't ruin the first look for anyone. Unfortunately, that was the last cruise where I still had a film camera. In 2015, along with @StLouisCruisers Sandi and Dennis on Ruby Princess, we docked in Callao. That day due to reports of high crime in Lima, we took the shuttle to Miraflores, a resort and beach area outside of Lima. These are some of my pictures from our day in Miraflores. This first group of pictures were taken from the shuttle on the way to Miraflores. Thus is the Palacio Municipal de Miraflores. Plazuela Federico Elguera For those of us who wanted to convert US dollars into Peruvian Nuevo Sol, the guide from the shuttle led us down the main street until she found the man she was seeking. She explained that he was a money changer and would give us a good rate. From what we knew of the exchange rate, we felt we got a fair deal. From there, we walked down to the Indian Market to look at the native crafts. The large market that was in the terminal in 2001 had closed by 2015. Compared to a huge warehouse full of vendors, the Indian Market was small and a disappointment, but it was still interesting. I think we bought two t-shirts. Our drop off point was a hotel across from a large open air mall, Larcomar, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It was a good place to sit and relax, get ice cream and a cold drink. Views of the Pacific and the coast road from the mall. Looking down the main street from the mall. An interesting fountain near the mall Since we didn't spend all our Nuevo Sol, and we knew that by the time returned to Peru, the currency would have changed again, we needed to find a way to spend what we had. There was a casino next to the hotel pick up point, and we figured we would have some fun while getting rid of the money. Wouldn't you know it, that was the day the slot machines were hot, and I kept winning. Finally, we switched machines and made our donation to the slot gods. Lenda

Good morning from another hot day in central Texas. It is 78F and feels like 78F[ however, the predicted high is 101F. Currently, there is a 3mph breeze from the south, but it will pick up to 7mph this afternoon with no rain in sight for the foreseeable future. This morning I'm going to make a quick trip to the store, then stay inside the rest of the day. Birth control pills were liberating for women when they were first introduced. I'm not sure about delivery rider appreciation day, but will honor Pinot Noir day. I like the Frank Sinatra quote. No chicken salad today, but it is in our future this coming week. Today I'm picking up a chicken to smoke in the smoker. We've smoked turkeys but never chicken, so I have may fingers crossed. We'll pass on the drink, but have enjoyed the wine many times. We have been to Lima twice. The first time was in 2001 when I was still using a film camera, and the second was on Ruby Princess in 2015 with Sandi @StLouisCruisers. I'm glad Tennessee ratified the 19th amendment in 1920 giving women the vote. The Battle of Britain in 1940 was a horrible but necessary battle to save Britain. @kazu Jacqui, I'm sorry your apartment won't be ready in time, but with all the paper work and preparations the buyers will have to make to move, it seems unlikely they could be ready to to move by the first part of September. That would give them less than two weeks once the offer is accepted. @StLouisCruisers Sandi, shortly after our Koningsdam cruise last winter, we got several emails about a special Effy cruise, but I didn't pay too much attention to it, since I wasn't interested in Effy jewelry. Enjoyed your pictures of Lima. @cunnorl Charlene, I hope Ernesto doesn't mess up your cruise too much. I'm surprised they gave you and your DH different times for the Mariner brunch. @smitty34877 Terry, I'm glad you are being spoiled, and hope you are getting a lot of rest. @ottahand7 Nancy, thanks for you pictures from Lima. @dfish Debbie, the third recipe sounds similar to the one I use for chicken salad. Older DD gave it to me when she worked in Kroger's deli in college. They use a mixture of mayo and ranch dressing. The last time I looked it up, Kroger had substituted yogurt for the ranch dressing, which seems bland to me. Lenda

@Mr. Boston Wishing you a wonderful birthday. I hope the wedding was lovely and rain free. Lenda

@kazu Jacqui, I see why so many people are interested in your house. It is lovely, especially the floors, not to mention the garden. Lenda

I'm glad you were able to board so quickly and smoothly.

Good morning again, but I probably should say good afternoon, since it will be afternoon by the time I finish typing this. I got outside about 45 minutes earlier than normal, and that made a big difference until I ran of shaded areas to mow. One good thing about lack of rain, is quite a bit of the non watered yard is dormant and doesn't need mowing. With only needing to mow the green areas, the yard was finished in less than 2 1/2 hours. When I got inside, the weather app said it was 89F and felt like 99F. It's now 94F, and I don't want to know what it feels like. After living just north of Houston for 14 years, I'm glad to be away from the humidity near the coast. We are in the northern part of central Texas, about 45 miles north of Waco. Our temperatures are more like Dallas, but not quite as extreme. Terry, I'm glad your DS and DGS took turns helping Tana last night so you could get some sleep. At least, you got sleep until the four legged aide said you were needed. Dogs have a wonderful way of knowing who or what is needed. Annie, do you think you bosses will buy the line, "my cats ate my work notes"? What happened to your black cat was horrible beyond words. Safe travels today. I hope you get to keep your carry-ons with you. I hope the weather cooperates during the wedding. Debbie, what that gate agent did was beyond despicable. I hope you told them what really happened after you were told you should not have gate checked the bag. Wow Jake on being pack so early. I'll start gathering items to pack a week or so before we leave, but pack the day before. Sandi, sometimes it takes getting behind on the pain meds for the lesson to be learned. I'm glad her big sister told her to take the pain meds as scheduled. Ann, thanks for the pictures. I'm glad you had a choice in the radiation treatment, and have a plan in place. I hope Pat's angiogram shows they can do the valve replacement through a vein. Carolyn, thanks for the update on Amber. I'm glad she's made enough progress that the final surgery can be done. Jacqui, I'm sorry the apartment won't be ready in time. I hope you get several good offers to choose from, and that the buyer doesn't want a move in date too soon. Lenda

A very early and already warm good morning from central Texas. It is 79F at 6:30 am and feels like 85F. Our predicted high is 101F, and we should be in the 90s 11 am. Needless to say, I'm trying to get out to mow the yard as early as possible. Since I have battery operated trimmer and mower, I won't disturb the neighbors with an early start. The only noisy thing is the battery operated blower, but that is used last. We've had one mostly black cat who lived to be 18 years old. We do need to take care of our feet. As far as I'm concerned, I'm not much into the meaning of is. An interesting quote by Theophile Gautier. We'll pass on the meal, drink and wine. While we have not been to Ringaskiddy, we have docked in Cobh many times, but only spent a brief time in Cork on our first stop in 2003 on Rotterdam VI. I hope someone has pictures of the two towns to share. As a former journalist, the donation by Joseph Pulitzer and the Pulitzer Prize are very important. Michael Phelps set a high bar in swimming with all his gold medals. @StLouisCruisers Continued safe travels for your DS and DDIL. @kazu Jacqui, I know Ivan is glad you kept the kneeler. @luvteaching Welcome home, Karen and Karen. @ski ww Welcome home. @ottahand7 Nancy, I'm sorry your DBIL has covid and the flu. I hope he feels better soon. Lenda

@0106 Tina, I hope you have a wonderful cruise. Lenda

I forgot to mention this affernoon that I was doing my happy dance. The watch we sent off to be repaired came back today. Not only is it working again, but it looks like new. One of the watches we took to the jewelry store in Fort Worth is ready, but the other isn't back yet. Jane, it was good to read things are looking better for your DS and for you. Sandi, I'm glad your twin's surgery went well. I hope her recovery goes well too. Lenda

Vanessa, I'm glad you are doing better today. I hope you make it home before the storms. Annie, I'm glad all went well at the endocrinologist today, and that the new nurse was much better drawing the blood. It's good the doctor was pleased with how you are doing. I'm glad someone was able to help you get your medicine at a better price in Mexico. Most doctors don't realize how much some of the new drugs cost. We were fortunate a couple of years ago, when DH was prescribed a new drug which was $527 for 30 days, and his PCP put him on an older one which was just as good, and much, much cheaper. Lenda