Quartzsite Cruiser

I'm glad you arrived home safely, and that the evacuation level has been lowered. I hope highway 2 remains open. Lenda

We met the OP an anoth3r couple at the first one in March. The other couple was at the second one, but I don't remember seeing the OP there. There was never a good way to figure out the criteria for being invited. I think it depended on how many President's Club members were on the cruise. The number attending seem fairly consistent.

It was correct when we were on Koningsdam last fall and this spring.

Roy, that is good news that your niece and her family are safe. Lenda

That was the one on a later day. The one on the first day is usually for 3*, 4* and 5* mariners, and there is no presentation. The one at the end of the cruise is the one the OP is talking about. Thank you. We're hoping thisn solves all the problems. You're always welcome on the Daily. We always wore the newly awarded medals to the lunch, put them in their boxes in the cabin and then in a drawer in my dresser when we got home. Some people used to bring their latest medal to wear at the reception. The worst was one couple who wore all four of their medals at once. They clanked when they walked.

I like them better too. You get a chance to visit and get to know some of the officers, too. We rarely went to the lunches anyway. It was our understanding the change was Covid related and due to protocols to lessen the spread. All our cruises were on the same ship at two differnt times with two different captains. All the officers and crew were masked for the entire reception.

Debbie, that all sounds good except the moving being expensive. When we moved in 1999, our house sold quickly We moved out in July, and could not get in our new house that was still under construction until the week before Thanksgiving. So all our things were in storage except what we loaded onto the motorhome. We spent part of that time wandering the country, including Alaska, to avoid the Texas summer heat. At least, you, like us, are saving money by doing the packing yourself. I hope there are no problems with the inspection, and glad that your DBIL will be there. Lenda

We used to pre-book, pay and then have to get the discount or the cost for the two free 5* dinners removed from our account. That turned into a hassle even before Covid. Even booking on board, we would sometimes have to get the charges removed. Last fall, we decided to pre-book our specialty dining on b2b2b2b cruises get the day and time we wanted. I spent way too much time at Guest Services on during the first week trying to get the charges removed or discounted. It was so bad, and required multiple trips for each charge, that we canceled the bookings for the remaining weeks. We then booked during each cruise, and while that was better, we still had problems from time to time. When it came time to book for our spring b2b2b2b cruises, we waited until each segment started to book, and had fewer problems. The problems we had, we informed GS through the Navigator app, and they were taken care of quickly.

On our cruises on Koningsdam last year and this spring, there was a small Mariner's reception in one section of the Crow's Nest on each 7 day cruise. The people who were invited were either President's Club members or those with a high number of days. Those people getting their medals were also invited, but had already received their medals. Anyone who wanted to were invited to have their picture with the Captain and the Hotel Director. At the reception, there were drinks and appetizers were offered. There was no lunch. After the Captain's welcome and the introduction of a few Mariner's, the officers circulated and visited with the guests. It was our impression that this scaled down event was due to Covid protocol.

Good afternoon from warm, sunny, windy central Texas. We are home from the pre-op stuff at the hospital. As seems to always be the case, it's hurry up and wait. Our neighbor warned us that it too about two hours, but for us it was about three hours with the MRI thrown into the mix. At least, now, DH is cleared for surgery and given more instructions. The only bad news was that instead of arriving at 6 am, it's now 5:30 am with the surgery at 7am. I guess we'll be leaving at 0 dark 30 that morning. It is good to have so many Floridians checking in. I hope @MISTER 67 and @jimgev are all right and just can't check in due to power outages. @cat shepard Ann, glad you had no damage, and hope that continues when the eye crosses the peninsula. @StLouisCruisers Sandi, I'm glad you DGD and her friend are all right. I imagine the friend's grandmother is glad for company during the storm. @cunnorl Charlene, I'm sorry your nephew's in-laws lost their house, but I'm thankful they had evacuated and are safe. I hope Ian takes his leave of Florida soon. @Cruzin Terri Terri, I hope you and your DH stay safe as Ian moves toward your area, especially now that you are under a hurricane warning. These storms are so unpredictable you always need to be prepared in case they change course or intensity. I liked @rafinmd Roy's suggestion of a anniversary get away to an inland resort if you don't make it out on October 3. It won't be the same, but it might be the break you both need. @ottahand7 Enjoy your get away in New Buffalo. @ger_77 I'm glad you are getting your senior flu shots and boosters. DH has decided to wait until after both surgeries because of the medicines he can and can't take until then. I think I'll wait and get the shots at the same time. We stay pretty much at home, except when I have to run errands. I'm sorry your favorite hotel in Barcelona will be closed when you are there. @Cruise Suzy Thanks for checking in and letting us know you are safe. @smitty34877 Terry, I'm glad all are feeling well, and sending positive thoughts for negative tests tomorrow. I'm glad the new aide is coming back today. Hope your New Hampshire get away next weekend goes well. @Norseh2o I'm glad your DM is settling into her new home and really likes it. @mamaofami Oh no, Carol, about Sam having shingles and having to miss the Rosh Hashanah festivities. I hope all your friends in Florida are safe. I hope your DD is on the mend. That concussion sounds serious. @Cat in my lap I hope your place near Tampa is all right. Safe travels home Saturday if the planes are flying. @Crazy For Cats Jake, I'm sorry you had to cancel your cruise because of DH's work schedule. You do know that work is a 4 letter word. 😈 @HAL4NOW Thanks for the update on the Bolt Creek Fire. Safe travels home, and I hope you find everything all right. @HAL Sailer Melisa, I know it must be a huge relief that your family's home survived Ian's wrath. @bennybear Thanks for more photos from your mountain get away. @Vict0riann Ann, I'm sorry you are feeling bad again. I hope you are better soon. I loved the meme. @JazzyV Vanessa, I'm the eye doctor gave you a good report today. @dfish Debbie, sending positive thoughts for a really, really good inspection next week so you can go to closing. Lenda

Annie, I was not talking about taking a booze cruises. I was answering @Heartgrove Jack's question about Grand Princess' and just mentioned that someone called cruises in Australia booze cruises. If I'm ever on one, I'll avoid the pool area and the bars. 🤣 Lenda

Jack, we have sailed on Golden Princess, a Grand class ship, three times. It's a very nice ship, with plenty of activities day and night. We had one Aussie couple tell us they don't sail out of Oz because the cruises are booze cruises. Not sure what their definition of booze cruises is though. For two nights, it shouldn't be a problem. Lenda

A very early good morning from central Texas. I'm up early since it takes me longer than DH to get ready to leave. We'll be heading out for his tests about 7:30. I will definitely celebrate Maritime Day, but wish we could celebrate it on a BHB. It's been 57 years since I saw a play on Broadway, but loved going to the theaters. Confucius was a wise man. I like the C. S. Lewis quote. We'll pass on the meal and the drink, but the wine sounds nice. I just hope it is not too pricey. @summer slope Again, I'm glad you are safe. Sorry your mango tree fell over, and I hope it can be replanted. @kazu Jacqui, try not to overdo it today with the planters. I'm sorry you had to mention the "S" word. @dfish Debbie, getting a truck for your move is a nice step forward. @*Miss G* I'm glad you made it safely to in spite of a bumpy flight. We visited Majuro on June 6, 2005, on a Islands of the Pacific Theater cruise from Honolulu to Beijing on Pacific Princess. Majuro is a small atoll with some land above sea level. There is not much to see there, but we did find a local tour bus for a short tour. The Marshall Islands are a small republic, but they rely on the US for some things. They also use, or did in 2005, the US Postal Service. Our first stop on our tour was the Peace Park at the other end of the island, Our tour bus Downtown Majuro The Post Office Bikini City Hall. We could not take a boat to Bikini, but they had this building that was part museum. One of the exhibits Pretty flowers everywhere A reminder of the test bombs dropped on Bikini. I hope someone reminds Putin what the nuclear options does. Majuro from the ship. Lenda

Glad you are safe. Thanks for letting us know. I hope the damage is not too extensive and be careful when you go outside. Lenda

Years and years ago when we had cats, they loved catnip. Lenda

Katherine, I'm glad you had the mini-reunion with your DH's family. Sorry to hear that covid is starting again in PA. Charlene, I hope the replacement ports are as good if not better than the ones you lost, The best thing is you will be on a BHB. Stay safe during the storm. Sandi, thanks for the pictures of Nha Trang. It looks like an interesting place. I'm glad the funeral was lovely, and I smiled about "Miss Daisy". Hope your flight is on time and worry free. Enjoy your cruises. The beauty of the two new telescopes that DH is using now is they can be controlled from his tablet or iPad. Not much work involved. I hope your DH gets a good report from his stress test tomorrow. Debbie, thanks for the pictures of the new house. It looks so light and airy, and I guessed it was a mid-century modern. The foot dragging jerk did you and Sue a favor. I can't imagine that the first house was this nice. Gerry, I hope your DH adjusts to the new face mask soon. Thanks for checking in. It's good to know that our Dailyites are weathering Ian safely. Take care. I enjoyed the story about your DF's birthday with the waiter. Hope last night's dinner was as good. Glad you could change your flights to Saturday. I hope your DS is safe at the friend's house. Laura, I hope you have/had a safe flight. Enjoy all your time on BHBs. Looking forward to following along on your blog. Graham, I'm sorry you are having more lesions removed, but I hope he caught them early and before they were malignant. Ann, thanks for sharing all your pictures and the page from Pat's diary. Maybe someday, we'll add that port to the others we visited in Vietnam. Terri, I like your decision to prepare for you trip Saturday. Finger's crossed that by then you will be able to go. 🤞 Thanks for your pictures of the drive in the mountains.. Susan, I'm glad the voodoo doll worked so that @dfish Debbie could get the better house. You might consider keeping the voodoo doll working so that maybe the foot dragger will learn a lesson. 🤣 Jacqui, I agree with your therapist, and think you have thought the cruise through and are prepared. Yes, it will not be the same as previous cruises, but you will be with people and not sitting home feeling sad. Next year, the holidays will have the added memories of a great cruise. Ann, I've enjoyed your saga. Maybe the Junior Cat needs some catnip to improve her mood. Melisa, that is such a sad story. My heart goes out to the wife and her family and friends. Tomorrow will be an early morning, but hot quite as early as we thought. Since it's an hour and a half drive to the hospital where DH will have his pre*opt tests and NRI, he called them to day to see if he could change the time. Now we have to be there at 9:30, not 8:40. The tests will be after the MRI. Lenda

Good afternoon on a busy day on the Fleet/Daily. I have finally read all the posts, and will comment on them in a few minutes. At least, the house is clean and even feels fresh -- for now. The actual work time was the same, but I finished later even though I started earlier. This morning when we went to get out mail, we stopped to see our neighbor who had the first of the two surgeries DH will have. The neighbor's was Monday, and if you didn't know better, you would not know he'd just had surgery. We visited with both hs and his wife. She also told us that the last few days before the surgery he had begun to really struggle to walk. When they got him up to walk that afternoon, she said there was a marked difference. She added that he was walking so fast the two therapists who were walking on either side of him were out of breath when they got back to the room, but our neighbor wasn't. While the surgery is minimally invasive there is a two to three inch incision on the first one and maybe a four inch incision on the second one. Still that's better than our neighbor who had traditional spinal fusion surgery with the screws. The incision went almost the length of her back. Since the surgery DH is having can be done as one operation we wondered why the surgeon does it in two. Our neighbor's wife said she learned that when he did it in two stages he had better success. We get our mail in a cluster box, and many times it has been nearly impossible to get it out of the box. The back opening is bigger than the one we open. Today, we could not get the package out since it was about 1/4 inch or so taller than the opening. DH used his pocket knife to cut the box open so we could remove the contents which was mostly packing,. Then we could flatten it some to get it out. Other neighbors have needed to call the PO to get them to come out and retrieve the mail and bring it to their house. Thank you for checking in with the updates. It's good to know you are still okay, and we hope that continues with this storm too. Stay safe, and don't take any chances. Lenda

YEAH for karma! My first thought was how lucky you and Sue were to find the lovely house you are buying and to be rid of the sleepy seller. The second thought was, Yes, there is justice! And finally, there may be more karma. If he keeps this pattern up, other agents may start warning their clients about the problems with this seller. I feel sorry for his agent, and I hope he/she will sit him down and give him a good talking to. Lenda

Good morning from central Texas. It should be sunny today after the sun rises. We try to be good neighbors, and we have good neighbors here and in AZ. I used to drink beer, but lately, I seem to have lost my taste for it. Fortunately, I haven’t lost my taste for wine. 🍷 Our public lands should be preserved for all to enjoy. Mother Teresa's quote is very true. We'll pass on the meal and the drink, but I'd like to try the wine. We have been to three ports in Vietnam, but Nha Trang was not one of them. I hope someone has pictures to share. Our thoughts are with those who are in Ian's path. Stay safe everyone. @dfish Debbie, I'll echo @cat shepard Ann's WOO HOO! I'm very happy for you and Sue getting the house. @rafinmd Roy, thanks for adding DH to the celebration list for today. @smitty34877 Terry, I'm sorry about the aide testing positive. Sending positive thoughts no one gets covid again. Since it was late yesterday when I posted the picture of Jupiter DH took with his telescope, I thought I'd repost it for those that missed it. Now, I off to clean house. Lenda

DH just sent me this picture of Jupiter that he took with his telescope. Lenda

Thank you. It’s already dragged on way too long. He saw a different surgeon in July 2021. Because of some symptoms, he sent DH to a neurologist. In the meantime, the hospital stopped all elective surgery for at least six months due to the delta strain of covid. Once the neurologist cleared DH for surgery, we saw the surgeon in May. That's when the surgeon really made us uncomfortable as he did not seem to know what had transpired at the first appointment. Frankly, we left without taking the next steps for surgery. Actually, that was a blessing because we learned he did not do minimally invasice surgery and used the standard method with those huge screws. We found the new doctor, who has operated on several of our neighbors with this new method. They are all pleased with him. Next, we spent three months having the nph checked out. Needless to say, we were thrilled today when we got the appointment so soon and then got a surgery date. This year on two occasions we learned don't have the last appointment on Friday afternoon. Both times they were more interested in getting out of there than doing a good job. Lenda

I finally made it through the Daily. I've almost finished the laundry, but I still have one more load to fold, and the sheets will wait until tomorrow to be washed. Since the doctor appointment turned out so well, I don't mind the interruption with the laundry. We set DH's big tepescope out to try to get some pictures of Jupiter. It they turn out good, I'll try to post one after I finish cleaning house tomorrow. Thank you, @Cruising-along, @smitty34877, @cat shepard, @aliaschief, @StLouisCruisers, @JazzyV, and @marshhawk for you well wishes for DH's upcoming surgeries. It means a lot to know we have so many pulling for us. And, yes it is a relief to have made some progress and have the surgeries scheduled. Bruce, I'm very happy you were able to quit your dishwashing job. Stay safe while riding out the storm. We were lucky when we lived in Corpus Christi and Wilmington, NC. We only had to ride out two tropical storms, Fern and Frederick. That was enough. Sue, I'm very happy you are enjoying your Hawaii stay enough that you decided to add another month. Debbie, that is good news. It seems the sellers are motivated and you and Sue will be the proud owners of a home in Midland. Ann, I'm glad you tested negative, and hope tests negative soon. Also, I'm happy your DD got her booster. Jacqui, I'll add my two cents worth. I do not think you are crazy. I think the cruise is a good idea. Terri, I hope things improve there soon. Lenda

Just a quick note, and then I'll catch up with the rest of the Daily later. The doctors appointment went better than we expected. We thought we'd have to jump through more hoops before DH was cleared for surgery. It turns out, that he has met the criteria, and is cleared for surgery. The type of spinal fusion surgery the doctor uses is a two stage surgery. The first one is scheduled for October 11, two weeks from today. The second surgery will be October 24. Both require a small incision of just a few inches and an overnight stay in the hospital.. The doctor uses a new technology that does not use large screws to fuse the spine, but a polymer disk between the vertebrae which is inserted in the first surgery. The second on uses polymer "zip ties" to hold the vertebrae steady. There is a follow up visit in November and another in late December, so it looks like we will be in Texas for Christmas this year. The doctor schedules follow up visits every two months for a year. However, if we go to Arizona after the first of the year, the four month visit can be a telemed visit and he can get an x-ray before the visit in Quartzsite. We have to be at the hospital which is two hours away at 8:30 Thursday morning for the pre-op lab tests and an MRI. It will be a busy week here. Lenda

@Horizon chaser 1957 🥂 🍾 BON VOYAGE! 🛳️ 🎈 Have a wonderful time and enjoy your cruises. We like long cruises, but we've never done one (or b2bs) that long. Lenda

@Cruising-along 🥂 🍾 HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! 💞 🎉