Quartzsite Cruiser

Wow. I can't imagine standing in line that long for anything, no matter how much I admired the Queen. Lenda

@HAL Sailer Melisa, and for anyone else who is interested, this is the recipe I use. KING RANCH CHICKEN 7-9 oz. crushed tortilla chips (taco flavor ok) 1 lb. grated cheddar cheese 1 lb. chicken pieces cooked, boned, diced (reserve broth) 1 can cream of mushroom soup 1 can cream of chicken soup 1 soup can chicken broth 1 can (16 oz.) tomatoes and green chilies, un drained 1 chopped onion 1 chopped green pepper 1 small can sliced ripe olives, drained (optional) 1-2 small cans green chilies (optional) Layer ½ of chips in bottom of a 9x13 casserole, then ½ of chicken. Mix together mushroom soup, chicken soup, broth, green pepper, and onion. Spread ½ the mixture in the casserole. Sprinkle with ½ the cheese. Repeat for second layer, pour tomatoes and green chilies over the last soup and top with cheese. Bake at 300oF for 1 hour uncovered. Over the years, older DD and I have tweaked the original recipe. We added the chilies and olives. Later, we decided to leave the green chilies undrained , to add more flavor. Once, I tried using diced jalapenos, but this made it too spicy for some of us. This time, I used two cans of green chilies and two cans of tomatoes and green chilies, which added to the flavor. Younger DD taught me a short cut. Instead of layering the chicken separately, mix it in with the soup, water and veggies. I also usually can only find an 11 ounce bag of tortilla chips, and I use them all. Enjoy! Lenda

Good afternoon. The yard was finished in just under two hours since there were no interruptions and no stops to wait for batteries to recharge. We bought an additional battery last week for that reason. However, I really goofed. Not remembering the mower was set lower than in the past, and that the ground had shrunk during the drought, I tried to mow over a sprinkler head. Tried is the operative word since I broke the sprinkler head off the pipe going into the main line in the ground. 😱 I've seen DH replace the sprinkler heads many times, so I decided I would tackle the job. It didn't go quite as planned. But what does? 😉 First, the tool that goes in the pipe to unscrew the fitting didn't go in far enough and I couldn't get the pipe fitting to break loose. About that time DH came out to see what I was up to, and he wound up having to help. Somehow, between the last time I had the tool in the pipe and the next time, a small rock had lodged in the pipe. Between the two of us, we got it out and the broken pipe. The new sprinkler head is installed and working. There is another one that needs replacing. It's working, but since I bumped it (twice) with the mower wheel, it is loose and leaking. That is a job for another day. Melisa, I will gladly share my King Ranch Chicken recipe, but I'll do it in another post, so this one isn't too long. It is easy to make and makes enough for several meals. After the first dinner, I divide the rest into to portions that are enough for two for one meal. I freeze what I am not going to use within a few days. The frozen servings are easy to reheat in the microwave. Carolyn, have a good time this weekend with the DGS. I hope the little one isn't too sore. I hope the traffic on I-90 isn't too bad. Graham, thanks for the pictures of her family standing guard by the Queen's coffin. I read this morning the line was 4.4 miles long, and they had stopped more people from joining the line. Lenda

Good morning from central Texas where there is a very light breeze and clouds. I hope the clouds do not clear until after I finish trimming and mowing the yard. I salute the American Legion and all veteran organizations. We used to collect rocks and polish them, and we still have one jar of polished rocks. A salute to step families, especially those like Terry's @smitty34877 who make it work. Both our fathers remarried after our mothers died, but we were grown and already married. My stepmother was a wonderful woman who took wonderful care of my father. Today's quote is interesting but confusing. We'll pass on the meal since the presentation with the whole fish is off putting. We'll also pass on the drink and the wine. We have been through Drake's passage and by Cape Horn twice. The first was on Noordam III in 1999 where the water was almost glassy. In 2015 on Ruby Princess, it was very rough. @dish Debbie, you deserve a day off. Enjoy your clean house. @kazu Jacqui, what a wonderful gesture by the dealership and Hyundai to pick up the tab for the repairs. There are still some businesses that put customers and loyalty first. @StLouisCruisers Sandi, hope the appointment goes well and you get the appointments for the crowns soon. @smitty34877 Terry, I'm glad that the talk around the dinner table helped and things were better yesterday. I hope I'm not butting in, but I wonder if a few sessions for the entire family with the counselor provided by hospice would help with better understanding and dealing with the stress and all the issues. I am happy everyone was willing to work together. @aliaschief Bruce, safe travels today and have a great visit with the granddaughters. @ottahand7 Thanks for the lovely pictures of your garden. This is what I posted last December. Here are a couple of pictures of our 2015 visit to Cape Horn on the Ruby Princess. We were supposed to sail around the island, but the weather was extremely bad and the seas were so rough, the Captain decided to stay behind the island in the calmest area. I think Sandi, @StLouisCruisers, will agree that he made the correct decision since we'd had two days of extremely rough seas between Cape Horn and The Falkland Islands. In the first picture of the lighthouse, you can see how the flag is blowing in the wind. The second picture shows the rough seas and the waves crashing on the shore. In 1999, the crew on the Noordam III couldn't believe how calm the seas were. That was the only time that season they'd had calm seas. Lenda

One thing I like about King Ranch chicken is that we can get five dinners out of one cooking. It's one of the recipes than can be tweaked a little. Lenda

Wow, that is a big tree. I'm glad it did not hurt any one. Terri, I'm glad you safely navigated the house, and rescued the things from the bathroom. I agree with the advice not to cash the check. It's probably their first offer which they hope you'll take. It the contractor is willing to handle it, it's a good idea to do so. He's probably handled a lot of insurance claims. Lenda

That is good news that your DM is in her new home and that she likes it. It was nice that the entire family helped with the move. Lenda

Congratulations, Debbie. Relax and celebrate tonight, and hopefully tomorrow they'll accept the offer on the house in Midland. I hope the Junior Cat is better soon. It's always a worry when our fur babies Ares sick. Lenda

Good afternoon. The house is clean, but not spotless. I get the basics clean and any areas that are noticeable, but only once in a great while will I tackle some of the more hidden areas. One load of towels is put away, and the cleaning towels are in the dryer. I was really impressed today by Costco. When I ordered the velvet hangers, I didn't know how many I would need. Since we could order up to 500 (I knew I didn't need that many) and they were on sale, I ordered 200. Once I started switching the hangers out, I realized I would only need 100 here and in Quartzsite. Their on-line return process was easy. UPS picked up the box yesterday afternoon, and the refund is already on the credit card. That's the quickest refund we've every gotten. @smitty34877 Terry, I'm glad the aide seems to be very good. It was probably a very good idea for everyone, including Tana, to talk things over and clear the air. I hope the changes going forward will help ease the bad tempers. Sending positive thoughts for the whole family that things will improve on every level. I hope everyone can manage some "me" time. @HAL Sailer Melisa, I'm so very sorry your DSIL did not feel like even a short visit. I can't imagine how very hard it is for your DH to want to be with his sister at this time. I hope you can visit soon. @Seasick Sailor Joy, what a great picture. Are the other men jealous that "Tina" always sits in Allen's lap? 😄 @JazzyV Vanessa, I hope you enjoy your visit with your friends from Arizona. @1ANGELCAT The Oley Fair sounds interesting, especially without the midway and commercial booths. We lived in PA for five years, and I wondered why we had not heard of it. I looked it up and discovered it is near Reading, and we lived in Kemblesville, just across the DE state line off Rte. 896. @durangoscots Susan, I'm glad you got a good rain yesterday, and the added bonus that the roof did not leak. Wanting to see what happens with another rain makes sense. @ottahand7 Sloppy joes do sound good, but tonight we are having leftover King Ranch casserole, sorta Mexican food. Lenda

A very early good morning from central Texas. I woke up early and could not get back to sleep, so, I finally decided to just get up and get the house cleaning started. Maybe, I'll finish early today. I'll not be making a hat today, but I made several as part of Halloween costumes many years ago. A salute to Greenpeace, and to caregivers, especially all the caregivers on the Fleet/Daily. I like today’s quote. Flautas are good, and small ones make a good snack. We'll pass on the drink and the wine. We have not been to Belize City, but we did stop at an island off the coast a little more than 30 years ago. @smitty34877 Terry, I hope today is a better day, and you are getting the extra help you need. @kazu Jacqui, I'm sorry your car is giving you trouble, and hope it's not serious or expensive. The meme with the corgis is wonderful. @dfish Debbie, it's good to know the leak will be repaired today and a handrail going to the basement will be installed. Good luck going through the offers. @StLouisCruisers Sandi, I hope tomorrow's appointment is not canceled. Lenda

Sounds like the first couple is very interested. If the others are as interested, there could be a bidding war. We'll wait and watch what happens. Lenda

Wow, Debbie, three offers in two days. Will there be a bidding war? As I said, we were allowed time to move together. DH worked in the Engineering Department at du Pont in the consulting group which was treated with respect. We only had to move on our own three times, the Army paid for one and duPont for four. The velvet hangers are great for keeping clothes from slipping off. I got them also so I can pack cruise clothes on the hangers. That makes packing and unpacking go more quickly. Lenda

Thanks for the pictures. I remember reading about the Westerdam's saga in 2020. Glad it turned out well, and that Cambodia came to your aid. Lenda

It really didn't throw me for a loop. DH came home and said, "We're moving" I answered, "No we're not, we're having a baby." It was interesting moving with a 3 month old, but since du Pont paid for the move and packing everything, it was not as bad as it could have been. We were moving from Camden, SC, to Wilmington, NC, which was not that long a drive. We didn't spend too much time in a hotel, since the house was empty and the movers could start the moving process as soon as we closed, which was the day after we arrived. Our real estate agent was a du Pont wife, and knew the ropes. She even held younger DD at the closing, and didn't mind when she spit up on her. 😉 The day we moved in to the house, our older DD did not want to take a nap, since she was almost 4. We have a picture of her sprawled in the middle of the kitchen floor among the boxes and packing paper sound asleep. Lenda

Good afternoon after a busy morning. I finally have time to sit down and catch my breath. Today was laundry day for starters. About Labor Day, Costco had some of those "velvet" hangers on sale with 100 hangers, that included free shipping. I'd been wanting to replace some of my hangers with these for several years, ever since I got one from the laundry on cruise. By the way, it did not get returned to the laundry, and neither did the few others that showed up with the clean clothes over the years. 🤣 Between folding clothes as they came out of the dryer, I switched out about 60 hangers for both of us. There are still some if we find more that need changing and the rest will go to Quartzsite to replace some there. Now, maybe the clothes won't fall off the hangers. 🤞 Roy, thank you for your pictures of Sihanoukville. We didn't have time to see much of the town. Sandi, that is a quick sale. Du Pont was notorious for telling someone that they were being transferred. They'd find out they would finish the week on Friday, and start the new job in the new location on Monday morning, leaving the wife to handle the house sale along with taking care of the kids and maybe even working. We were lucky that DH's boss gave him some leeway, and he did not have to report to the new location for a month or so. We put one move off for a little more than three months, but only because the day he came home and told me we were moving, was the day our younger DD was born. After he started his own company, our last two moves were at our own pace. Vanessa, I hope the doctor's appointment went well and that you got the glasses prescription straighten out. I hope you don't have too much of a reaction from you shot today. Welcome to the Fleet/Daily @Dr.Dobro. I hope we'll see more of you in the coming days and weeks. Thank you for sharing your pictures. I'm glad the fire situation is improving and hope it is contained soon. Debbie, you can't beat the power of such a great group pulling for you. I'm glad the timing will work for you so you can enjoy your cruise and be in the new home for the holidays. Awesome! Thank you, Graham. Thanks for the update on the Volendam. I hope the return to cruising goes smoothly for everyone. Yikes, 😱 Terri, on the fall. I hope you are doing better. I'm sorry there was more damage to the bathroom, but now you can get the bathroom you want. My father always said there was a silver lining in even the worst situation, and this might be yours. I'm sorry about your "friend". A true friend, no matter how busy, will take time to comfort a friend who needs it. It's good that you trust your contractor. Will you be able to extent your time in the condo and have the insurance company cover the cost? I really hope both those are a reality. Speaking of contractors, the one who has been trying to track down our roof leak for the past year was here yesterday. He is a very busy contractor, but will find time to replace all the screws in our metal roof with new ones. Most of the type of screws used when the house was built were guaranteed for 20-25 years, and we've been here 23 years. We opted for the new, more expensive screws where the rubber is not exposed to the sun. He said, he would arrange for someone to come repair our kitchen ceiling and replace the insulation that is probably damaged after several years of leaks. He also wants to be here when the ceiling is opened up, so he can finally trace the leak back to the origin. I'll be glad when the leak is fixed and the ceiling is repaired, but I want to wait until after a heavy rain or two once the roof work is done, before we tackle the ceiling. I only want to have to go through that once, if possible. Lenda

Wow, Debbie, I think you even beat @Seasick SailorJoy's record on getting an offer. 🍾 🥂 That is great news. I hope that by tomorrow noon, you will have multiple offers to consider and some even higher than the first one. See what the power of the Daily can do! 😄 Lenda

Good morning from a sunny central Texas. It was about 65F when I went out this morning about 8:30, but it will be in the low 90sF later. Crab fests are not a part of the Texas dining experience. Instead, we'll have crab cakes tonight along with what every I find to go with them. I like cream filled donuts, but if they are available, we get hot Krispy Kreme donuts. Quiet day sounds nice. I like the quote. We'll pass on the meal, drink and wine today. We were in Sihanoukville in 2002 on the 64 day APEC on Volendam. @dfish Debbie, having so many showings even if it means being away from the house for so long is a good sign. We've sold seven houses, and many times we did not have many lookers, but the right one did see the houses and bought them. When DH worked for du Pont, the company bought three of the houses since they wanted us to move quickly. The other four sold and some even more quickly than we expected. So hang in there and the buyer will find your house. @kazu Jacqui, I hope the roads aren't too bad when you are on them today. @smitty34877 Terry, thank you for the update. I'm sorry the nights have been bad, but I think extra help will be a relief for all. Everyone needs to be rested to face the days ahead. Sending positive thoughts that things will improve again quickly. On October 23, 2002, the Volendam visited Sihanoukville as part of the Asia Pacific Explorer Cruise (APEC). That day we took a long tour to the capitol, Phnom Penh. It is about an 4 1/2 hour drive between the two cities. Our arrival in Sihanoukville with the sun rising and peeking out of an heavy cloud cover. The buses were lined up on the dock as we approached the dock. The rest area where we stopped to break up the journey both ways After that long drive, our first stop was a very nice hotel for lunch. The pool area and a shrine in the gardens of the hotel Phnom Penh from the top of the hotel The street outside the hotel, which you can get a glimpse of on the left side of the picture. The next stop was the Royal Palace of Cambodia. We noticed two billboards on the drive to the palace that were advertising two upcoming international events, which referred to Cambodia as the Kingdom of Cambodia. The grounds were well kept and lovely, but up close some of the buildings showed wear and tear. This picture is an example of what time and weather can do. More of the palace buildings and grounds This statue was outside the palace grounds These final pictures were taken from the bus as we started our return journey to Sihanoukville. A local gas station We saw shrines along the drive though Phnom Penh, and these are just two of them. Lenda

Debbie, take a deep breath, poor a glass (or more) of wine and relax. After all your work to get the house ready, I know it will show well. Remember it take just one person or couple for the house to sell, and that one is out there. Besides, you have all the Dailyites behind you sending good thoughts and vibes. Lenda

Thanks for the update. I looks like things are moving in the right direction. Lenda

Thanks for the recipe Joy. It sounds delicious and easy. I'm wondering if black beans, either whole or mashed, could be substituted for the vegetarians in the family. Lenda

I just saw this on FB and thought everyone might like it. Lenda

Good morning from partly cloudy and windy central Texas. Right now, it's still comfortable outside, but the predicted high is somewhere in the 90s. I won't be disappointed if it doesn't reach the 90s. Three good days to celebrate. I'll admit in some cases I'm a little bit superstitious. We enjoy fortune cookies and peanuts. But @JazzyV Vanessa, I'll trade you my peanut butter for your peanuts. I'm one who does not like peanut butter. It's both a texture and taste thing with me. @kazu Jacqui, when I started reading the Fleet/Daily very early this morning, I also thought the first two days were contradictory. I guess great minds do think alike. 🤣 The quote is interesting, and I think it is probably true. We'll pass on the meal and the drink. I'm not a chardonnay fan, but I might like to try this unoaked one. We have not been to Puerto Princesa, Philippines. I hope someone has pictures to share with us. @Cruzin Terri Terri, I'm sorry they are finding more water damage, but I agree, it's better to find it now than later. Hopefully, in the not to distant future, the house will be repaired and you'll be back home. @StLouisCruisers Sandi, I hope everything goes smoothly for your DH at the dentist today. @HAL4NOW i hope the fire danger is less today, and that they are getting it under control @dfish Debbie, I hope one of the five looking at your house today is the one with a great offer. @ger_77 Gerry, safe travels and enjoy the time with the grandkids. @smitty34877 Terry, thanks for another great picture of Camilla. She is such a cutie and is growing so fast. @aliaschief Bruce, safe travels Friday to get your grandkid fix. @Seasick Sailor Joy, I'm glad you were able to save the baby hummingbird, but sorry about the baby bunting. @TiogaCruiser As Joy and Allen @Seasick Sailor can tell you, boiled peanuts are a Southern thing. @Horizon chaser 1957 Laura, I'm glad you are not in any danger from the wildfire near you. I hope the smoke keeps going another direction. Good luck with your boosters tomorrow. Lenda

You will get no judgment from us, fellow Texans. We have voted overseas twice. The first time in 2002, email ballots were not possible. The tricky part was where to have them mailed since in late August, early September, our county election office had no idea when they ballots would be printed and when they would receive them. We got the addresses of the port agents in three ports. I sent them a detailed letter with the addresses and by guessing, which dates to use which address. The ballots were delivered to our cabin in Singapore after we sailed. We were not able to mail the ballots until very close to the deadline from Broome, Australia, by express mail which only worked in Australia. To this day, I only know they made it to Sydney. In 2018, it was much smoother process since the ballots and envelop front and back information was emailed to us. We printed them on the ship, including all the ancillary forms. For Texas you cannot use the generic mail ballot envelop, but one with specific information on the back. We took the completed ballots in all their envelopes to the American Services Center of the Shanghai Consulate. They put them through the xray machine, then we dropped them in an ordinary hiuse mailbox to be added to the consular pouch to be sent to DC to be put in the regular USPS mail. We're lucky we live in a less populated county and have a very nice and helpful Election Administrator.

Good luck, and I hope the plan works. Lenda

Mary Kay, when I was going through old color photos several years ago, many of ours were faded. We have a scanner that can scan photos, and we found that that it not only made the colors stand out, but it brought back the original color in some that the colors had faded from blue to a red. If you have a good quality scanner, or know someone who has one, those old pictures can be scanned into your computer and/or printed. The advantage of scanning them into the computer is they will be available and will not fade again. If you do this, be prepared to have a few that just won't be improved, but the vast majority will be better. Thanks for your kind words. That is the only time we've had a problem like that with a taxi. We were lucky that one found us in the deserted area. We've found around the world that generally, the taxi drivers stick to the agreed price. They know that upsetting and overcharging foreign passengers is not good for business as word will get around. Lenda