Quartzsite Cruiser

Annie, thank for your to well wishes and the hugs. Denise, I hope you continue to feel better. Vanessa, thank you for putting DH on the care list today. It's time to get the last things in the bag and get ready to head to Dallas. Lenda

A very early good morning from a still dark central Texas. It is 73F and feels like 73F at 6 am. The high should be in the mid 90s here and in Dallas. I managed to get some sleep and fortunately was able to get to sleep earlier than normal since I woke up too early again. I used to drink beer, but in the past few years, it and I don't always get along. I try to be a good neighbor. I'll celebrate our public lands, and hope they can remain as pristine places to enjoy. The quote is interesting, especially to this book lover. I've had Swedish meatballs in the past and enjoyed them. In fact, they are the only meatballs I've every liked. We'll pass on the drink and the wine. As you can see in the above post from Sandi @StLouisCruisers we've been to Bergen. Sandi, thank you for reposting my pictures since I wasn't sure if I'd be up this early. Thank you for the good wishes for today. The Beatles were and still are my favorite group, so today in history is a good one. @rafinmd Roy, good wishes for safe travels today, and Bon Voyage tomorrow. @kazu Jacqui, I hope all goes well at the lawyer's office today. Lenda

Roy, Terry, Jacqui, Graham, Melanie and Annie, thank all of you for the good wishes and the support today. I can't express how much your support and caring mean to me. Lenda

Brenda and Terri, thank you for the good wishes for today. I managed to get 5 or 6 hours of sleep, but still woke up too early. Lenda

Susan, thank you for the good wishes. We are hopeful the shunt will help. After the lumbar puncture, which is the definitive test to see if a shunt will help, there was marked improvement almost immediately. The sad thing was the improvement lasted only about three days. It was enough that the doctor said the shunt was needed. Steve's spine surgeon said last year and this year he needs it. Shunts do have a few things to warch for. I'm sorry your love did not want a shunt. Lenda

@rafinmd Roy, since I doubt I'll be home before you board the Queen Mary 2, I hope you have a wonderful and restorative cruise(s). I also hope your Crystal cruise is all you want it to be. Have a safe trip to NYC tomorrow and a great cruise. Lenda

Good evening. We are as ready as we can be for tomorrow. Everything is in the small carry on except what we need tomorrow morning. I can't believe I got everything we will need for one or two nights for two people in a small hand carry bag. We never leave home this light, but I couldn't see dragging a rolling carry on around the hospital. We have to leave here at 7:45 am and I don't know if I'll have time to get on the Daily before we leave. I'm glad you made it safely to Quebec City. If I don't get a chance before you sail Saturday, Bon Voyage, and have a great cruise. I hope Houdini likes his new cat food. We were able to return the unopened cans of special cat food when our Nikki died before she could eat them. @cruzn single Mary Kay, if I don't get home before you sail, I hope you have a great cruise. Lenda

Good afternoon from central Texas. It's 94F and feels like 94F. Even though it was cooler today when I worked on the car, I still got hot by the time I was finished. Changing the four remaining coils went smoothly, I thought, and didn't take but a little more than an hour. However, when I started the car, it was missing, and I had to go back and redo one of the coils. It seemed to be seated properly, but it wasn't. Since I could not find the dielectric grease that DH wanted around the opening in the coil, I redid all four coils. The grease was where it is always kept, but for some reason I couldn't remember where. The second time, I was finished in less than an hour and the engine idled fairly smoothly. However, when we drove the car, it was still running rough. After several times trying different things, DH thinks there were two problems., The first was bad sparkplugs and a bad coil. The second is the fuel filter is getting clogged. We will get it replaced in the next week or so. The good news is, I don't think I will need to work on the coils again, and someone else will replace the fuel filter. Once we were home from the test drive, I took the car up to the grocery store to get a few tings, and of course, forgot one item. It will wait a while. I also filled the car with gas, so it's ready for tomorrow. We're pretty much ready, but I have to put a few last minute things in the small suitcase. We should only be there on night, but it could be two, which makes it hard to know how much to take. I'm trying to go light. Joy, I imagine it will be a relief to turn over the books to the new treasurer. I hope you sleep better tonight. Terri, I hope the contractor can fix all the problems including the flooring, and that the flooring guy can be left out of the fix. Carolyn, that is a great picture of you and Henry. Linda, I'm sorry about the ant bites. Fire ants are a problem here, too, and they can be sneaky. Lenda

Terry, I'm glad your BFF will be helping with cleaning the closet. You are a strong woman, but even strong women need help once in awhile. I hope your BFF's help with make a difficult task a little easier. ((((((HUGS)))))) Lorraine, sorry about all the flight changes. I don't blame you for getting a back up flight. I've had some places burned off recently, while it hurts some at the time, it's better than what happens if you wait too long. Lenda

The history made the tour to the I'Ile de Goree interesting if somewhat somber. The rest of the island is a residential and tourist area. It was very hot that day. Views of the island from our tour boat Our walk to the slave prison The slave prison A couple of the cells. Of course, there were no electric lights back then. The cell you did not want to be placed in The quarters for the prison guards/officials were a little better. Finally, the saddest part of the prison, the Door of No Return. The slaves walked through this door onto the ship that would take them to their new life. Some of the equipment used in the slave trade The rest of the pictures of the I'Ile de Goree are happier pictures. This is their local "UPS". A colonial building Next we had a much needed and cooling refreshment break along with local entertainment. These were covering many of the trees on the island, and I don't know or don't remember what they are called. Our next stop was the Catholic Church built under the French rule. The medical center run by the Ordre Souverain de Malte au Senegal Our final stop on the island naturally, was the shopping stop. We bought a beautiful carved mask that was stained dark brown and black, and is on the wall of our house in Quartzsite. Lenda

In 2009 on the Tahitian Princess, we visited Dakar, Senegal. Like @StLouisCruisers Sandi, we found the town to be fairly uninviting and were not comfortable walking around. As soon as the shuttle dropped us off in the park, a "gang" of ladies selling trinkets descended on us. We did walk up the street about two blocks toward the market, but we felt uncomfortable and turned around. Just as we headed back to the shuttle drop off, the Call to Prayer was sounded. All the men stopped what they were doing, unrolled their rugs on the sidewalk to pray. We had to walk in the street the rest of the way back to the park, where we again were surrounded by the ladies selling stuff. We were in town early afternoon, and we learned after many complaints by the passengers, ours was the last shuttle to let people off in town. The rest of the day, the shuttle was basically an scenic tour of Dakar. That morning, we took a ships tour to the I'Ile de Goree which we enjoyed, even with its sad history. The I'Ile de Goree was where the slave traders held the slaves before putting them on a ship to the new world. Most of the slaves were captured by enemy tribes and sold to the traders. These are my pictures of Dakar. I'll post the ones from the I'Ile de Goree later. Like Panama City, Dakar looks a lot better from the ship or in our case the boat to the I'Ile de Goree. The two block walk and the local "merchants' wares" The view from the park where the shuttle stopped. Lenda

A very early good morning from central Texas. It is still dark outside and 70F which feels like 70F. The humidity is 86% with a dew point of 66F. The predicted high is 94F and sunny. I woke up early and couldn't get back to sleep, so I decided to get a few things accomplished before I start working on the car. Once the new coils are installed, we'll need to test drive it and get gas. I would like to get that done this morning if possible. World Tourism Day should be celebrated, but sadly many places are now trying to discourage tourists. If it wasn't for tourism and a love of travel, we wouldn't be here and enjoying each others company. We are registered to vote. Forgiveness is important, more for the one forgiving than for the transgressor. I like the Theodore Roosevelt quote. Vegetarian lasagna can be good, but my favorite has Italian sausage in it. We'll pass on the drink and the wine. We were in Dakar in 2009 on Tahitian Princess. I'll look for my pictures next. Two good days in history. The Model T made cars more affordable, and you could have any color as long as it was black. William the Conqueror changed the history of England. @Nickelpenny Safe travels today, Penny. @Heartgrove Welcome home, Jack. I'm glad the luggage showed up even if late. I hope you are over the jet lag soon. @ottahand7 Safe travels the rest of the way home, Nancy. That veal chop looks as big as the Tomahawk steak in the Pinnacle. @grapau27 Graham, I hope you and Pauline remain safe during storm Agnes, and that you have no damage. @StLouisCruisers Sandi, since we'll need to leave a bit earlier than planned tomorrow, I doubt if I'll have time to post my pictures even if I get a chance for a quick post. I would appreciate it if you could post them. Lenda

@Cruising-along Carolyn, wishing you and Henry a very HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, and many more to come. Lenda

Jacqui, our sincere condolences to you, your friend and her family on her husband's passing. I'm sorry your elbow is still not better. I hope it improves with time. Lenda

Thanks, Jacqui. The appointment went well, they were just running late. That is something we haven't encountered there before. At least, we were still early for the CT scan, and were out of there a lot sooner than expected. They say the pre-op tests can take 2 to 3 hours, and now we know why there is such a big time range. I think he was back there for 30-45 minutes for tests and a lot of questions. Replacing the coils shouldn't be that bad. I did one last month, and actually took out and reinstalled the rest then. Lenda

Good afternoon from central Texas. It is 92F and feels like 93F, so it's not too bad out. As expected, the humidity has dropped to 34% with a dew point of 60F. We survived the Dallas traffic going and coming in spite of a couple of accidents. There was also a wait on the way as a long freight train was going through our county seat. We still made it to UTSW with time to spare, which was a good thing, because we had to walk a ways to get to the pre-op testing. The testing was our first disappoint with anything we've done there. The appointment was for 11:15, and they did see DH for the brief check in about that time. However, he was not called back for the actual testing until after 12:15. I was trying to go back with him, and the tech said she would be drawing blood, and she'd call me when she was finished. Guess what? I was never called back, and I could have helped answer some of the their questions. Once the testing was over, we headed across Harry Hines Blvd. for the CT scan. That was a first class operation. We were there about 1:10 for the 1:50 appointment. As with many appointments at UTSW, they called DH back early, and he was finished quickly. In fact, we had retrieved the car from the Valet parking and were already on I-35E headed home at the appointed time. The Valet parking is worth the money, and if you have to go to several buildings on the same day, you only pay once. We were home about 3:20, and after a long, busy day, we both needed a shower, DH is now napping after one of the busiest days in quite a while. Last week, we took a gamble that the ignition coils would not cause any problems until after the surgery even though we knew one was a little problematic. It started acting up on the way home, so in the morning Ms Crystal's Garage will open for one last time. I will replace the other four coils, so I won't have to do that job again for several years. At least, I know what to do and how to do it, and I now have plans for the morning. 🤣 Terry, I'm so sorry that Tana has had some respiratory distress and need the oxygen to be increased. I'm sorry your wonder aide took another job, and I hope you find another good one soon. I agree with you about the lack of response when you take the time to answer a question or give advice. I always wonder if they came back and read what I wrote. Vanessa, I hope the hip x-rays can give you and the PA some answers, and that the new doctor can help you. Sandi, I'm glad you are safely home. What a treat to have extra room on the plane. Very unusual now days. Ann, I hope the urologist appointment is just a routine follow up that could be scheduled sooner. I'm glad you found a place to take the two large plants. I hate to destroy plants that are healthy. I'm sorry Houdini's tests were a mixed bag. It 's good the thyroid is better, but sad about the kidney issues. I hope he will like the new food, and not be too upset about the cut back of chicken. Roy, thanks for letting us know about Brooks Robinson's death. He was a class act. RIP Lenda

It's about time to head out. We always add a kfudge factor when driving to Dallas. Thank you, Debbie. Sandi, when we flew to Atlanta in 2019, the plane from Atlanta and to Atlanta wash late more that half the time for the two weeks before we flew out. I thino it's just a thing with those flights. Charlene, thank you. Joy, thanks for the good wishes. Thank you, Graham. Lenda

Good morning from a clear central Texas. It is 71F and feels like 71F. The humidity is 95% with a dew point of 69F, so the humidity should drop as it warms up today. Our high today should be about 92F with no real chance of rain. The forecast for Dallas is the same, so @StLouisCruisers Sandi and her DH should have no problems at DFW as far as the weather is concerned. Wishing them a safe flight to Atlanta and drive home. Since the first appointment in Dallas today is at 11:15 am we can leave a bit later and hopefully miss the worst of the traffic. Today there are three good days to celebrate. I wish I was better at learning other languages, but I know only a little Spanish. That and the Latin I took in college helps some in Europe to translate signs. Johnny Appleseed and Family Day are important. I like today's quote and the following paragraph that Tina @0106 provided. I am remiss in not thanking all the regular contributors to the Daily often, especially Rich @richwmn, Ann @cat shepard, Dixie @summer slope, Debbie @dfish, Vanessa @JazzyV, and @StLouisCruisers Sandi for their special contributions. I am honored to be part of this family on CC. Everyone here was a life line during the Covid lockdown and getting back to normal, and a safe place the past two years with DH's surgeries. Hopefully, Thursday's procedure will to the final hurdle. I'll celebrate my family and my Daily family not only today, but everyday. The lamb chops sound good, but DH is not a fan, so we'll pass. I'll get my lamb chops on a BHB. We'll also pass on the drink and the wine. We have not been to Freeport, only Nassau and a couple of private islands including Half Moon Cay. Two important days in history to celebrate. Rich, thanks for letting us know who provided today's quote. Jacqui, I hope this is the last time you need to make changes for your upcoming cruise. I hope you get the bulbs out to dry and back inside safely. Vanessa, thank you for including us on the Lists today. Lorraine, I'm sorry the yard guys didn't show up yesterday. Hopefully, they'll get the over seeding done today. Safe travels tomorrow, Penny. I loved the Texas meme. Lenda

Thank you everyone for the good wishes for DH today and on Thursday. It helps to know we have the support and caring from so many of you this week. Lenda

Thank you for the good wishes. Lenda

Good evening. It was pleasant when I took the golf cart around a little while ago before I switched the cars around for tomorrow when we head to UTSW for the pre op tests and CT scan with a special machine. It all goes well, we'll head back to Dallas Thursday morning for DH to get the shunt placed. Based on the results of the lumbar puncture on August 2, the shunt should relieve the NPH symptoms. While I was out, I saw five mule deer. There was a doe with two of this year's fawns. Just a little further along was another doe with one fawn from this year. Joy, I sorry they messed up your order and added garlic. After that, I hope you don’t have a reaction to tge flu and RSV vaccines. Thank you, Sandi. Paul, I'm not an expert on red Spanish wines, but we've enjoyed Sangre de Toro red blend from Familia de Torres. We've had it in Spain and enjoyed it. It is available in the US, so you could try it before you go to Spain. I hope all goes well with Stephanie on Thursday. Lenda

As I really expected, the rain disappeared (again) before it reached us. Now we have more sun than clouds. The only thing predictable about Texas weather is that it is unpredictable. Sandi, thanks for the pictures of Toyota Stadium. Until you mentioned that Ren was interested in joining the Dallas FC team, I didn't even know there was FC Dallas. We don't follow soccer, and I'm not sure I've heard the club mentioned on the local sports during the local news. That is a very fancy stadium. Since we both have early mornings tomorrow, I want to wish you and Dennis a safe flight and travel home tomorrow. I'm glad you are feeling better. It's interesting about anyone being able to read comments on CC. For several years, it's said you could read the roll calls but had to sign in to post on them. When I tried to check on roll calls without signing in, I was always blocked. I'm still careful on what I say on CC about trips. And I never mention trips, cruises or really anything very personal on the other site when I do make a very infrequent post on it. Thanks for the tip. I'd probably forget to write the hiding place down or forget to check the list. I just try to put things in obvious places now. 🤣 Lenda

Good afternoon from a partly cloudy central Texas. It's 87F but feels like 93F, and they are now predicting a high of 90F with a 50% chance of rain in about 30 minutes. However, looking at the future cast radar, there are no rain clouds within 100+ miles in any direction. Who knows, since afternoon thunderstorms can pop up anywhere at any time. We could us the rain. The house is clean (for a while 😁), and the first load of towels has been folded and put away. Just waiting for the second load to dry. I have enjoyed all the pictures of today's port and of other ports. If I try to thank everyone individually, I know I'd forget someone. Nancy, I hope you have a safe trip home. Please don't push yourselves to go further than is safe in one day. Maureen, it sounds like you both are working hard to get things lined up for the move. Linda, I hope you found the lanyards. I have quit putting things in a safe place that I'll remember. I also tell DH where I put them, and then, neither of us can remember where they are. There is one thing I put in a safe place several years ago that is still in the safe place -- wherever that is. Charlene, when we've been in New Zealand, we've found the people to be very friendly and helpful. One gentleman told us the difference between the Kiwis and the Aussies was the Kiwis are more civilized. 😉 For all our Aussie Dailyites please remember, he said it, I didn't. 🤣 Joy, I would have liked the rain last night, but not the hail. I'm glad everyone was safe. Just since I started this post, the radar has changed to show a small area of rain headed our way.🤞 Gerry, I wonder if our DHs were communicating today. DH requested BLTs for supper tonight. We'll add some potato chips with our sandwiches. Even going through some or our stored items every few years, I'm always amazed at what we have kept. Annie, I'm sorry about the reaction to the pneumonia shot, but good work on getting more of the tree cut and bagged. Vanessa, I'm sorry you had another bad night, and about the added back pain. I hope you can get some answers from the doctor soon. Graham, I hope the headache is gone by now. What the insurance adjuster told you makes sense. I only mention cruises we're taking on the Daily and on roll calls. We don't give our last name, and generally only the state(s) where we live on the roll calls. I rarely post anything on FB and definitely not travel plans. Lenda

Good morning from a cooler central Texas. It is 72F and feels like 72F. Right now the humidity is 93% with a dew point of 73F and a 8mph wind. Our high will be 88F, which will be much more pleasant than yesterday. We never got any rain yesterday, at least not before the severe thunderstorm watch ended at 11 pm. We heard a lot of thunder late yesterday afternoon, but the rain was just south of us. The only thing on the agenda is house cleaning. A big salute to food service workers. DH's niece and her DH own a very popular restaurant in Rockport, TX. As one who wears hearing aids, I will honor World Deaf Day. It has been a very long time since I read a comic book. The John Green quote is interesting. We'll pass on the meal and the drink. The wine sounds interesting, and the price is good. We have not been to Dunedin, but I would love to see more of New Zealand. Two more interesting and important days in history. Balboa opened the world up to exploration of the Pacific Ocean. Sandra Day O'Connor's appointment to the Supreme Court was a milestone for women. Sandi, by the time I realized there were thunderstorms in the area of DFW, it was too late to warn you that there probably would be flight delays. Ever since the horrible plane crash due to wind shear in the mid-1990s, DFW is very conservative about flights during storms. They will often have a ground stop until the storms pass. I'm glad your DS made it home even if it was later than intended. Terri, I'm glad the polymyalgia seems more under control and the pain is gone. I hope you get some good news about the dosage from your doctor. Lenda

@ocean sounds Bon Voyage. I hope you have a great cruise. Lenda