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Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! We don't often watch American football, but for all you fans, cheer loudly for your favourite team! Our usual Chinese take-out restaurant closed during the pandemic and we haven't found one as good to replace it. No red hair in our family. I hope everyone enjoyed their extra hour of sleep last night - as I mentioned yesterday, we stay on the same time year 'round. @bennybear we are on Central Standard Time all year, which means we have luxuriously long days in the summer, but really long nights in the winter. You get used to it and just go with the flow. Last year on this date we boarded the Oosterdam at Barcelona for our 5th trans-Atlantic cruise - DH was surprised because we'd received an offer for an upsell to a Signature Suite and I didn't tell him until he opened the door. It was nice having the extra space, but not as much as the Neptune, which we felt was too big for just the 2 of us. @Lady HudsonBon Voyage; enjoy your cruise! @smitty34877I'm happy you had such a nice send off for Lou; although it brings tears, they are a necessary part of grieving. I'm sure there were lots of good memories brought out for you. @Quartzsite Cruiser you bought a new motorhome? I must have missed that on another post! What kind? When do we get to see it? It's a busy day for me today because we're having what I'm calling "Ukrainian Thanksgiving" because it's 2 weeks after the regular one, just like Christmas. Our new family will be coming over, as well as another couple of friends of ours - she made them a lovely quilt as a welcome gift, and they really didn't have a chance to get to know them, so we've invited them to spend the time together. As much as I'd like to try today's menu suggestion, I'm going to tuck it away for another day. It's looking like a traditional meal for us - roast turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, a myriad of vegetables, cranberry sauce and tossed salad, with peach pie for dessert - we heard they love peach pie. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, especially those in pain, and those innocents involved in wars. Cheers to all with celebrations. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Bon Voyage Roy!!!

Bon Voyage you two!!!!

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! We don't spring forward or fall back, we just stay the same all year 'round and get used to the fact that in winter, we go to work/school in the dark and come home in the dark. Our family in the province next to ours, does fall back, so we have to remember that if we want to phone them. We don't have much candy in the house - we're into salty treats, and chocolate. Both DH and I have done much community service over the years, and still contribute in different ways now that we're retired. Common sense just isn't that common any more. Another grey, cloudy morning out there for us and according to the forecast there's a 45% chance of rain or sleet at some point. Looks like another day we won't be trying to put the Christmas lights on the house. I really like today's quote. @LAFFNVEGAS Bon Voyage; have a great time! @JazzyVI hope you had a bit more rest last night. @smitty34877 thinking of you and your family as you gather for your DH's celebration of life. Not a lot happening here today, just picking up some groceries for tomorrow's dinner. I'm cheating and buying a couple peach pies for dessert, as I just can't do a proper pie crust - I'll bake them up today so it frees up the big oven for the turkey tomorrow. I'd like to try the drink of the day, it sounds quite refreshing, am sure I'd like the wine, and to me any pot pie sounds like stew in a crust. LOL Because I'm making a big meal tomorrow with lots of cooking, I've decided we're having a simple dinner tonight - just grilled ham and cheese sandwiches and soup at the kitchen table tonight. And wine. Prayers for all who are in need, especially those innocents involved in wars. Cheers to everyone with celebrations. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! Hurray for Dominicans as they celebrate their independence. Yesterday DH gave $3 to a woman who needed it for the bus - I thought he gave her too much for bus fare, until I checked online and cost in the city is now $3 for adults. I'm pretty sure the last time I rode a bus it was around 75 cents. During his university years, DH and his friends drank stout and coke . . . ick! Another cool morning out there for us, but no snow. Currently we're looking at -4C (24F) and it's only going to +2(35), so we won't break out the shorts and tank tops just yet. In fact, yesterday we went out for a quick shopping trip and DH decided it was time for a new jacket. He's now looking quite stylish in the newest fashion rage - a plaid "shacket" (a cross between a shirt and jacket) that's got extra warm insulation in it. I'm sticking with my leather jacket for now and when it gets colder, will switch to my downfilled puffy coat. It makes me look like the Michelin Tire man, but here on the "frozen tundra", there are no fashion police. Along with others, I was delighted to learn that baby Murphy has been moved to a less urgent care area of the hospital. Continued prayers for her progress. @superoma I'm glad your cataract surgery went so well - DH has had both of his done and was surprised at how easy it was. @summer slope I like the drink of the day, but you lost me at "serves 6". LOL Not much happening today, DH has his 3 month "chronic" check up late this afternoon, but before that we may head out and get some groceries. I'm going to take a hard pass on the menu suggestion - the idea of boiled fish doesn't appeal to me, and I know DH would be fearful of the heat in the dish as well. I'm sure I'd like the wine, and of course it's Friday, so after DH's medical this afternoon we'll stop on the way home for pizza to enjoy at the kitchen table tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, especially those in the midst of wars, and those who are suffering and in grief. Cheers to all with celebrations. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! Praying for all souls - wherever they may be! DH doesn't make dinner often unless I ask him to grill something. He does buy pizza, though, so that counts, doesn't it? I'm pretty sure my epitaph will read: Cruising Through The Stars. I'm sorry to see that our cold weather has such far reaching tentacles; this morning we're looking at -5C (23F) and expecting to reach 0 (32F), so it's jackets and gloves from this point on. Later it will be the addition of warm scarves, switching out to heavier jackets, and then knit hats as well. Yesterday we received our new cable modem (after downgrading our cable channels because we had too many we weren't watching), and of course, there weren't good instructions on how to set it and the television up together. I checked the neighbourhood to see if the tech was available, but the grade 2 kid next door was still in school, so I invited a neighbour over to help. A full hour later we got 1 tv working. I might attempt the second one today after seeing (and hopefully remembering) what our neighbour did. DH had a great conversation with his cardiologist who was checking on him after the pacemaker implant. The brief phone appointment ended with the cardiologist telling him "Go and enjoy your cruise!" Yay!!! Now he has to go to the medical device clinic in a couple of weeks just to check how it's working. I had to make an appointment with a tech company because the remote start on my car stopped working. When we went to Calgary, we had to use the key to open the doors and couldn't leave it running to warm it up, so DH ended up sitting inside so nobody would steal it. After explaining it to the person on the phone, it sounds like the modem may just need to be reprogrammed. Can't get in for a couple of weeks, but at least it will get looked at. @grapau27 thinking of you on the day of memories. @smitty34877I'm glad your family is relieving you of some of the tasks in preparing your DD DH's farewell. I'm thinking the drink of the day is similar in punch to a Wang Wang - all you really need is one. LOL I'm giving a pass on the meal of the day, but will say a definite yes on the wine. Tonight we're going to enjoy some leftover baked spaghetti I had in the freezer along with a side salad and crusty bread at the kitchen table. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, especially those involved in natural disasters and wars. Cheers to all with celebrations. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️ Gerry

Rabbit, rabbit, white rabbit. Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! Hurray for authors and for the literacy they create among young and old. I've never cooked for any of our pets, but I'm sure they'd like to have me do it. It looks like everyone is starting to feel the new month with cold weather - sorry that we've shared it with all of you! We're sitting at -4C (24F), and we're only expecting a high of 0 (32F) with cloudy grey skies all day. Last week the forecast said today we should be having a high of +5, so we thought we might put the Christmas lights on the house . . . that won't be happening today, and looking at the forecast, we might just forego the lights all together this year because of the cold. Last night was fun - we had a total of 38 little and bigger people coming to the door with some fun costumes. One little wee guy kept saying "I'm a knight, I'm a knight, I'm a knight." I think he figured that was good enough to get some candy. We also had a surprise visit from our Ukrainian friends - their little girl was dressed as a Pokemon creature and was just adorable. This was their first Halloween and both parents and child were just so excited about it. We're having them over for a delayed Thanksgiving dinner on the weekend so we'll hear all about their experience when we get together. Bon Voyage to all our Daily-ites; @kochleffelI'm happy to hear boarding process was painless, as that's been our experience every time in Barcelona as well. I'm going to definitely pass on the drink of the day (just can't imagine the combination of flavors), will say yes to the wine, and haven't ever spatchcocked a chicken. DH has requested breaded pork chops, so I've got a couple thawing in the fridge that will be served along with baked potatoes and green beans at the kitchen table tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, especially those in pain and those suffering from the ravages of wars. Cheers to all with celebrations. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! Happy Halloween everyone; we haven't carved a pumpkin since our DS left home. I'm not sure how to increase one's psychic powers; sometimes I just know things and can't explain why or how. Yay for the founder of Girl Scouts. It's going to be a chilly one for the trick-or-treaters tonight as the temperature will be hovering around -2C (28F), but here on the "frozen tundra" it's customary to buy or make costumes that fit well over parkas and snow pants. If a little one normally wears a size 4, buy a size 8 because you know it'll fit and they'll be warm. We've got a couple of boxes of potato chips, juice boxes and mini chocolate bars at the ready - not sure how many we'll have at the door, but we're prepared for around 100. Good news - we made final payment on our February cruise yesterday, as did our friends. It's making it seem all more real now. @Vict0riannI'm glad you two made it to Barcelona and hope your mobility won't affect the enjoyment of your cruise. @cruising sister sending good vibes for your DB's surgery and medical team. @smitty34877I hope the antibiotics are taking hold for Tana, giving her better health and you less stress. I'm going to give the drink of the day and wine a pass, and I'd try the menu suggestion if someone made it for me, but that's about it. Because we're expecting to be at the door from about 3:30 on (when the little ones usually start coming), DH is going to go out and get us some KFC to munch on so we don't have to cook. BTW, the Ninja did a great job of the salmon, potatoes and asparagus yesterday. I had some figuring out as far as temperatures, but it worked well. Tonight we'll be snacking on KFC near the front door. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, especially those affected by natural disasters and wars. Cheers to all with celebrations. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! If candy corn was the only candy in our house, it would still go stale - chocolate, on the other hand . . . We don't have Mischief Night in Canada, at least not on the prairies. I do have checklists and consult them when we travel. I also make grocery lists but usually forget them on the kitchen table, so I've taken to doing a photo of them so I've got the list on my phone in case the original doesn't make it out of the house. Yesterday was a grey day where the sun never even made an appearance; today looks to be chilly, but the sunshine will make it seem nicer. Today we have to take the furniture from the front entrance and put it away for the season. I've got to find the large garbage bags to contain the cushions, while the frames will be stored under the deck. It's best to get those things out of the way before the trick-or-treaters come tomorrow. Speaking of that, yesterday DH and I went out and bought a few things so I could make special bags for the neighbourhood kiddles. The bags will hold the usual chocolate bars, rockets, potato chips and sipping straws, in addition to little Halloween craft kits they can make in the coming days. I'm sure I'd like the wine, will take a pass on the drink, and giving a solid nope to the menu suggestion. DH doesn't care for anything in it, and the only part I'd enjoy would be the coconut! Our new air fryer/oven arrived while we were in Calgary, so DH and I unboxed it yesterday and found room for it on the kitchen counter. We are going to try the Ninja 12 in one 2 door air fryer and I'm going to be cooking salmon in the top and asparagus and baked potatoes in the bottom that we hopefully will enjoy at the kitchen table tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone in need, especially those suffering losses of family or friends in Maine, and for the innocents involved in wars. Cheers to all with celebrations. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Bon Voyage; I'm excited for you!!!!

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! Even throughout the pandemic, we weren't hermits; we always got out to go for a drive or to the store for something. Of course it's National Cat Day at our house, just like every other day of the year. With a few exceptions, we've always had a kitty in the house all our married life. A friend I worked with had psoriasis so bad that the only thing that gave her relief was tar baths - a therapy centre in our city had them and she would go monthly for a treatment. It's a cool, grey day out there with a temp of -6C (21F), and we aren't expecting to see the sun at all today. We might reach a high of 0 (32F) if we're lucky, but that's winter for us already. The snow removal guy came back yesterday morning as DH and I were blowing off the driveway - he insisted on finishing for us, and said it was his job, not ours, even though he wasn't charging us for the last week of October. Nice guy! Bon Voyage @Haljo1935, enjoy your cruise! @kazucongrats on the casino offer - great choice of cruises, too. We received an email with offers, but can't take advantage of any of them due to DH's health, as he has to be stable for 90 days for the insurance to be valid. I'm so glad to hear that sweet baby Murphy is doing better. Yesterday we went out to a bookstore as a book I'd ordered had arrived - I spent the day reading it and did absolutely nothing else. It's a memoir written by a young woman who was a former White House aide; such an interesting book, I'm glad I read it. Today I'm handing it off to a friend who also wanted to read it, but hadn't placed an order for it. I would love to try the drink of the day, I know I'd like the wine, and I do like the menu suggestion for today. The pork loin I cooked yesterday was larger than I thought, so it's looking like we'll be having hot pork sandwiches and coleslaw at the kitchen table tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, especially those involved in wars and natural disasters. Cheers for all with celebrations. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

It's so nice to see the blue hulled beauties back in Port Everglades. I hope to return this afternoon to wave them off.

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! We'd have to bundle up if we were to attend the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party here today. I've never seen the Statue of Liberty in person, only in movies and photos. Loved plush animals as a child - a trait our grandsons seem to have inherited. Did somebody say Chocolate??? Oh, it's brisk out there this morning; we're the provincial cold spot at -17C (1.4F), and there's a good breeze blowing as well. We had more snow late yesterday afternoon and by 9:30 last night the fellow we hired was out there already, clearing off the driveway and sidewalk. If he continues like this, he's going to be a real gem. Bon Voyage @seagarsmoker, I hope you enjoy your cruise. Welcome back to all the Daily-ites from your cruises. @RMLincolnI'm happy to hear things are falling into place for you and DH to relocate to your new place. If you fell in love with your current home, surely someone else will as well. @JazzyV I do hope you can find a resolution to your pain. I'm sure everyone was greatly relieved when it was announced the shooter in Maine was no longer a threat. We can't take mental health for granted, and only hope that others will seek help, or that we can help them to get it. Prayers for all involved. Not a lot happening here today, but I know I have to dig out our winter boots - to this point, I've only been wearing my Skechers, but it's time to get something that has better grip so I don't fall. And it's also time to put the light spring/summer/fall jackets away and bring out the downfill and fluffy jackets to replace them in the front closet. And gloves. And scarves. I'd like to try the drink of the day to see if all the other flavours disguise the bourbon. LOL I know I'd like the wine suggestion, and think today's menu sounds like a good one. I've already got half a pork loin thawing in the fridge that will be put into the slow cooker along with vegetables for a hot meal for us to enjoy at the kitchen table tonight. And wine. Prayers for all who are in need - especially those in war torn countries, and those who grieve. Cheers to all with celebrations happening today. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

I just heard on TV that the shooter in Maine has been found deceased. That’s a great relief for all communities involved.

Bon Voyage! Enjoy every minute!!!

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! We had two lovely black cats over the years - Princess and Licker (she licked everything). Sadly, they are on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge, but I'm sure they're happy. We enjoy American beer when we're there, but rarely purchase it at home. Great respect for all involved in navies around the world. It's clear out and only -6(21F), but I can see there's a lot of frost on the car windshield this morning. We don't have any real plans, so maybe it'll melt off by the time we decide to head out; the temp is supposed to reach a "high" of +1(33F) - not exactly balmy, but we can deal with it. DH always says at this time of year if only we could have a winter with these consistent temperatures, but I remind him how badly we need the snow to replenish the soil's moisture. Killjoy, I know. LOL @grapau27 wishing you a very Happy Birthday today. @Norseh2o Bon Voyage; enjoy your cruise! @kochleffelglad to see you made it to your destination safely. I just heard on the radio it's also "Cranky Co-Worker Day"; I'm sure each of you has a face suddenly pop into your mind when you read that. I can think of a couple of folks. Before we went to Calgary, we hired a fellow to take care of the snow clearing for the winter and when we were away, our security camera caught him using the blower to clean the driveway off. He wasn't supposed to start until November, but there he was - I hope he's as good throughout the winter! And the lawn guy came for a final cut and blew out the gutters just the day before it snowed - talk about timing! Nothing on the agenda - we may go out after lunch, pick up some baked treats and stop in for coffee and a visit with our friends. We haven't seen them since well before we went to Calgary and it's always nice to just spend a couple of hours in friendly conversation, catching up. I'd like to try the drink of the day, know I'd like the wine, and would likely make today's menu suggestion as a side dish, although the addition of chicken would certainly turn it into a main. Of course it's Friday night pizza night here, so on our way back from our friend's house, we'll stop and get some freshly made pizza at a new place that opened just a few weeks ago to enjoy at the kitchen table tonight. And wine. Prayers for all who are in need, especially those dealing with loss and grief, war and worry. Cheers to everyone with celebrations. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! We enjoy mincemeat in tarts; as a child my mother always added chopped apple so it wasn't quite as spicy. I still do that today. Our horseless carriage did it's job bringing us home safely yesterday. Blessings on all those deployed; may they stay safe and return to their families whole. The quote made me smile today. Well we're back after a whirlwind of a week with our family in Calgary. Two active boys, age 8 and almost 4 make for busy days. We got them off to school and the sitters each weekday so their parents could just get ready and go. After the kiddles were gone, we cleaned up the kitchen and headed out in our horseless carriage to see what Calgary had to offer in terms of shopping. Of course one of the obligatory stops was made at IKEA, but after spending 2.5 hours there, I ended up feeling almost downhearted, as my bill was under $100. Between school, drum lessons, swimming lessons, soccer and Japanese class, we were kept busy the entire time, so now that we're home we can relax again. There's a reason why child rearing is left to the young. Before we headed home (the roads were atrocious), we took some family photos - some were great, but there's one that as soon as our DS and DDIL saw it, they immediately turned to one another and said "Christmas card!" Here it is: On Tuesday morning we woke to snow - lots of snow, and it kept up throughout the day. Yesterday when we got up the temperature was -16C (-3.2F) with a strong wind, making it feel like -20C (-4F); it took nearly 30 minutes of running the car with the defrost on high to clear both front and back windows. The roads were terrible as mentioned previously, with snow and ice, but we were cautious, and about 2 hours northeast of Calgary the roads cleared up and it was normal driving the rest of the way home. Here's a shot of one of the highways north of Calgary; we were only able to go about 60kmh (35mph) without slipping and sliding around. Today is a day to restock the fridge, DH needs a haircut, and Sochi needs some much needed love, as she was very chatty and clingy when we got home yesterday. I turned on the TV to see the terrible occurrence with a mass shooting in Lewiston; prayers for all involved. I know, being off the boards for a week that I've missed a whole bunch - Happy Birthday, Happy Anniversary, Bon Voyage to all who had celebrations, and heartfelt thoughts to those with losses. I like the drink of the day, will pass on the wine, and will take a look at the menu suggestion when I thaw out part of the turkey carcass that sits in our freezer. For tonight because it's cold out (currently -15C), I've got hamburger thawing that will be made into hamburger soup for us to enjoy with crusty bread at the kitchen table tonight. And wine. Prayers for all who are in need, in pain, and in grief. Cheers to all with celebrations. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily. All 3 days are worthy of note, I do appreciate the quote of the day and would say yes to the drink and wine as well! Slept in a bit because I woke up at 4:30 thinking of all the things to get ready for us to head to Calgary tomorrow - yes, I'm excited, just like a kid at Christmas, I guess. It's a foggy morning out there for us today - we had rain overnight and this morning we can barely see across the street. If old wive's tales are true, we should be getting precipitation 3 months from now, about mid-January, which seems about right. Likely a snow storm, but it'll be winter, so we just accept what's given. @Seasick Sailor hoping you have a wonderful birthday today! @SusieKIslandGirl wishing you a very Happy Birthday as well! Sending good vibes to @JazzyV and @57redbird's DH as they undergo their medical procedures today. @NextOne hoping your heart procedure went well yesterday and you'll soon be home feeling much better. DH's daughter messaged me yesterday - she and her mother are on the Nieuw Amsterdam. Now the daughter is a glass half empty kind of gal, so I wasn't surprised when she said she didn't think she'd ever sail HAL again because they had 3 ports cancelled and now are just going to FLL. Well let's see, 1 was cancelled due to a hurricane, another because of political unrest, and the last because of a mechanical issue - all of which were out of HAL's control. I didn't argue with her (what's the point?), just mentioned that she's still getting her bed made, her food presented and drinks and entertainment if she wishes. SO glad we weren't on that one with her! This is also the same one who - after we paid to upgrade her and her DH to biz class for a flight to Europe - said she didn't really enjoy it because she couldn't get comfortable to sleep well. You can't win. I forgot to mention that DH and I got our 7th Covid vaccine yesterday - no issues for either of us, just like the previous 6 shots. Lots to do today, bake the cookies, do the laundry, vacuum and dust (at least run a cloth along the surfaces) and get the house ready so it doesn't look like a tornado hit it when our neighbour comes in to feed Sochi. DH will get the car washed and packed up for us so we can get up, shower and hit the road tomorrow morning. I like the meal suggestion, and will likely make a crock pot full of it when we're in Calgary, but we'll be eating out of the fridge for tonight, so it's looking like we'll be having salmon sandwiches and vegetable soup at the kitchen table this evening. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, especially those in war-torn countries. Cheers to all with celebrations. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily. Being retired, I'm my own boss so I get to do whatever I say. We enjoy pasta in various dishes. Woo hoo, gaudy is my favourite colour! At Christmas time I would often wear gaudy sweaters or sequined vests under my judicial robes. LOL It's a pleasant 11C (52) this morning and we're looking at a high of 18 (65) which, for this time of year is absolutely great. This afternoon we're going to blow the leaves and fill up our green bin for tomorrow's pick-up. DH has blown enough on the perimeter of the yard to give cover for little insects, so now the rest will be going in the city's compost. @NextOnesending prayers for you and your medical team today. @HAL Sailer praying that your DH is continuing to improve. @JazzyVI hope you had a better night and can find the source of your pain. A busy time today, have to make a run to the grocery store for a couple of tubes of "Grandma's chocolate chip cookies" to bake and bring to Calgary. While I'm in the kitchen, I'll pre-mix the porcupine balls and brown them before vacuum sealing and freezing them for transport as well. Then it's a matter of gathering together all the things we've picked up for the family since they were here in August. Whenever DH and I go out shopping, there's always a little something that we think 1 of the 4 of them would like to have and we put it aside for the next time we see them. I usually have a big IKEA bag full of goodies when we arrive. LOL I'd like the drink of the day sans the salted rim, would like the wine, and like the idea of today being pasta day. DH loves baked spaghetti, so I'll be making that later in the afternoon so we can enjoy it along with a side salad at the kitchen table tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, especially those in Israel and Ukraine. Cheers to all with celebrations. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

I've been enjoying sailing along with you from the "frozen tundra". Congrats on your Bingo win - good luck for more before you finally dock. It's interesting to see that my favourite Cosmopolitan and Lemon Drop Martini are now just over the limit for the Signature Beverage Package. They're clever, or at least they think they are. Re: your Pinnacle experience - did you comment on it using the Navigator app? I certainly would have done so. What a disappointment the lobster must have been for you. And the lack of service for an upscale experience is appalling.

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily. We have a few dictionaries around the house, but for the past number of years, I've used my phone to check words. I can't cut up my credit card because I use it every day. I haven't used cash in so long that I can't remember the last time I did. Sochi will be happy it's Global Cat Day; she thinks for her it's every day! A chilly morning at 0C which means we've got frost on the windshields as we're in a bit of a dip on our street. It's to be expected at this time of year, but at least according to my memories on FB, we don't have snow as we did 6 years ago. This week we need to do a couple of things - get our latest Covid shots and on Thursday we're heading to Calgary for some much needed grandson time. Now that DH is feeling better, I am more comfortable with our driving there - he doesn't want to fly because he doesn't like being without a car, even though I've suggested we just rent one when we get there. @NextOne sending prayers for you and your medical team as you have your valve replacement tomorrow. @57redbirdprayers for your DH's ablation procedure mid week. @Cruzin Terriprayers and hugs for whatever you're going through. I'd like to try the drink as long as it isn't gritty from the pumpkin spice, am pretty sure I'd like the wine, and the menu suggestion looks delicious. I do have ground beef thawing in the fridge, but that's going to be made into quesadillas for us to enjoy at the kitchen table tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, particularly those involved in wars in Israel and Ukraine. Cheers to all with celebrations. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! I hadn't heard of Sweetest Day, so I looked it up and it's a day to share romantic deeds or expressions and acts of charity or kindness. I like that. You don't see many white canes these days, not sure why. We should be able to repair, rather than replace, but in today's world, that's just not the case. I'm envious of everyone's temperatures, as ours was -1C when I woke up and there's a stiff breeze blowing as well, making it feel like -5C. To make myself feel better, I bring up the PTZ cameras at various locations (FLL, Miami, Key West, etc.) where nobody wears a sweater. The other morning on the Key West cam I caught sight of a bunch of chickens and little chicks walking down the middle of the road; so cute! @JazzyVthanks for adding me to the care list; I'm sure there are many others among us who deserve to be there more than I do. Yesterday was true to form with celestial events - we had cloud cover until about noon, just after the annular eclipse had ended, and then the clouds parted, and we had bright sunshine for the rest of the day. I had to be content looking at photos online that others had taken from different parts of the world. We took a drive out of town to a garden centre where they were advertising succulents at clearance prices of $2 each. Once we got there we realized why - they were tiny and in terrible shape; I'm surprised they even had them out, as they looked like they'd been neglected for a long time. Not much on the agenda today, just removing the cushions from the deck furniture and storing them inside, and moving the 2 chairs at our front entrance into a storage area in the back yard for the winter. DH pumped out the fountain yesterday, so today we'll wrap it with tarping to help keep it secure from winter storms. Today's the day we plan on getting a number of bags of bird seed before the prices go up - which tends to happen as soon as the temperature drops. Ironically, we store the bird seed in kitty litter pails, as they're waterproof and mouse proof as well. I'd like to try the drink of the day, am pretty sure I'd like the wine, and would likely make today's menu suggestion using ground beef or sliced beef. I've taken out a couple of pork chops that DH said he'll barbecue for us, so we'll enjoy them along with baked potatoes and grilled asparagus at the kitchen table tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, particularly those in Israel and Ukraine. Cheers to all with celebrations. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! Baldness can certainly have a second day, I love dessert, and use a lot of eggs in baking, especially around the holidays. As much as I'd love to see the annular solar eclipse today, it's not looking good right now as we've got heavy clouds over us. Hopefully the wind will blow them away so we can use our pinhole cameras to view it. Although we tend to have tons of sunshine, it seems whenever there's a celestial event, we end up under a blanket of clouds. Well I found out the cause of my shoulder pain - it seems I managed to acquire a 1.8cm (3/4") tear in a tendon, commonly known as a torn rotator cuff. How the heck that happened, I have no idea. I spoke with the Dr. over the phone and he's referring me to an orthopedic surgeon to see what can be done. I can manage it alright during the daytime, but find that I wake up because I'm stretching in my sleep, causing pain. We'll see what happens; I'll just keep taking OTC anti-inflammatories for night time. It isn't earth shattering or life threatening, so I'm not going to worry about it. Not a lot on the agenda today except that DH and I have to get out in the back yard and empty the fountain for the year. Every night it's getting cooler and cooler and before we know it, we'll be having frost on a regular basis, and we don't want to ruin the fountain or the pump. Someone told me a couple of days ago that they were worried their air miles were going to expire, so they ordered a new set of golf clubs. That got me thinking about all the air miles we accrue through the daily use of our credit card, so I went onto the reward site and ordered a new air fryer. I had been thinking of replacing our 2 year old one with something better, and in a couple of weeks should be the proud owner of a Ninja 12 in one double oven air fryer that looks like it does everything except knit socks. I love today's menu suggestion - I made meatloaf last week and it was enjoyed for a couple of meals. @dfish I always add a good splash of milk along with a handful or two of oatmeal and onion soup mix to mine. Topping is a combination of ketchup, dry mustard and nutmeg - yum! I'm giving a pass on the drink of the day, the wine, and because we had meatloaf not that long ago, will pass on it as well. DH brought home a couple of packages of breaded chicken wings that will be going into the air fryer before being tossed in the honey garlic sauce. I think we'll just have crudites and dip along with the wings, so it'll look like pub grub for us at the kitchen table tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone in Israel, especially the hostages for safety, and for the people of Ukraine. Cheers to all with celebrations. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Bon Voyage; enjoy every day!!!