ger_77

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! When our grandsons are here, I usually make them waffles with ice cream for breakfast for a treat. There's a restaurant in the city where oatmeal with ice cream is on the menu - yum! I won't create a vacuum, but I'll likely use one today; the dust bunnies are taking over. I love stuffed mushrooms, but haven't had or made them in ages. Well our temperatures have certainly changed; right now we're sitting at -7C (19F), and I feel bad for our friends in the east who are suffering in the frigid cold. All I can say is stay indoors, drink lots of hot liquids and pile on the blankets! Electric blankets can make a world of difference, if you have one. Not a lot happening here today, although DH has said he'd like to check out a new thrift shop operated by the Mennonites. They always do such good work in the community, helping people who really need it; I'd be happy to support their efforts. I like today's menu suggestion - it reminds me I haven't made cheeseburger pie for such a long time, but I've got a small beef roast thawing in the fridge that will go into the slow cooker along with potatoes, carrots, onions, etc., for a nice dinner to be enjoyed at the kitchen table tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who needs them, a double yay for all with celebrations. Smooth Sailing! 🙂🙂🙂 Gerry

@HAL Sailermy sympathies to you and the family; it's difficult, even when the loss is expected. Our hearts go out to you and the entire family for peace.

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! I haven't had bubble gum in years, we regularly feed the pigs with wings, and it's sad we lost so much music in one day in 1959. I was too young to know what was going on, but found out later in life what a tragedy it was. First off, let me apologize to everyone who is suffering from the cold - I didn't realize the Polar Vortex I shared would encompass such a huge area! I hope none of you end up with frozen pipes, etc.; I know you can always put on extra clothing and turn up the heat in your homes, but pipes are a different story. I'm sorry to see all the damage in Texas from the ice - that's awful. We're currently sitting at -18C (0.4F), and are expecting it to warm up to -5C (23F); what a land of contrasts we live in. No wonder I have migraines! Speaking of the cold @JazzyV, our friend @Quartzsite Cruiserdid a great job of describing how we keep our vehicles going in the winter. Some vehicles fare better than others, ours being one of them - that even without being plugged in, it started up right away and purred right along. Years ago we were in North Carolina when someone came up to DH in the parking lot and asked if we were driving an electric car, as the cord was sticking out through the front grill. LOL Yesterday we went out so DH could get his blood work and x rays, then we went to a thrift shop where I picked up a couple of knitted/crocheted afghans so I could take them apart and use the yarn for new blankets for foster children. One was a lovely yellow/grey/white combination that took me 3 hours to unravel; I can only imagine how long it too to create, but it will make a number of cozy blankets for kids, and for $3, it saved me at least $25 in yarn. Re: the x-rays - it sounds like some kind of neuropathy, or possibly even arthritis in the toe joints. The doctor said it was age related; DH was not impressed. LOL I wouldn't mind today's menu suggestion, in fact it was served as an appetizer on our flight home from FLL last week. DH, who was sitting in the pod beside me took a bite and said "Um, Ger, this isn't cooked." I laughed, because I'm sure all he saw on the menu was salmon, not the tartare part. He didn't eat his. It's Friday, so we'll take a look at the online menus to see what's good - I think maybe it's time for a chicken/bacon/ranch pizza that we haven't had in a long time. It'll be pizza at the kitchen table tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, a loud cheer for all with celebrations. Smooth Sailing! 🙂🙂🙂 Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! It's crystal clear out there this morning, so if we did have a groundhog in the district, he/she would definitely see it's shadow. Sweater day? More like down-filled pajama day!!! It's cold out there - and for those of you who think I might be fudging our temperatures to garner sympathy, here's a screen shot for you: Again, I apologize to all my eastern friends for sharing our Polar Vortex, but misery loves company. I love today's port - we've been there 3 times, all near the end of tourist season when it wasn't overrun with people. @StLouisCruisersin your 11th photo, there's a square blue glass plate - I bought one exactly like that and carefully brought it home in my carry-on! I have great memories of Santorini every time I see it on our deck. @kazuI'm sorry to hear your elbow isn't healing as fast as you'd hoped. @rafinmdI hope you had a restful night and will be feeling much better soon. Even though it's colder than a witch's kiss, DH has to go for blood tests and an x ray on his foot that's been bothering him for some time. The doctor thinks it's arthritis, but wants to rule out anything else. I know neither of us would appreciate today's menu suggestion, so when we get home this afternoon, I think I'll make a small batch of baked potato soup. A comforting bowl of steaming hot soup will be good on a cold winter's night. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, woo hoo for all the celebrations. Smooth Sailing! 🙂🙂🙂 Gerry

Rabbit, rabbit, white rabbit! Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! I'm grateful for the freedoms we have, especially compared to other parts of the world. I try not to get into political discussions, but watch a lot of it on television. I think I could be called a Spunky Old Broad, and I'd be happy to wear that moniker. Even though I'm not that old. LOL According to the forecast, we have 1 more day of this darn cold weather before it starts to smarten up again. Right now it's "only" -24C, but tomorrow we're expecting it to get down to -36C, so if we need to get out and do anything, it should happen today while it's still "warm". @kazuI'm sorry you're on the receiving end of this Polar Vortex - for you it's even colder with the humidity. Stay safe! @NextOne Happy Angel Birthday to your DH; special days are always difficult to manage, but by doing what he enjoyed, I hope it will make the day easier for you. @grapau27I'm so happy to hear Sarah felt well enough to go out for dinner; hopefully the injection effects will be long lasting. @rafinmdHopefully things are "progressing" for you. @kochleffelBon Voyage; have a great cruise! @kazu Sending good vibes that you have a positive outcome at the doctor's today. @smitty34877 You were a smart woman to let the teenager take the doggos out this morning. I'm sorry to hear Tana has picked up a bug. @Seasick SailorI hope you're feeling better this morning after yesterday's adventure at the oral surgeon. @JazzyVHoping your eye problems clear up soon! I'd like to try the drink, and would appreciate trying the wine - if someone else paid for it! While we don't have cod on hand, we do have salmon, so tonight it's going to be lemon roast potatoes, salmon and veggies at the kitchen table tonight. And wine. Prayers for all who are in need, cheers to all with celebrations. Smooth Sailing! 🙂🙂🙂 Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily @StLouisCruisers! Backward day is fun for kids; adults, not so much. The best I can do is back talkwards - that's where my dyslexia actually helps me. I'm not an artist, but can knit up a storm, so will inspire my heart with my knitting; currently I'm working on blankets for children and youth who are in foster care. We've been advised by the hospitals that they have enough "Angel Blankets", so will focus on others in need. It looks like we'll be waiting for vacation planning, because yesterday we were in touch with a company and have ordered a new door and sidelights for our front entry. That's going to be approximately the cost of a cruise, so . . . . We had a skiff of snow overnight, which means the temperatures have moderated somewhat (at least warmed up enough to snow). We are expected to have temps in the -25C to -30C for the next couple of days, then it will warm up to more bearable temps. Yay! Despite the cold, we went out and bought another supply of Gatorade for DH to help with his leg cramps (when his electrolytes are out of balance, he gets awful cramps), and more food for Sochi. We are a hardy bunch here on the "frozen tundra"! Not a lot on the agenda today; DH is going for a haircut before someone mistakes him for an ageing Beatle, my main task is to vacuum and dust. Our young house-sitter did a good job of keeping the house clean, but, well, you know. I like clam chowder and will order it in a restaurant once in a while, but have never made it at home. We have more leftovers from yesterday, so we'll enjoy a hearty bowl of beef stew and crusty buns again at the kitchen table tonight. And wine. Prayers for all who are in need - especially the people of Ukraine who are enduring a seemingly endless barrage of shelling. Cheers to everyone with celebrations. Safe travels to those with trips today. Smooth Sailing! 🙂🙂🙂 Gerry

The interior is a very dark glaze, so I can't see if there are any fine lines in it or not. Just the occasional "tink". A little disconcerting. LOL No, I've only handwashed it very well in hot soapy water. I'm not sure what would happen if I put it in the dishwasher. That's my concern as well! On another note, just heard from a friend who missed a step as she was going into her house and broke her humerus just below the shoulder. She's going to be out of commission for at least 6 weeks. Thankfully her DH will take good care of her. I'm going to be extra careful, because she's the 5th person in the last 2 weeks I've heard of who has fallen and broken something!

I did, too. We had a personal connection with him, as he and DH's uncle were in partnership with many Polled Hereford cattle. Somewhere we have his autograph, and the memory of him holding our son when he was just a baby. They were at an auction together and we had the opportunity of spending an entire evening in his hotel suite. Unfortunately, nobody had a camera at the time. Great memories of a great hockey player.

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! We still have a landline, but it has voicemail attached to it, so no extra machine. Ours is pretty inane, but a friend of ours had "Hey, whatcha doin?" as his. Who doesn't love bubble wrap? I'd like to escape, but if it means another flight, I'm prepared to stay home for a while. It's time to put on the layers, as it's currently -28C (-18F) with a wind chill of -38C (-32F), and it isn't going to improve much throughout the day. The positive thing is that we are not under an extreme cold warning - woo hoo! There are things to do today; make an appointment with the denturist to completely fix DH's front tooth onto his partial plate. Fortunately the crazy glue I used the morning before we left held throughout the cruise. DH was very careful with what he ate, and at times, even went without his plate a couple of days. He was very self conscious, so those were his "no smiling" days. We have to take our Ford Escape in to get new tires - after sitting for 3 weeks, the front tires were at 15 and 18 pounds each; they should have been 30. They've been giving us grief for some time, so now we won't have to worry about getting a "low tire" signal whenever we get in the vehicle. @HAL Sailerbelated Happy Birthday to you; I hope you will find the time to celebrate yourself - you are most deserving! @Seasick Sailorsending good vibes as you endure the oral surgeon today. @kazuI'm happy to hear you had a relatively restful night; hopefully this is the beginning of your healing. @rafinmdignore what the night nurse said - why would you tell someone something like that in the middle of the night? Really!! @mamaofamiyou haven't mentioned Sam's progress for a good while; I hope it is going well. And how are the aides working out? Okay, first world problem - I bought a beautiful handmade coffee mug at one of our ports last week but there are issues with it. First of all, it doesn't hold the heat well; second is that I can hear the finish crack (you know, that "tink" sound) when I'm drinking. I'm not sure if the thing is going to fall apart, or what? Maybe some of you are familiar with ceramics and can enlighten me as to whether or not I should just toss it. I think I'd like to try the drink of the day; I've never had one with kiwi in it. Today's wine sounds nice, but is way out of my budget, so will take a pass. I could eat turkey every day, but DH only wants the stuffing, so likely won't be using today's recipe. It's ugly cold out there, so I think today is a good day to put a pot of stew on the stove and let it simmer throughout the day. Beef stew and some crusty buns will be what we'll enjoy at the kitchen table tonight. And wine. Prayers for all who are in need, cheers to all with celebrations going on. Smooth Sailing! 🙂🙂🙂 Gerry

@marshhawkyou've got me leaning closer to the monitor in case you post something! You DO live in an exciting part of town!

Will definitely keep you in my heart; good luck to you, Joy! I hope whatever you need to have done will be quick and relatively easy on you.

You have priority boarding as 4 star, so arrive when you want and go to the priority boarding line. We did this about 3 weeks ago in FLL.

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily, and for the care and cheer list, @StLouisCruisers! I usually start a puzzle right after Christmas, but didn't this year because we were leaving for our cruise on January 2nd. I like corn chips and don't have a garden, so don't swap seeds. I swap recipes instead. @rafinmdI'm happy to hear from you, but concerned about your O2 levels; I'm glad you're in the hospital where they can get things under control for you. Just know that our hearts are with you! @kazuI feel so bad for you - you just can't catch a break! Can you get some more pain meds prescribed and delivered to get you through to your next hospital visit? @dfishadd me to the list of those wanting to see your newly painted bedroom! Thank you @smitty34877 and @StLouisCruisersfor the photos of the beautiful Camilla and Elliott Rose! I can't believe how big Camilla is getting - we forget how quickly little ones grow! Well I got us all unpacked and the suitcases are put away for who knows how long; after enduring all the air snags, I can't even think about travel for a while. The one thing I did have to do was replace the velcro on our carry-ons before putting them into storage. The velcro on the handles was very lightweight, and the handles would continually separate, which meant one would drag on the ground while being pulled through an airport. Fortunately I had some heavy duty velcro on hand (where I got it, or why I have it, I have no idea!), and was able to sew it in place. I'm sure we'll struggle to get the handles apart, but they sure aren't going to drag on the ground any time soon! We enjoyed having our friends over for the afternoon and part of the evening - it's always heartwarming when you open the door to "Hi, I've missed you all the way down to my toes!" We sat visiting for a couple of hours, then enjoyed more conversation over dinner. I guess I went a little overboard when it came to measuring out the spaghetti, as we have lots of leftovers. It's looking like we'll have a repeat of last night's dinner (yay, no cooking, just reheating!); baked spaghetti, garlic toast and a side salad at the kitchen table tonight. Prayers for everyone who is in need, cheers for all the celebrations. Smooth Sailing! 🙂🙂🙂 Gerry

And just to throw a loop into this conversation, when booking online, go ahead and do so, but bring along a copy of the reservation with you. We had booked the Canaletto for a specific evening to celebrate our friend's birthday, but when we got onboard, nothing appeared on the Navigator app. We went to the Canaletto station and they knew nothing about the reservation. I pulled out my trusty paper copy, showed them the confirmation and was able to get the pre-ordered date and time. Sometimes you can trust technology, sometimes you can't.

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily, Sandi! Having had my cc compromised just last month, I'm quite aware of data privacy. Although I had a job that required being serious and stern much of the time, I always made time to have fun at work as well. Please don't ask me to add a kazoo to DH's large collection of musical (or not so musical) instruments! @rafinmdoh my goodness, now you've got me worried; I do hope we can hear from you again soon, and that things will be better for you! @Seasick Sailorjust a skinned knee and nothing more? Yikes for you, too!! Yesterday was "the" day for unpacking - I didn't have the energy to do it the day we got home, so the suitcases stood locked in the spare bedroom until I tackled them. Every time we travel, I think "I'll pack less", but then I'm overcome with the JIC (Just In Case) items of clothing . . . This cruise was no different. LOL There were at least 4 tops and a couple of dresses I never took out of the closet, so will have to be a little more disciplined next time around. It was funny though, when I found a zip lock with all the extra tea bags that were given to me at breakfast - I'd order either lemon or apple tea and the waiter would always give me one for the tea pot and an extra "to take home". Well, I always put it into my little wristlet and put them into a zip lock in the cabin drawer. I'd forgotten about them, but I guess DH tossed them into the suitcase while my back was turned, and now I've got 23 bags of tea to remind me of our lovely trip! This morning I'm going out to get my gel nail fill - one I'd been nursing for about a week finally came off entirely yesterday - and then will pick up a couple of extra things from the grocery store. Friends are coming over this afternoon and we've invited them to stay for dinner - I'll make one of their favourites, baked spaghetti. It will be great to catch up with them after being gone almost a month. So, it's looking like we'll be having baked spaghetti, garlic toast and a side salad in the dining room tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who needs them, especially those with recent falls! Cheers to all with celebrations today. Smooth Sailing! 🙂🙂🙂 Gerry

Just got off the Rotterdam in a verandah suite. They have beautiful glass shower and fog free mirrors!

Bon Voyage everyone! Enjoy the sun, sea, and sand!!!

oh my gosh, when reading this, I thought you were going to say your DH drove all the way home before he realized you were still at the WM! LOL Thanks to everyone for all the welcome back comments, it’s nice to have been missed!

Too late to edit my previous post, but I wanted to add that Rotterdam VII has an actual library!!! It's self-serve, with about 10 chairs (which were always occupied), with a small, but varied selection of books. I always like to read at the end of the day, so I went through 3 novels during our time on the ship. It also has a section where guests can leave a book for others to enjoy when they are finished with them.

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! I love chocolate cake, never had to punch a clock, and worked with a few who thought they were big wigs. LOL It's good to be back - I pretty much disconnected from electronics for the past 3+ weeks. The only thing I'd do onboard is check in on FB every morning, post a photo of my door sign, and put the iPad away. There was more than enough to do on the ship and on shore to keep me happy. I had the opportunity to meet and visit with the lovely Joy @Seasick Sailor and her sweet DH Allan. I wish we had more time with them, but we were traveling with friends who hadn't been to most of the places, so our time was limited. I know today is also Holocaust Survivors Day, so will include them and all who experienced that horrible episode in our history in my prayers. I can see I have a lot of catch-up reading to do; there seems to have been a lot of things I've missed here on the Daily. To everyone who has had a birthday or anniversary, I send you my cheers; to all who have had losses in their lives, please know my heart is with you. Oh, some news that might make a few of my CC friends happy: The Rotterdam has drink runners!!! We had the most entertaining sweet guy (Anthony) deliver our drinks on the upper dining area every night - he said they were brought back because the table servers were run off their feet. We returned home a day later than planned due to a snow storm in Toronto; we were able to get out before it totally socked in, and were routed to Calgary where we got a hotel by the airport for about 4 hours sleep, then back home yesterday. Sochi was a chatterbox from the moment we walked through the door until we put her to bed last night. I'm pretty sure she'll be attached to me like velcro for the next few days. LOL After all that wonderful cruise food, it's hard to even think about cooking, but of course it's Friday, so I get the night off. We'll check the online menus to see what appeals to us and enjoy pizza at the kitchen table tonight. And wine. Prayers to all who are in need, Woo Hoo to all who are celebrating. It feels good to be back here. Smooth Sailing! 🙂🙂🙂 Gerry

Currently on the Rotterdam and took my card to Guest Services where they punched a small rectangular hole above the bar code so I could attach it to my badge reel holder. No one in our party had a card that came pre-punched.

You’ve got mail!

Please don’t think poorly of us if you see us wearing HAL robes . . . that wind is cold!!!!!

It looks like we’re in a race to the finish with our sister, the Nieuw Statendam. We’ll be waving like crazy again tomorrow at sail away from our balcony on Deck 4 with a large Canadian flag. See you tomorrow!

Send me an email at ger underscore 77 at yahoo dot com and let me know your cabin number. I enjoyed waving at sail away instead of watching it from the other side. Our friends weren’t sure anyone would see us . . . Thanks everyone for sharing your screenshots; greatly appreciated!!!