MJSailors

@Indytraveler83 I would suggest that you try a Celebrity cruise. We have sailed on three Celebrity cruises out of New Jersey and have never experienced boorish,rude behavior by passengers. Celebrity sails out of Florida and Bayonne NJ as well as Puerto Rico. We are a husband and wife couple,but we understand that Celebrity is a comfortable cruise line for gay passengers. If you do fly to board a ship out of Miami, you may want to fly into Ft Lauderdale or West Palm Beach airports and either rent a car or hire a car to get to Miami airport, although I do not find Ft Lauderdale airport pleasant either. Our preferred airport is West Palm Beach. Your vacation time and money are worth more than spending them on a ship where you are not comfortable and satisfied with the experience. MJ🙋🏻

@brillohead and @Ozark_KidWishing you both a Bon Voyage ! MJ🙋🏻

@jagsfanMimi- Thank you for posting the photo of you and your dear friends. One thing that I am not liking about getting older- I will be 70 soon- is that I am beginning to loose wonderful friends as they pass away. It is a price we pay for our age, I suppose. You are fortunate to have the good memories of friends and having new ones in your life. When I think about it, I am fortunate to have friends who are part of each chapter in my life. The best though ,are three of my HS friends. None of us have sisters ,so we are very much like sisters to each other. We’ve known each other for over 57 years.That’s a true blessing. Wishing you good days. MJ🙋🏻

Norris,I totally understand your point of view. Anyone can get Covid anywhere- even a simple trip to the market or local library. We have traveled to Florida - March 2022 and then Oct-Nov of 2022. All went well for us on those trips. We have socialized with friends and family since having both boosters and all has gone well there too. We are cautious though about visiting places outside of the US as both hubby and I have health issues and I will soon be 70 ( yikes! ),hubby is 71 and we are not as resilient as we used to be in younger days. Our concern is getting medical care if needed in another country.Also my husband does deal with anxiety. Hoping sometime to venture farther afield. As always, wishing you and Carol good days and good health- MJ🙋🏻

@jagsfan Mimi- I didn’t mind wearing the uniforms as there was more money for “real” clothes . In grammar school , Sacred Heart in Glendale,NY, we had to wear saddle shoes. I never liked them. In HS, Christ the King,Middle Village, NY,we could wear a loafer- like shoe of our choice. I really liked my Bass Weejuns- burgundy with fringe over the top. You are right about the uniforms wearing like iron. I think I had two,maybe three skirts for 4 years in HS. We accessorized with hair bows,ribbons,headbands, earrings and some hand jewelry, and makeup. All within the school guidelines,of course 😉. I was very fortunate to have very good school years. Take care MJ🙋🏻

@h20skibum Those photos of your grandchildren are lovely ! Wether you used an app or not ,they are cute kids. Hoping they feel better and it wasn’t Covid- lots of yucky germs out there. Stay well, MJ🙋🏻

Re: the diabetes drug showing significant weight loss in patients taking the drug. I did see reports about that on the TV news. I am trying to stay away from the drugs prescribed for Type2 Diabetes by consulting with a nutritionist to follow a healthy eating plan and consistently doing exercise . I am not too keen on adding another drug to my medicine bag. I take enough for asthma,allergies and blood pressure. The drug seems to be new on the market and side effects may not have been thoroughly documented. IMHO,I would not be trying that medication for weight loss and I am hoping I can get my numbers in check so that I won’t have to take such a medication. MJ🙋🏻

Re : no spare tires in new vehicles. We bought a 2022 Honda Accord last March. It is a hybrid that doesn’t need to be plugged in to charge the battery. It recharges as the car is driven. Has lots of safety features which I appreciate. However it does not have a spare tire,not even those temporary (doughnut) tires. There is a kit similar to a fix-a- flat product in the trunk. There is no way I am dealing with that. I will either call Honda Roadside Assit or AAA. But then again, I have never changed a flat on any car. Because of the battery that is stored under the back seat area, there may not be room to store a spare tire of any kind. Or it could be a cost cutting measure for the car manufacturing companies🤷🏻‍♀️ MJ🙋🏻

Carol- I was glad to read Norris’ journal of your cruise. It seemed to be a relaxing time for you and good for you that you attended Spanish classes and other activities on the ship. It seemed as though I was reading about a cruise occurring before 2020. It was discouraging to read that the ship had abandoned all Covid protocols. It seems that cruising in general was safer when testing,vaccination proof and masking was still in place and ships were not filled to capacity. Although my husband and I have been extremely careful due to some of our health situations, we were considering a Princess Cruise until we read about the loosening of protocols. I think you had a good point in reporting that you did develop Covid from your travels. It is a public service and gives people something to consider. We all have levels of risk tolerance. My husband has a very risk adverse attitude. I do not see a cruise in our future. It’s a pity though as our clocks are ticking. Wishng you and Norris a full recovery soon. Stay warm and safe. MJ🙋🏻

Norris- I enjoyed reading your journal about your cruise that did seem very relaxing for you and Carol. It was unfortunate that you did get Covid after dodging it for three years. But, as you pointed out,it was fortunate that you could deal with being sick at home rather than on the ship. I read that you are looking forward to a future trip to NYC ( my old stomping grounds) and a cruise in June. I am wondering if you have any reservations/ thoughts about this future travel after dealing with Covid post vacation ? Would you do anything differently than you did on this past cruise? Wishing you and Carol healthy days ahead. Stay warm and safe ! MJ🙋🏻

@dani negreanu Dani- You and your hubby looked lovely at your celebration. Very glad that you could celebrate with friends and enjoy the hotel. They did the right thing by giving you an upgraded room with a balcony with a sea view. Wishing you and your dear hubby a wonderful 50th year and many more celebrations to come!💐 MJ🙋🏻

@DaniDanielle Marietta- Thank you for the photo of your cute granddaughter. I like her imagination! When I first saw the photo . ,without your caption,I thought she was accessorizing her school uniform. Brings me back to parochial school days- both grammar and HS. My friends and I always added to the “look” with accessories- all within the guidelines, of course !😉

As I was typing my response, I did think about all the Pro,Semipro, weekend golfers and duffers that check their golf bags on flights ! Should have stopped typing before I started.😉 MJ🙋🏻

As long as the golf bags fit through the security scanner and can be stowed in their cabins, there shouldn’t be an issue with taking them onboard. I’ve seen golf travel bags being checked in for flights at the airport,so taking them on a ship shouldn’t be a problem. MJ🙋🏻

@Sea DogThank you,Greg. I will share your congratulations with my hubby and I am making a note of the name of the shot, Simvisc in case he needs to consult with an orthopedist. It seems that weight loss is one of the first things doctors mention for many ailments. I had a concerning A1C test level of 6.1 that put me in the pre diabetes range. After consulting a nutritionist in November, I have lost ten pounds so far. My goal is 30. The holidays caused a bit of derailment. But, I am back on her suggested meal plan and hope to have a better test result next week. I am sure that my joints will also benefit from the plan. But enough health talk. Looking forward to reading about cruises, travels, kitchen renovations,grandchildren and sunny beach days- all good things to lift the spirits. Wishing all a pleasant day ! MJ🙋🏻

@Merion_Mom You could go to the Hilton website ,or call Hilton to check if the Nassau property is open. That would be disappointing news that the resort was closed. It was a landmark hotel and part of the Nassau beachfront for so many years. MJ🙋🏻

@Sea Dog You are fortunate that you have doctors that have your best interest in mind regarding your health,namely ,your painful knee issues. It is interesting to know there are physicians who value alternative methods for knee pain other than knee replacement surgery. My husband has had knee issues since playing college football. He has seen a number of orthopedic doctors over the years who have the same opinion that he may be a candidate sometime for knee surgery, but since he does not have debilitating pain,it is not an immediate plan for him. Xrays show a significant amount of osteoarthritis in both knees as well as loss of cartilage. . He has been active in sports most of his life,but has given up golf and tennis so as not to stress the knee situation. He has walked or biked daily for years . But, about a year ago,he found that walking was becoming difficult for him. During Covid lockdown and the days afterwards,he began to put on weight. Difficulty walking concerned him, so he began following a healthy eating plan and modified the distance he used to walk . Over a year later ,he has lost fifty pounds and found that his knees no longer bother him and he is able to go back to his usual walking distance. He has maintained the weight loss for five months ,so far. He is surprised that his efforts have taken him from a size forty-two comfort waist jeans to size thirty seven regular waist jeans. He is relieved that he no longer feels knee discomfort when walking . He is hopeful that his weight loss will give him a reprieve from knee surgery. However, he would consider alternative treatment for knee pain,should the need arise. We would be interested in hearing about any alternative treatment for your knee pain that you might consider. I am hoping you will continue to post about your left knee situation and any recommendations that both the orthopedic doctor you recently saw for treatment and your brother may suggest to help you feel better. Take care MJ🙋🏻

Smart husbands!😉

@Sail away MK I would not consider sharing a cabin with three of my dear friends. We have gotten along great on our girls’trips,but we always book two rooms at a hotel or resort . Can’t imagine that the arrangement you mention would be comfortable for any of you. I know you are asking advice to make the cabin more comfortable, but have you considered a lower category cabin so two cabins could be booked ? You mention the balcony size. The Royal Class balconies are on the small side. If you had two side by side or connecting cabins, the steward could open the panel between the balconies to make more space. MJ🙋🏻

@helloxxannie That is as lovely photo ! You and Bryan will make a beautiful bride and groom. MJ🙋🏻

@LionesssNow, I am feeling old ! I received that silver plate and glass serving dish combo for a bridal shower gift! I began clearing out and downsizing a few years ago and donated that item to our local thrift shop. Maybe it migrated to the antique shop you visited. So,maybe you have my serving dish??😳 That’s okay. I hope you enjoy using it. MJ🙋🏻

Bring back the ads with Katie Lee Gifford singing “In the morning,in the evening,ain’t we got fun!?”.😉 Remember those ads for the Fun Ships? Since Carnival and mostly all cruise lines took a major financial hit due to Covid, they might be choosing not to invest $$$ in glossy,hyped ads for now. MJ🙋🏻

@akcruzI can see why you miss your NJ kitchen. It is such a good size and I like how you coordinated so many of the elements in the design. I may be partial to it though because we did our renovation in 2009 as well. Our cabinets are French vanilla cream with Stilestone counter tops that look similar to yours. Our island is walnut, saved from the old kitchen as it was custom made. I would take some photos to post here, but my hubby and I are dealing with some serious colds and the kitchen is not too neat at the moment. As for a dishwasher recommendation. We replaced the appliances installed in the 2009 renovation in 2021. We were told the 2009 appliances would last for maybe 7 years. They lasted 12 with the dishwasher and stove working, but not great. We always bought GE Profile appliances since we built the house is 1984. We were a always pleased with them ,although they were not a high end brand. I used a Miele dishwasher in a friend’s condo that seemed to take forever to do a load of dishes. We bundled the appliances with Fridgedare - fridge,stove and dishwasher. So far, we are pleased with them. What I like about the dishwasher is that there is a 30 minute quick wash cycle. The dishes need to be rinsed well though. My hubby does the dinner clean- up as I do the cooking. He thoroughly rinses everything. That’s just how he does things.😊 MJ🙋🏻

@JimboMission accomplished on the kitchen renovation! You and your wife must be pleased with the new kitchen. After doing two kitchen renos- one at our house and one in a FL condo, I do realize that such a project requires much thought and patience. Doing such a project in Covid times with supply chain issues requires even more patience ! Two questions- Did you use a kitchen designer to help you with choosing all the parts of the kitchen? You mentioned sealing the brick floor- what is recommended for cleaning it ? Wishing you many enjoyable meals and happy occasions in your new kitchen! MJ🙋🏻

@h20skibumOh no! I didn’t mean to make you feel old! Good that you have the outlook and ability to have a high activity level. I agree that there is a difference between biological age and chronological age. I also agree that keeping active as we age is most beneficial. But, we also need to recognize our limitations and make adjustments. While my hubby no longer does the heavy home maintenance , he does tackle many jobs around the house. He is hampered by knees that took a beating from playing college football. He is trying to stay away from knee surgery as while some people we know have had successful surgeries, some others have not had good outcomes. So,he chooses activities that will not cause any potential further damage to his knees. He has always been athletically motivated and continues daily walks in our neighborhood or bicycles in our area for miles. Wishing you continued good health and a positive outlook . MJ🙋🏻