River Cruisers: How Are Things Where YOU Are?

[Coral]

16 hours ago, Canal archive said:

Someone asked about the Moderna vaccine this report has some information about it.

Covid: Moderna vaccine UK rollout to begin in Wales https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-56657038

That article is pretty good. I can't believe how much AstraZeneca vaccines the UK purchased compared to the other. I get it - it is an Oxford vaccine but I feel for all of those in Europe who really depending on having that vaccine. Thanks for posting.

[ural guy]

1 hour ago, jpalbny said:

 

Good for him! What an inspiring story. But I have no aspirations to practice that long. I am ready to retire now.

Concur, I've inquired about early retirement at work, and I'm not in the medical field.   Hard year all around.

[Host Jazzbeau]

My plans for early retirement were thwarted by the 2008 economic crisis [not a good time to retire when your 401s and 403s are in the toilet] and an enticing promotion.  But at age 65 the market was back up and I had just completed a lifetime project – so I went out and never looked back.  I can't express how much I enjoy retirement – even in Covid [or maybe, especially in Covid, as I don't have to try to figure out how to adapt to working from home]  My advice is:  as soon as you can afford it – retire!

[jpalbny]

I could make it work now...but only if Chris keeps working. That aspect of "my" early retirement plan is proving to be a tough sell! She's just as tired of the rat race as I am.

[Coral]

13 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

My plans for early retirement were thwarted by the 2008 economic crisis [not a good time to retire when your 401s and 403s are in the toilet] and an enticing promotion.  But at age 65 the market was back up and I had just completed a lifetime project – so I went out and never looked back.  I can't express how much I enjoy retirement – even in Covid [or maybe, especially in Covid, as I don't have to try to figure out how to adapt to working from home]  My advice is:  as soon as you can afford it – retire!

Some of us didn't have to figure out how to work from home, unfortunately. It is called "in person during COVID".

[Canal archive]

This is another COVID report.

Covid: UK vaccine rollout 'breaking link' between infections and death https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-56663969

 

don’t forget AstraZeneca is a USA/U.K. collaboration.

[Canal archive]

Just had the phone call - 2nd jab 5.20 today both of us. 👍

[Coral]

3 hours ago, Canal archive said:

This is another COVID report.

Covid: UK vaccine rollout 'breaking link' between infections and death https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-56663969

 

don’t forget AstraZeneca is a USA/U.K. collaboration.

I knew that. I just assumed that UK bought so many because of the UK portion.

[Canal archive]

No it was a case off sit down with the various companies and order what was available as soon as possible. It was a huge gamble by our health minister it could have gone astronomically wrong. We are so lucky to have our NHS because the systems for ongoing testing are already in place, that’s why we and now the world knows about the various variants, and how the virus mutates. The sharing of information will be one of the keys to dealing and eventually living with this BUG.

We have also discussed with the company we were hiring a barge from on the Nivernais Canal and moved the booking were now going later in the year - fingers crossed this year, so cruising again, maybe not quite how we know it but getting there. CA

[notamermaid]

Got to tell you this (notamermaid is all excited!!): I have just read the figure for vaccinations in Germany, yesterday we logged 656,357, the highest number in a single day so far - and by far. I am really happy. Now 13.8 percent of the population has had a first jab. Perhaps I can get a first jab in May after all.

 

notamermaid

 

[Canal archive]

Well it turns out that the U.K. has sent just a few thousand doses of U.K. made OxfordAstrazenica vaccine to Australia, make good use of it with our good wishes. CA

[Daisi]

We retired early, had planned for "freedom 55", but were a a bit late.  DH was supposed to have retired last year, however since he was the only one in his office that knew his job and the others, they asked him to stay...he did and they laid off all the others, so he refused to stay another year!  I must admit, like Jazz, we aren't looking back and have learned to let all calls go to voice mail as they are still calling him 4 months later. 

 

Only problem with this, we were planning on doing a lot of travel (inside and outside of the country), but are still to young to get the vaccines...they have now opened up for 60+  so our turn is coming. 🙂

 

Edited April 8, 2021 by Daisi

[acwmom]

ACWDad is 8 years older than me, and counting down w/ his retirement. I still enjoy getting to "play" with kids every day, so I'm not in a hurry. The question is, will we wait to move to warmer weather, or move that up a few years.

 

[gnome12]

My last day at work will be April 25th, and I am greatly looking forward to retirement, even though at the moment we are under stay-at-home orders in Ontario until at least May 6. We are still allowed to cycle, and that is what I plan to do when I am no longer working. (I'm actually taking early retirement - by 2 months - to have a chance to freely enjoy the nicer weather of May and June.) Since I only work 3 days per week I am now counting the days, after today, 9 more working days which includes both the day of my virtual farewell - I have chosen the cake that will be delivered to me; since I live alone I chose a cakelet 3 1/2" x 5 1/2"- as well as the last day when I have to empty out my office that I have been into exactly 2 times since mid-March last year. I don't even remember what personal items I have there.

Here is a link to the cake I chose:

https://ecakes.ca/shop/devils-raspberry-cakelet/

 

I have had my first AZ shot; the second is supposed to come in early July, unless they move it up. Ontario has announced that they hope to get to 40% of adults vaccinated by the end of the 28 day stay-at-home-period. We'll see how they do. As of April 7 they were up to 17.03%, although I think that is a percent of the total population, not just the adult population. As far as I know, the highest single day total in the province was 108,563 administered yesterday. (The population of Ontario is about 1.5 million.)

[notamermaid]

France has announced that 10 million of their population have now had a first jab. The ratio of AstraZeneca to the other vaccines is higher than in Germany by the way, but this ratio is likely to change as France also has an age restriction for the vaccine. Belgium, Australia and the Phillippines have also put the restriction at a relatively high age.

 

We may get a tighter lock down in Germany. At least there will be more regional restrictions if not nationwide.

 

Forget river cruising in April I think, at least on the Rhine and its tributaries. And the French rivers more likely than not.

 

notamermaid

 

 

 

[Ritabob]

2 hours ago, gnome12 said:

...As far as I know, the highest single day total in the province was 108,563 administered yesterday. (The population of Ontario is about 1.5 million.)

Not to be nitpicking,  it was probably a typo, but the population of Ontario is just over 14 million. 😉

[sharkster77]

I retired from teaching 4 yrs ago and have never looked back.  I returned to my old high school for the last 7 weeks of the past school year to fill in during the maternity leave of a former colleague.  It was remote learning, being designed as we were teaching (like building an airplane while flying it at 20,000 ft).

This year they have had a hybrid system that please no one at all.  I HEAR THEIR TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS AND DO NOT MISS IT FOR A SECOND.  Dear wife works part time for her family's business--you could call her semi-retired.  We traveled overseas in 2017, 2018, and 2019.  Our intention was to take 2-3 trips here in North America in 2020----oh well..........

 

As soon as it is safe we will hit the road (or the air) again!

[Roz]

Who would have thought we would be here in April of 2021, over a year later still not able to cruise and grappling with a pandemic and no idea of when it's all going to end?

[Lois R]

27 minutes ago, Roz said:

Who would have thought we would be here in April of 2021, over a year later still not able to cruise and grappling with a pandemic and no idea of when it's all going to end?

Hi Roz, I think about that all the time..........who knew?😲

[gnome12]

2 hours ago, Ritabob said:

Not to be nitpicking,  it was probably a typo, but the population of Ontario is just over 14 million. 😉

Sorry, you are right. I meant to type 14.5 million, which is the number that I have been hearing.

[Ritabob]

gnome 12, your retirement cake looks fantastic,  I'd gladly sit on your driveway social distancing and help you eat it 🎂.

Enjoy your retirement,  we  highly recommend it.

RB 

[dogs4fun]

4 hours ago, Roz said:

Who would have thought we would be here in April of 2021, over a year later still not able to cruise and grappling with a pandemic and no idea of when it's all going to end?

I initially thought that we would be able to travel in 2021. Yes, who knew? Makes me sad. I will be so happy when I am again able to hop on a plane & fly to Europe - after all, not getting any younger!

Edited April 8, 2021 by dogs4fun

[gnome12]

55 minutes ago, Ritabob said:

gnome 12, your retirement cake looks fantastic,  I'd gladly sit on your driveway social distancing and help you eat it 🎂.

Enjoy your retirement,  we  highly recommend it.

RB 

It isn't really big enough to share; that's why I picked it. Two servings - all for me.

 

Thanks for your good wishes. I intend to enjoy retirement.

[Lois R]

gnome, sending you all the best for retirement and that cake looks delicious😃

 

I retired in Dec 2019 and had all kinds of cruise celebrations planned for 2020........we know

what happened to all of them👎.  Hoping later this year will start back up for those missed

cruises!

[Coral]

8 hours ago, gnome12 said:

My last day at work will be April 25th, and I am greatly looking forward to retirement, even though at the moment we are under stay-at-home orders in Ontario until at least May 6. We are still allowed to cycle, and that is what I plan to do when I am no longer working. (I'm actually taking early retirement - by 2 months - to have a chance to freely enjoy the nicer weather of May and June.) Since I only work 3 days per week I am now counting the days, after today, 9 more working days which includes both the day of my virtual farewell - I have chosen the cake that will be delivered to me; since I live alone I chose a cakelet 3 1/2" x 5 1/2"- as well as the last day when I have to empty out my office that I have been into exactly 2 times since mid-March last year. I don't even remember what personal items I have there.

Here is a link to the cake I chose:

https://ecakes.ca/shop/devils-raspberry-cakelet/

Cake looks amazing! Glad your day will be soon!