alc13 Posted May 31, 2021 #1901 Share Posted May 31, 2021 Our restrictions here in Maine were lifted last week, and I ventured into the supermarket and hardware store without a mask. I expected it to feel strange but the feeling only lasted a few minutes. I'm suddenly feeling very forward-looking. A more pressing problem than covid for me right now is water, or lack of it. Rainstorms have been detouring around our state and the garden was starting to look parched. We installed some drip tubing as back up. Like washing the car, that had the immediate effect of bringing a good inch or so of rain to our area. Yay! A nice article in the paper this morning describes how dogs can be trained to detect covid in people. Could make air travel safer if they were stationed in airports. Hope you are all well, and vaccinated! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Essiesmom Posted May 31, 2021 #1902 Share Posted May 31, 2021 Hmmm...can you imagine how many people will try to bring their dog along, claiming they are covid detection dogs... Things have been bright and sunny and hot here. 88 yesterday. Hasn't rained in three weeks. How come the grass stays brown but the weeds grow? EM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanky Lad Posted May 31, 2021 #1903 Share Posted May 31, 2021 (edited) I have managed to bring my second shot forward but only by three days. As this was Monday to Friday, I have sort of gained a weekend. The real bonus is that I have managed to change the venue from one 5 miles away to one about half a mile away so an easy walk. Edited May 31, 2021 by Lanky Lad 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigmike911 Posted June 1, 2021 #1904 Share Posted June 1, 2021 22 hours ago, Lanky Lad said: I have managed to bring my second shot forward but only by three days. As this was Monday to Friday, I have sort of gained a weekend. The real bonus is that I have managed to change the venue from one 5 miles away to one about half a mile away so an easy walk. Congrats on your forthcoming Jab, LL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanky Lad Posted June 1, 2021 #1905 Share Posted June 1, 2021 3 hours ago, Bigmike911 said: Congrats on your forthcoming Jab, LL. Thanks Bigmike I hope I don't feel as ill as I did after my first one. Even if I do, it will be worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonopah Posted June 2, 2021 #1906 Share Posted June 2, 2021 We're starting lessons for Viennese Waltz and Quickstep to prepare for our next voyage. We know there are some sequence dances but there are no options to learn those. In 18 months we'll be ready to be on the dance floor all night long. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanky Lad Posted June 2, 2021 #1907 Share Posted June 2, 2021 2 hours ago, Tonopah said: We're starting lessons for Viennese Waltz and Quickstep to prepare for our next voyage. We know there are some sequence dances but there are no options to learn those. In 18 months we'll be ready to be on the dance floor all night long. I hope you get plenty of chances to show off your new skills. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Camgirl Posted June 3, 2021 #1908 Share Posted June 3, 2021 19 hours ago, Tonopah said: We're starting lessons for Viennese Waltz and Quickstep to prepare for our next voyage. We know there are some sequence dances but there are no options to learn those. In 18 months we'll be ready to be on the dance floor all night long. Oh my goodness, best of luck with the lessons. We started learning around 7 years ago and still haven't conquered the Viennese waltz! If you want to dance in the Queens Room, I would suggest starting with the more standard slow waltz first. Particularly as you will only get one or two Viennese in an evening, as opposed to lots of slow waltz. The quickstep will also come up pretty often. The cha cha cha is also popular and is rather fun to dance. It's always lovely to see more people taking up ballroom dancing, enjoy the lessons, it is great fun to do and is also good exercise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonopah Posted June 3, 2021 #1909 Share Posted June 3, 2021 48 minutes ago, Camgirl said: Oh my goodness, best of luck with the lessons. We started learning around 7 years ago and still haven't conquered the Viennese waltz! If you want to dance in the Queens Room, I would suggest starting with the more standard slow waltz first. Particularly as you will only get one or two Viennese in an evening, as opposed to lots of slow waltz. The quickstep will also come up pretty often. The cha cha cha is also popular and is rather fun to dance. It's always lovely to see more people taking up ballroom dancing, enjoy the lessons, it is great fun to do and is also good exercise. Oh, thank you but it is fine. We’ve been dancing for several years. We started, with only 3 months’ lessons under our belts, for our first crossing and we never stopped. We did an absolutely basic quickstep that we learned on the ship and it was so much fun. Deciding to take a few dance lessons so we could step foot on the Queen Mary 2 dance floor literally changed our lives. We dance almost every day, now. We slow waltz, swing, cha cha, rhumba, foxtrot, salsa, hustle, a little tango. We know quickstep and V. Waltz basics and a sprinkling of other dances. We’ll add a couple of Viennese waltz and quickstep steps just to expand our options. But I completely agree. If anyone is traveling on one of the Queens, they should take a few dance lessons. Even the few we had at the beginning were enough to give us the confidence to get on the floor. It’s a great experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Camgirl Posted June 3, 2021 #1910 Share Posted June 3, 2021 37 minutes ago, Tonopah said: Oh, thank you but it is fine. We’ve been dancing for several years. We started, with only 3 months’ lessons under our belts, for our first crossing and we never stopped. We did an absolutely basic quickstep that we learned on the ship and it was so much fun. Deciding to take a few dance lessons so we could step foot on the Queen Mary 2 dance floor literally changed our lives. We dance almost every day, now. We slow waltz, swing, cha cha, rhumba, foxtrot, salsa, hustle, a little tango. We know quickstep and V. Waltz basics and a sprinkling of other dances. We’ll add a couple of Viennese waltz and quickstep steps just to expand our options. But I completely agree. If anyone is traveling on one of the Queens, they should take a few dance lessons. Even the few we had at the beginning were enough to give us the confidence to get on the floor. It’s a great experience. We did the same. Having sat watching the dancers in the Queens Room for several cruises, we decided to take the plunge and take some lessons. We then took to the dance floor a few months later. It was nerve wracking at first as I am rather shy. However, we thoroughly enjoyed it and have continued learning ever since. Unfortunately, Viennese waltz is very unpopular with our class, so we rarely get to have a practise. About a year before the pandemic our teacher added a beginners sequence class, so we started learning a few of the most popular sequence dances as well, which are great fun. Then came the pandemic......😕 We restart dancing with a private lesson this Sunday. We both think we have probably forgotten more than we ever knew 😧. I just hope our teacher is feeling really patient 🤣!! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Host Hattie Posted June 3, 2021 Author #1911 Share Posted June 3, 2021 The results of our next review are due tomorrow. Cases are still low in Wales, we've had a few outbreaks of the Delta variant but only 100 cases in total and no ongoing transmission yet. We were already being asked not to travel abroad for holidays and now one of the few accessible countries which was on the green list (Portugal) has been moved to orange. I do feel sorry for my colleague who was supposed to be going on Saturday but it seems like good news for those of us with holiday lets in Wales. Mr HH has hurt his back so he's feeling a bit sorry for himself. He had physio yesterday and it seems to have helped a bit. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigmike911 Posted June 5, 2021 #1912 Share Posted June 5, 2021 On 6/3/2021 at 1:38 PM, Host Hattie said: The results of our next review are due tomorrow. Cases are still low in Wales, we've had a few outbreaks of the Delta variant but only 100 cases in total and no ongoing transmission yet. We were already being asked not to travel abroad for holidays and now one of the few accessible countries which was on the green list (Portugal) has been moved to orange. I do feel sorry for my colleague who was supposed to be going on Saturday but it seems like good news for those of us with holiday lets in Wales. Mr HH has hurt his back so he's feeling a bit sorry for himself. He had physio yesterday and it seems to have helped a bit. Sorry to hear that Mr. HH hurt his back, nothing serious I hope. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Host Hattie Posted June 5, 2021 Author #1913 Share Posted June 5, 2021 Thanks, he's going in the right direction but he did take his own chair when we went across the road to the pub for lunch today ! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigmike911 Posted June 9, 2021 #1914 Share Posted June 9, 2021 As many of you know I listen to Classic FM from the UK on the internet. The news recently announced that Portugal went from the green list to the amber list. I understand what the implications are for travelers, but look as I can I cannot find the criteria for a particular country being on one list or another. As the US is currently on the Amber, I would love to be able to understand the metrics the UK Government use for placing countries on a particular list. I can look at them and hopefully be able to predict when the US will move to green and when Germany is likely to go to green. I would appreciate any help any one can give me to help me understand the criteria. Thanks in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluemarble Posted June 9, 2021 #1915 Share Posted June 9, 2021 14 hours ago, Bigmike911 said: As many of you know I listen to Classic FM from the UK on the internet. The news recently announced that Portugal went from the green list to the amber list. I understand what the implications are for travelers, but look as I can I cannot find the criteria for a particular country being on one list or another. As the US is currently on the Amber, I would love to be able to understand the metrics the UK Government use for placing countries on a particular list. I can look at them and hopefully be able to predict when the US will move to green and when Germany is likely to go to green. I would appreciate any help any one can give me to help me understand the criteria. Thanks in advance. Without trying to be political about this at all, from what I've been reading, those in the UK might also like some help to understand the details of the criteria. Here's what I've found for some of the factors being used to evaluate which list (red, amber or green) each country is assigned to. Coronavirus infection rate Percentage of the population that have been vaccinated Prevalence of variants of concern Reliability of the data Access to genomic sequencing Passengers connecting through key hubs Of course what's missing here are details about the specific thresholds that trigger each level and how each of these factors is weighted to make the decision. I'm not sure that level of detail is available to the general public. If it is available, I'd be interested to learn about that as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Host Hattie Posted June 9, 2021 Author #1916 Share Posted June 9, 2021 I don't think it is but if it's any consolation the US isn't letting us in without quarantine either ! BBC News - Travel: US eases travel rules for 61 countries - but not UK https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-57403216 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigmike911 Posted June 9, 2021 #1917 Share Posted June 9, 2021 3 hours ago, Host Hattie said: I don't think it is but if it's any consolation the US isn't letting us in without quarantine either ! BBC News - Travel: US eases travel rules for 61 countries - but not UK https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-57403216 No Hattie, it's no consolation but I wish they would come up with a protocol for vaccinated people. Today at the barber shop if you have been vaccinated (I have both Moderna jabs) you can enter with out a mask. If not you, cannot. I know the medical privacy issues (HIPA in the US) but you can show proof to anyone you choose to show it too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluemarble Posted June 10, 2021 #1918 Share Posted June 10, 2021 For a little change of pace, how about a cruise terminology trivia question? In the excerpt below, I've highlighted an acronym found within the terms and conditions of a Cunard promotion. I imagine those with travel agent experience will know all about it, but I didn't know what it meant without doing some research to figure it out. Without researching it yourself, what does the highlighted term stand for and what does it mean with regard to cruise bookings? "Offer is only for past guests ... This offer may be shared with Friends and Family who are new to Cunard, however both bookings must be TWID and booked on the same voyage." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
navybankerteacher Posted June 10, 2021 #1919 Share Posted June 10, 2021 49 minutes ago, bluemarble said: For a little change of pace, how about a cruise terminology trivia question? In the excerpt below, I've highlighted an acronym found within the terms and conditions of a Cunard promotion. I imagine those with travel agent experience will know all about it, but I didn't know what it meant without doing some research to figure it out. Without researching it yourself, what does the highlighted term stand for and what does it mean with regard to cruise bookings? "Offer is only for past guests ... This offer may be shared with Friends and Family who are new to Cunard, however both bookings must be TWID and booked on the same voyage." Isn’t that “Travel With I D” - some mechanism whereby people who originally booked separately can be subsequently linked so as to be assigned same table? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
navybankerteacher Posted June 10, 2021 #1920 Share Posted June 10, 2021 (edited) Our premature heat wave (back to back days in the 90’s F) has finally passed. It was tough - the breeze off the water was good, but the 59F seawater temp kept people out of the water - heat waves should not be permitted when it is still Spring. Edited June 10, 2021 by navybankerteacher Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluemarble Posted June 10, 2021 #1921 Share Posted June 10, 2021 4 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said: Isn’t that “Travel With I D” - some mechanism whereby people who originally booked separately can be subsequently linked so as to be assigned same table? That's it, an "Identification" number to link bookings for parties that are going to "Travel With" each other. As you say it's typically used to link separate bookings for those that wish to dine together. In this case, it's apparently also being used to link a booking for new Cunard passengers with a booking for a past passenger to allow those new Cunard passengers to receive a past passenger discount as friends and family of the past passenger. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Host Hattie Posted June 10, 2021 Author #1922 Share Posted June 10, 2021 I'm venturing out of Wales for the first time tomorrow since March 2020. It seemed a good idea when I made the arrangements a few weeks ago but now I'm not so sure ! I'm meeting 2 friends from school for dinner at The Cinnamon Club in Westminster tomorrow night and then a group of 6 of us are meeting for lunch near Piccadilly Circus on Saturday. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonopah Posted June 10, 2021 #1923 Share Posted June 10, 2021 10 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said: Our premature heat wave (back to back days in the 90’s F) has finally passed. It was tough - the breeze off the water was good, but the 59F seawater temp kept people out of the water - heat waves should not be permitted when it is still Spring. Summer hit hard and fast in our little corner of Florida. Temps over 90°F and super humid. We had three days of rain. One would imagine that would freshen things. Instead it just makes it smell like laundry forgotten in the washer. The ducks are happy. The chickens not so much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Kynance Posted June 11, 2021 #1924 Share Posted June 11, 2021 @Host Hattie - enjoy your weekend in London. Let us know how busy you find it. My opticians is based in the Bloomsbury area and I need to book an overdue eyesight test once their new premises open this summer. I haven’t been in central London since January last year or to our nearest big town, Reading, since last March. I’ve left Berkshire a few times but not to spend any time in big towns or cities. I can’t say I miss them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LewiLewi Posted June 11, 2021 #1925 Share Posted June 11, 2021 We took our first plane ride since the pandemic. Went to our granddaughter’s high school graduation in Colorado. The plane was totally full, every seat filled. It was uneventful; everyone wore masks except for eating a snack or sipping a drink. The weather was hotter than in Florida. It feels good to be able to travel again. I don’t see cruising in our near future, especially from Florida, but we are waiting to see what happens between our Gov. and the cruise industry. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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