Cunard Cruisers - How are things where you are ?

[LewiLewi]

Yesterday afternoon, friends presented us with orange cranberry spice cake, which he baked and other friends surprised us with coconut chocolate crisp cookies. Both friends rang our bell and waved from afar as we brought the goodies into our house. Hopefully, it won’t be too long before we can all go out and have dinner together.

It is soooo cold in Florida this morning, we turned on the heat for the first time this year.

[navybankerteacher]

9 minutes ago, LewiLewi said:

...

It is soooo cold in Florida this morning, we turned on the heat for the first time this year.

Oh, woe!!!!  Had to turn on the heat?

 

  We finally warmed up to 18 F this AM when I went out for the paper.

[Camgirl]

We have had a nice Christmas over in the east of England, now in tier 4 as of today. We were meant to have my sister and her husband over but that was cancelled when they were moved into tier 4 before Christmas. My first Christmas without her with me. I missed their company dreadfully but we had three zoom meet ups in the end, so we managed to open our presents "together". Our younger son did manage to come over for a couple of hours, with his girlfriend and their 9 week old german shepherd puppy. Much to the consternation of our 2 cats!! One cat hid and the other hissed and growled. The puppy sat down and watched him!

 

Tonight we have a Christmas pudding flame-off planned. My sister and our older son will both have their puddings ready, along with us, and we will all flame them during a zoom meet up tonight, followed by a quiz. 

 

My only problem is I had over catered for having four people here for a few days. And now there is only the 2 of us. We will be eating our Christmas food for months!!!

 

I hope everyone had a fun Christmas and that 2021 brings us all a brighter, happier future. All the best to you all.

Edited December 26, 2020 by Camgirl

[Bigmike911]

Christmas is over but the shouting. The nine pound roast prime rib of beef met its challenge with four hungry diners. There is enough for another meal or two. The rest of the Crème of Chestnut Soup went home with my sister this morning. My brother in law had three helpings with dinner last night

 

A quiche Lorraine, sausage rolls and home made cinnamon rolls made up breakfast before the car was loaded with all of the Christmas gifts and they headed home.

 

All that is left is the clean up. But a good time was had this Christmas, which felt more normal that we had reason to expect. Christmas greetings to all our forum friends, and a happy new year. There is much promise in the new year, and I cannot wait for it to be fulfilled. 

[LewiLewi]

2 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

Oh, woe!!!!  Had to turn on the heat?

 

  We finally warmed up to 18 F this AM when I went out for the paper.

We lived in New York most of our lives. I know what 18 degrees feels like. After living in FL for the past 20 years, 47 degrees feels just as cold.

[sfred]

7 hours ago, LewiLewi said:

It is soooo cold in Florida this morning, we turned on the heat for the first time this year.

 

Sunny and 31 (C, not F) today here in summertime Brisbane.  We had a video call with some mates out in Perth WA yesterday, and they said it was 43 over there (109F).

[navybankerteacher]

2 hours ago, sfred said:

 

Sunny and 31 (C, not F) today here in summertime Brisbane.  We had a video call with some mates out in Perth WA yesterday, and they said it was 43 over there (109F).

Much as I loathe winter, I must acknowledge I would rather shelter in place and heat things to 68 F or so  - rather than swelter in place and try to AC things down from 109 (and probably as humid as Hell) to an acceptable high 70's.

[Host Hattie]

It was very windy here overnight but it's all calm again this morning. 

Mr HH is back at work for a few days before a break for New Year.

[naturelovergirl]

Our Christmas in Central FL was very different than normal. We usually travel to see both sides of our family in different states.

 

This year we stayed at home... the very first time we have ever done that as a couple.

 

We cooked delicious food, watched Christmas movies, connected with family via technology, and just tried to accept that this was the way it needed to be. 

 

We plan to do a two-week full quarantine in January so that we can go visit family.

 

[clo]

On 12/26/2020 at 8:41 AM, navybankerteacher said:

Oh, woe!!!!  Had to turn on the heat?

 

  We finally warmed up to 18 F this AM when I went out for the paper.

We turn our heat down to 50 when we go to bed and up to 60 when we get up in the AM. Our nighttime temps have been in the teens and 20s for a while.

[Host Hattie]

The temperature has dropped here but still no snow. Mr HH is not enjoying working outside at the moment. I'm off work until January 4th but we can't go anywhere. Unfortunately not everyone is taking lockdown seriously this time, our local news reported full car parks at the nearest beach and the Brecon Beacons. Our case numbers are falling for the moment but we won't see the effect of Christmas for a while.

 

[navybankerteacher]

3 hours ago, Host Hattie said:

The temperature has dropped here but still no snow. ...

...

our local news reported full car parks at the nearest beach ...

...

 

You must be a tough bunch - I doubt I’ll be anywhere near our local beach for the next few months — the wind off the water (likely ice in a few weeks)  is piercing.

[Lanky Lad]

We had snow on Sunday and a bit more today so hills are looking very pretty.  Some still on the ground now which will freeze overnight so I don't think I will be going anywhere tomorrow morning as I am not an ice skater.

 

Our local figures are down on last week, but I don't think that will last sadly.

[Lanky Lad]

The Oxford vaccine has been approved in the UK and injections will start on 4 January.  We are still a long way from the end of the tunnel, but we can at least see the light.

[Host Hattie]

Definitely good news and the change of plan to give more people a first dose and the second up to 12 weeks later should allow more people to be vaccinated more quickly.

Mr HH has gone out for a physio appointment and I'm watching The Royal Ballet's Nutcracker.

 

[navybankerteacher]

Just back from having blood draw for next week’s annual physical - procedures and spacing made what used to take ten minutes last over an hour.  Fasting, of course - so prompt breakfast was essential.

 

Good to see Oxford vaccine - with impressive number of doses - starting up in UK.   Any reliable reports on its effectiveness %?

 

Still no word on when we might get our own shots —- while in “senior” age group,  it does not make sense for us to be near head of the line.  As retirees, we are able to distance far more easily than ANYONE who has to go to work or school or otherwise interact - so we’re happy to wait our turn.

Edited December 30, 2020 by navybankerteacher

[Underwatr]

12 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

Good to see Oxford vaccine - with impressive number of doses - starting up in UK.   Any reliable reports on its effectiveness %?

This morning the US cable news was still discussing the two efficacy numbers plus a "blended" efficacy which apparently was a weighted average of those who received the full first dose as intended and those who got lucky with the initial half dose.  BBC is carefully quoting the 62% efficacy when the shot is given as intended, and then mentions other dosing variations that apparently improve the outcome.

[Host Hattie]

I don't think they are directly comparable, Oxford/AZ swab tested participants so will have picked up those without symptoms. Nobody in the vaccine arm needed hospital treatment which at this stage would be a welcome improvement.

[Host Hattie]

This is what England's Deputy Chief Medical Officer had to say this afternoon -

 

Prof Van-Tam says "it's not all bad news from my corner of the room" with the authorisation of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.

 

He goes on: "I want to caution everybody, particularly the media, about over-forensic examination of percentage vaccine effectiveness.

 

"It's really important to remember that the definition of illness in the Pfizer and AstraZeneca programmes were different, so they were slightly different end-points, so you can't really compare them.

 

"But what really matters to us is not an end-point that measures illness, but how these vaccines are going to impact on severe disease, on hospitalisations and on deaths.

 

"I'm confident... that both of these vaccines will do that."

[alc13]

3 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

Still no word on when we might get our own shots —- while in “senior” age group,  it does not make sense for us to be near head of the line.  As retirees, we are able to distance far more easily than ANYONE who has to go to work or school or otherwise interact - so we’re happy to wait our turn.

I completely agree. 

[alc13]

Exciting to see the Oxford vaccine approved, and it's a real boon to poorer nations without the capability to store frozen vaccines.  The half-dose-full-dose story looks suspicious to me - presumably they picked the intended dose based on supportive studies, and the number of subjects in that subset was small.  But if it should pan out, so much the better.

[Host Hattie]

The half dose hasn't been approved in the UK.

[alc13]

Oh, and how are things where we are?  Cold, no snow.  Taking an end of the year hike tomorrow and will definitely bundle up.  Here at home, the oven thermostat seems to be failing so that baking is an adventure.  It will cost a lot to repair so I'm thinking we should get a whole new range instead.  I like to think of it as a way to support the appliance industry during a pandemic. 

 

Happy New Year to everyone on this board.  You have been a pleasure to hang out with this past year.  If any of you should be on the 2022 QE Southern Japan cruise, let's plan to meet for a drink in the Commodore Club.

[Bigmike911]

I got an email from my Dr, telling me to call to make an appointment to receive my first shot. By the time I got through they told me the first shipment had been reserved. I will have to wait for the next allotment, expected in the first week of January, but I see a long wait. At least the queue is forming and beginning to move. So progress.

[navybankerteacher]

8 hours ago, Host Hattie said:

The half dose hasn't been approved in the UK.

I have read that no second doses are being reserved as # 2's  -- but it should not be necessary if the production stream can be presumed to be constant.  I have not found any information concerning ongoing production/availability of Pfizer's vaccine in sufficient volume to assure timely administration of #2 shot while continuing #1's at an increasing level.   I am concerned at the lack of information coming out re: US's distribution/administration plans.