Royal Caribbean Cruisers -- How Are Things Where You Are? (was "Routine" ​ 😁 ​day in lockdown... how was yours?)

[Sunshine3601]

7 hours ago, lenquixote66 said:

My friend Ron has been using the same e-mail address since 1999.

I have been using my same aol email address since the late 80s.

[Ocean Boy]

46 minutes ago, Luckynana said:

Survivor tonight.  

I am sooo pleased with the two immunity winners.

[Coralc]

7 hours ago, Ozark_Kid said:

What I like about our state is that they don’t tax SS.  

LOL. They tax everything in California! 

[Ocean Boy]

Just now, Coralc said:

LOL. They tax everything in California! 

Same in RI.... and sometimes twice.😏

[reallyitsmema]

5 minutes ago, Coralc said:

LOL. They tax everything in California! 

 

3 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

Same in RI.... and sometimes twice.😏

 

Don't forget about Taxachusetts!

[akcruz]

1 hour ago, Ocean Boy said:

God, I hate winter more and more every year. Why, dear God, are you turning me into my father?

 

You just have to move south!  Have seen this meme with varying locations, I used to love snow now I only want to see it in pictures from some place warm!

 

ETA and taxes are also much less here, coming from NJ not hard to be less but still

Edited November 18, 2021 by akcruz

[A&L_Ont]

Catching up on recorded shows from the last week.

 

Below Deck… interesting.

Gold Rush… predictable.

Oak Island… they found a pull tab. 😂

 

[mo&fran]

that's why I live here.

[Ocean Boy]

4 minutes ago, mo&fran said:

that's why I live here.

Had to check your profile to find out where "here" is.

[Coralc]

1 hour ago, akcruz said:

 

You just have to move south!  Have seen this meme with varying locations, I used to love snow now I only want to see it in pictures from some place warm!

 

ETA and taxes are also much less here, coming from NJ not hard to be less but still

South Carolina might be an option for us..... Florida seems to have too many biting bugs. We are considering southern states in the next few years.

[Ozark_Kid]

1 hour ago, Coralc said:

LOL. They tax everything in California! 

Sales tax is a different story here. When you consider state, county and city sales tax it’s 10% .  Today I had to pay my taxes on the car I bought 2 weeks ago.  I only had to pay the 6.5% state tax on the car but it was still $3,500.  Ouch.

[Bailey & Sophie]

5 minutes ago, Coralc said:

South Carolina might be an option for us..... Florida seems to have too many biting bugs. We are considering southern states in the next few years.

 

We're also looking at SC. It may be a few years. I'm less enthralled with winter and snow each year. And I never did like it much.

[Ozark_Kid]

4 minutes ago, Bailey & Sophie said:

 

We're also looking at SC. It may be a few years. I'm less enthralled with winter and snow each year. And I never did like it much.

My dad had a place in Minnesota on Lake Vermilion.  If I remember correctly it was near Tower.  I visited once around 4th of July.  The water was so cold to me I couldn’t swim in it.  I’m sure if you live there you could get used to it.

[Bailey & Sophie]

2 minutes ago, Ozark_Kid said:

My dad had a place in Minnesota on Lake Vermilion.  If I remember correctly it was near Tower.  I visited once around 4th of July.  The water was so cold to me I couldn’t swim in it.  I’m sure if you live there you could get used to it.

 

Maybe some do. I can't swim so I wouldn't know. 

[akcruz]

14 minutes ago, Coralc said:

South Carolina might be an option for us..... Florida seems to have too many biting bugs. We are considering southern states in the next few years.

 

7 minutes ago, Bailey & Sophie said:

 

We're also looking at SC. It may be a few years. I'm less enthralled with winter and snow each year. And I never did like it much.

 

We are happy with our move from NJ to SC, we are just south of the NC border.  My mother in law lives about 45 minutes south which is one of the reasons we landed here.  I would suggest visiting as many areas as you can to see what works for you.  When you get to a few visit in different seasons.  I would have been fine going further south but DH still wanted some changing of seasons, I just stay in when it gets below the 50s 😜.  Do love being close to the beach and do still go all year as long as weather cooperates, it definitely helps that our community has a cabana on the beach.  Lots of options, fun to explore and see what works for you.

[BonTexasNY]

1 hour ago, akcruz said:

 

You just have to move south!  Have seen this meme with varying locations, I used to love snow now I only want to see it in pictures from some place warm!

 

ETA and taxes are also much less here, coming from NJ not hard to be less but still

Below is The Blizzard of '93, Rockland County, NY.  First and third picture, looking out from our front door.  2nd picture is our Cadillac almost totally buried under snow.

 

That was the year there were so many school closings, in order to keep schools open 180 days to receive state funding, schools had to remain open during Spring break week.

 

 

[davekathy]

5 hours ago, Sheal said:

Don't laugh but I thought that song "belonged" to Eric Clapton. 

Nope, but IMO Eric Clapton would have done the song justice. Eric Clapton did do something similar, "Lay Down Sally".

[akcruz]

7 minutes ago, BonTexasNY said:

Below is The Blizzard of '93, Rockland County, NY.  First and third picture, looking out from our front door.  2nd picture is our Cadillac almost totally buried under snow.

 

That was the year there were so many school closings, in order to keep schools open 180 days to receive state funding, schools had to remain open during Spring break week.

 

 

I lived in NJ, the western part of the state, for most of my life, had plenty of snow.  Here are a few pics from our last home.  Pretty but definitely done with the cold and snow.  Remember a few blizzards, especially the one the day before I was to take my driver's test to get my license, so upset I had to reschedule because the DMV was closed!

[BonTexasNY]

33 minutes ago, akcruz said:

 

I lived in NJ, the western part of the state, for most of my life, had plenty of snow.  Here are a few pics from our last home.  Pretty but definitely done with the cold and snow.  Remember a few blizzards, especially the one the day before I was to take my driver's test to get my license, so upset I had to reschedule because the DMV was closed!

I grew up in Manhattan where snow always turned to grey/black slush.  I appreciated snow once I married and moved to the suburbs and more so when we hired a seasonal snow plow service since Jack traveled so much on business trips. 

I wore my down jacket in TX 6 times since we moved here in 2003!

 

[ReneeFLL]

8 hours ago, grapau27 said:

Age goes against you in the UK too.

I went to the hospital Dermatology outpatient department this afternoon for what I thought was to get my Basal cell carcinoma removed.

Disappointingly the consultant just had a quick look filled a form in which is difficult to read and said it would be done after Christmas in a hospital theatre.

Graham.

Sorry to hear that Graham. So disappointing.

 

4 hours ago, NHProud said:

@ReneeFLL Your name always reminds me of Renée Fleming who I saw in a recital once at the Los Angeles Music Center . I hear ,  she has lots of talent . 

I had to look her up, pretty lady. I’ll bet she wasn’t named after her fathers ex French girlfriend. I think I already told the story, but not sure.

[JamesEM]

We moved to SC and when I retired and enjoy the weather and low taxes, i.e. four seasons a year, no need to shovel rain and SS is not taxed, no sales tax on food at the store an additional 10K deduction when you reach 65. 

[Jimbo]

10 hours ago, akcruz said:

 

You just have to move south!  Have seen this meme with varying locations, I used to love snow now I only want to see it in pictures from some place warm!

 

ETA and taxes are also much less here, coming from NJ not hard to be less but still

 

9 hours ago, Coralc said:

South Carolina might be an option for us..... Florida seems to have too many biting bugs. We are considering southern states in the next few years.

 

9 hours ago, Ozark_Kid said:

Sales tax is a different story here. When you consider state, county and city sales tax it’s 10% .  Today I had to pay my taxes on the car I bought 2 weeks ago.  I only had to pay the 6.5% state tax on the car but it was still $3,500.  Ouch.

 

9 hours ago, Bailey & Sophie said:

 

We're also looking at SC. It may be a few years. I'm less enthralled with winter and snow each year. And I never did like it much.

 

5 hours ago, JamesEM said:

We moved to SC and when I retired and enjoy the weather and low taxes, i.e. four seasons a year, no need to shovel rain and SS is not taxed, no sales tax on food at the store an additional 10K deduction when you reach 65. 

We moved from NJ last January to Southwestern Virginia, about 30 minutes from the North Carolina Border. We really love it here.

 

Our taxes are less then half we were paying in NJ and our house now is twice the square footage we had back in NJ and the house we bought here in VA cost the same amount as our house we sold in NJ.

 

Still get the 4 seasons but much more manageable  and  beautiful here with all the mountains, we are also only an hour and 10 minutes from TN and 40 minutes from WV.

Edited November 18, 2021 by Jimbo

[island lady]

14 hours ago, Ozark_Kid said:

 

This is encouraging.  I have My SS account set up.  Knowing there is an option is good.  Sounds like I can go ahead and apply now and then pick my start date.  This is what I was looking for.  I didn’t want to fill out the application then find out in the end I had no choice in when it would start.  Based on my date of birth my full is 66 and 4 months which is July.  I understand there is a bigger check if I wait even long but we would be content even if we started today.  We would rather enjoy it now while we can.  Do to taxes we have not started drawing yet.  And with the 5.9% I can see some of us buying the UDP who may not of before!  😊 

 

 

 

Yeah, I think the suggestion is to apply 3-4 months before you actually want the first check.  No need to apply before that.   Bucky took his at SS at 62. 

 

I crunched the numbers, realizing he would be 80 years old to break even if he took it at 62 versus waiting until 66.   You have to add up the total of the monthly checks you elected not to take from age 62 to age 66, versus the larger amount you would get later.  

 

I did not want to take the income at 62 due to health insurance cap.  

 

I also directed them to take my Medicare premiums out of my SS check.  That is a nice feature...money not seen...is money not missed.  I look at it as free health care.  😉  Though I do carry a supplement with Blue Cross.  

[island lady]

12 hours ago, Keksie said:

Samantha was helping me knit last night.

 

 

Today was exciting.  Septic pumping day.  Found out we have 2 tanks.  One is just for the washer.

 

 

Awww...I was hoping we would get another sweet Samantha photo again.  She is sooo beautiful!  And does love her Momma.  

 

Yeah, I always get a kick out of the sayings they put on the septic tank pumper trucks, and the "honey pots" services too.  Many of them with a great sense of humor...guess you have to in that poopy job.  😉 😄 

[island lady]

13 hours ago, A&L_Ont said:

 

@island lady future cottage island rentals abound up here. Bring your bird feeders. 😁

 

 

LOL!  Yeah, lots of those little islands with cottages available in Maine as well.   Better be prepared to live off grid!!  😮  😉 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 18, 2021 by island lady