River Cruising Water Cooler

[gnome12]

3 hours ago, Ritabob said:

Yes, I am a lefty that went through tough times when an elderly clergyman tried to force the devil out of me and tied my left hand to the table.  Luckily my parents stopped that. I knit right-handed, crochet left-handed, curl left, golf right, etc.  All while keeping my halo perched perfectly atop my head.

RB 

I am a fairly strong lefty (no one tried to change me) with a few quirks. I can only use scissors right-handed; I don't have the fine motor control with my left hand. I guess I just started using right handed scissors and developed the control. On the other hand, my mother, who was also a lefty but forced to write with her right hand used normal right handed scissors (the ones with the handles shaped for right hands) in her left hand.

 

My mother used a right handed ladle (with the pour spout on only one side - now they usually make them with 2 spouts) in her left hand, and ladled the soup away from her. It was a very strange maneuver.

 

I'm not sure whether I knit left handed or not, I throw a ball right-handed (but very poorly at that).

 

I'm very grateful that I can use a calculator or numeric keypad with my right hand, so that I can continue writing with my left, perhaps checking off the numbers that I have entered.

[sharkster77]

I do everything left-handed (and left-footed) except writing.  The nuns in the early 60's would not allow me to learn to write with "the devil's hand" as they put it. 

 

 I stutter (was MUCH worse when I was young) and read a study once that linked right-brain and left-brain confusion with stuttering----------- mentioned that forcing one to write with their non-dominant hand could cause such left/right brain confusion.   Interesting.

Edited January 6, 2021 by sharkster77

[acwmom]

Another lefty here! When I attempt to golf, it's right-handed, and I kick with my right foot. Suturing was always a struggle, as instruments were always for right-handers, so I had to develop my own system. No one tried to change me, but they did my youngest brother.

 

Robin

[jpalbny]

16 minutes ago, acwmom said:

Another lefty here! When I attempt to golf, it's right-handed, and I kick with my right foot. Suturing was always a struggle, as instruments were always for right-handers, so I had to develop my own system. No one tried to change me, but they did my youngest brother.

 

Robin

 

Interesting! 

 

My dad and his older brother (born 5y apart in the 1940s) were both lefties. My uncle got switched over in school, but my Dad did not.

 

I am left handed for writing, but played baseball right-handed probably because nobody would buy me a mitt for my right hand! I played around with switch-hitting in school but never got any good from the left side.

 

Once I brought a lefty's mitt to practice and used it the whole time. My coach didn't notice until the end, but he was still mad at me for doing that! 

 

I can suture with either hand but my one-handed ties are way better with my right hand. I can use either hand to do venipuncture for central lines. Very handy, because depending on which side you're working on, one hand is way easier to use than the other. Trying to put in a left femoral line when you're right-handed is a real challenge! 

 

 

Edited January 6, 2021 by jpalbny

[notamermaid]

I reckon all your smartphones have the on/off button on the right, just like mine? This is probably also designed for the right-handers and the dominant thumb/hand?

 

I would prefer to have it on the left. At home I have set my mouse for left, but at work it is set for right as I share the computer with a colleague. It is a personal settings adjustment, would work in the hardware but the cable is not long enough (I blame the desk designers).

 

notamermaid

 

[Host Jazzbeau]

I have always controlled my own computers, so I had my mouse on the left for many years – until I started to develop carpal tunnel symptoms.  My IT guy suggested learning to mouse as a righty, and that solved the medical issue.  Now I am a 'switch-mouser' with the mouse on the right and a trackpad on the left – and no pain.

[notamermaid]

I have come across this documentary on Neuschwanstein castle and as it sucha popular building I thought I would share it with you. Quite long for a youtube video, get the hot chocolate ready for a long break sitting on the sofa this weekend (or some other time): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGybWIcbuTI

 

 

notamermaid

 

[rcaruso]

5 hours ago, notamermaid said:

I have come across this documentary on Neuschwanstein castle and as it sucha popular building I thought I would share it with you. Quite long for a youtube video, get the hot chocolate ready for a long break sitting on the sofa this weekend (or some other time): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGybWIcbuTI

 

 

notamermaid

 

Thank you so much Notamermaid, I really enjoyed watching the video.  Something to get our minds off the current state of affairs.

[notamermaid]

Now to my third and final Stollen testing. Just before Christmas I tried out another bakery, I found one that had the variety with marzipan and icing sugar. It looked well-formed sitting there in the shop display. I got part of a loaf. I do not remember the exact price but it was in the upper range of what one might pay for hand-made stollen in my area. The dough was fresh, not too dense, the ratio of marzipan to fruit and raisins and dough was very good and although I do not really like candied lemon peel, I did not mind as there were few.

 

 

It was lovely and my favourite.

 

Looking forward to getting more this December!

 

notamermaid

 

[AnhaltER1960]

15 hours ago, notamermaid said:

Looking forward to getting more this December!

 

notamermaid

 

Buy now, as in some stores Stollen is cheaper than bread now and put it in the deep freezer. Got this tip from a private baker in Saxony (they wanted to convince us to buy a full loaf instead of a half one°°). No prob to keep it until Easter, they said. We did so, forgot it in the freezer and had it in October. Perfectly freah like on the first day.

[Daisi]

My Mom makes Stollen, without marzipan or icing sugar because we don't care for it, but since she makes about 10 loaves at a time, we freeze them.  They are great to pull out whenever we wish, if we can manage to leave them there!

 

[notamermaid]

Okay, I am off to the shops and will see if there is any left in the aisle (baker's none left). Thanks for the tip, had never thought of freezing it.

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

Couldn't get any more stollen. And the mince pies box is empty as well. But I am determined to drag the Christmas spirit to Mariä Lichtmess, that is Candlemas, which is the official end of Christmas time. I still listen to Bing Crosby's Christmas songs and the lamp in my yard is still lighting the path (battery getting a little low). I did make it to Koblenz (posted one photo in the quiz) and will post a couple more photos when I have got them sorted on the computer.

 

First, I think there has been the happy arrival of a new household member with a proud puppy mother. @dogs4fun how is the young lady? I hope everything went smoothly.

 

notamermaid

 

[dogs4fun]

6 hours ago, notamermaid said:

First, I think there has been the happy arrival of a new household member with a proud puppy mother. @dogs4fun how is the young lady? I hope everything went smoothly.

Thanks for asking - I picked up my little girl on Tuesday & she is keeping me very busy. She is SO tiny - only 2.33 lbs so I tread very carefully (she is constantly underfoot). She is a little hellion - I named her Vivace (Italian pronunciation). I am simply crazy about her - my older dogs, not so much. 😏

Took a quick photo with my ipad mini - included the magazine to provide an idea of her size.

[Coral]

5 minutes ago, dogs4fun said:

Thanks for asking - I picked up my little girl on Tuesday & she is keeping me very busy. She is SO tiny - only 2.33 lbs so I tread very carefully (she is constantly underfoot). She is a little hellion - I named her Vivace (Italian pronunciation). I am simply crazy about her - my older dogs, not so much. 😏

Took a quick photo with my ipad mini - included the magazine to provide an idea of her size.

She is adorable! I have always had large dogs - I would be afraid I would step on her. Glad she has an "attitude". Have fun potty training (the part I am not a fan of with dog ownership).

[jpalbny]

That pup is adorable! But so tiny. Our runt-of-the-litter cat weighed 5 pounds.

[Daisi]

@dogs4funshe is so cute!  Not sure what she is chewing on, but reminds me of one of my parents dogs.  She stole one of my Dad's slippers (he had a 2nd pair as the one she stole was ready to be pitched), and that became her favourite toy.  She would drag that thing all over, but never touched any thing else besides her toys.  Hope you have as much luck.  Looking forward to more pics as she grows.

[dogs4fun]

On 1/15/2021 at 2:00 PM, Daisi said:

Not sure what she is chewing on, but reminds me of one of my parents dogs.  She stole one of my Dad's slippers (he had a 2nd pair as the one she stole was ready to be pitched), and that became her favourite toy.  

She is chewing on a pig’s ear - good for teething puppies🐕

[Host Jazzbeau]

7 minutes ago, dogs4fun said:

She is chewing on a pig’s ear - good for teething puppies🐕

Well, that's one pig that won't be flying...

[notamermaid]

@dogs4fun  she is cute and so tiny. A little wind could blow her away! A handful of dog keeping you busy. Would like to see how she develops, I am sure she will already look different in two weeks time. Is it snowing with you? I wonder how she will react to it.

 

It is snowing here, the snow has finally settled properly right on my doorstep, but during this afternoon the falling snow was turning into rain a bit, temperature just over zero and will be even warmer tomorrow. Oh well, a short drive into the hills during next week is in order. Perhaps I can get some photos. First need to get those of Koblenz sorted out. I promised one some time ago...

 

Right, need to get back to some household duties. I am about to bake fennel seed biscuits.

 

notamermaid

 

[dogs4fun]

4 hours ago, notamermaid said:

Is it snowing with you? I wonder how she will react to it.

 

No snow over the past week but snow is forecast tomorrow. Will see how she does - the garbage disposal frightened her this morning but she quickly recovered.

 

4 hours ago, notamermaid said:

It is snowing here, the snow has finally settled properly right on my doorstep, but during this afternoon the falling snow was turning into rain a bit, temperature just over zero and will be even warmer tomorrow. Oh well, a short drive into the hills during next week is in order. Perhaps I can get some photos. 

 

Yes, please post some photos of snow covered sights along the Rhine!

Edited January 17, 2021 by dogs4fun

[notamermaid]

I have just remembered that there is a window into the Rhine valley, almost live. Oberwesel has got a very good webcam: https://www.oberwesel.de/tourismus/webcam

 

Seems that they always have a last delayed feed of daylight panorama with the camera moving. When you go to the archive in the menu you get shots from earlier in the day.

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

The snow in the valley went as fast as it had come. The grey, rainy days are back. In the high hills there is still snow, but even this will disappear mostly as the days will get even warmer. Well, towards the weekend the prospect of snow is good at least in the low hills. Above 600m and in the mountains it will probably remain, but that is a far trip out in these unusual times. So I will wait till the weekend to see more snow and take some photos. I have earmarked a couple of potential places. Meanwhile, here are some photos. I promised Koblenz to @Daisi and others but alas the Advent Calendar at Jesuitenplatz had already been taken down.

 

My short stroll through Koblenz on a Sunday afternoon took me from a more modern area to the old town. This photo shows the arcades of the old Jesuit school, now town hall. On the left is the Schängel fountain:

 

Through the gate on the right you can see a nativity scene in the inner courtyard:

 

Through the arcades onto the square:

 

This is Firmungsstrasse which leads to Rheinstrasse - which leads to the river:

The café on the left is called Einstein. The street has some lovely shop fronts and the wares are great, too. So are some of the prices (but not all).

 

I am drawn to the river and wanted to see Ehrenbreitstein for the first time in the dark for quite some years:

 

In season, the KD excursion boats leave from here. The Viking landing stage is left of this along the embankment. Most other ships dock on the Moselle.

 

It was time to go back through other streets in the old town and to the car. Although it was 3 January and the Christmas markets would have been taken down in a normal year anyway and the shops closed as well, it was nevertheless noticeable how few people there were. Looking forward to seeing it all again this coming December in a hopefully more normal season.

 

notamermaid

 

[Daisi]

Thanks for the pics @notamermaid, much appreciated.  I also hope that by next December, things are more normal.  I realise it will take a while for any type of real normalcy, if we ever get back to that, but it would be nice to at least tour and be able to enjoy the trip and relax.

[notamermaid]

 

6 hours ago, Daisi said:

but it would be nice to at least tour and be able to enjoy the trip and relax.

As you said yourself the other day, it does not look too good for your cruise and being able to enjoy it is so important, I agree. No point going if one starts fretting the moment one arrives at the airport. I do not think we will see normal river cruises any time soon, but at least the ease in one's own mind should be there with the hygiene measures that are in place.

 

I read the other day a tourism website where a UK river cruise company spokesperson said that their older clients would be "among the first back on the rivers". He has a point: they will have been vaccinated by the time the season is in full swing and the ships are running. A river cruise ship full of vaccinated happy 70 to 80 year old British sipping tea.

 

And I will be sitting at home, going to work in a semi-frightened state and crying out for Chipolata sausages from a supermarket in Canterbury.

 

Reminiscing about happier days. This is what I missed this past December:

 

Strange but true, I love British supermarkets in December, plastic decorations and "Fairy Tale of New York" through the music system at least twice a day in various shops. And proper plastic bags and ham sandwiches. Funny how one misses the little things that represent normal times.

 

notamermaid