Kmom Live-ish from Carnival Vista April 23-30, 2022

[KmomChicago]

Arrived in Houston from O’Hare on American this afternoon and had a tequila sunrise with my yumzy dinner salad at the hotel. 
 

Wasn't sure about a live review, but why the heck not? It’s just me and hubby for a whole week, for the first time in 16 years. 
 

Feeling a bit wiped out from the long exhausting drag of travel day, which barely used to phase me, but at 55 I’m not the energetic whippersnapper I once was.
 

I got myself into a little hot water with my health assessment and with my Covid test but I’m pretty sure it will all be fine and they’ll let me board tomorrow. I already posted separately asking for help with that and it drew an interesting mix of commentary from the esteemed peanut gallery, and given me a lot to think about. 
 

Anyway I’ll see how much posting energy I can muster tomorrow and onward, and thus just how “live” this will turn out. Having friends along definitely encourages more photos, opinions, general and/or specific observations, blathering chit-chat, philosophy, emotional outbursts, maybe even a little poetry. On my last cruise in December I was feeling blue and thus conjured my long gone friend Carol (died of cancer 18 years ago) and shared our brief conversation. She always straightens me out when I’m feeling sorry for myself. 
 

You never know what you’re gonna get with Kmom, and that’s basically the point. Mostly sane except for the crazy part.
 

 

 

Flight was on a beautiful new Airbus 319 that was nonetheless bumpy as crap the first and last half-hour. Weather in Houston is like heaven today. 

[luvcruzing]

I’ll be following.  Good luck at the port tomorrow.  

[hannibal54]

Glad that you made it this far. Enjoy your cruise.

[1kaper]

Well I have to follow after your other post. 
 

plus we are sailing vista in February. 

[princess76021]

can't wait!!!

thanks for doing this!!

hugs!

[pc2425]

I will be following along. We were on Vista 4/2 and had a great time even with several glitches.

[SenatorsFan]

I'm glad you will be sharing your cruise with us! Thanks, I look forward to hearing all about it. 😊

[arctickitty]

@KmomChicago looking forward to following along (even when life is real).  Very importantly:

 

HOW ARE THE CAT BABIES???

[HeyJut]

Following too. Glad you decided to do a live-ish.

[HeyJut]

Duplicate. That’s what happens when you watch tv and try to post.

[KmomChicago]

26 minutes ago, arctickitty said:

@KmomChicago looking forward to following along (even when life is real).  Very importantly:

 

HOW ARE THE CAT BABIES???

Hi Arctic! Fighter continues to hold his own, but needs regular antibiotic and steroid shots to keep feeling relatively okay. His skin is getting worse lately. Too many sores that don’t really heal, just sit there as crusty scabs. His immune system is obviously shot so we are watching his demeanor and comfort level and quality of life. He still seems happy to be around and the rescue director says he will tell us when that changes. I left plenty of Sheba pate, his absolute favorite and when I said goodbye it didn’t feel like the last time. Fingers crossed. 

 

We did lose my buddy “Jaba” just a few weeks ago. Old 9 or 10 year old former feral, banged up gray girl who was so ugly she was cute, hid from everyone for a weekish and finally hobbled out to see me one day, visibly thinner with little interest in treats. The next day the vet found a lot of cancer but we sent the X-ray down to University of Illinois for a second opinion which confirmed it was her time. I dropped everything and they waited for me to head over and hold her for the injections. That was hard and I’m still grieving and missing her. She survived a terrible first couple of years of life in an abandoned house, a lot of permanent injuries. I’m incredibly grateful the director saved her. The rescue was Jaba’s only true home and sanctuary and she had 8 safe years there.

Meanwhile we have a few dozen others doing just fine, thank you. Many are wonderful characters. Many have sad stories. All ages, some will eventually be adopted and some are likely forever unadoptable. The circle of life continues. 
 

Thanks for your interest. 

[arctickitty]

1 minute ago, KmomChicago said:

Hi Arctic! Fighter continues to hold his own, but needs regular antibiotic and steroid shots to keep feeling relatively okay. His skin is getting worse lately. Too many sores that don’t really heal, just sit there as crusty scabs. His immune system is obviously shot so we are watching his demeanor and comfort level and quality of life. He still seems happy to be around and the rescue director says he will tell us when that changes. I left plenty of Sheba pate, his absolute favorite and when I said goodbye it didn’t feel like the last time. Fingers crossed. 

 

We did lose my buddy “Jaba” just a few weeks ago. Old 9 or 10 year old former feral, banged up gray girl who was so ugly she was cute, hid from everyone for a weekish and finally hobbled out to see me one day, visibly thinner with little interest in treats. The next day the vet found a lot of cancer but we sent the X-ray down to University of Illinois for a second opinion which confirmed it was her time. I dropped everything and they waited for me to head over and hold her for the injections. That was hard and I’m still grieving and missing her. She survived a terrible first couple of years of life in an abandoned house, a lot of permanent injuries. I’m incredibly grateful the director saved her. The rescue was Jaba’s only true home and sanctuary and she had 8 safe years there.

Meanwhile we have a few dozen others doing just fine, thank you. Many are wonderful characters. Many have sad stories. All ages, some will eventually be adopted and some are likely forever unadoptable. The circle of life continues. 
 

Thanks for your interest. 

 

@KmomChicago your cat stories are incredible.  If you need a break from your upcoming cruise stories, toss them in anytime!  I rescued my 4 from a hoarder on Adak Island.  There was no veterinary care, but the mama cat who’d had a rough life miraculously cured herself of all of her afflictions and ailments just by living with me and loving me.  (Can’t help that she has no teeth, but she has a healthy mouth now).   Her oldest daughter has a heart murmur, one tooth left (it’s still healthy), and had an umbilical hernia that they removed when they worked on her teeth.  Her youngest two babies are healthy little clams.  They all love camping, in cabins but not tents.  And the one tail you see is the only tail among them.  They were being “bred” (inbred) for being tailless and were all so sick when I got them.  It touches me a lot to read your cat stories because my babies were assumed to have cancer, FIV, all sorts of things…and really they don’t, they just weren’t loved or cared for.  

 

 

Have a WONDERFUL trip!  

[HeyJut]

41 minutes ago, HeyJut said:

Duplicate. That’s what happens when you watch tv and try to post.

And the sad thing is the tv show was for a 5 y/o as I was watching my grandson!

[KmomChicago]

7 minutes ago, arctickitty said:

 

@KmomChicago your cat stories are incredible.  If you need a break from your upcoming cruise stories, toss them in anytime!  I rescued my 4 from a hoarder on Adak Island.  There was no veterinary care, but the mama cat who’d had a rough life miraculously cured herself of all of her afflictions and ailments just by living with me and loving me.  (Can’t help that she has no teeth, but she has a healthy mouth now).   Her oldest daughter has a heart murmur, one tooth left (it’s still healthy), and had an umbilical hernia that they removed when they worked on her teeth.  Her youngest two babies are healthy little clams.  They all love camping, in cabins but not tents.  And the one tail you see is the only tail among them.  They were being “bred” (inbred) for being tailless and were all so sick when I got them.  It touches me a lot to read your cat stories because my babies were assumed to have cancer, FIV, all sorts of things…and really they don’t, they just weren’t loved or cared for.  

 

 

Have a WONDERFUL trip!  

Thanks for taking in and sharing your happy campers. Four cats is a massive commitment and I totally believe our love is healing for them. Not just the obvious necessary care but the love too. Especially.

[CruisinMama2003]

🙌 🙌 🙌 Im here for this! Glad you decided to do a Live-ish, there arent many done out of Tx! Been on Vista 2x, love the ship AND the CD (Kendall). Its her Bday on the 27th so im sure there will be lots of fun going on. Enjoy!

[WhaleTailFlCruiser]

At least you didn’t have to wear a mask anymore in the plane, I still haven’t sailed a Vista class let I shall be following along.

[ninjacat123]

Looking forward to this!😃

[KmomChicago]

We accidentally semi-adopted a third cat, an outdoor ear-tipped (that means spayed) stray we wooed with regular meals and liquid water during the worst of winter. She’s still outdoors but no longer does her former rounds of the neighborhood as our big, dog-free yard and the heated cat house we found on Amazon are suiting her just fine. 
 

We know she really loves us because she delivered a partial squirrel carcass to us for the first time this week. She seems to have also eliminated our longstanding problematic chipmunk infestation. We feed her plenty so she doesn’t need to hunt anymore but cats are sometimes gonna cat.

 

 

[KmomChicago]

Reading some cruise director opinions recently. It seems Kyndall is starting a new contract today with us and she is, I believe, well liked and replacing one who apparently isn’t. 
 

I’ve had a mostly sleepless night in the hotel for no apparent reason except I’m an inconsistent sleeper so this isn’t entirely unusual.

[mondello]

24 minutes ago, KmomChicago said:

Reading some cruise director opinions recently. It seems Kyndall is starting a new contract today with us and she is, I believe, well liked and replacing one who apparently isn’t. 
 

I’ve had a mostly sleepless night in the hotel for no apparent reason except I’m an inconsistent sleeper so this isn’t entirely unusual.

Yeah, I saw someone else mention Kyndall Fire and I felt cheated. She was on Vista previously and had a short stint on Mardi Gras; she's hoping to get Jubilee. I was on Vista 3/26, no Kyndall, hello Savannah.

 

Funny you mentioned a sleepless night. I worked the night before our flight last month and had several errands before our flight. Got to IAH after midnight and couldn't sleep at our hotel. Went 2 nights with no sleep. The same dang thing happened the end of the week, too. Couldn't sleep the last night of our cruise. That day Southwest started playing pinball with our flight; first change was before we even left the port. 10 changes later they finally cancelled it that night so I got to enjoy a second sleepless night.

[mondello]

Goes without saying that I hope you have a great cruise!

[KmomChicago]

16 minutes ago, mondello said:

 

Funny you mentioned a sleepless night. I worked the night before our flight last month and had several errands before our flight. Got to IAH after midnight and couldn't sleep at our hotel. Went 2 nights with no sleep. The same dang thing happened the end of the week, too. Couldn't sleep the last night of our cruise. That day Southwest started playing pinball with our flight; first change was before we even left the port. 10 changes later they finally cancelled it that night so I got to enjoy a second sleepless night.

What a nightmare. Typically I’m okay for one night like this and rarely cursed with two in a row. 
 

We’ve not had a cruise director on Carnival who we disliked though they each had their own style and I get why that might or might not always feel like a good fit.
 

 The thread I was reading was interesting because it veered into Donkey discussion with a few people saying he’s top notch where I read a ranting one against him a few months back with the exact opposite consensus. 
 

I guess we’ll just have to decide for ourselves but sounds like we have a winner this week.

[jimbri]

Enjoy!

[ontheweb]

After following your other thread about the health assessment, 🤞 that you make it onto the ship and of course have the great cruise you deserve.

 

And really 55 is NOT old. (Turning 75 this week!)

[KmomChicago]

Just now, ontheweb said:

After following your other thread about the health assessment, 🤞 that you make it onto the ship and of course have the great cruise you deserve.

 

And really 55 is NOT old. (Turning 75 this week!)

Thank you. I don’t feel “old.” I know I’m not really old. However I’m not thirty something anymore which I managed to stretch a good 23 years or so, as far as I’m concerned. I have always been told I also look at least ten-15 years younger than I am, which is handy since my husband is 14 years younger than me and I was a bit worried about that looking pretty bizarre at some point.

 

Sometime in this past six months I realized I truly feel different now, physically and mentally. It’s not a drastic shift but it’s authentic. My husband, ironically is aging earlier and harder than I did, so we stay aligned. Maybe I’ve done it to him, Lol. 
 

It’s the fatigue I think - I’m in no chronic pain or discomfort, but when I hit my mental or physical wall, I NEED A BREAK. And sometimes when traveling you don’t get it and I’m just getting beyond enjoying the experience enough to justify the inconveniences. The stress is barely balanced out by the joy of the journey anymore. For the last 55 years travel has really been the greatest deepest fullest true joy in my life, aside from the love of family, but that well is drying up right in front of me.