The Fleet Report and Daily for Thursday February 16th, 2023

[grapau27]

43 minutes ago, Overhead Fred said:

We have been to Barcelona once and would gladly visit again!

 

We did a tour that went by many of Gaudi's buildings, including La Sagrada Familia. Amazing architecture and incredible attention to details.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nice photos.

[summer slope]

4 hours ago, 0106 said:

Thanks for getting us started @cat shepard and to all who post.  

 

I believe there may be an error the Bloody Beam recipe @summer slope  I think the cinnamon simple syrup should be omitted and V8 (or tomato juice) added instead.  I use 1 part alcohol to 4 part mixer in my Bloody Mary’s.  I always add some type of hot sauce too.

 

 

 

This was the recipe The Cocktail Project uses for this cocktail.

[rafinmd]

Well, I've been back from the lab for a while.  The morning was a mixed bag.  The weather forecast was for rain starting about an hour before I left but it has held off, completely dry going into the lab and essentially dry when I came out except for a few drops--I think one hit me and several were on my windshield.

 

I was not happy with the lab with the checkin from hell.  They gave me what should have been an easy QR code to scan but never asked for it and essentially an endless string of questions and asking for scans of cards that were deep in my wallet but never accepting any of the information and making me type it all in manually.  Thankfully, it's all behind me, the last of my tests, and it's raining now but I am staying inside.

 

Roy

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

I've always suspected this was the case.  🤣

 

 

Lenda

 

[marshhawk]

@Quartzsite CruiserYes stores do that, so that you will notice things that you bypass when you know where what you want is.  This way you will do more impulse shopping.  For at least two trips.  After you relearn the store, you buy what you came for, or like DH and I, we will shop elsewhere.

 

It is up to 70 degrees now, the sun was out for awhile, and the cats are in the window, but tomorrow night it is supposed to get down to 31.  I think the weekly yo yo effect is affecting every one.  3 hour zoom meeting starts in 30 minutes...countdown begins.

[0106]

44 minutes ago, summer slope said:

This was the recipe The Cocktail Project uses for this cocktail.

@summer slopeI really appreciate all the cocktail recipes that you post, great inspiration.  Based on the picture, it looked like a Bloody Mary made with bourbon.  In case anyone is interested, I just found this on the Jim Beam website.

[dfish]

Good afternoon, everyone.

 

It is snowing lightly right now and they've upped their prediction to 3-6 inches of fluffy stuff. It is supposed to end before daybreak so that will give the city time to clear the main roads and for my plow guy to come out before my exercise class at 11 tomorrow.  I have no need to leave the house before then and if it is not clear enough tomorrow morning, I have an exercise routine I can do here at home.

 

I cut the cord several years ago and didn't regret it at all.  When I moved to Michigan I decided to try Spectrum's streaming service because the price was locked for two years.  I'll probably go to another service then because I don't get Smithsonian channel with Spectrum.  But, even with their streaming service, the cost is still almost $100 a month less than what I was paying before I cut the cord. 

 

I have been to Barcelona a couple of times.  I'm glad I went back when you could just walk into Sagrada Familia and Park Guell.  There is an area near or in Park Guell with a housing development Gaudi started.  The houses all look like Smurf houses.  All my pictures are pre-digital and since the move I couldn't begin to locate them.  

 

@rafinmd Sometimes the medical industry is totally maddening.  They keep sending me the same questionnaire to answer over and over again.  Apparently, if I answer it for Dr. A, it doesn't carry over to Dr. B, even though they might be down the hall from one another.  At least that was electronic and they aren't killing trees to do that.  

 

@marshhawk Good for you and DH taking a day off together just for you!   

 

@grapau27 Hope the cough goes away.  

 

@Quartzsite Cruiser Yes, walking through the grocery store does count.  Even if you're pushing a cart, that takes the place of trekking poles or a cane.  Go for it!  

 

Ok, time to go make the marinade for the London Broil we are having for Farkle night.  My turn to provide dinner.

[bennybear]

Good morning and thanks all! 
@marshhawk  I think you’re on to something about the testing.I don’t think the tests have changed,    My understanding is that omicrom is more in your throat than nose so you need to swab both for more accuracy .  You may have to do it for several days in a row before you get a positive test.  

 

A few more beautiful Barcelona pics.

 

[summer slope]

@rafinmdi agree about the medical visits. I had tests a few weeks ago and the results were in the MyChart program within a few hours. I called the doctors office today and they still don’t have the results. I told them the results. 

[grapau27]

6 minutes ago, bennybear said:

Good morning and thanks all! 
@marshhawk  I think you’re on to something about the testing.I don’t think the tests have changed,    My understanding is that omicrom is more in your throat than nose so you need to swab both for more accuracy .  You may have to do it for several days in a row before you get a positive test.  

 

A few more beautiful Barcelona pics.

 

We have the nose and throat swabs.

Nice photos.

Graham.

[Cruzin Terri]

So yesterday I received a message from the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville regarding my appointment that I had on February 28 at 1:15 pm.  It was perfect.  I needed to go the night before for blood work the following morning and see the doc at 1:15 pm and then I would be able to drive home.  

 

Basically, the message said “we have moved your appointment to March 6 at 4:15 pm FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE.  (My convenience???? I don’t think so). They left the blood work on Feb. 28.  Arghh!!!

So i had to turn on my phone and call them.  I told them about “my convenience” and corrected them that it was for the “doctor’s convenience”. She agreed.  I also asked to have the blood work moved to the same day.  Now “my convenience” will cost me two hotel nights instead of one.  

So I’m GROUCHY!! And they did me no favors.

Terri

Edited February 16, 2023 by Cruzin Terri

[richwmn]

this morning off Kangaroo Island

 

 

[HAL4NOW]

4 hours ago, Cruising-along said:

Cut the cable reminded me that DH is going to look into changing our cable plan (he would never cut it off) 😉  It just went up again, good old Comcast. 

Our bulk contract with Comcast for cable at the condominium has been cancelled by the HOA. We found that streaming YouTube TV works well, is less expensive, and has more channels that we might enjoy. We are not really TV watchers and haven't had TV at home for any of our 46 years of marriage, until buying the condo that had two tv's, so your DH's opinion may differ. 

[kazu]

7 hours ago, ocean sounds said:

@kazu, I continue to be amazed how you can type and contribute so much with your elbow injury.  Thanks, and Prayers for healing and less pain 🙏🏻

 

It’s part of my physio 😉. Typing is seriously good for the elbow.  It still hurts but not as badly as it did when I started to type which is true progress.

 

 

7 hours ago, rafinmd said:

I was wondering how @kazu would react to Barcelona as it seems like her last visit there ended quite badly.

 

It did end badly for me but it wasn’t Barcelona’s fault.  I will just be much more cautious on marble stairs with no railing or avoid them all together 😉  It’s still one of my favourite cities and although my visit was a bit marred the hotel staff took amazing care of me.  I’m definitely staying there again on my next visit.

 

 

4 hours ago, cruising sister said:

Good morning,

I just returned from getting my cast. Unfortunately the tech ended the cast on my incision from taking the tendon in my forearm. I did not notice until in the car. Every time I move my arm it rubs it. I have left a message to get it redone. It won’t be today as we are covered in a layer of ice and don’t feel like tempting fate. I probably fit the grumpy definition now. 

 

Well damn.  Someone needs to teach that tech a bit, I think.  I’m so sorry.  If it’s at the end of the cast (sounds like it) - do you have any gauze pads you could put to wedge between temporarily?  If you keep your arm up, the swelling will reduce and it will give you more room to do it.

You deserve to be more than grumpy and I’m so sorry 😔 I hope you can get it fixed tomorrow 🙏🏻 

 

 

3 hours ago, Vict0riann said:

 My plan was to do some gardening, and Pat has changed that to going to the wine shop.  

 

I’m jealous.  Gardening here?  LOL the snow has everything covered (until the ice) and the ground is frozen solid.  I envy you.

 

 

3 hours ago, Vict0riann said:

I have a feeling we won't be going but he is determined.   I must read up on the standard insurance, which is what we have.

 

Standard policy gives you 80% of your money back.  Premium gives you 90% and there is some minor medical coverage.

 

that is really neat on the owls - we haven’t had that problem and there is no netting over our chimney.  Only a bat once (ugh) and with the door to the fireplace closed (thankfully) it decided to leave - whew!

 

 

2 hours ago, Quartzsite Cruiser said:

I've always suspected this was the case.  🤣

 

 

 

that is so true Lenda!

 

 

13 minutes ago, Cruzin Terri said:

So I’m GROUCHY!! And they did me no favors.

 

You have every right to be grouchy.  there’s no favour with a 2 night hotel stay 😔 

[dfish]

The snow is really coming down here.  We are now in the 4-6 inch range.  I'm not sure I'm taking the trash out tonight.  It is supposed to be at the end of the drive, but it will interfere with my plow guy.  I think I'll take it out tomorrow morning when I get up.  That should be soon enough.  If not, it can wait until next week.  

[cruising sister]

Snowing here too covering a layer of ice. No trash cans out for me. I have put a gauze pad over incision and I  limiting the use of my arm until cast changed out. Thanks for suggestions. 

[richwmn]

4 hours ago, Cruising-along said:

Cut the cable reminded me that DH is going to look into changing our cable plan (he would never cut it off) 😉  It just went up again, good old Comcast. 

My experience with Comcast is about 15 years old, but back when I moved into a duplex it was during the time all the students were moving in and they gave me a 6 month 'student special'. After that they tried to double my cost and I went into the office and told them I wasn't paying any more than I had been, and they managed to find a similar discount for another 6 months or a year. That process continued for about 5 years. Every time they tried to raise my price I went to the office and complained and I never had a price increase but kept about the same channel lineup.

For the last 10 years I have had Dish Network, and it has been going up regularly as well. Each time I called to complain I was told there was nothing they could do. Last September, knowing I was going to be gone, I called to let them know I was going to cancel the account as of December 15 and my call was moved to a different department which was able to cut my bill in half if I would agree to a two year term. I accepted that.

 

Edited February 16, 2023 by richwmn

[RMLincoln]

I also hope @erewhon checks in and that they are ok. They live on South Island and I think the more deadly issues are on North Island but will feel better knowing. 
 

Blessings to all in need of healing, comfort or hope. And patience and miracles for anyone struggling through the medical “system”!  Sigh. 
 

Smooth travels for all away!  
 

Rainy and very gray today in Maryland… beats snow and ice!  
 

Heard at zoom yoga today of another friend who fell- tore her rotator cuff. We all need to be careful!  
 

I guess we’re on the cord… condo supplies it. Had satellite at mountain home in NM, cable I thought was a step up, works even in bad weather, no snow-blowing a path to get to the dishes to clear the snow!  I don’t miss that. 
 

Barcelona is such a great place to visit. Been three times. Last time there we had found a repositioning cruise westbound to take us home from a trip that was finishing up in England that was cheaper out of Barcelona than cruising out of Southampton, including the flight. NCL Jade, 16 nights Barcelona to Houston. We were there while Catalonia was trying to secede; many balconies displayed “SI” banners, often next to the flag of Spain on the next balcony. We were relieved the port stayed open!  
 

No word yet on son’s passport but getting the tracking number was encouraging. Staying hopeful…. 
m—

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

4 hours ago, Vict0riann said:

Good morning, Dailyites.  I think I am a grumpus today, too.  My plan was to do some gardening, and Pat has changed that to going to the wine shop.  Then I imagine it will be a coffee somewhere.  Oh, well, maybe gardening through the next week.  Pat has to have some surgery next month, and then the decision will be made as to whether we can travel towards the end of the March.  He will not be allowed to lift or carry, or even drink, so I will be doing the heavy lifting, and I'll have to drink for both of us, as we have the HIA.  I have a feeling we won't be going but he is determined.   I must read up on the standard insurance, which is what we have.

 

Thanks for the morning news, everyone.  Did we ever hear from @erewhon?  Hope they are safe in NZ.  Prayers for  all that need them, especially Tana.  I was happy to hear that Sarah is feeling better, and hope that continues.  

 

Kind of a dreary day here today, but the nights have been going down and there has been frost on the roofs, so winter is not quite over.  There are lots of things blooming though, and the owls are beginning to hunt for places to nest.  Every once in a while there is a story in the paper about people coming home and finding an owl roosting on their sofa.  They are hunting for cavities to nest in, and often fall down chimneys, if they are not meshed over.  As they are at the top of their food chain, they are not afraid, and quite curious.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ann, sorry your DH will have to have surgery next month.  Can you cancel the HIA if your can go on the cruise?  Interesting about the owls.  The only animal that fell down our chimney was one of our very curious cats.  She wasn't hurt, but was black instead of ginger when we rescued her.

 

3 hours ago, rafinmd said:

Well, I've been back from the lab for a while.  The morning was a mixed bag.  The weather forecast was for rain starting about an hour before I left but it has held off, completely dry going into the lab and essentially dry when I came out except for a few drops--I think one hit me and several were on my windshield.

 

I was not happy with the lab with the checkin from hell.  They gave me what should have been an easy QR code to scan but never asked for it and essentially an endless string of questions and asking for scans of cards that were deep in my wallet but never accepting any of the information and making me type it all in manually.  Thankfully, it's all behind me, the last of my tests, and it's raining now but I am staying inside.

 

Roy

 

Roy, all the forms doctors require are getting absurd.  One I have to fill out every year, and I asked why.  They said in case anything changed.  Couldn't the just ask if anything has changed?

 

1 hour ago, Cruzin Terri said:

So yesterday I received a message from the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville regarding my appointment that I had on February 28 at 1:15 pm.  It was perfect.  I needed to go the night before for blood work the following morning and see the doc at 1:15 pm and then I would be able to drive home.  

 

Basically, the message said “we have moved your appointment to March 6 at 4:15 pm FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE.  (My convenience???? I don’t think so). They left the blood work on Feb. 28.  Arghh!!!

So i had to turn on my phone and call them.  I told them about “my convenience” and corrected them that it was for the “doctor’s convenience”. She agreed.  I also asked to have the blood work moved to the same day.  Now “my convenience” will cost me two hotel nights instead of one.  

So I’m GROUCHY!! And they did me no favors.

Terri

 

Terri, sorry you couldn't get the original appointment for your convenience, instead of having to cater the the doctor.

 

31 minutes ago, richwmn said:

My experience with Comcast is about 15 years old, but back when I moved into a duplex it was during the time all the students were moving in and they gave me a 6 month 'student special'. After that they tried to double my cost and I went into the office and told them I wasn't paying any more than I had been, and they managed to find a similar discount for another 6 months or a year. That process continued for about 5 years. Every time they tried to raise my price I went to the office and complained and I never had a price increase but kept about the same channel lineup.

For the last 10 years I have had Dish Network, and it has been going up regularly as well. Each time I called to complain I was told there was nothing they could do. Last September, knowing I was going to be gone, I called to let them know I was going to cancel the account as of December 15 and my call was moved to a different department which was able to cut my bill in half if I would agree to a two year term. I accepted that.

 

 

Rich, you have to know how to play their games.  It seems Dish goes up every time we turn around, but with the motorhome we can't cut the cable.

 

Lenda

[aliaschief]

2 hours ago, summer slope said:

@rafinmdi agree about the medical visits. I had tests a few weeks ago and the results were in the MyChart program within a few hours. I called the doctors office today and they still don’t have the results. I told them the results. 

Agree! Always know my lab findings and other medical test results early using My Chart App. Have lab test at local hospital in morning  and almost always have results in afternoon.

[Cruising-along]

1 hour ago, richwmn said:

After that they tried to double my cost and I went into the office and told them I wasn't paying any more than I had been, and they managed to find a similar discount for another 6 months or a year. That process continued for about 5 years. Every time they tried to raise my price I went to the office and complained and I never had a price increase but kept about the same channel lineup.

Rich that's exactly what we've done too.  DH went in and talked to them (our "deal" will end March 31).  Right now they don't have any deals, but the employee said they most likely will in the next month.  You know he'll be watching. 😉  

[grapau27]

Companies rely on customers to auto renew.

When we get to renewal time for 

Mobile phone.

Broadband.

Car insurance.

House and contents insurance.

Travel insurance

Roadside assistance.

We always negotiate and usually say we are thinking of going elsewhere and it is surprising the deals the retention teams can give us.

Graham.

[kochleffel]

Never mind ditching cable TV; I still have a land-line phone, although it's VOIP using the cable TV company's Internet service. Many people consider me a grouch. I might like the chicken, but the thought of adding whiskey to tomato juice doesn't thrill me.

 

I resumed work today, only from home. Although I was well enough at least to keep up with office email, I read none of it for the past week, feeling that the stress would impede my recovery. Reading it today, I think I made the right choice.

 

I was in Barcelona in 2018, during my very first cruise. The itinerary interported between Barcelona and Rome, with most passengers embarking from Barcelona, but I embarked from Rome in order to have more time there. So two-thirds of the passengers were disembarking, and an equal number embarking, at Barcelona. I took a tour with Spain Day Tours that included all three groups. There were a few others for whom it was an ordinary port call, some bringing luggage from the ship who would be dropped off at the airport after the tour, and some being picked up at a hotel, also with luggage, who would be taken to the ship along with those of us making just a port call.

 

I have relatively few photos, because it rained through the first half of the tour, and those I have from Park Guell are like those already posted. BTW it was soon after I had dislocated my shoulder and I was very much afraid of falling at Park Guell. I left the tour on the way back to the ship in order to visit the Jewish quarter, and walked to the old synagogue.

 

Today the synagogue is mostly below street level, but it wasn't built that way; the street level has been raised many times.

 

And two kosher restaurants nearby.

 

After lunch--not at either of those, as it was Sunday and on Sunday in Barcelona, one eats paella, not pizza or shakshuka--I walked to the Ramblas and got a taxi back to the ship.

 

 

[USN59-79]

We will need to provide a self-administered rapid antigen covid test a day before boarding the Westerdam next month.  Thought I had some but notice they have expired.  Went online and found that a company, Milo Health has a contract to provide free tests to medicare recipients.  Filled in the form and now have eight tests being mailed to us.

Yesterday was medical day for me.  I went to physical therapy in the morning, saw my oncologist in early afternoon and then to the eye doctor for a monthly injection in my left eye.

There was good news from the oncologist.  I showed up 15 minutes early for a blood draw and they had the results in 15 minutes.  The good news is that my white blood count is the same number now as it was 6 months ago, so my leukemia is basically unchanged.  Thus, there is no reason to start treating it.  The eye is also no worse than last month, so that is also good news.  Tomorrow I see the ortho doctor to see if my leg is fully healed.

Ray

 

 

[cruising sister]

I have been getting 8 free Covid tests from my pharmacy for several months. You just need to show your red white and blue card Medicare card at any pharmacy. They put it in as a prescription. You can do it once a month. This may stop soon as they are redoing the guidelines. I will pick up some more before it stops so I have plenty for my next few cruises.