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

[dfish]

Good morning, everyone!

 

No blue skies this morning, but it is warmer today.  Rain is coming late afternoon and overnight.  Yesterday I spent part of the day with the county assessor's office.  Our taxable valuation has been increased by 22.5% for this coming year.  They told me in order to have it adjusted I had to bring evidence of neighborhood comparable homes that were assessed at a lower rate.  That information is not available to me, but they have it.  I'm not allowed to access those databases. So, kind of catch 22 there. This increase is due to a 1993 law that caps increases to the rate of inflation or 5%, whichever is lower.  Until the property changes hands.  New owners get zapped when they bring it up to current value.  

 

Ok, on to the next battle.  Aetna had approved my CT scan for the adrenal tumor.  That is done with and without contrast so they can measure the rate at which the dye is washed out.  That helps with a diagnosis of whether the tumor is malignant or benign.  So, the day I had the CT, it was approved and then three days later they withdrew the approval because of the use of the contrast dye.  They said one image was enough.  We can look at the tumor but not determine if it is malignant or benign.  They have a new system for prior approvals using an out fit that calls you out of the blue with a computer and wants personal information from you to tell you their determinations.  I refuse to do that.  How do I know it is legit?  There are too many phone scams out there to play that game.  I explained that to Aetna and told them they might want to re-evaluate that "service".  So, fighting that withdrawal of the authorization is on the agenda for today.  Grrrr.

 

Slow cooker whole chicken is a great alternative to rotisserie chicken.  Rotisserie chicken is great, but it is filled with all kinds of stuff that they inject into the chicken.  Your slow cooker chicken isn't.  Just put it on in the morning and you have it for dinner.  This first one uses brown sugar to make it look like the skin is nicely browned.  I would probably put the chicken in the oven under the broiler for a few minutes instead of using sugar.   https://www.dinneratthezoo.com/slow-cooker-whole-chicken/

 

 

With this one you put the vegetables in the bottom of the slow cooker.  This helps keep the chicken up and out of any juices that collect.  You don't want poached chicken.  You can use the vegetables you like and also potatoes.   https://www.themagicalslowcooker.com/slow-cooker-whole-chicken/

 

 

This next one uses potatoes along with veggies.  They use the carrots because they hold up better than broccoli would.  I'd use brussels sprouts.  I like the seasoning mixture on this one.  https://kristineskitchenblog.com/crockpot-whole-chicken/

 

 

I think there is something here for all.  Feel free to adjust seasonings and veggies to suit your tastes!  Wishing you all a wonderful day!

 

[1ANGELCAT]

Good morning all

  It’s been a busy past 2 weeks. I’ve been at the vet several times. Trouble had dental surgery last week and wasn’t a happy cat. Yesterday the 2 little guys were there for a regular visit. Thanks for insurance .

    According to CC , today is my 10th anniversary , I was a lurker for long before. 
Blessings and prayers to all on our lists.

 

[cruising sister]

Good morning,

Another gray rainy day here in Kansas. Yesterday was sunny but very windy. The car ride went well. I had the top down and the heater on. The guys were pretty somber. I held up well and enjoyed the day. 
 

I did my check in for my NS cruise leaving on May 6th. Somehow it snuck up on me and I did not lose those 10 pounds I wanted to. I better get going cracking on the healthy eating. 
 

Every one have a great day!

[marshhawk]

Happy Thursday Morning Dailyites!

 

I'm going to make French toast this morning, so I will be short.

 

Bon Voyage to those who are cruising !

@dfishI think you need to go kick Aetna in the butt.  I too will not give information over the phone unless I make the call directly. (this is why i'm not a world famous telemarketer)

@1ANGELCATHappy Cruise Critic Anniversary!

@rafinmd The philosopher in me comes out with your comment about not getting any thing wrong is by doing nothing. Edmund Burke said in 1795 "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing"  Doing nothing, is still an action.

 

I'm done thinking for the day....

 

 

[1ANGELCAT]

@dfish, good luck with Aetna, they are the ones that denied me Botox treatment last year as not medically necessary.

[StLouisCruisers]

2 hours ago, seagarsmoker said:

Thanks for the Daily Report and I hope everyone has a great day!

This will be my last post here for a while. We are leaving early tomorrow morning for Florida, then cruising on the NA on Saturday. 

 

 

Have a wonderful cruise!  Are you on the NS?  You mentioned NA for Saturday but I believe that's incorrect.  Western Caribbean on NS leaves Saturday.  Hope I can post your ship's destination correctly for you!

 

 

 

25 minutes ago, kplady said:

Good morning all!!

 

I don't usually post this early (even though I've been up for 3 hours already!), but we'll be leaving this afternoon to head to the airport for our Australia/New Zealand cruise. We're flying nonstop from NY to Auckland, NZ and then a short flight to Melbourne, AUS. We'll be in Melbourne for 3 days before we get on the Grand Princess.  I'm having trouble with the time changes - we leave NY on 3/16, but land in NZ on 3/198...St. Patrick's Day won't exist for us as we cross the International Date Line!

 

I will try to read every day on my phone, but I'm not as proficient on that (I usually use my computer). Prayers will be said for all suffering in any way, and I'll definitely lift a glass to celebrate with those having good days!!

 

Take care,

Laura

 

Safe travels all the way to Melbourne and bon voyage wishes as well.  That NY to Auckland flight should be a real doozy!  Get up and walk often!

 

 

 

9 minutes ago, 1ANGELCAT said:

Good morning all

  It’s been a busy past 2 weeks. I’ve been at the vet several times. Trouble had dental surgery last week and wasn’t a happy cat. Yesterday the 2 little guys were there for a regular visit. Thanks for insurance .

    According to CC , today is my 10th anniversary , I was a lurker for long before. 
Blessings and prayers to all on our lists.

 

 

Happy CC Anniversary @1ANGELCAT!

[StLouisCruisers]

12 minutes ago, cruising sister said:

Good morning,

Another gray rainy day here in Kansas. Yesterday was sunny but very windy. The car ride went well. I had the top down and the heater on. The guys were pretty somber. I held up well and enjoyed the day. 
 

I did my check in for my NS cruise leaving on May 6th. Somehow it snuck up on me and I did not lose those 10 pounds I wanted to. I better get going cracking on the healthy eating. 
 

Every one have a great day!

 

Beautiful color Mustang.  The wheels are nice too.  Glad you had a good ride!

[seagarsmoker]

6 minutes ago, StLouisCruisers said:

 

Have a wonderful cruise!  Are you on the NS?  You mentioned NA for Saturday but I believe that's incorrect.  Western Caribbean on NS leaves Saturday.  Hope I can post your ship's destination correctly for you!

 

 

 

 

Safe travels all the way to Melbourne and bon voyage wishes as well.  That NY to Auckland flight should be a real doozy!  Get up and walk often!

 

 

 

 

Happy CC Anniversary @1ANGELCAT!

Yes, we are on the NS, my bad! 🙂 

[seagarsmoker]

3 hours ago, seagarsmoker said:

Thanks for the Daily Report and I hope everyone has a great day!

This will be my last post here for a while. We are leaving early tomorrow morning for Florida, then cruising on the NA on Saturday. 

 

Sorry, wrong March cruise! We are on the NS this March, and next March back on the NA.  🙂

[cruising sister]

@dfish I am sorry you are having to fight the approval for your surgery. I was lucky we did not have to fight any of my DH treatments, many that were not standard of care for his cancers. He had a supplement that I had never heard of before that was offered when he first signed up. We never did any of the advantage plans that would have made approvals harder. Keep pushing, they count on people giving up. 

[RMLincoln]

Bon Voyage to @kplady and @seagarsmoker !  
 

Blessings to all in need. 
Cheers for those celebrating!  Life is good!  
 

We’re on the upswing here!  Thanks for the boost from being on the Care List @JazzyVVanessa!  
 

Thanks for the info and photos of today’s port in Chile. Interesting trip to the observatory @rafinmd Roy. Thanks for sharing that unusual aspect. We weren’t in that port but I was very impressed with our multiple stops in Chile, beautiful in so many ways and lovely people, very civilized. Too bad it’s so far away!  
 

Wind has died down, still cool out but a nice spring day in Maryland. It’s a good day to be Happy!  
Maureen 

 

 

[ottahand7]

Good morning everyone. A lousy day at sea so final packing then a clean out the cellar wine event at 2 with friends in the Crow's Nest.  

@dfishI am sorry about both your assessment battle and that you have to fight your PO again.  

Our crew member who passed was 34 years old named Devon Campbell.  The 2 memorials were well attended I understand. 

Prayers for all on our Care list and the people of Ukraine. Walk for a Cause is tomorrow hopefully with better weather than today. 

Sandi thanks for starting our Daily off each morning. Nancy 

 

[ger_77]

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily!  Well after everything I thought was wrong yesterday, today's everything I'm going to do is right makes me feel better.  Yes to freedom of information, and who doesn't love seeing pandas, giant or tiny?  I've never heard Oscar Wilde's quote, but have often said I'm probably going to hell, but at least I'll know people there.

 

A little late to the party this morning - after we finished DH's respirologist appointment, we stopped for coffee at Tim Horton's and ran into  the husband of our friend who passed away last year.  We sat and enjoyed coffee with him, then went for groceries - running into him again.  At that point, I figured we should invite him to have dinner with us (as I saw from his basket that he was just going to have a frozen pizza that night), and we could really catch up.   Well, several hours and a couple of bottles of wine later, we said goodbye to him, cleaned up and realized it was nearly 1AM.  I'm usually in dreamland around 10:30 at the latest, so it was a late night for me.  Combined with the food and drink, I think I went into a coma and didn't wake up until after 7. 

 

DH's appointment went well yesterday - the respirologist is going to turn down the air flow setting and increase the humidity on the CPAP to help make breathing more comfortable, and that's about all.  DH's lung functions are good, so there's no problem, but he may have to sleep on more of an incline so he doesn't get stuffed up.  Glad it went well.

 

@seagarsmokerBon Voyage; will we see you waving at sail-away?

@kplady safe travels as you make your way to Australia.

@aliaschiefwishing your DW and her sisters safe travels as well.

@cruising sisterI know why you call her Ruby; she's gorgeous!  My favourite colour!

@kazuI'm glad your neighbour was able to get you to your appointment.  Hopefully the scrape to the garage was minor - yikes!

 

Not much happening today - our friend is coming over so she and DH can practice their song for tomorrow's funeral.  While they're practicing, I'll finish off another blanket; I only have a few rows left and then can crochet the edging.  I think I can make at least 2 or 3 more before we have to hand them in at the end of the month.

 

I like today's menu suggestion, and although I've often done chicken pieces in the slow cooker, I've never done a whole one.  I've got a small ham that's going to to into the oven this afternoon and we'll be having it along with mashed potatoes and parmesan asparagus at the kitchen table tonight.  And wine.

 

Prayers for all who are in need, cheers to everyone with celebrations.

 

Smooth Sailing!  ☺️☺️☺️

Gerry

[HAL4NOW]

 

Stopped in Coquimbo on the Zaandam in 2019. Loved the Cruz del Tercer Milenio (Third Millennium Cross). We didn't see any tours that interested us that day, so just did a walk about through the town and up the steep hill to the cross. We went up into the cross and saw the museum that is located in the cross-bars. There is a chapel under the cross and numerous sculptures situated all around the grounds at the cross. One of the wild dogs that were so prevalent around town seemed to be guarding one of the sculpture scenes, but I think she was actually watching over her puppies that were behind the sculpture.

 

 

 

 

 

 

         

 

         

 

 

 This very ornate set of doors led into the chapel under the cross. It read, "per me si quis introierit salvabitur" which translates from Latin into: if anyone enters through me, he will be saved.

      

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

Good morning from a very cloudy central Texas.  It is currently 60F with a predicted high of 78F.  After today, it will be back to the 50s and 60s for the next week to ten days, with our spring winds.  We got a little rain last night, but not enough to measure, and more rain is in the forecast.  We have some weather advisories, but I suspect they are more for the DFW area north of us.  The skies in my pictures of Coquimbo look a lot like our skies today.

 

I'll repost some pictures from Coquimbo when we were there in 2015 on the Ruby Princess.  We did a tour that had an over view of Coquimbo, and took us to La Serena where we visited a Pisco vineyard and distillery, and then to Vicuna.

 

Coquimbo

 

La Serena and the Pisco vineyard

 

Vicuna

 

An interesting tree sculpture

 

The ship "graveyard" from our balcony

 

Now, I'll read the Daily and be back in a little while.

 

Lenda

[Himself]

I appreciate the Fleet Repot and DAILY.

[aliaschief]

@kpladyHave a safe trip and wonderful voyage. Bon Voyage!

[Crazy For Cats]

Good Morning, thank you @StLouisCruisers for today’s fleet report.  @dfish thank you for today’s recipes they look good.  It’s been a busy work morning with a few more meetings on the calendar.  I hope everyone has a good day today.

[JazzyV]

Good morning. Thanks for the Fleet Report/Daily @richwmn and @StLouisCruisers.

I hope everything I do today is right. Freedom of Information is important and I think giant pandas are cute. Typical Wilde quote. I've not done a whole chicken in the slow cooker. I'll pass on the drink and wine.

I haven't been to Coquimbo.

 

It's going to be a very nice day, sunny and up into the 50's later, although it's an air action day here. Of course rain and cold again for the weekend. I'm going to go to BFF's DD DF's house to help more with the sorting and cleanout. Despite a couple of doses of Benadryl, I've got an itchy bump on my leg from my injection; I'll try a Claritin so I won't be so sleepy today.

 

@StLouisCruisers Thanks for our start today and the photos from Coquimbo. 

@seagarsmoker Safe travels and have a great cruise! Are you on NA or NS?

@rafinmd Chicken parmesan sounds good. Thanks for the photos of the Tololo Observatory. 

@GTVCRUISER That's a great sentiment.

@kazu I'm glad you got to physio and to the accountants. I hope your days of not being allowed to drive are over soon.  

@kplady Safe travels and have a great cruise! When I flew from LA to Auckland it was really long; I can't imagine NY to Auckland!

@smitty34877 I hope there's no complication like infection from the lancing of DH's cyst.

@dfish Good luck with the assessment fight; when I bought this house there was a big increase in the value, ouch! And fighting the insurance, ugh. 

@1ANGELCAT Happy CC anniversary!

@cruising sister That's a sharp Mustang! I'm glad the ride went well. 

@ger_77 I hope the changes help DH use the CPAP; since I turned on my air cleaner in the bedroom, I'm not finding I'm stuffed up.

@HAL4NOW Thanks for the Coquimbo photos.

@Quartzsite Cruiser Thanks for the nice photos.

 

Prayers for the Care List and Cheers for the Celebration List.

Be well everyone.

 

From my 2005 trip to China

 

[durangoscots]

Good morning. I am starting to feel almost human this morning. I am very slowly trying to bring the house under control and will allocate plenty of time for resting. My appetite is coming back slowly. Have not checked this morning but I think the weight loss was about 10 lbs. I am sure I will regain it much too quickly. Weather here is sunny right not but that is now supposed to last with rain/snow mix forecast. I will try to get some garbage hauled out before it turns on me. Also, need to start the car. And on and on......

 

Susan

[Sharon in AZ]

Good morning and Happy Thursday. It’s cloudy here and our high should be around 66F today, mostly due to the rain we had yesterday. 
 

Just a quick note from me before my Dexa appointment this morning. I did get everything done yesterday for my DM so she won’t question me about it anymore. She likes things done immediately. While I’m more a Scarlet O’Hara. 
 

Have a great day everyone!

[puppycanducruise]

@kplady Safe travels.  Hope you have a wonderful cruise.

[bennybear]

Good morning and thanks all!  Feeling sad as two young police officers were killed early this morning going to a domestic call in our province.  

@dfishsorry you are fighting so many battles,  don’t know how they can withdraw and approval after you’ve had the scan, but it seems insurance companies try to get out of whatever they can.  I’m grateful we have medicare.  
@cruising sisternice wheels!  
I have always loved Pandas,  spent a lot of time years ago at the London Zoo watching them, and we’ve been fortunate to host them twice in our city.  Unfortunately they had to return early because of the pandemic; it made the bamboo hard to get.  

Edited March 16, 2023 by bennybear

[ottahand7]

From our January visit in Coquimbo.  We shared an Uber to the lighthouse then walked to the Japanese Gardens.

[Heartgrove]

Good Morning! Thank you Sandi, thank you Vanessa, thank you Debbie, thank you Ann, and thank you Dixie for your contributions to the Daily Report. And thank you all for being here!

 

Sam has been having more down days lately. I have begun to mentally prepare myself for the next year even though he is only 10. I had done the same with Juno but with her it was just age (13) along with her dementia. I fear that Sam will reach a point that he will be healthy but unable to walk. At 130 pounds it will be too difficult to manage. Big dogs unfortunately do not live as long plus the fact that I rescue older dogs to begin with. Somebody has to though.

 

I have been trying to drop the more than few pounds I picked up on our cruise in January. Then I pulled a muscle in my back about four weeks ago so had less activity. Irritating that it is still bothering me. Finally last week I got to that point. It was the most I have ever weighed  - so the Carnival food must have been good!  

 

We are 181 days out from our next cruise. The other day I received an email from SAS about an itinerary change to our flight to Hamburg. I always cringe with those emails. But it actually announced a change of equipment from an A330-300 to an A350-900 on our flight to Copenhagen. A newer plane with newer technology so should be good. 

 

Stay Safe!

 

- Jack