The Fleet Report and Daily for Monday March 20th, 2023

[kochleffel]

The Junior Cat has gone to her eternal reward. Her name was Sasha and she was 19 or 20 years old. She came to me from the Massachusetts SPCA, which had taken her from the home of a hoarder where she was terrorized by larger cats, and at first was frightened of everything. Over time she became a very happy cat, and I hope that her reward is a good one.

 

[StLouisCruisers]

3 minutes ago, kochleffel said:

The Junior Cat has gone to her eternal reward. Her name was Sasha and she was 19 or 20 years old. She came to me from the Massachusetts SPCA, which had taken her from the home of a hoarder where she was terrorized by larger cats, and at first was frightened of everything. Over time she became a very happy cat, and I hope that her reward is a good one.

 

 

Paul, what sad news today about Junior Cat.  Sasha was very lucky you rescued her and that she had such a wonderful life living with you these past many years.  My condolences on the loss of Sasha.🌈

[ger_77]

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily!  I've never been abducted by extraterrestrials, but I'm pretty sure when they fly past the earth, they lock their doors.  I think every day should be an international day of happiness, and one where we celebrate Mother Earth.

 

A question - didn't we used to celebrate spring on March 21st?  I guess we're doing it now on the 20th instead.  Not a lot happening today, just laundry - it's relentless.  LOL

 

 

@0106 Thank you Tina for taking over for Debbie; the dishes look great.

@smitty34877I'm sorry to hear you had such a rough night; hopefully you'll get some rest now that Tana's aide is in the house.

@kazu I know what you're saying about the cost of groceries; now you can bring 2 little bags into the house and it's close to or over $100.

@kochleffelI'm sad for you having lost Sasha; it's always hard saying goodbye to our little furry family members.

 

I'm not sure DH would appreciate today's menu suggestion, but I think it's something I would order in a restaurant, just to try it.  We have a good amount of meat loaf left from yesterday, so that's going to be served alongside some air fried tater tots and coleslaw at the kitchen table tonight.  And wine.

 

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

 

Smooth Sailing!  ☺️☺️☺️

Gerry

[TAW1963]

1 hour ago, grapau27 said:

Thank you for posting your cruise experience and photos which were excellent.

I'm pleased you both had a great time.

Graham 

It was my pleasure.   We are new to all of this, but I think I am developing quite the addiction for cruising!  

[rafinmd]

7 minutes ago, ger_77 said:

A question - didn't we used to celebrate spring on March 21st?  I guess we're doing it now on the 20th instead.  Not a lot happening today, just laundry - it's relentless.  LOL

A year is 365 1/4 days so spring varies a bit.  I was thinking next year with 29 days in February we go back to the 21st but do I have it backwards?

 

Roy

[rafinmd]

2 minutes ago, rafinmd said:

A year is 365 1/4 days so spring varies a bit.  I was thinking next year with 29 days in February we go back to the 21st but do I have it backwards?

 

Roy

https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/varying-march-equinox-date.html

 

Roy

[kazu]

40 minutes ago, kochleffel said:

The Junior Cat has gone to her eternal reward. Her name was Sasha and she was 19 or 20 years old. She came to me from the Massachusetts SPCA, which had taken her from the home of a hoarder where she was terrorized by larger cats, and at first was frightened of everything. Over time she became a very happy cat, and I hope that her reward is a good one.

 

 

Oh Paul, so sorry to hear about Sasha.  It is such a difficult thing to do even though it is right for our fur babies 😢 

 

So very sorry - our fur babies are such a huge part of our lives 💔 

 

 

 

 

[smitty34877]

@kochleffel, Paul, I am sorry to hear about Sasha,my condolences. It sounds like her life improved greatly with you. I will miss hearing about the Junior Cat.

 

 

 

 

[Himself]

I just asked myself, "Shere is the HAL fleet today."  Sandi, thank you for answering my question.

[kochleffel]

16 minutes ago, kazu said:

It is such a difficult thing to do even though it is right for our fur babies 😢 

 

Actually, she was DOA at the veterinarian's office, although breathing when we set out.

 

[GTVCRUISER]

Greetings from San Diego 🙂 

[durangoscots]

1 hour ago, kochleffel said:

The Junior Cat has gone to her eternal reward. Her name was Sasha and she was 19 or 20 years old. She came to me from the Massachusetts SPCA, which had taken her from the home of a hoarder where she was terrorized by larger cats, and at first was frightened of everything. Over time she became a very happy cat, and I hope that her reward is a good one.

 

I am sorry to hear this. Sasha had a good life with you which is all a kitty can ask.

 

Susan

[durangoscots]

The scream you heard this morning was me when I looked out the window at 6:00 and saw the snow falling. Winter will just not give up. We are supposed to have snow/rain mix the rest of the week. Dogs are not happy. Fortunately my freezer is well stocked.

 

Feeling much better and will continue laundry and clearing up today....slowly. Am not planning on going out although I need to pick up my mail at some point.

 

@dfishHope your surgery goes well. Everyone else, stay well and avoid the "It is not covid crud".  It is miserable.

 

Susan

 

 

[JazzyV]

Good Monday morning and Happy First Day of Spring! Thanks for prepping @richwmn so the Fleet Report/Daily could continue while you cruise the world.

I hope no one is abducted by extraterrestrials! I'll salute a Day of Happiness and Earth Day. I like the quote. I like the meal, drink and wine (but won't pay that much).

I haven't been to Geraldton.

 

It's a sunny day, started off cold, but going into the upper 40's later. I spent most of yesterday working on computers. My old one is ready to be donated now. Still having issues with BFF's Dad's one. After I posted the care list around 6, I fell back asleep until 9:15! I don't know what that's about.

 

@StLouisCruisers Thank you for starting us up today. 

@Cruzin Terri I hope the workers get lots done in the next few days. Safe travels tomorrow to the clinic in Jacksonville.

@TAW1963 Thanks for reporting on your cruise and the great photos. 

@rafinmd Good to hear you're sleeping pretty well. And I do hope you are starting to feel stronger. Nice to see your sunrise photo!

@smitty34877 Sorry you had a rough night; prayers for you and Tana. I'm glad the aide is helpful.

@0106 Thanks for stepping in for @dfish with the daily meal. I love Indian food and have had Saag Paneer, but never made it myself.

@aliaschief Thanks for the great memes.

@kazu I know it's sticker shock these days at the grocery store. When do you see the surgeon again?

@dfish Good for you for sleeping in! 

@RMLincoln How are you two feeling? And did you have to reschedule DH's surgery?

@kochleffel Oh no, so sorry to hear about Junior Cat. I know Sasha had a good life with you. My condolences on your loss.

@durangoscots Sorry winter is hanging on where you are. Good to hear you're feeling much better. 

 

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

Be well everyone.

 

[quilty964]

@kochleffelSo sorry to hear about your kitty, they are such an important part of our lives, and it's so sad to say goodbye. 

 

Good morning from a cloudy, windy 30+F day in Wisconsin.  DH, and 2 DSIL's were sad to watch  Marquette lose yesterday, but the Wisconsin Ladies hockey team won their championship game!  No basketball for a few days...YAY!  

 

I'm not sure about the meal for the day, we'll be having leftovers here.  Going to take some leftovers to Dear sis in law today, she's got some kind of cold virus going on, but is starting to feel a little better.  

 

Happy 1st day of spring, and have a great week.  K

[cat shepard]

@kochleffel

 

Paul, Sasha gave you the best gift by taking the decision we all dread away from you. Bless you for making her days with you wonderful ones.  I hope all those special memories give you comfort.

 

Ann

[puppycanducruise]

@kochleffel Sorry that Sasha has crossed the Rainbow Bridge.  Hugs to you.

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

Good morning from a very cloudy and cool central Texas.  It is 44F and should get to 55F this afternoon.  Unlike yesterday, it doesn't look like we'll see the sun today.

 

I think I'll avoid extraterrestrial abductions today, but welcome international day of happiness and Earth day.  I wish we could all be happy everyday, and we should observe Earth day everyday to help our planet.

 

The Ugo Betti quote is very true, but I think we can learn from the great marks left by those who came before us.

 

We'll pass on the meal since neither of us are big fans of Indian cuisine.  Thank you, Tina, @0106  for filling in for Debbie @dfish and for the explanation of saag paneer.  The drink might be nice, and I'd like to try the wine, but don't think we'll be buying it.

 

We have not been to Geraldton.

 

 

5 hours ago, seagarsmoker said:

Thanks for the Daily Report.

The sun arrived yesterday around 1 pm at Half Moon Cay.  Beautiful afternoon and evening onboard the ship. The water is smooth and winds have decreased significantly.  

We had a another wonderful dinner. Most everything on the cruise has been very good.  

Nothing planned for today as it's a sea day on our slow leisurely pace to Grand Cayman. 

Internet still working great and hopefully stays that way.

I hope everyone has a wonderful day! 

 

 

I'm glad the cruise is going well and you are enjoying it.

 

4 hours ago, Cruzin Terri said:

Good morning to all,

I figure I had better post now because I have no idea what today will bring.

Does the ET abduction mean that they will abduct me, or we will abduct them? LOL.

I‘ll go with the other two days.  Like to be happy and Cheer to Earth Day.  We have to preserve the planet.

I will skip the meal since I don’t know what it is.  We will see about the wine and the drink.

I like the quote.

Have not been to the port.

I am up early because I will have a parade of people here again today. I hope this ends soon.

Tomorrow we are going to Jacksonville to the Mayo Clinic.  We will be there for a few days as I have some doctor appointments and tests.  So the workers can have the run of the house without us.

There is a lockbox on the door so they can do their thing.

 

It’s a cold day here.  Only 41 and going up to 57.  Two weeks ago it was in the 80s and we were wearing shorts.  Go figure!

 

Prayers for all on the Cares list and Cheers to those celebrating and cruising.

Prayers especially to those having surgery today and soon.  Hope all goes well.

God Bless,

Terri

 

Terri, safe travels tomorrow, and I hope you only get good news from your tests and appointment.  I also hope the workers finish with the house while you are gone.

 

4 hours ago, TAW1963 said:

Good Morning All,

 

I hope everyone is doing well and prayers to those with health burdens or struggles.

 

Two weeks ago, my DW and I headed out for our second-ever cruise, which was a Western Caribbean on the Ruby Princess out of Galveston.  We received a great online send-off from people on this forum.  Since this was our second ever cruise, with our first being on the MS Koningsdam last December, we decided to give Princess a try to see how we liked it compared to our experience on HAL.  We had a great time on our HAL cruise, but being so inexperienced, we were just beginning to learn what we enjoyed doing and what we didn't enjoy doing.  However, we both realized that we loved the cruising experience and wanted to continue to do it more and more.  

 

We enjoyed our March 5-12 Western Caribbean cruise on the Ruby Princess very much.  We learned even more about our personal likes and dislikes and found more of a groove to make the experience more enjoyable.  The cruise started out very rough.  The Ruby Princess cruise the week prior to ours had a large number of gastrointestinal sickness, which was likely Norovirus.  The CDC report showed about 300 pax of the 3000 or so on the ship got sick.  Many of you may have seen the news reports on this.  Anyhow, when the ship disembarked its passengers, the whole ship went through a extensive disinfection.  This delayed boarding for several hours and delayed the crew from being able to do their turn around day work until late afternoon.  We appreciated what they did and were not upset with the delay, however, it was very taxing on the crew of the ship.  It took them a day or two to get back up to speed, so the service was a bit hit and miss.  No matter though, for after the rough start things got really good and my DW and I had a great time.  We had learned from our HAL trip that being on the Lido deck and eating at the buffet was not to our liking very much, so we ate the MDR(s) for most of our meals.  We also ate at the International Cafe for  breakfasts on port days and for periodic snacks.  @StLouisCruisers suggested it and, after trying it our the first day, we ended up loving the place.  We enjoyed the entertainment on the ship very much and we loved spending time in the Piazza area.  Our cabin was an aft-facing cabin and we loved spending time on our balcony as well.  Since we don't enjoy the crowds on the Lido deck, we loved walking around the Promenade Deck.  However, we soon discovered that Princess has designated part of the Promenade Deck as a public smoking area on these Grand class ships.  Personally we do not enjoy being around cigarette smoke, so that put a damper on our enjoyment of being able to do a full walk around of the promenade deck for we avoided the smoking part.  

 

Even though we had a great time on the Ruby Princess, we still feel that HAL may be more to our likings so we plan to keep our four upcoming cruises on HAL.  However, if the right itinerary presented itself, we would consider going on another Princess ship.  

 

 @lobsternight mentioned that their second cruise was a Western Caribbean cruise out of Galveston.  They had a great time too.  We now have that in common with each other.

 

Attached are a grew pictures of our cruise:

 

A couple of snapshots from our balcony.

 

Took the chairlift ride at Mahogany Beach in Roatan.  We walked around the beach a bit and enjoyed the sights.  

Went to the Altun Ha Mayan ruins in Belize. 

 

Went to a Mexican Fiesta in Cozumel with dance performances, a Mariachi band, and great food.  It was a lot of fun.

 

The Ruby Princess in Cozumel. 

 

Thank you for your report on the Ruby Princess.  We had an aft balcony on her when we did the 49 day trip around South America.  Unfortunately, our speeds on sea days were very fast, and the noise from the wake was extremely loud.  We could only stand to stay on deck for about 15 minutes.  Overall, we've found HAL is a better fit for us, but will take Princess for the unique itinerates.

 

3 hours ago, smitty34877 said:

Good morning. I saw purple crocuses yesterday and some daffodils so I know spring is starting here.It will be sunny and in the fifties today. DH only yesterday said that he would welcome an alien abduction. Oh my. He was not kidding. We decided that the space ship would not be able to park on our crowded streets.

i like the other two days and look forward to the recipe . We have not been to the port.

We had a rough night here and if possible I think I will go back to bed. I rarely do that as it makes my chronic insomnia worse but at this point I am beyond worrying about it. The aide arrived in the dark at seven and has been very calm and helpful.

Take care and enjoy the day.

 

Terry, I'm sorry it was a rough night last night.  I hope you and Tana can both get some rest this morning,  I'm glad the aide is there so you can try to rest.

 

2 hours ago, cruising sister said:

Good morning,

I woke up with winter and temps in the 20’s. It will peek into spring this afternoon with 50’s and wind. One thing you count on in Kansas is wind in the spring. You can’t buy a breeze in the summer when it is in the 90’s and humid. 
 

I will pass on todays food but thanks to @0106 for taking over for Debbie as she gets ready for her long awaited surgery. 
 

Thanks to @seagarsmokerfor taking us on their NS cruise. I will be on her in May and like hearing about their adventures and report on the ship. 
 

Have a great happy day everyone. 

 

Lorraine, we also get the wind in the spring, probably after it is finished with Kansas and Oklahoma.  We also get some of Oklahoma with the winds on occasion.

 

2 hours ago, dfish said:

Good morning, everyone!

 

Knowing the Meal of the Day was in Tina's @0106 expert hands, I slept in until almost 8:00 am.  I woke up at 6:10 and decided to stay in bed until 7, but that turned into 8.  It felt great!  I have a zoom meeting today and then will take DB of the knee surgery to the grocery store.  I need to go as well, so no problem there.  I'm hoping he'll use his cane instead of the walker.  

 

Wishing you all a wonderful day.

 

Debbie, I'm glad  you got to stay in bed longer this morning.  

 

2 hours ago, rafinmd said:

My recovery is exceedingly slow but I hope I am at least a little stronger and able to resume sunrises most days.  Today's is from 2014 where on March 20 Crystal Serenity docked in Mauritius.

 

 

Roy

 

Roy, thanks for the sunrise picture.  Glad you are feeling stronger even if the recovery is slow.

 

2 hours ago, RMLincoln said:

Happy Equinox!  
“It’s a Good Day to be Happy!” was a sign at the oncology radiation check in station at MD Anderson where we went for DH’s treatment in early 2020. It was such a great reminder and has made lasting impact on me. We were very blessed to be able to go there and stay for nearly 4 months, while COVID started.  So, No matter what the situation, it’s a good day to be happy!  
 

Blessings to all in need of healing, comfort or hope.  Calmness and courage to those getting ready for surgery. 
 

 Cheers for all celebrating!  Life is good!  
 

Smooth Sailing to all our cruisers!  Enjoy it all! 
Maureen 

 

Maureen, I'm glad you were treated so well at MD Anderson.  My step-mother and DFIL were both treated there.

 

1 hour ago, kochleffel said:

The Junior Cat has gone to her eternal reward. Her name was Sasha and she was 19 or 20 years old. She came to me from the Massachusetts SPCA, which had taken her from the home of a hoarder where she was terrorized by larger cats, and at first was frightened of everything. Over time she became a very happy cat, and I hope that her reward is a good one.

 

  

Paul, my condolences on the Junior Cat, Sasha, crossing the Rainbow Bridge.  🌈 🐈  I know it is hard for you to say goodbye, but be happy that you gave her a much better and happier life than she had before she became part of your family.  

 

1 hour ago, rafinmd said:

https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/varying-march-equinox-date.html

 

Roy

 

Roy, thanks for the link.

 

1 hour ago, kazu said:

 

Oh Paul, so sorry to hear about Sasha.  It is such a difficult thing to do even though it is right for our fur babies 😢 

 

So very sorry - our fur babies are such a huge part of our lives 💔 

 

 

 

 

 

Jacqui, what a beautiful sentiment.  Even though it's been 15 years since our last fur baby crossed the Rainbow Bridge, it still brought tears to my eyes.

 

50 minutes ago, GTVCRUISER said:

Greetings from San Diego 🙂 

 

Thanks for the beautiful picture of San Diego.  We never get to see it like that when we sail in and out of there.

 

20 minutes ago, durangoscots said:

The scream you heard this morning was me when I looked out the window at 6:00 and saw the snow falling. Winter will just not give up. We are supposed to have snow/rain mix the rest of the week. Dogs are not happy. Fortunately my freezer is well stocked.

 

Feeling much better and will continue laundry and clearing up today....slowly. Am not planning on going out although I need to pick up my mail at some point.

 

@dfishHope your surgery goes well. Everyone else, stay well and avoid the "It is not covid crud".  It is miserable.

 

Susan

 

 

 

Susan, and all the others who are still dealing with winter, I think Mother Nature does not look at the calendar to know when to change the seasons.  Maybe, Roy @rafinmd should send her the link about the arrival of spring.  🤣  I'm glad you are feeling much better, but please don't over do.

 

5 minutes ago, JazzyV said:

Good Monday morning and Happy First Day of Spring! Thanks for prepping @richwmn so the Fleet Report/Daily could continue while you cruise the world.

I hope no one is abducted by extraterrestrials! I'll salute a Day of Happiness and Earth Day. I like the quote. I like the meal, drink and wine (but won't pay that much).

I haven't been to Geraldton.

 

It's a sunny day, started off cold, but going into the upper 40's later. I spent most of yesterday working on computers. My old one is ready to be donated now. Still having issues with BFF's Dad's one. After I posted the care list around 6, I fell back asleep until 9:15! I don't know what that's about.

 

@StLouisCruisers Thank you for starting us up today. 

@Cruzin Terri I hope the workers get lots done in the next few days. Safe travels tomorrow to the clinic in Jacksonville.

@TAW1963 Thanks for reporting on your cruise and the great photos. 

@rafinmd Good to hear you're sleeping pretty well. And I do hope you are starting to feel stronger. Nice to see your sunrise photo!

@smitty34877 Sorry you had a rough night; prayers for you and Tana. I'm glad the aide is helpful.

@0106 Thanks for stepping in for @dfish with the daily meal. I love Indian food and have had Saag Paneer, but never made it myself.

@aliaschief Thanks for the great memes.

@kazu I know it's sticker shock these days at the grocery store. When do you see the surgeon again?

@dfish Good for you for sleeping in! 

@RMLincoln How are you two feeling? And did you have to reschedule DH's surgery?

@kochleffel Oh no, so sorry to hear about Junior Cat. I know Sasha had a good life with you. My condolences on your loss.

@durangoscots Sorry winter is hanging on where you are. Good to hear you're feeling much better. 

 

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

Be well everyone.

 

 

Vanessa, don't question what is up with going back to sleep for a few more hours, just enjoy it.

 

Lenda

[dfish]

3 hours ago, kochleffel said:

The Junior Cat has gone to her eternal reward. Her name was Sasha and she was 19 or 20 years old. She came to me from the Massachusetts SPCA, which had taken her from the home of a hoarder where she was terrorized by larger cats, and at first was frightened of everything. Over time she became a very happy cat, and I hope that her reward is a good one.

 

Paul, my sincere condolences on the loss of Sasha.  You did a wonderful thing by rescuing her and providing her with a loving home.   I'm sure that aided in a peaceful passing.  

[cunnorl]

Good Afternoon from a sunny but cool day at the beach

     Very late today. DH had an eye appointment regarding scheduling his cataract surgery. So he is all set but not until May. 
     We were in Geraldton on our last trip. Nice little town. We walked everywhere. The street leading up to the War Memorial was very steep so DD and DH went to a nearby museum while we walked up. You could see the Memorial from all over. I wanted a close up. Just beautiful and very moving. 

[grapau27]

3 hours ago, kochleffel said:

The Junior Cat has gone to her eternal reward. Her name was Sasha and she was 19 or 20 years old. She came to me from the Massachusetts SPCA, which had taken her from the home of a hoarder where she was terrorized by larger cats, and at first was frightened of everything. Over time she became a very happy cat, and I hope that her reward is a good one.

 

 

[aliaschief]

@kochleffel Paul sorry to hear about your Sasha. Always a hard thing to bear.

Bruce

[Crazy For Cats]

Good Afternoon,  a quick walk outside between meetings and I found hints of spring.

 

[Cruising-along]

Good morning and Happy First Day of Spring!  Today (and the next week) will be much cooler than the past few days and much wetter -- so happy spring to us! 😉  Ten degrees cooler than our "heat wave" of the last few days.

 

Interesting collection of days.  I'll pass on the meal and red wine, the drink might be good.  We'll be in Geraldton on the Grand Australia -- thank you Charlene @cunnorlfor the photos!  Good to know it's a walkable town.

 

Last night was "one of those nights".  I slept from 10-11:30 and then was awake for 3 hours.  😕  So I'm dragging a bit today. 

 

@TAW1963Thank you for the photos from your cruise.  We love an aft-facing cabin!  I'm glad you decided to keep HAL in your line-up of future cruises.

 

Terry @smitty34877I'm very sorry you had a rough night.  

 

Tina @0106Thank you for stepping up and posting the recipes as Debbie @dfishhas her surgery.

 

Paul @kochleffelI'm so very sorry that your Junior Cat Sasha has crossed over the Rainbow Bridge.  She was a lucky kitty to have you.

 

 

[kochleffel]

Later this morning I went to my own doctor. There was a medical student on a clinical rotation, which is always interesting because doctors tell the medical students things that they don't bother to tell their patients. My doctor is better than most in that respect, but there was still an interesting discussion of treatment options, including some that we had tried and abandoned.

 

Here are the Senior Cat in Charge (Fergus) and Sasha in, I think, 2007.