The Fleet Report and Daily for Friday August 18th, 2023

[marshhawk]

@Mr. Boston

 

[ottahand7]

Photos from St. Thomas and food porn of that day.  Looks like a Rudi's pop up and dinner on our NS balcony for sail away from St. Thomas. It is a fun port to sail into with so much to see. 

[cunnorl]

Good Morning from a warm and breezy day at the beach

      No thunderstorms here, all north of us. We had some showers that was it.

Tropics are heating up so we will be watching the next month or so.

      Have been to St Thomas many times but it has been awhile. It used to be a quiet and peaceful place. Not so sure anymore.

    @kazu  10 years is a long time > Thank you for your commitment to CC. 

     @Mr. Boston   A very Happy Birthday to you. May you have many more.

     @dfish  Glad you are feeling better. Happy tee shirt shopping.

Not much going on today. Off to water aerobics.

 

Stay safe and enjoy today

 Charlene

 

[marshhawk]

Good Friday Morning Dailyites!  PT at ten this morning.  Back to working with Sidney.  I worked an 8 hour day yesterday.  And I have a 2.5 hour work day today.  And walk the dog.  Even though the dog's owner will be home at noon, she still wants me to walk the dog.  So its run home after the PT and walk the dog, and then make lunch, and then go to work.  I really thought a part time job, would be stress free.....????

 

I have not been to St. Thomas, it is on my bucket list so that I can go to the Pissaro gallery.

 

I see that the southwest is about to get a hurricane.  Please stay safe.

 

Today is the last "nice" cool day (90 degrees) and then next week we climb back up to 98.  If DH wasnt having eye surgery on Wednesday I would plan a night at a hotel with a pool, just to get away!

 

@kazuIvan just looks so cuddly, and the flower pictures are gorgeous.

 

@smitty34877Try milkshakes.  DH's favorite were strawberry.  They are filling, and easy to eat. 

So far DH hasnt had the loss of appetite with the infusions, but he has only had one.  Next one is on the 31st.  He will have at least 3 more before we cruise, and then one the day after we get back from our trip.  I know he is looking forward to eating his fill of pasta.  I hope the urge to eat pasta overrides the urge not to eat.

 

 

 

[GTVCRUISER]

[1ANGELCAT]

Good cool and sunny morning. It’s only going up to about 80 today and tomorrow , but then back up to around 90 on Sunday and Monday.

I have been to St Thomas many times over the years and agree it has changed so much.

Not much going on today, just the usual errands.

For @RedneckBob, yesterday I saw a woman wearing a Halloween T shirt, way too early for that.

Blessings and prayers to all on our lists.

[rafinmd]

Today's sunrise is from a 2013 Atlantic Canada cruise on MS Veendam.  On August 18 we visited Bar Harbor.

 

 

Roy

[travelingbums]

Thank you everyone for sharing.

Happy Friday.

[kochleffel]

Please don't talk to me about bad poetry. I used to teach creative writing.

 

Grilled halibut with tomatoes and hearts of palm would be fine with me, but what I am actually having this evening is haddock with ratatouille. No, no, no on the pseudotini. For the wine, I'll suggest Fulkerson Red Blend from Seneca Lake, "A smooth wine made with the Noiret grape (Developed by Cornell University) and Cabernet Franc. Aromas of white pepper, black cherry, and spice." I last had it undr its old name, Burntray.

 

I posted photos from Charlotte Amalie in July:

 

I expect to be there again in January, this time on the Anthem of the Seas, so will likely be docking at Crown Bay instead of Havensight.

 

Picking up on the cartoon I posted yesterday: Art Linkletter had a segment on his TV show called "Kids Say the Darndest Things." Some of them stemmed from Sunday School. Once a child told him that King Solomon had 700 wives and 300 porcupines.

 

 

 

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

@Mr. Boston  A very HAPPY BIRTHDAY!, hope you have many more birthdays.

 

 

 

Lenda

[ger_77]

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily!  I believe some things are serendipitous and we have a good amount of helium in an area about 200 miles from our city.  Sadly, so much is wasted on balloons that end up in lakes, rivers and farmer's fields.  Here's my contribution to bad poetry, courtesy DH:

Roses are grey,

Violets are grey,

Oh look, I'm a dog.

 

Speaking of dogs, @kazu OMG, I love Ivan's face!  He looks like an old gentleman who should be sitting in a big wing back chair with a glass of port and a pipe in the ashtray!

 

I can tell summer is winding down by the number of birds stopping by our yard.  Yesterday morning I was going to go out and check the level of water in the fountain when I discovered about 50 sparrows of different types that were in all 5 water features we have.  Several were having their baths in the fountain, while others were making do with the smaller containers, either having a drink or splashing around.  I wanted to take a picture, but knew my movements would likely send them scrambling, so I just sat out there enjoying their antics as it looked like they were playing king of the hill in the fountain.

 

It cooled off a lot overnight again, and this morning we've got grey skies and a wind - according to the forecast we might get rain, which would be nice.  Sadly the farmers don't need any rain at this point, it would have been welcome a couple of months ago instead.  I saw a video from a couple living in the south part of the province showing them tilling the crop back into the soil, as they hadn't had enough rain, and what did grow was decimated by hail and grasshoppers.  I feel so bad for them, as that is their livelihood.  I only hope they had crop insurance.

 

@Mr. Boston wishing you a very Happy Birthday with many healthy returns of the day!

@kazu thank you for your dedication to the Future Cruise Listing and the BV threads; I always look forward to seeing those who have upcoming cruises!

@smitty34877good to hear the nurse was helpful; I hope the PT person is able to be as well.

 

Not a lot happening today, have to head out to get Sochi some treats (DH always gives her a few treats in her dish when he puts her to bed), and it's time to look into booking a hotel for our February cruise.  I know prices have gone up since last year, so I'm preparing myself . . .   I will take a hard pass on the drink of the day - the idea of putting pumpkin puree in a glass and slurping it down just doesn't do it for me.  The wine, on the other hand sounds very good and I'd love a glass, please!  The only time we had halibut as a child was on Christmas Eve, and I don't remember the last time I actually prepared it.  It's Friday night pizza night at our house, so on the way back from the run for treats, we'll stop by and pick up a couple of individual pizzas we can enjoy on the deck tonight.  And wine.

 

Prayers for everyone who is in need, especially those in the fire zones, and of course, the people of Ukraine.  Cheers to all with celebrations today.

 

Smooth Sailing!  ☺️☺️☺️

Gerry

[RMLincoln]

Made it to Friday!  I don’t know where yesterday went, I didn’t get much of anything done but maybe today. I need to get working on our cruise coming up fast!  Sept 4, leaving home in just over 2 weeks. 
 

I missed posting yesterday, read the Daily very late. Have great memories of Curaçao and Blue Bay. We were there in December on Eurodam, had an exceptional cruise celebrating milestones. We visited St Thomas in March with the family cruise on Rotterdam. DGD and her DH were excited to visit there and see it as a tourist after they spent 3 months doing post-Hurricane relief work 5 or 6 years ago. Thanks for the beautiful pictures!  And I believe we have miracles every day!  
 

We have a webinar this morning with the retirement community in NJ. Yesterday I told DH that I’ve decided that is the best place we’ve seen for me, and I think for us. It’s a big decision. We have some hurdles first, most important is to stabilize his eye issues, next visit with ophthalmologist is Aug 31, 3 days before we leave for the cruise. We’ll get instructions on how to manage any pressure spikes but so far so good since last Friday’s scare.  Also in a quandary about our rework of our trust. Our lawyer was great with us on redoing our powers of attorney and health care directives but this year she’s been mostly unresponsive. After our cruise we’ll have to look for a new path. 
 

It was funny to me to read the featured meal yesterday was Olive Garden soup. We ate at Olive Garden 3 nights in a row in Poughkeepsie. We enjoy their salads, two nights we split a salad and lasagna meal. First night we each had an entree and it was just too much food. I brought home leftovers and had them our first night home, eggplant parmigiana!  A fav of mine that I don’t make just for me. 
 

Hoping that healing continues for Lou, Murphy, Chuck, Annie, Vanessa, Debbie, Terri, Susan, Ivan, all who are working through pain and unwellness. And those working through difficult tasks, may a miracle of serendipity happily strike! And for those waiting… sometimes the hardest part. 
 

Cheers to @Mr. Boston🎂 May you begin an inspiring year!  First birthday in retirement!  Yay! 
 

Excited for Karen prepping for Westerdam!  Life is good! Even when it’s tough moving forward. Inspiring. 
 

Keeping you all in my heart and prayers. Thank you @JazzyV for our Care List !  Thank you Lenda, @GTVCRUISER, @seagarsmoker, Jacqui, Roy for your pictures every day bringing beauty, fun, adventure and memories to us. Hugs to you all! 
Maureen 

 

[Nickelpenny]

Happy Friday to all!  Thanks for the daily and fleet reports.  Serendipity is wonderful, bad poetry is subjective and what a great discovery helium was.  Great quote, love halibut but the drink - that just seems wrong.  Ok wine, and I have not been to St Thomas.  Sad day for Great Britain but then every war is sad.

 

Luckily the AC was fixed easily.  I am sure the same problem was fixed a couple of years ago.  The tech told me if the compressor goes out I will get a new one.  That might be a good thing! 

 

Another day of doing nothing preparing for next week when I am subbing 3 days - HS math (for a friend) and 2 days of HS computer science.  A little worried about the hurricane coming up the coast as I have to go to CA Sunday night/Monday morning.  Humidity is high this morning (~60%) so even though it is only 78F right now, it is just yucky.  We might hit 100F today but the chance of thunderstorms is good.  I love the rain in the desert.  It just has a different smell; it is wonderful.

 

Happy Birthday @Mr. Boston  Thoughts for all those on the care list and cheers to those celebrating.

 

Have a great day everyone!

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

Good morning again from sunny and warming up fast central Texas.  It was about 83F when I took my walk, but it wasn't too bad outside with our lower humidity and a slight breeze.  That is it wasn't too warm until I reached the area without any shade and no wind because the houses and trees were blocking.  Our predicted high is 108F on the hourly listing and 110F on the daily listing on the weather app.  Either way, it will be hot.  I'll be inside the rest of the day except to go check the mailbox.

 

I do not write poetry, but if I did, it definitely would be bad poetry.  I like the idea of Serendipity Day, and Helium Discovery Day.  Until the 1990s Texas was the largest producer of helium.  The helium plant, which is now closed, was located north of Amarillo, where the natural gas fields from there to Kansas had the highest concentration of helium.  There were also natural domes in the area for storing helium.  Helium is the only natural resource that is non-renewable, and the world may run out of helium in 20-30 years.

 

I like today's quote.

 

DH would probably like today's meal as he likes halibut.  I prefer salmon.  We'll pass on the drink, but would like to taste the wine.

 

We have been to St. Thomas many times, but only once in the digital age.  I'll look for my pictures and Sandi's @StLouisCruisers  pictures in a few minutes.

 

Today marks a sad day for the British. 

 

@kazu Jacqui, happy anniversary with the Future Cruise lists and the Bon Voyage lists.  Ivan looks so good, and so relaxed after his grooming.

@smitty34877  Terri, I hope the therapist is as good as the nurse.  I also hope your DH gets his appetite back.

@dfish  Debbie, I'm glad you are almost back to 100% today.  Enjoy you day in St. John's.  

@ottahand7  Nancy, thanks for sharing your pictures of St. Thomas.

@marshhawk  Annie, that is good news that your DH has not lost his appetite.  I hope the eye infection clears up soon.

@ger_77  Gerry, I agree about wasting helium on the party balloons.  I'm sorry some of the farmers are having to plow their crops under.  Loved the story about the birds.

@Nickelpenny  Penny, I'm glad the a/c was fixed.  There is no smell like the smell of rain in the desert.  It is so fresh.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lenda

 

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

This is what Sandi, @StLouisCruisers posted on November 2, 2022, about their visit to St. Thomas.

 

I remember our first stop at Charlotte Amalie in St. Thomas, Dec. 2003.  It was only our second cruise and in those days we didn't go too far from the U.S.  We also didn't take long cruises at that time due to DH's work schedule.  On that day, we took a little tour which drove us around getting an overall look at the island.  Then we did some shopping and bought me something sparkly!

 

Ships docked at Havensight.

 

And the opposite direction at Crown Bay.  Looks like there could be a BHB docked there to me.

 

 

Our open air van driving us around the island

 

Beautiful Magens Bay

 

Next stop was St. Peter Greathouse which also had lovely views

 

 

 

Time for dinner, but enjoying the view from the balcony.  Happy to be wearing my new diamond slide pendant too!

 

Little did I know how big a part of our lives cruising would become.

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

We have been to St. Thomas many times beginning in 1987 on our first cruise.  It was on the Costa Daphne, and we arrived at the ship in San Juan on Saturday, and our luggage arrived on the ship on Monday in Martinique.  We were still hooked on cruising. 

 

We have only been to St. Thomas once since we got digital cameras.  That was in 2004 on the Golden Princess, on our older DD and DSIL's wedding cruise.  They were married by the captain on a sea day.  That is the easy way to have a wedding.  We spent the day in St Thomas with DD and DSIL looking for the perfect sapphire for DD.  And she found the one she wanted at a reasonable price.

 

I don't have too many pictures from our day in St. Thomas.  The first two are from the ship.

 

 

This one is from the shuttle into town.

 

The moon over St. Thomas

 

The most crowded we've seen St. Thomas was in December 1998 on older DD's college graduation cruise.  There were 11 ships in port that day.  The Ryndam was able to dock at Havensight, and there were ships docked at Crown Bay.  The rest were anchored in the bay, except for the Norway which had to anchor outside the bay because of her draft.  Walking down the main shopping street was a challenge since it was wall to wall people, even in the street.

 

Lenda

Edited August 18, 2023 by Quartzsite Cruiser

[Denise T]

Happy Friday! We made it. Thank you for the Daily and Fleet reports. 

Cooler today and a little less humid. Fancy and I might go to the park today. Right now, she is cuddled next to me as I work. Tomorrow Fancy and I will work in the garden. 

I will definitely try the meal of the day. I love fish. In honor of fall I will try the drink of the day. 

Happy birthday @Mr. Boston. 

Thinking of all on the care list. 

Celebrating with all who are celebrating. 

Have a safe and healthy day. 

[Mr. Boston]

Good morning everyone.  Thanks for the daily report, recipes and lists and especially for all of the birthday wishes, I’m flattered!  Nice collection of days, I believe that there is a monument in the Public Garden celebrating the first use of helium in surgery at Mass General Hospital.  I made the Olive Garden minestrone yesterday so I guess I’ll pass on today’s meal suggestion as there’s quite a bit left over.  Think I’ll pass on the drink.  I’ve been to today’s port several times and enjoyed it.  Prayers for everyone on our prayer list.  Cheers to those of you who are celebrating happy events!

[Cruzin Terri]

Good morning everyone.

Thank you to Rich for the Daily and Fleet Report. And to Vanessa, Ann, Dixie and Tina for keeping us going.

I like the quote from Harper Lee.  

I will pass on the F/B departments.  

I have been to St. Thomas a number of times, the first being back in the summer of 1972 while studying Spanish in Ponce, Puerto Rico.  A group of us went to St. Thomas for a long weekend.  At that time it was cheap and we had a great time.  Have been there a number of other times, either flying in from PR or on a cruise.  Love the shopping there. Unfortunately, I don’t have any photos to post.

 

I am still suffering from the PMR and it will probably not subside until I get the okay to increase the medication.  This is the first time that my neck is affected and it almost makes me think that I have another problem since this has been going on since I had the cold on the cruise.

 

Prayers for all who need them

@smitty34877 prayers that Lou gets some strength back.  I think Annie’s suggestion of milkshakes sounds like a good idea.

@marshhawk I hope your PT goes well and that your DH continues to tolerate his treatment.

You seem excited about your trip to Rome.  As for pasta in Rome, make sure you order Cacio e Pepe, classic Roman Pasta Dish to die for.  You will love it.  

 

Cheers to those celebrating and cruising. 

@Mr. Boston, A very HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!

 

So we got up early to be ready for the floor guy at 9 am.  At 9:45 am still no sign of him.  If you remember, he wanted to be here at 7 am and I adamantly told him that was not going to happen.

First phone call went to voice mail and a full mailbox.  Sent a text that did not get a response.  Second phone call, he picked up and said his vehicle broke down and has to be towed,  Doesn’t know when he will be able to come.  To say the least I am less than thrilled.  Time to call the Contractor again. This is an unacceptable situation.

 

So that is where we are today.  Not a very happy camper right now.  

 

Hope everyone has a good day.

God Bless,

Terri

 

[RedneckBob]

14 minutes ago, Quartzsite Cruiser said:

We have been to St. Thomas many times beginning in 1987 on our first cruise.  It was on the Costa Daphne, and we arrived at the ship in San Juan on Saturday, and our luggage arrived on the ship on Monday in Martinique.  We were still hooked on cruising. 

 

We have only been to St. Thomas once since we got digital cameras.  That was in 2004 on the Golden Princess, on our older DD and DSIL's wedding cruise.  They were married by the captain on a sea day.  That is the easy way to have a wedding.  We spent the day in St Thomas with DD and DSIL looking for the perfect sapphire for DD.  And she found the one she wanted at a reasonable price.

 

I don't have too many pictures from our day in St. Thomas.  The first two are from the ship.

 

 

This one is from the shuttle into town.

 

The moon over St. Thomas

 

The most crowded we've seen St. Thomas was in December 1998 on older DD's college graduation cruise.  There were 11 ships in port that day.  The Ryndam was able to dock at Havensight, and there were ships docked at Crown Bay.  The rest were anchored in the bay, except for the Norway which had to anchor outside the bay because of her draft.  Walking down the main shopping street was a challenge since it was wall to wall people, even in the street.

 

Lenda

MS Crystal. Very nice photos. We were first in St Thomas in November 1978 on Carnaval Festivale. What I remember is the amount of booze bought in town, especially at Riise. An hour before the ship departed this large truck would show up from Riise with at least 500 boxes of booze that passengers had bought that day.

[Cruising-along]

A quick good morning to all!

We're getting ready to drive down to Seattle to say Bon Voyage and have brunch with my cousin and her DH.  They're leaving on their first Alaska cruise this morning.  I think this is their 2nd or 3rd cruise.

 

Happy Birthday @Mr. Boston!

Jacqui @kazu  thank you for your dedication to CC for the last 10 years! 

 

I was pleased with my A1C diabetic labs yesterday, still in the "good" range and no change from 6 months ago.  No kidney function test....so I sent a message to my kidney doctor asking if she wants me to do one.  I think each doctor thought the other was doing it (?)  I know she wants it done before I see her in November, I just don't know when to have it done.

 

I hope everyone has a great day!  

[rafinmd]

Happy Birthday @Mr. Boston.  Congrats on that A1C @Cruising-along.  @Cruzin Terri I hope they get that floor fixed as soon as possible from here,  It's WAY overdue.

 

Roy

[HAL4NOW]

Whenever I think of bad poetry I remember Henry Gibson walking out from the backstage with a large flower on Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In.

“My Potato is falling Off” is one example.

A couple others are “Elements” and “A Poem” by Henry Gibson.

There are plenty of videos of his Laugh-In poems online. His facial expressions and the flower must be part of the presentation; that is why I haven’t included any of the poetic lines in this post.

[luvteaching]

Good morning, 

We are predicted to have a slightly cooler day today which I don't mind at all. Happy Birthday @Mr. Boston!

 

Yesterday I made it to Senior Day in the Park and am so glad I went. It went from 10:00 - 1:30 and had lots of vendors that cater to seniors, live music for dancing, and a sack lunch for all. One of the first vendors I stopped at was the in-home rehab people that came for several years for DH and one person manning it was his PT. We shared a hug or two and some good memories. She affirmed that I'd done all I could for him which was so gratifying to hear. The other person manning the booth had been at the house a few times and she remembered my cookie jar and DH. Next was a stop at a booth manned by the daughter of my friend that passed last month. I also stopped at the book of the Care Center DH was in until he was taken to the hospital and shared some hugs and memories with the two staffers there. I got my sack lunch, saw a friend who had lost her car keys so ran her home to get her spare set and back, then finally headed for home. 

 

Today is an appointment (I'm exploring PT for my darn sciatic nerve) and then errands - Costco, Fred Meyer, the bank, and the corn stand. 

 

Have a great Friday everyone! 

Karen

[dfish]

Good afternoon!

 

We had a great day here in St. John’s.  We managed to get to the top of Signal Hill in a cab.  The city bus no longer runs up there. Maybe a lobby by the cab drivers?  We enjoyed the views and started the walk down.  It really wasn’t too bad, especially since we stopped at the Chocolate Cafe part way down.  Sue had a coconut delight and I had a Nanaimo (?) bar.

 

Here’s the hill we started from.  

 

And we walked back to the ship.

 

 

And enjoyed the scenery along the way.