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

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

2 hours ago, Cruzin Terri said:

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

 

 

Terri, I'm sorry the PMR is still bad, and hope it is not something else since it's in a new area.  I hope you get some help getting the floors repaired/replaced.  I can't believe the floor guy did not have the decency to call and explain why he would be late and may have to reschedule.

 

2 hours ago, Cruising-along said:

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!  

 

Carolyn, enjoy your brunch with your cousin and her DH.  That is good news about your A1C numbers.

 

36 minutes ago, luvteaching said:

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

 

Karen, I'm glad you had a good day yesterday at the Senior Day in the Park.  I hope PT can help with the sciatic nerve pain.  

 

2 minutes ago, dfish said:

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Debbie, I'm glad you had a good day in St. John's, but sorry the city bus no longer goes to Signal Hill.  That was a good way to get there, and to see more of the town.  It was their version of a Ho-Ho with several stops on the one hour circuit.  It was pretty well utilized the day we took it.  You picked the correct way to walk since it was mainly downhill and then flatter streets.  Thanks for the wonderful pictures.

 

Lenda

[Ichiban Nekko]

Good Morning to all on the FR/Daily!

 

I read the Daily (almost) every day. All contributors continue to share their knowledge, make us laugh, and ensure we pause as we take in the news of challenges encountered by some. And a special shout out to the F&B ladies, the keeper of the Cares & Celebrations lists, not to mention Rich's starter Fleet Report. It really is a wonderful piece of calm our all too busy days.

 

I must be taking inspiration from the Dailyites currently on the Zuiderdam's Voyage of the Vikings with their wonderful postings and photos. This is a Wish List sailing that we have been putting off for years. Well, we aren't getting any younger (who is?), so when we saw that the summer 2025 itineraries are now on the HAL website, we contacted our PCC. Long story short: we are booked for the 2025 VOV! So excited. 

 

Today's weather promises to be very nice. For Date Night, I suspect we will toast our new booking. Yes, we do understand that it's almost two years away, LOL! The grilled steak with salad -- and wine -- will be all the more tasty.

 

Best wishes to all,

-Cat & Dave

[Cruzin Terri]

The promised return call at noon time from the flooring guy did not materialize.  Why am I not surprised! A call to the Contractor went to voice mail and no return call.  

All to make me frustrated.  

Meanwhile the floors keep getting worse and worse.

Time to make more noise.

Terri

[USN59-79]

Finally some cool weather here in the PNW.  Went from the 90s to the 70s and looks like we will have that for the next week or so.  Still no rain, though.

I went to my oncologist yesterday for my 6-month checkup for my leukemia.  Had the labs done Monday.  Every test that had been high the last two times was lower this time, such as white blood count and lymphocytes.  And the serendipitous thing was that I weighed eleven pounds less than my last checkup.  So that is some good news on health front.  The oncologist said that it is unusual for someone to improve without treatment, but it happens in about a third of the cases.

We have booked a cruise starting this February from Sydney to Taipei.  It is part of the WC on the Seabourn Sojourn, for 33 days.  After a few bad experiences on our last HAL cruise, we decided to try a different cruise line, although it is still part of the Carnival group.  The only concern now is how to get to Sydney from Seattle in reasonable comfort without paying an additional $10K for business class.  

Ray

[bennybear]

Good morning and thanks all! 
birthday wishes to @Mr. Boston

 

@kazuThanks to Jacqui for all her quality contributions to CC over the years! 

@dfish St John’s is one of my favourite places, I was fortunate to spend a week in that lovely area a few years ago, hope you got to Quidi Vidi! 

Prayers for Yellowknife as the whole city is evacuated,  military today.  Also for Kelowna which  is threatened as the fire jumped the huge lake!  Our daughter left there yesterday. 

We have been placed on water restrictions with the extreme heat, can’t even fill the fountains which the birds love.  Our smoke was over 200 yesterday, hoping for some rain! 
 

A lovely beach on St Thomas.

[jodi58]

I sure wish some of our rain could go out west.

 

When we went to bed last night my son in Kelowna said they were fine , but keeping an eye on the fire in West Kelowna.  All changed this a.m. as @bennybear stated , the fire jumped the lake.

 

My son and his wife are evacuating with the cats.  I’m waiting for updates,  all these fires are so devastating🙁

[bennybear]

A photo from Kelowna, photographer Kyle Brittain

[bennybear]

A couple more from our DSIL’s aunt

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

42 minutes ago, Ichiban Nekko said:

Good Morning to all on the FR/Daily!

 

I read the Daily (almost) every day. All contributors continue to share their knowledge, make us laugh, and ensure we pause as we take in the news of challenges encountered by some. And a special shout out to the F&B ladies, the keeper of the Cares & Celebrations lists, not to mention Rich's starter Fleet Report. It really is a wonderful piece of calm our all too busy days.

 

I must be taking inspiration from the Dailyites currently on the Zuiderdam's Voyage of the Vikings with their wonderful postings and photos. This is a Wish List sailing that we have been putting off for years. Well, we aren't getting any younger (who is?), so when we saw that the summer 2025 itineraries are now on the HAL website, we contacted our PCC. Long story short: we are booked for the 2025 VOV! So excited. 

 

Today's weather promises to be very nice. For Date Night, I suspect we will toast our new booking. Yes, we do understand that it's almost two years away, LOL! The grilled steak with salad -- and wine -- will be all the more tasty.

 

Best wishes to all,

-Cat & Dave

 

Congratulations on booking a bucket list cruise, the 2025 VOV.

 

19 minutes ago, USN59-79 said:

Finally some cool weather here in the PNW.  Went from the 90s to the 70s and looks like we will have that for the next week or so.  Still no rain, though.

I went to my oncologist yesterday for my 6-month checkup for my leukemia.  Had the labs done Monday.  Every test that had been high the last two times was lower this time, such as white blood count and lymphocytes.  And the serendipitous thing was that I weighed eleven pounds less than my last checkup.  So that is some good news on health front.  The oncologist said that it is unusual for someone to improve without treatment, but it happens in about a third of the cases.

We have booked a cruise starting this February from Sydney to Taipei.  It is part of the WC on the Seabourn Sojourn, for 33 days.  After a few bad experiences on our last HAL cruise, we decided to try a different cruise line, although it is still part of the Carnival group.  The only concern now is how to get to Sydney from Seattle in reasonable comfort without paying an additional $10K for business class.  

Ray

 

Ray, that is great news about good lab numbers and weight loss.  Congratulations on booking a cruise.

 

18 minutes ago, bennybear said:

Good morning and thanks all! 
birthday wishes to @Mr. Boston

 

@kazuThanks to Jacqui for all her quality contributions to CC over the years! 

@dfish St John’s is one of my favourite places, I was fortunate to spend a week in that lovely area a few years ago, hope you got to Quidi Vidi! 

Prayers for Yellowknife as the whole city is evacuated,  military today.  Also for Kelowna which  is threatened as the fire jumped the huge lake!  Our daughter left there yesterday. 

We have been placed on water restrictions with the extreme heat, can’t even fill the fountains which the birds love.  Our smoke was over 200 yesterday, hoping for some rain! 
 

A lovely beach on St Thomas.

 

Brenda, sorry about the water restrictions.  I hate see that another area has be be evacuated because of fire.  I'm glad your daughter left yesterday.

 

10 minutes ago, jodi58 said:

I sure wish some of our rain could go out west.

 

When we went to bed last night my son in Kelowna said they were fine , but keeping an eye on the fire in West Kelowna.  All changed this a.m. as @bennybear stated , the fire jumped the lake.

 

My son and his wife are evacuating with the cats.  I’m waiting for updates,  all these fires are so devastating🙁

 

I'm glad your son and DDIL are evacuating with the cats.  

 

7 minutes ago, bennybear said:

A photo from Kelowna, photographer Kyle Brittain

 

Brenda, all the pictures would be consider fantastic if it wasn't for the subject matter.  I hope the fire can be contained and that the town is not badly affected.

 

Lenda

[aliaschief]

13 minutes ago, USN59-79 said:

Finally some cool weather here in the PNW.  Went from the 90s to the 70s and looks like we will have that for the next week or so.  Still no rain, though.

I went to my oncologist yesterday for my 6-month checkup for my leukemia.  Had the labs done Monday.  Every test that had been high the last two times was lower this time, such as white blood count and lymphocytes.  And the serendipitous thing was that I weighed eleven pounds less than my last checkup.  So that is some good news on health front.  The oncologist said that it is unusual for someone to improve without treatment, but it happens in about a third of the cases.

We have booked a cruise starting this February from Sydney to Taipei.  It is part of the WC on the Seabourn Sojourn, for 33 days.  After a few bad experiences on our last HAL cruise, we decided to try a different cruise line, although it is still part of the Carnival group.  The only concern now is how to get to Sydney from Seattle in reasonable comfort without paying an additional $10K for business class.  

Ray

That’s good news on your health. We are booked on Seabourn Quest end of October. Montreal to Miami. It will be our first time on Seabourn. Their CC Roll Calls are pretty much non-existent. We have found it’s refreshing to experience cruising on other cruise lines.

Our flights to New Zealand/Australia we break up. Like Atlanta to West Coast spend a day or two. Last time we went to Honolulu from West Coast and overnighted a day or two. Does shorten the long haul. Bruce

[dfish]

2 hours ago, Quartzsite Cruiser said:

 

Terri, I'm sorry the PMR is still bad, and hope it is not something else since it's in a new area.  I hope you get some help getting the floors repaired/replaced.  I can't believe the floor guy did not have the decency to call and explain why he would be late and may have to reschedule.

 

 

Carolyn, enjoy your brunch with your cousin and her DH.  That is good news about your A1C numbers.

 

 

Karen, I'm glad you had a good day yesterday at the Senior Day in the Park.  I hope PT can help with the sciatic nerve pain.  

 

 

Debbie, I'm glad you had a good day in St. John's, but sorry the city bus no longer goes to Signal Hill.  That was a good way to get there, and to see more of the town.  It was their version of a Ho-Ho with several stops on the one hour circuit.  It was pretty well utilized the day we took it.  You picked the correct way to walk since it was mainly downhill and then flatter streets.  Thanks for the wonderful pictures.

 

Lenda

Maybe the bus does run.  The Ho Ho does go up there, but costs $40-50.   We elected a taxi.  
 

@bennybear We did not get to Quidi Vidi.  We were both exhausted after walking down the hill and our feet were demanding to be freed from our shoes.

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

17 minutes ago, dfish said:

Maybe the bus does run.  The Ho Ho does go up there, but costs $40-50.   We elected a taxi.  
 

@bennybear We did not get to Quidi Vidi.  We were both exhausted after walking down the hill and our feet were demanding to be freed from our shoes.

 

Debbie. that's interesting about the Ho-Ho.  We took the city bus in 2019 because the Ho-Ho that we took in 2003 was not there.  I can understand your feet wanting to be freed after all that walking.  Even downhill can be hard on knees and feet if it's really steep.

 

Lenda

[kochleffel]

The light fixture at the top of the stairs in my house is kaput. I had already planned to replace it for style reasons, but the one I want isn't in stock locally and will take several days to get. Not needed during the day, but starting around now it is. So I'll be leaving the light at the bottom of the stairs on, and carrying a flashlight.

[kazu]

9 minutes ago, kochleffel said:

The light fixture at the top of the stairs in my house is kaput. I had already planned to replace it for style reasons, but the one I want isn't in stock locally and will take several days to get. Not needed during the day, but starting around now it is. So I'll be leaving the light at the bottom of the stairs on, and carrying a flashlight.

 

Ugh.  So sorry.  That’s tricky.

 

8 hours ago, aliaschief said:

Good morning. We received news yesterday that Susan’s oldest sister husband is close to dying. It will be a Blessing as he has not been his kind and wonderful self since suffering from dementia. On a brighter note.

 

 

I am so sorry to hear the news of your BIL.  I know it may be a blessing but it is still hard and will be a sad time.  Prayers for him, Sue’s sister & you and all of your family 🙏 

 

 

[JazzyV]

Good afternoon. Thanks for the Fleet Report/Daily.

I'll skip any bad poetry, I believe in serendipity, and helium is an important gas. Excellent quote. I'll pass on the meal (fish) and drink, and take the wine. A sad day in history for the loss of life. I visited St. Thomas on my first ever cruise, on Princess, which was to celebrate my 50th birthday. Thanks to all who posted photos.

 

After thunderstorms last night, it's a lovely 72F day here, although windy. We're going down to 53 overnight! But then it will heat up again. I was up and out early today for a haircut. Then I had PT this afternoon, followed by a stop in the grocery store. Just settling down for a snack and to read the Daily. I'd thought about some yard work, but it's too late in the day. We're also battling the Spotted Lantern Flies here; we're supposed to kill any we see, as they damage crops, plants and trees.

 

@Mr. Boston Happy Birthday!

@kazu Your flowers are lovely. Thank you for your dedication to the Future Cruise Listing and Bon Voyage threads; it's a lot of work. And Ivan looks very handsome!

@smitty34877 I hope the PT visit for DH was productive, and that Lou's appetite picks up.

@dfish I'm so glad you are feeling almost 100%. Thanks for the photos from St. John's - beautiful scenery.

@aliaschief I'm sorry to hear about your BIL; dementia is so cruel. 

@Quartzsite Cruiser Thanks for posting Sandi's pictures and your own. 

@Cruzin Terri I'm sad to hear you're still in so much pain. There should be some way to contact your doctor, I'd think. You can't catch a break with the house; I'd be po'd about the floor guy not knowing when he could get there. Be the squeaky wheel!

@Cruising-along Good news on your A1C! 

@luvteaching That sounds like a memorable time at the Senior Day in the Park. 

@Ichiban Nekko Congrats on booking the 2025 VOV; I'd love to do that itinerary. 

@USN59-79 Wonderful news after your Oncology check-up. 

@jodi58 Prayers for your DS and DIL and all residents of Kelowna

@bennybear What frightening photos! I pray all stay safe.

 

Prayers for the Care List and Cheers for those Celebrating.

 

St. Thomas, VI

 

View from Paradise Point

 

Blackbeard's Castle on Government Hill

 

Megan's Bay from Mountain Top

 

 

"World Famous" Mountain Top Banana Daiquiri

 

Shopping area near the dock

 

Sunset

[1ANGELCAT]

@kazu, the Hawaii port thread by the San Diego poster has now been locked. How long till he starts a new one?

[kazu]

2 minutes ago, 1ANGELCAT said:

@kazu, the Hawaii port thread by the San Diego poster has now been locked. How long till he starts a new one?

 

Best guess - 24- 48 hours.  😂  that’s for a new thread - not necessarily Hawaii. 😉 

[Vict0riann]

Good afternoon, Dailyites, and thanks for all the news.  Eurodam is in Victoria today!  Happy Birthday, @Mr. Boston, and many happy returns of the day!

 

We were warned on the news last night to start thinking about what we might have to grab to take with us if there are fires nearby.  Scary.  And what is happening in the Okanagan and the NWT is just terrible.  
 

I will add some dahlia photos.  Mine are terribly late this year, many are just starting to bud- I think they were visited by the deer earlier, but I have now put fences around them.  But the white one has been blooming furiously since early July and is taking over the courtyard!

 

  
 

  

 

  

 

  

 

 

 

[1ANGELCAT]

@Vict0riann, Ann and Pat , please stay safe. I did not know the fires were that close to you.🙏🤞

[StLouisCruisers]

Hello everyone. We’ve had a busy day with our morning tour of Cape Spear, seeing sights in St. John’s and Signal Hill. Our guide Susan F. was outstanding!  Then we got back to the ship for lunch, curled up for a restorative nap and just watched sailing out of the narrow little opening to the harbor. No wonder we couldn’t get in here on some previous cruises when weather was bad. 
 

Thanks for doing my posting this morning Lenda. Tomorrow our tour in St, Pierre and Miquelon is in the afternoon so no problems trying to post. I just hope it isn’t planning on raining all afternoon because we have a boat tour of Sailor’s Island.  
 

Here is the new lighthouse of Cape Spear

 

the old one

 

The harbor in St. John’s with Zaandam

 

Signal Hill

 

view across harbor entrance to Fort Amherst

 

The weather was great. Wish it would continue. Time to head to Ocean Bar before dinner. 

[kazu]

26 minutes ago, Vict0riann said:

Good afternoon, Dailyites, and thanks for all the news.  Eurodam is in Victoria today!  Happy Birthday, @Mr. Boston, and many happy returns of the day!

 

We were warned on the news last night to start thinking about what we might have to grab to take with us if there are fires nearby.  Scary.  And what is happening in the Okanagan and the NWT is just terrible.  
 

I will add some dahlia photos.  Mine are terribly late this year, many are just starting to bud- I think they were visited by the deer earlier, but I have now put fences around them.  But the white one has been blooming furiously since early July and is taking over the courtyard!

 

  
 

  

 

  

 

  

 

 

 

 

Your dahlias are beautiful. Mine are not as prolific as other years - not sure if it due to rain or not but they are blooming.

OMG - I hope you don’t have to evacuate.  Safety first please.  My prayers are with you and Pat and all those affected in BC & NWT.  Horrific.

[Cruising-along]

Good afternoon,

We had a lovely brunch with my cousin and her DH before they boarded the Solstice (Celebrity) and the same ship we will be boarding 4 weeks from today!  It was fun seeing the ship right by the restaurant. I sure wanted to go with them!!   Since we'll be getting a ride to Seattle from our DD who has a morning meeting in the city that day, we'll have her drop us off at the same restaurant because it will be earlier than our 11:00 check in time.  (strangely we can pick our own boarding time, wish HAL would do that).  It's a short walk from the restaurant right onto the ship.

 

I heard back from the kidney doctor, she said I can wait on those labs until November right before I see her.  I'm curious how I'm doing, but I guess she could tell from the last tests that I'm doing better than before so she isn't worried.  

 

We stopped at Total Wine on the way home to restock, and now the afternoon is half gone.  Time to make the 2 apple pies I'm bringing tomorrow to a family gathering!

 

Ann @Vict0riann your Dahlias are lovely.

 

 

[Vict0riann]

10 minutes ago, 1ANGELCAT said:

@Vict0riann, Ann and Pat , please stay safe. I did not know the fires were that close to you.🙏🤞

 

I think there are "only!" about 6 fires on Vancouver island, with 2 out of control.  But there were four fires set by people on the Malahat (nearby) a few days ago, which were put out fairly quickly, and it seems that there are fools around who think it is fun to start them!  But on the news there was a report that this is expected to be a very bad weekend, and to be prepared for anything.  It is sooo dry.

[travelnap]

VictOriann, Your Dahlias are beautiful. Between you and Jacqui, you give us a little beauty to enjoy from time to time.  

[kochleffel]

I misunderestimated the amount of eggplant that is in an eggplant, if you know what I mean, but the ratatouille is cooking. The eggplants are a variety with skin that is nearer to cerise than purple.