Wednesday, December 20th - The Fleet Report and the Daily

[seagarsmoker]

We had a beautiful day here in DR, on the ship. Had a light breakfast (cantaloupe & muffin) and Suzi had spaghetti for lunch and I had two tacos. I know, fancy eaters.... 😀 

We will be eating in the Lido for dinner. Tomorrow night back to Canaletto's.

No other plans this evening.  We may go see the comedian and I will end up in the casino if i dont fall asleep before then. They changed the clocks back an hour last night and I've been dragging all day.

I hope everyone has a great rest of the day. 

[rafinmd]

Today's sunrise if from my 2012 cruise that was part of my nephew's wedding. On December 20 the Celebrity Summit was at St. Maarten:

 

 

Roy

Edited December 20, 2023 by rafinmd

[ottahand7]

2 hours ago, bennybear said:

Good morning and thanks all!    So appreciate all who contribute!  @summer slope please don’t apologize!  You go above and beyond every day! 
@kazu A special thanks to Jacqui for stepping in for Rich!   So nice to see all her meaningful posts,  Bon voyage threads, roll calls and contributions recognized by others.   Truly her value and quality shine.  

A wonderful acknowledgement! 

We have a little problem with off leash…..😂

 

IMG_0137.mov

We had one trotting through the back woods a week or two ago.  Probably why the raccoons and the possums have been mostly absent.   

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

Good afternoon from a lovely day in Quartzsite.  DH tested the new fuel pump on the Ranger, but right now while it is hooked up to the fuel lines, the old one is still attached to the Ranger, so my skills were not needed this morning.  Fingers crossed 🤞 that the stuck valve in the carburetor finally unstuck itself.  That would be nice if it was true.  There are a few outside chores that are easy, and I'll get them done shortly.

 

3 hours ago, dfish said:

Three cheers for @superoma Eva!  She has volunteered to take over the Meal of the Day while I am on my cruise in late January/February.  I am sure you are all elated that you will not starve during that time!  

 

@Quartzsite Cruiser Lenda, tylenol does nothing for me.  It doesn't relieve the pain, but it does send my liver enzymes into the stratosphere.  I'll just muddle through until after the surgery.  Then, the next step is follow up with Spine and Pain to see if there is something that will reduce/eliminate the need for the Aleve.   I'd rather not have to take them.

 

Debbie, that is great that Eva @superoma is willing to handle the recipe duties while you cruise.  I'm sorry that Tylenol doesn't work for you.

 

2 hours ago, ottahand7 said:

Good afternoon.  A morning of catch up.  I heard from my late DH's brother yesterday afternoon when he wished me a belated birthday.  He is 88 now and still loves in his community in Charleston, WV.   I ended up sending him a blow by blow (4 pages on Word)  of our last year with another Christmas card.   Our recycling was missed on Monday so I dealt with that and also a hidden payment for a set of Ravens tickets that sold in October.   

I am going to work on pulling the wine from the cellar to bring along on the cruise, seven bottles.  The rest of the time we will use our HIA wine.   I will get out soon. 

@dfish thanks for the lovely chicken recipes and @summer slope thanks for the cocktail and sorry about having your tooth pulled so close to Christmas.  

I had a call from my dermatology PA and the biopsy on my arm was positive and pre-melanoma.   Not yet but she says it turns into it.  I will not be able to get in when they want to schedule me in 2-3 weeks but I said first of March I will be there.   In the meantime I have the anti-cancer topical so I will use it throughout the cruise once my biopsy wound heals.   Thankfully it is on my forearm, easy to reach and missing a big hunk of skin will just be another addition to all the other scars I have.   Time to get back to work.   Nancy 

 

Nancy, I'm sorry the biopsy on your arm was positive, but not melanoma yet.  I hope the anti-cancer topical keeps things stable until after your cruise.

 

2 hours ago, sailingdutchy said:

 

 

Thank you for this picture @Crazy For Cats great to see this is a fairly old coin from during the reign of King Willem III of the Netherlands who was King from 1849 until 1890. From what I can see it was from 1872 , from about the same time " Holland Amerika Lijn " was formed ! 

 

A little bit of history about these coins 

 

The value of the coin for most countries is a very unusual amount , 2 guilders and 50 cents which can throw you off when using a few of them if you are bad in math , to pay for your purchases.  Called the " Rijksdaalder "  these coins staid in use until guilders were replaced by Euros on Jan 1st 2002 .

 

Also unusual was that these older coins during the reigns if King Willem I to Willem III had a silver content of about 94 % or about 18 grams of fine silver and if you had a few in your pocket they became weighty . Later on the silver content was dropped considerably and by 1969 silver content was removed completely .

 

T

  

 

 

Tony, thanks for information about the old Guilders that The Netherlands used until switching to the Euro.  These are the coins on the Koningsdam.  I took the picture in December 2021, and this is the best the looked.

 

2 hours ago, kochleffel said:

I shan't be going caroling, and I think that sangria is out of season. Sacagawea is always in season for remembering and honoring.

 

The meal is one that I couldn't make at home, and the drink is just an Old Fashioned made with rum. I happen to like a brandy Old Fashioned and it caused trouble every evening in the MDR on the Oosterdam. Although the bartenders knew what it was, the table servers thought that I wanted and Old Fashioned and a separate glass of brandy. For a Sauvignon Blanc I'll suggest Glenora 2021. I haven't been to Santa Catalina.

 

I'm just back from an eye exam. The doc says that the change is small but will be perceptible. The bad news is the cost of the glasses (2 pairs); the good news is no sign of glaucoma or cataracts.

 

 

 

 

Paul, I'm glad there were no signs of cataracts or glaucoma.

 

2 hours ago, marshhawk said:

From the time I posted this morning, until noon, I started a sneezing fit, and that is how I start a cold.

Could it be that I went across to walk the dog, with just my vest, and no coat?  With wet hair?  Who knows.  Colds are from germs, and DH has been feeling poorly with a runny nose for the last two days. And now I have a cold.  runny eyes, runny nose, and I am so tired!  BUT I decided to finish up the Christmas shopping after our dinner tonight,  A pre Christmas party at W-M.  My second favorite place to shop, after Dollar tree.

 

Bacon and eggs for breakfast, and a grilled cheese for lunch.  Now you know how i cook.  Gifts to wrap tomorrow night, and we did decide to put ornaments on the tree, that the cats can knock off.  WEll time to get ready to work job #2.

 

I read the book Sacagawea, loved it.  Going through some of the books that I brought home after my Dad died, I found that I had brought home the Lewis and Clark Journals.  Guess I should read them too.

 

 

 

Annie, I'm sorry you have a cold.  I hope you feel better soon.

 

1 hour ago, JazzyV said:

Good afternoon. Thanks for starting us up today @kazu Jacqui, and to @richwmn for the prep.

No caroling today for me. I don't have any sangria, but like it. I'll salute Sacagawea. Very true quote. The meal sounds good, pass on the drink and wine. I haven't been to Santa Catalina Island. LA must be celebrating today.

 

It's sunny and a bit warmer; we may get to 40F. I was able to get a few more snoozes in after waking up at 3AM; hence my posting the Cares List a bit late. Yesterday I called my insurance and it seems the doctor who does the preferred procedure is in network (yay if correct; this was an outsourced person I think). I called today to try to schedule and then had to have the request faxed, since this is the other big health system in town. And since he's the only one who does this, they're just scheduling requests from November. I have to call tomorrow to make sure they got the fax. I can be put on a cancellation list to try to get in sooner. When I'm moaning in pain, I may wish I'd picked the other procedure, which I'm sure can be done much sooner. I'll also need to get a disc with the imaging I've had.

 

BFF is out grocery shopping for his stay here over Christmas and meal preparation. This will be an adventure, lol, but sweet of him to do.

 

@seagarsmoker I'm glad the weather has improved and you're enjoying the food. Congrats on the casino wins.

@0106 Thanks for the remainder of the quote and the author. 

@Lady Hudson Enjoy your special Card Club meeting today.

@Cruzin Terri I'm sure DH's cognitive tests were interesting. I'm glad your dermatology procedure appointment got moved up! I'm glad the increased prednisone is helping, and I hope that lowering it doesn't precipitate a flare. 

@1ANGELCAT I heard about the news helicopter. Prayers for the pilot and photographer, and their families and friends. I'm glad Trouble had a good vet visit.

@kazu Prayers for you as you meet with Jose's BFF after the loss of his wife. It'll be tough, but he will so appreciate seeing you. 

@GlennG Welcome to the Daily!

@ger_77 Congrats on your casino wins! Safe travels to Calgary tomorrow. 

@smitty34877 Hugs during this difficult season. Yes, even though I have familiarity with the medical world, it's not easy. Especially as we have 2 competing large health systems here and I've always been with one, and this procedure is done by someone at the other.

@tupper10 I hope the grandkids continue to improve and can arrive tomorrow night. 

@cruising sister I'm in a Medicare Advantage plan, which is an HMO. I'm thinking to change to the PPO form, which would pay some for out of network. I've never needed to go outside the network before.

@marshhawk Congrats on the work bonuses. 

@Nickelpenny Thanks for the Avalon photos.

@RMLincoln It's nice that you have options for meals during the holidays, if you don't want to cook. Rest and recover.

@summer slope No worries! Sorry you have to have a tooth pulled. 

@Quartzsite Cruiser I continue to be impressed with your auto mechanic skills! Thanks for the photos.

@Cruising-along Nice photos from Avalon.

@superoma Thanks for taking over the meal of the day while Debbie is away!

@ottahand7 Sorry to hear about the biopsy result. 

@Vict0riann Lovely photos.

@Crazy For Cats Thanks for sharing photos from your cruise today.

 

Prayers for the Care List and a toast to those Celebrating.

 

Vanessa, I'm glad the specialist is in network, and I hope you can get scheduled soon.  My auto mechanic skills are okay for what I know, but there are some things I draw the line doing.  DH remarked yesterday about all the things I've learned to do the past couple of years.  I just hope I don't need them anytime soon.

 

1 hour ago, summer slope said:

Well, that was an ordeal.  2 hours in the chair.  My tooth wouldn't release and she had to cut and drill it out.  My jar feels like I went a round with Mohamond Ali!

 

Dixie, I'm sorry the extraction was not easy.  I've had one partial tooth drilled out.  Surprisingly, the next day, my pain was from the novacaine injection sites.  Rinsing my mouth with warm salt water helped ease that pain.  

 

Lenda

[Nickelpenny]

2 hours ago, bennybear said:

Good morning and thanks all!    So appreciate all who contribute!  @summer slope please don’t apologize!  You go above and beyond every day! 
@kazu A special thanks to Jacqui for stepping in for Rich!   So nice to see all her meaningful posts,  Bon voyage threads, roll calls and contributions recognized by others.   Truly her value and quality shine.  

A wonderful acknowledgement! 

We have a little problem with off leash…..😂

 

IMG_0137.mov

That is a nice looking wolf!!  🤓

[kazu]

5 hours ago, dfish said:

Three cheers for @superoma Eva!  She has volunteered to take over the Meal of the Day while I am on my cruise in late January/February.  I am sure you are all elated that you will not starve during that time!  

 

Wonderful 👍. Thank you SO much Eva for stepping up and helping 🙂. You are my heroine of the day.

 

 

5 hours ago, dfish said:

 

@Quartzsite Cruiser Lenda, tylenol does nothing for me.  It doesn't relieve the pain, but it does send my liver enzymes into the stratosphere.  I'll just muddle through until after the surgery.  Then, the next step is follow up with Spine and Pain to see if there is something that will reduce/eliminate the need for the Aleve.   I'd rather not have to take them.

 

Debbie - DD DH rarely wanted us to take Tylenol.  It can damage the liver.  There were a very few exceptions but whenever it was possible he preferred other OTC’s than it.  

 

 

5 hours ago, 1ANGELCAT said:

Good afternoon all . We made it to the vet, it was a struggle but all is well. Trouble is 19 pounds and on great shape. Next up is Houdini for his bloodwork.

 

Yippee 👍.   I remember all too well those struggles (especially with 5 😂)

Happy to hear that Trouble is in A-1 condition 👍 

 

 

4 hours ago, ottahand7 said:

I had a call from my dermatology PA and the biopsy on my arm was positive and pre-melanoma.   Not yet but she says it turns into it.  I will not be able to get in when they want to schedule me in 2-3 weeks but I said first of March I will be there.   In the meantime I have the anti-cancer topical so I will use it throughout the cruise once my biopsy wound heals.   Thankfully it is on my forearm, easy to reach and missing a big hunk of skin will just be another addition to all the other scars I have.   Time to get back to work.   Nancy 

 

So sorry to hear the positive result, Nancy 😔.  You have an absolutely amazing attitude.  I admire you and hope all goes well 🙏 

 

 

3 hours ago, marshhawk said:

From the time I posted this morning, until noon, I started a sneezing fit, and that is how I start a cold.

 

Oh darn, Annie.  😔. Please take care of yourself so you can beat the darned thing.

 

 

 

2 hours ago, summer slope said:

Well, that was an ordeal.  2 hours in the chair.  My tooth wouldn't release and she had to cut and drill it out.  My jar feels like I went a round with Mohamond Ali!

 

I think ordeal is a bit of an understatement.  

 

It sounds awful.  So sorry about your jaw, Dixie 😔. 

 

I am sure you heard all the stuff to do - ice packs, NSAID’s, etc.  Please do them and I so hope they help and you fell better tomorrow 🤞 

 

 

1 hour ago, Nickelpenny said:

That is a nice looking wolf!!  🤓

 

Unless you meet one that is a hybrid.  I will spare you my scary story. 😱 

[bennybear]

1 hour ago, Nickelpenny said:

That is a nice looking wolf!!  🤓

It’s actually just a healthy coyote.   But they have attacked dogs and people.  They seem to have lost their fear.   I’ve only see a very few wolves, but not in the city.

 

@kazu yikes on the hybrid!   I’m sure a relative had one! 

Edited December 20, 2023 by bennybear

[cat shepard]

5 hours ago, dfish said:

Three cheers for @superoma Eva!  She has volunteered to take over the Meal of the Day while I am on my cruise in late January/February.  I am sure you are all elated that you will not starve during that time!  

 

@Quartzsite Cruiser Lenda, tylenol does nothing for me.  It doesn't relieve the pain, but it does send my liver enzymes into the stratosphere.  I'll just muddle through until after the surgery.  Then, the next step is follow up with Spine and Pain to see if there is something that will reduce/eliminate the need for the Aleve.   I'd rather not have to take them.

@superoma

Thank you Eva! 

[richwmn]

I am safely in San Diego, and settled in until Friday noon. I'm not sure what I will do tomorrow, but I'm glad I got here now.

 

[cat shepard]

3 hours ago, summer slope said:

Well, that was an ordeal.  2 hours in the chair.  My tooth wouldn't release and she had to cut and drill it out.  My jar feels like I went a round with Mohamond Ali!

Sorry to read this, Dixie! Does this justify lots of ice cream?

[kazu]

8 minutes ago, bennybear said:

It’s actually just a healthy coyote.   But they have attacked dogs and people.  They seem to have lost their fear.   I’ve only see a very few wolves, but not in the city.

 

@kazu yikes on the hybrid!   I’m sure a relative had one! 

 

It nearly sounds like a hybrid.

Long story short - walking my 3 dogs (Maverick, Kazu & little Fox) on the nature trail and Maverick started growling.  He never growled and his hackles went up.  I saw nothing and then I saw it.

It was heading for us and I’m sure it had its eye on little Fox (she was only 35 pounds).  Mav let out a bark I never hear before and Kazu moved in front of me with Mav on the other side.  both of them had teeth bared, growling and hackles up - 200+ pounds of trouble and the thing kept after us.   Mav let out another bark I never heard and Fox got behind me.  I struggled with do I Iet the two big dogs go and run with Fox and said no to myself - not unless we have to.

 

We backed out of the Nature trail for about 2 kms (1.5 miles) with Fox behind me and the two big boys in front until we hit our street and then the coyote took off.  I have no idea how I didn’t trip over the leashes.

 

I ran to every house on the way home with children that I knew played on the trail and told them to stay off and then called DND.  This thing was scared of nothing.

 

A day later it ripped the face off a woman who snatched her small puppy to save it from it’s attack.

 

Hybrids have no fear and are very dangerous.  I haven’t walked a dog on the Nature Trail since.

[rafinmd]

@kazu how does your weather look for the next couple of days?  Have you heard that MSC Meraviglia is headed your way tomorrow.  A heck of a change from the Bahamas they were expecting out of New York.

 

Roy

[kazu]

10 minutes ago, rafinmd said:

@kazu how does your weather look for the next couple of days?  Have you heard that MSC Meraviglia is headed your way tomorrow.  A heck of a change from the Bahamas they were expecting out of New York.

 

Roy

 

Thanks Roy.  I just got home a short while ago and no I hadn’t heard this.  Must go check.

 

this is a very unusual time for a cruise ship to arrive and not sure what the people on board will do but the market is beautiful right now with some very unique Xmas gifts.  

they will need coats though - all the “feels like” varies from -5 to -12 (Celsius).  that’s below freezing in Fahrenheit. Snow boots are not needed.  The storms took away all of our snow.

 

Must go see what I can find.

[summer slope]

58 minutes ago, cat shepard said:

Sorry to read this, Dixie! Does this justify lots of ice cream?

Absolutely 

[bennybear]

55 minutes ago, summer slope said:

Absolutely 

I’m so sorry for your ordeal!  Yes to the ice cream! 

[Cruzin Terri]

Well, DH had his cognitive test today.  As expected, I was not permitted to accompany him in the room so I have no idea what transpired in there.  He said there were mostly yes and no answers to the questions.  What the questions were, I will never know.  Or at least not now.

 

Now the waiting game.  The appointment is January 11.  We will see what the Doc tells us then.

Keeping my fingers crossed and praying a lot.  Also trying not to lose my patience.

Terri

[Sharon in AZ]

I posted this back on July 21, 2022, which happened to be Craig's Birthday and official retirement.  We had lots of discussions that day, most importantly our junk drawers!  We went to Avalon on the Koningsdam October 2021.  Our first Pinnacle Class ship and not our last, just love The Grand Dutch Cafe, Club Orange, and the Deli!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

I have been to Avalon, Catalina twice. Most recently this past October on the Koningsdam, Jane @lazey1, Maxine & DH @AncientWanderer, Linda @lindalerwere also on that cruise. Linda arranged for Seth Wayne to join our M&G, he was very entertaining and has quite a history with cruising. (Sad he’s no longer with HAL.). We just walked around the waterfront area and had lunch. It was a very enjoyable day. I went to look at the pictures I took and Craig must have taken them because I only have our food. 
Calamari and Sand Dabs. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

Tonight we decided to drive into town, get a couple of Whopper Jrs. on special with an order of fries, and then drive around an look at Christmas lights.  It didn't quite go as planned.  Burger King, which is know to have problems, did not have any burgers, only chicken products.  Plan B, was Mickey D's which is known to be over priced.  Their special was buy one McDouble and get the second for $1.  The second one was the only bargain.  The two burgers with a large fries were $13.14.  That might explain why there wee very few people there.  At least, I didn't have to cook tonight.

 

The Christmas lights in town were also disappointing, with very few houses having lights.  The three houses that compete with Clark Griswald had their big displays.   Otherwise, it was like the Grinch had stolen Christmas in Quartzsite.  We drove around our neighborhood, which is out-of-town about six miles from town.  There were still a lot of houses without lights, but there were still more with lights here than in town.  We also have some Clark Griswald wannabes.  I think next year, we'll stick to our own backyard. 

 

5 hours ago, kazu said:

 

It nearly sounds like a hybrid.

Long story short - walking my 3 dogs (Maverick, Kazu & little Fox) on the nature trail and Maverick started growling.  He never growled and his hackles went up.  I saw nothing and then I saw it.

It was heading for us and I’m sure it had its eye on little Fox (she was only 35 pounds).  Mav let out a bark I never hear before and Kazu moved in front of me with Mav on the other side.  both of them had teeth bared, growling and hackles up - 200+ pounds of trouble and the thing kept after us.   Mav let out another bark I never heard and Fox got behind me.  I struggled with do I Iet the two big dogs go and run with Fox and said no to myself - not unless we have to.

 

We backed out of the Nature trail for about 2 kms (1.5 miles) with Fox behind me and the two big boys in front until we hit our street and then the coyote took off.  I have no idea how I didn’t trip over the leashes.

 

I ran to every house on the way home with children that I knew played on the trail and told them to stay off and then called DND.  This thing was scared of nothing.

 

A day later it ripped the face off a woman who snatched her small puppy to save it from it’s attack.

 

Hybrids have no fear and are very dangerous.  I haven’t walked a dog on the Nature Trail since.

 

Jacqui, I'm glad you and the dogs got away from the hybrid safely, but that is sad about the woman being attacked the next day.  Out here, we have coyotes to contend with, and since we've been in severe drought for several years, there are not enough little critters to keep them fed.  We have seen coyotes roaming our neighbor hood even in broad daylight.  We learned early on that from just before dusk until after dawn, to be outside with the dogs.  Even in the daylight we were very careful with the dogs outside.  The situation has gotten much worse in the past few years.  There are stories of coyotes jumping the fence to snatch little dogs from the yards.  It is not hard for a coyote to jump our fences, and I've seen one do that. 

 

It doesn't help that people camping in the desert feel sorry for the skinny coyotes and set food out for them.  What the don't realize is the coyotes become dependent on the food, and after the winter visitors leave, the coyotes look to houses here and in town for food.  I can't say what I think about those people or else I'd be in trouble.

 

Lenda

[grapau27]

Good morning.

It is 53°F here but extremely windy with guests 60-80 MPH.

I hope everyone is well.