The Fleet Report and Daily for Friday December 29th, 2023

[StLouisCruisers]

4 minutes ago, smitty34877 said:

Good morning to all. It continues to be cloudy and rainy at times. The weather person said it may stop by the afternoon. It will go up to 57!
Sometimes I feel as if every day is a Tick Tok day. Someone can have my soup and I have not been to the port. My DS lived in Texas for a few years as a teacher and  learned a lot about the history. It is where he met his DW and we are always grateful for Teach For America for that good fortune.

@dfish, Debbie, I hope all goes well and that you can enjoy your soup this afternoon. No lifting please!

@seagarsmoker, sorry to hear of your illness and hope you are better soon.

@StLouisCruisers, Sandi, the pictures are great and it must have been so much fun!

I am making a smaller version of the Swedish Christmas Eve menu for the family here and started the traditional rice pudding dessert in the crack pot. We will have meatballs in gravy with scalloped potatoes and pickled cucumbers. DS sent me home with cookies for the group and we will have appetizers of shrimp and herring. The teenager invited his girlfriend and she accepted the invitation but told me she does not eat herring! It should be fun.

 

 

Sorry I missed your post coming in while I was posting.  Thanks for your comments.  Yes, it was 24/7 fun that cruise!

[aliaschief]

Good  morning! Brr! 36 degrees this morning. Only a few more days of cold weather and then it will be a warm winter. Other than one bag awaiting toiletry kits all bags are packed and at front door.

I have recovered from whatever and now it’s just laying low and awaiting our flight Wednesday.

We have three live Maine lobsters reserved for New Years Eve. We watched Indiana Jones newest sequel last night and it was so so.

The last Friday of the year. It went by fast.

Thanks to all who make the Daily special.

Bruce

 

 

[Denise T]

Happy Friday. Thanks for the Daily and Fleet reports. 

The sun has come out today! The ground is very soggy from all of the rain. The birds are singing though, and this makes me very happy. 

I am considering goals for the new year. One goal that I have is to focus on myself and learn to take time for me. I work too hard and tend to overdo it at times. I want more time in my life to enjoy the things that I like. Come January, I will be counting down to my next cruise in October. 

Thinking of all on the care list. 

Loved the picture of Baby Murphy. 

Celebrating with all who are celebrating. 

Have a safe and healthy day. 

[Nickelpenny]

Good morning. I will have to check back after we transit the Canal!!😁

[marshhawk]

Good Friday Morning Dailyites!  37  and cloudy today, whispers of snow in the upper part of the state, but not here.  @smitty34877 its warmer in New York than the southlands. Oh my, now the computer says High Winds Soon!

 

DH and I have 4 days off in a row!  I need to pay a bill in person, I need to stop by the vets with a gift, I need to mail my BFF his Christmas present, and I need to walk the dog.  We are going to get together with our friends tomorrow for a late lunch, and on Sunday I will be making New Jersey Sloppy Joes. This is the rye bread, meat, coleslaw swiss cheese with thousand island dressing sandwich.  On Monday I will make pastrami Ruebens..  As I will have rye bread and thousand island dressing.

 

My mom said that if you do something on New Years Day, you will do it all year.  There is some truth to that, I usually do laundry on New Years Day, and I do laundry all year.  I don't clean the house on New Years Day, and that also effects how I treat the house throughout the year.  We do go for a walk on New Years Day.  I am hoping that we can do that this year, as we both have become couch or chair potatoes being at work every day.

 

Now the computer says Morning Brief...politicians, that must be what will be making the High Winds soon!

 

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!  

@seagarsmokerSorry about the flu. get well soon!

[travelingbums]

Thank you everyone for sharing.

Have a wonderful day.

[rafinmd]

Thank you Rich, Jacqui, Vanessa, Dixie, Ann, and Tina for the TGIF report.  Wishing the best today for @dfish and @seagarsmoker.  Great photo of Baby Murphy.  Mongolia is a great country I greatly enjoyed visiting in  2003.  Way too much to do by the end of the day Sunday.  I'll pass on the pepperpot.

 

I like the quote.I love Joplin's music and congratulations to Texas.

 

While I have been through the Strait of Malacca I never knew there was a town associated with it.  According to cruisetimetables I don't see any future BHB visits there.

 

I'll pass on the meal.  My alternative is Chilled Coconut Nutmeg Soup and Oven Roasted Chicken as served on MS Ryndam December 29, 2014.

 

Very late to the party today after my final trip of 2023 to Wegmans.

 

Roy

 

 

[Crazy For Cats]

Good Morning Everyone, thanks for the daily fleet report. It’s another warm wet day here in MA.  It promises to be a quiet work day.  This morning I put away the Christmas decorations and cleaned up the dining room.  

@dfish I hope everything goes well today.

@seagarsmoker I hope you feel better soon.

@Denise T my New Year’s Eve plans are very similar except that there will be wine🥂

@aliaschief we watched the latest Indiana Jones movie on the Rotterdam and were happy we didn’t spend any money to see it.

Wishing everyone a nice day.
 

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

2 hours ago, dfish said:

Good morning, everyone!

 

I am up and ready to roll.  I'm leaving in a bit to pick up DS Mary Jo and head to the hospital.  I hope to be home mid afternoon for a nice cup of coffee and a bowl of the turkey soup I made on Wednesday.

 

 

Thank you and thank @StLouisCruisers Sandi for the well wishes this morning.  

Wishing you all a wonderful day!

 

 

 Debbie, thinking of you as you head to the hospital.  Good thoughts for a successful surgery and a quick, uneventful recovery.  I hope you are home and enjoying your coffee by mid-afternoon.  ((((HUGS))))

 

Lenda

[summer slope]

Got DD and DGS all packed up and up to the airport.  Too short a viisi.

 

Slowpoke Shandy cocktail:

 

Ingredients
2 parts Cruzan® Single Barrel Rum
1/2 part Lime Juice
1/4 part Ginger Syrup
1 Wheat Beer

Instructions
Combine rum, lime and ginger syrup in a pint glass and slowly pour half of the beer into the glass. Add a few ice cubes and finish pouring the beer.

 

[RMLincoln]

Prayers for Amazing for @dfish Debbie and the Care Team including Sue!  
 

Sad that @seagarsmoker picked up a flu virus!  Never fun. Hopefully you can rest and recover quickly. 
 

Waiting for word today that our condo in Maryland becomes someone else’s happy home!  
 

I had a restless night… too funny that even with a motorized adjustable bed and a boatload of different kinds of pillows I just could not get comfortable!  
 

We have a call time this evening with the honeymooners who returned recently. And older grandkids are coming for a visit and dinner Sunday!  I’m excited!  Seems like a long recovery since the Texas wedding trip!  So glad to be closer to them here. Such an unexpected turn of life!  
 

Wonderful pictures Sandi!  So glad you decided to bring them to us!  
 

Blessings to all in need!  Give yourself a loving hug!  We can all use one of those!  
Good results for all procedures and tests!  
Happy celebrations to those with milestones of life’s journey!  (We have one coming up next week…. 🤫)
Happy prepping if you’re about to embark on an adventure!  
Smooth travels to all away. And get home OK. 

Think Safety first if you’re weathering a storm. 
But most of all… Thanks all for being here. Today is a good day to be happy!  
Maureen 
 

[puppycanducruise]

@seagarsmoker Hope you feel better soon.

 

@cruising sister Thank you for the picture of darling little Murphy.  Prayers for her.

[rafinmd]

I have a sunset today rather than a sunrise and it isn't one I took.  I was on MS Ryndam on a New Years cruise in 2014 and we visited Key West on December 29.  As we left Cruise Critic member @Scrapnana took this shot of the sunset with my ship leaving the harbor:

 

 

Roy

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Thanks for the info.

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

Good morning from a beautiful sunny day in Quartzsite.  At least, it is sunny looking north out the window.  However, there are heavy clouds to the west and south.  It was 39F when I got up and is now 40F.   The weather app says it will be partly sunny with a high of 67F.  Yesterday was so nice that I continued to play hooky instead of getting the sheets on the bed in the motorhome.  I took my book outside and enjoyed a peaceful hour reading.  I guess that means, I'll be doing chores in the motorhome today.

 

Three interesting days.  Mongolia, I'm sure, is celebrating their independence today.  Someone else can have my pepper pot today.  I think we have finished all that needs to be done by the end of the year.  We even got an email reminder from our bank yesterday that all financial business needed to be done by the end of the year had to be done by close of business today.  Anything after that time won't be posted until January 2.

 

The Nicholas Sparks quote has a nice sentiment.

 

We'll pass on the meal since we'll be having chicken fajitas tonight.  We also pass on the drink.  Another interesting sound red that I'd like to try.

 

We have not been to Malacca, Malaysia, either, so no pictures to share today.

 

On behave of Texas, I'll accept the congratulations on the anniversary of joining the union.  It is not a big day for celebration in the state since many think Texas should have remained a republic.  The big days in Texas history are March 2, Texas Independence Day, March 6, the fall of the Alamo and April 21, the day of the Battle of San Jacinto where Texas won their independence from Mexico.

 

I'm glad Scott Joplin copyrighted "The Entertainer" and other ragtime songs.  I've always loved his music.

 

@seagarsmoker  I'm sorry you got the flu on your cruise.  I hope you feel better soon.

@grapau27  Graham, thank you for the explanations of all the days today.  You and your phone are a wealth of information.

@StLouisCruisers   Sandi, thanks for more wonderful pictures from Antarctica.  An expedition type cruise there is on the bucket list.  🤞

@kazu  Jacqui, I hope the rain did not wash the ice preventative off the driveway.

@smitty34877  Terri, I'm glad the teenager feels comfortable inviting his girlfriend to dinner.  BTW, I'm with the girlfriend when it comes to herring.  Out of curiosity, where did your DS live in Texas?

@cruising sister  Lorraine, thank you for sharing the Christmas picture of Murphy.  She is another of the Daily miracle babies.

@Cruzin Terri  Terri, I hope you can make it to Australia.  It and New Zealand are wonderful places to visit.

@Nickelpenny  Pennie, enjoy the Canal transit.

@marshhawk  Annie, I hope both of you enjoy your four days off.  You both deserve some down time and some free time.

@rafinmd  Roy, no matter who took the picture of the sunset, it is outstanding.

@aliaschiefBruce, I'm glad you are over whatever you had.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lenda

 

[Lady Hudson]

2 hours ago, cruising sister said:

Good morning,

It has been cold here and I have to stop myself from packing warm clothes. I keep telling myself I will be sweating and complaining about the heat in a few weeks. 
 

Jacqui, I had a dog who always had to have something in her mouth when greeting people. She would panic and pick up anything. It was comical what she came up with. 
 

I have a Christmas picture of Murphy. She is making slow strides. She is one lucky baby to have such dedicated parents.  Prayers for Debbie and her surgery. Have a great day!

Love this picture!! Thank you.

[rafinmd]

In the absence of Malacca photos today here are a few from my 2003 visit to Mongolia.  It was on the train from Moscow to Beijing.

 

 

 

 

 

I stayed overnight in this Yurt:

 

 

 

 

The train station in the Capitol Ulaan Bator:

 

And my compartment.  The cars were not sand tight and the crew stuffed towels in the window to keep the sand to a minimum:

Roy

[smitty34877]

@Quartzsite Cruiser, Lenda, they lived in Donna Texas, we flew into Mc Allen to visit. They took us to South Padre Island and it was just so beautiful. 
It was April and I remember just being so incredibly hot when outside. My son was teaching eighth grade science  and my daughter in law taught fourth grade. They loved Texas and visit often.

I have to admit I was thrilled when they moved back to the east coast for graduate school( son) and medical school respectively. They even lived in NYC during DDIL’s residency.

[kazu]

3 hours ago, cruising sister said:

 

Wonderful pic 🙂. thanks so much for sharing with us 😄 

[Nickelpenny]

Good morning to all and thanks @kazu Jacqui for the daily and fleet report. We are presently sitting in Gatun Lake offloading the excursions. Beautiful day with less humidity ( less than 90%!) and partially cloudy skies and a smattering of sprinkles.

 

Got up early to be ready at 0600 to start the Panama Canal crossing. What a lovely time it was. I did do the “swim across the Panama Canal “ in the SeaView pool and will receive a certificate for my endeavor. 
 

Had a Panama roll with my morning coffee - delicious. We will be returning through the Gatun locks in a couple of hours; we are about an hour and a half behind schedule. No excursion for me as I hopefully will do a full transit next year. 
 

Had to take some pain relievers after yesterday but feeling okay in preparation for my excursion tomorrow. 
 

BTW the Arizona Wildcats beat Oklahoma yesterday in the Alamo Bowl 🥰 and I was able to watch the last quarter on the ships tv!  Go Cats!!

 

@dfishi hope all goes well today. @seagarsmokeri am so sorry you came down with the flu!

Baby Murphy looks wonderful!

 

Thoughts for those on the care list and cheers to to celebrating. 
 

Have a fantastic day everyone!

 

 

[Cruising-along]

Good morning all!

Our high today will be 62 -- unbelievable for late December!  Then back down to the 50's then 40's and more rain.

 

Interesting collection of days, I'll pass on the meal, drink and red wine.  Tonight will be meatloaf, baked potatoes and carrots.  Making my way through the freezer, it should be almost empty by Monday. Other than having to get more milk, we've done well on emptying the fridge and freezer! 

We haven't been to this port.

 

Today is clean the kitchen day, the last room to clean and then the house will be as good as it will be until we return in April.  Tomorrow is a last laundry and pack last minute items.  

 

Thinking of you, Debbie @dfish.  Prayers for a successful surgery and swift recovery.

@seagarsmoker So sorry to hear that you came home from your cruise with the flu!

Lorraine @cruising sister Thank you for sharing the photo of Baby Murphy.  She's truly a miracle baby. 🙂  

 

 

[Vict0riann]

Good morning, Dailyites!  Am I the only one who has visited Malacca?  (On Volendam, in 2014 - 10 years ago!)  We had 28 days in the Far East with DD, and Pat's DS and DBIL.  It was an adventure.

 

 

Transportation - but mainly we just walked around.

 

DD found a tree to hug

 

 

 

It was all very colourful, preparing for New Year celebrations.  Very hot!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Norseh2o]

Traveling to AZ to finish a wonderful December. We finished our TA Barcelona-Miami on 12/3/23,  then a week in Seattle (rained all day, every day), home for a day then 10 days in Hawaii (it rained all but 3 hours-we played 9 holes of golf during the brief sunshine ⛳️). Home for Christmas, we spent a quiet weekend in Southern California with family and friends. 

A shout out to all who take care of us while we have time off and holidays, especially the hospice caregivers who took care of DM on 12/24 & 12/25 as she was ‘under the weather’. Looking forward  to one more visit (and 2024!) with DM.

Thank you for all of the posts & pictures. Happy New Year! 

[Niagarawine]

Good morning to all on the list. Prayers to all who are sick or needing surgery and treatment. It finally stoped raining here and is colder and sunny. 
thanks to all who post photos and cartoons. They make my day.. love seeing the Panama canal and am thinking of this trip. I see Holland has less cruises including it so we see. 
do you think Alaska is doable with a mobility scooter? Looking at Koningsdam in May but it looks pretty intensive walking.I want to take don train in Skagway. We had this cruise booked a few years ago when Covid hit. 
prime rib with Yorkshire pudding and trifle is planned for this weekend.

[Haljo1935]

Overnighted in Hilo due to canceled port yesterday. Yesterday was partly ⛅ with rain forecasted for today. Sometimes, the forecast is correct.

Bow Cam view

Aft Cam view

Port change notice (received approx 12 - 14 hours after the original port was canceled)

 

Prayers and positive thoughts for all.