The Fleet Report and Daily for Friday February 9th, 2024

[kochleffel]

Hemingway Daiquiri

 

Ernest Hemingway became enamored of the daiquiri while spending time in Cuba. This version, created in Havana in 1921 by Constantino Ribalaigua, was named for him. It's also called the Papa Doble or the Hemingway Special.

 

It begins with the classic ingredients of rum and lime, and adds maraschino liqueur and grapefruit juice. Hemingway preferred it without sugar, but it would be quite sour and most people would like it better with simple syrup.

 

 

    2 ounces light rum

    1/2 ounce maraschino liqueur

    1/2 ounce freshly squeezed grapefruit juice

    3/4 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice

    1/4 ounce simple syrup

    Lime wheel, for garnish

 

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, pour the rum, maraschino liqueur, and grapefruit and lime juices. Add the simple syrup if desired. Shake well and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lime wheel.

[superoma]

These lovely snowdrops are popping up all over my lawn. They will be in for a rude shock after this weekend. And my hellebores have blossoms again. The first batch a few weeks back froze without blooming. Hopefully these blossoms make it.

Edited February 9 by superoma
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[ger_77]

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily!  There are a few people who bike to work in the winter in our city - we have a youngish mayor who, when he entered office a few years ago, removed a lot of parking spaces downtown and created bike lanes.  A couple of hardy citizens this year decided to sit out in lawn chairs in the cold and count the number of bikes using them in winter over the course of a week; their tally:  3.  That mayor has just announced he won't be running again - yay.  I like bagels without the lox; I prefer sweet stuff like chocolate chip bagels with peanut butter.  We haven't cut the cord, still have cable, but who knows what the future brings?

 

More snow overnight which is fine, because it means added moisture.  The streets were a mess yesterday, but the city did a great job of salting and sanding.  I did notice the huge clots of snow and muck that had accumulated under the car during the drive, and kicked them all off on the street before heading up our driveway - less mess to clean up for me and it will just melt in with all the rest on the street.  I expect our snow clearing fellow will arrive in about an hour's time to take care of what came down last night.  It's neat though, because looking outside this morning I can see that a bunny rabbit came across the front yard at some time during the night.

 

@1ANGELCATI am so sorry to hear of your friend's passing, especially so soon after her husband had.  May their souls be reunited in the stars.

 

Busy day today, getting DH over to the hospital where he'll undergo the TAVI assessment.  We had word yesterday that they wouldn't be able to do the CT scan, as they had a backlog of patients in house that would be taking up all the spots.  I don't know if they'll have another date for us when we get there today or not, we'll have to see.  At least he'll get the assessment portion done.

 

Didn't sleep well last night, hoping I wouldn't sleep in this morning, so I'm thinking maybe when we get back from the appointment that a nap will be in order.  I know I'd enjoy the drink of the day, and if someone poured me a glass of today's wine from their bottle, I'd gladly sip it slowly.  Will pass on the meal suggestion, because of course it's Friday night pizza night - yay for Pizza Day today!  After nap time we'll peruse the online menus to see what appeals to us to have delivered so we can enjoy it at the kitchen table tonight.  And wine.

 

Prayers for everyone who is in need, in pain, in grief, in turmoil.  Cheers to all with celebrations.

 

Smooth Sailing!  ☺️☺️☺️

Gerry

[Sir PMP]

Victor Hugo's house, where he wrote  'Les Miserables':

 

[quilty964]

Good morning, and happy Friday!  It's 39F here with high of 50F.  Yesterday we broke a very old record, hit 59F!  Not bad for Wisconsin! Last evening we had severe thunder storms and a tornado hit about 1.5 hours away from us, lots of damage being found this am.  First time a tornado hit in Wisconsin in February, sad for those with damage.  It's very rural there and farms/barns were damaged.  

I think we're packed and ready to go on our voyage!  

The soup sounds good, haven't been to the port, but did read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.  Sure made you think about the horrors of war. 

@StLouisCruisersPrayers for you DGD, I can't imagine the fear that attack would cause...

@JazzyVPrayers that you get relief soon from your back pain.  Thanks for all of your updates to the caring list. 

Prayers and good thoughts for all who need them, and cheers to all celebrating and traveling!  

Thanks for the caring and sharing here, the pictures today are great!  K

[travelingbums]

Thank you everyone for sharing.

 

[AroundWithMAPTravels]

44 minutes ago, kochleffel said:

Hemingway Daiquiri

 

Ernest Hemingway became enamored of the daiquiri while spending time in Cuba. This version, created in Havana in 1921 by Constantino Ribalaigua, was named for him. It's also called the Papa Doble or the Hemingway Special.

 

 

 Cheers from a bar that Hemingway no doubt drank many of these in Havana.   I do not remember if the drinks they provided were daiquiris, but they were sure refreshing on a hot day in Havana!  I would like any version of this.

[grapau27]

2 hours ago, StLouisCruisers said:

Good morning friends!  It's a little warmer today at 43F and we will experience a mostly cloudy day with a high of around 67.  We need to get some groceries and DH says he plans on pruning the crape myrtle tree since February is the best month to do that.  It grows back into a flowering tree by summer.  I woke up at 2:30 am and could not get back to sleep so may need to take a nap today after only 4 hours of sleep.  I was worrying about DGD Morgan who is still suffering from the trauma of being held up by a gun toting robber.  She is very afraid and breaks into tears easily.  Please keep her in your prayers. 🙏 My DD is also quite upset and worried about her daughter so far from home.  Morgan has only gone for therapy one time and we are all encouraging her to delve deeper into that.

 

Thank you Jacqui @kazu and Roy @rafinmd for the Fleet Report and Daily as well as the fleet location maps.  If you have a mild climate you might want to bike to work in winter.  Bagels and lox are popular with some of us.  I don't plan on cutting the cord anytime soon.  I like the quote, and the slow cooker stew sounds delicious.  No thanks on the drink or wine.  Interesting fact about Massachusetts, and I truly do remember the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show.  So exciting to a nearly 14 year old girl!  Thanks to our F&B Dept. reporters Eva @superoma, Paul @kochleffel and Ann @cat shepard.

 

Heartfelt prayers said this morning for DGD Morgan, DB, my friends Scott and Bob and their supportive spouses.  Then the people of Israel and Ukraine, the hostages held, and our troops in danger's way.  And finally my friends here on the Daily listed on the Care list and many who are not.  Prayers for lessening pain, recovery from medical procedures and for those awaiting them.  Also everyone who suffered losses and worry. 🙏 Guess that includes me now. 😢  So sorry to hear of your friend Lynda's death @1ANGELCAT.  A shocking loss after the passing of her husband so recently.  And I'm sending my congratulations to everyone celebrating happy things in their lives and for those who get to cruise right now.  🎂🚢 Thank you Vanessa @JazzyV for your fine work in managing the lists for us even with pain and little to no sleep.  We admire your perseverance and dedication.

 

The port today is St. Peter Port, Guernsey.  What a nice port of call to visit!  We have been there three times and were lucky enough to not miss it due to weather.  This was our port three times already on Dec. 30, 2021, July 8, 2022, and Oct. 31, 2023.  I'll post the links below and then retrieve photos for myself and Lenda @Quartzsite Cruiser.

 

 

 

 

Hoping everyone has a good day and don't forget it's Pizza Day as @1ANGELCAT said.  Perfect for Gerry @ger_77!!  Stay safe and keep well!  

I'm so sorry your DGD Morgan is being affected so badly by her trauma which must have been awful for her Sandi.

My prayers 🙏  her future therapy helps her.

[kochleffel]

I have bagels but no lox. If it's the phone cord that's to be cut, I still have a land line and will keep it, because mobile reception inside my house is erratic.

 

 

The chicken and bean stew would be OK. No on the drink. For the wine, Dr. Frank's Meritage 2020. I haven't been to Guernsey.

 

Today: medical appointment 30 miles away.

 

 

[RMLincoln]

It’s still pretty good weather in north New Jersey fir February, 35-53 but mostly cloudy. I’m very glad for it!  Today I will go to a meditation group on campus while DH watches the movie Too Big to Fail. Then early supper and out to a concert with the NJ Wind Symphony about half hour away- our first foray for performing arts in our new environment. The forecast for snow next week is on Tuesday, hoping Monday stays ok for getting to the eye doctor!  
 

@ger_77 very disappointing that Maurice’s CT scan was canceled. Hoping you learn something from the assessment. 

Very concerned about @marshhawk!  Annie, PLEASE go to Urgent Care!  I had a very sad call for a woman in her 40s being treated for pneumonia but not getting better, declining. Her distraught husband wanted to take her to ER but she adamantly said, Over my dead body….    He called 911 when she stopped breathing but it was too late. So sad!  We did everything we could until the paramedics got there , added their skills to our work, then had to declare her beyond help.   I sat with her husband 3 hrs until the coroner got there. Then I sat with my fire chief and had a long cry.  It didn’t have to be that way!  PLEASE get evaluated!  
 

@smitty34877 Terry, hoping you get help and Tana turns a corner, today! 🙏

 

@Jazzy Vanessa, I hope you can rest. Pain is exhausting mentally as well as physically and I’m concerned about you getting injured!  
 

Thanks @StLouisCruisers Sandi for the St Peter Port pictures…. I just finished The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society for my book group discussion. It was good but history is gruesome, I doubt I’ll read it again. Would like to visit the island, it’s unique. 
 

Blessings to all in need near and far. Cheers to those celebrating, Life is Good! 🌈 
Happy times for all our cruisers!  
Thanks all for being here, stay safe and well! 
Maureen

[marshhawk]

Good Friday Morning Dailyites! I slept pretty well last night, no coughing fits waking me up.  Yay! It's 47 degrees, and while it will be a warm weekend, it will be a wet one.  

 

Last week I wanted pizza, but as neither of us wanted to go out to eat, we ordered from the local Dominos which had been great for years, and ended up with the worst undercooked over cheesed pizza , the dough was raw, and the bottom burnt.  If Paul Hollywood had been here, he would have told us not to eat it.  We didnt.  We scraped off the cheese and pepperoni and melted it over some beans.  Not bad.  But it did break me of my urge for pizza unless its at our favorite Greek restaurant.

 

I have not read the book that @StLouisCruisersmentioned, but I have seen the movie about 10 times. A wonderful story about love on many levels.I do believe they are reshowing it on Netflix this month.

 

 

[smitty34877]

Good morning. It is already 44 and going up to the low fifties. I fear for those biking around here . It is hard enough to be a pedestrian.I like my slow cooker and it doesn’t mind being called a crack pot in this house. Bagels and lox are a favorite here. We cut the cable TV  part of the cord and saved a small fortune over the last few years.

We were in St Peter Port Guernsey on a British Isles cruise. It was a beautiful day  with bouncy tendering. I think I may have one picture that survived  my prior PC fail.

I slept last night and feel so much more human. Things are about the same for Tana. She started an antibiotic which of course has its own set of side effects. The fever did not return last night (hooray) and I have all fingers and toes crossed that this latest infection can improve.

The Beatles on Ed Sullivan! I still remember the excitement at the time. 
Have a good day today.

[Seasick Sailor]

Good morning Dailyites, 

 

Not much time this morning as I'm helping DH get ready for a doctor appt. 

 

Sandi I'm saying special prayers for you, your granddaughter, daughter, brother, and friends. These situations wear us down, so please take care of yourself. I hope your DGD seeks more help. Fear is just as physical as it is mental!

 

Continued prayers for all of our dear Daily-ites and family. Sending you love and blessings!

[kazu]

26 minutes ago, RMLincoln said:

Very concerned about @marshhawk!  Annie, PLEASE go to Urgent Care!  I had a very sad call for a woman in her 40s being treated for pneumonia but not getting better, declining. Her distraught husband wanted to take her to ER but she adamantly said, Over my dead body….    He called 911 when she stopped breathing but it was too late. So sad!  We did everything we could until the paramedics got there , added their skills to our work, then had to declare her beyond help.   I sat with her husband 3 hrs until the coroner got there. Then I sat with my fire chief and had a long cry.  It didn’t have to be that way!  PLEASE get evaluated!  

 

Wow!  A good lesson for Annie but what a very sad experience for you 😔. Bless you for supporting her husband ♥️. 

 

 

3 hours ago, StLouisCruisers said:

I was worrying about DGD Morgan who is still suffering from the trauma of being held up by a gun toting robber.  She is very afraid and breaks into tears easily.  Please keep her in your prayers. 🙏 My DD is also quite upset and worried about her daughter so far from home.  Morgan has only gone for therapy one time and we are all encouraging her to delve deeper into that.

 

Oh my!  So sorry to hear that Morgan is suffering so from that trauma.  😔. I hope she does delve deeper into therapy to help her cope 🤞 My prayers for her to get the help she needs and recover 🙏 

 

 

1 hour ago, ger_77 said:

Busy day today, getting DH over to the hospital where he'll undergo the TAVI assessment.  We had word yesterday that they wouldn't be able to do the CT scan, as they had a backlog of patients in house that would be taking up all the spots.  I don't know if they'll have another date for us when we get there today or not, we'll have to see.  At least he'll get the assessment portion done.

 

Well darn that your DH’s CT scan has to be postponed 😔. Best wishes for his assessment today.

 

 

12 minutes ago, Seasick Sailor said:

Not much time this morning as I'm helping DH get ready for a doctor appt. 

 

Best wishes for your DH’s appointment today, Joy

 

[rafinmd]

Today's sunrise is from my 2016 Crystal Symphony cruise from Buenos Aires to Miami via Antarctica.  On February 9 we were due to visit Punta Arenas but were unable to dock due to the wind:

 

 

Roy

[grapau27]

3 hours ago, StLouisCruisers said:

I'll post my photos of St. Peter Port, Guernsey now.  These were from May, 2019 on the Prinsendam.  We were also there in Sept. 2018 also on Prinsendam and May, 2015 on Royal Princess.

 

The view from the ship and tender ride.

 

The Castle Cornet, an old harbor fortress.

 

Your view as you leave the tender pier. 

 

 

Cute signs around town, but the second one needed a proofreader.  

 

You'd thiink they'd get the island name correct.

 

Taken from the lawn at Candie Gardens, our beloved Prinsendam in the distance.

 

 

There's always something blooming there.

 

 

Our journey down the hill and one of the charming streets.

 

 

 

 

Sunset on the Prinsendam that day, May 5, 2019, taken through the dining room window.

 

On prior visits we visited other places around town so I'll check for some photos from then.  I always enjoy this particular port and have been lucky to be able to tender in each visit due to decent weather.  Not always true unfortunately for some cruisers.

 

The September 14, 2018 stop at St. Peter Port on Prinsendam started out sunny but clouds arrived shortly after we got to shore.

 

From the pier we turned left and walked towards the La Valette bathing pools near the Underground Military Museum.

 

 

 

 

I'd be a little worried about bathing near those rocks, though.

 

A nice view from over here though.

 

We popped our heads into the Underground Military Museum but didn't want to spend our time underground so didn't go any farther than the entrance.

 

The people of Guernsey were under German occupation during WWII.  I've read the novel that describes the occupation twice now, and really enjoyed it.  It's called "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows.  I highly recommend it.  You'll understand the title when you get into the book.

 

 

This port is a hilly one and on this second time here we found these stairs to move up to a different street.

 

From the top looking down.

 

Someone's gate which I find unique.

 

Their view

 

Look at this private property, called Grange Court.

 

Some lovely residences.

 

Our next stop was Victoria Tower which was erected in honor of a visit by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1846.

 

 

Interesting that they let you borrow the key to go inside.

 

The cannon is one of two German WWI cannons buried as the second WW approached in 1940 so that the invading German forces would think the island wasn't fortified.  The two German cannons were excavated in 1978 and are back on display in the garden there.

 

Next we walked through the Candie Cemetery (which runs alongside the Candie Gardens). 

 

 

Back to the ship!

 

There's always lots to see here!

 

 

 

Excellent photos and descriptions Sandi.

We always go in August and tendered in No problem but other months I hear of lots of missed arrivals in to St Peter port.

[grapau27]

33 minutes ago, Seasick Sailor said:

Good morning Dailyites, 

 

Not much time this morning as I'm helping DH get ready for a doctor appt. 

 

Sandi I'm saying special prayers for you, your granddaughter, daughter, brother, and friends. These situations wear us down, so please take care of yourself. I hope your DGD seeks more help. Fear is just as physical as it is mental!

 

Continued prayers for all of our dear Daily-ites and family. Sending you love and blessings!

Best wishes for Allen at his doctor's appointment today Joy.

[RedneckBob]

2 hours ago, kochleffel said:

Hemingway Daiquiri

 

Ernest Hemingway became enamored of the daiquiri while spending time in Cuba. This version, created in Havana in 1921 by Constantino Ribalaigua, was named for him. It's also called the Papa Doble or the Hemingway Special.

 

It begins with the classic ingredients of rum and lime, and adds maraschino liqueur and grapefruit juice. Hemingway preferred it without sugar, but it would be quite sour and most people would like it better with simple syrup.

 

 

    2 ounces light rum

    1/2 ounce maraschino liqueur

    1/2 ounce freshly squeezed grapefruit juice

    3/4 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice

    1/4 ounce simple syrup

    Lime wheel, for garnish

 

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, pour the rum, maraschino liqueur, and grapefruit and lime juices. Add the simple syrup if desired. Shake well and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lime wheel.

Always have this drink when I go fishing. They call me old man and the sea! 😀

[RedneckBob]

Thanks for the Fleet Update and General Info from all contributors!

 

Like Lox and bagels day. Always have this when going through the Panama Canal; locks and bagels.

[TiogaCruiser]

Good morning all,

 

@StLouisCruisers Praying for Morgan. She might want to look for a therapist who practices EMDR. It’s a very effective treatment for trauma and tends to have positive effects rather quickly. It’s used a lot in the child abuse community. 
 

@superoma Am looking forward to trying the first recipe. Just sent it to my new printer, and AirPrint* works!

Have a great day everyone!
*(Have been without that feature since Apple released ios17, which apparently “broke” many printers. A patch is supposedly in the works…. Our remaining device with iOS 16 still works…. Have had several calls to and from Apple support, including extensive assessment and device log dumps.) So if your AirPrint feature “quit”, supposedly a fix might be on the way.

[smitty34877]

@StLouisCruisers, Sandi, I can personally vouch for EMDR therapy as @TiogaCruiser mentioned. It was extremely helpful after I had been in a situation similar to your DGD. There are a lot more people  doing it nowadays and it was pricey. Worth every penny as the anxiety and stress was hard to manage. Sending prayers and hugs to all of you. 

[Denise T]

21 minutes ago, TiogaCruiser said:

Good morning all,

 

@StLouisCruisers Praying for Morgan. She might want to look for a therapist who practices EMDR. It’s a very effective treatment for trauma and tends to have positive effects rather quickly. It’s used a lot in the child abuse community. 
 

@superoma Am looking forward to trying the first recipe. Just sent it to my new printer, and AirPrint* works!

Have a great day everyone!
*(Have been without that feature since Apple released ios17, which apparently “broke” many printers. A patch is supposedly in the works…. Our remaining device with iOS 16 still works…. Have had several calls to and from Apple support, including extensive assessment and device log dumps.) So if your AirPrint feature “quit”, supposedly a fix might be on the way.

@StLouisCruisers, as a licensed professional counselor, I agree with EMDR. It is a highly effective treatment option that uses brain science to reprocess the memories of the traumatic event. Let me know if she is interested and needs help locating a properly credentialled EMDR therapist in her area. 

[superoma]

31 minutes ago, TiogaCruiser said:

Good morning all,

 

@StLouisCruisers Praying for Morgan. She might want to look for a therapist who practices EMDR. It’s a very effective treatment for trauma and tends to have positive effects rather quickly. It’s used a lot in the child abuse community. 
 

@superoma Am looking forward to trying the first recipe. Just sent it to my new printer, and AirPrint* works!

Have a great day everyone!
*(Have been without that feature since Apple released ios17, which apparently “broke” many printers. A patch is supposedly in the works…. Our remaining device with iOS 16 still works…. Have had several calls to and from Apple support, including extensive assessment and device log dumps.) So if your AirPrint feature “quit”, supposedly a fix might be on the way.

Interesting re AirPrint. I am running 17.2 on my iPad and was having problems printing, printer queue was full. I cleared the queue and  I started troubleshooting and did all kinds of fixes, updating printer software, etc, nothing worked. I unplugged the printer, let it rest for a bit, plugged it back in and it works now. So maybe it was an issue with ios17. 

[TiogaCruiser]

33 minutes ago, superoma said:

Interesting re AirPrint. I am running 17.2 on my iPad and was having problems printing, printer queue was full. I cleared the queue and  I started troubleshooting and did all kinds of fixes, updating printer software, etc, nothing worked. I unplugged the printer, let it rest for a bit, plugged it back in and it works now. So maybe it was an issue with ios17. 

In this circumstance the device looks for but does not find any air printers. It’s not just my model series, nor Samsung /HP printers from what I am finding on the forums ( both Apple and HP), and it’s not all printers. Bluetooth and AirPlay still connect (per the senior support tech, AirPrint uses some of those protocols). They ran through a troubleshooting list that was extensive and got back asking me to remove a program that ended up not changing things.

 

Frankly, although disappointing, I was impressed with the follow up and testing. I’ll be more impressed if they (can) fix it, but perhaps there’s a security issue that the printer company(ies) need to address. 

[aliaschief]

Good morning,

I guess we crossed the International Date line as my Pad and phone are showing Saturday Feb 10. In that case the ship will be celebrating Chinese New Year today. Will have to see what they have planned. We do know they bought Chinese New Year decorations in Papeete. Super Bowl Sunday will be Monday and we will get to watch it early in the day. They are planning a big party onboard for that.

We had a nice dinner last night with 3 other couples that we have met since the beginning of the cruise. We then attended a high energy well choreographed show by the ships singers and dancers. A repeat but good enough to watch again.

For the first time WiFi is really slow this morning. We have been able to Face Time and watch movies but that is not possible this morning. Time to get up and head for the coffee machine. Very good coffee onboard.

Enjoy TGIF as it appears it never happened here. Bruce