The Fleet Report and Daily for Friday July 5th, 2024

[Nickelpenny]

Good morning to all and thanks for the daily and fleet report.  As wearing a thong is like having a "wedgy", I will consider it to be footwear and will celebrate that.  I HATE SquarePantsSpongeBob (he was my grandson's favorite character and I would always call the thing this way) so no "cheers" for that day and I do like fried chicken.  No to all the comestibles, and never been to Newfoundland.  Great day in history (science!!). 

 

 

Our "cooler" temps are leaving us for at least the weekend and the forecast has 110F and higher with no prediction for thunderstorms until Monday at 2000.  I hate fireworks and there were some really close to me that had me using earphones to watch a movie on my computer.  But it didn't really last long, which I was grateful for.  My cooking came out wonderfully and I am very pleased that it was all done by 1530 (the plan worked!!).  Both attempts at the hamburger buns were a success so my "all homemade" meal was delicious.  I will have food for days and over half was placed in the freezer.

 

 

 

I do still have some cleanup to do but this weekend will have not much planned.  I wish I could go over to Cali to the beach but not allowed yet.  Oh, well!

 

 

@kazu I am glad you made a decision you are happy with; many, many people find that decision hard.  I hope you get some relief from worry now that is made.  Now just get the surgery scheduled!!  <<Hugs>>

@Cruising-along your flowers you posted yesterday - OMG, they are beautiful!!

@dfish Addie is a cutie!!

@smitty34877 I have been meaning to tell you I admire your dedication in caring for Tana.  I know it is hard and you are doing a remarkable thing.  I hope you can give yourself some slack when you feel down.  I commend you!

 

Thanks to those who post pictures of the ports (I really liked the little monkeys at Gibraltar and look forward to seeing it next year!!).

 

 

Thoughts for all and cheers to those celebrating.  Have a great Friday!

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

Good morning just barely.  The clouds are building, and the radar shows rain north of us with storms developing in our area later and lasting until sometime tomorrow morning.  However, the predicted rain is not until 6pm, but we'll take it whenever we can get it.  It is 92F and feels like 102F, so I'm glad I'm inside today.  The radar also shows we are in the path of Beryl, which is predicted to be a category 1 storms when it reaches landfall in Brownsville.  By the time it reaches Austin and then our area, probably Monday afternoon, it should mainly thunderstorms with winds 10 to 15 mph.

 

The more I thought about fried chicken this morning, more I wanted some.  Fried chicken from the air fryer, deviled eggs and banana salad will be on the menu tonight.  I figured the leftovers could wait another day.

 

Just in case anyone is interested, flip flops have always been the rubber or plastic sandal that make a noise when walking, and thongs are the regular sandals with the strap between the toes.

 

This morning I got a text supposedly from USPS about a package that was at a transit center, but they needed more information about the address.  There were many red flags, one of which is the USPS does not have my cell phone number; two, the link was an web address in Canada not USPS.com; and three, the country code for the text was the Philippines.  I also know from experience, that if USPS can't deliver something as addressed, they send it back.  So please be careful if you get a text about a package with an incomplete address.

 

3 hours ago, StLouisCruisers said:

Lenda @Quartzsite Cruiser the flyer they sent out explained why we had to clear immigration here.  They chose to set it up this way instead of during our two days in Reykjavik. 

 

"We will be exiting the Schengen Area via Iceland (Greenland is not part of Schengen).  For your convenience we opted to conduct the immigration inspection during departure from Isafjordur to evade doing it upon arrival in Reykjavik.  This will save valuable time in the morning and offer you more flexibility in your planning."

 

It turned out to be more than just an inconvenience for everybody.  🤬

 

Sandi, thanks for the information about why you had to go through immigration.  Things must have changed since we were in Europe before 2020.  We've sailed from Greenland to Iceland, and from Iceland to Greenland back to Iceland, and never had to see an immigration official.  I hope they learned a lesson and will do it better in the future.

 

3 hours ago, kb4683 said:

Not for sure, all the Princess tours we would be interested in are sold out, so we are leaning toward the McCarthy's Party tour (it's not really a party tour, just a strange name 😉).  They get great reviews on TA.  Otherwise, we will just walk around and see what we stumble onto.

 

Most of St. John's is easy to walk around, but some of it's up a steep hill.  There might be a city bus that will take you to Signal Hill, but for other places, a tour might be best.

 

1 hour ago, marshhawk said:

I'm back, when I got off the phone with the Hospital people for a second time, they found my information, I went to take a shower, and there was water all over the floor of the bathroom.  Kitten had fallen into the toilet, and got back out, another was in the tub, and couldnt get out, so I picked Turnip out of the bath tub, took my shower and walked the dog.I wish I had seen the kitten in the toilet, but since there was water all over the seat, I figured a small exploration gone wrong must have occurred.

 

NOw that I dont have to go anywhere-

@kazu

 

 

@ger_77I dont know what that pizza is, but since it has bacon, i'll be there for dinner.😁

In fact, that is an excellent idea for an early dinner tonight.  Our greek restaurant has the best Pizza.  I can get a small 6" vegetarian pizza and a Greek salad (if tummy improves) and I can wake Chuck up.  He's going on 12 hours now.  I told him if he doesnt get up or wake up by noon, I'm calling 911.  He mumbles something and nods back off.

 

Way too hot today.  

 

 

 

 

Annie, I hope you're feeling better by now.  I'm happy that the insurance issue was fixed.  Oh my, on the bathroom explorations by the kitties.  They are really curious critters.  I hope you are able to go out for pizza tonight.

 

1 hour ago, dfish said:

Good morning again.

 

I went to the gym and Sue and Rita went to the dog park.  Sue reports that Rita had a wonderful time racing all over the place.  She made friends with two other doggies that were there.  Rita loves it because she can be off lead there.  We are keeping her on lead all week when we go out.  She normally doesn't run off when MJ and Mitch are around, but we don't want to risk having her try to take off and find home.  

 

We were in St. John's last year on the Zaandam and went up to the top of Signal Hill and walked down.  We did make a rest stop at a chocolate place that had out of this world chocolates.  Oh, my!

 

Here's the view of the Atlantic from the top of Signal Hill.

 

 

The Zaandam from the trail down.

 

 

The sail out from St. John's.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Debbie, I'm glad Rita had fun running around the dog park.  The one time we took our dachshunds to a dog park, they just stood there as if to ask, what are supposed to do now.  And they loved running around our yard and on the beach.

 

Lenda

Edited July 5 by Quartzsite Cruiser

[grapau27]

3 hours ago, Quartzsite Cruiser said:

We've been to St. John's, Newfoundland, twice.  The first time in 2003 on Rotterdam VI, we took the Ho-Ho.  The second time was in 2019 on the Veendam.  We learned the Ho-Ho was gone, so we took the city bus that made a one hour loop.  You had to be prepared to stay an hour at any stop or to walk, and we spent an interesting hour at Cabot Tower on Signal Hill.

 

I have enough pictures that I'll need to divide them into two posts.  Both posts will be a mix of pictures from both visits, and there will be a couple of repeats.  I apologize in advance for the quality of some of the pictures.  In 2003, it was cloudy with occasional rain and fog, so some of the pictures, especially distant shots, were not every good.

 

The Ho-Ho from 2003 and the local bus from 2019.

 

The City bus, and we got a little narrative.

 

The Basilica Cathedral of St. John the Baptist as seen from the Veendam in 2019.

 

Inside the Basilica in 2003, with it's ornate ceiling.

 

In 2019, we drove past St. Thomas Anglican Parish.

 

In 2019, we spent an hour at Signal Hill, including touring inside the Cabot Tower.

 

One of the rooms at the top of the tower with the signal flags.

 

A lower room in the tower

 

The powder magazine

 

 

A plaque commemorating the first trans-Atlantic radio signals. 

 

Part of the view from a BHB

 

 

Fort Amherst from Signal Hill.  I know it's a repeat, but the WWII bunkers are visible in this picture.

 

Lenda

Great photos Lenda.

[grapau27]

We had fish and chips tonight.

[JazzyV]

Good afternoon. Thanks for the Fleet Report/Daily.

No to thongs (uncomfortable, both types). It's hard to work without your hands, unless you're just dictating. I like fried chicken; my DM made the best and I regret not learning from her. I agree with the quote. I'll pass on the meal, drink and wine. I've never been to St. John's, and my upcoming fall cruise doesn't include it. A good day in history.

 

It's cloudy here, 80F, and there may be some showers. I didn't see the NYC fireworks, as the local tv station cuts to the local ones, which were nice. It rained hard for about 15 minutes before. I was watching Copa America football anyway. Surprisingly not a lot of late night illegal fireworks were heard. I had my annual wellness visit with my PCP this morning. My BP was surprisingly great. It's been good since the pain has been gone. Now I'm home watching the Germany vs Spain football game, before heading to PT later. I'll have to record the 3PM game.

 

@grapau27 Thanks for the explanation.

@StLouisCruisers What were they thinking, scheduling the immigration business during dinnertime? I'm sure they'll hear lots of complaints. Thanks for the nice St. John's photos. 

@kazu Hugs. You made a big decision about what's right for you and Ivan. I know I'll be thinking about the same thing down the road. Good luck with all the sorting and donating as you downsize.

@dfish Baby Addie is so cute! Rita is too. And it is nice that you now live where you can see your family. Thanks for the St. John's photos.

@marshhawk I hope you get some rest and that your stomach feels better. That's a long time for DH to be sleeping; I hope he's ok. Get the car checked, you don't want to get stuck somewhere.

@smitty34877 Would Tana drink some supplement like Ensure? Or a milkshake?  It sounds like she will get weak with eating so little. Continued prayers.

@Heartgrove Prayers for your DSIL with her surgery, and Sue's DBIL with pancreatic cancer, plus Sam too. There's a lot going on in your family.

@Quartzsite Cruiser Condolences on the loss of your neighbor. Lovely St. John's photos. 

@Cruising-along Nice cats and St. John's photos. Get some rest today,

@Nickelpenny Your all-homemade meal looks great. 

 

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

Edited July 5 by JazzyV

[smitty34877]

I would like to take a moment to thank EVERYONE here  for keeping Tana  and our family in your prayers. I am embarrassed that my fatigue and lower mood made me so needy. I try to hold it together but some days are just exhausting. I am afraid to mention names as I am certain to leave people out. I do have an incredible family and we will do all we can to make her days with us the best they can be. 
 

Thank you . This is a great group of people and  it has helped somewhat in restoring my faith in humanity.

[dfish]

10 minutes ago, smitty34877 said:

I would like to take a moment to thank EVERYONE here  for keeping Tana  and our family in your prayers. I am embarrassed that my fatigue and lower mood made me so needy. I try to hold it together but some days are just exhausting. I am afraid to mention names as I am certain to leave people out. I do have an incredible family and we will do all we can to make her days with us the best they can be. 
 

Thank you . This is a great group of people and  it has helped somewhat in restoring my faith in humanity.

Terry, nothing to be embarrassed about.  It is normal that you would be fatigued with the job you are doing.  We all think you are a super hero.  This has been a long haul for you and for Tana.  What a blessing you have been for her and the teenager.  

 

Let us know when you need a lift.  We're here for you and would be upset if you didn't let us know.  

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

41 minutes ago, JazzyV said:

Good afternoon. Thanks for the Fleet Report/Daily.

No to thongs (uncomfortable, both types). It's hard to work without your hands, unless you're just dictating. I like fried chicken; my DM made the best and I regret not learning from her. I agree with the quote. I'll pass on the meal, drink and wine. I've never been to St. John's, and my upcoming fall cruise doesn't include it. A good day in history.

 

It's cloudy here, 80F, and there may be some showers. I didn't see the NYC fireworks, as the local tv station cuts to the local ones, which were nice. It rained hard for about 15 minutes before. I was watching Copa America football anyway. Surprisingly not a lot of late night illegal fireworks were heard. I had my annual wellness visit with my PCP this morning. My BP was surprisingly great. It's been good since the pain has been gone. Now I'm home watching the Germany vs Spain football game, before heading to PT later. I'll have to record the 3PM game.

 

@grapau27 Thanks for the explanation.

@StLouisCruisers What were they thinking, scheduling the immigration business during dinnertime? I'm sure they'll hear lots of complaints. Thanks for the nice St. John's photos. 

@kazu Hugs. You made a big decision about what's right for you and Ivan. I know I'll be thinking about the same thing down the road. Good luck with all the sorting and donating as you downsize.

@dfish Baby Addie is so cute! Rita is too. And it is nice that you now live where you can see your family. Thanks for the St. John's photos.

@marshhawk I hope you get some rest and that your stomach feels better. That's a long time for DH to be sleeping; I hope he's ok. Get the car checked, you don't want to get stuck somewhere.

@smitty34877 Would Tana drink some supplement like Ensure? Or a milkshake?  It sounds like she will get weak with eating so little. Continued prayers.

@Heartgrove Prayers for your DSIL with her surgery, and Sue's DBIL with pancreatic cancer, plus Sam too. There's a lot going on in your family.

@Quartzsite Cruiser Condolences on the loss of your neighbor. Lovely St. John's photos. 

@Cruising-along Nice cats and St. John's photos. Get some rest today,

@Nickelpenny Your all-homemade meal looks great. 

 

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

 

Vanessa, I'm glad your visit with your PCP went well, and that you BP is good.  Pain, stress, and life in general can affect our bodies in a lot of ways.

 

15 minutes ago, smitty34877 said:

I would like to take a moment to thank EVERYONE here  for keeping Tana  and our family in your prayers. I am embarrassed that my fatigue and lower mood made me so needy. I try to hold it together but some days are just exhausting. I am afraid to mention names as I am certain to leave people out. I do have an incredible family and we will do all we can to make her days with us the best they can be. 
 

Thank you . This is a great group of people and  it has helped somewhat in restoring my faith in humanity.

 

Terry, there is nothing to be embarrassed about.  Everyone has days and nights when they need human contact and support.  Caregiving is a stressful, tiring, and often lonely job, and just know that we are here for you and all your family.  It's better for everyone to reach out when things seem exhausting and you feel alone.  I know it has helped me in the past to be able to turn to family and friends, including Dailyite friends, for that extra needed support.

 

Lenda

Edited July 5 by Quartzsite Cruiser

[Cruising-along]

15 minutes ago, smitty34877 said:

I would like to take a moment to thank EVERYONE here  for keeping Tana  and our family in your prayers. I am embarrassed that my fatigue and lower mood made me so needy. I try to hold it together but some days are just exhausting. I am afraid to mention names as I am certain to leave people out. I do have an incredible family and we will do all we can to make her days with us the best they can be. 
 

Thank you . This is a great group of people and  it has helped somewhat in restoring my faith in humanity.

Hugs and please don't be embarrassed.  As Debbie said, you're our hero. 

[RedneckBob]

2 hours ago, aliaschief said:

Good morning! Late but had to do some prepping as the house is being pressured washed today. It is in need of a good bath and the driveway, sidewalks etc. definitely are in need.

Thanks Graham for the explanation of no hands day but I’m still at a loss what it means. @RedneckBob I’m probably going to have nightmares tonight with the thought of you in your thong you showed!😱

@kazu I was so glad to hear of your decision to move to an independent living facility. I wish you well in your new endeavor and peace of mind that you’re not burdened with all it takes to maintain a home.

Our Fourth BBQ with neighbors was fine and it was great catching up with them.

Hope you all have a great weekend and thanks for all who make our Daily possible. Bruce

 

Me too!

[1ANGELCAT]

Good hot and humid afternoon. Heat warning is now in effect until further notice. 
I can’t wait to see how many fireworks are on tap for tonight. As @Denise Tsaid , the law enforcement doesn’t matter. 
Terry, @smitty34877, you have Nothing to be embarrassed about. Ever. I’m in awe of what you do on a daily basis.❤️🙏

Stay cool and safe.

[marshhawk]

@smitty34877 You truly are a super angel, and I admire the heck out of you!

 

Edited July 5 by marshhawk

[Seasick Sailor]

@Quartzsite Cruiser Lenda, how do you make a banana salad?

[smitty34877]

7 minutes ago, marshhawk said:

@smitty34877 You truly are a super angel, and I admire the heck out of you!

 

Well I did have red hair at one time! 
Thank you  Annie, I know you understand.

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

5 minutes ago, Seasick Sailor said:

@Quartzsite Cruiser Lenda, how do you make a banana salad?

 

Joy, it's easy, and one my mother made a lot when I was growing up.  It may not be the healthiest, but it's good, especially on a hot day.  You just split a banana lengthwise, and if it's large cut each side into two pieces.  The unhealthy part is the mayo spread on the banana; then, top it with pecan pieces.  Usually, the bananas are large enough so we get two of the four pieces.

 

Lenda

[Haljo1935]

@smitty34877 🤗  ❤️ and 🙏

[bennybear]

Good day and thanks all!  
@kazu glad to hear you’ve made a good decision to lighten your load and still keep the best Ivan and some plants!  Sending extra hugs, and hope the surgery will be soon! 
@smitty34877 we all have those moments , and you’ve been under a cloud for a long while.   You are stronger than most! Sending love and light! 
@Heartgrove so hard to make all these decisions,  wishing you all better days!  
 

We had the good fortune to spend ten days in St. John’s.   We fell in love with the people, the accents, the music, the home made food and stunning scenery,   We sure hope to go back soon,  it’s a longer flight than going to the UK.  And other than the Tim Hortons, you would not believe you were in Canada,  the dialect can be completely foreign to our ears.
 

We had quite the storm last evening,  here’s the tail end of it.  

Edited July 5 by bennybear

[rafinmd]

Terry. you are indeed a superhero.  It's not what you're doing it but you have been doing it almost every day for well over 2 years.  While you have a lot of family and neighborhood support, you are the glue that holds things together.

 

Roy

[ottahand7]

Terry hugs and prayers for you and Tana.  You have dedicated your whole life to make sure she is as comfortable as possible.  Your love and care has added more time on Earth for her.  Plus managing teenagers with specific diets.  You are a saint and we are all cheering and praying for you both. 🙏❤️

[sailingdutchy]

 

Hope everybody had a very nice 4th yesterday , no hangovers , or firework damage but a very nice day to celebrate . 

 

For the garden club today , after many years not flowering and us not giving up there are 3 beautiful flowers in our Yucca , we love them and so do the hummingbirds , there also a a few very nice begonias in few flower . So sad that I lost a couple of begonias to either the rabbits or the chipmunks .

 

This year we have been inundated by chipmunks must be because of the extremely mild winter , I do not kill them but just send some on a vacation .

 

 

 

 

Wishing you all a very nice weekend , mine will be busy with the Euro soccer and the Netherlands fighting for a spot in the semi finals and another F-1 Race on Sunday and than there is also some more gardening to do .

 

Tony 😄

[quilty964]

Good afternoon.  It's in the 70's here...just had a 5 minute downpour and then sunshine again.  DH, friends and family are at the Lake House...lots of rain up there today.  The fireworks are tomorrow nite, the forecast is good then.  The neighbor directly behind us had a 30 minute display of loud and big fireworks, Cooper was not very happy.  There is another house a few blocks away doing their show tonight.  They've warned people on Social Media...Yipee!  I did buy some calming treats at the pet store today.  

@smitty34877Hugs to you and your family, you are a superhero as others have said.  You amaze me every day.  

@marshhawkI'm hoping your DH is ok.  Your kitties sound like lots of fun! 

@dfishBaby is a cutie!  Enjoy the pup while she's with you! 

@kazuBest wishes to you as you get ready to move!  That's a hard decision to make, but so well worth it in the end.  Your garden looks lovely, hoping you can have some plants at the new place!  

@JazzyVThanks for keeping up with everyone!  My bread was a flop yesterday...not sure what was wrong, but it took much longer to cook and then the top turned out very crispy

 

For the "garden club"-We have several Easter lilies that are blooming, we replant them after Easter.  I've picked 2 cucumbers so far-lots of little ones starting to grow!  I love fresh 🍅 and 🥒...my favorite time of the year! 

Have a good afternoon, I'm headed up north tomorrow.  

Karen

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

Woo Hoo!  It's raining, finally.  We took the golf cart out for a drive and to check the mail, and it started sprinkling while we were out.  Just as we got the golf cart back in the port, it started raining harder.  There has been a north wind this afternoon, and that along with the clouds have lowered our temperature to a comfortable level.

 

Lenda

[1ANGELCAT]

Happy belated birthday to the Nieuw Amsterdam . Yesterday our lovely lady turned 14. I wish I was onboard now to enjoy the cool weather as our current feel like temperature is 101. 

[Vict0riann]

Good afternoon, Dailyites, and many thanks to all who post!  Jacqui, I hope all goes well with your move, and everything happens exactly at the right time for you.  I'm happy Ivan can go with you, make sure he has the right sofa!

 

Terry, we all think you are amazing and definitely a superwoman.  Continued prayers for you and Tana.  Also for Chuck, Annie, hope he's alright.  I must say, this morning I just wanted to sleep and sleep and sleep.  Some days are like that...

 

Today has been expensive, I had to pay off a cruise today (did it with the new system) and then to top it off, we went to Costco.  Sheesh!  I'm not in to waffles, but I like fried chicken.  I will be taking wings to Happy Hour this evening.

 

Our DD lives in Gander so we have been to Newfoundland a few times, usually including a visit to St. John's, and just once on a cruise - NS on the Viking Passage.  Victoria and St. John's are the beginning and the end of the TransCanada - or the end and the beginning, depending on how you look at it.  

 

 

 

And our sign (we are still pre-kilometrage)!

 

 

In NL the rocks get dressed..

 

One of DD's colleagues was on the hill watching as the NS sailed, he sent her this picture of us.  You can see how tight it is.

 

[summer slope]

Ann, what new payment system?