Between Cruises

[cctn]

Hi Fire: Welcome!! I am here and I have a cruise planned for Nov 2007 to the Caribbean. I love Hawaii - we are Filipinos and go there once a yr or once evey two yrs... mostly to Oahu where I have relatives. We also love Maui and Kauia and 3 yrs ago went to the Big Island for the first time - loved it there too! Whatever island we are on, we also have to either start in Honolulu or fly home from there after spending some time there too.

 

WE have not cruised to Hawaii as I like being on the islands instead of sailing to them - but maybe someday - we have done the Panama Canal and loved it - TransAtlantics and Alaska, Best of Europe and about 7 Caribbean ones. LIke you, I love it when I have several vacations planned and have the tickets for them - for now, it's for the Nov cruise as hubby had foot surgery and will wait til he is 100% a-ok.

 

Glad you posted... Carol

[firefly333]

The guy I lived with in Hawaii was half Filipino and half local something. We were raising fighting "chickens". I loved Filipino food, over there they call the blood meat, the dun dun dun?, something that sounds like that. THEN I found out what I was eating lol. We lived Hauuula (windward side near PCC) mostly then moved North Shore for more acerage.

 

Im torn between staying on the islands to go back and visit friends or cruising so I can hit more islands. I will go back. It was really hard to leave. I loved local style.

[cctn]

Hey Fire! you crack me up!! yes, some filipinos can be wild!! I have a phobia with chickens - the feathers plus their faces, however, I can handle them from the store, whole, cut them up, etc... cuz no feathers!!

 

I am 2nd generation here in CA - dad grew up in Hi - got there when he was 12 then joined the army when he was 20 or so - I am 57 -- hubby came over from the Philippines 32 yrs ago - we've been married 31-1/2 yrs now.

 

My mom is Tagalog from the Manila part/ same as hubby - and my dad and relatives from HI are from the northern part - Ilocano's which I think you BF was/is. I know the "chocolate" meat you are talking about! I love it - I was born here but I do like some of the exotic foods from culture - not all - I can speak very little of both dialects and can understand very well -

 

We were in HI last Feb for 10 days... love it there - and miss it. But thinking about it, can't live there - need to be here in CA or mainland.

 

Will be going back in Jan or Feb again - we love the hawaiian food and just strolling along Ala Moana Beach since Waikiki is always so crowded...

 

Carol

[firefly333]

I dont know that he even knew where his Dad was from in the Philipines, or at least never mattered. His Dad only spoke Filipinio so I couldnt talk with him. Lots of smiles, but miss the local way of life in Hawaii, with the pot on the stove all the time and the rice pot. Just not the same here.

 

I used to take Circle Island bus which went thru Ala Moana shopping center so that brings back lots of memories.

 

We did island hop to all the islands before I left and said good bye to all the islands. I decided Maui was the funnest island and Kauai was the prettiest. Big Island I could skip, too much driving to get around. We looked there for cheaper property at a "jungle" and heard the stories of the folks who said oh I dont mind rain and bought acerage Hilo side and went crazy there. Have never seen it when it was NOT raining Hilo area.

 

Well thanks for saying hello. Everyone here is having medical issues, so Im kinda stuck here in Texas. Iv really got my fingers crossed that I can get away in September, even if I have to cut back my original plans.

 

PS Im a year younger than you are, but that qualifies cruising as a senior :)

[cctn]

Hey! Fire!!! you are still a baby! don't feel old - just when I think about the 'numbers' it scares me - but think young, juvenile sometimes!!

 

Love your feelings about HI -- love the food and the attitude - relaxed - slow - but hey! there are some wild areas I don't want to go to!

 

Been busy arranging my flight schedule for our cruise this Nov ... went thru RCCL with their schedule and bought their airfare but we cancelled and bought our own and saved some $$ -- I have to do everything for me, hubby and my friends who are first timers - they are very ageeable so it works for me. I just want them to have the best time - since I have been cruising since '88, of course, I am all gung ho about it, and I want them to feel that excitement - if they don't like it, they will spread the negative word and say, 'what's the big deal with cruises --' can't understand why carol likes it so much!

 

Hubby also doing better with his foot - can put weight on his foot that had the bunion/heel spur surgery - he'll go back to work Jul 9 - in the meantime MOI is doing it all !! at least I no longer bring him his meals up and down the stairs - and he can do some gardening and best of all, he can dress himself!!

 

Carol

[firefly333]

Hi, no I dont feel like a senior, but hey if they want to call me that and charge less $ sometimes, Ill take it and smile. My parents are in their 80s, that to me is a senior. My Dad's heart went out of beat over a month ago and things have been going downhill since. He has lost over 30 lbs and not eating and they have not yet been able to get his heart back into rhythm, they found a clot the last time they tried. Now they are trying to get his blood thinner just right before they can try again to shock his heart.

 

So between all this doctor visits (before that my Dad was in the hospital for 12 days and my mom before that was in the hospital so lots of trips back and forth) to try to get him feeling better, my mom's and then one day when we were going to the heart doc, my sister fell on her wrist and broke it so bad she had to have surgery....and Im the only driver.

 

That's why I said I think I will have to cut back my plans for September. My sister is my cruising buddy and the doctor said she might have her wrist back to full strength by then.

 

I had planned on going up to Ohio to visit a HS friend, a online friend and relatives for a week and then going to Orlando (have reserved a non refundable hotel for 3 days) and then have a cruise booked out of Port Canaveral.

 

Now with my Dad going down hill and me being the one taking everyone around, I am worried that I cannot be gone for so long, just hoping now to do the cruise and hotel I paid for. I didnt take out insurance. Heck I dont have regular insurance, guess Im a gambler. Just crossing my fingers I can get away.

 

Im just hoping things start improving around here and my Dad starts acting like his ole self. He turns 89 this year. Id travel all the time if I could, but dont think I can get away until September, luckily I just did the Rhapsody in April. We got in 4 cruises since last Halloween and then wham!!!! things went to heck here. Yes, I know Im lucky to have both my parents.

 

I was in Florida in a deep water condo where you could keep boats and moved to Texas and quit my job 2 years because no one other than my Dad drives and he had macular degeneration. So, Im retired I call it, but then I retired a lot of times during my life. I love to play and dont live high on the hog and stretch a dollar.

 

sorry for the long winded explanation of why Im thinking I need to scale back at least the Ohio part of my plans for September, but being gone over 2 weeks doesnt now look like it's in the cards.

 

adding my email if you ever want to email privately

 

firefly333@yahoo.com

[BAR-TENDER]

Hi all, sorry I have been busy at work, we remodled the bar I work at so I had to put all the booze back and clean and organiz it all again, ready for a vacation, I would love to live in Hi. but it is so far away from the main land. We have been looking at codos in Cabo san lucas it is so beautiful there also and very reasonable to live. I always seem to use the computer at night, it is a better time for me,have a great day Yvonne

[firefly333]

Hi Yvonne. I once worked in a bar on Oahu, but then Iv worked a lot of jobs. I just served the drinks not as a bar tender. Sounds like you usually get home late too, Im a night owl.

 

Im not sure where Id live if I could live anywhere, I dont speak a word of Spanish. I have friends who went places like Mexico City and Iv heard Costa Rica is amazing and cheap to live there. Id like to live near a ocean view again though.

 

I think we all need a cruise vacation :)

[cctn]

HA is so expensive but then so is CA - I have friends who are interested in retiring in Costa Rica and also Mexico - will really have to learn the language if I were to go that route - hubby wants to leave CA and go anywhere but... maybe upstate WA or ORe -- all my friends and family are in CA -- so you know where I stand.

 

We saw a segment on TV re: living on a cruise ship - no entertainment, just cruising and living with stewards, servers and those perks - you do your own entertainment - the World Cruise ship is the name of the ship - $7000 per day or economy is $1500 per day -- yep, there are those who can afford it - the $7000 is not a misprint from here, unless we misunderstood so correct me please . ahhh --

 

ok - need to know how to make a good margarita!! I have jose cuervo and the strawberry marg. mix - and the salt with little hat... you need to know that I am NOT a drinker - we go out with friends and I order a sprite - on cruises, I TRY to have one pina/strawberry per day (1/2-1/2 mix) and then I get so bloated -- I drink wine here at home... I just got into margaritas 3 yrs ago when a niece wanted to see Auntie Carol get drunk - but she didn't succeed. I tend to play with one drink - I do two and that's it for me. I know, I'm a sissy!! hee hee!!

 

Carol

[firefly333]

We have a Taco Cabana here that makes the best margaritas. Im convinced its in the mix they use, not just the tequila. I like them on the rocks. Sounds like we would get along just fine :) Ill have a couple if you are making them.

[cctn]

margarita -- frosty and slushy - yum!! Carol

[BAR-TENDER]

I make strawberry marg. with frozen strawberries,ice tequila and a little sweet and sour mix put in blender and blend until slushy, if need be ad more ice also you rim the glass with sugar when it is a strawberry or peach marg only salt when it is a regular marg. Yvonne

[firefly333]

I like the salt, wouldnt want sugar on my rim. Im a salt addict. I like my margaritas on the rocks thanks lol

 

Tequila is my favorite liquor. Tequila sunset, those kind. I dont care for most mixed drinks, that is the one that I like though.

[cctn]

I make strawberry marg. with frozen strawberries,ice tequila and a little sweet and sour mix put in blender and blend until slushy, if need be ad more ice also you rim the glass with sugar when it is a strawberry or peach marg only salt when it is a regular marg. Yvonne

 

yummmm - sounds good already! hope you are ok - not working too hard!!

 

dreamin' of hawaii and places to cruise to!! Carol

[BAR-TENDER]

Just opened the bar on Fri. spent all week cleaning and setting it up [lots of work]we are finally open as a non smoking[finally] lounge. it is really beautiful,not one complaintabout the non smoking I love it ..We are dealing with a real estate agent in Cabo and she sent me some new listings under 110,000 wow are homes and condos cheap, a 3 br house on the beach 100,000 , not sure where we stand as far as retiring wait to see what the husband has to say. hope all is well have a great day Yvonne

[firefly333]

Wow that sounds terrific. Hard to buy a nice place under $110,000, even here in cheap Texas.