ottahand7

We are on the Grand SA boarding on 12/27 for a holiday cruise then staying on for the 74 days to SA. I am hoping they have a hiatus on GA until late 2024 or early 2025. It is a good problem.

Did anyone get a HA Survey by email about 5 different scenarios for World Cruises? It was amazing to see some of the itineraries they were asking for input upon. The final one was instead of going to Asia it left FL and went to West Africa, Western Mediterranean, Northern France, The Netherlands, Scandanavia, the north Atlantic countries, Canadian Maritimes and back to FLL. I hope that they are truly considering such a cruise. We are looking for a Grand Africa but I don't know how often they do them.

Happy Friday, the furnace is in and running as of yesterday afternoon but another tech is here this morning for some fine tuning. We are off to Walmart to get some bread and gift cards, my pharmacy to pick up three months of meds and to the furnace company to pay my bill. We are supposed to have lake effect snow all weekend beginning in the afternoon. I will have to battle snow when I go for my hair appointment, I hope my family can make it over for my birthday party Sunday, they are long standing Michiganders so they should be able to make it. No chance DB and DSIL are going to make it. Thanks for the Daily and Fleet Reports. My image of reconciliation is of my checkbook that I quit doing years ago. With all the electronic data on phones and laptops it is really easy to stay on top of things. I will pass on the chocolate covered unless it is a fine graham cracker. I see some stupid toys at Costco the giant round stuffed pastel somethings, I guess they could serve as a pillow. Prayers for all on our care list and for the people of Ukraine. Thanks for the great research on the comestibles. I like the pizza baguettes, will pass on the cocktail and probably will never cross pass with today's vino. Thanks for the photos of Funchal today. Both groups so far are beautiful. Have a nice Friday! Nancy

Happy day at this house because our new furnace is going in. We can retire all the space heaters shortly! Thanks for the Daily Reports @richwmn you will have a nice break from it when you are on your long cruise. Sadly no more cats to herd here. Only problems I ever had with them was when It was time to be loaded in their crates, especially in hotel rooms. Sometimes I will regift but I haven't done any of that in quite awhile as our family really cut back on gift giving. I love tea but now that I am caffeine free I will have to find something that tastes good for my summer ice tea. @dfishthe rigatoni recipes all look like winners! @summer slopethanks for the drink recipe and I hope that your DH is negative today and is free. @cat shepardThanks for looking up the obscure Long Island wines two days in a row. I look forward to the photos of St. John. I would love to visit there, some fall we can do it. @rafinmdthanks for the care and celebrations reports! Prayers for all on our care list and for the people of Ukraine. @kazuJacqui I am so happy to read you are in San Diego ready to head out on your cruise. @Seasick Sailor thank you for the photo of you and your DH. Enjoy your cruise. I will be at home all day wrapping up a lot of little things. As usual when we drive to Fort Lauderdale DF wants to leave a day early due to a system snow storm on Thursday the 22nd the day we had planned to start our drive. I will have to try to change my mani and pedi appointment to early on the 21st not at the 1pm I had scheduled. I hope I can get in with my regular lady. I called the propane company and demanded they fill my tank ASAP. I don't want to have them let us run out while we are gone. I preliminarily packed my 2 bags going on the December 27th cruise and just some jockeying a few things around and they are done. If we have room in our roll aboards I will pick some good wine to bring along with us for special dinners. Have a wonderful day! Nancy

Just got back from DB. He was sitting in his wheelchair waiting for PT or OT. Fingers crossed he goes home before we leave. So grateful that the furnace went out this week instead while we are gone. My DS was watching the house and the AC pooped out and she had to call the HVAC company while we were at the cabin this summer. Glad this did not drop on her lap and figuring how to pay for it while we are in the middle of nowhere or no internet.

Good hump day morning! Today is a red letter day for us Luggage Forwarding is picking up our Grand SA bags though we are going to drop them off at a local UPS store so we can leave the house. Thanks for the Daily Reports @richwmn. There is no energy conservation going on here. The second furnace technician showed up yesterday and put in a new blower and the system promptly burned it out. We are going to have to bite the bullet and replace our 22 year old furnace. The new one will be much more efficient and I would imagine a wee bit quieter. We are heating the house with the gas fireplace and space heaters so we aren't cold. Gratefully the temperatures will remain above freezing until the installation tomorrow. I have never had roast chestnuts only in stuffing. I will pass on the parsnip latkes, pass on the bitter cocktail and would like to try the NY State Merlot. Looking forward to photos of Aomari. Thanks for the care and celebrations reports. Prayers for the people in Ukraine and those needing them. @summer slopeI am glad you have been freed from Covid jail and I hope your DH is freed tomorrow. @kazu I sure hope that you can get to San Diego today. @AncientWanderer and @Sharon in AZ Happy Anniversary!! 🍾

On all trips I have been on HAL that left from a US port we carried on one bottle per cabin per day. Last cruise was 21 days so 21 bottles. Next cruise is 74 so we will be bringing on about 10 for special occasions, have bought a couple of 8 bottle Cellar 2 packages pre-cruise to let us get to wine country. We drive to FL so we don't have to deal with weight other than what we can fit in our carry on bags to go through the screener.

I had a nice visit with DB. He was working with OT in the shower but I had a nice visit with DSIL. She said DB may get released to home around 12/21. I hope he will be home by the time we start our trip south because I wouldn't be able to visit anymore. The technician is here working on our furnace, a different one than yesterday. He found that the blower was failing and it drew too much current and then burned out the part that was replaced yesterday. Thankfully he had a new blower in the truck but I don't know about another one of the parts replaced yesterday. I am glad that this happened while we are home instead of my DS coming to check on the house and find it ice cold or worse with broken pipes. She got stuck dealing with AC problems last summer while we were at our cabin. Have a nice day! Nancy

@StLouisCruisersSandy I hope your daughter's foot surgery goes well today. I am sure she will have some painful days for a while. Thank you for keeping us apprised of the internet woes and encouraging them to get it working! Thanks for the Daily and Fleet Reports. I could use some cocoa right now as I am sitting next to a space heater. Our furnace got fixed yesterday after a new part was installed in the afternoon. It ran one cycle and then pooped out. They may make it back here before noon. Gratefully it isn't terribly cold outside. Happy St. Lucia day. It is a favorite stop on a BHB and also to the Lutherans who celebrate the other St. Lucia's Day. I love the symphony and violins are a key part of most symphonic programs. I love the Poe quote. Prayers for all on our care list, thanks for pulling this together each day Roy. Prayers for the people of Ukraine surviving in the winter with many with no power. The frittatas look wonderful and I like Debbie's suggestion to use spinach. I will wait for the internet to work on the Volendam for our cocktail. @summer slopeI hope you are let out of Covid jail soon. @cat shepardThanks for our daily wine reviews, I will pass on the sparkler today. I am looking forward to photos of Manila. I am heading down to visit my DB as soon as II am done. The food porn promised and also a St. Lucia photo for their special day. The food was much better than the obscure wines poured at the wine dinner. Have a nice day! Nancy

@AncientWandererI hope that you don't get any worse from you Covid. I am sorry your vacation in Maui isn't going well. @TiogaCruiserThanks for the neat video of the fire engine parade! Glad you dodged the rain for that.

I hope they can get the internet working well for your benefit and for when we board on the 27th. @richwmnthank you for all that you pull together for us each day on the Daily and Fleet Reports. I haven't decorated gingerbread I will leave it for the experts. I haven't had ambrosia in years. None of it showed up at our garden club potluck. Pointsettia are beautiful but I haven't had one in years. I was fortunate that my 2 kitties were well-behaved about holiday decorations. Their first Christmas they were a year old and they had fun climbing the tree and after that it was an occasional batting at the ornaments at the bottom for the tree. The did not munch any house plants. A great quote by Twain. I will pass on the spaghetti squash, no matter how much cream or cheese it just doesn't work for me. No on the melon drink but the Nebbiolo looks really nice. @StLouisCruisersthanks for the beautiful of Istanbul. @grapau27I am happy to hear your surgery went well. @rafinmdI am glad your lip ailment is on the mend. Prayers for all on our care list and for the people of Ukraine. @kazuI hope you are able to dodge the weather and can get to your cruise. I am already beginning to watch the forecast for December 22 when we begin our slow trip to Fort Lauderdale. I don't want to leave early because of weather because I have a nail appointment at the last possible moment on the 21st. My skin check was per usual, a few actinic keratoses on my face that I treat with some type of chemotherapy cream for 2 weeks and a spot on my arm I will have to keep and eye on. No visit to DB today because my appointment was at 8 and it would be too early to visit. Topping everything off our furnace started acting up yesterday. It would start but not stay on. I ran a space heater in the bedroom overnight which worked and now are running the gas fireplace with the blower in the great room. We had someone at the house by 9 and if the part is available in town it will be fixed today. Thankfully it is mild for mid-December Michigan. I also have a technician from the propane company coming today to check our gas output. Our range burners have been running orange for weeks so something is up. Have a nice Monday and when I am caught up I may post food porn from our chapter's wine dinner last evening. Nancy

Good Sunday morning! Thanks for Fleet and Daily Reports. I agree about the apps, so many phones come pre-loaded with them and I never get around to deleting them. I have about 4 I use regularly. Food drives for animals are important especially for those in shelters and also people who are having a hard time feeding their pets. Today's quote is a good one in my book. So many go to church but don't follow Matthew 7 and judge others. As Christ said they only pay "lip service". Thank you for Father David's sermon today @grapau27and I hope all goes well with your skin cancer surgery tomorrow. I will pass on the risotto and the high powered cocktail. The wine sounds great. I like Cote de Rhone wines and they are good values. Prayer's for all on our long care list and for the people of Ukraine. DB was laying in bed when I visited yesterday. He did have PT and OT on his schedule. He said he is so weak but hopefully he will finally bounce back. I had planned a 70th birthday party for me with my siblings on the 18th and inviting my DB and DSIL and at the same dinner have a mini surprise 80th birthday for him since we will be at sea on his birthday in March. Sadly that won't happen. He can be there in spirit. I pray he will be home for Christmas. What a 4 months this has been. Our afternoon will be watching football in 2 separate rooms since DFs Vikings and my Ravens are on at the same time. Later in the day we have a holiday wine dinner with our local chapter of the American Wine Society. Tomorrow I will be late checking in as I have an 8:00 appointment for my annual skin cancer check. @StLouisCruisersYour DD's Holiday tree is beautiful!

@Cruzin Terri Bon voyage! 🍾⛴️

Happy Saturday! We had about 4" of snow yesterday afternoon over a 3 hour period. I hope it melts away quickly. We are heading to visit DB and then have lunch someplace. @richwmnThanks for the Daily and Fleet Reports. I loved the library when I was young and can still remember where the horse riding books were in our libraries. 919.0 near the other sporting books. Our computers were the old card indexes. Animal rights are very important. If we choose to eat meat and eggs lets make sure we get them raised in a humane way. That is the reason I buy my pork from a small hobby farmer once a year. A beautiful quote. @dfishthanks for the yummy chili recipes. @summer slopeThanks for the cocktail recipe, an interesting one. I hope your husband is still feeling okay and that you remain negative. @cat shepardThanks for seeking out our wines each day, today's Syrah looks nice. I owned a time share in Cancun for 3 weeks a year for almost 28 years and never made it to Cozumel though we made it to the ruins frequently, Playa del Carmen was the closest we got to there. We will be there in February 2024 on the Eurodam so look forward to photos of the port. @rafinmdThanks for the Daily Cares and Celebrations report. I saw that you took DB off the rotation which is good. I am thinking really positive that this will be near the end of his time in rehab. @HAL Sailerthanks for updating us on your DSIL and that she came through her procedure. @aliaschief I hope you will get over the pneumonia and its lingering effects soon. @marshhawkprayers for your family's ongoing health problems. I really miss the choral music at Christmas that we used to enjoy in Baltimore. Prayers for the people of Ukraine. I finally got that article on invasive plants off my back. I stayed home yesterday and wrapped it up and emailed it off. Army Navy game today. My company used to have a sky box at Ravens Stadium in the days before that became inappropriate. I got wind it was going to be in Baltimore so I put dibs on it in lieu of prime Ravens games. What an event! Usually a lopsided game but seeing all the cadets in their winter dress and the pageantry was a once in a lifetime experience for a football lover. Have a great day and Go Navy beat Army!

@GTVCRUISERBon Voyage! Enjoy the Konigsdam! 🍾

Those boots are such a great advancement. That is how I could walk minus crutches in three weeks. So glad to hear it was a crack.

My DF is usually my "mule" to haul all our wine on the ship. We usually bring a bottle a day. A little different on our upcoming cruise but I will try to fit 10 in my roll aboard. Many is this group appreciate a good glass or bottle of wine. Cheers! Nancy

Happy Friday!! I visited DB yesterday and he was finally sitting up in a wheelchair rather laying in bed. That is progress. We had a good conversation about many things. Then his OT lady came in and wrote 11:45 on his white board. That was 45 minutes away so I left so he could rest and be all ready for OT. PT was on the board for 2:45. I hope this can continue. Thanks for the Daily and Fleet Reports! My Christmas cards were mailed out on Tuesday. My post office was out of Christmas stamps but they had pretty spring flowers in snow so they worked. Some people must be writing Christmas cards still. Lost was found here two days ago. For our long cruise there are more Gala and a "Formal" night per month. I pulled out some NYE clothes I haven't worn in years, tried them on and got them ready to pack for luggage pickup. I found the jacket that went with the skirt but I couldn't find the skirt when I did a final check for the bag. I closed it anyway. Yesterday when I went to pull a can of hairspray out of my second suitcase I dug under that and there was my skirt! Yay! Genocide used to just be practiced in Africa and parts of Asia but sadly we are seeing the mass murder and execution in Ukraine as Russia rains its' terror on those people. Germany is trying to define Russia's actions as genocide so that war trials can be prosecuted. Sadly hate and religious intolerance is hard to prevent. Prayers for all on our care list. @USN59-79 I hope that your trip to the orthopedist allows you to have a boot and use crutches. I broke mine about 10 years ago when a full load of mulch in my wheelbarrow flipped and I didn't let go. My whole spring was ruined. I was walking minus crutches in 3 weeks. I hope you heal quickly. @summer slopeDixie I am happy to read you still test negative and your DH is feeling better today. The cocktail is a pass. The meatball recipes all look wonderful. We are having leftover lasagna that I made for my garden club's potluck last nigh. Easy peasy. Today's wine is probably a wee bit sweet for me. I am looking forward to today's photos from Samoa. Have a nice day!! Chicken dinner on our balcony on the Old Rotterdam in 2019.

Happy Thursday! I am off to see DB shortly. The Care list has picked up. So many things happening. Prayers for the families of the lost firefighters in Schuykill PA. @seagarsmokerand @lazey1I hope that you both can get over your Covid quickly. @aliaschief It is good that they finally diagnosed pneumonia so you can begin to get proper treatment. Hope they are loading on the antibiotics! @HAL SailerI am so sorry to hear about the complications for your DSIL. @Cruzin Terri I am so sorry for you for the loss of your DF. Sincere sympathy. Thanks for the Daily and Fleet Reports @richwmn. For Christians Immaculate Conception is a core part of our beliefs. I love Brownies and I used to be a blue collar worker while I worked my way through college. I graduated college with a lot of life experience. Quote is OK. @dfishThanks for the yummy tomato soup and crostini recipes. Will pass on the tea thanks for doing these for us every day @summer slopeeven while on a cruise. Chardonnay sounds oaky based on the butter descriptor. DF and I have been to Willemstead twice and are returning there in 2024. The first time was on the old Rotterdam in December 2019. We had a new crew that joined the ship after dry dock. We went home from that cruise and were sick for three months. Five weeks into our illness China finally owned up to the plague they unleashed on the world. Then our first post Covid cruise we went there on the Nieuw Statendam last February. We had beautiful weather each time and got off the ship and walked around. A lovely island. Prayers for all on our care list, thanks for doing this for us each day @rafinmd. Prayers for the people of Ukraine and celebrating Zelenskyy for his Time magazine award. Prayers for Paul Weiland who remains left behind in Russia after the release of Brittny Greiner.

The owners and staff appeared very nice at this pace but I understand they don't like lingerers and ask people to not linger over dessert and coffee. It makes sense. It is usually busy and a small building. Maybe the Down Wind will have new ownership or management.

Thank you for the great idea for tray!

Good afternoon. I had a nice visit with my DB this morning. He had nothing written on his white board in his room for PT and OT so hopefully they come in today to work with him. He has been bedridden for so many days that they needed to catheterize him. Hopefully this will be one and done and things start flowing again. His room was beautifully decorated by his DIL and his grandkids. We had a nice lunch at a restaurant we have never been to. It is called the Fly In and it is at the little private airport in the next town over. It was great. God burgers and sandwiches. My project this afternoon is trying how to program the new cable locks that I bought for my zipper suitcases. We have to lock our suitcases for Luggage Forward. I haven't had any luck with their instructions yet. Probably should have bought the ones with the little keys instead...... Have a nice afternoon!

Thanks for the photos @kplady! @cat shepardyour cat meme reminded me so much of my Korat girl Tiny who had those luminous green eyes.

Good morning and Happy Hump Day! Thanks for the Daily and Fleet reports. Pearl Harbor Day is always a day to remember and think of all the changes that the attack on PH caused to change the face of the war and created the US as a superpower. I will have some joy today as the noun. Another thought provoking quote by White. We had a bit of discussion in the last few weeks about a Tortilla casserole called King Ranch Casserole. That is my all time favorite and it is so easy now that rotisserie chicken is available everywhere. Will pass on the Minty cocktail but the Petit Sirah sounds good. @StLouisCruisersand @Cat in my lap thanks for the beautiful photos from Labrador. Prayers for all on our care report and the people of Ukraine. DB remained in the hospital until yesterday afternoon so I didn't see him. I understand that he was not getting PT so probably has backslid a lot. I look forward to seeing him later this morning. Nancy

Those bugs sound like black flies. We are pestered by them at our cabin every year. Like @dfishwe wear our netting when they are bad an pray for windy days when they are around. BTW how are the bugs in the Amazon? We were thinking bringing our netting but mosquitoes are held off better by sprays than black flies.