Will Work for Tiramisu

We are flying to ANC June 4th, staying at Marriot Downtown (not as part of SS), and taking train to Seward on 6th to board S Muse. (Our first Alaska trip!) Marriot hotel, I believe, is also used by SS, so hoping maybe can get pick up by SS for trip to airport to catch the train. (Seems odd, no? - train leaves from airport?) Otherwise, guess we'll take cab. We're doing a 14 day B2B, returning to Seward, and also taking train back to ANC on our return. Am glad to hear train gets in by 1pm, as we fly out at 5pm. (We pay SS for the choo choo transfers, both ways; the alternate is a bus, which is included in base cruise price. No thanks!) While this is not the Alaska RR Coastal Classic per se, it travels the same route. My understanding is that SS pax are all in a car or cars provided by SS, other cruise lines are in other cars. It appears on both June 6th (our embark) and June 20th (our disembark), from What's in Port? website, Silver Muse is only cruise ship in Seward those days, so maybe have whole train to ourselves. Pop that champagne!!

We saw Judy Collins in a small local venue in 2019 - she was a hoot! Obviously great voice, but also a compelling story teller, with long history in the business, knew EVERYBODY, was the subject of the CSNY song "Suite - Judy Blue Eyes". One of the most enjoyable concerts I've ever been to. Probably more talking than singing, actually, but that was fine - she was entertaining almost like a Vaudeville act. I see Roger McGuinn is still making the rounds in his old age, and he is similar in stature to JC, a former session musician, a folkie before the Beatles came along, and for a while the Byrds were considered America's answer to the Beatles. He attracted a lot of wonderful musicians, and was responsible for "country rock", merging rock & roll and country, famously recording the influential Sweetheart of the Rodeo in Nashville. (Many old Nashville hands weren't too happy to see these long hairs invading their turf, by the way.) Bob Dylan's Nashville Skyline came out of the same era.

I was doing some seasonal shopping for my DW, and came across this bottle, which was pitched as a good price ($62US) for a great port, and which I bought. As a former seafarer, I've always hewn to the old saw "A little port in every girl", a variant of "A little girl in every port". I know the cooler has many sophisticated tipplers with far more expertise than I'll ever have. I'm interested in your knowledgeable opinions - is this a decent bottle? Can I expect a peck on the cheek?

That tourtiere looks suspiciously like gussied-up poutine! 🙃

OK, perhaps I should mention that I recently talked with professors at U of O Law School about my signing up to take classes leading to my getting a law degree. I don't plan on offing all the lawyers any time soon; in fact, many of my best friends practice law. Sorry if I lead anyone to think anyone should be impacted for being of a certain opinion, on this august forum. ga

Mr Luxury, As long as you bash ALL politicians, it is fine. As Shakespeare said, "First, kill all the attorneys. Equal opportunity.

As they say, "A fool and his money are soon parted." I'm sorry for those that took the plunge, but methinks a dose of caveat emptor was in order.

Aye aye!! (Salutes sharply.) Roger, Wilco!! 🤪

Our dipping of the toe into making something of our grapes is a real eye opener. This wine making business is a lot of work, and complicated. It's almost like you have to know what you're doing. I asked a friend who is long in the business if he could recommend someone to help us, during time of harvest and crushing. He said, "Are you kidding? EVERYONE who knows ANYTHING about processing grapes in Oregon is working 20 hours a day, until the grapes are harvested and initial processing is done. It is one of those businesses where long periods of limited activity are interspersed with brief periods of all-hands-on-deck. Sounds like the military! Hurry up and wait! So, we keep reading, and have a new appreciation for being able to buy a drinkable bottle of wine at Costco for $9.99! (Oregon, Acrobat, Pinot Gris; grapes primarily grown at King Estates, outside of Eugene, Oregon, in Lorane Valley).

Maybe sort of like joining the Sky High Club?? 😀 (Or is it the Mile High Club?)

For the serious oenophiles, an interesting article in The Oregonian about lots of Oregon wines appearing in top 100 lists of various Wine mags. While Pinot Noir is the current calling card here, Oregon (who shares a lot in common with France such as latitude, ocean modulated climate, variety of soils & microclimates), is host to hundreds or thousands of wineries specializing in every kind of grape. Some folks long in the local wine biz feel that Oregon will ultimately be better known for Chardonnay's and Pinot Gris's, in addition to already stellar Pinot Noir. Southern Washington is also well on its way to being a major producer of good wines. Global warming probably will make it more so. Me? I slurp it all! My DW & I this fall sprang for an Italian-made crusher-destemmer and an English hydraulic press, and are working on our first 10 gallons of wine of several varieties from vines we planted about 5 years ago. The yield shot up this year, and I'm going to have to build stouter arbors to hold the heavy load of ripening grapes. This is a back yard operation, so sorry, you won't be seeing our bottles on SS anytime soon! Oregon Wines Make a Splash on Magazine Top 100 lists:

Wink, wink, nudge, nudge!!

Smoking a cigarette, I suppose....

Not to throw too much gasoline on this fire, but I wonder what percentage of the PAX are on all day, late returning outings on any given port day?? Is the tail wagging the dog?

Perhaps it is time to switch to a less controversial topic, like - oh, say - politics, religion, the middle east, abortion, pronunciation of potato & tomato....🤪

OMG, Onslow is my hero! Plus, my name and his are almost the same. Enough so that I visited his park in London..

Lois, I got both the over-65 multi-talent flu shot & the RSV shot, same day. Other than some soreness at injection site, didn't actually feel much impact physically. However, it was of course an excellent opportunity to beg off doing several onerous hubby projects that my DW was advocating I undertake that day. Oh, my arm!! (Staggers into comfy armchair...) Today am going to get Covid booster (#6 I think?).

Fortunately, our favorite food store gives a 10% discount to "Seniors" (over 65). It really helps. They also evidently give same discount if you're pregnant. I once asked the check out person what happens if you're over 65 AND pregnant. She looked me in the eye and immediately responded "We'll GIVE you the dam groceries!" 🤪

I may have posted it before, but I ran across this pumpkin on the porch of an office associated with the U of O Research Park. Anyone who's done a Zoom conference call can relate...

As ZZ Top said (sang) - Clean shirt, new shoes And I don't know where I am goin' to Silk suit, black tie (black tie) I don't need a reason why They come runnin' just as fast as they can 'Cause every girl crazy 'bout a sharp-dressed man. Gold watch, diamond ring I ain't missin' not a single thing Cufflinks, stick pin When I step out I'm gonna do you in They come runnin' just as fast as they can 'Cause every girl crazy 'bout a sharp-dressed man. Top coat, top hat And I don't worry 'cause my wallet's fat Black shades, white gloves Lookin' sharp, lookin' for love They come runnin' just as fast as they can 'Cause every girl crazy 'bout a sharp-dressed man.

Mssr Jazzbeau, Thank you for your thoughtful intercession. We of the McGillicuddy clan aren't exactly tip-top on this highfalutin' computer stuff. But - as you may surmise - I'm a fair country manure spreader, even without firing up the tractor!!

Ropomo, I typed it off-site, then pasted the text into the CC post window. I selected Arial typeface and 12 pt, which is the largest they have. I'm guessing I should have converted to plain text, before pasting. Sorry for the inconvenience. I'm great at fixin' the tractor & the manure spreader, but this gol durn computer stuff is a bit over my pay grade. Guess I need some grandkids to help me out with that! Regards, Festus McGillicuddy

Well, ever’ Monday I put on a clean pair of bib overalls (whether I need to or not), and I’m fixed for the week. I got a jacket, alright, an old Carhardt with the plaid flannel lining. Of course, what with the wear and tear from all those trips to the milk parlor, the hay loft & shoveling out the chicken coop, it’s about 50% duct tape by weight - I like to get good use out of my clothes, before I pass them on to the kids. Come Saturday, before me & Thelma Lou make our big outing to the feed store (that’s our special time!), I chase the cows off (that’d be Bessie & Buttercup), and hop in the watering trough for a bath. Thelma is kind enough to bring out the kettle full a hot water, so I don’t catch the sniffles, from the cold and all. Then, I put on the store-boughts, and we jump in the pickup and hightail it in to town. (The goats follow us out to the mailbox, if Ma is driving.) At Gomer’s Feed, Seed & Ammo, they got some free donuts and coffee if you get there before 10am, so we’re punctual! Now, Sunday come along, its haul out the go-to-meeting outfit: that would be the suit my old pappy bought me for when I graduated from high school. I buff up them shoes & glue the sole on now & then, and what with Thelma in her good dress made from one of the nicer flour sacks we’ve seen, we’re cutting a wide swath when we show up at the meeting house! So, now Thelma Lou’s done got us signed up for this fancy pants cruise on the Silver Muse. I suppose I’m gonna have to up my sartorial game. So, I’m gonna pop over to Milan, and have Brioni’s measure me up for a proper suit, then go to Ferragamo’s for some shoes. We just got the check for selling a few tons of feed corn, and I reckon I’ll have enough so I can get all dolled up for supper in one a them exclusive mess halls they got on board…..

Mysty - I'm on it like a cheap suit!! I suppose they know at this date who will be in which port. I have, of course, Google Earth stalked the satellite views of the ports, so can see where some of the ships tie up. I'm hopeful that the svelte SS Muse will slip in to the close-in slips, whilst the 7000 pax MV Profundo Gigantea (and that ilk) will be restricted to anchoring out on the bounding main, and shuttling passengers by tender. (Cue Elvis - "Love Me Tender"....)

Fellow Coolers - My DW & I are taking the plunge to return to cruising after a long hiatus (I'm lookin' at you, Covid) - and are signed up for a Muse cruise next June doing Seward - Vancouver - Seward. This is B2B, but with different ports of call coming and going. We are excited about cruising, and seeing Alaska is on our bucket list. We'll fly into Anchorage 2 days before boarding, so have a day in town, which we plan to while away at the Anchorage Museum. We'll be taking the highly rated scenic train ride to and from Seward. The port towns we'll stop at are Juneau, Haines, Sitka, Wrangell, Vancouver, Ketchikan, Skagway & Valdez. I'm studying what there is to do at each stop, and looking at available outings, but we may well just wander around & check out the various museums in these towns, some of which look to be very interesting indeed. Alaska's history, of course, is rich: Geologically, First Nations, Russian period, trapping, fishing, mining, American acquisition (Seward's Folly), gold rush, oil discovery, etc etc etc.. In considering and scheduling options, it would be useful to know if the Muse has to tender at any of these ports. I've looked at the website, but can't find any info. If you have info on that, I'd love to hear it. Some of the major museums do scheduled tickets, understandably when behemoth ships are disgorging thousands of people at once. So, having a sense of how long it takes to get on the pier will be helpful. While we've had some great outings on previous cruises, our interest in sitting on a bus is greatly diminished, and we're inclined to walk around these towns, meet some local people, and maybe hire a taxi for an impromptu tour. I've checked out the Alaska thread on CC, but am also interested if any SS cruisers have tips to pass on, in addition to the dock v tender matter. Thanks in advance for your responses. WW4T