Will Work for Tiramisu

As a fellow geezer, I have to give props to Mick Jagger, not to mention Keith Richards, for surviving being in the rock and roll biz, and still being alive. I know Mick has looked out for his physical health since they began; I remember reading he would go running (jogging as was called then) before jogging was a thing. Mick with a pot belly would not get the job done. Good for him! Keef, of course, just did so much heroin and such that he was a skinny rail - kind of goes with the territory. Between the Beatles and the Stones, my considered opinion is that the Beatles were and are the greatest pop band of all time, and the Stones were/are the greatest Rock band of all time. Beatles ultimately paid homage to the great songbook of both US but also UK, and were incredibly talented, and helped along by others they worked with, like George Martin (5th Beatle). Arguably, Beatles made significant additions to that songbook. The Stones drew heavily on American black musical traditions, so had a legit claim to a blues basis, but also crafted their own image that was somewhere opposite where the Beatles were. Kind of like a two star system where the stars are rotating about their shared center of gravity. The Beatles were fun/cuddly at first, the Stones were dangerous. Note Brian's death. There were and are a huge number of talented bands that have been in the biz in last 50 - 60 years, but these two have to be acknowledged as the two major elements. The longevity of the Rolling Stones is nothing short of amazing.

When we last cruised into Santorini, having done a lot of research, we chose to stay on the ship! Yes, it would be fun to see some of the sights, but we agreed we would rather come by ferry and choose a time with less tourists around. You can visit the website "What's In Port" to see how many 6000 pax ships are disgorging the hoi polloi on any given day. It was quite warm when we were there, and the options for getting around looked like they would involve a lot of waiting in line, unless one wanted to climb the steep stairs/ramp that is shared with donkeys who do what donkeys do, if you get my drift. I've read of people slipping and falling into the unpleasantness, which made for a rather embarrassing trip back to the ship.

Regarding seeing Rolling Stones in concert, my first time was Long Beach, California in May 1965. Next was Pittsburgh, PA summer 1966. My family (ma, pa, four boys) was on cross country car trip, my older brothers heard Stones were playing, some how convinced ma & pa to divert to Pittsburgh, give us money and drop us off to see concert. I was 14. Either they were trusting (not really) or my older brothers were very persuasive (definitely!). Last time was 1981 in Seattle King Dome. All concerts were really good, obviously sound was better at last one. I also had the pleasure of seeing the mop top four (Beatles) at Hollywood Bowl, in California, in August 1964. Again, older brothers managed to get the folks to let little me go with a couple of them, and a high school friend of older brother who had a VW bug. Our seats were pretty good (it is a small venue), but other than the first chord or two, hearing was nothing but girls screaming from then on. Sound systems were super primitive then, just one Vox amp for each guitar, no mikes on drums, and a little PA stack on either side, like you'd see in a high school gym. But it was fun, and I'm glad to be able to say I saw both bands. More recently I had the pleasure of seeing the Zombies, in 2018 in Portland, Oregon, who still tour with two original members (keyboard/composer and distinctive vocalist). One of my all time favorite bands, and great musicians. Of course, for just stellar musicianship, hard to beat seeing Herb Alpert with his awesome band, and lovely wife Lani Hall, who is a fabulous vocal stylist; they seem to be still touring - we last saw in 2019 in Eugene, Oregon.

Am planning on upping my sartorial standards for the next cruise:

Listen, I know that we don't need to take note of every news item of the day, such as whether someone got indicted for 37 felonies, but I do want to note the passing of Astrud Gilberto, the woman who - in her early 20's, never having recorded before, was asked by her hubby to sing on a recording of "Girl From Ipanema", being recorded by her hubby Joao Gilberto and Stan Getz (song written by Antonio Jobim & Vinicius de Moraes). She was paid $120, no residuals. The song was covered by many people, but no one did a better version of it - she was born to sing that song. This was in 1963, I was a pre-teen, but I remember hearing that voice, that instrumentation, that lovely samba composition, and being transported. More, I was beckoned by it, I wanted to know more about the big wide world, outside of my young experience, that could produce such intriguing and seductive sounds. She went on to make a career of singing, and moved to the US from her native Brazil. Around the same time, the Beatles burst upon the scene, and some of their songs had a similar effect, of introducing a view into a more European and grown-up world to my young eyes, shortly after the shock of Kennedy's assassination. We all needed a lift. But today, I salute Astrud for her wonderful and truly timeless gift to us all.

As one of those responsible for some of the more fetid rubbish littering the otherwise broad, clean and welcoming CC SS Boardwalk, I'll comply with Lola's request. Way back in the day, I spent a summer as a commercial fisherman off Oregon coast. Occasionally we would catch Ling Cod, which can get quite large, and with faces only a mother could love. I penned the following, establishing my permanent place in the firmament of literary achievement: Two ling cod were all in a huddle, At the bottom of the Pacific puddle. Said the one to the other, "You're a great ling cod lover - But your face is a constant rebuttal!" I can show myself out, thank you.

I thought the song "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" referred to earth??

Sthrngary, Heavens, you and the missus are just young sprouts - not like some of us Methuselahs that haunt these boards. In addition to being somewhat long in the tooth, I am a skinflint of awesome proportions. Nonetheless, back in the day when we were contemplating our first serious cruise, I spent a long time looking at many of the lines, and assessing the costs and benefits of a smaller ship with more favorable space to passenger ratio, and all the things you aren't dinged for at every turn, and decided SS was a fair proposition for rubles forked over, versus experience delivered. We've done four SS cruises (and few on other, lesser lines), and will continue with SS on our next. We had an experience once where we were walking off a pier, and had to pass nearby the main entrance gangway to a huge mega-ship. We were accosted by their camera toting crew, who planned on pressuring us to buy photos of ourselves once back on board their ship. Au contraire! I was glad we were on the Silver Muse, and didn't have to deal with in-house paparazzi, or any of the other schemes they have to extract as much coin from you as possible. These cruises aren't cheap, but once you get over the paying part, there is a good chance that most people will have a fun, luxurious experience without having to fret about wearing your "drinks badge" or swiping cards at every turn, and can enjoy the services of the crew who - mostly - do a fine job and are eager to please.

My DW and I were booked to sail from NYC to Barcelona (a TA crossing obviously), in March 2020 with stops at Bermuda, and Spanish Islands off west coast of Africa, on the (then newly launched) RSS Splendor, which looked to be a lovely ship. Certain events occurred, which caused the cruise to be canceled. We got our money back, finally, although had made hotel reservations that were non-refundable. I was interested to try something other than SS, which had been our line of preference. We still want to do a TA, and hope maybe will do in near future, as we are not getting any younger! Generally, we have been driven by the itinerary on most of our cruise selections (we did one BTB on Seabourn in 2019 from Venice to Athens, because they had a great list of ports of call), but we have enjoyed SS a lot, on the four cruises we have done with them. Partly, this is due to our not needing to be "entertained", and happy to enjoy the ship and the amenities thereon, the open ocean, and each other's company. We've checked out a few shows, but are more inclined to watch a movie in our humble Veranda Suite. I confess I do like the sort of European vibe on SS, but then we are huge fans of all things Italian, so I'm biased. We've done all the dining venues (this is pre-SALT), and while the offerings at specialty venues are nice, we are big fans of Atlantide & Terrazza; great service, excellent, wide ranging food. For my limited money and limited time, I'm sticking with SS for any future cruises.

Well, here in Oregon, not only must wild waterfowl walk in single file, they also must use the crosswalk:

Admittedly, Florida - unlike Boston - has not had any molasses floods, that I'm aware of. I'll give them that. Plus, the gators sort of clean up the riff raff who venture too close to the water hazards...😛

Uh, actually, getting banned in Florida is now a pretty low bar. I'll go for the tried and true - Banned in Boston. Now we're talkin'!!

Was planning on a leisurely evening yesterday when friends called at 4pm, and accepted an earlier dinner invite. So, took stock of the larder and the refer, had just boiled some eggs, and I keep some good tuna in oil around, so given the hot weather, Salad Nicoise was just the ticket. Did a pretty faithful rendition per Julia Childs "The Way to Cook". There is a big mound of her French tater salad in the middle, over a bed of lettuce, with tuna, eggs, Kalamata olives, tomatoes, anchovies and parsley, all drizzled with a lemon-dijon vinaigrette. It makes a nice one dish meal, and looks good on the platter. Bon appetit!

IMHO, few things beat sitting out on your veranda, with a good book (or, heaven forfend, e-reader) and getting lost in it, for hours on end. There is a small library, or bring your own. Good time for navel-gazing, also, unless, of course, you can no longer view your navel. In which case, off to the gym with you for a work out, or (my personal favorite) walking laps on the promenade. If all else fails, one could try chatting with your POSSLQ (Person of opposite sex sharing living quarters)(that's a literary reference, so don't jump on me for not suggesting optional person of SAME sex...) I'm endlessly interested in watching the surface of the ocean, spotting birds and whales and refugees, or flotsam and jetsam, to say nothing of watching the endless parade of shipping near and far. Approaching ports is always one of my favorite times, especially from the Panorama lounge with a stiff G&T in hand; plus, the crew always needs supervision and suggestions from pax whilst handing the lines when docking. One could also play solitaire til dawn, with a deck of 51. Together with eating and drinking, napping, sleeping, bath time, dressing for dinner - why, there are hardly enough hours in the day!

Not to be mistaken with: "Polk salad Annie - Gator got your granny -"👍

Well, since all things English are in the news, here's an updated photo of Tiramisu, our now just over one year old Old English Sheepdog. There is warm weather on the way, so she gets a short cut everywhere, except her head and ears, which retain the customary "I-can't-see-and-run-into-things" appearance. We pull her hair up in a top knot on her forehead, so she can see a little better. She is the self appointed overseer of chickens, squirrels, birds and strange people or vehicles on our street.

God Save the Lounger!!

For guidance as to appropriate wear for men onboard, I suggest listening to ZZTops' "Sharp Dressed Man". It isn't about what you can get away with, minimally, it is how can you up the whole vibe on the ship with your sartorial standards. A cruise should be something of a celebration of the best that being alive has to offer - travel, adventure, seeing different parts of the beautiful earth, appreciating different cultures, good food, good company, hanging with your main squeeze, and the people who dress accordingly add to the special nature of the experience. I say - bring on the cummerbunds, the spats, the morning jackets, cufflinks, evening gowns, fake pearls, big hats that were too extreme for Mardi Gras - and I'm just talking about the men here!

Back in 1976, I had taken on a weekend job of installing a ceiling in a large warehouse for an older local fellow in the truck parts business. This guy drove a 1972 (just before the original "Energy Crisis" or oil embargo), long, white Cadillac convertible, with red leather interior. In the corner of the warehouse was a small area walled off with a roll up door. I had occasion to go in there to access electrical service. Parked inside - I kid you not - were two identical Cadillacs, a little dusty, but brand new - 10 miles on the odometers. He told me he had found his favorite ride, and didn't want to put up with driving anything different for the rest of his life. He'd start them up a couple times a year, but otherwise they sat there, waiting. Like Jazzbeau's shoes. Meanwhile, in the present, my wife and I have had hybrid Toyotas and Lexus's, dating back to 2005. We think they are the ideal mix of enviro sensibility, make mechanical good sense, and run on widely available gas. (Plus tires and brakes last forever, and nothing breaks down, it seems.) We just helped our daughter buy a Toyota RAV4 HPEV - Hybrid Plug In Electric Vehicle. It still uses gas, but can be plugged in to charge a battery that provides an EV range of about 50 miles, but also kicks in to augment the gas engine for a rather peppy drive, when you want it. As far as my remaining driving years go, I hope I can do them all with gas hybrids, or an HPEV. I suspect there will be gas stations for quite a while yet, and we can go drive 400 miles if we need to, without worrying about finding a public charger. (Many of which our daughter tells us are broken or vandalized.) The RAV4 she has plugs into a 110v plug we already have in our garage, and charges up in a few hours, when she visits. The best of both worlds. (But we didn't buy her 3!)

We live in Eugene, Oregon, which is truly where old hippies go to die. In fact, a local cemetery has a tricked out VW bus that you can have your urn of ashes placed in. Ken Kesey is from just out of town, some of the Merry Pranksters can still be seen at the grocery stores, the Grateful Dead were regulars here at local events and playing at the U of O football stadium for years, and the Country Fair is now in its 52nd year, originally a sort of Scarborough Fair in a country setting, that morphed into a giant amoeba like hippy drug sodden 3 day event. You still see people wearing the outfit I described, and lots of tie dye, and dreadlocks down to their (unshod feet). Many of the former Yurt-in-a-Commune dwellers now have thriving businesses, live in McMansions and drive Tesla's hither and yon, although a few still have the olde VW Microbus in the third garage bay. A bit like a living history museum here.

If I showed up at the Grill in my classic bell-bottomed skinny jeans with paisley bell inserts at side seams, with a white linen Indian dhoti on top, with large peace symbol on gold chain, and Birkenstocks - would that pass muster? Or would I be subject to the obligatory keel-hauling?? 🤩 Need to know whether need to pack Scuba gear or no....

When traveling through an airport we haven't been through before, I have found it useful to go online and find a map of the airport, and get a sense of where you will be arriving and departing. It can save a lot of time. My wife and I once got in a LONG line (I think at Heathrow), thinking we had to do that, but I had her stay in line and I checked it out - it turned out we didn't need to be in that line - saving us much time. Knowing the general lay of the land can make the connection easier. I would print out a copy of the plan, then discard (oops, RECYCLE!!) when done with the connection. Hope this helps. PS I actually found a short cut at SFO to get to international gates that saved lots of hassle (leaving and reentering secure area), just by looking at the map of the airport.

Whatever you call them, we have found every one to be eager to please and helpful, although me and the missus are pretty low maintenance. As long as the cooler has been stocked, I'm good. I think of them largely as a concierge that comes to your room, similar to a concierge function at a good hotel - there to help with whatever you're trying to do. (Well, at least legally!) We've enjoyed taking time to talk with them and see where they are from and hear their stories. But then, when traveling, we are always aware that to some degree we are ambassadors for our country (US), and believe me, after certain recent occupants of the Whitehouse, the US can use all the good will it can get!

We have always brought along flexible plastic water containers (by Platypus, made in US), contain .5 liter when full, with snug screw top. When empty, they lay flat (take no space), you can roll up and put in pocket. Enough water for an outing, and nothing goes in the landfill, or the ocean! Have used for years, and have never had a leak. Worth looking for, likely sold in REI or similar outdoor/camping/outfitting stores.

I understand that once opened, vermouth should be used within a short period, or it will start to go bad. (ie turn to vinegar, etc.) So if they're using an old bottle that's been around since the Clinton Administration, that could be a problem. I was considering starting a new thread here, titled "3 Liter Box Wines & Lite Beer on SS", but thought better of it. 😋