Will Work for Tiramisu

This is the link for the National Hurricane Center: https://www.nhc.noaa.gov Named storms have their own box if you scroll down, and you can click the various boxes to see info on their projected routes, and when it will be where. All is subject to the hurricane changing its mind, of course. Looks like landfall around Halifax with hurricane force winds, but the whole eastern seaboard is going to a bumpy ride for the next few days. Good time for ships to stay in a safe harbor!

Uh, wait a minute - we can now get sedan chairs to carry us around the ship?? Does this include people with ostrich feather fans walking alongside, fanning the flies away?? There is an amenities race amongst the luxury lines, but this takes it up a notch. Ideally, we would have Jainist folks with brooms sweeping the way in front of the procession, and hopefully young persons strewing rose petals in front of the procession. I'm liking these new efforts to attract business - will there be an extra charge for the fellows with trumpets announcing that Mr McGillicuddy, of Suite 738, is coming through - make way!! He needs to get to his appointed deck chair stat!!

A few years back we did a road trip in France (a big loop starting in Paris, down the Seine, Normandy coast, St Malo, then up the Loire Valley back to Paris). Driving through the rural farming area south of Normandy, we stopped in a little town at intersection of two roads (famous for 1000 year old oak with TWO shrines built into tree hollows), and a lady in a dusty old store directed us to her brothers' butcher shop. He had fresh, small baguettes (made by his cousin in next town over), cut in half and slathered some Normandy butter on them, and a thin slice of local ham. As we drove away we unwrapped and tore into them, and we were all smitten by how anything could taste so good. Normandy is a great place for cows, lots of rich grass, and the pigs are fed on chestnuts and apple pomace and God knows what else (lost tourists??). I never looked at butter the same way again, and we still try to have some of the good stuff on hand, and just use the American commodity butter for baking and general slathering. Which, given our ages, we should really be out of the slathering business!

There is an old American saying, "You don't miss your water 'til your well runs dry." A lot of people on both sides of the Atlantic, & elsewhere in the world, will be missing the presence of this quiet, remarkable woman. Yes, she was a carryover from times of the British Empire, and critics can certainly make some hay regarding the British role during those times (when many other European countries were establishing wide-flung empires, with all that goes with that). However, setting all that aside - she was not responsible for policies and actions that predated her ascension to being Queen. As a somewhat disinterested observer, (born in the year she became queen), I didn't have to be an authority in world history to see that this capable young woman - called to serve as an accident of birth - fully rose to the occasion, and aged into a highly respected member of the world community. In the many decades since, while the world was awash in stormy seas of war, revolution and an ever-increasing lack of civility, she has been a bastion of steady statespersonship, and the embodiment of common decency. No, you won't see her equal anytime soon. We all knew she wasn't long for this world, but I join all her subjects and fans around the world in saluting her long years of service to her country, and wishing her family and country the best during a sad time. Hail Britannia!!

Coolerists - I heartily concur that this very obscure little corner of the interwebs continues to be that rare thing - a place where people from all over the world can share a virtual pint and talk about everything and nothing. Without resorting to fisticuffs! I'm reminded of Jerry Seinfeld's description of his TV show as being a show about nothing. Nothing can be interesting. I read once that Leo Tolstoy belonged to an informal club, in his teenage years, to be a member of which you had to stand on a certain street corner in Moscow for an hour and not think about a white bear. I come to this corner and don't think about any of several unpleasant things, at least for a few minutes a day. When I'm tottering at the brink of my personal 6' deep hole, and thinking back about the covid times from early 2020 on, I will remember this forum as a rare bright spot in a darkening world. As they say, "Where are we going, and why am I in this hand basket??"

Ah, coffee. Over the years you read how it is declared unhealthy, then wonderful. We don't care - gotta have my cuppa joe, by cracky. As mentioned elsewhere above, we have a MoccaMaster drip pot, and their very nice grinder, for the morning slurp. We've had a lot of brands over the years, but these are well made and are holding up very well. If I really want to step it up a bit, there is always the French Press - I think that is nice when there is company, as the sort of ritual attendant thereto feels a bit like a tea ceremony - a way to make the friends feel "special". (And they make good coffee.) When last we updated ye olde kitchen, we installed the below espresso machine, by Gaggenau; a German brand, I think their stuff is made by Braun or Bosch, but does a fine job. You load it up with beans and water in respective containers, and it cranks out good espresso, does steaming, two cups at once, if so desired. Nice to have. There is a warming drawer below in photo, so not as big as appears. We buy better beans for this machine, but Mr Cheapo here springs for the big bags of Starbucks French Roast from Costco. We've had Gaggenau appliances since we built 35 years ago - wonderful stuff. A topic for another day.

But would I work for triceramisu? Hmmm, have to think about that....

The defendant was charged with Sleeping in Front of the AC Vent, but the Grand Jury forwarded a charge of Open Solicitation for a Belly Rub. I'd say guilty as charged.

Sorry to raise the alarm. I was strictly kidding about the bed bugs. We have never seen any, and would not expect to encounter them on a high end cruise line. However, I'm sure every line has a policy to control them, as they can be brought in on luggage. We have longstanding policy to never put luggage or clothes on the floor in hotels, no matter how nice they are. I know some people keep luggage in the tub in hotels, for this reason. It is a buggy world out there. Again, I didn't mean to plant any seeds of doubt amongst other readers of this forum. My bad.

After a hard day helping in the garden, Tiramisu (our OES pup) falls asleep on the water dish!!

There have been expressed some opinions that Silverseas appeals to an older, stodgier crowd than some other lines. I'm happy to report that SS Management has recently announced some new additions to the entertainment offerings, to help appeal to a younger crowd: *Loaner pogo sticks will be provided for use in the hallways accessing the suites, also, remote battery controlled miniature race cars will also be provided for use in the halls, making your pogo experience more challenging - a good exercise to keep that aging brain agile! *There will be wet T-shirt contests - sorry, ladies, participation limited to gentlemen over 60. Contestants will get wet by first competing in a cannonball contest, off the walking track into the hot tub at pool level. *There will be eating contests featuring caviar, champagne & avocado toast. *Waterskiing will be available off the stern, while the ship is underway. *Each evening there will be an "Elevator Stuffing" contest, similar to the phone booth stuffing events of your youth. *As a special treat, there will be Air Guitar contests poolside, with high volume death-metal "music" piped in though huge Marshall Amplifier stacks, all turned up to 11! A massive air drum kit will also be available. I hope all will enjoy these improvements.

There are times and places where a hot dog is the best thing you can possibly eat: On a boardwalk, at the beach, with maybe some over salted but perfect fries, and a almost frozen soda. At a baseball game, with maybe some sauerkraut and mustard, and a big cold beer. In Vienna, from a cart as you head out (from a late start!) from your hotel, for a day doing museums! Nothing better in those situations. (OK, maybe from a street vendor in NYC selling Nathans, before you walk on the wild side!