atexsix

3 hours ago, doobieb said:

Bruno, @atexsix I feel your pain. My mom died at 98 last April after living though covid with us. Five days later my daughter got married. The balance of strong emotions felt just right. zone event helped with the other, and made things seem natural. Go to Hawaii, walk on the beach, and enjoy your memories.

It's going to be very hard to enjoy the memories, I couldn't even get through a Love Boat episode the other night, how am I going to handle an actual ship?  😥

9 hours ago, bennybear said:

Well it SNOWED again! Sigh!  I’m leaving it 🙃 

We would have given anything for a snowfall like this, Dear Dad wanted to see one last good snow, but our winter was too mild this year.  

8 hours ago, Cruising-along said:

Oh no!  I hope the missing zebra is found soon.  Definitely there are cougars and bears in that area. 

Was this the one they couldn't find?

2 hours ago, maryandmarge said:

Bruno - good to hear from you.    Just remember it’s one day at a time.   You have many friends on here keeping you in their thoughts and prayers.   My sister and I fly into Seattle on Friday before taking the Holland transfer on Sunday to Vancouver to do a 14 day Alaska cruise on the Nieuw Amsterdam (the same ship we met you on in 2021).    I’ll make sure we do a toast to you on sail away on the back of the ship where we first met.  Hope our cruising paths cross again in the future.     Stay healthy and I hope things continue to get easier for you.  Take care.    Maryell

By all means, I will be there in spirit.  I just hopes nobody plays a trick on you this time.  

And I wish they'd go back to offering the 14 day sailings to Alaska from Seattle. I'm booked on the 28 day next June but I don't know if I want to be gone that long.  I might switch to a Cunard 10 day which are being moved to Seattle next year.

Good Morning,

Wow, it's been about 3 weeks since Dad died and it feels like 3 months, it's just been nonstop tasks.  The wake/funeral took a week to get setup and organized and that took place a week ago today, and then I had to get started on estate matters. The wake/funeral went well, it wasn't easy doing open casket everything, but Dad's church insisted on it as part of their orthodox tradition and there was no option to deviate.  Washington State doesn't really give you very long to start probate, so I had to find an attorney right on the heels of the funeral.  And this week I had to get started on banking matters now that I have the death certificates.  Dying is a giant pain in the butt if you ask me!  I've barely had time to mourn the actual loss.  

At first the idea of being on a cruise without Dad was unthinkable. But now, after the above stress, the idea of doing something is gaining in appeal, and it doesn't even need to be on a ship, even a week in Hawaii sounds delightful, anything to forget about the real world for awhile. Of course not everything has been a walk in the park, I'm still dealing with intense grief like I've never known it before, but counseling and a support group are assisting on that. 

So that's a very quick update I know, but I hope everybody are continuing to have fantastic vacations, and I hope to join you back in the daily on a more regular basis in the very near future.  

~Bruno

I really hate to be a downer during Lisa's sail away, so I will just pop in for a minute and thank everybody for all the thoughts and prayers from the last couple of dailies.  The arrangements are moving along.  The grief is still awful, but just a hair better today.  Now I'm going to scroll back and drool over Lisa's food photos, even with no appetite it looks amazing.

~Bruno

First of all, a huge thank you to the outpouring of condolences, both here and in the daily; but I've only been able to read a few posts at a time, then I'd start getting upset.  

The last couple of days have been tuff, I have had very little time to grieve, yesterday was taken up by an almost comic back and forth between the cemetery, funeral home, church, and relatives in order to agree on a date for the burial.  It would finally look like everything was going to work and I'd get an "oh, wait" out of somebody.  This went on for hours.  I finally picked what works for me, even if it meant disappointing someone.  I haven't had much of an appetite, every time I try I take 3 or 4 bites then push my plate away.  Nights are particularly lonesome, the last two I just sat in the dark reliving the events of the past week.  Still not sleeping much, but last night was a little better.  

For those that mentioned it, we did have a cruise booked, I still might go, it's not until next year and I have plenty of time to get used to the idea of going alone, right now the thought of it is devastating. 

Tomorrow I go to the funeral home to pick out the casket, yippee!  I also have to write them a check, double yippee!  

1 hour ago, luvteaching said:

Hi @atexsix Bruno, 

 

I hope you are getting things done and allowing time for yourself. It can be overwhelming I know. If you feel it would be appropriate I'd love to have a link to DD's obituary. That's only if you are comfortable with it. He was such a nice man and I enjoyed chatting with him at the Lincoln Center Stage. You were a great caregiver, from what I experienced, and caregiving isn't easy. Take care!
 

Karen

Yes, it's not going to be until after the services, Dad requested no formal obit, so it'll be something like a remembrance that I will be doing later, but you are perfectly welcome to the link, especially since we cruised together.  Remember the chamber music?  What did they ever come up with to take the place of LCL?

FYI: I'll be posting all future updates in the daily.

~Bruno

Good Morning,

Thanks for all the thoughts, prayers, and kind words.  I slept about 4 hours with the cat waking me at 5, not a bad thing, Dad was a night owl and during the course of his illness it was important that my schedule match his, I'm happy I can get back to my early to bed early to rise routine.  

My Mom and her husband will be over today to bring the groceries that they were planning on dropping off anyway, as it was difficult for me to leave even for a moment. The funeral director is supposed to be calling.  And I'm continuing the depressing task of locating friends on Dad's phone that I'm not aware of.  

Dad's priest assured me yesterday that the schedule next week is wide open and not to worry about the details, he said the backup is usually with the cemetery, so that'll need to be scheduled and then we'll work backward from there.  I'm assuming the funeral home handles those arrangements, I would hope they did for the prices they charge.  

Tomorrow I need to go out and find some clothes for him to wear, we've had nothing but hospital attire for the last two years, the few clothing items of Dad's that I still have most definitely will not fit, even though I've heard funeral homes can sometimes work their magic.  

So again thanks so much for the outpouring of condolences, it means so much to me.

All the best,

Bruno

Dear Dad passed away this afternoon.  I want to thank all the well wishes, thoughts, and prayers, over the course of this almost 2 year journey.  It meant a lot to us.  It was truly a privilege caring for him and he died peacefully and without pain while I held his hand. 

Wave season was terrible for him, they advertise cruises every 30 seconds it seems, but now he can go anywhere he wants.  I'll miss him greatly.  And there's now a huge void in my life.  

I hope everybody are having wonderful vacations and maybe there'll be a much needed break for me sometime this year.  

All the best,

~Bruno

1 hour ago, luvteaching said:

GOod morning from a rainy Pacific Northwest, 

 

I see grass, I see road, and my outdoor thermometer is above freezing! I parked the car last Monday and it hasn't moved since so it's off to water aerobics today (yay!) and errands. I haven't had a lot of human interaction the last week so it will be nice to get out and actually talk to people. 

 

Have a good day! 

Karen

We didn't get any snow down here and Dad wanted it so bad, he knows it might be his last winter to see it.  But the weather conditions just weren't ideal.  

1 hour ago, Quartzsite Cruiser said:

We have been to Ushuaia twice.  The first time was in 1999 on Noordam III.  The second time was in 2015 on Ruby Princess.  We walked around town in the morning and took the tour to the end of the road (the Pan American Highway.).  By the time it reached the end in South America, it was a well-maintained dirt road which is how it begins in Alaska.

 

These first pictures are from our morning walk. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These were taken when we returned from our tour in the afternoon when the weather was better.  The second one was taken from our aft balcony as we sailed toward Punta Arenas, Chile.

 

 

 

The view from the end of the road and the road looking back from the shoreline.

 

 

 

Another picture of the sign that shows the distance to Alaska on the northern end in Prudhoe Bay.

 

Our next stop was the headquarters of the Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego.

 

 

One of the best views we had that day.

 

Lenda

Dear Dad was on the Noordam II, it sure was a tiny little thing, even by 1950's standards, but it was a very elegant ship.  

Thank you to all the people that wrote, it means a lot:

@Quartzsite Cruiser

@kazu

@dfish

@JazzyV We're starting to have food delivered because I don't have time to grocery shop and cook. Fortunately we now qualify for a home health aide and because he's hospice we don't have to wait as long, it' just a matter of getting the paperwork done.

@ottahand7

@quilty964

@Seasick Sailor Yes, Dad was in the army, drafted during the Vietnam era, but because he never went to Vietnam he doesn't get any pension, thanks Uncle Sam!  They keep changing the date ranges on this, but it'll probably be too late for him by the time it's expanded.

@luvteaching Sadly, he doesn't remember that Hawaii cruise.  It's so sad, all of our beautiful memories are now gone.  Keep taking those fantastic photos people, some day it might be all you have!

@aliaschief

@smitty34877

@rafinmd

@maryandmarge

@dobiemom Now that he's officially hospice we can qualify for that program, in the past we didn't.

@Cruzin Terri Dad was recently diagnosed with Mild Cog Impairment, but I think there's some early dementia in the mix as well, those tests only measure a fraction of what I see 24/7.  

@StLouisCruisers

@bennybear

@puppycanducruise

On Respite: Lots of great advice and I will try and take advantage of all the help that is offered, and there's quite a bit available, I'm just nervous about having more strangers in/out of the house.  Not that I don't trust them, we have yet to have any problems of that nature, and I lock everything in my office safe as the V.A. suggested.  But I'm always afraid they are going to bring something in here from other homes they visit like illness of course, or bugs. 

On Prayer: I've recently rediscovered my faith, I normally don't get into things that personal, but it's relevant in this case; Dad's church and I are not on good terms because of some disagreements with the leadership, it's going to create problems for the funeral down the road, so I'm currently trying to fix all that on top of all the caregiving.  So thanks for all the prayers n thoughts no matter what your belief system.

As usual, I will try to pop in and give updates, and just pop in and read about all the fantastic cruises, if anything I can keep up with the latest fads, because I will return to sailing some day.  

Take care,

Bruno

I read through the care list and posts, sounds like everybody is doing fairly well. 

Looks like many of you have the bitter cold weather that we had in the northwest last week, from the long range reports, a nice warmup is in store for most places next week.  A sneak peak of spring that Mother Nature likes to tease us with.

@StLouisCruisers @Quartzsite Cruiser Loved the Singapore pictures, this was Dad's favorite place to visit.  

@Crazy For Cats That's a lot of bunnies, do your cats sit and watch them?

Good morning, happy new year, I wanted to stop by and give an update on my Dad.  He's recently been admitted into one of our local home hospice programs and that's meant an endless number of meetings with doctors, nurses, and social workers.  But they didn't hesitate when I brought it up, they've been waiting, many felt he should have gone into it a year ago.  

It's been an emotional rollercoaster for me, sometimes it's hard to believe there's a world out there humming along as normal, people living their lives, and probably dealing with their own problems. Haven't had much of an appetite, sleep comes and goes, and have just felt blah overall. 

Dad has his good days and bad days.  He recently lost an army buddy so that was tuff.  He's not near death, but his disease is terminal and there's no treatment--he's not considered a good candidate for dialysis.  The worst part for him are the symptoms associated with late stage renal disease and we're sedating him at night now to give him at least some relief. 

I'm looking forward to the additional help hospice will be able to provide, all of my interests are on the back burner, there's not even been time to cook.  Every last snippet of time is taken up by housework, I can never seem to stay on top of the laundry--sheets and towels galore from the sick room and everywhere I look there are medical supplies stacked up.  

So I hope everybody is healthy and enjoying their cruises, I haven't had a chance to read through the care list, I'll go and do that now, I wanted to get this posted as early as possible.

Take care,

Bruno

50 minutes ago, Haljo1935 said:

Oh gee, I'm having flashbacks. So 😞 

Now that you mention it, it does bring on flashbacks of the As You Wish dining rollout.  I was sailing on the Oosterdam for it's inaugural implementation.  Ugh!  My worst cruise ever.

2 minutes ago, 0106 said:

What a positive attitude, I guess as long as your glasses were full😊

I wonder if the Ocean Bar still does 2 for 1 Happy Hours?  Those were the days!

10 minutes ago, 0106 said:

Omg, I am patient but not that patient.  I’d be at the podium speaking to the maitre de after I sent a message on the Navigator app.  You’ve paid for CO and deserve outstanding service.

It was an extended cocktail hour....and very much needed!!

Um....has anybody seen the waiter?  It's been at least an hour 😪

Jumbo shrimp, the tenderloins in cracked pepper, and I never turn down Tiramisu.

17 hours ago, LAFFNVEGAS said:

Unfortunately I am not sure, I do not believe any of us has ordered a chicken dish yet this week. But it sounds like something they would do.

If they ran out of something and then changed it in a pinch I can see it, we've all been in those situations in our own kitchens, however it happened twice, once with room service and then again in the MDR, so....

2 minutes ago, JazzyV said:

Good afternoon. Thanks for the Fleet Report/Daily.

We should try to do more good every day, and conserve energy. I had my first roast chestnuts from a street vendor in Bad Wimpfen, Germany; they were ok, as I recall. Good quote. Yes to the meal and pass on the drink and wine. I haven't been to Visby. 2 interesting days in history.

 

It was partly sunny and mid-40's here today. I've spent a good part of the day in the recliner (sometimes with discomfort), as I was very sleepy this morning and also couldn't walk more than a few steps without severe leg pain. No change with the new med, but it can take weeks to work. Tomorrow I have PT and a medical appointment. Monday I see the Neurosurgeon, and will plead my case for something to be done regarding the pain. I don't see me doing much for Christmas, at this rate.

 

@Sharon in AZ Happy Anniversary to you and Craig!

@Cruzin Terri I hope DH's visit to the dentist went ok. I'm hoping your increased dose of Prednisone kicks in soon, and that you start to feel better. Is there a plan yet for the positive biopsies?

@Haljo1935 Good to hear that the doctor was pleased with your progress on the frozen shoulder; and it's good there's a plan in place.

@kazu It is a small world, and nice that you have a connection to the young man. Continued prayers for DBIL's DM. Very nice of your friend to help and remove that tree. Thanks for the information on Mary Queen of Scots.

@Crazy For Cats Our last cruise, BFF and I had something similar with a hotel shuttle from the airport. We finally took a cab after an hour, and requested they reimburse us. I'd like one of those drinks!

@smitty34877 Thinking of you, Tana and the rest of the family.

@cruising sister I'm glad you were able to enjoy a nice dinner with friends.

@kochleffel Thanks for the Visby photos. 

@RMLincoln Love the TX waffle! Enjoy visiting with friends today.

@Nickelpenny Sorry you aren't feeling well. Lots of flu and RSV around here; one health system just announced a return to masking. Interesting hearing about all that insurance requires before anything surgical can be done; but I suppose it's good if a non-surgical treatment works. Yikes on possible major "deconstruction/construction" surgery!

@Niagarawine My condolences to you and your family on the passing of your DFIL. May he RIP.

@atexsix Bruno, thanks for stopping in! Sorry DD has so many issues, but he's fortunate to have such good care there at home with you. I am so sorry to hear about your 2nd stroke, and am glad you had no new deficits. I hope you two do get to cruise again. 

@CrabbyPatti Happy Birthday to your DD! Your Dad hasn't been gone very long, so all those emotions and actions are normal. I hope your FIL continues to get stronger.

 

Prayers for the Care List and Cheers for those with something to Celebrate.

Thanks!  Sorry to hear about your leg pain. Dad and I both have similar issues, although mine is only on my right stroke side.  We've found Lidocaine patches help a little. 

52 minutes ago, LAFFNVEGAS said:

Good Evening, sorry been missing in action.

i will write a review of our excursion to St John, Which was excellent 👍🏻

 

Right now it’s that time of night to play What Would you Order for Dinner?

 

 

French Onion Soup, Filet Mignon and Lobster, Chocolate Tart, and Coffee

8 minutes ago, StLouisCruisers said:

 

Kathy, my condolences on the loss of Ray's DF.  At least it was a peaceful passing.  I hope the memories console you both as well as the rest of your family.

 

 

 

 

Carolyn, thank you very much for your kind thoughts.  Your cruise is going to be awesome!  

 

 

 

 

Bruno, thanks for dropping in to let us know how things have been going.  Glad to hear about the move, but so sorry to hear about your stroke and Dad's problems.  I hope things remain going well with his at home care, and you can get back on a BHB next year.  Happy holidays to you and David!

 

 

 

 

Hi Denise, good to hear from you again.  Happy birthday wishes to your DD!  Hope you enjoy the Grands' Christmas program this evening.  Sorry to hear your FIL has to go to assisted living and his memory issues lately.  I remember going through that with DD DMIL and it was not easy.  Hope you  enjoy the time spent with family this Christmas and New Year's!

Thanks, I sure hope we can squeeze in a cruise or two.  Hope you and your family have great holidays too.

5 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

My condolences to you and your family and all of his 😔  May he RIP.  

 

 

 

 

 

Hi Bruno @atexsix.  So good to hear from you.  I’m relieved that the stroke didn’t have a major impact but saddened with the health and caregiving issues you are facing.  Hope you can both stay as well as possible and have a very wonderful Holiday Season.

 

 

 

Molly does NOT look happy.  I’m sure she will bel fine.

 

 

 

Reign is an excellent series.  I second your recommendation 👍 

 

 

 

Thank heavens the dogs are beat, Susan.  At least you can rest and they will too 🤞 

 

Thank you so much!  I hope you are doing well.

23 hours ago, LAFFNVEGAS said:

It’s that time of night for What’s for Dinner?

Second night on Club Orange and NO Close b Orange Special??????

Oh Lisa. I am so late to the party, I knew you were going of course from Facebook, but wasn't sure I'd be able to read your LiveFrom, one question, are the chicken dishes that say white meat actually white meat?  Because the last couple of cruises they subbed dark meat and didn't bother changing the menus.  Poor DD, he didn't eat much on that trip.