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I should have added that to my caveats as well. Sorrento's does get better as the night goes on. 😉

I've never been to an Olive Garden but will try it one day. A buddy of mine described it as "pretty good food" as long as you don't think of it as "Italian food", otherwise its not that good. 😄

I have not cruise since before the pandemic so my info is hopelessly out of date but here is my contribution to the Great Pizza Wars Debate. Sorrento's pizza has always been a bit "meh" and hit-n-miss in my opinion. Royal did embark on an effort of improve the taste & quality around 2017 or 2018 time frame (I think, memory is a bit hazy). Reformulated recipe with better, fresher ingredients from different sources/vendors. It was gradually rolled out to the fleet so it was still a hit-n-miss proposition but I remember seeing signs touting the "new & improved" pizza on some ships and it was indeed "pretty good", all things considered. Not as good as some my favorite local pizza joints places but it certainly was no longer "horrible". The usual caveats apply: In My Humble Opinion, taste is subjective, not everyone is going to like vanilla, etc, etc, etc. Maybe things have changed post-pandemic, with cost cutting & supply chain problems, rolling back the "new & improved" Sorrento's back to it's previous "meh" status? Maybe @Sea Dog or @bobmacliberty or some other recent cruisers can do a taste test for us?

I understand why you say that & don't necessarily disagree with you as it does seem odd to me as well. I've been eating pizza as long as I can remember . The only rebuttal I could offer is that I did not try New York's other signature food item - The Bagel - until I was around 16 or 17. I was working part time in a deli and customers kept raving how great the bagels were so I tried one. I was unimpressed - too dry, dense and doughy. It was probably another 16 years before I tried one again and even now only eat them very sparingly. The ones I like probably are not "true" NY bagels. Granted, I'm not a city boy as I was born & raised in the suburbs of NYC but bagel places were plentiful around me.

I would have guessed the final episode of M*A*S*H or the "Who Shot JR" episode of Dallas as the most watched TV even in America. I do take issue of the Super Bowl being most watched as 75%* of the people "watching" just happen to be at a Super Bowl party/bar/etc with the TV on in the background. They may glance at the TV to catch a commercial making Super Bowl commercials the most watched TV event. No wonder advertisers pay top dollar for 30 seconds of TV time. 😁 * based solely on my experience of attending SB parties and I'm a proud member of the 75%. 😄

Good info on hard-shell suit cases. I was under the impression that they cracked easily so I always wondered why people bought them. Of course, my impression is based on other peoples experiences from 30 years ago so glad to know they are more sturdier these days. When I'm in the market for a new suit case, I'll definitely be on the look out for the poly-carbonate vs the plastic kind. All my soft-sided luggage has been Travel Pro (based on Consumer Report reviews), a Ricardo which I bought at Macy's on 80% clearance and hand-me down American Tourister, vintage unknown. With the exception of a broken zipper on one of the Travel Pros, they all seem indestructible. The only "issue" is dirt as I buy any color other than black - usually blue or red - to easily spot on the luggage carousels but they show the dirt after one use. Good thing I don't care how I look at the airport or when checking in to hotels. 😊

You had me at Tiki Exotica. 😇

I feel the same way with this paper bag.

I'll take a SeaDog over a StealthDog anytime. But I'll read both anyways. Always good to get various perspectives. 🙂

I have the same issue with my Saab. Owned by GM for over 20 years before they shut the brand down in 2012. Except i get looks of sympathy from the service & parts guys. Last time I needed a part, it came from a salvage yard in AZ. I live in NY. @A&L_Ont will probably have an easier time finding parts for his 1972 (?) Vintage pick up truck.

I've had a friend of mine - a daughter of a fire chief - that would unplug all unnecessary appliances when leaving the house. And I mean everything - coffee machine, toaster, TV's, etc.

That was my experience replacing the fob battery the first time. Felt like it was going to crack into 10 different pieces

Yikes & OMG are the only words I have for that. Good thing your 88 yo superhero was in there with you.

I agree with checking the FOB battery. Mine died after 6 years or so & the dealer wanted $75-$100+ to "fix/replace" the fob. I watched a 3 minute YouTube where the guy showed how to replace the battery. Same kind as above (2032) & the it cost $4.99 from the local hardware store. Saved myself $95!

Thank you all for the birthday wishes & prayers/hugs/support for me & my family. 🤎

By hand pay, do you mean the dealer or the cashier? Dealer usually get tipped and I've seen the cashier get tipped when the payout is big, such as $600 or $850. Not sure if it's expected or just a nicety. So, that was pretty much a non-answer. LOL

He's a true joy. We did have a battle of willpower as to whom would be the alpha-male in the house and I'm pretty sure he won decisively. He rules!

No worries, I've barely made any mentions in the past one and a half years so it is easy to miss on popular and fast moving thread such as this. I hesitate to rehash as I'm not looking for attention as we all have our "crosses to bear" and other burdens but for those that do not know, I feel I should offer up at least a simple explanation. On Easter Sunday morning, 2021, DW suffered a severe medical trauma - pulmonary embolism & heart attack - that just about left her for dead. Paramedic were able to revive her but the damage was done and she has been in a "unaware and unresponsive" (aka vegetative) state since. She currently resides in skilled nursing facility while I work with several brain injury specialists & neurologist with the faint hope of some kind of meaningful recovery. It's been a story of 2 step forward, 2 steps back since then. I visit almost daily with the exception of the trips that people encourage me to take. Along the way, my adult step daughter (whom I've know since she was 4 & was 12 when I married her mother) has moved back in with me along with her cat. We've been each others rock since. Sorry, that might have been more than simple explanation but I have no other way to tell the story. Thank you for asking! 💙

Your namesake is doing very well. Has gotten nicely acclimated to living here and is very comfortable. He's learning which pieces of furniture he's allowed on and which he is not. For example, living room couch and dining room chairs are okay but dining room table is not. And Kitchen counter is a definite no-no. While he is my little buddy & will let me pet him for hours, he's definitely a mommy's boy. Only me step daughter is allowed to pick him up & he usually comes when she calls him. Not running right away like a dog but in true cat style, will wait a minute, then slowly saunter over as to say "Yeah, I heard you call me but I'll come when I'm good and ready". Except at night when its time to go to bed, he'll always run in the bedroom at her side when she says good night. He won't leave her bedroom until she does, except for litter box breaks. The litter box is in the bathroom.

What's up with the cat zoomies? Leonard will go running thru the house like crazy, bouncing off furniture and almost crashing into the window. Seems to be random and will happen once or twice a day.

I'm the same way. I'll hit up Trip Advisor and a few other 3rd party booking sites for research, look at photo's and read users reviews but almost always book direct with the hotel. The price is almost always the same. Once in a while, the 3rd party sites might offer a great price but even then, it's usually one of the least desirable rooms. I'm a light sleeper so I'm very picky - away from hotel elevators, non-connecting rooms on one of the higher floors available. I'll pay a few dollars extra to get what I want.

So what have I been doing during my “break”? Drove out to eastern CT for a beach day at Hammonasset Beach State Park. It was a perfect 10 weather-wise, warm and calm water. It was an ideal way to wind down summer. Which, BTW, is still not over for a few more weeks so keep that pumpkin spice everything away from me! LOL. Afterwards, I headed up to my brother-in-law (DW brother) for 6 days in upstate NY. He has a house on one of the Finger Lakes - Seneca Lake to be specific. The weather was pretty gloomy for 4 of the 6 days. Heavy overcast and lots of hit and run rain showers that kept everything damp. This limited the amount of play time on the lake itself but had plenty of time to visit the many wineries and craft breweries in the region and other wise feast like a king! Is it really possible to gain 6 pounds in 6 days? This past Saturday, Sept 10th, was my birthday. My 2nd bday without my DW being able to be at my side. Family and friends’ step-up to the plate to keep my occupied. My brother took me to a Yankee game on Friday, Sept 9th where they had a special ceremony honoring Derek Jeter’s induction to the Hall of Fame. Saturday, my actual birthday, my step daughter and a few of her friends took me to a Street fair / Block party in Sleepy Hollow, NY for live music, dancing and plenty of street-meat type food followed by a late night dinner on the banks of the Hudson River. On Sunday, my step daughter & I went into the city for dinner and to Broadway to see “Come From Away”. I think it was discussed here earlier in the year. It’s a beautiful, touching story about the aftermath pf 9/11 with all the emotions: Sadness, humor, hope, and happiness amid the tragic day. I had seen it before a few years ago with DW (quite possible the last play we went to) and it’s ending it’s run on Oct 2nd. Seemed like a perfect way to spend the day & end my bday weekend. Now back to the grind.

Coming out of Lurker Mode. I've been on a bit of a Internet-free break lately. Needed to take a self-imposed time out from reality for a bit. Pretty much would only get on the World Wide Web to check the weather & come here once in while to "Like/Laugh/Thanks" various posts but sometimes the thread moves so fast, I'm sure I missed some things. I skimmed over several dozen pages in a futile attempt to catch up but I'm sure I missed plenty of topics. The Queen - not only was the Queen of England but she was Queen of the World. Universally loved and respected by all (except for the select few that seem to hate everything) and it’s heartwarming to see the outpouring of love and gratitude coming from all corners of the earth. Septic Tanks – The first 30 years of my life, I lived where there was city sewers and just assumed it was that way everywhere except for the most remote locations. Well, my house was built in 1964 with a septic tank when this area was still very rural with plenty of farm land. By the time I bought this house in 1993, the area has become heavily “sub-urbanized” and the farms are long gone, replaced by housing developments and strip malls. But I guess it’s too expensive, too many regulations and too time consuming to retrofit city sewers. There has been plenty of talk but never seems to get past the “high in the sky” planning stages. At first, I thought I was going back in time and it would be smelly & yucky but you’d never know I had septic. Honestly, it’s not a big deal, just have to get it pumped every few years and the cost is reasonable. Remembering names. I bad at it which is why I never attempt to refer to anybody by name here. Unless it’s part of your CC name. I’ll probably remember your car before I can remember your name, like @Lionesss new & old GTO's (hubbys) and @A&L_Ont Storm Trooper, Mustang and vintage pickup trucks, back when pickups were work vehicles and not status symbol, luxury vehicles. But don't ask me to remember your names, even if it was mentioned 2 pages ago.🙂 @bobmacliberty & @Sea Dog and anyone else going onto a cruise in the new future, have fun. I’m looking forward to your reviews whether it’s a “Live” thread or just a few posts here. It’s how I get my cruise fix.

Bring Jade to the game as a team mascot.

I try to not think about my septic system when I eventually put my house up for sale. It was built in 1964 and I replaced the rusty, 750 gallon metal tank with a 1,000 gallon fiberglass tank around 2000-2002 time frame. The contractor notice that the output lines to the leach fields go deep into the back yard, very deep....much deeper than it should. Since our back yard is partially on a slope, the thinking is the previous owner filled in part of the back yard to make it more level. Fingers crossed there will not be a problem with the leach fields.