StLouisCruisers

I'm not sure which brand others have recommended in the past. We have a French door, bottom freezer counter depth Kitchenaid which has worked well for us for nearly 13 years. But honestly the best brand we've ever owned is the second refrigerator for "overflow" of beverages, freezer space etc. It's an Amana, a plain freezer on top style and has been working perfectly for 27 years. I hope that didn't jinx me! I just knocked on wood! I don't own any Samsung or LG appliances. Sorry to hear about the freezer door left open! OMG! P.S. The Kitchenaid wall oven/microwave combo has had two repairs in the past 13 years. Probably wouldn't recommend the wall oven types anymore due to the problems just getting them out to repair. Just saying...

Bon Voyage!!

We're booked this fall on a cruise with Alexandria on it as an overnight. We probably won't go back to Cairo and the Pyramids again since we did it once already. Actually, we have to decide if we want to do this Holy Land cruise that is not visiting Israel anymore, or not. We might go just to be cruising around the Med again from Ft. Lauderdale and back again.

Alexandria, Egypt DH and I were in Alexandria, Egypt in October 2014 on our first Holland America cruise. We were on the Prinsendam so what a wonderful introduction. The people of Egypt were very happy to see cruise tourists back since they were just getting past some bad times in their country. We took a ship's tour to Cairo and Giza where we visited an Antiquities museum. Then on to Giza to see the fabulous pyramids. The bus had a big, burly armed guard on board with us and the bus was escorted through the city of Alexandria by trucks loaded with armed security men. The armed guard The city of Alexandria itself was rough looking, but made for some fascinating viewing along the way. Along the way were some interesting pigeon towers (or pigeon condos). Arriving in city of Cairo Fascinating way to carry cattle. They must be dairy cows and used to being handled. A beef cow would jump out of there. There were no photos allowed in the museum and my IPhone was only months old at the time so I didn't take a lot of photos with it then. Just this photo of the outside. So I have nothing to share from inside the Antiquities museum but it was unique and fascinating. If you ever go to Cairo, you should make it a point to visit there. After lunch we had lunch at the Le Meridien Hotel, then headed to the pyramids of Giza. Waiting for paying riders The city streets are just past the pyramids. Which makes some individuals ask why they would put the pyramids right here in the middle of the city? Hilarious right? Then we went to the Sphinx which had some work being done to it. We headed from there to a fancy gift shop for souvenirs, where guards were on duty to protect tourists getting on and off the buses. Photo taken from inside bus. This photo was taken from the street where the gift shop was. Yes, they are right there!

Good morning friends! It's 44F this morning and we expect a high of 58 with sunny skies today. I see a report of a freeze warning for Sunday night-Monday morning though. Yesterday DH measured Friday's overnight rain at 2.25 inches. In the first 9 days of March we've gotten 9 inches of rain! Sheesh! Thank you Roy @rafinmd for the Fleet Report and Daily as well as the fleet location maps. I hope Jacqui @kazu is okay and only had internet problems. Today is Daylight Savings Day, Check Your Batteries Day (smoke detector) and the First Day of Ramadan. It's going to take a while to get used to the time change. No idea what pork zuppa is or whether I'd like a banana daiquiri or not. Yes to the Sauvignon Blanc wine. An eventful day for Ireland in 1920. Thanks to Debbie @dfish, Dixie @summer slope and Ann @cat shepard for the food and beverage reports. Prayers for all who need them here on the Daily, the people of Israel and Ukraine, the hostages still held, and our troops on bases and ships in the region. Many prayers for my DB, my great nephew Alex's twins, my DGD, my friends Scott and Susan, and Sarah, Graham @grapau27 and Pauline as they deal with the death in the family. Hoping for a good rehab experience for Ann's @cat shepard DSis and that Chuck @catmando and Annie @marshhawk are getting along alright. Cheers to all celebrating happy events and cruising! Thanks Vanessa @JazzyV for keeping the lists so well for us all. Praying for you each day too! The port this morning is Alexandria (Cairo), Egypt. This was the port before on March 6, 2021 (first week of the port of the day feature on the Daily) and April 22, 2022. Yes, we were there and went to visit the Pyramids that day so I'll reprint my photos. Here are the links for your convenience. Hope you have an excellent Sunday. Please keep safe and stay well if you can.

You're so welcome Graham. Anything to help out. It's good that you spent time with Sarah today and that she has a friend to stay with tonight. Hugs to you, Pauline and Sarah. XX

Have a wonderful cruise!!

Just one more address change! Your Cruise Critic profile shows Punta Gorda so don't forget to make that say beautiful Port Charlotte!

Good morning friends. Here it is 60F with some light drizzle. High will be in the upper 60's with a chance of a shower here and there this afternoon. Unfortunately this morning we have detected a slight leak above our main bath in the attic. There is a place where pipes extend from the furnace through the roof and we have had to have the "boot" that seals the roof around the pipes replaced before. I think the caulking has failed and it needs work again. More house maintenance! Thank you Jacqui @kazu and Roy @rafinmd for posting the Daily and Fleet Report for us. All I can say is we have some interesting days to recognize, a nice meal, and no comments on drink and wine. All great days in history too. Thanks to our F&B ladies Debbie @dfish, Dixie @summer slope, and Ann @cat shepard for your reports. Luckily I had time before jumping out of bed to say my prayers. All my family, friends, those at war and our troops, and many of you here were all included. 🙏 I have a message from Graham @grapau27 to give you all and that is that Sarah's Dad passed away this morning. Her parents live immediately next door to Graham and they were witness to the ambulance and the hearse arriving. Graham rang Sarah who then called her Mother who told her the news. Even though her parents were so cruel to her and the remainder of the family these past 9 years we should all remember Sarah, Sarah's other family members, Graham and Pauline in our prayers. They are all good-hearted individuals who didn't deserve such poor treatment but are all saddened at the news anyway. 🙏 For all who are celebrating something we send our congratulations, especially our cruisers! Ann @cat shepard great news about the rehab facility and your sister going there soon. Thank you Vanessa @JazzyV for your work in keeping up the lists. Hope you are doing well today! The destination today is La Possession, Reunion Island. This was the port on Aug. 17, 2021. Here's the link to that date. I have not been there before. Hope you all have a very nice Saturday wherever you are. Keep safe and stay well!

Ha! I like my middle name thankfully. My parents weren't expecting to come home with two babies since no doctor had pick up on that! So they had one name, which they split up, giving me the middle name Kay and her the first name. Twin's middle name is Sue so something in common with you. 😊

Vanessa, that is very expensive medication for RA! I'm so glad you get it from the manufacturer for free. Remember, my DB's new med for his pulmonary fibrosis was $10,000 per month which of course he (or practically anyone) could not afford. But he got a pharmaceutical company grant which pays for it. Too bad it has side affects like stomach and gastro distress. I'm sorry to hear the news from the eye doctor. Both my parents had macular degeneration so worry about that. I hope you can wait a good long while before they recommend the surgery for cataracts.

Sorry I didn't see further discussions. I was going to catch up on posts after lunch. I hope this is something Annie can use.

We just got home from our appointments and put the groceries away. I saw Annie's @marshhawk's discussion about Januvia and looked it up using the Stone Mountain zip code (or at least one of them) and they have 30 day supplies from Walgreens at $359. Please look into it Annie to see if you can use Singlecare.com.

I checked our 2013 Diamond Princess cruise that passed over the Great Barrier Reef region. No way to tell if the Ribbon Reef was anywhere near us. A lot of people were out on deck in the early morning hours hoping to see something. There was very little we could see from above really. I know there were buoys marking our "lane" to travel in. This is about all we could see. A buoy marking our way Interested observers This happened to be Thanksgiving Day (US) so after this I have photos of a huge turkey carving extravaganza in the Atrium. Later in the morning there were some more reefs to view (?) so this is what we saw then. The last photo was taken from my lounge chair on the promenade. Saving up my strength to eat that huge Thanksgiving dinner that night, I guess! So a good day overall because after all, it was considered a sea day! More time to relax.

Good morning friends! Here in my neck of the woods it's about 56F and partly cloudy. The high temp will be around 68 degrees with rain expected to begin around Happy Hour time, which will continue all night and into early morning tomorrow. I'm sure there will flood watches announced. DH and I have dental cleanings this morning and then will get some groceries. Yesterday we early voted in our Primary election and picked up some free over the counter items provided each quarter by our health insurance. I also made final payment on our upcoming 42 day Zuiderdam cruise starting June 8. 😬💲 Thank you Jacqui @kazu and Roy @rafinmd for posting the Fleet Report and Daily as well as the fleet location maps for Rich @richwmn. I have to agree with Graham @grapau27 I don't like recognizing Be Nasty Day. I prefer pride in my middle name (Kay) and peanut clusters! Yum! It's a very good idea to include International Women's Day! The quote is interesting and true. I'm sure the short rib soup will be great, no idea what a paper plane cocktail is and doubt I'd like the wine if a red one. As for days in history, a varied and good day for Henry VIII, the NYSE, Canadian Constitution, and the Daytona race beginnings. Thanks to the Food and Beverage Department heads, Debbie @dfish, Dixie @summer slope and Ann @cat shepard for your reports. Prayers said before my workout for my great nephew Alex's twins, my DB, friends Scott and Susan, the people of Israel and Ukraine, the hostages still held, our troops in the region, and the good friends I have here on the Daily in need of pain relief, healing, freedom from stress, worry and depression. Ann @cat shepard great news about your DSis's recovery coming along and possibility of moving to a rehab facility soon. Bless you for helping to research facilities for her. Hoping Chuck @catmando is coming along well and Annie @marshhawk gets some good sales soon. For all celebrating special events and cruises my congratulations! DGD Morgan is moving Monday into the new place. Now she won't have to call her boyfriend every time she pulls into the parking garage to escort her from her car to her apartment door. Thankfully he lives in the same complex and hurries right over. He's a good guy! So cheers for everyone! 🎉🙂 Vanessa @JazzyV thank you for the C&C list and I'm happy for your improvement in pain and stamina. Let's hope that continues and improves further. The destination today is cruising the Great Barrier Reef while at sea along the coast of Australia. The closest thing we've had previously was the Ribbon Reef region which is a part of the Great Barrier Reef, and that was on May 21, 2021. The GBR was included on our 2013 cruise but you can't actually see much from above. That didn't stop everyone from crowding the decks to gaze into the water! Anyway, here's the link for May 21, 2021. Hope you all enjoy this Friday in March! Stay safe and keep well!

A very happy 55th anniversary Tony and Martha @sailingdutchy!!

Sending my thoughts and prayers to your friend Lauren as she enters hospice care. I hope she will be kept comfortable and at peace in her final days.🙏 Thank you for your photos of Luderitz. Really interesting photos of the penguins and flamingos. Thanks for showing them to us. Have a wonderful time in Maui! I hope you have nice weather, too! Thank you for sharing your photos taken near and in Luderitz.

Good morning friends! It's going to be a decent day today I think. Right now it's 51F and we will see a mostly sunny day and a high of 72. I'm looking forward to it. We can either go early vote for the Georgia primary election which is Tuesday, or do it tomorrow when we go to have our teeth cleaned. I'd like to go grocery shopping tomorrow too so that's a lot of chores for one day but we'll see. Good for us having Alexander Graham Bell Day to recognize.☎️ We certainly appreciate his invention of the telephone. I enjoy being heard and sometimes name tags save you from the embarrassment of forgetting people's names right after you've been introduced. Too early in the day for me to understand what the intention of today's quote is. The enchilada meal sounds great. I doubt I'd enjoy the cocktail or red wine.🍷 Congrats again to A.G. Bell and Roald Amundsen! Thanks Debbie @dfish, Dixie @summer slope and Ann @cat shepard for your reports. Prayers for my DB, DGD, Great nephew's twins, and friends Scott and Susan. Also the people of Ukraine and Israel and the hostages still held, as well as the troops at sea and at bases in the war zones. And special prayers too for all here on the Care list recovering from surgeries, illnesses and medical procedures, suffering from pain, stress and depression. 🙏 Many prayers for poor Allen suffering so much with his painful neck. 🙏 For those on the Celebration list we wish you all our best wishes as you celebrate your special event and cruises. 🚢 Safe travels! Happy Birthday to @RedneckBob !!🎂 Thank you Vanessa @JazzyV for the great lists every day! Hope you have a pain free day! The destination today is Luderitz, Namibia which was our port only once before on May 20, 2021. I have not been there before so no photos from me today. Here is the link for you to use if you want to retrieve yours. Hoping everyone has a great day - stay safe and keep well!

Thanks Roy! I agree and of course my niece (Nonna) is one of her biggest fans. She's always happy to share photos of Ellie.

Oh, Vanessa, that's a great project! You've done quite a bit already. I bet with a little time you could finish it for BFF. The outline work is a pain sometimes but it makes such a huge difference in the project. I'm rooting for you! Thank you Jacqui. I hope all goes easily this time, too. They really are fabulous parents.

Just finished all the posts since this morning. I looked up my name and it means "defender of men". I should have been a lawyer and I'd defend women, too! Equal opportunity. Jack @Heartgrove my best wishes for Sam and I hope he continues feeling like his old self for weeks and months to come.🤞 Debbie @dfish take care of that finger! I hope it's better very soon. Joy @Seasick Sailor I'm sorry to hear about Allen's pinched nerve in his neck. I really hope he decides to take his meds to give him relief. And bless you for watching his diet for him! Annie @marshhawk how did the dermatologist visit go today? Also, I hope Chuck is feeling okay and you both continue to sleep well. Ann @Vict0riann and Melanie @puppycanducruise the carrot cake sounds delicious. The only time I get a piece is on a cruise! Thanks to everyone who posted the many photos today of Hilo. Such a variety! Have a good evening!

Hi all, I've been working on my you-know-what project all day. Wanted to report we got very little rain after the early morning shower. Total since it began raining yesterday is 2.75 inches! Enough! I texted with my niece Lisa and she sent me some photos of her DGD Elliott Rose. She is now exactly 17 months old and her Nonna says she's perfect. Here's a new photo of her. and another with her golden retriever bro Ernie.❤️ But the biggest news is now allowed to be revealed. Elliott Rose will hopefully be a big sister in July. Her parents are expecting another set of twins! Prayers please that these twins decide to stay put until July and this lovely family doesn't have to suffer another loss like the first set of twins in June 2021. 🙏🙏

Good morning friends! Well, it's still raining off and on and that's what this day will be like. Temp is 59F and the high will only be about 65. I wish we could send some of this rain to drought areas because I've seen enough! Thanks to Jacqui @kazu and Roy @rafinmd for posting the Fleet Report and Daily as well as the fleet location maps for Rich @richwmn. We appreciate it! Today let's recognize the Alamo, our veterans, and our name meaning. It is also Dentist Day. We're giving our slow cookers a workout lately aren't we? Should be interesting to see the recipe for the Beef Barley soup. I try to avoid Hurricanes and need to hear some details on the wine of the day. Again, today is all about the Alamo, not to mention the periodic table in Russia and aspirin. Thank you to Debbie @dfish, Dixie @summer slope, and Ann @cat shepard for the F&B reports! Prayers for our Care list here on the Daily, the people of Israel and Ukraine, the hostages still held, our troops on ships and bases in the war areas, my DB and friends Scott and Susan. I hope Chuck @catmando and Annie @marshhawk had a good night's rest and he heals quickly. Ann @cat shepard I hope DSis is coming along well in her surgical recovery. Vanessa @JazzyV thank you for the list keeping, and I hope you are slowly getting back to your old self. Take care and don't overdo it! The port today is Hilo, Hawaii. This was the port on Sept. 30, 2021 and Oct. 10, 2022. We've enjoyed 4 visits there but in the past I was busy on "Hilo Day" so didn't post photos and don't think I'll do so today. I'll just take a break, and I'm sure you can all post your beautiful photos. Here are the links to help you out. Hoping you all have a good day. Stay safe and keep well!

Annie @marshhawk have a good nap and rest up. I hope everything with Chuck's surgery went perfect and he heals quickly. Not raining down this way yet.

Jack, I'm sorry to hear about Sam's decline, and hope the memories of the last couple of years bring you comfort and peace. He was so lucky to have been rescued by you. Glad to hear you enjoyed your cruise, and that the move is over and done with. Never easy! Good luck with all the address changes! Thank you for your good wishes for Morgan. We appreciate all of you! I hope Wayne can be set free from his hospital room soon. You're right - no one wants to spend extra time in a hospital but the weather hasn't been very cooperative. Sending more prayers for you sister, Ann. 🙏 It's great she has you and her kids to help support her now (though exhausting as you've found out). Good to hear your pain is better Nancy. Yikes on the nightmare and hopefully that doesn't happen again. Congrats on picking up the truck! And thank you for your comments on Morgan's success finding a new place to live. So nice of you all to care!