Haljo1935

26 minutes ago, luvteaching said:

One task on my to-do list yesterday was tracking down my grads. My next-to-last class graduates this year and there were 24 of them (and a student teacher). Our school was a small country school and families stayed in the area for the most part. I had 6 kids that I taught a parent as well. So far about 3/4 are graduating from the local high school, a few didn't make it, and so far 4 have moved out of the area but I've tracked them down. I send them each a card and a $5.00 Starbucks card. What is surprising, or maybe I'm just showing my age, is the lack of thank yous back from the kids. Out of the 24 or so I send out I'll be lucky to hear from 4 or 5 of them. A sign of the times I guess. 

 

Karen

I love that you reach out to your grads! I do think a lack of acknowledgement is a sign of the times - 30yo niece didn't send thank yous for 3 showers (wedding & 2 baby) and seemed genuinely confused by my disappointment. Same for a couple life-long friends and bonus daughter in the same age bracket - no acknowledgement of wedding & baby shower gifts. SMH 

Nice collection of days - congrats to all graduates 🎓 

So many books, so little time. Books are the best!

The "meal" sounds lovely and @dfish pictures look yummy. Would try the drink 🍸 if someone else made it & left out the marshmallow, DH would like the wine, not been to the port.

1527-1536 was an important but difficult time for Spain 🇪🇸 596 lives lost is a high price.

Saw a few small trees down in the subdivision, but we did not have any damage from the storms; thanks @Quartzsite Cruiser for thinking of us.

Does anyone have experience with Puntal eye plugs? Eye Dr asked yesterday if I would consider getting them. I had not heard of them and preliminary research hasn't provided enough for me to make a decision. The plugs would be in addition to the 4-step procedure she is doing. TIA for any info.

Prayers @ger_77 that DH cold is short lived.

It was 72° headed to sunny 84° when I checked a bit ago. Forecast shows sun through Mon so the backyard should dry out. 

Prayers 🙏 and positive thoughts for all. 

On 5/16/2024 at 6:31 AM, POA1 said:

I don't think the bar location is the key. It's whether they make the drink from scratch, or if the juices and cream of coconut are mixed ahead of time.

 

We had painkillers at Pusser's pub in Tortola years ago. We really liked them, so we started making them at home. If you try to mix all the ingredients except for the rum ahead of time, the drink "breaks" - or doesn't stay mixed well. You can make a big batch, but you need to drink the big batch right away. (For a party, not for a half gallon, one man cocktail.)

 

If the bar is making them from scratch, they'll be good. If there's a big ol' jug o' mix, give it a pass. (Or ask for them to make your drink fresh. I never do that at a really busy bar, because I don't want to hold up other people, who may be ordering beer or simple drinks.)

 

Here's what should be in the drink. All the wet ingredients are shaken, then poured over ice and topped with nutmeg. If you shake it with a lot of ice, it'll be thin and sadness will ensue.

 

Ingredients

    2-ounces (60 ml) Pusser’s Rum
    4-ounces (120 ml) pineapple juice
    1-ounce (30 ml) orange juice
    1-ounce (30 ml) cream of coconut
    Freshly grated nutmeg

 

HAL uses the correct recipe. It's the timing and execution that make or break the beverage.

 

 

Thanks so much - very helpful. 

Once again, great pictures. Looks like you really had nice weather - such blue skies. As soon as I saw your pink pictures, I instantly thought of Amazing Race.

2 hours ago, Copper10-8 said:

Our cat Stiv, that we had since 2012, crossed the rainbow bridge on March 13 😔 We miss him very much!

Such a sweet picture- hugs.

3 hours ago, marshhawk said:

...All those things about mom cats picking up their babies by the scruff of the necks?  Not going to happen with this family.  She attacks them, kicks them and bites them, ( all in love I'm sure) it's rather worrying.

Kittens are soooo cute at that stage & size 😍 

Maybe the "tough love" is why ferrel cats are so much "scrappier" than domestic ones. I might not be very cuddly if I started life getting kicked & bit by my mama 🤷‍♀️

It won't be long before they're scampering around all over that porch. Enjoy!!

Happy Birthday @Cruising-along to your DGS.

4 hours ago, durangoscots said:

...Speaking of dog shows.... I watched Westminster.... did any of you see that little Agility dog named Nimble run?? Incredible. Glad to see an "all American" win for a change. He is a border collie cross but still a cross. I keep telling people with mix-breeds you can have so much fun with them...

Favorite dog we have had was a Border Collie mix. It was fun to watch him "work" in the yard, so pretty when they run & cut. He was a brilliant, delightful dog. Thanks for the reminder of how special Border Collies are.❤️

3 hours ago, Quartzsite Cruiser said:

...Elizabeth, I hope the eye procedure goes well, and I hope you do not have much trouble getting there and home with all this rain.  

Thanks for the positive thoughts - 2 1/2 hours at eye dr resulted in me reading an eye chart, no procedure done and being sent home w/more drops & wipes to help clean the pollen from eyelids plus 2 Rx called in. Told to reschedule in 2 weeks hoping my allergies would be cleared up. She said the procedure would not be effective and would be more painful due to the current condition of my eyes because of the allergies. 

Also told to go to up to 4x/day on the $85 drops and do the new $25 drops every 1 to 2 hours. I need another income source just to fund the eye drops...

She also mentioned a plug that she could insert today or anytime. I watched the graphics she showed me & listened to explanation then declined. I need to spend some time researching and read reviews since I've never heard of it. This is in addition to the 4-step procedure she's already doing, not in lieu of.

So I'm now off to drive 🏡 in the 🌧 

4 minutes ago, rafinmd said:

...

Not the best of starts to the morning , On heading out to my walk I skinned my hand and got a huge gash that required about 20 minutes for bleeding control...

Oh geez - I think the need for bubble wrap continues.🫣 Hope it heals quickly w/no complications. 

DH frequently comes home with rather large dried blood "trails" and says he wasn't aware he'd done anything when I point them out. I'm sure it's a consequence of the blood thinner he now takes.

Well lovely - my post disappeared. Take 2...

Currently 72° headed to a wet 75°. It's spittering now w/rains expected to arrive around 11, so I should be driving in it going to/from eye dr for today's procedure - oh joy. 🙄 nothing more fun than driving in a rainstorm during a flood watch, unless maybe a tornado 🌪 watch; thank goodness we don't have that today.

Stars 🏒lost, Mavericks🏀 won last night so we go to game 6 in both series. 

Prayers 🙏 and positive thoughts for all. 

@RMLincoln the flowers are beautiful!!

I love the idea of doing anything in the Poconos and a viewing of My Fair Lady sounds lovely. Yay you're still getting out and living!!👏

🙏 for continued improvement for your DH.

Happy Anniversary@aliaschief @DWAliaschief

Tonight did not go well for the Stars 🏒  hopefully they'll close out the series w/the next game.

Mavericks 🏀are currently leading in their game 79-67.

This is what my evenings look like w/2 teams in the playoffs. 

1 hour ago, RMLincoln said:

Thank you Terri. Like you, it’s a struggle sometimes. One day at a time is enough.  

+1

hugs to you both. 

2 hours ago, bartexas said:

We love HAL's unlimited. We send laundry out daily. We usually have 2-3 outfits each per day (workout/excursion/dinner). All of our clothes have come back in great condition. It's so nice to leave the ship with mostly clean clothes for the next stage of the vacation. It's included with a Neptune Suite, but we budget it into our OBC when we're in a Signature. To us, it's part of the splurge of going on a nice vacation.

Completely agree. We also built it into our budget until we hit the sweet spot of Mariner Status (4*) to get it free. 

58 minutes ago, oakridger said:

I’m on Zuiderdam now and the mariner 3-4-5 star drinks reception was the day after leaving Ft. Lauderdale in the Billboard Onboard at , I think,  11:30 am (?). I didn’t go so don’t remember the exact time, but it was too early for me. No luncheon has been announced yet but we still have 9 days to go!  ~Nancy

Last 2 cruises (K'dam & NS) the invitation arrived the day before the luncheon, so not much notice, but it was fabulous!

11 hours ago, Navybikermom said:

Well, I needed another dose to kill the pain so I went back to the Crow’s Nest ☺️. 
 

Bartender’s name is Soemsak. Great guy. Made the second dose as good as the first. I’m going to fill out the Let Us Know to let them know how much difference there is between the Lido and the Crow’s Nest drinks. 
 

Now, for my next mission - find those cool canvas bags that they DON’T give you in steerage… Anyone on board feel like donating a couple for me and my roomie? 😉

Cabinmate on NS last year (Nov/Dec) said the Painkiller was so bad it was "1 & done" for her. Next cruise, I'll have her try the Crow's Nest. Thanks for the tip.

5 hours ago, SusieKIslandGirl said:

@wandbWe were in Athens the first part of October several years ago and it was very hot the day we toured the Acropolis. Luckily, I had my umbrella in my backpack in case of rain. Worked well for a sun shade instead.

@wandb having an umbrella 🌂 handy is a great tip - the small folding ones take up little space and add very little weight; we used ours a lot in Oct in Greece.

6 hours ago, 0106 said:

@kochleffelWe spent a week in Aruba.  I am going to give you two very different suggestions.  The Atlantis submarine company is available on several islands.  I am a bit claustrophobic but it was an amazing experience.  The Butterfly Farm was also very nice.

 

Hoping that all who are dealing with medical issues are on the road to recovery.

@kochleffel I will also place vote for the butterfly 🦋 farm; I honestly didn't even think about it until @0106 mentioned it. It was very pretty and relaxing.

Thanks for sharing all the great Turks beach pictures  - they're stunning!

11 minutes ago, wandb said:

I am loving all the pictures of Athens!!  I am just getting started researching for a cruise to the Greek Islands for next year. I’d love anyone’s input on the best time to go. Is it too cold in Feb.-March?  Too hot in July-Aug?  How about Sept.-Oct? Or maybe April-May is the perfect time?

So exciting to plan a trip to such a great place - congrats!!

My first visit was during a June and it was MISERABLE (weather wise). I live in TX so I know heat and humidity, but golly it was brutal. We had really long port days and wanted to make the most of our time so we spent 10-12 hours outside playing tourist every day - ugh.

The next visit was during an Oct and the weather was much more tolerable; we also had occasional rain 🌧 that we did not have during the June visit, so that helped.

While we didn't have the crowds in Oct that we did in June, it was still VERY crowded; we commented to each other" don't these people know it's off season and they're not supposed to be here?" The crowds, of course, will contribute to the heat, so you'll want to account for them as you plan your itinerary and wardrobe. 

You may want to post the same question on the port boards.

Congrats again - safe travels- enjoy your cruise! 

Interesting collection of days. Would try the "meal" (@dfish pictures are pretty) and wine, maybe the drink. We departed from Pireaus June 2017 on Princess and did Turnaround Day there 7 days later before heading to Barcelona. We did the HOHO on Turnaround Day and quite enjoyed it. No pictures as they're on my computer & I'm on my phone. I'm enjoying seeing all the pictures from others.

Happy to hear from @kazu but wish the report was more positive; prayers 🙏 for healing soon.

@57redbird prayers for a successful procedure today.

Currently 72° headed to sunny 90° with rain tomorrow. 

Prayers 🙏 and positive thoughts for all. 

2 hours ago, Mary229 said:

Those canned productions bore me to tears but they have avid supporters.  People tell me they love 💗 them 🤷‍♀️.  I don’t get it, I could watch a YouTube video or read a book. I like the lectures of old where people had hands on experience and special knowledge 

I'm with you - Dec/Jan on K'dam, I kept waiting for the CD to hand out test booklets after her "talks."

They had great info, but were poorly delivered.

Words fail me, but I am able to offer double hugs @marshhawk @Nickelpenny.