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We have to win the lottery before the work starts. LOL Especially for the mini splits and the powder room. One can dream. I hope your stomach settles for you. We are having salmon on the grill tonight.

I have a new best friend! The AC tech got the main unit working. The outside unit wasn't getting an electrical signal. Problem was a switch was tripped in the attic. I now know where it is and I can fix it if it happens again. The window unit in the family room is also working. That just took switching the breakers off and back on again. I managed that one myself. Best news is that it did not cost an arm and a leg for the fix. No parts needed, just expertise. We are not worrying about peak hours today as we need to cool the place down. We can worry about them tomorrow. @Cruisercl Caron, congrats on booking the GANZ for 2026. We'd have to win the lottery to do that cruise. And right now that is down on the list right after new roof, mini splits for the family room and basement, and a powder room on the kitchen/dining/family room level. @Quartzsite Cruiser Lenda, your brisket sounds a lot like my method for ribs. I put a dry rub on them the night before and then cook them slowly over indirect heat on the grill. Long and slow and they are very tender.

Well, we won't be using a lot of electricity during peak hours as the AC is not working. I have a call in for service and they said they'd get here sometime this afternoon. The window unit in the TV room, which worked perfectly last summer, isn't working either. The service company asked me to turn off the AC and just run the fan, but the only way to get the fan to run is to turn on the AC. Grrrr. @aliaschief the gazpacho sounded so good that I stopped at the store to get the makings for it. I'm off now to make some as that will be a nice, cool lunch.

Good morning, everyone! I slept in later today for some reason. The last I looked at the clock it was 6 am and the next time it was 7:40 am. I know I was having a vivid dream of being caught with 4 stolen cats that had just shown up in my house. That probably got my attention and I wanted to know how it turned out. But I woke up as the police were coming to the door. It is going to be a hot one. I turned the air on last night and it cooled the house a little. I had it set at 78 and the house is at 78. I turned it down a bit this morning because I'll turn it back up at 2 pm so it doesn't run as much during prime time. Rates are higher from 2 pm to 7 pm. If I can reduce energy use during that time, I get discount from the energy company. It is all such a racket. Nothing on the agenda today except the gym. If need be, we'll go sit in the mall and drink coffee outside Barnes and Noble. We can get up and walk laps every so often. But, we can keep cool with their air and save our $$. @durangoscots Susan, @StLouisCruisers I'm glad you are feeling a bit better. Sorry you are missing the Greenland ports. Thankfully, you were there last summer. @Cruzin Terri I hope you start feeling better soon. @kazu I hope the foot and leg are healing and not giving you too much trouble. The savory galette sounds and looks good! It seems easy to do, but not tonight as it requires the use of the oven. Tonight's dinner is being done on the grill to keep the heat out of the house. I like the mushroom filling on this one, but there are tons of things you can fill the galette with. This sort of reminds me of the tomato pie from our first Daily summer. Mushroom Galette Here is one with zucchini, corn, and tomatoes. You can use your favorite vegetables in the galette, but I would precook carrots so that they were soft and not hard. Same with brussels sprouts. Zucchini Corn and Tomato Galette Now, if you want to go fancy, this is the galette for you. If you can't find the mizithra cheese, you can substitute with goat cheese or feta. Fig and Prosciutto Galette Wishing you all a wonderful day!

I am so thankful I am not the only one! This occurred on that same cruise. The very first morning I went to the dining room for breakfast and one of the women seated at the table began to complain about her cruise on the Rottendam. Now, what could have gone so terribly wrong in less than a day. Well, the beds were supposed to be separated and they weren't. The stewards did separate them before bedtime, but it wasn't done when they boarded and she had to look at that full sized bed. After all, her traveling companion wasn't a romantic interest, just a friend who lived in the same gated community she lived in. And, to top it off, she didn't feel special. I refrained from telling her just how special she was. I did have one guy who wanted to talk politics but I kept reminding him we had a no politics agreement. I told him I wanted to stay friends and it would be best if we skipped that topic. It was so hard for him, but I would occasionally have to say, "Now, Louis! No politics!"

Good afternoon! It hasn't been to awful hot here today and the house has stayed remarkably cool. We haven't turned on the AC and I don't think we will today. I don't think we'll get away with that tomorrow, though. It isn't getting as cool tonight as it did last night. Thanks to everyone who shared a picture of their dad. I enjoyed seeing them all. Here's my dad: He's on the right and his brother Bob is on the left. Me at age 2 with my Daddy. Having fun! OMG, that brought back a memory. I did Open Seating one cruise and we were seated with the complainers. The whole meal was a recitation of their complaints. They didn't get free drinks like they did on Celebrity, they had to eat too early to get to the show, they didn't have time for dessert, something was too hot, something else was too cold, and on and on. The next night they led me to my table and seated there was the same couple. I pulled my host away from them and told him any other table in the dining room, but not with them. He said no problem, many people had complained about them. Hugs, Karen. I hope you enjoyed the concert. Hugs to you, Terry.

Good morning, everyone! It is a nice sunny day out, but supposed to get rather toasty with a high of 87F. I shut the windows when I got up as the house is at 67F now. We'll see if it heats up enough for the AC today. I suspect we could get through today without it and turn it on tomorrow. @Cruzin Terri I am so sorry to read that you have Covid on top of everything else that went wrong. I hope you shake this soon. @aliaschief I think you were reading my mind with the gazpacho. I planned to make that for this week to eat from. I love gazpacho and it is so refreshing on a hot day. To all the dads out there: Today's meal sounds good, but one serving is really high in carbs - two meals worth, so I will pass. I'm not sure what we're having. I'll put something on the grill so we don't heat up the house. Chickpea Pasta with Eggplant This one is a pasta made from chickpeas with an eggplant sauce. A little twist on things, but it helps cut the carbs a bit for those of us who have to watch them. Chickpea Pasta with Eggplant Sauce Wishing you all a wonderful day and Happy Father's Day!

If you list your ports you may get more ideas here. There are sometimes slight variations in itinerary for those cruises. The Canada/New England cruises are great!

That would be better than 20s and 30s.

Good morning, everyone! It is a chilly start to the day at 56F. The house really cooled off last night. I am hoping to keep it cool until I have to turn on the AC. Fingers crossed it works well. We are heading into a two week period of hot, hot, hot. I skipped the gym yesterday to go to Story Hour with River. DN Kourtney joined us with her two littles, Samson and Griffin. After Story Hour the kids played in the garden for a while and then we went and had ice cream for lunch. A successful day, I'd say! @kazu Enjoy that lobster! We're jealous here! Today's meal sounds interesting. I don't know if I'd like the asparagus raw, but I'd give it a try. The shaving part is for presentation. You could just as easily cut it into short pieces. Blanch it if you'd like and then chill. It will still be crisp. Shaved Asparagus Salad This next one uses cabbage and radicchio along with sugar snap peas. The peas looks really nice in the presentation of the salad, but I know I would never get it to look like that. Shaved Asparagus Salad with Radicchio And here's one with hazelnuts and goat cheese. Shaved Asparagus Salad with Goat Cheese Wishing you all a wonderful day!

I think you need to define cold for us.

I think it was the celery that was in it. I didn't care for cooked celery. It needs to be chopped up finer for me than what my mom did. It was in big chunks. In defense of our moms, canned was probably the only option at the time. We didn't have the variety of produce back then. Living in a smaller town, we didn't have an Asian grocery. So, they did the best they could. I probably wouldn't like the weather full time. Winter might not be so bad. Sue and I were talking about winter get aways and we considered spending a January or February in Arizona. No decisions made. This coming January we will be in South America, so it would have to be 2026. Farkle was fun tonight and I even won a game!

We're on the same page, Terry! When we were kids we knew not to say we didn't like something. It was eat it or go hungry. Mom was not afraid to remind us that she was not a short order cook. I have been to the town in Ireland where my mom's grandparents came from several times. I also took my mom to the town where her father was born. When he was born it was Austria, but it is now the Czech Republic. Teenagers are here to make sure we are worthy of leadership. Constant testing. It is good that you and Craig are there for her. You wouldn't have to coax me to get in the pool.

I think we grew up in the same house. And I agree Chop Suey was a 50s thing. You rarely hear of it now and I haven't been forced to eat it since I was in my teens.

Good morning, everyone! It cooled down nicely last night and we are getting a short respite from the heat today and tomorrow. It returns on Sunday and sticks around for a week. We're expecting temps in the mid 90's next week. Until then we'll enjoy the 77 forecast for today. We're going back to the gardens today for story hour at 10. Our DN may join us with her two little ones. After story hour the kids will likely play in the children's garden for a bit. No plans for the afternoon. @Cruzin Terri I'm glad you made it to Jacksonville last night. Take your time getting home today and let there be no further mishaps. @Quartzsite Cruiser safe travels to you and Steve and I hope all goes well during his shunt adjustment. @rafinmd Thinking of you and your ordeal today. I hope it all goes smoothly. @Denise T Welcome home! I like tuna salad and @0106 Tina's suggestion of making it with avocado in place of mayo sounds like a good one. I'm going to have to try that. My open face is using a lettuce leaf in place of the bread. There are a lot of good suggestions for substitutions and things you can do in this recipe. Open Face Tuna Sandwich This recipe uses spiced oranges for a garnish and they sound really good. Tuna Salad with Spiced Oranges This one has a little heat to it with the jalapeños and red pepper flakes. It is interesting how they put mayo on the bread and then toast it in a frypan. Tunacado Sandwich Wishing you all a wonderful day!

We love Acadia and usually always go out to hike. Last summer was different. It was so crowded that it was not at all enjoyable. We kept having to move off the trail to let families carrying coolers to the beach pass by us. From now on, we only go after school starts or before it gets out. That may be a road trip.

Fingers crossed for @Cruzin Terri! I knew I forgot to mention something and it was about the Kitchen Klutzes. Yes, I am in that group. It is a subset of the Messy Painters Guild and the Messy Bakers Club. I also agree that being a klutz is not limited to the kitchen. I can be a klutz just about anywhere. @smitty34877 Terry, I believe you are the one who responded to my desire to hike Jordan Pond. I've wanted to do that for a long time. We set out to do it a few years back and missed the bus by a couple of minutes and had to wait an hour for the next one. Then, the bus we were on broke down and we had to wait for a replacement bus. By the time we got there, we had time to look at the lake and go back to town to catch our tender. I'm hoping we have better luck this time!

Good afternoon, everyone! I am beat. Between the heat and walking, I am ready to veg out on the couch and call it a day. River had a blast with her cousin Aspen. They especially liked the play area with the river in it. Both girls were soaked and River's shorts that were once pink were a nice shade of black and had a hole in them. They went in the trash. I told Sue I wasn't cooking tonight. I think we're ordering in salads. Or scrounging. Thanks for letting us know! I did make it yesterday and even River ate it with no argument. It was decided that it should go in the rotation. I did add in the bell peppers and some mushrooms. We had it over riced cauliflower.

Good morning, everyone. It is going to be a scorcher today. The windows are still open as it is cooler outside than in, but I'll close them before I leave for yoga. Expected high of 87F. We are supposed to meet Sue's former SILs and their families at Dow Gardens today. They sure picked a hot one! I think the spray park might have been better. Today's meal is one I tried and didn't care for, but perhaps I should try it again. I love raw radishes, so I should like the cooked ones. At any rate, radishes are a super healthy food. Radishes are root vegetables that come in several different colors and are a cousin to cabbage. This bright spring veg is a very good source of disease-fighting and immunity-boosting vitamin C Radishes contain natural antibacterial and antifungal properties. They contain a unique phytochemical called indoles, which promotes detoxification, helping your body rid itself of harmful substances. Radishes are full of powerful antioxidant flavonoids that fight havoc-causing free radicals and aid in healthy liver and kidney function. Garlic Roasted Radishes This next dish is very simple as it is just olive oil, salt, and pepper. There are some suggestions on how to use the cooked radishes in other dishes. Roasted Radishes This next recipe is more involved and I bet the flavors are amazing. It might be worth giving it a try! Egyptian Roasted Radishes That gives us something to think about! @Cruzin Terri safe travels home. Wishing you all a wonderful day!

Good evening, everyone! We just got back from a concert by the Chemical City Band at the Central Park Bandshell. The band is an all city band with members that range in age from 16 to 90. They do a concert every Wednesday night. On Thursdays during the summer we have Tunes by the Tridge and then we have live music downtown every weekend. It is always something! I thought I would mention the great service I am getting from HAL. My PCC called me this afternoon and said she thought I had emailed her and she couldn't find the email to respond. I told her that I was thinking about emailing her, but hadn't gotten to it yet. Apparently she is clairvoyant and able to anticipate my desires and act on them without me contacting her! Talk about service!

Good afternoon! I am scheduled for nerve ablation on July 23rd at 7:30 am. I took the early appointment because I can't eat or drink before the procedure. Then Sue and I will go out to breakfast. I'm glad it will get done before our Zuiderdam cruise at the end of August. I have been wanting to hike the Jordan Pond Trail forever and I figure at my age, this is my last good chance. With the nerve ablation done a month ahead of time, I should be in good shape. I'll get two shots at it as the itinerary for the second week has changed and Bar Harbor is in and Portland is out. I'm kind of sorry to see Portland go as I like that city. It is getting toasty outside, but it is very comfortable here in the house. We've been practicing pre-cooling of the house. We open all the windows at night and let the cool air in. Then we close them in the morning. We also close and open shades and curtains strategically. We can get a lot of solar heating in the house and we want to avoid that. So far it is working. @1ANGELCAT Poor Shirl. She isn't going to understand no matter what you do. She is reminding me of a friend who was suffering from dementia. Her husband decided to move them from Ohio to St. Louis to be closer to their daughter. He recognized that he was not going to be able to care for Eileen on his own. She kept calling people in Ohio claiming she was coming back and asking them to check on her house and water and cut the lawn. Poor thing.

Good morning, everyone! It is another glorious start to the day here in mid-Michigan. The sun is shining and temps are supposed to hit the mid 80s. Originally they had forecast high 80s and low 90s, but that got revised. I'll take it! Sue is going to pick up River for a few days. Some of her cousins on her dad's side are coming into town tomorrow and this will be a chance for River to meet them. I have an appointment as follow up to my test injection last week. Hopefully we can schedule the nerve ablation now. Fingers crossed. @catmando Today's meal is a version of Beef and Broccoli, using ground beef instead of the regular chunks of beef. We have the makings for this and I think this is dinner tonight. https://www.skinnytaste.com/ground-beef-and-broccoli-stir-fry/ I will pick up some riced cauliflower to substitute for the rice. https://www.simplyrecipes.com/ground-beef-and-broccoli-stir-fry-recipe-8601830 I'd like the bell peppers in this recipe, but will probably use the first recipe for the sauce to keep sugars down. https://thecozycook.com/ground-beef-and-broccoli/ Wishing you all a wonderful day!

That is speedy! Glad to hear it and I'll be holding you close in my thoughts. Wow! Congratulations! Happy to hear you celebrated.

Good morning, everyone! It is supposed to be a nice, sunny day here in mid-Michigan. It is a chilly start to the day at 48F, but temps are supposed to reach the mid 70s. Perfect in my estimation. I have yoga this morning and then the rest of the day is free. Yesterday was spent running errands. Sue got some art supplies as she was inspired by the Art Fair downtown on the first of the month. I'm hoping she'll come to the Ann Arbor Art Fair in July and get further inspiration. @Vict0riann I'll be thinking of you today and hope that the surgeon has a plan mapped out and ready to go. Today's meal would be a treat. I generally wouldn't eat a muffin due to the carbs and high sugars, but once in a while for a special occasion might be ok. The calorie count on this one isn't too bad, but the carbs reach my limit for a meal. I guess if I filled up on bacon it would be ok. Insanely Good Blueberry Muffins Here is a recipe with more usual on hand ingredients. Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins One last recipe with some good tips on muffin making. Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins Take Three Wishing you all a wonderful day!