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Brenda, I'm sorry your test results were not what you expected. I hope the biopsy results show there is no problem, and you can go on your trip. Vanessa, I took a hot shower before I started cooking supper. It did help relax my muscles. A good supper of chicken fajitas along with two glasses of wine (for medicinal purposes😉) gave me a relaxed tired feeling. I'll probably take a couple of ibuprofen before I go to bed. I'm sorry your DH got Covid, but glad he's over the worst. It's good you remained negative. Congratulations on being able to change to a Vista suite at no charge and with all your perks. Terri, thanks for checking in tonight. Good news that most tests had good results, but I'm sorry you may have to go back on the prednisone. @sailingdutchy Tony, thank you for sharing your pictures of Alicante. We got an email this afternoon that they will deliver and install the washer between 12 and 4 tomorrow afternoon. We're happy we don't have to get up early to wait for them to show up. Lenda

@dfish Debbie, I'm very happy your suegery went well and you're home and doing well. Get some rest, and I hope you have a speedy recovery. Enjoy all the ice cream you can while you have a legitimate excuse for indulging. I bet some hot or at least warm soup would feel good. @kazu Jacqui, I like the good news that you can drive and move your arm without restrictions. I'm sorry you have to wait longer to get the screws and wires removed from your elbow. And, I'm sorry it was such an emotional day. We wouldn't have had enough time tomorrow to really clean the laundry room. I doubt the guys would have waited three hours while I got the work done. Actually, moving the dryer wasn't that hard once I could get between the wall and the dryer. Then, I could lean against the wall and use my knees or legs to push it. Having tile floors helped. Lenda

I'm glad to hear that there is a port in Falmouth now. Anything is an improvement over Ocho Rios. We spent a week at a resort there in the mid-70s, and enjoyed the area. Charlene, it is amazing they can make a rocket from a 3D printer. I hope the launch is successful. Annie, I'm so sorry the appointment yesterday brought such sober news. I hope you can go on your cruise, but your health comes first. I like that you have made plans if you can't go. Like someone else said, hopefully, you can document the incompetence of your old doctor, in case it's necessary. Ann, I'm sorry Pat is going to require more serious surgery. I hope all goes well. Vanessa, I'm sorry your knees were bothering you this morning. Hopefully, you can get a steroid shot in the right knee and it will help. I also have a lot of excess bone (tori) but so far nothing needs to be done about that. Paul, I imagine you are counting the days until June 20. Do you have a big wall calendar where you are marking off the days? It's nice a couple of the people wanted to apologize for last nights unpleasant meeting, even if they weren't the main contributors to the unpleasantness. Carolyn, I'm glad your bone density improved, and I've never heard of that happening either. Ann, enjoy your cruise, and doing worry about the surgery. It will give Pat a chance to fully recover from the last surgery and be ready for what's next. I hope you both can relax and rest before facing more time with the doctors. Thank you, Graham. Lenda

Good afternoon from central Texas where the weather has been varying. Right now the clouds are moving in, and rain is expected tonight. Earlier, the sun was out, and it's now 79F and humid. With the wind blowing, 19mph, it's not too bad out. We took the golf cart around the neighborhood to check on the mail. It turns out, I did not goof off today at all, and I'll probably pay for it tomorrow. Originally, the plan was to clean where the old washer had been while the delivery people were unboxing the new one tomorrow. I got to thinking this morning (always a BIG mistake) that I probably wouldn't have time tomorrow. We'd pretty much gotten the washer out of the laundry room (really an oversized closet) when our neighbor came to help move it outside. He'll pick it up later to take to his church for someone who needs a washer. First, we didn't get the water turned off completely, so we got water on the floor. It had been ten or more years (likely more) since we'd moved the washer and dryer to clean under them, and it showed. We were a lot younger and it was easier then. It took about three hours to get everything cleaned. I managed to move the dryer from one side of the room to the other and back so I could get to the vent hose and outlet. I can say that the vent hose, outlet, and the rest of the room are cleaner than they've been since we moved in. DH helped, but even with the restrictions lifted by the back surgeon, I tried to do as much of the heavy work as possible. I'll probably be sore tomorrow, but I'm thankful that I am still able to do things like this. I'll read the rest of the Daily and comment in a few minutes. Lenda PS: I just saw our neighbor go by with the washer on his trailer. I'm glad someone can benefit by getting the washer, which works well, but is just noisy.

We spent a night in Alicante before our cruise in 2001. Originally, we were supposed to fly to Spain on 9/13/01, and spend two weeks touring Spain. We had all our reservations including the Alhambra, but then things changed. After waiting to see if the cruise would still sail, we flew to Barcelona on 9/18/01, and it was a strange flight. We flew from DFW to JFK, as our alternative flight from ATL was over booked. Our flight was practically empty, with one business section completely closed. We could not even go up there to sleep. As far as we could tell, of the passengers on the flight, there were probably less than 10 who's first language was English. We still had a week in Spain before the cruise, and we did not have any problems getting hotel rooms. Only the Paradores were booked. All the people we met were very nice and offered condolences for the tragic events on 9/11. We enjoyed our time travelling around Spain and even went to Andorra. My pictures from Alicante were taken in the early evening as we walked along the esplanade and had a nice meal at one of the sidewalk restaurants. While they may some repeats or similar pictures, they should give you an idea of what the town looks like after the ship sails. A view of the fortress from the waterfront The marina Downtown The locals come out at night We stopped here for gelato, but not vanilla 😁🍦 I would love to go back someday and spend more time looking around the town. Lenda

Good morning from a cloudy but warmer central Texas. I'm up early since I couldn't get back to sleep after waking up about 6 am. Cruise Critic went down about 11 pm CDT last night. I was on my tablet and got a message that this site cannot be reached. I hope everything is working correctly now. I feel a lot younger than I am, and it boggles my mind when I remember how old I am. Where did the time go? I need to goof off more, maybe sometime soon. I sing out loud when no one is around. I don't want to scare anyone. The Churchill quote is very true, and one we should all remember it. We'll pass on the meal and the drink. I would love to try the wine, but I do not love the price. We were in Alicante in September 2001, on a driving trip before boarding Golden Princess for her inaugural TA. Boy, did the passengers from the previous cruises have some stories. @dfish Debbie, wishing you the best for your surgery and recovery. ((((Hugs)))) @kazu Jacqui, wishing you the best for your visit with the surgeon. I hope he is pleased with the progress and can do something about the wires and screws. @mamaofami Carol, good wishes for an easy and successful cataract surgery tomorrow. DH had both eyes done, and said there was nothing to the surgery. He also had never heard about not bending after the surgery. @kochleffel Paul, it is amazing how quiet and empty a house can seem after a much loved fur baby crosses the Rainbow Bridge. An interesting story about the badgers digging under the train tracks. They need to get some dachshunds since they were bred to hunt badgers. Dachshund means badger dog. @cruising sister Lorraine, I hope today is not too hard a day for you. Good news the cast comes off tomorrow, and I'm sure you will do the work to regain mobility. @Gail & Marty sailing away Thank you for taking on the Linus Project for the world cruise. And @The Inside Cabin Thank you for telling us about their work in your post yesterday. @aliaschief Another batch of great memes today, Bruce. Now it's time to work on the list for the grocery store run this morning. That's my excitement for the day. Lenda

Debbie, I certainly hope it doesn't. I feel strongly that you'll come through the surgery with flying colors. Lenda

Ann, I hope tomorrow is a better day for you, too. Lenda

Today’s weather was even worse than just being cloudy and windy. There was a light mist that fell most of the day. Everything was wet and just yucky. At least, since I was out to get a haircut, it didn't matter what the weather did to my hair. It does feel good to have my hair shorter again. The wet mess cleared up this afternoon, and the sun tried to appear for a while with the wind slowing for a bit. We took advangate of the break in the weather and took a short walk down the street. I also got one of my projects completed. That about sums up another day in central Texas. Not sure if I can take all the excitement. 🤣 @marshhawk Annie, like Debbie @dfish, your comment about not a good day at the doctors has me worried, too. I hope it's nothing too serious. I hope tomorrow is a better day. Lenda

Susan, I'm sorry your are still not feeling 100 percent, and glad to know you are getting much needed rest. Tina, thanks for the information about the blue crabs. I didn't know there were blue crabs in Louisiana. That makes sense about the crabs being in Corpus Christi, but that's still a long ways from Louisiana. Debbie, I hope you get the hospital bill straightened out, and that you can still count it as a medical debt. I also hope you can get the taxes straightened out too. RNB, like I said earlier, I'm not much into poetry, but the redneck poem was one of the exceptions. 👍 @kochleffel Paul, I just saw an article in the Washington Post about the couple with the pet Nutria in Louisiana. The state backed down and issued them a permit to keep Neuty with certain conditions. I don't have the link to the article on my computer. Lenda

Sunday night was one of the clearest nights we've had here. DH had his small telescope out and captured these pictures. Spider Nebula Sunflower Galaxy Leo Triplets -- galaxies Lenda

We were in Cairns once in 2002 on the APEC cruise on the Volendam. As per our usual habit, we rented a car. We drove north to Kuranda and then further north to Port Douglas. Since I posted pictures from our drive a few days ago, I'll stick with pictures of Cairns I do have a few more pictures than I posted before, but most of them were taken from the ship as we sailed in and sailed out both times. There is a narrow channel ships must transit to reach the dock. We left Cairns on time, but were only about a quarter mile or so from the pier when the Captain learned there was a medical emergency and a passenger needed to be disembarked. Captain Peter Harris backed the ship the quarter mile to the pier. He told us later it was easier and quicker to back up than to try to turn the ship around and sail forward. These pictures were taken as we approached Cairns. In those days, we got up early and were some of the first people off the ship. We did not spend much time in Cairns, but we did stop at Target. These are the scenes when we drove through Cairns. Volendam in the background. The dock and the view from the other end of the street. The small boat harbor Cairns as we sailed headed to Sydney. The large boats are not yachts, but tour boats that take passengers to the Great Barrier Reef. Sail away views Sunset behind Cairns Lenda

Well here goes the broken record. Good morning from a very cloudy and windy central Texas. The forecast for the temperatures for the next ten days has changed -- again. Today the high will be 75F and it will be in the 70s and 80s in the coming days with the exception on one day at 69F. Not a bad forecast, but we will still have wind. After all, it's spring in Texas. Not much on the agenda today, except to continue to work on various projects. The big event will be a haircut this afternoon. It's been six weeks, which is way too long. Somehow, my stylist did not get my text two weeks ago about needing an appointment. By the time I got through to her, she was book until today. I'll be glad to get rid of this shaggy look. I will salute Credit Card Reduction day. About twenty years ago, we closed most of our credit card accounts, but over the years we've added two because of their perks. With a couple of exceptions, we have always paid our credit card bills on time. I do wear my favorite fragrance everyday, but I only put on a light spray. I enjoy a few poems, but poetry have never really been a big part of my life. The Thoreau quote is interesting. We might try the meal if we could get fresh crabs in landlocked central Texas. When we lived in Corpus Christi in the early 1970s, we lived in an area called Flour Bluff on a canal with access to the Laguna Madre, which is the area between the mainland and Padre Island. Once when we took our boat down the Intercoastal Waterway which is part of Laguna Madre, we noticed a great many blue crabs in the water. Tina, @0106 probably can verify, that is not a place you'd expect to find blue crabs. It was a very rare event to have them in the Gulf of Mexico. Sadly, at the time, we did not know how good they are or how to fix them, and we never saw them in the area again. We'll also pass on the drink and the wine. We were in Cairns on November 4, 2002 on Volendam. I knew this would happen the other day when I shared my pictures of Kuranda and Port Douglas, but I never expected Cairns to be the port of the day so soon. I'll post pictures of Cairns in a few minutes. @dfish Debbie, sending positive thoughts for tomorrow that your surgery is the second slot, that it goes well and the surgical team is on top of their game. @grapau27 Graham, I hope you can get the shots in your other knee and hips. The steroid shots helped DH for years until it was time for surgery. @Lady Hudson Katherine, I'm glad your DH's leg injury is healing nicely. I also over pack for cruises, but I hate wearing the same few clothes for several weeks when we're on a long cruise. @seagarsmoker Enjoy your day in Grand Cayman. We usually visit Kirk Freeport and go snorkeling off the shore there. We've also rented cars and toured the island a few times. @ger_77 Gerry, thanks for the picture of the rabbit circles. @lindaler Linda, I hope your luggage arrives tomorrow and is in good condition. @aliaschief Great memes today, Bruce. Lenda

Paul, that was very nice of the Rabbi. I'm glad you were spared having to make the decision. We've had to make the decision twice, and the other times the decision was made for us while we were trying to make it. Lenda

Good evening. The calendar might say it's spring, but our weather still doesn't agree. To top it off, our wind which usually dies down about sunset, is still blowing at 16mph. It looks like it stay windy until Saturday. Ann, sending very positive thoughts your way that Pat gets a good report tomorrow at his post op vvisit with the doctor so that you can go on your cruise. Jacqui, I am also sending very positive thoughts your way for a good visit and a happy surgeon Wednesday. I'm happy all the animals at the vet's office were safe, but sorry there was damage to the building. Lenda

Good afternoon from a still cool and blustery central Texas. I walked to the mailbox and wanted to to the full long walk, but the wind was just too much. I did get at least the short loop in before deciding I did not want to walk facing into the wind any more. The weather has also changed the menu for tonight. The plan was salmon, vegetables and salad. After being outside, I decided we'll be finishing last nights stew with cornbread muffins. This morning, we got confirmation that the new washer is estimated to be delivered Thursday. It was interesting that when I looked at a dryer, it could be delivered Wednesday if we ordered online. We've decided to see how much longer the dryer will last since it's still working and not making any loud noises. Charlene, thanks for your pictures of Geraldton. It looks like a nice place to visit and walk around. The War Memorial is an interesting design. That street is steep. I wouldn't mind walking down it, but I would seriously consider riding the shuttle up. 😀 Paul, thanks for the picture of the two beautiful and contented cats. Ray, how nice of your DS to volunteer to drive you to the airport. For years, we rented cars in Waco to drive to DFW. It was always cheaper to rent them going to DFW than going to Waco. They needed the cars back in DFW. The last time we flew into DFW in 2019, we discovered it was cheaper to use Uber for the 100 mile drive than to rent a car, and we didn't have to make a trip to Waco to return the car the next day. The Uber driver was very happy to make the run because he could go on to Waco and pick up a fare back to DFW. There was a Baylor football game that night, so he knew he would make money both ways. Lenda

Good morning from a very cloudy and cool central Texas. It is 44F and should get to 55F this afternoon. Unlike yesterday, it doesn't look like we'll see the sun today. I think I'll avoid extraterrestrial abductions today, but welcome international day of happiness and Earth day. I wish we could all be happy everyday, and we should observe Earth day everyday to help our planet. The Ugo Betti quote is very true, but I think we can learn from the great marks left by those who came before us. We'll pass on the meal since neither of us are big fans of Indian cuisine. Thank you, Tina, @0106 for filling in for Debbie @dfish and for the explanation of saag paneer. The drink might be nice, and I'd like to try the wine, but don't think we'll be buying it. We have not been to Geraldton. I'm glad the cruise is going well and you are enjoying it. Terri, safe travels tomorrow, and I hope you only get good news from your tests and appointment. I also hope the workers finish with the house while you are gone. Thank you for your report on the Ruby Princess. We had an aft balcony on her when we did the 49 day trip around South America. Unfortunately, our speeds on sea days were very fast, and the noise from the wake was extremely loud. We could only stand to stay on deck for about 15 minutes. Overall, we've found HAL is a better fit for us, but will take Princess for the unique itinerates. Terry, I'm sorry it was a rough night last night. I hope you and Tana can both get some rest this morning, I'm glad the aide is there so you can try to rest. Lorraine, we also get the wind in the spring, probably after it is finished with Kansas and Oklahoma. We also get some of Oklahoma with the winds on occasion. Debbie, I'm glad you got to stay in bed longer this morning. Roy, thanks for the sunrise picture. Glad you are feeling stronger even if the recovery is slow. Maureen, I'm glad you were treated so well at MD Anderson. My step-mother and DFIL were both treated there. Paul, my condolences on the Junior Cat, Sasha, crossing the Rainbow Bridge. 🌈 🐈 I know it is hard for you to say goodbye, but be happy that you gave her a much better and happier life than she had before she became part of your family. Roy, thanks for the link. Jacqui, what a beautiful sentiment. Even though it's been 15 years since our last fur baby crossed the Rainbow Bridge, it still brought tears to my eyes. Thanks for the beautiful picture of San Diego. We never get to see it like that when we sail in and out of there. Susan, and all the others who are still dealing with winter, I think Mother Nature does not look at the calendar to know when to change the seasons. Maybe, Roy @rafinmd should send her the link about the arrival of spring. 🤣 I'm glad you are feeling much better, but please don't over do. Vanessa, don't question what is up with going back to sleep for a few more hours, just enjoy it. Lenda

Good afternoon, which turned out to be a beautiful, but chilly afternoon. We took advantage of the sunny day, and took the convertible (top up) out for a spin. We even found a road we either hadn't be on or forgot we'd driven it years ago. Charlene, thanks for the pictures. I'm glad you didn't encounter any crocodiles. Lorraine, yeah on the cast coming off in four days! I know you will do the work so you will be able to enjoy your curise. Thank you, Graham. Ann, thank you for your pictures. Debbie, thank you for your picture of your feisty Dad. Good news that Tina @0106 will handle the recipes for you. One less thing to worry about. Glad the car was freed. Terri, I'm glad you DH was not hurt in the fall. I hope you get to go in with him tomorrow. Lenda

Sandi, thanks for the information. When I googled rail road Port Douglas this morning, the only thing that came up was the Kuranda Scenic Railway. Lenda

Now, that's a Redneck chicken coop! 🤣 Lenda

I'll join @RedneckBob in providing some laughs today. This first one could also apply to mini-dachshunds who love to sleep under the cover. For those of us still working on our taxes. No explanation needed Lenda

We were in Cairns once in 2002 on the Asia Pacific Explorer Cruise (APEC) on the Volendam. As per our usual habit, we rented a car. We drove north to Kuranda and then further north to Port Douglas. Many of my pictures are of the rainforest and streams, but there are a few from each stop. I will omit my very few pictures of Cairns. These are from our drive to Kuranda through the rainforest. Barron Falls was dry in 2002, so they must not have had much rain. Kuranda A couple of the older train engines The only picture from Port Douglas is overlooking Four Mile Beach, but it is a nice town. @StLouisCruisers Sandi, I looked up the rail road you mentioned. It is the Kuranda Scenic Railway which runs from Cairns to Kuranda. The trip is 1 hour 55 minutes one way. One of the older engines on display in Kuranda was the Bally Hooley. Lenda

Good morning from a mostly sunny ☀️ and not windy (yet?) central Texas. The lowest our temperature reached was about 33F, and it's warming up with the sun, and should reach 57F this afternoon. Today and tomorrow look to be our last cold days for the foreseeable future. Remember for those of us not on the "frozen tundra" or in the northern reaches, 50s are pretty chilly for us. We can always use a good laugh, and I'll definitely celebrate certified nurses. Who knew there was a national poultry day. We do eat quite a bit of poultry, but it's not on the menu for today. I like the quote, and @0106 thank you for putting it in context. I think we'll pass on the meal since I have half a chuck roast thawing for either pot roast or beef stew tonight. I have a recipe for Florentine roll-ups, but so far I haven't made it. I like frozen strawberry daiquiris, but I'm not sure about a peach daiquiri. The wine sounds nice, but it's a little more than I want to pay for a bottle. We have not been to Kangaroo Island, but have been to Sandi's alternate port. The day we were in Cairns, we rented a car and drove to Port Douglas. I'll repost my pictures from when Cairns was the port. @grapau27 Graham, how nice of Father David to give Pauline a daffodil and the Mothering Day prayer. @ottahand7 Safe travels home beginning tomorrow, Nancy. Enjoy your visit with your friends. @smitty34877 Terry, I'm still learning more about vegetarian meals and younger DD stopped eating meat her freshman year in college some 27 years ago. We didn't learn about that until Thanksgiving. She called just as I put the turkey in the oven to tell us she was leaving Austin then, and added "By the way, I don't eat meat. Bye", and hung up. Fortunately, she found enough side dishes to eat that day. @Rowsby Sue, that is weird all the texts came in so late. We have our phones set for do not disturb between 10 pm and 8:30 am. @marshhawk Annie, I'm glad you had a good day off. Enjoy the races today. @Mtn2Sea Thanks for the pictures from Kangaroo Island. @seagarsmoker Sorry the weather messed up the day at Half Moon Cay. @lindaler Welcome home, Linda. Glad you had a good cruise. Lenda

Debbie, the ones DH got after his surgery are different, but still very useful. I find I use it more than he does especially when things are just out of reach on a high shelf. Saves getting the step stool or step ladder out. Lenda

Good afternoon from central Texas. After much back and forth, we decided to order a new washer instead of fixing the old one. In addition to the horrible noise of the bearing that's going out, it has been making more and louder clicks, etc. DH decided it was worth it to get a quieter washer. We went to Waco to order it so we could take advantage of the military discount. At checkout, I found out we should have applied for the discount and downloaded the app before leaving home. I got that taken care of at the service desk; then, when she saw were getting a washer, she said the discount does not apply to appliances. At least, we got out of the house, and since the washer was on sale, we saved quite a bit of money. It w8ll be delivered and installed Thursday. The Cowboy Church down the road will take the old washer. They have a room of old appliances for people in need. One of our neighbors will get it next week. At least, it will be used by someone who needs it. Carolyn, thanks for sharing your pictures from the rum distillery. Unfortunately, we were not on the same cruise. Our cruise was a Panama Canal cruise which left about January 15, and it was a means to get to Fort Lauderdale without flying. We spent two days in Florida before boarding the Ruby Princess to sail around South America for 49 days to LA. Taxes are always fun -- NOT! 😡 Thanks for the beautiful sunset. Welcome to the Fleet/Daily, and we hope you'll come back often. We have become friends during the past three years, but there's always room for one more Dailyite. I'm sorry your experience in Corinto was so bad. I guess we've been lucky when we were there. Since our last visit, I think the political situation has gotten worse. It may not be a port until things get better. We did a tour to Managua from a different port, and it was pretty grim. They had not rebuilt much after the earthquake. Carol, I hope your surgery and recovery goes well. I'm glad you had a beautiful day for the sailaway. Lenda