Quartzsite Cruiser

Some of the to-do list is now done, but we didn't get everything accomplished. The new towel bar is up, but it didn't go too smoothly. The new one was longer than the old one, so DH decided to shorten the new one so we didn't have to drill two new sets of holes and try to patch the old ones. BTW, the new towel bar is a double one, other wise we would have just kept the old one in place. The plan is to use the old one on another wall for the hand towels. Hopefully, that and the door handle for one cabinet will be installed with a lot less trouble tomorrow. I did get the last of the weed killer sprayed before the wind really started blowing. Ann, I'm sorry DH's appointment didn't go so well. I hope he gets the all clear to travel next week. The Camellias are lovely. Paul, with cats, I doubt any service is up to their standards. Great news, Annie. I know you will enjoy the cruise, with the bonus of meeting Gerry @ger_77 and Maurice. Dixie, I hope the lady's family takes away the keys and that her insurance will cover your medical and ambulance bill, plus any repairs to the golf cart. Take it easy for a couple of days. Safe travels to you DD tomorrow. I was wondering the same thing, Roy. I hope there is some insurance to cover Dixie's expenses. Lenda

Oh Dixie, how awful. I'm glad there were now serious injuries, but it's a good thing you got checked out. I hope the bruising fades quickly and you feel better tomorrow. Lenda

On our January 30 Koningsdam cruise we were in 6052 which like 6128 is actually the first cabin after the aft end of a bump out. The balcony was slightly larger than a regular balcony, and the advantage was two fold. First the door to the balcony did not open between the chairs but on the end of the angled balcony. The room was longer so that the desk was next to the couch not across from the couch. This gave more open space in the cabin and made it easier to walk in that area. I'm glad to see you are looking at an aft facing cabin, because from what I've heard, the forward facing balconies are pretty windy when the ship is under way. The angled balconies are not as private, we never found that to be a problem. I did not take any pictures of the cabin or the balcony, but his is one is looking aft and you can see the lifeboats below between deck 3 and deck 4. I hope this answers some of your questions.

Good morning from a beautiful, sunny Quartzsite. At the moment there is no wind. I hope it stays that way, so I can spray the weeds that have popped up since the last time I spray. Then, I won't be spraying until next fall. It was 50F when I got up about 40 minutes ago. We're heading to a high of 78F this afternoon with 7mph winds in the afternoon. Otherwise, DH and I will be adding towel bars to the motorhome. There was only one in the bathroom, and it is not big enough for two bath towels and two hand towels. We'll also be cutting a board which will be another self in a very tall cabinet with only one shelf. The American Red Cross does some amazing working after disasters. My handwriting can still be pretty good when I write slowly and think about what I'm doing. Otherwise, it can be a scribble that even I can't read at times. DH was a day early for International Whiskey Day, as he finished a bottle of Jamesons last night that he'd been working on for a while. But he does have one more bottle. The Fred Allen quote made me smile. We'll pass on the "meal" but if I ever make Hollandaise sauce, it would be Debbie's @dfish third "recipe". We have not been to Falmouth, England. It was a port on the 2022 Coral Princess world cruise that was canceled because of you know what. I imagine our Florida Dailyites will celebrate the 1513 discovery of Florida by Juan Ponce de Leon. The first non-direct blood transfusion in 1914 by Dr. Albert Hustin led to many lives being saved. @Mr. Boston Safe travels tomorrow, and enjoy the train ride. @Crazy For Cats Have a safe flight home, Jake, and welcome home. We have never been separated going through US Customs at the end of a cruise. That is not a good practice. @grapau27 Thanks for the great pictures of Weymouth, Graham. @smitty34877 Terry, I can attest to the fact you never outgrow the love of or the need for chocolate. 🍫 Safe travels to New Hampshire on Friday. @dfish Debbie, I'm glad River is better. @Niagarawine I'm sorry you will need knee surgery. @Seasick Sailor Joy, I hope the doctor can convince the insurance company that Allen needs the Jardiance. It's time the medical establishment put the patients needs ahead of the bottom line. @RMLincoln Maureen, I'm sorry your DSIL had a setback. I hope a week without the radiation treatments will help her feel better and also eating. @ger_77 Gerry, good news on the cruise booking. @Nickelpenny Pennie, how nice of the reading specialist to compliment your teaching skills. It's always nice to save a chunk of change on a cruise. Congratulations. @JazzyV Vanessa, I'm sorry you are still not getting a lot of sleep. That accident was horrible. Our condolences to the family and friends of those killed. Lenda

Sharon, I'm glad Blue is over his upset. Our plan is to leave next Monday, April 1. Debbie, we usually have a glass or two with dinner. Unless we're on a cruise, I rarely drink after dinner. I'm sorry about the meltdown. Lenda

Debbie, a glass or two of wine are pretty much a nightly habit, but I hope loading the motorhome is just an occasional chore. At least, this time I can spread the chore over several day. I'm glad you made it to the butterfly exhibit and the canopy walk. There was a lovely butterfly exhibit that older DD and I visited while we waited to pick her sister up from school. Roy, while not unexpected, it is sad that the six workers are officially presumed dead. May they rest in peace. Our condolences to their families, friends and co-workers. Lenda

Vanessa, I'm sorry you did not have a good night's sleep. I'm glad you are doing what you can at PT to build up strength before your surgery. BTW, there are some other site that offer discounts on prescriptions besides GoodRx. Singlecare is the one that comes to mind. Great picture of you and Leonard Nimoy. Thanks for the nice comment about my pictures. Thank you, Graham. Sharon, I hope Blue is all right now. How nice of you DGD to want to give the quilt to a child that doesn't have a blanket. Everything that can go into the motorhome refrigerator until we put the last minutes things in are now in it, and the freezer is full. Everything from the pantry that I won't need this week has also be taken to the motorhome. The small refrigerator in the storage building is empty, cleaned and the extension cord to it is put away. The other things that DH and I were going to do today, will be done tomorrow since there's not much else to load until just before we leave. The remainder of the afternoon will be spent in a warm spot on the south patio with my book. Lenda

Gerry, thanks for sharing the picture of the blankets. Some very lucky kids will love them. Brenda, great pictures of the bluebird. Lenda

Maxine, I'm sorry the antibiotics for your DGD's strep throat did not take care of it, and it has now developed into scarlet fever. I hope the new antibiotic does the trick, and she feels better soon, and is well very quickly. Lenda

Ann, I'm glad your DD's fracture is considered "minor", but any fracture needs to be taken seriously. I hope Pat's appointment goes well, and you are able to go on your cruise. Roy, I was relieved when I read the ship made the May Day call in time to prevent more injuries and deaths. I hope there will be a miracle, but I'm afraid time is against that. Roy, that is good news the construction worker was released from the hospital. Lenda

The day in Saipan, three of us took the small commuter plane to Tinian and rented a car to tour the island before returning to Saipan and touring that island. This picture shows the four runways used by the US after taking the island from Japan. A plaque remembering those who died in the invasion of Tinian A monument to the 509 composite group, and a sign about the 509 Composite Group and another about the runways. Runway Able is the best preserved. One of the pits used to load the bombs on Enola Gay and Bockscar. The bombs were too heavy to load normally. There was a hydraulic piston in the bottom of the pits to raise the bomb after the plane was parked above the pit. There were the ruins of many buildings used by the Japanese that are preserved in the National Park along with old air plane engines and parts. There is a cave that contains rusting fuel drums, where we could stand in the entrance. On the other end of the island is a casino and resort that caters to Japanese tourists. Our visit to Tinian and Saipan was a very interesting and moving experience. Lenda

We were in Saipan in 2005 on the Pacific Princess cruise of the Islands of the Pacific Theater. That was the day we flew to Tinian, but we still had time to tour Saipan. We stopped at the Hard Rock Cafe for t-shirts, but no pictures. My pictures center more on the battle for Saipan in 1944. American Memorial Park I believe these are Suicide Cliff and Banzai Cliff, where about 1000 Japanese jumped to their deaths rather than be captured by the American forces. I am not sure which is which. Japanese memorials on top of the cliffs The last Japanese Command Post from the cliff top and from ground level. The sea spray has not been kind to the military equipment left behind. Suicide Cliff Monument Bird Island, a bird observatory Some pretty flowers along the road Lenda

Greetings from Quartzsite. The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge is horrific. Our condolences to the families and friends of those killed in the collapse. I watched the video Marcia @dobiemom provided the link to, and could not believe how quickly the bridge collapsed. Our condolences also to the family, friends and colleagues of the NYC policeman killed this morning. We have another sunny day with 6 mph winds and a current temperature of 56F. The predicted high is 72F with 10mph winds. It will be a good day to load more things on the motorhome. Today will likely be the food in the pantry and refrigerator we'll not need before we leave. Diabetes and epilepsy are two diseases that more people need to be aware of and what damage they can do if not treated. By coincidence, I have on a purple shirt today. Live Long and Prosper Day is celebrated on Leonard Nimoy's birthday. The Rabindranath Tagore quote is a good one and is true. While lasagna roll ups sound good, I'd prefer them with ricotta; however, I won't be making them today since we are working on eating what is in the freezer, including lasagna. The drink sounds like one I'd try on a BHB if I remembered it, and the wine sounds nice, but not the price. We visited Saipan in 2005 on a cruise to the island of the Pacific Theater in WWII. The introduction of the Salk vaccine was the breakthrough needed to conquer polio, and the vaccine was given to all the students in my town's school system unless the parents objected. I doubt many did because polio was so devastating. I had a classmate and friend who died a few years ago from post polio complications. @RedneckBob RNB, thanks for the sunrise and rainbow pictures. @StLouisCruisers Sandi, I'm glad your DD arrived safely at your DGD's. @MISTER 67 Thank you for the pictures of the Skyway bridge collapse, another horrific accident that I remember. @Denise T Denise, I'm glad you do the hard work to keep your blood sugar under control. I'm sorry you lost your DB to this disease. @marshhawk Annie, I hope the neurologist can help with the pain in you arm. I hope the new pain meds help your DH be more comfortable and as pain free as possible. @cat shepard Ann, I'm glad you sister had such a great birthday, and was able to drive yesterday. The last meme could also apply to the Alaskan mosquitoes, which some say is the state bird. 😁 @kazu Jacqui, thank you for sharing the pictures of your gentle giant, Maverick. He was a beautiful dog. @ottahand7 Nancy, I hope you get your errands run before the wind gets too high. @AncientWanderer Maxine, that is good news about HAL moving the shore excursions. I'm sorry your DGD is ill and seems to have the chicken pox. Since she's vaccinated, I hope the case is mild if that is what she has. I hope the news from your DH's cardiac appointment is good. Lenda

I agree, and I just poured another glass. Lenda

Debbie, I think I like your definition of loaded much, much better. 🤣 There will be wine tonight,🍷 but if I got loaded, not much would happen tomorrow. At least, the list is less than half as ling, and much can't go on the motorhome until close to the time when leave. Lenda

We've gotten quite a bit loaded today, and I'm taking a break before getting some more things loaded. Graham, I'm happy that Sarah's friends are also looking after her. The Easter visit with a friend should help too. Good for you and Pauline getting her first class tickets. I hope Pauline is not too upset today about the horrible treatment from her sister and BIL. Hugs to all three of you. Vanessa, I hope you can get more sleep than three hours to night. I also hope that not using your biologic medication for 7 weeks does not cause an adverse reaction. Vanessa, thanks for the great pictures of Cobh and especially the Titanic Museum. It's interesting they give you a card about one of the passengers when you enter the museum. Joy, that is not the news we wanted to hear about Allen's visit with the doctor today. Is Allen taking a blood thinner? We learned last year when DH was on blood thinners for a few months that certain green vegetables were not good with the blood thinner he was taking. I thought I'd mention it since you said Allen likes greens which are one of the vegetables that were a no-no for DH. Debbie, I'm glad today is a much better day. I hope River is feeling much better today. Lenda

Graham, I'm sorry such a sad day had to become a mean day too. I hope Pauline and Sarah can keep busy enough at work today, to help keep the pain and sadness from overwhelming them. Sending positive thoughts for strength and healing for all of you. Lenda

These are some of the pictures I took when we toured to House of Waterford Visitor Center and saw the demonstration of making crystal. Waterford Molds for crystal pieces Glass blowing Glass cutting by hand and by robot A special piece after 9/11 Lenda

We have been to Cobh at least three times. The first was in 2003 on Rotterdam VI. We did a tour to Blarney Castle, where DH kissed the Blarney Stone, but I decided to skip the kiss. I have enough Blarney without inviting more. 😉 Once back in Cobh, we took the local bus to Kinsale and then walked around Cork on the way back. The next year, we were there on Noordam III and surprise, rented a car. We drove to Kinsale and then to a golf course two business associates had played. Our last visit was in 2016 on Prinsendam. That day we rented a car and drove to Waterford and toured their glass making demonstration. Then we drove to the Jameson's Distillery, where we toured the old distillery and the new modern one. Blarney Castle The line to kiss the Blarney Stone and DH kissing the stone Looking down from the top of Blarney Castle The view from Blarney Castle Kinsale A market, but I don't remember if it was Kinsale or Cork, but I think it was in Cork. Cobh port train station. While we've been to Cobh three times, we've never spent much time looking around Cobh. Inside the old port terminal where there are some interesting displays from the past and several nice shops for last minute purchases. I got a lovely glass Christmas ornament in one of the shops. Roche's Point lighthouse A golf course, but I have no idea which one or exactly where it is. Watch tower at Old Head of Kinsale Another view of the coast as we sailed from Cobh in 2003. Jameson Distillery Lenda

Good sunny morning rom Quartzsite. It is currently 49F up from the 44F when I got up. We are looking at a high of 71F but with winds of 13mph. This week we'll see highs in the 80s until Saturday when we return to a high of 69F. Not much on the agenda except trying to get more loaded on the motorhome. I would like to have all but last minute stuff loaded by Friday since we could get rain Saturday and Sunday. Speaking of rain, we had rain both last night and Saturday night, but not too much. I'll honor Greek Independence Day and Holi, but not bed-in for peace, but we surely could use a lot more peace in this world. I basically agree with the Scot Hamilton quote. A bad attitude will make any disability worse. Knowing his history with his mother's death due to cancer and his bout with testicular caner, plus the third reoccurrence of a brain tumor, I can understand the quote. This is a link to an article in The Tennessean that might be interesting. https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/local/2024/02/23/scott-hamilton-40th-anniversary-olympic-gold-life-battle-third-brain-tumor-cancer/72701943007/ We'll pass on the meal and the drink. The wine might be good for a special occasion. We have been to Cobh at least three times, and I'll retrieve my pictures in a few minutes. Two interesting days in history, and I'm sure our golfers will celebrate the first Master's tournament. @kazu Jacqui, I'm glad you got the shore excursion changes taken care of. Good luck with the PT today, and I hope your therapist can work some new exercises into your session @aliaschief Bruce, I hope you feel better and can go on the excursion to Danang. @Denise T Denise, good news the last two chapters of your dissertation care coming together nicely. @smitty34877 Terry, I know it's difficult for Tana, but I'm proud of her for making the effort with the help of the teenager to walk to the kitchen. She is a true fighter and an example of having a good attitude to fight for the best possible life she can. Hugs to both of you and the teenager. @cat shepard Ann, please wish your sister A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY 🎂 for us. We're glad she can celebrate it at home with family. @StLouisCruisers Sandi, I'm glad your DD made it safely to your house yesterday. Safe travels to her today. @dfish Debbie, I hope today is a better day for all, and that River is feeling better. Also, I hope you and Sue stay well. BTW, parenting is not always easy even with kids who do have a lot of emotional baggage. You and Sue, plus her other grandmother, are the best things in River's life right now. Hugs to both of you. @rafinmd Roy, that is good news that the IRS accepted your tax return. @Seasick Sailor Joy, wishing the best for Allen's doctor's appointment today, and that the rains let up while you are away from home. Be careful on the road. @RMLincoln Maureen, I hope your DH's eye pressure settles down and at a good number. Glad you enjoyed your afternoon and night out yesterday. @Crazy For Cats Jake, you'd think they would make sure the spices are on all the ships before sending out the announcement. Lenda

That is such tragic news. I'm holding out hope that she is found. It must have been very traumatic for her cousins, and I hope they are getting the help they need to deal with this. Our hearts go out to the girls family and friends. Gerry, the coasters look great, and it's a good way to use up unneeded fabric. Years ago, a quilter in our neighborhood taught several of us how to take her left over fabric and make hot pads with them. The fabric was cut into strips and sown to form diagonal stipes. We used a coordinating backing and some other fabric in between. The edges were finishing with bias tape. Needless to say, a lot of family members got them for Christmas that year. Unfortunately, the ones I kept are in Texas, so no pictures. Thank you for answering my question about your DH's book. It sounds like an involved project, and I hope it gets published. Yeah, for Annie @marshhawk allowing her name to be added to the list. Lenda

Debbie, you may be onto something if both of River's parents are anti-vaxers and believe Covid is a hoax. It sounds like besides a stable environment that both grandmothers are providing, River could benefit from counseling, either through her school or privately. I don't know how to convince her that Covid is very real, very scary and the vaccines help. I may be over stepping, if so please forgive me, but from all you've said about River, it seems someone who could provide a long term loving and stable environment should have custody of River. I agree with how you feel about her mother's sentence being extended. Vanessa, we have several suction grab bars, and while we've experienced them losing their grip, we still like them. We check them on a regular bases to see if their hold is still tight. What we like about them, is they can be moved as DH's condition and abilities change. Jake, the link below may be too much for the ship's wifi, but it's worth a try. I tried a search in the HAL site, but it didn't work. This is the link that showed up when I clicked on the email, something I rarely do. There are several different spice blends which are only available on board. https://www.hollandamerica.com/en/us/about/our-company/partnerships/the-spice-house?camp=CME:20240324_HEP2417MP4&rmid=20240324_HEP2417MP4&rrid=980913562&mi_u=029537198&mi_ecmp=20240324_HEP2417MP4&lid=primarycta&XID=EXTHEM20240324NVTJWD97Y1 Lenda

Vanessa, it sounds like you have things pretty well covered. I'm glad you have BFF to depend on for help. Lenda

Good afternoon from a sunny but still cool and windy Quartzsite. The trip to Blythe was successful, especially since the store had everything on my list except for one item, and most of what I needed was on sale and some even had a further discount with the clipped coupons. Now everything is put away, with most going into the motorhome. I couldn't see putting things in the house only to haul them out to the motorhome in a day or two. I'm now caught up, and discovered that some of the posts I thought I'd clicked on to quote weren't in the list. I hope that I have not missed anyone. RNB, I'm happy the Wi-Fi is working on the NS. Have a wonderful cruise. Vanessa, I'm sorry your pain was so bad last night and this morning. I'm sending the strongest possible thoughts that the surgery takes care of the problem and you have a quick and easy recovery with no lasting pain. The tip about turning the walker backwards over the commode for support is a very good one. DH has a standard folding walker without a seat that he used it as support for a while. Also, a shower seat is a very good idea until standing is very easy. I was wondering if since you live alone, you would qualify for some help around the house after the surgery and that it could be covered by Medicare or insurance until you are able to tackle certain things again. Thank you for the information about Bach and sharing the letter he sent the Margrave of Brandenburg. It was very interesting. Debbie, how awful for River, Sue and you. I hope she is better quickly and that you both do not catch whatever it is she has. Bruce, thank you for the pictures of Ha Long Bay. It is an amazing place to see. I hope we can get back there someday, since we did a tour to Hanoi that day, and only saw a small part of Ha Long Bay. Ann, I'm glad your DS got a good nights sleep. I hope she follows up the the PT and the OT. Will she be having home health visit and provide PT and OT while she recovers? Welcome to The Fleet Report/Daily. Please join us whenever you can. We're a very friendly and welcoming group. Paul, the picture of the bobcat getting the heron is amazing. Thanks for sharing it. Lenda

Good morning from a sunny but still windy Quartzsite. It is 52F with a predicted high of 68F with the clouds returning this afternoon. Our winds will also continue today. We'll be heading to Blythe for one last grocery run this morning. All three days today are good, but the second and third ones are very important. The Stephen Chbosky quote is true. I've had the shrimp tacos on BHBs including on our recent Koningsdam cruise. For some reason fish tacos don't appeal to me, but I like the shrimp tacos. HAL uses the America's Test Kitchen recipe. We'll pass on the drink, but the wind sounds nice. We have not been to Kiriwina Island PNG. We also have another three interesting days in history to honor. @marshhawk Annie, congratulations on another sale. The lady who wants the call backs must have some interesting stories to tell. @dfish Debbie, safe travels today and enjoy your visit with your former student and her family. I hope the girls have fun, too. @Haljo1935 Elizabeth, I hope the good memories of your brother help ease the pain. I like your other brother's thoughts about today. Hugs @smitty34877 Terry, I'm sorry about the water in the basement, but I'm glad the sump pump is working well. @StLouisCruisers Sandi, safe travels to your DD today and tomorrow. I know you will enjoy seeing her today. Thanks for the pictures from PNG. Lenda