Quartzsite Cruiser

Good afternoon. Debbie @dfish, Sharon @Sharon in AZ, Dixie @summer slope, and I met in the Ocean Bar to test the chocolate chicken drink. Without the picture the drink looked a little different, but the bartender was able to make it using the recipe Dixie provided. For me, it was too strong, and one taste was enough. We had a good time just visiting. I think someone will post some pictures. Today was not a good day in trivia for Debbie and me. We would have done worse if yesterday's and today's Daily hadn't given us two of the answers. One question was the date galventine is celebrated, and the other was about the invention patented on February 14. Jane, thank you for the update. I'm glad your medical team will be consulting, and I sure they will find the best and safest plan to help you. Beautiful flowers, Terri. Vanessa, I'm sorry you didn't get the news you were expecting. I hope the two shots will ease the pain a lot. Is it possible for them to remove the cyst? Lenda

We'll have to check it out when we head to breakfast. Lenda

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY Good morning from Koningsdam somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. We've passed the halfway point to Ensenada, and we'll arrive Friday at 11am instead of 2 pm. I'm not sure what the weather will be today since it's still early. It's interesting that Valentine's Day falls on Ash Wednesday this year. There was a lively Mardi Gras party last nighr. Many of the officers from the Hotel Department were there wilth fancy masks on. A few even joined the passengers on the dance floor. Heart defect awareness day and Frederick Douglass Day are good days to honor. A good quote by William Styron. We'll pass on the meal and the drink. The wine sounds nice. We passed today's port on our 2006 Amazon cruise on the old Regal Princess. I doubt I have any pictures from there. Alexander Graham Bell's invention of the telephone greatly changed how we communicate. For those that like horror movies the release of Dracula is an important day in history. @Suslor Please wish Lorenzo a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY for us. @superoma Eva, please wish your twins HAPPY BIRTHDAY for us. @MISTER 67 Safe travels tomorrow, and have a wonderful cruise. @StLouisCruisers Sandi, sending positive thoughts that your DGD does a great job with her presentation. @rafinmd Roy, I hope your memories of good times with your brother make today less painful. @Haljo1935 I hope the surgeon approves you for the shoulder surgery. @Terry I'm glad you are feeling better, and feel like cooking today. @RMLincoln Maureen, I hope all goes well with the doctor's appointment today. Lenda

All the balconies aft of us also had a lot of salt spray. As I said, the weather has been weird this winter. The aft facing angle balcony isn't bad, but I wouldn't want a forward facing one. Took much wind when under way. We also like the extra room in the cabin, especially with DH's rollator. Lenda

Nancy, we are on deck six aft of the forward elevators. The weather this year has been weird. It has been cooler, windier and at times bumpier tha past years. Also, it has been cloudy and damp most of the time we're at sea. We tried sitting outside just now, but it was too cool and damp. When DH looked over the railing, all the balconies on this side were covered in salt spray. We're in an angled cabin at the end of a bumped out section, so it's easy to see the side of the ship. There is a good chance that by next year the weather will be completely different. Lenda

Good morning from the Koningsdam on another very cloudy day. Sadly, we have not been able to use our balcony as much as we hoped. No matter if we were heading west or now heading east, we've gotten a lot of salt spray and wetness. It's still nice to have a full length window and door. I'll honor Shrove Tuesday and Black Love Day, but will ignore Desperation Day. While there are things I wish I'd done differently, I don't think I want a second edition of my life. Chicken and dumplings are good, but I'm not sure about cornmeal dumplings. We'll pass on the drink. The wine sounds good, but a bit pricey. We have not been to Abu Dhabi. Two interesting days in British history. Jake, it's interesting one leg of your cruise has an itinerary change, but not the other. An overnight in Quebec City is always good. Roy, I hope all the appointments and meetings go well this week. Jacqui, I hope you do not have any trouble getting to your appointments today and tomorrow. Nancy, that is unacceptable that John did not get his entree. I'd have been a very squeaky wheel. Graham, thank youndor the explanations of the days. I hope your appointment with the surgeon tomorrow gives you a plan for getting the shoulder fixed. I hope you feel better soon. Gerry, I hope the change to your DH's pacemaker will help your DH feel better as his body adjusts to the change. Terry, it was good to read that everyone slept better last night. I hope things continue to get better. Debbie, I'm sorry about your steak last night. DH said his was very tender and good. It's amazing the difference in steaks of the same cut. My lamb chops were also good. We also have a great cabin steward and dining steward, along with several wonderful bat servers. Dixie, that is bad news about your dinner in Rudi's. Lenda

I'm sorry you got Covid on your cruise. I hope you feel better soon, and the fatigue is gone soon. Vanessa, it sounds like you have a very thoughtful contractor. I hope the furniture moving and floor refinishing go smoothly. Lenda

The money raised through On Deck For A Cause on the current Koningsdam Hawaii cruise, which I'm on, goes to the relief fund for the recovery frommthe fire on Maui.

Good morning from the Koningsdam somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. I haven't opened the curtains yet, so I don't know what the weather is lioe. There are three good days to celebrate today. A good quote from Lao Tzu, but I suspect it isn't always easy to follow the wise advice. We'll pass on the meal, drink and wine today. Two more good days in modern history to celebrate. @StLouisCruisers Sandi, thank you for reposting my pictures. Cherbourg is interesting, although we saw most of it as we drove to and from the D Day beaches and towns. For the first ten years or so, when we cruised HAL, there were different tiles given out. Some showed the current ship named on the tiles, and others showed older ships with the same name. I'm glad your DGD will be moving, and I'm sending positive thoughts she aces the final presentation. @GlennG Welcome to the Fleet Report and Daily. @superoma Happy CC Anniversary, Eva. @MISTER 67 HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I glad you had a good morning on the golf course. @Mr. Boston Safe travels to both of you today. @smitty34877 Terry, I don't say it often, but you, Tana, and the entire family are in my thoughts as I understand about some days being harder than others. @ger_77 Gerry, I glad you got out of the house yesterday. I hope the adjustment to your DH"s pacemaker gives him more energy. @RMLincoln Maureen, I hope all goes well for your DH at the eye surgeon today. @JazzyV Vanessa, I'm sorry your pain is still so bad. Thank you for the pictures of the American Cemetery. It is a beautiful, peaceful and solemn final resting place for fallen soldiers from both world wars. @Haljo1935 I hope you get your booking straightened out today. Lenda

Before we left for this Hawaii cruise, I checked on getting a day pass for The Bus in Honolulu as we've done in years past. Since the first of the year, they no longer offer a half price senior day pass if you show your Medicare card. There is a senior pass, but you have to go to a transportation hub to get it, and you need to make an appointment too. The fare for The Bus, according to their website is $3 pp per trip, with a $7 maximum per day. That is still a bargain. We also found Uber to be better priced than taxis, especially to and from the airport to rent a car.

Good afternoon. The Show Room and the Lido are packed with football fans. I've seen a lot of KC jerseys, but I don't remember seeing a SF jersey. There was also one lady wearing a Lions T-shirt. Unlike years past, there was no display of food in the show room. There are two cakes under the big screen on the Lido. Sorry the pictures are sideways. To keep my shadow out of the picture, I had to take then from the top. I could get them rotated, but they loaded upside down anyway. They had three different snacks at the Drive-in - spring rolls, barbecue pork sliders and nachos. They were all good. We enjoyed them in our cabin while watching the game. The special game day drinks. Lenda

Good morning from Koningsdam somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. There is some motion to the ocean, but so far its not as bad as on the way to Hawaii. We'll check out the Super Bowl party in the main stage and on the Lido deck. When driving around the Hawaiian islands, I saw a lot of SF 49er flags, but not one KC flag. Since both the teams I was pulling for to make it to the Super Bowl lost, I don't have a favorite to win. We'll check out the commercials once we're back in Quartzsite if the dvr behaved and recorded the game. When we have seen the game on ships, they get the raw feed without commercials. By the time we got back to the ship yesterday, it was time to get ready for dinner. I finally finished the Daily last night when it was too late to post. While we understand autism better, there is still a lot we need to learn, and a lot we need to figure out to help those in the autism spectrum. Edison was a genius, but also a difficult man to work with. No crying over spilt milk can be easier said than done at times. I agree with the quote, and I wish many others felt the same way. We'll pass on the meal, drink, and wine. Three interesting or good days in recent modern historyl @StLouisCruisers Sandi, thank you for reposting my pictures. @JazzyV Vanessa, belated congratulations on your first anniversary doing the Care and Celebration lists. @quilty964 BON VOYAGE, Karen. Have a great cruise. @grapau27 As always, thank you for the explanations of the various days. @Crazy For Cats Jake, I'm glad Juan made it home safely. @ger_77 Gerry, our condolences to you and the extended family on the passing of your aunt. Also, condolences to your colleague and her family on the untimely death of her DH. I hope things will move quickly for your DH to have the much needed surgery after the test results this week. Enjoy your belated Lunar New Year dinner with Sophia and her family. @marshhawk Annie, I'm glad you are feeling better. Congratulations on the sale yesterday. I hope your boss and his dog are all right. @lazey1 Jane, I'm sorry you need open heart surgery, and I hope you will be doing much better afterwards. Lenda

A first for me -- food porn. Shrimp tacos were the meal of the day a while back. This is the shrimp tacos on Koningsdam tonight. Our taxi driver commented about how dry Hilo is. This was Rainbow Falls today. We'd seem the falls better and worse Lenda

Good morning from HD Koningsdam in Hilo. It is cool, 68F, and cloudy. We were greeted by a partial rainbow. @Haljo1935 HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Lenda

I'm very happy you are so pleased with your new kitchen. Brenda, lets say it was an interesting afternoon. The tour was all right, but we could have skipped the coffee tasting tourist trap. The problem was with the ShoreEx guy. He didn't organize the different groups into separate groups. Once the buses were loaded, he has people leftover. It was 30-45 minutes before it was sorted out and he released the buses. HAL problem, not the tour company's. We saw some places we missed in previous visits. Lenda

Thanks for the welcome. Didn't feel the earthquake. Lenda

Good morning from Kailua-Kona where it is 71F. The high this afternoon will be 78F. Tendering this morning should not be too difficult with the wind about 7mph, but later this afternoon when we head back after our HIA tour might be different. The wind this afternoon is supposed to be 12mph. We'll not be biking to work today or any day since we're retired. It's been a long time since I had lox and bagels. We cut the phone cord in Quartzsite when we switched to Starlink for internet. Sadly, the quote is true for many people. We'll pass on the meal, drink and the very pricey wine. Sandi @StLouisCruisers, thanks for posting my pictures of St. Peter Port. Two interesting days in US and British history. I"m still a big Beatles fan. Sandi, I'm sorry your DGD is still desling with the tramua of the robbery. I hope she will ger more counseling. Gerry, I hope the resultts from today's test will lead to the heart valve replacement your DH needs. I also hope he can get the CT scan soon. Annie, I'm glad you got some much needed sleep and your cough is better. Terry, I hope the antibiotic helps Tana, and I'm glad there was no fever last night. I hope she continues to improve. Good news that you slept last night. Sandi, how nice of you to make it possible for Morgan to move out of that apartmment. Moving should relieve some of her anxiety, but I hope she will get more counseling. Lenda

Good evening. We had a full day. After we left Haleakala, we drove over to Lahaina. Of course, we couldn't get close to the town, but could see the devastation, it was heart breaking. I took some pictures, but I will not be posting them. We could still smell the fire smell. @smitty34877 Terry, I'm glad you got some help last night and some rest. Tana's fever is worrying, and I hope the nurse has some answers to reduce it. @Nickelpenny Pennie, that is sad news about the baby zebra. @Sharon in AZ we saw Craig last night, and heard about your adventures with the trolley. It was definitely not a tour. I'm sorry about the passing of your friend. Condolences to you and Lynda's family and friends. This was the best weather we've ever had on Maui. Joy, DH asked the server in Billboard on Board, and was told they use fresh squeezes lemons. I had to cut him off after three tonight. 😉 Lenda

@Seasick Sailor Joy, DH says thanks for talking about the lemon drop. He's found a new drink to love, depending on which bar he orders it in. @Lady Hudson Katherine, a belayed BON VOYAGE to you and your DH. I'm glad your DSIL appears to be going well. Lenda

Good afternoon from Maui. E e just got back to town from Haleakala. We were ahead of the traffic going up. At the upper visitor center there were None chicks in the parking lot, and they were not afraid of people. They wanted us for feed them. Lenda

Drink of the day now on Koningsdam.

Horrible. There are a lot of sick people in this world. I fear for those six who are unaccounted for. Positive thoughts for a full recovery for the two officers. Lenda

Good afternoon from sunny and windy Honolulu. Our tour today was basically a bust. We are just glad it was part of HIA. The double decker bus we boarded at the pier turned out to be a shuttle to a regular Waikiki Trolley stop where we had to get off, and stand in line with everyone who had a ticket for one of the four trolley routes. We finally got on one of the routes, and found they are not narrated, but mainly a means of getting to different places. To top it off, the first shuttle back to the ship wasn't until 3:30 this afternoon, 7 hours after leaving the ship. After our ride, we took Uber back to the ship. Our problem was with a lack of information from ShoreEx. I even went up the other day with some questions about the tour after reading the trolley's website. I knew more than the guy in ShoreEx. We've been here so many times, it wasn't too bad for us, except the standing in line, but we felt sorry for those passengers who had never been here before. At least, DH could see the area without havingto drive and watch out for the traffic. End of rant. Vanessa, I'm glad you BFF could help you today. I hope your procedure puts an end to the pain, and I don't blame you for venting about it here. Thanks for your St. Thomas pictures. The Golden Princess is a nice ship, and our older DD was married on her 20 years ago. Katherine, I hope Bill’s sister is better, and you can leave tomorrow without any worries. Lenda

Good morning from sunny Honolulu. This will be quick since wenhave to be on the pier shortly for our HIA tour. Three interesting days today. The quote is interesting, and probably true. We'll pass on the meal and drink. Dinner will be in Tamarind tonight. The wine is probably good. We've been to St. Thimas. Sandi, @StLouisCruisers thanks for posting my pictures. Three good days in history. Jake, please give our condolences to Juan on the passing of his uncle. Now, I'll try to read more of the Daily before we leave. Lenda

A late good evening, and I know most of you are probably already asleep. We had a very full day. We rented a Mustang convertible, and toured most of the island. It was such a nice day, we were able to keep the top down most of the time. We started by going across the island to the north shore. It was a very windy day, with huge waves every place we went. The wind at the blowhole on the Pali coast, almost knocked us off our feet. It was after 6pm when we got back to the ship. Tomorrow we're letting someone else do the driving when we take the Waikiki Trolley double decker Ho-ho bus tour. The only downside is we have to meet at 8:15 am. Honolulu and especially the Waikiki area have gotten too crowded. Three interesting days to honor. And two interestimg days in history. At home, Black Box Pinot Noir is our go to red wine. Gerry, great news for your DH on the cancelation. I hope with the tests things start noving for his valve replacement. I hope the Gabapentin helps with the pain. Terry, I hope you have some help tonight, and that you get some much needed sleep. Great picture, Carolyn. Lenda