Quartzsite Cruiser

Good morning from Honolulu. We're just about ready to head out for the day. This was the view from our balcony about an hour ago. Lenda

We are slowly getting further from the Napali Coast after the port side had their turn. The clouds are moving over the island, but we were lucky there was sun shining on the coast which made it easy to see the terrain. As the ship sailed from Nawiliwili, it followed the coast around the top of the island. Those on the starboard side had a good view of the different towns. We're now sailing along the part of the Napali Coast we saw on our 2007 tour. It looks a little different this far out and from a big ship. During trivia, there was an announcement that a whale had been spotted off the starboard side. So many wanted to see it, trivia was paused for five minutes while people rushed to windows on the other side of the ship. I don't think any of them saw the whale. Today was not a good day in trivia. I was by myself, and he asked the wrong questions. 😂 Roy, thanaks for the picture of your family's homestead. Sharon, I've only seen Dixie once since the first night. She, Debbie, and I had a drink together the next afternoon. Eva, the new peocedure sounds like a great improvement. I'm glad it worked so well. Lenda

Terri, I'm sorry about the fail and the bruises. We've both had mishaps that left either a huge bruise on my face or a large laceration on DH's forehead. Most people knew what happened and some asked, but all were understanding and kind. Please don't let your mishap keep you confined to the cabin. Instead, do what we did, hold your head high and enjoy the cruise. People will surprise you in a good way, especially if you don't make a big deal of it. Lenda

Here are some up close pictures of the Napali Coast from our 2007 tour. Lenda

We could see the coast when we were at breakfast, but not from our balcony which is on the other side of the ship. In 2007, we did a small boat tour along the Napali coast, even going into some of the caves along the coast, followed by a snorkeling stop. It's too bad all the railings, panels and windows are almost opaque with salt spray. Graham, hopefully the cancer was caught early which will result in a good outcome. Debbie, thanks for the pictures of the coast and of last night's dinner. Bruce, I'm sorry you missed Bora Bora, one of our favorite places. We did a tour with Patrick in 1996 before he was "discovered", and it's one we'll always remember. Terry, that would be great to have someone you know and trust come tonight and tomorrow, and hopefully for more nights. Lenda

Good morning from a bumpy and windy Pacific Ocean. It was not a surprise to us that Nawilwili was canceled. Having been there many times, we knew wind and waves can make it unsafe to enter the port. Plan B to arrive later today in Honolulu was a no since we couldn't get a place to dock. Plan C is scenic cruising then heading to Honolulu about 2 this afternoon. Our guess is they will also postpone washing the balconies until tomorrow. Adali Stevenson was a good politician and statesman, although my parents didn't agree with hid politics. We'll skip over disaster day and chocolate fondue. Don't really like the quote. We'll pass on the meal and drink. The wine would be nice, but I don't think it is on the wine list. An interesting day in 1969 when the US population reached 200 million. Hope your first day on the new job goes smoothly. Eva, I hope your DH gets a good report, and the surgeon can help him. Safe travels. Denise, I'm glad you got the breaker off in time, but an electrician should check all the circuits for damage. Jacqui, I'm glad the storm wasn't as bad for you as it was for others. Annie, I'm sorry your DH is sick and that his surgery has been pushed back. I hope you both are feeling better soon. Sandi, a great picture of Ren. Thanks for posting my pictures. Vanessa, I'm sorry you are dealing with so much pain, numbness and lack of sleep. Terry, I hate reading that Tana is still struggling and still has a fever. I hope the nurse can find you some night time help so you can get some rest. Lenda

In the interest of research, DH asked if they could make today's drink. Unfortunately, we'll never know what it tastes like. They are missing one of the ingredients. For the first time on the cruise, they were able to open the dome, and the sun felt so good as we walked across the Lido. Lenda

No problem. I've done the same thing more than once. DH's surgeon had models of both types of devices, and in the one with the screws, everything was medal and looked ugly. The polymer ties are really zip ties. He also used a polymer cage with a bone growth stimulating substance between the vertebrae. He installed the cage, and two weeks later, did the laminectomy and ties. He thinks he gets better results with the two stage surgery. Lenda

Good morning from the Koningsdam. Our skies are cloudy bright, and we're still rolling some. It was rougher during the night, but not bad. The three days will not be celebrated here. FB is a necessary evil. I have a FB account, but very rarely post anything. It's mainly to keep up with my high school class and a source of memes. An interesting quote. We'll pass on the meal, drink and wine. We enjoyed Alesund twice while on Prinsendam in 2011 and 2016. Sandi @StLouisCruisers thanks for posting my pictures. An interesting day in history about the Bible. Sandi, I’m glad Scott is getting the help he needs. I hope your family members have mipd cases of Covid, and recover quickly. Graham, our condolences on the passing of your friend Julia, and to Paul and her family. Nancy, we have problems getting the correct credit on our pre-booked reservations. Fingers crossed 🤞they have ours fixed now. Gerry, I'm glad the diuretics are helping your DH. Paul, thanks for The information about Navy rum. Terry, that is good news you and the teenager are feeling better. Tana's fever is concerning, and I hope the nurse can get on top of it quickly before anything worse happens. Maureen, I hope the new drops and removing the stitches lower the eye pressure. It was my DH who had the polymer ties, and no back pain after the surgery. The raddioloy technician at the h9spital told me they redo a lot of traditional back surgeries to remove the hardware. Lenda

I could have spoken to her, but chose not too. As long as the dog is not disturbing anyone, I felt it was better to leave things alone. That doesn't mean I think non service dogs should be on ships. Lenda

I've seen the dog a few times as it's on our floor. I've never heard a?sound from the dog. It is always in the dog stroller, looking around curiously. Still, I'm not convinced it's a support dog. Lenda

Wow. Both of cringed we saw the x-ray. DH has nothing like that in this back. Google Karma System to see what he has. Lenda

We did better at trivia this afternoon. DH joined Debbied @dfish and me. We followed in our leader's, Rich @richwmn,footsteps. We had 13 correct and the winners had 14. Later, we cleaned the salt off the chairs and balcony rails, but still couldn't sit outside, since we were still getting salt spray. I don’t think you will get a completely definitive answer since everyone heals differently, and everyone's damage from spinal stenosis is different. What I can tell you from what DH's neurosurgeon said and from what I've read, is that it takes about ten months for the vertebrae to fully fuse. His doctor followed his progress for a year. DH also had no back pain, but severe pain from sciatica. That disappeared after the surgery. However, the leg numbness he experienced has not disappeared, but it might be lessening very, very slowly. Nerves do take a lot longer to improve. I'm sorry I can't give you a better answer. Another difference is his surgeon used the Karma system which replaces the metal rods and screws with polymer ties. Lenda

Good morning from a calmer Pacific Ocean even though there are still fairly large swells. The sun is out though there are still some clouds, and the sea is now a lovely deep blue. Today is the first day the weather is good enough to sit on our balcony, but that won't be happening. With the following winds and a lot of wind last night, our balcony is covered in a thick layer of salt crystals. I hope they clean it soon. American painters deserve their day. There was a lady in the Lido this morning working on a painting. Another good American painter is Andrew Wyeth. No dog for a date night, though there is a lady with a Yorkie who she pushes around in a doggie stroller. So far, no barking. Elmo was part of Sesame Street when the DDs watched it. The quote is true, but humans need to learn from the past. We will skip the meal today. I'm not sure of they could make the drink on the ship. The wine sounds nice, but it's pricey. We have sailed through Puget Sound many times, and camped along it's shores too. Two very important days in history, and one very sad day for music. We were very aware and shocked the day the Music Died. Both Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper were from Texas. Ironically, as we drove to San Diego, we were wondering how much more Buddy Holly would have contributed to music if he'd lived. Gerry, I'm sorry your DH has pulmonary edema, but I'm glad the diuretic is helping. Welcome to The Daily. Please join us often. Your progress for seven weeks post op sound good. I hope the pain lessens soon. Thanks for the nice pictures. Vanessa, I'm sorry the pain relief didn't last. Let BFF do the heavy stuff today. Annie, rest and start feeling better soon. Thanks for the pictures. Maureen, I hope your DH's eye pressure lower soon. I hope he gets answers from the doctors soon. Debbie, I saw Sue heading to the Lido a little more than an hour ago, so my guess is she's feeling better. Sprry, she had a migraine today. Sandi, that is disturbing news about Scott. I hope the doctors can figure out what is going on, and have a solution. Jane, I hope you feel better soon, and can get the needed test sooner. Lenda

Just finished dinner in the Pinnacle, and we're both stuffed. DH opted to go back to the cabin and I went early to the show so I could get a seat with an escape route. It's the one Step One show we haven't seen. I much prefer the production shows with the singers and dancers. Debbie, I like the picture. Trivia is always more fun when you know your team. Best part, we didn't embarrass ourselves. Annie, St. Francis sounds like a good place for your cats. Get some rest, and feel better soon. @aliaschief I'm sorry you hurt your arm. I hope it's better soon. Thanks for the Moorea pictures, our second favorite place. Bora Bora is the first. Lenda

Good morning. While we're still rolling with swells, it is not nearly as rough as it was yesterday. I very rarely have problems from rough seas except walking. I've learned that if I will be reading, I need to take two meclizine tablets when it first starts getting rough, and thanks all I need. Our weather is still cloudy, and windy. The wind is hitting the starboard side of the ship, and the Promanade Deck on that side is wet. HAPPY GROUNDHOG DAY! I will not be celebrating any of the three days today. The quote made me smile. We'll pass on the meal and the drink. I also cut the meat and veggies into smaller pieces than the recipe calls for. We've had today's wine. While we've been to several places in Greenland,but not to today's port. Three interesting days in history today. Thanks for the answer, RNB. It makes sense. Sandi, I was sorry to read about Scott's TIA. I hope he is doing better. Thanks for the pictures of today's port. Good news. Pennie, I hope the second shot helps. Gerry, I'm glad you got your DH into see your PCP. I hope the stronger diuretic helps. The medical systems seem to be broken. Thanks for the lovely pictures. Annie, I hope you feel better soon. IMHO, let your DH get his own oxygen. It was good of you to help Bubbles cross the Rainbow Bridge, and to end his suffering. Ann, congratulations on booking the cruise. It's afternoon now, and I'm just finishing this due to some fun interruptions. Debbie and I played trivia,and let's just leave it at that. Lenda

Good morning. Just a quick note before I finish reading the Daily. The seas are calmer. We still have swells but not as high and no white caps. There is still some motion to the ocean. I hope Debbie @dish and Sue are feeling better. I also hope walking is easier today. Lenda

Debbie, I'm sorry you and Sue are feeling miserable. I hope you are feeling better soon. We're moving around a lot but not feeling sea sick. Lenda

RABBIT 🐰 RABBIT 🐰 WHITE RABBIT 🐇 Good cloudy morning from the Koningsdam somewhere in the Pacific. It's been a bumpy ride since we left San Diego, and last night was especially bumpy. I'm glad it was after we were in bed that it got bumpier. It's 64F outside and whipe it is still bumpy, but maybe not quite as bumpy. Today we have the Mariners Reception followed by the Mariners luncheon. This afternoon is our free wine tasting which will be held in Club Orange. Three interesting daays today, but we'll think about them some other day. I'm not sure how I feel about the quote. We'll pass on the meal, the drink and the wine. As you've seen, we've been to today’s port many times. Sandi @StLouisCruisers, thank you for posting my pictures. With the string of ports we had not visited last month, I hoped you'd have an easy time with the reposting. Some interesting days in history, and one very sad day in recent history. Jacqui, I'm glad you got the furniture delivered, but sorry your volunteers let you down. Edi, I hope the good memories of your travels with your DH give you comfort on this difficult day. Gerry, I don't blame you for being a little sad today. I hope your squeaky wheel will get things moving for your DH. Yeah, on the family visit at Easter. Terry, I'm sorry everyone else, but especially Tana, are sick. I hope you and the aide stay well. Joy, I hope Allen's appointment goes well. Good luck with all your projects. I think we've been sailing through the pineapple express. Annie, I'm sorry you both had to make the difficult decision about Bubbles, and I hope when you take him in you are comforted knowing he is no longer suffering, and that you did everything you could to help him. @bennybear Brenda, our condolences on the passing of your friend. @Cruzin Terri Terri, I'm glad you are feeling better. I hope the cruise is a very relaxing one for you. Lenda

Good afternoon. There was a problem with the internet for most of the day. I hope the fix holds. The seas have been rough today, and are getting rougher. The outside of the Promenade deck is closed. Last night, we had a good view of the windy sail away from the Tamarind. And they food was good as usual. Just a relaxing sea day today. The sail away. Lenda

I just finished reading The Daily. I planned to commment on many of the posts, but we have a reservation in Tamarind in 25 minutes, and we're at the other eend of the ship. Thank you to all who wished us Bon Voyage. We appreciate all the good wishes. @smitty34877 Terry, I hope Tana got some help with her shortness of breath. @ger_77 Gerry and @Seasick Sailor Joy, you are such wonderful neighbors for helping others. Time to get ready for dinner. Lenda

Good afternoon from a cool San Diego. We missed the worst of the lines, and did not have too much trouble getting checked in The ship is full, and getting any elevator to go to our muster station was horrible. We dropped our luggage off before noon and still don't have it. We met Debbie @dfish and Sue at the Mariners reception. We will meet the rest at 7 in the Ocean Bar. The trip here was uneventful with great weather. I read part of The Daily very early this morning, and will finish reading it in a bit. Not sure how often I'll be posting. @kochleffel Paul, I'm glad the MOHS was successful. Lenda

Karen, what a precious memory a very thoughtful nurse helped your DH give you. Lenda

Good evening. The two big suitcases are in the car, and only the carry-ons will need to be put in the car in the morning. Everything else is ready for us to lock the doors in the morning and head to San Diego. On the missing mail front, it is still in Phoenix, but I turned in the form to hold our mail until the Monday after we get home. Now, I just need to wrap up a couple of things and fix supper. We had a nice warm afternoon with a high of 74F and a nice breeze to keep things pleasant. This is the first evening we've had the house opened up. Thank you, Graham. How could we not have a good cruise since we'll be on a ship and sailing with other Dailyites. Sharon, I'm glad you are settled in your hotel. See you tomorrow. Terri, I'm happy you are settled in for a couple of days, and that your DH is doing better. Congratulations on the upgrade. Since I probably won't be posting in the morning, I hope you have a wonderful and relaxing cruise. Sandi, I'm sorry your shoulder is hurting so badly. We've found Aspercreme works well too. Lenda

When our TA closed up shop, we began using a PCC and had a couple of wonderful ones. Then, our favorite PCC decided to be a stay at home mom, and DH had to train the next one. After a few different PCCs since covid, we seem to have a good one. Even PCCs can mess up at times, but we haven't had many problems using them. But we generally know just what we want to book and which flights we want. Terri, I hope being on a familiar ship will help your DH's confusion. Keeping calm always helps, but it's not always easy. I hope you are able to relax and enjoy your cruise. When my DFIL did the freighter cruises that included Pitcairn in late 1980s and early 1990s, the ship picked up the teachers and took them back to their homes in New Zealand. IIRC, the mail also goes by ship to NZ which adds a lot of time to the journey. The big suitcases are basically packed, but may need a big rearranging to distribute the weight a bit more evenly. The carry-ons are next, but will have a few last minute things to add in the morning. Lenda