ger_77

What a beautiful day to be cruising; so many people out on decks, it's good to see! Safe travels to all, that's about it for me. Thanks Dave, Leeann, and the rest of the sail-away addicts, see you tomorrow!

Toots!!!

I wish we'd known where you'd be for sail-away, we could have captured a screen shot of you!

Good toots!

Just in the nick of time!!

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! Cheers to American painters - whether they practice their craft on canvas or buildings. We don't have a doggy to date, so it'll be kitty date night here. Happy Birthday Elmo!! Of course it's still dark here, but we're above freezing by 1 degree; there's only a high predicted of +3, but at least it isn't storming or -4,000 below zero. Yesterday we had water running down the street, so the boys next door were having toothpick races along the sidewalk; they were having a great time. The meds are starting to help DH get rid of the fluid in his body. Yesterday I checked online to see the results of his x-ray and sure enough, he has pulmonary edema which will definitely be helped with the use of diuretics. I kept telling him to drink more water, but of course, that was met with resistance. Well, apparently in the middle of the night DH was hit with a whopper of a leg cramp and realized he was indeed, dehydrated. But oh no, don't listen to me! (shakes my head) I'd better make sure there's enough Gatorade in the house today, and will put more on the grocery list. Not much happening here for us, except that I will go out and get some groceries. I made lemon cranberry muffins when our friends came over the other day which DH really enjoyed, and he's asked me for another batch, so I have to get the ingredients to put them together. I see @rafinmd has mentioned that the Zaandam is berthed at Miami, so checked the FLL site and they are full up with 7 ships in port today - can you imagine the traffic? The taxis and ubers will be maxed out today with the emptying and refilling of those ships! I would try the drink of the day, although I'm not a huge fan of Southern Comfort - on the other hand, I do love floats!! I would definitely enjoy today's wine, and I've never made beef stroganoff in the slow cooker. Re: slow cookers - I'd rather have more of those recipes than squash! LOL Yesterday I brought home some New York Fries (make that a lot of fries), the leftovers of which are resting in the fridge, so today I'll be baking panko crusted salmon and will reheat the fries in the air fryer, serving that along with coleslaw for us to enjoy at the kitchen table tonight. And wine. BTW, @kazuI'll swap you some of our salmon for your lobster seafood chowder!! Prayers for everyone who is in need, in pain, in grief, and in poor health. Cheers to all who have celebrations or who are enjoying their time on a cruise. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! Happy Groundhog Day everyone - I hope your local rodent forecasts a nice, early spring. I had to look up Bonza Bottler day - and yes, every month should have at least 1 party, don't you think? Bubblegum, hmm, I haven't had that in ages. Yesterday was frustrating, trying to get through to the cardiologist. I left a detailed message and a couple of hours later the receptionist called back asking why I'd called. I reiterated what the issues were and her response: "Well, what do you want me to do?" Seriously?!?!?! I asked to speak with the cardiologist who was again not in, and would not be in tomorrow, so I asked to get in to see him next week only to be told he was totally booked up with appointments. Argh. I became quite a *B* word saying something to the effect that "Then I might just as well make an appointment with the undertaker, as he's slowly dying in front of me." and I hung up. I proceeded to call our family physician and was told they'd had a cancellation for late in the afternoon, so we went to see him. He examined DH, listened to his heart and lungs, did his pulse ox and sent him off for another chest x-ray as he didn't like the sound of his lungs. He also prescribed a stronger diuretic to help relieve the swelling in DH's legs. I asked at the time if it was possible he had pulmonary edema or congestive heart failure, as I'd witnessed those same symptoms in my Dad years ago. He indicated it was a distinct possibility, so he wanted an x ray to check things out. We're expecting a call from him some time today, but he said if he gets worse, to get him to emergency at the hospital, rather than waiting for any appointments. Noted. Sorry for my ranting, but our medical system is becoming increasingly more frustrating with the delays, and incompetent individuals. @bennybeara little delayed, but I am so sorry to hear about the passing of your friend; it's always hard to lose someone who has been in our lives so long. @AroundWithMAPTravelsto answer your query yesterday, yes, I do have a glass of wine with dinner every evening . . . purely for health reasons. Sure. @marshhawkI'm sorry to hear you're feeling so poorly; I hope the oxygen will help in that respect. And thank you for being such a kind soul to help Bubbles cross the Rainbow Bridge; you have such a good heart. @Pushka welcome to the Daily, one of the most caring and supportive places on the boards. I do hope our Daily friends on their way to Hawaii are feeling better after all the rocking and rolling last night - if I were there, I'd have been popping Bonine like they were PEZ candies! LOL Nothing really on the agenda today, just hanging around, so I think I'll start another blanket using up some of the scraps of yarn I've got (there are tons!). DH is still engrossed in his book and between naps and meals, that keeps him busy. I'd pass on the drink of the day (bourbon), would really like the Prosecco, and I do make a good slow cooker stew, but like @superoma, cut the ingredients into smaller pieces. Of course it's Friday night, pizza night here, so this afternoon we'll see what appeals to us and will place an order for delivery to enjoy at the kitchen table tonight. And wine. Prayers offered for everyone who is in need, in poor health, in pain, and in grief. Cheers to all with celebrations happening today. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Rabbit, Rabbit, White Rabbit. Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! While I won't be making candy, I do plan on making a pan of corn flake squares (like rice krispie cake) later today. Ah, car insurance - it gets more expensive every year, even though we haven't had any accidents. Oh my on changing passwords - I have so darn many accounts and sites, as most of you do, that it would take a long time to get that done. I'm a little wistful this morning (more like having a pity party) because I just heard our friend's plane taking off without us as they head to FLL for "our" cruise departing Sunday on the Nieuw Statendam. Maybe I'll add a glug of Bailey's to my coffee this morning. @NextOnethinking of you today as you remember your DH's birthday and the good times you shared over the years. @kazu you mentioned the groundhog for tomorrow - it's looking like we'll be having a full day of sunshine, meaning 6 more weeks of winter. I do hope those 6 weeks bring a lot of snow because with the temperatures we've been having the past few days, the snow is rapidly disappearing. Not a lot going on today, I'm going to place a call to the cardiologist's office to get an update on what's happening or scheduled for DH. It's been a week since we saw him, and it's the squeaky wheel that gets the grease, or at least I hope so. Had a text from our DS who said they'll be coming for a visit at the end of March; I'm a bit slow on the uptake, but decided to check the calendar this morning, and realized they'll be here for Easter - yay, I get to hide Easter Eggs again!!!! We were at the port of the day in 2008 on the Coral Princess; we took the "Behind the locks" shore excursion which was interesting and were glad we did. I've had the drink of the day and will let others enjoy it, hopefully more than I did. I'd like to try the wine, but it's a bit pricey, and will pass on the menu suggestion. As I thought yesterday, when our friends came over, we ended up ordering Chinese food, so after sending some home with them, there's still more than enough for the 2 of us to enjoy at the kitchen table tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, in pain, in grief, and in wars. Cheers to all who have celebrations happening today. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! I appreciate receiving my CPP cheque every month - it's auto deposit, so I receive a notification of it in the mail. I call it my allowance. I've never had a brandy alexander, nor have I worn a gorilla suit, but you never know on either! It's still dark out there, but I can see the big old moon just hanging in the sky. We should have another messy street day, as the temperatures are unusually high for this time of year. Yesterday 23 communities in the province broke all time records for high temperatures on that day, with one in the south (Maple Creek) recording a high of 20.9C (69F) - yes, it's supposed to be the middle of winter here on the "frozen tundra"!!! @Cruzin TerriBon Voyage to you and DH; I hope you both have a healthy and restful cruise. @kochleffelI'm glad the surgery went well, and woo hoo for DaVinci having put enough trust in you to let you pet him!! There really isn't much on our agenda today, there's laundry and dusting, but that's about it. Friends of ours called yesterday to see if they could come over for a visit later this afternoon; she said she has a "care package" she wanted to drop off for us, and we haven't seen them for a few weeks, so it will be nice getting together and catching up on each other's news. I think I'll make some lemon cupcakes for us to enjoy with coffee during their visit. I'm going to pass on the drink of the day, will let others enjoy the white wine, and will just slip on past the menu suggestion, as it doesn't appeal to me in any way. I think when our friends arrive for the visit, we'll just let it continue and I have a feeling we're going to end up ordering in Chinese food so we can continue the chatter for a little longer and enjoy their company around the dining table tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, in pain, and in grief. Special prayers for Tana and Terri as you struggle together. Cheers to all with celebrations. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! We love croissants, cheese or chocolate are our favourites. I can't draw, so drawing a dinosaur is out of the question - I will take a photo of one though, if I see it in the wild. Yep, would love to escape today! Well the "frozen tundra" is thawing; right now we're looking at a temperature of 0 (32F), and our predicted high is +6 (42F). This is crazy! Yesterday 11 communities in our province set record high temperatures for that date; I'm not sure where this is going to lead. Bon Voyage to all these wonderful people: @summer slope, @Sharon in AZ, @dfish, and @Quartzsite Cruiser, I hope you all have a fabulous time! @HAL Sailera belated Happy Birthday to you for yesterday - I'm sorry I didn't get back in time to wish you greetings on the day. @StLouisCruisersI do hope your shoulder gets better - doing cross stitch can definitely put a strain on it, and you have such a big project! @kazu I hope all goes well with Ivan's appointment today - and yes, let the vet lift him if he doesn't get on the scale by himself. @kochleffel good luck with your surgery today. I did get busy yesterday, as I went out to get my pedicure and stopped for a minute to chat with a neighbour. Apparently the older couple (in their mid-80's) who live down the street had an accident where she slipped on a mat in the kitchen and fractured her arm, leaving her DH struggling. So, after my appointment, I put together a large container of soup and went over to their house and spent the better part of the day helping with household tasks. Their kitchen, bathrooms and living room should be good for a few days, at least until their family arrives from the U.S. tomorrow. I'll check in on them later today to see what they still need to have done. This morning I'm going to get my nails done (another pre-cruise appointment), but I think on the way home I'm going to stop and pick up some croissants as well as cat food. Although DH doesn't read books often, I found one that has really captured his attention, so he's got a lot of reading to do, which will keep him occupied while I'm out. I'm going to pass on the drink of the day, as well as the wine, and would like today's menu suggestion, as it's often what I do to a beef roast. Usually I toss everything into the crock pot, pour over a container of beef broth and let it cook on low all day long. For us, however, there's still hamburger soup to get through, so we'll be enjoying that along with cheese croissants at the kitchen table tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, especially those involved in wars. Cheers to all with celebrations going on today. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! Only have time for a quick check-in; DH couldn't sleep so he went to try out the recliner in the living room. Which meant I couldn't sleep, knowing he was out there an I wasn't able to hear him. Hmmm. Will need a nap later today, I'm sure. I'm going solo for our "pre-cruise" pedicures as he really doesn't have the energy to get into the car and climb up on the big chairs, so I'll book one for him when he's feeling better. Will check back later. Hope everyone has a good day. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

I’m excited to travel in your pocket, Tina! Thanks for putting the time and energy into doing this for us.

Nope.

I'm sure they'll all have a great time. That's it for me; thanks everyone, see you next time!

Canadians onboard!

Thank you; I thought it was a country music cruise. I see I had my dates mixed up when I did a search.

It's a country music charter; I wonder if we'll hear any of the music from the Lido as they pass by?

Is anyone else enjoying the zooms as much as I am?

Yep, she's moving!

NS preparing to get underway . . . yay!

That's an awesome zoom!

Okay, I'm not late for the NS. I was hurrying to put a pot of soup on in the hope that I'd make 4PM sail-away . . . guess I can go and clean up my mess now. LOL

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! Immigration lawyers are so very important; I'm sure we all remember the sad day that took Christa McAuliffe's life along with the rest of her crew members. I love daisies - the lovely white with yellow centres are my all time favourite flower; they're just so fresh and bright, yet simple. We stopped at Costa Rica during our first Panama Canal cruise and took the ship's excursion to see the Xunantunich ruins - the bus and driver that took us there was quite akin to Mr. Toad's Wild Ride! It's still dark out, and I can't see the moon anywhere, so that means cloudy as well. It isn't very cold, only -6C, and with an expected high of +3, it should be a very nice day. I expect the neighbour boys (ages 6 and 9) will be out building snowmen on the front lawn; they usually get very creative with spray paints, etc., so it will be fun watching the progress. @dfishsafe travels to you and Sue today as you head to your port city. @summer slopegood wishes for safe travel for you today as well. @Cruzin TerriI hope the drive to Jacksonville today is uneventful. @Vict0riann about Pat's nosebleeds; a number of years ago DH had issues with that, and they finally had him snort a white powdery substance (probably can't say it here) and then they were able to cauterize the vessel high up in his nose. I thought it was a very unusual method of fixing it, but it worked! We had a lovely time with our friends yesterday afternoon - and true to form, Wayne did have an entire list of questions for me. DH asked on the way home "How do you know all that stuff?", to which I replied that I learned most of it from our years of cruise/travel experience, and my friends at Cruise Critic. He said "You're lucky to have smart friends," to which I replied "You're lucky to have a smart wife!" LOL Nothing on our agenda today, which is just as well - I have to run out and get some groceries, and will pick up a couple of decaf mocha's from Tim Horton's on the way home. I had to look up the Diet of Worms, thinking if I went on that diet, I'd be thin pretty quickly because I wouldn't be eating anything at all! I'm going to pass on the drink of the day - tried it once and didn't like it; would love to try the wine, but it's out of my budget, and if I saw the menu suggestion in a restaurant, would like to try it. DH doesn't like kale, so there's no point in me making something like that for myself. Right now there's a package of ground beef thawing in the fridge that will be made into hamburger soup that we can enjoy with some crusty buns at the kitchen table tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, and even for those who don't think they are. Cheers to all with celebrations happening. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Just a quick check-in. I looked at the Port of Miami webcam just in time to catch them setting off fireworks to celebrate the Icon of the Seas departure. 7,600 passengers? No thanks.

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! We must never forget the holocaust and the atrocities that occurred at that time in our history. We visited Anne Frank House which we felt brought history to the forefront and it was truly sobering. Did someone say chocolate cake??? It's still dark out there, but not very cold, only -9c again with an expected high of 0, which means more melting. Not sure if we'll get more snow this winter or not; I certainly hope so, otherwise we'll be in trouble with droughts and possible water shortages. I fear for the forests most of all, because they need all the moisture they can get. But then so do the farmers. We were up early yesterday morning, in anticipation of the cardiologist's call. It came at 4:30 in the afternoon. LOL You have to laugh, really, otherwise you just get stressed out. An appointment has been made with the cardiac device clinic to increase the tempo of DH's pacemaker, he is to stop taking 1 medication, to only take half of another, and has been prescribed a diuretic as well to lessen the strain on the heart. So we're just taking this one day at a time, and will get through it, I'm sure. I thought I got up early enough this morning to see friends of ours on their sailboat going through the Panama Canal, but misjudged the time and missed them going through the Gatun locks. Hopefully I'll get to see them as they go through the Pedro Miguel locks later this morning(likely around noon). This afternoon we're going for brunch with our friends Wayne and Fran, who will be cruising without us. Wayne said he has a list of last minute questions for me, as in the past I was the "go to" person for all things travel and cruising. I guess it's time to let the baby birds fly, huh? I'd like to try the drink of the day, although the combination of rum and Campari is a weird one. I know I'd like the wine, and with my love of all things turkey, I know I'd enjoy the menu suggestion as well. Because we're going out early/mid afternoon for brunch, I'm sure we won't be very hungry for dinner tonight. At this point I'm thinking we might just have a bowl of vegetable soup and toast at the kitchen table tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, in pain, in grief. Cheers to all who have a celebration happening today. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry