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Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! Not a fan of candy corn, it's just too sweet. I don't recall ever having had "Mischief Night" here in Canada, and I've been living with checklists these past couple of weeks. Without them, I'm sure I'd forget something vital. We had a great evening last night with our friends, lots of chatter, laughter, good food, wine and even a few tears as we toasted and remembered our dear departed Melodie. We didn't get home till well past midnight, but my internal clock woke me just before 6 as it usually does, because there's still stuff to be done before we leave. Today I've got to get my nails done, change the sheets, do laundry and do the final touches to the house. Hopefully after 2PM I can check us in for our flights, and feel a little more secure in the knowledge that we'll be able to fly out of here tomorrow. I think I'll take a pass on the tilapia, I just don't care for the taste; if I'm going to cook fish, it's either salmon or fresh-caught from a lake. I'm not planning on cooking anything for dinner tonight, I think we'll just run out and grab a couple of burgers to enjoy at the kitchen table this evening. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is hurting, especially for the multitude of families of victims in Seoul, and woo hoo for all who have celebrations today. Stay safe, everyone! Smooth Sailing! 🙂🙂🙂 Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! DH and I were just talking last night about how hermit-like we were in 2020, but it eased up slightly as time went by. We were lucky to have each other to lean on during that time. Well of course every day in our house is Cat Day; Sochi wouldn't have it any other way. A colleague of mine suffered terribly from psoriasis, but found temporary relief by taking "tar baths" at a sports rehab facility. A busy day today socially, as we're going for breakfast with the family (DH's son, daughter, son-in-law and sister), sort of a family gathering before we head off on our trip on Monday. We have to stop on the way home to get some extra cat food (her highness can't go hungry, certainly!), and then this evening, friends of ours are having us over for a small Bon Voyage party with only 3 other couples. I'm happy to hear that @kazuand her family have arrived safely(with luggage) in Barcelona; here's hoping we have the same experience! I keep checking my emails to be sure there haven't been any more schedule changes - no stress there! LOL @Quartzsite CruiserI'm glad you're home; I'll bet it feels good! I think I'd like today's menu suggestion, but we'll be enjoying appies, conversation and laughter with our friends this evening. And wine. DH prepared a box for our house/cat sitter that will hold the mail so it doesn't end up all over the kitchen table, but Sochi had other ideas for it . . . The yellow cord on the left is the extension cord for the snow-blower; it lives in the house during the winter so it isn't frozen stiff when we need it. Ah, life on the "frozen tundra!" Prayers for everyone who is hurting, cheers to all who have celebrations going on! Stay safe, everyone! Smooth Sailing! 🙂🙂🙂 Gerry

It was reported earlier this week that he had died, but he (or his people) vehemently denied it. I wonder if it's real this time?

A quick afternoon check-in. @smitty34877DH had a cardiac cath/angio this spring and he was in the hospital at 7AM, home by lunch. The time before that, he had a stent inserted, and was home for dinner that evening. Hoping it's the same for your DH; will keep you both in my prayers. @richwmnCongratulations on becoming 5 Star !!! You'll have a new pin waiting for you on your next cruise. Hope everyone has a nice Friday evening.

Bon Voyage! Enjoy the sun, sea and sand!!!

Bon Voyage! Have a great cruise !!!

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! We haven't seen the Statue of Liberty yet, but hope to some day; there are some plush animals in the lower bedrooms for the grandsons, and YAY for chocolate! Except white chocolate, that's just an imposter. Love, love, love the quote - I can almost hear Pooh saying it. I woke up at 2:30 this morning with thoughts of our flight for Monday - which changed again yesterday. Our departure from home keeps getting later and later (started at 6:10AM, moved to 10:30AM, and now 1:05PM); I just hope we have enough time that if our first outbound flight is cancelled for some stupid reason, that we can fly to Calgary to catch our KLM to Barcelona. A nap is definitely in order for me today. Wishing @kazua safe and uneventful flight to BCN today. @smitty34877hoping you and DH get better news at the doctor's office today. @Quartzsite CruiserI hope Steve gets moved today and you can head for home. @dfishsafe travels to your new home town! Not a lot happening today; one thing I have to do is head out to pick up an anniversary card for DS and DDIL who will be celebrating their 12th anniversary while we are away. I'll drop it in the mailbox on our way to the airport on Monday. DH has a dental appointment in an hour to fix a couple of small cavities, and that'll be about all. We've had today's menu suggestion several times when we were in Japan, but it isn't something I would ever make (DH doesn't like the thought of eating raw fish), but of course it's Friday night so we'll enjoy some pizza at the kitchen table tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is hurting, cheers to all who have something to celebrate. Stay safe, everyone! Smooth Sailing! 🙂🙂🙂 Gerry

Joska is an amazing dog with quite a travel history. I do feel bad for her, however, as she will be retiring after they get home. From what I understand, she will go to another home and will be replaced by a younger service dog. I hope she doesn’t feel she’s being abandoned by her owners after being in their lives for so long.

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! We've owned (or were the staff for) 2 lovely black cats, Princess and Licker (she licked everything!). I'm not very good at storytelling, but DH used to tell great ghost stories around the campfire. A smart salute to all involved in the Navy. Yesterday I did what I call a "practice pack" where I put everything we need in the two suitcases, then switch back and forth until I'm happy that if 1 goes missing, each of us will still have clothes to wear. They weigh in at 32 and 37 pounds, and even though I still have to put DH's tux and blazer into them, they'll come in well under the 50 pound limit. On my to-do list today is cancelling the newspaper and setting up our credit card payment. I'd like to have it come straight from my bank account, but the CC is with a different banking institution, so it has to be done manually. @smitty34877sending good thoughts for you and DH as you tend to your medical issues; I hope they're minor for both of you. @grapau27a very Happy Birthday to you with many returns of the day! @Quartzsite Cruisergood to hear you got some sleep; much needed, I'm sure. Best wishes to Steve today so he can get transferred to the rehab hospital and you can go home. I'm not a fan of beans in soup, maybe because my mom never made it for us, but I'll give today's menu suggestion a pass. As we're eating from the fridge, it's going to be grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup at the kitchen table tonight. And wine. Prayers for all who are hurting, especially for the people of Ukraine and the senseless bombing of their homes, and cheers to all who are celebrating good things! Stay safe, everyone! Smooth Sailing! 🙂🙂🙂 Gerry

A question for our Daily family: does anyone remember or have instructions on how to log into (and out of) the internet on HAL ships? DH's new Kindle Fire is supposed to arrive on Friday and we're leaving Monday; I'd like to type out the instructions for him so he doesn't have to rely on me telling him how to each time he'd like to go on the internet. Thanks in advance!

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! I usually make mincemeat tarts at Christmas, appreciate every horseless carriage we've ever owned, and respect and thank all who are deployed. Although it's still cold (-3C) and dark, I just heard the weather report and it will begin to warm up in a couple of days, bringing us into double digits on the plus side. Most of the snow we received a couple of days ago has melted into the ground, but the city of Moose Jaw (about 2.5 hours to the south of us) is still digging itself out of 3' drifts of wet, heavy snow. Once it does melt, it will provide much needed moisture for the area, so it isn't a bad thing. @Quartzsite CruiserI'm glad you were able to get some sleep last night - hopefully DH's transfer goes smoothly and you can return home to relax in your own surroundings. Not a lot going on for us today (yay!), except that DH has an appointment for a dental cleaning this morning. Still getting the house and suitcases ready for our departure, so there's always something to fill the hours. I've got an almost full bunch of celery and a bag of carrots that I have to chop up, bag, and toss into the freezer to use for soups, stews, etc. - I don't like having to throw away produce, especially with prices going up almost daily. We had Thai tacos when we were in Bangkok in 2019; they were like having chicken satay with peanut sauce and cilantro in a taco shell. Yum! For us, though, we'll be eating out of the freezer, so I think we'll be having chili and rice at the kitchen table tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is hurting, cheers to all who have celebrations today. Stay safe, everyone! Smooth Sailing! 🙂🙂🙂 Gerry

After reading the posts here, I decided to take screen shots of my and DH's boarding passes on the Navigator app, just in case they disappear before we get to the ship. At least we'll have something to go on! @kazuI'm glad you finally got a bar code!

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! When DH still had the family farm, we'd go out in the middle of the yard and howl for the coyotes who would often respond. I don't have an artistic bone in my body, and I think I'll pass on being a punk for the day, there's too much to do right now! Well the pre-cruise excitement has begun with me losing sleep incrementally the week before we leave. This morning I was wide awake at 4:03 and my first thoughts were things I haven't yet packed - spare glasses, scarf clips, phone charger for DH, etc. I'm pretty sure I'll be needing a nap this afternoon, as I got up and made my morning tea at 5:00. @Seasick SailorHappy 31st Anniversary to the two of you for yesterday! @seagarsmokerHappy 16th Anniversary to you and your lovely bride as well! @4966and556thank you for adopting from a shelter and giving a lonely kitty a furever home. @kazuloved the wine vessel meme; I once went to a staff party where the caterer had forgotten wine glasses (HORRORS, I know!), and the host had run out of every other kind of glasses, so I improvised and drank from a pyrex measuring cup. I'm creative, not artistic; there's a difference. LOL @Quartzsite Cruiserthanks for dropping in; it isn't easy to get rest when a loved one is in hospital - even though your body is weary, your mind keeps on chugging. Hopefully you'll get some additional sleep tonight. Know our healing thoughts are with you and your DH now and in the days ahead. I think I'd like to try today's menu suggestion, but we're trying to eat out of the fridge without buying groceries this week, so it's looking like we're having breakfast for dinner tonight - it's going to be bacon, eggs, sliced tomatoes and toast on the table this evening. And wine. Prayers for those who are hurting, cheers to all who have celebrations going on. Stay safe, everyone! Smooth Sailing! 🙂🙂🙂 Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! Wishing everyone who celebrates, a Happy Diwali! I grew up on bologna, and still enjoy having it in a sandwich from time to time; DH doesn't care for it, so I buy a small package and enjoy every slice, but it has to be on white bread with a bit of Miracle Whip on one side and ketchup on the other. Thankful for the United Nations. Well it's dark and white out there this morning - we did get snow late last night and through the night, but nothing like what other parts of the province had. One location reported 18 inches from 6AM to 9PM. Power was out in many areas and one trucker reported taking 8 hours to drive a major highway between our city the the capital that should have only taken 2.5. Glad we don't have to go anywhere today, as the temp is going to be above freezing, so what we did get should melt by noon, hopefully. @Quartzsite Cruiser Lenda, I'm sending good vibes to your DH and his medical team for a successful surgery and for you to get some much needed rest while he is in hospital. @kazu Jacqui, you are such a treasure to your good friend, being there for her in her time of need. Don't exhaust yourself trying to complete all the things on your list; you don't want to spend the first few days of your cruise in bed, recuperating! @summer slope you lost me at "Serves 8". LOL @Overhead FredHappy Birthday to you with many returns of the day! I like today's menu suggestion; it sounds similar to the way I prepare salmon, and never thought about using it on chicken. Our "almost daughter" Sophia came over yesterday to wish us a good trip (she knows we're trying to limit our public interactions over the next week), and she brought with her, her father's great spicy noodle dish. Can that man cook !!! We'll be enjoying Papa Li's spicy noodles with beef at the kitchen table tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is hurting, especially the people of Ukraine who are enduring more than anyone ever should, and cheers for those who have something to celebrate. Stay safe, everyone! Smooth Sailing! 🙂🙂🙂 Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! DH and I both had lovely mothers-in-law, and I hope I'm regarded to be even half as good as they were. Moles are funny little creatures that wreak havoc on lawns, gardens, and fields. Didn't know about the chemistry reference to them mole! We don't watch any talk shows, but do remember Johnny Carson for his great wit. It's cold and dark out there this morning; people about 2.5 hours from us in the south part of the province are already experiencing power outages due to heavy wet snow. We will likely have snow showers, and hopefully not get any accumulation of it. Looking back at our memories on FB, it was 4 years ago today that we flew off to Barcelona for our last trans-Atlantic cruise. Now we are 7 days from leaving for the next one, and the excitement is building! @kazuI am sorry to hear your good friend's brother passed away; what a shock that must have been for her. She is fortunate to have you in her life to help her through. I missed yesterday's sail-away; it seems our printer decided to give up the ghost and only print on 1 cartridge. Tried several things - replacing the ink, head cleaning, etc., all to no avail, so over to Staples we went to get a new one. Of course it happens after DH bought a double pkg of ink for the old one that is now useless to us. LOL I like today's menu suggestion, and haven't made quesadillas in ages. It so happens we have a package of tortillas on hand and I know there is cooked ground beef in the freezer, so I think that's going to be an easy dinner tonight. Quesadillas and salad will be on the kitchen table tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is hurting, especially the people of Ukraine who are so brave, and cheers for all who have celebrations in their life. Stay safe, everyone! Smooth Sailing! 🙂🙂🙂 Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! I think you can make a difference by helping your neighbours. DH has a great collection of fossils; ammonites, trilobites, lots of bites. LOL I can be a nut sometimes . . . Doing a bit of a happy dance this morning as the Navigator app is showing our boarding passes. Not a full happy dance, because we still don't have a boarding time assigned, but the rest is there, along with the little bar code. Woo Hoo! I think I would pass on the drink today - the thought of adding in the pumpkin puree did it for me, but we've consumed a lot of the wine. How many of you had Chianti bottles in your house with the straw baskets woven around the bottom, and then stuck candles in them when they were empty? It's a brisk morning out there today, -3C and I can see there's a heavy frost on the windshields of the cars on the street. Sure glad we don't need to go anywhere this morning that will require scraping. There's a "special weather statement" for the south part of our province (not including us) for tonight and tomorrow that will see snow and high winds. People are told to prepare for possible power outages, as the wet, heavy snow could bring down power lines. Not a lot planned for the day, doing a little more packing and getting the plants that we've brought in from outdoors, settled into their winter locations downstairs. Glad we've got an extra couple of bedrooms with shelving units just under the windows so that we can over-winter some succulents, etc. I like today's menu suggestion and will tuck it away for future use - I think the veggies would go well with the lemon pasta we enjoy - but we've got some ham slices that need to be eaten, so it'll be an easy dinner for us, ham sandwiches and soup on the table tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is hurting, cheers for all who have celebrations to enjoy! Stay safe, everyone! Smooth Sailing! 🙂🙂🙂 Gerry

Clever! Just checking in for the afternoon. The Air Canada rep "Maria" phoned about an hour after I left my number and was able to straighten out the flights. She looked up the booking number and said "What genius thought this was a good idea?" My thoughts, exactly. Now we're scheduled on a later flight, so we don't have to fly off the ship at warp speed to get to the airport in time for an 11AM departure after a relaxing 3 week cruise. Now we leave FLL at 1:30 and although we still have to go through Toronto, at least we've got a long layover to allow for the usual delays that happen there. @Quartzsite CruiserI'm glad you don't have to get up at the crack of dark to get your DH back to the hospital for his second surgery. And what good fortune to have family who can help with his pre-surgery preparations. Please tell your DH you've got lots of friends sending good wishes for successful surgery. Have a good evening, everyone!

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! I think babblers just like to hear themselves talk, except, of course, if they're babies, then they're adorable. I've got my Mom's button box, but have never counted them. Nachos make a great bar snack, not that we've been in any bars in years. @kazuI'm sorry you're having issues with HAL; you don't need that! I can understand the sick feeling, as we received another email from Air Canada (or Air Can't) regarding the January flights for our Caribbean cruise. They've made changes so that we're going to fly home Ft Lauderdale - Toronto - Ottawa - Toronto - Saskatoon. Seriously!?! And when I clicked the button to "Confirm or Change", it issued confirmations for us. Argh! I'm currently waiting for a call-back to straighten it all out. I thought about canceling the flight, but don't want to have to pay an additional $500, the cost of reservations today. @Lady Hudsona very Happy Birthday to you and your twin sister; may you both have many returns of the day! It looks like our warm weather streak has ended; last night we went down to -3 and it is going to continue to get colder over the next 7 days. DH emptied all the pots (wish he could help Jacqui) and put them away, and took the pumps out of the fountain and bird bubblers for the year. I worked on getting some clothing into suitcases and looked at sewing security pockets into a couple of pair of DH's pants. I don't think either of us would enjoy today's menu suggestion, but appreciate how others really would. Today is Friday night pizza night, so we'll check the online menus to see what appeals to us and enjoy pizza at the kitchen table tonight. And wine. Prayers for all who are hurting, especially those with family and health issues, and cheers to all who have something to celebrate. Stay safe, everyone! Smooth Sailing! 🙂🙂🙂 Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! I haven't had brandied fruit in years; the last time I did, it was a gift from a friend. Cheers for both chefs and waiters who make our dining experiences memorable! A little late to the party - slept in, sort of. Last night's guests stayed later than we thought, although it was great getting together with DH's bandmates and their wives. Lots of stories went around the room, we had lots of food and laughter, so it was worth having to clean up starting at midnight. We've had daytime temps of +15 for the past couple of days, so we figured today would be a good day to put the Christmas lights on the house (we don't turn them on until Dec 1), but there's rain in the forecast for today, followed by wind. And starting tomorrow, our highs will only be in single digits, so I'm not sure we'll get that job done. There's nothing like standing on a ladder, trying to hook lights onto the gutters with freezing fingers, but that might be what we'll have to do. I don't think I'd ever make today's recipe, but might order it if I saw it on a menu (the liver paste turned me off), but we've got serious leftovers to deal with. There's cheese, salami (3 types), veggies, and half a loaf of pumpernickel filled with a crab/shrimp/cheese mixture that needs to be consumed, so we'll be having a do-over of last night for the two of us at the kitchen table tonight. And wine. Prayers for those who are hurting, especially the people of Ukraine who are valiantly fighting every day; cheers to all who have celebrations. Stay safe, everyone! Smooth Sailing! 🙂🙂🙂 Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! I think everyone should take time to evaluate their life, their goals, and their dreams to see where they're at and what they may need to do differently to be happy. Rain forests are such interesting places to visit; I hope there will still be some when our grandchildren's children are alive. I have learned to love my body; after decades of dieting and exercise, I know I will never be slim and svelte, so I dress for the body I have and enjoy my life. A busy day ahead for us - DH is having his bandmates and their spouses over for some socializing this evening, so that means we have to get groceries and do a run to the liquor store as well. DH has been going through all of his music things and realized he's got stuff he will never use, so he's going to be giving the extra stuff to the guys (I hope they take it!), as he doesn't think he's going to be performing much any more. He loves performing, but carrying around the equipment, setting it up and dismantling it can be quite taxing, so he's talking about letting the guys move on without him. I understand the physical exertion, as we used to do that when we had our small business and did craft shows. I'm planning on making a large charcuterie board including a couple of different desserts, so we'll be having a light dinner consisting of a salmon salad in the kitchen tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is hurting, cheers for the great celebrations! Stay safe, everyone! Smooth Sailing! 🙂🙂🙂 Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! Although I don't make it very often, our family loves my meatloaf. DH had a beard for a while, but shaved it off, leaving his mustache, which he's had since before we were dating. There are times when I have to turn off the tv because it is serious information overload, and much of it is disturbing. Well it appears we don't have to try to walk or swim to Barcelona - KLM came through with an alternate flight for us - woo hoo! It gives us slightly longer layovers both in Calgary and Amsterdam, but considering the fact that there have been long delays at Schiphol airport, that isn't a bad thing. We may have enough time to enjoy a bit of the Crown Lounge experience this time. @Seasick Sailor and @SusieKIslandGirl, wishing you both a very Happy Birthday with many returns of the day! @StLouisCruiserswhat terrible news about your friend; my condolences to you and her family - what a shock. @grapau27sending hugs and good thoughts to Pauline today; every year the anniversary day of their passing brings back good and sad memories. My own mom passed away 37 years ago and I still miss her. I don't mind arugula in a salad or on pizza; some find it terribly bitter, just as some find cilantro tastes like soap. I didn't have anything really planned for dinner this evening, but friends called last night wanting to take us out to celebrate a birthday, so it looks like we'll be carb-loading this week with a trip tonight to the Old Spaghetti Factory. Not sure what we'll be having, but I'm sure it will include lots of chat and laughter. And wine. Prayers for those who are hurting, cheers to all who have celebrations going on. Stay safe, everyone! Smooth Sailing! 🙂🙂🙂 Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! Like some of you, I've had good bosses and then there was that one . . . . Now that DH and I are retired, we are our own bosses and get time off whenever we want. We were 1 day ahead on the Pasta Day, and gaudy is my favourite colour! I guess I was more bummed about our flight being cancelled than I realized, as I woke at 4:30 this morning and the first thing on my mind was Flight Ease and hoping we get a seat on a plane - any plane. Before we went to bed last night, DH said it's like we're on the Voyage of the Damned; first our hotel cancels, now our flight cancels - this was after HAL changed our ship and itinerary 6 or 7 times. Argh! I know, just breathe; I'll be fine. Today is going to be a busy day - DH has his hair cut at 10, I go for a colour and cut at 11:30, and after that we'll be going over to our friend's house where I will go through my late friend Melodie's closet to see what I would like to bring home. It'll be a tough time, but a necessary step to help her husband with his grieving process. I don't think I'm going to try today's menu suggestion any time soon, although if it was served to me, I would definitely taste it. As I mentioned, we were 1 day ahead with our lemon spaghetti last night, but I made a larger batch than I thought, so we do have leftovers. It'll be spaghetti & sausage and a side salad for dinner tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is hurting, cheers for the celebrations! Stay safe, everyone! Smooth Sailing! 🙂🙂🙂 Gerry

@JazzyVDH was having a terrible time with leg cramps at night, but started drinking Gatorade, as it helps restore and balance electrolytes. He has only had 1 or 2 cramps since he started drinking it about 2 months ago. If there's too much sugar in the Gatorade, you can get it in sugar free, or you can get electrolyte replacement powder that you mix into water.

I'm jealous over your great weather! At one of our HAL wine tastings, the Cellar Master said the very same thing and it was met with a resounding round of applause. I know who you are speaking of, and agree; he's being treated terribly. I pray for him and hope karma finds whoever it was who lodged the complaint. I am so sorry to hear of your friend's passing; she must have known it was coming, with the preparations she was making. May she have eternal peace. Here's a link to the recipe I started using a few years ago; it's so simple and so delicious (at least we think so). I usually take a couple of mild Italian sausages, remove the casings, and fry up the meat, which is then tossed into the spaghetti just before serving. Let me know what you think when you've made it! https://cookingwithayeh.com/lemon-garlic-pasta/#recipe BTW, I drink strawberry margarita's on BHB's for 2 reasons; to ensure I don't get scurvy, and so that the tequila can kill off any germs that might come my way. Win-win!