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Seriously? We've only had slippers when we were in a Neptune Suite!

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! I admit, I'm superstitious, but love fortune cookies. Being ever the child, whenever we read fortune cookies out loud, we always end them with "in bed." Gales of laughter usually ensue. Mature, right? We enjoy going to Five Guys occasionally and getting our peanut fix there. Has anyone noticed how dark it is early in the morning? I particularly noticed it when I got up this morning, as we have a cloud cover - I thought perhaps the clock was wrong and I'd risen an hour earlier, but no, it was just dark. We're already starting to see some of the northern birds coming through our yard, stopping at the feeders and fountain on their way south. Yesterday we had a rather noisy woodpecker who after tasting a few trees, also decided to sample the cedar siding on our house. The garden hose encouraged him to continue on his way. Prep work today, getting ready to leave the house for a few days. I had one of my "cruise tubs" emptied on the dining room table to see what I could use or put back, but since we're having someone come in daily to care for Sochi, I'm going to clear it off so it doesn't look like we're total pigs. LOL @Cruzin TerriI'm sorry to hear all the damage your house has sustained, but if there's a bright light here, it's that you'll be walking back into a fully restored (think new old) house. I hope you can make yourselves comfortable in your rental until your house is ready for you to return. I've had today's menu suggestion; in fact, I have some frozen ones that are ready to cook at a moment's notice. We like to boil them, then fry them up a little bit, so they don't seem quite so doughy. I always serve them with fish sauce and finely chopped green onions; they make a great mid-afternoon snack when you don't feel like making a big dinner later. The fridge is pretty much cleaned out, so I think DH will head out and bring back some burgers for us to enjoy on the deck this evening. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is hurting, cheers for all the celebrations. Stay safe, everyone! Smooth Sailing! 🙂🙂🙂 Gerry

It also depends on the reason for medical disembarkation. Case in point: DH was forgetting his age, thinking he was still a teenager and did a bunch of body surfing at Half Moon Cay. A day later, he was feeling terrible with chest pains, etc. He spent the night in the medical centre and we were off loaded in Colon with an ambulance ride into Panama City. It was thought he suffered a heart attack, when in actuality it was a hiatal hernia. After spending the night, he was cleared to be released from the hospital, but upon checking with the ship (through a HAL rep on the phone), the Captain said he wouldn't let us re-board, as we were 2 days sailing to our next port and he wouldn't feel comfortable having us back in case a cardiac event occurred. The Captain is the boss, so we flew to Ft Lauderdale and lounged around for a few days until the ship returned and we were reunited with our cruising friends for the trip home. That's our experience.

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! I haven't had a chocolate milkshake in ages, so will have to change that. We weren't into video games, but our son and grandsons certainly enjoy them. Don't you think every day should be a day of encouragement? On our SE Asia cruise in 2019, the Maasdam stopped at Laem Chabang where DH and I took a private tour with about 10 other people into Bangkok. Remember the song by Murray Head "One Night In Bangkok"? Well we can actually say we did spend one night there. It was an intense tour with oppressive heat, but the memories will remain forever - the flower market, the floating market, the night market (see a pattern here?), the many palaces, deities, and even accidentally coming across a g-i-a-n-t monitor lizard (I abhor reptiles) as we were walking to one of the sites. Wonderful memories, but photos are on my iPad and I'm on my PC, so they aren't available. @kazuit looks like you had a beautiful day for Jose's celebration. I have a question for you, were you a caterer in a previous life? You have tons of dishes and glassware that I'm pretty sure you said you'd brought up from downstairs . . . If I were doing what you did, I'd either be renting or using disposables! Not a lot on the agenda today, just laundry and getting the house ready for us to leave for a few days. Laundry, cleaning out the fridge, getting some plants put together for the neighbour to water, etc. I love today's menu suggestion, but we're going to be grazing tonight so we don't have any food to store, so it'll be leftovers on the deck tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is hurting, cheers for the celebrations. Stay safe, everyone! Smooth Sailing! 🙂🙂🙂 Gerry

That's so good to know; we're boarding the MS Rotterdam on January 4 for 3 weeks, and I'm excited already! Thanks for the info.

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! This is what I wrote on my FB post today: It began like any other day. We couldn't begin to imagine the carnage to come. We will never forget. 9 - 11 - 2001 I was in the shower with the radio on when I heard that a plane had hit the World Trade Centre. I jumped out and alerted DH who turned on the television in our bedroom. We sat in stunned silence, watching and I physically shuddered as the second plane made contact. All the computers and televisions at work were on various news channels throughout the day, and very little was accomplished, other than watching and listening to the unfolding horror. I understood today's quote to mean that we shouldn't elevate one's status to god-like, but remember they're a person just like the rest of us. Bless the emergency responders for all they do when people are at their most vulnerable. Libraries are great places, and one of the few where people can go and enjoy silence. Yay for Grandparent's Day - on Wednesday we'll make the 400 mile trek to Calgary to spend a few days spoiling our grandsons. Can't wait to get my arms around those two sweet guys; although we appreciate technology that gives us video calls, it just isn't the same. @smitty34877thank you for the photo of "our" darling Camilla - she's getting prettier by the day!!! @marshhawksafe travels today - go and relax, you certainly deserve to! @kazuI kept checking the weather for your town throughout the day, hoping it would be comfortable for your celebration of Jose's life. I'd love to try today's menu suggestion as a dessert, especially the peach recipe, but I think I'll tuck it away for another time. Today we're invited over to DH's daughter's house for one last wiener roast before they take down their fire pit. They've decided it isn't used enough, and the space can be used for a succulent garden, so we'll enjoy hot dogs around the fire pit along with potato salad that I'll bring along. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is hurting, cheers for the celebrations. Stay safe, everyone! Smooth Sailing! 🙂🙂🙂 Gerry

Bon Voyage; have a wonderful cruise!

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! We'll have a big harvest moon this weekend, which is always nice to see, I used my sewing machine the other day when I made my handkerchief, and this has always been a great place to swap ideas. In our city today is Curbside Swap day where you can put things on your lawn/driveway that you want to give away and others just come by and get them. Well late last night DH and I put out a huge box of decorative pillows, as well as a bunch of things from the garage (light bulbs, screwdrivers, small electric motors, etc.,) and this morning when I looked out they were all gone. This morning I slipped out in my housecoat to take an older upright vacuum cleaner that has been hanging around the house not being used, and I'm sure it'll be gone as soon as people get mobile. Well yesterday was one of the hardest days of my life. DH and I officiated at the funeral / celebration of life of our dear friend Melodie. When I addressed the assembly, I told them up front "I'm a crier, so expect that to happen. When I cry, my voice reaches octaves that only dogs can hear, so you might miss some of what I'm saying, but we'll get through this." I held it together fairly well through the service, but lost it at the cemetery. It doesn't help that I've suffered all my life with separation anxiety, so while I'm great at hellos, I'm terrible at goodbyes. Thankfully it was only us and the immediate family at the cemetery, and they were sobbing as hard as I was. After the burial and lunch, we came home to feed the cat, change into casual clothes, and headed over to our friend's house to be with her husband Wayne, and their family. There were some tears, but there was also a lot of laughter and great memories shared over food, several bottles of wine, "the good scotch", and beer. Later in the evening, the guitars came out and there was much music and singing to round out the day. @marshhawkI am sorry I wasn't here yesterday to wish you and your DH a very Happy Anniversary. May you have many more to come; let the love and laughter continue. I'm excited for your cruise and hope you have a wonderful time. @kazumy heart is with you today as you gather with your family and friends to celebrate Jose's life; it won't be an easy day, but one that will be filled with love for both you and Jose. @Cruzin TerriI was happy to read that you've been able to get into a condo while your home is being repaired - much better than being stuck in a hotel room. We had low temperatures last night; it went down to 0C (32F), so when we came back from our friend's late last night, we had to rush around to cover the plants in the yard to protect them from frost. DH had this idea for the papyrus(which are now 7 feet tall), where he would quickly create a structure out of bamboo sticks and we could drape fabric over them, while hoping to not break the tops. I looked at the papyrus and said to him "Why don't we just lay the pots on their sides?" Duh! 3 minutes later the papyrus were taken care of and we were sitting inside the house drinking tea. LOL That's all I've got for today - I don't have to worry about dinner tonight, as our friend sent us home with a huge care package of turkey, ham, cheeses and buns from the funeral luncheon that will do us for a few days. Although it's not supposed to get too warm today, it will be comfortable for us to have dinner on the deck with the windows closed. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is hurting, extra for strength to hold up @kazutoday, and cheers to all the celebrations. Stay safe, everyone! Smooth Sailing! 🙂🙂🙂 Gerry

A sad day for Britain and all the Commonwealth countries. But imagine if you will, the joy she experienced when she closed her eyes on this earth and opened them to see the face of her husband waiting for her. May Her Majesty rest in eternal peace.

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! Yay for literacy, a shout out to the &, and I'll pass on the date and nut bread. Today is also Grandparents Day according to my FB memories page. Happy Grandparents Day to all grandparents, and those who stand in for them. The best thing you can do for those little ones is surround them with love and kindness, and lots LOTS of sugar, then give them back to their parents. It's called payback, kids. LOL Well as some of you may already know, the last of the suspects was apprehended yesterday after he'd stolen another vehicle and was ultimately run off the highway by the RCMP. He died of self-inflicted injuries on the way to the hospital, which is unfortunate because now the families of the victims will never have answers. I feel bad for his family, as they've lost 2 sons; they gave a recorded interview yesterday in which they were both in tears, apologizing for their son's actions. How devastating for them and all concerned. Not good news about Queen Elizabeth II, as it appears the whole family is converging on Balmoral Castle due to her health concerns. Hard to believe she was up and about just 2 days ago as she welcomed Britain's new Prime Minister, but she is 96 years old, so . . . Lots of last minute things to do today in preparation of our dear friend's funeral tomorrow - we have to go to the funeral home to check out the venue and talk with the attendants about what we'll need, etc. Have to wash & iron (yes, I'll iron the darn thing) DH's white shirt, and get our clothes ready for tomorrow, then do a final run through of the service. I also have to make myself a nice handkerchief for my tears - I totally expect to cry, I'm a crier after all, so I might as well be prepared. Tissues are for noses, handkerchiefs are for tears. With all that, I think we're just going to pick up something to eat on the way home and will enjoy it on the deck tonight. And wine. Prayers for all who are hurting, extra for QE II, and cheers to the celebrations. Stay safe, everyone! Smooth Sailing! 🙂🙂🙂 Gerry

I'm delighted that you're heading out again and taking us with you. Safe travels!

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! We enjoy salami once in a while in sandwiches and thinly sliced, it's great to put on a charcuterie board. We are fortunate to have a wonderful letter carrier - I always leave a little cooler filled with bottled water for him in the summer, and in winter, a basket filled with hand warmers for him to take on his route. A great day for those of us with the tradition of a beer in every port! Well, we're at the point in the year where it's tank tops and shorts, but in the early mornings and late evenings, we're in bunny hugs and jeans. We regularly go down to single digit temperatures overnight, and although we can still get temps in the high 20's, I notice it's taking longer for it to warm up during the day as well. Soon it will be time to put away the lightweight clothing and bring out the woolies. Sigh. Not a lot on the agenda today, but I should drop some things off at the Salvation Army store, so I might just continue on and do some retail therapy. LOL DH is heading off to a music store with a friend who just turned 75, who wants to learn to play the saxaphone. Although DH doesn't play horns, he does know a lot of the people at a few of the stores, so will be able to introduce or friend to someone who can help him. Update on our provincial situation - the one suspect is still at large; at this point, the police seem to have absolutely no idea where he is. There is a possibility he has broken into an unused building and is hiding out, but that's just one theory. We remain vigilant. @marshhawkI just love reading your stories - what an interesting life you've lead! And I think you're a saint to keep on walking your neighbour's dog. You should leave a bill in her mailbox for your services - that's not being rude, that's being real. I'm not sure about today's menu suggestion - although I do know DH wouldn't enjoy it, so I think I'll give it a pass. DH is going to pick up a couple of individual quiches on the way home this afternoon, so all I have to do is make a tossed salad and we're ready to enjoy dinner on the deck. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is hurting, cheering on those with celebrations. Stay safe, everyone! Smooth Sailing! 🙂🙂🙂 Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! The fight against procrastination is a hard one, especially when you're retired. I enjoy reading books and have a bajillion loaded onto my iPad; I'm pretty sure I'll never get through all of them. I once participated in an egg toss . . . it was fun, especially since I won. In case anyone is interested, our province's tragedy also now includes one of the suspects. It hasn't been made public as to how his life ended, whether by the other suspect (who is his brother), or by someone else. All we know is he didn't take his own life. Yesterday was rocked with numerous telephone/radio/television alerts by RCMP as they tried to keep the public up to date on what was happening. Every time the bone jarring alarms went off, people just froze in place. One of the suspects is still at large, so everyone is remaining vigilant. It's a beautiful sunny morning with clear blue skies again today - but it's starting to look like fall with the ash trees beginning to turn. They're the first to get their leaves in spring and first to shed in the fall. This morning I'm heading out for breakfast with a number of retired colleagues; it's always nice to see who shows up and catch up on each other's lives. @StLouisCruisersHappy Anniversary to you; let the love and laughter continue! @kazuyou're a busy lady; definitely a one person dynamo!!! I love mango salsa, but haven't made any for a while; I'm going to have to get a mango on our next grocery run. The other night when I made chicken fingers in the air fryer, I also cooked a full chicken breast, so that's going to be turned into chicken Caesar salad for us on the deck tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is hurting, especially the people of Ukraine. Cheers to the celebrations taking place today. Stay safe, everyone! Smooth Sailing! 🙂🙂🙂 Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! I hate being late and always make a point of being at least a few minutes early. Cheese pizza is okay, but I prefer mine with toppings. On this International Day of Charity, I think I'll go through our clothes closets again and pack things up to take to the Salvation Army tomorrow. A restless night last night, even though the suspects in the stabbing incident that took place yesterday are supposed to be far away. Police said late last night that they haven't confirmed the fact that the report of seeing the two men 2.5 hours from here was in fact the two they were looking for. Every creak of the house and every noise outside seemed amplified as we basically slept with one eye open. I think a nap is in order today. @Cruzin TerriI feel so bad for you and your DH; what a mess you have to contend with, and on a long weekend when so few are available to help you. I can't begin to imagine the mess you're having to deal with. Call your insurance company and let them send in the disaster relief team to do the clean up and moving of things. That's why we pay for insurance. @StLouisCruisersand @marshhawkI'm glad to hear that neither of you is affected by the flooding in Georgia - we saw video of it on the news last night. When we were still working, Labour Day was usually the day we'd rush home from our last get-away for summer, knowing the next break wasn't coming until Christmas. Now of course, every day is Labour Day, and there's not much rushing around now. Yay! DH has suggested we do smokies on the barbecue tonight, so I'll take a package out of the freezer and thaw them so he can work his magic. Paired with potato salad, I think it will make a nice dinner for us on the deck this evening. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is hurting, especially for the 10 victims who died and the 15 who were injured yesterday. Cheers to all who have celebrations today. Stay safe, everyone! Smooth Sailing! 🙂🙂🙂 Gerry

Thank you for your concern; a heck of a way to make international news! We’ve had friends contact us from the U.S., Australia, and Japan asking if we were okay. The main incident took place about a 2 hour drive from here and it appears the perpetrators fled in the opposite direction of our city. We’ve had several emergency alerts on our phones (scare the bejeepers out of you when they go off!)and on the television and radio, urging caution, so we’re super vigilant about keeping the house doors locked and the vehicles locked up tight as well. They remain at large tonight and we’re hoping by morning we will have news that they are in custody. Thanks again for your concern.

@Seasick Sailoradding my prayers to those already being said; hopefully they'll be able to determine the cause and correct it quickly. @bennybeargreat photos and you caught Steve - well done!! @Sharon in AZHappy Birthday to your DM with many returns of the day!

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! I always tried to bring my manners to work, however, others didn't always do the same. We are thankful for our newspaper carrier - I think we're the only people on the block who still get an actual hard copy. Spices are nice when used in proper amounts. The sun has a weird yellowish look this morning due to smoke coming down from northern forest fires. I hope they get some rain to help the overworked firefighters. It's supposed to be hot, hot, HOT here today again with a predicted high of 36C (96F). We've got all the windows open for now, but in about an hour will be shutting them to keep the house at a reasonable temperature before turning on the a/c. I've needed a new house key for a while, as the one I've got has pretty much been worn out, so DH and I headed over to a hardware store to have a new one cut. They needed a particular numbered blank, which it turns out they were out of, so I had to get an expensive decorative one. I was busy looking at other things, so told the fellow to just pick one and cut it, as long as it wasn't camouflage design, I didn't care what he chose. O M G did this guy know what he was doing or what? LOL I enjoy making frittatas once in a while, but with the heat, I won't be starting the oven today. I've got chicken breasts thawing that will be crumb coated and turned into chicken fingers in the air fryer (which resides on the deck), so we'll be enjoying them along with crudites and dips in the pergola for dinner tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is hurting, and for continued strength for the people of Ukraine, and cheers to those with happy things to celebrate. Stay safe, everyone! Smooth Sailing! Gerry

We received our latest issue just last month and have been receiving them regularly for a number of years, even through Covid. Whenever we got the renewal notice in the mail, I’d go on the HAL site and enter my preference for Travel & Leisure.

I just realized that yesterday when when the renewal notice came in the mail. I went on HAL's mariner site and saw that the magazine subscription is no longer a perk for 4 and 5 star people. I always enjoyed receiving it, too.

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! The last time we went to the cinema was in 2018 when we saw Bohemian Rhapsody - loved that show. Prior to that, it had been years and years since we'd seen a movie in a theatre. Tailgating isn't something you normally see in Canada; I've often seen shots of tailgate parties being held prior to NFL games in the US. We've been in a few skyscrapers around the world, even though DH is afraid of heights. We don't have any here on the "frozen tundra", so I find it quite interesting to be up so high. Although it's not the tallest at only 55 stories, my favourite was the Marina Bay Sands Hotel in Singapore. Another clear, sunny day in the works, much warmer than yesterday morning at 15C (59F) with an expected high of 34C (93F) and a heat warning. Because of the heat we've experienced this past week and going into next week, the city has decided to keep the spray parks open for kids and adults to enjoy. Normally they are shut down as soon as school begins, but this is an exception to help keep people comfortable. We aren't traveling this long weekend, but do wish everyone a safe time if you're heading out on the roads. When we were working, we always took off as soon as we could on a Friday afternoon to get ahead of the crowds, then got up at the crack of dawn on Monday morning to do the same coming home. It sure helps to be retired! I'd like today's menu suggestion, but think I'll make it on a day when the temps are a lot lower. For tonight, I've got ground beef thawing that I'll make up into patties for DH to grill on the barbecue and will be serving them along with all the condiments and coleslaw for an easy dinner on a hot September night. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is hurting and need strength, and cheers for all who have something to celebrate. Stay safe, everyone! Smooth Sailing! 🙂🙂🙂 Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! The end of any war is a good thing. Our college colours are green and white, easily seen around the city. We regularly make contributions to the food bank - it's sad that it's a necessity these days. Oh, it's a chilly one out there this morning, only +5C (41F); we felt it cooling off rapidly last night and ended up only leaving a couple of the windows open for the night. Never fear, we are the land of contrasts and tomorrow the high is expected to be +36 (96F). Tank tops in the morning, sweaters at night, that's where we live. @Quartzsite CruiserHappy Anniversary to you! @marshhawkHappy Anniversary to you! Let the love and laughter continue!! Last night's dinner with our friends went well - we were all more than happy to eat around the dining table in the comfort of air conditioning, rather than roasting on the deck. It was so good to get together with these two couples, as the two women were DH's "little sisters" when they were all single. They've known him longer than I have, so of course, the stories started rolling after a few glasses of wine. LOL I'm taking a hard pass on today's menu suggestion - I just can't get past the eel part. I abhor snakes and this is a swimming snake. Aargh!! Although it's Friday night, we have lots of leftovers from last night, so we'll be enjoying salmon and salads (there wasn't even a single potato left) on the deck this evening. And wine. Prayers for those who are hurting, cheers for the celebrations. Stay safe, everyone! Smooth Sailing! 🙂🙂🙂 Gerry

Rabbit, rabbit, white rabbit! Thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! While we've never had a ginger cat, friends of ours did and he was the biggest snuggle bug I've ever seen. I'm not a fan of cherry popovers/turnovers; I'm among the few who don't care for puff pastry. Tofu can be acceptable if disguised well in dishes. LOL Another warm day in the offing; yesterday we hit 36.6 C (98F), so it was HOT! A little cooler today with a predicted high of only 30C (86F), but it will still be too warm to eat on the deck tonight. @Cruzin TerriHappy Birthday to you with many returns of the day! @luvteachingso sad to hear about your friend Wayne; may his final days be pain free and his transition into the next life be a gentle one. A busy day planned as we're preparing dinner for our friends - instead of just having to clean the kitchen and deck, now I have to include the dining and living room because of the heat. The menu tonight includes mustard/panko crusted salmon, dilled potatoes, corn on the cob, killer coleslaw, creamy cucumber salad and we'll finish it off with DH's favourite rhubarb sodas for dessert. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is hurting and cheers for the celebrations. Extra for the strength of the people of Ukraine. Stay safe, everyone! Smooth Sailing! 🙂🙂🙂 Gerry

Did someone say wine? I can bring a brush and a glass!!