Silversea Water Cooler: Welcome! Part Two

[Mark_K]

Jeff,

 

Orbitz sent me this this morning. I thought of you when I saw it.

 

 

Mark

[mysty]

J..... I have been thinking of the vast wealth of wonderful travel tidbits you have amassed over the course of your extensive travels. Maybe you could create a website for people who are looking for something interesting and out of the box. You could call it Beyond the Ordinary. :) You have been providing really neat ideas for posters here and I'm sure there are many others who would appreciate your tips and suggestions. :) Just an idle musing!

[UKCruiseJeff]

J..... I have been thinking of the vast wealth of wonderful travel tidbits you have amassed over the course of your extensive travels. Maybe you could create a website for people who are looking for something interesting and out of the box. You could call it Beyond the Ordinary. :) You have been providing really neat ideas for posters here and I'm sure there are many others who would appreciate your tips and suggestions. :) Just an idle musing!

 

Hi M, thanks ... :)

 

The same idea was suggested on Flyertalk some time ago ... and also that I do something on food .. and then something on cooking on a budget ... and someone once suggested I do something on food cheating and short cut food. I'm flattered but to be honest I know I don't know any more than anyone else ... and what nudges is simply someone asking a question and I always seem to like doing things where the crowd is somewhere else so a lot of what I do is simply seeking interest that isn't well trodden. I think when we've been helped by others, we then like to help others. I'm also lucky to have been ejected from home at 16 and that made me pretty independant for a kid - so since then and because of that been working at stuff that opportunistically took me places. I wouldn't be any good at anything regular. Just chipping in when I think I can think of something others might not think of if you get my drift. But thanks for the kind thought. :)

 

We have almost come to the end of "Alaska - The Last Frontier" and I'd so love to see a spoof comedy on it.

 

Today's curry.

 

 

:)

 

Jeff

Edited October 17, 2015 by UKCruiseJeff

[UKCruiseJeff]

Jeff,

 

Orbitz sent me this this morning. I thought of you when I saw it.

 

[ATTACH]365540[/ATTACH]

 

Mark

 

Thanks Mark,

 

Wifey and I are having terrible withdrawal symptoms but still think we will benefit from a break. They are currently just completing the haze season which has sounded dire at times.

 

Jeff

[Nigella]

That's lovely!

 

Yes ... well I'm just a few miles away across some lovely country lanes ... pop in for some nuts and some punch! :)

 

Sometimes if you know an area very well you can answer a question by doing so differently and suggest something most won't consider or think of. You cannot beat local knowledge rather than knowledge from other tourists. It seemed to me that that OP was missing an opportunity to see Winchester instead of Southampton which is ghastly. To come all this way and not sacrifice another 15 minutes .... It is so compact the station is a short walk to everything and the station just 15 minutes from Southampton. He hasn't responded so I guess we will never know whether the idea was appreciated or helpful. :) :rolleyes:

 

The Wykeham Arms has gentrified over the last few years and become a boutique hotel but they have ... or use to have ...school desks instead of tables and chairs and it is such an atomospheric pub with real beer and an open fire. In a few weeks time the Christmas market and skating rink opens under the cathedral and Winchester takes on a real Christmas atmosphere.

 

When we were house hunting in the area we stayed there and it was snowing ... Winchester was so magical in the snow.

 

It looks delightful. I'm ashamed of how little travel I've done in my own country, trying to put that right as I enter my dotage ;)

I'm supposed to be in Farnham for a business trip next month, if it comes off I'll definitely make some time for Winchester and will be back to tap your knowledge beforehand.

[mysty]

Greetings fellow coolers! It is snowing here and I am not happy! I know I should enjoy the season but I hate the cold and snow. For your entertainment here is a dirge I wrote a few winters ago which captures my feelings in verse. It is titled Winter Blues.

 

If I see another snowflake

I swear I shall go mad

Winter with its icy grasp

Steals what joy I had.

 

Snow banks thrust their icy tops

To jab a gunmetal sky

And every time it starts to snow

I want to sit and cry.

 

I have no grand illusions

Of sparkling fields of white

Instead I see grey mountains

Obscuring all the light.

 

I have laboured long and lonely

To keep the driveway clear

So the postman need not snowshoe

As he struggles to draw near.

 

The bone-chilling winds of winter

Sneak inside under the door

Slippers become mandatory

As ice now coats my floor.

 

Jack Frost’s playful image

Is nowhere to be seen

The frightful Old Man Winter

Dominates the scene.

 

Visions of the springtime

Haunt my frozen mind

I lust for warmer seasons

To leave this one behind.

 

And on this rather cheerless note

I’ll start now on the booze

My temporary respite

From my case of winter blues.

[TLCOhio]

Here in the USA yesterday, it was a tough battle in Michigan for Mark and Candy. I did not get to see all of that game on TV as I was getting ready to head down to Ohio Stadium for the battle of our number-one-ranked Ohio State team being on national TV versus Penn State.

 

No. 12 Michigan looked to be winning and super strong, until No. 7 Michigan State came back and had a dramatic finish in the final ten seconds to win 27-23. I was at a pre-game tail-gate party at Ohio Stadium and heard lots of loud cheers in the parking lot areas as the return of a fumbled punt allowed MSU to win. One ESPN writer called it: "A finish for the ages at the Big House". Michigan State coach Dantonio said: "Football is a crazy, crazy game. You can't hardly explain it." That game at Ann Arbor had a jammed crowd of 111,740 there. USA Today called this battle: "quintessential college football".

 

Ohio State did beat Penn State 38-10 last night. We were there, 10th row on the 10-yard line. Below you can see some of my visual highlights, including a band half-time show that saluted the 50th Anniversary of the British Invasion with their wonderful music of that era. What was the game atmosphere? It was a night game with 108,423 fans attending in the "blacked-out" crowd, marking this the second-highest attended game in the history of this famed, horseshoe-shaped, Ohio Stadium. The OSU team was wearing special black uniforms from Nike. In November will be the big show-downs with Ohio State hosting Michigan State on Nov. 21 and going to Ann Arbor, Michigan, for "The Game" on Nov. 28.

 

Sorry I have been busy the past few days with a Board meeting, TV tapings, work projects, etc. Now to focus on getting things ready for the visit next weekend by our two grandsons, family from Virginia and Kansas, etc.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 124,181 views for this posting.

 

 

Here is a sampling from last night's nationally-televised game of Ohio State versus Penn State. Two college programs with great football history!! These pictures give a sampling of the pre-game fireworks, band action including a salute to the British music greatness, successful football runs by star running back Ezekiel Elliott and QB J.T. Barrett, etc. Next Sunday in London, the OSU Marching Band will be there to play at half-time of the NFL game in the UK with Buffalo vs. Jacksonville in Wembley Stadium.:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[jpalbny]

Terry - fine pictures! Like the picture of the person taking a picture with his smartphone.

 

Mysty - great poem! We had our first flakes earlier today and I was not pleased. And since we are both on call, we can't even break out the wine! I am debating whether to put the snow tires on Chris' S7 today, or whether I think this is a fluke and I can wait. Jury is still out.

 

We have a chicken roasting in the oven and I have some bread dough kneading in the bread maker. Going to bake a loaf later, I think. This cold weather has given me the urge to keep the oven on frequently!

 

I have been tracking the ship that's carrying my S6 across the pond from Germany, and it arrived in port at Davisville, RI, on Friday! So now all the car has to do is clear customs, and get shipped to our local Audi dealer. Last time the process was fast, so hoping to have it at some point next week. Fingers crossed! Oh, but of course I have to order a set of snow tires for that car now, too. Remind me why I live here?

 

Happy Sunday to all!

Edited October 18, 2015 by jpalbny

[mysty]

Great news about your car's arrival stateside JP! Your meal sounds perfect for an unseasonably cold fall day! Especially the bread! :) We will be doing the winter tire change over soon as well. Thanks for your kind words on my verse! I ask myself the question "Why do I live here?" every winter. I'm just not built for the cold.

[UKCruiseJeff]

[UKCruiseJeff]

Another Sony time lapse (using the app) for those interested ......

 

 

Jeff

[mysty]

Very cool time lapse J! We actually saw Mt Rainier from a distance while visiting our son over the years he was working in Seattle. I have to say that this view is very entertaining. :)

 

Lovely picture of your wife in the Taverna although she looks a wee bit chilled. :)

[mysty]

Today is our Federal election day. The Conservative government under Stephen Harper has been in power since 2006. There are 4 political parties here - Conservative, Liberal, New Democratic Party and Green Party. Only the Liberal party and the Conservative party have ever formed the federal government. Voter turnout is usually low in Canada but the number of voters in the advanced polls held last weekend is much higher than usual. The hope is that turnout will be higher. Results should be interesting!

[Mark_K]

No Parti Québécois? Have they given up?

[Mark_K]

Very cool time lapse J! We actually saw Mt Rainier from a distance while visiting our son over the years he was working in Seattle. I have to say that this view is very entertaining. :)

 

Lovely picture of your wife in the Taverna although she looks a wee bit chilled. :)

 

 

That bottle by the paper towels looks like it could warm her up.

[UKCruiseJeff]

Funny you should mention Quebec .... I have been looking this morning at the wonderfulness of Quebec over Christmas time and thinking things I shouldn't. Anyway there is still a wifey embargo on booking things for a while. We are currently in cabin fever and must find things to do that involves travel.

 

Soapy girl got back home safely a while ago and she threatens to post about her adventures here once she has some second wind.

 

Wifey had had her nuts and was enjoying her schuss. There is constant bickering because she want's little and I like her to have a splosh.

 

M's poem is lovely and it is interesting how we all yearn for something others have and don't want what we have. I spend so much time hoping for some snow. JP's new baby is winging it's way. :)

 

Jeff

[UKCruiseJeff]

I post this seperately because I have an ability to post stuff that twitchy fingers have deleted. But this is the cooler. And I sort of expect it to go.

 

In the last day or so we learned of our lovely Mr Blair's commitment to engage to all-out war in Iraq whilst saying to the British people and it's appointed representatives otherwise. We all knew this anyway. He wanted to elevate his status and was happy for it to cost innocent lives. Bush wished to remove an individual from power and Blair wanted to increase his proximity to Bush.

 

Does Political (in it's true sense ...) Correctness allow us political assasination. No. We have no stomach for it. So instead of "assasinating" an indvidual ... a nasty affair ... we embark on a war that kills so many collaterrally and seeds Isis, Syria, etc etc . It still seems a terrible shame that political correctness does not allow how preferable is is to have an intelligent debate about politically motivated assasination rather than killing hundreds of thousands until you get "the one" you intended.

 

Personally I would have preferred to see them simply use their abilities they certainly have to take out Sadam than start ca war that has led us to where we are today. One possibly innocent loss ie Saddam far better than what has happened instead.

 

Interestingly a state that takes this approach ie Isreal is universilly reviled for it. They target individuals to minimise loss of innocent collateral and kill them. But they are reviled. So instead we have wars which kill many more which is more pragmatic and evidentally more PC.

 

I know that this is a temporary post, but still.

 

:)

 

Jeff

[mysty]

No Parti Québécois? Have they given up?

Mark, the Parti Quebecois is a provincial political party in the province of Quebec. It is not a federal level political party. We have provincial governments (like your state governments) and the federal government and we elect representatives at both levels. The Bloc Quebecois is the federal level party with only 2 members sitting in the house prior to this election. The Bloc party lost favour years ago and has been languishing.

[mysty]

Welcome back Sophia! Hope you had a wonderful trip!

 

J....Quebec would be wonderful at Christmas! There is an old world charm. It should be snowy and the temperatures are not really frigid until January and February. Although Mother Nature tends to do as she pleases so there is a risk of very cold. Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City is generally recognized as the most photographed hotel in the world, largely for its prominence in the skyline of Quebec City. It was built as one of a series of "château" style hotels for the Canadian Pacific Railway company (CPR) during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Edited October 19, 2015 by mysty

[Mark_K]

Mark, the Parti Quebecois is a provincial political party in the province of Quebec. It is not a federal level political party. We have provincial governments (like your state governments) and the federal government and we elect representatives at both levels. The Bloc Quebecois is the federal level party with only 2 members sitting in the house prior to this election. The Bloc party lost favour years ago and has been languishing.

 

 

That's interesting, I haven't followed Canadian politics much since Garry Trudeau retired. ;)

[mysty]

That's interesting, I haven't followed Canadian politics much since Garry Trudeau retired. ;)

Oh you are a wit! :) In fact, PIERRE Trudeau's son Justin is the leader of the Liberal party running in today's election.

[UKCruiseJeff]

Oh you are a wit! :) In fact, PIERRE Trudeau's son Justin is the leader of the Liberal party running in today's election.

 

It is funny how all these things link.

 

Pierre Trudeau use to rent the house on Paynes Bay in Barbados the week before our extended stay every year. I mentioned some time ago we ended up suing the management company, and they cited Trudeau's entry into the visitors book as evidence but still lost. It was the outcome of that claim - the largest holiday claim in the UK at that date, that paid the deposit on our current home.

 

Ain't life ironic.

 

:)

[mysty]

J... your mention of the suit against the management company must have been before my time here. It sounds like it must have been a nasty experience. :( Pierre Trudeau was one of our most flamboyant prime ministers. He dated Barbra Streisand and Margot Kidder. He was either loved or hated. His son Justin gave a beautifully eloquent eulogy at his father's funeral in 2000. It was obvious to me at that point that he would follow in his father's footsteps with a career in politics. It will be interesting to see if he manages to create a government as a result of today's vote.

[UKCruiseJeff]

You forgot to mention his wife. Margaret? Didn't she have a fling with Mick Jagger?

 

Jeff

[mysty]

You forgot to mention his wife. Margaret? Didn't she have a fling with Mick Jagger?

 

Jeff

I didn't forget. :) I mentioned his "celebrity" romances but not his marriage. And yes, it was rumoured that there was some romantic involvement with Mr. Jagger. From wikipedia: "Over time, the marriage disintegrated to the point that, as recounted in her book, Margaret had an affair with U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy. She was also associated with members of the Rolling Stones, including Ronnie Wood and (according to Keith Richards's autobiography, Life) Mick Jagger."