Silversea Water Cooler: Welcome! Part Five

[Daveywavey70]

OMFGWTAF anyone else watching GOT final episode? Me nerves are in tatters!

[Tothesunset]

Not yet. No spoilers! 

[Daveywavey70]

No spoilers TTS but it’s been worth the 8 year wait.

[mysty]

Greetings Coolers!

 

Lovely to be able to visit the Cooler Bar again!  The denizens here have been missed!  Luckily the internet access in my humble abode allows me to darken the Cooler door.

 

As my offering today I am posting a picture from our Balinese cooking class.  Myster enjoyed it and I enjoyed eating the resulting meal.  The cooking part was a struggle for me because of my nonexistent knife skills.  A few of the helper chefs from the class came to my rescue more than once.

 

Ta Da........

 

 

Have a great day all!

[jpalbny]

Welcome back mysty! We have so enjoyed your adventure. 

 

Greetings from Kyiv, where we are waiting for our next flight to Lviv. Kyiv was way more than I expected. It's been a great time so far. 

 

More to follow. 

[Daveywavey70]

добро пожаловать в россию

Gad you’re enjoying yourselves JP. Looking forward to hearing all about it!

[Lois R]

Hi Mysty, welcome back and I really enjoyed your thread

 

JP, thanks for checking in with us and glad to know things are going well.

[JohnGinPBG]

6 hours ago, jpalbny said:

Greetings from Kyiv, where we are waiting for our next flight to Lviv. Kyiv was way more than I expected. It's been a great time so far. 

 

Since you're in the middle of Ukraine, is it possible this trip will end up in a cruise?

[TLCOhio]

22 hours ago, jpalbny said:

Greetings from Kyiv, where we are waiting for our next flight to Lviv. Kyiv was way more than I expected. It's been a great time so far.  More to follow. 

 

Fascinating from J.P. The reference to "Kylv" threw me off. But that actually means Kiev. Did not realize till checking more that the Ukraine capital has nearly three million people and is the seventh most populous city in Europe.  Had never previously heard of Lviv.  Did not know it has three-quarters of a million people there and that it is one of the main cultural centers of the Ukraine.

 

Look forward to learning more specifics and details about Kiev and the Ukraine.  Had never thought that much about it as a travel place.  Learning more will be of interest.  

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Sydney to NZ/Auckland Adventure, live/blog 2014 sampling/details with many exciting visuals and key highlights.  On page 23, post #571, see a complete index for all of the pictures, postings.  Now at 220,446 views.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

[mysty]

Greetings Coolers!

 

Today's funny.....

 

 

Have a great day all!

[TLCOhio]

3 hours ago, mysty said:

Greetings Coolers!  Today's funny.....Have a great day all!

 

Great to have mysty back and doing these enjoyable funnies.  Yes, these make for a nice way to start the day.  Today, we are 54 days till we depart for your excellent country and for arriving in Calgary to do Banff, Jasper, the Rocky Mountaineer rail adventure, Vancouver, etc.  Keep it coming!!

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise from Copenhagen, July 2010, to the top of Europe. Wonderful scenic visuals with key tips. Live/blog at 235,191 views.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

[jpalbny]

On 5/21/2019 at 6:06 PM, JohnGinPBG said:

 

Since you're in the middle of Ukraine, is it possible this trip will end up in a cruise?

 

No cruise this trip. Just hanging out enjoying the coffee and craft beer scene here in Lviv, after chasing down some old ancestors in Kyiv.

 

Prices are stupidly cheap here. Espresso is about 50-75 cents, cappuccino maybe a dollar. Beer runs maybe $2 for a half liter and wine $3-4 a glass. Lunch or dinner, with appetizers, mains, and a few glasses of wine is $40 at most. And that's if you get expensive wine! 

 

Terry, Kyiv is the Ukrainians' preferred English spelling. It is a much closer spelling of the correct pronunciation which is more like "Kay-yoo" and not at all like "Key-ev" The V in Ukrainian is a W sound. In cyrillic letters it's spelled "Киїv" so the Roman characters Kyiv fit best, in their opinion.

 

Chris grew up speaking Ukrainian as her first language, and it's amazing to watch her converse fluently with just about everyone here, after hardly speaking it in 30 years. And she flies through the menus, telling me what's good, and even orders for me if needed. Some still speak Russian here so in that case they switch to English. It may be challenging to go out here on your own with zero language skills though. Many speak English but not all.

 

It's almost 6 PM here so time to go out again and find the next coffee or beer before dinner. Will check in again later.

[JohnGinPBG]

12 minutes ago, jpalbny said:

No cruise this trip. Just hanging out enjoying the coffee and craft beer scene here in Lviv, after chasing down some old ancestors in Kyiv.

 

 

Sounds great!  Щасливої подорожі!

[TLCOhio]

53 minutes ago, jpalbny said:

Prices are stupidly cheap here. Espresso is about 50-75 cents, cappuccino maybe a dollar. Beer runs maybe $2 for a half liter and wine $3-4 a glass. Lunch or dinner, with appetizers, mains, and a few glasses of wine is $40 at most. And that's if you get expensive wine! 

Terry, Kyiv is the Ukrainians' preferred English spelling. It is a much closer spelling of the correct pronunciation which is more like "Kay-yoo" and not at all like "Key-ev" The V in Ukrainian is a W sound. In cyrillic letters it's spelled "Киїv" so the Roman characters Kyiv fit best, in their opinion.

Chris grew up speaking Ukrainian as her first language, and it's amazing to watch her converse fluently with just about everyone here, after hardly speaking it in 30 years. And she flies through the menus, telling me what's good, and even orders for me if needed. Some still speak Russian here so in that case they switch to English. It may be challenging to go out here on your own with zero language skills though. Many speak English but not all.

 

Appreciate these very interesting background details and this helpful follow-up from J.P.  I had wondered why you had made the Ukraine such a priority and now it is perfectly understandable given these family connections.  Look forward to see some visuals for these architecture, style, etc.  

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Amazon River-Caribbean 2015 adventure live/blog starting in Barbados. Many visuals from this amazing river and Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, San Juan, etc.).  Now at 63,785 views:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

[Lois R]

Hi folks, JP, sounds like an exciting trip and that is so cool about Chris,,,really neat that she can speak with language fluently.

 

Looking forward to reading more!

[Stumblefoot]

I want to go to Ukraine now, but only if Chris serves as interpreter and foodie, with JP as our intrepid tour guide!

[Bill B]

21 hours ago, Daveywavey70 said:

Anyone else have such a beautiful view on their way to the polling station today?

 

 

No, the Vietnamese won't let me vote. 

[mysty]

Greetings Coolers!

 

Today's funny.....

 

 

Have a great day all!

[mysty]

Greetings Coolers!

 

Still struggling here with the return to reality.  I get one issue addressed and a new one rears its ugly head!  Tufts of my hair are accumulating under the chair.

 

Today's funny.....

 

 

Have a great day all!

[Lois R]

Good morning folks, Mysty, love the Cookies cartoon.

 

Well, I received a breakdown from my Broker about income/expenses/investments, etc...….(concerning retirement). He sent me an email with information and now I have to see if next year can be my year.  I think I would want to work part time (I would go nuts just "staying home" every day).  And I know when you collect SS, there is a max you can work without bein penalized but I don't know what that max is...…..but anyway, I can do more research on that part of the plan.  All my investments (I have multiple items) but they don't total (yearly) what I make from work....it would be all the investments and SS together.  That is why if I could work part time to make up the difference... That would be a good option. (Does any of that make sense?).  And my expenses for living are pretty low. 

 

The biggest item is Insurance (yuk). I do know about Cobra and I found out some good information from my Human Resources person.  I can keep the exact plan offered (it would be more $$$ for me to pay once I am not working there) but the plan is in place with all the same benefits for 18 months following retirement.   And by then? Who knows where Health Insurance will be following Nov 2020....and I am hoping to retire in the Spring so the exess will not come into play until late 2021/early 2022.

Not sure I can think that far ahead

 

Maybe I could just sell my condo and go live on a cruiseship

[TLCOhio]

1 hour ago, Lois R said:

Well, I received a breakdown from my Broker about income/expenses/investments, etc...….(concerning retirement). He sent me an email with information and now I have to see if next year can be my year.  I think I would want to work part time (I would go nuts just "staying home" every day).  And I know when you collect SS, there is a max you can work without bein penalized but I don't know what that max is...…..but anyway, I can do more research on that part of the plan.  The biggest item is Insurance (yuk). I do know about Cobra and I found out some good information from my Human Resources person.  I can keep the exact plan offered (it would be more $$$ for me to pay once I am not working there) but the plan is in place with all the same benefits for 18 months following retirement.   And by then? Who knows where Health Insurance will be following Nov 2020.  Maybe I could just sell my condo and go live on a cruiseship

 

YES, Lois, it is "complicated" figuring out future insurance situations/costs, inflation factors, etc., etc.  Nothing is exact and totally predictable, especially with health care costs, Social Security, etc. In going through the pre-retirement process for my wife, it took many visits and discussion with the experts to sort it out.  Each visit, we became smart to be asking the right questions.    

 

Good luck as you work to sort it ALL out.  Not sure how long selling your condo will let you keep sailing on a cruise ship!!??  

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

AFRICA?!!?: Fun, interesting visuals, plus travel details from this early 2016 live/blog. At 45,581 views. Featuring Cape Town, South Africa’s coast, Mozambique, Victoria Falls/Zambia and Botswana's famed Okavango Delta.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2310337

[UKCruiseJeff]

1 hour ago, Lois R said:

Good morning folks, Mysty, love the Cookies cartoon.

 

Well, I received a breakdown from my Broker about income/expenses/investments, etc...….(concerning retirement). He sent me an email with information and now I have to see if next year can be my year.  I think I would want to work part time (I would go nuts just "staying home" every day).  And I know when you collect SS, there is a max you can work without bein penalized but I don't know what that max is...…..but anyway, I can do more research on that part of the plan.  All my investments (I have multiple items) but they don't total (yearly) what I make from work....it would be all the investments and SS together.  That is why if I could work part time to make up the difference... That would be a good option. (Does any of that make sense?).  And my expenses for living are pretty low. 

 

The biggest item is Insurance (yuk). I do know about Cobra and I found out some good information from my Human Resources person.  I can keep the exact plan offered (it would be more $$$ for me to pay once I am not working there) but the plan is in place with all the same benefits for 18 months following retirement.   And by then? Who knows where Health Insurance will be following Nov 2020....and I am hoping to retire in the Spring so the exess will not come into play until late 2021/early 2022.

Not sure I can think that far ahead

 

Maybe I could just sell my condo and go live on a cruiseship

 

Lois, the sooner you take more fully informed control of all of these challenges for yourself rather than delegating them to others, the sooner you will set  a bespoke and personal track and set of plans that will take you to your chosen destination in the most optimal way. You aren’t doing that. If their advice is wrong they do not lose or suffer, but you do. 

 

Chartering a vehicle with an unclear  map with a stranger in the driving seat paid on maximising mileage, is not the way to end up at the destination of your choice.  You need to understand clearly where you wish to end up, how far  from where you want to end you currently are and how much fuel you have and if and what those shortfalls may or may not be. You need to have clarity on all of these issues yourself.   It seems to me that you have left the driver to handle all that.   You need to understand what your advisor says they understand on your behalf.  If you want the very best chance of achieving what you wish to achieve, then you need to understand all of it fully.  No one has your best interest at heart more than you.  It is NEVER too late to learn  these basic skills.  

 

Best wishes and good luck. 

Edited May 25, 2019 by UKCruiseJeff

[Lois R]

2 hours ago, UKCruiseJeff said:

 

Lois, the sooner you take more fully informed control of all of these challenges for yourself rather than delegating them to others, the sooner you will set  a bespoke and personal track and set of plans that will take you to your chosen destination in the most optimal way. You aren’t doing that. If their advice is wrong they do not lose or suffer, but you do. 

 

Chartering a vehicle with an unclear  map with a stranger in the driving seat paid on maximising mileage, is not the way to end up at the destination of your choice.  You need to understand clearly where you wish to end up, how far  from where you want to end you currently are and how much fuel you have and if and what those shortfalls may or may not be. You need to have clarity on all of these issues yourself.   It seems to me that you have left the driver to handle all that.   You need to understand what your advisor says they understand on your behalf.  If you want the very best chance of achieving what you wish to achieve, then you need to understand all of it fully.  No one has your best interest at heart more than you.  It is NEVER too late to learn  these basic skills.  

 

Best wishes and good luck. 

Jeff, wow...…..sorry you think I am not taking care of what I am doing.  That is why I am doing research. So, I guess we will agree to disagree.  I know I am needing clarity and I trust the guy who is helping me.  That is why I am asking him for help.

This person has all my investments (except my 401) which is through work.  As for leaving things "to the driver"......he is giving me estimates with a growth % on all the items.  Oh, he is not a stranger, I have

known him for nearly 15 years.

[Lois R]

2 hours ago, TLCOhio said:

 

YES, Lois, it is "complicated" figuring out future insurance situations/costs, inflation factors, etc., etc.  Nothing is exact and totally predictable, especially with health care costs, Social Security, etc. In going through the pre-retirement process for my wife, it took many visits and discussion with the experts to sort it out.  Each visit, we became smart to be asking the right questions.    

 

Good luck as you work to sort it ALL out.  Not sure how long selling your condo will let you keep sailing on a cruise ship!!??  

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

AFRICA?!!?: Fun, interesting visuals, plus travel details from this early 2016 live/blog. At 45,581 views. Featuring Cape Town, South Africa’s coast, Mozambique, Victoria Falls/Zambia and Botswana's famed Okavango Delta.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2310337

Hi Terry, I was kidding (sort of LOL).   I trust the person who is helping me to figure it all out.   I just know I need more income than expenses LOL...…….I will have that but just not as much as working full time.  It is definitely a process.

[UKCruiseJeff]

32 minutes ago, Lois R said:

Jeff, wow...…..sorry you think I am not taking care of what I am doing.  That is why I am doing research. So, I guess we will agree to disagree.  I know I am needing clarity and I trust the guy who is helping me.  That is why I am asking him for help.

This person has all my investments (except my 401) which is through work.  As for leaving things "to the driver"......he is giving me estimates with a growth % on all the items.  Oh, he is not a stranger, I have

known him for nearly 15 years.

 

Hi,

 

No problem  at all. Your note gave the clear impression that you are considering imminent retirement but not having all the clarity of detail I think anyone  needs at their fingertips many years before retirement.  Personally developed plans over many years add control and lessen risk, increase certainty and therefore offer fact-based reassurance.  I mean a clear life plan on  a spreadsheet with an accurate picture of exactly where you are today, with all your assets, income and expenditure so that you can model yourself different retirement scenarios.  The purpose of my note was to nudge you into questioning whether your current approach is prudent.  You think it is, so job done.  🙂

 

Hope it works for you.