for fun: Do/Would you still put on all your makeup and decent clothes if you are quarantined

[cruisemom42]

Wow, Melody -- great to hear you are making such good progress. Way to go!!!!  

 

Now, did you find anything at Chico's?  😍

[cruisemom42]

4 hours ago, Riverroad said:

We stayed at Les Marrioniers a number of years ago while our daughter was studying in Paris. Great location but the rooms are tiny! The first room they gave us was in the attic, sort of like a garret. Very atmospheric but DH couldn’t stand up in it. The next room was so small that one of us had to get dressed and leave so the other could get dressed. Only way to dry my hair was to take the mirror off the wall and sit on the floor in front of it. Typical tiny Parisian elevator. Lois, don’t take your big luggage if you decide to stay there. True, the garden is lovely and peaceful. One night might be o.k. but not more than that for me.

 

Paris hotel rooms are notoriously tiny. The first time I went to Paris on my own, I booked in a charming, recommended place in the Marais -- the room was so small I could touch the walls on either side when I extended my arms fully. The bathroom was so tiny that the (copper) sink was above the toilet and drained into its tank (to save water). However, even that isn't so unusual -- a very nice boutique hotel in Barcelona was about the same size....

 

I'm never in my room that much when I travel unless I'm dressing or sleeping, so the size doesn't really bother me. I do like a good location though.

[Lois R]

Good morning, I posted over on the River Cruise Forum.......Cynthia, take a look at that thread. OMG........go here, no, don't go there, stay here, no stay there.......do this, do that...........everyone certainly has their opinions about what to do for a couple of days in Paris.😧.   

 

[awhfy]

13 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

Wow, Melody -- great to hear you are making such good progress. Way to go!!!!  

 

Now, did you find anything at Chico's?  😍

Gorgeous chiffon long black & white poncho (it’ll be a cruise staple). Cobalt blue Zenergy jacket  with cutout design on the sleeves, matching capris & 2 Zenergy tops. I had a really good time Melody

[WELDON]

Melody, Great news about your progress. Nice pictures. Enjoy wearing all your new clothes.

[Lois R]

New month and I am now on Medicare. I know I mentioned this a long time ago but the time is now for me to apply for financial aid for my VERY expensive cancer medication.  I went to see the the Social Worker at my cancer facility and we got all the paper work filled out and gave her my new insurance cards. Well, of course as smooth as it was going, life is always going to throw you a lemon🙄.

Seems my drug plan (separate from Medicare)....well, seems the card would not run through the system. This is not to order a refill, but in order to get financial aid these items all have to be submitted.

So I had to call Humana (they are now my RX plan people) and the gal put a 3 way call into the Specialty Pharmacy and me. They had to do a mock claim to see what a new Co-pay would be (To know I need the financial help). Anyway, when they entered my card, it said the plan was active BUT the pharmacy part had expired😮.......it makes NO SENSE. It is only a card for the pharmacy! Anyway, I left the 2 of them to figure it out....the gal at Humana and the pharmacist. I will follow up tomorrow and hopefully whatever is showing wrong will be fixed. 

 

Thanks for letting me vent.

[cruisemom42]

15 hours ago, Lois R said:

Good morning, I posted over on the River Cruise Forum.......Cynthia, take a look at that thread. OMG........go here, no, don't go there, stay here, no stay there.......do this, do that...........everyone certainly has their opinions about what to do for a couple of days in Paris.😧.   

 

 

Hi Lois, I read that thread -- I see you're now planning on staying 2 nights which I think is a 👍👍 decision.

 

Like with anything new, when you are at the beginning of planning, it can seem overwhelming. Reading a bit about how Paris is organized might be helpful, it is a bit different from other cities, with some prime areas to stay located on both sides of the Seine (the right and left banks). Unlike Rome or Athens, the city has tourist sites and museums spread out throughout the city, so being willing to use the metro is really helpful in getting around. That said, if you pick your sites and your hotel wisely, you can get away with not using the metro by walking, taking the occasional taxi, and don't discount the pleasant experience of taking one of the "bateau mouche" boats that run between the area near Notre Dame and the area near the Eiffel Tower as a way of getting between these major (but somewhat spread out) sites.

 

I notice several other people in that thread recommended hotels in the St. Germain area and I would certainly agree that this is one of the most pleasant areas to base yourself in. To orient yourself, look at a map and consider Notre Dame (which is on an island) to be more or less "central" for the purposes of sightseeing.

 

St. Germain is on the left bank and the equivalent area on the right bank is right about where the other hotel (Britannique) is located. It has the advantage of being close walking distance to the Louvre (which for me is a must though I understand for some it is overwhelming) and also near the Marais, a trendy area with lots of restaurants. Both the Marais and St. Germain have something of that medieval Paris feeling in parts, not the "monumental" Haussmann Paris you'll find in some other places.

 

What should you see in two days?  Hard to say. Are you interested in Impressionist paintings (Monet, Renoir, Degas, Cezanne)?  Go to the Musee D'Orsay.  Classical paintings and sculpture?  The Louvre.  The artists' quarter -- Montmartre. The Eiffel Tower? 

 

Since Notre Dame is closed, the ONE thing I would have on anyone's "do not miss" list would be a visit to Sainte-Chapelle; it is just absolutely jaw-droppingly incredible:

 

https://en.parisinfo.com/paris-museum-monument/71380/Sainte-Chapelle

 

[Lois R]

Good morning, Cynthia.......I am still going BUT I think I am changing cruise lines......part of me wants to try Tauck but the other part? Uniworld has an 8 night cruise for 1/2 the price😧. Sometimes I just can't seem to make up my mind. I have the finances to take the Tauck Tour but I think the part of me that always watches the $$$ thinks 50% less is ALOT of money!  I have my Dad inside me LOL...he was always frugal.   I can cancel my Tauck by March 15 with no penalty. I had given them a deposit

and can get it all back.  I will think on it......if I tell all those folks on the river cruise forum LOL....after all their postings. Oh well, I can't worry about them.

[awhfy]

Lois, you do what your heart tells you to do. Tauck tours are fabulous. 

[Lois R]

20 minutes ago, awhfy said:

Lois, you do what your heart tells you to do. Tauck tours are fabulous. 

Have you and Les toured with them?

[slidergirl]

The one thing about staying in St. Germain was that 2 of the restaurants I wanted to try were within a few blocks of des Marrioniers. They were actually across the steet from each other (Brezah for amazing buckwheat crepes and Le Comptoir the classic bistro).  The entire area was nicely walkable and loaded with places to eat and drink.   When I was in Paris before, I stayed with friend in the Marais area.  Also easily walkable, but it didn't have the active feel that St. Germain had for me.   As with everything, to each her own.   I would stay at des Marrioniers again because it is a known quantity to me now and I like the area.  

[Lois R]

Back from my Dr's appt and I have to say I am VERY HAPPY🙂. He is very nice and we chatted for a pretty long time. The nurse was very nice too.  I have to do blood work next week and will see him again in 3 months. 

I think this will be just fine and was really pleased and one of the other great things is he is not even a 10 minute drive away! 

[awhfy]

5 hours ago, Lois R said:

Have you and Les toured with them?

Once for me years ago. I have a good friend that has done many. She’s a solo traveler 

[awhfy]

2 hours ago, Lois R said:

Back from my Dr's appt and I have to say I am VERY HAPPY🙂. He is very nice and we chatted for a pretty long time. The nurse was very nice too.  I have to do blood work next week and will see him again in 3 months. 

I think this will be just fine and was really pleased and one of the other great things is he is not even a 10 minute drive away! 

Score!!!

[Lois R]

And more good news.......Humana and the Pharmacist were able to get my card to work so she was able to run it through yesterday afternoon and my application has now been submitted to the drug company. Seems there was an issue with one of the digits on my card.....doesn't make any sense to me but they got it to work.😀 Hopefully more good news in the next couple of weeks......(like they approved my ap)

[PurpleHays]

On 3/1/2023 at 2:08 PM, slidergirl said:

Melody - after that drive, I did have a nice, big glass of 19 Crimes Cali Red! 

19 Crimes is my husband's drug of choice. 

[Lois R]

Well, after 3 days of going back and forth. I  could not justify paying twice the price😧.....I cancelled my Tauck River Cruise and will research the differences between Uniworld and AMA (price wise). I have sailed with both of those lines before and enjoyed them both and would choose either one. So now have to sit down and do more research😀.  I know they are totally different in decor (not a big factor for me). Have to compare pricing. Both offer a special for solos---no single supplements on certain cabins😀

[awhfy]

17 hours ago, Lois R said:

And more good news.......Humana and the Pharmacist were able to get my card to work so she was able to run it through yesterday afternoon and my application has now been submitted to the drug company. Seems there was an issue with one of the digits on my card.....doesn't make any sense to me but they got it to work.😀 Hopefully more good news in the next couple of weeks......(like they approved my ap)

🤞🤞🤞

[awhfy]

14 hours ago, PurpleHays said:

19 Crimes is my husband's drug of choice. 

Try Sebastiani Zinfandel. Same price point & really rich, jammy red 🍷🍷

[purduemom1]

Hello Everyone,

I’m finally caught up! You’ve all been very busy! Melody, yay on your progress! Lois, thanks for your concern and I will catch everyone up after I comment on a few happenings ( before I forget-LOL).  Glad that you have found a good doctor and that you are figuring out the cost of your $$$$$ drug. As for your river cruise, I can see that you have put a lot of thought into choosing just the right one. Cynthia, hoping you have good luck deciding on your travel wardrobe.  28 days is a long trip. Hoping you share some insights with us. Kat, cute squirrel and good scores on the Camus and that bottle jacket. When does your winter job end? I hope everyone else is doing well.

 

As for me, yes CA has had a LOT of weather and snow in places that wasn’t expected. No snow for us unless we head up a few thousand feet. Road closures  and downed trees etc. Nothing that really affected  us. However, we have taken a break from or weather and are currently in Minneapolis! Yes, there is snow but none on the streets or sidewalks. We are celebrating our granddaughter’s second birthday-hard to believe she is 2! We left last Wednesday  ( Kat I waved as we flew over but couldn’t get the flight crew to tip a wing😁. 

Now for the possibly bad news. Our flight left about noon so we were in no rush and had everything under control. That is until our heat started making a funny noise. It could be the blower but who knows. We turned it off and will call our A/C guy to check it out.  We will return to a chilly house with no heat. DD will drop off a space heater and our neighbor has also offered to loan us one.  The unit is on the roof so replacing it is a job.  Hoping that won’t be our only option. It’s a combo heat/AC.  Fingers crossed it’s an easy fix.

 

Also had an email that morning from Cap One telling me that the new credit cards that they sent in February were returned because apparently they couldn’t be delivered as addressed and there was no forwarding address. Interestingly our son sent us a Valentine card that was returned to him for the same reason! Not sure just what the P.O. is thinking and I’m also not sure what other mail pieces have been returned. I now have the envelope with the USPS sticker claiming it couldn’t be delivered and will take it up with our local Postmaster when we return.  Our cards expire the end of the month do we will call when we return and they will be resent. Just hope USPS can get it right this time!

 

So after all that, we headed for the airport-so much for a relaxing morning.

 

Take care all, hoping the weather doesn’t cause anyone serious problems.
 

[Lois R]

Hi Sharon,🙂 thanks so much for checking in and oh my goodness, you do have a lot of stuff going on!

I hope they can fix your heater without any issues. 

 

Sounds like a wonderful visit with the family. I know you love being with your grand daughter😀

 

And sorry about the mail stuff too........sounds VERY annoying☹️

 

I am guessing you are home sometime tonight. Hope it was a smooth flight!🙂

 

Sherri, I saw your post the other day but forgot to say hi.....hope things are going well. And hi PH too!

[slidergirl]

23 hours ago, PurpleHays said:

19 Crimes is my husband's drug of choice. 

There is a whole line of it now.  I had a bottle of "The Uprising" - a red aged for a month in Rum barrels.  Totally smooth.   I'm going down to Las Vegas at the end of my season and try to find some of Martha's whites and Snoop's gold rose...  My state liquor store doesn't have them.

 

Sharon - I think I saw the wave...   Hope you don't run into nasty turbulence on the flights!!    Right now, my job ends April 16.  But, every one is thinking that Deer Valley may extend the ski season an extra week.  Until I hear, I'm not booking my hotel rooms in Las Vegas...

 

It's dumping again right now - been doing it since about 1pm.  The roads are a mess again.  I think I'll be doing the "1st gear, 5mph" drive down the mountain again.  And, my driveway is going to be a nightmare as the plow went and dumped more hard stuff about 2 ft high at the end of my driveway.  I couldn't move it this morning.  I may have to take my lawn edger to it tonight to try to break it up and move it to the side.  Wish me luck!

Edited March 5, 2023 by slidergirl

[awhfy]

Kat, you’ve been hammered with snow this winter. Our ski areas have been too, but down here on Front Range we’ve been pretty low on snow, 5-6” here & there 

 

Sharon hope your heater/ac is a quick & inexpensive fix. Melody

[cruisemom42]

@purduemom1 Hope your heat issues are easily resolved once you're home!

 

I spent a fair amount of time yesterday wardrobe planning for my Japan trip. I'm going with navy as my basic daytime color base and black for evening (no big change in that).

 

For daytime I will take a mix of short-sleeved and 3/4 or long-sleeved tees (probably 4 of each), plus a nice linen-cotton knit mid-weight Eileen Fisher cardigan sweater in navy. Also planning on one french-terry navy hoodie with white and yellow stripes for breezy onboard days -- see below. (Either that or a tie-dyed navy/purple/white sweatshirt that is a bit heavier.).

 

 

 

 

Finally my Eileen Fisher navy low-hip length rain jacket with hood for rainy days. I am debating the need for my navy fleece. 

 

The tee shirts are mostly prints that bring some color and variety, but all will go with a navy base. For bottoms I'm taking 1 pair of the navy Brooklyns (Athleta), 1 pair of Columbia "back beauty" navy bootcut pants (a bit warmer and very comfortable), 1 pair of Chico's navy Zenergy crops in the very lightweight material. Plus one more pair TBD -- possibly navy Wearever slim pants or some JJill Fit navy french terry pants with a wider leg (I feel those are more modern...) All of these I know can be machine washed onboard with little chance of trauma...  Honestly, I like the Brooklyns so much that if they have a sale soon I might just bring a second pair of those.

 

Footwear will be my trusty Hokas in navy and possibly my Propet navy slip on espadrille look shoes (easy to slip on and off, important in Japan as many interior visits require removal of shoes). I'm still waiting on the Olukais I ordered to be delivered. They might make the grade instead -- we'll see. The Propet shoes are less cool but are a known factor and very comfortable (not as comfortable as Hokas, but....). I'm on my second pair.

 

 

 

Today I plan to work on some evening outfits!

[awhfy]

16 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

@purduemom1 Hope your heat issues are easily resolved once you're home!

 

I spent a fair amount of time yesterday wardrobe planning for my Japan trip. I'm going with navy as my basic daytime color base and black for evening (no big change in that).

 

For daytime I will take a mix of short-sleeved and 3/4 or long-sleeved tees (probably 4 of each), plus a nice linen-cotton knit mid-weight Eileen Fisher cardigan sweater in navy. Also planning on one french-terry navy hoodie with white and yellow stripes for breezy onboard days -- see below. (Either that or a tie-dyed navy/purple/white sweatshirt that is a bit heavier.).

 

 

 

 

Finally my Eileen Fisher navy low-hip length rain jacket with hood for rainy days. I am debating the need for my navy fleece. 

 

The tee shirts are mostly prints that bring some color and variety, but all will go with a navy base. For bottoms I'm taking 1 pair of the navy Brooklyns (Athleta), 1 pair of Columbia "back beauty" navy bootcut pants (a bit warmer and very comfortable), 1 pair of Chico's navy Zenergy crops in the very lightweight material. Plus one more pair TBD -- possibly navy Wearever slim pants or some JJill Fit navy french terry pants with a wider leg (I feel those are more modern...) All of these I know can be machine washed onboard with little chance of trauma...  Honestly, I like the Brooklyns so much that if they have a sale soon I might just bring a second pair of those.

 

Footwear will be my trusty Hokas in navy and possibly my Propet navy slip on espadrille look shoes (easy to slip on and off, important in Japan as many interior visits require removal of shoes). I'm still waiting on the Olukais I ordered to be delivered. They might make the grade instead -- we'll see. The Propet shoes are less cool but are a known factor and very comfortable (not as comfortable as Hokas, but....). I'm on my second pair.

 

 

 

Today I plan to work on some evening outfits!

Athleta is having a sale, just got email