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

[awhfy]

I have one more tree story. We moved into this house (38 years ago) & had a fabulous view from our dining room of Pikes Peak. There were trees along the fence behind us but the elderly lady that lived there did a great job of landscaping & tree topping. We built a large second story deck to take advantage of the view. All went well for 25 years until the lady passed away & the folks that bought the house did nothing. We even offered to pay to top the trees on the fence. Ok, view is gone, sigh, bummer  Lousy neighbors don’t keep up yard, junk cars, etc  This year the house behind us gets cited by the city code enforcement (30 days to clean the junk cars out of the yard & several other things) [I promise I didn’t call]. Come to find out those trees have died due to lack of maintenance (& watering). They now have to pay to have them removed as they are impacting utility lines. Estimate is $1k per tree & there are 12 of them. We just hope they move!!!

[Lois R]

Hi Melody, wow.....sounds like you have some funky neighbors in that place! 

[cruisemom42]

10 hours ago, MrToblerone said:

Im glad you enjoyed the concert kat , I would love to attend one of his concerts.

Ive been busy planning my holiday and now we are looking for a hotel for one night in Rome before the cruise , any ideas anyone? 

 

In Rome, my favorite hotel is the Albergo del Senato, I've stayed there many times over many years (I do try other hotels in between, lol, just for variety). But the del Senato has probably the best blend of what I call "old world elegance" and location (right next to the Pantheon which is basically "ground zero" for sightseeing, as well as very safe and bustling with restaurants, wine bars, shops, etc.)

 

It's listed as a three-star hotel but in Italy that has more to do with amenities on offer than with "quality".  The del Senato does not have a full restaurant or room service, for example, but they offer a very nice (and included) breakfast daily, have a bar, and also offer a terrific rooftop terrace from May through October.

 

If that doesn't fit the bill for you, let me know what you like (different location, more/less expensive, etc.) and I can probably recommend something else. 

 

[slidergirl]

I had picked up some Audible books but I didn’t do them on my cruise - I was too much into my music.  I started doing one the other day.  “Spare” by Prince Harry.  He is his own narrator for the book.  He is a good speaker and puts in genuine emotions, laughs, sorrow.  I still have more to go in the book - I just got to William’s wedding. It’s been interesting listening so far.  

 

Still some smoke in the air.  My lungs are not liking it.  Need a little weather change to chase the rest of it away.  It is shorts and Tshirt temperature so that’s nice (mid-upper 60s).  

 

OOTD:  a pair of shorts and a Tshirt.  Nothing fancy,

[Lois R]

Hi girls, well, today I had to do urine and blood work for the volunteer work......get this, they had 2 nurses and neither one could find a vein so I have to go back on Thursday and they are going to have a tech from the Hospital facility itself  take my blood. I know I have had issues with small veins over the years but usually they can find one. These 2 gals must have tried for nearly 30 minutes😧.......oh well. So Thursday morning I will give it another try.

 

At least my urine came back clean😀....but if it hadn't? There would have been a problem with the test, and not me. It is basically a drug test.......and can you believe this, the results came back while I was there!. I always thought they send them out but the nurse said for this thing, they can check it quickly.

 

Sorry so many of you are having tree issues! 

 

 

 

[awhfy]

9 hours ago, Lois R said:

Hi Melody, wow.....sounds like you have some funky neighbors in that place! 

One really awful neighbor, the rest are fabulous

[MrToblerone]

Hi 

Thankyou for the hotel recommendation Cynthia ,it is a  change of plans for us.We were traveling from Milan to start the cruise as my Mum was flying home but now she is going us on the Regent cruise so we stay in Rome the night prior.The hotel has two single rooms left so I will keep looking as we need one double and one single/double .Last time we stayed in a lovely little hotel by the Travis fountain but I can't remember or find the name.I hope my Mum loves cruising as she is now doing two! She's never been to so many of the destinations even though she was born in the UK but came to NZ after the Second World War.

 

[cruisemom42]

2 hours ago, MrToblerone said:

Hi 

Thankyou for the hotel recommendation Cynthia ,it is a  change of plans for us.We were traveling from Milan to start the cruise as my Mum was flying home but now she is going us on the Regent cruise so we stay in Rome the night prior.The hotel has two single rooms left so I will keep looking as we need one double and one single/double .Last time we stayed in a lovely little hotel by the Travis fountain but I can't remember or find the name.I hope my Mum loves cruising as she is now doing two! She's never been to so many of the destinations even though she was born in the UK but came to NZ after the Second World War.

 

 

Other Rome hotels I can recommend:

 

-- Albergo Santa Chiara (very close to Albergo del Senato)

 

-- Hotel Ponte Sisto  (nearer to Piazza Navone and Campo dei Fiori but still very central)

 

 

Edited May 24, 2023 by cruisemom42

[MrToblerone]

Thanks so much Cynthia , I really dont know Rome.

 

[slidergirl]

22 hours ago, Lois R said:

Hi girls, well, today I had to do urine and blood work for the volunteer work......get this, they had 2 nurses and neither one could find a vein so I have to go back on Thursday and they are going to have a tech from the Hospital facility itself  take my blood. I know I have had issues with small veins over the years but usually they can find one. These 2 gals must have tried for nearly 30 minutes😧.......oh well. So Thursday morning I will give it another try.

 

At least my urine came back clean😀....but if it hadn't? There would have been a problem with the test, and not me. It is basically a drug test.......and can you believe this, the results came back while I was there!. I always thought they send them out but the nurse said for this thing, they can check it quickly.

 

Sorry so many of you are having tree issues! 

 

 

 

The blood draw problem is sad to hear.  When you have the tech draw the blood, make sure you remember which spot used and, if necessary, ask to have the smallest gauge needle used.   I had blood drawn last Wednesday - I always insist on the draw come from my right arm as people seem to have problems getting a good hit on my left.  The urine test for drugs is pretty fast now - it’s the other stuff that takes time.  

 

Have to do round two of cutting the freakin’ shoots.  I forgot how fast and leafy they get.  A week since they started sprouting and it’s already a full wall of shoots - I can’t even see the fence behind them now!!

[Lois R]

Hi Kat, actually, they are only supposed to use my right arm since I had that lumpectomy in my left breast back in 2019. (seems so long ago now😧).

[MrToblerone]

Lois hope your blood draw goes ok , I can totally relate . They used an ultra sound to find my veins for my scans and had to get a port for my chemo .

Drink lots of water prior and stay warm.

 

[Lois R]

11 minutes ago, MrToblerone said:

Lois hope your blood draw goes ok , I can totally relate . They used an ultra sound to find my veins for my scans and had to get a port for my chemo .

Drink lots of water prior and stay warm.

 

Hi Melissa, got you on drinking the water. That is why I was even more surprised that neither nurse could find a vein. I probably had 30 to 40 ounces before I left for the appt. Plenty of water for that urinalysis lol 

[Lois R]

Not sure if ya'll heard but Tina Turner died today. 😕 She will be missed.

RIP Tina

 

[awhfy]

17 hours ago, Lois R said:

Not sure if ya'll heard but Tina Turner died today. 😕 She will be missed.

RIP Tina

 

Simply The Best

[Lois R]

Hi girls, good morning😀......so I went to do my bloodwork this morning and the tech found a vein in about 2 seconds LOL.....actually, she had a VERY small needle (like a baby butterfly) and found a vein in my hand rather than my arm but this is ok😃.She was really quick, courteous and efficient. I should have the results around Tuesday. (Monday is a holiday). I will probably start to volunteer in early June. 

[cruisemom42]

Just thought I'd pop in to say Athleta is having an extra 30% off sale items right now. I bought those Brooklyn bermudas in black that I've been eyeballing (great bottom line price but size selection is getting limited), as well as a pair of relaxed linen pants in a chambray color -- this is about the only color I can stand linen in; somehow the variations in chambray de-emphasize the wrinkles, lol.....

 

 

Can't really seem them well in this photo but the pants have slits at the bottom as well. There are some other cute summery colors like a Mediterranean green and a coral. They are also going fast...

 

I also got a couple of pairs of cropped pants that should be good for travel/kicking around in black and a blue gray (which fit with my color basics....).  Haven't tried them before but the reviews are excellent.

 

[purduemom1]

Good news, Lois! I had that happen once and the nurse had to call a tech who had no problem.  Later that day I noticed a really large bruise where the nurse had made her attempts. Nothing at the spot the tech used.

 

Sounds like your tree is becoming a full time job, Kat. We are hopefully making progress toward removal of the dead tree. The utility company came out to mark where the lines are which included putting yellow flags in the ground and spray paint on the sidewalk. Wonder if the flags will last until the city makes a return visit. 
 

Expecting nice weather over the weekend. Can’t believe that Memorial Day is just a few days away. 

[MrToblerone]

Great news Lois ,the hand is not my favourite place to have bolos taken.

Might have a look at the Athlete sale 🙂

Cynthia I managed to get two double rooms booked at Albergo del Senato in Rome ,they may have had a cancellation .Mum has booked a double as the single looked quite small .We love local hotels rather than big hotel chains.

[cruisemom42]

11 minutes ago, MrToblerone said:

Cynthia I managed to get two double rooms booked at Albergo del Senato in Rome ,they may have had a cancellation .Mum has booked a double as the single looked quite small .We love local hotels rather than big hotel chains.

 

That's great news. I am sure you'll enjoy the hotel and the location. You're right, rooms are not large but as a solo traveler I do appreciate that they actually have some singles with views over the piazza (many times rooms for singles have a view of the fire escape or trash bins in the back. 😂).

 

Also, it may not be obvious, but cappuccinos and espressos are free with your included breakfast -- just ask for them, they're delicious.

[MrToblerone]

Thanks so much for that tip ,my husband loves an espresso.

[Lois R]

Good morning, wishing all of you a very Happy Memorial Day weekend. Anyone doing anything special? For me? Its really just another day.......but I realize we need to thank all of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. 

 

Melody, thank Les for his service.

[cruisemom42]

Today is DS's birthday -- we are going out for dinner tomorrow. I'm also dealing with retirement paperwork and phone calls today; several items that I should have received by now have not shown up. 🙄

 

The rest of the weekend should be restful though!

[slidergirl]

I’m getting ready for a phone call tonight with one of my BFFs.  She is going to Italy sometime this summer with her families ( 2 daughters and their DHs and kiddos).  Her first problem is finding a place to stay in Florence.  The families are staying between the St. Regis and the Westin - both are way out of her price range.  I gave her the place I stayed at last summer (the Market Urban Hotel), which is in her price range and I know it’s a good place.  The families don’t like it because it’s “too far” from the St. Regis and they don’t want her walking alone, especially at night.  I told her it was perfectly safe at night, that I even walked home after 11pm from a restaurant on the other side of the Ponte Vecchio and never felt unsafe.  So, I’m going to investigate trying to find a 3* or better place closer and under $300/night.  Nothing yet.  Everything so far is either even farther away, has no vacancy (she said) or too expensive.  I’m ready to tell her that, if they want her to stay close to them, they need to pay for her room!!!   She’s not a solo traveler, so I’m having to walk her through some of her (and her families’) hesitations.  I don’t even want to get into the “have you bought advance tickets for the museums, etc” with her - I know how scattered brained they all are!!!

Forecast is for rain off and on all weekend, so nothing special on the agenda.  

 

[MrToblerone]

Good luck with your travel agent duties Kat.I have been planning ours ,I hope I haven't missed anything!

I have just been to pilates ,just started reformer classes not the post surgery ones and alot harder.

I did a class yesterday as well and my legs are feeling it!

Anyone here do pilates?