PRINCESS CRUISERS: HOW ARE THINGS WHERE YOU ARE?!

[Lindaru]

4 hours ago, LoriPhil said:

So sorry to hear of your new fire - do you expect snows anytime soon to help curb its growth?  Such a dry year!

If the forecast is correct, we should get rain on Friday and snow on Saturday.  I heard smoke jumper planes going over this morning but nothing since.  I imagine they are attacking it more from the ground.

The winds have shifted direction and seem to be coming out of the northwest which is in our favor, but that would not be good for the resort buildings and homeowners that live on the opposite side of the ski hill.  You can see the smoke is fairly thick when you look in that direction.

Hoping it just gets put out soon.
 

[MamaFej]

5 hours ago, Lindaru said:

If the forecast is correct, we should get rain on Friday and snow on Saturday.  I heard smoke jumper planes going over this morning but nothing since.  I imagine they are attacking it more from the ground.

The winds have shifted direction and seem to be coming out of the northwest which is in our favor, but that would not be good for the resort buildings and homeowners that live on the opposite side of the ski hill.  You can see the smoke is fairly thick when you look in that direction.

Hoping it just gets put out soon.
 

Hang in there!

[Loki S]

14 hours ago, voljeep said:

it's 2020 ... so of course the washing machine takes a 'dump' yesterday - not a problem in itself as it and the dryer are about 13-15 years old ... go online, pick out a nice matching set - 2 FRIGGIN' MONTHS due to COVID-19

 

call a repairman - actually was able to come out this morning - yep, it's terminal ... 

 

go back online - finally found a washer unit - basically apartment size, but at least it is available and can be delivered Thursday

 

I know, I know

 

but it is just another reminder of how many things we took for granted as always being available ... toilet paper, eat-in restaurants, appliances, trick-or-treat, and CRUISES 🥃

 

stay safe 😷

stay hydrated 🧊

Can appreciate your frustration. We decided to trade in our 4WD and with the new vehicle we needed too upgrade the suspension. Ordered the suspension early July 2020 before even getting the vehicle due to all of the delays with COVID-19, suspension only turned up last week from the US.

 

At least toilet paper is no longer an issue like it was back in March and April, as well and pantry staples like rice and pasta. 

[Thrak]

The Good:

My daughter's family booked a small cabin "up the hill" from us a couple of weeks ago and we visited them for a day. My wife wanted to go back and her birthday is this weekend so she booked the large cabin. There are only 3 cabins. A small one (sleeps 2), a medium one (sleeps 6-8), and a large one (sleeps 8-10). My wife booked the large one and my daughter, her husband, and our youngest grandchild will share it with us. She booked for two days. I think there are actually only 4 beds plus "floor space for sleeping". One bed downstairs and 3 beds upstairs. (I believe my wife plans that we'll take the entire upstairs and they will have the downstairs.) I checked the weather and, in theory, it will snow a little while we are there. A huge change for us as there hasn't been any type of precipitation in this area for a long time. For me, it will be cold. Very cold. It should be in the very low 40's in the day and in the 20's at night. (I consider 49 F to be "sub arctic".) I really do hope it snows as it would be fun with our granddaughter who is just barely 2 years old.

 

The Not So Good:

Our middle son is a Sergeant with the CHP and is now on tactical alert with mandatory 12.5 hour shifts, all days off cancelled, and required to carry all riot gear. GAH! ***** is wrong with people? He hates this crap and is soooooooooooooo tired of all the various protests with the hatred and anger and violence.  They had another "Anti-Authoritarian" protest (read that as "Anti-Police") in his area as well as another big political rally with the attendant issues. They're on full alert and may be called to Sacramento for riot duty as well. He just wants to be with his family and is tired of dealing with this stuff. It's really hard on his wife as well. She worries a lot. Things are just so weird and out of hand. I really don't understand things anymore. Rioting and violence never make any sense to me.

[taznremmy]

48 minutes ago, Thrak said:

The Not So Good:

Our middle son is a Sergeant with the CHP and is now on tactical alert with mandatory 12.5 hour shifts, all days off cancelled, and required to carry all riot gear. GAH! ***** is wrong with people? He hates this crap and is soooooooooooooo tired of all the various protests with the hatred and anger and violence.  ..... Rioting and violence never make any sense to me.

Please thank your son for me.  My brother retired after 25+ yrs of service with the CHP.  I am so thankful he is not working now.  He was moved down to LA for the Watts riots.

Edited November 5, 2020 by taznremmy

[Reader0108598]

Yes Thrak please thank your son for his service, my son is also a SGT. With the MSP. I really wish he had stayed in the Airforce instead. (Sigh) He has 17 years in so he not leaving now! Hope everyone stays safe!

Edited November 6, 2020 by Reader0108598

[Loki S]

11 hours ago, Thrak said:

Our middle son is a Sergeant with the CHP and is now on tactical alert with mandatory 12.5 hour shifts, all days off cancelled, and required to carry all riot gear. GAH! ***** is wrong with people? He hates this crap and is soooooooooooooo tired of all the various protests with the hatred and anger and violence.  They had another "Anti-Authoritarian" protest (read that as "Anti-Police") in his area as well as another big political rally with the attendant issues. They're on full alert and may be called to Sacramento for riot duty as well. He just wants to be with his family and is tired of dealing with this stuff. It's really hard on his wife as well. She worries a lot. Things are just so weird and out of hand. I really don't understand things anymore. Rioting and violence never make any sense to me.

 

10 hours ago, taznremmy said:

Please thank your son for me.  My brother retired after 25+ yrs of service with the CHP.  I am so thankful he is not working now.  He was moved down to LA for the Watts riots.

 

51 minutes ago, Reader0108598 said:

Yes Thrak please thank your son for his service, my son is also a SGT. With the MSP. I really wish he had stayed in the Airforce instead. (Sigh) He has 17 years in so he not leaving now! Hope everyone stays safe!

Wishing all stay safe and thankful for their service and thank you to their families, no matter which part of the world we live. After working for the QPS as an administration officer, I have seen first hand the stress the Officers experience and the family sacrifice.

[Lucky TGO]

Hi to all my Cruise Critic friends,

I can’t believe it the temperature is going to hit 75 today and My Rowboat is wrapped up like a ham and cheese sandwich. 😟

The Captain of The Rowboat,

 

 

[Reader0108598]

Yep windows are open down here in Western Mass! Sorry the rowboat is dressed up for the winter!

 

[Lucky TGO]

Hi to all my Cruise Critic friends,

Another good day in Boston and me without my Rowboat it’s depressing. 🙁

The Captain of The Rowboat,

Tony

[Lindaru]

Got our first stick to the ground snow fall starting Saturday evening and forecast to get bunches more most days this coming week.  High was only 27 today in McCall, Idaho.

"I am dreaming of a white Thanksgiving!"*

*Not really, but that is always the way it goes here for the entire 22 years I have lived here.

❄️😆

[OhioDogLover]

We are experiencing a Spring like week here in Ohio.  It has been and is in the 70s! This is perfect.  I know it isn't going to last, but I will take it in November.  (Had snow only a couple of weeks ago. Ick!)

[MamaFej]

Well, in addition to all the other cases in my son's school, among both staff and students, one of his best, most consistently hard-working students has CoViD-19. The student called my son today, to find about missed work. The student literally cannot get out of bed on his own. It hurts to move. He was very short of breath and coughing the whole time. My son made it abundantly clear that the student was not to worry about schoolwork now. His job is to get better. My son posted a rather colorfully worded, sad and angry video on his Instagram about taking mitigation measures seriously.

 

On the plus side, mask use is finally improving within the school. The district still inexplicably requires that the teachers allow a five minute mask break each period, during which students put tri-fold plastic shields on the desks and can remove their masks. Interestingly, some of the students who were his biggest problems early in the year now keep their masks on during the mask break. The assistant principal whose attitude in early July was, "Yeah, everyone around here is pretty much over this CoViD thing" had a family member become sick, and has completely changed his tune. So, things are better within the school community, but it took some serious illnesses and a  recent doubling of deaths in the county for that to happen. Having fewer than half of the students on campus because the rest are sick or quarantining due to exposures may be finally driving the point home that this is serious. Unfortunately, 60-70% of the senior citizens at the grocery store refuse to wear their masks. I suggested to my son that he do his shopping early on Sunday mornings. 

 

 

[LoriPhil]

Thanks for that insight into a real-world experience - I hadn’t considered how difficult it is on a caring teacher.  Hope the student recovers without lingering side effects, but that your son remains healthy as well.  
 

Our COVID cases here continue to climb unchecked with hospitals filled to levels significantly higher than our peak earlier this year, and their administrators expressing real concern.   Still no action from our Mayor, who states that people already know what they should be doing.  I have health issues so even if I keep safe from COVID, the state of our hospitals is troubling.  Thrilled about the vaccine progress so that’s a big ray of sunshine.  Just hope we can make it through the winter without too much carnage.  Fingers crossed.  
 

On the positive side, we have a turkey in the freezer, leaves raked, outside water shut off, and they just completed installing pickleball courts in the park and the bottom of the hill.  Nope, we don’t play but it helps us pretend we’ll become more athletic. 

[LoriPhil]

Just heard on the morning news that the CDC has come out with info that the mask wearer gets protection against COVID (of corse that means covering the nose too 😉), which expands the original messaging that focused solely on wearing masks to avoid spreading your own buggos . This echos the WHO’s information released awhile back.  If effectively communicated, hopefully we’ll see more people wearing them.  That’s more good news in my book.  Yay!

[Kenosha Cruiser]

Been awhile since I posted on here. Just want to say Happy Veterans Day to all who have served this great country. I would also like to share this picture I took at the USS Arizona Memorial with the flag flying above it. A beautiful site I won't ever forget!

 

Cheers - Ken & Darlene

 

 

[rehab444]

A very happy Veterans Day to all of my fellow veterans.  May the fires of our democracy give hope to the struggles of all around the world who strive for freedom.

[MamaFej]

We just heard from our son again. They are going all-virtual for the next two weeks! Thank goodness! He will go by the Health Department for another test (he has tested negatively 3 times in the past few months) and check to see if he needs any more groceries. Then he can stay home until it's time to get on the late night train to join us in Spokane for Thanksgiving. He will be bummed to go without fresh produce during the second week, but it will be worth it. Hubby will run out and get the rest of what we need for the next few weeks today, then we will hunker down. We will do without fresh produce and dairy for a while once we run out. 

 

We four will hunker down on our end as well, then start up in the RV a week before Thanksgiving, arriving in Spokane a few days before. 

--------

Please do not misinterpret my excitement. I am not  in any way happy about more people becoming infected, sick, and dying. Indeed, it makes me extremely sad. I am just happy that my son's employer is finally taking it seriously. I'm also happy that we have the ability to self-isolate with our own moving accommodations. 

 

Stay safe, fellow past and future cruisers! 

[Lindaru]

Hello from snow covered McCall, Idaho.  Our COVID cases are also rising in Idaho to the point where a hospital to the south of us is fluctuating at capacity and has had to turn patients away.  It is scary to learn that the health department commissioner for our county now also has the virus.  Hope he is doing okay.

Since the last kid moved out in 2006, we have only attended two family Thanksgiving gatherings, one in 2015 and one last year.  Normally it is just us here at home doing our own thing without people over, so this will feel normal to us this year.  I feel for all of you who have had your holiday up-ended.  This will be a Thanksgiving to tell your descendants about.

I have not been to the store in 15 days but may have to go tomorrow.  I will make sure I can hold out for another 15 days after that.  In addition to the mask and distancing, I carry a sanitizing wipe with me through the whole store and wipe down my hands whenever I touch anything, so I believe I am doing the best I can in these circumstances.  So far, I have not had any indication that I have caught anything, not even seasonal flu which has started up here already.  The protocols we use for COVID work for the flu, too.

Stay well and hang in there, all.
 

[MamaFej]

13 hours ago, Lindaru said:

  The protocols we use for COVID work for the flu, too.

Stay well and hang in there, all.
 

I am actually hoping that we might have a less severe flu season than usual. It is more than possible, likely, in fact, if people take precautions and mitigations seriously. I know that the past eight months have taught us that a significant number of people refuse to take things seriously. Maybe, however, as it hits more people closer to home, they will finally come to the realization that this is a very real, very serious situation. Perhaps seeing people on the news who used to be part of the "it's a hoax' or "it's just the flu" crowds*, now begging people to mask up because they themselves are sick or losing loved ones,  will make a difference. 

 

While the flu is significantly less deadly than CoViD-19, it is still very dangerous, killing tend of thousands in the US each year, and many more world-wide. 

 

Taking Covid seriously could absolutely reduce flu transmission. It could also lead to long term reduction in cold and flu transmission if people finally understand that transmission mitigation is a good thing with both health and economic benefits. 

 

I know, I know, imagining a world where people take personal responsibility and community responsibility seriously is being a Pollyanna, but I need to feel hopeful right now, so that's what I'm going to do. 

[getting older slowly]

Well I am happy to say that...

we have booked to go away for 4 nights

 

The first time away from home overnight for 353 days

and being under lockdown for 220+ days.....

 

During that time only one trip of 25km to visit the cemetery,   otherwise  only within 5km of home... so the 260km drive in two weeks is going to be a long way....lol

 

Cheers Don

[MamaFej]

Son had another student get a positive test result yesterday, and two more today, that he has heard of. All sit in the back of the class. Currently active cases in the county are 40% of total cases since they first started testing in March. That's a bit terrifying. 

 

On the plus side, he got a lovely email from a student this morning, thanking him for making his online lessons interesting and engaging. My son is a bit of a goof and throws lots of pop culture references into his lessons, occasionally dons costumes or props, and is a wicked pun master. It meant the world to him to get that email, and he called me to read it to me. 

 

If you have kids, grandkids, or friends who are students, I hope you will encourage them to thank teachers or staff members for the jobs they do. It really does make a difference. 

 

On the other hand, I read a tweet from a nurse yesterday that said, "We don't need your 7:00 applause. We don't need your thanks or donated pizza. We don't need you to tell us we are heroes. We need you to wear your #$&* masks!" 

 

I'm thinking we can wear our masks and say thank you. 

[voljeep]

 it's still 2020 , so of course the beer fridge 🍻 in the garage took a dump - that's OK in itself, as it was the original fridge in the house purchased in 1989 - amazing and never had a thing done to it other than trying to replace the icemaker ... 

 

our current fridge was purchased by my parents in 1996 ( RIP ) that we moved down as it was only 6 months old at that time

 

so, looks like we will replace that - availability pending - and rotate the current kitchen fridge to become the new beer fridge

 

we're very fortunate - just a few different things happening during this time

 

looks like some of the 'cruise fund' has become the 'appliance fund' - it happens

 

stay safe 😷

stay hydrated 🧊

Edited November 13, 2020 by voljeep

[Thrak]

1 hour ago, voljeep said:

looks like some of the 'cruise fund' has become the 'appliance fund'

 

Ours has become: Replace a large section of fence, kill and replace and landscape the front yard, repair the leaking sink, redo the ceilings in the dining area, family room, and hall. (That last is going to be much more than anticipated. The sink is not super expensive but I'm not sure either of us can see well enough and bend well enough to get at what needs to be done. D'Oh!) 2020 isn't over yet so who knows...

 

(My wife is making noises about a new car, new refrigerator, and new stove. GAH!)

Edited November 13, 2020 by Thrak

[taznremmy]

14 minutes ago, Thrak said:

2020 isn't over yet so who knows...