Cunard Cruisers - How are things where you are ?

[bluemarble]

Continuing the chocolate discussion, we enjoy Cadbury chocolate. We can get the Cadbury creme eggs here in the US in our grocery stores around Easter time. But the larger Cadbury chocolate bars are harder to come by here. We usually buy a few of those in the shop onboard QM2 if we have some extra OBC or look for them in Southampton on turn-around day of a round trip crossing.

[alc13]

Oh dear, did I send us down a rabbit hole with my Hotel Chocolat purchase post? 

 

Back on topic: There is talk in the US of loosening restrictions on leaving the house, with all the unknowns that would entail.  Since I'm on the verge of turning 70, I expect to be at home for a while longer.  But I will be happy to see a boost to local businesses and hope infection rates don't spike too badly. 

 

We are having yet another bout of severe weather here in Maine; high winds this time, so  I don't want to leave the house today anyway.  Spring arrives slowly here; the crocuses opened last week, daffodils are still undecided.  We saw a bald eagle land in a tree near our house the other day - beautiful.  I miss human conversation, but we have plenty to entertain us. 

 

Hope everyone is doing well.

 

 

[Host Hattie]

Not at all, it is Easter after all, it would be odd if we weren't talking about chocolate ! Ours has been opened but not completely demolished yet.

 

 

[Trevor33]

The EGG Critic line continues. Let's SHELL out our Cunard Refunds on EGGS that will still be left in our shops for a day or two......... this is not a YOLK......If we cant cruise for a year or so then we dont need to SHELL out any money on holidays. If Cunard return my money I will feather my NEST...................It seems a fair CRACK to me........It seems that I have HATCHED a plan that can FLY.........

[Host Hattie]

We've had a quiet Bank Holiday, I made a Pineapple Upside down cake and spent the rest of the day pottering about, not achieving much !

Back to working from home tomorrow.

[Trevor33]

1 minute ago, Host Hattie said:

We've had a quiet Bank Holiday, I made a Pineapple Upside down cake and spent the rest of the day pottering about, not achieving much !

Back to working from home tomorrow.

Did it turn out better than the Lemon and Almond cake?

[Host Hattie]

4 minutes ago, Trevor33 said:

Did it turn out better than the Lemon and Almond cake?

They were both fine, thanks. I used Nigella Lawson recipes, they're usually pretty reliable.

[Trevor33]

3 minutes ago, Host Hattie said:

They both fine, thanks.

You like your cakes and chocolate. Perhaps you should put some of your recipes on here..... maybe we could organise a Cruise Critic Bake Off ? 

[frankp01]

Okay, it may be Easter, but it's time to get back to the Loo Roll discussion! (wink)

 

I was going through a box of souvenirs from our QE2 crossing in 1987 and found some toilet paper from that trip. It's not from the ship itself, it's from a hotel or lodging before or after the crossing. I kept it as a souvenir because

 

1. the paper has the texture of wax paper
2. every sheet is printed with one of two statements: 'Council Property' or 'Now Wash Your Hands Please'. After 30 years it's badly faded, but trust me, it's there.

Now, to redeem this post and make it somewhat relevent, I also found a personal jug of Scotch and a bar of soap (illustrations attached) from that trip. We might have to crack open the Scotch and celebrate when the QM2 resumes sailing.

[Lakesregion]

42 minutes ago, frankp01 said:

Okay, it may be Easter, but it's time to get back to the Loo Roll discussion! (wink)

 

I was going through a box of souvenirs from our QE2 crossing in 1987 and found some toilet paper from that trip. It's not from the ship itself, it's from a hotel or lodging before or after the crossing. I kept it as a souvenir because

 

1. the paper has the texture of wax paper
2. every sheet is printed with one of two statements: 'Council Property' or 'Now Wash Your Hands Please'. After 30 years it's badly faded, but trust me, it's there.

Now, to redeem this post and make it somewhat relevent, I also found a personal jug of Scotch and a bar of soap (illustrations attached) from that trip. We might have to crack open the Scotch and celebrate when the QM2 resumes sailing.

After you finish off the scotch you might wish to post that jug on Ebay I suspect it will bring a pound or two or three.

[frankp01]

6 minutes ago, Lakesregion said:

After you finish off the scotch you might wish to post that jug on Ebay I suspect it will bring a pound or two or three.

There are actually two of those 50-ml jugs. I was thinking of auctioning one off, intact, to see if it attracted any attention. It didn't occur to me that there might be interest in the empty one, too. Thanks for the idea.

PF

[Lakesregion]

21 hours ago, frankp01 said:

There are actually two of those 50-ml jugs. I was thinking of auctioning one off, intact, to see if it attracted any attention. It didn't occur to me that there might be interest in the empty one, too. Thanks for the idea.

PF

Technically in the US one can not sell alcohol without a license even privately. So what is done is to sell just the bottle or jug in this case and the contents are marked "Free"

[frankp01]

37 minutes ago, Lakesregion said:

Technically in the US one can not sell alcohol without a license even privately. So what is done is to sell just the bottle or jug in this case and the contents are marked "Free"

 

Thanks for the legal advice. I'll keep that in mind when/if we get around to selling it.  

 

I was at a yard sale on Cape Cod last summer. It was an estate sale, so virtually everything in the house had a price. Except the booze, which was free for the taking. I took home quite a few bottles of Scotch, Drambuie, Gin, etc!

[Host Hattie]

All OK here still, my company has announced plans to furlough more staff as orders drop. Some parts of the business are very busy (steel for the food industry, temporary hospital equipment, beds, ventilators) and some have collapsed completely (automotive).

I'm back on site tomorrow. The Easter egg is holding out (just), it was very nice, thick chocolate and tasty egglets.

I'm a Community Councillor and although we're not having meetings, decisions still have to be made about grass cutting, help for the vulnerable and spending money allocated from a new housing development in the village. All that as well as loose sheep, low flying drones and a new defibrillator !

There's no end in sight for our lockdown but we're doing OK. Hope everyone is safe and well.

[Bigmike911]

Hello all, I just found this thread. To be honest, with my crossing canceled this year, I have been less interested in chatting about it, but this is a brilliant thread to keep us connected. I am in the greater Houston, Texas area. I live in the edge of the great hardwood forest that use to cover the eastern and south eastern part of the U.S. 

 

I live in a community built in the forest and it is well wooded, and after eight years here, more wooded than when I bought it. I have a acre of land so there is plenty of space to plant. Since I am over 70, though in good health I have been staying close to home, and have been for four weeks, going out only for groceries and take away food. I go marketing on Thursdays, and usually stop at three locations. Trader Joe's America's specialty market for things that others don't sell. I then stop at the British Depot, my local U.K. food sellers, who have wonderful locally made Shepherds Pies, Scotch Eggs and Sausages. Then on the the Mega Store H.E.B. for the rest of my needs.  I was able to get some N95 masks and I make sure I wear on when I mix with other shoppers. 

 

All of the stores have taken measures limiting the number of shoppers in the stores at a time, and requiring us to queue at six feet intervals. TJ no longer allows customer bags, which I have always packed myself. so now I have to have them paper bagged and transfer to my insulated bag in the vehicle. A bit on the silly side, but I am going to do my part. The other stores allow me to use my bags.

 

There was a big rush on paper goods in the first couple of weeks. Last week both Trader Joe's and H.E.B. had plenty, I usually buy in bulk from Costco, so I have a good supply. I signed up for H.E.B. delivery, and put paper towels and toilet tissue on the list just to see if they would deliver them.  You have to order about a week in advance. I didn't expect to get them, but there they were along with ground sirloin (I had only seen ground beef in the Market) so that was a pleasant surprise. Plenty of milk and eggs which were in short supply for a while. 

 

I have been going to my local family owned Mexican Restaurant for take away on Wednesday and Saturday. It has been my habit of eating there on Saturdays for years, and I added Wednesday to help their business. You order and pay on line, and when you get to their parking lot you call and they deliver to your vehicle.  On Easter Sunday I ordered Perry's Famous Pork chop (five fingers high) from the local outlet and collected it the same way. It works for me. 

 

I am not a big television fan, and I had a nice stack of books to read. I read mystery and have a number of writers who issue one or two a year, so I had a number to catch up on. Including M.C. Beaton's last Agatha Raisin book. Alas M.C. left us at the end of last year. I have a couple of Ann Perry books and am working on an Alexander McCall Smith Ladies Number One detective story right now. 

 

Easter was very special this year. I couldn't go to Mass, but I watched it from St. Martins Episcopal Church on line. My parents were founding members of St. Martins and it took me back to my youth, and memories of Sunday's past. My parents are gone and now so are my two brothers, so that was bittersweet. I also listened to Classic FM's Hall of Fame broadcast from Good Friday to Easter Monday. We are six hours off from London and I didn't get up to start at 3 am. but was there when the numbers two and one were played. Beethoven's Ninth (very appropriate it is the 250 anniversary of his birth this year), and my favorite Ralph Vaughn Williams' Lark Ascending. I vote for it every year, as to several hundred thousand of their listeners around the globe. 

 

Fortunately the corona virus has been less serious in Texas and the Houston area than many parts of the country, so far and the only real complaints I have is that I cannot get a hair cut. And for some one who has worn hair short all his life, and needs to get it cut every week this is a true burden. And Amazon has proven to be very flaky in this pandemic. Either they don't have things they usually carry or have serious delays (weeks) in delivery for prime goods to their prime members. They have not been a reliable provider. I have found others to meet my needs and I will continue to buy from them. Finally a thank you to Fortnum and Mason, Piccadilly, London, for getting me a prompt shipment of Royal Blend tea, spices and preserves from London in less than a week. And for allowing me to send a nice bottle of Champagne to friends in the UK who are celebrating their anniversary and a birthday. Well Done!

[Colin_Cameron]

Hi Folks,

 

Went beyond the garden gate for the first time in over three weeks today to our local Tesco (local being about 5 miles away). Every aisle is one-way and for some reason every one of them is the opposite direction from the way I normally go. Really confusing.

 

Got my first Skype funeral tomorrow, and another one probably early next week! One of the local funeral directors installed this set-up about a year ago (for people with family and friends abroad) but it's really come into its own in the last month.

[Bigmike911]

6 hours ago, Colin_Cameron said:

Hi Folks,

 

Went beyond the garden gate for the first time in over three weeks today to our local Tesco (local being about 5 miles away). Every aisle is one-way and for some reason every one of them is the opposite direction from the way I normally go. Really confusing.

 

Got my first Skype funeral tomorrow, and another one probably early next week! One of the local funeral directors installed this set-up about a year ago (for people with family and friends abroad) but it's really come into its own in the last month.

I lost my older brother the first week in January. I cannot imagine not being there in person so see him off nor to comfort his widow, children, and their children, not to mention seeing a lifetime of old friends. But We must adapt to the forces which drive us these days. 

[Host Hattie]

@Bigmike911, nice to hear from you, I was supposed to be going to listen to some Beethoven on my birthday, I'm hoping the planned concert of the 9th symphony is still happening in Cardiff in November.

@Colin_Cameron sorry to hear about the funeral, hope it goes well in the circumstances.

 

One of my colleagues has now developed symptoms after his partner tested positive at the weekend. She works in a hospital and he has been working from home, so hopefully he hasn't had chance to pass it on. It's starting to feel close even though the overall numbers are going in the right direction. Our lockdown has been extended for another 3 weeks.

[alc13]

Yes, that is definitely close.  A less serious experience - I was standing outside next to some shops recently and someone nearby coughed, a dry cough, too.  I felt a sudden sense of alarm.  It passed (we were outside, the person was 20-30 feet away, and wasn't even necessarily sick) but it reminded me of how scary this all is. 

 

In lighter news, the egg arrived.  The packaging is so pretty we haven't opened it yet.

[Bigmike911]

4 hours ago, Host Hattie said:

@Bigmike911, nice to hear from you, I was supposed to be going to listen to some Beethoven on my birthday, I'm hoping the planned concert of the 9th symphony is still happening in Cardiff in November.

@Colin_Cameron sorry to hear about the funeral, hope it goes well in the circumstances.

 

One of my colleagues has now developed symptoms after his partner tested positive at the weekend. She works in a hospital and he has been working from home, so hopefully he hasn't had chance to pass it on. It's starting to feel close even though the overall numbers are going in the right direction. Our lockdown has been extended for another 3 weeks.

I wonder what the status of the BBC Proms this summer is. I have not seen any comments yet. Has anyone heard anything? 

Edited April 16, 2020 by Bigmike911

[bluemarble]

5 minutes ago, Bigmike911 said:

I wonder what the status of the BBC Proms this summer is. I have not seen any comments yet. Has anyone heard anything? 

 

Here's a link to a page from "bbc.co.uk" about the status of the 2020 BBC Proms.

An update on the 2020 Proms

[Bigmike911]

3 hours ago, bluemarble said:

 

Here's a link to a page from "bbc.co.uk" about the status of the 2020 BBC Proms.

An update on the 2020 Proms

Thank you Blue Marble. It would appear that BBC Proms is also in a waiting mode. Let's hope they find a way to go on, I enjoy the concerts but I can clearly see that the crowds in the Albert Hall would be problematic. 

[alc13]

Last egg post, I promise, but yikes!  So, so delicious!  

 

[Camgirl]

7 hours ago, alc13 said:

Last egg post, I promise, but yikes!  So, so delicious!  

 

Phew! So glad you enjoyed it! I certainly enjoyed mine.

[frankp01]

I was surprised to see that Hotel Chocolat has retail shops in the States: several in New York and one in DC's Union Station. I'll definitely have to take a look on the next trip to DC.