Royal Caribbean Cruisers -- How Are Things Where You Are? (was "Routine" ​ 😁 ​day in lockdown... how was yours?)

[HBE4]

Heading to the Ranger-Devils game. Bringing Little Miss HBE4 with me.

 

Let's see if she's a good luck charm. 

[lenquixote66]

1 hour ago, MJSailors said:

Reading the different posts about health insurance coverage and issues involved, I am very grateful to a friend and former teaching colleague who was our union president during a very difficult contract negotiation.

Under this contract, which is the one I retired with, faculty members are covered for life with health insurance equal to or better than the Blue Cross Blue Shield policy that was in effect with the contract that was in place at the time of retirement.

My hubby is covered if he survives me.He can maintain the coverage by paying the premiums instead of the school district paying the premiums. We are fully covered for medical issues as well as prescriptions and eye glasses.

If we were to pay out of pocket for such coverage it would be well over $10,000 a year.

My friends and colleagues are thankful for such coverage and consider it deferred compensation for our service to the school district.

When I began teaching in 1976, my yearly salary was $9,000. A bit below friends’ salaries working in corporate 

Knowing that there would be a future pension and medical coverage made up for the differences in salaries.

Also, I chose a profession that I truly loved and enjoyed everyday at my job that lasted for thirty-six years.

It troubles me to think that NYC retirees are not given generous health coverage in their retirement.

Makes me wonder where the unions are in trying to protect their employees and retirees.

.MJ🙋🏻‍♀️

 

My first full time job paid $59.00 a week.

[dani negreanu]

So grateful to be back in the “civilization” 😁 and rather normal weather…
 

I think the Moroccan government needs to create jobs… security check when entering the airport, then the regular one, several stops where they check again boarding passes (the ones we printed ahead was not good enough, had to wait in line more than an hour to be issued the new ones, takes the fun of traveling with carry ons…) and passport stamps.

 

Madrid airport is HUGE, with several terminals and very busy. The line to taxis was similar to one of the most popular Disney attraction… but very organized and regulated.

 

We finally made it to our amazing hotel, and first impression of Madrid — exactly my kind of city. We spent the late afternoon becoming acquainted with the “neighborhood” and at 10pm the streets, restaurants and cafes were full of people.

 

@Ozark_Kid John & co., @FromSea2ShiningSea Helen & Marty, @Ourusualbeach Ken & Toby — enjoy 😊 

 

@DaniDanielle Marietta & Charlie, heartfelt wishes for your 52th anniversary 🌹🥂

 

 

 

[DaniDanielle]

Dani, enjoy

[Luckynana]

@dani negreanuHave a wonderful time in Madrid with your DH!  So glad that the hotel you're staying in while there is the total opposite of where you both just came from.  Have an awesome time!!!!!

[Jimbo]

Little Food Porn on this  beautiful day in Virginia.

 

20oz Rib-Eye at Texas Roadhouse

 

Full rack of Ribs

 

Stopped at Home Depot to pick up some Ground Cover Phlox for our Memorial Garden in the Back Yard.

 

 

 

 

Edited April 29, 2023 by Jimbo

[Ozark_Kid]

Food pics coming.

 

 

 

At 57⁰ I am not close to tempted to go swimming

[Jimbo]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 29, 2023 by Jimbo

[Coralc]

That's pretty! Is it for kitties or people? Mom and her cats are just going in the Rhododendron grove that she planted at the other house. It is gorgeous when they are in bloom. I thought I would just have a resin rock inscribed with all their names. 

 

The kitchen painting came out nice. I will post a photo after we get the floors and new pantry door installed. And we have finally found a reliable and somewhat of a perfectionist painter. we will be using him for more projects. ☺️

[bobmacliberty]

1 hour ago, dani negreanu said:

So grateful to be back in the “civilization” 😁 and rather normal weather…
 

I think the Moroccan government needs to create jobs… security check when entering the airport, then the regular one, several stops where they check again boarding passes (the ones we printed ahead was not good enough, had to wait in line more than an hour to be issued the new ones, takes the fun of traveling with carry ons…) and passport stamps.

 

Madrid airport is HUGE, with several terminals and very busy. The line to taxis was similar to one of the most popular Disney attraction… but very organized and regulated.

 

We finally made it to our amazing hotel, and first impression of Madrid — exactly my kind of city. We spent the late afternoon becoming acquainted with the “neighborhood” and at 10pm the streets, restaurants and cafes were full of people.

 

@Ozark_Kid John & co., @FromSea2ShiningSea Helen & Marty, @Ourusualbeach Ken & Toby — enjoy 😊 

 

@DaniDanielle Marietta & Charlie, heartfelt wishes for your 52th anniversary 🌹🥂

 

 

 

 

Have a great time in Madrid Dani.  My daughter lived there for a while and we spent Christmas there one year.  What a great city.  We stayed by the Puerta del Sol and I was amazed at the number of people who were out walking every night, even Christmas Eve when I thought everyone would be home.  There is a nice gourment eating experience with a variety of food booths on the 9th floor of the El Corte Ingles department store by the Plaza del Callao.  Great views including sunsets.  

[bobmacliberty]

My Cousin Vinny is currently showing on AMC.  Gotta go!  

Edited April 29, 2023 by bobmacliberty

[SteelCityCruiser10]

7 hours ago, Momof3gurlz said:

Once I had the photos selected and uploaded to Shutterfly, actually creating the book was easy and enjoyable.  Their site makes it very easy to resize and align pictures and has editing options for the photos. You can also choose from thousands of page background colors, enhancements such as banners, etc. and add text wherever you want.  There’s an option for free-form creating or preset page layouts when you build the book.  Give it a try!

Also enjoyed your pictures of Universal.  I agree the ride experiences can be frustrating there and at the Disney parks.  Our trips there are always more about family time than parks & rides.  

I used shutterfly to create a photo book from our last Alaska cruise.  Came out really nice and was pretty easy to put together.

[SteelCityCruiser10]

I am way behind in this thread.  This is for @Sea Dog who no longer needs to worry about re seeding his yard that has been destroyed by a winter of dog (s) pee 😂 

 

[BonTexasNY]

8 minutes ago, bobmacliberty said:

My Cousin Vinnie is currently showing on AMC.  Gotta go!  

You can see it anytime on you tube.  I just saw it again for the bajillionth time a few days ago.  Still makes me laugh.

 

@dani negreanu Dani, have a fabulous time with DH in Madrid.

 

@George C  Is your kitchen finished?  Did I miss final pictures?  Hope everything turned out the way you wanted.

[Ocean Boy]

27 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Did you post previously that you have a one acre lot or am I remembering something incorrectly?

[Ocean Boy]

15 minutes ago, bobmacliberty said:

My Cousin Vinny is currently showing on AMC.  Gotta go!  

I'm watching! I was going to post about it.🙂

[bobmacliberty]

[SteelCityCruiser10]

8 minutes ago, bobmacliberty said:

Love it.  Hitting the like button just wasn’t enough for this!

[helen haywood]

We had two plants that had been abandoned by the previous owner and then got a double whammy of a cold snap.  Both looked dead but before we got around to throwing them away they showed amazing signs of life.  One I know is a banana plant (named him Lazarus) and the other is a vine I cannot identify.  It doesn’t bloom which makes identification difficult.  It is growing like the proverbial weed and I named it Jack.  Any of you gardeners have any idea what he is?  (The cactus also resurrected itself…the oleander we purchased.)

 

 

Edited April 29, 2023 by helen haywood

[Sea Dog]

33 minutes ago, SteelCityCruiser10 said:

I am way behind in this thread.  This is for @Sea Dog who no longer needs to worry about re seeding his yard that has been destroyed by a winter of dog (s) pee 😂 

 

That’s what my yard looked like a couple of years ago.

[Jimbo]

50 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

Did you post previously that you have a one acre lot or am I remembering something incorrectly?

Yes, our lot is a little over an acre..............The Memorial Garden and my Vegetable Garden is just behind our boundary line. 😉Both areas can be seen from our sunroom on the back of the house, when looking straight out the back is the apple tree. Placement was purposely planned so we could see each area from the sunroom in the house. Hot tub is below sunroom.

 

The Gazebo is on our property. 🙂

 

There was plans to add 9 More holes of Golf Course and houses behind our house at one time.........But no one in our neighborhood believes that is ever going to happen. Our house  was built in 2007.  The main road leading into our area the house's are 25 years old....Like I said no one here now believes houses will ever be built in those fields.

 

They would need to put in Roads and Waterlines back there before any building ever starts. If we hear anything like that happening, we would put our house up for sale most likely.

Edited April 30, 2023 by Jimbo

[Sunshine3601]

10 hours ago, Luckynana said:

The rain was pounding here during the night.  Holy cow!  You're right, Debbie, it's going to be a washout this entire weekend, and weatherman this morning said to expect sprinkles next week, very heavy rain tomorrow again.  I feel badly for my daughter, she's gone to Cape May this weekend. 

Some of our most memorable shore days are rainy days where we all spent all the day playing board games.  Being together, laughing and making the most of crappy weather is a lot of fun.😃

[Sunshine3601]

Thinking of the shore.  I cannot believe it is time for us to get the shore house at LBI opened up for the season.   Our first renters arrive end of May.   We are going to head down the 2nd weekend of May to get ready.   Hopefully we will have decent weather to bring the outdoor furniture, etc out of storage.

[aussielozzie18]

@QueSeraSera Welcome to the group Warren.  Don’t worry about keeping up.  Just post whenever you can. You posts are appreciated.

 

@dani negreanu Glad you to hear from you and that you like the city.  Enjoy.

 

@grapau27 Don’t know where you are right now but your meals look superb.

 

@DaniDanielle Happy Anniversary 

 

@Jimbo your meals look superb too.  Is that a memorial garden in one of your photos?  I assume the fencing is for the deer?

[aussielozzie18]

Disney Cruises are sailing here in Australia for the first time (this summer I think).  The website crashed when the bookings went live and the cruises booked out extremely quickly.  The prices are absolutely ridiculous.  We have never been a Disney family so thankfully my hard earned money is safe.

 

Virgin Cruises are sailing from Melbourne at the end of the year for the first time too and I would have loved to have booked one of their cruises with my DD.  Timing didn’t suit though.