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

[island lady]

18 hours ago, davekathy said:

 Wearing the mask to make a fashion statement. 😷

 

You do see some interesting home made masks in the grocery stores here.  😉 

[island lady]

18 hours ago, Newleno said:

Well I understand, if you take the mask off at home, you can put it in a safe spot (like the garage)so the virus if present is in one spot, you also (in the garage) can take off your gloves, your clothes,  then wash your hands, before taking a shower.  If you try taking the mask off in the car it negates the purpose of wearing it in the first place.

 

Ummm...OK.  So having your "safe spot" in your garage at home is safer than in your car?   Mine comes off when I leave the grocery store, goes into a ziplock bag, then into the wash machine when I get home.  The disposable gloves are taken off and left in the trash at the grocery store parking lot.  I don't want virus germs hanging out in my garage...but I guess that is just me.  😉 

[bobmacliberty]

17 hours ago, A&L_Ont said:

 

Your wheelbarrow is a little bigger than my wheelbarrow.  Size does matter.

 

We don't have to worry about filtering a lot of crap out of our pool when we open it.  Because of the unusual shape and the waterfall, we don't cover it.  We drain it about 90% when we close it in the fall.  It fills partway during the winter.  We pump it out completely in the spring and scrub the gunite walls.  When clean, we fill it again with clean water.  It's a process.

[zonacruiser25]

Got out and shopped for mom yesterday.  She is 88 and lives in an independent living community.  She has been on lockdown (lockup) for over a month.  Together we will all get thru this and be stronger than ever.  

[derorim]

I took this photo of our granddaughter a year ago, and it's been my desktop background ever since.  I look at it every day.  Until recently, it reminded me of the curiosity of a little girl standing on her tippy toes, excitedly watching the neighborhood activity.  But lately I realized it also represents how I feel while we respond to the stay at home order.  I yearn to be in the world out there, but it's a little scary.  I think I'll stay inside and look through the window a little longer.

[DaniDanielle]

Well, day we took advantage of being old.  We dragged ourselves out of bed and got to the supermarket in time for senior hours😀 No waiting on a long line and they actually had everything we needed!!! Now I am heading upstairs for a nap😳

[Newleno]

3 hours ago, island lady said:

 

Ummm...OK.  So having your "safe spot" in your garage at home is safer than in your car?   Mine comes off when I leave the grocery store, goes into a ziplock bag, then into the wash machine when I get home.  The disposable gloves are taken off and left in the trash at the grocery store parking lot.  I don't want virus germs hanging out in my garage...but I guess that is just me.  😉 

great whatever keeps you safe, thank you

[mugtech]

Another day here in the Luzon Lockdown.  Cignal satellite tv was paid cash back in October for 6 months, expiring 4/25/20.  The office in Vigan is padlocked since 3/15/20 so we could not make another payment.  This morning, 4/28/20, it was off, with a message to contact Cignal.  My wife texted them and their reply was "We are closed."  Went on the website and they had a message that in order to protect their valued employees they will not be answering the phones.  There is a lot we don't know about covid-19, but I never heard of anyone getting infected by a telephone call.  Sent them an email 9 hours ago, no reply yet.  Our province is far enough away from Manila so that starting May 1 we will have a lifting of some restrictions.  Malls can open what they call non-leisure stores, but the air conditioning cannot be set any lower than 80F and to further discourage people from hanging around, the malls are not allowed to offer WiFi.  Some Public Works and Highway Department "essential" projects will restart and all colleges can finish their academic years.  There will be a "limited" public transportation.  Don't know what it all means, but people under 21 and people over 60 years old are still not supposed to leave their homes.  My wife and I do it every day and right now there are 20 kids out on the street playing some kind of game like they do every day involving winging flip flops.  Perhaps Friday, 5/1, the tv store in Vigan will be open and we can get our tv back.  Something to which to look forward.

Edited April 28, 2020 by mugtech
Word missed

[A&L_Ont]

23 hours ago, bobmacliberty said:

 

Your wheelbarrow is a little bigger than my wheelbarrow.  Size does matter.

 

We don't have to worry about filtering a lot of crap out of our pool when we open it.  Because of the unusual shape and the waterfall, we don't cover it.  We drain it about 90% when we close it in the fall.  It fills partway during the winter.  We pump it out completely in the spring and scrub the gunite walls.  When clean, we fill it again with clean water.  It's a process.

We take a few feet out fall at the end of the season.  Winter snow fills it up with snow melt through the winter mesh cover. Usually some has to be pumped off the the top at opening. Over winter is when we get leaves, dirt and organic in the pool. Pretty easy when you in live on a farm.
 

I thought our process was hard, until I read yours... arms would be dying at scrubbing walls.  Is your pool salt water, or fresh water?
 

Yesterday was a busy day. I took the diving board off to clean inside the Autocover pool cover box, painted the pool furnace heat cover, reorganized the power/chemical lines, I vacuumed it once, and had to clean the filters twice. It’s the cleanest start to the season in 5 years. I also tested the fire pit.
 

It’s going to be a long summer around home.  As it stands Owen has no school until at least May 29th, no soccer and no baseball.  I’m starting to think his daytime hockey summer camps are questionable.  No last minute cruise this August. 
 

We had Johnny Rockets on the BBQ last night. 

[bobmacliberty]

4 hours ago, A&L_Ont said:

I thought our process was hard, until I read yours... arms would be dying at scrubbing walls.  Is your pool salt water, or fresh water?

 

Fresh water with a chlorinator.  And when I say that "we" scrub the walls, I'm using the royal we.  I either pay our pool company to do it, or my wife may choose (no really) to do it herself.  She does a better job of cleaning the pool walls than the pool company does.  All depends if she has enough free time and is motivated to take on another project.

[Ourusualbeach]

2 minutes ago, bobmacliberty said:

 

Fresh water with a chlorinator.  And when I say that "we" scrub the walls, I'm using the royal we.  I either pay our pool company to do it, or my wife may choose (no really) to do it herself.  She does a better job of cleaning the pool walls than the pool company does.  All depends if she has enough free time and is motivated to take on another project.

Have you ever had to sand yours down?  We did this a few years ago, the calcium buildup over time made the bottom really rough.  What a job that was, using white bricks as a sanding block....should have paid someone to do that.

[A&L_Ont]

Preparing dinner tonight I was protected by security.  She was asleep for 6 hours on the front porch and the second the BBQ is uncovered, boom there she is. She doesn’t get anything from it, but she’s there to provide company. 

 

 

 

Chops Rib-eye.

 

 

 

After dinner drinks in the SL. 

 

[bobmacliberty]

8 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Have you ever had to sand yours down?  We did this a few years ago, the calcium buildup over time made the bottom really rough.  What a job that was, using white bricks as a sanding block....should have paid someone to do that.

 

Never tried that.  We pressure washed it a couple of years but our pool company said that damages the surface and makes it rougher.  It's gunite so we were actually blasting away some of the concrete.  We don't have a problem with calcium.  "We" just make a weak bleach solution and scrub it with a brush on the end of a broom handle.

[A&L_Ont]

35 minutes ago, bobmacliberty said:

 

Never tried that.  We pressure washed it a couple of years but our pool company said that damages the surface and makes it rougher.  It's gunite so we were actually blasting away some of the concrete.  We don't have a problem with calcium.  "We" just make a weak bleach solution and scrub it with a brush on the end of a broom handle.

My arms are still sore from vacuuming, I could only imagine scrubbing like you do.  We have a surface cleaner for our power washer, and I’d be seriously wondering what if....

[Jingerwoppy]

49 minutes ago, bobmacliberty said:

 

Never tried that.  We pressure washed it a couple of years but our pool company said that damages the surface and makes it rougher.  It's gunite so we were actually blasting away some of the concrete.  We don't have a problem with calcium.  "We" just make a weak bleach solution and scrub it with a brush on the end of a broom handle.

 I just let the air out of our pool and store it in a box in the garage.  🙂

[JamesEM]

FYI, the reason you need to keep your pool filled or almost filled with water, is that other wise the pool will rise out of the ground and crack.

[bobmacliberty]

4 hours ago, JamesEM said:

FYI, the reason you need to keep your pool filled or almost filled with water, is that other wise the pool will rise out of the ground and crack.

 

Agreed, although it's not necessary to keep it full.  We have a pressure relief valve in our deep drain that will open if there is too much hydrostatic pressure under the pool.  If it doesn't pop open, the pool can crack or the entire concrete shell can lift out of the ground.  Keeping some water in the pool adds enough weight to counter the hydrostatic force.  It is typically nearly full again by the end of winter.

[h20skibum]

Had to repurpose this glass for my experimental corona cure. Tonight’s liquid diet.  
 

 

Someone just told me the 60% alcohol rule doesn’t apply to drinks.  We will see. 😁😁

[sgmn]

I thought I would just share one of the benfits of lockdown. We are lucky to have  large National Trust woods within walking distance of our house. They have closed the car park so only local families walk there and its pretty quite. So this has been our daily walk since lockdown and it's been amazing to see the changes in nature this spring each day.  Starting in March with bare branches, now all the trees are covered in that fresh vibrant green of spring. The ferns started popping out of the ground a few weeks ago and now are up to four feet high. The ponds normal residence of mallards has been swollen by visiting Canada Geese and a solitary Swan.  So far there have been two families of baby ducklings born. 

Though we live 25 miles from Heathrow, we are under the glide path for planes to join the circuit to land, so normally planes go overhead every few minutes. But now there is just silence apart from bird song and lovely clear skies.

Our border collie is normally very sociable with other dogs and people but has learnt to come back to us and sit quietly when others pass by, observing the social distance rules. Our walk has become the highlight of our day. 

Sue

 

Edited May 2, 2020 by sgmn

[mugtech]

Can identify with your walk being the highlight of your day.

[A&L_Ont]

I have been busy around the house the last few days.  Cleaning in the garage and working in the yard. We also put the pool patio furniture out yesterday afternoon. 
 

Lucy has been just changing sleeping positions; from the chair, to the porch, to the window ledge. 

 

 

[purduemom1]

1 hour ago, A&L_Ont said:

I have been busy around the house the last few days.  Cleaning in the garage and working in the yard. We also put the pool patio furniture out yesterday afternoon. 
 

Lucy has been just changing sleeping positions; from the chair, to the porch, to the window ledge. 

 

 

 

Wish  we knew what our pets are “thinking” about having all of us at home with them. I imagine many are reacting to the new routine-hopefully in positive ways, to all the increased activity occurring in their world. I guess another adjustment will be in store for them once we all return to a more normal life,  I’m guessing that many  dogs are happy with their more frequent walks but even independent cats probably appreciate the extra attention from their humans!

 

OK it sounds like I need to get out more often......if only I could!

[DaniDanielle]

On 4/24/2020 at 10:55 PM, John&LaLa said:

 

I do that with adult beverages

 

Ruby Relaxer from Ruby Tuesday

 

Got my peach schnapps!!!!!!Cocktail hour can’t come soon enough🤸🏼‍♀️

[John&LaLa]

3 minutes ago, DaniDanielle said:

Got my peach schnapps!!!!!!Cocktail hour can’t come soon enough🤸🏼‍♀️

 

A neighbor just dropped off another peach vodka.👍

 

I need to figure out more drinks for peach vodka.  Looks like "OK Google" is in order

Edited May 2, 2020 by John&LaLa

[DaniDanielle]

Keep us posted on drinks.  Didn’t realize how I missed my peach schnapps, Bellini hit the spot last night.🍾