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

[Sunshine3601]

Woke up at 630 am today realizing we are now on wrong side.of ship for sunrise.   Headed back home for Sunday disembarkment.   BooHoo

But here's sunset from our balcony last night.

[Jimbo]

10 hours ago, MJSailors said:

I am not certain if you are aware that deer,while lovely gentle creatures, carry ticks that can cause Lymes disease in humans.

We on Long Island have been aware of  this for years. Many people in our area have been affected by Lymes. Heart and neurological issues can develop if the disease is left undiagnosed.

The deer have been moving into neighborhoods as their woodland areas are being sacrificed for development.. While homeowners will not do anything to harm the deer, they do not choose to feed them either.

I am not trying to be an alarmist, but trying  to be helpful.

Perhaps the beautiful deer in your area can be enjoyed from a distance.

MJ🙋🏻

.

. 

Thanks well aware of that that is why we have our yard sprayed a lot during the spring, summer and fall. There really is no way around the deer roaming around in our yard and even the neighbors yards. Any plant growth around the houses here is game for the deer around here where we live in deer country.

There would be no way of keeping the deer out of people's yards with out putting up high 8 to 10 ft fences. The deer can really leap around here too.

[grapau27]

10 hours ago, DaniDanielle said:

Just decorated my younger daughter’s cabin door.  Tomorrow is her 38th birthday and Valentina will be 8 on Saturday so we will have to decorate her door also.  She is so excited that the whole ship will celebrate her day.

Happy 38th birthday tomorrow for your dear daughter Marietta.

[Jimbo]

9 hours ago, Coralc said:

The trip was a success! The garage is cleaned out, so we can resume filling it up again with house stuff. Roto Rooter has cleaned the main drain. Although the trash and tree hauler seems to think it is a septic tank/leach field issue and not a pipe issue. We know nothing about septic tanks. 

 

 

Maybe  time to have the septic tank  pumped. Do you know when the last time it was pumped. The solids may be very high in the tank. How old is this house?

 

Pumping the tank would only be a temporary fix if the issue is the leach field though , see below.

 

Another issue could be the leach field, after a while sometimes these leach fields need to be dug up and replaced. When the grey water leaves the septic tank it goes into these leach fields, there is  a sand like material under the lines, after a long time the fields the grey water just doesn't filter down though the sand anymore. So water just lays in those pipes, so when you use water in the house and it drains out it has no  where to go.

 

Do you have a lot of large trees around the septic tank and  and where the leach field is? Did the roto rooter guy take off the top cover on the septic tank and inspect anything? He should have looked to see where the sewer line comes out of the tank into the leach field? If he saw that pipe coming out of the tank to the field covered with water, then that means the leach fields are not taken the grey water run off well enough.

 

If you are trying to sell this house and have a sewer inspection by the buyers, this will have to be corrected or money off for the new owners to make the repair if that is what is needed.

Edited September 2, 2022 by Jimbo

[akcruz]

9 hours ago, Coralc said:

We are back from the other house. Bobby the cat seems to think that there should be some way to get him from point A to B without a car ride. He was very unhappy but settled in now. 

 

The trip was a success! The garage is cleaned out, so we can resume filling it up again with house stuff. Roto Rooter has cleaned the main drain. Although the trash and tree hauler seems to think it is a septic tank/leach field issue and not a pipe issue. We know nothing about septic tanks. 

 

And I am so disappointed! All of our local Arby's have closed, so we stopped at the one that is about an hour away (on the way home). I always look forward to their sandwiches after the long drive.  And they didn't ask, and we forgot to request Horsey Sauce! And then we found out we didn't have any at home. 

 

This was such a tiring trip; it was over a !00 F. every day. No AC and moving furniture and boxes. Oh well we will deal with it. 

 

15 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

Maybe  time to have the septic tank  pumped. Do you know when the last time it was pumped. The solids may be very high in the tank. How old is this house?

 

Pumping the tank would only be a temporary fix if the issue is the leach field though , see below.

 

Another issue could be the leach field, after a while sometimes these leach fields need to be dug up and replaced. When the grey water leaves the septic tank it goes into these leach fields, there is  a sand like material under the lines, after a long time the fields the grey water just doesn't filter down though the sand anymore. So water just lays in those pipes, so when you use water in the house and it drains out it has no  where to go.

 

Do you have a lot of large trees around the septic tank and  and where the leach field is? Did the roto rooter guy take off the top cover on the septic tank and inspect anything? He should have looked to see where the sewer line comes out of the tank into the leach field? If he saw that pipe coming out of the tank to the field covered with water, then that means the leach fields are not taken the grey water run off well enough.

 

If you are trying to sell this house and have a sewer inspection by the buyers, this will have to be corrected or money off for the new owners to make the repair if that is what is needed.

 

Agree with Jimbo on getting septic checked.  Have lived in homes with septic tanks on and off most of my life.  When we went to sell our house in NJ buyers had an inspection done and said ours needed to be replaced.  We had never had an issue, and did get it pumped regularly, so we and paid for a separate inspection with a state authorized company.  Very interesting to watch them check all the pieces and parts of the system.  Ended up we did have 1 pipe, the one from the tank to the distribution box, partially blocked.  They recommended replacing as it was cast iron and rusting from the inside.  Otherwise our system got all passing marks.   Wasn't happy to have to spend the $$ for the inspection but glad we did.  Fortunately the buyers agent came for the inspection so knew his original company's report was wrong.

 

Our house in the Poconos also has a septic that we are dealing with.  It has to be over 60 years old.  We recently had that tank pumped and got the news that it is starting to fail.  At least it's just the tank, its metal not cement or fiberglass like the newer ones, and not the whole system.  Working on getting estimates for that.  

 

Bottom line is better to get it checked and know where it stands if you are going to sell.  

[Lionesss]

Septic tank stories

 

I have two.

 

The first one just occurred after we had our every 3 year pump and clean out.

 

My DH was upstairs taking a shower and downstairs the bathroom off the kitchen the toilet started backing up shower water.  Here the main outflow pipe from the house was clogged.  Nothing was going into the first tank. 

Called for and was able to get emergency septic service from the local company$$$$$$$.  Worth every cent.  He had to open septic tank and go backwards with an snake thingie to unclog.   Um not mentioning any names but it appears tons and tons of just toilet paper was balled up in pipe..........................new game for DD? (4 at the time)

 

The second was just earlier this year when we sold the house that we decluttered and inherited.

 

I do not know all the rules of do's and don'ts of selling a home, but the house all in all was in good shape structure wise, just needed a lot of loving.

 

It is an open side by side ranch that two families shared, and their was no separation the family room in the middle was open.  Two furnaces, Two hot water tanks, two of everything just like individual house attached together.  4000 square foot living space, and a complete 4000 square foot un- finished basement.  On 5 acres of land 3 acres cleared, 2 wooded.

 

But one septic system.

 

When we put it on the market, we could have updated the system at a cost of over $22,000.

or

We could see what happens.

We decided to wait and see.

 

To make a long story short, the buyer loved the land, the layout of the house and was eager to buy in our community.

 

She made an offer well over asking price and would take the house 'AS IS"

We were shocked.

 

We lucked out.

No inspection.

No investment for anything.

 

The only thing we did on our own was have it completely empty and we went through it with tons of cleaner to at least have all the cobwebs and dust bunnies as well as cigarette smoke stains off the walls from years of indoor smoking.

 

We met at the realators and signed the papers at 1pm.  Money in our account by 2:30pm.

 

I really thought some inspector would cause us to upgrade whatever needed upgraded.  We were very lucky at this outcome.  Thanking the powers that be that no inspection was ever required or done.

 

 

Edited September 2, 2022 by Lionesss

[Sea Dog]

12 hours ago, Luckynana said:

@Sea DogI hope you feel much better in the morning, Greg!

 

12 hours ago, Sunshine3601 said:

Could be a bug of some type.  Pre covid I used to get a bug after kids went to school in our area.

Are you drinking lots of fluids/water?   Hopefully a good night's rest and you will feel better tomorrow.  Goodnight😀  sleep tight

 

12 hours ago, akcruz said:

 

Hope you were able to get a good night's sleep and the need day brings a healthy feel to it.  Many things going around, you never know what is out there.

 

11 hours ago, DaniDanielle said:

Feel better Greg🤞

 

11 hours ago, aussielozzie18 said:

@Sea Dog Sorry to read you are unwell.  Haven’t tested positive yet but those around me who have all had differing symptoms. None were dizzy.  Hope you get to the bottom of it.  Take care.

 

3 hours ago, brillohead said:

My headache was my big COVID symptom.  Now that I think about it, my symptoms might have started on Tuesday, but I brushed it off as an allergy headache because pollen counts shot up here this week. I also slept most of Tuesday, coming off a run of overnight shifts and a four-hour drive home, so if I had symptoms, I was asleep for them most of the time. 

But on Wednesday, I had body aches (probably a fever, but didn't check it because it wasn't severe) and a headache that would not stop.... normally my allergy headache will respond to Sudafed and Aleve, but literally nothing touched this headache on Wednesday.  That was my clue to test for COVID, and that second line showed up dang near instantly.  Wednesday consisted of copious amounts of Sudafed and Aleve (fortunately I have very healthy kidneys, because I was pounding down those NSAIDs like they were going out of style) with almost constant sleep (sleep being the only reprieve from the headache). 

Thursday consisted of a couple of naps and just a mild headache and no body aches.  It's now early Friday morning and I'm not feeling like I'll need any naps.  I do have a very mild headache, but it's honestly not noticeable enough that I'll even take anything for it.  With allergies that went undiagnosed for over half my life, I'm used to living with a daily headache.    

As for your symptoms, Greg, if they continue and you keep testing negative, I'd recommend taking your blood pressure sitting, and then take it again immediately upon standing.  Your blood pressure may be in the normal range when sitting, but when you stand, gravity takes over and pulls the blood down away from your brain, and if your baroreceptors don't respond quickly enough, your heart and blood vessels don't counteract the pull of gravity.  If this happens, this is something you need to discuss with your doctor to tweak your meds (maybe remove a beta blocker, if you're on one).  

Other things to be aware of while this is going on -- always get up in "stages"... swing your feet over the side of the bed and sit for a minute before standing. And anytime you stand up (from bed, the kitchen table, your car, recliner, whatever), don't walk away for a minute (so you can sit down if you feel woozy) or you may find yourself face-down in the middle of the floor.  And avoid hot showers or baths -- they dilate the blood vessels (which is why the skin flushes when hot) and that lowers blood pressure -- or you may find yourself with a cracked cheekbone on the side of the tub.  (And if it sounds like I'm speaking from experience, well, learn from my fail, okay?)

I appreciate all the well-wishes during my COVID journey... looks like other than losing out on a week's pay, I'm getting off pretty easily.  And @Sea Dog, please keep us posted on how you're doing. 

 

Thanks everyone for your well wishes and concern. I went to bed at 8pm and slept till 8am. I still have a little bit of a headache and what I would describe as brain fog. My balance is ok this morning. I took my blood pressure and it 129/69. @brillohead Thanks for your suggestion of doing my BP both sitting down and standing up. Hope you feeling better.

 

I guess good news is that I took another Covid test this morning and it was negative. Which in some way I was hoping it would be positive so that I would have a definite cause. It could be my blood pressure meds now that I've lost weight. I'm not going to exercise today and rest and see how I feel. The main thing is want to feel better than I do now as I've got a cruise in two weeks.

[Lionesss]

@Sea Dog

 

Sorry to hear you are under the weather.

 

I think Brillohead's advice is right on.

 

But let me take it one step further.

Why don't you call your medical doctor and update him on what you have been through.

All of us including me like to play doctor (no pun intended).

 

You could be on the upswing of getting healthy by feeling somewhat better.

But, we have a long holiday weekend coming up and everything always seems to happen on these days. Better safe than sorry.

 

This way it is peace of mind for you and you have appropriate guidance and can see what is going on.

 

 

Keep us posted.

 

Take care

[Jimbo]

12 minutes ago, Lionesss said:

Septic tank stories

 

I have two.

 

The first one just occurred after we had our every 3 year pump and clean out.

 

My DH was upstairs taking a shower and downstairs the bathroom off the kitchen the toilet started backing up shower water.  Here the main outflow pipe from the house was clogged.  Nothing was going into the first tank. 

Called for and was able to get emergency septic service from the local company$$$$$$$.  Worth every cent.  He had to open septic tank and go backwards with an snake thingie to unclog.   Um not mentioning any names but it appears tons and tons of just toilet paper was balled up in pipe..........................new game for DD? (4 at the time)

 

The second was just earlier this year when we sold the house that we decluttered and inherited.

 

I do not know all the rules of do's and don'ts of selling a home, but the house all in all was in good shape structure wise, just needed a lot of loving.

 

It is an open side by side ranch that two families shared, and their was no separation the family room in the middle was open.  Two furnaces, Two hot water tanks, two of everything just like individual house attached together.  4000 square foot living space, and a complete 4000 square foot un- finished basement.  On 5 acres of land 3 acres cleared, 2 wooded.

 

But one septic system.

 

When we put it on the market, we could have updated the system at a cost of over $22,000.

or

We could see what happens.

We decided to wait and see.

 

To make a long story short, the buyer loved the land, the layout of the house and was eager to buy in our community.

 

She made an offer well over asking price and would take the house 'AS IS"

We were shocked.

 

We lucked out.

No inspection.

No investment for anything.

 

The only thing we did on our own was have it completely empty and we went through it with tons of cleaner to at least have all the cobwebs and dust bunnies as well as cigarette smoke stains off the walls from years of indoor smoking.

 

We met at the realators and signed the papers at 1pm.  Money in our account by 2:30pm.

 

I really thought some inspector would cause us to upgrade whatever needed upgraded.  We were very lucky at this outcome.  Thanking the powers that be that no inspection was ever required or done.

 

 

So for a shared side by side ranch, you had ONLY one septic tank, shared with 2 owners? If this is what you had you should have went to the casino the next day, put it this way you were really, really very LUCKY to ,sell a house like that..

Edited September 2, 2022 by Jimbo

[Lionesss]

1 minute ago, Jimbo said:

So for a shared side by side ranch, you had ONLY one septic tank, shared with 2 owners? If this is what you had you should have went to the casino the next day, put it this way you were really, really very LUCKY.

 

 

The house was an Amish build circa 1974, and  get this the septic system (original)  has an open pipe that goes to the wooded field about 250 feet from the house and made a stream that things that go "bump" in the night live in.

  Over the years in that stream the DH growing up found frogs, toads, snakes, slugs crayfish, and snails, to mention a few.

 

Also, on rare occasions  at night the raccoons and skunks would be seen in that area.

 

It is still an open stream, that well stinks literally smells to high heaven.

We could not find any statements of when it was pumped, but found tons of Ridex boxes.

 

Glad that house is but a memory.

 

 

[Jimbo]

7 minutes ago, Lionesss said:

 

 

The house was an Amish build circa 1974, and  get this the septic system (original)  has an open pipe that goes to the wooded field about 250 feet from the house and made a stream that things that go "bump" in the night live in.

  Over the years in that stream the DH growing up found frogs, toads, snakes, slugs crayfish, and snails, to mention a few.

 

Also, on rare occasions  at night the raccoons and skunks would be seen in that area.

 

It is still an open stream, that well stinks literally smells to high heaven.

We could not find any statements of when it was pumped, but found tons of Ridex boxes.

 

Glad that house is but a memory.

 

 

Does this house have well water or city water? If well water, nothing like drinking your own $hitty water. If well water , I guess the new owner never had the water tested either?

 

With that septic water only being 250 ft from the yard, I would assume sometimes when the wind blew the right way you could easily smell it by the house too.

Edited September 2, 2022 by Jimbo

[helen haywood]

@Sea Dog I agree with @lioness that calling your doctor today …before the long holiday weekend would be a good idea.  (As a non medical professional I would prescribe puppy breath.)

[brillohead]

2 minutes ago, helen haywood said:

 (As a non medical professional I would prescribe puppy breath.)

No better medicine!!!!

[Jimbo]

Here is what a leach field looks like. Black box you see in the hole is the distribution box which will have all those white pipes installed in the holes in the box you see. All the pipes will have the holes in the pipe facing down to drain out the grey water once installed in the pit.

 

Septic tank is up near house, grey water pipe comes around the shed and down to the distribution box and then out to the leach field.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 2, 2022 by Jimbo

[Ozark_Kid]

11 hours ago, Coralc said:

forgot to request Horsey Sauce!

That is not good!  Arby's without Horsey Sauce?! 😠 😡 😤 I hate forgetting that.  I even get it with the French dip sandwich.   Usually 3. I usually have one or two in the fridge. 

I tried the new Philly the other day.  It was OK but it's back to the French Dip for ne.

[George C]

9 minutes ago, brillohead said:

No better medicine!!!!

I think some kittens would disagree 😁😁.

[lenquixote66]

12 hours ago, HBE4 said:

 

PB&J is my 2nd favorite peanut butter sandwich, right after peanut butter & apple butter on lightly toasted white bread. Or rye bread. Or English Muffin. 🙂

Have you ever been to the Peanut Butter restaurant in Manhattan ?

[Ocean Boy]

1 hour ago, Lionesss said:

@Sea Dog

 

Sorry to hear you are under the weather.

 

I think Brillohead's advice is right on.

 

But let me take it one step further.

Why don't you call your medical doctor and update him on what you have been through.

All of us including me like to play doctor (no pun intended).

 

You could be on the upswing of getting healthy by feeling somewhat better.

But, we have a long holiday weekend coming up and everything always seems to happen on these days. Better safe than sorry.

 

This way it is peace of mind for you and you have appropriate guidance and can see what is going on.

 

 

Keep us posted.

 

Take care

 Very good advice.

[dbancroft]

14 hours ago, DaniDanielle said:

Windjammer had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches at dinner tonight.  

They had them early August also. My grandaughter said they were too cheap on fillings. They waived the peanut butter and jelly over the bread.

[Ozark_Kid]

@dani negreanu. 😆 I did it again. I thought I was posting here but I was in a different thread.  😆   So I will repeat here.

 

I came out to our covered deck while it was sprinkling.  A few minutes later it started raining 🌧 hard.  No problem,  thankful for a good rain.  Can't tell much from the pic but......

 

After I posted that it has been raining even harder and has not stopped yet.

 

[helen haywood]

7 minutes ago, dbancroft said:

They had them early August also. My grandaughter said they were too cheap on fillings. They waived the peanut butter and jelly over the bread.

I made sandwiches once with too little filling.   My husband referred to them as “chicken salad flavored bread.”

[Ozark_Kid]

4 hours ago, Sunshine3601 said:

 

I'm ready for some baby pictures😀   

 

We have a few text groups set up with our girls.  One is dedicated to Finnley updates where her mom post pics.  

 

The kids love holding her.

 

Mom is taking pics all the time.  To the point where Finnley looked up and thought.... seriously mom?  Another pic?

 

Mom waited for her to fall asleep. 

 

It looked like pics were not bothering Finnley until........ Seriously mom, you are taking them while I sleep 😴. 

 

Mom.... Go back to sleep.  I'LL try not to take one...... oops.

[Ozark_Kid]

4 hours ago, Sunshine3601 said:

and Kenzie too!!

Here is a pic of Kenzie getting busted sneaking some cherry tomatoes. 

 

Near the place where they sell their flowers each week they opened a new market.  The girls were able to find matching dresses. 

 

They have sunflowers coming out of their garden for them to add to their offerings. 

[Sea Dog]

3 hours ago, Lionesss said:

@Sea Dog

 

Sorry to hear you are under the weather.

 

I think Brillohead's advice is right on.

 

But let me take it one step further.

Why don't you call your medical doctor and update him on what you have been through.

All of us including me like to play doctor (no pun intended).

 

You could be on the upswing of getting healthy by feeling somewhat better.

But, we have a long holiday weekend coming up and everything always seems to happen on these days. Better safe than sorry.

 

This way it is peace of mind for you and you have appropriate guidance and can see what is going on.

 

 

Keep us posted.

 

Take care

 

 

My doctor is off on Friday's so I am going to see how I do over the weekend and call next week on Tuesday. Right now I feel better but tired. I am not having the dizziness and vertigo issues and I'm drinking more water. It could be that I have been just pushing myself too much. I've been on a mission to lose weight and have been working out hard. Everyday I do the elliptical for 45-50 minutes standing (watching an old episode of Below Deck) then another episode sitting down on the elliptical pedaling. On the commercial breaks I use a dumbbell and do 15 arm raises each arm and then take the dumbbell and do lateral swings from side to side for 20. After the Below Deck episode is over I then do pushups (As many as I can do) and then 200 crunches. My wife thinks I'm just doing way too much. Maybe I am.

 

Worse case if I don't feel better I'll go to urgent care.

 

 

2 hours ago, helen haywood said:

@Sea Dog I agree with @lioness that calling your doctor today …before the long holiday weekend would be a good idea.  (As a non medical professional I would prescribe puppy breath.)

 

Puppies have been sleeping me all morning. Lizzy likes to plant her head on my cheek. I need to have Linda take a picture of it.

[Lionesss]

@Jimbo

 

You are right on about all this septic...............cra*

 

In fact they must have noticed something because a few years back they installed this triple water filtration system for their well water.  At first I thought it was a gimic, but they lived to talk about.

 

When I first started dating the spouse and I would go over to just visit or whatever, when asked if I wanted something to drink I always said Diet coke, no ice.  Their water always tasted funky. And Ice, well frozen well water.

 

They had stains in the shower, and toilet as well as same stains in dishwashers, they said "hard water" I said ...."No *ucking way am I drinking that, let alone have ice.

 

The house was always clean, between the cleaning lady and the DH, what I saw of it except for all the hoarding behind closed doors.

 

Their well is piped down in the front yard and the septic is in the backyard.

 

When we built in 1993 we have a massive leach bed in our front yard after the holding tanks, and we have levers to switch from one field to another.

 

We are city water, and it comes from Mark and Susan's neighboring lake. (Over the border into Penn.)

 

We have had to show proof of pumping our septic which is required every three years.  They live in the same town, but different  mailing address to neighboring city,  but they vote with us and they have never ever had to show proof of pumping out the septic, and if they ever had to they would be *hit out of luck, because we do not think they every did it.

 

But it is not our concern and like I said we are lucky.

 

By the way nice pictures of your dig for your septic leach bed.  We have a build book of everything from electrical, to plumbing, to septic installation.  Must be a guy thing. But it saved our *ss on many an occasion.  Like when we installed surround sound in the family room, after the build.

 

Take care