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

[island lady]

On 2/15/2021 at 5:48 PM, Sunshine3601 said:

Yes, my opener has that too.    Yes, house generators are a blessing.  We got one in 2012 right before superstorm sandy hit our area.  So happy we had as our area was without power for 3 or 4 weeks.  It has been used several times over the years.

 

When we lose power...we just move into another house.  Errr...the one on wheels under our RV port attached to the garage.  😉   Full power to everything with built in generator.  

[Ocean Boy]

27 minutes ago, George C said:

Dallas still is in bad shape , more snow , many without power some without water. 

You mean Texas with its frozen wind farms and loads of oil under ground?😇

[island lady]

21 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

I started learning to drive when I was around 12. I was always infatuated with the car.🙂

 

My Dad would take me out to the back country roads.  I would sit on his lap, and he would work the gas pedal (I was too short to reach it).  I "drove" the car by steering the wheel.;)  

 

By the time I was 10, I was ripping around on my little Honda trail bike all over the fields and woods near our house, which was out in the country. 

Edited February 17, 2021 by island lady

[Ocean Boy]

5 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

My Dad would take me out to the back country roads.  I would sit on his lap, and he would work the gas pedal (I was too short to reach it).  I "drove" the car by steering the wheel.;)  

 

By the time I was 10, I was ripping around on my little Honda trail bike all over the fields and woods near our house, which was out in the country. 

I always looked forward to trash day. My dad and I would go to the town dump and I got to drive from the entrance to where ever they were dumping that day. He never had to ask me twice if I wanted to go to the dump.

[island lady]

19 hours ago, xpcdoojk said:

I was about 10 when my 15 year older brother let me take his 67 Stingray for a drive around the neighborhood.  I remember at about 100 the steering felt a bit lacking.  This was the same brother that let me drive his twin engine hydroplane boat when I was 8 which was always fun until one time cornering in the mid 80s it started to walk in decidedly uncomfortable lurches that could easily have lead to flipping side over side... I panicked and shut it down, and the next thing I remembered was I was sitting in about 12 inches of water as it nosed in.  I was lucky it was designed to float even when...  So, after I finally got it on plane I pulled the plug to let it drain out.  I learned a lot in both situations.

 

Some of my earliest memories were sitting at the local fairgrounds watching the stock car races in the front row.  I probably attended a 1000 auto races by the time I was out of high school.  Including a front row seat at the 1972 Indy 500 which was my third.  I remember watching the 74 race on TV when Salt Walther’s car spewed ethanol all over those seats.  After that, I decided while the front row is very exciting... the top row is better for watching the race. 😉

 

 

 

You "Feel the need...the need for speed".  😉  

 

My Dad owned a motorcycle, snowmobile shop in Michigan when I was 12.  He gave me my first 125 Yamaha dirt bike at 13.  He also competed in many Enduro trail races state wide.  Before that, he built and raced Hydroplanes.  He pulled water skiers at the water thrill show in Grand Haven MI at the town water front and designed the first boat jump ramp.  One boat raced under it, while the other took the ramp and flew over it.  Pretty wild.  

 

I competed (but as kept to the lame "Powder Puff" series) in both Enduros and snowmobile drag races.  Won most of them, but didn't keep the trophies.  I really wanted to compete with the guys, (and actually raced in the Enduros next to them) but they wouldn't let me in the guys class, so the trophies didn't mean much to me.  Tough little Tomboy I was.  😉 

[island lady]

15 hours ago, A&L_Ont said:

Pancake Tuesday. 
 

 

Mmmmm...ours is "Pancake Saturday".   I am still lucky to find frozen Maine wild blueberries at the store.  Yummies!  Will get some fresh this August.  

[dani negreanu]

1 hour ago, grapau27 said:

We are now having a walk along the beach promenade.

 

Pauline's smile brightens the day 🤩

[bobmacliberty]

We were supposed to leave for our quick Fort Lauderdale sun and warmth getaway today.  Unfortunately, my wife's hip went out yesterday and she's stuck in bed.  She is not pleased.  At least the hotel said "no problem" when I called to cancel.  I was expecting them to charge me for 1 night's stay.

[bobmacliberty]

1 hour ago, grapau27 said:

We are now having a walk along the beach promenade.

 

Your dedication to walking in the fresh air is impressive!

[cruiselvr04]

We have power but no hot water.  The line to the tankless water heater is frozen.  Praying that pipes have not burst.  It will warm here Friday so we’ll find out then. 

So many we know are without power all across the state.  I fear we will find some elderly dead when this is over.  People before electricity lived of course but they had fireplaces and survival skills. Sadly we’ve already had deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning by running generators or cars in garages. There are a few “warming stations” open but we got more snow last night so the roads aren’t good especially for those who don’t know how to drive in it.  Texas has very few snow plows. Some will be afraid to go to warming stations due to covid.  Pipes in some apartments have already burst and have sent waterfalls of water onto their belongings.

It’s a mess down here.

[island lady]

7 minutes ago, bobmacliberty said:

We were supposed to leave for our quick Fort Lauderdale sun and warmth getaway today.  Unfortunately, my wife's hip went out yesterday and she's stuck in bed.  She is not pleased.  At least the hotel said "no problem" when I called to cancel.  I was expecting them to charge me for 1 night's stay.

 

Oh no...sorry to hear that.  Your poor wife...that is painful.  And not the way you wanted to spend your days off I am sure.  Hope she feels better soon.  

[grapau27]

19 minutes ago, dani negreanu said:

 

Pauline's smile brightens the day 🤩

Thanks Dani.

[grapau27]

18 minutes ago, bobmacliberty said:

We were supposed to leave for our quick Fort Lauderdale sun and warmth getaway today.  Unfortunately, my wife's hip went out yesterday and she's stuck in bed.  She is not pleased.  At least the hotel said "no problem" when I called to cancel.  I was expecting them to charge me for 1 night's stay.

I'm sorry to hear this Bob it sounds painful.

Can the medics put it back in or will she need a new hip?.

[dani negreanu]

23 minutes ago, bobmacliberty said:

Unfortunately, my wife's hip went out yesterday and she's stuck in bed. 

 

So sorry, that's a bummer.

 

At the "price" of sounding daft -- did she make a wrong move?

 

[Keksie]

51 minutes ago, cruiselvr04 said:

We have power but no hot water.  The line to the tankless water heater is frozen.  Praying that pipes have not burst.  It will warm here Friday so we’ll find out then. 

So many we know are without power all across the state.  I fear we will find some elderly dead when this is over.  People before electricity lived of course but they had fireplaces and survival skills. Sadly we’ve already had deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning by running generators or cars in garages. There are a few “warming stations” open but we got more snow last night so the roads aren’t good especially for those who don’t know how to drive in it.  Texas has very few snow plows. Some will be afraid to go to warming stations due to covid.  Pipes in some apartments have already burst and have sent waterfalls of water onto their belongings.

It’s a mess down here.

It is a big mess.  We have a lot of friends in Texas and I feel so badly for them.  One friend finally got power back on after a few days without.  He still has no water.  His water company shut down the water supply due to the power outages.  When he called them they told him to drip his pipes.  Um they shut his water off so no water to drip.  Another water supply company told everyone to boil their water but there are many people without power and only electric appliances so boiling possible.  The plumbers will be busy for months after this.  Stay as warm as possible people in Texas my heart goes out to you.

[xpcdoojk]

1 hour ago, island lady said:

 

You "Feel the need...the need for speed".  😉  

 

My Dad owned a motorcycle, snowmobile shop in Michigan when I was 12.  He gave me my first 125 Yamaha dirt bike at 13.  He also competed in many Enduro trail races state wide.  Before that, he built and raced Hydroplanes.  He pulled water skiers at the water thrill show in Grand Haven MI at the town water front and designed the first boat jump ramp.  One boat raced under it, while the other took the ramp and flew over it.  Pretty wild.  

 

I competed (but as kept to the lame "Powder Puff" series) in both Enduros and snowmobile drag races.  Won most of them, but didn't keep the trophies.  I really wanted to compete with the guys, (and actually raced in the Enduros next to them) but they wouldn't let me in the guys class, so the trophies didn't mean much to me.  Tough little Tomboy I was.  😉 

Yes, big brother had a ski club we had a ski jump, but the Cypress Garden skis would sink if you crashed, and they would have to do a scuba dive to recover them.  I did it a few times, wasn’t particularly good at it.  I was an excellent slalom skier, and when I was about 12 or 13.  He would compete in competition with other boats racing while pulling a skier.  So, I would ski behind the hydroplane boat going 80 plus for about 30 miles.  I can’t say that was fun for me, because it was not like running a slalom course, but just trying to reduce speed by doing the opposite of what your normally do.  

 

I got a Harley Baja 100 for Xmas / Birthday combo just before my 12th birthday.  That was my one and only motorcycle.  I never liked crashing on the street, so I never had any desire for a road bike.  

 

JC

[vettprincess]

2 hours ago, vacationlover_mn said:

My day started off great!  My mom called, and said she has her first vaccine shot scheduled for today :). Her sister in law knows a guy who is on the board of a local grocery store chain, and he said that her local store was getting shots today, but they hadn’t “advertised” it publicly.  She signed up online last night and got the last slot.  While I’m not pleased that this process has become so stealthy here, I’m super glad mom is getting her shot 🙂. Hopefully, as we get more shots here, the process to get one won’t be so tough...

HI MN: I bet she got her shot at a Cub grocery. I was able to get mine yesterday at Walmart in Bloomington.

Very efficient. I had signed up online last week while in Brainerd and got last appt. At this store they were getting about 30 vials a day but do not know for how long. 

[vacationlover_mn]

11 minutes ago, vettprincess said:

HI MN: I bet she got her shot at a Cub grocery. I was able to get mine yesterday at Walmart in Bloomington.

Very efficient. I had signed up online last week while in Brainerd and got last appt. At this store they were getting about 30 vials a day but do not know for how long. 

Actually it was her HyVee 🙂

[grapau27]

1 hour ago, bobmacliberty said:

 

Your dedication to walking in the fresh air is impressive!

Thanks Bob.

It was nice to get a mild dry  day to go for a walk and the beach is only 5 miles drive from home.

[h20skibum]

23 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

It was nice to get a mild dry  day to go for a walk and the beach is only 5 miles drive from home

Oh, what I would give for a mild day to walk.  Our highs haven’t been above freezing for a month. We still get out for our walks, but have to dress for it. 

I think my wife is smiling under that mask. 😷 😃 
 

 

[bobmacliberty]

1 hour ago, grapau27 said:

I'm sorry to hear this Bob it sounds painful.

Can the medics put it back in or will she need a new hip?.

 

1 hour ago, dani negreanu said:

 

So sorry, that's a bummer.

 

At the "price" of sounding daft -- did she make a wrong move?

 

 

It's a problem that she has had for more than a decade.  Her hips get out of alignment and she has severe pain, usually the muscles in the area that now need to work differently for her to stand.  Happens about once a year.  It is sometimes caused by physical activity, and sometimes just because she stood/moved/slept the wrong way.  We've been walking 2 miles a day and she went to the golf driving range for the first time in a while, which is likely what caused this particular episode.  She played competitive tennis when she was younger (enough so to require separate shoulder and knee surgeries) and that may be part of the reason that this is now happening.  We are both a little bit overweight and out of shape, so that doesn't help.

 

After 1-2 days of rest in bed with a combination of heat/cold compresses, pain killers, and occasionally muscle relaxers, she is able to be driven to a Chiropractor.  The Chiropractor will give her an adjustment to get her hips back in alignment and the relief is almost immediate.  She's been working on building her hamstring and core muscles so that her body can better keep her hips in alignment, but these episodes still happen.  Very frustrating for her...especially that she needs help for a couple of days.  She does not like needing to be helped by others.  She's usually the helper, not the helpee.

 

Since it seems to be happening more frequently, and usually with little warning, I've convinced her to see an Orthopedist.  We want to be sure that there is nothing more serious happening and at a minimum, start physical therapy to prevent recurrence.  I'm not a big fan of her Chiropractor since he told me in my first visit to him that he could correct my golf slice by adjusting my posture. 🙄  Time for a real doctor.

[ownedbypets]

14 hours ago, Milwaukee Eight said:

I hear you. Lots of new stuff these days. 

 

All of that new stuff is hard to get. Almost everything that we picked out for our bathroom remodel was on back order. 5 months for the no frills toilet that I wanted. We had to go with our second and third choice on quite a few things.

[island lady]

1 hour ago, xpcdoojk said:

Yes, big brother had a ski club we had a ski jump, but the Cypress Garden skis would sink if you crashed, and they would have to do a scuba dive to recover them.  I did it a few times, wasn’t particularly good at it.  I was an excellent slalom skier, and when I was about 12 or 13.  He would compete in competition with other boats racing while pulling a skier.  So, I would ski behind the hydroplane boat going 80 plus for about 30 miles.  I can’t say that was fun for me, because it was not like running a slalom course, but just trying to reduce speed by doing the opposite of what your normally do.  

 

I got a Harley Baja 100 for Xmas / Birthday combo just before my 12th birthday.  That was my one and only motorcycle.  I never liked crashing on the street, so I never had any desire for a road bike.  

 

JC

 

Oh gosh yes...that's why I stuck to the fields and woods on my dirt bike.  Gave me chills and goosebumps to think of crashing on the hard pavement, especially in the middle of vehicle traffic.  Was brave...but not that brave.  😮😉 

 

Another funny story...when I was about 6 years old sitting in the audience on the first row at one of my Dad's water thrill ski shows, his buddy (dressed as a clown) jumped onto the stage with his ski while my Dad did a circle...grabbed me and took off with me back into the water.  Dangerous yes...but as soon as I saw who it was...I laughed the whole time.  😉 

 

I adored slalom skiing as I got older...my Dad being a great teacher.  Could never get the hang of wearing two skis, just felt awkward.  When first husband, driving the boat, got near our beach on the lake, I would signal when I was tired and skim into shore and onto the beach.  Having taken off from the dock...I returned without getting my hair wet at all.  Great times....sigh.  

[ollienbertsmum]

3 hours ago, island lady said:

 

Mmmmm...ours is "Pancake Saturday".   I am still lucky to find frozen Maine wild blueberries at the store.  Yummies!  Will get some fresh this August.  

Mmmmm.  I live for pancake day.  Pancakes for breakfast, savoury for supper and then fruit for dessert.  I still love to look at pancakes in photos so thanks.

[xpcdoojk]

40 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

Oh gosh yes...that's why I stuck to the fields and woods on my dirt bike.  Gave me chills and goosebumps to think of crashing on the hard pavement, especially in the middle of vehicle traffic.  Was brave...but not that brave.  😮😉 

 

Another funny story...when I was about 6 years old sitting in the audience on the first row at one of my Dad's water thrill ski shows, his buddy (dressed as a clown) jumped onto the stage with his ski while my Dad did a circle...grabbed me and took off with me back into the water.  Dangerous yes...but as soon as I saw who it was...I laughed the whole time.  😉 

 

I adored slalom skiing as I got older...my Dad being a great teacher.  Could never get the hang of wearing two skis, just felt awkward.  When first husband, driving the boat, got near our beach on the lake, I would signal when I was tired and skim into shore and onto the beach.  Having taken off from the dock...I returned without getting my hair wet at all.  Great times....sigh.  

Yeah, taking off from the dock is illegal here.  But yes, we would always swing to the shore by our dock, I usually made that final big curve when the water was about 2 or 3 feet deep.  My 75 year old buddy, we tried to get up all last summer, if he can’t do it this year, I will pull him off the dock.  He just doesn’t have the arm strength.  I slalomed skied the first time in well over 20 years this summer.  While I am not as strong as I was, I can still ski very well.  

 

I learned when I was 5 on adult sized double skis.  My dad would have my brother and sister and maybe a girlfriend or buddy in the boat.  1 would hold my skis straight and I would go, if I fell, another would jump out of the boat and hold the skis straight.  I don’t remember needing more than 2.  Learned slalom when I was 7 or maybe 8.  Completed the slalom course the first time at 11.