Now for something completely different

[Blackduck59]

Unfortunately we are bound by the time we can get off work. With the time we have available we can barely scratch the surface of your vast country. I think we are already wanting another trip to Oz and another trip to New Zealand and we haven't been to either yet.

[Blackduck59]

4 minutes ago, GUT2407 said:

How about a side trip to the Hunter Valley?

That could be a day trip out of Sydney, I will have to talk to Lynn about that. Our whole Oz itinerary is wide open except the number of days available are limited but flexible. Retirement is a couple years off and then it will be time to travel.

[Relaxing Robbies]

12 hours ago, Blackduck59 said:

 Retirement is a couple years off and then it will be time to travel.

 

That’s what we thought. Retire early and travel lots while we still could because you never know what might prevent you from doing so in the future. My husband retired on 12th March and we had 6 cruises and a trip to Uluru booked for this year. All cancelled.  Instead we are in lockdown in Melbourne and my husband is back working 3 days a week from home because we can’t get out of the house and do anything else.

 

We should have been flying into Vancouver today before cruising all the way back to Aus. Love your beautiful part of the world, so hopefully we will get to visit again sometime in the future when it is safe.

 

[GUT2407]

Funny other than health I have no desire to retire, even having had to cut back dramatically has been no fun, by the same token I have zero desire to go back to 100 hour weeks like I did for a few years.

 

Times when I have gone weeks without leaving the house, or even my bed, are some of the worst times of my life.

[lyndarra]

The old saying.

Find something you love to do.

Find someone who will pay you to do it.

You'll never work a day in your life.

 

[GUT2407]

44 minutes ago, lyndarra said:

The old saying.

Find something you love to do.

Find someone who will pay you to do it.

You'll never work a day in your life.

 

I have had more jobs than I can count, hated most of them, loved one or two but couldn’t really make much money out of them, but for the last 25 years while there are days and cases that I have hated on the whole I enjoy what I do, and while I don’t make as much as people think I do I don’t do too badly either.

[Blackduck59]

3 hours ago, lyndarra said:

The old saying.

Find something you love to do.

Find someone who will pay you to do it.

You'll never work a day in your life.

 

 

While this is a wonderful concept there comes a time when the body just isn't interested in running a 16 foot long 2 X 8 over a jointer (yes I still can do that). Although I rarely have to work with lumber that long we do have call for it from time to time. Over the last week I have run through about 300 board feet of lumber in assorted species (Walnut, White Oak, Maple and Teak) into cabinet door frame stock and I will be doing the same next week. I like what I do and I'm a highly skilled joiner but the physicality of the work I do is taking a toll. After I "retire" I will still keep some of my home shop machinery and my hand tools so I can putter, make some small things, jewelry boxes, cutting boards and stuff, I can get lots of small "off cuts" from the shop I work at now.

[NSWP]

11 hours ago, Relaxing Robbies said:

 

That’s what we thought. Retire early and travel lots while we still could because you never know what might prevent you from doing so in the future. My husband retired on 12th March and we had 6 cruises and a trip to Uluru booked for this year. All cancelled.  Instead we are in lockdown in Melbourne and my husband is back working 3 days a week from home because we can’t get out of the house and do anything else.

 

We should have been flying into Vancouver today before cruising all the way back to Aus. Love your beautiful part of the world, so hopefully we will get to visit again sometime in the future when it is safe.

 

Good move retiring early, just bad luck you cannot travel now.  I retired aged 55 in 2003 and done a lot of travel since, land and cruises.  Hope things will get better for you.

[NSWP]

14 minutes ago, Blackduck59 said:

 

While this is a wonderful concept there comes a time when the body just isn't interested in running a 16 foot long 2 X 8 over a jointer (yes I still can do that). Although I rarely have to work with lumber that long we do have call for it from time to time. Over the last week I have run through about 300 board feet of lumber in assorted species (Walnut, White Oak, Maple and Teak) into cabinet door frame stock and I will be doing the same next week. I like what I do and I'm a highly skilled joiner but the physicality of the work I do is taking a toll. After I "retire" I will still keep some of my home shop machinery and my hand tools so I can putter, make some small things, jewelry boxes, cutting boards and stuff, I can get lots of small "off cuts" from the shop I work at now.

My late father in law was a fitter and turner all his life, Railways and Dockyard work.  When he retired at 65 he did not wish to travel, so every morning about 8am he donned his overalls and went to his workshop below his house where he had every tool and machine going.  He only surfaced at morning tea and lunch, knocking off at 4pm.  Not much of a retirement I told him, but that was his thing. Such is life.  So I can understand a 'master tradesman like yourself, upon retirement still wanting to do a bit.

 

Hey Lyle, hope you are not offended...but why don't you hold off your travel until you retire in a couple of years? Then you can go away for 3 or 4 months, like my wife and I used to do, think of all the different pies you could sample !! 😁  We had half a dozen 3-4 month adventures, world wide.

Edited September 24, 2020 by NSWP

[Blackduck59]

2 minutes ago, NSWP said:

My late father in law was a fitter and turner all his life, Railways and Dockyard work.  When he retired at 65 he did not wish to travel, so every morning about 8am he donned his overalls and went to his workshop below his house where he had every tool and machine going.  He only surfaced at morning tea and lunch, knocking off at 4pm.  Not much of a retirement I told him, but that was his thing. Such is life.  So I can understand a 'master tradesman like yourself, upon retirement still wanting to do a bit.

 

Hey Lyle, hope you are not offended...but why don't you hold off your travel until you retire in a couple of years? Then you can go away for 3 or 4 months, like my wife and I used to do, think of all the different pies you could sample !! 😁  We had half a dozen 3-4 month adventures, world wide.

 

No offence taken Les. I like to think of this first adventure down under as a primer for future adventure. Last time we spent 8 hours on an airplane we were in Europe for almost a month. Our down under adventure will be about 5 weeks. After we retire I don't think we would do more than about 6 weeks at a time. Unless we tacked an Australia to Vancouver Cruise island hopping on the way.

[Blackduck59]

Well we went for sushi for supper. We have had take out sushi from the grocery store and a popular Japanese market that specializes in assembly line sushi. Well what a difference made to order eat it fresh at the table makes. We had excellent service and the sushi was so tasty,

[NSWP]

5 hours ago, Blackduck59 said:

Well we went for sushi for supper. We have had take out sushi from the grocery store and a popular Japanese market that specializes in assembly line sushi. Well what a difference made to order eat it fresh at the table makes. We had excellent service and the sushi was so tasty,

Glad you enjoyed it Lyle, but sorry to say sushi i cannot handle, we have sushi in batemans bay and tried it in japan and on the ships, not into it. My son took us to a sushi train place in Sydney one time, amazing, i stuck to the rice and smoked salmon, not the real raw stuff. It went around and round.

Edited September 24, 2020 by NSWP

[OzKiwiJJ]

1 hour ago, NSWP said:

Glad you enjoyed it Lyle, but sorry to say sushi i cannot handle, we have sushi in batemans bay and tried it in japan and on the ships, not into it. My son took us to a sushi train place in Sydney one time, amazing, i stuck to the rice and smoked salmon, not the real raw stuff. It went around and round.

Woolies have quite decent sushi. The type we like is torched salmon, so it ends up lightly cooked, with a spicy mayo. You might find that OK. 

[MMDown Under]

20 hours ago, NSWP said:

Glad you enjoyed it Lyle, but sorry to say sushi i cannot handle, we have sushi in batemans bay and tried it in japan and on the ships, not into it. My son took us to a sushi train place in Sydney one time, amazing, i stuck to the rice and smoked salmon, not the real raw stuff. It went around and round.

The best freshest sushi we ever enjoyed was at a Seafood Market in Japan.  Raw seafood heaven. Our daughters had expensive western spaghetti at a cafe nearby.  Fortunately we all love raw sushi now, with a Sushi Train nearby.  

[ilikeanswers]

3 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

The best freshest sushi we ever enjoyed was at a Seafood Market in Japan.  Raw seafood heaven. Our daughters had expensive western spaghetti at a cafe nearby.  Fortunately we all love raw sushi now, with a Sushi Train nearby.  

 

We visited Tsukiji Market on our Japan trip. I was in two minds about trying Bluefin Tuna😳. I don't want to aid in the endangerment of animals but I also really wanted to know what all the fuss was about. In the end I did get a tasting plate with all the different cuts. It really is delicious especially the belly meat but it is probably a good it stays expensive so people don't eat too many of them 🤗. 

[NSWP]

20 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Woolies have quite decent sushi. The type we like is torched salmon, so it ends up lightly cooked, with a spicy mayo. You might find that OK. 

I recollect the buffet on the QM2 had a decent assortment of sushi rolls. Maybe the Brits are partial to them.

Edited September 25, 2020 by NSWP

[OzKiwiJJ]

I'm partial to sushi but not on most cruise ships where it's usually horrible.

 

We had salmon sashimi, spicy salmon nigiri, and gyoza for lunch. All from Woolies, I just steam/fried the gyoza as I prefer them hot.

[NSWP]

31 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

I'm partial to sushi but not on most cruise ships where it's usually horrible.

 

We had salmon sashimi, spicy salmon nigiri, and gyoza for lunch. All from Woolies, I just steam/fried the gyoza as I prefer them hot.

Classy, well done, I had a cheese and branston pickle sambo. Might be Woolies cottage pie for dinner, not much of a challenge cooking for one, more like I am too lazy.

[mr walker]

Working from home these days, so cooked up our usual Fri lunch - bacon, fried eggs & toast. Tracey has gilled tomato with hers & I have baked beans with mine. Dessert was coffee and Anzac biscuits. Life is good 🙂

[NSWP]

2 minutes ago, mr walker said:

Working from home these days, so cooked up our usual Fri lunch - bacon, fried eggs & toast. Tracey has gilled tomato with hers & I have baked beans with mine. Dessert was coffee and Anzac biscuits. Life is good 🙂

Good one mate, almost a ....so you have breakfast for lunch, like brunch?

Edited September 25, 2020 by NSWP

[MMDown Under]

1 hour ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

I'm partial to sushi but not on most cruise ships where it's usually horrible.

I've never had good sushi on a cruise ship.  Looks great, tastes terrible.  

[NSWP]

8 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

I've never had good sushi on a cruise ship.  Looks great, tastes terrible.  

No Japanese cooks on board that is probably why.  You see some culinary strengths on some of the ships, for example, P and O UK, many Indian chefs and cooks means wonderful curries, lubbly jubbly as they say.

[OzKiwiJJ]

2 hours ago, mr walker said:

Working from home these days, so cooked up our usual Fri lunch - bacon, fried eggs & toast. Tracey has gilled tomato with hers & I have baked beans with mine. Dessert was coffee and Anzac biscuits. Life is good 🙂

That's what I had for breakfast (Tracey's version) and without the biscuits.

 

Dinner for us tonight was rib eye steak with home-made mushroom and red wine sauce (one of the best sauces I've ever made, I think), home-made oven chips, and salad with a sherry vinegar and shallot dressing.

 

 

[MMDown Under]

3 hours ago, NSWP said:

No Japanese cooks on board that is probably why.  You see some culinary strengths on some of the ships, for example, P and O UK, many Indian chefs and cooks means wonderful curries, lubbly jubbly as they say.

Fred.Olsen had a special Indian Night where the Indian food, including curries, was superb.

[Docker123]

Indian nights in Kings Court (Buffet) on QM2 simply outstanding.

 

Far preferable to the mdr.