The Daily for Monday Apr 05, 2021

[richwmn]

 

Today is Deep Dish Pizza Day, National Dandelion Day, and Go for Broke Day

I don't believe people are looking for the meaning of life as much as they are looking for the experience of being alive. - Joseph Campbell

Meal suggestion for today - Bacon-Wrapped Pesto Pork Tenderloin

Drink of the Day - Frozen Mango Margarita

Wine of the day - Macdonald Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville 2016

Port of the Day - Pago Pago Tutuila American Samoa

At Sea Atlantic
Zaandam Destination Gibraltar

At Sea Pacific
Nieuw Amsterdam Destination Puerto Vallarta eta 4/6
Noordam Destination Los Angeles eta 4/10
Zuiderdam Destination La Paz MX eta 4/8

Brest FR
Oosterdam

Corfu GR
Volendam

Great Stirrup Cay
Nieuw Statendam Anchorage

La Paz MX
Koningsdam Anchorage

Long Beach
Westerdam Anchorage

Torquay UK
Eurodam Anchorage

 

 

[portofrome]

Thank you for the Daily Report.

[rafinmd]

Thank you for the Monday Daily, Rich.  A great selection of days with 2 obvious choices.  Dandelions are not an obvious choice, but do help with pollination and maintaining bee populations.  The quote sounds spot on.  I believe I was supposed to go to Pago Pago once on Crystal Serenity but they were doing some upgrades to the harbor and we missed it.  The meal sounds nice but probably a LOT of calories.  My alternative is Chilled Blueberry Soup, Sauteed Pork Chop(no bacon), and Viennese Apple Strudel, as served on MS Zaandam March 5, 2017.

 

https://aroundamericabitbybit.files.wordpress.com/2017/04/dishes05.jpg

 

Today's care list:

Kakalina

myself facing cardiac surgery

NextOne DH facing chemo

St. Louis Cruiser DMIL

HorizonChaser1957'BIL

RIP Sharon Matola

 

Today's Celebrations and Shoutouts:

One year of quotes and meal suggestions

Outdoor and drive in worship

Stanford Cardinals

Teachers, school workers and at home surrogates
Front Line Health Care Workers

Happy Birthday, cruisin single

and Sabine, HAL’s likely first female Captain(I know this is a repeat but she’s worth it)

 

Roy

 

[dfish]

Good morning, everyone.

 

I would love a deep dish pizza, but it isn't on my current diet plan.  Sigh......  My yard is a permanent tribute to dandelions.  Go for broke?   I think I did that already when I replaced all my appliances and rebuilt the back wall of my house.  Hopefully, that is all done and over with.  

 

Today I am off to the pool and then to pick up my new glasses.  Perhaps they will give me a new view of things.  

 

Today's meal sounds really delicious.  The reviews are all good and it seems very easy to do.  @rafinmd 402 calories per serving and only 4g carbohydrate.

 

https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/bacon-wrapped-pesto-pork-tenderloin/

 

 

Edited April 5, 2021 by dfish

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Thanks for the info ..

[puppycanducruise]

Good morning.  Thanks for the Daily.  Happy Monday.

Interesting collection of days.  Deep dish pizza - not today.  Dandelions - they'll be poking their sunny little heads up soon.  Go for broke?  I'll think about that.

Interesting quote.

The dinner suggestion looks and sounds good.  I'll file that recipe away for another day.

And the drink of the day sounds like a winner.  Hope the wine of the day is too.

Never been to Pago Pago, I hope there will be lots of wonderful pictures posted.

Sending prayers to everyone on the care list.  And cheers to all who celebrate.

Stay safe.

 

[summer slope]

Good Monday Morning!  Love Pizza but not deep dish.  Dislike dandelions in  the yard.  And go for broke is what happens when we go to a casino.  LOL  Interesting quote.  Meal sounds delicious, thank you Debbie for the visual. Love and miss the chilled soups that Roy has.  Rich and Roy,  you have given us a year of a wonderful thread to enjoy.

Off to a Pedi this morning.

Prayers and toasts to our lists.

Stay safe, social distance, and please wear your mask.

Frozen Mango Margarita:

One 10-ounce bag frozen diced mango
2/3 cup tequila (preferably silver, 80 proof)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons orange liqueur, such as Cointreau
2 tablespoons superfine sugar
2 cups ice water

Directions
 Put the mango, tequila, lime juice, orange liqueur, sugar and ice in a blender and blend until smooth.

 

[daisybertie]

Good evening all. Monday night here in Australia. We were in Pago Pago in December 2017, on the Maasdam. American Samoa was one of our favourite ports. We walked around the port for a while and then took a rickety old bus for an island tour, that picked people up along the way. I think it cost $20 per person and was the best tour ever. It was a Sunday, and the island was very quiet, with very few people around. The island is beautiful, very green and with beautiful flowers. Most villages had a covered outdoor meeting place, some with intricate wood carvings on the pillars. We did not know that there had been a devastating tsunami in 2009 until we reached the village of Leone. The ‘healing garden’ memorial to those lost in the tsunami was very moving. 

 

[rafinmd]

Today's sunrise is from my 2017 5-ship combination.  On March 5, MS Zaandam visited Coquimbo, Chile.  Sunrise was late and came while I was in the Lido for breakfast:

 

 

Roy

[St. Louis Sal]

Good morning all!

 

Humm, deep dish pizza day. I am normally a thin crust pizza person, but mentioned to my family the other day that I have been craving a Chicago style pizza (one of those 5 pound things). Dandelions remind me of a quote I once heard, “a weed is just a flower growing in the wrong place.” I am not much of a gambler so I wouldn’t go for broke money-wise, but in other things I like to give my all.

 

Love the sound of today’s drink. I don’t do mixed drinks at home, enjoyed ordering different drinks from the bartenders on HAL. Looking forward to hearing about the wine.

 

Pago Pago is not a port I’ve been to, loving the pictures from @daisybertie

 

Take care all. 
 

St Louis Sal

[cunnorl]

Good Morning Everyone from a bright and sunny day at the beach.

        The ocean is blue again, instead of that steely gray it has been the last few days. Hopefully the weather will continue to improve. Although compared to most of you, I cannot complain!

       Another port I have not been to, I am beginning to feel quite sheltered! LOL

       I love pizza of any type.  Not a fan of bacon.

       My nephew surprised me yesterday with a pair of golf sandals! An early Birthday present. I have been wanting a pair for about a year.  Such a good "kid"!

Off to water aerobics this morning. Not much else going on.

 

Stay safe and enjoy today.

       

[Himself]

Greetings Rich and all DAILYITES:  Today is Monday within the Octave of Easter.  Thanks for the report.  Wish the fleet was back working. Thanks to all readers and contributors to the DAILY.   It will be a nice day in Naperville.

[Himself]

54 minutes ago, summer slope said:

Good Monday Morning!  Love Pizza but not deep dish.  Dislike dandelions in  the yard.  And go for broke is what happens when we go to a casino.  LOL  Interesting quote.  Meal sounds delicious, thank you Debbie for the visual. Love and miss the chilled soups that Roy has.  Rich and Roy,  you have given us a year of a wonderful thread to enjoy.

Off to a Pedi this morning.

Prayers and toasts to our lists.

Stay safe, social distance, and please wear your mask.

Frozen Mango Margarita:

One 10-ounce bag frozen diced mango
2/3 cup tequila (preferably silver, 80 proof)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons orange liqueur, such as Cointreau
2 tablespoons superfine sugar
2 cups ice water

Directions
 Put the mango, tequila, lime juice, orange liqueur, sugar and ice in a blender and blend until smooth.

 

Sounds good!  Thanks for the directions on how to make the drink.

[mamaofami]

Good morning everyone. I’ll pass on the deep dish pizza.Am I the only one who doesn’t like pizza? Only one place in Delray ,Florida makes a pizza I like. I haven’t seen any dandelions around since I moved to our condo. I guess the gardeners must do something , but not sure what.

 

I’m off later this morning to have the upper and lower left side of my mouth deep scaled and not looking forward to it. That’s what I get for avoiding the dentist since last July.

 

Stay safe everyone.

 

Carol

[cat shepard]

Thank you for today’s Daily, Rich! What a combo of days! I still remember my first Deep Dish Pizza it was in the late 70s in Chicago. 😎 I haven’t seen a dandelion since moving to Florida. Either they do not like the climate, or my lawn care folk are working their magic. I will celebrate the last day figuratively - I will give it my all, (aka Go for Broke), no matter what I do. 
 

Roy, thank you for keeping our lists! Morning Dailyites & my Sisters.  
 

Yesterday’s outing with Bindi was a huge success. In spite of sensory overload, Bindi was so good. First, our breakfast place was so busy, even though we arrived really early. Other than a couple of barks, she was fine. Her reward: some scrambled eggs, ham and a bit of cheese. Then off to Washington Oaks State Park. Though not allowed in the formal gardens or on the beach, she enjoyed every minute of the 2+ mile nature trail.  The trail took us through amazing Live Oak forests, out to what I would call beach shrubbery where the walkway was beach sand. We even walked by an active bee hive. There were lots of wild flowers in bloom, and though we could hear many birds singing, we did not see any. Bindi’s head was nodding on the drive home. And she was snoring away within 5 minutes of arriving home. Here’s a pic of our view leaving our breakfast spot.

 

Another profound quote! Debbie, today’s meal sounds delicious & fairly easy. One. Could try reducing the calories of a serving a bit by not eating the bacon.  The bacon would still infuse the pork with some flavor during the cooking process. But I say “Go for Broke” & eat the bacon. Summer, love that drink!

@daisybertie, thank you for your wonderful pictures!

 

Prayers for all who need our support. Cheers to all who are celebrating! Stay well everyone!

***********

All vintages of this Cab have spectacular ratings. But the prices! I found one online distributor that offered the 2016 for $465! If your budget permits, you might want to add this one to your cellar. One reviewer calls it magical! 

#79 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2019

JD100 Jeb Dunnuck: The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon is largely cut from the same cloth yet has just a touch more purity and elegance without sacrificing depth or richness. Just a magical wine any way you look at it, this deep purple-colored beauty reveals a heavenly bouquet of crème de cassis, camphor, purple iris, and violets. It’s full-bodied and massive, yet still just dances across the palate with no sensation of weight or heaviness. While it’s already hard to resist today (and don’t feel bad for drinking a bottle), it has the purity, balance, and structure to keep for 3-4 decades. Hats off to the brothers Alex and Graeme MacDonald for this legendary wine. 
RP98 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon comes from a relatively gravelly site compared to other parts of the To Kalon vineyard. Most of the fruit comes from vines aged 45 to 65 years old, with a little fruit coming from the younger section of 20-year-old vines. It was made with 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and no press wines were used, in order to maintain tannin quality. Deep garnet-purple colored, it comes bounding out of the glass with exuberant black cherries, warm cassis, blueberry compote and chocolate box notes with touches of aged meat, yeast extract, chargrill and sautéed herbs with hints of pain grille and pencil lead. Full-bodied, the palate is an exercise in poise, with beautifully balanced, crushed black fruits and firm, very finely grained tannins plus a lovely backbone of seamless freshness, finishing epically long and savory with a slight mineral kick to the finish.

WS96  Wine Spectator: Very concentrated, this moves slowly but with authority, as the core of cassis and mulled plum fruit is laced with plum pit, stony mineral, light savory, alder and incense notes. Youthfully tight, but with a long echo of sweet fruit that plays out while serious cut and loamy grip hold a rock-steady rhythm. Should cruise in the cellar. Best from 2021 through 2042.

Edited April 5, 2021 by cat shepard

[kazu]

Thanks for the Easter Monday Daily, Rich and our morning smile 🙂 

 

I’ll pass on the deep dish pizza day, thanks & celebrate when it is thin crust pizza day 😉  I guess I’ll be giving it all my all and going for broke on my transplants today.and try not to think this way:

 

 

No dandelions here yet to celebrate (or is that curse?).  The only thing on our lawn is snow 😄   We had our own little ‘Nor Easter yesterday for Easter 😉 

 

 

Love that quote. And the meal suggestion sounds great.  I might get my pork tenderloin out of the freezer for another day.  Tonight is lamb.

 

While we have been to the South Pacific, we didn’t go to Pago Pago.  Thanks @daisybertie for sharing 😄 

 

Prayers for those on Roy’s Care list & for those that need them and 🥂 to those on the Celebratory/Shout Out list.

 

Have a great Easter Monday everyone no matter what your weather may be!

 

 

Stay safe and please don’t forget your masks 😷 

 

[travelingbums]

Thank you Rich and Roy.

 

Thank you everone for sharing and caring😀

 

Have a great Monday.

 

Please be safe.

[cat shepard]

[1ANGELCAT]

Good morning and thanks for the update.

  I hope everyone had a great day yesterday. 
Dandelion with hot bacon dressing will be on the menu tonight for my brother, I’ll have a spinach salad 

     Blessings and prayers to all on our lists. 

[Crazy For Cats]

Good Morning All, dandelion day reminds me of picking them so DM could make wine.  I’ll pass on the dinner suggestion, not a fan of pesto.  I’d much rather have the deep dish pizza!  Hope everyone has a nice day.

[ger_77]

Good morning, thanks for the Daily!  I prefer a thin crust pizza over the deep dish style; we try to dig out the dandelions early so they don't take over our lawn, and I really don't know how to gamble (except the slot machines), so figure if we ever get to Las Vegas, I'm just going to open the door to the first casino I see and toss in my wallet.   It's going to be all gone anyway, so save me the time and effort.  LOL

 

It was a lovely Easter day here on the "frozen tundra" with several visits from different Easter bunnies.  First came a batch of hot cross buns, then a while later, some delicious saskatoon berry streusel muffins, followed by a loaf of Easter bread, and finally a bunch of Easter chocolates!  We have the most thoughtful and loving friends!

 

I'm going to try today's menu on another day - I'm sure like many of you, we'll be having leftover ham today from yesterday's Easter dinner.  To change things up tonight though, I'll be making breakfast for dinner - ham and cheese omelets with a side of hashbrowns.  And wine.

 

@summer slopethat's a drink for one person, right ?  LOL

@cunnorl was watching "House Hunters" last night and a couple was looking for a property at Cocoa Beach.  What a lovely place!

@cat shepardI think I'll be waiting for a lottery win before placing an order for a bottle of today's vino!

 

Prayers for everyone who needs them and even for those who don't think they do.  Raising the wine glasses tonight to toast all on the celebration list.  Be well, stay safe, wash your hands and wear your mask(s).

 

Smooth Sailing!  🙂🙂🙂

Gerry

 

[StLouisCruisers]

Happy Monday after Easter everybody!   The lunch at the golf club was good yesterday with a nice variety of dishes.  The dessert table was filled with calorie laden goodies.   My piece of carrot cake was enormous so I'll pay for that later!

 

My DMIL is doing really well considering her stroke a week ago.  They think only one of her eyes was affected and may get better with time.  Her blood pressure is normal and heart rate too.  Her verbal skills are back, and the only other problem is she reverts into dementia-like conversations but that is not due to the stroke.  So I think she can be taken off the care list now @rafinmd.  We hope no new catastrophes take place in the near future so DH's Sister can actually go visit her Mother in person after 13 or 14 months.  😳

 

DH and I took a 2014 South Pacific cruise on Golden Princess which visited both the capital of Samoa (Apia) and Pago Pago, American Samoa.  One thing I will never forget is the man on the ship who was arrested in Pago Pago for stealing a laptop on the ship.  I always wondered what happened to him.  That's a long way from home to be in legal trouble!  

 

We did not take a tour out into the countryside so I was glad to see what that looked like thanks to @daisybertie.  We walked around the town and then had a couple of U.S. National Park Service team members come aboard the ship to give a presentation on the local animals, birds and plant life.  I am sure no other Park Service members wear the garment called a lavalava.  Just don't call it a skirt!  Also one thing we were told is Pago Pago is pronounced Pango Pango, and I would like to know if anyone here has ever been told that before?  Please verify if you know that for sure.  I wouldn't want to offend our American Samoan people.

 

View of the little harbor as our ship backed into it's place at the pier in Pago Pago.

 

The townspeople were all set up on the dock with their tents and local items for sale.  A lot of shopping went on.  Flower arrangements did very well that day.

 

 

At the edge of the dock area was the main street where folks could meet their tours or head off in either direction for an exploration.

 

A bus filling up for their tour.

 

An artist made this dead tree trunk into a work of art.

 

Instructions on where to go in case of a tsunami warning.

 

Marketplace

 

 

Things may be laid back here but I don't advise any animal take a rest in the middle of the street.

 

Made it easy to mail a postcard back to the mainland from this U.S. Territory.  

 

I enjoy anyplace that has lush vegetation like this.  

 

Back on the ship we head the presentation described above from the National Park Service and got to speak to team members.

 

 

Sorry for the quality of the next photo.  

 

 

The sail away was beautiful that afternoon.  I especially enjoyed the mist over the reefs here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 5, 2021 by StLouisCruisers

[kb4683]

Good morning everyone.  Thank you for the Daily and all who contribute.

 

We called at Pago Pago on April 8, 2013 (28day Hawaii and South Pacific cruise on the Star Princess).

 

Approaching Tutuila

 

We were greeted by this group

 

We then made our way out of the dock area to find our transport to Tisa's Barefoot Bar

 

Pola Island

 

Some of the natives at Tisa's 😺

 

Our lunch was being prepared in an underground pit

 

Loved the plates!

 

Now for a little dip (very rocky beach -- wear swim shoes)

[Seasick Sailor]

St Louis, glad to hear DMIL is doing better. I believe the natives use ng for g. It does sound like pango when they pronounce it. We had 3 guys from Samoa that were our gardeners for several years. 

[kazu]

@StLouisCruisersso glad to hear the good news on your dear MIL.  It sounds very encouraging, indeed 👍