The Daily for Monday 12/27/2021

[JazzyV]

Good afternoon. Thanks for the Daily.

I won't be cutting out snowflakes today. I like my homemade German fruit and nut bread, but not most commercial fruitcake. It's too cold to visit the zoo today.

Good quote.

I'll pass on the meal. Trying to get my eating back on plan. I like whiskey sours. The wine sounds good.

I've done a Viking river cruise in China (2005), from Shanghai to Beijing, but have not been in Qingdao.

 

It's grey and rainy here again, with snow and ice to the north of us. I'll just stay put inside. Probably rainy all week until Friday. My throat has been feeling a little scratchy. Maybe dry air? I haven't seen anyone in person since the 17th, and that was my eye doctor with she wearing an N95 mask and me a KN95. I dislike feeling paranoid about every cough or sneeze.

 

@rafinmd Thanks for the lists. You're closing in on the end of the radiation!

@kazu Continued prayers for Jose and you. So sorry you're not able to visit Jose. (((HUGS)))

@smitty34877 I hope that the pulmonologist has some help for Tana.

@mamaofami Yay on the test results! Prayers answered.

@luvteaching I'm glad to hear DH is getting stronger. I feel for the infusion nurse. Years ago I tried to get to work at the hospital after a big snow storm and couldn't make it off my street.

@Overhead Fred Glad to hear Mitzi's biopsy was benign. Thanks for the review of your cruise.

@Live4cruises Prayers for your DDIL; hopefully anyone else in the household stays well.

@atexsix I'm glad to hear DD is doing better.

 

Prayers for the Care List and a toast to the Celebration List.

Stay safe everyone!

 

[bennybear]

@kazuSo sorry you can’t visit!  I cannot imagine how difficult it is,  do take some time to try and rest.  Praying you get some good news soon., 

[cat shepard]

@kazu

Jacqui - Hope you feel comfortable venting here. Lots of understanding & sympathy winging their way. I probably cannot correctly imagine the level of frustration & worry you must feel. Praying that Jose’s condition improves. I guess that means I need to include his medical team in my prayers. 
 

@mamaofami

Carol - thank you for sharing your wonderful news. Now you can breathe easier. 

[cat shepard]

56 minutes ago, Overhead Fred said:

Apologies for being AWOL the last couple of weeks. But after returning from our cruise, we were swamped with Christmas preparations, doctor appointments (biopsy for Mitzi at the dermatologist - benign!), dental appointments (I had to have a crown re-cemented; toothpick operator error on an excursion in Curacao), helping the son with appliance shopping (dead dishwasher), getting new phones (our old Galaxy S7s were being phased out and we needed to switch from Sprint to T-Mobile).....

 

I was too busy to even lurk on the Daily! 

 

Anyhoo, here is the "review" of our cruise that I promised awhile back. I might post it separately since not all CCers follow the Daily (their loss!) -

_________

 

Nieuw Amsterdam, Nov 20 to Dec 4, 2021 - 14 day Eastern/Southern Caribbean Cruise

 

Our son and his girlfriend were with us for the first week, Mitzi and I had peace and quiet for the second week.

 

Arrival and check-in – HAL’s transfer from FLL to the ship was a bit less organized and was slower than I expected. We ended up waiting around in the baggage claim for close to an hour before being bused to the ship. Not a big deal, but I think we will pack some extra snacks next time! The cruise terminal was fairly empty by the time we got there and check-in was a breeze. The facial recognition kiosks worked nicely. I think it was around 2:30 when we got to our cabin. One checked bag was there waiting for us and the second arrived shortly afterward. Since we were famished, it was off to the Dive-In for hotdogs and fries!

 

Muster Drill – This was a welcome improvement, but the instructions were a bit vague. You were supposed to go to your muster station (your lifeboat) and get your room key scanned. Actually, you had to go onto the Promenade through doors near the bow to get scanned. You were then supposed to go and find your lifeboat. No one from the crew checked to see if you actually went and found your muster station.

 

Entertainment – We did not go to any main stage shows, with late dining we were usually too tired. Having the drink package did not help. Pool drinks during the day, mojitos at lunch, wine with dinner, and before and (sometimes) after dinner drinks left us with little desire to hit the bars in the evening! The BB King group was quite good but I was underwhelmed by the piano duo (but that may be on me since that has never been one of my preferred venues). The Lincoln Center musicians were also good but we somehow always mistimed their performances and only caught them in passing. The Ocean Bar had a piano player noodling before dinner and he was decent enough.

 

Casual Dining – The ship was definitely not full. There never seemed to be any problems getting Lido tables (or pool loungers) and lines at the serving stations were usually short or non-existent. The lines at the Dive-In and NY Pizza were never more than a few people whenever we went by. We did not have any dinners in the Lido but breakfasts and lunches were fine. The food quality seemed good, but the day-to-day variety may have been a bit lacking. But since we did not eat there every day, maybe it was just bad timing on my part. Milkshakes at the Dive-In were included in the drink package and the burgers, fries, and dogs were good as always. The NY Pizzas seemed as good as in the past and we had them a couple of times.

 

Main Dining Room - Breakfast in the MDR was excellent, both food and service-wise. There usually were no waits for coffee and juice. They left a pot of coffee on the table so refills were always handy. The Indian breakfast option (Aloo Masala and Egg Bhurji) was amazing; I had it (and the Full English) a couple of times. Congee was also on the menu; I did not try it in the MDR (but it was good in the Lido). We did not try lunch in the MDR. We had all of our dinners in the MDR except for two. The service was very good and I thought the food was fine; the four of us (even the vegetarian) always found something worthwhile on the menu. The quality and variety seemed to improve as the cruise progressed. No-upcharge shrimp cocktail reappeared for the final Gala dinner! Having the waiters taking wine orders seemed to work okay. The waiter would place your order and then a drink runner would bring it to your table. There were only a couple of mix-ups (wrong or missing wine) which were quickly rectified. Our waiter volunteered that the wine/drink ordering “kept him busy”, but he did not seem like he was complaining. There were a few “wine steward/sommeliers” wandering about helping out with some tables. One stopped by our table when they thought our waiter was late with our order (he was not, we had arrived a bit later than normal). There were not a lot of tables occupied during late fixed dinning.

 

Canaletto – In the past, I always thought the Canaletto was kind of blah and not really worth bothering with. Recent reports have indicated that this has changed dramatically. The four of us had an excellent meal in the Canaletto with fine service. All four of the large plates we ordered very good but the branzino (that many folks have highly recommended) was everyone’s least favorite (still good though). The Osso Bucco, Short Ribs with Gnocchi, and Pasta Genovese were exquisite. I think we will be heading back here every cruise from now on! I put the restaurant upcharges on my room key and we got the 4* Mariner discount for all four of us.

 

Pinnacle – Our experiences in the Pinnacle were hit-and-miss in the past. This cruise, Mitzi and I had a lovely experience. The restaurant was not very busy and we had great service at a quiet, secluded table. Mitzi had a 12 oz lobster tail (and got the 4* Mariner discount on the $20 upcharge) and I had the 10 oz filet. Mitzi said the lobster was great (she would not share!) and my filet was done just like I requested and was delicious. I also tried the Clothesline Candied Bacon. It was very tasty because, well, it was bacon. Candied bacon is something we make at home for party appetizers and HAL’s version did not disappoint. It is a curious presentation though and may be more suitable as pub food, but we liked it. The bacon was quite lean and the pieces were large. I would get it again, but only if I had more people to share it with.

 

Signature Drink Package – We booked under “Have It All” so we had the drink package for the first time ever. It was a nice perk, but we don’t drink enough to make it worthwhile as a full price add-on. But as part of the HIA, depending on the other perks included, it probably is worthwhile for us. We had specialty coffees and teas every day in the Crow’s Nest. Having the package was very convenient as you can order booze anytime the mood strikes instead of pinching pennies and waiting for Happy Hours. The down side is you probably will drink more than you would normally! As mentioned above, the “day drinking” took the edge off wanting to go to the bars and shows/music venues in the evening. An upside is that you can experiment with goofy drinks that you might not normally try; research is important you know! We got into the habit of having Aperol Spritzes before dinner in the MDR. The wines by the glass were acceptable for us at dinner, but it is more fun to have bottles from the Sommelier Suite. A special note for @VMax1700 – they now have Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin in all of the bars!

 

Excursions – We only did HAL excursions due to possible COVID issues. We never had any issues (other than skipping Grand Turk), and never had to show vaccine proof on shore. Mask wearing compliance was pretty good on the excursions. The “Craft Cocktails, Authentic Bites & San Juan History: In Partnership with Food & Wine Magazine" was quite good and we would recommend it. The “St. Thomas Foodie Walk: In Partnership with Food & Wine Magazine” was also good. In Curacao, we did the “Sunset Cruise in Willemstad’s Harbor” and thought it was fun; plenty of good snacks and drinks. The butterfly farm on the “Natural Wonders of Aruba” tour was definitely enjoyable (especially for photographers), but the rest of the tour was so-so.

 

Miscellaneous – Navigator worked fine on our phones and was quite useful. It worked particularly well on my Kindle Fire. Several daily newspapers could be accessed via Navigator. There were hard-copy crosswords and a couple of different types of sudoku every day at the front desk. Christmas decorations went up on December 1^st and were lovely. They started playing Christmas carols too, and it was clear that they need a bigger playlist! This was our first sailing as 4*s and we went to the “free” wine tasting twice. The "Cellar Master" was a big guy from Croatia (can't recall his name). He was an enjoyable fellow and did a good job with the tastings. He referred to the crew pouring the wine samples as "Sommeliers".

 

Final thoughts – It was a good cruise and we were extremely happy to be back on a HAL Ship. The overall experience was a bit muted perhaps. With all the staff and almost all passengers wearing masks, it made it hard to recognize people, read facial expressions, and have conversations. There were no Mariner’s lunches and the two cocktail parties for 4* and up were awfully tame affairs (no snacks other than peanuts). The sail-aways did have some decent hot snacks being handed out by the stern pool. We enjoyed things enough to book another cruise while onboard (and buy a pair of FCDs). We will be on the Rotterdam April 15, 2023 for an east-bound transatlantic and 7 days around Norway. We have also concluded that we prefer the Pinnacle class ships (despite the narrow promenade) due to the additional restaurants and music venues.

Thank you for sharing your experiences & opinions. And if you haven’t already done so, please do share this on the main HAL thread. 

[bennybear]

Good morning on this bitterly cold day,  minus 30 and windchill makes it minus 43 when it’s too cold for us Canadians to venture out….  I too am feeling for the poor birds and deer and other small animals. 
Interesting  port today, we had plans to go to China a few years ago that were cancelled last minute when Two Canadians were wrongly imprisoned.  Thankfully they have been released now after nearly three years but I doubt we will ever visit. 
 

We enjoy fruitcake, I’ve tried my mom’s recipe but there was no method, so this year Costco stepped in!   We also had a very lovely Christmas panacotta. 
 

We watched the Downton movie and also the call the midwife special,   
@Vict0riann glad you enjoyed the Sees chocolates, yum! 
@mamaofamiwhat wonderful news! 

@smitty34877 hope all goes well for Tana! 
@AncientWandererhow fun to help prep the nursery,  beats eating worms!  But seriously I had not considered that cribs would be hard to come by, great news on the bassinet. 
 

 

Edited December 27, 2021 by bennybear

[lazey1]

Here in the Phoenix area (Mesa) it is now 11:40Am, overcast, 48degrees F, windy and supposed to start raining this afternoon. Maybe not cold for those who are used to it but very cold for us who are not used to it.

I like fruitcake and enjoy going to zoos. Even just watching to zoo shows on t.v. Have not cut out snowflakes since the very early years or grammer school.

@mamaofamiI am very happy to you tested negative. I know the feeling as I also dodged that bullett.

@ger_77I totally agree with your description of dumplings; never could like eating those awful lumps of dough.

couldn't "like" your post today, I am so sorry that you are seperated from Jose when he is so sick. Both of you remain in my daily prayers. I love the cheerful meme that you are posting and I hope that you can find some confort in doing so.

Jane

 

Edited December 27, 2021 by lazey1

[richwmn]

This was posted in a FB group I belong to and I thought this group would enjoy it.

[kazu]

1 hour ago, Live4cruises said:

Unfortunately (to say the least), the other DS & DDIL have visitors and there is now Covid in their household.  Our DDIL has more than a mild case, but seems to be managing.  Healing thoughts for her are welcome

 Absolutely on the healing thoughts.  My prayers are winging their way for her 🙏🏻 

[Himself]

7 hours ago, Seasick Sailor said:

Good morning from the beautiful Rotterdam. Thank you Rich for the fleet report. I'll skip the food and beverage selections, and no to China, past or future

 

Blessings and prayers to our Jacqui, Roy, Father, and Jose. Jacqui I hope you're able to be with Jose today. Xx

 

Played Trivia with Sharon, Rich, and Allen last night. We also had a quick visit from Linda and son. It's been fun meeting our Daily friends.

 

I heard from a friend our hospice friend woke up Christmas night. They didn't have details. Frustrating I know but I can't imagine what state his wife must be in. God bless them.

I am pretty much out of the woods.  For a man of 82 years we are not doing badly.

[Himself]

7 hours ago, summer slope said:

Well, I posted this an hour ago and it's gone poof.  I remember cutting out snowflakes when in school.  I'll skip the fruitcake and really love visiting zoo's, especially the one in San Diego when the Panda's were there.

I'll pass on the meal, quote, and China.

Can't believe in 6 days we'll be back on board a BHB.

Major prayers for our care list and a big woohoo for our celebrations.

Thank you everyone for making this thread a wonderful place to be.

Please continue to stay safe, social distance, and wear your mask.

Whiskey Sour:

The whiskey sour is a mixed drink containing whiskey, lemon juice, sugar, and optionally, a dash of egg white or cocktails foamer. With the egg white, it is sometimes called a Boston Sour. With a few bar spoons of full-bodied red wine floated on top, it is often referred to as a New York Sour. Wikipedia
Main alcohol: Whisky, Bourbon whiskey
Ingredients: 1 1/2 oz (3 parts) Bourbon whiskey, 1 dash egg white, 1 oz (2 parts) Fresh lemon juice, 1/2 oz (1 part) Gomme syrup
Preparation: Shake with ice. Strain into ice-filled old-fashioned glass to serve "on the rocks."
Served: Shaken; on the rocks
Standard garnish: Lemon rind, Maraschino cherry, Orange slice, Sugared glass
Drinkware: Cobbler, Old fashioned glass

 

The bar tenders on HAL make excellent whikey sours.

[puppycanducruise]

11 minutes ago, Himself said:

I am pretty much out of the woods.  For a man of 82 years we are not doing badly.

Great news Father.  Hope you are back to 100% soon.

[sailingdutchy]

1 hour ago, richwmn said:

This was posted in a FB group I belong to and I thought this group would enjoy it.

 

Wonder if we ever get used to it Rich and I am not talking about cats  .............but after some 52 years we understand each other very well ! 

[St Pete Cruiser]

6 hours ago, rafinmd said:

Today's sunrise (or possibly sunset) is from my Millenium trip to the Copper Canyon on the Sierra Madre Express train.  I'm not sure this is December 27,1999 but it easily could be:

 

 

Roy

Copper Canyon rail trip has been on my bucket list for too many years. We had a Maasdam Sea of Cortez  cruise on the list with a port call to do some of it, a very long day, before the shut down. 

The Maasdam had some great itineraries as the replacement for the Prinsendam,  but now they are gone.  

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

3 hours ago, sailingdutchy said:

 

Good morning to all our CC friends , hope you all had a very nice Christmas ours was very quiet and peaceful but we are now waiting for our DD’s family to come for a few days from Rye , New York , we have not been able to hug them all for a long time . 

 

We have been to Qingdao while on the Volendam in 2017 and had a very exciting day which started off early in the morning with a visit to the Tsingtao Beer Brewery for a tour and a tasting . The brewery had been started by a German company in 1903 so the beer was very good and tasted close to our very good Heineken Beer. A number of years ago it was taken over by the Chinese . 

 

 

 

 

This was before 10 am ……….

 

 

 

Even the manhole covers advertise the brewery 

 

 

 

 

We than went into the old town of Qingdao to go through some of the old merchant homes also of German heritage to see the history of Old Qingdao 

 

 

 

From the “old Town “ we saw in the distance the New Chinese skyscrapers 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After a very nice lunch we went to the coast to visit a beautiful old pier 

 

 

 

 

At low tide all kinds of people were looking for some edible morsels 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DW had to try out one of the rental bicycles ……….. 

 

 

 

Lots and lots of offices and high-rise apartments 

 

 

 

 

Time to go back “Home” after a very nice day with our small group  the captain will be waiting for us 

 

 

 

Tony 🎅🤶

 

Just in case we are very busy here with our family we would like to wish you all Good Fortune and Good Health for the New Year and of coarse one or more cruises on a BHB !  Happy New Year  !! 

 

Tony, thank you for posting pictures of today's port.  It looks like a place we'd enjoy visiting.  Enjoy your visit with your DD and her family.

 

3 hours ago, Overhead Fred said:

Apologies for being AWOL the last couple of weeks. But after returning from our cruise, we were swamped with Christmas preparations, doctor appointments (biopsy for Mitzi at the dermatologist - benign!), dental appointments (I had to have a crown re-cemented; toothpick operator error on an excursion in Curacao), helping the son with appliance shopping (dead dishwasher), getting new phones (our old Galaxy S7s were being phased out and we needed to switch from Sprint to T-Mobile).....

 

I was too busy to even lurk on the Daily! 

 

Anyhoo, here is the "review" of our cruise that I promised awhile back. I might post it separately since not all CCers follow the Daily (their loss!) -

_________

 

Nieuw Amsterdam, Nov 20 to Dec 4, 2021 - 14 day Eastern/Southern Caribbean Cruise

 

Our son and his girlfriend were with us for the first week, Mitzi and I had peace and quiet for the second week.

 

Arrival and check-in – HAL’s transfer from FLL to the ship was a bit less organized and was slower than I expected. We ended up waiting around in the baggage claim for close to an hour before being bused to the ship. Not a big deal, but I think we will pack some extra snacks next time! The cruise terminal was fairly empty by the time we got there and check-in was a breeze. The facial recognition kiosks worked nicely. I think it was around 2:30 when we got to our cabin. One checked bag was there waiting for us and the second arrived shortly afterward. Since we were famished, it was off to the Dive-In for hotdogs and fries!

 

Muster Drill – This was a welcome improvement, but the instructions were a bit vague. You were supposed to go to your muster station (your lifeboat) and get your room key scanned. Actually, you had to go onto the Promenade through doors near the bow to get scanned. You were then supposed to go and find your lifeboat. No one from the crew checked to see if you actually went and found your muster station.

 

Entertainment – We did not go to any main stage shows, with late dining we were usually too tired. Having the drink package did not help. Pool drinks during the day, mojitos at lunch, wine with dinner, and before and (sometimes) after dinner drinks left us with little desire to hit the bars in the evening! The BB King group was quite good but I was underwhelmed by the piano duo (but that may be on me since that has never been one of my preferred venues). The Lincoln Center musicians were also good but we somehow always mistimed their performances and only caught them in passing. The Ocean Bar had a piano player noodling before dinner and he was decent enough.

 

Casual Dining – The ship was definitely not full. There never seemed to be any problems getting Lido tables (or pool loungers) and lines at the serving stations were usually short or non-existent. The lines at the Dive-In and NY Pizza were never more than a few people whenever we went by. We did not have any dinners in the Lido but breakfasts and lunches were fine. The food quality seemed good, but the day-to-day variety may have been a bit lacking. But since we did not eat there every day, maybe it was just bad timing on my part. Milkshakes at the Dive-In were included in the drink package and the burgers, fries, and dogs were good as always. The NY Pizzas seemed as good as in the past and we had them a couple of times.

 

Main Dining Room - Breakfast in the MDR was excellent, both food and service-wise. There usually were no waits for coffee and juice. They left a pot of coffee on the table so refills were always handy. The Indian breakfast option (Aloo Masala and Egg Bhurji) was amazing; I had it (and the Full English) a couple of times. Congee was also on the menu; I did not try it in the MDR (but it was good in the Lido). We did not try lunch in the MDR. We had all of our dinners in the MDR except for two. The service was very good and I thought the food was fine; the four of us (even the vegetarian) always found something worthwhile on the menu. The quality and variety seemed to improve as the cruise progressed. No-upcharge shrimp cocktail reappeared for the final Gala dinner! Having the waiters taking wine orders seemed to work okay. The waiter would place your order and then a drink runner would bring it to your table. There were only a couple of mix-ups (wrong or missing wine) which were quickly rectified. Our waiter volunteered that the wine/drink ordering “kept him busy”, but he did not seem like he was complaining. There were a few “wine steward/sommeliers” wandering about helping out with some tables. One stopped by our table when they thought our waiter was late with our order (he was not, we had arrived a bit later than normal). There were not a lot of tables occupied during late fixed dinning.

 

Canaletto – In the past, I always thought the Canaletto was kind of blah and not really worth bothering with. Recent reports have indicated that this has changed dramatically. The four of us had an excellent meal in the Canaletto with fine service. All four of the large plates we ordered very good but the branzino (that many folks have highly recommended) was everyone’s least favorite (still good though). The Osso Bucco, Short Ribs with Gnocchi, and Pasta Genovese were exquisite. I think we will be heading back here every cruise from now on! I put the restaurant upcharges on my room key and we got the 4* Mariner discount for all four of us.

 

Pinnacle – Our experiences in the Pinnacle were hit-and-miss in the past. This cruise, Mitzi and I had a lovely experience. The restaurant was not very busy and we had great service at a quiet, secluded table. Mitzi had a 12 oz lobster tail (and got the 4* Mariner discount on the $20 upcharge) and I had the 10 oz filet. Mitzi said the lobster was great (she would not share!) and my filet was done just like I requested and was delicious. I also tried the Clothesline Candied Bacon. It was very tasty because, well, it was bacon. Candied bacon is something we make at home for party appetizers and HAL’s version did not disappoint. It is a curious presentation though and may be more suitable as pub food, but we liked it. The bacon was quite lean and the pieces were large. I would get it again, but only if I had more people to share it with.

 

Signature Drink Package – We booked under “Have It All” so we had the drink package for the first time ever. It was a nice perk, but we don’t drink enough to make it worthwhile as a full price add-on. But as part of the HIA, depending on the other perks included, it probably is worthwhile for us. We had specialty coffees and teas every day in the Crow’s Nest. Having the package was very convenient as you can order booze anytime the mood strikes instead of pinching pennies and waiting for Happy Hours. The down side is you probably will drink more than you would normally! As mentioned above, the “day drinking” took the edge off wanting to go to the bars and shows/music venues in the evening. An upside is that you can experiment with goofy drinks that you might not normally try; research is important you know! We got into the habit of having Aperol Spritzes before dinner in the MDR. The wines by the glass were acceptable for us at dinner, but it is more fun to have bottles from the Sommelier Suite. A special note for @VMax1700 – they now have Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin in all of the bars!

 

Excursions – We only did HAL excursions due to possible COVID issues. We never had any issues (other than skipping Grand Turk), and never had to show vaccine proof on shore. Mask wearing compliance was pretty good on the excursions. The “Craft Cocktails, Authentic Bites & San Juan History: In Partnership with Food & Wine Magazine" was quite good and we would recommend it. The “St. Thomas Foodie Walk: In Partnership with Food & Wine Magazine” was also good. In Curacao, we did the “Sunset Cruise in Willemstad’s Harbor” and thought it was fun; plenty of good snacks and drinks. The butterfly farm on the “Natural Wonders of Aruba” tour was definitely enjoyable (especially for photographers), but the rest of the tour was so-so.

 

Miscellaneous – Navigator worked fine on our phones and was quite useful. It worked particularly well on my Kindle Fire. Several daily newspapers could be accessed via Navigator. There were hard-copy crosswords and a couple of different types of sudoku every day at the front desk. Christmas decorations went up on December 1^st and were lovely. They started playing Christmas carols too, and it was clear that they need a bigger playlist! This was our first sailing as 4*s and we went to the “free” wine tasting twice. The "Cellar Master" was a big guy from Croatia (can't recall his name). He was an enjoyable fellow and did a good job with the tastings. He referred to the crew pouring the wine samples as "Sommeliers".

 

Final thoughts – It was a good cruise and we were extremely happy to be back on a HAL Ship. The overall experience was a bit muted perhaps. With all the staff and almost all passengers wearing masks, it made it hard to recognize people, read facial expressions, and have conversations. There were no Mariner’s lunches and the two cocktail parties for 4* and up were awfully tame affairs (no snacks other than peanuts). The sail-aways did have some decent hot snacks being handed out by the stern pool. We enjoyed things enough to book another cruise while onboard (and buy a pair of FCDs). We will be on the Rotterdam April 15, 2023 for an east-bound transatlantic and 7 days around Norway. We have also concluded that we prefer the Pinnacle class ships (despite the narrow promenade) due to the additional restaurants and music venues.

 

Fred, thanks for the review of your cruise.  It's about what we found on the Koningsdam.

 

Glad Mitzi's biopsy was benign.

 

3 hours ago, Live4cruises said:

Jacqui, frustrating maddening all those ing's!  Go with your bad mood today, and this army will assail the universe with requests for a quicker reunion.  I'm glad you have your two big dogs who will help you.

 

We have been to China twice, one sea and one river.  We are grateful we have gone and been able to see such amazing things (the terra cotta warriors and the wall), but we do not have a desire to return.  We are generally quite healthy, but on our second return we were both terribly ill similar to a bad flu.

 

As for this miserable Covid, maybe it's not so bad that we were alone this Christmas.  We have a lot of food on hand!  Plenty of leftover turkey, and one DS & DDIL gifted us with a generous box of beef from Kansas City steaks.  As long as the bar holds out, we are good for several weeks I think!

 

Unfortunately (to say the least), the other DS & DDIL have visitors and there is now Covid in their household.  Our DDIL has more than a mild case, but seems to be managing.  Healing thoughts for her are welcome.

 

Celebrations and Concerns - I'm ready to sweep away 2021 and be hopeful for ALL to have a happy and peaceful 2022.

 

Sorry your DDIL has Covid and not a mild case.  Sending positive thoughts for a full recovery.

 

3 hours ago, atexsix said:

Good Morning,

 

I hope everybody enjoyed the holidays.  It's a glorious day with the sun shining brightly, but cold. 

 

Thoughts and prayers to all that need them.  

 

Fruitcake, I wouldn't turn it down outright, depends what's in it.  Zoos, why not?  But I usually go on a whim during the slow times of the year when few people are there, like January.  Cut out snowflakes, no, arts and crafts aren't my strong suit.

 

@aliaschief Good luck with medical appointment

@dfish YES to any kind of dumpling stew, a must in the winter!  We have snow on the ground today too.

@mamaofami Glad you are feeling better Carol, so happy the test was negative!

@marshhawk Great idea on the cream cheese with fruitcake

@ger_77 I will give you all the turkey and I will take the dumplings 🙂

@luvteaching We have 6 inches on the ground and lots of ice; sorry you lost power, ugh, that really makes this weather a lot worst....do you have a fireplace?

@kazu so sorry about your situation, I'll have to go back and read the previous dailies on what is going on but I can tell it must not be good if someone is in the hospital, so lot of 🙏

@Cruising-along About the same in Issaquah, hoping the sun melts some of it today, I walked to the nearby Fred Meyer this morning, and staying in the rest of the day.

@Vict0riann You have happy hummingbirds, mine won't come near the feeder despite filling with fresh sugar water

 

DD update: he's doing better, the new meds seem to have things more under control, so in a way the hospital stay was a blessing in disguise, the V.A. only does so much.  

 

On the schedule for today, paperwork mostly.  Have a great Monday everyone!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bruno, I'm glad the meds are helping your Dear Dad, and that things have stabilized.

 

For those who have been hit by the extremely cold weather, take care and stay warm.

 

Lenda

[aliaschief]

Tried to use Hal website for last two days! What a terrible web site. 
 

They need to fire their entire IT Department and start anew!😡

[Sea Viewer]

5 hours ago, kazu said:

Jose’s phone isn’t set up yet since he’s not able to answer it 😔 I’ll have to see if the nurse will have time to take him the portable phone as they will most likely have to hold it for him unless he improves 😔 

 So sorry to hear this, hopefully you will be able to get to talk to him soon. 

Mary

[msmayor]

Two ends of the COVID spectrum...

 

@kazu Jacqui, can't begin to imagine the frustration...hope that you are able to be with Jose very soon.

 

@mamaofami pure joy on the negative test result...so happy for you.

 

I am supposed to be on vacation thru Wednesday, but yesterday got notice from a manager that one of his staff was exposed on Christmas Eve, and another employee tested positive last night.  Because part of my job is also in charge of HR, I had to spend time contacting both and determining tracing needs, informing on required time off, etc. and notifying other staff.  I'm expecting at least a few more in the next couple of days because of holiday gatherings.  

 

[Cruisercl]

3 hours ago, aliaschief said:

Tried to use Hal website for last two days! What a terrible web site. 
 

They need to fire their entire IT Department and start anew!😡

I have to say I also did not have any luck with their website today.

I called them instead because I wanted to take advantage of the 'have it all' event on a future cruise.

I was on hold for 10" which I did not think was too bad.

I was able to get $400 decrease on the cruise faire and add $150 OBC so I think I did ok.

Good luck!!😊

Hope everyone had a good Christmas holiday, if it is what you celebrate.

Awful weather here today in MN; blizzard, ice, rain, snow and now going to be very cold.....our Winter has arrived.

Take care all!

[erewhon]

Hello all, another busy day here on the Daily, thanks for all the reports, recipes, humour and photos.

Christmas cake (Fruit cake) will be eaten here today.

@Overhead Fred thanks for reviewing your cruise.

@smitty34877 what is the result of Tana's visit to the pulmonologist?

@kazu you are allowed to be grumpy and more!  Have the nurses had time to take the phone to Jose so that you can speak to him? Sending Hugs to you. 

Today having some more "Aerial irrigation"  (rain ), with occasional feeble appearances from the sun.

Have been to the neighbourhood supermarket this morning, everyone wearing masks, but some folk do not seem to understand that their nose as well as mouth should be covered with the mask!!

Stay safe, take care everyone.

[kazu]

23 minutes ago, erewhon said:

@kazu you are allowed to be grumpy and more!  Have the nurses had time to take the phone to Jose so that you can speak to him? Sending Hugs to you

 

They are pretty overwhelmed now without us (Designated Support Persons) as we do some of the caring and watching for them.

 

But while Jose was talking today he is still in delirium and would not know it was me - otherwise she would have passed the phone over.  Timing wasn’t right 😢 

Honestly when I am there he knows it’s me and then looks for me on the other side.  So, his awareness is off and on.  But the nurse has him talking which is important.  I just feel so helpless right now.  At least before, I could help a little  bit.

 

 

[Horizon chaser 1957]

Good, well, almost evening, all! I’m really late to,the party today. We left the Okanagan shortly after sunrise and drove home to Chilliwack. The winter storm is over, and the snow has stopped. In its place, it was VERY cold. We woke up to -28 outside. There was a lot of ice fog on the lake yesterday.

 

This morning, the ice fog was much thicker. Then, as the sun rose, the ice fog passing over the deeper part of the lake started forming tall, spiralling twisters. Like dust devils, only made of ice crystals. I’ve never seen that before. I didn’t even know those were a thing. Or maybe they only exist in 2021.🤔

 

 

 

And reminders of the winter storm that came through the pass ahead of us.

 

Anyway, I just HAD to share that! And now we are safely home, despite Arctic outflows and ice twisters.

Happy Monday. Have you ever seen an ice twister from a BHB?

[cat shepard]

23 minutes ago, Horizon chaser 1957 said:

Good, well, almost evening, all! I’m really late to,the party today. We left the Okanagan shortly after sunrise and drove home to Chilliwack. The winter storm is over, and the snow has stopped. In its place, it was VERY cold. We woke up to -28 outside. There was a lot of ice fog on the lake yesterday.

 

This morning, the ice fog was much thicker. Then, as the sun rose, the ice fog passing over the deeper part of the lake started forming tall, spiralling twisters. Like dust devils, only made of ice crystals. I’ve never seen that before. I didn’t even know those were a thing. Or maybe they only exist in 2021.🤔

 

 

 

And reminders of the winter storm that came through the pass ahead of us.

 

Anyway, I just HAD to share that! And now we are safely home, despite Arctic outflows and ice twisters.

Happy Monday. Have you ever seen an ice twister from a BHB?

 

Spectacular pictures, Laura! I have never heard of anything like that!

Stay warm!

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

39 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

They are pretty overwhelmed now without us (Designated Support Persons) as we do some of the caring and watching for them.

 

But while Jose was talking today he is still in delirium and would not know it was me - otherwise she would have passed the phone over.  Timing wasn’t right 😢 

Honestly when I am there he knows it’s me and then looks for me on the other side.  So, his awareness is off and on.  But the nurse has him talking which is important.  I just feel so helpless right now.  At least before, I could help a little  bit.

 

 

 

Jacqui, even though you can't be there to help Jose and the nurses, you can still help by taking care of yourself both mentally and physically, so you are able to give it your all when you  can be with Jose again, and when he comes home.  In the meantime, you can vent, rant and be grumpy here.  We all understand and will give you what help and support we can.

 

Lenda

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

26 minutes ago, Horizon chaser 1957 said:

Good, well, almost evening, all! I’m really late to,the party today. We left the Okanagan shortly after sunrise and drove home to Chilliwack. The winter storm is over, and the snow has stopped. In its place, it was VERY cold. We woke up to -28 outside. There was a lot of ice fog on the lake yesterday.

 

This morning, the ice fog was much thicker. Then, as the sun rose, the ice fog passing over the deeper part of the lake started forming tall, spiralling twisters. Like dust devils, only made of ice crystals. I’ve never seen that before. I didn’t even know those were a thing. Or maybe they only exist in 2021.🤔

 

 

 

And reminders of the winter storm that came through the pass ahead of us.

 

Anyway, I just HAD to share that! And now we are safely home, despite Arctic outflows and ice twisters.

Happy Monday. Have you ever seen an ice twister from a BHB?

 

Glad you are home safely. The pictures are stunning and interesting, especially from afar.

 

Lenda

[smitty34877]

@erewhon,The situation  was compounded today by the Dr finding pneumonia  upon exam.They are trying oral antibiotics  and prednisone  now and hopefully  she will not have to be admitted. Our hospitals both in NYC and in our city are pretty full with covid cases. 

Although a lot of people  are vaccinated in our area,there are enough  unvaccinated  folks getting pretty sick with this. My across the street neighbor  runs a restaurant  and is fully vaccinated and boostered.He and his wife are both sick with so far mild cases .

Stay well  and Happy New Year!