The Fleet Report and Daily for Wednesday September 28th, 2022

[bennybear]

Good day,  lots to catch up with!  
@dfishcongratulations , what a lovely home,  I giggled reading about the foot dragger,  you do reap what you sew. 
@kazu I’m in the camp of go, it will be good to do something different this year!  
@Cruzin Terri and @HAL Sailer I hope the earrings surface,  I lost  a favourite blue Tahitian and bought a new pair,  found the original in the car under the seat nearly a year later!  Then just a few weeks ago lost my favourite rose gold Italian heart, retraced my steps and Sh found it in the Costco parking lot in the dark!  Couldn’t believe my good fortune,   Hope the same happens to you or that you can at least get one made or find a replacement! 
@grapau27hopefuly most lesions are easily treatable, hoping that’s the case. 
 

hoping all can stay safe from these storms! 
@Quartzsite Cruiser great photo, not easy to catch! 
We had a lovely day in the mountains yesterday.  

 

Edited September 28, 2022 by bennybear

[grapau27]

3 minutes ago, bennybear said:

Good day,  lots to catch up with!  
@dfishcongratulations , what a lovely home,  I giggled reading about the foot dragger,  you do reap what you sew. 
@kazu I’m in the camp of go, it will be good to do something different this year!  
@Cruzin Terri and @HAL Sailer I hope the earrings surface,  I lost  a favourite blue Tahitian and bought a new pair,  found the original in the car under the seat nearly a year later!  Then just a few weeks ago lost my favourite rose gold Italian heart, retraced my steps and Sh found it in the Costco parking lot in the dark!  Couldn’t believe my good fortune,   Hope the same happens to you or that you can at least get one made or find a replacement! 
@grapau27hopefuly most lesions are easily treatable, hoping that’s the case. 
 

hoping all can stay safe from these storms! 
@Quartzsite Cruiser great photo, not easy to catch! 
We had a lovely day in the mountains yesterday.  

 

Thank you @bennybear.

Lovely photos,pleased you had an enjoyable time in the mountains yesterday.

Graham.

[Vict0riann]

Well, if you insist, here's few more from Nha Trang, I think that day included the most photos we took on the cruise!

 

Some of the children at the orphanage.  They were so cute and seemed to be enjoying life.  They were crazy about the stickers we brought them.

 

 

At the bakery - the mixing bowl!

 

 

Rice paddies went for miles - in the centre of the second photo I think are graves.  

 

 

 

At the giant Buddha there was a cemetery with some very elaborate graves.

 

 

 

 

At the hat-makers, they also made us some snacks.  I don't think I tried one..

 

 

This was inside the noodle factory

 

 

More at the Cham Towers

 

 

 

As we left I saw this strange structure.  I think it had something to do with birds..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[durangoscots]

2 hours ago, dfish said:

How's this for karma?   The first house is back on the market as the deal fell through.  Sleepy seller had better wake up.  And, no, we aren't considering it.  

 

 

I love the kitchen.   I'll be creating some masterpiece meals there.

 

 

Lots of room for two old ladies to spread out and not get on each other's nerves.

 

 

I hope you can make it to Ann Arbor.  That is a fun town.

 

 

Thanks, Graham!

 

 

We will have to have a celebration on the BHB.  Not to long now.

 

 

I see many evenings out by the fire pit with family around.

 

 

Thank you so much!

 

 

I thought the same thing.  I am wondering if it is one of the Alden Dow houses in Midland.  Alden Dow was a student of Frank Lloyd Wright.  There was one of his houses on the market last summer that had a window room.

 

 

The sleepy seller has his own headache today.

 

 

I suppose it does call for a bottle.

 

Can not wait!

 

Thank you!

 

 

I'm looking forward to the holidays in my new house.  Can't wait to cook that turkey.

 

Well, the truth is we let them keep the hot tub to get the price down where we wanted.  As nice as they are, they do suck up electricity like no tomorrow.  And then  you have the maintenance issues.  

 

 

Thank you!

 

 

Deb... glad to hear the other house is back on the market.... I did special work with that voodoo doll. Maybe the owner will have learned something. And you are soooo right not to consider it - I would never,ever trust that seller.

 

Susan

[durangoscots]

2 hours ago, grapau27 said:

I have just seen the skin specialist at our hospital.

He said I have 2 suspect lesions on my face that he said will need to be cut out.☹️

Oh too bad. Not fun. Hope they are small and shallow.

 

Susan

[kazu]

Back after an interesting session and a talk with my therapist and lunch with my friends and absolutely horrified with what I am seeing on TV about Ian.  Heartbroken for everyone on the Daily threatened and for everyone in it’s path.  Looks like this is the year of the worst storms/hurricanes ever - First here and now in Florida 😢 

Wonder now if people will start to believe that Global warming is a bad thing.  My prayers are with all of you.

 

5 hours ago, *Miss G* said:

The funeral yesterday was lovely.  Highlights were the Men’s Senior Choir, the Gospel, and when TAPS was played, along with the folding and presenting of the flag.  The choir was so moving that I would go to their concert if they had one.  

 

That is wonderful - glad to hear it was well done.

 

5 hours ago, *Miss G* said:

 

 I told her everyone was younger at our age.  (And then started calling her Miss Daisy in my head. 😂)

 

Anyway, it was a lovely service and I am glad I was able to get down there.

 

LOL on “Driving Miss Daisy”.  I’m glad you were able to be there too ♥️ It will mean so much to so many people ♥️ 

 

5 hours ago, *Miss G* said:

 I have started a LIVE thread for our Avalon river cruise beginning on Sunday if anyone is interested.  If the internet plays nice I will follow that with a LIVE from the Oosterdam.  

 

Wonderful 🙂 - I look forward to following along - especially for input on the river cruises and  the Oosterdam since I will soon be on her 😉 

 

5 hours ago, StLouisCruisers said:

Take care, and I hope your discussion with your friends yields confirmation on that holiday cruise.🚢

 

Thanks - my friends thought I was crazy to go solo, honestly. My grief therapist disagrees wholeheartedly.  She said what was important was I knew what i didn’t want and recommended I do it.  She didn’t think I was making a rash decision at all (I still do though 😉)

 

5 hours ago, superoma said:

I hope you do decide to cruise at Christmas. When my mom died suddenly 32 years ago we all(whole family) decided to do something radically different for Christmas just to get thru the first one without her. For us it was a huge seafood dinner, something she would never have done. Since then, I have suggested to a few friends that they also do something radical for that first major holiday to help get thru it. It helps. 

 

Thank you.  I hadn’t thought of it that way.  This would certainly be radial for me 😉 

 

4 hours ago, dfish said:

 The paperwork has been signed, sealed, and delivered.  This one is moving so much faster than the other one.  

 

YAY 🙂 I am so happy for you.  The house is beautiful.  Gorgeous.  👍. I’m jealous.

 

Of course it’s moving faster - you have a reasonable seller 😉 

 

4 hours ago, SJSULIBRARIAN said:

Kazu, I second everyone's thoughts on your going on a holiday cruise this year. When I did a solo holiday cruise in 2018, I found the whole experience so uplifting.

 

Thank you.  I really appreciate this kind of feed back. 👍 

 

4 hours ago, ger_77 said:

When I got up this morning, it was lying on the floor, but he quickly told me it was able to wear it until around 2AM - at least twice the length of time of the previous mask, so that's progress.  I know it takes time, and some patience, but he doesn't have a lot of the latter.  LOL

 

That is good news if he could wear it twice as long, Gerry.  Patience is a virtue - are you telling us that you DH is not virtuous LOL 😂 

 

3 hours ago, Live4cruises said:

I expect you realize that this is not the best forum to get an unbiased opinion regarding cruising.  Put my vote in the column that says a holiday cruise is a wonderful thing.

 

LOL yes, I know people here are going to be a tad prejudiced 😉 , but I also know that there are some that have been in my shoes, sadly so any pros and cons I could get are most helpful 👍  The finances are going to take a hit but one the other hand, what am I saving it for?  Just hope the markets improved  in a few months 😉 

 

3 hours ago, Seasick Sailor said:

Jacqui what holiday cruise ship are you thinking about? Per chance... Rotterdam? 

 

No sorry - N Statendam - 21 days.  If I’m going to try to get out in snow storms - I’m going to make it worthwhile for the good weather 😉 

 

 

3 hours ago, Horizon chaser 1957 said:

@kazu Jacqui, I think the holiday cruise is a good idea. IMHO, this Christmas is going to feel wrong emotionally no matter where you spend it. On a holiday cruise, there are lights and distractions and visible reasons why nothing is quite the same or quite right.

 

Thanks

 

3 hours ago, Horizon chaser 1957 said:

Also, in the future when you are home for Christmas, your home won’t be carrying the memories of the pain from this Christmas.

 

I never even thought of that - thanks.

 

2 hours ago, dfish said:

How's this for karma?   The first house is back on the market as the deal fell through.  Sleepy seller had better wake up.  And, no, we aren't considering it.  

 

LOL - I just knew Karma would get him.  LOVE it 🙂. You’re the winner in this one with a better home and deal IMO - after all you don’t have to deal with this jerk any longer 🙂 

 

 

1 hour ago, Vict0riann said:

 Jacqui, @kazu, a holiday cruise sounds wonderful, and may be just what you need.  I think J&J are on one too, but on the west coast.  

 

 

Yes - J & J are on the West Coast, Ann.  They are actually the inspiration behind this.  They invited me to join them but I just couldn’t find do-able flights from here to San Diego - either a ridiculous connection time of 1 hour and 10 minutes (no one gets through U.S. Customs in that time and connects - especially at Pearson) or hours of layover (and I do mean hours) and ridiculous pricing.  I even tried flying straight to Honolulu and then going back.

 

This is much easier flight wise and much better pricing for me as a solo.  Would have loved to have sailed with them. Oh well. 😔 

 

Thanks for the fabulous pics 👍 

 

19 minutes ago, bennybear said:

I’m in the camp of go, it will be good to do something different this year!  

 

Thanks Brenda.

 

I do believe I am going to try it.  the worst that happens is I can’t get out due to storms.  (Why I don’t normally get out of Dodge in the winter). I’ll fly out 3 days early so that if there is a storm, I still have a hope.  If it isn’t do-able weather wise, it was meant to be and I have insurance in place.

[HAL Sailer]

This isn't a very clear picture but it is of THE ROOF of a friend's boat well on an inland canal near Ft Myers. It was sent to her by a neighbor who is 'riding it out' in Hurricane Ian. ("Floating" is probably a better term than 'riding it out' based on this picture.)

 

 

-Melisa 

Edited September 28, 2022 by HAL Sailer
missing word

[dfish]

1 hour ago, Cruzin Terri said:

@dfishDebbie, I love the photos of the house.  May you enjoy many happy years there.

 

Thank  you, Terri!

 

1 hour ago, Cruzin Terri said:

Jim and I have decided that we are going to prepare as if we are going on our trip.  We will see what happens.  That being said.  i have some ironing to do this afternoon.

Take care everyone.

Terri

 

Good!  I hope you do get out and can go on your trip.

 

1 hour ago, HAL Sailer said:

@dfish Please know that, though distracted by Ian, I am celebrating with you. I can't wait till I can take a thorough and thoughtful look at all of your pictures and reports

Congratulations!

-Melisa

 

Thank you, Melisa.  I've been watching Ian as well.  I am so thankful my niece and her DH got out Monday night.  They live in Sarasota.

 

57 minutes ago, JazzyV said:

@dfish Karma indeed! You get the last laugh on that first seller.

 

It warms the heart, doesn't it?

 

50 minutes ago, bennybear said:

@dfishcongratulations , what a lovely home,  I giggled reading about the foot dragger,  you do reap what you sew. 

 

Lot's of giggles going around here.

 

34 minutes ago, durangoscots said:

Deb... glad to hear the other house is back on the market.... I did special work with that voodoo doll. Maybe the owner will have learned something. And you are soooo right not to consider it - I would never, ever trust that seller.

 

Susan

 

Susan, thank you so much for your work on the Voodoo doll.  My sister and her husband were going to sneak up there at night and cut the garden hose that was holding the tree branches off the roof.  They didn't make it, so your hard work is what paid off.

 

28 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

Thanks - my friends thought I was crazy to go solo, honestly. My grief therapist disagrees wholeheartedly.  She said what was important was I knew what i didn’t want and recommended I do it.  She didn’t think I was making a rash decision at all (I still do though 😉)

 

I'm not so sure it is rash.  Out of the norm for you, but from what I am reading you have thought it out.  You have insurance if weather prevents you from going and you've researched the flights and all.  I think it is a great decision.  Sometimes our friends can't see themselves doing something like cruising solo so they don't think it is good for anyone.  I've done both.  I usually cruise with my sister, but if she can't go, I go solo.  I've had great trips going solo.  You are an independent woman with a lot of experience and knowledge.  You can do this. 

 

28 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

YAY 🙂 I am so happy for you.  The house is beautiful.  Gorgeous.  👍. I’m jealous.

Of course it’s moving faster - you have a reasonable seller 😉 

LOL - I just knew Karma would get him.  LOVE it 🙂. You’re the winner in this one with a better home and deal IMO - after all you don’t have to deal with this jerk any longer 🙂 

 

Thank you!  

[HAL Sailer]

The Weather Channel just announced Ian's eye has officially come in at Cayo Costa. You can't drive from my family's place (or anywhere) to the island of Cayo Costa but it is ≈18 miles directly south of our place by boat.

 

-M.

[grapau27]

58 minutes ago, Vict0riann said:

Well, if you insist, here's few more from Nha Trang, I think that day included the most photos we took on the cruise!

 

Some of the children at the orphanage.  They were so cute and seemed to be enjoying life.  They were crazy about the stickers we brought them.

 

 

At the bakery - the mixing bowl!

 

 

Rice paddies went for miles - in the centre of the second photo I think are graves.  

 

 

 

At the giant Buddha there was a cemetery with some very elaborate graves.

 

 

 

 

At the hat-makers, they also made us some snacks.  I don't think I tried one..

 

 

This was inside the noodle factory

 

 

More at the Cham Towers

 

 

 

As we left I saw this strange structure.  I think it had something to do with birds..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Great selection of photos Ann.

Thank you for sharing.

Graham.

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

3 hours ago, dfish said:

How's this for karma?   The first house is back on the market as the deal fell through.  Sleepy seller had better wake up.  And, no, we aren't considering it.  

 

 

YEAH  for karma!  My first thought was how lucky you and Sue were to find the lovely house you are buying and to be rid of the sleepy seller.  The second thought was, Yes, there is justice!  And finally, there may be more karma.  If he keeps this pattern up, other agents may start warning their clients about the problems with this seller.  I feel sorry for his agent, and I hope he/she will sit him down and give him a good talking to.

 

Lenda

[cat shepard]

My saga continues, and this helps me not focus on you know what…

 

September 14th

 

Up early figured I should get dressed before wandering out into the kitchen. Bella peaked in the bedroom as I opened the door. And those heated floors of the bathroom were so welcoming. Once ready, I headed out to the kitchen, only to continue out to the deck, where my host and hostess were enjoying coffee and reading the paper. Although a bit cloudy, there were promises of a beautiful day. 
 

You all know the feeling when you just “click” with someone? Well I was lucky to experience it with my host & hostess.  My friend eventually joined us and we decided to take Bella down to Carkeek Park for a walk this morning. Then we would Uber downtown to visit the Chihuly Glass & Gardens, and then walk down to a Pioneer Square and look for a place for dinner. Our host and hostess both had work conferences thy could not skip. One was the host. The other was the key speaker. 
 

We quickly got into hiking clothes and headed out. The path from the street to the park was steep and had a lot of loose stones on it. It brought back memories of my Iceland fall, so we agreed to turn around at a steep hairpin turn, since we could not see how far we still had to go. It was still a good workout, even though we did not accomplish our goal. 
 

We returned to the house, showered and then ordered an Uber to pick us up. Our driver was there in minutes, and we had a very comfortable ride downtown.  There was construction going on around the area, so our driver had to figure out a way to get us to the entrance. He left us off and we headed in. 
 

It is such a magical place. I can only hope some of my pictures work. Dale C. Is such a visionary.  We explored the inside of the place, then grabbed lunch and sat outside and watched the glass blowing demo.  
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We then wandered the gardens which were whimsical and breathtaking at the same time.
 

 

We reentered the building at watched a couple of short documentary flicks. One describing how one of my favorites was named. “Macchia” is the Italian word for spotted. 

 

 

 

We headed out and I used Google maps to help us find our way to Pioneer Square. It was a bit of a walk, but it was a beautiful day.  As we neared the square, we started to see food options appear. Some were closed. One that looked fun was disappointing because no one greeted us or even acknowledged us for the entire time we stood at the cash register. Perhaps they were out back and busy.

 

Almost across the street we saw “The Good Bar”’s sign. We laughed and headed across the street to check it out. It had a great vibe, though almost empty. But it was only 4:30 - early by city dinner times. We checked out the menu and knew this was the place. Very innovative. We each had a glass Radicle Vine Red blend from Willamette Valley while we decided on our food. It was a very nice red blend. 
I ordered hummus and pita, and a roasted eggplant smothered in an olive tapenade mix with a cous cous side salad. My friend opted for a shredded beet salad with pita, and a roasted cauliflower salad. Everything was delicious and the pita was freshly made!  We shared a fig jam swirl cheesecake that was lip smacking.  Oh and somewhere along the way, we had a second glass of wine. 😎

 

We Ubered back to our temporary home. And Bella greeted us 7ntil she realized neither her Mom nor Dad were with us.  She was so stressed, she gave off this pitiful howl. How dare we invade her home? Luckily her Dad came home about 30 minutes after we did, which calmed her right down. And she promptly fell asleep curled around her favorite toy. 

We sat up and chatted for awhile until our hostess returned home, and then we all turned in. 

[Himself]

Thanks for the DAILY Fleet update

[MISTER 67]

1 hour ago, grapau27 said:

Thank you Vanessa.

It’s unbelievable here right now on our golf course and condo, 125MPH winds with sideways rain and loud rumbles. We lost power at 3pm. Things should start improving around 6 pm at least I hope so. 29 years in Florida and never went through anything like this.

[cat shepard]

1 minute ago, MISTER 67 said:

It’s unbelievable here right now on our golf course and condo, 125MPH winds with sideways rain and loud rumbles. We lost power at 3pm. Things should start improving around 6 pm at least I hope so. 29 years in Florida and never went through anything like this.

 

Some of the videos and live camera shots are truly horrifying. And there was a groups of idiots “swimming” in the water at Ft Myers Beach. I hope no first responders had to be wasted or endangered them. 
 

Stay safe. 

[dfish]

26 minutes ago, Quartzsite Cruiser said:

 

YEAH  for karma!  My first thought was how lucky you and Sue were to find the lovely house you are buying and to be rid of the sleepy seller.  The second thought was, Yes, there is justice!  And finally, there may be more karma.  If he keeps this pattern up, other agents may start warning their clients about the problems with this seller.  I feel sorry for his agent, and I hope he/she will sit him down and give him a good talking to.

 

Lenda

 

It would be nice if his agent did sit him down and let him know what the score is.  But, my agent thinks his agent was aiding and abetting him.   Maybe too inexperienced to know when to tell a client the cold, hard facts.   I listened to everything my agent told me and did everything he asked.  And my home played out exactly as he said it would.  I knew he had a lot more experience than I did and I valued his advice.  Too many sellers are trying to take advantage of the market right now.  It is still good for a seller, but it is evening out.  There are a lot of homes on the market right now that have inflated prices.  Both of our choices were like that and that is why they were on the market, or back on the market, for so long.  Sue and I are two of the few buyers who bought significantly below asking. 

 

4 minutes ago, MISTER 67 said:

It’s unbelievable here right now on our golf course and condo, 125MPH winds with sideways rain and loud rumbles. We lost power at 3pm. Things should start improving around 6 pm at least I hope so. 29 years in Florida and never went through anything like this.

Thanks for checking in with us.  We are worrying even with the check ins.   I am so thankful my niece is in Tennessee.   

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

Good afternoon on a busy day on the Fleet/Daily.  I have finally read all the posts, and will comment on them in a few minutes.  At least, the house is clean and even feels fresh -- for now.  The actual work time was the same, but I finished later  even though I started earlier.

 

This morning when we went to get out mail, we stopped to see our neighbor who had the first of the two surgeries DH will have.  The neighbor's was Monday, and if you didn't know better, you would not know he'd just had surgery.  We visited with both hs and his wife.   She also told us that the last few days before the surgery he had begun to really struggle to walk.  When they got him  up to walk that afternoon, she said there was a marked difference.  She added that he was walking so fast the two therapists who were walking on either side of him were out of breath when they got back to the room, but our neighbor wasn't.

 

While the surgery is minimally invasive there is a two to three inch incision on the first one and maybe a four inch incision on the second one.  Still that's better than our neighbor who had traditional spinal fusion surgery with the screws.  The incision went almost the length of her back.  

 

Since the surgery DH is having can be done as one operation we wondered why the surgeon does it in two.  Our neighbor's wife said she learned that when he did it in two stages he had better success.  

 

We get our mail in a cluster box, and many times it has been nearly impossible to get it out of the box.  The back opening is bigger than the one we open.  Today, we could not get the package out since it was about 1/4 inch or so taller than the opening.  DH used his pocket knife to cut the box open so we could remove the contents which was mostly packing,.  Then we could flatten it some to get it out.  Other neighbors have needed to call the PO to get them to come out and retrieve the mail and bring it to their house.

 

13 minutes ago, MISTER 67 said:

It’s unbelievable here right now on our golf course and condo, 125MPH winds with sideways rain and loud rumbles. We lost power at 3pm. Things should start improving around 6 pm at least I hope so. 29 years in Florida and never went through anything like this.

 

Thank you for checking in with the updates.  It's good to know you are still okay, and we hope that continues with this storm too.  Stay safe, and don't take any chances.

 

Lenda

[HAL Sailer]

1 hour ago, HAL Sailer said:

This isn't a very clear picture but it is of THE ROOF of a friend's boat well on an inland canal near Ft Myers. It was sent to her by a neighbor who is 'riding it out' in Hurricane Ian.

 

Quoting myself but with a VERY SAD UPDATE from my friend about her neighborhood. She isn't there but received this as she did the boat lift picture from her neighbor who is riding it out.

 

"L __ and L __  lost their roof. Mine is still holding. But, the house next to L & L - an older couple in a two story house- they stayed. For some reason the husband opened the garage door . Something about getting cats. The water rushed in. The garage door fell, hit him in the head and he is dead."

 

Sadder than I can imagine,

-M.

[kochleffel]

I have tahini on hand but no miso or squash. I think that dinner tonight will be bok choy and vegan sausage, but I'm not sure. I have too many different vegetables on hand, courtesy of Misfits Market -- next time I will order fewer -- and most of them don't seem like they'd play well in the same meal with any of the others.

 

I've cancelled the flights for the January cruise and will probably cancel the cruise as well. If I don't, rebooking the flights would cost less than before, because the original routing created a broken fare that is no longer possible.

 

The Junior Cat is sad about the lioness in the National Zoo, and from last week, about the lioness in the Erie zoo. She is also peeved about getting no gefilte fish for Rosh Hashanah.

[Live4cruises]

@HAL Sailer, that is just terrible.  My heart breaks.

[rafinmd]

Today's sunrise was taken at my local park this morning as the sun was emerging from the trees.

 

Roy

[Cruzin Terri]

24 minutes ago, HAL Sailer said:

 

Quoting myself but with a VERY SAD UPDATE from my friend about her neighborhood. She isn't there but received this as she did the boat lift picture from her neighbor who is riding it out.

 

"L __ and L __  lost their roof. Mine is still holding. But, the house next to L & L - an older couple in a two story house- they stayed. For some reason the husband opened the garage door . Something about getting cats. The water rushed in. The garage door fell, hit him in the head and he is dead."

 

Sadder than I can imagine,

-M.

I am so sorry to hear this.  Prayers for all involved.

Terri

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

8 hours ago, Lady Hudson said:

Checking in.  We have been away for a few days with DH’s family.  Some family members flew in from CA for a mini family reunion.  Nephew wanted to see family before joining the Space Force!  They only take in 500 a year so a very select group.  
 

Prayers for all on the care list and for those in the direct path of Ian.  May his strength decrease and no loss of life for all impacted.

 

Covid starting again here in PA.  In last 2 weeks four friends have contracted the virus — all fully vaccinated and very careful where they go — basically staying home unless absolutely necessary.  One friend is hospitalized.  Crazy!  Covid needs to end — NOW.

 

Katherine

 

Katherine, I'm glad you had the mini-reunion with your DH's family.  Sorry to hear that covid is starting again in PA.

 

8 hours ago, cunnorl said:

Good Morning from a very rainy and dark day at the beach

      I truly appreciate my neighbors , we all pitch in to help when we can. I think there is going to more of that in the next few days.

       Publix lands are important to all of us and need to be preserved. Not a beer drinker.

       @dfish Debbie, Congratulations on your new home. I wish you evert happiness in your new adventure.

         I received an email from HAL this AM and there are many changes to our itinerary. Its Ok, just happy to be able to go at all.

       We are in for the duration. We will not get the same intensity as @MISTER 67 on the west coast. We are currently expecting 60-70 mile an hour winds and heavy rain. Storm shutters will go down shortly. I always feel like I am in a cave!  The ocean is loud and angry. All whitecaps. Storm surge will probably cover the dunes but sand can be replaced and as long as everyone is safe, that is what is important.

     Ann @cat shepard  Looks like Volusia is going for a ride. Be safe!

 

 Stay safe and enjoy today

    Charlene

 

Charlene, I hope the replacement ports are as good if not better than the ones you lost,  The best thing is you will be on a BHB.  Stay safe during the storm.

 

7 hours ago, StLouisCruisers said:

In April 2010 we stopped on our Diamond Princess cruise in Nha Trang, Vietnam.  Yes, it definitely used to be and still is a resort town.  It has a really lovely beach.  Here is a photo as the ship arrived and anchored.  

 

We took a tour which first took us to Bao Dai Villa, a palace on a hill built for the last Vietnamese king, Bao Dai.

 

Ship at anchor as seen from the hill the palace was situated on.

 

 

 

We had to walk back down the hill to board our bus again.

 

View from the bus as we headed to an embroidery studio.

 

 

Amazing the patience these young ladies have while they work on these intricate embroidered pieces.

 

 

You could purchase a souvenir here but had better be able to carry it home with you.

 

Their gowns include lots of their embroidery work.

 

This is the beach @MISTER 67mentioned across the street from some huge hotels (and his base back during the war).

 

 

 

 

Heading back to our tender dock

 

 

It was a nice day actually!  I can see why people would want to vacation there in Nha Trang.  Hope you enjoyed my travel photos.

 

Sandi, thanks for the pictures of Nha Trang.  It looks like an interesting place.

 

7 hours ago, *Miss G* said:

Good morning.  I alot myself two minutes to complete this post.  😂

 

I cannot agree with Mother Teresa more. A smile is more important than some people realize, not just for the receiver but for the giver too.

 

The funeral yesterday was lovely.  Highlights were the Men’s Senior Choir, the Gospel, and when TAPS was played, along with the folding and presenting of the flag.  The choir was so moving that I would go to their concert if they had one.  

 

I sat beside my mother-in-law on the limo rides.  The whole time she was saying she wouldn’t go this way or that she always went the other way and this wasn’t the way.  I told her that the police had chosen the route to minimize traffic disruption and that we were following them.  She then told me that they were probably following a GPS, which is known to take you in circles.  And besides that, they were all young and didn’t know any better.  I told her everyone was younger at our age.  (And then started calling her Miss Daisy in my head. 😂)

 

Anyway, it was a lovely service and I am glad I was able to get down there.

 

Okay, I have gone well over my time.  I have my hair appointment to run to and a flight to catch.  I also need to finish packing.  I have started a LIVE thread for our Avalon river cruise beginning on Sunday if anyone is interested.  If the internet plays nice I will follow that with a LIVE from the Oosterdam.  Have a great day everyone!

 

 

 

I'm glad the funeral was lovely, and I smiled about "Miss Daisy".  Hope your flight is on time and worry free.  Enjoy your cruises.

 

7 hours ago, marshhawk said:

Good Wednesday Morning Dailyites!  When I woke up, my new time seems to be 7:46 (3 days in a row) the temps said 49.  Up to a whopping 51 now.  House is still in the shade.

 

Loved the picture of Jupiter.  I gave DH a telescope years ago,  but while he found a dark sky week in Cedar Key Florida fascinating, he really didn't want to do the work to see the stars.  So the telescope is a dust collector in the "library".

 

DH has a stress test tomorrow.  It's been 4 years since his heart attack.  I really do wish they would talk to him about his diet, but his oncologist keeps telling him to enjoy life.  So a battle of theories amongst physicians.

 

Work computer crashed cross country yesterday, so I got paid for 3 hours, and only worked one hour last night.

 

 

The beauty of the two new telescopes that DH is using now is they can be controlled from his tablet or iPad.  Not much work involved.  I hope your DH gets a good report from his stress test tomorrow.

 

7 hours ago, dfish said:

 

Many thanks to all of you!   The paperwork has been signed, sealed, and delivered.  This one is moving so much faster than the other one.  

 

 

 

The exercise equipment will not be staying in the living room.  

 

 

 

 

All new appliances, granite countertops, and soft close cabinets and drawers.  And, we have a dishwasher!

 

Double oven for holiday baking!

 

 

The house does have central air, but the sellers thought it needed a boost.   We'll see next summer.

 

 

 

Cannot wait to use this!  

 

 

Debbie, thanks for the pictures of the new house.  It looks so light and airy, and I guessed it was a mid-century modern.  The foot dragging jerk did you and Sue a favor.  I can't imagine that the first house was this nice.

 

7 hours ago, ger_77 said:

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily!  We'll both enjoy some suds this afternoon to celebrate National Beer Day; we try to be good neighbours and are blessed to be surrounded by them, and we are grateful for public lands.

 

@dfishCongratulations on getting your new home - I love it !!!!  It looks so nice; I'm envious of the kitchen in particular!

 

I pulled up the Weather Channel on the PC this morning and saw your famous Jim Cantore at Punta Gorda - all I can say is YIKES!!   I am adding my prayers for everyone's safety, as Ian sounds quite ominous and could leave a trail of devastation in his wake.

 

DH had an appointment with the CPAP people yesterday as he simply couldn't adjust to the partial mask - he was fitted with a full mouth and nose that seems to have been much more comfortable.  When I got up this morning, it was lying on the floor, but he quickly told me it was able to wear it until around 2AM - at least twice the length of time of the previous mask, so that's progress.  I know it takes time, and some patience, but he doesn't have a lot of the latter.  LOL

 

We stopped in Nha Trang on our SE Asia cruise in 2019, but I can't locate my photos.  I remember spending the day visiting the embroidery factory, driving past miles and miles of rice fields, watching the construction of grass mats and cone shaped hats by people with endless amounts of patience.   A couple of highlights were seeing how rice noodles were made (in someone's back yard - no factory there!!), and DH got to sit on a water buffalo - I went over to the sweet animal and he nuzzled me just like a big dog would.  

 

I like today's wine suggestion - do you seriously think I could refuse one with notes of black cherry, cola and milk chocolate?  Here's my glass, fill 'er up!  I'm thinking I'd like today's menu suggestion if it was served to me, but won't be making it for ourselves.  We have lovely leftovers from last night's dinner with our friend - we went to a Greek restaurant and brought home half of our meals, as they were huge.  I've got delicious lamb chops and lemon roast potatoes, while DH has a double pork chop with garlic mashed potatoes that we'll enjoy on the deck tonight.  And wine.

 

Prayers for everyone who is hurting and especially those in Ian's path.  We'll cheer on all who have celebrations to enjoy.  Stay safe, everyone!

 

Smooth Sailing!  🙂🙂🙂

Gerry

 

Gerry, I hope your DH adjusts to the new face mask soon.

 

5 hours ago, jimgev said:

The worst of the storm is starting to hit us now. Expected landfall is about 30 miles NW of us. So far we still have power and all is well. the next few hours are going to be a mess.

 

Thanks for checking in.  It's good to know that our Dailyites are weathering Ian safely.  Take care.

 

5 hours ago, TiogaCruiser said:

Good Morning All,

Its Wednesday already.

 

Joining in prayer for those being affected/threatened by the storms.

 

@dfish What a lovely house! It feels so “outdoors”, sort of a feeling of Frank Lloyd Wright.

 

@smitty34877 Praying your family isn’t affected again by Covid.

 

I’m waiting to hear from my Dad about the rest his birthday. Last update was before he went to dinner. Maybe this is a good time to share a heartwarming story:

 

Dad lives independently in an RCFE. Residents have their own “condos”, and get one meal per calendar day in the “MDR” included in the fee.  A few birthdays ago, the staff sat him at his table that was set up in advance with balloons, sang Happy Birthday, and presented him with a huge ice cream Sundae. He thanked them, and said to his waiter he needed someone to share it with him, and would he help him?  A few minutes later, the young man returned, sat down with Dad, and they shared the sundae and some wonderful conversation. Dad still gets a glow when he talks about it.

 

Stay safe everyone, and have a great day!

 

I enjoyed the story about your DF's birthday with the waiter.  Hope last night's dinner was as good.

 

5 hours ago, Cat in my lap said:

We are still in Houston- I was able to change flight to Tampa to Saturday- also had to extend hotel here and change some appointments.  I am glad I did - thanks for encouragement to change.

 

My DS who lives on water near us in St Petersburg went to a friend’s house in a non evacuation zone.  Water may still be a problem.  She has a greenhouse which may not withstand winds, but moved orchids inside.  But we are really lucky.  I hope that others survive wind and water.  Ian looks dangerous. 
 

best wishes to all.  I hope everyone stays safe.  Congratulations Debbie on getting new house!  It looks nice.

 

Glad you could change your flights to Saturday.  I hope your DS is safe at the friend's house.

 

5 hours ago, Horizon chaser 1957 said:

Good morning, all! The days and the meal sound interesting. We have been to Nha  Trang, but don’t have pictures. I remember the Cham Towers, a very interesting market, amazing coffee at a tiny place only a few blocks from the tourist area, and that amazing beach. I also remember absolutely blazing heat. It was a wonderful day, but man oh man was the shower ever welcome when we got back to the Volendam!

We are at Vancouver airport waiting to leave for Montreal. It’s been years since I took a domestic flight. Things are so much easier without Customs and Immigration pre clearance to go through!

@dfishDebbie that is so wonderful you have a house! And such a beautiful one! And you don’t have the potential headaches of dealing with that sleepy seller of the one that fell through.

@kazu Jacqui, I think the holiday cruise is a good idea. IMHO, this Christmas is going to feel wrong emotionally no matter where you spend it. On a holiday cruise, there are lights and distractions and visible reasons why nothing is quite the same or quite right. Also, in the future when you are home for Christmas, your home won’t be carrying the memories of the pain from this Christmas. @Quartzsite Cruiser Lenda, that picture your DH took of Jupiter is fabulous!

Fingers crossed and prayers sent for all in Hurricane Ian’s path. Stay safe!
Happy Wednesday everyone! May all the BHBs stay safe as Ian approaches!

 

Laura, I hope you have/had a safe flight.  Enjoy all your time on BHBs.  Looking forward to following along on your blog.

 

4 hours ago, grapau27 said:

I have just seen the skin specialist at our hospital.

He said I have 2 suspect lesions on my face that he said will need to be cut out.☹️

 

Graham, I'm sorry you are having more lesions removed, but I hope he caught them early and before they were malignant.

 

3 hours ago, Vict0riann said:

Good morning, Dailyites.  Lots of news today - congratulations on the new home, @dfish, to the Floridians, stay safe!   Eastern Canada has a major clean-up job ahead with so much damage from Fiona, hope Florida fares better.  Terry, @smitty34877, hope the Covid passes you by.  You don't need that again.  Jacqui, @kazu, a holiday cruise sounds wonderful, and may be just what you need.  I think J&J are on one too, but on the west coast.  Graham, @grapau27, hope the skin lesions are nothing serious and they get at them pdq!

 

I see @StLouisCruisers' photos are not like mine of Nha Trang, so will add a few.  We were there in 2014 on the Volendamand I have forgotten a lot, to will post Pat's diary entry first (he has been keeping diaries of our cruises for a while, and they are a great help for this senior brain!)  We were travelling with Pat's DS and her hubby and our youngest, Cathy, and we had a great active roll call.

 

Sunday, February 9, 2014
At 8.00 am 17 of us met on the dockside for a tour of Nha Trang (Vietnam) organized by Judy, another of our Meet & Greet Group. Our tour guide was Dong Pham, owner of his own tour company. Our first stop was a silk factory in XQ Historical Village. Next, we stopped at a family bakery where Dung  Pham bought some freshly made bread rolls made from cassava. They were delicious. Our next stop was an orphanage which housed about 120 children. We then visited a mat-making factory. Several of us, including Cathy, worked the loom. Some of us bought place mats. We then stopped at a family-run restaurant for fruit and drinks. Our next stop was a rice noodle making facility. We then visited a 48 meter-high Buddha and adjoining cemetery. We then visited a family-run business making the traditional Vietnamese conical hats. Several of us, including Ann, bought such hats. Lunch was next at a small restaurant by the river. Following the lunch we boarded two boats and "cruised" down the river to Nha Trang to board the bus again. Our next port of call were the Cham Towers, followed by a visit to a market. For those who wanted to, walked on a sandy beach and dipped toes in the sea! We stopped at a rice paddy field on the way back to the ship for A photo op. 

 

I have a lot of photos, many need a few posts to add them all!  It was a very interesting day.

 

Bakery!

 

 

 

At the orphanage

 

 

 

 

Noodles

 

 

Buddha

 

 

 

 

Ann, thanks for sharing all your pictures and the page from Pat's diary.  Maybe someday, we'll add that port to the others we visited in Vietnam.

 

3 hours ago, Cruzin Terri said:

@dfishDebbie, I love the photos of the house.  May you enjoy many happy years there.

@grapau27i hope all goes well for you.  Prayers that it does,

 

I went to Publix to get some water and a few things.  The shelves are empty!  I was only able to get gallon jars of drinking water. Better than nothing.

 

Jim and I have decided that we are going to prepare as if we are going on our trip.  We will see what happens.  That being said.  i have some ironing to do this afternoon.

Take care everyone.

Terri

 

Terri, I like your decision to prepare for you trip Saturday.  Finger's crossed that by then you will be able to go.  🤞

 

2 hours ago, bennybear said:

Good day,  lots to catch up with!  
@dfishcongratulations , what a lovely home,  I giggled reading about the foot dragger,  you do reap what you sew. 
@kazu I’m in the camp of go, it will be good to do something different this year!  
@Cruzin Terri and @HAL Sailer I hope the earrings surface,  I lost  a favourite blue Tahitian and bought a new pair,  found the original in the car under the seat nearly a year later!  Then just a few weeks ago lost my favourite rose gold Italian heart, retraced my steps and Sh found it in the Costco parking lot in the dark!  Couldn’t believe my good fortune,   Hope the same happens to you or that you can at least get one made or find a replacement! 
@grapau27hopefuly most lesions are easily treatable, hoping that’s the case. 
 

hoping all can stay safe from these storms! 
@Quartzsite Cruiser great photo, not easy to catch! 
We had a lovely day in the mountains yesterday.  

 

 

Thanks for your pictures of the drive in the mountains..

 

2 hours ago, durangoscots said:

Deb... glad to hear the other house is back on the market.... I did special work with that voodoo doll. Maybe the owner will have learned something. And you are soooo right not to consider it - I would never,ever trust that seller.

 

Susan

 

Susan, I'm glad the voodoo doll worked so that @dfish Debbie could get the better house.  You might consider keeping the voodoo doll working so that maybe the foot dragger will learn a lesson.  🤣

 

2 hours ago, kazu said:

Back after an interesting session and a talk with my therapist and lunch with my friends and absolutely horrified with what I am seeing on TV about Ian.  Heartbroken for everyone on the Daily threatened and for everyone in it’s path.  Looks like this is the year of the worst storms/hurricanes ever - First here and now in Florida 😢 
 

Thanks - my friends thought I was crazy to go solo, honestly. My grief therapist disagrees wholeheartedly.  She said what was important was I knew what i didn’t want and recommended I do it.  She didn’t think I was making a rash decision at all (I still do though 😉)

 

Jacqui, I agree with your therapist, and think you have thought the cruise through and are prepared.  Yes, it will not be the same as previous cruises, but you will be with people and not sitting home feeling sad.  Next year, the holidays will have the added memories of a great cruise.

 

1 hour ago, cat shepard said:

My saga continues, and this helps me not focus on you know what…

 

September 14th

 

Up early figured I should get dressed before wandering out into the kitchen. Bella peaked in the bedroom as I opened the door. And those heated floors of the bathroom were so welcoming. Once ready, I headed out to the kitchen, only to continue out to the deck, where my host and hostess were enjoying coffee and reading the paper. Although a bit cloudy, there were promises of a beautiful day. 
 

You all know the feeling when you just “click” with someone? Well I was lucky to experience it with my host & hostess.  My friend eventually joined us and we decided to take Bella down to Carkeek Park for a walk this morning. Then we would Uber downtown to visit the Chihuly Glass & Gardens, and then walk down to a Pioneer Square and look for a place for dinner. Our host and hostess both had work conferences thy could not skip. One was the host. The other was the key speaker. 
 

We quickly got into hiking clothes and headed out. The path from the street to the park was steep and had a lot of loose stones on it. It brought back memories of my Iceland fall, so we agreed to turn around at a steep hairpin turn, since we could not see how far we still had to go. It was still a good workout, even though we did not accomplish our goal. 
 

We returned to the house, showered and then ordered an Uber to pick us up. Our driver was there in minutes, and we had a very comfortable ride downtown.  There was construction going on around the area, so our driver had to figure out a way to get us to the entrance. He left us off and we headed in. 
 

It is such a magical place. I can only hope some of my pictures work. Dale C. Is such a visionary.  We explored the inside of the place, then grabbed lunch and sat outside and watched the glass blowing demo.  
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We then wandered the gardens which were whimsical and breathtaking at the same time.
 

 

We reentered the building at watched a couple of short documentary flicks. One describing how one of my favorites was named. “Macchia” is the Italian word for spotted. 

 

 

 

We headed out and I used Google maps to help us find our way to Pioneer Square. It was a bit of a walk, but it was a beautiful day.  As we neared the square, we started to see food options appear. Some were closed. One that looked fun was disappointing because no one greeted us or even acknowledged us for the entire time we stood at the cash register. Perhaps they were out back and busy.

 

Almost across the street we saw “The Good Bar”’s sign. We laughed and headed across the street to check it out. It had a great vibe, though almost empty. But it was only 4:30 - early by city dinner times. We checked out the menu and knew this was the place. Very innovative. We each had a glass Radicle Vine Red blend from Willamette Valley while we decided on our food. It was a very nice red blend. 
I ordered hummus and pita, and a roasted eggplant smothered in an olive tapenade mix with a cous cous side salad. My friend opted for a shredded beet salad with pita, and a roasted cauliflower salad. Everything was delicious and the pita was freshly made!  We shared a fig jam swirl cheesecake that was lip smacking.  Oh and somewhere along the way, we had a second glass of wine. 😎

 

We Ubered back to our temporary home. And Bella greeted us 7ntil she realized neither her Mom nor Dad were with us.  She was so stressed, she gave off this pitiful howl. How dare we invade her home? Luckily her Dad came home about 30 minutes after we did, which calmed her right down. And she promptly fell asleep curled around her favorite toy. 

We sat up and chatted for awhile until our hostess returned home, and then we all turned in. 

 

Ann, I've enjoyed your saga.  

 

16 minutes ago, kochleffel said:

I have tahini on hand but no miso or squash. I think that dinner tonight will be bok choy and vegan sausage, but I'm not sure. I have too many different vegetables on hand, courtesy of Misfits Market -- next time I will order fewer -- and most of them don't seem like they'd play well in the same meal with any of the others.

 

I've cancelled the flights for the January cruise and will probably cancel the cruise as well. If I don't, rebooking the flights would cost less than before, because the original routing created a broken fare that is no longer possible.

 

The Junior Cat is sad about the lioness in the National Zoo, and from last week, about the lioness in the Erie zoo. She is also peeved about getting no gefilte fish for Rosh Hashanah.

 

Maybe the Junior Cat needs some catnip to improve her mood.

 

36 minutes ago, HAL Sailer said:

 

Quoting myself but with a VERY SAD UPDATE from my friend about her neighborhood. She isn't there but received this as she did the boat lift picture from her neighbor who is riding it out.

 

"L __ and L __  lost their roof. Mine is still holding. But, the house next to L & L - an older couple in a two story house- they stayed. For some reason the husband opened the garage door . Something about getting cats. The water rushed in. The garage door fell, hit him in the head and he is dead."

 

Sadder than I can imagine,

-M.

 

Melisa, that is such a sad story.  My heart goes out to the wife and her family and friends.

 

Tomorrow will be an early morning, but hot quite as early as we thought.  Since it's an hour and a half drive to the hospital where DH will have his pre*opt tests and NRI, he called them to day to see if he could change the time.  Now we have to be there at 9:30, not 8:40.  The tests will be after the MRI.

 

Lenda

[grapau27]

9 minutes ago, Quartzsite Cruiser said:

 

Katherine, I'm glad you had the mini-reunion with your DH's family.  Sorry to hear that covid is starting again in PA.

 

 

Charlene, I hope the replacement ports are as good if not better than the ones you lost,  The best thing is you will be on a BHB.  Stay safe during the storm.

 

 

Sandi, thanks for the pictures of Nha Trang.  It looks like an interesting place.

 

 

I'm glad the funeral was lovely, and I smiled about "Miss Daisy".  Hope your flight is on time and worry free.  Enjoy your cruises.

 

 

The beauty of the two new telescopes that DH is using now is they can be controlled from his tablet or iPad.  Not much work involved.  I hope your DH gets a good report from his stress test tomorrow.

 

 

Debbie, thanks for the pictures of the new house.  It looks so light and airy, and I guessed it was a mid-century modern.  The foot dragging jerk did you and Sue a favor.  I can't imagine that the first house was this nice.

 

 

Gerry, I hope your DH adjusts to the new face mask soon.

 

 

Thanks for checking in.  It's good to know that our Dailyites are weathering Ian safely.  Take care.

 

 

I enjoyed the story about your DF's birthday with the waiter.  Hope last night's dinner was as good.

 

 

Glad you could change your flights to Saturday.  I hope your DS is safe at the friend's house.

 

 

Laura, I hope you have/had a safe flight.  Enjoy all your time on BHBs.  Looking forward to following along on your blog.

 

 

Graham, I'm sorry you are having more lesions removed, but I hope he caught them early and before they were malignant.

 

 

Ann, thanks for sharing all your pictures and the page from Pat's diary.  Maybe someday, we'll add that port to the others we visited in Vietnam.

 

 

Terri, I like your decision to prepare for you trip Saturday.  Finger's crossed that by then you will be able to go.  🤞

 

 

Thanks for your pictures of the drive in the mountains..

 

 

Susan, I'm glad the voodoo doll worked so that @dfish Debbie could get the better house.  You might consider keeping the voodoo doll working so that maybe the foot dragger will learn a lesson.  🤣

 

 

Jacqui, I agree with your therapist, and think you have thought the cruise through and are prepared.  Yes, it will not be the same as previous cruises, but you will be with people and not sitting home feeling sad.  Next year, the holidays will have the added memories of a great cruise.

 

 

Ann, I've enjoyed your saga.  

 

 

Maybe the Junior Cat needs some catnip to improve her mood.

 

 

Melisa, that is such a sad story.  My heart goes out to the wife and her family and friends.

 

Tomorrow will be an early morning, but hot quite as early as we thought.  Since it's an hour and a half drive to the hospital where DH will have his pre*opt tests and NRI, he called them to day to see if he could change the time.  Now we have to be there at 9:30, not 8:40.  The tests will be after the MRI.

 

Lenda

Thank you Lenda.

[grapau27]

51 minutes ago, HAL Sailer said:

 

Quoting myself but with a VERY SAD UPDATE from my friend about her neighborhood. She isn't there but received this as she did the boat lift picture from her neighbor who is riding it out.

 

"L __ and L __  lost their roof. Mine is still holding. But, the house next to L & L - an older couple in a two story house- they stayed. For some reason the husband opened the garage door . Something about getting cats. The water rushed in. The garage door fell, hit him in the head and he is dead."

 

Sadder than I can imagine,

-M.

I'm so sorry to hear about your neighbours.

Sending heartfelt condolences to all their family for their loss.