The Fleet Report and Daily for Thursday December 29th, 2022

[rafinmd]

Today is Mongolia Independence Day, National Pepper Pot Day, and Tick Tock Day
 

Happiness is the only thing that multiplies when you share it. Albert Schweitzer - Theologian

Meal Suggestion for today - Harvest Succotash Ravioli
Drink of the Day - Blue Stallion Julep
Wine of the Day - Château Palmer 2018 Margaux Bordeaux
Destination of the Day - Abidjan, Ivory Coast
 

Eurodam

At Sea Destination Grand Turk Island, Cockburn Town, Turks and Caic eta 12/30
 

Koningsdam

San Diego, California 07:00 - 16:30
 

Nieuw Amsterdam

Half Moon Cay, Bahamas 08:00 - 15:00
 

Nieuw Statendam

At Sea Destination Philipsburg St Maarten, Netherlands Antilles eta 12/30
 

Oosterdam

At Sea Destination Ushuaia, Argentina eta 01/04
 

Rotterdam

Half Moon Cay 08:00 - 17:00
 

Volendam

Grand Turk Island, Cockburn Town, Turks and Caicos 08:00 - 13:00
 

Zaandam

Fort-de-France, Martinique 08:00 - 17:00
 

Zuiderdam

Fort Lauderdale, Port Everglades, Florida 07:00 - 16:00

Eastern Hemisphere
 

Noordam

Bay of Islands, Russell, New Zealand 07:00 - 16:00
 

Westerdam

Hobart, Tasmania, Australia 8:00 AM To 11:00 PM

 

 

 

Roy for Rich

[portofrome]

Thank you for the Fleet Report.

[seagarsmoker]

Thanks for the Daily Report and I hope everyone has a great day!

[puppycanducruise]

Good morning.  Thanks for the Daily and Fleet Report.

 

It's warming up here with a chance of showers this afternoon, the snow is starting to melt.  The weather is very strange.

 

Tick tock.  Time is ticking away, so much to do before year end.

Love the quote.

The meal sounds good.  I hope the drink and wine are tasty.

 

Prayers for everyone.

Stay safe.

[grapau27]

Thank you for today's daily reports and lists Roy.

It is a mild and dry 46°F here in North East England.

Today's quote is good plus 3 good days.

I will give today's meal a miss.

Never been to today's port so I will eagerly look forward to seeing photos.

Prayers 🙏 for everyone who need them.

Happy cruising for all our friends sailing at the moment.

Take care and stay safe everyone.

Graham.

Edited December 29, 2022 by grapau27

[grapau27]

[Crazy For Cats]

Good Morning Everyone, thanks for the daily fleet report.  Today’s meal suggestion sounds interesting, I’m looking forward to @dfish pictures and recipes.  The temperature today is supposed to get into the 50’s and stay up there through the weekend, that will help the heating bill.  I hope everyone has a nice day today.  
Sometimes I think this is their life mission.

[Mr. Boston]

Good morning everyone.  A nice collection of days today.  I think I’d prefer the pepper pot to today’s meal suggestion. I love the quote.  The drink sounds interesting, I’m a sucker for blue drinks, must go back to my sno-cone days!  I’ve never been to today’s port.  Prayers for everyone on our prayer list.  Cheers to everyone celebrating happy events!  Safe travels for all of you traveling.

[StLouisCruisers]

Good morning friends!  It's 37F and dark, but hoping to see lots of sun today and a high of 61F.  Yesterday DH took the SUV to a car wash and hand sprayed off 99% of the salt and dirt from the road trip.  Then he came home and got to work washing and polishing each panel.  He still has some to finish up today but the weather has been cooperating so that makes it easier.  

 

Thanks for posting the Daily for us Roy @rafinmdand thank you Rich @richwmnfor preparing it all ahead of time.  We have a good quote today, but I will pass on the menu suggestion.  A salute to Mongolian Independence, Pepper Pots and Tick Tock Day.  Prayers for everyone on the Care list and cheers to those on the Celebration list.  I hope everyone is having a fabulous cruise and great weather while out on the seas.

 

Today we have Abidjan, Ivory Coast (or Cote d'Ivoire) as our port of the day.  It was posted here last on March 11, 2022 and here is the link to Rich's post that day.  Feel free to retrieve photos posted and post them again today.  I know I have never been there before so would love to see any you all might have.

 

 

Have a great day everyone!🥰

[aliaschief]

Good morning! Up early seeing our family off for their long drive home to California. It’s been a great time. We are a little behind on laundry and some other routine chores that will eventually get done. Right now our seven year old granddaughter takes up a majority of our time for one more day.

Thanks Roy and friends for your various post and contributions. Have a great day!

 

 

 

[mamaofami]

Good morning everyone. Love the quote. No matter what time I go to sleep, I’m up by 7am.Being retired, that’s way too early. It’s supposed to warm up today. Prayers for the people in Buffalo, Ukraine and the passengers on Southwest and anyone else who needs them.

Stay safe everyone,

Carol

[RedneckBob]

Thanks for the Fleet Update and general info.

 

National Tick Tock, TikToc, Tic Tac Day ?  Whatever. It says you need to complete last minutes things by the end of year. Only thing I have left to do by end of year is book another cruise 😀

[cat shepard]

Thank you for today’s Report & Daily Rich/Roy!  It is a lovely morning here 52 already, and the deer are everywhere enjoying breakfast. 
 

Roy thank you for doing triple duty. Today is my last day of self-imposed quarantine and I am almost convinced, I do not have a cold and am dealing with sinus issues.  It could be a lot worse. My generator folk come today for my Winter maintenance visit, and I need to do a review of any holiday decoration that I do not use. I want to donate that in my next AmVet collection. And Bindi walks. 
 

This might seem very familiar to you folk with dogs in your family.

 

 

 

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

Get well & stay well everyone!

 

***********

Château Palmer 2018 Margaux Bordeaux

7 critics rave about this Bordeaux blend and the low score is 98! But it comes with a price. Numerous online distributors with prices starting at $589.00.

 

Winemaker Notes

Blend: 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 7% Petit Verdot

D100 Decanter

Beautifully rich even on the nose, this makes you smile from the first moment. On the palate things are intense and concentrated, as you might expect with an 11hl/ha yield (mildew-related). Upfront flavours major on big bitter chocolate with touches of smoke and grilled cedar, lots of savoury fruits and touches of reduction. Extremely impressive how layered and textured it is, though it really needs decades to reveal itself. There is the seductive floral edge of Palmer as it opens in the glass, but this is a muscular wine that needs time. 79% new oak. No Alter Ego in 2018. Bottled July 2020 after one year in barrel and a second year in larger Stockinger barrels for 20% of the crop to soften the oak influence. It's extremely hard for top estates to deliver consistency and innovation over decades; it really is like a sports team in that way, and this is a standout success in what was an extremely challenging year for Palmer. Drinking Window 2028 - 2050

V100 Vinous

The 2018 Palmer is a legend in the making. I had an inkling out of barrel, but such was its intensity that I wanted to assess it in bottle before I felt confident in saying so, because this could have gone either way. It storms from the glass with black fruit and floral scents, crushed violet and incense that knock your senses sideways while retaining brilliant delineation and focus. The palate is not quite as bold and brassy as when I tasted it from barrel, though I can vouchsafe that among over 20 vintages of Palmer that I have tasted at this stage, this is easily the most extroverted and powerful, displaying a kind of millefeuille of intense black fruit counterpoised by a razor-sharp line of acidity. This audacious Palmer was still revving its engines 48 hours after opening. There will never be another Palmer like this, sui generis. It was a massive risk. But by throwing caution to the wind, something extraordinary was born. 

WE99 Wine Enthusiast

This dense wine is almost black in color. Offering tannins and luscious black fruits, it is ripe with both structure and richness. The concentration and thought-provoking intensity are impressive. Drink this wine from 2028. Organic and biodynamic. Cellar Selection

RP99 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The 2018 Palmer is composed of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 7% Petit Verdot. Grapes were harvested September 13 to October 15, and the wine has a 3.83 pH and 14.3% alcohol. Very deep purple-black in color, the nose is a little reticent to begin, but with coaxing, it slowly emerges to show fragrant violets, underbrush, mossy bark and iron ore with exponentially growing notions of crème de cassis, Black Forest cake, plum preserves, hoisin, Christmas cake and red roses with wafts of dusty earth, Indian spices and cracked black pepper. Full-bodied, concentrated and downright powerful in the mouth, it has a solid structure of firm, wonderfully plush tannins and masses of fragrant accents, finishing very long and very spicy. By the time I finished tasting this, the nose had exploded in this fragrant bomb of fruit, earth and floral notions. This is one of those 2018 wines that has a beguiling brightness that comes from the many floral, spice and mineral accents among all that rich fruit. WOW!  Barrel Sample: 97-99

JD99 Jeb Dunnuck

While there's not much to go around, the 2018 Château Palmer is unquestionably a stunning bottle of wine. I certainly can't think of another Palmer coming close to this level of concentration (maybe the 2010 comes closest?). This blockbuster boasts a dense purple hue as well as a primordial bouquet of black cherries, mulberries, and blackberries intermixed with freshly crushed rocks, smoke tobacco, gravelly earth, lead pencil shavings, and burning embers. With full-bodied richness, a dense, stacked mid-palate, mouth coating tannin's, and a blockbuster of a finish, it's going to need 10-15 years to hit maturity, and as I wrote last year, will live for just about forever. Rating : 99+

WS98 Wine Spectator

Remarkably concentrated, this nearly oozes fruit, with waves of cassis, plum reduction and warmed cherry preserves all carried by a dense yet polished and seamlessly embedded structure. A backdrop of violet, lilac and pastis adds to the enveloping feel, and yet with all that depth and concentration, this is a vibrant, pure expression, thanks in part to a riveting iron spine through the finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2028 through 2040.

JS98 James Suckling

Complex nose of black cherries, blackberries, dark chocolate and floral undertones with perfume-like character. It’s full-bodied with firm tannins. Elegant on the palate with structure. Savory and balanced, complex and layered. Long finish. Really lingers. This has really evolved into a beautiful white swan after a difficult debut from barrel! Tiny production. only 11 hectoliters per hectare. Try after 2024.

[ger_77]

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily!  Hurray for Mongolian independence, I'd love to have a pepper pot today, and I thought tick tock day was for people who collect clocks... who knew?!?

 

Well yesterday we got a lot more snow than we bargained for.  When I looked out first thing in the morning, I knew there was a new snowfall that would require us bringing out the little snowblower, but wow, did I underestimate the depth!  After DH and I bundled up with our heavy coats and high boots, we discovered our driveway had drifted in completely and was nearly hip high.  I started to shovel a path to where the little snowblower was kept, but our neighbour was out with his big machine already and signaled that we should just go back into the house and he would do our driveway.  Bless him - he did the driveway and front sidewalk as well.  

 

The streets were an absolute mess; as DH had to return to the denturist for an appointment, he made sure to call ahead, because the denturist lives on an acreage.  Apparently the fellow had just barely made it into the office, having gotten stuck a couple of times en route.  Thank goodness our Ford Escape is a heavier vehicle with good tires, because although DH said he slid around a couple of times, he didn't get stuck, as he had seen many others do on his trek across the city.  

 

 I woke up at 2:28 this morning . . . typical pre-cruise excitement for me, but tiring none the less.  I'm pretty sure a nap is in my afternoon plans today.  This morning we have our pedicures, and I have more packing to do once we get home, but other than that there's nothing on the agenda.  I do, however, keep checking on our flights and the weather here, in Toronto (where we change planes) and in FLL; so far all is looking good for Monday.  Keeping my fingers crossed.

 

I'm going to give today's menu suggestion a pass - I don't think either of us would appreciate it.  We still have salmon left from last night, so I'm going to make something we haven't had in years - creamed salmon and peas on toast.  A comfort food meal that seems appropriate in the cold, dark of winter.  And wine.

 

Prayers for everyone who is needing them, cheers to all with celebrations.  Stay well, be safe.

 

Smooth Sailing!  🙂🙂🙂

Gerry

[kochleffel]

Here’s an interesting story about how two retail managers in the Buffalo airport fed stranded travelers and emergency workers.

https://wapo.st/3hSqmWV 

[Lady Hudson]

Good morning all.  Warming up to the 40’s today so I will probably take a walk to the post office.  Nephews coming today to celebrate Christmas and my kids will show up today to greet them.  Last of the presents will be opened.  
 

Booked a cruise yesterday for Enchantment of the Seas at the end of February.  Still had a future cruise credit to use and found an available accessible cabin.  Twin sister going to try to get a cabin today.  I need to start booking earlier again now that Covid does not seem to be the issue it was.

 

Preps for New Years Eve is just Olive Garden take out.  Taking the easy route.  
 

Gave a great day, everyone.  Katherine 

[GTVCRUISER]

New Years Flashback 🍾🥂🙂

[dfish]

Good morning, everyone!

 

Today should be another very mild day temperature wise.  No rain in the forecast so I think we may go and hike one of the trails in the park system.  We can go to the Tridge and walk from there.  I can't explain the Tridge, so will take a picture and post it later.  

 

Today's meal brings back memories.  When I was a kid I hated succotash.  I remember having to sit at the table until bedtime because I wouldn't eat my succotash.  That was my grandmother's doing.  The next morning guess what I was served for breakfast?  Yep, succotash.  I sat at the table until lunch time when my dad came home from work for lunch.  He told my grandmother that was enough.  Mom was in the hospital after having given birth to my sister.  In those days they kept women for 5-7 days after birth.  So, we will not be having succotash in this house.  

 

I could only find one version of a recipe that was actually harvest succotash ravioli, but did find some recipes that come close.  Here is the one that meets the criteria:   https://www.culinarycultivations.org/community/blog-recipes/harvest-succotash-ravioli.html

 

 

This next one is a recipe for succotash.  You can easily add in the ravioli if you wish.

https://www.feastingathome.com/succotash/

 

 

This next recipe sounds really good and I may try it someday.  Not till all the turkey is gone, though.  https://www.aspicyperspective.com/cobb-salad/

 

 

In this one we put the harvested squash in the ravioli.  https://www.harvestepicure.com/harvest-recipe-blog/2020/5/19/basil-squash-ravioli

 

 

And, finally, we have an offering from Martha Stewart for a succotash pasta salad.   https://www.marthastewart.com/1541436/succotash-pasta

 

 

Lots of great choices.   Wishing you all a wonderful day!

[summer slope]

Blue Stallion Julep Cocktail:

 

Ingredients
2 parts Maker's Mark® Bourbon
1 1/2 parts DeKuyper® Blueberry Schnapps Liqueur
1 part Simple Syrup
Fresh Blueberries
Fresh Mint Sprig

Instructions
Muddle together 1/3 cup fresh blueberries, DeKuyper® Blueberry Schnapps and simple syrup. Add the Bourbon, stir well and top with lots of crushed ice. Garnish with fresh mint.
(Optional Mint Simple Syrup: Bring equal parts sugar, water and a handful of mint leaves to a boil, stir frequently. Turn off heat, set aside to cool and strain / remove the fresh mint.)

 

 

[Heartgrove]

Thank you Rich, double-thank you Roy, thank you Debbie, thank you Cat Shepard, and thank you Dixie for your daily contribution! And thank you all for being here!

 

Our one garage door operator (mine of course) decided to misbehave on Saturday. With the weather warming from the weekend's negative zero temps, I decided to try to get it back to normal. Figuring that I would only need to adjust the one limit switch I got to work. Turns out that we have an all-electronic operator with pushbuttons instead adjustment screws. Back to print the correct instructions from online and try to read the miniscule printed directions. Spent about 45 minutes with no luck so resorted to calling the dealer that installed it. No help over the phone - but a service call would be $147.00. Gave up at that point and put the 8-foot stepladder away. But then I went on YouTube!

 

Found a video on how to adjust it. Guess what, I was pushing the wrong combination of buttons. Back to the garage again! After adjusting the travel up and travel down, it works again! I told Sue that I will discount my service charge. She suggested that we instead go out for dinner tonight with saving the $147.00! I have now realized what had happened to take it out of adjustment. Friday night when it was extremely cold (-1) we had a power failure that lasted over five hours. So cold the house got down to 51 degrees inside. The volatile memory over the five hours for the travel in the electronics of the operator - simply forgot!  🙂

 

Stay Safe!

 

- Jack

 

 

Edited December 29, 2022 by Heartgrove

[smitty34877]

@dfish, Debbie, sometimes I think we grew up in the same household! I also have memories of sitting at the table with whatever I  had not eaten. Thank goodness we always had one or two dogs. They knew they could count on me… My children were encouraged to try things but never went through that sort of thing. They seem to have survived well!
It is a balmy 47 here and I plan to try walking outside a little with my cane. I have not switched over to it entirely but feel ready to start progressing. I remain amazed at my good fortunate to have a new hip and much better functioning overall.

The aide meant well yesterday but had trouble managing a cranky patient with significant difficulty breathing. I would be cranky too in Tana’s shoes and she has very little patience nowadays. I wonder if she will return today. We only have her for four hours to help with showering and dressing.

We have not been to the port,no thanks to the recipe and I like the quote.

Have a great day everyone.

 

[StLouisCruisers]

48 minutes ago, kochleffel said:

Here’s an interesting story about how two retail managers in the Buffalo airport fed stranded travelers and emergency workers.

https://wapo.st/3hSqmWV 

I really like when I hear some good news like these people feeding stranded people.  All we hear anymore is all the very bad news happening, and believe me there's a lot of that going on.

 

This story reminds me of a huge power failure at the Atlanta airport in Dec. 2017 stranding travelers for a very long time.  It began late on a Saturday night and continued well into Sunday night.  Chick-fil-A sent some workers who lived near the airport to their closed restaurants in the airport and they began handing out chicken sandwiches to thousands of people.  Yes, on a Sunday! And I bet they said "It was my pleasure".  God bless them all!😇

 

 

 

7 minutes ago, smitty34877 said:

@dfish, Debbie, sometimes I think we grew up in the same household! I also have memories of sitting at the table with whatever I  had not eaten. Thank goodness we always had one or two dogs. They knew they could count on me… My children were encouraged to try things but never went through that sort of thing. They seem to have survived well!
It is a balmy 47 here and I plan to try walking outside a little with my cane. I have not switched over to it entirely but feel ready to start progressing. I remain amazed at my good fortunate to have a new hip and much better functioning overall.

The aide meant well yesterday but had trouble managing a cranky patient with significant difficulty breathing. I would be cranky too in Tana’s shoes and she has very little patience nowadays. I wonder if she will return today. We only have her for four hours to help with showering and dressing.

We have not been to the port,no thanks to the recipe and I like the quote.

Have a great day everyone.

 

Terry, so nice to hear your hip is doing so well.  Just don't go walking on any slippery surfaces!  Good luck with the aide.  Poor Tana has good reason to get cranky sometimes.  I hope you all have a good day today.❤️

[marshhawk]

Happy Thursday Dailyites!  It's partly cloudy, the computer says it's 45, which is a major improvement!  It's been so cold that for the last 3 days even the computer was stuck on 22 degrees.  Trash day was moved to today, so the walk of the dog will have to be timed perfectly so that i a not dragged after a garbage truck by the monster. 

 

I got a call from Penny last night, Jessie is done with his Proton Radiation!  And he got to ring the bell.  However, they are not done with the chemo, and the office has not scheduled his last three treatments.  No one at their doctors office is answering their calls, and he has not received treatments for the last 3 weeks.  They are concerned.   We are going to celebrate Christmas with them on Saturday, either go over to their house, or hook up at their favorite restaurant.

 

Our boil water order is over, DH says they called and left message?   I read it this morning, it was posted last night after 6.  

 

I am usually off on Fridays, but our boss is giving us Friday as a work day, and it appears we will be off Saturday until Tuesday night.  So while I normally think of today as my Friday, it's not.

 

@dfishI had a similar experience with cauliflower.  I was in boarding school and lunch was served, the veggie was slightly steamed cauliflower, and every one dug in.  And as we were munching away, we noticed that the cauliflower was moving on our plates.  Apparently not steamed enough and it was full of huge green worms.  We all stopped eating.  When the headmaster came by and asked what the problem was, she told us to move the bugs, and eat the food.  None of us did.  And so we were made to sit until we had eaten the food, We sat in those seats until dinner. The kitchen staff complained because they needed the plates, and she finally came back and told us to leave. It took me until last year to actually enjoy eating it again.

 

Edited December 29, 2022 by marshhawk

[0106]

I have to admit that I was not familiar with Pepperpot so I Googled it. I found this information on Serious Eats.   It is a national dish of Guyana, a meat-based stew, rich with braised beef and infused with cinnamon, clove, thyme, and wiri wiri peppers. Pepperpot is traditionally eaten on Christmas morning for breakfast.  

Pepperpot is defined in large part by the inclusion of cassareep, a thick, black liquid (the reason pepperpot stew is dark) that has the same consistency as molasses and is made from the bitter juices of the cassava. The process of making cassareep involves grating the poisonous and bitter cassava root.  All the juices of the grated cassava are squeezed out and then carefully boiled, to both deactivate the poison and reduce the juices to a thick black syrup. You can buy cassareep online.  

 

Beef, pork, mutton, oxtail or tripe are some of the more popular meats for making pepperpot.  The recipe in Serious Eats suggested using cow foot (collagen-rich cuts like cow foot, head, and heel are popular inclusions, as they enrich and thicken the stew's consistency as their natural high levels of collagen melt into gelatin). 

 

Pepperpot is popular in other Caribbean countries such as Antigua and Trinidad and Tobago. However, Guyanese pepperpot should not be compared with any other pepperpot from different parts of the Caribbean, as it differs in appearance and preparation. 

Have any of you eaten authentic Guayanese pepperpot?  How was it?

 

Cheers to all who are celebrating or sailing.  Positive thoughts to all who need them.

Edited December 29, 2022 by 0106

[superoma]

35 minutes ago, Heartgrove said:

Thank you Rich, double-thank you Roy, thank you Debbie, thank you Cat Shepard, and thank you Dixie for your daily contribution! And thank you all for being here!

 

Our one garage door operator (mine of course) decided to misbehave on Saturday. With the weather warming from the weekend's negative zero temps, I decided to try to get it back to normal. Figuring that I would only need to adjust the one limit switch I got to work. Turns out that we have an all-electronic operator with pushbuttons instead adjustment screws. Back to print the correct instructions from online and try to read the miniscule printed directions. Spent about 45 minutes with no luck so resorted to calling the dealer that installed it. No help over the phone - but a service call would be $147.00. Gave up at that point and put the 8-foot stepladder away. But then I went on YouTube!

 

Found a video on how to adjust it. Guess what, I was pushing the wrong combination of buttons. Back to the garage again! After adjusting the travel up and travel down, it works again! I told Sue that I will discount my service charge. She suggested that we instead go out for dinner tonight with saving the $147.00! I have now realized what had happened to take it out of adjustment. Friday night when it was extremely cold (-1) we had a power failure that lasted over five hours. So cold the house got down to 51 degrees inside. The volatile memory over the five hours for the travel in the electronics of the operator - simply forgot!  🙂

 

Stay Safe!

 

- Jack

 

 

Ah yes, cold and electronics.  When we put in our high efficiency gas furnace a couple of years ago I noticed right away that the thermostat could not be set below 60f. When I asked I was told any colder temps would create havoc with the electronics. With the old furnace we would set the temp to 50f when we travelled in the winter, or even 45f, and since we shut the water down and drained the pipes that was plenty.