The Fleet Report and Daily for Monday July 31st, 2023

[richwmn]

 

Today is Mutt's Day, National Avocado Day, and National Watermelon Day
 

The way my luck is running, if I was a politician I would be honest. - Rodney Dangerfield

Meal Suggestion for today - Classic Juicy Hamburgers
Drink of the Day - Black Widow Martini
Wine of the Day - Cune - Rioja Crianza 2018
Destination of the Day - Recife, Brazil

Today in History:
1620 Pilgrim Fathers depart Leiden, Netherlands for England on their way to America

Ship Locations
 

Eurodam

Juneau, Alaska 1300-2200
 

Koningsdam

Tracy Arm/Endicott Arm/Juneau, Alaska 0900-0930
 

Nieuw Amsterdam

At Sea destination Ketchikan, Alaska eta 01 Aug
 

Nieuw Statendam

At Sea destination Goteborg, Sweden eta 01 Aug
 

Noordam

Hubbard Glacier, Alaska 1500-1800
 

Oosterdam

Piraeus, Greece
 

Rotterdam

Bergen, Norway 0800-1700
 

Volendam

Ketchikan, Alaska 1100-1900
 

Westerdam

At Sea destination Juneau, Alaska eta 01 Aug
 

Zaandam

At Sea destination Sydney, Nova Scotia eta 01 Aug
 

Zuiderdam

At Sea destination Nanortalik, Greenland eta 02 Aug
 

 

 

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Thanks for the info.

[seagarsmoker]

Good morning Dailyites! I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. Thank you for the Daily Report and I hope you have a great day! 

[grapau27]

Thank you for today's daily reports.

63°F and cloudy here.

Mutts deserve many days.

Watermelon is refreshing.

Not keen on Avocado.

Today's quote is funny.

Never been to today's port.

Prayers 🙏 for good health to all Dailyites.

I hope everyone has a wonderful day.

[portofrome]

Thank you for the Fleet Report.

[summer slope]

Black Widow Martini cocktail:

 

Ingredients
3 parts Pinnacle® Original Vodka
2 parts DeKuyper® Razzmatazz® Schnapps Liqueur
1 part DeKuyper® Triple Sec Liqueur
1 part Pomegranate Juice
1 part Lemon Juice

Instructions
Add ingredients to an ice-filled shaker and shake until well chilled. Shake and strain into a chilled martini glass.

 

[puppycanducruise]

Good morning.  Thanks for the Report.

 

Another cool morning here, currently only 13C (56F).  This afternoon's high is forecast to be 23C (73F) with a risk of rain.  Bertie and I have gone for a pleasant walk a little while ago.  Now it's time for a mug of tea.  DH is still sleeping.

 

Mutts Day!  Every day is mutts day in our house.  I like avocado and watermelon.

Humorous quote from a funny man.

We had hamburgers yesterday - so good.  The drink sounds good,  I hope the wine isn't expensive.

I haven't been to today's port.

 

Prayers for everyone.  I hope there are lots of reasons to celebrate.

 

Have a wonderful day.

[Mr. Boston]

Good morning everyone.  Thanks for the daily report, recipes and lists.  It’s an interesting Monday as I start my last week of work before retirement on Friday.  How’d I get here?  I like the collection of days today.  I have a soft spot for mutts as that was our first dog, Daisy.  We’ve been chipping away at a watermelon all weekend, it’s delicious!  I grew an avocado from a pit once but they don’t overwinter here.  The quote is quite funny.  I think I’ll skip the meal and drink suggestions.  Although they sound tasty, I need to cut back on my intake, Summer’s bounty is starting to catch up!  I haven’t been to today’s port.  Prayers for everyone on our list today.  Cheers to those of you who are celebrating happy events!

[rafinmd]

Thank you Rich, Vanessa, Debbie/Tina, Ann, and Dixie.  Well, the Pilgrims embarked so many years ago on a voyage that would not be nearly as pleasant as on a BHB.  I'll pass on the avacado and while watermelon is tasty I haven't had it in years.  Dangerfield had quite a taste for the ironic.  Mutt's day will be wildly celebrated here.  I've been to Recife just once, back in 2015, on MS Maasdam.  The hamburger sounds nice, I'll bet there are great ones at Dive-In.  My alternative is Summer Fruit Salad with Sambuca, Chicken and Corn Soup, and Turkey Roast with Giblet Gravy and Cranberry as served on MS Prinsendam July 31, 2011.

 

It looks like a nice day in Maryland but I was just thinking that if I hadn't had my medical setbacks back in January I would now be on the way to Ketchikan on MS Nieuw Amsterdam.

 

Roy

[0106]

I’m sure most of you already have a recipe for a Classic Juicy Hamburger.  My first thought was to use Alton Brown’s recipe from the Good Eats show.  I love the way he uses Science to explain how to make food taste good.  Unfortunately, his recipe for Burger of the Gods requires you to grind your own hamburger.  I’m not sure any on the Daily are dedicated enough for that important step.  

 

My next thought was a Bobby Flay recipe.  I watch a lot of the Food Network and always liked his show Grillin & Chillin.  His recipe Perfect Burger seems fairly basic to me.  I was surprised to read that you could use ground chuck or ground turkey.  He gives cooking instructions for on the grill, using a grill pan and sauteing on a cast iron griddle.

As I continued down the Bobby Flay rabbit hole (remember tomorrow is the first day of the month).  I found some info from his Burger 101 class on the Food Network app which I have summarized below.

1. Form your patties gently. "You don't want to spend a lot of time shaping your burger," Bobby says. "Basically, you want to get the burger shaped until it just holds together, so that when you eat it you can sort of see the granular pieces of the beef running through it. Otherwise, it gets like meat loaf and I don’t want that."

 

2. Press a divot into each patty with your thumb. "When a burger [without a well] cooks, it plumps up like a football," Bobby says. "But when I put a well in the burger, it kind of looks like a funny shape, but it plumps back up to the original shape that you want the burger to be in."

3. Use a flat cooking surface. If you're cooking burgers indoors, skip the grill pan and go with a stovetop griddle, heavy cast-iron pan or large skillet that hold its heat well, it allows a burger to cook in its own juices: "It releases the fat, it releases the juices and it keeps it really nice and moist," he says.

4. Flip only once. "Let the griddle do its job," Bobby says. By flipping the burger only one time, you'll get a crispy seared crust that locks in the burger's juices. Once you've flipped the burger, resist the urge to press down on it with the spatula. 

5. Melt the cheese perfectly and completely — with the secret ingredient! “Fill a squeeze bottle with water, add a little bit of water to the griddle to create steam, cover the burger and the result will be an insanely juicy burger that has crispy edges and is covered in ooey, gooey, perfectly melted cheese.”

6. Keep toppings simple.

7. Crunchify. Pickles, coleslaw, potato chips and crushed tortilla chips are just a few ways that he likes to crunchify his burgers.

 

Here's a Classic Juicy Burger that states all you need is good quality meat and some seasonings. The seasoning mix looks tasty. It also gives some pro tips for juicy burgers

 

Sending you peace, healing and all good wishes. May your life be good.

[JazzyV]

Today’s Care list:

The passing of Durangoscot’s friend Diane 7/24

Smitty34877’s DH Lou starting chemo today

RMLincoln’s DH’s eye surgery tomorrow 8/1

Cruising sister’s great niece Murphy post-op, lung infection, back on ECMO

NextOne’s friend Denny with a large stroke, and his DW Bonnie

Mamaofami’s DH Sam recovering from brain bleed

Sharon in AZ’s family member’s situation

All Dailyites going through worries and stress, whether mentioned or not

Ill pets – Kazu’s Ivan, Heartgrove’s Sam. Cruising sister’s Molly

 

Canadian/US wildfires, storms/flooding, dangerous heat conditions

Shooting victims again and again

Citizens of Ukraine

 

From the rotation:

Summer slope with a health issue

Catmando with eye infection, cancer recurrence

Marshhawk with back and arm pain

Lobsternight’s great nephew with bike crash, multiple fractures, surgery

 

Celebrations and Shoutouts:

Ger_77’s DH showing some improvement from gout attack

Mamaofami’s DH Sam home from the hospital 

Cruising-along booking a new cruise

Heartgrove’s house painting completed

The Daily Gardening Club posting wonderful flower pictures

All the contributors to the Fleet Report/Daily

 

Upcoming Cruises or At Sea:

 

Norseh2o (Oceania Regatta to Aug 1), AV8rix (Nieuw Amsterdam to Aug 13), Dfish (Zaandam to Aug 23), StLouisCruisers (Zaandam to Aug 23) and NextOne (Zuiderdam to Aug 25)

[cruising sister]

Good morning,

I am up early and it is a beautiful morning. Today they are planning on taking Murphy off ECMO. We are all praying it all goes well. I am glad I came up here to visit. Tensions are high and I am a distraction from their worry. 
 

Prayers for all in need. Have a great day. 

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

Good morning from a warm central Texas. At 6:20 am it is 78F and feels like 82F, with a predicted high of 105F.  I think it is clear, but since the sun is not up yet, I can't be sure.  I'll be getting my exercise today by cleaning house instead of my usual walk.

 

I'll celebrate mutts day, and we'll have an avocado with out dinner if it is ripe.  DH enjoys watermelon, but we don't have any in the house.

 

Rodney Dangerfield always made me laugh, and today's quote is no exception.  

 

A hamburger sounds good for supper, but we don't have any buns.  Maybe tomorrow after I go to the grocery store.  We'll skip the drink, and I look forward to seeing what the wine is today.

 

The start of the Pilgrim's journey changed history.  We've been to Plymouth, England, where they spent some unexpected time having repairs made to the Mayflower.  We should also honor the Pilgrim mothers.  These pictures are from our 2016 visit to Plymouth on Prinsendam.

 

 

We have been to Recife once in 1999 on Noordam III, but that was back in the pre-digital age.  Along with Sandi, @StLouisCruisers we were supposed to to there in 2015 on Ruby Princess.  Sandi, also did not have any pictures to share since she has not been to the port, yet.  The port was canceled about 3 months before the cruise due to unrest and crime in the area.  Recife was the port of the day at least twice, and here are the links to Rich's @richwmn threads for those days.

 

 

 

Speaking of the links to the port of the day, I have a favor to ask.  Can someone find the links on Wednesday and post them?  DH has an early appointment at UTSW in Dallas, and we have to leave very early.  I won't have time to look for the links that morning.  Also, if either Sandi or I have posted pictures, could you also repost them for me?  And, if you find any typos, feel free to correct my posts.

 

@Mr. Boston I hope your last week of work goes smoothly and there are no surprises.

@cruising sister   Lorraine, sending positive thoughts that Murphy does well when she is taken off the ECMO today, and that her recovery continues without any more setbacks.  I know your being there is a comfort to your brother and DSIL.  Thanks for the picture of a beautiful sunrise.

@smitty34877  Terry, I hope all goes well for your DH today.

@marshhawk  Annie, I hope your DH's appointment today goes well and he is one step closer to having a treatment plan in place.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lenda

 

Edited July 31, 2023 by Quartzsite Cruiser

[Heartgrove]

Thank you Rich, thank you Tina, thank you Vanessa, thank you Ann, and thank you Dixie for all your work. And thank you everyone for being here!

 

Stay Safe!

 

- Jack

[ottahand7]

Good morning everyone.  Thanks for the Daily reports.    We have had a few mutts over the years.   I like watermelon but haven't had it in years. No avocado for me.   I have been to Recife this year.  Good typical quote by Rodney Dangerfield.  Hamburgers look great, a tasty martini and another Crianza.  A great dinner, start with the Martini, then a burger with a glass of Crianza. 

Thinking of @smitty34877 DH today.   Prayers on our Care list and the people of Ukraine.   

We did a HA shorex in Recife and historic Olinda on the 2023 Grand South America.  The cathedral was in Olinda as were the small building street scenes and views from above.  Then we traveled down Mercy Street to Recife.  We visited the oldest synagogue in South America and on the same street a museum of giant Carnival puppets.  We had a great tiur except for too much time spent in a market with our guide dictating what we saw and when.  Then a big storm came up and we missed our last cathedral in Recife. 

 

 

Edited July 31, 2023 by ottahand7

[aliaschief]

 

Good morning! Another week and soon another month goes by. One more casual day and we should be recovered. It’s Monday so still need to do laundry and some weeding in a couple of spots. Currently a nice 73 degrees but it will rise into the nineties. Wonder what August will be like?🥵

Love the Rodney quote and I have been enjoying a lot of watermelon this summer. Not only is watermelon super nutritious it supposedly helps remove belly fat? Maybe I need to eat more of it.

Thanks for the Fleet report and featured post! @Mr. Boston Enjoy your last week of work and best wishes for wonderful retirement years ahead. Bruce

 

[aliaschief]

17 minutes ago, cruising sister said:

Good morning,

I am up early and it is a beautiful morning. Today they are planning on taking Murphy off ECMO. We are all praying it all goes well. I am glad I came up here to visit. Tensions are high and I am a distraction from their worry. 
 

Prayers for all in need. Have a great day. 

🙏🙏🙏🙏

[puppycanducruise]

@cruising sister Prayers for Murphy.  

[ottahand7]

@cruising sister  Prayers for Baby Murphy and her family today. 🙏❤️

[RedneckBob]

Thanks for the Fleet Update and General Info for all the contributors.

 

National Avocado Day! I will be celebrating this day for the next two months in front of my “Holy Guacamole” tree. Find the tree, you found RNB.

 

 

[cat shepard]

Thank you for today’s R & D, Rich! What a stunning morning here! A perfect ending to a very quick visit. I am sitting at the gate ready to board. Yesterday was just as spectacular. It was 59F when I left for the “big city”. I met my friends for lunch at Smith & Wollensky across from the Tea Party Ship & Museum.
 

 

 

 

And we were a bit early, so we got to hear the Museum guides lead the visitors through a reenactment of the insurrection! Lunch was lovely, and since we were celebrating two birthdays, the birthday girls got to choose a dessert off the menu - on the house!
 

 

 

 

The entire meal was spectacular. And it was lovely to be able to sit outside.

 

After lunch, we walked the Rose Kennedy Greenway. My first visit. This spectacular park was created after a major thruway was placed underground.

 

 

 

They had a fog station,

 

a huge play fountain,

 

a carousel,

 

and a series of 20+ artist vendors selling their creations. And some beautiful views.

 

 

I picked up a new headband for my workouts. Lots of kids, dogs, butterflies and just a wonderful way to walk off lunch. After a three hour “tour”, we headed back to where I parked the car. Then I dropped them off at the train station. One heading to Portland Maine on Amtrak. And the other heading to Gloucester on the T.
 

I dropped the rental car off & then Ubered to the North End to meet the family for dinner.  My driver had a Tesla. My first ride in one. Very interesting. My driver had to show me how to use the door handle.

😜 The North End traffic was as crazy as I remember it. But the food was as good as I remember. I had some Antipasti, and shared a dessert. I was still fairly full from lunch. Then back to my Nephew & his DW’s place in Charlestown, to chill a little bit before bed. It was nice enough to sit outside. We could hear some fireworks, but could not see the source from their rooftop deck. But the view of the moon made up for it.

 

My DN & his DW’s hydrangeas. 

 

This morning my Nephew dropped us off after a 15 minute, stress free ride. 😎

 

Vanessa, thank you for keeping up with us. It will be good to be home. 

 

 

Prayers for all who need our support. Cheers to all who are celebrating. Get well & stay well everyone!

 

********

Cune Rioja Crianza 2018

Another widely available Rioja that sounds sippable & tasty. Available from a decent number of online distributors with prices starting at $12.99.

Winemaker Notes

Bright cherry color with some violet nuances. In the nose, red berries aromas. This red wine shows an elegance in the mouth, yet very lively, with some spice back notes and a very balanced acidity.

JS92 James Suckling

Attractive berry and cherry aromas with hints of orange peel, following through to a medium body, fine tannins and a fresh finish. Hints of peach and spice. Light and delicious. Tempranillo. Vegan. Drink now.

 

 

 

Edited July 31, 2023 by cat shepard

[marshhawk]

Happy Monday Morning Dailyites!  We are up early for DH's appointment, maybe too early, but we leave in 2 hours.  He got an email yesterday that his hours for his campaign have been cut to 8 a week. For one week, and then the campaign is over.  So even though he is going through all this health stuff, he still wants to work.  So I told him about one campaign that was restarting, and I called one of my bosses to see if he could replace me, when I "move" to another campaign next week.  

 

I love good avocados, but have had no luck finding any recently.  I use them with curry dishes, turkey sandwiches, stuffed with crab salad, or use them as a dish for shrimp... And now I am hungry.  Since DH slept the afternoon away and I wouldnt wake him to cook the steak we ended up eating a whole wheat bagel, but that was supposed to be breakfast.  So now I have to figure out what breakfast will be.

 

 

 

I dont think it has been out of the 80's for the last couple days.  At 11 on Saturday night the temperature was 87. 

 

Prayers for Baby Murphy, for @Quartzsite Cruiser, @smitty34877's hubbies and for all of you who are dealing with life on life's terms...  Hugs, Annie

[1ANGELCAT]

Good beautiful cool and sunny morning. It’s 64 with low humidity. Only going up to 83 and tomorrow is supposed to be 78. 
I love watermelon, will have to get some today. A hamburger sounds great too. 
Blessings and prayers to all on our lists.

[cunnorl]

Good Morning from a cloudy but warm day at the beach

      Not sure this will post. CC has been acting strange for me

 @cruising sister  Extra prayers for Bay Murphy and the entire family.

   @cat shepard   Safe travels home.  Sounds like you had a very full weekend in Boston.. 

 More later

[travelingbums]

Thank you everyone for sharing.

Have a great day,