LIVE LIVE LIVE from the MARINER with MERION MOM for 53 DAYS!!!

[doris1930]

Good morning,

I e-mailed you, did you ever get it? If not, e-mail me at doriemae @ hotmail . com

 

Hi to all the Hornblowers. Still settling in, the mail and getting ready for taxes is taking over.

 

We are getting much need rain and the Sierras are getting snow. Which will help with our drought here in Calif.

 

Zu:

Glad you got a replacement laptop. Sorry you lost most of your data. that can be a real pain. Did you have it backed up?

 

Carol:

Hope your heating problems are over and you are staying warm.

 

Dor ASS

[Merion_Mom]

Good morning,

I e-mailed you, did you ever get it? If not, e-mail me at doriemae @ hotmail . com

 

Hi to all the Hornblowers. Still settling in, the mail and getting ready for taxes is taking over.

 

We are getting much need rain and the Sierras are getting snow. Which will help with our drought here in Calif.

 

Zu:

Glad you got a replacement laptop. Sorry you lost most of your data. that can be a real pain. Did you have it backed up?

 

Carol:

Hope your heating problems are over and you are staying warm.

 

Dor ASS

I have heat, hot water, and clean laundry. :)

 

Sending prayers for your son. Any updates? You know how to email me, if you wish.

[rubrrick]

Carol..........I don't know if you have gone back to review any of this thread.......but in Barbados, there was a photographer that came aboard with a group of Travel Agents...........and his pictures of the ship are fantastic.

 

If you have not already done so.........I highly recommend that you take a look.

 

Sounds like you are getting back into the routine. It was great to see and sail with you again.

 

Rick

[Merion_Mom]

It was great to see and sail with you again.

 

Rick

 

And it was wonderful to sail with Bobbie and you again. Are you really going to book the 4/19?!?!?!??!? Pretty please? ;)

[Spellbinder]

:eek::eek:Carol we just had a chat about not snowing in Philadelphia and being south of me. Look what's happening now with this crazy storm.:eek::eek:

[PhoenixCruiser]

I have heat, hot water, and clean laundry. :)

 

Great news Carol!!! Thanks for the update.

 

###

[Ginny Ray]

And it was wonderful to sail with Bobbie and you again. Are you really going to book the 4/19?!?!?!??!? Pretty please? ;)

Oh Carol, so glad you have heat back....fun cruising with you. we more watched your antics than participated....you are so cute....

Say you have been posting pics on this board right in the thread...

I copied Pats' instructions down but the very first item is: "Hit Browse" so where are you?... when you... hit browse? Don't see it anywhere when I hit bottom to post a quote or answer....thank you...Ginny:)

[rubrrick]

Oh Carol, so glad you have heat back....fun cruising with you. we more watched your antics than participated....you are so cute....

Say you have been posting pics on this board right in the thread...

I copied Pats' instructions down but the very first item is: "Hit Browse" so where are you?... when you... hit browse? Don't see it anywhere when I hit bottom to post a quote or answer....thank you...Ginny:)

 

 

Hi Alan and Ginny!!

 

From the instructions that Pat passed on to me.......you need to start by logging on to www.tinypic.com.

 

First.........because you probably, like us, have our pictures listed by number........need to make a list of what pictures that you would like to post. Write that down.

 

Then go to tinypic.com and follow Pat's list of post #12502.

 

It worked for me.........and I know that it will work for you. I printed out Pat's list..........and then it dawned on me that I had to log on to www.tinypic.com for this to work.

 

Thanks Pat!! You are the genius that made it work for me.

 

Ginny..........I hope this helps!!

 

Rick

[wrp96]

I have heat, hot water, and clean laundry. :)

 

 

What about a check from the insurance company?;)

[rubrrick]

What about a check from the insurance company?;)

 

 

That must be a dream right now!! Wrona........you would be the perfect person to help Carol get that check very fast!!:)

 

Rick

[Merion_Mom]

:eek::eek:Carol we just had a chat about not snowing in Philadelphia and being south of me. Look what's happening now with this crazy storm.:eek::eek:

 

Yes, we are getting the same storm, but so far it's lagging.

 

They said that it would start by 5; it started to snow around 8.

 

We'll see how much we get.

 

The funny thing is that the crawl on the TV already shows school districts closing.

 

How can they be sure NOW that there will be enough snow, and that it will not be cleared, so that they have to cancel school already?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?

[reallyitsmema]

Yes, we are getting the same storm, but so far it's lagging.

 

They said that it would start by 5; it started to snow around 8.

 

We'll see how much we get.

 

The funny thing is that the crawl on the TV already shows school districts closing.

 

How can they be sure NOW that there will be enough snow, and that it will not be cleared, so that they have to cancel school already?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?

That storm is headed our way too, I am just outside Boston. My son's school has already cancelled for tomorrow.:rolleyes:

 

Thanks for sharing your wonderful pictures.

[rubrrick]

And it was wonderful to sail with Bobbie and you again. Are you really going to book the 4/19?!?!?!??!? Pretty please? ;)

 

 

If I can't go........can we find a roomie for Bobbie??? She is thinking about it!!:)

 

Rick

[wrp96]

That must be a dream right now!! Wrona........you would be the perfect person to help Carol get that check very fast!!:)

 

Rick

 

 

Well my concern is that we have final payment on a cruise due very soon. I'm just looking out for MY interests.;)

[Spellbinder]

Yes, we are getting the same storm, but so far it's lagging.

 

They said that it would start by 5; it started to snow around 8.

 

We'll see how much we get.

 

The funny thing is that the crawl on the TV already shows school districts closing.

 

How can they be sure NOW that there will be enough snow, and that it will not be cleared, so that they have to cancel school already?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?

 

My fingers are crossed they will call off work. :D:D:D:D

[Merion_Mom]

My fingers are crossed they will call off work. :D

 

Well, *I* am certainly not going to school tomorrow!

 

LOL! :D :D :D

[ricko1]

Well, *I* am certainly not going to school tomorrow!

 

LOL! :D :D :D

 

I know who they send to pick up the kids, Who do they send to pick up absent teachers...:eek: Take a well deserved break...:)

[wrp96]

Well, *I* am certainly not going to school tomorrow!

 

LOL! :D :D :D

 

I think all of us that have to go to work tomorrow have a word for you. :p We don't want to hear any whining from you when September comes!;)

[rubrrick]

Whining!!!!?????:D:D;)

Not from our friend Carol!!:D

[truffles2]

We only had a dusting of snow but if you are snowed in you might want to kill time looking at some pictures I found on the web of Carnival in Rio....what elaborate costumes! and the Sambodrome looks quite different with all those people

 

http://www.dnj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Avis=D4&Dato=20090226&Kategori=PHOTOGALLERIES01&Lopenr=902260801&Ref=PH

 

Hope that the link works.........:rolleyes:

[TPKeller]

How can they be sure NOW that there will be enough snow, and that it will not be cleared, so that they have to cancel school already?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?

I think they've hit this one right on the money so far. I'm still getting dumped on here in north central Virginia. The temperature dropped 10 degrees in about 5 hours over night, and it is still dumping on us.

 

Theron

[doris1930]

ALWAYS BE NICE TO YOUR WAITSTAFF!!!

 

Last week, we took some friends to a new restaurant, 'Steve's Place,' and noticed that the waiter who took our order carried a spoon in his shirt pocket.

 

It seemed a little strange. When the busboy brought our water and utensils, I observed that he also had a spoon in his shirt pocket..

 

Then I looked around and saw that all the staff had spoons in their pockets. When the waiter came back to serve our soup I inquired, "Why the spoon?"

 

"Well, he explained, the restaurant's owner hired Andersen Consulting to revamp all of our processes. After several months of analysis, they concluded that the spoon was the most frequently dropped utensil. It represents a drop frequency of approximately 3 spoons per table per hour. If our personnel are better prepared, we can reduce the number of trips back to the kitchen and save 15 man-hours per shift."

 

As luck would have it, I dropped my spoon and he replaced it with his spare.

 

"I'll get another spoon next time I go to the kitchen instead of making an extra trip to get it right now."

 

I was impressed.

 

I also noticed that there was a string hanging out of the waiter's fly.

 

Looking around, I saw that all of the waiters had the same string hanging from their flies. So, before he walked off, I asked the waiter, "Excuse me, but can you tell me why you have that string right there?"

 

"Oh, certainly!"

 

Then he lowered his voice.

 

"Not everyone is so observant. That consulting firm I mentioned also learned that we can save time in the restroom. By tying this string to the tip of our you-know-what, we can pull it out without touching it and eliminate the need to wash our hands, shortening the time spent in the restroom by 76.39%."

 

I asked quietly...... "'After you get it out, how do you put it back?"

 

"Well," he whispered..... "I don't know about the others, but I use the spoon" :eek:

[Moondawgie]

:eek: Doris, you got me! That is funny!

[K9CATWOMAN]

Doris -That is priceless and kept me guessing right to the the end! :D:eek::D

BTW liked the pic of you by the "special" number plate as well.:)

 

Carol - A lurker here (also a teacher - retired thankfully.) I looked forward to every post of your memorable cruise during the dark miserable winter months here in the U.K. Thanks very much also to all who posted on this thread as well.

Strangely enough managed to catch the chest infection that you all suffered with. Shame that I didn't get to enjoy the benefits- the company, the experience and the good weather. :(

[TheMiz]

re: " due to the length of the trip and the large number of health problems reported."

 

George, do you know this to be a fact, I mean, the REASON for the inspection ?

 

What I saw was very consistent with the routine Vessel Sanitation Program of the Centers for Disease Control. A U.S. Public Health Service guy was inspecting the food service areas of the Windjammer on the morning of our departure, along with Adolph, the Head Food and Beverage guy for RCI. This previously unannounced 'surprise' inspection (which is their usual method of operation) is why the Windjammer had to close up breakfast early on our departure morn, leaving many of us hungry and upset.

 

 

The scores for (what I think was a routine) VSP inspection done on the Mariner on our last day will probably be reported in about two weeks, after which the ship formulates their corrective actions and responses. These Vessel Sanitation Scores are public information. Here's a link to the most recent available reports on the Mariner of the Seas: http://wwwn.cdc.gov/vsp/InspectionQueryTool/Forms/InspectionScoresAll.aspx?Vessel=7288

 

Sorry to be such a nit-picker about this, but I don't think we should report or surmise that the CDC was onboard searching for some kind of a cause of an outbreak of a respiratory thing when we have no evidence that they were.

 

Jeannine

 

 

 

Jeannie , I was mostly going on hear say from staff on the day we reached port.

I would think it was more routine than anything else.

 

Keep Rockin