65 Gator

27 minutes ago, Cruising-along said:

 

As have I, and Leon has contacted him and got a swift response yesterday.  Who knows, maybe it's the same PCC Susan has lol!

Thanks a bunch for the suggestions...  Carolyn's PCC agreed to answer my questions but doesn't know if he can retain  our account.  Wish I was going to see all you crazies on this upcoming cruise...

1 hour ago, DaveOKC said:

Another thought - call the PCC number and ask to be reassigned due to your PCC quitting - likely they have already done so.  800-355-3017

Thanks ...  I will try that tomorrow...

51 minutes ago, DaveOKC said:

HAL changed their policy earlier this year I think, that you only have a short period of time to change your booking to a TA from a HAL PCC.  I think too many people were doing this to take advantage of some extra perks, with HAL PCC doing all the work setting it up.

 

Since your booking is not until Oct, can you cancel with HAL and rebook with your TA?

HAL said you have to move to TA within 60 days.  I am reluctant to rebook as I like the Neptune we have and there were only two available when we booked.

We are scheduled for an October cruise.  Sent email a couple of weeks ago to ask if the booking was still good to go.  No response.  Called my PCC and the recording said that this person no longer works for HAL.  This is the second time my PCC "no longer works for HAL"...  I respect the nightmare of working through Covid, but resent that nobody reached out, proactively, to let us know that we no longer had a PCC.

I called a local travel agent and she called HAL.  She was told that the booking was in place for too long and she could not assume the booking.

Sorry for the rant but, as a 4-star Mariner, I expected a little better service.  Thanks for this thread... 

Sorry to be so late to the party...  Loved Port of the Day - Saguenay Quebec Canada

RAFINMD - Thoughts and prayers for a safe surgery...

2 hours ago, summer slope said:

Happy Mother's Day!!  A quick post with the drink.  Will come back later to get caught up.

Dark and Stormy:

A Dark ’n’ Stormy is a highball cocktail made with dark rum and ginger beer served over ice and garnished with a slice of lime. Lime juice and simple syrup are also frequently added. This drink is very similar to the Moscow mule except that the Dark 'n' Stormy has dark rum instead of vodka. Wikipedia

Main alcohol: Rum

Ingredients: 2 oz Dark Rum, 3 1/3 oz Ginger Beer, Couple dashes of bitters

Preparation: In a highball glass filled with ice, add dark rum and top with ginger beer. Garnish with lime wedge.

Served: On the rocks; poured over ice

Standard garnish: Lime wedge

Drinkware: Highball glass

Since I am addicted to the Dark 'n' Stormy, I will add to the description.  This drink originated in Bermuda is was originally Gosling's Black Seal Rum and Barritt's Ginger Beer.  Gosling later started selling their own labelled Ginger Beer and now we can even get it in diet version.

38 minutes ago, richwmn said:

Long ago I lived a short distance from what is now the pier in Colon where the ship docks. What pictures I had were lost in moves a long time ago.

Christobal is on one side of the Canal and was part of the Canal Zone, it is now a section of Colon, which was the Panamanian city on the other side of the Canal Entrance.

When Rich was at Ft. Sherman (I think), I was on the south side of the canal and lived in Balboa for a while then Panama City.  Most of my photos from my three cruises to the Panama Canal are mostly of the Pacific entrance since I spent so much time there.  In the 60's, I spent hours of my free time at the various locks watching the ships go through.  Never dreamed I would, one day, get to be on one of the ships.

Two photos of the colorful pier at Cristobal from the Zuiderdam in 2009. 

Thanks to the gang for the postings...  Was happy to see the suggestion for chili since I have thawed out venison and beef for chili...

Thought you folks might be pleased to see the latest graph from Johns Hopkins with a noticeable downward trend in total cases.  I need a blue hulled beauty in my future...

Thanks to Rich and Roy.  Happy Monday to the Dailyites...

Birthday greetings to @Av8rix

Good morning from coastal Carolina.  Will check back tonight as I'm off to yet another clinic.  Here's hoping we don't run out of doses.  It is heartbreaking to have people "drop in" to see if we can give them a dose only to have to insist that they go through the Health Department for an appointment.  

Wear your mask...

29 minutes ago, Av8rix said:

Seriously?  Jenn is still working? 

 

Yes, ma'am...  6 days a week.  And when she is home, she is writing orders for the store.  Her store has stayed quite busy despite the virus.  Since the holidays are the busiest, we can only cruise after Christmas for a long trip (14 days).  Summers in a beach town are pretty. crazy too...  Since we saw you, I un-retired for another 14 months then retired again for the third time.  Now I only do vaccine clinics and cook.  Just  bought a smoker and learning it.  Guess I will weigh 200 pounds by Easter...

Hope you are well...

49 minutes ago, Sharon in AZ said:

Here is a blast from the past.  She sure does look small, but still a lovely ship.

This sure brought back some memories.  Our first cruise was on the Nieuw Amsterdam in 1990.  Sorry for the crappy photos as I haven't retouched them yet.

Great to be able to follow along today in real time.  Thanks, as usual, to Rich and Roy and the rest of the regular Dailyites...  Enjoying sunshine for a change but would be happy to send the cold weather back north.

We are at about 12,000 vaccine doses today which is reassuring since our county is about 70,000 total.  Another clinic at Carteret Health Care tomorrow.  After Saturday week, all clinics are moved to the old K-Mart where there is a lot of parking and all equipment can  be left setup for the next clinic.

Happy to hear Rich is doing the BIG cruise in just over a year.  Looking forward to his postings so I can be really jealous.  Wish I could talk my roommate into retiring so we could join him.

Cheers to all...  Wear your mask...

6 hours ago, rafinmd said:

I'm thinking about @65 Gator and @Himself who haven't posted for a while.  I hope @65 Gator is just real busy with vaccine clinics

Hey there...  I'm still above ground but just this minute returned from another marathon vaccine clinic.  We used every vial of our allotment.  Back again Monday to do another "second dose" clinic.  We only have one more hospital clinic after that since the health department has rented the old K-Mart building and will be doing all first and second dose clinics...  I have some catching up to do with the Daily and it is on my list for tomorrow morning.

Finally back to the Daily after some really long vaccine clinics.  We were at the hospital at 0630 yesterday to set up for a 0700 clinic.  People were already lined up by 0640.  Once again, we used up our allotment of second doses for Pfizer.  Another team set up a very large first dose Moderna clinic at an abandoned K-Mart.  Didn't read the Daily until after 8 last night.  

The first 5 or 6 clinics were for first dose and there was NO complaining.  It was so super to see the smiles as we registered folks.  Now that we are doing second doses at some clinics, the mood has changed.  I got cussed out three times yesterday because I had the audacity to ask them to fill out another consent form.  It is only a few items including date of birth and an attestation that they had no reaction to first dose then a signature.  I will be so happy when this pandemic is over.  I REALLY need a cruise...

Had to chuckle at the name thread.  From childhood through high school, I was called Mac from my middle name MacMillan.  I got to college and they called roll based on your first given name thus the change to Leon.  None of my high school buddies never knew me by that name so reunions were interesting.  Got some ribbing from family as well.  I really never cared which name was used and answer to both.

PLEASE wear a mask...

4 hours ago, summer slope said:

DH had a severe reaction to jab #2.  Fever of 102, chills, body aches.  Lasted 24 hrs. and he's fine this morning.  I only had a sore arm where the shot was given.

Not at all unusual.  I was down for the count on day 2 with severe headache, chest tightness and body aches but on day 3 I was back to my normal self.  Usually indicates a good response for building up immunity.

We had another clinic at our hospital this morning for second doses of Pfizer.  We were swamped for two hours then things slowed down.  Again, we used up all of the doses we were allocated.  There was a second clinic across the street at the Civic Center for first timers that was also very busy.

Can't wait to start cruising again...  Wear your mask, PLEASE...

2 hours ago, Cruising-along said:

 If we can take Tylenol that's good news for me, as that's all I ever take (not Advil etc.)  But I will try to learn more before my 2nd shot in 12 days.  I know the night of my first shot I woke up with a bad headache in the night and wanted to take something but didn't...

Tylenol is fine after your vaccination.  Anti-inflammatories should be avoided (Advil, etc.)..  We even had a case of Tylenol sample packs that we gave out at a recent clinic.

Today was wild with 400 doses given and not one dose left over.  It was all first doses of Moderna.  Monday we have a second dose clinic for Pfizer.

Thanks for the daily...

Can't do yogurt but would do ice cream if I had some.  Shepherd's Pie for dinner.

Gotta check out early as we just scored 400 doses of Moderna so will open clinic at our hospital for first timers.  They anticipate we can give them all by 5 PM today.  There is also a big clinic across the street at our Civic Center for previously scheduled 2nd injections.  Gonna be a busy day.

Wishing good health to all...

Good Morning to the Daily Crew.  Thanks Rich and Roy.

Loved Groucho and of course was saddened the day the music died.

Just got a text that our hospital got another round of vaccine so I will spend my Saturday at a hastily called clinic.  It is already full despite only a couple of hours of notice.  99.9% of all the folks are happy and appreciative but I got cussed out because I asked a fellow to fill out a form for the hospital.  He had filled out an online form and didn't want to complete our paperwork.  Thank God our security guard was just a few feet from me.  Shortly after another man was incensed that the line was about 15 minutes long and "he had an appointment"...  Having said that, I can't count the number of times we were thanked for having a clinic.  

I am so happy to see that so many of the Dailyites have already gotten their injection or, at least, have an appointment.

Please wear a mask...

Thank you Dailyites for my morning enjoyment.

Tonight will be leftovers since I am off to help staff our vaccine clinic today until 5:00.  Not enjoying the cold and rain here in coastal Carolina.  Oh, how I wish I could move back to my old home town of Sebring, FL and enjoy that weather.

Please, wear your mask...

9 minutes ago, doobieb said:

Yea, congratulations on your retirement! . I have retired 3 times. The   third time I learned to enjoy it.😍

I had to laugh out loud while reading this.  I, too, have retired three times and everytime I visit I am asked, over and over, if I am BACK AGAIN...  

Thanks, as usual, to Rich and Roy for the Daily...

Happy to be able to check in this morning...  Our small county just posted that we have given 6,000 vaccines as of last Wednesday and have 1,400 doses for this coming week.  The bad news is that there are still 13,000 eligible still on the waiting list. My CW (crazy wife) is on the list for second injection on Friday, 12 Feb.  I'm working both of the next two Mondays and that Friday.  Even though it is busy, it is well organized.  One of the biggest frustrations is that they have to turn away folks who "drop in" since the county is keeping the eligible list and sends it to us for each clinic.

Love the Sloppy Joe Pizza suggestion.  I already had the recipe but haven't made it yet.  I made Sloppy Joe Mac and Cheese a week or so ago.  Have also tried a Sloppy Joe Casserole a few months ago.

Please wear your mask...

Glad to finally be able to check in to the Daily.  We had another big vaccine clinic yesterday and did several hundred more.  One of our last "victims" was a 99 YO WW2 veteran.  It makes it worthwhile to spend a day there just to see the appreciation from the patients.  Very large community clinic today but I am not working again until Monday.

I had to laugh at the 

4 hours ago, richwmn said:

National Inane Answering Message Day

since I recorded mine in Spanish.  It has cut down on the number recorded messages as most think they got the wrong number...

Meal tonight is beef stew and cornbread swirls as a salute to the cold weather.

Wear your masks...

49 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

 

 

This has made my day...  I love it..

It is good to get back to the Daily.  We have had two massive vaccination clinics the last two days and I was simply too tired to check in.  We were concentrating on all those over 65 and I could not believe the lines.  Everyone was patient with us and didn't complain.  Our hospital was very organized and it flowed smoothly.  We did the usual 15 minute observation after the vaccine and, fortunately, had no adverse reactions.  Almost everybody for these sessions were "first-timers" and all have appointments for the second injection.  It was very gratifying to be thanked by these folks.  We start again at 0700 in the morning...

31 minutes ago, TheKingD said:

I I am curious about how a school or other non-medical facility has the equipment to keep the vaccines at the correct temperature.  Our appointments are at a drive-through clinic in the parking lot outside one of the hospitals, but we are wondering how your clinic kept things cold enough.  

Hi from the coast...  It is actually easier than it seems.  The vaccine is STORED at -80° but, just prior to use, it is THAWED at just above freezing and is good for 120 hours at that temperature (about 5 days).  If a facility doesn't have ultra-cold storage, dry ice can be used in a rural setting but the 5 day shelf life of thawed vaccine is usually sufficient.  Once thawed, however, it cannot be refrozen.