tahoemc

Yesterday I sent an e-mail to my colleagues at School 3 to thank them for their support. Here is an edited version for all of you on Facebook and CruiseCritic.

 

My Dear Friends

 

As most of you know, on Tuesday evening I learned that my younger brother and his wife were killed in a bus accident while they were on a sightseeing tour in the Yucatan region of Mexico. As I write this, I am at 33,000 feet on my way to Cancun for anything but a Christmas vacation. I am representing my family in going to accompany their remains for their final journey home to Olympia, Washington.

 

As I reached out through social media I have been so touched by the support I received from so many of you in these past two days. Your kind words, your expressions of sympathy, and the many reminders of distant friendships have assured me that Diana and I do not walk through these troubled times alone. I need to tell you how important that is to us. Diana has been determined to try to respond to every post with at least a”like” or a quick thank you. I have not been nearly as ambitious. To all of you who have posted or messaged or reached out in some other way: please know how deeply we appreciate and need your support.

 

So as you approach and enjoy these upcoming holidays, please say an unexpected kind word someone, hug one another a little tighter, and if you can gin up the courage, dare to tell someone you love them. Make it a point to celebrate your family and friends; love them in ways that will have people asking what has gotten into you. Enjoy THESE moments, because the future is never guaranteed.

 

My life is enriched by the crossing of our paths and the sharing of some part of this journey. Thank you all for making me a better teacher, friend, parent and person.

 

Grace and Peace,

 

Sam Fritz

 

 

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Sam Fritz, deepest sympathies and condolences to you and your family and friends. Although we have never met, it is comforting to us knowing that you are touched by this outpouring of prayers, condolences and thoughts. Thank you for the reminder that life is short and precious, your message is received loud and clear. Safe travels as you continue this most difficult trip to bring Andy and Jody home. God Bless!

Hi Karen and David, thanks for referring your cruise buddies to this review. Well done and I appreciate you sharing your thoughts. Often times I would like to consider other cruise lines, but it sounds like MSC is mostly comparable to RC. I guess for now we'll stick with RC and make some more progress towards D+.

P.S. Sending you a CC friend request :)

After today, it is 24 days for me. In one sense, I am going to miss the company I worked for almost 19 years in March, but then out of around 300 people, there may be around 20 that started out with me years ago. Makes a big difference.

I remember your posts from a couple years ago when I was counting down. Its been 2yrs and 1 week since we retired, though I'm working a temporary job for a few months, nothing stressful for sure. Pick up some extra $$ for golf & travel :D

Thanks again Jim & Judith for sharing your cruise with us. Safe travels home!

A little late to the party, but subscribing nonetheless. We just returned last Sunday from an 8 nighter on Freedom, got home last nite after spending an additional day in Ft. Lauderdale, spent today getting laundry, groceries, and re-acquainted with the puppy.

Will have to look into booking the Hilton next time. We stayed at the Best Western Airport south pre-cruise, & and the HI Express on 17th post-cruise. Wasn't too impressed with either one.

All caught up with the live report, looking forward to the remaining reports. Keep up the good work Trainman. Happy cruising to you two and your friends too.

Thanks Robyn for such an awesome report/review of FOS. My DW & I will be joining many of your followers on the 11/26/16 sailing this Saturday. Just found your thread today and read thru all 30 pages :eek::D

I see there are a couple of followers who are on this thread but haven't posted on the roll call for the 11/26 sailing. Sure hope y'all signed up for the M&M, the more the merrier :cool:

Happy Holidays to you and yours!

All you folks in countdown mode, enjoy, your day will be here before you know it.

No cruises lined up since we did the Serenade Snowbird reposition from Quebec to Ft. Lauderdale last fall, probably do a Hawaii trip before booking another cruise. The Panama Canal is on my bucket list.

Not real busy, which I like a lot. Going on a Mardi Gras cruise out of N.O. on Feb. 7!! I'm in countdown mode!:) (Yes retirement is great) As of yesterday I've been retired a year. Tahoemc, you must be too! Didn't we retire right about the same time???

Hi Deb, yup, your recollection is correct, within a day or two if I recall correctly. Our last day was Jan 20, so 1 yr and a week. Have a great cruise, a mardi gras theme would be fun! Which ship you on?

Well, guess everyone is out there busy being retired :)

Been pretty busy, even though its winter. Holiday travels, getting ready for some spring travels, rving, etc. Golfing when its not snowing :eek:

Wow, its almost over, seems as though it just started.

Thanks to both of you for allowing us to tag along. Have a safe trip home!

Jim, get well soon. Lots of liquids :D

Hi Jim, thanks for the continuing reports, I'm really enjoying them, as are so many others.

So surprised your having issues in Chops. Our recent experiences in Chops on Serenade were very good. Hope it improves.

Hello to fellow 2011 Liberty TA "LOSTies" Peter & Mike, glad to see y'all still out there. Enjoy your upcoming Serenade cruises!

Hi Deb, glad to see retirement is agreeing with you. Enjoying our retirement too!

We too just returned from a 14 night reposition cruise on the Serenade OTS from Quebec to Fort Lauderdale - this was our retirement gift to us. Fab cruise, a bit cold up north but absolutely beautiful cities and countryside. We only saw 6 kids under school age on our cruise, and I think I saw one teenage girl - poor thing, no one to hang with.

Jim, great job with the Live reports!

There were cookies in the WJ and Park Café, as well as in Café Latitudes, during our recent repositioning cruise.

If you drink specialty coffees, make sure you get a punch card. One free coffee drink of your choice after 6 purchases.

Looking forward to more reports and seeing so many familiar onboard sights!

I'm in and looking forward to cruising along with you.

Serenade should be completely thawed out since we dropped her off in FLL last week following the Snowbird Migration cruise from Quebec.

Have a great cruise you two!

Glad to see this thread is still rolling along, Debbie & I counted down our time to retirement together for several months, hump days & all.

To those who are in countdown mode, enjoy the journey. To those who love your jobs & want to keep working, good for you! For me, after 8 months of retirement, I'm still adjusting. I miss my coworkers & being involved with the issues in our state, BUT, I do not miss the long hours & days that was associated with keeping 63 elected officials from doing something stupid & irreparable to the citizens of this state or themselves. :eek:

It's getting better everyday!

Jeez, what the world is today. So sad for all involved, prayers being said......

Hi all retirees! Congrats on completing the rat race!

I have a quick (and a little nosy) question for you all. So many of you seem to have retired "early" (meaning before being old enough to qualify for Medicare). I'm contemplating retiring within a year (at 62 1/2, give or take), and my only concern is what to do about health insurance for the ensuing 3 years and still be able to afford to cruise. Surely you can't all have your health insurance being covered by your previous employers, in this day and age of relatively benefit-stingy employers?

 

There is no precedence here at my work, so I really have no one to ask. (we're a very young company - average age in the 30's), and only 2 other people (both over 65) have ever retired from here. I don't even know anyone outside of work who has retired early and had to pick up their own insurance.

Help!?

:confused:

I am fortunate that the employer I retried from after 29 years offers retiree coverage at nearly the same rate we were paying when employed. We then go to Medicare when we reach 65.

Grandchild no. 6 was born yesterday. A boy who weight 8 lbs. 1 oz. and was 20 inches. We will not forget his birthday-----5/15/15.

Congrats to you and the proud parents, welcome to the world Oliver.

We don't have any gkids yet, maybe someday.......

Congrats to the folks who just recently announced their retirements! Enjoy your countdowns, hope you come back and share the joy!

BTW, Happy Mothers Day to all!!

BTW, Happy Hump Day to all who are either counting down (or not :D).

Just returned from an air/land 'cruise' to Texas Hill Country. Really pretty this time of year. Now getting ready to take the RV out for a couple days next week, then a longer land cruise with it later this month and next to Idaho and Oregon.

Retirement is great!

536 working days and counting, world cruise on the way.

 

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As Deb said, this thread goes way back, and we enjoyed our countdown time here. Try not to spend to much time planning your world cruise while at work;):D

Just back 4/25 from our 2 week BTB on the Jewel of the Seas......I retired in 12/13 and the cruise was to celebrate DH joining me....his first day of retirement was this past Friday....we made it!!!

Congrats to both of you, no finer way to celebrate your retirements than with a celebratory cruise. We both retired this past January, but are waiting until October for our cruise!

We came back from our Easter cruise and I am still a worker bee so I had to go back to work. We will be visiting our son and family including a new baby in July in San Antonio. We were planning to then take a cruise out of Galveston after the visit but our 25 year old furnace and air conditioner gave out so cruising will have to wait until next year.

Bummer about the HVAC, but I guess after 25 yrs........maybe the new one will be so much more efficient you can use the energy savings to pay for a cruise;)

Enjoy your new grandchild!

Where did everyone go??? Guess the worker bees are working and the retired are busy with non-work stuff??? We traveled to San Antonio this week, having a good time, heading to Austin then Fredericksburg before heading home.

BTW, Happy Hump Day to all no matter if working or retired!

Oh, BTW, Happy Hump Day to all who are still counting down!!