Quartzsite Cruiser

Good morning from a cloudy and cool central Texas. It is a little foggy this morning. This will be quick since it is house cleaning day. DH is handy and has quite a collection of tools. While we appreciate them and all they can do for us, we don't worship tools. Hats off to Johnny Appleseed. I am not a fan of fanny packs and prefer a crossbody bag. Today’s quote is very true. With vegetarians in the family, I have a good vegetarian lasagna recipe. We'll pass on the drink, but would like to try the wine🍷 if it wasn't so pricey. We have not been to Reunion island yet. It was on a cruise we canceled. Thank you Rich @richwmn for your pictures. I was just about to mention the WC cruise has stopped there recently when you posted. @RMLincoln Welcome home. I'm sorry you are sick and hope it's just a cold and that it won't affect your DH's surgery. Condolences on the passingnof your cousin. @Cruzin Terri Terri, woo hoo, the end of the work is in sight. I better get to work on the house. Lenda

This afternoon the weather was better than predicted aand warmer than predicted. We ran a quick errand early this afternoon and noticed there was no wind. When we got home, I took advantage of no wind and spayed another dose of weed killer. Naturally, just as I started spraying a light wind started blowing. At least, it wasn't enough to stop me from spraying. Of couse the wind stopped when I went for my walk. Isn't that the way it always happens? That is great you all will be on the same cruise. We've been around the Horn twice, but did not sail to Antarctica. We did take a tour that flew over Antarctica. That was truly awesome scenery. Debbie, I'm glad the not so handy handyman was one and done, and that he did not get all the money he thought he should. Ann, that's good news. Give him our best wishes. Lenda

Touche'. Lenda

I'll never be able to compete with Bruce @aliaschief, but I thought they were funny. Lenda

Condolences to you and your dear friend's family and friends. Ann, that is good news that Pat will be coming home today. It is also good news that the doctor said to go ahead and enjoy your cruise. Thank you for the pictures of Tonga. Lenda

Beautiful picture, and I think it could be called awesome. We did an Amazon cruise in April 2006 on the old Regal Princess. It was at the end of the rainy season. The river was still very wide, but we did not get a lot of rain. The rainy season is roughly mid-December to mid-May. I think HAL would be good for that cruise especially since they have the Crow's Nest for viewing. Lenda

Good morning from central Texas where the sun is trying to break through the remaining clouds from last night's storm. Most of the storm missed us, and we only got about 0.2 inch of rain along with a lot of thunder. It is currently 51F with a predicted high of 64F. Day of Awesomeness is an interesting day to celebrate. I have a vague memory of seeing a phone booth with a phone in it not too long ago, but I can't remember where I saw it or when. Middle name pride day is good since I go by my middle name. My first name is my mother's middle name, and her first name was my grandmother's name. An interesting quote today. We'll pass on the meal, but like fish and chips without extra spices. Like Gerry @ger_77 if I have the drink, I'll substitute vodka. Occasionally we'll have Chianti, so I'd like to try the wine. We have not been to Tonga, but maybe someday, @StLouisCruisers Sandi, that must have been scary for your DB. I'm glad he did not need to be transported to the hospital. @rafinmd Roy, cheers on another good night's sleep. @mamaofami Carol, I'm sorry you will have to find new health insurance. @ottahand7 Nancy, as long as John has a nice pair of slacks and a collared shirt, he will be fine in the MDR on dressy night. I agree that Devil's Island is an "awesome" place to visit and wander around, and since we were there during the day, we also did not see any mosquitos. @dfish Debbie, I hope you can convince your doctor that it is time for the surgery. I'm glad I was able to help with the hiking in St. John's, and I hope your weather there is good. Yikes! 😱 on the handyman yesterday. @marshhawk Annie, it's strange that I sign my name E. Lenda, since Elizabeth is my first name. Sorry you are getting some of our bad weather, but we don't like to keep it around for very long. 😉 Lenda

This might just reflect what those who are getting or expecting snow are feeling about now. Lenda

Ann, that's good news. Tell him hello for us, and that we hope his recovery is easy and quick. Lenda

Good afternoon. There are strong rain storms north and west of us, but the are moving away. Our heavy rain will probably begin about 9 pm and last through most of the night. I did get my walk in about four hours ago before the sky started getting darker. Since then, I'm been catching up on small chores that I've been putting off, until I couldn't put them off any longer. Carolyn, I hope your DH doesn't need back surgery, but can try other treatments for his back. That surgery should be the last resort to solving the problme. Ann, thank you for your pictures of Samoa. I hope Pat is out of surgery and is doing well. Terri, I'm glad you took steps to let the hospital know what happened. Knowing the patient wants answers and might not use their facilities in the future, will hopefully spur them to investigate the incident and make changes. You were lucky there were no serious side effects from getting the wrong medicine, but others might not be so lucky. Gerry, that was nice of your DH and his son to go check on the elderly friend. I'm glad he was all right, and I hope he gets his phone service back on soon since he lives by himself in the country. Graham, I'm sure Pauline is enjoying her birthday week. It's amazing how many March birthdays there are. DH had his last Sunday, @RedneckBob had is two days later and mine is this coming Sunday. Lenda

Debbie, @dfish and anyone else interested in hiking Signal Hill in St. John's, Newfoundland, I found some pictures that show the trails between Signal Hill and the Johnson Geo Centre. They should give you an idea of what is available. Part way down, there is another building with a lot of cannons for protection. BTW, when I was looking on Google maps I noticed the Centre is temporarily closed, but my best guess is, it's closed for the winter. You can see the trail and stairs leading from the Cabot Tower area. The point with the building and cannons, and on the right hand side is the Johnson Geo Centre. Part of the road between the top of Signal Hill and the Centre. I think I could even manage the walk down from Signal Hill. Lenda

Good morning from a very cloudy and cool central Texas. It is 62F and the high should be 75F with evening thunderstorms. Both DDs had Barbies which along with their clothes and accessories are in the attic. When Barbie was introduced, I had just about quit playing with dolls, and I thought Barbie was too small. I try to get over things, but there a some that you just can quite get over. I also try not to panic. A good quote by Emily Dickinson. We'll pass on the meal and the drink. I would like to try the wine. We have not been to Apia, Samoa. @StLouisCruisers Sandi, I hope your family member makes it through the stressful week all right. Thanks for your pictures of Samoa. @puppycanducruise Melanie, thanks for the information on Barbie's full name. It has been a trivia question in the past, but I seem to forget her name afterwards. @cat shepard Ann, thanks for the information on the Frescobaldi family and their vineyards. We were introduced to Frescobaldi Remole by our wine stewardess on P&O Oriana in 2000. @Cruzin Terri Terri, I'm glad the heating pad helped last night and that you got a good night's sleep. I can't wait to see the pictures of your finished house, but I know you really can't wait for the house to be finished. @rafinmd Roy, glad you had your best recent sleep last night. @dfish I hope you get the results of the CT scan today, and that there are no changes. @cunnorl Charlene, good luck at the tournament tomorrow, and I hope you get a strong team. @JazzyV Vanessa, I hope the traffic and delays are not too bad today. It is hard to believe they cannot find the brand name eyedrops and that the generic are so much more expensive. We use GoodRx, plus our pharmacy checks all the different plans like GoodRX and gives us the lowest price. @grapau27 Graham, I'm happy Sarah's back is a lot better. @ottahand7 Nancy, I think I gained five pounds just looking at all those yummy desserts. 🤣 We've always enjoyed the Crossing the Line ceremonies. Lenda

@Vict0riann Ann, sending positive thoughts and best wishes for a successful surgery and a quick recovery for Pat today. Lenda

Both our fathers gave us the advice in the first line of the pillow card. We followed their advice, and have seen amazing parts of the world. Thanks for taking us along on the world cruise.

Thank you, Graham. Debbie, we caught the bus on the main street which was a block or so up from the pier. The picture was taken in 2019, so I don't know if they still have that bus route, or if they still use that bus. With Covid, things could have changed drastically. I really don't remember how we paid for the bus, but we probably used Canadian currency since we keep some on hand. It is possible to walk to Signal Hill, and there is a sidewalk all the way, IIRC. From the Johnson Geo Centre it would be a steep climb even with the sidewalk. We talked about walking back to the Centre and catching the bus there, but just decided to wait and enjoy the scenery. You might find out about the current situation by googling St. John's tourist info this summer. Sorry I wasn't more help. Lenda

Bruce, that is great news about being cancer free. 🥂 🍾 Celebrate! Lenda

These are the rest of the pictures from St. John's. There is no particular order, and many are just scenes of St. John's. The downtown area near the dock. This was in 2003, and I think we were sailing towards the next port. A little further along the main street An intersection near several restaurants, one of which, a group of us ate lunch in 2003. The choices for our group were lobster or fish and chips, and both were good. In 2019, we didn't remember which restaurant was the one where we had lunch. The restaurants were just around the curve. There was an interesting statue in the intersection. The Johnson Geo Centre, a science museum, on the way to Signal Hill. We didn't have time to stop there and explore. These are general pictures of St. John's. For the flower lovers These pictures were taken from Signal Hill and show the two BHBs. Lenda

We've been to St. John's, Newfoundland, twice. The first time in 2003 on Rotterdam VI, we took the Ho-Ho. The second time was in 2019 on the Veendam. We learned the Ho-Ho was gone, so we took the city bus that made a one hour loop. You had to be prepared to stay an hour at any stop or to walk, and we spent an interesting hour at Cabot Tower. I have enough pictures that I'll need to divide them into two posts. Both posts will be a mix of pictures from both visits, and there will be a couple of repeats. I apologize in advance for the quality of some of the pictures. In 2003, it was cloudy with occasional rain and fog, so some of the pictures, especially distant shots, were not every good. The Ho-Ho from 2003 and the local bus from 2019. The City bus, and we got a little narrative. The Basilica Cathedral of St. John the Baptist as seen from the Veendam in 2019. Inside the Basilica in 2003, with it's ornate ceiling. In 2019, we drove past St. Thomas Anglican Parish. In 2019, we spent an hour at Signal Hill, including touring inside the Cabot Tower. One of the rooms at the top of the tower with the signal flags. A lower room in the tower The powder magazine A plaque commemorating the first trans-Atlantic radio signals. Part of the view from a BHB Fort Amherst from Signal Hill. I know it's a repeat, but the WWII bunkers are visible in this picture. Lenda

Good morning from a cloudy and cooler central Texas. It is 59F and the high will be 64F. It's been a busy morning with errands and miscellaneous chores. I try very hard not to be nasty everyday. @cat shepard Ann, I laughed at the mental picture of Rich @richwmn sitting at his computer with a, do I dare say, "nasty" smile on his face as he wrote Be Nasty Day. I'll definitely celebrate working women including those who work taking care of the home and family. As I've said before, proofreading is not my strong suit since I sometimes read what I meant to say not what I actually typed. I do go over my posts carefully though. DH is good at catching my errors, but often it is after the edit window has closed. An interesting quote by Maya Angelou. The pictures of today's meal look wonderful, and I'll save one of the recipes for later, just not sure which one. DH might like the drink, but I'll pass. The Pinot Noir sounds good, but pricey. I guess I'll just stick with my cardbordeaux Pinot Noir. 😄 We have been to St. John's, Newfoundland, twice on BHBs. Ironically, we were on another BHB Koningsdam both times it was the port of the day, and I did not post any pictures. I'll post some pictures in a few minutes. @lindaler Linda, it was good to hear from you and enjoy the remainder of your cruise. @ger_77 Gerry, thank you for your wonderful words to all the Dailyite women. @dfish Debbie, good news that you did not lose your stamina over the winter. Since I've been trying to walk everyday, about 1-2 miles, I found that the yard work the last few days was not as hard on my legs and back. @Lady Hudson Katherine, I hope they get the engine problem solved and your sister cruise is not affected. @rafinmd Roy, you are sounding more like yourself everyday. I'm glad the tests did not reveal any problems, and I hope the next CT scan shows there is nothing of concern. It's good that the swelling in your feet is improving. It seems to take longer for swelling to subside that to appear. @smitty34877 Terry, I'm glad the specialist wanted to take the conservatives approach with your DH. That is good news that the woman you interviewed will be taking the job. 👍 👏 @marshhawk Annie, I'm glad your DH says his eye is better. @kazu Jacqui, thanks for checking in since we do get concerned when we don't hear from you. I can understand not feeling like posting at times though. ((((HUGS)))) @Cruising-along Carolyn, thanks for your pictures from St. John's. On our first visit there, we were also greeted by a Newfie, but I didn't get any pictures. I agree there is too much nastiness away from The Daily. That's why I often don't read the other threads and stay off FB for the most part. Lenda

Good morning from a cloudy central Texas. It was foggy this morning when I got up and headed to the store. By 9:30, the fog was beginning to lift, but it will be cloudy all day with highs in the mid 70sF. We eat cereal some mornings with a banana or other fruit if possible. Other days, I'll have toast for breakfast. Even though the Peace Corps was celebrated March 1 on the anniversary of it's creation, it is worth celebrating again. The roast pork is an unusual day to celebrate, and it won't be celebrated here. I'm am not a fan of pork roasts. The MLK quote is very true, but like Vanessa @JazzyV I would also appreciate the longevity too. There's a lot I still want to do and places I want to see. It's confession time about my version of Pad Thai (and the Korean BBQ short ribs). I don't make them completely from scratch since I found kits at W-M that have the sauce and other ingredients needed. From there, I adapt the recipe on the package to suit our needs, including cooking the ribs in the slow cooker even though the recipe calls for sliced steak cooked in a pan. @Crazy For CatsJake, we tried shrimp once in the Pad Thai, but found that we like it with chicken better. And Debbie @dfish was correct that the chopping and prep work take more time than the actual cooking, but I usually can get it done in about 30 minutes. We'll pass on the drink, but I would love to try the wine if they would just ship me a bottle to taste and review. 🤣 We have not been to Ulvik, but that area of Norway is as spectacular as the rest. It's on a fjord that branches off the fjord to Eidfjord. @grapau27 Thanks for the explanation of National Cereal Day. @rafinmd Roy, I'm glad to see you are beginning to sleep better most nights. @smitty34877 Terry, I also hope the cardiologist has the opinion that no more intervention is needed. I hope Tana's nursing friends can help you find an aide that is a good fit, since Tana does not need any more anxiety. @summer slope Dixie, that is great news that Bailey is doing so well. Here's to many more happy, healthy years. @Cruzin Terri Terri, I hope the meds start to help with the pain. I imagine that not only moving boxes, etc. contributed to the pain, but that the stress of the last six months added to the problem. @aliaschief Bruce, I hope the new house cleaner is a good fit for you. @ger_77 Gerry, enjoy the results of your hair cut and other magic your neighbor uses. I too have been hesitant to mention how well I normally sleep. Most nights, I manage to sleep from four to six hours straight and then get back to sleep, but I can sympathize with those who wake up and can't get back to sleep. I went through that for the many months last years with worry and concern about DH. @marshhawk Annie, I'm glad the pulmonologist found no change with your DH. Congratulations to your DH on his first sale for the Bowl. And yikes 😱 on the taxes not being withheld. @aliaschief Bruce, I have not lost connection with CC, but then I wasn't on until about an hour ago. @StLouisCruisers Sandi, when we lived in South Carolina and North Carolina we used pine straw for mulch. When you have a lot of pine trees in the yard, you have to do something with all that pine straw. It was free mulch, and raking it up and putting in the flowerbeds was not that hard. When we moved back to Pennsylvania, I found bales of pine straw in the garden centers of $10/bale. No way was I paying for something I used to get for free. We switched to wood mulch. @Cruising-along Carolyn, sorry about the 3am wake up last night. I hope the eye exam goes well. I would really like to emulate your father and live to a healthy and fit 101. I hope the good memories make today easier. @kazu Jacqui, I hope you are just busy and doing well. You are missed here, and we do worry when we don hear from you for several days. Lenda

@RedneckBob 🎈 🎁 HAPPY BIRTHDAY! 🥂 🍾 Lenda

Good evening. After a busy afternoon trimming the shrubs and cleaning both flowerbeds, then making dinner and cleaning up the kitchen, I've finally had time to read the Daily. It was another good afternoon to be outside working, and without too much effort, the flowerbeds look fresh and inviting. Terri, that is good news you didn't have a blood clot, and you have the name of the antibiotic you were mistakenly given. Lorraine, it is good we have our own Daily doctor who willingly gives us wise advice and comfort. I was pleased with how careful all the hospitals and the rehab was when they gave DH his medicine or took his vitals. They would scan the barcode on his wrist band then scan the barcode on each medicine before giving it to him. I could see where mistakes could be made, but the care they took was reassuring. Terri, I'm glad your PCP checked out the antibiotic and reassured you. Get some rest, and I hope you feel better tomorrow. That sounds like a good way to make sure the drug error is noted and reviewed. Hopefully, it would lead to changes to prevent another mixup that might have even worse consequences. Lenda

Good afternoon. I got my walk in early today since our mail had come. The sun is out, but it is still partly cloudy. Thanks for the pictures. As far as the jump off the Sky Tower, my first thought was better you than me. I'm glad you enjoyed it. I was doing good to not panic with the plexiglass floors in the tower. Bruce, it's always good to see a BHB even it if is no longer a BHB. Ryndam was our first HAL ship, and we sailed on her several times. Oh no, Terri, about being given someone else's medication. I'm glad you don't have a blood clot, and I hope you are feeling better soon. Getting the bathroom finished this week and not having the stress of the construction should also help you feel better. Vanessa, thanks for the great pictures of Auckland, and especially of the Statendam. We always enjoyed our cruises on her. Wow on $2.99 a pound for potatoes. This week our grocery has a five pound bag on sale for $2.47 and with the e coupon, it was $147. Nancy, thanks for the pictures of the Boi Bumba show. It must have been amazing. Sandi, I'm glad the physical went well and all your blood tests were normal. I have my six month check up for new prescriptions next month. Our doctor likes to do blood tests every six months for some medications, and those are the ones I'm taking. Welcome home to the "frozen tundra", Brenda. Thanks for all the wonderful pictures. Now to go tackle trimming the scrubs. It's not that hard except I have one muscle in my back that protests about leaning over after doing two scrubs and we have seven. Guess I'll be proactive and put Aspercreme on my back and take a couple of Advil. Lenda

Joy, that was very nice of the vet to make a house call. It was probably much easier on your niece and Amelia to be at home and not in a vet's office. Thank you, Graham. @aliaschief Bruce, thanks for more great pictures of Auckland and the beautiful New Zealand countryside. Lenda

We have been to Auckland twice. The first time was in 2000 on P&O Oriana, and the second was in 2002 on Volendam. We hope to get back there someday, and to be able to see more of New Zealand. Both times, we were there during part of the America's Cup/Louis Vuitton Cup races. In 2000, we were between the end of the Louis Vuitton and the beginning of the America's Cup. In 2002, the Louis Vuitton was going on, and DH arranged to go on a boat to watch the race, while I was going to wander around Auckland. Unfortunately, the wind came up and the race was canceled. In 2000, we walked around town, went up in the Sky Tower and them caught a local bus tour of Auckland, including a fascinating museum exhibit about expeditions to Antarctica. Later that day, we took the ferry to Devonport where there was a wine festival. The ferry ride back was interesting with all the people who had tasted too much wine. These are some of DH's pictures from 2000 when he had the digital camera. Our views from the Sky Tower including the harbor. With my fear of heights, walking on the plexiglass "windows" was nerve racking to say the least. The ferry passed this sailboat. Coming into Devonport Devonport A couple of pictures of the Americas Cup village which we were allowed wander through. In 2002, sailing in we had a partial rainbow and a good view of Auckland. When DH's chance to watch the race was canceled due to wind, we rented a car and drove out through the countryside. Then we followed the coast back toward town. After turning the car in, we wandered through the Americas Cup/Louis Vuitton Village. Lenda