Silversea Water Cooler: Welcome! Part Five

[TLCOhio]

Good to know from Lois that your doctor took the time to discuss in detail these important medical details, options and a plan for the future.  Keep plugging and progressing, both medically and in your new work situation. 

 

In Central Ohio today, the good news is that it is nice and sunny!!  BUT, however, very cold, as is affecting much of the upper Midwest and Northeast.  See the graphics below. J.P. and Chris should be hit with this cold.  Looking much better for Florida and other parts of the country. It was just one week ago that we flew north from the Florida Keys back in to the winter season.  This past week was not too cold, but lots of rain and gray skies.  Kind of bland and boring.  Now sunshine and cold!!  One out of two is not too bad, maybe. 

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Lisbon, NWSpain, Bordeaux/Brittany: Live/blog, June 2017 from Portugal to France along scenic Atlantic Coast.  Now at 27,395 views.  Many interesting pictures, details for history, food, culture, etc.:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2511358

 

From AccuWeather, below is our current weather, the upcoming forecast for the weekend and a map showing the weather/cold impacts for a key part of the U.S. and Canada.:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger/better!)

 

[Lois R]

Ya'll are not going to believe this story......

I am sitting home this morning waiting for the a/c guy to come and give my unit its 6 month check up (about 9:30 at that point). He calls to say he is on the way.  At that time I am having  coffee and watching tv and all of a sudden I hear a funky sound ( I was thinking it was on the tv show as I was watching QVC) LOL.....that maybe someone in the background had dropped something......then I realized, to my shock that the ceiling in the alcove area where my tv is situated had a leak  from the unit above mine...…..what I was hearing was a DRIP, DRIP, DRIP.....to say I was in shock was an understatement.,,,,,,the guy who lives there JUST MOVED IN...…..he had actually owned another unit in the same complex but bought this one recently. At least he is a nice person. Anyway, I told him he needed to TURN OFF HIS WATER......as it was coming through to my living room.  Well, the tv sits on a piece of furniture and I was able to move it away from the wall so there would be no damage to the tv......anyway, he got a plumber here and it is now fixed...….oh wait, when I was moving the tv, the hdmi cable got caught and broke.   I told the guy I had to get a new one and would be giving him the bill......30.00 he agreed to pay me for it.  Now, I leave the house to run errands and had already gone and got the new cable and re-plugged it in the back of the tv and into the cable box and it was WORKING FINE...….Well, I get back home from my errands and when I put the tv on, I had picture but NO SOUND...…...I try this way, that way, etc...…..I had to call XFINITY and seems now I need to get a whole new BOX from the XFINITY store...…… there is no charge for it but when the gal on the phone tried to re-set the box? It kept saying I had NO SIGNAL...…. so here I am in the bedroom watching tv on the small set.....(at least I have a 2nd tv).  Tomorrow I have to take the cable box to the Xfinity store and get a new one...………..I certainly hope that one works.  I have to wonder if this box was damaged by any water that may have touched it.  It stays on a shelf under the tv and I honestly don't remember if water had touched that area...…...oyyyy………..if it is not one thing! 

[Lois R]

Good morning, Oh, the a/c tech did come yesterday too and I forgot to mention, this a/c unit is the original one (17 years old) and he said I am going to need a new one soon

[TLCOhio]

2 hours ago, Lois R said:

Good morning, Oh, the a/c tech did come yesterday too and I forgot to mention, this a/c unit is the original one (17 years old) and he said I am going to need a new one soon

 

Good luck, Lois, with your A/C challenges, etc.  Those down in Florida might worry as to their air conditioning, but in other parts of the world it is the "fun" with snow, ice and cold.  

 

Below are are a couple of graphics showing how the snow and ice are preparing to harass those of us in the Midwest, Northeast, Canada, etc.  It's a good time to be in other parts of world where it is warmer. But, we will all survive!!  Maybe??  Dreaming of Spring and Summer helps us deal with this type of weather. Looks like J.P. and Chris in Albany, NY, won't miss out on the excitement with this weather. 

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Panama Canal? Early 2017, Fort Lauderdale to San Francisco adventure through Panama Canal.  Our first stops in Colombia, Central America and Mexico, plus added time in the great Golden Gate City. Now at 25,834 views.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2465580

 

From AccuWeather, here are their graphics showing what is coming today and in a few days for the Midwest, Northeast, Canada, etc., during the next few cold days.:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger/better!)

 

[jpalbny]

Lois! A lot going on. You may recall that we had a water leak from our upstairs bathroom the day before our long South America trip. Luckily that appears to be fixed. Hope all goes as smoothly for you.

 

RE: Cholesterol. Yes, lots of that is hereditary. Part is related to diet but that will only get you so far. One thing that is underappreciated, however, is the link between diabetes and lipids in general. It is common for triglycerides to get very high when diabetes is poorly controlled. And the HDL (good cholesterol) drops. Those changes can usually be reversed by getting the diabetes under control. 

 

2 hours ago, TLCOhio said:

Looks like J.P. and Chris in Albany, NY, won't miss out on the excitement with this weather. 

 

Terry, thanks for thinking about us! 🤔

 

We were in Southeast PA this weekend, but got home around Noon. Quick trip and plenty cold there, but only in the mid-20s so not as cold as it was here. We are unfortunately getting ready for the nastiness coming our way early this week. Hope it doesn't disrupt our New York City plans. 

 

Definitely dreaming of nicer weather, though this winter hasn't been terrible. We have the indoor hot tub in our sunroom, and some exercise equipment indoors this year so we haven't been total slugs. Last winter was terrible; I feel like I still haven't recovered to the level of physical fitness that I want because we didn't exercise for about 6 months. 🐌 But getting there.

 

And we just had the great trip to South America, so we are full of Vitamin D for the time being. Ukraine in May will be here before we know it, and we are spending our Anniversary weekend (June) in Portland, Oregon. So, lots to look forward to as the days get longer and hopefully warmer! Then August in Iceland on Silver Cloud...

We have a week in November to plan. We are toying with the idea of flying into Madrid and out of Porto (or vice-versa) and doing a combo of train and car to connect the two cities. Basic idea is to duplicate some Douro cruise stops, but go by land instead of by the river. Any thoughts? I bet we could have a fun trip doing something like that.

 

All for now. Time to go out for a walk and enjoy some sunshine.

 

[UpstateJan]

Greetings Coolers!  Haven't been on much (or lurking for that matter).   Been busy, terribly busy, 'tis the season. Glad to hear our travelers made it back safe & sound, and that our current travelers are having a great time.

 

Sorry to hear about Lois' unfortunate few days, when it rains it pours indeed.

 

JP & Chris, want me to toss some salt & sand when I stroll down to Elk Street the next couple of days?  The advantages of the old Park & Ride commute.  Happy to hear you will be in Iceland in August .... honestly one of our most memorable trips.  That's where my dear Jeremy celebrated his 50h ... with 23 hours of daylight!   You may still see plenty of puffins, that's nearing the end of their nesting period.  Loved Iceland, right up there with Ecuador, Peru, and Borneo.  

 

Only 42 days before vacation .... lots to do before that arrives.  Speaking of, I think I may need to get up and feed someone ....

 

Jan

 

 

[Lois R]

Hi friends, thanks for listening to me vent.  I probably don't give thanks often enough.

 

GOOD NEWS...….got a new Xfinity box so I HAVE TV AGAIN!....It took a while but now at least I can watch in the living room again.  The exchange was simple (at the local place) but the actual setting it up? I was on the phone with Xfinity for over an hour..but at least it done now and hopefully will remain in tact.  A couple of upgrades which I never had (no cost on them) is the new remote which is voice activated...….so that is really weird! I can hit the little microphone button and say a channel number and it changes it LOL...….for some of you this is probably not a new thing but for me? LOL....never had it before. And all the other stuff, which I have not tried....and don't care to......I just wanted something to change the channel, have volume and possibly watch on Demand.  But everything is NEW......LOL my tv is not a "SMART ONE".

[mysty]

Greetings Coolers!

 

It seems we picked a good time to be away.  Our home city is getting record-breaking cold and we already have close to 250 cm of snow down.  Our neighbour sent us a picture of her view out her front door.....

 

 

Definitely not homesick now!

 

Have a great day all!

[Tothesunset]

They say being gently kissed and caressed in your sleep is one of life's great comforts. 

 

Unless you're in prison. 

[Tothesunset]

It's been so cold here I've just seen a politician with his hands in his own pockets. 

[spinnaker2]

TTS too funny.

 

Yes it is a little chilly here in South Florda too. Its about 58.

Not swimming weather.

 

Watched the footage of the big ship caressing the concrete dock in San Juan! Wow what a mess.

 

Wonder how it will impact ( no pun intended) future cruise ships itineraries.

 

Lois, enjoy your new remote! 

[TLCOhio]

19 minutes ago, Tothesunset said:

It's been so cold here I've just seen a politician with his hands in his own pockets. 

 

Appreciate this above funny and cute comment related to BOTH the cold and politicians.  Yes, kind of true!!??

 

Happy Valentines Day!!  It is February 14th.  Don't know about for other parts of the world, but this day here leads up to an exciting weekend and "opportunity" for show your love and affection for your favorite one (or more?).  Below is a nice graphic from our local newspaper about the upcoming opportunities for red roses, fun drinks, nice dinners, etc., etc.  Hint!  Hint?

 

For this weekend, we are headed north from Central Ohio to do Saturday evening with the world-famous and highly-ranked Cleveland Orchestra doing an all-Mozart program of special music, plus dinner in that town's charming Little Italy, etc.  

 

THANKS!  Enjoy the Valentines weekend celebrations!  Terry in Ohio

 

For our latest live/blog, see “Greece, Holy Lands, Egypt, Dubai, etc.”, with many visuals, details and ideas for the historic and scenic Middle East.  Check it at:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2607054-livenautica-greece-holy-lands-egypt-dubai-terrypix’s/

 

Here is the nice graphic from this morning's Columbus Dispatch for the opportunities this weekend to celebrate the Valentines Day weekend with flowers, classic drinks, nice dinner, etc.:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see this picture larger/better!)

[Lois R]

9 hours ago, spinnaker2 said:

TTS too funny.

 

Yes it is a little chilly here in South Florda too. Its about 58.

Not swimming weather.

 

Watched the footage of the big ship caressing the concrete dock in San Juan! Wow what a mess.

 

Wonder how it will impact ( no pun intended) future cruise ships itineraries.

 

Lois, enjoy your new remote! 

Hi Spins, thanks...….uhhhh…..It was 35 here this morning...……………...

[spinnaker2]

35 good grief Lois

 

Way too cold

 

 

 

[Lois R]

Good morning....it warmed up after that COLD morning...it is about 60 now and supposed to get into 70's today

Normally FEB is coldest month but we have been very lucky this year......mild, mild temps (most of the time LOL)

[jpalbny]

Hi all! Just got home from 3 really busy, active days in New York City. Had some friends from Australia and Canada join us so we played tour guide for the whole time. We ate great food and drank too much wine but all fun. Glad tomorrow is a holiday so we can rest up.

 

Went to a bunch of old favorites and a few places that were new to us so very fun for all of us. But we are tired! Today was the first day with less than 20000 steps. 

 

Time for a sip of wine and a soak in the hot tub, I think. A pleasant evening to all! 

[Lois R]

Welcome back JP and Chris sounds like you had a great visit!.....JP, give me a restaurant recommendation for the Big Apple please

[jpalbny]

Lois, where are you staying again? Limiting it to just one is going to be impossible, but I will try...

 

Made a light dinner after stuffing ourselves silly the past few days. Seared halibut with lemon caper butter sauce over rice. A little avocado to add color. Too bad the wine bottle is empty.

 

Edited February 18, 2019 by jpalbny

[Lois R]

I am staying at The Beekman, per your recommendation....I am also going to see BEAUTIFUL after dinner...….so I want to have an early dinner and go directly to the theater from there. And taking a cab is my preference so no worries about distances (hopefully LOL).

[jpalbny]

Oh, the Beekman! Cool. We wandered through the lobby on Thursday with our Aussie fried before we walked the Brooklyn Bridge. Such a nice place. I didn't take a picture for you, sorry.

 

Beautiful is at the Sondheim Theater on 43rd?

 

The Nomad may be one of our favorite restaurants in NYC but it's not one to rush through before a show. It's also about 3/4 mile from your theater. Within a block or two of the theater, there are two very good restaurants which we've eaten in and really enjoyed.

 

DB Bistro Moderne is a more casual version of Daniel Bouloud's signature restaurant, Daniel. We ate there on Thursday and really liked it. Gabriel Kreuther is also nearby and we did a tasting menu there maybe a year or so ago and it was great too. I suspect (but have never tried) that either will do a pre-theater dinner or at a minimum, will accommodate you so that you'd be done in time for your show. Each is easily within walking distance to the Sondheim, a block at most.

 

Look at those two, and their menus, and let me know if that kind of place appeals to you or not. It's always a challenge to recommend something for someone whose tastes you don't know but that's my opening bid, so to speak. 🙂

[Lois R]

Hi JP....yes the show is on 43rd...……….And I will look at your recommendations!...….I have a couple of others that I was looking at but I know you are both foodies ( a good thing) LOL...…..so I will check out these on line and see what they are about!

 

Thanks so much!!!

[Lois R]

I thought I posted again...…….where did it go?

 

JP, Gunther's place is not doing anything for me......but the Bistro looks good.  Let me ask you, have you heard of Union Square Café? It was referred to me from folks on the East Coast Forum.  And one of my roll call mates gave me the name of an Italian place called Lattanzi's…….they live in the city and have eaten there many times. I will look at the Bistro menu again...….

Union Square is a Danny Meyer property. From what I have read, he has several.

 

[jpalbny]

Lois, I haven't been to Union Square Cafe but it certainly looks nice. We don't go to that area much. When we stay in NoMad we usually don't go below 20th. Not as if we are avoiding it but we usually can't get past Eataly without stopping in for wine and/or food.

 

One thing to consider is making sure that your dinner ends in time for you to get to the show. So a restaurant in the Theater District would be more used to the pre-show crowd and would have the timing down to a science. That's why I gave you those places that are a block away. Trying to get dinner at 19th, and making sure it ends in time to catch another cab to 33rd for your show, may make it pressed for time. 

 

There is also Aureole in the Theater District; forgot to mention it earlier. It's on the same block as your theater. We ate there about 10 years ago - did a crazy good 10-course tasting menu for one of Chris's special birthdays. That was in a different location but the place has changed locations since then. They are right next to the Bank of America Tower. Have not had a chance to get back there but certainly would based on past experience.

 

Wherever you eat, take a minute to enjoy Bryant Park before or after the show. A beautiful oasis in the middle of Midtown, and close by.

[Lois R]

Hi JP, thanks for the help. I will take that into consideration for sure!  Seems many of the places have what you said, a fixed menu (3 choices) for pre-show meals. So many choices!!! I will do some more research!

[TLCOhio]

15 hours ago, Lois R said:

Hi JP, thanks for the help. I will take that into consideration for sure!  Seems many of the places have what you said, a fixed menu (3 choices) for pre-show meals. So many choices!!! I will do some more research!

 

YES, many great ideas and suggestion from J.P. for Lois in wonderful and interesting NYC.  That city does have so many nice (and pricy) options to consider and test.  Nice to see the name of Aureole mentioned.  We had dined there at their previous location a number of years ago.  It was super wonderful with its food, service and class!!  Even saw famed founder and food pioneer Charlie Palmer walking through when we were at that original location. 

 

From our weekend up in Cleveland, below are a few visual samples of the activities and especially for the food.  Cleveland has a great mix of different ethnic blends/populations and it has yielded a great tradition for dining variety and exciting tastes.  Yes, we enjoyed!!  And, the weather was not too cold or bad for this time of the year in the Midwest.   

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Barcelona/Med: June 2011, with stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Great visuals with key highlights, tips, etc. Live/blog now at 244,043 views.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

In Cleveland's "Little Italy", here is a quick sampling for a little of what was enjoyed Saturday night at Mia Bella.  First, is my wife's tasty and wonderful pasta dish.  Second was our tiramisu dessert.  Not shown, but what was most loved was my appetizer of Shrimp Saganaki with creamy tomato Halloumi sauce.  Totally wonderful dining and experience that had the real Italy feel, not just doing a formula dining place.:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger/better!)

 

 

Next was the highly-rated Cleveland Orchestra performing four different Mozart classics for this Valentine's weekend.  Their performance hall is very classic and fitting their level of artistic achievement.:

 

Then before doing Sunday brunch, it was visiting Cleveland 1906-built Westside Market with lots of interesting options, people, architecture and food.  Our friends Dennis and Janet are shown in this classic hall.  Then, it was dining at the "Flying Fig" in their historic Ohio City portion of Cleveland.  Shown are couple of our tasty food treats!!  Love those browned potatoes, especially when topped with sausage gravy!!  Do these dishes make you hungry?: