Royal Caribbean Cruisers -- How Are Things Where You Are? (was "Routine" ​ 😁 ​day in lockdown... how was yours?)

[mo&fran]

31 minutes ago, dani negreanu said:

 

 

 

 

 

And, on a whole different note, cinder blocks are used in Florida !! (as well as in Israel). Same climate?

We have lots of forests in North America, cheap lumber in most of the country. But wood is not a good choice here because of the climate.

Edited June 28, 2021 by mo&fran

[DirtyDawg]

Our three boys smashed and crashed 3 cars during their high school and university years in a total of seven crashes. But only four of the crashes were their fault. Two each for the oldest and the youngest. My insurance company only knows about the ones that were not their fault. 😉 My auto body guy was on my speed dial list in those years and I think I personally put his son through Harvard (Ok maybe just the first couple of years) 😭

 

A friend of my bought his son a brand new Mazda sports cars for his son's sixtieth birthday. He replaced that one a month later with a 'beater' with a good safety record. Yep, the kid totaled the Mazda in less than 30 days! 💥 🏎️ 💲

 

I think a bus pass is the best birthday present you can give a sixteen year old. 

[mo&fran]

1 minute ago, DirtyDawg said:

Our three boys smashed and crashed 3 cars during their high school and university years in a total of seven crashes. But only four of the crashes were their fault. Two each for the oldest and the youngest. My insurance company only knows about the ones that were not their fault. 😉 My auto body guy was on my speed dial list in those years and I think I personally put his son through Harvard (Ok maybe just the first couple of years) 😭

 

A friend of my bought his son a brand new Mazda sports cars for his son's sixtieth birthday. He replaced that one a month later with a 'beater' with a good safety record. Yep, the kid totaled the Mazda in less than 30 days! 💥 🏎️ 💲

 

I think a bus pass is the best birthday present you can give a sixteen year old. 

I had a rule, car does no start till everyone is buckled.

[jagsfan]

55 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

This was our Hydrangea's last year.

A late frost has really delayed this year's blooms so far.

Graham.

Beautiful hydrangeas!

I never see pink ones, only blue. I think our soil is too alkaline. Or is it too acidic?

[DirtyDawg]

1 minute ago, mo&fran said:

I had a rule, car does no start till everyone is buckled.

A better rule for a teenager would be "car does not start, period!" 🙂

[jagsfan]

37 minutes ago, dani negreanu said:

 

 

Learning something new from this thread every day ... I was so sure the diagnosis of CF is very "clear cut", due to its quite distinctive characteristics, like salty sweat and recurring pneumonias...

 

Wrong diagnosis and inconclusive results are new to me.

 

 

And, on a whole different note, cinder blocks are used in Florida !! (as well as in Israel). Same climate?

Hot and humid is us.

Long time Floridians call them concrete blocks because they’re made from concrete.
Transplants seem to stick with cinders. Which are made from…cinders?

Edited June 28, 2021 by jagsfan

[grapau27]

4 minutes ago, jagsfan said:

Beautiful hydrangeas!

I never see pink ones, only blue. I think our soil is too alkaline. Or is it too acidic?

Thanks.

We brought them to ours from my late mam and dad's garden when we sold their house after my dad died in March 2012.

My mam died November 2011.

We call them my mam's memory garden.

Alkaline soils produce pink blooms.

Graham.

[jagsfan]

18 minutes ago, pstone1 said:

 

It’s wonderful to hear that you both had positive outcomes for your family!  💜

Cystic Fibrosis treatments have come so far in the last 50 years. 
A friend’s granddaughter was diagnosed at age 2. She has had good years and bad years, but is now 23 with a beautiful 3 year old, and they’re both thriving. 

[jagsfan]

4 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

Thanks.

We brought them to ours from my late mam and dad's garden when we sold their house after my dad died in March 2012.

My mam died November 2011.

We call them my mam's memory garden.

Alkaline soils produce pink blooms.

Graham.

So what produces white? I’ve only seen them in floral arrangements. 

[grapau27]

35 minutes ago, A&L_Ont said:

Feels like 36C/95F right now. Some garden shots, as we are relaxing by the pool.  
 

The hydrangeas are coming along. 
 

 

 

 

The Oak Leaf hydrangeas are coming too.  

 

 

The grasses behind the fire pit are doubled in height in two weeks. 

 

 

Even Lucy is moving to find greater shade. 
 

Beautiful gardens and hydrangeas Andrew.

Lucy is a sweetie.

[lenquixote66]

4 hours ago, mafig said:

You are in good hand with Columbia Pres.

 

In the early 70s my new born son was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis.  At that time most children were dead before the age of ten.  We lived with it for about 6 months.  My first husband kept saying "I just don't believe he has it."  (Also coupled with "It must be your side of the family" and my father kept saying "it must be Bob's side.")  Anyway, we decided for a second opinion and ended up in Columbia Pres.

We were there about an hour when a doctor said 'I've seen a lot of Cystic Fibrosis kids, but he just doesn't have the look, but I'll run the tests anyway."  Two days later he was clear.....absolutely nothing wrong with him, except for being a skinny kid ....."failure to thrive."   When I told my pediatrician there was nothing wrong with him except he was skinny, I swear he looked disappointed.🙁

 

Columbia Pres is a wonderful hospital.

All hospitals can be wonderful if they have the right doctors and right staff.

[grapau27]

8 minutes ago, jagsfan said:

So what produces white? I’ve only seen them in floral arrangements. 

The White variety stays white.

[lenquixote66]

4 hours ago, BonTexasNY said:

I had to learn how to pump gas when we moved to TX 17 years ago.  Even in NY I would have the attendant pump gas if my husband wasn't with me.  I never had to wait more than a min, or 2. 

 

One time I saw Jon Voight at my gas station.  His ex-wife and daughter (Angelina Jolie) lived in Sneden's Landing close to where I lived. Angelina went to the local public school where a few of my friends kids went.  Angelina had an overnight bday party.  My friend rang the doorbell to drop her daughter off.  Jon Voight answered the door.  My goofy friend asked if parents were also invited to the sleep over.  Jon smiled and said "children only".

I met John Voights brother ,the singer songwriter Chip Taylor.His ex wife lives next door to one of my nieces.Chip is on good terms with her and visits her often .Whenever he does he stops in by my niece to say hi to her kids.A few years ago she said her Uncle Lenny would be there later that day and would love to meet him.He said sure and we had a great conversation about our passion for music.

[jagsfan]

8 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

The White variety stays white.

The funny thing about the blue ones is that Florida is built on limestone. Our water is contained in underground limestone caverns. I guess that’s why I assumed our sandy soil is alkaline. 
I have two black thumbs, so I stand back and admire everything that grows. 

[bobmacliberty]

55 minutes ago, mo&fran said:

I had a rule, car does no start till everyone is buckled.

 

Our rule, until 18, was no more than one friend in the car with you while driving.  Too many examples of accidents due to distraction from a car full of kids.

[bobmacliberty]

2 hours ago, dani negreanu said:

Most of our circle of friends are physicians, and they are upfront saying they don't know it all.

 

I have instant respect for any medical professional that encourages me to get a second opinion.  It shows me that the person is more concerned with the health of the patient than with being right.  Micheline's oncologist was the perfect balance between being a "god like" expert who knows everything, and a humble person who really cared for her as a person.  You want your doctor to have that extreme confidence, so long as it does not cross the line too much into arrogance.

[dani negreanu]

25 minutes ago, jagsfan said:

I have two black thumbs, so I stand back and admire everything that grows. 

 

Mine are called "grey" .... may be because, beside gardening, when I receive a bunch of fresh flowers, they "gave up" quickly....😧

 

[dani negreanu]

3 minutes ago, bobmacliberty said:

I have instant respect for any medical professional that encourages me to get a second opinion.  It shows me that the person is more concerned with the health of the patient than with being right. 

 

True.

I managed an eye private practice of one the 100 world leading experts in retina diseases.

At the end of the day, I sat with her and took notes -- which one I reply to, and to which patient I will connect her with.

 

I was amazed that right in the first week of my working there, she looked at some test results, and said very simply: "I don't know what to make of those, I'll have to consult other colleagues, pls. tell X that we'll call back in a couple of days".... 

 

Not very often, but it happened.

 

[ReneeFLL]

2 hours ago, A&L_Ont said:

Owen went to school for half an hour to drop off some items and pick up what was left before school was shut down. School is officially over for him now. 
 

Nice car. I see Lisa took it over. 🥂

[ReneeFLL]

2 hours ago, mafig said:

Thank you.  It was a long time ago and I haven't thought about that time in a long time.  Typing that post brought up so many old memories.  So I googled the name of his original pediatrician.  Found that he passed away in 2018.  He studied at both Harvard and Yale .....and even so his diagnosis was so wrong.  I remember him having tears in his eyes when he gave me his diagnosis.  I also remember seeing disappointment when I told him his diagnosis was wrong.  Never forgot that.

 

Anyway, my son is fine.....and he has two beautiful, healthy sons.   

Maybe he felt really bad for giving you such a wrong and horrible diagnosis?

 

2 hours ago, grapau27 said:

This was our Hydrangea's last year.

A late frost has really delayed this year's blooms so far.

Graham.

Beautiful color. I haven’t seen them that dark of a pink before.

[DaniDanielle]

2 hours ago, grapau27 said:

Best wishes for today.🤞

Graham.

Thanks Graham, all went well

[bobmacliberty]

2 hours ago, A&L_Ont said:

Owen went to school for half an hour to drop off some items and pick up what was left before school was shut down. School is officially over for him now. 
 

 

Did I miss the photos of the new car after it's beauty treatment, or is this the official unveiling?  Love the white.

[jagsfan]

39 minutes ago, dani negreanu said:

 

Mine are called "grey" .... may be because, beside gardening, when I receive a bunch of fresh flowers, they "gave up" quickly....😧

 

I can do it to fresh flowers, too. I try to look but not touch. 
I bought a silk ficus for my office. I walked in one morning and every leaf was on the floor. I was always first in, last out, so it had to be my vibes. 

[ATG]

27 minutes ago, jagsfan said:

I can do it to fresh flowers, too. I try to look but not touch. 
I bought a silk ficus for my office. I walked in one morning and every leaf was on the floor. I was always first in, last out, so it had to be my vibes. 

I finally gave up.  I spent a small fortune on flowers and plants for the beds in front of the house.  Last spring the garden stores were closed.  I ordered plastic flowers and greenery and put them in my pots.  They look much better than the dead plants I used to have.  And now when we finally get to cruise, I don’t have to worry about it!

[DirtyDawg]

1 hour ago, dani negreanu said:

 

True.

I managed an eye private practice of one the 100 world leading experts in retina diseases.

At the end of the day, I sat with her and took notes -- which one I reply to, and to which patient I will connect her with.

 

I was amazed that right in the first week of my working there, she looked at some test results, and said very simply: "I don't know what to make of those, I'll have to consult other colleagues, pls. tell X that we'll call back in a couple of days".... 

 

Not very often, but it happened.

 

I find the smartest people are the ones who recognise that they are not the smartest person around. I was in the investment industry for years and the smartest investor I knew  (he is a billionaire now) always said he would only hire people for his firm who were smarter than he was. 

 

In fact he hired one of my best friends in the business. But he never hired me. 

 

No worries though, I was smart enough to invest in his firm. 

 

Edited June 28, 2021 by DirtyDawg