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

[MJSailors]

@h20skibum

My DH says no more changes, or painting or renovations also. But, I think he knows better. It is just a matter of time! 😉 

MJ🙋🏻‍♀️

[Jimbo]

1 hour ago, HBE4 said:

  

 Having said all that, the only thing left to say is........"Let's Go Yankees!"🙂 

 

Shaping up to be a very good year for them as well. How about that Judge guy?

 

Sure would like to see a Phillies/Yankees World Series !

[firefly333]

5 hours ago, bobmacliberty said:

 

I suggest buying a beach chair or 2.  You can use them as temp chairs until the moving truck arrives, and then have them available for you or guests who want to go to the beach.  Most beach chairs sit pretty low and can be hard to get out of.  You can find portable beach chairs that sit higher though.  We have a couple Tommy Bahama beach chairs that we like a lot.  The TB brand makes what they call a "highboy" which sits at a more normal height.  You should be able to find beach chairs in just about any store near the beach.

I just paid a ridiculous price at target for a tiny sling chair. At least it folds it. I didnt see a brand, just said sling chair. I sat in it and seems ok, though it's very small. I will look around more later, but I made a appointment for spectrum to come out and install 2 small tvs and wifi at 10 am so I plan to be there by 9 am and obviously am not standing there waiting for a hour. I'm a,ready worried I dont have the right stuff. First she says go ahead and plug them in especially if they are smart tv. The samsung is only a few months old. 

 

Then she wants me to get on wifi before its installed to download the app so I can set up a pin number. I have 4 tv outlet places I see, and only 2 small tvs. For $65 set up fee. The guy who comes better be able to figure it out. 

 

The wifi here at the hotel isnt secure. He is supposed to call or text me on my cell phone to tell me when he is on the way. I'm currently south and driving up there. I'm assuming all the cords he needs are in the box they delivered friday. 

 

I've got my fingers crossed he can set up the tvs and wifi. All I have are the 2 tvs and my tablet I use for wifi. I turned in all my texas spectrum stuff last Monday morning. I want the same service but texas said the equipment cant cross the state line. 

 

Tell me I'll survive this and it gets get. Fingers crossed. 

 

I didnt have time to shop around much for a chair. Target is sure a overpriced choice to me but its maybe just getting hot and the season for patio furniture. In dallas in the fall it all goes on sale. Probably here season is year round. Something to spend more time looking for later on after I'm moved in. I needed a chair before tomorrow morning. I'll google search for a set I like after im moved in. 

 

I keep repeating I'll never move again. Bought a few shirts today too. I only came with 4 tee shirts thinking the truck hot on my heals. I'd pack more for a 7 day cruise than that. 

 

My house buyer in dallas called and said the next door neighbors tree fell over from the tornado and severely damaged the fence between us. I said ask him for his insurance, it's his tree. I have 0 trees. Our sales contract reads AS IS. But I've now got a damaged fence. New next door neighbor so far I'm not impressed with. He just moved in a couple months ago and has had two loud parties in his back yard. First one he rented one of those blow up jumping around play houses for kids. Must have a lot of family. I'm extra glad to not live next door to him. 

 

I know moving is the right thing for me. I hated that house, it was a money pit. Please please please let the moving truck arrive. And I want to live where I see water and nature and not a big city. 

[bobmacliberty]

2 hours ago, HBE4 said:

*HBE4's scale of success:

 

Making the Playoffs = A Good Year but expected

Winning Round 1 = Pretty Good Year

Winning Round 2 = Very Good Year

Winning Round 3 - Excellent Year

Winning Final Round  (Stanley Cup) = Over the moon, Fantastic Best Ever Year.

 

That's about the way that I feel about the Buffalo Bills.  But I've never had an over the moon, fantastic best ever year.  I saw this jersey the other day.  Still hurts.

 

[bobmacliberty]

1 hour ago, Sea Dog said:

 

Sorry I'm late reading this I would go for the ultimate Mai tai if you don't mind buying a few bottles of Rum. Here is the recipe from Kevin Crossman and his website "in search of the ultimate Mai Tai."

Ultimate Mai Tai Recipe
½ oz Appleton Estate Rare Casks Aged 12 Years
½ oz Smith & Cross Traditional Jamaica Rum
½ oz Plantation OFTD
½ oz Plantation Xaymaca
1 oz Lime Juice
½ oz Orgeat (Latitude 29)
½ oz Orange Curacao (Ferrand Dry Curacao)
¼ oz Demerara Syrup (BG Reynolds)
Garnish with mint sprig and spent lime shell

 

Or my newest creation, "Sea Dog's Rum Punch."

1oz Plantation Dark Rum

1oz Plantation 3 Star Rum

1oz Plantation OFTD

1oz Giffard Abricot De Roussillion 

1/4oz St. Elizabeth All Spice Dram

1oz Orange Juice 

1oz Pineapple Juice 

1oz Coconut Water 

1/2oz Lime Juice 

1/2oz Orgeat

Combine all ingredients in shaker with ice and shake until well chilled.pour over crushed ice

garnish with cherry and pineapple spear

 

Thanks Greg.  I'm definitely writing these down.  If they're half as good as your special old fashioned, they'll be great.  Unfortunately, I'd already made a Mai Tai by the time I read this.  Same recipe but with a different rum blend and homemade demerara syrup.  I used an ounce of Appleton Estate 12 year and an ounce of El Dorado Demerara 12 year.  Very tasty.  

 

Unfortunately, I can't get Plantation OFTD anywhere around here.  I may need to order it on Curiada.  Just about every tiki recipe seems to call for it.  That and Falernum, which I also can't find locally.

[George C]

8 minutes ago, bobmacliberty said:

 

That's about the way that I feel about the Buffalo Bills.  But I've never had an over the moon, fantastic best ever year.  I saw this jersey the other day.  Still hurts.

 

I was still a NY Giant fan back then although was also rooting for Bills , we got married June on 1991 and currently a diehard Bills fan. My Yankees are looking good just rewatched the movie 61* about the home run race between Maris and Mantle , Soto and Judge are the best back to back hitters since that In Yankees lineup . 

[Sea Dog]

17 minutes ago, bobmacliberty said:

 

Thanks Greg.  I'm definitely writing these down.  If they're half as good as your special old fashioned, they'll be great.  Unfortunately, I'd already made a Mai Tai by the time I read this.  Same recipe but with a different rum blend and homemade demerara syrup.  I used an ounce of Appleton Estate 12 year and an ounce of El Dorado Demerara 12 year.  Very tasty.  

 

Unfortunately, I can't get Plantation OFTD anywhere around here.  I may need to order it on Curiada.  Just about every tiki recipe seems to call for it.  That and Falernum, which I also can't find locally.

Boy you can’t go wrong with Appleton Estate 12 year and the 12 year El Dorado. I am sure that was very tasty.

 

All the Plantation rums are very good and are used in a lot of recipes. If you can’t get the OFTD on Curiada just let me know I can buy it for you and ship it to you. 
 

For Falernum I like John D. Taylor’s Velvet Falernum it’s kind of the standard for Tiki cocktails. I have also used BG Reynolds’s that I got on Amazon. Hopefully you can get those.

Edited June 2 by Sea Dog

[Luckynana]

4 hours ago, h20skibum said:

That is Bahama Breeze in Pittsburgh.  We stopped after dropping off our daughter and granddaughter at the airport. Bahama Breeze is part of the Darden Restaurant brand that also has Longhorn Steakhouse, Olive Garden, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, among others.   The first one we ate at was in Ft.  Lauderdale.  I think it is a good place for both kids, and adults. 

 

The prices aren’t too bad, and they didn’t seem to skimp on the alcohol. 

 

We have one in Toms River right next to the Mall.  Very casual;  we like to go for the appetizers.😉

[voyager70]

2 hours ago, NHProud said:

@HBE4  My favorite sport is tennis and in my younger days I played a lot . Can you name another sport where you are competing solo for 41/2 hours and your match ends at 3:00 AM ? This is at the French Open.  You get to rest when you change sides and not for long .  As much as I’m not a fan of Djokovic he is phenomenal for a 37 year old. 

That was an amazing comeback by Djokovic. I’ve been a big fan of his since he was a teenager. I just love his passion for the game and to be that dedicated after all he’s accomplished at age 37 is indeed phenomenal. 

[SteelCityCruiser10]

3 hours ago, HBE4 said:

 

Disappointing for sure. I really thought they'd win last night.  Having said that, out of 32 teams that start the regular season, 16 make the playoffs and the NY Rangers were part of the final 4, only 2 wins away from Stanley Cup round. I consider that a very good year*. The Rangers played well, but Florida played just a bit better & deserve the win.  Two or three pucks bounce in a different direction & we'd be having a different conversation.  Either way, I got to enjoy 6+ weeks of "bonus" hockey & it was a fun ride. I went to 2 playoff games & watch every minute of the rest on TV

 

Lord Stanley Cup has been around since the 1890's & is the oldest trophy in all sports. The Presidents Trophy for best regular season record has only been around since the mid-1980's & it seems the only people that care about it are sports writers in the media that like to post headlines like: "Presidents Trophy winner once again fails to win Championship".  As with other sports that gain more teams and more & longer playoff rounds, it seems the team with the best record fails to win the championship more often then not.

 

*HBE4's scale of success:

 

Making the Playoffs = A Good Year but expected

Winning Round 1 = Pretty Good Year

Winning Round 2 = Very Good Year

Winning Round 3 - Excellent Year

Winning Final Round  (Stanley Cup) = Over the moon, Fantastic Best Ever Year.

 

Me every year the Pens don’t make the playoffs… 😭😢😭🤮

[SteelCityCruiser10]

First bloom for the Asiatic Lillies

 

[NHProud]

Breaking bones and sprains must be contagious even at a distance. My SIL’s husband fell off the curb after pumping gas this morning and couldn’t lift his arm after bracing himself against the car . After x-rays , it was determined to be a rotator cuff issue . MRI and orthopedic surgeon visits to follow. I’m sure he was treated well in the ER as her brother was a doc there and our niece followed in her dad’s career choice in the same hospital. 
 

 

[HBE4]

2 hours ago, NHProud said:

@HBE4  My favorite sport is tennis and in my younger days I played a lot . Can you name another sport where you are competing solo for 41/2 hours and your match ends at 3:00 AM ? This is at the French Open.  You get to rest when you change sides and not for long .  As much as I’m not a fan of Djokovic he is phenomenal for a 37 year old. 

 

Tennis is certainly a test of endurance.  Especially for someone at age 37. Impressive. 

[Sea Dog]

4 minutes ago, NHProud said:

Breaking bones and sprains must be contagious even at a distance. My SIL’s husband fell off the curb after pumping gas this morning and couldn’t lift his arm after bracing himself against the car . After x-rays , it was determined to be a rotator cuff issue . MRI and orthopedic surgeon visits to follow. I’m sure he was treated well in the ER as her brother was a doc there and our niece followed in her dad’s career choice in the same hospital. 
 

 

Ouch! Linda had rotator cuff surgery and while she did not have a lot of pain afterwards the rehabilitation is long and slow.

[NHProud]

3 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

Ouch! Linda had rotator cuff surgery and while she did not have a lot of pain afterwards the rehabilitation is long and slow.

I remember , you both were doing PT sessions at the same time.  I hope , you are both cruise ready . 

[h20skibum]

43 minutes ago, SteelCityCruiser10 said:

Me every year the Pens don’t make the playoffs… 😭😢😭🤮

On another note, my blood pressure has been great without the Pens in the playoffs.  😂

[SteelCityCruiser10]

10 minutes ago, h20skibum said:

On another note, my blood pressure has been great without the Pens in the playoffs.  😂

I like your positive spin on it 😃

[Sea Dog]

20 minutes ago, NHProud said:

I remember , you both were doing PT sessions at the same time.  I hope , you are both cruise ready . 

I think we will be good. Still wish my range of motion was better but I walk everyday for 40 minutes without pain and I couldn’t walk 30 steps without pain before.

[SteelCityCruiser10]

Does anyone have any recommendations for Nashville?  We will be there 1 evening  on our way to FL.  Starting to look for a hotel and a place to eat/drink.  We probably won’t arrive until 4-5 Pm and will need to be back on the road early in the morning.  What would you do with 1 night in Nashville?

[Jimbo]

35 minutes ago, SteelCityCruiser10 said:

Does anyone have any recommendations for Nashville?  We will be there 1 evening  on our way to FL.  Starting to look for a hotel and a place to eat/drink.  We probably won’t arrive until 4-5 Pm and will need to be back on the road early in the morning.  What would you do with 1 night in Nashville?

Party, Lots of Bars!

 

Still trying to figure out when leaving from Pittsburgh area, how you end up going through Nashville to Florida? Did they move Florida west?

Edited June 2 by Jimbo

[bobmacliberty]

28 minutes ago, SteelCityCruiser10 said:

Does anyone have any recommendations for Nashville?  We will be there 1 evening  on our way to FL.  Starting to look for a hotel and a place to eat/drink.  We probably won’t arrive until 4-5 Pm and will need to be back on the road early in the morning.  What would you do with 1 night in Nashville?

 

We spent a long weekend there a few years ago.  We stayed at the Homewood Suites on Church and 7th.  Decent hotel within a few blocks walking distance from the action on Broadway.  We went to many of the Broadway bars and probably enjoyed Dierks Bentley's the best, but that will vary greatly depending on your preferred style of music.  We did 3 things during the day that we enjoyed, but you probably won't have enough time for any of them.  We visited Andrew Jackson's Hermitage, and the Belle Meade Plantation.  I don't know if either is open in the evening.  We also took a backstage tour through the Ryman Auditorium which I'd recommend, even if you're not a big country music fan.  Lots of history there.  But I don't think that the Ryman is open in the evening either.  Your best bet is to check out several of the Broadway bars for live music.

 

There used to be a bunch of restaurants, many touristy, on second street but Google Maps shows many of them being closed.  Not sure why.  I don't really remember where we ate so the restaurants must not have been great.  I do remember eating at the Wild Horse Saloon which had some interesting line dancing to watch while eating.  I'm not sure that place is still open.  

[Ocean Boy]

7 hours ago, A&L_Ont said:

@Ocean Boy hope you had an amazing birthday. 

Thank you.

[SteelCityCruiser10]

32 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

Party, Lots of Bars!

 

Still trying to figure out when leaving from Pittsburgh area, how you end up going through Nashville to Florida? Did they move Florida west?

Heading to area near Destin in panhandle 

 

Edited June 2 by SteelCityCruiser10

[Ocean Boy]

4 hours ago, NHProud said:

Happy birthday weekend ⛱️🌊☀️.  Looks like a great place to celebrate.  🍾🥃. 

Thanks!

[SteelCityCruiser10]

9 minutes ago, bobmacliberty said:

 

We spent a long weekend there a few years ago.  We stayed at the Homewood Suites on Church and 7th.  Decent hotel within a few blocks walking distance from the action on Broadway.  We went to many of the Broadway bars and probably enjoyed Dierks Bentley's the best, but that will vary greatly depending on your preferred style of music.  We did 3 things during the day that we enjoyed, but you probably won't have enough time for any of them.  We visited Andrew Jackson's Hermitage, and the Belle Meade Plantation.  I don't know if either is open in the evening.  We also took a backstage tour through the Ryman Auditorium which I'd recommend, even if you're not a big country music fan.  Lots of history there.  But I don't think that the Ryman is open in the evening either.  Your best bet is to check out several of the Broadway bars for live music.

 

There used to be a bunch of restaurants, many touristy, on second street but Google Maps shows many of them being closed.  Not sure why.  I don't really remember where we ate so the restaurants must not have been great.  I do remember eating at the Wild Horse Saloon which had some interesting line dancing to watch while eating.  I'm not sure that place is still open.  

Good info,  we love most types of music and definitely country.  Dierks sounds good to me!  I see there’s a Jason Aldean rooftop too that’s peaking my interest too.  Trying to gauge where to stay within walking distance (ie … 🍻🍻) 😂