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

[grapau27]

39 minutes ago, sgmn said:

They arrived at the Menin Gate an hour ago, the memorial to the thousands of commonwealth soldiers who died in the 1st WW

At 8pm there's a ceremony in Ypres with the last post played as it has every night at 8pm for almost a hundred years. 

After that there's a dinner and large amount of beer and wine drank and tomorrow 60k ride to Dieppe for the ferry back. 

Its,very hot at mo but he's done OK and kept up. Said the average speed was 20mph which meant his electric bike cut out (it cuts out at 16mph) so it didn't help and actually worse as the electric bike was a lot heavier than his road bike. 

Here he is at the gate with his riding buddies

Well done Gary.

[Ocean Boy]

2 hours ago, BonTexasNY said:

Wish I could come over and help you eat that yummy cake!

Way to go Ava!

Word leaked out that your friend got engaged.  I'm sure she'll have you participate in the wedding planning! 😉

Maybe I can provide the music.

[Sunshine3601]

I ironed my patio this morning😁  it's looking much better but still have oil residue that soaked into brick.   Will let try wire brush and white vinegar later today

[HBE4]

3 hours ago, aussielozzie18 said:

Tonight I  watched No Time to Die, the most recent Daniel Craig James Bond movie.  I think I did really well to have avoided the spoilers.  Thought it was very well done.

 

Coincidentally, I just watched that movie as well.  Started last night but fell asleep half-way thru the movie as it's almost 3 hours long. Watched the last half this morning but before I did that, I did something really stupid. I was wondering where it was filmed as I found the exotic locations to be beautiful and of course, I came across a spoiler as I was consulting Mr. Google. 🤦‍♂️🤷‍♂️

 

Currently watching The Lost City with Sandra Bullock. Love her!  Also has some very exotic beautiful locations although I can pretty much guess where it's filmed. Hawaii, I think, even though in the movie it's somewhere mid-Atlantic. And with most rom-coms, I have a pretty good idea how this movie will end.

[lenquixote66]

4 hours ago, aussielozzie18 said:

Tonight I  watched No Time to Die, the most recent Daniel Craig James Bond movie.  I think I did really well to have avoided the spoilers.  Thought it was very well done.

I put this on my list to watch .

[HBE4]

3 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

The one thing I can not seem to master is floating. Linda has tried to help me as she is a good floater but I seem to tense up and sink. I can keep my upper half floating but my legs keep sinking. The only way I can float is by kicking my legs to keep them near the surface. I have no idea what I am doing wrong, thought?

 

I think you are on the right track, your muscles are tensing up. Not sure I can describe it correctly but I will just "go limp" in the water, as if I'm dead, and try to relax every muscle in my body.  I keep my legs spread fairly far apart and knees slightly bent, so they are sticking a little further up out of the water. Salt water in the ocean certainly helps with my um, "natural buoyancy" Lake water isn't much of an issue as well but in pools my legs do tend to sink as well so I have to do some occasional kicking motion to keep them near the surface.

 

But I'm not a Certified Floating Instructor so I absolved myself of responsibility should you follow my advice. 😉 And I haven't slept in a Holiday Inn Express either. 😄

[HBE4]

 My claim to fame: Some people provide photography advice, some cooking instructions. I advise people how to "float", a very useful everyday skill. 😆

Edited July 10, 2022 by HBE4

[HBE4]

1 hour ago, Sunshine3601 said:

I have a big pot of meatballs, hot and sweet sausage simmering on the stove.  Sauce mixture of homegrown Amish paste tomatoes and 2 cans crushed tomatoes.   Cut up some homegrown peppers, eggplant and zucchini and put in the sauce too!

Off to mow the lawn while that simmers.  

 

1 hour ago, Jimbo said:

What time should we all be over?

 

30 minutes ago, Sunshine3601 said:

I just finished mowing the back and sides.  Off to shower, come on over😃

 

Sounds delish. I'll bring the wine, some of NY States finest Finger Lake wine. I recommend a dry Riesling on a warm summer day but I have all the colors and flavors of wine.

 

[Luckynana]

16 hours ago, aussielozzie18 said:

Dramatic way to start her first day of lifeguarding.  Well done to Ava.  

My nephew was a volunteer lifeguard at one of our Sydney beaches for several years.  In the off season, he would work at the local pools.  It was worrying how many parents would leave their kids unattended at the pool for several hours while they popped off to the shops.  Absolutely against the rules but they still did it.

Thank you aussie!

Besides the parents leaving their kids unattended at the pool to shop, today's parents can't seem to put their phones down, either.  😢

[Sea Dog]

8 minutes ago, HBE4 said:

 

I think you are on the right track, your muscles are tensing up. Not sure I can describe it correctly but I will just "go limp" in the water, as if I'm dead, and try to relax every muscle in my body.  I keep my legs spread fairly far apart and knees slightly bent, so they are sticking a little further up out of the water. Salt water in the ocean certainly helps with my um, "natural buoyancy" Lake water isn't much of an issue as well but in pools my legs do tend to sink as well so I have to do some occasional kicking motion to keep them near the surface.

 

But I'm not a Certified Floating Instructor so I absolved myself of responsibility should you follow my advice. 😉 And I haven't slept in a Holiday Inn Express either. 😄

 

Thanks for your expert advice. I will try that. I also thought about putting a pool noodle under my knees and see if it can help me. I think you are right I need to tell my body to relax and go limp. 

[h20skibum]

It seems that my viewing this summer has been changed to watching kid friendly movies. 😀

 

We are currently watching the Ice Age movies.  I never watched any of them before.  We have made it through the first three movies so far.  They are amusing.  
 

 

[lenquixote66]

9 minutes ago, HBE4 said:

 My claim to fame: Some people provide photography advice, some cooking instructions. I advise people how to "float", a very useful everyday skill. 😆

The summer prior to my negative pool experience my father tried to teach me to float in a Brooklyn pool but it did not work.

[Luckynana]

9 hours ago, sgmn said:

Well done Ava, especially on her first day.

My son was also a lifeguard during collage and saved a few people 

In Kenya he was walking past the pool and noticed a young girl on the bottom. Nobody in the pool had noticed her. He got her out, she had to go hospital but survived 

 

Thank you, Sue.

I'm sure that the young child, as well as her parents, are forever grateful that you saved her life that day.  You must be very proud of your son.

Two of my daughters were also lifeguards at a private swim club.  One day, one of the girls from the diving team hit her head on the diving board and went down.  My daughter Jen dove in and brought her up.  Seems ironic, but when we were selling our home on SI to a young family, the woman told me that it was she who our daughter had saved years earlier.

7 hours ago, sgmn said:

Gary's cycle ride to Ypres is going well. Its pretty hot but he seems to be coping OK

The charity is The Royal British Legion which is a forces charity for veterans and their families. 

What a great charity to be involved in.  You can never do enough to help veterans and their families.

6 hours ago, Keksie said:

  I was at the edge of the board, the instructor came up behind me and pushed, the older boys got to dive to the bottom to retrieve the metal edge of the board that I ripped off with my toes.  

Ouch!!  I sure hope that the instructor learned a lesson that day.🤔

5 hours ago, h20skibum said:

 

Today is packing day for our trip to Myrtle Beach tomorrow.

Have a great vacation!!

3 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

 

Andrew thanks for the update. Hopefully her recovery will keep on getting better everyday. Let her know that we are thinking of her and wishing her a speedy revcovery.

+1, Andrew!

[sgmn]

44 minutes ago, HBE4 said:

 

Coincidentally, I just watched that movie as well.  Started last night but fell asleep half-way thru the movie as it's almost 3 hours long. Watched the last half this morning but before I did that, I did something really stupid. I was wondering where it was filmed as I found the exotic locations to be beautiful and of course, I came across a spoiler as I was consulting Mr. Google. 🤦‍♂️🤷‍♂️

 

Currently watching The Lost City with Sandra Bullock. Love her!  Also has some very exotic beautiful locations although I can pretty much guess where it's filmed. Hawaii, I think, even though in the movie it's somewhere mid-Atlantic. And with most rom-coms, I have a pretty good idea how this movie will end.

Currently watching The Ghost Writer on amazon . I've seen it before but it's a good movie, Political thriller 

Edited July 10, 2022 by sgmn

[bobmacliberty]

28 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

 

Thanks for your expert advice. I will try that. I also thought about putting a pool noodle under my knees and see if it can help me. I think you are right I need to tell my body to relax and go limp. 

 

Two pool noodles work great.  One under your knees and one under your armpits.  You might even be able to take a nap like that and not drown.

[reallyitsmema]

5 minutes ago, Luckynana said:

Two of my daughters were also lifeguards at a private swim club.  One day, one of the girls from the diving team hit her head on the diving board and went down.  My daughter Jen dove in and brought her up.  Seems ironic, but when we were selling our home on SI to a young family, the woman told me that it was she who our daughter had saved years earlier.

 

When my Dad died in Florida in 2000, we had a memorial service down there.  After the service, a man approached my Mom and introduced himself.  He said that almost 50 years prior, my Dad had saved him from drowning in the pond that is in my parents home town up in Massachusetts.  He had seen my Dad's obituary in the local paper in Florida and had to come and pay his respects as he wouldn't be there if it hadn't been for my Dad.  It is a small world.... 🙂 

[Luckynana]

3 hours ago, mafig said:

 

We had a swimming pool in our high school.  It was a requirement of graduation that we had to pass a swimming test.

My childhood friend went to the Public High School in our neighborhood, which had an indoor pool, and swimming was mandatory in Senior year.  She was so frightened of the pool, I don't remember why she was so afraid, but she wound up quitting school over this.  

3 hours ago, helen haywood said:

 Our teacher was a man…and I got out of this mandatory dive by telling him every day for three weeks that it was “that time of the month…”  😉

Well played!!!😉

2 hours ago, Sunshine3601 said:

I have a big pot of meatballs, hot and sweet sausage simmering on the stove.  Sauce mixture of homegrown Amish paste tomatoes and 2 cans crushed tomatoes.   Cut up some homegrown peppers, eggplant and zucchini and put in the sauce too!

Off to mow the lawn while that simmers.  

Sounds marvelous, Debbie!

1 hour ago, h20skibum said:

Or just crash the wedding, like the wedding crashes thread. 🤣🤣

I had read that thread also...

1 hour ago, Sunshine3601 said:

I just finished mowing the back and sides.  Off to shower, come on over😃

😁 Be right there!

[jagsfan]

18 hours ago, aussielozzie18 said:

So sorry to hear of Lenny & Pauline having traumatic experiences around water.

I learned in the ocean. Swim or get a ton of salt water in your mouth and eyes. 

[NHProud]

1 hour ago, Sunshine3601 said:

I ironed my patio this morning😁  it's looking much better but still have oil residue that soaked into brick.   Will let try wire brush and white vinegar later today

I suggested acetone , nail polish remover . It is highly flammable even with water so do not use .   Perhaps, you should consult a company that sells pavers . 

[Sunshine3601]

41 minutes ago, HBE4 said:

 

 

 

Sounds delish. I'll bring the wine, some of NY States finest Finger Lake wine. I recommend a dry Riesling on a warm summer day but I have all the colors and flavors of wine.

 

Perfect.  I love a nice dry Riesling😃

[Sunshine3601]

1 minute ago, NHProud said:

I suggested acetone , nail polish remover . It is highly flammable even with water so do not use .   Perhaps, you should consult a company that sells pavers . 

Yes, I was afraid to use nail polish remover in fear it would discolor the brick.    I'm thinking I'll try a small spot with white vinegar and if that doesn't work then this week I will call the woman who's company installed the patio.   She just did a bunch of hard scaping and landscaping for my neighbor I referred to her.

[Luckynana]

10 minutes ago, reallyitsmema said:

 a man approached my Mom and introduced himself.  He said that almost 50 years prior, my Dad had saved him from drowning in the pond that is in my parents home town up in Massachusetts.  He had seen my Dad's obituary in the local paper in Florida and had to come and pay his respects as he wouldn't be there if it hadn't been for my Dad.  It is a small world.... 🙂 

This gave me goose bumps.  🌹

[Luckynana]

@dani negreanuHow are you feeling these day, Dani??

[jagsfan]

18 hours ago, Luckynana said:

With all of this talk about swimming,  I just wanted to add that our granddaughter Ava is a Lifeguard at one of the Jersey Shore Beaches, and she made a "save" on her first day on the job.  Two kids were caught in an undertow, and Ava and another lifeguard were able to get them safely back onshore.😊

Being a lifeguard means hours of boredom and 20 minutes of heroism. 
Dick was a lifeguard at the beach in high school and college. 

[Sunshine3601]

7 minutes ago, jagsfan said:

I learned in the ocean. Swim or get a ton of salt water in your mouth and eyes. 

That was where I started as a young one.   The first summer I could walk, age 2, my family got to top of the beach and I ran right into the ocean.  My parents knew from that moment that I was beach baby.  I would play in the ocean for hours😃  definitely is my happy place.