The Daily for Saturday August 21, 2021

[kazu]

7 minutes ago, Seasick Sailor said:

Roy I'm officially requesting you be added to the prayer list, and I hope the scan comes back clean as a whistle. 

 

@rafinmdI’m adding my voice to the official request that you put yourself on the Care list.  Praying all goes well for you 🙏🏻 

[aliaschief]

It maybe National Honey Bee Day but at my house It’s Honey Do This, Honey Do That Day!😩😷

 

Thanks Rich and too all our contributing editors. Roy take care!🙏

 

Now back to the Do This List!

 

 

[ger_77]

Good morning, thanks for the Daily!  We do as much as we can to encourage honey bees to come into our yard.  I recall last year's discussion about the difference between Spumoni and Neapolitan ice cream . . . I still like Spumoni.  Senior citizens are celebrated at different ages, depending on which establishment you enter - some as young as 55.  Yay for all of them (us)!

 

After over-wintering these 2 Dipladenias, faithfully watering, trimming, and caring for them, they have finally decided to bloom.  Maybe it was the talk I gave them the other day that if they didn't bloom, they were headed for the compost pile, but suddenly both have blossoms on them.  They've just earned themselves another winter in the house and we'll see if they display their flowers earlier next year.  If not . . . 

I don't have a lot of time to be on here today, we're off to the small cemetery in the country (the one where we go every Father's day for the annual clean-up) where DH will officiate the funeral service of an elderly cousin who passed away from Covid in January.  It's a beautiful sunny Saturday, so it will make the service more of a celebration of his life (he was 89) than the mourning of a life taken early.  I will participate by bestowing the congregational blessing.

 

Because we'll be out of town, I'm not planning on cooking, so we will likely pick up something on our way back home.  Whatever it is, you know what comes with it.  Wine.  LOL

 

Prayers for everyone who needs them and even for those who don't think they do.  Raising the glasses together to celebrate the happy list.  Stay safe, be well, wash your hands, wear your masks, and hydrate!

 

Smooth Sailing!  🙂🙂🙂

Gerry

[Crazy For Cats]

Good Morning Everyone, thanks for the daily report.  Henri’s path has shifted west so it looks like we will just get a lot of rain.  Hope everyone in the path stays safe.  First errand done this morning, the grocery store was packed at 7 am!  @aliaschief I’m getting a honey do list too.  Off to accomplish three items on that list.  I hope everyone enjoys their Saturday.

Zander does this to me a few times a week.

[kazu]

15 minutes ago, ger_77 said:

After over-wintering these 2 Dipladenias, faithfully watering, trimming, and caring for them, they have finally decided to bloom.  Maybe it was the talk I gave them the other day that if they didn't bloom, they were headed for the compost pile, but suddenly both have blossoms on them.  They've just earned themselves another winter in the house and we'll see if they display their flowers earlier next year.  If not .

 

You took really good care of them 👍 And they are gorgeous.  I would say that have certainly earned themselves another house wintering 🙂 

[Himself]

Rich:

Thank you for the DAILY Fleet report.  I am enjoying Irish Fest in Milwaukee this weekend.  Wil be back home tomorro night.

[Himself]

3 hours ago, rafinmd said:

Thank you for the Sailaway Saturday Daily, Rich.  Lots of Senior Citizens here.  Honey Bees are vital to our ecosystem.  Spumoni sounds really nice.  Napier can be called the Art Deco Mecca of New Zealand.  I like the quote and the menu suggestion sounds good.  My alternative is Strawberry Bisque and Grilled Strip Loin as served on MS Veendam August 21, 2013.

 

Today’s care list:

Those in the path of Henri
Welfare of furloughed crews
Western (Especially BC) wildfires    
The passenger medivaced from Nieuw Amsterdam
Brenda with breakthrough Covid and mourning Copeland’s and her brother’s deaths
jimgev DW dealing with rampant covid and burnout
Sharon’s mom in g radiation
Death in Sam’s aide’s family and dilemma in his caregiver situation
Afghanistan and Norseh2o’s nephew assisting the evacuation
smitty34877's nephew facing possible deployment to Afganistan
New Zealand continuing outbreak
From the rotation:
NextOne DDIL with long haul Covid
Scout Jamie C recovering from major surgery

 

Celebrations and Shoutouts

2 BHB with passengers
Bon Voyage cruisin single and CruiseMGM
Welcome home Boytje
Front Line Health Care Workers
StLouisCruiserd DD student test results
Welcome home msmayor
New lawn guy for Dfish
Today Graham and Pauline attain 40 years of marriage
Sharon’s help for her mom
and Staff Captain Sabine, HAL’s likely first female Captain(I know this is a repeat but she’s worth it)

 

Roy

 

Thank you for the Care and Shout  Out lists.

[JazzyV]

Good morning. Thanks for the Daily.

Good days! Honey bees are so important, and I'll celebrate Senior Citizens Day although I'm not sure what age is considered to be a Senior. I don't care for Spumoni.

Great quote.

I like the meal, love Pina Coladas, and the wine is ok. I like Roy's meal too.

I have been to Napier, NZ on my first HAL cruise from Auckland to Sydney.

 

I had a nice dinner out. The staff was masked and people entering the restaurant as well. It was pretty empty at the time, although diners filtered in and it was about 2/3 full when we left. Air circulation was good, so hopefully all is good.

 

@dfish Great "honeybee" picture 🙂

@grapau27  Happy Anniversary tomorrow!

@smitty34877 I hope you and your MA family stay safe from Henri.

 

Prayers for the care list and cheers for the celebration list.

Stay safe everyone!

 

Some pictures from Napier: 

Logs at the port ready for shipping

 

Black sand beach

 

Napier is the Art Deco capital of NZ

 

 

 

 

Art Deco Church

 

The Twin City Stompers entertaining

 

View of the Statendam from Bluff Hill Outlook

 

Unique trees and man all leaning on Bluff Hill

 

Waterfall in Centennial Gardens

[Cruising-along]

Good morning all!

Honey bees love my yard, especially the large Hibiscus.  When it's blooming and chock full of bees I can't weed near it, I'm highly allergic to bee venom of all kinds. 😞  So I guess I have a healthy respect for them but stay away when possible. 😉  And I swear they know I'm allergic as they love to fly right at my face.  Hard for someone who loves to garden!

 

I like Spumoni, and always have it after lunch at my favorite Italian restaurant. As others, I don't feel like a senior citizen until I look in the mirror (who IS that???)

 

Not a big fan of Rosemary or Thyme, but love lemon chicken of any kind, so would probably just use a different herb. I think I've had the wine and liked it, never been to NZ but would love to go some day. Thank you to all who are posting photos! 

 

DH and I started checking into whether we could get our boosters before leaving Sept. 21 for our cruise.  We're thrilled to have appointments early next week at Haggens Pharmacy here.  Just being Diabetic (me) and high blood pressure (both of us) and over 65 we seem to qualify.  I'm feeling so relieved to get it before our travels.  Our 2nd vax was 6 months ago. 

 

 

[portofrome]

Thank you for the Daily Report.

[mamaofami]

Good morning everyone. I tried to get on 2 hours ago but there was something wrong with either my internet or the site. My grandson and his parents are on the way to Rochester and hoping to be back tonight ahead of the rain. So far, we expect thunderstorm and are not sure if we will get the full force of the hurricane.

I can  always tell Jacquie posts because of the cute photos she posts. We will definitely celebrate senior citizens day here.

Stay safe,

Carol

[garlictown]

👍Thank you for The Daily, Rich @richwmn and to Roy @rafinmd for both the Care and Celebration Lists. Seems like when we visit Puerto Rico either by ship or a land vacation, we head over to Barrachina for a Pina Colada.🍹

Our first opportunity to visit both islands in New Zealand was my retirement cruise on the🚢 Star Princess in 2009... it was around 30 days from SF to Sydney. We had a wonderful CC group! 😉

🚘The second time we visited was a land trip.

🙏Prayers to all in need and stay safe!😷

Katie 

[rafinmd]

I have a sunset today instead of a sunrise.  This was taken August 21, 2019 from the Empress of the Seas after visiting Costa Maya, Mexico.

 

 

Roy

[Tbay]

I am enjoying the pictures of Napier.  Thanks to those who posted them. We were there on the Noordam in 2016.  We enjoyed the musicians playing as we prepared to leave.  They packed up, and we pulled away from the dock, and returned 5  minutes later.  There was a problem with an azipod, and we ended up staying until the next evening.  As we had toured outside the city on the first day, we had a chance to explore the city on our extra day.  Because of the delay we missed Auckland, and the Bay of Islands.  There were many upset Aussies, who were looking forward to Bay of Islands.  We had just spent a week in Pahia,  and were looking forward to our day there.  It was a great week with a visit to Cape Reinga and driving on 90 Mile Beach. Well worth seeing if you have the chance.

 

@dfishLoved the bumble bee family!

Prayers headed to all those in the path of Henri.  Stay safe.

 

 

[Horizon chaser 1957]

Good morning, all! Honey bees are important to keep all things producing. Without them there would be no fruit, which means no fruit pies!😱

Both Rich’s meal and Roy’s alternate sound delicious! I have never been to Napier, but have been enjoying the pictures of those who have. 
Yesterday was busy with laundry and with  ironing the load of silk I mordanted  the day  before and with making tortillas for tacos for dinner. Today I plan to visit the Saturday market - with a mask - and maybe print something. We’ll see. I would happily brave @Cruising-alongs bees for one or two of those large hibiscus flowers. Nothing else prints quite like a hibiscus! I really need to plant one of my own.

Happy Saturday! Stay safe, enjoy the weekend, and watch the BHB getting ready to sail on the webcam in Seattle.

[rafinmd]

3 hours ago, grapau27 said:

Everyone i know in the UK celebrate on the day they were married but that is interesting other countries celebrate the day before.

Pauline just said her Catholic friends celebrate the day before.

We don't really celebrate attainment date in the US either.  It's a legal construct that I became familiar with working for the Social Security Administration (our public retirement agency).  It was almost the holy grail to be born on the second because then you "attained" retirement age on the first of the month and got paid for the entire month.  If you were born on the first you technically missed a month because you became eligible on the last day of the prior month (and didn't get paid for that) and if born the 3rd or later you missed almost a full months benefits.

 

I was really planning on recognizing your anniversary tomorrow but the celebration list seemed a little short today and I said "why not".  Besides, it will actually be your anniversary by the time most of us go to bed (and already is for @erewhon).  Tomorrow my emphasis will be on starting your 41st year.

 

@Seasick Sailor I will not put myself on the care list.  It may be 2 months before I have any results which I would consider a good thing.  If they do find something I would likely know earlier but anything found should be easily treated.  I might spring for the rotation.

 

Roy

[travelingbums]

Thank you everyone for sharing and caring.😀

 

Prayers and HOPE for all.

 

 

Pleae be safe.

[Sharon in AZ]

2 hours ago, Seasick Sailor said:

We decided to stay on for 2 more weeks after our holiday Rotterdam cruise, so we got a Category B8117 since our first stateroom is already taken. Is the "B" difference due to no overhang above?

Joy, that cabin has an uncovered balcony.  Exciting that you are staying on for 2 more weeks!

[aliaschief]

2 hours ago, Crazy For Cats said:

Good Morning Everyone, thanks for the daily report.  Henri’s path has shifted west so it looks like we will just get a lot of rain.  Hope everyone in the path stays safe.  First errand done this morning, the grocery store was packed at 7 am!  @aliaschief I’m getting a honey do list too.  Off to accomplish three items on that list.  I hope everyone enjoys their Saturday.

Zander does this to me a few times a week.

How many times can I relate to this pic? Great pic.

[AncientWanderer]

@cunnorl and anyone else heading down Napier way...

The Hilton at Auckland is right there on the quay.  You literally pull your suitcase off the ship and roll it next door to this wonderful hotel that juts out over the water.  We stayed post-cruise for a week and drove around -- which was wonderful.  And their breakfast was to die for, so that helped with the off-the-ship blues.  That's my favorite cruise hotel ever -- just so easy and nice.

 

@rafinmd, interesting explanation of the calculation of days.  Learn something new here every day.  Glad the subject came up.

 

@dfish, I thought I identified your sister Sue!  You had posted one of her as an adult, and she looks exactly like a friend of mine named Susie now as an adult -- and they both looked like twins as kids, too.  

What a great photo of you and your sisters.   A treasure.

 

There's some great jokes here today.  I guess we seniors are easy to work with.  And some great photos of Napier.  That's a trip I'd gladly repeat.

 

 

 

[kb4683]

2 hours ago, Himself said:

Rich:

Thank you for the DAILY Fleet report.  I am enjoying Irish Fest in Milwaukee this weekend.  Wil be back home tomorro night.

Slainte, Father 🍻☘️

Edited August 21, 2021 by kb4683

[Sharon in AZ]

21 minutes ago, Sharon in AZ said:

Joy, that cabin has an uncovered balcony.  Exciting that you are staying on for 2 more weeks!

@Seasick Sailor Also, if you look at a picture of the ship you can see that uncovered balcony area right below the Lido deck in the section where it juts out, near Canaletto.

[Sharon in AZ]

Good morning everyone and Happy Saturday!  I need to be brief because Craig is wondering why I'm not getting my pre-cruise list done today. 

 

Thank you for the Daily Rich, great days.  Thank you for the lists Roy.  Prayers to those on the Care List.

 

Another bit of good news is our cruise credits are now available from the canceled Zaandam cruise and the OBC is there also!  Yay!  What a relief.  It took almost 3 months.  @kazu I'm glad yours worked out too.

 

Have a great day everyone!

[sailingdutchy]

Good morning / afternoon to all !  Thank you for the Daily Rich and for the care list Roy and for all the contributions from many others . 

I might not be posting that often but I have been reading the Daily everyday for about a year now and I am grateful for being able to stay in contact which keeps me close to cruising hopefully soon again.

 

We have been to Napier , New Zealand and had a wonderful day there so I will check if I have some special pictures to share.  This from the Oosterdam on April 1st 2013 .

 

BTW we had booked another  Trans Pacific cruise for this year and after that one was cancelled we booked  again for next March  (2022) and now that one has also been cancelled by HAL  due to the situation in New Zealand and Australia with the Covid . Although their cases have been extremely low  in those two wonderful countries so have been their vaccinations . 

 

No we did not go to Hooters ……..

 

 

Six siblings from one family 

 

 

Different designs even for newly built homes and offices 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mission Winery 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beautiful scenery outside of Napier 

 

 

 

 

 

Back into Port we had a nice send off .

 

 

 

 

DW forgot her ID when returning to the port and she was taken into detention for a while , but was later allowed to rejoin me after a lot of  questioning . ppppfffftttttt ! Lucky me !

 

Have a wonderful weekend everybody ! 

Tony 😄

[lindaler]

Good morning all. We still seem to be getting a lot of smoke. The weather is cooler, does that mean summer is over? I plan to stay very busy today as I am feeling a lot of loneliness. Son and grandkids should arrive at his new house in Mobil Alabama today after driving a trailer with their belongings over 2500 miles. 

 

Thanks everyone for being here and caring for each other. From all that Rich does, to the care that Roy puts into his list to all the information I get from the food, drink and garden tips to the wonderful photos of places I could go once all the BHBs start again, thank you for this place.