The Daily for Friday 03/04/2022

[richwmn]

 

Today is Employee Appreciation Day, Holy Experiment Day, and Hug a GI Day
 

There is never a time or place for true love. It happens accidentally, in a heartbeat, in a single flashing, throbbing moment.--Sarah Dessen, The Truth About Forever

Meal Suggestion for today - Smoked Salmon
Drink of the Day - Brown Derby
Wine of the Day - Stemmari 2019 Estate Grown Sustainably Farmed Nero
Destination of the Day - Ocho Rios, Jamaica

Ships With Passengers

At Sea

Zuiderdam   Destination Honolulu, Oahu Isl eta 3/6

At Sea Caribbean

Eurodam   Destination Aruba

Nieuw Amsterdam   Destination Port Everglades eta 3/5

Nieuw Statendam   Destination Half Moon Cay eta 3/5

Rotterdam   Destination Half Moon Cay eta 3/5

At Sea Pacific

Koningsdam   Destination San Diego CA US eta 3/6

Ships Without Passengers

Cadiz SP

Volendam   Shipyard

Zaandam   Shipyard

Limassol, CY

Oosterdam   Anchorage

Long Beach CA US

Westerdam   Anchorage

Port Everglades, Fort Lauderdale, FL US

Noordam   Off Shore

 

 

[portofrome]

Thank you for the Daily Report.

[puppycanducruise]

Good morning.  Thanks for the Friday Daily Report.

 

Thanks to employees.  Wish I could hug a GI, they deserve it.  Holy Experiment Day?  I'll have to google that.

 

Interesting quote.

 

The meal sounds good, so does the cocktail.  Hope the wine is tasty and not too expensive.

Looking forward to seeing pictures of today's port.  It will be nice to see on a cold snowy day.

 

Prayers for everyone.

Stay safe.

[rafinmd]

Thank you for the TGIF Daily, Rich.  On Hug a GI day I'll think of our National Guard, trained for war but now deployed testing people for Covid, and perhaps soon dealing with a Convoy outside Washington.  Holy Experiment Day seems to be influenced largely by Quakers and I'll salute it.  Hard pressed employees deserve all the appreciation they can get.  Not sure what to make of the quote.  Been to Ocho Rios just once.  Since I don't eat seafood, I'll pass on the meal.  My alternative is Chilled Blackberry Soup, Penne Primvera, and Mango and Berry Crisp as served on MS Prinsendam March 4, 2019.

Today’s care list:

Kakalina with esophageal blockage and numbered days
Ukraine
StLouisCruiser’s niece Jen with post fall complications
Sea Viewer DH bruised from fall
Strength for Jacqui Jose, the doctors and a happy remaining life for Marley
Welfare of furloughed crews
ger_77 DH Cardiac issues and procedure March 7
Tana with pneumonia
Cruzn single post-covid fatigue
From the rotation:
MissG’s father hanging in for one more cruise
StLouisCruisers Niece DH undergoing throat cancer chemo
Marshhawk awaiting surgery
Cruising along niece awaiting a kidney
HAL Sailor DH health issues

 

Celebrations and Shoutouts:

Noordam in service April rather than May
6 BHB with passengers
Special status for Kazu
2 days for Aliaschief and dwaliaschief (Azamara quest to 3/17)
2 days for kb4683 (Nieuw Statendam to 3/16)
2 days for Quartzite Cruiser (Koningsdam to 4/3)
Marshhawk returning to AA meetings
ottahand7 (Nieuw Statendam to 3/6),  DeeniEncinitas (Riviera to  3/8)  Mr. Boston (Nieuw Amsterdam to 3/5) and NorseH20 and dchip (Zuiderdam to 4/3) at sea
cunnorl taking over golf tournament for injured friend
Koningsdan Staff Captain Sabine - officially onboard & introduced. - Our first female Staff Captain and HAL’s likely first female Captain(I know this is a repeat but she’s worth it)

Roy

 

[4966and556]

Thank you for the Daily Report! 

[seagarsmoker]

Thanks for the Daily Report! I hope everyone here has a wonderful weekend!

[rafinmd]

Today's sunrise is from the first leg of a 3-ship series, Crystal Symphony, Crystal Serenity, and MS Amsterdam.  On March 4, 2014 the Crystal Symphony visited Ujung Padang, Indonesia

 

 

Roy

[dfish]

Good morning, everyone.

 

Brrrr.  It is cold this morning.  15F when I woke up.  It is supposed to get up to 40F with brilliantly blue skies, so I won't complain.  Not much planned outside of the pool this morning.

 

Today's meal is interesting.   Smoked salmon is not generally a meal by itself.  It is used as an ingredient and even a main ingredient in some dishes.   But, just in case, I have some directions for smoking your own salmon.  

 

The first recipe comes from Alton Brown and the Food Network.  It sounds fairly easy if you have a day or two before you want it.   One note:  be sure to get the kosher salt.  Don't use regular table salt as it changes texture and flavor.   https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/smoked-salmon-recipe-1938429

 

 

I do like smoked salmon on crackers as an appetizer.   When I am in northern Michigan we sometimes do a day trip to the UP to pick up smoked fish.  I love it. 

 

There is a lot of good information about smoking salmon in this next one.   https://honest-food.net/how-to-smoke-salmon-recipe/

 

 

So, now what do you do with the salmon once it is smoked?   Good question!  You can just have it with crackers.  For those of us watching our carbs, you can substitute slices of zucchini or cucumber.   It is good that way.  Ina Garten offers us a nice smoked salmon spread in this next recipe.  https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/smoked-salmon-spread-recipe3-1943150

 

 

Ree Drummond gives us a smoked salmon benedict recipe:  https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/smoked-salmon-benedict-9558588

 

 

If nothing here tickles your fancy, you can try one of these recipes:  https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/10-things-do-smoked-salmon

 

Prayers for those who need them and cheers for those celebrating.   Wishing all of you a most wonderful day.

 

 

 

[Crazy For Cats]

Good Morning Everyone, thanks for the daily report.  I’m not a salmon fan but maybe @dfish recipes could entice me to try it.  When we are at today’s port we consider it a sea day.  This weekend’s project will be to pull the suitcases out of the attic and start thinking about packing for the Eurodam.

I think this could be adapted for our dog lovers.

[kazu]

Thanks for the TGIF Daily, Rich.

 

Great collection of days!  Nice to see Employees appreciated and GI’s cared for.  I hadn’t heard of Holy Experiment Day before - interesting it is about tolerance for different religions.  Definitely a must!

 

Not sure about the quote.  True love doesn’t necessarily happen in a hear beat - it can grow as you get to know someone.

 

Love the meal suggestion for today - smoked salmon - yum!  I’ll follow this rule to keep my salmon fresh 😉

 

 

The drink and wine sound intriguing.  Been to Ochos Rios & Jamaica once and once was enough for me.

 

Drive yesterday was NOT pretty but fortunately, coming home was a bit better.  I probably shouldn’t have gone but it was a good thing I did.  A little medical humour.

 

 

 

I was surprised when I got there as this unit is all private rooms (now that I”m  footing the bill 😉) . Hopefully that will be good thing for Jose.  Time will tell, I guess. 

 

OMG could the news on Ukraine get any worse?  Canada has opened it’s doors wide for all Ukrainian refugees but there are so many people still there being subjected to this inhumanity, war crimes and now, the nuclear fear 😰  😢 

 

Prayers for everyone on the Care list & for those that need them and a 🥂 to those on the Celebratory / Shout Out list.

 

Have a great Friday everyone !!!!!

 

 

Stay safe & please don’t forget your 😷 

 

 

 

[grapau27]

Good afternoon.

It is 43°F and raining here.

We had a lovely Italian breakfast this morning.

Thank you for today's daily and fleet reports Rich and Roy for the various lists.

Employees should have an appreciation day although some employers might not agree.

Excellent quote and so true 

Nice food today.

Prayers for everyone on the care list.

Take care.

Graham.

[GTVCRUISER]

Happy Friday 🙂    

[cat shepard]

Thank you for today’s Daily, Rich! The smart employers appreciate their employees every day - the magic doesn’t happen without them.

 

Roy, thank you for being the keeper of our lists. Morning Dailyites. It is another lovely morning in my neighborhood. But we currently are heading towards drought conditions, so we need some rain. 

 

An early grocery run and some chores. Then closing the day at the local beach’s “First Friday” event. The first one I have been to since March 2020, and depending on the setup & crowd, I may not stay long. 🤞🏻
 

My new iPad arrived yesterday, and by using my recent iCloud backup, setting it up was SIMPLE! I wish I hadn’t waited as long as I did. No more shutting off in the middle of doing something. 
 

The last of the morning series….

 

 

 

 

 

Prayers for all who need our support. Cheers to all who are celebrating! Stay well everyone!

 

***********

Stemmari 2019 Estate Grown Sustainably Farmed Nero d’Avola

This Sicilian wine has very good ratings, and a price that makes it an easy one to try. Several online distributors with prices starting at $8.99.

Overview

Stemmari has been at the center of this Sicilian wine revolution. Its 700 hectares of vineyards, planted to indigenous as well as international varietals, are cultivated with reverence for the environment. In the winery, traditional winemaking techniques are seamlessly integrated with modern technology, resulting in top-notch, value-driven wines that are varietally correct and delicious. 
The Stemmari Nero d’Avola has been barrel-aged for 6 months and displays aromas and flavors of blackcurrants, pomegranates, raspberries, and wild strawberries. The palate is medium-to-full-bodied and silky-smooth, making it a super tasty aperitif as well as a terrific accompaniment to a multitude of foods.

PRODUCT DETAILS:
Producer Name: Stemmari
Old/New World: Old Wold
Country of Origin: Italy
Region: Sicily
Grape Varietals: Nero d'Avola
Wine Style: Fuller Body Red
Viticultural Features: Sustainable Agriculture
Winemaker: Lucio Matricardi

[ger_77]

Good morning, thanks for the Daily!  I believe every day should be employee appreciation day - what would companies do without them?  The Quakers, along with Queen Victoria and Count Leo Tolstoy helped bring DH's ancestors from Russia in the late 1800's - the Doukhobor people - into Canada.  Many of them lived communally and settled throughout the western part of the country.  They had similar lifestyles and religious beliefs, including pacifism.  I'd like to hug a GI, but I don't know any.

 

Well we didn't have a blizzard, but we certainly did get snow.  Right now we've got about 6" of it on our driveway and there was just a "Heavy Snowfall Warning" issued for later this morning.  I'm glad we don't have to go anywhere today, we can just stay inside and watch it come down.  As long as the wind doesn't start blowing things around, it shouldn't be too bad for those who have to be out and about.  At least it's more moisture for the farmers.

 

We've been to today's port, and once we ran the gauntlet of locals trying to sell us "the good stuff, mon", and we found a souvenir store where we could buy a magnet, we turned around and spent the rest of the day on the ship.  One and done.

 

Re: Ukraine - one of the local radio stations had a telethon yesterday for 12 hours; during that time, they raised $985,414.00 to provide aid for those wonderful people.  It's good to see that our government is stepping up to make it easier for Ukrainians who want to come here.

 

I don't mind smoked salmon in small doses, but prefer it fresh cooked.  Today is Friday, so it's pizza night at our house, and there's a new place that opened up getting great reviews that I think we're going to try for delivery tonight.  Pizza's what's happening on our dinner table tonight.  And wine.

 

Prayers for everyone who needs them and even for those who don't think they do.  Extra prayers for the people of Ukraine and all those who are lending them a hand.   We'll clink our glasses together to celebrate all on the happy list.  Be safe, wear your masks when you need to, wash your hands, get your boosters, stay well and keep warm!

 

Smooth Sailing!  🙂🙂🙂

Gerry

[Cruzin Terri]

Good morning.

Thanks to Rich and Roy for the lists.

Interesting group of days.  

Right now I don’t know any GIs so I will virtually hug all of them and appreciate their service.

As for Holy Experiement Day—well, I will say my prayers and pray for a miracle that Putin comes to his senses and stops this insanity.

Employee appreciation day.  Well, I was never a boss and always an employee and always was happy when my hard work was appreciated.  These days those who chose to work should definitively be appreciated—especially with the shortage of labor.

I really don’t know what to make of the quote.  Trying to get my head around it. I feel there is always a time and place for love and sometime love grows and doesn’t happen in an instant.  

Love smoked salmon, and the wine looks good,

Never been to Ocho Rios and don’t think I am interested in doing so.

 

As for today, we have lots of things going on.  DH has abdominal pain and not sure what it is.  Saw the doc on Tuesday and ordered a CT scan.  First available is March 11.  This is not sitting well with us since we leave for Europe on April 4.  Not really sure what is going on.  He did have a strangulated hernia a number of years ago and needed emergency surgery in Rome and then it recurred and needed surgery again two years later.  Sure hope it is not another recurrence.

 

Prayers for all who are on the Cares list and Cheers for those who are celebrating and cruising. 

Hope everyone has a good day.

God Bless.

Terri

[ger_77]

For those of us who need coffee before peopling in the morning:

 

 

[puppycanducruise]

@Cruzin TerriPrayers for your DH. 

[marshhawk]

Edited March 4, 2022 by marshhawk

[ottahand7]

Good morning from the Atlantic heading toward HMC tomorrow. Our cruise is winding down. Hug a GI is easy my DF is a former GI National Guard for 6 years. No more employees to deal with any longer.  Holy experiment day is an interesting topic. My Dad's family was from the Netherlands and had immigrated there in the Middle Ages to escape some kind of religious persecution. Another more recent lineage in his family were Hugeunots who fled France and ended in the Netherlands. Never have done an ancestry DNA test. 

 

Smoked salmon is much better than fresh but not a fave. Brown Derby sounds like a good old time cocktail so probably pretty good. Wine sounds good too. Never been to Ocho Rios and have no desire to visit.  

 

Prayers for all on Roy's care list and for the people of Ukraine and blessings to the countries accepting refugees. 🙏🙏🙏 @Cruzin Terri   @kazu prayers for your DH.🙏

 

Good news on return from breakfast Mariner 4 Star pin waiting. The 50% off wine packages,  coffee and free laundry will come in handy for the South America cruise next January. We had a windy dinner on the balcony last night.  It is gala night tonight so we are dining in the PG. Wine tasting this afternoon.  

 

Lots of company in port. Rotterdam, Princess and two others at the other piers. Giant yacht pulled out yesterday perhaps heading to the Maldives to hide from being confiscated.

 

 

[Cat in my lap]

Happy Friday!  I like salmon and smoked salmon!  
 

Prayers to all who need it - especially thinking of daily posters and Ukrainians.  

[aliaschief]

It appears that my earlier post never made it to the Daily! So Good morning again and thank you Rich, Roy and all who contribute with humor, pics, recipes and just neighborly support!

 

Off to get a rapid Covid test in a minute! I’m stuffy but that is because our annual long leaf pine yellow dusting is in full spew!

[smitty34877]

35 minutes ago, ger_77 said:

For those of us who need coffee before peopling in the morning:

 

 

Oh my.I am this person and all who live here including dogs are aware of it!

[summer slope]

Drink of the day

Brown Derby:

Ingredients

2 oz. bourbon
1 oz. grapefruit juice
½ oz. rich honey syrup (3:1)
Tools:shaker, strainer
Glass:cocktail
Preparation
Shake ingredients with ice until chilled, then strain into a chilled glass.

 

[marshhawk]

The thing about life, is that it's always changing.  What is now, is not tomorrow. 

 

My boss (the one who is soon not going to be my boss) knew that I was struggling with the ethics of selling for the HB.  I started asking questions, and wasn't getting straight answers. I asked again, and again the answer was to a question not asked.  All of this is done with texts...arghh? What did ever happen to the telephone, but within two minutes after my last question, I got a call from my boss, who asked me if I wanted to go work for a new customer, and my manager would be an employee I worked with during this past year.  YES!  So I have a few more weeks before the transfer, and I will do the best I can by the patrons that I still have.

 

DH has been wanting to go to a restaurant that he used to eat at all the time.  It's a cafeteria, and  when we would go, I would always get too much food.  Thing is,  it looks good, but looks can be deceiving.  So for years, I have put off going back, but the other day I suggested that since he had been wanting to go there why didn't we.

 

Number one, if you are at a cafeteria, you shouldn't have to ask them what the food is....  We sat down at the table with our trays, and I realized that there was absolutely no seasoning or flavor to any thing.  I guess they were worried about being responsible for high salt content, but I, who don't cook with salt, at least add flavor, and I was salting everything to just get some flavor.  I didn't say a word.  After the meal, DH looked at me and said, "I'm so glad we came, and I never want to eat here again."   Whew!

 

Two more months, I will be here-I cant wait!

 

 

[StLouisCruisers]

Good morning friends!  I have only a little time before I leave for my hair appointment.  I also want to run into the market next to it beforehand so can't leave too late.  Hairdresser will have to be extra cautious because of my stitches which run right up next to my hairline and for sure while blow drying so she does hurt me too much.  I have bandages there for protection. The left side of the top of my head is still numb from the surgery a week ago Monday.  Hoping it doesn't take too much longer to get back to normal.  

 

Thanks to Rich for the Daily and to Roy for the Care and Celebration lists.  Prayers were said as I walked on the treadmill this morning.  Especially for the Ukrainians and for people who are hosting the refugees and sending them needed items to help fight this invasion.  The entire Care list was prayed for and extra prayers for my niece Jen and my other niece's DH as he completes the chemo and continues with radiation on his throat.  @Cruzin TerriI hope your DH's pain can be diagnosed and is nothing so serious you can't leave on your cruise in a month.  

 

I think employees should be appreciated, religions should be tolerated, and GI's need to be hugged.  Wish I could hug my DSIL who was in the Air Force.  He is converting to Catholicism currently and I got a cute photo of DD and him with their ashes on Wednesday.  Bless him!  As for smoked salmon, no thank you.  I have not been to Ocho Rios, just Montego Bay and like you all said, once in Jamaica was enough.  Nothing there for me, really.  Last time Ocho Rios was posted was Nov. 25.  

 

Well, gotta go!  Have a good day my friends!