Monday December 4th, 2023 -- The Fleet Report and Daily

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

Good morning from Quartzsite where it is 45F and feels like it.  Our humidity is a bit higher at 61% with a dew point of 36F.  It is partly cloudy with a predicted high of 68F.  The sky is just beginning to turn red as sunrise is at 7:25.  Today's agenda includes house cleaning.  As you know, I normally do not like to clean house, but today I'm actually looking forward to the chore.  The house hasn't been cleaned since April 2022, and we've been here almost two weeks.  It's mostly the dust that needs getting rid of.

 

We also have someone coming to try to fix the water heater on the motorhome.  We tried again last week to get it working, but no luck.  We did discover one valve was set to bypass the water heater.  That was a search to find it, since it wasn't where we expected it to be.  Hopefully, he can fix it or replace.  I'm just glad it's under warranty.

 

Along with tigers, I think cheetahs and the most magnificent cats.  I love to watch pictures of them running.  Banks are necessary in today's world.  Cookie day is good, and I'll be starting the gingerbread cookies before too much longer.

 

While I like carrots, we'll pass on the meal since coconut is not a favorite here.  We'll also pas on the drink and the wine.

 

We have been to Aruba many times, beginning in 1991 on Carnival Tropicale.

 

The first Thanksgiving in 1619 is a good day to honor, and proves again that much of history depends on who has the best PR.  I'll honor The Observer as we still need printed newspapers.  The 1943 announcement by MLB Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis was the beginning of a major shift and a welcome one in baseball.

 

@StLouisCruisers  Sandi, I glad the plumber found the leak and that the repair does not seem to be too involved, just inconvenient.

 

@kazu  Jacqui, I hope it's not to slippery for you and Ivan to take your walks.

@Heartgrove  I'm glad you and Sue are feeling better and that DSIL remained well.

@marshhawk  Annie, I'm glad you enjoyed the dinner even with all the TV, etc.

@smitty34877  Terry, I hope all the street repairs do not imped the roof replacement.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lenda

 

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

We have been to Aruba many times.  The first time was in 1991, on the Carnival Tropicale at spring break with our 13 and 14-year old DDs.  This was at a time when you could book a cabin when you were 18, so it was a wild cruise.  One group of college kids were thrown off the ship in St. Thomas, less than 24 hours after sailing from San Juan.  Just after that cruise, Carnival  changed the rules that if you were under 21 there had to be someone 25+ in the cabin.

 

Most of our pictures are the old fashion ones that are in photo albums.  However, I do have some to share.  We always rent a car in Aruba, so we have a lot of pictures outside Oranjestad.  Some of the pictures were taken in January 2020, on our cruise on the Rotterdam, which turned out to be our last cruise for a while and the last time on the Rotterdam. 

 

The first two pictures were taken in San Nicolas at the south end of the island, near the refinery.  Built in 1924, at one time it was the largest refinery complex in the world.  It was shut down in 1985.  As of January 2020, the facility was a transfer and storage facility.  Charlie's Bar is a well known watering hole in San Nicolas.  Unfortunately, we are always in San Nicolas before the bar opens.

 

This is Baby Beach on the far south end of the island.

 

These pictures are from the eastern side of the island.

 

A little bar we found on the eastern side where we stopped for a coke.

 

This is Baby Arch.  The original natural bridge collapsed sometime after our first visit in 1991. Behind Baby Arch, you can make out the gap where the natural bridge fell.

 

Just a couple of pictures of Oranjestad.  The last was taken from the ship as we sailed.

 

Lenda

[StLouisCruisers]

@seagarsmoker I have my fingers crossed that you have a good interview today!🤞

 

 

53 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

I'm so sorry to hear you have a leak in your lovely house Sandi.

I hope your plumber can find a quick and inexpensive solution with minimal disruption.

 

Thank you so much Graham.  I hope it won't take us too long to get the ceiling repaired.  Makes me appreciate the fact we turn our water off at the street level (underground) when we leave and release the pressure on the pipes.  Wouldn't want this happening while away!

 

 

 

49 minutes ago, smitty34877 said:

Good morning. It is sunny and 47 going up to 50. DD DH and I went twice to Aruba but not via a cruise ship.it is a beautiful place and very relaxing to stay for a week or so. Cheers for the days, a chuckle for the quote and a maybe on the recipe.

This week the roof is being replaced and the roofers are delivering the shingles and a dumpster for the driveway. This is complicated because the pipeline replacement project has reached  our doorstep. We are a narrow one way street and it is challenging to back a dumpster into a steep driveway. DD spoke to the policeman at the top of the access street and he has promised to let the trucks in. Oh boy.

@seagarsmoker, Best of luck on the interview today!

@StLouisCruisers, Sandi, oh no on the leak. I hope the plumber finds the source quickly. Also, I loved the picture of you and DH with your DD.

@grapau27, I am so impressed by the response to the water main break and the recovery process in your garden. We would faint if the water or utility folks came back so quickly to repair the mess!

 

Thank you Terry.  They have finished already and now we will have to find a drywall person for the next step.  Thank you also for your comment of our cruise photo with DD.

 

 

 

48 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

Nice photos Sandi especially of yourself, Dennis and your lovely daughter.

 

Thanks Graham!  The photo wasn't taken in Aruba but I like this photo of the three of us from that cruise so posted it.  That's in St. Thomas.

 

 

 

35 minutes ago, ottahand7 said:

When I did my Aruba search I came up with photos from my first visit there January 16, 2018 on the Oosterdam at the end of a Panama Canal transit.  Aruba was substituted for Cartagena.   We did a catamaran cruise and it was horrible.   Community snacks, nothing sugar fee and no beer even.   Second photo was on February 18, 2019 and that was on the old Rotterdam sailing out of Tampa.   Other photos are in my phone.  

@StLouisCruisers so sorry to read about your flood,  I hope your plumber can fix it quickly!   

 

Thanks Nancy!  Your scenic photos of Aruba are nice.

 

 

 

22 minutes ago, rafinmd said:

Thank you Rich, Vanessa, Debbie, Ann,and Dixie.  I like all today's days and sxpecially the day in 1943.  Definitely a  sad quote today.  I think most of us, me included, have been to Aruba many times.  The meal is interesting.  My alternative is Chilled Blackberry Soup, Grilled Lamb Chop, and Strawberry Crisp as served on MS Prinsendam December 4, 2013.

 

I walked about 20 minutes in our mall this morning and it went well.

 

Roy

 

It's good to hear you had a nice walk and everything went fine.

 

 

  

Edited December 4, 2023 by StLouisCruisers

[Cruzin Terri]

Good morning to all the Dailyites.

I have neither forgotten nor abandoned you all.

As it turned out my Ipad decided to die and it took Herculean efforts to revive it and charge it up again.  So here I am.  I have days of reading to catch up on and it will not all be done today.

Just wanted to let you all know that I am alive and kicking.

It is 63 degrees here in Bluffton and sunny.

Prayers for all-especially for @seagarsmoker as you go for you job interview.

I have a nail appointment in one hour so I have to get moving.

Will write more when I get back.

Love and prayers to all.

Terri

[RMLincoln]

I’m feeling better today and will be going without cold meds today to see how that feels. The meds help but I think they are part of making me feel blah. DH went for carry out supper yesterday and I had no appetite, just had the soup. We’ll see how today goes. 
 

Will try to contact Maryland eye clinic to get records transferred. I’m pretty sure the form I filled out here is useless. 
 

@seagarsmoker In an interview they learn about you, and you learn about them.  Enjoy the interview. I hope it’s a good fit!  
 

@StLouisCruisers Sorry about your water leak and mess. I’m impressed you got repairmen so fast!  When we built our mountain cabin and addition, DH plumbed with copper. The plumber wanted to use pex but DH said no because we needed to be able to drain it and pex loops have low spots. I wonder how it cracked?  Good you knew how to limit the damage by turning the water off and draining. 

Great to hear the dads went to the game!  And more traveling for those families, they are quite dedicated. 
 

@grapau27 Amazing that you had a cleanup team so quickly and do such a thorough job. Who pays for them?  Maybe you are on a private water system. I can’t imagine a public utility here responding so well. 
Thanks for the map, nice to see where you are!  What a historic coast!  
 

@marshhawk Annie, I hope you are breathing better. 
 

@rafinmdRoy, so glad to hear you are getting back to normal, must feel like a new lease on life!  
 

@smitty34877 Best of luck on the roofing job!  Logistics are always the foundation!  Give yourself a big hug!  One day at a time is Everything!  
 

Blessings for all in need of healing, comfort or hope. Especially all caught in wars!  
Cheers to those celebrating!

Smooth travels to those away especially our cruisers (and my DGD and her while in-law family this week on MSC). 

Maureen 
 

 

Edited December 4, 2023 by RMLincoln

[grapau27]

33 minutes ago, RMLincoln said:

I’m feeling better today and will be going without cold meds today to see how that feels. The meds help but I think they are part of making me feel blah. DH went for carry out supper yesterday and I had no appetite, just had the soup. We’ll see how today goes. 
 

Will try to contact Maryland eye clinic to get records transferred. I’m pretty sure the form I filled out here is useless. 
 

@seagarsmoker In an interview they learn about you, and you learn about them.  Enjoy the interview. I hope it’s a good fit!  
 

@StLouisCruisers Sorry about your water leak and mess. I’m impressed you got repairmen so fast!  When we built our mountain cabin and addition, DH plumbed with copper. The plumber wanted to use pex but DH said no because we needed to be able to drain it and pex loops have low spots. I wonder how it cracked?  Good you knew how to limit the damage by turning the water off and draining. 

Great to hear the dads went to the game!  And more traveling for those families, they are quite dedicated. 
 

@grapau27 Amazing that you had a cleanup team so quickly and do such a thorough job. Who pays for them?  Maybe you are on a private water system. I can’t imagine a public utility here responding so well. 
Thanks for the map, nice to see where you are!  What a historic coast!  
 

@marshhawk Annie, I hope you are breathing better. 
 

@rafinmdRoy, so glad to hear you are getting back to normal, must feel like a new lease on life!  
 

@smitty34877 Best of luck on the roofing job!  Logistics are always the foundation!  Give yourself a big hug!  One day at a time is Everything!  
 

Blessings for all in need of healing, comfort or hope. Especially all caught in wars!  
Cheers to those celebrating!

Smooth travels to those away especially our cruisers (and my DGD and her while in-law family this week on MSC). 

Maureen 
 

 

Thank you Maureen.

Our water company is privately owned.

If there are any burst pipes they respond very quickly.

The first emergency engineer turned up within 45 minutes and took photos and relayed them back to the company then he commenced trying to turn the mains off.

Their insurance company called the clean up team as it was their burst pipe on a public street so we did not have to contact our home insurance company.

Our water,gas and electric companies are all excellent in emergencies.

[kazu]

2 hours ago, Heartgrove said:

Sue and I are finally feeling much better. Thankfully DSIL never got it from us.

 

Good to hear 👍 

 

 

1 hour ago, dfish said:

 

I know how to do it, but it involves high ladders and I don't do them.  

 

Smart!  Glad you avoid high ladders - it’s much safer that way 😉 

 

 

40 minutes ago, RMLincoln said:

I’m feeling better today and will be going without cold meds today to see how that feels. The meds help but I think they are part of making me feel blah. DH went for carry out supper yesterday and I had no appetite, just had the soup. We’ll see how today goes. 

 

I hope you are feeling improved enough to get some solid food down, Maureen 🤞 Get well soon.

 

[rafinmd]

Today's sunrise is another from my 2013 Prinsendam Amazon cruise.  December 4 was a sea day from Devil's Island to Macapa.

 

 

Roy

[Seasick Sailor]

1 hour ago, Himself said:

Is am sorry we never caught up. As I watched the Rotterdam sail wavy I thought of you and how lucky you were to stay on. I fly back to O’Hare and cold weather today. Have a great cruise and enjoy the new locks at the Panama Canal. By the way who is the new Captain?

 

Hi Father. Captain Werner Timmers joined us.

 

Thank you for the well wishes and hope we will have an opportunity to meet in the future!

 

Joy

[StLouisCruisers]

Maureen @RMLincoln hope you are feeling 100% very soon.  You have that wedding to get to!

 

The plumber we used had been here once before to replace a valve in our basement where the water comes into the house.  It had a drip so they replaced it quickly for us.  They are known here for being very good, doing reputable work, and coming fast to the rescue.  I wish the roofers were as good!  Sorry to hear Terry @smitty34877 you have to get a new roof!  Oy vey!  The last time our roofer was here he said a good architectural shingle roof would cost us 20-25K!!  The plumber today said to replace all the pipes in our house with copper it would be about 10K.  Then you have to get the drywall repairs done. The people in our neighborhood with concrete slabs instead of basements have more problems with broken pex pipes than we basement homes do.  Their pipes are in the concrete slab.  When theirs break, their houses flood from the floor up and cause major damage to floors, drywall, trim, cabinetry, furniture, etc.  When ours break in the walls we get a drip, drip problem.  Whew!!  😥

 

Graham @grapau27 thank you for posting the beautiful photo of Pauline all dressed up for dinner.  She looked lovely!

 

[grapau27]

5 minutes ago, StLouisCruisers said:

Maureen @RMLincoln hope you are feeling 100% very soon.  You have that wedding to get to!

 

The plumber we used had been here once before to replace a valve in our basement where the water comes into the house.  It had a drip so they replaced it quickly for us.  They are known here for being very good, doing reputable work, and coming fast to the rescue.  I wish the roofers were as good!  Sorry to hear Terry @smitty34877 you have to get a new roof!  Oy vey!  The last time our roofer was here he said a good architectural shingle roof would cost us 20-25K!!  The plumber today said to replace all the pipes in our house with copper it would be about 10K.  Then you have to get the drywall repairs done. The people in our neighborhood with concrete slabs instead of basements have more problems with broken pex pipes than we basement homes do.  Their pipes are in the concrete slab.  When theirs break, their houses flood from the floor up and cause major damage to floors, drywall, trim, cabinetry, furniture, etc.  When ours break in the walls we get a drip, drip problem.  Whew!!  😥

 

Graham @grapau27 thank you for posting the beautiful photo of Pauline all dressed up for dinner.  She looked lovely!

 

Thank you Sandi for your nice compliments for Pauline.

 

[Cruising-along]

Good morning all!

I love cheetahs, we need and depend on our banks, and I'll be baking cookies in a few weeks but not yet.  The quote is funny but mostly sad.  You're right Debbie @dfish I wouldn't like the coconut and also not a big fan of curry unless it's very, very subtle.  Tonight we'll be having marinated salmon, salad and baked potatoes.  I'll also pass on the drink, but would love the Chenin Blanc.  We were in Oranjestad only once, in 2009.  We rented a jeep and drove around the island.  I remember it was very dry, and bleak.  We did find a beach that we had all to ourselves and made it a beach day.

 

@seagarsmoker Good luck with the interview today!!

Sandi @StLouisCruisers Yikes on the leak but wow they got it fixed quickly!  Sorry you had that to deal with.

@Heartgrove Good to hear that you and Sue are feeling much better.

Roy @rafinmd It's wonderful to hear that you did well on your 20-minute walk!

 

Have a great day everyone!

[durangoscots]

Good morning. It took 3 cups of coffee to jump start me this morning. Don't know why since I got a pretty good night's sleep. High today will be mid-40's... sort of feels like Spring. As to the quote, all I can say is "been there, done that". Many years ago when in college. I like both curry and coconut so I would probably be happy with the meal. Right now I am sort of eating my way through the frig, freezer and canned goods. Will make a fresh start when I get home in April.

 

Glad to hear people are feeling better. Hope improvements continue. I dragged suitcases up from storage yesterday (with the help of my handy next door neighbor) and today will begin some serious clothes sorting and packing. The shipped cases get picked up on the 14th. I am trying to take as little as possible.... thank the Gods for laundry service.

 

Dogs need another walk so I am off for now.

 

Susan

[JazzyV]

Good morning. Thanks for the Fleet Report/Daily.

Cheetahs are beautiful animals, banks are important and yes to cookies! Funny quote. The soup would be ok as long as coconut milk, not any shredded coconut (texture issue). Pass on the drink and wine. I have been to Oranjestad on my 2019 Panama Canal cruise from LA to NYC. 3 good days in history.

 

It's cloudy again today, with a few showers. Yesterday there was lightning, thunder, hail and torrential rain; odd for December. But temps will drop and snow showers are forecast the next few days. Then 50's by the weekend. Another poor night of sleep, about 2.5 hours. I was also cold and I think all the blowing of air on the first floor affected the thermostat. I managed to get up to the third floor this AM and get the tree skirt and stockings out. That's the extent of my interior decorating. The mitigation guy came a bit ago and took everything. There's still cupping of the floor. He felt it would have to be decided if there's enough wood to sand, or if new flooring would be needed. I'll call the field rep when I'm finished here, so he can come out to assess things. I need to unearth my DR table.

 

I really can't walk any distance without pain. The cane helps steady me, but I don't think is enough. I have several medical appointments next week. So I ordered a rollator. I thought with its seat it would be better than a walker. Oy on all this equipment I'm getting (I got a shower chair too).

 

@seagarsmoker Fingers crossed that the interview goes well and leads to a job offer!

@grapau27 I'm glad to hear that the cleanup is done and that they did a good job. Lovely photo of Pauline.

@aliaschief I hope your back is feeling better soon. Maybe it was the packing and lugging around of baggage?

@Seasick Sailor Sorry about the sleep disturbance. Lovely photo of you and Allen.

@StLouisCruisers Oh no about the leak. That doesn't sound too bad. When my plumber was here he talked about the newer houses and pex, and how as a result copper has become more expensive. I hope Ren, DS and DDIL have a fun time in Phoenix. Great photos from Aruba. Nice photo of you, Dennis and DD.

@Denise T That sounds like a fun plan for your cruise. 

@cat shepard I have looked at MRI's, but couldn't read a spine one. I'd be just reading the report for it. My plain x-rays came back and showed severe facet arthropathy, apparently not that new. MRI report is not back yet.

@kazu Be careful out in the snow.

@Heartgrove Yay! I'm glad to hear you and Sue are feeling better.

@marshhawk Your dinner yesterday sounds interesting. Good luck with Furnando at the vet office.

@ger_77 Good to hear that Wayne's procedure was successful; his heart should pump better now and hopefully the fluid goes away.

@smitty34877 I hope all goes well with the installation of the new roof. 

@dfish Thanks for the recipes and links 😗!

@rafinmd I'm glad to hear that you're feeling pretty well. 

@Quartzsite Cruiser I suppose it's good the water heater issue appeared quickly and is under warranty. Thanks for the Aruba photos.

@Cruzin Terri I'm glad you were able to check in. 

@RMLincoln I hope you and DH continue to feel better.

 

Prayers for the Care List and Cheers to those Celebrating.

 

A few photos from Aruba.

Beautiful water 

 

The collapsed natural bridge

 

The baby bridge

 

California Lighthouse

 

Sunset on the Beach

[Overhead Fred]

Like many Dailites, We have been to Oranjestad a few times. I can't say its a favorite of ours, but the Butterfly Farm (https://www.thebutterflyfarm.com/) north of town is worthy of repeat visits IMO.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[0106]

5 minutes ago, Overhead Fred said:

the Butterfly Farm (https://www.thebutterflyfarm.com/) north of town is worthy of repeat visits

We liked the butterfly farm so much we made a purchase in the gift shop!  Positive thoughts to those who need them.  Cheers to those celebrating and cruising.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Thanks for the info.

[kochleffel]

18 minutes ago, Overhead Fred said:

the Butterfly Farm (https://www.thebutterflyfarm.com/) north of town is worthy of repeat visits

 

Thank you. Oranjestad is in the itinerary for my Panama Canal cruise and I was wondering about that.

 

[dfish]

I turned the squeaky wheel this morning and talked to the surgeon.  I'm scheduled for December 29th.  He said I should be fine to fly to San Diego at the end of January and sit around the pool on the way to Hawaii.

 

The estimator for the electrical company came and went.  He seems to think what we want done is pretty straightforward and should be quick and easy.  I'm sure the bill is not.  He also gave me a tip on how to avoid paying big $$$ for something stupid like our electrical outlets were.  The problem there was that the outside outlet was GFI and had been tripped.  Pushing the button reset it and all the outlets worked.  An expensive lesson.  He said in the future to call for an estimate for repairs.  Estimates are free and if he can find it easily, no charge.  

[sailingdutchy]

 

A very good morning all ! 

 

We have also been to Aruba a few times and enjoy roaming around there , went to the butterfly gardens one time made a tour of the island to see the original large Natural Bridge  but there also is some good shopping there  and there are some very good little restaurants there for lunch .

 When on the Zuiderdam in January of 2017 we were in port until 11 pm so lots of time to do all of these things had an amazing Red Snapper lunch and after we did some shopping . After it got dark the atmosphere changed a lot  we watched a real large and noisy Carnaval Parade it stretched a long way , was extremely loud there were a number of bands and a lot of floats providing drinks to the participants who were singing , dancing with string lights around their bodies  and drinking their local and of coarse also the Heineken beer was flowing .........

 

 

 

 

 

The local Aruba Beer Balashi 

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry they were all dancing and moving . 

 

 

 

 

 

After we got back on board the Zuiderdam we could see and hear all of the partying still going on in Oranjestad until late that night . 

 

We specially love the Southern Caribbean in particular the A B C  islands , very nice even climate and the warm connections with The Netherlands which plays a big role in that  for us . 

 

Hope to be in Aruba again late January when we are on the MS Rotterdam .

 

Tony  😀

[Nickelpenny]

5 hours ago, seagarsmoker said:

Good morning Dailyites and thank you for the Daily Report.

I have an interview this afternoon for a new job. 

I hope everyone here has a great day! 

Good luck!!🤞

[Vict0riann]

I approve all three days, dear Dailyites!  Both of us worked in  banks, in fact we met in the Royal Bank of Canada in Nassau, so it holds a special place in our hearts.  I don't think we saw cheetahs when we lived in Kenya, but I won a lot at an auction of a batik of Pippa and her daughters (remember Joy Adamson who wrote about Elsa the lioness and Pippa the cheetah?)  

 

 

We have been to Aruba a few times, my memories from the latest visit were all the blue horses.  We took the free trolley around town and saw a lot of them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[kochleffel]

I'm in favor of cheetahs but not in favor of cheaters, so some folks need to speak distinctly. Banks are necessary but don't deserve a day of their own. Re: cookies, and the sugar shortage, I'll mention that your Christmas cookies will turn out better if you use cane sugar, not beet sugar. It doesn't seem to matter for other baking.

 

No on the soup; I'm not very fond of coconut, except in cream pie. I would try the cocktail but wouldn't want it too frequently. Chenin Blanc is grown in the Finger Lakes, but not a lot, and the only one available now seems to be from Missick Cellars/Villa Bellangelo, fairly near me in Dundee, NY. I haven't been to Oranjestad but it's in my itinerary for a year from now.

 

Yesterday in a Zoom meeting on another subject, a Methodist colleague asked me a question about Jeremiah. I happen to be teaching Jeremiah tonight, but the question was about a part that I hadn't yet worked on. I read it after dinner and composed a reply, then remembered that she needs the information for a class that she's taking for a D.Min., so decided to scan some material for her.

 

My AIO machine, new, wasn't hooked up. First I had to get a hiking stick to poke the power cord behind my desk, and then figure out how to install the darned thing. Although it can operate over Ethernet, it has to be connected to wifi during the installation and the computer has to be connected to wifi. It took about 30 attempts over a couple of hours and a consultation with online tech support to get it installed in order to scan two pages. No wonder I was still half asleep all morning today.

 

 

[Nickelpenny]

Good morning to everyone and thanks for the daily and fleet reports. Three good days!!!

 

We are on our way to Ensenada. We to the female impersonator singer last night. Fantastic!!  Had the Morimoto lobster in the MDR. NOT impressed!!  Stayed on board in Hilo as it was misty/raining and I had no excursions booked. But I would recommend the volcano one out of Hilo and/or the waterfall one based on guests feedback. 
 

thoughts for the care list and cheers to all who are celebrating!

 

Have a great day everyone!

[smitty34877]

@JazzyV, Vanessa, I have been thinking for a while that you need more support to ambulate and I  am  glad you are getting the rollator and  shower chair… I knew you needed to come to this decision on your own so I kept quiet.The cane is useless with severe pain like yours. I am sorry that the pain and sleep loss continue and that you are dealing with the radiator leak damage on top of it. 
I found over the years that facet joint pain was particularly hard to treat. I hope the MRI  provides answers.