The Fleet Report and Daily for Saturday April 6th, 2024

[Vict0riann]

It’s a nice warm day in Florida!

Edited April 6 by Vict0riann

[NextOne]

8 hours ago, Heartgrove said:

Thank you Jacqui, thank you Roy, thank you Debbie, thank you Vanessa, thank you Ann, and thank you Dixie for all your work.  And thank you everyone for being here!

 

Sue and DSIL left earlier this morning for their flight today to FLL. Tomorrow they embark on the Rotterdam. I stayed home for Sam - who has surprised us all with how well he now appears to be! A different dog than four weekends ago!!! Not quite as peppy as two months ago as he is having more #2 accidents in the house. Reminds me of a toddler as he barks to go out after messing. But that is how Senior dogs are and I can't be upset with him.

 

We finalized our Fall cruise yesterday and modified next year's cruise. Even added an additional cruise! The new cruise is actually less than a month away on MSC Seashore from Port Canaveral. Our first time sailing from there and first time to sail MSC from the USA. Unbelievable cheap so we booked YC to be pampered. Using "Park N Cruise" to leave the car? Any thoughts?

 

For the Fall we decided to not sail to Norway but only sail on the Rotterdam Transatlantic but with a twist. We are then staying aboard for the Southern Caribbean/partial Panama Canal cruise. So 27 days aboard the Rotterdam. It has been 52 years since I sailed through the Panama Canal.

 

While we were at it, we have changed plans for next year. Why not?  We were going to NZ/OZ to visit my friend and then sailing home from Japan. Too many logistics to overcome so we have now booked the Nieuw Statendam on the "Canary Crossing" for April 2025. First time for an EB Transatlantic. Our PCC likes to book the sailing as two 14-day cruises as opposed to one 28-day. Slightly more ($145.00) but additional OBC and 4 dinners instead of two. He probably likes it he gets credit for two cruises as well. 

 

Stay Safe, and prayers for those in need.

 

- Jack

Thanks for the good news about Sam, Jack. He's so lucky to have you! Feel free to join our roll call for the Rotterdam's TA in October. It would be fun to meet up!

Edi

[kochleffel]

5 hours ago, kochleffel said:

My car's gas tank is about half full, but I should buy gas today, because it's the last day for redeeming supermarket points.

 

It was less full than I thought; filling the tank took 10.9 gallons (out of a possible 13).

 

I've been watching more programs on the Roku than usual, and I'm getting really annoyed with the repetition of the same advertisements, especially the ones for Southern New Hampshire University. I don't mean to disparage it -- I know very little about it -- but the name makes me think of the University of Southern North Dakota at Hoople, where Peter Schickele claimed to be a professor of musical pathology.

 

I'm also tired of the seasonal, but currently constant, spam emails exhorting me to file my taxes for free (or not) with one website, service, app, or another. I've already received my refunds.

[superoma]

17 minutes ago, kochleffel said:

 

It was less full than I thought; filling the tank took 10.9 gallons (out of a possible 13).

 

I've been watching more programs on the Roku than usual, and I'm getting really annoyed with the repetition of the same advertisements, especially the ones for Southern New Hampshire University. I don't mean to disparage it -- I know very little about it -- but the name makes me think of the University of Southern North Dakota at Hoople, where Peter Schickele claimed to be a professor of musical pathology.

 

I'm also tired of the seasonal, but currently constant, spam emails exhorting me to file my taxes for free (or not) with one website, service, app, or another. I've already received my refunds.

I haven’t heard Peter schickele’s name in forever. Thanks for the fun reminder

[dfish]

2 hours ago, smitty34877 said:

Sharon, I tried the mashed potatoes with the Boursin cheese and made everyone very happy. Thanks !

Boursin can make almost anything great.  Try putting a hunk of boursin in a spaghetti squash along with some cherry tomatoes.  Sprinkle with olive oil and basil and oregano, then bake.  It is an easy fix and makes a good vegetable seem like haute cuisine.  

[RedneckBob]

6 hours ago, YourWorldWithBill said:

Thanks for the Fleet Report and daily, and thanks to all for the posts and pictures.

@RedneckBob, thanks for your comments about the NS; that was great to hear, as we will be on her four weeks from tomorrow!

 

Should Charlie the Tuna really get a day, since he isn't good enough for Starkest? 

Twinkies have the reputation of the ability to survive for eternity (and to be edible, if anyone is there to eat them).

You welcome. Hopefully Captain Timmers will still be driving the boat and the Hotel Manager, Mustafa, will still be there. Mustafa was very visible and was very nice to the Misses! Offered us a comp dinner at a Speciality Restaurant. I guess he had not read any of my CC posts yet! 😀😀😀

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

It turns out, I never made it out to work in the yard.  With the 21mph wind and clouds, it never felt warm, and I didn't want to fight the wind.  I looked at tomorrow's forecast, and while it might be a bit cooler, we should have more sun with winds of 10mph.  In just the last 30 minutes or so, we are seeing some blue skies and it's brighter.  

 

The afternoon was not wasted, as I started putting things away that we dumped in the closet either before we left for Quartzsite or when we got home.  Part of that was going through several storage boxes DH had.  We wound up being able to consolidate some of the boxes, and have about five left over.  One box is full of different chargers and charging cables, with many duplicates.  In the next few days, or maybe weeks, I'm going to go through them, and hopefully can have some for here, some for the motorhome and some to keep in Quartzsite.

 

I forgot to mention this morning that DH is a fan of Twinkies.  When he saw it was Twinkies day, he went to the new dollar store down the road and bought a box.  I have never been a fan of Twinkies, but do like the chocolate cupcakes and Zingers.

 

3 hours ago, Sharon in AZ said:

Good morning and Happy Saturday. Like Pennie @Nickelpenny said it was very windy yesterday. I have a rolling shutter on the upstairs window and it rattled all afternoon which is unusual because it is very stable. 
 

I never really ate Twinkies because my Dad didn’t let us have dessert or sweets or sodas. When I was a teenager my parents divorced and I started eating Swiss rolls and hiding them so no one else could have them. I still don’t eat many sweets. I remember my father had a darkroom and developed his own film, mostly of teeth since he was a dentist, but he also developed his own pictures. I can still smell the scent of the chemicals if I close my eyes. 
 

Today we are having grilled smoked hamburgers. We haven’t had them in a long time so I’m looking forward to lunch. I might even make French fries.  Yesterday I made chicken mushroom crepes with an impromptu recipe. I found 6 crepes vacuumed sealed and had the other ingredients so it came together quickly. 
 

I forgot about the SpaceX launch last night but I see one on the schedule for tonight so maybe it was postponed. I need to set an alarm. 😉

 

Lenda @Quartzsite Cruiser, your pictures of the bluebells are beautiful. Will they last until early May?  I hope so, I’d love to see them. They are so different than AZ wildflowers. 
 

Have a great day everyone!

 

Sharon, it is possible there will still be some bluebonnets around in May.  According to a Google search they start growing in mid-March and can last until May.  However, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center they last until mid to late-April.  At lot depends on how hot it gets.  They are found in the Bluebonnet Belt of mid to east Texas.

 

3 hours ago, marshhawk said:

OMG! @Quartzsite Cruiser-One of my favorite films of all time!  Ever been stung by a dead bee?

Lauren Bacall as a python. Love it!

 

 

 

I'm glad you liked the meme.  The only time I've been stung by a bee, it was very much alive and very angry.

 

36 minutes ago, kochleffel said:

 

It was less full than I thought; filling the tank took 10.9 gallons (out of a possible 13).

 

I've been watching more programs on the Roku than usual, and I'm getting really annoyed with the repetition of the same advertisements, especially the ones for Southern New Hampshire University. I don't mean to disparage it -- I know very little about it -- but the name makes me think of the University of Southern North Dakota at Hoople, where Peter Schickele claimed to be a professor of musical pathology.

 

I'm also tired of the seasonal, but currently constant, spam emails exhorting me to file my taxes for free (or not) with one website, service, app, or another. I've already received my refunds.

 

26 minutes ago, superoma said:

I haven’t heard Peter schickele’s name in forever. Thanks for the fun reminder

 

Paul and Eva, sadly Peter Schickele died January 16 at the age of 88.  I always enjoyed his P.D.Q. Bach act and music.

 

Lenda

[Cruzin Terri]

Good afternoon everyone.

I want to make sure i post everyday so that i don’t fall into a habit of not posting and having people look up whether I have posted on another thread. 

I do appreciate that you all were concerned about me.

I continue to have GI problems and hope they resolve soon.   I sure want to feel better before we take off for three weeks,

Thank you to Jacqui, Roy, Vanessa, Debbie, Ann and Dixie for your dedication to this thread.  There is a reason why I don’t volunteer to fill in.  I am not very reliable.

I like rotisserie chicken.  However, when I can get it a $5.00 a pop at the supermarket, I am not going to spend the time and energy to make it.   Both Kroger’s and Publix have small ones and Sam’s has bigger ones at the same price.  

I have not been to the port.

As for Charlie the Tuna,  I am a Bumble Bee fan and more recently, buy my tuna at Costco, which I believe is actually the Bumble Bee brand.

As for Twinkies, they were never my favorite.  I usually found Hostess Cup Cakes in my lunch box, Chocolate with the squiggle on top.  I probably wouldn’t eat one now.

 

Welcome back to all who returned from the Grand Australia cruise.  It sounds like you had a grand time.  

Prayers for all on the cares list and Cheers to those celebrating and cruisning.

 

Have a great Saturday—what’s left of it.

God Bless,

Terri

[Sharon in AZ]

3 hours ago, smitty34877 said:

Sharon, I tried the mashed potatoes with the Boursin cheese and made everyone very happy. Thanks !

Terry I’m so glad you and your household enjoyed the Boursin potatoes. It’s the only way we make them now. 

 

1 hour ago, dfish said:

Boursin can make almost anything great.  Try putting a hunk of boursin in a spaghetti squash along with some cherry tomatoes.  Sprinkle with olive oil and basil and oregano, then bake.  It is an easy fix and makes a good vegetable seem like haute cuisine.  

Wow Debbie, that sounds amazing. Now if I can only get Craig to like spaghetti squash. 

 

36 minutes ago, Quartzsite Cruiser said:

It turns out, I never made it out to work in the yard.  With the 21mph wind and clouds, it never felt warm, and I didn't want to fight the wind.  I looked at tomorrow's forecast, and while it might be a bit cooler, we should have more sun with winds of 10mph.  In just the last 30 minutes or so, we are seeing some blue skies and it's brighter.  

 

The afternoon was not wasted, as I started putting things away that we dumped in the closet either before we left for Quartzsite or when we got home.  Part of that was going through several storage boxes DH had.  We wound up being able to consolidate some of the boxes, and have about five left over.  One box is full of different chargers and charging cables, with many duplicates.  In the next few days, or maybe weeks, I'm going to go through them, and hopefully can have some for here, some for the motorhome and some to keep in Quartzsite.

 

I forgot to mention this morning that DH is a fan of Twinkies.  When he saw it was Twinkies day, he went to the new dollar store down the road and bought a box.  I have never been a fan of Twinkies, but do like the chocolate cupcakes and Zingers.

 

 

Sharon, it is possible there will still be some bluebonnets around in May.  According to a Google search they start growing in mid-March and can last until May.  However, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center they last until mid to late-April.  At lot depends on how hot it gets.  They are found in the Bluebonnet Belt of mid to east Texas.

 

 

I'm glad you liked the meme.  The only time I've been stung by a bee, it was very much alive and very angry.

 

 

 

Paul and Eva, sadly Peter Schickele died January 16 at the age of 88.  I always enjoyed his P.D.Q. Bach act and music.

 

Lenda

Lenda thank you for the info about the bluebonnets. I’ll let you know if I find them. I’m getting excited about Waco!

 

 

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

22 minutes ago, Cruzin Terri said:

Good afternoon everyone.

I want to make sure i post everyday so that i don’t fall into a habit of not posting and having people look up whether I have posted on another thread. 

I do appreciate that you all were concerned about me.

I continue to have GI problems and hope they resolve soon.   I sure want to feel better before we take off for three weeks,

Thank you to Jacqui, Roy, Vanessa, Debbie, Ann and Dixie for your dedication to this thread.  There is a reason why I don’t volunteer to fill in.  I am not very reliable.

I like rotisserie chicken.  However, when I can get it a $5.00 a pop at the supermarket, I am not going to spend the time and energy to make it.   Both Kroger’s and Publix have small ones and Sam’s has bigger ones at the same price.  

I have not been to the port.

As for Charlie the Tuna,  I am a Bumble Bee fan and more recently, buy my tuna at Costco, which I believe is actually the Bumble Bee brand.

As for Twinkies, they were never my favorite.  I usually found Hostess Cup Cakes in my lunch box, Chocolate with the squiggle on top.  I probably wouldn’t eat one now.

 

Welcome back to all who returned from the Grand Australia cruise.  It sounds like you had a grand time.  

Prayers for all on the cares list and Cheers to those celebrating and cruisning.

 

Have a great Saturday—what’s left of it.

God Bless,

Terri

 

Terri, I hope your GI problems resolve soon.  Have you talked to your PCP about them?

 

14 minutes ago, Sharon in AZ said:

Terry I’m so glad you and your household enjoyed the Boursin potatoes. It’s the only way we make them now. 

 

Wow Debbie, that sounds amazing. Now if I can only get Craig to like spaghetti squash. 

 

Lenda thank you for the info about the bluebonnets. I’ll let you know if I find them. I’m getting excited about Waco!

 

 

 

Sharon, I hope you enjoy your time in Waco, and that you'll get to see some bluebonnets in person.

 

Lenda

[kochleffel]

1 hour ago, superoma said:

I haven’t heard Peter schickele’s name in forever. Thanks for the fun reminder

 

He stopped making concert appearances in 2018, and died in January of this year.

 

[AV8rix]

9 hours ago, Quartzsite Cruiser said:

Yesterday was a sunny, pleasant day.  When we took our golf cart ride, we stopped so I could get pictures of the bluebonnets on the other side of our neighbor hood.

 

 

 

Thank you so much for the bluebonnet pictures, Lenda!  I miss Texas so much, and PARTICULARLY miss bluebonnet (and buttercup and Indian paintbrush) season. 

 

Y'know, during my first two contracts here in Washington state ('80s and '90s) I kept a stem of silk bluebonnets taped to the antenna of my car.  Really helped me to find it in the acres-wide Boeing parking lots🙂.

Edited April 6 by AV8rix

[Cruisercl]

Thanks so much to everyone here for the warm welcome home!

The GV AUS was a great cruise and a good time! 😎

Caron 

 

[quilty964]

Good evening, it's been a busy day...just need to make a comment about Twinkies!  Have you ever hear of Chocodiles?  During the Covid lockdowns, someone had to shop for dear sis-in-law.  She had 3 boxes of chocodiles on her grocery list...they are chocolate covered Twinkies!  DD was shopping for her and had to go to 3 stores before she found them!  

Thanks for all of the sharing and caring here.  The blue bonnet pictures are great.  Our crocuses are blooming nicely.  On my afternoon walk I saw lots of them, along with beautiful daffodils.  Have a good evening! 

[1ANGELCAT]

Good chilly evening. Tomorrow is supposed to be a nice day. 
I prefer Tastykakes products over twinkies I love Butterscotch krimpets and peanut butter tandykakes. 
I hope everyone had a good day.

[Overhead Fred]

We are safely ensconced at the Comfort Suites Fort Lauderdale Airport & Cruise Port. I scheduled a 10:45am shuttle for tomorrow. Not a lot around the hotel but Grumpy Gary's and the 3 Sons Brewery & Grill are on either side of the hotel. 

[Haljo1935]

1 hour ago, 1ANGELCAT said:

Good chilly evening. Tomorrow is supposed to be a nice day. 
I prefer Tastykakes products over twinkies I love Butterscotch krimpets and peanut butter tandykakes. 
I hope everyone had a good day.

Tastykakes YES!!

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

2 hours ago, AV8rix said:

Thank you so much for the bluebonnet pictures, Lenda!  I miss Texas so much, and PARTICULARLY miss bluebonnet (and buttercup and Indian paintbrush) season. 

 

Y'know, during my first two contracts here in Washington state ('80s and '90s) I kept a stem of silk bluebonnets taped to the antenna of my car.  Really helped me to find it in the acres-wide Boeing parking lots🙂.

 

You will always be welcome in Texas.

 

1 hour ago, 1ANGELCAT said:

Good chilly evening. Tomorrow is supposed to be a nice day. 
I prefer Tastykakes products over twinkies I love Butterscotch krimpets and peanut butter tandykakes. 
I hope everyone had a good day.

 

We were intoduced to Tastykakes when we lived in Pennsylvania and Delaware.  Tastykakes finally arrived in Texas several years ago.  Now days I like their sweet rolls.

 

Lenda