Happy Easter!

Happy Easter to all!  Have a wonderful day, however you chose to spend it.


*Comments off.

Funny Friday

Almost Wordless Wednesday

Good thing I didn't:
- put away the shovel
- pack away the winter boots or
- change over the tires on the car.

Spring...welcome to Saskatchewan!

Happy First Day of Spring!

It's silly but I feel a bit like Snoopy today!  First day of spring, there is very little snow left in the yard and the sun is shining.  I truly believe that weather has a huge impact on my mood....if today were gray and overcast I suspect my mood would be less enthusiastic.

This has been the warmest winter that I can recall.  I know we've had years when the snow didn't arrive until New Years, but then, if memory serves we've always paid for it with snowbanks hanging around until May.  This year I've shoveled the driveway three times....that's it....wow!  While we got a teeny bit of snow over the last few days it's not lasted except in the shady areas.  I'll take it as it provides some moisture that my flower bed will need.

Because of the wonderful weather, my three season sun room has been in use for a full year.  Not every day of course, but generally there have been a couple of days each month where the cats (and I) have been able to spend time enjoying the sunshine.  When the outside temperature is forecast to be above freezing and sunny I'll start up the little electric heater to take the chill off.  But the sunshine does the rest and soon the room is a balmy 20C (68F) or even warmer.

Today would normally be the day I'd look wearily back at the long winter and dream of the warmer days to come.  This day, I'm thankful for the winter that truly wasn't, while acknowledging, in our part of the world, we can still get some winter like weather before spring truly arrives.  No matter if it comes it won't last...we've turned the corner....spring is officially here!

Have a wonderful first day of spring everyone!

Renovating

Hooray, my basement bathroom is finally finished!  My contractor took on another job just before my job was done, and hasn't been able to make it over to do the last few touch ups until this morning. (It wasn't a renovation - he actually took another job entirely).  It still needs to a good scrub, some dusting and for towels and decorative items to be placed but the construction work is done, done, done!

This was the final wall to be completed.  When M took the old mirror off the wall, there was an enormous hole that had to be patched and filled. I also had him remove the towel bar, so there was additional patching and filling to be done.  He also did the painting.

The next photo is a better shot of the mirror I had made (except I'm in the shot)

 I just love this mirror and I definitely will be taking it with me when I move in a couple of years. 

M's sister made it for me and while it was more than I normally would have been willing to spend on a mirror, I think it's makes such a statement.  

In the background is the reason for the renovation...the shower.  Before the work was done this was just a two piece bathroom.  I can now advertise the house as having three full baths.

It is really hard to take photos in a bathroom!  Everything in the bathroom is new, from the flooring to the fixtures and the paint. The only thing I did not change out is the door and I'm seriously thinking I may have to do that too.  Or I'll leave it for the next owners to do.

Which is exactly what I plan to do with the upstairs bathrooms.  The only thing I've done in both rooms is update the hardware.  I'm thinking I may paint the vanities to match this bathroom and the kitchen cabinets but that is for another time...maybe later this summer or possibly next spring.

The final thing I plan to do is replace the carpets in the basement and in my bedroom.  However, that won't be done until spring of 2018, just before I list the house.

Saku (who can be seen inspecting the toilet) has a very bad habit of using the carpet for scratching.  As a result there are several spots in my bedroom and at the bottom of the basement stairs that are in rough shape.

Add in a few dozen hairballs  and despite my efforts to clean the carpets...well, you get the picture.  

Speaking of renovations, I had a bit of minor surgery when I got home from my trip.  I had found a lump in my arm around Christmas time.  I mentioned to my doctor and he referred me to a surgeon.  The surgeon felt it was a cyst and wasn't particularly concerned.  He asked if I wanted it to be removed, and I asked if it was supposed to be there.  He agreed it wasn't so I was scheduled for surgery on March 4.

You can see the incision and the huge bruise that developed.  Both the doctor and I were surprised by the size of the cyst.  I felt a small lump but this thing was a good 1/2 long and as big around as my little finger.  It was sent off for testing but I've heard nothing so assuming it was nothing.

The doctor asked me if I was a diabetic and when I said no, he told me he thought it was the result of needle sticks.  I told him I avoid needles unless absolutely needed.

Afterward, I got thinking about it and have to wonder if it wasn't due to Saku clawing me.  He likes to curl up on that shoulder and will often knead my arm. Every so often a claw will draw blood.

Whatever caused it, it is now gone and I'm left with a small scar.  The bruise has almost disappeared though it was pretty stubborn.  One of my staff gave me a mixture of Frankincense and coconut oil to use on it ...the bruise was pretty much gone in three days.  I decided if it works that well on bruises, it might just work on the dark circles under my eyes so I applied some this morning.  I'll do it for a few days and see if there is any noticeable difference.

It's good to get things fixed up though going through the process often isn't painless or very speedy!

Nassau ....and home again

My goodness, I've been home for nearly two weeks and I still haven't finished the story of the trip.  I'd like to say I've been very busy but must admit when I'm not at work I've been glued to the television, watching the Canadian men's curling (Tim Horton's Brier).  While I'm watching as I write this post, my team isn't winning...perhaps if I look away they'll do better.

Friday, February 26 we arrived in our last port, Nassau, Bahamas.  We didn't arrive until nearly noon and sail-away was at 7:30 that evening so it was a relaxing morning, got some sun and even did a little packing.  I was out on the top deck to take photos as we arrived in port.
We could see the island from a long way, especially the huge buildings. It was quite cool that morning (51F) but the day warmed up quite a bit before we arrived.

We were followed in to shore by another couple of cruise ships. One is a Carnival ship but I'm uncertain which other cruise line was represented.

There is a path (for lack of a better term) that the ships must follow.  I was told the ocean has been dredged to  provide the necessary depth to allow these massive ships to make it into port.  Can you imagine?

When we came into the bay I saw there were two ships in  port already.  The one on the right is the MSC Divina, the one on the left was a Disney ship...quite the difference in size.

The Norwegian Escape is slightly smaller but taller than the Divina. We were docked to the left of the pier, the Carnival ship pulled in to the space on the right.  I'm not sure where the other ship was docked.

With at least five ships in dock (there may have been more that I didn't see) the population of Nassau would have increased by at least 15000 - 20000 people, as not only the passengers went ashore but some of the crew as well.

One of the features of Nassau is the Atlantis Casino and Resort on Paradise Island.  It is attached to the main island by the bridge you can see in the background of the previous photo.

I had no desire to see it but it was one of the excursions offered by the cruise ship.

Instead, Becky, Helene and I went into the shopping area near the port.


We visited the straw market, wandering the stalls looking for souvenirs.  I tried bargaining for unique little elephant but the vendor and I could not come to an agreement.  She wanted $12US, I offered $4...I guess I may have offended her.  Becky found a lovely necklace for a friend who was recently diagnosed with cancer, and Helene got herself a pretty wrap.  We wandered back down the street to the Pirate's Brewery where we stopped in for a couple of craft beer before heading back to the ship.

This is my favorite photo from Nassau.  The little lighthouse looks so tiny in comparison to Atlantis,  and the water is soooo blue!

That evening we all got together for dinner along with our concierge Jesy.  It was a fun evening, full of laughter.  There was even talk of getting together again next year on the same cruise.

The trip home was much better than the trip getting there.  I did have a tight turn around in Montreal as I had to pick up my luggage, go through customs, drop off my luggage, and get through security in just over an hour.  I arrived at the gate as the first boarding calls were made, but I was in zone 4, so had time to make a dash to the washroom and fill my water bottle before it was my turn to board.

I left the ship at 10:30 a.m. (9:30 Regina time) and arrived on my doorstep just after 1:00 a.m.  I had slept quite a bit on the flight home so wasn't overly tired but was certainly looking forward to climbing into my own bed.  I turned on the light and found my son sleeping in my room....I guess the cats had been pestering him that evening so he'd given in to their demands.  He gathered up his blankets and headed downstairs while I snuggled in with the cats.  I do so enjoy travelling, but I must admit I am happy to get home.

Since I've been home I've had regular contact with some of our group.  Three of them have already booked the cruise for next February 25 (same ship, same cruise) while another has booked another ship for the same date.  I haven't made up my mind if I'll join them....I've got some other plans for March, but more on that later.

It was a great trip, made even better by the people I met.  The weather was great, the ship was beautiful, and I had a lot of fun. I came back feeling refreshed, what more could one ask from a holiday?

By the way, since I started writing this (Friday evening), my team has come from behind and is now in the lead.  Go Team Gushue!!!  Have a great weekend everyone!

Friday Funny

Tortola from the ship

The island of Tortola is a mere 30 kilometers (18 miles) from St. Thomas, so although we "sailed" through the night I suspect we were doing figure eights in the ocean.  I must have slept well as I most certainly wasn't awake early enough to get any sunrise photos.

I had no excursion planned in Tortola, had thought I'd simply walk down the pier to the local shopping area.  But by the time I had finished my breakfast and headed up to the sun deck to take some photos I decided to spend the day on board the ship relaxing and enjoying the sun and the views.  As it turns out I got a little more than I bargained for (more on that to come).

 

The view of the many nearby islands shows just how very near to one another is this chain.  This is the view many of those homes would have each day.  Amazingly beautiful!

Here is the shopping center at the end of the pier.  One of my fellow solos came away from the stores with two new rings, one for herself and one for her daughter.  There was no local market in the mall, just a lot of high end stores that cater to the tourists.  Having been to many ports, I've seem most of these so was just as happy to have stayed on the ship.

About lunch time I was up on the 19th deck reading when I noted this ship was coming in on the opposite side of the pier.  (This photo was taken at sail away - we were side by each for the afternoon).

The Norwegian Escape is a tall ship, the Aida Luna not so much.  According to Wikipedia it has 13 decks, the top two or three are open air and thus totally visible to a viewer from the sun decks of the Escape.  I certainly got an eyeful!


I was watching the ship as it moved into place, taking note of the people watching from the railings when suddenly I spotted something a little unusual...at least in my experience.  I glanced over and thought, "that's a man's bare ass" and did a double take, "yes, that is a man's bare ass".  "And that's another one".  Then a naked woman came into view as she walked over to, and climbed into the hot tub.  I decided then, that I would give them their privacy afforded by their own ship. Off I went to the Five O'Clock Somewhere bar for a shandy.

Back up on the deck for sail-away the lush views (of the island) continued.

It appeared there was a stop light at the top and bottom of this hill as I saw the traffic going in one direction...first the vehicles came down, then these ones made their way up.

At the base of the hill the waves were crashing against the island.  Hopefully there is a guard rail!

I can imagine during stormy weather the waves reach a much greater height.

As we sailed out into the ocean, the size of the island became more apparent.  Just around the point was another large bay full of sailing ships.

I truly enjoyed my day of leisure on the ship, with so few passengers on board it was as if I was on my own.  But if/when I get back to Tortola, I'll definitely do the land and sea excursion in order to see more of this beautiful spot!

Friday Funny

Sea Days 1, 2 and St. Thomas

The fact that I have no photos from the first two sea days of the cruise is evidence of what I did those first couple of days.  Pretty much nothing!  And I loved every minute of it.

I spent a fair amount of time on a sun lounger on deck 19 (well away from the noise and bustle of the pool), reading and relaxing and just enjoying the beautiful weather.  The first morning at sea, we also had a meet and greet for Cruise Critic members.  This website provides forums for cruisers to discuss upcoming cruises - Dan P. who organized the meet and greet started the thread for the Norwegian Escape Feb 20/16 two years prior to sailing.  By the time we cruised, I'm pretty sure there were 50 pages or more of comments.  I didn't join the thread that early, but definitely checked in every so often.  There are also threads for solo cruisers, 55+ cruisers, excursions....basically that might be of interest to another cruiser.  It was great to put some faces to the nicknames/comments on the forum.  Two of the women, Karen and Becky, had been at the solo gathering the night before but hadn't gone for dinner with the two of us who chose the dining room option.

That evening after dinner, I met Becky at the District Brewhouse for a couple of craft beers.  Although I only drank two beer, we managed to close the place down as the piano player had us all singing along with him.  Bedtime was late that night (at least for me), as it was nearly 1 a.m. before I climbed into bed.

The next morning, I visited the gym, before heading for breakfast and back up to the sundeck.  It was pretty lazy day, by mid-afternoon I'd had a nap, watched a hip hop class in the Atrium while drinking a cup of tea and enjoying a salted caramel macaron.  OMG was it good!

That evening the solo dinner group got larger with five of us in attendance, Becky, Irene, Helene, Sandra (aka Barbara) and myself.  After dinner it was time for an early night as we arrived in St. Thomas bright and early in the morning.  AND I mean bright and early...

This was my first view of the island, taken at 5:30 a.m.  The lights from the community were still lit while the sun was rising in the sky.

Oh, the sunrise!  It took what seemed like mere minutes for the sun to appear over the horizon and then climb higher in the sky.

Here it comes!!!














And there it is just minutes later.

Sunset seems to happen just as quickly in the Caribbean, one minute the sun is shining, and then it is swallowed up by the sea.  (I didn't get any photos of a sunset...I was usually at the solo lounge or dinner at that time)






I've been to St. Thomas before so chose to take an excursion to St. John.  It was about a 45 minute ferry ride between the two islands.  The waves were fairly high and even on the top deck we got soaked a couple of times.  The crew was great and regaled us with stories, historical facts, and pointed out the many small islands around us.  In St. John we boarded open air buses for a tour of the island.  It is only 19 miles long and 5 miles wide so did not take us very long.  We had a short break along the way at a beach where I was able to put my toes in the Atlantic Ocean, since we'd crossed the division.  It was great to feel the sand between my toes!  I have no photos to share as I did not bring my camera with me....I'd thought we were sailing on a catamaran rather than a ferry and with the waves as high as they were I was concerned my camera would get soaked.  In hindsight it was dumb decision.  As we were returning to St. Thomas, the waters were much calmer, and when another excursion radioed our crew to say they had spotted whales, we took a side trip further into the ocean.  I've never seen whales before so it was so exciting!  There was a female with a calf swimming alongside the other vessel.  We stayed and watched for about 10 minutes, as the adult kept trying to move the baby away, while it seemed to want to get closer (perhaps to play?)  We could see the back and spout of the female and got glimpses of the little one's fin and tail.  So incredible!  We were told it was the first sighting of the season.  I'm sure they told us what type of whale it was but I can't recall.  I do remember they make their way up the East coast all the way to Nova Scotia.

I did get more photos in St. Thomas though.  After returning to the ship and grabbing some lunch, I headed back up to the sun deck.  With so many people off in port, there were lots of chairs and great views.

In the bay where we were docked were many, many sailing boats, almost always with a small dinghy floating alongside.

I also spotted a float plane doing loops over the island.  It took off and landed several times.  My first real job was with an air charter service in Northern Saskatchewan and the company used a number of float planes.  My attention is always piqued when I hear one in the sky.

I got a few photos of it landing, and then finally got a shot of it in the air.

On the opposite side of the ship was the coast line of St. Thomas.  It looks very rugged, but obviously the viewpoints are absolutely gorgeous.

In the forefront is a private home (better photo below) and behind it is a Marriott resort.  The crew on the ferry told us the private home is owned by the parents of the man who owns Hooter restaurants in the States.

 I'm not sure if that's true or not, because someone else said it was owned by a famous actor.  But regardless it is a beautiful home.  We were also told the pirate ship in
front is the playhouse for the grandchildren.  Again, whether that is true or not, it certainly makes a fun story.

It was definitely a beautiful day in St. Thomas.  I avoided the shopping, saw another island AND whales, plus had time to rest and relax in the sunshine!

 

Bad start, but it got better

I've been back from my one week cruise for a couple of days, and I have to say, getting back into the daily routine has been exhausting!  I've been in bed both nights by 8:30 p.m....so hopefully I'll get a post done before I'm ready to crash tonight.

The travel day, February 19, didn't go as well as I might have hoped.  I had three flights, bad planning on my part, but that's what happens when one is trying to reduce the fare.  Though why switching planes three times costs less than flying direct, I'll never know.

I arrived at the Regina airport at 4:15 a.m. for my 6 a.m. flight to Toronto.  We arrived early in TO, with an expected two hour wait for the next flight, but we were delayed by a 1/2 hour for the flight to Montreal.  Arrived late there, about 45 minutes, then was held up in Customs while our luggage was transferred over.  There were two other couples and I pulled aside to wait in secondary but thankfully it was only a 15 minute wait at most.

Another delay occurred getting out of Montreal to Miami so I didn't arrive until 9:15 local time (8;15 Regina time).  Then things got really bad!  I picked up my luggage at the carousel and went to wait for my hotel shuttle.  When it hadn't arrived by 10:30 and I was the only passenger remaining, I decided as a single woman in a strange city to take a taxi.

When the taxi arrived, I asked the driver if he took credit card and he informed me he preferred cash.  I told him I had none (I did have some but didn't want to use it on the taxi) and we had some back and forth before he confirmed he was set-up for credit card.  However, that did not stop him from lecturing me on the way to the hotel about carrying cash.

Upon arrival at the hotel, I presented my receipt for the taxi ($40US/$56 CDN) and explained that no shuttle had been at the airport in the 75 minutes I stood waiting.  I was not provided an explanation or an apology, nor was I offered a refund of my expenditure.  THEN, to add insult to injury the clerk informed me that the room I had prepaid in July 2015 on booking, was not shown as prepaid in their system and thus I would charged for the cost of the room.  I asked to speak to a manager, and got nowhere...at this point it was close to 11:30 p.m., I was exhausted and had no choice. I signed the forms, got the key to my room, and had a good cry.

The following morning, the concierge was able to get me on a shuttle for the cruise port.  Apparently I was to have pre-booked it, but there was nothing in the information provided by the booking agent that would have told me that. There was a cost of $15 for the shuttle, for which I paid cash.  I've never been so happy to leave a hotel as I was this one.

I arrived at the cruise terminal about 10:30, check in was quick and easy, then we were placed in a holding area while the priority guests were allowed onboard.  (You have to pay a lot for that, and if you've been following along you'll know I'm a penny pincher!).  The wait wasn't long though, and I was on the ship exploring by about 11:30 a.m.  What a beautiful ship!

After a quick lunch at the Garden Buffet, I headed down to my stateroom.  I was travelling in one of the solo cabins.  These are interior cabins but unlike the double occupancy cabins, they have a window that allows diffused light from the hallway into the room.

Above the bed are two small reading lights as well.

 On the opposite wall to the window was the storage.  To the left and right of the television are two closets.  The doors slide open and in these closets was ample room for hanging clothes, folded items, shoes and even my carry-on bag.

Also as you can see the sink and a storage tower are on this wall.  There were two storage areas under the tower, one with a drawer, one with a door.



To the right of the storage tower was my shower.  Across from it was the enclosed room for the toilet.  The door into the room was on the same wall between the bathroom and the bed.

I think the design is simply ingenious! In 100 square feet, I had ample storage, never felt cramped for space.  It was simply perfect. They also considered security for solo travellers, as our rooms were in a secure area.  Unless one had a key card for a room (or someone let them in), no one could simply wander around the area.

Down the hallway from my room and down a flight of stairs was the solo lounge.  We were invited to meet there each evening at 6 p.m. with our concierge, Jesy who managed our reservations for the dining rooms and entertainment.  While there were 89 solo cabins, there were many who were travelling with groups or family members.  As a result there was a small group of us of about 6-10 that met regularly.  (More on that in another post)


After dropping my bag in my room, I grabbed the camera and went exploring.  I certainly won't bore you with all the photos I took, but here are a few of my favorites.

This is a view from one of the top decks towards the city.  But do you see those blue umbrellas and comfy looking deck chairs?

Remember the priority people I mentioned before?  This was part of their private area called the Haven...I wonder if they knew the peasants could see into their private areas so easily!

Another city view from one of the top decks.  I was fascinated by the cars that were slowing down to check out the ship.  It's a wonder there weren't a few accidents caused by the lookie Lous!

After a bright sunny morning, it started to cloud over, but it was still a beautiful day.

This is looking towards the rear (aft) of the ship.  Again I was probably on deck 19, as the pool deck was on 16 and one of the bars, the jogging track, water slides, rope course, and sports areas were on deck 17.  Strangely enough, the bar was also the only smoking area on the ship....doesn't really make sense being right next to all the sporting activities but what do I know?

 I decided to take a break before sail away and headed down to the 5 O'Clock Somewhere Bar.

No smoking allowed, and delicious margaritas!  I'd almost finished half of it before I though to take a photo.

I headed back to the 16th deck for sail-away.  I couldn't believe how dark the clouds had gotten.

The three ships (the MSC Divina and two Carnival ships) left the port after we did.  It was fun to wave good-bye to them (and to the city of Miami!)

After sail-away I went back to my cabin to unpack my luggage, and then headed down to the solo lounge to meet some fellow travellers.


The trip may not have started off on the best note, but it certainly got better when I made my "Escape"!