Year 5, Day 210 “Living the Dream”. Wednesday, 11/26/2025 – Holiday week – Happy Birthday Steve. Trying to pack all the good times in. First thing this morning we decorated Jenna’s office for Christmas (Advanced Motion Rehabilitation, LLC) – https://advancedmotionrehabilitation.com/
Then out to Olive Garden (Steve’s birthday pick) for lunch –
After lunch we walked lunch off that pasta at the Lehigh Valley Mall. We enjoyed the exercise and the mall’s Christmas decorations –
Ended back at Jenna’s with a big Birthday celebration. HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEVE –
Then we all baked Thanksgiving pies. Julianna was in bed sick all day.
Here’s a little something to ponder.
Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/4bqUCRJWilson NBA Authentic Indoor Competition Basketball: Excellent indoor basket ball. This basketball is awesome! Great to scrimmage and indoor practicing.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 5, Day 209 “Living the Dream”. Tuesday, 11/25/2025 – Holiday week – Spent the night at the Hilton Garden Inn in Clarksburg, West Virginia. Brought an European charger instead of the American one. It didn’t work in this hotel – lol.
The breakfast was awesome and cooked to perfection. In fact they provided the best breakfast we have ever had at this hotel.
The employees are all so sweet there. The manager walked in the front door while we were eating breakfast and said “Good Morning Mrs Tremper”. My response “Good Morning – You remember my name? Of course she responded – Dolores. Me – “Wow, that is impressive. How do you do that?” Manager – I remember you because you are always smiling. After I checked out I started thinking, was that comment about me a compliment or am I the weirdo? So the best part of this hotel is the employees. There are two items that they do need to address . 1 – Please wash the bathroom floor as it is gross. There was some water from the shower in the morning on the floor. Wiped it up with a white wash cloth and oh my goodness the cloth was black.
2 – The carpeting in the restaurant area is totally shot. It needs to be replaced as it is dirty and worn. Some of the reason for this is because this hotel sleeps a lot of gas and oil workers. You can actually smell the oil from their boots in the elevators. This happens if they have just traveled in the one you are using. We checked out at 7am. It is 46 degrees and raining as we head northeast to Jenna’s house loaded up like Santa Clause’s sleigh. HO-HO-HO.
Nice fall weather in Maryland.
There was lots of time to research Christmas entertaining dishes. These are great, easy, impressive, and individualized. The perfect Christmas Holiday appetizer to serve.
Ended the day in Pennsylvania watching basketball practice.
A little something to ponder.
Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/4bqUCRJWilson NBA Authentic Indoor Competition Basketball: Excellent indoor basket ball. This basketball is awesome! Great to scrimmage and indoor practicing.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 5, Day 208 “Living the Dream”. Monday, 11/24/2025 – The Wellington. Heading out for the holiday in the dense fog. We have one last construction task to complete before we start the Holiday week. We are one cap block short on finishing the retaining wall. Of course we bought the blocks in 2024 and they are no longer available. On the way out of town we found a Lowes in Lexington that had 38 of the cap blocks left. We picked one up and are now work free for the coming week.
A little something to ponder.
Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/4bqUCRJWilson NBA Authentic Indoor Competition Basketball: Excellent indoor basket ball. This basketball is awesome! Great to scrimmage and indoor practicing.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 5, Day 207 “Living the Dream”. Sunday, 11/23/2025 – The Wellington. Sunday Funday and what do we do? Head to Rural King to purchase marking flags. Remember that long driveway, we need to mark it for tailgating the gravel. Rural King is a farm and home store founded in Mattoon, Illinois, in 1960 by Kermidreamer and Keith Beaird. The chain currently has150 stores across 15 states This store is huge. They took over an abandoned KMart building in Somerset, Kentucky. It is the farmers Dream store. It is like Walmart, Lowe’s, and Tractor Supply combined. Steve loves looking at the tractors, equipment trailers, and just everything. It was hard to get him out of the store. The unsexed chicks were so cute.
I also was amazed at the assortment of guns and ammunition they carried.
All and all it was a great store, but not one for my frequent shopping excursions. Later in the day we watched some videos of Julianna’s weekend performances.
A little something to ponder.
Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/4bqUCRJWilson NBA Authentic Indoor Competition Basketball: Excellent indoor basket ball. This basketball is awesome! Great to scrimmage and indoor practicing.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 5, Day 206 “Living the Dream”. Saturday, 11/22/2025 – The Wellington. Estimating day. Everything costs a fortune.
A little something to ponder.
Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/4bqUCRJWilson NBA Authentic Indoor Competition Basketball: Excellent indoor basket ball. This basketball is awesome! Great to scrimmage and indoor practicing.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 5, Day 205 “Living the Dream”. Friday, 11/21/2025 – The Wellington. The driveway is going good. The culvert pipe is installed. It started to rain so it came to a sudden halt. What a muddy mess? Dense Pack will be ordered the first week of December. The drive way will be over 400 feet long. It will take about five loads or 125 tons of stone.
A little something to ponder.
Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/4bqUCRJWilson NBA Authentic Indoor Competition Basketball: Excellent indoor basket ball. This basketball is awesome! Great to scrimmage and indoor practicing.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 5, Day 204 “Living the Dream”. Thursday, 11/20/2025 – The Wellington. Started work on Clifty Hill 3 driveway. The top soil being removed will go around the back patio
A little something to ponder.
Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/3N20oiO HP 14″ touchscreen laptop: Traveling with a 17 inch laptop had become a real drag. This thin and light laptop is perfect for travel. It is is ultra-portable. Weighs 3.24 lbs and measures 0.71 inches in thickness. This thin and light laptop is perfect for travel. Love my HP laptops and printers.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 5, Day 203 “Living the Dream”. Wednesday, 11/19/2025 – The Wellington. The back patio pavers are compacted. Sand needs to dry before we can add and sweep it into the paver joints. The Pulaski county road department delivered 30 feet of culvert pipe for Clifty Hill 3 driveway. They provided and delivered the pipe free. They would also have installed it free, but Steve wanted to do it himself.
A little something to ponder.
Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/3N20oiO HP 14″ touchscreen laptop: Traveling with a 17 inch laptop had become a real drag. This thin and light laptop is perfect for travel. It is is ultra-portable. Weighs 3.24 lbs and measures 0.71 inches in thickness. This thin and light laptop is perfect for travel. Love my HP laptops and printers.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 5, Day 202 “Living the Dream”. Tuesday, 11/18/2025 – The Wellington. Day five of back patio block laying. The blocks are all down even with Steve taking time to chase the cat out of the sand.
A little something to ponder.
Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/3N20oiO HP 14″ touchscreen laptop: Traveling with a 17 inch laptop had become a real drag. This thin and light laptop is perfect for travel. It is is ultra-portable. Weighs 3.24 lbs and measures 0.71 inches in thickness. This thin and light laptop is perfect for travel. Love my HP laptops and printers.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 5, Day 201 “Living the Dream”. Monday, 11/17/2025 – The Wellington. This is day four of laying pavers for the back deck and sidewalk. The pavers should all be down tomorrow.
We are also working on setting up the ground work for building Clifty Hill 3. I called 911 to get an address created. Then submitted a dig location ticket to Kentucky 811 since we will be starting to dig out our driveway soon. Contacting 811 is required by law. It is a free service to have underground utility lines, such as gas, electric, and water, marked for your safety. This helps to prevent service outages and costly repairs. We also are working with the county road department to get a culvert pipe installed.
A little something to ponder.
Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/3N20oiO HP 14″ touchscreen laptop: Traveling with a 17 inch laptop had become a real drag. This thin and light laptop is perfect for travel. It is is ultra-portable. Weighs 3.24 lbs and measures 0.71 inches in thickness. This thin and light laptop is perfect for travel. Love my HP laptops and printers.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 5, Day 200 “Living the Dream”. Sunday, 11/16/2025 – The Wellington. Day off for us, but farmer is planting wheat.
A little something to ponder.
Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/3N20oiO HP 14″ touchscreen laptop: Traveling with a 17 inch laptop had become a real drag. This thin and light laptop is perfect for travel. It is is ultra-portable. Weighs 3.24 lbs and measures 0.71 inches in thickness. This thin and light laptop is perfect for travel. Love my HP laptops and printers.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 5, Day 199 “Living the Dream”. Saturday, 11/15/2025 – The Wellington. Day three of laying patio pavers.
Farmer behind our property was spraying his fields with something and the wind was really blowing. Wonder how far that spray blew. At least the wind was blowing away from us.
A little something to ponder.
Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/3N20oiO HP 14″ touchscreen laptop: Traveling with a 17 inch laptop had become a real drag. This thin and light laptop is perfect for travel. It is is ultra-portable. Weighs 3.24 lbs and measures 0.71 inches in thickness. This thin and light laptop is perfect for travel. Love my HP laptops and printers.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 5, Day 198 “Living the Dream”. Friday, 11/14/2025 – The Wellington. Patio paver work day 2.
Picked up septic permit for Clifty Hill 3. Made final decision on basic design home to be built. Some changes to the plan will be made. This will most likely be our last build. But you never know!!
A little something to ponder.
Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/3N20oiO HP 14″ touchscreen laptop: Traveling with a 17 inch laptop had become a real drag. This thin and light laptop is perfect for travel. It is is ultra-portable. Weighs 3.24 lbs and measures 0.71 inches in thickness. This thin and light laptop is perfect for travel. Love my HP laptops and printers.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 5, Day 197 “Living the Dream”. Thursday, 11/13/2025 – The Wellington. Back patio pavers started.
Two four foot deep site evaluation holes dug 100 feet apart in the back left lot. County Health Department came out and inspected the soil in the holes. We are approved for a standard septic system. This is the best site evaluation of the three sites here on Clifty Hill Road.
A little something to ponder.
Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/3N20oiO HP 14″ touchscreen laptop: Traveling with a 17 inch laptop had become a real drag. This thin and light laptop is perfect for travel. It is is ultra-portable. Weighs 3.24 lbs and measures 0.71 inches in thickness. This thin and light laptop is perfect for travel. Love my HP laptops and printers.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 5, Day 196 “Living the Dream”. Wednesday, 11/12/2025 – The Wellington. Straightening up the driveway with a little rolling and compacting.
Mason sand delivered.
A little something to ponder.
Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/3N20oiO HP 14″ touchscreen laptop: Traveling with a 17 inch laptop had become a real drag. This thin and light laptop is perfect for travel. It is is ultra-portable. Weighs 3.24 lbs and measures 0.71 inches in thickness. This thin and light laptop is perfect for travel. Love my HP laptops and printers.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 5, Day 195 “Living the Dream”. Tuesday, 11/11/2025 – The Wellington. Happy Veterans Day! It was a cold windy veterans day.
We did manage to spread a layer of Dense Pack over the driveway.
We are waiting for the mason sand to be delivered to continue work on the patio. Christmas shopping is also underway.
A little something to ponder.
Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/3N20oiO HP 14″ touchscreen laptop: Traveling with a 17 inch laptop had become a real drag. This thin and light laptop is perfect for travel. It is is ultra-portable. Weighs 3.24 lbs and measures 0.71 inches in thickness. This thin and light laptop is perfect for travel. Love my HP laptops and printers.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 5, Day 194 “Living the Dream”. Monday, 11/10/2025 – The Wellington. Snowy cold day. No work completed on house.
Steve was not picked for jury duty today. So work can continue here tomorrow. He calls again on Thursday night. Trash compactor was jumping around and would not shut off. So this evening Dr Steve operated on her. She is purring like a kitten tonight.
A little something to ponder.
Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/3N20oiO HP 14″ touchscreen laptop: Traveling with a 17 inch laptop had become a real drag. This thin and light laptop is perfect for travel. It is is ultra-portable. Weighs 3.24 lbs and measures 0.71 inches in thickness. This thin and light laptop is perfect for travel. Love my HP laptops and printers.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 5, Day 193 “Living the Dream”. Sunday, 11/09/2025 – The Wellington. How did it get so cold? 30 degrees at 3pm. They are saying snow tonight. Going down to 26 by Monday morning. Patio work is slowing down. Is it time for another cruise?
A little something to ponder.
Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/3N20oiO HP 14″ touchscreen laptop: Traveling with a 17 inch laptop had become a real drag. This thin and light laptop is perfect for travel. It is is ultra-portable. Weighs 3.24 lbs and measures 0.71 inches in thickness. This thin and light laptop is perfect for travel. Love my HP laptops and printers.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 5, Day 192 “Living the Dream”. Saturday, 11/08/2025 – The Wellington. Three yards of mason sand ordered and the Dense Pack rolled. Rolling pushes the rocks down nice and tight. Top soil was moved from the back yard pile to around the patio area. Later we will plant some bushes around in that area to complete the look.
In the Afternoon it started raining. That will certainly pack it down more. Back to normal meals. Yup, I made lasagna. There is no better food than what you cook yourself. Oh yeah homemade Lasagna and fresh broccoli made yourself. Better than any cruise ship.
A little something to ponder.
Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/3N20oiO HP 14″ touchscreen laptop: Traveling with a 17 inch laptop had become a real drag. This thin and light laptop is perfect for travel. It is is ultra-portable. Weighs 3.24 lbs and measures 0.71 inches in thickness. This thin and light laptop is perfect for travel. Love my HP laptops and printers.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 5, Day 190 “Living the Dream”. Friday, 11/07/2025 – The Wellington. Back to work getting the back patio and sidewalk filled in and ready to lay pavers. 25 tons of Dense Pack was delivered.
The Patio and sidewalk area is measured and lines are painted to mark the area. Four to eight inches of Dense Pack Base Gravel is placed to form a durable base. Dense Pack is ideal for beneath pavers and delivers a lasting performance and support. Its fine particles fill in gaps between larger stones. This creates a solid surface that resists shifting. It also prevents erosion and settling over time. We also will be compacting it. Compacting is optional if you let the Dense Pack sit long enough it will not need compacting at all.
The patio will be 23 x 14. It is a nice size. A four foot wide sidewalk goes under the deck to the patio.
A little something to ponder.
Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/492X2olInsulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle with Straw: Perfect for traveling. Great on cruise ships. The ships water is fantastic. Much better than carrying the plastic water bottles. Especially if you are as concerned about adding more Microplastics in your body as I am. It is BPA, lead, and phthalate-free.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 5, Day 190 “Living the Dream”. Thursday, 11/06/2025 – The Wellington. We are home. It was an exhausting day. We were away 30 days. Today was laundry, errands, opening a lot of junk mail, and unpacking. Also, started holiday shopping. Tonight we are just hanging by the fire exhausted. No one made any food for us. No one cleaned our living area. No one made our bed. No one washed and put out clean towels. I couldn’t even bag up my laundry and send it out. I had to actually wash and dry it. Being home is hard. It is an effort to turn on the TV. So here we sit staring at a black screen. The surprise in our mail was Steve was called for six months of Jury duty starting today. Wow – we have a lot of vacations scheduled. We also have to get this house finished.
A little something to ponder.
Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/492X2olInsulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle with Straw: Perfect for traveling. Great on cruise ships. The ships water is fantastic. Much better than carrying the plastic water bottles. Especially if you are as concerned about adding more Microplastics in your body as I am. It is BPA, lead, and phthalate-free.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 5, Day 189 “Living the Dream”. Wednesday, 11/05/2025 – Day 30 of 30 day trip to Rome, Italy with a Mediterranean cruise and a transatlantic cruise back to Bayonne, NJ. Day 15 of 14 night transatlantic cruise on Odyssey of the Seas – Departed Odyssey of the Seas in Bayonne, NJ in the morning. In our bed home in Kentucky in the evening.
The departure from the ship was easy with a porter. If you don’t use a porter the line through customs is huge. Once we were outside the waiting crowd was huge. We ordered an Uber and it took about twenty minutes for it to arrive. We Ubered to Newark Airport.
Our flight was leaving at 1:44pm. We were in the airport at our gate by 11am. We sat and ate The Jersey Mike’s #11 Stickball Special. It is a cold sub made with provolone, ham, and salami. It is sometimes considered a “secret menu” item. However, it is listed on the official menu. Its name comes from a sandwich the original owner, Mike, made for neighborhood children. The founder, Mike, named it “Stickball Special” because he would make this inexpensive sandwich for children playing stickball. These children didn’t have much money, and Mike charged them only what they had. Jersey Mike’s line was huge, but they had numerous people making the sandwiches. While eating we watched our cameras. The bees are waiting for our return.
We boarded a full American Airlines flight.
We landed in Charlotte, NC and boarded a tiny plane an EMB145 American Airlines Piedmont Airlines. She is a baby plane. A big daddy American Airlines plane was in front of us on the runway and lifted off before we did. American Airlines mainline fleet has 1,002 aircraft. It is the second-largest commercial airline fleet in the world. The total number of aircraft exceeds 1,541. This includes all affiliates and subsidiaries like Envoy Air, PSA Airlines, and Piedmont Airlines. Hundreds of regional jets operate under the American Eagle brand. Piedmont Airlines is a wholly-owned subsidiary of American Airlines. The first time we ever flew to Disney World 40 years ago we flew Piedmont Airlines. So I am a nervous flyer and this is a TINY plane. The Embraer 145 can seat up to 50 passengers. Piedmont has earned a reputation for reliability and was named the most reliable E145 operator in 2022, 2023, and 2024. Our flight time once we are in the air is 47 minutes and we cruised at 26,000 feet.
To keep my nerves in check I decided to focus on reviewing our 14 night transatlantic cruise on Odyssey of the Seas:
CREW – Really friendly service. I cannot say anything bad about anyone. I have to say the crew was exceptional. I always felt that the small ships had the best crew, but I have changed my mind. Captain Marek treats everyone on Odyssey of the Seas in a positive way. He is always respectful. Or was it all that extra sleep crossing the transatlantic with all the time changes. Lol
SHIP – Clean and well maintained
Cabin was very nice with comfortable bed. Shower very good. Bathroom had a terrible smell for a few days. I actually thought we were going to die of methane gas poisoning. Steve put a rag in the drain one night to stop the smell. When we told the stateroom attendant he started making sure the trap by the toilet was not dried out.
WINDJAMMER BUFFET: Kept clean.
Food was good. I am not fond of buffets though. Wish they would serve us cafeteria style like they did when they started up after the covid closures. The selection of food was most of the time the same for breakfast and lunch. Although all of a sudden they would surprise you with something really different. Towards the end of the cruise, they featured several meat carvery stations. There were grilled vegetables available. They also had a chocolate fountain.
CAPTAIN: Was around the ship alot and said hi to everyone. He kept everyone informed of changes and weather promptly. He also was very appreciative of his crew.
SOLARIUM BISTRO: Breakfast and lunch buffet looked nice and the restaurant was not crowded. We made reservations for dinner one night. We were really disappointed in how this complimentary mediterannean dinner venue has changed. The servers in the past brought bread to your table. They would also take your soup and entree order. The appetizers and desserts were buffet style that you served yourself. Now it is a pure buffet. The chicken entree was horribly dry. Everything was in small plates under lights. I think because of the small plating they dried out very easily. I would not recommend and probably will not go again
CASINO: Clean and most of the time we could play for awhile with our money. It was not a complete take. We visited the smoking side one time and it was way to smoke smelling for us. In the non smoking side you did not smell the smoke.
BAR SERVICE: All bar service was excellent no matter where we stopped.
SPA – Wonderful manicure pedicure with a sweet kind and patient nail technician. Hair stylist was super nice also. This was the first time that I didn’t feel there was a hard sell at a Royal Caribbean Spa.
CROWN LOUNGE: The food offered for breakfast and afternoon snack was excellent. Unbelievable enough the coffee machine worked the entire trip. Evening appetizers were great. We found ourselves not going to dinner and having appetizers and socializing in the Crown Lounge in the evening. In the evenings only Diamond Plus and Pinnacles could go into the Crown Lounge for appetizers. I see this more and more on Royal Caribbean ships. Here we found one of the best Concierges ever. There is only one other that stands out besides this one in all our cruises.
MAIN DINING ROOM: Our servers were excellent. The food was okay. I could always find something to eat. But honestly, by the time we ate breakfast and lunch we were not really hungry. We felt if we didn’t eat everything the servers got upset with us.
SORRENTOS: Most of the time the pizza on the Royal Caribbean ships served at this venue is kind of just edible. This trip their vegetable feta cheese pizza was fantastic.
FINAL THOUGHTS – Not sure why, but I feel as though I didn’t sail on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship. This was such a different experience than I have ever had. Totally makes me want to promote Royal and to be as they say Loyal to Royal. Is it just the Odyssey of the Seas ship? Or is this the future of sailing with Royal Caribbean? I guess we will see on our next cruise which is on Quantum of the Seas.
A little something to ponder.
Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/492X2olInsulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle with Straw: Perfect for traveling. Great on cruise ships. The ships water is fantastic. Much better than carrying the plastic water bottles. Especially if you are as concerned about adding more Microplastics in your body as I am. It is BPA, lead, and phthalate-free.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 5, Day 188 “Living the Dream”. Tuesday, 11/04/2025 – Day 29 of 30 day trip to Rome, Italy with a Mediterranean cruise and a transatlantic cruise back to Bayonne, NJ. Day 14 of 14 night transatlantic cruise on Odyssey of the Seas – At sea day 6 of 6 traveling from Tenerife, Canary Islands to Bayonne, NJ. The day arrived with sunny skies with rough seas.
The waves are 13 to 16 feet and the winds are 50 to 55 miles per hour. With the winds across the decks being 80 mph. At 8am the captain announced to please do not walk around with your hands full. Hold on to railings and wear flat shoes. No heels today. Most decks are closed and the pools are all drained. A lot of entertainment and activities may not take place. He also strongly advised not to go out on your balconies today. These rough seas will be with us all day. The ship is creaking like an old pirate ship. “Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life for me – Drink up me hearties!!!! The captain keeps announcing to please be careful around the ship. They have slowed down the speed of our ship.
At noon time we are 220 nautical miles from Bayonne, NJ. This journey is coming to an end.
Lunch in the Windjammer buffet was spent talking to a wonderful couple from Georgia. The afternoon was spent NOT IN THE CASINO. lol. We are taking some money home with us. Instead of watching the casino machine lights. In the afternoon, I wandered around. I watched the ocean waves. I reflected on all the wonderful, kind people I have met in the last 29 days. Every person I have interacted with have made my time away so enjoyable. In all the ports, and on the ship. Everyone of you have made a positive impact in my life. We are all one in the world. Safe travels home and remember every step you take is part of something bigger. Hopefully we will meet again in our journeys. Keep in touch and Thanks for the Duck hunting!
Cruise Compass Day 14 of 14 – Odyssey of the Seas – At sea
A little something to ponder.
Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/492X2olInsulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle with Straw: Perfect for traveling. Great on cruise ships. The ships water is fantastic. Much better than carrying the plastic water bottles. Especially if you are as concerned about adding more Microplastics in your body as I am. It is BPA, lead, and phthalate-free.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 5, Day 187 “Living the Dream”. Monday, 11/03/2025 – Day 28 of 30 day trip to Rome, Italy with a Mediterranean cruise and a transatlantic cruise back to Bayonne, NJ. Day 13 of 14 night transatlantic cruise on Odyssey of the Seas – At sea day 5 of 6 traveling from Tenerife, Canary Islands to Bayonne, NJ. Just today and tomorrow left. Since I had some casino winnings, I had another manicure pedicure done at 7:30am. Jenneth did a great job on my nails. The best manicures and pedicures are done on cruise ships. Although they can be expensive. I elected to get a less elaborate one this cruise and the cost was $138.24. Jenneth my nails technician is headed home to the Philippines when we get off the ship. She was supposed to get off before this cruise. She had to stay on for this cruise because her replacement never made the cruise due to flight delays. Jenneth loves this ship and her job with Royal Caribbean.
I also met Kevin the happy smiley hairdresser. He is moving to the Celebrity Equinox soon. We are scheduled to go on her in 2027.
We have very calm seas with very little sun and 68 degrees Fahrenheit today.
The deck by the pool is crowded with people wrapped blankets. Walking inside the ship there are barf bags on the stairwells for passengers experiencing seasickness. The Captain’s daily noon time announcement explains why they are there. There is a low pressure system developing off the east coast of the United States that we cannot avoid. Therefore tomorrow will be pretty bumpy with 40 to 45 mph winds. Across the deck you can expect 60 to 65 mph winds. Some decks will be closed. The waves will be 12 to 14 feet all day tomorrow and all the way into Bayonne, NJ. Woohoo – should be fun.
Here’s a video of the Solarium Bistro at lunch time on a sea day. If the Windjammer is completely flooded with people, you might want more peace and quiet. Then walk to the Solarium Bistro for your breakfast and/or lunch.
Our last time change is tonight with another hour back. Notices are out for ship departure in Bayonne.
Cruise Compass Day 13 of 14 – Odyssey of the Seas – At sea
A little something to ponder.
Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/492X2olInsulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle with Straw: Perfect for traveling. Great on cruise ships. The ships water is fantastic. Much better than carrying the plastic water bottles. Especially if you are as concerned about adding more Microplastics in your body as I am. It is BPA, lead, and phthalate-free.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 5, Day 186 “Living the Dream”. Sunday, 11/02/2025 – Day 27 of 30 day trip to Rome, Italy with a Mediterranean cruise and a transatlantic cruise back to Bayonne, NJ. Day 12 of 14 night transatlantic cruise on Odyssey of the Seas – At sea day 4 of 6 traveling from Tenerife, Canary Islands to Bayonne, NJ.
Last night I had the opportunity to sit and talk to a Wall Street Journal reporter. I found out after I started telling her about my writing and gave her a DeesTimes business card. As soon as she told me who she was, I wanted to steal my card back from her. Nope, don’t go and read my blog. No professional writing here. Just how I feel and what I see. In our conversation I called her a journalist. She very quickly corrected me. “I am a reporter, not a journalist”. I didn’t mean to offend her. I really didn’t understand the difference till today. So here it is: A professional gathers news directly from the field. They then present it to the public. That is a reporter. A professional who researches, writes, edits, and presents news and information is a journalist. It is a windy warm day. The outside pool is closed due to waves of 10 to 12 feet. Those hot tubs are full though. The stateroom tv map now shows Hamilton, Bermuda. Hamilton is 775 miles from New York, New York. We are actually 1,200 miles from the USA coast. Our trip is coming to an end. Just two more seas days and we are back in the USA.
The Atlantic Ocean is six and one half times the size of the United States. It covers 20 percent of the planet.
There is plenty of sport action playing on the tv’s in the Sports bar today. You won’t miss any game action on this ship.
Of course I prefer the casino games. Look at this view from the casino bar this morning. Pretty quiet place in the morning.
By noon time the pool has been drained. We decided to head to the solarium where there is no wind. Walking is a challenge now since the ship is currently going into the waves. You are either running down hill or fighting to walk up hill. It is a much difference experience than when the waves are hitting the sides of the ship. In that case you are like a drunk going back and forth. We made reservations for dinner at the Solarium Bistro. This is a complimentary restaurant that you do have to reserve for dinner in the evenings. Lunch and breakfast are buffets that all can freely go to. The restaurant is located on deck 14 all the way forward in the solarium. Well this used to be a wonderful place to eat dinner. In the past the appetizers and salad were buffet style. The breads were served to you along with your soup and entrees. Then your dessert was buffet style. Now everything is served on the buffet. Everything is in little plates that you just pick up and bring back to your table. The chicken was dried out. I didn’t take any pictures of the buffet. I will go up tomorrow evening and do a video. It was very very disappointing. The server was excellent but so soft spoken that he didn’t even communicate very well what was expected of us. I would say don’t even bother going.
We did see this cute afternoon entertaining show. James Rawlings is a juggler and variety entertainer. He put on a very light hearted feel good show. He is a little zany and crazy. I read that he holds the Guiness book of world records for sinning the most fidgets at one time. He spun 18 at one time.
Cruise Compass Day 12 of 14 – Odyssey of the Seas – At sea
A little something to ponder.
Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/492X2olInsulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle with Straw: Perfect for traveling. Great on cruise ships. The ships water is fantastic. Much better than carrying the plastic water bottles. Especially if you are as concerned about adding more Microplastics in your body as I am. It is BPA, lead, and phthalate-free.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 5, Day 185 “Living the Dream”. Saturday, 11/01/2025 – Day 26 of 30 day trip to Rome, Italy with a Mediterranean cruise and a transatlantic cruise back to Bayonne, NJ. Day 11 of 14 night transatlantic cruise on Odyssey of the Seas – At sea day 3 of 6 traveling from Tenerife, Canary Islands to Bayonne, NJ. October ended with a bang – Goodbye Batman and Wonder Woman.
Our alter egos will carry on – LOL. Steve like Batman has a strategic mind and experience with humanity’s darker side. While I like Wonder Woman tend to feel a divine perspective, a warrior spirit, and inherent goodness.
Hello November – The Captain found the sun and the calm seas. There is no wind as we walk around deck five It is a beautiful walking morning.
Looking out at the calm clear blue ocean with nothing around is so serene. We are seeing a lot of flying fish jumping. Legend has it that if you see flying fish on your cruise, you will return and cruise again.
Did you know that Royal Caribbean lifeboats have bedpan-style tubs or simple plastic buckets for sanitation.
Cheers with an Officer lunch today. The meal was great, the wine very strong (13% AC), and the company made the lunch. Thanks for the good time Gretchen and Dan.
Time to look at those casino next cruise booking offers again.
Cruise Compass Day 11 of 14 – Odyssey of the Seas – At sea
A little something to ponder.
Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/492X2olInsulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle with Straw: Perfect for traveling. Great on cruise ships. The ships water is fantastic. Much better than carrying the plastic water bottles. Especially if you are as concerned about adding more Microplastics in your body as I am. It is BPA, lead, and phthalate-free.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 5, Day 184 “Living the Dream”. Friday, 10/31/2025 – Day 25 of 30 day trip to Rome, Italy with a Mediterranean cruise and a transatlantic cruise back to Bayonne, NJ. Day 10 of 14 night transatlantic cruise on Odyssey of the Seas – At sea day 2 of 6 traveling from Tenerife, Canary Islands to Bayonne, NJ. HAPPY HALLOWEEN FROM THE SEA!
Deck 3 video tour
Deck 5 video tour
Look what happened last night. I am still excited today. Believe me this is a rare occasion on a $1.45 bet. Royal timed this satisfaction survey just right for me.
At noon the closest land is 800 miles behind us which is the Canary Islands. We are 1600 miles from Bermuda in front of us.
The time goes back one hour again. North Star is closed due to weather along with the outside pool. The wind is 30 mph and we are heading into some rain for the afternoon that can’t be avoided.
On a sea night there is always lots of entertainment and activities.
Halloween is in full swing on the ship. I even found a costumed duck.
Although these pictures bring me more joy than everything on this ship.
A taste of the World Menu
Cruise Compass Day 10 of 14 – Odyssey of the Seas – At sea
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/4jefvSdLeather Squeeze Coin Purse Pouch Change Holder: This little change purse is perfect for traveling and going through security. All coins easily can be dropped into the basket when in this little purse. Men will love it. Well mine does.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 5, Day 183 “Living the Dream”. Thursday, 10/30/2025 – Day 24 of 30 day trip to Rome, Italy with a Mediterranean cruise and a transatlantic cruise back to Bayonne, NJ. Day 9 of 14 night transatlantic cruise on Odyssey of the Seas – At sea day 1 of 6 traveling from Tenerife, Canary Islands to Bayonne, NJ.
Ship is rocking a little bit today. Actually it is more of a rolling side to side. We are traveling at 20.5 knots or 23.591 mph. As of 11am this morning we had sailed 2,048 Nautical miles on this transatlantic cruise. We have about 3,000 land miles to go to Bayonne. The weather is nice and sunny at 72 Fahrenheit. The seas are about 5 feet. Tonight the seas will get up to 10 feet as we pass the Azores. Hurricane Melissa is on its way to the Western Coast of Bermuda. We are three days away from Melissa and we don’t have to worry about her. Our high seas are due to storms near the Azores. Today was just a day of hanging out. A tiny bit of casino. Probably a little too much eating.
Lots of socializing and thinking about life at home.
How did those ducks get way up there?
Time goes back one hour tonight again.
Cruise Compass Day 9 of 14 – Odyssey of the Seas – At sea
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/4jefvSdLeather Squeeze Coin Purse Pouch Change Holder: This little change purse is perfect for traveling and going through security. All coins easily can be dropped into the basket when in this little purse. Men will love it. Well mine does.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 5, Day 182 “Living the Dream”. Wednesday, 10/29/2025 – Day 23 of 30 day trip to Rome, Italy with a Mediterranean cruise and a transatlantic cruise back to Bayonne, NJ. Day 8 of 14 night transatlantic cruise on Odyssey of the Seas – Tenerife, Canary Islands 8am – 5:30pm. This is our first time here. When you cruise you never know where you can end up. This was an unplanned stop for us courtesy of Melissa. We did not book an excursion and decided to just walk off the ship and explore. Tenerife is in Spain. Although geographically it is closer to Africa. It is the largest and most popular island of the Canary Islands. The Canary Islands consist of seven main islands and over 50 smaller islands and islets. This island receives over six million visitors annually. Today it was very busy with four ships docked.
The concierge told me that he was heading to Mount Teide. Mount Teide is the tallest peak in Spain and hovers over the clouds. It is located in Teide National Park. Teide National Park is the most visited park in all of Europe. As we pull into Santa Cruz de Tenerife the first thing you notice is the huge mountains. Santa Cruz de Tenerife is a port city. It is the capital of the island of Tenerife. It is also the capital of Santa Cruz de Tenerife provincia. We ate breakfast and headed out to explore.
There was an interesting construction site near the port.
It was a pleasant 15 minute walk to the edge of town. We walked straight up the hill through town. There is lots of shopping and of course a McDonalds.
We spent the day just meandering the streets and wandering in and out of the shops.
By the afternoon it is getting really crowded and we headed back to the ship. A P&O ship is now docked. Interesting enough we have two P&O cruises booked for 2027. They are to Norway, Iceland, Ireland, and Scotland.
We sat on deck 15 in the afternoon and enjoyed the view, the breeze, and some great company.
Then off to dinner to hear what others experienced today. That is the reason we love large tables where we can meet and hear others experiences.
We started crossing the Atlantic today heading home. Good bye land. It will be seven nights before we see land again in Bayonne. NJ.
Cruise Compass Day 8 of 14 – Odyssey of the Seas – Tenerife, Canary Islands 8:00am – 5:30pm
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/4jefvSdLeather Squeeze Coin Purse Pouch Change Holder: This little change purse is perfect for traveling and going through security. All coins easily can be dropped into the basket when in this little purse. Men will love it. Well mine does.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 5, Day 181 “Living the Dream”. Tuesday, 10/28/2025 – Day 22 of 30 day trip to Rome, Italy with a Mediterranean cruise and a transatlantic cruise back to Bayonne, NJ. Day 7 of 14 night transatlantic cruise on Odyssey of the Seas – At sea traveling from Gibraltar, United Kingdom to Tenerife, Canary Islands.
As we slept last night, the crew was busy decorating for Halloween. They did an awesome job. I had a great day running around checking all the decorations out.
Breakfast was a little bit runny. Maybe the ghosts are cooking.
The crew is building excitement for our change of plans.
Video of walking deck 5.
Visiting the Crown Lounge is an everyday occurrence. Juan Orellano is a great Concierge and fun to talk to everyday.
Today’s Dinner menu and waiter.
Cruise Compass Day 7 of 14 – Odyssey of the Seas – At sea traveling from Gibraltar, United Kingdom to Tenerife, Canary Islands.
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/4jefvSdLeather Squeeze Coin Purse Pouch Change Holder: This little change purse is perfect for traveling and going through security. All coins easily can be dropped into the basket when in this little purse. Men will love it. Well mine does.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
