Living the Dream Year 5 Day 90 – Day 13 of 29 day Florida, Caribbean, SeaWorld, and Disney World Trip – Day 2 of 4 night Bahamas and Perfect Day Cruise on Jewel of the Seas – Bimini, Bahamas, Balcony stateroom 7092 detailed video

Year 5, Day 90, “Living the Dream”. Tuesday, 7/29/2025 DAY 13 of 29 day Florida, Caribbean, SeaWorld and Disney World trip. – Day 2 of 4 night Bahamas and Perfect Day Cruise on Jewel of the Seas. Bimini, Bahamas 8am – 5pm

Let me tell you balcony room 7092 is larger, cleaner, and brighter than our last room 7600. The balcony is huge. Also the vanity cabinet doors both open. I think the carpeting in the room is new.. Here is a video of balcony stateroom 7092

The captain came on and announced that we are ready to depart the ship at 8am. We have to be back by 4:30pm. Sail away is at 5pm. We have only been to Bimini one time before. Here is link to that time Living the Dream Year 4 Day 274 – Day 7 of 10 Day Tampa to Bahamas trip (Day 5 of 7 night Bahamas cruise on Radiance of the Seas from Tampa, Florida) – Bimini, Bahamas – Deestimes – Make every step of the journey count https://share.google/osQoB9IDcFjOzlNGs. Today we took the free shuttle/Tram that stops at Fisherman’s village, Paradise Beach, and Resorts World shopping center. We did not get off at the Beach stop. The free shuttle/Tram lines are right there on the cruise port dock. Very easy boarding.

It was really relaxing walking the Marina docks at Fisherman’s Village. It is amazing how many different fish are in these waters near the dock.

We saw a yacht stuck on a sandbar. They were really working to get her off. We watched for about 15 minutes and she was pretty stuck.

We also watched a commercial seaplane land, taxi up to the dock, and the passengers disembark. You can fly round trip from Fort Lauderdale here by seaplane in 30 minutes for mostly between $300 and $400.00. I looked up the cost at flytropic.com. You know curious minds want to know. There were pigeons watching as well. They seemed entertained by the events going on in the water.

We then walked down to Resorts Casino with the Iguanas running around under the flowers, palm trees, and golf carts. They are everywhere and kind of scary prehistoric looking monsters.

There we made a small donation. We then boarded the free shuttle. It took us back to the ship after looping around by the Fishing Village. At every stop the pressure is high to rent a golf cart. The price ranges from $80.00 to $100.00 for a golf cart for the day.

The police vehicles we saw have saturation patrol unit on them. A saturation patrol unit is an increased deployment law enforcement to deter crime and address issues like impaired driving. On the shuttle on the way back to the ship, you go through a security gate. At the gate, everyone must show their cruise card.

The beach at the end of the pier is pretty crowded. It is a really nice beach.

We are back on the ship for dinner in the main dining room. The Chicken Cordon Bleu was fantastic.

We met another couple from Kentucky. This couple lives in Georgetown, Kentucky. Georgetown is above Lexington. They have a huge Toyota assembly plant located there. If you ever visit Kentucky you should book a tour at this plant. We did it years ago. It is absolutely amazing.

Dinner Menu Day 2 – French Night

Cruise Compass day 2 – Bimini, Bahamas

Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.

Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/4f2f0Zc Miracles-Grows Water Soluble All Purpose Plant Food: I use this monthly on all my inside plants. It is amazing how green and luscious they look after a nice feeding. They are glowing happy full plants. Steve does the outside ones also, but not as often.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned

Living the Dream Year 5 Day 89 – Day 12 of 29 day Florida, Caribbean, SeaWorld, and Disney World Trip – Day 4 of 3 night Perfect Day Getaway Cruise on Jewel of the seas, Day 1 of 4 night Bahamas and Perfect Day Cruise on Jewel of the Seas – Back to back day -three day cruise review-Deck 5 video tour

Year 5, Day 89, “Living the Dream”. Monday, 7/28/2025 DAY 12 of 29 day Florida, Caribbean, SeaWorld and Disney World trip. – Day 4 of 3 night Perfect Day Getaway Cruise on Jewel of the seas and Day 1 of 4 night Bahamas and Perfect Day Cruise on Jewel of the Seas. It is a back to back day.

The Jewel of the Seas gives little packages of freshly made cookies. Everyone receives them as they leave the Windjammer buffet breakfast on departure day. That is such a sweet touch. I have never seen that before.

This was the first 3 day cruise we have ever done. The next one is 4 nights. We packed up in the morning to change rooms. We are leaving balcony stateroom7600 on the starboard side and moving to balcony stateroom 7092 on the port side. The stateroom attendant came by at 8am to move our luggage. We have to meet up at 9pm in the deck 5 main dining room. We need to check out, go through customs, and check back in. Some back to backs we have gotten off the ship walked through customs and walked back on. Others we stayed on and customs came on board and did it. We did a little exercise this morning. We walked on deck 12. Then, we headed to the main dining room on deck 5. There they placed a smiley face sticker on our room key.

We sat at tables waiting for everyone to gather and the ship to be cleared. There were four men near me. If I hear fxxking one more time, I am going to scream at them. At 9:15 am we went as a group, we checked off the ship and walked into the terminal.

We sat for about 10 minutes. They provided new room keys. We then walked through customs facial recognition and back on the ship. So we are officially on the next cruise. Back to back was easy and quick. We walked off ship through facial recognition and back on. We would have gone somewhere off the ship for the day. However, we are in Port Everglades. The thought of going through the security check point made it easier to just stay on the ship. By 9:30am I am doing a video of deck 5.

Back to back days are really a wasted day. We walked around the ship exploring inside and outside.

Look our car is winking at us from the parking garage. She is patiently waiting for our return.

Our new balcony room 7092 is larger, brighter, and cleaner than our last room.

We ate lunch outside in the back of the Windjammer. One of the best features of the Radiance class ships is this outside dining area.

I found out this afternoon why the casino doesn’t smell like smoke. They announce no one can smoke in it while it is closed or in the smoke-free section. Smoking is also prohibited if not playing a game. Had some afternoon time in the Crown Lounge looking at the main pool.

We departed Port Everglades at 4pm. Port Everglades is situated on the Intracoastal Waterway. It is nice to be outside as we slowly make our way to the Atlantic Ocean.

Viewing the evening entertainment in the Centrum from outside near our seventh deck room.

Six days and we are on MSC Seashore. Less than three months we are in Greece.

Jewel of the seas 3 night Perfect Day Getaway Review

Balcony room 7600

  • Cleaned everyday and bed made
  • We received robes and upgraded amenities for being diamond plus
  • Great stateroom attendant
  • The one cabinet next to the mirror no longer had a door. A mirror was glued over the opening.
  • Very loud in the evenings until 11pm
  • Comfortable bed

Food

  • Dining room food was not as good as Adventure of the Seas Chicken Parm was not good at all and was excellent on Adventure

Excellent servers

  • Windjammer Buffet breakfast was good.
  • Bacon was super greasy
  • Hamburgers were excellent in the Windjammer

Casino

  • Very crowded and super tight.
  • Wasn’t Smoky

Next cruise

  • Was excellent and they even gave us a bottle of Champagne

Crown Lounge

  • Very nice
  • Good coffee

Ports

  • CocoCay was super crowded
  • Food was good
  • Jelly Fish in water

Ship was clean

Crew was pleasant

Easy Embarkation onto ship

Port Everglades

  • Getting into Port Everglades not so easy. You provide passports and boarding pass in your car at the gate to be allowed into the port area.

Back to back

  • Back to back was easy and quick. We walked off ship through facial recognition and back on. We would have gone somewhere off the ship for the day. However, because it was Port Everglades and the security, it was just easier to stay on the ship.

Final thoughts

  • This is our first three day cruise. It was fun and if you enjoy a nice beach day with lots of people you will love it. I personally am into a little more from a cruise, but we have cruised a lot. This is a perfect cruise for a friends getaway. For a family I would go with a larger ship that has more activities that are free.

Cruise Compass day 1 – Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.

Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/4f2f0Zc Miracles-Grows Water Soluble All Purpose Plant Food: I use this monthly on all my inside plants. It is amazing how green and luscious they look after a nice feeding. They are glowing happy full plants. Steve does the outside ones also, but not as often.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned

Living the Dream Year 5 Day 88 – Day 11 of 29 day Florida, Caribbean, SeaWorld, and Disney World Trip – Day 3 of 3 night Perfect Day Getaway Cruise on Jewel of the seas – Perfect Day CocoCay, Bahamas

Year 5, Day 88, “Living the Dream”. Sunday, 7/27/2025 DAY 11 of 29 day Florida, Caribbean, SeaWorld and Disney World trip. – Day 3 of 3 night Perfect Day Getaway Cruise on Jewel of the seas. At Perfect Day CocoCay, Bahamas.

It’s our second day at Perfect Day CocoCay so far this trip. One more day to go. Funny because I am not a beach person. We are pulled up next to Utopia again at 7:15am. It is going to be a crowded beach day. Utopia of the Seas is 1,188 feet long and 211 feet wide with a gross tonnage of 236,473. She has 18 decks with a maximum passenger capacity of 7,958. The ship has 2,834 staterooms to accommodate these passengers. It also has a crew of 2,290. While Jewel of the Seas is a 90,090 gross ton cruise ship, 962 feet long, and 106 feet wide. It has 13 decks a guest capacity of 2,702 passengers at maximum occupancy. There are 1,072 staterooms to accommodate the passengers. The ship also has a crew of 852. We currently are not full.

A quick early breakfast in the Windjammer buffet.

We are out on Chill Island beach at 8am.

Yes it is hot and sunny. We have front row seats and we are out in the sun. By 9:30, the sun has shifted and we are getting shade. The beach is not as crowded today as it was last week. I am wondering if the casino is crowded. Is everybody in there? We are saving our money and brains by relaxing on the beach. Followers who want to learn more about a day at Perfect Day CocoCay, Bahamas can find more information here. This page includes some of the days we have been here before. https://deestimes.com/bahama-ports/

We had lunch on the island with some hungry seagulls. Steve went to get water for us. As soon as he got up, the seagulls jumped up on the table. They tried to get to his plate. CocoCay has some smart seagulls. One of the crew members was telling us that they attack kids that are carrying their plates full of food. They are smart enough to know that children freak out and drop their plates.

After lunch, we came back to the ship. Steve took a nap. His buddy watched tv next to him. A little too much fun in the sun and water.

More advertisements on our desk in the room. Royal Caribbean is always trying to upsell.

Each of the Radiance class ships have a unique art exhibit on the 12th deck outside the Crown Lounge elevators. Jewel of the Seas has these Ostriches.

Norwegian Gem was anchored on their island today and pulled away before us.

At 5:10 pm Utopia pulled away while we were at dinner.

Dinner Menu:

Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.

Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/4f2f0Zc Miracles-Grows Water Soluble All Purpose Plant Food: I use this monthly on all my inside plants. It is amazing how green and luscious they look after a nice feeding. They are glowing happy full plants. Steve does the outside ones also, but not as often.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned

Living the Dream Year 5 Day 87 – Day 10 of 29 day Florida, Caribbean, SeaWorld, and Disney World Trip – Day 2 of 3 night Perfect Day Getaway Cruise on Jewel of the seas – At Seas traveling from Port Everglades to Perfect Day CocoCay, Bahamas, videos – Stateroom 7600 & Deck 12

Year 5, Day 87, “Living the Dream”. Saturday, 7/26/2025 DAY 10 of 29 day Florida, Caribbean, SeaWorld and Disney World trip. – Day 2 of 3 night Perfect Day Getaway Cruise on Jewel of the seas. At sea traveling from Port Everglades to Perfect Day CocoCay, Bahamas. It is a bright sunny beautiful day at sea traveling from Port Everglades to CocoCay, Bahamas. The morning was a good time to spend time walking on deck 12 track.

Then up to the 13th deck to the Crown Lounge to enjoy some coffee sipping and ship views.

The main outdoor pool quickly swelled as the day wore on. Not sure if that water is green or not. We noticed more people in the pool. This was when we went back to the Crown Lounge in the late afternoon.

It is amazing that we run into crew that we have met on other ships. So funny that they remember us. One of the servers actually remembered our seating location every morning. This was at the Brilliance of the Seas Windjammer buffet in 2024. Brilliance of the Seas – Deestimes – Make every step of the journey count https://share.google/CiN2dfqNY5STVIg6e. Life on board is sweet today. We are traveling very slowly at under 7 mph in calm seas. We traveled south past Miami. Then, we looped around. We are now traveling northwest back up past Port Everglades. We will arrive at CocoCay tomorrow. On your stateroom TV, there is always a channel. It shows a map of where you are and where you are going.

It was a great afternoon to do some videos. Here is a video of deck 12.

Here is a video of our balcony stateroom 7600.

Lunch was excellent in the dining room. We met such a nice couple and ended up having a nice long lunch talking with them. I learned something else today. Every Royal Caribbean menu has a QR code you can scan for the allergens guide. A chart comes up and shows what food you can request for different allergies.

In the evening we watched the passenger karaoke performers. It was amazing how good they all were. It was all ages from children to older adults. Here are some random ships pictures from today.

Cruise Compass Day 2 – At Sea:

Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.

Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/4f2f0Zc Miracles-Grows Water Soluble All Purpose Plant Food: I use this monthly on all my inside plants. It is amazing how green and luscious they look after a nice feeding. They are glowing happy full plants. Steve does the outside ones also, but not as often.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned

Living the Dream Year 5 Day 86 – Day 9 of 29 day Florida, Caribbean, SeaWorld, and Disney World Trip – Day 7 of 6 night Adventure of the Seas – Day 1 of 3 night Perfect Day Getaway Cruise on Jewel of the seas – Departed in Port Canaveral, Florida and boarded in Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Year 5, Day 86, “Living the Dream”. Friday, 7/25/2025 DAY 9 of 29 day Florida, Caribbean, SeaWorld and Disney World trip. – Day 7 of 6 night Adventure of the Seas Western Caribbean and Perfect Day – Day 1 of 3 night Perfect Day Getaway Cruise on Jewel of the seas. Departed Adventure of the seas in Port Canaveral and drove to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. We are back into Port Canaveral early.

A last quick Windjammer buffet breakfast with yuk in my coffee. We are ready to get off this ship and head to the next cruise adventure on Jewel of the Seas.

We headed off the ship. Good bye Adventure of the Seas.

At 8:10am we are on the road.

Our boarding time today is noon in Fort Lauderdale. The app shows our departure delayed until 7pm due to Bow Thruster maintenance being performed today. Divers were in the water all day working on them.

In order to enter Port Everglades you must show your passport and your set sail pass. Of course we picked the wrong lane. It took at least 20 minutes to get through the gate.

We dropped off our luggage,

parked our car, received a parking ticket and pulled into the garage. At Port Everglades you pay for your parking at the end of the cruise. We are parked on the 4th floor of the garage. From our parking spot we can see our ship, Jewel of the Seas waiting for us to board.

We left our parking ticket in our car. We found that you pay for your parking at machines when entering the garage. The machines are located at ground level when you get off the ship.

We boarded, had lunch, and walked around the ship

Found the kids pool on deck 12 aft. Here are the hours for that pool.

We booked a guaranteed balcony stateroom and were assigned accessible stateroom (handicap room) number 7614. The room is huge with a large balcony with a nice view.

When we booked this cruise Steve said I don’t want to go on Jewel if they have shower curtains. We watched lots of videos and there were shower doors. Yup they gave us a handicap room and there is a shower curtain. Then we find out that you cannot lock the door from anyone who has a key. All rooms we have ever been in have another lock from inside. Anyone can come in our room with a card. There is even a sign in this room that says to double lock your door. Amazing!!!

We finish dinner at 7:15 pm. Then we head to guest services. We try to talk to them about another room if possible.

What a lousy design of a ship. A band is playing in the middle of the room. We are almost screaming at guest services so they can hear us. We are told to come back at 8:30pm.

What liability they have if someone enters our room during the night. YIKES. I am so disappointed today with Royal Caribbean. Our ship departed at exactly 7pm. So far since boarding this ship, we have met so many nice people. However, we are not pleased with our room. The people seem friendlier and more open to conversations than they were on the Adventure of the Seas. Tonight is white night.

At 9:30pm we get a call that they have another balcony room we can move into. We are now in 7600. Video will follow tomorrow. This room is super small. However, this stay is a three-nighter. We move to another room for the back-to-back four-nighter. Oh and we have a shower door. We can double lock our door and head to bed. Good Night-sweet dreams. Here are our thoughts on the Adventure of the Seas. It was a six-night Western Caribbean and Perfect Day cruise. We departed this morning from Port Canaveral.

Parking :

  • Quick and convenient in the garage
  • Six night cruise cost was $127.00 paid when you park

Boarding:

  • Completed all check in information and uploaded pictures and pasports prior to arrival at port
  • Quick and easy at the Port
  • Watched safety video on app in parking garage before we left the car
  • Checked in at our muster station as soon as we boarded

Room:

  • Cleaned everyday
  • We made the bed and the stateroom attendant only remade it one night
  • Never offered robes or upgraded amenities for being diamond plus
  • Pleasant and nice attendant
  • There was a leak in our room and maintenance came quickly
  • Good hot shower

Food

  • Excellent this trip. The Arancini was excellent along with the Chicken Parm. The Chicken Cordon Bleu was wonderful. Very tender moist chicken and the mashed potatoes were great. This ship does have great food.
  • All servers were the best
  • Pizza was ok
  • Windjammer Buffet was very crowded most of the time. The burgers were very good.
  • Washing hands is enforced in the buffet, but sanitation is ignored in the Dining room

Casino

  • Tight but not that awful
  • Wasn’t Smoky

Next cruise

  • Was very pushy about applying for the Royal Caribbean Visa. We walked out after we already planned on booking two cruises.

Crown Lounge

  • Very nice
  • Good coffee
  • Good food
  • Great concierge

Ports

  • CocoCay
    • Super crowded
    • Good Buffet lunch
    • Water was warm with lots of seaweed
    • Jelly Fish in water
  • Falmouth Jamaica
    • The Ultimate Bamboo Rafting Experience excursion was the best excursion we have ever done. Highly, highly recommend. Only bad part were the seat belts in the van were not usable
  • Nassau, Bahamas
    • Very crowded and it was hot
  • Ship
    • Clean
    • Pool was very crowded with lots of Children (normal for a short cruise in the summer)
  • Crew
    • Pleasant

Dinner Menu Day 1 – Welcome Aboard:

Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.

Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/4f2f0Zc Miracles-Grows Water Soluble All Purpose Plant Food: I use this monthly on all my inside plants. It is amazing how green and luscious they look after a nice feeding. They are glowing happy full plants. Steve does the outside ones also, but not as often.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned

Living the Dream Year 5 Day 85 – Day 8 of 29 day Florida, Caribbean, SeaWorld, and Disney World Trip – Day 6 of 6 night Adventure of the Seas – Nassau, Bahamas

Year 5, Day 85, “Living the Dream”. Thursday, 7/24/2025 DAY 8 of 29 day Florida, Caribbean, SeaWorld and Disney World trip. – Day 6 of 6 night Adventure of the Seas Western Caribbean and Perfect Day. – Nassau, Bahamas.

We are the first ship docked in Nassau this morning. We are at the Windjammer for the breakfast buffet at 6:30am. Three ships are approaching at 7am. It is going to be a crowded Nassau day. The Carnival Liberty is the next ship in.

Nassau is the capital of the Bahamas. It lies on the island of New Providence. Paradise Island is accessible over a bridge or by ferry. The water ferry is located by the cruise ships within the port. A ticket costs $7.00 each way. This is a popular cruise-ship stop, This city was founded in 1670 as Charles Town. Then in 1695 it was rebuilt as Nassau. Downtown Nassau is roughly twenty square blocks. I always feel safe here. I have always wanted to walk up the Queens staircase and today was the day. Ha it is closed for renovations. The Queens Staircase, commonly referred to as The 66 Steps, was built out of solid limestone rock. Slaves constructed it between 1793 and 1794. It provided a direct route from Fort Fincastle to Nassau. These steps were later renamed in honor of Queen Victoria. She reigned in Britain for 64 years, from 1837 to 1901. On your way into port you will see a large Señor Frog’s. People seem to love the party atmosphere at Señor Frog’s

At 7:15am the next ship gets close enough where I can clearly see it. It is the Carnival Mardi Gras.

At 7:30am Symphony of the Seas is here. It is amazing watching it spin around to back into its docking spot.

The Royal Beach Club construction is coming along. It is supposed to open in December. Guests sailing to Nassau must purchase a day pass to enter the new Royal Beach Club Paradise Island. This is the first destination within the Royal Beach Club collection. A big new money maker.

Royal Caribbean is definitely expanding its locations and ships. Besides the ships on the list below there are three other classes. On the top is Icon with two ships. On the bottom is Radiance with four ships. Vision also has four ships. That is a total of 29 ships. We have been on 17.

This morning we talked to the concierge in the Crown Lounge. We learned that she started in housekeeping. She was cleaning the public areas of this ship 15 years ago. Look where she is now. Good job, Royal for allowing your loyal employees career growth. This is very pleasing to me and close to my heart. I was given a big chance at career growth with Selective Insurance. So everyday I thank them for where I am today.

Before departing the ship we visited the Crown and Anchor Ambassador and had our future ship amenity gifts changed from wine to bags.

As you walk down the pier into the Nassau port, you will pass the tugboats to the left. These tugboats are commissioned for Tug Services Limited. This is a Bahamian-owned company that holds a 15-year contract with the Bahamian government for harbor assistance. The Samson and the Tug Rose primarily assist in guiding large cruise ships into the Prince George Wharf in Nassau. The Kenneth C tugboat was also docked.

Look to the right walking to the port and there is a great view of the Atlantis Paradise Island.

You can purchase ferry tickets at the end of the long pier farthest from the water. This takes you over to paradise Island. It is a great way to spend the day.

We walked through the port, around town, and down the waterfront back to the ship

Be prepared in the Bahamas to pay for stuff in US dollars and get Bahamian money back. The legal tender here in Nassau is the Bahamian dollar, which is equivalent in value to the U.S. dollar.

If interested in other days with DeesTimes in Nassau click here – https://deestimes.com/bahama-ports/ There you will find seven other days to get a full immersion into Nassau. Carnival puts up a nice area to greet their guests coming back to their ships.

In the afternoon ship is quiet.

Windjammer dinner and a little house dreaming.

This is the last night of this cruise. Playing in a Royal Caribbean casino does give you some benefits. Here is the list of cruises I am offered for playing this trip. I am a small time player, but hey it is a fairly nice list. You can also visit this site https://www.clubroyaleoffers.com/ and your offers will be listed there.

We picked up our memories. A Diamond Plus member gets a free professional photo each cruise.

We should be off the ship early tomorrow.

Dinner Menu Day 6 – BON VOYAGE

Cruise Compass for Day 6:

Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.

Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/4f2f0Zc Miracles-Grows Water Soluble All Purpose Plant Food: I use this monthly on all my inside plants. It is amazing how green and luscious they look after a nice feeding. They are glowing happy full plants. Steve does the outside ones also, but not as often.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned

Living the Dream Year 5 Day 84 – Day 7 of 29 day Florida, Caribbean, SeaWorld, and Disney World Trip – Day 5 of 6 night Adventure of the Seas – At sea traveling from Falmouth, Jamaica to Nassau, Bahamas – Windjammer buffet videos

Year 5, Day 84, “Living the Dream”. Wednesday, 7/23/2025 DAY 7 of 29 day Florida, Caribbean, SeaWorld and Disney World trip. – Day 5 of 6 night Adventure of the Seas Western Caribbean and Perfect Day. At sea traveling from Falmouth, Jamaica to Nassau, Bahamas.

Another example of wastefulness. This is in the Crown Lounge after continental breakfast is over. Everything gets thrown away. Well, I guess these cruise ships feed the fishes.

It was a good time to put out some new Utube videos.

Here’s a breakfast Windjammer buffet video

Here’s a lunch Windjammer buffet video

We received our luggage tags and our time is 8am to depart the ship in two days. I feel like we just got on the ship. We will be putting our luggage out tomorrow night.

There is a dance studio on board. They have been been getting instructions all week. Today we watched them dance a little bit. The speaker was talking about where they can go after high school with dance. Of course The Julliard school was mentioned a lot.

Our room had a little bit of a leak. I think the people on the next deck didn’t close their shower. Maintenance came right away.

Hershey Park Reunion memories popped up. This is the first year in a while. We have not met up with family in the summer at Hershey Park. Meeting up with extended family is such a fun thing to do. There is nothing like family.

Cruise Compass for Day 5:

Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.

Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/4f2f0Zc Miracles-Grows Water Soluble All Purpose Plant Food: I use this monthly on all my inside plants. It is amazing how green and luscious they look after a nice feeding. They are glowing happy full plants. Steve does the outside ones also, but not as often.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned

Living the Dream Year 5 Day 83 – Day 6 of 29 day Florida, Caribbean, SeaWorld, and Disney World Trip – Day 4 of 6 night Adventure of the Seas – Falmouth, Jamaica – Bamboo rafting

Year 5, Day 83, “Living the Dream”. Tuesday, 7/22/2025 DAY 6 of 29 day Florida, Caribbean, SeaWorld and Disney World trip. – Day 4 of 6 night Adventure of the Seas Western Caribbean and Perfect Day. A Falmouth, Jamaica day. We are up early at breakfast by 6:30am with a lot of other passengers. I sat by the window as we pulled into Port.

The last time we were here was in January, 2023 on Wonder of the Seas. Here’s a link to that day. Living the Dream Year 2 Day 273 – Day 5 of 14 (Falmouth, Jamaica) on Wonder of the Seas – Deestimes – Make every step of the journey count https://share.google/SI4gYDZOVlEs3hZZF Today we are doing The Ultimate Bamboo Rafting Experience excursion. We booked this in advance through Royal. The cost was $155.98 for both of us. That included tax. Today you would pay $104.00 each before tax. Always book your excursions prior to your cruise and watch the specials. I had heard good things from others about this excursion. We will be taking a thirty foot raft down the Martha Brae River. We ate breakfast and headed off the ship to meet for our excursion. Before getting off the ship we grabbed two towels. You use your room key card to secure the towels for the day. There is no charge as long as you return them before the end of the cruise.

We walked through the port past a fountain, many stores and craft vendors to our excursion meeting point. In this port there are lots of beautiful handcrafted wood items for sale.

We were loaded on a small bus and headed off at 8:30am. The seat belts were tied up so you could not use them.

They drive on the left side and the roads we took were narrow and winding. There is lots of garbage on the sides of the roads. The fastest man in the world was born in Falmouth. The fastest man in the world is generally considered to be Usain Bolt, a retired Jamaican sprinter. As we drive Mangrove trees line the roads. The largest English-speaking country in the Caribbean by population is Jamaica.

The tour guide on the bus sold us Mosquito repellent band for $5.00 a package. The bugs can be bad in a rain forest.

It was about a 15 minute drive to Rafters Village in the parish of Trelawny. The village is home to souvenir shops, vendors, a bar, and a herb garden.

After they had allotted sufficient time for shopping we provided life vests and boarded our 30 foot raft. There were two people to a raft and a guide. The process took a while because they spaced the rafts leaving in order to give more trip privacy. The seat was a low seat, but was not that uncomfortable.

Our raft guide worked barefoot and used a long bamboo pole to push us off the river bank. The guide used this pole to propel us as we meandered down the river for three miles. It was just us and the quiet of the river. Our raft captain Eric was informative and friendly. The guides stop before finishing the trip and try to sell their handmade crafts to you. We told him $20.00 tip or we buy your craft. I told him, if I was you I would take the tip. lol. He agreed.

He did stop the raft and had us take our life jackets off for some nice pictures.

The ride was very tranquil, romantic, and relaxing. You are surrounded by rainforest and lush greenery as you float along. Martha Brae River has a length of 20 miles and maintains an average depth of 4 feet. There are no snakes or alligators/crocodiles on the river. The mongooses eat the snakes.

The excursion was supposed to be over three hours, but it was only about two hours. At the end of the trip, they took the bamboo rafts. They loaded them on a trailer to bring back up river to the starting point for more customers.

This experience is a must-do while you are in Jamaica. This was absolutely the best excursion I have ever been on. In the afternoon we had drinks by the pool. Lots of kids and very crowded.

Dinner Menu – A taste of the Caribbean

Cruise Compass for Day 4:

Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.

Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/4f2f0Zc Miracles-Grows Water Soluble All Purpose Plant Food: I use this monthly on all my inside plants. It is amazing how green and luscious they look after a nice feeding. They are glowing happy full plants. Steve does the outside ones also, but not as often.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned

Living the Dream Year 5 Day 82 – Day 5 of 29 day Florida, Caribbean, SeaWorld, and Disney World Trip – Day 3 of 6 night Adventure of the Seas – At sea traveling from Perfect Day at CocoCay to Falmouth, Jamaica

Year 5, Day 82, “Living the Dream”. Monday, 7/21/2025 DAY 5 of 29 day Florida, Caribbean, SeaWorld and Disney World trip. – Day 3 of 6 night Adventure of the Seas Western Caribbean and Perfect Day. At sea traveling from Perfect day at CocoCay to Falmouth. Jamaica.

A relaxing day at sea. Some sitting, a little eating,

a little casino time and lots and lots of deck walking.

We found a duck outside on deck while walking hidden by the Donaldson family from Joliet Illinois. We added our tag to it and hid it again. Then we found one in the bag of butterflies on our door. It was from the Mercer family from Indiana. We added our tag and rehid it. Thank you Donaldson and Mercer family for the fun. I never find ducks even though I hide them.

At lunch time we walked into the buffet and it was so crazy crowded. We left and went to the dining room. It was wonderful in the dining room. The pulled pork sandwich with coleslaw was excellent. It was served on a soft roll. The barbecue sauce was not too sweet or spicy. The perfect sandwich. The French fries were hard and dried out though. The service was the best as usual. The best part of eating lunch in the dining room is the calm serene atmosphere.

It is dress your best night. Most women are dressed up and men have jackets on. I was so into talking at dinner that I ordered and forgot to take pictures of the food and menu. The Chicken Cordon Bleu was wonderful. Very tender moist chicken and the mashed potatoes were great. This ship does have great food.

Cruise Compass for Day 3:

Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.

Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/4f2f0Zc Miracles-Grows Water Soluble All Purpose Plant Food: I use this monthly on all my inside plants. It is amazing how green and luscious they look after a nice feeding. They are glowing happy full plants. Steve does the outside ones also, but not as often.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned

Living the Dream Year 5 Day 81 – Day 4 of 29 day Florida, Caribbean, SeaWorld, and Disney World Trip – Day 2 of 6 night Adventure of the Seas – Perfect Day at CocoCay, Stateroom 6264 video

Year 5, Day 81, “Living the Dream”. Sunday, 7/20/2025 DAY 4 of 29 day Florida, Caribbean, SeaWorld and Disney World trip. – Day 2 of 6 night Adventure of the Seas Western Caribbean and Perfect Day. Perfect day at CocoCay. Utobia of the Seas is already docked as we arrive.

Woke up and had a nice hot shower in room 6264 with plenty of water. I had to stack all the paper advertisements. They were left all over the desk/make up table. This was necessary in order to use it. What a waste of resources. The QR scan code for the compass will be used use everyday. I feel bad about the excess paper. But, I have to admit I do read every little piece of paper left in my room. Royal Caribbean knows you will!!

Headed into the Windjammer for a buffet breakfast with an Elvis washy washy washy song. Then off the ship for some hot Hot HOt HOT fun in the sun. We headed to Chill beach early by 8:30am. We always head to the left over the bridge through the craft/souvenir huts. Then stop and get that perfect picture on the bridge. On your left as you cross the bridge is a great view of the water and the ships docked. There are usually cruise line photographers stationed there. On your right is a view of Harbor Beach and a water fountain. After that, we walked past the snorkel gear rental hut. Then, we passed the first aid building. Finally, we went onto Chill Beach.

The water was warm but filled with sea weed. People were also saying they were seeing jelly fish and the girl sitting behind me was stung by one. Staff sprayed it with vinegar. She sat was holding her arm all morning. She was saying it was really really itchy. Okay please give me a pool, but I did go in the water. From the water looking back at the island is a beautiful view of your docked ship and lovely palm trees. You can almost forget the crowds of people.

It was pretty quiet when we first got there, but by noon time it is packed with cruise passengers. These life guards have a tough job! There are three lifeguards at this beach watching hundreds of people. All day we watched employees drive up and down the beach raking seaweed, picking it up and carting it away. If constant maintenance wasn’t taking place this beach wouldn’t be so perfect. Steve says CocoCay reminds him of the Jersey shore in the summer – crowded. Our ship holds 3,807 passengers and Utopia is docked with us here today. Utopia holds 7,968 passengers. Sitting at this beach we can see The Norwegian Gem anchored off of Great Stirrup Cay.

Perfect Day at CocoCay is Royal Caribbeans island. They transformed Little Stirrup Cay, Bahamas, in May of 2019. It is adjacent to Norwegian’s Great Stirrup Cay. It is one of the Berry Islands in the Bahamas. CocoCay is 125 acres and 1.57 km wide (east to west) by 0.43 km long (north to south). I read that they are set up for 13,000 passengers per day. Wonder how many beach chairs they have. Oasis Lagoon is located in the center of the island. It is the largest freshwater pool in the Caribbean. The lagoon features a large swim-up bar. If you want to you can walk the whole island, but it is hot. There is a complimentary tram service that can take you to all corners of Perfect Day at CocoCay. There are five free beaches here. They are Chill Island, Harbor Beach, South Beach, Breezy Bay at Chill Island, and Cove Beach. Then there are two beaches you pay a fee to use. They are Coco Beach Club and Hideaway Beach. We have three cruises on this trip. They are scheduled one right after the other. We will be coming to CocoCay on all three. We will be heading to Hideaway Beach on the last cruise. The casino gave us free passes when we booked the cruise.

We ate at the buffet on the island it was excellent. The seagulls were very watchful and take your food if you don’t watch it. They are very aggressive. Watch your food!!

After lunch we head back onto the ship. You need your room card key to get off the ships. It is also required on the dock to get back near the ship. Then to the Crown Lounge, where I grabbed a cup of coffee to go. Then spent a little quality time in the casino sipping my coffee. Life is great!! The casino is open at this port.

Here is a weird weather fact. At 4pm, it is 88 degrees Fahrenheit and feels like 100 at home in Kentucky. Here in the Berry Islands it is 86 degrees Fahrenheit and feels like 94. Who would have thought.

At 6:30pm we are still at CocoCay, Bahamas due to a medical emergency. Our departure time was 5pm. We ate dinner in the Windjammer Buffet with a great view of CocoCay.

We watched the Norwegian Gem pull away earlier. Love my guarding puppy dog.

Here is a link to more information and other visits CocoCay. https://deestimes.com/bahama-ports/

Here is a link to a Youtube video of our Balcony stateroom 6264

Cruise Compass for Day 2:

Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.

Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/3GY7hPi ELEMIS Pro-Collagen Marine Cream SPF 30: I use this daily and it is SPF30 which protects my face. I first used this on a cruise and keep buying more. It is lightly scented and isn’t too heavy. Steve says it keeps you young looking forever.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned

Living the Dream Year 5 Day 80 – Day 3 of 29 day Florida, Caribbean, SeaWorld, and Disney World Trip – Day 1 of 6 night Adventure of the Seas – Boarding and parking in Port Canaveral, Merritt Square Mall

Year 5, Day 80, “Living the Dream”. Saturday, 7/19/2025 DAY 3 of 29 day Florida, Caribbean, SeaWorld and Disney World trip. Day 1 of 6 night Adventure of the Seas. We departed the Hilton Garden Inn in Lake Buena Vista and headed to Merritt Square Mall in the morning.

We wanted to be closer to the port in the morning. The mall was quiet and it is needing outside refurbishment. The Crew Bus runs from Port Canaveral and drops off and picks up here in a constant loop. The bus also drops off at Walmart. That bus is how we came to know this mall. We took it here a few years ago because I forgot sneakers on one trip. We paid a little more to ride it because we were not crew. This stop was to waste a little time. But hey it is a good place to purchase some new clean sneakers.

Our check in time was 12:30-1pm. Check in was delayed by one hour because of routine cleaning and maintenance. I think this is because one of their ships in California had a problem. There was a stomach bug among the crew and passengers. They were deep cleaning to address it.

We arrived at terminal five. We very easily dropped off our luggage and parked the car on the third floor of the parking garage. This is a six night trip. Parking was $127.00.

It never gets old and is really exciting. As you are walking into the terminal, you look over and see your ship. There she is “Adventure of the Seas”, our home for six nights.

The check in and boarding was quick and easy as was the safety drill. We had already completed our check-in registration documents and health questionnaires. We scanned our passports and took our pictures. We also watched the safety video on their app before arriving at the port. As soon as we boarded we met for the safety drill check in. Then we proceeded to to the Windjammer buffet. All Royal Caribbean ships have the day in each elevator. It is great because when you are on a holiday you definitely forget the day. Actually when you are retired you forget the day. LOL

They had two crew at the buffet entrance to ensure everyone used the sinks and washed their hands. We had lunch and headed to our room. We booked a guaranteed balcony stateroom and were given stateroom 6264. It is a really nice stateroom with a nice view. Video will follow tomorrow. Port Canaveral is a very busy port. Just from our room at our terminal I can see three other cruise ships representing three other cruise lines.  Disney, Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian ships are docked. Port Canaveral is the second busiest cruise port in the world and has seven cruise terminals. This port is a home port to Disney Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess Cruises and Royal Caribbean International

In the afternoon we headed to the Crown Lounge for some coffee. The Crown Lounge is exclusive for Diamond, Diamond Plus, and Pinnacle Club Crown & Anchor® Society members only. In this lounge you will find complimentary bites available throughout the day and a dedicated concierge. Best part is the coffee machine 24/7. Yes, I like my coffee.

Dinner was good. No complaints at all with anything. Our wait staff is excellent. The Pan roasted Fish Fillet was very good.

One strange thing is there was no sign of a stateroom attendant. Our room is clean although the last person left a bottle of Tylenol and aspirin in one of the cabinets.

Dining room dinner menu Day 1 – Welcome Aboard

Cruise Compass for Day 1:

Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.

Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/3GY7hPi ELEMIS Pro-Collagen Marine Cream SPF 30: I use this daily and it is SPF30 which protects my face. I first used this on a cruise and keep buying more. It is lightly scented and isn’t too heavy. Steve says it keeps you young looking forever.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned

Living the Dream Year 5 Day 79 – Day 2 of 29 day Florida, Caribbean, SeaWorld, and Disney World Trip – GA to FL

Year 5, Day 79, “Living the Dream”. Friday, 7/18/2025 DAY 2 of 29 day Florida, Caribbean, SeaWorld and Disney World trip. We drove from Tifton, Georgia to Hilton Garden Inn Lake Buena Vista, Florida today. Before we started the day we had breakfast at the Tifton, Georgia Hilton Garden Inn. And yes my eggs were really well done. I never can get the perfect fried egg, which is medium well done. I like the white cooked and the yoke just starting to cook. This morning it wasn’t worth the effort. so over well was my order.

As we leave the hotel I notice there is an Olive Garden right outside the back door. Crazy that we have stayed here numerous times and never noticed it. How observant am I???

Last night smart Mighty Mouse found the ladder. He scurried up three times and took a peanut each time. The trap door opened each time and shut but he didn’t fall in. We at least have found his weakness now. He likes peanuts. Steve is calculating how to get him. He says he is going to out smart him. His idea is to make the lid slippery. I am starting to think this is like a Tom (Steve) and Jerry (mouse) show.

By 9am we are in Florida. It is a nice sunny 88 degrees Fahrenheit. It quickly climbed up to 94.

Below is a video of the Hilton Garden Inn. It’s located at 11400 Marbella Palm Ct, Orlando, FL 32836. We are spending the night in room 602.

Parking at hotels in Orlando seem to all have this T-park now. A new way for hotels to add easy revenue. The hotel doesn’t need to do anything and they make money for every car in their parking lot. Perfectly understandable why they would use this service. It actually is really a win win for T-Park and the hotels. Not such a win for the hotel guests. We paid for a one night stay package which included the parking. Without the package it would have been $27.00 a day.

This hotel has a nice pattern of pavers.

We are about four miles from Disney World. You can tell that most of the clientele are Disney goers. You can actually play a little Disney Hopscotch on the way to the elevator. I had to fight the urge to do that. I played it cool and just stared at the floor with longing. I know there is a camera somewhere that is just willing to record me. I don’t want to find myself on “Dumb things old ladies do”. LOL

We will be able to see the Disney World fireworks displays from our room tonight. At Magic Kingdom, the “Happily Ever After” fireworks show is scheduled for 9:00PM tonight. At EPCOT, “Luminous The Symphony of Us” is set for 9:00 PM as well. At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, “Fantasmic!” is scheduled for 9:30PM.

We love to share a Jersey Mike Sub on vacation. A fairly inexpensive not that unhealthy meal for two we can take back to our hotel for later.

Lot’s of time to discuss future house builds. One more build we think!

Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.

Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/3GY7hPi ELEMIS Pro-Collagen Marine Cream SPF 30: I use this daily and it is SPF30 which protects my face. I first used this on a cruise and keep buying more. It is lightly scented and isn’t too heavy. Steve says it keeps you young looking forever.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned

Living the Dream Year 5 Day 78 – Day 1 of 29 day Florida, Caribbean, SeaWorld, and Disney World Trip – KY to GA

Year 5, Day 78, “Living the Dream”. Thursday, 7/17/2025 DAY 1 of 29 day Florida, Caribbean, SeaWorld and Disney World trip. Headed out this morning after the house sitters arrived and drove to Tifton, Georgia. Along the way we are taking some time to enjoy the flowers at rest areas.

We are staying tonight at the Hilton Garden Inn room 413 in Tifton.

Here’s a link to a previous stay, 1/20/2023 at this hotel with a video of the hotel and room 413. living the Dream – Year 2, Day 267 – Deestimes – Make every step of the journey count https://share.google/1GOewO4fys7fs9FHe. We like room 413 and try to choose it if we can. Capturing the smart mouse in the downstairs is costing us money. We had named him the $100 dollar mouse. We decided today to rename him to Mighty Mouse. Look at the video of how high he can jump. It is so funny. Why doesn’t he just use the ladder.

At 1pm we are getting near Atlanta, Georgia and the traffic is building up.

Can’t get house designs off my mind.

Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.

Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/3GY7hPi ELEMIS Pro-Collagen Marine Cream SPF 30: I use this daily and it is SPF30 which protects my face. I first used this on a cruise and keep buying more. It is lightly scented and isn’t too heavy. Steve says it keeps you young looking forever.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned

Living the Dream Year 5 Day 77 – The Wellington – Ready for Cruising the Caribbean, Wellington video tour

Year 5, Day 77, “Living the Dream”. Wednesday, 7/16/2025. The Wellington – Nice warm day.

We have come a long way in one year.

Getting ready to head out for some Caribbean cruising.

But before we head out here is a new video of our progress on the Wellington.

Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.

Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/3GY7hPi ELEMIS Pro-Collagen Marine Cream SPF 30: I use this daily and it is SPF30 which protects my face. I first used this on a cruise and keep buying more. It is lightly scented and isn’t too heavy. Steve says it keeps you young looking forever.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned

Living the Dream Year 5 Day 76 – The Wellington – Front deck stained, friendly hummingbirds

Year 5, Day 76, “Living the Dream”. Tuesday, 7/15/2025. The Wellington – Front deck is stained. We are heading out cruising soon and want to get the outside front of the house completed.

The amount of hummingbirds at our feeder is incredible. At times there are six eating at a time. We are thinking that the new ones are babies that have left the nest and are out and about. I think momma is showing them the birdfeeder. It is amazing how close they will come to me.

Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.

Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/3GY7hPi ELEMIS Pro-Collagen Marine Cream SPF 30: I use this daily and it is SPF30 which protects my face. I first used this on a cruise and keep buying more. It is lightly scented and isn’t too heavy. Steve says it keeps you young looking forever.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned

Living the Dream Year 5 Day 75 – The Wellington – Front garden work

Year 5, Day 75, “Living the Dream”. Monday, 7/14/2025. The Wellington – Worked on finishing the front gardens in the morning. More new plants were added, weeds were pulled, flowers were dead headed, and every plant was given some Miracle Grow. It was amazing as soon as we were done the rain came in. No hose needed.

Smaller home plan for next time?

Looking at paying our gratuities for our upcoming cruises.

Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.

Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/3GY7hPi ELEMIS Pro-Collagen Marine Cream SPF 30: I use this daily and it is SPF30 which protects my face. I first used this on a cruise and keep buying more. It is lightly scented and isn’t too heavy. Steve says it keeps you young looking forever.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned

Living the Dream Year 5 Day 74 – The Wellington – Front deck stain purchased

Year 5, Day 74, “Living the Dream”. Sunday, 7/13/2025. The Wellington – Off day for construction. Just a normal around the house day with cleaning, laundry, cooking, and organizing.

Well we did go to Lowe’s though for front deck stain.

Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.

Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/44JNmeW Yoga Mat: This is a lightweight, non slip mat. I is soft for floor exercises and thin enough to maintain stability during one-legged balance poses. The best thing is it is great to take on vacation.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned

Living the Dream Year 5 Day 73 – The Wellington – Outside doors painted black

Year 5, Day 73, “Living the Dream”. Saturday, 7/12/2025. The Wellington – All exterior doors are black now. We left the balcony one white.

Next up is painting the front deck.

Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.

Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/44JNmeW Yoga Mat: This is a lightweight, non slip mat. I is soft for floor exercises and thin enough to maintain stability during one-legged balance poses. The best thing is it is great to take on vacation.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned

Living the Dream Year 5 Day 72 – The Wellington – Front door painted black, smart mouse, new tires, visiting Reina

Year 5, Day 72, “Living the Dream”. Friday, 7/11/2025. The Wellington – We have the smartest mouse. We have tried everything to catch him/her. Nothing is working. Now we have a new bucket trap and we are trying peanuts. This is turning into the $100.00 mouse. Had a 9am appointment at Walmart for new tires. I have to complain to someone. You know I avoid Walmart. I called the car dealer for new tires. The price was exactly the same there as at Walmart. But dealer could not get me in for 3 weeks. With Walmart I could order and get the same tires delivered to the store and make my appt online. Ha. My appt was 9am. Nope they take me in at 10am I am here at 8:45. Text says 15 minutes late and you lose your appt. They completed my service at 11am. Never, never, never again Walmart. I was so flustered with the time waiting. I forgot to check if they put the correct tires on. I was on my way to meet up with Reina. I was also talking to Steve. He asks, how do the tires look? OMG, I didn’t even look. He says well did they put the right ones on? I am sure they did, I responded. Yup I pulled over into a parking lot to check. Whew they were the correct ones.

After that I met up with Reina and Spencer. We visited Reina’s work, had lunch at Betty’s Country Cooking. and stopped by Spencer’s new school.

Arrived home to a painted front door. Steve washed and painted all the white trim on the front, back, and shed door. The front door is painted black. The other two doors will be painted black tomorrow if I go pick up some more paint.

We are looking forward to another MSC Seashore cruise.

Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.

Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/44JNmeW Yoga Mat: This is a lightweight, non slip mat. I is soft for floor exercises and thin enough to maintain stability during one-legged balance poses. The best thing is it is great to take on vacation.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned

Living the Dream Year 5 Day 71 – The Wellington – Spindles are all painted and ready to be installed

Year 5, Day 71, “Living the Dream”. Thursday, 7/10/2025. The Wellington – Raining in the morning so we switched to spindle painting. All spindles are ready.

We figure if we can save 20 percent on something, it is worthwhile. As long as we plan to use it in the next year. Look at the coffee we bought. It was a great deal and I love coffee. https://amzn.to/4lkr7TQ

Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.

Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/44JNmeW Yoga Mat: This is a lightweight, non slip mat. I is soft for floor exercises and thin enough to maintain stability during one-legged balance poses. The best thing is it is great to take on vacation.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned

Living the Dream Year 5 Day 70 – The Wellington – Corner bedroom ready for guests

Year 5, Day 70, “Living the Dream”. Wednesday, 7/09/2025. The Wellington – Lowes replaced the pavers with no problem.

We finished the mulch and purchased a few more plants.

Corner bedroom is finished right down to the decorations. Working on the office. Just need a few wall decorations to be complete.

Maybe??

Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.

Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/44JNmeW Yoga Mat: This is a lightweight, non slip mat. I is soft for floor exercises and thin enough to maintain stability during one-legged balance poses. The best thing is it is great to take on vacation.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned

Living the Dream Year 5 Day 69 – The Wellington – Landscaping work, 80 broken pavers

Year 5, Day 69, “Living the Dream”. Tuesday, 7/08/2025. The Wellington – Another day working on the landscaping. Lots and lots of mulch was spread. We have 80 broken pavers so far.

Tomorrow will be some surprise pictures. Still looking at smaller designs for the next one.

Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.

Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/3InR5HG PHILIPS Sonicare ProtectiveClean Electric Toothbrush: I have been using the Sonicare toothbrush for twenty years. I used to have pockets around my teeth until my NJ dentist said try one of these. My gums and teeth are amazing since then. My dentist here now always comments wow you take good care of your gums and teeth. It is this toothbrush!!!! Highly highly recommend.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned

Living the Dream Year 5 Day 68 – The Wellington – Front sidewalk complete, Newcomers OEM speaker

Year 5, Day 68, “Living the Dream”. Monday, 7/07/2025. The Wellington – Front sidewalk is completed. The last step was to put sand on and sweep into all the spaces. Some more plants were planted around the walkway and the steps had to be rebuilt to accommodate the sidewalk height.

I attended the Somerset monthly Newcomers meeting. Sitting under the saddle I listened to today’s speaker, Chris Mason from the Pulaski County Kentucky Office of Emergency Management. He was an awesome speaker and gave lots of information about tornado readiness. Chris has been the Director of the Office of Emergency Management since December 2024. He serves under the supervision of Pulaski County judge executive Marshall Todd. He spoke today about the tornado that ripped through our area May 16, 2025. He also told us that 54 tornadoes have touched ground in KY so far this year. It appears that “tornado alley” is shifting from Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas to include Missouri, Arkansas, and Kentucky. He spoke about how wonderful FEMA has been to work with. They were here quickly and are still here. He has applied for a grant for weather radios that will be available for all residents in Pulaski County soon. Chris’s prior experience has included emergency management for the military.

Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.

Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/3InR5HG PHILIPS Sonicare ProtectiveClean Electric Toothbrush: I have been using the Sonicare toothbrush for twenty years. I used to have pockets around my teeth until my NJ dentist said try one of these. My gums and teeth are amazing since then. My dentist here now always comments wow you take good care of your gums and teeth. It is this toothbrush!!!! Highly highly recommend.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned

Living the Dream Year 5 Day 67 – The Wellington – Replacing broken pavers

Year 5, Day 67, “Living the Dream”. Sunday, 7/06/2025. The Wellington – 79 pavers had to be replaced because they broke when we compacted the walkway yesterday. That is ten percent of the pavers in the front walkway. We think they were defective. I will be contacting Lowes to see if they will replace them or refund our money.

Little mice babies have been born. They are running around. We also have these bugs. We need to spray the outside of the foundation to prevent bugs from entering the home.

Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.

Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/3InR5HG PHILIPS Sonicare ProtectiveClean Electric Toothbrush: I have been using the Sonicare toothbrush for twenty years. I used to have pockets around my teeth until my NJ dentist said try one of these. My gums and teeth are amazing since then. My dentist here now always comments wow you take good care of your gums and teeth. It is this toothbrush!!!! Highly highly recommend.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned

Living the Dream Year 5 Day 66 – The Wellington – Compacting the front paver sidewalk

Year 5, Day 66, “Living the Dream”. Saturday, 7/05/2025. The Wellington – Compacting the front paver walkway.

Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.

Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/3InR5HG PHILIPS Sonicare ProtectiveClean Electric Toothbrush: I have been using the Sonicare toothbrush for twenty years. I used to have pockets around my teeth until my NJ dentist said try one of these. My gums and teeth are amazing since then. My dentist here now always comments wow you take good care of your gums and teeth. It is this toothbrush!!!! Highly highly recommend.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned

Living the Dream Year 5 Day 65 – The Wellington – Happy 4th, landscaping

Year 5, Day 65, “Living the Dream”. Friday, 7/04/2025. The Wellington – Happy fourth of July. Here’s to fireworks, freedom, fun, and family. Hope you have a blast celebrating the birth of our great nation with your loved ones.

A little more plants added to the yard.

Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.

Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/3InR5HG PHILIPS Sonicare ProtectiveClean Electric Toothbrush: I have been using the Sonicare toothbrush for twenty years. I used to have pockets around my teeth until my NJ dentist said try one of these. My gums and teeth are amazing since then. My dentist here now always comments wow you take good care of your gums and teeth. It is this toothbrush!!!! Highly highly recommend.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned

Living the Dream Year 5 Day 64 – The Wellington – Front sidewalk pavers down under frog supervision

Year 5, Day 64, “Living the Dream”. Thursday, 7/03/2025. The Wellington – Steve went out early. He finished laying the pavers in the front sidewalk. Mr Toad and I watched him closely.

I went out exercising, getting my hair done, and shopping. As I went about my business I kept a watchful eye to the security cameras. Had to make sure he was really working and not passed out from the hot sun.

Ghosts is a great show to binge watch.

Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.

Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/3InR5HG PHILIPS Sonicare ProtectiveClean Electric Toothbrush: I have been using the Sonicare toothbrush for twenty years. I used to have pockets around my teeth until my NJ dentist said try one of these. My gums and teeth are amazing since then. My dentist here now always comments wow you take good care of your gums and teeth. It is this toothbrush!!!! Highly highly recommend.

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Living the Dream Year 5 Day 63 – The Wellington – Corner bedroom closet

Year 5, Day 63, “Living the Dream”. Wednesday, 7/02/2025. The Wellington – It is way to hot to work all day on the pavers. It is 130 degrees in the sun at 9:45am.

These bugs are certainly loving that hot sun and heat.

We cut pavers in half in the garage and filled in the 30 spaces that were left open. Until the sand is placed in between the pavers they can shift if walked on.

Picked up more mason sand and finished the corner bedroom closet. So even with the heat it was a very productive day.

Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.

Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/3InR5HG PHILIPS Sonicare ProtectiveClean Electric Toothbrush: I have been using the Sonicare toothbrush for twenty years. I used to have pockets around my teeth until my NJ dentist said try one of these. My gums and teeth are amazing since then. My dentist here now always comments wow you take good care of your gums and teeth. It is this toothbrush!!!! Highly highly recommend.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned

Living the Dream Year 5 Day 62 – The Wellington – Twenty more feet of paver sidewalk

Year 5, Day 62, “Living the Dream”. Tuesday, 7/01/2025. The Wellington – Twenty more feet of the front four foot sidewalk completed

before we were rained out.

Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.

Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/3InR5HG PHILIPS Sonicare ProtectiveClean Electric Toothbrush: I have been using the Sonicare toothbrush for twenty years. I used to have pockets around my teeth until my NJ dentist said try one of these. My gums and teeth are amazing since then. My dentist here now always comments wow you take good care of your gums and teeth. It is this toothbrush!!!! Highly highly recommend.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned

Living the Dream Year 5 Day 61 – The Wellington – Herringbone Paver front sidewalk started

Year 5, Day 61, “Living the Dream”. Monday, 6/30/2025. The Wellington – First thing this morning, we picked up mason sand from Hamilton. We also picked up 3/4 inch black pipe from Midway Supply. Then, we started the front sidewalk. We have been getting our mulch, sand, stone, etc. that we pick up ourselves at Hamilton Mulch and Landscaping for 4 years now. The young man that loads the truck is exceptionally talented at the controls. Steve actually lets me stay in the truck as he loads the truck. I used to have to get out and move away away from the truck.

The process to create the paver sidewalk is to 1) Put on sunscreen – this a crucial step

2) Dig out the area 3) Place 4 -6 inches of quarry process (quarry process is gravel and stone dust) 4) Compact it 5) place 3/4 inch steel pipes down along the area you are actually paving

6) Make sure it is level

7) Place either one inch of stone dust or 1 inch of mason sand over the compacted quarry process. We used mason sand

8) level the mason sand using a 2×4 and the pipes as your guides.

9) Once level pull out the pipes and fill in the holes with mason sand keeping it all level

10) Lay your pavers down in the design you want. We are doing a 90 degree herringbone design

11) Compact the pavers 11) Put play sand over pavers and sweep into the spaces in between the compacted pavers. The black pipe was $10.00 less expensive for twice as much from Midway Supply compared to Lowes.

The mason sand was $60.00 for a 1/2 yard. This new Ram 2500 is a beast. We had 1,400 pounds in the bed and you could not even tell it was there. The office/bedroom closet has a shelving cubicle now.

It was a productive day of laying pavers, building closet cubicles, and office and bedroom decorating.

Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.

Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/3IefyyT Grande Cosmetics GrandeLASH-MD Lash Enhancing Serum: Nothing makes you look more amazing than long thick eyelashes. I use this every morning on my top and lower lashes and have been for years. Before using this my lashes were broken and ugly looking. Now I get comments about how long and beautiful my lashes are. Great product here.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned