Year 4, Day 185, “Living the Dream”. Friday, 11/01/2024. Clifty Hill 2 – Day 8 of 16-night KY to New Orleans and Day 7 of 14-night New Orleans Carribean cruise on Brilliance of the Seas. At Sea traveling from Yucatan (Progreso) Mexico to New Orleans. Spending time on the ship relaxing and thinking about what we should be doing. So, we canceled our December cruises. We really need to work on the house.
In the afternoon we were entertained with the International Flag parade.
As we travel closer to the United States in the Gulf of Mexico we start seeing oil rigs. The Gulf of Mexico has nearly 125 oil rigs in operation.
We took a few walks around the deck under the lifeboats.
Tomorrow is our back-to-back day. Most passengers currently on the ship will leave and we will be meeting new cruisers.
Cruise Daily information, lunch menu, and departure schedule for tomorrow. The weather is changing the schedule a little bit:
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
Indoor Outdoor Thermometer Large Numbers Wall Thermometer:https://amzn.to/3W7Br7e This is a nice Indoor-Outdoor thermometer. We use it in our garage to verify the temperature. Works good and easy to read.
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Year 4, Day 184, “Living the Dream”. Thursday, 10/31/2024. Clifty Hill 2 – Day 7 of 16-night KY to New Orleans and Day 6 of 14-night New Orleans Carribean cruise on Brilliance of the Seas. Yucatan (Progreso) Mexico today. Happy Halloween.
Last night we ate at Giovani’s. It is not my favorite place to eat. The eggplant parmigiana appetizer was different. It was fat slices of eggplant that were basically raw. Kind of gross. Breadbasket with dipping dish of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and grated cheese was excellent. My entree of Gnocchi Gorgonzola was kind of gross also. Then the Tiramisu was okay. Lots of Kahlua. The best thing to me about Giovanni’s is the service and atmosphere. Steve said he liked everything he ate except the bread with the dipping dish. Haha we are so different. That is what I liked. He liked the Minestrone soup. It reminded him of Manhattan Clam Chowder with no clams. He loved the Filet Mignon entree and the vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce also.
After an early dinner last night, we walked outside. We watched the pilot boat pull away. Then, we talked to a lot of people on deck. We have met so many people on this cruise from the west Coast and first-time cruisers. The Icon of the Seas was really lit up in the Gulf with us. She certainly looks top heavy.
They are working this morning on a plumbing problem out in the hallway by our room.
The ship is really nicely decorated for Halloween today. The crew is taking Halloween seriously on this ship.
Look at all these carved pumpkins. I think the crew had a good time carving pumpkins last night.
If you haven’t been to Progreso before you should definitely do an excursion. Only two ships at a time can dock in Progreso. The Carnival Valor is parked at the pier. She was launched in 2004, and we were launched in 2002. Two old ships sitting side by side.
We can see the extra generators on top of the Valor. Carnival Cruise Line invested in upgrading the emergency power systems on its ships. This investment provides more backup power in the event of a main power loss. Royal Caribbean has emergency generators also, but they’ll are not as visible as they are on the Valor.
This is our second time here, so we elected not to do an all-day tour. We got off the ship and walked around. The line for the shuttle was very long and the pier was very crowded. We got back on the ship and walked around and enjoyed the sights from the ship.
Here is a link to the last time we were here. You will find a lot of information in this link about the area which I am not repeating this time. https://deestimes.com/…/living-the-dream-year-2-day…/ Yummy dinner tonight.
Cruise Daily information, Pool Bar menu, and ship events:
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
Indoor Outdoor Thermometer Large Numbers Wall Thermometer:https://amzn.to/3W7Br7e This is a nice Indoor-Outdoor thermometer. We use it in our garage to verify the temperature. Works good and easy to read.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 4, Day 183, “Living the Dream”. Wednesday, 10/30/2024. Clifty Hill 2 – Day 6 of 16-night KY to New Orleans and Day 5 of 14-night New Orleans Carribean cruise on Brilliance of the Seas. Cozumel, Mexico today. Cozumel is the largest island in Mexico. It is located in the Caribbean Sea off the eastern coast of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. It is beautiful with the water being a clear turquoise. 80% of the island is a protected natural area. Celebrity Beyond followed us into Cozumel but docked at the other port with Icon of the Seas. Cozumel has three Cruise Port terminals – Punta Langosta, Puerto Maya, and the International Cruise Terminal.
Playa del Carmen is only a ferry boat ride away. The ferry ride is about 45 minutes, and they offer 7 or 8 daily trips. This is something we have never done though. I understand that the price averages about $30.00 at this time. I really want to take this ferry one day. We are always nervous about getting that far away from the ship.
Today we docked at Punta Langosta next to the Vidantaworld Ultra Mega Yach. Punta Langosta is located on the edge of San Miguel de Cozumel, the island’s largest and most populous town. Vidanta is a hotel chain that has just launched an ultra-luxury cruise line. Our ship looked very big next to this Yacht.
We walked into the port. This pier is long. There are bike taxi’s that take passengers back and forth from the ship to the port. There is no set cost, they work for tips.
After passing through a security checkpoint, you’ll enter the Punta Langosta Mall, a two-story shopping complex. We wandered through a few stores, took a few pictures, and got back on the ship. The ship is nice and quiet today. Here is a link to the Mexican cruise ports and some of our prior visits to them. https://deestimes.com/mexican-ports/
Cruise Daily information and Dinner menu:
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
Kohler Ready Latch toilet seat: https://amzn.to/3PpYd6G We always replace all the toilet seats in the bathrooms of all our houses with these easy lift off ones. Cleaning around your toilet is no problem. Just lift off the seat. Highly, highly recommend them.
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Year 4, Day 182, “Living the Dream”. Tuesday, 10/29/2024. Clifty Hill 2 – Day 5 of 16-night KY to New Orleans and Day 4 of 14-night New Orleans Carribean cruise on Brilliance of the Seas. George Town, Grand Cayman today.
This a tender port. Tender tickets were given out yesterday morning and we failed to get tickets. It is cloudy as we pull into port at 7:15am next to the Celebrity Beyond.
Here are some other visits to George Town. 1) https://deestimes.com/2020/02/29/george-town-grand-cayman/ 2) 5/10/2022 – https://deestimes.com/…/14/living-the-dream-year-2-day-10/ 3) 4/23/2023 – https://deestimes.com/…/living-the-dream-year-2-day…/ Sitting this morning Steve says “Look there’s the garbage dump”. Me “How do you know?”. Yup it is the garbage dump. The locals call it Mount Trashmore. We have a great view of Mount Trashmore from the ship. It sits 80 feet high in the middle of George Town district. Most people think they’re looking at a hill. This hill of garbage receives between 320 and 350 tons of rubbish a day. An examination process is currently underway about the 68-acre George Town site. The examination aims to determine what remediation work is needed to make the area environmentally safe. The waste mound at George Town Landfill is mostly uncovered. There is no liner beneath the waste. There is no leachate collection or treatment. The area lacks storm water management. There is also no landfill gas management.
Look at the under construction Grand Hyatt Grand Cayman Residences. The condos are priced from $1M to $10M. It is amazing that 80% of the residences are already sold. This will be the first Grand Cayman 5 Star International Resort, since the Ritz-Carlton was built over 15 years ago.
Here is a detailed video of our balcony stateroom 9536.
We took the tender into George Town, walked around with the chickens, and took the tender back.
Cruise Daily information and Dinner menu:
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
Kohler Ready Latch toilet seat: https://amzn.to/3PpYd6G We always replace all the toilet seats in the bathrooms of all our houses with these easy lift off ones. Cleaning around your toilet is no problem. Just lift off the seat. Highly, highly recommend them.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 4, Day 181, “Living the Dream”. Monday, 10/28/2024. Clifty Hill 2 – Day 4 of 16-night KY to New Orleans and Day 3 of 14-night New Orleans Carribean cruise on Brilliance of the Seas. Day 2 at sea traveling from New Orleans to Georgetown, Grand Cayman and we both made prime for next year. The good part is we broke even in the casino this trip so far. Well with that statement you know where we spent a lot of time.
We had Cheers with an Officer lunch. I love these lunches you always meet so many nice people who are the same Diamond Plus status as us. Went to Chops Grille for dinner. Excellent food and service. The Crispy Goat Cheese Salad is heavenly. It is so good that I eat it without the dressing. The Petit Fillet was so tender, and the peppercorn gravy was the perfect complement to it. Sides of Roasted Asparagus and baked potato.
Cruise Daily information
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
Kohler Ready Latch toilet seat: https://amzn.to/3PpYd6G We always replace all the toilet seats in the bathrooms of all our houses with these easy lift off ones. Cleaning around your toilet is no problem. Just lift off the seat. Highly, highly recommend them.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 4, Day 180, “Living the Dream”. Sunday, 10/27/2024. Clifty Hill 2 – Day 3 of 16-night KY to New Orleans and Day 2 of 14-night New Orleans Carribean cruise on Brilliance of the Seas. At sea today. We departed New Orleans at 1am. The crescent city connection bridge is huge and spans the width of the Mississippi River. Well worth taking a photo as it’s significant. The Crescent City Connection (CCC) was formerly known as the Greater New Orleans Bridge (GNO). It refers to twin cantilever bridges crossing over the Mississippi River. They are located in the parishes of Jefferson, Orleans, and St. Bernard. The Crescent City Connection ranks the fifth-longest cantilever bridges in the world and the farthest downstream bridge on the Mississippi River
Our luggage was the only luggage in the hallway at 6am. People must have stayed up late. Luggage had not come at 10:30 pm last night when we went to bed.
We were still in the Mississippi river as we were eating breakfast. I had no idea it takes about 7-8 hours to travel down the Mississippi River. Then you get into the Gulf of Mexico and sail in international waters. We hung around all day and watched the ocean,
did a little casino time, a little eating, a little drinking, and a lot of socializing.
Great first day onboard with fantastic dinner table mates.
Cruise Daily information
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
Kohler Ready Latch toilet seat: https://amzn.to/3PpYd6G We always replace all the toilet seats in the bathrooms of all our houses with these easy lift off ones. Cleaning around your toilet is no problem. Just lift off the seat. Highly, highly recommend them.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 4, Day 179, “Living the Dream”. Saturday, 10/26/2024. Clifty Hill 2 – Day 2 of 16-night KY to New Orleans and Day 1 of 14-night New Orleans Carribean cruise on Brilliance of the Seas. Today was a fun filled day. We woke up in Hattiesburg, Mississippi at a Fairfield Inn and Suites. The hotel is being refurbished. Our room must have just been completed. But wow, I can paint, and spackle better than this work crew and I am terrible at it. There was paint and spackle on everything including the lampshades. The bed was wonderful, and the carpeting was nicely padded and clean. Went down for breakfast and they had a little table set up with a few microwaveable items. Yup, we went to Cracker Barrel.
We will not be boarding until 10:30pm in New Orleans at the Julia Street Cruise Terminal. The delay is due to the ship’s Azipod issues. This terminal handles Carnival Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean International, and Disney Cruise Line. We were less than two hours away. We really didn’t want to get into New Orleans with the town being so crowded with the Swifties. So, we went to the Gulfport Mississippi outlet stores. The driveway into the outlet mall ran along beside a small pond. I wanted to stop and walk up to the side of the pond. Steve would not allow me out of the car to go near the pond. The signs about Alligators and Snakes worried him. Therefor I was only able to take a picture of the sign from the driveway in the car. Lots of nice stores, but no one was really shopping. It was very quiet. Steve actually was approached by a young man who said “Brooks? Watch yourself someone will take those”. Hmm, maybe time to move on to another place.
We were less a half hour to Biloxi, Mississippi. So, we headed to see what Harrahs was like in Biloxi. The casino was pretty run down compared to the casinos in Las Vegas. Ate lunch there, played a few slot machines, and walked away with an additional $20.00. Woohoo.
It was still pretty early as we entered Louisiana and Brilliance of the Seas was not docked yet.
So, we headed to the Lakeside Mall New Orleans. The mall was very crowded with beautiful places to sit all around. Dillards had a lovely Christmas department and gorgeous clothes. I was amazed at the crowds. It was like we were back in the 80’s when everyone went to the mall to walk around. The food court was huge and packed. I thought malls were deserted now. Not this one. It was so clean and beautiful. Check out the short video of the pumpkin face in the falling water fountain. So cool.
Then on to New Orleans cruise port at 8pm. Our ship is waiting for us. By this time all the Swifties were in Ceasars Superdome. We arrived at the Julia St. Terminal dropped off our bags and parked at the Cruise terminals garage near the Hilton. It cost $350.00 for two weeks. Payment up front credit card only. We went up, up, up to the 6th floor to park.
They had shuttles to take you to a spot near the Julia Street train terminal. From there, you walked over the railroad tracks to the terminal entrance. We had to wait for a fire truck turning around while sitting in the shuttle bus on the train tracks. To say I was paranoid. I could see the headlines already in my mind. Please, please, PLEASE get off these tracks kept screaming in my head. How stupid are these people. The Port of New Orleans is the center for international trade. It is the only deep-water port in the United States served by six, class one railroads.
From there it was quick and easy boarding. We were on by 9pm. We made it. GOOD NIGHT! Luggage hopefully will be outside our door in the morning.
Cruise Daily information
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
Kohler Ready Latch toilet seat: https://amzn.to/3PpYd6G We always replace all the toilet seats in the bathrooms of all our houses with these easy lift off ones. Cleaning around your toilet is no problem. Just lift off the seat. Highly, highly recommend them.
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Year 4, Day 178, “Living the Dream”. Friday, 10/25/2024. Clifty Hill 2 – Heading to New Orleans today for two cruises with the first cruise departing tomorrow. Love time traveling. Left 7:30am and in 25 minutes it was 6:45am. We are doing two cruises out of New Orleans. However, our ship is currently still in Progresso, Mexico. It is experiencing an Azipod issue. People on board are posting in Facebook and a large group from the UK have already flown in. Everyone is concerned they may cancel the cruise if they can’t get the ship repaired. At 10 am traveling on Interstate 40 we pass over the Tennessee River Kentucky Lake. In 1938 the Kentucky Dam was started and in 1944 it began holding back the waters of the Tennessee River. The flooded Tennessee River is now known as Kentucky Lake which stands about 55 feet higher than the original river. This lake spans southwest Kentucky and northwest Tennessee. It is 184 miles long and has 2,380 miles of shoreline. At summer levels, it covers 160,300 surface acres. That is huge. Kentucky Lake is the largest man-made lake in the eastern United States.
Further along we see field of white plants. Tennessee produces between 200,000 and 350,000 acres of cotton. The average yield is between 700 and 900 pounds of lint per acre. We drove past more fields harvested than not harvested. Tennessee’s cotton harvest typically takes place in October.
At 3pm it is 87 degrees Fahrenheit and we are in jeans. Poor planning for sure! We are staying at the Hilton Garden Inn Jackson Pearl Mississippi tonight. This hotel is about three hours away from the New Orleans cruise port.
Our original boarding time was 1:30pm tomorrow. However, the ship will not dock until 5pm because of the Azipod issues. Our new check in time is 10pm with the ship departing at 11:30pm. That is past our bedtime lol. Although Royal Caribbean is compensating very well for the change
Yikes and the talk around Facebook is New Orleans is a mess and filled with Swifties. Taylor Swift is at Ceasars Superdome for three nights. The city has given her a grand welcome. They draped a 140-foot friendship bracelet from Caesars Superdome for her. It says “Taylor Swift, The Eras Tour.”. Swift kicks off her three-night tour stop in New Orleans. This happens on the 18th anniversary of her debut album “Self-Titled,” released Oct. 25, 2006.
Birds keep setting off our cameras today. They are jabbering about us going away. Are they worried that the bird feeder may go empty?
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
Kohler Ready Latch toilet seat: https://amzn.to/3PpYd6G We always replace all the toilet seats in the bathrooms of all our houses with these easy lift off ones. Cleaning around your toilet is no problem. Just lift off the seat. Highly, highly recommend them.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 4, Day 177, “Living the Dream”. Thursday, 10/24/2024. Clifty Hill 2 – Hanging Kitchen cabinets
and getting ready for another trip. Feet have to look nice for beach weather. New places to see.
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
Kohler Ready Latch toilet seat: https://amzn.to/3PpYd6G We always replace all the toilet seats in the bathrooms of all our houses with these easy lift off ones. Cleaning around your toilet is no problem. Just lift off the seat. Highly, highly recommend them.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 4, Day 176, “Living the Dream”. Wednesday, 10/23/2024. Clifty Hill 2 – Absentee voting for us today in Somerset, Kentucky. Never did that before, but we will be away on a cruise on election day. It was a paper two-sided ballot which you filled in the box totally for the person you were voting for. It felt like I was back in school. There was a constant flow of people voting. You did have to state where you would be on election day and sign the form.
I learned a little history today. Somerset, Kentucky is in Pulaski County. It is named after Casimir Pulaski. He is nicknamed “The Father of American Cavalry” and “Soldier of Liberty.” He is widely recognized for bringing order to the American cavalry. He used modern training methods. He established the necessity of an independent cavalry during the Revolutionary War. All of these contributions remained essential to the U.S. Army into the 20th century.
After voting we stopped by and saw Justin and Bobi. Bobi actually works with Justin in Construction. Better than me I am just the helper. I do the cleaning, shopping, and cooking. They were around the corner from where we voted.
Then we had an early dinner at Reno’s Steakhouse with the card playing skeletons.
Do you see the chicken man in our bathroom. Steve must be really bored.
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
Kohler Ready Latch toilet seat: https://amzn.to/3PpYd6G We always replace all the toilet seats in the bathrooms of all our houses with these easy lift off ones. Cleaning around your toilet is no problem. Just lift off the seat. Highly, highly recommend them.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 4, Day 175, “Living the Dream”. Tuesday, 10/22/2024. Clifty Hill 2 – We have an oven and microwave that works. Get that plastic off – What should we cook first?
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
Kohler Ready Latch toilet seat: https://amzn.to/3PpYd6G We always replace all the toilet seats in the bathrooms of all our houses with these easy lift off ones. Cleaning around your toilet is no problem. Just lift off the seat. Highly, highly recommend them.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 4, Day 174, “Living the Dream”. Monday, 10/21/2024. Clifty Hill 2 – Thank you Stringer Heating and Air Conditioning. We are up and running. HVAC inspector notified and should be heading our way this week for a final inspection.
The new closet in the corner bedroom is getting put to use. It will be finished when this bedroom gets completed which is not a high priority. I don’t think anyone is visiting us soon.
Look at this garage. It is just begging for my car to be pulled in.
Kitchen spackling continues. Pretty soon those boxed up cabinets downstairs will be proudly displayed in the kitchen. Can’t wait to see how it will look. Getting nervous as we approach the cabinet install.
Loved seeing some Halloween Oompa loompa doompa-de-doo / 1 have a perfect puzzle for you.” parade fun while working. Julianna is a such a cute Oompa Loompa. Their dance won first place for the Willy Wonka dance in the Upper Perk parade. No way would I be that purple Violet Beauregarde. Jenna amazes me for the things she will do for her children, community, church, and patients.
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
Kohler Ready Latch toilet seat: https://amzn.to/3PpYd6G We always replace all the toilet seats in the bathrooms of all our houses with these easy lift off ones. Cleaning around your toilet is no problem. Just lift off the seat. Highly, highly recommend them.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 4, Day 173, “Living the Dream”. Sunday, 10/20/2024. Clifty Hill 2 – We are getting more organized and back to some halfway normal living. Today is Sunday our funday. lol. After a quick breakfast out and a Lowe’s trip to pick up a closet rod.
Oh, and Steve did stop and check out the globe. He is infatuated with traveling the globe.
Then it was home where I unpacked a box of winter clothes. They are now actually hung up in a real closet. Little things make us happy right now. We have a real refrigerator. We have electricity without a generator. There are no extension cords all over the house. We can leave lights on and not worry about draining the batteries. We also have hot water anytime of the day or night. Our current living environment is hygge (feeling warm, comfortable, and safe).
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
Kohler Ready Latch toilet seat: https://amzn.to/3PpYd6G We always replace all the toilet seats in the bathrooms of all our houses with these easy lift off ones. Cleaning around your toilet is no problem. Just lift off the seat. Highly, highly recommend them.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 4, Day 172, “Living the Dream”. Saturday, 10/19/2024. Clifty Hill 2 – My plants are loving me this morning. Thank you, Dolores, for the warm comfy night. Please say thank you to Steve for the wiring, Justin for all the assistance, Ron the electrical inspector for being so prompt with his inspection, and finally a huge thank you to SKRECC for hooking us up so quickly. They along with me are so happy to have lights and heat. Although we are operating on auxiliary electric heat right now. We cannot use the heat pump because the R-420A refrigerant cannot be released into the system due to it appears an overheated valve. Steve tried to open the cap, but it started hissing. He closed it tight, and we have an AC man coming on Monday. The assumption is they will pump the R-420A out into a holding tank. Then, they will replace the valve. Finally, they will release the refrigerant back into the system. Fingers crossed!!!.
We are putting in temporary ceiling fixtures so we can get a final electrical inspection. Our power is on for 60 days now. Later we will hang a foyer chandelier and a Living Room ceiling fan.
Kitchen spackling was worked on. Want to get the kitchen painted so the cabinets can be installed
Yesterday I visited with my Granddaughter who works in a skilled nursing facility. It was a very emotional experience for me which I never expected. First I am very proud of Reina. The staff and residents love her. She walked around and treated everyone with respect, love, and kindness. During High school, I worked in a nursing home every afternoon. I was a nurse’s aid, and I really enjoyed my time there. Although looking at this environment at different ages is really different. As a teenager my focus was on me, me, me, and my life. Maybe normal, maybe not. Then later in life, my mom lived in a home for two years. She was there due to dementia. I think she was happy most of the time. I spent some time there most days of the week, but full time work and family obligations made it difficult. You kind of go through the routine of busy, busy, busy. You don’t have time for reflections. At this point in my life I have more time for reflections, even though I try to fill it with anything I can (blogging, crafting, shopping, building, vacations, lunch dates, etc , etc., etc.) Yesterday I met a woman that kept hugging and kissing me and saying I love grandmas. I wanted to cry, but wait I am young. Haha. But really a lot of these patients were younger than me. This visit was a reminder of the fragility and preciousness of life. It makes you question the meaning of it all. Are these people simply waiting for the end to come. It sent a big reminder that life is short and we should make the most of the time we have with a healthy body and mind. Then I thought, remember Dolores. Life is not just 10% what happens to us. It is 90% how we react to it. So, remember: we hold the power over our own attitude, and it shapes our entire experience. Ended the day out for dinner.
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
Kohler Ready Latch toilet seat: https://amzn.to/3PpYd6G We always replace all the toilet seats in the bathrooms of all our houses with these easy lift off ones. Cleaning around your toilet is no problem. Just lift off the seat. Highly, highly recommend them.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 4, Day 171, “Living the Dream”. Friday, 10/18/2024. Clifty Hill 2 – Houston we have lift off. The power is on. It is going to be so warm in our bed tonight.
Met up with Reina at her job in Danville and we went to lunch. It is so nice having adult grandchildren.
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
Kohler Ready Latch toilet seat: https://amzn.to/3PpYd6G We always replace all the toilet seats in the bathrooms of all our houses with these easy lift off ones. Cleaning around your toilet is no problem. Just lift off the seat. Highly, highly recommend them.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 4, Day 170, “Living the Dream”. Thursday, 10/17/2024. Clifty Hill 2 – Electrical work was finished in the morning. Then we had a lunch date.
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
Kohler Ready Latch toilet seat: https://amzn.to/3PpYd6G We always replace all the toilet seats in the bathrooms of all our houses with these easy lift off ones. Cleaning around your toilet is no problem. Just lift off the seat. Highly, highly recommend them.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 4, Day 169, “Living the Dream”. Wednesday, 10/16/2024. Clifty Hill 2 – It is getting cold, so we needed to get this house buttoned up. Steve installed the two attic doors. Now the heat won’t flow up into the balcony and out the attic ridge vent.
He also installed the master bedroom door. Nights are now in the 30’s. We run the electric fireplace in the Master bedroom on the generator. This helps to warm up the room before going to bed.
Somerset-Burnside Garage Door & Glass Co, Inc. Came today and put in the garage door openers. They are hooked to the batteries.
SKRECC is our electric company. They sent their engineers out today. They want to check what work needs to be done to hook us up. He said maybe Friday. I have decided I would rather be warm than cold.
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
Kohler Ready Latch toilet seat: https://amzn.to/3PpYd6G We always replace all the toilet seats in the bathrooms of all our houses with these easy lift off ones. Cleaning around your toilet is no problem. Just lift off the seat. Highly, highly recommend them.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 4, Day 168, “Living the Dream”. Tuesday, 10/15/2024. Clifty Hill 2 – We saw the Comet C/2023A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS (pronounced Choo-cheen-shahn). This comet is a rare, once-in-a-lifetime comet visible once every 80,000 years. The comet is also called C/2023 A3 and Comet A3.
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
Sea-Band Nausea relief Acupressure bands: https://amzn.to/3ZXQCkC These are the best thing for sea sickness or nauseousness. I carry these always. Actually, I have given numerous pairs away even to cruise employees. They work!!!!
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 4, Day 167, “Living the Dream”. Monday, 10/14/2024. Clifty Hill 2 – We passed our electrical inspection. The electrical cut in notice for 60 days of temporary service was delivered to South Kentucky Rural Electric Cooperative Corporation. They would not give me a time frame to hook us up. A lot of their crews just got back from assisting in North Carolina. Therefore, they are behind schedule. It is going down into the 30’s tonight through and we need heat. Ugg. We had Epperson Air Conditioning, Heating, Plumbing, Electric company come out today. Well, we still can’t get a vacuum on the system. Steve decided to buy a new line set and try again. Okay so he cut the condenser input valve and now it is too short. Yesterday afternoon he threw down his tools and said call someone to fix this thing. They need to order a part and give us a price.
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
Sea-Band Nausea relief Acupressure bands: https://amzn.to/3ZXQCkC These are the best thing for sea sickness or nauseousness. I carry these always. Actually, I have given numerous pairs away even to cruise employees. They work!!!!
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 4, Day 166, “Living the Dream”. Sunday, 10/13/2024. Clifty Hill 2 – Today was a reset day of cleaning and getting organized. We reorganized furniture and set up our bedroom. The construction site is feeling more homey.
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
Sea-Band Nausea relief Acupressure bands: https://amzn.to/3ZXQCkC These are the best thing for sea sickness or nauseousness. I carry these always. Actually, I have given numerous pairs away even to cruise employees. They work!!!!
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 4, Day 165, “Living the Dream”. Saturday, 10/12/2024. Clifty Hill 2 – I visited Koral at Berea College today. This is her first year as a freshman there.
Berea is a nice small upscale town and has the title of being the Arts and Crafts Capitol of Kentucky. The weather was a perfect 70 degrees today the buildings, the grounds, and her dorm room are in perfect condition. After a walk around town, we went to lunch. She told me about some fantastic grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. She had them delivered through door dash from Bert’s SpeakCheezy. What a cute name. So we decided to head there for lunch. This little tiny Gourmet Grilled Cheese Restaurant will blow you away. I was totally unprepared for my experience. We were the first customers on a Saturday and my first thought was very negative. OMG what is this place, but my granddaughter had their sandwiches before and said just wait. The menu is tiny with seven different grilled cheese sandwiches. See the attached pictures. The walls are painted black with beautiful artwork and sayings. There are only about 8 black tables (a few 2 seater high tops, and a few regular 4 seaters). There are two gray comfortable stuffed chairs with a little coffee table in front. The help is courteous and kind and are all dressed in black. The atmosphere is very welcoming and open. Amazing enough even though the walls and tables are black. The restaurant has a light bright airy chic feeling. The music is super classical feel good music. My granddaughter and I each had the big cheese sandwiches which were served with a creamy thick rich tomato soup. So filling and I have to say the best grilled cheese and tomato soup I can remember having. By the time we left the place was filling up. I foresee this restaurant expanding. They definitely need more room. I will go back. Two things I wish they had was coffee and napkins that didn’t smell like black pepper. It took hours to get rid of the smell from up my nose. People take your own napkins. Their napkins were a cute black and white check though.
While I had a fun day with Koral, Steve worked on wiring the air handler.
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
Sea-Band Nausea relief Acupressure bands: https://amzn.to/3ZXQCkC These are the best thing for sea sickness or nauseousness. I carry these always. Actually, I have given numerous pairs away even to cruise employees. They work!!!!
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 4, Day 164, “Living the Dream”. Friday, 10/11/2024. Clifty Hill 2 – Garage is totally dry walled. We are so happy. Mornings are cold and we are needing to get the heat on. Fall is here.
Justin is happy to move on to his other job commitments. We are so grateful for Justin’s assistance with all the heavy hard work. He removed the extra drywall from the kitchen. Now we have more room for the table
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
Sea-Band Nausea relief Acupressure bands: https://amzn.to/3ZXQCkC These are the best thing for sea sickness or nauseousness. I carry these always. Actually, I have given numerous pairs away even to cruise employees. They work!!!!
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 4, Day 163, “Living the Dream”. Thursday, 10/10/2024. Clifty Hill 2 – Electrical inspector is scheduled to come on Monday. Hopefully he will provide the cut in card for the electric company. Garage looks great. Lots of hard work being done by Steve and Justin. Just two more days to complete the garage and any other electrical work that needs to be completed.
Leaving for vacation in two weeks is looking promising. I have to tell you this much vacationing is stressful especially when you get called for jury duty. Our prepaid cruises hopefully granted an extension on that time. I dropped off papers at the Pulaski County Court of Justice. I requested to have the request for Jury Duty moved to another time. Love the fountain in front of the building. Somerset, Kentucky has a beautiful downtown area with some really nice shops.
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
Sea-Band Nausea relief Acupressure bands: https://amzn.to/3ZXQCkC These are the best thing for sea sickness or nauseousness. I carry these always. Actually, I have given numerous pairs away even to cruise employees. They work!!!!
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 4, Day 162, “Living the Dream”. Wednesday, 10/09/2024. Clifty Hill 2 – Just another workday with Lowes shopping and my daily grocery store visit. Small refrigerator means daily trips. Look who was shopping with me.
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
Sea-Band Nausea relief Acupressure bands: https://amzn.to/3ZXQCkC These are the best thing for sea sickness or nauseousness. I carry these always. Actually, I have given numerous pairs away even to cruise employees. They work!!!!
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Royal Caribbean is raising daily gratuity prices effective 11/01/2024.
Still watching the tropics.
Look at those two beauties,
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
Sea-Band Nausea relief Acupressure bands: https://amzn.to/3ZXQCkC These are the best thing for sea sickness or nauseousness. I carry these always. Actually, I have given numerous pairs away even to cruise employees. They work!!!!
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 4, Day 160, “Living the Dream”. Monday, 10/07/2024. Clifty Hill 2 – Steve built the chase around the ductwork in the garage and Justin insulated it.
The drywall is up on half of the garage ceiling. Wiring is run for the garage door openers. We are trying to get our heat running before our next vacation.
We kind of got carried away with booking vacations. I did read today about a new published study. Researchers at Edith Cowan University in Australia say that travel itself can keep you young. The scientists report that the positive experiences associated with trips can delay the aging process. Social interactions and mental stimulation also contribute. Additionally, physical activity and healthy cuisines play a role. We must be getting younger with all our travels – LOL.
Still watching the tropics.
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
Sea-Band Nausea relief Acupressure bands: https://amzn.to/3ZXQCkC These are the best thing for sea sickness or nauseousness. I carry these always. Actually, I have given numerous pairs away even to cruise employees. They work!!!!
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 4, Day 159, “Living the Dream”. Sunday, 10/06/2024. Clifty Hill 2 – We are on the quest to visit every state. Currently, we have been to 42 states. We still need to visit eight states: Wyoming, South Dakota, Utah, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Indiana, Michigan, and Vermont. But for now, it is back to shopping at Lowe’s and boxing in the hvac duct work in the garage.
Love my baby and hoping the car repairs are affordable.
We actually are missing a storm. Our next cruise is 10/26/2024 out of New Orleans.
Aren’t Grandkids the best? These guys are so involved in everything.
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
Clear Rain ponchos:https://amzn.to/3Z0chtf Never go on a cruise or actually never go anywhere without some clear ponchos. It is nice to stay dry. Two of these stay in my backpack, two in my car, and two in my suitcase. That is how passionate I am about having them.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 4, Day 158, “Living the Dream”. Saturday, 10/05/2024. Day 25 of 25-night Alaska to Las Vegas. We arrived early enough at Chicago Union Station yesterday that I regretted not booking a flight home last night. But I was concerned about missing it. Robbie, our train car attendant, mentioned that the train is often delayed for hours. This is because people on the tracks commit suicide. Apparently, they slam on the brakes really hard and everyone flys. It is horrible that people commit suicide by train not even considering the engineers or passengers on the train. The engineers have to undergo lots of therapy after that. Yesterday, we checked into the Hilton Chicago O’Hare Airport hotel at the front desk. We had already checked in on the app. We wanted to get physical keys in addition to the digital key. It has happened before where the digital key has not worked. The check in person was kind of grumpy. Our room was on the 7th floor overlooking the parking garage. We can see the constant flow of air traffic. One airplane comes in and immediately one takes off. It is quite the symphony. The hotel hallways are super wide, but the hotel is not bright. It is an older design. The room is large with a small bathroom. In fact, the door just barely makes it past the toilet to open and close.
After dropping our luggage off we decided to go find something to eat. The restaurant prices are extra expensive here. The hotel connects through an underground walkway to the terminals.
We figured that maybe there was something before security. Nope only one place which is by where you pick up baggage. At that spot there is a coffee counter. We bought two bagels, a bag of peanuts, and a water. We brought everything back to our room to eat. Then settled in for a good night’s sleep. No movements and I am not squashed into the train window. When we left our train roomette the windows were all smudged. I slept on my side and kept my leg up against the window a lot. I wonder what people thought that saw the train go by. Hey OMG did you see there was a leg in that window. What a hoot!! After a great night’s sleep in a huge bed, we headed to the hotel restaurant for breakfast. It was 31.99 each for the breakfast buffet. I forget how expensive restaurants are, since our cruises and train trips include our food. On the train trip if you were in coach class and there was availability in the dining car for meals. The charge was $20.00 for breakfast, $25.00 for lunch, and $45.00 for dinner. In the afternoon we flew 327 miles from Chicago to Lexington. It was a full flight. The actual flying time was 48 minutes and no Gremlins on the wings.
So, I guess vacation is over. Between yesterday leaving the train and today boarding the plane every fingernail broke except my middle finger and thumb. Is that weird or what? Why do only the middle fingers have long nails still? Hmmm.
The flight was noneventful. Very smooth. We landed Justin was there with our car. We left the airport and got gas from Marathon. About three miles down the road our car started sputtering and stalled. It would not start. So, AAA to the rescue. Tow truck driver said there was probably water in the gas. The gas station probably has a hole in the tank and with all the rain lately water got in the tank.
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
Clear Rain ponchos:https://amzn.to/3Z0chtf Never go on a cruise or actually never go anywhere without some clear ponchos. It is nice to stay dry. Two of these stay in my backpack, two in my car, and two in my suitcase. That is how passionate I am about having them.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 4, Day 157, “Living the Dream”. Friday, 10/04/2024. Day 24 of 25-night Alaska to Las Vegas. Yesterday in the late afternoon near Las Vegas, NM we passed by Beck & Bulow Ranch. This is a free-range Bison ranch. It was a surprise to see those massive beasts out in the field. There were once as many as 60 million bison roaming American soil. They could be found across the majority of the country, even venturing north into Canada and south into Mexico. During colonial times, their population was decimated to less than 1,000. Over 100 years ago, hunters killed the last wild bison in New Mexico. This event occurred in the very same area where this ranch is now.
At 6pm we are halfway to Chicago, Illinois. All day yesterday from 9am till 7pm we traveled through New Mexico. It was a ten-hour train ride through New Mexico. We even went through Las Vegas. Las Vegas, New Mexico that is.
Life on an Amtrak train across the United States – Watch scenery, eat, watch scenery, read, and repeat.
You can also take lots of pictures and do some videos. Here’s a video of the dining car.
Here is a link to a Southwest Chief train 4 car 430 detailed video review.
At 7pm last night we passed into Colorado.
At 10:21pm we passed into the central time zone and into Kansas. It instantaneously became 11:31pm. Last night was a wild ride sleeping. I think it gets dark, and they put the pedal to the medal. Our car attendant Robbie keeps a tidy car. Everything is spotless and his coffee is great.
We ate breakfast traveling along the Kansas river into Kansas City, Missouri where we refueled. The Kansas River begins at the confluence of the Republican and Smoky Hill Rivers near Junction City, Kansas. It flows 173 miles and joins the Missouri River at Kansas City, Kansas. There was a large exchange of passengers at this stop. They were lined up down the walkway waiting to get on the train. Everyone looks exhausted. I would imagine lots of people have gotten off of other trains to get on this one. We are trying to understand why these trains are full. Why would people travel by train? 1- Afraid of flying, 2-prices are really good, 3-traveling a short distance between two cities and it is convenient. 4- religion does not allow air travel, 5-for the experience and scenery, 6-are conscious of energy consumption. In the US, Amtrak has reported that taking trains over flights reduces a traveler’s carbon emissions by 72%. 7- Trains tend to have more reliable schedules. They are less prone to delays from weather or other disruptions than air travel. 8- Some individuals, including autistic individuals, find the sights, sounds, and vibrations of a train both stimulating and soothing. 9-Safety. Traveling in a car is 17 times more deadly than on a train for the same distance. A person is also 100 times more likely to die than when traveling on a plane for the same distance.
The area of Missouri we are traveling through is a lot of farmlands surrounded by tree lines. At 9am we pass over the Missouri River. The water level appears very low.
At 11:45am we stopped at Fort Madison and then crossed the Mississippi River into Illinois.
The Mississippi River at Fort Madison, Iowa is spanned by the Fort Madison Bridge, which is 23.5 feet wide and 1,675 feet long. The Mississippi River at Fort Madison, Iowa is about 525 ft deep. The bridge is a double-deck swing truss bridge that was constructed between 1925 and 1927. The Mississippi River’s average width is about one mile. The widest part of the river is at Lake Winnibigoshish in Minnesota, where it’s over 11 miles wide.
After we passed into Illinois we traveled alongside the Mississippi. The Iowa Illinois state border goes up the middle of the river here.
As we make our way unto Illinois we pass by huge fields of short corn stalks. Illinois is a leading producer of soybeans, corn and swine. The short corn developed by Bayer Crop Science is being tested on about 30,000 acres in the Midwest. It promises to offer farmers a variety that can withstand powerful windstorms. These windstorms could become more frequent due to climate change. The corn’s smaller stature and sturdier base enable it to withstand winds of up to 50 mph. The smaller plants also let farmers plant at greater density. This allows them to grow more corn on the same amount of land. As a result, it increases the farmers’ profits. The smaller stalks could also lead to less water use at a time of growing drought concerns. Ear size is similar to that of current corn hybrids.
At lunch time we are passing Galesburg, Illinois. We ate lunch with a really nice couple from Illinois.
After lunch I got a quick peek into the kitchen which is below the dining car.
At 1:40pm we stop at Princeton, Illinois. As much as I want to get home. It is kind of sad that our vacation is coming to an end. Waiting to pull into Chicago Union Station, we start talking about railroad tracks. Railroad tracks are primarily made of hot-rolled carbon steel. This means the majority of the track material is steel with a specific carbon content. It is designed to withstand the high stress of train travel.
We departed the train and ubered from Chicago Union Station to Hilton Chicago O’Hare Airport for $87.42. The traffic was intense.
Tomorrow, we fly back to Kentucky.
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
Clear Rain ponchos:https://amzn.to/3Z0chtf Never go on a cruise or actually never go anywhere without some clear ponchos. It is nice to stay dry. Two of these stay in my backpack, two in my car, and two in my suitcase. That is how passionate I am about having them.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 4, Day 156 “Living the Dream”. Thursday, 10/03/2024. Day 23 of 25-day Alaska to Las Vegas. We boarded the Southwest Chief 4 at 4:30pm yesterday for our 43 hour trip. The Southwest Chief is a long-distance Amtrak route that connects Chicago with Los Angeles. Trains stop near the Grand Canyon and in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and California. We are expecting this journey to be epic with spectacular views of deserts and mountains. Red Cap service delivered us to our car from the Metropolitan Lounge in Los Angeles Union Station.
We are in car 430 roomette 2. This roomette is exactly the same as the one we had on the Empire Builder. We were on our way out to the west Coast at the start of this vacation. The first thing we notice is our windows are squeaky clean. In fact, this train seems a lot cleaner than the Empire Builder. Again, there is no Wi-Fi and in a lot of areas there will be limited cell phone coverage. The train has Superliner rail cars which are two levels tall.
We are told that New Mexico and Colorado are the states with daytime views and the best scenery. Our first stop is Fullerton, California at 6pm. Passengers were getting on only. Meals are served in the Dining car. Breakfast starts at 6:30am and there are no reservations needed. Lunch and Dinner are by reservation only. We departed Los Angeles station at exactly 5;22pm. I have noticed that Amtrak is very timely. About 30 minutes into the journey we passed a lot of pumping oil wells. The Los Angeles area has over 20,000 active, idle or abandoned oil wells. In early 2023, the city and county voted to ban new oil wells. Studies showed health problems in residents living nearby. I thought they were really cool until I realized about the health issues.
Second stop of the evening was Riverside, California at 7pm. We had a 6:30pm dinner reservations. The menu is the same as on the Empire Builder. The dining car is one car back from our car. We sat at a table by ourselves. We did not have to share.
The employees on this train are so much more professional than the Empire Builder or the Sunset Limited. The train is full to capacity. At 7:30pm we stopped at San Bernardino. California. We are close to the front of the train, and we heard that whistle blow all night long. We passed over into Arizona during the night. At 4am we are in Williams, Arizona and it is 46 degrees Fahrenheit. While eating breakfast we pass Houck, Arizona and it is 56 degrees Fahrenheit. Route 66 runs through Houck. The population for Houck is 1,024. We see a lot of free roaming horses and rock ledges/ mountains.
We ate breakfast with a couple. They were traveling from Tijuana, Mexico to their home in Indiana after being away for a month. The man had cancer tumors removed there. In his home in Indiana the doctors told him there was no hope for him to survive. At 7:50am, the conductor announces that we have entered New Mexico. He asks everyone to please set their watches ahead one hour.
We got off the train for a fresh air break in Gallup. NM. There is a long brick sidewalk running down along the train. We took a few quick pictures, including a picture of our train car attendant. Your dedicated First-Class attendant greets you during boarding and provides turndown service, assists with meals, helps with luggage and is there for all your needs.
We sat in the Observation car for a few hours. Driving through New Mexico there are a lot of plateaus fairly close to the tracks. While we are sitting there, we were fortunate enough to see a small landspout. It is a weak and short-lived variation of the tornado. It’s similar to a dust devil.
We got off the train at Alberqurque, NM at 11:30am to 80-degree sunny warm temperature. This was a 40-minute stop, and I was able to film the length of the train. There are ten train cars. From front to back, there is the engine car. Next, the generator car, and the baggage car. Then, two sleeper cars, the dining car, and the lounge car. Finally, there are three coach cars.
After lunch we sat in the observation car and looked at scenery. We have met so many nice people already. There are a lot of very friendly Amish people and also retired Amtrak employees riding this train. Amish people don’t fly, and retired Amtrak employees ride the trains for free. At 4pm we are in Glorieta, NM. The pine trees and gorges are beautiful. We’ve spent a lot of time today sitting by the side on an extra track. We were waiting for Freight trains to go by. They have the right of way.
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
Clear Rain ponchos:https://amzn.to/3Z0chtf Never go on a cruise or actually never go anywhere without some clear ponchos. It is nice to stay dry. Two of these stay in my backpack, two in my car, and two in my suitcase. That is how passionate I am about having them.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
