Saturday, September 30, 2017

Cheryl is in jail!

It's all in the name of fund raising for the United Way!  Cheryl's office served this warrant:
WARRANT
Charitable Campaign
JAIL AND BAIL
Sept 28th to October 5th
09:00-11:00 AM

Suspect Information:
            Name:  Cheryl                
        
Offence:

Suspected of being involved with the Hansel and Gretel scandal as she brings donuts and other unhealthy treats to team meetings.

Amount of jail time purchased ($5 for 10 minutes, max of 30 minutes):  
30 minutes

Contact (who can best help to schedule the most appropriate day/time to arrest the suspect):   There is a meeting in Cheryl’s office FRI SEP 29 for 10 AM.



Friday, September 29, 2017

Aftermath of the three hurricanes

Do not believe the tweets and news coming out of Washington, DC saying all is good on these islands!  If you want to hear the truth, go to CNN and listen to the interview with the mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico.  People are dying as the provisions are not getting to the people.  They have been dropped off but it ends there. There is no electricity so hospitals can't function.  A few hospitals are running on generators but these do not give hospital equipment full service!  After the earthquake in Haiti 8,000 soldiers were on the ground 48 hours after.  One week after the hurricane hit San Juan they sent 2,000.  One week to get 2,000 and now they've sent another 8,000!  Too little and far too late!  Don't get your news from Facebook or Twitter!

I applaud Norwegian and Royal Caribbean Cruise lines for their continued assistance.  Royal Caribbean have cancelled cruises and dedicated the Adventure of the Seas to hurricane relief.  They've evacuated 1700 people and are returning to evacuate more desperate people.  I love all these islands.  I've visited them and know the people are wonderful and they rely on tourism.  I pray these people get the water, electricity and help they need.

Ports that are still closed to tourism:
Dominica
Grand Turk
San Juan, Puerto Rico
St. Thomas
St. Croix
St. Barts
St Maarten
Tortola



Thursday, September 28, 2017

Dog for Sale

Whether you own a dog or not, you must appreciate the efforts of this owner trying to sell her dog. Look at this picture of this lovable Chinese Mastiff and then read the sales pitch below.


DOG FOR SALE.
Excellent guard dog. Owner cannot afford to feed Jethro any more, as there are no more drug pushers, thieves, murderers, or molesters left in the neighbourhood for him to eat. Most of them know Jethro by his Chinese street name: Ho Lee Schitt. 

Wednesday, September 27, 2017

Trivial Pursuit


True or False?

1. Apples, not caffeine, are more efficient at waking you up in the morning.  

2. Alfred Hitchcock didn't have a belly button. 

3. A pack-a-day smoker will lose approximately 2 teeth every 10 years. 


4. People do not get sick from cold weather; it's from being indoors a lot more. 
 

5. When you sneeze, all bodily functions stop, even your heart! 

6. Only 7 percent of the population are lefties. 


7. Forty people are sent to the hospital for dog bites every minute. 


8. Babies are born without kneecaps. They don't appear until they are 2-6 years old. 

9. The average person over 50 will have spent 5 years waiting in lines. 


10. The toothbrush was invented in 1498. 


11. The average housefly lives for one month. 


12. 40,000 Americans are injured by toilets each year. 

13 . A coat hanger is 44 inches long when straightened.

14. The average computer user blinks 7 times a minute. 


15. Your feet are bigger in the afternoon than any other time of day. 


16. Most of us have eaten a spider in our sleep. 


17. The REAL reason ostriches stick their head in the sand is to search for water. 

18. The only two animals that can see behind themselves without turning their heads are the rabbit and the parrot.


19. John Travolta turned down the starring roles in 'An Officer and a Gentleman' and 'Tootsie.' 


20. Michael Jackson owns the rights to the South Carolina State Anthem. 


21. In most television commercials advertising milk, a mixture of white paint and a little thinner is used in place of the milk.

22. Prince Charles and Prince William NEVER travel on the same airplane, just in case there is a crash. 

23. The first Harley Davidson motorcycle built in 1903 used a tomato can for a carburetor. 

24. Most hospitals make money by selling the umbilical cords cut from women who give birth. They are used in vein transplant surgery. 

25. Humphrey Bogart was related to Princess Diana. They were 7th cousins. 

26. If coloring weren't added to Coca-Cola, it would be green.

They are all TRUE ...

Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Cannabis Legalization

The Canadian Government is legalizing the possession and use of Cannabis in July 2018.  No matter what you think of this law, this is your time to have your say.  You have until November 1st to give our provincial government your thoughts.  The link is below and only takes a few minutes.

https://engage.gov.bc.ca/BCcannabisregulation/


Monday, September 25, 2017

Emerald Princess September 24, 2017

The US Government passed The Jones Act in 1886. It prohibits ships on non US registry from embarking and disembarking guests at two different US ports.  Because of this law, Princess cruises needs to reposition their Alaska cruise ships that sail from Seattle to Alaska in the summer.  When they sail to Alaska from Seattle they stop in Victoria.  When they want to leave or return to California, they schedule a one night cruise to comply with this law.  In the spring it's a one night cruise Vancouver to Seattle and Seattle to Vancouver in the fall.  We usually book one of these cruises every year.  This year 24 friends booked this cruise.  We paid CAD $116.00 per person including taxes. Tips are $13.50 additional but you would pay that in a restaurant anyway if you ate out.   I book an inside guarantee and this year was upgraded to a balcony cabin!  This covers one night accommodation, great entertainment and three meals!  One of the reasons people book this cruise is because of status with the cruise line.  They have levels depending on how much you cruise.  The higher the level, the better the benefits.  Elite is as high as you can go which I reached a few cruises ago.  Cec and Dave reached Elite status on this cruise.  What's the benefit?  A complimentary mini bar set up that includes 8 bottles of hard liquor, four beer, two can each of Sprite, Coke, Tonic water, sparkling and still water.  To use my mini bar on the one day cruise I invite everyone over for a sail away party.  For those who like hard liquor, I find out what their pleasure is and that's what I order.  You also get free Internet and free dry cleaning along with a lot of other great perks.  Of all the cruise lines I've sailed Princess has the best past passenger benefits!

We took Quick Shuttle from South Surrey to Pier 91 in Seattle.  Some of our friends took Amtrak.  The train trip is great but if you do it the day of the cruise you need to be at the train station by 5 AM.  We did it once and enjoyed it but now we enjoy the bus as it leaves at 8 AM. There was an incident with Quick Shuttle and I am dealing with them.  It should never happen again.


We boarded the ship and went for lunch.  We missed the dining room and the buffet is not my favorite place to eat and this cruise didn't change my mind.  We ate light so we could enjoy dinner!
Leaving Seattle - Holland America Oosterdam is still at the port

Downtown Seattle from our balcony
Dinner!  All but two had the prime rib and it was delicious!  I forgot to take a picture as I was too hungry!

The Love Boat Chocolate Dream - it never disappoints.  I call it Chocolate love

Very entertaining show in the theatre.  The dancers were excellent!
There was an adult late night comedy show!  We got there early to get seats that were not up front as comedians will work with the audience.  Phil was very good.  He made an announcement it was an adult show which it was.  We really had some good belly laughs. Princess has changed their bedding and the beds are very comfortable.  After a good night's sleep we sailed into Vancouver.  Don't look for pictures because I didn't get up!  We had a nice breakfast in the dining room and came home on Skytrain.  Great weekend with great friends (and cousins)!



Saturday, September 23, 2017

Wonderful Photography


“In The Heat Of The Moment”                      
http://twistedsifter.com/2013/07/in-the-heat-of-the-moment/
In this crazy capture, we see photographer Kawika Singson getting up close and personal with lava as his shoes and tripod begin to catch fire. The photo went viral ..

 

An Airplane’s View Of A Distant Storm
http://twistedsifter.com/2013/09/airplane-view-of-a-distant-storm

Open Water Roll Cloud
http://twistedsifter.com/2013/09/open-water-roll-cloud/


Creative Mirror Positioning
http://twistedsifter.com/2013/09/laura-williams-self-portrait-h

  Light Show at the Grand Canyon
http://twistedsifter.com/2013/09/grand-canyon-light-show/

"UFO" Spotted In Seattle
http://twistedsifter.com/2013/08/ufo-spotted-in-seattle-space-needle/

Waterspouts Over The   Adriatic
http://twistedsifter.com/2013/08/waterspouts-over-the-adriatic/

A Full Circle Rainbow
http://twistedsifter.com/2013/08/the-full-circle-rainbow/

  The Studley Tool Chest
http://twistedsifter.com/2013/07/ho-studley-tool-chest/

Praising The Sun
http://twistedsifter.com/2013/07/praise-the-sun-silhouette/

  San Francisco is Steep
http://twistedsifter.com/2013/07/san-francisco-is-steep/


Sunset In Santorini
http://twistedsifter.com/2013/06/sunset-in-oia-santorini/

The Sky Whale
http://twistedsifter.com/2013/06/the-sky-whale/

When Art Meets Nature
http://twistedsifter.com/2013/06/when-art-meets-nature/

Shelf Cloud Over Timisoara
http://twistedsifter.com/2013/06/shelf-cloud-over-timisoara-romania/

Fly by Eclipse
http://twistedsifter.com/2013/06/flyby-partial-solar-eclipse/

Underwater Perfection
http://twistedsifter.com/2013/05/perfect-timing-underwater-perfection/

Beautiful Barn Conversion
http://twistedsifter.com/2013/05/barn-conversion-seagull-house-roderick-james-carpenter-oak/
  
Abandoned Parisian Railway
http://twistedsifter.com/2013/04/petite-ceinture-abandoned-railway-in-paris/

Forest on Shipwreck
http://twistedsifter.com/2013/04/ss-ayrfield-shipwreck-homebush-bay-sydney-australia/

Their First Flight
http://twistedsifter.com/2013/04/baby-ducks-first-flight-leaving-nest/

Time-Lapse Moonrise Over LA
http://twistedsifter.com/2013/04/moonrise-time-lapse-over-la/
  
World’s Coolest Duck .. . . Ever!
http://twistedsifter.com/2013/03/awesome-surfing-duck-is-awesome/

Down The Spiral Staircase
http://twistedsifter.com/2013/03/double-spiral-staircase-vatican-museums-giuseppe-momo/

Whiskey On The Rocks . 
http://twistedsifter.com/2013/03/whiskey-on-the-rocks-of-fuji/

Moon Jelly
http://twistedsifter.com/2013/03/aurelia-aurita-moon-jelly/

Forces Of Nature
http://twistedsifter.com/2013/03/forces-of-nature/

Coal Train At Sunset
http://twistedsifter.com/2013/03/coal-train-at-sunset-powder-river-basin/
  
The Eye Of The Moon
http://twistedsifter.com/2013/02/moon-north-window-arches-national-park/

Dubai: Cloud City
http://twistedsifter.com/2013/02/dubai-cityscape-aerial-with-fog/



Olympic Moonrise
http://twistedsifter.com/2012/12/top-100-pictures-of-the-day-2012/

Tail-Pinching Buddha
http://twistedsifter.com/2013/03/most-perfectly-timed-photos-ever/



Friday, September 22, 2017

Hurricane Damage

My thoughts are with all the people who live in the path of the past three hurricanes!  If anyone is planning a trip to the Caribbean, here is the latest map showing damage:

Our 50th wedding anniversary cruise leaves in 43 days.  I am happy to be on a cruise ship and to me the ship is the destination.  We are scheduled to go to Labadee, Haiti; (it's fine), San Juan, Puerto Rico; (not so fine) and St. Maarten (I'm pretty sure it won't be allowing cruise ships in). We should find out in the next couple of weeks where we will dock. They are substituting ports so we will stop somewhere.  I'm more worried about the people and the islands than our vacation.  All those island depend on tourism and it's going to be a long time until it's back to normal!

I follow cruise price drops and right now I am getting a lot of emails from cruise lines saying cruise prices are dropping.  Royal Caribbean is having Travel Agents Friends and Family fares which are good.  Princess has also shown a lot of price drops.  If anyone is interested in flying to Florida and doing a Caribbean mystery cruise let me know.  These good prices are until Dec 2017.

Thursday, September 21, 2017

Druggies!


"Let's plant some catnip," she said. "It'll be fun," she said. And then the addicts moved in and the neighborhood's never been the same.

Wednesday, September 20, 2017

Men Are Just Happier People!


What do you expect from such simple creatures? Your last name stays put. The garage is all yours. Wedding plans take care of themselves. Chocolate is just another snack.  You can never be pregnant. You can wear a white T-shirt to a water park. You can wear NO shirt to a water park.

Car mechanics tell you the truth. The world is your urinal. You never have to drive to another gas station restroom because this one is just too icky. You don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt. Wrinkles add character.  Wedding dress - $5,000. Tux rental - $100. People never stare at your chest when you're talking to them. New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle your feet. One mood all the time. Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat. You know stuff about tanks.

A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase. You can open all your own jars. You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness. If someone forgets to invite you, he or she can still be your friend. Your underwear is $8.95 for a three-pack. Two pairs of shoes are more than enough. You almost never have strap problems in public. You are unable to see wrinkles in your clothes. Everything on your face stays its original color. The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades. You only have to shave your face and neck.

You can play with toys all your life. One wallet and one pair of shoes - one color for all seasons.   You can wear shorts no matter how your legs look. You can 'do' your nails with a pocket knife.   You have freedom of choice concerning growing a mustache. You can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives on December 24 in 25 minutes.

No wonder men are happier!

NICKNAMES
If Laura, Kate and Sarah go out for lunch, they will call each other Laura, Kate and Sarah.If Mike, Dave and John go out, they will affectionately refer to each other as Fat Boy, Bubba and Wildman.

EATING OUT
When the bill arrives, Mike, Dave and John will each throw in $20, even though it's only for $32.50. None of them will have anything smaller and none will actually admit they want change back.
When the girls get their bill, outcome the pocket calculators.

MONEY
A man will pay $2 for a $1 item he need.
A woman will pay $1 for a $2 item that she doesn't need but it's on sale.

BATHROOMS
 A man has six items in his bathroom: toothbrush and toothpaste, shaving cream, razor, a bar of soap, and a towel.
The average number of items in the typical woman's bathroom is 337 A man would not be able to identify more than 20 of these items.

ARGUMENTS
A woman has the last word in any argument.
Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.

FUTURE
A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband.
A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife.

MARRIAGE
A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn’t.
A man marries a woman expecting that she won't change, but she does.

DRESSING UP
A woman will dress up to go shopping, water the plants, empty the trash, answer the phone, read a book, and get the mail.
A man will dress up for weddings and funerals.

NATURAL
Men wake up as good-looking as they went to bed.
Women somehow deteriorate during the night.

OFFSPRING
Ah, children. A woman knows all about her children. She knows about dentist appointments and romances, best friends, favorite foods, secret fears and hopes and dreams.
A man is vaguely aware of some short people living in the house.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
A married man should forget his mistakes.  There's no use in two people remembering the same thing!



Tuesday, September 19, 2017

Simple Formula For Living

Live beneath your means
Return everything you borrow
Stop blaming other people
Admit it when you make a mistake
Give clothes not worn to charity
Do something nice and try not to get caught
Listen more; talk less
Every day take a 30 minute walk
Strive for excellence, not perfection
Be on time, don't make excuses
Don't argue
Get organized
Be kind to unkind people
Let someone cut ahead of you in line
Take time to be alone
Cultivate good manners
Be humble
Realize and accept that life isn't fair
Know when to keep your mouth shut
Go an entire day without criticizing anyone
Learn from the past
Plan for the future
Live in the present
Don't sweat the small stuff
It's all small stuff

Sunday, September 17, 2017

The Sound of Music

Carol and I subscribe to Broadway Across Canada.  They bring productions to the stage at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre about three to four times a year.  Cheryl and Dave decided to join this year.  Due to a commitment they could not attend this performance so Cheryl gave me her ticket so I could take Lexi.  I gave my ticket to Carol so she could take her granddaughter Quinn.  This performance didn't disappoint! Maria and Captain von Trapp were superb.  Mother Abbess's rendition of Climb Every Mountain was incredible!  The children all have a lot of musical experience.  Liesl has performed on Disney Cruise Lines, Friedrich was in Billy Elliott and Brigitta was in Annie and Les Miserables.  The performance was awesome!

Jersey Boys and Motown are the next two productions.  The CBC announced Tony winner Come From Away will come to Vancouver next year.  If you don't know about this musical it's about the 7,000 passengers that were stranded in Gander, Newfoundland after the 9/11 attacks in New York.  Cultures clashed and nerves ran high, but uneasiness turned into trust, music soared into the night, and gratitude grew into enduring friendships.  I can't wait to see it.
The entire cast!  The children were adorable and had wonderful voices.

Friday, September 15, 2017

Laughter is the best medicine

Whenever you are having a sad day, humour always makes things better.  I hope this makes everyone smile.

1.  My goal for 2017 was to lose just 10 pounds … only 15 to go ....

2.  Ate salad for dinner…Mostly croutons & tomatoes ... Really just  one big, round crouton covered with tomato sauce ... And cheese... FINE, it was a pizza... I ate a pizza.
 
3.  How to  prepare Tofu:
       1.  Throw it in the trash.
       2.  Grill some Meat.

4.  I just did a week's worth of cardio after walking into a spider web.

5.  I don't mean to brag but … I finished my 14-day diet food in 3 hours and 20 minutes.
     
6.  A recent study has found women who carry a little extra weight live longer than men who  mention it.
 
7.  Kids today don't know how easy they have it ... when I was young, I had to walk 9 feet through shag carpet to change the TV channel.
                  
8.  Senility has been a smooth transition for me.
      
9.  Remember back when we were kids and every time it was below zero out they closed  school?  Me neither.
                  
10.  I may not be that funny or athletic or good looking or smart or talented … I forgot where I was going with this.
 
11.  I love being over 69 … I learn something new every day … and forget 5 others.
                   
12.  A thief broke into my house last night … He started searching for money … so I woke up and searched with him.
     
13.  My dentist told me I need a Crown … I said, “You bet, pour mine over rocks”.
                   
14.  I think I'll just put an "Out of Order" sticker on my forehead and call it a day.
     
"Just remember, once you're over the hill you begin to pick up speed."


Lunch at Washington Avenue Grill

We all lived on the same street growing up!  We've had careers and families and now we are retired we've reunited.  Carol and Dave lived in Antwerp and Edmonton, Janice and Jim lived in Victoria and they all moved back to Vancouver!  We always have lots of laughs when we get together.


Great view and wonderful ocean breezes
Another picture of a nice looking plate of fish and chips.  They use tempura batter

Carol and Jim walking ahead of us

Gorgeous day for a pier walk


This is a memorial plaque for Carol's Aunt Ann.  I remember her well and it's a nice memorial on the boardwalk

Starting to plan next year's vacation

With the Canadian Dollar/US Dollar exchange rate at 1.40 before the credit card surcharge, we've decided to stay in Canada next year.  W...