Thursday smiles

 

Happy Wednesday

 

Some good advice!

A father used to say to his children when they were young: —When you all reach the age of 12, I will tell you the secret of life. One day when the oldest turned 12, he anxiously asked his father what was the secret of life. The father replied that he was going to tell him, but that he should not reveal it to his brothers.

—The secret of life is this: The cow does not give milk. "What are you saying?" Asked the boy incredulously. —As you hear it, son: The cow does not give milk, you have to milk it. You have to get up at 4 in the morning, go to the field, walk through the corral full of manure, tie the tail, hobble the legs of the cow, sit on the stool, place the bucket and do the work yourself.

That is the secret of life, the cow does not give milk. You milk her or you don't get milk. There is this generation that thinks that cows GIVE milk. That things are automatic and free: their mentality is that if "I wish, I ask..... I obtain."

"They have been accustomed to get whatever they want the easy way...But no, life is not a matter of wishing, asking and obtaining. The things that one receives are the effort of what one does. Happiness is the result of effort. Lack of effort creates frustration."

So, share with your children from a young age the secret of life, so they don't grow up with the mentality that the government, their parents, or their cute little faces is going to give them everything they need in life.

Remember 👇👇

"Cows don't give milk; you have to work for it."

~Author Unknown

These should conjure up some thoughts

 

Cec still makes me laugh every day!  

More upcharges on cruising

Royal Caribbean just increased some of their specialty dining prices:

• Playmakers: Entrees increased 33% to $11.99 from $9 while the price of wings went up 40% to $13.99 a dozen from $10. Appetizer prices were all raised by at least $1.99 while the Poke Nachos saw a $4.99, or 63%, increase to $12.99 from $8.
• Portside Barbecue: A restaurant unique to Oasis of the Seas, Portside Barbecue, raised prices across the board as well. "The Signature combo went from 2 cuts for $12.49 and 3 cuts for $15.39 to $16.99 and $21.99, respectively," Royal Caribbean Blog reported. Those increases are 36% and 43%. "The Pitmaster Special price was changed from $9.99 to $14.99." That's up 50%. Prices were also raised on single cuts, sides, and desserts.
• Mason Jar: This new restaurant, which is on Wonder of the Seas, offers a fixed-price menu. It has not raised its dinner prices, but brunch increased 40% to $34.99 from $24.99.
• Izumi Sushi: The price of all appetizers went up by $1 while signature rolls went from $13 or $14 to $15. Prices aside from dessert were increased across the entire menu.

Princess announced they are now charging for Alfredo's and Gigi's pizza.  These are very casual pizza restaurants.  When we cruised with Lexie in March, we ate four lunches out of seven at the Gigi's!  She loves the place.  It was free in March, now it's US$14.99 per person plus tips.  It would have added $212.16 extra for our spring break trip!  It's regular pizza, not fancy, nothing special!  You can get pizza at the pool bar or at the buffet for free.  

No tablecloths, not fancy, just a pizza place

If you think that is ridiculous, this one wins:

I just got off the Celebrity Eclipse and I never had a cookie on the cruise.  I don't know if they were charging US$2.40 a cookie, but really!!!!

One thing I liked about cruising is it was all inclusive.  When I started cruising in the early 1980's there was no specialty dining.  90 days before your cruise you paid for the entire vacation.  You took cash for tips and handed an envelope with a thank you to your waiter, assistant waiter, room steward and the Maitre d if he was helpful.  Now tips are automatically charged to your credit card and you give them another cash tip if they deserve it, which is usually happens.   I often wonder what happens with my tips and how much actually goes to the people I want it to.

The new upcharges on cruises are really making cruising not all-inclusive and a lot of cruisers are complaining.  

Saturday smiles

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This synagogue sign in Toronto

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Thursday morning I will remember

I got up and still tested positive for COVID.  The line was darker than Tuesday but I'm feeling better, just a bad cold.  I am very thankful.

At 9:58 AM, I heard a very loud bang.  I looked out my front window and couldn't see anything.  We live near a very busy corner and I knew there was a car accident but couldn't see anything.  I got an immediate text from Nancy, my next door neighbour (we live in a duplex) who asked what it was.  I put on my shoes and went outside.

This is the other side of our duplex.  Nancy is speaking to the RCMP officer.

Nancy had opened her front door and was in shock.  I ran to the car and a lovely Indo Canadian lady was stuck in her car (the firemen moved the car so she could get out).  Through the crack she said "my daughter, my daughter, talk to my daughter!".  I took her phone put it on speaker and told her what happened.  The lady in the car was in shock and couldn't say any more.  I think she had a medical issue as she doesn't look like a speeder.  Her daughter lives close by and got to her mom just before the Fire Department.  I called 911.

She drove through the steel fence and knocked down a couple of bushes and took out a no parking sign!

It took quite a while for the tow truck to get the car out

1 Fire Truck, 4 RCMP cars, an Ambulance Supervisor who called an Ambulance

I hope the driver will be all right.  They put her in a stretcher, she didn't walk to the ambulance.  I stayed way back as I have COVID and need to be far from people!  

It will be an ICBC claim and I am glad we live in a strata and don't need to deal with the adjusters.  They will check our foundation as Nancy has a crack in her sidewalk and our brick wall was moved!  Quick the smack.  It's a good thing no one was walking by!

After cruise blues..sort of

On Monday I received an email from our cruise co-ordinator saying there were many people from our group positive with COVID.  I had a very slight sore throat and thought it was a results of the smoke in the air.  Monday night I tested Negative.

Tuesday morning I tested Positive!  I have very mild symptoms and other than a cold and feeling very tired I am fine.  I am fully vaccinated and otherwise healthy.  

I had a Red Hat lunch to attend on Tuesday, I was really looking forward to.  I had to cancel it.  I have a funeral to go to on Saturday for a dear neighbour and I've already sent my regrets.  I will continue to test and hopefully it doesn't last long.

I was shocked when I went onto the BC Health Covid website and saw the quarantine changes from 2020:

If you have symptoms and tested positive for COVID-19, you can manage your illness similar to how you manage other respiratory infections like influenza. Stay home if you feel sick and take prevention measures to limit the spread of infection.  Avoid close contact with others, especially people at higher risk of severe illness or complications from COVID-19.

No regrets on cruising.  We had a wonderful time and I could have picked COVID up on Skytrain or at the supermarket!

Thank you Richard for the lovely flowers.

For anyone out there

 

Thoughts on Celebrity Eclipse - August 13 - 20

I've sailed 18 times on Celebrity Cruises.  I love the brand but I have not sailed on Celebrity after COVID.  All cruise lines have changes and I will let you know my thoughts.  I don't want to appear to be negative, but if you want to book Celebrity, it's good to know what they've changed.

• No prizes at trivia
• Most activities are upsells not activities (I’ll take a picture of the last day so you can see)
• Room service after dinner and chocolates on the pillows is still happening!  Most cruise lines have stopped this and it's great to see Celebrity still offers it.
• Food in dining room and buffet not as good as before, lots of complaints.
• The buffet lacks service with cleaning tables and no one ever brings you coffee as they do on other lines in the morning.
• Upcharges for lobster or a good steak in the main dining room US$19.00 each but it is offered as an entree on one night.
• Classic drink package only covers drinks up to $10  (Princess Plus is $15)  Classic package is not a great selection of hard liquor!  If you like hard liquor, check out the list before you purchase a package and make sure you get what you want.
• Basic internet is basically useless.  You need to upgrade to Premium.  The speed using both Classic and Premium was 3.5 Mbps Download, Upload was 1.5 Mbps.  It's Starlink Satellite feed so you would think it would be faster.  Starlink advertises it is much faster:   Starlink users typically experience download speeds between 25 and 220 Mbps, with a majority of users experiencing speeds over 100 Mbps. Upload speeds are typically between 5 and 20 Mbps.  I met a colleague that couldn’t open his bank app with basic internet.  I couldn’t post a picture on social media on basic.  It is faster than other lines who will hopefully install Starlink.
• The Celebrity app was good to view your account and daily activities.  It was "down" for some time and is not even close to the information and features on the Princess Medallion.  

I do not want to appear to be negative because we had a fabulous cruise.  The food and service in Blu was wonderful.  The entertainment was excellent.  The daily activities were not as many as before but COVID has changed cruising.  

The sheet below looks busy, but I stroked off all the activities that are upsells.  Complimentary treatments and consultations are always accompanied with pressure to purchase products.

The Art Auction is another sell, but it's not pressured and you pick your own art.  Glass blowing was 20 minutes of instruction and the instructor really does most of the work.  The end products are lovely and cost between $120 - $200.  At least you know what to expect before you attend.  Many people go to the other seminars/consultations not realizing the pressure to purchase their over priced products.

We were upgraded to Aqua Class.  It's a balcony stateroom with benefits.  There is premium bedding, bathroom amenities and a massaging shower head.  You get complimentary fitness classes (yes, you now pay for fitness classes) plus unlimited access to the Persian Garden spa.  The benefit I loved was Blu, the restaurant for Aqua Class guests.  It's a healthier option and the food was very hot, tasty and the service was the best I've ever had on any ship!

Will I book Celebrity again, absolutely, and I will upgrade to Premium Wi-Fi and book Aqua Class.  You get what you pay for.  

BC Wildfires

 

Thank you to all the firefighters battling the wild fires in British Columbia.  

I have not heard from any of my former colleagues but they are probably still not able to get to their various homes.  My thoughts are with them.

RBA Reunion Cruise - Recap

I received an invitation to attend a reunion with my former employer of twenty years, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers.  I had no idea when I got a reunion invitation, they were inviting Cec and I for an all-expense cruise to Alaska on the Celebrity Eclipse with 275 other former and current employees and one guest.  We were upgraded from a standard balcony to an Aqua Class cabin.  Just to clarify, all balcony cabins are the same size, but Concierge and Aqua Class come with benefits.  We've done Concierge but never Aqua Class.  Aqua Class comes with its own restaurant, Blu.  It's a healthier eating option and a lovely dining room.  We are also entitled to:  

• Unlimited access to spa areas
• Welcome drinks
• Daily canapes
• A pillow menu
• Bathrobes
• Yoga mats
• Priority check-in
• Spa showers

The Ritchie Bros 'Classic' Package is a pricing strategy that includes four amenities (Meals, Classic Drink Package, Tips and Basic Wi-Fi) in your cruise fare.  They paid for everything!  

 HOSTED BY DAVE & RUSS RBA REUNION AUGUST 13-20, 2023 

Discover the Award-Winning Celebrity Eclipse, an opulent luxury cruise that transcends all your expectations! Experience the ultimate adventure as you embark on a remarkable journey through the Last Frontier of Alaska. Board your elegant ship at Vancouver and take a scenic route down the spellbinding Inside Passage, a path bejeweled with breathtaking glaciers, shimmering waters, and the most picturesque vistas imaginable. Discover the untamed beauty of Icy Strait Point, home to a diverse array of wildlife including majestic humpback whales and brown bears. Get ready to indulge in a journey of a lifetime as you explore Alaska's mysterious wilderness, set amidst a backdrop of sheer luxury and comfort. A trip down memory lane xxxxx@gmail.com 

We are thrilled to host our partners, friends, and colleagues to celebrate the great auction company we built together. Not a day goes by without us reminiscing about the wonderful times we shared on our journey of achieving excellence. We worked hard, had everything we owned on the line, but always found time for a little fun. Taking care of our own, and our customers, was paramount. Ritchie Bros Auctioneers became the gold standard against which all other auction companies were compared. 

Please kick back and enjoy this special week as we get lost in the memories and celebrate the present. Our heartfelt appreciation to everyone who contributed to the success of Ritchie Bros Auctioneers! 

Warm regards, 

Dave & Russ

Kick back and enjoy is what we did.  We would walk to a venue on the ship, and it would take 45 minutes to go thirty feet with all the hugs and reminiscing!  Every elevator we got in, we met someone else.  We all received name tags which really helped because I talked on the phone with everyone in our satellite offices, so rarely knew what they looked like.  That was twenty years ago, and people changed!

We received a "goodie bag" while boarding at Canada Place.  In the bag among other things, we received:

The black reunion book is three hundred pages!  It starts with a welcome letter from Dave and Russ and the history of the company from 1958!  We all submitted pictures and memories from RBA so everyone who attended has their story along with some great memories of their time with RBA.

Last night we all gathered for the last time to say our farewells.   It was so difficult to watch those who live in the wildfire areas.  I personally know ten couples who are evacuated and many more that as far as they know they are on evacuation alert.  All their flights to YLW have been cancelled and they had no idea what they were going to do.  One long term friend said "the Chevron gas station is gone and we live down the street"!  We sat for dinner last night with a former VP and his wife.  He apologized for using his phone at dinner.  He was checking on his home!  It was heart wrenching.

We are home and have so many memories, all wonderful.  Here is a group picture taken yesterday.  It's not the professional one but taken from a phone.   It's only employees and look at how many of us there were:

Day 6 Ketchikan

Docked: 2:00PM to 8:30PM 

Actual time docked, 1:00 PM.  I saw the Celebrity Millenium leave port and we got her berth

Ketchikan, Alaska offers several free shore excursions that you can enjoy. Here are some of them: 

1. Creek Street: Stroll along the historic Creek Street, where you can admire the colorful buildings and take in the breathtaking views. 

2. Totem Poles: Visit the Totem Heritage Center, Totem Bight State Historical Park, or Saxman Native Village to see the beautiful totem poles that tell the stories of the indigenous people. 

3. Salmon Ladder: The Salmon Ladder allows salmon to swim upstream past a hydroelectric dam on Ketchikan Creek. You can watch the salmon's journey and even see a bear fishing for salmon in the creek. 

4. Southeast Alaska Discovery Center: The Southeast Alaska Discovery Center has free admission and offers interactive exhibits about the region's rich cultural and natural history. 6. Walking Tour: Ketchikan has a free self-guided walking tour along the historic streets that gives you some insight into the town's history and culture. 

The rain and cloudy weather are gone!  We've finally got gorgeous weather.

Lots of salmon in the river!

It was a remarkably busy day in town with six ships in port.  We had a lovely walk.  It was an "evening chic" night which was formerly a formal night.  Lots of people ignored it as they were on tours and got back to the ship late. 

We watched an enjoyable show in the theatre: "Electric Soul":  

The Love Jukebox: A passionate medley of love throughout the decades. Featuring the songs of The Temptations, Bruno Mars, Frankie Lymon, Michael Jackson, and more.

It was followed by a hysterical "Late Night Adult Game Show" featuring Captain Leo, The Cruise Director, and the Comedian!

Day 5 - Juneau

Docked: 7:30AM to 8:00PM 

Here's your chance to take a glacial dogsled adventure in Alaska's capital. There are several free shore excursions you can do in Juneau, Alaska. Here are some of them: 1. Mendenhall Glacier: It's free to visit Mendenhall Glacier, and you don't need to pay for a tour to do so. You can either take a public bus or hire a taxi to get there. 2. Alaska State Capitol: The Alaska State Capitol building is open to the public and offers free guided tours. 3. St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church: St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church is a historic church that is open to the public and offers free guided tours. 4. Alaska Governor's Mansion: The Alaska Governor's Mansion is open to the public during the summer months and offers free guided tours. 5. Juneau-Douglas City Museum: Admission to the Juneau-Douglas City Museum is free, and it offers exhibits on the history of the city and the state of Alaska. 6. Perseverance Trail: The Perseverance Trail is a free hiking trail that offers stunning views of Juneau and the surrounding area.

Three ships in Juneau today

Nice Flowers

Juneau City Hall

It was raining lightly when we arrived.  We waited until after 10 AM and the drizzle stopped.  We had a nice walk around town.  At 4 PM the sun was shining between the clouds!  

There was a group gathering at the Red Dog Saloon at 2 PM but I know how small it is, so we stayed away.  They had a fun time!