DebbieandJerry

And here I was going to post "enjoy the spring like weather" Pretty soon we will be complaining about how hot it is.

Lots of rain in the forecast for this entire weekend. Means that white stuff might make an appearance as the fronts move easterly. SORRY. Started on our walk and got to the end of the block and it started to drizzle. We headed to a neighbor's house (not many people you can call on at 5:45am) and begged a ride back. Three adults and 3 dogs. Too funny. Of course, no camera. No plans for the weekend other than the normal cleaning, cleaning and food shopping.

Had to buy a new stove. Broiled a steak for Jerry the day after Thanksgiving. Went to use the oven and the darn thing crapped out. I would not have been annoyed except for the fact that 366 days prior the repair man came out and replaced the thermostat. It was the 2nd time. I wasn't going to call him again since his repair lasted one year and one day (meaning one day past the warranty service). The first stove that we bought after Black Friday never arrived. Kept getting all kinds of excuses. So I ended up asking, "what do you have in stock" and went from there. I'm really happy with what we got and even happier today when I went online and saw that the price dropped. I'll be collecting my money as soon as I can! We ended up buying the 5-year warranty. I don't like doing that because it truly is a "sucker" purchase, but I am not going to be in the same predicament 2 years from now. Yep, the stove that crapped out was only 3 years old. Go figure! I think I have Jerry agreeing to the 4-day out of San Diego that ends up in Vancouver. Haven't spoken with him about the Panama Canal cruise, yet. I've learned one "favor" at a time. Actually, he's just as anxious to get on a cruise ship as I am in finding one. I know that I'm not supposed to compare prices, but I'm sticker shocked as to how expensive cruising has become. It's still a great bargain and a fantastic vacation. I just keep comparing. The rain we had this past weekend is headed east. Should arrive in the form of white stuff any day now. Sorry.

Amy, I need to look at our Jubilee pictures. We were on that ship about 3 times in that same timeframe. That would be a hoot if we were on the same cruise. Congrats on your 20th cruise-i-versary. What a great celebration.

So great to hear from you. I'm sorry to hear about your wife. Hope she is feeling better.

We keep talking about "across the pond" cruises. This has really sparked my interest. Thanks

Some of my favorite ports. I will look in to this one. Thanks Jan

Have a great time. We love Cozumel. Haven't been to their inclusive resort. Let me know what you think of it as well as Cozumel. Safe travels.

This is my first time on the "dock" since the new set up. I'll roll with the punches and accept whatever changes are thrown. I haven't been as socially active on social media as I was 5-6 years ago. I guess the novelty has warn off, or maybe I'm just boring. I love reading about what you all are doing and facing. And I get great chuckles about how cold you are and how I complain at 5:30 in the morning when I'm walking the dogs in a sweatshirt and sweatpants, hat and gloves and "I'm freezing" and it's in the 40s. I guess it's all relative. We weren't able to cruise in 2016. Truly I burned vacation time staying home. It wasn't my ideal use of time but it was what it was. I did get to visit my family in Philly after a conference last Feb/March so I guess that was good. I got to go to two really great cities (Washington DC and Boston MA) for conferences so that was good. This year I'm skipping the Orlando FL conference because I have a wedding to attend. But I do plan on attending the San Diego conference. I'm hoping that Jerry will join me and we can tack on the weekend before and the weekend after. I'd love to tack on a cruise ... Guess I need to scout the calendar and see what's sailing out of San Diego. My sister in NY sent me pictures of the ice outside of her window. Not a pleasant site if you're living in it. But a truly beautiful site to see. That's about it for me. I'll try to have more of a presence. Sometimes there are just too many social media sites to visit and I just don't bother. Nothing personal. Right? Have a great weekend.

I haven't been as "socially connected" like I use to. I guess the excitement has worn off. It's nice to read and play catch up when I can. Glad that everyone is doing well. That white stuff should be coming soon, right? Still no cruise plans. It was a rough 2016 not having a cruise. My hope is I can make up for lost travel time in 17 and 18. I'll try to get back on before the end of the year. Take care everyone

We started purchasing cruise insurance when a friend pointed out "can you afford to lose your money if something happened and you had to cancel your cruise, etc.?" We learned, however, that not all travel insurance covers pre-existing conditions. You need to be able to read the policy and understand what's covered before you make the purchase. And, even if you have the travel insurance, one of the first questions the form asks is, "what other insurance do you have?" So, I would look at your current health insurance and find out beforehand what it does and does not cover when you are on a cruise. I have found, tho, that the cost of travel insurance is really minimal - especially if you need to be evacuated by helicopter (which we have seen on almost all of our cruises and we have been on over 25!) I hope you enjoy your first cruise. I'm excited for you and cannot wait to hear more about it.

Where is it going to?

Where has the time gone? I cannot believe it's November. Can't wait for all of the election signs to come down. Our streets look horrible. There au-ta-be a law! Wednesday will be an interesting day.

Loved your review. We need to go back.

Good thing I don't drink. Otherwise, I'd be in a constant state of inebriation.