Kenyo of Pensacola

Off we go to Sarasota

2012-01-12T10:51:00.006-06:00

Took the cats to the pet hotel and we were on our way east on Interstate 10 by 10:30 A.M. The weather was cool and sunny and the drive was uneventful.

Lunch in Chipley at Skins-N-Bubba's. We have eaten there before. The food is generally ok. This time it seemed saltier than usual. But hey, this is the South, and country, too. And salt is cheap.

Not much for scenery along I-10 but we always enjoy the musical highway sign.

Late afternoon we got to Gainesville and the Holiday Inn Express by the highway. Dinner at a nearby Chili's.

REBUILD Northwest Florida is finished with us

2012-01-10T09:30:00.003-06:00

The final, final inspection is done. The inspector, Dale, took the construction permit and all the paperwork with him. He also removed the REBUILD lawn sign. He said to expect big savings on the insurance. Final paperwork will be mailed soon.

Almost the Final Inspection

2012-01-06T14:45:00.006-06:00

An inspector from Escambia County came by this afternoon to sign off on the work done by the contractors who did the retro-fitting of our house. He says there will be one more inspection, but we can put things back in the attic now. Just one more step and the project will be done?

What's for Dinner Tonight? Part 11

2012-01-01T09:41:00.025-06:00

Das Alpenhaus Menu (Mit Troll), Magic Mountain, Valencia, California, (mid-1970s)

Ever since Saturday, January 27, 2007, I have kept a log listing nearly all of our evening meals. The intention is to help answer the daily questions:

(1) "What do you want to eat tonight?"
(2) "What haven't we had lately?"

Eventually the list became too long to navigate easily. So I broke it up into six-month segments:
January through June, 2007
July through December, 2007
January through June, 2008
July through December, 2008
January through June, 2009
July through December, 2009
January through June, 2010
July through December, 2010
January through June, 2011
July through December, 2011

Sunday, January 1, 2012 -- take out Chinese food from Publix
Monday, January 2 -- chicken-fried pork, mashed potatoes, collard greens
Tuesday, January 3 -- Parmesan Chicken, Hoppin' John
Wednesday, January 4 -- French-dipped roast beef sandwiches, beef broth, potato salad
Thursday, January 5 -- Dinner at "one of America's great steakhouses," Pensacola's McGuire's Irish Pub
Friday, January 6 -- Thai take out from Siam Asian Diner

Saturday, January 7 -- Joan's birthday dinner at Maria and Bill's
Sunday, January 8, -- pork chops, rice, gravy, roasted acorn squash, applesauce
Monday, January 9 -- Publix fried chicken, rice, gravy, corn pones
Tuesday, January 10 -- Sandwiches and chips from Jersey Mike's Subs

Road trip to Sarasota for the weekend

Monday, January 16 -- back home from Sarasota, soup and sandwiches for supper
Tuesday, January 17 -- Kung Pao Chicken, steamed rice, green onions, peanuts, crispy noodles, green beans
Wednesday, January 18 -- black and green peppercorn-crusted filet steaks, mashed potatoes, peppercorn red wine reduction sauce
Thursday, January 19 -- French dipped roast beef sandwiches, au jus, coleslaw
Friday, January 20 -- Chicken Parmesan from Publix, rice and gravy

Sarurday, January 21 -- pork chaps, mashed sweet potatoes, spiced applesauce, hot biscuits
Sunday, January 22 -- shrimp cocktail, crabcakes, salad
Monday, January 23 -- Thai takeout from Siam Diner

Please leave me a comment and tell me what you are eating tonight.

It's the end of the REBUILD Project

2011-12-26T16:00:00.018-06:00

The final step in the house's wind mitigation rebuild was today's installation of new impact-resistant garage doors.

Installing the new impact-resistant garage doors.

We got a call last week to expect the installers on Monday between 8:00 and 10:00 A.M. They arrived at 9:45.

As with all the REBUILD Northwest Florida work, replacing the doors was a noisy process. And this procedure took longer than the earlier ones. The two installers were here over six hours. It seemed that one of them was a trainee and he was doing a solo installation of one of the doors.

The new, reinforced door panels -- ready to install. They are much stronger than the old doors.

Almost all of the retrofitting is invisible. You can see the new garage doors but the old doors were in great condition, so the new doors look about the same. The rest of the work was inside walls, under soffits or in the attic. Invisible.

Final inspection comes next.

Merry, Merry!

2011-12-24T12:53:00.003-06:00

Hurricane Shutters

2011-12-15T08:03:00.011-06:00

The hurricane shutters are installed and stored away in the garage. We are ready for the next big storm.

At 9:30 A.M., right on time, an installer arrived. A few minutes later another one appeared. After lots of very loud drilling of holes and the placement of anchor screws they were finished right at noon. Done.

We have a total of ten windows, including a set of French doors leading to the backyard.

The shutters consist of overlapping galvanized steel panels, about a foot wide and as tall as the window plus a few inches to fit over anchor pins. The panels are attached at each end with washers and wing nuts.

When not covering the windows the panels fit together in one neat cluster in the garage. The footprint for shutter panels for all ten windows is amazingly small, about a square foot.

Now there's one final step, we get new, reinforced garage doors.

REBUILD Northwest Florida, continued

2011-12-14T09:44:00.003-06:00

The last work done by the REBUILD folks was on December 1. Since then no one had called regarding the last two steps in the retrofitting of the house. At 5:30 P.M. today we got a call from the people who install the window covers: they can come tomorrow morning and start work between 9:00 and 10:00. It should take about three hours.

They must have had a cancellation.

Reinforcing the Roof, Day 3

2011-12-01T11:51:00.028-06:00

A pickup truck, with a crew of two men, arrived with a big trailer
full of hoses, heaters, pumps and goo.

Today there's another crew here to inject a foam adhesive sealant into all the roof-to-wall connections. This is done with pressure hoses. They got here a little after 1:00 P.M. and spent an hour assembling hoses, heaters and goo. The goo apparently has to be heated then sent up a hose to the guys in the attic.

There should be no discomfort to the residents of the house. The fumes are totally safe to breathe. But "it would be a good idea to air out the house for a couple of hours" after they are finished. They were finished around 4:30.

The installers were wearing hazmat suits and they were breathing through respirators.

Two more steps and we will be finished with REBUILD Northwest Florida:
(1) new, reinforced garage doors;
(2) shutters on all the windows and over the French doors to the backyard.

The Retrofit Continues, Day 2

2011-11-30T07:43:00.013-06:00

Monday's crew reappeared 7:05 this morning ready to put the soffits back up and finish the other two projects they started. There was talk on Monday that they might be back yesterday afternoon to finish up but they didn't have time.

We needed Monday's work completed today because the roof deck attachment people want to start tomorrow afternoon. They cannot begin until the current roof work is finished.

The photo above shows walls, roof beams and a hurricane strap. After they removed the soffits, the ends of the roof beams and the top of the wall were exposed. The strap was securely attached to both with screws. This isn't exactly how our roof beams look. I got this photo from Google. But the concept is the same. And the strap is the same.

(1) We have a new front door. This one is wind and impact resistant and it works beautifully. And locks easily. I mention this as we had planned to get our handyman to replace the old, rusted and cranky front door that was getting very hard to open.

(2) All the roof-to-wall connections along the non-gable ends of the house have been reinforced with metal clips and big thick screws. All the soffits are back in place and the wood trim to cover the joins has been painted with white primer. Very neatly.

(3) Up in the attic they added lots of wood 2 by 4's for bracing and more metal clips. This was done inside the house, to reinforce the gable ends.

Today's crew was done by 11:30. At 1:00 P.M. tomorrow another crew should arrive. They will use adhesive spray to glue the roof to the walls between the newly reinforced beams.

It's Mitigation Day!

2011-11-28T08:18:00.021-06:00

Or more likely Mitigation Week...or Month.

Workers from REBUILD Northwest Florida are here to retrofit the house, especially the roof and windows, to withstand a Category 3 hurricane.

Their website says, "REBUILD Northwest Florida coordinates construction management services for its Residential Wind Mitigation Retrofit Program in Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties."

The workers arrived early, about 7:30 A.M. and we expect this phase of the rebuild, or Mitigation, as we have learned to call it will take a day or two. The front door and its framing are getting replaced by one worker. Two more are removing the soffit around the edge of the roof -- from the outside. Later they go into the attic to install metal clips and wood braces to reinforce the attachment of the roof to the walls.

It's very noisy.

Last spring Jack applied for this and it took many months for estimators to inspect the house and get the application approved.

The homeowner pays 25% of the total cost. The balance, up to $15,000 is paid for by several organizations including FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency; Florida State Emergency Response Team and Escambia County Local Mitigation Strategy. I love the latter's slogan: "A Partnership for a Sustainable & Disaster Resilient Community."

In the next few weeks work will include installing stronger garage doors, foam sealant around all the new construction and removable hurricane shutters for the windows and doors. We expect the whole thing will be done by Christmas.

In Sarasota Visiting the Ringling Museum

2011-10-17T14:57:00.004-06:00

Main Entrance to the Ringling Museum

At the Ringling through January 29, 2012, there's a stunning poster show organized by the Cincinnati Museum of Art and the Ringling Museum. All the posters were printed by the Strobridge Lithographic Company. Posters shown were mostly from the 1880's to the 1920s. You can learn more at the Ringling Museum's website.

Tomorrow we return to see Ringling's new Tibbal's Learning Center with Howard Tibbals grand miniature circus.

The Circus Comes to Town

2011-09-30T09:01:00.010-06:00

Cole Bros. Circus of the Stars is in Pensacola for the weekend. Out at the Pensacola Interstate Fairgrounds.

Beautiful new tent, 12 huge tigers and much more. It's "The World's Largest Circus Under the Big Top." With free children's tickets. And free parking, too.

James Beard's Quiche Lorraine

2011-09-24T06:10:00.016-06:00

The only quiche I have ever made is from the old paperback James Beard Cookbook. First published in 1959, it is still in print. The copy I have now, my second, is from 1979 and it is the 26th printing.

Here's a link to the original recipe for his Quiche Lorraine. Lots of eggs, cream and crisp bacon. I have adapted it slightly. I use a frozen pie shell, the 9-inch deep dish size. And usually I don't have real Gruyère cheese on hand so I use a blend of fresh grated Parmesan and Vermont white cheddar.

Celebrate the First Day of Autumn...

2011-09-23T07:15:00.016-06:00

...with Nyåkers Ginger Snaps. Possibly the best cookie I have ever eaten, they are made in the village of Nyåker in the north of Sweden.

World Market has a big stack of them. There's a new seasonal tin with brown and orange fall leaves. I am sure the festive traditional red tins will be there before Christmas. Check out this link to the official Nyåkers Pepparkakor web site.

Here's what J. S. Marcus said about these cookies in the Wall Street Journal on December 12, 2008:

The farther north you go in Europe, it seems, the more cookie-like becomes the gingerbread.

Panforte, gingerbread's Italian cousin, is dense and gooey and chock full of dried fruit; think fruitcake-flavored candy. Lebkuchen, Germany's contribution, really is a bit like bread—sweet and airy and chewy all at once. Swedish "pepparkakor," or gingersnaps, are thinner and less sweet than other variations, and that makes all the difference.

Pepparkakor—literally "pepper cookies"—are a highly spiced version of a simple rolled cookie: just flour, shortening and sugar, flavored with cloves, ginger and cinnamon. Eaten year-round, pepparkakor are especially popular at Christmastime. At their best, they have a rich but delicate crispiness, with just a trace of sweetness, allowing the punch of the spices to stand out.

The thinnest and richest of all come from the north of Sweden, from a firm called Nyakers, named after the village they're made in. One of a few premium Swedish brands, Nyakers pepparkakor are a featured brand in the food halls of Stockholm's NK department store. They can also be found on many Swedish supermarket shelves and are distributed to Scandinavian specialty stores and gourmet food shops around the world (www.nyakers.com).

Christine Olson-Giebel, a Wisconsin native of Scandinavian descent, discovered Nyakers after she moved to the San Francisco Bay area, where a Swedish acquaintance offered her a sample. "I bought them immediately," she recalls. Although she had grown up eating gingersnaps, Nyakers' version was a revelation. "I like that they're incredibly thin and crisp," she says. "They're like catnip for humans."

She also recommends using the cookies as the lone ingredient in a fine cheesecake crust. "You just put them in the blender, turn it on, and you're done," she says.

Joey's Mane

2011-08-25T09:30:00.005-06:00

Recently we noticed that Joey is developing a mane. It's rare in house cats but sometimes happens with cats who have long or medium-long hair. Maine Coon cats can have manes. Joey is not of that breed but he definitely has a mane.

Nachez, Mississippi Visitor Information

2011-08-16T08:35:00.049-06:00

Natchez is just 350 miles west of Pensacola -- an easy drive and a nice place to spend a few days. Check back soon for updates. No definite travel plans yet -- just listing some Natchez web sites.

VISITOR INFO
Natchez Visitors' Guide
Natchez Wiki
Friends of Our Riverfront, Natchez

ATTRACTIONS
Dunleith
Longwood
NatchezTraceTravel.com
Rosalie Mansion
Stanton Hall

RESTAURANTS, TAVERNS, SALOONS IN NATCHEZ
Big Momma's BBQ
Bowie's Tavern
The Carriage House
The Castle Restaurant & Pub
Fat Mama's Tamales
Magnolia Grill
Mammy's Cupboard
Monmouth Plantation's 1818 Restaurant (scroll down when you get to the page)
The Pig Out Inn Barbeque
Under The Hill Saloon
Uptown Grocery

RESTAURANTS OUT OF NATCHEZ
Old Country Store, Lorman, Mississippi, 34 miles north via the Natchez Trace

HOTELS & CASINOS
Eola Hotel
Isle of Capri Casino Hotel, Natchez
Hampton Inn Natchez
Natchez Grand Hotel

NEWS
Natchez Democrat

Natchez Trolley, Under the Hill, Late 19th Century

World's Largest Refrigerator Magnet?

2011-08-15T11:21:00.006-06:00

This is one of the magnetic signs that was on each side of Jack's car in Peru, Indiana's Circus City Festival Parade on July 23, 2011. Earlier this week it was briefly the World's Largest Refrigerator Magnet.

Ken's Trip To Maine -- August 2011

2011-08-09T17:39:00.019-06:00

Just Married: Katie & Chris

Thursday, August 4
I flew out of Pensacola at 11:00 A.M., changed planes in Atlanta and got to Portland at 5:45 P.M. I was in Augusta by 7:30 and visited with my parents until 9:00 when I went over to the Civic Center Inn to check in.

Friday, August 5
A quiet day resting up from all the traveling.

Saturday, August 6
Early in the afternoon we drove to Freeport to meet Carol at the Freeport Inn. On the way we went down Freeport's Main Street. It was jammed with tourists and shoppers. The town really looks nice these days.

We got to the wedding venue 4:30. The weather was perfect, the site was beautiful. The wedding began at 5:00; over at 5:10. Loved that.

The lawn decorated for the wedding at Glisland Farm Audubon Center

Click here for more photos.

Sunday, August 7
It was very rainy in the morning. After we chatted for a while at the hotel with all the family we set out for Augusta. We had breakfast at the Fairground Cafe in Topsham. It's a few miles north of Brunswick and Freeport. Wonderful pancakes.

Monday, August 8
For lunch we had takeout from The Red Barn restaurant on Riverside Drive in Augusta. Great shrimps, fries, fried fish and onion rings.

Early afternoon I headed to Portland to spend the night because I had an early flight in the morning. In Brunswick I got off the Interstate and took little coastal roads through tiny villages.

I originally intended to go to one of Portland's harborside restaurants and have a Maine lobster. After listening to Portland radio traffic reports I was less interested in driving into the downtown area. And back out to the airport during rush hour. There was a lot f traffic congestion in Portland, apparently more than usual.

When I got back to Route 1 just south of Freeport I decided to find a lobster somewhere out of downtown Portland, then drop the car and go directly to my hotel. As I passed the Freeport Inn, where we stayed on Saturday night, I saw the Muddy Rudder seafood restaurant. Perfect. Lobster and corn both cooked just right. And I had an easy drive from there to drop off the car.

Tuesday, August 9
Got up very early to catch the hotel van to the airport for my 7:00 A.M. flight. Huge, slow crowds at airport security, at 5:45 A.M.! Happy to report the flights were all on time and I got to Pensacola at 10:30.

The Road To Peru, Day 8 -- Final Day

2011-07-26T13:27:00.011-06:00

On Sunday morning we headed south. We were in no hurry to cover the 800+ miles to Pensacola. If three nights on the road suited us better than two we would get home on Wednesday instead of Tuesday.

Shortly after we left Peru we stopped for breakfast at a Bob Evans Restaurant in Kokomo. This fueled our 305 mile Sunday drive, getting us to Bowling Green, Kentucky. Next to the hotel was a Bob Evans Restaurant where we had our dinner. Two Bob Evans' in one day! It is always a favorite when we are on the road. There is none near Pensacola.

Monday, Day 7, we drove to Birmingham, Alabama. It was an easy 275 miles. All along the way on this trip we listened to audio books. On the way north it was Patti LuPone's A Memoir read by Ms. LuPone herself with great flair and a good deal of attitude. Coming south we listened to Seth Rudetsky's Broadway Nights: A Romp of Life, Love, and Musical Theatre. And when we got tired of the talking books we had XM Radio -- all Broadway, all the time, channel 72. Tired and hot when we arrived in Birmingham, we ate at the Outback Steakhouse in the hotel's parking lot.

Tuesday was Day 8 and we were only 260 miles from home. Lunch was at the Bates House of Turkey in Greenville, Alabama. Yes, all they offer is turkey, but many, many different ways. After picking up the cats we were home by 3:00 P.M.

The total mileage for the trip, including side trips and getting lost looking for local restaurants, was 1,690 miles.

The Road To Peru, Day 5

2011-07-23T13:23:00.026-06:00

Yesterday, Friday, we got to Peru around noon. It was just 90 miles from Greenwood so it was a short drive. We had lunch at the Circus City Grill and then checked into our hotel -- the Circus City Inn.

Every July the City of Peru, The Circus Capital of the World, hosts the Circus City Festival in honor of its circus heritage. There is a circus at the Circus Hall of Fame, the youth circus in town, a huge parade with antique circus wagons and the Hall of Fame's induction dinner for new honorees.

Mid-afternoon we were picked up by Wayne Scheiner who took us over to the Circus Hall of Fame Museum and gave us a guided tour. What a treat to see all those old wagons and other historic memorabilia. There's a slideshow coming up at the end of this post that has photos of the museum and much more.

Back to the Circus City Inn for a rest and cleanup before going to the Peru Amateur Circus. What a fine show and what talent and practice. The "Children of All Ages" were not only in the audience but in the show itself! What a wonderful showing of civic pride.

Saturday started hot and got hotter. Because of Jack's honor this day we rode in the parade. First in a Mercedes convertable -- later in a golf cart when the battery in the former gave out. We made the journey and did not falter.

Back at the hotel after the parade it was time to cool down -- lunch at the Circus City Grill, a shower and a nap before getting ready for the evening's events.

In the evening we went to the Circus Hall of Fame dinner at the Siding Restaurant and Jack gave a speech after. It went over very well. And he got this beautiful plaque.

Here's a link to some photos of what went on in Peru and at the Circus Hall of Fame Friday and Saturday.

The Road To Peru, Day 3

2011-07-21T13:19:00.010-06:00

Today was the third day of our drive north on I-65 from Pensacola, Florida to Peru, Indiana. Peru is the home of the International Circus Hall of Fame and Jack will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on Saturday evening.

Most of the way to Peru we travel along Interstate 65. And nearly the whole length of it, too.

First thing Tuesday morning we took the cats to the pet hotel where they will be for the next week. Then we headed north.

Tuesday we managed 345 miles and spent the night in Athens, Alabama. Dinner was at Logan's Roadhouse, right next to the motel.

Wednesday we crossed Tennessee and moved on to Elizabethtown, Kentucky gaining 235 miles and losing an hour by entering Eastern Daylight Time.

That night we ate at a pleasant local place, Back Home Country Store & Restaurant. Good country food, if a bit salty. As we progressed northward we found the food got saltier along the way. Not everywhere for sure, but at most of the places where we ate.

Today, Thursday, we went 150 miles getting into increasing heat. Temperatures were in the high 90s with discomfort levels of 110 to 115. So once we got to the motel we chose to eat nearby. Lunch at the Fireside Brewhouse and dinner at Little Mexico III. Both were in the mall a little bit up the street from the motel. Good local food.

Along the Wabash River

2011-07-14T17:01:00.001-06:00

Peru, Indiana and the Wabash River, 1910.

What's For Dinner Tonight? Part 10

2011-07-01T08:03:00.123-06:00

Menu board at Le Tableau French-Egyptian Bistro, NYC

Ever since Saturday, January 27, 2007, I have kept a log listing nearly all of our evening meals. The intention is to help answer the daily questions:

(1) "What do you want to eat tonight?"
(2) "What haven't we had lately?"

Eventually the list became too long to navigate easily. So I broke it up into six-month segments:
January through June, 2007
July through December, 2007
January through June, 2008
July through December, 2008
January through June, 2009
July through December, 2009
January through June, 2010
July through December, 2010
January through June, 2011

Friday, July 1, 2011 -- burgers with tomato, lettuce, avocado, secret sauce and fries (getting ready for the 4th of July celebrations)

Saturday, July 2 -- shrimp and crab cocktail, horseradish sauce, tomato salad, potato salad
Sunday, July 3 -- fried chicken, coleslaw
Monday, July 4 -- charcoal grilled rib eye steaks, twice baked potatoes
Tuesday, July 5 -- Thai take out from Siam Asian Diner
Wednesday, July 6 -- burgers with tomato, lettuce, avocado, secret sauce and fries
Thursday, July 7 -- chicken salad sandwiches, stuffed celery sticks
Friday, July 8 -- poached salmon, grilled ahi tuna, mango salsa, steamed rice

Saturday, July 9 -- pork chops, rice, gravy, Chipotle-cinnamon apple sauce
Sunday, July 10 -- roast turkey, stuffing, gravy, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce
Monday, July 11 -- chicken breast, mashed potatoes, fresh pineapple
Tuesday, July 12 -- dinner at Bonefish Grill
Wednesday, July 13 -- burgers, bacon (Nueske's of course), lettuce, tomato, secret sauce, fries
Thursday, July 14 -- baby back ribs, mashed potatoes, corn
Friday, July 15 -- steak, asparagus, Bearnaise sauce

Saturday, July 16 -- Hot Brown sandwiches
Sunday, July 17 -- Chicken Parmesan, mashed potatoes, green peas
Monday, July 18 -- On our way to Peru, Indiana and Jack's induction into the Circus Hall of Fame -- road food for the next week.

Tuesday, July 26 -- sandwiches from Jersey Mike's
Wednesday, July 27 -- fried chicken, mashed potatoes, carrots
Thursday, July 28 -- bacon burgers, secret sauce, fries
Friday, July 29 -- Chicken Parmesan, rice

Saturday, July 30 -- Teriyaki pork chops, rice, gravy
Sunday, July 31 -- spaghetti with meat sauce

August 4-9 Ken off to Maine for Katie and Chris' wedding

Tuesday, August 9 -- fried chicken, black beans & rice
Wednesday, August 10 -- bacon burgers, salad
Thursday, August 11 -- charcoal grilled beef and veggie kababs, steamed rice
Friday, August 12 -- Chicken Parmesan, mashed potatoes, collard greens

Saturday, August 13 -- turkey, stuffing, mashed sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce
Sunday, August 14 -- sandwiches from Jersey Mike's
Monday, August 15 -- spaghetti with meat sauce, salad
Tuesday, August 16 -- lunch at the Hacienda Mexican Restaurant; sundaes from the DQ for supper
Wednesday, August 17 -- Kung Pao Chicken, steamed rice, green onions, peanuts, crispy noodles, green beans
Thursday, August 18 -- burgers, lettuce, tomato, secret sauce, fresh corn
Friday, August 19 -- fried chicken, coleslaw, corn and tomato salad, peach shortcake

Saturday, August 20 -- shrimp and grits
Sunday, August 21 -- Thai takeout from the Siam Asian Diner
Monday, August 22 -- chicken fried steak, country gravy, mashed potatoes, cream corn
Tuesday, August 23 -- Chicken Parmesan, creamed spinach, noodles Alfredo
Wednesday, August 24 -- home made lunch -- Billy's Shrimp Creole and Joan's Buttermilk Pie with blueberries; snacks for supper
Thursday, August 25 -- pork chops, chipotle/cinnamon applesauce, potatoes au gratin
Friday, August 26 -- batter fried shrimps, seafood cocktail sauce, Insalata Caprese

Saturday, August 27 -- Lunch in Biloxi, Mississippi at the Beau Rivage Casino's Terrace Cafe; a light supper at home
Sunday, August 28 -- crispy fried chicken fingers, fresh corn on the cob, batter-fried scallions
Monday, August 29 -- burgers and fries, skillet corn
Tuesday, August 30 -- fried chicken, gravy, mashed potatoes, coleslaw
Wednesday, August 31 -- takeout from Tu-Do Vietnamese Restaurant, peach short cakes
Thursday, September 1, 2011 -- spaghetti with meat sauce
Friday, September 2 -- lunch downtown at The Wine Bar on Palafox; snacks for supper

Saturday, September 3 -- green and black peppercorn crusted, bacon wrapped, filet steak with twice-baked potatoes
Sunday, September 4 -- Chicken Parmesan, rice and gravy
Monday, September 5 -- pork chops, mashed potato, applesauce
Tuesday, September 6 -- sandwiches from Jersey Mike's, chicken soup
Wednesday, September 7 -- fried chicken, mashed sweet potato, cranberry sauce
Thursday, September 8 -- burgers
Friday, September 9 -- Chinese Pie

Saturday, September 10 -- take out from Siam Asian Diner
Sunday, September 11 -- crab cakes, salad
Monday, September 12 -- French dipped roast beef sandwiches, coleslaw, potato sticks
Tuesday, September 13 -- lunch at Chow Tyme Chinese Buffet; snacks for supper
Wednesday, September 14 -- Chicken Parmesan, Noodles Alfredo, fresh corn
Thursday, September 15 -- Monte Cristo sandwiches, fruit salad
Friday, September 16 -- Bill D's roast beef birthday dinner

Saturday, September 17 -- charcoal Teriyaki- style BBQ beef and veggie kababs, steamed rice
Sunday, September 18 -- sandwiches from Jersey Mike's
Monday, September 19 -- burgers, corn on the cob
Tuesday, September 20 -- take out from Siam Asian Diner
Wednesday, September 21 -- meatloaf, mashed potatoes, gravy
Thursday, September 22 -- steak, sauce Bearnaise, twice-baked potatoes
Friday, September 23 -- James Beard's Quiche Lorraine, salad

Saturday, September 24 -- chicken hash ('21' Club recipe), rice, creamed spinach, key lime pie
Sunday, September 25 -- burgers and fries
Monday, September 26 -- Vichyssoise (adapted from Julia Child's recipe), fried chicken, potato salad
Tuesday, September 27 -- lunch at Shark Fin; snacks for supper
Wednesday, September 28 -- Cajun shrimp over cheese grits
Thursday, September 29 -- French Dipped Roast Beef Sandwiches, coleslaw
Friday, September 20 -- grilled "cowboy" steaks at the Coach-n-Four Steakhouse

Saturday, October 1, 2011 -- fried chicken, roasted garlic with olive oil and potatoes, corn
Sunday, October 2 -- spaghetti, meat sauce, salad, garlic bread
Monday, October 3 -- Thai take out from Siam Asian Diner
Tuesday, October 4 -- pork chops, cornbread stuffing, collard greens, applesauce
Wednesday, October 5 -- tempura shrimp, coleslaw, fresh pineapple
Thursday, October 6 -- lunch at La Hacienda Mexican Restaurant; snacks for supper
Friday, October 7 -- guacamole & chips, Chicken Parmesan, rice and gravy

Saturday, October 8 -- burgers & fries
Sunday, October 9 -- steak and little red potatoes
Monday, October 10 -- take out from Sonny's BBQ
Tuesday, October 11 -- tacos

--- Road trip to Sarasota, through Thursday ---

Thursday, October 20 -- soup and English muffins
Friday, October 21 -- Chicken Parmesan, rice, gravy, corn

Saturday, October 22 -- beef and veggie kababs, rice
Sunday, October 23 -- burgers & fries (scratch), tomato, lettuce, bacon, secret sauce
Monday, October 24 -- Thai take out from Siam Asian Diner
Tuesday, October 25 -- spaghetti with meat sauce, garlic bread
Wednesday, October 26 -- chicken, mashed [potatoes, green peas
Thursday, October 27 -- pork chops, applesauce, cheese puff
Friday, October 28 -- beef stew and hot biscuits

Saturday, October 29 -- Kung Pao Chicken, steamed rice, green onions, peanuts, crispy noodles, green beans
Sunday, October 30 -- burgers
Monday, October 31 -- English muffin pizzas, soup
Tuesday, November 1, 2011 -- turkey, cornbread stuffing with pecans, mashed sweet potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce
Wednesday, November 2 -- lunch at Chow Tyme Chinese Buffet; soup for supper
Thursday, November 3 -- goulash, noodles, tomato salad
Friday, November 4 -- Chicken Parmesan, mashed potatoes

Saturday, November 5 -- French dipped roast beef sandwiches, red beans and rice
Sunday, November 6 -- beef and veggie kababs, rice
Monday, November 7 -- burgers, bacon, cheese, tomato, lettuce, secret sauce
Tuesday, November 8 -- lunch at The Fish House; snacks for supper
Wednesday, November 9 -- beefy beans, creamed spinach, garlic bread
Thursday, November 10 -- fried chicken, rice, gravy, black eyed peas
Friday, November 11 -- pork chops, mashed potatoes, country gravy, corn, applesauce

Saturday, November 12 -- Kung Pao Chicken, steamed rice, green onions, peanuts, crispy noodles, green beans
Sunday, November 13 -- Thai take out from Siam Asian Diner
Monday, November 14 -- Burgers
Tuesday, November 15 -- Chicken Parmesan, rice, gravy
Wednesday, November 16 -- Bacon-wrapped filet steaks with twice-baked potatoes
Thursday, November 17 -- lunch at Five Sisters Blues Cafe: supper was Tortilla Soup with corn chips, avocado and sour cream
Friday, November 18 -- beef pot roast with veggies

Saturday, November 19 -- Kim's birthday party at Bill and Maria's: fried turkey, German Chocolate cake
Sunday, November 20 -- roast beef hash
Monday, November 21 -- Kung Pao Chicken, steamed rice, green onions, peanuts, crispy noodles, green beans
Tuesday, November 22 -- chicken fried steak, country gravy, collard greens, mashed potatoes
Wednesday, November 23 -- lunch at La Hacienda Mexican Restaurant; soup for supper
Thursday, November 24 -- Thanksgiving Dinner: black and green peppercorn-crusted, bacon-wrapped filet steaks with cream and pan juice reduction, baked potatoes, green bean casserole and Cambria Pinot Noir from Santa Maria, California -- and pecan pie.
Friday, November 25 -- chicken and shrimp gumbo

Saturday, November 26 -- Birthday lunch for Billy at Bill & Maria's: Court Bullion, Pineapple Upside Down Cake; eggs and bacon for supper
Sunday, November 27 -- Chinese takeout from Publix
Monday, November 28 -- pork chops, chipotle applesauce, green peas
Tuesday, November 29 -- fried chicken, creamed potatoes with horseradish, carrots
Wednesday, November 30 -- chicken fried steak, country gravy, steamed rice, corn
Thursday, December 1, 2011 -- leftover chicken and shrimp gumbo
Friday, December 2 -- Chicken Parmesan, Noodles Alfredo, grilled asparagus

Saturday, December 3 -- lunch at Chow Tyme Chinese Buffet; soup and sandwich for supper
Sunday, December 4 -- N.Y. strip steaks and baked potatoes
Monday, December 5 -- fried chicken, mashed potatoes, black eyed peas
Tuesday, December 6 -- spaghetti with meat sauce, garlic bread
Wednesday, December 7 -- chicken pot pies
Thursday, December 8 -- sandwiches from Jersey Mike's and soup
Friday, December 9 -- Chicken Parmesan, rice, gravy, Cheesy Corn Bake (Jack Stack's Kansas City BBQ recipe)

Saturday, December 10 -- steak and baked potato
Sunday, December 11 -- Thai take out from Siam Asian Diner
Monday, December 12 -- French dipped sandwiches, cole slaw
Tuesday, December 13 -- pork chops, rice, black beans with ham, applesauce
Wednesday, December 14 --
Thursday, December 15 -- crab cakes and shrimp cocktails
Friday, December 16 --

Saturday, December 17 -- Kim's Cajun Turkey Fry
Sunday, December 18 -- hot turkey sandwiches, mashed potatoes
Monday, December 19 -- Publix fried chicken, coleslaw, stuffed Peppadews
Tuesday, December 20 -- Beef Stroganoff, noodles Mary Westbrook
Wednesday, December 21 -- Chicken Parmesan, roasted little red potatoes with garlic
Thursday, December 22 -- Chinese pepper beef, steamed rice, green beans, egg rolls
Friday, December 23 -- Christmas lunch at Jackson's (Jack's treat); snacks for supper

Saturday, December 24 -- Christmas Eve eggnog and snacks party
Sunday, December 25 -- Kim and Bill fried up shrimps and oysters for Po' Boy Sandwiches with lots of potluck sides from everybody else -- at Kim's
Monday, December 26 -- Stouffers Creamed Chipped Beef on toast
Tuesday, December 27 -- lunch at Chow Tyme Chinese buffet restaurant; snacks for supper
Wednesday, December 28 -- Chicken Piccata, mushroom cream gravy, steamed rice
Thursday, December 29 -- bacon-wrapped, black and green peppercorn-crusted filet steaks, twice baked potatoes
Friday, December 30 -- fried chicken, potatoes

Saturday, December 31 -- Grillades and grits, black eyed peas

Please leave me a comment and tell me what you are eating tonight.

Alaska Cruise, May 2011, Distances Sailed

2011-05-30T07:35:00.010-06:00

Seattle to Juneau
876 nautical miles = 1,007 statute miles = 1,621 kilometers

Juneau to Skagway
94 nautical miles = 108 statute miles = 174 kilometers

Skagway to Glacier Bay
113 nautical miles = 130 statute miles = 209 kilometers

Glacier Bay to Ketchikan
293 nautical miles = 337 statute miles = 542 kilometers

Ketchikan to Victoria
573 nautical miles = 659 statute miles = 1,060 kilometers

Victoria to Seattle
76 nautical miles = 87 statute miles = 141 kilometers

Total distance
2,025 nautical miles = 2,329 statute miles = 3,750 kilometers

NOTE: 1 nautical mile = 1.15 land miles = 1.85 kilometers

Alaska Cruise, May 2011, Fly Home

2011-05-29T07:38:00.005-06:00

Fly Seattle-Dallas, Dallas-Pensacola
Our flight to Dallas is at 9:20 A.M. Nervous about getting from hotel, to van drop off, to multiple elevators and walk ways, to ticketing and to our gate on time -- we decided to get the 7:00 A.M. hotel van instead of the 7:30 we originally planned on taking.

This meant we had plenty of time to be really critical of the ghastly Seattle Tacoma Airport. It's too big and too spread out. There aren't enough people movers or motorized carts. But there's lots of really good art, including a 9 by 27 foot Frank Stella painting, from his signature "Compass" period.

The flights were smooth. The attendant on the Seattle to Dallas leg was a grump. In Dallas we got a wild and wonderful cart ride from Terminal B to Terminal C, via secret chrome elevators and elevated walkways. Who knew? We arrived on time in Pensacola but waited nearly an hour for our bags.

All was fine at home and we picked up the cats Monday morning. They were fine as well.

Alaska Cruise, Day 8, on the Golden Princess, May 2011

2011-05-28T07:32:00.004-06:00

Disembarkation
We left the ship just before 9:00 A.M. Baggage claim was chaos, in some ways worse than embarkation. Princess did fine -- our bags were where they should be. The Port of Seattle has poor signage and doesn't expect their vendors to extend much in the way of courtesy to the arriving or departing passengers.

We headed to Alamo's car rental kiosk. The person there was not listening to anyone's questions and caused us to tote our luggage a long way. We had a very helpful porter but he put the bags where she told us to. Then she pointed to the other end of the pickup area and said the van will pick up the bags (way, way) down there and there's no one to help you. Again, no signage for the pickup area. After more than an hour a van arrived and we were taken to Alamo's counter at the Hilton. Again long, slow lines. Very slow.

Finally we got a car. Drove south to see some sights and have lunch. Then we checked in at our hotel. It was early afternoon. Good luck, it was a great hotel, we found it by accident, the Holiday Inn Express SeaTac. Excellent room and free popcorn, too.

Early evening we went for dinner and to drop the car at the airport. While at the airport we confirmed our route for the morning. It seems that if you are on foot you cannot cross the street from the "parking garage". I put that in quotes because it's where all vehicles have to take departing passengers, except those coming by private cars.

Seattle is supposed to be so "green" but if you go to the airport by private car you are rewarded. Punished if you come by taxis or hotel vans or if you have just dropped off a rental car. You must find and take an elevator up to a "sky bridge" then cross over to the main building, then another elevator to find ticketing. Not very user friendly.

Good news -- yes, we did get upgraded to first class on American's Seattle to Dallas flight tomorrow morning.

Alaska Cruise, Day 7, on the Golden Princess, May 2011

2011-05-27T07:30:00.006-06:00

Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Our first, and only, foreign port of this cruise. We arrive at 7:00 P.M. and leave at 11:00 P.M. And then on to Seattle, 76 nautical miles away, for disembarkation tomorrow morning.

Why bother with stopping in Victoria at all if we'll be there only four hours? Well, we have to visit a foreign port because of an U.S. maritime law from 1886. Basically the law goes like this:

In order to embark in a US port and disembark in a US port, the vessel must visit a foreign port.

The original law was much more stringent than this but there have been many modifications and reinterpretations since 1886. For instance the 1886 version said the foreign port had to be a "distant" foreign port "outside of North America."

The cruise south was pleasant and the sea was calmer. Mid-afternoon the sun came out and it was warm and there was great visibility.

Victoria at sunset looked like a beautiful city. We stayed on the ship and packed our bags. We put them in the hall before bed and hoped to see them at baggage claim tomorrow.

Alaska Cruise, Day 6, on the Golden Princess, May 2011

2011-05-26T07:28:00.016-06:00

Ketchikan
We left Glacier Bay about 3:00 P.M. yesterday heading south and got to Ketchikan about 7:00 this morning. The distance is about 300 nautical miles. There's a light rain but it's warmer than yesterday.

Sunrise here today was at 4:20 A.M., sunset at 9:09 P.M., 16 hours and 49 minutes of daylight.

There are shops right beside the ship so we bought some gifts and had some things shipped.

At the left is a photo of Holland America's Westerdam looming over the downtown docks, taken from the Golden Princess by the Terrace Pool.

Dockside shops in Ketchikan make it easy for shopper tourists.

Tonight is formal night and that's a good reason to eat at the Crown Grill again. But the food there is so good we don't really need a reason.

Getting wet outdoors in Ketchikan must really be fun.

We were on our way to Victoria, British Columbia at 12:30 P.M. The distance is 573 nautical miles and it will take until 7:00 P.M. tomorrow to get there.

Alaska Cruise, Day 5, on the Golden Princess, May 2011

2011-05-25T07:24:00.010-06:00

Glacier Bay
We have now sailed about 1,200 nautical miles since we left Seattle. Today we cruise around Glacier Bay and stop to see several glaciers up close. A cold, but light rain is falling off and on. Lucky for us there's no wind.

Yesterday we got a note from Captain Vincenzo Lubrano inviting us to visit the navigational bridge tomorrow morning. It's always a treat to visit the bridge but today is extra special since the Captain, the local pilot and the Captain's team will be actively maneuvering around the bay and showing us glaciers.

Cruising Around Glacier Bay

Throughout the day park rangers are on board and announcing details about what we should watch for and pointing whales and bears.

There are 12 glaciers in Glacier Bay. At the top of the park, the northwestern end, is the Grand Pacific Glacier (and Canada). The Grand Pacific has been receding for many years and is now heading inland. Along the shore of the bay it has left a huge moraine of dirt and rocks. You cannot see the glacier from our ship.

To the left is Margerie Glacier. It rises 250 feet above the bay and 100 feet below it. The ship pulls up close and then slowly turns around so everybody get a good view.

For more photos click here for a slideshow of photos we took in Glacier Bay.

We then continued around the bay and in Johns Hopkins Inlet we stopped to see another tidewater glacier, Lamplugh Glacier.

Lamplugh Glacier

Breakfast was from the International Cafe and eaten in our cabin -- self-service room service. Lunch was regular room service and dinner was in the Donatello Dining Room.

Alaska Cruise, Day 4, on the Golden Princess, May 2011

2011-05-24T07:19:00.021-06:00

Skagway
Sunrise here today was at 4:07 A.M., sunset at 9:50 P.M., 17 hours and 43 minutes of day light.

We had a quiet morning on the ship and left for the White Pass & Yukon Trail Rail Road train ride at 12:30. We got back around 4:30.

OK -- I didn't really take the above photo, but our train
went along this very section of the track.

Getting good photos from the train was difficult: the train was moving, the track is old and bumpy and the windows are very reflective. I have lots of photos that have wonderful scenery around the edge of the picture and a big, clear reflection of the camera taking up the middle.

The trip, lasting nearly four hours, was wonderful with thrilling scenery. We climbed to nearly 3,000 feet and went along the edges many steep cliffs. In some places the snow beside the tracks was higher than the train cars. After we entered Canada we turned around so everybody got the other view on the way back.

Here is a slideshow of some photos we did take.

Breakfast was in the Horizon Court. Lunch was just snacks because dinner was going to be the Chef's Table event at 6:45. As always at the Chef's Table the wines and food were remarkable and this time the appetizers were all new and my favorite part of the meal.

Alaska Cruise, Day 3, on the Golden Princess, May 2011

2011-05-23T07:12:00.025-06:00

Juneau
Smooth sailing last night up the calm inside passage. So far we have traveled 896.5 nautical miles north from Seattle. The total for the cruise will be a little over 2,000 nautical miles. We are very tired today, feeling the jet lag and the time changes.

There's also a lot more daylight than at home. Sunrise in Juneau was at 4:16 A.M., sunset at 9:36 P.M., for 17 hours and 20 minutes of daylight. In Pensacola today sunrise was at 5:50 A.M., sunset at 7:42 P.M. and there was 3 hours and 28 minutes less daylight.

Originally we had planned to take a bus to visit the Mendenhall Glacier but the weather was damp with little visibility. We stayed on the ship and relaxed. Room service for breakfast and Donatello Dining Room for lunch, tea and dinner.

We also spent some time today getting caught up with email and checking out the ship's library. In addition to books, the library also lets you borrow board games. Anybody for "Candyland?" And for a very small charge, I think it's $7, you can buy a needlepoint kit to make a Princess logo glasses case. In nine cruises I have never seen one of these cases or anyone making one.

A chiily day in Juneau. Nobody's at the pool.

Alaska Cruise, Day 2, on the Golden Princess, May 2011

2011-05-22T10:01:00.020-06:00

At sea
A restful day at sea as we head north into the Inside Passage and on to Juneau in the morning.

The sea isn't very rough but the stabilizers are on most of the time because of the light chop. Weather is damp and gray with temperatures in the low 50s. It's a good day to read, relax, get to know the ship and nap a bit. Most of the time we can see land, far away snow-capped mountains with cliffs along the shore.

At noon today we were half way to Juneau. So far we have gone 450 nautical miles since we left Seattle. We had breakfast in Donatello Dining Room. It has waiter service and everything is cooked to order. Lunch was in the International Cafe in the Atrium. Very good choice of soup, salads and sandwiches and best of all great coffee and French pastries. Excellent food. Tonight is "formal" night and we don't dress up. Dinner was in the Crown Grill Steak House. Excellent as always. And well worth the $25 per person cover charge for the peace and quiet and fantastic service and food.

"Hamilton" on the life preserver indicates the ship is
registered in Bermuda.

This pink flower is a ceiling light in the four-story atrium.
The blossom is huge, about 12 feet across.

We have been reading the Alaska Cruise Handbook by Joe Upton. It came with a handy fold out map of our route. There's a mile-by-mile numbering system in the book and on the map that Princess uses as well so we can follow along when announcements are made on board. When we get to Glacier Bay National Park Rangers join us on the Golden Princess to answer questions and point out interesting things via the ship's loud speakers and TV channels.

Tonight we must set our clocks ahead one hour -- we will be in the Alaska Time Zone.

Alaska Cruise, Day 1, on the Golden Princess, May 2011

2011-05-21T09:50:00.016-06:00

Embarkation Day, Port of Seattle, Pier 91
We've sailed on eight cruises before this one. Sailing out of Ft. Lauderdale, Cape Canaveral, and New Orleans. Embarkation is often a frantic rush under the best of circumstances. But we have never experienced one as unpleasant and uncomfortable as Seattle's.

And that's saying a lot when you consider that the dock in New Orleans was a temporary setup -- Princess was testing the New Orleans market with a few winter cruises -- and both the embarkation and disembarkation were conducted in tents. Big, circus-size tents. And the process was handled smoothly and quickly. The Port of New Orleans really came through for Princess; the Port of Seattle didn't care to. When Pier 91 opened a few years ago all the reports said there were some serious service problems. It seems that it hasn't gotten any better.

Seattle's Skyline from Pier 91

Once we got to the part of embarkation that Princess handled, everything got better fast. Helpful people led us through the process and soon we were in our cabin on Dolphin Deck 9. We arrived in the cabin at 12:30 and by 1:00 we had our bags. We were unpacked before muster drill at 3:00. Our cabin steward is Constantine and he appears to be very polite, and efficient. And friendly, too.

The Golden Princess is in great shape and looks beautiful. Launched in 2001, it had a major dry dock refurbishment in 2009. New dining features were added and the cabins and public areas were given new carpets, wall treatments and drapes.

We pulled away from the dock at 5:00 about an hour late. The captain must have been waiting for a group with a delayed flight. We headed north through a slightly choppy sea. We had our dinner in the Horizon Court Buffet.

Alaska Cruise (one day before) -- A Sunny Day in Seattle

2011-05-20T10:08:00.009-06:00

We now have all our luggage and it's a sunny, warm day in Seattle. The TV news says it's the first day this spring to reach 70 degrees and by the look of the streets and parks lots of Seattle folks took the day off.

We took a taxi to Pike Place Market and it was shoulder-to-shoulder in there. We found a cafe in the rear of the marketplace and saw Celebrity Infinity docked at the downtown cruise ship terminal.

This is our ninth cruise and the first time that we have had to fly to the cruise port. In the past we have taken the car and spent a night or two on the way to the ship. Flying adds another complication to the adventure and especially to the packing for the trip.

Alaska Cruise (two days before) -- Fly to Seattle

2011-05-19T10:04:00.013-06:00

Billy D. picked us up around 8:30 A.M. and took us to the Pensacola airport for our 10:30 flight to Dallas.

All our flights were uneventful and on time. The good news: American upgraded us to first class, from Dallas to Seattle. The "other" news: they lost our luggage.

The luggage clerk at SeaTac assured us, via her scan code machine, that the bags were coming on another plane and would be delivered to our hotel in the middle of the night. At the hotel we confirmed this by computer and hoped for the best -- very glad we had added an extra day to our itinerary.

Coming in from the airport we were upset about the missing luggage but couldn't help noticing the sunshine and clear skies. No Seattle rain today.

The hotel was good and the front desk clerk told us our room had a great view of the space needle.

And it did.

After a night of fitful sleep, I called the front desk at 5:00 A.M. and learned our bags arrived at 3:00 A.M. All three of them. What a relief.

Alaska and the Inside Passage

2011-05-18T10:34:00.000-06:00

White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad, Skagway

Glacier Bay National Park
Glacier Bay National Park official site
Glacier Bay NP Wiki

Juneau
Juneau Travel and Visitors Bureau
Mendenhall Glacier Wiki
Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center
Radio News Updates from KINY AM 800, Juneau
Newspaper -- Juneau Empire
Weather

Ketchikan
Ketchikan Visitors Bureau
Newspaper -- Ketchikan Daily News
Weather

Seattle
City of Seattle site
Seattle Convention and Visitors Bureau
Seattle Cruise Ship Port
Sea-Tac Airport
Pike Place Market
Space Needle
Newspaper -- The Seattle Times
Weather

Restaurants Near Our Seattle Hotel
The 5 Point Cafe
Little Red Bistro
re:public Restaurant & Bar
Two Bells Tavern
The Hurricane Cafe
Zeitoon Cafe & Bistro

Seattle Area Scenic Day Trips
Drives in the Cascades
Go-Washington.com, Seattle Drives
Mount Rainier National Park
Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument
Seattle One-Day Drives
A thread on Cruise Critic

Skagway
Skagway Visitors Bureau
White Pass & Yukon Route Railway
White Pass & Yukon Route Wiki
Newspaper -- The Skagway News (twice monthly)
Weather

Victoria, B.C.
Tourism Victoria
Victoria Harbour Cruise Ship Port
Newspaper -- Victoria News
Weather

General Information
State of Alaska Tourism Site
About Glaciers
Princess Cruises
Pacific Northwest Artist, Doug Cranmer, more

Map of the Inside Passage Cruise

2011-05-17T16:51:00.000-06:00

Maggie the Cat in Charge

2011-04-26T07:39:00.006-06:00

Joey Playing with His Catnip Sock

2011-04-23T14:46:00.008-06:00

Signs of Spring -- At Last

2011-02-28T11:15:00.011-06:00

A few days ago I saw some color in the hedge. Today there were lots of blooms on this one bush. Soon the whole front yard will be full of blooming azaleas. Many different kinds.

Next Cruise: Alaska

2011-02-05T09:56:00.011-06:00

Mendenhall Glacier near Juneau. Click on image to enlarge.

We don't like to be far from home during hurricane season but late spring-early summer is a fine time for us to be away. And go on a cruise. This time it's on the Golden Princess for a tour of Alaksa's Inside Passage.

The cruise is seven nights, round trip out of Seattle. On it we visit Glacier Bay, Mendenhall Glacier, Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan, Alaska and Victoria, BC. And there's a ride on the White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad up into the mountains outside Skagway. A bonus will be the opportunity to see a little of Seattle before and after the cruise.

Joey in the Tree

2011-01-22T15:47:00.007-06:00

A huge crow was bothering Joey and he went up a big tree to get it. Then he couldn't get down. He was up about 35 or 40 feet. A long time later he was on the doorstep ready for a warm bed and a nap.

Click on the images to enlarge them.

Patrolling the Neighborhood

2011-01-18T11:22:00.008-06:00

Joey the Cat has gotten very good at jumping the backyard fences. And snooping around. Click on the images to enlarge them.

What's for dinner tonight? Part 9

2011-01-01T08:09:00.088-06:00

Commander's Palace The Sunday Jazz Brunch Menu
(click image to enlarge)

Ever since Saturday, January 27, 2007, I have kept a log listing nearly all of our evening meals. The intention is to help answer the daily questions:

(1) "What do you want to eat tonight?"
(2) "What haven't we had lately?"

Eventually the list became too long to navigate easily. So I broke it up into six-month segments:
January through June, 2007
July through December, 2007
January through June, 2008
July through December, 2008
January through June, 2009
July through December, 2009
January through June, 2010
July through December, 2010

Saturday,January 1, 2011 -- New Year's dinner at the Bonefish Grill
Sunday, January 2 -- spaghetti with meat sauce
Monday, January 3 -- burgers and Tater Tots
Tuesday, January 4 -- seafood gumbo, steamed rice, crusty bread
Friday, January 7 -- Chicken Parmesan, noodles Alfredo

Saturday,January 8 -- bacon burgers and Tater Tots
Sunday, January 9 -- maple-glazed Canadian bacon, mashed potatoes, succotash
Monday, January 10 -- creamed chipped beef on toast, spinach souffle
Tuesday, January 11 -- fried chicken from Publix, cheese grits, cole slaw
Wednesday, January 12 -- steak and baked potato
Thursday, January 13 -- Kung Pao Chicken, steamed rice, green onions, peanuts, crispy noodles, green beans
Friday, January 14 -- Lunch at Logan's Roadhouse; soup for supper

Saturday, January 15 -- Billy D. hosted a birthday dinner at Wintzell's Oyster House for Joan D.
Sunday, January 16 -- spaghetti with meat sauce
Monday, January 17 -- turkey and stuffing baked in mushroom sauce, green beans, sweet potatoes with walnuts and maple syrup, cranberry sauce
Tuesday, January 18 -- burgers, Tater Tots, guacamole and tortilla chips
Wednesday, January 19 -- Chicken Francese, roasted garlic and baby red potatoes
Thursday, January 20 -- mac and cheese(burger) casserole, buttered carrots
Friday, January 21 -- filet steak au poivre, mashed baby red potatoes

Saturday, January 22 -- International Buffet (from the freezer): Tiger Thai Tempura Shrimp, Phillips Crab Cakes, Tai Pei Chicken Potstickers with two dipping sauces
Sunday, January 23 -- bacon burgers, secret sauce, fries
Monday, January 24 -- lunch at the Fish House; snacks for supper
Tuesday, January 25 -- Stouffers stuffed pepper, mac and cheese, creamed corn
Wednesday, January 26 -- tuna noodle casserole, black beans with raw onions
Thursday, January 27 -- fried chicken, coleslaw, carrots
Friday, January 28 -- turkey and stuffing bake with mushroom gravy, roasted garlic and baby red potatoes, orange-pineapple jello salad, cranberry sauce

Saturday, January 29 -- Kung Pao Chicken, steamed rice, green onions, peanuts, crispy noodles, green beans
Sunday, January 30 -- cheeseburgers with bacon, lettuce, tomato, Tabasco mayonnaise, fries
Monday, January 31 -- spaghetti with meat sauce
Tuesday, February 1, 2010 -- Beef Stroganoff, mashed potatoes, green peas
Wednesday, February 2 -- pork chops, applesauce, fried rice, jello salad
Thursday, February 3 -- fried chicken, Noodles Romanoff, corn
Friday, February 4 -- Supper from the Freezer, lasagna and pepperoni pizza, jello after

Saturday, February 5 -- breakfast for supper: scrambled eggs, bacon, grits, toast and jam
Sunday, February 6 -- burgers, potato salad, coleslaw
Monday, February 7 -- smoked salmon canapes, tempura shrimp, deviled crab, coleslaw
Tuesday, February 8 -- steak au poivre, mashed potatoes
Wednesday, February 9 -- fried chicken, carrots, cornbread stuffing with pecans
Thursday, February 10 -- lunch at our neighborhood's new Chinese buffet restaurant, Chow Tyme; soup for supper
Friday, February 11 -- spaghetti with meat sauce, garlic bread

Saturday, February 12 -- take out from Sonny's BBQ
Sunday, February 13 -- tacos, guacamole and tortilla chips
Monday, February 14 --
Tuesday, February 15 --
Wednesday, February 16 to Monday 21 -- Road food, Sarasota trip
Thursday, February 17 -- dinner by Sue at Sue and Rudi's

Wednesday, February 23 -- pork chops, mashed potatoes, corn
Thursday, February 24 -- spaghetti with meat sauce
Friday, February 25 -- Kung Pao Chicken, steamed rice, green onions, peanuts, crispy noodles, green beans

Saturday, February 26 -- bacon burgers, fries, secret sauce
Sunday, February 27 -- Ahi tuna with mango pico de gallo, steamed rice
Monday, February 28 -- lunch at CJ's, soup for supper
Tuesday, March 1, 2011 -- James Beard's Quiche Lorraine
Wednesday, March 2 -- filet steaks au poivre, twice-baked potato
Thursday, March 3 -- Chicken Francaise (from Publix), rice and gravy, peas and carrots
Friday, March 4 -- shrimp and chicken gumbo, rice, Cajun bread

Saturday, March 5 -- bacon burgers, lettuce, tomatoes, fries
Sunday, March 6 -- crab cakes on baby greens
Monday, March 7 -- spaghetti, meat sauce, salad
Tuesday, March 8 -- chicken breasts, creamed spinach, rice and gravy
Wednesday, March 9 -- beef stew and buttermilk biscuits
Thursday, March 10 -- NY Strip Steak, Sauce Béarnaise, baked potatoes
Friday, March 11 -- roast turkey, gravy, mashed sweet potatoes, corn bread stuffing, cranberry sauce

Saturday, March 12 -- ground beef and hash browns pie, corn
Sunday, March 13 -- burgers, lettuce, tomato, fries
Monday, March 14 -- creamed chipped beef on toast, strawberry shortcakes
Tuesday, March 15 -- chicken parmesan, noodles Alfredo, green peas
Wednesday, March 16 -- dinner at Elise Coastal Dining, downtown Pensacola
Thursday, March 17 -- fried chicken, cole slaw
Friday, March 18 -- Kung Pao Chicken, steamed rice, green onions, peanuts, crispy noodles, green beans

Saturday, March 19 -- gumbo and rice
Sunday, March 20 -- BBQ grilled steaks, baked potato
Monday, March 21 -- spaghetti with meat sauce
Tuesday, March 22 -- takeout from Nancy's Gourmet To Go
Wednesday, March 23 -- bacon burgers, potato salad
Thursday, March 24 -- chicken salad, mixed greens, fruit
Friday, March 25 -- turkey and stuffing bake, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce

Saturday, March 26 -- pork chops, hash browns, spicy applesauce
Sunday, March 27 -- steak and baked potato
Monday, March 28 -- lunch at La Hacienda Mexican Restaurant; snacks for supper
Tuesday, March 29 -- burgers
Wednesday, March 30 -- chicken breast, green beans with almonds, little red potatoes
Thursday, March 31 -- Chinese pie
Friday, April 1, 2011 -- Thai take out from Siam Asian Diner

Saturday, April 2 -- beef and veggie kabobs, steamed rice, gravy
Sunday, April 3 -- hot turkey sandwiches
Monday, April 4 -- spaghetti with meat sauce
Tuesday, April 5 -- burgers
Wednesday, April 6 -- Billy hosted dinner at Pensacola Yacht Club, shrimp AYCE, peel'n'eat and/or French fried
Thursday, April 7 -- Kung Pao Chicken, steamed rice, green onions, peanuts, crispy noodles, green beans
Friday, April 8 -- fried chicken, coleslaw, buttermilk biscuits

Saturday, April 9 -- Lunch at Chow Tyme Chinese Buffet; French Toast for supper
Sunday, April 10 -- BLT sandwiches, gazpacho
Monday, April 11 -- pork chops, Chipotle applesauce, sweet potato mash
Tuesday, April 12 -- charcoal grilled NY strip steak, red wine reduction sauce, baked potato
Wednesday, April 13 -- burgers on the grill with Kim, the season's first corn on the cob, chips, artichoke & spinach dip
Thursday, April 14 -- chicken salad, melon
Friday, April 15 -- lunch at Ozone Pizza Pub for pizza and salad; soup and cornbread for supper

Saturday, April 16 -- baby back ribs, black beans and rice
Sunday, April 17 -- spaghetti with meat sauce
Monday, April 18 -- fried chicken, mashed potato, coleslaw
Tuesday, April 19 -- bacon burgers
Wednesday, April 20 -- pork chops, applesauce, potato au gratin
Thursday, April 21 -- Po' Boy Sandwiches from Jerry's Cajun Cafe
Friday, April 22 -- Dinner at Elise before seeing A Chorus Line at the Saenger Theatre

Saturday, April 23 -- James Beard's Quiche Lorraine, salad
Sunday, April 24 -- Easter Buffet at the Pensacola Yacht Club, hosted by Billy Daudhdrill
Monday, April 25 -- Chicken Dijon, mashed potatoes
Tuesday, April 26 -- Bacon burgers
Wednesday, April 27 -- Lunch at Logan's Road House; supper soup and sandwich
Thursday, April 28 -- spaghetti with meat sauce, salad
Friday, April 29 -- Club Sandwich, coleslaw

Saturday, April 30 -- Beef Filet Bourguignon, steamed rice
Sunday, May 1, 2011 -- Crawfish boil at Maria and Bill's for Ross' birthday
Monday, May 2 -- Thai take out from Siam Asian Diner
Tuesday, May 3 -- pork chops, rice, gravy, spicy applesauce
Wednesday, May 4 -- turkey and stuffing casserole, sweet potato mash, cranberry sauce
Thursday, May 5 -- bacon burgers, secret sauce, fries
Friday, May 6 -- Chicken Parmesan, Noodles Alfredo

Saturday, May 7 -- spaghetti and meat sauce

Thursday, May 11 -- lunch at The Fish House; snacks for supper

Saturday, May 15 -- take out from Sonny's BBQs
Sunday, May 16 -- steak and baked potato

Gone on the Alaska cruise and then took a couple weeks break from this log.

Saturday, June 11 -- steak and potatoes
Sunday, June 12 -- burgers, stuffed potato skins
Monday, June 13 -- pizza, guacamole, corn chips
Tuesday,June 14 -- spaghetti, meat sauce, crusty bread
Wednesday,June 15 -- birthday lunch at Miller's; corn on the cob and hot dogs for supper
Thursday,June 16 -- chicken salad in croissants, coleslaw
Friday, June 17 -- Thai take out from Siam Asian Diner

Saturday, June 18 -- Chicken Francaise, Noodles Alfredo
Sunday, June 19 -- steak and baked potato
Monday, June 20 -- grilled shrimps-on-a-stick, coleslaw
Tuesday, June 21 -- bacon burgers, salad, coleslaw
Wednesday, June 22 -- Lunch at Chow Tyme Chinese Buffet; snacks for supper
Thursday, June 23 -- fried chicken, coleslaw
Friday, June 24 -- stuffed red bell peppers with skillet corn

Saturday, June 25 -- sandwiches from Jersey Mike's, later, Blue Bell ice cream
Sunday, June 26 -- Birthday lunch for Jack and Ken at Kim's
Monday, June 27 -- lunch at O'Charlie's; ice cream for suppers
Tuesday, June 28 -- beef and veggie kababs, steamed rice, retro mustard-butter sauce
Wednesday, June 29 -- spaghetti, meat sauce, garlic bread
Thursday, June 30 -- Chicken Parmesan, mashed potatoes, green beans

Please leave me a comment and tell me what you are eating tonight.

Emerald Princess Cruise, December 2010, The Photos

2010-12-26T12:34:00.030-06:00

Emerald Princess in St. Lucia

PHOTOS FROM THE CRUISE:

Two Tails Ranch, Enroute to Fort Lauderdale and the cruise, Saturday, November 27, 2010

Port Everglades, Embarkation Day, Sunday, November 28

St. Kitts, Day 3, Wednesday, December 1

Barbados, Day 4, Thursday, December 2

St. Lucia, Day 5, Friday, December 3

Antigua, Day 6, Saturday, December 4

St. Thomas, USVI, Day 7, Sunday, December 5

A Visit to the Bridge, Day 8, Monday, December 6

Sunset at sea, heading for The Bahamas, Day 8, Monday, December 6

Emerald Princess Atrium, Day 9, Tuesday, December 7

Emerald Princess Cruise, December 2010, Distances Sailed

2010-12-26T10:25:00.006-06:00

Distances Sailed
Fort Lauderdale to St. Kitts
1122 nautical miles = 1290 statute miles = 2078 kilometers

St. Kitts to Barbados
317 nautical miles = 365 statute miles =587 kilometers

Barbados to St. lucia
132 nautical miles = 152 statute miles = 244 kilometers

St. Lucia to Antigua
214 nautical miles = 246 statute miles = 396 kilometers

Antigua to St. Thomas
196 nautical miles = 225 statute miles = 363 kilometers

St. Thomas to Princess Cays
740 nautical miles = 851 statute miles = 1370 kilometers

Princess Cays to Fort Luaderdale
273 nautical miles = 314 statute miles = 506 kilometers

Total distance
2994 nautical miles = 3443 statute miles = 5545 kilometers

NOTE: 1 nautical mile = 1.15 land miles = 1.85 kilometers

Emerald Princess Cruise, December 2010, The drive home

2010-12-26T10:00:00.003-06:00

Thursday, Perry to Pensacola

After a terrible Holiday Inn Express breakfast, worse than any Hampton Inn breakfast and that's hard to believe, we packed the car and were on our way. It was very cold in Perry, at the hotel they said it was 26 degrees. We froze getting the car packed up.

We were on our way by 10:30 and thanks to the hour we gained going back to Central time we were home by 3:00. It was cold in the house but nothing appeared to be damaged by the low temperatures. Then we picked up the cats. and came back to a warm house.

Emerald Princess Cruise, December 2010, Day 10

2010-12-08T08:23:00.006-06:00

Wednesday, Disembarkation

We arrived at Fort Lauderdale's Port Everglades just before dawn and it was cold. In the low 50s, possibly high 40s. We had an early breakfast in the Da Vinci dining room and went to Club Fusion to wait for our disembarkation group to be called. Our luggage tag color was Brown 3 and we were told we'd be off the ship by 8:30. The first two groups were called on time then nothing -- for more than 30 minutes.

We were finally called almost 40 minutes late. From then on there were no problems. We found our bags and a porter. He got us past customs fast. He simply cut into the head of the line of people waiting at passport control. He saved us at least ten or fifteen minutes and I tipped him well. When we got to the sidewalk the van to the parking lot was waiting and we were in our car ten minutes later.

We headed north up Florida's Turnpike until we joined I-75. As soon as we got to Ocala we went cross country and avoided the worst parts of I-75 and I-10. We drove nearly 400 miles to Perry and the Holiday Inn Express there. Wow, it was cold in Perry. The smoke alarm at the hotel kept going off (very loud) and we were unhappy. Lucky for us, and for them, the final false alarm was at 9:30 P.M. and not again after. So we slept well.

Emerald Princess Cruise, December 2010, Day 9

2010-12-07T08:21:00.006-06:00

Tuesday, Princess Cays

Chilly weather and a gray sky as we head north. The air was too cold and the sea too rough for us to want to take the tenders over to Princess Cays. The choppy sea and the cool weather kept a lot of people on board the ship; it was not a beach day.

Atrium, Starboard Staircase

I took some pictures of the atrium today. Princess people have started putting up some holiday decorations. Christmas trees, wreaths and greenery have been appearing gradually all over the ship for the past couple of days.

We had a quiet day. Started packing and had some of the bags ready to go into the hallway before dinner and the rest right after. Spent some time on the computer. We need to use up our minutes. Breakfast in the Horizon Grill, lunch at the Trident by the pool and dinner in Michaelangelo.

Emerald Princess Cruise, December 2010, Day 8

2010-12-06T11:22:00.021-06:00

Monday, at sea

Today's weather was clear and sunny and the sea was flat. We had breakfast in the Da Vinci dining room and headed off for the bridge. There was a large group seeing the bridge today, more than 20. This was our fifth visit to a Princess ship's bridge and sometime it's just us and another person or two.

We met Captain Giorgio Pomata and his crew. Today's tour guide was Staff Captain Andrea Spinardi, he's the second in command. On the Emerald Princess the navigation is now completely electronic and no paper charts are maintained at all. Last year on the Island Princess we noticed that paper back up charts are still kept -- just in case...

The bridge has a sweeping view of the sea ahead and also of the crew pool.

The crew pool at the very front of the ship.

We had an informal lunch at the International Cafe, great for people watching. As it's formal night tonight, we decided for dinner to make another visit to the Crown Grill Steak House where the food is wonderful and our lack of dress-up clothes wouldn't be noticed.

Sundown, at sea, heading to Princess Cays in the Bahamas

Weather report from home...
We have been monitoring the Pensacola weather for the past few days. It is very cold there and all over the southeast. The evening temperatures have been going below freezing and the daytime highs are only in the 50s. It was so warm when we left we considered leaving the air conditioning on. We ended up shutting the heat and cooling off. So it's going to be a chilly house when we get back. We can only hope the outdoor plumbing won't freeze and crack.

Emerald Princess Cruise, December 2010, Day 7

2010-12-05T11:12:00.017-06:00

Sunday, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

Crown Bay Cruise Ship Port, St. Thomas (click image to enlarge)

For the first time in many cruise visits to St. Thomas our ship tied up at the new Crown Bay Dock. In the past we were always at Havensight, the West Indian Company Dock on the other side of Charlotte Amalie, capital city of the U.S. Virgin Islands. This is the most popular cruise port in the Caribbean. Often there are lots of cruise ships docked in St. Thomas at the same time.

With the new super-sized ships, like Royal Caribbean' Allure of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas, this can mean close to 20,000 sightseers on shore at the same time. So an additional port was built. It opened in 2006.

SeaDream I (click image to enlarge)

When we docked there was a small cruise ship across from us, the SeaDream I, soon joined by the identical SeaDream II. They are the entire fleet of a luxury cruise line -- SeaDrean Yacht Club.

Breakfast was in the Horizon Grill buffet, lunch was burgers by the pool and dinner was in yhe Michaelangelo Dining Room. We had a wonderful assistant waiter, Maryia from Ukraine. She is charming and very professional.

Today's mail had an invitation from Captain Giorgio Pomata to visit the bridge tomorrow morning for a tour.

Before we left Pensacola we finished writing and addressing (and stamping) our Christmas cards. We brought them with us and mailed them in St. Thomas. Officially the U.S. Virgin Islands is "an organized, unincorporated United States territory." So our U.S. postage stamps work there as do our cell phones.

Emerald Princess Cruise, December 2010, Day 6

2010-12-04T10:39:00.015-06:00

Saturday, Antigua

Mild weather, a gently rolling sea, clear skies, lots of stars last night and we saw a shooting star. We have now traveled 1800 nautical miles.

Along the shore

Emerald Princess is tied up beside P & O's Oceana

Breakfast was at the buffet in the Horizon Grill. And then we were off on the Antigua Scenic Drive Tour. It was the shortest one we could find. We don't like long tours in cramped vans. Despite the title, the tour wasn't really scenic. Mostly it showed us the coastal residential and commercial areas and that was very interesting. The island seems quite prosperous and there's a noticeable middle class. It was nice to see that almost none of the homes had locked gates or windows with security bars.

At the end of the tour it seemed the driver was dropping us off at the far side of the shopping village. But after we got off the van we looked up and saw the two ships parked nearby.

Marketplace on Saturday with Emerald Princess and Oceana

Tropical Gardens on our tour of Antigua

Leaving Antigua after sundown (click image to enlarge)

Emerald Princess Cruise, December 2010, Day 5

2010-12-03T09:32:00.040-06:00

Friday, St. Lucia

The brief trip from Barbados to St. Lucia was smooth and only 133 nautical miles. The weather was sunny and hot with great visibility. The views from our ship were wonderful, especially from the upper decks. Other ships in port today were Fred.Olsen Cruise Lines' Braemar and Holland America's Prinsendam.

Castries Harbour, St. Lucia (click on image to enlarge)

There are postcard views wherever you look on St. Lucia

The Emerald Princess looming above the shopping village on St. Lucia

We walked into the village of shops at the end of the dock and, instead of diamonds, we bought some mango chutney and hot sauces made on St. Lucia by Baron Foods Limited. It was unusual to see such a good assortment of locally-made foods available in a tourist market.

We had breakfast in the International Cafe in the atrium. Lunch was from room service.

In the evening we had a lavish Italian dinner at Sabatini's. The latter offers a tasting menu of at least a dozen appetizers and hors d'oeuvres (small servings) followed three different pasta dishes, then an entrée and a dessert sampler. It takes a while to complete the meal and then you waddle back to your cabin to sleep it off.

Emerald Princess Cruise, December 2010, Day 4

2010-12-02T11:04:00.018-06:00

Thursday, Barbados

Very pleasant weather today with a nice breeze. Best to stay out of too much direct sun however, Barbados is the most southerly island on this cruise -- 13 degrees north of the equator.

The port in Bridgetown where we are parked is mostly industrial with container shipping facilities and sugar processing plants.

We never left the ship today. From what we can see it seems to be a dull little island although it is very popular with the Brits. Lots of direct flights from all the London airports.

I have read about great beaches for snorkeling and lots of tourist attractions but we loved having the ship to ourselves all day. Room service breakfast. Lunch at the Trident Grill for burgers and pizza by the pool. Dinner in the Michaelangelo Dining Room.

So far we have sailed 1,454 nautical miles. Later on I will post all the distances we've sailed from point to point.

Emerald Princess was the only cruise ship in port today.

Emerald Princess Cruise, December 2010, Day 3

2010-12-01T11:03:00.042-06:00

Wednesday, St. Kitts and Nevis

The weather is clear, hot and windy. The sea is calm.

In St. Kitts we docked at Port Zante in the city of Basseterre. The sun is very strong here, Basseterre is just 17 degrees north of the Equator. If you are sitting in the shade the temperature is warm and tropical; in the sun it is very hot.

Soon after we arrived we saw another ship pulling in to the other side of our dock. It was the Grand Princess and looked almost identical to the Emerald Princess. The major difference is that our ship has an extra deck of cabins, the Riviera Deck 14. It was fun to watch a big ship coming in to port and even better it was backing in -- very slowly. So the ships docked nose to tail.

We walked into the village of shops at the end of the dock where there were dozens of small stores all selling the same upscale, tourist items, mostly diamonds. We didn't buy any diamonds.

Port Zante, St. Kitts (Click on image to enlarge.)
The ship is docked in a beautiful location and a good one for me to practice shooting some of my panoramic photos. Above is one I took from Deck 18. Our ship is on the extreme right. The ship in the foreground and also a little right of center is the Grand Princess.

Tonight our dinner was the Chef's Table. As always the food and wines were fabulous. And the backstage tour of the kitchen was a wonder. Usually the Chef's Table is directed by the ship's executive chef but tonight Princess Cruises' Master Chef Alfredo Marci was visiting the Emerald Princess and was in charge of our feast -- every detail.

Chef's Table Menu (click the image once, then with the cursor over the text, click again -- this should make the text readable)

Emerald Princess Cruise, December 2010, Day 2

2010-11-30T16:43:00.007-06:00

Tuesday, at sea

The sea was slightly bumpy all night but today is calm and partly cloudy/partly sunny. Breakfast in the Da Vinci dining room -- waiter service, crisp table linens, eggs cooked to order, fresh breakfast pastries -- a very nice dining experience. Lunch in the Horizon Court buffet and dinner in Michaelangelo.

These two back-to-back sea days are great for unwinding and doing next to nothing. We set up our computer accounts, browsed for books in the ship's library and got tickets for a brief tour of Antigua on Saturday afternoon. Because the cruise is just before Christmas all the holiday chores have to be finished before leaving for the cruise. It's nice to have it all done so early.

The computer connection on board is still very slow with frequent drop offs. Fifteen minutes of connect time often means 10 minutes of waiting to connect and five minutes of transmitting time. The computer cafe has a lot of computers so usually there's no problem getting one to use. But we bring a laptop and get online in our cabin. Using the ship's network isn't cheap. The best buy is 250 minutes for $100. If you have cruised with Princess more than six times you get 250 minutes free, so that's a plus.

Emerald Princess Cruise, December 2010, Day 1

2010-11-29T10:09:00.021-06:00

Monday, at sea

We are now in the Atlantic Time Zone, one hour ahead of Eastern Time.

During the night the sea was slightly choppy with a touch of swell. This was not unpleasant or unexpected; we are on a ship. The rolling made it easy to get to sleep. Most of the day was cloudy and not hot at all even when the sun came out.

At 4:00 P.M. we had sailed 432 nautical miles from Port Everglades with 704 more to go until we reach Basseterre in St. Kitts, on Wednesday morning.

For breakfast we had room service. We had lunch at the burger place by the pool. For dinner we went to the Crown Grill Steak House. It's one of the ship's extra charge restaurants and well worth the $25 each they charge. Great food and great service in a setting that looks like an old New York steak house.

Tonight was formal night. We don't do formal night. But, except for the main dining rooms there's no problem what you wear. On formal nights we find the the two restaurants with the extra charges, Crown Grill and Sabatinis, are 50/50 formal and "smart casual."

Emerald Princess Cruise, December 2010, Embarkation

2010-11-28T14:31:00.033-06:00

Sunday

A busy day at Port Everglades.

After a longer than usual wait for a van at the Park 'n' Cruise lot, waiting first in hot sun then in a light rain, we got to the ship at 12:20 and were in our cabin by 1:00 P.M. The bags took a while to arrive but we got them at 3:30, just before the muster drill. We sailed out of Port Everglades at 5:10. Dark, stormy-looking sky and a bouncy sea, but no rain.

Before we departed I took the photo, above, showing (at least parts of) seven cruise ships ready to set sail. As we expected, we saw Nieuw Amsterdam, Ruby Princess, MSC Poesia, Carnival Freedom and Celebrity Solstice in port today. And there's a tiny piece of the balcony of Emerald Princess at the extreme right of the photo. That makes six. The seventh ship is probably one of the day trippers that runs from Fort Lauderdale to the Bahamas and back for gambling and duty-free shopping.

17th Street Causeway Drawbridge, seen from our balcony cabin, starboard side of Dolphin Deck 9.

This is our second cruise on the Emerald Princess, the other was in December 2008. The ship still looks new and has been well cared for. It was christened on May 13, 2007 by -- in keeping with Princess Cruises' status as a TV icon -- Florence Henderson and Susan Olsen of "The Brady Bunch" along with Erin Moran and Marion Ross of "Happy Days." Our cabin this trip is on the starboard side exactly opposite the one we had on the Emerald last time on the port side.

Taking care of our cabin, and us, is our steward (or in this case more properly, stewardess), Sherill. She's from the Philippines and appears very together, friendly and efficient. And she speaks perfect English which makes so many things eaasier.

We had dinner in the Michaelangelo Dining Room. The first impression of the dining room staff is that they are friendly and well-trained.

The cabin is comfortable and after unpacking we turned in early. A bit tired from our 700-mile drive from Pensacola to Fort Lauderdale.

Holland America's Nieuw Amsterdam heading out of Port Everglades

The Nieuw Amsterdam on her way south.

Emerald Princess Cruise, December 2010, News & Weather Enroute

2010-11-28T11:41:00.007-06:00

News and weather links for upcoming ports of call:

NEWS
Antigua Observer
The Nation, Barbados
Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel
The Observer, St. Kitts-Nevis
St. Lucia Star
Virgin Islands Daily News, St. Thomas

WEATHER
Antigua and Barbuda
Barbados
Fort Lauderdale
St. Kitts
St. Lucia
St. Thomas

Emerald Princess Cruise, December 2010, Cruise Itinerary

2010-11-28T01:14:00.002-06:00

Route: Eastern Caribbean Voyager

Itinerary and Ports of Call

Click on the map to enlarge it.

Embarkation, Sunday, November 28, 5:00 PM, leave Ft. Lauderdale

Day 1, Monday, November 29, at sea

Day 2, Tuesday, November 30, at sea

Day 3, Wednesday, December 1, 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM, St. Kitts and Nevis
St. Kitts tourist info • Nevis tourist info • Port Zante

Day 4, Thursday, December 2, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Barbados
Tourist info • Bridgetown Cruise Terminal

Day 5, Friday, December 3, 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM, St. Lucia
Tourist info • Cruise Ship Port

Day 6, Saturday, December 4, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Antigua and Barbuda
Tourist info • Antigua Cruise Port

Day 7, Sunday, December 5, 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM, St. Thomas
Tourist info • Havensite Cruise Ship Dock • Crown Bay Dock • Crown Bay Shopping

Day 8, Monday, December 6, at sea

Day 9, Tuesday, December 7, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Princess Cays

Day 10, Wednesday, December 8, Disembarkaction, 7:00 AM, arrive Ft. Lauderdale
Drive home

Emerald Princess Cruise, December 2010, Drive to the Ship

2010-11-27T16:46:00.030-06:00

Luke at the Two Tails Ranch, Williston, Florida, celebrating his 26th birthday.

First day, Friday, November 26, drive from Pensacola to Gainesville
We set off heading east on Interstate 10 about 10:30 A.M. after taking the cats to the pet hotel. It was a gray, chilly day with spots of rain, often heavy. Stopped in Chipley for lunch at Skins and Bubba's BBQ. Nice place for BBQ. Then on to Gainesville arriving there just after dark, 340 miles. As always, dinner was at the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store next door. And early to bed. Today's was a long drive for us.

Second day, Saturday,November 27, drive from Gainesville to Ft. Lauderdale
On our way south on Interstate 75 we took a brief detour to Williston to visit the Two Tails Ranch. It is a training, medical, breeding and retirement facility for elephants and exotic felines. It has been there for over 20 years -- owned and operated by Patricia Zerbini, a ninth generation circus performer. The Ranch is a wonderful place; the animals have lots of open space, warm barns in the winter and frequent visitors to watch. Another web site All About Elephants has more information about the Ranch's educational outreach programs.

Luke watching us.

We continued on to Plantation, Florida, just north of Fort Lauderdale. Dinner was at the Plantation location of a small south Florida restaurant chain -- Las Vegas Cuban Cuisine.

Miles so far 680; miles since Gainesville, 340.

Patio Flowers in Florida -- November 2010

2010-11-17T10:37:00.007-06:00

Click on the image to enlarge it, then click again to make it even bigger.
Now that the weather is milder the flowers and foliage are looking good in the backyard.

Kitchen Organization

2010-10-25T11:50:00.005-06:00

For years I had to rummage around in overcrowded kitchen drawers to find measuring cups and spoons. At last I hung them all on the wall by the cooking prep area.

Joey at 7 months old

2010-10-21T13:50:00.003-06:00

Joey up close.

Joey in the bushes looking for geckos to eat.

Birmingham Trip, Day 4

2010-10-15T09:23:00.002-06:00

When we see this we are almost home.

An easy drive south from Birmingham, we arrived home mid-afternoon.

Birmingham Trip, Day 3

2010-10-14T09:22:00.022-06:00

This morning we drove into Birmingham's downtown to see the sites. It's a very nice looking city with lots of hills.

When we drove near the Virginia Samford Theatre, currently home to "The Drowsy Chaperone," we decided to see where it was so we wouldn't get lost getting there tonight. It's a good thing we did.

The directions say it's on 26th Street just off Highland Avenue. Well, Highland Avenue is a difficult U-shaped street about 2 miles long with at least 10 right-angle turns. And narrow winding parts through lovely neighborhoods and past at least four beautiful city parks. Pretty to look at -- and easy to get lost in, even in the daytime. And we did, but also happened upon a restaurant we had read good things about, Rojo, and decided to eat there before showtime.

Rojo has two menus: Latin American food and American food. It's a busy and happy neighborhood restaurant, part Mexican cantina, part burger place.

The show, part of the Red Mountain Theatre Company's season. was wonderful, a fabulous production in a beautiful theatre.

Saxon Murrell as Man in Chair in "The Drowsy Chaperone" (From the Birmingham News, photo by Brandon Robertson)

History of the Virginia Samson Theatre,
click the image to enlarge.

For some information about "The Drowsy Chaperone" and its history click here.

Birmingham Trip, Day 2

2010-10-13T09:22:00.014-06:00

Lunker Lake, Oak Mountain State Park, Pelham, Alabama
(click on the image to enlarge it.)

In the morning we drove to Oak Mountain State Park. It's just a few miles south of Birmingham's city center. A winding road goes right through the middle of the park and on an off-season Wednesday morning we had the whole place to ourselves. The trees were beginning to show some signs of fall foliage and I expect that in early November there's lots of color.

For lunch we followed the advice of a local blogger known as Ginger. Her blog, Deep Fried Kudzu is (mostly) about southern food. She helped guide us to where to eat in Birmingham.

And so we went to Niki's West Steak And Seafood Restaurant. The food was wonderful, meat-and-three, but when we saw the size of the side dishes we had to go for meat-and-two. We loved the food and we loved the sign in the window.

Sign in Niki's Window

Birmingham Trip, Day 1

2010-10-12T09:21:00.012-06:00

A month ago we bought tickets to see "The Drowsy Chaperone" in Birmingham, Alabama. It's risky planning anything (especially anything non-refundable) during hurricane season. But we took the chance.

Neither of us had ever been to Birmingham and we had heard a lot about the great restaurants.

So at 11:00 a.m. we headed north on Interstate-65. As we left the house the rain began and by the time we got to the highway, about a mile away, it was a serious down pour. The kind that can't last long. And it didn't. After 15 minutes it went away.

From Pensacola to Birmingham is a 250 mile trip and it took us about 4 hours, not counting breaks and lunch. We stopped to have lunch in Greenville, just south of Montgomery. The last time we were up this way we looked in Georgiana for the Georgiana Family Restaurant where we had eaten before -- great southern country food. But it was now a used car lot. Onward to Greenville where (last time) we discovered The Chef's Table with really good meat-and-three choices.

Courthouse Square, Greenville, Alabama

That was then. Now The Chef's Table is Polka Dots Cafe. It's a coffee house with a limited menu -- it was fine for hungry travelers like us.

A few miles south of Birmingham and about ten miles from our hotel we got caught in a terrible rain storm with thunder and lightning striking next to us. There was heavy traffic and no visibility. We came upon a serious three-car accident that had just happened. The first police car was arriving as we passed by. I was sorry for the people in the accident, but had to be happy we didn't get stopped in the traffic backup that was sure to happen.

Our hotel was on the north side of Birmingham and after driving through two heavy storms getting here we were happy to eat at the Outback Steak House next door. Not a local establishment but certainly a local favorite. It was packed with happy, hungry folks.

A Coaster Post

2010-09-25T15:10:00.018-06:00

The prized coaster I picked up last summer at PWM, Portland International Jetport in Maine, is no more. It was from the resturant Shipyard Brewery runs at the airport.

After a year of heavy use the coaster was a mess. It was dirty, puffy, coffee-stained and moldy -- had to throw it out. I should have stolen several of them when I had the chance.

Also I wonder if there might be a coaster this time of year celebrating their Pumpkinhead Ale?

The Vicksburg Trip -- Day 4

2010-08-12T09:26:00.002-06:00

We had a quick and easy drive home through increasingly heavy rain and gray skies. It was a nice trip.

The Vicksburg Trip -- Day 3

2010-08-11T09:12:00.039-06:00

This morning we had breakfast in the hotel and then headed south 25 miles to visit the small town of Port Gibson. Downtown the storefronts and shop signs all looked very old and well-aged. There's a traditional Greek-revival style grand old courthouse with a stone soldier in front. You can see more photos in the slide show I posted yesterday.

The town is also noted for the First Presbyterian Church with the finger pointing to the sky -- 12 feet from wrist to finger tip. Also worth a look is Windsor Ruins -- a mansion that survived the Civil War but burned down in 1890. Only the massive columns still stand.

Click on image to enlarge

We entered the Natchez Trace Parkway in Port Gibson and drove along the 25 mile long segment that leads to the back road to Vicksburg. It was peaceful and lovely. Someday we want to drive the whole length of the Parkway from Natchez to Nashville, 444 miles.

Here are some links for more information about the Natchez Trace.

• U.S. Park Service Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail Site
• U.S. Park Service Natchez Trace Parkway Site
• Natchez Trace Wiki
• Away.com's Natchez Trace Parkway Travel Guide

We were delighted with our visit to Port Gibson and the drive along the Natchez Trace.

Back in Vicksburg we decided to have lunch at a place we had been reading about in the tourist guides -- Walnut Hills Round Table Restaurant. You sit at big round tables and the food is piled up on a lazy Susan in the middle. You sit with strangers and share the huge meal boarding house style. The web site says that during the meal we were to expect regular visits from the owner, chief cook, waitress, waiter and other staff members making sure that your meal is "just right". Yeah, sure.

The slogan is "World Famous Southern Plantation Cuisine." We found it was over-priced dull food with grudging service. Let's just say, we weren't charmed.

After some afternoon nap time we ventured out to visit another riverboat casino. This time it was the Rainbow Casino and it was bright and lively. Vicksburg is situated on a high bluff overlooking the Mississippi. To get to this casino and several of the others you must drive down very steep access roads to the river bank. It's very steep and very dramatic with the view of the river and the bright lights of the casinos.

The Vicksburg Trip -- Day 2

2010-08-10T08:09:00.029-06:00

We slept late and left the Cabot Lodge, our hotel in Ridgeland, shortly before noon to set off on the 40 mile trip to Vicksburg. But first, because we had lots of time, we drove around Jackson to see the sights. Pictured above is the Eudora Welty House.

Click on image to enlarge

Operated by the Eudora Welty Foundation and the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a National Historic Landmark. It was her home for all her 76 years and she wrote all of her books there. Jack attended her writing classes at Millsaps and visited her at home.

In Vicksburg we drove through town and enjoyed seeing the the old, and restored, down town and the old court house, built and re-built throughout the mid to late 19th century. It is now a museum. Across the street from the old court house is the new courthouse completed in 1940. It is a gem of art deco architecture. We loved the lighting fixtures beside the front steps. There's an example on the left.

Vicksburg Bridges over the Mississippi River

We had dinner at Rusty's Riverfront Grill. The food was good -- spicy and very Cajun-style for this side of the river. We had blackened chicken, spicy grilled shrimp, cheese grits and fabulous crisp-fried onion rings. Desserts looked good but there was no possibility of finding room for another bite.

On our way back to the Holiday Inn Express we stopped for a few minutes at one of Vicksburg's five riverboat casinos -- DiamondJacks. Not much luck there. And the decor wasn't very festive. The previous owner apparently went for a cave look (a Flintstone's Casino, perhaps?). Most of it was dim and grim.

The Vicksburg Trip -- Photos

2010-08-10T07:28:00.000-06:00

Here's a link to a slideshow of the photos we took on this trip to Jackson, Vicksburg and Port Gibson, Mississippi.

The Vicksburg Trip -- Day 1

2010-08-09T14:14:00.024-06:00

We needed a few days out of town and decided to head north to Mississippi and visit Jackson and Vicksburg. The latter is about 290 miles northwest of Pensacola and the drive takes about five hours.

Mid-morning we took the cats to the pet hotel and set out on our way. Much of the route is not on Interstate highways but the secondary roads were good and there was little traffic.

We spent the first night in Jackson. It's about 40 miles east of Vicksburg. We wanted to drive around the city on Tuesday morning before we drove over to Vicksburg. Jack is an alumnus of Millsaps College in Jackson and spent many years in the city a while back. This trip will be my first visit ever to Vicksburg and Jack hasn't been there for more than 40 years.

We had a great steak dinner at Ely's Restaurant & Bar, located in Ridgeland, just north of Jackson. There were Lebanese touches to some of the dishes -- we enjoyed their "family recipe" tabouli salad made with bulgur wheat, parsley, green onions and lemon juice. It was a nice break from more traditional steak house salads. The side order of their steak fries was a wonderful accompaniment to the steaks. The serving is generous with enough fries for at least four people. The potatoes are hand-cut and served with a delicious Gorgonzola and Asiago cream sauce. It turned out the cheese sauce is very good with the steaks, too.

Potted Peppers

2010-07-31T07:44:00.003-06:00

It's time to harvest the hot peppers. These are about two inches long and are very hot. They grow, and ripen, with the ends pointing up.

What's for dinner tonight? Part 8

2010-07-01T07:50:00.104-06:00

Ever since Saturday, January 27, 2007, I have kept a log listing our evening meals. The intention is to help answer the daily questions:

(1) "What do you want to eat tonight?"
(2) "What haven't we had lately?"

Eventually the list became too long to navigate easily. So I broke it up into six-month segments:
January through June, 2007
July through December, 2007
January through June, 2008
July through December, 2008
January through June, 2009
July through December, 2009
January through June, 2010

Thursday, July 1, 2010 -- stuffed bell peppers, crusty french bread
Friday, July 2 -- lunch at Mesquite Charlie's Steakhouse; tuna sandwiches for supper

Saturday, July 3 -- deviled crabs, tempura shrimp, fresh corn
Sunday, July 4 -- charcoal grilled beef and veggie kababs, steamed rice
Monday, July 5 -- cheeseburgers, Rösti Potatoes
Tuesday, July 6 -- Quiche Lorraine and salad
Wednesday, July 7 -- meatloaf, mashed potatoes
Thursday, July 8 -- tempura shrimp, crab salad asparagus with Béarnaise
Friday, July 9 -- takeout BBQ from Sonny's

Saturday, July 10 -- tacos
Sunday, July 11 -- BBQ rib eye steak, baked potato
Monday, July 12 -- bacon cheeseburgers, tomatoes, fries
Tuesday, July 13 -- lunch at La Hacienda Mexican Restaurant; BBQ baby back ribs for supper
Wednesday, July 14 -- Chinese Pie (Pâté chinois), go to the Wikipedia article and my recipe
Thursday, July 15 -- chicken pot pies
Friday, July 16 -- NY strip steak, fresh corn on the cob

Saturday, July 17 -- crab cakes, salad, cornbread
Sunday, July 18 -- cheeseburgers, home made fries
Monday, July 19 -- lunch at Wayne's Family Diner; quesadillas for supper
Tuesday, July 20 -- chicken salad on lettuce with papaya, avocado and crusty French bread
Wednesday, July 21 -- baby back ribs, mashed potatoes, green peas
Thursday, July 22 -- Kung Pao Chicken, steamed rice, green onions, peanuts, crispy noodles, green beans
Friday, July 23 -- hot dogs, coleslaw, chili con carne

Saturday, July 24 -- charcoal grilled steak, herb butter, baked potato
Sunday, July 25 -- hamburgers, bacon, potato salad, tomatoes and lettuce
Monday, July 26 -- baked pork chops, stuffing, corn, spicy applesauce
Tuesday, July 27 -- Crabmeat Remick, tacos
Wednesday, July 28 -- lunch at O'Brien Bistro; quesadillas for supper
Thursday, July 29 -- fried chicken from Publix, hash brown potatoes, papaya
Friday, July 30 -- steaks and baked potatoes

Saturday, July 31 -- shrimps-on-a-stick, black beans and rice (Moros y Cristianos -- Moors and Christians) with salsa
Sunday, August 1, 2010 -- bacon burgers, potato salad, fresh corn
Monday, August 2 -- takeout BBQ from Sonny's
Tuesday, August 3 -- Beefy Baked Beans, hot French bread
Wednesday, August 4 -- Vichyssoise, chipped beef on toast
Thursday, August 5 -- hot beef sandwiches, mashed potato, gravy, corn
Friday, August 6 -- leftover steak, rice, broccoli

Saturday, August 7 -- chicken salad with veggies and greens
Sunday, August 8 -- baby back ribs, field peas, cornbread
Monday, August 9 -- road trip to Jackson and Vicksburg
Tuesday, August 10 -- in Vicksburg
Wednesday, August 11 -- in Vicksburg
Thursday, August 12 -- drive home
Friday, August 13 -- fried chicken breasts, rice, gravy, corn

Saturday, August 14 -- pork chops, home fries, hot apple sauce
Sunday, August 15 -- bacon burgers, Tater Tots
Monday, August 16 -- chicken salad and potato salad on salad greens
Tuesday, August 17 -- take out dinners from Nancy's Gourmet To Go
Wednesday, August 18 -- steaks with au gratin potatoes
Thursday, August 19 -- stuffed peppers
Friday, August 20 -- beef fajitas

Saturday, August 21 -- Po Boy sandwiches from Jerry's Cajun Cafe for lunch; snacks for supper
Sunday, August 22 -- Kung Pao Chicken, steamed rice, green onions, peanuts, crispy noodles, green beans
Monday, August 23 -- cheese burgers, Tater Tots
Tuesday, August 24 -- lunch at La Hacienda Mexican Restaurant; snacks for supper
Wednesday, August 25 -- pizzas and lobster bisque
Thursday, August 26 -- road trip to Biloxi, dinner at Anthony's, Ocean Springs, MS
Friday, August 27 -- BLT salad with fried chicken

Saturday, August 28 -- take out from Siam Asian Diner
Sunday, August 29 -- crab bisque, crab cakes, mashed potatoes, green peas
Monday, August 30 -- pork chops in mustard mushroom sauce, rice, crowder peas
Tuesday, August 31 -- gazpacho, fried chicken, corn on the cob
Wednesday, September 1, 2010 -- lunch at O'Charlie's; snacks for supper
Thursday, September 2 -- charcoal grilled steak, baked potatoes, sautéed mushrooms
Friday, September 3 -- tacos

Saturday, September 4 -- leftover steak in gravy with rice and green beans
Sunday, September 5 -- hot dogs, chili, grits with fresh corn puree
Monday, September 6 -- Bill's Gumbo at lunch time for Bill's birthday, Rosie's birthday and Labor Day, plus stuffed grape leaves and birthday cake
Tuesday, September 7 -- take out from Siam Asian Diner
Wednesday, September 8 --beef and veggie kababs
Thursday, September 9 -- Kung Pao Chicken, steamed rice, green onions, peanuts, crispy noodles, green beans
Friday, September 10 -- pork chops, gravy, applesauce with Chipotle, cornbread stuffing

Saturday, September 11 -- chicken curry salad, mixed salad greens, papaya, avocado and tomato
Sunday, September 12 -- burgers and Tater Tots
Monday, September 13 -- ribs, black beans and rice
Tuesday, September 14 -- fried chicken, rice and gravy
Wednesday, September 15 -- meatloaf, mashed potatoes, gravy, carrots
Thursday, September 16 -- charcoal grilled rib eye steak, Béarnaise sauce, roasted red potatoes
Friday, September 17 -- Stouffer's Creamed Chipped Beef on toast, corn

Saturday, September 18 -- crab-stuffed mushroom caps, Chicken Saté, grilled veggies, spicy peanut sauce
Sunday, September 19 -- country food for lunch at Derailed Diner in Robertsdale, Alabama; snacks for supper
Monday, September 20 -- pot roast, gravy, Noodles Mary Westbrook, asparagus
Tuesday, September 21 -- Chinese green pepper beef, steamed rice, egg rolls, potstickers
Wednesday, September 22 -- burgers and potato salad
Thursday, September 23 -- Po' Boy sandwiches from Jerry's Cajun Cafe, with Cajun coleslaw and sweet potato fries
Friday, September 24 -- Salisbury steak with chopped salad

Saturday, September 25 -- fried chicken from Publix, salsa verde, corn on the cob
Sunday, September 26 -- NY strip steaks, salad
Monday, September 27 -- Kung Pao Chicken, steamed rice, green onions, peanuts, crispy noodles, green beans
Tuesday, September 28 -- bunless burgers with chopped salad
Wednesday, September 29 -- ahi tuna and Norwegian salmon, mango salsa, steamed rice
Thursday, September 30 -- hamburger and rice skillet, corn
Friday, October 1, 2010 -- salad with leftover fish

Saturday, October 2 -- NY strip steaks and baked potatoes
Sunday, October 3 -- cold beef salad
Monday, October 4 -- grilled chicken breast, rice, gravy, green beans
Tuesday, October 5 -- burgers and salad
Wednesday, October 6 -- chipped beef on toast, corn
Thursday, October 7 -- Chicken Francaise, rice, green beans
Friday, October 8 -- tacos with pinto beans

Saturday, October 9 -- beef and veggie kababs, steamed rice
Sunday, October 10 -- chicken salad
Monday, October 11 -- baby back ribs, steamed rice
Tuesday, October 12 through Thursday October 14 -- traveling: road food
Friday, October 15 -- Sandwiches

Saturday, October 16 -- steak and baked potato
Sunday, October 17 -- Kung Pao Chicken, steamed rice, green onions, peanuts, crispy noodles, green beans
Monday, October 18 -- burgers and soup
Tuesday, October 19 -- ground beef and rice with corn
Wednesday, October 20 -- shrimps on a stick, potato salad, mixed salad
Thursday, October 21 -- Chinese pie, green peas
Friday, October 22 -- crab cakes, salad

Saturday, October 23 -- restaurant meals at home from Gourmet to Go at Nancy's Haute Affairs
Sunday, October 24 -- burgers and salad
Monday, October 25 -- three salads: chicken, tossed and potato
Tuesday, October 26 -- Swedish meatballs, rice, green peas
Wednesday, October 27 -- grilled NY strip steak and baked potato
Thursday, October 28 -- Stouffer's Creamed Chipped Beef on toast, corn
Friday, October 29 -- hearty lunch at O'Charley's; soup for supper

Saturday, October 30 -- Beef Stroganoff, rice, broccoli
Sunday, October 31 -- grilled ahi tuna, poached salmon, green peppercorn Hollandaise, crab-stuffed mushroom caps, mashed potatoes
Monday, November 1, 2010 -- burgers, secret sauce and Stouffer's Corn Soufflé
Tuesday, November 2 -- fried chicken, salad, Peppadews stuffed with cream cheese
Wednesday, November 3 -- spaghetti with meat sauce and Cheese and Pepperoni Bagel Bites
Thursday, November 4 -- Chicken Parmesan from the Publix Deli, rice, gravy, French green beans
Friday, November 5 -- chef's salad with cold roast beef and ham

Saturday, November 6 -- take out from Sonny's Real Pit Bar-B-Q
Sunday, November 7 -- rib eye steak and baked potato
Monday, November 8 -- hearty lunch at The Fish House; snacks for supper
Tuesday, November 9 -- burgers
Wednesday, November 10 -- Kung Pao Chicken, steamed rice, green onions, peanuts, crispy noodles, green beans
Thursday, November 11 -- rice and ground beef casserole, candied carrots
Friday, November 12 -- chicken salad, tossed salad, fruit salad

Saturday, November 13 -- Stouffer's Creamed Chipped Beef on toast, corn
Sunday, November 14 -- grilled NY strip steak, roasted potatoes
Monday, November 15 -- BBQ baby back ribs, salad, black beans
Wednesday, November 17 -- Take out from Nancy's Haute Gourmet To Go
Thursday, November 18 -- Chicken a la King on noodles
Friday, November 19 -- pork chops, rice, spicy apple sauce and gravy

Saturday, November 20 --burgers and fries
Sunday, November 21 --Chinese Pie, green peas
Monday, November 22 -- lunch at the Fish House with David T.; chicken salad for supper
Tuesday, November 23 -- bacon cheeseburgers, lettuce, tomato, cole slaw
Wednesday, November 24 -- Chicken Parmesan, fried rice
Thursday, November 25 -- Thanksgiving Dinner at Bill and Maria's

Friday, November 26 to Thursday, December 9 -- On the road and on the Emerald Princess in the Southern Caribbean; Thursday night, soup and toast for supper

Friday, December 10 -- Publix fried chicken, mashed potatoes, creamed spinach
Saturday, December 11 -- burgers, lettuce, tomato, secret sauce
Sunday, December 12 -- Kung Pao Chicken, steamed rice, green onions, peanuts, crispy noodles, green beans
Monday, December 13 -- spaghetti with meat sauce, salad

Saturday, December 18 -- turkey fry at Kim's, snacks for supper
Sunday, December 19 -- bacon burgers
Monday, December 20 -- Cajun fried turkey, sweet potatoes, gravy, stuffing, cranberry sauce
Tuesday, December 21 -- chicken and shrimp gumbo, steamed rice, crusty bread
Friday, December 24 -- Christmas Eve lunch at Jackson's

Saturday, December 25 -- Kung Pao Chicken, steamed rice, green onions, peanuts, crispy noodles, green beans
Wednesday, December 29 -- Fish Fry at Bill and Maria's
Thursday, December 30 -- Happy Hour and heavy snacks with Kim here
Friday,December 31 -- burgers from Five Guys Burgers and Fries, we had our black-eyed peas at lunch

Please leave me a comment and tell me what you are eating tonight.

New Restaurant -- Five Sisters Blues Cafe

2010-06-01T09:12:00.013-06:00

Last Friday we had lunch at Pensacola's newest restaurant, Five Sisters Blues Cafe.

Cecil Johnson sold CJ's Kitchen & Grille and opened Five Sisters Blues Cafe two weeks ago. It's on Belmont just off DeVilliers. The cafe specializes in Southern fare.

We arrived around 12:30 for lunch and the place was packed. It's noisy with the polished floor and glossy ceiling. Very loud. In the evening there is live music. The food was fine and the sides were wonderful with lots of choices. Service was friendly but the kitchen was slow. Probably this will improve over time. They haven't been open very long. My smoked turkey was excellent as was the chicken fried steak.

The food was on the salty side for my taste. Next time I will ask them not to add any. It wasn't as salty as food I have been served at Pensacola's Fish House or Cactus Flower Cafe, but in this health conscious time there's no reason to serve any over-salted food.

There's an extensive menu of some of my favorite things to eat so we will be back to the Five Sisters. And we will still go to CJ's for breakfast, too.

Savannah

2010-05-25T14:22:00.016-06:00

"Bird Girl", 1936, by Sylvia Shaw Judson, originally located in Savannah's Bonaventure Cemetery.

We are thinking about a car trip to Savannah, Georgia sometime during the summer and a possible side trip to Charleston, South Carolina. The first bit of research was to find out how far away these places are.

Pensacola to Jacksonville -- 358 miles
Jacksonville to Savannah -- 140 miles
Pensacola to Savannah -- 498 miles (801 kilometers)

Savannah to Charleston, via Interstate Highways 95 and 26 -- 142 miles
Savannah to Charleston, via Interstate 95 and slower but more direct Route 17 -- 107 miles

For more information about Savannah and its attractions click here. And here for Charleston information.

First Swim -- 2005 to 2010

2010-05-12T11:07:00.005-06:00

Here's how the pool looks today.

Our first swim of the year is usually when the pool temperature goes above 80°F (27°C).
• May 13, 2005
• May 18, 2006
• May 13, 2007
• May 21, 2008
• May 13, 2009
• May ?, 2010

This spring cool nights and cloudy mornings are keeping us out of the pool. In fact the pool has lost four degrees in the last three days.

UPDATE -- Friday, May 14, 2010 -- after several sunny mornings and some mild nights we got in the pool today. The water was 81 degrees. Refreshing.

The Trinacria On The Garden Wall

2010-04-18T08:13:00.012-06:00

Our backyard has a dozen or more sun faces and decorative plaques hanging on the fence. A while ago my cousin Lorrie sent us a ceramic plaque with a design called a Trinacria It is the symbol of Sicily where she lives. In ancient times Sicily was called the Kingdom of Trinacria.

Click on the image to see a larger version.

We loved the plaque but worried about its safety -- hanging by a string above the concrete slab of the patio. So last week I took it to the frame shop and they made a shadow box for the Trinacria. The box is lined with dark green linen and is about 14 inches square and 2 inches deep.

It is now hanging on the living room wall and I won't worry about it when I wake up on windy nights.

Here's a link to a slideshow of the sun faces and plaques that were in our backyard last summer.

Spring is here

2010-03-27T14:01:00.004-06:00

I took this photo today. The azaleas are starting to bloom in the front yard. These plants have bunches of very small blossoms -- each flower is about an inch across.

Click on image to enlarge

London Links for Visitors

2010-03-24T12:55:00.024-06:00

First, a few words about where we stayed in London this time.
For many years and many holiday trips to London, Nick Price and his son Warren, of Price Aparments, have helped us find self-catering apartments in wonderful parts of London. This time they suggested 202 Apartments, 202 Kensington Church Street at Notting Hill Gate, and put us touch with the manager there, Susie Fraser.

The studio apartment was comfortable and was nice and warm during some chilly weather. There was a well-equipped kitchen, a large bathroom, lots of closet space, two beds, a dining table, chairs, a great TV and a patio. The double glazed windows in the sleeping area kept out all the street noise. Heavy draperies kept out the morning light. Susie couldn't have been more helpful. And the location was fabulous.

Second, a page of London links
Click here to see a page of London links we put together before the trip -- theatre guides, restaurants, London information and much more. You might find some of these helpful when you visit London. In no way is this a complete list of things to see and do in London. It reflects only our interests and contains some of the links we wanted to have handy while we were there.

London Trip March 2010 -- Day 12, Fly home

2010-03-15T14:33:00.006-06:00

The flights home were smooth and on time. We were exhausted. Too much to carry. In Dallas we had to rest and get wheeled around. At last we found all the luggage, and the hotel at the New Orleans' airport and the car. All was fine. We were home by mid-afternoon on Tuesday.

London Trip March 2010 -- Day 11

2010-03-14T14:32:00.006-06:00

It's time to go home. We packed up this afternoon and headed for Heathrow to spend the night at an airport hotel. We have an early flight Monday morning and we would have to get up around 4:30 AM if we stayed in town. This way we have no wories in the morning about traffic congestion and late trains. And we get to sleep a couple hours longer.

We saw six shows while we were here and liked them all.

Some of the shows we saw in London
(Click on the image to enlarge it)

We also saw and enjoyed Once Upon A Time At The Adelphi at the Union Theatre, but you don't get a ticket stub. Their tickets are little laminated plastic cards that they recycle.

The hotel at Heathrow was comfortable and quiet and there was a McDonald's next door.

London Trip March 2010 -- Day 10

2010-03-13T14:30:00.027-06:00

We enjoyed the short train trip to Kingston upon Thames via Wimbledon. The city's official name is The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames. Kingston is where the Saxon kings were crowned and one of its historic attractions is the Coronation Stone.

Kingston is a charming city with lots of historic sites along with plenty of shops and restaurants. You can sit and watch the Thames as it flows behind the theatre but it is tiny compared to the width of the river in London proper. Because the river narrows here it was, until 1729, the first place a bridge could cross the Thames upstream of the London Bridge. There is still a bridge on that site. The day was chilly and gray but Kingston must be lovely on a warm summer afternoon.

We had lunch at a Gourmet Burger Kitchen half a block from the Rose Theatre where we were about to see Judi Dench as Titania in A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Dame Judi Dench at the Rose Theatre

Titania with Bottom

FROM JACK
Think it's worth a transatlantic trip to see Dame Judi Dench, live and in person, and speaking Shakespeare's verse? I'd say yes.

Last fall, I read on one of the London theatre blogs that Dame Judi would be playing Titania in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" at the Rose Theatre in Kingston on Thames, suburban London. Lo and behold, that meshed perfectly with the trip we were planning. After some emails to the most-friendly Rose box office, we found that tickets would go on sale to the public (they have a big subscription base) on line on a Monday morning -- middle of the night Pensacola time. We did what was required and ordered the tickets. Less than a week later, we had them in hand.

Titania is, of course, not the largest role in the "Dream." But Dame Judi makes you think it is. We had seen her before live in contemporary drama but never in Shakespeare. What a privilege. She speaks the verse like no other actor I have ever seen. Unforgettable.

She and her director, Sir Peter Hall, agreed to this limited engagement at the two-year old Rose in Kingston to help the theatre survive -- bless them. It was a sell-out engagement and, according to our London friends, the hottest ticket in town.

A memorable theatrical finale to our trip. We won't soon forget any part of our afternoon in Kingston.

Top: Sir Peter Hall, Dame Judi Dench
Bottom: Rose Theatre Kingston

London Trip March 2010 -- Day 9

2010-03-12T14:29:00.010-06:00

We had a quiet day of reading and relaxing. Early in the evening David picked us up and drove over the river to the Union Theatre where we were to see Once Upon A Time At The Adelphi. At the tiny theatre we met his friend Chris who had already seen the show and, a good sign, wanted to see it again.

Direct from Liverpool -- Once Upon A Time At The Adelphi

The show was a big hit in Liverpool when that city was European Capital of Culture in 2008. It came to London in 2010 to a much smaller venue, staged by its original director.

The book is slight, but charming enough. The action deals with a grand old Liverpool hotel, The Adelphi, in the glamorous 1930's and today.

There are many snappy character roles and lots of songs, most of which are quite good. The songs are sung and danced beautifully. The Union Theatre is very small and the surprisingly big production numbers have those of us sitting in the front row ready to duck during some of the full-out choreography. It's intimate musical theatre, sometimes in your face -- some times (almost) in your lap.

London Trip March 2010 -- Day 8

2010-03-11T14:28:00.009-06:00

It was very cold today and we are both coughing and sneezing. A bit of luck with the weather though, so far there has been no rain to speak of. A light shower now and then but only for a few minutes. None of those English all-day rainy days.

Lunch was at Côte at Kensington Court. About a mile away from the flat. We had a good time there. The whole experience was nice -- the food, the atmosphere and the service.

At about 6:00 we took the tube to St. Pancras. David drove over from Fife Terrace and picked us up. Shortly after we got to his house our friend Hugh arrived. And we all had a wonderful visit.

David cooked a tasty meal and I don't know he does it. He got back from Bali yesterday (after 20-something hours of flying time) and he went in to his office and worked today. Then he shopped for groceries and cooked dinner for us. Possibly the jet lag hadn't quite hit him yet!

London Trip March 2010 -- Day 7

2010-03-10T14:26:00.019-06:00

David called us today. He's back home from Bali and the celebration of Martin's 70th birthday over there. Martin returns to London later in the month.

Old Swan Pub, Kensington Church Street

We had a pub lunch in the Old Swan. It's downstairs from our flat. We both had fish and chips, very nicely done. Then it was a quiet afternoon of reading and napping. Sandwiches in the room pre-theatre. At 6:30 we headed to the New London Theatre by tube to see War Horse.

FROM JACK
Critically acclaimed when it premiered at the National Theatre's Olivier Theatre in 2008, War Horse was then brought back for a second season. In 2009, it transferred to the New London Theatre in Drury Lane (longtime home of Cats) where it continues to attract sell-out business.

Scene from War Horse at the New London Theatre

The play tells the story of a boy and his horse during World War I. But it's much more than that. The full-sized horses are created with astonishing puppetry. After ten minutes or so, you forget they aren't real. The amazing figures were created by the South Africa-based Handspring Puppet Company.

It is quite a wonderful evening. New York City will see it in early 2011 at Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont Theatre. Stephen Spielberg recently acquired the rights for a motion picture version.

Yet another home run for the National, the English-speaking world's premier theatrical company.

London Trip March 2010 -- Day 6

2010-03-09T14:25:00.016-06:00

We had breakfast in the room -- coffee, croisants, scrambled eggs with ham. I took the dirty clothes to a laundry up the street to pick up later today or in the morning tomorrow. Then we went to town to get more theatre tickets at Leicester Square.

With the help of our apartment manager, Susie, we found that one bus could take us from Notting Hill Gate to the north side of Her Majesty's Theatre, just off Haymarket. This was a much easier trip than the tube and there were no route changes on the way. When we got there we walked to the tkts booth and got tickets for Phantom of the Opera for today's matinee, at Her Majesty's Theatre, and tickets to War Horse for tomorrow evening.

We had lunch just off Leicester Square at West End Kitchen. Lunch there was ok but I wished I had ordered the Chicken Kiev.

Phantom's New Yamaha Sound Board

Phantom opened 24 years ago on October 9th 1986. We had seen it before but figured that any show that can last 24 years was worth a revisit. The new sound system is wonderful and the whole production looked fresh and new. We had a good time.

Bus back to the apartment. Dinner was Subway sandwiches and soup from EAT. -- both shops near the apartment on Notting Hill Gate.

London Trip March 2010 -- Day 5

2010-03-08T14:24:00.021-06:00

Today is a day off! No theatres, no freezing walks, no tube stations with the required climbing of endless stairs, no buses and no expensive, hard to get in and out of, taxis. We are on holiday.

We are both sore from all the stair climbing in theatres and the tube and lame from the cold. Today started at 28 degrees F (-2C) and the high temperature was 43 degrees (6C). This is a day to be lazy. To read, watch British TV and nap.

Breakfast was late with coffee and croisants in the flat. Lunch was sandwiches from the local Pret a Manger just half a block away. There was no other reason to leave the flat until dinner time.

Dinner was at Black & Blue, located across the street from the flat. The meal at Black & Blue was wonderful and we hoped to return there at least one more time.

London Trip March 2010 -- Day 4

2010-03-07T14:22:00.027-06:00

We had another long sleep and in the morning lots of fresh hot coffee in the apartment.

Mid-morning I ventured out and got supplies at Marks and Spencer's Simply Food. Back at the flat we had a hot breakfast of scrambled eggs, ham, crisp bacon and croisants. M&S were out of black pepper so I stopped at Le Pain Quotidien and bought a pepper mill full of Malabar peppercorns. It's now a souvenir of the London trip.

One of the best features of a self-catering apartment is being able to cook up a nice breakfast at home and not have to sit in a restaurant first thing in the day.

Jersey Boys marquee

At 3:00 we were at the Prince Edward Theatre to see Jersey Boys. I had read it was not just another "jukebox musical." And it was true, it was more like a documentary. There was a strong book with an unflinching look at the grittier side of the Four Seasons' off-stage troubles.

The performances were excellent. The music and sound design were wonderful as were the sets and lights. The players were from all over the UK but each of them had perfect New Jersey accents. The leads --Ryan Molloy as Frankie Valli and Stephen Ashfield as Bob Gaudio -- were excellent and sounded like they grew up in Newark.

Who knew rock 'n' roll could be so theatrical?

After the theatre we met our friends Sian and Keith at their home in Hammersmith. They took us to eat at a wonderful Indian restaurant, the Red Onion and we had a great time catching up.

London Trip March 2010 -- Day 3

2010-03-06T09:18:00.023-06:00

The flat is very comfortable and warm. Again we slept for twelve hours and woke to a cold gray day. Several cups of New Orleans Cajun coffee (which we brought with us) helped a lot. It wasn't raining but there was a damp icy wind that didn't let up.

We had breakfast at a nearby cafe/bakery on Notting Hill Gate, Le Pain Quotidien. It's a Belgian chain and it looked good when I walked past it yesterday. Wonderful bread and atmosphere.

After breakfast we took the tube to Leicester Square to see what we could find at tkts, the discount ticket booth. Getting to the tube is a problem for me, and Jack too, because there's no down escalator at the Notting Hill Gate station. At least there's an up escalator there.

tkts, Leister Square

Jack got us tickets for Billy Elliot today and for Jersey Boys tomorrow. We were getting cold sitting in Leicester Square so we took a cab to the Victoria Palace Theatre where Billy Elliot is playing. It was chilly there too and we had more than an hour before the theatre opened so we went to the neighboring Garfunkel's for coffee and hot chocolate, and some apple pie. Lucky for us the place was packed and service was very slow so we easily killed all the time we needed to and stayed warm. The show was a treat. We loved Billy Elliot.

Pre-opening Billy Elliot poster

FROM JACK
As it approaches its fifth birthday at the Victoria Palace Theatre in London, Billy Elliot is looking good. Maybe it's not the best British musical ever (as some have said). Still, it's a potent piece of musical theatre with a rousing score by Elton John and Lee Hall (who also wrote the book and the film on which the show is based).

We saw a fine Billy named Ollie Gardner. But from what I've heard, each and every Billy (four boys rotate) is outstanding. West End star Joanna Riding is splendid as Billy's dance teacher and the entire cast does the show proud. We left the Victoria Palace that Saturday afternoon with big smiles. Thanks, Billy.

The Victoria Palace Theatre

London Trip March 2010 -- Day 2, Landing

2010-03-05T06:47:00.008-06:00

We landed in London on time, around 7:30 AM, Friday. Then we walked miles to get the bags and go through customs. Along the way we found a great porter and he took us all the way from baggage claim to the Heathrow Express train. The website says it is easy to connect with the train from all the airline terminals. This is not so. Without that porter we would still be wandering around Heathrow. Limping.

Once we were aboard the Heathrow Express we were at Paddington Station in twenty minutes. Next we were in a taxi for the two-mile ride to the apartment at 202 Kensington Church Street.

The apartment is small but well equipped, and the location is wonderful. It's half a block from the Notting Hill Gate tube station (Central, Circle and District Lines) and even closer to major bus stops. When we got to the apartment Susie the manager gave us some tea bags and milk to get us started. After we unpacked I explored the neighborhood a bit and found a Tesco Metro grocery store nearby. It's a small but well stocked grocery with lots of staples and prepared foods. I got bread, soup, deli meats, mayo and mustard. Between naps we had sandwiches and hot soup.

The neighborhood also has loads of restaurants, fast food places, coffee shops and sandwich shops.

London Trip March 2010 -- Day 1, Takeoff

2010-03-04T16:07:00.024-06:00

The day before our flight to London we took the cats to the pet hotel and drove from Pensacola to New Orleans to spend the night near the airport.

As usual on any visit to New Orleans the question of where to eat came up and it's always a difficult one to answer. So many of the city's restaurants are among the best in the country.

One of our favorites, Crescent City Steaks, was easy to reach on the way to our airport hotel so we ate there. The level of decor and ambiance were as plain as ever and the steaks were perfect. As were the au gratin potatoes. The Vojkovich family has owned the restaurant since it opened in 1934.

Thursday morning we had plenty of time to get to the airport by 11 AM for a 1 PM flight. It's good for me to be there early. The security screening takes a little longer these days with my new knee.

From New Orleans we went to Miami, an hour and 45 minute flight. Then on to London Heathrow Airport 8 hours and 40 minutes flying time.

The trans Atlantic flight was smooth and our biggest problem was figuring out the controls on American Airlines' power seats in business class. Everything in the photo that's light blue is a power button -- there are 15 of them. So there are a lot of possibilities for different seat positions. And lots of places to lose your personal items.

London News, Talk and Weather

2010-02-24T08:17:00.011-06:00

As we gear up for our trip to London it's fun to listen to local London radio news. Their talk radio is considerably calmer and much more fair-minded than most of ours. Very civilised.

BBC London Radio 94.9, News & Talk

LBC, London Radio 97.3, News & Talk

BBC London Weather Forecast

A Snow Day In Pensacola, Florida?

2010-02-12T08:33:00.016-06:00

8:00 AM weather map (the crosshair shows where we live)

1:00 PM Central Standard Time

The local schools and government offices are all closed -- in case of snow.

I'll post more weather maps during the day if there's anything interesting. Word is the snow will begin early in the afternoon. And we should get about three inches of it.

At 1:00 in the afternoon the sleet is getting closer, but no snow yet. At 2:00 PM we had a five-minute snow flurry in the backyard and that was all we got. Near us there were snowfalls of one to three inches. My favorite report on road conditions around here was that "all the highways in [some rural] county were closed until further notice." From three inches of snow?

Winter Olympics 2010 Links

2010-02-11T08:43:00.005-06:00

The official Olympic Games home page
The Vancouver 2010 site
NBC Sports' links to their Olympics coverage

Goodbye Vista & Hello Windows 7

2010-02-09T07:44:00.014-06:00

After weeks of fretting and days of backing up files (to say nothing of months of hating Vista every day), last Saturday I made the change to Windows 7. So far I love it. I find it works well and it's fun to use.

The transition was made easier with the help of the book pictured to the left. It's filled with excellent suggestions and warnings.

For the first time ever I installed a new operating system and used it immediately. Usually I have to uninstall and reinstall the new OS at least a couple times before I can get it to work right. This time it worked right out of the box.

Susie the Cat

2010-02-05T13:58:00.003-06:00

Susie getting ready for another nap.