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Post by nov21987 on Mar 14, 2020 9:01:42 GMT
Hi! We are doing great on board the ship, plenty of food and drinks, entertainment, lectures and activities. Although SO and I mostly just like to relax by the pool. We have many friends on the ship now. Well, this morning they told us that all the passengers will disembark in Perth. For the world cruise people, this is half their trip, they were supposed to end up in San Francisco in June. We were already supposed to disembark in Perth, so we are not impacted by this. Now there is a mad scramble for about 100 people to make alternate travel plans. Since we have not stopped in ports since the Seychelles, by the time we get to our first Australian port we would have been considered "quarantined" for 14 days. No on on the ship has had the possibility of contacting the virus. From Perth we are supposed to fly to Qatar, then straight to Phila. I just hope the people at airports and in the planes are not sick!
Joan, sorry to hear about Jordan. And I hope DGD will be ok with the online courses for a while, hopefully it is just a precautionary, temporary thing.
Hi Holly, Jojo!
We'll see what happens in 8 days time, I hope we won't be quarantined when we get to the US
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Post by holly2007 on Mar 14, 2020 21:26:29 GMT
Sue, glad to hear that your trip is going well.
I just looked up the difference between this outbreak and H1N1. Looks like the reason why we are taking such drastic measures is that we can control the spread this time. H1N1 symptoms didn’t show up in time to do anything about it.
For me, I can do anything online that I can do in person, since I’ve done a lot of remote work in the past. It isn’t so easy for others who are used to face to face teaching only.
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jmg44
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Post by jmg44 on Mar 14, 2020 21:40:08 GMT
Sue. So good to hear that things are okay for you—thank goodness your cruise just cruised! Nothing the same back here—everything is shutting down—I fear Vegas will go into a terrible economic slump with no sports betting, almost no one in hotels, no shows, no plays, no kids sports and probably no school soon. In a school near us that the boys used to go to there is a whole family with the virus. The private schools are already closed. Public ones have an issue—too many poor families depend on breakfast and lunch for the kids and they haven’t sorted out how they are going to provide meals but they feel they must or these kids will end up being hungry. Also some schools don;t have technology for each kid so on line school won’t work unless they find something for them—total mess.
DGD got in to healthcare today and she officially has strep throat but you know no one gets tested in Am unless they’ve traveled so who knows. This so disgusts me!
I did do my clay class—no news of anyone sick there yet thank goodness.
DGD15 is very sad—their annual ballet competition and adjudication has been canceled and she was one of two chosen to be in advanced classes there for the week.
We have officially canceled flights and hotels and sent EuroRail tickets back for refund. Monday we will file forms to insurance co for the refunds.
I have been glazing like mad—my clay friend and long time yoga friend has her own kiln and has invited me to share space in it—she fires at a higher cone and the colors are more spectacular often so will be exciting—we are going to load her kiln tomorrow. I’ll have seven pieces in it. Three are refires.
DH cooked another meal—we made his old crockpot pork chop recipe—and invited BF’s over—the Italy trip friends. Maybe by being gone more he will continue to step up a bit after a year and a half of doing nothing to help in that way.
Did I mention that I’m on lots of fish oil for my dry eye? Well, it’s helping my cuticles—OMG, even with clay work the cuticle is looking healthy instead of dry and cracked.
Getting new glasses in ten days—John Lennon shaped lenses only in red—they are cute—will be a whole new look for me but I think it’s a little sassy with my spiky short hair. Fun.
We had four straight days of rain—one night it rained 1 1/2 inches—that’s a huge amount for here.
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jmg44
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Post by jmg44 on Mar 14, 2020 21:44:28 GMT
Holly, my DS in SLCIty is friends with so many dr’s and many are surgeons. He said the drs. Feel that unless we can slow the spread to people who aren’t as compromised by it, they will not have hospital beds for those who are—-they are talking about having all surgery be canceled unless it is death avoidance surgery. In Italy, I guess they are removing people from ventilators by age and healthfulness—so being 75 I’d be bumped by a younger person who like my daughter may have to be ventilated because of her asthma—I guess many older people are getting it that bad. So it feels like overkill but I think Italy has been such a disaster that it’s an effort to avoid that. It’s just so frustrating that there are so few tests available to the public—and I think that is shameful.
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jmg44
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Post by jmg44 on Mar 16, 2020 17:05:41 GMT
Very concerned about Sue making it back to the states with all the fast moving changes taking place! Hope you are okay Sue—the contagion has to be terrible in customs with thousands arriving all at the same time—what a nightmare. Tried to go to TJ’s today—line is way around the block and they are only letting a limited number in at a time. Gave up on that. I really only wanted eggs and apples but I can wait till tomorrow when I will go at 8 and stand in line for an hour before they open. Not going to the gym today at all but I am almost certain they will be closing it this week. I’m so tempted to go buy another bag of clay—if I’m staying home, I need stuff to play with.
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jojowo
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SHORT AND SWEET GODDESSES
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Post by jojowo on Mar 17, 2020 16:48:36 GMT
Hi all, hope that Sue gets home healthy- such disasters on cruise ships!
I and DH are fine and staying home. Made a grocery run on Saturday. Got all we needed but the shelves were empty. The workers trying to restock as fast as they could.
I just wish it was dryer and warmer so I could get outside and work on the yard!
Joan so glad you cancelled your trip!
I was able to watch our church service on line Sunday- the services were otherwise cancelled. I am praying for those sick and that everyone else will stay well.
I have started my violin lessons. Have had 2 lessons/ taking them every other week. I am mostly “picking” like a guitar to learn how to finger the strings. I love it. DH goes downstairs when I practice. Maybe one day in the far future he will want to listen to me play!
Everyone stay in your home and stay well. Love you all!
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Post by holly2007 on Mar 17, 2020 17:12:15 GMT
Hi all,
I’m grateful that my two favorite hobbies: knitting and reading, are the things to do in this mess. They just shut down all dine-in restaurant services.
Jo Anne, soon you will be playing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and then much more! I am going to try to do a violin duet with a friend who plays the piano for my favorite hymn: Be Thou My Vision, at some point.
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jmg44
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Post by jmg44 on Mar 17, 2020 17:23:51 GMT
I’m impressed, JoAnne—and you, too, Holly—I didn’t know you played as well!
We are officially “in” today other than one more run for a bag of ice and some eggs—have to wait till the truck comes in at about noon so they “might” have some. I notified all the kids and grandkids today that we are isolating ourselves—it was DGD19 who called me from NYC and insisted it was time. She is flying home tomorrow with the cat—everything is shut down in NYC so she said it’s very eerie and a bit scary without people on the streets.
I am going to fill out insurance papers today as I finally got a valid dr letter yesterday.
My friend who has the kiln is isolating herself as well so we may do a kiln fire later—as long as neither of us goes out around people we could do that much—or even just drop off the stuff. We unloaded her kiln yesterday and she fired about seven things for me—was so fun and exciting to get it out myself. DH went along and was as excited as I was. I got one of my CHristmas trees done and it turned out just great—so I’ve made 12 so far—will have a friend pick them up at the studio so that I can glaze here. I’ll make some more during this lock up time.
Hope we hear from Sue soon.
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Post by nov21987 on Mar 19, 2020 8:19:21 GMT
Hi!
Well, we got into Perth yesterday, it was supposed to be Sunday 22, but with the situation, we skipped all the ports in western Australia and got to Perth early. After spending a ton of hours, a lot of back and forth, and utter frustration (on SO's part, he was swearing at the computer), we have a flight out tomorrow and hopefully will be home Sat afternoon.
We are now in the hotel on self-quarantine for 2 days to make up the full 14 days of quarantine from our last port in Sri Lanka. Although no passengers got off, we only refueled and got more supplies, the Australian govt still would not count from the last time any passengers got off, which was Feb 29. In fact we were safer than most people since all of us were insulated from infected nations and have not been off the ship for weeks.
I ordered some food for delivery Sat afternoon. Even if we don't get it we have stuff in the house. My gym was closed this week, I hope I can still go outside for my exercise.
Everyone stay safe! Our flight now is from Perth to Singapore, then to Newark. We'll have to take an uber or taxi from there to go back home.
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jmg44
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Post by jmg44 on Mar 19, 2020 15:10:09 GMT
So glad to hear you are safe and headed home—I think, tho, I think that ship would have done well to just keep floating—things are not good at “home”. Everything but grocery stores, hardware, and pharmacies shut down here—dental only for extreme emergencies—like continuous pain—they will stay open only 3 hrs a day and no checkups or light problems—I called about a tooth that I think is developing a cavity—can’t go in until it’s continuous.
Hearing that 475 died yesterday in Italy—wow, more than a day in CHina at its worst—and we are still not set up for testing people with symptoms—-we are supposed to be an advanced nation and we are so in trouble. I just can’t quit thinking what will happen if this gets into those thousands we have imprisoned at the border and in the millions fleeing Russia’s bombing in Syria=—such horrible times for anyone in need.
Yesterday I made two handbuilt mugs and today will carve around on them to create some texture. Yesterday the studio decided to do curbside service so I will be able to buy more clay! Yay! Poor DH, he will be praying for the studio to open back up and get me and my mess out of here!
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jmg44
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Post by jmg44 on Mar 23, 2020 16:45:50 GMT
Sue, I’m hoping, hoping, hoping that you are home closed up in your condo with lots to read, painting for SO, and that neither of you get sick from the terrible process of getting home. Wish you could have just stayed afloat—there’s no safer place than a boat that no one has gotten infected on!
Have made four mugs now—watching a ton of clay lessons live feed that a person organized from the presenters at NCECA who were to present in Richmond for their big national annual conference which of course was canceled. It’s fun—learned a new way to do cup handles this morning. Next up is making a butter dish—which I had planned to do for us since ours sucks.
Studio now isn’t doing curb service so guess I’ll try ordering some clay—they say it will take forever because even warehouses are bare bones for mail order service. I still have about ten or 12 pounds so will order today and hope to get it in a couple weeks or so—I think we are “In” for a long time!
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jojowo
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SHORT AND SWEET GODDESSES
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Post by jojowo on Mar 24, 2020 4:59:35 GMT
Sue so glad you are headed home. Thinking of you daily!
Holly didn’t know you play. I guess I will call my instructor tomorrow to see if we will have a lesson Wednesday..
DH and I have not been out of the house except for me to take the tax papers on Friday to the accountant and me to work in the yard. I did the yard 3 days and it felt so good to get outside. I would have been outside today except it poured cats and dogs.
Making my sister socks for her birthday. Still working on a sweater for me- but got bored with it and started the socks.
Just weighed yesterday and found I have gained about 5 lbs vegetating over the winter. Must get on the exercises and walking! I had noticed a difference when fastening my pants!
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jmg44
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Post by jmg44 on Mar 24, 2020 15:33:55 GMT
Hi JoAnne—glad to hear from you. So hoping Sue and her SO were not stuck in droves of people Saturday coming in through customs and all—I can’t imagine the mess in that,.
We did our taxes a week and a half ago—none due till July but so glad they are done. I guess the refunds will be delayed as well. I have a lot too much taken out of our checks so we get a refund. Too lazy to change it.
I finished mug number 5 except for some texture carving today. Will finally finish planting tomatoes today—they have been lying out there in the pots and the stems are now growing upward. I plant most of the stem as well and they do so much better here where it’s hard to grow them. All my greens are planted and beets and radishes—just not doing anything else other than herbs.
I’ve been watching pottery lessons on line as this was to be the NCECA—national clay conf. In Richmond. They got all these artists to agree to do their lessons on line so they are going on all day all week.
We walked in the afternoon and other than that have not been out—giving all people we meet a distance—totally frustrated seeing the number of people who don’t care and are out playing basketball together and what not. In Spain and Italy now no one over 65 (Spain) or 60 (Italy) gets to use a ventilator—if Americans keep violating the social distancing we will be at that sooner than they got there. Not nice to feel like and expendable part of society. The politician from TX who said we older folks should give it up for the economy—OMG—how can people be that callous?
Everyone, stay safe—we are all lucky to be in comfortable homes with a yard to get out in—or a balcony in Sue’s case! Take care!
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Post by holly2007 on Mar 25, 2020 22:10:39 GMT
Hi all,
Hope you are holding up ok. The weird part about this whole thing is that there’s no concrete weather event, which is usually what closes places down. Students are all online now. Some staff have started working from home. I’m still going in. I do better with structured work time.
I have plenty of books and yarn, but am also busy with grad school classes and the class I teach.
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jmg44
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Post by jmg44 on Mar 26, 2020 14:02:37 GMT
Holly, I hope you are mostly alone going in. This virus apparently is hitting young people very hard as well. Seeing the death toll in NYC is scary—we have not ventured out at all—not even for groceries. Today I’m going to see if I can get a delivery of some apples and bananas—I’m afraid of shopping. We are not eating any food prepared by anyone else—DD has been ordering in at times and it makes me so nervous—no idea the condition of the people prepping the food.
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