Christmas parade in the neighborhood…Another fun night with the family!…

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Yesterday was Tom’s niece Laurie’s birthday. Instead of a traditional birthday cake, Laurie opted for a fruit tart. She looked good.

After yesterday’s big shopping trip and putting everything away, we feel organized with our tiny house tidy without clutter. It feels good to be settled in for a while. We’ve certainly been on the move for the last several months.

Tom is still coughing quite a bit, but my cough has significantly diminished with only a few bad coughing jags during the day or night. It’s a relief to be on the mend finally. I only hope Tom progresses further in the next week.
Several residents of the RV park decorate their golf carts to participate in the annual.
Christmas parade through the neighborhood.

Regardless of how we’ve felt, we’ve continued to participate in family get-togethers and activities. Last night was no exception when Mary and Eugene’s daughter Laurie (Tom’s niece) arrived with Craig to celebrate her birthday. 

They have a holiday home for about an hour from here. It was a pleasure to see both of them, and all nine of us had an enjoyable time. The evening ended with us playing a hysterical game app on Laurie’s phone called “Heads Up,” a US-only game with questions about US culture. We did a lot of laughing.

This classic car zoomed by during the parade. (I am still learning to use my phone’s camera. Please bear with me).

This morning, we’re returning the rental car to the Phoenix Airport and will be using sister Margie’s Cadillac, which she so generously offered to us during our lengthy stay. This saves us hundreds of dollars. I will follow Tom to the airport while he drops off the car.

From there, we’ll find a restaurant on the return drive and stop for a late lunch. Yesterday, we cooked steaks on the grill around 3:00 pm and didn’t bother making any dinner instead of snacking on some tidbits at Mary and Eugene’s home.

More golf carts came around the corner as we all cheered.

Honestly, with the small kitchen, I have no interest in cooking. Yesterday we’d purchased many items for leisurely meals, things we can cook on the grill with a side of a few vegetables and rice for Tom. Today, we’ll stop at a market to purchase snack foods to offer when everyone comes to our place to hang out. 

For some odd reason, I’ve lost interest in cooking these past few months. In essence, it’s been since I had the surgery last February. Standing in the kitchen for hours holds no appeal to me anymore.

Preoccupied in conversation, I almost missed this shot. Excuse the lack of clarity.

Once we leave the US at the end of January, we won’t purchase groceries or cook for at least three months, two in India and another 29 nights on the cruise from Mumbai to Greenwich (UK). From there, we’ve yet to book anything but will do so in the next few months.

For now, we prefer to settle back and not engage in lengthy and time-consuming research as to what we plan to do once we arrive in Greenwich. We’ll have a little over six months to fill until our next cruise from Lisbon to Cape Town (providing we receive the required visa waiver).

Santa and Mrs. Claus were sitting on the back of this golf cart.

Should the waiver come through, most likely, we’ll spend the six months in and around Europe, where we’ve spent little time overall. As wildlife and nature enthusiasts, Europe, although an amazing draw for most tourists, holds less interest than many other parts of the world.

Now, we’re off to the airport, lunch, and a little more shopping.

We’ll be back with more tomorrow.

Have a splendid day!

Photo from one year ago today, December 11, 2018:

This is Cupid with a heart-shaped marking on her throat. She particularly loved the lucerne we’d purchased for the garden. For more photos, please click here.

A different lifestyle for the next seven weeks…We try it all!…

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The compact living room has everything we need.

Well, folks, we’ve lived in many houses throughout the world, but this experience here in Apache Junction will be different from anywhere we’ve lived in the past.

We will be living in an RV park in a permanently affixed house trailer that has everything we need, although small. Sure, it’s small, although much bigger than a ship’s balcony cabin.

The kitchen is small but without a dishwasher and has minimal cooking supplies.
Subsequently, we will keep meals simple, using the outdoor grill for most of our meals.

Our most extended cruise was for 33-nights when we circumvented Australia, which began on Halloween, October 31, 2017. We had no problem with living in that small space, nor will we here.

 
Three of Tom’s sisters and spouses, Mary Ellen and Eugene, Margie and Colleen and Gene, live in this same 55+ complex of trailer homes and RVs, only a stone’s throw from our unit. It appears that most afternoons around 4:00 or 5:00 pm, we’ll all get together for happy hour drinks and snacks. 
Convenient table-for-two.

Most days, we usually dine around 6:30 or 7:00 pm, but it makes sense if we now redo our thinking about when we’ll have our big meal of the day. Most likely, we’ll start having our big meal midday and not worry about dining in the evenings.

This morning, we headed to Fry’s Market, one of the largest supermarkets we’ve seen (not counting Costco or Sam’s Club), and were surprised at its size. It had 59 rows. By the time I finished shopping, I’d put over 5000 steps on my fitness device.

We spent over $300 on groceries and managed to find ample space for all the items we purchased. The storage in this unit is excellent, with more space than we’ve had in many holiday homes in the past.
This is the most comfortable bed we’ve had in our travels. It appears to be a memory foam bed.

The time went quickly. The five-hour drive from Las Vegas to Apache Junction was uneventful. Tom has seen some improvement with his back injury and cough, and he managed the long campaign easily without asking me to drive. We chatted about our experiences in the US thus far and our plans for the future.

Tonight there will be a Christmas parade in the neighborhood. We’ll all get together to watch the parade and celebrate Mary and Eugene’s daughter Laurie’s birthday. She and her husband Craig will be arriving at 5:30 for the festivities.

The WiFi signal and flat-screen TV are good.

We’re good. Although tempered by both of us being sick with this dreadful cough, the time we spent with family was precious and meaningful. Now, over these next weeks, we’ll spend time with Tom’s sisters. He’s the youngest in the family, and it’s essential we spend this time with all of them.

We’ll make every effort to continue to take photos to share here as we continue to post during our remaining time in the USA!
 
Have a fantastic day, and thanks for hanging in there with us!

Photo from one year ago today, December 10, 2018:

For the first time, this lizard approached the veranda, looking at us.  He didn’t seem to like pellets, so we tried to figure out what we could feed him. For more photos, please click here.

On the move again…Off to Arizona…Last night’s Vegas Golden Knights game…

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On our way to the Vegas Golden Knights game.

We’ll be leaving Richard‘s home in Henderson, Nevada, to begin the five-hour drive to Apache Junction, Arizona, in a few hours. Tom still is under the weather, but it’s time to move on. We’ve spent 11 days here, accomplishing everything we needed to and spending quality time with Richard and my sister Susan.

This morning after a decent night’s sleep, I bolted out of bed, knowing it was time to pack. We hadn’t packed a thing the past few days, and the entire job was ahead of us.

As I started gathering my belongings and toiletries, leaving enough out for Tom after his shower, I realized how quickly we could pack when weight is not an issue. Having purchased some new clothing while in the US made me realize how much more “thinning” I need to do in my clothing suitcase to comply with upcoming airline baggage restrictions in India.

Our seats were ideal in the center, about 20 rows back from the ice.

Since we’ll be in Arizona for almost seven weeks, I’ll be able to unpack everything and redefine exactly what I want to keep. For some odd reason, I am hanging onto some old clothing I no longer wear. That mentality doesn’t work in this lifestyle.

Our last full day in Nevada was good. We watched the winning Minnesota Vikings game with utter glee. A few hours later, we were on our way to T-Mobile Arena on the Strip to watch yet another sporting event, the Vegas Golden Knights hockey game. I’d say Richard is a super fan with his excellent season tickets.

He’d arranged for an additional two seats for us, next to him, and we couldn’t have been more pleased. Our mouths were agape as we entered the area of the arena. The music, the Christmas lights, the hoopla, and the enthusiasm were palpable.

Disappointingly, his team lost, but we were entrenched in the “show” the group puts on during the games to keep their fans well entertained. There was never a dull moment.

After the game, we made our way to an old favorite restaurant of mine from years past when we’ve visited him. (He’s been in Las Vegas for the past 30 years). The familiar smells and the energy in the California Pizza Kitchen create a pleasing and memorable ambiance.

The service was slow when many others had the same idea after the game. But we entertained ourselves in idle chatter, with leaving the next day on my mind. Of course, it’s been hard to say goodbye to family members whom we may not see again for another two or more years.

Back at the house, we wrapped up the evening as we both took a dose of Nyquil to keep the coughing under control during the night and aid in us getting a decent night’s sleep. I did better than usual. Tom, not so much.

This morning I focused on getting all the small stuff packed, leaving Tom with only his clothing. The sheets are in the washer, and once they are dried, we’ll remake the bed and be on our way.

This next phase of our travels, these weeks in Arizona, should be easy. It will be a short walk to Tom’s sister’s home, and we won’t have to be driving long distances to see family. Our days and nights should be uncomplicated and accessible over the Christmas season. 

This schedule will provide both of us time to recover from the coughs and prepare ourselves for the next leg of our journey. The only long drive we have ahead of us is to return the rental car to the Phoenix Airport in two days, which should be around a two-hour turnaround. We appreciate that Tom’s sister Margie’s kindly offered her vehicle to us while we were there. 

Tomorrow, we’ll be back with more, a new experience, living in a senior RV Park in Apache Junction, Arizona. Of course, photos will follow!

Have a great Monday!

Photo from one year ago today, December 9, 2018:

Traffic jam on the paved road in Marloth Park. Delightful! For more photos, please click here.

Busy weekend…India plans are set…

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In Marloth Park on this day in 2013. This male zebra stood under the carport for quite some time, watching over the other males. For more photos, please click here.

It’s Sunday morning. Richard and Tom are watching the Minnesota Vikings football game using Tom’s NFL Gamepass app. The game wasn’t broadcast here in Nevada.

In a few minutes, I’ll make a breakfast of scrambled eggs with sauteed onions, bacon, and sausage and we’ll eat in front of the big flat screen watching the game.

When the game ends, we’ll bundle up in warm clothing for the hockey arena and head to the Las Vegas Strip to the T-Mobile Arena to watch the Vegas Golden Knights play today’s 4:00 pm game. The temperature in the arena is about 60F (15.6C). We’ll dress accordingly.

Yesterday, after I’d made the two pies in the early morning, I packed a container with broccoli salad and the fresh-from-the-oven pie in the rental car, carefully placing them on the floor in the front seat. 

On the way to Susan’s house, I stopped at Chipotle and purchased two burritos for her and her ex-husband Tom who’s been helping her these past few years.

She had married the boy next door when we were growing up in Long Beach California many moons ago. I’ve known Tom since I was in early grade school. The fact that he’s been helping Susan is very special when they’ve been divorced for over 40 years.

On Friday evening, we wrapped up the 55-day private tour through the country of India beginning on February 8th, immediately after the end of the Maharajas Express Train ride from Mumbai to Dehli.

It will be a whirlwind of activity, but it’s the best way for us to tour India when we know so little about the country. Also, the fact this is a private tour means we’ll be able to go at our own pace if changes need to be made in the itinerary to accommodate our needs.

Initially, when we considered this option, there were too many activities to suit our needs. We didn’t want to be on the go non-stop for 55 days, especially when we’d want to carve out time to prepare and upload our posts and, if time allows,  relax a little.

Subsequently, we asked the rep to cut down on the number of activities. Most tourists don’t book such long tours. Based on the length of our tour, it was practical to leave us with some downtime. We don’t want to be run ragged, although we will be very busy during this period.

Now that I’ve been given the OK to tour at this pace, we feel more at ease and are excited about this unusually lengthy tour of India. Of course, there will be obstacles along the way, most likely regarding the food.

Tom doesn’t like spicy, heavily seasoned food. Hopefully, the restaurants in the hotels will have other options for him. Based on the fact the hotels are all 4 stars or higher, most likely their restaurants will offer more international cuisine, not necessarily limited to the strong flavors of Indian food.

The challenge for me will revolve around being able to order foods without starch or grains. But, we’re confident somehow we’ll make it all work. They consume lots of chicken in India, which added to a portion of vegetables made without starch will work for me. I’m sure once we’re there we’ll figure out several suitable options for both of us.

As the time nears, we’ll share more details on our itinerary and of course, be writing and posting photos each day during the upcoming train excursion. Our new phones may be used as hotspots, allowing us an adequate signal from most locations.

That’s it for today folks. May your Sunday be rewarding and fulfilling.

Photo from one year ago today, December 8, 2018:

This bushbuck family comes to visit daily. They always stand at the foot of the veranda steps to be away from other wildlife that “steal” their pellets and veg. For more photos, please click here.

Another pie day…Favorite dishes…

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Penguin statues were everywhere in the adorable town of Penguin, Tasmania. For more photos, please click here.

There’s a hard reality I feel I must face when I say goodbye to my sister Susan today. With our plans to leave Nevada on Monday, this will be the last time I see her before we depart. This may be the last time I ever see her. Her health is failing daily.


Tomorrow, we have plans with Richard all day, including the brunch I’ll be making during the Vikings football game; attending the Vegas Golden Knight hockey game at 3:00 pm, followed by dinner on the strip around 7:00 pm.


I certainly hope Tom is feeling better by tomorrow. On top of it all, he pulled a muscle in his back and now he’s even more miserable. He’s taking Tylenol (Paracetamol), cough medicine and again laying low today. 


This morning, awakening at 5:30 am, it dawned on me that I wanted to make my sister’s favorite dessert in the world; our mother’s recipe for cheese pie (not cheesecake which often includes flour which is not the case here).


Oddly, last night Richard mentioned that Cheesecake Factory has a low carb cheese pie and this thought stuck in my mind overnight. I also wanted to make him a low carb cheese pie (my low carb version of my mother’s fabulous pie) that we can all have for dessert tonight.


I bolted out of bed at 6:15 am, showered and dressed for the day and was on my way to Smith’s Market in no time at all. As I write here now, Susan’s pie is out of the oven, cooling so I can add the topping and the low carb pie is baking after I had to first,  pre-bake the almond flour crust.


Waiting for the crust to cool, I made the low carb filling and was able to get the pie into the oven to bake in plenty of time. Now I’m timing the low carb pie until it’s done. After I remove it from the oven, I’ll have to let it also cool enough to add the sweet vanilla-flavored sour cream topping.


This morning I found Madagascar vanilla at Smith’s, some of the finest vanilla extract in the world. It’s unreal how easily I can find the proper ingredients in markets in the US. When we’re outside the US it’s a constant challenge trying to figure out alternatives for some of our favorite recipes. Then again, that is a part of the adaptation we so much enjoy.


Yesterday, I made another of Susan’s favorites, that delicious broccoli salad we all love with almonds and raisins. I will be bringing a good-sized portion for her while leaving plenty for tonight’s dinner. I plan to stop on the way to her assisted living facility and get her a Chipotle burrito, which should go well with the salad for a special dinner for her tonight.


Many people find great comfort in favorite dishes, often bringing up memories from our youth or other periods in our lives. With Susan lying in bed 24/7 with COPD and a variety of other conditions, at this point, she’s less concerned about her diet and instead focusing on getting through each day. These treats mean a lot to her.


This may be the last time I see her. When I saw her on Thursday, I assured her, we will be together again in a feeble attempt to dismiss the prospect of her not living much longer. It breaks my heart.


Isn’t this the case with many of our loved ones, as we age, we’ll lose many along the way? Any love and comfort we can provide our loved ones during the waning years of their lives are never time lost or wasted. All these seven years of world travel, I have stayed in close touch with her and will do so as we continue on.


Speaking of continuing on… Yesterday, we fully booked our two-month gap in India. We’re excited to share the details in tomorrow’s post.


Have a fantastic Saturday!

__________________________________________

Photo from one year ago today, December 7, 2018:

Yesterday, no less than 10 warthogs waded in our cement pond including mom and four piglets.  The animals are feeling the heat as well as us humans. For more photos, please click here.

The planning continues…As busy as I can be…

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On this date in 2015, we were at the Arts Village in Pacific Harbour, Fiji. For more photos, please click here.

At this point, we need to get to work and decide on what we plan to do in India for 54 days beginning on February 8th after the end of the Maharajas Express train from Mumbai to Delhi.

We’re deliberating over several options and will share what we’re deciding to do when we hopefully decide in the next few days. There is so much to consider.

As far as booking periods, this period in India is the most challenging. We don’t want to be floundering by ourselves, jumping from town to town, flight to flight, and hotel to hotel without a plan in mind.

Many have asked over the years if we are “backpackers” and possibly stay in hostels, making our way through a country without specific bookings in mind. That’s not us. 

We have no home. We require the peace of mind of knowing where we’ll be staying during our time in any country, whether in the US or anywhere else in the world. 

India is not an easy country to visit without plans in mind. We do not want to be trapped for days in a smoggy, over-populated city attempting to figure out what to do next.

A priority for us is also a tiger safari, a must-do to be included in our almost two-month itinerary. This is not practical in many areas that are not particularly close to wildlife areas or national parks.

Having had no experience in India, we have had countless travelers and others making suggestions as to our ideal itinerary. We appreciate the input, but we must pursue this considering our interests and desires, not what may necessarily appeal to others.

Yes, we could make a mistake in the planning process, but we’re always willing to take the risk. After all, we had the “unthinkable” happen this past February, and somehow we managed to make our way through it with careful planning, dignity, and grace.

Right now, we are working with a highly competent agent with a highly rated travel agency in India who booked the train for us. As I write here now, amid stopping every 30 minutes to get back to work on tonight’s dinner, Tom goes through all the “paperwork” on some options that may or may not work for us. We shall see.

This morning I went grocery shopping for the last time while here in Nevada. Before doing so, I stopped at a branch of our bank to get some blank checks. 

I am making tonight and tomorrow’s dinner and Sunday brunch. On Sunday afternoon, we’re going to the Vegas Gold Knight’s game at 3:00 pm at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

After the game, we’ll go out to dinner on the strip, and then on Monday morning, we’ll pack and leave for Apache Junction, Arizona. Hopefully, Tom will be feeling well enough to drive for five hours. I’d be happy to drive, but he doesn’t like how I drive, and the stress associated with his “backseat driving” isn’t worth it.

He’s yet to turn the corner with his cough and exhaustion, but when I consider that’s where I was a few weeks ago, he still has a way to go. I looked back at the activity level a few weeks ago in Minnesota, and I don’t know how I got through it feeling as he does now.

I just finished making enough broccoli salad for all of us, including a batch for my sister Susan, which I’ll bring to her tomorrow. Soon, I’ll make the low carb hamburger buns, peel potatoes for the first time in over a year for tonight’s oven-baked fries (chips), shape the ground beef and ground turkey into patties, make the homemade ketchup, and slice the onions, tomatoes, and lettuce for toppings for the meat. It will be another busy day.

Tonight, we’ll grill the meat poolside and enjoy a quiet and restful night in. Thank goodness.

Take care, dear readers.

Photo from one year ago today, December 6, 2018:

A praying mantis stopped by for a visit this morning.  After it walked on the veranda table, it landed on Tom and then landed on me. Friendly little fellow. For more photos, please click here.

The 2½ hour wait at the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles…

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While in Penguin, Tasmania, in 2017, we took this photo on our way to the town of Ulverston. Tasmania never disappoints!  For more photos, please click here.

We each had over a year left until the expiration of our Nevada driver’s licenses. However, with uncertainty at this point as to when we’ll return to the US, we needed to take care of this task before we depart Nevada in four or five days.

We both dreaded the process when the DMV in Henderson (and other locations) usually requires appointments to avoid waiting for hours. The last time we did this, seven years ago, the line extended outside the building with no less than 100 impatient applicants pushing and shoving to secure their spots.

With Tom sick all week, we avoided going. But as time wore on, we decided we’d better take care of this regardless of how he or I was feeling. When we awoke yesterday morning, it was raining heavily.

We imagined standing in that long queue outdoors in the rain with both of us still coughing (especially Tom) and getting soaked. I’d packed our cheap plastic rain protectors in the blue bag and by 9:45 am we took off.

Imagine our elation when we drove into the parking lot and there was no line at all! Apparently, due to the inclement weather, people decided to wait and go another day, which proved to benefit us greatly.

Upon entry into the building, which was packed, within minutes we got a number from the receptionist, found two adjacent chairs and began the long wait, making sure we didn’t miss the call of our number over the PA system.

We realized the wait would be long, but we were so pleased to avoid standing outdoors in the rain, hardly a whimper crossed our lips during the over-two-hour wait.

Some may say, the facility is disorganized with so many applicants always waiting to be seen. In fact, we perceived it as being very organized and well-planned with friendly customer service and systems in place to facilitate a somewhat painless process.

I played with my new phone while Tom never took his eyes off the screen with the numbers that had been called and those numbers upcoming. The time went more quickly than expected and by noon we met with the rep who would process our renewals.

The process took about 30 minutes when the rep was curious about why we were renewing early, which is unusual. She then continued to ask many questions. Of course, we had nothing to hide, but we didn’t want to get into our entire story.

Finally, our temporary licenses were issued and we were directed to the area where photos are taken. Amazingly, there was no queue there and we breezed through the process in a few minutes.

Once out the door, we sighed in relief. It was finally done. Next time, we can again apply online when an applicant must apply in person. every other renewal time

We feel as if we accomplished a lot while in the US, amid both of us being sick; we applied for and received our visas for India, applied and are awaiting our “second, four-year” passports and now renewed our driver’s licenses. It’s been an enormous relief to get these time consuming and cumbersome tasks out of the way.

Our next project. Is deciding on how we’ll spend the two unbooked months in India after completing the Maharajas Train tour on February 8th. Planning this is a big project and we just may have to wait until we get settled in Arizona next week. Plus, we still have to work on hiring an attorney to assist us in getting the visa waiver to return to South Africa.

I’m off today to visit my sister Susan once again. I’d intended to go yesterday, but when we returned from the DMV so late in the day, I realized I’d be stuck in rush hour traffic, in the rain, on the return drive. No thank you. I’ll be on my way soon.

Have a pleasant day!

Photo from one year ago today, December 5, 2018:

Mom and piglet enjoying the cement pond on a hot day. It’s summer during this time of year in South Africa and with the drought and lack of bodies of water available to the wild animals, they may seek a refreshing dunk in the cement pond in our garden, intended as a source of drinking water. For more photos, please click here.

Turning the corner…Still lots to do…

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Two years ago today, in 2017, in Pisco, Peru, we spotted these children playing at the beach with views of colorful fishing vessels.  For more photos, please click here.

While we were about one week into the most recent cruise, one early evening at the beginning of the free-drink-happy-hour (two hours long), I wasn’t able to take a sip of my wine. I felt queasy and dizzy.

Tom walked me to the cabin, helped me get situated into bed while I encouraged him to go back to the event to enjoy the evening’s camaraderie and bring me a small plate of food from the buffet before he went to dinner in the main dining room. There was no point in him sitting there with me.

Before 7:00 pm, he brought me a plate of roasted chicken, grilled fish, and steamed veggies. By 9:00 pm, he’d had dinner and returned to the cabin for the night. 

I had no idea why I was dizzy, but by morning it passed, leaving me with a peculiar slight cough that eventually blossomed into the full roar of the virus from which we’re still experiencing now. It’s been 34 days since the onset.

As I mentioned yesterday, Tom is now suffering as I did over two weeks ago in Minnesota when I went to Urgent Care twice only to discover after taking antibiotics and cortisone. Ultimately, it is truly a virus with little to be done other than to wait it out.

Of course, if either of us had suspected it was more serious than the virus we contracted while cruising, we would have sought more medical advice. We had no fever, no symptoms of pneumonia, no chest pain (although our stomach muscles ached from coughing, a common side effect).

Yesterday, I awoke to feel dizzy again, on top of awful coughing, and this morning that is gone, and much to my delight, my cough has lessened dramatically. Oddly, it came in with dizziness and left with the dizziness. Go figure. I’m finally out of the woods, or so it seems.

Tom is insistent we go to the DMV today, but again oddly enough, it’s going to rain today. A visit to the DMV results in an extended outdoor queue often standing for hours. We couldn’t book an appointment based on a lack of availability while we’re here before we depart for Arizona next week.

The result? Today, rain or shine, we’ll stand in line at the DMV to renew our driver’s licenses. Yes, we have raincoats but no umbrella. Who has an umbrella in Nevada? It rarely rains here.

I’d planned to see Susan today, but that’s up in the air based on how quickly we can get through the line at the DMV. If not today, I’ll go tomorrow. Perhaps, the lines will be shorter today with it raining.

Out of the small backpack, I just dug out the total-body-coverage cheap plastic raincoats we’d purchased in Thailand for 85 cents each which have served us well on several occasions over these past few years. We’ll see how they work for us today.

No doubt, I’m dreading this DMV thing, but it has to be done. Tom offered to go on his own, but I, too, need my license renewed, and it makes no sense for us to go separately.

We’ll continue to keep our readers informed of the infinitesimal activities of our time here in Nevada. Soon enough, a little excitement may ensue as we begin to pull ourselves out of the throes of the virus.

Happy day to all, rain or shine.

Photo from one year ago today, December 4, 2018:

This fluffy little one captured our hearts. For more photos, please click here.

Coughing from hell…Is cruising worth it?…

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In 2016, we arrived in Penguin, Tasmania, where we stayed for six weeks. This is the view from the living room window of the beautiful holiday home we rented. It was a delightful six weeks and remained one of Tom’s favorite places in the world. For more photos, please click here.

During our seven years of world travel, there was only one other time we were both as sick as we are now with a virus. We were on a cruise from Honolulu to Sydney. Upon our arrival, I could barely get myself onto the deck to take our first photos of the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House.

Driving the rental car to the holiday home in Trinity Beach is but a vague memory. We were disorientated, exhausted, and racked with horrible bouts of coughing for no less than three weeks. 

We never mentioned it in the blog, feeling we didn’t want to “bore” our readers with medical woes. However, after this past dreadful year of my heart issues, we don’t feel as if we need to “hide,” primarily when so many of our readers have written to us not only wishing us well but finding comfort in some of their issues, in the fact they are not alone.

Only a week into the most recent cruise from Southampton to Fort Lauderdale, we acquired this virus, and we’re struggling with it much longer than expected. It seems the cough, exhaustion, and feeling disorientated have become worse over time. We can’t imagine others on that cruise aren’t suffering in the same manner.

It would be easy for any observer to say, “Then, why in the world would you go on cruises if you get sick?” 

We’ve been on 25 cruises since beginning our journey in 2012. Sure, I’ve had the cruise cough several times, with Tom catching it less often. Our answer is simple: we use cruising to get from one part of the world to another, avoiding many flights.

Then again, airplanes can be a breeding ground for bacteria and viruses, and we often hear about travelers becoming sick from flying. Combine the flights many take to arrive at the point of embarkation on a cruise, and it’s become a double whammy.

The reality is, for whatever reason, our immune systems are vulnerable to the germs on cruises. No doubt, we need to focus on ways to be all the more cautious while cruising. We’ll begin doing more research on ways to reduce the risk and improve our immune system.

We’re often asked if we get flu shots, and we do not. Each country has its specific strain, which means we’d have to be immunized in several countries. This doesn’t seem to be healthful or sensible. Perhaps it’s a by-product of long-term travel.

At this point, Tom is suffering like where I was a few weeks ago when I went to an urgent care clinic and was prescribed antibiotics and cortisone, neither of which alleviated the symptoms. I still kept coughing and feeling awful.

But during this time, both of us were very busy with our families and could hardly slow down when we were there for only three weeks. We’ve slowed down considerably since arriving in Nevada, and luckily Tom has had a chance to rest for several days while I’ve gone to visit my sister, shopped, and cooked meals, nothing overly strenuous.

Today, I’m “down for the count” right along with Tom. We’re both staying in all day, lounging on Richard‘s comfy sofa with plenty to watch on the big screen TV. Tom’s time to rest nor my level of activity have had no impact on helping or changing anything one way or another.

We had planned to go to the DMV to renew our driver’s licenses today, but neither of us has the strength to stand in line for hours. Somehow we’ll manage to take care of this before the end of the week. We’re leaving (driving) for Arizona early next week.

While at the urgent care clinic in Minnesota two weeks ago, they explained we aren’t contagious anymore, but also there is little to be done to alleviate the symptoms of a virus. 

There is no point in us seeing a doctor. Antibiotics don’t work. There’s nothing that can be done. We’re using the over-the-counter meds recommended by the doctor at the clinic. The nighttime Nyquil seems to help us sleep better. We have to wait it out.

Be well. 

Photo from one year ago today, December 3, 2018:

Giffafe in the garden aching for the treetops. For more photos, please click here.

In a rush today…

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It was five years ago today that Tom was checking out the views from one of the two houses we rented in Pahoa, Big Island, Hawaii. Only days later our family began to arrive for the holiday. For more, please click here.

Today, I am in a bit of a rush. I have to leave the house at 10:45 am to drive to Las Vegas to see Susan and to join her for lunch in her new assisted living facility located 45 minutes from here.


I’ll stay a few hours and then stop at Smith’s Market on the way back to Richard‘s home for a few items for tonight’s dinner and then rush back to begin preparing dinner. Richard only eats chicken so as his mom, I try to be inventive and produce another good chicken recipe.


As for the coughs…Tom is in the worst of it now while I am slowly beginning to turn the corner. If it weren’t for Nyquil Cough, we wouldn’t be able to sleep at all. Both of us have fits of coughing at all hours but especially during the night. For some reason, everything seems worse at night.


We’d hoped to go to a movie with Richard while here but there’s no way we would be able to get through a two-hour period without hacking and disturbing everyone. We’ll see how it goes. We’re leaving in eight days.


Why this cough has lasted so long has baffled us. It started slowly on the cruise over a month ago. Tom had a bit of a tickle in his throat and I had a small pointless cough. I spent one night’s dinner in the cabin when I was feeling dizzy and out of sorts not knowing what was wrong.


But, the dizzyness was the beginning of this dreadful virus when only the next day the cough exacerbated. Also, one of the symptoms we have both experienced has been a feeling of utter exhaustion. 


I am past that stage right now but Tom has been going through it over the past two weeks, worsening the past three days. Please, let this be over soon so we can return to our usual enthusiastic selves, especially now that we know we can move forward with travel plans.


Speaking of which…we booked our flights to India on British Airways at a great price as follows (for both of us):

Total price: USD $1675.16
Trip Protection:      117.26

Total:                $1792.42
 
We used a flight booking company (after reading lots of reviews) we’d never used Hop2.com for the best possible pricing. The flight leaves Phoenix on January 29 and ends on January 30, 2020. 
 
There are two over nine-hour flights with an eight-hour layover in London in between. It will be a long 27 hours. This leaves us a few days in Mumbai to refresh and recover before we begin the exciting six night-train excursion on the Maharajah Express.
 
As always, we’ll manage OK on these long flights although neither of us is able to sleep on the plane. It’s funny. I can fall asleep sitting upright on a sofa while watching a show but I can’t sleep for five minutes on a plane in a similar position. Go figure.
 
Tonight’s a big sports night here at Richard’s…the Vegas Golden Knights will play on TV along with the Minnesota Vikings. I plan to get back early enough to make the dinner so we can all settle in and somehow watch the games simultaneously. 
 
Tom can bring up the football on his laptop via NFL GamePass and the Vegas Golden Knights can be playing on the TV. We’ll see how it goes.
 
Thanksgiving weekend is over in the US and life is back to normal also after “Black Friday” shopping frenzy has ended. We’d intended to go to renew our driver’s licenses today but as mentioned, this is supposedly the DMV’s busiest day of the year. Forget that!
Unfortunately, no new photos to share but check out last year’s photo below! It still makes us laugh!

Be well. Be happy.

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Photo from one year ago today, December 2, 2018:
Little decided to check out the inside of the house.  I was in the kitchen chopping vegetables when he entered and looked up to see this! We both couldn’t stop laughing. I yelled out, “Little, is that you?” (I knew it was him). He shook his head a bit like he often did when I spoke to him. He climbed up six very slippery tile steps to get to me, difficult in those “high heeled shoes.” For more photos, please click here.