A glimmer of hope…

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It’s hard not to miss our animal and human friends in Marloth Park. We hope Broken Horn will visit us at the new house.

Could it be that Tom coughed less last night? He says he still feels weak and exhausted, but I wasn’t awake during the night from his coughing and ended up getting enough sleep for a change. Yes, this morning, he’s been coughing like crazy since he got up, but the good night gave us some hope.

The thought of flying to Las Vegas on Sunday is a little daunting, especially when arriving at the massive airport, which is time-consuming and confusing. Since Tom is in no position to do so, handling our luggage is my biggest concern right now. Sure, we’ll get a trolley to wheel around the airport while we go to collect the rental car.

Once we have the car, everything will be easier. We’ll get help with our bags at the hotel, the Green Valley Ranch Resort Spa and Casino in Henderson, close to where son Richard lives. At this point, we don’t know if we’ll get to see him. It will be entirely based on how Tom feels and how Richard feels about being around us.

We considered changing our fights, staying longer in Minnesota, and flying back to South Africa. Fortunately, we won’t have to go through immigration or customs based on a domestic flight. It will be another matter when we fly back to South Africa from Las Vegas on May 22.

But, after considerable research, it just doesn’t work. There are no flights available out of MSP that we can change our United Airlines tickets to, and the cost is so prohibitive to start all over. After all, we’ve already lost several thousand dollars due to getting Covid.

The flight to Las Vegas is over three hours. Tom needs to be able to sit up comfortably. If he cannot by Sunday, we’ll have no choice but to change our plans. Once again, we’re “playing it by ear.” We know how to do this. Tom feels confident that he’ll be able to do this by Sunday, four days from today.

As of today, he is better able to move about. The problem for both of us is that we’ve been sitting in bed since April 20, when we first tested positive. That’s three weeks ago, as of today. Today, I moved the luggage off the love seat in our hotel room, and I am no longer sitting on the bed until the evening when we watch a few shows on the TV.

The smart TV in our room has Amazon Prime Video and Netflix. By logging in to our accounts using the QR codes on the screen, we can watch both services. That is slick. Also, there is accessible Showtime, so we can busy ourselves in the evenings watching shows to alleviate the boredom.

Many have suggested we watch the popular show “Outlander.” We watched the first episode a few years ago and couldn’t get into it. We tried again a few days ago in desperation, and now we’re hooked. What a fascinating show! We’re finishing the first season tonight, and we’re thrilled there are many more seasons to keep us entertained while we continue to recover.

Hmmm…shades of India (10 months stuck in lockdown in a hotel in Mumbai), as once again, we are stuck in a hotel room, three weeks in the making. But this time, we don’t feel well, and I have no energy to walk the corridors for five miles, 8 km, a day. The food is a little better here.

Last night, the WiFi was out for 6 hours. I ended up calling Marriott’s tech support to get it working again. I don’t recall ever having to contact tech support with WiFi issues in any other hotel than this one in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. I don’t understand why the guest would have to call and not management or reception. This same thing happened when we first checked in on May 1 and again when we stayed here in July 2022.

It’s the only complaint we have about this hotel. Otherwise, it is pretty nice. After all, we have a fully equipped basic kitchen with a decent-sized refrigerator, range and oven, microwave, and a dishwasher.  These have prevented us from having to do takeaway every evening for dinner, and we’ve been able to put together a few easy meals with ingredients from the nearby market.

Also, the customer service at Towne Suites by Marriott, Eden Prairie, Minnesota, is excellent. The cleanliness is exceptional, and the condition of the rooms is flawless and up to date. We will definitely stay here again, even knowing about the WiFi issues. Besides, the location is ideal, close to restaurants, shopping, and markets with easy access to the freeway.

Again, thanks to our fabulous readers for an endless stream of thoughtful email messages with good wishes for our recovery. You have no idea how much this has meant to us. If we missed responding to your messages, please bear with us. We are working on replies each day.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, May 11, 2021:

A mom or matriarch crossed the road in front of us while in Kruger National Park with a youngster. For more photos, please click here.

An outpouring of love from around the world…

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This has been the best test kit we’ve used. They retail for about $25 at most worldwide pharmacies. To perform the test, you download an app, Navica, to your phone and a live rep will walk you through the test to ensure it’s done correctly. DO NOT OPEN THE BOX PRIOR TO FACE-TIMING WITH THE REP OR THE KIT WILL BE INVALIDATED.

We cannot express our appreciation for the response and outpouring of love after the Garage Logic podcast last Friday and now continuing with well-wishes for Tom after his Covid pneumonia diagnosis described in yesterday’s post here.

We have been so fortunate to receive such positive feedback from our readers. There have been only a few occasions where a reader may send us the equivalent of “hater” emails about our travels and life events. Why read about our story or the stories of others if one finds the content objectionable in one way or another?

However, those scenarios are far and few between. Instead, as we enter one phase of our world travels to another, many loyal readers write to us expressing their concern and prayers for our well-being. At times, there are more email messages than we can respond to.  We try to respond to each one, but we sincerely apologize if we’ve missed you.

With little else to do, we’ve been able to stay on top of it. But, now, with Tom’s busy medication schedule, it may become more difficult. On the free family calendar app we both use, Cozi Calendar, which may be found here, today I entered ten events regarding Tom’s medication dosing schedule, starting at 8:00 am and ending at 10:00 pm.

I am so grateful that I am feeling so much better. My only symptoms now are a loose cough, an occasional headache, and a stuffy nose from time to time. My energy level has returned, and I no longer feel tired and lethargic. Hopefully, Tom will reach this state of improvement soon. We both continue to test negative.

Today, we have to go out to get food for dinner. The Cub Foods, less than a mile away, has some chicken wild rice soup Tom finds he can eat. Otherwise, he has had little interest in food. I’ll find something for my dinner in the market as well. I don’t feel like cooking in the small kitchen, but surely, I’ll find something easy to put together.

Our grandson Miles is still testing positive for Covid. Next Sunday, we are scheduled to leave Minneapolis only five days from today. We have no idea if we’ll be able to see any of our family members before we depart Minnesota or if we’ll be able to see our son Richard in Henderson, Nevada, where we will be for one more week until we leave for South Africa on May 22nd.

It will be good to be back in South Africa in two weeks. Our new house will be ready for us, which we know Louise will have “perfect,” awaiting our arrival. She’s insisted on grocery shopping for us. How much of a list we’ll make is based on how Tom feels in two weeks. If he’s well, we’ll only ask Louise to get enough groceries to last for a few days, longer if necessary. If he’s better, we can head to Komatipoort to grocery shop.

We’d like to have Dr. Theo check us both after this big ordeal with Covid. His office is down the road from the Spar Market, and we’ll schedule appointments to coincide with our shopping trip. It will be lovely to get back into our usual routine of wildlife watching, taking photos, cooking fabulous meals on the braai, and eventually, socializing.

We’re looking forward to feeling well enough to sit on the veranda, sipping on sundowners, and watching “visitors” stop by to see if pellets are on the happy hour menu. Most assuredly, they will be.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, May 10, 2021:

Seeing the porcupines on the trail cam gives us a strong incentive to continue to check out the garden at night. For more photos, please click here.

Good genes vs. bad genes…The differences for Tom and I…

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Two kudus grazing on the side of the road.

Tom had dental surgery yesterday, which included moving bone between his gums and sinuses to create a bridge for two implants. It will need to heal for over six months, and once we return in December 2022, Dr. Singh in  Malalane will permanently make the crowns sit atop the metal implants.  In the interim, he still has the noticeable gap on the right side of his mouth, which shows when he smiles.

Why not get it done sooner than 13 or 14  months from now? The foundation won’t be ready while we’re in the US, and if all goes as planned, we’ll be on the move in many countries outside the US. It will be best to wait. He’s fine with that. Also, the cost for the two implants is 70% to 80% less in South Africa than in the US.

After the 45 minute procedure, he came out to the reception area and looked fine except for the wad of gauze he had in his mouth. Comparable to when his teeth were pulled, he has to be extra careful not to disturb the site while it heals by eating on the opposite side, avoiding brushing in that area and not touching it, or playing with it with his tongue.

Surprisingly, he had no pain after the anesthetic wore off and had no trouble eating a bacon-wrapped fillet mignon and rice for dinner. He passed on vegetables and salad but will have them tonight with his pork chops cooked on the braai. He says he’s feeling fine with no discomfort at all.

Medium Daddy and his girls.

When I had my tooth pulled recently, I suffered dearly for three weeks with a dry socket and a few days ago noticed a bone spur sticking out from the gums in that area. Oh, good grief. My appointment with Dr. Singh was before Tom’s, and in no time at all, he numbed the site and, using a laser while I wore special glasses, he filed down the bone spur.  The area will heal in a few days. Thank goodness, no pain or discomfort from this easy procedure.

But, all of this brings to mind how different Tom and I are when having an illness or medical procedure. Tom recovers without incident, and I go through hell with complications that can haunt me for weeks, if not months, after I have any medical issue, surgery, or procedure.

The vast difference is in our genes is that Tom’s family members are robust and healthy. His mother, Mary Lyman, lived until almost 99, and before her final days, she wasn’t on any medication. Tom takes no medication other than a few vitamins. I envy how fortunate he is but am grateful we don’t have to deal with any medical issues.

On the other hand, my family’s genes are a mess. Many suffer (mainly on my mother’s side) with diabetes and other metabolic diseases, obesity, heart disease allergies (such as asthma and hay fever), cancer, and more, all inflammatory-type conditions. Thus I’d have diabetes if I didn’t eat such a low-carb diet. I have coronary arterial disease and am riddled with many allergic conditions, including asthma, hay fever, and a high propensity for reacting to allergens with hives, especially in South Africa.

The females are bossier about getting pellets than the males.

As mentioned a few days ago, the usual dust mite invasion in the bed, typical this time of year, causes me an outrageous amount of massive, crazy itching welts. Most mattresses and stuffed furniture, bedding, and pillows have dust mites in them. Most people don’t react to these nasty invisible mites unless they are allergic to their presence, as I am.

Unbeknownst to me, this past weekend, in one night, the dust mite invasion happened as the weather had heated up, and in the morning, I had red, raised welts all over the entire left side of my body. I lay on my left side, barely moving all night long. This is not new to me, as mentioned previously. But, by the time I had developed the welts, it was too late. The itching typically lasts for two to three weeks.

Louise was all over this. She arranged for Zef and Vusi to make an all-out attack on the dust mites in the mattress by washing all the linen in scalding water and drying it all at high temperatures. Then she purchased an ultra-thick mattress cover which was added after they vacuumed every inch of the bed and sprayed everything with a particular non-toxic chemical, specifically for this purpose.

This was all done yesterday on Monday. The hard part was that I already had the welts, and last night, I had no way of knowing if what they’d done would be beneficial. I can only wait until the welts heal. The itching is unbearable. My Fitbit says I slept for only three hours each of the last two nights.

With several types of cream on hand, cortisone-based and antihistamine-based, I got no relief after slathering it on every few hours. The itching only lessened for an hour or so after I got up during the night and took a hot shower. The heat seemed to help as opposed to advice online saying heat would only make it work. Dr. Google isn’t always right, although I did find a few entries stating heat could be beneficial for some types of allergic responses.

Of course, I took two different long-acting antihistamines, 12-hours apart, with no relief whatsoever. Today, I am trying to do things differently. I haven’t used any cream yet. This morning we went to the little store, and I purchased calamine lotion. I determined that touching it every few hours was spreading the welts. Tonight, before bed, I will take another shower and then gently apply the calamine lotion with a cotton ball. I am not scratching at all, as tempting as it is.

Then, around 11:00 pm, 2300 hrs, I will take two 25 mg Benedryl, which we have on hand, hoping this will help the itching and put me to sleep. I didn’t use any Benedryl yesterday since I had taken two other non-drowsy antihistamines, providing no relief.

I keep looking at the time, for once, hoping this day passes quickly. We’ll busy ourselves in the bedroom after dinner streaming a few favorite shows to distract me. We’ll have the aircon on since today is the hottest day we’ve had here since we arrived last January.  Right now, it’s 104F, 40C, and rising by the minute. It’s too hot to sit outdoors or even in the lounge.

With it so hot, the animals are hunkered down at water holes and in the shade. There have been no more comments about the lions, but we’ll keep you updated.

Have an excellent day! Please check back tomorrow!

Photo from one year ago today, November 16, 2020:

This photo was posted one year ago while in lockdown in a hotel in Mumbai, India on day #238/ Mandatory Credit: Photo by Anshuman Poyrekar/Hindustan Times/Shutterstock (11008794b) Crowded street of Ranade road for Diwali shopping at Dadar west, on November 8, 2020, in Mumbai, India. Diwali Festival 2020, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India – 08 Nov 2020. For more photos, please click here.

Our bag is here!!!…What a relief!…Tom’s dental disaster…

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This is not Tiny, whom we’ve yet to see, eight days after our return. This is The Imposter, who resembles Tiny. He’s become a regular visitor whom we welcome with pellets.

There was no question that someone had gone through our bag with a fine-tooth comb. We had purchased vitamins in the US and hundreds of Vitamin D3 gel caps that spilled all over the bottom of the bag, and everything else was askew. Some of our toiletries spilled, but nothing seemed to be missing.

Our five pairs of shoes were intact, as well as the clothing items. We have to figure out if we are filing a claim and how and when we’ll be reimbursed. We were informed that there would be no compensation for the “inconvenience,” only the items we had to replace. As mentioned earlier, there was nowhere near us to replace any of the contents in that bag while we were without it.

It was delightful to see Torn Ear return to our garden.

We’ll take whatever airline credit we can get and see if we’ll ever bother to use United Airlines again. But that is behind us now, and we’re anxious to put the annoyance to rest. Tom is currently at the dentist in Malalane, and I’m home alone trying to recover from my current flu virus of some sort.

I don’t believe I have Covid, nor did Tom. It was just a bad cold, the same cold/flu Tom had a week ago, from which he has since fully recovered. Soon, I’ll hear from him when he leaves the dentist to find out what transpired there.

Whoa! I just got a call from Tom. He had to have two teeth pulled! I feel so badly for him. It is disheartening to lose teeth, especially when it’s a reminder of the ravages of aging, and it leaves a gaping hole that must be dealt with in three months after it fully heals.

Based on feeling under the weather, we haven’t taken many photos the past few days.

As I mentioned in yesterday’s post here, there’s no escaping the realities of health issues regardless of where we live in the world. Fortunately, here in South Africa, we have access to excellent dental and medical care, a fact we fully appreciate. This isn’t an assurance in many countries we’ve visited in the past and something to consider going forward.

Over the next few days, Tom will be recovering from the two extractions. We intended to go to Kathy and Don’s home tomorrow evening for sundowners and dinner. But based on how I am feeling and now, Tom’s recovery from his dental work, neither of us may be able to go. It isn’t very reassuring.

But, Kathy and Don will be here until the end of November, and hopefully, we’ll have plenty of time together with them and all of our friends in Marloth Park.

We dumped all of the sweet potatoes into the garden for the wildlife. They quickly got in the bag indoors, requiring us to put them in a pile outside. Within a few hours, they were gone.

Based on my being sick and Tom’s recovery from his extractions, it doesn’t look as if we’ll be too active today. I’d taken tenderloin out of the freezer and placed it in the fridge to defrost overnight. Tom won’t be able to eat steak tonight. Instead, I’ll make scrambled eggs with cheese for him, which will be easier to eat.

He’s since returned and seems to be doing well, albeit with a little bit of pain and discomfort. The dentist gave him a prescription for probiotics and mild pain killers. The antibiotics we had him taking over the past four days were exactly what they would have prescribed, suggesting he continue them for one more day.

Hopefully, in the next few days, he’ll be feeling better along with me. Weirdly, we’re both under the weather at the same time, but we will continue to take care of one another.

Torn Ear preferred the pellets over the sweet potatoes. But, once he devoured all the pellets, he got to work on the potatoes.

May your day be pleasant and fulfilling!

Photo from one year ago today, August 3, 2020:

From a post on this date while in lockdown in Mumbai, India, on day #133. Our photo, as we drove into the city of Paris. It was an experience in itself. For more photos, please click here.

It’s not always easy…But, that’s how life is, regardless of where we live…Hornbills are back!!!…

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This hornbill is contemplating eating seeds we placed on the railing.

If we lived in a retirement community in the US, we’d be no more exempt from day-to-day issues, illnesses, and challenges than we are now. In essence, it all boils down to the adage, “You can run, but you can’t hide.” This is especially true in today’s world, now more than ever.

This darned pandemic is rampant in most countries throughout the world.  If a person tried to escape it entirely, they’d be kidding themselves if they thought those countries with low case levels were any safer than anywhere else in the world. Many more obscure countries aren’t reporting cases of Covid-19 or don’t have the medical infrastructure to do so.

Hornbill is eating Frank’s seeds.

Sure, at this site, Worldometer, out of 220 countries, there are a handful of countries with no deaths recorded, based on a small population. But there isn’t one country of the 220 countries listed with no cases of the virus whatsoever. If such a haven of health existed, no doubt, a particular faction might choose an extended stay for their long-term safety.

As Covid-19’s Delta strain cases continue to ravage many countries, we look at the stats in South Africa, and comparatively, if, at all accurate, we are safer here than we were in the US during our four-week visit. As we’ve read more and more about the fully vaccinated becoming infected anyway, we now wonder how careful all of us must be going forward. There’s no clear and concise answer to these questions. Opinions are all over the place.

One aspect we feel confident may be reasonably accurate: if one were to contract the virus after being vaccinated, it may, and I emphasize, “may” be a milder case. I suspect that boosters will soon be required for better protection regardless of the brand of vaccine one received. If a booster is required for future travel and our safety, we will opt-in.

Hornbill in a tree.

While here in South Africa in 2018, we went to Dr. Theo for boosters for vaccines we had before leaving the US in 2012. I don’t suppose, in our minds, getting a Covid booster will be much different, providing it is readily available to us. We never received a text for an appointment from South Africa’s vaccine registration app after we’d applied within days of the app’s availability.

We’re assuming; since we’re foreigners, we’d never be included. This may be the case when and if a booster is available in the province of Mpumalanga. The controversy surrounding the vaccine is as rampant here as it is in the US and other countries. We choose not to judge anyone for their choices. We all have the right to make our own decisions.

Amid all this madness, life continues, albeit in a less familiar manner to most of us. I don’t believe most of us take the impact of this virus in our stride. It’s changed everything. Only about 18 months ago, life as we knew it is becoming a distant memory as we all struggle to accept mask-wearing and social distancing.

Hornbill at the bushbaby house.

Life goes on. Sickness and illness continue in other ways besides Covid-19. We get flu, viruses, coughs, and colds. Tom is now recovering from a cold he got weeks ago. Over the weekend, I developed a bad sore throat which is now on the downswing; no cough, no fever, no loss of taste. I’m just feeling a little tired with a sore throat that is gradually improving hour by hour.

I attribute the tiredness to the severe lack of sleep we experienced for a week. That is also improving with a considerable amount of sleep each of the past three nights. Tomorrow, Tom has a dentist appointment in Malalane since he’s had a bad toothache for several days.

It’s good that we have access to excellent medical care within a half-hour drive of Marloth Park. It provides us with tremendous peace of mind. In many countries we’ve visited over the years, we didn’t feel confident about medical care. We will strive to be conveniently located to quality medical care in the future, especially as we age.

Another hornbill took a turn at the seeds on the railing.

We still haven’t seen Tiny, but his look-alike, whom we call “The Imposter,” has become quite a regular. “The Misses” is back to visit us, along with Frank,  as well as many other regulars. Since our return one week ago, we hadn’t seen as many warthogs as before we left. However, it’s been wonderful to see Little and his new family a few times each day. Hopefully, in time, Tiny and his friends will return.

In the interim, it was fun seeing our favorite hornbills once again, pecking at the windows while chirping at us for seeds. We’ve been happy to comply, as shown in today’s photos.

Hopefully, today, Leonora will return from the airport with our missing bag.

Have a pleasant Monday!

Photo from one year ago today, August 2, 2020:

This one-year photo is from the post while in lockdown in Mumbai, India, on day #132. Tom is as content as he could be while in Costa Rica at La Perla de Atenas. 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.

Part 2…Our year in review…Photos of us…Busy preparing new itinerary, ready for tomorrow’s post…

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In July, we had a great evening at The Elephant Bar in Henderson, Nevada, with friends that live in Las Vegas.

New Year’s Day proved to be another good holiday. We stayed busy posting until later than usual and then spent the rest of the afternoon making future travel plans.

Why do we plan so far ahead? Our lifestyle gives us tremendous piece-of-mind knowing what’s coming down the road. Also, it gives us an opportunity for good prices for upcoming venues.

Tom standing next to the Giant Bamboo tree to gain a perspective of its massive size. The vegetation at Zoo Ave in Costa Rica was almost as interesting as the wildlife.

Although we’ll post the itinerary tomorrow, we’ve yet to book all of the vacation homes for the upcoming visits to various countries, but the cruises are already booked. Over the next few months, once we’re in Africa, we start booking vacation/holiday homes in these various locations.

As we’ve mentioned in the past, cruises are a driving force in our decisions to visit certain countries, although as shown, we don’t hesitate to fly when necessary.

I used repellent while at Zoo Ave in Costa Rica but still got a few mosquito bites.

Planning is a daunting task, and today, we’ll continue with the preparations for tomorrow’s post. We’re happy we’d committed to posting the itinerary. It motivated us to “get the show on the road” and finally decide for the future.  

By no means, our failure to get this done wasn’t due to any lack of enthusiasm on our part. Instead, it was based on the simple fact that we’ve been rather busy this past month with the cruise and socializing. 

We set up the tripod to take this photo of us in Costa Rica on October 31, 2017, the fifth anniversary of our world travels.

All along, we have intended to post a new itinerary around the first of the new year. We’ll have this accomplished by tomorrow as we joyfully share it with all of our worldwide readers.

As for yesterday, New Year’s night, we ate the remainder of the food purchases we’d made for sharing with Margaret and Con. By 7:30 pm, once again, we gathered in a big booth in the Prodeo Hotel’s dining room with food which included roasted chickens, coleslaw salad which I made in our room, olives, cheese, meat, and nuts.  It was another fine evening.

On formal night aboard Celebrity Infinity only weeks ago. My teeth were purple from the glass of red wine I’d just finished.

By 11:00 pm, we were sleeping, and although intermittently, I feel hangover-free and refreshed today, ready to tackle a new day in Buenos Aires. In a short time, once we’ll upload today’s post, and we’ll head to a local barbershop for Tom’s haircut, which opens after 12:00 pm.

He hasn’t had a haircut since October. He’s facing “hat hair” on the upcoming Antarctica cruise when we’ll both be wearing hats for several hours each day. This is less of an issue for me when a few swipes with the flat iron and I’m back to normal. 

We were with our wonderful new friends, Lisa and Barry, whom we hope to see in June in South Africa.

But for him, his hair tends to be spikey when either too short or too long. He’s thumbing through past posts right now to see how short he wants it cut today. We’ll post photos soon.

Tonight, we’ll walk to Serrano Plaza, our favorite area for dinner. There are many restaurants we’ve yet to try.  After eating in these past few nights, we’re looking forward to getting out again. Now that the holiday season is over, we expect to find more dining options.

On the ship’s deck as we sailed through the Chilean Fiords on the most recent cruise.

May your new year begin and end with considerable contentment and joy in all of your endeavors, whatever they may be. Happy day to all 

Photo from one year ago today, January 2, 2017:

Green/spring onions were being processed for wholesale distribution at a Penguin, Tasmania vegetable processing farm. For more details, please click here.

Tom’s haircut in Penguin…A visit to yesteryear in a historical barber shop…

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Linda, the barbershop owner and sole employee and Tom, before his haircut.

Tom hadn’t had a haircut since August while we were in Phuket, Thailand over four months ago. His hair was unruly and difficult to manage. It was time for another buzz cut.

The front entrance to Zvoni’s Barber Shop, owned by Terry’s sister Linda.

Of course, we decided to visit the shop in downtown Penguin owned by friend/landlord Terry’s sister Linda, who’d purchased the historical shop eleven years ago from the former owner Zvoni, who’d owned it for 40 years.

Although the shop was filled with supplies and memorabilia, it was spotlessly clean, well prepared for men’s, women’s and children’s haircuts.

Not surprisingly, the shop was filled with memorabilia each with a story, most of which Linda was well acquainted over her years of ownership as the sole proprietor and employee. 

Postcards, letters and articles received over the years.

If Linda’s out, the shop is closed which is seldom. Other than Sunday’s and holidays, Linda is always on hand to tend to the haircutting and styling needs of local residents and visitors.

The shop has uses two antique barber chairs, over 80 years old, made in America.

Its ironic how each barber shop we’ve visited throughout the world, whether a traditional shop in Singapore as in this post or a haircut outside under a tree, long ago in Belize as shown in this post and photo below, has its own unique history and we’ve looked forward to each experience.

Tom’s haircut under a tree in Belize in March, 2013. The barber had no official shop, but had access to a electric outlet in a nearby building. For the rest of this story, please click here.
Each barber shop or salon has had its own story to tell as did Linda’s which proved to be interesting enough to be included in a Time Magazine article about Australia’s hidden treasures, presented about 10 years ago during a publication highlighting Australia.
Linda has several glass enclosed displays of various antique barber tools and equipment.

We can only imagine how excited Linda must have been to have a story about her and her shop published in this well known magazine and what a boon for business and tourism in this quaint town of Penguin.

The Time Magazine issue about Australia included the story as shown below, of Linda’s barber shop, Zvonie (named after the former owner).
Time Magazine’s article about Linda and the barbershop published approximately 10 years ago. 

I wish we’d had more time to talk to Linda but business comes first. She had another customer waiting for his haircut. Beside the excellent haircut, we both reveled in the simplicity of the experience which was rich in its 80 year history and originality, offered by diligent owners both in the past and today, with Linda in charge.

When Linda directed me to this photo, I gasped to see her with Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip asking how she managed to get this photo. I got suckered! This photo was taken at the London wax museum!

If you plan to visit Penguin or its surrounding towns, waiting to get a haircut until you arrive in Penguin will add one more memorable event to your experience at this special little shop, owned, managed and run by one more special individual we’ve been fortunate to meet in Penguin, Linda Murphy.

Tom, with a new buzz cut.
Soon, we’re off and about for an exciting adventure. We’ll be back tomorrow with photos and details.  Have a beautiful day!

Photo from one year ago today, January 5, 2016:

One year ago, we stayed at a hotel across the street from the pier where our ship awaited us. It was raining hard and we decided to take a taxi rather than haul our bags in the rain. For two other cruises later in the year, Tom hauled the bags to the pier and we simply walked across the street and down these steps to check in. For more details, please click here.