We’re back…A bit of this and that…

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October 6, 2013, I wrote: After a considerable wait this morning, we were able to get this shot of a young lion with his head jutting out of a culvert. The mother and babies were living in the culvert for protection. The photo was blurry since my hands were shaking with excitement over seeing this amazing situation in the Maasai Mara, Kenya. For more photos, please click here.

This morning, I booked our lunch reservation to get together with friends Linda and Ken when their ship arrives at the Port of Barcelona on October 20, two weeks from today. After diligent research, I found what appears to be a lovely restaurant, close to the port, which will require all of us to take taxis to the location.

The restaurant, El Tribut, appears to have an excellent dinner menu, and it likely offers an equally good lunch menu for our early arrival at 1:00 pm. We are all looking forward to getting together after not seeing each other for quite a few years, although we’ve stayed in close touch.

On past occasions, since they also travel extensively, we have met up with them in Australia and again in Wales, when, coincidentally, we happened to be in the same country at the same time. We met Linda and Ken at Kathy and Don’s home in 2013, when they owned a home in Marloth Park, which they’ve since sold. They’ve owned a home in England for decades and make that their base as they continue to travel the world.

It will be good for us to get out, and Tom will help me manage the scary stairs. From where I sit in the lounge room of this apartment, I have a clear view of the street below and often find myself peering out at the flurry of activity. Oddly, I don’t feel cooped up at all. In only 22 days, I’ll have an ocean to provide the feeling of freedom that comes with daily exploration.

Yesterday, while I was feeling “under the weather” (cause unknown), I’m totally better today. We did two loads of laundry, which we started at 10:00 am and didn’t dry until 5:00 pm. The washer takes two hours, but the dryer can take hours and hours of resetting to dry a small load.

They appear to be a new stackable washer and dryer. We spent two days over the past five days going through this same long process, which also included washing the sheets and pillowcases. If we had three loads, we’d have to carry them over the second day since Tom can’t hear a thing when they are running at night, when we’re attempting to stream a few shows.

Speaking of Tom’s hearing, we’re holding our breath. UPS Spain tracking published the following: ON THE WAY, SHIPMENT CLEARED CUSTOMS October 6, 2025, 2:35 am. Thank goodness, we didn’t have to deal with customs fees, which may have required us to appear in person to pay, as we have when receiving other international shipments in other countries.

We no longer send supply packages to ourselves while living in various countries. It’s not worth the expense and the hassle. However, this situation with Tom’s hearing aid charger was different.

I’m eager to have a reasonable conversation with him! He’s fairly good at reading lips, so that’s helped a bit. He’s been using his earbuds to listen to his favorite podcasts and football games. Yesterday, I was able to set up DAZN, his NFL app on the smart TV, enabling us to watch the Minnesota Vikings game on the TV monitor instead of his laptop. It seems these apartments are fairly well soundproof.

Hopefully, we haven’t been disturbing the other three tenants in this building with the volume turned up. It has also helped us use closed captions when streaming a few shows.

Today’s our last day of taco salads. Tomorrow, we’ll order takeaway through Uber Eats, which provides excellent service.

That’s it for today, dear readers.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, October 6, 2015:

Viewing spot for guests only at Tony Robbins’ Namale Resort. For more photos, please click here.

The package with the battery charger has left Las Vegas…Tentatively optimistic…Still staying in…

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Not our photos: The Sagrada Família is an iconic, still-under-construction Roman Catholic basilica in Barcelona, Spain, designed by Antoni Gaudí. It is famous for its unique architectural style, a blend of Gothic and Art Nouveau forms, filled with intricate symbolism and vibrant, tree-like structures within its interior. Funding for its construction comes from private donations and ticket sales, and it is considered the most visited landmark in Barcelona, as well as a masterpiece of Modernist architecture. We visited this site the last time we were in Barcelona (on three occasions in the past).

Last night, we received a tracking number from UPS for the shipment of the hearing aid charger from Nevada. Of course, we’re both frequently checking the tracking information on UPS. It appears that it has arrived in Spain for the clearance process. (See below).

Past Event
Label Created

United States

10/01/2025, 4:05 P.M.
Past Event
We Have Your Package

Las Vegas, NV, United States

10/01/2025, 8:55 P.M.
Current Event
On the Way

Clearance in Progress

El Prat De Llobregat, Spain

10/02/2025, 10:45 A.M.

Thus, since yesterday, October 2, it appears it’s about to enter Spain, but we can’t determine by UPS’s post if it’s actually in Spain at this time. We can only keep checking and see if it moves along. We’re concerned it may be held up by customs for several days or weeks, which we’ve experienced in the past when shipping internationally.

Clearance in process is described as follows:

“Clearance in process” for international UPS shipments indicates that the package is undergoing the necessary customs procedures to officially enter or exit a country, ensuring it complies with regulations and pays any required duties or taxes. During this stage, customs officials are checking documentation and verifying the contents of the shipment.”

We hope that regulations are less restrictive than those in South Africa, which has prompted us to stop sending packages from the US. We’ve learned our lesson there!

On another note, we still haven’t gone out. As we mentioned, we’ve been to Barcelona in the past, seeing the attractions that appealed to us, and have no interest in hiring a taxi to drive us around. With my recent Uber experience, which was a rip-off when I got a pedicure, we’re not motivated to use Uber.

Given our recent string of unfortunate experiences, we believe staying put for now is a logical decision. The treacherous staircase is a huge factor in this decision. Our dear friend Rita (and her husband, Gerhard) were at a safari resort in South Africa for a few days, and Rita fell on a step, breaking her foot.

They are now back in Marloth Park until the end of the month, when they will return Inge to Germany, as Rita is unable to stand or sit when her foot must be elevated, or go out to dinner or sit in a vehicle for game drives. Rita is very strong, fit, and one of the most sure-footed people I know. Thank goodness, Rita’s mom, Inge, is there with them, who is cooking and handling household tasks.

Yesterday, I spoke with Gerhard at length, as he described her fall and subsequent trip to Mediclinic in Nelspruit to be diagnosed and fitted with a cast. They purchased a wheelchair to get her to and from the rental car.

When we heard this story, we were all the more determined to stay put, not attempting to navigate those stairs any more than absolutely necessary. The only upcoming outings will be meeting up with our dear friends, Linda and Ken, at a restaurant near the port of Barcelona, and for another pedicure at the end of the month.

Some of our readers have written, suggesting we “bite the bullet” and get out and about, even if it’s just for dinner. We realize and appreciate that our readers would like to see some local photos. However, we must do what our guts tell us, and now that everything is working in the apartment, we are content and will be even more so when the package arrives.

This time indoors has been well spent. We’ve booked holiday homes, flights, and rental cars well into the future. We successfully completed the complicated, time-consuming, and challenging process of obtaining the ETA for Indonesia, despite its website crashing repeatedly.

We have since obtained and received ETAs for Australia and New Zealand, and checked to ensure we don’t need any additional online visas for any other countries we’ll be visiting on the upcoming 47-night cruise. Additionally, we’ve spent hours working on a means of receiving the hearing aid charger.

It’s this precious time that has enabled us to accomplish a lot. Additionally, Tom had to process his first RMD, Required Minimum Distribution, since he turned 72 this year. An RMD is described as follows:

An RMD (Required Minimum Distribution) withdrawal is the mandatory minimum amount that must be withdrawn each year from traditional IRAs and employer-sponsored retirement plans, such as 401(k)s, starting at age 73 or the year a U.S. taxpayer turns 73. Tom’s birthday is in December. These withdrawals are required by the IRS to prevent individuals from indefinitely deferring taxes on their pre-tax retirement savings, ensuring that these funds are eventually taxed as income.

Today, we’re washing and drying the bedding which takes almost all day with the slow washer and dryer. We keep having to check the dryer’s water collector to ensure it’s emptied, or the dryer quits working. We can only wash or dry one of the two sheets at a time. There isn’t another set of sheets for that bed, which would make it easier.

That’s it for today, dear readers.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, October 3, 2015:

The fishermen in Fiji sell whole fish at the local farmer’s market. Without a good fillet knife, it makes no sense for us to purchase an entire fish. For more photos, please click here.

“It’s always somethin, Jane!”…Happy groundhog day”…to those who celebrate!…

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The morning view from our condo in Placencia, Belize, in February 2013.

So, I was trying to get my start date for my Medicare Supplement, Plan G with Aflac, to March 1, when my enrollment for Medicare Part B hadn’t come through yet. As mentioned in yesterday’s post, after finally hearing from Railroad Retirement that it may take up to eight weeks to be in effect, I decided I wanted to change the supplement start date to March 1.

Why should I pay the $157 supplement when I wouldn’t have Part B in effect? It was as simple as signing a form, which the insurance agency explained I could do online, and sending it back to them by email. Easy peasy? Not so much.

First, I couldn’t open the form they sent me. It was in a format my computer didn’t recognize, nor could I convert it to an editable PDF using Adobe or any other apps I have. I went back and forth with the representative over several hours while she worked on sending it to me in an editable format—no such luck.

After about three hours of working on this, I asked the rep to investigate further with someone else in her company and devise a resolution. The end result? She explained I had to PRINT and SIGN the form and couldn’t do it all online. Her original plan was inaccurate.

With modern technology and the countless apps that allow signing legal documents online, I couldn’t believe I’d have to go to the UPS store, have them print the form for me to sign, and then…the most unthinkable…fax it to them. Who uses faxes anymore?

However, it was fun chatting with the two employees in the store. Looking out the window from their store, we could see the Hilton Lake Las Vegas, where the football team, the San Francisco 49ers, will be staying with their family members. Apparently, from what we heard, the players won’t be allowed to leave the hotel other than to go to practice at one of two locations. They will not be allowed to go to the Las Vegas Strip and casinos. Security will be extensive.

Even in South Africa, with many situations requiring documents for visa extensions and other matters, I never had to go through such hoopla to send a signed document.

It had been raining for the past two days (unusual for Las Vegas), and without a rental car, we’d have to walk in the rain (no umbrella, rarely needed in this desert climate) to the UPS store located in the Village, a decent walk from the “one flight of stairs.”

Nonetheless, we put on jackets this morning and headed down the stairs to walk to the USP store, a very nice modern facility. The UPS rep explained they’ve been having WiFI problems and informed me that their fax machine wasn’t working yesterday. I asked that rep to please try to get it going. He did. Thank goodness. Finally, this two-paragraph form with my signature was sent to Aflac. Now, I won’t have to spend $157 for February’s premium pointlessly.

I always say, “You can run, but you can’t hide.” Our nomadic lifestyle is by no means an escape from dealing with the everyday issues that pop up in most of our lives. We are certainly not exempt from dealing with such situations.

Then, this morning, our groceries were delivered but were missing the grass-fed ground beef I’d ordered. It wasn’t on the receipt, but I verified it was in my order. I needed the meat for Sunday when I planned to make Baretta mozzarella-stuffed meatballs with homemade mushroom Italian red sauce. (No pasta is included in this recipe).

I planned to make enough meatballs to last for three nights, saving some for the freezer for a future meal. Thus, I placed another order for the meat this morning but had to spend $35 to avoid paying a delivery fee. I managed to order a few more items, and by tomorrow, I’ll receive the newest order. All is good.

Stuff happens, but neither of us complains loudly, not even to each other. Regardless of how frustrating it may be, we go through the necessary processes and move on. We didn’t get too wet this morning, even though it rained the entire time on the walk.

Today is Groundhog Day. It would be fun to believe this had some significance in our lives, but from our realistic viewpoint, it does not. However, there’s humor associated with this, which most people rely upon when they hear and see attention applied to February 2 each year. Thus, if you find this a particular day, please enjoy it!

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, February 2, 2014:

The bed in the master suite in Khaya Umdani is comfortable and appointed with plush bedding. It was a fantastic few weeks staying in that beautiful house. For more photos, please click here.

Back to back cruise change day…April 13, 2013…

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Today, Saturday, we’ll be getting off the Carnival Liberty in Miami to go to UPS to drop off our luggage to be shipped to my sister in Los Angeles, pick up a box of shipped supplies including our awaiting MiFi device, and run a few errands (by cab).

The ship’s Internet service will be shut down from 6:00 am until 4:00 PM eastern time, as it prepares for the next cruise on which we are booked.

Once we return to the ship by 1:00 PM, we’ll load our Xcom Global MiFi device and will be back online in a matter of minutes.  At that point, we’ll share with you the process of taking our bags to be shipped through customs. Hopefully, this process will go seamlessly.

We’ll be in touch later today with details of our outing, including the full itinerary of our upcoming cruise beginning at 4:00 PM today.

See you soon!