What’s next, bongs on Holland America?

I have to admit, I am a “traditionalist” when it comes to Holland America ship design.  I’ve adjusted, however, since all of the “newbuilds” have more of a Joe Farcusy (He’s Carnival’s ship designer, although as far as I know has nothing specifically to do with Holland America’s design team) look and feel, and the traditional Dutch, nautical themes are pretty much relegated to one or two areas.  Now along comes to new EURODAM destined to be christened in a few weeks.  It has a distinctly “modern” and contemporary European look and feel which, from what I’ve seen on the Eurodam blog, I like!  But one little area in particular caught my interest . . .

“The Silk Room” with it’s display of opium pipes.  Opium pipes!  On Holland America? 

What’s next?  Will the next ship have a wall of bongs?  (In case there is anyone in the world who doesn’t know, or hasn’t been given the “facts of life” talk by their grand children, bongs are used for smoking pot.)

Is this the future of Holland America?

 

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Fort Gulick?

I have been reading your blog – very interesting! I was in Panama from 1984-1987 as my ex husband was in the Army and he was stationed at Fort Gulick and then Fort Davis. I’m wondering if you can tell me if I took a cruise that stopped at Colon if I would be able to get on the bases at all? I have two grown children, one that was born in Panama City and it would be great fun to bring them back there! My oldest son was 4 when we left and has no memory of Panama. Of course, my daughter being born there is very interested in returning. Or would it be better to stay on Fort Gulick – I thought I read that they had a hotel on what was the base? Maybe do a land vacation? I’d really appreciate your help. It’s been a long time since I was there and I’m afraid I didn’t pay as close attention to the country as I wish I had. I was very young…..Is that a good enough excuse? If not, I was young and homesick! Thanks for your help.
Jennifer

Jennifer, You might think about doing both, a cruise and a land package. Royal Caribbean has a ship homeporting in Colon starting this fall, so you could do a cruise and see some of Panama either before or after your cruise. The Old School of The Americas at what was once Fort Gulik has been transformed into the Meliá Panamá Canal hotel and is about 10 minutes from the dock in Colon, depending on traffic.

There was an intersting article about Fort Davis a few years ago in The Panama News, and one last year with some pictures of the current state of the area which you might find interesting.  Much of the property which the US ceded back to Panama has not yet been developed.

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More ideas for Monkey

Hmmm….

Problem “child” huh?

Other options come to mind. I’m not an animal behaviorist but you know my background. These options include:
1. Use of a well secured pet “Elizabethan” collar with the dead chicken.
2. Crating the K9 in a small enough crate (for brief periods with the aforementioned dead chicken around the neck) so the dog is unable to turn around, use the legs to scrap the chicken off, etc.
3. Spraying the deceased chicken with either “bitter apple” pet spray or some tabasco sauce just in case he/she is able to get the bird off his/her neck.
4. Low volt pet shock collar to use when walking the K9 and it starts to chase poulrty you can give a little ‘zap’, aka, wake-up call.
5. Professional training / sessions with an animal behavior specialist.
6. Setting up a separate savings account to help pay for the dead chickens in the future.

Hope this helps.

Bon Voyage, Good Health & Good Luck!
Bob & Judy (Prescott)

I have been thinking about a shrink: one for me and one for Monkey. 

And instead of Number 6 above, I think I will consider a “Chicken Endowment”!  Another one bites the dust yesterday.  The problem is everyone lets their “valuable” chickens run wild and into my farm.  If they are so valuable, why not keep them at home?  Monkey sees a chicken in our future yard and bam!  And a coffee farm has a coffee tree every 3 feet, so there is lots of cover . . . she’s like a chickaholic.  I wonder if there is a 12 step program for chickaholics? 

 “Hello, I’m Monkey . . . and I’m a chickaholic.”

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OK, Progress Report . . .

The only way I can get my wife, who is in Seattle with our spectacular grandchild, to read this diatribe.

Instead of only four workmen yesterday we had six . . . and we need about twenty!  The new “assistant painter” did virtually nothing all day.  The granite guys didn’t show up to measure as promised.  You might think, “It’s Panama”, but they are German.  The well guy tells me there is still hope.  We’re moving at a snail’s pace . . . Monkey got another chicken . . . and the 17-year-old son of my farm worker is still unable to keep any food down after 5 weeks and is wasting away to nothing.  The local public health clinic gave him a bunch of stuff, without any examination, and that hasn’t worked.  He’s been the “evil spirit route” and that didn’t work.  And the local Gnobe Bugle woman who is the expert at herbal medicine has prescribe a tea made of boiled coleus leaves, and that hasn’t worked, so I’ve put my foot down and today at 6AM we’re going to the Boquete Social Security Clinic to be near the head of the line for a second opinion.  

Other than all that . . . life is good!

Today’s updates . . .

We could save a lot of time if we could get things right the first time . . . and not waste time pulling it out and redoing it.

 

This is a colorful house – when did Carnival’s Joe Farcus join our team?  When its all done it will come together – I hope.

 

The library/music room will be a Chinese red with an African theme (just wait, hopefully it will look better than it sounds) and these are our computer desks which will get a green marble top.

 Although the contractor is supposed to install the cabinets, when I saw them cutting out a hole for the electrical outlets in the back of the cabinets with nothing but a chisel . . . I’ve installed three kitchens, so I figured I knew more than they did and can work more quickly.  And I have what are considered “basic tools” in the US – a hammer, screwdrivers, Skill saw, power drill, yada yada. 

The pantry . . .

And last, looking from the kitchen through the dining room into the living room . . .