Covid19 Spare time

Donstar · June 10, 2023

On 6/7/2023 at 7:42 AM, KARNUT said:

I’ve been on over 20 cruises. The Alaska cruise was the best. I refuse to fly anymore or I’d go on many more. Don’t be fooled probably the virus is easy to fool to get onboard. Make good use of the hand sanitizer around the ship. Be careful of the buffet. That’s usually where the trouble lies. All our cruises were fun as long as you’re prepared for the boarding process. And the final debarking. Eventually we learned not to overpack and took our luggage off with us. Streamlining that process. Have fun.

Great tips, thank you. We are trying to do as much in advance of boarding as we can to streamline the process. Packing light is proving to be a challenge but we still have a couple of weeks to reduce what "we" want to take to what we need to take. When you believe that you'll need everything from formal dinner attire to glacier climbing warm clothing to poolside lounge wear it is hard to pack into a carry on bag!

Donstar · June 15, 2023

I totally respect dressing appropriately for dinner but I'm not a fan of packing formal wear for a holiday cruise! My wife feels pressure to pack formal items and I need to support her by doing the same however my "formal" attire went during my covid/retirement cleanup. I am reading some conflicting comments on cruise line requirements on formal nights. I bet new black jeans and a dress shirt. won't get me kicked out of the dinning room or embarrass my wife. Or, do I need to go shopping?

KARNUT · June 15, 2023

17 minutes ago, Donstar said:

I totally respect dressing appropriately for dinner but I'm not a fan of packing formal wear for a holiday cruise! My wife feels pressure to pack formal items and I need to support her by doing the same however my "formal" attire went during my covid/retirement cleanup. I am reading some conflicting comments on cruise line requirements on formal nights. I bet new black jeans and a dress shirt. won't get me kicked out of the dinning room or embarrass my wife. Or, do I need to go shopping?

We eventually scaled it back. Dark pants and a nice golf shirt for formal. I only take one pair of pants and a couple shorts. Four golf shirts. But I carry off my luggage. Undies and socks for daily change. My cruising there was a private garage across the street I booked so there wasn’t any waiting. The price was the same as their parking. There are services that handle everything for you if you desire especially if you fly in. For a charge of course.

Donstar · June 18, 2023

On 6/15/2023 at 7:38 AM, KARNUT said:

We eventually scaled it back. Dark pants and a nice golf shirt for formal. I only take one pair of pants and a couple shorts. Four golf shirts. But I carry off my luggage. Undies and socks for daily change. My cruising there was a private garage across the street I booked so there wasn’t any waiting. The price was the same as their parking. There are services that handle everything for you if you desire especially if you fly in. For a charge of course.

Thanks again, Karnut!

Donstar · June 28, 2023

Spare time is something I have to make for myself. Events out of my control (such as Covid) free up time temporarily but the void is quickly filled. Some physical limitations now are reducing the activities from my day but the time saved goes to doable tasks that now take longer to complete! I watched a YouTube last night where a retired guy was talking about side hustles to generate extra retirement income. I don't know what I could give up or what I'd need with the extra money if I added a part-time job to my day. I certainly know how to spend the money but is it worth the time lost? We're planning for a cruise happening in a little over a week and organizing for the time away from my current retirement routines is a lot of work!! However, I appreciate how fortunate I am with my struggle to find "spare time". I know (and have known) those who lack the ability to enjoy self directed time and that is sad to watch.

Edited June 28, 2023 by Donstar

KARNUT · June 28, 2023

34 minutes ago, Donstar said:

Spare time is something I have to make for myself. Events out of my control (such as Covid) free up time temporarily but the void is quickly filled. Some physical limitations now are reducing the activities from my day but the time saved goes to doable tasks that now take longer to complete! I watched a YouTube last night where a retired guy was talking about side hustles to generate extra retirement income. I don't know what I could give up or what I'd need with the extra money if I added a part-time job to my day. I certainly know how to spend the money but is it worth the time lost? We're planning for a cruise happening in a little over a week and organizing for the time away from my current retirement routines is a lot of work!! However, I appreciate how fortunate I am with my struggle to find "spare time". I know (and have known) those who lack the ability to enjoy self directed time and that is sad to watch.

I did Uber when I first retired. I like to drive and love the idea of getting paid to do it. I quickly realized I lived in a bubble most of my life. In reality most people do. I got an education. I didn’t like it. So I finally got my fill in about a year. Extra money by working after retirement only would have afforded me to buy an exotic vehicle. Everything else is well taken care of. I love an open schedule. By the way I just read the GM electric work truck isn’t going to be cheap, sorry.

Grumpy Bear · June 28, 2023

1 hour ago, KARNUT said:

I quickly realized I lived in a bubble most of my life. In reality most people do. I got an education. I didn’t like it.

AMEN.

Donstar · June 28, 2023

I know the electric vehicles are pricy. My brother now has several months and miles on his F150 Lightening and has found the pros far outweigh the cons. I think a Maverick Lightening would be perfect for my "current" needs. However, I do have a $100 deposit on a Silverado WT EV so the balance should be affordable!

KARNUT · June 28, 2023

31 minutes ago, Donstar said:

I know the electric vehicles are pricy. My brother now has several months and miles on his F150 Lightening and has found the pros far outweigh the cons. I think a Maverick Lightening would be perfect for my "current" needs. However, I do have a $100 deposit on a Silverado WT EV so the balance should be affordable!

According to car and driver 79K for the work truck.

Grumpy Bear · June 28, 2023

3 hours ago, Donstar said:

I know the electric vehicles are pricy. My brother now has several months and miles on his F150 Lightening and has found the pros far outweigh the cons. I think a Maverick Lightening would be perfect for my "current" needs. However, I do have a $100 deposit on a Silverado WT EV so the balance should be affordable!

When does this stop?

The, "I'm paying double and happy I can"; part? :nonod:

Donstar · July 4, 2023

"Flexible work environment" is now a popular feature in job postings. Pre-covid this was rare. Many jobs have a significant amount of screen time required and productivity can actually be increased when the dynamics of "going to work" is taken out of the daily routine. There are many pros and cons and I am past the need to worry about my place of work. I did come across a potential downside when online to a "virtual agent" yesterday. We are going on an Alaskan cruise next week and I mentioned this as part of the reason for my need for his assistance. At the end of our 20 minute online exchange, he wished me a good trip and added some humor by telling me to keep my eyes open for the missing submarine...

Donstar · July 6, 2023

YouTube has continued to be my spare "spare-time" place. I rarely subscribe to a show but the gremlins inside of my TV like to suggest items for my viewing pleasure. My recent interest in Cruise ships and the Titan sub render me my fill of maritime disasters. Of course the Titanic is a story we all know. The fascinating part is how relatable the Titanic is to the "modern" cruise ship. The list of refinements in modern cruise ships is huge but the basics are eerily similar! The part of the Titanic era that is no different today is peoples' faith in period respective modern advancements.

KARNUT · July 6, 2023

1 hour ago, Donstar said:

YouTube has continued to be my spare "spare-time" place. I rarely subscribe to a show but the gremlins inside of my TV like to suggest items for my viewing pleasure. My recent interest in Cruise ships and the Titan sub render me my fill of maritime disasters. Of course the Titanic is a story we all know. The fascinating part is how relatable the Titanic is to the "modern" cruise ship. The list of refinements in modern cruise ships is huge but the basics are eerily similar! The part of the Titanic era that is no different today is peoples' faith in period respective modern advancements.

I’ve been on lots of cruises. The two main reasons are they’re cheap. We always got inside cabins. The other is I did lots of driving for my business. So unpacking once and being on the move to different locations was fun. After a few cruises while docked when the ship was empty we explore the ship. We seen all the tourists traps. Once settled on one cruise line you get frequent cruise perks and priority boarding and debarking. We haven’t cruised in awhile. Our next one will be free, we have standing offers. We’ve never have experienced a bad one, rough seas only once. We’d usually cruise the week after thanksgiving, less kids. The dining is one of the best parts. We hardly ever did the buffet. We were never hungry. The Alaska cruise was our favorite. The cruise that included the keys was second. After a few cruises out of Florida. We did most out of Galveston a short drive for us.

Donstar · July 17, 2023

We're back from our first cruise and glad for the experience. I don't know if there will be a second, partially for the reason Karnut suggested in another thread. The "herding cattle" analogy he gives describes the part of the experience I found the most difficult. Our cruise included three stops at Alaskan ports. All were set-up to deal with a huge influx of tourists. I am glad to say I've added these communities to my list of places I've been and have the t-shirts as proof. However, herding through frontage streets and stores specifically built for tourists on a sunny day does not give you any unique experience. We have a very close friend who was on another cruise ship that visited the same places within a few days as our ship. Her souvenir from this cruise is a case of Covid. Your chances of catching this or any other illness are definitely increased when you're in a herd! I think my wife and I returned healthy but tired. I definitely will recommend an Alaskan cruise to anyone who asks but will stress how lineups and waiting will be a significant use of your time!

diyer2 · July 17, 2023

My 2 cents.

When I was younger I had a bad tooth and had to ride a bus to the dentist office. Reminded me of a cattle car. I avoid crowds, refuse to be herded. Nothing is that important to me to deal with herding.

Standing in line for anything irks me. Same as waiting to eat, no food is worth it to me.

I believe this is due to me being raised rural small town. There were no lines, you weren't herded.

The crowds are part of it, then add the inconsiderate people and it's not worth it to me.