Side effects may include...

vreihen: yes I keep forgetting the different usage of the term up there - My unintended provocation notwithstanding, I hope my point is made and I look forward to you posting a selfie with a different scene in the near future (for the sanity of the forum's readers, wearing sandals - definitely not thongs please)!

Don
The other term is "Chinese Safety Shoes" - If you have been to any building sites in Asia, you will understand why (bamboo scaffolding is amazing)!

Is this any better (sporting fashionable white socks to boot)?



Taken on the indoor VIP pool deck of the Norwegian Breakaway cruise ship in January, 2015. Outside the dome, there was a gale-force wind (65+ km/hr), falling snow, freezing fog (rime ice), 7 meter tall waves, and an air temperature of -7C with a wind chill of -30C.....

vreihen said:

Is this any better (sporting fashionable white socks to boot -pun intended!!)?........Taken on the indoor VIP pool deck of the Norwegian Breakaway cruise ship in January, 2015......

Click to expand...

vreihen: Yes, much better and I agree, the "hvite sokker" certainly is a classy sartorial addition. But the picture would look much better with a date-tamp somewhere in the 2nd half of 2016!!

Don
PS: My current lifetime partner (wife) chooses all my socks for me - I have given her just one over-riding instruction: never choose a pair of socks that have more personality than the wearer - I'm not sure what it says about me, but she has reported that thus far, the constraint has never been binding!!

PPS: is the lasso that I can see creeping up from the lower floor (just right-of-shot) the subtle Norwegian way of snaring said sartorially clad feet - if the guests are tardy in coming to the tables to eat? ?

DV52 said:

PPS: is the lasso that I can see creeping up from the lower floor (just right-of-shot) the subtle Norwegian way of snaring said sartorially clad feet - if the guests are tardy in coming to the tables to eat? ?

Click to expand...

The lasso is a standard pool lifeguard rescue pole, hanging over the railing so that it is ready for use. The lower floor contains a pool, and lifeguards are trained to stay away from flailing swimmers when performing rescues because they frequently get grabbed by the victim and dragged under water. The lasso part is actually a hook-shaped loop of bent aluminum tubing, strong enough to pull a buoyant victim to the side of the pool but weak enough to break away in safety should the victim try to drag the rescuer into the water.

Regarding the tables, I did not see anyone eating at them during our entire cruise. This whole part of the ship is for the private use of the handful of us (first-class) suite passengers, and includes a private bar, restaurant, the enclosed pool deck with butler/waiter service, etc. There was even a help-yourself 24/7 free Mimosa fountain if you squint at the lower right corner of the pool deck! For those not traveling like us 1%'ers, this cruise was in the middle of a winter storm in NYC. The outdoor decks/pools/walkways were all closed due to heavy surf, wind, and rime ice, and the other 99% of the passengers were all crammed together inside because half of the entertainment space on a typical cruise ship is outdoors. I was expecting a riot to break out if word spread that there was a secret indoor pool that they weren't allowed to even see.

As for being tardy for the tables, Norwegian's big selling feature is Freestyle Dining. Most cruise likes have assigned dining room tables and seating times for everyone, and force you to eat at the same time every day with the same 12 strangers. NCL's dining is basically come whenever you want, with several dining room and specialty restaurant options to choose from. The cruise staff continuously reminds people that they are on vacation, and to leave your watch in your cabin safe because it's always "whatever o'clock" on the ship.....

This side effects crap is starting to get old VERY quickly now. Since I'm still itchy/scratching from the Allegra, I asked my wife to pick up some anti-itch stuff yesterday. Guess what happened last night? No sleep, heart palpitations, and every other side effect that the Allegra gave me!



Given the failure of modern medicine, I think that I'm going to use Gus Portokalos' miracle skin cure from that Greek wedding movie...Windex.....

Another boring config-frozen day. At least the sun is out and I can see the Hudson River this time.....

Just thought that I should post an update, since this saga is still not over. I have discovered that every single antihistamine on the market is setting me off with itches, hives, and complete lack of sleep for days on end. I have an appointment with an allergy specialist in another week, to run tests and see what is triggering my reactions. When scheduling the appointment, they handed me a multi-page list of antihistamine-containing medicines and said that I couldn't take any of them for a week before the tests or it would ruin the results. Believe me, this is not a problem!

Since I haven't slept in several days, I asked my wife to visit the pharmacy yesterday to pick up some OTC sleeping pills. I specifically asked that she speak with the pharmacist, go over my current prescriptions and inability to take antihistamines, and get whatever they recommended based on those things. (I was expecting them to give her "turkey" sleeping pills.) She came home with these store brand pills that would supposedly knock out an elephant. I took the recommended dosage last night...and am still awake and alert nearly 8 hours later. Why? Because the bozos who were told that I can't take antihistamines due to the test and that they are keeping me awake at night gave her the store brand of zzzQuil...an antihistamine-based sleeping pill!!!!! Serves me right for not reading the label until I was awake for 5+ hours after taking it, and I probably won't be sleeping tonight either while I wait for that crap to wash out of my system.

If I can drive a few miles when the stores open, I'm going to another pharmacy and transferring all of my prescriptions out of the other place. They literally fsck up every week with something, and I have had enough this time.....

Have you tried some dog?



For medicinal purposes only, of course!

Uwe said:

Have you tried some dog?

Click to expand...

After seeing what it does to fuel lines, I think that I'll pass on that suggestion.

Honestly, lack of dog this morning would probably work best. Just as I was *finally* dozing off, the dog went bonkers when he heard some birds outside the window:



The (Air Force) Thunderbirds were taking off about 30 seconds apart this morning to head home after the weekend's air show, and typical of testosterone-poisoned fighter jocks they never learned how to do a noise abatement takeoff. Plus, they did a couple of circles around our house, probably forming up so they could make another pass or ten at West Point (Army, see above picture from their arrival) and rattle some more windows on their way out.....