D'oh!

Uhhmmm good thing I changed out of my winter tires this weekend... yeah... awesome.

I'm 3. iPhone Auntie Sam!

Hahaha my friend's kid just called me on facetime, it's a good thing I have call display because it came up as a black screen.

Little voice: "Hello?"
I soon realized that I was talking to the little voice unsupervised and asked where his mommy was...
Little voice: "kitchen"

In the background I hear his Mom from the kitchen: "Hey buddy, who are you talking to?"

Little voice:"No!"

He showed me his paintings... and the fresh snow outside... and his little piggy toes (which got a giggle when I called them that)... and the new curtains in the livingroom, up close and personal I might add ;)

Sooooo awesome, that was the best Friday morning phone call EVAR!

Positive reinforcement... like chocolate

It's pretty cool when after you've decided to make some changes in your life, a close friend says:

 "Don't take this the wrong way, but you've changed since your trip... I mean, not that you were bad before or anything... you're just different now"

It's such a good feeling, to be able to smile and say thanks, understanding what they meant at a deeper level than just their words.  Just the fact that they brought it up, means they've noticed more than a little bit, and it's pretty special that they thought it was important enough to say something about it.

Moments... Moments like this should be soaked up. The way solar powered kitties collect sunshine on their belly's.

Take... me out to the ball game

So you know how I'm not playing ball this year? Well we had our first game of the season yesterday...

My first hit of the season felt pretty good, totally burned the right fielder *grins* I was feeling a little awkward playing with borrowed equipment. Like a gangly teenage boy who looks like it's first day with his new go-go gadget arms and legs.

I know, I know... not playing ball right. Lets just say it's a compromise. I'm not playing on 4 different teams in two different leagues alternating between ladies and co-ed... and I'm not playing on weekends. I drew the line this year, I want my weekends to myself.

Maybe do some camping, some biking, you know... something other than ball tournaments and partying. Sounds so grown up eh? Hah! Don't let my mature outlook fool you, I'm sure having my weekends free this year will just open the floodgates for all those other crazy things I didn't have time for last year ;)

Captains Log

This is the Captain speaking:

Just to let you know, I'm fine, blasting along under headsail only.  I have the vane steering working and it seems ok.  Took a bit to work up the energy to try it.  The boat is doing well, so far doing 120 nm/day or better, which is better than I expected.  Lots of motion but it's pretty comfortable.

Did a dumb thing yesterday.  I put the companionway hatch cover in the cockpit since I didn't expect to leave it out of the door long. A wave hit, I lost balance and the cover fell to the deck, just ahead of my foot.  Crack.  It's shot.  I patched it with some plywood and it'll hang toghether until I can replace it.

The sea color is quite incredible.  Vibrant blue green when the sun is out, the water clarity is phenomenal.  When the sun is not out, it's an ominous grey green.  Saw a couple of shearwaters today, the first life for a couple of days though there were a lot of dolphins fairly close inshore.  Winds have been up and down,

Anyway, got to go a get ready for the net.  BTW, the radio is working great.  Talked to a guy in Courtenay last night as part of the net, as well as Arizona, Utah, northern Washington, Hawaii, and New Zealand.

Excerpt from an email to Mom:
Not much I can add - I'm not squirrely yet. Pass my best on to the kids.

Look out black belt, here I come

Even if they actually give this to everybody... I'm tickled pink! I'll admit it, my ego appreciates it. Besides deep deep down I know it would be sooooo cool to learn bo staff! I think nun-chucks might not be such a good idea for me, I'd be like the kid that's whipping it around and looking super pro till he knocks himself out.

I'm already a hazard in action, luckily for the general public its usually confined to my person. Can you imagine the chaos that could ensue if I were armed?!?!

Situation, about normal

In order to maintain the authenticity the following statement shall be presented in its unedited form. While reading it, imagine trying to type using a moving keyboard with your eyes closed while the room spins... I'd say he's doing pretty well actually!

From the Captain

Going well - wind is 15+ knots which is high enough to be interesting. Boat handles it well. It's been qn intersting day in that I discovered that the valve at the head discharge broke when I tried to open it switchng from holding tank to overboard the other day. Anyway, made a mess diagnosing the problem but there's nothing to be done about it until I get some where I can haul or beach - probably the latter. When I get closer I'll send yuo a list of parts required. Not a big deal, I have a bucket. Got out and checking gear and found the reefing line hanging loose. The sheet for the genny chafed over it and cut it. That's an easy fix and somethng to watch for - in the interim I put in the next reef and I'm still going 5.5 to 7 knots, so it seems that 2 reefs are probably what I should be running anyway.

That's about it - rocking and rolling on a beam reach with seas of 2 m. Saw false dawn this morinng = something I've heard about but never quite understood. About 2 hours before dawn the eastern sky got a bright orange bar like the sin was rising for a few minutes and the it disappeared. The water is neat - very clean and an icy looking blue green. Hard to describe.

I'm fine, tummy is fine. On course and generally averaging better than expected speed, whch if this holds should be on schedule or a day early but way to early to tell. The planner figured 24 days at 5 k average speed - which I thought was a bit much. Seems ok just now.

Please don't have to sneeze... please?

I'm not sure who's bright idea it was to have a ball practice *before* wallyball playoffs because man am I stiff today... The first time swinging a bat since last season, and I should know better, I really should. There's really no excuse, this happens every year... I just don't have a 'warm up' swing... I start the season swinging for the fence.

It hurts to sneeze, it hurts to laugh... it hurts to shiver! My entire core and supporting muscles are all writing strongly worded letters to my governing committee questioning my sanity. But sitting here in my padded office chair I feel alive. Damage reports have all come back with negligible problems, nothing preventing the jump to light speed. It's just a not so gentle reminder that I did something this weekend, and I'm proud to say I earned every single one of those stiff muscles.

And he's off!

Captain's log:

It's cold out there so I spent most of the day in the boat. I'm settling into a routine of sorts. Checking into the radio net is a long and painful exercise. It'll be an hour listening after the initial check in, waiting for my slot to report...

Anyway, making good speed if not altogether comfortable.

Editors Note: This report was edited for readability, nothing that would compromise the intent of the message was changed. (Besides, I know how hard it is to type while the boat is moving)

It takes awhile to load but you can see position reports via winlink again yipee!!! Way to go Dad :)

White and nerdy

You have gotta be kidding

It's the beginning of April this is so not acceptable!

Why programmers shouldn't have phones

So I'm checking my annual phone message at work. It's not entirely forbidden but it's not exactly encouraged that I talk to customers... I'm a programmer and therefor socially challenged, or otherwise lacking in terms of customer service etiquette ;)

Anyways that's not the funny part. The funny part is that while I'm listening to my voicemail options drone on in the pre-recorded voice...

Press 1 to review your messages (no, actually I just called to see what you were up to this evening)... *rolls eyes*
Press 2 to randomly forward this message to someone else to deal with...
Press 3 to...

*attention span of a goldfish*

Press 77 to... *thinking* Damn, I must have missed the option I wanted... and when did we get all the way up to 77?

"To hang up, press the pound key"... waitaminutewhat!?! I have to press a button to hang up and *then* hang up? Hah! Yeah well I'm such a rebel I'm just going to hang up! How do you like that! You don't? Well, I'd like to know what exactly you are going to do about it!?!?

So there.

From the Captain

Sitting quietly at the San Diego Police Dock listening to cellophane crackling like fire under the boat. It's the constant noise of the pistol shrimp. Came into San Diego here, and somehow it's appropriate that this is where I spend the last night before heading off.

The last nearly two weeks have been "busy and wait". Arrived and got the transmission, and I was slow and didn't get it installed the next day. In the course of installation, I found a shaft bearing also gone so I hauled off the parts to the experts, and they ordered new bearings.

The weekend interfered, then the parts didn't arrive, then we found they were wrong. Finally got the parts and the assembly is put together and another weekend arrives. I'm working around and find another issue - so I deliver that to get addressed. No mechanic. Monday we have mechanic and parts - and he get's into and discovers a broken bracket and engine mount. In addition, he has disparaging things to say about the installation and some changes that really should be required.

That day is shot.

Fortunately, the mounts are stock and the bracket can be welded and beefed up. The next day, he and I work all day to install the engine mounts, lift the (250 Kg) engine up to do this, skid it back on the stringers to provide an extra 25 mm for a plastic disc to provide some vibration isolation and some flexibility, put it all together, do the line up and test it. Long, hard day - but it's done except for cutting off the excess end of the shaft so I can button up the engine compartment.

I check out of the marina, clean things up and get in a sweat to get going. Why am I getting stressed out and anxious? Is this why I went cruising? I only really need to get to the boatyard dock around 9 in the morning - so, I take a breath and stop. I'm staying the night and leaving in the morning fairly early.

Have a beer with John on Prudence and just chat - cruising, why we have boats, about happiness and people who work at making a lot of money but can't take the time to holiday and aren't at all happy. Stress, and the ills of western social structures, especially in the US. We covered health care, education, the military and the national budget. Much more sensible than rushing off.

Got away in the morning and got up to the yard. While they dealt with the shaft I headed out walking and on public transit to deal with Customs and Border Protection - I had to sign off my cruising permit and "clear". Three and a half hours of public transport and walking for perhaps 10 minutes in the office and one piece of paper - there really has to be a better way.

Back at the boat, motored around to top up with propane. It's now mid afternoon and the weather is squally and overcast. Good call to deal with the propane - that bottle was nearly empty.

Decided I wasn't really happy about leaving - partly it's hit me the magnitude of the undertaking and I'm intimidated with that.

I've been here before though, with work as much as anything when I've bitten off a project that seems to be beyond me. Always got through, and did some of my best work "on the edge". Indeed, I seem to have made a specialty of being out there - and this isn't that different.

Anyway, decided to stay another night so that I would have a full day of daylight to get off the coast and out of the bulk of the coastal traffic. Stayed at the police dock and that brings me back to where I started peacefully listening to the shrimp. Calm, quite, comfortable. Warm and well fed.

This is why I'm here and why I'm going cruising.

So, managed the 4 km hike to Starbucks for a coffee - and more importantly a decent internet connection from which I phoned home, and also updated my Airmail software. Home again, suppered and done for the day.

Tomorrow early, I really am away.

G'nite

Women are Angels

And when someone breaks our wings, we simply continue to fly... on a broomstick.
We are flexible like that.

This is my back yard

Solving all the world's problems in a weekend

The foods we have eaten this weekend have bordered on indecent... I should be going to church to repent the impure thoughts I've been having.

The divine smells emanating from the marinating steaks in the fridge, the chocolate chip cookies in the oven... the tastes and textures of the infamous newly invented potato salad as each bite has a party in your mouth and then tells you to invite it's friends.

The feeling of being full, but having just enough room for one more bite... Planning each meal down to the intimate details far in advance of actually having to prepare it...

Mmmmmm noms *dreamy smile*

I mean really if the entire world started their morning the way we did this morning, there would be no war. Everyone would be snuggled up with a smile on their face napping!

I'm not going to lie, I've run out of wonderful words to describe the fantastically fabulous food we've had this weekend.

BIKING!

So I know this is way behind schedule... but I've been busy busy this week with Tae Kwon Do!

Anyways we got our poop in a group last Sunday, and as we were juggling our bikes and associated stuff out to the truck... I stop. Realizing that there is suspiciously light fluffly looking white stuff falling from the sky.

Yeah, that's right. It's snowing. I look at my roommate and go "Really?" He just kind of shrugged with half a goofy grin on his face with a "Why not?". Alrighty then, here we go! I was pleasantly surprised to find that we weren't the only ones crazy enough to go out riding in "this kind of weather"

This is about where Nate shucked his pants deciding he was hot enough to ride in shorts. He's not from around here ;)

It was awesome! We had a great ride, ditching our bikes for a bit once we past the point I had ridden with other people and hiked it to see where the trail went. Promptly after retrieving our bikes I got my first bail of the season out of the way... in particular it highlight every facet of my ever present grace.

Okay I'm totally lying.  Nate had slowed down to navigate a switchback that didn't have a nice berm to ride around... and I slowed down and stopped dangerously close to the edge of the trail behind him, which would have been fine except that the nimrods in charge of my balance decided we should dismount on the lack of trail side.

Luckily I wasn't clipped in or we would have had a repeat of the Kemper incident. I managed to throw myself up and over my bike more or less without tripping over it. Only to land and promptly stumble across the trail and land sprawled out on the opposite side.  Mom I'm pretty sure you meant for my middle name to be Grace didn't you?

It was so much fun, the trail down had flow, and we saw a gaggle of 7 wild turkeys! They scurried up over the hill away from us much like a stampeding herd of buffalo... it was soooo cool. The air rushing past my helmet, the sound of my bike tread chewing up the trail and spitting it back out again... breaking through the surrounding silence of snow falling in the forest.


We finished the day off with a hot chocolate from Tim Hortons *grins* I totally deserved it, and I would like to declare this bike season officially open!

I like big trucks :)

Okay so you heard about the shenanagins last week with my roommate and his truck, and the subsequent musical cars... well Saturday I helped him install the new starter, and by helped I mean he did most of the work and then I held it in flush while he did the bolts up.

After that though he let me drive it around town *huge grin* It's an old Toyota 4Runner, with a turbo, modified air intake... and with my limited understanding of trucks and kits I finally asked what he hadn't modified on it. I can't tell you what they were but you can count them on one hand. I have to say, his truck is A LOT of fun to drive!

Ended up in the tulies on every side of town, and showed him where a bunch of bike trails started... it was awesome!

We agreed that we should go biking the next day...

Thought for yesterday

If I could teach you to look at yourself through others eyes, and see your own potential I would. Its amazing what you can do when someone believes in you, but the possibilities are endless when you believe in yourself.

Hai!

 

*happy dance* I passed my belt test!!!

I still don't know what order the belts go in... but I'm a half yellow belt *grins* and I know that the next one is a full yellow belt!