Life on the S/V THIN LINE...

End of the Year Catch-Up

2012-01-09T12:34:00.001-05:00

Well, it's been a while since I've written a blog so, with the beginning of the new year, I thought I'd recap the last [undocumented] bit of 2011.

What hung me up, I think, was Fantasy Fest. I was all psyched-up to share our experience and a bit of the debauchery and mayhem. Fantasy Fest is the biggest event that happens around here. Originally started to boast the tourist economy during a slow part of the year, the festival has earned a reputation and a following. People come from all over to shed their inhibitions [and clothing] and party in the streets of Key West.
My problem is posting pictures of said debauchery and mayhem suitable for all who follow my blog.
But, it is MY blog...MY documentation of things that go on in MY life.
So...here goes...

Painting by Sherry Sweet T

We headed to Key West mid-afternoon on parade day the last weekend in October. We had an appointment for us both to get body-painted by artist and fellow displaced Kentuckian, Sherry Sweet Tewell. The process was nerve-wracking, but after the initial "disrobing" I had the choice to remain tense and awkward about it or stand tall and enjoy myself.

All in all we had a really good time, running into different friends in various states of attire and making new friends as well.

Jeff's turn!

Having a much needed cocktail @ Capt. Tony's

Dolphin!

We hung around Captain Tony's and did a bit of people watching prior to the parade. If you'd like a glimpse at all of the strange and unusual, just follow this link: Pics Fantasy Fest 2011

Soon the parade started and the beads started flying. I had no problem landing myself a whole cache of baubles this year!

I'll just mention that my favorite float was the Lionfish - representing the venomous species that has recently invaded our reefs and with no known predators besides man, our local divers and fisherman have declared war!
-- and then we'll move on.

The next event on our calendar was Jeff's 46th birthday. Since his birthday fell on a Tuesday, we celebrated twice. The actual day of, we joined friends at the Hurricane for a fun night of carousing and playing pool which ended with take-out pizza and a late night BUZZ! trivia session. On Saturday, we re-celebrated for his "weekend" birthday and caught a performance by one of our favorite local musicians, Howard Livingston, at the Sugarloaf KOA with friends Tabby and Tom.
A good time was had by all and we got to wear our special Howard hats!

Let's see...
Next was Thanksgiving which I enjoyed here in the balmy islands with the dog while Jeff flew to the frigid north to spend time with friends in Ohio. I had a potluck feast at the tiki hut and made yummy dressing while Jeff had a bonfire and target practice.

And that brings us to December.

Jeff and the dog lit out on the 8th to travel once again to the frigid north...this time by car. They made the long drive to Louisville in 20 hours and arrived to temps in the low 20's. But one of Jeff's favorite pastimes is creating fire and that's exactly what he did in his mama's backyard so I didn't worry too much about him being cold.

What a crew!

Meanwhile back on the boat, temperatures remained in the 70's. I had to work, so couldn't tag along on his sojourn to Kentucky...at least not yet.

He had a police academy reunion to attend on the 10th, then after that, annual doctors appointments and catching up with friends was on the agenda...not to mention the burning of copious amounts of firewood!

Love my Girls!

I kept myself busy with work, movie night, the boat parade, and a spectacular girls night complete with 6 dozen raw oysters, baked brie, and dice!

I flew in to Louisville on the 21st and Jeff picked me up at the airport. It wasn't too brisk on my arrival and that was a good thing. After arriving at the house, I never left that first day - choosing to enjoy the company and just being there. Jeff's mom, Denise made us a lovely dinner of steaks and baked potatoes and I turned in early after my full day of traveling.

Uncle Bill playing Jeff's newest guitar

Between visiting friends and relatives and the pursuit of certain foods that we don't have access to here in the keys...Skyline Chili, The Bristol's green chili wontons, Lotsa Pasta, White Castle...the time in Kentucky went by quickly.

It was Jeff's Aunt's one night, the 5th annual McDevitt Christmas party the next. Then a bit of hopping around a bit to see who we could.

Christmas fire

Christmas arrived soon enough with, as you may have guessed - a Christmas fire and a house full of people.

We had a wonderful dinner and a lot of laughs and pleasant conversation...along with generous amounts of holiday cheer!

Family Portrait

Santa was pretty good to me. I got a new Kindle, a made-just -for-me messenger bag from Timbuk2, a new red Marmot jacket, and a tamborine! Jeff raked in guitar accessories - a tuner, a slide, strings - to go with his latest guitar purchase, some fancy new pillows, and new work-out attire.

But Christmas wasn't quite over for me. On Wednesday, I traveled to my Dad's and waited for my brother and his family to arrive from North Carolina. After a long day in the car, my niece, Maddy, was the first in the door and raring to go!

We opened presents and the adults had a champagne toast, then it was time for bed.

I got to spend the entire next day with the 3-year old bundle of energy, and even though I was tricked into going to an antique mall [wth?], we had a really good family day.

Friday, I headed back to Louisville. That morning, Jeff had a minor surgical procedure removing a cyst from his wrist.
While waiting for him, I loaded the car.
Sadly, it was time for us to make the long trek back to Marathon.

After a full 20 hours in the car, we arrived home on New Year's Eve. We joined friend's Hilary and Charles on their new boat for welcome home bloody mary's and then we both needed a nap.

We weren't much on the festivities going on at the tiki that evening...just too darn tired...so we made a trip to the grocery for provisions and called it an early night.

I had just fallen asleep when the cannon fire told me it was midnight in Marathon!

So that should get everyone up to speed on Life on the S/V Exposure.

We hope everyone had a happy and safe holiday season and
Happy New Year!

My Favorite Things

2011-11-08T15:30:00.000-05:00

The Chambers Clan

This October, some of my favorite people, [Poor] Donnie and [Dammit] Janet Chambers, visited their condo in St. Petersburg - one of my favorite areas in Florida. So, we drove up to see them. With them were Donnie's brother, Butch, and his wife, Jayne. We came in towards the end of their stay and the 2 couples had already had a lot of fun on their vacation. We arrived in the middle of the night having left Marathon when I got off work.

Sunrise over Boca Ciega Bay

The next morning, we were all up bright and early to watch the sun rise over the Boca Ciega Bay and Donnie, assisted by Butch, made us all a huge breakfast with eggs, sausage, gravy, biscuits, and hash-browns.

The tiny veranda

Afterwards, we all went out on the tiny veranda to talk about what we were going to do for the day, all of us hoping it would warm up a bit as the area was experiencing a bit of cold front with temps in the low 60's, overcast, and windy.

Butch and Abby

Us girls decided we would go to Target - a favorite of mine and a rare opportunity that I wasn't going to pass up. The boys decided that they would do a whole lot of nothing, although they did manage to go to the liquor store. A good thing, too, because shopping can be thirsty work. With all of us back at the condo, the 6 of us and 2 dogs once again crammed onto the tiny balcony for cocktails and conversation.

Janus taking it all in

We decided on Billy's for dinner - certainly one of my favorite restaurants in the area - for some of my favorite food, stone crabs served warm with lots of melted butter. Billy's was the first place I'd ever tried stone crabs and is still the best.

Got my ringer!

We played the ring game, enjoyed the live entertainment, and devoured plates full of crab claws...what a good time!

Afterwards, we all headed back to the condo where Jeff played us a bit of music on his guitar - another of my favorite things - before we all meandered off to bed.

The next morning, Donnie made us another fabulous breakfast...should I mention that more of my favorite things are a man in the kitchen and a meal I didn't have to cook?

Jeff had promised a to run an errand with our friend, June, so we set off along the beach road so I could drop him off. My destination for this A.M. was Mazzaro's Italian Market - quite possibly my favorite place on earth that I've discovered so far. The Chamber's brother's, fellow foodies, decided to accompany me on my grand adventure.

The minute you arrive at Mazzaro's, you know you are somewhere special...and not just at any old grocery store. Taking up nearly the entire block, the building itself is a work of art with intricate stone work, murals of Venetian canals, Italian women waving from painted windows, and faux landscapes and architecture depicted on every surface. The property is dotted with cozy grottoes, mystical archways, bubbling fountains, and Romanesque statuary...and a couple of art cars reside in the parking lot.

And that's just the outside!

Once you walk through the ornate front doors, that's when the wonderland truly begins - a maze of culinary magnificence!

You'll have to check out this slideshow for pics of the inside: a MUST see click here for more Mazzaro's pics!

My haul from Mazzaro's

As you enter, to the left lies the meagar produce section, but what it lacks in size, it makes up for in quality. Next to that is the butcher counter chock full of quality cuts of meat, stuffed chickens, fresh sausages, meatballs, kabobs, and one of the most beautiful pieces of ahi tuna I have ever seen. Next you venture on to cases of cured sausages, soppresettas, and pepperonis situated next to cases full of butter and cheeses from around the world. Then there's the array of coffee beans, freshly roasted, and teas for every connoisseur. To the right, a whole room devoted to wine and cheese. To the left, a wall of imported beers.

There's an olive bar, complete with toothpicks for sampling and a whole prepared food section loaded with heavy slabs of lasagna, rice balls, roasted peppers, crab cakes, and gourmet salads galore. Around the corner is all the fresh, frozen, and dried pastas along with oven ready hand-tossed pizzas. In the next corner lies the bakery with a number of pizzas by the slices, fresh baguettes, pepperoni rolls, and dozens of other fresh baked delicacies. Venture further down the counter and you come to the sweets and every Italian pastry known to man along with fresh gelato. At the coffee counter, the brother's ordered rich coffee drinks and Donnie bought me an ice tea...remember that shopping is thirsty work!

The middle of the store is devoted to can goods, dry goods, spices, oils, and vinegars...some of which were quite pricey!
When my basket was full and becoming too heavy to carry, I sadly brought my time at Mazzaro's to an end. But what a haul: white truffle oil, seasame oil, fresh mozzarella, cheese curds, cavatappi, rice balls, sesame encrusted seared tuna, truffle mousse, Parmesan flatbread, prosecco, and my favorite find - smoked bacon chipotle sea salt in a grinder! Once in the car, the boys and I enjoyed bites of the nearly raw tuna drizzled with sesame oil. Much of my purchases would make a tasty snack this afternoon...just as soon as the prosecco gets cold!

Sunshine Skyway Bridge

Then we missed our exit and had to take the scenic route across the Sunshine Skyway Bridge and back. I finally made it to my car and as I headed to meet Jeff, the other menfolk went back to the condo to collect their wives. The plan was for us all to spend the day with June, certainly another one of my favorite people, at her Madeira Beach home, another of my favorite places. The house itself has come a long way since my first visit 6 years ago. Originally one story and below the flood plain, the house qualified for a F.E.M.A. grant and underwent a spectacular rebuild.

The first floor now consists of a 2 car garage, office, bathroom, and my favorite part - a tiki bar overlooking the pool, hot tub, and the Boca Ciega Bay. The upper floor, with it's open floor plan and dream kitchen is a site to behold, second only to the panoramic view highlighted by the generous floor to ceiling windows.

We had a great time all hanging out together in the Florida sunshine. It turned out to be a beautiful day, warm and sunny. After sunset, we moved the party inside, ordered pizza, and fired up the Wii bowling. The Chambers clan eventually ventured back to the condo, but I decided that after sharing the couch with Jeff for the last 2 nights I would avail myself of June's hospitality and the cushy spare bedroom.
I slept like a rock! [Thanks, June!]

Hot-tubbing!

June and Jeff

Casa June

Janet, June, and Jayne

The View

Unfortunately, the next morning rolled around and it was time for us all to go our separate ways.

We said good-bye to June and headed to the condo for the rest of our things and to bid the Chambers family farewell.
Their vacation was over and they had a long and progressively colder ride back to Kentucky ahead of them.

But, it was another great adventure...and full of all my favorite things!

A Series of Firsts

2011-10-25T09:46:00.018-04:00

Jeff's Aunt Karen came for her first visit to the sailboat and the Florida Keys earlier this month. She was accompanied by Jeff's mom, Denise - a sister's getaway! They arrived mid-afternoon on a Wednesday just as I was getting off work and we all headed out to the boat to relax and float around a bit. Jeff had planned ahead and grilled us a yummy dinner of flank steak spiraled around fresh spinach and cheese with a side of mashed potatoes.

Thursday was to be our day in Key West to see the sites - another first for Aunt Karen. First stop was the Southernmost Point for a photo op and then on to Captain Tony's for a pirate punch. Carl Peachey was singing and playing guitar so we sat and listened for a bit.

Next we meandered our way to and around the Historic Seaport and ended up at the Schooner Wharf Bar sipping margarita's and enjoying the melodic emanations of local legend, Michael McCloud.

Pepe's, the oldest restaurant in the Keys, was next on our list. We sat at the bar while the bartender squeezed fresh juice for our cocktails.
Tell me, can you beat that?

From there, we headed to Mallory Square to take in the daily sunset festivities/fiasco as well as a completely breath-taking setting sun.

Afterwards, it was time to find some dinner and head back to the Middle Keys.

We stopped at Mangrove Mama's where we shared an order of fish dip for an appetizer. I made a special request and ordered yummy fried, cracked conch on top of a Caesar salad. Jeff had the scallop special and the sisters had seafood nacho's...all fabulous and tasty.

Friday was a day we did a whole lot of nothing - but that is one of our favorite things to do and it was a request by Aunt Karen! So we whiled away the hours listening to music and enjoying one another's company.
Evening found us at Castaway's, where Dan Sullivan rocks on Friday nights, for a bit of entertainment and dinner.

Jeff brought his guitar and took a turn up the stage, to all of our delight. It was a great turn out with a myriad of friends in attendance, and we all had a great time.

Saturday, we woke to a very wet and rainy day after a big storm in the middle of the night, but that didn't stop us from having a girls "alfresco" breakfast at the 7-mile Grill followed by bloody mary's at Castaways. Once fortified, we were off to the grocery store to pick up supplies for the evening and the 2 boxes of fresh oysters [72 total count] that I had ordered a few days ago.

We were about to have an oyster and lobster feast!

Back at the boat, Jeff started the grill and then started shucking oysters. The first dozen were slurped down immediately followed by sips of Veuve Clicquot champagne, provided by friends, Charles and Hilary, and quite delicious.

The next dozen or so were topped with baby spinach, irish butter, a bit of red onion, bacon, and parmesan cheese and then put on the grill to melt into yummy oysters rockerfella'...Thin Line-style!

More were eaten on the half-shell and another batch went on the grill. In the meantime, the lobsters were prepped and wrapped in foil, and eventually tossed on the grill. One lucky lobster tail was transformed into ceviche. I was a little nervous about the raw seafood, but it turned out quite well and was absolutely beautiful.

The lobster tails, after being grilled to tender perfection on the Cobb grill, were served with fresh asparagus and buttered, garlicky orzo.

We're talking seafood decadence!
And, despite the crappy weather, we had a lovely time with friends and family.

By Sunday, the weather perked up a bit and after a couple of bloody marys in the sunshine, so did we. Since we girls had done all the shopping yesterday, today we sent Jeff to the store. He came back with an 8-plus pound chicken for us to smoke on the grill. It took most of the afternoon, which was fine by us. We did have one incident when it came time to add more charcoal to the grill. Being so heavy, it was hard to find a place to sit the hot bird and the grate slipped and our dinner became a "bucket of chicken"...fortunately it was a clean bucket and the chicken didn't travel any further than that.

Monday morning came around and it was to be the girls' last day of vacation. The plan was to go out on the snorkel boat with Jeff and see him in action. We set off in different directions: Jeff going to work and us girls to the airport to get the rental car. We met back at the Starfish and set off to the reef. It was another picture perfect day with calm seas and a light breeze. Once at the reef, we could tell right away the visibility was going to be great. We all donned our masks and fins and jumped on in....snorkeling being another first for Aunt Karen! The sisters seemed to be having a great time kicking about and holding hands while seeing all the underwater sights. Before we knew it, it was time to head back, and we enjoyed a beverage at the bar while Jeff finished up his boat chores.
We kept it simple for the evening and ordered pizza to be delivered to the marina.

The next morning, it was time for Karen and Denise to head back to the mainland. It's always sad to see people you love leave, but we know they had a great time and hope they will both be back soon!

I came, I saw, I snorkeled

2011-09-29T14:48:00.003-04:00

This past Tuesday, Jeff came back from a day at the office [i.e. Sombrero Reef] with reports of a stellar day out on the ocean. The water was crystal clear without a ripple and the moon jellies were few and far between.

Come Wednesday, I was faced with a dilemma: get the laundry done or go out snorkeling in near perfect conditions?

All in all, it wasn't a tough decision. I am always game for putting off the laundry. What I am not always game for is getting in the water. I don't like it when it's choppy. I don't want to deal with jellyfish. Bad visibility, swift current - more good reasons for me to stay dry. So even though I'd been out on the snorkel boat, I hadn't actually snorkeled.

But that all changed yesterday.

I had dug out my long lost mask and snorkel and took it along - quite possibly another reason I hadn't gotten in the water...I wanted my own equipment. The fins I could care less about, but a mask and snorkel are personal.
I also brought along a long-sleeved shirt to keep the jellies at bay.

I met Jeff and the Starfish at the docks and we made the 20-ish minute commute out to the reef, tied up to a ball, and the pool was open!

And what a pool it is!

Full of fish and a cornucopia of corals, Sombrero Reef is a wonder to behold!

Once I was in the water, it took a few minutes and a couple of mask adjustments to get the hang of it all again but then I was off in search of what I could see. Right off, Jeff threw a handful of oats in the water and I was surrounded by yellow tail snappers. I saw a couple of barracuda, multiple varieties of parrot fish - all colorful and some of them absolutely HUGE, a large southern ray, and a plethora of fish and corals, big and small, that I couldn't even begin to name.

It was a good day to snorkel.
Laundry...eh, later.

New Job for Jeff

2011-08-19T22:10:00.008-04:00

Jeff's last official day of work here at the City Marina was June 3rd. It was a personal choice. Life had become too political and complicated for a guy with a pension, so he resigned. There were several boat chores that needed doing, and some much needed R&R. But he was not deigned to be unemployed for long. A fellow harbor resident came to him with a tip that the charter company that she works for needed a captain - ASAP. Jeff went and talked to them the next day and shortly after he was making practice runs to see if he could handle the boat and/or wanted the job. He didn't hit the bridge and could get the power catamaran easily in and out of the slip.

So now Jeff runs the snorkel boat, "Starfish," out to the reef with passengers on a regular basis.

I had the privilege of being one of the passengers quite recently and plan on making it a habit on my days off pending availability and weather.

The day I went, it was a beautiful, sunny, calm day. With a light breeze, the trip out to the reef was quite pleasant and much cooler than being on land. It was a full boat and I was barely able to squeeze in, but the boat has a capacity of 40 passengers and there were 39 paying.

Jeff cruised through the narrow span of the 7-mile bridge without noticeable concern....the only point of the trip that is particularly hairy or potentially dangerous.

Then we were in the open water dodging lobster and crab traps.

Out at the reef, Julie - the first mate, made quick work of getting the boat secured to the mooring ball and then it was everyone in the water!

I found a comfy place to lay on the nets to soak up a bit of sun and scenery and stay out of the way.

All was well until a couple of little girls were stung by jellyfish and screamed their full heads off. Jeff and Julie administered what first aid was possible and the girls finally quieted themselves when Julie produced a bag of oats to feed the myriad of fish surrounding the boat.

The reef was somewhat inundated with moon jellies, and while quite beautiful to watch swim by, can pack a powerfully, painful sting.

Soon enough, it was time to gather all the snorkelers and head back to shore with a pleasant boat ride to the bayside.

So,

this is pretty much what a day at the office looks like for Jeff...

Congratulations, Captain.

Maddie Time!

2011-08-09T08:17:00.018-04:00

July 26th was my niece, Maddy's, third birthday and I recently made the trek to Greensboro, NC to be a part of the festivities. I left Marathon on a Thursday morning along with my friend, Megan, who needed a ride to Daytona. It was nice having company for the first 8 hours of the trip and the stops at Robbie's of Islamorada for trinkets and The Blue Marlin in Key Largo for breakfast.

Then I was on my own. I stopped for the night in St. George, SC and then finished up the trip the next day.

Upon my arrival, I walked into my brother's house to a great big grin on a three year old who immediately broke the ice by announcing she had a wedgie...then promptly went about removing the offending article of clothing from it's delicate position in a bout of giggles.
The rest of the afternoon followed suit with lots of giggles, tickles, and hugs.

My father and his wife, Barb, had arrived on the scene the previous day. Now I just had to wait for for my brother, sister-in-law, and mother to get off work. We spent a jovial, family evening together...ordering carry-out from Elizabeth's Pizza and taking turns entertaining Maddie.

The next day was the big event: The Backyard Birthday Bash!

10 a.m. Saturday morning the party-goers started to arrive. Everyone was shown to the backyard which had been transformed into a party wonderland complete with play-set, tot-sized picnic tables, and 2 wading pools, along with an assortment of bubble-wands, squirt bottles, balloons, and snacks.

At some point, the cake arrived and shortly afterwards all our little guests were gathered up and taken home.

With just family left in attendance, lunch was served: a grand buffet of just-smoked brisket and pork shoulder, beans, slaw, and 7-layer salad. Delicious!

Afterwards, there were presents to be opened and little Miss Maddie could hardly contain herself. The rest of the afternoon was spent lounging about in good company, with a bit of an outing to some of the local shops, and then a rousing game of Whist with my mom, my dad, and Barb in which some of the rules were suspect and quite possibly completely made-up by my dad.

Sunday morning I was up bright and early and asked Maddie if she would like to do some jumping jacks with me. Her response was enthusiastically affirmative. So, I did my Insanity workout with a 3-year old which proved to be truly insane. She grabbed my leg while I did leg lifts, sat on my back for push-ups, "got me" during several inopportune moments, and decided to switch to Rudolph and Frosty the Snowman part way through the DVD. Somehow, we got through it and while she ran off to get dressed, I hopped in the shower.

We were going to the farmer's market!
But, our first stop would be breakfast at the Moose Cafe.
After a yummy meal of biscuits, gravy, sausage, eggs, and bacon we set out to peruse the farmer's wares. I had big plans to buy some homegrown tomatoes since I hadn't had a good one since this time last year. Maddie held my hand as we strolled about gathering all my market favorites: grits, crackers, cheese curds, spices, a ham hock, and most notably - cherokee purple tomatoes!

It was during our shopping that Maddie learned to use the word "cooperate" even if she didn't totally grasp it's meaning. She loves to hold on to 2 adults and swing in the middle as we walk. My brother, Keith, obliged for several such swings and then dropped Maddie's hand in search of produce. Maddie looked to me for a solution to her swinging dilemma and I shrugged my shoulders and told her that daddy simply wasn't cooperating. Without missing a beat, she grabbed Jolene's hand and said, "Cooperate, Mommy!" as she threw her weight forward resulting in the desired swinging effect.

With our shopping complete, we headed back to the house.

Later that afternoon, I ventured out to Morning View, the assisted living facility that employs my mother, to give her a hand with calendars and bulletin boards. Then it was back to the house for me for a fantastic dinner of BBQ pork and a myriad of fresh veggies and tomatoes from the market.

Monday morning came early to the Henning household as everyone set out in different directions...my brother to work, Maddie and Jolene to daycare and work, and my dad and Barb to take the scenic route back to Indiana. I worked out in the peace in quiet - unmolested this time around - and ran a few errands. But, it was quickly back to the house for me for Maddie's 10:15 arrival. After her swim lessons, I had her for the rest of the day!
And what a busy day it was!
My mother arrived around 11:30 to find Maddie and I soaking up some rays and splashing about in the princess pool. By then, we had already played with play-doh, watched approximately 30 seconds of 4 different DVD's, covered a multitude of paper with watercolors, and had a snack.

While Maddie and Sarah went upstairs to get on some dry clothes, I made us some lunch.

Next, we made dog biscuits and baked sugar cookies with sprinkles. Then we played a game, stuck some stickers, went for a walk, had a snack, painted more watercolors, read a couple of books, got out the dominoes, dumped the building blocks, and lots of Maddie's favorite activity - playing with my phone.

We were all happy to see Jolene/mommy when she got home but for entirely different reasons.

I could have certainly used a nap at that point, but it was a great day!

Tuesday rolled around much too soon and it was time for me to say good-bye... and saying goodbye to Maddie was certainly the hardest.

After she headed off for school, I packed the car, made one last trip to Target, and went over and spent a bit of time with my mother. Her and I had lunch at Brixx's Pizza and then I hit the road.

But, it wasn't quite time for me to start off for FL. Instead, it was a 2 hour trip to Kenly, NC, to visit with the Smiths - family from a previous marriage. It was great to see my niece, Josie, my nephew, Zachary, and Mark and Anne. We had a great time at the local Mexican restaurant with good food and drinks and a variety of friends.

Unfortunately, this was to be a rather short visit - although a little time spent together was better than none at all.

The next morning, I was merging onto I-95 shortly after 5am.

I would like to say that it was an uneventful ride and that I made it home in the expected amount of time, but that was not to be.
I noticed on one of my stops to get gas that my rear tire was low. I filled it to the appropriate pressure and hopped back on the road. An empty tank later and the same tire was low again, only this time I go to air it up and the valve stem comes off in my hand. I immediately think that this is not good, so I use the GPS [Thanks, Jensina!] to locate the nearest repair shop. I call the top one on the list and am informed that I have contacted a mobile service and after listing his exorbitant fees for his assistance, he told me that there was a Wal-mart nearby that would probably do the trick.

Well, Wal-mart was not as close as I was led to believe, and after another stop to make sure I was headed the right direction I decided not to risk driving any further on my lame tire and change to the spare. This is when I discovered that a very vital piece of my jack had gone missing. Luckily I had a bit of help from a gentleman who very graciously changed my tire using a part from his own jack. I proceeded to the Wal-mart rather anxious and ambivalent about my impending repair bill, but my mind was immediately set to ease when the technician behind the counter told me that a flat repair would be $10.
I was expecting something much worse.

The boys at Wal-mart made quick work of fixing my tire and stowing away the spare and then the final bill came: only $2.12 for the broken valve stem!
I couldn't ask for better than that.
A quick run through a drive-thru and I was back on the road with 4 tires holding air and only 2 hours behind schedule.

I left the mainland hit Highway 1 just as the fading sun set into the purple sea. I had one more stop for gas and the Arby's that I had promised Jeff. I arrived at the marina after a long 16 hours in the car and boy, was I happy to be there!

I slept very late the next morning and then had a nice trip out to the reef with Jeff on the snorkel boat...but that's another blog entry entirely!

So traveling is all well and good, and I had a lot of fun with family and friends and all those I love in North Carolina, and I especially enjoyed my Maddie time...

...but

Home is where the boat is!

Project Fish Bowl

2011-07-10T08:40:00.012-04:00

Just recently, Jeff was forced to make a decision about the future of our bathroom: rebuild the head or replace it. He decided to go with the more expensive but hopefully less odorous option of replacing our existing system with a VacuFlush.

I once told Jeff that if we ever installed a new toilet/head on the boat that I was going to paint the inside of the bowl.

Here was my chance!

Now you may wonder where I would get such an idea...

The inspiration came from friends, Tommy and Allyson Cooper, or more specifically the toilet bowl on their Gibson houseboat.

Just imagine my delight the first time I was a guest on their boat and found this on my trip to the restroom!

Love it!
Got to have one!

So the new toilet was ordered and preparations were made for the not so fun job ahead. Jeff took the boat to the seawall of the Marina so that we could use its facilities while ours was out of order and then proceeded to remove all the old plumbing.

The next order of business was procurement of paint that would be "toilet-safe" and hopefully hold up to the less than ideal conditions. A quick trip to the Ben Franklin in Key West and we were all set with a suitable palette of colors of Porcelaine 150.

Now it was time to see if I could actually pull this thing off.

I have to say I was a little nervous as I practiced on a 39 cent tile from Home Depot in anticipation of laying my brush on the pristine $500 bowl.

So this is me on an overcast Saturday morning painting a commode in the cockpit.

Many a comment was made by many a passer-by.

But in the end, I managed to turn our new toilet into a one-of-a-kind piece of art...practical art at that!

Ta-da!

Now you want one, too...don't you?

The End of the Road

2011-06-15T18:15:00.003-04:00

It was decided upon on last Thursday that Jeff needed new shoes...something he liked, something comfy, and something that he wouldn't fall and bust his ass in.

I had a coupon for a sandal store in Big Pine so we set off across the 7-mile bridge and beyond.

The shoe shopping was quite successful.
He picked out a pair of new flops to replace the ones lost in the muck at Molasses Key and a pair of Columbia moccasins with special grip technology.
Fancy.
But maybe now his shoes won't make him fall down.
I guess this post could have been called, "Baby's Got New Shoes," but our day wasn't over yet.

So with our main task completed, we set off to do a bit of exploring.
Instead of taking the left that would take us home, we took a right and ended up in the parking lot of the Looe Key Tiki Bar...someplace we've always wanted to go. But since the biggest reason we wanted to go to the Tiki bar was for some of it's renowned live music and there wasn't anything happening this early in the afternoon, we decided to forgo the bar tab and drive through the residential area surrounding New Found Harbor instead.

I think we are like most people who come to the Florida Keys in that we very rarely stray from US 1. For the most part, everything is on US 1 and a good part of the 120-mile stretch is hardly wider that the road itself with water visible as far as the eye can see on both sides. But there are the occasional roads that meander off to one side or the other. After exhausting the navigable choices on Ramrod Key, we wandered back up the road to the Torch Keys and took a left. Here we found close to 10 miles of mostly uninhabited "back road." At some point even the power lines stopped, indicating that if anyone did live this far off the main road, they were doing it without water and electric...at least in the traditional utility company sense.

So what did we find at the end of this road?

There was an encampment of sorts..inhabited or not is anybody's guess...made up of several dilapidated buildings, rusting vehicles of all ilks and sizes, and a very funny street sign...

And beyond that was literally the end of the road.

I stopped the car and we got out for a few minutes just to have a look around and a photo op.

We quickly discovered we were the only warm-blooded, carbon dioxide-exhaling, mosquito bait for several square miles as we were descended upon by a swarm of vicious, blood-sucking, Dengue fever-carrying beasts.

We hightailed it out of there...and back to US 1.
That was enough exploring for one day.

Denise & Kelly, a Cannon, and High Adventure on the Way Back from a Key

2011-05-30T21:57:00.004-04:00

Alright, so it's a long title, but how many ways can you say, "We had company again, and everyone had a great time!" in five words or less, and still be clever.

Besides, I love alliteration.
But I digress.

Our latest batch of company, Jeff's Mom, Denise, and her husband, Kelly, arrived in the Keys the Monday after Mother's Day. They drove into town in the early afternoon and we were happy to see both of them. It had been a year since Denise had been to the boat, and quite a bit longer for Kelly. We ferried them out to the sailboat and gave them the grand tour of the big remodel, then settled in the cockpit for cocktails and conversation. They had had a big day of traveling starting early in the AM, so we made it an easy and early night by walking across the street to Annette's for a fabulous dinner.

The next morning, Kelly and I set off in the dinghy to return the rental car, do a bit of provisioning, and procure some breakfast. Once back, we spent a nice relaxing day on the boat. Lunch was light and yummy, with ham salad, cheese and crackers, and chips and dip.

We took an afternoon tour of the nearby creek and up into the mangroves and when evening approached, we loaded back into the dinghy and headed for Dockside Bar & Grille.

It was open mic night, and we had lots of friends [some with guitars] in attendance. Jeff got up on stage and sang a couple of songs...I even helped out on one, and it was a great time.

Wednesday morning dawned bright and early just as it always does. We enjoyed tea/coffee to start off the day and then moved on to mimosas made with prosecco and peach nectar. It ended up that we had another friend, Mike Ritner from Madeira Beach, arrive in town and we invited him and our friend Matthew out to the boat. Soon it was lunchtime and we went by boat to Burdine's.

Then it was back to the sailboat for a little relaxing before sunset. We had a big plan for sunset tonight, and Kelly was very excited.

He was going to get to fire a real, live cannon!

Let me explain. Around here, sunset can get very noisy. It's an event. Some people choose to blow the conch horn as the sun gently sinks into the sea. Others play trumpet. Bagpipes are not unheard of. But others, fire cannons. No ammo, no projectiles...no cannon balls. Just a big, loud, black-powder BOOM! I had talked to one of our harbor's more infamous cannon masters and asked if we could come over with our company and participate. He was thrilled to have us and further more stated that Kelly could do the honors himself.

Nearing sunset, we motored over to the S/V Gypsy Song, where Jake and Amy graciously invite us aboard. There were cocktails and appetizers and then it was time to prepare the cannon.

The black powder was loaded.

A direction was decided upon.

The sandbag was strategically placed to keep the cannon from kicking itself overboard.

Looks like we're all set!

Kelly followed Jake's careful directions and waited patiently to light the fuse.

Jake shouted a courtesy warning of, "Fire in the hole!" to alert other boaters of the impending explosion, and Kelly lit the fuse.

There was a moment of pause...then the BOOM! And when the smoke cleared, one of the neighbor's waved his white flag and kiddingly pledged his surrender.

After the big event, we were off to Dockside to meet Matt and Mike for dinner.

Now, you think something like that would be hard to top, but we had an even bigger plan for Thursday.

We were going to Molasses Key.

Once again, Kelly and I headed to shore to pick up the provisions we would need for the day: a bucket of fried chicken and 5-hour energy drinks.

Upon our return, we loaded everyone in the dinghy, including the dog, and headed out of the harbor. On the way, we stopped at Burdine's to fill up on ice and fuel and then we ventured out into the waters surrounding the 7-mile bridge.

It was a very calm day with almost no chop at all and we soon had the uninhabited Key in our sights.

We had planned for friends Andy and Suzi to meet us at the Key and we saw them in their much bigger power boat on the way.

We arrived at the island and waded into shore with all of our things.

We picked an absolutely beautiful day to sit around on an island and do nothing!

At some point, we'd eaten and drank, floated and waded, about as much as we could and it was time to head back to civilization.

We had decided that we would all ride in Andy's bigger boat and tow ours just to make better time on the way back in.

It ended up being a really good decision!

As we were traveling east alongside the bridge, we noticed what appeared to be a bit of weather looming in front of us. The horizon was dark and every now and again you could spot a crack of lightning. Andy picked up the pace a bit, but was definitely held back by our behemoth of a dinghy trailing behind us. Jeff offered to jump in the dinghy so that the rest of us could get back faster but we decided to just wait and see. Within minutes, the wind picked up, the water got rough, and big waves crashed over the bow...drenching everyone. Now fortunately, the water temperatures around here are very similar to bathwater so it wasn't cold nor too uncomfortable. I worried about about Jeff's Mom as she hunkered on the floor to try to avoid a bit of the spray and not take quite as much of a beating as the boat pounded through the waves.
I figured she may not speak to us after this adventure!

But she was a trooper and took it all in stride. When in Rome, right?

We all arrived at Andy and Suzi's safe and sound, wet and salty.
The storm had completely blown over and the sun was shining.
We loaded back into our dinghy which had remained astoundingly dry during it's wild ride and headed home.

Hot showers were had by all and we capped off our night with a lovely dinner at Castaway's.

The frontpage of the next day's paper called the storm we came through, "a mini tornado" and sited some of the damage done by the big blow as two opposing fronts collided over Marathon.

The next morning was time for Denise and Kelly to leave and it was very sad to see them go.

The time just flew by while they were here!

Bags were packed and brought to shore and we enjoyed a parting breakfast at the Stuffed Pig before seeing them on their way.

We really do enjoy having you guys come and stay.

I am not sure how we'll ever top this visit, but when you come back again we'll sure give it a try!

An Island of Our Own

2011-05-03T09:53:00.008-04:00

After the April 18th Tax deadline, the accountant -Roddy McDowell - that has done Jeff's taxes for the past 15 years gave Jeff a call and said he really needed to get away and were we up for some company.

Aren't we always up for more company?

Roddy spent time on the boat back in 2007 when he joined us in Captiva with the intentions of sailing with us to St. Petersburg. Our itinerary did not go according to plan with motor problems preventing us from traveling any further than Venice. The motor died as we limped into a slip at The Crow's Nest - never to start again. Roddy called a friend and abandoned ship while we dealt with mechanics and made arrangements to be towed to a boatyard.

For this trip, Roddy and his traveling companion, Carla, didn't get to do any sailing except around our mooring ball. Jeff went and picked them up at the docks and brought them back to the boat where we had a nice time lounging in the cockpit enjoying the view. After a bit, we set off in the dinghy so they could see Sombrero Beach and then we ventured into the mangroves of Whiskey Creek. Once back on the S/V Thin Line, we had a little snack of brie and summer sausage and made plans to meet for dinner. We decided on The Wreck up on Grassy Key. Dan Sullivan was playing, which always makes for a nice time.

The next day, Roddy and Carla came back to the boat for a bit of relaxing and then they left for Key West to see the sights. The following day, they were back to Fort Lauderdale to catch a flight home...a very quick trip indeed.

In the meantime, friends, Tony and Anne Baker from St. Pete, arrived on the scene. With them came their spotty dogs, Calvin and Chloe, and their 13 ft. Boston Whaler.

We first got to lay eyes on the couple and their adorable pups when they semi-circumnavigated the island and pulled up to the sailboat. With everyone on board, we gave a quick tour of the boat and then spent time catching up over a cocktail.

Then it was time for the Baker's to head back to their hotel and us to dinner @ The Wreck.

The next day, Tony and Anne and the spotty dogs did a bit of exploring the nearby waters. A little before sunset they came to the marina...this time by car. We relaxed on the boat for a bit and then we set off for Dockside for a bit of dinner and some live entertainment.

We had big plans for the next day!

We were going to visit Molasses Key...

Located out in the waters crossed by the Seven Mile Bridge, Molasses Key is a small uninhabited island with a nice, beachy surface on one side.

Although it wasn't the most comfortable ride, the Whaler's 50 horsepower motor got us through the choppy water.

I spotted a giant sea turtle along the way, but there was just no way to fish out the camera for a picture.

Upon our arrival, we had the whole beautiful, little island all to ourselves!
We made quick work of spreading out towels and unloading coolers and then it was time to RELAX!

The dogs caught on quick.

And that's what we did all day long.
We had snacks. We had drinks. We had shade. We had a lovely breeze.
Ahh...paradise.

We didn't have it to ourselves for very long.
A family on jet skis arrived and took up on the other end of the isle. Then a boat here and there. Even so, it was a pleasant way to spend an afternoon.

Eventually, we ventured back to the harbor. The Baker's headed back to their hotel to get cleaned up and then we all met at Castaway's for a bit of dinner.

It was great seeing Tony and Anne and the dogs again. We hope they come back soon and often!

The Return of the Redhead

2011-04-23T22:04:00.005-04:00

Sounds like a bad, B movie, doesn't it?

Well, Angela as a guest is nothing but an A+ in our eyes as her third trip to the S/V Thin Line continued our "bout" of company.

Due to some last minute planning and not our first choice of flight times, she arrived late on a Monday night during her Spring Break...or perhaps it was early Tuesday morning? Jeff went in to retrieve her from the docks and we got her settled for the night.

The next morning, we all luxuriated by sleeping late. Once awake, it was tea and bagels in the cockpit which eventually progressed to mango mimosas and conversational catching up. With good tunes playing and dolphins frolicking in the background, that's pretty much all we did all day long. We love lazy days on the boat just floating around with a light breeze and lots of sunshine. The Italians have a name for this lackadaisical state of mind: dolce far niente - the sweetness of doing nothing. I do believe they are on to something.

For dinner, we dinghied over to the newly re-opened Dockside where we ate blackened dolphin and key west pinks.

The next day was somewhat similar as we basked in the sun and did very little else. The mimosas were peach this time around and we had an afternoon snack of brie melted to gooey deliciousness and topped with a sweet fig spread.

The evening found us at Marathon Boat Yard for a campfire with our friend, Joe, and then a harrowing, high speed dinghy ride [with Joe as our driver] to Castaway's for some sushi.

Thursday was another day of abject languid-tivity.
I know it's not a word, but it should be.

But we had to eat sometime since the day passed us by without us bothering to whip up the tasty treat I had planned for lunch, so Thursday evening found us at Porky's to catch Dan Sullivan performing and dinner was Sebastian Inlet Clams and lobster bisque.

Friday morning rolled around and Jeff had to go to work.
Angela and I set out in the dinghy for the beach in the mid-AM and then headed into the mangroves of Whiskey Creek for some much-needed shade. The mimosas today were apricot mango accompanied by apricot pastries as we sat in the peace and utter stillness of Boot Key...disturbed only by the creepy, crustaceans that call the mangroves their home.

Look closely...
There were at least 3 mangrove crabs on the branch we tied up to...none of which were apparent on our arrival.

When we'd had our fill of quietude [and crustaceanal creepiness], we ventured back on over to Dockside for a quick nibble of lunch and then we were land-bound. We had souvenirs to buy and a rental car to pick up. We decided since it was Angela's last evening to spend on the boat, we'd just have a simple supper at home, watch the sunset, and turn in early...she would have to leave marathon by 2am in order to make her early morning flight. We made a quick stop at Keys Fisheries for some more seafood, and while Angela procured a car, I went to the grocery to gather the rest of the supplies for dinner. Tonight's menu would feature steamed shrimp and lobster mac and cheese.

Back at the marina, we...or as the picture shows - I - hauled all our newly bought provisions to the dinghy and then to the big boat.

Everything was all settled and my mac and cheese was prepped and in the fridge by the time Jeff got home from work.

Shortly afterward, company pulled up to the boat.

On our way through the harbor earlier, I had noticed the arrival of our friends, Mike and Carey - both retired from the Los Angeles Police Department, on the sailing vessel Carey Anne and we had invited them over for a sunset cocktail.

Carey and Angela kept me company while I steamed some shrimp for an appetizer and Mike and Jeff chatted in the cockpit.

The shrimp were tender, sweet, and delicious sprinkled with Old Bay and dipped in melted butter.

Mike and Carey headed back to their boat once it was dark, and then it was time for the lobster mac and cheese. Melted to creamy, cheesy perfection this dish is certainly a lesson in decadence. That was exactly what Angela needed to put her right to sleep and topped off her last evening on a savory note.

Getting up at 1:15 am to roust my guest and get her to shore was certainly not the highlight of the visit, but I saw her off on her way and then headed back to bed.
Next time...and there will be a next time, better flight arrangements will have to be made.

Panty Gram and a Haircut

2011-03-28T08:55:00.010-04:00

Lately, we have had a bout of company on the S/V Thin Line.

For Donnie and Janet Chambers, it was a return visit...this wasn't their first sailboat adventure, nor will it be their last.

You may remember them from their last trip... [if not, click here] ...most people seem to remember Janet as "the one who wrote on everything" as she was left unattended on their last night and while everyone else slept, she wrote little notes with a permanent marker everywhere. We found them for weeks after they had departed and even found a previously undiscovered one while unpacking the contents of the boat during our time in the boatyard.

Fortunately for me, Janet accidentally left a pair of her under-lovelies behind and they ended up in my laundry basket, hence giving me a chance at a bit of payback.

I held on to those underwear for almost a year without ever letting her know I had them.

With less than a month to go before their annual visit, the Chambers received a "Panty Gram" in the mail. In it were drink tickets for the flight, a little Keys reading material, and the wayward underpants...now with a few notes of my own added. The outside of the envelope was decorated with a variety of my artist's rendition of underwear and in great, big letters, "Panty Gram - I see London. I see France. Guess who left their underpants..."

I hope the mailman got a chuckle out of it.

After the long drive from the airport, we finally managed to coax Janet into dropping her jeans and giving us a peak.

This was only the start to the great time we had while they were here.
First off, we headed back to our mooring ball...quite the momentous occasion for Jeff and I after being in the yard for so long. Then we spent most of our time floating around, looking out for dolphins, catching some rays, eating our fill of seafood, concocting new rum cocktails, and watching the sunset. One of the most exciting events that happened was a storm that blew in during the middle of the day bringing with it gale force winds. Jeff and Janet had the misfortune of being out in the dinghy while Donnie and I remained dry inside the sailboat.

The storm didn't last long, but it was quite a blow.
Jeff and Janet made it safely back to the boat, albeit soaking wet.
They got dried off while I made shrimp po' boys for lunch - left-over shrimp sauteed with carrots and celery, topped with a slice of cheddar cheese and a creamy mustard sauce, all on a bakery-fresh bun.
The sun came out and all was well again.
After sunset, we headed across the street to Annette's for dinner.

After another day of floating and sunning, Janet did something rather unexpected: she made an appointment to get her haircut at Salon Blanco with my friend, Jen.
She said she was ready for a change.

Come Friday morning, I thought sedation was going to be necessary to get her through the ordeal, or at the very least, a box of tissues for when she burst into tears. But, she got through it like a champ and loved the results.

I think it's the perfect hairstyle for her and looks fabulous!

With the weekend, came the Seafood Festival - an event I look forward to all year around. Once again, Janet and I volunteered to work the front gate...which gets us free admission and our matching t-shirts. The food is always excellent and there's live music all day long.

And with that, came our second set of company.

Meet fellow Louisvillians, Coley and Karin McDevitt.

Coley had to make a business trip to Fort Lauderdale and made arrangements for his wife, Karin, to meet him so they could drive down and spend a few days in the Keys. In the short time they were here, we were able to go to CastAway's for dinner, the Stuffed Pig for breakfast, and the Seafood Festival for Howard Livingston. Sunday, they planned their own catamaran outing in Key West, complete with snorkeling and kayaking, and Donnie and Janet tagged along.

Monday morning had Karin and Coley headed for the airport.

We all met for another breakfast at the Stuffed Pig and when they headed North, the remaining four of us went South to Bahia Honda where we did a bit of beach combing and exploring.

Next stop was Veteran's Beach located at the far side of the 7 mile bridge.

Then it was back to the boat to grab the dog and the dinghy and do a little exploring of Boot Key.
We pretty much wore ourselves out and ordered pizza for dinner.

This time around, the Chamber's stayed longer than they ever have before, and once again, it was over much too quickly. Tuesday came around and it was time for them to catch a flight. We had one more meal together - breakfast at the Wooden Spoon - and sent them on their way.
We miss you guys and hope to see you soon!

We're Back....

2011-03-09T13:42:00.004-05:00

D-1 is no longer "Out of Service."

D-1 is no longer unoccupied.

We're back on the ball!

We took the short trip from Marathon Boat Yard to Boot Key Harbor this morning and tied up to our mooring ball.

We've had our celebratory champagne and are having a nice casual day floating around the ball. There's about 15 knots of wind blowing a nice breeze out of the south and it's currently sunny skies and 83 degrees.

Dolphins just swam by the boat - much to our delight.

We also have company...Donnie and Janet are back for a visit...good times are sure to be had.

[Details to follow...]

Life is good.

Memory Lane

2011-03-03T08:56:00.017-05:00

On April 1, 2009, I boarded the motor vessel Yachts a' Fun and left Boot Key Harbor. My traveling companions and owners of the boat, Dominick and Valerie Lichioveri, had left their home in Maryland on November 1st [2008] and headed south with the hopes of crossing to the Bahamas. They landed on mooring ball G-1 of the City Marina a few days before Christmas. We waved in passing - we were on mooring G-2 at the time - and promised to meet for cocktails Christmas Eve. We were fast friends from that point on.

We rang in the New Year with Dom, Val, and their dog - Prince, and the rest of the winter months were spent swimming off of their boat, cooking dinners, and exploring the area. We spent my birthday rafted up together at Bahia Honda. We went to the flea market in Big Pine, spent a day in Key West, attended the Pig Races, volunteered at the Seafood Festival, and hosted a St. Patrick's Day get-together complete with corned beef and cabbage and green jello shots...just to name a few of the fun days we had together.

Spring arrived and their talk turned toward heading home. We hated to see them leave and even came up with a plan to "buddy boat" with them up the East Coast.

But then a position became available at the City Marina and the staff coaxed Jeff into applying. Needless to say, he got the job, hence putting an end to our travel plans on the sailboat...but not necessarily an end to mine. I decided to accompany them on their trek back north with plans to fly back to Marathon when the trip was over.

Our first day out of the harbor on the open water got us all the way to John Pennekamp State Park in Key Largo. It took us the whole day to get there by water. Jeff hopped in the car and met us there in an hour. We stayed at Pennekamp for 3 days due to high winds and when it came time to throw off our anchor lines and head for the mainland on the fourth day, Jeff headed back to Marathon and his new job.

You may ask what brought on this stroll down memory lane?

Valerie and Dominick arrived in Marathon this past Tuesday. An opportunity arose for them to deliver a motor home for a friend and they jumped at the chance to flee from the cold and head south.

We were quite happy to see them and our time together has been spent laughing and reminiscing about our Winter of '08 and the trip of '09. I kept a travel log of our month long journey and got it out to look at it for the first time since I wrote the pages almost 2 years ago. The journal is a fair account of our daily accommodations, the weather, miles traveled per day, but mostly it talks about the food. I can tell you what we ate for almost everyday of our voyage.

In No Name Harbor, we watched the dolphins and had popcorn for dinner.

At Crandon Point, the starboard motor failed and we had to wait for a part. We ate clam linguine while wicked winds picked up blowing white caps across the bay.

Next day we arrived at Los Olas after traveling 48 miles and going under 21 bridges. We did a load of laundry and walked down to the strip for a slice of pizza.

We anchored the next night at Phil Foster Park in N. Palm Beach where we cooked corned beef and potatoes and took a rogue wave at 4:50 am.

The next day was Vero Beach with dinner at the Riverside Cafe. The next day, after a hair-raising bus ride into town, we made alfredo with chicken and broccoli.

From there, we were off to Melbourne to stay put for the Easter weekend. We dyed eggs and checked out a couple of the local eateries.

Our next stop was the 7 Seas Marina in Daytona where we sat out some bad weather. We made the best of it with a walk to the beach and a trip to the liquor store. We had BLT's for dinner.

The next day found us in St. Augustine where we explored the historic city and took in some live music. The next day we headed to the spanish bakery for breakfast then toured a few of the old homes and their gardens and found a quaint little park with a huge jasmine arbor that had just come into bloom. We discovered a little Cuban restaurant right on the water front that had great food and the most excellent margaritas.

Underway and leaving St. Augustine at 8:18 am, we arrived at our anchorage in the Brickhill River [Georgia] by 4 pm. It was quite the adventure when Dom sheared a pin on the outboard while going to shore and had to row back. We had grilled brie and black forest ham sandwiches with baked apples for dinner and saw wild horses in the morning as we weighed anchor and headed to Savannah.

A boat repair kept us in Savannah for several days, but we didn't mind. We made good use of the marina's courtesy car and explored the waterfront nightlife, shopped for provisions, found the oldest living live oak [over 900 years old!], and sampled the local BBQ.

Charleston was just a hop, skip, and a jump away on the ICW [Intercoastal Waterway] and we spent our first evening sitting at the bar at Hank's drinking dirty martini's and eating rock shrimp, calamari, and shrimp and grits. The following day we explored the city market - where Valerie thought shea butter was something she should eat and found out differently while I giggled hysterically at her faux pas.

Lunchtime found us at Hyman's Seafood where we split a pitcher of Long Island Ice tea and ate fried green tomatoes, she crab soup, and hush-puppies. We toured the Provost Dungeon and had drinks at the Blind Tiger in their beautiful and ancient courtyard.

We left Charlestown and went "outside" - meaning we didn't travel the ICW but went out of the harbor into the open the open water of the Atlantic. We hauled ass to Cape Fear, North Carolina, but it took us over 200 gallons of fuel to get there. Once docked at Southport Marina the journal simply states, "Dominick grumpy." Probably the fuel bill.

So Val and I took our leave, found the Indian Trail Marker Tree -estimated to be over 800 years old, and then the Cape Fear Restaurant where we split a bottle of wine [Pinot Evil as a tribute to Dominick's mood] and ate caesar salads topped with grilled steak.

Next stop was Swansboro where we had steak fajitas for dinner.

Travelling 91 miles the next day, we pulled into a quaint, little marina in Belhaven, NC, and ate dinner at River Forest Manor, a Victorian mansion built in 1899.

The following day found us in Elizabeth City where we were greeted by the famous "Rose Buddies" [i.e. retired old guys with nothing better to do] who promptly alerted the mayor of the arrival of several vessels and threw us a complimentary wine and cheese party.

We spent the next night rafted up with several other boats at the Great Dismal Swamp visitor center and continued on into Virginia and into Chesapeake Bay. The end was near, but the Chesapeake is a big body of water. We called it a night at a small marina on the west side but we were up bright and early the next morning because we knew we could arrive at our final destination by noon if we got an early start.

It was May 1st...exactly one month from our departure from Boot Key Harbor...when we arrived in Whittman, MD. All of Dom and Val's best friend's greeted us at the dock with baskets of goodies and bottles of champagne. A welcome home dinner was planned, and we were left to unpack our things and settle into the house.

I stayed a view more days with Dom and Val. They showed me St. Michael's, drove me out to Tilmon Island, and took me out for a traditional crab dinner.

But it was time for me to go home.

The day of my flight arrived and Val, Dom, and Prince drove me to the airport in Baltimore.

I've missed them greatly since then and we think of them often.

So imagine our surprise and delight when they called to say they were headed our way!

We have had a great time the last couple of days. Dom has been helping Jeff with a few boat projects in the yard and Valerie and I have done the shopping and meal planning...just like old times.

The night of their arrival, one of our favorite local musicians, Dan Sullivan, played at the RV park where they are staying. It was a good time watching the 2 of them tear up the dance floor.

Yesterday, we had breakfast at the Stuffed Pig, and after dropping Dom off with Jeff, Valerie and I drove to the beach and waded in the warm surf. We watched the sunset and threw some horseshoes before grilling some burgers and calling it a night.

Today, the boys are off to the boatyard again and us, girls, are relaxing at the motor home.

Tonight, we'll watch another sunset and share another meal.

Tomorrow I will be sad to see them go.

I can only hope that when I become a septuagenarian I am still following whatever path life maps out for me whether it be waterway or highway and that I am just as spry and spunky, fun and funny, and as ready to roll as these two are.

Love you, Dom & Val!

Rehab for Boys and Dogs

2011-02-22T08:45:00.011-05:00

I think the dog needs to go to rehab.

[Amy Winehouse sings, "No, no, no..."]

As of late, he has been totally addicted to peanut butter...totally.

It all started when my friend, Angela, came for a visit last spring break. She brought Janus 2 toys: one made of fire-hose which she deemed "indestructible" until she watched Janus shred it in front of her very eyes; and a KONG. She picked out the "Extreme" variety made for voracious chewers, and it IS indestructible. In his previous life, Janus had an orange KONG that was used as a training device.
This one is just for fun.

At some point, we started putting peanut butter and a dog biscuit in the center...the KONG is made to do just such a thing...and he received this treat every evening to give a dog something to do.

We created a monster.

He now starts "asking" for the peanut butter-filled reward each afternoon.

He barks. He looks at you. He wags his tail. He cocks his head. It's all real cute... to start with.

His "asking" becomes more aggressive as you tell him it's not quite time.

He barks louder. He cries. He whines. He growls.

Try to ignore him and he will get the KONG and drop it front of you [or ON your toe]...over and over and over again with the crazed eyes of a junkie.

The best thing to do is to prepare the KONG early in the day and stick it in the fridge...this slows him down a little and is easier on the metatarsals.

Last night, I simply cut to the chase and shoved a dog biscuit in the practically empty jar of peanut butter...which I dubbed "creamy crack 4 dogs."

When he started to eat the actual jar, we took it away.

I'm telling you...rehab may be the only answer.

In other news, Jeff is doing a little rehabilitation of his own.

He had surgery on January 28th to try and fix a repetitive motion injury to his left elbow. It had been bothering him for quite a while and was gradually getting worse but he put off the procedure until the boat was back in the water.

On that Friday, they knocked him out, made an incision, moved the tendon, scraped the area clean, and sewed him back up. He woke up wanting a hamburger, which I got him on the way home.

He had strict orders to wear the arm in a sling and limit it's movement for the first week and a 1/2. It was very, very sore.

After his first follow-up visit, he was allowed to remove the sling and start stretching and extending the arm.

He just came back from the Doctor's office with reports that he is doing just fine and that the arm is healing as to be expected.

It's still sore, but better, and he's able to little things around the boat...within reason, and the incision is dwindling to a slight scar.

So, that's my boys in rehab...

...on the S/V THIN LINE

Life Resumed

2011-01-21T08:15:00.014-05:00

So, Life has finally resumed on the sailboat...
....hereby known as THIN LINE.

I don't have time for a big, lengthy blog about how happy we are to be back on the boat and the perils of living on land...I honestly don't know how you all do it.

We'll save all that for another time.

But yesterday was a good day.

First they picked the boat up.

Then moved her just to the right of where we have sat high and dry for the last 5 months.

Then they placed her very gently in the water.

That's when I popped the cork on the bottle of cheap champagne and took a swig.

The motor fired right up...amazing after sitting for so long...and Jeff maneuvered backwards down the canal to the space on the dock we'll be calling home for just a bit longer.

Doesn't that boat look beautiful in the water?

Once parked, Jeff took a sip from the champagne bottle, gave a sip to the boat, and then a sip to Neptune.

And of course, the dog had a sip as well!

I know some of you must be curious about the name change. The boat was formerly named "Exposure" because the previous owner was a photographer. Jeff found the name to be apropos because he thought of the lifestyle, travel, and the new places and things as being "exposed" to new experiences and cultures.

But after all the blood, sweat, and money that got put into this overhaul it was time to make it our own.

We thought of naming the boat "Groove Billy" in honor of the late, great musician, Tim Krekel.

We also thought of "Derby City" to hail our hometown of Louisville, KY.

Another option, "Parking Lot," was an reference that only the two of us understand.

And after a day of cartoons, we considered "Tuff Puppy."

"Thin Line" won out for several reasons. The first is we really admire our friend Dave Johnson's song writing talents and the line "it's a thin line between here and gone" really rings true when you live on a boat. If you don't like it HERE anymore, it's time to move on and go anywhere but. We really miss Dave since he's left Boot Key Harbor but we wish him the best in his musical endeavors upstate.

The other reason "Thin Line" works is as a reference to Jeff's prior occupation in law enforcement, retiring from the Louisville Police Department in 2007...the police often being referred to as "the Thin Blue Line."

And finally, there is the hope that someday we will pick up our mooring lines and travel. Then we will be a "thin line" on a map as we wind our way to destinations unknown.

That's all I have time for today.
Check back and I am sure there will be a slideshow of the whole remodeling process.
But for now, the long awaited day when we would be floating again is here and I just wanted to share.

Birthday Fun

2011-01-11T11:45:00.001-05:00

My birthday started a little early this year when the birthday celebrating started Monday morning.
Like any other Monday, I arrived at the marina to do the Net [VHF channel 68].
By the time I finished, 2 of my partners-in-crime for the day [Jen & Cindy] had already congregated in the parking lot with presents in hand...a tiara, a wand, flashy crown earrings, flashy crown bracelet, and a large bottle of champagne.

As you can see, you couldn't ask for a more beautiful day with the sun shining and temps in the upper 70's.

Once I donned the proper birthday bling, we were off to pick up our remaining cohort and designated driver [Karen].

Our only real plan was to have a good time and get out of town so we headed north.

First stop was The Island Grill, one of my all time favorite places in the Keys located about an hour away from Marathon in Islamorada by the Snake Creek bridge. We promptly ordered the tuna nachos which may quite possibly be the best thing to eat in the entire world: Fresh ahi grade tuna nestled on a bed of sesame seaweed salad over crisp wontons and topped with wasabi drizzle, sesame seeds, sweet soy, sriracha and scallions ...YUMMY. I wished I would have taken a picture of the plate as it arrived, but it's just too tasty not to immediately dig in and eat up. Instead, we took a picture of the group of law enforcement officers that had the misfortune to be seated next to us.

After filling our bellies, we loaded into the car and headed back south.
We had made a mental list on our way through of all the places we wanted to stop on the way back. Even though Islamorada is just a few islands away, it has remained mostly unexplored by me.

The first place that we came to that I-always-wanted-to-stop-at-but-haven't was Holiday Isle, a beautiful resort area on the ocean side. We found a place to sit and a nice, young man to take our picture and soaked up some sunshine.

Next stop was Bud n' Mary's Marina. Although mostly under reconstruction and not really a hang out and party kind of place, we made our way to the upper deck [At Our Own Risk] to take in the spectacular view and stuck our hands and heads in the giant shark...also At Our Own Risk.

Then it was back in the car until the next stop.

Anybody who has read my blog before should recall me mentioning Robbie's in prior entries.
It's one of our favorite places to have people stop either on the way from the airport or back to the mainland. With it's outdoor shops and $1 cold beers, it's a taste of the keys and a nice place to take a break.

Not to mention the interactive feeding of the tarpon.

18 years ago a tarpon showed up at the marina hurt and floundering. The local vet was called and that particular tarpon was the first known to ever receive medical care.

He survived and apparently spread the word that Robbie's was a good place to hang out and now you can see hundreds of them everyday...just waiting for you to feed them a snack.

For a small amount of money you can purchase a bucket of fish, head out on to the dock, and risk life and limb [<~~not really...but kind of] dangling dead pinfish in front of the large, gaping mouths of the prehistoric-esc tarpon.

And if it's your birthday, and you tell them, you get a free bucket.

And in my case, a strange foreign guy holding a net on the dock to keep the pelicans at bay asked me quite seriously if I was a queen.

I replied, "No, it's just my birthday," and he went and got me another free bucket of fish.

Must have been the tiara.

We wandered the premises a little bit longer, taking in the wares, snapping pictures, and trying to get the fishy smell off of our hands.

Then it was back in the car and off to our next destination...

...The Safari Lounge, otherwise known throughout the Keys as "the Dead Animal Bar" because of all the big game heads mounted on the walls and ceiling.

The lounge is located on the second floor with a glassed-in panoramic view of the ocean. They don't serve food and you can smoke inside and this is most certainly where our day started to spiral out of control. We already had drinks, so we ordered shots. Then we ordered more, stronger shots. Then another round of shots after that. We might have been a bit obnoxious, but I guarantee that 3 out of 4 of us were having a really good time.

Back in the car, I noticed our designated driver seemed a little disgruntled and I started looking in my car for a snack for her...thinking that should fix the problem.

Instead, I found my taser.

Now the batteries in my taser have been mostly dead for a very long time.
You click the button and nothing happens...no shock, no jolt, no 400,000 volt pick-me-up.
Nada.
Except for when I laid it down in my lap...then it zapped me with some sort of residual charge left in the prongs. It didn't hurt, but it will get your attention.

I decided to see if it would do it again and not wanting to try it myself, I zapped the driver.
Bad idea.
An already grumpy, designated driver who really just needed a snack and a nap did not find the humor in being tazed...no matter how slight.

Jen [the redhead], always a sport, lightened things up by bouncing up and down in the backseat saying "Do me! Do me!"

So I did.

And now to change the subject...

It's a little known fact, but beaches -especially nice ones, are not very prevalent in the Keys. The Keys are basically a string of rocks dangling off the end of Florida, dividing the Gulf of Mexico from the Atlantic Ocean.
So, when you come across a good one, it is compulsory that you stop and wiggle your toes in the sand.
Anne's Beach is a good one and so we made the stop.
We had seen kite-surfers there earlier in the day, but they were all gone by the time we made it back. So, we waded in the water, took a few more pics, and gave Karen a bit of time before getting back in the car with us.

Then it was back to Marathon.
Food was eminently important for at least one member of our party, so we headed to Burdine's.
After a quick stop at Porky's and then a drop-off at the Marina and I was ready to head home.

The actual day of my birthday was spent a little more sedately, but it was still good, none the less. It was a boatyard day since we still have work to be done. Jeff went on ahead of me to the yard giving me a little extra time to lounge about.

The day was warm and sunny, Jen came over, and cocktails were had. I opened presents and received Happy Birthday phone calls and Facebook messages.
By the end of the day, the first coat of varnish was on the wood and that was a great thing to see.

Dinner was at my favorite mexican restaurant and we called it an early evening.

So, until next year...
Happy Birthday to Me!

[And just remember, drinking and tasers just don't mix.]

A Merry Christmas

2010-12-29T10:56:00.003-05:00

Well, I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas.
We started off our day pretty early...Jeff was up at 6:30 am and we were opening presents by 7.
The dog was a big help in the present opening!

Later, we had a great day at friends, Andy and Suzi's house.

Matt and Kendra joined us, as did Andy's son, Michael.

We made a huge pot of homemade spaghetti sauce and copious amounts of meatballs. It wasn't a white Christmas as a lot of you had, but it was a warm Christmas. Temperatures rose to the mid 70's and we spent time out on the deck, canal side, soaking up the sun and enjoying good company.
Be patient, and perhaps I'll get those recipes posted on the What's for Dinner blog.

If you like eggnog, I posted an interesting recipe here:
Tropical Eggnog
It should warm you up and give you a bit of the feel of the Keys. Enjoy.

Oh...and in the meantime, I got a job.
Yes, you read it right. I am now a cashier at The Home Depot. I've finished up most of my training and have spent 2 days on a register all by myself. I've even received my first paycheck. Pretty exciting.

So there's a quick holiday blog...
With any luck, the next blog will be about us putting the boat back in the water. let's keep our fingers crossed.

Happy New Year, Everyone!

Another Update...

2010-12-05T11:39:00.018-05:00

Well, it's December and the boat still isn't back in the water. It's coming along though even if it's not as quickly as one could hope. They say we could be done Friday but then the paint will have to harden for several days before it can be put on the lift or the dog allowed to come aboard. At that point, we will start the laborious process of putting everything back together from the rigging, to the electric, to the propane, to the doors and drawers...the list just goes on.

In the meantime, we're still living in "The Cottage" right on US 1.

November 13th was Aviation Day at the Marathon Airport [conveniently located right across the street!] and my friend, Cindy, and I took in the exhibitions along with her son, Chris.

This is us on the Coast Guard boat.

We've also been having a good time following our friends, Chris & Randy, and their growing success as The Barnacles.

This is us at Burdines. It seemed like most of the harbor turned out for this particular event!

Karen had a birthday on the 14th of November and we had a great party at the tiki hut with BBQ ribs for dinner and jello shots for dessert. We went all out with cake, balloons, silly string, a grass skirt, a tiara, and a crown as well.

Jeff's birthday was the 15th, but he threw his back out and wasn't up for much celebrating. We had a quiet dinner at home and we'll just pick another day in the near future that he can pretend is his birthday and we'll go whoop it up somewhere.

I also had a project to complete.
I'd been waiting for weeks for the boatyard to repair, prep, and spray the faceboards that go on the front of the boat.
Jeff and I refinished these boards 3 years ago with store bought spray paint and gold leaf paint. It held up for a while but then faded and tarnished.
This time, we decided we were going to do them right!

I ordered the thin sheets of gold leaf and other supplies off the internet and found myself a very still place in the garage to work.
Any breeze at all can be quite detrimental for this delicate work.
I double-leafed both boards to a beautiful golden sheen and they have since been sprayed with a protective clear-coat.

I can't wait to see them on the boat. They should be quite striking with the new paint job.

For Thanksgiving, we decided to make the 1201.4 mile trek to Louisville, Ky. The plan was that I would pack up the car and the dog and I would pick Jeff up from work at 6pm and we would hit the road. At the very last minute, I had a bit of a panic attack about how much stuff was actually going to fit in the car and still give us room to stretch out. I called our friends Hilary and Charles [S/V Ship of Fools] who graciously dropped what they were doing to come hook me up with their "space case." It looked like a rocket on the top of the car, but it held all our luggage and stuff giving us plenty of room to sprawl out.

One of the best parts of the drive was falling asleep in the wee, dark hours and waking up to FALL. I miss leaves turning colors and that brisk chill in the air.

We arrived in Kentucky on Monday in the early afternoon [just under 19 hours] to a beautiful, sunshiney day. An hour later, we went out to unload the car only to find the left rear tire completely flat! At least we made it there!

Jeff's niece, Lainey, came over on Tuesday to spend the afternoon and give Jeff a lesson on hoola-hooping. Later, the rest of the family joined us and we ordered a couple of fabulous pizzas from a new place called DiOrio's.

On Wednesday, while Jeff ran errands, my friend, Georgia, and I went to Lynn's Paradise Cafe, a perennial favorite and Louisville landmark, for some breakfast and catching up. My next stop was to my former employers, The Rooks-Rapport family, for a quick chat and to find a warm pair of boots out my things still in their basement before they rushed off to catch a plane to Chicago for their holiday gathering. Then it was back to the house for me to help Jeff's mom, Denise, prepare the holiday meal. We made pies, mashed potatoes, broccoli casserole, dressing, and dip...all for the following day. Later that evening, my friend, Angela, came for a visit and we all sat in the kitchen sipping bourbon and having a nice time.

The good weather was not long to last, and on Thursday, our traditional Thanksgiving Day bonfire in the backyard was a little soggy. Luckily, there was enough time in the early hours to get the fire started before the sun rose and the rain started. With the help of an ample supply of umbrellas, we all enjoyed the fire despite the frequent downpours.

As expected, the meal was fabulous...
...shared in good company and with a kids table for the first time ever!

Back row left to right: Jeff, me, Christy, Rob, Grayson [age 2]
Front row left to right: Denise, Kelly, Lainey [age 5], Allison, Dan, Lincoln [age 3]

That evening, I headed up to my Dad's, about an hour west of Louisville. My brother and his family had driven from North Carolina and I was excited to see my niece, Maddie Jean.
I called ahead to say I was running late and there was no way I could touch another bite so eat without me. Little did I know at that time that my car wasn't going to start. It was pouring down rain and I had a dead battery. Joy. Kelly graciously offered me his vehicle and I was back on track.

Maddie was waiting for me when I arrived in all of her 2-year old exuberance. We spent the evening just laughing and being silly.

And of course there was pie. Pumpkin and cherry.
Since Maddie helped make them, I had to have a bit of each.
Had to.
And they were both delicious.

The next day, we were off to nearby Santa Claus, Indiana, to find the great man in red. Our first stop, the Christmas Store contained everything you could possibly imagine for Christmas...except for Santa.

He was running a bit behind schedule but we were told we could probably catch him at a nearby candy store.

So we were off in pursuit of Ho Ho.

And we found him at the candy store.

Maddie showed no fear as she climbed up on his lap and told him what she wanted for Christmas.
She even went back for a big hug as we were leaving.

Then it was back to the house for a bit of lunch...turkey fritters made with left-overs and a bit of lounging about.

That evening found us having family dinner at The Black Buggy in Jasper, an Amish buffet and bakery.

Saturday morning I headed back to Louisville after a bit of breakfast.
My brother and his wife, Jolene, along with Maddie stopped by for a quick visit and then it was time to say goodbye as they started off back to North Carolina.

Jeff had his last fire going in the barrel in the backyard and it was hard to pack up and leave.

Especially, when Angela showed up with bloody mary mix and her son, Kory, in tow.

But, eventually, we all had places we had to be so Jeff and I hit the road and headed for The Chamber's Farm near Leitchfield, Kentucky.

Our friends, Donnie and Janet, have been to the boat multiple times and it was our turn to visit them.

They were ready for us too, with a giant pile of debris just waiting to be lit. Just a little before sunset, we lit the blaze and it burned well into the next morning. It was quite chilly that day with a bit of frost on the ground in the morning so the fire provided a nice, warm gathering place.

One of the best features of the Chamber's Farm is the chickens. Jeff and I were up early the next morning and went out to check out the coop. The birds were making quite the racket...roosters cock-a-doodling, hens squawking, and guinea hens making the weird noises that guinea hens make.
Janet has a lot of exotic chickens that I have never seen or even heard of before, including a pair that lay blue and green eggs.

Janus had a good time checking out the birds and trying to figure out a way in. They all seemed to be checking him out as well.
He feels right at home on The Chamber's Farm.

Donnie was up shortly after us and started in the kitchen making us all breakfast of steaks, croissants, and farm-fresh eggs. The eggs always taste best at Donnie and Janet's!

After breakfast, we all set off on a mid-morning hike. We started off through the back field, around the pond, and then through the woods, down a hill until we came to the site of the spring where the farm's water comes from. Then it was down to the road and around some of the surrounding properties. Scenically located above Rough River, the walk provided us with splendid views of the area.

We all should have known that when we went downhill that we would have to eventually come back up but I don't think any of us realized where the Chamber's were leading us. The first part of the climb was quite an incline, but at least we were on pavement. The second part found our party practically crawling straight up a thickly wooded hillside, climbing over rocks and logs and sifting through branches, fallen leaves, and briars.

We all made it up [barely] and then back to the house to recover from our forced climb.

The afternoon found us eating chili and lounging about watching movies...
...resting up for the long haul back to Marathon.

We were off the next day, hours before the sun rose, and pulled into "The Cottage" around 2am.
Another 19 hours in the car completed.

We had a really, wonderful time while visiting over the holiday.
Between the family, the food, the friends, and the fires, you just couldn't beat it!
It was great to see everybody!

So Close

2010-10-24T11:47:00.012-04:00

I know it's been a while since I've written anything about the life on the S/V Exposure. I guess the problem is that life is still not taking place on the boat but in yet one more of a string of temporary land dwellings. We just moved in to our third "apartment"...I hesitate to use that term to describe our newest residence. The landlord calls it a "Cottage." It's really just a room with a frig, oven, sink, bed, and a bathroom. It's located right next to the roar of US1 with a stunning view of the airport. To call it a cottage leaves much to the imagination.

I am hoping we won't be here for long.

In the meantime, in between the torrential rains and high winds - both a deterrent for getting work done in a boatyard - the S/V Exposure is starting to come together. We've completed the interior painting of the ceilings and walls and the floor has been sanded and refinished as well as all the inside woodwork.
All the wood on the doors and drawers has been newly varnished and all the Formica inserts have a new faux finish.
It's a brand new boat on the inside...we're just waiting now on the outside.

The exterior of the hull has been sanded, primered, washed, and prepped and this past Wednesday actually sprayed with 3 shiny, new coats of paint.
The new color is a creamy, off-white a few shades brighter than the previous color. Once that has time to cure a bit, they'll tape her off and spray the burgundy colored strip. Weather pending, the decks and cockpit will get painted next. The prop still needs to be sent for reconditioning and the cutlass bearing needs replacing. Then the very last thing before splashing will be a coat of black bottom paint.

Jeff and I still have a few projects of our own to complete such as reinstalling the sink and all the lights and electrical outlets. Its my plan to gold leaf the scroll-work on the front faceboards just as soon as they get sprayed black and then I'll send them back for clear-coating before they get reattached to the front of the boat. Then it's just a matter of getting everything put back together.

But it hasn't been all work and no play since the boat came out of the water on August 12th.

There was a Girl's Brunch that lasted all day- one of our many gatherings to say "Bon Voyage!" to Megan [& Bob]; a couple of parties at the tiki hut; a birthday dinner for Matt, our friend and newest Marina employee [rotisserie ribs and chocolate pie]; and we spent the day in Key West with our good friends from Kentucky, Donnie and Janet, who arrived by cruise ship.

And with the inclement weather, being off the boat has had a few advantages. The air-conditioning has kept us nice and cool and the roof has kept us nice and dry while we spent a couple of lazy, rainy days reading books and watching movies on the big screen. The last place even had a washer and dryer...very exciting.

We've been warned that this new place has a tendency to take on water [i.e. it floods] when it rains real hard...so that's almost like being on a boat right?

We're close. We're just not there yet.

Progress, a Party, and a Fish Story

2010-09-14T10:25:00.001-04:00

~Progress~

Well, we are making progress on the S/V Exposure. After 9 days of sanding, vacuuming, wiping, taping, and a complete evacuation of the contents of the boat, we've spent another 6 days or so laying multiple coats of Cetol Natural Teak onto all the wood and it's looking good. Apparently, in the process of doing so, I have developed boatyard induced tourettes, with the curse words amply flying when something doesn't go quite my way. One of the biggest problems has been not dripping sweat onto the finish in the 90+ degree heat, and not bumping into wet areas while hitting some of the tighter spots has proven to be quite the challenge as well.

But, we still have a long way to go with primering and painting ceiling and walls and the outside of the boat is only going to get done weather pending and we have had quite the rainy season.
[Monsoon season?]

Jeff has gotten quite a bit done on the outside, stripping the decks of hardware and lines, and painstaking drilling and filling all the cracks topsides.

We're checking in to extending our stay at the apartment for another month although I've become a little apprehensive of our temporary abode after watching a scorpion walk across the floor late the other night and disappear under the refrigerator. From now on, I am sitting at the computer with the can of wasp and hornet spray with the 27 foot jet stream [Yes, scorpion is listed on the can.] and there will be no walking around barefoot. I keep telling myself that one scorpion does not an infestation make...but it's still creepy.

The wasp and hornet spray has been all but used up at this point on actual wasps. When we first arrived at the apartment, Jeff did a fine job of spraying all the pre-existing nests of the stinging little beasts but they apparently decided to go into stealth mode and make new nests under all the outdoor furniture. Last night when I sat down I was immediately stung and after applying ice to the welt, I went on a rampage, overturning chairs, and spraying anything with a stinger. Time to get a new can.

The dog, on the other hand, is very happy with apartment life...especially since he has a 10 year old, girl german shepard who lives upstairs and a 2 year old, girl rottweiler who lives next door and both come to the door to see if he can come out and play. He's partial to the rotty and it's real cute to see them romp around and wrestle. She's not very graceful and often falls off the porch during these play sessions and the landscaping is never quite the same after she leaves.

~A Party~

This past Saturday was my friend Megan's 50th birthday and to help her celebrate, we had a big party at the tiki hut. There was music by our local fellows, Randy and Chris, who are making a go at being professional musicians. The grills were ablaze with hamburgers, hot dogs, and beer butt chicken. Everyone brought a dish and a good time was had by all. Great turn out.

I took the opportunity to try out a recipe that I have heard my friend, Angela [Angela's Adventure, Angela's Visit], rave about on numerous occasions. The recipe calls for you to take club crackers, heap them with Parmesan cheese, wrap them in a half slice of bacon, and bake in the oven for 2 hours. I certainly would have never attempted baking anything for 2 hours on the boat during the summer, so the apartment and its oven came in handy.
The treats did turn out quite tasty although they were a bit of a pain to make, especially in party sized quantity. The recipe calls for the wrapped pieces to be placed on a rack on a cookie sheet so, I had to improvise by using one oven rack as "the rack" and wrapping the second oven rack in aluminum foil as "the cookie sheet." Quite clever, I thought on my part until an hour and 20 minutes into it when the oven started smoking and I realized a grease fire was eminent. I calmly turned the oven off while my friend, Jen, scurried around looking for baking soda. I removed the racks from the oven, transferred the now slightly shrunken treats to 2 baking dishes [sans racks], and returned them to the oven to finish up. Disaster averted.
When they came out of the oven, I transferred them to a pizza box to drain, cool, and be transported to the party, another stroke of genius on my part with this one actually working out!

And since a birthday party isn't really a party until you have something tasty to sip on, I invented a new drink in honor of Megan's big occasion. I'm calling it a Dirty Banana.
Take 1 part 99 Bananas. Add 2 parts Friday's Mudslide Mixer. Now add 1/2 part vodka and 1/4 part rum. Shake well and shoot.
I made a big batch using a Captain Tony's cup as my measuring device so the vodka and rum parts are not exact measurements. You could also use Chi Chi's mudslide mix and since it has alcohol in it just omit the vodka and rum.
Once I had mine all mixed together, I put it in the freezer for several hours and then into a cooler of ice for the party. It's got enough alcohol in it that I am pretty sure you could make it up and just leave a batch in the freezer.
Ice cold, this makes for a tasty little shooter...not too sweet and not too strong.
Happy 50th Birthday, Megan!

~A Fish Story~

Where there's a party, there's always a mess to clean up afterward. I met up with Bob, Megan's significant other half, Sunday morning to assess the damage. It wasn't so bad, just a few left-over items, some soggy crepe paper, and a pile of abandoned peanuts. I found a couple of brooms, a dustpan, a rag, and some windex to get the stickiness off the tables and Bob and I set to work. Others joined in and soon enough the tiki was squeaky clean...mostly. During the cleaning process, there was a commotion on the nearby ramp to the new dinghy docks.
A large pinfish had jumped out of the water and gotten himself stuck. I took one of the brooms and hurriedly swept the fish down the ramp and back into the water. He floated to the surface, belly up. Not a good sign.
But his tail was still moving and he was trying to get turned around. I gave him a gentle nudge with the broom handle and he got himself righted although he still wasn't going anywhere. A few more swishes of the tail, a wiggle of the fins, and cries from me to rally and at least he was staying totally submerged. Looking good...
...and then a shadow appears from under the dock - several feet long and BIG...
...and then POW!
The shadow ate my fish.
Game over.

[Temporary] New Digs

2010-08-31T08:31:00.000-04:00

I came back to Marathon to the boat hauled out of the water...
...And Jeff residing in an apartment off of 70th Street.

Now, we had this all planned before I left...
...So don't be thinking he just up and moved while I was out of town!

The apartment is the walk-out basement of a house and it comes complete with AC, cable, a shaded patio, and a beautiful view.

It's a bedroom, a bathroom and a kitchen/living room. Not real big, but fairly substantial compared to the boat.

There's lots of space for the dog to run around and we even have a path that goes to the Gulf of Mexico that we've been walking [and swimming] on most evenings.

I love all the plants around the house...especially the large Banyan Tree in the front.

And it's not just plant life we're surrounded with...
I've had a lizard in the sink, a crab on the sidewalk, and a scorpion on the patio.

We brought the dinghy around the island on one of Jeff's days off so we can explore the Gulf side. It took us a little longer than it should have when we passed it up and went all the way to the end of Vaca Key. In our defense, we were all out of landmarks except for the occassional airplane landing at the nearby airport.
But we found it eventually.

Our days have been mostly spent in the boatyard sanding all of the interior area for painting and varnishing. It's hot work with the temps in the mid-90's and the breeze never coming from the right way to get in the hatches.

It's also pretty dirty work. We both left the yard yesterday caked in sawdust and sweat. Even my eyeballs were dirty.

That's when it's time to pour a cocktail and head down our secret little path and swim in the Gulf of Mexico in our dusty, grimey clothes, cooling of in the cool breeze on the walk back to the apartment deciding what to have for dinner.

So Life on the S/V Exposure has been temporarily relocated to new digs elsewhere, but we're still spending lots of time [and energy] on the boat. We're really looking forward to getting her back in the water with all her shiny new paint and wood...inside and out...and it could take up to a whole other month to finish up. But now you know where we're at and what we're up to. I'll be taking pictures of our progress and should have some of those up soon.

A Month on the Mainland

2010-08-20T16:54:00.003-04:00

After spending almost a month in North Carolina, I made my way back to the Florida Keys this past Monday. It was a long drive coming in just under 14 hours, but it was easy and uneventful.

I had a really great time during my visit to the mainland, and the best part of it was spending time with family. With my Mom and Brother [with Jolene and Maddie] both living in Greensboro, it made it easy to do a lot of things together. We ate many meals at the same table and enjoyed each others company at my brother's house. During the week, with Keith and Jolene both working, I'd try to put us together something decent for dinner. On the weekends, we all wandered around the Piedmont Triad Farmer's Market. With it's huge selection of heirloom tomatoes, peaches, corn, berries, baked goods, grits, and country ham...just to name a small sampling of the wares available...going to the Farmer's Market is certainly one of my favorite things about being in NC. And if you start off with us all gathered for breakfast at the Moose Cafe, I like it even better.

Spending time with my Mom was nice. We played cards, went out for lunch, explored downtown during the Gallery Hop, munched on Brixx Pizza, shopped in Chapel Hill, made lotion, and took Maddie to this cool place called ArtQuest where we painted, played with clay, made bracelets, cut paper and afterward had lunch with my brother at the Center for Creative Leadership where he works as head chef.

The best days were the ones spent with Maddie. We blew bubbles, played in the water, and drew all over the drive-way with sidewalk chalk. We'd have a snack, color, watch Baby Einstein, and start all over again. If I was lucky, we both got a nap. We had our own little outing one day with a stop at Hobby Lobby, the grocery store, and McCallister's for lunch and she was truly an angel. She's a very funny 2-year old and very entertaining. I chuckle to myself whenever I think of some of the silly things she says or her imitation of a butterfly after every bath. I miss her terribly.

While in NC, I also got to spend time with family 2 hours away from Greensboro on the east side of Raleigh: my 19 year old niece, Josie; my 22 year old nephew, Zachary; and their parents, Mark and Anne. My first visit was for a Pool Party Bash in honor of Zachary graduating, having a birthday, and going off to grad school. There was a tent, a keg, and a pig as well as corn hole, horseshoes, and beer pong. Kids of all ages were in the pool and a good time was had by all. I enjoyed catching up with with my [ex] sister-in-law, Genevieve; her husband, Steve; and her 2 children, Jackson and Taylor, who came from Louisville for the big event. The kids have grown up so much since the last time I saw them!
I went back again at the end of my trip and spent the day with Josie going out to lunch and a bit of shopping and then a nice relaxing weekend laying around the pool and tossing corn hole.

I am glad to be back home. I missed Jeff and the dog. I missed my girlfriends. And I missed the water and the island I call HOME...
But, now that I'm here...I miss all the people I left in North Carolina.

Happy Birthday, Maddie!

2010-07-26T14:37:00.008-04:00

My niece, Maddie, whom I have mentioned in prior blog entries [ Meet Hurricane Maddie and New Year In North Carolina] turned 2 today and I am in Greensboro, North Carolina to help celebrate the occasion. I arrived this past Friday after a very long, 2 day drive to get here. On day 1, I stopped after 9 and 1/2 hours and spent the night at a Red Roof outside of Savannah, Georgia just as it started pouring down rain. I then finished up the meandering route the next day arriving around 2 in the afternoon. My Dad, Tracy, and his wife, Barbara, had already arrived from Indiana to spend the weekend and were in the process of babysitting the birthday girl. Maddie was a little shy when I first walked in but came around pretty quickly and soon I was her new favorite person. We played with stickers, found "Nemo", and tried out the backyard swingset. My sister-in-law, Jolene, and my brother, Keith, arrived home from work and after Maddie's exercise session at Little Gym, we picked up some pizza for a quick easy dinner and I soon called it a night.

Saturday was the birthday party. Divided into 2 separate events, the first half of the day was spent at a nearby park with lots of toddlers, snacks, and a giant, jungle animal cake. The nearby play area kept the little ones busy and water balloons and squirt bottles kept them cooled off in the record-breaking heat. By noon, the party dwindled to family-only and we headed back to the house. Keith and my Dad had smoked a pork butt the night before that was now finishing to fall-apart, smoky tenderness in the crockpot. Along with home-made cole-slaw, marinated cucumbers, 7-layer salad, maple baked beans, and fresh slices of vine-ripe German Johnson tomatoes topped with Keith's home-made mozzarella, basil, and a drizzle of olive oil - we had quite the spread for lunch. Maddie opened presents and then in a state of sensory overload and pure exhaustion finally went down for a nap while the adults lounged around in the living room conversing. After another round of cake, the already dwindled party dwindled even further bringing an end to the day's festivities.

Sunday was an easy relaxed day starting off with a quick trip to the local farmer's market for tomatoes, peaches, fresh baked bread, and other tasty treats. Lunch back at the house consisted of gourmet BLT's on the newly acquired bread with huge slices of shoulder bacon baked to perfection, crisp lettuce, and more vine-ripe tomatoes straight from someone's garden accompanied by a side dish of heirloom red peppers stuffed with shredded smoked pork, corn, onion, jalepeno, and white cheddar cheese. You wouldn't think after all that we would need to eat again for the rest of the day, but beef ribs were rubbed and thrown into the smoker and attended to for 3 hours for a yummy supper along with buttered, corn on the cob and sliced tomatoes and cucumbers.
Monday morning rolled around and as Maddie went to daycare and Keith and Jolene to work, my Dad and Barb headed back to Indiana. I took a walk, treated myself to lunch and then did a little Wal-mart shopping. The highlight of the day was yet to come when everyone arrived back at the house and after a quick dinner, Maddie blew out the candles on her cake. The cake itself was fabulous in looks, texture, and taste having come from the Delicious Bakery, but was nothing compared to witnessing the pure glee and excitement bubbling out of my 2-year old niece as she sang happy birthday to herself.
I am very glad that I was here to share and witness Maddie turning 2.

Happy Birthday, Maddie!

(& many more...)

Shade

2010-07-21T17:00:00.003-04:00

During the summer months in the Keys, the temperature very rarely drops below 90...even overnight! Shade becomes very important. Walking through the marina I always choose the shadiest route, but what do you do out in the mooring field when there is no shade to be found?
You just have to make your own!
Or in our case, you hire a great canvas guy to come out and measure and fit the boat with customized shade. This is Garth from Custom Canvas and he did some work for us [new black vinyl cushions inside the boat] when we first arrived in Marathon. So, he was the person we called when it was time to shade the boat.
For the most part, we had been using tarps for shade...draping them over the booms and securing them with bungee cords, but the tarps degrade quickly in the harsh UV rays and start to flake and make a huge mess. Plus, they never fit just right and can make quite a bit of noise flapping around.

The new awning is made of a material called STAMOID and is supposed to last for at least 10 years. It is highly durable, light-weight, UV resistant, extremely waterproof, and easy to clean. The awning is 2 peices that zip together on either side of the mast and the sides have flaps that drop down to keep out the rising and setting sun.

Keeping the sun off the deck keeps the boat from heating up inside and keeps it much cooler.

If you look closely at the cockpit, you'll noticed we added shade to that as well with a black, mesh fabric that blocks out 60% of the sun's rays yet lets the breeze pass through. It runs through a track on the bimini top and snaps in at the bottom for a neat, snug fit.

We're really enjoying our newest boat improvement because now we've got it made in the shade living in the Florida Keys ...and we'll just leave all that sun for the tourists.

My Old Kentucky Home

2010-07-10T12:01:00.018-04:00

Jeff and I just recently made a roadtrip to our home port of Louisville, KY. According to MapQuest, it was a 1201 mile drive from the marina to Jeff's mamma's front door. We opted to drive it straight through to save time and left Monday, June 28th around 4:30 in the afternoon. The night went on without incident as we stopped periodically for food, gas, and dog walking and we took turns sleeping in the back seat...much to the dog's dismay since that meant he was allocated to the front seat and not quite as comfortable. We were less than 2 miles from the Kentucky state line when the car over-heated for the first time. I was driving, Jeff was sleeping, and the temperature light came on and sounded an alarm. We pulled over, assessed the situation, and decided we could limp on to the rest area a mile or so away.
Welcome to Kentucky!
We parked in the shade and popped the hood. Nothing was smoking or spewing so we waited a few minutes for it to cool while Jeff cruised neighboring vehicles asking for antifreeze. He was told there was a truck stop a mile or so away and surely they would have something there. We got back on the interstate, blinkers a'blazing, and made it to the next stop. Antifreeze was purchased and after a bit more cooling, we were back on the road. The car was still running hot, but we made it safely to Louisville and could deal with the problem later.
We arrived at Denise's around 4:30 in the afternoon - a full 24 hours in the car! We relaxed for a bit and let the dog run around in the fenced in backyard while we checked out the newly renovated house. Since the last time we had been to the house, walls had been knocked out to create a new, open floor plan. The kitchen, once small and cramped was now bright and roomy with new appliances and a large bar/island. The once unfinished steps to the basement had been reconfigured and carpeted to lead down to the new workout room. The formal dining room was moved to the seldom used front room of the house. Both spare bedrooms had a new look and the master bedroom was made more private and bigger by changing the entrance and adding on to the back of the house.
The house looked great!

As we brought our things in the house and started to settle into our newly redecorated bedroom, Jeff found his mail...a package he had ordered before leaving the Keys and had sent to Louisville.
He opened it up and then donned his new...
...HAIR!
What a hoot!
What every bald guy needs...Flair Hair.
It does keep the sun off his head and it's good for a chuckle every time some unsuspecting person does a double take.

After catching up with Kelly and Denise over a few refreshments in the backyard, we had some dinner and then off to bed for some desperately needed sleep.
We slept late the next day and then started in on some of things that we intended to get done. One of the reasons for driving was so that Jeff could hand deliver the 2 pieces of yard art that he had acquired for Denise's Birthday/Mother's Day presents. After a trip to Home Depot for supplies, poles were pounded into the ground. A quick call was made to borrow a hacksaw to finish up the job...which Steve and Lisa Lindell graciously delivered...and the art work was mounted in the hosta bed in the backyard. Steve and Lisa hung around for a bit while we all reviewed Jeff's handiwork.
Aunt Karen arrived and after a pleasant evening hanging out in the backyard, we had a yummy dinner of slow simmered pot roast with carrots and mashed potatoes.
The next day brought more small chores to be accomplished. First a crack was filled in the patio and then Jeff headed to his Dad's to visit and flush the radiator. Denise prepared a delicious meatloaf for dinner and we played a somewhat noisy game of cards afterward.
The next day, the plan was to color the patio with a semi-transparent stain to brighten it up, camouflage the crack, and give it a fresh look. First step was to apply a coat of primer. While it was drying, Jeff and I made a trip to Bardstown Rd. where he visited a friend and I walked to Dot Fox, a quaint yet funky boutique, to purchase some new Rainbow Sandals. On our way back, we stopped and grabbed a sack of White Castles...because you can't just get them anywhere, you know! After a quick stop at Mom's Music to gather a few guitar supplies, we were back to finish the patio.
Once at the house, we all grabbed rollers and started to work. When my friend, Angela, called to say she was driving up the street I handed my roller to Kelly so he could take over where I left off along the edge. The color went on well and dried to a subtle, smooth finish.
Next, we sat back to admire our work and catch up with Angela who had just driven from Dayton. Sloppy Joe's were on the menu for dinner and we spent a nice evening with good conversion, Jeff playing guitar, and a pesky crossword puzzle that we all put our heads together [along with Google] to finish.

The weekend was a whirlwind of activity with a family cook-out and a pool party.
My Dad and his wife, Barbara, attended the family gathering as did Jeff's Aunt Sheila and Uncle Bill and Aunt Karen. The meal was fabulous with grilled chicken and tomato-basil italian sausages accompanied by my baked mac & cheese, fresh green beans slowed cooked in the crockpot with onion and country ham, summer slaw, and deviled eggs. To top that all off, Barbara made not just one, but 2, decadently rich desserts: a dark chocolate flour-less torte and chocolate pecan bars. It was a great meal and a quiet evening spent in good company.

The pool party on the other hand...not so quiet.
Hosted by Mike and Leslie Kenney at their home in Prospect, the pool party proved itself to be an exercise in drinking and debauchery - although also in good company. In attendance were Coley and Karin McDevitt, Meg and Dave Drummond, and the newly wedded Craig and Karen Kinney as well as Jeff and I and Angela. Everyone brought a little something to contribute to the party. Jeff brought Yuengling beer all the way from Florida. I picked up a delicious cheese torte from Doll's Market and a bottle of Prosecco. Meg and Dave made red, white, and blue jello shots. And never to be outdone, Coley juiced an entire watermelon with several limes to create a watermelon lime-aid that became an enticing mixer for a very, hot day in July. There were lot's of snacks and a fully stocked bar.
And the pool felt great!
Mike claimed early on that no one ever gets in the pool during pool parties, but within minutes of arriving, Jeff was diving in.
And he wasn't the only one.
Mike and Leslie's yellow lab puppy, Stella [The Yella] made quite a big splash when she was finally released from captivity and allowed to join the party.
After several rounds of Coley's watermelon lime-ade "Surprise" drinks [You wanted vodka? Surprise! It's rum. Or maybe it's the other way around...] everyone ended up in pool. After lots of laughs and a few toasts, dinner was served: a fabulous spread of cold dishes and salads. Easy, tasty, and cool.

The long, holiday weekend wrapped up with another family cookout at Dan and Allison's where Jeff got to spend some time with niece, Lainey, and nephew, Lincoln. Lincoln was a little shy, but Lainey was not, and both enjoyed checking out Jeff's station wagon. We had burgers and dogs on the grill and called it a night.

Our last night in town was spent with Tommy and Allyson Cooper on their 50 ft. Gibson Executive houseboat with guests Everett and Jimmy having snacks and cocktails but not going anywhere. When the boat rocked slightly side to side, it felt odd to be on a boat after being on dry land for over a week. Shortly after sunset, we headed for bed with plans to get on the road in the not so bright yet early morning.

We barely made it into Tennessee before the sun was high in the sky and the car was overheating again. The day before leaving for the long trip home, we had taken the car to Valvoline and had the oil changed, the radiator flushed, a headlight replaced, and all the fluids checked...apparently to no avail. We exited at Lavergne and found a Midas station where they diagnosed the problem as a broken fan clutch, fixed it, and sent us on our way. Within 5 miles down the road, the car was overheating again. We turned around and had a new water pump and thermostat installed. A test drive proved the car to be in no better shape. The mechanics spent a little more time exhausting every possible option with no results. 8 hours and $611.42 later, we decided staying there any longer was only a huge waste of time and we moved on down the road. The car was mostly fine while doing 50-55. It was going uphill that proved to be challenging. We crawled through the mountains at 20 miles an hour in the emergency lane with the blinkers on and we each breathed a sigh of relief at the top of each summit. Completely exhausted from the stressful driving, we pulled over in Dalton, Georgia for a bite of dinner and a break. We noticed a GM dealership on our way to Steak n' Shake and opted to spend the night at a nearby Travelodge and take the car to be serviced again first thing in the morning rather than risk breaking down in the middle of the night in the middle of nowhere...or worse yet, smack in the middle of ghetto Atlanta.
Jeff was up early and the first one in line at the service station. He left the car and walked back to the room where we hung out in the AC and napped and read the morning away. At 11:15 they called about the car and said it was fixed. It was merely a vacuum problem that they flushed out...no charge!
So we were back on the road. 15 minutes later we're overheating again. It was an extremely hot day and we were in the hills of Georgia. The only thing to do was trudge on through. Ac off. Windows open. 50 m.p.h. Once the sun set, we were able to go 60. In the middle of the night, I pushed it up to 70. We arrived at the marina at 5 a.m. Friday morning. We were happy to be home and there will be no more roadtrips for the station wagon.

We had a great time while visiting our old Kentucky home but it was impossible in the short time we were there to see everyone we wanted to see or spend any length of time with the people we did get to visit. For that I apologize and extend the invitation that you all are always welcome to come visit us in the Keys where you will have our undivided attention. Doesn't that sound like fun?

Mr. & Mrs. Watson, I Presume

2010-06-28T09:09:00.010-04:00

This past week, our friends Craig and Karen from Kentucky, traveled to Key West to tie the knot. They were married on Monday with an intimate ceremony on the beach in between rain showers.
Come Thursday, they were headed back to Fort Lauderdale for a couple of nights before catching a plane back to the 'Ville and Jeff talked them into stopping at the S/V Exposure and spending the night. Jeff prepared for their arrival by making them an extra large welcome greeting with a can of spray paint and a tarp. The boys had been teasing Craig that he would hereby be known as "Mr. Watson," that being Karen's former last name - since she's the one who presumably will be wearing the pants in their new family. Hence, the giant-sized jab.

Upon arrival, we showed the newlyweds the boat and around the marina. We eventually made our way to the tiki hut where we sat and caught up as we looked out across the harbor and enjoyed the substantial breeze we were having. We decided a dinghy tour was in order and loaded into the boat. Because of the wind, the harbor was a little choppy so we decided to head into Sister's Creek for a calmer ride. Then we took the right hand turn into the smaller, mangrove-lined Whiskey creek.
We stopped briefly at the S/V Perseverance, anchored at a fork in the waterway, where the dog got a drink of water and both Craig and Jeff went for a refreshing swim.
Then it was time for a little exploring.

We set off to the left of the fork, since neither Jeff or I had ever been that direction and wended our way back through the mangroves. Very soon, the path got smaller and the water got shallower. We lifted the motor and pulled our way through using the overhanging branches. We made our way to a large opening only to find ourselves in about 3 inches of water. Across the way someone had marked an entrance/exit and we aimed for it by walking the boat through the shallow lagoon. Even though the water was only a few inches deep, while treading through it we sank almost to our knees in the ooey, gooey marl and seagrass. We made it to the other side only to find the waterway too narrow for the dinghy to pass through the exposed roots. So, it was back the way we came and out the mangrove paths. We made it back to the harbor with a few cuts and scrapes and a dinghy full of broken branches and plant debris. If I'd have known we were headed out for a deep woods safari I'd have packed a cooler and taken the camera, but I guess some of the best adventures are those impromptu ones that just happen.

By now, it was time to feed our guests some dinner and we headed to Lencho's for the all-you-can-eat mahi fish fry. The boys munched on big slabs of crispy fried dolphin while us girls stole tiny bites and nibbled on our own mexican fare. Then it was back to the boat where Jeff broke out his guitar and serenaded us in the cockpit.

Soon it was time to turn in. Jeff had to work Friday, I was volunteering at DRC, and the "Watson's" had a 3 hour drive ahead of them to FLL.
We said our good-byes in the morning and parted ways.
It was great seeing Craig & Karen - happy as clams in their newly wedded bliss!
We truly enjoyed being part of their Keys experience.

Weekend in Key West

2010-06-21T17:15:00.006-04:00

This past weekend, my friend, Deborah, came to Key West for a visit. Deborah and I have known each other since we were in 5th grade which makes her my longest running friendship - going on 30 years now. She brought her Dad, Charlie [aka Chop], whom I also have known for 30 years. She was meeting up with a couple who used to be her neighbors in Lakeland, FL, Mary Sue and George, who came down to Key West to celebrate their wedding anniversary. Also joining her was another couple whom Deborah has known since her early college days in Costa Rico, Rich and Carol who currently reside in nearby Islamorada at the Sea Base Boy Scout Facility. I had met both couples before, so when Deb called and asked if I'd like to come down and join them I thought it sounded like a good time. I arrived at The Grand just a little after 4pm where I found everyone gathered and waiting to get the evening started. We started off walking towards Duvall St.
Since it was Charlie's [picture left] first time, he had a list of some of the more touristy destinations that he wanted to visit. First stop was Margaritaville. We all ordered fruity, frozen drinks and Charlie shopped for souvenirs. Next was Fat Tuesday's for another round of fruity, frozen drinks. Then Captain Tony's for a Pirate Punch, The White Tarpon for a Key Lime Martini, and then to Mallory Square to watch the sunset. Afterward, we crossed The Hog's Breath Saloon off of Charlie's list where more drinks and souvenirs were purchased and then it was time for a bite to eat. Fogarty's was nearby and looked inviting with all of it's outdoor seating and we ordered appetizers and split a couple of sandwiches. After filling our bellies, we hailed a cab and headed back to the hotel to turn in for the night.

The next morning had us setting off to finish up the list at the Southernmost Point with a stop at the Southernmost Beach Cafe for bloody mary's. After that, we dropped in the outdoor bar at La Te Da for more bloody mary's for some and iced tea for me. Then a slice of pizza was in order and a walk back to the hotel.

The highlight of the weekend was still to come. Rich had made a phone call early in the day to a friend with a sailboat and asked if he was willing to take us out for a sunset cruise. The cool thing about it was I knew the owner of the boat and his wife, as they had been residents in Boot Key Harbor last year. I was looking forward to seeing Julie and Hammer again...as well as his dog, Stevie, and her cat, Toni.

We met up at the Jewel of Athena around 6:30 with bags of ice and a bottle of rum, dropped the lines, and pushed off from the dock. After a short bit of motoring, the sails were hoisted and the motor silenced as we sailed by Mallory Square and past several other boats out for the same reason we were.

We had good wind and great time. Hammer even let me take the helm for a bit. We returned to the docks just after dark and Hammer brought out his guitar and serenaded us with several songs.

We eventually made our leave and headed to The Rum Barrel for a late-night bite to eat...I had the patty melt and it was fabulous.
And I don't even feel guilty about the late night indulgence since we walked all the way back to the hotel afterward.

I returned to Marathon early this Monday morning to do the Cruiser's Net [VHF Channel 68 @ 9am] and put my feet up for a bit.
Deb and her Dad will by stopping by Marathon tomorrow on their way back to the mainland and I look forward to their visit.

Thanks for the invite, Deb!
It was fun.

Friday is Monday?

2010-06-08T08:23:00.003-04:00

Jeff just recently received a promotion at his job in the City Marina and is now the official Assistant Ports Director...that puts him as second man in charge around here.
With the promotion came a change of schedule. He'll be working 4 - 10 hour days from 8am to 6pm - Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday with the rest of the three days off.
As far as working on the weekends goes, pretty much, here in the Keys, there is no difference in a weekday and a weekend - you can find just as much to do and see on one day of the week as any other, so it doesn't have the same blah, I-might-miss-out-on something feeling as it might have up on the mainland.
It's nice having him off for the 3 days and I am hoping that it will give us an opportunity to do some stuff around the Keys we haven't done yet, but the schedule is taking some getting used to. Monday after work is now "Friday Night" and when Friday rolls around and it's time to head to shore in the early am, it sure feels like Monday morning.

So...
Congratulations, Jeff!
And...
Friday is Monday and Monday is Friday...pass it on.

Water...Good & Bad

2010-05-24T09:39:00.011-04:00

Water is a very important aspect of life. Water covers 71% of the Earth and makes up 60-70% of the human body. If it weren't for water, there would be no boats and I wouldn't be living on the S/V Exposure in the middle of the Florida Keys. But a boat needs more than just the water it floats in...there's drinking water, dishes water, shower water, ice-making water, dog bathing water, toilet flushing water...and it all needs to get to the boat somehow. Some boats are equipped with water-makers or desalinators which take the sea water and filter the salt out of it to make it fit for human consumption. The S/V Exposure has a water-maker, but it is currently in it's "pickled" state keeping it preserved for future use when water is not as readily available. The filters are expensive and we would run through them pretty quickly in the silty water of the harbor. So we haul all of our water to the boat. The City Marina has a dinghy water dock where you can fill up your water receptacle for 5 cents a gallon...pretty cheap considering what has to be done to get running water here. All of our water comes from the mainland...there is NO fresh water available in the Keys that doesn't come through a pipe down US1. We do have emergency desalination plants in case of hurricane or being cut off from the mainland, but they have not proven to be cost-effective enough to run all the time. We used to haul our water in 6 gallon jugs, providing us with 12 gallons per trip but since the launching of the new dinghy, we have come up with a better plan.

Just last week, I invited my girlfriend, Megan, to drive with me to Tavernier to procur a 55-gallon barrel. I had called ahead of time and made sure the place was open and asked what had been in the barrels and would it be safe for the application of hauling water. The guy assured me that all of his barrels had held non-toxic substances ranging from concentrated fruit juice to ascorbic acid. Megan and I stopped along the way for a little water-front dining [Ah, ha! The importance of water again!] at Whale Harbor where she had the shrimp po' boy and I had the skirt steak quesadilla. Both of which were absolutely delicious and the view was magnificent. After lunch, we took a few minutes for a snap shot or 2 and then continued on up US1.
I found Glander Boats after passing it once and making a u-turn. Then a barrel was purchased and shoved into the backseat of my car and Megan and I headed for home.

The barrel got a good rinse upon it's arrival at the marina and then sat overnight to soak with a bit of bleach. The next day we were ready for our first big water run and loaded the barrel into the dinghy.
After a few minutes of filling, we were ready to go. Jeff had previously ordered a transfer pump to get the water from the barrel into the water tanks of the sailboat.

It worked like a charm.

We made one more trip the following day and put the barrel away for the time being. The plan will be to run a full load once a week and that should keep our tanks topped off with fresh water.
Water is good.

But water can be bad.
Too much water in the wrong place can sink a boat, and that's almost what happened to us yesterday.
It was Sunday morning and we were all prepared to spend a lazy day, reading books and lounging about. We were so set on it, that I didn't even get up when my phone rang at a little after 9am. Jeff didn't budge when his phone rang shortly after that...and again right after that. Then came a knock on the boat and Jeff got up to see who it was. It was Austin from the city marina and we had a problem. The 19ft. O-Day sailboat that Jeff had purchased over the winter was full of water and near close to sinking. We had had some rain lately, and knew the boat probably needed to be bailed out since it has no door and the cockpit drains are no longer working but Jeff had been by the tiny sailboat on Friday and all had seemed well. So we motored over in the dinghy with a battery and a bilge pump and set to getting the water out. The boat had so much water in it that we were afraid to step onto it and remained on the dinghy and tossed the pump in. I am sorry to say, I didn't take my camera, but the water was well over the kicker plate in the rear and up over the writing on the sides.
We pumped a lot of water for a very long time. So long in fact, we decided to leave it sit and go get a cooler full of ice so we could have a refreshing beverage while we waited for the water to recede. Several times while sitting there, we both smelled a dead fish...somewhere. Perhaps in the nearby mangroves? As we circled the boat to leave, I took a look inside and found the culprit. It was definitely a dead fish in the cabin and it looked big! So not only did we get a cooler of ice, but we grabbed a net and pokey pole and with much reluctance, headed back to address the dead fish.
Upon our return, the water had receded enough where it was safe for Jeff to step on to the boat. He tried getting the fish into the net but it was just too big and broke the net. Jeff had to resort to reaching in and grabbing the deceased beast by the tail and hauling it out. The thing was monstrous once you could see it all. It was a 45+ lb. tarpon and at least 3 feet long.
It must have jumped in the cockpit and in an attempt to escape made his way into the cabin. Tarpon are considered a sport-fish and although they are no good to eat, they are very popular to fish for because of the grand fight they put up when in the throes of capture. They are all bone, muscle, and fins.
This particular tarpon was no less the fighter and in his thrashing for freedom, he broke off 2 of the the thru-hull fittings inside the cabin creating 2 holes in the bottom of the boat which copious amounts of water where now pouring through.
That was why it seemed we were pumping out water for such a long time as it was coming in almost as fast.
Jeff went back for tools and a couple of wooden plugs and temporarily sealed the hole.

We were going to wait a little while before restoring the baby sailboat as we are still tired from our last restoration job but it looks as if we have no choice. We are pulling the boat out of the water today and after a bit of drying out, it will be the next project...so stay tuned for that one!

Thanks to everyone who called and were concerned about the sinking boat and thanks to Denise for providing the pictures of the tiny sailboat used on this blog.

Mother's Day Visit

2010-05-16T11:34:00.009-04:00

For Mother's Day weekend, Jeff's mom, Denise, came for a visit. She arrived Saturday afternoon just after the launching of the new dinghy. First order of business was a cruise of the harbor and then back to the boat to relax, cool off, and settle in. We opted for an early dinner at Castaways...it had been a long day for all of us...where we shared delicious, stuffed hogfish, shrimp ceviche, and a fried seafood platter.
The next morning, we had tea/coffee on the boat and then headed to shore. I took Denise with me to run an errand and go to the grocery while Jeff dug out the Mother's Day presents he'd been holding on to since March...2 beautiful copper and glass sculptures purchased at the seafood festival.
Jeff could just picture them in his mother's hosta bed and attached to the large, maple tree in her back yard softly lit from underneath so that the colored glass sparkles. Jeff's present also includes delivery and installation so Denise will have to wait a little while before she can view her new yard art actually in the yard.
After the big reveal, we took several pictures then safely tucked the presents back into the storage area. Next, we went back to the boat for a little downtime and to marinade the steaks for the cook-out we had planned for the evening. We had invited 12-13 of our close friends to bring a dish and join us at the tiki hut for a Mother's Day celebration. At 6 o'clock we fired up the grills. I melted butter in a roasting pan for some fried plantains, and we tossed the steaks on the grill. The steaks turned out to be quite tasty after marinating all day in pineapple juice, garlic hoisin, and soy sauce. We had quite the array of yummy side-dishes...chips and bean salsa, Caesar salad, pasta salad, fresh mozzarella with basil, fresh fruit, and grilled squash & zucchini with key lime pie and carrot cake for dessert. Good food, good conversation, and good friends. You couldn't ask for a better way to spend an evening.
Everyone made Denise feel welcome and are still telling me what a lovely lady she is and what a pleasure to talk to.
[Nothing I didn't already know.]
Monday morning came around just like it normally does...with one exception: Jeff didn't have to leave us for work in the morning as he had taken the day off. We had a nice breakfast at the Wooden Spoon and then ran some errands. A battery was purchased at NAPA and then a trip to West Marine. While Denise and I looked at sandals and hats, Jeff purchased fenders and a battery box. Later we spent some time just hanging out on the boat watching the water go by until it was time for happy hour at Lazy Days. We had arranged to pick up Megan and Cindy since we were traveling by dinghy and they wanted a ride in the new dink.
Lazy Days is renowned for their happy hour. Starting at 3pm, they offer 1/2 price drinks and a fabulous selection of appetizers such as wings [hot, mild, bbq, or teriyaki garlic], conch fritters, jalapeno poppers, and peel & eat shrimp...all 3 for a $1.
We had a big table of people...some we didn't even know to start off with.
And once again, good food, good conversation, and good friends were the order of the day.
We motored on back to the sailboat and spent the evening watching the sun go down.
Tuesday was to be Denise's last day, but we had saved the best for last by booking a Dolphin Encounter at the Dolphin Research Center for her and Jeff. I have been volunteering one day a week at DRC for several weeks now. One of the best parts is wandering around the lagoons in the morning and being one of the first people the dolphins get a glance at. They are happy to see you and quite chatty and attentive. We went in the gate at 8:30...a half hour before the public is allowed entrance. I gave them a quick tour of the grounds and we walked out onto the causeway to visit the dolphins. The 2 new babies, Luna and Delta were happily swimming around with their mamas in their lagoon. The big boys [Rainbow, Talon, Pax, and Sandy] kept popping their 500 plus pounds out of the water for a peak and to say hello. Jax was busy watching a diver in his lagoon and paid us no attention, but all the others observed us with one eye out of the water and chattered or blew bubbles our way.
Jeff and Denise walked back to the gift shop to get checked-in for their encounters and I went to the volunteer office to put myself down as the swim monitor for their group. It's one of the jobs volunteers do. We take a stopwatch and sit on the platform while people are in the water, timing the encounter and providing an extra set of eyes and ears for the trainers.
At 10:15, Jeff and Denise entered the water of the front lagoon to swim with Tursi and Cayo. They were having a great time, but apparently the ladies of the lagoon were not. We had to take a dolphin "time out" when Tursi smacked poor little Cayo with her tail. The trainers switched dolphins around, and just as they were getting ready to get back in the water Cayo gave Gypsi a similar smack with her tail. The trainers decided to leave the girls to work things out amongst themselves and the swimmers switched lagoons to be with Talon. Talon was happy to be included and proved himself to be quite the enthusiastic entertainer and playmate.
Unfortunately, their time in the water with the dolphins was over way too quickly. They headed to the photo tiki to peruse their photos and I went to write down the time and sign out.
Lunch time was quickly approaching so we decided to go next door to the Wreck & Galley for a bite to eat. Denise and I ordered Grouper BLT's and Jeff opted for a fried mahi sandwich. Both were excellent choices. The grouper was crispy and well seasoned served on texas toast with lettuce, tomato, and bacon. Jeff's said his sandwich was quite possibly the best he's ever had as the huge, slab of mahi dwarfed the bun.
We were having a nice, relaxing lunch on the Wreck's breezy, outdoor porch when we were approached by a chicken...a bold, hungry chicken, at that, as she jumped up on Jeff's lap and took a bite of his sandwich.
We shooed her away, but she circled the table to come around on my side. I was busy guarding my lap when she jumped up on the table in the middle of mine and Denise's plates and scattered ketchup and french fries everywhere. The ketchup mostly ended up on my shirt and shorts and the fries fell to the ground below where baby chicks waited for what their mama might provide. The waitress was horrified and while she tried to get the owners on the phone, the bus boy rushed to clean up the mess, all the while apologizing. We assured her that it was alright, that it wasn't her fault, and we were done eating anyway. She brought our adjusted bill to the table and offered me a free t-shirt or tank of my choice. It ends up, the chicken is named Juliet and she has several babies to feed. The next morning, I overheard some of the guys at DRC talking about the chicken who had attacked several diners at the Wreck. They were trying to catch her and her brood in order to relocate them but so far she had eaten all the bait and evaded capture. Smart chicken, I'd say!
It certainly gave us a good laugh and made lunch even more memorable.
We spent the rest of the afternoon floating around the mooring ball. Denise and I got in several hands of gin [which she won!] before we called it a day.
The next morning, we took her to shore and sent her on her way...
We certainly enjoyed the time she was here and hope she comes back soon!

Check out the slideshow of the Mother/Son Dolphin Encounter.

The Great Sponge Boat Caper

2010-05-10T13:27:00.012-04:00

It was mid-February when we found the abandoned dinghy on the beach. Jeff had a sneaking suspicion as to who owned the wayward boat and a quick peak inside along with the FL numbers confirmed that suspicion. After bailing out the nasty water and towing it back to the harbor, Jeff called the owner, a former harbor resident who hasn't been seen in these parts for awhile, and asked him what he wanted to do with the boat. He replied that that particular boat had been an albatross around his neck and that if Jeff wanted it, he could have it. He dropped the title in the mail the next day and ownership was transferred. But oh, my! What a project to take on!
The first chore was pulling it back to the beach...the very same one that we rescued it from amidst a swarm of no-see-ums...to clean the bottom. Then it was back to the marina to pull it out of the water using the lifting davit. We tucked it into the garage and the next day borrowed a pick-up truck to get it to the carport that friends Matt and Kendra were gracious enough to let us use. In fact, it was Matt who believed the boat to be an old sponge boat judging by some of it's features.
The first step in the restoration was quite easy. All we had to do was let it sit and dry out.
But nothing was easy after that!
Jeff proved himself to be quite the jack-of-all-trades as he first played carpenter and removed the old stringers and the bow locker, all the while hoping the boat didn't collapse in on itself. Then he became a boat builder as he replaced all the stringers, adding new ones as necessary. Next, he was the body repair expert with endless hours of filling and sanding, sanding and filling. Then he constructed a floor for the interior and benches to sit on. Shortly after came the skilled fiberglass installation.
And more filling and sanding.
And then some vacuuming on my part.
And have I mentioned that I really hate fiberglass?
We walked around itchy and scratchy for weeks. I was really glad when that part was over.
Finally, after a complete rebuild on the entire boat, we were able to start the painting process.
Prior to this point, we had deliberated over several paint samples from Home Depot and agreed on a soft turquoise green, a bright, sunny orange, and a luscious lavender paired up with Hatteras white. We sent the samples off to have them made into Signature Finish paint, a 3 part paint made for boats that is supposed to last for 10 years with little or no maintenance. It came highly recommended by several people and we thought we'd try it out.
Our colors came out perfectly matched to the samples we sent and dubbed with names of "Sponge Green", "Sponge Orange", and "Sponge Violet."
We flipped the boat upside down and several coats of Hatteras white went on the hull along with multiple layers of stinky, black bottom paint.
Then we flipped it back over and continued painting. The first bit of color was the "Sponge Green" along the rail, in the bow, and across the transom.
The next day was my turn to do a little painting. I had decided that a sponge boat should be sponge painted and I managed to talk Jeff into it. So while he was at work, I added layer after layer of color on the white hull with an assortment of sea sponges. The first coat was "Sponge Green". Next followed "Sponge Orange" and then "Sponge Violet." I finished it up by sponging the Hatteras white over the entire design and waited for Jeff to arrive.
I was a little nervous about his reaction. He was very fond of the pristine white hull against the green rail but, why have that when you could have a one of a kind paint job? I assured him I had a talent that you could only be born with and it would be alright.
At first glance, he didn't say a word. Which made me more nervous. He mixed himself the prerequisite after-work cocktail and set in to peruse the paint job.
His first comment was a light-hearted, good-humored, "You girl-ed my boat up!"
Well. Maybe a little.
But it looks great, don't you think?
And quite the transformation from floating piece of trash to showboat extraordinaire!
We worked really hard on the boat for several weeks and took very few evenings off because we had a deadline to have it in the water by the time Jeff's mom, Denise, arrived for Mother's Day weekend
On the Friday before the big weekend in question, we recruited 5 full grown men from the marina plus Jeff to lift it on the trailer without scratching the paint. Then Jeff and I finished up the final details of bending the metal on to the rub-rail, grinding off the ends, and installing chalks, cleats, the sampson post, and a bow-eye.
We crawled home some time close to midnight then crawled back the next morning to get it launched.
We got it in the water for it's maiden voyage back to the harbor then tied up to the dinghy docks to switch out cars and return the borrowed trailer.
We had just finished with a quick shower and were relaxing in the shade when Denise called to say she was minutes away.
Perfect timing.
We have since taken the dinghy all throughout the harbor to claps, thumbs-up, and shouts of appreciation. It certainly makes it worth all the hard work to kick back now and admire our new ride.
We're still taking suggestion for names...if you've got a good one please let us know.

CLICK ARROW, and then the play arrow, TO BEGIN SLIDESHOW ~>

For a bigger version of the slideshow, click here and find the "slideshow" button in the top left corner or flip through the pictures and captions on your own.

Party for Peter

2010-05-03T09:54:00.008-04:00

This past Saturday we had a party at the marina to wish our friend, Peter Barker, bon voyage since he will be leaving us after a 6 month stay in the harbor to continue his sail around the world. To honor Peter's Australian heritage I thought we should cook something from the land down under, but the only Australian cuisine I've ever had consists of food from the Outback Steakhouse. I decided we would throw some "shrimp on the barbie"...sounds Australian, right? 8 pounds of Key West Pinks were purchased first thing Saturday morning from Keys Fisheries, and my friend, Megan, and I headed to the S/V Exposure to wrap them in the 5 pounds of bacon purchased the previous day and put them on skewers. We made bloody mary's and set ourselves to the task. It took about 2 and 1/2 hours to get the shrimp cleaned and ready, but in the end we had 4 big bags of skewers ready for the grill. Next we headed in to get the keg and the cake. Upon arriving at the liquor store, we found that the keg we had ordered had not been delivered but they had a smaller one we could have instead. We supplemented with a few cases of cans and called it done. The cake turned out lovely with a picture I had taken of Peter on Australia Day somehow magically transferred on the surface.
The cake was actually quite lucky to make it to the party since I tripped coming up the steps to the marina while carrying it. I banged my knee pretty good but somehow saved the cake. By the time I took it's picture though, it was a little worse for the wear and the heat...but you get the gist of it.
We had a great turn out for the event.
Most people showed up with a dish to throw on the table and socialized around the keg while Peter said a few words about his stay here in the harbor and presented Richard Tanner, our harbor master, with a plaque noting all the unique amenities of the Marathon City Marina and proclaiming it to be the best. Richard, in turn, presented Peter with the last remaining flag from the now defunct Boot Key Harbor Sailing Association featuring [just as you would suspect] a boot and a key.
Over at the grills, I barbecued the shrimp and Tut [Sloop d' Jour] finished up a few legs of lamb. It may not be very Australian, but I made a huge pan of cheese grits [topped with bacon and parmesan cheese and loaded with butter and cream] to accompany the shrimp. Call it a "Kentucky Twist"...it was Derby Day, after all! Then the line formed and judging by the way party attendees snarfed up the food until there was no more, I'd say things turned out pretty tasty. I tucked a few shrimp kabobs and a bit a lamb away for later and vacated the chaos of the serving area. Peter's boat, Bowtie Lady, was tied to the nearby seawall and a small gathering congregated there on the sidewalk. I had a bowl of jello of the spiked variety and was willing to share as soon as somebody found me a spoon. As the evening continued, more and more people assembled around the Bowtie Lady. Some came to tour the ocean-going vessel, some just came for the jello, and some were holding out for cake, but the party ended up on the sidewalk alongside Peter's boat. After much conversation, laughter, and an empty jello bowl, Peter cut the cake...or at least he attempted to. I took the knife away from him when he started to cut the rectangular cake into wedges. The last of the party-goers ate cake with their fingers served on napkins since we had no plates or plastic-ware and then with sticky fingers and big smiles meandered back to their respective boats.
I had a GREAT time with my girlfriends both planning the party and attending it, but I do believe a good time was had by all who came.
We will certainly miss Peter with his charming accent, interesting idioms, and debonair ways but we wish him well in finishing his quest. I'll be following his blog and keeping track of his progress and hope to see the Bowtie Lady and her Captain another time.

Good Luck & Bon Voyage, Peter!
[And thank you for the tulips! XXOO]

Make-It-Yourself Hookah Bar

2010-04-26T14:25:00.008-04:00

My friend, Matt, and I were having a discussion and the subject of hookah came up. He smokes a pipe from time to time and is a connoisseur of fine cigars, but had never tried smoking from a hookah. I love hookah, but haven't had an opportunity to partake since leaving Louisville 2 years ago. One of my favorite places to hang out in the Ville is Cafe 360 on Bardstown Road. I'd go with a girlfriend and we'd get a table on the sidewalk, order a hookah and a bottle of wine, and watch the world walk by. The food was pretty good at Cafe 360 as well. A great way to spend an afternoon as far as I'm concerned!
When Matt expressed an interest in trying it out, we made plans to go to Key West on his day off and hit the only hookah bar in the Keys, The Kooler. We made all of our other stops first...Baby's Coffee, GFS, Ben Franklin, Oppenheimer Eye Clinic [to pick Capt. Jack's glasses up for him], Captain Tony's, and the sponge market...saving the best part for last. We took the walk up Duvall, but before turning on Southard to our final destination, we stopped in a little shop on the corner with hookahs in the window. The proprietor of that store then informed us that the hookah bar had closed down about 2 weeks prior to our little field trip. What a bummer!
Making the best of the situation, we decided to go ahead and buy a small hookah and couple of varieties of shisha, tobacco mixed with honey and other flavors. We'd just have to wait and try it on Matt's back deck when we returned to Marathon.
On the way back to the car, Matt mentioned needing to find a bathroom before the long drive home. Captain Tony's was just a couple doors down so we decided to just pop in there again. While I was waiting, I told the bartender how our plans to go to the hookah bar had been ruined by it's closure and was it possible for us to set our newly purchased hookah up right there in the bar. He replied that as long as it was legal, he didn't care what we smoked.
So we did!
We ordered another drink, gathered the supplies we needed [water, aluminum foil, and Brian Paul's lighter], and fired up the hookah.
Part of the fun of going out to a hookah bar is being out...people watching, live music, and a bartender add to the overall experience. We had a couple of people watching what we were doing with curious glances and one guy even sat down with us and had a puff or 2, but for the most part, no one paid us any attention as we relaxed and smoked in our Make-It-Yourself Hookah Bar.

Weekend in the Fish Bowl

2010-04-16T12:10:00.012-04:00

Since Good Friday was a city holiday, Jeff had the day off April 2nd. We decided to take a break from the great, sponge boat caper to work on installing our new solar panels. We use to have 4 - 50 watt panels [200 wts. total] and decided to upgrade to 2 - 210 watt panels [420 wts. total], more than doubling our previous solar output. The coolest part about the new solar panels is that they didn't cost us a dime!
A couple of years ago, we attended a boat show up in St. Pete with our friends, Matt and Kendra. The sailing magazine, Latts & Atts, hosted an after-party for subscribers with free beer and pizza and a raffle for many a splendid prize. The tickets for the raffle were one for a dollar or for $20 you could get as many tickets as would reach from the tip of your finger from one extended arm to the tip of your finger on the other extended arm. In essence, your wingspan.
Well, I had the longest wingspan [36 tickets!] and was therefore, our designated ticket-getter. Matt and I went together and each put in $20...but, we never tore the tickets in half to determine who's were who's...and then we won! But, who won?
We were very excited about our luck and figured we'd sort it all out later. The prize in question was a Solar Stik: 2 - 50 watt panels with a mounting system and charger controller all included in one unit. Solar made easy. All you have to do is plug it in.
The next day we went to claim our prize and told Brian, the Solar Stik guy, about how we won but hadn't torn the tickets in half. He thought we had a great story, and even though he couldn't believe we hadn't divided the tickets before the drawing, he wanted both couples to win something. So he started asking about our boats and since we were anchored right off in the Vinoy Basin, he actually took a dinghy ride out to look at the S/V Exposure. He determined that we had plenty of space to mount solar panels with our extensive bimini top and didn't need the mounting Stik. He would get us some solar panels and Matt and Kendra would get the Stik and all that included.
We were all happy.
Since that time, Matt and Kendra have sold their boats, and with Kendra's Coast Guard assignment to Marathon, moved to the Florida Keys and brought the never-been-used Solar Stik with them. They have no use for it and with Kendra's career, they are going to move quite a bit over the next several years, so we gained possession of the Stik. Jeff then used it to make a trade with a local business, S.A.L.T. - Sea, Air, and Land Technologies, for the bigger panels. They want the Stik in order to power their marine refrigerators and freezers using solar at boat and trade shows. S.A.L.T gets an easy - yet flashy - display unit, Matt and Kendra get to lighten their load, and we get POWER.
And once again, everyone's happy.

Friday morning, we warmed up the motor, dropped our lines, and pulled up to the seawall to make installing the panels a little easier. With the marina closed, I felt like we were the unofficial Information Booth with so many people walking by and inquiring about different things whether it be about the new panels or marina business.
Saturday was much of the same with everyone who passed by asking about the new panels or having an opinion about our installation. I started feeling as if we were in a fish bowl with everybody walking by tapping on the glass.
Our weekend on the wall did have it's benefits. Friends, Ken and Barbara, dropped by at sunset for a cocktail and brought a huge plate of snacks: peel and eat shrimp, deviled eggs, figs surrounded by cream cheese and wrapped in prosciutto, slices of dill pickle, crackers, and cheese...yummy. Another woman who was cleaning out her boat to put it on the hard for the summer brought us all her beer, wine, and liquor...some of it still cold from the fridge.
Saturday night, we had Matt over for dinner. The boys took care of the grilling, and we ate in the comfort of the cockpit.
We also had the convenience of unlimited electricity and took the opportunity to fill the boat with fresh water. The latter we did quite literally when we realized the bilge pump wasn't working with the water just inches below the floor boards.
So, Sunday morning, we installed a new hose to the bilge.
This involved pulling out all of the old hose, required Jeff to climb into a very small space, and left the dog with very little room to lay down...the rest of the floor being riddled with holes and open hatches.
Janus was none to happy with the current project and was not shy about expressing his displeasure.
But we got it all done with a minimal amount of cursing and bleeding on Jeff's part and the boat didn't sink, so all is well.
The dog eventually forgave us for messing up his boat once we covered all the dreaded holes in the floor and we left the fish bowl.
Currently, we are back to happily sailing around our mooring ball producing all the electricity we need with our newly installed solar panels.

Now it's back to working on that darn sponge boat...

Angela's Adventure

2010-04-09T09:32:00.026-04:00

Just recently...alright, it was last month and perhaps not so recent - I told you I had some blog catching up to do! But, back to the subject at hand...my friend, Angela, made a return visit to the Keys during her spring break from Wright State U. I picked her up at the airport Saturday morning [the 20th of March and the first day of Spring] and we made the trek back to the Keys, fruity drinks in hand. Lunchtime was quickly approaching and we decided to go to the Island Grill since I had never been there, had wanted to go, and it came highly recommended by Cap'n Deb. We were not disappointed in our decision! Newly renovated, the Island Grill is a sight to behold with open-air, indoor seating, live entertainment, and...get this...tables on a beach. We chose beach seating and were directed around the docks to the next hostess station. At this point, I took my leave to find the restrooms and let Angela take over the table-getting which in hindsight, was a mistake. Ask a tourist if they'd like a table with an umbrella or without and straight off the airplane they'll always pick the sunnier option. I came back to our umbrella-less table and just shook my head. I ordered a banana daiquiri and wished for darker sunglasses and a hat. When it came to ordering food, Angela took the route that we've had so much success with over the years and let me order stuff for the two of us to share. I chose the panko breaded, cracked conch and the tuna nachos. The conch came out in big, crispy pieces and was fall-apart tender but the pièce de résistance was the tuna nachos: raw, ahi tuna served on a bed of seaweed salad atop crispy wantons drizzled with wasabi, sweet soy, & sriracha [hot, red sauce] and then sprinkled with sesame seeds and green onions served on a long, narrow, rectangular, white plate. Way yummy with a beautiful presentation. After we ate, it was time to get the pale one out of the sun and we were back on the road.
Jeff was waiting for us back at the Marina, freshly showered from his day of working on the newly-acquired, sponge boat...which is what got him out of the long drive to FLL and back to begin with. We headed out to the boat and got our guest settled in. Then it was back in to the tiki hut for a cookout and music. One of the new guys in the harbor, Eric, who'll be mentioned again later, made up a huge batch of kabobs with shrimp, chicken, pineapple, onions, and peppers and we grilled up some burgers. It was a good time.
The next morning, Angela and I got up and went to breakfast at the Cracked Conch Cafe while Jeff went on to work on the boat. Afterwords, us girls headed back to put on work clothes and joined Jeff...although, I have to admit I don't think we were much help at all, except, perhaps, moral support. Later that evening, we stopped in The Hurricane for dinner where Angela got to try jerked shrimp, fried conch, and crab cake sliders.
Monday morning came along and Jeff had to go to work...this time at the marina...and us girls were left to fend for ourselves. The plan was to go kayaking, but the rainy weather didn't seem to want to cooperate. While Angela relaxed and read, I did the Cruiser's Net [VHF channel 68 @ 9 am] and whipped up an egg frittata for breakfast. We decided to go ahead and chance it on the kayaks & set out on the water.
Our destination was Lazy Days South, a restaurant on the other side of the bridge in Marathon Marina where our friend, previously mentioned Eric, would be tending bar.
As soon as we were situated and away from the docks, the sun came out as if on queue and we peeled off our t-shirts for a little sunbathing as we paddled. We had a great trip through the harbor, under the bridge, with a stop at the boat, Hobbit, to say hi to Don Owens [this part will be important later in my story].
Then it was past Burdine's to cheers of, "Looking good, girls!" and to the mouth of the channel.
Here's where things started to get a little hairy. The water is fairly open there and just as we made the turn to the North we had a bit of a blow come up. We made it through the chop against the wind, and after making one wrong turn which caused us to squeeze in between boats and under the docks to the other side, we arrived at the docks of Lazy Days...only to find the docks under construction and without ladders.
After a few expletives on my part, we continued on to the North to try to figure out a place where we could safely, and most importantly - dryly, get out of the kayaks. I spied a dock with a ladder and we headed for it. We certainly weren't on marina property anymore but I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best. We climbed out of the kayaks while managing to stay dry and headed for the restaurant.
No one came out of the surrounding buildings with a shotgun to accuse us of trespassing [which we were] and we made it to the bar without incident. Eric was there as promised and he was quick to get us some refreshments. Next, we ordered the oysters rockefeller and a lobster wrap to share. The oysters were topped with fresh spinach and hollandaise then decadently smothered in creamy, melted cheese. The lobster was tender and panko breaded surrounded by baby greens, tomato, and onion with a drizzle of key lime butter wrapped up in a sun dried tomato tortilla. Mmmmm.
The food was delicious and the view was magnificent, but we couldn't sit there all day...we had places to paddle. We found the kayaks right where we left them and climbed back in. After a quick stop at Burdine's, where Angela managed to shop from the kayak with a little help from friend, Karen - who just happen to be there as we approached, we explored the far side of the harbor, made a right into Sister's Creek and on into Whiskey Creek. From there we decided it was time to turn around and head back to the docks. Usually when I kayak I go into the wind to start with to help make the return trip easier, but today we had had a destination and pretty much ignored the wind direction. As we came out of the protection of Whiskey Creek, we quickly realized that not only were we headed dead into the wind but we were fighting the outgoing tide as well. When we managed to finally reach the docks, we both found ourselves without the strength to lift ourselves out of the kayaks with our way weary arms hence inducing fits of giggles which did not improve our situation at all. Somehow we managed to get out of the tiny, tipsy boats but certainly not without making a spectacle of ourselves. We met up with Jeff at Matt and Kendra's [that's where the sponge boat is] and when Kendra made us a key lime pie, we ordered pizza to be delivered and stayed for dinner.

Now, Tuesday was a big day. Karen had taken the day off for a teeth cleaning appointment in Key West and wanted us to tag along. So we headed to Key West bright and early with a quick stop at Baby's Coffee for breakfast and t-shirts and promptly dropped Karen at her appointment.
Then it was time to do a little shoe shopping. One of Karen's specific goals for the day was to find a decent pair of tennis shoes...which as you can see, she did. And, yes, she walked around with the tag on them all day. But Key West is full of weirdos so almost no one noticed.
I picked out a snazzy new pair of Asics for myself, the Asics' Kinsei 3...very comfortable. Then after thoroughly harassing our ill-humored sales girl [I would like to think that her lack of amusement stemmed from her tentative grasp of the English language, because we were hilarious!] we moved on to our next stops: GNC for vitamins; GFS for a monster slab of beef to cook at a later date and a huge slab of ribs for dinner tonight; and Ben Franklin, a personal favorite of mine.
Lunchtime found us at Louie's Backyard after we called and asked for directions. We got a table outside in the shade even though we didn't have a reservation...for lunch? On a Tuesday? Why, yes, Louie's is that kind of place...quite swanky, but absolutely gorgeous overlooking the beach and a fishing pier with crystal blue water as far as the eye can see. Angela and I started with an Island Cosmo made with homemade, pineapple vodka, while Karen, our DD, had iced tea. We started off the meal with a basket of conch fritters served with wasabi and hot chili sauce and fresh baked bread. Karen ordered a roast beef and horseradish sandwich on rye and Angela opted for the Key West Shrimp salad sandwich, both of which came with homemade potato chips and were arranged beautifully on huge, white plates.
I had the lobster mac & cheese and was very happy with my selection of el dente cavatappi pasta expertly blended with a creamy, cheese sauce topped with Maine lobster claws and garnished with Parmesan cheese crisps. Even though mine was an appetizer selection, it was plenty to share bites of and we all had nibbles off of each other's plates. Ang and I finished off with a bloody mary and after a few photos [I especially like the picture to the right because all 3 of us are in it...that's Karen's thumb up at the top!] we were off to conquer Key West.
We drove by the Southern-Most point for a Southern-most photo op and then found a parking spot on Southard St. We walked by the Hemingway house; stopped in at the Lighthouse; had a drink at the bar and perused the gift shop at My Blue Heaven; took our picture at the "0" mile marker; stopped at Captain Tony's for a pirate punch, a pirate smooch, and a bit of Brian Paul; bought sundresses at the sponge market; walked the steps of the old Custom's House; cruised the historic waterfront; embarrassed Karen at Fairavilla; and listened to Rob Sweet entertain at Turtle Kraal's. It was a pleasant surprise to see Rob at Turtle Kraal's...the only reason we went in at all is because I said, "Hey, I know that voice!" So, we went in and had the mandatory cocktail and enjoyed the show for a spell. Another surprise was seeing people [and dogs-Roxie & Beemer] we had met at the outdoor concert we attended at Lazy Lakes RV Park back in February. They were enjoying the Rob Sweet show as well. Our last stop was Mac's Sea garden for a few souvenirs and another sundress and then on to the task of finding the car. With Karen's direction we were able to locate the vehicle and she drove us back to Marathon. Upon our return to the boat, I noticed a mysterious cooler that hadn't been there before. Further inspection revealed that the cooler was full of fresh, Florida lobster and packed with ice. Remember I told you about kayaking by the Hobbit boat and saying "hello" to Don Owens? Well, Don Owens is a lonely, old guy here in the harbor and I often send Jeff with food to drop off for him. During our recent stop-by, I told Don I was sorry I hadn't sent any meals his way in a while [more to jog his memory as to who I was more than anything] and he replied that he been been eating real well as of late...lobster to be exact, right off the local fishing boats. He told me he'd just lob the guys a couple of cold beers and they'd hand over lobsters in exchange. Hmmm...
"Well, Don, I've got company in town. Can you hook me up with some of those lobsters?"
He said he'd see what he could do but I didn't put much stock in it.
Hence the mystery cooler containing 6 live lobster. Guess what we're having for dinner tomorrow? Add butter & lemons to the grocery list and we'll be set.
But tonight, it's ribs in the rotisserie and fried ripe plantains...that'll work.

Wednesday morning, after running Jeff to work, Angela and I drove to the beach at Bahia Honda (meaning deep bay in Spanish, locally pronounced: BAY-ah HON-da [báya hónda], also pronounced (in Spanish): Bah-EE-ah OWN-dah [baía ónda]). She was determined to get some good pictures and hoping to improve upon Janet's iphone pic of the bridge [which is too awesome to have been taken with a phone!] After some good shots from the bridge, we hiked down below to find the right spot to take a photo looking up. The tide was up and wading out to the point was a little tricky, but Angela managed to get in a few snapshots and we headed back to the safety of the beach before the camera got wet...well, mostly. I yelled "Rock!" but she didn't hear and landed shin first right on the submersed obstruction. She made a nice save and fell camera up as I quickly grabbed it. Disaster averted with minimal damage - a nice bruise and a scrape. Time to settle in for some beach time.
At some point, we determined that we'd cooked long enough, and speaking of cooking...how about some lunch? We shook off the sand and headed to Big Pine for a stop at the Cracked Egg Cafe for sandwiches and an order of their fried mushrooms. Next stop was Out of the Blue, a cute, little shop I discovered on my/our birthday then it was back to the boat to clean some lobster.
Well, I had never cleaned lobster before and I truly expected to scream [like a girl] and freak out at least a little bit when it came to twisting the tails off of the spiny crustaceans. So I put on my gloves, and lo and behold, I apparently have a natural talent for slaying lobster. I hardly even flinched. When it came time to shove the antennae up the "poop shoot" to devein the lobster, I did it without hardly even an "ewwww." I may have discovered a new super power [because everyone should have a super power or two] which should come in totally handy while living in lobster land.
Angela had mentioned wanting shrimp and grits, so earlier in the day we had gone by Keys Fisheries to pick up a pound of Pinks which I steamed and served with a creamy pile of smoked gouda cheese grits. Accompanied by our tender, broiled lobster tails and a bowl of drawn butter, it was quite the seafood feast and more food than we could eat. G'night.

Thursday was Angela's final day in the Keys before shipping out to Dayton and she saved the best activity for last. Today she was going to swim with the dolphins at the Dolphin Research Center [DRC]. Our first stop was the local dive shop to rent a wet suit - I don't know exactly what the water temperature was then, but its 74-ish now and that's still pretty chilly. Next, we were bound for Grassy Key to sign up for a Dolphin Excursion. I, too, was excited about going to DRC since I would start in their volunteer program the coming Monday. As luck would have it, Angela was assigned to have her swim with Gypsi, whom Jeff "adopted" for his niece, Lainey, as a Christmas present. Gypsi was accompanied by Jax, the only wild-born dolphin at DRC and the most easily identifiable with his pre-DRC scars.
You can tell by the big smile on Angela's face that she had a great time being in the water with these guys and I am sure the experience was over way too soon. We left DRC on a high note, ran a few errands on the way home, hit the showers on our return to the marina, and got ready for an evening out: sushi at Castaways. We had a great time sitting at the bar with raw oysters, good sushi, and live entertainment. We didn't stay too late since we all had an early morning with Angela catching a pre-dawn shuttle to the airport.
And that's how Angela's Adventure ended: an early ride on the Keys Shuttle...but she didn't leave empty-handed nor would she be hungry on the drive. I sent her with a huge lobster and shrimp salad sandwich on a croissant made from the left-overs of our seafood feast, add celery, onion, mayo, and a sprinkle of lemon pepper. She claims it took her 2 hours to eat it and I'm not surprised.

We look forward to seeing Angela again for her next visit, perhaps over her Summer vacation. We also think "Angela's Adventure" would make a great name for a sailboat. Someday.

Harbor Gossip

2010-04-02T09:04:00.007-04:00

These are our friend's Matt & Kendra McJunkin. We met them several years ago through a mutual friend in St. Pete. and we were absolutely thrilled when Kendra got her Coast Guard assignment to come here. We've had several dinners over at their house since their arrival in Marathon and they have come to the boat as well. They even took us in for the night when the temperature plummeted to a low of 39 degrees.
Just the other night, my phone rang and it was Kendra asking if we were home. We had just finished up stripping off the bimini top [the canvas over the cockpit for you landlubbers] which we had to remove to get to the solar panels. Jeff sold the old solar panels to a young man here in the harbor and he was anxious to get them as he would be doing some traveling in the near future. So, yes, we were home. She was on a Coast Guard boat and they were doing a patrol of Boot Key Harbor and was it alright if they stopped by. Well, of course! So the big, bright orange, Coast Guard boat rafted up against the S/V Exposure and Kendra introduced us to her fellow Coasties. Before long, one of them had coaxed Janus on to the boat and was throwing a tennis ball for him to fetch. Janus loves taking advantage of people who don't know the rule about NOT throwing a ball on the boat. But hey, they were on their boat and he wasn't likely to tear anything up due to the fact the thing is literally built like an armored car. When the dog tired of the game he took his ball and jumped back to his own boat and soon the Coast Guard was back underway.
Within 2 minutes of their departure the first curiosity seeker arrived at the boat.

"Are you all alright?"
"Why, yes. Why wouldn't we be?"
"Well, the bimini top is down, the solar panels are gone, and the Coast Guard just left."

We explained that we had sold the solar panels, taken the bimini down ourselves, and the Coast Guard was just our friend Kendra out on patrol stopping by for a visit. We should have known then that the rumors were already flying.
Shortly after it had gotten dark, we were inside making dinner and a knock came on the side of the boat. I looked out the port hole to see Cap'n Deb in quite the tizzy.

"What the [expletive] is going on?! Are you alright?!"

After reassuring her that we were fine and had no idea what she was so worked up about she told us the story she had heard at The Tree. Those of you that have been here understand my reference to The Tree of Knowledge. But for those of you who haven't, The Tree is where marina residents can gather and chat. It is often occupied by some of the lesser desirables and those prone to tell a story.
So, the word at The Tree was that someone had boarded our boat during the day while we were gone, slashed down our canvas top, and had stolen our solar panels and the Coast Guard had come to investigate. Sheeewww...those Tree People sure do have some imagination. They had even determined who the perpetrator was and had him tried, convicted, and hung [figuratively] at The Tree in one fell swoop.
We had one more visitor to the boat that night inquiring about our situation and a couple of inquiries the next day.
We think we have laid most of the rumors to rest but there are perhaps a few that still believe the tall tale that came from The Tree.

St. Patrick's Day

2010-03-30T18:10:00.008-04:00

We really hadn't planned on doing much for St. Patrick's Day with it being a work day, but friend and neighbor, Dave Johnson let us know he'd be playing at Castaway's and he would greatly appreciate the support. So it was off to Castaway's as soon as Jeff got off work. Several friends joined us and it ended up being a really, nice time. One of the highlights of the evening was when Dave asked Jeff and I to join him on the mike while he performed "Wagon Wheel" [Old Crow Medicine Show via Bob Dylan]

We hope everyone had a happy and safe St. Patrick's Day!

In the pics: Stephanie [S/V Legend], Karen [M/V Magna-C], Jameson [S/V Baby Blue], and Dave Johnson [S/V Choucoune]

We always enjoy watching Dave live whether it be on our boat, at the tiki hut, or at a local establishment...and here's a small clip for you to enjoy as well.

And thanks to Donnie & Janet for Jeff's extra fancy, St. Patrick's Day work shirt. Check out the authentic City logo.
Cool, huh?

Good Food & Good Company

2010-03-26T14:30:00.004-04:00

~Company Arrives
Our latest wave of company fled a cold, gray, Kentucky morning and arrived to sunny skies Wednesday, March 11th. Meet Donnie and Janet Chambers. Donnie and Jeff used to be beat partners in their early days on the police department. In fact, they still say they've spent more nights together than they have with either Janet or I. Oh well. Good for them.
Since Jeff was working Wednesday, I made the trek to Ft. Lauderdale to pick them up at the airport and greeted them with cold, fruity beverages for the ride back...that's how the Misty Shuttle rolls. They had been traveling since the wee hours of the morning and I had a sneaking suspicion that they might require a stop for sustenance, plus, I remembered from previous visits that Janet requires food every 2 hours. I even had snacks in the car...just in case. We made it to Alabama Jack's without anyone passing out from hunger and ordered fish dip, smoked fish, fried grouper, and shrimp and soon had a table full of delicious food. Once everyone's bellies were content, we headed back to the main road with stops in Key Largo for the African Queen...Yes, they had seen the movie! ...and to re-up our supplies. We arrived at the marina with Jeff waiting patiently under the tree, loaded the dinghy, and headed for the boat. Janus was very happy to see his "Uncle" Donnie whom he loves to take for long walks in the park. He was also happy to see Janet as she had brought him a squeaky baby which he then promptly shredded.
For dinner we were off to Dockside by dinghy and had a pleasant surprise when we got a good listen of the evening's entertainment, Rob Sweet. He played quite a few excellent covers [John Prine, John Hiatt, Todd Snyder] but we were most impressed by his original music. We bought his CD along with a couple of "Sweet" bumper stickers and the CD sounds just as good on the boat as he did in person...a somewhat rare occurrence. We wish him well and hope he returns to Marathon soon.
The next morning, Donnie & Jeff were up at the crack of dawn and headed in for a boys breakfast at the Pig before Jeff had to go to work. Donnie brought us girls back something to nibble on and then while a slightly hung-over Janet and I went to yoga, he and Janus hit the park.
After yoga, we were off to the Keys Fishery for a bit of lunch...cracked conch, fried grouper, and snapper tacos. A little bit of grocery shopping was in order and then we headed back to the S/V Exposure for some suntan time on the deck. We had dinner on board...rotisseried, dry-rubbed ribs; corn on the cob; cheesy broccoli; and garlic bread...and called it an early evening.
We had big plans for Friday.
Jeff took the day off and we all headed to Key West. The plan was to ride the trolley and see the sites so our first stop was Mac's Sea Garden to purchase tickets. We had a bit of a wait for the first trolley and we were a little thirsty so we started walking. We stopped briefly at the Schooner Wharf Bar and then on to Captain Tony's. One of our very favorite people, Brian Paul, was playing so we settled in with a couple of pirate punches. We were having such a good time listening to Brian [Janet was jazzed because he knew some Pearl Jam] that we were reluctant to leave and catch a trolley, but we had already purchased the tickets, so we said our goodbyes and headed to trolley stop #1, Mallory Square.
The great thing about riding the trolley is that you can get on and off at any of their stops. We stayed on until stop #10 which put us at the Southern-most point. So here we are, the Southern-most people having a really good time. Then we walked around the Southern-most block, stopped at the Southern-most grocery shop, used the Southern-most bathroom, and ordered a couple Southern-most sandwiches. Then we were off to the [Southern-most?] Butterfly Conservatory after which, we were back on the trolley. We finished up our tour and then decided to head back to the car. Everyone was talking about the big storm that was supposed to roll in around 6 o'clock and we wanted to get out of town first. We made a stop at Bobalu's for pizza, chicken livers, and fried green tomatoes, and it did pour pretty good while we were eating but with none of the high winds they were expecting. Then it was back to Marathon, back to the boat, and back to a very happy-to-see-us dog.
~The Marathon Original Seafood Festival
Last year, I saw an ad in the paper asking for volunteers for the Seafood Festival. It involved a 2 hour shift, a free t-shirt, and free addmission, so I got my t-shirt, did my shift, and had a really good time. This year when the call came for volunteers, it came directly to my email. I signed Karen and I up right away and as soon as I realized that Donnie and Janet's visit would coincide with the fest, I signed her up too. I even arranged for our t-shirts to be picked up for us, delivered to the marina, and to be altered with a cute v-neck & shorter sleeves.
Saturday morning, we got up and had some breakfast at the Wooden Spoon and planned out our day. The Seafood Festival was a must, but it'd be nice to work in some relaxing and suntanning time as well. We ended up at the fest in our custom T's in the early afternoon, just in time to feed our company. The food was fabulous.
The whole lobster dinners were cooked to perfection and served with melted butter, baked beans, hush-puppies, and a roll. We also tried the smoked fish spread, the conch ceviche, and the fried fish...all excellent.
Afterwards, we perused the many booths of art, clothing, jewelry, hats, purses, spices, and boat stuff and even made a purchase or 2.

The only thing we were looking more forward to than the food was Howard Livingston, and he was up on stage at 5 o'clock. Howard is the consummate showman with his variety of island tunes and crowd-pleasing presence. In the middle of the show, he brings out a blender powered by a Johnson outboard motor and makes margaritas for the audience. But, it's not all about having fun. The civically-minded Howard auctioned off the first pitcher of margarita's for his favorite cause, KOA Care Camp - a special program to send kids with cancer to summer camp. In another effort to raise money and awareness for Care Camp, Howard has started "Hat's Off For Charity" in which his trademark, turquoise blue, Mile Marker 24 hats -which you could only get before when he flung the one he happen to be wearing into the crowd at the end of a special event- are now available for a donation. As you can see in the picture, Jeff made a generous donation and we all got hats signed by Howard long with multiple picture taking opportunities.
Check out Howard's site when you get a chance...The Seafood Festival still isn't up yet in his gallery of events but I am sure it will be soon.

Now how do you top off an evening like that? Well, it was Saturday night, so we went to the tiki hut at the marina. We were all pretty jazzed and feeling no pain...Janet had already switched Donnie to water, but he snuck in a couple of sips of the good stuff whenever she wasn't looking.
Jeff played a few songs along with our musical marina regulars and it ended up a late night for us. But what a good time!

Sunday morning dawned way too early because of the time change but Janet was up, so that means the rest of us got up. We walked across to the Stuffed Pig for breakfast and afterwards, us girls had to report to duty at the front gate. Due to a slight glitch in scheduling, our 2 hour shift was shortened to 1 hour when the volunteer organizer realized she had 8 people scheduled for an hour that the gate wasn't even open. We did our time handing out tickets, stamping hands, and directing people to the raffle booth "for a chance to win a chest of seafood." Then at noon, we were off for the beer tent and to peruse what wares we might have missed on the previous day.
In the meantime, the boys were in the garage fixing our diesel generator. It had a screw broke off in the housing for the water pump and had to be pulled out of the lazarette to be worked on. Well, the thing weighs a ton, and Jeff swore if he had to take the beast out, he wouldn't be putting it back in...hence the reason it is now in the garage.

So, we are now the proud owners of a Honda 2000 portable generator and Jeff seems much happier. The other generator has since sold for a good price thanks to the boys' efforts to fix it, clean it up, and add a little paint to it, and Jeff seems pretty happy about that as well.

After wrapping up at the seafood fest and in the garage, boys and girls met up and we headed back to the boat for some more lounging around in the sun on the deck. We had the most beautiful weather for the weekend. Chamber of Commerce weather - clear skies, sunny with a breeze...warm in the day, cool in the evening. Perfect.
When the time came, we headed to shore in the dinghy and across the street to Annette's for dinner. Good food...great salad bar...and then good night!
~Last Day...
Now, it's Monday, the last day of the trip, and Jeff has to go to work. Donnie, now an old pro at running the outboard, ran him ashore and then to Leigh Ann's for cappuccinos and everything bagels. Today was beach day and since they had been to Sombrero Beach on a previous trip, Janet suggested that we go to Bahia Honda State Park, which they had recently seen mention of on a television show.
But first, I had to do the Cruiser's Net [VHF channel 68 @ 9am] since Monday is my day as Net Controller/Local Celebrity. Donnie and Janet seemed to enjoy listening to the friendly banter amongst the boaters.
Then we were off to stick our toes in the water and our butts in the sand. We set up camp on the edge of the water and then did a little beach combing. Lot's of sponges had washed up on shore as well as many other interesting sea treasures. Donnie and I took turns walking Janet while the other got to relax and read a book in the peace and sunshine. Before we left, we made a trip up the path to the observation platform...an old section of the 7-mile bridge that has been restored and provides an awe-inspiring, panoramic view of the surrounding area.
We were lucky enough to spy a pretty good sized iguana having an afternoon snack along the path on the way back down...and speaking of snacks, by now we were all starving, so, we loaded back into the car and after a quick detour to the bay side of the park, we headed to Porky's for a fabulous lunch of Sebastian Inlet clams for Janet and I and mojo pork for Donnie.
Jeff got off work at 4 and we met up with him for a late afternoon cocktail on the S/V Exposure. We told him all about our day and showed him the pictures. Then we were off to the Sunset Grille for some dinner and a beautiful view of what else? The sunset. Located right at the base of the 7-mile bridge and facing west, the Sunset Grille, formally Chappy's, offers a great selection of tasty seafood, served poolside or in their expansive tiki hut, with the best scenery in Marathon. Donnie and I both enjoyed a raw/steamed combo of shrimp, clams, crab legs, and raw oysters. Jeff had yummy panko breaded hogfish while Janet spooned down some savory conch chowder. We even got Janet to try a couple of oysters...a first. The cooked Rockerfeller variety she'll probably have again but a definite pass on ever having them raw again.
~Departing...
It's always sad to see people we enjoy leave. Donnie and Janet packed up their things Tuesday morning and I drove them to Ft. Lauderdale to catch a plane back north. We made a stop at my favorite Cuban breakfast place, the Blue Marlin, in Key Largo. Donnie and I enjoyed our huevos rancheros and Janet figured out that while she may not like Cuban food...she does like Cuban coffee as she snatched up Donnie's cafe con leche. We made it to the airport on time and without incident & I had to say good-bye. But, on my return back to the boat, I realized that Donnie & Janet were still with us...if not in spirit, then in black sharpie marker! Janet had stayed up late the night before their departure and left us good-bye and thank you notes EVERYWHERE...the propane tank, the water jugs, the liquor bottles, the water bottles, the bottom of a cup, the powder, the aloe vera, Jeff's vitamins, my vitamins, the aleve, the cigarettes, the lighter, the ashtray, the calendar, the butter [?], the parmesan cheese, the old bay, the dog shampoo, the tog toy, the dog pills, the car keys, my apple sticker [ungh!]...all became surfaces for well wishes. Jeff and I both found personal notes in our wallets, bags, notebooks, and hidden on the nav station. All we can say is, "You're welcome!" and "We love you, too!"...and maybe next time we'll hide the markers.

All Blogged Up

2010-03-24T10:27:00.003-04:00

Life has been a little busy here on the S/V Exposure...
We've had company, then the seafood festival, then St. Patrick's Day, and then more company, and in the midst of all that Jeff has been working on restoring another boat.
But never fear! The blogs are coming!

Here's a couple of pictures to tide you over.

Pig Races

2010-03-02T08:20:00.007-05:00

Just as I promised, here's a blog about racing pigs...

Everyone who comes to visit knows about the Stuffed Pig...it's a favorite breakfast spot, with a huge tiki hut and garden behind a hole-in-the-wall-esc diner right across the street from the marina and there's just no place better to celebrate National Pig Day. This year, pig day fell on a Monday so all the festivities were held on the weekend prior. The restaurant, which normally closes at 3 in the afternoon, boasted a special dinner menu for Friday and Saturday nights and all you can eat BBQ with all the fixings on Sunday. But the main attraction wasn't the pig on the plate, but the ones on the track. The races ran every 2 hours with 3 heats each segment and parimutuel betting with odds and everything. Another betting option won you prizes for picking the winning pigs...the more pigs you picked the bigger the prize. The proceeds for the event went to Grace Jones Community Center a local non-profit organization that provides affordable child-care to the surrounding area.

I won $4 dollar off a $2 bet...I had apparently picked the favorite, Christina Hogulara. But the rest of my wagers went to charity.

With names like Shakin' Bacon, Pork Chop Pam, Oscar Mayer, Dustin Hogman, and Brittany Spear-Ribs, you can't help but giggle at the announcements as these pigs race around the track. Most of the pigs are quite fast and the race is over before you know it and the pigs are eating cookies at the finish line. That's how they motivate them to run around the track in the first place. The pigs' diet consists of a somewhat salty tasting feed and they only get sweet treats on race day upon crossing the finish line.

[Pic right: Jeff giving Gia a better view]

Click play arrow to start video.

Our favorite pigs to watch are the huge, Asian potbelly pigs. No amount of cookies could make these behemoths hurry anywhere and their "race" can last 10 - 15 minutes.

This year, a new addition to the races was the "Pig Hop" which took place in the center of the track in between racing segments and required human participants to straddle air-filled pigs and by placing all dignity aside "hop" to a win across the finish line. The following video is hopefully the most embarrassing thing you'll ever see me do...but in my defense, I had a strategy. I was going to pick up my pig and use my long legs to run down the track to victory. Makes perfect sense - in theory. But my pig took a dive and I guess you'll just have to see the rest for yourself. I'm the one in the middle, and to my right is Matt McJunkin and to my left Kendra McJunkin, our good friends who just recently relocated to Marathon.

And don't worry, no air-filled pigs were harmed or injured in the making of this video.

Sick & Tired

2010-02-26T12:27:00.002-05:00

So, call it the flu, a cold, or a virus, but whatever bug was creeping around the marina, I managed to catch it. It started with a sore throat and a restless night and developed into pure blown feeling bad. The first day was spent mostly in bed, cold chills one minute than hot the next. Jeff brought home chinese food [yummy...egg foo young!] for dinner and some of that nighttime, sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching, stuffy head, fever so I could rest medicine. The next day I didn't even bother getting off of the boat and Jeff procurred us some Dion's Quik Chic Chicken [you'd know what I was talking about if you listened to Keys radio...it's all the rage!] with a side of plantains & macaroni & cheese...you tell me where else can you buy fried plantains in a gas station? The third day, I actually drug myself to shore for a shower and some groceries and made myself do a couple of chores around the boat...exhausting. How can my head feel so hot when my feet feel so cold? Day 4 had me doing laundry at 6:30 am [no line!] with a quick jaunt for fuel and to the library and back in bed by 10:15...it may have been mid-morning for the rest of y'all, but I had already put in a full day. Today, the 5th day of my convalescence, has me feeling better...ish. The few coughing jags that I've underwent this morning have had me eyeing the NyQuil, but so far I've restrained. It makes me feel funny and then I can't tell if I feel bad because of the bug or the remedy. I am mostly just sick and tired of being sick and tired. I am reading a good book though...my third one for this week, and the Pig Races are this weekend so I am looking forward to those festivities.

So wish me well and stay tuned for racing pigs.

The Dad Visit

2010-02-19T12:40:00.008-05:00

My Dad, Tracy, just recently paid us a visit and brought with him the lovely woman he cleverly conned into marrying him 26 years ago, Barbara. They arrived a day earlier than expected when they made the best of their weather window and left before an impending snowstorm dropped several inches of the white stuff in Kentucky and Southern Indiana. The weather was sunny and warm ...although not quite as warm as one would hope for... when they arrived on Thursday, and they did a little sight-seeing before coming out to the boat for sunset and dinner. We had BBQ chicken on the grill accompanied by steamed shrimp, basmati rice, and fresh veggies. Jeff broke out his guitar afterwards and gave our visitors a song or two. We called it an early night since they were beat from their long haul to get here and I delivered them back to the docks so they could retire to the Blackfin Resort for a good night's sleep.

Friday morning we ventured across the street to the Stuffed Pig for "Gravy Pigs" under the tiki hut and then explored the area a bit with stops at Keys Fisheries, Daffy Doug's, Burdine's [for dinghy fuel], Ore Seafood, and Castaway's to check out the evening's specials. The afternoon was actually nice enough to take a dinghy tour around the harbor and up Sister's Creek and to soak up a little sunshine. Later on, we met at Castaway's for raw oysters and a bit of dinner. We had planned to stay for the entertainment, but the weather took a serious turn for the worse with big winds, big rain, and a big drop in temperature. We scrambled to our respective vehicles and called it another early night.

We had a big day planned for Saturday with an all-day, outdoor concert at Lazy Lakes RV Resort featuring Howard Livingston, Chris Cook, Cowboy Troy, Mac McAnally, and Jerry Jeff Walker just to name some of the day's venue. The proceeds from the show went to Habitat For Humanity and we had purchased our tickets in advance.

The weather was not ideal.

It was a little too cold and a little too windy with not enough sun.

We managed to have a good time anyway and enjoyed a lot of good music, free hotdogs, and people [and dog!] watching.

Click here to visit this album - click "slideshow" for a bigger show.

Sunday was spent recuperating and we met for dinner at Lencho's mexican restaurant.

Monday, we made a trip to Key West to see the Tropical Forest and Botanical Gardens and the Butterfly Conservatory, where Barbara and I were both lucky enough to have butterflies perch on us, and then we grabbed some dinner at Keys Fisheries.

Tuesday, we had planned on doing a little fishing, but the weather just didn't cooperate. We let some of the drizzle and clouds burn off and then we headed to Crane Point to have a look around. By the time we were done walking the grounds, we were all starved and we headed to Herbie's for some lunch. The rest of the afternoon was spent in preparation of an early morning departure the next day. The Hurricane, conveniently located on the Blackfin property, always has "Taco Tuesday" so for dinner we walked over and had us a few $1 tacos.

They were off the next morning before sunrise for the 2 day trek back to Ferdinand, Indiana.

The visit didn't go exactly how I had it planned.

The weather just wasn't nice enough to do much fishing or sunning on the beach.

So, even though there are lot's of things to see and do in Marathon, most of them are weather pending.

But that's life on a sailboat...it's all weather pending.

I enjoyed the time I got to spend with my dad, and Barbara and hope they come back when they can enjoy all the things they missed this time around.

Guests and Fish

2010-02-10T12:13:00.005-05:00

We recently had company here on the S/V Exposure. Meet Steve and Lisa Lindell. They hail from Louisville, Ky and had big plans to bring their RV down to the sunshine state for a long, relaxed vacation...until it came down to a part for the RV that just wasn't available quickly enough. So moving on to plan B, Lisa and Steve made a quick phone call to confirm availability of the guest bed, packed the car, and fled the snow & ice. They arrived Tuesday, the 2nd of February, just in time for sunset and dinner at Dockside, and spent 8 nights and 7 fun-filled days on the boat.

You know what they say about guests and fish, right?

Both stink after 3 days...

But that just wasn't true with these guests. I only mention the fish because we actually caught some!
On Wednesday, after a filling breakfast at the Stuffed Pig, Steve went up to the bait shop to procure a fishing license and then went out and caught us some dinner. Several mangrove snappers, a couple of grunts, and a jack fell to Steve's fishing prowess. He was tickled enough with his catch that he teasingly stated that he would now only be addressed as "Captain Kingfisher." His rein was short lived though when he and I went fishing on Friday and I started raking them in. He was a good sport to admit in front of others that not only did I catch more fish, but that I also caught the biggest of the lot and that I was hereby to be referred to as "Madame Queenfisher." When he asked how he could serve his queen, I merely requested that he clean my fish...and he did. The fish were great cooked on the charcoal grill, served with basmati rice and a concoction of black beans with sweet potatoes.

But their whole visit was not spent fishing, there were other fun things to do. Wednesday's Meet & Greet here at the marina was a special treat when we pulled the sailboat up to the seawall to take on some fresh water. We iced down the fish and ordered pizza to be delivered. In the meantime, everyone stopped to say hello or to ask to see the boat and Jeff did several question and answer sessions when asked about the Rutland wind generator quietly turning. People really are friendly around here and that may have been one of things that Steve and Lisa enjoyed most about Marathon.

And speaking of friendly, thanks go to Deb for the invite to lunch at the Hurricane...we all really enjoyed our time there Thursday afternoon.

Saturday was a beautiful day in the harbor and we went on a dinghy adventure up Sister's Creek to rescue a run-away dinghy belonging to an absent resident. Then we were off to the tiki hut to grill some burgers and chorizo and play some music. Did I mention that Steve is a great guitar player? He and Lisa perform together...professionally...she sings real nice...and we were all treated to a great jam session.

Sunday, I volunteered to work the Pigeon Key Art Show, so as I went to put in my time, our guests went a' wandering - first to the local's art show in the K-mart parking lot, then to the official show in the park, and then eventually all the way to Key West. They made it back in time for the Super Bowl festivities @ the marina. A big screen TV was brought in just for the occasion and the building was open until the game was over. Since it was a little cool out, I whipped up a pot of vegetable soup and had it waiting to warm them up on their return back to boat.

Monday, after a yummy breakfast at the cuban restaurant, we decided to make the 2 mile trek out to Pigeon Key. We didn't see much wild life on the way out, but we did spot 2 sea turtles out for a swim. Once on the island, we somehow managed to get booted out of the museum for not following the tour schedule...I must say, I've never gotten kicked out of a museum before now. It certainly gave us something interesting to comment on on the 2 mile walk back. Once back at the boat, Lisa opted for a nap while Steve and I went out to hunt and gather some dinner. First stop was a local fishery for a pound and a half of Key West pink shrimp to be steamed later then to the grocery for a slab of ribs and a green vegetable. The steamed shrimp made a great appetizer served with a bit of garlic butter followed by rotisseried ribs and cheesy broccoli. As my guests, it is a requirement that you eat well!

Tuesday found us on the road to Big Pine bright and early to find the elusive key deer that Lisa claims to have never seen in all their years of vacationing in the Keys. Well, we spied deer right away upon entering the protected habitat...so now she believes they really exist. Then, with a right at the light, we were set to find more wildlife...and boy, did we! We all happen to look down the same side road just in time to see a large cat slinking across the street...and I don't mean one of the domestic variety. It looked something like this but the tail was bushy and more pronounced. Everyone who has heard our account has had an opinion on what kind of cat we might have seen ranging from a Florida panther [a type of puma] to a black bobcat and although the Florida panther's numbers are on the rise, black ones do not seem to exist. Most likely it was a bobcat...but without a better look, we'll probably never know. Our next destination was the Blue Hole where we got to see an alligator swimming in the freshwater lens and converse with a local teenager who seemed to know quite a bit about gators and the surrounding wilds of Big Pine. By now, my company was sufficiently starving so I whisked them off to one of my favorite breakfast spots, the Cracked Egg. We made it back to the marina for yoga, showers, and a load of laundry, and although we swore we'd never eat again after such a huge breakfast we rallied and grabbed a late lunch at the Keys Fisheries of fried grouper and conch sandwiches followed by ice cream for Steve and a trip to the dollar store. Back at the S/V Exposure we relaxed and enjoyed a splendid sunset, complete with conch blowing and cocktails. And once again, even though we swore we'd never eat again after such a fabulous lunch at the Fishery, Steve insisted on taking us all out to dinner for their last night in town. We ventured off to the newest eating establishment in Marathon, El Siboney, for tasty Cuban cuisine: roasted pork, grilled skirt steak, and stuffed shrimp accompanied by mounds of yellow rice, bowls of savory black beans, and baskets of flaky cuban bread and we washed it all down with a pitcher of sangria. What a great note to end on.

Sadly, this morning Steve and Lisa packed their bags and started their trip back to the frigid north. We'll miss them and hope they come back again soon.

Splash!

2010-01-29T14:23:00.011-05:00

You may remember from a previous blog entree, way back in November, the 1/2 sunken, rowing dinghy that Jeff procurred and then pulled out of the water. Unfortunately, there are no pictures of the dinghy in its derelict, couldn't-even-give-it-away-state. But believe me, it was atrocious with its stinky, black sludge swishing around on the inside and the gooey mounds of unfettered growth on the bottom. It was missing a corner and most of it's paint and in desperate need of repair.

Well, it has finally hit the water again...resurrected from the dead... after months in the garage and hours and hours of Jeff's time. With it's Hatteras white interior, burgundy hull, black bottom paint, stainless steel oarlocks and lifting eyes, new transom plate, and new aluminum oars the small boat has gone through a vast transformation and has turned out to be quite striking. It's still missing it's sleek black rub rail because it's just been too cold to get the material adequately warm to be pliable enough to form to the hull contours and stretch over the bow. Jeff decided to go ahead and launch it without the rail and pull it out once the weather warms a bit.

With the dinghy splashed and tied to the docks, we stood admiring the shiny, new paint job and assessing the waterline from across the canal. Within minutes another dinghy carelessly crashed into the tiny red boat hard enough to make us both cringe. No damage but still...life is hard for a dinghy! So, on second thought, we may opt for the not-quite-as-pretty padded side rail and keep the damages done by others to a minimum.

For now, she's [all boats are women, right?] safely tied behind the sailboat.

Jeff says his rowing skills are a little rusty at the moment, but he's looking forward to the wind settling down a bit and taking the little red row boat out for a spin.

We haven't given it a name yet...any suggestions?

See a slideshow of the work in progress~

Or try here...& then click on "slideshow" [upper left] for a bigger, better view.

Australia Day

2010-01-27T10:22:00.011-05:00

Yesterday was Australia Day and one of our harbor residents, Peter Barker , who hails from the Land-Down-Under celebrated by "dressing" his sailboat, Bowtie Lady, with brightly colored banners & making huge signs that said "G-day!" Both signs and boat were then strategically placed at the seawall to be viewed by the marina webcam and hence, Peter's friends & family back in Australia. He even decorated the pump-out boat with one of his messages to home. Peter is a great guy to talk to with his aussie accent and quaint phrasings such as "Good on ya" when you've completed a task or his polite "G'day, Madam" as he greets you in passing. His colorful display brightened the day and put a smile on everyone's face.

Happy Australia Day!

And speaking of Australian's...

If you haven't checked out the blog of 16-year old Australian, Jessica Watson, who plans to be the youngest person to solo-handedly sail around the world then you should! G'day.

asdfjkl; ?

2010-01-19T08:16:00.004-05:00

The asdfjkl; keys on the new Dell Inspiron laptop have mysteriously stopped working. They suffered no trauma or spills, and no other keys except those known as the "home" keys have been affected. Weird, huh?

I did a restart.

I did a system restore.

I ran the virus software...again.

@ some point, I figured out how to pull up the on-screen keyboard...you try to communicate without your home keys! It's only slightly worse than trying to type with the on-screen keyboard.

I did a google search. It came right up: "asdfjkl; keys not working" but everyone had theories, no answers.

I contacted Dell through "Live Chat" & waited while 74 other people received assistance.

Zaheer [of course], my Dell representative, seems to think it's a hardware problem & is sending us a new keyboard which I will have to figure out how to install. Zaheer says it's easy. Zaheer barely speaks english that I am capable of understanding...he had to call me once he remotely disconnected my internet connection...yet he has the utmost confidence in my abilities.

We'll see.

& then we'll see if it truly fixes the problem.

In the meantime, this on-screen keyboard sucks.

Concert in the Harbor

2010-01-15T07:59:00.006-05:00

Yesterday evening, the sailboat Maggie M performed a concert here in the harbor from the back of their boat. Boaters were invited to dress warmly, bring a beverage, and raft up behind the stern to listen to french folk songs, classical guitar, and opera. It is the third such event that they have hosted, the other 2 being in the Bahamas.

I took the opportunity to play with the panorama setting on my camera to try and get the whole scene. [Click on either of the above pictures and they'll get bigger.]

It was a fairly good turn out considering the cold, the wind, and the lack of sun. Boaters are a hearty lot and not likely to miss out on a cultural event right in our own "backyard."

The music was quite delightful and I captured just a small part of it to share.