[Temporary] New Digs

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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.