Saturday, December 24, 2016

Holiday Shopping

Yesterday we needed to head over to the grocery store to pick up some items for the next few days. The local supermarket here is Wegmans. Probably the most awesome grocery chain in the US. In fact they were voted just that. Rochester is the home of Wegmans. There are a lot of the stores here. They need a lot more apparently because I could not even get into the parking lot when I arrived. When I finally drove into the lot it was coned off in sections to prevent chaos. It took me about a half hour to find a parking spot.

Because I am smarter than the average bear I pulled a cart from the return before entering the store. Good move. There was cart chaos happening as I pushed past. When I got through the door and into the store I was stunned. Holy shit look at all the people! The first thing you see is the produce section. It's awesome. It's crawling with people. I could not even get to the asparagus. I parked my cart near the brussel sprouts figuring it was safe there (who eats those?) and tried to walk to the asparagus. Oops, better throw something in the cart else someone will steal it. I dumped some potatoes in there and made my way over to the damn asparagus. It was impossible. I ended up buying the trimmed asparagus in bags cause I could get to them. No matter where I parked the cart (easier to get shit without pushing it around the narrow aisles) it was always in someone's way.

I parked the cart by a bin of whole walnuts. Some dude pushed it into the aisle so he could get a bag of walnuts. WTF. I could have parked that cart by a cooler of frozen Lake Ontario eels and some knob would be buying some. Crazy.

People eat a lot of cheese on Christmas Eve. People take their time selecting cheese. I thought I was in Georgetown Exumas and the French arrived at the market. The seafood counter was a little too slow for some folks. Nobody wants to buy frozen so they wait while the dude in the white hair net calls numbers. You people know it was frozen when it got to the store right? The guys on their way home from work are the worst. Impatient assholes were plowing their way through the store all agitated, mostly because they didn't know where shit was. I'm guessing management based on their attitudes and clueless wandering.

You could tell I was a retired guy because I was whistling away to the holiday music and examining weird stuff on the shelf. I didn't even get flustered when I couldn't find the hand soap. I found dish soap and laundry soap but the hand soap was on the other side of the store. Keep the soaps in one aisle! Most retired people got this shit done earlier. I was in the wrong crowd.

A few times I was wandering with my head in the clouds when I realized someone was waiting for me to come back to earth so she could get by. I apologized a few times. One woman laughed and the other growled I think. I told one gal to just tap me with the cart and she said she may just do that next time. There was one other cloud based individual prancing through the aisles whistling and singing but she looked a little too happy. Kind of a hippy chic my age and she gave me the big grin as we passed. I saw her later practically dancing behind the cart. I think she hit up the liqour store first.

After several hours in the mad house I exited a bit poorer but full of holiday cheer until I popped the trunk and it's full of empty bottles and cans I was returning. God Damn it! I was so excited to get a parking spot that I forgot about the bottles. I put everything in the back seat and lugged the bottles to the return machines to find a lovely couple returning a MILLION FRIGGIN WATER BOTTLES! Seriously? You pick now to do that? Turn the damn faucet handle, this isn't Flint! Oy. What's up with bottled water? Some company fills bottles with your tap water and then sells it back to you for a couple bucks. Dumb. I should design a portable bottling machine and bottle this water whenever we come up. I could truck it down to Florida and sell it as Pauly Springs Northern Pure. I would make a fortune selling filtered water straight from the icy depths of lake Ontario. Idiots.


Anyhow, another machine opened up and I was able to return the bottles. I used the money to buy ice cream for the apple pie. What good is apple pie without French vanilla? On the way home I cranked the radio up and avoided death by deer or truck. My coughing wife was there at the door.

People get weird this time of year. They are either really happy or really angry or really sad. Maybe we should go back to the pagan rituals and just eat drink and be merry. No shopping, gift giving, no worship, no TV, no Facebook. I am willing to bet we would be happier. Then again, we are only human. We can't all be equally happy. Someone would always have to be the happiest or at least happier than you. So it goes.

Cheers!
PJJB

posted from Bloggeroid

Thursday, December 22, 2016

The Little Germ Cottage

Since arriving in the States we have been feeling a bit ill and it's not all from watching the election. For some reason we seem to be allergic to the cold. As soon as the temps dropped we started sniffling and sneezing and coughing and it really has not stopped. To top it off we have been visiting with little germ pods called grandkids. There is nothing more deflating then welcoming your grandson home from daycare and he sticks his wet fingers in your mouth when you go to hug him. Thanks pal! My daughter just rolls her eyes. "Grandpa paranoid is going to get deathly ill now!"

Actually, despite being in daycare a few days a week little Mason has been pretty healthy and it's the grandparents that have been germ bags. Maybe it's this tiny cottage all closed up with the heat cranked up. Maybe we should open the windows and door to air it out. Maybe all those US germs we avoided for over a year have found us. I don't know but from what I have read there are other cruisers home for the holidays complaining of the same thing so I bet the germs we avoided have all found us.



This little cottage will be invaded Monday by my daughter Nicole and family. Yes, we will have four adults and one two year old crammed in here. Please let us all be healthy.

Fingers crossed it's a snot free Christmas.

Cheers!
PJB

Deb coughed herself to sleep last night. I moved to the other room. Neither one of us slept much. Tonight I am meeting up with old work pals. The bags under my eyes could hold a six pack. They're going to not want to retire after seeing me. Retirement is great! Seriously guys it is. Yawn. Sniff. Cough.

posted from Bloggeroid

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Happy Winter Solstice!

The winter solstice always meant quite a bit more to me than the other more traditional celebrations this time of year. Most of the current traditions originated from pagan beliefs and festivals and were twisted and watered down over time to evolve into the religious (?) holiday we have today.

The old Pagan celebration was more about our relationship with the earth and the stars and the impact all of it had on our lives. It was also one hell of a party. The livestock was fat and ready for the fire and the wine and beer had all fermented enough to get drunk on. Renewed hope came with the rising sun.

May todays rising Sun bring you warmth, hope and happiness for the new year.

Cheers!
PJ

posted from Bloggeroid

Monday, December 19, 2016

Here comes the Sun! Cough.

What is it about the cold gray skies, wind whipped snow and temperatures below freezing that make you sick or feeling horrible? Does the environment have a serious impact on health? Well of course it does, but I am not talking about smog or UV radiation or horrible weather events I am talking about the plain old every day average weather for this region having enough of a negative impact on your brain to reduce your immune systems fighting capability.

I think this is so. We can all talk about the actual loss of vitamin D from our bodies because we live at latitude 43 and the the Sun is gone until April but we eat cheese, tofu and drink almond or soy milk so no problem. We also take supplemental vitamin D and B12 if we think our diet is off the rails. So assuming our blood has the proper stuff to remain healthy (last blood letting proved it was) then the reason we feel so shitty is because the weather negatively impacts our brain. We get depressed and lazy. We eat pizza. We drink too much. We don't wash our hands for the minimum 30 seconds. We catch a germ.

This morning I woke up after a weird nights sleep. I was all stuffed up and coughing myself awake most of the night. Besides all the cold symptoms I had bizarre dreams that I am afraid to describe, but of course I will. Sometimes I tell Deb these dreams and she just looks at me wondering what she ever saw in me some thirty years ago.

Last night in my dreams my Dad was giving me the "straighten up and fly right" speech while he towered over me as I sat on my bed. I told him I am moving out and I refuse to listen to any more of his horse shit. Dad got really pissed. Dad was a Centaur. I felt bad after saying it and I wanted to apologize but there was a lot of yelling, stomping and tail twitching. He reared up but I threw some sugar cubes to distract him (I kept those in my pockets just in case) and ran out of the house after grabbing my Farah Fawcett poster and some underwear.  I drove away in my Pinto. I felt bad about the horse comment and wanted to turn the car around and say I was sorry but then I woke up. That's all I remember about the whole thing but it was enough to force me get up and have some tea to clear my head.

Weird eh? Deb never remembers her dreams like I do. I should keep a notebook next to the bed and start writing them down because they fade within hours. Before I die I would have to burn the notebook of course.

I dragged ass across the cold floor to the bathroom. In the living room I turned on the fake fireplace. I warmed some water for tea and then sat by the electric fire staring at the fake flames hoping the bags under my eyes will vanish as another dreary ass day continues.

The SUN! The Sun came out! Holy shit the Sun is out today and it's shining into the cottage. It's cold as hell out, the Bay is freezing and the snow has a hard layer of ice over it but the Sun is reflecting off all of it! Amazing! Can I get any more exclamations!!!!

Hours later I am in a chipper mood. I am caffeinated, full of sugar and sunshine. We are heading out to the grocery store to restock and then heading over to friends to visit and spread germs. Deb is looking more alive today with the Sun on her and I am actually considering going for a walk. Scratch the walk it's friggin 19 degrees.

If you are ever in this area and are wondering why people are so unfriendly, moody, sarcastic and boring to talk to just wait around for the Sun to come out or better yet, visit in July.

Two weeks left until we fly home. Mixed emotions.

Cheers!
P



I drove a Pinto because my Dad thought a Chevy Nova SS was too cool for a nerd like me. He also knew I would use all of the horsepower available to do something extremely stupid.
posted from Bloggeroid

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

A Winter Walk



This morning the temperature is about 29 degrees. Not bad. The wind was calm and the streets were plowed. The Sun might even make a brief appearance. Not a bad time for a little fresh air and a brisk walk around town.

Walking is slow enough to let your mind wander. I prefer to bike ride for exercise but I never get the meditation like calmness of a good walk when I ride. Maybe getting flattened by a big old Chrysler in 1967 makes me a little skittish while on two wheels. Walking is more relaxing for me so as I make my way through the snow covered streets my mind starts to wander...






You ever wonder just what the hell you are doing sometimes? What idiot rents a summer cottage in the winter that is an hour away from the daughter he came to NY to visit? I am that idiot I guess. It's fucking cold here. It's snowing a lot. We are actually living a block away from the marina where we started this adventure. It's weird.

As weird as it is right now it's been a fun visit to the States. The kids and Grandkids are awesome to be around. We wish we could take them away from it all and live with us in the warmth of the islands but I am not filthy stinking rich enough to move them down here. Even If I was independently wealthy and owned a mega yacht I would still require the kids be old enough to be off the diapers before coming aboard. Never did like dealing with kid poop. That baby mustard stuff is disgusting. Not enough hand sanitizer in the world for that.



Driving in the snow has not been difficult. The stress of it all is worrying about the other drivers doing crazy shit and running into us. The key to driving in the snow is keeping your speed relative to conditions, having good tires and keeping your foot off the damn brake. We have seen people put the brakes on while going over an icy bridge and spinning out because they were going to fast before the bridge. Assholes.



There is route 104 nearby which we take to get to Rochester, which has always been a death road. The other night some woman was killed by an oncoming car that slid on the ice and into her lane. We had just passed through that spot minutes earlier. Friends of ours knew someone who was killed by a truck in the last snow storm. You just never know do you?

I'm walking down the middle of the road to avoid the slippery ice so I don't fall and break my ass and I hear this jerk is racing up behind me in a car. I move to the opposite side of the road but he passes me real close and slow and stares at me while driving by. I wave and he frowns. Dick.

Aches and pains are back. With the cold comes the pain in our joints that we have not felt since hitting the tropics. We are now those people that moan when they have to get their asses out of a chair. In the morning when I get up my ankles don't want to work. I walk to the bathroom like I have two peg legs. My shadow looks like some Frankenstein monster walking about.

When I ran track in High School my coach laughed at my feet because they turn in when not on the ground. Kind of like an old VW Beetle. Looking down now I see my right foot still does that. In fact I think it's getting worse. Maybe that's why my knee hurts to much after walking a few miles. It's like positive camber on a VW bug suspension. My shoes all wear on the outside edge. I never realized what a freak I was.



If technology advances to the point where our bodies can be beamed and transported does this mean we are actually killed and then brought back to life with a new body? I think this is so. You would be broken down into a form of energy that can be transported and then reassembled. Every time you are broken down into an energy form you are killed and a clone of you is created after transport. So, if there is an afterlife then all of my clones would be hanging around together after every transfer. I would be the original so does this mean I would be the leader of my clone gang? Wait. How would we know who the original was after about a thousand of me arrived? Depends on the afterlife policy makers I guess. Maybe the souls in charge there should consider this possibility and maybe register the originals. Of course this could break down into chaos with claims of prejudice towards the higher numbers. "Why do the number one's get all the good jobs!" "Shut up number 2, try living in a number 12's shoes and see how the afterlife treats you!" "Fuck off 12!" "Who said that? Why are the numbers 100 and over here anyway? They should be out working the ectoplasm farm."
Clone wars.

Do you think the afterlife will be boring?

This guy is walking his large boxer on a super long leash. The dog is barking nasty at me and I wave good morning. Nothing. Just a barking dog and some dude staring at me. This town is starting to creep me out.

Maybe it's because I have my hoodie up. Nobody here likes hoodies.

I would like a double pistachio with chocolate sprinkles
Hello! Anyone in there? Are you open?

Time to turn around as I have hit a dead end. Now the wind is in my face and it has picked up a bit. I guess I will have some rosy cheeks when I get back.
The yacht club looks dead and snowed in. Don't those snobs drink in the winter?

We were never yacht club material. Too stuffy. Too cliquey

This town looks a bit depressed. There are only two restaurants/bars open this time of year. Both do a good business despite the ghost town appearance. There must be people hiding somewhere.

My feet are frozen now and my knee is bothering me. I can see the cottage across the street and the neighbor is running his snow blower to clear his driveway. Who buys a two cycle snow blower? That thing is embarrasing. Someone pull his man card.

I see the fishing charter cabins are empty. Bet we could have swung a deal on one of those. Imagine how nice they are inside after a season of visiting fisherdrunks.





We have a deep freeze coming for a few days. Looks like a week of thermal underwear is in my future. This has really been a shock to our systems but I think we are being sporty about it and wearing smiles along with all the layers of clothes. At least Deb bought a winter coat. I am winging it with just a fleece and a sweatshirt. I could be in trouble if I have to be outside for any length of time.

Couple more people staring at me in front of the gas station. I am not waving back any more. Screw the bastards. Just for laughs I should go in and buy a 22oz beer and sit in the playground park across the street with my hood up. How long before someone calls the cops you think?

Island time soon come.



Cheers!
PB


Harper Rose you are beautiful.
posted from Bloggeroid

Monday, November 28, 2016

Two Days

We are now two days away from seeing our first Grand Daughter. Time sure did fly since we arrived in the cold north and this is a good thing.

I think I am handling the cold just fine.



Deb on the other hand is not too amused about snow and freezing rain falling on her head. One of the many reasons we left this area is the aches and pains you feel in your joints and your back during the long winter months of damp cold weather. This November brought us a record snow storm. Third largest November snow fall total. We are lucky that way. Deb is feeling this cold in her back and knees. I would be too but my grandson Mason is keeping me limber by running at me full speed and tackling me to the carpet. I have a few bruises and some muscles that have not been used in a while but I'm not so stiff.

Speaking of muscle failure, my daughter Nicole showed off her strength at a playground by climbing around on the swing set and bars. She said, "Let's see you do it Dad!" My brain said Don't Do It Slacker Boy, but I tried anyway. Ugh. My shoulder still hurts. My arms looked like raw chicken wings being de-boned while I hung helplessly from the rings.

I realize now that I need to do some things to maintain strength besides the usual stuff sailors do, like opening beer bottles and adjusting the sails. This will be tough to do when it is eighty five to ninety degrees and ninety percent humidity but it sure beats shrinking. I might have to go to a size small shirt if this keeps up. The smaller my body gets, the bigger my head looks so there is some incentive there to keep the muscle mass. Maybe I should buy those stretchy rubber band like workout things and get up on deck every morning for a workout. Maybe I should save my money and just do push ups and drink a protein shake. Maybe I should just drink tea and watch the sunrise and other people working out while I order small shirts off Amazon.


Aside from whining about the cold we are keeping busy. There is plenty of toddler care happening in between guitar practise and spending time with friends. We had an awesome Thanksgiving dinner with Sharon and Bill who hosted for both families. It was nice of them to invite the wayward sailors. We even told a few stories and lied about the sailing life. Kidding. We always tell the truth about this life. The truth is funny. Like how we had to buy new backpacks in Trinidad because our old ones were ripped and the zippers were corroded in place from the salty life at sea. We then stuffed our new one's for the plane ride to the US only to have the zippers break and the straps come off before the trip. Quality.

I really hate to blow the image of us just holding hands walking the beaches under palm trees and a beautiful sunset every day but they need to know it's not just one long vacation. Or do they? The sailing magazines don't feel the need to show the "real" life out there. If they did then the anchorages would be less crowded.

Does anyone read a sailing/cruising magazine anymore?


We bought new Waterproof backpacks. They look pretty tough and there are no zippers to fail. Only problem is everything is in the same pouch. I also wonder how sweaty these things will be riding on my back all day. Sure beats getting electronics wet so I will put up with the sweaty back.



The Sun came out! We had a whole week of snow and then rain to melt it all. I miss the Sun.

Baby Girl soon come. Grandpa gets tired just thinking about it. These kids wear me out. To them I am some sort of punching/wrestling bag but I admit it is fun playing and messing with them. Mason has found out that gramps can be quite a wise guy. I only made him cry twice so far. Aiden found out gramps doesn't take any crap from a two year old and then he cried as well. When we leave they will get to see Grandpa cry.

Having fun up north.

Cheers!
PB


posted from Bloggeroid

Thursday, November 17, 2016

Back at latitude 43

Holy shit we're back!

Most of you (8 followers) know we are on an extended return to the US to welcome our latest Grandchild. Harper will be arriving soon and we are holed up in a cottage on the south shore of lake Ontario in Sodus Point NY. We can't wait to welcome the little cutey to the family. We also can't wait to get the hell out of here! Damn it's cold and yes I am a wuss. When Harper is old enough I will tell her, "I damn near froze my nuts off to be there for your arrival!" Then I will get yelled at for mentioning my nuts and tthey will wheel me back to my room.

Cold. It's cold. The overnight lows are now in the 30's and there is snow in the forecast for Monday. I have yet to buy thermal underwear but I think we may hit up Target soon because I have no winter jacket, just a fleece.

The drive up from Georgia was tiring. We stopped in Fredericksburg overnight and hit the road in the morning and drove right into DC rush hour traffic. Before we even made it to the DC morning disaster we were slowed by road work almost the whole way. WTF!!

To anyone who has ever lived in this area and had to drive to work every morning I commend you. You must have the patience of a Saint. Saint Loser McDumbAss. Have you people ever added up the time you spent in traffic every work day for 30 yrs? Don't do it. You'll cry.

Driving in the lower states was a breeze in comparison but there were plenty of yahoos trying to prove their truck was worth the $40k versus spending it on their kids braces by racing anything on the road.  The occasional drug runner from Miami trying to get to Baltimore or NYC before the club closes is always special to watch. I told my son-in-law once while we were driving south on I95 that this highway is full of the unknown, and strange shit can happen at any time. He wanted to know why that is and I mentioned the usual overturned trucks or fast cars rocketing off the road into the trees, boats falling off trailers or box springs flying out of truck beds. I need to update him on the latest attractions.

Yep. It's a black bear. In a pick up.

So we survived the roads traveled and managed to arrive at our micro cottage by the lake. Cozy. For most "normal" people this would be insanely small but for us it's kind of just right.

Our micro cottage.


I am actually having fun. I know it's cold and the snow (white death) has not fallen yet but damn it's kind of nice being in the crisp fall air with the smell of wood smoke and apples. I want to walk with my grandsons through the woods and then visit the cider mill for some cinnamon fry cakes and sweet apple cider. Maybe a caramel apple or some kettle corn will do. Eventually the freezing rain will fall and suck the life out of me but right now it's kind of nice. Baby girl will bring a nice ray of sunshine into our lives when the weather is the worst. Looking forward to that real soon.

I will be blogging more now that Facebook has become just a land of memes about politics and self help. Getting boring. Anyone else feel the same way? We do like family and friends updating us on their activities but the other crap I could really live without yet it Just. Won't. Stop.

Good talking to ya. I will let you know when it snows.

Cheers!
PJJB


The dude in the pick up with the bear was just as relaxed as can be so we assume it's a stuffed bear that he thinks is a unique add on. I would have added a Yogi Bear hat and tie.
posted from Bloggeroid

Monday, November 7, 2016

Questions

Since we have been stateside and visiting with friends and family we have been asked many questions regarding our trip to Trinidad and living on a sailboat. I like answering these questions because the folks asking tend to be either surprised by the answers or completely underwhelmed by my response. It's interesting to hear what people think our lives are like down there.

This week I will list some of the questions we received since our return and give the answer.

#1. What was the scariest part of the trip?

Running out of beer. No, not really. Horrible yes, but not scary.

For me it was the Derecho in Georgetown, Exumas. Hurricane force winds surprised the harbour, whipping us around for hours while we were anchored close to shore. Our boat was heeled over and swinging from side to side giving us one horrible night we thought would end with us washed up on shore. The engine was running and we tried to steer into the wind to reduce the pressure on the anchor. This kept me at the helm the whole time, braced and tense. Boats were dragging their anchor and getting closer to us in the rain swept night. The waves in the protected harbor had reached at least four feet at times and the interior of the boat was getting trashed with stuff flying everywhere. The radio was alive with people asking for help and warning others about their plight. Spotlights and flashlight beams were blinking all over the place as well as air horns and shouts. Many boats were in trouble. Many different languages were spoken in panic and sadness that evening.


Image result for derecho
derecho (pronounced similar to "deh-REY-cho" in English, or pronounced phonetically as " ") is a widespread, long-lived wind storm. Derechos are associated with bands of rapidly moving showers or thunderstorms variously known as bow echoes, squall lines, or quasi-linear convective systems.

Deb and I were in the cockpit hanging on and begging our boat to handle the storm. We prayed our new Mantus anchor was as good as advertised and that our engine continued to run in this maelstrom. SV Kelly Nicole came through it all intact and secure. The Mantus anchor got a big kiss from the captain.

Our legs were like jelly and we were mentally exhausted after it all ended. We had a lot of cleaning up to do down below yet somehow that big pot of chili stayed on the stove top. Imagine if that had spilled? Our floor is already soaked with beer seawater and molasses so I guess chili would have added a nice touch. After checking all systems and the boats around us we began the cleanup. The chili was good even cold but the beer was excellent.

We got lucky that night. Others not so much. In my opinion this was the scariest part of the trip. In fact I told Debra that I think we just experienced the worst weather ever and it should be all good from here on out. We were scared but we were in control. Had we lost both the anchor and the engine it would have been a disaster as I am not sure we could have deployed the second anchor and got it to hold in time before we hit the shore.

We always play it safe but sometimes Mother Nature throws you a curve ball. We have had some other scary moments but the Derecho was probably number one.

More later.

Cheers!
PJ


St George's Grenada

posted from Bloggeroid

Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Stateside

It's really hard to believe we've been stateside since August. Now that the seasons are changing we are well aware of how far we are from SV Kelly Nicole, our home. This is really going to be a long stay for us and one we will probably not repeat unless there is another Grand baby on the way. Three to four months in the States seems about the right length of time. It's pretty much all we can afford as the States are expensive relative to living in the islands.

Living out of an old hockey bag

The family has been missed terribly. We are really soaking up every moment we are here. I am pretty sure though that the thrill of having Mom and Dad living in the spare room has worn off considerably. The kids have been great and we really appreciate the savings opposed to living in a hotel or renting an apartment but seeing Dad every morning sipping tea and commenting about the world news has got to get to you after a while.

Our Grandsons are incredibly funny. Such personality in both of them. They really get me going and I tend to egg them on a bit which gets them in trouble from time to time. Grandpa also gets in trouble. The other evening Aiden grabbed my hand and said "C'mon Grandpa" and proceeded to lead me into the kitchen. My daughter asked what we were doing and I said Aiden wants to see the scissors. I got yelled at by both parents. My humor is lost on them sometimes.


Mason the comedian greeted Grandma
at the door with a snake surprise.

Aiden, master of facial expressions and
tester of patience. Both are happy kids.

Pretty soon we drive up to the north country for baby girl to arrive. We managed to snag a cottage rental for cheap while in NY. Problem is it's about a 45 minute drive to our daughters house which doesn't seem that long unless you add snow. Believe me, there will be no escaping driving in the snow or ice. This will suck but for now we are still soaking up warmth in Florida and Georgia

We ventured to Vero Beach the other day to visit the Doc. It appears that all is well. We both feel healthy and our blood work came back good. My BP has been spot on despite taking the meds every other day because I was running out. Makes you wonder why I take them at all, but after driving around Florida for the last week I think I might actually double up on the meds! These people crash into each other like bumper cars down here. Pretty scary stuff even if we hang out in the slow lane.

So we are in the waiting room for blood work. The place is crowded. No seats available. This elderly couple comes in, one with a walker and the other with a cane and neither one is moving very fast. They walk to the end of the waiting room looking for a seat. They pass by several guys in their 30's who see them but ignore them. I stood up and offered my seat to the woman and Debra offered hers to the man. Both thanked us and were all smiles to discover that someone actually cared. I glared at the twits who never offered and wondered why they are such assholes but they never looked up from their phones. I guess that answered my question.

The Doc told me something interesting when I mentioned that my left ear plugs up and refuses to drain after snorkeling. He said my left ear canal is smaller than my right. He said it's very narrow. Damn. I'm not symmetrical! This bothers me. I'm going to have to measure a few other parts of my body and see if the left is smaller than the right. Maybe that's why my left turns in hockey were always better than my right. What if the left side of my brain is smaller than the right side? Is that why I am bad at math? My right shoe is always tighter fitting. My eyesight is better in my right eye. I even think my left ass cheek is smaller than my right because my wallet always fit better on the left. WTF! I feel so unbalanced.

At the time of writing this I am watching the world series. Go Cubs! Funny thing about baseball is it's so boring that the announcers never shut the hell up for fear you might fall asleep and miss a pharmaceutical commercial.

While we are poking around the area we stopped to visit a few pals. Deb and Tim on Kintala (Retirement Project) are parked momentarily and it was great fun visiting with them. Deb made a fantastic dinner and we shared a few laughs and some stories. It was great seeing them again and enjoying their company.

A good reunion with Kintala

Long time friends Deb and Don also made a great dinner and entertained us on their Key West sport boat with friends Ron and Joyce who have a trawler nearby. Great fun being on the water again even at high speed. We all met each other while we sailed, raced and cruised lake Ontario. Izzy the wonder dog was also there! Good times except for the sunburn. You know, I live 10 degrees from the equator for months at a time and never get a sun burn. Two hours on a powerboat and I scorch my face. I look stupid.

Our new old car. We hate owning a car.
Renting for 5 months was $$$


Having our own transportation has been nice while here. Yesterday we traveled up to Beaufort to see our always smiling friend Annie. We had a nice lunch and chat. Thanks for the brewski's Annie!

Our time in Florida and Georgia is almost up and before long we hit the road for the north country. Getting excited about the baby girl and it will be a joyous time having everyone together for the holidays. The ice and snow will be no contest for the warmth in our hearts.

Cheers!
P
posted from Bloggeroid

Monday, September 19, 2016

Morning Tea. Ocala Florida. USA


Morning Tea posts are a brain dump to the blog. Whatever pops into my head at the time I am writing this goes into this post. OK, not everything. You definitely do not want to read everything that pops into my head. I would need an anonymous blog for that. 

Well here we go...



There is something wrong with starting your morning seeing your Mother-in-law's 87 yr old boyfriend walk through the kitchen to the garage in his not so tighty whitey's. Boxers dude! He looks like he stole them from a Sumo wrestler.

We are in Central Floriduh visiting Mom. There is zero breeze here.

I have been going outside in the early morning hours to do my Internet thing and have a tea.

Sitting at the breakfast table covered in sweat after just cooking everyone eggs is not very appetizing to the consumers.

I figured out that all the sweating is coming from the BP pills I have been taking as half of it is a water pill. Damn.

Unfortunately I am probably already known as the little sprinkler so I will have to prove to my cruising pals that I am no longer sweating like a cold can of beer.

Our re-entry to the States was immediate and somewhat shocking as we landed at JFK and then had to go through security again to get to Rochester. Everyone is a potential threat and you are treated as such.

Nothing worse for a food service worker at JFK than a undecided, slow and easy going chill person trying to decide on a coffee flavor and size then just asking for a small regular cream no sugar.

I was overwhelmed with all the selections.

A Greek salad at a brew pub. Dreams do come true.

When you are at a Brew Pub in the south and you ask for soup and salad you might be asked for your man card. So you order a heavy stout and one of those T-shirts with the cloaked death skeleton holding a beer.

Being vegetarian is not very manly. Good thing I don't care what other people think.

Call me paranoid but I never go through the scanners at the airports. The metal detectors of course but the body scanners, no way.

When you "Opt out" at the airport they yell it all over the place, especially JFK. "We have an opt out here! Opt out! Got a friggin opt out over hear!" I then get patted down in front of everyone while my pants start slipping away because I have no belt. "Sir hold up your pants." You told me to keep my arms out and palms up. "You can use one hand to hold up your pants." Oops, there they go. "Sir I got one word for you. Boxers."

Poor William Shatner. He opted out and during the pat down his pants fell to his knees.  https://youtu.be/SoCZJUc1PHw

I still can't believe we have a friggin car. We think we got a good deal on a Acura sedan. We needed something with good resale for January. Hopefully this happens but I would not mind if we just kept it for next season when we return.

I retired from GM and this is our first import in quite a while. GM stole my retirement so I feel zero shame in buying this car. I never recommend them either. Bastards.

The price of cars is insane. Imagine mass transit in all our towns.

Imagine Congress doing something. Anything.

This is a lengthy return trip for us. Baby girl is coming in December so we will stick around for the holidays. Flying back and forth from Trinidad and living on the hard was not an option ($$).

Car rentals long term are very expensive.

Did you know that some car dealers rent vehicles for half what the cheapest rental company charges? We found out after we bought the car. Doh!

Our kids are awesome for letting us bunk at their homes for a while. I brought plenty of boxers.

Our friends are awesome as well for letting us stay at their homes. Hey guys are we staying at your homes? Guys? Hello?

We rented a cottage for the winter months we will be spending in Western NY. Our friends need to be spared. Was it the snoring or the tighty whiteys?

After reserving the cottage and putting down a non-refundable deposit I was asked if the place had heat. Uh, I don't know. They have a gas furnace for the living room and space heater for the bedrooms. I never really gave it any thought as I assumed anything in that part of the country had heat. Space heaters. Oye.

I wonder if I can still drive in snow.

Snow. Shoot me now.

I think we will take the Grandkids snow tubing.

I wonder if our insurance covers back injuries out of state.

Why is everyone here in the US in such a hurry?

No one here is really going anywhere.

In Trinidad it is customary after entering a place of business to greet everyone. Good Morning! In the US you look like a kook if you do this. I got a lot of side glances and no return greeting at a Dunkin Donuts.

As soon as we got to the US we caught a cold. Deb got it bad. Deb always refers to the power of positive thinking to stay so healthy. She then caught some other thing that I think the kids shared, viral bronchitis.

The power of negative thought and defeatism kept me safe from the viral part. I just had the sniffles though I told everyone I was going to die from viral whatever. Deb could not help smirking at the power of negative thinking and paranoia. Maybe it was an eye roll and not a smirk.

I am not a pancake person.

The coffee sucks in the US.

Breakfast is a small meal for me. Caffeine and citrus. Maybe a slice of leftover cold pizza.

Everyone is picking on my eating habits here in FL. "You eat like a bird!"

After sitting in McDonalds for an hour using the wifi and watching the people come and go I am going to continue eating like a bird.

Pawl Pawl Pawl.

Never wear shorts on a plane. Nobody wants to see those skinny legs.

I paused in writing this to take a shower and I had some good material while in there. I completely lost the thought after I got out.

A small waterproof voice recorder should be standard for all showers. Hell we could be off fossil fuels and might actually have flying cars by now if we all could record those shower ideas.

Everyone loves vegetarian meals until you tell them that's all you are cooking all week.

I actually ate some pork the other day. I cooked a tenderloin for our hosts and I noticed it wasn't gobbled up with smiles and requests for more so I tried it. I thought it was fantastic! I put a salt, pepper and brown sugar rub on it. Nicely caramelized on the outside and super tender inside. The pig did not die in vain.

No, I am not craving meat because I tasted a dead cooked pig.

If you refrigerate onions they will go easy on the eyes when you cut them.

We went to get our eyes examined and got new glasses in Grenada. My eyes improved! How about that! I dumped the bifocals and now have a cheap pair of reading glasses that I rarely use depending on the font size. I mostly drive without glasses now.

We went to the dentist for a cleaning and checkup in Trini. My teeth were in good shape and no bleeding gums. So they improved as well.

There is less sugar in foods outside the USA

I think overall the sailing/cruising lifestyle is pretty healthy for us.

We have yet to see a dermatologist so I will retract the last statement.

I drink more beers while on a boat. They just go together.

I am totally amazed at the number of grouchy Americans sailing around the Caribe.

Speaking of grouchy Americans why is everyone here so angry?

It appears that a lot of angry white males shown on TV speak in incomplete sentences and most have a Goatee or Van Dyke beard and a beer gut.

I'm thinking of shaving, cutting back on the brews and increasing my vocabulary.

Today I saw a phone hanging on a wall. Amazing.

The new iPhone is here! The new iPhone is here! Get a life.

I wonder if I sound old like a neighborhood get off my lawn type.

Did you see the kid who was 1st in line to get a new iPhone and then dropped it during an interview? Priceless.

I put on a safety orange shirt before going for a walk the other day.

I really miss biking. Nicole lets me use her bike she won at work. It's a coca cola beach bike. I rode it around her neighborhood a few times. I'm a rolling billboard for a sugary soft drink. "There goes the coke man!" could be misinterpreted.

The older you get the louder your TV.

"Toe ring? Who has a toe ring?" No, I said the PHONE IS RINGING!

You have a watermaker? So it makes drinking water from salt water? You have to run a generator? It takes hours? Huh. I like to just turn the faucet and water just comes out.

I read where a central floriduh fertilizer plant had a sinkhole open up under their waste storage tank and 250 million gals of animal waste just flooded the main aquifer for all of Florida.

I really am impressed with musicians that taught themselves to play without youtube.

Does anyone actually sit down and look at old photos very often?

Maybe the reason you watch the "news" so much when you get older is because you are trying to justify the fact that you do not leave the house. Scary out there you know. Terror!

My Mother-in-law is one tough woman.

The news is scary. Scary music. Scary scenes. Flashing emergency vehicles. People talking seriously. People crying. Men with guns. Shooters. Victims. "Honey are all the doors locked? I see a black man out there." That's Bob dear. He's our neighbor.s

I went out to get a coffee the other morning and everyone was white. It was a weird feeling.

In the Islands we see school kids in uniform laughing and joking as they walk home from school. The laughter of children is a nice sound that puts a smile on your face.

In the US we see a bright yellow bus open and a blur of a child running to the house and the slam of a door.

I am trying not to wake people up but the microwave is so damn friggin loud. Why does it have to alarm so much when the time expires? WTF!

Just sitting here thinking and I see on the wall by the door a rack where 6 sets of keys are hanging. On the boat there is one key for the engine. For some reason the keys stand out as the difference between our lives and others on land. Keys.

I need more tea. Be right back




Houses with air conditioning are kept dark. Dark houses have fake plants.

One of the best things about approaching an Island is the smell of the flowers.

I had to change two diapers so far. Very unpleasant.

So I hear anti-bacterial soap does nothing and is actually harmful. What a surprise.

Since our return I noticed people have a short attention span.

So you sailed all the way to South America! Awesome. Tell us about your trip! You have 20 seconds.

Is my voice boring to listen to? Do I sound like Ferris Bueller's teacher. Bueller?

People tell me I sound different over the phone. No. I sound taller.

I called into a meeting once and people didn't know it was me. The manager wanted to know who was speaking. They were shocked it was me. Your voice is deeper. "Well, I wore boxers today." Some people spit out their coffee.

Winter in Western NY is going to be a bad flashback.

Our Grandkids are funny. They are little comedians.

We really missed our family

We really miss our home

We can't afford to live here.

Home is on the boat at sea.


Cheers!
PJJB
posted from Bloggeroid

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Best Behavior?

We have been house guests since coming back to the US. I have been on my best behavior, trying not to make too much of a mess or saying the wrong things, though I did slip up a few times. Nothing says thanks for letting me stay here like your underwear on the floor or empty beer bottles on the counter to greet you in the morning before work. It can get frustrating being respectful all the time. So, to amuse myself I move a few small things out of place and watch to see if anyone will notice. Nothing huge like furniture, just something small like a shelf item. Just turn something around or put it on the shelf above where it was to see if anyone notices. You see them stare at it a bit and then put it back in place and maybe cast a glance your way. Good fun.

I do attempt to cook some meals and Debra is always picking up the place or cleaning the kitchen after I destroy it. Sometimes dinners are good and other times I fail. I have not cooked meat in a long time and I think the chicken was a little tough last time. No one has died choking yet.

Will they eat all vegetarian? They say they will until they see it and wonder what the main dish is. Are we just eating sides? So I am cooking dead animals again.

We had to get a car to get around on our own. Locked in a house while people are at work is freaky. I was pacing. TV just does not do it for us any more so I ordered a cheap ass guitar to practice on. I might even start blogging regularly. I kind of miss doing that. We are at Deb's mothers place. She lives there with her boyfriend. I am waiting for the right moment to bring in the guitar and amp. I am going to pretend I am on the phone with band mates. "Yeah, bring the drums. I will move the car out of the garage". The look on his face will be piceless. Oh, the car. We bought a used '06 Acura. Hope to sell it before we leave. Might just keep it for next season. Kind of sucks owning the damn thing but with peeps spread from NY to FL we needed transportation. Renting a car for that long is pricey. This could prove pricey too if I can't sell it and get a good portion of the money back. Roll of the dice.

So from Trinidad to NY to NC to GA to FL here we are. Life is weird and nomadic but that's OK.

More later.

Cheers,
P


I know you think I blew my cover talking about messing with our hosts but I seriously doubt they read this unless I post a link on FB.

posted from Bloggeroid

Friday, August 5, 2016

I miss food.

Yesterday I hit up the local grocery store looking for Murphy's Oil soap. Did not find it but I did find some fresh corn! Yes! I was pretty excited. We cooked it up and..blech! Awful. This corn is a very long way from Nebraska. Was it grown in a lab on the space station?



Adding corn to the list of food and drink I must have when back in the States.

Grilled fresh corn
Greek salad
Thai food
NY everything bagel with olive pimento cream cheese
Real pizza
Rohrbachs Scotch Ale
Actual fresh produce
Guinness on tap
Any beer on tap that isn't yellow
A veggie dog at Dogtown (Schnauzer, loaded)
Wegmans grated Parmesan reggiano
Lasagna (The noodles are pkgd in boxes. Boxes here have weevils. Weevils bad)
Good Mexican food.
...
I am sure there is more but this post is making me hungry. I should wait to buy new clothes until just before we are ready to fly back to Trini because I might be a little fatter then when I arrived.

Cheers!
PJ


I still have a post ready to go about our food stores as we travelled down the thorny path. This post was just a re-post from my personal FB page.
posted from Bloggeroid

Thursday, August 4, 2016

Wrap it up

Hey, there's a blog post coming! No really. I just need to add pictures for those that don't really read the blog. Visuals. It's all about the visuals.

So we are wrapping up our season and our boat. Never stored a boat in the tropics before. Last time we stored the boat I had a tarp over it to keep the snow off and anti-freeze in the plumbing to keep it from exploding. This will be different. I imagine coming back to find snakes and poisonous spiders living in the hull and a thick layer of black mold over everything. Maybe a monkey family in the rigging.

This will be an extended storage because of a granddaughter arriving in December. We will endure a Rochester NY winter until January. Was hoping to avoid this but what the hell I was hoping to avoid Erie Pennsylvania for the rest of my life too but I seem to keep driving through it.

(explanation: I swore never to see Erie again after driving through snow storms every winter taking the girls to hockey tournaments. Heading south from Rochester it's better to go to Erie 1st and then go south to avoid DC, so I keep returning to that horrid little town it seems)

So here we go. Two weeks left in paradise and we still have a ton of work to do. We are still on a mooring and heading for a slip this Monday for the final week. Once we are hauled we will finalize a few things like a freshwater flush of the engine and the cleaning of the anchor chain. We will toss a few tarps on her and fly away.

We are sad to leave our home on the hard and racking up the yard dollars but we are pretty happy to be seeing family again after a year away. It's all good.

Cheers,
P
posted from Bloggeroid

Monday, July 18, 2016

Zika?

All signs point to Zika. Severe joint pain, headache, lethargy. However, I do not have bloodshot eyes and there are no signs of a rash. I did not have a fever though one night I was shaking with the chills. Eighty five degrees in the boat and I had a blankey over me. Not good signs.

So here I sit popping pain meds every six hours trying to stay awake. We missed our window to cross to Trini but there is another coming up this weekend. Hoping to be better by then and this thing doesn't blow up into something else more serious.

A few Saturdays ago I did my first hash which is a run through the jungle on a trail groomed by the locals. The people that usually do this called it the run from hell. Figures that would be my first. I actually did the walking portion not the running. I would not call it walking though as we were climbing up a hill most of the way and then walking once we got out of the jungle. Yes, it's a jungle trail. We needed vines to pull ourselves up and ease ourselves down. During all this fun I may have been bit by a Zika skeeter. I sprayed up with Deep Woods Off but somehow they find a spot I guess. Could have been at various restaurants as well as the skeets hide under the table and typically the tables are out of the wind. Oh well.

After the Hash I was chatting with folks having a beer and I was asked if this was my first Hash. I stupidly answered yes and was asked if I took part in the virgin ceremony. The virgins have one shoe filled with beer and then they drink from it. Gross. This happens before the race. No way I was drinking beer out of my old smelly sandal. So the bastards turned me in for not participating in the ritual. This meant I was punished by getting a faceful of beer.





These last few days I have been pretty much sleeping in various places around the boat. I wake up, do a few things while the pain meds are working and then go back to sleep. This sucks. I'm yawning right now as I type this.

Last night I was thinking how new this virus is to the world and how we really do not know much about it except how it leads to birth defects and some serious illness like Gullian Barre Syndrome or paralysis. All pretty scary but what about the unknown effects like mutations? Think about it. Zika could be turning us all into zombies or more likely a mosquito/human hybrid.


Yeah well just Raid me if that happens OK? Mutating into a giant mosquito hybrid would be most horrible but remember it's the female who stings and sucks your blood, not the male so maybe you just let me fly around and mate a bit. Assuming there would be some female mutants.


It is also possible that I could become a super hero like Mosquito Man. Yes, there was a Mosquito man. Spider man trapped him and killed him. Spidey had an ego. If I was Mosquito Man I would fly around at night protecting all the yachties from getting their dingies stolen. I'd be a hero. Of course some would acuse me of peeping into ports at night but that would just be jealous rumors.

Let's hope that the virus ends and dies with just a few symptoms with no long lasting effects like a beer allergy or something. The horror! I am actually having a cold one right now. I know, you would think I would be all curled up with a tea and some toast. Screw that! I am making a pot of chili today and having a few brews while I get it ready. Screw Zika!

Cheers!
P


You know, a Bloody Mary would really tast good right now. Buzzzzzzzzz
posted from Bloggeroid

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Paranoia Creates Air Flow.

There is a benefit to having to lock up your companionway every night besides not waking up to someone punching you in the face for your iPhone.

Air flow.

But how can there be air flow if you are locking up that big opening to your salon?

When we were happy carefree sailors we would go to bed with the companionway wide open and a screen across it. Sometimes I would fall asleep in the cockpit. It was peaceful. Because we had the screen over the opening we would zipper up the dodger so that if it rained it did not do so all over the cabin sole.

Now that we have to lock up there is no place for the rain to enter and we can leave the dodger window open. This allows air to flow through the cockpit and down the aft cabin hatch creating a nice breeze that washes over us as we sleep. Nice.

We were so used to zippering that dodger up that we continued to do it even though the companionway was locked up. I had a sweltering night in the aft cabin and got completely freaked out with the heat, no air and the rolling motion all closing in on me. I went into the salon and sat underneath a hatch with air flowing over me. I started thinking that it would be nice to have this kind of air flow in the aft cabin. That's when it hit me. You moron! We can't get any air because the dodger is blocking most of it!

Last night was heaven. The dodger was open and the breeze just poured over us in bed and I did not wake up in a pool of sweat. We could probably add an air scoop but I wonder what a pain in the ass that would be when the squalls roll through every night.

So why do we lock it up? Crime. The Bahamas are safe with the exception of Nassau or Freeport. No reason to lock up. Turks and Caicos it was recommended. DR, PR we locked it. SVI, lock it up. The VI's we did not. Probably stupid but it was so freakin crowded we felt we were OK. Everywhere else down the line we locked it. Basically it will only delay entry but it gives you a fighting chance to defend yourself and call for help. To be honest, if we get back up island and to the Bahamas and even the States we will continue to lock it up. The world does not seem to be getting any nicer.

Peace, Love and Understanding.
Cheers,
PJJB
posted from Bloggeroid

Monday, July 4, 2016

Just hanging out in Grenada

I am working on Part II of the food post. Should be done soon. Just wanted to ramble on a bit and work off some of this tea induced chat. Deb refuses to participate.

Yesterday I was full of energy for some reason and ripped off a few projects and maintenance items. One of those was getting squid ink off the hull. Turns out there are a lot of squid in this bay and the fish love them. They get chased and jump in our boat while leaving an ink trail. We have had at least six squid and various fish lying about some mornings. The squid stick to the deck and the ink is hard to remove. Pain in the ass.



Our boat bottom is getting trashed again. Boy did I pick the wrong paint. We are looking for a diver to clean her up. I can't possibly snorkel 6 feet down and hold my breath long enough to manage to scrape much of anything so don't berate me for not doing it myself. I cleaned up the waterline and down a foot or two. The diver can do the rest. I plan on getting my divers cert next season in Carriacou. I then hope to keep our bottom nice and tidy in the near future.

What else is going on? Not much really. Just hanging out and relaxing until we get our window to jump to Trini. I have re-bed a few opening ports in between rain showers. I have four more to do. These take a while because the bonehead before me used silicone and I have to scrape it all off and then seal it with epoxy. Yes this does work if done correctly and I use Butyl tape. I did these ports years ago with 4200 and it was a fail, but the tape is working fine.

Our radio problems have been solved. No more static buzz. New cable installed. Admitting to being a moron at times, I will say to remember to set your radio to international frequencies when leaving the US. Such a dufus. We did have a bad section of cable where it connects to the mast section with a coupler.

We are cleaning up some of the areas in the boat. Food storage has shrunk now that we are in a place where we can shop every week. I do not need to buy 10 cans of veggies to get through the next month. We are also looking at all the stuff we accumulated and re-evaluating it's need. We have a very lean ship so this should not take too long. I want to get to the point where the V-berth is open for guests or a man cave. A man cave would be awesome and is totally required for sanity reasons. No really. A man cave will solve all kinds of issues that come up. Forget to refill the toilet paper holder and you are now getting the stink eye? Fall into the man cave and play a little guitar, maybe pour a drink or watch a movie, read a book or take a nap. Sure beats the stink eye ;)

So yesterday we hear this hideous noise and we run to the stern only to see the channel marker poking through our swim ladder. Huh?! I thought we were a little too close to that thing! Wish we took a photo of it poking through the ladder but I figured we better focus on freeing the boat first. When we anchored we were about 10 ft away from the thing but we stretched the chain and probably dug the anchor in a bit more in the last blow so now we go over it sometimes if we are really stretched out. I pulled us up some with the snubber.



Always something.

I have finally gone through my craft/good beer stash. I think. I thought I finished it up weeks ago but found some good brews hidden with the emergency medical kits. Makes you wonder where else I have some hidden. You should have seen my face when I found them. Made me forget all about the gash I had in my finger. It was like Christmas!



Cheers!
PJB
posted from Bloggeroid

Sunday, June 26, 2016

Feeding yourself along the Thorny Path to the Caribbean

Let's talk a little bit about food. No I am not sharing recipes or cooking vids though I would love to. I think a vid of me destroying a galley for a small dish would be awesome to watch. You would end up with a greater appreciation of what Deb does after dinner while I grab a drink and relax in the cockpit. We made a deal a long time ago that if I did the cooking, which I enjoy doing, then she would clean up afterward. Deal! Maybe we will post a video some other time but for now I want to describe how two vegetarians survived the Thorny Path to the Caribbean.





Rice. Lot's of rice.

Cheers!
P




Stay tuned for part II of Feeding Yourself along the Thorny Path to the Caribbean.


posted from Bloggeroid