Trivia, or as Thomas Sowell says - Random Thoughts

Nothing to report, but it has been such a long while since my last post, I thought I would just write to report nothing.

I have a new type of internet on the boat for the weekend for a tryout, and can sit and write, with no distractions. (Unless you consider the swell lifting AF about 6 feet with each passing wave, distracting. It was pretty distracting last night when they were 8 feet, so I slept in the cockpit, to be ready should the anchor have dragged, until a rain shower chased me below. )

Would have loved to get pictures of the breaking surf that I had to transit just to get back to the boat yesterday, but was too busy driving to take pictures. Seeing an 8 foot wave, with white water on the crest, spray spewing in the winds, coming at you in an 11 foot dink (low on fuel, by the way), with another following behind it, is a bit upsetting the first time. Is all about learning, though, and turned out to not be such a big deal. Climb up and over one, slowly, then hit the gas and rush to the next one, and up and over slowly, and on like that. But the sight sort of floored me at first.

This internet goes through the Dutch side of the island and I had to figure out exactly what "Gebruikersnaam : Wachtwoord: (?) " meant to log in to my blog.

Clever me. I finally remembered to stop at a store to buy some post cards to mail to Anna and Andrew back home. Why do I always think of things like this the day that every man on the island is in the card store buying a Valentine's Day card? Could go ANY day and there would be no line, but not me. And is it even legal in the US to mail a post card with a picture of a topless woman posing on the beach on it? Didn't buy that one for the kids anyway, but wondered.

The other day at the French grocery, I found a bottle of wine. Baron Philippe De Rothschild Mouton Cadet - 2005. Bordeaux. I have heard this name for years as a top shelf wine, the sort that James Bond would have ordered correctly, with the right vintage, and served properly to compliment the meal. You know me. I don't know wines, so I bought it and hope it is something special. If it is 8 Euro vinegar, I shall be very disappointed in Monsieur de Rothschild.

Have you scrolled down to the bottom of this page and looked at all of the flags, marking the country of each visitor? I am amazed! Latest is 2 views from Israel. Reminds me that I met a really nice Israeli girl the other day, visiting with my German buddy, Michael. They met while cruising in Turkey. What a small world.

Had to say goodbye to old friend, Cordelia, at Ric's this morning. She was our waitress at Ric's in November '08 when I crewed with Paul and Joyce, on Lady H. (Some days, she wears a black long haired wig, and I always call her Britney Spears.) The new owner's have done away with the wifi. The husband told me that 'they were becoming an internet cafe' and he didn't like it. I have felt since arriving that they did not appreciate people coming in and eating and drinking and using their wifi, and it is confirmed now. Will have to find a new place to hang out. They have seen the last of my money.

Pork and beans, French style is Lentils and Sausages, which are like hotdogs, but - what? - not so firm, with thin skins and squishy. Getting to like them, though. And have also learned how to steam real rice, not 'minute' rice, but the kind our grandmothers cooked with, that turns to starch on the bottom of the pan, if you are not careful.

Took a ride around the bay the other day, just putt-ing along slowly, looking at other's solar and wind installations. Crept up unintentionally on a woman nekked, perhaps drying off after a swim or shower, and sort of startled her, although I looked away so she didn't know I had seen her. Looked over my shoulder for one last peek and she was hustling down the companionway steps wrapped in her towel.

I had another great email from friend, Mike, back in PA. He is so interesting, and takes the time to write such nice long, newsy emails. He has a farm and raises a special breed of cattle for beef called Scottish Highland cattle. He told me a lot of interesting things about this particular breed that seem so unusual, like how they will defend the herd and each other, and even baby sit another's calf. He has had to hand carry hay to some of his herd in this snow, because his one tractor doesn't have chains for snow. So, he bought a pair. Only $475. So it is not just boat stuff that is expensive.

The swells have died enough now that I can work on the steering, just at sunset. Great timing.

Had a great talk on Gmail with Joyce and Paul. They caught me up on their cruising schedule, and Paul told me he has found one thing good about Colon, Panama. Cheap, box wine.

After Davina showed me the benefits of it, I advertised for a female crew on a website called 7knots, and have received some interesting replies. I don't really know what to say to these women, because I really don't know what I want, to begin with. Love, ultimately. But, in the mean time, a friend and companion would be nice. Today, I got an extra special reply. First of all, the lady has been reading this blog for a while, so she at least knows something about who I am, my skills level, and where I have come from. And, she included some photos of herself (very nice looking, BTW), which is nice, so I don't have to ask. But what made it most special was the picture she included of her deck, with a potted palm tree, with snow on it, from Florida, yesterday! I can understand her desire to get out of there.

Also heard from friend John, in Carnegie, with more tales of woe about the snow. Sorry, John. Could lend you one my snow shovels out of my spares locker but you would have to come get it.

I have moved to Plan D, or perhaps it is E, for the steering repair. After flaring and cutting copper, getting it attached at the easy end, and run to it's other end, I started to wonder which was left and which was right on the autopilot ports. So I downloaded the Installation Manual, and amongst other things, read that "you should use flexible hose where ever possible' in the installation. Decided to ride over to the Dutch hydraulic place and see what they had other than big, heavy, black rubber hose. Ended up buying 6 hoses, with the ends on them and will use it instead of the copper (now removed, again). )(Add 2 more days to the job.) So, back to work on that problem.

Tomorrow there is a Valentine's Day party at Lagoonie's, and red and white are required attire. Will have to dig out something to wear, and I don't mean the pink underwear that I washed with the red shirt, although I suspect a couple of guys I know might do just that!

To all of my loves at home - Happy Valentine's Day. (Well, we all know there are none, but it felt good when I typed it.)

But, life is good.