Wednesday, July 26, 2006

For My Honorary Sister, Pat

This is not easy for me to post. I just got the news today, and I can hardly believe you are gone. I just spoke with you on Friday, and now you are no longer here. Dealing with this shock is very hard for me right now. We had become so close, almost like a second family. We knew that you were ill, but were always hopeful that you would get better. Now we know that wasn't to be.

Our thoughts, prayers, and love are with Will, Bonnie, and of course, Sammy, who will miss his Mommy terribly. Most of all, I will miss you but will never forget you.

Maybe time will heal this deep hole in my heart.

Friday, July 21, 2006

(In) disposable Income

My ideas are a bit thin this week, so I thought I'd recap another boating experience, though less personal in nature.

Recently, we were working at the boat, installing the Captain's new chart plotter. While going to the car for something, we looked out over the water, and saw a huge power vessel being towed into our marina. Of course it was windy that day, and because of the boat's freeboard (that is to say, much of the boat is above the water), the wind just caught it and resulted in the boat swaying from side to side, and made it generally difficult to handle. We continued watching to see where the boat was going to be tied up. We assumed the gas dock, but instead it was being towed to the haulout area, which meant that it had to pass through the marina. Since we have a channel slip, we thought it was best to be onboard to fend off if need be. This turned out not to be necessary.

Once the boat was tied up, we went over to get the poop (pardon the pun for you Popeye fans...get it poop as in poop deck) on what happened. The vessel was a brand new 48 foot yacht (we discovered that it's worth is in the million dollar range). It was new and the owners were on their first cruise. They had many pieces of technology on board - including radar - but no chartplotter (like a small computer to display your position on marine charts). Their friends had instructed them to proceed on a pre-determined bearing which would have taken them out to open water. Unfortunately, they failed to take into account that a bearing is only a direction and they were on the correct bearing BUT about 150 yards too far south. So intent were they on following their bearing they missed the channel marking buoy and cruised over a rock shoal at a speed of 22 knots (44 KMH). They were lucky not to damage their hull, but they did manage to demolish the two huge 20" diameter bronze props and struts, and bend two 2-1/2" diameter stainless stell shafts. All needed replacing. Our guesstimate of the damage - about $30,000. This was also their second "grounding" this summer. I think they need a chartplotter: cost $469 and up.

The name of the boat: Disposable Income II

How does that saying go again? All the money in the world???

Have a fantastico weekend everyone. Cheers!

Monday, July 17, 2006

Cruisin'....On A Sunday Afternoon

I love that song, and that's pretty much what we were doing on the way back to the marina yesterday.

'Cruisin on a Sunday afternoon'.

We spent the weekend "on the hook" at a quiet bay. We met up with old friends, met some new ones, swam, kayakked, and generally kicked back on this beautiful day of rest.

Of the two days, Sunday was definitely the most exciting. The morning started out with storm activity in the sky. This activity didn't last very long, nor did it curtail the escalating heat in any way. It was quick and rolled over us like a steamroller. When the weather had passed, it was soooooo hot. Because it was so hot, we decided to leave as late as we possibly could, since it would only be hotter back at the marina. There was no wind, so it was a motor trip back home. The diesel engine usually starts quickly, but today was a little slow. Once it did start, we were good to haul anchor and leave. We were traveling along, when we noticed a very quiet yet piercing sound. At first, we thought it was coming from someone's signal on the VHF radio,but we later realized that it was us, although it was difficult to track where this sound was coming from. It was so faint. It appeared to come from the engine area, and would get louder when we would reduce the RPMs. Once we got out of the channel, and into open water, we shut the engine off. My Sweetie went to check the engine compartment, and discovered an engine oil leak. There was also oil in the bilge. That pretty much ruled out the possibility of us motoring home. There was also NO wind, so that also ruled out a sail home. At this point, to our port, one of the local ferries was approaching to enter the channel. To our starboard, there was a small power boat out for a dinner cruise. We hailed the power boat for assistance, and, after explaining our situation, we threw them a line and they began towing us south. We then radioed our friends, who had departed with us, but were now further ahead. We also explained our situation, and they advised that they would return to meet us and tow us the rest of the way to the marina. We also called our marina, since we would later require assistance at the dock.

*pause*...cruising along under tow at about 7 knots.....sweet.

The tricky part was approaching the marina entrance. We had to remain tied to the towing boat until we close enough to the dock, then release the tow line and steer the boat toward the dock, and cast lines to gas dock staff. This maneuver was successful, and the boat was tied to the gas dock for the night.

It's good to have friends who will go out of their way to help you, no matter what. It's also good to know that there are still people out there who will help you, even if they don't know you.

That's the boating community in general.

Friday, July 14, 2006

If You Have To Ask, Then You Probably Don't Know What It Is

Here's a mini scenario for you, but first....Happy Friday, fellow terrestrials. It's a hot one outside, so it's best to be near a cool spot with plenty of water to dive into.

Scenario from yesterday:
I was trying to remember who was asking about a certain work related tool/product. I'll refer to the tool as GNAT (Gosh Not Another Tool). I speak to a few people during my day, and so I thought I might have spoken with UserB (not to be confused with killer bee or worker bee). I pinged (Instant Messaged) UserB. The following conversation unfolded (without the g'days, how are ya's, nice weather, and assorted related blah blah's).

Me: Were you the person who was asking about GNAT?
UserB: What's GNAT?

*pause*

Now my first thought was, well, if I have to tell you what GNAT means, then you probably don't know what it is, and you're probably not the person I was looking for! But, on better judgement (or stupidity), I explained what GNAT was.

Me: GNAT stands for Gosh Not Another Tool.
UserB: I don't know what that is. Sorry.

*pause*

So, I almost ended the chat session, but not quite.

There's something else.

Throughout this screen messaging, all of UserB's conversation had html embedded around it, like so:

/!--style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:#000000;">Sorry what is GNAT? --/

I was seeing this type of screen scrabble with each message typed. UserB could not see this, and sounded disbelieving. So I sent UserB an email, with a screen image, to convey what I was seeing on my end. I tried to advise what was happening and how to remedy the situation. It was a simple setting switch.

Instantly, the famed chest beating bravado/machismo explanation surfaced.....
Oh! I'm using a beta version of blah blah.
hmmmmm......to me, it sounded as though the settings couldn't be changed (but they could). UserB didn't want to pursue how to change this totally unappealing look. So, I wished UserB well, and ended the chat.

A few seconds later I received the following:
UserB: Thanks for the heads-up on the html tags.
*pause*

Some days are just like that I guess. I think I need to go on a shoe/purse shopping spree.

Thursday, July 13, 2006

Promotional Rescue



Today is a happy day here in Sleepy Hollow.

My sweetie got a promotion!

Happy promotion, Meesta NSM!

This is extremely nice news.

As we say at the gym, that deserves a woo hoo or two.

WOO HOO!!!

WOO HOO!!!

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

For Lutador

After our conversation yesterday, two Bambi's for you.....

Friday, July 07, 2006

Happy Friday, Bloody Phone

Blah, blah, blah. It's Friday. Yup, okay. I have spent the entire day, since 8 o'clock this morning, with the telephone handset attached to my ear. What's worse is that most of the conversations have involved a whiney individual, vile natured, and frenzied.

Food has been at a premium for me today, and even hand delivered to me, since it is virtually impossible to get to the kitchen. The bad part about this is.....I HATE the phone. Always have, always will. That will never change for me. Right now, all I can do is hope that I can have this earpiece removed from my head.

Thursday, July 06, 2006

Happy Birthday Meesta!


Somebody special has a birthday today (no reference to George Bush)! So go crazy, open that goodie bag, eat birthday cake, and celebrate!! Happy Birthday, my sweets! xx

Oh, and for your reading pleasure, here is a link to some other people who share the same birthday as you:
Nancy Reagan born on July 6, 1921
Bill Haley born on July 6, 1925
Merv Griffin born on July 6, 1925
Janet Leigh born on July 6, 1927
Della Reese born on July 6, 1931
Dalai Lama born on July 6, 1935
Ned Beatty born on July 6, 1937
George W. Bush born on July 6, 1946
Sylvester Stallone born on July 6, 1946
Shelley Hack born on July 6, 1952
50 Cent born on July 6, 1976

Friday, June 30, 2006

Canada Day Eve

It's final preparation time before the big trip tomorrow. This is the weekend of the Sailboat Rendez-vous. About 30 sailboats will depart at 0900 hours tomorrow, and set sail for a northern destination. This is a yearly event, usually well attended. With Saturday and Monday being travel days, Sunday becomes the get-together day, consisting of a wine and cheese (courtesy of the marina), and a pot luck, with contributions from the boats. To commemorate the event, each boat receives an engraved beach towel and a bottle of wine (at least, that's how it was in the past).

Tonight, we make sure we have electronics working, food essentials, and shmooze with fellow sailors who will be leaving en masse tomorrow.

Happy Canada Day, whether it be on land, on the sea, or in the air.

Thursday, June 29, 2006

Door-To-Door SalesPeople

It's the usual situation. You know it. You've been there. Doorbell rings. You run to answer it. Person is standing there with clipboard resting on one arm, pen in hand. Maybe there's an identifying badge hanging around their neck. Maybe not. They look anxiously at your door, straightening their clothing. hoping that you'll answer, so that they can lure you into what they have to offer. Usually it's the same thing.

Except for today. Today was a little different. This person was offering special cable services for a cheaper rate than anyone else (of course! What other angle would YOU use?). So, after they say what they are pushing, I mention that we are totally with the competitor.

The response from the SalesPerson?

"Well, that sucks."

My response?

Maybe for you, but not for us!

Wednesday, June 28, 2006

No Global Warming Here

No way. Nah ah. Today was a day full of wild weather. It started out hot and humid, and then by lunchtime the skies had darkened, and we had a few huge thunderstorms. There was flooding throughout much of Sleepy Hollow. This tapered off, and then started again......with heavy rain and flooding.

Now, as I recall from last year, we also had some pretty similar wild weather in June. There was that one really wild day, where the wind was crazy big. I remember going to look out the patio door, and thinking that something just wasn't right, but I couldn't figure out what it was......but when I looked at the patio, I saw that all of the patio furniture had been blown off and throughout the yard, breaking the patio umbrella in the process.

As I write this, the tree frogs are doing their evening symphony, a little quieter than earlier this evening, but I can still hear them.

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Kitty In A Basket

Kitties will do the darndest things sometimes, as evidenced by the following photo of Mister Feline Family Member.

This particular basket held a few balls of wool, and over the past while, Mister Feline Family Member has taken to nuzzling the wool and getting downright comfortable in the basket. Maybe they smell like his mummy. Maybe they feel the way she used to feel. I don't know. He used to do this a long time ago with an Icelandic wool sweater.

There is a ritual that is followed each time he approaches the basket. He must circle it, then sniff the contents, then, one by one, he tosses a ball or two outside of the basket. Then he scratches around in the basket, like he does when he's in the litter box (except that he's not about to litter, or whatever). The end result is that he wants to rest in the basket, even though he is too big to fit entirely inside it. When he is completely done burying and sniffing, he plops himself outside of the basket, and rests his head on the edge.



Just too cute for words.

Sunday, June 25, 2006

A Day Full of Dragonflies and A Dog on a Boat

Today was the end of a really nice weekend. There was good wind for a quiet sail back home. The water temperature reached 25 degrees Celsius (worthy of a woo hoo!!), and that made for a refreshing swim. There was no rain (also worthy of a woo hoo!!). The weekend also had its share of dragonflies. They came on-by-one but they also arrived as though they were going onto Noah's Ark....two-by-two. I tried to get a close-up picture of one, but they never seem to stay in one place for very long. I guess that they had places to go, creatures to see.

The other highlight of the weekend, was the most adorable dog. He spent most of the weekend sitting in the dinghy, apparently watching for things in the water (my guess is fish). He also really enjoyed leisurely resting with his head comfortably nudged against the stern.

Unlike the dragonflies, I did get a picture of this...that's him in the lower left-hand corner...above 'Las'........


Here's to the last week of June. Cheers!

Saturday, June 24, 2006

Getting A Head of Things

It's a beautiful day here at BYC. Hot hot hot, and the wireless is up to par today, and so this gives me an opportunity for a quick blog.

Today is the day that the old toilet comes out of the head and the new toilet gets installed. This sounds easy enough. You just remove the old toilet, and install the new toilet. Right? Well, maybe not so. The old toilet has been in pace for the age of the vessel in which it sits......27 years to be exact. That means that things pretty much like to be where they are. The Captain has been working at this '1 hour job' for more than an hour now. The air is turning a little blue, and the final call for a service technician has been sent. This is the current status of things. The old toilet has departed, and the saviour technician is standing by to install the new beast. We should be at end of job in another couple of hours probably. Can't wait to try that new seat!!

Happy Fete de la Sainte Jean to everybody.......and we even got the day off too!

Friday, June 23, 2006

Just A Boy On A Rock


He's just a little boy sitting on a rock. In this picture, he was only 2 years old.

He would have been 85 years old today. He rode a Harley as a messenger in WWII. He worked for the same company for 45 years. He was a goalie on the company's hockey team. He loved cars, and music, and dogs; but he really really loved his budgies. He enjoyed being at home, watching TV. He loved Christmas, and decked the house out with displays and lights.

He loved his family.

He may have been a little boy sitting on a rock, but he was also my Dad, and today marks the day that he was born. Happy Birthday, Dad, and I hope you are looking down and smiling. xx

Thursday, June 22, 2006

Etiquette Rules

Our times have certainly changed. When I was growing up, please, thank you, and you're welcome, were never an option, but were always required, no questions asked. Nowadays, we hear these words less and less.

Scenario: "Would you like fries with that?" -----"No" (this can be 'nah' in some circles; grunts in others).

Scenario: "Is that all for today?" ---- "Yup"..."Yes"...(again, no response, or grunts in some circles).

Maybe it's just me. Maybe I'm just being picky. Maybe because it happens to me....on occasion.

Here in Sleepy Hollow, though, it doesn't happen as much; it happens, but not as much. People are mostly polite; they hold doors for people; they use please and thank you and you're welcome.

Maybe there IS hope.

Etiquette Rules!

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

Summer Solstice

Today is June 21st.....time for the official arrival of summer.....debut de l'ete....Summer Solstice....longest day of the year. They say it's going to be a long and hot summer in this neck of the woods, and that is perfecto for us.

Here in Sleepy Hollow, today is also noted for nasty graffiti painted on the pavement of our street, and speeding tickets.

Oh, and flying ants (yes, flying ants). It's bad enough when ants walk, in great numbers in armies, but when they fly, then land, then march, you would think that would require talent. Well, I guess for an ant it does. Except that today I am finding these flying creatures everywhere; okay, maybe I am not finding them......our Feline Family Members are finding them for me. The ants uncleverly land somewhere, usually somewhere in front of the Feline Family Members, and the furry friends stand frozen, staring at the floor. Then that's my cue to go over and either rescue the flying ant (usually not an option) or put it out of its misery (the preferred option). Pity the poor flying ant.

Cheers to the arrival of summer. And watch out for flying ants.

Tuesday, June 20, 2006

The First Time...

The first time that I ever decided to do a blog, I chickened out. Sure, I viewed other blogs, checked them out, even found some of them interesting. Never thought I'd want to have one of my own (like a dog - always nice to admire other people's dogs but would never own one).

So here I am, composing my first blog entry. No one can tell me what to write here. This is my space, for now. Maybe it will become a really interesting space, or maybe not, but for now it is my space, and a space for me to crawl into.