(and some other sailors too)…
From Insane Elaine Eno! (See her pic on my myspace blog)
“I've been working at a Summer day camp where I take ten year olds rock-climbing, rowing, and sailing for daily adventures.”
“I just got back from a week of being a contestant on Monster House! We did a "Pirate House"! It should air around Oct 10th on the Discovery Channel. (I hope they don't make me look like too much of an idiot.)
By the by, our build team has the record of swearing more than any other build team. To which I point to myself and say "Sailor!"I hope all is well in the world of you. Fair winds and keep in touch.”Love, "Insane"
My Spy at the Seaport:
“The news about the HC was brought up at the bored meeting which is suppose to be a public meeting. The papers haven't quite been signed yet, they are haggling over times not price sooooooo....???? They want to sell her in 30 days and Charles Maples wants 90 days. The deal is Westport get her for "the golden 100" days in the summer, GHHSA gets her the rest of the time. GHHSA crews her and after she gets payed offwith the money from the 100 days; maybe 5-6 years she will be donated to GHHSA free and clear.
Alan Kerstetter is stuck in Key West for now, but might do some cruising this winter or spring on his recently purchased Cal27.
Carley Tallman just sailed the inside passage with her father, and has become a knitting fool for her nephew or niece that’s on the way soon.
Cheralynn just returned from a trip to Montana she’s staying at her parent’s on Bainbridge Island:
“Went swimming with my horse at the beach the other day! She was scared of the foam so she jumped it and headed out to sea.”
YOGI is hanging out in Singapore right now…
James “Jimmy” McManus is getting all kinds of offers from SoCal tallships but he’s holding out for the PR trip on Bill…
Laura Levin is helping Captain Christopher move from the hospital to his house today…
And… Eric “The Beard” Bott:life is good, my new email is ericthebeard (at) gmail (dot) com I am finishing up my tenure at the National Labs in the desert (tri-cities). After much deliberation, I made the decision to not become a tattoo artist and go on to grad school in chemistry. Imanaged to slide into the University of Washington's physical chemistry PhD program about 6 months after the application deadline. It a really good school with a program that I am very excited about. I leave the Labs in August and start grad school (indenturedservitude) in the middle/end of September. So, I am officially moving to Seattle. Where, you ask, will I live? Well…Having worked in a fairly well paying job for the last 10 months and living really cheaply, I have managed to save enough money to buy myself a very sexy sailboat, large enough to live aboard, small enoughto take care of. She is a 1936 EB Schock designed 34' sloop. She's made of white oak frames and Honduras mahogany planking. It was donated to the Center for Wooden boats and they are selling her for anawesome price. I have always wanted to live on a boat, but I never thought that it would be a realistic option for some time. But this opportunity came along that just seemed to be fate-bound and I tookit. So, that's the word. Let me know if you want to stay on a boat for a while, or maybe do some sailing…and if you have updated email addresses, i think mine may be a bit old... Later, -eric
Nanette Brown-Clampitt is coming to visit me in Austin! Woohoo!
And I cannot forget the Eloquent and Wonderful TUVALU!
“It still seems so strange to me that this creature started out as basically no more then a parasite rejected by my body, now it controls my entire world!! And what more, it has me convinced that it’s the greatest thing in creation!!AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think Micah has fallen victim as well.
All we have left is hope.
Godspeed,
Tu' “
Hot Austin
Here's Polly living it up at Carlos n Charlies at Lake Travis. She really got into the whole Texas/Longhorn thing... hehe j/k
We're watching the crazy divers at Barton Springs
kids dancing to the band "Spin 66" aka "Jawbreaker". Reminded me of being at the North Shore
Micah, one of a handful of awesome acrobatic divers at Barton Springs near downtown Austin.
EZ Bake
I have planned on baking bread for a week now. Every morning I get up and wish that I had baked bread the night before. I've got to bake some before Polly gets here because it'd be stupid to hang out at the house waiting for bread to rise. I MUST DO IT!
But first I think I will bake and eat an entire box of Jiffy Apple Cinnamon muffins.
But first I think I will bake and eat an entire box of Jiffy Apple Cinnamon muffins.
I Have Become an Internet Junkie
I am living vicariously through my sailing friends who call and email. Plus I joined a group on myspace called "Tall Ship Sailors". One of the first topics that I posted was "If I had my very own tall ship..."
My initial post:
"It would be a steel hulled with wooden masts that sleeps at least 20. Maybe one or two squares in the rig, or a gaff topsail schooner. Something like the R.Tucker Thompson. I'd advertise on the internet and in magazines to do charters, ed trips, youth at risk programs, whatever was in demand in Puget Sound, Vancouver Island and Southeast Alaska. But it would be weekend or weeklong trips minimum, none of this daysail nonsense. And we'd have a good boat dog and allow at least one crew to raise a kid on board.
What would YOU do if you had you're own tall ship?"
--- and the reason I'm copying this here is because of the funny reply that Judy from Boston posted:
The dog and kid are a must i agree. I think it should be a mystery who the kid belongs to, though. so that when new people come on board you can say
"oh and this is little nickie. Hi. say hi nickie"
"oh she's so cute. How old is she?" -new guy
"Um I think maybe two. Not sure."
"Oh whose is she?"-new guy
"Um you know i don't really know. She was here when I got here. But I've only been here about six months. John might know ask him."
"Hey John, whose kid is it?"-new guy.
"Oh nickie, hi nickie. Yeah man she just started walking like a month ago. Unstoppable. she's a... Shit you know I think I was aloft when that whole thing happened. Great kid though. You know Jen might know."
Taunting also a must. Multiple cannons...yes. day sails...no.
kiddie pool on board and safety cones (for communicating to other vessels information not appropriate for ch.16 ...such as...i'm not wearing any underpants).
Caribbean all year.
My initial post:
"It would be a steel hulled with wooden masts that sleeps at least 20. Maybe one or two squares in the rig, or a gaff topsail schooner. Something like the R.Tucker Thompson. I'd advertise on the internet and in magazines to do charters, ed trips, youth at risk programs, whatever was in demand in Puget Sound, Vancouver Island and Southeast Alaska. But it would be weekend or weeklong trips minimum, none of this daysail nonsense. And we'd have a good boat dog and allow at least one crew to raise a kid on board.
What would YOU do if you had you're own tall ship?"
--- and the reason I'm copying this here is because of the funny reply that Judy from Boston posted:
The dog and kid are a must i agree. I think it should be a mystery who the kid belongs to, though. so that when new people come on board you can say
"oh and this is little nickie. Hi. say hi nickie"
"oh she's so cute. How old is she?" -new guy
"Um I think maybe two. Not sure."
"Oh whose is she?"-new guy
"Um you know i don't really know. She was here when I got here. But I've only been here about six months. John might know ask him."
"Hey John, whose kid is it?"-new guy.
"Oh nickie, hi nickie. Yeah man she just started walking like a month ago. Unstoppable. she's a... Shit you know I think I was aloft when that whole thing happened. Great kid though. You know Jen might know."
Taunting also a must. Multiple cannons...yes. day sails...no.
kiddie pool on board and safety cones (for communicating to other vessels information not appropriate for ch.16 ...such as...i'm not wearing any underpants).
Caribbean all year.
It's just a rabbit!
Today I went to Barton Springs with Mikey. We played Scrabble and he won (again) but he wins by making all my awesome words plural. I could beat him if I took all of the "S" pieces out of the bag.
I rented some movies from I Luv Video. "Queen Margot" (looking like an aristocratic french version of Carrie) which I quickly figured out that I'd seen before. I also found THIS scary short flick. Good thing I'm not going to be alone in the house tonight! LoL
I rented some movies from I Luv Video. "Queen Margot" (looking like an aristocratic french version of Carrie) which I quickly figured out that I'd seen before. I also found THIS scary short flick. Good thing I'm not going to be alone in the house tonight! LoL
Unrelated
When I was 12 had a crush on John Schneider. I don't see how Johnny Knoxville and Stiffler will be able to compare to the super masculine, confident and adventurous yet loyal and kind of moral attitudes of the original Bo & Luke.
It's really hard to tell when chorizo is fully cooked.
Whenever I hear John Mayer's song "Fathers, be good to your daughters" I think about myself, and my little sister, and my girlfriends...
"Girls become lovers, sisters and mothers...."
Yesterday I was talking to Polly and it sounds like her dad wasn't a chronic cheater or liar. Polly trusts men.
Mothers obviously need to be good to their sons, too. I have a good feeling that Polly's grandma told Polly's dad that she loved him, at least once.
I remember seeing some movie where some guy who ended up in jail refused to ever communicate with his child so he didn't end up perpetuating the cycle of bad parenting/unhealthy influence. I may not be a criminal, but I still don't live up to my idea of ideal child-raising standards. And hell, I'd probably raise better kids than lots of people. But I'm pretending that it DOES require a license, and my mental genetics don't qualify.
My boyfriend is on vacation in Italy for another week and a half :(
Today I played scrabble at a coffee shop with my friend Mike. Quack's in north Austin makes the very best espresso shakes and gingerbread cake that I have EVER had.
I'm listening to "Malcom in the Middle" in the background. The mom ran off to the batting cage for a day and is yelling at the family to be a little more considerate and help out now and then. The husband agrees to everything she says and she replies "If this is so easy, why do I have to ask for it? Why can't you guys just be better at this?" and the husband says "Honey, that's never gonna happen... we are too stupid to figure this stuff out. All you can expect from us is total abject obedience..."
Stupid is not a good excuse, but "crazy" isn't either. We all have to help each other out.
It's really hard to tell when chorizo is fully cooked.
Whenever I hear John Mayer's song "Fathers, be good to your daughters" I think about myself, and my little sister, and my girlfriends...
"Girls become lovers, sisters and mothers...."
Yesterday I was talking to Polly and it sounds like her dad wasn't a chronic cheater or liar. Polly trusts men.
Mothers obviously need to be good to their sons, too. I have a good feeling that Polly's grandma told Polly's dad that she loved him, at least once.
I remember seeing some movie where some guy who ended up in jail refused to ever communicate with his child so he didn't end up perpetuating the cycle of bad parenting/unhealthy influence. I may not be a criminal, but I still don't live up to my idea of ideal child-raising standards. And hell, I'd probably raise better kids than lots of people. But I'm pretending that it DOES require a license, and my mental genetics don't qualify.
My boyfriend is on vacation in Italy for another week and a half :(
Today I played scrabble at a coffee shop with my friend Mike. Quack's in north Austin makes the very best espresso shakes and gingerbread cake that I have EVER had.
I'm listening to "Malcom in the Middle" in the background. The mom ran off to the batting cage for a day and is yelling at the family to be a little more considerate and help out now and then. The husband agrees to everything she says and she replies "If this is so easy, why do I have to ask for it? Why can't you guys just be better at this?" and the husband says "Honey, that's never gonna happen... we are too stupid to figure this stuff out. All you can expect from us is total abject obedience..."
Stupid is not a good excuse, but "crazy" isn't either. We all have to help each other out.
I almost choked
on a big hunk o' Texas BBQ when I read on the billet bank:
Lady Washington is hiring a steward, offering "competitive pay and medical insurance"
LMAO
Is M.T. being funny?
Lady Washington is hiring a steward, offering "competitive pay and medical insurance"
LMAO
Is M.T. being funny?
I didn't plan very well again...
If you make spontaneous decisions to move to a new place, don't have any expectations.
Ah so I didn't get the job working for STA. It's a travel agency that mostly serves college students, including helping them set up work/study abroad programs. AHHHHHGH! I thought the interview last week went pretty well - we chatted for over an hour, and although I never prepare for interviews I thought it went pretty well. I think I got cocky earlier in life, sure that I could get a job so easily. It's not often that I interview for something and don't get it. In fact, now that I think about it, until Austin it's never happened! The manager said whether I would be hired or not, she would contact me today. I called first thing this morning and she said she wasn't ready yet. I got a letter later in the day saying I wasn't hired.
I must rant more about this: I have experience in all fields of tourism except being an actual travel agent. Between jobs in Seattle, Hawaii, the Grand Canyon and on the boats, I've been a tour guide, a group escort, a reservations coordinator, an event planner, a group sales account manager, I've done some accounts A/R, some marketing... so I really must believe that they hired 3 actual travel agents to fill the positions that they said did not require experience as an actual travel agent. Yet the formulaic letter sent said while my resume reflects "real potential for success in the working world" they found someone with "considerably more experience".
I'm obviously not a grammar hound but that last comment wasn't even worded properly.
OK! Enough ranting. There's another place that has offered me a job. It's in a basement warehouse doing inventory on computer parts. By myself. And I'm going to take it because I'm broke, and the cost of living in Austin is pretty low, so even at $9 an hour I'll save more than I spend each month.
Once I get a car I can drive out to the sail loft and start working there. What I don't want to believe is that I didn't get the travel job because I'm older than the other employees. I'd rather find out that they were going to hire friends anyway and were only doing interviews to fill some quotas. There's been a help wanted ad online for weeks for one of the few marinas north of here, but again, I don't have a car. The buses don't go out too far. The other possibility is that I'm not getting work because I have a bad attitude. I haven't been too ecstatic about being here. It's like a replay of my two months on Tortola when it comes to my bad attitude and the job search. Whether it's an interview or a phone call, that tone in my voice might be convincing people that I'm a bit pessimistic.
I don't have to stay at this other job forever. I'll make enough to study & test for my maritime licensing, and to take some rockclimbing classes, and maybe also buy a beater car to go out to Galveston and volunteer aboard Elissa. Other things I want to do: save to hike the Scottish Highlands, hike to Havasupai Falls, take Landon to visit Washington, and participate in the Antigua Classics race next year.
Ah so I didn't get the job working for STA. It's a travel agency that mostly serves college students, including helping them set up work/study abroad programs. AHHHHHGH! I thought the interview last week went pretty well - we chatted for over an hour, and although I never prepare for interviews I thought it went pretty well. I think I got cocky earlier in life, sure that I could get a job so easily. It's not often that I interview for something and don't get it. In fact, now that I think about it, until Austin it's never happened! The manager said whether I would be hired or not, she would contact me today. I called first thing this morning and she said she wasn't ready yet. I got a letter later in the day saying I wasn't hired.
I must rant more about this: I have experience in all fields of tourism except being an actual travel agent. Between jobs in Seattle, Hawaii, the Grand Canyon and on the boats, I've been a tour guide, a group escort, a reservations coordinator, an event planner, a group sales account manager, I've done some accounts A/R, some marketing... so I really must believe that they hired 3 actual travel agents to fill the positions that they said did not require experience as an actual travel agent. Yet the formulaic letter sent said while my resume reflects "real potential for success in the working world" they found someone with "considerably more experience".
I'm obviously not a grammar hound but that last comment wasn't even worded properly.
OK! Enough ranting. There's another place that has offered me a job. It's in a basement warehouse doing inventory on computer parts. By myself. And I'm going to take it because I'm broke, and the cost of living in Austin is pretty low, so even at $9 an hour I'll save more than I spend each month.
Once I get a car I can drive out to the sail loft and start working there. What I don't want to believe is that I didn't get the travel job because I'm older than the other employees. I'd rather find out that they were going to hire friends anyway and were only doing interviews to fill some quotas. There's been a help wanted ad online for weeks for one of the few marinas north of here, but again, I don't have a car. The buses don't go out too far. The other possibility is that I'm not getting work because I have a bad attitude. I haven't been too ecstatic about being here. It's like a replay of my two months on Tortola when it comes to my bad attitude and the job search. Whether it's an interview or a phone call, that tone in my voice might be convincing people that I'm a bit pessimistic.
I don't have to stay at this other job forever. I'll make enough to study & test for my maritime licensing, and to take some rockclimbing classes, and maybe also buy a beater car to go out to Galveston and volunteer aboard Elissa. Other things I want to do: save to hike the Scottish Highlands, hike to Havasupai Falls, take Landon to visit Washington, and participate in the Antigua Classics race next year.
Stuff I Did
Got free tickets to a minor league baseball game... the big storm that rolled in during the 8th inning was pretty cool. 
The other night we went to San Marcos. First stop was the Showdown bar, then an old abandoned frat house, then at 2am we climbed stuff at "Wonderworld".
Something Greater
I DEFINITELY need a psychologist. Therapist. Whatever. I have no motivation when I am not working long hard days on a boat. I sit around and my muscles turn to jelly. In the last 24 hours my boyfriend crafted a new computer out of 2 old ones so I would have one when he takes his laptop on his trip next month, he made me breakfast (ok so it was scrambled eggs with hot dogs on toast, but STILL...), he drove me to my job interview so I wouldn't have to find parking, he picked up around the house, he brought home dinner and bought me some treats, and most of the time I've been depressed and acting like a whiny ungrateful bitch.
There exists in me an attitude that I can do just about anything well, and while that might be true, I can't seem to find the motivation to START doing anything unless I feel like there's some purpose to my actions. Something that's greater than me, or my relationship, or even my family. I hate to admit that last one. But I might as well because my little sister would like me around more and I'm far away, and my mom, even though she was an irresponsible mother and didn't raise me, could use my help too.
I guess what I have to realize that by getting my ass in gear and making myself function and be better every day, that I can reach my ultimate goals sooner and thereafter do all the greater things I see in my future...
Besides all that...
I came upon two great websites today. One was forwarded to me from my girlfriend in LA:
postsecret.blogspot.com
and the other is a very well put together online travel magazine
pology.com
Check 'em out Y'ALL (oh jeez!)
There exists in me an attitude that I can do just about anything well, and while that might be true, I can't seem to find the motivation to START doing anything unless I feel like there's some purpose to my actions. Something that's greater than me, or my relationship, or even my family. I hate to admit that last one. But I might as well because my little sister would like me around more and I'm far away, and my mom, even though she was an irresponsible mother and didn't raise me, could use my help too.
I guess what I have to realize that by getting my ass in gear and making myself function and be better every day, that I can reach my ultimate goals sooner and thereafter do all the greater things I see in my future...
Besides all that...
I came upon two great websites today. One was forwarded to me from my girlfriend in LA:
postsecret.blogspot.com
and the other is a very well put together online travel magazine
pology.com
Check 'em out Y'ALL (oh jeez!)
Cabelas Taxidermy Mecca
Hmmm... so I'm spending lots of time looking for a job. Mason? Are you reading this? Yeah, I'm in the EXACT same situation as you were, except I'm lacking skills. Numchuck skills, taxidermy skills... skills that might get me by in a landlocked city. Sure I have skills that might put me behind a desk or stove, but, you know what I'm saying. Is there anything in Austin that I want to do anyway? Other than work at the farmers market, rebuild trails and maybe Habitat for Humanity? Until I get a car I can't work at the sail loft that is a 45 min drive away. I may very well be serving ice cream to the fine population of Austin until I can buy a car.
Anyway, my Aunt Beth and Uncle Gary, travel the country in their liveaboard tractor-trailer, passed through Austin and were able to hang out with Tenacious and I for a few days. Tenacious and Auntie were going on about the outdoor retail chain known as Cabelas, and how they were so huge and had EVERYTHING. Since Tenacious and I are beyond broke, and it's rockin' hot in Central Texas, AND I need to try on some climbing harnesses for when I DO have some dinero, we thought we'd check out this place that's supposed to rival even the downtown Seattle flagship REI store...
This was Cabela's grand opening in the town of Buda (pronounced BYOOdah of course) so outside of the giant costco sized store it was carnival-like, with a giant Dallas Cowboys trailer selling hats and tshirts, a chainsaw demo tent, a funnel cake trailer, some nascar looking cars, and other manly displays, with a few plastic kayaks piled in a distant corner behind the 20 uhaul sized barbecues on trailers for cooking stuff like whole cows and the like. 
When you first enter the actual store, you are first stunned at the vast warehouse of consumer goods, the crowds, and the dead animals. They even have dead Canadian geese flying in formation!!!
There's a 3000 square foot room, and a few other rooms that are fair attempts to look like a Texas version of the Natural History Museum in Victoria, BC. All representing the animals that are either native to Texas, or exotics that have been brought here for Big Game Hunting fun. The species that are still present in Texas can be killed with guns and gadgets bought in the retail areas. You can also buy motion detectors to make your hunting work a little easier. Lazy hunting isn't exclusive to Texas. My dad hunts one deer per year in Eastern Washington and said that lots of people just shoot from their trucks on the remote dirt roads. 
What I found interesting was that even with these large crowds, I didn't hear ANYONE complaining about their inability to get around the store (besides myself and my aunt, both a little overwhelmed). My other complaint was that they had NO CLIMBING HARNESSES! Holy canolies we thought they would have EVERYTHING. So I'll have to go to REI after all. These guys at Cabela's are getting enough business anyway. Believe it or not, they had an even better marine section than the WestMarine here, though neither carry any seine twine. My kingdom for some seine twine! "Sane Twine" we'll call it. 
Hey at least the Carhartt trailer was set up outside. I bummed some stickers for my new nalgene bottle, a catalog and some Carhartt sticky notes!
Coming soon: A look at the abundance of sickeningly beautiful women in Austin (like LA without plastic surgery) that make me feel like the worlds biggest tomboy. Which is not necessarily a bad thing, unless it's one of those days when I'm actually feeling feminine yet still only wearing zip off cargo pants, chacos and a tall ship tee.
Ivan & Dennis are not your friends.
Alan Kerstetter, on the right, has a little boat that he's sailing up the East Coast. He sustained minor damage during the recent hurricanes.
As the Seas Churn
So here I am in Austin, Texas. There's no denying it - my adjustment to land is not going to be easy. It's one thing to know that another boat job is just around the corner, or to have the ocean at my doorstep when living on the coast... but right now I forsee several months without sailing or seeing much saltwater, and those thoughts torment me.
Within the the last week I've had unexpected phone calls from 3 old shipmates. None of which I had spoken to or seen for over a year. A few emails here and there, but that's it. The first was from Shawn Strange aboard Tole Mour. She spoke of her adventures in New Zealand and her time aboard Soren Larsen. She sounds very happy to be back aboard Tole for the summer. Then last night, Tuvalu called and we talked at length about her new baby, Mathilde, and the practice of "Attachment Parenting". She also said that Micah is working hard to help Highlander Sea's new owner, Jim Acheson, restore the boat to proper sailing condition. Alan Kerstetter called to say his boat got a bit dinged up in the recent hurricanes - I have yet to speak with him in person on the phone though. He sounds healthy and happy though!
It's been great to hear from people at a time when I need that most. My boyfriend is very loving and understanding but we can't talk boats much so it's nice that old friends call and satisfy that need. And I'd rather be here with him right now - while I miss the crews and the boats already, there's a need to follow through on some important studying/licensing before I return to the sailing world in the capacity that I desire (AB or Mate). Being in Austin is good because there's some lakes people actually sail on, I'll be taking my tests 4 hours away in Houston, I can volunteer aboard Elissa in Galveston, and most importantly I can be with Landon. While it has kicked me in the ass many times before, I still believe that love is worth pursuing wholeheartedly, so I've made some temporary compromises with myself.
On a sadder note, the new owner of Hawaiian Chieftain (renamed Spirit of Larinda) died recently. Click on the link to see a nice page dedicated to him.
And then I read that Daniel Macke's boat "Sjovind" washed ashore a few days ago and now needs major repairs. Everything he owns is soaked in oily saltwater.
I'm going to remind myself to lighten up and be thankful for all the comforts in my life.
Within the the last week I've had unexpected phone calls from 3 old shipmates. None of which I had spoken to or seen for over a year. A few emails here and there, but that's it. The first was from Shawn Strange aboard Tole Mour. She spoke of her adventures in New Zealand and her time aboard Soren Larsen. She sounds very happy to be back aboard Tole for the summer. Then last night, Tuvalu called and we talked at length about her new baby, Mathilde, and the practice of "Attachment Parenting". She also said that Micah is working hard to help Highlander Sea's new owner, Jim Acheson, restore the boat to proper sailing condition. Alan Kerstetter called to say his boat got a bit dinged up in the recent hurricanes - I have yet to speak with him in person on the phone though. He sounds healthy and happy though!
It's been great to hear from people at a time when I need that most. My boyfriend is very loving and understanding but we can't talk boats much so it's nice that old friends call and satisfy that need. And I'd rather be here with him right now - while I miss the crews and the boats already, there's a need to follow through on some important studying/licensing before I return to the sailing world in the capacity that I desire (AB or Mate). Being in Austin is good because there's some lakes people actually sail on, I'll be taking my tests 4 hours away in Houston, I can volunteer aboard Elissa in Galveston, and most importantly I can be with Landon. While it has kicked me in the ass many times before, I still believe that love is worth pursuing wholeheartedly, so I've made some temporary compromises with myself.
On a sadder note, the new owner of Hawaiian Chieftain (renamed Spirit of Larinda) died recently. Click on the link to see a nice page dedicated to him.
And then I read that Daniel Macke's boat "Sjovind" washed ashore a few days ago and now needs major repairs. Everything he owns is soaked in oily saltwater.
I'm going to remind myself to lighten up and be thankful for all the comforts in my life.
Nice Glass
Jesika and I walked past Tacoma's Museum of Glass last night, on our way to Harmon's Brewpub (serving Lady Washington Pale Ale) and "The Swiss", serving up plenty of cheesy music, good beer and entertaining customers.
Upon our return to the docks we found young Killops prancing about with a gaggle of hippies. We set in for an intervention, but instead I lost Jesika due to her desire to waltz.
Upon our return to the docks we found young Killops prancing about with a gaggle of hippies. We set in for an intervention, but instead I lost Jesika due to her desire to waltz.
We Report to YOU
The Mexicans from Cuauhtemoc don't know us, they just want their picture taken with us.
Drew and Jes at the "Crew Lounge" on the dock, serving FREE BEER for tall ship crew!
Here's Steve Dilley (green hat) and Dave (cowboy hat) with other Adventuress/Zodiac crew. Steve and I crewed on Lady in 2003 and I met Dave long ago at a party at Adrian Lipp's place in Ballard. Cool to see old friends.
The ever-jovial Rafqui Mendez and Shawn "Get a load of these" Jonutz, with Valerie in the foreground
A little advertising for the local news found last night.
Drew and Jes at the "Crew Lounge" on the dock, serving FREE BEER for tall ship crew!
Here's Steve Dilley (green hat) and Dave (cowboy hat) with other Adventuress/Zodiac crew. Steve and I crewed on Lady in 2003 and I met Dave long ago at a party at Adrian Lipp's place in Ballard. Cool to see old friends.
The ever-jovial Rafqui Mendez and Shawn "Get a load of these" Jonutz, with Valerie in the foreground
A little advertising for the local news found last night.
Guess who just turned 32???
My birthday was the 28th of June. I spent it on an 8 hour sail with 56 passengers from Port Angeles to Port Townsend. They were a nice crowd, even though the wind was a bit disappointing. Upon arrival in P.T., we were met by Bob Esposito, Nate, Sara, and Daniel Macke, all ex-Lady crew. Several of us went up to Brion Toss's rigging loft, met the author of "Rigger's Apprentice" (he was excited about my Elissa shirt, as he'd rigged her when they first dragged her out of the Med.). We drank grog at his loft, and he met our bosun Shawn, who was so impressed that he took him out for dinner. The rest of us headed over to Water Street Brewery, where a girl named Autumn immediately bought Jesika, Leeann and I shots of Jager, then proceeded to get very excited about my birthday and left, only to come back with a chocolate cupcake with a lit birthday candle. I don't know her, but she was fun. We drank some beer and then moved onto the bar Sirens, where Kevin Mckee joined our crowd, and we had a few more beers. My birthday won't go away, though. For three days my birthday cake sat in the saloon. Nick was getting antsy, but nobody had the energy to cut it. We've been pretty busy. We finally cut it yesterday and it's almost gone, but the "Hey Kim! Happy Birthday!"'s just keep coming. Although I think the crew is now using it as an excuse to get strangers to buy us drinks at the bar...
Right now I'm sitting in the FREE internet cafe provided by the lovely Tacoma volunteers, who also do our LAUNDRY, take out our TRASH, and best of all... check in our passengers and make our manifests! It's awesome. I'm looking out over the decks of Cuautemoc and Pallada, listening to the Russian anthem being blasted over their speakers. I'm slowly handing my duties as Steward over to Nathalie, and I think she'll be great at it. So she's on the evening sail instead of me, and I'm due to meet Jesika for drinks later. But I'm freakin tired, so we'll see.
In just a few days I'm leaving this all behind and moving to Austin. I'll miss it, but it's good to leaving something when it's going great, rather than when it sucks. It'll inspire me to take care of what I need to do to get back to it in the future.
I missed my Soul Brother, Nate Killops! It was great to see Nate and Sara, returned from their 6 months overseas, and on my birthday!
JB posing with a goatee full of bone beads and an outfit that qualifies him as an 1980's Mediterreanean Playboy I think
PALLADA! The Russian cadets and Shiny (none of them are allowed to drink) peering over the rest of us with our pitchers.
