Saturday is the new Fry Day!

Ok, so, John and I wanted something different for breakfast a few weekends ago - bacon and eggs just weren't going to cut it. I remembered a delicious breakfast entree that I had when I was in Edinborough, Scotland a few years back - Scotch eggs. Now, dear reader, don't judge unless you've had this. To make 5 scotch eggs, you need:

• 1 lb roll of sausage
• 5 shelled hardboiled eggs
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• Breadcrumbs
• A dusting of flour (I am drooling as I type this)
• A deep fat fryer (who actually has those anymore? Me...)

1. Divide sausage into 5 pieces and flatten well so you have 5 disks.
2. Wrap each egg in sausage (wet hands help). Close seams - you should have 5 large looking round things.
3. Add a dusting of flour to each sausage/egg round. Dip in egg. Roll in breadcrumbs.
4. Fry until dark brown (about 8 minutes) in 350F oil.

Holy moly! Now, one would NOT want to have scotch eggs probably more than once a year or I can pass you the name of a good cardiologist. 

So, after we fried the scotch eggs, we had all this hot oil and with John and I being ridiculous people, we set about frying everything we could possibly think of. We deep fried a pickle, a hot dog, a piece of salami, a homemade cheese stick (which was as delicious as the eggs), and, as we were running out of ideas, a homemade blintze. The hot dog was really the only loser of the group and the blintze was, if sacriligious, surprisingly delicious.

Saturday In The Park...

Well, not quite a Saturday in the Park but that's the song from the 70s by, um....Bread maybe? Regardless, John, Mom and I actually spent 'Sunday at the Winery.' It was a gorgeous day this past Sunday and, after a whole lot of conjoling on our part, we got Mom up from her comfy chair and out to Sugarloaf Winery. She was cute as really didn't want to go and John and I actually resigned ourselves to going alone. We were in the car, heading out of the driveway when we backed up - it was just TOO gorgeous to leave my gorgeous Mom sitting in a chair for the day.

We came in the door and she was already headed up the stairs. I asked her where she was going and she kind of looked surprised and said 'I'm going upstairs to get dressed. I knew you'd come back for me.' Sure would have saved us a bit of pleading if she had just agreed the first time. Regardless, we were both delighted to have her come with us.

The winery just released their Chardonnay reserve which, albeit a bit pricey, was quite delicious. The three of us took the three little girl dogs along for the ride (we prefer a 1:1 ratio of humans to dogs for outings) and headed out around 2 to sit and sip. Sugarloaf winery is located right at the base of our teeny weeny Sugarloaf mountain and has live music on the weekends. Just the right amount of ambiance for a 2.5 hour outing. A great time was had by all. Mom got a bit of sun, talked to a few people who came to admire little Gizmo who was perched on her lap, and sipped some good wine.

A great day was had. Totally great, just as the pictures document!

Another glorious Key West weekend.

The house kitty (hated fish - go figure)

John and I had possibly the best time yet in Key West on this past trip - albeit, an expensive one! And, we thought this trip was going to be cheap! Well, it would have been if not for a few nice purchases...

Flew all the way in this time - view of 7 mile bridge

Found yet another very cheap airflight so took them up on it and flew all the way in. 4 short hours later, we were standing at our hotel off Duvall. We stayed at a new place for us, Hollinsted house, which was just delightful. Just a block off Duvall in the 600 block (half way between island ends), the house is made up of a variety of condos, some of which are simply devine.If you're going to Key West anytime soon, email me and I'll hook you up with Tracey, the owner of a few of the condos there. Got a great deal all the way around. The cat above is the house kitty, or so we thought. She appeared magically out of the bushes, usually yawning and looking for affection. She made JB look like a GIANT, which, of course, he is.

We walked the streets a lot this trip and even rented a little two person electric car in which to tool around for a day. Took us down some paths we'd not found earlier as we discussed where we'll be living one day. Met some great locals - 2 stand out in our minds. Houston and Suzie are both 5th generation (!) Conchs - born and raised in KW. Talked to them for quite a while. Houston's 87 year old mom lives next door and sounds like she's the opposite of my Mom. Houston was telling us some great tales about her complaints, etc, as she's a very crotchety old woman. I shared tales of my delightful Mother. I sure wish I could talk mom into moving to KW with me NOW but that ain't happening. Ah well, it will happen one day but I'm not rushing the future.

No, it's a LIVE rooster!

John and I decided to rent a boat again this trip and go looking for dolphins - no luck. We needed Bobbi, the official dolphin spotter with us. The ocean was rockier than last time we went out but we didn't really care. We headed out to the reef and moored up for an afternoon of conversation, cocktails and a few quick swims.

Tried a few really nice restaurants this time around. One of the great things about staying in a different part of the island is that we explored instead of going to the same old rounds we usually do. Sarabeth's owner, David, was a wonderful guy and, although dinner was good, we're thinking breakfast is even better. The last night there, we went to Cafe Marquesa which was probably the best restaurant I've ever been to, period. But, you'll pay for it too. The ambiance is great, food was outstanding, and the whole dining experience was worth the price.

Ah, but, as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end so we flew home after just 3 days in paradise. But, the end of this trip starts the countdown to the next one which is already on the books. We'll be in Key West 4 times this year, which seems about right to us...

Love this shot!

I'm struck by how lucky I am

Crabs!

So, John surprised me yesterday by taking me crabbing for the day on the dock of the bay. It was too windy to go out on Namaste and jet ski season is past so I was WAY game for a day on the dock. He thoughtfully purchased 3 new crab traps, a bottle of good vodka, a picnic lunch, chicken necks (not part of the picnic lunch), string, and chips. So, we set up the traps, put up two chairs and proceeded to have a great time just waiting. 2 hours later, we had confirmation that the bay had a sense of humor as we had lost:

1 crab trap
1 chair (which we managed to fish back out of the bay)
The bag of chips (blew away)
2 cocktails
The bag the chair came in (same gust took the bag as the chips and cocktails...)
BUT, we had caught....um...4 crabs. FOUR crabs. Pitiful I tell ya! So, we decided to head over to the bridge where the locals were.

Off we went and set up our remaining traps off the bridge. I perused the catch of the local while John went to surprise me and buy some crabs from a man who had been down on our pier. While he was gone, I decided to take matters into my own hand and approached one of the friendly locals with a 20 spot. Got two gorgeous dozen crabs, #1 jimmies and beauties to boot. Was quite proud of myself until John came up beaming. Why the smile? He had gone down to the other man, and, for $20 had bought, well, five crabs. I suppose it was a case of supply and demand. Sweet gesture thought and well appreciated.

So, after an hour nap cozed up on Namaste, I headed back home where Mom, Sophia, Joni and Mark were awaiting our 'catch.' Cooked them up in 3 batches and they were delightful. Sat and chatted over a nice bottle of wine in the dining room, mom at every claw (!), the rest of us filled up on as much crab as we could eat. A wonderful night was had by all.

Here's a couple of articles about crabs:
How to Cook Crabs
How to Tell A Female Blue Crab From a Male Crab
How to Measure a Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab
How to Set A Table For A Crab Feast
How to Prepare A Crab Feast 
In a pinch, you might have to boil crab legs - yuck
How to cook crabs - works every time!
How to Order A Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab Feast Online
How to Make a Crab Bisque
And, if you're not in the mood for crabs, how about some delicious Mexican enchiladas (only 4 ingredients!)

Cabin weekend

As I go about updating the blog, I was looking through pictures to trigger my memory of what we've done this summer. Turns out, we were sort of movers and shakers this summer - well, John and I were at least. Gert was more of a sitter. But, had a beautiful summer with many weekends spent on sailing or on the jet ski and a few very nice weekends at the cabin.

Dinner with Gert

Found this post hidden - never published so here 'tis:

John went up to his house in WV tonight, leaving the 'ladies' (there's a reason that's in quote but I'll never tell..) - anyway, he left the 'ladies' on our own. So, off I go for takeout for Gert and me (and the dogs - they always get leftovers). One stop at the sushi bar and one stop at the chinese restaurant later and Gert and I were chowing down on some really good soup and sushi (for me) and an egg roll (for her). Sat in the dining room and had a great evening for an hour and a half or so. These are the BEST times with Mom - sitting alone, just us, talking about the 'good old days.'

Mom told me that she made $5 a day for an 8 hour shift while working in St. Joe when she was 16. Now, by the time I was 15, I was earning a big $1.83/hour (minimum wage back in the day). Robin - still one of my favorite people in the world - was my 'boss' and made, I think, $.50 more an hour - an appreciable markup for, well, telling ME what to do...But, I digress...

We used to have just a ball at the Morningside Cleaners, working evenings after school and Saturdays, during the day. We even had our own groopies. Yes, we had it GOIN' on. And, in looking back, I'm so very glad that my parents instilled a work ethic in me. I took a crummy job at the cleaners and, well, I was to make the best of it. And, I did. Getting up on Saturday morning and going to work at 7 am when the rest of my friends were in bed (Robin included..after all, she was the boss...) set forth my lifelong love of the mornings. To this day, I'm happiest in the morning.

John and I both love the mornings - we get up around 4:30 or 5 am and have time in the hot tub with coffee before Gert starts stirring for the day. I've gotten in the habit of walking Killian early in the am and I think we both appreciate the great start of the day. Not a bad start at all...



'

My luck continues...

My delightful extremely significant other (the better half of my soul) came home last night and asked me out to a romantic dinner. So, I quickly finished up the spaghetti sauce simmering on the stove, added some noodles for Mom and cooked up some Texas Toast to complete her dinner before running upstairs to change and zoom out the door. And, zoom I did!

We headed to a favorite spot, Cava. For anyone in the DC area, Cava is a Greek restaurant owned by young dudes who are quite easy on the eyes and nice to boot. They make some of the best greek food in the area, served in tapas sized portions, just right for sharing. And, the martini menu is among the best in the nation. Order a lemon drop martini (not sweet, please) and you'll be presented with the perfectly tart treat, complete with sugared rim (they always ask) and a slice of fresh, juicy lemon. Yum. Also, if you like spicy food, you can't beat the Crazy Feta which is fresh feta mixed with just the right amount of jalapenos. A fantastic, candlelit dinner for two was had and I was so grateful.

But, alas, my traveling man is off again for two days down to his boat from which he'll work. We're heading off to the cabin for the weekend to float the Great Cacapon river before he heads back to New Jersey for all of next week. Bobbi is pretty good at relieving boredom over here when he's gone as Mom and I just tend to run out of stuff to do/talk about but Bobbi's tales are always fun. And, let me tell ya, the woman has some tales.

We're gearing up for Key West next month for 4 days. Sharyn will meet John and me in the Fort Lauderdale airport for the drive down to KW. We're staying in a very nice upscale hotel that John and I found earlier this year on our semi-annual trip. And, the hotel is in a great location - just right to tottle back from the Conch Republic or the Wharf bar around 2 am. Can't wait for vacation!

Two towed by sea...almost...

Well, last weekend was a blast, if a bit expensive. We started off by picking up the jet ski from the Honda dealer where we had a swim ladder added and some work done on the trailer. $500 gone....

Got down to Namaste for a 2 nighter out. It's pretty difficult for me to get coverage for Mom for 3 days but I did it with the help from a few of my friends. So, our plan was to tow the jet ski over to Dun Cove where we were going to spend two nights on the boat. John put together a 'tow package' which consisted of pvc piping, rope and a clip (here comes trouble). I rode the ski out to the bay and dropped a crab pot while John prepped the boat and motored out to meet me where we'd hook the jet ski up, The plan was that I'd climb on Namaste, grab a cool cocktail and that was supposed to be the end of that story. Ah, but dear readers, we know that's not how the John and Lori story usually goes....

So, we met up in the bay and hooked up the ski with the clip. I secured the dry box, made sure all was well before jumping off the ski for a short swim to the boat. What I didn't do was take my coach prescription sunglasses off my head before jumping over.

Bay total so far:
One pair of John's shoes ($50)
One pair of Lori's shorts ($50)
One brand new tow rope, tag still attached ($20)
One pair of Coach sunglasses ($400)

By my book, the Bay is way ahead.

Anyway, for about 4 minutes, the tow worked great. The jet ski bobbed 10 feet behind the boat as we powered at 6 knots or so. And then....and then....

As we sat on the boat, fresh cocktails in hand, proud that the plan was working, one of us turned to check on the ski and.....WTF? It was, oh, WAAAAAY back there, on its lonesome, floating mournfully alone in the bay. And, let me tell you, even though we knew that it was our ski, it's a scary, eerie site to see a jet ski bobbing alone in the bay. One immediately thinks: where is the rider?! Well, the rider was sipping a cocktail, safe and sound and a bit perplexed.

So, we turned around to retrieve the ski and determined that the clip gave way. Evidently, a $15 clip is just not enough to assure one will not lose a ski under tow.

Add to bay total:
One clip ($15)

So, Plan B had to be enforced and we didn't have a Plan B but that's never stopped us before.

After another cocktail and a bit of discussion, it was determined that I should climbed aboard and jet across the bay, through Knapps Narrows (where there are a lot of boats and this scares me on the ski as I have NO idea of what I'm doing), and over to the cove where John met me on Namaste and anchored.

I wasn't planning on jetting the 13 miles over there in bobbing seas by myself but really got into the rhythm of the bay and enjoyed the ride. Actually was jumping some of those big boat wakes that threw Bobbi and me a few weeks ago. Exhilarating catching air, even if I was only jumping, oh, maybe 8 inches or so out of the water.

Made it through Knapps Narrows where there were BIIIIIG boats. I freak out if there's a boat within a quarter mile of me and these boats were up close and personal. Didn't much care for it. But, trooper that I am, I jetted under the bridge and made it over to the cove where John eventually appeared.

After stowing Namaste safely, he took over the ski and I assumed my favorite position as passenger. We headed off to Oxford which is just about 15 minutes from the cove when one is moving at warp speed. Of course, we were in search of food and drink and bellied up to a local waterfront bar. Took a walk down the one street that is Oxford and then hit the ski to head back. On the way, well, there was another waterfront bar so bellied on up there. Full and sated, eventually, we headed back to Namaste for a gorgeous night on the water.

The next day was proving to be HOT even at 5:30 am. We were planning to jet over to St. Michael's but someone at Knapps told us it was about 1:30 ride even on the ski. Nix that. My body was already sore from my solo trip the day before. Undecided about what to do, we both realized that the day was too warm and jelly fish too aplenty to spend it about Namaste so we made the executive decision to get a hotel room over at Harrison's Inn by Tilghman.

Anyone who has ever seen Dirty Dancing has intimate knowledge of Harrison's Inn. It's identical in every way to the lodge. Although, instead of Patrick Swayze (drats), there were a LOT of aging, Southern Maryland Elvises floating around. And that was proven again when karaoke started! The DJ was actually fantastic in an Elvisesque way. Really great Elvis voice. But, the patrons? Not so much. We suffered listened to a few wail away before nap time took over.

Oh, I skipped the lunch story....

We were sitting at the outside dock bar, at the counter facing the marina - beautiful, serene view when a guy John knows from his marina came over and told us that we had the best seats in the house. 'Yes, we know,' was John's reply and, since he had chosen these seats, I think his chest even puffed out a bit. Now I had just started silently wondering show the screens were ripped when we were 2 stories off the ground - hell of a seagull, thought I until the guy John knows launched into a story of the 'Captain Buddy' a 70 footer charter boat. The Captain Buddy is captained by, go figure, Buddy senior who is about 85 and owns the marina and hotel. So, the guy John knows gestures out as he's launching into the story and here comes Captain Buddy (the boat) at pretty good speed and the anchor is headed right for us. I instinctively jump back, already figuring out the disarray of the ripped screen. Evidently, Captain Buddy (the captain) shouldn't necessarily be captaining any longer as he ran the anchor through the screen just the week before AND the week before that! But, this day, thankfully, the boat gracefully turned and backed into a slip that it totally dwarfed. Namaste, docked next to the mammoth boat looked like a dinghy...

Dinner was delightful and included the best blue crabs I have EVER in my life had - and, trust me, I've had some pretty good crabs. These were the sweetest, meatiest things ever. I left totally enamoured with Harrison's.

The end of the weekend plan was for me to ride the jet ski out to deeper water on the way back to the marina where John would take the ski and I would handle Namaste. We were both so looking forward to swapping vehicles as I was (or rather, my butt was...) ready for the comfort of Namaste. Would have been a good plan (again with the plan?!) but I fouled the impeller of the ski by getting a rope caught up. Dead. Dead in the water - literally. Shoot. Ended up having to tow the thing and then the engine on Namaste decided to take a leave of absence. Changed gas tanks (although the first tank was full so it's still a mystery), fired her up and headed for the safety of Harrington North. Made it back without any huge issues...thankfully.

So, we had to drop the ski off at the same Honda dealership where we picked it up 3 short days before. And, I believe I heard some laughter from Brian, our friendly service manager....ah, well, it's only money...

Two if by sea...

So we aren't exactly Paul Revere but we did approach Annapolis by sea this past Sunday.

John's official end to vacation was a gorgeous day with a slight possibility of thunderstorms but that didn't stop us from taking the jet ski down to a Traxton start park, right outside Annapolis, and launching it for a full day of fun, sun and wild river riding.

We had a great tour of the harbor with sailboats and gorgeous powerboats moored securely. The view from the water is much different than from streets and we viewed some gorgeous piers, condos and lovely homes with tricked out yards.

A short 10 minute ride had us passing the Annapolis harbor and heading out to the Severn River to play on the jet ski for a bit. We were quite surprised at the large amount of chop (2 foot waves) at we turned the corner by the Naval Academy but we were game. We opened the ski up and we were going places! Of course, we had nowhere particular to be but that was beyond the point. We've determined that I'm a power girl - I have a need for speed! And, speed we did! We had talked to a gentleman launching a big jet ski while we were launching ours, which is a pretty good sized 3-seater turbo. His ski had a larger engine (no turbo though - did I mention I have a need for speed?...) but that didn't mean we didn't whoop him when he came from behind and overtook us the first time. That was all John needed - the race was on! There were a few times when I almost slid off the seat as John swirled, dipped and put the ski through its paces at around 40 knots. I finally figured out that riding a bucking jet ski is akin to riding a horse (not that I know what that's like but I think the analogy fits....). Regardless, I felt the workout in my thighs today, every single time I got up!

After showing the man who was, well, the MAN, we headed over to Annapolis and docked at the public dock for tenders - the jet ski is considered a tender or a dingy - go figure. Coming into the harbor, I had a flash of being 9 or 10 years old and coming into the same spot with the family on our boat, The Harmony, when we had a house on Kent Island. We used to go to the Acme foods right on the Annapolis Harbor to do our shopping and then head back across the bay to our cozy cottage. This was a much preferred travel method to Annapolis, and quicker than taking the then one-laned Bay Bridge which always seemed to be snarled.

This time though, I had to buy a new dress to walk around in but I can always use a new frock. I had brought a skirt with me in the dry box but felt a bit under dressed while strolling the streets of historic, beautiful Annapolis in a bathing suit and skirt. So, a new frock was had and we headed over to a great lunch while sitting on the water over at Pussers Bar and Grill. The waterfront was alive with fellow travelers who had dropped in to listen to the acoustic guitarist and imbibe, just as we had. Had a nice chat with a couple who were there for their 35th anniversary and quite happy to be in each other's company. Nice to see.

A few Dark and Stormies later, we were headed back to the jet ski to run back to the car ahead of a weather front. Of course, before we left, we had to recreate our first date and stopped in at the bar in the Harbor to have just one more cocktail. Met a delightful woman, Mary Ellen, who is 75. Her gorgeous son was the bartender that day and she started to tell me a great story. Her husband died 12 years ago. She has 7 children so, every day of the week, they rotate driving her wherever she needs to go. Great system she has going. She was very sweet and told me that she knew how good she had it. She certainly deserved it; she was a doll. We plan on meeting up with her again at that bar. I knew that bar was special the moment John walked in, toting his motorcycle helmet 2.5 years ago.

Our drinks done, we walked over to the jet ski and a short ride later, we were headed home.

A few monumentous things about this jet ski trip:
1. It's the first trip where we didn't lose anything (trip #1: my shorts; trip #2: John's shoes; trip #3: a brand new towing rope). Perhaps we've busted through the curse.
2. More importantly, there were no spills of any kind. Yeah for us!

He muttered "I got this..."

...right before he fell off the jet ski.

So.....John and I took the new toy out on the Potomac yesterday. A Honda jet ski with turbo, no less. Like we needed extra power.

The weather threatened rain but we had an hour or so to play around and see what kind of rocket we had under us. Loads of fun - LOADS. We zoomed up almost to White's Ferry before turning around as the impending storm had me worried. We did get to explore parts of the river I've never been to before, and it was beautiful to see the great blue herons perching and looking for food. The day was great, and dry (at least for me...).

The river was amazing, almost glassy in spots with only a light chop in other areas, water temperature had to be around 70 or so (as would be tested by John later on).

On the way back to the boat ramp, we passed a fishing boat with 2 guys rowing - just didn't look right to me. One guy waved his hands in the air so we jetted over to check on their demise. Battery died and they were about a mile upstream (at least they had a paddle...). So, we ended up hooking the bow of their boat to the stern of the ski and pulled them to where their trailer was. They were very grateful and, having been on the rowing end of things previously, we were happy to return the favor.

So, we dropped them off and jetted back to our boat ramp at break neck speed. The thing is FAST.

We got back to Riley's Lock, where we had put in and there was some boat traffic in the area with people trying to beat the storm and pull their boats out. Interestingly, Montgomery County Water Rescue had been practicing on the river all day so there were three or four pontoon boats waiting to pull out. So, we just idled in a circle, too and fro, awaiting our turn. I could see picnicers looking out at the water and wishing they were us. There was a whole Spanish family perched on the bridge whom we had waved to, content in the thought that it was so very good to be us.

So, John just drove us around in small circles, waiting our turn, waiting, waiting, until...

He had reversed at one point and then put the ski in forward but had turned the handle bars too far to the left when he nudged the gas....

Right before he slid off, his blue eyes flew open and registered a moment of disbelief - this could NOT be happening. I think the "I got this' comment was more to convince himself that he was not going in the drink. Not to John, not this fabulous waterman, not in the middle of the canal, not with a group of Spanish picnicers (and about 100 other onlookers) laughing. No, he wouldn't, dammit.

So, he scrambled, much like a sleeping cat getting ready to fall off a warm perch. The ski pitched and yawled, port and starboard. John clung furiously to the slippery seat before sliding, quite unceremoniously, into the pea green swirl we call a canal. I believe his nail marks are still in the seat. I did make a feeble attempt at rescue by grabbing his arm (he claims I pushed him) before I realized it was every man (woman) for herself as I was NOT going in the drink. And, I didn't.

And so he slid. Almost with grace, almost with intent, in that slow motion feeling we get before something bad happens. He was in the water and back on the ski so quickly he almost didn't get wet. Needless to say, his ego was even more bruised by the fact that he got a smathering of applause, and I couldn't stop laughing. Interestingly enough, of the twelve water rescue guys, I don't think even one saw him hit the water.

I'm still laughing. OMG - it was one of the funniest things ever. And, I'm so very grateful that he has a wonderful sense of humor as I really bust out in full bell laugh about once an hour right now. He's still shaking his head and muttering 'I had that...'

A funny thing happened on the way to the Tiki Bar...

So, John and I boarded the boat for a 'day at sea' even though we didn't make the Carnival cruise. We were headed down to the Tiki Bar with the idea of having a few cocktails while reclining in the sun before heading over to a quiet cove for dinner and a beautiful anchor out evening. Great idea, wrong wind...

One of the things that I just love about sailing is 'you can't always get there from here.' Well, that's not true - we could have gotten there but, on the tack we were sailing, Dunn's River was smack dab ahead and winds were stiff so off we sailed. Change of plans work so well for us as we're both so flexible and not the least bit disappointed to let Mother Nature just push us where she wanted us to go. And, we couldn't have ended up in a more gorgeous spot.


So, we set off to sail around ten am. John had to reef the sail, which basically means there was some swearing, some sweating and some laughing as he set the sail up to be just half full. The wind was too stiff to have it go any further. As it was, Namaste clipped along at 7.2 knots and left quite a wake behind us. I didn't take the wheel on the way out as the wind was too much for me to even consider but John handled that boat like the pro sailor he is. So, we ended up rounding the bend into Dunn's River to the cove in about three hours.

There were only a handful of sailboats moored when we arrived so we picked a spot and put down the anchor. Up wine glass, toasting ensued, chicken was grilled and a fine time was had just watching the sun go down and enjoying an incredible evening on the water. It was 9:30 pm before we even realized the sun was setting! All in all, a fabulous evening on the Namaste. That boat is so meant to be. And, so is the Tiki Bar, in the very near future....who knows what winds will blow next weekend...

Well, since we didn't do the cruise, we've had some quite nice happy hours on the verandah with friends. Here's a fab picture (thanks Nikon ...) of Bobbi and newest little girl Gizmo.

And, these pics are the result of our run to Ron's house for Mother's Day after the non-cruise. A really great time was had.

My favorite picture from sailing on Imagine

I love this picture, especially since it was taken in color but it's basically a black and white. I also love this one of Matee and Gizmo:

And, now that I've gotten on a theme of 'pairs,' here's another favorite picture:

Imagine a more perfect day...

Yesterday's weather on the Chesapeake was not conducive to a great day on Namaste (she being a bit too gentle for really rough seas and wind) so we went out with Alfonso and Pauline on the most fabulous 40' Beneteau sailboat on the bay that day - 'Imagine' is aptly named.

Wind gusts up to 25 knots or so just made this boat into a pure joyful sailing machine at a top speed of 7.80 knots. Magnificent is the only way to describe the way the boat dipped and swirled amongst the waves. It was like being in a limosine, complete with all the acoutraments a queen deserves. Breakfast was served, cocktails were furnished, snacks provided - does it really get any better than this? I mean, really. Well, actually, if a servant had slathered me with sunscreen, that would have been nice as I picked up a bit of a burn while sitting on the swim platform, dangling my feet in the water as we zipped past other boats. Evidently, and no one will admit this but there is a huge bonus to overtaking another sailboat. Sure, sailors will tell you it's about the journey - they're liars. It's about who can go through the journey at the fastest pace. And, those little waves you exchange with the skipper of a neighboring boat you've overtaken? I believe I detected a few one finger salutes instead of all five...

Regardless, the Imagine is everything one could want in a boat. With 2 staterooms, chocked full of gleaming mahogany furnishings, it's well suited to ocean sailing. John and I were drooling the entire day - we could barely pry John's hands from the wheel... Hopefully, John will be able to go on an oceangoing trip with Alfonso one day as a trip to the islands is in the making. Would be a grand way to spend 12 days.

Note: my new camera was hard at work yesterday - I'm not sure that I could have gotten this picture of this seagull  in mid poop with my sony dsc...A bit oogey, and a bit fascinating at the same time.


On another note, we're planning on taking Mom on a cruise out of Baltimore, we hope. Of course, as with everything else, it will be a decision we make the day before the boat is to sail but we have the biggest balcony cabin short of the penthouse, reserved for, what we hope is, 7 glorious days. We got the upscaled room as John, Gert and I plan to be riding the balcony a lot as too much excitement/crowds is not necessarily what any of us want. The cabin has a wet bar which I will stock well for cocktail hour. I figure some gambling, a bit of sun sounds about right for 7 days.

And, one final thing, the official name for the newest dog is Gizmo - thanks to niece Monya's great interpretation. Gizmo is doing fine and brings us much joy (if not JB, the cat). She's taken over JB's position in my lap during the evenings. Cats don't have much of a sense of humor.

It just happens....

Well, it's happened again - it just sort of happened. John and I were minding our own business yesterday, having a cocktail at La Mex when we spied a young girl who appeared to be delighted, walking a large rat on a leash. Upon closer inspection, the 'rat' was a messed up looking little dog. She's right around 10 lbs and just a bit porky at that, a part yorkie, part terrier of some type. Whatever she is, she's having some pretty bad hair days. She and John are in the running for worst bedhead....There's not a clear cut winner at the moment.

So, I gave mom the right to name the new one and I believe it's Sweet Pea although I was much more excited about Pinot or Shirley Temple. It'll be what it'll be. I gave her a piece of a rimadyl (the dog, not mom) this morning after reading her vet records and seeing she'd been on it before. She's got a suspected flea allergy which is pretty miserable for her at the moment. I'm going to give her an oatmeal bath today, probably do that twice to try and relieve the itching. Vet first thing tomorrow if I can get her in. She's sound asleep on my arm right now. Darling little thing. Rimadyl must be working. She fell sound asleep on Mom's lap last night - I think she's going to fit in just right. So, that's 3 girls, 3 boys and an even more confused cat right now. But, it's all good.

Matee and Rita are not pleased.

1st day of Spring; 1st day of boating!

John and I were fabulously happy on Saturday, sailing around the Chesapeake in 70 degree weather. It's been gorgeous all week around here - perfect sailing weather with light winds pushing us around for 4 hours. We fortified ourselves with our newest invention: pineapple infused-vodka and club soda (PVC for short). I've taken to infusing vodka now which is a great time, albeit, not my smartest move ever as it's quite easy to take 'just a little sip' to check the flavor. Note to self: move the vodka infuser out of sight...

The marina had a nice sock-burning party when we returned which signaled the start of the boating season (no need for socks any longer!). So, we took Rita and Matee over and mingled a bit. The ladies (and John....sigh....) drew lots of 'oohs and ahs' - Rita was particularly darling, if I do say so myself. More PVC was had....

Spent the night on the boat and got up yesterday, grabbed some breakfast and the ladies and headed over to Chesapeake Beach for a sit on the sand before heading home. The girls had a blast speeding around the sand, chasing each other. Found a few sharks teeth. Nice morning.

We've rented a house for a week in June down at Chesapeake Beach so drove past it to check location -fabulous! Mom will be coming with us (figured it was easier to bring Gert to the beach than try to get her covered for 7 days) and the house is 3 story with an elevator - waterfront balconies on all floors and a patio to boot. Bay front (50 feet from water) means lots of fishing, crabbing, and general merry making. We'll even be able to bring Namaste down for the days but there's no dock so we'll run her back to the marina every night - not a bad way to spend 30 minutes...

There's a little dive bar (just our speed) right around the corner so we expect that's where we'll be rolling for happy hour. The house is right on the boardwalk so we envision taking Mom out daily for a roll along the bay. There's even a pier where we can set her up under an umbrella for some fishing and crabbing. I believe a great time will be had by all! We're all very excited about heading on vacation together - we'll take the small girl dogs with us but, sadly, the boys will have to remain at home this time.

Friday, took Mom out over to Kentlands to get her a few things she needed. She gets out of the car, looks down with her one good eye and spies a shiny dime. Cool! Found MONEY! The funniest thing was that, just that morning, John sent over a picture of a $10 roll of quarters he found down at the marina while walking to the bathroom. So, the day netted us $10.10. Sounds like a lottery number.