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!)

How to have a bad day on a sailboat...Another found post from last year...

That should be the eHow I write after viewing the disasterous results when this sailboat hit the Narrows Bridge over on Tilghman Island. NO - it was not Namaste II. John actually handles his boat quite well, as could be proven when we docked in a slip about 12" deep (that's the beauty of this boat - the engine can be raised and it can go in 12" of water - sweet). Anyway, it was a baaaaaad day for someone.... but a great day for us. Too N2 over to the island last weekend for a few cocktails at a Tiki bar. We just love sitting outside on the water - what a joy.

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 said to me 'WTF! I was only getting gas!'

On day 3 of our Bay vacation, John decided to take the jet ski over to Tilghman Island, ostensibly, to gas it up. Of course, the Rod And Reel Marina was a short jet ski 5 minutes away and has gas pumps aplenty but John must have conveniently forgotten about that or, perhaps, he just wanted to battle the bay for the 12 miles to Tilghman. Wouldn't have been a problem if, well, he didn't need to stop for gas.

So, on the way across the bay, John reports that the waves were 2-3 feet with wild swells. He was having a blast, jumping from one top to another, catching air and loving life. Having been a pro at riding (and wiping out) on dirt bikes during his youth, riding the jet ski brought back some of his skills (or lack thereof) from days of yore. The guy also has a cat's 9 lives and generally lands on his feet (most times). Anyway, he said he had a wonderful time on the ride over and back and came home, safe and sound. But, something was amiss. I wasn't sure what it was but something was rotten in Denmark.

Let me set the scene:

Lori (lying in bed, reading a book, relaxing)
John  (enters room and flops on bed. Lori gets slightly wet from the impact and wonders why he's so wet)
Lori (looks at John and detects that 'I ate a canary look' - believe she saw 3 yellow feathers sticking to his beard).
Lori: 'Hi, honey.' 'How was your ride?'
John: 'Oh, it was GREAT, waves were 2-3 feet in the middle, got to Tilghman in 30 minutes. It was a great time.' (insert pregnant pause)
Lori (recognizes a pregnant pause when she hears one but stays quiet and allows the pregnancy to bloom. Finally, she's waited long enough and peers at John quizzically)
John: 'Well, there's something I need to tell you but I don't want to...'
Lori (glances quickly outside and sees the jet ski on the lift. No crunches or untoward effects from this latest ride seen. Glances back at John to do a quick appraisal - bruise on foot, same as this morning. Broken toe, same as this morning. Assorted bumps and bruises on arms, same as this morning. Bruise on ego? New...)

And, so the tale starts:


John did, indeed, make it to Tilghman after playing in the bay, hopping too and fro. He was tied up to the gas pump at Tilghman ready to hop onto the dock and gas up when a fairly large boat went by (remember; this is John's tale - it could have been a duck for all I know.).

Anyway, he reports that this h-u-g-e ship went by (in the no wake zone, by the way - no wake means there's no waves allowed. 6 knots is the maximum speed. A wave created from a boat going 6 knots is about the same as a child jumping in a swimming pool - and not off the high dive. It's more like stepping off of the last step in the shallow end....).

Anyway, the next thing he knew, he was in the drink! Boop! Gone. Right over the side of the ski while TIED TO THE DOCK. Now, in my book, this one beats my dump into the harbor or even Bobbi's less than ceremonious slide at Herrington Harbor South - after all he was TIED TO THE DOCK. The slight no wake wiggle of water was enough to send that cat a sailing.

I was just holding my sides when I managed to choke out 'Did anybody see?' 'No' was the too quick answer and might have slid by a less astute listener but after a slight second, I decided I just couldn't let this go! 'Wait a minute!' I choked out - 'What about the people on the boat? They must have seen.'

With a harumph and a hurt look in those baby blues he said 'Well, I didn't see the people so it doesn't count...'

And, in fine fashion, after I stopped laughing, I documented the tale in a picture as, we all know, dear readers, a picture is worth a thousand words (I'm thinking I should become an artist instead of an author..):

So, that capped off Day 3, onto Day 4.

Kim came down for the day to visit and we had a nice time with some cocktails on the deck. John decided to go for a jet ski ride and asked Bobbi if she wanted to go (now, when my friend Bobbi lost her mind is beyond me). She was still quite sore from our crash 2 days prior. I couldn't believe she's set sail on the jet ski again after our spill of Titanic proportions. But, cocktails make one do strange things.. So, off they bobbled.

The bay wasn't particularly stormy - probably 1 to 2 foot waves. Nothing to worry about though and, we now know that the jet ski was gassed up so we're safe on that front. John and Bobbi should, theoretically, have come back as dry as when I sent them off. But, ah, that's what the tale's about.

John dropped her off the back of the jet ski, not once, but twice! The first time, they hit a wake of a boat - nothing like Ron's boat but enough to send Bobbi back off the left side of the ski again. The second time, she was smart and hung on so tightly to John that she pulled him off with her - smart move. It's best to teach a lesson early on - I go in, you go in.

On the second spill, they said they kind of slid gracefully off the ski which is still a bonus from our previous crashes. And, Bobbi said, this time, unlike the other dives in the drink, she went off the right side of the ski. She said she liked the left side better.

So, at the moment, with my one spill, I'm ahead of the game. The record is Lori: 1, John: 3; Bobbi: 3, oh, and Kimmie? 1. John dropped her too - talk about not being trusted! I think we should get a bigger boat...

I yelled 'I got this!' (aka - shoot. I lost my shoe)

So, for those following readers who saw my post where John fell off the jet ski (with much aplomb), I'm guessing you'll see where we're headed with this post.

So, yesterday, the first full day of vacation at the bay house started off promising, with calm seas and a light breeze. Bobbi and I decided to head off on the jet ski (bad decision #1) for a buzz of the Chesapeake beach and a run up to Harrington Harbor South where Ron's boat, the Bottom Line, is docked for the week. The plan was in full effect until we entered the harbor and went to pull up next to his boat. Now, for those jet ski neophytes, when one turns off the jet ski, one has absolutely no control of the craft, and I turned it off too far from the Bottom Line so we were coming in a too fast and rapidly approaching its towering hull. So, I made the executive decision to sacrifice my dignity and hit the drink to keep the two items from a certain colllision. My decision might have been different if the jet ski was white and matched the hull of the Bottom Line, I might have risked a slight bump which Ron certainly wouldn't have even felt within the cushioney confines of his ship but the jet ski, alas, is red and I didn't want a spec of red paint adorning that mammoth hull. So, in I slithered, much to the amusement of all onlookers. Lucy and Ethel were firmly in the show.

And that wasn't nothin...

So, I made my undigified climb back onto the jet ski. Bobbi was sitting sidesaddle (she's such a girl) and, at one point. started to slip off backward. She was hanging onto the ski, but there was a very real possibility that she was going to flip us (and I had just climbed out..), and we weren't even moving. So, I yelled 'get off. Get Off. GET OFF!' with rising intensity, and, with that final pleading yell, I did what any good captain of a ship would do - I pushed her off. Yep, into the drink in the harbor she went. I will admit that my planned entrance had a bit more panache to it than her rather ineloquent 'splash', but, again, that wasn't nothin.

So, here we both are, wet and thirsty and gratefully accepted the screwdrivers handed our way, once the people on the Bottom Line could stand up as their laughing fits subsided. One smartass yelled 'you guys are a hazard.' Yeah, no shit, Sherlock.

Anywho, the Bottom Line left with nary a wave - I don't think Ron wanted to know us at this point (a rather familiar stance) but Lucy and Ethel were still in the dock. It took us a good 5 minutes to get out of this huge slip. We were hanging onto ropes, pulling and tugging to try and get the ski into the right position before Lucy hit the gas. Ok on this one. A successful, if funny, disembarkation was obtained.

The Bottom Line was almost clearing the no wake zone by the time we pulled into the harbor and little Lori wanted to catch up and, well, that's not exactly true. Little Lori wanted to lap the Bottom Line on her little bitty jet ski. The Bottom Line was probably moving at 30 knots; eh, that's nothing on the jet ski. John and I had it up to 51 on the potomac but, dear readers, the potomac is still waters compared to a light chop on the bay yesterday. And the light chop wasn't about to be the problem.

So, we had a nice smooth ride inside the wake of the Bottom Line until Little Lori decided to make her move - yes! We were close enough to move outside the wake and pass the boat, that fancy beautiful boat was about to be placed asunder with a roaring jet ski. I even had a nice little wave planned as we zipped past. Well, I went to cross the wake, being the idiot I am, and didn't even think of the physics of water - the bigger the boat, the bigger the wake. And me with my college degree...

If a picture is worth a thousand words:

Well, through the first six footer wake wave, we gallantly clung to the rocking beast. I believe I heard expletives but that could have been inside my head.

The real problem was, when I hung on through that 6 foot monster wake, I hit the throttle and sped up the ski and that was all she wrote. Holy crap, Batman! We both went flying! Arms waving, legs splayed, tumbling with the greatest of ease (not). Over and over we sailed. I know I hit the water after at least a 6 foot drop!

Sputtering to the surface, the good captain I am (and any good captain should place their passengers well being ahead of theirs), yelled 'Damn! I lost my shoe!' Bobbi was just coming up and said with a totally incredulous tone - 'You lose your SHOE? You've lost your MIND!'' And we all know, a mind is a horrible thing to lose.

The jet ski, upon the initial approach to wave #2, had sped up with huge momentum so it ended up about 100 yards away. However, it stopped as the jet ski Gods planned, but someone had to go swimming for it. I looked with askance at Bobbi but decided not to even offer the possibility that she practice her breast stroke so off I went. By the time I had gotten to the jet ski, the Bottom Line had turned around to come check on funeral arrangements. Being fine, albeit a little sore, we suffered the laughs and gahuffs of the crew and climbed aboard the jet ski for the ride back home. And, thank you God, no further idiot moves were taken on the ride home. But, we both wanted OFF this Gilligan's Island tour.

Later that day, I almost fell off John's boat while docked in Herrington North, spewing a cup of red wine on his white boat. I couldn't be trusted to even be alone, so came back to this marvelous house and bellied up to the bar, never to leave the warm confines of the terra firma again. Or so I thought....

Later that day....

John took out his 4 in 1 boat (it sails, it's a sailboard, a high speed towable and something else). It was the first time he's sailboarded it and he would have been ok if he had allowed for the compression of air once it's cold (another physics lesson). He inflated said boat and headed out. He just didn't inflate it enough. Once the air inside the boat cooled from the bay water, the boat deflated enough to make it impossible to stand upon. Sharyn's son, Carl, was here and witnessed John's voyage - I think someone said he was headed to Cuba last time they saw him. So, being the dutiful significant other I am, I grungingly crawled onto the dreaded jet ski for a tour #2 of the bay to go retrieve him. As I was scanning the horizon, I was just a bit concerned until a kayaker waved me over. All he said was 'Are you looking for...', I laughed and said 'Yes.' He pointed me to a small beach where John and what was left of his ego was perched. It wasn't our day for the water.

We sure did have fun though I'm spending a lot of time making it up to dear Bobbi, who enchanted us all by showing us the large purple bruise forming on her butt. Even Mom was amazed at the multitudes of colors, swirls, and bumps.

Here's a few pictures from our journey so far. Niece Monya proved to the be the best guest ever by bringing all kinds of stuff with her - lox, bagels, cream cheese, popcorn, steaks, etc etc. She came down with a really delightful friend of hers (Laura) who was also a load of fun. Mike, Bea, Josh, and Becky are here from Arizona and Mom's really enjoying having them with her. Ron and Linda, and friend Sharyn who came up from NC round out the troups. Linda has also been amazing with putting together dinners and all types of delicious foods as I sit on my ass (just the way a vacation should be). Kimmie is visiting sometime this week so we're surrounded by love, laughter and friends. A great vacation and it's only day 2...

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.

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.

Namaste woes.

Uh oh; we've suffered our first blow on Namaste II when the mast came down during the latest storm. Contacting the manufacture as it never should have happened. The boat is a powersailer so the mast is 'removable' but a crucial cable frayed which, in just a year, is not good wear.

John, however, and the boat made the front page of the Washington Post Metro section today - a sad 15 minutes of fame....

I guess I'm not a 'new mother' anymore...

When Mom first came to live with me after Dad died, I panicked at any little thing that she reported as unusual. 'Your elbow hurts? Let me call the doctor.' 'Your knee. Doctor' 'Cardiologist app't today Mom. Yes, I know you feel fine but let's GO.' 'Of course we're going to the doctor - you just sneezed!'

So, she's been nursing an earache for the last 4 days and, since it was dragging on, I did make her go to the Dr yesterday. Nothing really unusual going on except a little fluid and probably a slight sinus infection. She got a very light antibiotic which was fine. The 'sweet oil' I've been heating in the microwave and shoving in her ear with a piece of cotton gauze (left over from Killian's sore foot - no cottonballs in the house....) seems to have actually helped.

Anyway, today, we both ended up in the livingroom at 4 am after having cups of coffee with John. She fell asleep in her chair, I'm on the sofa with a sore back (yes, I'm also aging...). She got up at 7 and walked to the bathroom. On the way back, she looked at me and told me her chest hurts. Now, in days of yore, I would have immediately hit the 'I've fallen and can't get up button', run around securing the dogs while simultaneously dressing myself and packing a hospital bag for her, all while waiting for the ambulance to deliver my precious charge to the local hospital and trained medical personnel. Today though, I looked at her and said 'Well, you're ok. You were sleeping crooked.' I propped her up with fresh pillows, straightened her butterfly clip in her hair (this is our version of 'dressing' her), and covered her and Matee with her blankee. 15 minutes later, I was proven correct. Chest pain is gone. I've survived 2 years of being a new mother. I guess I've graduated. Good thing as my 'baby' will be 93 tomorrow!

Now, I've got a sick cat too. Took poor JB to the vet yesterday as his cough has returned. Since he's got the feline AIDS virus, I'm particularly interested in keeping him healthy so he doesn't roll into full blown AIDS and a much shortened lifespan. The vet drew blood, put him on a twice a day antibiotic (note to self: don't mix up antibiotics!) and did xrays of his chest to see if anything else was going on. The vet and I were shocked and saddened to see a bullet in my cat's chest. The poor thing has been shot sometime in his past, and, the bastard shot him at close range. Luckily, the bullet lodged in soft tissue and didn't implode on a rib or a bone.

Now, this is about the most wonderful cat going (and, this is coming from a dog girl). He's totally trusting, loves his family as much as a cat can, accepts the dogs (mostly) and is quite the amazing creature. How he's managed to survive not only being homeless 5 years but being shot and, God knows what else, is beyond me. Even if he does roll into AIDS, something tells me this cat is a survivor. We'll do what we need to do to ensure his continued health and safety.










John and I spent Saturday on the boat in a pouring rainstorm which was fantastic. Loved it. We had Matee and Rita with us so took a rather damp walk over to Chesapeake Beach on a great boardwalk with the ladies, where Matee found a new best friend, a fox terrier with a tennis ball obsession!

Sunday, we powered over to Tilghman's Island which appears to be our normal path for brunch and then headed back. Gorgeous day on the bay although it was a bit rocky in the mid part. Still, any time on the bay is wondrous.