Winter Blahs

Well this is the last shot from the sailing season. I remember being tired of it after a few mechanical failures. I'm so ready to saill again.

Working this weekend with temps in the -20s w/o windchill was just too much. I'm really starting to wonder if the Global Warming folks are full of s**t, cause this seems like a good old fasioned winter.

Michael and I shoveled the lastest batch of snow. The mound along the side of the driveway is as tall as I am. Michael took the wheels off an old skateboard, and has been dooing his own version of snowboarding. It looks like fun, but there have been a couple of interesting splats on the frozen blacktop.

The Lake DuBay group is getting geared up for the butterfly nationals which we shall host in June. It's pretty exciting to host this event especially on our lake. Jun is a great time for racing, so hopefully it will be a great event. We are starting to get some younger members. Sailing is kinda a tough sport to get into. It seem folks don't want to take the time to learn. Our new members are great, and willing to learn. Michael really got into the butterfly this summer, and is looking forward to trying some club racing.

Val, who bought the thulin's FJ is going to buy a sail sewing machine. She might be willing to sew a spinnaker for JAM. It will add a new dimension to the boat, but I'm really looking forward to it.

Other than working a lot, not much else is new. Take Care.

Mowing in the Snow

Summer just went too fast. Since August life has been pretty busy. It was a great year of sailing. I think the highlight was having a fleet of Buccaneers for the Governor's Cup. Michael and I finally got the Butterfly in the water, and he had a great time. After a bit he really got into sailing the boat. Racing next year should be a good tuning tool for him.

Fall was busy with home projects and work. Kinda a same old same old type of thing. Although there has been a growing stress under the surface, especially at work. I suppose we are at the 6 month point for phase II of PTSD to set in.

Today I realized I had gone nuts. I finished up the leaves in the yard, and the Lawn Service came to the door wondering when the leaves will be done as they have 2 more treatments scheduled. I thought how funny. It's the middle of November, X-Mas commercials are ll over the TV, and they want to do 2 more yard treatments. Hmmm. Seems like since everything has been frozen 3 times that it might be best to do them in the Spring.

Anyway, (Blogging is nice, as ya don't have to follow the English teacher's rules.) So the leaves were packed in the truck for a ride to the compost heap, and I got the mower out for one last shave. As I started mowing, it starting snowing. How crazy was that, I was going to quit, and the longer I mowed the harder it snowed. Kinda stupid I know, but it's kinda how life has been going.

Take Care until next time.

July 17, 2007

Amazing how gast summer starts to fly once you get going. The babies grew up and moved out in a couple of days, and i was able to get my garage door opener back.

This has been a great year for sailing. We have not been able to do many races for either too much wind, or not enough. Saturday the 14th we had quite the blow. Called off the races with gusts reaching 30 mph. Combine crews, and ended up sending out 4 boats. It was a complete rush. We didn't dump J.A.M., but got close a couple of times. Centerboard trunk started to pull away a bit, so that will be a quick repair.

We gots babies

We gots babies. This Spring a morning dove had decided to nest on top of my garage door opener motor. I had tried to help her understand while she was building, that this was a bad idea. It's an older opener and the chain and main gear are also on top. Push the garage door button, and you have a pi**ed off morning dove and scrambled eggs.

Well the eggs have hatched, aand are doing the looking cute and stupid nest thing right now. Momma is a bit protective which is fine. She had come and tapped on the basement window yeaterday, which was kinda weird. Momma was named Babe, as we would always say..."It's OK Babes" when entering the garage. I don't know if these birds have more than one litter,....what do you call bird litters?, a year, but when the babies fly, the nest is gone.

It is finally sunny here, and lloks to be a great day!
Dave

Flounder

Well screw the nap, somewhere came the motivation to get the top 10 things done on my to do list. The garbage man is gonna hate me tommorow.

Got J.A.M. out on the water this afternoon. Faired the rudder blade, and it left hardly a ripple. Found a tear in the top batten that will need to be fixed B4 the weekend. Michael did a great job at crew, and we made a few good tacks B4 the wind died. Took about 45 minutes to come back in.

It was fun, and much needed.

Here is a shot of the dream boat. Some day.........

Week off

It has been way too busy at work, or at least it seems so. Our competition is starting a flight program in the area starting tomorrow. It's interesting to hear how some people think it's the end of it for us, and others don't think it means a thing. Time will tell.

I think the boat is about as ready as she can be. It was a ton of work, but everything came together nicely. Plan on a shake down cruise this afternoon if the weather holds. It will just be nice to get out on the water again. A couple sailing events this weekend, and then back to the grind.

I installed a brick sidewalk in front of the house this week. It was a ton of work, but looked great when it was done. There is just something good about taking something and working it until it is right. Being outside, and making it all come together was a blast. There is something to be said for good old fashioned manual labor..........in moderation.

Kind of in a boring mood today, have a bunch of little projects, but am really thinking about a nap. House needs to be cleaned, but I'm in a serious A.D.D. mood, and would probably end up where I started this afternoon with little done...

Nap, that's the ticket......I need a life!
Dave

Apple Pie

Apple Pie got a bad wrap in American Pie. Tonight, I baked the one that was sitting in the freezer all Fall. According to the label, it was going to blow up, or turn to dust, or possibly evolve into some other type of freezer beast. So tonight it was baked. My son and I made baked Cod with a lot of the trimmings.

This eveing about 9:30, I warmed up a chunk, and mixed it with vanilla ice cream. That really has got to be one of the top 10 tastes in life. There is just nothing better. I mowed through the bowl, Rex the dog helped clean the bowls, he is still napping. It was just a good way to cap a kinda crummy week.

Well I think the boat is ready to go out to the lake. Jib cars are in, new boom came, and is rigged, centerboard, is back in and secure, lines are clean and dry, hull is as shiney as 30 year gel coat can get, sub deck is re-enforced, which should hopefully hold, stay bases rebuilt. Damn, it has been a busy couple of weeks.

I'm just looking forward to getting on the water....I'm keeping my fingers crossed that everything holds together. I wish I had a heated barn...it would be nice to be able to work on the old girl in the winter, it would save this Spring rush.

Well almost a month without a smoke. Sure makes apple pie, and ice cream taste better!!!

Good night