by Judy Handley | Jun 17, 2015 | Cape Cod, Sailing Logs Year 10 |
Day 250, Year 10: MGH America’s Cup Experience
Date: Wednesday, June 17, 2015
Weather: Perfect Sailing Day with Wind 12-15, Temp in the 70’s F
Location: Quissett Harbor, Falmouth, MA
The event we were invited to attend today was called the Massachusetts General Hospital America’s Cup Experience. And what a wonderful experience it was. Mark’s oncologist, Dr. Eunice Kwak, somehow managed to get us invited. At first we were hesitant to accept as it looked quite expensive. The cost of securing a place on the Mariner III observation boat was $1,000 per person and if we wanted to sponsor an America’s Cup Charter yacht it would only cost us $25,000! This was a fund raiser after all. But we were promised it would cost nothing for us to attend, so we accepted. It was never clear whether or not we would be on the Mariner III observation boat or on one of the America’s Cup boats, but when we arrived we were handed Mariner III caps, so that settled that issue. Everyone attending was also given a big, beautiful zippered gear bag with a Henri Lloyd foul weather coat and a sweatshirt blanket inside, all with the MGH America’s Cup Experience logo. Wow! And from there things just got better and better. The location of the event was the New York Yacht Club in Newport. It looks like a magnificent stone castle and we were treated like royalty. The luncheon tables were set on the lawn and on the large covered porch with white table cloths that blew gently in the wind. Fresh flowers adorned the tables and the buffet luncheon spread looked too good to eat. Unfortunately, photos are not allowed inside the Yacht Club, so I have no pictures of the food. But trust me. It was gorgeous and it tasted as good as it looked. There was a bar on the lawn and you could have anything to drink that your little heart might desire, just for the asking. After lunch we walked down to the water where there was a cookie bar waiting for us and then we loaded the boats. The sponsors, with their crews, of each of the six America’s Cup boats were delivered via launch to their boats and then the Mariner III pulled up to the dock so we could board. This classic yacht was built in 1926 and she has been beautifully maintained. There were spreads of food that looked like art work on all levels of the boat and you were served anything you requested to drink. We met Meagan Coons, the associate director in the MGH Development Office that sent us our invitation, and talked with her at length. Once we were out on the water, the races began. There were six America’s Cup yachts, all from the Twelve Meter Class (1958 to 1987). Three of the most famous of these boats, Intrepid, Columbia, and Weatherly, were racing today, as well as American Eagle, Heritage, and Nefertiti. Intrepid won the America’s Cup in 1967 and in 1970, and she was the overall winner today, followed by Weatherly and Columbia who tied for second place. The wind was perfect for sailing and the blue sky had the most incredible cloud formations. It was all just picture perfect. After the races ended, all of the boats toured the Newport waterfront while we were served warm chocolate chip cookies. Yum!!! Once back on the dock, a bar materialized to serve everyone Dark and Stormys to drink while walking back up the hill to the Yacht Club. After a few minutes, we were directed to go to the Carriage House to dress for cocktails and dinner. Cocktails were served on the lawn with all the shrimp, clams, oysters, and clam chowder you could eat. There was a short presentation about the role of this ‘experience’ in terms of fund raising for Mass General and a new MGH Sports Medicine initiative was announced. Then it was inside for a lobster dinner. The whole day was fabulous. Thank you, MGH, for including us in this experience.
Note: I took so many photos and videos that I filled my memory card. I don’t think I have every done this before. But, as I said, it was a picture perfect event. Obviously, I won’t be posting all of these, but I will post many of them in the next few days. Tonight I will post just a few of the best to give you some idea of what the day was like.
by Judy Handley | Jun 16, 2015 | Cape Cod, Sailing Logs Year 10 |
Day 249, Year 10: Preparing for the Newport Event
Date: Tuesday, June 16, 2015
Weather: Mostly Cloudy, Temp in the 70’s F and Humid
Location: Quissett Harbor, Falmouth, MA
We spent part of today scrambling around trying to find a way to make ourselves presentable for tomorrow’s trip to Newport. Our wardrobe just doesn’t fit the New York Yacht Club dress code, but we had to put something together to wear to a luncheon and out on the water, and then for a cocktail party and dinner. I think we have it, so we’ll be off in the morning and see what the day brings.
This evening we took care of Sam, Jonah, and Ollie while Heather went to an end-of-the-year dinner for East Falmouth Elementary School volunteers. Sam and Jonah’s school was also sponsoring a spirit night at the Cape Cod Baseball League Falmouth Commodores game. So Mark and I took the boys there and had a great evening watching a baseball game and eating popcorn. And it was warm. So summer must really be on the way.
by Judy Handley | Jun 15, 2015 | Cape Cod, Sailing Logs Year 10 |
Day 248, Year 10: Grandkids Entertain
Date: Monday, June 15, 2015
Weather: Overcast with Rain All Day, Temp in the 50’s F
Location: Quissett Harbor, Falmouth, MA
I was so tired by the time I wrote last night’s log that I totally forgot to mention last night’s after dinner entertainment. And it is just too good not to mention. Sam, Jonah, and Oliver were having watermelon for dessert and Jonah had talked me into cutting the end off the wedge of watermelon for him. Then, of course, Sam had to have the other end. These end pieces looked like giant three-dimensional triangles—not easy to eat. So Jonah just dove in and had watermelon juice all over his face dripping everywhere. This was just messy and not particularly entertaining, but then it was the analogy he made that was so funny. With the red juice dripping from his mouth he said he was a baby cheetah eating a gazelle his momma had brought to him. My first thought was how disgusting, but the imagination it took to come up with this analogy was the entertaining part. Ollie then wanted to get in on the action, but he is just too neat when he eats. And actually Jonah is usually a careful eater. It is Sam who we might nickname ‘pigpen’ as his place at the table is always a complete mess after a meal. But last night, our little cheetah won the messy award.
Tonight’s after dinner entertainment was provided by two drummers and a horn player. Sam grabbed a plastic bin from the playroom and Jonah drummed on the bottom of two cooking pots. Ollie played a plastic build-it-yourself horn and the resulting music sounded very much like the gamelan music of Indonesia. Their music provided a sunny ending to an otherwise dreary, cold, rainy day. The rain started early this morning and at 6:30 am Sam got up and went into the cockpit to close the open panels in the enclosure. The rest of us joined him around 7 am, had breakfast, and then had to get ourselves into the dinghy and to shore without getting soaked. The boys all had to go to school and Heather had to go to work, so we dug out all of the rain gear we could find and headed in. Sam wore Mark’s rain jacket, Jonah wore mine, Mark wore his foul-weather gear, and Heather and wore plastic ponchos we bought in Indonesia. After we got on all the rain gear, the rain actually halted just long enough to let us get to shore. Lucky us.
by Judy Handley | Jun 14, 2015 | Cape Cod, Sailing Logs Year 10 |
Day 247, Year 10: Sunday Miscellaneous
Date: Sunday, June 14, 2015
Weather: Partly Sunny and Warm, High near 80 degrees F
Location: Quissett Harbor, Falmouth, MA
Mark had to be at work at West Marine at 10 am, so I drove him in and spent my day in town. I first went ‘shopping’ in our storage unit looking for clothes to wear to a cocktail party and dinner at the New York Yacht Club in Newport on Wednesday. I have mentioned before that we have been invited by Mass General Hospital to participate in an afternoon and evening of fun in Newport. Sailing on one of the 60 to 70 foot 12 Metre Class America’s Cup sloops will definitely be the highlight of the day, but part of the ‘fun’ after the boating event includes getting dressed up for an evening cocktail party and dinner. The Yacht Club dress code is stretching our fashion limit, but I think I found something that we can wear. I then went to Heather and Jed’s to do some garden work. They were off having fun at a Scouting event and when they returned mid-afternoon, Jed took off for New York City where he will attend another conference. I did a little more garden work and then spent some time trying to herd kids while Heather did some work. Sam, Jonah, Ollie, and I left about 4:20 pm and headed to the grocery store and then to pick-up Granddad. We had invited Heather and boys out for dinner and to spend the night tonight, but I needed to pick up the things for dinner. Heather met us at the boat yard and we all headed out to Windbird. Heather and Sam went out in the kayak while I got dinner ready. And then she went out with Ollie and Jonah. It was a fun evening. Sure hope the boys sleep soundly tonight so Heather can get some sleep. Sleep or no sleep, we will all be up early and out of here to deliver kids to school before 9 am. Then another day begins.
by Judy Handley | Jun 13, 2015 | Cape Cod, Sailing Logs Year 10 |
Day 246, Year 10: Day Trip to Nantucket
Date: Saturday, June 13, 2015
Weather: Partly Sunny and Windy
Location: Quissett Harbor, Falmouth, MA
What a great day! We left early this morning for our day trip to Nantucket via fast ferry. We drove to Heather and Jed’s and then went with them to Hyannis where we caught the 9:10 am ferry. The main purpose of the trip was to go to Sam’s soccer game. Jed is one of the coaches on the team and one of Sam’s best friend’s dad, Tim, is the other. When we got to Hyannis, the boys on the team were gathering and it was quite obvious how excited they were to be going to Nantucket to play a game. It is about 30 miles from Hyannis to Nantucket Harbor and it takes about an hour on the fast ferry. The temperature in Nantucket was 86 degrees F yesterday and only 68 degrees today. But the sun was shining and it felt warm when we arrived. Parents of the Nantucket team met us at the ferry terminal and drove us to the playing field. Our team lost, but they played hard and had a great time. On arrival we found out that the Nantucket team practices two times a week versus the Falmouth one time. And the Nantucket kids were tall. They grow them big out on that island! After the game, we were driven back to the center of town where we had lunch and started our afternoon explore. There really wasn’t enough time before the return ferry to do justice to a whaling museum visit, so we decided to go to the park by Children’s Beach and just let the boys run and play. We had the mandatory ice cream before boarding the return ferry and with a 4:35 pm return time, we had plenty of room on the ferry to sit back and relax. The boys were basically fried by the time we got back to Hyannis, so instead of dinner out, Heather ordered Thai food that we picked up on the way home. I always enjoy visits to Nantucket and they are always too short. This was no exception.
by Judy Handley | Jun 12, 2015 | Cape Cod, Sailing Logs Year 10 |
Day 245, Year 10: Movin’on Up
Date: Friday, June 12, 2015
Weather: Partly Cloudy Day, Foggy Evening
Location: Quissett Harbor, Falmouth, MA
The highlight of today was Ollie’s end-of-the-year celebration at the Woods Hole Day Care Cooperative. He’s movin’on up. There are two classes at the preschool, the Lambies and the Swimmies. Ollie was a Lamby this year and will be a Swimmy next year. But being part of the program was not something Ollie was interested in participating in. For days he has told us that there really was not going to be any presentation and that they weren’t practicing any songs to sing. We knew that was not the case, but he did forewarn us that this was just not his thing. Ollie can be very shy around people he doesn’t know, so when it was his turn to go up and get his certificate, he went up with momma and wouldn’t look out at the crowd of people. But as soon as the program was over, he ran over to Mark and me to proudly display his certificate. He has two more years at the Day Care, so he still has plenty of time to perform. After the program there was a very nice pot luck dinner. Ollie and Jonah sat with us to eat and then all three boys were off playing with friends. When the fog started rolling into Woods Hole, we left the party and headed home. Tomorrow morning is an early one, so we wanted to get home to rest up. We leave here just after 7 am headed to Hyannis to catch a 9 am ferry to Nantucket. Sam has a soccer game there, so we are all going to the game and will then spend the rest of the day enjoying the island.
