Day 26, Year 11: Another Trip to Boston
Date: Tuesday, November 17, 2015
Weather: Mostly Sunny but Cooler, High in the 40’s F
Location: At Home with the Goldstones (-Jed), East Falmouth, MA

Today we made another trip to Boston. We took Jed to Logan for his flight to San Juan and then we drove to Cambridge to do a little more computer shopping. We had lunch at Whole Foods and then went to Mass General for Mark’s urology appointment. We had to wait longer than expected which had us leaving town with rush hour traffic, so that took longer than expected as well. Our next stop was the Best Buy we visited yesterday to buy a computer we saw there. They had an Asus that was the right size annd had all the right ‘stuff’–it just didn’t have the right price, but after looking, it seemed the best we could do. This particular computer had been returned so we were getting it at a refurbished price. Tonight they brought it out in a fancy box and I suggested we open it to take a look. Since we had seen it yesterday Mark didn’t think that necessary, so off we went with our new purchase. Long story short, we opened the box when we got home and it is not the right computer. Guess checking the box would have been a good idea after all. Since we are going back to Boston tomorrow, we will try again, but I’m beginning to think the gods are conspiring against me.

Tomorrow’s trip to Boston is to meet with Mark’s oncologists to find out the results of yesterday’s scan. I really hope to have good news to report to you tomorrow night. Then on Thursday we all head to Puerto Rico. The weather has been really lovely since we arrived here, but tonight it feels a little nippy. It is making me realize just how much we will enjoy life on a tropical island for a couple of weeks.

Day 25, Year 11: Computer is Dead
Date: Monday, November 16, 2015
Weather: Mostly Sunny, High Temp in the low-60’s
Location: At Home with the Goldstones, East Falmouth, MA

We got fhe official proclamation this morning that my computer is dead. The computer repair shop here says both my hard drive and mother board are gone. Evidently putting my computer in the back of a pick-up truck to get it to the airport on Friday the 13th made that the most expensive airport run I hope to ever make. We spent as much time today çomputer shopping as we could and the result was discouraging. Replacing what I had is not going to be cheap and we really don’t have the money nor the time to research the best choices. So I’m probably going to be without a computer for the next few weeks. It actually depresses me to even think about it, but there’s not much I can do about it right now. I guess I’ll learn to deal.

We drove to Boston today for Mark’s scan. We won’t have the results until Wednesday, so hope with us for the best. Tomorow he goes back to Boston to see his urologist and then on Wednesday we return to meet with his oncologists to get the scan results. We are certainly looking forward to Thursday when we fly to Puerto Rico and leave the medical appointments behind for a couple of weeks.

Day 24, Year 11: Getting Ready for the Trip to Puerto Rico
Date: Sunday, November 15, 2015
Weather: Mostly Sunny, High Temp in the mid-50’s
Location: At Home with the Goldstones, East Falmouth, MA

Today was mostly spent getting ready for our upcoming trip to Puerto Rico. We fly out on Thursday, but since we have to drive to Boston each day this week, we figured we should take advantage of Sunday to get packed. We had taken most of our summer clothes off Windbird before leaving here and put them in our storage unit. So first thing this morning we headed to the unit to retrieve our clothes. We also took an inflatable surfboard bag that Justin had sent here. He has a surfboard in our storage unit that he really wants us to bring with us. The surfboard fit in the bag just fine, so we will be taking that plus our snorkel gear plus clothes for two weeks–lots of stuff. After our storage unit adventure, we drove to Hyannis. Heather and Ollie went with us. Mark and Heather wanted to take their tablets in for repair, but what we leaned is that it is jusr cheaper to replace the tablets. For Mark this is his older, smaller tablet that he really hasn’t used much since he bought a 10-inch tablet that we use for navigation purposes. He uses it for everything, but finds the smaller 7-inch tablet much nicer for reading books. ReplacWng that is low on the priority list right now since we might have to buy a new computer. We made a stop at Trader Joe’s and JoAnn Fabrics and then returned home.

We then spent a good deal of time trying to get these logs to post properly. Without my computer we didn’t have the updated password to get me into the website to post the logs directly and when I tried to send them via email, the body of the email didn’t show up. So frustrating. But this afternoon we were able to reset the password and hopefully I can continue to send logs using the tablet. I can’t post photos, however, so I hope to get the computer fixed or buy a new one before we leave for Puerto Rico. But at least for now I do think the logs are posting properly.

Day 23, Year 11: Back Home with the Goldpebbles
Date: Saturday, November 14, 2015
Weather: Sunny and Warmer Than Expected
Location: At Home with the Goldstones, East Flmouh, MA

After visiting with Sue and John Reed his morning, we took the 12 noon bus to the Cape. Heather, Jed, and the boys met us at the bus station in Falmouth with our car. After wonderful hugs and kisses all around, Mark and I took Ollie and went to the computer repair shop. Unfortunately they can’t even look at the computer until Monday, so I’m still struggling along with Mark’s tablet. Logs will be short and sweet until I have a computer once again.

We spent our afternoon and evening playing with the boys. I know we’ve only been gone three weeks but we sure miss the Goldpebbles when we are not here. After they went to bed we watched the Democratic debate and then called it a night.

Day 22, Year 11: From Little River to Boston
Date: Friday, November 13, 2015
Weather: Sunny and a Bit Cooler, High in the Low 70’s
Location: At Home with Sue and John Reed, Cambridge, MA

Our Friday the 13th started out great but it didn’t end on a very happy note. We started the day by returning our borrowed transportation to my nephew’s son Ryan. He lives with his grandparents, Bob Ginny Stout, so we had a nice visit with them and all of us went out to lunch at Pizzeli’s. Ryan then took us home and visited for a bit on Windbird. Mark spent his afternoon getting the boat ready to leave. Shutting the thru – hull valves was the biggest job, and I cleaned out the refrigerator and gave the food to dock neighbors, Beth and Bob Swaub. In the late afternoon Brian and Judy Thompson, friends from Charlotte, came to visit. We went out to dinner and then they took us to the airport. So far, so good. The flight to Boston was quick and easy and we got a cab to our destination in Cambridge. Everything had gone smoothly. But then I opened my computer to turn it on to write this log. Nothing. I tried again. Nothing. We made sure it had power and Mark tried to get it going. Still nothing. I was frustrated beyond my limits. I am really lost without my computer. It is not even two years old and should not be having this problem. For the first time ever, Mark didn’t bring his computer, so I have no back-up. And the timing couldn’t be worse. When we get to Falmouth tomorrow we’ll take it into the shop and hope that they can fix the problem. More about this tomorrow.

Day 21, Year 11: Getting Ready to Fly Home
Date: Thursday, November 12, 2015
Weather: Another Gorgeous Day, High Near 80 F
Location: Lightkeepers Marina, Little River, SC

Today was all about checking things off the list of things we MUST-DO before flying home tomorrow night. We packed our bag and found that we needed more space. So I went to the Post Office and got a large Priority Box. It was barely big enough to take the extra things, but we made it fit. We’ll mail that in the morning. Then we added something to the list—clean the canvas on the ceiling of the cockpit. When we left Cape Cod there were a few tiny spots of mildew on the Sunbrella, but they seem to have exploded since we arrived here. I had hope to do this job when we return after Christmas, but today we looked again and were afraid the spots would never come off if we waited. Cleaning the Sunbrella with a Clorox, water, and New Dawn mixture is a nasty job because you are working over your head with the mixture dripping on your head and face constantly. Thankfully that’s done. While I did this, Mark finished off the stainless. And then I washed down the bottom of the dinghy and the deck. The dinghy sits upside down on the deck when we are in port and while we are traveling. Before leaving Cape Cod, we put it on deck and it was growing lots of goodies as it had been in the water most of the summer. It has basically been sitting upside down on the deck for the past three weeks and the growth has dried out. Yesterday we noticed bits and pieces were blowing off and onto the deck. So I scrubbed the bottom of the dinghy and then washed the bits off the deck. The last job was to wrap the headsail and staysail with their own sheets (lines) as we would if a hurricane threatened. It is doubtful that we will get a big blow here in the next six weeks while we are gone, but we wrapped the sails just in case. I’ve spent my evening doing back-ups of the photos and videos taken in the past seven months. I try to do this every four months, but better late than never. So I think we are just about ready to go. We have a few odds and ends left to do tomorrow, but nothing major. We have friends coming to visit from out of town late tomorrow afternoon. We’ll go out to dinner with them and they will take us to the airport. We’ll arrive in Boston after midnight, take a cab to Sue and John Reed’s in Cambridge, and spend the night there. On Saturday we’ll take the bus to Falmouth and be home in time for dinner. Lookout Goldpebbles, here we come!

Day 20, Year 11: Up the Mast, Double That
Date: Wednesday, November 11, 2015
Weather: Gorgeous Day, High in the 70’s
Location: Lightkeepers Marina, Little River, SC

Mark went up the mast today. Well, actually he went up two different masts. First he went up Sea Turtle’s mast to replace a light bulb for Lee and then he went up Windbird’s mast to see why the new lightbulb James installed in Cape May wasn’t working. It was a loose connection and easy to fix, so now both boats have working bow lights. I worked on photos while waiting for the heavy dew to dry. One thing led to another and it was afternoon before I got out on deck to polish stainless. I worked until almost 5 pm, but I’m still not done. Hopefully that job will be completed tomorrow.

Tonight we went out to dinner with Lee and Lynda Kaufman. We went to Asian Fusion near where they used to live in Longs. It is not far from here and they have really good sushi. Lynda and Lee don’t eat sushi, but they enjoyed their meals as well. We then all came back to Windbird for dessert and a special showing of photos from Lee and Lynda’s trip out west this fall. We traveled through the Bad Lands of South Dakota, Yellowstone and The Grand Tetons in Wyoming, Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon in Utah, Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado, and ended up at a hot air balloon festival in Albuquerque, New Mexico. What a fantastic trip. I have never been to Zion National Park and now that is on my list. Such dramatic scenery.
http://

151111 Day 20 Little River, SC–Up the Mast and Out to Dinner

Day 19, Year 11: Boat Cleaning and the Debate
Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2015
Weather: Mostly Sunny, Warm and Windy
Location: Lightkeepers Marina, Little River, SC

The title of this log might be a bit confusing. There is no debate over boat cleaning. It’s a fact of life. What we did today was to watch the Republican debate this evening AFTER doing boat cleaning chores earlier in the day. I spent a good deal of time editing and naming photos this morning and Mark spent most of his morning dealing with our boat insurance. We got an email ‘reminding’ us that our insurance has been cancelled. Yikes! It was the first we had heard of this. We had our bank send the check about a month ago, but Mark last week when Mark checked our online checking account he noticed that the check had not been cashed. He has called the insurance office numerous times about this, but every time he got only an answering machine. He called and left messages but got no phone call back. But today when he called, he got a real person and after a little digging it appears the check was sent to an old address and was not forwarded. They also could not find the application we sent via email although we had the email in our sent box. So he resent it and had the bank send a new check. All is well, but it took a lot of time.

Mark and I worked together to vacuum pack some food that we will be leaving on the boat and then I cleaned the oven and stove top. It was beautiful and sunny out, so I then turned to polishing more stainless on deck so I could enjoy the afternoon outside. Mark felt guilty, so he joined in the fun. We are a little more than half way done with that job. Hopefully it will be completed tomorrow. Just as we were beginning to fix dinner, Mark got a call from Lee Kaufman inviting us over to their house to watch the Republican debate. So we ended our day at the Kaufman’s enjoying the ‘show.’

Day 18, Year 11: Family History
Date: Monday, November 9, 2015
Weather: Rain All Day, High in the 60’s F
Location: Lightkeepers Marina, Little River, SC

According to Wikipedia, “Genealogy (from Greek: ????? genea, “generation”; and ????? logos, “knowledge”), also known as family history, is the study of families and the tracing of their lineages and history.” I love this stuff, but I never seem to have the time to devote to it . . . to really dig into it. In the early 1980’s, I did three interviews with my mother. And more recently I did a short interview with my sister Patsy and with my Aunt Ethel who just turned 100. But those interviews just begin to scratch the surface. They pose more questions than answers, so I took advantage of this rainy day to read over those interviews and start the list of questions. If I were a cat and had nine lives, I would most certainly devote one of them to recording the family history. But I have only one life and will just have to look for more rainy days to devote a little time to the search.

Mark got up before me this morning and had all of the bedding from our overnight family guests washed and dried by the time I had breakfast ready. He installed new drink holders in the cockpit and then read his day away. I did my genealogy work. The rain stopped in the late afternoon and we went for a walk. Quiet day in Lightkeepers Marina.

Day 17, Year 11: Rainy and Cool
Date: Sunday, November 8, 2015
Weather: Rain All Day, High in the 60’s F
Location: Lightkeepers Marina, Little River, SC

Last night it started sprinkling around 10:30 pm and by midnight it was pouring. But that didn’t keep Mark, my niece Jennifer, my nephew Tommy, and me from sitting in the cockpit and talking the night away. As the bewitching hour of midnight approached Mark went to bed, but not before encouraging Tommy to call Marilou and tell her he would spend the night on Windbird. It was just too nasty to think about going outside. So Tommy did decide to stay and he, Jennifer, and I continued talking until almost 3 am. When we did go to bed, I told Tommy and Jennifer that they were not allowed to get up until 10 am, but Mark was up early and by 8:30 am we were all up and about. And by this time, Mark had walked to the McDonald’s at the head of the harbor and brought back much needed coffee for everyone. He doesn’t drink coffee, so it was especially nice of him to think of us. Tommy talked to Marilou and she related that Bob and Ginny wanted all of us to come there for breakfast. They live only a mile or so from here, so it didn’t take us long to get there. We had a wonderful breakfast and had lots of time to just sit and talk. It was almost 1 pm by the time we all got motivated to travel on. Tommy and Marilou were driving back to Charlotte and Jennifer was driving back to Wilmington to spend the day with her son Jacob and daughter Jessica. And Mark and I drove away as well. Tommy and Marilou insisted that we take their old Suburban that Ryan is using. He is living with Bob and Ginny right now and they have two cars in addition to the Suburban, so we took them up on their offer. It will be nice to have a way to get to the store this week. In fact, before we returned to Lightkeepers, we made the mandatory trip to West Marine to pick up a couple of items and stopped at the grocery store to get laundry detergent. Jennifer took us to the store after dinner last night, but I forgot that one very important item. We spent a quiet afternoon on the boat as it had continued to rain all day and into this evening. We actually have a heater going in the boat tonight. The temperature was in the 80’s yesterday but only in the 60’s today and in the 50’s tonight. It is not really cold, but the quick change and the dampness make it feel colder than it really is. A chance of rain is forecast for the next couple of days, but the daytime highs should be back in the 70’s. We’ll enjoy the warm weather while we have it. We fly back to Boston on Friday night and I’m sure it is not going to be in the 70’s there!