I have ABBA cranked up on the stereo and have started doing some heavy duty cleaning inside

so we are spick-and-span for our arrival. And also to keep my mind off of how close but yet

so far that we are. Winds are 18-20 today (perfect!), but with confused seas - so we are

meandering around quite a bit. We can't seem to hold a straight course for Hiva, and hence

we are barely making over 5 knots. Which is putting my goal of a Monday evening landfall in

jeapardy. You'd think by now, after 3000 miles, I would have learned my lesson in patience

and be at one with the ocean. Obviously, I still have one more lesson that the forces of

nature are trying to teach me. Besides, it's not like we have a plane to catch - right?

What's one more day? Well, let me try to explain...

I have been rationing my ginger snaps. I have 4 left in the box. 2 for tonight, and 2 for

tomorrow night. Not sure what I'm going to do if we have to be one more night out. I have been rationing my book (I am reading "The Help" - good book). I have 150 pages to go

so I am nearly finished with it. It's difficult to just stop reading when everything is

coming all together at the end of the book. Not sure I can stretch it to 3 evenings. I have been holding off on washing our sheets so they are fresh for our first night in port.

(Yes - I have washed them in the past couple of weeks - so please don't think they are that

skanky!) But they are getting on the edge again. One more night in those sheets? Ugh. Finally, as much as I wish I could say that I have really grown accustom to our night watch

schedule - I have to admit it is still quite draining for me. Last night was probably one of

my toughest. I was doing all sorts of funky jirations on the fly bridge just trying to keep

myself awake. I'm sure if someone had accidentally come across me in the middle of the night

they would have thought I had lost it completely. Of course the squall that packed 37 knot

winds around 3 o'clock this morning got my attention though! I had a full genoa and 1 reef

in the main when it hit. My fun meter got pegged in the wrong direction. This one even got

John's attention and woke him up - that's saying alot! I am definitely not going to miss the

squally night watches once we are in port.

So that's it in a nut shell. A monday landfall would be wonderful, but if one more night at

sea is in our future - I know we will manage just fine despite all my miss-givings above. I have the most excellent captain on board that is looking out for my well-being and

keeping me safe and sound. Who could ask for more?

Lisa