11/18/2011, OKC
Yes we're still in OKC...don't know if we will ever make it back to La Paz...at least it feels that way. Susan and I went to Kansas this past weekend for some pheasant hunting. The hunting was great...the shooting...not so great. With the drought and early season storms the number of birds were very low. We saw a lot of hens but not very many roosters. Oh well there's always next year.
Looks like it will be this time next year before we continue our little adventure. I'm telling you right now "don't do what we've done, go sailing now!" Looking back on the past 5 years, "what a waste", I didn't accomplish a thing. Yes we've met a lot of new friends and we got to spend time with family but if I had it to do over, things would be different. How many times have our fellow sailors said, "Don't wait, go sailing now?" Man I wish I had heeded that profound statement.
Another thing we didn't take into account were our kids. I know it's hard to believe but we miss them dearly. They're a pain in the@$$ but for some strange reason we still love them. With that said our latest plan is (I know you've heard this before and still written in sand); about this time next year, have the boys join us in Kansas, do a little hunting, head home for a couple of weeks, then spend the rest of the winter in Mexico. In the spring, sail north to the Puget Sound. Starting in March or April taking all summer. We'll find a new home for Valparaiso and spend the following winter in Florida. Again this plan is written in sand or subject to change. Wish us luck...
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Comments [2]
08/19/2011, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
We love Oklahoma! Now this is a state that knows how to live!!
Beautiful sunny days and warm balmy evenings. It is beautiful. We've
finally found our home. We love it here and I thought we should share some excerpts from my journal.
June 14th:
Really heating up. Got to 100 today. Not a problem. Live in an
air-conditioned home, drive an air-conditioned car. What a pleasure to see
the sun everyday like this. I'm turning into a sun worshipper.
June 30th:
Had the backyard landscaped with western plants today. Lots of cactus and
rocks. What a breeze to maintain. No more mowing the lawn for me. Another
scorcher today, but I love it here.
July 10th:
The temperature hasn't been below 100 all week. How do people get used to
this kind of heat? At least, it's kind of windy though. But getting used
to the heat is taking longer than I expected.
July 15th:
Fell asleep by the community pool. Got 3rd degree burns over 60% of my
body. Missed 3 days of work. What a dumb thing to do. I learned my lesson
though. Got to respect the ol' sun in a climate like this.
July 20th:
I missed Sassy (my cat) sneaking into the car when I left this morning.
By the time I got to the hot car at noon Sassy had died and swollen up
to the size of a shopping bag, then popped like a water balloon. The car
now smells like Kibbles and Shits. I learned my lesson though. No more
pets in this heat. Good ol' Mr. Sun strikes again.
July 25th:
The wind sucks. It feels like a giant freaking blow dryer!! And it's hot
as hell. The home air-conditioner is on the fritz and the AC repairman
charged $200 just to drive by and tell me he needed to order parts.
July 30th:
Been sleeping outside on the patio for 3 nights now, expensive house and I
can't even go inside. Sassy is the lucky one. Why did I ever come here?
Aug. 4th:
Its 115 degrees. Finally got the air-conditioner fixed today. It cost $500
and gets the temperature down to 85. I hate this stupid state.
Aug. 8th:
If another wise ass cracks, 'Hot enough for you today?' I'm going to
strangle him. Damn heat. By the time I get to work, the radiator is
boiling over, my clothes are soaking wet, and I smell like baked cat!!
Aug. 9th:
Tried to run some errands after work. Wore shorts, and when I sat on the
seats in the car, I thought my ass was on fire. My skin melted to the
seat. I lost 2 layers of flesh and all the hair on the back of my legs and
ass . . . Now my car smells like burnt hair, fried ass, and baked cat.
Aug 10th:
The weather report might as well be a damn recording. Hot and sunny. Hot
and sunny. Hot and sunny. It's been too hot to do Crap for 2 damn months
and the weatherman says it might really warm up next week. Doesn't it ever
rain in this damn state? Water rationing will be next, so my $1700 worth
of cactus will just dry up and blow over. Even the cactus can't live in
this damn heat.
Aug. 14th:
Welcome to HELL! Temperature got to 115 today. Cactus are dead. Forgot to
crack the window and blew the damn windshield out of the car. The
installer came to fix it and guess what he asked me??? "Hot enough for you
today?" My sister had to spend $1,500 to bail me out of jail.
Freaking Oklahoma. What kind of a sick demented idiot would want to live here??
Will write later to let you know how the trial goes.
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12/28/2010, LaPaz
Feliz Navidad! Susan and I spent Christmas at the Costa Baja Marina & Resort were we met many old and new friends. We met a young couple from Alaska that Susan and I shared a cab to the airport and found out their 5pm flight leaves at 3pm on weekends. It almost ruined there vacation but we worked things out...one more night in "paraiso". On Thursday night we had drinks with a couple from Canada. We had a lot in common and really enjoyed their company. They have a sailboat in charter in the BVI's and traded out this year for a vessel in Mexico. On wednesday morning we happened onto a boaters breakfast for anyone who has a boat, wants a boat or wants to get rid of a boat. I'm not sure what catagory I fall into yet. It was fun and we ran into our surveyor and his wife and Terry and Pat from Portland. I plan on attending until I leave.
Susan finally caught the correct flight on Sunday and made it home safe and sound. The only problem is I'm trying to read all these label-less cans. I'm looking for refried beans. Sounds simple...there's two cans marked rb. It turns out one is Roast Beef the other is Refried Beans. Lifes a bitch in paradise.
The boat is still in the yard but should be done this week. We had all of the blisters repaired, some fiberglass work on the keel, bottom paint and a new ss shaft and all the bearings replaced. This is the best shape the old girl has been in a long time.
I head back to the states in a couple of weeks. It's going to be hard to leave this place...so if you see me walking around kinda lost and staring into space...you'll know what I'm thinking about.
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