Its Friday, and the work week has ended. This weekend is packed full of fun plans and projects. Tomorrow we plan on heading to our sailing home at Lake Rathbun and spending the weekend with two other couples in a cabin. Everyone is bringing fire wood and food, and the weather looks like it is perfect for a campfire.

We woke early in the morning stocked full of firewood, groceries, and a shopping list for early spring boat parts that will have to be installed on the boat before our s/v can splash in mid-April. We made the familiar trip from our home down back highways to the lake laughing at our favorite sign that points out that, "sex is not sex if it's forced, its rape....DONT BE THAT GUY!" The "don't be that guy" always makes Amy laugh. We arrive at PT storage to purchase our list of boat parts (new bilge blower, ignition switch, marine wire, and bottom paint) as well as our neighbor Karl's request for bottom paint for his boat. Seeing Howe is a sure sign that spring has sprung. I told him that, "I don't know whether I should hug him, or just pay him money." He assures me that money will be fine. Did I mention, "I HATE WINTER!" We than go by the marina where our boat will be in slip for the sailing season, and pay off our slip fee. We got a great opportunity to see some of the other members of the Rathbun Yacht Club, and had lunch at Louie's Bistro. Then it's on to the cabin to meet our friends . We all had a good time playing trivia games centered around the 1980's, a game that I would like to point out that I was at a great disadvantage due to the fact that I am the youngest by 6 years. The 80's were over when I was 10 years old.

The next morning we had breakfast with the group and then headed home. We made a couple of stops. Our first was to see my Grandfathers burial site and make sure it was clean, the second was for varnish for the bright work (Amy's job with my assistance). We arrived home and started boat projects. The ignition is in and working like a charm. The Blower installation was no problem. I then hooked up the batteries and turned over the engine and it fired right up (I shut it off quickly to prevent burning out the motor), but I started to see smoke coming from behind the battery selector switch. I quickly disconnected the batteries and decided that I should go ask Karl what he thought. I explained the way my batteries where hooked up. Battery one- Positive post to selector switch with negative connected to the positive post of battery two. "That's the problem!" He informed me that the negative should be connected to the negative. He informed me that I was pumping 24 volts to the selector switch instead of the normal 12 volts causing the system to overload and arch. Will not make that mistake again.

The next day will be the warmest of the year (83 degrees) and you can find me on the boat fixing my batteries, and cleaning out my engine compartment and seating my automatic bilge pump in a better location. A week from today we will be flying back to Texas for our next two sailing classes. The first will find us sailing from Kemah into the Gulf of Mexico to Galveston, TX. On what boat you may ask? Well we found out we will be sailing on a 25 ft. O'day (The same boat we own!!) Check back to see how we do.