xx
05/25/2012, xx

Paddy just sent this position report, so.....

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She
05/25/2012, villelongue

well, as the position indicates, the good ship, chez patrick, is steadily inching her way towards Canet Port. Thank goodness the powerful Tramontane has subsided for the moment and le vent Marin is not gusting either, so all bodes well for our sailors. Received a satphone message from Pat this morning, as I woke up and he said that they had, had a very peaceful night with an incredibly beautiful sunrise! He said the sea was very calm and a slight headwind was still slowing them down considerably but that the sails were up and they were sailing as well as using the engines, when the wind angle was problematic. Both boys sound happy and tired. Eager to be on dry land and with their women again!! Tina is very happy as she has a birthday coming up and Gary will be back in time to help her celebrate it in her homeland, Romania. Think it will be a very happy birthday celebration indeed!! Good timing, too. It sounded as though they would stop in Ibiza for their ice cold beers and rest, later this afternoon. Clearly, they are stronger or more motivated than I thought, because it sounded as though they were ready to stop for a rest, two days ago already!!:-)) not so!! Still sailing. I have settled down very well into my single life here in chateau villelongue. Now that most of the creaks are silent at night, I'm managing to sleep well. B is brilliant:-). She calls regularly from Paris, to check that all is well in the land of artichokes!!:-)) speaking of which, I have a huge crate full, from my kind neighbour, waiting to be cleaned, on the kitchen floor. How I wish T was still here. She is an artichoke cleaning goddess. Strips them in no time at all and has mastered the art to such a degree, that her fingers and nails hardly get stained pitch black anymore. I'm not that lucky!! Just cutting them up, renders me a coal black manicure!! I didn't have the heart to tell my neighbour that the crate was too much for me, so tomorrow is artichoke bottling day!!! Luckily, I learned to do this while still living in Johannesburg. High time B arrived here and pulled out her cordon bleu skills in the kitchen. Think Nick, her American boyfriend, is too scared to come down here with her, in case I put him to work behind an apron!!!:-))

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She
05/24/2012, kitchen

Quickly updating position on my 3G. Dying to see where they are on map!! Housework!!! Dust dust dust:-))) wishy washy etc so McDo later!!!:-))

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moi
05/23/2012, McDo

so... Back again Clearly, some person had knocked the little dog and just driven off. I was stunned. There he was, hopefully somebody's beloved, little dog but "mort" never to go home again. And just lying there. All alone. Nobody to hold nor comfort him, as he left!! Merde. Apparently, the mairie would send somebody to see to him. I've still not been brave enough to go back home yet, but I must. The cementing must hopefully commence soon. Then I went across to zone technique, to confirm chez patricks arrival. It still feels unreal. Cape to Canet. What an amazing yacht. Having just chatted to Paddy, he says she is as cool as a cucumber. Taking it all in her stride. A true Cape Town built yacht. Prepared for the rough and the smooth. Currently, they are experiencing champagne conditions. Smooth seas, blue skies, calm, good current. So what does Gary do?? Make pancakes;-))!!! Funny boy:-))!! So, the father and son team will now sail into Canet on about Monday I think. Si Dieu le veut. I will have the champagne on ice. And the camera at the ready. Whether I'll be able to do anything, remains to be seen. Too much stuff happening, usually renders me "robotic" and tearful and speechless!! Well, it's either order McDo now or head home, cause I haven't even had breakfast yet. So, it's home. M. Roger gave me a fresh lettuce from his field on Sunday just as we were leaving for the airport and it's waiting to become a tuna salad:-)) my favourite(B always teases me about my hectic ally gourmet taste buds) ! She did confess to making one herself the other evening though. Apple doesn't fall far from the tree:-)) le cordon bleu, grande diplome student and all:-))!!! Well, lots of love, thanks for reading my rumblings, and A la prochaine Xxx

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Sherryl
05/23/2012, McDo

what a day! Luckily, I had a good talk to myself, before I went to sleep last night and decided that today was a day that I was going to get things done!! No more sitting in bed in my pj's reading and writing and listening to the Tramontane bash our little house left and right!! I made a list. Ok, I would get up, make tea, allow myself a few pages in my bed with a second cup of tea, but then, up!! Shower, dress and start the day. Draw money. Fill my trusty little stead with gazoile and then head off to zone technique and check that all is well with chez patricks berth. Then of course, head here to McDo for a double latte and catch up with my comms, using the wonderful wifi here. I was fresh out of the shower, hair dripping wet when I heard severe bashing coming from our courtyard gate side!! Feigning avoidanosa seriousa, I dressed, only to hear the bashing escalating in volume..without T here, I had to go and investigate myself. Yes, you've guessed it. I operate very well, behind somebody else's back!! Well, I went downstairs only to find to very red faced men, chopping away at the cement, next to my water meter. The day we arrived from Paris (30/4) we discovered that the icy February weather, had exploded our water meter and so we had no running water in the house!! If we turned the outside water on, to get water inside the house, a fountain shot up, hitting you square in the head and then proceeded to flood the courtyard and then create a mini river down Rue de Paris. Much to my neighbours non-amusement. Here, every Madame sweeps her house front proudly, each day. Not even tolerating a stray leaf. I like that though, so.... We switched the water off. Consulted our neighbours husband, M. JJ and trusted he would arrange a plumber for the next morning. That was almost a month ago. The plumber duly arrived, only to tell us, it was a job for the mairie. Kindly arranging this for us, a service provider arrived that afternoon. He fixed the fountain and changed the meter but a leak still existed. Water here, is more expensive than wine, and so he assured me 1: that the leak existed, before the meter, and so we wouldn't be paying for it and 2: that a colleague would be along "shortly" to chop up the cement, replace the faulty pipe and repair the hole:-))!! Well, this happened this morning. Part three, repairing the hole, is scheduled for 14:30 this afternoon. On verra:-)) Plus, as the taller of the two laid eyes on me, he immediately asked for "un petit cafe" s'il vous plait:-)) two nespressos later, he was chopping up a storm. I fled upstairs, to finish my toilette and then head to the ATM to draw money. Wondering while I was walking up the street, whether there would be any money in the machine. You know with the eurozone crise and all and us being very close to the Spanish border. Well, I got to the ATM, only to be told by a lady, that " il est mort" what?? I looked left, only to see an exquisite little dog, still with his gorgeous little harness on, lying dead!!!:-((( she showed me where the blood was still fresh, red on the tar!!! With that, I turned away and ran home. Shoot!!! People who are cruel to animals are destined to a seriously bad time in the here after!!!! I know that for sure!!! Shocked and saddened, I grabbed my bag and headed to St Marie, to put in gazoile. Ok, sorry!!! Just got Paddy on Skype. So will continue soon A la prochaine Xx

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Sherryl
05/22/2012, my warm bed

Finally. Chez patrick is in the same time zone as I am!! Just had a position update from captain paddy and all is well on the good ship chez pat:-)) not knowing the wind position in the straits, they might stop in Cadiz after all. Still bumpy on board. Simply cannot wait for them to finally tie up here. Hope this latest map position update holds. Much nicer being able to see their position accurately on that little map. A la prochaine xx

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