Wednesday 9 January 2019

Currently driving back to SF Bay in fog. Girls hit the sweet spot in ski weather Monday and Tuesday as Sunday had strong, gusty wind and today is rainy. Next year we'll have easier flights from Caribbean to give currently lame crew a day or three on the mountain. Left paw somewhat better too late this time. Heat and rest helped, who knew?

Thursday

Our host, a nurse, left early this morning to go to a hospital for twelve hours of something called 'work'. This is toil with which we are not currently familiar except for boat projects, which are rationalized as something else. 'Work' is where individuals perform some task and performee, who for various reasons thinks this endeavor is a good idea, gives them money. Money can subsequently be used to buy toys or do things that are not work. 'Not work' is generally placed in the 'enjoyment' category and may include buying a boat and sailing around the world. This particular use of money is quite uncommon and only mentioned because 1) we have become somewhat acquainted with the concept and 2) to illustrate the fact that people are willing to endure all manner of travail in order to do something they consider 'fun' no matter how eccentric or preposterous.

After about two and a half days of excruciating pain even tying shoe laces, left wrist is nearly normal. What up? Drugs and heat finally taking effect? Positive attitude? Incredible healing powers of magnificent physique? Karma? Anyway, life has taken on its customary glow and is again worth abusing with additional drugs and alcohol. **Warning** For those inspired to now rush out and snort frog secretions, our hard drug of preference, besides gin, is naproxen sodium or, when visiting Crazy Cat Lady, the occasional whiff of catnip. This last is particularly dangerous while driving as it engenders an uncontrollable desire to roll onto one's back to have his tummy rubbed.

Friday

We depart tomorrow morning for Johannesburg, ten hours later at UTC +2, after 22:24 of flying and 2:47 in Atlanta. As nothing connects to Richard's Bay until following day we get back home to thaw out from a month of freezing our keisters off just before noon Monday.

Pleased to report that progress on boat is advancing apace and most work will be completed, he avers confidently, by end of next week. Photo of indestructible rudder construction comforts us with assurance that next time we plow into a whale, aft end of boat will sheer off instead. Only potential downside is that's where life raft is stored. No worries, we'll still retain the EPIRB to mark a location for our loved ones to toss the wreath.

Jack & Jan