There's Fun And Then There's Fun
17 October 2024 | Annapolis, Maryland
Sunday 6 October 2024
A day of experiential dissonance: Guinness Brewery was celebrating Oktoberfest with German beer and an oompah band. Ireland is not the highest consumption country for Guinness. In order top five are: UK, Ireland, Nigeria, US and Cameroon (really?). And, although they make many different beers and ales around the world (over fifty countries in all), Guinness brews one hundred percent of its draught stout in Dublin. We then rode Uber home with an Urdu Punjabi speaking East Indian fellow who loves Johnny Cash. We got the Folsom Prison Blues.
Monday
A lovely gentle sail got us to anchorage off Spa Creek, site of the Sailboat Show - not as crowded as anticipated. Regrettably for you, we arrived somewhat before happy hour, so this blog is what happens when there's nothing else to do. Of course the boat always needs work, but we hit the bittersweet spot between too late to get a project started and too early to get into devil rum. We'll stay home tonight, with aforementioned refreshment and/or wine, beef stew, and nearly final episodes of The Ranch, then meet friends tomorrow at Pusser's. Painkiller anyone?
Thursday
First day of show. Bigger and better than ever. We were forced, forced I say, to buy a few geegaws, some of which may even prove useful.
Friday
Salty Dawg Annapolis Rendezvous (excuse for a party) at Elks Lodge (didn't know they were still a thing) was a long drive, but good and included talk by Paul & Sheryl Shard of "Distant Shores TV" - sailing adventures and such. Good food. Big crowd. Loud.
Today is Ocean Cruising Club Fall Reception. Nearer boat.
Monday
OCC bash was more relaxed, more fun. Saturday Latitudes and Attitudes party also a good time. Now, however, partied out for awhile. Dinner last night with friends first met in La Reunion, David & Patricia Gillette. Hadn't seen them since we stayed Christmas 2019 at their house in St. Lucia on Grand Piton that looks out on Petite Piton. Amazing view.
Wednesday
Return from last day of show with snoot full of painkillers to discover electrical burning smell, fried charger and disconnected lithium battery. Several USB chargers and cables were also dead. Oh darn or somewhat stronger words to that effect. Spent all Tuesday buying, picking up, returning due wrong version of same charger/inverter, picking up correct unit, and installing under front bunk, which required moving half ton (slight hyperbole) of storage into saloon. Finished just in time to celebrate and dine with Aussie Anthems on their boat, who had just come in, as ours was still a wreck.
This morning discovered alternator regulator frying with impressive smoke when applying power. Had spare, so installed, now all good... maybe. Still have to program the thing. Fun never ends.
Had hoped to do a few backlogged jobs yesterday and today. Perhaps later this year.
Thursday
Going to dock this morning, then out of country for a couple. May not do the few jobs planned here in Annapolis as Jack Frost is nipping at our noses and want to get south ASAP. Jan has recovered from being Canadian and rest of crew is Floridian. We don't do cold.
Jack & Jan