Wednesday 15 January 2025

While birthdays (womb emancipation anniversary days - thanks Dusty) have no intrinsic significance, people tend to treat them as important, probably to encourage gifts and to justify raucous partying. Governments collude in this by alcohol restrictions, various social engineering projects, retirement manipulations, etc. In fact, however, they're just days like any other. They have been of little consequence to me since gaining majority allowing minimal legal interference in many desired stupid activities. A friend (who for some inscrutable reason misspells his name Geoff) was expecting a birthday entry on the fourteenth. This again evokes the lost age of thirty four, peak studliness, the year before wheels began to come off. Current age would only be important if concept to start back down after sixty five had actually worked out - didn't. Still exploring modes of failure and possible revival.

Speaking of my 'special' day spent it, after Jan treated us to breakfast at Copia, The Peace & Plenty restaurant, cleaning off barnacles and replacing zinc anodes, which were almost, but not quite, used up. Installed new in St. Maarten last spring after which water too cold for this little wood duck to replace until now. Usually attach hookah, long hose to tank on deck, but used occasion to check out full scuba gear. Octopuses had been serviced in USVI, but all regulators had leaks. Jan's unusable. Mine good enough to do the job. Age of both thirty years or so with some internal corrosion. Wouldn't want to rely on down at thirty meters. Time for new.

Saturday

Yesterday finished last items before departing Bahamas: groceries, petrol, clearance (three hundred to come in; seventy five to get out) and Chat 'N' Chill Bar 'N' Grill with friends who just arrived Georgetown. May see them again in Cancun around April. Could have stayed until Sunday except in-town customs not open Saturday and only twenty four hour grace to leave. Probably would have finessed that, but today wind turned better for Long Island, where we'll await weather window south beginning Monday. Expect reasonable sail all the way to Grand Cayman taking five days without stop.

And finally favorite words of wisdom from Groucho Marx to enlighten your day: "Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana".

Jack & Jan