The day of the marina BBQ.
06 December 2008
• Indiantown, Florida
by Mike
I have finally gotten the speakers hooked up to the ship's computer, which is great for the evenings because now I can watch my favourite TV shows while cooking dinner. I have a lot of House episodes to catch up on.
Stuff to do today - I'll make a list of planned stuff and then compare at the end of the day to see what I have been able to accomplish:
1. Make mac and cheese as my contribution to the BBQ tonight. I have the recipe and all the ingredients, it's just a matter of putting them together.
2. Remove the antenna tuner from the cockpit and put it aloft in the backstay. This will entail getting a step ladder and it might be the one thing that I can't get done today.
3. Fasten the comms panel in place and put a facing on the opening in the panel. I had been delaying this until I got the rest of the SSB work done, but that's not necessary.
4. Put the grommets in the lifeline netting that Barb made and install them
5. Put up the sheet bag that Barb made
There. That's the challenge to myself, to see how much of this I can get done today.
Number two is done, thanks in large part to Jim finding me an extension ladder. I haven't finished the wiring to reconnect but that should be a relatively simple job and one that I can do in relaxed mode. I am presently making the mac and cheese and will get myself cleaned up in a shower, hopefully before the rush from everyone else who has been working on their boats in the heat all day. I walked into town to get some extra ingredients for the meal so as not to deplete everything in the ships stores.
Number one is done, or rather almost done. The Mac and Cheese a la Turney is in the oven as I am typing this. I have basically used Barb's recipe with a few added twists of my own. For instance, instead of prepared mustard I have used Dijon, and I have added a little Cayenne pepper as well as my own personal favourite spice ménage - Les Herbes de Province. Barb is probably reading this and saying to herself or anyone within hearing distance, "Of course. He uses that in everything from poached eggs to cheater's pasta sauce!" And that's true, I do.
That leaves the grommets, the sheet bag and fixing the comms panel for tomorrow. If I can get those done I will do one thing for sure on Monday - a major clean up, and if I have time I will try to get some work done on the water maker. When Jim took me into Stuart a couple of days ago he took me to a consignment store where we didn't buy anything since there were no real deals like at the one in Oriental, but they did have some small volume brass taps which I could have bought to make the water maker a much easier to use appliance on the boat. I am kicking myself for not buying a couple of them. Oh well.
I have been exchanging e-mails with Lynn and Ken as well as with Jay and Mary Lou. Silverheels has the trip to pick up Barb cased for Tuesday, which is a big relief to me and Screech will be in the Tampa area while we are there or at least the crew will so we will be able to re-establish contact with them too. It's a very small world really.
The BBQ will be starting shortly so I will close this off with good wishes to all and a fervent wish that Barb was here to keep me company and out of trouble.
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