We have parted ways with our friends Fred and Cindy on Kelp Fiction II several times now. They left Lauderdale Marine Center before we did and it took us months to catch up with them in the British Virgin Islands. We spent lots of time together in the BVI and traveled from the BVI to Martinique together. Then we had to press ahead to meet some other friends in Saint Lucia. We caught back up with KFII at Rodney Bay in Saint Lucia and traveled to Grenada together but split up three times due to different routes and friends visiting. Now they are heading to California for a month and we are going on to Tobago. It is fairly likely we will not see them for a very long time.

A going away dinner seemed in order, especially since they didn't have any food left after cleaning their boat out for its month of storage. We invited Tami and Jay from Blue Star, which just about includes everyone living on the dock here in Martin's Marina. Hideko and I did a mega shopping trip to the Grand Anse Mall where the IGA is. We returned to Swingin' on a Star loaded down then spent the rest of the day giving the boat a good cleaning.

I love to cook and I'm decent at it. Hideko is a great cook and cooks for us almost every day. I tend to cook the large meals when we have company. Hideko and I would really love to go to a Cordon Blue school, or something similar, and get some real polish though. In the mean time I try to come up with interesting things for the menu when we have guest over.

We had a nice meal with the crew and spent a great last few hours together. Here's the menu we printed for the table:

Swingin' on a Star
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
Dinner

Guest List
� Cindy
� Frederick "Ricky-Baby"
� Tami
� Jay
� Hideko
� Randy

Appetizer
� Sweet and Savory Chicken Tostadas with a Cinnamon Whisky Cream Sauce
� 2002 Babcock Pinot Noir, Tall and Sassy Californian

Salad
� Green Salad in a Watermelon Vinaigrette
� 2004 Mendoza Malena, Argentina Red

Main Course
� Texas Firehouse Chili, garnished with shredded cheese, fresh red onion, sour cream and vine ripened tomatoes
� Tart Apples in a Lime Cr�me Fresh
� Garlic Toast
� 2005 Barton & Guestier Cuv�e Sp�ciale, French Table Wine

Desert
� Three layer Blueberry Cooler (Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, Blue Berries, and Sweet Vanilla Cream with shaved chocolate on top served in a wine glass)
� 2003 Kendall-Jackson Pinot Noir