Sailing Hand Full

Crime Fighting is Cool!

2013-07-08T19:59:00.004-07:00

Summer has been fast paced, at least for So Cal living. I mean endless summer days followed by some of the most gorgeous sunsets. I feel like I am living in a painting sometimes...God is a talented guy indeed!

I have been taking the dogs, and sometimes the kids over to our little private beach so much lately that as soon as I go outside they are on top of it with "Can we go? Please???"

Sometimes Daisy is so anxious to get to shore to pee on everything she will opt for the faster landing...yep she jumps right in. Foster thinks she is nuts and Winnie sometimes follows, as do I.

Have been trying to get bikini ready for....how old am I again? But dieting makes me feel....like this:

Whatever the correct answer there is, subtract about 5 years...I didn't care. Winnie is also trying to get into shape...but her love of food and sun and naps and.... ya, you get it....

she's big boned..ha ha and cute as a button and nicknamed piglet. Hey speak of the devil...yep that's a pig at the beach!

I have been swimming, with dogs, with Katie and on rare occasion Neil will come out and float on his back.

The water is calm enough at our little spot and when timed right the ebb tide just keeps you hovering in one spot. I think the salt water is an amazing theraputic tool and love our new summertime ritual. Oh and Stew comes too, on occasion but his heart belongs to skating and jet ski's...can you blame him?

It does make me miss having the scooters especially when you see a whole gang of like 100 pull past you!

Our personal situation has changed. We have gotten new legal help. Our funds have basically been cut off and we are hoping to get his lower back situation finalized soon. It has been such a long nightmare...anyone that has followed the blog over the years is probably sick to death of hearing about it...as am I but we are praying that in the end, all will end well.

Until then, let's get back to these beautiful sunsets!

Can you believe it? I apologize that all the pictures this time were from my cell phone..but you see the good camera was being used for the greater good.

Before I finish this post we do have one exciting little story...Neil and Stewart were home one evening and happened to see a dinghy pulled up to one of our neighbors boats. We are all aware that the owner is off on a tour of duty right now... when living on the water constantly one learns to watch out for yourself, and your neighbors and hopefully they do the same...two men and one woman were taking things from the sailboat and putting it in the dinghy...NOT the owner...and in daylight, which is quite "balsy!" not to mention stupid.

So Neil called the harbor police and took pictures with our awesome zoom camera...got pictures of the whole thing. The police came and picked Neil up after his description of the "culprits" for identification. Neil was taken off our boat, over to where they were being detained, fingered (with out them seeing Neil, as the windows were blackened out) and brought back with a big thank you. I guess the story given to police was that they "just purchased it on Craigslist"...ya, the cops didn't buy it either. Another fellow boater was picked up and asked to do the same thing. With our pictures and testamony we ARE the case. These bad guys are getting ready for court, the owner very happy as his stolen goods were all recovered last we heard and it looks like they will not be stealing anything any time soon.

Well done! Sound familiar? We have had run in's with the law before...if you go back to 2009 blog entitled, "Book em Danno!" you can see fighting crime like a super hero is in Neil and Stewart's blood!

Well that's about it for now...I hope to have some good news to report soon, love and prayers.xoxo

Adventure Time

2013-05-23T17:47:00.002-07:00

Before you sit down and think this is a quick read...let me prepare you...it may require a bathroom visit and a snack before completing...you've been warned.... :0)

If you remember last year the family, along with Neil’s father Jamie, went to Puerto Vallarta to buy him a sailboat. He bought a Cal 2-46 and we had a lovely time while there. On that trip he met a woman named Maria who is native to Mexico is now his wife. The newlyweds invited us down for 3 weeks to move his boat to Mazatlan where Maria has family who owns a boatyard.

We flew out of Tijuana instead as it was much cheaper thanSan Diego and surprisingly not a hassle at all. The day after arriving in Guadalajara where they live we took off for our 3-5 hour car ride to Puerto Vallarta. Maria told us this was their dry season and wasn’t as pretty but I thought it was lovely. The fields were full of sugar cane and palms with“coca’s” everywhere. Maria speaks little English but with my broken Spanish we were able to communicate without a hitch…most of the time!

There were little roadside fires everywhere. The fires were right up next to the road. Some were near little shacks and small houses but no one rushed out, it was no big deal. The flames were so hot you could feel them through the car. Maria just said, “Not to worry, I do this all the time”, as we barreled through it like in the movies! I should havegotten pictures of it, but we were driving at incredible speed, flames and all!Ha ha.

Half way there we stopped and ate at a roadside restaurant where they cooked on what looked like whatever was handy. Most meals come with a staple...beans and something else. Today it was beef. About that beef...upon arriving the night before we went to a local taco stand..I ate what later was told to me as “intestines and other stuff.”That other stuff would come to haunt me..but more about that later.

After our meal we stopped at another road side stand andbought some interesting local fruit that looks like a pea pod with a cottony textured fruit inside. The taste varied from plant to plant but it was ok. I am sorry but I can’t remember what it was called for the life of me.

We also got coconuts.

The colors of that area are spectacular. You need sunglasses for the colors not the sun! The foliage as well as the wildlife is so pretty it's like walking through a painting with the volume turned way up!

Wish you were here post card worthy foliage..

some bright green fish...

hot to trot red, purple and yellow crabs...

even the bird stalking them is brightly colored..

We brought along our handheld GPS and paper chart of the trip from there toMazatlan. That area is pretty sketchy. The GPS units are so vague and the paper charts are old and unreliable. We planned to stop every night along the way andhad no worries as far as safety is concerned. The vessel was stout, full of gear to be put on later..ie..solar panels and charging units, new batteries, lights, all kinds of electrical, paint, windows,plumbing fixtures, you name it. Most of it was to be done in Mazatlan at the boat yard.

We left on a beautifully sunny day and motor sailed our way to our first overnight. A little patch of islands just north of there where there was a bird sanctuary and a lovelysheltered anchorage. Crashing gentle waves onshore. After arriving just before sunset we took a swim over to the islands while Jamie and Maria rowed to shore. We didn’t stay long as it was getting late, and well if I don’t have to be in the water at night, I won’t.

...little coves here and there...

a quick little jaunt onshore...

beautiful bird heaven..

little rocks popping out everywhere...

The next day we took off for our next anchorage, a littlefishing village about 45 miles from our first night. Upon leaving the island wewere given a spectacular show of jumping rays, some of them as high as 10-12ft! It was fantastic to watch.

First a little splash..

which turns into a leap..

they jump so high...

ready for the free fall...

and a belly flop back into the water...

It was amazing!

Shortly thereafter we were met by a pod of whales. Babiesjumping out of the water like dolphins. Jumping high and turning mid air thanbelly flop down for a big splash.

A little peek a boo action...

hello world....

up and out...

a tale flip..

a little twist...

down she goes...

pop back up again..

another peak a boo...

I will never get tired of this!!

After the “show” the butterflies didn’t go away. I had issues…vomiting and loose bowels..all day thereafter included frequent trips tothe bathroom, the side of the boat, etc…I drank water and ate crackers. It wasn't sea sickness but that “stuff.”

I didn’t let it get me down and enjoyed the sail in which I steered the boat with my feet most of the way.

There was no need to tack, so a slow and steady pace to our nextdestination. I enjoy being helmsman probably because ever since Neil and I started sailing, that’s where I was, and that’s fine by me…most of the time…get me in a storm with heavy sea..I may just let the captain take over! Haha

We pulled in at dusk once again and anchored next to some pangas..oh ya I forgot to mention we did not know the depth. The boat did not have depth sounder on it so we winged it..it was like old times with our first sailboat, also a Cal.

This town was full of fishermen bringing in their daily catch.

the locals gather round to buy fresh fish onshore.

Nonetheless we enjoyed our stay, swam, cleaned the bottom of the boat and took off for ournext destination, San Blas. Upon leaving we had a problem getting the starterto work on the engine and resorted to starting it old school with a screwdriver. The batteries were pretty weak but we had new ones ready to be installed once we got to Mazatlan so there was no need to worry.

We arrived in San Blas late in the evening. When anchoring we took heed of the warnings of not getting too close to shore because of the no-see-ums which will bite the bejeebers out of you. After we arrived we were pretty sure that the starter was shot. With the “Charlies Charts” book that was aboard wesaw that there was a marina there so we decided the best thing to do was tohead into town and see about a repair. We were also running low on water. As much as I tried to tell Maria and Jamie how important it was not to waste water…wellsometimes you just have to learn the hard way. Multiple showers and frivolous usage is not something a seasoned veteran of the sea does…before leaving there was diesel mixed into one of the water tanks. I bought some detergent to put in to cut the petroleum. It was misinterpreted and an entire bottle, not a capful or two, was added. That tank was very sudsy!! So we were hoping the marina had a water hookup also. We deployed the dinghy only to find out that the repairs done to the little outboard were fictitious.It was merely cleaned for 500 pesos and not tuned up in Puerto Vallarta. Neil and Jamie took it apart to find the needle valve was broken and the spark plug was bad. So we limped her into shore, a mere 30 seconds offire, than wait 30 seconds….

it took a while but it was the only way to push through the current.

Onshore we hailed a taxi. The shoreline was full of little huts that obviously catered to tourists who liked to drink, dance and eat.

I think this was a dance club??

I was getting very ill by now. Nothing was staying in..or going in for that matter.We found a pharmacy where with some handgestures and my poor Spanish was able to convey the need for strong antibiotic.For $3 US I got a large supply of pills.I took 1 and within an hour was feeling better. I was amazed and quite relieved to say the least. You could not do that here without seeing a doctor and spending a small chunk of change. We were ableto find a mechanic to rebuild the starter, a mobile mechanic to fix the dinghy engine and a dock to pull into for water and fuel. This little town had a brand new and quite impressive Marina with haul out that rivaled some of the ones here.

We got back to the boat and decided to pull into the narrow channel and up to the fuel dock. They let us spend the night on the next dock over. We weren’t able to get a lot of water as the pressure provided no more than a trickle. At this point between this and that breaking and malfunctioning Maria was anxious to get there already so we headed out the next morning for a non stop sail into Mazatlan.

On the way the batteries wouldn’t hold charge. Neil had rigged two of the solar panels up before leaving and they helped tremendously during the day but in the night they were pretty much shot. The engine was starting to overheat and the starter was malfunctioning as well. We ran out of good water and were now using the soap filled tanks. That night we had to shutdown the engine which was fine by us but scary for the newbies first night at sea. We had to hove to but the lack of any wind made for sails to be dropped.

We bobbed around like a cork…it wasn’t too bad for Neil and I but the motion ofthe ocean made Jamie and Maria seasick. They had it bad. By morning the windswere light and the seas were a steady 6-8 foot swells and spaced far apart. We made good time at about 7 knots, not bad for a heavy boat.

All of a sudden I saw what looked like garbage floating in the water...it was sea turtles!!

at one point I swear the little guy gave me a wave...

than as quickly as he came up he dipped back below the water...

A couple of hours later the dolphins appeared out of nowhere...jumping high above the water putting on quite a show...

jumping high and far...

almost racing across the water..

then came up close next to the boat for a full 30 minutes or so...

swimming back and forth off the bow...

playing off to the sides....

That evening the as the sun was setting and I took full advantage of the gorgeous view off the bow...

A few minutes later a booby started circling the boat...

after a short time he decided to take advantage of

the situation...

and landed on the boat.

the sunset was amazing..

I shared it with the booby...

Soon thereafter Jamie declared that they had had enough and we need to just keep the motor running and press on for Mazatlan, full speed ahead…

We complied with the captain. The engine started to leak oil..we started recycling the oil back in as it was coming out at a decent flow. The engine got hot often so we kept her cool by adding the soapy water in as soon as it evaporated away.We kept going this way until at one point the water quit pumping from the water tanks.

In a moment of panic the captain took 3 gallons of our drinking water and dumped it all over the engine. Before he could grab the last oneI ran inside and scooped up the jug and hid it in the v berth. Neil went andgot the tank unplugged and talked some sense into the near delirious and overly tired captain…We advised him and his wife to try to sleep.

We limped in under a tired overworked engine, no wind and after midnight to Mazatlan. We were on high alert knowing the entrance was known for rocks and plenty of warnings. We had good full moonlight and plenty of good markers.

We pulled into the anchorage around 2 am exhausted and relieved after 2 days of little sleep and stress.

The harbor was quite lovely after all.

Upon arrival the night before the bird left us... he also left us a tip for our troubles...a BIG one..all over the dinghy..haha!

That morning we had no starter, no batteries, no engine and plenty of obstacles…but we hand WiNd!! Lots of wind! What? Oh Sheesh! So with gratitude we used it to sail the narrow inner channel all the way to the “boatyard” .

This turned out to be abunch of fishing trawlers and a rail system..no fancy haul out.

We pulled it up to the trawler to tie off to, under wind, ina tiny cove, with no room for error like a pro. It was dreamlike and very verycool. If it weren’t for our first heavy Cal with no engine we would have never known how to complete the task without hitch.

After that we unloaded the boat by jumping from trawler totrawler…about 5 deep and got into Maria’s friends car and away we went to therented apartment for a much needed rest.

We relaxed a bit...

played tourist a bit....

enjoyed each others company...

took a ride on the famous buggies only native to Mazatlan...

and walked along the beach...

the area was gorgeous...

The whole experience was overwhelming for Maria who at first was very strong in her dislike of sailing. After some convincing she agreed that she would give it another try..but not until the boat was finished. We were never in any danger really but for the first time out ever, it was scaryfor her not to see land, not to have a good engine and not to know how to sail.At one point even the toilet came off its hinges with her on it...at the time it was devastating to moral but after good rest and good drinks it made for a laugh along with many other awkward and stressful moments....

For the next two weeks they worked on the boat. It was still in the yard when we left to come home. We spent our days overseeing repairs made by the yard men during which time my spanish improved tremendously and afterwards we did a little site seeing when we could. The boat didn’t need huge repairs but lotsand lots of little ones that if not prepared for can drive a person batty!

Last we heard she was back in the water with new bottom paint and a fully functional engine! The water tanks are working and no more suds. The solar panels are in place atop a newly built steel frame. The electrical is complete. The alternator is charging and the plumbing is tip top!Did it taint Neil’s dad on the whole boating experience? At first yes, but after some thought he took it as a crash coarse in boating and was thankful for the experience…he now knows his boat from one end to the other…I know I sure learned a lot along the way. He just might become a salty dog after all!

Now that we are home we have been busy with our own repairs and projects. The bimini has been coming together nicely.

Neil rounded the corners...

he is adding some trim..

added room for the much needed skateboards..and later lighting...

We ended up foaming the west marine dinghy. What a day that was…the first try was on a hot day as directed and well let’s just say it went off before the boys were ready for it to…result? Foam everywhere!!

The next few attempts were more controlled and overall not too bad.

Since then we have been pulling off sections of the old “shell”

and filling and fairing her out to be covered in fiberglass followed by paint.

It has been a crazy month or two. Neil’s doctor said he has healed about as much as he can…his disability will be permanent. We are not too pleased with this but are not giving up just yet.

Neither one of us can wait to go on our own search for sealife…its always an adventure and always a story to be told…albeit this one was close to becoming a novel…but I wanted to share my tale with you.

To Do List's.

2013-04-09T15:23:00.001-07:00

A month of to do's.....Well we have been busy busy busy...doing what? Where do I begin...oh yes, with the engine. We came across a "too good to be true deal" on an engine a while ago, a diesel, and have been waiting for the right time to do a switcheroo. Now below you will see how to get an engine out without breaking your back. First you attach line to your boom...add a few pulleys...and winch away....

Almost out..

....and into the cockpit it goes...

As much as I would like to tell you it is a finished project...it is not. We are waiting for a taker of the old before we continue on...so far it is still with us, but that is ok...we have plenty to do as far as prep for the new engine goes..new mounts, some glass work, a transmission, etc...but we are excited by how well it has gone so far.....and then we play.

Our other"to -do's" include mounting the solar panels permanently. We had them winged out with poles positioned just so before as a temporary fix. Now we have made it to where the bimini that was cloth will now become fiberglass with panels fixed in place, peak a boo windows and lighting when its all said and done. Perhaps even a few fishing rod holders as well....so this meant removing our "gear"from above..when doing so we turned around and saw that Foster had decided to meet me by the dinghy I was cleaning by hopping on the surfboard and well see for yourself....

I think he has a future as a pro!!

In the midst of all our "to-do's" we smelled burning wire...and to our surprise we almost had a catastrophe on our hands as our controller was practically on fire!! Glad we were home for this one and replaced it the same day! Phew!

The Crew members were quite concerned....with napping...

And so we get back to the hard bimini...

A bit tedious but it's starting to look good..

More beautiful hardwood going in...

Getting excited now..

Underneath...

Almost done with the prep and getting ready for fiberglassing.

The weather has us a bit stalled out for the time being. High wind and heavy marine layers make it difficult to finish for now...so our list of "to-do's" is on hold for the time being...

Neil has been recovering slowly but we have great helpers....Katie, Stew, myself and a few friends...so he can sit and supervise...

Now totally off the subject..the other day we were in need of a big travel bag. I only needed it for a short time and didn't want to spend a fortune...so I headed off to the thrift shop and found myself a reasonable deal at a whopping $3....got it home and Neil asked, "Did you check this bag out in the store?" I said "Yes, it's a little worn but that's ok..." etc..I was telling him it was quite the deal...he interrupted with..." Well these were in the side panel" and handed me 3 9mm shells and 1 223 shell....good thing I wasn't going through security at the airport!! So if you decide to buy used...check ALL the pockets first!!

HaHaHaHaHa!

Sea hatch.

2013-03-07T12:07:00.001-08:00

Well the weather cooperated nicely with our sea hatch project. We took great care to intergrade both the existing dodger and hatch cover for a seamless finish. It still needs a few more coats...well the whole boat could use a few but for now we are done and ready for the upcoming storm as long as I remember to caulk around the edges (not shown)... I will let you know if it works! Ha ha.

labor of love

2013-03-03T19:10:00.001-08:00

How many small powered skiff's does it take to move a 54 ft. vessel?? 3!

When living on a mooring you have to do an annual safety inspection, same as if you were a full time liveaboard in a marina. In this instance, alot of vessels on the mooring do NOT have working engines nor do the "captains" have the means or know how to get their vessel's from point A to point B. The above photo is of a friend and neighbor who had engine issues...so Neil, Stewart and another fellow boater made easy work of getting the "Bessy" to the closest public dock for an inspection....now isn't that sweet? Way to go team "Hand Full."(Tug boat style!)

The outcome? Passed with flying colors, and a boating community BBQ!

Since we have had about 4 days of amazing weather we made use of it and went to work on the sea hatch....

We are also needing to re-do alot of woodwork,that when we left San Francisco was all fresh and guaranteed for 5 years in normal conditions..... has left us to needing to "freshen up" after only 3 years of fun and sun.

This news of coarse makes Winnie howl in horror!

And so goes the makings of the sea hatch...first with a good quality hard wood followed by 5 layers of fiberglass cloth.

Next is a light sanding and some filler to

remove the "dimples" fron the cloth and give it a nice smooth finish.

Tomorrow's agenda will be some primer and some light sanding followed by paint on the side boards and the new sea hatch. I have learned so much since I am Neil's "hands" while he is recovering. As weird as it sounds, I am really enjoying it! When that is all completed we hope to make a hard bimini and set in our solar panels where we had just canvas and steel. This is in addition to some much needed "refreshing."

Until then the dogs say "hey!" and are enjoying our beautiful weather!

Happy Valentines Day

2013-02-14T16:02:00.001-08:00

Remember on this special Hallmark inspired day to....

Feel the love...

cherish your "better half"...

it's the thought that counts...

don't forget to have fun....

and have a HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

Too cheesy? Oh be quiet and go kiss 'em allready! haha...xoxo

Feels like spring...

2013-02-14T15:36:00.002-08:00

I forget sometimes that not everybody is familiar with the idea of living on a boat let alone the concept of doing so. When I was bringing groceries to the dinghy from the jeep the other day a family of four from Riverside started asking me twenty questions.

Usually I get some basic routine questions but they were like "amazed" that the boats they saw in the water, "out there", had people, families, dogs even...living on the water. They had never even entertained the idea of anyone doing so, let alone enjoying it.

I got a huge kick out of it as I encouraged the two daugthers to take their shoes and socks off and take advantage of the low tide, the large amount of seaweed, and the ample supply of fresh shells. One comment they made had me chuckling...when asked if I had any children, I replied, "Yes, two teenagers in fact." They said, "Wow! They must be so popular....they are so lucky!"

I made sure to relay this message to Katie and Stewart when they were asked to go to shore to fill and return the two five gallon water tanks....they are sooooo lucky, and I am their biggest fan! muwahaha...they didn't see the humor in it the way I did.... but they do enjoy it.

Katie is almost ready to make it onto the "active" team with roller derby. She also is a bit bummed as she only has about 5 months left and then she will no longer be on the junior team. They have told her that she is going to make a great "Derby Doll" and she is hoping to coach the younger girls. I am,WE are very proud of her. She really is a great positive roll model for the girls..the younger ones and the adults...as "Hippie Check #777." She has been a great addition to the league and may have a promising future in the sport as it is gaining popularity worldwide.

Here are a few of the "Dollinquents."

This is a collage of the last bout.

Living in such a fair weather place has it's perks...

skate boards take the place of sleds and I really don't miss the snow...I make "sandmen" instead.

Neil is doing better but still hobbling along with a cane. At the last doctor's visit we were quite startled to hear that his "healing process" was just beginning...I was like "Wha???" Yes. This was not what Neil wanted to hear but then again it was good as he has been a little frustrated with the progress so far. We will see him again in a few weeks but for now we are making sure that he gets plenty of low impact exercise as much as he can handle and doesn't push it too hard. We still have to recover from this and then we can look at his lower neck. Winnie ("Weenie") is his little sidekick. She is always there next to him and doesn't mind the slower pace.

It's cold and he still won't put pants on!

2013-02-14T13:56:00.000-08:00

Here's a little bit of cool info for ya... This is for the F dockers.... Remember Robert from SV Pachuca? Well he just made it to Cape Town! How awesome is that?

We are almost done with physical therapy for a while...I am glad. It is a good idea but for a quick massage and some stationary bike riding I think Neil does better just getting from the boat to shore, walking the dogs etc...he is doing well, using his cane on longer walks and nothing on short distance. We found that walking in the sand is a huge workout for him and who doesn't like walking on the beach everyday? Not this girl!

The weather outside is frightful!! It dropped below 35 and we thought we were going to die! Ok, we'll I thought so...

Neil was finally comfortable, ha ha...he still wears nothing but shorts and flip flops while the kids and I are in beanies, jackets and scarves....so not much has changed there I guess.

As always thank you for all your thoughts and prayers...we love and miss you all....now get up off the couch and throw Daisy's ball!!

It's Friday....

2013-01-04T12:35:00.001-08:00

We have enjoyed our third holiday season in Southern California. The city puts on quite the festive display of color and even though it isn't New York we share the same charm of a downtown ice skating rink that seemed to put you in the mood for hot cocoa, Christmas shopping and holiday cheer.

I am, as you know, a huge child and love this season. Not to sound "cliche" but it is about family togetherness, fun and the giving of time over money...

The kid in me puts up the Christmas lights early and I enjoy every minute of it. I think any decorating on a sailboat is charming and being in front of such a beautiful view of the city makes it all fit quite well....

Sadly I will be taking down the Christmas lights this weekend...although I am tempted to leave them up a bit longer...we have been so busy killing time, that its hard to believe 2012 is "no mas!"

Just another day in paradise....

Wish you were here!

New Year's Day

2013-01-01T21:12:00.001-08:00

Today as we were sitting down to lunch we heard loud screams for help coming from outside and thought " oh no, one of our neighbors is in the water again!" This time it happened to be a gentleman who had fallen off his boat out in the middle of the Chanel...he going one direction and his sailboat, under power, going another.

Neil and Stewart hopped in the skiff and sped off to the rescue, literally! He was an older man from South America who was moving his boat to another mooring...fell off his boat and almost sank as his boots filled with water wanting to pull him under.

Another vessel, did maneuvers around him until they were able to pick him up as Stewart climbed aboard his sailboat and started moving her back towards the shivering owner. Soon thereafter the police boats showed up, did their duty, than Neil offered to climb aboard and help him move his boat to the other side of the bay... Yep, the boys are heroes... Stewart helped get Neil safely aboard from the skiff and away they went.

They powered safely to a new harbor and got the boat secured to its new mooring without a hitch. The grateful man and new friend was very sweet, very relieved to be on his way home after a most invigorating dip in the bay... We hope to get together with him and his family soon.......

A new year...a new chapter

2013-01-01T19:46:00.001-08:00

Well folks it has been a while as you know... And we have had a lot going on...Neil finally had his surgery at the end of last year. It has been a slow yet steady road to wellsville and it looks like we have a ways to go. So after some " dead air" I return to the blog...the old computer has been replaced with more convenient technology!

Neil went from being in a lot of pain for years and waiting for what felt like an eternity to going in for invasive surgery after a few days notice. They literally called and said, " got plans for next Thursday?" " No, why?" " See you for surgery, bring an overnight bag." " wha??? Ok!" And that was pretty much it.

They replaced a disk, wrapped a cage around his spine, secured it with what we hope is marine grade steel ( ha ha, you know what I mean) and slapped a few screws in. The result, a large incision and some serious down time.

Neil, being the stud that he is was moving around in no time, even though the first few days were shear hell, pain wise. He left the hospital confident to return to the boat with just a cane...and some horse tranquilizers to boot. The first week on board was awkward, but we have managed rather well. Getting him on the boat the first time and in the cockpit, then down the steps was challenging but rather easy...you see, being a sailboat which is prone to heeling and weather...we have hand rails and hand hold, well, everywhere! So pulling himself up, walking to the bathroom, bed, kitchen...well we are fairly handicap accessible...once you get in!

It has been about 6 weeks or so and he is doing well. We still have some time to see if this is all he will need there, and then we will focus on his neck area. It really has been quite taxing on the entire family. Emotions stemming from frustration to sadness to anger to happy to worried to excited to..... It's been a real roller coaster...and the ride isn't over yet....

So now that we are back in business....Internet wise...away we go starting a new year, a new chapter... Please join us, and thank you, to everyone who has cheered us on... You are so precious to me, to all of us, and we love you.

and we find ourselves miles away from home....

2012-09-10T19:27:00.001-07:00

What in the world have we been up to? Exploring Puerto Vallarta of course!

Why? We were asked last minute to join Neil's dad to accompany him to go and see his newly purchased vessel, a 46ft. center cockpit Cal. This boat is HUGE!!

I mean the pictures really do it no justice. Imagine if you will, for us smaller 34-36 footers, that you have a 14 foot beam, followed by enough deck space to literally put a scooter, a dinghy, a surfboard, a kayak, and still have room for a cartwheel or two.

The boat down below is quite spacious. A huge stand up engine room, that is the size of a small shed, a large walk around galley and kitchen setee, a overly large V berth and a HUGE master bedroom in the aft...2 full size bathrooms and showers..this along with the huge amount of storage for anything and everything...did I mention HUGE? Ha Ha...well for Grandpa Jamie, the shift going from land to water will not be too hard, not at all!! In fact he seemed to take to it rather quickly and had his laid back beer in hand pose down to a science in no time!

This guy looks quite comfy aboard his floating castle!

About the trip:

The plane ride was so neat because I saw where the sea of cortez started, it was gorgeous teal and blue.

Sandy beaches everywhere. Dry hills and mountains until we started to turn and head east. It became green and lush in no time, jungle everywhere!

And with that green luciousness came the hot sticky wet heat. It literally felt like a steam room, but it wasn't too hot. Of course this is the time of year that no one wants to go down there. It rains almost every day. It was the case for us, but it was always sunny and beautiful every day until about 5pm. Than the clouds would roll in off the mountains, and they would open up with such force. Mid week we were playing tourist in one of the local hot spots just outside of downtown and kapow! Rivers appeared out of nowhere! No one seemed to care, the kids played in the streets,

the motorcycles kept on going....

the cars kept going.....

..... they went until they could go no more!

Some of the locals used this as an opportunity to take a break and enjoy what nature had provided.

We found some amazing bridges to cross through town to avoid the flowing water below.

We found out later that this was one of the biggest storms they had so far this year.

There are a few who speak english here, but not everyone. We know little spanish but are learning that with hand gestures, some simple words, and lots of niceness, this place does not seem so foreign. The people are mostly friendly and even the ones who seem hesitant to smile, give in and let their guard down when they have 5 people smiling wide in front of them.

I had read a blog that stated that the markets were a dissapointment down here, but I must say that maybe living so close to the border that the shift was easy. Granted I picked out some God awful coffee but, hey, it's a learning curve. They have everything that we have, the labels are different of course, but it has been great fun shopping here. The bakery's are "fabulouso!" I have never seen so many treats. Breads, cakes, pastries, jam filled, chocolate covered, spicy chocolate...and yes, sometimes the children can't help themselves and you see a few with a bite or two missing. This makes me chuckle because I don't blame them, they are so yummy!! Ha Ha... we just reach for the ones in the middle. We had our fill of fresh and hot homemade tortilla's..these girls were fast and very professional.

The taxi's are everywhere and incredibly reasonable. This is the best way to do a grocery run. Otherwise it's the bus, along with the hard working locals, the kids, the grandparents...they are all old school busses with a few newer ones here and there. The fare is a whopping 7 peso's and yes folks, there is a bus that goes only to Wal Mart! So for about 10 bucks you can take a bus all day long to just about anywhere..not bad for 5 people.

We were fortunate enough to get an excellent deal on a shared condo on the beach. Since this is the off season the prices are cut in half, sometimes even more. For us it was a little slice of heaven.

The locals would fish every morninng and all day and sometimes into the evening if the conditions were right.

We swam right along side them.

I asked what they were fishing for and with a big grin he held up his catch and said Dorado and another fish that I had never heard of.

The views from the balcony were just simply gorgeous!

Off in the distance we saw these little islands and thought how cool would it be to take Jamie out for a sail and swim at the islands...

....and so we headed out, anchored the boat in front of the condo...

hopped in the dinghy and rowed to shore for snorkel gear...yes, we brought it with us!

Than off to the islands... which ended up being spectacular little caves that you could swim through...

..they were so pretty, but full of bats!!

It was hard not to just stay the night....

...it was so relaxing....

The water was a warm 80 degrees, a little cloudy from all the storms but you could dive down and see so many fish, or "FEESH!" as Katie and I say. I think I saw Dorie! I tried to get some pictures of them, but mainly took video... I may add a few pics later.

The condo had a pool that was nice but no comparison to the ocean.

We were 7 flights up and thought this was amusing and scary to see on the balcony above...I hope no one tried to jump from there!!!

As you recall I mentioned bats in the cave...well it was just after midnight, Stewart was up and we heard a commotion and a bit of a muffled yell..."BAT!!"

Loe and behold, enter the bat! Neil and Stewart shewed him right out with a bit of a chuckle.

The wildlife here was definately different. In fact I have never seen so many Iguana's running loose in all my life!

There were lizards galore...

leaf cutter ants...

and even some croc's!! Although we didn't get to see any...

The coconuts were plentiful...

We enjoyed the culture, the taco stands, the flea markets.....

and the cobblestone streets.

The day before we left we were able to go and do the Zip Line Canopy Tour. This is one of the tourist attractions here that help create big revenue for the people of the area. It is basically an oversized cabled "flying fox" that allows you to harness yourself to a line overlooking the jungle and at a high rate of speed go "whoosh" through the jungle. It was a lot of fun and even though Neil was only able to watch( he still had to wear the safety gear) it was something that we will never forget...the pictures didn't turn out as good as we would have liked, but here we are geared up and ready to go!

The best part was just being in the warm tropical climate...

the water....

the play fullness...

the adventure....

the appreciation for simplicity....

being with family.....

....I can't wait to take my own boat there...

we thank Jamie for this opportunity...it was not all play,

but it was a pleasure!

Oh and if you are ever to ride the bus please observe the rules below: Pregnant women, old people, and blind people sit in the front....and perhaps those with a nice rear end may as well....I sat in the middle!! ha ha.

Summin' up Summer

2012-08-14T12:59:00.000-07:00

What in the world have we been up to? Well the summer has gone by in a whirlwind of business and pleasure. Neil has been to see numerous surgeons, ran more extensive tests, even a few painful ones resulting in one thing, “yes, he is a candidate for surgery.” This is something we all knew, but needed confirmation. We are not out of the woods yet. Everyone from the doctors, to lawyers, to us has to agree on the proper proceedings….and in between all of this, a little bit of playtime as well.

Stewart has gotten in some good bowl time at the skate park and his “airs” have gotten a lot of notice from, well, just about everybody. He is also interested in surfing again. We are hoping to meet up with a group of families that get together on Sunday mornings, just to surf and “stay connected with family and nature.” I feel like after all this time, we have all met some very cool and fun people who have similar interests, values and priorities as ourselves. We haven’t met a great bunch of people since Richmond, and probably never will…yes we love you guys!! I am just always so impressed by Stewart’s ability to watch something, than be able to do it, with little effort. He has switched to more street skating…ie. Jumping and airing stairs and obstacles. As a girl I am like “ wow, look at that!.” As a mom I am like “oh! I can’t watch!” Ha ha!

Katie has joined the San Diego Derby Dolls. That’s right, she is a “Roller Derby Girl.” Her team is called the “Juvenile Dollinquents” and she is kicking butt. She is still looking for that perfect name and will gladly take suggestions. Her first match is in September. They do flat and banked track. I invested in a pair of old school skates and pads, and practice with her. The group of girls vary in age from 11 to 18. She has made so many new friends even though they are all too busy training right now to get too personal right now. It is a lot of hard work with a lot of reward. Needless to say, I am seriously thinking about joining myself, but for now, we skate! (pictures to come soon).

We have had a gaggle of kids on the boat. Some are the same crew as last year and some are newbies. It has been a lot of fun with trips to the desert, various skate parks, the beach, and snorkeling and diving. I am a big kid at heart and it makes me just as sad to see the summer end, but the playtime is far from over.

I had the opportunity to snorkel in a very cool coastal spot. The water was fairly clear for the area and I was able to get incredibly close to sea lions. In fact, I first went out in just my bathers, came back to shore for my wetsuit and stayed in, mesmerized for a few hours. I have to say that to see the seals interact with each other, swimming around and neck hugging each other, playing, exploring, splashing….it was beyond amazing. It was a pure raw energy that as you can tell hit me right in my soul. I have snorkeled before, seen fish and starfish and even octopus, but this…was….truly incredible and I feel so blessed to have seen it with my own eyes…ugh, I could go on and on but I will spare you my mushiness for now! I plan to go back on a much clearer day for better video but you will get the point. I love love loved it!

If anything this incredibly warm summer has given me enough of a taste to go and get myself certified…for diving, not the loony bin!! Ha ha. I have enjoyed taking over the boats bottom maintenance and I love being in and under the water. I would like to try tanks soon and see what else I can “see.”

Not bad for a girl missing a third of her lungs!!

So we have had and are having a ball with our kids, their friends, our friends, the dogs, and even a few strangers…wish you were here…. enjoy the video below.

Fun and games

2012-05-17T19:02:00.003-07:00

We have gotten a few good but short little sailing jaunts here and there since the last post. We were treated to quite a little show of dolphin play this last time and ended up having a momma and her young swim along side up by the bow.

So graceful...

They truly are beautiful creatures and I feel so fortunate any time I get the honor of their pressence.

Two peas....

Once back into a little cove, we took advantage of the local beach and did some much needed bottom scraping and painting to the "water taxi."

(Slave labor I tell ya!!,,haha)

I don't care how old you are, it's always fun playing around at the beach......

you never get tired of lounging around in hammocks......

and the sunsets are always gorgeous.....

Since then we have gone on to do a bit of exploring of some of the state parks So Cal has to offer. From time to time I start "jonesing" for the mountains...so off we went....

.(but it was not all for me...it was just what the doctor ordered for all...)

The beauty of So Cal is you can be within several diffferent atmospheres in a short amount of time...Ocean, Valleys, Mountains, and Desert....how lovely is that?

Having the Jeep also allows for us to "explore" without having to "foot" it. Just take the top off and away we go...Right now, that is the best way to get Neil up the mountainside...

The dog's joined the inland crew for a bit of the action as well. Foster at one point got so hot he just walked on in the little creek after a sip or two.

Winnie needed lot's of mini breaks. She has the shortest little legs and sometimes her desire and her ability conflict....don't we all have moments like that?! She made use of the top of my backpack and "hitched a ride" for a little while.

Daisy, well she just kick's major butt and appeared for most of it to have somewhat of a happy little grin on her face.

They were little troopers and kept up pretty well for being a bunch of "boat dog's."

The kids and myself decided to do a little rock climbing. I tell you what, I am no spring chicken and it was challenging but I love to hike, always have, and to have the kids old enough to not have to worry about them, was quite nice. ( I still was like, oh be be careful, and they were like, "mom! we got this!" and I was like, "oh ok"...haha).

My little "Monkeys"....

Neil was able to keep up with a little flat land trails with help of some serious medication, but for the most part he kept up with the 4 x 4. ( yes, we can't wait until he is done with surgery, recovery, and back to somewhat of a normal life!!!)....

Speak of the devil...We are only a few more tests away before we start to get into the fine details of planning Neil's much needed lower back surgery. It looks like his "year off" as advised by the doctor's has just not produced the results they wanted. Instead we are looking at further damage to his lower back and we are hoping that his nerve test tomorrow will look favorable instead of more "damage" to add to our list of..."poop."

***(will not insert poop pic here....although tempted...haha!)***

Stewart is getting better and better with his skating...and he absolutely loves it, and we love watching!

Katie has taken a large interest in photography and even with our mediocre camera has taken some very lovely shots. She hopes to get more involved in it and like all of us has plans to travel the world...I think I will join her!

As always we have good days and bad. Most bad days end with good and so on...and that's just the way it has to be! I am thankful for the gorgeous gorgeous weather here, the good doctor we are with now and all of your prayers, well wishes, encouragement, and sometimes kicking me in the butt for not staying on top of this blog!! haha...

In all seriousness,remember take care of you and yours, and always make sure to treat yourselves!!....

However simple that may be....

Same ole same ole....

2012-04-15T12:46:00.000-07:00

As updates generally go on this blog, the same remains true....we are still waiting. This time we are waiting for another MRi on Neil's lower back. The last time they did this section was over a year ago. When it's all said and done Neil should have all new scans. It is becoming harder to be patient through all of this. I try not to dwell too long in that head space or else you will find me on the most wanted list, just kidding....

Spring has arrived in southern California and I am enjoying it. The winds kick up a little more, the storms are lovely, and the heat is returning. As much as I want to be someplace else, this still isn't too bad. We are getting spring sailing fever, well actually it never left...and talks of taking little jaunts here and there are in the works once again.

We would like to visit some islands both here and across the border. One way or another there will be sailing, oh yes there will. Our souls are craving it. Most of my family don't quite understand that statement, but for those of you who are sailors, well, I know you totally understand what is meant by my statement. Quite honestly, when I think of going offshore, spotting whale pods, seeing the dolphins running alongside and feeling the sun and wind on my face, well, I get a little misty eyed over it..... Ya I am that cheesy!!

We hope everyone had a wonderful Easter this year! Fair winds my friends.

Four Legged Crew

2012-03-16T19:29:00.000-07:00

Our four legged crew continues to amuse me...the puppies, who are no longer pups, have known nothing other than the sea, the boat and the sandy beaches...taking them to shore provides anxious pups and car rides tend to overwhelm them. They prefer arriving to and from via a dinghy or Hand Full herself...they can climb in and out windows, jump up on the bimini and dodger to ward off strangers and seem to enjoy every minute of it. They all have their sailing spots....Winnie is still tiny enough to go to her hiding spot while sailing...the cubby's in the cockpit where we keep the winch handles... Daisy likes to sit in the far aft behind the helmsman on top of the gas powered hooka...and Foster, well, he is going to be found wherever I am to be found as he is my little shadow. I have thoroughly enjoyed having them with us...and I just wanted to share with you a few pictures of our four legged handful. Enjoy!

Daisy:

Winnie:

Foster:

Three Stooges:

the bowl

2012-03-16T18:41:00.000-07:00

I promise to get better video of this later but for now...here is Stewart skating the bowl...wish I could do it!!

How it goes

2012-03-16T18:29:00.002-07:00

I can't believe it has been a month already...I am sorry for the delay in posting...I am hoping to stay a little more on top of it now.

I bet you are all wondering...what the heck have the Rife's been up to? Well.... this week we had what we thought was the Big Appointment...Let me back track a bit...

Since my last post we were waiting on our next appointment for another MRI..a clearer one as requested...I am going to be perfectly honest here when I say that I am very upset with Neil's doctor in San Diego...he turned in a peice of paper to the insurance company stating that "there was no damage"...NO DAMAGE??? Well several profane statements come to mind, but I will refrain...this caused the hold up for a new scan...however, and thankfully, the doctor that had done the evaluation last year (the QME report, the one that counts) contested his findings and basically threw the San Diego doctors claim out the window.

So we have uprooted and are now closer to the L.A. doctors. We had a new MRI scheduled for this week. We went to it, and while there asked if they did the right area. We even called the surgeons office to double check. They all said "yes." We took our cd containing the new images to the surgeon....and, well, they did the wrong area...BUT...this is a good thing because it shows a much clearer image of the "grey area" and the surgeon was able to see area's that he thought were ok, and turns out it was not.

That was a mixed blessing, I mean, yes, they caught it...but that means, yes, there is more damage.....so, where are we now? We are scheduling another MRI for next week, another visit with the surgeon and this time we should have the exact information needed to move onto planning for surgery.

The how, when and where's of it all have long been on our list of questions...What are they going to do, how long is it going to take for recovery, where are we going to do it...just to mention a few...and of course this list includes what will the outcome be, and what are the complications that could occur...I know you, like us have so many to ask, but for now, we must wait.

In the meantime we have seen some neat parts of the L.A. area. We seem to be all over the place up here, but are getting used to having to take 10 different interstates just to get across town. I must say that San Diego has a much more laid back feel to it, and I think a bit more charm...but I haven't been everywhere yet. We go back and forth alot between the two, since the kids have friends there, and so do we.

Stewart has gotten better at skating the bowl. The dog's are enjoying their boat time...still overly protective, but I don't mind, and we are glad that they all have each other to play with, even when it looks like a full on attack sometimes, haha! School is going well for them...yeah internet schools! And I have gotten alot of painting done as well as, yes, I have read the Hunger Games Trilogy along with Kate and we are looking forward to spending a day at the movies when it comes out, although we are not the crazy die hard types that will be camping out overnight....

We hope if there is time in between the scheduled surgery that we can take a quick trip back up north to see our good friends and family..you know who you are...

We enjoy our lazy days on the water either way and are very thankful that even with all the "mess" we try to make each day a special memory, and that is about all we can do for the time being.

And that just about wraps it up for now..I will be trying out a new app for sending the blog post right from my phone and may do a facebook for sailinghandfull...let me know if anyone is interested on that...it seems like these days it is far easier to send pictures and videos to facebook than any place else...

All of our love and blessings to you!

Happy Valentines Day

2012-02-15T15:48:00.000-08:00

It is hard to believe that it has been a month since I updated the blog....a big sorry to those of you who may have been concerned..just remember, no news is good news...most of the time, anyway.

We have been playing the waiting game and have finally gotten Neil in with a surgeon in Los Angeles. We went in to consult with him last week and he ordered up an MRI of Neil's middle back. When we met with him this week to go over all of the scans, past and present, he informed us that yes, he saw damage but the scans were basically "grainy and useless." this included the one we had done just this Tuesday morning. We are now awaiting authorization for another scan. I am hoping that the next one goes well and that we can get on with the road to recovery.

For Valentines Day Neil and I spent the night at a hotel since we were to be getting up super early for doctors and lawyers visits and were hoping to have "date night" in style... Ie. no kids! Ha ha...so I book this lovely hotel room online, won't give you the exact company we used but it may or may not have something to do with a certain former sci fi character...anywho, we get there after a long draining day to find that it is in fact a "backpackers haven"...a hostel. Well, after some eye rolling a giggling we get our pre paid room, our "freebie schedule" and headed through the hairy hippy's. I have nothing against hippy's..I often get mistaken for one...but these are the one's who just don't care if they smell of the earth, who really should wear patchouli oil, but don't, who are very eager to touch you...etc.. Needless to say, we did have a good time, even though we just went to our room, didn't partake in the community festivities and giggled about the room..broken remote, hide a bed, tub drain that fills up in less than ten minutes to the top..thought we were going to flood the place, dressers and cabinets missing knobs to where you couldn't hardly open them, a bed that squeaked so loudly you felt like you were in an adult film but where only trying to get comfy...it was a sight...but hey, they gave out free cookies twice a day, free coffee, free champagne, and free dinner...it is a memory that will remain with us for life...a reminder to never take anything too seriously and boy did it make me thankful for my own bed!

I will keep you posted about the outcome of the doctor's visit and let you know what we are to expect. I don't really care much for Los Angeles but will gladly put up with it for a while if it is a means to an end...love to you all! Xoxo

Still kicking'

2012-01-16T14:47:00.000-08:00

Well sorry folks for not keeping up with the blog...since the holidays it has been quite interesting here. We have had our ups and downs to the start of the new year. Ups include getting an extremely reasonable hot water shower for the enclosed cockpit..as much as I am sure it is good for the skin, cold water in the middle of winter is not my cup of tea! We found a propane ready camping shower, similar to a sun shower but it is aluminum and immediate heat. If you are looking for a reasonable back up I suggest you go to camping world and take a look! Now that I am all spoiled with fine weather and warm water I will tell you about the rest of the ups...the kids are doing great and are already ahead on their schoolwork for the year. It is sure nice having online school again as the harder trig and calculus classes are coming up and well I am good with numbers, but not that good! The weather has been lovely but we are starting to get some of the rain and winds associated with a typical SoCal winter which means getting out a wool cap, putting on pants for a while (except for Neil who wears shorts year round!) and digging out the heavy sweatshirts! Ugh, what a chore! Haha. Now for the downs...

We had an engine mishap. It seems our little 2 horse Honda kicker took a nose dive and threw a rod...it basically went " thud,crack,boom,smoke,big boom,cough,dead " I think that about covered it...it is still under warranty but it is a pain getting all that in order here...so hopefully soon we will see some progress on that one. We still have the 15hp and good old fashioned oars, so we are not at a complete loss...but this is par for the course.

Sad news for those who knew we had a little pup named "Mable" who was a darling little sweet thing and well God just wanted her more than we did..she had been a little gift, and was not in the best of health being born too early...it was sad to see her pass, but we are sure thankful for the time we had her to snuggle with, play, and lament over...r.i.p. little one, you are missed.

We are still playing the waiting game with Neil. He is still awaiting clearance for surgery and we are really starting to feel the effects, mainly Neil. He is in a lot of pain, and I would say on average he is up for 3 days and down 4 most weeks...keep praying for a resolution soon.

With the passing of a pup and all the emotional baggage going on with seeing friends head off into the sunset for a trip we have had planned for a while it is certainly starting to wear, but we are keeping it on a positive..we saw just how fragile your life really is and that without a doubt no matter how painful or troublesome it tends to be, this is it fellas, one shot,one chance and well you'd better darn well try to enjoy it!

We know our day is coming soon, but until it gets here, we just want to say just how much we love and cherish each and every one of you. God bless, and here's to a Happy New Year!

simple does it

2011-12-25T16:33:00.000-08:00

This year we kept it very simple...homeade cards(which I had a ball getting up early Christmas Eve to paint), we played some great games, and had even better egg nog (one for big kids and one for little kids and both with lots of whipped cream)! We had a fun time remembering past Christmas's and I was sad to discover that perhaps the kid's were well aware that dad and mom were realy Santa a lot sooner than I was willing to admit...at least they kept quiet and let me enjoy it for a few more years! haha. The dogs had a little feast of pig ears and the boat's lights sparkled on the water on a very warm and rather calm night. I am truly thankful to our friends and family who wished us well and to you all I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Below are my homeade cards for the kids...

Stewarts card:

Katie's card:

MeRrY cHrIsTmAs!!

2011-12-23T12:34:00.000-08:00

Family traditions...everyone has them. It may be buying special jammies handing them out and wearing them as they drink hot cocoa, open family gifts and enjoy the spirit of Christmas Eve. All the while anticipating Christmas Day where by some miracle, no matter how old or how small, there is at least one gift or more from that mysterious man in red. This year we have a lot to be thankful for. Great friends, a wonderful family and most of all life. In our family, tradition has mainly been about making good memories..no matter how minute they may seem. We realy don't have a routine, in fact, some years Neil and I can't wait to share and Christmas comes almost a week early...other years a few days after...either way, it's all about building lovely memories that will last long beyond any gifts.

Below is my Christmas painting.

We were quite bummed when they cancelled Neil's appointment with the surgeon once again...but we are looking at it as "it wasn't in the plans." HIS plan. What is HIS plan for us? At this point only He knows...but as always, I am glad it is in HIS hands...takes a lot of pressure off, huh? haha...and with that let us all celebrate the "Reason for the Season," and I hope that all of our friends and family have a wonderful Holiday!

MeRrY ChRiStMaS from "Hand Full."

holidays on the water

2011-12-09T07:49:00.000-08:00

Well you can take the girl away from land but you can't stop her from putting up Christmas lights! You guessed it, I just put up some pretty LED Christmas lights. I think it looks even more spectacular being seperate from the docks. The lights shimmer and twinkle in the water making for a very Halmark moment...I am not the only one, there seems to be quite of few of us moored boats that share the spirit of the Holidays.

This weekend is the first of two lighted boat parades. We hope to go to the first one at least which boast's to be even bigger this year! I hope to have a little video to show later.

Katie and I are still walking/jogging every day. I feel better every time I do it and we always enjoy going to the beaches to exercise. Every once in a while we come across a local artist who makes castles for the Hotel Del...can you imagine making sand castles for a living? How great is that? So below is one of her creations.

It has been rather chilly even for southern Cal according to the locals, but we are fast getting used to the chilly air and it definately helps to put you in the Holiday spirit, until you get to the beach, that is!

Tis the season...

2011-12-04T14:53:00.000-08:00

It's December...can you believe it? I can't. It's nice to be in San Diego for another Christmas. We are looking forward to the lighted boat parade once again this year...should be coming up in a week or two.

Neil has had a few set backs with the surgeons as you all know, but is now scheduled in about 2 weeks to meet with one of the top spinal surgeons in the so-cal area. (not the 1 star rating doctor, thank goodness!) Good things come to those who wait, right?

We have not been able to get me into the doctor for a while because of insurance and financial woes as well...but I am going to be seeking employment this next week with hopes of getting our cruising kitty back into effect and also plan for Neil's upcoming surgeries should we need to become land lubbers for a brief time.

I know I wanted to be sailing off into the sunset right about now,actually right about a year ago, but it is a bad thing to live in the "if only's" and I am just thankful to be here, now, on this planet with the one's I love.

So to avoid getting sappy I will end it with this...Tis the season to count your blessings and may God bless each and every one of you.

the low down

2011-11-25T17:52:00.000-08:00

Here is the low down on our current medical situation: This is a bit of a rant, but...well read on....

     I am no longer able to get medical coverage like before so this means no more treatments, tests, etc..the little bit of insurance we had before through the state via Neil's disabilty has now denied any further treatment or testing unless we pay $1500+ per month..ya right!

     Next...I applied for private insurance only to be denied because they consider this to be a pre-existing condition and I have been denied, twice....What does this mean for me, well it means that I have to save up to get the test's done. I am tempted to check into what it would cost to go to Tijuana instead...Meanwhile I feel good, and I am jogging/walking about 30 plus miles a week with Katie. I am watching what I eat, taking lot's of vitamins and am going to buy some Esiac Tea..a good natural cancer fighter...this is all I can do for now and so far, I am feeling pretty darn good, energetic, happy, and confident that I will not be sick this holiday season.

     Now for Neil: UGH...and UGH and a few choice words again. Well he has had 2 or 3 appointments to see spinal specialist's this month only to be told to go home after waiting in the office by their personel...reason given? The company has denied it...even though these very good, very competent specialist's were on "the list." Now we have been given a "specialist" who's online rating is barely over a 1 out of 5...he is a company doctor of course and this makes me FURIOUS!!

     Ultimately we get to choose his surgeon, I mean, come on! I don't care if I have to travel across country, I just want him to have the best of the best...I have heard too many horror stories to just say, "ya ok, cut him up."

     So what does this mean? It means we are down to the wire. I am hoping that we have the next two months to get him into a good guy, and out of pain...seriously he has been unable to move from the bed to the couch for the last week or so....and that to me, is UNACCEPTABLE!!

     So that is the low down...medically speaking.

     We did have a fun yet simple Thanksgiving, and we hope to meet up with friends later this week and are going to take advantage of the lovely weather tomorrow and head to the beach for surfing and boogie boarding!(myself and the kid's)

     Even with all the "crap" going on, we are still happy, still positive and still enjoying each day with each other...