WEEK 2 ?

Week 2...3...? I think...uh, oh I've already lost track of time here!

So the boat behind us is still lying down however they have removed all of the boats that were parallel parked on the road, allowing only the smallest of vehicles through to our end.

The Canada Geese are starting to gather! Dianne and Goran [Pepa - London] are here. Jan and Cam [Te Amore -Nova Scotia] arrived a couple of days ago. We met Susan and Ken on Whiskey Jack - Toronto- yesterday as they were being launched, and our new friends on Largo Yves and Claire - Montreal- are working on their boat as well.

Rob and Brenda [Beguiler- Kingston] arrived last Friday as we were getting ready to leave to go to North Carolina. We talked for awhile, gave them our ladder and helped them hook up to our extension cords so they would have power, and then we left.

We only went as far as Daytona because it was late and we were trying to get some of the 8 hours covered before Saturday. MISTAKE!  We barely managed to find a room - it was a special events weekend...MUSCLE CAR SHOW!  Todd was happy; he looked out the window and named every one he could see. They were all souped up and driving like they were already on the track!

Saturday we arrived in Charlotte by 4 pm. Traffic was nuts but we had no problems in the road. Ross had cooked a pot of awesome ribs and made salad and baked potatoes. Carol was away for the weekend so we missed her. We spent the evening and the next day playing Skip-BO and a 5-dice game. Todd had a great time with him. So did we. We left around 3 pm and drove as far as Orangeburg,  South Carolina where we stayed for the night.

In the morning we drove to Jacksonville to meet Cheryl and Will [Varua] and picked up some more school supplies for Long Island. Cheryl has managed to send 8 boxes of runners to St. Thomas V.I.  Apparently they still don't have power to the whole island. After we left them we drove on to St. Augustine, to Sailor's Exchange and I picked up material for the cockpit cushions which are in desperate need of new covers. It wasn't what I wanted but for $8.00 /yard [normally $25-$35] for Sunbrella,  I can live with it!

We spent the week trying to get the bottom ready to paint...not easy when it rains constantly. I know you guys up there are dealing with snow, but you can sit inside a warm house and curse or you can go outside and play in it.

But Wednesday we were excited to get to see the launch...cancelled due to weather, so we went out and got new underwater lights and worked on the bottom. Todd and I went to the library to work...easier than listening to the ran hitting the boat.

Thursday we worked some more on the bottom. Todd and I washed the sanded parts and taped the water line.  We headed out to the launch site, lunch packed and cameras ready...got a half hour away and found that it was cancelled again. Turned around and came back to he boat.

So last night...good weather, sunny, calm we packed up again and headed north. We got up there, stopped for dinner and found a great location to watch...the 'employee's only gate to the Space Center. We parked and the guard came over and said, " You won't see much...it just got scrubbed...broken bearings in the launch pad. Next scheduled launch  - January"    CRAP!!!!

So - the boat- well, we're almost ready to paint. I can't hold the sander up high enough to reach the belly, so Rick has to do it. Feel bad about that but Todd and I will start to paint today. After he has finished the sanding, Rick has to photograph and draw an accurate picture of the drive plate...the pins holding the drive are rusted in and he needs a cobalt drill bit to get them out. Then we have to have a plate manufactured out of aluminum to support the brackets that hold the drive on because they are cracked. But next week is Thanksgiving here so that means that NOTHING will get done all friggin' week.  Todd and I will spend the week in the library arguing, while Rick works on the other unimportant jobs while waiting for the parts to reassemble the drive and then change the prop and THEN we will be ready... assuming that they actually move the boat behind us!

Mark and Gail are on their way down and we will probably meet them for Thanksgiving dinner in Indiantown.

Todd is doing ...okay. When we started working with his math skills I was horrified to find that he doesn't know the basics.  We played the counting game [dice] al weekend with Ross and that helped. Patterns he is good with and logic puzzle solving he likes, but he can't do the basics quickly enough. Reading is not bad but he can't do word searches. I have been trying to get him to work with pen and paper but it's like pulling teeth. I'm hoping that in the next few months it will get easier for him. He is reading an enormous book called TIMELESS that we found at a book store and he is also reading a book on the tablet called "11 tips for Writers" which he finds fascinating- ?!?!

Unfortunately I am an instant gratification person so I want RESULTS...probably why I didn't stay in teaching ...research is instant gratification...so as long as I don't alienate him completely I'm sure we will get to where we need to be eventually.  But right now I could cheerfully blow up the Grey-Bruce Board of Ed and everyone associated with it!!

So...back to work. ttyl

Cold? Not cold ?Can't decide

Sleeping on top of the rudder

Why you need a line cutter