"calm ,(in a storm,) before the storm"

We invited the taxi,stuffed some bills into our childrens hand and ,they went,off to the movies in the town Riogrande,across a couple of bridges-passed alot of the marchy glades,not the only Florida similarity.A lot of closed for season pastel colored motels with black sedans parked outside and,across the bridge, a lot of docked Marlin fishing boats and kept gardens and new peopleless condos.
It's raining with lightning tonight.Just right to hunker down,drink guiness,light candles,listen to birthday tunes*,and write our big list for tomorrow.
We arrived here in Cape May a week ago,incredulous I am at the warp of time.
We came from OysterBay NY.We had a sweet evening sail that first night to city island-wee spot ,just off of the bronx. We gimped along as our starboard engine wouldn't go into gear. The mechanic at The Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club guessed it long before the confirmed diagnosis once we had hauled out. It was not the transmission,it's oil,it was the prop.The hub. We came here ,leaving wooden ship building City Island before sunrise .This was the closest marina that could handle the hoist up and out.We are on blocks in a boat yard.It's wet and the Shelly gravel from the ground has creeped up onto our home. We fulfilled our prop tasks-shipped out to Balimore,fixed with a weekend to wait in-between
David took the opportunity to dig deeper.The ol hornets nest,well not really ,but - you unveil a web of fiddly jobs ;parts needed,improvements and renewal..David and Joey got into it!! It's like an amusement park for them.
Olivia got really interested in nail art and face masks and hair treatments,all homemade. I fester over my loss of control and work hard on the balance between surrender and throwing in the towel or some such tantrum. Today ,I prepared to send my bike home.
I went to town to cash travelers checks,I spent a long time choosing the very right 5$ T shirt.
I eat a lot of ice-cream and Ginger candies.
So, tomorrow is the day we plunge back into the medium we are meant to inhabit. We'll get up early,stow the books,computers,hose the decks of grit,pump out the holding tank(rank), fill up the water tanks. We'll sail 120 miles directly to Norfolk in around twenty -four hours.
We all look forward to having Jeremy aboard ,we'll have a proper birthday dinner for Joey on Saturday night.We anticipate and welcome meeting our one blind date crew .That makes six of us for the 1500 miles.
We have joined "the Caribbean1500" a rally that has practiced this migration south for the past20 years . There are 80 boats that make the fleet.This family of four needs a mixer,an
extension cord.They'll get us pumped,feeling secure and part of a collective,like the Canadian geese in their fine V formation.

Rain Rain

OK,so,sorry but I know I had written more in continuation from NYC weekend ,alas where did you go? My dog didnt eat it because she's not here! She's in warm hands with the devoted Smith family.
New York was really such a dream,I mean that in the sense that it seems now placed in a far away time zone ,now its in a special category in this journey,a place of special memory,like those plastic clear round balls with the winter snow that floats around when you shake it. We were happy in the very new dimention of being in a slIp at the dock. Jeremy and his friends Hutch and Dave arrived at 7:20 am,I know Ive writen this...
So,today,Friday,I sit in under a halo of frizzy hair,in very damp surroundings. Yesterday my friend Liz cam e to pick me up at the yacht club,I had JCrew failure dress to return and loads of laundry.WE only made it to the very swank mall that Liz has a name for,apparently JLo lives near by. Why do I get pumped at the though of running into her at wholefoods?? Here Im living on a boat Im supposed to be free of superficialities ,but ,yes I like stars, I digress...There actually was some real life drama here at the SeaCliff yacht Club; a 38 foot sailboat came off its mooring in the wind and rain sometime in the wee hours this morning and ended up on the west shores,up on the beach.I heard it on the radio this morning .When the launch came to get
me around 1pm,he told me.I felt really bad,I said to David last night on the phone that I feel
responsible for watching over the other boats.I think Im the only transient,therefore,the only live aboard human in the lonely harbor.
Liz picked me up,we went shopping.I successfully returned the dress,a dress? you want to know what Im wearing this minuet?Red lond underwear,fuzzy red sox,down jacket,rain coat. I am at helm but Im getting ahead of where this blog is at.I'm doing my edits and completions....
So,we're at the mall and I get a call from Jim,at the Seacliff Yacht Club. The winds are revving and his suggestion is to get back to the club so that he could bring me back to my floaty home. The night was feisty but I held steadfast to reigning in the drama my mind could have concocted . later reports were that we had 60knot winds in that quite exposed harbor. I was glad,later that David wasn't there. Sometimes too much knowledge can make panic-mind.
I liked my solo time aboard Rhythm. When I got in the water the one warm day of the whole week with the running belt Dave and Les gave me as a parting gift,I looked to the boat and felt a warm realization,"home"

NYC Party Reflections

When I think about it,I feel like an oyster today.Our vessel is my shell. After 2 of the first consecutive days of rain,I woke this morning to a still clear welcome from sky and sea. I took out my light available kayak and set off to explore and enjoy a new dimension,like tentacle from the main ship,still feeling connected but adventurous and free. That's what it's all about,isn't it?
To go back to the last entry, I do apologies for the gaps,when I tried to edit it wouldn't let me scroll down...
I needed to make it clear that after our dinner Wednesday in the city,we moved on Thursday from the anchorage to a slip at the docks at the boat basin. Anne OHagan came through the park from her brothers home to visit.It was fun as we had come to the boat basin together on Jasmine,Don Hills sailboat many many years before.We reminisced . we took a walk .
Friday morning Jeremy arrived by car with Dave and Nick .Ahhh the youth! No rest and what a welcome wind of energy they brought to our slightly complacent crew. They ate bagels they left with Joey and Olivia. David and I left had a good down-home tete a tete at the cafe on the pier . Friday night we dispersed and mum and Dad took David and I out to a show with dinner.We saw Memphis,very good,we all enjoyed it. Jem and boys,Bro Joe included, went to a Canadian Tuxedo Party which is denium - torture as it was insanely hot and humid,it turns out Jeremy who is in constant coincidence mode,realizes the hostess is Sarah Dobson"Sarah D" as he called her in sr K at Brown school and another
friend ,Ahsley- who he was going to look up in the city at some point was there too.


Saturday morning we took off in pods to meet Kristys group at a restaurant with waiters/
who preform between trays of eggs benedict and banana smoothies(olives order). It was Grama
Sues birthday and apparently she arrived bright and early solo!! Dad was nursing a bad cold,poor birthday girl,had to borrow the waiters phone,as he pirouetted around ,no one answered their phones. we arrived after she had fled.We went to fetch her, brought her back,and began a proper celebration. again,we split,David and Joey off on bikes,to Soho.Philippa and Olivia,subway somewhere.I took off running back to the boat to meet Jenny .The girls had arrived by subway,and the three decided to chill in Central Park.
so what? Call bro Joe! we met down at the 76 Crosby St Hotel in Soho.He bought me a glass of Champagne.We had such a nice visit
Time to subway back! we had a party to attend. It was so very awfully hot and humid
Got back,running late,had a shower at boat basins tiny bathroom and when I got to Rhythm,many of our lovely guests were already there! I snuck down to my cramped little dressing room to rapidly,nervously choose and suit-up. Peggy Gertner came down to help and then Jenny took a turn.
I was soon surrounded by the comfort of family and friends who had made the effort to be just where they were. It was really fun being docked at the boat basin,it felt like a really eccentric,NY vibed,place and with the sultry humid heat of an Indian summers day still in the atmosphere,it was an altered state of serenity,perfect vessel to hold the love energy . It was later,after our cocktails and our time up at Columbus avenue,when we came back to the boat that I felt the 'sweet spot.In the morning I realized,watching Jeremy,Charles ands friends,that I did miss that yummy slowed, wound -down après 'hug and tell me you love me' time with my best beloved friends.
I noticed champagne in the fridge and plastic flute glasses,mmmm, a toast to come? I helped myself to a beer.
My parents,our 4 kids,my brother,Margaret and Stephen,Aunt Bon.Vic,Kris and Brian
,Sydney,Jeremys friends;,Charles and girlfriend and their NYC friends ,Nick and Dave,Lorne
Gertner, Al ,Peggy and Emily, Jenny Armour.It was just right.
We migrated in clusters to "Prohibition" It too was just right. They had a red room in the back that was ours to play in.We had a pool table a bar and a waitress who kept us satiated. still no bubble toasts...oh well ,I asked the bar tender for a beer. David initiated a group hug and speeches. Jeremy was precious speaking of his total endorsement of our journey afloat but how strange it was to be home in Toronto after being away for a few years and Noe not to have HOME and all the inhabitants within.It was very sweet.

Life is a sauce de reduction

It was suggested I use this as my blog title today.I used it yesterday to describe how it is here in the close confines of living aboard. Your "buttons "are pushed on a regular basis and there is nowhere to run .Hiding in your room or roaring off in the dingy is a dramatic purge of anger and steam,however serves only to heighten the amps on the "buttons".In other words,you feel worse .Sometimes a big yell from the dingy works,especially if you have everyone's attention,like in a case where I had the front painter wrapped around the motor,they were all yelling at me about it and I started yelling back,not in response to the rope(I actually thought the rope had fallen right off and had sunk.) That rip roar , yell and spew did perpetuate some healthy discussion. Which returns to my point.You are forced to confront the horrid monsters of generations of distorted communication skills. To be true,is to know thyself and to know who you really are can take your whole life. This work in progress is at this juncture found in a condensed medium , a sailboat.
Today was outwardly beautiful but to me it was lived like a cold dark and rainy day. I didn't make the most of my day. I know there's a lesson in here somewhere.It's like interpreting a dream.
We need a new American Flag! We were aware that the flag was getting shabby but I felt Canadian embarrassment this morning when a sailboat cruised by shouting in a friendly
voice,"Goodmorning, did you know that it's a sign of distress if you fly a flag upside down?"
It's a still ,cool and warming sunny day.Last night we had turkey for dinner but Olivia declared,"Im not even going to pretend this is Thanksgiving!" I even made stuffing that I cooked in a pan,as the turkey we had was in pieces baking in our little propane oven.We spoke to some of our
farm weekend residing family and we agreed that we missed one another. I really loved knowing thatDavids Family and my Family had a Sunday lunch together

We have joined, " The Caribbean 1500", a group of cruisers who sail forth from Norfolk Virginia all the way down ,one thousand five hundred miles ,passed Bermuda to St Thomas in The BVIs .This is very advantageous for us .We need reassurance,a community.
Jeremy has committed to joining our crew,which makes us all very happy.We are also hoping Thom Ridout will commit.

Correction

We sailed our jib this morning,not the spinnaker!!!!
Oh dear oh dear!!!!!!!

Oyster Bay NY

Oh how an open sky ignites a heart to open!I saw the sun rise in a cloudless sky over the hills of sweet SeaCliff at 7:20am this morning.We have become quite fond of the boys at The SeaCliff Yacht Club,so very helpful and generous with deeds done for our benefit. On a dinner making phone chat,just like home,with Liz,I said,bye for now,but we will return.
We sailed under spinnaker for a couple of hours to this sheltered charming,typically affluent long island sound OysterBay. I google mapped the closest laundromat and movie theater.
To me,google map is astoundingly cool
To me, OysterBay is lovely.
To me,when you can switch it up,change to pleasant weather,feel the Friday of the weeks end,the battle is slightly diffused.
Joey is reading Brave New World,do you remember Aldous Huxley wrote that in 1932!!!!? It is STILL on the grade 12 curricula ! when I was reading some to Joey this morning,(the ONLY help Im allowed to offer)The Director of the human hatchery says,"Ninety six identical twins working ninety six identical machines!"..."You really know where you are .For the first time in history ". ... when I asked Joey the question that "one of the students was fool enough to ask" ,(where the advantage lay)?I included the directors line,"If we could bokanovskify indefinitely the whole problem would be solved" Which brings me back to my point,"the battle","the whole problem" of the human condition,how to control ourselves and coordinate that with "controlling " or really collaborating with one another.
So,that's the war of mad scientist vs spirit of the human essence.
Some days are sunny and clear and lots are overcast and cold
I hope this is the last blog where I use the tired old "Canadian" metaphor to let you know,
Today is a good day

Beat from rhythm

In the Middle of the Atlantic Ocean

I may as well be in the middle of nowhere in my floaty home.It's like being at the cottage in October.Our cottage,where David and Jeremy and his 2hearty buddies,Pat and Dave were this weekend on Georgian Bay.They too would be wearing coats and long undies and a scarf inside,or maybe just drinking tequila .it's rainy and now it's getting dusk lit. my good friend Liz did offer to fetch me at the Yacht club but Ive been very indecisive today. I finally did some yoga and warmed up and felt creative minded.
This is my last day solo.David and my crew return very soon.They had to return our van and Joey and Olivia wanted to be on land with friends for a bit.
I've been without propane.I bought an electric kettle.I've had coffee. today I panicked,Ive got to fill the tank so that I can cook for my peeps.I spoke to David and he patiently explained ; there's a full second tank in the anchor locker ,apparently he told me!! I need an assistant,Ive always needed an assistant, help me,maybe I can find a merman to help me.
living aboard is the beginning of another process.There was first,leaving there to get here. now there is being you with all your you in another place.So? well if you want,and indeed,I do,you can reinvent the you a little,tweak you. It's really merely sifting through what you got. we've all had to do it. I've always been interested in the idea of incarceration;the freedom of not being in control.It's a little the same here.Limitations can be very liberating. I'll keep you posted as we wait out weather here on the eastern seaboard.