summer cruising

The sun was shining today (after it actually snowed yesterday guess it is trying to make up to us for our previous morning surprise) and it got me thinking about our summer boating plans.

Last year by this time I had the summer scheduled out. I know that doesn't sound very spontaneous but I left some weekends open for wherever the wind would take us. But some of the marinas you need to have reservations to get in during the busy summer months since most of us boaters try and get in all the time we can on our boats during the months of July and August. Hey with a short summer window we need to maximize our time.

This year I am behind and don't have reservations at any marinas yet. I need to get started on getting my schedule together so I started thinking of where I wanted to go to this summer.

By the time I thought of all the incredible places I wanted to get to this summer in our own backyard like Spencer Spit (a special request from nephew Levi), Succia, Deer Harbor, Salt Spring Island, Anacortes, Poulsbo, Port Orchard, Bremerton, Blakely, Port Ludlow, Lake Washington, and then I want to head further south this year as well. Seems like I already have a full summer.

What really needs to happen is for us to be able to take the entire summer off to get to all the places we want to check out though in reality it would really take a year especially if we headed further north.

So since that isn't reality I will have to just overbook my summer like we always seem to and head out as often as we can starting when Sam gets back from Germany. But overbooking isn't so bad since really on a warm, sunny summer day being on a boat (in calm seas) is about as good as gets. I could get halfway through my list by summer if we start spending more time on the boat now. And I know I won't get any arguments from Sam on this at all.

As for my year off I want to sail I might have to use that year to just sail around year since there are so many places I want to visit again and all those places we haven't yet checked out. So really now it seems like I need 2 years instead of the one. Guess I had better just focus on making 1 happen and go from there.

new color scheme

For some reason I really like to change the paint colors in our house. In fact I have done it so often my sister T (Tanya) says the square footage of our house has decreased because I have painted so many times. It could actually be true.

I have gone through all sorts of phases - a cream only phase, very light colors, neutrals, browns, various greens, and now I am a vivid red, yellow, with some gray thrown in. I am known to paint an entire room, decide I don't like and repaint within days. I don't even want to admit how many times I repainted our kitchen after the remodel but it was more than 4 times.

Typically I paint while Sam is out of town. Painting is something he doesn't do but has plenty of input on so I find it best just to have it done when he gets home since I know he won't repaint it himself.

For a while every time Sam would leave town he knew he would come back to at least 1 room repainted. Since Sam left the country today it must be time for me to change some room color drastically. If the change isn't dramatic I don't personally see the reason doing it at all.

I got out my paint strips to contemplate just what color scheme I would be up for next. But so far I haven't gotten inspired. I must still be in my red phase. I did notice yesterday at the stores I was very drawn to lime green though that could be a carryover from my sister C's baby shower theme as well.

But it has been a year since I changed the paint color in any room - at least I think so. Last time I said something to the affect it had been a while someone pointed out it was only about 4 months ago.

Since Sam is gone for 2 weeks this time I will have plenty of time to become inspired. After all I might have lost my contractor status at Sherwin Williams since I haven't been down there on a regular basis. Yes I painted so often and bought so much paint they started giving me the contractor's discount.

It might be time to find out if I am still eligible. So be prepared Sam you might come back to even less square footage. I wonder how you explain how your house shrunk when you go to sell it?

6 month vacation?

One of my life plans that I crafted for myself when I was 21 was that I would take off a year before I turned 40. At 21 forty seemed pretty old and a long, long way down the road. I mean my parents at the time were in their 40's and they seemed pretty ancient (sorry mom and dad but that is the truth though 40 is looking much younger these days).

I even told Sam my plan and insisted that if we would end up together he buy into it. Seems like it wouldn't have taken much to convince him but Sam is a workaholic and he couldn't fathom taking a year off to travel and hang out. He might get behind in his career and couldn't imagine living a vagabond life for an entire year. I finally convinced him but then I never really made it an option.

Well 40 is closer than I care to think about or admit and we still haven't taken that year off yet. But at work came emails and calls announcing yet more layoffs. And it seemed that maybe I would get time off - about 6 months worth in fact, that I hadn't planned for. Part of my life plan might come true. Well it turns out that I appear to have my job still at least for now.

I know that now it is a very good thing to still be employed but there is a part of me that wishes I would have my time off and this way it would be paid. After all I am running out of time to make it by 40. Of course I would have been on a paid vacation if I had been laid off and getting paid to sail is a pretty good gig. I just don't think Sam is quite ready to sail away just quite yet.

Partially this might be my fault since I am not ready to cross oceans or wide expanses of water in our current boat. Yes it is very sea worthy and is actually capable of crossing oceans, the first mate just isn't quite capable. I really think I need a few more feet and much more weight so those waves don't knock me around quite so much.

There is also the issue of the washer and dryer. I really think if I am heading off for destinations unknown I need clean clothes. I also need more refrigerator space - dried canned goods for extended periods of time never have quite factored into my idea of my year off. I had always envisioned hotels and good food. While I am willing to give up the hotel for a boat the food is a huge deal and is a deal breaker for me.

So as it turns out right now it is a good thing I still am presently employed and didn't get my 6 months of paid time off. I am not ready to head off by myself - really would like a skipper since I am still trying to work on that docking thing. But maybe I should get going on my plan so during the next round of layoffs I will be ready to leave port and will have convinced Sam to be the skipper.

After all this gives me plenty of time to research how far exactly I would be willing to go in our current boat or a way to round up someone to go with Sam while I fly out and meet him. Time is running out to make it by the time I am 40 but hopefully my 21 year old self would give me a bit more time so I can do it in style.

staying home

It had to happen sooner or later but Sam is heading to Frankfurt, Germany while I will be staying home. Unfortunately the timing just isn't going to work out and he will be working even in the evenings so I wouldn't get the chance to see him at all. So I made the sensible decision (or so I thought) to stay home.

Typically during the day he will work but when he is off later in the evenings we go exploring together and on the weekends but this time he will be working much of it. I thought I had made peace with it but suddenly I am wishing I too could head off to Germany.

I started wondering why I suddenly had the urge to find a flight when I knew I wouldn't really see him and the weather forecast didn't look very good. Then I remembered how much I loved Germany when we went to Munich. Those Germans are very efficient - it was so clean and organized. Everything ran on time and with such precision.

They even all spoke English (other than anyone who worked at the information booth - still trying to figure that one out) and I didn't even have to try and stumble through my German phrase book with my terrible pronunciation. Germans seem to make the best apple pie and I do love a good apple pie. Then they have shops filled with amazing cooking utensils that I could browse through all day (and did in fact). They love modern furniture - and being close to Italy they make a mean cappuccino.

Then there are those the sausages - yum! But most of all there was a sense of belonging. Since everyone thought I was German (which I am partly) they would automatically speak to me in German and were surprised when I would ask if they spoke English. It turns out I had found a country that looked like me. In fact Sam said it was a country of Kayla's - he had always wondered what people I resembled (other than my family) and suddenly it was clear. I look German.

A country with excellent food, friendly people, great public transportation, a place where I felt safe even at midnight, great shopping, modern furniture, and I didn't even mention yet their love of boots. Store after store filled with boots. No wonder I suddenly was wishing I had bought my ticket, I was longing for my second home.

Of course Sam probably won't forgive me if I don't mention the most important part of Germany - they know how to make excellent modern sailing vessels. Turns out his second favorite German thing is our Hanse (hey I am ranking myself first here) sailboat. The Germans know how to build a sailboat even a power boater like myself could and did fall head over heels in love with. I still look our Hanse every time on the dock and think it is the most beautiful sleekest sailboat on the water.

Now Hanse also makes a powerboat and I have always dreamed of a his and hers set of boats sitting at the dock. So Sam if you are feeling bad for vacationing - I mean working - without me in my second country that Hanse powerboat would make an excellent souvenir.

snow?

I woke up this morning to snow in our backyard. If there was any way I could have shipped it off to the ski hills I would have. For the past few weeks I have been wishing for snow at the ski resorts but no such luck. My Stevens Pass daily ski updates have been dismal - no reason to skip work at all, or even long to skip work.

Instead it seems somehow wires got crossed and there was snow in my backyard this morning. I wanted it someplace else instead and sure enough that hasn't happened at least not according to my Stevens Pass email this morning as it still only showed 1" of new snow in the last 48 hours. Come on we got more than an inch at our house.

Something is wrong here and it is snowing in the wrong place - my backyard for one. Now the sun is out - yes you read this correctly the sun is shining in Seattle. So it is all messed up - snow and sun in Seattle. All I can hope is that this sun thing continues as without any good skiing I might actually make Sam very happy and ask about going sailing.

Things are truly messed up here in my world - am thinking of winter sailing instead of skiing. Lets hope the universe (or at least the Seattle area) gets straightened out quickly as who knows what I will be thinking of next.

playa show and tell

Hanging out on the beach

Snorkeling

Fishing or in this instance a nice boat ride - fortunately Carla didn't have her baby in Mexico

Beautiful snorkeling spots and scenery

Sun and relaxation

incredible food - only pic I got since usually I started eating right away but by dessert one evening I was stuffed so there was time for a picture

Sam's dream of having a charter boat in Mexico