still residing at the house

November was the month Sam and I planned to live on the boat. Since November is typically a gray, rainy, and windy month in Seattle it seemed a good month for us to try our hand at being liveaboards. If we could love living on a boat in November then maybe living on a boat would be for us, especially if we survived on our current one without a washer and dryer.

Well it is 1 1/2 weeks into November and I am typing this from my house. Somehow we didn't get packed up and move in yet. We spent Halloween weekend on the boat but didn't pack quite enough to move on board. The evening of November 1st we were back on land.

We honestly meant to make November our month but then life got in the way or I just never got packed for a month. The thought of packing for a month is just a bit daunting - I know how much I bring for a long weekend and it is a good thing I have a truck.

Of course living on a boat is supposed to be in some part about living with less but I am not sure just how much less I am willing to do without. After all our idea of roughing it involves espresso that is made with a separate frother and if we are really roughing it just coffee with cream. It is one thing to stay on a boat while on vacation it is a whole different deal to do it when you have to get up and go to the office every day. The shoes I will need alone might require their own suitcase.

Not to say I am not going through with the idea because I am it just won't be in November. Now I am shooting for January. With the holidays coming up I am not so sure I will be able to cook all the holiday goodies in my oven. It has no temperature on the oven other than turning up and down the gas height. It is pretty much a guess how hot it is. Warming stuff up and cooking things where temp doesn't matter is just fine but anything with a precise temp is a no go.

Actually January might be a bit more of a challenge. That time of year Sam is usually more than ready to try and head to a warmer climate. If we can make it together that month we might just be ready to start pursuing this liveaboard deal more seriously.

I am just wondering how much of a challenge it will be storing the skis on the boat and if I can somehow rent a washer and dryer for a month. That is really my biggest concern. I just remember all too well not having a washer and dryer in college and what a huge deal it was when I finally got an apartment where we had a washer and dryer in the apartment. It was such a luxury and I am going to have a very hard time giving that up.

The cooking part I can deal with - I mean Seattle has some very good restaurants I still haven't tried yet. Plus I can always live on cheese, chocolate, fruit, and bread though I am not sure how many times Sam will think that is dinner. Actually not having a washer/dryer could work to my advantage - there are always new clothes to buy and in January there will be a ton of sales. Problem solved, though after Sam sees all the new clothes he will be the one pushing for the washer and dryer.

This is sounding better and better all the time. January is going to be a very good month.

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.