Haulin'

So, as usual I tend to over think plans for doing something I've never done before only to find it much easier to accomplish than I imagined. Planned all sorts of block and tackle arrangements to step the mast on MOONBERGER. Unlike any boat I ever owned this one is hinged. After a week or two mentally planning finally got around to it only to find younger daughter was able to lift and press into place without help. Then came unstepping. Same mental process until I remembered how easy the stepping was. POC. Next came haulin' a many stepped exercise including getting trailer to ramp, backing it down ramp, winching boat on to trailer, towing home and backing down narrow drive. I never backed a trailer until this year and still fear the doing. Another POC. Boat now in yard ready for unloading and shed construction underway.

Slidin'

So.......as I started bike riding a couple years ago I have become much more aware of the roads on which I ride than driving. I mentioned before how the overwhelming fruit deposited roadside is the banana. Recently, riding in the Belfast Maine area I have come cross at least four banana skins. Seldom a whole banana but never an apple core or peanut (fruit?) shell. Thinking about how far they must have travelled to end up along side a road in Maine gets me to thinking about my future.

Hitchin'

So....our winter has been cold and snowy and that got me to thinking about growing up I Buffalo winters where this wasn't unusual. It seemed that a bit of snow fell every night so it was always white and fresh. Then it was gone. The city used garbage trucks with plows to clear the roads. Didn't seem to be a lot of salt used.on Coolidge Road where I lived there was often a lot of ground up snow and cars usually drove slowly. We would often bumper hitch. It meant waiting for a car to slow enough so that we could grab the rear bumper and slide along behind. Of course cars had bumpers then. If they got going too fast you let go. Seems I remember being able to ride for blocks. Now I wonder if the drivers knew and went along with the fun. Some would stop but I don't remember being chased. Another pass time was throwing snowballs at cars,trucks and busses. This usually brought a reaction. It became unfun when I had to ride on these busses to and from high school.

Footballin'

So, long since lost interest in pro and semi pro American football. Adopted Tottenham Hotspur when younger daughter "studied" in London. oFound out it was also the favorite team of good friends in Bristol. Had no idea where Tottenham was but liked the Hotspur part. Now couple years later I have begun to realise that Spurs and Bills are a lot alike. Both heartbreakers. Tottenham, by the way, is an area of London not a city on its own. Buffalo is a part of Western New York (not upstate) and the only professional football team in New York State. Still.....soccer is a much more interesting spectator sport than American football. I'm my humble opinion.

Sundayin'

So....having spent a lot of the summer at our Maine estate it is all winding down. Good friend arriving tomorrow to critique my hand I work and bask in the solitude. Long ago I read a biography of Robert Moses writing by Robert Caro. I then began his bio of LBJ. Twenty years later and I'm almost finished with the fourth volume published last year. Fantastic writer and fascinating subject. LBJ gave a speech at Gettysburg in July 1963 as VP.
"One hundred years ago the slave was freed. One hundred years later, the Negro remains in bondage to the color of his skin. The Negro today asks justice. We do not answer him, we do not answer those who lie beneath this soil when  we reply to the Negro by asking, "Patience',...... To ask for patience from the Negro is to ask him to give more of what he has already given enough.......The Negro says,"now", others say, "never". The voice of responsable Americans - the voices of those who died here and the great man who spoke here - their voices say, "Together, there is no other way"

Amazing.

Bananin'

So, this morning riding my new bike in to town and the great library I passed another banana peel. My informal study continues. Many more bananas than apple cores, peanut shells or coconut husks. Next is to determine whether people save their apple cores while throwing out the banana peels. Perhaps there is an app that tracks apple cores.

Plumbin'

So, couple weeks ago got a chance to sail from St Augustine north with a guy I met in January. Wonderful time and made a friend. Had to get my foul weather stuff from MOON and discovered water in the cabin. As the boat is on the hard it was unusual. Flew down Friday to rig a solar panel to keep the batteries charged while running the bilge pumps. Also looked at why and how the water got on the wrong side of the hull. Found that the previous owner made some unusual changes that were pretty easy to correct and am now happy that the problem is solved. I do like working on boats. Much more fun than wearing socks and dealing with people in robes.

Evolvin'

So, living on a boat for six weeks brought back lots of memories. Our bunk on MOONSHINE was queen sized. On MOON we slept in the V berth forward. Getting in and out proved the theory of evolution on a micro scale. V because of the hull shape and usually reserved for people who think of sleeping on a sailboat as quaint. Owners usually sleep in the comfortable berths elsewhere. Evolution comes in to play when the mind begins to figure a way out of the bunk at 0200 without sitting on your friend's back. I wonder if the science deniers ever tried it. Also, if it wasn't called a theory would it be harder to deny? Eventually I discovered that doing a backward roll landed me in a position where I could marvel at my dexterity and still pee in a place wherein I did not sleep. Evolution proved.

Wordin'

So......fungible and cottage are two words that I find very comfortable. I try using them all the time. Lately I have taken to musing on the word "on". Like the first person to eat an oyster I wonder about the first person to use "on" as in "turn on the light". How does one go from using it in this way when there was nothing to turn? Hard to imagine someone lighting a candle and saying they turned it "on". So you invent a machine that just sits there. To do something it has to work because it would be hard to invent a machine that is already "on". Take a light. One invents the light but is the switch already there? If not, then how is "on" determined and why use the word to describe the act of starting the light? "On" works well on the little thingy the says "on" and "off" as hydrant would be waaaay too many letters for such a small place. Did "on" exist before electricity? Or faucets? If so, what was the first thingy to be turned "on"? And why "on"? Mancunian is also a cool word.

Speedin'

So..........there I was at our Maine estate facing a four hour drive alone without the benefit of coffee. Stopped at a convenience store for a big one and saw a selection of Five Hour Energy drinks "like seen on TV". $3.50 for a really little can. Not wearing my glasses it took me awhile to see that it claimed to be the equivalent of one cup of premium coffee. Coffee,  like beer has always been a question of quantity not quality so I was in uncharted waters. It occurred to me as I gulped it down that I had no idea what it contained or the effect it would have on me. Then I remembered the advice given me by an AF officer. If a little bit of something is good for you a whole lot more is a whole lot better. Down it went and I hit the road. Five and a half hours later while sitting on the couch watching college football the experience ended and I fell asleep. The only advantage I can see to this swill is that it avoids pee stops and pee stops on long rides are often the high point of the trip. Anyway, a full bladder focuses the mind much better than caffeine.

Ridin'

So............last October I decided to start riding my rebuilt bike to court. Only a mile and downhill in both directions so actually faster than driving. Would also loosen up my knees for a long day of genuflecting before the judge. Wanted to lose weight for younger daughter's graduation in late May and was disgusted at the 280 lb blivot I had become. A very mild winter and a realistic goal meant I was able to ride thru the cold never missing a day until a recent eye exam had me driving to the local VA facility about 15 miles away. Lost 60 lbs and began to enjoy the workout as much as the weight loss. Clothes began to fit and people were kind enough to humor me into thinking I was doing well. I now want to reveal the answer to a question asked by many people. They all wanted to know which item of fruit I saw most often on my rides. Never saw a grape or pineapple. Never saw a coconut. What I do see almost every week is a banana peel. Never a squished banana,just the peel. Never the little sticker I wear on my forehead, just the peel. There is a lesson in this.

Friendin'

So.............................. my life on the beach is temporarily over and I have returned to renew my life in court. While sailing I was immediately drawn to the comradery of fellow sailors and their willingness to help others in every imaginable way. Sometimes we helped or were helped by people we only "met" over the radio. I have tried to continue this habit since. In Florida we seldom drove the car choosing to ride our bikes everywhere. One day we needed the car and the battery was dead. I stood by the car holding my jumper cables in the time honored request for help. First guy said no. I was shocked. Having learned to drive in WNY where jumper cables are often wedding gifts I was pissed. Then the surfer dude walked by with his wife. Talked with him every day, usually the same discussion as he never seemed to remember the day before. He said no. Yesterday one of my oldest friends actually picked me up at the airport without me asking or even expecting pay back. A wonderful gesture and experience diminished only by his inability to drive.

Diggin'

So....... In line with my earlier musings on the preservation of our past I began the rebuilding of my family tree. I had gone back to 14th Century Switzerland largely by cutting and pasting the work of others. My first ancestors in North America came from Switzerland and fought in the Revolution. In payment he was given land in Ohio. Two years ago while at a county fair in Maine I discovered that many of the town fathers shared my name and part of the community was named after me.  Yesterday I discovered that the Daughters of the American Revolution had a free site that confirms much of what I learned. Our daughters are eligible for membership in this august group because of the blood of rebels flowing through their veins. It's disconcerting to read these lists and see how many people borrowed my name before me.  It would surely be worse had my name been more common like Schoenberger.

Scannin'

So....... big box of pictures from 88 Coolidge. 1920's to 2011. What to do? Buy scanner. Cheap wine and warm fire in Maine. Errol Morris wrote long and hard about photographers and composition and a road with cannon balls in Crimea to wreckage in Gaza. I'm left with two pictures taken in same room. I have the lamp on table and I think one of the women is my stepmother grandmother Min. The baby is my sister, Manya, but she doesn't remember much about the picture. My Aunt Kay just died and was the last link to this generation. She already gave me info into the identity of Dodo Germaine who died in WWII. The lesson from all this is to label all pictures and question the remaining members of our parent's generation as to the identities of all those memories. Otherwise, Dodo Germaine would be lost to some cemetery in Western New York and people like me and I will ponder over the identity of these ladies. Thus, the lesson endeth.

Paintin'

So...............your intrepid explorers realized there were places in Western NY that hadn't been visited in some time. This is not Upstate NY. That is north of Albany. WNY is west of Rochester. Driving there to visit friends and see long lost family we wandered along the roads of Erie County where I once toiled as an employee of the Erie County Water Authority. One can easily tell when one is in Erie County by the color of the fire hydrants. They are usually painted Erie County Water Authority Yellow.

I was the experienced summer help when my good friend Gary joined the crew. I drove the truck and he would get out and paint the hydrant. He quickly developed the Erie County Water Authority Pour. By pouring the paint on the the top and spreading it as it ran down the sides Gary was proving the Law of Gravity. As an aside, if we used the term Law of Evolution would we avoid the stupid conversation taking place? Anyway, it worked and gave us extra time to get to the beach so Gary could see his girlfriend. They eventually married, had three kids and six grandkids. Thus proving the time saving benefits of the ECWAP.

Windin'

 So.......after spending a glorious week with the girls and friends in London we took plane to RAF Gibraltar. The airport there goes by that name despite the absence of the RAF. The runway crosses the only road on to the peninsula and traffic stops whenever a plane lands. Anyway, stayed in a really nice hotel in la Linea and walked into Gib.

I digress momentarily to offer some insights into my hotel/motel rankings developed over years of watching our daughters row. They always stayed in the nice places while we stayed in what were once called "no tell motels". My ranking system is based on whether one can read a newspaper through a bath towel. The Bellair and Track and Turf in Camden NJ offer towels that are almost as opaque as a windshield. The places we stayed in Europe included towels that actually absorbed water and light. Maybe it's a European thing.

Anyway, we had wintered in Gib in '92/'93 when we realized that plans to do so in Marseille included the possibility of snow. The prevailing wind there is westerly blowing out of the Med. The current through the strait is easterly so coming and going by sailboat is often a problem. When the wind turns easterly it is called a Levanter and the result is shown here. Results in a dark and gloomy day there and bright sun a couple hundred yards away across the airport. A windrose painted on the wall of a ferry terminal shows the various winds and their names. Thus endeth the lesson for today.

Europin'

So, as most of you are aware, Animal House is really a creation myth not just the best movie ever. I followed its lead in mid April when confronted by a dwindling bank account, a desire to no longer work [nothing new there] and the fact that Lesley was living in London for the semester and Emily was planning on a visit, I decided to hit the VISA card hard and go visit the "old" Europe.

Left for London where on the first morning met a good friend name Simon. He was from Africa [country began with a "Z"] and wanted his picture taken next to a brand new Audi. I suggested the new Jaguar a few rows over and we became fast friends. Was going to use the picture to promote his micro lending scheme whereby he promised to make 300% profit per month. First time I have ever met one of those e mail writers in person. They do exist so maybe the rest of their stories are true.

Spent a wonderful week in London visiting many new places and some of the old we had seen together in 1993. This is taken in the exact same spot outside Buckingham Palace where we witnessed the changing of the guard back then. We were there this time to return our tickets to the wedding the next week as we thought the crowds would be a bit much. Didn't miss much as our seats were right behind the Beckhams and not in a particularly good location.

I did see that the Queen does not have WIFI in the palace. But did notice that many of the people attending the wedding brought their own in the form of satellite dishes disguised as hats.

Workin'

So, my time in FL came to and end followed by an intensive four weeks of work in an effort to pay for the last five. Don't have any pictures of my labor but an interesting conversation to recount.

A long time friend announced his retirement. Sitting with him one day before the morning session began we discussed his future plans. After awhile I told him that every once in awhile I felt jealous of my friends retiring with safe and secure pensions. He sort of smiled and said that as far as he was concerned I had been retired from the moment we first met 35 years ago. On reflection, I would have to agree. Retirement is only a state of mind. Careers have it ass backwards allowing people freedom from the work routine when their health is in decline and their kids have moved away. Next up will be a series of discussions on travels in foreign countries spending my children's inheritance.

I'd also like to thank all my many fans who inquired as to my next post. Both of you have way too much free time.

Remembrin'

Remembrin'