Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Dec 9th Nate's 28th

Nate gets a birthday treat from Mary :)

Florida Friends

Making friends that are our age in Florida hasn't been easy.  Maybe it's because the state's median age is 38.7, or maybe it's because the vast majority of sailors that we've met seem to be single men over the age of 50.   Whatever the reason, there just doesn't seem to be many twenty-somethings out there doing the same thing that we are.  However, even with these 'age obstacles' , Nate and I have enjoyed branching out of our comfort zone with attempts at making some buddies...and we have!

First, we have Kathy who owns and manages the apartment building and the boat slips that we live aboard.  She and her husband were the 'Canadian Angels' (see a few blogs back) that allowed us to stay behind their house when the boat slip wasn't quite ready for us.  Kathy is totally down to earth and enjoys spending evenings with her tenants drinking wine and laughing with the rest of us late into the evening.  She called Nate one day in a mini panic and asked him to relay the message onto his wife that Lululemon opened a shop in the outlet malls and that he needed to take me there right away.  I love this woman.  

Next, we have 'Uncle Rick'.  Rick lives right next to us in a sailboat called Sea Wolf that he has travelled around the world in.  He Captains other peoples sailboats around the Caribbean and the Bahamas for work because he says that they're too rich and lazy to learn how to do it themselves.  Uncle Rick lends us his white Nissan Sentra and as well as his millions of burnt movies that he gets from NetFlix.  My favorite thing that Uncle Rick does is when he finishes all of his sentences with the words; 'blah, blah, blah'.  

Then there is Mike and Mary.  Mike and Mary live three boats down from us on a boat called Rough Draft with their little doggy Belle - who for some reason, I kept calling Molly in the first month that I knew them.  To me, it just sounded right, Mike, Mary and Molly; but they just politely smiled and let me misname their dog for weeks without saying anything.  These people are so kind and loving.  Mike (who is a writer) picked me up from the airport after I returned from my visit to Calgary, and Mary (who is a massage therapist) bought Nate a delicious chocolate cupcake from a french bakery on his birthday.  These people are genuine and down to earth.  The type of people that don't really seem to exist anymore.    

We're so happy that we have made some connections and true friends for life.  Even though they are a bit older than us, we feel as though age doesn't seem to be much of an issue around here.  People don't judge you on your job or your last name or your appearance or your bank account amount.  It's very different from Calgary in that sense.  I hope that Nate and I will be able to hold onto that idea when we return home to Canada next year.

Reunited and it feels so goooood...

Patience (according to the Wikipedia encyclopedia) is the state of endurance under difficult circumstances. For me, this concept is a somewhat difficult one to get a grip on. As young children, we are often told to be patient with things like our tempers and our siblings. As we grow older, we try to enforce a bit of patience when waiting on events like a weekend sleepover or Christmas. Then, as young adults, we are told to be patient when confronted with a delay or an annoyance and most of us try terribly hard to instill that calm and reserved feeling until whatever it was that we were being patient for has finally come to fruition. Finally, as grown, responsible, smart adults, we are not only expected to master the art of patience but also to exercise this acquired character trait on a daily basis. As you'll see in the following examples of my conversations with Nate, this is a skill I have yet to conquer. They usually go something like this;

Kate: "So Nate, estimated departure time for the Caribbean is...???" (I'm expecting him to fill in the blank with an exact date, say like November 30th, especially since we've been in Florida for almost two months).
Nate: "Well, we need the fuel tank to arrive so we can motor out of the canal. I ordered it a few weeks ago, but it looks like we'll just have to be patient."

Next conversation - maybe two hours later:

Kate: "So honey, when are we going to be able to exchange some Canadian money so we can go grocery shopping again???" - I'm expecting him to answer the question with an exact time, say 4:30 tonight.
Nate: "Well, the dollar is still super high right now. We would be smart to wait on it for a few days to see where it's at. We'll just have to be patient."

hmmmmm. I'm sensing a trend here. 

Next conversation - like five minutes later:

Kate: "So babe, how many more days until our foam cushions arrive so we can sit?" I'm expecting him to get really mad and call the dude up who has our cushions and just yell at him until he brings the cushions to us right then and there; but of course, my amazing husband replies;
Nate: "Well, the manufacturer said it would be done three days ago, but it appears he's busy. We'll just have to be patient."

So clearly, we are fully aware of which partner in this marriage has the true gift for exuding patience and is currently practicing being patient, which is good, because God knows we'd be a mess if one of us wasn't this way, and just for the record, I feel that I do have a lot of patience...BUT LET'S GO HERE! Come on! I need to write something in the blog so Phillip doesn't think we're idiots and Keith has something to read, and Mom doesn't think we're dead, and we can go home saying that we sailed for a year! Let's go! Let's go! Let's go! COME ON!!!!!!!! But alas. What does the universe, or God, or whatever you want to label it as really give to us? Well, I've been told that we are all given exactly what we need. So, I'm guessing that the universe is giving me the opportunity to sit, and wait, and be patient. Okay. (Grumble). I accept. (Sour face). But in doing so I have to acknowledge and point out and make a really big deal about this and state that I'm officially embracing this and hopefully growing, and being very, very patient. sigh.

View from the boat

Getting better slowly but surely.

     This week, Nate and I got aggressive with the boat.  Happily, as a result, we have created a much more comfortable and manageable living space aboard.  Everyday and late into the night, we scrubbed, soaked, polished, wiped, buffed and sponged until our nose hairs were burned out by the bleach.  Unfortunately, we still have a long way to go, but it is much more enjoyable to be in the cabin and staterooms.  The odors have subsided substantially -but not completely.  The fridge and the air conditioning system were welcomed with filthy but open arms, so we will no longer be starving or melting.  Hallelujah.   All in all, Captain Clorox and Windex Weiland have survived yet another week of ridiculous renovations and are looking forward to actually taking 'the piece' (still the official name and please notice I spell it all in lower 

case lettering because it doesn't deserve upper case yet) out onto the water.  

Nobody said it would be easy...

     

     The past week has been for me, one of the hardest of my life.  Nate and I have had such a rough one it's not even funny.  We've now moved onto 'the piece' as I like to call it, because that is exactly what it is.  Forget Wet Weilz or The Weil Deal or Weil Wet, the boat is really a large piece of crap and that's exactly what I'm calling it for now.  Please excuse my lack of better words there Mom, but seriously, it really is.  We moved onto 'the piece' Monday -which are never great days to begin with- but this monday in particular was especially horrible.  The first thing that greets us as we step down into the salon is a smell so strong and so potent I feel like laughing hysterically.  You know, like Jack Nicholson in The Shining when he's just hacked through the bathroom door with an axe and he's about to kill his wife?  Hysterical like that.  The smell is like a mixture of diesel, mildew, cat pee and rat poop all mixed together to make a cocktail of filth.  I have to turn away to stop from slitting my wrists right then and there.  We're sleeping here tonight?!?!?!?!  

     Tuesday was even worse.  I decided I would try to be proactive with the odor and start cleaning the 'heads' (also know as bathrooms to normal people).  Who named it 'head' anyway?  I refuse to call the bathrooms 'heads'.  Gross visuals seem to haunt me every time I utter the word.  Anyway, I'm cleaning one of the bathrooms with Clorox and water (like I've been told to do by the boat broker who sold us 'the piece'), and I'm scrubbing away with the odor constantly assaulting the heck out of my nose.  Suddenly, I'm realizing that what I thought was soil by the side of the toilet, you know, like soil from the earth, is actually soil from another...human...BEING!  I pause, and look at it on my new blue sponge from Target.  "Is this someone else's...you know what?"  I ask to nobody in particular.  OMG!  It is!!!!  I freak out privately with a germ dance.  Slowly, I place my used blue sponge down on the ground and turn around.  I try to calmly walk off the boat but inside I'm feeling a hot white panic attack that is about to erupt.  'I'm dying,' I tell myself out loud; 'and I'm in hell.'  Without really thinking about it, I start to run away from the boat at a moderate pace.  I don't really know where I'm going, but I just keep running away.  I ending up going for a very long run and then came back to 'the piece' a few hours later only to drink half a bottle of red wine and then cry myself to sleep.  Nate tried to console me with loving hugs, but I know he was freaked out too.  

     Wednesday I washed our two plates that we 'found' at the motel we were staying at prior to the boat, in a cooler with a garden hose.  Can I say that again?  In a COOLER with a GARDEN HOSE!  AHH!!!  I was forced to because the water in our tanks was so filthy and unclean, that the dishes would have been worse off by being rinsed by it.  After this experience I had to sit down and make a list of things that I liked about the 'the piece'.  The only thing I could come up with was that my husband was in this gong show with me.    

     Thursday we woke up to what sounded like rice krispies popping all around us, but they were loud gigantic rice krispies.  Nate seemed to think that it was just 'boat sounds', but I'm not convinced that that's the truth.  I'm sure it will be something fabulous and exciting.  Can't wait to figure that one out!  

     Friday (today) I'm realizing that I probably sound like I'm complaining.  Well, I am.  This really isn't fun at all and I hate that we have to go through it.  Where is the suntanning and the Coronas?  What happened to decorating the boat in a beach chic theme?  What happened to us?  What are we DOING?!  The worst part is, this may get a whole lot worse before it gets any better.  I feel I have a lot of character, I don't need to build more.  Yes, this is an adventure but seriously, can the adventure be a bit more manageable?  No body said it would be easy, they said it would be fun and enjoyable!  Well, pumping the toilet ten times in order for a number one to go down isn't my idea of fun and enjoyable.  

SOMEONE COME AND SAVE ME!!!!

Superstitious?

     Nate and I are not 100% sure that we want to keep the name 'Jackie O' for our new boat.  We found out that it wasn't actually named after the beautiful and stylish Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis; but instead, after the first owner's wife.  So, baring in mind that it is really bad luck to rename a boat, we've been a little reluctant to even consider the notion; but have cultivated (just for fun) the following possible names.  We would love some input or name ideas if you have any.  These three are our top picks thus far...

Wet Weilz 

Weil Wet

The Weil Deal

thoughts?

Nate trying out the new rigging.

Canucks looking out for Canucks

     Our first sailing adventure with 'Jackie O' was from Biscayne Bay up the Miami River where we had the boat hauled out to be inspected.  Unfortunately, we were only able to motor back and forth from the two points because the fuel tanks don't work yet, but we did have the brand new sails up for a portion of the trip.  We are very happy to announce that after a positive and thorough inspection by Norseman Ship Building Corp, we have accepted the boat and will attain possession on Tuesday Sept 23rd.

     On Saturday Sept 27th, Nate and I will be living on the Isle of Venice (which doesn't resemble the Italian city at all), in a boat slip for about a month. The owners of the slip are actually from Calgary! We discovered that they own a home in Roxboro which is the community next to Mission, our former home.   Such a small world! They have been very generous and will allow us to stay free of charge for a week just because we're Canadians! Ha! I guess we Canucks really do look out for one another. This is such a wonderful gift as already we are running over budget and we've barely begun!  YIKES!!!!  

     In the meantime, we'll be continuing to work out with the TRX, swimming in the pool, walking the beach and riding our new bikes which we purchased at a used bike store after giving back our expensive rental car.  Ah, the life of a pauper.

     

Sunset on Ft Lauderdale's Beach Blvd.

Nate and I walk this everyday as a morning and evening ritual.

The Heads are so tiny!!!

For those individuals who were like me and didn't know, the word HEAD in sailing terms = BATHROOM.   Jackie O has two; but they're small!

Nate and I are eager to board our new digs and get renovating! In fact, I would probably describe our feelings as extremely excited and incredibly anxious. We're definitely ready for a place to call home. The haul out will be performed tomorrow at which time we can accept the boat and get rockin'! We'll be living in a boat slip on a isle canal called "The Isle of Venice". Apparently, it looks very similar to the actual Italian city (which I visited back in '96). I'm curious to see the comparisons. I'm also longing to decorate the cabin with my 'beach chic' theme. You know; browns, greens, random seashells placed strategically, hammocks for the bananas, hammocks for our butts...the essentials. I know Nate just LOVES that idea too.

The Weilands are buying a boat

The Weilands are in luck today.  We have an accepted offer on the 1984 40' Endeavour with a center cockpit named Jackie "O". Next week we are having a survey and a sea trial done, at which time we can say no to the boat if there are any issues we are not happy with. Other wise we will find out exactly what needs to be done to the boat so that it's in best running order.

Once the deal is closed we will be moving on to the boat, which will be really nice because we will finally have a home to call our own.  This is very exciting, and well, we need a boat so we can do some sailing!

Grateful for every solitary second...

Well, boat shopping wasn't quite what I expected it to be.  Driving for the majority of the day (8 hours) isn't the best way to put a girl in a good mood, especially when upon arrival, the two boats that you plan on seeing are complete 'no ways'.  The first looked like a rusty old tugboat and it smelled like one of my brother's used hockey equipment.  SICK!  Down below, it had a nasty nude statue of what I think may have been a mermaid, and in the helm there were car seats built in!!!  Car seats?!?  Come on.  This first boat didn't have a name; however, I felt it deserved the title; 'The Piece'.

The second boat stunk too.  Hello people, a little Febreeze might help when you're trying to sell something!  I was shocked to see the size of the 'bedrooms'.  To me, the word 'stateroom' seems important, grand, special.  Haha, special all right.   I guess in sailboat lingo, 'stateroom' means: bed in a claustrophobic space.  

Nate is going to view four other boats tomorrow while I do some...ah...beach and dietary research.  You know, how deeply brown can my skin get while laying on the beach before it goes really dark, and how many Corona Lites can a young woman consume before she becomes dehydrated.  yeah...this is important stuff.  I need answers.  Talk to ya in a few!  Ciao!

Kate's boat ideas

     Despite news about hurricanes IKE and JOSEPHINE heading straight towards us, Nate and I have continued to maintain a sunny disposition about our future endeavors.  We are currently in the process of finding a boat and have a few viewings lined up with our broker tomorrow.  Nate is completely practical in his thoughts about what boat will suffice, but my thoughts about what we should be purchasing are a bit different.  I was thinking shiny mahogany hardwood floors with gorgeous nautical navy and white pillows thrown about white leather sofas that are strategically placed near and around the fully loaded cocktail bar...that serves really expensive red and white wine as well!  I'm guessing that this should all be attainable for a reasonable price well under $50,000 bucks right?  RIGHT!?   I'm sure the yacht people will be willing to negotiate with us.  Thank goodness I'M on this trip or we'd be stuck with some 38' big stinky used thing.  Gross.   Let you know how it goes tomorrow!!!