Tuesday June 26, 2012

Chloe and I took off last Thursday to spend the weekend at Lani's. Ben had plans to paint the deck with the white under-coat so we decided it would be best if we took the little dog ashore..... Don't need any little paw prints in our new paint! I get so spoiled when I go to Lani's... She does all the cooking, I don't have to go to the store, or clean, or do laundry..... It's like a vacation.

The diesel tanks are repaired and back in the boat (smells better already). Now THAT was a job! While I was gone this weekend Ben finished up the last of the sanding of the main deck and painted the edges with the white to prep the decks for the blue non-skid. Now that I'm back home we are going to work on putting the 27 coats of Seafin Teak Oil on the wooden rails and windows..... once that dries we are going to start taping in preperation to apply the non-skid. It seems never ending.... I cant believe that July 4th is this next week. I'm going to spend the entire summer working on this #%^%#@ boat!

Wed. June 20, 2012

 Om Monday June 18, the heavens welcomed a special soul. Denise Svilich Manes. Denise and I have been friends for so many years.... I meet her back in my early 20's. I was in her wedding, she was in mine. As a matter of fact she was in 2 of my weddings. We went through so much together. Very, very good times... And very, very bad times. When I was homeless she was there for me, when she was homeless I was there for her. She lived with me in Clarkston, Kamiah, Rubins and Post Falls. We used to take off in my pickup and head to the back country... Elk City, Dixy, Riggins, Granddad Bridge. We would bring lots of booze, cigarettes, some herbal medicine, and spend the entire weekend roaming the back roads, swimming in the creeks, sitting around the campfire where ever we stopped. Exploring old mines and old graveyards. Staying up for three days howling at the moon.

The past years we have drifted apart, Denise moved to Pennsylvania, those that know us know the story. I did connect with her again this past year though Face book. She said she was happy, had a good man and was doing well. Last night another old and dear friend called to tell me Denise had taken her life. She had gone out on the property with a gun..... I feel shock. All I could say was Oh My God, over and over. I mean... to be so tired of this life, this journey that you want to end it? We have all thought about it, when life is just SO hard, and it feels like we are so tired of fighting the fight. That whatever comes after this it has GOT to be better than this. I have been there.... I wish she would have called me. I wish there would have been something I could have done to help her. I hope that she finds the peace she was searching for. I hope she is happy now. I hope she can rest. I'm so sorry Denise, I will keep you in my heart and keep your memory. I will light a candle to guide you to the other side. May you find peace. Love you Girl

Sat. June 16, 2012 QuadraPaws Fun Run

Our 4X4 Jeep club held it's yearly fund raiser Saturday. Ben and I rolled outta bed around 4am. to meet the club at the staging area at 7am. It was a fun day, we had 6 stations throughout the trail where participants had to stop and preform a 'task' to earn points. At station 3 the driver was blindfolded and the passenger had to guide the driver, backwards, through a series of cones, at another stop they had to answer trivia questions or "Do you have a book " (Book of matches? "Novel? Manuel?) Ben and I were the "Phantom 7". Our job was to find a spot along the trail and pull over and lift the hood as if we were broke down. If they stopped to see if we needed help they got 50 points. Out of 93 rigs signed up to do the run we had 63 stop and ask.... WOW. I thought EVERYONE would stop and ask. People are strange over here! It was a LOOOOONG day, the last rig came through about 5pm. By the time the awards and prizes were handed out it was after 7. Ben and I were pooped by the time we got home!

The weather was great, I spent the day sitting in a lawn chair reading my Kindle. Chloe... the run away dog, spent the day trying to get off her leash. She spotted the squirrels right of the bat and MAN did she wanna GO! I like being in the woods, the sounds and the smells. I told my BFF Lani that I am so sick of starfish and sea urchin's and the smell of low tide and.... she laughed at me because when we first moved here I was sooo fascinated with everything. LOL.

Thursday June 14, 2012

Ben has spent the last week working on the diesel tanks. Both tanks have been welded, re-coated with epoxy and are ready to go back in the boat. Tuesday Ben went up to Nikki's and got a 55 gal. drum and he spent yesterday pumping out the bilge. Because the diesel tanks have been leaking into the bilge we have not been able to use our auto bilge pumps. So for the past 8 month's water and fuel have been accumulating below our feet. Ben pumped out what he could, then we ran a tub full of hot soapy water through the bilge and he scrubbed and scraped out what was left. OMG, the boat smells so much better already! Poor Ben, he was covered with slime from head to toe.... The boat smells better but Ben....... PHWEEEEEE.
The next step is getting the tanks BACK in the boat. That's gonna be a job. I guess we are gonna tackle that chore tomorrow. (Can't wait!)
Today is a girl's day for me. My friend Yolli (Explores Club) and I are driving to Bainbridge Island to explore the Suquamish Museum, part of the Puget Sound Salish Tribes. After the museum we are going to go into Bainbridge Island to check out all the cute little shops down town and on the waterfront. Should be fun... although it's raining... AGAIN! Any day off this boat is a good day! LOL

Tuesday June 12, 2012

WE have had Chloe about 6 weeks. She is such a good little girl, never barks, isn't a licker, she does like to jump up but we are trying to break her of that. Ben and I wondered WHY would someone give up such a sweet little dog? Yesterday was such a nice day we decided to take Chloe to the local dog park here in Port Orchard and let her run around a little bit, get off the boat and run in the grass. They have a great dog park here, about 11 acres of trails and wooded paths, meadows and trees. Once we got into the woods a little ways we decided to release Chloe from her leash to see how she did, after all.... when we let her loose on the docks she minds very well when we call her to "come". I think I now know WHY they got rid of Chloe... As soon as that leash came off she was gone. And I mean GONE. Ben and I spent 3 + hours beating the brush looking and calling for her. Several times we caught sight of her as she darted from one pile of blackberry brush to another, but it was as if she didn't even see or hear us. Ben and I both got all cut to heck trying to go through the brush after her. We even called in a friend and his dog thinking we might be able to lour her out. FINALLY after the sun had started to set... here she came, all dirty and cut to heck, walking down the middle of the road. I coulda KILLED her! GRRRRRR.

Note to self. Do NOT release Chloe from Leash

Saturday June 9, 2012 Commodore's Ball

I have been spending the past several weeks crafting and getting ready for the Port Orchard Yacht Club's BIG event of the year. The Commodore's Ball. Our yacht club is part of the Grand 14. The 14 original yacht clubs of Puget Sound, Tacoma, Seattle, Gig Harbor, Tyee, etc..... Each of the 14 yacht clubs holds a formal ball honoring the current years commodores. Our theme this year was Rhythm & Blues and this years commodores are the SHARKS.(Last year the Commodores were the Sassy Salmon.... Funny). So my crafting partner Dave and I spent days cutting musical notes out of cardboard, painting them black and covering them with glitter.... we found old records, 78's, 45's, 33's and strung them together and sprayed em' with MORE glitter. I had glitter frikkin EVERYWHERE!!!! Silhouettes of sax players and trumpet players were cut out and centerpiece's designed. I designed and printed and mailed all the invitations and RSVP's. We started setting up on Thursday, hanging all the decorations from the ceiling. Then Friday we set up the tables and Saturday we put the final touches on.... ice in the bar, flowers on the tables, etc.... The ball was a great success and I am SO glad IT'S OVER! With everything that's going on with the boat I'm gonna retire from volunteering for awhile. Take a break.

Ben has already pulled both diesel tanks on the starboard side and taken them up to our friend Jerry's house to be repaired. I just want to get the boat fixed and SOLD!

Saturday June 2, 2012 Lani's

It started raining right after Memorial weekend so Ben and I spent a couple days plotting our next move on the boat. Ben decided it was time to tackle the diesel tanks so while he rips the back end of the boat apart I get to spend a few days ashore with my BFF Lani. The tanks are located UNDER the bed so he gets to (try) sleep on the couch. Poor baby

YAH! I so excited to be on land and in the trees again. So Lani has two new baby goats.... yes these two actually live outside in the barn! Twin little twin boys just weened. They are so frigging cute! They are mini goats anyway and they are so tiny. I never thought I would love a goat.... but gosh these guys are sweeties! They look so tiny in that big ol' barn stall! Lani has an outdoor pen built for them, it has Dustin's old ice house as the 'loafing' shed and is fenced in with hog wire. They are named Alfalfa and Spanky. I can't tell them apart? They still cry for Mama. I just wanna pick em' up and Love em' all over. No plans for the weekend. Lani and I are just gonna hang out here. I promised her I would help her get her garden in so Dustin and I spent the morning planting. It was nice to put my hands in the dirt.

Sunday May 27, 2012

In Typical Memorial weekend fashion.... We meet up with Tom and Marie. After a few beers on the boat.... What? Where the heck did Tom and Marie come from? Well I guess they were in the area visiting family and knew that Mike and Karey were ALSO in the area. So as Ben and Mike and Karey and I were coming back to the boat from breakfast who should drive into the yacht club parking lot??? Tom and Marie of course! We all went down to the boat and reclined on the back deck and enjoyed a few cocktails. It was great because how many Memorial weekends have the 6 of us spent together and now here we all are together.... on the Sound, just by chance... or IS it.... Hmmmmm.

After a nice visit we all walked down to the Port Orchard docks and checked out the booths and vendors for Seafair. They had a Seagull calling contest..... but we were to late to enter. Bummer. We all had some fair food and wandered around a bit before heading back to the boat for Pizza and more beer. (I see a recurring pattern here) It was another nice day, not as sunny but warm. It was so nice to see everyone and just sit and visit and laugh. It was so nice to see Ben Laugh and smile!

The boys ended the night with a cribbage game then Mike and Karey headed to their hotel. I am so grateful that they came over for the weekend. (Although I will be homesick and in a bad mood for the next few weeks) LOL Poor Ben

Saturday May 26, 2012

Ben's Birthday. Today was just the BEST day EVER! We saw a great ball game, Ben got an awesome surprise and I got a little drunk..... it just couldn't get any better.  Crystal, Ben's daughter, got him Mariners tickets fro his birthday. What Ben didn't know is that Crystal had contacted Uncle Mike and Aunt Karey, Ben's sister and brother-in-law, and they conspired to get 4 seats together at the game. The idea was that Mike and Karey would come over and get a hotel for the weekend then surprise Ben by showing up on the ferrie or at the game and see how long it took him to notice his sister was sitting beside him. LOL. WE had quite a plan. But as they say the best laid plans ..... that morning Karey and I were texting back and forth like mad. First they were gonna meet us when we walked off the Seattle side of the ferrie... then they were gonna walk on the 3:00 ferrie with us on the Bremerton side, then they texted and said they would make the 1:20 ferrie, then they said NO they wouldn't make the ferrie! In the mean time I am telling Ben lets take the later ferrie, don't wanna get there to early... No, lets leave early so we can walk around the stadium, no let's stop on our WAY TO the ferrie.. He is looking at me like he wishes I would make up my FRIKKIN mind.

As we are driving up to the terminal Mike and Karey pull up in their car beside us... Ben glances over, does a double take.... "Is that Karen?" "What are they doing here? Are they going to the game?" I told him Happy Birthday and that this was his present. Once he figured out they had seats next to ours he was so surprised! We all MISSED the ferrie, we just walked across to Seattle and Quest stadium,  which was cool because it gave us a chance to hug and laugh and cry and down about a dozen beers. AWESOME. Seafair is gong on Memorial weekend in Port Orchard and Bremerton and we had time to have a few cocktails with the Seafair Pirates in Bremerton... Ben got a free beer AND a kiss from the Pirate wench. The boys REALLY liked that Wench..... The weather was great, as a matter of fact about half way through the game we all bailed outta our seats which were in the sun and headed to the shady side of the stadium. The Mariners lost but we had so much fun. Karey and I spent more time running around the stadium than watching the game.

It was still warm and the sun was still up when we walked back to the ferrie. We had all had enough beer and sunshine,   and STAIRS.... that we were ready to head home and to bed. LOL. It was an awesome birthday for Ben. He teared up when he first hugged his sister, he couldn't believe that Crystal had gone to the trouble of setting it all up and that Mike and Karey had driven all the way to spend time with us. Thanks guys... Best Birthday ever!