The Next Adventure...

We've been talking a lot about sailing this summer.  And why not?  It is relatively cheap (once you get the boat), there is so much to see by sea, and we can be weekend warriors!  So, the spring re-fit season is approaching, and we will document what we are doing to get Destiny cruise-ready once again.

Some of the potential trips in the idea bin:

Hudson River Cruise: up the Hudson to West Point and points north.  Perhaps as far as Albany... and who knows, maybe we'll lock up to Lake Champlain!  That would be greta trip.

New York Harbor - Hells Gate - Long Island Sound:  I've always wanted to do this trip... NYC skyline by night, and into LI sound for a weekend of exploring.

NJ Shore:  I haven't been back to the fickle NJ shore for years.  Lots of great beaches and harbors, crazy inlets with brutal currents, gambling (of course)... and the Inter-Coastal Waterway for those days when the weather offshore looks too sporty.

That will keep us busy... for now.  At this point Destiny only needs some cosmetic work, along with a few electronic upgrades, and a bimini cover for some shade in the cockpit.  We will keep you all posted.

*If you are curious about the Flicka class sloop, check out www.flicka20.com

 

Let me tell you what won't happen...

He says:

I don't have a crystal ball, but I wasn't born yesterday.  Let me tell you what is NOT going to happen...

1.  The bailouts will never end.  Ever.  Once you shatter a window, it never goes back to being a window... unless you melt it back down and reform it anew.  Same thing goes for our FIRE economy (Finance, Insurance, Real Estate).  The FIRE economy is dead, a corpse, rotten and bloated.  And the bailouts are just so much plasma and platelets and fluids... No one is checking for a pulse on the body, no one can believe that it is dead.  These guys loved the FIRE economy too much, and they are not the best ones to be giving emergency care.  Someone needs to walk into the room and put a gentle hand on their shoulder, and whisper "Stop".  Until that happens, the bailouts will get bigger and bigger, until one day, people stop believing that the dollar represents value...

2.  The dollar will not hold value.  Not really a shocker, the dollar has been a terrible store of value since 1913... the year the "Creature from Jekyl Island" took control of the country.  Thomas Jefferson warned us of the danger of a central bank, stating that if we give the power to print money to private bankers, that "through the process of inflation, then deflation, our grandchildren would find themselves penniless on the continent their grandparents conquered".  He was right.  

And the value of the dollar is really based on our collective confidence, and not much more. But the problem is that confidence is not measured on a scale from 1 to 100.  You can't "sort of" trust the dollar.  Either you do, or you don't.  Just like derivatives and credit swaps, when they fail, they go from 1 to 0... like a binary switch.  ON or OFF.  So it will be, when the American people realize that the Federal Reserve is flooding the world with worthless dollars.

3.  Private retirement investment vehicle will not be left in the private sector.  They will be confiscated.  Perhaps not overtly, but I'm guessing that the day is coming where you must invest your tax-deferred accounts in T-bills (ONLY) to keep tax-deferred status.  In case you haven't noticed, T-bills have not beaten inflation for years, and the one month currently yields 7 basis points... seven.  Thats a whopping $700 return on your million dollar investment!  Yikes.  

4.  Taxes will not stay low.  Believe it or not, our Gov't has a bit of a spending problem, an even bigger debt problem, and a whopping future liability problem.  They will raise taxes, fees, pay to play, fines, you name it.  We will all pay more, regardless of income bracket.  

I wish I knew exactly what was coming.  I don't.  But I've read enough history to know that the sky is darkening, and the leaves are showing their bottoms.  The coming storm will not be gentle like the great depression.  It will probably be more like the Civil War, or the French Revolution.  I wish I felt differently about the future. 

Winter Dreams

It's cold, snowing, a real winter in NY.  It reminds me of my childhood back in the 70's, when the snowbanks were piled higher than the tops of our hats.  We were headed into a new ice age, or so the leading scientific consensus of the time stated.  I guess things change.  But one thing doesn't...

In the depths of winter, I always start dreaming of summer.  And with summer (in my mind) comes wind, water, and sailing.  I love to sail, and I love to look at sailboats.  Beauty, simplicity, form following function.  I think I love daydreaming about sailing just as much as the actual practice of sailing.  That's not true.... but it is close. 

To me, sailing is self-contained self sufficiency, a vehicle for adventure, and a traditional art-form.  I loved teaching sailing back in Oregon, mostly because the students questions drove me to research the origin of arcane terms and words, like Foc'sle (folk-sul).  But I also loved watching students change from awkward hamfists to wind sniffing artists.  Trimming sails, noses held high to the wind, steering a sharp course.

Anyway, I am dreaming of woodworking projects and polishing bronze and brass.  Maybe a new outboard for the dinghy.  Destiny (a Flicka class sloop) has a lot of teak, too.  You'd be amazed at how dingy teak gets, even when she is put away under cover for the summer.  And once she is back in the water, perhaps Elizabeth, Mo, and I can feed the rat by making some trips up the Hudson or down the river into NY Harbor and beyond... (and Elizabeth has a lot to learn about sailing!!)

"I'm in Love, I'm in Love and I don't care who knows it"

She says:

So folks it's been a while, far too long actually, and I've been meaning to write but things kept coming up, and honestly I was feeling a little sheepish about writing. After documenting all our adventures out west, our rock climbing feats, car camping escapades and walks through the wilderness, it felt so anti-climatic to tell you that we were headed back to the east coast to plop back into our old jobs. But much has happened since the last time I wrote and I figured it was only fair to bring you up to date on our goings on.

So a recap of our trip back east, After Seattle (our last entry), we made our way to Idaho to spend a day or two with Dougie (a fabulous friend of Jeffrey's.) As I said we were planning on staying for a day or two and after two days we drove to Dougie's office to say fairwell and be on our way, "But its must see TV tonight, you gotta stay, 30-Rock... it's new!" Dougie protested, he knew our new-found weakness for creature comforts and played right into them. We barely put up a fight... and then the rationale to stay just kept sounding better and better, "Well Friday we can't leave friday, we gotta have a night out on the town." Saturday we were too hung over to leave the couch which lead to a 30-Rock marathon, Sunday we were promised a delicious Pancake Diner Breakfast and Monday we were back to must see TV... It was hard, but after a week we peeled ourselves away.







We had a worldwind tour through, Utah and Arizona stopping at many national parks including, canyonlands, zion, brice and the northern rim of the grand canyon. (This part of the trip was crucial, since I'm an east coast girl I had visualized the west as the red rock canyonlands of Utah and I refused to go back east until I saw them. I was far from disappointed and it felt more like I was touring the terrian of Mars than the US of A. We made our way through Colorado, through the winding roads and snow capped Rocky's and spent a few days with Jeff's younger brother Craig and his girlfriend Laura (who just moved to Basalt, CO.) From the beautiful landscapes of CO we were on a mission to get back to Central New York for Halloween. But not before we visited with my friends Joe & Christy in Ohio, so after 30 hours of straight driving we arrived in Dayton, OH and got to meet Ms. Caroline Amato (Joe & Christy's beautiful new baby girl.)



Finally we arrived back in NY, greeted with open arms by Denise, we relaxed and enjoyed Jeff's mama's company... and I enjoyed the comforts of a modern kitchen with an oven and the makings for zucchini bread. For halloween I didn't have enough time to execute one of my favorite non-traditional costumes, but I was excited to finally be able to do a couples costume and so with insirpation from the local costume shop, Jeff and I went as Frankenstein and Frankenstien's bride. We tried to make Moby and mummy dog, but we wanted little to do with it, and Denise went as a flapper...



On our way down to my Mothers house on Long Island we stopped in White Plains for some apartment hunting, found a decent apartment that took dogs in an afternoon and headed to Sayville to see mama and all her animals. By mid Novemeber we were moved into our new apartment and back at work.

So we are back at Malcolm Pirnie our old company, long story short, Jeff got a call from his old boss somewhere back in September that they needed him back... and if there was anything he could do to entice him back please let him know. With our budget getting smaller and smaller and the cold months of winter looming, our minds were already drifting to what to do next... so the offer did have allure, after a few days HR called me to let me know if I was interested in coming back, they would be happy to have me. So if we wanted we could both get our old jobs back, and after much deliberation we decided, that we have big dreams, we know we can live cheaply, but if we want to continue to fulfill our dreams we were going to need jobs... and we liked Pirnie, they treated us well, and we enjoyed the culture of the workplace... and we didn't even need to interview or go through all the job application leg work. So it seemed like the thing to do.

Thanksgiving was spent with Jeff's older brother Jon & fam in New Hampshire and was filled with mouthwatering smells coming from the kitchen all weekend, an annual turkey bowl football game on Thanksgiving, trips to Portsmith and the local candlestick bowling alley, lots of scrabble, nights full of board games and I even badgered everyone into playing charades (which after some intial complaining everyone seemed to enjoy.)

As the holiday season sprang into full gear I was certainly sweept up in the holiday spirit. Since we were in Alaska last year, this is the first year Jeff got to see me in action. Christmas trees in every room, garland over every doorway & window, mistletoe, advent calanders, holiday songs and of course lots of baking.

Christmas was spent with my mother, we drove out to her house on Christmas eve and I was determined to get us all to midnight mass for the first time in years... and as we were getting ready to go, my eye's were misted from the emotions brought on by the good people of Bedford Falls as I watched the end of "It's a WonderfulLlife" and then... Jeffrey, right there in the guest room of my mothers house, got down on one knee and asked if I would be his wife. Obviously the mist in my eyes turned to full on tears and I clumsily put out my right hand insteand of my left and shook my head yes.

So we're Engaged! Yay! No we have no idea when the wedding will be... but of course it will be fabulous and our honeymoon... sounds like a good excuse for another adventure to me. *~

So I hope you all had a warm and loving hoilday season and I hope the new year finds you in good health and happiness. I don't know how often we'll be writting from here on out, as the blog was to document our adventures in the great outdoors... but we had fun writting while we were on sabatical and we hope you enjoyed reading out tidbits...

Till the next adventure, so long

Frisbee

Mo says:
I forgot how much I love frisbee! Momma bought me a new frisbee on the road, so now we play frisbee all the time. I like it best in the desert...the sand is soft and I can stomp on the frisbee after it lands. And when I get tired, I just take the frisbee into the bush and take a nap. Life is simple, and good!

A Quarter Century Old

She says:

I think at one time or another everyone imagines how they would act if they met their favorite famous person. I, of course, have imagined that when meeting said person I would be calm and collected, compliment them very casually but with heartfelt sincerity and then maybe woo them with my charm and convince them to join me for a spot of tea or a pint (depending on the temperament of the famous person)... that last part I never really saw myself going through with but I did love imagining that I could be so urbane.

I did not imagine that attending Stuart McLean’s Vinyl Cafe concert in Seattle, WA would give me the opportunity to actually meet someone I idolized. Nor did I imagine just how mortifying my actual interactions could be in comparison to my calm and collected fantasies. But first I would like to give you some background on the events at hand.


Originally, Jeffrey and I were to be working in Alaska until October 5th, returning back to the west coast only days before my 25th Birthday and coincidentally days before Stuart McLean, host of the Vinyl Cafe Radio Show on CBC radio (the Canadian and much better version of Garrison Keillor) would be hosting a concert in Seattle, WA only a short drive from Portland, OR (where our return flight was schedule to land.) I dropped hints with decreasing tact for about a month, doing everything besides making a huge poster telling Jeffrey to buy tickets and tape it to the toilet. After a month I was pretty certain Jeffrey had gotten the message loud and clear until on a drive home he asked,
“Hey, you know we get back to the lower 48 right before your birthday, is there anything you want to do?”
“You’re kidding, right? This is a set up?”
Jeff answered with a very blank stare, I couldn’t believe it, I had been so obvious, how could he have missed the signs, “You’re joking” I said once more in a hopeful voice before I exploded into a monologue about all the clues I have been dropping for the past month.

Well the hints didn’t work, however the rant did and the next day Jeffrey forwarded me a copy of the ticket order. I was going to see Stuart McLean for m 25th birthday! I was so excited.

And now that excitement has only been mounting since May, and since we left Alaska earlier than initially planned we have had to plan our entire Western tour around this concert, which has made it all the more exciting. Since I don’t receive Canadian Radio Stations regularly I download Stuart’s show weekly and listen by podcast.

I discovered Stuart while in high school, I had purchased a Christmas compilation CD and Stuart’s stories about Polly Andersen’s Christmas Party was the last track on the album. The story was heartwarming, comical and reminiscent of a lost time in American History. A time I dreamed of experiencing, a more wholesome time when family’s crammed together in living rooms around the country to listen to their favorite storytellers or huddle around to hear a presidential address or news from around the world. For some reason the radio era seems so much more romantic than the TV one, maybe because it fostered imagination and aloud its listeners to visualize the scenes described. Anyway, I am a notoriously bad story teller so the way Stuart’s words captivated me furthered my love of his stories and his fantastic storytelling ability.

It took quite a few years before I thought to look him up online, only to find he was a radio host in Canada and had a slew of stories on CD, a minor hint to my mother and for Christmas, I received all of his recorded work, (apparently my mother and I speak the same hinting language, be it a female or family thing)

I think of all the music and other auditory medium I listen to, Stuart might be my favorite and I dreamed of seeing him in concert, however since he was Canadian it was rare that he performed in the U.S., even rarer that he traveled to the Northeast. So when I realized that I was going to be out west when he was performing I was determined to go.

The concert was everything I dreamed it could be, complete with quaint stories that tickled my heart and funny bone. Stuart’s stories had me leaning forward on the edge of my seat, eager to hear the next line, but trying to preserve the bubbly feeling of seeing Stuart live. Stuart told stories of Dave (owner of the Vinyl Cafe) his wife Morley and their two kids Stephanie and Sam, read a story form the story exchange about a pastor being initiated into a new parish full of rugged fisherman. He shared bits of his own life story with us, interacted with the audience calling out children and the elderly to receive free CDs or his newest book. The concert also included multiple Canadian singers who were phenomenal! Two girls whose combined talents formed the likes of Dala, a piano player that cleverly combined classic composer favorites with popular tunes from modern times and a renowned Blues singer, whose grey hair, leather vest, cane and gravelly voice made you think that maybe this man didn’t just sing the blues, but he was the blues.

It was a wonderful evening and at the culmination of the concert I wasn’t disappointed it was over, because I was told Stuart always stays after the show to greet the fans and sign autographs. As I stood on the long line I kept trying to figure out what one-liner to say or how to act to give off that calm and collected air that I imagined. But Stuart has been such a big part of my life (especially this trip as I have really looked forward to listening to his podcast each week) part of me wanted to do something so he would remember me and I would not just be another dweeby fan. As I scrambled to come up with something, Jeff was slowly becoming convinced that I was actually crazy. I decided to have Stuart sign a specific chapter of the book instead of just in the front, and asking him to wish me a happy birthday via autograph would be enough distinction without being crazy and that I would rely on my charisma to do the rest.



Oh god, the butterflies were flying full speed in my stomach as the fans in front of me thanked Stuart and were on there way. “Oh dear, it’s show time” I thought, I sheepishly said hello; Stuart asked me my name as I hand him my book. “Elizabeth,” Jeff snaps a picture, “And what’s your name?” Stuart directed his question to Jeff, I interrupt, “Elizabeth” I realized my mistake, nervously laugh and then stayed awkwardly quiet while Jeff told Stuart just how much I liked him. My hands are sweating and after a quick posed picture, I grabbed my book and tried to discretely leave the theater so Stuart wouldn't realized just how overwhelmed I was by our meeting. I barely made it out the door before I start to cry and laugh hysterically. Jeff documented my failed attempt at being suave and as tears stream down my face I’m was disappointed by my dorky interactions but elated at what a wonderful evening it was.

If all this talk of Stuart has peaked your interest you can find more information about him and his show here:  http://www.cbc.ca/vinylcafe/

So my mother knows Jeffrey is treating me right: Jeff also took me out to a scrumptious dinner in Seattle, including Red wine and chocolate cake! Treated me to a very entertaining college football game between the UofO Ducks and the UCLA Bruins in Eugene the night before my Birthday AND woke me up with Balloons, breakfast in bed, (pancakes topped with singing candles) and finally a book about how to live a self sufficient life on a farm! (An idea I have been talking about this entire trip) So in short, my 25th Birthday was fabulous, thanks to my fantastic boyfriend! Yikes 25 years old I’m half way to 50! Ahhh!

Cheeseburger in Paradise

She says:
So since first strapping on the alpine harness at Smith Rock and climbing up the nubbiny routes on the welded tuff rock, i’ve climbed on Basalt Columns in Eugene, OR and Bishop, CA, and Granite cliffs and domes in Lake Tahoe and Yosemite National Park.

I have really grown to love to sport of rock climbing, the continual set of challenges and with each new skill set attained, a new set of challenges presents itself. Owen’s River Gorge is fabulous sport climbing, the gorge has relatively moderate temperatures (as long as you stay in the shade) and the routes a surprisingly steep and long. They allow for a great workout and a chance to exercise your problem solving skill as your muscles become fatigued. One of the benefits of Owen’s River Gorge is though it’s steep, the rock has surprisingly fantastic hand holds or jugs which make you feel like a rock star as you ascend the routes.


Up until this point Jeffrey has done all the leading, which means he ascends the rock first, clipping into the bolts or plugging in gear and then clipping in (on traditional routes). Lead climbing adds a whole dimension to climbing, as there is greater fall potential from a lead climb. Generally you lead a climb below your skill abilities so that you can safely place the protection gear needed, without being in a place where you become so strained physically or mentally that you might fall. Anyway, taking the step into the leading world was a step I was nervous about. It’s demands a level of comfort and confidence with climbing that I was not sure I had attained. But in order to continue to push myself and grow as a climber, I need to start to lead routes.



So I found a rather inviting looking 5.5 sport route to lead and after warming up seconding Jeff on a few trad and sport routes around the side of the arete, It’s time to take the step into the leading world. 5.5 routes are pretty easy climbing (thought, leading it does and additional challenges). I tie in to the sharp end of the rope feeling calm and confident in my abilities. During the climb I actively remind myself of the advice and techniques that Jeff has shown me, but more than anything I try to enjoy this new type of climbing. For your first lead, you should climb an easy enough route so you don’t have to think about the climbing and instead you can focus on the new tasks of clipping in properly and protecting the climb. I climb the route confidently, posing for victory shots as I reach the anchors. With the completion of my first lead my tummy starts to rumble for the victory dinner Jeff has promised... Big juicy cheeseburger & ice cold brewski here I come!


My friend Mandy has been reading this blog about our climbing adventures, and she was inspired to write a poem. Jeff and I were so moved that we wanted to share her beautifully written poem:

A Huge Smile

With a huge smile extending across the desert sky,
I hang from my fingertips and feel alive.
I have all that I could want,
And I risk everything for this moment, every chance I get.
The bigger the better,
The toughest the best.
I've seen but a fraction,
but could fill the voids in many minds,
with the images I have captured with my open eyes.
I have felt, seen, and connected with her,
Our Mother - most others have forgotten.
She is here with me waiting,
Her patience unmatched.
Who will join me in knowing,
How many are capable of surviving.
As I learn from our Mother,
As I harden outwardly and inwardly,
As I rise to the challenge,
I become that which I have always known I am:
A woman - capable, confident, compassionate...
Or some might just call me tough.