Things That Drive Me Crazy!

Lots of wind blowing today with spells of rain, halyards clanging away, and the boat rocking around a bit gave cause to reflect upon things that just drive me crazy.

I made a mistake and read through H.R. 1, The House Stimulus Plan, and that really got me crazy!

It is so interesting to read of the Hundreds of Billions of Dollars the Politicians want to spend on some really silly projects....I won't bore you with the details but Lordy....drunken sailors couldn't be so wasteful in their spending desires! I figure Mr. Obama shall find himself in a bit of a pickle over this Bill if he is reminded of his promise to go through the Federal spending line by line to identify wasteful spending for programs that do not work or are a waste of money.

Having had a couple of run in's with the IRS....over a few hundred dollars I love the fact the new head of the Treasury Department skated on not paying $34,000 and held a job as head of the New York Federal Reserve.....evidently he did not have to deal with the same IRS folks I did.

I read of the petition the Democrats are starting to muzzle Rush Limbaugh.....and promptly signed in on that. I hope they get enough names and someone challenges the validity of the signatures as they will just love my comments I left when I signed the petition.

In case you wonder....I am a firm believer in Free Speech. Some would say Limbaugh is "paid" speech due to his selling advertising but then I see folks like Chris Dodd and other corrupt politicians as engaging in "paid" speech as well.

I am glad Citi Bank backed out of their new Biz Jet they had ordered....I wonder if the Air Force will pick it up at a bargain and use it to fly Her Nibs (Nancy Pelosi) to and from San Francisco instead of the wornout old Gulfstream IV they use now.

Al Gore braved more of his usual Global Warming and testified to Congress today. I certainly hope he was not sworn to tell the truth prior to his statement. I keep waiting for him to move to Minnesota.....it being the state with the "Loon" as the State Bird. He would fit right in there since they have had Jesse for Governor and if the Democrats can steal enough votes....Al Franken for a Senator. Actually, the thought of Franken in the Senate sort of brings a smile to me. It is not like it is a real august group or anything anymore!

One should not read quotes from Thomas Jefferson or Will Rogers while contemplating our current economic condition and political climate. I will certainly have a packet of notes from Jefferson for use at the Journal meeting coming up.

Over the past few years I have been a bit of a thorn in the side of the Winston-Salem Journal Editorial Board and have had some very interesting exchanges with Mick Scott there at the paper.

This morning I got quite a surprise when he invited me to attend next week's Editorial Board Meeting. He even suggested I need not wear my Kevlar Vest and Helmet as he felt they had a most collegial forum. I am looking forward to this event but think I will take a Food Taster along just in case they offer me a cup of coffee or in the best tradition of Newspaper folks....a strong drink.

Harold Pope Makes The Paper!

As we wander life's meandering path we sometimes trip into a person that makes the trip all the more enjoyable. Harold Pope, who had the adjoining slip to mine at Matthews Point, is one of those people. Despite his being an absentee boat owner who never spent anytime working on his boat, he was great company when he did make those rare appearances....usually when he knew there was a free lunch to be had.

Harold has a very unique sense of humor that sometimes requires you to stop and think. He tells a good story and really understands life. His ordinary commonsense astounds me. Granted he can rub the buffalo off a nickel carrying it around but that sometimes lends itself to his providing entertainment for those that like to tease and poke fun at the vulnerable. One day while he was idly standing by watching me scrape, sand, and varnish bright work on Luna....he gave me an ear bashing about life since he had retired.

I quizzed that statement as how would one know that he had "retired" as usually one ceases work "after" retiring.

His account of his new driving habits finally forced me to give up on the varnishing and offer him a cold drink. As I was fetching the drinks.....the beauty and absolute truth his account contained made a real impression on me.

When I read a Letter to the Editor of the Winston-Salem Journal lamenting slow driving folks in the left lane.....I could not help but recall Harold's views on that part of life. I immediately fired off my own letter to the Journal and of all things they printed it.

The journal editor wanted to know who this Harold Pope guy was and I explained to him that Harold was a friend, former Marine and Vietnam Veteran, a fellow who had swung the lead for the City of Monroe long enough to retire, and that I considered him a Great American.

I also noted he would get his feathers all fussed when he heard of his name being in the paper.

As I told the Editor....I get no greater pleasure out of life than to fuss ol' Harold's feathers!

Harold old buddy....here is the article with your name in it!

No more traffic jams

Letters to the Editor

A great American, Harold Pope, once told me that since he retired he has not been held up by traffic while driving on the highway. Not once.

He noted that he now drives at the speed limit and finds that he is less stressed, has time to view the scenery, gets better gas mileage and always has an open highway with no traffic in front of him.

To date, he reckons the only traffic jams can be seen in his rearview mirror.

I personally think Harold has discovered one of life's truths.

Shouldacouldawoulda!

It came to me a few minutes ago why I should have followed Joe Earl and Karen south to the Bahamas! After a fabulous day building a shelf for the new microwave I decided to dump some trash and have a shower over at the marina building. I knew it had been snowing and sleeting today but had not really kept up with the accumulation.

There was some snow....not enough as it turned out....but there was a surplus of ice! Getting around on the deck making my way off the boat was more like ice skating than walking. Praise the Lord I am on a floating dock.....the thought of being on the fixed dock with a five foot tide fall reminds me of why I love this marina!

Frady had his first experience with snow.....and for once he needed no encouragement to return to the boat. I think this was the kool-aid acid test for cold kitty paws! Immediately upon jumping down into the main cabin he passed right by the food point and went straight to his best buddy (the radiator)....took a quick bath and snuggled up to Hotty.

So Joe Earl....if you read this....just suffer in silence with your 59/61 degree day!

It is an ill wind that blows no good however....at least the beer is cold.

ZZ Top blasting....a cold Sam Adams Winter Lager...only thing missing is the microwave popcorn....well maybe a dancing partner!

My Shipmate!

Now that Luna is over her tiff....and I am back warmly snuggled up in the covers again in the aft cabin...I have had some time to think of a good topic to add to the blog here.

Right now we are having some of Al Gore's Global Warming, coldest day of the year, and it makes for a good excuse to stay indoors. Frady is setting the example by staying very close to his new best buddy....the portable oil filled radiator that is cranking out about 250 degrees Fahrenheit. I keep expecting to smell the aroma of burning cat fur and a sudden onset of feline howling but so far all is well as he has the safe distance computed to a very fine tolerance.

Watching said cat in his slumbers reminded me of the topic I needed to address.

He is just a cat....a critter....a feline....a big pain in the butt....independent....arrogant and aloof at times....a great hunter, fisher, and crabber. He climbs trees as if he were a squirrel...and generally leads a pretty good life now. Best of all....he is my buddy.

For a while at Matthews Point Marina, he was on not such a good lick.

He got abandoned twice, once by a young lady, and a second time by a middle aged hippy fellow.

Frady survived by catching his own dinner, helping himself to any unsecured cat food or dog food that he found. Al Becker, the Dockmaster there fed the little critter even if he did not adopt him full time.

All the while, Frady was at risk from some Redneck goobers whose manhood was challenged by the presence of a mere cat. One htated the fact he had not shot the cat as soon as he was known to be living on his own. Another threw a music CD case at the little guy while the cat was sleeping on the dinette settee one night. The third found good humor in his two big dogs chasing the cat.

The local dogs chased him and our living at the end of the long dock made him vulnerable to all manner of visiting dogs. But he coped, he developed a very first rate situational awareness and always kept a bolt hole or tree close at hand for those kinds of encounters.

Since moving to the marina here in Wilmington, his lifestyle has improved. He has the Cape Fear River for fishing, the river bank for his hunting, and a full twenty-thirty acre woodlot to roam in.

The Marina Office has a resident cat, and the folks that have boats on our dock are careful to keep their dogs from chasing the cat. The one danger here will be the two alligators....one a nine footer. I fear curiosity might just be the end of Ol' Frady if he gets to nosing around something like that.

Any way....what led me to this post is thinking of the sheer pleasure I get out of hearing the clacking of cat hooves on the wooden dock boards as Frady bounds along the dock as he trots to and from the boat. I love to hear that kathumping as he runs along with his tail up and left....happy as a clam.



He comes running when I drive in the parking lot with the pickup....follows me like a puppy when I walk over to the office for my showers...waits on top of the deck railing while I shower....and generally acts like my best buddy. We have our routines....he expects and demands I open the cat door for him as if I was a Hotel Doorman but will use it by himself if I am not here.

He tells time like a Rolex....5:30 PM is dinner time....and don't be a minute late!

The one draw back is he has to be shanghai'ed in order to get him out sailing. He is fine after he accepts the fact he is afloat and cannot get off the boat...but as soon as you get within launching distance....he jumps ship and heads ashore on unauthorized liberty.

He does know how to communicate. I bought a laser light....Cat's go bonkers chasing laser dots don't they?

I turned the laser on...pointed it at the floor then a bulkhead....and Frady sat there with a very bored look on his face...which said without any doubt...."Yeah Right! Laser my butt! Who do you think you're fooling?" He had it figured out from the first instant I turned it on.

Among sailor's worldwide there is a bonding process that occurs while crewing aboard a vessel.

I know he is just a cat....but he is my Shipmate!

Why Boats Are Called "She"!

Yesterday was a great sailing day....rained in buckets, that cold kind of rain...really cold!

So...I did some errands that I had been putting off and ran into downtown thinking it would be a bit tamer in the daylight. It was....oh my but the difference a bit of sunlight makes even if it is a dark, wet, rainy day.

Anyway...back to the original premise of this post. Boats are talked of as being of the female gender. I cannot tell you why right off hand but can give you some ideas why this has come about.

They love to have you spend money on them....matter of fact they demand it. It matters not if it is a large wad, a small donation, or just a constant drain on your purse....but you shall spend money on them. Lots of money....a whole lot of money!

They demand constant attention....stray away from them for even a moment or two and they know. They will punish you for that straying eye or absent hand.

They are unpredictable....quite fickle indeed. One day they will be happy,make you feel their love then turn around the next and make you rue the day you took up with them.

Last night Luna sought to remind me of the Laws of the Sea as pertains to boats and those who sail in them.

I gave a visit to the now "non-preferred Irish Bar" and found it less a sports bar and more an Irish Bar. Thus I had ended a day where I had spent little time on the boat. I also did not do any kind of chore or project. Being a cheap fellow (one gets that way when you have other strident demands for your coin) I had not run the heat pumps but relied upon the one mere portable radiator that Frady cares so much for to keep Luna warm.

As I climbed into bed....got the covers all adjusted...it came to me suddenly that I was afloat.

The mattress and pillow were sopping wet!

A bit of investigation, after I toweled off and changed PJ's, found the stern ports were acting as condensers for all of the humidity in the boat and had dripped down onto the mattress.

So...Luna in a snit fit over my being away had poured cold water into my bed and forced me to sleep on the settee in the main cabin next to Frady who was happily curled around the radiator.

Now both heat pumps are running and drying the air in the boat and in time will dry the mattress. I can hear the electric meter just clicking away.....tatatatatatatatatat!

Luna just like a woman scorned ... threw me out of bed.

If I spend all day aboard, pay attention to some projects making several offerings of peace, spend that money on the electricity....hopefully Luna will let me back into her bed tonight!

Ah, it is the sailor's life for me! Don't you just love it?

Sunday Night in Downtown Wilmington

Having some free time on my hands last night...I went downtown to enjoy a pint of Guinness or two at my preferred Irish Bar. Somewhere in the past few days it morphed into a typical sports bar complete with mindless morons yelling and whooping at unfathomable events on the Television.

Now I am a Wake fan being from Winston-Salem and as much as I root against UNC....I still fail to see the need to act as though one were practicing for the annual Hollering contest at Spivey's Corner in a nice place as it was. Someone's Momma did a very poor job of raising some young'uns in my opinion.

Thus, I left that place....and hoofed it over to Paddy's Hollow. Along the way I passed a group of Buskers playing on the side walk. They had a blue bean pot on the sidewalk marked "Tips"....and it was plainly empty as was the reason why.

Upon arriving at Paddy's.....discovered the door was padlocked. So...back on Pat and Turner and down the hill I went. Along the way I was intercepted by a fellow who had a pair of pants whose seat hung down to the back of his knees....who muttered something in a foreign language, derived from Rap and Ebonics, to which I smiled and said "No Thanks!" and passed on by.

I fell into a bar called the "Barbary Coast"....now that was an experience. Can you say "contra-culture"?

Remember the Buskers?

As I was stood at the bar....minding my own business...playing with the two large dogs (canines) in the place...in stumbled one of the Buskers wearing the blue bean pot as a hat...drunk on his hind end. Without any preamble he pushed me aside...shoved my change away...and ordered a beer. Upon getting the beer....he turned around and the two dogs went bonkers! Dogs do have an innate capability to be good judges of character. They confirmed it by instantly turning into junk yard dogs with this guy. Good Puppy!

One beer there then back out the door headed for the pickup truck parked by the Irish joint. Along the way...a chunky little blonde girl suggested she knew where I could find a good time....and I perceived she was willing to be my companion in that endeavour. Keeping in form with the earlier contact with some of the local color....I again said "No Thanks!"

Before I could get more than a few steps past Blondie.....a drunken fellow...hollered for me to wait up...which I did not. He ran up....slurringly asked if I had a cigarette and dashed off as I did not. He then partnered up with another pedestrian and spent a block trying to find a cure for his nicotine fit to no avail. The pedestrian reported he would be looking to trade his Black Lab for a Rottweiler if such things kept occurring as he walked his pooch about Wilmington.

As I was crossing the street to the pickup....refrains of some very good 60's music sounded forth from the Front Street Brewery. A quick U-turn and across the street and it was time to sit down at the bar....have some locally brewed Scottish Ale (7.3 percent alcohol by volume) and Sweet Potato Chips with molten Gorganzola Cheese....while the music played.

Misson accomplished.....an enjoyable time had in downtown Wilmington. What more can a guy ask for....a fine ale...good snacks...oldies music....lovely bartender....and all the animal life one cares to watch.

Weather report shows a bad week coming up....lots of wind and very cold temperatures. Will be a good opportunity to stay at the dock and continue the safari's into downtown Wilmington!

Don't It Beat All!

Awoke just after Five this morning to the sound of my favorite halyard whanging away on the main mast....and rain pelting down....and a feline sitting next to the bunk telling me it was time to serve breakfast. I ignored the halyard, enjoyed the rain sounds, but there was no ignoring the Cat. Cat's do not fall for the pretend I am sleeping trick....they know you are not asleep.

So...got up..fed the Cat...and brewed a cup of coffee and enjoyed the morning.

Now as to how the Lord works in mysterious ways.

Young fair Shannon, a UNC-W student in her final semester, came along for dinner and brought a friend. I met Shannon on a trip to Vietnam and grew fond of her during the trip and we have continued our acquaintance since.....translates to I dangle a steak dinner and she finds time in her schedule to show up for dinner. Gentlemen.....college girls enjoy a good dinner!

Anyway....back to the friend.

The young lady began the Cook's tour on her own while Shannon and I were catching up on events and I picked up the tour at the Forward Cabin. We chatted about the boat as we went aft and she showed interest in what was being said.

Most guests do that.

As we reached the walk through and the engine room compartment....I made my usual joke about how much the Ladies enjoy seeing the engine room and opened the entrance hatch to the engine room.

Bless my trousers but she dropped to her knees,....crawled half way into the engine room...pulled the throw cushion off the top of the engine and correctly identified the engine as being a Perkins...pointed out a bit of oil in the bilge under the engine...asked about leaks....and absolutely amazed me when she said she was a properly licensed Marine Engineer with documented sea time.

I was completely and totally taken by this fair young lady!

When she suggested she missed the sea going life and things mechanical afloat....I very kindly (at least in my view) offered her an open invitation to feel free to come aboard Luna and get all greasy. Seemed the right thing to say at the time....really!

Shannon did say early on that she felt I would like her friend. Shannon my dear....you have British style understatement down pat.

Shannon also said she is doing an Internship now at the North Carolina Underwater Archaeology Lab at Fort Fisher and is loving it! She has taken up surfing, hopes to complete a Scuba certification soon and has the potential for becoming a real water baby. Now all we have to do is get her graduated, employed, and paying taxes.

Katie, the friend, added to the evening by telling us of her time at sea and how it profoundly changed her life.....and made her a Shell Back....no mere Pollywog this woman.

Frady, the little rat, warmed immediately to Katy and refreshed his affair with Shannon.

Now if I could just get the same attention he does....life would be grand!

A Good Run Ashore!

As I sit here trying to assemble my thoughts....one thing is abundantly clear. A big glass of Guinness is good...two are wonderful....but the third one should be approached with caution. But...as the big boys have said...it was a great run ashore yesterday.

I finally got down to changing the oil in the NexGen 5.5 KW generator yesterday....it had enough hours on it for its very first oil change. All I had to do was route the oil drain hose by means of drilling a hole in the sound shield base, poke the hose out, take off the drain plug at the end of it, point it into a two gallon jug and that part was done....right? Well now....who ever put the drain plug fitting together must have been Charles Atlas-san...a very strong Japanese fellow who works for Kubota. It might as well have been welded together.

Then just to add to the fun.....when I tried to get the oil filter off....remember this is the first oil change...I discovered the paint job given the unit at the factory worked much like welding too. Lots of good exercise getting the filter off just to discover the new filter was not the right size.

So..off to town on a shopping run.

The friendly CarQuest guy spent the best part of an hour coming up with a new part number for the filter only to discover both numbers he had led to identical filters as I had in my hand. Did a google search on my Blackberry...called NextGen in Florida. Brief phone call resulted with...."Oh yeah...the American made filters are bigger than the Japanese ones that come with the engine."

Well go figure!

In the end....an afternoon spent doing a thirty minute job. Ah, boats.....you gotta love'em.

Got cleaned up a bit and went to TGIF despite it being a Thursday, to attend my first ever Cape Fears Singles gathering. It was a very nice group of people and I will look forward to attending more of these activities. I look forward to having some of these folks out on the boat for a day of sailing.

I then fell into an Irish bar on Front Street. I have found a new home away from home!

Just as Vic Copeland touts a certain bar in Fernandina Beach....I now offer this one up as being a very nice place to visit.....if for no other reason than to meet the bartender....who is quite a lady.

I accused her of being on a piece work pay scale as she made sure the glass never got empty.....which is a novel idea in Wilmington from what I have noticed of most bar tenders!

Now where is my aspirin bottle....it is here somewhere.

The War Came Home Today

The past week has been a bit slow...several cold fronts blew through and brought a bit of wind...not much cold weather....rocked the boat about a bit at the slip.

Bad news recently, a PHI S-76-C with eight persons aboard crashed in Louisana and killed all aboard the aircraft. Sounds like a mechanical failure of some kind as the weather was good at the time of the accident. This reminds me of the risks we faced over the years flying helicopters.

Went to Cubbie's (my very most favorite burger joint) and had lunch. Seated next to me was a young fellow, a former Marine. He was in a wheel chair....had two mechanical legs and a mechanical arm. I talked to the waitress and told her I would be buying the Marine's lunch and also for his two companions who appeared to be Veteran's Service Officers of some kind.

I asked the waitress, when they tried to pay their bill, to tell the young man how proud he and his generation had done us old farts and to thank him for his service.....and not to tell him who it was bought his lunch beyond saying "...a Vietnam Veteran". It was a very unfair thing to do I guess....as he will have looked around and tried to figure out who it was that had done that for him. I got my reward....in the form of a great big warm hug from that young lady who took my money. Seems her brother is a Marine.

The cost of war....and the price of freedom our young people are willing to pay....we owe this generation so much.

Happy New Years!

Today turned out to be another very pretty day....clear and sunny....and got cold quick as the Sun set. Plenty of activity on the dock this afternoon....had a nice visit with the neighbors while I polished some stainless steel bits on the boat.

I spent yesterday and today having a "neat fit" and cleaned the boat interior from one end to the other...sorted out all sorts of clutter that has grown since I first got the boat. In the end...two cart loads of junk went ashore and some order returned.

Unlike many years....last night was a "health night"....stayed sober...nary the drink at all...ate a good curry...watched a very bad movie....and retired to the bunk with a good book. I am reading
"Citizen Soldier" by Stephen Ambrose...an account of the US Army from D-Day to the surrender of Germany.

Greg Graham called today....he and I flew together in Vietnam all those years ago. Greg retired from Petroleum Helicopters after working for them for an entire life time and much like me prefers to drive anywhere he goes rather than fly. I invited him up for a sail...and mini-reunion with John Townsley, Jim Vanderbeck, and Frenchy Viol, all former Geronimo's who live near Raleigh, North Carolina. I hope he will take the time and find his way up here. (That is a hint Greg!)

Happy New Year to all!