Whow!  two dives on the shark wall off Nassau Bahamas with Stuarts Cove.  Here are some of the pics.  I am trying to figure out how to display a video clip you will enjoy. It is just under 10 MBytes if you can receive an email that size let me know.

Got this from Mary Helen's Website.

 

My Phrase tunrs out to be:

Is maith liom bananai - 'I like bananas?'.

I am laid-back and enjoy the simple things in life. Some might say I'm a little too laid-back. (That doesn't sound much like me. Maybe I am not Irish after all?)

 

Try your own! Take the quiz:

Met a new friend at a Hurricane party Sunday night at Trish and Joe's house. Walter is about 82 years old. He was a joke writer for Dean Martin back in the hayday, before that he played in the Jimmy Dorsey band in the 40's-50's. These days he is living in a trailer down the beach from us and works as a Packaging Specialist at the Publix supermarket (bag boy). He also does stand-up comedy for the retirement-set, quite regular performances with great appeal I hear.

Walter started up about his mother, a Russian Jewish immigrant, when our hostess Trish was inisistantly offering him something to eat.  He accused Trish of being a Jewish mother.  Joe, Trish's boyfriend took great delight in this as he also had such a mother.

Walter told a story about a man who had a terrible car accident near to his mothers house, he limped to her building and crawled up the stairs. He banged on the door and she opened it to find him kneeling with his shoulder against the door stop.  He had broken ribs and blood trickling down his cheek.

"Maam, I've been in a terrible crash and I need an ambulance" said he.
"Come in, sit, have something to eat, then we'll talk" was her response.

When he was with Jimmy Dorsey they did a special gig for the famous baseball player Ted Williams and his family.
Walter was a young man and so excited to have shaken the hand of Ted Williams that he called his mother.

Her response to his big news? "So who is Ted Williams?"

Joe had called Trish with a long list of things he needed to prepare the dinner party. Item by item Joe discovered Trish had missed nearly everything on his list.  Walter observed "Well the good news is, you can use the same list next time."

A wonderful evening. Walter stayed at Joe and Trish's for the night as his trailer was under a mandatory evacuation. Happy to say his trailer survived just fine. he had power the next morning when he got home.

We had 60 to 70 MPH winds whistling past the house for about 1 /12 hours.

 But all is well.  Boat floated, broke a few small bits. nothing to complain about really.

 

Now Katrina formed an image in my mind of a tyrannical Princess bent on reeking havoc. Rita brought up images of a jilted Latin lover who came back to kick ass.  But Wilma...?

 

I just cannot get worried about someone whose image has been indelibly etched by Hanna-Barberra's Flintstone.

 

Let's hope we are not given new images to remember of Wilma that will displace the harmless ones. It now looks like Tuesday before we will know for sure.

So Heather posted the following on her "Perspicacity of H" site.

 

Go to google.com and type "(your name) needs" Then pick the funniest ones there and paste them in your blog.

 

My results are a bit skewed as there is a column writer for the Akron Beacon Journal named Mike Needs. So the first thing I need after "Recent and past columns from Akron Beacon Journal public editor" is the Page Down Key

 

Then, Dr. Mike needs a sample on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

 

Mike needs our help. - Meetup.com reveals Michael Moore is in need...

 

Mike Needs A Date!! (But unless you want it to be a date in divorce court don't tell Syndi!)

 

Mike needs a good editing to clear away the clutter and realize his potential. (Well that is certaily spot -on.) 

 

To quote my most perspicacious daughter. "I'm tiiiired! and my top-head hurts..."

 

Try this game with your name, maybe it will be more of a hoot for yuze.

 

 

 

Happy to be underwater again. In fact:

 

        I'M JUST VISITING

     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

     I LIVE UNDERWATER

 

I retook my certification, having done so much diving as a youngster that I have no idea what I will have forgotten.  I am now PADI Basic Certified, and have nearly completed my 5 Advanced Dives to get that extra certification to go to 130'.  Deep Dive, Wreck Dive, Night Dive, Naturalist Dive are all done,  I just need my Navigation Dive to complete the course. At the same time I took my NITROX-Enriched Air Specialty so I am 1/5 of the way to becoming a MASTER DIVER, which is what I am aiming for eventually.

 

I am having such a wonderful time. The reefs and wrecks down in Pompano, just 2 1/2 hrs south of here are really awesome.  Some photos to the right to give you some idea. I have logged 14 dives already in just the two weekends since I started diving.

 

Caitlin and Syndi need to join me in this adventure.  We can all have alot of fun down here if we take advantage of being in Florida.

 

More updates to come.

Sorry to have been off-line for so long.

 

Hola Mis Amigas y Amigos,

 

This morning after a butchering of a haircut by an over-the-hill barber I resolved an internal dispute about my facial hair.  My beard had gone past 1/2 gray and I looked myself in the face across the bathroom sink with a critical eye.

 

It was time to shave off 5 years of growth.  Now if I could drop the balance of 5 years growth straining  my belt buckle!

 

5 years ago the beard added a continental touch to my image.  In fact I think it worked very well. I have been often mistaken for a German while traveling, and that is almost always preferrable to being taken as an American. With the possible exception of Italy where neither of my heritages are well  liked, due to the lack of diplomatic common sense over the past few years.

 

Well the photos of before and after here to the right are for common judgement, open for comment. What do you think?  Be kind if I have left room for any doubt.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday I got to crew in an ocean race out of Port Canaveral on board the Fast Lane a 28 foot Lindenberg sailboat.

As I have not crewed in a race since my sophomore year in college,1981, one could say I was a little rusty. Someone of my size is worthwhile in such a race under the category of "Rail Meat".  Especially in a race like this, with 20 to 25 Knot winds on the ocean. I had a great time, learned a few of the "ropes" so to speak,  I was one of two crew in the cockpit position taking care of the Jib sheets during tacking. We had not expected to fly the Spinnaker in such high winds and seas, but we were lucky to pick up the skipper of another boat as an extra hand, as he did not have enough crew to make the race. Rene played the essential "Foredeck" position orchestrating the control of the powerful and perilous Spinnaker.

 The first Spinnaker fly was a little shakey, but by the second one the crew handled all our jobs in smooth order and it was awesome. We rocketed along with the wind just to port of the stern, rocketing over the mounting swells.

 We did very well for the first 10 or 11 miles of this 15 mile race. The third Spinnaker fly was a different matter, we rounded the mark I handled the Jib release and tailed in the line as we hauled in on the new tack. The Foredeck had rigged the Spinnaker, and as soon as we had run aways out and could make the slight turn to position to hoist the big sail the order rang out, "Hoist Away" UP she went! First there was bit of fluster, as the sail tried to find it's fill of air. And then...

WHAM, something let go, the pole may have not been seated properly and came free. The boat took a hard heal .  Cheryl called out to "Blow the Sheet and Blow the Halyard. As all hands of the crew were hanging on to the deck , which was now more of a wall we were climbing up. The other Cockpit crew Andy dropped into the water, but was tangled in the lifelines and clutching on to a winch on deck he managed to hang on.  His head broke free of the water and he called out "I'm OK!" As he looked up he saw all 7 other crew standing straight at attention backs against the deck The mast was nearly tipping into the water. I turned 'round and climbed up on to the Starboard side of the hull.  Shifting my 1/8 ton of "Rail Meat" where it could do the most good. Under my chest I felt and then heard one of the Spinnaker control lines flying through it's sheaves, the tail whipped my shoulder on it's hurried escape. The boat slowly began to come upright. We assesed our situation, and moments later I was hauling in the jib sheet and we were back in the race. Andy had a couple of scrapes and I am sure found a few new bruises. He kept saying it was an awesome experience.  We lost one line, but recovered the Spinaker and still managed to finish third place behind the other two Lindenberg 28's in this race.

 

We managed to tip over one more time on the way back into the harbor, under just the main sail when we all were hanging off the Port side and the wind swirled on us, and hit the boat from the opposite side. Suddenly the high side of the boat was the low side, and my legs went in the drink, I spun around and grabbed hold of a winch and hauled myself back aboard as we re-righted.

 

I am told this does not normally happen. In fact the other boats had a wonderful time winding Cheryl up about our adventurous race. I loved every minute of it. I am looking forward to my next shot out. Next time I hope to be of more use, and maybe keep my butt out of the water. 

"I have a best friend." A dangerous statement, but indisputeable in my case.  Of courseSyndi is my wife and my closest friend and companion, Of course I love my brother-in-law Andy as if he was my own blood. But through an odd and turbulent life of trial and separation my best friend for the past 35 years has been Richard Menides. My four daughter all refer to him as Uncle Rich, and the feeling has always been mutual.

When ever I have needed a friend he comes through. When he is cut, I bleed. And he is hurting right now. In Lawrence Hospital, recovering from a major surgery. And I am very happy to say he sounds like he is doing great.  But I would like to be there to make sure, and to tease him about his hospital gown and share some old stories, and make some new plans. And bring him a Cadbury Egg for Easter, because that is his favorite that his Mom never forgot.

Get Well Soon Rich!

For the past 5 days I have been staying in a beautiful seaside town near Valparaiso, Chile called Vina del Mar.  We had notices some very strangley dressed young people, and wondered what in the world was causing their strange attire.  It turns out that each year at the start of school, the new college students are subjected to a clever ritual.  March in Chile is the end of Summer so school started this Monday.

 

The freshman are caught by the upperclassman who rip up/off and paint the clothing and bodies of the newbies.  We saw kids with one shoe off, and one shoe on. Boys with tatters of their shirts remaining and hair half shaved off.  The girls were always more tastefully decorated, never anything rude or too exposed.  But lots of anatomically indicative painting.

 

The kids are all in the streets and roaming the town and city of Valpariaso asking for donations to help rebuild their wardrobe.  This gentleman hopes one day to buy a shirt and new trousers so he can use his degree in advanced mathematics.

OK, probably nobody wants to hear about our little sailing expeditions.  But we had such fun on Saturday last week I just had to record it somewhere.

 

Kim from our Dutch office and Faith from Liverpool joined Syndi and I on board the "Blue Puffin" for an afternoon at the mercy of the wind and waves.

 

Well the wind was a fickle friend that day it was supposed to come from the WNW and back around to the SW by afternoon.  A perfect design for going down South to the Islands on the Indian River. Wind behind us going and returning.  Kim and Faith brought a picnic of cheese and fruits, and we had a little wine onboard just to keep the natives happy during calm airs.

 

We switched our plans as the wind did a 180 degree shift on us, coming out of the East North East.  We headed up river through the 192 Causeway and up onto the Western shore of the Island, where all the big homes are.  We got to see them from the water side, and were suitabley impressed.

 

On the way Kim and Faith laid out the food. Took their turns at steering, and sipped a bit of wine.

 

As we approached the shore huge flocks of migratory ducks covered the waters, we got to watch a thousand birds rise and turn en mass, it was quite a site.

 

About 100 yards off the shore the water was about 4 1/2 feet deep and seemed very clear. So I got the idea of diving overboard with mask and fins to see the bottom of the boat. I had this owned this boat for nearly two years and have never seen the bottom. Well this was a great idea, certainly easy enough to anchor the boat. Although we had never done that before either. I would just slap on fins and a mask and drop over the side!

 

Now I was not so dense as to miss the fact that I had no official way to get back onboard. I rigged a couple of lines to hang over the side to help me back up into the boat. Again another untried exploit.

 

Over I went.  The water was cold but not as cold as our pool so I adjusted right away.  Much to my delight the Freedom 21 actually does have a keel, albeit a baby one.  About 1 1/2 foot extending from the bottom.  But I had been lead to believe their was no keel at all. So I was delighted, I swam up and checked the anchor, all was as expected. Swam back and proceeded to attempt to get back in the boat.

 

None of my original plans were effective, after about 20 minutes Everyone started to wonder if they would have to tow me ashore behind the boat.

 

Eventually I managed to rig a sling on the Starboard side, cram my left leg into the sling and launch myself up to grab the hatch rail, in one huge burst of flab power I was laying flopping on the deck like an overaged Sealion.

 

After a few moments of recovery I was hauling the anchor and we headed down wind.  Now coming from just South of East. We raised the Spinnaker, just to show her colors, and headed back down to the Intercaostal Waterway.

 

From there we had to motor home, as the wind was continuing it's uncooperative bent. Syndi had to steer as I held on to the outboard motor that kept wanting to veer off of the boat.  We did see a couple of dolphins, but not up close, I am sure they dislike the outboard.

 

After all we got back to the dock just about sunset, wrapped up with our friends and went out for a bite of dinner. A very satisfying day of friends, sun and fun.

 

 

This morning around 2:00am Syndi and I were awoken by the sound of a helicopter. The thundering sound passed by our window and unexpectedly passed by again. I layed awake staring at the ceiling fan, wondering how in the world such a noice could come from the slow turning blades.  Syndi said to me  "Do you see the light?"

 

"Not for many years", I thought to myself but then isn't this a strange conversation for the middle of the night.  Then a light passed over our open windows to the canal, and I was jolted to full consciousness.

 

At the end of the canal directly outside our bedroom windows  blue lights rotated wildly.  We could see people scurrying around on one of the docks.  The helicopter would shine it's light at the dock for a moment, then seem to point the light randomly as the whilrybird careened in lazy circles.

 

About 25 minutes from our awakening the lights stopped spinning, we watched a small Coast Guard boat idle back out the channel past our window and towards the river. With no lights on all we could pick out was the orange stripe and the crackle of radio calls over the sputtering outboard motor.

 

Quiet then returned to the canal, a loud splash soon followed. Reassuring normality as a pelican's relentless appetite drove him to take countless headers into the darkened water.

 

"I hope he caught one that time", I thought to myself as I tried to fall back into the stupor of slumber. "I wonder who they caught, everybody is so hungry..."

 

I was squeezed into a rocket simulator with my three oldest daughters. Stong, brilliant woman. Each very much their own person, each with their own mission.  Apart from placing us into Hyper-sleep for the trip to Mars and firing various navigational rockets on our short centrifugal trip to outer space, they are each masters of their own destiny.

 

As I pondered the event it occured to me. Precious moment of my life are passing by at blinding speed.

 

When I try to grasp how much is happening without my awareness, and how those I love are growing and changing, with no further need of my nurture or advise.  I feel pinned to my chair as if I was accelerating again in that rocket.

 

Exhilaration is also a part of these emotions, because the development of my children astounds and delights me.  While it also diminishes the "me" who was.

 

The me of now and tomorrow has a different mission than the me of yesterday.  I must adjust to the new speed of life, and hold on as my youngest daughter approaches her blast off point.

 

One universal constant more certain than the speed of light is Love. All else changes, Love does not. My Love for them could not be stronger, and will never fade.

 

I just need to strap in for the ride, because it is quite clear these women are going places.

I have been singlehanding the boat alot recently.   Working out the kinks of flying the Spinnaker with just two hands, and a very cheap autopilot.  I had the boat sliding along at 6 knots in a 10 knot breeze jut after this picture was taken. It was a real blast.  Even more fun if anyone wants to join me...

 

 

Tis the hour of resolution.

 

I am considering what resolutions I can truly keep.  It is a process requiring deep introspection.  This year I have just got to admit to myself that I cannot follow my resolutions, eating right, drinking less, treating everyone with more respect.

 

Maybe if I try for just a half hour of resolution this year?

 

We have half a family Thanksgiving in Florida today. But we are making enough food for everybody, just in case they show up to surprise us. Heather has made her debut in the Family Feast Kitchen.  Endive leaves stuffed with Blue Cheese and Walnut garnish. Toasted French Bread ( or is it Freedom Bread?) with Artichoke Dip and fresh Tomato Slice topping. Yummy, Yummy and so nicely balanced on the plate I was afraid to move anything. So I just ate the tops off and left the bread on the plate...

Caitlin has made us Pumpkin Soup, that will be finished off in the oven inside hollowed out Butternut Squash's and dusted with a Secret Ingredient (Uh Oh!)

 

Mom has been cooking since last night, we have the now famous Spicy Shrimp served cold. An 11 Pound Turkey, Stuffing, Oyster Stuffing, Sweet Potatoes, Mashed Potatoes, Squash, Turnips, Rolls and finishing with Apple and Pumpkin Pies.

 

I am full just writing about it! More after we are all stuffed.

 

 

 

I am flying home from Rio de Janeiro, arriving Saturday morning at 04:44 in Miami, where I will jump in a car and head for Melbourne Beach just in front of Hurricane Jeanne.

 

The projected path seems to vary just above and below Melbourne Beach, as if we are the center of it's real interest.

 

I don't mean to seem paranoid, but these things seem to keep aiming for us.

 

Syndi is back in pack up our lives mode. She is filling the minivan up. I will do my best to secure the boat when I get there.

 

Updates to follow.

I woke up and checked on Frances, her center is now inland at Stuart about 40 miles south of Vero and 90 miles south of our home.  So we have reason to be hopeful.  Looking at the hurricane strength winds that are still reaching out 90 miles and more we realize there is every chance that we are going to find broken out windows and wind driven rain flooding at the house.  Power is out there, and it is just a matter of for how long. In the case of Charlie it took as much as three weeks.  But we expect week or less where we are located.

 

I do not want to turn on the TV and wake Syndi and Caity, so I am just checking it all out online.  We have not lost power at the hotel yet, and we should not feel any Hurricane force winds as it looks right now. Maybe I will catch another hours sleep now, and see what come with the sun.