December 1, 2024 - December 7, 2024
This week went sort of like this: On the boat, off the boat, into my Sequoia, and up the coast as I headed out on another quick road trip!
Sunday, December 1, 2024
Day three of winds. Paul is going stir-crazy on the boat. He couldn’t find anything that he wanted to work on, so he started making dinner at 2 in the afternoon– bourbon chicken. The sugar coma that we both lapsed into within the hour led to a 90-minute nap for me, while Paul bounced around inside the boat like a toddler who had too many cupcakes. Dinner was delicious, but we agreed that we can’t do that level of sugar with a meal again anytime soon!
Later, we continued our binge of ‘The Resident’, a show where Paul has been known to frequently yell unkind things to and about some of the characters. 🤣 He’s waiting for two you-know-whos to get his & her comeuppance.
The winds really picked up just before we each went to bed, and I heard a crashing sound shortly after I went to my cabin. When I popped my head out my cabin to find out the source, Paul told me one of the paddle boards had come partially loose and was bouncing around, but he went out and quickly secured it
Sleep was a noisy affair- the wind and waves had the boat tossing to and fro, but nothing too outlandish– for me it was like the warm-up to your favorite roller coaster before it makes that first headlong dive. Nonetheless, I slept lighter than normal and pulled my comforter over me for the first time since getting on board. (I mean, yes, I could have closed my hatch, but I revel in the fresh air at night (and there’s a screen to keep bugs out!)).
Monday, December 2, 2024
When I woke, the boat was still rocking and rolling, and the temperature was cool, at least by Florida standards. When I finally emerged from my cabin, I discovered that Paul was wearing pants and a long-sleeved shirt today! This may seem to be a small matter, but he NEVER wears pants- he lives 99% of boat life in shorts and a t-shirt.
The windy weather and rough water made any dinghy runs a non-starter, so we hung on the boat all day. I’ve been working, and Paul has puttered about, taken one nap, laid out a snack tray to tempt me (it worked) and is now making steak for dinner.
I’ll be honest– I poured myself a cocktail a bit ago – more Ole Smoky Hunch Punch Moonshine (heavily diluted with OJ and Sprite, but apparently not heavily enough, so I am practically invisible (and I might even be able to fly! 🪽), so I’m not sure how much more productive the next couple hours will be…)
As we were eating dinner, I was nervously watching the birds that were flying around the boat (probably because I saw Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds too many times as a child). They were hovering right around the rear of the boat where we were eating dinner, frequently settling on the water to counter the effects of the wind.
Fortunately, we survived the birds, and after dishes, we settled in for Season 1, episode 14 of The Resident.
Apologies if you’ve read this far and are disappointed that there was no dramatic near-death bird attack story to share. Go watch The Birds and you’ll feel better.
Tuesday, December 3, 2024
Paul made a quick fuel run in the dinghy, (I think he just needed a changed of scenery), and after bouncing his way to and from the fuel station, decided to stop after just one trip (instead of the 3-4 he had planned).
Consequently, we stayed hunkered down, binge watching TV.
I did point out to Paul that he has a habit of anchoring near sunken boats… there are TWO sunken boats behind us here in Islamorada, and when we were in Key West back in 2022, we kept track of where Kya Anne was anchored by looking for the mast of another nearby sunken boat as a landmark.
I don’t know whether to be disturbed by this trend or not… 🧐
Wednesday, December 4, 2024
More wind & more rough water. Between work sessions, I was organizing and packing for a quick trip to land. Tomorrow, I’m hopping off the boat and driving back up to Fort Pierce for a few days. I hope to be able to visit some friends, but we’ll see how that comes together.
Thursday, December 5, 2024
How have I accumulated so much stuff? It was a whirlwind of a morning trying to get myself organized and pack what I needed for my time on land.
Paul dropped the dinghy and we headed to land around 11:15 a.m., and I was settled in my Sequoia and on the road within 30 minutes.
It’s such a bittersweet feeling- there are so many things to to love about boat life, but I was seriously giddy jumping in my car for the little road trip back to Fort Pierce! I do love road trips- even the short ones, and that is not something I would have said a few years ago.
I drove at a leisurely pace, arriving back at the marina just before 6:00 p.m., with barely enough time to pop into the office and pick up any mail and packages that either of us had (There were several!)
Then, I spent a few hours working in the library, grabbed some groceries/dinner, and ran over tot a laundromat. I had hte option of using the washer & dryers at the marina, but there’s something about a 24-our laundromat late at night that is comforting.The Sunshine Laundry Center on Hwy 1 is open 24 hours, and was clean and well-lit. It wasn’t crowded, but there were probably four or five other people/groups doing their laundry, but there were plenty of open machines. It was late- just after 11:00 p.m. by the time I was done, and I called it a night in a rest stop in Okeechobee just before midnight. Is it weird that the car camping at rest stops is one of my favorite ways to unwind?
Friday, December 6, 2024
It’s Fri-Yay!
Once I was up and around, I worked my way over to the YMCA but could *NOT* get myself up and out of the car to swim or work out.
Instead, I drove a few minutes down the road and spent the first few hours of the morning at the Blake Library in Stuart.
After a few hours at the library, I migrated back to the YMCA of the Treasure Coast (2700 SE Monterey Rd, Stuart, FL) to get in my morning swim.
Imagine my surprise (and delight!) when I stepped out of the locker room through the doors marked “Pool” and realized that it was an outdoor (heated) pool. The lifeguard said the water temperature was about 80°, and it was just perfect.
I slipped into the water and happily started my laps and the hour just flew by.
After my swim (and shower), I lingered for a moment in the locker room, reading the terrifically encouraging sign that was hung up next to the scale.
Then, I left the Y and made my way to Costco to pick up a few things. Unlike the trauma was evoked by my last trip to Costco in Spokane a couple months ago (Spokane-ites, you know *exactly* what I am talking about), I was in and out with zero chaos. It was less than an hour, and shouldn’t have even taken that long, but I enjoyed meandering the aisles, looking at all the gift ideas and Christmas decorations (mostly because I don’t have to hassle with any of that! 🤣)
After the market, I whipped back up to Fort Pierce because I wanted to attend the Friday Fest, which is their monthly first Friday event with lots of different vendors. It’s held at the park next to the marina and has live music, food trucks and lots of vendors. It was breezy and felt unusually cool, which may have accounted for the sparse turnout. Since I’m trying to be extra conscientious about what I eat and I don’t need to accumulate any more “stuff”, I didn’t stay long- but it was nice to attend the market again.
Saturday, December 7, 2024
I got up Saturday and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast at Mickey’s Restaurant. stopped for a quick car wash, then headed downtown.
(Just about) Every Saturday, there is a Downtown Farmer’s Market held right around the marina. I enjoy walking the vendor booths, trying the different foods and enjoying the lively music from the various live bands that play.
I was super delighted to see one of my favorite vendors, Hollywood, still active at the markets. If you talk to Hollywood for longer than 5 seconds, you are guaranteed to be cracking up. He is ridiculously, refreshingly honest (but not cruel) and living life on his own terms! More people need to take a page out of his book!
We chatted for a bit, then I wandered around the market for a while. Within an hour or so, I headed to the library (literally a stone’s throw away from where the market is set up) and settled in to work for the next few hours.
I wrapped up work as the market was closing, chatted with Hollywood a bit more, made a quick stop at the store, then headed back to Port St. Lucie for the night, where I worked for a few hours then went to bed.
It feels good to be back on the road again, even if it’s only for these short trips.
