Falcon's Log 22
October 29, 2009 - Seafood Shack Marina - Cortez, Florida

The computer started perfectly this morning, so yesterdays 'experiment' of installing Microsoft's Bit Defender and allowing all
Windows XP updates (including spyware) to install on my computer has completely eradicated the CMOS and BIOS 'virus'
problem. Go figure. Who'd'a thunk a nice company like Microsoft would include a virus time bomb in Windows 7 so whoever
tried to remove it would think their motherboard was shot dead in the ass? For now, it looks like I don't have to spend the
money - or any more time - struggling with this problem, but there is change coming on the horizon and I don't mean 'maybe'. I
will absolutely be going to MacIntosh or something. I'm SO PISSED that Linux is still such a crippled little toy instead of a real
operating system. It is ridiculous that 'The Best' of the Linux releases still has no way to deal with the freakin' screens you're
supposed to see it on! You know, video drivers.

Donny called late last night from Englewood, where he and Barb are still broke down with a raw water pump problem. It
occurred to me that it was the very same problem I'd fixed a couple of years ago when Ron was trying to deliver a yacht with
two women as crew and only made it 100 yards from the dock. The raw water pump was well above the waterline and was
air-bound. I told Donny how I cured the problem and he's going to try it today and see if he can make it up here. If he does, I'll
need to have my own flea market work done by today so I can help with his tomorrow.

It seems I'm not really sore all over from all the heavy lifting yesterday. It turns out I was just suffering a bit from dehydration
and once I'd drunk enough water I was fine. I do that a lot for some reason. I just don't pay enough attention.

Donny had no luck correcting the raw water problem this morning and is using the dinghy to move the big boat to a marina to
get repairs done. Oh, well. We'll see how it all shakes out once he gets here. I am doing well sorting through stuff and getting
it loaded onto the truck. This is also somehow 'cleansing' and I'm happy to see it happening. I don't know how much I'll sell,
but I know by the end of the day I'll be rid of it all, one way or another. The more I put back on the truck, the better I like it.
October 30, 2009 - Seafood Shack Marina - Cortez, Florida

I brought one of my 'keeper' rods to the tackle shop on Anna Maria Island and had the tip replaced for a little over $6. I'm sorry
to say I'm a little disappointed in the undersized tip the guy put on, but if it blows out, I'll bring the rod somewhere else and
have it done again.

I was just writing how the computer had started perfectly this morning and blah, blah, blah, and was finally buttoning it up,
when it rebooted. Oh, well. I still have no hi-speed USB ports, which means my Internet access is also slow, but I'll deal with it
until I can get a new Mac. I'm done with Microsoft. Despite all the hatred and failures of Windows Vista, all they did was
rename it Windows 7 and change the look and re-release it with an avalanche of promotional lies. It's too bad, because
Windows XP is a pretty good system and should have been the way to go, but with Vista they can drive out more competitors
by not providing drivers for the competitors software. They even have programmed in modules that makes Vista see
competitors software as a 'virus' and blocks it. I'm talking about Mail programs, Office Suites, Web Browsers, Search Engines,
News networks, Anti-virus and Firewall software - in short, anything that Microsoft itself is trying to get a toe-hold in. It's really
time to move over to Mac.

This will be my last day to get stuff ready for the flea market. You just watch - no-one will come and I won't sell a thing. It
doesn't matter - the truck needed clearing out and the stuff needed sorting - the opportunity to sell it is just a happy
coincidence. I'm getting so close I can taste it. Right after this flea market, I'm going to Home Depot to buy 3 2 inch sheets of
insulation, 3 1/2 inch sheets, and two sheets of door-skin to do the cabin sides with. That will be the last job I really need the
truck for. After that I'll start advertising it.
October 31, 2009 - Seafood Shack Marina - Cortez, Florida

I got up this morning at 7 AM and already the parking lot across the street was filled with vehicles and milling people. I got
dressed and made myself some coffee and went across the street to open the truck. SOMEONE ( me ) had thought to park
the truck right in the middle of the flea market spot the night before, so all I had to do was open it up and get started.
However, I forgot to put the dock table inside, so I had to come back over here, get the dock cart, the table, some tools, sticky
labels, tape and a pen, then rush back and set the whole thing up. No sweat. I started selling thing immediately and had
another banner day at the yard sale. Of course, when you're practically giving things away, it's easy to do well. Still, I sold
almost everything, plus buying the dive belt and weights and a new mask and snorkel, I came out with $200 in my pocket and
just a little bit of stuff left to give or throw away.

George Pappas came over with one item - a spinnaker pole - and sold it for $100, then paid Donny Capron $100 for a 2
horsepower Honda outboard to replace the unit he destroyed yesterday. Donny and Barb got here last night and Donny
managed to sell some line, some fenders and both outboards - and maybe some other stuff, too.

It is now 12:34 on April 19, 2007 - - - - that's right, the computer BIOS crapped the bunk again and now I have to reset that
stuff. Or not. I may leave it alone and see what happens. I have just a little bit of stuff to do outside, then I may relax, do some
laundry and get ready to get back to work on the boat. I damn near sold the truck today. I'm going to have to get to Home
Depot and buy those last sheet supplies, then I can start advertising it.

I emptied the truck and got rid of the four big things - the two sails, the reefer and the microwave - by leaving three of them on
the 'last chance' rack and dumping the junk mainsail. I'll take the tips and ferrules off the rods that didn't sell and scrap the
fiberglass pieces. Things are going good - except this piece of crap computer - but I'll deal with it as I have to until I can fix it
right or get a good Mac unit. Don't mess with the Zogeek.
October 27, 2009 - Seafood Shack Marina - Cortez, Florida

Well, it's time for a new motherboard. When I fired it up this morning, it had fallen back to the 'Restore Defaults' condition -
again - for about the twelfth time - and it STILL refuses to allow XP to load the Hi-Speed USB 2.0 driver, so all USB products
and processes are painfully slow. That includes my Internet, the printer, and the three external hard drives where all my
backups live. I could just get a floppy drive and download the new BIOS - which is shot dead in the ass - and start all over
again, but the problem is that I will spend more time and money doing that than I will by just upgrading to a better
motherboard that I can also add more RAM to. So, I'll get a new motherboard in a few days. Windows 7 killed my BIOS. I'm
sure of it. I heard it giggling in the dark at night. That basstid. (Cliff Claven on 'Cheers' voice.)

Meanwhile, I will work with this for a while as it is. It's not terrible, just inconvenient. I have a lot of stuff to go through for the
flea market this weekend - which means I will do a lot of work and probably sell nothing and end up giving or throwing it all
away by Saturday night. I'm up for it. I definitely have some stuff to get rid of.

George Pappas is on the way over and I have the truck about as emptied as I'm going to get it. I just don't have another inch
to put anything right now and the forecast is for rain. I had to leave the water maker, all the books and paper, all the charts,
and those items that will be going with the truck anyway, like the jack and lug wrench, inside.

The stupid BIOS also sets the time and date back to April 19 of 2007 every time I reboot, as well. In 5 days I'll be ordering a
new board and ram. Now I have to shop for it. Be back later.
October 28, 2009 - Seafood Shack Marina - Cortez, Florida

We are back to higher than usual temperatures down here, with mixed rain. Fortunately, not much rain. I have finally
completely emptied the truck and have all the books and vulnerable stuff loaded onto the boat. What a job. I'm sitting here
soaked with sweat and pounding in the fluids. I also had a hell of a time getting the computer to start this morning and it finally
refused to even begin to boot. I had to rotate the CMOS jumper to get it to start, then readjust the BIOS, then I installed Bit
Defender and have been doing all the routine updates during the day as I go back and forth to the truck. I'm also loading the
stuff I plan to try to sell and the extra gear that will be going with the truck, onto the truck. There is a bunch of stuff on the
boat right now that will be going back onto the truck as I separate it out. LOTS of it. I just can't leave it outside to get rained
on - possibly - so I have to have it in here. That way, I can also go through it carefully. This is a big job and I'll be glad when
it's over.

George Pappas came over yesterday and we had a pretty good time. Kim has been spending a lot of time with her older
daughter, Monica, who is 8 months pregnant with her first baby and Kim's first grandchild. She has also become increasingly
aggravated by the scant space available inside the tiny Westsail 28. I carefully recounted for George how Donny loved his
little Cape Dory 25D, but a new wife needed other things and the Cape Dory was replaced with a giant Liberty 35 Catamaran.
George smiled and remarked how much room it had and I said, "Yeah", because that's all anyone could say. Then I started
telling George that his particular health situation and the difficulty moving around the little 28, begins to dictate that he
consider and alternative cruising strategy. Then I brought him out to a sweet little 28 foot trawler with a sweet little diesel
engine and all the room in the world. I also started outlining all the places they could go quickly and easily in this boat, and I
reviewed how much motoring EVERYONE we know with sailboats has been doing. No exaggeration - 95%. So, they have
motorboats with telephone poles in the middle. His boat is pristine, perfect, with a brand new motor, ready to sell. Either he
gets something he can actually use, and enjoy the space, or he risks losing Kim for no good reason.

I heard from Espin this morning, about painting inside his new boat, and brought him up to date on Geoff and Donny. Just
after, Geoff called and said he'd arrived at Flamingo after doing an over-nighter. Right after that, I called Donny and Barb,
only to discover that they were in Englewood with a raw water pump problem. Don was in the middle of fixing it so we didn't
talk long. Right now, I'm starting to hurt all over from carrying and moving so much heavy stuff.
November 1, 2009 - Seafood Shack Marina - Cortez, Florida

I have priced the new Mac desktops - the GOOD ones - and find them to be a tad out of touch for the foreseeable future, so
I'll struggle on with what I have for right now. This crazy unit booted up perfectly this morning with only one small glitch that
took a moment to correct. The AT&T Aircard would no longer operate in the motherboard USB, so I moved it to the PCI card
USB and it came right up.

It's rent paying day, so I'll take care of that first, then get to Home Depot and get the last of the sheet stock. I might also need
to get some kind of fasteners to secure the foam up between the deck beams. And I'll need about two more rolls of that super
sticky aluminum tape. I don't know how much this will all cost, but I did well at the flea market so I'm all set. Naturally, the first
thing I have to do when I get it back here is to cut and install all the foam, and at least split the door skin down the middle to
make it possible to store inside the boat - or wrapped in plastic on the deck. There is a horrifying episode of dusty grinding
coming up inside here. No avoiding it - these surfaces need to be flattened and some areas need to be made ready for
fiberglass. It's a HAPPY time though, because it has ALWAYS needed to be done and once it's over, the fat lady WILL sing.

I have to get started sorting out the work for today. Hmmm - laundry - hmmm - food shopping - hmmm - Home Depot. Sounds
right. Meanwhile, here's a picture, and it's possible that I may start including excerpts from the books I'm going to be
publishing soon.
I got to Home Depot and got what I needed
and then spent hours gabbing with all the
guys on the dock. I'm still a bit scattered as far
as the exact logistics in what I'll be doing next
on the boat, but I do still have to pick up a ton
of food and condiments and stuff so I'm
stocked up well so I can advertise and sell the
truck. I should also go over to Rivertown
Marina and check on the cost for a haulout
and lay days and such. I now have to be
serious about leaving at the end of this
month. I don't know how much I'm apt to get
for the truck, but I need to be ready for the
haul and bottom work and be ready to start off
cruising with little or no money. Thirty days
and counting. Exciting, isn't it?

I haven't seen Don yet today and should get
over to see him soon. I don't know what time it
is just yet as daylight savings time happened
last night. I'm going to bring Motorsailor Jim
over to the registry tomorrow morning.
Donny came and left me his old spinnaker and we had a chat for a while, then he went back to Dulcinea to make supper.
Barb isn't feeling well. I have to make a list of things I need to do before the trucks insurance expires.

1.) HUGE food shopping.
2,) Check haulout prices at Rivertown.
3.) Register Falcon in Florida.
4.) Bring Jim to registry.
5.) Check my mail.

Seems simple enough. I can do it all tomorrow, I think. Yeah.
November 2, 2009 - Seafood Shack Marina - Cortez, Florida

I never got a call back from Royal Yacht Services in Naples. I really want to stop there and see everyone and get my bottom
done there. I should try again to get a quote from North Shore, the manager and an old friend, before settling for anywhere
else. I will also need to get my mail transferred to St Brendan's Isle, a certified mail service that can also act as your Vessel
Documentation agent. The service is complete and only about $3 per month more than I'm spending right now for a mailbox in
the Post Office.

I just talked to a woman who answered the phone at Royal Yacht and she gave me an estimate of about $1600 for a bottom
job. Ouch. Still, it's a good job by the top yard on the coast with two complete coats of the best paint and a third coat at the
waterline. I have to try and come up with the money. With care and a little luck, I can get as much as three years out of the
job.

I got Jim and we went to the Post Office, then over to the Registry of Motor Vehicles, or, in Florida, the State Tax Office. It's
really quite a good operation here. Of course, the recent financial environment has resulted in great increases in registration
fees, but I was sort of 'gripped' for that anyway. Jim registered his new motorcycle ( $211.15  - a severe shock to him ) and I
registered Falcon ( $124.63 ). Geoff and others had warned me not to try to avoid it and I took their advice. It would be just
my luck to get caught on my first night off the dock and then I'd have to pay for the registration as well as a ticket so big it
would take three guys to load onto the boat. I might even get arrested. That's really funny when you're 17 and pick your nose
and giggle about it. Not so much fun when you're in your sixties.

I also went to Walmart and got tons of food. I checked out a couple of other things I'd thought about, but decided against both
of them. They were possible insulation alternatives for the area between the engine and the aft cabin compartment. Like
everything else on Falcon, it will require some thought and careful development. There is not a thing on this boat that comes
off the shelf. Everything is custom made and designed. Those items that fall short either have been or will be redone until I
am satisfied. Okay, light bulbs, line, radios and those small end-items come off the shelf, but so do the shoelaces on custom
made Italian shoes. The end of being nailed to the dock is coming.
November 3, 2009 - Seafood Shack Marina - Cortez, Florida

I may have to develop better food storage techniques in the forward galley - heeyyyy, wait a minute, 'the FORWARD galley' -
yeah, that's right - I'm going to have an 'aft galley' as well, which will mean twice as many food storage opportunities. And a
big 9 cubic foot reefer, so, yeah, I'm good. Okay, then, where was I? Oh, yeah, food storage in the, as yet unfinished, forward
galley. The picture says it all.
Until I can get the reefer built and operating, I'm sort
of locked into canned veggies and fruit. While I'm
working on 'Under Way' eats of nuts, dried fruit, and
Granola bars, I have to be careful. Dried fruit is very
high in iron and that is not such a good thing for
someone my age. Also, I'd need to find out how
much sugar is in those Granola bars - I want to eat
food, not candy. Canned veggies are full of sodium
and canned fruit is full of sugar. Still, in moderation,
it's better than no veggies or fruit.

In the short clear containers is tea and coffee, black
eyed peas, brown sugar and white sugar. I love the
brown sugar in oatmeal. I only use the white sugar
in coffee and you can see that last of that I'll be
using. When it's gone, no more white sugar. Below,
in the big containers, is brown rice, brown rice,
instant potatoes, oatmeal, Crystal Light (Jury still
out, but decision looks bad for Crystal Light),
oatmeal, red beans and split peas.
Espin introduced me to this method of food storage and I love it. An odd thing about single, independent men cruising on
sailboats is that they seem to be very capable in the kitchen, or 'galley', as it is. Geoff is instantly knowledgeable of what is
inside all canned foods, and he eats a very healthy diet. Espin owned and operated several restaurants and is an
accomplished cook, and he also eats healthy. Donny and Barb have done extensive healthy eating research and also eat
healthy. I have to admit, I'm struggling with it, but am catching on a little at a time. My condiments, in the left middle of the
picture, include olive oil, Worcestershire sauce (2 bottles by accident), black pepper, garlic salt, and a new item, curry
powder. I still have coffee, too, on the far right, but I may eventually replace that with cold brew tea.

It's still only 6:33 AM and I'm all ready dressed and set to meet the day. Donny and I are crossing the street for breakfast this
morning, then I'll need to take some dimensions inside the boat and cut down the big sheets of insulation into manageable
sizes so I can either install them or stow them somewhere. I'll also need to check on when my insurance is expiring on the
truck so I'm sure not to drive it uninsured. This should be a good day when I reapply myself to the boat. 27 days left. And I
need to call Rivertown today to find out about doing my own work there. As it is, they quoted me the same cost as Royal
Yacht in Naples. For that money, I have to go to Naples, but I should check on doing my own bottom.

( Heh heh - doing my own bottom - I just reread that. )

I just got back from breakfast with Don. It's good to be able to sit and jaw for a while. Mostly about anchorages and availability
of resources from various anchorages. It seems that information - which can be very fluid, changing rapidly - is an important
data base that a lot of cruisers are interested in. I might start toying with the idea of starting a section on this site dealing with
exactly that. I suppose if I had contact with enough active cruisers, I might be able to keep a fairly accurate library of
information available. We'll see.

Once again, the weather has shifted from too hot to too cold. Even with long pants and a long sleeve flannel shirt, I'm cold
while out of the boat, and it's worse now at 8:30 AM than it was just an hour ago. Much worse. My hands are getting numb.
There are Polar Bears. SEND FIREWOOD!!

I've listed the truck on Craig's List, so we'll see what happens, and I've cut all the 2 inch foam down to width. I'm about to get
something to eat, then I'll go cut all the 1/2 inch foam down. That way, I can put it all in the cockpit and not have it on the dock
or in the truck. That reminds me, I have to go get something out of the truck. The last thing, I think. I'm going to have to be
real careful about the last two sheets of thin stuff, because if I cut that right down the middle and the only way to get the
curved pieces out of them is to 'spoon' them into each other, I'll be heading back to Home Depot for more of the stuff and that
won't be easy without the truck.
November 4, 2009 - Seafood Shack Marina - Cortez, Florida

I called Rivertown yesterday and they said I COULD do my own work there. That will save me a lot of money. Money is going
to be a little bit important as I make the transition from dock to anchor, as I'll still need to have a solar solution to keeping my
batteries charged so I can work on the computer as well as the boat. A lot of Internet research has led me to a couple of
Internet suppliers of all things solar - actually, quite a few, making the pricing very competitive - where I've done quite a bit of
research for the 'right' items. The heart of the system will be the Outback 60 Charge Controller. It is now rated at 72 amps
and - according to my research and the one couple I found using one - is the clear choice. It runs about $500. As far as the
panels are concerned, there are plenty of good ones out there and the prices are a bit high, but some bargains can be had.
Still, you want to stick with a good company because the technology is developing quite fast right now. I think we can expect
multi-layer, full spectrum panels - like the ones on the Mars Rovers - on the market in the near future. The government won't
release the technology just yet because most politicians are making too much money on oil, but I think Obama will eventually
shake it loose. Anyway, right now, for me to get set up with a reasonable system will cost about $2000 in parts.

So, if I get $2000 for the truck ( not entirely likely ) and scrimp and save through this month, then at the end of the month, I
might have as much as $3200. I will have to get the bottom done and the depth transducer installed. With any luck, I'll be able
to get out of Rivertown for $800, leaving me with $2400. I will need to arrive in Boot Key Harbor with money for a mooring as
well as enough to eat for a month, and pay for my phone and website. That will take about $500 for everything. It might also
be well advised to have tow insurance. I'll have to price that, but I think it's $150 for a year. That's going to leave me a little
shy as far as getting the Solar equipment. Still, I'll be able to get the Charge Controller and at least one panel, and that will
help a lot, then next month, I'll get another panel. It might be prudent for me to wait until I'm situated in Marathon to order the
solar stuff.

Rachel came by yesterday and we had a nice talk. We're both always busy - she's working 2 jobs to make ends meet - and
don't often have time to just sit and chat. I also managed to cut up the rest of the foam.

I can't believe I haven't gotten at least half a dozen Email's about the truck, can you? I wonder if I'll actually be able to leave at
the end of this month or if I should just go get my bottom work done and come back here for one more month, just to round
out some work and save a bit more money. We'll see how the work on the boat goes this month. That will be the thing. I
HAVE to have certain systems complete and operational to be allowed into Boot Key Harbor. And I WANT to have other
things done and ready as well, just make my own life easier. I've decided not to do the daily count down thing as it might
scare me too much.

I took the last 200 pounds of lead out of the truck, thinking I wouldn't be able to drive it down to Scrap All to sell it, but JUST
now - I was typing with one hand, well, one finger, as I renewed my insurance for 1 more month so I'd be safe to run errands
and take the truck out for whatever I need. I also took a run down to Home Depot and got a hook & loop pad for the Porter
Cable DA sander and a pack of 80 grit discs, plus some more Gorilla glue and a special pack of screws to hold the new
insulation up with ( under the deck ). Since my thoughts are that I will blitz in and out of Rivertown at the end of this month - or
so - I will most likely be coming right back here for December and be able to leave at a somewhat more leisurely pace. And
probably much more ready to leave. I may even have the solar system installed. And my sails made.
November 5, 2009 - Seafood Shack Marina - Cortez, Florida

Boring TV last night and a full day of talking with people on the dock ( and getting VERY LITTLE done ) made for an early
bedtime and an early rise. I was up at 3:45 AM and even now, after doing all my mail and some other stuff, it's only 5:45 AM. I
believe I am going to get myself a crock pot. It only seems reasonable to stop resisting everyone's suggestions and go ahead
and try one out. After all, most of what I store on board for food is crock pot stuff. I'll pick up a cheapy at Walmart and try it out.

I seriously have to get some work done today, even if it means chasing people away. There is simply too much to do and too
little time to get it done. And it's harder now, with the truck empty and the boat packed with crap both inside and out. I just
REALLY need to make some serious headway on the interior finish as well as the interior final structure, i.e., the holding tank,
the reefer box and chart table, the floor, the head cabinetry and the galley/stovetop cabinetry. This will require wood,
fiberglass, and epoxy - not to mention the design work on everything. Right now, stage 1 should be getting the insulating
foam installed so it isn't underfoot. I'll take a couple of pictures of that right now.
Well, yes, of course it's still dark out. It's 6 AM in November. Anyway, there is the huge pile of foam all cut and ready to begin
installation, and there is the poor boat piled with stuff. You are looking at sails, dive gear, floor planks, oil heat stove, sheets
of insul-board for the fabric backing ( yeah, I made up that word ), epoxy, buckets of tools and climbing gear. Oh, yeah, and a
small square of cloth from the new sails for the U.S.S. Constitution. But that doesn't take up much space or weigh the boat
down much. Still, I have to get rid of it.

Sandy of Sandy and Eddie on Tarquin is presently awaiting the results of a biopsy she had done yesterday and it is a very
scary time for her and the rest of us. We all hope the news won't be bad.

I just took a quick run to Walmart and picked up a crock pot, a pair of sneakers ( on sale for $10 ), 3 pounds of black beans, a
shaker of sea salt and 2 pounds of brown sugar. I don't know what I'll be cooking today, but I'm fairly certain I'll be eating later
on.
There's the new crock pot. I threw in some water, salt,
olive oil and black pepper, then a bunch of black-eyed
peas. It's turned all the way up to get started, but I'll
monitor it and probably turn it back to low and let it cook
for a long time. When it's almost ready, I'll add more water
and some rice. Hopefully, I'll end up with about half a pot
full of beans and rice that isn't too awful bad.

It has been less than an hour so the pot is still on 'high'. I
just ate one of the peas. It was pretty crunchy but not too
bad. In another hour I'll add the rice. And a little more salt
and some curry seasoning. Just a little.

The foam is all loaded onto the boat and I split the two
thin panels for the cloth on the cabin sides. They are
MUCH easier to handle.

The hook and loop pad I got for the 5 inch DA has the
hub on it, so I have to do a little quick exchange and put the old hub on the new pad. Pain in the butt. Still just a minor
problem, though. The 'correct' pad is about $24, while this one is only $13.

Okay, the DA is fixed - it proved a bit more troublesome than I would have hoped - and the crock pot started smelling real
good. I added some garlic salt and more olive oil, then about two cups of rice and more water. Now it's on 'Low' and I'll just let
it cook for a while more. It's starting to smell really good, and the beans seem like they're almost cooked.

Donny is going to come and get me in an hour or so to take a run to a special foods store in Sarasota, then over to Sam's
club. I'll probably get some ground garlic and onion, and I've been looking for some other beans - maybe at the special food
store - but instead, I'm thinking of getting lentils and maybe barley, both of which make fine crock pot soups. The idea is to
stock up the boat with enough diversity to make a month's menu better than daily gruel. I also realize I'll be getting fresh fruits
and vegetables, and hopefully, fish, but I'm trying to stay away from stuff that needs refrigeration. Once I get the reefer up and
running, the biggest and best thing about it will be keeping fish, produce and fruit cold and fresh longer. I should be eating
pretty good and fairly healthy soon. After a couple of months of that, I'll be extremely easy to bribe with a McDonald's
Sausage Biscuit. I can see it coming.

I was so hungry I took the first bowl a bit early and the rice and black-eyed peas continued growing in my belly. Then I had a
few interruptions and spent some time outside talking while the pot cooked on for another hour or hour and a half. NOW the
stuff was cooked and needed more water. I added the water and mixed it up and noticed that the inside of the boat smelled
GOOD. So I ate a second bowl. Yum freakin' yummy yum yum. It was VERY good and I have enough to probably last two
more days. I like this. I can turn it on in the morning - just to the lowest setting - and keep the water level right and eat it all
day.
November 6, 2009 - Seafood Shack Marina - Cortez, Florida

I may be finally adjusting to the daylight savings time clock shift. I went to bed and got up at reasonable hours last night and
this morning. I've already done quite a bit of sparring with Microsoft updates this morning - I kept getting a warning from Bit
Defender that my computer was at risk if I didn't download and install Microsoft Live Messenger, so I did, and it is a MESS
that only demands you install Silverlight, which is a HUGE mess of a spy program, so I removed everything and went back to
where I was. It's 6:10 and I got up at 5 AM.

Donny bailed out yesterday on the road trip because Barb, anxious to get into her walking/workout routine, went at it too hard
for her first day and was exhausted yesterday afternoon. He rescheduled for about 2 PM today.

Well, I warmed up the rice and beans this morning and added more water and a touch more salt. NOW it's cooked! And is it
GOOD! I have to have some more, right now.
The world is changing. It's getting smaller all the time. I got a Facebook message from a girl I knew back in 1982 0r 3. I've
always wondered what ever happened to her or where she was, and now I know. She got married and moved to
Pennsylvania, had two kids and now skis in the winter and rides her Harley in the summer. She is standing next to my old
Corvette in the first picture. Man, I LOVED that Corvette. I spoke to Leslie on the phone today for a half hour or so and it was
a great call. She looks even better now. She lives only an hour south of Christine, my friend and ex office manager from
Winthrop. She has a couple of 'Now' pictures on her Facebook page that I'll ask her to forward so I can post them here. Small
world. Twenty-six years and a thousand miles and people can still find each other in a moment.

I spoke with Ham out on the dock for a while today. It was a good chat about boats and projects. Then I took a road trip with
Donny and Barb to a 'Whole Foods' store in Saratoga, then to Sam's Club. They found some stuff, but I didn't. Well, I DID, but
I also found it to be priced pretty high at Whole Foods, or loaded with salt or sugar at Sam's Club.

Another cold front rolled through, but without much change. I'm going to have to get my cabin-side panels stashed inside
tonight or risk them getting rained on. Might as well do it now.
November 7, 2009 - Seafood Shack Marina - Cortez, Florida

When I moved the panels from the dock to inside the boat, I discovered that one of the four panels was missing. A nasty
squall had come through while I was out with Don and Barb and must have tossed one of them into the water. I don't thing I
needed all four of them anyway, but still - - - - - you know - - - - makes you feel stupid for not weighing them down. I tried to
find it this morning by dragging through the murky water with a treble hook lashed to a long fiberglass batten, but didn't find it
anywhere. Oh, well. No big deal.
I measure twice and cut the concrete board once and installed it as
the ceiling inside the electrical box. Did you notice how it went from
being a 'panel' to a 'box' just that fast? That's right. All I need now is
a bottom and it will be a complete enclosure.

Randy had the cement board left over and gave it to me so I could
use it inside the electrical box - in case of fire - and over the
cook-top. It protects the insulation above it from heat and flame.
November 8, 2009 - Seafood Shack Marina - Cortez, Florida

I did get some stuff done yesterday, including cutting the cement board for over the cook-top and moving a lot of the
insulation on board (out of the cockpit) and stripping off the very last things from the dock to the boat. I also removed the sun
shade because the wind has been very gusty for a whole day now.

Donny will be end-for-ending Dulcinea in the slip so she'll be better positioned to withstand whatever pounding we get from
the remnants of 'Ida', who will now be known as 'Ida rather been a real storm'. It what happens to little storms when their
parents name them silly names. In preparation for this storm, I will yawn. It's all I got.

Today I will be removing the extended ends of the 16 5/16 deck frame bolts that have been cutting and banging my head for
the past 24 years. You can't move too fast on these things because there is ABSOLUTELY no way to back away from this
once you've done it. . . . . . . . Okay, now 15. I just did the one right over my head. Now I'm committed. Next, I will start getting
the under deck insulation installed and see if I can get the cement board over the cook-top installed. Pretty soon I'm going to
have to design and rough in the last structures inside the boat. Not only do I need to get a couple - or a few - more 4 by 8
sheets of plywood while I still have the truck, but I seriously need the structure and cabinetry to install the last of the
equipment that is presently waiting on the non-existent floor and the deck outside.

The sky outside is brightening in pale oranges and reds and the wind has stopped blowing. There is still a lot of cloud cover
though, and the weather reports promise more, with some rain.

It's a little later in the day - let's see - 9:09 AM - and I have all the bolts trimmed back. I also have had a sit-down with Eddie
and he tells me that Sandy's mass is malignant but has not yet metastasized. They were prepared to do the surgery right then
and there at Sarasota Hospital, but since Eddie and Sandy preferred going to the Moffit Center at Tampa General Hospital,
Sarasota refused to release the test results to Moffit for 72 hours. Meaning of course, "We don't give a damn about any
patient who isn't going to spend the big money here." And people wonder why the Health Care industry needs reform.

I made a FULL pot of black beans and rice and have been eating it all day. Well, since noon. It's good, and I like the way the
hot pot makes the boat smell. I did a few things around the boat after shortening the bolts, but not much. Mostly, I watched
the best Bucs game in a year. They beat Green Bay 31 to 28 in a very exciting game. The new quarterback is 21 years old, 6
foot 5 and weighs 260 pounds. Egad. But the important things is, he seems to have a cool head and a good attitude. This
was the first win in 11 or 12 games. It was here in Tampa, so the stadium was going nuts.

The wind blew two chairs off the dock today and I had to fish them out of the water. Then I tied all the chairs to a piling,
emptied the table and flipped it over and collapsed it. Once again, it's almost impossible to work inside the boat because it's
so packed full of crap, but who cares - tomorrow I'll just shift things around to and fro and get the bug, bulky insulation
installed and taped. And once I really finish the overhead area, I'll be ready to install the rest of the foam rubber backed vinyl
to the deck undersides, and two big lumps of stuff will be gone from underfoot. Then some floor work and back to the painting
and the electrical panel.

I got another hit on the truck, but I don't think it will pan out either, though this one was a seriously interested shopper and the
other two were scammers. I think it will sell and I'll get my price. I also found a place in Miami that is selling exactly the solar
equipment I want for the lowest price yet. $1835 for the charge controller and 540 watts of panels. That amounts to about 225
amp/hours of power per day, or the ability to be completely power independent at anchor or on a mooring, using just about
whatever I need to - within reason - no air conditioning or all day TV - but I could still do just about anything I want to.
November 9, 2009 - Seafood Shack Marina - Cortez, Florida

Yesterday Hurricane Ida puffed herself all up big and Category 2 and many people on the TV news - I think their names are
ALL Chicken Little - chewed their nails and tore at their hair and swore 'the jury is still out'. This morning Ida has a hangover
with her head in the hopper and very little 'blow' left in her at all. Not that I'm disappointed, but I do often wonder why weather
people get paid at all. They should work for food stamps. I would. I would work for food stamps and wear a funny hat so no
one thought I took myself seriously.

Today is a pure 'install insulation' day. And a 'go get coffee' day. I gave up booze, drugs and cigarettes (and sex, apparently)
but I'm not ready yet to give up coffee. I will, though. Eventually. I'll switch to tea and develop a very poor British accent.
Remind me to get out on deck today and secure any loose items in case we get some high winds associated with Ida.
There is some of the new insulation installed. It's more of a problem than just putting the thinner stuff on the cabin overhead,
and I still have to get the thinner, silver coated stuff installed over this, but it's going. The second shot is where I had to move
everything to work in the first area. The things is, however, the more insulation I get installed, the less clutter inside the boat.

Oh, yeah, thanks for reminding me to sort out the deck stuff. I got it done. Now, it's time to run to Walmart.
November 10, 2009 - Seafood Shack Marina - Cortez, Florida

So, I made my run for coffee to Walmart yesterday. I got 4 2quart plastic kitchen storage jars, 3 pounds of Lentils, minced
onion, instant potatoes, garlic powder, and a small bottle of eggnog, just so my arteries don't think I've forgotten them. See
anything missing? Yep, that's right. No coffee. I'm making believe with a little decaf, but my brain is not fooled. Naturally, I'll be
heading up to the Publix on the island sometime in the morning.

I'll be re-listing the truck today, just to keep it fresh. We're supposed to have some good rain for the next two days, so that will
serve as 'washing' it. I mean, I'm just not interested in polishing it up as if it isn't 17 years old.

I went through all the wire with RJ and gave him what should be enough to do everything on his boat. I also got all the thinner
insulation up over the cook-top area, taped it all off, and hung the cement board as well. That took a bit of gymnastics to
accomplish alone, but nothing too difficult. Donny brought over more stuff he's 'moving along' and left it. What a can't use, I
move along myself. Today I gave the little hand held VHF he gave me to RJ.

It's raining out right now so I kind of closed up the boat some and I'm taking a break. I did take a run to Publix and get some
real coffee. That was good. Come to think of it, I only had one cup, so I could have another if I wanted to - - - you know,
wanted to lie awake until 3 AM. Too late for coffee now.

I have also been spending time online researching the present state of the industry as far as self-publishing. It is tightly
wedged between several other entities, some old, some new, and some pure experiment, fad, whimsy, or combinations of all
three. The 'old' is the crumbling 'Publishing House' business that has grown more and more inbred and displaced from
industry itself. The nepotist heirs of the reins have no more ability to select good writing, or even predict high sellers, than
grade school children have of playing in a real NFL game. They select 'slush pile editors' from local colleges based purely on
the likelihood of sex and/or other favors. The industry is in free fall without showing signs that it is aware of it or has either the
interest or capacity to oppose the trend.

On the other side there are 'Print On Demand' publishers, more Vanity Press than real publishers, having not one iota of
interest in it's clients success - in fact, banking on exactly the opposite. If the client meets with any success at all, they will
immediately leave the Print On Demand people and solicit a real publisher. Then there are the E-Publishers. Electronic
media. Eager to add multitudes of impressive and confusing applications - purely because they can - and promises of being
able to carry hundreds of novels in a 'book sized' electronic reader for the consumers convenience. I'm not so sure. Those
people are VERY confused and have a large array of formats and options, along with a fairly odd and erratic library to choose
from. Not only that, they are becoming more focused on separating the customer from a healthy chunk of cash, rather than
answering the one real, bottom line question: Where is the good writing?

All the 'new age' gadgetry in the world can not make dumb prose good to read. No one wants 200 crappy books on a long
flight instead of 1 good one. No one wants to lose a $400 electronic reader when they could just as easily lose a $12 book. A
book never runs out of battery on a long flight. A book doesn't break when you drop it, and no one gives away their electronic
reader to a friend when they are through reading the story.

I still have the feeling that I'm on the right track and I'll be glad I went with my own publishing company and publishing my own
books. It is a hard road getting there, but I don't think I would do as well if it were easy.
November 11, 2009 - Seafood Shack Marina - Cortez, Florida

It has already been a fairly busy day and I'm just getting started with the log. The piles of stuff to move around inside the boat
are monumental, and I mean it. Like the Washington Monument - piled to the sky. Espin called last night and we got up to
speed on a lot of stuff. He's expecting some important mail soon and wants me to keep an eye out for it and re-mail it up to
him when it comes.

I am trying to reduce the size of the piles in the boat by condensing them into tightly packed milk crates. One of these days
this will all be over. One of these days I'll be finished saying one of these days, but not yet.

I'm starting on some split pea and lentil soup that I will thicken up to a properly spiced sludge and gulp down happily. I've
been working out a format for my cook-top counter and the ice box/chart table structure. I really need to know what materials
I'll need to finish them - as well as the water maker cabinet in the head - and get them prior to selling the truck. Right now it
would be so easy to pick up the materials. Later, not so easy at all.
November 12, 2009 - Seafood Shack Marina - Cortez, Florida

The new soup is very good. The truth is, though, that it really takes a full day to make these things. They need the extra time
to fully blend and release the flavors. It is also good to be able to be eating at 6 AM, which I never did before. It's almost like
breakfast or something, but without the traditional breakfast food. Just the full belly.

I got stung right on the inside of my left wrist yesterday by a small wasp and it itches like crazy. If only I could step on him all
over again. He's so evil.

This morning Tom, aboard the 37 foot Hunter, expressed interest in my truck and asked for my lowest price, which I gave
him. He is presently involved in a huge job on the island that includes two yard restorations after the collapse of a seawall.
It's forecast to be cold and rainy today and so far, that
has been true. Still, I'm working INSIDE, so I don't care.

There is the board installed to the underdeck area
above where the cooktop will be installed. I'm also now
committed to placing the crock pot there are well as the
electric frying pan. I will keep the electric frying pan, and
replace it if it fails, because I will still want to fry up fish in
olive oil whether or not I have gas for the cooktop.

Today I'll make up some ultra light epoxy filler and fair in
the joints and screw heads on the cement board, as well
as getting the insulation done on the electrical panel
side. I might get a lot of the insulation done in the main
saloon, too. If I'm ambitious enough, I really need to get
the little trim pieces up on the cabin overhead in the
head and the forward galley. I also need to take out the
BIG grinder and trim the edge of the cement board.
I just ground back the inside edge of the cement board and now the entire interior of the boat is coated with a fine concrete
powder. I opened all the windows and hatches to mitigate the problem as much as possible, and it helped some, but not
enough. One of these days, yeah. Back to work.

The cement panel is filled and faired and the boat closed back up. Now, once again, I need to move stacks of crap from one
place to another so I can get on to the next area. It is still only 8:22 AM.
The thick foam is in over the electrical panel and all the stuff
that was piled in front of it is now here - picture me pointing at
the area beneath the faired cement board - and here - picture
me pointing at my berth, stage right. Of course, all the big
pieces of foam are farther forward, in the head.

I just spoke to Geoff for a couple of minutes. He's now the
Head Captain at Flamingo and is working every day. Of
course, the money is good, but it doesn't give him much time
off. He was between charters and didn't have much time to
talk, so I told him I'd call after 6:30 tonight.

I'm about to eat and then get busy putting the silver-backed
1/2 inch insulation up. Then, I suppose I have to design the
structures for the aft cabin area. If I don't get the supplies here
and installed now, it will be more difficult later. It shouldn't be
THAT big a job and it will really help finish up the boat.
The foil backed insulation and foil tape are up and now it's
time to do a little design work for those structures. I can't just
go buy materials without knowing exactly what to get.

I spent a little time out on the dock talking to Donny, who met
Rachel just yesterday. It's funny how people can be in the
same small area with only a few other people for quite a while
and never meet.

I got some work done on the design of the structures. I'll have
to keep going. I'm not satisfied with the dimensional accuracy
of the drawings and if they're not right, it's impossible to get a
real idea of what the units are supposed to look like. I'm also
just a little disappointed in the relatively small volume I'll end
up with inside the ice box/reefer if I use all the insulation I'd
originally intended to use. I wanted to use 6 inches all
around, but might have to settle for 4 inches.
November 13, 2009 - Seafood Shack Marina - Cortez, Florida

Randy came by yesterday afternoon to have me as a witness that he would do no damage to Franks Catalina while retrieving
some things he'd loaned Frank eons ago. Apparently, Frank sent Randy and Joe a huge invoice for some legal advice (Frank
is not a lawyer, just a clerk in a Law Office) and when Randy reminded Frank that he was a Captain and spent an entire day
delivering Franks Catalina for free, Frank got flustered and flipped out, and broke up with Randy and Joe. Not being one to
rub salt in an open wound, I was quick to point out to Randy that when Frank first arrived at Seafood Shack Marina a few
years ago, I was THE VERY FIRST ONE to call him an asshole, a cheap bastard and a snake. I'm just saying. . . . . .

It's cold this morning but once again, I don't care. I have all my work - well, MOST of my work - to do inside. I think I will work
on two items - putting insulation up in the main saloon and the drawings for the structures. I may have to disassemble the
computer and remove it to do the work over the computer desk. A minor pain, but a good chance to clean everything up.
The computer was off and covered most of the day and I just
fixed it up and turned it back on now. I can just barely snake
through the aft cabin area to get in and out of the boat. I
managed to get all the foam up on this side of the main cabin. It
made a huge mess inside that I've just finished partially cleaning
up. The foil foam and tape should be easier. I also cleaned off a
lot of the deck and opened up and dried out the sewing machine.
All the wood that was lying on the side deck had to be spaced
and stacked on the dock to dry out as well. I also just finished
straightening up the dock. And I got some drawings done.
I forgot to call Geoff last night so I've got a thumb tack in my forehead so I won't forget tonight. I got another email about the
truck, but no follow-up yet. I've had 'the headache all day today, but still managed to act somewhat useful - mostly in small
spurts. The computer started up in 'reset mode again after being off all day. I don't care. I'll deal with it for as long as I have to,
then I'll get the Mac. That may mean I'll have to build a new website with HTML or some other system. We'll see. Maybe I
should call the Yahoo! Help line and ask.