So Much to Say!

I've been having problems with internet and blogger, so I haven't been able to blog lately.  I'll try to reconstruct the last few days.

Friday night Tonda's 16 year old daughter, Samantha, came to Boca Grande and spent the night with us.  I had invited her to ride with us to Sarasota.  I've watched Samantha grow up and I was excited to get to spend the day with her.  She enjoyed the bow seat.

 Meanwhile, Ryan and Evan were playing with the phones.  I think they were both playing Angry Birds.

Zachary was occupied with the Wii, we got Mario Kart in Key West and he had fun with that.  He had it mastered in a matter of days.  Since the boys were busy, Samantha and I had fun hanging out on the bow.

Yes, that's the bikini I got in Miami.  I plan to rock this bikini when I lose about 10 pounds (much easier to do off the boat).  That night Tonda and her husband Mike came to Sarasota to pick up Samanatha and we all went out for Mexican food.

We had such a good time.  Tonda and I have been friends since she was pregnant with Sam.  It was so great to see her, Sam, and Mike.  The kids completely fell in love with all of them.  They wanted Sam to move in with us.  They also wanted Tonda and Mike to stay on the boat with us.  It was sad to watch them leave!

The next day we took the kids to the GWhiz Science Museum in Sarasota.  They were having a pirate exhibit.  Gee - right up our alley!

Evan loves the Bernouilli Principle ball . . . or whatever it's called.

This is Zachary from 2006 when we visited before, he loved the ball then too.  He was a year younger than Evan is now.

Potty training is going well now.  Evan's had no accidents since that awful one in Boca Grande.  He actually woke up in the night once saying he had to go pee pee.  He's wearing a pull up for naps and bedtime yet wakes up dry.  Poop is another issue, but an expected one.  He is making progress and I'm pleased with that.

Sunday morning we were leaving for Clearwater.  The weather was good so we decided to keep going.  We pointed her North towards Appalachicola.  31 hours later we are here!  It was a pleasant crossing.  I saw lots of boats so I had to pay attention on my watch, but other than that it was uneventful.  The next morning I got up to relieve Ryan so he could sleep a little and we ran into a couple of squalls.  We saw a water spout - which was kind of exciting - but all we got was a little wind and rain off it.  I huddled with the kids down below giggling and singing "It's Raining, It's Pouring" while poor Ryan was up on deck getting soaked.  I did make him a fresh cup of coffee, and after we passed the weather we let him have a nap.

So now we are in Appalachicola.  We went out to dinner last night, and afterwards we went to the ice cream parlor.  The boys opted for lollipops, a cheaper option that they consume less of.  It was fine with me!

Behind them on the bench I saw this sign, and immediately thought of my father in law, Tony.  Tony, this one's for you!

The mood on the boat is melancholy.  Even the kids are asking if there is somewhere else to go before we go home.  It's been such a great summer and great trip, and it's more than a little sad for it to end.  I suppose it's better to end wanting more than to end with a sense of relief.

Today we are going to Crooked Island, if the Air Force isn't launching drones over it.  We have a friend checking on it for us so we should know sometime this morning.  If they are, we'll just stop in Port St. Joe for the night.  Crooked Island is truly a special place, and after all the places we've been, Ryan and I agree that it's still our favorite.  So hopefully we'll finish our trip there.  We plan to stay a couple of nights then head home for the weekend.  Maybe we'll stay longer, I just don't know.  We still haven't flown the new kites the kids got for their birthdays, and we have sandcastles to build and shells to collect.  This will be a nice way to end the trip.

Potty Training in Paradise

We made it to Boca Grande this morning.  We were once again offshore, only this time in the Gulf of Mexico as opposed to the Atlantic Ocean.  What a difference the prevailing winds make!  It was a relatively calm, peaceful passage with nice winds and following seas.  It was a refreshing change from wind and waves on the beam, rocking and rolling all night long.  No one (especially me!) got sick, and we really enjoyed some quality family time yesterday afternoon in the cockpit.

Boca Grande is a beautiful, very family friendly little town.  We just love it here.  We rented a golf cart and toured all over Gasparilla Island today.  My longtime best friend, Tonda, drove up from Ft. Myers to meet us this afternoon and have dinner with us.  It was so great visiting and catching up.  She and her daughter are going to meet us tomorrow in Sarasota, which will be even more fun.

Potty training continues, in paradise.  For the record, potty training is my least favorite thing about parenting.  I like this less than getting up every 3 hours and the massive sleep deprivation that comes with that.  Success comes and goes.  Just when I think things are going great Evan has a huge accident.  As with most kids, it's the pooping in the potty that's the real challenge.  I'll spare you the disgusting details, but Zachary will happily tell you all about it!  Evan does have a few false alarms, mainly because I think he likes how we jump when he says "I gotta go pee pee."  Or perhaps he just gets performance anxiety.  Sigh.  At least we're in a tremendously family friendly environment.  After the fourth such attempt, Evan ran from the bathroom in the restaurant tonight proclaiming for all to hear that he went pee pee in the potty!  I got some friendly and supportive comments and general laughter all around.

Tomorrow morning we rise and shine and head up the ICW to Sarasota.  I've got so much boat cleaning to do.  I wanted the boat to be sparkly clean for when Tonda got here, but it wasn't.  Tomorrow I'll be scrubbing toilets (especially now with one more person using them), floors, sinks, and the infinite crevices on this boat that just collect dirt.  We'll relax a couple of days in Sarasota and then head to Clearwater, we think.   From there it's offshore again, a quick overnight to Appalachicola.  We should be home before my birthday.  A couple of days ago I was SO ready to be home, but now I'm not so sure.

Pictures from Key West

Here we are at the Butterfly Conservatory.

The boys really liked the turtles in the pond.  Evan had a long discussion with him.

The boys at the banyan tree.  Zachary's had his picture at this same tree many times.

Of course this is the only one I can find, from 2006 with Uncle Kurt.  He doesn't look as happy then, does he?

This afternoon we are leaving Key West to head North to Boca Grande.  

Kicking Around in Key West

We pulled into Key West yesterday, passing 2 cruise ships, Mallory Square, the beach (not in this order), and endless personal watercraft.  We passed the Southernmost Point of the United States.  It was exhilarating to be back in "home" waters.  The water in the Keys is so beautiful and green.  On our way to Marathon we anchored out at Rodriquez Key and the water was so clear you could see the bottom.

We started potty training Evan on Monday.

He's so proud of his Thomas underwear.  Monday's attempt was met with very limited success.

A family portrait at Burdine's, our favorite restaurant in Marathon.

After dinner we were sitting in the cockpit when a cat walked by.  I called to it, thinking it would just walk on by.   Boy was I surprised when he jumped on board to say hello.  The kids got a kick out of it.

Then he decided he wanted to check things out down below.

He stayed with us until bedtime, then Ryan encouraged him to find another place to sleep.  He was someone's pet, not some feral cat running around.  He certainly loved the attention from the kids.  Now they're begging for a boat cat.  Yeah right, that's going to happen.

Tuesday morning we sailed to Key West.  I mean really sailed.  We were flying!  Just for proof I took a photo, we are sailing 9.57 knots with 15.7 knots of wind on the beam.  This boat sails nicely.  It's amazing the difference between this boat, 46 feet, and Southern Cross I, 42 feet.  This boat is fast!.

We continued the potty training while underway.  I did question my sanity at potty training on my wobble board with wind and waves on the beam, but we'd already started so we kept on.  Precious little success Tuesday.

But, oh, what a cute little booty in those Mickey Mouse underwear!

Today, I'm pleased to report, we had some success.  Evan has pee peed on the potty many times today, albeit with a couple of accidents.  However, I think he's starting to get the hang of it.  He's quite proud of himself and loves to tell me "I'm three now, I'm not two anymore."

Today we went to the Butterfly Conservatory in Key West.  It's such a fun, special place for me.  The kids seemed to really enjoy it this year.  Evan had a long "conversation" with a turtle in the pond.  It was really cute.  I'll post those pictures in the morning.

Tomorrow afternoon we head offshore in the Gulf of Mexico.  We've said goodbye to the Atlantic for this trip.  The end of this trip is in sight.  We are going to Venice or Boca Grande tomorrow, depending on the wind and waves.  It's a quick overnight.  We'll leave around 3:00 p.m. and we'll get there the next morning.  The forecast is favorable, but experience tells me that weather doesn't always do what the forecast says it will do, especially in the Gulf of Mexico.  We should be back home in two weeks.

Key West has definitely been a highlight of this trip.  Ryan and I both just love it here, and the kids have enjoyed themselves too.  I did some more serious shopping today, such fun!  And I have a slice (just one!) of Key Lime pie in the fridge just waiting for me.  Ryan wanted to buy a whole pie, but I talked him out of it.  Remember, I have a new swimsuit to rock!

The marathon to Marathon

We are leaving this morning for the long trek to Marathon.  We'll anchor out tonight near Key Largo.  Then after a long day tomorrow we'll be there.  Two long days and we'll be there.  Marathon is a sentimental place for us.  Lots has happened there.  Zachary started talking there, saying his colors at the marina at Burdines.

Yesterday the kids went to another science museum for children.  They are all starting to run together, although the kids did have a good time.  They like that better than walking around looking at shops.

I stayed back at the boat and did the laundry.  That wasn't as much fun, but I did get to finish my book, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest.  I highly recommend the trilogy of books by Stieg Larsson.  They were each almost impossible to put down and intelligently written.  

We are at the Miamarina (silly silly name) next to Bayside shopping complex.  We had fun walking around there.  We found a Disney Store, and Evan got Nemo.  We had dinner at Hard Rock, and it was loud and fun.

While Ryan put the kids to bed, I went shopping.  I found myself a proper bikini.  The Latina woman working there was so funny.  I was looking at a bottom with a little skirt, similar to the one I already own, and she loudly said "No!  That's not for you, this is."  and she handed me a smaller bottom.  I picked out a "conservative" halter and she just handed me another one and told me to "try it."  They looked really good, considering I'm not working out that much and my diet hasn't been all that clean.  It's totally different from what I normally wear, but I like it.  It's nice incentive to get back to healthy eating and exercising.

The crew is getting impatient for breakfast, and it's time to go.  This crew can be annoying at times, but I guess we've got a marathon to "run".

Only in Miami

Yesterday we explored South Beach.  We took the kids to Lincoln Mall and a walk down Espanola Way.  They were nonplussed.  I did, however, find an evening gown for the hospital gala in November.  That was a goal of mine during our travels.  In Panama City the options for evening gowns are limited to Dillards and the stores where prom dresses are sold.  Prom dresses aren't really my style, and Dillards has 15 of each dress.  No one wants to get all dressed up and see their exact dress at the event.  That happened to me last year because I procrastinated and did not get out of town to buy my dress.  This year it's a fabulous strapless column dress in a delicate floral print.  I just love it.  I have the perfect shoes for it already.  My friend Teresa, queen of antique and estate jewelry, has offered to help bling me out for the event.  I can hardly wait!

After Evan's nap we went to the beach.  The kids had a blast there.  I have to chuckle that we've been over 1600 miles on this trip and Ft. Lauderdale (Wednesday) was the first beach we've seen.  Yesterday we really did the beach thing.  Zachary body surfed for hours and Evan played in the sand and at the water's edge.

Ryan and Zachary (white sun shirt) headed out to the big waves.

Evan and I made sand castles.  I laughed when I uploaded this picture because I didn't realize the entire butt in the background.  It's so commonplace in South Beach!

I have a new swimsuit I bought this year for our Disney Cruise in March.  It's this season, I paid full price for it.  It's a halter top and a shirred bottom with a short skirt attached.  I thought it was so cute and perfect for my age (and ass).  It covers a little, but it's still a 2 piece.  Only the grandmothers had swimsuits on like me, I felt like such a prude.  When I get the chance I'm buying a regular bikini.  I'm not going for the thong bottom - I obviously don't work out as much as that mother of 3 in the background - but I don't need to be quite so conservative.

Today we are changing marinas.  We are in a marina in South Beach and we are headed over to Miami proper.  There is a science museum and a children's museum near the new marina.  Today we'll hit one of those, then the other one tomorrow.  Then we're off to Marathon, then Key West.  We are done with the southbound leg of our trip, now it's west and northwest.  We'll be home soon.

Evan's Birthday!

Today is Evan's birthday!  He shares his birthday with his Aunt Denise, so happy birthday to Aunt Denise too!  All day long, Evan kept singing "Happy birthday to me and Aunt Niece".  It was so cute.

We had presents this morning when the boys woke up.

Evan had such fun showing us how old he is on his fingers.

Meanwhile, our nefarious captain was steering us down the ICW to Miami.  Here it is in the distance.  We were thrilled.  We anticipated an afternoon relaxing by the pool.

But alas, it was not meant to be, at least not yet.  After over a thousand miles on the ICW, and after dealing with drawbridges and their silly schedules all day long, our final bridge was a fixed bridge that was 56 feet high.  Our mast in 62 feet high.  All along the ICW, from Norfolk to Ft. Lauderdale, ALL the fixed bridges are 65 feet.  Oh, the humanity.  So we had to turn around and go back to Ft. Lauderdale, head out through the cut and jump back into the Atlantic to get to Miami Beach.  Instead of motoring 20 miles we had to go 62 miles.  Sigh.  At least the Atlantic was flat.  We didn't have enough wind to sail, but the seas were nonexistent.  Mercifully.  I even made Evan's cake while in the Atlantic.

 Yes, I still need to work on my cake decorating skills, but Evan was thrilled with it.  We had cake after he woke up from his nap.

I can't believe my little angel is three!  

We finally arrived in South Beach around dinnertime.  I fixed Evan's favorite - Mac & Cheese - and we had a nice dinner.  After dinner we went swimming in the marina pool.  Evan had a great birthday, and despite our scenic route here, we all had a great day.

Celebrity Sightings on the ICW

After a wonderful evening with our friends Curt & Eva, we slept peacefully.  Even the kids slept in, it was so nice.  We woke up and got the boat ready and scooted down the ICW.  It was so nice not to be thrashed about.  It was simply a blissful day.

We saw some beautiful houses along the ICW.  These are near Jupiter, I wouldn't mind living in one of these!

We kept joking about which celebrity lived in which house.  We saw one with an Australian flag that I was sure was Greg Norman's.  Ryan was skeptical, but then he got into the game with me.  We decided the one with a basketball court in the back was Kobe's.

As we were gawking at the houses, a large-ish fishing boat (a Hatteras type, but not sure if that was the maker) came up behind us rapidly.  We all braced for his gigantic wake.  At the last minute he slowed down and passed us without tossing up much of a wake.  I noticed a dark skinned man, my first thought was that he was Mexican, with two kids sitting in his lap on the bow.  They were young kids and were not wearing life jackets.  And this boat did not have stanchions and lifelines on the bow.  I grimaced at the guy as he politely waved to us.  A minute later Ryan said "hey, THAT was Tiger Woods!"  I thought about it and reluctantly agreed as I replayed that image in my head.  The boat was named Solitude.  I know his big boat is (or was) named Privacy and we guess maybe after the divorce Solitude was more his speed now.  We were certain, after discussion, that it was in fact Tiger Woods we saw on that boat with his kids.  I was hugely upset that he had those kids on the bow with no life jackets on.  Ryan was unfazed about that.  I went below to get the camera, although it was too late.  Then, lo & behold, I saw the boat approaching us.

This time Tiger had only his dog on the bow (and some woman talking on a cell phone - we figured her to be some sort of handler, she wasn't hot enough to be, well,  you know).  So we rationalized that he took the kids back to Elin's house (Ryan said he read she had a house South of Jupiter) and was headed back home.  We guess he got the dog in the divorce.  It was a pretty dog, a border collie, I think.  He scowled at us when he saw I had a camera, and I was embarrassed to be taking his photo, that's why it's from such a distance.  I should have just been ballsy and stepped out on the deck to take a photo, but for some reason I didn't want to invade his privacy.  Poor schmuck, I think only his dog likes him now.

We moved on down the ICW and we stopped at an anchorage on Lake Worth in West Palm.  We swam until dinner time, jamming to Bob Marley and some steel pans music.  We ate fresh mahi for dinner, and now we are going to sleep.  We anchored near a spoil area, so as long as we don't wake up aground we're good.

Tomorrow we're heading down the ICW to around Boca Raton, and Thursday we'll be in Miami.  Thursday is Evan's 3rd birthday!  He's really excited to celebrate his birthday in Miami, or so he says.  It cracks me up.

Offshore, again

We made it to Ft. Pierce this morning.  I'm so glad to be out of 4-6 ft. swells.  I cannot tell you how nice it is to not be going side to side right now.  When we turned into the channel to get into Ft. Pierce, the seas were directly on the stern.  I burst into the Hallelujah chorus, and I'm really not a singer.

In St. Augustine on Saturday we explored the area and the Fort there.  Is it Fort McHenry?  I cannot remember.

 We saw the 'soldiers' fire a cannon out to sea.  That was cool.

But before that, we hit the ice cream parlor.

Then we decided to go on a carriage tour of the city.  It was very enjoyable.

Yesterday morning we left to go offshore again.  As we motored out the channel we saw 2 dolphins.  That's always a good sign.  Then we saw a jumping tarpon.  We've never seen that before!  We decided it was a good sign as well.  The pass was a little rough, but not nearly as bad as leaving Hilton Head.  We made the turn and settled into as nice a rhythm as you can with 3-5 seas on the beam.  I stayed up top as much as possible, and that worked out well for me.  At bedtime, Ryan put the kids down and I stayed up to start my watch.  The seas and winds got squirelly as we dodged thunderstorms.  Lots of thunderstorms.  I began to feel like I was riding a mechanical bull that was sitting on top of a giant wobble board while I was fighting off the stomach flu.  It wasn't all that pleasant.  Every once in a while said mechanical bull (and wobble board) would jump on a roller coaster ride - something like Space Mountain in the dark.  Ugh.  But I didn't get sick.  When Ryan came up to take his watch I went down below, but I couldn't sleep.  There was just so much motion I couldn't relax. So I went up top and sent him back down for a couple hours more sleep.  There's no sense in both of us not getting any sleep.  Around 4:00 a.m. I got him back up and went to bed, where I finally succumbed to slumber until the kids got up at 6:30.

I have to mention how well the kids are doing.  They aren't crazy about being offshore, but they are handling it better physically than I am.  They were both able to eat some dinner, and Zachary could even go below and play Wii.  Ryan went down there for a bit and came back up saying no way could he handle that with all this motion.  It didn't seem to phase Zachary, who was thrilled at his unlimited Wii time.  Evan would play up top with me, or have really cute conversations with Ryan and me, then go down and hang with "Bubba".  They both slept fairly well considering how much the boat was rocking back and forth.

This morning we saw a rainbow.  Certainly a sign of better seas, right?

Evan was hanging with the Captain and munching on oatmeal squares happily this morning.

Did I mention how happy I am to be OUT of the Atlantic Ocean right now?  Ryan is thrilled to have skipped 7 or 8 days of constantly being at the helm on the ICW, so it's a win-win.  We are taking the ICW now down to Miami.  This family just needs a break from the rollers.  They had built to 5-7 this morning before we turned into the channel and I burst into song.

Tonight we have friends driving down from Sebastian to see us.  Curt and Eva were actually the couple that taught us how to sail on a learn to sail vacation in the Virgin Islands.  We spent a week on their boat, also an Island Packet, learning how to sail.  They were working for the Maryland School of Seamanship.  We met Lew on that trip as well, he was the captain on another boat.  After spending a week together we got to be good friends, so they invited us with them as they took their boat from St. Thomas to Jamaica that spring.  That was our first offshore experience and turned out to be a wonderful learning vacation.  This was all before we bought the first Southern Cross, so I guess that was 12 or so years ago?  My how time flies!  We are looking forward to catching up with them and sharing our sailing adventures with them.

Before & After

The kids room before we went offshore . . . . 

and after . . .

You can't see it here, but all of those artfully arranged books (we're all reading a lot of books) were strewn all over the floor.

My books were too . . .

It was quite a mess to clean.  I had to deal with laundry bullies yesterday.  But I had to clean the boys sheets and covers.

The next morning Evan was all smiles again.  A little sleep and calm seas does everyone good.

We had a good time yesterday afternoon in St. Augustine.  I have more pictures to post, but they'll have to wait.  We are headed offshore again this morning.  Sigh.  I hope I'm ready for this again.  We have a truly good weather window and we shouldn't have to fight through high wind and seas to get to the Atlantic this time.  Should being the operative word.  Our plan is to go to Ft. Pierce.  If everything is awful (again) we'll go to Cape Canaveral.  If everything is fabulous (yeah, right) we'll keep going to Miami.  I don't mean to be so cynical, it's just that my body is still sore from tensing every muscle.  Ok, I know nobody likes a whiner, so I'll stop now.  We'll be in Ft. Pierce tomorrow afternoon, or Miami the next day.  Maybe it will be wonderful?

Southern Cross II Weight Loss Plan

We finally made it to St. Augustine.  I have been on the Southern Cross II Weight Loss Plan.  I'm still a little queasy.

We left Hilton Head with good, but strong, winds.  Ryan put a reef in the main immediately.  Leaving the river to get into the Atlantic was extremely rough, with violent 5-7 foot seas.  We had wind and waves on the beam, and it tossed us around something fierce.  I clutched to the kids, who were terrified at first, until we turned south.  Then I took them down below.  That was my first mistake.

Evan wanted to lie down in his bed, so I went with him since I wasn't feeling too hot.  Zachary lied down for a bit but then bounced back nicely.  He was fine the entire time, he must have Ryan's constitution.  Evan must be more delicate, like me!  While all three of us were in the kids' room, getting tossed about, my body seized up so badly.  I just wanted to be in the fetal position, but the waves were so big that I had to extend my legs and hands to keep from sliding back and forth.  I had a small grocery bag with me, and promptly emptied my lunch into it.  Of course it was one of those bags with a hole in the bottom so it leaked all over the boys' bedspread and sheets.  Ryan took it all away, thank God, while I prayed earnestly for the wind and waves to die down.

Evan napped and began to feel better.   I knew I could sleep it off, if only I could get to sleep.  Every muscle in my body was tensed and I could not seem to "let go."  It was an awful feeling.  I did manage to get myself into the cockpit to keep my watch.  Ryan put the kids to bed and being up top with my iPod helped relax me a little.  When Ryan got up to relieve me I managed to sleep until dawn.  We got here around 9:30 a.m.  I'm still feeling queasy, despite my answered prayers of lighter winds and smaller waves.  I'm not sure if I want to eat today.  It's the Southern Cross II weight loss plan!

I have some before and after pictures of the interior of the boat, but Blogger is giving me error messages again.  I'll post those tonight.

What Is and What Is Not

It's been a whirlwind couple of days.  We left Charleston for the Atlantic on Tuesday.  We got out there and had 20 knots of wind right on the nose.  I looked at Ryan and asked him about this supposed weather window, 15-20 out of the South??  We slogged along for about an hour, with both kids clutching their tummies with nausea.  We looked for a river to tuck into, but depths were sketchy, so we turned around and went back to Charleston.  We were defeated and depressed.

Wednesday morning we got up at 5:00 to make a bridge opening down the ICW by 6:00, otherwise it would be closed until 9:00 a.m.  So we chugged down the ICW all freaking day and made it to Beaufort, SC (Bew - rhymes with pew - as opposed to Beaufort, NC which is bow-fort).  That's an important distinction, for some reason.  The ICW was very pretty along the way, but the heat was oppressive.  The kids were better, just a bit frustrated like we were.  We had a nice walk around Beaufort and even found a long-awaited barbecue joint.  It's a pretty little town with a beautiful waterfront walking park.  Yesterday we got up not as early and chugged down the ICW to Hilton Head Island.

Hilton Head is a playground for the rich.  I'm so pleased because my children do much better around spoiled, overly indulged children than they do "regular" children.  It's weird, I know.  And it's not like my kids aren't a bit spoiled and over indulged.  We are at the Harbor Town Marina right smack in the middle of a resort complex.  We got here around lunch and went out to celebrate.  Our spirits were back up!

The kids got to be crazy at the the Crazy Crab!

Afterwards we walked around, shopped, and let the kids get ice cream.  I took them to the playground while Ryan got to play a round of golf here (a famous golf course is here, not sure of the name).  Then we climbed 144 steps up the lighthouse to get a view of the harbor.  It was beautiful.  As the sun set, we played on the bow.  The lighthouse is in the background here.

It was a much needed, delightful day.  We did get some more good news yesterday, a real cold front is coming through, actually came through last night, and the winds are forecast to turn EAST!!  Woo hoo!  Today we are leaving around 11:00 a.m. and going offshore in an attempt to make St. Augustine.  It's only 100 miles, so that will be a quick overnight.  We should be there in the morning, IF all goes according to plan.  From there I don't know.  Our back up plan is to come back and slowly go down the ICW.  The ICW is becoming undesirable for many reasons, one is the huge (9ft) tides in Georgia and strong currents that always seem to be against us.

I'm starting to believe there's some sort of conspiracy to drive me mad.  Sleep deprivation slowly drives me insane.  I know this to be fact, I've had 2 kids.  Something usually wakes me an hour or two before dawn, then subsequent events keep me from going back to sleep.  It varies day to day what the something is.  I know it's not Ryan, it's not in his best interest for me to be psycho.  I don't think I'm all that interesting to the government, so it's not them either.  My only conclusion is aliens.  Time to call Mulder and Scully.  Last night it was a thunderstorm of epic proportions.  The lightning flashed in my eyes like a flashlight, reminding me of horror movies.  Then there was a dog barking incessantly, then finally Evan got up.  All this was before dawn.  Sheesh.  I gotta get myself together.  I cannot let these aliens get to me.

Offshore Bound

After much consternation by the captain, and conferring with Lew, we have decided to go offshore and point to St. Simons.  Ryan thinks it won't be bad and we can make there in one overnight.  We are waiting for a fedex package, then we push off around lunch time.

In anticipation of our offshore adventure, we had a wonderful dinner last night.  I ate a huge meal, since I'll probably be on the Southern Cross weight loss plan for the next day or so.  I tend to get seasick offshore, for maybe the first 16 hours or so, then I get over it.  I may not keep lunch down and may not eat again until tomorrow night.  Then again, maybe I won't be sick this time.  Gotta stay positive, right?

Yesterday, after Evan's nap, we took the kids to the waterside park fountains to play.

Zachary had a blast playing in the fountains.

 Evan wasn't so sure, he needed encouragement from Daddy.

Does this kid need a haircut or what?

Yesterday morning the Ryan took the kids to the aquarium while I stayed behind to do laundry.  The washers & dryers are free here, which is nice, but the liveaboards tend to commandeer them constantly.  Most of the boats have cutesy puns for names, so I nicknamed them the laundry knot-seas.  So I had to play the game yesterday.  It was ridiculous that it took all day to do 4 loads of laundry, but sometimes that's how it is.

So we are busily getting the boat truly ship-shape, preparing to go offshore.  It's our first time as a family, and Evan's first time offshore.  It should be an adventure.  Our "plans" - always subject to change - are to go to St. Simons Island.  We should get there late tomorrow afternoon.  We'll stay there a day or two and then go to St. Augustine, then maybe Cape Canaveral.  We'll see . . . .