Out of First Gear!

Took Marilyn out for another lesson on Sunday. She got out of first gear! So now she is going around the parking lot in circles shifting from first to second and back to first. Now it going to be just practice, practice, paractice. More starts, more circles, more manuvers, until it becomes automatic and she can do all the driving without thinking.

Tried to send a picture from the parking lot to live blog the event but the phone could not send the picture. So an old picture will have to do.

Beer Party!

Marilyn and I went to Mike and Gail's beer tasting party. There was seven great beers, a Guinness sorbet, lots of cheese, famous wings and great friends. I didn't get a chance to sample all the beers but what I had was great. The cherry lambic was especially good. It was just a fun time.


Hey Mike Jake says " ....Today it's 32!"

Two Bucks?

I came across an envelope of old money. All crisp new bills. I was going to deposit them but I looked carefully at them and I found 7 new 1953 red seal two dollar bills. They were worth about 8 bucks on the retail market. I sold them to a coin dealer for 5. $35 exchange for $14. Maybe I should have held out for $8? Hmmm.

Caliber miss the mark

My car is in the body shop getting the rash rubbed out. I got a rental for the duration from Enterprise. It's a Dodge Caliber. What you never heard of a Caliber. Well neither did I. With luck neither will you. It looks like a cross between a Neon and a SUV. It has the worst of both worlds. On the outside the paint is dull and looks like it will not last. It's small, the doors are narrow so the front and back doors are hard to get into. Once inside you have a vista of cheap ill fitting interior. The doors close with a tinny sound. The engine buzzes while the transmission hunts to find a gear. On the plus side it has lighted cupholders! It's the kinda of car that will last as long as the payments. Tip: stay away from the long term loan! It's not a cheap shot to say that this is the kind of car that made the big three what they are today. Together the off target styling, cheap materials and slipshod manufacture this Caliber is just firing blanks.

Motorcycle lessons

Marilyn took the newly fixed Shadow to a local parking lot and I taught a few of the basics of mototcycle riding. She learned how to stop the motocycle without stalling the engine. How to start to move using the clutch and throttle. And how to drive around and around the parking lot. The real basic skills. If cold weather holds off for a few weekends I'm sure that she'll have all the basic skills to take the Motocycle Safety Course in the spring.

Condiments and compliments

Today we tried a a few things in the kitchen. Marilyn made pumpkin bread and pumpkin muffins. Boy did that put a nice warm smell of bread and fall spices in the house! And it's tasty too.

I made mustard. Stout whole grain mustard. It was so easy. I toasted some black and yellow mustard seeds then let them sit over night in white wine, rice wine vinagar and salt. Mashed them in the morning with the blender. The blender mashing would only crush a few of the seed so the thing was a very grainy rustic texture. It it tasted good. Not hot, not spicy, but like a fancy whole grain mustard from a specialty shop.

Prepping for the big move....

Swan Creek is ready to take the boat on Monday. We had to strip the sails this weekend. Problem is that there was a Nor' Easter hitting. On Friday night there was lots of rain and after the storm there was to be wind. I was hoping we would get down to Rock Hall and take the sails off before the wind got going. We arrived at Spring Cove the tide was very high and we waded through a foot of water just to get to the dock. The wind was starting to build and Steve and Dale from the Georgia Peach was maneuvering to the pump out dock. They were having trouble in the wind. Marilyn and I helped them to dock safely. Steve and Dale were going to Swan Creek just across the creek and they were having a lot of trouble. The wind really started to blow now. All four of us decided that we had to strip the jib sails off both boats now. The Jib sails are the most trouble to take off. They are on a roller like a window shade. So they have to be fully deployed to come down. And in a 35mph wind a fully deployed sail can be a handful. The Georgia Peach is a 34 footer with about a sail double the size of ours. Luckily the wind was blowing Westerly and down the dock. We dropped the sails on Belle Etoile first. Unrolling the sail down the dock. It was about to rip out of Marilyn's hand or throw her into the water! But as soon as we deployed the sail I dropped it and it hit the deck with a thud and we balled it up with out dropping it into the water. Next the Georgia Peach. We huddled and tried what worked on our boat and changed positions. I was going to pull out and try to control the sail. But now the wind was gusting faster. All in position. All prep done. Ok go! I yanked out the sail and started to fight for control. The sail was going to bash against the spreaders aloft. I'm trying to pull this monster away from the boat and it's yanking me around like a rag doll. Luckily Steve was quick on the halyard and dropped the sail. Again success sail on the deck in a ball. Not Bristol fashion but effective. They abandoned the trip across to Swan Creek opting for a tow on Monday like we are going to get. We backed the 34 foot Catalina into a slip without motoring just using the dock lines. This was so the boat would not get away from us. Marilyn and I spent the next hour winterizing the engine and other mechanical devices on the boat. We had to take off the last of the cushions life jackets and the Bimini Cover. The wind continued to build. The Belle Etoile is jumping about 4 feet in the swells. I starting to get seasick in the slip! Getting two cushions off the boat which is about a five minute job took great effort. I almost got thrown into the drink a few times by the swells. As we passed Scott's boat he was getting ready to drop his jib. We figured we getting to be pros at this and we offered to help. We set up again and yanked it out. Only it did not drop smoothly. And the wind shifted slightly as I was holding the sail out down the dock. It was ready to sweep Scott off the deck Marilyn off the finger pier and pull me in for good measure. A quick turn of the roller got it freed up and the sail dropped again. The wind was again foiled from claiming a victim! We then set up spring lines on our boat and doubled up on some dock lines. I was on the bow of the boat trying to set the dock lines and the bow was jumping about 4 or 5 feet. I felt I was on a bucking bronco. I jumped off the boat onto the finger pier and almost lost my balance. I was reaching back to steady myself on the boat and it wasn't there. I hugged the bollard and steady myself and got onto the dock. There is not much more that we can do. The wind was going to blow harder tonight with winds to 50mph. I hope the dock lines survive the night.

Sailing season has ended!

Well another season has ended. This is the last weekend that we we on the boat. Now we have to put it up on land for the winter. We'll go down next weekend to clean it out, winterize the water and the engine and take the sails and the canvas off. It was a fun season maybe just a little hard because of the rain we had. Next season we should have a jump on things. All we have to do is clean, wax and paint the boat and it's in the water, ( knock on wood! ). There are no under the waterline work that we have to do. Launch should be late April next year! There will be some chilly but fun spring sailing that we'll do.

Halloween gets scary!

Here is a house that we past this weekend. It was being attacked by a giant blow up Scary Snoopy and other fiends.

At Cape May

We spent Friday at Cape May walking around enjoying the gale force breeze. We tried to fly a kite until it was ripped out of our hands by the winds. Then we watched them try to dock the ferry. We were critiquing them docking in a 40mph wind. We ended with dinner at the luncheonette at the Lobster House.

Theater Night

Marilyn and I went out to the Philadelphia Theater Co last night. We saw Murderers. It was a good three act play. The sets were very elaborate but since it was a series of three monologues it did not need them. The actors told the story and brought you into the play. Before going to the play we had dinner at the Sansom Kabob House. I recommend the lamb kabobs and the chai tea.

Wegapalooza

I went to the Grand Opening of Wegmans in Warrington .

What a zoo! That food store chain is crazy crowded normally and the being the first day that it is open it was a nut house. It's still chock full of all the good things Wegmans is known for. And it's going to be great to get tasty bread and fresh seafood. But I'm going to have to find off hours to go!

Leaf peeping motorcycle ride.

We rode the motorcycle to the Nockamixon State Park area. The ride was beautiful. It's a crisp day and the leaves are changing color. I hope it lasts for a while longer.

Chilly

It's a little chilly today had to turn on the heat for the first time this year. It's staring to look like fall.

Frost Arrived

The first frost of the year hit. The garden is now done. We picked the last of the peppers this afternoon. Marilyn is pulling up the last of the plants now. I'll rototill the garden this afternoon and we'll plant garlic for next year.

Shadow

Finally got the bike to Fast by Farracci. The service manager said that it looked like a nice used bike. Maybe this is some vaildation for all the work that I did? I told him of the history of the bike as I knew it. He's going to do an full inspection on it and he'll let me know what it needs.

Jay in town

Marilyn saw Jay after he was finished up with convention last night. They went to Farmicia for dinner.

Sailing

Today was cold, 3ft waves and a small craft advisory no sailing today.

Jay In Town

Jay's in town for a conference at the convention center. Marilyn saw him yesterday. I've been snowed under with work and have not had a chance to see him. I think they are going to get together again today. One tip for Jay keep away from the ducks!!!!

Shadow

Well the gas tank finally arrived for Marilyn's motorcycle! I'm going to work on it tonight and with luck I'll be able to get the motorcycle working next week and to Fast by Farracci for state inspection.

Meeting the Mystic Whaler

On Sunday we went to the boat. We took off from the dock and headed out to the bay as we got there. The new rigging worked like a charm the sail went right up and we adjusted it properly. The only thing was there was no wind. Let's just say we were in no wind. Wind is a funny thing it not constant, it gusts, it changes direction and is subject to pockets. On the bay you can be in a pocket of calm air and boats all around you have full sails. Or all the boats around you are calm and you are in a full gale! We got out the pocket and sailed around all afternoon. As we were heading back to Rock Hall we saw a two masted schooner. As the bay is just not filled with two masted schooner we had to check this out. It turns out to be a Windjammer cruise operating in the Upper Chesapeake. The Mystic Whaler was running three day crusises in the area.

On Monday we went out and it was a full calm. We motored to out favorite creek and anchored for lunch. We had leftovers from the pasta dinner. The bread that Mike had brought over was especially delicious. Only two more weekend and a clean up and boating season will be over.

Pasta Time!

Mike, Meg and Jim joined us for a great dinner. The cleaning and the cooking were all successful. Marilyn and I made homemade pasta using the Urania model 150 pasta machine the Frances had given us. We were a lot better at it than we were last year. We left the noodles a little thicker and wider and floured them more so that they would not stick.

In all it was just pasta and meatballs. But putting dinner together with Marilyn and having friends over the house maked it great.

The Big Cheese

The rain did not stop me from making a run to DiBruno's House of Cheese. Neither snow nor rain nor dark of night would prevent me from my appointed rounds of getting cheese and olives for the pasta dinner tomorrow night. I got some grating cheese and some tasting cheese and an assortment of olives. On the way home I have to stop at the market to get meat and other ingredients for the gravy.

Pasta Prep

I hope the rain slows today as I want to go to DiBruno's for cheese and olives

Contacts!

Finally! I got contacts I can use! Nice an clear and no blur-outs! Still have to use reading glasses for computer work.

Politics

I really hate politics . But the elections are in a month and the forecast is that we will see hot air and bull from the politicians. Look out below!

Sailing

Woo Hoo!!! We finally had some good weather to go down to Rock Hall this weekend. There may be a problem though. I getting gas for the boat at the Shore Stop. When we left a woman came driving after us saying that we have left without paying and the woman at the store has taken out license plate number. We we went back and showed out receipt. She said I drove off with $25 of gas. "I my 5 gallon can? " I said. She had no idea what was going on. I told her my car is on "E" and I have 4 gallons I just bought in a can in my trunk. I shrugged, she shrugged I said well what now? I'll check the video taped she said. Hmmm. I've been waiting for the Rock Hall police to break down the boat door all weekend.

Anyway we got out on the boat. The new rigging got it's first real try. What I really would like is just to hoist a line and the sail to go up and hoist another on and the sail to go down and packed away. This new rigging is not it. An no rigging on my boat will ever be like that. But the modifications goes a long way to reduce the amount of work it takes to raise and lower the sail. The big thing is the lazy jacks which cradle the boom and the sails instead of letting it fall to the deck. Also we can adjust the sails pretty well from the safety of the cockpit. The wind was light and building as we went out and we controlled the sails well for the first time out with the new rig. We came in when the wind and drizzle had come up.

The sky cleared up in the late afternoon. There was first annual marina party at Spring Cove. We went after quickly whipping up a hummus dip with fixing from the boat ( no barnacles! ). We meet all the dock neighbors.

We then came home Saturday night as there was going to be rain on Sat night and Sunday.

Shadow again.......

After looking back on the problem with the motorcycle I decided to at least get a gas tank for the bike. I found a new gas tank on ebay it was "New Old Stock" it never was on a bike or had any gas in it. I figure to at least get the thing running and get it state inspected. I think I can get more money for a running bike than a bike for parts. But this means more work on it. It going to be a real Rube Goldberg undertaking.

Engineer boots

I bought a pair of engineer boots from a boot company on the internet. The boots have a real retro look. But they did not fit. I could not get my big feet into them. So they are going to take a trip back to where they came from. Shoe shopping on the net is a real slow experience. In the store I always have to try on a few pairs of shoes before I buy one. On the net it's the same only a lot of shipping is involved instead of going to the back room.

Ok it's GRAVY!

All my life red tomato sauce was referred to as "gravy". I guess because some meat was slow cooked in the sauce gravy. And so we'll make a correction on this blog. Now and forever call South Philly red, gravy. Sorry to upset the Goombas!

Pasta planning

Next weekend we are set to have a pasta dinner party. Homemade linguini and meatballs in a red sauce are on the menu. We have to crank up the pasta machine to meet the demand!

Dumping the Shadow

Got the seat back from the upholsterers. I taking the new shocks off the cycle. So here is what the plan is.

1. Send back the seat cover and the front suspension parts and get a refund.
2. Sell the new rear shocks on ebay. We put them on so we can't return them.
3. Sell the smaller parts new air filter, new mirrors on ebay.
4. Sell the bike as "whole for parts" at auction on ebay mention the fuel tank holes. Start it at $1 and have no reserve that should get it sold quickly.

I really just want to get this nightmare out of my garage. We'll work on getting an other motorcylcle later. It'll either be a late model or a new one. No more ebay fixeruppers!

Contacts

Got new contacts last week and the right eye is dialed in pretty good The left eye is still a little blurry I think one more appointment will get it all fixed up.

Project Shadow's Dark side.

Yesterday, I put on the shocks to lower the motorcycle and got all the lights working properly and all was together except for the seat which was at the upholstery shop. Today I was showing Marilyn the progress when we open the garage the fuel for the bike was on the storage room floor! It seems like the tank had some rust holes in it and the patched it up with epoxy. The 10% ethanol in the tank ate away at the patch. It really seems like this bike has just been left outside for a long time and was patched up to look like it wasn't.

I really do not trust this bike at all now and we are just going to sell it for parts.

Better luck next time.

The Illusionist

On Saturday night Marilyn and I went to the Ambler Theater, ( We still have free tickets from our membership ), and saw "The Illusionist". It is a very good period piece. It takes place at the turn of the century, and is a movie about love, magic and mystery. I really can say any more about this as I think it is a good movie and you should see it for yourself!

Rain

Well rain again this morning. Small craft advisory till Monday evening. It's Fall Fest down at Rock Hall. It's going to be a wash out or really damp.

New rigging

The new rigging is done! The rigging that was done is the red and white lines that go up the mast in the left of the picture and back to the cockpit. Now we do not have to leave the cockpit to raise the sails.

Pink Martini

Last night we went to the Keswick to see Pink Martini. It has a big band sound and they play a variety of music from film noir to French to Cuban to Brazilian. It is a sound that is diverse and eccleetic and hard to find a comfortable category for. Here is the Amazon link. It was a great concert although some of the principle players were not feeling well and they did not do a oncore.

I Got A Rash

Well more accurately my car was rashed. I was going to take mom to the eye doctor for a post op exam. Stopped at a Starbucks for a Venti eye opener. Then there was the question everyone really hates. "Hey who owns the Acura in the parking lot?" Oh @#$%!!!!! Someone rashed the car pulling out. The damage is on the passenger side going from the front passenger door to the back fender. I got a claim number already. I'm going to the dealer for a estimate. It's frustrating as it's just another thing to deal with.

Cataract

I took Mom to Will's Eye Hospital this morning for cataract surgery. The prep was what took the longest,about 45 minutes. The surgery took about 15 or 20 mins and she was out of there. There was no stitches in her eye and all she has to do was wear a dark protective goggles outside and a clear one at night. Her vision is clearing up as the eye is less and less dialated. I have to take her to get it checked out by her eye doctor tomorrow morning.

Touring the Poconos

Marilyn and I took out my motorcycle and road to a place in the Poconos that seems to have everything. It has everything you need hotels, restaurants, athlete's, athletics, hills, rivers, old trains, coal barons, train barons, an opera house, a jail and the Molly Maguires. It is the town formally known as Mauch Chunk. Today's Jim Thorpe. Named after the 1953 Olympic athlete Jim Thorpe. We found a nice back road there. It's usually a highway drive but we found route 248 thru Bath and Nazareth. There were a lot of motorcycle on the road there. We stopped at the Hotel Switzerland for lunch. In a local bicycle shop and the woman at the register was extolling the bike trails. She also mentioned that the trails had black bears, rattlesnakes, copperheads and coyotes. Hmmm, that sounded more exciting then we were bargaining for! Then we walked the town which is really a nice tourist town which brings you back to the turn of the century. We were saying that we could tell the locals from the touists by their choice in footwear. Motorcyclists had boots, tourists had boat shoes and sandals, and the locals had work shoes.

Still drizzling

It's drizzling again at 6am this morning and forecast is for chance of rain today till 3pm. We are not going down to the boat. We'll stay home and work on things around here.

Motorcycle permit

Marilyn has passed her written test!!

Three cheers!

Motorcycle test

Marilyn taking test right now!!

Weather Hold

The rain is coming dow pretty good this morning. Vacation is in a weather hold. We'll go the the DMV and to my Mom's this morning and see what the weather hold this afternoon. Rain is likely all day so we may start off tomorrow. We may cut the trip down to just going to the Magothy River or just a nice little day sail on Saturday.

Friday night

Went to get Marilyn's motorcycle learners permit. Have to come back tomorrow as they only give during the day. Weather for the weekend is looking more like showers. Have to scale back plans for boat trip. Going to get a late start tomorrow with trip to DMV and a trip to my mom's so I can adjust her medicine for the catarat surgey next week.

Three Day Weekend

Well for us anyway. We are going to try to go to the Magothy River on Friday and then to Prirates Cove on the West River on Saturday then home to Rock Hall on Sunday. Looks like the weather is cooperating with us. A eye on the weather is still a good idea.



Rock Hall Weather
Noaa Marine Weather

Garden

We fire roasted the peppers and eggplants on the grill and had had them with tortillas. I grilled them but Marilyn claimed most of the work saying that she watered them and talked to them and cared for them and kept them happy. I agreed. I do believe they were singing when I was grilling them!

All that and the kitchen sink too!

Ok this week's round up.

Marilyn is studing for her motorcycle licence written test on Thursday.

Parts of the motorcycle have come in and are not the correct parts.

Parts are being sent back.

More parts are on order

Found more things that need fixing before state inspection.

More parts are on order.

Waiting on insurance to get plates for the motorcycle.

Sailboat rigging will not be finished for this weekend. It's usable but it will not be the final configuration.

Having a plumber look at my Mom's kitchen sink.

Taking Mom for her monthly check up.

Planning a three day weekend to West River on the Chesapeake. Taking a slip at Pirates Cove.

This weekend

Got back from the boat and there was not much wind to move us along. We put up the sails a few times and we found out that the main sail will not go all the way to the top. Looks like a bit of adjustment is in order. The work looks like it is progressing nicely.

Marilyn picked some peppers form the garden. They will be tasty fire roasted on the grill this week.

Sailing

The guys from Walden rigging called and the new sailing rig is 80% done. We can use it and I'm looking forward to trying it out. Light winds will be out of the west today. This is a good day to try the sail as the winds will not be too strong and we will not be moving very fast anyway.

Shadow

I put the new battery in Marilyn's motorcycle on Friday and it worked! The problem was not anything exotic just a dead battery.
The problem with this motocycle is that a lot of the parts are not easily available. So if I needed some ignition part I could have been out of luck for a while. Now we just have to wait for the insurance document so we can register the bike. I have to fix the problems for state inspection. One new problem a bad stop light switch. The switch is available from an online old bike part dealer. I found 12 inch rear shocks to lower the bike. This is an inch lower then the ones I found earlier. Marilyn's low rider will be running soon.

Irons in the fire....

.. OK updates on some of the irons in the fire here.

Contacts, I got my first fitting and the right lens did not work out too well. 20/20 it wasn't white cane with red tip, almost. Needless to say that the Dr has a new lens on order.

Sailboat rigging, Dobbs called today and said the job is 80% done. The new halyard, lazyjacks and other rigging is there. Hardware to run it all back will be next Wensday. We should get a good idea how it all handles this weekend. I'll take pictures this weekend.

Marilyn's motorcycle. I got a new battery and held up the ordering of the shocks and seat. We are going to register the bike this friday ( or monday ). I'm going to drive it around and see if there are any more problems with the bike. If it is reliable we'll continue. If it still gives us problems then we'll have to work on plan b. Ahhhh, there really is not plan b but we'll figure one out.

Shadow Dancing.

Well after a few hours on Monday having Marilyn learn the clutch the motorcycle refused to start. I tried to charge the battery but I think it's really weak. It's going to be a while before we get an other motorcycle session. There are a few things that need to be done before we try again. Gentlemen, we can rebuild it. We have the technology. We have the capability. Better than it was before. Better, stronger, faster ..... Well I hope for far less then six million dollars!











Here is a list of things that need doing:

• We have to lower the bike. Marilyn is on her tippy toes. This does not give her confidence. It's about 2 or 3 inches from being ideal. I ordered lower shocks and we are going to reupholster the seat to lower it a few inches
• We have to fix the cause of the cut off. It could be the battery or the fuel shut off valve or something more
• We have to fix the headlight and turn signals for the state inspection
• The front forks are leaking. I ordered the parts and the garage guys will rebuild the front forks.
• It needs a oil and filter change.
• Evict the mouse that has taken up residence in the air cleaner.
• And a real good clean up.

We ordered the parts to fix all to the problems but we have until spring to get things together. There is no rush. I want Marilyn to take that Motorcycle Safety Course before she rides. We should have the bike together when she completes the course so that she can put the things that she learned into practice.

Me and my Shadow

Time to unveil project Shadow. Marilyn has been talking about getting a scooter last year and eariler this year. We then have been riding my bike and we have seeing women riding bikes as we traveled along. Before getting a scooter I wanted her to take a Motorcyle Safety Course. But to take the course she had to learn to shift gears. We then started talking about a real motorcycle. We found a used one on Ebay. It is a Honda 1983 Shadow 500.
We won the auction on Friday. We had to borrow a truck to pick the motorcycle up in Churchville Maryland. Marj Epp graciously lent us her pickup truck.
After travling down there on Sunday closing the deal and loading up the bike we came home with our prize and put it at the storage facility. On Sunday Marilyn took some time to start to learn how to use the clutch and drive the motorcycle. A few hours and she was motoring around still in first gear but not stalling and having a big silly grin on her face!

Project Shadow

Ernesto is raging tonight but right now is not too bad. A little rain and some wind that's all. Project Shadow is moving right along. One goal has been meet and a few more things need to fall into place and I can call it a success and I can be more specific.
I'll have all the details later.......

More Ernesto

Ernesto is moving closer. Down at the bay there is small craft and gale warnings up. I hope the boat is tied up Ok. There will be a lot of wind and the tide will be up. Here is a link for the tidal and current observations at Tolchester Beach. Too late to do anything about it. We may go down Sunday as things may clear up enough. In the mean time I'm working on something I'll call project Shadow. More on this later.....