Social Days

Marnie in the Middle



 

So Many Wines So Little Time



 



The Birthday Party

   I must admit that it has been very busy
socially around here.  Tuesday David Foy
decided to fly down and visit.  We went to the
Gaslamp District and wandered around looking for wine,
food and live music in that order.  We found several places but this little wine bar was really cute.  It was down some stairs to a small area with 3 doors.  We finally found the right door and went in only to find that for some the entertainment is watching on a monitor inside while the folks come down the stairs and try to figure out where to go.  So they have a camera that plays above the bar.
   Finally wound up at a place called "Shout" with "dueling pianos".  The two musicians take requests and depending on how much money is attached to your request they will play the songs.


Carla and Monique (the Birthday Girl)



Or... if one thinks that the other can do it better

he throws the request across the pianos for the

other guy to sing and play.  I guess you had to be 

there but they were all amazing musician.

   The next morning we took a cab to Shelter Island to check out the Police Dock (they have guest slips)  and where West Marine is etc. It was a good walk and I got to get the feel for where I might be going next.

   Thursday evening Marnie picked me up and took me to a birthday party for a friend of hers.  It was great!  It was held in a wine bar and the pizzas and cheese was to die for as well as great wine and fun folks.  I might have to go back to that place before I leave.

   Slept in a bit this am it was almost raining. 

I really do want to see the sun.  I get blue when

I don't get my vitamin D.  Not much being done on the boat as far as what I need to do but I do hope to get motivated pretty soon.  Come on Sun.



Still having a bit of trouble getting the pictures where I want them but I now know how to get rid of that big space at the bottom that sometimes appears out of nowhere.

A Wonderful Time In Ben's San Diego World

Pau Hana from Jasdip

   Well it is finally warm on a regular basis.

I haven't had to close the hatches since I

arrived.  The fleece blanket is about to be 

history as well.  Bob, the Harbormaster,

found a place for me for a few days
and Jasdip is getting a bath, inside and
out.  Boy do boats get dirty.
  


Ben did a drive by and visited in Mariner's Bay

  Since I have been here I have gotten to

meet several of Ben's local friends.  Boy,
they are all GREAT!!  The night before
we wound up at Tender Greens with Michael
( below on Bravado) and Marnie. 
   Last night we met Jeff and Kathy at
a local hang out called the High Dive.  Fun place and Jeff and Kathy were great.  Kathy is a nurse
and Jeff has an Erickson 38 named Pau Hana.
    They went home to cook because they had
just
started a new plan of cooking at home
for a month  and didn't want to break it
on the first night.  Good luck you two.
  




    Well we met up with Marnie again and well.....back to Tender Greens.  It really is great and not
very expensive. 
   

Kathy, Jeff, Ben and Moi

Michael

   Went home sated and tired and curled up on Jasdip and slept like a baby wondering what the

next day will bring.

Mariners Cove

   Mariner's Cove is a lovely little anchorage

in Mission Bay.  It is a weekend getaway and very popular for many boaters in the area.  There
is a 5mile and hour speed limit in Mission Bay so it
is a comfortable anchorage.  Pau Hana is
docked across the main channel in Quivera
Basin just a short dinghy ride away.

  Ben, Chris and I ate our way through the

Hillcrest Farmers Market.  From Thai coconut pancakes to homemade chicken and green

chili tamales.  The fruit is great too.  I am always

on the lookout for a tomatoe as good as

the "Dry Farmed" ones I used to get at the



 Alameda Grocery.  There were some from Russian seeds that are fairly close.  I am happy

now.

    Ben and Chris went sailing and then came visiting on Pau Hana and tied up with

Jasdip for a while and we sat and enjoyed the
beautiful blue sky, sunshine and warm weather.
    Finally got to meet wome of Ben's friends
San Diego and they sure seem great. 
    Dinner at Tender Greens with Michael and Marni.  Delicious fresh food and wonderful
Company.


Found this great lamp for Jesses boat.
I think it will add to the decore.



View from Jasdip to Driscol's Marina



Mission Bay Here I Come

   Well I had plans for an early dinner and sleep

but I guess things don't always go as we plan.My neighbor came by in his dinghy and asked if I wanted to catch a movie....then confessed he

had seen the movie and really just wanted popcorn.

 We chatted and I told him I could make

him popcorn.  Alas it was a delightful evening

and I really enjoyed our exchange, I mean really,

enjoyed it.  Alas.....complications...and I waved goodbye in the AM.  He raised my spirits and  gave me hope though that

there might just be someone out there that I could

share some time with.

I didn't leave at 4am. It was just too dark and

cold.  So it was around 6am.  There was

no wind in the am so I motored and tried to book

as fast as I could since Ihad 64 miles to go.

  Got to  Mission Bay as the sun was setting.

Man it is hard to see where one needs to go

until one is right on top of the entrance.  I looked

and looked but it wasn't till I was very close that I

actually saw the entrance.  While I was crossing

there was a pod of dolphins that stayed with me for almost an hour.  I finally went below to get a sandwich and stopped talking to them and they

left.  I could hear them talk and I tried (good thing I was alone) to answer them. God they are beautiful!!

   

     

Where did the Sun go?

I got a Moring ball for 4 days in Avalon.

Quite the treat.  Also the weather wasn't

sunny and every anchorage is 90ft.

  I finally caught up with Art and Jaye

on Arione!  It was sooooo good to see

them.  They both look great and so does

 the boat.  We talked for a bit and made plans for lunch the next day.

  That evening I went to Double Dharma for Dinner and had a wonderful time chatting with Dena and Dale.  What a great pair.  When I left my camera there (because I wanted to take pictures) they took some and returned my camera the next morning.  That is what I call a "full service boat". 

 They were headed out to the back side of Catalina that am.  Note the wine was (it's empty) one of the few remaining Roxy Anne Pino Gris's from Medford.  Just another special occasion. I think this Ha Ha will be a bit more Merry for moi.

    To the right is the poole player/teacher who

attempted to keep us in line at the Marlin

Club.

Here on Catalina I think they have taken golf carts to a new height.  This one is a 4 seater WITH a trailer hitch.  I thought Mark, Beth and Lisa might enjoy seeing it.  My favorite picture (and I lost it) was of a dinghy with the seat made from one of those ubiquitous white plastic chairs.  I think that will be a "must try" for me on the Ha Ha. Grocery shopping and back to the boat for an early evening.  I had planned to leave for Mission Bay at 4ish in the morning.

Off to Avalon

 

 Well Avalon.  It isn't as crowded as I have seen it before.I had to go to the pump out dock first and that was a real challenge.  I guess if you keep doing this you have to get better at it. 
  Once again the Harbor Patrol showed me to my mooring (top the farthest boat to the right).  These moorings are even closer together than the ones in Two Harbors.  I just can't imagine what it is like if they are all filled.  This time I actually did it by myself.  Perhaps there is hope.
     As I was cleaning up the boat a dinghy came by with some other Ha Ha folks in it and invited me to breakfast the next morning.  I cleaned up the boat went to bed and then went ashore for breakfast and a hike with these folks.  Had a great time and just as they were going off to play Miniature Golf, Ricki and Pam showed up.  It was a nice reunion and we walked around a bit then went up the hill to a little Mexican place that had $1.00 tacos.  They were actually quite good and so was the gathering of the usual suspects.  Even Lori and Tom joined us for a few tacos.
  Well someone said something about the Marlin Club so we wandered over there and played a bit of pool
and the evening went downhill from there.  Actually

 it was a lot of fun.  One of the guys that I met who is doing the Ha Ha is quite good at pool and very good at teaching as well.  He gave us some good pointers.  That would be Dale and Dina from the boat Double Dharma. 
   I am gathering some laundry (very exciting) and will take it in to do some wash.  Waiting for Jaye and Art to arrive.  Haven't seen them for years and am looking forward to seeing them again. 

Underground

Well...after the Tornado (funnell cloud of some sort) came through Isthmus I think the anchor must have fallen off it's 80ft shelf and gone to 120ft.  Needlesss to say I was uncomfortable and was pretty sure I was moving so I  pulled up stakes and got a mooring.  Just another challenge.  I drove through the Mine
(Mooring) Field and found mine.  A nice young man from the boat in front of me hopped on my boat and caught the bow line for me then helped me drag it back to the stern.  It was the first and it went ok.
  THere were quite a few folks there getting ready for Buccaneer Days.  The funnel cloud flipped a dinghy, ripped a bimini off a boat and destroyed the tent on shore.  I hung out there until Fri and they told me I had to move cause the owner of my mooring ball was coming in. 
  I then moved to Cherry Cove and it was quite beautiful.  Out of the wind and in 10ft of very clear water.  I spent my days Kayakin nand working on the boat.  Then I got involved in reading and went underground for a few days.  Good books.  Hardly came up for air. Hence no postings.  I am back now though.....