Month: October 2017

Shedding.  Not the kind your dog does, I wish it were pounds but nope, I’m talking about shedding of possessions.  That is the name of our game right now.  Over the past few days we’ve made significant shedding progress and it feels strange!  It has been comical at times when I see Brad throwing more and more into our innocent helpers trucks.  Sad when I look at our empty’ish place.  Exciting when I think of our long term, fun times ahead!  But right this very moment it is a bit surreal, and scary.  No jobs, no cars, a house that’s getting emptier by the day, a quick approaching deadline to be moved out and onto the boat, and our boat slip lease is ending soon as well.

Our agenda this week consists of more shedding, cleaning, wrapping up Vet appointments for the girls, gathering the last of the spare parts for the boat, provisioning and getting moved on to the boat. We’ve got lots to do but have been blessed with so much help from friends and family. Here’s a peek at what’s been happening!

Both cars are sold! Medical kits for dogs and humans are done! 

The girls are unsure about all the boxes and items leaving the house, so they’ve been getting extra attention and treats.

And last but not least, our emtpyish place…I cannot wait to look back at this post someday and laugh at what I was stressed about.  But for now, I will be on the emotional rollercoaster hanging on to Brad tightly.  I will look for the good in each part of the process and continue to count our blessings as we go!

Cheers!!!

 

Lately our daily lives have been consumed with making decisions at every turn. Do I do x instead of z? What are we going to do about our phones and phone service? Should we buy the expensive part locally, or order a cheaper one online but wait a few extra days? What spare parts should we get? Should I keep this, donate or toss?! Where are we going to put everything on the boat?! I think you get the point.

It seems that each of us work so hard in our daily lives to make ourselves as comfortable as possible. What that means is we want the nice cars, fancy gadgets, big screen TVs….things! It is easy to fill up a home with all of these “things” and it feels oh so gratifying to do so. Well my friends, let me tell you what is not fun about it. Deciding what to do with all of those gadgets, thingamabobbers, clothes, shoes, kitchen items, tools, the list goes on and on…yep, still going on!

We are in full de-clutter mode and it’s proving to be difficult. With every turn, cabinet, and drawer there are decisions to be made. Have I told you that I am an indecisive kind of person?! Ahhhhh!!!! Each day the donate piles are getting larger and we are finding ourselves frustrated that we didn’t go through our things sooner. Perhaps we could have sold some of these items rather than give them away. The great news is Brad’s older brother and sister in law have agreed to let us store items at their house, AND let us borrow a vehicle. We are SO grateful for their help!

Ok enough ranting, are you still with me? I’m sure you are here to read about the new boss. Well things are in full swing and Brad has been a busy bee! Currently he is immersed in the solar wiring project. Jesper has been giving us a tremendous amount of help and support over the past few weeks. He has revived our generator and she is now running smoothly. He helped me with the lifeline netting install AND he is joining us on our sail to Cabo! We couldn’t be more excited for his friendship, support and sailing smarts. 🤗

I won’t go in to too many details about the completed projects because I feel Brad can do them a lot more justice than I can. I will say, the solar panels and mounts look amazing! Big things are happening and ready or not, our big departure day is coming up around the corner. Wish us luck!!!

Since one simply cannot post a blog without photos, here are a few for your viewing pleasure. Brad working on the solar install, the new lifeline netting and a pretty view leaving the marina. Cheers!

It’s been one week and I have to say you don’t seem to care about my ergonomic health, nor do you care about providing a steady temperature/sun protection to work in. Considering it’s only been a week, I will continue my duties with hopes things will get better in the future.

Ok now that I’ve gotten that off my chest, let’s talk about what we’ve accomplished this past week.

Windlass- the handy dandy tool that lifts our anchor chain and anchor from the sea floor is completed! It’s aliiiiiive muahahaha! This included the full re-wiring (we increased the gauge of the wiring), new foot control pedals next to the windlass, and windlass controls in the cockpit.

The windlass in action! https://instagram.com/p/BaDDmjulhI8/

Our beautiful, new spade anchor on the right. The CQR anchor on the left is taking a hike!

Varnish removal project- this is now complete and all of the exterior wood is oiled and looking great!

Hardware reinstalled- (winches and furling line blocks)- we removed much of our hardware in order to do the varnish removal properly. This is all back in action, polished and cleaned!

Brad’s mad scientist project has been underway and will hopefully fix our generator woes. Something to do with a battery charger, rebar, pvc and electrolysis will be clearing carbon from the generator exhaust elbow. I am just happy to see safety glasses in the photo. 😉

Oh one small detail to add (insert sarcasm here), we got engaged!!!! Brad proposed on his birthday, October 7th. He asked me if I would be his birthday present forever. How could I resist? I said yes! We are both so very excited about all of the upcoming adventures together!

What projects are on the horizon? Well, we received packages yesterday containing our solar panels, freshwater plumbing supplies, we picked up lifeline netting to keep the pups in the boat, and Brad ordered a new autopilot motor yesterday. Hopefully I’ll have a full report of completed projects to mention next week!

Cheers to dreams coming true!

That’s right, Brad and I are both answering to a new boss these days. This one is much bossier. She’s needy, she’s large and in charge, and she takes ALL of our money! With every squeak, creak, and flap of the sails we must answer her every call. Oh gosh. What did we do?!?!

Yesterday was my last day at work, a job I’ve been at for 10 years. Throughout those years I’ve been blessed with great working relationships, a job that kept my brain problem solving, and a boat load of experiences I otherwise wouldn’t have had. Yesterday was tough! Ugly crying should be reserved for moments when you are alone, instead I ugly cried in front of a crowd- to further that I gave a speech. What I said, I cannot remember, but I hope it all made sense! All embarrassment aside, this just reminds me of how much I enjoyed my work life and those that are in it. We are a big family tied by a common goal to succeed!

Looking forward I hope I can find a great balance with my new boss. I know she will take great care of us and carry us to places that our minds cannot fathom. I know some days she will piss me off, others she will make me happier than I’ve ever been! Brad and I will work together with the common goal of keeping her happy. Here we go, day 1…I hope I make a great impression. ?

Let’s take a walk down memory lane…