The People are What's Important

On assignment in Williamstown MA

Case in point. One of my delights is meeting interesting people from all walks of life. I am a homebody and if I were to settle, for example, into a life of suburban routine I likely would meet few new aquatainces. I generally have my peeps and I like to stick with them, seeking the familiar groove of expectation. This is not to imply that I'm meeting scores of people, but I clearly bump into new people. Having the gregarious gene, I unintentionally propel my entire personality quite readily. I usually find conversation forthcoming.

Most people I meet are fine and nice people. Every once in a while you just meet someone with a pizzaze that grabs hold of you. And so it is with Sam, pictured above. I met Sam at a yoga class and we subsequently had some vittles. Sam is chock full of adventure and I was delighted to hear all about it!


Capt Chris

Satori in the Perfect Storm

Satori in Perfect Storm


On Assignment in Williamstown MA

As some may know, I came to own Christa, a 1975 Westsail32 due to my experiences while stationed at Point Judith Rhode Island during the famed Perfect Storm. Back in the day it was known, simply as the Halloween Storm of 91. I came across this video, of Satori, also a 1975 Westsail32, shot from one of the old H-3 Pelicans. Really good stuff. The seas are magnificent and the boats performance is equally magnificent. The key to remember in my opinion, is Satori was not in distress. She was technically "hove to," but really from the video, you can see she is fore-reaching just a little bit. Notice how squared away the decks are. Everything lashed down, including the mainsail and boom to the boom gallows.

The crew was in the grips of fear, which is perfectly understandable. I can only imagine how exhausted and fatigued the crew must be. The desire to get out of that situation could overwhelm the saltiest of dogs.

If you haven't read the book, I highly recommend it. Really fast read and tells an interesting story.

Enjoy!

Capt Chris

Alive and Doin Fine!

 


On Assignment in Williamstown Ma

Fear not, Capt Chris (me) is landlocked well inland, but really enjoying myself. For such a simple life, for a guy who has no job, I seem to have a day crammed full. Each night I am plume tired and sleep soundly.

This weekend past, mys sister and I attended a show, James Taylor, Sheryl Crow and Yo Yo Ma at Tanglewood in the Berkshire. It was great, but cold to my taste. Most days are spent exercising, hiking, eating, reading and running. Really can't beat that.

However, that old faithful yearning for life afloat has now entered my brain. It is my fate. So my timeline is still to return to Grenada on October 26th and prepare Christa to splash.

I plan on setting sail in early November, bound for Naples Florida. I know many blog readers have lost interest due to current shorebound ways. After all, most readers are shorebound themselves and who wants to read about another shorebound chump. But this chump will put to sea in the not far distant future. So please stay tuned!

Capt Chris

Just Livin....but Livin Well

On Assignment in the United States
Williamstown Ma

I've surely fallen behind in my documentation project. So many adventures have occurred since I departed my sister's house nearly two weeks ago. I spent a full week in NYC visiting my brother, sister in law and niece Annie. I then headed north aboard Amtrak to upstate NY, near the Finger Lakes, to spend four days with Brad Finegan, a childhood buddy of mine. An adventure worthy of blogging about in it's own right. So much to write about and I don't believe I'll report chronologically, nor pack all into one post.

First off, lets check in with my borrowed ride. The use of the Hummer has been a pleasant surprise. Lets not forget that for more than a year I have pretty much gone without such controversial conveniences such as a vehicle. Although now that I think about it, I did have the car while in Puerto Rico last summer. But my friends Amy and Mike are generous in the extreme, and so is my buddy John for that matter. But they have loaned me the use of the H1 during my two month plus stay here in the Berkshires of Massachusetts.

I've really got it made. I'm staying in a beautiful guest house, deep in the woods, with all the critters of nature. The nights are cool and the mountains silent. While dining in the evening on the deck we've seen a momma bear and her cub twice, cautiously stroll into a field foraging. It's amazing to watch through the spotting scope perched on a tri-pod. Wait there is more.

I am in yoga ville. I was pressed into yoga last summer while visiting here in the Berkshires and loved it. Surely this is one of the best side benefits of being retired. I've gone three times since arrival and one of those days was a full 3 hour session. It is a crushingly good work out. Amazingly enough, I can already see the post 40 bod transforming. Two months at 3 times per week, coupled with my running regime should whoop me right into shape.

As I mentioned before, I should be here in Mass until mid October. I'm still shaping up what a daily routine may look like for the kid, aside from the yoga. I hope to help out my friends in anyway I can to pay back the generosity. This weekend I'm baby sitting for John. He has a 115LBS black lab named Brick. Brick is a little more than a year old and has more energy than a hydrogen bomb. When he steps on your foot, you know it. Last night I had to put him in his cage for management purposes. That drooping face as seen through the cage nearly killed me. If Brick wasn't a dog, I'd say he's the man.

Please check my Picas Photo album as I am updating as I go along. I apologize to the folks who have been following the blog for the sailing aspect. What can I say, this is my life and I always adjust as necessary.

Later

Capt Chris

PS: I still check in with the National Hurricane Center homepage several times a day. But now I just get off that I'm not in the path of the yellow blobs of doom!

My Current Location

Currently on Assignment in the United States
Cortland New York

More to follow...

Dominican University of California

Currently on Assignment in the United States
New York City

I received word that I have been admitted to Dominican, located in San Rafael California. Sometimes I forget what I have previously conveyed in the blog, so forgive me if I repeat myself.

So what is the story with my trip around the blue planet? I don't know, but clearly it won't be done in one extended trip and I may never make it around. I have not lost the desire to complete the mission, I'm just less enthused about doing it alone. But there are other considerations.

I have always subscribed to the notion that when opportunity knocks, you don't flirt with it, you don't dither, you invite it in for dinner. And so this has been my mind set since the Post 911 GI Bill was passed by congress last year. It is a true opportunity, a true gift from the tax payers and an opportunity that if put off, goes counter to my above stated notion.

Someday I'll write about the perils of to much choice. There is such a thing and can cause vapor lock. Numerous choice causes one to look in the rear view mirror of life and ask the unanswerable after a course of action has not gone as first envisioned. This is/was the case with my grappling with where to go to school, why go to school and how to put it all together in the context of the all over picture that is my life.

One day, while stationed and living in Marin County California an old girlfriend and I were looking for Jerry Garcia's house in San Rafael, just to see what was shaking down on Shakedown Street. It was during that adventure we skulked onto the campus of Dominican University of California in San Rafael. Like many places in Marin Country, north of the Golden Gate Bridge, the natural beauty of the place will knock you out. The grounds are peppered with Red Wood trees, with beautiful buildings and mostly shaded from the intense sun. I just recall thinking what an awesome place. A great place to study.

My first choice to go to school has always been California. I simply like it their, plus I own a home in Sonoma that really needs my attention. San Francisco Bay is a wonderful place to own a sailboat, you can leave your boat in the water year round and you can even sail all the way to Sacramento if that moves you. But due to politics and complicated issues outside the scope of this blog, the GI Bill would not adequately fund school within the California school system. So I was contemplating, researching and thinking of alternatives when Dominican popped into my head.

Dominican is a private school and is somewhat immune from the politics that prevented me from getting funding for the state school system. I made one call to Dominican and that call sealed the deal. Each time I called, the phone was picked up by a human, each email was promptly returned and they went to super human lenghts to work out all the details of funding, the application process and they were enthused I was doing these steps via skype from obscure beach locations. It would be reasonable to think an institution that treats applicants with such professionalism and courtesy will deliver in other areas. I'll start in August 2010. My preliminary thoughts are to seriously consider becoming a high school teacher. Way to early for definitive statements. But I'm very excited.

So over the next 10 months or so I will slowly start making my way back to California. More on that later.

Capt Chris

Sailing Down Island

I shot and then edited this video in Apple iMovie during my spring trek down island.

A Week in Conneticut and the coming week in NYC

Currently on Assignment in the United States
Greenwich Village, New York City

I wrapped up a very enjoyable and mellow week at my sisters in Shelton CT. I've got it made. I spent most day's reading, exercising and hanging out with my 12 year old niece Alexa. Then my sis would come home from work and we'd enjoy a wonderful home cooked dinner. Love it, just what the doctored ordered. Sometimes it can be a challenge to come up with a good story to tell for the blog. The week was not boring by any stretch for me, but nothing earth shattering occurred. Except for the spider incident.

It happened on my last night. As I prepared to turn in after a long day of doing nothing, I noticed a spider the size of the palm of my hand in the center of my bed. At first I figured it was a fake left for me by my niece who is prone to such things. A quick poke revealed a quick and much alive hairy scary spider. I went into battle stance and called out to my sister to retrieve the Raid. I starting getting frantic as Tracy lollygagged with the Raid. I was concerned the beast would stealthily move to its lair within my room. Well when Tracy arrived the tension propagated like a shock wave. After a loud gulp of air followed by an "oh my god", my sis took cover and I took charge of the can of Raid. I thought Tracy may collapse, but was surprised that she maintained enough situational awareness to not let me blast away with the Raid and stain the bedspread. I'm not one to worry about staining things much as evidenced by my wardrobe. Safe from the reach of the arachnid, she hollered from behind the door not to hit the bedspread. I was overwhelmed with all this task direction and concern. The thing was really scary looking and it was occurring to me that I was going to have to sleep in this bedroom. I maneuvered the beast onto my new L.L. Bean backpack (its first real mission) and gingerly dragged it onto the floor. Shock and Awe erupted from the Raid can. Bulls eye! He/she retreated into the backpack proper and I moved to drop the backpack out the window and onto the deck.

Tracy and I deployed out to the deck to access the results of the skirmish. I dumped the backpacks contents and the corpse of the spider flopped out. It's a shame for the spider that humans are generally not thrilled with their appearance and the immediate result is to be attacked. We moved to post battle analysis using Google. While surfing through pictures on google images, Tracy nearly starting dry heaving, I nearly followed suit when I thought it may have been a brown recluse. A no joke poisonous spider that can do serious damage. But we finally concluded that our murder victim was a Dock Spider. A non-poisonous spider, but has a very painful bite. They typically hang out in damp, water prone areas such as lakes and basements. With all the rain in the north east it seems reasonable for the spider to be present. I didn't sleep well that night.

More to follow about my adventures in New York City. Pic #1 was taken during an evening stroll. Entrance to Washington Square Park, where Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan part company in "When Harry Met Sally." Pic #2 is Union Square during the Saturday Farmers Market.

Capt Chris

Train Trip.....Deland Florida to Bridgeport Connecticut

On Assignment in the United States
Shelton Connecticut

I needed transport to the northeast of the United States. I have some time flexibility so instead of taking an airplane, certainly a speedier option, but not necessarily more convenient; I chose Amtrak. Cost wise, taking the train was about $30 dollars less than the airplane option. I have always loved taking the train. The NYC subway and the ease that BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) can scoot one about a bustling metropolis is great. But this was the first long range Amtrak trip I have taken since I was a wee lad, negating any decent comparison between air and rail. Overall, I had a excellent experience and will make room in the future for train travel.

Things started out a little negatively with the train being 4 hours late. But, I received an automated voice mail on the BBC (Blackberry Curve) letting me know that Train 78 was struggling to meet its obligations, cushioning the blow. Some kind of derailing event in Miami. Armed with all my gizmos, to include; iPod, BBC, Macbook, Martin Backpackers Acoustic Guitar and Kindle, I was in a good position to stay occupied for the long term. And so it was.

Prior to the arrival at the station in Deland, my Dad and I had some pizza. Just as we were pulling into the station the news trickled out that the schedule was continuing to slip. So with the late afternoon sun waning, my dad had to get rolling back home to tend to my mom. Not to long after the powerful GE locomotive came rolling into view. For some reason I get off on the process of a train pulling into a station. I love the clanging of the bell, the clamor of the passengers jockeying for position and the conductors giving task direction. It reminds me of history, of the World Wars and the critical role railroad played in America's expansion westward. It reminds me of Dagny Taggert and Readen Metal. I also like the view from the train itself. With each town and city passing, you wonder what is happening with the town and the people sitting atop their luggage, waiting.

Once aboard my top priority was finding a seat that had 110 volt plugs to power my base of operations I was fixing to set up. I was more than pleased to see many available seats and all had the critical plugs. There is plenty of room compared to an aircraft. The train car was about the same width as a Boeing 737, but with four seats, two on each side of the aisle. Where a 737 has crammed six seats across. three to port and three to starboard. I thought beautiful as I settled in for the twenty five hour run up the east coast.

One of the best reasons to take a train is to watch the country side roll on passed. Once we left Deland, the train quickly picked up the pace to 80MPH and everything whizzed on past, except the sun, which was busy sinking below the horizon. Once darkness settled in, I headed aft to the Dinner Car and lounge. It was a buzz of activity with the regular folk (me) and the Sleeper Car crowd. I thought class warfare may rear up, but no, everyone seemed to be happy just mixing it up. This atmosphere does not permeate aboard aircraft while crowded around the bathroom. I had some dinner, followed with a good cup of coffee, which always brings me joy. Once I reached my target heart rate, I headed back to my seat and base of operations. I settled in with the BBC to brief all hands on Facebook and then watched 4 hours worth of Band of Brothers on DVD. During this period, I also had the BBC tethered to the laptop to finish downloading Revolutionary Road as a rental from iTunes. Which I subsequently watched. So it goes.

I tired out after all the hoopla, but struggled somewhat to sleep. Sleeping on Amtrak is similar to an airplane, unless of course your in a sleeper. Even with the big seats and adequate leg room, it can be tough. But I did get three to four hours of rest. I was interrupted at 3 am, when a non English speaking lady came aboard, tired and very frazzled. She needed a seat and of course, being a spreader outer, I had expanded my base of operations into the seat that she wanted to occupy. She was a wreak, so I helped get her luggage secured in the darkened compartment without waking everyone up. Turns out she was a diabetic and needed to do her thing. She was lockin up and was very relieved that I didn't bark at her. Twenty seats were empty just aft of us, but it didn't compute for her and I wasn't about to get into an altercation with a 60 year old Mexican woman. Especially since the only Spanish word I remember is perfecto, which would take the sting out of any shouting match. She was pleasant company all the way to NY's Penn Station and clearly a well loved woman. Her phone rang every five minutes with her family very worried about her traveling alone. Once in New York I was pressed into duty again and handled her luggage for her. Perfecto.

Even with stops at most major cities, the train was able to make up for lost time. I was able to get to NY's Penn Station with plenty of time to grab my connecting train north to Bridgeport Connecticut where my sister picked me up.

So, I like Amtrak. It chaps my ass though, that President Nixon declared during his reign that Amtrak would be profitable by the end of his term. 35 years later and we still pour billions into the operation each year. But, Amtrak is in my immediate future as I head to NYC late next week and then take the Hudson Line to upstate New York.


All Aboard!


Capt Chris

Tethering.....Another Drifter's Tool

Currently on Assignment in Los Estados Enidos

I took possession of my new Blackberry Curve (BBC) 8330 once on terra firma in the states. I like gadgets and especially the BBC. I suspect other smartphones are nearly as amazing. I am learning new applications daily but have come across a really exciting application, at least for me. I stuck with Sprint as my provider specifically because they offer tethering, which is the ability to use the phone as a modem. I was flumexed to find that tethering is offered, but only for Windows XP/Vista users. Bummer man. In a spasm of activity, I spent an afternoon on the internet, skulking throughout Blackberry Geekville to find a work around. I found it! Not only does it work, I've been able to configure the laptop and BBC to speak with one another via Bluetooth. So, not only do I have internet connection where ever I have cell service, but I can avoid using a USB cable. Beautiful.

I like to roam, I also like my information. I can do both easily. The pic is my mobile command post set up at the breakfast table.

Capt Chris