Well, dang it, I've been trying to get a chance to post an update to this blog (and my other one, too), but too many things have been getting in the way. I've got a jury summons and have to report to the court tomorrow at 8 a.m. It will either be the only day I have to go, or I'll be put on a jury (California has a one-day or one-trial term of jury duty policy).

Other stuff is happening, too. My Webajeb blog is undergoing a makeover which means I have lots of decisions to make about its new Look.

Election time is drawing near and there are a couple of things I'm involved in with regard to that (including, can you believe it, standing on the street waving signs), LOL! The "silent majority" is being advised to speak up so I'll do my part.

The Baja Ha-Ha sailing trip? The 8-week one, that got cancelled?? Well, Captain Leo is back from Texas and now wants to go! Well, we gave up our housesitters so I'm not going, but if the trip DOES get resurrected, Mike will ship out within a couple of days, so there's gonna be some heavy-duty hustle and bustle around here.

So, please be patient! I will be posting as soon as humanly possible!

...as my friend, Linda, recently said. So true!

We received the phone call a few days ago, and we're still reeling, reassessing, and rearranging our plans for the fall.

What's this all about? In case you didn't notice already, the ticker showing how many days are left until our sailing trip is gone. The trip is off. The Baja Ha-Ha will take place, as it does every year, but we will not be among the sailors enjoying the trip.

This is due to the domino effect of Hurricanes Gustav and Ike. Our captain, Leo, on whose catamaran we were to crew, works for FEMA on as as-needed basis. Following Gustav Leo was mobilized to Texas to assist with the aftermath. He was still there when Ike arrived to create even more havoc and damage. FEMA's job grew ten-fold.

Knowing they'd be nowhere near finished inspecting homes and applying for FEMA aid on behalf of the homeowners, Leo had to make a decision. Stay in Texas and continue the work, or leave before the job was done, not to mention walking away from the opportunity to make some good money. His decision to stay meant our trip was off.

It has taken Mike and I a few days to assimilate the news. We'd been getting ready to go for over two months, so it's proven hard to modify our thinking processes. I keep finding myself thinking things like, "oh, I've got to make sure that I have a two-month's supply of my medicine for the . . . oh, wait, no, I don't." Mike, who didn't bother looking for a new gig when his last contract engineering job ended, now will need to start looking again. I had just cleared my schedule of client work for my digital scrapbooking business, so now I need to ramp things up instead. We even had to cancel our housesitters, Richard and Mary, and we felt terrible about the short notice (only three weeks).

There is a silver lining, of course; in fact, several. We'll be able to go to my mom's for Thanksgiving, after all (we missed it last year due to the Baja Ha-Ha 2007), I won't have to leave my kitties for two months (that's a tough one for me), and Richard and Mary found a new housesit opp almost right away (just goes to show how GREAT they are!).

Life likes to throw curve balls, and we just had one come our way. We'll just have to think of it as an opportunity to make new plans.

We had a great day sailing on Saturday. Here's Mike at the helm of the Chat de Mer, near Angel Island. The weather was typical for summer in the San Francisco Bay; partly overcast, partly sunny, with a nice strong breeze. It was Mike's and my first time sailing the catamaran and, although the sails are harder to put up and bring down than on our old boat, Mirage (because they are so much bigger), she handles beautifully. I got a chance at the helm myself with Leo intructing me through a number of tacks as we headed toward the Golden Gate bridge. The feel of this boat is certainly different than the Mirage, but we're getting the hang of it. Leo said I did well.
Here is the netting that many catamarans have in the front, stretched between the two hulls. It's a popular place to hang out and watch the water below, especially when there are dolphins playing in the waves under the boat.
This is for you, Mom! It's the dinghy, attached to the aft end of the boat, and it's a big dinghy. Not like the little one Mike and I had aboard the Mirage, that had to be inflated with a footpump and rowed with oars, this one is large, permanently "inflated," can be automatically lowered into the water at a moment's notice, and has a nice big engine. Easy escape in case the boat sinks!
A nice feature of catamarans is the swim step on the aft end of each hull. The bottom step is right at the water line and then there is that silver ladder that can be lowered into the water for very easy reboarding.

We used to have a time of it trying to get back into the Mirage after a swim. We had to either climb the rope ladder (very difficult and awkward) or climb into our dinghy and then into the boat. I used to worry incessantly about Mike going overboard, becoming exhausted in the cold water, and me being unable to pull him back into the boat. I'd probably have to tie a rope to him and tow him to shore!

I've been looking through my digital photo files and came across some that our housesitters, Richard and Mary, recently sent us. They are caring for our home and our cats during our 8-week trip and, let me say this, if you haven't used housesitters, it's THE way to go if you want peace of mind on vacation! (Check out http://www.housecarers.com/, where we found Richard and Mary, next time you need someone to care for your home, with or without pets.)

I always worry about my cats while I'm gone even on short trips so I was truly nervous about both Mike and I being gone for two months. I couldn't possibly just have someone come in and check on them, even if it were every single day -- they'd probably destroy the house or, at the very least, develop some very bad habits if left on their own so much. Plus, I don't like to leave my home vacant; even though we live in a very safe area, you still never know! Finding Richard and Mary was a huge relief; especially when we met them and saw how they interacted with our pets and we could tell they were responsible, caring, and thoughtful people who would take the same care of our pets and home as we would.

So anyway.....just check out these photos! The first is of Jack who is obviously in blissful heaven sprawled in Richard's lap! The little traitor!
And here is my little sweetheart, Scout, giving MY kisses to Mary! The little hussy!

All kidding aside, I'm really grateful to Richard and Mary for providing such good care of the Tabbies that they have (obviously!) bonded to them. I can relax and enjoy my vacation knowing that my pets are not unhappy, pining away for me (do cats even do that?), or not being fed and watered and loved on a regular basis.

And, not to leave out our third (and oldest) cat, Bo, here is a photo of him snug as can be in his little bed. At over 17 years of age the only things that make him happy are a warm bed and food and we know he's getting plenty of both.


Thank you, Richard and Mary!!