Gustav prep

Most of the New Orleans branch of the Maier clan is evacuating only as far as Judy and Marty's house, which is on high ground north of I-12 (a real demarcation line for Katrina's damage).

Jerry, Cori, and Molly are going a bit farther north and inland to Picayune, Mississippi.

Lori and Brian are going to or with his folks.

We're not sure where Bob and Anita are going, but he spent a good while yesterday making Gort as secure as possible. I'm probably more worried about Gort than the humans, because they are all getting to minimum safe distance while the Oak Harbor marina where Gort is was hit really hard during Katrina.

We'll keep you posted as much as possible as the storm moves ashore.

Only two!

Last week, Frank and I had lunch with Bryce-Bob, an old friend from our days at Book Publishing Company. Bryce hails from Hawaii and it turns out Barack Obama was in his sixth-grade class. So we—and you, Steph—have only two degrees of separation between us and the next president of these soon-to-be-re-United States.

And all of you, dear readers, have only three.

Never say we haven't done anything for you!

P.S. Bryce is doing well. He and Shari are still together. Their twin girls are 14, like Chloe, and they also have a 10-year-old son. Bryce is back at Microsoft as a contractor (working for ITWeb) after spending several years back in Hawaii resting on his stock options.

At last

Tired of all the media hype about how awful Hillary Clinton is, how much she and Obama hate each other, how uppity she is to participate in the convention? Me, too. Check out this article that provides some historical perspective (the real story would be if Clinton were not invited to speak at the convention) and ponders the mystery of why the media is so determined to make us think there's a story here.

http://mediamatters.org/columns/200808260005

All is well

Frank is home from surgery and doing great. The surgeon seemed to be doing her best to keep us from thinking this will give him a 20-year-old's knee again, but we already knew that, so we're just happy to have it done.

He has to use crutches for a few-to-several days, and he's not supposed to soak in the tub for a week. The latter is the more distressing for my beloved hot-water addict, I think. :-)

He's sitting in his big chair, eating fish and chips and watching the Olympics. Life is good.

Marty goes home tomorrow

Marty passed his swallow test and, while he's still coughing some, his white cell count is down, so they know they've addressed the infection. His replaced valve is still semi-functioning, and I suppose there isn't a lot they could do even if it weren't, so they are sending him home tomorrow.

Phew!

Just like the pros

Frank is having arthroscopic surgery on Friday due to a torn meniscus.

His recovery will be more challenging as we travel, but our hope is that he won't mind it because he'll feel ever so much better than he does right now.

Medical updates

Frank's doc suspects meniscus or MCL tear. He's having an MRI this afternoon.

Marty is pretty miserable. He is still coughing a lot and running a fever. Also, he is having trouble swallowing and has no gag reflex, so they aren't letting him eat and have him on IV fluids. He had a mini-swallow test yesterday that didn't reveal much and is having a full swallow test today. And as if all that isn't bad enough, his aortic valve (the pig valve he had put in years and years ago) is stenotic. They can't replace it, because he's too frail. I'll post updates as we learn more.

Homeport

Frank is home!

We picked him up about 2, then went out for Thai food, 'cause he's been craving it for three weeks. Now we're just lounging about the house and helping Chloe get ready for NBTSC.

MJ got packed early so she could spend the day with the Mad-woman (as Frank calls Madelyn) at Hemp Fest. Now they and Mercedes (Mads' mom) are headed to see the Apple War, Madelyn's brother's up-and-coming rock band.

Chuck called with the news that Marty is in the hospital again with another case of pneumonia. Frank was surprised to hear this, because Marty seemed okay yesterday. These lungs things really sneak up on him, I guess. His planned and overdue oral surgery, which was scheduled for tomorrow, is postponed yet again. Too bad, he's got a couple of teeth that are really bothering him.

I'll post updates as we get them.

In the meantime, we're together again and very happy about it. Frank is tanned and trim. He looks like he's the one who spent the last three weeks going to the gym. Sailboats are great for isometric exercise.

But his knee is in pretty bad shape. He hurt it the first time he was at Judy's, but it seemed like a little tweak at the time. It's gradually gotten worse and now, since they got off the boat, it's really sore. He's wearing a knee brace and has an appointment with his doctor on Tuesday.

Tomorrow is our first of two and a half runs to Eugene for camp. I took the day off so I can help with the driving on this run, but the other one and a half will probably be Frank's to do (with MJ's help on the last half run). The first couple of years, going down on the train was fun for the girls, but this year they didn't want to face it. We're taking Madelyn down, too, so we've got a little NBTSC carpool going. Pretty fun.

Chloe and Madelyn come home on the 25th. Harper is joining MJ at the Golds for a couple of days before he heads to Session 2, then Mary is going to bring MJ halfway home on the 29th. Then it's a trip to the Evergreen State Fair, and then it's time for our big trip.

And that's how summer is going, going, gone around here...

Delay

Frank's flight was late getting out of New Orleans, so he's stuck in Denver for the night. United can't get him home until afternoon tomorrow.

The girls and I were so depressed by this news that we *had to* run right out and get ice cream. It's only helped a little bit.

Friday fill-in

1. The last meal I had at a restaurant was tonight's Subway club with a double-shot of black olives.

If you mean a "real" restaurant, I think it was spaghetti at Romio's. Yum! Or maybe the sushi dinner was more recently that. I don't remember. (Like I said, we've been eating out a fair bit.)

2. Blind patriotism is something I intensely dislike and fear.

3. The full moon is gigantic and stunning after a hot day in Seattle.

4. "The mountains are out" is one of my favorite local expressions.

5. Sometimes it's best to skip watching the news.

6. Juno is still the best movie I've seen so far this year!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to Psych and maybe a little reading time, tomorrow my plans include picking up Frank at the airport!!!!!!!!, and Sunday, I want to be with Frank and help the girls get ready for camp!

Is it just me?

I get a little creeped out whenever I see a photo of Michael Phelps. Doesn't he look a lot like the evil mutant Sylar from
"Heroes"?

Is he on the list?

Please sign here

It seems unbelievable, but the Bush Administration is quietly trying to redefine "abortion" to include birth control. The Houston Chronicle says this could wipe out dozens of state laws that protect women's reproductive freedom and protect rape victims. This "rule change" doesn't need congressional approval.

Will you sign an emergency message to Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt, whose department is considering this rule change right now? MoveOn will pass your signature and information to the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, which will deliver the signatures to Leavitt.

http://pol.moveon.org/contraception/

Quirky meme

Randi tagged me.

Mention six quirky yet boring, unspectacular details about yourself. Tag six other bloggers by linking to them. Go to each person's blog and leave a comment that lets them know they've been tagged. If you participate, let the person who tagged you know you've posted your quirks!

1. Not lately, but sometimes my compulsion to nibble my fingernails is so strong that I can't resist it, no matter whose office I'm in or how stupid I look.

2. I have a few "systems" around the house (scissors in drawer A, razor blade for removing can labels on shelf B, etc.). It drives me BATTY if Frank or one of the girls messes with them. I turn into Mom-zilla.

3. When my bangs get too long, my allergies flare up.

4. At the health club, I split my 30-minute cardio routine between three machines because I get too bored staying on just one.

5. I don't like scrubbing pots and pans (especially cast iron!), but sticking my hand down the garbage disposal (when it's off!) to fish things out doesn't bother me much at all.

6. Lately, I'm lazy about working the clutch in the MR2. I don't press my foot down enough, so it doesn't engage (disengage?) fully, and then I have trouble shifting. Either that or the clutch is going out.

I tag Denise, Mom, Steph, and three volunteers MJ, Chloe, and Frank.

Check these guys out!

The Toucans just played Microsoft. They were great! Steel drum fun.

I especially enjoyed this, although the clip doesn't capture the coolest part of the song.

Insomnia Doings Report

I think my brain is too full. I specifically went to bed early last night so I would get a full eight hours, but no. I woke up at 5, in time to see one of those sunrises I was taking on faith a couple days ago. It's very pretty, but I'd rather I'd missed it. Oh, well, I'll sit here admiring the peach-toned sky and blog some doings.

Frank hasn't had time to tell us all his stories, but he did say one thing last night that was nice to hear: they had a very good time. That wasn't clear from our two-minute sat-phone chats, so I'm glad he finally had the chance to communicate it.

My talks are coming along. Drafts are due this week so that Kelly can prepare transcripts for some hearing-impaired attendees. I think the drafts won't be as long as the final versions, but they'll definitely be able to get the drift.

There, don't I sound calm? In reality, I'm all in a dither because I won't be completely done by this "deadline." Breathe, Ronnie. All is well.

MJ received her replacement lens yesterday. Did I tell this story? Probably not. On the 4th of July, I knocked MJ's camera off the couch. It was fine that day, or seemed to be, but a few days later, the lens sort of froze up, and then it broke. Or we broke it trying to get it unfrozen. Anyway, there was something rattling around inside it, which couldn't be a good sign. We *really* wanted to be able to take her camera to RU Fun, so we hustled off to Circuit City to get a replacement. Of course, they only had telephoto lenses in stock, so, damn, MJ had to have an early birthday present, and we got some very cool candid photos of people at RU Fun who didn't know they were being photographed, and MJ loved her new toy. But over the past couple of weeks, she has started really missing the old lens, since it was better for self-portraits and other close-range work. We priced them online and she was able to afford one, so she ordered it. It arrived yesterday.

This explains the flurry of STUNNING photos on her photo blog.

Chloe has been working on her story. I am not privy to many details of said story, so that's about all I can tell you, except that she's very dedicated.

The three of us went for a walk at sunset last night. Our neighborhood really is a pleasant place to stroll. We love looking at the 20s architecture, and a few of the neighbor cats will come out to greet us. Several people had their sprinklers going (not realizing that brown is the new green), and Chloe took big, looping detours to avoid stepping on wet sidewalks. I'm not sure why, but her mystery is part of her charm. My fairy child. Anyway, it was fun, and I took some photos finally, although I haven't posted them yet. (MJ is able to get her camera card to work in my computer, so maybe she can teach me and I'll get back into my pre-sailing routine.)

Steph said she's looking forward to my blogging from Europe. I had to confess that I'm not sure I'll be blogging then, because I want to live it more than write about it. You all might have to wait until October for pictures and stories from our trip.

I think I've discovered the cure to my monthly Pouty Mouthy Shrew phase: exercise. I was completely cheerful all through the usual Days of the Grouch. I'm less chipper this week, but (a) nobody can maintain that good a mood indefinitely without pharmaceutical assistance, and (b) I'm really missing Frank this week, and (c) I'm stressed about my talks.

About (b): It occurred to me yesterday that this is the longest Frank and I have been apart since 1986. We've done two weeks before but never three.

The girls and I are reading the new Artemis Fowl book together. We're enjoying it, but the subject matter is a little on the grim side: Artemis' mother is dying. I'm sure Artemis and Holly will find the cure and triumph in the end, but it's still a less than pleasant theme. What is pleasant is reading with my daughters again. We do less of this now that they're teenagers, so it's been nice to get back to it.

The sun just popped over the trees, so I guess I'll go ahead and start my day. My (very few) early-bird coworkers will be quite surprised to see me so early.

Arrival

Frank is at Judy's. Bob and Gort are at a municipal pier because there isn't as much depth as advertised for getting into the marina where Bob had made arrangements for a slip. They'll move the boat tomorrow.

All is well.

The Rigolets!

Gort has reached the Rigolets (the not-straight straight into the lake, pronounced rig-uh-lees by the locals). They have huge wind from exactly the wrong direction today, so they're still motoring. Kind of disappointing for a couple of sailors.

They decided not to stop for fuel in Gulfport. Their supply seems good, and if they've miscalculated, well, Bob has tow insurance.

They are going to keep motoring through the thunderstorms and cross Lake Pontchartrain to Bob's slip. Frank will be at Judy's tonight!

I assume Judy knows this. Hmm. Maybe I should call her. :-)

A haiku from Chloe

Oh, sweet graham cracker!
How I love to munch on you!
You are delicious!

Mississippi

All is well. I'm having trouble finding them a working gas dock in Gulfport (continuing Katrina woes, three years later—so much for the land of opportunity), so they might end up taking a taxi to get some gas cans filled. But Gulfport is where they're headed. They'll anchor off Ship Island tonight, then head into port in the daylight tomorrow. I'm hoping they'll have cell service tonight so I'll get to talk to Frank again.

Update about 7:00 p.m. -- Frank just called via cell phone (they're near towers again!). They are anchored off of Ship Island and doing well. They are very much looking forward to being able to sleep all night tonight. They're going to check their fuel supply in the morning and then decide whether to go into Gulfport or just head for New Orleans.

A much calmer day

Frank and Bob had a much better day today, calm and uneventful. But it doesn't look like they made much headway (or maybe I had their position wrong yesterday). Frank says the wind is coming over their nose, so they're motoring. They plan to pull into Gulfport or Pass Christian sometime Monday for some diesel, and then continue on into New Orleans. After yesterday's progress, I thought they'd arrive a day earlier than that, so I'm feeling discouraged on their behalf. They seem upbeat, though, and mostly just relieved to be having an easy time of it again.

I haven't done a meme in a long time

These are from Sandra, who got them from Anet, who got them from Molly. (Keep the chain going!)

What is outside my front door: The little hill in our yard that all the neighbor kids love so much, our cars, neighbors' houses, a big (huge!) tree, the roof of the grocery store, the sky where sunsets happen.

What is on my mind: My talks, wondering how Frank and Bob are doing, the health club, my continued lack of phone at work (can you say "snafu"? I knew you could), my talks, wondering if the girls are awake, Bernie Mac, the election, my talks, amorphous happiness.

Things I am thankful for right now: Have you got an hour?

What I am reading: Nothing! Can you believe it? This is very unusual for me. But soon I will be researching my talks and reading lots and lots and lots.

Goings on inside the house: It's quiet. It's too quiet.

What I am listening to: The sounds of silence (lowercase). Yesterday, I listened to the Seahawks game during my drive home, between watching the first quarter with my favorite coworkers and watching the rest at home. Later today, I'll be listening to MJ's selections. (I'll bet you a million dollars that I will! That girl is as dependable as sunrise. Not that I ever see sunrise, but I assume it's happening.)

What I want: A fun last couple cruising days for Frank, and quickly passing time until he gets home. Happy girls. Fun and easy talk writing and actual talks that are even better. A reply from Chiara. A joyous trip to NC and Europe. Fingernails that continue to grow ('cause I haven't bitten them in weeks). A win for Obama in '08.

Things I'm creating: A healthier body. Stellar product documentation. Order out of chaos in my bedroom (or at least less chaos). Enthusiasm.

Things from the kitchen: (snort) Leftover takeout. I have cooked exactly once in the two weeks Frank has been away, and that was canned chili over pasta. But the teens that were here that night seemed to really enjoy it!

What I have planned for today: Going to the club with Chloe while MJ goes crabbing with Papa and Allesio. Writing my talks (dammit!). Emptying the remnants of Chloe's room out of my bedroom closet. (She used to sleep in there. "I sleep in the closet," she would tell people. But don't worry, it's a big closet. She had a double mattress in there! And lots of STUFF that she obviously doesn't miss much because it's been in there without her for years.)

What I have planned for this week: A week as fun and productive as last week.

Some current favorites: Lori and Brian (my favorite coworkers mentioned above). Psych (favorite TV show, but only because my other favorites haven't yet resumed). Those are the only favorites I can think of. I'm easily distracted.

But see this post for some things I'm really enjoying currently, and add "watching the Seahawks" to it.

*** If you do this meme on your blog, leave me a comment, k? I want to see! ***

Hawk Yeah!

Seahawks 34 Vikings 17

The Seahawks are looking good! A couple of the rookies seem pretty exciting! I can't wait for next week's game!

Not a good day

Here is where they are now.

Unfortunately, they had a lousy time getting there. A big squall rolled right over the top of them and kept them "busy" all day. It sounds like it slammed them. The mainsail tore, but Frank says the rip is below the first reef, so they reefed it in and it's still usable. Also, the compressor on the refrigerator went out (probably unrelated to the weather). I assume they'll still be able to use the engine to cool their food. If not, they might have a pretty boring diet for a couple of days.

Things have calmed down now (they're back on the engine and only doing 4 knots), so they're going to take turns getting some much needed rest.

A change of perspective

I felt really tired this morning as I dragged out of bed, but I let routine carry me to the club anyway. In the locker room there, I met a lady of 70+ who was pushing a walker around. I wished her a good morning and she responded in kind, and then she said, "I was feeling kind of tired this morning, so I came here for a change of perspective."

Indeed.

Where my Friday Fill-in led me today

To Australia, of course!

First to Julie's blog, and from there to

St. K.F.C., and from there to

footy in general.

Now I wish I could watch Robert Harvey's final season!

Did you ever have one of those moments?

Maybe you're doing the dishes, or sorting the mail, or getting the family ready to leave the house, and you look over at one of your kids, and it just hits you:

This is an amazing human being, and I am

immeasurably lucky to know her.

I love those moments. Heart wide open.

Friday fill-in

1. You know you're old when you're listening to the surprisingly conservative young woman who waxes your legs expound on her disdain for tattoos, and she refers to "older women," and you realize she's talking about women in their 40s like YOU.

2. My heart is divided between love and joy.

3. Sleep is what I need RIGHT NOW! (But I'll probably read for a while anyway.)

4. I have felt the cold, thin air up on the mountain, I have known the warm depths of the boundless sea.

5. Gah, won't these people ever stop punishing their children?

6. Start unschooling as soon as you can! (This means you! It's not just for kids!)

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to hearing the latest position report from Frank, eating our leftover bulgogi, and watching Psych, tomorrow my plans include writing my talks for Live and Learn, and Sunday, I want to go to the gym with my girls!

Progress

And here, this shows the difference in their position between yesterday at about 2:40 p.m. PDT and today at 6:06 p.m. PDT.

Becalmed and bumped

Here is where they are right now:

They don't have much wind and have been motoring more than they like. They're about to cut back on that, so they'll slow down a bunch. Up til now, though, they've been making excellent time, as you can see. Here's hoping the wind picks up (but not too much!) soon. Frank says the Gulf is like a lake, and it's really hot out there.

Their only bit of excitement was a sudden bump in the night. They ran around in a panic for a while, looking for the hole in the hull, before they figured out that a clumsy dolphin (part of a visiting pod) had run right into them.

Thursday 13

Thirteen Things I'm Really Happy About Right Now

1. Frank and Bob are enjoying themselves, they're safe, and their worst mishap thus far has been an encounter with a lobster pot. And the weather map is clear of tropical storms!!

2. I have my own office!

3. I have a new work computer and it's FAST.

4. I've been going to the health club, loving every minute I'm there, and enjoying an exercise high for hours afterward.

5. My asthma is nonexistent.

6. We are deep in trip planning and have decided to splurge on three nights in a Dublin B&B, less than a block from O'Connell Street. Virtually everything we want to see in Dublin is within walking distance. We've also reserved B&Bs in Counties Clare and Mayo, one night each, so we can swing past the Cliffs of Moher and the old McManaman sod (Achill Island) on the tail end of our trip. The rest of our time, we'll be based out of this cottage in County Wexford.

7. I get to see Chiara in less than a month!!!!!!!!!!!

(We are doing less Italian planning than Irish, because we're leaving ourselves in the capable hands of the Baldi. They are borrowing an RV from friends and plan to take us around. Chiara is beach crazy, so I'm sure a few southern beaches are on our itinerary. Other than that, we'll be doing the Trentino region, staying at Lake Garda. And we have definite plans to visit Venice.)

8. I read some good public-speaking advice and am feeling much more relaxed about my talks at Live and Learn next month.

9. I got my first paycheck (just in the nick of time).

10. Chloe and MJ are thriving despite their current lack of parenting. (Hmm...)

11. It's sunny and warm!

12. I have seventeen senses! (just a little inside joke)

13. I actually had an idea for a Thursday 13 this week!

(knock on wood)

Photos

Gail's blog has some photos of Frank, Bob, and Gort, not to mention some other people I'm rather fond of.

MJ's Flickr account has some photos from Chloe's play, not to mention some generally stunning photography.

No frog boilin' goin' on 'round here

Here's an excerpt from today's Daily Groove by Scott Noelle.

It's like that famous experiment where they tossed a healthy frog in boiling water and it leaped right out. But if they put the frog in cool water and raised the temperature gradually over several days, the frog would be able to *adjust* and stay in the water.

The slow boil seems more humane, but that "well-adjusted" frog eventually *died* from the heat! Whereas the non-adjusted frog's intact sensitivity protected it from being boiled.

Copyright (c) 2008 Scott Noelle. Used by permission.

(Hint: Your kid is the frog if you try to toughen him or her up! Beware of what works.)

Read the whole post here.

Ready, set, JUMP!

Frank and Bob have left Key West and are headed out into the Gulf! Winds are light and it's really hot, but they're on their way. They figure 5 days to reach the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, and then another day plus to reach New Orleans and, more specifically, Bob's slip across Lake Pontchartrain.

They'll be calling in every day via satellite phone with their position and to hear the latest weather report, so I'll keep you all apprised of their progress.

Safe harbor

Frank and Bob are safe in Key West. They are drinking wine coolers and making plans for a day of chores and shopping tomorrow.

Tales from the Keys (2008 edition)

Other than Tropical Storm Edouard (currently hovering off Louisiana and headed for Texas), the Gulf has gone quiet (too quiet?), so Frank and Bob have reverted to their original plan. They will pull into Key West tonight, spend tomorrow resting and prepping for the Gulf.

They had a little help making this decision: a lobster pot fouled the prop last night and prompted them to anchor off Long Key with plans to dive down this morning and defoul it. In the meantime, a rainless squall blew over them, rocking and rolling the boat and putting on a lightshow. This morning, when Frank went down to see to the entanglement, it was gone, and the prop was undamaged, and the shark wasn't terribly interested in German-Irish breakfast. Hurray!

So, they are in better spirits this morning than last night, especially knowing that they don't have to rush through their preparations.

Connections

I was doing my weather-girl thing this evening, checking out the weather systems in Florida and points south and east. From there, I started clicking other Wunderground links and ended up on this page about the Northwest Passage opening up. That article links to David Thoreson's blog post about sailing the passage on Cloud Nine, a privately owned sailboat that does regular circumnavigations and which has been crewed a couple of times by my first stepmother and dear friend, Cherie.

Attentive readers will recall that I previously mentioned David in this post. And I have pictures from my visit to Cherie's place in May of 2007 here.

All of this brings to mind this news article I read just today. A recent study of instant messaging patterns across the world indicates that the "six degrees of separation" thing is dead on.

It really is a small world.

Lemme have it

Okay, I went a whole month without approval, and it's best to start slow with these things, so I've opened up the photo blog to comments. Right now, only today's photos have comment links, but I'll gradually add them to the older ones, too.

Rounding the cape

The "Cape of Florida" that is.

After a restful night in the last available guest slip in Fort Pierce, Frank and Bob are back on the water today. They're doing another overnight passage and might pull into one of the Keys tomorrow.

The original plan was for them to head to Key West on Monday, to sleep and reprovision before they jump off into the Gulf. Unfortunately, I had to inform them this morning that a new invest (area of disturbed weather) has appeared on the tropical weather map. Invest 90L is not terribly impressive at the moment, with winds at only about 30 mph, but the computer models show it heading over Cuba and, presumably, right on into the Gulf. It has measurable potential for reaching hurricane status.

If Frank and Bob are efficient (and efficiency is fairly easy to achieve with a system pushing winds your way), they are a solid two days ahead of the storm. I couldn't say at this point whether they'll think that is enough advantage or not.

Friday fill-in

1. If I could travel back in time, assuming I could come back to the future again, I'd go to all of these places:
A. The Pacific Northwest before the loggers came.
B. Anywhere with a stock broker the day Microsoft stock went public (with funds in pocket), and then anywhere with a stock broker the day before it flopped.
C. Group Health Hospital in Redmond, Washington, on September 15, 1992, with my best powers of persuasion, to tell my younger self about unschooling.

2. Give me advance notice or give me Valium.

3. I am listening to "Alien" on On Demand, 'cause the girls are watching it downstairs. "You are my lucky star... lucky, lucky, lucky star."

4. Somewhere, someone is thinking something stupid. And they don't even know it!

5. I'll always be in love with Frank.

6. My idea of a good time includes my kids, OPKs, Frank, unschoolers, or any of the above in combination. And chocolate. And sometimes margaritas.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to Psych (yes, it's an addiction), tomorrow my plans include leg waxing and a trip to the health club with MJ and maybe Chloe, and Sunday, I want to play with Colin!