We move to the boatyard tomorrow, get on the road on Fri. Mixed feelings as we spend our last hours aboard the ZP.
Mojo Brew bio
6 months ago
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Monday, November 28, 2005
Percolations 1
With time to breathe, we've had cruise memories percolating up in our minds and conversations, events and moments and observations that didn't previously make the blog. I'm almost out of Internet time here at the KW library, so I'll share just one now, then add more later.
**Chloe teaches Marjie to drink**
As you might recall, during the passage, Chloe got to a point where she began feeling human. She was stretched out on one of the dinette benches, crosswise to the boat's motion. Part of what helped her is finding a jug of juice on the floor under the table. She began drinking that. Up in the cockpit, we were aware that she was getting fluids, but didn't really understand how much juice she'd consumed until she popped up in the companionway with the nearly empty jug. The child was positively giddy on a sugar high. I asked her to share the remaining juice with Marjie, and she began teaching Marjie how to wrap her lips around the mouth of the jug so as to prevent sloppage when the boat moved. She made perfectly ridiculous "O" shapes with her mouth that had us -- even poor Marjie -- cracking up. It was a most welcome moment of hilarity after a grim couple of days. Weeks later, Chloe still remembers the necessary "O" and still gets a chuckle when she demonstrates it.
KQR
**Chloe teaches Marjie to drink**
As you might recall, during the passage, Chloe got to a point where she began feeling human. She was stretched out on one of the dinette benches, crosswise to the boat's motion. Part of what helped her is finding a jug of juice on the floor under the table. She began drinking that. Up in the cockpit, we were aware that she was getting fluids, but didn't really understand how much juice she'd consumed until she popped up in the companionway with the nearly empty jug. The child was positively giddy on a sugar high. I asked her to share the remaining juice with Marjie, and she began teaching Marjie how to wrap her lips around the mouth of the jug so as to prevent sloppage when the boat moved. She made perfectly ridiculous "O" shapes with her mouth that had us -- even poor Marjie -- cracking up. It was a most welcome moment of hilarity after a grim couple of days. Weeks later, Chloe still remembers the necessary "O" and still gets a chuckle when she demonstrates it.
KQR
Creeping up on December
"The sun is shining, the sky is blue, the orange and palm trees sway; there's never been such a day in Key West, F-l-a." (with apologies to Barbra Streisand)
I hear rumors that winter has arrived in some parts of the world. Not so here. So, while we're getting a bit frustrated and anxious about the slow pace of things here, we are certainly enjoying the weather! Still hitting 80 or better during the day, with nights in the 70's. Love it!
As for getting out of here, we're hoping that today will be the day the cork pops and we get some action. Hurricane recovery efforts at the boat yards and then the holiday pretty much meant no action toward our goals for two weeks. Tough when we all just want to be home now.
On the bright side with the sunshine is the fun we're having as a family. We're still more homebodies (boatbodies?) than tourists, preferring to hang out reading, watching movies, and having family game nights, but it's a good time. Last night, we finally tried out Fluxx, a wacky card game, and we all *really* loved it. The rules and the goal of the game keep changing, so there's a lot of laughter and having to remind each other of what comes next. Kind of like life, I guess....
KQR
I hear rumors that winter has arrived in some parts of the world. Not so here. So, while we're getting a bit frustrated and anxious about the slow pace of things here, we are certainly enjoying the weather! Still hitting 80 or better during the day, with nights in the 70's. Love it!
As for getting out of here, we're hoping that today will be the day the cork pops and we get some action. Hurricane recovery efforts at the boat yards and then the holiday pretty much meant no action toward our goals for two weeks. Tough when we all just want to be home now.
On the bright side with the sunshine is the fun we're having as a family. We're still more homebodies (boatbodies?) than tourists, preferring to hang out reading, watching movies, and having family game nights, but it's a good time. Last night, we finally tried out Fluxx, a wacky card game, and we all *really* loved it. The rules and the goal of the game keep changing, so there's a lot of laughter and having to remind each other of what comes next. Kind of like life, I guess....
KQR
Thursday, November 24, 2005
Gobble gobble
It sure doesn't feel like November here, but Happy Thanksgiving anyway, with love from the Krewe!
Monday, November 21, 2005
The Conch Republic
I learned the story behind Key West's being called the Conch Republic. Here's the story, borrowed from one of Lonely Planet's guides:
"In 1982, the U.S. Border Patrol set up sporadic roadblocks on U.S. 1 just south of Florida City in an attempt to stop drug smugglers and illegal aliens driving up fom the Keys. As traffic jams and anger mounted, many tourists decided to forgo the Keys altogether.
"Enter a bunch of outraged Conchs, led by Key West Mayor Dennis Wardlow, who came up with brilliant idea of seceding from the U.S. They established the nation of the Conch Republic on April 23, 1982, seceded from the U.S., rebelled for one minute, and then surrendered and requested $1 billion in foreign aid and war relief.
"Every April, Conchs celebrate the anniversary of those heady days."
The official store of the Conch Republic is located on Duval Street. There, you can purchase flags, t-shirts, shot glasses, etc., bearing the bright Conch Republic logo. You can also read posters and watch a video that reveal the more entertaining details of the rebellion. For instance, the Conch weapon of choice was hard Cuban bread, and their troops were sustained by conch chowder and Key lime pie.
KQR
"In 1982, the U.S. Border Patrol set up sporadic roadblocks on U.S. 1 just south of Florida City in an attempt to stop drug smugglers and illegal aliens driving up fom the Keys. As traffic jams and anger mounted, many tourists decided to forgo the Keys altogether.
"Enter a bunch of outraged Conchs, led by Key West Mayor Dennis Wardlow, who came up with brilliant idea of seceding from the U.S. They established the nation of the Conch Republic on April 23, 1982, seceded from the U.S., rebelled for one minute, and then surrendered and requested $1 billion in foreign aid and war relief.
"Every April, Conchs celebrate the anniversary of those heady days."
The official store of the Conch Republic is located on Duval Street. There, you can purchase flags, t-shirts, shot glasses, etc., bearing the bright Conch Republic logo. You can also read posters and watch a video that reveal the more entertaining details of the rebellion. For instance, the Conch weapon of choice was hard Cuban bread, and their troops were sustained by conch chowder and Key lime pie.
KQR
Sunday, November 20, 2005
Conchs
Residents of Key West refer to themselves as Conchs, and they call Key West “the Conch Republic.” The conch is even the fierce and frightening (not) mascot of Key West High School.
From what we’ve observed, your typical Conch is very friendly, a bit scruffy, a bit sun-weathered, smokes and drinks however much s/he damn well pleases, and feels vastly superior to mainlanders. One of the most popular bumper stickers here says “Slow down! This ain’t the mainland!” (No, we haven’t observed that Conch drivers are any less intense behind the wheel than the rest of us). They’re a funny mix of liberals and conservatives, but as a group they are environmentally conscious enough that bicycles are everywhere. (The marina here has a couple of sizable areas dedicated to scooter and bicycle parking.)
So, no, not all Floridians – or even Keys residents – are Conchs, and I think you have to live on Key West quite a while before you earn the name.
From what we’ve observed, your typical Conch is very friendly, a bit scruffy, a bit sun-weathered, smokes and drinks however much s/he damn well pleases, and feels vastly superior to mainlanders. One of the most popular bumper stickers here says “Slow down! This ain’t the mainland!” (No, we haven’t observed that Conch drivers are any less intense behind the wheel than the rest of us). They’re a funny mix of liberals and conservatives, but as a group they are environmentally conscious enough that bicycles are everywhere. (The marina here has a couple of sizable areas dedicated to scooter and bicycle parking.)
So, no, not all Floridians – or even Keys residents – are Conchs, and I think you have to live on Key West quite a while before you earn the name.
Pork fried rice
Before Katrina hit, we went to the (subsequently flooded and looted) Winn-Dixie in Slidell and bought a bunch of canned and dry goods. This was supposed to be our food when we couldn’t find good fresh food at our exotic cruising locations. As it’s turned out, we’ve never been more than 5 days from a grocery store, and that was on our passage across the Gulf. Currently, even with the flooding KW experienced during Wilma, we have 4 fully stocked grocery stores within 5 minutes of us.
Still, we’ve been trying to eat the canned goods, both to save money and to avoid having to give it away or haul it all home. The other night, Frank made what he wisely termed “pork fried rice.” It was nicely seasoned, with vegetables, big hunks of (ahem) meat, and even some bits of egg. Marjie and Chloe were munching away pretty happily until I made the mistake of referring to the “pork” as SPAM. Our gourmet girls immediately lost all interest in the dish, and we ended up feeding about half of it to the fishes.
Still, we’ve been trying to eat the canned goods, both to save money and to avoid having to give it away or haul it all home. The other night, Frank made what he wisely termed “pork fried rice.” It was nicely seasoned, with vegetables, big hunks of (ahem) meat, and even some bits of egg. Marjie and Chloe were munching away pretty happily until I made the mistake of referring to the “pork” as SPAM. Our gourmet girls immediately lost all interest in the dish, and we ended up feeding about half of it to the fishes.
World famous sunsets
There has been a turn in the weather down here since Wilma. High temps are “only” in the low 80s, the humidity is down, the water has cooled considerably, and we have some cloud cover and sprinkles on and off most days. The upside of the clouds (aside from the happy fact that we’re no longer broiling to death) is that the world-famous Key West sunsets are exceeding all expectations.
Last weekend, we went down to Mallory Square for the nightly sunset celebration. We watched several street performers (a tumbler, an escape artist, a unicycling juggler of flaming batons, a not-so-high wire walker, and a fire eater), listened to some good music, browsed through the arts and crafts booths, and applauded with the rest of the crowd when the magenta ball of the sun sank into the water.
Last weekend, we went down to Mallory Square for the nightly sunset celebration. We watched several street performers (a tumbler, an escape artist, a unicycling juggler of flaming batons, a not-so-high wire walker, and a fire eater), listened to some good music, browsed through the arts and crafts booths, and applauded with the rest of the crowd when the magenta ball of the sun sank into the water.
Tropical storm Gamma
Imagine my dismay when I made my morning trek to the restrooms yesterday and saw this headline on the Key West Citizen: “Gamma targets Key West” UGH!! At the time the paper went to press, the forecasted path “eerily” matched Wilma’s, with Gamma hitting KW noonish on Monday. Happily for us, the forecasted path has moved steadily southward and the storm is weakening, so we’re not expecting to see much activity from this one. What a refreshing change!
Katrina and Wilma woes continue
If you can find it in your hearts and pocketbooks to send a little (more) money to the Red Cross, the people of Louisiana and Florida would really appreciate it! As you’ve probably gathered from the news, FEMA help is limited to nonexistent. Here’s a quote from a flooded resident in the local paper: “[We] would like to thank the Red Cross for giving us water, food and helping us to buy new furniture. They’ve been wonderful to us. FEMA has not done one thing.”
From our conversations with friends and relatives in New Orleans, we know that things are still Really Bad there. Many areas *still* don’t have power and gas. This has impact city-wide. Chris says the few school buildings that are open are “platooning” students through, holding classes for one school in the morning, another midday, and a third in late afternoon. With the infrastructure coming back at a snail’s pace, with some areas still closed completely to residents – they can ride a bus by their homes to have a look at the outside but are not allowed to disembark – and with very few stores and restaurants open very limited hours (making for lines and crowds), life there sounds pretty depressing.
Here in the Keys, the damage was a fraction of what New Orleans suffered and recovery is well under way, but people are still hurting. Insurance checks are starting to arrive for damaged homes, businesses, and boats (we heard 3500 wrecked boats from Key Largo to Key West), but the big pinch here was all the cars destroyed by the flooding. One guy joked that 5% of KW residents evacuated, so about 5% of KW residents still have cars. In many cases, comprehensive auto insurance does not include flood damage. This is true for one of the guys in the dockmaster’s office here. To replace his flooded work truck will cost him more than $20,000 out of pocket. Even those with insurance or the wherewithal to simply buy a new car are having difficulties. Imagine car dealerships under six feet of destructive salt water, and you can see that not only did residents lose their own cars but there was nowhere to go to buy new ones! When we turned in our Orlando rental car, the agency waiting list had more than 700 names on it, and two weeks after the storm, we still see truckloads every day of replacement cars being hauled in and ruined cars being hauled out. (I don’t want to think about where they’re putting all the heaps.)
Anyway, sad stories abound, and help is still desperately needed. Pitch in if you can!
From our conversations with friends and relatives in New Orleans, we know that things are still Really Bad there. Many areas *still* don’t have power and gas. This has impact city-wide. Chris says the few school buildings that are open are “platooning” students through, holding classes for one school in the morning, another midday, and a third in late afternoon. With the infrastructure coming back at a snail’s pace, with some areas still closed completely to residents – they can ride a bus by their homes to have a look at the outside but are not allowed to disembark – and with very few stores and restaurants open very limited hours (making for lines and crowds), life there sounds pretty depressing.
Here in the Keys, the damage was a fraction of what New Orleans suffered and recovery is well under way, but people are still hurting. Insurance checks are starting to arrive for damaged homes, businesses, and boats (we heard 3500 wrecked boats from Key Largo to Key West), but the big pinch here was all the cars destroyed by the flooding. One guy joked that 5% of KW residents evacuated, so about 5% of KW residents still have cars. In many cases, comprehensive auto insurance does not include flood damage. This is true for one of the guys in the dockmaster’s office here. To replace his flooded work truck will cost him more than $20,000 out of pocket. Even those with insurance or the wherewithal to simply buy a new car are having difficulties. Imagine car dealerships under six feet of destructive salt water, and you can see that not only did residents lose their own cars but there was nowhere to go to buy new ones! When we turned in our Orlando rental car, the agency waiting list had more than 700 names on it, and two weeks after the storm, we still see truckloads every day of replacement cars being hauled in and ruined cars being hauled out. (I don’t want to think about where they’re putting all the heaps.)
Anyway, sad stories abound, and help is still desperately needed. Pitch in if you can!
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Marina nights at Garrison Bight
During all this time spent resting and soul-searching in Key West, we have become part of the liveaboard community at Garrison Bight (one of KW's city marinas). It's been an interesting experience.
Our neighbor on one side, Tim, is in a 2-room houseboat. He's a massage therapist, drinks quite a bit, and is playing host to his 20yo nephew and the nephew's best friend. They're pretty crowded in there, but they're having a good time. The other night, they threw an anti-hurricane party, celebrating the end of "the season," that was attended by folks from several boats around. The girls and I stopped by (Frank was retrieving the van) for a bit and had several inebriated Conchs tell us how silly we are to quit our cruise. It was entertaining.
On the other side of Tim is a young couple in a pretty Oday sailboat. They are both pilots for a local airline, so the $1000/month slip fees (which include utilities) probably don't make much of a dent. Their snazzy new 350Z sits in the parking lot between flights.
My favorite marina resident is 11-month-old Judah. He lives with his parents in a somewhat rundown but huge houseboat -- probably 1500 square feet of living space in there. He is as enchanted with our rats as I am with him and squeals with delight when we bring them out to visit. Mezza and Snowball are less entertained.
On the next dock over live a couple of guys in their 40's who are trying to break into the music scene. They had their first gig this past weekend. One of them looks amazingly like Frank. The other is a big black guy who wears dark shades at all times and has wonderful rasta dreads.
I love nighttime here. Warm air, sweet breezes, stars and moon, and a quirky shabby-but-ready-for-anything atmosphere. Frank and I agree that we wouldn't want to live here -- guess we like a little less Conch and a little more yup -- but it's an intriguing place.
KQR
Our neighbor on one side, Tim, is in a 2-room houseboat. He's a massage therapist, drinks quite a bit, and is playing host to his 20yo nephew and the nephew's best friend. They're pretty crowded in there, but they're having a good time. The other night, they threw an anti-hurricane party, celebrating the end of "the season," that was attended by folks from several boats around. The girls and I stopped by (Frank was retrieving the van) for a bit and had several inebriated Conchs tell us how silly we are to quit our cruise. It was entertaining.
On the other side of Tim is a young couple in a pretty Oday sailboat. They are both pilots for a local airline, so the $1000/month slip fees (which include utilities) probably don't make much of a dent. Their snazzy new 350Z sits in the parking lot between flights.
My favorite marina resident is 11-month-old Judah. He lives with his parents in a somewhat rundown but huge houseboat -- probably 1500 square feet of living space in there. He is as enchanted with our rats as I am with him and squeals with delight when we bring them out to visit. Mezza and Snowball are less entertained.
On the next dock over live a couple of guys in their 40's who are trying to break into the music scene. They had their first gig this past weekend. One of them looks amazingly like Frank. The other is a big black guy who wears dark shades at all times and has wonderful rasta dreads.
I love nighttime here. Warm air, sweet breezes, stars and moon, and a quirky shabby-but-ready-for-anything atmosphere. Frank and I agree that we wouldn't want to live here -- guess we like a little less Conch and a little more yup -- but it's an intriguing place.
KQR
What comes next
After much agonizing and discussion and a few tears, we have decided to conclude our cruise here in Key West. The girls -- Marjie especially -- are done, with the captain nearly as reluctant as they are to continue. That leaves yours truly as the only one hoping for a little more tropical time. My "I'm sure it will be better now" reassurances carry no weight whatsoever anymore; I've offered them too many times now when they turned out not to be true.
I know there will be some among you who can't believe we're bagging it NOW, when hurricane season is finally over (or should be) and we've got the whole Keys island chain stretched out before us. We understand how backwards it is; Chloe says it's like agreeing to do the dishes in exchange for $5, then declining the $5 after the dishes are done. But we all agree that continuing because we "should" is not what this cruise was supposed to be about, and the simple fact is that all the running and recovering from hurricanes has significantly depleted our cruising budget.
So. We're taking care of practicalities now, and trying to enjoy a little island time, Key West style, in the meantime. We met with a broker yesterday and felt pretty good about what she told us about the market here and the price we should be able to get for the ZP. The downside is that moorage space is at a premium, both in terms of price and availability. We're chasing down a lead on a dry spot at a boat yard. If we get in there quickly, we'll be cruising west (over land) by next week.
KQR
I know there will be some among you who can't believe we're bagging it NOW, when hurricane season is finally over (or should be) and we've got the whole Keys island chain stretched out before us. We understand how backwards it is; Chloe says it's like agreeing to do the dishes in exchange for $5, then declining the $5 after the dishes are done. But we all agree that continuing because we "should" is not what this cruise was supposed to be about, and the simple fact is that all the running and recovering from hurricanes has significantly depleted our cruising budget.
So. We're taking care of practicalities now, and trying to enjoy a little island time, Key West style, in the meantime. We met with a broker yesterday and felt pretty good about what she told us about the market here and the price we should be able to get for the ZP. The downside is that moorage space is at a premium, both in terms of price and availability. We're chasing down a lead on a dry spot at a boat yard. If we get in there quickly, we'll be cruising west (over land) by next week.
KQR
Tuesday, November 1, 2005
Some family notes
Please join us in wishing nephew Jerry (Judy's son) a safe deployment shipboard. Also, send lots of hugs to Cori to help her get through this lonely time. We love you both!
If you can catch a Michigan game, watch for niece Katie (Chuck's daughter) in the cheerleading squad. She's terrific!
KQR
If you can catch a Michigan game, watch for niece Katie (Chuck's daughter) in the cheerleading squad. She's terrific!
KQR
Not quite a Fantasy Halloween
With the girls in make-do costumes, we toured the island yesterday looking for a neighborhood where we'd be comfortable trick-or-treating. Unfortunately, KW is looking a lot like Slidell did, with houses gutted into piles on the streets. Would you let your kid beg candy at a home where they've lost most of their belongings? No.
Needing an alternate plan, we pulled into a drugstore and bought some bags of candy ourselves. Then we headed for Duvall Street and handed it out to the kids we encountered. This is probably the quietest Halloween Duvall Street has seen in 40 years. They've postponed Fantasy Fest (KW's Mardi Gras) until early December, so there weren't many people down there. We did see a few wild costumes and the usual weird mix of people that seems to be standard for Key West (degenerates, yuppies, retirees, very few families, very few minorities). Clothing is optional during Fantasy Fest, but the only thing we saw of the (in)famous body-painted Conchs was very impressive photos in a shop window.
Handing out candy was fun, though. The kids we gave to positively lit up. It wasn't much of a Halloween for them either, I think.
After our tour of Duvall, we bought key lime sherbet (ice cream in Frank's case) at a little shop and sat outside in shirtsleeves enjoying that. It was a very pleasant evening. The rain didn't start until we got back to the boat, and the BOY did it rain. Hard drumming all night long. We had to get up a few times to deal with leaks and clean out the Wilma rubbish in the cockpit drains because it started to fill.
This morning, the town is drowned again. We had to negotiate several lakes to make it to the Internet cafe.
We are pretty tired of all this, and we're contemplating going home. More on that later after we've talked it out.
KQR
Needing an alternate plan, we pulled into a drugstore and bought some bags of candy ourselves. Then we headed for Duvall Street and handed it out to the kids we encountered. This is probably the quietest Halloween Duvall Street has seen in 40 years. They've postponed Fantasy Fest (KW's Mardi Gras) until early December, so there weren't many people down there. We did see a few wild costumes and the usual weird mix of people that seems to be standard for Key West (degenerates, yuppies, retirees, very few families, very few minorities). Clothing is optional during Fantasy Fest, but the only thing we saw of the (in)famous body-painted Conchs was very impressive photos in a shop window.
Handing out candy was fun, though. The kids we gave to positively lit up. It wasn't much of a Halloween for them either, I think.
After our tour of Duvall, we bought key lime sherbet (ice cream in Frank's case) at a little shop and sat outside in shirtsleeves enjoying that. It was a very pleasant evening. The rain didn't start until we got back to the boat, and the BOY did it rain. Hard drumming all night long. We had to get up a few times to deal with leaks and clean out the Wilma rubbish in the cockpit drains because it started to fill.
This morning, the town is drowned again. We had to negotiate several lakes to make it to the Internet cafe.
We are pretty tired of all this, and we're contemplating going home. More on that later after we've talked it out.
KQR
Sunday, October 30, 2005
All is well
Boat is ok, more scrapes but afloat. KW is shaken, some flood damage, but 80% functional. We'll spend H'ween here.
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Plans made
We reached the marina by phone today. The ZP is not on their "Sunk" list, so it looks like she made it through another one. They have power there. We've decided to drive back down on Saturday, hoping that will allow time for a few more gas stations to get back on line between here and there.
In the meantime, we've been doing Disney. On Tuesday, the girls and I went to Epcot. They are having a food and wine festival this month, so we ate our way through the World Showcase. We had tasty tidbits from Greece, France, Turkey, Ireland, China, Norway, and Japan while enjoying a variety of musical acts. My favorite was Off Kilter, a kilted Canadian group featuring bagpipe and electric guitar. They were very fun, doing a mean Whiskey in the Jar, Johnny B. Good, and (of course) Amazing Grace. The Taiko drummers in Japan ran a very close second.
Yesterday, Marjie and Chloe stretched their wings a bit and went to Magic Kingdom on their own. They had a BLAST. I remember going to Disneyland alone with my sister, so it felt like a traditional rite of passage for them.
Much of today was taken up with a trek to the doctor's office and pharmacy. I've been having asthma trouble, so it was time to go back on the "control" medication. I'm not sure if it's close proximity to the rats or a new selection of pollen. I tend to suspect the latter, since I breathe just fine when we're out at sea.
We all have mixed feelings about returning to the boat. We're all a little homesick and discouraged. But Halloween is a rockin' time in Key West, and then simple Keys cruising awaits. We'll see if we can't get this adventure back on track.
KQR
In the meantime, we've been doing Disney. On Tuesday, the girls and I went to Epcot. They are having a food and wine festival this month, so we ate our way through the World Showcase. We had tasty tidbits from Greece, France, Turkey, Ireland, China, Norway, and Japan while enjoying a variety of musical acts. My favorite was Off Kilter, a kilted Canadian group featuring bagpipe and electric guitar. They were very fun, doing a mean Whiskey in the Jar, Johnny B. Good, and (of course) Amazing Grace. The Taiko drummers in Japan ran a very close second.
Yesterday, Marjie and Chloe stretched their wings a bit and went to Magic Kingdom on their own. They had a BLAST. I remember going to Disneyland alone with my sister, so it felt like a traditional rite of passage for them.
Much of today was taken up with a trek to the doctor's office and pharmacy. I've been having asthma trouble, so it was time to go back on the "control" medication. I'm not sure if it's close proximity to the rats or a new selection of pollen. I tend to suspect the latter, since I breathe just fine when we're out at sea.
We all have mixed feelings about returning to the boat. We're all a little homesick and discouraged. But Halloween is a rockin' time in Key West, and then simple Keys cruising awaits. We'll see if we can't get this adventure back on track.
KQR
Monday, October 24, 2005
Making plans
Despite tornado warnings a couple of counties over, Wilma was no big deal here. We got a lot of rain -- the hotel pool overflowed a little -- and the winds blew steady at about 35 mph for several hours, but we never lost power and certainly never felt endangered. The theme parks reopened in the afternoon ('though we found out too late to take advantage), and we were able to have a pizza delivered this evening.
Our plan is to visit the Magic Kingdom tomorrow, and then head back to Key West on Wednesday. That depends on the Keys highway being reopened by then. If it isn't, well, we'll get to visit Epcot, too.
I had written up the highlights of our visit to Disney-MGM Studios, but the computer hates me today and I lost it. When I quit being frustrated, I might try again. Short version is: We loved the Beauty and the Beast show, we loved the giant fish puppets in the "Under the Sea" part of the Little Mermaid show, and Marjie and I got happily scared to death on the Aerosmith Rock'n'Roller Coaster (Chloe sat that one out with the 8yo daughter of the family in front of us in line). The rains hit in time to cancel the laser show at the end of the day, but nature substituted thunder and lightning. Marjie didn't have a raincoat, so she got totally drenched, but she got a new shirt and a Mickey rain poncho out of the deal.
KQR
Our plan is to visit the Magic Kingdom tomorrow, and then head back to Key West on Wednesday. That depends on the Keys highway being reopened by then. If it isn't, well, we'll get to visit Epcot, too.
I had written up the highlights of our visit to Disney-MGM Studios, but the computer hates me today and I lost it. When I quit being frustrated, I might try again. Short version is: We loved the Beauty and the Beast show, we loved the giant fish puppets in the "Under the Sea" part of the Little Mermaid show, and Marjie and I got happily scared to death on the Aerosmith Rock'n'Roller Coaster (Chloe sat that one out with the 8yo daughter of the family in front of us in line). The rains hit in time to cancel the laser show at the end of the day, but nature substituted thunder and lightning. Marjie didn't have a raincoat, so she got totally drenched, but she got a new shirt and a Mickey rain poncho out of the deal.
KQR
Sunday, October 23, 2005
The rains arrive
Had a fun day at MGM, didn't get soaked til eve. when fringes of Wilma arrived in style. Parks closed Monday.
Saturday, October 22, 2005
Waiting and moving
Wilma's slow pace is costing us too much in marina fees, rental car days, and motel nights. When all is said and done, we'll have gone through more than a month's worth of cruising budget in order to spend this week on land. And I know we've been making the best decisions we could with the information that was available at each decision point, but it's pretty frustrating that we could have had another day or two in the Tortugas or Key West.
Frank has a cold. Too many germs on land.
Anyway, now that we've had a couple of days of veg'ing out in front of the TV, we're moving again. The Motel 6 up in Orlando is our next destination, being both cheaper and less in the line of fire (we hope). If the rains aren't too bad -- and so far they haven't been -- we might even hit Walt Disney World. The girls just have to agree on which park to visit.
KQR
Frank has a cold. Too many germs on land.
Anyway, now that we've had a couple of days of veg'ing out in front of the TV, we're moving again. The Motel 6 up in Orlando is our next destination, being both cheaper and less in the line of fire (we hope). If the rains aren't too bad -- and so far they haven't been -- we might even hit Walt Disney World. The girls just have to agree on which park to visit.
KQR
Thursday, October 20, 2005
West Palm Beach Motel 6
We had a very uneventful evacuation drive today. We got up early to avoid traffic, expecting it to be like our 13-hour 5 mph drive out of New Orleans. Instead, thanks to Wilma's slowing down out there and the resultant push-back of the mandatory Keys evacuation, we had clear roads and (ahem) easy sailing. We got up to Lantana (just south of West Palm Beach) before noon. We have reservations here at the Motel 6 through Monday, so we're all set. Depending on what Wilma does, we may end up heading south again before then!
Yesterday was a busy day. We got into Key West in the morning and, after getting turned away from one marina (scary moment), found a spot at the Municipal Marina at Garrison Bight. That's on the north side of the island, with Lemming Key stretched out to the west, so we hope we've found the best protection we can from the nasty southeast winds that come from being in the "bad" quadrant of the storm. The marina also has floating docks, a nice plus for riding out storm surge.
After a phone call to the concerned rangers at Dry Tortugas National Park to let them know we made it, I made a lot of phone calls trying to find a rental car. We did not want to become dependent on government services to get out of town, so it was with great relief that I took the last car Enterprise had to offer. After that, we could "relax" into prepping the boat for a hurricane. That we have down to something of a routine, unfortunately. We strapped down and stowed everything loose, packed up a trunkful of possessions we'd rather not lose if the worst happens, and then took a few minutes to enjoy the famous Key West sunset (made truly spectacular by an advancing squall) and drive down to Duval Street (KW's mini-Bourbon Street). It wasn't enough sightseeing at all, but we took what we could get.
As for today, we spent the afternoon watching HBO in the air conditioning. I guess there are worse things.
KQR
Yesterday was a busy day. We got into Key West in the morning and, after getting turned away from one marina (scary moment), found a spot at the Municipal Marina at Garrison Bight. That's on the north side of the island, with Lemming Key stretched out to the west, so we hope we've found the best protection we can from the nasty southeast winds that come from being in the "bad" quadrant of the storm. The marina also has floating docks, a nice plus for riding out storm surge.
After a phone call to the concerned rangers at Dry Tortugas National Park to let them know we made it, I made a lot of phone calls trying to find a rental car. We did not want to become dependent on government services to get out of town, so it was with great relief that I took the last car Enterprise had to offer. After that, we could "relax" into prepping the boat for a hurricane. That we have down to something of a routine, unfortunately. We strapped down and stowed everything loose, packed up a trunkful of possessions we'd rather not lose if the worst happens, and then took a few minutes to enjoy the famous Key West sunset (made truly spectacular by an advancing squall) and drive down to Duval Street (KW's mini-Bourbon Street). It wasn't enough sightseeing at all, but we took what we could get.
As for today, we spent the afternoon watching HBO in the air conditioning. I guess there are worse things.
KQR
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