The Grave Tender Is Born

After an exhausting, hot morning, with me on the winch reminding myself of the muscle tone I *used* to have, and Frank taking care of various maintenance tasks at the top of the mast, we spent the afternoon picking up our dinghy and motor and assembling same. So the Grave Tender has been born. She's a sweet little boat, sure to serve HRH, The Zombie Princess and her Krewe very well. Provided she doesn't get stolen tonight. We've got dinghy and motor locked up, of course, but they sure look shiny and new and tempting. We'll have to spend a little "insurance" time with patch kit, paint, and perhaps a wrench applied bluntly to the motor casing. Nothing like dings and scratches to give a motor that tired, well-used look.

Looks like Katrina will/might (mostly) miss us, and she's a hurricane now! That means she'll move a little faster and get out of our way. I hope so, because we're feeling a little stir crazy. We're thinking of writing a song titled "Stuck in Slidell." ;-)

We had a nice family dinner out last night to celebrate 15 adventurous years of marriage. The girls got a kick out of hearing wedding stories. Then we moved on to the stories of their births and (early) lives, back when Mom and Dad could barely function due to lack of sleep and cousin Jerry was their big brother. It was nice remembering all of you who participated in those happy moments. Glad you all were there!

Happy birthday, Cherie! We love you!

KreweQueen Ronnie

8/26 update: Dinghy and motor both survived the night! First thing this morning, Frank and I took a little bayou cruise. It was GREAT! Our new motor is really quiet and smooth, and the dinghy handles well. Love it!!