Rambly Holiday Week Adventures...

Sooooo... We spent the Fourth bobbing around on the bay on Lazy Lightning.  Winds were light and we could have sailed, but I just felt like drifting around lazily and the only "work" involved was "working on my tan!"

Bobbing lazily in very calm conditions...

*Just* the way I like it!

And - with it being the Fourth - it tends to be kind-of "Amateur Hour," especially later in the day.  Lots of Once-A-Year Boaters out - plus LOTS of alcohol-consumption (and stepped-up law-enforcement ON the water that day).  There were quite a few other "bobbers" out though...  And a few other sailboats...

This sloop was making pretty good time...

We basically just motored out to the end of our channel, cut the engine, and drifted south with the tide.  Periodically, we'd fire-up the Iron Genny and motor back to the channel, cut the engine, and drift again...  Later. Rinse. Repeat!

We headed back-in early in the day - just as the white-caps were starting to kick-up (along with the attendant spray! "Eeeek!") (Yes, I am a VERY Wimpy Sailor!).  We made it back to the dock without incident, then we took naps on the boat...

Around 6-ish was around the time that Amateur Hour starts up.  So I was very glad we were safely tied to our slip!  There were some dock parties going on...  Also a big shindig at the Yacht Club...

We chose to be Anti-Social :-)

Instead, around 6-ish, hubs fired up the Magma Grill on our stern, and I went to work on the alcohol stove in the galley and we shared a most delightful steak dinner!

"MmmmmagMUH!" (a la Dr. Evil!)

Yes, we had the bimini up, and no - it is not directly over the grill!

Bad angle for this shot.  The boat did not go up in flames!

I actually tried to get both plates in this crappy Droid shot

and failed miserably!

Dinner was delicious - in any event.  Boating is kinda like camping in that sense: Everything could be burnt to a crisp and it would STILL taste better than the finest gourmet-restaurant fare!

So then it was time to change out of summer clothes and get all bundled up in preparation for the Fireworks Extravaganza.......

The sunset was stunningly gorgeous!

Fireworks were pretty good.  I took some videos and - if I ever get around to uploading them to YouTube - I'll post a link (or embed, or whatever!).  It was especially nice because hubs installed a new stereo (with AUX/MP3 capability and movable speakers) so we had awesome tunes to accompany the show overhead.

Okay, here goes with my attempt at embedding video!

Hmmm...  The aspect ratio on the original video is much wider than what is visible on da blog.  And I'm not feeling motivated enough to figure out how to fix it!  Link to YouTube Video is here...

Here's another one:




And the YouTube link.

All told, it was a pretty fantastic day...

For the rest of the Long-Weekend...  Well, maybe I oughtta break this into chunks - but I do have Aquarium Updates; a new chapter for the Bee Saga; and I'm giving some SERIOUS thought to dealing with some of our Over-Abundant Fruits (like making plum jam, maybe???).

More later......  Maybe!  Right now I am lazing most contentedly at the Tiki Bar and don't feel like doing much of anything!!!

Recipe: Carrot Cake Jam!

First, a teensy bit of rambling 'cuz I know I promised ya'all a Garden Update and I'm nuthin' but a Big Fat Liar! (Ha!)

Nahhh...  Just got preoccupied is all.  Saturday night, we went out to dinner where I ordered a steak I couldn't finish and we shared a Diabetic-Coma-Inducing slice of chocolate cake, a la mode, which we couldn't finish!!

(but we brought 'em home!)

And yesterday, we had "fair winds and (thankfully NOT) following seas" (I *hate* following seas!), and we spent the day out on SF Bay.  Sailed south in the early morning, with light breezes and a flood tide.  Motored back in the late morning and made it back to our slip *just* as the Small Craft Advisories were kicking in!

So yeah.  Another good day.  But I was Plum Tuckered Out - so no blogging, and *certainly* no gardening!

Wellllll today...  Today!  Freaking June 4!  We awoke to clouds and - Dubya-Tee-Eff?! - droplets of WATER falling from the sky!  And we're not talkin' bout a little pissy drizzle.  We're talking bona fide rain-drops!  Lots of 'em!!!

Now THAT ain't right!  No Sirree!!!

Well, it's Monday.  Had to work anyway.  But STILL!  JEEEZUS!!!

It goes without saying that I didn't drag my li'l Tractor Scoot out to the far side of the yard to tackle any weeding chores.

Nope.  Instead, I stayed inside and worked.  Then when my workday was done, I cooked.  Made a So-So Asian Veggie Soup (another one of my "Clean-Out-The-Fridge" Frenzies).  It wasn't noteworthy enough to post (Hubs didn't even finish his bowl :::gasp:::), but I got some ideas of how to tweak it next time...

Okay, so TODAY'S Culinary Masterpiece (well, kinda/sorta) is a recipe I stole from a blogger called Canadian Crafter. I honestly don't even recall how I stumbled onto this recipe, but I pinned it to my Pinterest Board and I've been all "Oh my GAWD I have *got* to try this!" ever since...

Today was the day!

I *almost* followed Canadian Crafter's recipe to-the-letter, but - of course - I had to do a Splenda* Substitution and...  To be honest, the mere thought of 6-1/2 cups of sugar was making my brain buzz!  So I did 3+3** and, *when* I make it again, I am SURE that I'll cut the sweetener back even further.  This stuff is SWEET!  (Too sweet for my palate, honestly.  I was dumping salt in, towards the end, trying to "cut" the sweetness)

*Side note:  My experiments with Stevia-sweetened jams, thus far, really have been less-than-satisfactory.  They do seem to "set" when you first make the jam, but then they get loose and goozy, later on.  So I'm sticking with Splenda from now on.

**Secondary side note: Splenda-only *also* is not too satisfying.  The jams don't really have the right "mouth-feel" to them (hard to describe), so they really do need at least *some* sugar...

Okay then...  Enough blathering, post the recipe already!

QT's Low-Sugar Carrot Cake Jam
Adapted from Canadian Crafter

Yield 6 @ 1/2 pint jars

• 1-1/2 cups finely grated carrots (this is appx 4 "good-sized" carrots).
• 1-1/2 cups peeled chopped pears (this is appx 2 medium-sized pears).  She didn't specify how small to chop them, but I was going for appx 1/4" chunks (having learned from past apple-jamming experiences!)
• 1 can (~14 oz) crushed pineapple, undrained (I used *most* of a 20 oz can - not all of it)
• 3 TBS bottled lemon juice
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon (I might bump this up to 1-1/2 tsp) (No I won't)
• 1/2 tsp each of ground cloves and ground nutmeg (again, might bump it up, next time) (Nope!)
• 3 TBS Ball brand Low/No-Sugar Pectin (I'll report back, tomorrow, whether or not that was enough).  CC posted "1 package Bernardin original fruit pectin" - but I think that's a Canuck thing ;-)
• 3+3 cups granulated sugar and granulated Splenda.  Next time, I will try 2 cups Sugar + 3 cups Splenda (or maybe even 2+2, and add "to taste" later on)
• 1 cup toasted chopped pecans (optional)

Instructions:

1. Toast your pecans.  Spray a cookie sheet (or whatever) with oil and cook @ 350*F appx 5-7 minutes.  Keep an eye on them so they do not scorch.  Set the pecans aside
2. Grate your carrots.  Use the "fine" section of your cheese grater (you want teeny shreds.)
   (PSA #1: If the carrots have green tops, keep about 4" worth of carrot-toppers attached - to use as a handle - so you don't shred your hand!)
   (PSA #2: This might be a good occasion to drag your food processor out - if you have one!)
3. Chop your pears into tiny chunks (I might go even tinier, next time).  Drizzle them with 1TBS lemon juice, as you go (to keep 'em from browning).
4. Measure out your Sugar+Splenda+Pectin in a separate dry bowl.  Mix with a fork and set aside.
5. Dump the carrots, pears, pineapple and the rest of the lemon juice into a large (deep) pot.  Heat on the stove on high, stirring constantly, 'til it boils.
6. Reduce heat to simmer, cover, and let it cook appx 20 minutes (stirring occasionally - just so it doesn't stick/burn).
7. Dump the sugar/splenda/pectin mixture into the carrot/fruity pot.  Increase heat to high and bring to a rolling boil, stirring constantly.  Let it boil hard for one full minute - stir-stir-stir!
8. Once the minute is up, stir in the pecans.
9. Remove from heat.  Skim foam, if there is any (Personally, I just stir it back in!)
10. Ladle into hot, sterilized jars to within 1/4" of top rim.
11. Remove any gooze around the rim with a wet paper towel.
12. Cap and pop into a hot water bath for 10 minutes

I'm still stuck with a Steam Canner (haven't killed anyone yet!).  Thankfully, all of my jar lids "popped" immediately after coming out of the canner...

I'm letting them set-up, overnight, and I'll sample one of 'em tomorrow morning.

I'm thinking of serving this jam with this recipe (of course, I'll tweak it to cut-back on the sugar content), along with a generous shmear of cream cheese.  I suspect it will be orgasmically delicious!

Pictures (Yep, crappy Droid pics!)

Carrots, Pears and Pineapple cooking...

Pop! Pop! Pop! Yayyyyy!!!

P.S. - June 5:  Jam has had a chance to "mellow" overnight.  

• The Cinnamon/Cloves/Nutmeg are "just right" (subtle and nice).  
• It's still a wee bit sweeter than I like, so I'd definitely cut-back on the sweetener (2+2, then add if needed).  
• Lastly, it seems to have set-up "okay."  It's a teeny bit runny (if you tilt the jar and hold it, there is definitely some movement!).  Long-term, I fear it will get even runnier - but I doubt that this jam is gonna last very long (it is DAYUM tasty)!!!  Next time, I'll either increase the pectin by 1/2 TBS, or maybe cook it down a bit further...

Freaking awesome jam and can't wait to try it out on Carrot-Bran Muffins with a shmear of cream cheese (this weekend - when my college buddy is here!)

Recipe: Bendy Straws and Corn Chowder

Addendum 3/18: Okay, here is a picture of a Bendy Straw and Corn Chowder!

Okay, I got most of the "rambling" out of my system with that last post...

Butttt... There's a little more!

Years ago, when I lived on my boat, I developed some really cool friendships with some of my neighbors.

Boat-People are "Different" from the rest of the general population - a fact that I mused about on my original www.imqtpi.com website. We tend to be "loners" for the most part and don't necessarily want close-ties to others (and I can say "we" because I was one of 'em!). Yet at the same time, we were a very close-knit community (meaning: We watched out for each others' boats and/or if anyone "got into trouble" - we all pulled together to "make it right!").

Yes, we were a Tight-Knit Community of Loners - go figure!

One of my neighbors was *particularly* Hermit-Like and rarely ventured outside of her boat to interact with others. I'll call her "Miss-M."

Miss-M did a simply stupendous job of NOT getting sucked into ANY of the dock-drama. I, mostly, did too - but since I was more "interactive," I had a tougher time "avoiding" the drama - since there were ppl who wanted to drag me into "their side" of whatever was going on... (Although I like to think I did a damn-good job of staying out of it, for the most part!)

Anyway, this isn't about Dock Drama. This is about FOOD!

So Miss-M and I would venture out on a fairly regular basis and go out to lunch at various dining establishments in the area. We had AMAZINGLY bad luck with our Dining Adventures including encountering a McDonald's that had RUN OUT OF COKE (And Miss-M was, quite simply, a Coke-Addict) (and I *am* referring to Coca COLA - just to be clear!). And another occasion when we'd gone out for Pizza and the restaurant had RUN OUT OF CHEESE. No, I am not making this up!!!

It became, kind-of, a standing joke for us - to see what sort of OUTRAGEOUSNESS we'd encounter whenever we'd go out for food.

One of our "Semi-Regular" hang-outs was Mimi's Cafe - in Foster City/San Mateo. They were actually pretty reliable in the Quality (and Availability) of their food (and soft-drinks!). But two areas that were always iffy were: "Will they have Bendy Straws today?" (which is neither here nor there - but we found it amusing!) and "Will the Corn Chowder [one of their "Signature Items"] be thick and delicious?" "Or runny and not-so-good?" (which, to be fair, meant that the Corn Chowder was made fresh, daily).

Ever since then, whenever I encounter a restaurant that offers Bendy-Straws, I think of Miss-M.

And, in fact, the last time I was up at the marina (for BoatGuru John's "Memorial" party), I ran into Miss-M and insisted that we need to exchange phone#'s and hook-up for lunch again.

"Here, I'll call you from my cell, so you'll have my phone#. When you get the call, you can save my number. In fact, maybe you could label it as 'Bendy Straw!'" - But then I got to thinking that maybe having a phone# saved as "Bendy Straw" might be misconstrued as me being an Exotic Dancer (Hah!) or Hooker!

Annnnnnywaaaaaayyyyy.... I hadn't given it much thought since then. But while hubs and I were in San Diego (which, BTW, was where BoatGuru John ended up, and ultimately died - :::sigh:::), we had dinner at a restaurant called Oggi's (a place that John introduced us to). They did not have Bendy-Straws, but they *did* serve a damn-good Corn Chowder...

Hubs enjoyed it, so I said I would make some.

I then consulted Google and stumbled onto this: Mimi's Cafe Corn Chowder. Yippy-Freakin' -Skippy! It is THE Mimi's Corn Chowder Recipe, and if *I* make it, I can virtually guarantee that it will be thick and creamy and delicious! Annnnd... I have a more-than-adequate supply of Bendy Straws!

That said, here is the recipe, with my modifications:

(QT's Interpretation of) Mimi's Cafe Corn Chowder

(Serves 6)

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)
• 3 Tbs Flour
• ¾ c onion, finely chopped
• ¾ c diced celery
• 2-1/2 c water
• 2 c cubed, peeled potatoes (I used Yukon gold)
• 1 package (16 oz) frozen corn krnels
• 1 can (14 oz) cream-style corn
• 2 carrots, shredded
• 3 Tbs Splenda
• Salt and White Pepper (to taste)
• 2 c heavy whipping cream (unsweetened)
• ½ bottle Moscato or other sweet white wine (I used half of a 187ml bottle)
• (optional) 1 more Tbs of melted butter + 1 Tbs Flour to thicken it further, at the end.

Instructions:

1. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat
2. Add flour and whisk until smooth and a roux forms
3. Add onions and celery. Saute until soft, but not browned.
4. Add water, potatoes, corn kernels, creamed corn, carrots and Splenda
5. Bring to a light boil
6. Lower heat, cover and simmer ‘til potatoes are soft (appx 30 mins)
7. Add cream and simmer, uncovered until thick and creamy. Season with salt and white pepper.
8. If it doesn’t thicken to your liking, melt butter in a separate small pan and whisk in flour to create another roux. Slowly add roux to the soup, stirring constantly, until it reaches the desired consistency.

This is a delightfully tasty, mellow soup, and would make a good "base" for other things... Maybe add some fresh mushrooms (saute, at the beginning, with the onions and celery). And/or toss in some leftover chicken. And/or add some frozen peas. The possibilities are endless!

No pictures, unfortunately. When I did manage to make it (involved appx 30 minutes of standing over the stove, on my ouchy-feet!), I was soooo freaking starved that I scarfed 2 bowls down before I thought to snap a picture!

There might be a light at the end of the tunnel...

Let's just hope it's not an oncoming train!

Yes, I still have the dregs of the Worst Cold Ever! Hubs is finally over it (Good for him), but since I caught *his* cold later (I had a mild cold - EARLIER), well, I'm still mostly "down" with it.

:::sigh:::

We were supposed to yank das boot out of the water, last month. We gave our notice at the marina and everything. But since we were both "Knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door" through the end of December, the boat had to wait.

Yesterday, hubs announced that he was feeling better so - therefore - we must ALL be feeling better, right??? "We *really* need to get the boat out of the water!" (which was true - regardless), so I grudgingly agreed - with the caveat that I had to minimize the amount of time I was "outside" and get back home as quickly as possible.

Fortunately, the weather today was simply gorgeous (Upper 60's - and sunny with no wind. Would've actually been a PERFECT day for a sail, to be honest!). It took a couple of hours, but we got her back onto her trailer, hosed down, and back in her parking spot over at drydock.

All done!

So *that's* done!

Next season, we'll leave her in the water year-round. We really do get some very nice sail-able days in the winter (we also have hella-miserable rainy/wet/cold days, too!). But this year, we do have some maintenance-chores to attend to. Bottom job and paint @ the boat yard in SF (Boy, do I love making THAT drive - NOTTT!), and some outboard maintenance at an Evinrude shop not far from drydock...

I think, on the whole, I'd prefer winter-sailing though - on these almost-70* days with almost-no wind. Hubs likes the "challenging conditions" in summer (25+ knots - pretty consistently - every afternoon). But he's got a Sailing Buddy for that stuff. Me? I have totally "Embraced the Inner Wimp" and would much prefer to stick with 10 knots or less (it's just a lot more comfortable!).

Over the holidays, I did go through a bit of an "internal struggle" over the Boat-Thang.

See? Hubs would like to get a much larger keel-boat. Actually, he would like something offshore-suitable (35-40 footer). Now, *I* have no desire to sail offshore. Even when I was young and stupid, I had no desire to sail offshore! Six years of living aboard - I actually knew plenty of people who have DONE it - and I think that's just great. But for me? Nahhhhh.....

Add to that, my more - ahem - "Advanced Age" and bevy of health-issues (i.e. Diabetes and the need to keep medications refrigerated - and the potential need for ready-access to health-care / hospitals!)... Well, let's just say that circumnavigation is NOT in my future.

However, I wouldn't be opposed to a larger, more stable boat - for BAY SAILING.

And, with the recent (unexpected) passing of my good friend, the BoatGuru (of "The Haul-out of 1999" fame). Well, his boat is going to be coming onto the market very soon. I never did post my "purge" about all of that (I started to, but let it linger in "Draft" form - didn't seem right to purge here).

But I digress...........

John had an Ericson 35. Not sure of the year, but it was early- to mid-70's. It was a mess when he bought it - but he fixed it up REAL nice. And with him being a Marine Surveyor, well, I think (hell, I *know*) he did a fan-freaking-tastic job of getting that boat in Tip-Top Condition.

John's ex-girlfriend (they parted on good terms) had arranged a "Celebration"/Memorial / Crab-Boil at our old marina. I went up and had a fantastic time catching up with old friends, eating good eats, drinking good drinks, and shedding a few tears.

While I was there, the subject of his boat came up. I mentioned that I *might* be interested - an idea which my former neighbors strongly supported "Yeah! You should buy it! Keep it in the family!!!"

Well, emails were exchanged, and discussions were had. John's father is quickly realizing what a huge expense the boat will be - and my offer (which was extremely low) was being seriously considered...

Long story short: I ended up passing-up the opportunity. The logistics involved with getting the boat trucked up here (Rog wanted to sail it up from San Diego - "I don't THINK so!!!"), hauling, dis-masting, prepping, trucking, re-rigging, splashing, etc. Plus having to sell OUR boat. Plus then committing to ongoing maintenance of a 40-year old boat that's kept in the water, full-time... Well, it really was more than we could handle.

Heck, we can barely stay on top of a 6-year old Trailer-Sailor that requires *minimal* maintenance!

So, looks like a few more years of bobbing-like-a-cork on Lazy Lightning. I s'pose there are worse things, right?

Not much else going on, so I'm not doing very well with my "Write More Interesting Posts" resolution. But it's hard to drum-up much excitement when I spend my days alternating between Alka Seltzer Plus, Mucinex, and Delsym! Jeeeeez! Enough already!!!

Random Ramblings...

The Very Last Peach!

(It was delicious!)

So I wandered out to the Garden on Thursday night, expecting a small handful of peaches. :::sigh::: Only found one! (And no, I still haven't gotten out there with a rake and a scooper to pick-up the ones rotting on the ground!!!)

Anyway... It was delicious! And Peach Season is now "officially" DONE! Two pies and probably about a couple-dozen jars of jam. Can't complain, right?!

'Maters are still ripening like crazy - and I'm trying to figure out how to "preserve" my Stupice 'Mater plant in the cooler months ahead... For one: I think I want to let at least one 'mater rot so I can save the seeds. For two: I think I want to take a living branch and encourage it to take-root in a pot and see if I can't make it live-through-winter in the greenhouse. I have been Super-Happy with the output of the Stupice 'maters - and the fact that it's a cool-season variety leads me to believe that maybe, just maybe, it'll work in the greenhouse. It's certainly an experiment worth trying, right?!

In other news: A few weeks ago, we sold the Albatross (1967 16.5' Texas Tornado Sailing Dinghy - restoration page here). I had posted her on Craigslist and gotten numerous inquiries. Many were totally unsuitable ("Family of Five" as well as folks who had ZERO boating experience who were looking for a "cheap way" to get on the water). But one, in particular, stood out. Dude's name was Leo and his daughter had taken Sailing Classes (on similar boats) near where we dock out Mac...

Leo came out a couple of times and - happily - he decided to purchase her. He even made me a *very* fair offer which minimized my "loss" on the investment! (his offer was very close to my "Rock-Bottom Price" for the boat and NEW sails) (BTW - I was selling the boat *separate* from the sails b/c Albatross' new sails actually *do* fit our MacGregor 26M).

So... It was with Mixed-Feelings that I let Albatross go....

07/29/11 - My Last Night with Albatross
Gave her a good scrubbing and a wee bit of touch-up paint!!!

Albatross was definitely a "Labor of Love" - as far as the restoration goes... And she "served her purpose" in terms of getting DH 'amped' about the idea of buying a bigger sailboat. We had some fun-times (and some SCARY times) sailing her... But (given the sheer quantity of cars that we now own!) it was definitely time for her to move on...

Anyway, I was really glad that Leo was the one who wanted to buy her. He really was the "perfect match" for the boat - given his background in sailing, and the fact that his daughter was taking Sailing Lessons on strikingly similar boats...

They drove her away a couple weeks ago. I ended up with an envelope full of cash (which went, immediately, to pay for Corvette-Repairs!). And yes, I *did* cry - just a bit - when she went!

Hitching her up!

And watching her go!!!

Buh-Bye Albatross! Sail nicely for your new owners!!!
:::sniffle-sniffle!:::

Well, I've stayed in contact with him - wanting to make sure that he was able to rig-her-up properly. Turns out, he was experiencing some "challenges" with that so we offered to come over and "supervise" him with rigging her up.

So we spent this morning over at his house, helping him with rigging the boat. Mast-Raising is definitely the most challenging part of rigging her - but it went well. And now, I think (hope!) he is Good-To-Go for Sailing Adventures with his daughter. I really hope we run into them (figuratively - not literally!) sailing on Redwood Creek one of these weekends!

After that, we spent the afternoon lazing at poolside (Sux to be us!!!).

All told: Not a bad way to start a weekend...

Yesterday I went to the Bathroom Renovation Shop w/a friend, Di. We also hit some Tile Shops nearby. We found some suitable tiles for the tub-surround and bathroom floor - but they're a wee bit over-budget, so I think I need to hit Home Depot and see if I can't find sometime similar - but cheaper!

Bathroom Renovation Project is a "Go" (scheduled to start 09/19/11), but I need to finalize all my selections (tiles, fixtures, yada- yada)...

So things are movin' along........................................

Moving in!!!

Finally!!!

OMG - It's starting to look like a Studio!!!

Disclaimer: I'm on the Netbook - in the studio - so I assume no responsibility for fat-finger spelling errors!

So the Big Studio Project "officially" started on January 15, right? That's when I went to "look" at sheds and started clearing the building site...

May 8 - The Studio is "mostly done!" Jeez - I had *no* idea it would take this long!!!

It's not "completely" done yet b/c I haven't finished painting Artsy Fartsy Sh*t on the Kiln Korner wall, nor attached the heat-shields to the walls, nor dragged the kiln in - yet. But I have got Studio Furniture (including the Slab-Roller) set-up, so The Studio is "functional!"

Good thing, too, because production has come to a screeching halt. And I've got to have some bisque-ware ready for the Potter's Council Workshop in less than 2 weeks!

So, I dragged my slab-roller in, and excavated a set of shelves from our Storage Shed and set 'em up in the Backyard Studio today (Yay!). I'm glad I took/posted all those pictures *during* construction because I have officially *lost* beach-access now!!!

I knew the shed was gonna end up shrinking! *sigh*

Anyway... The whole idea behind The Studio and my Ceramic Arts Krep is that it's *supposed* to be all Stress-Free and Relaxing, right?! So why am I freaking out about getting the studio *completed* and cranking out new projects?! Well, I paid a handsome sum of cash for the Potter's Council Weekend in Temple, Texas. And I need to have some bisque-ware ready for a "demo" of Saggar Firing (something I've already done!). Nevertheless, I do want to "get my money's worth" out of it, so I *did* want to bring some suitable bisque-ware.

P felt I should squish-out a vase for the Saggar Demo. And I agree, vases are far more desirable for Saggar-ware. But I just didn't have the patience (or energy!) to squish out a vase today (and whatever-I-make has to be ready for bisque-firing no later than Tuesday - if I want to have it ready for Potter's Council!), so screw it! - I made 9 Drink Coasters today! They're small, ridiculously easy, lightweight, and should travel-well in my "weekender" bag! (Hopefully, no breakage - but that's why I made 9!).

Yep. My first "official" creation in The New Studio was a set of 9 cheesy, no-brainer drink coasters!!!

Drink Coasters: *Yawn!*

But, I made 'em with my newly-set-up slab-roller; Tunes blaring on the Monster-Boom-Box (with Mega-bass that makes the floorboards rattle!); and a fresh, sugar-free Margarita at my side. So I'd have to say that, yes, "Life... Is Good!"

*That's* what it's all about!!!

Garden Update:

Sorry - no pics!

Raised beds are doing great. All plants appear to be fat 'n happy - Yay!

Straw-Bale Bed: I've lost all, but two of the lettucesesesezzzz. I should've kept them planted on the left-hand bales (shady side of the bed). Oh, well! I also lost one (possibly 2) of the sunflowers. And my pumpkin (or one of the squashes - can't tell!) is floundering miserably. The Straw-Bales just don't seem to hold water, so they require a lot of supplemental watering - even though I've had Rog bump-up the watering schedule to 5 mins/twice a day. Fortunately, I seem to generate a lot of water from the shed (A/C unit dumps water into a bucket) so I've been keeping it on "Life Support" for the time-being. We'll have to see how this pans out...

Boating Update:

We hired "Jack the Rigger" to rig up some Lazy-Jacks for Das Boot.

Lazy-jacks, for you non-boatie types, are a series of lines rigged-up to the boom and mast of the boat that help "guide" the mainsail down in a somewhat neat-and-orderly fashion. Typically, when we want to drop the sails, the wind is howling at 25+ knots, and it's kind of difficult to handle a jillion yards of fabric, dropping down on the cabin-top in high winds (and the risk of knocking the skipper overboard in such conditions is rather high!).

See, I remain at the helm, "pointing" the boat "into" the wind (to minimize the blowing of said jillion yards of fabric off to one side). Skipper Rog is on the cabin-top trying to "contain" the sails using bungee cords. All told, it's a messy affair! Lazy-Jacks oughtta minimize the drama!

Dropping the mast

So Jack-the-Rigger showed up and started rigging-up the Lazyjacks while I was down below, attempting to glue the teak-and-holly flooring panels to the floor.

Lazy Jacks, deployed...

Lazy Jacks, stowed

We brought 6 x 2.5 gallon jugs of water to "weigh-down" the floor while the adhesive set.

I can't remember whether I'd blogged about this previously (I probably did!), but I was kinda hoping that the T&H floorboards would "adjust" to their new home after a week aboard. They didn't and they were still somewhat "warped" compared to the fiberglass flooring in the boat.

So I decided to tackle it one floorboard-section at a time. I started with the "forward" floorboard (figuring that one would see less "traffic" overall, since you have to hunch-down like a gnome to walk on it!). I glopped it with a generous amount of adhesive and piled all 6 jugs (120#+) on top of it, hoping the adhesive would "set-up" and the floorboards would conform to the shape of the fiberglass flooring beneath it.

Not sure, yet, if it worked. But I am hopeful.

Anywaaaaaayyyy... All told, it was ANOTHER friggin' busy weekend!

Busy Busy Weekend!

Farm-Share Food:

Okay, I'll post a *link* to a recipe that was quite delicious! When I first opened the box I spotted "Cool! White radishes! And they're huuuuge!"

Uhh, nope. They were turnips (ICK!), and they're small. Hence the name "Baby Turnips!" So I was cursing myself for not checking the box on the FFTY web-site that says "Don't send me any turnips!" Then I consulted the Great God(dess) Google for ideas of what to do with the damned things!

I found this: Braised Baby Turnips and Turnip Greens. I followed her recipe - to the letter (I never do that!) - and I am pleased to report that it was *quite* tasty! Next time, I think I'll add some fresh, minced garlic!

Yup. Very very yummy! And nope, no pictures. She posted pictures on her blog so go check 'em out! Even if you don't like turnips (I don't!), check it out. You'll be pleasantly surprised!

Boating Update:

So Christmas-Before-Last, DH bought "us" a set of teak-and-holly flooring for Das Boot. Out-of-the-box, they weren't too terribly "generous" with the varnish, so I set-up sawhorses in the garage and added another 3-4 coats of marine varnish. Once these suckers go down, I *don't* think we want to have to re-finish 'em again! Soooo... It took us a long time to get around to installing them. Today was *supposed* to be the day...

The boat came with cheap beige carpeting, laying over non-skid fiberglass.

Yukky Carpet (Carpet + Boat = Bad Idea)

Naked Non-skid

Now previously, I had stained/varnished a cheap CD Crate in a tone that closely-matched the dining table. And I used Earthquake Putty to stick the thing down. It holds *very* well. And today I wanted to confirm that it was removable without doing any damage - It worked!

CD Case/"Stuff Rack" on dinette
(I thought I blogged about that earlier - "Oh, well!")

So we figured, maybe, we could use the same "goop" to stick the teak-holly panels to the fiberglass floor. We vacuumed and cleaned the cabin sole thoroughly (well, actually, DH did that while I gooped up the putty into little pea-sized balls).

Earthquake Putty

Well... Unfortunately, the putty doesn't like non-skid fiberglass. We couldn't get it to stick down :-(

So that means we need to do a "proper" installation with 3M 4000 or 4200 (I'm voting for 4000 b/c it's more pliable). We had a big ol' tube of it on the boat - but no caulking gun. And the smaller tube was effectively glued shut. So off to We$t Marine we went...

And actually, the more I thought about it, the more I began to think that Today was *not* the day to install the Teak/Holly Flooring. The flooring itself didn't come with instructions, but I remembered - from doing the floor in the shed - that the flooring really needs to "live" in it's new home for a couple-three days before you install it. And the boat, obviously, is going to be a far more humid environment than our garage! Sooo... We've got pretty-much everything we need to *do* the job - but we will bring along half-a-dozen 2.5 gallon jugs of water to weight-down the flooring while the adhesive sets.

So, maybe next weekend!

For what it's worth, I did snap a few pics of that particular job (bearing in mind that it still isn't done!).

I think I used enough varnish!
(Fwd section - next to the head)

(that light-colored spot is a reflection!)

Much prettier than yukky carpet!
(Main cabin section)

Other projects in the works: New Sails are on-order, and we're hiring a rigger to install Lazy-Jacks (so it'll be easier to drop the sails, single-handed). Rog is glad we launched the boat early this year so we could tackle these Maintenance Chores while the weather is still semi-crappy!

Studio Update:

Since we didn't "finish" the boat today (much to DH's dismay), I did find that I had enough energy to attempt to tackle ONE of the walls of the studio.

Ooh! Way-way-WAY better than the faux-basket-weave paint job!

But it was a little "poopy" when I had to cut the mat to size

(Hello, Shop-Vac!!!)

I managed to cut and staple one of the cabana mats to one of the short walls. It really is a 2-person job, but I managed to curse my way through *most* of it, solo. Bending and stapling the mat over the windowsill was a real P.I.T.A though and I did end up requesting DH's assistance.

Next, I'll cut my Bamboo-Reed Fencing to an appropriate height and attach it to the lower-half of the walls, like wainscoting. And I've got some bamboo "slats"on order to use as a chair-rail, baseboards, and to cover up any of my fubars (like the not-so-straight-line in the corner next to the beach/ocean - Oops!).

I'll put a similar treatment on the "front" wall, but I've decided against putting anything on the other "short" wall, next to the kiln. Seems that combustibles + 2300* kiln probably wouldn't be a wise combination! I'll probably paint something Artsy-Fartsy on that wall...

It's getting there! Really! And good thing, too! I have officially run out of ceramic works-in-progress! Time to start cranking *new* stuff out!

Garden Update:

Well, nighttime temps are hovering closer to the 50* mark, and all my Veggie Babies are eagerly awaiting transplant to their Permanent Home(s)! Nope, I never did "pot-up" the maters like I said I would (ran out of time and energy!), so I'll just plant them deeply in the raised beds and hope for the best.

Eager Veggies

Herbs are also looking forward to planting. I think I'll stick 'em in last year's Upside-Down Planters (LOL - I still have last year's tomatoes dangling in the bottoms of the planters. I think I'll just leave 'em and see what happens!). The Upside-Down Planter Experiment failed miserably, by the way. But I *did* harvest one mealy, tasteless (and highly confused) midget tomato in February of this year!

Happy Herbs

Annnnd lastly... The Straw-Bale Bed seems to be stabilizing. Yesterday, the internal temp was around 80*. I added more compost and dampened the bales again. Today the internal temp is hovering between 75-80*. I *think* I can safely plant in them (but I'll consult Google first - just to be sure!).

Stable Straw-bale

Wow. I think I actually accomplished quite a lot this weekend! No wonder I'm tired!!!

Couldn't quite make it three! (B.O.A.T.)

BOAT = Break Out Another Thousand!

Okay, The Great Reef Aquarium Project has been temporarily suspended. Well, actually, I'm still waiting for additional stuff to arrive before I attempt to set it up - so it's just as well...

DH's company, like many, is on shut-down this week. This makes things a bit "challenging" for me - since I work from home most of the time. But thankfully many of my clients are also on shut-down, so things have been mercifully quiet (and I took the opportunity to burn a vacation day).

Anyhooo... Since Rog has all this Free Time, we decided this was a good opportunity to call the boatyard and see about arranging our off-season maintenance. G&J, the former owners, took fastidious care of the boat - but it had been at least 2-3 years since it's last bottom job. And, based on how quickly she'd grow a beard, we figured she's about due again.

No more DIY Bottom-Jobs for me, though (although it would be "relatively easy" to slap a coat of paint on her, while she's on the trailer). We decided it'd be best to just take her to a yard and get "everything" done in one fell swoop.

"How much do ya think this is gonna cost?" asks DH.

"Well, the last time I hauled (about 10 yrs ago), it was about $1,000 for haul, power-wash and bottom paint for a 32-footer. So I'm gonna guess it'll be right around $1,000."

"But our boat's only 26-feet."

(Answer: It's $1,100! That's *just* haul/power-wash/paint)

We're also getting some other work done. Boat has a couple of topside leaks around the chainplates - I think (hope!) they just need to be re-bedded. Outboard needs a basic service. And there are a couple of fiberglass/gelcoat repairs needed. One down near the waterline could prove to be problematic if water gets in it (Delamination??? Nooooo!!!). And the other is a scar she got when Rog ran aground and ended up colliding with another boat's anchor - the day we moved into our slip for the first time! ("Hi! I'm Nancy and this is Roger. We're your new neighbors!!")

So Rog got on the horn with San Francisco Boat Works yesterday. Seems they're running all kinds of Specials right now - which is a very good thing. It's definitely the off-season and they are particularly dead this week. So they were most happy to have us come up and drop her off today.

Well, as soon as Rog did the over-the-phone "handshake," he immediately went into Panic Mode. Ohmygawd-we've-got-to-prepare-the-boat-and-drop-the-mast-and-check-the-trailer-and-what-are-we-gonna-do-about-the-roller-furler-and-what-if-it's-this-or-what-if-it's-that-and-this-is-gonna-take-a-LOT-of-time-and-maybe-I'd-better-just-call-them-and-postpone-it-and-yayayayayaya............"

We went up to the storage-yard yesterday afternoon and started breaking stuff down (in cold, dismal, dreary rain!).

I have something of a fear of heights, so I stayed stuck to the ground. But Rog handed stuff down to me and I did what I could from below. He removed the boom and handed down the sail (I flaked it myself thankyouverymuch!); Stowed all the loose crap inside the boat securely; We dropped and secured the mast ("Whoa-Whoa-Whoa-Whoa-WAIT!!! You're gonna hit that other boat!! We need to pull the trailer forward!!!") (See, it helps to have someone on the ground!!!). Zip-tied all the standing rigging so it wouldn't rub the gelcoat; Bungeed everything else; And generally buttoned-her-down as best we could.

The roller-furler was a challenge though. See, we had to undo the forestay at the bow in order to drop the mast. We didn't want to remove the forestay from the top of the mast and we had to be careful not to bend the foil. Annnnd, with the forestay still attached to the mast, the roller furler extended beyond the base of the mast (and would have been flopping about madly and damaging the foil as we were hurtling down the highway). I suggested securing it as best we could (bungee-mania!)- until we could come home and Google it...

Found an Egg-zellent suggestion online (Gotta love the intertubes!). You take a boat hook, extend it fully and bungee it securely to the base of the mast - so that it becomes an "extension." You then bungee the bottom of the forestay and roller-furler to the boat-hook extension. Worked like a charm! No flopping around. No bent foil. Yay!

Not the greatest shot, but you can almost see the boat hook lashed near the bottom. R/F is inside the bag.

So as Rog was puttering around on and in the boat, I wanted to check-out how "secure" the boat was - on the trailer. Well, as Rog trundled about, the bow of the boat kept bouncing up and down and I discovered I could actually stick my fingers under the fwd (bow) support on the trailer. Not Good! The center of gravity was waaaaay too far back and yes, we now have a Super-Beefy-Manly Winch on the trailer, but I still didn't feel too warm-n-fuzzy about the 30 mile freeway trip. I decided to keep my mouth shut about it yesterday (Rog was still pretty wound-up about what-all needed to be done)...

See, the last time we pulled her out onto the trailer, her ballast tank was full. We'd cinched her up and pulled her out, but the weight of the ballast pulled her back about half-a-foot. We didn't bother fixing it since we were just moving her across the street to the dry-storage yard.

This morning, we went up (In the sunshine! But it was still cold) to secure the roller-furler and get ready to take off. Once we were hitched up, I pointed out the whole "center of gravity" issue and suggested that we plunk her in at the launch ramp, and cinch her up tighter to the trailer. So we did - and all was MUCH better.

All secure now!

Then we drove up to The City. The drive up was rather uneventful (Yay!). Even exiting the freeway and heading to the yard wasn't *too* terribly awful (in spite of all the construction on Mariposa St). I'd called ahead to the yard to inquire about the best way "in" to the yard. See, most boats come by water and get scooped out by a Travelift. We were trailering in and I didn't recall an open gate on the street. I did remember an open gate over by The Ramp, an adjoining (WAY COOL) restaurant. The office gal suggested that the "come in thru The Ramp's parking lot" way would be the preferred entry.

So in we went!

Well, into the parking lot anyway.

Once we pulled all the way into the lot, it became painfully clear that there was NO WAY we could make the (sharp, narrow) turn into the boatyard (Ooooops!) And once we were in the parking lot, there was NO WAY to turn around (Double Oooooops!). Begin Panic-Mode: "Oh sh*t, NOW what are we gonna do?!!"

I know Rog is damn good with maneuvering the boat and trailer. We had *quite* the dramatic Fun-Time the day we drove her up from SoCal (an all-day drive) and arrived at a dry-storage facility that had NO (and I do mean ZERO) turning room. We got good-and-stuck that day, but managed to get out of it (by unhitching the boat and backing the truck - from a completely different angle, then re-hitching it to get out of a seemingly impossible situation).

But I digress (Surprise!!!). Anyway, I was all prepared to have Rog back-out onto the street - with me blocking traffic. Luckily, a boatyard worker appeared and offered his assistance. He started by moving a dumpster and attempting to open the gate further, but then a second worker appeared who said he could bring her in using his forklift. No, he didn't hoist her up! He had a ball on one of the forklift fork thingies and he did a stupendous job of maneuvering her in.

Forklift got her in!

We got all checked in, and left our Laundry List of things to do. We then had free lunch at The Ramp (did I mention that it's an awesome joint?!). While we were eating, they put her up on the Travelift and I got a few good shots. Then we met with the yard manager to discuss what-all we want done. We still don't have the "full" estimate, but I'm guessing (hoping) it won't go much past $2,000.

The Ramp

She'll be in the yard for about a week............

That's two in a row!

Gonna try to make this "An Update a Day" kinda thing... Although there really isn't much to report today!

Spent the better part of the afternoon "partying" at the Skilled Nursing Facility with mom, family and friends (woohoo!).

And we stopped by to check on the boat (currently in dry-storage for the winter). We do have some leakage at the chain-plates (minor, but troubling nonetheless). We're going to be driving her to a boatyard in San Francisco in the coming weeks - since she's due for a bottom job and, while she's there, we'll have them re-bed the chainplates and touch-up some gelgoat blemishes

We'll shell out the $$ and have all the work done professionally (my days of DIY Bottom Jobs are over - thankyouverymuch!).

B.O.A.T. = Break Out Another Thousand!

Nothing new to report on the Great Reef Aquarium Project (yet), other than bombarding my buddy with emails; reading Reef-Tank message boards (and getting Information Overload!); looking for local reef-clubs; and going online to order gee-gaws for the tank set-up. I've ordered a bunch of stuff, so far. Just waiting for it to arrive. Once it does, I'll post a list of what-all I bought and how I intend to set it up.

So if you look at yesterday's picture - well, that's exactly what it looks like today! (The stand is even still covered with dust!).

Boooooooring, I know! I'll try to do better!

I oughtta just retitle this blog: "Confessions of a Bad Blogger"

Save myself the trouble of making excuses all the time, right?

:::sigh:::

Suffice it to say, it's been a Berry Busy Summer. Much boating. Much sunshine. And yes, even some fun worked in!

The boating, as you may have gathered from my last post, has been on Overkill, unfortunately. We did take a week's vacation and moved the boat up to Brisbane Marina in August. I was rather hoping that this would temper Roger's enthusiasm, somewhat. At least wear some of the "shine" off of "New Toy Syndrome!"

Rog motored up early one morning - took about 1-1/2 hrs @ WOT. I drove my car up, and met him there (I *needed* my own mode of transportation readily available, if "Abandoning Ship" became necessary!)

Roger had compiled quite the list of Things We Must Do: Sail out the Golden Gate (:::rolling eyes:::); Sail around Angel Island; Go to Berkeley and/or Jack London Square for lunch; Have dinner at Pier 39; yada-yada... Well, wind conditions on the bay are pretty challenging most of the time - even down where we're docked (which is significantly calmer than up around the 'Gate). Winds are especially gnarly in August - when the coastline is cool and foggy, and inland temps can top triple-digits. And there's an awful lot of water flowing in and out of the bay (year-round). That all equates to rough, windy, "challenging" conditions...

Lazy Lightning - while she's a very nice boat - she just isn't a boat who's well-suited to challenging conditions. She's 26-feet long, 8-feet wide, foam-filled and self-righting, with lots of interior space which means she's got lots of freeboard (freeboard = the stuff that's up above the waterline and subject to wind and waves). And, with the water ballast tank full, she displaces only about 4,000#. In other words, she bobs like a cork and windy, rough conditions make for a very uncomfortable ride...

My bay-sailing experience has been on heavy keelboats - and, even then, my Sailing Friends were of the ilk that *wouldn't* go out when conditions weren't damn-near perfect (yet I still had more than my share of "rails in the water/balls-to-the-wall" sailing!). Yes, I've sailed out the 'Gate on a 35-footer - on a dead-calm day. But that was on a BIG HEAVY CRUISER. Roger's enthusiasm - at least initially - exceeded Lazy Lightning's capabilities. And that made me pretty nervous.

But I digress...............

And, with us docked next to San Bruno Mountain - sharing the same channel as Oyster Cove (aka "Hurricane Gulch"), my home for six years, let's just say that the list of Things We Must Do got shortened significantly!!!

I've utterly given up on reminding Roger that "conditions change *instantly* on the bay" and "if Small Craft Advisories start at 1:00pm, I wanna be back at the dock by 12:30." Instead, Rog took the helm and took it upon himself to always sail "just a little bit farther" and stay out "just a little bit longer" than we should have. We were never in danger, but it made for some mighty dramatic sailing - hauling @$$ at breakneck speed, trying to make it back to safety! And I assumed a new role: "Ballast Girl." Whenever the conditions got really rough, I'd go down below to lower the center of gravity and shift my weight around to offset the tossing of the boat ("If not for the courage of the fearless crew, the Minnow would be lost. The Minnow would be lost!").

Ohhhh yes... A Grand Time Was Had By All!!!

To be fair, Roger has finally figured out that "conditions change *instantly* on the bay" and "if Small Craft Advisories start at 1:00pm, we should probably think about at least being CLOSE to the marina by about 12:30..." And he figured that out All By Himself!!! :::sigh:::

We actually did do some sailing (early in the mornings), and we did motor across the bay to Ballena Island and had breakfast at a cool little waterfront restaurant over there. But we never made it out the GG, nor to Angel Island, nor Pier 39, or wherever... It was just toooooo nasty out there for a little 4,000 lb. 26-footer.

Come October, we might be able to tackle some of those list items, but definitely not in August! Trouble is: The City is sooooo far away from where we're docked, it'd almost have to be an overnighter.

Anyway, I'm happy to report that I *did* survive our "Vacation" on Lazy Lightning. And I am totally convinced that she is suitable for a "Weekend" away. But definitely NOT a week! (There is, quite honestly, no way to store a weeks' worth of provisions on her!!!)