September 6, 2010 - Clearing into Tanna and a long bumpy ride to get there!

We were due on shore at 7 AM to catch our ride into Lenakel where yachts must go on this island to clear in to the country of Vanuatu. Because our dinghy has a flat, Ian and Julia had agreed to give us a lift into shore at 6:30. Frank wanted to run the generator for an hour before we left the boat, so we set the alarm for 5:15 AM. We awoke with plenty of time to enjoy a pot of coffee, grab a cereal bar and pack our backpacks for the trip into town. By 6:15 we hadn't seen any movement aboard Moasi, so Frank told me to hail them on the VHF to make sure they were up. I did that, and roused a very sleepy Julia who informed me it was only 5:15 AM. Well damn! We had forgotten to set our clocks to Vanuatu time. We could have slept for another hour. We were too jazzed on caffeine to go back to bed by now so we read Shantaram until they came for us.

We were joined on shore by an Australian couple (S/V Sunboy) and an Austrian couple (catamaran, Felix). We took the short hike up a hill to the little village to await our transport, which eventually arrived in the form of a small 4-WD pickup truck with a high cage over the bed. The truckbed sides were lined with 2x8 boards that served as passenger seating around the interior. Now the meaning of our friends' warning to "be sure to bring seat cushions" hit home. Kathi and Jeff on s/v Bold Spirit had checked in at Tanna last month and sent us an email full of ambiguous warnings and tidbits of info. I think they didn't want to ruin the total experience for us so they left a little to our imaginations. Julia and I were graced with the opportunity to ride in the cab with David our ni-Vanuatu driver. Frank piled into the back with Ian, the other 4 yachties and Stanley, the Goodwill Ambassador for Port Resolution. Just before we took off 4 or 5 locals hopped in. We were crammed like sardines, and although I had a seat up front it was like riding in a tin can with faux cushions. My hipbone was pressed into the metal frame of the seat, and as we bumped along I felt metal grating bone with intensifying effect. I couldn't imagine what the ones in the back of the truck were feeling. For just over 2 ½ hours, we drove the crude rode into Lenakel. It didn't really bother any of us because the scenery and sights along the way were well worth the pain of the ride and the $4,000 VT per couple: a bargain at any price. One of the guys likened it to getting beaten in prison in front of a window full of bars with a fantastic view! Parts of the road were washed out, leaving just enough room for the truck to creep past a sheer drop. We drove through lush vegetation, past lovely villages and then came to the ash plane of Mt. Yasur. It was desolately beautiful. This side of the volcano looked like a gray, barren sand-covered mountain. We could see coughs of smoky vapor puffing out the top. It was captivating.

Eventually we arrived in town, where our first stop was the bank. There is only one bank. The Lonely Planet guide advised that there are no ATM's on the island therefore; we had taken $500 USD to exchange. Ian and Julia brought their Visa card. No go. No credit cards either. So we shared our Vatu's with them. Clearing in was a long process, taking several hours. Immigration and Customs were housed in the same building, and at each agency the officials were very friendly and helpful. The villagers walking by would wave frantically at us and throw huge smiles our way, shouting "Allo!" They loved seeing white faces in their midst. The ladies all wear very colorful Mother Hubbard dresses, while the children and men run around in western-style t-shirts and shorts. We bought hot fresh bread at the bakery, and munched on it as we walked around town while awaiting the quarantine officer's arrival. They didn't seem too concerned about us walking about before getting cleared by "Quarantine". Already, I loved this little island. The people here are naturally friendly and happy. Mostly, they just wanted to look at us. It is the same in the anchorage - villagers will paddle out to the boats and just sit watching us. They mean no harm; they are simply intrigued by the white people on the boats. I never gave it much thought, but we don't' recall meeting any black cruisers since leaving the USA. Wonder why?
For the ride home, I opted to sit in the back so I could get the total experience. Now I have bruises all over my body to match the ones on my face! I discovered that the cage around the pick-up was intended for a tarp when the rains come, but is also used for hand-holds and the occasional brace for standing when the sitting gets too rough.
Just prior to leaving Lenakel, Stanley announced that he and the lads had a few stops to make on the way back to Port Resolution. The first stop was a local market just outside the largest grocery store, which by the way is smaller than some of our pantries back home. They came out carrying several loaves of bread a 5-kilo block of cheese, and a case of beer. Then they grabbed several large bundles of kava and some greens from the market. Off we went!
During the ride back we made half a dozen stops at various roadside markets where we all had a chance to pick up fresh fruits and vegetables from the communal farms. Cheap too! For instance I bought a large bouquet of broccoli for 100 VT's (approx $1.10). The lads continued to purchase bundles of kava at each market. And making stops along the way for deliveries to villages of the breads, beer and greens. It is quite a system of "community" they have here. Each village helps the other in some way. And at each and every stop, the children would go wild, waving and shouting "Allo!" I took several photos and then showed them to the children, eliciting giggles and laughter and big-eyed surprise with hands over mouths. I wish I could have printed them out on the spot for those kids.
We arrived back at Port Resolution at nearly 4:00, bone weary but happy. We each popped a mouthful of Advil and settled in for a bountiful dinner of fresh Mahi Mahi, green salad and hot bread.

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Sunday, September 5, 2010 - The Home Stretch and Arrival at Tanna, Vanuatu

The honeymoon is over. We knew the easy three days was too good to be true, and I guess so did Neptune. It seemed last evening and into the night he raised his trident high, rallying forth the winds and then striking the seas declaring it time to let the good times roll! The seas bucked Destiny about seeming to express anger at our intrusion, tossing us like a rag doll. The winds were back up to 25+ knots and howling through our rigging and mast. We were in a bit of a pickle because we had no choice but to slow this mustang down. We could have run with it and made a much smoother ride for ourselves but we simply could not risk a nighttime approach into Tanna, hence we reefed in the main, furled the headsail and set the stay sail (storm gib) and rode the rollercoaster into the night. If you like amusement park rides, you would have loved this one. Topside it wasn't so bad, but trying to sleep below was agony. Thank goodness it was for only one night.

We arrived as planned at the entrance to Port Resolution at 7:30 AM. In 1774, Captain James Cook upon approaching the island of Tanna noticed a great glow coming from the island. He entered this bay to investigate. The glow of course was fiery Mount Yasur, but the Islanders would not let him approach the volcano that they considered "tabu", sacred/hallowed ground. So he contented to name the bay, Port Resolution, after his boat, the HMS Resolution.

We had tried to get here last year, but it just didn't happen. We are very pleased to be here now and look forward to visiting as much of the island as possible. Our friends who have preceded us here say it is their favorite island in Vanuatu

Tanna has a fascinating history and apparently a lot to offer tourists, including a trip up the volcano, which is no longer "tabu" except during special times of the year. "Yasur" in local Tannese means "Old Man" and is believed to be the originator of the universe by the indigenous locals. It is believed that after death, their spirits are returned to the volcano. Some of them must be angry spirits because it sure is still going strong after all these years.
Since it is Sunday, we cannot clear in to the country until tomorrow and may not go ashore until then. We thought we'd set the anchor and then hit the sack, but Frank wanted to rinse the boat down before the salt baked in, and I decided to cook us a formidable breakfast. Then of course after the tossing we took I had to tidy up inside and he got busy outside trying to find the leak in "dinghy". Locals began to drift by in their little dugout outrigger canoes either to investigate the new arrivals or to show us their fine bananas and coconuts for which we could trade batteries, clothing or other goods. Then Stanley from the yacht club stopped by to arrange our transportation into town tomorrow for clearance. We will leave the boat a 6:30 AM. We understand it is about a 2-3 hour ride in a pickup truck and that we are to bring our own seat cushion. This should be fun!

It's 5 PM. We never got our naps, but plan to sleep well tonight because we have to get up early. Oh, and update on my face smash ordeal: I've managed to get by with just a few cuts on my nose and seem to have somewhat quelled the swelling. There is just a bit of bruising across my nose, and it may be spreading to my right eye but it's hard to tell just yet. My friend Julia gave me some homeopathic pills that may help. Everyone thinks my nose is broken but somehow I don't think so.

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Saturday, September 4, 2010, Day 3, Fiji to Vanuatu

We are now on day 3 of the passage; it is Saturday, September 4th. Both of us are reading the novel, Shantaram, which is the hottest book going in this part of the globe. Neither of us seems to be able to put our copy down. We have maintained radio contact with Moasi on a regular basis, during which Ian repeatedly asks Frank if he has caught any fish yet, Frank won't admit that he doesn't want to put the book down to go rig the fishing line. At one point I mentioned to him that it is so calm, we may as well throw a line in while the conditions are in our favor. We had just bought new gear before leaving Lautoka so it all still needed to be set up, and that is definitely a "blue" job. He finally acquiesced (probably to shut me up). As we were having this conversation I was looking out the back and noticed that our dinghy looks a bit wrinkled at the rear quarter panel on the port side. At closer inspection, it wasn't just a bit flat - it looked as deflated as a raisin. We surmised that it must have been impaled on a rock or one of the rusty pipes at the wharf in Lautoka. We'll have to break out the repair kit when we arrive in Tanna.

We have been blessed with fair winds and following seas for this entire crossing so far. And except for one little "hiccup" it has been a splendid 3-day sail. As is the case any time at sea there will be the occasional "rogue wave" - a quite large wave that is out of synch with the others. When a yacht gets hit with one it sounds like a cannon boom against the hull and the boat is generally knocked catawampus for an eerie moment or so. I was just going into the head when a rogue struck Destiny. It threw me, face first into the overhang of the outer bulkhead, smashing my face into the cabinet and causing loud crashing sounds all about me. It took a few minutes for my head to clear and then I realized I am going to have a heck of a shiner and possibly a busted nose. I feebly called for Frank to bring me a soft ice pack from the freezer. He took one look at me and said, "Oh no! You are already turning black and blue". I quickly downed 2 strong anti-inflammatory tablets and then laid down with my face covered with the ice pack for a very long time until it was frozen and numb. Then I put the pack back into the freezer to re-freeze and repeated the process. That is all I can do for it, except send up a little prayer that no damage has been done other than a bit of swelling. My eyes are blurry, but that's probably just from the shock of impact. So far the bruising is barely visible. Those icepacks are a face-saver!

In between the re-freezing of my ice pack, Frank announced that we had hooked a fish. It was a beautiful 3-foot Mahi Mahi. Nice going Captain! I think now he is happy that he put the book down for a little while.
The winds are coming back up and the seas are building, as predicted on the GRIB files. We may be in for a rough ride this afternoon and into tonight, as the waves have tracked around and are hitting more on the beam. I have a pounding headache so I think I'll go lay down for a rest.

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September 2 and 3rd, 2010 Day 1 and 2; Passage from Fiji to Vanuatu

The most exciting event of our first day of the passage is that we had great sailing conditions. Destiny enjoyed a nice surf over 3-meter swells, and that combined with 25 - 30 knot winds on the beam makes for a fast sail. I managed to throw together a beef stroganoff for an early dinner and then we settled in for a beautiful star-filled night of 3-hour watches. The phosphorescence of the plankton threw out beautiful starry bursts from our wake making for a lovely first night out. We averaged speeds of 8-9 knots over that 24 hour period.
It would have been just perfect except I was having first day passage anxiety after having read a book Jeff and Jeri Lyn had given us titled, "Adrift". It details one man's survival after 76 days at sea adrift in a life raft after escaping his sinking sailboat following a collision with an unknown entity (a whale, a container? No one will ever know). I don't know why our friends keep giving us these disaster at sea books to read, and beyond that I don't know why I read them, particularly just before a passage. I do know that God is large and in charge and I pray that it is not our fate to star in our own disaster story.

On Friday, September 3rd, our second day out, Frank attempted to post our position report via the SSB, but it doesn't seem to want to talk to the laptop, so he tried the Iridium Sat Phone and was still unable to get Winlink to transmit the report. We don't know which part of our equipment is responsible for the problem, but Winlink just does not seem to be working properly. We eventually were able to get a Sailmail connection via the sat phone and were thrilled that we had received some messages. Frank and I treat these like candy - for some crazy reason the emails we get while on a passage just feel special. It's like opening Christmas mail for us, so he reads them and then saves them for me to read. Thank you to our friends and family who write to us! In case anyone reading this wants to email us but doesn't have the address, it is: wdd8870@sailmail.com

The stars continue their sky dance and the sailing is the type we dream of - hope it keeps up like this to Tanna.

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August 19-Sept 2 Back in Fiji and Goodbye, Fiji!

On our flight back to Fiji we formed a bond with our Air Pacific flight attendant, Sereana. When we told her that our sailboat was berthed at Port Denarau, she mentioned her partner is Crew on a yacht named SuRi that is also berthed there. This is the mega-yacht that Frank and I had observed partying it up in Whangaroa, NZ during our holiday stint up there, the one which the locals were speculating belonged to Tom Cruise and Katy Holmes. We received confirmation from Sereana that this is not so but that if we wished to see it she would arrange an invite for us. We wished. I gave her our card and our Fiji cell # when we left the plane.
We arrived in the dark at 5:30 AM, to a happily floating and well cared for Destiny. We hauled our bags across the dirt parking lot, over the soot covered walkways and down the dock, carefully wiping off all the grunge as we lifted them into the cockpit. We were systematically stowing everything as the sun slowly began its morning wake up yawn and stretch, casting beautiful mango, strawberry and lemon colored streaks across the sky from the horizon. It was going to be a beautiful day. We stopped unpacking long enough to enjoy the sunrise over a pot of coffee and then got back to work. Before long we were on the phone to marine vendors, trying to wrap up our business with them so that we could get a move on. All the while friends stopped by to welcome us back to Fiji. It felt good to be home. Keith and Christine from s/v Achates also stopped by for a quick "hello" on their way to deliver their Aussie friend Gwyn to the airport, giving us a chance to finally thank them in person for bringing our new generator pump up with them when they sailed from NZ. The docks began bristling back to life and we joined right in the gathering momentum as life at the port came to full swing. As is usually the case, some of our work got done while we were gone, but others figured since we would be away for a while they had plenty of time to get to Destiny's needs, meaning they had not got to Destiny's needs yet. So instead of leaving as planned on Friday, we stayed at the marina until Tuesday.
We had a good time at Denarau. We shopped and dined with Keith and Christine a couple of times, took some nice long walks over to the various resorts. We got the invite from Sereana to visit SuRi, whose name is derived from the first two letters of the owner's first names. They are Americans from Seattle who had the boat refitted in NZ just recently. It looked a lot nicer and much larger than it had when we saw it in December. It is quite impressive and has not only a very large crew who see to all the comforts of home, but a huge garage full of big boy toys complete with a helicopter, a hovercraft, a beautiful classic wood boat similar to an original Chris Craft, and many other very nice touches. We felt so small being just a few slips down in the same marina. Destiny seemed dwarfed by the many large yachts around her, reminding us that there is some big money out on the water and lots of it comes to Fiji.
On Tuesday, the 24th, we finally got away to Musket Cove intending to kick back for a few days before departing for Vanuatu. Frank had wanted to get going by Friday; I was hoping we could wait until Monday because I just did not want to leave Fiji. I love it here, and for some reason she and her people have nestled into a very special corner of my heart. Musket Cove was quiet and felt a little empty in spite of the fact that several boats remained in the anchorage. Everyone we know, except for Achates had either departed for Vanuatu weeks ago or was cruising elsewhere.
We fell back into our routine of long hikes in the early mornings (with Keith and Christine), followed by a trip to the bakery, then back on board to take care of whatever chores we had on our to-do list for that day. Then after lunch we would either read books by the pool or have a swim, before meeting our friends up at the island bar and have dinner. A couple of times we deviated from routine to play a game of "Qwirkle", otherwise we just took it easy and watched the weather for our "departure window". We had just about decided to leave on Friday when we received a message from Ian and Julia on Moasi, asking us to please wait for them. They were trying to get to Musket Cove in time to sail the passage to Vanuatu along with us. We agreed. They arrived on Sat. and because they'd never been to this resort we stayed until Tuesday to give them a chance to have some fun with us all. I was thrilled to have them as a buddy boat for the passage and doubly thrilled to get to spend a little more time with Keith and Christine at Musket Cove.
Tuesday, we got to have our final hike with our friends and then sailed over to Lautoka in the late afternoon. On Wed, we went into town to handle final provisioning and to clear Customs and Immigration, and then snuck around the corner to Saweni Bay to spend the night (illegally). Thursday morning, we weighed anchor at 6:30 AM and headed west. Destination: Tanna, Vanuatu.

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July 22 – August 17th – Home Again, Home Again, Jiggedy Jig! Part 3 (Final Leg - California, August 14 – 17th)

We arrived at LAX, picked up the rental car and were off to Long Beach as fast as we could possibly move.  We held confirmed reservations at Chateau Morning Light!  Yes, our friends, Jaime and Christine Tate were back in the USA. They actually have the boat up for sale, which made this an especially momentous occasion for us to be able to stay aboard with them and to see Morning Light quite possibly for the lat time.  It was wonderful and odd to be on board their boat at a berth in California instead of in an exotic South Pacific seaport.  We talked well into the wee hours yet again, and all fell into bed exhausted.

The next morning we took a stroll down the waterfront to a very popular breakfast spot.  For the life of me I cannot remember the name of the place, but the food was indeed delicious and within 15 minutes of our seating, the place was filled to capacity with a long line of hungry people waiting outside.  After breakfast we took a leisurely walk along the marina area.  It is a charming location and one that offers nearly every amenity one could want.  This is a place I could bring my boat and probably be quite content to nest right in. Finally Frank and I got on the road to San Diego.  Chris and Jaime were planning to follow us down and stay the night at the Kona Kai Marina aboard Dolce, Gisela and Erik Gosch's 2008 version of our IPY 485 – Destiny's younger sister with a dark blue hull.  Our plan was to first head to our hotel to drop off luggage, get checked in and then hit Costco.  Christine and Jaime joined us for our Costco adventure where Frank and I knocked items off our list and piled the basket conservatively, watching the weight and size of every purchase.  At the end of our spree we returned to the hotel to drop off our bounty, agreeing that we would join them for pre-dinner drinks on Dolce where we would also meet up with Sally and Glen of The Dorothy Marie.  We had last seen them in Fiji (last year).  Sally had taken a leave of absence from teaching to spend a few years sailing the South Pacific and was due to return to work this school term, therefore they sailed back to San Diego via Samoa, Hawaii and so on. There is a link to their blog on my page.

Our evening was full of laughter, hugs and tears. We all kept exclaiming how strange it felt to be together here in the USA. Now those three are there with their yachts and we are the only ones still "out there".  We feasted at Miguel's on Point Loma.  This restaurant is famous for many dishes, so I can't really choose just one, but amazingly it is the favorite of us all and a venue we try to hit every time we are anywhere near San Diego.  We parted after dinner telling everyone that we would be at Ricky's for breakfast the next morning if any of them could make it over around 9 AM.  And of course, who can pass up another opportunity to EAT?  We breakfasted with Glen and Sally, Jaime and Christine.  We talked about things that no non-yachtie can possibly understand or care to discuss.  Boat stuff; blocked toilets, watermakers, malfunctioning generators, pumps, engines and electronics, and guests on board which is generally the confounding discussion topic.

Finally we all went separate directions because Frank and I had some serious provisioning to get done.  We hit our favorite places: West Marine, Home Depot, Target, Downwind Marine and several other yacht supply places.  We returned to the hotel periodically to remove packaging, pack a bag and then weigh it before declaring each one full to capacity. When all four check-on bags were filled we looked at our carry-ons and scratched our heads. Oh boy, can we make this work? We always seem to and by the time we finished that night, we realized we had not eaten since breakfast. We threw on some clean clothes and took each other out for a nice dinner to celebrate our Anniversary a little early.  You see our flight departs LAX on August 17^th; we will cross the international dateline en route that will take us from the 17^th to the 19^th in a heartbeat.  The 18^th of August is our 9^th Anniversary and it will not exist in our world this year.

We awoke on the 17^th, and checked out of the hotel quite early because we had last minute items to pick up and then hit the road for LA.  Our flight was scheduled to depart at 10:40 PM, we had arranged to drive back via Long Beach for a final stroll and early dinner with Christine and Jaime.  It was a beautiful day and the perfect ending to our trip back home.  We strolled about charming Long Beach with the Tates and ended our visit eating big, fat juicy hamburgers at a place called Hennessey's.  Frank and I have tried to eat as much Mexican Food and as many really good hamburgers as possible while back home because we know that it will be a long, long time before we get these treats again!

And so we ended our whirlwind trip home with a final goodbye to our sailing friends.  We tumbled and juggled luggage up onto the baggage check-in counter, holding our respective breaths and praying that we made the cut.  Funny thing is our carry-ons did not!  Yes, we are the people impatient passengers see at the check-in counter repacking and unpacking bags, moving items from one to another until finally the exasperated attendant says, "Fine! OK! Just go on!" And that is how we spent our summer vacation.  Fiji here we come!

July 22 – August 17th – Home Again, Home Again, Jiggedy Jig! (Denver Leg, August 4th – 17th) Part 2

Frank and his son Bill met me at the airport in Denver. It was close
to 11 PM but we stayed up late talking and sharing our respective
experiences over the past few weeks. Bill had offered his guest room
for us probably not realizing how we can take over a place when we are
back home stocking up and making multiple trips to the various shops
and stores that are not found anywhere else. He was good-natured about
our friendly takeover. That was my only night to just sit around at
Bill's place. The next day, we both hit the ground running and often
going in opposite directions. Most days, Frank golfed and I shopped or
met with friends for breakfast or lunch.
I had a 7:30 medical check up on Friday morning, followed by breakfast
with another high school friend, Christy Lundstead (now "Warren"). As
Fate often intervenes in our lives, Christy and I had gotten linked
via Facebook while our 35th High School reunion was being planned.
Her FB profile states her home is now Parker, Colorado. I couldn't
believe that she lived in the same little community that Frank and I
had moved from. We had unknowingly been neighbors for nearly 3 years,
and yet had not seen one another since 1975. We had a lot of catching
up to do and so our breakfast lasted until mid afternoon. We rather
outstayed our welcome at "The Egg and I", so we moved over to the
Parker Library where I am a former volunteer. I ran into most of my
dear friends for and with whom I'd worked. It was a wonderful double
reunion for me. I returned to Bill's in time to get changed for
dinner with Kati and Dave Topolnicki and Scott and Chris Morlan at
Denver's oldest restaurant, The Buckhorn Exchange. The food there is
so good (they are known for their wild game and melt-in-your-mouth-
steaks), and the place is so popular that the only reservation Kati
could get for us was 5 PM. That is a good thing because by 8:00 I was
ready to fall asleep at the table.
Friday, Frank golfed. I met Molli (Halvorson) for coffee and of
course that turned into hours, then I returned to Bill's where he
prepared the most delectable crab cakes with Cajun lobster sauce that
have ever passed my lips! My taste buds danced the dance of bliss.
Bill is a closet gourmet chef. We never turn down an offering from his
galley. When Frank arrived home we hit the roadway to fight the
battle of I-25 N's Friday afternoon traffic. We were meeting Gail and
Mark Lewis and Pennie and Jim Galt for dinner. We had such fun; we
could hardly eat for the laughing and storytelling with these guys.
Saturday, we had a rare opportunity to see Katie Riley's girls, Quinn
and Taylor who happen to be at home just now. They and Quinn's beau,
Todd, prepared a feasty happy hour for us at their brand new
townhouse. My heart did not want to leave them, but we had dinner
plans with our Goddaughter Naia, and her parents Rick and Nina
Rentschler at Bones in the downtown area. Frank and I arrived with a
large gift bag packed with little puzzles, games, trinkets and
baubles, for Naia, whom we'd not seen in nearly 2 years. Rick didn't
make it, so Frank got to have a night with the girls. At just over 3
½ years old, Naia is one of the brightest and most engaging little
girls I think I've ever met. She had us laughing and eating out of her
hand the entire evening. Frank is completely enchanted and lost to

her charms. We enjoyed an all too short visit with them and promised
not to let so much time pass or Naia will be grown when we next see her.
Sunday, Frank was off again with his buddies and I got to spend the
afternoon and have lunch with my dear friend Jenn Williams. She took
me over to her new townhome in Parker and we just talked and talked.
By now my voice was in the gutter. I'd not talked this much to so
many people for so many hours at a stretch that my throat was on fire
and my vocal chords were fried. She dropped me off at Bill's in time
for me to freshen up for dinner at the home of our favorite super-hero
family, Mac and Pamela Buckland and their two kiddos, Shelby and
Blake. I say this with love and awe. If there is a super hero family
living on this Earth, they have morphed into the Bucklands. They get
our vote for mom and dad of the year and they do it all effortlessly
and naturally in spite of their busy careers. Mac follows our blogs
religiously and often queries us about the details that don't make the
blog. We dragged out the globe and had a little geography lesson with
the kids. We had a great night with the four of them.
Monday, more doctor appointments and check-ups and then afterward,
Frank and I went over to Karen's condo for a visit and Frank, being
the thoughtful father that he is, spotted a few little repair and
maintenance projects that are what we call "blue jobs" (men: blue,
women: pink), he wanted to take care of for Karen. She was overjoyed
that he could do that for her. I remembered how my dad would perform
these same little acts of love in my home when I was living the single
life. It really filled me with joy seeing Frank and Karen in that
role. Then Monday evening we finally got to have dinner with Bill and
Karen over at the home of Dick and Lee Miller. I guess their home is
as close as Frank can get to feeling back home. He and Dick are thick
as thieves and their friendship transcends time and space. Dick and
Lee are family. We love them and nearly cried leaving that night.

Tuesday, Lori Romero picked me up for morning coffee and then she and
I joined Jeri Lyn Martin for lunch and afternoon girl time. Later on,
Jeri Lyn took me back to Bill's, where Frank and I packed overnight
bags and shot over to Jeff and Jeri Lyn's house for a couple of days
with them. We figured Bill needed a little space by this time anyway.
Jeri Lyn cooked and while the boys drank some prized scotch, she and I
busied about.
Wednesday, Frank golfed with Jeff while Jeri Lyn and I shopped and
caught up with old friends, and then treated ourselves to an afternoon
of spa pedicures and manicures. We supped out at a forgettable venue
in the new Southglen area, but with these two it doesn't matter where
we are or what we eat; we just enjoy.
Thursday, Jeri Lyn took me for yet another doc. appt. (love all those
annual check-ups!), and then after soaking up another wonderful day
together she dropped me off at Bill's where we said our goodbyes.
That night we met some of our former tailgate friends, The Daleys and
the Semps over at the Morlan's home for a faux tailgate. The Daley
girls came along – always a pleasure to see them and always surprised
that they want to hang out with us old farts. The meal was a
"tailgate" extravaganza that included Scott's grilled-to-perfection
Tri Tip and a load of freshly picked Peaches and Cream corn that Tim
had brought from Brighton. As the evening wound down, Cara Morlan
arrived and regaled us with stories of her latest D.A. cases including
attending an autopsy! As my eyes drooped and my voice began to give
out we called it a wrap and headed for our little home at Bill's.
Friday, Frank and I took Bill over to The Original Pancake House for
breakfast. They have the best homemade breakfasts of anyplace on
Earth. I can't ever decide which of my favorites to have there, and
each time I go I can't wait to return to have another of my favs.
Frank left us to meet another group of buddies so Bill and I returned
to his place and just had some down time.
Our last evening was with Barb Frank and Larry Hill at De Luxe, one of
our favored dining venues in Denver. We started at De Lite the tapas
bar next-door, scarfing down several platters of Dillon's famous
Oyster Shooters, and after a while we moved over to the restaurant.
Barb has become such a regular patron that she was able to secure the
extra top secret, very private back room which she and Larry
affectionately refer to as The Bat Cave. Nice. We got very personal
treatment in there! Again, we found ourselves feeling quite exhausted
as our evening ran into late night and breezed far beyond our witching
hour. Frank and I decided that we would have to get back to Destiny
for a vacation from our vacation.
Saturday, we slept in late and then set about packing our bags for the
final leg of our stateside trip. We spent our last few hours with
Karen and Bill dining at the Cherry Creek Grill. Yummo! Bill

absolutely swears by their Prime Rib French Dip Sandwich. And now I
swear by it as well. I just don't know how they do it but it is, hands-
down, the best I've ever eaten. We lollygagged as much as we could
before the two of them drove us to the airport for our evening flight
to LAX.
Reading back over these journals of going home and the next part of
our trip in Long Beach and San Diego, I realized nearly all we did
back home was EAT! I also appreciate that we are incredibly blessed
to have so many wonderful friends and family in Texas, Colorado,
Virginia, California, and from other parts of the US who love us and
who made special arrangements to spend time with us while we were back
home. Frank often teases me about the amount of detail I put into my
journals and blogs, but then if I don't do that I won't possibly
remember it all in a few years when the memories fade. Then I
sometimes think I didn't put enough detail into my writings, in case
people are reading these and feel that I left them out or slighted
them somewhat in the story telling. Ah – it is a fine line to walk,
but at least I try. That's what matters most – the effort.
It is said, "It takes a friend to be a friend". I hope Frank and I
can live up to that definition.

July 22 – August 17th – Home Again, Home Again, Jiggedy Jig! (Houston Leg 7/22 – 8/4/10)

My flight into Houston arrived fairly late, and fortunately, my friends Debra and Sandy Sandoval live not too far from the airport and had prepared a room for me.  I had not seen them since their visit to Destiny while we were in Fiji last June.  We stayed up even later chattering away until none of us could keep our eyes open.  I awoke the next day at noon!  I had no idea how jet lagged I was.  They let me snooze away thinking I must have needed the rest, and they were right.  My body clock was way out of whack.  The entire time I spent in Houston I could not seem to get to sleep before the wee hours. 10 PM in Houston was only 3 in the afternoon Fiji time.  So you can only imagine how loopy I seemed to everyone who saw me.  I just ran around with big black circles under my eyes and feeling like I'd walked into a wall.  But that did not slow me down.   No sir-ee!  My time in Texas was a blur.

On Friday I drove over to my parents' house.  My mom always cries when she see me, so we had a weepy hug and a nice long visit before I got back on the road with all the crazed Houston drivers to negotiate my way the 60+ miles south to Seabrook. Jen was home from work by then and after I got settled into my guest room she gave me a tour of her new home. I can with good conscience say that her home is stunning! Impressive! Spectacularly larger than my starter home.  I am so proud of her I could split myself in two and not be able to hold all the joy I feel for what my little girl has accomplished.  It isn't just about the house; it is about her overcoming enormous obstacles, moving forward with a tenacious determination and working hard for what she wants, in spite of what she has endured in her short life.  She has achieved much but has only begun the journey.  Buying this home speaks volumes. She is my little fighter. And she is a delicate flower at the same time. My one regret is that I am so far away from her and from our precious grandson, Trace. My hearts swells not only with pride for her, but with an ache I cannot quell that whispers "You should be here for her and your grandson, not tens of thousands of miles away".  Yet I realize Jen is most assuredly better off not having me there to meddle and comment, suggest and urge her to do it all the way I would do it or want her to. But I cannot still the pain and guilt in my heart each time I see her and watch my grandson grow a year at a time in the minute that I saw him last.

My dear friend Sharon had flown in from Reno and on Saturday, she and Maureen drove down (from NW Houston) to visit us at Jen's. They toured her salon and her house and then we had a special afternoon and evening with them. 

Because Jen's salon is closed on Sundays and Mondays, we wanted to spend some quality time together and so on Sunday Jen, Trace, Jacob – Jen's fiancé - and I drove up to Mom and Dad's house.  We enjoyed a long visit, all had lunch together and then in late afternoon we stopped by Debra and Sandy's house where Trace was in Seventh Heaven! Debra and Sandy's home is filled with little boy delights.  They have a fully stuffed, standing bear in the office, toys and gadgets, and all sorts of interesting bits and baubles from all of their travels to various parts of the globe, and the piece de resistance is the blow-dart "gun".  Sandy has had this thing since Jennifer was a little girl.  She used to love to go blow darts at Sandy's house, and was so enthralled with it I bought her a smaller version for her birthday when she was around 9 or 10. Sandy's blow tube is nearly 5 feet long Jen's is only about 2.5 feet long. Trace has never seen Jen's set. And so he was hooked!  He loved it so much that Sandy actually sent it home with us.  We ended up staying at their house for hours while Sandy tempted Jacob with taste-testing several of his home brews and various other libations. Finally when I declared that I would be cross-eyed driving all the way back to Seabrook and that Trace was beyond his bedtime by a millennium, we bid the Sandovals good night (or was it morning?).

Monday was my day with my girl we spent nearly the entire day at her salon trying to strip the blue/black/purple/burgundy out of my hair that had been colored in New Zealand.  It was a bit of work, as whatever they'd used to color my hair over there was industrial strength and actually glowed, iridescent in the sunlight.  My poor girl stripped it three times and then tried to re-color it back to a more natural brown.  I think my hair will never be the same, until I just let it go naturally gray.  What is it with the female ego that won't allow us to age gracefully? Or ungracefully – I just wish that it was OK to wrinkle, gray, plump and jiggle without society telling us – "Oh, girl, you've let yourself go!"  I am very close and very tempted.

During the workweek, Trace normally attends summer camp, but I got to steal a couple of days with him – just the two of us. I have to re-introduce myself to him each time we are together because I am the grandma who always goes away.  I'm not altogether sure he understands where I fit into the picture but we give it a go sparring around measuring one another up and test the waters a little at a time.  I got to take him to Space Center Houston, and shopping for shoes and to the bookstore where he go to pick out a basket full of books and things.

I drove back up to the northwest part of Houston again on the 28^th not just to see my parents but for a reunion lunch with some of my classmates from 35 years ago.  My high school had held our 35^th year reunion in May (during our passage from NZ to Fiji), which I'd missed but being contacted about it had put me back in touch with friends I'd not seen or spoken to in decades. A couple of those friends arranged a lunch for us.  My girlfriends who were able to show were (former names) Karen Kleb, Melanie Angel, Luann Simms and Brenda Parks. We had a hoot catching up and my face hurt at the end of the day from smiling so much.  What a special day that was! Brenda and I actually stayed beyond the "lunch", on into dinnertime long after the others had left us.  I feel incredibly blessed to have been able to reconnect with them after all these years.

Friday was my day with Marianne and dinner with Sally.  And then on Saturday Jen, Trace and I drove up to Seagoville (south of Dallas) for a couple of days with my sister Bev, her husband D and their son Tre.  Trace and Tre were inseparable. Again, my grandson was a very happy boy getting to spend this very special time with his cousin and Uncle D. Bev, Jen and I just drank each others time up, and before we knew it we were getting back into the car Monday morning for the 6-hour drive back to Seabrook. That was a teary goodbye! My little sister is my best friend. We never seem to have enough time with one another.

The rest of my Houston visit was spent with Jen, Jacob and Trace.  On August 3^rd I hugged my baby goodbye, drove back up to my folks house to spend my final night with Mom and Dad.  It was much more difficult to say goodbye to my parents than to anyone else.  No matter how old I am, I am still their little girl about whom they worry and fret and spill tears.  I felt that familiar ache in my heart as I got into the car on August 4^th to head out.  I made one final stop at Debra and Sandy's house to check on Deb. She had just come home from the hospital after having a hip replacement.  Not surprisingly, she is getting along very well. More hugs and goodbyes and promises to see one another "down the way", and then I was off to return my rental car and board my flight to Denver.

July 19 – 22nd – Exciting Port Denarau, Fiji

We pulled into the marina of the smallest, busiest port in all of Fiji.  This is where tourists who have just landed at Nadi International Airport pour out of the buses and taxis to board the water shuttles that will take them to their island vacation in paradise at one of Fiji's thousands of incredibly beautiful resorts.  It is also where the shuttles return those sunburned yet very well vacationed tourists, laden with Fiji's finest "handicrafts", Bula Shirts, dresses and packets of dried Kava to the depot where they will be whisked off to the airport for their flight back to civilization and the stresses of every day living.  Since our visit to Fiji last year, Port Denarau has grown ten-fold.  The waterfront is now completely built out with restaurants, tour operators' headquarters, souvenir shops, clothing stores, ice cream shops, grocery stores, jewelry stores, and so on.  It is a bustling hub for those who want to eat good food, shop until they drop and even hit the pharmacy on the way in or out.  We loved the energy of Port Denarau.

Here also are yachts of every description and size; 20 ft all the way up to 200 ft in length.  They are anchored in the bay, Med Moored stern-to at the older dock and berthed at the newest pier.  Destiny will be left on the new dock where she will (hopefully) safely spend the next 30 or so days.  She is flanked by two HUGE motor yachts.  We feel very small, yet quite pleased with this arrangement.  We are flying home to the US on the 22^nd.  When we arrive in Los Angeles, we will each board another flight to separate destinations for a couple of weeks: I to Houston to see my daughter's new house, visit with my parents, friends and to hopefully see my sis and her family in the Dallas area; Frank will fly to Virginia to visit his mom, sis and my brother and all of their offspring.  He will then jet to Colombia, Missouri to attend the wedding celebration of his very dear friend, Lee Baumann.  We could not both do it all; therefore we had to make choices to maximize the visit home.  Besides, this will be good for us both to have a little space from one another after living within a 50-foot floating condo.

After getting hooked up and secured in our berth, we made reservations with the canvas maker to book in some repairs, order "clears" for the cockpit, and paid a visit to Baobab Marine to see about getting some pumps and an alternator reconditioned.  Then we went over to the Hard Rock Café to meet Jock and Leanne Tucker ("Just In Time"), and their daughter Kelly who is here for a nice long visit.  After a welcome beer at the HRC, we grabbed a quick pizza to fortify us for shopping because the girls had plans! Apparently the boys did as well, and that was to move from bar to bar in an effort to absorb the full flavor of Denarau's hospitality. We suspect it was to avoid being observed by us as we moved from store to store, because we implored them not to just sit and drink all day. Just like kids worrying over getting their hands caught in the cookie jar, they practiced stealthy maneuvers.  We girls loaded our bags with dresses, swimsuits ("togs" in Kiwi), t-shirts and gifts. Then we located the men at Lulu's Bar and Café where we rested for a bit before adjourning to clean up and meet back at the Hard Rock Cafe for dinner.

The Tuckers left the next day to take Kelly away for her Fiji vacation and we bid them farewell before getting into a cab for Nadi town where we had some business to take care of before leaving the country.  We will not likely see Jock and Leanne and most of our cruising friends again until Vanuatu in mid-Sept.  The remainder of our time in Denarau was utilized preparing for our trip home and getting everything settled aboard Destiny before leaving her for 4 weeks.

The 22^nd arrived all too quickly, and before we knew it we were boarding our Air Pacific flight for LAX. It is a nice 11-hour overnighter, and crossing the International Dateline we will gain a day, putting us into LA at 1:30 in the afternoon on July 22^nd. 

July 5 – 19, 2010 - Musket Cove, our favorite Home Away From Home in the South Pacific!

It did not take us long to fall right back into step at Musket cove.
There were so many activities for us to participate in that we just
jumped right in and started having fun. Each morning we took a long
hike over the hills of the little island. I got into Aqua Aerobics in
the mornings after our hikes, and playing cards with the girls several
afternoons per week at the café. I learned to play Baja Rummy and
Shanghai.

Frank spent a lot of time with the boys mulling over boat repairs and
leaks. This is a very social activity for them. They diagnose, then
have a few beers. Later on or the next day they start on the actual
work and then have a few beers. Then they would plan the next repair
and have a few beers. Because Frank was enjoying his repair time so
much I didn't feel terribly guilty about spending so much time with
the girls exercising and playing cards.

The World Cup (soccer) was being televised at 6:30 AM at the resort,
so Frank would awake early on those days to join Paul and Gloria
("Scallywag"), and the rest of the soccer fans to watch the matches.
Not having grown up with soccer, hence knowing nothing of the game, I
took a pass. However, I have become a fast and furious All Blacks
fan. The Tri-Nations rugby matches were going on during our stay and
so on the evenings of those events I joined the mass of humanity that
crammed into the media room at the resort to watch. Fortunately I had
Leanne and Gloria to explain rules and plays to me during the games.
It was exciting stuff indeed.

Most of our cruiser friends came and went on a daily basis to visit
other islands and would return with the timing of sporting event
telecasts. Then there were the steady-eddies among our friends who
stayed around for general R & R like us. We enjoyed a considerable
number of dinners, games and walks with "Bold Spirit" and "Mokisha",
and met lots and lots of new friends. We partied away most nights at
the Island Bar BBQ, sharing potluck dishes with other cruisers.
Sometimes our group was so large we took over the largest tables and
occasionally several tables. We had dinner and played games on each
others' yachts and watched our $2 "first run" movies that we'd
purchased in the video store at SavuSavu. This was the most social
time we have had since leaving the USA in 2008. Neither of us wanted
it to end. But as times passed, so did friends. "Scallywag", "Just In
Time", "Avant Garde", "Mahurangi" all had visitors and so they set off
island hopping with them.

On the 19th, we hugged and cried a lot as we prepared to leave for
Port Denarau. We knew that we will not see some of our friends again,
or that if we do it will be a long time until then. Some were
planning to sail back home to the US, some back to NZ and others to
who knows where. Once again, we left a piece of our hearts behind.