New blog to follow http://www.failingsailing.blogspot.com/ Edi has started this blog to follow his adventures on Crazy Daisy sailing around the globe :o) Follow and enjoy his crazy adventures…

WHY, GUNS, WHY ???

A friend's recent facebook post made me think of something disturbing… Going back about fifteen years now… When I first moved to America. I remember pushing my cart around a supermarket in Tennessee with my Mum, when I was shocked to see an isle of guns and ammunition, right there between the isle of care bears, kids toys and kitchen equipment!!! And this wasn't just guns,it was rifles, shot guns, hand guns, knives, all sorts of weapons and ammunition, anything you could possibly want if you wanted to KILL something or someone… (why else would one want a weapon?) I have to say that I remember my Mum and I looking wide eyed at each other and wondering where the hell we had just moved to, and how quickly could we get the hell out of here? Quite obviously it seemed, we had just moved to a country of serious violence, where any Tom, Dick or Harry could just waltz into any supermarket, buy a hand gun over the counter without so much as a "by your leave"!!! then go out and shoot or kill whatever or whomever they chose… In England there are so many procedures, laws and requirements one has to go through to obtain a weapon, it is never as simple as a quick trip to your local supermarket! I can't help at this point reflecting upon the many horrific tragedies over the past fifteen years that have occurred in various states because of lunatics let loose with guns. How many innocent people have suffered the loss of a loved one through some maniac who went beserk with a killing machine that he probably bought in a supermarket. I truly don't understand the American obsession with guns, and this 'right to have a gun', why, WHY ? honestly?… Guns kill or maim, WHY should anyone have the right to own something that can do this??? Perhaps my understanding of this 'right to bear weapons' is alien to me because I'm British, thank God we are still a peaceful nation over there… Yes, I know that England has it's fair share of violence, but it's not like it is here in the States. Everything from America crawls across to the UK eventually, I just wish weapons weren't one of those things, but I know they will in time... It makes me very nervous...

A Very English Thanksgiving!

There's actually no English Thanksgiving, as I'm sure you're all aware. But then when we Brits live here in the States we have to take advantage of your holidays too, and Thanksgiving is a wonderful opportunity to get family together, eat and drink to excess and be quite merry, and we did… Sadly, without Edi who was still in California, and Bob who is in Grenada getting Daisy ready for the circumnavigation. So it was just me, Nic, Sam and Danni, but we still had fun. Sam helped with shucking the oysters and making us all cocktails while we cooked. Nic made Oysters Rockafella for our appetizer, which were absolutely delicious, and Danni found a pearl in one of her oysters. I made the entree, Roasted Goose with a port and cranberry dressing, green beans in hollandaise, twice baked potatoes with pureed parsnips, roasted sprouts, roast parsnips and chestnut and date stuffing. Danni decorated our humungous Thanksgiving cake made of coffee, chocolate and Scotch whisky decorated with shaved white and dark chocolate over a rich creamy Baileys, buttercream frosting… All washed down with several bottles of wine and champagne. Needless to say the following day we were all really suffering from the overindulgence of too much rich food, alcohol and diabetic shock! Fortunately these holidays excuses for shameless overindulgence only happen twice a year. We drank water by the pint, and the fridge stayed pretty much untouched for the day. Late afternoon we all took a long walk enjoying the crisp, fresh air on a beautiful sunny day. Now we have just a few short weeks to diet it all off before Christmas, when we can do it all over again...

Been A While! But Then Off Around The World...

Since I'm no longer bobbing around the Caribbean on Daisy, there seems very little for me to write about lately. So, forgive me please, I'm reaching here, but its been so long since I wrote anything, I just felt compelled to say something to stop my blog from being chewed up and spit out by the monster that is... 'the Mother of procrastination'. I really love being back on dry land, I am most sincerely a landlubber rather than a sailor, but, having said that, I really, really do miss the adventure, being onboard Daisy always inspires me to write. And my writing is always more entertaining when I'm onboard than when I'm on land… Sadly, I've discovered that it's actually pretty dull just living in a house in a neighborhood; but that's not a complaint, I'm actually quite happy because I feel safe, there are no enormous, razor toothed, slimy critters surrounding my dwelling here, (well excluding a few of the neighbors)hehehe just kidding. I'm not about to get washed off into the deep blue yonder or swallowed up by something hideous with bad breath, not to mention the benefit of not being seasick, so, other than a flash flood, I think I'm actually pretty safe here… I really love living in Atlanta, its the most amazing exciting city. The longer I'm here the more I like it. There's just so much to do, and the weather is absolutely fabulous. Life in America for me started in Tennessee, a State that I will forever love, it has the most friendly, warm, genuine people, and such breathtaking scenery, Oh the scenery, the Smokey mountains and the lakes were so beautiful, truly to die for. I have only incredibly wonderful memories of that beautiful state and its lovely people. Next came Cincinnati, Ohio, not even close to the beauty of Tennessee, Oh how I missed the Smokey mountains and the amazing scenery. Although, I have to say, even with Ohio not being anything special to write about, I met some really wonderful people, and made some very special friends. We had the nicest neighbors in Cincinnati that we've ever had anywhere, and while I don't miss the state, I really miss my wonderful friends. Columbus came next, Ohio again (yawn) I'm sorry, I just really don't know what to say about Columbus because I don't want to offend anyone, so I'll just say it was OK, and I'm so happy that I don't live there anymore. The only reason I go back is because Danni is still there, and I'm really working hard to get her to move somewhere else, anywhere else. Although, it has to be said Columbus does have quite a good university! Bob has only five days left in the States before he leaves next Monday to return to Daisy in Grenada, and get her ready for the long awaited circumnavigation, which starts on January 6th 2013. Edi (my son) will be joining him for the complete voyage, as well as Ted a family friend, and for the first six months of the trip, my brother Paul. Other people will be joining for various sections of the trip, friends and family members from around the world. It's all starting to get quite exciting. I fly out to join the boat in Panama in February, and I'm doing the Panama canal transit, and then the sail on to the Galapagos islands with the crew. Daniela will be joining us in the Galapagos for two weeks, where we have a five day cruise around the islands booked (on a luxury motor boat, yes we will be guests aboard a dreaded "Gin Palace" LOL). Then Danni and I will fly home, while the rest of the crew head on to the South Pacific islands of Tahiti, Bora Bora, Figi and so on… I sort of wish I was going, well actually I really wish I was going, but I just don't have the balls to do the sail... I'm not sure yet where and when I will next join the crew, possibly in Australia, I really would love to see the Great Barrier reef, who knows. But, I have my first book to publish, which should (if all goes to plan) hit the stores in February 2013… Then I have a second book that's almost finished, and I plan to write a third while Bob does his world rally. Who knows how much of that trip I'll actually take part in. I'm quite desperate for something to write about!

I'll keep you posted, meanwhile, back to packing :o)

It Just Get's Worse...

OH what would I possibly write about without the incompetence of man? Although, having read this my husband was of the opinion that I was partially to blame, what do you think? Read on, and let me know... My departure from the lovely Island of Grenada yesterday was somewhat bittersweet, I hated to leave, but I needed a break from all the back breaking work and I really missed my family, and my little Nicho-San. So, even though leaving was sad I couldn't wait to get home. The people on this little Island really are so helpful, friendly and happy. Even the staff at the airport, and that's unusual, in my experience airport staff in general are not very friendly or helpful. Anyone who has read my blogs on airline travel will be all too familiar with my thoughts regarding this industry. Coming home yesterday did nothing to improve my opinion of the airline industry and their general incompetence and bad management. The flight from Grenada was on time and even I could find nothing to complain about, well that is until I arrived in Miami. This is not one of my favorite airports, I've had so many bad experiences here over the years I truly hate the place, sadly it can't easily be avoided when one is traveling to the Caribbean from Atlanta. Upon my arrival in Miami, I had the usual 6 mile hike along endless corridors, up and down escalators more stairs, more corridors and eventually the immigration. The lines have now been split into 3 sections, Citizens, Residents and Visitors. My line (residents) was the shortest and I was through fairly quickly, but then I had to collect my checked bags to go through customs. Having brought half the contents of the boat back with me my bags weighed exactly 50 pounds each, and my 2 carry-on bags were also very heavy. We were directed to conveyor belt 8 to collect our bags. After a 25 minute wait one of the disgruntled passengers in the crowd shouted "Grenada bags are on belt 7." So all 350 people pushed and shoved their way over to belt 7. After another 10 minute wait we were directed to belt 5 and by a passenger, not a member of staff. The staff could really care less. 'Customer Service' not something they bother about... One thing that REALLY, REALLY, REALLY pisses me off in baggage claim is the way people all crowd around right up to the edge of the belt, this way no one can see the bags coming and everyone has to push and shove in order to grab their bags off the belt, after they've watched it go around 2 or 3 times because they were unable to reach it through the mass of bodies. If everyone stood back about 4 feet everyone could see the bags coming, and just step forward and pull their bag off with ease and without knocking people over, or injuring small children, whose stupid parents have let them stand right by the belt in everyone's way… Because we were in Miami, where in my opinion bad management and disorganization should win prizes, they had cordoned off one full side of the belt, so all 350 people were crowded onto one side. People had already been waiting over 30 minutes and tempers were rising, it was getting ugly. There was one woman with a husband two children and pushchair all lined up lengthways right alongside the belt, taking up about 10 feet of precious space. Where was her intelligence? Seriously, why not stand out of the way with the children and the pushchair, let the husband get the bags and keep the children from getting trampled in the stampeed. But no, the husband grabbed the bags and the wife lined them all up right alongside the belt just as if they were the only people there! I can only assume she was dim witted, well either that or she was just plain ignorant. Anyway it pissed me off. When my bags came around I had to climb over her bags to try to grab mine, I knocked the stupid barrier over and one of the airport staff told me to go around the other side. I yelled loudly at him over the crowd "there's no room around the other side, I can't reach it around there, if you had any intelligence you'd remove the taped barrier and let people get their bags." He told me again to go around the other side and I told him to "get lost." Ignoring him I pulled my bag's off the belt knocked the barrier completly over, and the stupid women's line of bags, and then struggled to put my 2 heavy carryon bags over my shoulder and drag 100 pounds in luggage through the long line of people waiting to go through customs, where they have to re-check their bags and get to their connecting flight gate. In just about every other airport I've ever been through cart's are provided for people having to collect and re-check their bags, but not in Miami, here you have to pay $5. The disorganization with the staff at the gate was no better than the idiot in the baggage claim. We were all herded like cattle through the gate, with 2 planes boarding at the same time. I handed my boarding pass to the desk clerk and was directed to follow the line of people. As I made my way along the corridor towards the plane another attendant took my boarding pass, looked at it and directed me to the plane, I handed one of my carry on bags to the baggage handler at the foot of the steps, they took it and placed it with all the others. When I boarded the plane I was handed a form to fill in, I took it and made my way to my seat, I was about to sit down when I looked at the form and wondered what it was for, as I had just cleared customs and immigration. I called back to the flight attendant "what's this form for?" He replied that I needed it for entry into the Bahama's! "f*@#*^%$#@" WHAT??? "I'm going to Atlanta" I yelled back. "Not on this plane you're not." He laughed, he actually laughed! I was not amused that he found it funny. So then I had to make my way back down the isle past the line of people cramming onto the plane, back down the steps find my bag and make my way across the tarmac with everyone yelling at me, to find the plane I should have been on… I'm not going to elaborate on my opinion of the idiot who directed me to the "WRONG PLANE" because he obviously couldn't read… Such are the joys of airline travel today! Had I not been given a customs form I could be in the Bahamas right now, probably sleeping in the terminal like Tom Hanks in the movie of the same name!

Taking back the Reins

My life (emotionally) has been spinning out of control recently, as I've felt engulfed by the mountain of work facing me. Sometimes we have to be beaten down in order to find our way back up. I alone created this albatros, and I've allowed myself to become completely overwhelmed to a point where I can't make sense of anything. It's really important to know when to say enough is enough, deal with what you can handle and the rest will still be there tomorrow. I can relate the feeling to riding a horse, where I've lost the reins and my horse is galloping head first towards a cliff-face, while I'm aboard just barely holding on, crying and feeling sorry for myself, instead of fighting to take back control, grabbing the reins and steering away from the cliff. I've told myself to stop, take a deep breath, and look at the situation I'm faced with, so I can decide upon a "do-able" course of action. There's no one waiting to rescue me. No one really cares about my mountain of work or impossible schedule, or threatened nervous breakdown. Everyone has their own list of issues to deal with, their own pile of crap and problems. A strong person just gets on with it. Everyone keeps telling me how strong I am, although I haven't felt it recently. I think, at least I hope, that I started to do that today, well a little bit anyway. I created this huge impossible list of jobs, that need to fit into this rediculously impossible schedule, so basically I should be able to redo it. I'm here in one of the most beautiful islands in the world, and all I can do is feel sorry for myself, because I can't cope with my self imposed work load, how pathetic am I? Life isn't easy for anyone, I know that and life doesn't owe us a living either, nothing is handed to us on a silver platter. We are what we are, and we create our own happiness, as my daughter Daniela is constantly telling me. How brilliant am I that I gave birth to such a wise child! Well actually all three of my children are clever and wise, how did I manage that? maybe it was Bob's input, or maybe I actually had something to do with it. I really have to stop putting myself down. My first phase in improving my situation here was to move into one of the lovely resort cottages.

Daisy's Cottage

Dining Table on the porch

The View

Living room

The lovely, air conditioned bedroom

Galley style kitchen. For info on this fabulous resort go to www.lepharebleu.com - Now I have somewhere to escape the boat, and I'm no longer constantly faced with all the work I have to do. Another huge bonus of moving, is that I'm not breathing in the fumes from all the chemicls I'm using all day. I've been having headaches the last few days and the warnings on the product tell you how dangerous it is to breathe in the fumes. I just don't know how to apply the product without breathing in the fumes!!! Anyway, I'm now very happily situated in a beautiful little cottage, and I'm staying in Grenada another 10 days. Being able to leave the boat and come back to such (fume free) luxury is just wonderful. I feel like a different person, and don't even mind going to work on the boat all day when I can come back here and relax every afternoon… Why didn't I do this before?

When The Going Gets Tough

This is how I handle stress; when I feel under pressure I write about it. For years I wrote in journals, stuff that could keep a college full of physiology students busy for years. Today I write here, on my blog, for the world to read, why do I do that? I only know it helps me somehow. It makes me feel less alone because I know so many people read this. My Grandmother would fold her arms, purse her lips, frown and say I was "airing my dirty laundry in public" But such is life, we all handle our stress in different ways, most people keep it very private, I've never been one of those private people, with me what you see is what you get, I don't sugar coat or give false smiles, when I'm happy it's very obvious and the same goes for when I'm down. I don't disguise my feelings well. Right now, on Daisy, I am so completely overwhelmed with what I have to do and try and accomplish in the next 7 days I feel as though I'm suffocating. There's no way I'm going to get it all done even if I was to work 24 hours a day. This morning I was down on my hands and knees (again) trying to balance myself on the floor struts while reaching to sand around the edges of the galley, the dust was making me cough, the sweat was running into my eyes and stinging, my clothes were uncomfortable, wringing wet with sweat, my knees were painful from trying to hold my weight on the narrow struts which I kept slipping off while trying to shoo away all the flies, it suddenly all became just too much, and as I looked around me and saw how much I still have to do, and the mess I'm in everywhere, I just collapsed into a heap and sobbed for about an hour. I feel so alone here, I hate failure and I'm failing so fast its not even funny. Usually I can joke about this stuff and laugh at my inadequacies, but today I'm unable to find any humor in my situation. I offered to do this, I wanted to help, I turned down outside help because the cost of it was so extortionate and I was sure I could do it and save us some money. As usual I just bit off more than I could chew. If I just had one thing to do; the toerail, or the floors, or the doors, or any one of the other hundred or so jobs I've undertaken to do, I honestly don't think it would be a problem, but I have about 50 jobs started, nothing completed, and so much more to do I just don't know where to start. I'm procrastinating now sitting here writing this I know, but its because I'm so overwhelmed, I want to stick my head in the sand and pray it all goes away. Writing is my therapy, it helps me, and I now feel able to go back and start again, God help me I hope I survive this...