Kim's Galley Guidelines

Ital

2010-03-14T13:43:00.000-07:00

As we were boogying (try spelling that without setting off spell check!) to reggae music this morning, we discovered that our teenager did not know anything at all about Rastafari, though she has long enjoyed the music of Bob Marley and Peter Tosh. It seemed wrong to me that my kid didn't know about rastafari, since I spent several of my favorite years living that life with some really great people I met in the Caribbean. SO, we got on the computer and looked it up. My kid learned a lot. I learned a little, and had lots of fond memories jogged.

The patois... oh how I miss that wonderful dialect. In my surfing I found this site with childrens' stories read aloud in Jamaican Patois. This is going to really help me write some stories in that dialect... (That's the plan, at least!)

One of the other things I really, really loved about the rasta lifestyle was the food. Ital they call it. I was the healthiest I have ever been when I lived on that food. It is basically a natural, unprocessed diet full of fresh, local fruit and vegetables. The people I knew did not eat meat or dairy, but they did occassionally eat fish and eggs. They cooked in clay pots they called yabbas and used wooden utensils except for the knives. We had bowls made of coconut shells and little spoons also made of coconut shells. It was like a ceremony when we ate, and every meal was prefaced by a quick "Tanks an' praises" directed to Jah.

The primary focus of the days activities would generally revolve around the meal. First the ingredients would be gathered. If the breadfruit was in season, that would be the base for the meal. Otherwise, it usually started with lentils. Cooking would be done over an open fire with a careful arrangement of stones which supported a flat metal top from a 55 gallon drum. On top of this sat the yabba.

Here is the recipe for a basic Ital Stew:

Lentils - about 1 1/2 cups dried
1 Onion - or 4 spring onions - chopped
Bell Pepper - chopped
1 - 2 whole scotch bonnet peppers (use whole and remove before eating)
Carrot - grated
Coconut Milk (Scrape or grate all meat from a mature coconut, soak in water 10-15 Minutes then squeeze all the liquid into the stew.)
fresh thyme
fresh basil
fresh bay leaves (2 - 3)

Pour all into Yabba and cook over fire till lentils and vegetables are fully cooked.

I had a neighbor who was a really good ital cook. He loved to cook for my stuffy white friends, and would make a great production of the whole meal. The one great exception was that he used my stove instead of the open fire outside. One night we had twice the number of people we had planned for, and I went into the kitchen and asked him, "What should we do?" His reply was, "Not to worry, mon," as he reached over and dropped another little scotch bonnet pepper into the pot...

Christmas Winds

2009-12-28T09:21:00.000-08:00

(c) 2009 - Kim Davis

I'd met Paul in early November. We cat crews had eaten dinner and stopped for a last beer in the bar on the way out. We'd told outrageous puking punter stories. It was our favorite topic of conversation, since we all had to deal with sea-sick passengers day in and day out. The sea was always choppy on the way to St. Barths in the morning. Without fail someone would be sick, and that would set off a chain-reaction and all the others who otherwise might have kept it together succumbed to mal de mer. We crew became very adept at discretely passing out sick bags just before they were actually needed. One crew liked to surreptitiously slip a little vodka in the morning orange juice. They swore their punters didn't get as sick.

After that, I sometimes saw Paul at happy hour. He was a feisty little man with a big nose and horn-rimmed glasses who sang like an angel and played a mean jazz guitar. He really surprised me when he offered me a job cooking aboard Enchantress, an aging 50 foot ketch that carried two crew and six guests. Paul was twenty-something and this was his first Captain's job. But having grown up in New Zealand, he had done a lot of sailing. He had an older sister and brother both well known on the Caribbean-Mediteranean charter circuit, and had put in several seasons as crew aboard charter yachts.

I asked, "How do you know I can cook?"

He replied, "I've overheard you talking about cooking. You sound like you know what you're talking about." He needed a cook immediately as the French girl he'd had working with him for the past couple of charters had suddenly quit. He assured me it hadn't been because of anything he did, and since I'd had my fill of passing around sick bags on the way to St. Barths each day, I took the job.

We set off immediately for Antigua to provision and do some quick repairs. When we got there, I had a crash course on roasting lamb legs from Paul's sister, as this ability was essential to anyone working for Paul. Then I spent over a thousand dollars buying enough food and drink for eight people for a week, and off we set to collect our guests way down south in St. Lucia. The weather wasn't ideal, and more importantly, it was a Friday. There's a well-known sailor's superstition that says, "Never leave on a Friday", but we were both too young to respect the old superstitions. December in the Leeward Islands brings the Christmas Winds, which though mild and pleasant on the beaches, blow all the way from Africa. In the spaces between islands they tend to blow up some enormous seas. I'd never seen waves higher than the top of any sailboat's mast before, and while it was thrilling to surf up and down the huge rolling waves, every-so-often, an unexpected wave would come at odds to the rest and dump freezing bathtubs of water over the open cockpit. There was no auto-pilot, so one of us had to physically steer at all times, which meant that whoever was on the helm was completely drenched at odd intervals through the entire time we sailed.

About three hours out, the lights of English Harbour were almost below the horizon on our stern and the luminescent glow of Guadeloupe was growing ahead of us, the sea was big, but not too choppy. That's when the rain started. We hadn't had time to appreciate that fully when the steering gave out with a loud bang. Paul swore in the colorful way only a Kiwi can, but he kept his cool. He did a great job of managing my panic before it started, and gave me a job to do standing watch and coiling lines as we were tossed around like a cork. Meanwhile he set to work hooking up the emergency steering, a long piece of pipe that hooked directly to the rudder forming a very stiff tiller in the middle of the aft cabin. I kept my mouth shut. I don't think I let on that I didn't know sailing yachts had emergency steering systems. Paul gave quiet orders and I tried my best to follow them. There was no time to mess about or panic.

Paul wasn't tall enough to steer with the emergency tiller and see where we were going, so I had to stand on the tiller and poke my head out the aft hatch. Paul stayed on deck to manage the sails. The wind blew and stung my face all night, and it was so hard to steer with the strong current pushing against the rudder. I've never been so tired as when we finally pulled into Falmouth Harbour and anchored way out near the entrance where we wouldn't have to steer to fine a course. I don't remember the couple of hours of sleep I got that morning before the repairs and airing out of the boat began. Now we'd have to eliminate an overnight stop that had been planned on the way to St. Vincent, and that was IF we successfully got the repairs and now the laundry all done in time at all.

I didn't think about how hard I had to work on that trip, or even on that boat for the next six months. The boat was old, and the anchor windlass didn't work, so I was expected to pull the anchor by hand. We somehow managed to get to St. Vincent on time, and to get all the bunks dry and the boat cleaned up before the guests arrived, but I can't remember how. The American family who joined us that Christmas were delightful. They had never been sailing before, had never seen brownies or bread made "from scratch", and they genuinely wanted to learn to sail. Paul turned out to be a great host and teacher. Even after our first day at sea with the guests on board, we crossed those big seas brought by the Christmas winds and they all felt sick, but they trusted us completely and their determination to have a good time made it all worth while for me too.

Fifth of July Menu with Corn Fritters

2009-07-05T09:43:00.000-07:00

Lunch on the 5th of July

It's the 5th of July. We have many ears of corn, some lovely mozzarella pomodoro with grape tomatoes and tiny balls of mozzarella fresca, and some grilled zucchini left over. I also had some thin sliced pork chops, which I combined with the left-over grilled onions and bell pepper from yesterday's fajitas. That said, here's the menu:

Thin sliced breakfast chops
Corn fritters
Mozzarella pomodoro
Grilled zucchini

Here's my corn fritter recipe:

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups white corn meal
1 1/4 cups white flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1/4 cup melted butter
1 1/2 cups corn (I cut this from the left over cooked corn-on-the-cob)

Combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix well. Add milk and eggs. Mix thoroughly. Fold in melted butter and corn. Drop by large spoonfuls into deep fryer or dutch oven with 1/2" hot cooking oil. I set mine to medium heat. Use a tiny drop of batter to make sure the oil is hot enough. It should sizzle immediately when it hits the oil. Cook 3-4 minutes per side. You can tell when to turn them because bubbles appear on the top. Cook till golden. Drain on paper towels.

Serves 2 dozen. Recipe can be halved.

Creating A Cookbook

2009-04-16T10:01:00.000-07:00

While this does not strictly apply to yacht chefs, I know that chefs everywhere have cookbooks inside them. Right now I find myself compiling recipes for a fundraising venture to help my daughter's school group. I have been shying away from assembling and publishing my own cookbook for a long time now because I always thought there must be an easy way to do it, and sure enough, there is!

The book I'm doing for school is going to be published through Morris Press Cookbooks, www.morriscookbooks.com. They have made the whole process so EASY. From providing an online system where cookbook contributors can input recipes to creating attractive and inexpensive templates for the cookbooks plus order forms all the tools for when it's time to sell the cookbooks... I highly recommend them!

Watch this space... We're bound to do a yacht-chef cookbook before all's said and done!

The Struggle Back from Obscurity

2008-09-22T12:32:00.001-07:00

Hello, sports fans! I'm still alive and kicking, can you believe it? I know you all think I don't love you anymore, but that simply isn't true. I just got distracted with the business of living.

I'm firing this well-worn old blog back up as a line in to my yacht-chef.com website. I plan to keep my culinary readers informed of interesting ideas and thoughts about all things galley related.

Stay tuned to this webpage. Add it to your favorites, because there's great stuff to come!

World War II Foo Fighters by Francesca Black

2006-10-18T17:25:00.000-07:00

In the 1938 comic strip Smokey Stover, a firefighter was known for his line, "Where there's foo, there's fire." From Smokey, aircraft pilots borrowed the term "foo fire" to describe the various unexplainable phenomenon seen in the skies over Europe and the Pacific theatre during World War II. While Allied pilots initially thought the flying objects were German secret or psychological weapons, after the war it was discovered that sightings were also reported by the enemy, who had assumed the crafts were US-made. To this day, the sightings remain a mystery.

Over the course of the war, fireballs, estimated to be as big as 300 feet and as small as 1 foot in diameter, were reported and thoroughly documented. These apparitions left witnesses awe-inspired, wary, and frightened-although the foo fighters never harmed or attempted to harm anyone. The CIA was commissioned in 1952 to study the reports and concluded that while mysterious, foo fighters were not a considered a threat to national security.

A Foo fighter is an umbrella term that includes flying objects of various shapes and sizes. Wobbling, or vibrating flares were described as glowing globes of intense green, yellow, red, orange, or white lights. One crew even reported observing the phosphorescent spheres going through a sequence of color changes at regular intervals. Other reports describe them as silver or gold metallic, and disk-shaped. They frequently appeared at the wing tips of planes in pairs or alone, although sometimes they were found in larger clusters of fifteen or more. In one report 150 objects were estimated to be arranged in 10-12 lines. Picking up an aircraft, these blobs of fire could reportedly pace a plane at very high speeds through extensive evasive maneuvers for several minutes. One British officer and his crew of sailors tracked an object from the deck of their vessel for over an hour. Although a few baffled pilots attempted to intercept, and even fire upon the globes, their efforts were unsuccessful, and the objects usually zoomed away of their own accord.

Foo fighters were mentioned in the American mass media. Ponderous articles appeared in Time and Newsweek in 1945, contributing to the wave of UFO consciousness building in the US. By 1952 so many civilians were contacting government agencies regarding UFO reports that regular intelligence work was being affected.

While scientists have never been able to explain the phenomenon, many speculations have been advanced as possibilities. Five of the most plausible theories are:

1. The fireballs may be nothing more than St. Elmo's Fire, a reddish brush-like discharge of atmospheric electricity which has often been seen near the tips of church steeples, ships' masts and yardarms. It also appears at a plane's wing tips.

2. They may have been optical illusions, mere after-images of light remaining in pilots' eyes after being dazzled by flak bursts.

3. Occurrences may have been the rare effect of "ball lightning," a glowing, drifting bubble of light typically eight inches in diameter. These generally, though not always, follow regular lightning strikes.

4. Bright ground objects reflected from the curved plastic canopy of an aircraft can be perceived as images above the horizon.

5. Proponents of the extraterrestrial hypothesis (ETH) have suggested that foo fighters are hard evidence of ETs visiting earth.

Foo fighters are certainly some of the best documented reports of UFOs, and photographs and respected testimony abound. Hopefully in time the mystery will be solved, and this comic book name will be replaced by its true name.

Copyright (c) 2006 Francesca Black

Francesca Black a long time science fiction buff, manages content for UFO Gifts http://www.ufo-gifts.com and Science Fiction Corner http://www.science-fiction-corner.com .

Article Source: http://www.information-exchange.net

Crosses & Angels

2006-10-17T10:03:00.000-07:00


Markers from the old cemetary at Great Missenden.

Super-Cat and the Goldfinch

2006-09-27T06:58:00.000-07:00

I recently talked about my "mostly outdoors cat". Today she features in my banter as well, since she's responsible for the beautiful little bird, recently killed, that I found on my back door mat. It was the most beautiful little canary-like bird. I was sorry my "Cat-among-cats" had killed it, but can't blame her for doing what instinct dictates.

I looked the little bird up, and found that it was an American Goldfinch, www.nhptv.org/natureworks/goldfinch.htm. What was particularly striking about this was that when I listened to the recorded "call" of the Goldfinch, I heard it echoed through my open window. It eats seed from the trees in my backyard, and is probably nesting here now, or WAS. It seemed odd to me that a bird would be nesting this late in the year, but the website, above, confirms it.

I have a vague recollection of my mother talking about American Goldfinches around her house years ago, so this definitely sounds right. This is the first time I've used my Complete Birds of North America, edited by Johathan Alderfer for National Geographic. What does it say about me that my bird watching activities center on those my cat brings in? Looks like I'm not getting out enough! Or, even worse, I'm not even looking out the window enough!

True Steve Irwin Tribute 9/20/06

2006-09-25T16:02:00.000-07:00


I've had Terry Irwin and her kids in my thoughts and prayers a lot lately. I'm not ashamed to tell you that this little speech, so beautifully delivered by Bindi Irwin made me cry. Moving speech given by Bindi Irwin about her Dad at his Official Tribute at The Australia Zoo on September 20th 2006.

The Catnip Wars

2006-09-12T07:14:00.000-07:00

It's come to it at last. Scuffles in broad daylight over the catnip patch.

Fluffy Bum, who rarely ventures outside has discovered Miss Kitten's well kept secret. There's catnip in the vegetable bed. In hindsight, Miss Kitten's been hiding her little habit very well. We just thought she was feeling good for her age. Little did we suspect she's been getting high on catnip.We think it's been going on for months. It's only recently come to light, however, since Fluffy Bum developed a fondness for the "evil" weed as well.

Miss Kitten has made it plain that if she sees Fluffy Bum anywhere near the catnip, there's going to be trouble. But the power this plant has over them is truly incredible. Even in the certain knowledge that she's going to get beat up, Fluffy Bum makes straight for the catnip at every opportunity.

Today Miss Kitten made an even bolder move declaring her adoration for her special herb. She purred and rubbed face in the catnip, took a bite, and then attacked the plant as if it were hiding a family of mice.

BIG creepy crawlies - in MY space

2006-08-22T08:19:00.000-07:00

Oh man! I thought I was going to have a peaceful quiet day today and get heaps done, but the peace was shattered when I looked down as I lowered my hand to my office chair. I caught a glimpse of something going underneath the arm rest. I'd already seen an e-bloody-normous wolf spider in the laundry this morning, and what I saw on my chair looked like a spider appendage ducking out of sight.

I try not to kill creepy crawlies just because they've strayed into "human space", but when they're on the holy of holies, MY CHAIR, I tend to be less forgiving. I leapt up and away from the chair, then peered under the arm from a safe distance...

It was a HUGE scorpion! I freaked smooth out. Even now I have to step away from the chair for a moment and catch my breath.

Once or twice I've seen tiny ones in the house, but they were extremely rare. This one was about 4 inches long. I didn't even know they got that big here. I grabbed the first large clear thing I came to and a file folder, knocked the chair over, and plopped the measuring cup over the critter. It was fast and smart, and escaped through the spout, but I was right behind it, and captured it again - I just kept spinning the cup around so it couldn't escape again. Eventually I got the file folder under it and flipped the cup, scorpion and all. I took it outside, but I didn't let it live. Sorry Scorpion.

Let that be a lesson to all scorpions - stay clear of human habitations. We're terrified of you and we're too big to eat.

A Phenomenal Survival at Sea Story - Los Angeles Times

2006-08-16T07:32:00.000-07:00

Seabirds, Rain Kept Men Alive for 9 Months - Los Angeles Times

I enjoyed this happy ending in the LA Times this morning. Amid all the news of people doing horrible things to each other, there was this one story about some Mexican fishermen who survived against all the odds. Their families had given them up for dead, and they all three turned up alive halfway to Australia. Adrift for 9 months! Boggles the mind. I figure those must be some very easy going guys to have endured each other's company for that long - even while they were starving nearly to death.

I hope somebody writes a best seller and makes these boys rich. Too bad I'm unable to dash off to Mexico and interview them myself...

School - Day 1

2006-08-16T06:28:00.000-07:00

I'm free! At least until 3:00 this afternoon. The little nippers are back at school this morning, and they seemed happy about it too. They rolled out of bed promptly this morning, jumped in their waiting clothes, ate breakfast, brushed hair and teeth and we were out the door well ahead of our usual school day time. And it's a good thing too, since the traffic at the schools this morning was dreadful.

I knew it would be crazy, but the experience was new for me today too, since both kids moved up to the next school. And just like me, there were literally hundreds of other parents learning their new drop-off route. I think I discovered which way NOT to go! But it's hard to say how things will be moving in a week's time after everyone is familiar with where they are supposed to go.

If we were talking about just one school, it would not be such a big deal, but all of our schools, elementary, intermediate, jr. high, and high school are in the same complex. It's great if you have multiple kids at multiple schools - all except the traffic! It's been my experience to date, that some schools manage the parents in cars better than others. (And there are some REALLY stupid parents in cars!)

This morning I have to take my hat off to the police, and all the rest of the city employees who were out in force directing traffic. I got tickled when I saw first the dog catcher out directing traffic, then the chief of police, then the janitor from the elementary school... Good job guys!

They're Bulldozing the Trees Behind My House

2006-07-27T12:54:00.000-07:00

Yep. There's a big yellow smoking monster in the beautiful wood behind my house wrecking havoc. I feel sick. I can't understand why anyone would want to knock down all the beautiful old trees where the deer live.

And there's nothing I can do about it. The rich man up the road bought the house and land next door, and he's going to make it look like the rest of his park-land with pastures full of expensive cattle. That's what it's all about for him, it seems. Appearance. He's a lawyer in the big city, and this little ranching business is really a hobby for his wife.

They've already filled in the pond behind the house. I guess all those frogs and turtles and snakes just died. It's been so hot here, I can't believe any of them survived. Now the deer, coyotes, possums, squirrels and raccoons will be scurrying around trying to figure out where to run.

The birds will be leaving us too.

This is progress.

Controversy AGAIN at Tour de France 2006

2006-07-27T12:49:00.000-07:00

Tour de France 2006 Outside Online

I was glad to see another American winning the Tour de France, if only to show a triumphant American face to the world after Lance Armstrong was dragged through the mud with accusations of drugging. Now Phonak has confirmed that Floyd Landis has tested positive for drugs. http://www.procycling.com/news.aspx?ID=2344

You may recall that Irish sports reporter, David Walsh leveled drugging accusations aganist Lance Armstrong in 2001, in an article for the London Sunday Times. I hated that, because I always liked Lance, and thought he was a straight-up guy. I didn't want to believe that he really, knowingly took performance enhancing drugs. Why trash the guy now, besmirching his greatest accomplishments after-the-fact?

In their article of July 6, 2006, Armstrong Drops French Lawsuits, Procycling Magizine had this to say:

Armstrong received a ruling in his favour last week at the High Court in London in a case against the Sunday Times, which had run extracts from the Walsh and Ballester book. That followed the recent decision of an arbitration tribunal in Texas ordering insurance company SCA Promotions to pay Armstrong $7.5 million dollars on an unpaid policy which the company had refused to hand over, citing allegations from the book.

No telling where it will all lead, but I'll be very sad and disappointed if it doesn't turn out to be a false positive test, or false accusations.

Here's the story as the LA Times reported it on July 28, Tour de France Winner in Limbo After Drug Test.

Past E-book Offers

2006-07-22T09:02:00.000-07:00

I just received an e-mail from reader, S.K., who asked me about a f*ree e-book offer I was running. I didn't remember running such an offer lately. (If I have, somebody, please remind me!) So, I went digging among my websites to see what I still have available out there. Here's what I found:

Hurricane Handbook, by Gene Parola - (note: if you tried to download from this page and had trouble, try again. I fixed a bad link...)
How to Find a Job When the Economy Sucks, by Jim Stroude
Seasickness, by Kim Davis
Galley Guidelines, by Kim Davis
Creative Juice - A dozen key lessons for Creative Dreamers, by Suzanne Falter-Barns

Rogue Waves and Breadmaking

2006-07-18T15:26:00.000-07:00

My friend Tina sent me this link to a story on AOL news about Rogue waves.

I found it very interesting. I'd always heard about rogue waves, and I'm surprised that the scientists are just now looking at them. Personally I've only seen 20-30 footers - Kinda scary in a 50' sailboat! That was during the "Christmas Winds" down island - all the way from Antigua to the Grenadines. Makes you wonder why that's also the beginning of charter season! My favorite trick as all the guests sat green-faced in the cockpit was to make bread. There was a gimbled stove to sit it on to rise and bake so it was still. By the time it was done, everyone had been sick and terrified all day, and they were starving! Made for some excellent tips! Of course I got a few bruises from flying across the galley and slamming into hard surfaces on the other side, but the punters were fascinated watching me sitting on the galley floor with a large bowl in my lap.

My recipe was really easy - my pal Karen still swears by it...

1 1/2 cups warm water
1 Tbsp Honey
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 Tbsp dry yeast
4 cups flour
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Mix water, honey, salt and yeast in a bowl. Allow to rest till yeast starts to bubble. (5-10 min.)
Add flour a little at a time until dough pulls away from side of bowl. (Not all flour will be needed.)
Turn dough onto a well floured surface. Sprinkle flour onto the dough and cover hands in flour.
Cut dough into 2 pieces and shape into long loaves by gently rolling and stretching it between hands.
Place loaves on a well greased baking sheet, cover and allow to rise in a warm place for 20 min.
Make shallow diagonal shashes in the top of each loaf and spray with salted water.
Bake 20 min, and cool on wire rack. (Mine never had a chance to cool - just get the butter ready!)
To freeze loaves, bake only 15 min, cool completely and wrap in plastic.
To reheat, spray with salted water and cook at 450 for 10 min. (Keep this in mind when you're preparing to do a delivery...)

The Plankton Manifesto - Four Demands and One Last Offer before We Turn Off your Air

2006-07-01T21:26:00.000-07:00

A last ditch effort from the Plankton Nation to awaken us to the catastrophes at sea, and show us how a little care could heal their world and cure global warming, too.

Foster City, CA (PRWEB) June 8, 2006 -- World Ocean Day - The following dispatch just reached us from Pico of the so-called Plankton Nation, which is evidently quite outraged that we are so busy destroying their lives and now ignoring their holiday, too. Although their marine home and labors support 90% of Earthly life, Google News found only a few dozen tiny Ocean Day stories in the entire English-speaking world. That seemed to be the final straw. They now demand we listen up.

Preamble

Attention humans of the land. We are the phytoplankton of the sea, the greatest life-sustaining force in your universe, and we are losing patience fast. You are wantonly destroying our kin and your own survival chances as well. We produce most of the planet's oxygen, devour half its CO2, feed all ocean creatures, and are the greatest allies you've got. Yet you continue to starve us of vital nutrients and scald us with exhaust gas acids, thereby decimating our numbers, starving the seas and trashing your climate, too.

This is criminal, senseless and suicidal behavior and we demand that you cease at once, return the iron dust we need to live, and let us get back to work feeding sea life and cleansing the skies for you.

For those unacquainted with our problems or power, here are some remedial facts:

1) We Are Indispensable. Up until 1980, we were the biggest players the global carbon cycle, photosynthesizing over 100 billion tons of airborne CO2 to feed virtually every creature in the sea and create 60% of your breathable air. Trees and land plants helped a lot with the oxygen, but most of the heavy lifting was handled by our plankton crowd.

2) We Are Perishing At An Alarming Rate. In 2003 NASA scientists warned you that 25% of our plankton brethren in the Pacific and 6~9% overall have died off since 1980. Losing even 6% of our fellows means billions of tons less food for sea life everywhere, and several billion tons more global warming CO2 for you.

3) It Is Your Fault. In the Eighties, Dr. John Martin, a legendary oceanographer and our favorite biped by far, diagnosed our malaise as iron deficiency. We desperately need iron to grow and photosynthesize, and in the open sea our principal source is wind-borne dust from arid lands. NASA also reported that the ocean-bound dust clouds bearing our life-giving iron have fallen off by a third in the last two decades alone, thanks to your endless CO2 spew and big new farming ideas.

4) You Can Turn It All Around. Martin told you that we could be restored to health just by replenishing our iron dust, but he also connected the iron-plankton-climate dots and saw that reviving us could help end global warming, too. "Give me half a tanker of iron and I will give you an ice age," he famously declared, obviously recognizing you would continue to ignore our plight unless there was something in it for you.

5) You Can Even Make Money From It. Martin was a trifle optimistic, but we are in fact incredibly efficient and only need one kilogram of iron dust to capture 367,000 kilograms of CO2 in our svelte organic frames. Eighty percent of that bounty will recharge the ocean food chain, but 10~20% will also sink into the abyss, removing that much greenhouse gas from your skies for centuries or more. And thanks to the Kyoto Protocol that settling carbon is now a sunken treasure that you can trade as emission reductions or "carbon credits" for $5~15/ton. Do the math. Give us one ton of iron dust and we eliminate at least 35,000 tons of CO2, which you can then sell for big bucks and restore your climate, too. Just return us to our 1980 levels and we could be sinking billions more tons of carbon dioxide and bringing you billions in income as well as a cooler, safer world.

6) You've Got To Move Now. Restored to health and our original numbers, we could zero out half of all manmade emissions annually or seven times more than called for by the Kyoto Protocol. This would be the same as shutting down every fossil fuel power plant on the planet or running every single car on hydrogen (which still remain splendid ideas, by the way).

So here are our extremely reasonable and non-negotiable demands:

Demand #1: Give Our Iron Back.

You now owe us a half a million tons a year and are dangerously in arrears. NASA gave you the target, Martin gave you the tech, and Kyoto gave you a hell of self-serving way to repay this morbid debt. Besides saving our kind and everyone we feed, you could actually profit from protecting your climate, coasts, and fisheries. For those craving justice and real solutions this is admittedly far too sweet a deal, so we insert another point.

Demand #2: Use The Profits To Get Rid Of Fossil Fuels.

Burning your ancestors to cruise around town or heat a mall seems irreverent and appalling enough. But then letting those who milk this traffic usurp your governments, trash the peace, and ruin your health seems unspeakably stupid, too. The carbon we'll be sinking for you is worth a lot of money. Just be sure the profits flow to those working to cure your fossil fuel addiction, and not to still more lobbyists for the deadly status quo.

Demand #3: Stop At Restoration.

Just bringing us back to recent par will solve half of your CO2 problems on land and many of ours at sea. And we can both get there safely without entering any unknown territory. Any further climate cures you need, you look for on the supply-side where this trouble all began.

Demand #4: Defrock Half The So-Called Doctors Of Ocean Science For Negligence, Malpractice, And/Or Self-Serving Greed.

In February '06 we watched in disbelief as 2,500 oceanographers at the 13th annual Ocean Sciences Meeting delivered thousands of papers on the disastrous state of our seas. But instead of joining forces to fight for us or even championing remedies, the vast majority just shrugged off our demise and moaned, "the real problem is our shrinking research budgets." It's as though your physician found you tested positive for sixteen cancer symptoms, but instead of trying to heal you said, "Not so fast, we've got thirty more really cool expensive tests we'd like to run." If your doctors had watched you waste away for fifty years, but instead of trying to help just demanded more research bread, who would you think they are really working for?

Even worse are those opposing our restoration with cries of "no eco-engineering," "don't touch the oceans," and "leave the oceans alone!" Translated this means "close your eyes, turn away and let the oceans die." The fact is you have already touched us, touched us deeply, with rather murderous effect. And undoing the harm you've done is not "eco-engineering," it is usually called healing or restitution or just merciful common sense. (We note with bitter irony that some of the loudest voices railing against our rescue in the name of "unknown risks" are busy mapping our genomes, paving the way for patented superplankton to profitably supplant our kind.)

We thought Hippocrates taught you, "First do no harm," but every day you let us perish you compound the harm you've done to us, yourselves and the biosphere, and it is so insanely dumb. Doing nothing amid a tragedy is in itself an act of grave consequence as you should have learned by now in Auschwitz, Rwanda, and New Orleans.

Final Offer

So here’s the deal. You give us back our iron, we take down half your CO2, you sell those reductions in the international "carbon credit" markets the Kyoto Protocol set up, and use the proceeds to finally knock out fossil fuels. Working together we could make your so-called civilization carbon neutral within a few decades and start working on the huge CO2 backlog you've sent aloft since you first started burning coal and oil. This will also replenish your oxygen, buffer the coral-melting acid seas, and restock our entire neighborhood with fish and birds and whales. This is a simple, just and even profitable resolution - a win-win situation to the power of ten.

If, however, you do not heed our call and start to show some sense damn soon, we shall side with the voices now advising Mother Earth to reboot her whole operating system back to cyanobacteria and relaunch evolution again in hopes of an intelligent outcome next time.

So now it's up to you. Choose wisely and choose soon. 50 million years of evolution is a terrible thing to waste.

With sincere impatience and subsiding levels of regard,

The Plankton Nation

Full Disclosure

This educative outburst is delivered by cousin Pico of the Coccolithophore clan, which is perfectly apt since his tribe produces blackboard chalk and he's the only one of us with a blog. It was translated from our fleeting calligraphy by W. David Kubiak of Planktos, Inc, a little start-up that claims it cares for us and will follow our demands. We just wish they'd hurry up.

For more info on our plight and almost magical potential, see: http://www.planktonmanifesto.net or contact our translator below.

Contact

W. David Kubiak
david(at)planktos.com
http://planktos.com
Tel: 650-638-1975 Ext: 203

License to Crenellate

2006-05-28T02:21:00.000-07:00

Do you have a "License to Crenellate"? My very educated Pop-in-Law explained this one to me last evening as we sat contemplating which castles we would like to visit in the coming weeks. To Crenellate means "to provide battlements", so the requirement of a "License to Crenellate" means that one could not build a castle without the King's permission. All that's changed now, with the gentrification of the English countryside, but this requirement remained in force until the 16th or 17th century.

My archaeologist Father-in-Law went on to explain that during the time of the war between Stephen (grandson of William the Conquerer) and Matilda (the Empress Maud) - 1097 - 1154 - many adultarine, (isn't adultarine another good word?), castles were going up, which could not be tolerated by the king or queen of the time, and it was at this time that the licensing requirement came into effect.

Cheeky London Pigeons

2006-05-28T01:52:00.000-07:00

On our first trip into London this vacation, my eyes were opened by the appalling dress sense of the people around me. On the underground I thought "Have they no shame?" as I tried to "judge not lest I be judged". Large women stuffed into small clothes with bizarre hair styles and harsh make-up squished themselves into the limited seating around me and my little family. At the time it really did not occur to me that they were also tourists. This became apparent on the return trip when we saw business people in office attire on their way home.

Strange neighbors not-withstanding, we had a lovely touristy day admiring the vistas afforded by the "London Eye" followed by a visit to the London Aquarium. The icing on the cake was bungie jumping for our two little wild things. There was, however, one incident that left us with an unpleasant taste in our mouths. It happened while we were having sandwiches in an outdoor cafe. There were large flocks of very fat, very cheeky pigeons milling around begging between the tables, and our small daughter was encouraging them with potato chips when a foul tempered, non-English-speaking waiter made a footballer's lunge and kicked at the center of the flock. One bird hit my husband square in the chest, while three more nearly missed the girls and me. Small daughter's drink was upended, soaking her clothes with cola, and the surly waiter barely grunted an apology.

No, we didn't complain to the management of the cafe, as no one there appeared to really understand English. We're told that it's very difficult to find English people in these sorts of jobs now. Nevermind. We're on holiday, and a little cola on a kid's clothes need not spoil the day.

In My "Time Off"

2006-04-17T07:43:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure quite how I contrived to make myself so very busy. It's Spring and for me that means "Community Theatre". I got involved in this particular theatre group because my kids are such "drama queens." I help on the production side of things, and this year I'm putting together the printed materials for th show as well.

Other things I do in community organizations:

Madison County Arts Council - Board of Directors
Keep Madisonville Beautiful - Committee

I'm also taking my second online course on "Flash." That's the area where I'm messing up right now. On the one or two evenings per week when my brain is just too numb to work, (I usually stay at the computer quite late), I stare at the television feeling guilty that I'm not working on my "Flash" studies.

A Day in the Life...

2006-04-17T07:17:00.000-07:00

What's it like to work from home? Or as my neighbors wonder "What exactly do you DO?!" And lately there have been several bright young moms, who are slaving away for minimum wage who have asked me how they can get started doing whatever it is that I do. They're not really sure what it is, but they see me at school a lot and they have a vague idea that I do something on the computer. A few know I wrote a book or two.

Let's take March 29, for example:

4:30 AM - Small turned on the big overhead light over my bed and announced loudly, "I WET THE BED." Oh ugh! Since I'd tried unsuccessfully at about midnight to unblock the toilet small then had to be directed all the way to the other end of the house.

6:00 AM - Alarm goes off. We dressed and I spent a few minutes tinkering with a webpage I'd been working on last night.

7:30 AM - Drove the kids to school.

8:00 AM - Meeting to discuss Community Theatre programs for this year's play.

8:20 AM - Went to gym.

8:50 AM - Went to grocery store and bank.

9:10 AM - Got home, fed animals, washed dishes, poured liquid drain opener down the toilet, hung out wet bedding, ate breakfast, plunged toilet, called plumber.

9:30 AM - Finally made it to my computer.
Finished 2 projects I started yesterday - 1 was a list of revisions for a new client for whom I'm designing a logo and website. The other was adding some content to another website. In the middle of all that the plumber came and unstopped the loo. Must work harder! That 15 minute service call cost $75!!!

12:00 NOON - Damn! It's 12:00!!! No time for lunch - the phone is ringing. It's a client in Washington state (not yet lunchtime out there.)

12:30 PM - Answered an e from a client who forgot he has his own admin area to make updates himself.

12:45 PM - Call from a graphic artist in Dallas I collaborate with to discuss a pending job we're working on together.

1:10 PM - I'm going outside armed with a phone in each pocket. Pottering in the garden.

1:30 PM - Housework - laundry - dishes.

1:50 PM - Lunch

2:10 PM - Back at my desk.

2:50 PM - Pick up kids from school. Go to bank.

3:40 PM - Back at my desk, where I worked without a break till 7:30 PM.

10:00 PM - Trying to go to bed, but am delayed by cat who won't come in.

And that's a typical day in my life now. Keep an eye on this space... I'll try to get a series of essays going for moms who wan to work from home.

Transforming the Old Dog

2006-04-17T07:08:00.000-07:00

(written March 23)

It's nearly 2 weeks now since our dear sweet Kaya died. We miss her but are coming to accept life without her. I imagine I hear her nails clicking - just coming from the next room as she cruises through asking to go in or out. She went in and out a lot. Going to the back door 900 times p day was my primary exercise!

Chewy let Kaya do all the legwork, and even a large portion of the begging, (not that Chewy doesn't beg!) Chewy just knew that the humans around here felt guilty if we didn't give both of them a treat every time. Now in these past 2 weeks CHEWY has been the one getting more exercise as she comes to understand that if she wants something she'll have to ask for it herself!

Sorry it had to happen this way, but it's good to see a gleam in the old girl's eyes again.

Another Gripping Episode of The Wander Years

2006-04-11T09:50:00.000-07:00

Live Journal - The Wander Years

In the current live journal entry, Timo is traveling by train through Poland and Lithuania and finally crosses the border into Russia.

This guy always impresses me with his writing. If you haven't read any of his live journal entries, you're missing out.

A Letter from Timo

2006-03-06T07:32:00.000-08:00

The Wander Years EXTRA!
Its about time, I will admit that much. A year to the day behind schedule, I am finally at large in the world. For those who can't remember, and I don't blame you, I am going to NZ without flying. The Wander Years has covered everything that has happened so far (and there's been some interesting stuff, all still viewable in the archives.

I'd like to thank you for the support and great feedback I have had so far. Running this site has already taken a great deal of time, and it will do more so from now on. In many ways it helps my travel - forcing me to take pictures and giving me more confidence to ask for discounts or just try new things. It is already serving its purpose by keeping friends and family up to date - but I am also keen to share it with a wider audience. This will help my ongoing efforts to raise some sponsorship along the way. So please, you can help by printing and putting up my little "printable poster", link on the homepage. Spread the word to anyone interested in adventure travel - active or armchair type.

Finally - its gonna be a week or two before my the first journal from Russia or wherever. You'll understand, I just want to settle into the groove first. But in the meantime, I have put together a special page with some GREAT images from a recent day at the New Zealand Rodeo. I'm really chuffed with the pictures - I hope you enjoy them to. There are no boring words - and you can vote for your favourite image. (go to the homepage, look half way down the page under "whats new" and click on the cowboy saloon picture).

Hope you are all well - don't forget to leave your mark on the message board!

Timo
March 2006
www.thewanderyears.net

Desk Jobs in a War Zone - Los Angeles Times

2006-02-27T08:29:00.000-08:00

Desk Jobs in a War Zone - Los Angeles Times

This article really speaks to an issue close to my heart, and I'm not referring to the adventure job angle. When you read the article, you'll notice a comment right at the beginning about how many of the volunteers are 50-something. THAT's the issue I'm referring to. I receive letters from many people looking for a new start after their kids are grown. I've met many people who are well-qualified, intelligent folk, but they can't find work because they're 50-something.

This is a trend in the states that I never noticed till rejoining the work force in America after years away. By that time I was approaching 40, and it was a major shock to my system to discover that I was the oldest person in the office! My 29 year old boss had never even heard of Carlos Santana, and whenever she hired anyone, she was primarily concerned with "how cute they are." Never was consideration given to a person's track record. It was all about looks and college degrees. I guess I was lucky I'd gotten my job before the "Cute" crew took over! One friend of mine, who was a very capable woman in the HR department lost her job and could not find another in the city of Dallas, though she was well qualified. She was over 50, and overweight, and not "cute." Her answer? She's now a truck driver!

What's the answer to age discrimination in the work-place? One answer is working from home. (Look at me!) And I believe we'll be seeing more and more of it. It makes sense on so many levels, from being environmentally friendly, to being less stressful, to being more cost efficient for the employer. And it's great if you have any entrepreneurial talents. It's given me the freedom I require to be happy. I work a lot, but it's on my own quirky schedule. It fits whatever and wherever I need it to fit. I can take my laptop anywhere and continue to work, and keep in touch with those who work with me.

I don't know if I'd volunteer to work in Iraq right now, but if my family life was different I might. The lady in this LA Times story mentions a difficult to define desire to sign up for another tour. I know that feeling. That's what kept taking me back to the sea. I wish the age issue would go away, but meanwhile, 50-something is a great age to look for a more adventurous type of job.

The State of Union

2006-02-15T11:49:00.000-08:00

Weekly Bulletin #178: The State of Union

I guess I'm sharing what I'm reading with you this month rather than what I am thinking - though I do think about what I'm reading too.

The link above leads to Neale Donald Walsch's very well stated thoughts about what President Bush had to say a couple of weeks ago.

Those of you who have been reading my blogs for a while may remember that I spent some time doing graphic design work for Humanity's Team, an organization Mr. Walsch suggested in his Conversations with God books. In that capacity I got to meet Mr. Walsch, and hear him speak up close and personal. I've also read quite a few of his books. I like what he says, so it should come as no surprise that I appreciate his appraisal of "The State of the Union". Maybe you will too.

The Wander Years

2006-02-15T11:41:00.000-08:00

The Wander Years home

I've neglected to keep you all informed of Timo's progress, and to be honest I was surprised to visit his live journal just now and discover that he was actually in New Zealand - in advance of completing his planned overland journey.

Not to worry, though, he's resuming the journey shortly, and as always, his website is very well done, and his writing is eloquent. And he gets up to very interesting stuff. I recommend you approach this site as I do - through the journal archives.

Boater's Tale of Survival at Sea Has a Theme Psalm - Los Angeles Times

2006-01-14T10:03:00.000-08:00

Boater's Tale of Survival at Sea Has a Theme Psalm - Los Angeles Times

This article about a man who did something relatively innocent while taking his yacht on what should have been a short and routine trip to the boat yard is an excellent illustration for several key points I make in my book, Crewing aboard a Superyacht. The article points out that Craig McCaib should not have been piloting his boat alone, and I agree with that, but I would also add that the really stupid thing he did was leaning out to look at the props while the engine was running. Duh! When you think you've run over a lobster pot, wouldn't you at least put the boat in nuetral before you lean out over the stern to see if you have a line wrapped around your prop? In my book I point out that many men go overboard while whizzing over the side. Stupid, but perhaps more understandable? Or maybe this guy was actually whizzing over the side and they made up a story about the line around the prop?

Two horror stories come to mind from my own experience... Well sort of from my experience. I got very close to the action in both cases without actually being there. The first one took place in Gustavia Harbor, St. Barths. I worked on a day by day basis on several of the day-tripping boats that ran between Philipsburg St. Maarten, and Gustavia, St. Barths. There's a whole fleet of them. They generally power into wind in the morning and drop a load of sea-sick drunk tourists at the dock in Gustavia where they spend the day exploring the charming island. The boat and crew spend the day doing maintenance, having lunch and preparing for the return trip to St. Maarten in the afternoon. On one of the boats, a young female crew member went diving to clear a line from one of the boat's props. Normal safety procedures were not followed, and the Captain was not aware that anyone was in the water. He started the engine and put it in gear. The poor girl was cut in half. This is a true story, and while I was not in St. Barths that day many of my friends were, and we all learned a horrible lesson about always, ALWAYS making sure EVERYONE connected with the boat knows when you're working near the props. Large signs taped on the engine room door, and on the wheel are also advisable.

Horror story 2: When Handsome Husband and I took the yachtmaster course one chilly December on the Hamble (Southern England), one of our fellow students was a guy named Willie. I don't remember his last name or the name of the yacht he'd crewed aboard, but this one is documented somewhere. Willie was the guy who worked the foredeck on a maxi-yacht competing in the round-the-world Whitbread race. In this race, the really hard part comes in the Southern Ocean. The seas are huge, the wind is strong, and it's cold. During a sailchange on the foredeck, Willie was swept overboard. He told us that although all crewmembers had proper harnesses and floatation devices, they didn't use them because they were too restrictive and got tangled in the lines and sails during sail-changes. As professional yacht crew, we've all practiced the man-overboard drill ad nausium. It's not too difficult when you're rescuing a little bouy on a calm day with your engines idling. Try rescuing a person in 30-40' seas when you're running downwind at something approaching 20 knots. The engine in this story was off and wouldn't start immediately. The main halyard stuck and wouldn't let the mailsail down, because without the engine they couldn't bring the boat into wind to let it down the easy way.

The crew lost sight of Willie, who was fighting for his life in the chilly water. Willie says the engineer eventually cut the main halyard with an ax, so the yacht could come about and beat back to where they'd lost Willie. There was little hope of finding Willie. Of course Willie only learned all this later. When he went overboard, he was wearing rubber Wellington boots and foul weather gear over the standard jeans, shirt, jumper (sweater). No floatation device... Willie took off his rubber boots and held them upside-down, and that is what saved him. He'd been in the water so long that the Albatrosses were dive-bombing him, and that is how the yacht crew found him. They saw the birds and followed them. Getting him aboard the boat again was very dangerous, and they nearly lost him for good at that point because he let go of his Wellies to grab at the lines the crew were throwing at him. He was very weak and doesn't remember doing it, but he managed to wrap a line around his hand and they did pull him aboard. He had been blinded by the cold at this piont. As a body's core temperature goes down, various functions shut down, and apparently when you go blind, you're very near death. Willie said they wrapped him up with the biggest hairiest guy on the boat, because he was the warmest. And Willie survived.

SO, be safe all you sailors out there! Miracles do happen, and people are sometimes rescued when they go overboard or do something stupid, but sometimes they die. Don't ever forget that your safety is your own responsibility.

Modernday Pirates

2005-12-27T14:11:00.000-08:00

As I write primarily for those who wish to work aboard yachts for a living, I think it's only right that I tell the good AND the bad about the job. Apart from bad weather, I think the scariest thing that can happen at sea is being attacked by pirates. No, I never was on a boat that was attacked, but we had a scare or two. You know the ones... traveling out of sight of land, and fishermen approach in manky old boats with no nets or lines dragging...

There are a few places in the world where piracy is more prevalent than in others. Klaus Hympendahl runs a website dedicated to keeping blue water sailors informed about piracy today. You can find his list of dangerous regions HERE.

I've just run across a good page for you to bookmark at Sail-world.com, http://www.sailworld.com/Piracy/. There you can read stories from cruising sailors who have survived attacks, and find resources for those occasions when you have to traverse know pirate infested waters.

What does Kim think about?

2005-12-11T08:26:00.000-08:00

Want to know what I think about these days? Read this article about Pixel Corps.

I'm continually adding to my skill set for the web design business, writing a tiny bit, (Ed Teja is pushing me to get some actual writing done! - we're collaborating on a new book for adventure job seekers), and looking forward to learning about video production and editing with the new super-duper computer I'm giving myself for Christmas.

This article talks about a "Content Creators' Guild" (*Wow*) where someone like me can go to learn precisely the skills I need to keep up with the video production and editing game. It's an extraordinary job, to be sure, though it doesn't necessarily involve travel. And for those who don't know my full history, it actually draws on a skill set I began to build in University. Yes, I spent 3 years majoring in applied music with a minor in Radio, Television and Film, followed by 3 years as an "Arts and Entertainment Media Management" student. While I had a great time with the singing and classical guitar, what I really was doing was learning to be a Sound Engineer. I worked in Chicago for the 3 years I was at school there as a sound and lighting technician and stage manager.

SO, as I move back to my techie roots, I have to learn the new ways of doing things, (I did my studies in the early 80's - personal PC's were still operating with DOS.) Live performances were never my thing... I always aimed at studio work, and today, the studio can be wherever I plug my computer in. Very cool, I say!

Took them long enough...

2005-12-01T10:40:00.000-08:00

A commuter train between Houston and Dallas? We thought of that ages ago! What took them so long! - Kim ;-)

===============================

State Proposition 1 To Open Up Passenger Rail Development In Texas

Dallas (PRWEB) November 11, 2005 -- Texas voters approved the Rail Relocation and Improvement Fund at the polls Tuesday, taking an historic step toward future development of faster and more dependable passenger rail service in the state.

“By the passage of State Proposition 1 we now have the means to help the freight railroads relocate and improve their original lines throughout the state and that makes it possible to plan for faster freight and passenger trains,” according to Paul Mangelsdorf, Executive Director of Texas Rail Advocates, a Dallas-based pro-rail organization.

Texas Rail Advocates urges TxDOT to lay out a priority list of the most important rail relocation and improvement projects in the state and to engage the three largest freight rail carriers, Union Pacific Railroad, BNSF Railway and Kansas City Southern Railroad in serious talks on the issues. “Texas is mostly a one-track rail system with some passing sidings” according to the advocate organization’s Executive Director. “We must prepare for rail gridlock in the next decade if the lines are not upgraded."

TRA believes that one of the key plans should include an engineering and feasibility study of the South Central High Speed Rail Corridor that the U.S. Department of Transportation authorized five years ago. This tri-state rail corridor, using enhanced infrastructure improvements including grade crossings and signaling, would be capable of handling containerized and trailer freight trains up to 90 miles per hour and fast, frequent passenger service up to 110 miles per hour between major Texas cities. It would give travelers an attractive, dependable option to expensive automobile travel.

Mangelsdorf notes that passage of the Rail Relocation and Improvement Fund means that many rail grade crossings can be eliminated or improved in the future and that will mean fewer vehicle-train accidents. “Importantly, in addition to safety, taking some of the heavy truck traffic off our beaten-down over burdened highways will also help improve air quality,” according to Mangelsdorf. “Texas Rail Advocates believes that our economic engine in Texas will be riding on the rails as new industries find the state to be more inviting because of a dynamic transportation system.”

For additional information contact Paul Mangelsdorf, Executive Director, Texas Rail Advocates, at 214-749-3549.

Thanksgiving

2005-11-26T07:35:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving came the way the rest of this year has come and gone - very fast. And as I've learned to expect, nothing worked out the way I'd planned it. We're still giving thanks here since we haven't finished the turkey, and handsome husband is still home. We'll be getting rid of the kids this evening when they go to a birthday sleep-over, and we're going to be very THANKFUL for that.

Husband and Dad silently clashed over my greenhouse construction, and Dad went back to Sister Thanksgiving eve. I was not amused, and had it not been for my favorite Aunt, Thanksgiving would have been a bleak sort of day indeed. Instead we had a very nice meal with the OTHER part of my family. Children made mud pies, men watched football, and we women sat discussing which children resemble which ancestors.

The rain has come - right on schedule. The greenhouse construction has stopped for the time being, but not before we had the chance to admire our handiwork. I suppose I should be giving thanks for that as well, though I hope we haven't bruised Dad's feelings too badly!

Riding the Range by Moonlight

2005-11-18T07:41:00.000-08:00

We had an interesting evening last night. We were invited to dinner at a friend's ranch. There was good company, good food and good wine. After dinner the conversation turned to a new project that one of the other guests has in mind. She wants to put together upmarket trail rides. The venue would be the very ranch where we sat, and excitement began to build as the ranch's owner turned his attention to the project.

It's a property with a lot of history behind it's 20,000 acres, and many a scenic spot for tired riders to rest. Though it was already past sunset, we all piled into the rancher's big SUV and drove the 15 mile route he recommended for the trailride. We saw pecan orchards by moonlight with deer peeking through the ancient trees. We saw Pepe la Pue - fortunately he was not alarmed! And we saw an eagle's nest.

All in all it was a magical evening. I'll keep you posted when the trailrides start!

Hurricane Wilma devastates Ft. Lauderdale Boatshow

2005-11-07T07:57:00.000-08:00

I had a call this weekend from a yacht skipper friend who is in Ft. Lauderdale for the boatshow, what there is left of it. She said she was not at all prepared for the devastation that greeted her in the aftermath of Hurricane Wilma. The first words out of her mouth were "Why isn't your husband here?" In this context she was referring to the fact that my husband is an electrical lineman, and power still has not been restored in many places; power lines and trees are still littering the roads; and generally the area is not bouncing back this time.

I just received my weekly update from Sailworld.com, and found this article: Superyacht builders pull out of Ft Lauderdale.

I have another good friend who lives in Boca Raton. She's ridden out all the major storms to hit Florida in recent years, and tells me this one was the worst. My advice is - Get out while you still can!

Don't they want Yachts in the Med anymore?

2005-11-07T07:44:00.000-08:00

This article at SailWorld.com http://www.sail-world.com/index.cfm?SEID=2&Nid=19815&refre=y is an absolute "must read" for all yachties accustomed to cruising the Med. Apparently the rules have changed regarding how long a yacht may stay in "Schengen" countries, and it is making life difficult and expensive for yacht owners. Could we be seeing the end of our cherished Mediterranean cruising habits?

What to Be When I Grow Up

2005-11-03T09:02:00.000-08:00

Every night at the dinner table when I was a teenager, Jack would ask me what I wanted to do with my life. My answer was always the same. "I want to be happy." I could not envision any one thing that could sustain me throughout my entire life, and I could not come up with a clearer answer for him. I really wished I could.

"You can't be happy!" He'd yell at me. "Life doesn't work that way."

I disagreed then, and I still do. I also don't believe it's a matter of chasing happiness, because if you're chasing it, you haven't got it!

I'm pleased to report that I've proven myself right after all. I didn't follow any of the rules. I didn't follow any of the paths laid out for me by my family or teachers. I'd try one path for a while, then another. I stumbled around and did stupid stuff that made me feel bad about myself. I used to think of those dark times in my life, and feel guilty, but that never did me any good, so I began to look at my mistakes as opportunities for growth. Any time an ugly memory would crop up, I'd look for the lesson. Where had that lesson taken me that I might not otherwise have gone?

I have also discovered that the teenage me was right in thinking that no one thing can hold my attention throughout my entire life. I've since done many things. So many, in fact, that people sometimes doubt that the stories of my exploits are true. But I really have done all the things I claim to have done. I've been all those places. I love the challenge of a new place or a new idea or a new skill to be learned. That brings me joy. When I am engaged in an activity that brings me joy, my enthusiasiam makes other people around me happy as well. That's some pay off!

I still fret and worry and get angry sometimes, but I've learned to stop and examine my thoughts when I start feeling less than wonderful. I track them back to their source and weigh their validity. Is there something I can do about the issue? (If it's out of my hands, I will ask the Almighty to help with it, then let it go.) Is there a lesson to be learned from it? Or is it merely counter productive? Then I follow the worry into an imaginary future. What if the worst possible case scenario should play out? How bad could it be? How could I deal with it?

Once I've shed all this light on my problem it seems much smaller and more manageable, and I look for something to make myself feel better. This is often as simple as painting my toe nails or cleaning out a closet! In fact the easiest pick-me-up I know is to simply listen to music I like.

I never feel powerless. I can't understand how people can allow other people to control them. Fear serves a purpose, but I refuse to allow it to rule my life. I think many people watch too much television! Maybe they actually believe every third person they meet is a rapist or murderer. (Have you noticed all the crime programs on the t.v.? It's NUTS!) Watching all that gore can't be good for us. So I rarely watch it. It's one of those things that brings me down. I create beautiful things on my computer, in my kitchen or garden instead. (And my beautiful children are my proudest creations of all. They're already so much smarter and more beautiful than I am.)

Money makes our world go 'round, and the need for it drives us from situation to situation. It keeps up moving. We'd probably be a race of couch potatoes if we didn't have to earn a living, so rather than curse it, I've learned to see it as a way shower. I use my feelings as my guide. When I meet resistance to an idea, or feel doubt about it, I look for another idea that I feel good about. Then I stay with that scheme for as long as it feels good. The example is the yachts, where I spent 15 years... When I began to hate my job, I knew it was time to leave, and I did. I admit that my extra-special husband has helped a lot, and I have leaned heavily on him at times, but that's what husbands and wives do. But if I go further with that line of thought I'll have to write a whole book here!

I don't think Jack really believed that being happy in life was impossible. He just never connected the fact that when he was happy everything worked better. At least he never admitted it to me! And there's always the possibility that he was just winding me up!

At Last a Good Book

2005-10-31T07:52:00.000-08:00

I write, therefore I'm very critical of other people's writing. I find it difficult to enjoy fiction beyond the first third of a book because I'm always dissecting the plot and noticing all the gramatical errors. The minute I detect a predictable pattern, I put the book down and never go back to it.

In recent years, my favorites have been the Harry Potter books. I stand in awe of J.K. Rowling, and her wonderful imagination. I used to love Anne Rice as well, but her books got repititious, and I quit reading them.

Today I want to introduce you to a new writer - John Twelve Hawks - with a distinctive voice and an imaginative plot line. Long may he write!

In Search of Salsa

2005-10-31T07:17:00.000-08:00

I love a good salsa - especially at breakfast. I used to make fun of the German guests I cooked for on the yachts because many of them ate salami for breakfast. Baaarrrrf! Made me feel ill just smelling it first thing in the morning. But really, I guess I'm no better. I'm sure there are many people out there who would be turned off by hot, hot salsa on their eggs in the morning.

Here in my little town, there is a tiny bakery owned and operated by a Cambodian family. Odd as it may seem in a town full of Mexicans, I like the Cambodian version of the humble breakfast burrito better than the ones from the Mexican breakfast cafe or greasy ones made by the jolly black girls at the grocery store. I reserve those Cambodian breakfast burritos as a special treat for myself - most of the time, and only go there on banking days - since they are right across the street from the bank.

Recently, however, the cute little family that owned this bakery expanded their operations to include a second bakery in a larger neighboring town, then sold the shop here to a new Cambodian family. Mostly everything has remained the same, but to my huge disappointment, the SALSA has changed! While I still enjoy their breakfast burritos, they're just not the same without the kick-a** salsa.

What to do? As I wandered aimlessly through the vegetable department on Friday, a nice Hispanic man there asked if he could help me find something. I told him I was thinking of making some salsa. He stopped what he was doing - I must have said the magic word - and gave me a lesson in locating the really hot jalapenos. Did you know that the ones with stretch marks are hotter? He filled out my list of ingredients with onions, roma tomatoes, cilantro, and lime. Then he showed me the brand of salsa HE prefers to buy - (It's in the ethnic Mexican section - it's really hot, and doesn't cost much.)

And Hey Presto! Problem solved. This morning I tried the bottled salsa - it's definitely hot, but not quite what I'm after for breakfast. Next I try the do it myself variety... I'll keep you posted!

Quake Rescue Anxiety Grows - Los Angeles Time

2005-10-10T05:26:00.000-07:00

Teaching my children - we sat this morning reading together about the tens of thousands of people dead and dying in the remains of the horrible earthquake that hit South Asia on Saturday. My eyes filled and my throat clogged as I tried to read to them. It's no easy task to explain this sort of thing to a 7 year old, but it is so important. It really puts things in perspective, especially after we've just experienced the evacuation of Houston prior to the arrival of hurricane Rita. My little one didn't understand what an earthquake was, and so she sat down to look at the pictures with me. I know she'll be thinking about the poor children trapped and dying Pakistani schools.

Even in the wake of New Orleans devastation, we see one more time that we are lucky to be alive.

Oh Man, Not Bambi again!

2005-10-04T07:20:00.000-07:00

Collective gasp - THUD! And the big buck was flying over my car and off the road. My kid tells me there was also a doe with two fawns, but I didn't count them all. I just know I hit the big one. It was Saturday night - 9:00 PM and thank goodness I was slowing down on approach to my driveway.

I never had time to be afraid, but all three passengers in my car did! My little girls and I had just taken Brenda Starr out for a farewell dinner as she was going home to California the following day. We were lucky because our car did what it's designed to do and stayed in our lane when I stood on the brakes, and that prevented us from crossing into the oncoming lane where there was another car approaching. I even think the deer was lucky, because I happened to be slowing down already before I saw him. We haven't found a deer body, (Unless the state troopers who filed the accident report carted him off...)

What really amazed me about the whole experience was the thoughts that were playing through my head immediately proir to the accident. My littlest kid was crying in the back seat and I was trying to distract her when I said, "Let's watch and see if we see any deer on the road", and in my head I finished the sentence with, "before we hit one." I don't think we'd traveled 100 yards after that thought when a whole deer family suddenly materialized right in front of us on the road. Were my guardian angels trying to warn me? If I'd given more attention to my thoughts might I have been able to miss that deer?

Everyone has checked in - Finally!

2005-10-03T08:34:00.000-07:00

I finally got in touch with a client of mine who's been "off the radar" since Hurricane Rita ran over his town - Corrigan, Texas. He was the last one I've been waiting to hear from. Not only are people having difficulty with cell phones in the Rita affected areas, they may be without power for another week yet. They still have nursing home residents housed in the local schools.

At least Hurricane Rita didn't bring the same degree of devastation as Hurricane Katrina. People lost homes, but it seems the Houston evacuation claimed more lives than the storm. See Evacuation Lessons come at high cost: 107 Lives. As awful as the evacuation was, it really was nothing compared to the total chaos that erupted in New Orleans. The plan in Texas had flaws, and everyone freely admits that, but people here acted a lot more responsibly than many of our neighbors did in Louisiana a month earlier.

Now we have a lot of experience to draw from - both in Louisiana, Texas, and everywhere else. I sincerely hope our leaders will learn from these two storms to make future evacuation and relief efforts more efficient.

I Got Hurricane Hair

2005-09-25T07:05:00.000-07:00

I have hurricane hair. As my mother would say, it looks like I styled it with a leaf blower. I couldn't help noticing that my father was sporting a similar do while he was here Friday and Saturday. He and my two grown nephews arrived Friday morning with my stewardess sister's 3 cats and a dog (belonging to one of the nephews.) My sister was on a plane to Nebraska where she was instructed to stay until the storm passed.

Yes, it's been an eventful three-day weekend. Handsome husband hit the road from California on Wednesday evening and drove home - stopping only in El Paso to buy us a generator and a camping stove. We know we could probably have managed without him, but once in a while we resort to being a house full of wimpy girlies who really want their men around. (Side note: HH is an electrical lineman, and the payscale is MUCH higher in California... so that's where he's working.)

My Dad, at the age of 79, did a better job of predicting hurricane Rita's path and intensity than any of the television newsmen. All the rest of us would have lost money to him if we'd taken his bet!

Even when the new generator from El Paso turned out to be a dud, and HH returned it to the nearest Sears store - then bought a bigger better one at the Home Depot, we were totally prepared for the storm to do its worst by Friday afternoon. Dad and nephews trimmed trees and nailed the old loose wood down on my greenhouse. Brenda and I had already cleared away everything that might blow around outside the house.

Casualties? Apart from a few fire ant bites sustained while shifting potted plants to the greenhouse, the worst injury occurred when my big old black dog bit my nephew's "little" basset hound's ear. So the dogs had to take turns going outside. While one was out the other got to be in the living room. Our other black dog was friends made friends with her cousin and was allowed to go wherever she liked.

So we sat ready. The phone rang non-stop with concerned relatives calling to check on us. We enjoyed some rum and cokes and ate a couple of large meals designed to empty the freezer. In short it's been a family reunion, as well as a valuable test run for the next disaster. Next time, Dad and the boys know how to get around the grid lock on Highway 45... HH knows his girls will have power and a way to cook should the need arise, and I got that pesky limb trimmed off the tree by my bedroom, and we know we can have some more animals come here to stay without too much difficulty.

The hurricane hair didn't seem to bother anyone. It's like a badge that says "I'm prepared."

Now we pray for the safety of those who took the hurricane Rita beating in our place.

Current Travels of Joe and Jane

2005-09-20T10:06:00.000-07:00

My pals Joe and Jane are writing from the road again. http://www.thekempfs.homestead.com/Travels.html. This month they have some very interesting photos of the New Orleans evacuation PRIOR to Katrina hitting. I highly recommend everyone read this page and look at Joe's photos. This is what it looked like BEFORE.

He Held Their Lives in His Tiny Hands - Los Angeles Times

2005-09-05T10:32:00.000-07:00

He Held Their Lives in His Tiny Hands - Los Angeles Times
Here's a story about a very together little boy, only 6 years old, who kept a group of 6 other children together until they could be reunited with their families. I am amazed at how well this little fellow did. He remembered his address, and was able to give rescuers the information they needed to find his family and the other mothers whose children were with him. I know those guardian angels were working overtime on this case! I can't wait to hear all the great things this little man does with his life. Even if he were not special before this, now he's going to hear what a hero he was for the rest of his life. That's bound to give him a certain strength of characther that he may never have developed otherwise.

America Joins the Disaster Club

2005-09-01T15:04:00.000-07:00

Trapped in an Arena of Suffering - Los Angeles Times

I'm feeling odd about the hurricane devastation right here in my own part of the world. We Americans hear so often of horrible things happening in other countries, and we rush to send money to the red cross or donate food and clothing. This time, for the first time in my life, a huge natural disaster is HERE close to ME. Sure we've had hurricanes and tornados and earthquakes, but nothing of this magnitude.

First of all, I'm shocked. No other word for it. This storm came so FAST compared with others, and while the multiple storms that hit Florida last year were horrible, the recovery was fairly quick. No cities were completely submerged and cut off for days, weeks, maybe even months. I want to feel sad and help, but my heart hasn't connected the dots yet. I've seen pictures, and heard stories, and I know there will be people coming even to my little town in search of warm dry beds. The gasoline prices are rising, and people are suddenly realizing that we may be looking at rationing very, very soon. Still the penny just hasn't dropped with me. I can't take it in.

This afternoon, I stopped at a favorite little dive of a convenience store on the edge of town. Fortunately I was just buying cold drinks to give to my kids when I picked them up from school, because the owner of the store told me he was out of gas, and unable to buy more. I enjoy talking to this particular shop keeper. He's from another country - I've never asked which country - but he's always been kind to me and my kids when we stop after school. He put forward the suggestion that perhaps our "almighty" American Government ought to take this as a sign. We have trouble at home. THIS is where we need to be focusing out attention, rather than meddling in everyone else's business.

I'm also sad because our "leaders" in this country have devalued our country so badly around the world. My friends in Europe didn't have to tell me that we have become a complete laughing stock and the butt of all political jokes, but they did tell me. I haven't heard a peep about any other country offering US aid. Perhaps they have done, and I just haven't heard it. Makes me wonder. Of course we learned from the tsunami at the beginning of this year, that all the aid in the world can be very ineffectual without direction. I guess that right now, the military are probably the best equipped people to help. Maybe our "allies" and all those other countries we've given aid to in times of need simply have nothing to offer. Or maybe they think we don't need any help. (Do we need their help?) Or maybe they hate us so much they rejoice at our expense, and THIS is what makes me the saddest. I don't want to be hated because of this country's politicians. I don't like them either. I feel powerless to change the situation here, and it reminds me of watching a slow moving train wreck.

But today, mingled with my saddnes and disquiet, what I feel most is thankful. Thankful that I still have a safe, dry home, and my kids have food and clothes. I hope, as the man at the convenience store suggested, that this really will be a wake up call for our country. I hope it will force us to focus on our own people for a change, and heal ourselves.

Brits driving Austrians bonkers over rude village name - Yahoo! UK & Ireland News

2005-08-29T09:28:00.000-07:00

Brits driving Austrians bonkers over rude village name - Yahoo! UK & Ireland News

How could I resist sharing this ridiculous story. I've come to appreciate the British sense of humour. I would have had a hard time remaining happily married to a Brit if I hadn't!

I expected better from the Climbers, even if they are American

2005-08-22T05:29:00.000-07:00

This article from the LA Times, Another Peril for Climbers, tells the story of a family who has filed a $10-million wrongful death lawsuit against the National Park Service. Their son, Peter Terbush, was killed in 1999 by a rock slide on Glacier Point.

Peter's father, Jim Terbush, who is a climber himself, has latched onto a theory by Skip Watts, a Radford University professor. Watts theorizes that water overflowing from a 300,000 gallon storage tank attached to the old bathrooms atop Glacier Point has been the culprit responsible for several major rock falls in the area.

My take on this? I thought I could expect better of the climbing community. In any sort of extreme sport, be it climbing, scuba diving, hang-gliding, or whatever, participants always know that they are taking risks that could cost them their lives - even if they follow all the precautions. But grief is a funny thing. Now this grieving father is going to put his family through a long legal battle. He's going to set a precident that could halt climbing in Yosimite. And what will he gain? After the legal dust settles, he may have more money in the bank, and he may not, but his son will still be gone.

Noisy Arrival Causes a Stir - Los Angeles Times

2005-08-10T07:32:00.000-07:00

Noisy Arrival Causes a Stir - Los Angeles Times

I have something to add to this story about the noisy arrival of the Space Shuttle Discovery yesterday. My Handsome Husband has just started a job in Southern California, and told me about HIS experience of the shuttle's arrival yesterday.

He said he was out in the parking lot getting ready to go to work when he heard these two really loud bangs. He didn't know what it was, but as he stood there, he saw a pigeon literally fall out of the sky. He watched the bird walking around in circles for about an hour before going to work! It wasn't until he turned on his radio on the way to work that he learned that the noises were sonic booms from the Shuttle going by.

Shooting the U.S. Open of Surfing

2005-08-05T08:39:00.000-07:00

Shooting the U.S. Open of Surfing

Loose connection... I'm looking toward video editing as my next great "mountain to climb", so articles about all aspects of video creation come my way. When this one about filming surfing contests crossed my screen, I thought it appropriate for the blog.

Maybe there's another video photographer in this group... Any sort of photography would be a natural addition to the adventurous lifestyle, as a visiting ex-yachtie friend pointed out last week. He was complimenting me on a chapter in my book where I discuss "What Happens to Old Yachties". The conclusion I draw there is that as you are adventuring and seeing the world, it's always wise to be developing a hobby or skill that could become another way of making a living. This is because the Yachtie lifestyle rarely extends past a person's mid-40's. I can tell you now, at almost 45 years of age, this was some of the best advice I ever received. I'm now watching my friends - in their 40's - struggling to either stay in the yachting biz or find new ways of earning a living.

SO, keep a journal, take pictures... Imagine yourself selling them...

They Make TV Exposure Pay Off

2005-08-04T06:39:00.000-07:00

They Make TV Exposure Pay Off

We've all wondered about those "endorsement deals" atheletes make... This article delves into that subject as it relates to the "X Games" atheletes. At the same time, it points to the fact that extreme sports are edging into the mainstream.

This article reports that, "The number of skateboarders in the country jumped 47% to nearly 11 million in the six years leading up to 2004. The Sporting Goods Manufacturers Assn. also reports that snowboarding grew by 30% to more than 7 million participants in the same period."

While numbers of extreme sports participants are up, inequalities in the figures that relate to endorsement deals are appearing, because of consolidation among manufacturers. There are just not as many sponsors as there used to be. To compensate, one promoter is upping the prize money, so that less known competitors are not left out of the money.

My feelings are mixed about the extreme sports going mainstream. If everybody is "doing it" and making big bucks from it, will it still be "extreme"?

Cluster Ballooning

2005-07-13T14:52:00.000-07:00

Ballooning into the Sky
Here's some adventure for you! Cluster Ballooning. I got seriously tickled when I read the following:

"The most famous cluster balloon flight took place in 1982. Larry Walters, with no prior ballooning experience, attached 42 helium weather balloons to a lawnchair, intending to go up a few hundred feet, but instead soaring to 16,000. Surprisingly, Walters survived his flight. However, both before and since Walters' adventure, experienced balloonists have experimented with helium balloon clusters, some rising to even greater heights. "

This website is fascinating. John Ninomiya gives us a detailed and fascinating look at how he came to be the only Cluster Balloon pilot practicing in America today.

Right now John Ninomiya is promoting his "States of Enlightenment" - an ongoing multi-year performance project involving helium cluster balloon flights in all fifty states of the U.S.

How, you may wonder, did I get to THAT webpage?!

It all started with an e-mail from www.colarodo.com which comes to me because I subscribe to their online newsletter. In the newsletter this time was a link to Colorado Balloon Classic, where John Ninomiya is planning to do his Colorado flight.

Tour de France 2005

2005-07-12T19:31:00.000-07:00

Tour de France 2005
Just a quick reminder that the tour de France is underway RIGHT NOW. If you enjoy this sport, check the coverage at Outside Online.

Running of the Bulls

2005-07-03T09:18:00.000-07:00

Running of the Bulls - from the June edition of "Bridging the Gap"

This is just a snippet of information about the famous Running of the Bulls - a 9 day event that occurs each year in Pamplona, Spain. I'm not exactly sure why I'm blogging about it, but I've been corresponding with my good friend who lives in Spain, and I guess I'm just feeling nostalgic. I also want to share G.A.P. with you if you don't already know about it. They are a fantastic adventure travel company. Sometimes they even post job openings, so if you're an adventure travel job seeker, I highly recommend subscribing to their newsletter.

Now back to the original topic, The Running of the Bulls. I've never read Ernest Hemmingway's The Sun Also Rises, so I'm not sure how that has spawned the idiotic practice of young drunken men, (do any women get drunk and run with the bulls?), trying to outrun the bulls. My mother would have killed me if I'd done anything like that -- especially if it resulted in injuries!

It reminds me of the redneck idiots in my neck of the woods who RIDE bulls for fun. I mean, what ARE they thinking? Could there possibly be enough prize money involved to make up for the broken bones and damaged organs from being stepped on by bouncing bulls. I personally have seen several rodeos where the lights went dim as an ambulance rolled into the arena to carry a dead or injured cowboy away. 'Course I look at all those 20-something year old cowboys as someone's son. It'd really piss me off if one of my kids threw her life away on something as stupid as that!

Now all this is also coming from the perspective of someone who understands the craving for adventure. But I adhere to the idea that one can have an adventure without necessarily placing one's life in danger. Sure I sailed in some pretty scary weather, scuba dived with sharks and rode some bucking horses, but those activities are not so well known for getting people killed. I could even imagine myself rock climbing, though I've never actually tried it. All those activities involve some training where participants are taught to minimize their risk of injury.

I had this conversation with my Dad a couple of weeks ago. He's an old cowboy, and rarely misses a chance to go to the rodeo. He said he can't understand the desire to ride the bulls either. I might add a few othe extreme examples of crazy sports... Like Base Jumping and Ice Diving...

Guatemala is HOT right now

2005-06-23T12:00:00.000-07:00

Guatemala, out of the shadows

Having lived in a number of "unspoiled" little places in the world, I tend to keep my ears tuned to catch any news about where the latest "unspoiled discovery" is located. Funny isn't it, that while an area is completely "undiscovered", it is not as desirable as when it first emerges and begins to receive publicity. The reason for this is obvious -- until tourist dollars start to flow into a place, it remains undeveloped as well as undiscovered. This means poor communications, poor electricity, poor plumbing, poor roads, and poor health care facilities.

Lately, the buzz is all about Guatemala. I've been hearing about it as a good investment for people who want to retire abroad for the past year or so, and just now, the LA Times has published an article about it as a good Adventure Tourism destination. If we look at some other Central American countries' recent histories, like Costa Rica, we'll see that if you want to invest, you'd better hurry! And if you want to visit while it's still unspoiled, it's almost too late already if it's getting write-ups in the major US Dailies!

Back when I lived on Nevis, we used to tell visitors, "If you enjoyed your stay here, DON'T tell anybody about it!"

Divine Directive for the Day - Be Particular

2005-06-21T08:10:00.000-07:00

I am the mother of two very busy little girls. Right now they're both acting in the local community theatre group's production of the Wizard of Oz, and I am stage managing. To make that long story short, we've spent a lot of time rehearsing for the past 6 weeks. Thankfully, the show is this weekend, and THOSE long hours are nearly over.

But those are just the CURRENT long hours that keep me from my work. I do all the usual stuff as well, like washing dishes and clothes, taking animals to the vet, mowing lawns, and so on. The result is that I try to cram business stuff in wherever I can. So I find that when I'm sitting quietly in "the library" waiting for my body to do what must be done, I find it difficult to just let my mind wander. (We actually call it "the library" because the loo is framed with bookshelves where we put all the books that lend themselves to sampling.)

So this morning, as I sat waiting, I wanted some guidance on the business plan I'm currently putting together – nothing specific – just any old guidance. (I often frame a question in my mind, particularly when I'm in "the library", randomly select a book which I open to any old page, and then I look for an answer to my question in the next thing I read. It's my own little game of chance.) I chuckled when "The Sweet Potato Queen's Book of Love" by Jill Conner Browne appeared in my hand, but darned if the anecdote I ended up reading didn't contain the advice I was looking for! "Be Particular" was the title of the story, and if fit right in with what I wanted.

I highly recommend the Sweet Potato Queen books. If you've never read any of them, you should rush right out and get one! I'm not lending mine out, so don't ask!

The Best Adventure Movies: James Cameron Interviewed | Outside Online

2005-06-21T06:52:00.000-07:00

The Best Adventure Movies: James Cameron Interviewed | Outside Online

I haven't mentioned it in a while, but Outside Magizine and it's online version, Outside Online are probably my favorite periodicals. This month's issue is really good. It's filled with surfers and adventure movies. I'm trumping you guys into an interview with James Cameron, who directed Titanic and The Terminator to name a couple of the most notable of his films.

This guy epitomizes the adventurer's spirit. Now he's combining the ideas of deep sea diving and space exploration. I love it! For those of us who thrive on exploration as a way of life, space is calling, isn't it?

Of course, once you've read this article, you'll probably want to stay and read some more of this month's excellent articles at Outside Online.

Hackers Tap 40 Million Credit Cards

2005-06-18T12:27:00.000-07:00

Hackers Tap 40 Million Credit Cards

This article in the LA Times is a must read for anyone with a credit card. The security breaches just keep getting bigger! What I took away from this article was that my credit card company is not going to do anything about fraudulant charges unless I report them. Therefore, I plan to keep a careful eye on my statements, and I suggest you all do the same.

I worry about where this may all lead us. The US Congress is trying to pass legislation to toughen regulations about how personal information is handled, but that worries me too! I'm feeling that old "Big Brother is Watching" sensation. But what's the alternative? Will people never stop trying to steal what belongs to someone else?

Why Euroland could fall apart in 2005

2005-06-09T06:47:00.000-07:00

Why Euroland could fall apart in 2005

This article was a real eye opener for me. It never really occurred to me that the European Union's fall from grace might spell the fall of the Euro. Duh! I mean I was there when the whole thing started, you'd think I would remember that it was all about money.

The article I've cited above is from a year ago... I actually just read a new article by this same gentleman that referenced this prediction he made a year ago. But I can't share that with you today because it came through my e-mail inbox as part of my subscription to internationalliving.com, and search as I might it simply hasn't made it onto their website yet. I can't just copy and paste the article as that would be blatant copyright infringement... So I suspect if you give it a day or two and search the IL website for articles by Sven Lorenz, you'll find it. The title is "Death of the Euro".

Immediately I think to myself, "There's money to be made here." But then I remember that (a) I don't have any money to play with, and (b) I haven't a clue how to trade in international currencies. Man it would be cool if I did have a little cash to leverage, though... I'm sure I could find enough information to make a sensible investment in Europe...

My humble beginnings

2005-06-07T08:05:00.000-07:00

To protect and to surf
This story in the L.A. Times really spoke to me. It's not just about the death of a long time California surfer, it's about adventure, counter-culture, and the sad feeling we get as we watch what made us feel alive and different fade away into myth and legend.

As a kid in high school in the 70's I dreamed of bronze surfers with flowing sunbleached hair. I felt like if I didn't get to California right away, I'd die. My parents wouldn't let me go to college at UC Berkley - my first choice - or at UC Davis - my second choice. They knew I'd never study there. I was too badly afflicted with the adventure bug. Instead I went to college in Missouri. Yep, MISSOURI! I really despised Missouri, (sorry Missouri people.) I stayed there one year, and so I wouldn't break my promise to my Mom to complete two years of college, I crammed two years WORTH of college into that one year. All I thought about was making my escape.

It was inevitable that when I went to the Florida Keys on a summer course in Marine Biology that I would use that as my jumping off point. I won't say I never looked back. The pull of the family was still strong, and they guilt tripped me into coming home, where I put in a few more years at college. But the die was cast. I had the adventure monkey on my back, and I couldn't NOT feed my need for the sun and the sea.

I never thought I'd be ALIVE past the age of 40, so every day is still an adventure for me. My dreams never extended this far, imagine that! I never imagined children, or a perfect husband. Dogs and cats, yes, but never my own FAMILY. I still look around me in amazement all the time.

The cliche's hold true - the kids are really the greatest thing I've done in this life. I feel like the luckiest woman on the planet to have married MY husband - no other man could be better suited to me. But then there are the unwelcomed surprises that came with the 40 year mark. My body doesn't respond like it used to. The elastic in my belly must have snapped, because the waistline never went back to normal after those darling babies stretched it out! That really makes me mad. It might be o.k. if I could blame my no longer slender shape on abuse - and there was abuse in my wilder days. But for 11 years I've lived a very clean life with exercise, healthy eating, and all the rest of it. All my recent photographs scare me. The woman I see there is NOT me.

I wondered if life might be easier for people who have never been beautiful, but as I played with that notion, I realized that most people have SOME special skill or attribute that fades over time. And we all know that feeling of longing for what we once were as we grow older. Just like the longing expressed in this article about the old California surfers...

New Perspective on Ft. Lauderdale

2005-06-05T06:50:00.000-07:00

A City Reborn Is Ready for Close-Up

I lived in Ft. Lauderdale in the early 1980's and passed through there in the late 80's. Frankly it was one of my least favorite places to be, but it was where the crew placement agencies were located. For anyone working professionally aboard yachts, Ft. Lauderdale will at some point be on the itenerary.

I found this article in the LA Times interesting because I remember when Ft. Lauderdale was "Ft. Liquordale." Though I never participated in the wet t-shirt contests or went there as a Spring Breaker, I saw the mayhem. I came away from that experience feeling empty and sad. Ft. Lauderdale was a superficial, lonely place for me, even though I made some good friends there.

I've heard among my contacts who are still actively working aboard yachts that Ft. Lauderdale is packed with motor yachts these days, and if that's the sort of yacht you want to work on, then it's a great place to go. I was interested to read that the diplomats are all meeting in the area of Port Everglades, and that access there has been severely restricted since 9/11. I can't count the number of times I went in and out of THAT inlet! I'm curious to know more about the restrictions.

Living and Dying in the Country

2005-06-04T17:12:00.000-07:00

I wrote a little verse on this topic last month. I was nearly certain at that time that my beloved kitty cats had dispatched a nest of baby cardinals that were in a hanging basket on my back porch. Now, sad to say, I have to forgive the cats. The real culprit has been discovered, and sadly before my next door neighbor killed it, it had eaten the NEW nest full of baby cardinals.

That poor cardinal pair has now lost two lots of babies in one season. I hope if they try again, they'll have better luck. Who killed the babies? A snake! I suppose I'm fairly lucky it didn't bite me, though it was not venomous. I'd lifted the hanging basket down to photograph the babies and when I discovered the nest empty I hung the basket up again. It was not until I looked again at the fern hanging there that I noticed what appeared to be a large snake coiled up in it.

Now my snake killing dog is killing the poor snake, over and over again, and she won't let me near enough to throw it over the fence. I know it's all part of the "circle of life", but I would SO like to see a nest full of little cardinals actually grow to adulthood!

If They Had Their Way, Free Municipal Wifi Would Never See the Light of Day - Reported by Aunty Spam's Net Patrol

2005-06-01T10:26:00.000-07:00

If They Had Their Way, Free Municipal Wifi Would Never See the Light of Day - Reported by Aunty Spam's Net Patrol

I know a lot of my readers make regular use of Wifi. And when when I was done with my morning chores I headed off into the outdoors, and was amazed at how brilliant blue the sky was. But I did not have time to dilly dally looking at anything. I went strait for the east side of a town in the outskirts of s bigger town (some even call it a city) with the hopes of kvetching the renown Norwegian pool player. You see, he had really racked up a big debt buying sandwiches at the local delicatessen, always hoping to lull the other competitors with good food and then catch them off guard. It would have worked if he were a good pool player. You see, in Norway, no one plays pool; it’s all about the shuffle board, probably due to the amount of ice they had lying around. But here in this part of the world, it’s all about pool. And so desperate, he had started to take to stealing eight balls. Without the winning ball, he could take all night to set up a shot.
I hung around for a while but it looked like today would be a no show, so after a day of disappointment, I went back to my dormitory, remembering to get my cloths (which by now were

If They Had Their Way, Free Municipal Wifi Would Never See the Light of Day - Reported by Aunty Spam's Net Patrol

2005-06-01T10:23:00.000-07:00

If They Had Their Way, Free Municipal Wifi Would Never See the Light of Day - Reported by Aunty Spam's Net Patrol

I know a lot of my readers make regular use of Wifi. And when I learned about Auntie Spam's Net Patrol through Scambusters.org, I sat up and took notice. There's a great interview with Anne P. Mitchell, Esq. Anne is a Professor of Internet Law at Lincoln Law School of San Jose, entitled Evil Twins - The Newest Dangerous Thing People Do on the Internet That Doesn't Seem Dangerous at All. It's issue #129 at Scambusters. Ths gist of this new scam is that you think you're connecting to a safe public wifi service, but instead an "evil twin" run by a bad guy is logging your sensitive information for future use.

(I didn't link to the article I'm referencing because it's not available on the Scambusters website yet. It will be in the next day or two, I'm sure. Meanwhile, I thought you might like to subscribe to Aunty Spam's newsletter.)

This one is important guys! It is so simple it's scary. I mean, I think even I might be smart enough to perpetrate this form of identity theft, and I'm over 40!

Anybody remember LP's?

2005-06-01T07:32:00.000-07:00

HP Digital Entertainment - Music at your fingertips - Turn your LPs into MP3s

I'm going to show my age here... I freely admit that I still have an extensive collection of LP's. Some of you know exactly what I'm talking about... They contain recorded music, and look like a big CD, but they're black and scratch easily.

Over the years I've been very careful with my Record collection, even copying them onto cassette tape (another nearly obsolete technology) so I wouldn't play them too much and wear them out. As a musician I have some pretty rare recordings on vinyl, and I seriously doubt that I'll ever find them for sale again, so when I saw this step by step guide to converting them into MP3's I got pretty excited. BUT I wasn't prepared to do anything about it yet, so I allowed the e-mail to languish in my inbox.

On a clear out of the inbox I found this information again, and wanting to DO something so I wouldn't lose the information entirely, I decided to share it with my friends. So guys, when I ask you how to convert my LP's to MP3's, remind me, won't you?

30 and Up Multiple Choice Quiz - Sierra Club

2005-05-26T08:46:00.000-07:00

30 and Up Multiple Choice Quiz - Sierra Club

This is an issue that's been bugging me since I moved back to the US in 1997. I'd been living in Europe and driving a much smaller car - and paying roughly $30 per fill-up which lasted me about a week. We've just now reached the equivalent sort of price here in America - 7 1/2 years later.

I elect to drive a fuel efficient car that is NOT taller than I am. But with two kids and two large dogs, it is not a small car. In Europe, the equivalent would be considered a LARGE car. Even so, on the road here in east Texas, I feel like I'm in a small car. There must be half a dozen HUMMERS in my tiny little town, and every other car is an e-bloody-normous Ford Excursion or Chevy Suburban. (How do these people afford Hummers? Are they all lawyers and drug dealers?) I find it difficult to see when I want to turn at an intersection because all the other vehicles around me are so blasted tall.

Which brings me to my point: how will we EVER educate people about fuel economy when they don't feel safe driving in a car that could be crushed by 90% of the other cars on the road? Our auto manufacturers and our oil companies are the big ugly culprits here, and I blame their greed for the current state of affairs. I'd even be willing to bet that there already exists a good and viable alternative to fossil fuel, but that the oil merchants and auto manufacturers have managed to keep the technology hidden for fear of the damage it would do to their incomes, and the difficulties inherent in changing technoligies.

Answers? I have none. We are living in a time when our voices are not welcome in Washington. Meanwhile I keep doing the best I can with what I have. My car is a compromise - relatively good milage, but big enough to protect my family in a crash. And I wait for a brighter day when better solutions are readily available.

Timo Checks In - The Wander Years Journal

2005-05-26T07:33:00.000-07:00

Live Journal - The Wander Years

I've shared info about this extraordinary young man before, but his journey so perfectly represents what my writing and passion is all about that I feel compelled to share his travel updates with you.

To recap briefly, Timo was a game warden in Scotland (?), and decided he wanted to immigrate to New Zealand - without the use of an aeroplane - An adventure to be sure! Even more special, Timo is keeping an online journal as he goes along. I think it is a perfect illustration of what you CAN do when you're young and free. (Kids, animals and "careers" tend to get in the way of this sort of freedom, so YOUNG works best.)

I invite my readers to read and subscribe to Timo's online journal. He writes very well, and you might pick up an idea or two about how to commence your own adventure.

Hospitality Net - Industry News - The World�s First All-glass Undersea Restaurant Opens

2005-05-07T06:21:00.000-07:00

Hospitality Net - Industry News - The World�s First All-glass Undersea Restaurant Opens

A friend has just invited me to dinner at this amazing new restaurant in the Maldives - just as soon as he is rich and famous, that is!

I think I could enjoy some fine dining surrounded by coral reef and tropical fish - though I suspect it's more of a lunch time experience than a dinner one! At least the photo they show is a daytime shot with amazing turquoise water surrounding walls and ceiling. At night, when the sunlight is not shining through the water, the view will be limited to the immediate area illuminated by the restaurant. But as any scuba diver knows, some very cool creatures come out at night...

Was it Murder?

2005-04-29T11:10:00.000-07:00

Was it murder
or just the cruel wind
that brought the three little babies to their untimely end?

Over by the work boots
beside the rubbish bin
Lay a tiny little avian corpse blind to the world once again.

Climbing up to peer inside
the eerie quiet hanging fern
their empty little nest caused my eyes to burn.

My feline companions
long since asleep
won't say if they have a secret to keep.

NPR : Ben Berman's Return to Flight

2005-04-22T07:50:00.000-07:00

NPR : Ben Berman's Return to Flight

I came across this article about Continental pilot, Ben Berman, who lost his job in the aftermath of 9/11. The article demonstrates the typical passionate personality that one often sees with airline pilots. These guys REALLY love their work, and they sometimes have to go through a lot to continue to BE airline pilots.

The good news is that Ben is back on active duty with Continental.

Live Journal - The Wander Years

2005-04-21T07:36:00.000-07:00

Live Journal - The Wander Years
I think I've mentioned Timo before, but in case I have not done so, here's a recap.

This guy is a twenty-something year old former game warden making his way over land from Scotland to New Zealand, where he intends to settle. He's making his way slowly, and intends to do the entire journey without the use of an aircraft. He stops to work as he's going along, and this week's update of his journey is particularly interesting for my newsletter readers due to the excellent summer job he's just taken in the Channel Islands.

Timo is really living my idea of an adventure.

Socrates on Gossip

2005-04-13T11:18:00.000-07:00

My mother sent me this little gem via e-mail just now. I don't know where she found it, or even if it's true, but it is very wise. As a person who absolutely abhors gossip in all it's many guises, I find this "system of filters" very useful indeed. (I didn't even notice the punchline till later!)

Here's the story:

In ancient Greece (469 - 399 BC) Socrates was widely lauded for his wisdom. One day the great philosopher came upon an acquaintance who ran up to him excitedly and said, "Socrates, do you know what I just heard about one of your students?"

"Wait a moment," Socrates replied. "Before you tell me I'd like you to pass a little test. It's called the Triple Filter Test."

"Triple filter?"

"That's right," Socrates continued. "Before you talk to me about my student let's take a moment to filter what you're going to say. The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?"

"No," the man said, "actually I just heard about it and..."

"All right," said Socrates. "So you don't really know if it's true or not. Now let's try the second filter, the filter of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my student something good?"

"No, on the contrary..."

"So," Socrates continued, "you want to tell me something bad about him, even though you're not certain it's true?" The man shrugged, a little embarrassed. Socrates continued. "You may still pass the test though, because there is a third filter - the filter of Usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my student going to be useful to me?"

"No, not really"

"Well," concluded Socrates, "if what you want to tell me is neither True nor Good nor even Useful, why tell it to me at all?"

The man was defeated and ashamed. This is the reason Socrates was a great philosopher and held in such high esteem.

It also explains why he never found out that Plato was banging his wife.

The Great Adventure People TV series has arrived - G.A.P. Adventures

2005-04-12T16:04:00.000-07:00

The Great Adventure People TV series has arrived - G.A.P. Adventures

This info was just too good not to pass it on to you guys. For those of us who can't make as many adventure treks as we'd like, this looks like a great way to at least see what some other people got to see when they visited some of the worlds most unique places.

Transworld Matrix

2005-04-11T18:44:00.000-07:00

Transworld Matrix

This one's for the extreme sports lovers in the crowd. I discovered it while perusing a fellow chef's website, http://www.theretreatchef.com

And while I'm pointing out cool stuff - check out this guy's website, all you wanna be working extreme chef type people out there. It is slick. If I were serious about looking for a traveling/cooking job right now, this is the way I'd go about it too.

And the rest of you - don't forget this guy when you're planning your next workshop or event...

My pals, Jane & Joe On the Road

2005-04-06T07:45:00.000-07:00

Current Travels

Jane and Joe are at it again. These two friends of mine, who travel across the USA in a big rig hauling freight are so good at telling us what the country looks like and what's going on at any given moment. I suppose it has to do with what they choose to share with us, and the fact that they have good eyes for pretty landscapes and a way with words.

I always enjoy their updates and information, so I share them here. If you enjoy their stories as well, sign their guestbook while you're there. The do this because they like to share, and they really like to hear from others who have visited their website.

Stop Spam!

2005-04-06T07:04:00.000-07:00

Stop Spam!

I'm visiting that scambusters site again, and as I'm in the process of redesigning some of my own websites (for the umteenth time), I'm trying to make my online e-mail addresses less available to spam hijackers. Those nasty robots harvest e-mail addresses from the unwary, like me and you, who publish an e-mail address online.

I periodically remind family and friends who know my REAL e-mail address, that I only use that one to send mail. I'm not going to publish it here! But any of the other e-mail addresses that are attached to my websites are fine to SEND mail to, but don't open anything that might come to you using one of those addresses. I've had to do this because my e-mail addresses have been harvested from my websites and abused repeatedly. Deleting those addresses doesn't help, it's too late after the fact. Now as added protection, I'm replacing all instances of the e-mail addresses with encrypted e-mail forms on my personal sites and those I webmaster for. This has always been an option, but not an easy to use option.

As always, these folks at scambusters have spelled out what you REALLY need to know to protect yourself and your friends from spammers. Take a few minutes and read this page.

Best Description fo Learning to Climb

2005-03-21T14:07:00.000-08:00

The Beginner

I just love this guy. His name is Guillaume Dargaud, and he's a brilliant photographer who also climbs anything and everything he can find to climb.

The page I've linked to above is a very entertaining explanation of all the different types of climbing and the progression from one to the other. I highly recommend it to everyone.

Reintroducing myself

2005-03-21T13:16:00.001-08:00

Hello, I'm Kim Davis, editor of Extraordinary Jobs for Ordinary People, and author of The Yachtie Bible (out of print), and Crewing Aboard a Superyacht. My passion is helping other people find interesting work that allows them to travel at their employer's expense. That's what I did - working as a chef aboard a succession of gorgeous luxury yachts for 15 years.

I stopped that line of work only when I had children - and I left that about as long as I could! To say the least I had a great time, and I'm a living tesiment to the fact that one does not have to follow the path laid out by one's family, teachers or anyone else.

Today, I work from home as a freelance writer and web designer. I'm still circumventing "the system", and specializing in teaching others to do the same. In addition to writing about working aboard yachts for a living, I write about and publish other experts information about all sorts of other adventure related jobs. These include jobs on cruise ships, tour guiding, climbing, river rafting, truck driving, flying, scuba diving, commercial diving, jobs with horses, summer camp jobs, and any other travel related jobs my subscribers want to know about.

The NEW blog

2005-03-21T13:16:00.000-08:00

Well this is the first attempt to move the former "Daily Dances on the Edge of Normal" blog onto my own website.