Wedding Tomorrow

**above is the view overlooking the wedding site**(beautiful!!)

We didn't quite make it to Jim and Kara's on Wednesday but we were glad to get there yesturday with puppy's in tow. After an afternoon with Joyce and Barry we headed over to Jack London Square to meet up with them. I have to admit going from a roaring windy marina like MBYH in Pt. Richmond to Jack London Square in Oakland it was a night and day difference. I can definately see why they moved their sweet boat over there. It was warm and sunny and well, lovely.

The puppy's had a good time running around there aft enclosed "porch" not quite sure of what their bounderies were. (now we need a bigger back yard...haha). It was good to catch up over beer and pizza.....**I got such a kick out of seeing Jim go and get the delivered pizza at Mach 10 on his segway, it was still piping hot...haha**

For all the happenings going on lately it was sure nice to catch up and talk about the upcoming events. This also put more fire in our pots to hurry up and just take off...speaking of which..**Lori, if you are reading this...I saw your "Camelot" heading down to Alameda...and she is Gorgeous!!...I will harass you on Facebook later over that one and can't wait to do the Baja HaHa with you too!**

Today Neil spent the day helping Barry get ready for some serious wiring for his solar panels and his wind generator...projects....but soon they will be done and we can all relax...

Joyce and I did the girley task of laundry..and well shopping. It was a lot of fun to just be silly, with tasks at hand and just hang out together.

Tomorrow I will have the pleasure of being a bridesmaid at my very first "Hippee Wedding." I am very curious to see the combination between "Hippee and Deep Sea Fisherman." It will be a very special union, and one that I am sure I will not forget for a long time to come...so everyone...."we wish you the very best, Aubrey and Crystal."

After the wedding we will get the boat ready to take her into the bay one last time. This time we will be returning to the marina in which we got started almost 5 years ago with our first boat. We will spend the next week getting our storage emptied, our boat loaded, our car sold, and our 2 puppys to their new homes...well maybe one more week after that...and than....well, than....we are done....no more attatchments for the most part...and what little will be left, well....wow! We will be free. It is a bit overwhelming so for now, I focus on the wedding tomorrow.

It will be a beach front wedding in front of the "Mavericks" waves followed by a real seafood fest and a good combination of different backgrounds coming together for a celebration of 2 souls. It will be like a Lennon Song......."People say I'm a dreamer.....but I'm not the only one....I hope some day they will join us.....and the world will live as one...." (Imagine). That song will be playing in my head tonight as I try to go to sleep.....it was a good song....hmmm hmmmm hmmmmmmmmm....

Sunshiny Days

Last weekend we were pleasantly surprised by the visitation of some of our friends here on anchorage. It is one thing to be on a shared dock with your boating buddies but when they make a trip just to say hello and see whats up, it is heart warming to say the least. We were happy to see our friend Ken from "Aquilla" whom I thoroughly enjoyed hearing his tales of crossing the ocean a few years ago. Ken got handed a puppy, instead of the usual beer, aboard and it was a short but lovely chat. "Thanks for stopping by Ken!"( not to worry we still have all the puppys!)

The next morning, Neil and I were "busted" for sleeping in. Our fun friends aboard "TallyWacket", Jim and Kara, got on their loud speaker from their "power yacht" and announced what sounded like "wake up!". Stewart jumped up and met them on the back deck while Neil and I got our butts up...hey sometimes we get to sleep in and not just the kids!!

It was a real shame to find out they had come down for a visit and dinner the night before not realizing we were anchored out. Bummer! We were definately surprised and felt very special that we have such loving friends. I am looking forward to getting together with them on Wednesday to catch up and hopefully twist their arms into joining us and Joyce and Barry "Jubilee II" for fun in the sun down south this winter!

After that yesturday was a mixed blessing day taking care of one of our last big business matters (for those of you who know the skinny...thank you for your thoughts and prayers..). All in all it was a good day, but unfortunately we may have to stay a wee little bit longer. Although now, we are going to spend our time doing a little more sailing. I want to go to the Farralons again one more time, and than down to Santa Cruz, Monterey and maybe a little further south this time. Who knows, we may just keep heading south and just take the train back for a few other little piddly things yet to finish. I must say we are definately ready for sunshine to say the least.

The puppys are doing so good. So is Momma (Daisy). They are little eating, sleeping and pooping machines. They are getting big and very playful. They are doing great with the paper training as well. The hard part now is deciding which ones to keep. Originally we wanted just a girl...but the boys...oh they are just so cute. All different personality's. The little boy whom I have nicknamed "Spot" follows me araound everywhere and whines when I leave the room...Oh my..what have we done!!! So we will have the laborous task of making the choices...can we survive with more that 2 dogs aboard a tiny sailboat with 2 kids? haha, don't think for a minute that all of us didn't say "sure we could" at some point...funny...but no, we can't do it, can we?? haha!

This week we will be helping out some friends get some more prep work done. Try to have storage down to nothing, get the car ready to be sold, the puppy's need to have shots soon and need to be chipped..at least the ones we keep...oh geez! now I am back to making the big decision again of whom!!....ok, so I won't think about that just yet....Lot's to do, but all fun and good stuff.

I tell you what, last night I slept so well that I didn't even hear Neil snore!! Now that's a sound sleep! (sorry baby!)...

Oh the sun is coming out!! My heart feels warm and sunny also...it is going to be a good day....and thanks again to all our wonderful friends and adopted family who make every day such a joy! We sure do love you all!

The desire

The puppys have come full circle. Momma is doing great. We are all getting a decent nights sleep and the pup's are starting to want to play a little bit with momma. We gave them a little bit of mushy food the last few days. It is so funny to see them eat the "slop" made out of warmed formula and puppy food. The boys dive right in and literally "hoover" it up like a vacuum, all the while sprawled out across the plate as if to say, "Mine!". The little girl sneaks her way in underneath and pushes them at just the right moment to shovel them off the plate as she freaks out with excitement to be eating the new treat. Needless to say I am glad that we have never finished the floor to level "pretty" as of yet. My new rug is made of newspaper and is easy to clean! haha. They are cute little buggars!

Neil and I have an overwhelming feeling of rush and desire to go this week. It was as if we were all "hove to" with puppy's and now that they have gotten older it's like, "Oh no! We're late, we're late, for a very important date, no time to say hello, goodbye! We're late, we're late, we're late!"

In all reality we are not late, just antsy. Right now we would love to head south, head out, head north...head somewhere, anywhere, yet we have a few more loose ends to take care of before we leave..not too much longer, I hope.

We have most of storage gone through and organized. It is something to empty out a house, take just what you think you need, only to weed through it every month or so and whittle it down until you have this small pile of treasure. You let it sit for another month and realize you have a small pile of???haha! I have gone through my clothes, books, and supplies over and over. Each time I realize I just don't need all this stuff. Other days I look at my little pile and think, "Oh no! I have no stuff at all?" (ok, so now it is starting to sound like a George Carlin skitt here....he was a fun guy, hey?...anyway....).

In a few weeks we will attend our first sea fareing wedding. It will be one of the last things we do before we go. I am curious to see what the groom will wear as I have never seen him without his full "aye Matey", commercial fishing, rubber boot wearing ensemble. It will be full of the same..so we shall wait and see.

I am very anxious to head south, for warmth, adventure, education, and well, because for the last year we have been gearing up for this new life. So far being on anchor full time and taking our dinghy to shore for food,gas, water, and other has been kind of fun, and freeing all at the same time. I know some may get tired of it, but I am sure that the feelings there are because they are stuck in the same place everyday. I look forward to the option of having options.

Until the day....the desire is growing with increasing heat and ravenous appetite...to put it mildly.