As if you're having all the fun

Greeting adventurers! Writing to you this time from a small island just off the coast of N America. It's called Trinidad and...well...I suppose it's kinda ...surrounded... by N America. None the less, it's been awhile and I'd like to bring you guys and gals up to speed.


We have actually recently done some traveling ourselves to visit some desert springs named Palm. OH YA! Yes, it was time again for the CUE (Computer Using Educators) conference and you just gotta know that the consummate techy that Candy is she needs to be out there pushing the leading edge. Or was she just hanging on and screaming as it blasts through space and time?

I was really there just as the boy toy on Candy's arm. My responsibilities included getting some color on my pasty white legs and feet and to make the dinner reservations. Actually it sounded like the conference content was pretty inspiring and usable. Google has become really really extensive in its offering beyond search engine.

It was Thursday through Saturday and Candy attended meetings in the mornings and we hung by the pool in the afternoons. Temps were mid 80s, dry, and quite wonderful. Now here is where you guys will - seriously - start eating your hearts out. On the way home we stopped at Hadleys and bought date shakes. YAH!. . . . .That's what I'm talk en about.

So....aside from that I've been checking off misc projects so I can start to focus on the boat while Candy barrels through life like Haley's commit on steroids.

The education world in Calif has been completely thrown on its ear. While state revenues have continued to go up, our elected representatives managed to not only spend the increase but also another $13 billion or so.

Fortunately they have a solution. Instead of cutting back on entitlement programs that fund the illegals or others the state has just sent lay off notices to 18,000 teachers and education budgets have been frozen or cut back.

Moms not threatened by this because NMUSD is what's called a "basic aid" district meaning that instead of getting its income from the State on a per pupil basis it gets income from local property taxes. Newport Beach? Are you kidding? While NMUSD is also cutting spending it's sitting pretty fat compared to most others and no lay offs are planned.

Lets see....in other news mom and I are trying complete plan "C or D" with the kitchen cubbord door hinges. I've repainted all the old hinges to match the cabinets with oil base paint and have let them cure. Today my goal is to get the doors back on and install the door pulls. If the lord's willing and the creeks don't rise, by tomorrow I'll be able to post photogs of the finished deal.

On the battery business side, transitions are occurring there also. In about a week Mark is handing over the warehouse to Harris Battery of Ohio. They are the largest Discover battery distributor in the world and very large for Trojan, exide and others also.

They are a family owned partnership and this will be one of about 13 warehouses they operate which means that several layers of well needed infrastructure from administration, customers service, and sales support comes with it.

They are already making some important investments in local infrastructure so after some final meetings next week to talk about "the road ahead" we'll be off and running. I'm quite enthusiastic about this.

Well so much for now..I'd better get to it. I just had you guys on my mind this morning (kinda like most mornings) and figured I owed you an update. See attached pics of the desert named Palm.

Home Sweet Home

Yes it's true....for Xmas Candy and I agreed to give the gift that keeps on giving.....a kitchen update. It all started innocently enough. Got a quote from Victor to take down the wall paper in the kitchen and service porch and paint the outside of the cabinets.

Well.... then the girlfriends get involved and the topic becomes colors and textures and maybe this or maybe that. But no big deal right? We'll just hang until the plan gets fully hatched and then call Victor for a date to do the deed.

Then the greed factor rears it's ugly head. Yep....just as you though, we had only begun to get into the "We'll just hang" mode when Victor calls up and says something like I don't have any work two days from now and I need to pay my painters so I'll give you a kick ass deal to paint the kitchen if you'll just let me do it.

Well shiver me timbers....how, I ask you, do you turn down a guy who can make a compelling case like that? After all ...his poor guys.

So it's now Tuesday and we've agreed to start the job on Thursday and It'll take two days to strip the wall paper and prep and paint the walls and outside of the cabinets. Not such a big deal until the OOPS falls out of your pocket. Candy has scheduled a girls night out dinner at our house for Thursday night. Not so bad, Victor is OK with doing the deed Friday Saturday.

So between Tuesday and the Thursday girls night out dinner Candy learns that:
1. The cabinet doors really do need to come off for the paint job to be decent (good thought).
2. You don't just paint over the hinge and expect it to really look good
3. In fact you paint the hinges a different color to really make the whole thing....POP!
4. The inside of the cabinets should be painted so it all really looks updated.
3. Therefore the cabinets A L L must be emptied so they can be painted.
4. While we're at it lets add drawer and door pulls.

Good thing and Mom and I are a CAN DO couple! It did get done.

Even considering that on the Thursday I had a little wrist surgery with Dr. Nick Yaru where he cut out the ganglia that was on my right wrist.

Not quite what I would have expected. Because it was wrapped around the vein where you take someones pulse, it was one of those surgeries with the doc wearing the magnifying binoculars and a turnacut around the arm just in case. I am, of course, completely knocked out.

Long story for a kitchen paint job but I think you catch the drift. We have the technology to keep life interesting. Check out the pictures. The final leg of the journey is to replace the old seeable hinges with no seeums. Therefore the doors are not back up yet.

What's a little update among friends

Some water has passed under the bridge since I last posted so grab yer life jacket and here we go.

Not much has happened really since New Year. Each month that goes by Candy is becoming a better leader for the community and school at Adams Elementary. She still works way to much and too hard but many people benefit from it.

As a part of my new year resolutions I've been trying to wrap up some old topics so I can focus more on the important ones. The list includes some adjustments to Dewey Rudolphs boarding ladder and watermaker - DONE. Sandy Castaluccis Duffy needs new charger and batteries - Not Done. Sell Jasons' truck - Not Done.

My goal is to focus on my family, my business, and my boat (in that order). I'll probably still dabble in the Trinidad HOA because it takes little time and I think I can offer something to the community that we've all enjoyed for so many years.

As far as the business goes I've still not been consistent with time spent but it is still developing. Late in December I finally achieved a breakthrough at Los Angeles WorlD Airports (AKA LAX) and they purchased a sample quantity of batteries for some floor scrubbers used in the maintenance department. They want to stop the corrosion on their equipment from the hydorchloric acid fumes.

They liked what they found and in Jan purchased another $20K worth just to get going. I'm not sure what the potential here is yet but they could buy $100K per year. Since LAX is a part of the City of Los Angeles I had to jump through some hoops to get Discover registered as a vendor with the city etc.. I've only got a few more hoops and I'll be positioned to sell to the city at large.

I'll still have to find the buyers and sell the product but at least, there will not be any administrative roadblocks to making the sale. I'm pretty enthusiastic.

Also Mark and Joanne have not been happy running the warehouse so they're trying to get a large battery reseller from Ohio (Harris Battery) to come take it over. I met the owners last year and they seemed nice enough so we'll see what comes. I expect it would be a good thing for all. They'll be in town this week to see the place and talk turkey.

As a Christmas gift between mom and me we wanted to spruce up the kitchen so we called Victor (the painter) and he and his guys stripped the wall paper in the kitchen and service area and painted the walls and all of the kitchen cabinets. We're still in process but we're also adding some under cabinet lighting in the kitchen and copper splash behind the stove and where the lights are in the ceiling. We're also going to replace all of the cabinet door hinges with ones that you cannot see.

It's really looking pretty nice and mom loves it too. Right now there are no doors on the cabinets but when we get that done I'll post some photogs.

So back to the "clearing things off of my plate" topic. The kitchen now is in the way of completing all of the other stuff including the boat. No worries....I'll "git er done!

Genevieve has still not lost her will to complain so I'm calling that a positive. She's very unhappy about where she's living, but there are no good alternatives yet. It's not that the place is bad, she would just rather be back at her own home. Who wouldn't? We've looked into another place that might be more homey but there aren't any vacancies on the close horizon yet.

You may recall the bump I had on my right wrist. Dr. Yaru took it off for me last week. I would have thought that it would be an office procedure but OH NO. It turns out that it was wrapped around the artery in my wrist (you know, where you take someones pulse). So the procedure was done in the Hoag surgy center with my lights out and Yaru with his telescopic eyes.

I guess if there's a possibility of blood spurting they like to do it in the surgy center because that's where they keep the cleaning materials. It all went without a hitch or any holes in arteries. Next week I get the stitches out.

Today was Super Bowl Sunday and Mom and I watch a great game. New England Patriots (with an 18-0 season) vs the NY Giants (underdogs for sure). In the final 60 seconds the score was 14-10 NE and NY took possession of the ball and ground down field to score with 1 second left ing the game.

That's all for now folks. We hope that you are all well and enjoying the wonders that life has to offer. We miss you greatly.

2008 Already looking Like a Spectacular Year

On New Years day Mom and I set a course for the Isthmus at Catalina Island to open the new year with a proper perspective.

With hints of NE winds and a couple of significant storm systems bearing down on SoCal we rolled the dice and kept a weather eye. The crossing was flat and punctuated by several long, play sessions, with Dolphin and porpoise. It was great.

Once on the mooring in 4th of July Cove we noted that out of Cherry, 4th, and the Isthmus we were one of 3 boats in all of the coves, and we had 4th all to ourselves. It was awesome.

The temps were defiantly cool at night but not to worries. We simply cranked up our new propane catalytic heater with no flame and therefore no carbon monoxide and the inside was a toasty 70 degrees while the outside was a crispy 54.

We awoke Wednesday morning to crystal clear sky's and temps headed to about 80 degrees for the day. What a great opportunity for an egg scramble ala mimosa. We never miss opportunity. Highlights of the day would be the 5 mi hike followed by a chat with Dave Lewhow (runs the mooring service and Leslie and Julie's dad).

The chat produced about 250' of 9/16" chain and a 45lb CQR anchor that Dave had found on the bottom of some cove. Apparently that's why one wants to make certain that the bitter end of your chain is well fastened to the boat. If purchased retail it would have been about a $2400 package. I'm gonna say that it's about 6 - 800 lbs of weight in the bow and the Sea Cloud could well use the weight forward. More to come on the topic as I evaluate but I do think that she sits and cruises better.

We had planned to return home of Friday but by Thursday morning the talk was of gale force winds, pounding rain, and 10 - 15' seas in the late afternoon sooooooooo we beat a hasty retriet back home.

By the time we arrived near the LB breakwater the weather was still beautiful and the seas totally calm so we decided to anchor at the oil island, hang out, have dinner, then go home. Now here is how I know 2008 will be a spectacular year.

After dropping the anchor and backing down the hook was set good. I then walked to the cockpit only to realize that I had not pulled in the towed Achilles....and the tow line lead right under the stern and to the props. A quick tug on the line proved that it was caught. Ah Sh*^#*#&*#@#T.

58 degree water, a wrapped prop, and gale force wind in the future was not the scenario I had been working on. Luckily I still had on board my shorty (toilet paper thick) wet suit, mask and fins. So I put them on and without hesitation jumped in to get the job done.

The line was draped over both props....but only draped. I lifted it loose and was back out of the water. I felt refreshed, lucky, happy, and totally non hypothermic.

Dinner was great, the conversation was great, the ride home that night was great.

It's gonna be a great year.

Hello 2008

New Years Eve was fun. Candy and I joined quite a few of our neighbors at the Seagate Yacht Clubs annual drink fest and stomp which was held at the Seagate club house. A catered dinner was included and we enjoyed a full measure of all the fun and dancing. We stayed out past midnight ....but then that would be the point wouldn't it.

Christmas Day Dinner @ the Morley Home

Well, as is tradition, we shared a xmas dinner with the Morleys and Daughertys. This year however we shared the meal on Christmas day. It was a nice and friendly time spent with people that we have known well for a long time. The house was Morleys and as usual the food was great and plentiful. The food was early California fare (aka Mexican), and I shouldn't have had seconds.

Erik is at UCLA chasing a Master in Hospital Administration. Jill brought her boyfriend and is still an accountant who is considering a carrier change to nursing. Stephany is still a high schooler with equestrian interests.

Christmas Eve with the Bouts

Well, as is tradition, the Boutillier clan held a Christmas eve celebration. All the usual suspects were there but it was a closer and smaller group yet more fun. All of the Armor, Bouts, Rup, etc. families are growing up which makes them all more interesting people. In general I'd say that all are healthy and happy and with the usual smattering of life's challenges.

Bret Ruppert is still in Japan so he wasn't present but Ryan was. Ryan is leaving in a couple of weeks for a multi week surfing trip to Morrocco. Blake and Katie were there. Katie is still married to "that guy" and Ruby is still cute. Blake is still seeing "that girl" and Leslie is still cute. Leslies's sister Julie was there and still at CSULB for the winter. I really enjoyed speaking with her. I've always seen her as a party girl but she also is smart. Cool!

The Armor clan was there in full force and it was great to see all of them.