The Cynical Sailor & His Salty Sidekick: February 2019

27 February 2019

Wordless Wednesday | Cute Boat Dog

Wordless Wednesday is supposed to be about posting a photo(s) without any words. But, I'm a rule breaker, so here are a few words:

1 - Is there anything cuter than a dog on a boat? My inner crazy cat lady would probably say a cat on a boat would be cuter, but this little guy is pretty darn adorable.

2 - We helped some friends move their boat from Indiantown Marina to a Mariner Cay Marina in Stuart.

3 - It was nice to be on the water again, but it sure was bittersweet to be on someone else's boat and not our own. But when you're feeling a little down, you just have to look at a cute dog and you instantly feel better.

What words does this picture(s) bring to your mind when you look at it?

For more Wordless Wednesday fun, click here and here.

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25 February 2019

Provisioning With Boys

I went provisioning with boys yesterday.

It can be challenging enough to go grocery shopping with just your husband, but add in another guy, and a long list of supplies that they need to get for the boat and you might just need an extra large chocolate bar at the end of the expedition to recuperate.

Scott is helping a friend take his boat over to the Bahamas. It's a win-win. Scott gets to go sailing and our friend gets to tick an item off of his bucket list. I'm going to stay behind on our broken boat on the hard and try to finish off the next book in my cozy mystery series, Poisoned by the Pier.

But, back to provisioning -- which, by the way, is just fancy sailor lingo for stocking up on groceries and adult beverages before you head off cruising.

I organized their grocery list into categories so that we could try to make the trip as efficient as possible.

First off was a stop at the bank cause cash is king in the Bahamas. The Bahamian dollar is on par with the US dollar and you can use American currency interchangeably with Bahamian currency which is nifty.

Then, we stopped off at West Marine because of course the day before you're due to set sail you remember something else that you forgot to get for the boat.

It seems like everyone from Indiantown Marina was at the West Marine in Stuart while we were there. A million dollars later, we headed over to Waldi, which is what we like to call Walmart and Aldi. They're right next door to each other. Walmart is good for some things, but Aldi is where we like to spend most of our money.

Note to self: Do not go shopping at Waldi on Sunday afternoon. Chaos. Too many people, too many carts, too much of everything.

When you go provisioning with boys, the first order of business is stocking up on beer. After that, they chucked a mattress pad cover in the cart. I'm hoping there isn't any sort of correlation between the two.

Toilet paper was also purchased. Not enough in my opinion, but then again, I'm not a boy.

We also pretty much cleared out the instant mashed potato section. I guess you can never have enough beer or mashed potatoes.

The groceries have been stowed. The docklines have been untied and the boys are making their way to the Abacos. Scott will get our friend situated in Marsh Harbour, then fly back. Do you think I should serve him mashed potatoes for his welcome back dinner?

Do you like mashed potatoes? What do you think constitutes enough toilet paper?

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23 February 2019

Saturday Spotlight | Corruption By Nick Wilford

In addition to the usual blog posts every Monday and Wednesday about our travel adventures and day-to-day life living aboard a sailboat, I also occasionally post on Saturdays, focusing on things related to writing such as cover reveals, book launches, reviews, interviews with authors etc. So if you're a bit of a book nerd like I am, check in on Saturdays - you never know what might pop up.

Today, I'm featuring an interview with Nick Wilford to celebrate the release of >>Corruption<<, the second book in his dytopian Black & White series. I first met Nick through the Insecure Writer's Support Group. He's an all around good egg who supports and encourages new writers like myself. He also lives in Scotland, not too far from where we used to live, although our paths never crossed when we were there. So scroll on down and have a read about what Nick has to say about writing, penguins, and cookies.

1 - What inspired you to write this book?

Well, the whole series was inspired by a desire to deal with injustice and prejudice through the medium of a fictional world – although it is a future version of Earth so maybe it’s not too far removed! That was probably subconscious at the time I started writing though – which was NaNo 2012, so it’s been in the works for a while. You try and write a good story and afterwards you start to see any layers that might or might not be there. A lot of dystopian fiction deals with a decaying, post-apocalyptic future, but what if the scary thing was that the society was seemingly perfect – a utopia – but that perfection came at an alarming cost?

2 - Do you have any writing rituals?

Nothing too out there! I need a steaming mug of tea on hand before I can get down to business.

3 - What's more important - character or plot?

They’re both important, but if you don’t have characters the readers can sympathise with and root for, the best plot in the world won’t hold their attention. I know that in the beginning I don’t plot much. I might have a vague idea of what the story will be about, but I’ve usually got a character bumbling around and asking for attention. It all starts from them!

4 - What do you like best about being an author? What do you like the least?

The part I like best is what many people would answer, I think – being able to create entirely new worlds and have fantastic adventures without leaving my desk. The only limit is your imagination. It’s hard to say what I like the least, but maybe it’s when my imagination isn’t playing ball! And I could say marketing, but it’s good to be creative and try different things there, too. I’m trying!

5 - What's your favorite cookie? If you don't like cookies, what's wrong with you? Oops,
sorry, scratch that. My follow-up question was meant to be far more polite - "Why don't you
like cookies?"

I don’t know who doesn’t like cookies! My favourite is double choc chip – our local
supermarket does them fresh baked. Mmmm, cookies.

6 - A penguin walks through your front door wearing a sombrero. What does he say and why
did he come visit you?

“Excuse me, I seem to have lost my way trying to reach Mexico.” I’d ask him why he’d want to holiday in a location where the climate might not entirely suit him. I’d persuade him to stay because he’d probably feel much more at home in Scotland!

7 - What else would you like us to know about you?

It’s something I’ve talked about recently, but I had dramatic ambitions as a child. I never made it as an actor, but I’d still like to write a Hollywood blockbuster one day!

Thanks for stopping by, Nick! I really enjoyed Corruption (check out my review on Goodreads here.) Now, I'm trying to figure out what local supermarket you buy your cookies at and wondering how come I never knew about the double choc chip cookies when we lived there.

CORRUPTION BLURB

Wellesbury Noon and Ezmerelda Dontible have found themselves in a position where they can make their native land somewhere that lives up to its name: Harmonia. However, they’re setting their sights further afield for their number one task: eradicating the disease that has plagued the neighbouring country of Loretania for generations and allowed the privileged Harmonians to live in a sterile environment.

After dispatching a team of scientists to Loretania, armed with cratefuls of an antidote and vaccine and headed up by their friend, Dr George Tindleson, Welles, Ez, and Welles’s brother Mal – who grew up in that benighted nation – start to worry when they hear nothing back, despite what they had agreed. Commandeering a fishing boat to follow the science teamover the sea, they soon find that, while the disease may be on the way out, a new kind of infection has set in – the corruption they thought they had stamped out in Harmonia.

Can they get to the root of the problem and eliminate it before even more damage is done to an innocent people?

*** Warning – this book contains themes that some sensitive readers may find upsetting. ***

BUY LINKS

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Smashwords | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iBooks

Add it on Goodreads

MEET THE AUTHOR

Nick Wilford is a writer and stay-at-home dad. Once a journalist, he now makes use of those early morning times when the house is quiet to explore the realms of fiction, with a little freelance editing and formatting thrown in.

When not working he can usually be found spending time with his family or cleaning something. He has four short stories published in Writer’s Muse magazine. Nick is also the editor of Overcoming Adversity: An Anthology for Andrew. Visit him at his blog or connect with him on Twitter, Goodreads, Facebook, or Amazon.

18 February 2019

What Cruisers Talk About On Facebook

Facebook is full of pictures of cute cats, recipes for chocolaty treats, and memes that make introverted middle-aged women laugh out loud. Or at least my feed is. Not sure what that says about me. Possibly crazy cat lady with graying hair and a serious chocolate addiction who finds it easier to talk with people online than in person?

But it's not all kittens, calories, and silliness on Facebook. If you're a cruiser, then Facebook is also full of posts about sailing, anchorages, potlucks on the beach, and, of course, all the stuff that keeps breaking on your boat.

Although we're more of armchair cruisers these days - yes, our boat is still on the hard and no, it doesn't look like we'll get to the Bahamas this season - I still use Facebook to chat about cruising things. In fact, I had what you could call a pretty typical convo with a friend on Facebook yesterday about our fridge, which seems to be slowly dying. I asked her about the issues they had had with their fridge and if they had replaced the refrigerant. Here's what she said:

"We did. It was super cheap at the dollar store at IGA. If you need the adapter and gauges go to the parts place with the attached garage. You can call my hubby to pick his brain anytime. He says 99 times out of 100 it’s Freon."

What makes this Facebook convo so typical?

First off, cruisers are the ultimate DIYers. Why pay someone to fix something when you can do it yourself? Boats are expensive enough as it is. Besides, you may find yourself stuck in the middle of nowhere when something breaks. Being able to do your own repairs and maintenance is key.

Second, the offer to help is so typical of cruisers. The cruising community is pretty tight and everyone looks out for each other. People freely share their knowledge, tools, and roll their sleeves up and help each other.

Third, our friends had issues with their fridge. Eventually, everyone has problems with their fridge, or their water pump, or their battery charger, or their engine, or their. . .well, you get the idea.

What's on your Facebook feed? What do you talk about on Facebook?

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13 February 2019

Wordless Wednesday | Valentine's Day Tree

Wordless Wednesday is supposed to be about posting a photo(s) without any words. But, I'm a rule breaker, so here are a few words:

1 - Do any of you still have your Christmas tree up? Hate the thought of taking it down? Well, here's an idea - turn it into a Valentine's Day tree. Then when March rolls around, you can turn it into a St. Patrick's Day tree.

2 - We saw this tree at the Kin-Doo Family Center here in Indiantown. The two nuns who run it are such lovely ladies doing great things in the community.

3 - You know what I love about Valentine's Day? The day after Valentine's Day when all the candy goes on sale!

What words does this picture(s) bring to your mind when you look at it?

For more Wordless Wednesday fun, click here and here.

Thanks for stopping by our blog - we love it when people come visit! We're also on Facebook - pop by and say hi!

11 February 2019

Ballroom Dancing With Two Left Feet

Someone sent me an email late last week which said:

"I think a post on ballroom dancing is in order. You can't passively mention something like that and leave your faithful readers wondering. Can you?"

My first reaction was:

"What the heck is he talking about?"

After a few minutes, I remembered that I had mentioned ballroom dancing in my IWSG post on creativity last week.

Then I felt old. Honestly, I can't remember anything anymore. Thank goodness for Scott. He's like my human hard drive. I've backed up all my memories into his brain and when I need to remember something, he tells me what happened and when.

He told me all about taking ballroom dancing lessons when we lived in Scotland, and then later how we tried it again when we lived in New Zealand.

After a while, the memories came flooding back. Memories of having two left feet. Memories of constantly stepping on Scott's toes. Memories of barely being able to walk in heels, let alone dance in them. Memories of the instructor trying to tell me diplomatically that I shouldn't quit my day job.

Here's the danger of having a human hard drive - how do you know if what they're telling you is true? Maybe I was actually the star of the class. Maybe I was so good at ballroom dancing that I intimidated all of the other students. Maybe I don't have two left feet. Maybe. . .

Okay, maybe I should stop deluding myself. The fact that I routinely trip while walking on flat surfaces while wearing flat shoes should be a clue that I'm never going to be the next star of the ballroom dancing circuit. But a girl can dream, right?

Do you have a good memory? Have you ever tried ballroom dancing? What do you wish you were good at?

09 February 2019

Saturday Spotlight | The Winner's Circle By PJ Colando

Today I'm featuring an interview with PJ Colando as part of the release of her book, The Winner's Circle. Read on to find our her thoughts on writing, cookies, and penguins.

1 - What inspired you to write your books?

This is the third book in my Faith, Family, Frenzy! series. The small rural community and its three female protagonists directly mirror the midwestern heartland communities where I grew up. I love the characters, activities, and world I've created. It shelters me from these turbulent, hyper-polarized times.

Three years ago, there was a half-billion dollar lottery ‘in play’ in that Upper Midwest area… My husband and I had an actual discussion of what we’d do with the loot if we won, as well as how much was ‘enough’ of a pay-out for our actions items, which included funding for charities and church.

And then, we went on an inspired, outlandishly-expensive trip Down Under… We thought, “That’s it! One of the ladies wins the mega-millions and the gang travels Down Under!” The working title for the novel was Cash to Dash… Down Under.

2 - Do you have any writing rituals?

I’ve actively blogged, at least once per week, since 2012, and post to my author site https://www.pjcolando.com I consider it my appointment to write and it proves the axiom that, if you wish to improve your writing, just sit your butt in the chair religiously, ritually, and do it!

3 - What's more important - character or plot?

My characters ARE the plot. The antics of my protagonists, who hurt and love and squabble and interact, are often lively, always intriguing to me. I call myself a Plodder, in the universal ‘controversy’ between Pantsers and Plotters. I personally like just starting to write and see where the characters take the story and then, like every mother, knows, the ‘children' run to me to fix their ’situations.” They keep me guessing and give me problems to solve - and so, I adore them.

4 - What do you like best about being an author? What do you like the least?

I love everything about writing as I explore what I know to be a gift, provided to me/for me by my highly literate parents. I used to agonize over revisions and edits as suggested by beta readers, but now I look forward to that process, too. I love my characters and spending time with them! I retired from a successful and demanding private practice as a speech-language pathologist, so “I’ve got nothing but time” (and a little talent) to devote to my ‘encore career.

5 - What's your favorite cookie? If you don't like cookies, what's wrong with you? Oops, sorry scratch that. My follow-up question was meant to be more polite - "Why don't you like cookies?"

My favorite cookies are Snicker Doodles and Ginger Snaps - because one grandmother specialized in Snicker Doodles and the other specialized in Ginger Snaps. I specialized in eating the cookies.

6 - A penguin walks through your front door wearing a sombrero. What does he say and why did he come visit you?

“Here’s your frozen margarita, PJ.” I drain the drink and return to my keyboard. Because, after all, I am an insecure writer and just one frozen margarita won’t be the cure.

7 - What else would you like us to know about you?

I’d be remiss if I didn’t call your readers to action: My book, The Winner’s Circle, is available in multiple formats on multiple buy sites. While I don’t need/want to be a best-selling author, my husband would like for me to be a good-selling author. He’s mildly annoyed that my ‘elegant hobby’ is draining our savings.

BLURB

FAITH...FAMILY...FRENZY!

When Bonnie wins the Boffo Lotto, her circle of friends urge her to lawyer up, invest, and sequester herself. But secrets are inconceivable in small towns, so Bonnie invites her close friends to witness her Vegas wedding and honeymoon in Hawaii with endless vagabond beyond. The sky’s the limit!

The allure of travel is fun for a while—hilarious, in fact. But when the husbands are jailed on the group’s first day in Sydney, Australia, wanderlust is no longer a romp, and things get complicated when you’re halfway round the world, untethered from all you know and love.

Life has its consequences… and there’s no place like home.

With your circle of friends.

BUY LINKS

The Winner's Circle is available in ebook, paperback, and hardcover on Amazon, Kobo and Barnes & Noble.

AUTHOR BIO

PJ Colando was born and raised in the Midwest, yet unabashedly aspired for
adventure elsewhere, following her parents’ model. She lives in southern
California with her family, hobbies, and pets.

PJ writes comedy and satire with a literary bent. She is the author of
three previous novels, with short stories, personal essays, and articles
published in journals, magazines, and anthologies.

Follow her on her blog and on Facebook.

Thanks for stopping by our blog - we love it when people come visit! We're also on Facebook - pop by and say hi!

06 February 2019

Creativity & A Whole Lot Of Calories Through Food | IWSG

The Insecure Writer's Support Group (IWSG) is a place to share and encourage, where writers can express their doubts and concerns without appearing foolish or weak. It's a great place to mingle with like minded people each month during IWSG day.

Every month there's an optional question which may prompt folks to share advice, insights, a personal experience or story. Some folks answer the question in their IWSG blog post or let it inspire them if they're struggling with what to say.

This month's question is:

"Besides writing what other creative outlets do you have?"

Check out how people have answered this month's question, as well as the other insecurities and writing topics they may have shared by visiting the IWSG sign-up list here. You can see how I answered the question below.

* * *

I really struggled to answer this month's question. I don't think of myself as a naturally creative person. I've tried my hand at a number of creative pursuits -- knitting, painting, ballroom dancing to name a few -- but never really stuck at anything for very long. Except writing. That's been going on since I started this blog way back in 2013.

I sat staring at my computer for the longest time trying to come up with something creative other than writing while I was snacking on some pretzels. Then it hit me -- I enjoy cooking and that's a creative sort of thing, right?

My hubby and I have been doing a lot of cooking lately, trying to make restaurant-level curries. I think we finally hit the nail on the head a few weeks ago when we made butter chicken. You know what the secret it? Butter. Lots and lots of butter. That's what makes it taste like it came from a restaurant. Restaurants know the secret to great flavor - lots and lots of fat.

I don't have any pictures of the butter chicken itself, but if you're interested in trying your own hand at butter chicken, you can find the how-to and recipe in this YouTube video.

PS Simon is on strike today. He thinks it's stupid that we make curries. Why anyone would eat anything other than wet cat food and full-fat milk is beyond him.

What creative pursuits do you enjoy? Do you like Indian food?