The Cynical Sailor & His Salty Sidekick

31 October 2018

Wordless Wednesday | Cat Food For Imaginary Cats

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 - I have an imaginary cat named Simon. Some people think he's real because I write about him here on the blog from time to time.

2 - So if my cat is imaginary, why am I shopping for cat food?

3 - If I was a cat, I think I'd prefer crunchy nuggets over soft food. The soft food stinks. Although maybe if I was a cat, I would think it smells divine.

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

For more Wordless Wednesday fun, click here.

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29 October 2018

The Travel Bug

You know what's great about Facebook? It's chock full of distractions!

Wait a minute. . .maybe that's not such a great thing. I should be focused on boat projects and writing projects. Instead I find myself discovering new sites and rabbit holes to waste time on. Like MapLoco's cool site where you can make maps of all the places you've visited. You can fill them out for US states, Canadian provinces, European countries, or worldwide.

I couldn't remember what states I've been to, so I filled out the worldwide map instead. In my defense, I only spent about ten minutes doing it, so it wasn't too much of a distraction. But then I ended up daydreaming about places I want to visit for a good three hours, so that was pretty distracting.

I'm thinking we need to set our sights on filling in the blank parts of the map. There's a lot of countries left to visit.

Do you like to travel? What's the most interesting place you've visited? Where do you want to travel to next?

26 October 2018

Flashback Friday | Now, I'm Too Warm! {Cedar Key & Shell Mound, Florida}

Flashback Friday takes place on the last Friday of the month. The idea is to give a little more love to a blog post you've published before that maybe didn't get enough attention, or is something you think is still relevant or even a something that you really love and want to share again.

Many thanks to Michael d’Agostino for starting Flashback Friday and inspiring me to go back and revisit some of our earlier blog posts.

* * *

This is a flashback to our time camping across the States while in search of our next sailboat, which ended up being a Moody 346, Tickety Boo, which we found in Florida. It's been ages since we've gone camping and I've enjoyed looking back at some of the pictures from our travels on land, as well as reading my strange observations on life - in this case, about being cold blooded and possible UFO sightings.

This post was originally published in February 2015. You can find the original post here.

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Not too long ago, I was complaining about the cold. Now, I’m complaining about being too warm.

Scott thinks I’m reptilian in nature, having a very limited temperature range where I’m comfortable and not complaining. It seems unfair that he can tolerate a wide range of temperatures. When we were in North Dakota last, he was wearing his Keen sandals in the snow, while I refused to leave his aunt and uncle’s house until the snow melted. When we were in Thailand, he was cool and comfortable, while I sweated profusely. It’s tough being cold blooded – too much warmth and you die, too much cold and you die. Okay, maybe not die. I tend to exaggerate. But I would rather be too warm in Florida then too cold in North Dakota any day.

And here’s why – look at how pretty it is. I swear the sky is bluer here.

After spending a few days at Manatee Springs State Park, we headed down to Shell Mound in search of the county campground. In some ways it’s much nicer than Manatee Springs. You’re right on the water, hardly anyone is there, the people are so incredibly friendly and go out of their way to chat with each other (doesn’t always happen elsewhere) and it’s cheaper ($16.35 for water and electric). While I missed seeing the manatees, there is something to be said for cheaper.

I wonder how many people might struggle with the rules about no alcohol and no profanity?

The county campground is right next to the Lower Suwannee Wildlife Refuge. We took in some amazing views at sunset our first night there.

While we were there, we chatted to some other folks who came up from the campground for the sunset. As the sun went down, this bright light was shining in the sky while planes kept flying by. We had all sorts of theories about what was going on and what the bright light was. The boring theory was that the bright light was the International Space Station and the planes were just doing military drills. The most interesting theory was that the bright light was an alien spacecraft and the planes were out there trying to prevent an invasion. If you know anything about me, you can probably guess which theory I was a proponent of.

Turns out it was just the planet Venus. Or at least that’s what they want you to believe.

The next day we headed to Cedar Key – a colorful town not too far from Shell Mound. Big Decks is a great place to have a few beers. I haven’t had a Rolling Rock in years. They’re pretty tasty.

This cat was really disappointed we didn’t order the seafood special with our beers. It was hoping for handouts. So it ignored us and took a nap instead to punish us.

We strolled around town, dodging people in golf carts as we went. Which seem surprisingly expensive to rent ($25 for an hour). Cedar Key has lots of cute shops and restaurants. And oodles of hotels and rental properties. I imagine this place is heaving with folks in the summer.

It was the kind of day where you wished you had a sailboat like this little beauty moored off of the beach.

I’m really loving our time in Florida – the landscape is so different from what I grew up with. Just across the road from the campground are a couple of short walks which take you through the woods and along the water. Perfect for a cup of coffee in the morning.

And, of course, if you’re going to camp near Shell Mound, then you have to walk up to the mound. It is basically a giant trash heap (or midden if you want to get all archaeological and technical), where Native Americans dumped shells and other refuse. They basically used their rubbish to infill the swampy areas. Not surprisingly, there are shells everywhere as you walk on the mound.

These cheeky little polar bears just had to get their picture taken with the shells. Such demanding little creatures. But surprisingly, they never complain about the heat. (The polar bears are hard to spot among the shells with their white fur, but they're there.)

We had a wonderful time down in the Shell Mound and Cedar Key area, but I have to say the highlight was Scott’s spicy marinara sauce with shrimp. Delicious! Some of the best shrimp we’ve ever had. If you want some, just head up to Robinson’s Seafood. More expensive then the ones we got in Grande Isle, Louisiana, but then again everything seems more expensive in Florida. Robinson’s was a tip from Steve, the nicest camp host you’ll ever meet. So generous in sharing his local knowledge and tips. Thanks Steve!

How do you handle temperature extremes? Would you rather be too hot or too cold?

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24 October 2018

Wordless Wednesday | Book Covers

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 - I was recently tagged for a Facebook challenge where you post the covers of some of your favorite books for seven days. These are some of the ones I chose.

2 - I wonder how people come up with Facebook challenge ideas. Some of them are very creative. I might have to come up with one of my own, like post a picture every day for a week of the things your cat knocks off the table.

3 - They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but I do. The cover plays a big part in whether I'll read something or not.

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

For more Wordless Wednesday fun, click here.

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22 October 2018

To Do & Not To Do Lists

We've been working on our >>Boat Project To Do List<< lately. Not actually working on any of the tasks on the list, mind you. More trying to figure out what we need to do vs. what we'd like to do and how much time, money, and aggravation each thing is going to involve.

I've toyed around with various ways of categorizing our To Do Lists in the past. Some of you may be familiar with the following system:

Very Boring
Extremely Boring
Need to Win the Lottery First
Avoid at All Costs

You'll notice there aren't any categories for "fun and exciting tasks" or "easy to do tasks" or "costs nothing tasks." That's because this is a boat we're talking about.

This year, I've decided to try a new system out:

Keep the Boat Afloat
Essential Bodily Needs
Stuff that Makes the Boat Go
Making Life More Pleasant
In Your Dreams
Not To Do

The first category is pretty self-explanatory. Ideally, you want your boat to stay on top of the water, not sink to the bottom of the sea. You'll find things like identifying the mysterious leak on our boat and servicing our thru-hulls in this category.

We've all got basic bodily needs and function and that's what the second category is all about. #1 on this list is fixing our marine toilet (or replacing it with a composting head), followed closely by installing a new stove so that we can keep our bellies happy.

A boat is of no use if it can't get anywhere so there's a lot of stuff we need to do to make sure Tickety Boo can go related to the engine, steering system, sails etc.

Then there are the things that make life more pleasant. These aren't essential, but the world would be a happier place if we ticked a few of these off our list. Personally, I'd love to have shelves in the hanging locker in our aft cabin and we really could do with revarnishing a number of things. A watermaker would be awesome too.

There are a number of things we'd love, but unless we win Mega-Billions this week, they're just going to be things that we just dream about.

The final category is my favorite - things Not To Do. This includes things like NOT getting frustrated working on the boat and NOT forgetting to have fun.

Do you use To Do Lists? How do you categorize them? Do you have a Not To Do List?

20 October 2018

Saturday Spotlight | "The Essence" By Deb Akey

In addition to the usual blog posts on Mondays and Wednesdays (and the occasional Friday) about life on a sailboat and other oddities, 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.

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Today, I'm featuring Deb Akey's wonderful book, >>The Essence: Short Vignettes on Moments that Define my Life with the Sea<<.

I found The Essence to be a really unique book full of beautiful photographs accompanied by short vignettes about the author's reflections of her life living on a boat and her relationship with the sea. Deb has a lovely way with words - her honesty, sense of adventure, and wonder and curiosity about the world shine through.

Deb dreamed of escaping a life of unsatisfying work by selling everything and sailing off into the sunset. It's the kind of dream many people have, but few actually achieve. This book explores the "why" behind that decision - what compelled her to live a meaningful life with the sea.

Perhaps one of my favorite vignettes was the one which described the parade of boats that heads down the Intracoastal Waterway each year to Florida and beyond. I loved Deb's curiosity as she passed each boat, trying to imagine everyone's backstories and what led them to this life on the water.

"As we pass each boat, I like to imagine the story of the person manning the helm who waves. Was she a corporate manager? Was he an accountant? Do they have eleven grand kids like we do that makes it hard to leave? Did someone break his heart and he's seeking solace in the quiet of the water? Did she suddenly realize, while doing a load of laundry, that life was passing her by?"

As I turned each page, gazed at the next photograph, and absorbed Deb's words that the image sparked for her, I found myself reflecting on my own life choices and search for meaning. And that's what makes this book so special from my perspective. Deb shares her thoughts, but they're just a springboard for your own contemplation and meditations.

You don't need to be interested in sailing or cruising for this book to resonate. It's about common human experiences - major life changes and their consequences, the importance of family, fear of the unknown, chasing your dreams, and our connection to nature.

You can pick up a copy of >>The Essence<< on Amazon in both ebook and paperback format. I think that it would make a wonderful gift for someone who is thinking about the cruising lifestyle, for friends and family of cruisers to give them an insight into what life on the water is like, or for anyone who is curious about one woman's experiences living a life connected to the sea.

ABOUT DEB

Deb Akey is a former pilot, motorcyclist, and computer guru. In 2013 she and her husband T.J. sold everything, moved onto their 42-ft sailboat and left to cruise the East Coast and Caribbean waters.

Deb also writes children's books under the pen name Dema, a name given to her affectionately by her nine grandchildren. She is currently working on book two of the Maryssa Mayberry series, a series of children's books which deal with the ocean and how we can all help to sustain its viability for many centuries to come.

Deb and her husband spend much of their time writing about their experiences on their blog, The Retirement Project. They have also written a indispensable guide for anyone thinking about buying a cruising boat, >>How NOT to Buy a Cruising Boat<<, in order to help others with the dream of cruising succeed.

NOTE: I was given an advance reader's copy (ARC) of The Essence by the author and voluntarily chose to write an honest review.

When you think about the sea, what comes to mind? Are you going to pick up a copy of Deb's book?

17 October 2018

Wordless Wednesday | Mail Call & UFOs

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 - I love getting packages in the mail, especially when they're a complete surprise. Like the one I received last week from a friend with a book on UFOs inside.

2 - Notice how there are two exclamation points after our boat name on the envelope? Punctuation can be fun.

3 - UFOs come in all shapes and sizes, just like people. I imagine aliens come in all shapes and sizes too. I wonder if UFOs have really cramped seats like we have on our planes. Do all of the aliens jostle each other trying to be the first to board so there's still room left in the overhead bins for their carry-on luggage?

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

For more Wordless Wednesday fun, click here.

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