on the move...

Now don't get too excited.  I wish we were on the move, bound for the Abacos, Bahamas.  We are still dead in the water, however....

The new polyethylene fuel tank arrived today!  It's just sitting in place at
the moment.  Cap'n has spent the better part of his day running around town
getting the proper hoses, connectors, fittings, and such.  The installation
will take place tomorrow, "the good Lord willin' and the creek don't rise."
(It's a McDaniel phrase, what can I say?!) 

I have been on the move the last two days spending the better part of my day running down the proper procedures and steps to take to get the last of my documents on their way to Beijing.  I have made progress, people!  My marriage certificate as been authenticated by the Secretary of State in Indiana.  (Thank you, "Megan", whoever you are- gotta love Hoosier hospitality!)  She Fed Ex'd it overnight to Alex in Washington, DC.  He is taking the final steps with the US State Department and the Chinese Embassy.  He then will have it Fed Ex'd to Beijing from there.  I have to make one more trip tomorrow, to the Fed Ex here at the Marathon airport, to send one last document.  There will then be a collective sigh of relief heard all over the WORLD! 

In the midst of all my phone calls and email the last two days, Cap'n asked if I felt like maybe we weren't supposed to do this China thing at all.  Honestly, I don't feel that way at all.  I haven't really let myself get too very frustrated.  I liken the experience to two things; one, this is only the FIRST of many, many new experiences in China where protocol or the language barrier will produce some frustration.  This is more like dress rehearsal for the real deal, coming in August.  Second, if Cap'n and I ever plan to cruise on Marquesa to parts unknown, we will encounter procedures, protocol, language barriers and such, every time we attempt to clear into a new country.  I have read about countless sailors who spend days trying to get cleared in, only to be told, go here and do this, then get 10 copies made of that, then go there and get this stamp, and then go to this place and pay these fees....usually in a foreign language.  Compared to that?!  These last few days have been a piece of cake!  The good news, I know documents are on the move, which means I will be on the move, too- eventually.

Speaking of moving....talked to my mother today, who is now in a panic about moving.  She says she wants to go to the assisted living center; she wants out from under her house.  But she doesn't want to leave until the house sells.  And she doesn't have the energy to pack.  And she doesn't have the energy to keep her house up to "selling" quality.  And she doesn't want to leave her cat.  But she doesn't want to stay in her house.  And she doesn't want to have to change banks.  or doctors.  or whatever.  And it's easier, really, to do much of nothing, and leave it for me to all do when I get home.  And it's easiest of all to just say "forget it" and just die there in the house she owns now (those were her words).  But staying put means paying someone to clean the house, to take care of the yard, to remove the snow, to take her to the doctor, etc., etc., etc.  She will not have DOnnie or I to do these things for her this next year.  But it's too much stress worrying about all of these things....and all of these ruminating thoughts have her in a total panic.  It's got to be awful getting older, and having to make these decisions.  I cannot do it for her.  I assured her I will do all that I can when I get home in May, with whatever it is she decides.  So maybe she will be on the move, maybe she won't.  I will be busy either way, I have no doubt.

And my son, Michael is on the move!  He and his fiance', Erica, are getting married sometime this summer, too.  He has officially opened his new law practice, with his bride to be...

How cool does that look?!  I love the logo: Attorneys, Advocates, Advisors.
Makes me one proud momma of these two kids!  Now if they could only find
a venue for their wedding this summer, and they will be on the move
towards their happily ever after.

 

 

Today is the day our youngest, Ellie, is moving, too!  She is on her way
to Fayetteville, Arkansas, to start her first "big girl" job as a news
reporter for KFSM, Channel 5.  Look out, Arkansas won't know what hit 'em!

On the road in the U-haul, Maxwell seemed the most
chill about this whole move, lol.  Thank goodness her
boyfriend, Brett, her daddy, and her sister Emily are
all along for the ride and to help her settle in to her
new apartment.  This momma has been a bit melancholy
over not being there to help her fly the nest...
I have every faith in her; the girl is READY.
Take a lesson from Maxwell, sister.  Don't sweat
the small stuff and when all else fails, NAPS ARE GOOD!

Even Adolph was on the move today!  He got to take a car ride to the Key
West airport with Ken and Lucille (she is his caretaker for the moment).
Their daughter, Christina, and granddaughter, Alexa, are back in town
for some more fun in the sun and CHICKENFOOT!

Lucky Adolph got to go to No Name Pub in Big Pine Key
on the way home from the airport.  He and Alexa left
their mark stapled to the wall, or ceiling, as thousands
of others have done before them.  It was easier for Adolph
to leave a buck rather than disrobe and leave some
unmentionables stapled to the ceiling...

Last night the gang all got together for a HUGE
fish fry.  There were 15 of us in all.  Mamaw and
Fran breaded all the fish, and Donnie ran the
fryer.  Louie, Paps, and Richie "supervised".

The two babies of their families....Linda is the baby Abbott, and
Frannie is the baby Petrocino!  I love your Chicago Tshirt, Frannie- we
 sure had a great time and made some wonderful memories there with y'all!

These Hatteras boys are somethin' else.  Look out
when George, Kenny, and Big Ron get together!

Love these two...Ken and Lucille are the gracious hosts
of Friday Night Pizza and a movie at their beautiful condo!

Big Ron pulled out his crown for the occasion.  I don't
know if it was a Burger King crown, a Crown Royal crown,
or something he swiped from a little boy at the beach...

I can't wait for our get together on Saturday.  Big Ron, the
chef extraordinaire, is making BBQ pulled pork for the gang!

While we visited over dinner, Uncle Louie brought out some pictures of
some fishing he's done in the last week or so at Islamorada.  Look at this
wahoo he caught!  All the men had fish envy...

As usual, we ate ourselves silly, clear down to the key lime pie for dessert.
L to R is Richie, Cap'n Donnie, Ron, Nancy, Lucille, Ken, Chuckie baby,
Mamaw, George, Ken, Fran, Big Ron, Linda, Louie, and Edie- whew- what a crowd!

It was another terrible night of NW wind, and rain, and
Marquesa bouncing off the dock.  I slept in the salon-
what sleep I could catch, that is.  When I got up this
morning, Willis was on the top step of the ladder just
begging to be let off the boat.  It was cool and in the
low 70's, and still with a cranking N wind, all day long.
By the afternoon, once Cap'n decided to tear into the
fuel tank project, I escaped to the pool for a catnap
in the sun.  It was just what this girl needed :)

Sophia, on Richard's boat, had already beat me to the nap as I walked
to the pool. 

While Cap'n continued to do whatever he was doing in the engine
compartment, I made teriyaki pork chops on the grill with seared clementines,
and oriental fried rice, with extra vegetables in the rice just the way
Cap'n likes it.  I told him it's a good thing he likes rice; there'll be a lot
of that, I'm sure, come August when we fly halfway across the world.

We enjoyed a beautiful sunset after dinner, but it was chilly and breezy.
The tourists were all bundled up out at the Pointe.  The wind is out
of the due North right now, but it is supposed to clock around to the N/NE
and still blow 20-25 through the night.  As soon as it hits NE, we will
sleep comfortably- it will be blowing us off the dock and there will
be no more bouncing around.  Please, God, let it be so.

This photo was sent to me this evening by Lori.  She
and her family are fostering our dog, Simon, while we are
on Marquesa.  He had his bath tonight, and was all
bundled up.  It was a chilly 29 degrees there today.
Simon is only the best. dog. ever. 
I miss our little buddy, but he HATES Marquesa.

And to close this evening, is Simon,  the best. dog. ever. with his little
buddy, Tayte. Only the best. little. boy. ever.  How sweet is that?!
G'night, y'all!