Ahoy Mateys!!!

Susan and I have been following your progress and wanted to give you a quick note here. As they say in the CA Delta - you will be sailing the "concrete sloughs" - to Galveston.

God speed and take care. We will be thinking of you.

Bob & Susan Danelz

Hi all,

Not much happened this week at work but............work! The Buckeye Guys won two games this week with another one scheduled today. We are still in the battle and playing Iowa around noontime. We barely won by the skin of one guy's nose yesterday when we beat Illinois by one point! I was reading the highlights on line just now and it appeared the game was part basketball and part boxing. I am beginning to remember how vigorous basketball is compared to football and the football guys get all the glory!

Went to see "Chicago" on Friday night and tapped my toes and laughed and "sang along in my mind". I had seen the movie many times but never a stage production. Both are very entertaining. I went with two of my Buckeye Buddies..........yes, we do things other than watch football and basketball..........and had a good time and made plans for the Jazz Fest iin May and Music Circus this summer. Yeah, guys, I made the "disclaimer" of "depending on when I go see Sharon and Tony" as to firm dates for Music Circus. I'll still buy the tickets and hope to sell them if I'm off to see you.

Last night I went to Dayna and Rob's Birthday Bash. Don't know if you remember that they share the same birthday and always give each other a "party" as their gift. I ran into Christina Clark from FPI. It was good to see her again! I had forgotten how much I liked her when she was, briefly, my Regional. Like all of us, she has gained weight and dyed her hair! I was glad to see her happy and in love with a really nice man. Don't know if you heard the rumors about her "alternative life" or not but apparently they are true and she spent the better part of four years living with two different women and is very open about that time of her life. She decided it was not the life for her when her last partner was verbally and mentally abusive to her son. It still amazes me that people are stupid enough to mess around with children and piss off the "Mommies" of the world.

Annie woke me up very early this morning sitting beside my head and touching me on my cheek with her paw. She sure knows how to "play me". Unlike the "cat from hell" Lily.........Annie is very patient with me and I end up being way nicer to her than I was to Lily. "Rest In Peace and God Bless Lily". It is only 7:37 a.m. by the clock on my "puter" and I've already had two cups of Cinnabon Coffee so I doubt I can crawl back in and go to sleep again. Did my laundry yesterday and changed my sheets and cleaned the kitchen. Guess I'll vacuum my new carpet today. Don't have to put up or take down the sails or batten down the hatches for a storm but it is very cold here. Being further South, I hope you are not experiencing the cold weather.

Sending you hugs from "Bag Lady" Court!

Pato said: "Keep on paddling" - not "Keep on truckin'."

Sorry it's taken so long to get the site updated. No matter where we are, we have to rely upon the kindness of others. That means that we can't get onto the net unless we can find a wi fi connection nearby and they have been scarce lately. I typed a whole long message one night and just before I hit send, I got booted off the net.
So here it its... On the 23rd we left for Santa Catalina thinking that we would get in some sailing and mooring time as well as see Avalon for a few days. We were sailing along with three sails and enjoying the sea and sun when someone decided to check the weather report (being the seasoned old salts that we are.....not) The prediction of high winds and 14 to 20 foot seas, pursuaded us to head into port at Channel Islands. It took three hours to make the harbor and we got to experience sailing into a strange harbor after dark. As Nick says, "we made it and no one died". Right after that he said, "now find me someplace to get some chocolate and a glass of Port." On Tuesday we left for the boat yard at Ventura where the truck will arrive and load the boat bound for Texas. It was a lovely calm day in the harbor. As we were motoring out, we passed a couple coming in and I noted that the wife was dressed her foulies and I was thinking that it must be colder outside of the harbor. Next we passed one of the Tall Ships coming back in from a little sail out with paying passangers onboard. "Are you going out?" the captain yelled as we passed. "Oh yes", said we. "It's rough" replied the captain. I'm thinking, "what do you know of rough, you're a party boat captain wearing a costume!. We, one the other hand, are reeeal sailors." Never underestimate a beared man in a puffy shirt. It was ROUGH!!! It took an hour and a half to go 8 miles in 14 foot swells. Things were smashing around below deck, the waves were crashing over the bow and into the c*** pit, the little boat was tossed!!! We made it and no one died. The next two days were spent taking the tall, pointy things down on the boat so she will fit under the over passes as she sails the highways and byways.
Our plan now is to drive to Galvaston rather than take the train. That should get us to our destination the same time as the boat. Tony and I have taken a few days off to visit with friends and relatives in the area. Nick is babysitting Ronzananti in Ventura.
Monday we will all set off for the portage. In Texas we will put the pointy things back on and begin the sail across the Gulf of Mexico to join the rest of the boats in the rally. I was really looking forward to seeing the Panama Canal, but sometimes disgression is the bettr part of valor. That will just have to be another trip.
Congratulation to the racing boat Pelagrosso and the crew who took first place in their class and second in time in the race from San Diego to Puerto Vallarto.
Happy Birthday to Delle, the best shore crew a boat ever had and a great cheer leader.
Look for some new photos.

Hey Tony, and greetings to Sharon,
It was good to talk with you yesterday. Sounds like the truck trip to Fl is a good choice given the mechanical problems. Have a great time, take photos, and live life.
Pablo

Well, I've caught up on the news (good golly Judy!!!!) and can tell by the photos posted that you're having a great time. I know that Nick views safety as a major priority so I have no worries about choices or risks. I'm sorry that we won't be doing the Panama Canal (I think I'm sorry) but I am looking into the Bermuda possibilities and hope to see you there for Sharon's big B-day. This is the eve of mine (birthday, that is) and I'm wishing I had some champagne guzzling compadres here! I'll try to manage without you and I would hope that you would do the same. Have a bottle of bubbly for my birthday! I mailed the second 'care' package to Tony's sister today. It should arrive Friday, Saturday at the latest. Just be forewarned that one of the things I have 'learned' from being in Nick's life for the past 20+ years is that if you want something and there's the thing you want and another bigger better of the thing you want and a newer, updated version of the thing you want, you have to sample them all!! So be prepared for Man of La Mancha in it's original form, it's current cast and....ta da..... Placido Domingo singing Quixote with Mandy Patankin as Sancho and an orchesta extaordinaire. Hope you enjoy all the permutations of Golden Helmet of Mambrino. Sent with love and laughter, as always, D'Elle

I keep looking at your site and see little from the voyagers. (I would say sailors but that would not apply to truckers) So what is up with you? How are your spirits? Is the truck on schedule? Are you sailing out of Corpus Christe?

Dad (Nick), Just wanted to let you know that Polly has lost 5 more lbs. She is now down to 317lbs and she is now driving the van without having to have the seat laid back and now she does not have to drive with the steeringwheel up. She is doing great and feeling better than she did before with more energy. Talk to you later dad. Dean

Nick, I just wanted to let you know that I just saved a bunch of money on my car insurance by switching to Geico

Hi Kids,
Mom....talked to you today as you were shopping. Glad to hear the "float plan" has changed to a "land-deal". I have spoken to several salty mariners and all agree: Truck that mutha!!
Still strappin the salt and felchin the wind!! Remember to give tidings to Neptune on a daily basis*****NO s******** dont forget about the gods!!!
My beautiful bride is still in Vegas and I miss her soooooo much!!
"give to the sea, that which she expects, and she will in turn, give to thee".
A&L

Hiya, (didn't you like Mike's joke?)

Hope you get to see some new country soon. We recall being stuck in a tent on the 40 Mile River for 30 days of rain waiting to get to the main camp down river, so think we can identify a little with your situation. Nothing like hurrying up and waiting, right? There are only so many Yahtzee and Scrabble tournaments you can have. Especially when the pieces and dice get lost or shoved in an orifice of a too damn happy winner.

Well, we are sitting here with a foot of snow and more coming. It is probably deeper on Jeff and Laura's side of the ridge tho as the storm came in from the west. It's a soup day so the pot is simmering with the last of the leeks and 'taters from the garden and other miscellaneous.

We picked up Jer and his family at the airport (luckily)inbetween storms last nite. Samantha and Luke are seeing and playing in snow for the first time but not here. They are snowed into NSJ at the folks place.

Our last doe is being hugely, subbornly pregnant. She is a week past her date and just getting bigger and crankier. The other babies, now a few weeks old. are happily tormenting their elders. Nobody has an intact tail or pair of ears (teeth are coming in). Had a "Lucy Moment" last week involving a doe, her babies and a car wash. We will spare you the details tho as it is sort of self explanatory. Well, of course they were IN the car. I said "Lucy" not criminally insane.

Well, guess that is the news from here. Probably more than you wanted.

Know you are in our prayers and held dearly in our thoughts.

Affinity,
M&S

We are still here in sunny (not all of the time) Santa Barbara. There was quite a storm yesterday that left most everything a bit soggy. In the night the wind blew and set all of the halyards in the harbor into a synphony with the groaning of the dock lines playing the bass notes.
We have a date now for when we will put the big girl on the truck for her over ground passage. She will leave Ventura on March 13th bound for Texas. I wonder how she will feel being on concrete rather than the seas. New experiences for all of us.
We took a sail out to the island of Santa Cruz and anchored over night. The island is mostly closed now so hunters can go ashore and kill pigs. Apparently, some gesture to balance nature.
We have been working on some projects on the boat, but it will be good to be going SOMEPLACE. It seems that even a port as nice as Santa Barbara gets a little stale when you are bound for ports where one needs to get out the passport.
Be sure to check out the photo album. We have lots of time to take pictures and post them.