BACK AT IT

The teak. I started stripping the bulkhead in Isabella so long ago now, it's hard to remember. Then we had a beer festival.

Today, rested and renewed, I got back to it. Chip helped me sand off the last of the varnish. After a couple of sanding rounds, I got the first coat of 50/50 varnish on and cleaned up all the teak dust. What a mess. Tomorrow will be coat two and, if I get an early start, coat three as well. By the end of the week, we'll snap some interior photos and make some flyers. If it doesn't sell by January, we'll list it with a broker.

Remember those beautiful toe rails? They've started deteriorating around the edges, damn it! If the warm weather forecast next week comes true, I'll sand and get some more varnish on there. I guess six coats wasn't enough. Sigh.

We'll be looking at another Island Packet on Monday! Maybe that will bring our dreams closer. We're both feeling far, far away from the cruising world. Far, far away.

TODAY:
--got the first coat of varnish on the bulkhead
--Chip ordered his Downtube bike!
--varnished the boom gallow wood
--cleaned the teak dust out of the boat

WHEN YOU WISH

Waiting has made us watchful. We look for signs. Signs that the waiting is worthwhile, signs that we need to change course, signs that we need to keep steady.

Some cultures think a praying mantis can direct a child home, point toward Mecca or even raise the dead. We just hope it means good luck.

The day we listed the house we found a praying mantis perched on the front porch. Last Saturday I found one in front of the store. And that night as we sat on the back porch with cigars and port, I saw a shooting star.

Quick! Make a wish.

BACK TO THE FUTURE

As history unfolds around us, we maintain daily life and attempt, when times allows, to dream.

Three people have looked at our house in the last week.

More prospects for the business have emerged. It's a little reminiscent of the early presidential field. You look at a lot of candidates and wonder who will remain standing at the end. Or maybe it's just that time of year ....

In all this, we try to keep focused on the true goal. We have an appointment a week from Monday to see a boat in Deltaville, Virginia. It will be a good reminder of what we're working toward.

And that's my plan next week on my days off: get my head back in the RIGHT game.

COUNTED

COUNTING

ELECTION EVE

This election has been as slow in coming as Christmas to an 8-year-old. Right now, 25 hours before the first results come in, the whole country, maybe even the whole world is listening for Santa to land on the roof, wondering if he'll be the usual old gray-haired guy or a Santa of a different stripe.

Chip says if McCain wins he'll denounce his citizenship. (Actually, I think he's serious. He's been country shopping.) I say if Bush wins a third term, I'll denounce mine.

So what do we do? Go shopping. We bought Chip some pants to wear to a wedding next week and those hot hiking boots. It's all part of the buy-while-you-have-an-income plan.

He's also been bidding on Downtube folding bikes on Ebay. They cost $459 new, so he's trying to snag one for $350 or so.

Me? I've been working on my election spreadsheet. More on that tomorrow.

TODAY:
--bought Chip's hiking boots!
--did some more house staging

THE BIG WAIT

In the evenings we sit on the back deck, have a cigar and a drink. We talk about our lives, what happened today, what might happen tomorrow, our progress toward our goal. It's no easy task measuring progress in units of waiting.

What constitutes a waiting unit? 24 hours? I waited one unit today. Do we get extra waiting points if we wait nicely?

We are admittedly bad at this part, this waiting thing. We worked so hard to get trimmed, slimmed, planned, ready. And here we sit.

We talk about the order. We want the boat to sell first, because if the house sells first, we don't have a place for the boat. But if not the boat, we want the house to sell first, because it costs money. If the business sells first, we don't have an income.

First: boat
Second: house
Third: business

Or simultaneously, of course. Unlikely. So we wait.

TODAY:
--painted the bowsprit
--installed the back porch light
--stripped the wood on the boom gallows
--looked longingly at the new Island Packet 35s on the market.