Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Merry Christmas!

A frigid, gusty Christmas Eve and a lazy, cold Christmas Day have us still tied to the pier, but it's been lovely!  We did a pre-Christmas hibachi and gift exchange with our local family on the 23rd before coming back to the boat to bake cookies, lower the table, and get ready for Santa!


I love how the boat looks at the holidays, all decorated with cards from friends near and far.

As is our tradition, we left out cookies and milk, and even had a bowl of reindeer food up on deck!  I awoke to the sound of ice dropping from the rigging and a little girl tip-toeing out of her room. Santa came!


The kids scored a ton of Legos, Kindles, Wii games, cards to buy food for the food bank, and books.  The Captain got the coveted infrared thermometer and a ton of zip ties.  And I got a full suite of yoga gear AND a GoPro camera!  Can't wait to take pics of the boat from new angles!

We are so fortunate.  We are healthy, warm, and happy.  And this year we are together.  Merry Christmas!



Friday, December 13, 2013

When "sizzling" is a very bad thing

Well, the pictures say it best--we had a big meltdown on one of our main power disconnects yesterday (the one for the a/c units) that also fried our charger/inverter.


We think there was a pinhole leak in a water line in the lazerette which sprayed the electrical and caused a little sparking/meltdown.  What we can't explain is why the breaker never tripped. Bad, bad, bad.

Nonetheless, I'm still thankful.  Thankful that Frank was working from home and returned from running errands before it got any worse (he had to isolate the power since the breaker didn't do the job).  Thankful that we were able to still sleep in a heated home last night (diesel heat wasn't impacted) and that our home is more or less whole still (just a little singed).  Thankful that nothing was hurt that a credit card can't fix.

We (mostly Frank) will make some adjustments to the plumbing as we put it all back together, but life goes on!

Sunday, December 1, 2013

Thankful for a wonderful week in...Jamaica!

Once again we grabbed Grandma and headed out of the country (via plane!) for Thanksgiving break.  This trip was "new" for us in a few ways--first trip to Jamaica, first time using CheapCaribbean.com to book a trip, and first time staying soley at an all-inclusive resort.  The Hilton Rose Hall Plantation resort didn't disappoint!  As soon as we got checked in we hit the buffet for a late lunch and were immediately surprised by the selection and quality of the food (and drinks!).  This was definitely a step up from our Costa Rican all-inclusive.  Right after that the kids discovered the waterpark and slides--they would be happy there all week!

This was the most "resort-y" vacation I've ever been on, and while I still prefer getting lost in a rental car, this was a great vacation.  The highlights:  water slides, reggae music, the White Witch of Rose Hall, the beach, warm salt water, Hobie Cat sailing, jerk chicken by the beach, football in the sand, snorkeling, hiking Dunn's River Falls, swimming with dolphins and rays, exploring the aqueduct, soda/beer chugging contests, island food, and family time.