Tag Archives: Betsy

I Miss My Roomie!

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It was such fun having Betsy here for a month. And now, it’s back to the empty house syndrome. I miss my roomie!

It’s not like I have nothing to do – there is lots to keep me busy, but I really enjoyed the company. It’s difficult to find someone compatible to share space with. And even the awkward bathroom situation wasn’t awkward at all! This house has a “jack and jill” setup, where the bathroom upstairs is between the two bedrooms, with doors from both sides. I don’t think this situation would work well with someone I didn’t know, as I have thought of getting a roomie.

Oh well…

So today I go to spend the night at a B&B in Port Angeles in my new position as editor for Harbors Magazine. It’s called A Hidden Haven and looks very pretty – in the summer! But at least it is supposed to be partially clear today.

And tomorrow, on the way back, I hope to meet with the tenants to see what they have done to the house. It looked clean and tidy when we drove by a couple of weeks ago, but I want to see inside. But they don’t respond to emails or calls so it’s difficult to communicate with them.

Here’s something different. My neighbors across the street have been using the dock to keep their dinghy tied up and in the water. It’s old and has an outboard which doesn’t have an on/off lever any more. Anyway, a couple of nights ago, it absolutely POURED and that continued through the next day. I noticed the boat was floating a little low but assumed (something I should never do) that he would come over to bail it out. Well… he didn’t and the next thing I know, another neighbor is at the door telling me a boat has sunk at my dock!

From where I sit at my desk, the monitor blocks a lot of the view, including most of the dock. So I hadn’t noticed that the boat had broken it’s dock lines and was upside down, engine holding it almost vertical to the dock!

He managed (although stoned and drunk) to haul the thing back up with help from his girlfriend and me! Now it sits – a piece of junk littering the dock.

And come to find out, he doesn’t even own the boat or outboard!

What a doofus!

Back to the Gray

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Yep, summer definitely ended. Gray skies, rain and cold with occasional sun breaks. It’s amazing how fast it happened – one day beautiful, sunny, clear; the next, dark, gray and dreary. And that’s how my mood goes, following the weather patterns.

But at least Betsy got some of the best weather in ages. It was so good during her first couple of weeks here, she said that if she heard me complaining again, she wouldn’t believe me! But now she knows and she’s leaving. She was leaving anyway, but her timing is good – head south to warmer, clearer skies.

It has certainly been such fun having her here. I’ve been out and about more as it really is more enjoyable to do stuff with someone who enjoys the same things. And as we are both on such tight budgets, most of what we have done has been either free or very inexpensive! Things like the Farmers Markets, apple picking, cider pressing – and tasting, a cup of coffee here and there, the Kinetic Skulpture Race, wine and beer tastings… We enjoyed those outings as much as we did others when we were flush – way back when.

It is so much easier living with a woman than a man! Maybe I am generalizing and being sexist but damn! Betsy just gets in there and does what needs to be done. She cooks and cleans up; she helped me cut back the huge kiwi vine that was taking over the house and then clean the gutters that were blocked by the leaves from the vine. I don’t think they had been cleaned since the house was painted eight years ago. It’s so nice never having to ask someone, or nag someone to help or do something. Or have to ask for help with a project. I’m not used to that so might have to reconsider getting a roommate.

And one of the best things? The toilet seat is always down!

We’ve reminisced a lot about where we have been, where we have hooked up and hung out, where we have actually shared living spaces, the places and trips we took and those have spanned the globe. It’s interesting though. We have completely different daily schedules. I get up early and go to bed early. She stays up late and wakes late so we both get our private or alone time without any effort. She loves Hinckley and Buddy (fortunately!) despite all their fur, and they love her. I think they will miss her as much as I will when she heads out next week. Most of all, I think I will miss all the laughter! We get a bit silly sometimes, but who cares! It’s good for the soul.

I had so hoped to not be here this winter but it looks like I will have to be. Despite ongoing efforts, ecology has not come through with anything substantial. I am working with the bank to keep this house; the Port Angeles house is ticking over with the tenants paying albeit a little late each month; the condo is still sitting there. The loan has just been sold so I plan to work with the new mortgage people to try to keep it too. I sent the bank a proposal and they actually responded with what I needed to do. I began preparing the documents and then got the letter saying the loan was sold! But I think the new company might be easier to deal with than BoA, so am hopeful that the condo will remain in the portfolio!

I have given myself six months. If all the house stuff is not settled by then, then I will walk away – don’t know where to, but something will show up. It usually does. Having the kitties makes it more difficult, but these two little guys have made my life bearable so many times, I can’t abandon them. So where I go, they go too.

The new magazine job is ok – it’s not something that I am going to get sucked in to and work hundreds of hours on. For the potential pay – appropriate hours. But I think it will be fun and it will involve trips, locally. Some by seaplane which will be a treat and stays in resorts etc, rather like I did for Country Life.

Now it’s time for me to get to work – but first, one more cup of coffee.

It’s All Over

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Summer, that is!

Early morning light

The past four days have been gray, misty cold in the mornings and a little sun – occasionally in the afternoon. Heat on in the mornings, for sure and today, for the first time, on all day. Summer is definitely over.

I can’t complain though, because we have had a glorious run of wonderful weather. Now I just have to adjust my thinking to “inside” and “gray” days. The trees are still turning but leaves falling like, well…leaves! Pretty colors still, before the really dark days.

It’s fun have Betsy here; nice having easy company and as we are both working, we aren’t making a lot of day trips. And both of us are on tight budgets which also slows down the field trips. We went blackberry picking a couple of times and plan on going to the Farmers Market tomorrow, provided it’s not raining. Then to Danelle’s new house which I haven’t seen yet. And on Monday, we are going for coffee at Betsy’s friends’ house who live up here.

Krispy Kale – a great way to get your greens! Especially sprinkled with Parmesan cheese

However, we did have a little dinner party last night with Susan, Dan, Mardelle and Jim. Very low key with fresh salmon which I did in the oven with dill, red onions and lemons. Delicious, even if I say so myself. And today, I made a whole big batch of kale crisps.

It sounds like ecology is kicking into gear – at least we are feeling hopeful that the funding is progressing and with the big board meeting tomorrow, we should know more. It will make life a lot easier, that’s for sure. And having a regular income will allow me to take periodic trips to SoCal and get out of the weather. That helped so much last year, then I can handle the gray until I can afford to rent this place out and find somewhere sunny to put down some roots.

I found that even the warm days here were almost too warm for me; I understand from all my MS reading, that heat is not good – and neither is cold! So I need a place of perpetual spring, where the sun shines most of the time and temperatures are comfortable all year. Costa Rica highlands? Ecuador? So my dreams of living on the beach in a tropical climate might end up not being practical for me. But I will most likely try it out to make sure – I know I would be as happy as a clam living in some remote, sunny place where I can have a garden, go swimming in the sea every day, and which is within an easy flight of the kids.

So I am keeping my options open – and feel pretty confident that very soon, I will actually have some!

Summer Lingers On

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end of summer

Our summer is going on and on and on…and you don’t hear me complaining! In fact, you don’t hear anyone complaining about the 70+ days of dry, sunny weather we are having.

But the days are definitely getting a lot shorter – and despite the moderately warm days, the nights are decidedly nippy. As the sun drops closer to the top of the hill, the temperature drops ten degrees – instantly.

Mornings need the heat on and windows closed until mid-morning. And oh the colors, though! Morning warm colors lighting the trees across the estuary, and the air so still the water is like glass with barely a ripple.

Betsy arrived on Tuesday and every day has been perfect. She is saying if the weather doesn’t change, she is never going to believe my whining about the gray, the cold, the damp! I just looked at the forecast and it looks like the next two weeks are going to be good with perhaps the chance of a shower or two. But the telling factor is the falling night time temperatures; down to the 30s in two weeks. Bbbbbrrrrrr….

Late summer morning light on the estuary


We’ve been out and about a bit – this morning at the farmers market (photos) and then lunch at the Blue Moose Cafe with a beer at the brewery after that. More activity than I normally have, but we are both on very tight budgets so watching pennies. Tomorrow, if we don’t go out to Port Angeles to see the house and tenants, we’ll go back up to Port Townsend to watch the Kinetic Skulpture Race – a typically bizarre Port Townsend event.

I added a new title to my list of jobs – Editor of Harbors Magazine and Around the Pacific Northwest magazine. Both are run by the same publisher who is local in Port Townsend. Both are quarterly mags, so there isn’t a huge amount of work although from the first drafts of some of the articles I’ve seen, it might take me longer than anticipated! Some of the writing is atrocious! Anyway, it should be fun and I hope to get a couple of trips out of it, which will add to the benefits. A seaplane flight up into the islands would be good!

Ecology is still waiting… and waiting… and waiting. The BIG investor meeting is supposed to be next Saturday which apparently is the make it or break it point, so we are holding thumbs that something comes of it. I REALLY want it to work as it feels like the right place for me to be. Then, when that back pay comes through, I can get the repairs on the house done and get it rented out and maybe out of here by the dead of winter. At least that is the current plan but it all hinges on ecology. Otherwise, looks like I will be here for the duration.

If that is the case, then I will unpack my boxes (still stored and hidden away) and hang all my pictures and put out all my stuff so it feels like home.

 

“notorious’ bars and ‘outrageous’ crab shacks

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Chesapeake

Yep, well that’s what is happening!

I know, I should be focusing on packing up, working etc., but why would I turn down the opportunity to go sailing on the Chesapeake, when the timing fits in perfectly with my Washington departure?

And Betsy says…is life supposed to be this much fun? should we let anyone know … ?

I actually considered not going and thought, why on earth not?

So I fly from Seattle to Baltimore with a shuttle to Annapolis, spend the week cruising around “notorius bars and and outrageous crab shacks,” then head back to Southern California to spend time with the boys (and girls) then head out to South Africa at the end of October.

This East coast trip came about just when I was trying to get mymixednuts closed down, with nuts everywhere and people coming by, saying how sad it was and making suggestions how to keep it going. This was when I had already pretty much come to terms with it going away. I did follow up on some suggestions about local angel investors, but I just don’t have the energy to put into it any more. Now, if it had happened last year, I would definitely have done something with them.

So I have boxes of nuts and fruit to send to Ryan and Cody and some for Annie, at Ryan’s request. All the documentation etc will go to her lawyer. I’ll do that tomorrow then it is over.

So when Betsy said, why not go with her, I was feeling so burned out I almost said no. But hell, why not?

Booked my flight this morning, leaving here 28th of September and fly back to S. Cal on 8th October and will spend a couple of weeks there, seeing everyone and meeting Jane and some of the ecology crew. I think Betsy and I will meet up with a couple more of them on the East coast, so this is definitely a business trip.

Then I think my departure date for South Africa is 25th October.

I’ve started packing my stuff up – really, I don’t have much and it is going to be stored in the cupboard in the second bedroom, out of the way, but dry as a lot of the “stuff” is pictures and slides.

My car is for sale, so have to go out and give it a good wash today – while the weather is nice! Still chilly, sunny but here it almost noon and it’s not 60F

 

new options?

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Of course, we never know where our lives will take us. We can try to steer life in the direction we want to go, make plans, but when it comes down to it, what’s around the corner is often a surprise.

When I first went to Panama back in 1968, sailing on Seedrache with Randy – boy, does that ever put me in the baby boomer generation – we met a young couple who had driven down from California in an old VW bus, true hippies. They were headed down to Ushuaia, at the tip of South America. I Pan American Highwayremember thinking then, “Wow, what a great trip!” And ever since then, I have thought of driving down the west coast to Panama, down the Pan American Highway. It’s a long trip, and I wouldn’t attempt it on my own. I just need a fellow adventurer.

So I was skyping Betsy this morning, and guess what? Yep, she might do the trip with me.  There would be a lot of things that have to be worked out as getting visas and car permits take time. But if we started the process soon, we could get it done and be out of here by November.

We’ve traveled together before and have known each other for 20 years now so we would most likely survive the closeness of a trip like that. I would get my car all sorted out to take down there. It’s going to need new brakes soon, and the transmission needs checking, but it is a great car and I think would be totally reliable for that sort of trip. And it would be good to have  a 4×4 down there where some of the roads are marginal. I’d be able to use my four wheeling skills I learned in South Africa at the Land Rover school.

If we decide to do this, the longest stretch is through Mexico, then into Guatamala. Then in El Salvador, we would stay with John Barr’s son who has a house on the beach and I have the option of staying in the apartment that is being built over the restaurant he owns, which is also on the beach. Then we would head south, through Nicaragua into Costa Rica, where Betsy has a friend with a surf camp where we could hang out. From there into Panama. Definitely an adventure.

So now there are options!

Aren’t there always?

As they say, Ask and it is given.