Thursday, January 13th:
In some ways it’s nice to have a quasi grounded (figuratively speaking) home base here - although Miami would not normally be my first choice. On the other hand, there is lots to do, as well as access to needed facilities, except I’ve yet to discover all those (less advertised in the tourist booklets) free things to do with children. However, today may consist of the free botanical gardens and free library (maybe I can get another pen there - this reference tests your e-mail memory bank), while Tom deals with our problematic fuel fiIter. This town also reassures me of my extended sphere of friends - I just spoke with Lisa and we're going to try to get together again, under less dire circumstances and without our significant spouses and children. That boat with our sailing friends (Dance - that's their boat name, not a request of you) - is due to arrive Saturday. This gathering of friends may also be perfect timing considering Jonas’ upcoming birthday.
Thursday, January 13th:
Going back a few steps, I just read an essay for my course, by C.S. Lewis, that interestingly related to my day twice. First, he talks about writing based not upon what children want but because it is the best artform for something you have to say. If one writes to please the child about something the author feels contempt or indifference for, the child will see right through that. I applied this to planning the day foremost around what Jonas and Elias may like, as opposed to something I wanted to do (the botanical garden). I initially discounted this option, based on my perception of their preferences (you know how strongly they resist your backyard botanical garden), rather than chancing doing something I chose, with my enjoyment being contagious. On another note, he said that a children's story which is enjoyed only by children is a bad children's story. Well, the books Elias selected from the library, for me to read to him, turned out to be bad children's stories (enjoyed by him, not me). One was a friendship story during which the characters only became friends when one won the race for their team. In the other story, when the dog chewed up the character's toy, the father told her he’d buy her a new best toy in the world, to which she responded that she loved her father best - I was waiting for the moral, contradicting these sentiments, but it didn't come. When asking my first children's lit professor for suggestions regarding what to do when I grow up, she mentioned writing children's book reviews - I'd actually love doing that, now all I need is the training and experience,...C.S. Lewis also talks about how the process of writing stories is like birdwatching, he keeps quiet and watches, then he sees images which join themselves together on their own accord - kind of like this website when it clicks.
Again retreating a few paces, the library we did find was in the less affluent section of town - with corresponding stained carpets and generally depressing atmosphere - ironic (?), considering this South Beach ambience, which I guess stops after that 8 block stretch. However, every other book I pulled was All About Passover, The Story of Hanukah, etc. - what does it all mean? And guess what, we didn't make it to the botanical gardens afterall, for today, at least (weather and bus route factors) - what does that all mean?...
My on-my-own-time (note dashes) day included coffee (of course), a Cuban lunch, the Art Deco Museum (?), ice cream (of course), and the Jewish Museum. The Jewish Museum was actually pretty interesting - it recounted the history of Jews in Florida - and was located in a previously utilized synagogue (the bagel shop was too small). I don't know which was scarier...being scanned for weapons by the welcoming guard or the thick Queens diner-esque inflections and conversations spoken by the staff and other visitors. One bit of trivia you might appreciate: there was a great influx of Jews to Florida in the 1950's. This decade, coincidentally (?) coincided with the invention of air conditioning (- I kid you not).
Sometimes I feel guilty (must be that Jewish Museum influence) relating the daily happenings of our year - it's easy to rationalize (to myself and others) touring and playing, when it's a week long vacation from work. Then again, appeasing myself, we do sort of have some of the regular responsibilities and daily living aspects (child rearing, schooling, grocery shopping, laundry, dishes, errands, repairs, interrelationships, correspondence, cleaning, organizing, finances, planning, health/safety ...- did I convince anyone?)
Anyway, speaking of weather (or was that the marine radio?), our returning dinghy ride was as wet inside the boat as it was under it (- the clouds conveniently let loose). Speaking of weather again...it seems that boaters entertain themselves by regularly listening to each other's conversations on the VHF, but don't really want to admit to it, so say things like...“when I was listening for the tidal information, I inadvertently overhead you say...”
Jewish Museum
art deco weekend
art deco district
On another note, we went to the Art Deco festival yesterday, which made Sailfest look good...the Curious George show was cancelled (Elias can recite the book by heart since we read it hourly - although I have some misgivings about its political correctness - like when the Man with the Big Yellow Hat pops him in the bag and takes him from his home in Africa), there was no fire juggler to be found, the 30 car Art Deco carshow was missing 22 cars, and the Latino dance show was halted midway - due to a slippery stage.
Monday, Jan 17th:
So, it was actually cold last night (relatively speaking, I guess) and today was only 63 degrees - which is just fine by me. We successfully smuggled the scooters onto the shuttle bus - there's a long scooter friendly path along the beach - next time we'll bring Jonas and Elias' scooters too (ha). Jonas and Elias made playground friends - Elias and his buddy banged scooters with newly collected rocks, as a cleaning and fixing attempt. We're sort of in waiting mode - for a weather window, Dance's arrival, Lisa's visit, our lottery winnings,...I just had a scary realization...are we officially considered Snowbirds? - wintering in Miami Beach - or as the chic like to refer to this area, SOBE (South Beach) - not referring to "so be it", as I'd first inferred - tomorrow's agenda consists of grocery shopping - didn't I used to do that at night after a full day of work, before making the next day's lunches and unloading the dishwasher, in between 2 loads of laundry, while planning a birthday party? - so what's my point? so, whatever is my point?
Ocean Drive
boaters potluck party
happy birthday to Jonas
Thursday, Jan 20th:
Yes, we’ll go to the Bahamas during the next weather window, or on second hand, no we won’t, but then again, okay, we will…To end this indecisive undertoe, we figured we’d attend that harborhood party, hoping to glean advice from the wise salty dogs. Wait, this soggy flyer mentions potluck – should we bring the moldy broccoli, stale “pirate’s booty,” or condensed milk? Discussing our party animal tendencies, Elias selected 2 zebras to bring (his party animals). We were disappointed to find no valet dinghy parking, so landed ours on the deserted island beach, next to the others. Phew, good thing we chose the moldy broccoli, we thought upon viewing the picnic table spread, overflowing with condensed milk. Hmm, should we join the animated discussion about fuel filters, or the heated debate about spark plugs? Jonas put together a volleyball game amongst the adults, Elias played fetch with 2 little doggies, Ellen went to examine the memorial statues at the other end of the island, and Tom collected nautical recommendations. Family names seem to become synonymous with their boat names, which was unfortunate (or telling) when they confused our green boat with that named Lunatics.
So, according to the science of sailing, we discovered that we should not go - since the window was too short, we should definitely go since this was an ideal window (especially for this time of the year), we should leave Thursday morning so we’d have more time to reach the destination before the gale force front appeared, we should leave Thursday afternoon so it would be windy enough to sail, we should leave Friday morning when the seas calmed down, we should keep going so as not to have to anchor on the banks during strong winds, we should go part way and anchor so we don’t get face the strong winds if we don’t cover enough ground, we should take advantage of these conditions since 8 foot waves are nothing, we should not go since the waves are always much higher than the forecast heard closer to land, we should never go in north winds as they oppose the Gulf Stream, north winds are fine since they’ll be light. Okay, so we’ll listen on the sideband radio to Herb the weather Guru, who forecasts from Canada (obviously), who is very accurate, but whose predictions are really from the perspective of blue water sailors (traversing the globe). Well, we’re still here in Miami Beach, tossing a coin, heads means go, wait, didn’t heads mean stay?...
Remember how I said it was nice to have both Lisa and Dance within our proximity? Then, it looked like I'd see neither. Well, Dance made it here Thursday night. They called on the VHF, asking for more specific directions. Tom was at “Voyager” - well, let's just say I'd have been more effective if they needed I-95 exit numbers or bus routes. Luckily, another boat was listening into our conversation, so before I directed Dance to New London, he volunteered some useful information. I showed Brenda and Chelsea (her daughter) around (on land, that is) the next day - to the post office, CVS, petstore, and Cuban restaurant. Chelsea even helped make Jonas' brownie cake. They were planning to take advantage of that window you've heard endlessly about - now they can proudly say they've joined the “part way there and back” club - they've met the required quota. When they left it really seemed calm, but alas, those forecast 5-10 mph winds were actually 25 mph, the 4-6 foot seas were 10 foot, and the southwest winds were northwest (north is a no no) - so I guess the rule is double the wave heights, triple the wind speed, add 90 degrees to the wind direction, and quadruple the Dramamine dosage - they too experienced the dozen plus vomiting experiences.
We were surprised - and glad - to see their boat anchored next to ours when we awoke - Jonas was especially upset when he thought they were leaving. We left a note, asking if they returned for the birthday cake, and headed out to the Science Museum and Planetarium for Jonas’ birthday. After asking fellow bus/train passengers about their birthdays, Jonas informed them that today was his - you never know who might have an extra matchbox car they were looking to give away. The Dance folks joined us for the evening festivities - cake, presents, keyboard rendition of happy birthday (why does that sound familiar?).
Oh yes, and Lisa...Jonas, Elias, and I are going to stay at her apartment tomorrow through Tuesday - a bit of shore leave to take advantage of being in the same state as her.
Tuesday, Jan 25th:
It's a good thing you didn't send the mail - you may thereby correctly infer that we're on again - to the Bahamas - we just can't bring ourselves to have you delete that word "Bahamas" from the website title. Actually, before we sample all forms of public transport again, we figured we'd wait a day - just in case those weather reports are off - wouldn't that be novel...Anyway, Jonas is really perfecting his ability to work the bus and train crowd - actually, especially being me, it's pretty amazing how he is fully comfortable conversing with anyone - from telling a cool seventeen year old about his birthday to charming a 90 year old woman who bought herself a bouquet to relating to the street sweeper how he likes to clean the boat to accepting a parting hug from a woman who understood minimal English to sitting on the lap of a woman on a crowded bus as he explained how the downtown Miami hotel was imploded. Elias receives his share of endearing embraces as well.
So, this time about 5 boats - the number grows as each returning boater joins the accumulating group - are setting out tomorrow at 4 am. Their primary goal is to cross the Gulf Stream, even if they have to wait a bit somewhere in between Miami and Nassau until the next window opens. I look forward to being the first to arrive at the marina, with Jonas and Elias, hoping to get a good seat for the sunrise - several hours in advance. We plan to sleep overnight at a hotel, so as to greet the returning sailors.
I was considering a last ditch effort to send photos - but I figure if I go to sleep now, I'll get a full night's worth - adding tonight's with last night's.
All my best,
Bahama Mama (?)
crossing to the Bahamas -->