Never Done... (Chapter Ten)

As I have been penning these "Never Done" entries, I realized that I tend to get on a finite topic and never offer much more... So, today I offer a "day in the life" aboard the family, world cruising, sailing yacht: "Firebird":

7:00am (or so): Sam and Dollie (the 2 dogs) are crossing their legs and really want to go ashore to do their business. One of us (4 boys) has the dog duty and pulls up "Firewood" (our dinghy/tender) along side to take the dogs to the beach.

8:00am: Breakfast for all, usually simple with seafood, eggs and/or canned meat.

9:00am to Noon or 1:00pm: Studying, we all had different things (subjects) we were working on, so the questions to our parents were numerous and very diverse.

Lunch followed: seafood and/or sandwiches.

After lunch: We all had chores, diving for the next meal, heading to the local market for fresh items, baking breads for later consumption, along with cleaning, laundry, scrubbing, painting and varnishing... (Not sure that I mentioned, but "Firebird" had lots of beautiful African mahogany as trim, hatches, skylights and rails). Additionally she had Teak decks, all of which required constant attention.

Dinner followed the afternoon/evening happenings. One of the things my mom has always boasted about, was her ability (read: inability) to cook... We often had the most interesting meals. The word "Interesting" was always used when it turned out somewhat different/less flavorful/less appetizing looking than she expected... Curried Conch was one of these meals... Mom didn't realize that when you use curry, you have to add a tomato product for color... We ate the curried conch (green as it was) until it was gone... Mom also had a long standing philosophy: If you feed them late enough, they will eat anything...

Amazingly enough, Mom is a terrific cook today!

After dinner (at whatever time that was): The dogs got a final ferry ride to shore and we all turned in to read or listen to the radio or whatever...

Synopsis of the majority of our days: Mom, Dad, and the four of us boys, all relied on our own special talents at this point. Once a week I baked bread (for lunches and dinners) for the following week. Mom was (and still is) the "Glue" that held us all together, my brothers were the divers and fishermen, and of course, Dad made it possible (through his teachings, knowledge, and ability to work for money) for us all to do the things we did...

More to come... I'm sure!

Over and "Out" from my weekend in Portsmouth, VA

ps: if you have never visited her site, go check out Bossy. She is on her whirlwind "No Book Tour" across America, and has a recent post about traversing Donner Pass and continues to list me as her "Featured Gay" because "Bossy's gays brighten every day"...

Happy Birthday!

Worth a click...



I say nothing more other than Over and "Out" from Portsmouth, VA

Never Done... (Chapter Nine)

As I've said before, the waters surrounding the islands of the Bahamas (and most elsewhere in the Caribbean) are, without exception, the most spectacular colors and hues of blue, green, and turquoise one could ever see. Once you venture out ten or so feet from the beach the water is also as clear as any swimming pool.

The beaches on most of the out islands are the most beautiful in the world (as I know it) and while most of our time was spent on or in the water, fishing, diving and sailing, Mom and I loved to comb the undisturbed beaches in search of treasures. Mind you a treasure to us was probably more like trash to others, yet to this day (some 40 years later), we both still have some of them. Mom was most interested in finding a blob of ambergris (whale vomit) which is used in many of the more expensive perfumes; a single chunk of the stuff was worth thousands of dollars. As we would walk the beaches, Mom always picked up a stick or broken branch so that she could poke things that closely resembled what (she read) ambergris should look like. I remember well, one of the times she couldn't locate a stick or twig, she decided to put her big toe into a chunk of what looked familiar, only to severely burn it in a blob of oil... I really felt for her, it blistered up and looked like it hurt for days. I'm sure she remembers the burn more vividly than I...

A little history of the Bahamas:

Like many areas in the Caribbean, the hundreds of islands and cays that make up the Bahamas were "discovered" and claimed by European explorers in the late 1400s. The road back to independence and self rule was long but relatively peaceful.

The history of the Bahamas between the time that the islands were settled and the centuries that passed before independence explains why the culture and people of the Bahamas are rich with native Caribbean, European and African influences.

The first settlers on many of the islands, thought to be predominantly the Arawak speaking Lucayan or Taino people but also included the Ciboney and the Carib people, arrived from South America sometime in the 9th Century. For hundreds of years the indigenous culture thrived and spread from island to island.

Columbus landed at San Salvador claimed the Caribbean islands for the Spanish on his first journey to the Americas in 1492. The word Bahamas is thought to come from the Arawak name for the islands, but some historians believe it comes from the Spanish, "Baja Mar," which means "shallow sea."

During the time that Spain controlled the islands, African slaves were brought to work in the plantation fields or in the homes of the plantation owners, government officials and other wealthy Spaniards. Most of the original population was destroyed through fighting and diseases brought to the islands by the new African and Spanish inhabitants.

The Dutch gained control of the islands of the Bahamas (as they did the US Virgin Islands, hence the windmills/sugar cane mills in the VI's) for a short time, but lost them to the English. The Islands were claimed by the English in 1670. The Bahamas remained mainly under British rule for the next 300 years. A brief — one year — return to Spanish rule in 1782 ended with the Bahamas once again British colonies.

Slavery was officially abolished in the Bahamas in 1838 long after the Ameican revolution, and the loyalist's migration to the islands (circa: Wind from the Carolinas). Many former slaves remained on the land and eventually became land owners themselves. Although all residents of the Bahamas were free, the Islands remained a colony of the United Kingdom. The House of Assembly was established in 1729. This meant that much of the government of the country was actually based in the Bahamas. This history was a major factor that led to a peaceful negotiation for Bahama's Independence.

In 1964, after decades of debate and legal maneuvering, Great Britain granted The Islands Of The Bahamas limited self-government. The Bahamas became a British Commonwealth in 1969 ending the colonial rule, but not the British flavor of the islands.

The Islands became a nation on July 10, 1973, which is the date celebrated today as Bahamian Independence Day. This July 10th celebration of the beginning of Home Rule is an island party not to be missed.

Oddly enough, my eldest was born on July 10th, just a few years later, my personal reminder of that summer of 1973 when the fireworks started in the Bahamas...

Over and "Out" from Portsmouth, VA (the other P-Town)...

Clash of the Decades...

I watched this movie when it first came out and again many times since...

Then I wached this movie last night with Michael and Alex at the Commodore:

The word "cheezy" comes to mind for both (less so for the latter). The special effects really sucked in the first one and I did miss "Bobo" the owl's pivital performance from it, although he did at least get a cameo in the remake...  Sam Worthington or Harry Hamlin?  Both are still "Must See's" in my book!

Over and clashingly "Out" from Portsmouth, VA

Never Done... (Chapter Eight)

JGA Design #0449 Christened "Mattakeeset" (Later renamed "Firebird")

Dateline: Great Exuma Island, Bahamas, 1970

The Exuma chain of "Out Islands" ran from near New Providence (Nassau) for about 50-60 miles south before you reach Great Exuma... There are many privately owned islands in this chain but there are also settlements and historical places which required immediate exploration. One of the books my mother talked me into reading before we started back out, was a book by Robert Wilder, "Wind from the Carolinas". Without getting into a lengthy synopsis, the book followed a Loyalist Family from the Carolinas on their multi-generational relocation to the Islands of the Bahamas, rebuilding the plantations that were once rebuilt in the south from bricks and belongings carried from Great Britain...

The book was awesome, even more so were some of the ruins we found just south of Stocking Island (the barrier island that protects George Town harbor in Great Exuma). I remember visualizing the Cameron plantation sitting high on the hilltop of this small Cay (possibly Pigeon or Hog Cay, I can't remember the name) and also reenacting the memories I had of the beaches surrounding the island as written by Wilder.

We faced some of the same challenges as the Cameron family...One of the common things was, there was never enough fresh water (on Firebird). That is, water you could drink (with only a 120 gallon fresh water capacity located below the cabin soles for 6 people, 2 cats and 2 dogs, it was challenging)... We did have a full set of awnings/canopies that shaded the deck while at anchor for more than a couple of days... These canvas awnings were designed with canvas funnels built into them to catch rain water during the predictable afternoon rain squalls and divert it into the fresh water tanks. As a result of this constant shortage, we had faucets in both the galley (kitchen) and the head (bathroom) that, rather than delivering hot and cold water (as most of us are used to), delivered fresh and seawater. The cold side of the faucet was fresh, and the hot side was sea, as we had no real hot water while cruising... We washed dishes in sea water, we took showers in sea water, and we even brushed our teeth in sea water... Please remember that the sea water in the Bahamas is as clear as the water in your favorite pool... It's just salty... And today, it's one of my least favorite things... Lemon Fresh Joy (LFJ) was the only product at the time that would produce suds in salt water. So we did dishes in LFJ, we took showers with LFJ, we washed the dogs with LFJ, and today can you guess what is under my sink??? I guarantee you it's not LFJ... I use DAWN!

Enough for today, Over and "Out" from Portsmouth, VA

Never Done... (Chapter Seven)

One of my first "official" dates happened while we were anchored in the harbor off Morgan’s Bluff. Now mind you, while I had an interest in other boys (and their "pieces/parts") at this time, the words Gay or Homosexual were not a part of my vocabulary. I had certainly heard the words, but I had no real comprehension of what they really meant. Coming from a family of four boys there were always "moments" or more so "experiments" as we grew up. To me (and us) I suppose it was, at the time, just a different form of entertaining ourselves and learning...

My "date" was with a really nice girl that lived in the nearby Nicholls Town. For the life of me, I cannot remember her name, and it really doesn't matter... We had a great afternoon. We walked along the beach in front of the only hotel (really just a guest house) in the town; we went and had an ice cream, then ducked in behind the building for some kissing. It was grand, I really liked her, but also knew it wasn't right for some reason...

As Dad's contract with the developer came to a close, we made plans to visit a few other "out" islands before heading back to Miami for re-provisioning... We carried basic necessities for about 6 months, and augmented those supplies with fresh items from the local markets where-ever we went... Dinner Key Marina, directly behind Miami City Hall, was the place they chose to stay during this process...

Ahhhh, Pier 2, Dinner Key Marina, Coconut Grove, Florida... Many friendships built during the years that we stayed, left, and came back... I think we all had girlfriends (also living on boats) during these times. On and off I actually think some of us had one girlfriend, that later became another's... "Live-Aboard" families were always so easy to get along with... Some went to the local public schools, and others (like us) were doing correspondence school or home schooled... Even the parents of these other kids were very cool. I often think about the risks my parents took to do this, and hope they got to enjoy some of the benefits too. I don't think I could have done it with four kids...

After about 2-3 months back in the states we headed back out... This time cruising in earnest with plans to head further south in the islands of the Bahamas...

Firebird, while comfortable for us, was actually designed as a racing schooner, with some of the same details of the Malabar series of racing schooners John Alden designed...

One exception is that she had a centerboard. For those that have never sailed before, centerboards or dagger boards are quite common on smaller day sailers... They allow for easy transport, yet still offer stability under sail (the power of the wind against the sails could flip a boat over if there is not enough headway and a deep draft (something under water that compensates for the height of the masts and sails). Most of the Malabars were designed with a deep keel (8 or 9 feet) and either iron or lead ballast to compensate. Firebird only drew 6' of water (that is, from the waterline to the bottom of the iron keel, was only 6 feet) which allowed us to venture into some very shallow harbors and coves. With her 6' of draft, she also had a 3' centerboard that helped when "pointing up" into the wind... Allowing us to sail closer to the direction the wind was coming from... There are no words that can describe sailing a 60' boat, with no noise of engines at 10-12 knots, roughly 13-14 mph... It's an awesome experience and feeling...

My honey calls me to get off this thing and help him plant some flowers, do the laundry and start dinner...

Over and "Out" from a beautiful Spring Day Off, here in Portsmouth, VA

**Reposted 4/22 with plans for "Firebird" and link

Stuck in my Head...

I heard this song for the first time a few weeks ago.  This video had to be filmed in the Caribbean somewhere, it reminds me very much of the USVI's:

Now it's stuck in my head...

Over and "Out" from Portsmouth, VA

Just Look...

This is a great video...



I need say nothing more...  Except:

Over and proudly "Out" from Portsmouth, VA

Obama Turns the Tide on LGBT Support!

Many of us have been waiting patiently.  Here is some good news from the man we helped get elected:

President Obama mandated Thursday that nearly all hospitals extend visitation rights to the partners of gay men and lesbians and respect patients' choices about who may make critical health-care decisions for them, perhaps the most significant step so far in his efforts to expand the rights of gay Americans.

The president directed the Department of Health and Human Services to prohibit discrimination in hospital visitation in a memo that was e-mailed to reporters Thursday night while he was at a fundraiser in Miami.

Administration officials and gay activists, who have been quietly working together on the issue, said the new rule will affect any hospital that receives Medicare or Medicaid funding, a move that covers the vast majority of the nation's health-care institutions. Obama's order will start a rule-making process at HHS that could take several months, officials said.

Hospitals often bar visitors who are not related to an incapacitated patient by blood or marriage, and gay rights activists say many do not respect same-sex couples' efforts to designate a partner to make medical decisions for them if they are seriously ill or injured.

"Discrimination touches every facet of the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, including at times of crisis and illness, when we need our loved ones with us more than ever," Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign, said in a statement praising the president's decision.

Obama's mandate is the latest attempt by his administration to advance the agenda of a constituency that strongly supported his presidential campaign.

In the memo, Obama said hospitals should not be able to deny visitation privileges on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

"Every day, all across America, patients are denied the kindnesses and caring of a loved one at their sides whether in a sudden medical emergency or a prolonged hospital stay," he wrote.

Affected, he said, are "gay and lesbian Americans who are often barred from the bedsides of the partners with whom they may have spent decades of their lives -- unable to be there for the person they love, and unable to act as a legal surrogate if their partner is incapacitated."

Officials said Obama had been moved by the story of a lesbian couple in Florida, Janice Langbehn and Lisa Pond, who were kept apart when Pond collapsed of a cerebral aneurysm in February 2007, dying hours later at a hospital without her partner and children by her side.

Obama called Langbehn on Thursday evening from Air Force One as he flew to Miami, White House officials said. In an interview, Langbehn praised the president for his actions.

"I kept saying it's not a gay right to hold someone's hand when they die, its a human right," she said, noting that she and Pond had been partners for almost 18 years. "Now to have the president call up and say he agrees with me, it's pretty amazing, and very humbling."

The new rules will not apply only to gays. They also will affect widows and widowers who have been unable to receive visits from a friend or companion. And they would allow members of some religious orders to designate someone other than a family member to make medical decisions.

But it is clear that the document focuses on gays. A number of areas remain in which federal law requires proof of marriage, including receiving Social Security benefits and in taxes.

Copied without permission from an article:

By Michael D. Shear

Washington Post Staff Writer

Friday, April 16, 2010

Over, "Out" and off early, from Portsmouth, VA

Never Done... (Chapter Six)

Dad and I were alike in many ways (he passed in 1979)... I think one of the reasons I got along with him so well during my younger years, and then later in my early 20's was that he was an engineer, very analytical, and a "prove it" kind of person. I, without really realizing it, am a mirror of that philosophy... I think Dad really hated it when I got into my mid teens... Without sounding too wicked, I couldn't stand being around him. I felt he could read my mind and knew all my pent up teenage feelings, and I hated that. Fortunately we had my early years, including those first years on "Firebird", and then the later years as I got married and started having a family... Again, I move off the point of these posts, but felt it necessary to mention the man that made the life I experienced, what it was...

After many months of living on land, in a 66' sailboat, Firebird was re-launched. We spent a couple of more months at Summerfield's before the masts were finished and re-installed... I do have a funny recollection of us cruising down the New River, in Ft. Lauderdale, on Firebird under diesel power, with no masts or booms. I can imagine what other people thought, but it was a thrill for us.

During that time, Mom was busy trying to get "sponsors" for our soon to happen around-the-world voyage. She wrote letters* to companies trying to get them to "use us" as an example of a family with a totally different lifestyle. I'm sorry that she didn't have more success than she did, but I have to say, Lawry's Spices took the bait and the idea seemed great to them. As a result, we had all the spices we could possibly use, in return they got the story and the rights to include us in commercials if they so chose. As a side note, Lawry's is still my favorite Seasoned Salt and Garlic Salt, and we were never in any commercial.

* Letters = handwritten or typed, no such thing as emails in the early 70's.

The (rebuilt) maiden cruise of the Sailing Vessel Firebird was more than memorable... Dad had switched jobs and had been working with a company manufacturing pre-fabricated fiberglass homes. One of the potential business partners wanted to construct one of these homes on Andros Island, in the Bahamas. Lucky for us, we could move our home much closer so that Dad could be a part of the construction/assembly, still make some money, and start the journey. Home for the next couple of months was Morgan’s Bluff at the very northern end of Andros. Named after the pirate Henry Morgan, there were hundreds of things that required exploring by us four boys. These things included reefs that needed to be dived upon, wilderness areas that at some point in time were the home to real Pirates, not to mention the caves that cris-crossed the hollows of the bluff itself. We never found any pirates treasure there, but I'm guessing my mom can still smell the bat dung on our clothes after several thorough investigations we had of those caves.

Ok, I am trying to limit these "Never Done" posts to a couple or three paragraphs so that no-one (including me) gets bored...

Over and "Out" once again, from Portsmouth, VA

Day of Silence...

What a grand way to unite and "Make a Statement":

Go to the DAY of SILENCE website to see what you can do...

Over and "Out" from Portsmouth, VA

Never Done... (Chapter Five)

While "Firebird" was hauled out (of the water) to replace those major components of her spine along with planking (yes she was made of wood), caulking, and fasteners, we continued to live on, or rather in her... For some time we could actually walk up a couple of steps into the bow (front) while the forefoot was being replaced. We had no working plumbing, no real galley (kitchen), or any other conveniences. We had a kitchen of sorts set up on the concrete floor of the shed Firebird sat under during her reconstruction, refrigerator, grill, hot-plate, etc... Fortunately there were also bathrooms close by that had showers, so the mid-night wake up call by mother nature, did not require a long distance walk. Our dishes were washed by us kids. We would take the dish pan filled with dirty dishes down to the dock next to the elevator that hauled our new home out of the water, along with the Lemon Joy (more on Lemon Joy later) and a hose; we would wash the meal's dirty dishes. We took turns doing this for quite a while. That is, until my mom noticed (during an extremely low tide cycle) our silverware shining back up at her from the bottom of the river. It appeared that one of my brothers (who shall remain nameless) got tired of washing the silverware and started dumping it into the drink. He was later assigned "Dishes for Life" by Mom.

Speaking of Mom... At this point we boys were not attending a traditional school... We were introduced to correspondence school, which we would continue after Firebird was re-commissioned and we started our voyage. Needless to say, the home schooling (of sorts) required very little time. Mom had to keep us all occupied with tasks (TV was not a major time consuming option at this point except for a new 1/2 hour long, black and white daytime drama called "All My Children", with a then 24 year old Susan Lucci, playing the 15 year old Erica Kane). Needless to say, the bitch-diva Erica Kane has been a part of my life ever since. My classes later in college were all scheduled around "All My Children", "One Life to Live", and "General Hospital". Thanks Mom, for giving me direction in my life as to priorities and which "soaps" to call my own...

Dad was working during the week, so Mom was left with the four of us during the same time. Mind you, we were all born between 1954 and 1958, so were all in those early teen/pre-teen years. While personally (speaking from experience with my own), I feel boys are much more cooperative than girls during this stage of their development... It's when they (myself included) turn 15 or so, that the terrible teens come out... The rebellion, the quietness, the secretive comments, the defensiveness, yeah you all know what I am talking about... And the anger that a 15 year old boy feels is never directed at their Mom. It's always poor unsuspecting, working all week, looking out for the financial security of his family, Dad.

Need to take a break, as to not to ignore my household duties...

Over and totally "Out", from Portsmouth, VA

Never Done... (Chapter Four)

I like doing this and apparently there are others enjoying it as well (based on the number of recent visitors)... Regardless, time marches on and my parents have located "Firebird" in Ft. Lauderdale... She was one of the boats Dad had considered while we were in the Virgin Islands (she was being chartered out of St. Thomas at the time), but he felt she would not be large enough to accommodate the family, nor the dream...

The house in Coral Gables sold quickly. The purchase of "Firebird" happened with as much speed, as did the surveyor's report after his inspection... She needed some major work and after the survey the price went down considerably... My parents always enjoyed a challenge and believed in the "fixer-upper" motto... They could make it better...

This is where time takes a twist. It seemed like years that we were at Summerfield's Boat Works, in Ft. Lauderdale. Yet I think it happened in a much shorter time frame. Firebird needed some major work. She needed a new stem and forefoot (those core structural elements in the front or bow of a boat); additionally there were many ribs that had rotted with time that needed to be replaced or "sistered". There was also decking (although teak, which can last forever) that needed re-fastening and re-caulking. Not to mention a lot of painting and "stripping" and varnishing that needed to be done, including the 65' and 55' masts and 30' and 40' booms, made of spruce that needed refinishing...

Our months at Summerfield's were quite educational in more ways than one. We learned basic carpentry skills, we learned basic electrical skills, we learned mechanical skills, and we learned how to paint and varnish without brush-stokes (insisted by Mom, the ever practicing perfectionist)...

I also learned something more. I learned that I was not the only male in the universe that liked men... Now, I know I have never been so blunt here in my writings, but it was in those months in my 13th year, that I realized I was not the only freak, misfit, or abnormal one on the planet. I certainly didn't learn how to be gay from Frank (and yes, there are people in my life that will know who that is), but what I did learn was that I was not the only one to have these feelings. Frank and I had many a playful tryst while working in the engine room on Firebird...

This is a picture of one of the Malabar racing schooners designed by John Alden:

Firebird was designed quite similarly, but had a Marconi main, rather than a gaff. Her foresail was gaff (and yes you can Google the terms to see what I mean). 

More to come...

Over and "Out" from Portsmouth, VA 

Never Done... (Chapter Three)

Circa, Fall 1968... Shortly before man landed on the moon (the following year)... and yes, I remember watching that, not unlike Tom Hanks' characters family and friends in "Apollo 13". All seated around the closest, largest (25") console color TV, only to see the broadcasts from the lunar surface all in black and white (like the All My Children episodes we watched with Mom)... Anyway, just a 54 year old's recollection of the event, and yet I wander, once again, from my original post's intent...

Welcome to Coral Gables, Florida. 730 South Alhambra Circle was in a "newer" area of the city. The home my parents purchased was built in the 1930's. There were similar homes in the immediate neighborhood, but also homes that were built more recently... Including the home directly across the street, built by Anthony Abraham, a well known auto dealer in south Florida, and later purchased by Ben Novak, owner of the Fountainbleau hotel (later known as the Fountainbleau Hilton) on Miami Beach. My parents were pretty smart to buy this run down home in an upper crust neighborhood, live in it, make the needed improvements on it, and then a year later make a decent profit on it's sale, to propel us to the the next level in the "dream" of the father.

While using Dad's contacts and resources at the job he had landed with an aircraft ground support equipment manufacturer, Mom used her more basic skills and shopped the salvage shops and (literally) the dump, the solid waste disposal place, to decorate and furnish this house, while they continued to search for a sailboat that would accommodate the six of us (and the cat and dog) on an extended voyage...

Side note here... Our cat was Charlie Brown, a seal point Siamese (with crossed eyes and a kinked tail). Charlie Brown took offense to the the Abraham's boxers coming over to our yard across the street, and had, on more than one occasion, jumped one of them (he was 24 lbs in his prime) and literally flipped them over until they yelped their way back across the neighborhood street, to the security of their own home.

While living in the house on South Alhambra, I attended Ponce de Leon Jr. High. I was in the 7th grade when we left California, but since we had taken so much time off (from school) my parents thought it would be best to have me start 7th grade all over... I hated it... Not so much for the academics, as for the phys-ed class. It required me to participate in sports (which I had no understanding of) and then strip and shower with kids my age that had hair (and other things) I didn't have yet. It was very uncomfortable for me, and yet somewhat exhilarating (and embarrassing) as I always got a "little boy" hard-on during this process and was always looking for a way to hide it... Again, I hated it. I felt ashamed and knew there had to be something wrong with me, so I hid it and did my best to fit in...

Before we found "the boat" soon to be known as the John Alden designed Schooner "Firebird" I started the 8th grade at Ponce... I chose to take an additional class, called an "Early Bird". This class started at 7:00am and was with Ms. Bricknell (the history teacher)... If there were ever a person in my young years that impressed or influenced me, it was Ms. Bricknell... I have always loved history since that year, and have even contemplated going back to school to get my teaching credentials, so that I might impress another, like she did me... Where-ever you are Ms. Bricknell... Thank you!

To be continued...

Over and "Out" from Portsmouth, VA, over 40 years later.

Where I was Going...

I know these have been around for a couple of years, but while watching an episode of "Ugly Betty" the other night, I saw one of these PSA's and had to investigate.  This is by far the best:

And here is another:



Over, "Out" and Oh So Gay, from Portsmouth, VA

A break...

Just a little filler, and to also suggest where this might be going!

Over and "Out" and sweltering in the 90 degree Spring, from Portsmouth, VA

Never Done... (Chapter Two)

St. Croix, in the US Virgin Islands... It was the summer of 1968 and I do remember celebrating my 13th birthday in the house my parents rented near Cane Bay... The memories are a little fuzzy, as I know we lived in two different houses there. One overlooked the bay (really just a very large cove) and on a clear day you could see St. Thomas, to the north, in the distance... The second and the one we were in on my 13th, sat atop a small hill overlooking an old sugar mill. The yard was fenced and doubled as a goat farm.

Dad found some free-lance work as an electrician (his two degrees were in mechanical and electrical engineering) as he was also a journeyman electrician it was a no-brainer fitting in. He also found the time between jobs to scour the lower islands for "THE" boat that would take us on his dream. Bill, my older brother, got to do most of the island hopping with Dad, but it didn't prevent the rest of us from having a blast. The time we were there was prior to the riots and uprisings of the 70's in St. Croix... Hitchhiking was commonplace, and we kids would thumb a ride into nearby Christiansted to roam around, not unlike the kids of the 90's hanging out at the mall...

We also explored the island with the family. I was so amazed that one end of the island was like a jungle from a Tarzan movie. You could, and we did, literally swing from vines while the canopy from the trees blocked all but only the finest rays of sunshine. The other end of the island, probably no more than 20 miles away (and no, I didn't do any fact checks so it may be more or less) was like the desert southwest of the US mainland. Sand, Cactus, and Iguanas... Lizards as big as I was at 13...

The search for the sailboat that would take us around the world seemed endless. Mom and Dad finally decided that they needed to re-coup some of the savings they had used in the search thus far... We left St. Croix and flew into South Florida in the fall of 1968...

Ahhh, The Sunway Motel and efficiencies in Ft. Lauderdale, near the border of Pompano Beach on US-1... Another adventure for us kids; it was a 40's style (Mom and Pop) kind of place. There was a drive-in movie theater next door, and during the day we would jump the fence and turn up the speakers on the posts closest to our 2 units so we could hear the movie that night, sitting on the little sun deck of the flat topped Motel... Life was grand!

The Sunway and the Drive-in are now a hospital complex, but I digress... Mom and Dad were looking to find a house they could "flip" to recover some of the funds spent in the Islands... And yes, while they didn't call it "flipping" in the late 60's (it was referred to as "speculation") the technique/practice existed... Next stop: 730 South Alhambra Circle, Coral Gables, FL...

Is anyone interested in this? It's ok if not... I am trying to keep my brain sharp by poking my memory of 40 year old events, and re-living them as I write!!!

Over and "Out" from a beautiful Easter Sunday, here in Portsmouth, VA

Update: April 6, 2010...  One of my brothers emailed me and corrected me, it was 1968, not 1969...  Thanks JRR...

Never Done Before...

I teased some of my blogging friends not too long ago. I mentioned that I spent many of my teen years (well, actually all of them) sailing the Bahamas and Caribbean, and never followed up with any stories. Well, here is the beginning (of probably many):

Flash back to 1968 (yes, I am that old and was 12, almost 13 at this time), Carmichael, CA (a suburb of Sacramento)... The Rimington family has lived on Marshall Avenue since Dad graduated from Cal Poly. We (the four sons) attended John Barrett Elementary, then Albert Schweitzer Elementary (when Barrett became a middle/Jr High School) and then back to Barrett as 7th graders (and yes, the Barrett family, one of the kids my age and a friend, still lived on a plot of land next to the school)... My best friends were Randy and Lee Brock (who lived next door) their Dad was a friend of Art Linkletter, which really impressed me at the time... Our best family friends were the Baldwins (Mr and Mrs) and their children Judy, Terry, and Michael, I remember playing with Michael's GI Joe dolls (not sure if that actually means anything) and Judy and I were always hanging out...

As we became older, I truly think Dad became worried about us as we got closer to High School age (I am #2 son of the 4 and the 60's were just the beginning of the pot, drug, and sex laden 70's)... I think also, he had an unfulfilled dream that he needed to realize...

He said he wanted to take his wife, 4 sons, cat, and dog. Find a large sailboat, work when necessary (mind you, as I recall, my Dad designed the guidance control system for the minuteman missile, working for Aero Jet General after attaining his 2 degrees) and sail around the world...

The dream started to become a reality that year. Mom and Dad sold the house on Marshall Avenue, their most important belongings were shipped up to my grandparent's house, and as Dad said; we can't see the rest of the world without seeing the USA... The "Griswold Family Vacation" was off and running... We visited my Great Grandparents in Tucson AZ; we drove through the continent of Texas, visited family living in St. Louis (at the time that MLK was assassinated), drove on to Washington DC, and then finally back to my Aunt and Uncle's place in Blytheville, AR...

Dad had made arrangements to deliver the family truckster (a 1965 Cadillac Sedan Deville) to a buyer nearby in Tennessee, which is also where we flew out of on our trek to find "the" sailboat that would take us on our journey. We flew out of Memphis, into New Orleans for a brief stop, and then on to San Juan, Puerto Rico... On our way to St. Croix, in the USVI...

Interested to find out more?

Stay tuned, Over and "Out" from a warm spring day, in Portsmouth, VA