More from DC - Chris' last days with this year's students

One of the hardest things I'm finding I have to deal with as we cut the ties is saying goodbye to the last class of nurse-midwifery students (University of Washington) that I will have the good luck to help mentor into the profession and  my midwifery friends and colleagues from the northwest. We had a great time together in DC; here we're getting ready to go visit (ie, lobby) our senators and representatives about midwifery and improving maternal and infant health...Midwives rock and I will miss you all.

I love visiting the memorials on the mall. The memorial to all the Americans who were lost in the Vietnam conflict has a special significance for me. I find the memorial to the nurses who served particularly moving.

Chris

2010 East Coast Tour

We did a quick trip of the East Coast last week. Started in DC where Chris was at the national Midwifery conference. Got a quick look at the Mall and checked out the WW-II monument and the Vietnam Wall. The Wall just seems so much more appropriate. The WW-II monument is on the side of glorious war.

We rented a Prius and drove down to see my brother, sister-in-law and family in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Somehow we didn't get the cameras out. Its an interesting southern town. A long history of textile mills, most of them have been out-sourced around the world, but there are still a number producing specialty goods. BMW brought in their US manufacturing to town, so all-in-all the economy looks pretty decent there.

Then it was off to Florida. Stayed in Ft. Lauderdale  about 1/2 block off the beach. Got up each morning for a swim in the 85* water. A very civilized way to take a morning bath. The heat in the middle of the day was pretty brutal. Not something this north-westerner is going to get used to very quickly. We got to spend some time with my Dad and sister in Ft. Lauderdale, then it was up to Stuart to see my sister-in-law and down to Palm Beach for a nice lunch with my aunt and uncle.

Here's Father's Day at the British Pub in Ft Lauderdale. It was a little warm for drinking Guiness, but we made it through it.

Now we are into a panic of trying to get our apartment cleaned out by the 30th.

Paul

Whoops, there goes a career

I had my exit interview on Friday. A pretty simple end to 4+ years at Atheros Communications. For those that don't know Atheros, they are the leading supplier of WiFi chips. Millions of chips per month. A good chance that the WiFi in your laptop, wireless router or cell phone came from the minds at ATHR. Its a well managed company - not something I can say about too many other companies I've worked for. I got to Atheros when they acquired my embedded software company. I think it turned out to be a good deal for both sides. I'm planning to do some consulting work for them over the next few months -- applying my acutely cynical technical expertise to their software deliveries. That should help with the cruising kitty.

This is the third time in a long career that I've retired. OK, not retired, took off for a year. Hope its habit forming.



Paul

16-year old Abby Sunderland in big trouble

This is the Southern California girl who was trying to beat the 'world record' as the youngest to circumnavigate single-handed. Apparently pushed on by her parents and their belief in divine providence, she left at completely the wrong time of year for what she was doing. Ending up in the Southern Ocean in the their winter is just crazy. None - none -  of the round the world races go at this time of year, professional crews or not. I just don't see how anyone could justify sending a 16 year old out into the Southern Ocean in the winter. Of course there will be damage. The whole stunt was ridiculous. I hope she is rescued and no one is injured during the rescue. I hope the Aussies are OK paying for the rescue. I have nothing but disdain for her parents. It is too bad it takes away from what Jessie Watson did on Pink Lady - a young gal who deserves respect for what she accomplished in her circumnavigation at 17. http://www.jessicawatson.com.au/

This is Abby's boat Wild Eyes in the mild of the Indian ocean as viewed from the chartered Qantas  Airlines Airbus that the Australian Maritime Safety Authority chartered to look for her EPIRB signal. Note that the mast is gone.

A rescue boat is still a good 24 hours away. Here's the chartered jet.

Paul

Back in the water again

3 gallons of Petit Trinidad bottom paint latter, Jeorgia is back in the water.
Here's the before and after pictures of the MaxProp. They turned a hunk of bronze into a piece of jewelery.

Getting through the Ballard Ship Canal small lock after being dropped back in the water. That's Owen telling the locks guys how to run the lock.

Weird sight when we made it back to Edmonds. There were two Tall Ships sitting in the guest docks. We immediately started securing Jeorgia for a possible pirate attack.

Paul

Jeorgia gets a new name

Jeorgia has always worn her name proudly on her butt end. Unfortunately over the years she has started to suffer from what Bob Perry refers not so kindly to as Crap-on-de-back. Basically, you had to look through too much stuff to be able to actually see the name. She now sports two new Prism Graphics decals with her name on each quarter. She's also busy in the CSR Locks yard getting some new bottom paint and  some hull buffing and wax. Chris was wondering about all the attention that Jeorgia was getting, so I offered to wax and buff her butt too - so far, no takers.

Paul

It doesn't always rain in Washington!

Lot's of folks outside of the PNW think that it always rains up here. No way. This picture is proof that it doesn't.

Goin' where the weather suits my clothes

Right now things are a really heaping up on us. Chris is working till the end of June. My last day is in another week and a half. We hauled the boat yesterday for bottom paint and to get an insurance survey done. The list of stiff for us to get done before we get out here is clearly not all going to get done. Too many sewing projects, boat setup projects, change the bank and get some insurance projects, sell off the stuff we don't want and store what what we do projects.


Speaking of selling off. It took us a year to get to the next picture. Brutal.

The results of a tough weekend running the Garage Sale

Paul