RETIRED
R is for RELAXING. We don't have to cram everything we want to do into a limited time frame. If it rains or blows hard or is foggy we can delay a day or two and make alternate plans. For example, the weekend of the folk festival in Newport we planned to head to Cuttyhunk. The forecast was lousy, wind, rain, a nor'easter. So we stayed in Newport, enjoyed the busy harbor happenings and waited until Monday. Newport was a busy place. Launches were full, interesting boats in town, and a festive party atmosphere was the order of the day all 3 days.
Perrin driving Oldport launch TANGO with a boat load of happy folk festival goers.
One of the many interesting boats in the harbor for the Festivals
A view of Fort Adams during the Folk Festival.
The Party Barge dropping some people off at Perrotto Park.
E is for ENJOYING special days and ordinary days. We enjoyed David's birthday as we do best, eating out at some of our favorite places. A delicious Lunch at The Grist Mill with my Mom and Dad, and an equally enjoyable dinner at Fluke in Newport. We do enjoy eating out. We have our favorites, but are always ready to try new spots. It will certainly be a challenge for us on our trip south NOT to eat out every night! We enjoyed a visit with David's niece, Katie, from Texas, starting with a wine tasting at 41North and after a successful trip to Block Island, and ending the trip with a wine tasting at Newport Vineyards. Enjoying sunsets and even sunrises is a favorite pastime of mine. (I know I'm retired, but I still wake up every morning about 5:30-old habits die slowly).
View of the harbor from Fluke where we celebrated David's birthday.
David's niece Katie visits from Texas
A Block Island Sunset
Cuttyhunk fogged in.
Boats lit up in Cuttyhunk Marina
I call this the Cuttyhunk Mall-really the Fish Dock.
We ordered steamers and lobsters from Duane and Lexi. The next night was the fireworks. SPECTACULAR!
T is for TIME. Time was what used to rule our lives. Work, appointments, meetings, commitments. We have fewer of all of these. While we still have some commitments and appointments they are fewer. Sometimes this time we now have is something we don't know how to deal with. Sometimes we feel guilty because we don't have to rush from one activity to another, or one place to another. You want proof? We spent an entire week anchored in our favorite anchor spot in Cuttyhunk! We Relaxed in the hammock, we enjoyed the boats coming and going, we spent time with old friends, and took the time to meet new ones. I guess Time still plays an important part in our lives but in a different way.
Hammocking
People and Boat watching. A British couple repairing their sails with a sewing machine on the bow.
This guy tried to set his anchor 3 times before deciding to pick up a mooring and remove the EMPTY lobster pot.
This unfortunate guy got caught too close to the edge of the channel during a moon low tide.
A father and son bonding moment.
I is for INTERESTING. On our trip south we will see and visit many new and interesting places. But this summer I've tried to look for new and interesting things about our favorite places. The small garden in the heart of Newport at the Treadway (NHHM), the cloud formations, young families enjoying their time together sailing, The guys sitting outside Sopranos Pizza (the Blues Brothers), the sea creatures made from auto parts in Woods Hole, the line of Cat Boats tied up to the private dock in Hadley Harbor just to name a few.
Frog Pond, Cuttyhunk. Where the Blues Brothers hang out.
Lobster pots outside the Market in Cuttyhunk.
The garden at The Treadway (NHHM), Newport
Festive decorations on the cabin doors of Obsession
Cloud formation at sunset, Cuttyhunk.
Cat boats, Hadley Harbor
The 3 pictures above are sea creature "sculptures" from recycled metal/ear/engine parts. Woods Hole
R is also for REMEMBERING. We remember "unwinding" in Hadley Harbor with Mike and Jane O'Neill and Mom and Dad. We remember lobsters for dinner in Cuttyhunk and our first Raw Bar delivery. We remember running out of fuel in Woods Hole against a 2 knot current. We remember cookouts on the "spit" in Cuttyhunk and dancing the Hokey Pokey to the music from the gas dock. We remember beautiful sails from Newport to Cuttyhunk, and foggy trips home. All good times! It's good to remember! Writing this blog helps me remember.
We traveled through Woods Hole many times, with the current, against it, in the fog, on beautiful clear days. It's a different perspective from land.
We could call this unwinding in Cuttyhunk.
E is also for EATING. We DO eat (and drink)well aboard and off of Obsession. From Mudslides at the Oar, to our own brand of "Obsession" wine, to our other favorite Cosmopolitans and Dark and Stormies and wine tastings at 41North. Fluke has become a favorite dinner spot in Newport, Raw Bar and the Cuttyhunk Cafe deliver up our fix for oysters and littlenecks as well as lobster. We always try to choose a restaurant with a view or special ambiance. Dining al fresco on the bow of Obsession is always fun. And Cuttyhunk Cookouts are always a treat. With the purchase of a Dometic 12v freezer I can freeze steak, chicken, hamburgers for delicious meals aboard, and have ice (yes ICE) for our favorite cocktails.
Anytime we can have lobster aboard is special.
Obsession label wine-White Zinfandel and a House Red. Always plenty on hand.
Now THAT'S an ice cube! Precious commodity on board Obsession until this year, but still coveted.
D is for DREAMING. Dream big, dream small. But dream! From the first day of work I think we began thinking of being retired. We put money away in Retirement Funds, paid into Social Security, watched our older friends, coworkers and relatives plan and then retire. Each one of us goes about it in a different way. Our dream was to have a boat big enough to take down the ICW. Obsession 42 is that boat. About a year ago that dream was put on hold. We had to work hard to keep that dream alive. It's getting closer-September 20 is a little more than a month away. We dream of new places, new experiences, new friends, new adventures. We still dream of a North Pacific 43. As I write this the Powerball Lottery and the Mega Millions Lottery have both exceeded 300 million dollars. Yes, we tickets. Did we win? Dream on!
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