January 31, 2010
Maiden Pacific Ocean Voyage
On February 6, we will have been living in California for 2 months. It seems like longer to me, and not as long for Chis. Go figure.
Admittedly, it seems to have rained, or threatened to rain, every weekend since we arrived. We just haven't found a weather window for Prana's virigin voyage on the Pacific Ocean.
Until today.
Here are a couple of pictures from our sail today. We are both looking a little sunburned. It can't be wind burn because it barely got above 5 knots of breeze. But, it was so nice to be sailing without the constant pounding from the wakes of power boats (aka stink pots) that seemed to be never-ending in Long Island Sound.
Posted by dave at 08:51 PM | Comments (0)
January 30, 2010
Russian Hill Open Preserve
Some photos from this afternoon's hike. We've had a lot of rain lately, so we got pretty mucky. Not as mucky as the mountain bikers!
Posted by dave at 08:33 PM | Comments (0)
January 20, 2010
Hot Water
Here is my most recent entry on the Green Cricket "Expert" blog, which should post later today. Click here to read other Expert entries on the website, and shop!
When I was growing up on the Canadian prairies (where, at this time of the year, your eye lashes freeze together), hot water was divine. To soak in a hot bath after being outside all day, shoveling snow, cross-country skiing, and building snow forts, warmed the soul. It turned my pink cheeks rosy red and made me feel so comfortable. When my partner and I moved onto our sailboat and began our circumnavigation of this beautiful world, hot water became a luxury. The hot water tank on our boat held only 5 gallons. It was very hot water, so 5 gallons mixed with cold water went a very long way. Our water was heated in two ways – by running the engine, or by running the generator. Either way, hot water required the consumption of fuel. And because we were often visiting in places where we couldn’t get water, we made our own by desalinating seawater. The generator was needed and fuel was consumed so that we could have water, hot or cold.
By the same token, fuel is consumed to heat the hot water you use in your home, and with some hope, some of that fuel is solar or wind. Becoming personally aware of the impact of the choices we make is the first step in finding a healthy balance between sustainability and creature comforts.
One bad example is our condominium in New York City. Hot water was constantly heated by mixing steam with cold water. To add insult to injury, hot water was constantly pumped through the entire building, so that when we opened the hot water tap, the water was instantly hot. Even at 3am! It struck me as a complete waste of energy to keep the water hot and to keep it circulating! But, we likely used way less water in total because the water was instantly hot, and therefore we weren’t running the water until the hot stuff came up through the building. On balance, I’m guessing that our carbon footprint for hot- and cold-water consumption was bigger than it needed to be.
A significantly better solution is a tankless, on-demand hot water heater. We have one in our new house in California, and I really like it. It heats the water when needed, and we never run out of hot water. No more keeping a tank at 49-degrees celsius (or hotter), all day and all night. And no more running out of water when guests take 20-minute showers! The old tank water heaters consume significantly more energy than the tankless ones. And having used both, I like the tankless ones better.
The downside is that the tankless water heaters are more expensive to buy. But the US Department of Energy estimates energy savings of up to 30%. Actual savings depend on several factors, primarily the efficiency of the new water heater and the amount of hot water a family uses each day. Also, the choice of a tankless water heater that uses electricity instead of natural gas is a much more costly way to heat water. With a larger family, there is less idle time and less standby loss with a conventional water heater if a lot of hot water is used throughout the day. You can estimate how many gallons of hot water you consume by using the Consumer Reports calculators .
If you have a storage tank hot water heater in your home, and it’s getting on in years, consider replacing it with a tankless hot water heater. One pleasant benefit of getting rid of the old tank is that you will have more closet space! The tankless water heaters are very small. Better to research it now than doing it in a panic when your tank stops working or starts to leak.
And if you are considering replacing your washing machine or dishwasher, consider replacing it with a new energy-efficient model that heats its own water – this way you won’t need either the storage tank or tankless water heater.
Whatever your choice is, and it is a choice, bring awareness to the impact your choice has on the environment. Remember, your consumer choices have a big influence on those around you and the way companies behave.
Posted by dave at 04:52 PM | Comments (0)
January 04, 2010
Skyline Ridge Hike
Chis and I just returned from a 4 mile hike on the Skyline Trail. Absolutely gorgeous. No wildlife spotting to report, except for a few ducks and hawks. Luckily, I didn't have to rescue Chis from a mountain lion attack. The signs said "Fight back". Hmmm.
Posted by dave at 07:10 PM | Comments (0)
January 01, 2010
Flora and Fauna, Half Moon Bay
On New Year's Day, the four of us hopped in the car and drove to the Pacific side of the Peninsula for a walk on the beach at Half Moon Bay. Here are a couple of photos.
Posted by dave at 07:05 PM | Comments (0)
December 31, 2009
New Year's Eve
Jim and Luc arrived yesterday from Toronto. I'm not 100% sure if my stats are correct, but I think we've spent 15 of the last 17 New Years with them. The usual modus is that Luc and I prepare a vastly complicated multiple course menu for dinner, and usually by 10pm we've had far too much champagne. And we are exhausted.
This year, we kept things simple. Shiitake mushroom capuccino with a garlic froth to start. Pear and avocado salad with gorgonzola cheese. Roasted sea bass with a pesto crust and couscous ratatouille. And for dessert, we made a magic mud pudding. But the magic had evaporated and the only way we can describe the outcome is that it looked like a turd. Thankfully, it didn't taste like one.
Chis and I found some Christmas crackers on sale at the Ferry Building in San Francisco last week, so we cracked them open. Oddly, three had the same prize - a bookmark/paper clip that had the following outcome:
Posted by dave at 11:48 PM | Comments (0)
Errands
I left the house on foot, with my nap sack and canvas bags. I had a few errands to run, notably to fetch the dry cleaning. And because the grocery store is next to the dry cleaners, I could do a swing-by and pick up a few things for the New Years' feast.
I walked down Partridge Avenue, along El Camino, and stood at the corner waiting for the light to change. Dozens of cars zoomed by. This isn't New York, where jaywalking is a sport. This is California, where nobody is in such a rush. The light changed and I walked across the busy intersection, then proceeded to meander through the parking lot to the grocery store. I stopped to help an elderly lady unload her groceries into the trunk of her car, then took her basket to do my shopping.
I was on the hunt for bread crumbs, a seemingly simple thing. But I wandered aimlessly, then asked for help. Three store clerks helped and we found some. I realized that I had forgotten avocados, so I went back to the other end of the store to fetch them. A few more things, and I checked out.
I walked next door to the dry cleaners, picked up our things, and began to walk back across the parking lot to the light. Back along El Camino, I crossed through the lot in front of the muffler shop, where a friendly guy said "Your zipper is down."
Uggg! So it was!
After the flash of embarrassment, I thanked him. Instead of focusing on the humiliation, I pondered why it had taken so long for anyone to say anything. Why had the elderly lady not said anything? Is it impolite? Why is it awkward to tell someone they are flying low? What is it about our culture that these helpful little tips are so inconceivably difficult to discuss?
Indeed, I have seen people (men and women) with their flies down, and haven't said anything. Why not? Is it because we don't want to embarrass them?
I admit that I wasn't all that embarrassed, because thankfully I am one who wears underwear. Black ones at that. So really, what's the big deal if someone happens to peer through my open fly to see .... oh my, black underpants?!
Maybe I should become one of these young kids who grabs his crotch every five minutes. I'm not too sure why they do this? Are they checking to make sure it's still there? But this way I would know whether my fly was down before someone else could tell me.
The human race really is a curious animal.
Posted by dave at 11:51 AM | Comments (0)
December 29, 2009
The House
We had word late last week from the movers that they had found one of our boxes and were going to ship it to us this week. We became very hopeful that it was the missing Christmas box. It arrived today, a bankers' box full of old file archives. :(
Here are a few pictures of the house.
Living Room. Note the leaves on the trees outside?
Dining Room. The puzzle I had just finished was the Tibetan Wheel of Life - 1,000 pieces.
Kitchen. The Toblerone is Chis'. The wine is mine. We all have our vices.
Posted by dave at 06:17 PM | Comments (0)
December 27, 2009
Bay Bridge
Chis took this super cool photo of the Bay Bridge with what looked like a Catalina 46 heading out for a sail. He took the photo with my iPhone. We were on our way back to the train station in San Francisco after a day in the city, and stopped to have a glass of wine. He took the picture through the window.
Posted by dave at 06:14 PM | Comments (0)
December 25, 2009
Christmas Day Visit to Prana
Christmas Day was glorious, sunny and warm in the Bay. We decided to visit Prana and make sure she was doing okay. We had coffee and puttered around doing little unfinished jobs. The perfect way to spend Christmas Day. Our Christmas turkey breast was brining at home, waiting for the finishing touches.
Posted by dave at 06:11 PM | Comments (0)
December 24, 2009
The Night Before Christmas (Sailors' Version)
T'was the night before Christmas, I swung on the hook
with moonbeams a' landing, asleep with my book
When up on the deck I heard footsteps and stuff
"I've been boarded!" I thought, and I tried to be tough
Then down the companionway hatch came a dude
He was dressed like a nut and I thought, "I'm so screwed"
But he laughed and he hummed as he surveyed my junk
So I figured he must be the resident drunk
His eyes were lit up like a junkie on speed
But he gave me a whole bunch of stuff that I need
Like rum and cigars and new charts and a dinghy
And some kind of fancy electrical thingy
I knew it was stolen but I wasn't telling
I just hoped he was giving and wasn't just selling
And I poured him a rum which he downed with a wink
Then I poured one for me (Lord I needed a drink!)
Then he staggered above to the moon lit night
As I peeked I beheld an incredible sight
Eight tiny dolphins and a beautiful sleigh
The dude hopped aboard and prepared to make way
The dolphins were ready to power the sled
But the guy raised a genny and mains'l instead
With a burp and a chuckle he gathered the breeze
And called to the dolphins, now swimming with ease
"Hey Stalker and FEMA and Cancer and Nixon!
Or Stinky and Pepper Spray, Mason, and Dixon!
Or whatever your names are, you cute little fishes,
Here's to every last sailor, my best Christmas wishes!"
As he sailed away leaving a wobbly wake
I hoped he had not many stops left to make
He got close to shore and he soon was aground
But the dolphins proceeded to pull him around
And I heard him exclaim as he sailed out of sight
"Merry Christmas to all... and to all a goodnight!"
Posted by dave at 10:47 AM | Comments (0)
December 18, 2009
Settled in Record Time
Well, hello. The truck pulled up in front of the house a week after we arrived in California. The week was good to get the house ready. The walls needed some repair, patching and painting. The floors were filthy dirty. But by the time Friday rolled around I was finding the empty house a little tedious.
Then the movers turned all of that upside down. Within 5 hours, everything was in the house. Except for our container of Christmas decorations. And the parts for the vacuum. The vacuum canister arrived, but none of the attachments. And the hinges for our book cabinets (which we found two days later taped to the door of the bedroom wardrobe (?).
Chis took Monday off, and we finished unpacking and hung the art. By 7pm, we were 97% done.
We've done this so many times, it gets easier and easier.
It is super fun to be here, and despite arriving to some cool and rainy weather, today was +20c and sunny. I planted some pansies in the garden and put some Christmas lights on the front of the house. The gardeners came to mow the lawns and rake the leaves. I hopped on my bike and rode to Palo Alto to do some Christmas shopping for Chis.
This is SO not New York! A foot of snow is expected there tomorrow. We got outta Gotham just in time.
Posted by dave at 09:10 PM | Comments (0)