P L A T I N A

December 03, 2009

Ahimsa

About 5 months ago, I stopped practicing Bikram yoga and decided to explore vinyasa for a while. I had reached a point with Bikram where I was stuck in a rut.

The vinyasa yoga I have been practicing is in a heated room, so I still get the detox benefits, and the heat helps to open up all the undoings that 12 marathons and who knows how many half marathons and 10K races.

I have been practicing the yamas (restraints) of yoga, the first of the eight limbs of the yoga path. In particular, I have been practicing ahimsa, or non-harming. In the hardest cores of yoga, this means respecting all living animals and becoming vegetarian. While I'm not quite ready to make that leap, although I am close, I interpret it in other ways.

As it relates to my physical yoga practice, I often get very competitive. Not necessarily with others in the room, although that can happen, but with myself. I am driven. No two yoga classes are the same. One day I feel like a ballerina, the next like a walrus. It is way too easy to beat myself up when I feel like a walrus, and too easy to steal the energy of those around me when I feel like a ballerina.

Neither is practicing ahimsa.

As it relates to my yoga practice off the mat, it means not thinking in a harming way. In New York, this is easy to do. Simply walking the streets can be a challenge, and I often find myself thinking "Jeez, people, get out of the way!". This is not practicing ahimsa.

I'm not completely there yet, but I'm working on it. And I am blessed to have met Rachel who has helped me on my yoga path. I will miss her when we leave this weekend. I will practice in her class one last time today.

Posted by dave at 08:09 AM | Comments (0)

November 28, 2009

Before and After - Moving Day

Before: Taken moments before the movers arrived. Note the Cafe Grumpy latte in Chis' right hand, and pain au chocolat in his left. Delish! He was such a trooper, up early to help me disassemble the stereo and create a speaker map for our tenant (the apartment is wired for surround sound).

After: The movers left around 3:30 and I went straight to yoga. I thought it would be a 75-minute snooze, but it was one of the best classes I've had in a long time. Chis left the office early (early for him is late for most) and we listened to KPLU Jazz streamed through the internet, made fettuccine with lemon-cured salmon, parsley and parmesan cheese, and a salad. We opened a beautiful bottle of red wine. I set the table (the air mattress), and we sat down for dinner. We started a movie after dinner and I fell sound asleep, knowing that I had nothing to worry about tomorrow except how to fill the day with no house to fuss over.

I think camping in Gotham will be kind of fun. We donated a teak bistro table and chairs to our condo building for the roof deck, which I think we will borrow them back for the week. Word is that one of the chairs met an untimely and mysterious end, but there are two flea markets within a few blocks of us, and we may see what we can find.

I admit that the air mattress isn't the most comfortable, nor is it conducive to my early morning rise. Too, it squeaks against the hardwood floor. So I am sitting on my yoga mat against the wall while Chis sleeps.

Posted by dave at 08:24 AM | Comments (0)

November 27, 2009

Moving Day

6:15am.
The Black Friday chaos began before I awoke.
People were lining up last night for the sales.
I'm nurturing my own little bit of chaos right here.
The lamps are all packed so I write this in the near dark, light wafting from the kitchen, waiting for the sun to rise.
Having a triple espresso.
I may need another.
The living room looks like a box farm.
They reproduced like rabbits over night.
I begin to imagine the chaos at the other end.
We should have signed a 2 year lease.
My heart thumps loudly in my chest; I feel it in my head.
Fetch the bikes from storage in the basement.
Wake Chis.
Breakfast.
Maybe another espresso?
How many things have I not thought about yet?
Are they going to laugh at the size of the dust elephants behind the wardrobe?
Good grief, Charlie Brown, I sound like my mother.
If the stars are aligned, they will finish in time for me to get to Rachel's class.
That will make it all melt away.
I will return to an empty apartment.
And inflate the air mattress.
Bring it on.
I am ready.

Posted by dave at 07:24 AM | Comments (0)

November 26, 2009

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!
The headache lingers, the eyes are dry, the shoulders are perpetually hunched.
Chis went for a run.
I went to yoga (lots of bird poses).
We had brunch at Champignon on 7th Avenue.
Fetched a brass lamp from Chis' office.
Then packed.
And packed and packed.
And called our parents before we disconnected the phone.
Finished packing.
Walked the High Line (beautiful evening).
Dined at 5 Ninth in the Meatpacking District.
Almost fell asleep watching Casino Royale.
Set the alarm on my phone.
The movers will descend like stormtroopers early in the morning.

Posted by dave at 07:16 AM | Comments (0)

November 25, 2009

Strange Species

5:15am.
Up before the sun.
Heading out shortly to catch the train from Grand Central to Stamford.
To meet the movers.
To load the crap from our storage locker.
Why do we hoard so much stuff?
What happened to my 2-year rule (1)?
What a strange species we are.

(1) If I don't wear it or use it in 2 years, get rid of it.

Posted by dave at 06:51 AM | Comments (0)

November 24, 2009

The Greening of Gotham

I recently started blogging on www.greencricket.ca as an "expert" and thought you might enjoy this excerpt from my most recent post:

"I am wrapping up my fourth year living in one of the largest, most populated cities in the world. The New York metropolitan area has an estimated population of 19.75 million people, ranking it the largest city in the US, and fourth largest in the world. That’s about 5 times the population of Metro Toronto, and much more geographically constrained. It is estimated that over 80% of people who live in Manhattan bike, walk or take public transportation to work.

Living in such density makes a commitment to a green lifestyle challenging in many ways, and easy in others.

The easiest part of living green in Gotham is that I don’t need a car because the public transportation is excellent – an instant contribution to reducing my carbon footprint. The Metro Transportation Authority (commuter rail, NYC subways and buses) carries 1/3 of all the commuters in the US each day. This is an astonishing statistic. This means a lot of cars left at (or near) home. I like the MTA (note the absence of “love”), but I have a bone to pick with them about their recycling policy. While they sort recyclables from the trash bins in subway and train stations, there is no sign on the receptacles to tell consumers this fact and thereby create public awareness.

Toronto’s organic waste composting program has not reached our shores. There is no wet waste pickup in Gotham. Worse still is that most of us live in tiny shoebox-sized apartments with no yard to start composting. And rodents and cockroaches (called water bugs in New York) are a serious problem, leaving composting under the kitchen counter a magnet for unwanted visitors. But, those of us committed to composting of organic waste schlep our stinky bits to one of two places in the city as part of the Lower East Side Ecology Center community composting program. They also have occasional drop-off events for recycling of electronics and clothing.

In a city the size of New York, private interests like LESEC fill in where public interests can’t or won’t. For example, #5 plastic containers are not recyclable in New York. Neither are batteries (although, get this, it is illegal to dispose of them in the garbage). Whole Foods will take #5’s and batteries to be recycled.

While the city still has a way to go, Mayor Bloomberg is taking a leadership role in the greening of New York. Part of his plan was to pass a congestion tax, similar to those imposed in London, Stockholm and Singapore, but the boneheads in Albany said no. Instead, Bloomberg decided to increase bridge and tunnel tolls, convert major intersections like the Broadway-Fifth Avenue crossover at 23rd Street, to parks. A major part of Broadway in Midtown was converted to bike lanes and a promenade. And bike lanes all over the city displaced car traffic lanes. In some cases, boulevards planted with gardens separate the cyclist from the parked cars and traffic. Indeed, these initiatives have frustrated car drivers’ ability to get around the city, making them think twice about using the car at all."

The movers arrive in 3 days, and my last trip to the Union Square compost heap was yesterday. Slowly but surely, life as I know it in this amazing city is coming to halt. :(

Posted by dave at 04:39 PM | Comments (0)

November 13, 2009

Camping in Gotham

At last, after 8 months on the market for sale and 3 weeks on the market for rent, we found a tenant for our Manhattan apartment. The resale market in New York is dead. There are a bunch of issues that you won’t read about in the New York Times. First, the banks are still not lending. Second, the appraisers are covering their asses by assessing property 20% below market, making the financing even more difficult. Third, the brokers are behaving the same way they were when the market was booming, rather than adapting new tools like craigslist. And buyers are behaving mercilessly, making offers randomly to see if the desperate will take the bait. All this means that we were not meant to sell in this market.

On Monday, our movers deliver our packing materials. On November 27, they move us out of the apartment. Chis has to be in New York until December 5, so we have set our minds to how we will live for the week without our stuff.

Hotels are way too expensive, and the ones with a kitchen are limited and outrageously expensive. There are vacation rentals. I’m having heart palpitations with the money we are spending (shipping the boat, yard expenses, buying a VW Jetta TDI, etc) so we have decided to stay in our empty apartment for the week.

Here’s my preliminary list of things that we will need. I call it the “bare minima”.

To cook: spatula, wooden spoon, lifter, tongs, frying pan, saucepan, coffee maker.

To prepare: cutting board, knife.

To enjoy: 2 plates, 2 bowls, 2 sets of silverware, wine opener, 2 glasses, 2 wine glasses, 2 mugs

To clean up: sponge, 2 tea towels

To sleep: air mattress, pillows, sheets, duvet

To bathe: 2 towels

Being hyper environmentally aware, I am crazed at the thought of tossing things. The coffee maker, cutting board, frying pan, saucepan, pillows, tea towels, sheets and towels are worse for wear, and owe us nothing. They are in tatters and need to be replaced anyway. I will use the linens as rags to clean up when we move out on the 5th. The air mattress will go to a friend. The duvet will be vacuum packed and go in the duffel bag on the plane. As for kitchenware, I am going to go to my favourite store in almost-Chinatown called Pearl River and buy very inexpensive melamine stuff that we can take with us and use on the boat. Very little will end up landfill and most will either go to friends or get packed for the plane.

It will be an interesting week. When we arrive in San Francisco on the 5th, we will do it all over again, as last week when I was out there I set us up with all of the above pulled off the boat.

From camping in Gotham to camping in Fog City. This too shall keep me young.

Posted by dave at 10:22 AM | Comments (0)

October 25, 2009

Beautiful Fall Day in Central Park

The Mall

Bethesda Fountain, my favourite place in the city. During a drought, it is told, many were sick and dying. Where the Angel of Bethesda's foot touched the earth, a spring swelled.

The garden behind the marionette theatre.

Posted by dave at 05:51 PM | Comments (0)

Prana in Iowa

I called Bruce (the driver) yesterday to see how he was doing with Prana. He said he was in Iowa. I didn't quite get the name of the town or city except that he said he couldn't drive because there was a college football game, so he was in the casino losing badly. He expects to get through Wyoming today and is planning to arrive in the Bay on Wednesday.

I fly tomorrow to get ready for her arrival. I might go a little quiet depending on my internet connectivity. Chis is flying down next weekend to help put a few things together at the new house in Menlo Park. Yay!

Posted by dave at 09:14 AM | Comments (0)

October 22, 2009

Prana Progress

Bruce, the driver of the tractor trailer carrying Prana, called yesterday with an update. At 7:15pm he was in Bloomington, Indiana N39°09′44" W086°31′45″. He is 2 days into the journey, and has covered about 700 miles of the 2,925 mile trek, or about a quarter of the way. I fly to San Francisco on Monday to wait for her arrival. The anticipation is killing me!

Posted by dave at 09:01 AM | Comments (0)

October 20, 2009

Step 2: Load Boat, Mast & Boom on Trailer

Yesterday's activities were exhausting, and I fully expected today to be boring - a lot of standing around watching them load the boat.

I was so wrong.

I arrived at the boat at 8am and the driver and his trailer had already arrived. I introduced myself, asked a few dumb questions, then set off to do a few last minute things on the boat before they hauled her. The driver recommended that I take the wheels off. No problem. The yard guys showed up and we decommissioned the engine and bilge.

They hauled the boat with the Travelift, and set her on the trailer. The driver set to work to provide support around the boat, and strap her down. The yard pressure washed the bottom, and the driver informed me that California's agriculture regulations applied to used boats, so he told me to remove any evidence of "barnacle stumps". While there weren't many on the hull, thanks to the antifouling paint, there were plenty caked between the hull and the rudder, and all over the propeller. I grabbed my paint scraper, sanding sponge and drill with wire brush attachment.

It was a long day, with no breaks and plenty of physical work in plenty of sunshine. I feel like a kid that was out making leaf forts on the front lawn in the late fall. My face feels flush, my hair is black from the sanded bottom paint, and I feel physically drained. I imagine in amongst the physical is a little worry about our baby. And an emotional detachment from Stamford and growing attachment to San Francisco Bay.

Here are some photos from my day:

Posted by dave at 07:26 PM | Comments (0)

October 19, 2009

Step 1: Rig Down

And so it begins.

We spent a very rainy, cold weekend winterizing the boat. We don't expect that the transport company will see freezing temperatures on the journey to San Francisco this week, but you just never know. It's a lot easier to flush antifreeze out of Prana's water systems than it is to replace frozen plumbing!

I was up very early, and made a 6:58am train from Grand Central to Stamford. I arrived at the boat shortly before 8 to find the yard had untied the boat and was beginning to move her to the rigging dock. I had planned to move it myself but they beat me to it.

It was very cold last night, so we were all stepping gingerly around Prana's icy decks and the frosted docks. Here's a few photos of the dismasting of Prana. The truck arrives tomorrow morning, and I will be back up there to make sure she is loaded safely. More photos to come.

Yard Guys with the Rig on the Crane

Block Farm at the Base of the Mast

Prana Looking Naked Without Her Rig

Posted by dave at 06:26 PM | Comments (0)

October 15, 2009

There's a Rep for That

This is just too funny. The best thing Democrats have in America are the Republicans.

Click HERE if the embedded video doesn't appear.

Posted by dave at 01:49 PM | Comments (0)

October 14, 2009

Sailing Sandals

I do my best not to attach to material things. But, for some reason, I am nostalgic about my sailing sandals. These are a throwback to our days on Platina. Chis thinks we got them in Fort Lauderdale in July 2005, but I think it may have been later. Between Platina and Prana, we wore them as street shoes, and I think that wore down the tread. We noticed this summer that we were slipping and sliding all over the decks. Besides, most of the straps had become threadbare. They had seen their day, and owed us nothing at all.

I took this photo on our last weekend of sailing. With phenomenal wind, we went to Port Jefferson and dropped the anchor. As the sun was getting low, I snapped the photo, and then very unceremoniously dumped them in our trash bin.

I can't explain why this was so emotional and I hung on to them for far too long. There are lots of things on Prana that we had on Platina. Sperry doesn't make them anymore, so maybe my heart aches for them because I can't replace them.

I have a pair of green shorts that are in worse shape. I think they date back to the Schoolhouse in Canada. They are torn, threadbare, and the colour has faded from way too much sun. Chis thinks I need to toss them too, but I use them as work shorts. I figure they are perfectly good until they are torn in places that would otherwise expose bits and pieces that really shouldn't be publicly exposed.

I am my grandfather's grandson!

Posted by dave at 11:42 AM | Comments (0)

September 28, 2009

Why I Love Canada - Reason #69

This is just too Canadian!

Posted by dave at 09:57 AM | Comments (0)

September 24, 2009

The Only Constant is Change

I admit that my mouse has grown accustomed to knowing exactly where to stop in selecting the Category for our blog postings for the last 3.5 years. It naturally lands on "New York". It's like a magnet that guides me to its selection.

Soon, very soon, I will add a new Category for this site entitled "California". It may take me a while to change the magnetic draw of New York, but in time, this too shall change.

Chis and the company he works for decided that the best place for him to be is in the San Francisco Bay Area, closer to the global marketing group and its resources. And true, he needs a better balance of work and life. We all do, but Chis works investment banker hours, but doesn't get paid like an investment banker. Well, at least those who are lucky enough to still be employed.

And so it is that our lives will move again. Anybody who knows us well, will not be surprised by the news. In fact, my calendar suggests we are approximately 7 months overdue for a big change like this.

Prana, our darling sailboat that we have enjoyed immensely over the past two seasons, will be coming with us. To be true, she will arrive in Richmond, California before we do. She will be hauled from the water on October 19, prepped for shipping, then settled on a trailer for her 3,000 mile journey across the USA. I will be there to greet her when she arrives, look for a place to live, and find an office for me to open Goldfish Advisors, my new corporate finance advisory practice (an evolution from Catfish Capital Partners for those of you who knew me then).

Our condo in New York has been listed for sale since June, anticipating that this was coming. Sadly, the New York real estate market is still not moving, despite what the New York Times reports. The banks are still not lending. Last week, it was listed to rent. No sense selling into a falling market?

Chis and I have been working on a list of the 20 things we will miss about New York, and the 20 things we won't. It started out as the 10 things, and grew from there. I'm sure we will get to 30 or 40 or 50 before we are done, and it will probably be equally balanced. That's what New York is all about - for all of its excitement, energy, crowds, shopping, promenades, etc. there is the noise, chaos, honking, sirens, demanding people, and neurosis. Don't worry, we'll post our top 20 when we're done. In the meantime, thanks to those who came to visit, and we welcome you all to visit us in the Bay Area.

I'm so proud of Chis. He is my shadow. I am his. Home is where he is, and if that means New York, San Francisco, Vancouver, Toronto or the middle of the Pacific Ocean, we'll be there. Together.

Posted by dave at 07:42 PM | Comments (0)

September 23, 2009

Anatoliy Zalevskiy - Eurovision 2005 - Kiev

This is impressive. It gives me new inspiration for my yoga practice. I can only now hold an arm balance called crow pose, and am making my way through a similar pose called side crow. My tripod headstand is pretty amazing, my handstand isn't too bad (even if I have to kick up into it and use the wall for support). And I'm really working hard on my forearm stand. Which means I kick a few times and fall on my face.

Posted by dave at 07:13 PM | Comments (0)

September 21, 2009

Sweet Sailing Bliss

True to our passion for sailing, Chis and I have pushed the edge of the season once again this year. But it seems to be paying off with unbelievable wind conditions. Last year we sailed right through to the end of October. I doubt we’ll go that far this year because I can still feel the chill in my toes and see the breath in the air from one fine morning on anchor in Oyster Bay last fall. Brrrr.

Last Saturday, it was drizzling rain with very poor visibility. The hearty Canadians that we are, we donned our foul weather gear and headed over to Oyster Bay. The wind was blowing all of 2 knots in the marina, but once we were out of Stamford’s breakwater, we found east 12-15 knots of wind! As we were heading out the channel we saw a sailboat that had just exited the harbour, rolling around like a rubber duck in a washing machine. East winds build up quite a fetch in Long Island Sound, and this was no exception. We left a single reef in the main and pulled out the full genoa. We flew across the sound so fast. It was magical, even thought it was pretty rough. The visibility was awful, so we headed in and dropped the anchor. It rained all night, and by Sunday morning the clouds were breaking and the wind was diminishing.

In no hurry to motor back across the sound, we decided to have a leisurely morning. Around noon, the skies had cleared and we decided to head back. Once we were out of Oyster Bay’s inner harbour, the wind picked up out of the north to 12 knots! It was fantastic! We had an incredible sail back to Stamford. Two awesome days in a row. I can’t remember the last time we sailed both days on a weekend. Usually one day is windless, sometimes both.

This past Saturday, the forecast was for northwest 10-15 knots. Woohoo! We decided to make a longer journey out of it and head west to Port Jefferson. Well, we were bombing along under full sail. As the wind started to slacken, we decided to hoist our French colours genneker. Like a spinnaker but without the need for a pole. It was fantastic. We picked up about 3 knots of speed and continued to fire out the sound.

It was too good to last. Sunday we woke to very light northerly winds and beautiful sunshine. We motored back to Stamford as the wind dropped from 4 knots, to 3, to 2, then finally shifted to the southwest. A tedious trip, but well worth Saturday’s sail.

I wish I had taken photos, but I’m not sure that they would capture the exhilaration. Sailing often can only be explained in words, and even then, words often don’t do the experience justice. It was, without a doubt, two of the best weekends of sailing we have had in Long Island Sound.

Posted by dave at 05:37 PM | Comments (0)

September 05, 2009

Port Jefferson, NY to Stamford, CT

Skeleton of an old pier

We were torn. Do we sail for Stamford and spend the night on the boat at the marina, or sail to Oyster Bay and anchor for the night, then hop across the sound to Stamford tomorrow. We decided to head for Stamford, giving us a day and a half in the city. We haven’t spend a lot of time in New York on the weekends since the spring, so we thought this would be fun. Plus, there was no wind in the forecast.

We motored for Stamford and arrived in time to watch a few of the boats finish the Vineyard Race. The race committee shortened the course because of the wind forecast. We gave Prana a good scrub.

----

This 10-day trip felt different for some reason. Maybe because it started out with the threat of a hurricane, which reminded me of the terror that weighed on us in the summer of 2005 sailing up the US East Coast, being chased out of marinas because of one hurricane after another. Maybe because it was more familiar to us, taking the element of surprise out of it. Maybe because the anticipation of the end of the sailing season clouded our ability to fully appreciate it. Whatever it was, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Nothing in the world is better than enjoying the love of my life, with the love of my life.

Posted by dave at 09:50 AM | Comments (0)

September 04, 2009

Joshua Cove, CT to Port Jefferson, NY

Prana from the beach, Port Jefferson

Chis on the beach, Port Jefferson

We sailed out of the anchorage in Joshua Cove and headed across the sound to Port Jefferson on Long Island. It was a deep broad reach in light winds. Finally approaching the island the wind shifted to the southeast and picked up a bit, giving us a nice lift. We anchorage behind the bluffs, and hopped in the dinghy to walk the bluffs. We were joined by two other boats for the night.

Posted by dave at 09:48 AM | Comments (0)

September 03, 2009

Montauk, NY to Westbrook, CT. Umm… Joshua Cove, CT

Full moon rising, Joshua Cove

We left Montauk very early to beat the tidal shift at Plum Gut. This time, our exit from Lake Montauk was at high tide. No heart palpitations. We set our course for the gut, and I made coffee and breakfast. In Block Island, there is a bakery that comes to your boat. He has the best sticky cinnamon buns. We picked up four when we were there, intending to give a couple to Emily and Huntley, but they didn’t want them. So we had them while we were sailing to Westbrook. We thought we would go back to the marina there, or anchor behind Duck Island if they didn’t have room for us.

The current at Plum Gut spat us through with a vengeance. We made such good time that we decided to make more westing by continuing to Joshua Cove, where we would anchor for the night.

We arrived to find one other boat there. They left shortly after we arrived. Was it something we said? A group of kayakers paddled by and said we should watch for them after sunset when they would paddle back. They were picnicking on the beach to celebrate the full moon.

This place, just east of the Thimble Islands, is a great place to be in a north or east wind. We came in here in the spring in an east 20 knot wind, horizontal rain and cold. It was a refuge, and one we cherished at the time. It was nice to be back, this time in settled weather.

It was magical, and a moment I have never seen before. As the sun set in the west, the moon rose exactly opposite in the east, and almost at exactly the same time. Shortly after, the kayakers breezed by. A bit like the dolphins in the middle of the Atlantic, angels of the sea.

Posted by dave at 09:44 AM | Comments (0)

September 02, 2009

Block Island, RI to Montauk, NY

Work Boat off Montauk

Our neighbours in New York, Emily and Huntley, rented a house in Amagansett for the summer. We’ve tried a couple of times to rendezvous with them but the stars were not aligning. While anchored in Block Island, I called Emily to see if they were out island this week. In fact, they were! Lucky us. We agreed to call when we arrived in Montauk.

We left Block Island after breakfast. There was no wind, so we knew it would be a long and tedious trip. Montauk is the outer most point of Long Island’s south fork. The current ripping into Long Island Sound was incredible, stirring things up and making everything very lumpy – like a rubber duck in a washing machine.

We entered the channel to Lake Montauk around low tide, which was a little dangerous given that the lake is very shallow. We realized how shallow it was when we saw virtually no sailboats. We kept going, trying not to look at the depth sounder, which I had recently recalibrated to measure from the bottom of the keel rather than the water line. This meant that I saw a couple of times 2 to 3 feet of water under the keel, which made my heart race a little. At least it wasn’t set in metres! Then it would have read less than 1.0 and I would have had bricks in my shorts.

We made our way to the marina, tied up Prana (that sounds kinky) and checked in at the office. We had lunch on the veranda and scrubbed the boat. I called Emily and said we had arrived. They were heading out fishing and asked if we would like to join them. We agreed. They pulled up alongside us, had a look at the boat, then we hopped in their boat and went fishing. Chis caught a few bluefish, but they all went back – apparently not good eating.

We went to their home after fishing. Taylor, their one-year-old, was still awake when we got there, so we had a little play time. We helped Huntley get dinner together while Emily put Taylor to bed. Dinner was fabulous. They drove us back to the boat, where we quickly fell asleep in anticipation of another journey tomorrow.

Posted by dave at 09:42 AM | Comments (0)

August 31, 2009

Fishers Island, NY to Block Island, RI

Sunset, Block Island

The winds picked up in the early morning, and the first of two neighbouring boats in the anchorage pulled up to take advantage of the wind. We were close on their heels. We had a beautiful sail out Watch Hill Passage to Block Island Sound. About half way across, the wind completely died. This is sailing! If the wind isn’t on the nose, it isn’t blowing at all.

We motored into Great Salt Pond on Block Island and found the anchorage relatively empty. Maybe everyone was exhausted by Danny and fled? We picked a spot that looked good, and settled in. We decided to rest and relax, now that the sun was shining and Danny was a distant memory. I put up the hammock and grabbed my book – “Wolf at the Table” by Augusten Buroughs. Heavy stuff, and a little too close to home for me. And not gut-wrenching hilarious like his other books.

The sunsets are glorious on this favourite island of ours. In true style, it did not disappoint.

In the morning, we took the dinghy ashore. We walked the beach out to the bluffs, and walked back to Old Harbour to have lunch at the Mohegan Café. It always seems to be full of locals, which we always consider to be a good sign. The porch at the National Hotel is fun, too, but way more tourists and a touristy menu. After lunch, we wandered the shops, and I scored an awesome new pair of shorts for $25. I am such a sucker for a bargain – I am my grandfather’s grandson. Chis got a great t-shirt with a sailboat, above which it says “Relax”. Indeed.

We hit the grocery store for fresh fruit and vegetables, then the Depot for the New York Times. On our way back to the dinghy we stopped to have a drink on the lawn in front of the Oar. We tried a Firefly – sweet tea vodka and lemonade. Super sweet but very refreshing.

Back in the dinghy to the boat for more reading, hammock swinging, sunset watching, and dinner. A truly blissful day. There is something about Block Island that gets us. Maybe it’s the large anchorage and the fact that everyone is transient. It reminds us of our days on Platina in Georgetown, Exuma where there were dozens of boats all on the go somewhere. The nicest part about it was that everyone talks about sailing adventures, and not about what you do for a living. It’s an escape from the world that we try to get away from, and completely removes you from the day-to-day grind, the rut we all fall into. It puts you in a completely different element where the only care seems to be whether you should have red or white wine with dinner. It is a simple, uncomplicated existence in a finite space with lots to go wrong, none of which seems even remotely important at any given moment.

Posted by dave at 09:40 AM | Comments (0)

August 30, 2009

Stonington, CT to Fishers Island, NY

Cormorants & a seal, East Clump off Fishers Island

Chis woke to my crankiness, caused by the obnoxious rolling. It had thrown my balance off completely. I was dropping things, bumping into everything and stumbling all over the place. Bizarre.

We called the launch on the VHF radio and went ashore for an early morning walk. Danny was now to the northeast, leaving overcast skies, very light wind, and southerly swells that were still working their way through Stonington’s breakwaters. We went to Noah’s for a delightful brunch, picked up the New York Times and walked down to the lighthouse and back.

I doubt we were back on the boat for more than 3 minutes before we dropped the mooring and headed to West Harbour on Fishers Island. Dinner with the Fowlers had been rescheduled, and while we were backtracking a little bit, it was worth seeing our friends. The forecast was light northerly winds, exposing us to the potential of a rough night on anchor. As it turned out, the winds were light enough giving us no grief at all.

Posted by dave at 09:37 AM | Comments (0)

August 29, 2009

Westbrook, CT to Fishers Island, NY. Umm… Stonington, CT

Stonington, Tropical Depression Danny passing

We woke to steady rain, but still no wind. Danny was still meandering offshore and looking less and less threatening. Now downgraded to a tropical depression, Danny was looking like a rain event with less wind. Still, the forecast was for stronger winds in the eastern end of Long Island Sound. We decided to head east.

We filled our water tanks, walked the beach in the rain, showered and shaved. We left in light drizzle. We had a fantastic sail, tacking into easterly winds. The wind and rain were steadily building. We were both in full foul weather gear, soaking wet and getting cold. We had lost sight of land in the heavy rain. By the time we entered Fishers Island Sound, the winds backed to the north and starting gusting to 25 knots. West Harbour on Fishers Island was no place to be in these conditions. We had planned to join the Fowlers for dinner at their home on Fishers Island, but we called to say that the weather was not cooperating. We decided to head to Stonington and pick up a mooring.

The winds gusted from the north to 30 knots until late evening. This was okay, because we didn’t sense the southerly swells rolling straight into the harbour. When the winds died, we started to roll. By 2am, I couldn’t sleep anymore. I got up and instantly felt nauseous. I don’t normally get seasick, but this was obnoxious – on a mooring in harbour! I patiently waited for the sun to rise and Chis to wake up, wanting to leave sooner rather than later. I dug through our medical kit and found a pill for motion sickness. I took it. One of the side effects is drowsiness. I felt no side effects, and started to count the ripples on the water.

Posted by dave at 09:34 AM | Comments (0)

August 28, 2009

Thimble Islands, CT to Westbrook, CT

Foul weather pants drying out

With Tropical Storm Danny approaching, we decided that Westbrook, Connecticut would be a good place to find safety. We had heard great things about the marina there.

But first, we decided to take the ferry to Stony Creek. Shortly after we arrived in town, the rain came. We grabbed breakfast at Creekers, wandered town a bit, then headed back to the boat. The ferry dropped off others, and Chis was gracious to help an elderly lady onto the dock with her bags, and her one-eyed wiener dog. The rain was steady when we left the Thimble Islands. We put on full foul weather gear.

We arrived in Westbrook mid-afternoon. The channel was very narrow and we seemed to be able to reach out and touch the beach but the depth sounder said there was 7 feet under the keel. Whew. The wind was very light, but the rain was steady. We had a beer at Boom, then returned to the boat to wait out the rain. And the rain was heavy. We watched movies (Black Swan, Naked Gun 2.5, and Corrina Corrina). We were safe and dry.

That night, the rain was deafening. But still, no wind.

Posted by dave at 09:31 AM | Comments (0)

August 27, 2009

Stamford, CT to Thimble Islands, CT

Chis "Relaxing"

Chis left the office around midnight, scrambled home to shed his suit, then hopped on the train to Stamford. He arrived at the boat around 2:30am. I was sound asleep.

We had lost our genneker halyard a few weeks ago, and I had arranged to take the boat over to the rigging dock so that the yard could use the crane to put it back up. Like a trouper, Chis got up around 9 and we headed over to the riggers. About an hour later, we were on our way to the Thimble Islands with a new genneker halyard.

We were heading east in light southeast winds, but the seas were a bit rough. It was a longish trip and our latish getaway meant that we were not going to tack upwind – this would add about 40% to our distance (and time). So we motored, hoping for a wind shift to the south. Gradually, the wind clocked to the south, and then to the west. The sails went up and the engine went off. Yay!

The Coast Guard began broadcasting warnings about Hurricane Danny, which they later corrected and referred to as Tropical Storm Danny. Good correction. At 4pm, a gale warning was issued for Long Island Sound within 48 hours. Friends in New York were emailing begging us not to head east.

It wouldn’t be sailing without the wind on the nose and scary weather forecasts.

Nevertheless, we are cautious, and will continue east and make sure we are in a safe place to weather the worst of what Danny has in store. We weathered Hurricane Dennis in Fort Lauderdale, sailed through a gale at Cape Hatteras, and sat on anchor at Great Sail Cay in the Bahamas for 3 days in 30-40 knots winds and horizontal rain. We’ll be fine.

Posted by dave at 09:26 AM | Comments (0)

August 24, 2009

Prepare to Cruise

Hurricane Bill threatened our sailing plans last weekend. His bark was bigger than his bite. We decided to have a workday around the boat on Saturday and enjoy dinner with Steve and Fern in Stamford on Saturday night, followed by a sail on Sunday on Sirena. Despite the fact that Prana never left the dock, we had a really wonderful weekend.

Our 10-day cruise was rapidly approaching, and I had called a scuba diver to scrub Prana’s bottom, replace the sacrificial zinc anode on the propeller, and check the bow thruster. Late last night he called and said he could meet me this morning at 10 on Steve’s mooring out in the harbour (the marina will not let him scrub our ablative paint at the dock).

Hmmm. Chis couldn’t get the day off, so away I went. I got away from the dock on my own without issue, and picked up Steve’s mooring without issue, all by myself. The scuba diver came and did the job. I dropped the mooring and decided to head out into the sound to calibrate our boat speed and wind speed instruments. Sure enough, the wind picked up so I decided to sail. It was awesome.

On my way back to the marina, I stopped at the fuel dock. Then back to Prana’s berth. I was amazed how easily I could handle the boat on my own. The experience served to significantly enhance my comfort in handling the boat, which will now be even easier with Chis at my side. I couldn’t ask for or want a better mate.

Posted by dave at 05:29 PM | Comments (0)

August 19, 2009

Happy Birthday

Everything in life is either a blessing or an offering. Sometimes they are both.

I was on may way home from doing some shopping at Whole Foods. A heavy backpack on my back, a full canvas bag hanging from the crook of my left arm, and a fruit smoothie in my left hand. A classic New York scene. I was standing at the corner of 7th Avenue and 23rd Street waiting for the light to change. The woman next to me, shouted “EXCUSE ME!” She appeared to be shouting at the whole city. I hadn’t seen her in my periphery, but that’s part of living in New York. Usually I shrug my eyes and say to my inside self “Ehh, another crackpot New Yorker”. But this time something struck me. I turned to discover that I was the only one who acknowledged her cry, and she was clearly deprived of eyesight and was walking with a white cane.

I asked her if I could help. She said yes, and I grabbed her arm to help her cross the street.

“No dear, this is how we do it. Fold your arm at the elbow and let me grab your forearm.” We linked.

I started across the street. She stopped me instantly. “No dear, we must wait for the light.”

I shared her pause, and said “The light is green, and the red hand is not flashing yet. We are safe to go”. We started to cross.

“No, no, dear, not like that. Relax your arm.” I didn’t even realize that I was so tense. I tried to relax.

“No, walk normally” she said. “Walk like you didn’t have a blind person hanging onto you”. Umm, I said to my inner self, I am this woman’s eyes. I suddenly didn’t know what walking normally was.

Then I realized that she was leaning her body weight into me. This is an odd feeling, especially with a stranger. We reached the east side of 7th Avenue, and I suggested that she start using her feet to find the curb. She did it with such grace. I can’t tell you how many times I have tripped up a curb because I was not paying attention.

Once on the sidewalk, she asked if I knew where the Malibu Diner was. I told her that we were only a few doors away and I would help her to find a nice table. As we walked, I asked her name. “Gwenn”, she replied. I introduced myself. I asked if she enjoyed the thunderstorm Tuesday night (the one that took down 100 trees in Central Park) and she must have slept right through it. “I’m a light sleeper, you know.”

We reached the Malibu Diner and I took her inside. She thanked me for being her eyes and helping her to see. I said “you see more than you know”. She went quiet, and then she said that was the nicest thing anyone had ever said to her. I helped her into the table, and she asked me to join her for lunch. I thanked her, but said I had a commitment to practice yoga with my favourite teacher. I said that we would run into each other again, and then we would have lunch together. The waiter came over to the table, and I asked him to take care of Gwenn. “She’s a very special lady”. I told her that she had the best seat in the house, right in front the window overlooking busy 23rd Street. She said it didn’t matter where she sat because she couldn’t see anything. I suggested that she use the sounds to imagine what she might see, and that was probably more than most New Yorkers saw in a year. She smiled.

I left her sitting in the window of the Malibu Diner. Gwenn touched me in a way I am only beginning to comprehend. Meeting Gwenn was a true blessing. And I surfaced an offering that surprised me.

For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. For every blessing, there is an offering. Thank you, Gwenn, for a beautiful birthday gift. You gave me courage. You showed me the beauty of the human spirit. You gave me hope. Namaste.

Posted by dave at 04:16 PM | Comments (0)

August 11, 2009

Heat Advisory

Okay, I'm just in from errands and it is effing hot here in New York. The worst thing about hot in New York with no breeze is that the pee, poo, barf and trash start to cook. I'm not kidding. I'd like to think that the dogs are responsible for the smell, but, alas, this is New York. This heat advisory was issued at 4 this morning by the National Weather Service. I'm going cycling!

Heat Advisory
URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY
358 AM EDT TUE AUG 11 2009

...HEAT ADVISORY FOR NEW YORK CITY THIS AFTERNOON...

.FOR THE SECOND DAY IN A ROW...HEAT INDEX VALUES WILL CLIMB TO AROUND 95 DEGREES ACROSS THE CITY.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN UPTON HAS ISSUED A HEAT ADVISORY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 6 PM EDT THIS EVENING.

HIGH TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO CLIMB INTO THE LOWER 90S ACROSS NEW YORK CITY TODAY... WITH HEAT INDICES REACHING 95 DEGREES FOR THE SECOND DAY IN A ROW DURING THIS AFTERNOON. A LITTLE RELIEF FROM THIS HOT AND HUMID WEATHER WILL MOVE IN ON WEDNESDAY WITH HEAT INDEX VALUES FORECAST TO BE IN THE UPPER 80S.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A HEAT ADVISORY IS ISSUED WHEN HIGH HUMIDITIES ARE EXPECTED TO COMBINE WITH HOT TEMPERATURES TO MAKE IT FEEL LIKE IT IS 95 DEGREES OR GREATER FOR AT LEAST TWO DAYS IN A ROW. DRINK PLENTY OF FLUIDS...STAY IN AN AIR- CONDITIONED ROOM...STAY OUT OF THE SUN...AND CHECK UP ON RELATIVES AND NEIGHBORS.

Posted by dave at 03:22 PM | Comments (0)

July 04, 2009

US-Canada Relations

Jim and Luc arrived on Canada Day to help celebrate Independence Day. So we took them sailing. An unbelievable sail in excellent winds!

Someone snapped this photo of my legs hanging over the edge of the hammock! How luxurious! I didn't have a book or anything with me. Just me, my thoughts, a gentle breeze, and the to-and-fro of the swaying hammock. Heaven!

Posted by dave at 07:06 PM | Comments (0)

July 01, 2009

Happy Birthday, Canada!

This wonderful op-ed from today's New York Times makes me weepy for home. I miss Canada and the wonderful things about our culture.

Posted by dave at 11:41 AM | Comments (0)

June 28, 2009

How Many Toys Do You Need?!

Chis and I sailed over to Oyster Bay on Long Island yesterday, and dropped the anchor in one of our favourite spots. We were being chased by a thunderstorm out in Long Island Sound, so we headed in a little early. The winds were a little light. We read, lounged, and had barbequed salmon with stir-fried veggies and a big salad. It was a delightful evening, so very far from New York City.

On Sunday morning, we were having breakfast when we heard a growing noise that became almost deafening. It was a helicopter, perched on the back deck of this massive motor vessel. It took off. We pondered the places it might be going. Drug run? Breakfast in New York? Or maybe to church? Hmmm.

Oh! I finished Ken Follett's "World Without End", the epic sequel to the equally epic sequel "Pillars of the Earth". Both excellent, although I think I enjoyed Pillars more.

I started another book that Chis got me for Christmas - "The Thames: An Autobiography". I'm struggling to get into it, but I do love historical fiction!

Posted by dave at 06:51 PM | Comments (0)

June 26, 2009

Stonewall Sails Regatta

My good friend, Toby, invited me to crew on one of the J24s in the 7th annual Stonewall Sails Regatta organized by the Knickerbocker Sailing Association. This year is the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots.

I jumped at the chance because I get few invitations to race. I went with four others (which is a lot of people on a J24 - three would have been ideal). It was a blast. Everyone had a great sense of humour, and while we didn't win the regatta, we did pretty well. I will definitely try to do this again next year!

Posted by dave at 06:41 PM | Comments (0)

June 25, 2009

How to Fail with Dignity

Posted by dave at 10:05 PM | Comments (0)

June 20, 2009

Jericho Project

If it keeps raining like this, we'll have to move to higher ground. Or the boat.

Instead of going to Stamford this weekend, we decided to volunteer through Franklin Templeton's "involved" program. We painted a supportive housing residence in the Bronx. One of several housing residences in the Jericho Project , this is an amazing place for people to get off the street, off drugs and find a new start. Founded in 1983, the Jericho Project currently provides housing and a wide range of services to over 250 residents throughout the Bronx and Harlem. Jericho's safe, clean housing units provide homes where real recovery - of sobriety, self-esteem, family, and hope - can begin.

The Jericho Project helps homeless men and women move off the streets and on with life complete with homes, families, jobs and dreams for the future. Thousands of individuals have already benefited from our holistic approach and permanent solutions. Fewer than 5% of our graduates return to homelessness.

We had a terrific time, and the team performed extremely well together, getting more done than they expected. In all, a great effort for a good cause, and good for the soul. What a wonderful day, what a wonderful sense of community, and I'm proud to have made the effort to help people who are clearly willing to help themselves by making significant changes in their lives.

Posted by dave at 05:40 PM | Comments (0)

June 14, 2009

Rain, Rain, Rain, Sun!

The rain in New York started Monday, and was relentless until Friday afternoon, when finally we started to see a little sunlight, but still, the humidity remained very high. A series of low pressure systems moved along a cold front that stalls just south of Long Island. Everyone in the city was talking about the grey skies and rain. And then, on Friday morning, another low formed and was threatening to spoil the weekend.

No way, Jose!

We left Stamford on Prana around 10 on Saturday morning. The winds were definitively from the east, around 8 knots. We got out of Stamford Harbour and discovered great sailing conditions. Under full sail, we had a wonderful time bombing along at 6.5 knots. The skies were filling in the west, so around 2pm we decided to start heading in to Oyster Bay on Long Island. We sailed almost the whole way in, when the winds completely died. We put the sails away and motored to our favourite anchorage. There were a couple of boats already in.

As we set the anchor, the rain started. By the time we got the dodger and bimini up, the rain was heavy. It seems our timing was excellent because the rains came hard, and remained hard until well after dinner. We had a lovely evening sitting under the bimini with the rain pelting above our heads.

By morning, the rain had stopped, but the skies looked grey and angry - like a winter sky. But the wind was picking up. Chis had work to do, so we headed back to Stamford shortly after breakfast. Well, for the second day in a row, we had a marvelous sail in east 10-12 knots. Fantastic. And quick. We were on the dock in Stamford shortly after noon. We left Prana at 2pm and the skies were clearing.

This was a sad parting because we plan to be in the city next weekend. Friday we will finally go to the much-raved-about Blue Hill Restaurant. Saturday we are painting a women's shelter in Harlem. Sunday is the Fathers' Day Prostate Cancer Run in Central Park, which we may crash (because it is sold out). Or if the weather looks great, we may go to Stamford Saturday night, but we kinda think we're going to be tired after painting all day.

Still, we left dear Prana sitting peacefully in her slip, and she has plenty of company.

Bye, sweet Prana, see you in a couple of weeks!

Posted by dave at 05:22 PM | Comments (0)

June 12, 2009

Blind Pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii

This from the Wall Street Journal: "Classical pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii listens to the conductor’s breathing for cues, since he can’t see the baton. On stage, he feels for the edges of the keyboard before he begins playing, to orient his hands. He learns new pieces through listening and memorization, rather than reading the notes. The 20-year-old Japanese musician last weekend became the first blind pianist to win the prestigious Van Cliburn International Piano Competition."

Click HERE to read the full article.

Posted by dave at 05:18 PM | Comments (0)

June 11, 2009

Permission to Marry?

"Whose permission would you need to get married to the person you love?" won the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Rights Award at the annual "Media that Matters" film festival. If you don't see the YouTube video embedded immediately below, click HERE to watch.

Posted by dave at 09:46 AM | Comments (0)

June 07, 2009

Homeward

Despite sunny skies and warm temperatures this morning, the weather forecast calls for deteriorating conditions. We considered heading from Port Jefferson to Oyster Bay for our last, but decided to head home to Stamford, give dear Prana a good bath (and ourselves for that matter), and do a couple of chores. The trip was a motorsail in very light north, then south winds. We arrived in Stamford in the early afternoon, fixed the shackle on the genoa tack, adjusted the genoa halyard tension, and cleaned up the mess we made after 10 days on the water. We hopped on a late afternoon train back to New York and settled in for a relaxing evening. Chis has planned to take tomorrow off (Monday), and he wants to go for a run, see Angels and Demons, and run a few errands. Then home for his last night before returning to the salt mines. I can see the tension in his face already. He lost it for a few days out there on the water. In fact, I think he was furthest away from work (figuratively and literally) on our beautiful sail from Mystic to Block Island. Another magical adventure. And we are already planning the next one!

Posted by dave at 06:26 PM | Comments (0)

June 06, 2009

Port Jefferson

We awoke in Joshua Cove to beautiful sunshine and warm temperatures. A significant improvement over the strong east winds and heavy rain of yesterday. Always the first to awake, I set about hanging all of our wet foul weather gear, gloves, hats, boots and clothes out on the lifelines to dry. By the time Chis awoke, our gear was pretty much dried out. We left Joshua Cove and set out for Oyster Bay, but the winds and current did not cooperate. We headed into Port Jefferson and dropped the anchor behind the breakwater.

We had a lovely evening lolling about reading, doing Sudoku puzzles and playing solitaire. Following a barbecue dinner in the cockpit, we both fell asleep under the stars.

Posted by dave at 08:13 PM | Comments (0)

June 05, 2009

Drying out

The day after the storm...

Posted by dave at 08:02 PM | Comments (0)

June 04, 2009

Joshua Cove

Ok, so the problem with sailing east out of Long Island Sound is that you must sail back west. The winds prevail from the southwest, which makes the trek back a little tricky. Unless! Unless, there is a storm. Storms brings winds with east in them. So after a short overnight in Stonington after leaving Block Island, we decided to head west in bad weather. But... with winds from the east. We left Stonington in light drizzle, and light winds. The winds gradually picked up, to 10 knots, then 15 then gusting to 20. We were both in full foul weather gear.

The rain got very heavy, and we started to get cold. Chis offered tea, which I accepted gladly. It was the best tea ever.

Our aim was to get back to the Thimble Islands, and the forecast was for northeast winds. But the winds were solidly east, not conducive for the Thimbles. Dave checked the charts and spotted an anchorage that would be suitable for the night. We pulled in. By the time we were anchored, we were both soaking wet, cold and shivering. We hunkered down, crawled into pyjamas and under fleece blankets. A little red wine warmed the spirits.

Posted by dave at 07:50 PM | Comments (0)

June 03, 2009

Grace's Cove, Block Island

We rented bikes and cycled around the island, initially in the rain, then the skies gradually cleared.

Bluffs at Grace's Cove, west side of Block Island

Beauty at its best. Note the swarm of no-seeums?

Note Prana sitting out on anchor in the background!

Posted by dave at 07:41 PM | Comments (0)

June 02, 2009

Block Island

After a wonderful visit to Mystic, including a visit to Mystic Seaport Museum, we sailed out of Long Island Sound to Block Island. Leaving Mystic we rode a 2.5 knot current, which spat us out Watch Hill Passage. The winds picked up to 15 knots and we sailed on a beam reach to Block Island. The winds were well above 20 knots by the time we reached the channel into Great Salt Pond. We had reefs in both mainsail and genoa, flying along at 8.5 knots! Fabulous sail!

Posted by dave at 07:28 PM | Comments (0)

May 30, 2009

Fishers Island

Chis' colleague, Luke, invited us to his home on Fishers Island for dinner. So we sailed there, enjoying a lovely downwind sail with the genneker. Luke and his family came for drinks on the boat, anchored in West Harbour. We then hopped in Half Moon for a quick motor around the corner to Hay Harbour. We thoroughly enjoyed dinner with them, and hope to do so again soon.

Posted by dave at 07:21 PM | Comments (0)

May 29, 2009

Thimble Islands

Chis' bosses suggested strongly that he take a vacation. Bonus! So, we provisioned the boat and off we went. Here are some photos from the Thimble Islands. It was a long 8 hour motor into a 10 knot east wind. We arrived in time for the sun to arise and the winds to subside.

Posted by dave at 07:12 PM | Comments (0)

May 28, 2009

Young at Heart

Many thanks to brother-in-law JM for this one. Click HERE to see a video of a 90-year old couple who stumble on a piano in the lobby of the Mayo Clinic and start to play a duet. I hope that at 90 I will be dancing, running, sailing and practicing yoga! But not playing a duet - I don't think I remember how to play chopsticks!

Posted by dave at 08:48 AM | Comments (0)

May 26, 2009

Memorial Day Weekend 2009

On Friday morning, before leaving to catch the train to Stamford, I checked the weather. I do this throughout every day, almost as often as I check my email. The forecast was as follows: Saturday east 5-10 knots. Sunday southwest 5-10 knots. Monday northwest 5-10 knots. Almost perfect (we like 10-15 knots). But the changing winds laid out a plan for us - Saturday to Oyster Bay on Long Island, Sunday to Port Jefferson, then back to Stamford on Monday.

We woke Saturday morning to 20 knot winds. I checked weather. Nothing about the forecast had changed. At 10am, the National Weather Service updated the forecast. East winds 20 knots gusting to 30. This complicated our plans. We were joining Sirena and Impulse on the voyage to Oyster Bay. Sirena had the wind on her nose at the dock, making her exit relatively uneventful. Impulse was on a mooring in the harbour, making their exit casual. We had the wind on the beam, pushing us off the dock and onto the boat next to us.

So we helped Sirena get away, then the Impulse crew helped hold us to the dock while we got away. The wind was phenomenal! We put two reefs in the main, and two in the genoa and flew across on a beam reach doing 7.5 knots. We all rendezvoused in Oyster Bay in the anchorage.

Sirena and Impulse returned to Stamford in the morning, and we carried on to Port Jefferson. Despite the ferries and obnoxious water tubing, skiing and otherwise unaware power boaters, this is a favourite anchorage of ours because of the bluffs and beaches. There was less than 5 knots of wind and we motored almost all of the way. We settled in around 5, I had a snooze in the hammock, and we had a lovely dinner of barbecued salmon. We both fell asleep in the cockpit. The chill drove us below at some unknown hour.

Monday we set out early, again with no wind. So much for the forecast. We motored back to Stamford, did a few chores around the boat, and headed into the city around 5.

On the train returning home, I developed a wicked headache. I drank lots of water and some electrolytes, which didn't seem to work. When I got home, I noticed in the mirror that I had a ton of sun. Not a burn, but a lot of sun. My hair was brighter by a few shades, my nose was red, and my neck was dark brown. The headache was obviously the result of too much sun.

Oh my goodness! The season is just beginning.

We leave Friday for 10 days on the boat. Our plan is to sail Friday to the Thimble Islands, then dinner Saturday with friends on Fishers Island, then into Mystic for a couple of days, then to Block Island (a favourite of ours). From there, we may go to see some friends in Mauntauk, then start to make our way back to Stamford. All this is weather permitting, of course.

Posted by dave at 07:51 PM | Comments (0)

May 21, 2009

Block Island Race Start

Steve, Kevin and I went our on Steve's powerboat Ariel to watch the start of the Block Island Race. Here are a couple of the dozen photos I took.

Posted by dave at 05:55 PM | Comments (0)

May 20, 2009

Wind?

I checked the marine forecast this morning. At 6:15, sipping Mulligan Brew. (Mulligan Stew, our dear friends in Vancouver, introduced me to stovetop espresso in a Bialetti coffee maker. Hence, Mulligan brew). This coming weekend is a long weekend for us "displaced-in-America-Canadians". The forecast? No wind. Good gravy.

The weather today was awesome, and with the long weekend, followed by a 10-day journey out Long Island Sound to Block Island, maybe Nantucket, Cuttyhunk, Martha's Vineyard. It was time for a major provisioning. So I reserved a car and hopped on an early train to Stamford.

I picked up the rental, went to the boat to fetch canvas bags and unload the junk I brought from the city (organic spelt pretzels, organic sumatra coffee, etc which I simply cannot get in Stamford). Then to the storage locker to drop off gear (bottom paint, etc which we won't need until spring 2010). Then to Home Depot in Norwalk. Then to the wine store. Then to West Marine. Then to the grocery store. Then back to West Marine because I forgot to get silicone grease. Then to the boat.

I ate sushi in the car on the way back to the boat. Swerved to avoid unfortunate pickled ginger mishap.

I unpacked, unpackaged, portioned meats, loaded the fridge and freezer, and stowed wine wrapped in bubble wrap. I discarded the waste (no cardboard on the boat - bugs lay eggs in the glue).

A rope clutch that I did my best to install on the mast required my attention. The screws I had used were too long, and my search of virtually every hardware store south of 23rd Street turned up the right length. I finished this little job, used the spinnaker halyard to support the boom, and ran the topping lift through the rope clutch. In English? I did a bunch of fiddly stuff that really didn't change much and spent money doing it. Welcome to owning a boat!

We think we had a twist in the mainsail halyard, so I lowered it, raised it, lowered it and raised it again to see if I could work it out. I think I got it, but it will take come load on the sail this weekend to see if I got it right.

In Oyster Bay last weekend, the anchor jumped off the bow roller. Chis did his best to use the boat hook as a lever to get the anchor back on the roller. The anchor was simply too heavy. I climbed in front of the bow pulpit and heaved the thing back on the roller. Everything was covered in muck (to be clear, it smelled like shit). When we cleaned everything up, the telescoping boat hook would no longer retract. There was a pretty significant bend in it.

So I got back in the car, and returned to West Marine to get a new one. I left the old bent one at the top of the dock in hopes that someone will use it. For something.

I returned the car, hopped on the train and am home. Sunburnt (again). Tired (too much fresh air?). I checked the weather forecast (it is my home page). South 10-15 knots on Saturday and Sunday makes me giddy!

Posted by dave at 08:04 PM | Comments (0)

May 17, 2009

Stretching Prana's Legs

Mothers' Day weekend was a weather washout for us. Saturday was pea soup fog and no wind so we did boat chores. Sunday we woke up to 30 knot winds, so walked the park next to the marina and headed into the city for a run along the Hudson.

This weekend wasn't much better but we got off the dock finally. We had a late night Thursday at the Jazz Foundation fundraiser at the Apollo Theater in Harlem. Amazing! Then a late night dinner with friends Friday night in Jersey City. I worked with my friend Toby on his First 46 over there (the hull is covered in blisters), then met the gang for dinner. I was a little bedraggled with fiberglass in my hair, etc. Oh well.

Normally we spend Friday night on the boat but it was so late we stayed in the city - got up early for a run, then hopped on the train. We left the dock around 2, sailed past our friends in the Stamford Yacht Club annual boat parade, then headed out for a sail. Despite the overcast skies, we had south 10-15 knot winds - perfect!

We pulled into Oyster Bay on Long Island around 5, just as the intense cold front approached. The winds were gusting to 25. We dropped the anchor just off the beach. We have 150 feet of anchor chain, and let almost all of it out. Two other boats joined us. It's always nice to have company. We anchored alone in Dominica on Platina and I slept with my righing knife and our high intensity spot light- to blind a burglar.

I woke this morning to heavy rain and no wind. The front was over us. At 6 I rolled over to fall back to sleep. By 6:15 the winds picked up to 25 knots, now out of the northwest. The front had passed. We will linger here this morning. The rain stopped by lunch, and the winds dropped to 10-15 in the afternoon. Perfect!

We beat back to Stamford into the wind.

I can't imagine a more precious way to spend a weekend - quality time with the love of my life, doing something we love to do, together, with an overwhelming sense of respect for nature's unpredictability.

Next weekend is the long weekend here. We plan to sail out to the Thimble Islands off the Connecticut shore. May 28 to June 7 we are sailing, hopefully to Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket and Block Island. Chis' first vacation since last August (except for three days in Miami).

Life is beautiful.

Posted by dave at 07:46 PM | Comments (0)

May 01, 2009

Middle Age?

Weekend before last, Chis and I disappeared to Miami Beach for a little chill. I posted some photos shortly after we returned. But I didn't tell this story, and I am finally ready to reveal. The reason I have held back is because I felt really stupid, but because the story ends on a wonderful note, I have to tell.

We no longer take cabs to the local airports, which means we don't fly in or out of Laguardia, because public transit is difficult. It's not just the cost of the cabs, it's our commitment to lowering our carbon footprint by taking public transit.

The usual and unexpected happened on our subway ride to JFK. To make a long story short, the 40 minute trip took almost an hour and a half. It squeezed our time to get to the gate to catch our flight. And security was a mad panic with delays and people yelling and hollering.

On the jetway, I notice that my napsack seemed light. I dropped to my knees, zipped it open, and quickly determined that the missing weight was my laptop. I sprinted back to security, and it was gone. I asked various security agents, all whom said they didn't see it. They checked the places where they normally put valuables, but nothing. I sprinted back to the gate. I explained what had happened to the gate agent, who called over three TSA agents who wrote a report. The American Airlines agent took my name and cell number and said she would check after her shift.

I got on the plane. My heart sank. Photos, tax returns, condo files, personal stuff, the two books I was writing. No backup. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

I fretted the whole way to Miami. Made lists in my head of the things I would need to do. Cancel online banking, credit card passwords, etc, etc.

We landed in Miami, and I turned on my phone. Laura, the gate agent, had left me a message to say that she had found my laptop. She gave me instructions on how to retrieve it when I got back to New York.

I got my laptop when we returned. I was thrilled. And Laura got a $50 Starbucks gift card for being so thoughtful. Good karma. Laura deserves good things in her life.

And finally, a great airline story!

Posted by dave at 07:03 PM | Comments (0)

April 29, 2009

Miami Beach

Photos from our romantic weekend getaway in Miami. As luck would have it, the weather was better in New York than Miami Beach. Nevertheless, we had a marvelous time, and certainly a nice break from the pulsing chaos of Manhattan.

Posted by dave at 07:48 PM | Comments (0)

April 23, 2009

Nation for Marriage - Is this for Real?

Not long ago, a conservative group called the Nation for Marriage launched a campaign to fight against gay marriage. The 60-second spot called "A Gathering Storm" features Americans claiming that gay marriage is a threat to their religious liberties. Oh, pullllllease.

"My freedom will be taken away" says one actor.

"I'm a Massachusetts parent helplessly watching public schools teach my son that gay marriage is okay" says another.

Here's the ad on YouTube

"A rainbow coalition of people of every creed and colour are coming together in love to protect marriage". Umm, that would be every creed and colour EXCEPT GAY PEOPLE!

Better yet, YouTube is full of spoofs responding to the ridiculous ad, the best of which you can watch HERE.

Posted by dave at 12:58 PM | Comments (0)

April 20, 2009

Relocation

The weather forecast was perfect. Saturday +22c and sunny. Sunday cooler and clouding over late in the day. We watched the forecast right through Friday morning, when, over breakfast, we made the decision. We hadn't heard from the dealer to say that he hadn't finished all of our warranty work, and we told him two weeks ago that we would move Prana from Huntington to Stamford.

Chis and I went to Cafe Grumpy for lattes, then I walked up 7th Avenue to catch the train to Huntington with some gear in my backpack and groceries from the fridge in a canvas bag. I waited in Huntington for the bus, and finally arrived at the marina shortly before lunch. I put things away, and decided to run errands first before starting to clean and put her together for our first weekend of the season.

We had originally planned to haul her out in Stamford, so the sails, cleaning supplies, toiletries, etc were all across the Sound. The planning took a little effort, but it worked out well.

I walked to the deli, sat by the water and had a sandwich. From there, I walked to the wine store (about 30 minutes), then to the grocery store (another 20 minutes), and returned to the boat ladened with heavy bags and backpack. I put everything away and by 3pm, I was ready to start cleaning. She was very dirty, inside and out. We had been working on her while she was on land, so we had tracked dirty shoe prints all over the boat. A winter's worth of dust, soot and grime was everywhere. I decided to start outside, and quickly realized that the grime was going to take some serious scrubbing. In fact, I had to do most of it by hand because the scrub brush was just not doing the trick. I finally finished around 5:30 and I was pooped.

But we planned to have dinner, watch a movie and stay overnight. I made a cup of tea, sat down for 10 minutes, listened to some old Ella Fitzgerald, and dug deep for a second wind. I didn't have to dig far - I was off and running in a flash. It took another two hours to get the inside cleaned up and put back together. And by the time the sun set, she looked beautiful. I turned on some lights, started Iron Man on the laptop (which we connected to the stereo for better sound), and set to making a simple dinner.

Chis arrived around 8, and we had dinner shortly after he arrived. It was cool, so we put the heat on. That did it. I fell sound asleep.

I woke the next morning around 6, and got up to make coffee and turn the heat on. It was so incredibly quiet. So not New York. I listened to the birds, walked the yard looking at boats, and sat in the cockpit admiring the waking day, the changing angle of the sun, and the fresh morning light. That is when I took this photo of Huntington Harbour:

Chis woke around 9:30 while I was busy polishing stainless steel and gelcoat. With some coffee and a healthy yogurt, granola, fresh fruit and orange juice breakfast, we started to get ready for our two hour journey across Long Island Sound.

Chis does engine checks - he checks the coolant, oil levels, raw water (the engine uses sea water) strainer, etc. Despite having asked the dealer to commission the engine when she was launched, there was no coolant in the recovery tank. This may not have been a problem in and around the marina, but it could be a problem in the middle of the Sound. We dug out the coolant from the cockpit locker, topped it up with a funnel, and started the engine. We checked all the fluids again and everything seemed to be fine.

Off we went.

The journey was uneventful and a little tedious. The sails were in Stamford, and the foil around which the mainsail furls clanged like a bell the whole way across. Which is when I took this photo:

We tied up the boat at the marina in Stamford, and decided to rent a car to fetch the sails and other bits out of the storage locker. We reserved a midsize, but we got a Mercury Grand Marquis. With leather seats. It looked like a pimp mobile. We took our styling ride and ran some errands in Stamford.

When we returned to the boat, we decided to deal with an issue that had been plaguing us. We had taken the halyards down, feeding leader lines to be able to pull them back through. One of them had snapped in the winter winds. And we had tried various things to get it back through the mast. We had a stepladder that we wanted to put in storage but needed it to feed the halyard. So Chis sent me up the mast, and we tried three different methods to feed it through and none of them worked. We tried a fourth, and BINGO! Chis grabbed the feeder line I sent down from the top of the mast, I attached the halyard tied to my climbing harness, and he pulled it through. It worked!

Now we could take the stepladder and a few other things to the storage locker.

We returned to the boat around 6 and decided to call it a day. We were both over-exposed to the sun, and needed to chill. By 7, it had cooled down enough to head below where we could put the heat on. Not long after dinner I was sound asleep under a fleece blanket.

I actually slept in Sunday until 7:30 (rare for me). I made coffee, cleaned up a bit, and went for a walk around the Stamford yard. I returned to the boat and decided to try to remove the adhesive left behind from the shrink wrap. This was a serious challenge. The boom was the worst. I didn't want to scrape it off. So first I tried denatured alcohol. Nada. Then I tried acetone. This worked, but took for-friggin-ever! Once finished, I cleaned and lubricated the jib car tracks, and the outhaul track and car on the boom.

Chis surfaced, enjoyed some coffee, followed by breakfast. We decided to make a trip to Home Depot for a few supplies, then return the car. The approaching storm appeared to have slowed down and it was warming up nicely. We decided to put up the sails. We started in light winds with the jib. This went swimmingly. Then the winds picked up out of the east (storm approaching) and we decided to turn the boat around to face the wind to do the main.

The mainsail is a little trickier, because it furls inside the mast. And there are four vertical battens that we needed to insert to provide shape and rigidity to the sail. We got the sail up, the battens in, and the started to attach the tack (bottom) of the sail to the mast. I dropped the pin inside the mast. I was ready to haul it back down, the winds now gusting to 20 knots. Chis suggested we lash it temporarily, then furl it. An excellent idea. We did just that and got the sail tucked away. We turned the boat around again and started to tidy up. By 3, we decided to stop. By 3:15 we were having a beer. By 3:30 we were walking to the train.

We arrived back in New York around 5, and picked up some stuff for a quiet dinner at home. First order of business was a shower. Neither of us had bathed since Friday morning. Other than the cursory pass of the deodorant. Second order of business - a glass of wine.

We sat on the sofa, I searched the usual websites for replacement parts for the ones I dropped inside the mast. We were sunburned, exhausted, energized, and felt the fresh air in our faces. It was a great weekend, and we got way more accomplished than either of us expected. Short of a pin for the mainsail tack, we're ready to go sailing!

But, instead, we're off to Miami this weekend. Chis is dangerously close to burning out at work, and he needs a break. We're having dinner with a Fort Lauderdale friend on Friday. It will be a great weekend. And the next weekend? We may go sailing!

Posted by dave at 06:11 PM | Comments (0)

April 12, 2009

Happy Easter!

You almost don't see Chis with his red hat amongst the promise of healthy food at today's street fair near Union Square.

Posted by dave at 05:03 PM | Comments (0)

Prana is Launched (Allegedly)

We took delivery of our new Beneteau 40 last July, later than promised by the dealer. It took them 3 weeks to commission the boat, and then when they said she was ready for us, we took her back to the dealer twice to fix issues. Even after that, some of the very issues we reported were still giving us problems. Late in the summer after our 10 day sail around Long Island Sound, we reported new problems to the dealer. None of these issues were earth-shattering, but it was the lack of customer service that we found troubling.

He stopped responding. I know I can be demanding sometimes, but a demanding Canadian is like a sheepish American. I contacted Beneteau's customer service department and was assured that they would follow. A month and several emails later, nothing was happening. Exhausted with my efforts, I wrote a letter to the manufacturer, the President no less. He called me two weeks later, and recommended that we take the boat back to the dealer and let him fix our issues. We had already signed a contract to haul the boat for the winter in Stamford, and grudgingly negotiated our way out of that contract. We agreed to haul for the winter at the dealer. This would give him the whole winter to resolve our issues.

As spring approached, Chis and I set to working on the various things to get ready for launch. Two weeks ago, she was ready. We contacted the dealer and asked him to launch her for Easter. He agreed, weather permitting.

I went to see her Wednesday, expecting at the very least to find the corroding through-hull for the HVAC system replaced, but the dealer had barely touched her. And he said she wouldn't be launched by Easter. He said it wasn't the warranty issues that was the problem, it was the logistics of moving the other boats to get us in. Asking why the warranty issues couldn't be addressed while she was in dry dock, I got no response.

Friday morning I received an email from the dealer advising that Prana would be launched that afternoon. I advised him that this was great news, and we would be there Sunday to move her to Stamford. I got a simple response. "Please call me".

In an exchange of emails and voicemails, it became quickly obvious that while the boat was in the water, not all of our issues had been addressed. He would need a couple of days.

We were in the midst of planning a weekend in Miami, which we postponed to the following weekend so that we can move Prana to Stamford on the 18th. My last email to the dealer said just that. Which means he has exactly 5 days to get her done.

I have asked him for a list of the issues that will not be addressed by then, to which I have received no response. I'm sure there will be some. He's had four months to resolve these issues, and in some cases, over six months. He's been on my case to do some extra work on the boat, which we have flatly refused. I don't think he realizes that we do all of our own boat work.

The sailing season is upon us, and Chis and I spent some time over dinner last night considering where we will plan to sail this summer. It will be busy, busy, exploring the nooks and crannies of Long Island Sound. And possible a trip up into Buzzard's Bay, Martha's Vineyard, and Cuttyhunk. We are going to see her tomorrow, not that she is (allegedly) in the water.

Posted by dave at 09:04 AM | Comments (0)

March 28, 2009

After a busy Friday with Toby sanding Pearl's bilge and applying a coat of prekote primer, Chis and I did our weekend trek to Huntington to work on Prana today. With Boston-based Jeff and Elise joining us for dinner tonight, we didn't have a full day to putter around. We asked the taxi driver to stop at Home Depot to get a step ladder. We planned to polish the topsides, if not this weekend, next. And we had been borrowing a ladder in the yard that didn't appear to belong to anyone, but was rickety and unsafe. So we grabbed a lightweight fiberglass 6-foot stepladder at Home Depot and tossed it into the back of the mini-van taxi.

We arrived at the marina and the winds had kicked up from the northeast about 20 knots. Removing the plastic shrink wrap was going to be a challenge. We decided to start downwind, at the bow, and cut short strips. Rather than big pieces that would catch the wind and cause us some grief. It went smoothly without a single piece blowing away in the wind. We connected the topping lift to the end of the boom and removed the frame. The cleanup took longer than the removal! We tied all the bits together and took it to the curb for recycling.

We worked a bit on the rig, put the wheel covers on to protect the leather, and stowed the dock lines and fenders that the dealer had left lying on the deck. We tidied up a bit down below, and she started looking ready to splash.

Next weekend, we will polish the topsides, finish touching up her bottom paint, and finish polishing the brass through-hulls. The dealer has to replace the through-hull for our air-conditioning, which has corroded significantly.

We told the dealer today that we plan to move her to Stamford on the Easter weekend. The pressure is certainly on him now to deal with our warranty issues. So far, he has not taken care of a single one. Our confidence diminishes every time we visit her, and we are fearful that another series of letters to Beneteau's president are going to be required to get them addressed.

Our fingers are crossed. Meanwhile, we look so forward to sailing as soon as we can!

Posted by dave at 06:28 PM | Comments (0)

March 21, 2009

It Must be Spring

We had been visiting the boat about every six weeks to charge batteries. But since we expect to put Prana in the water in the next two to three weeks, we have begun the flurry of activities to ready her for launch. Today we applied a coating on the propeller called PropSpeed. It prevents marine growth from bonding to metal surfaces below the waterline. Propspeed works because it is slick, not because it is toxic.

Application of Propspeed is a simple two step process beginning with a catalyzed etch primer followed by a silicone based top coat. It is an environmentally safe product and does not contain copper, tin or any other toxic substances which may cause environmental pollution.

We applied it to Platina's propeller and noted a slight increase in speed and energy efficiency, but most notably, no barnacles and other marine growth settled in on our prop. We'll see how it does for our Prana.

Here are photos before and after the application today!

BEFORE

AFTER

Posted by dave at 07:26 PM | Comments (0)

March 14, 2009

An Explanation?

I'm not sure who wrote this, but it's circulating through email:

Heidi is the proprietor of a bar in Detroit. In order to increase sales, she decides to allow her loyal customers - most of whom are unemployed alcoholics - to drink now but pay later. She keeps track of the drinks consumed on a ledger (thereby granting the customers loans). Word gets around about Heidi's drink now pay later marketing strategy and as a result, increasing numbers of customers flood into Heidi's bar and soon she has the largest sale volume for any bar in Detroit. By providing her customers' freedom from immediate payment demands, Heidi gets no resistance when she substantially increases her prices for wine and beer, the most consumed beverages. Her sales volume increases massively.

A young and dynamic vice-president at the local bank recognizes these customer debts as valuable future assets and increases Heidi's borrowing limit. He sees no reason for undue concern since he has the debts of the alcoholics as collateral. At the bank's corporate headquarters, expert traders transform these customer loans into DRINKBONDS, ALKIBONDS and PUKEBONDS. These securities are then traded on security markets worldwide. Naive investors don't really understand the securities being sold to them as AAA secured bonds are really the debts of unemployed alcoholics. Nevertheless, their prices continuously climb, and the securities become the top-selling items for some of the nation's leading brokerage houses.

One day, although the bond prices are still climbing, a risk manager at the bank (subsequently fired due his negativity), decides that the time has come to demand payment on the debts incurred by the drinkers at Heidi's bar. Heidi demands payment from her alcoholic patrons, but being unemployed they they cannot pay back their drinking debts. Therefore, Heidi cannot fulfill her loan obligations and claims bankruptcy.

DRINKBOND and ALKIBOND drop in price by 90 %. PUKEBOND performs better, stabilizing in price after dropping by 80 %. The decreased bond asset value destroys the banks liquidity and prevents it from issuing new loans.The suppliers of Heidi's bar, having granted her generous payment extensions and having invested in the securities are faced with writing off her debt and losing over 80% on her bonds. Her wine supplier claims bankruptcy, her beer supplier is taken over by a competitor, who immediately closes the local plant and lays off 50 workers. The bank and brokerage houses are saved by the Government following dramatic round-the-clock negotiations by leaders from both political parties. The funds required for this bailout are obtained by a tax levied on employed middle-class non-drinkers.

Posted by dave at 10:45 AM | Comments (0)

March 03, 2009

The Undoing of the Human Race

I have been watching the US government’s support of AIG with a certain degree of cynicism. There are as many arguments for the appropriate solution as there are sides to a pair of dice, and about as many random outcomes. I started to devote some time to dissecting the information that is out there to try to make some sense of it.

Now, I am generally an optimistic person. I try to find the positive spin on almost everything. I am solution-oriented, not problem-driven. I have a highly analytical mind. But I am also pragmatic.

Yesterday, I completed a review of the four trips to the taxpayer well that are described in AIG’s various press releases. I was horrified to find a pattern of opaqueness in disclosure and inconsistencies in the facts. I watched as AIG’s share price rose 17% in early morning trading to $0.49 and subsequently to $0.42 in after-market trading. The backdrop to this scene was tumbling equity markets.

I watched CNN while I made curried lentil soup for dinner. Lou Dobbs makes me crazy but his ridiculous right-wing attitude toward absolutely everything confirms my gentler, calmer, more peaceful liberal attitudes. CNN was discussing AIG and got as many of the facts wrong as they got right.

No bloody wonder that Americans, and I daresay it, the world, are confused and angry.

I am devoting more time to figuring out the AIG mess, because I am beginning to believe that AIG is at the very heart of the dislocation in financial markets. I think this is why the government continues to support it, and why bankruptcy was not an option. Too, I believe that neither the government nor AIG’s new management team has a clear picture of what’s at stake.

We used to worry that nuclear war was going to be the undoing of the human race. It’s still out there, what with North Korea and Iran allegedly attempting to build weapons capability. Lately, I have worried that what we are doing to the environment will ultimately lead to our demise. My hopefulness translates into my unflinching commitment to reduce my carbon footprint.

But I can’t help but wonder about what greed has done to the human race. I think this recession is going to get worse before it gets better. And I look at what has caused this recession and who is to blame. The reality is that we are all to blame. We consumed beyond our means. We bought houses we couldn’t afford. We leant money to those who couldn’t pay it back. We borrowed against our future to live more fully in the present. We believed that all of this would bring us happiness.

In an interview in Michael Moore’s “Fahrenheit 911”, Marilyn Manson tried to explain his theory of American consumerism. He said that it’s cultural. That Americans are taught at an early age that you must live the American dream – big house, big car, big job and lots of toys. And if you don’t, you are a failure. Therefore, people consume because they fear failing at the American dream.

I think he’s right. But the fear of being a failure (which implies that someone judges you as a failure), has now been replaced with a different kind of fear. A fear of losing your big job, big house, big car and the toys. It seems that American consumerism is changing. For the better I think, but a lot of businesses will struggle and even fail in this systemic shift. A healthy degree of responsibility is creeping into the American psyche. I hope that Americans drop their fear of failure, and engage in some responsibility and accountability for their financial house.

Buddhists believe that greed is based on incorrectly connecting material wealth with happiness, caused by a view that exaggerates the positive aspects of an object. In other words, acquiring material objects has less impact on our happiness than we imagine. Beyond the basic level of material comfort, more wealth does not increase happiness.

Greed got the world into this mess. I don’t think it made us happier. If it remains unchecked, my worry is that it will be the undoing of the human race. My hope is that people will find a less materialistic way of life that focuses on the community rather than the self.

Posted by dave at 11:43 AM | Comments (0)

February 26, 2009

Salt

There is a theory that our species originated from the sea, that all living things lived in the sea. Then, a few hundred million years ago, the living things began to live on the land as well. In a way, after all those millions of years living in the sea, we took the ocean with us. When a woman makes a baby, she gives it water to grow. That water is almost exactly the same as the water of the sea. It is salty, by just about the same amount. Our blood and our sweat are salty, almost exactly like sea water. We carry the oceans in our bodies, in our blood, our sweat and our tears.

There is also a theory that we descended from aliens.

And this is what I was pondering as I stood at the urinal on the 6th floor of an office building at Broadway and 14th Street today. My thoughts about this, and whether it would explain my undeniable connection to the sea, were vivid. I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't realize that there was another guy in the washroom, in one of the toilet stalls. He flushed, and emerged from the stall to wash his hands, completely breaking my train of thought.

I apologized to him. He looked at me quizzically, tipping his head to one side as if to ask what I was apologizing for. I let it go, quickly realizing that I had been so deep in thought that I actually thought I had been uttering my musings out loud. He must have thought I was mad (maybe I am, although, this is New York City).

Midway through practicing Bikram yoga in the hot room, as I caught the edge of a bead of salty sweat that dripped down my face and into the corner of my mouth, I realized that every day we pass people on the streets and there is a common bond between us - a conversation that requires no words.

The place from where we may have come - the sea - is full of so much mystery and magic. Unlike the sky, the surface of the sea prevents us from seeing beneath it. I suppose that this keeps us wondering whether the truth of our existence lies beneath that shimmering salty veil. And if it does, goody. Because nothing makes me happier than the sea. Except for my husband, whom I love as much, if not more, than the sea.

Posted by dave at 06:33 PM | Comments (0)

February 18, 2009

Compost

My Toronto friends are lucky. The city picks up organic waste for composting. New York is not quite as advanced. Although I learned recently that the Metro Transportation Authority sorts garbage in the subway and train systems. While I think having separate bins for recyclables and trash helps with public awareness, sorting the garbage is a step in the right direction.

We have a garburator (or as New Yorkers call them, a waste disposal) in our sink that grinds up organic matter into tiny little bits and sends them into the New York sewer system for treatment with all the other things that get flushed and rinsed.

But it occurred to me recently, on my way to yoga near Union Square, that I had nearly tripped over the Lower East Side Ecology Center's composting bins several times. So I decided to start to collect our organic waste and schlepp it to Union Square with me. I am on week 2 and feeling pretty good about it. I think this is an infinitely more useful way to get rid of organic waste. The LESEC collects 60 tons of organic waste and the city uses the compost for the public gardens.

Score!

Posted by dave at 11:26 AM | Comments (0)

February 09, 2009

San Francisco

Chis and I love San Francisco. Easily the second city in America in which we could see ourselves living. Like Vancouver, there is a sense of outdoors that I totally connect with. Prana is a big part of our attachment to the outdoors, and we bike, walk and run. But there is something about the temperate climate of California that is intriguing. Well, we could sail year round couldn’t we?

It’s always fun to dream. I think this is how we have managed to move 11 times in 16 years. We are open to anything, completely malleable to change, and things have a habit of dropping in our laps from out of nowhere when we least expect it. It is this open mind that keeps us young. If we had kids, this would be a principle we would instill in them.

The baby shower was a ton of fun, and I was able to meet many of Chis’ San Francisco colleagues for the first time. They are an amazing bunch of people, each interesting in their own way.

I’ve only been to San Francisco a few times, but this time I felt more at home. With my black cords, fleece sweater, backpack and sunglasses, I looked like a local! I hoofed it up Nob Hill to practice yoga. We bought groceries at the farmers’ market at the ferry building.

And in contemplating my return to New York after two weeks away, Chis and I talked about what it all meant. Was this a pilgrimage, or just a really amazing trip? Was there a purpose? Was there a reason for feeling the urge to do this trip, at this time? By comparison, last winter I sailed from Puerto Rico to Bonaire, and from Aruba to Panama. While these would seem to be more cathartic and meaningful, they weren’t – not like this.

Family, friends, and children. This is the recurring theme. In New York, we have virtually none of these. This is the hardship of living abroad. As the fog clears, it becomes patently clear that we must commit more time to family, friends and children.

It is easy to run away to pursue a dream. But ultimately, the things that are important in life are always there, right beside your dream. Often taken for granted, but never disrespected. To everyone who devoted the time for me on this trip: thank you for being part of my family. You mean the world to me.

Posted by dave at 07:47 PM | Comments (0)

February 06, 2009

Vancouver

You wouldn’t know that Vancouver is a year away from the Olympics. I figured in my greener, more frugal lifestyle I would take public transit to Jim and JoAnne’s place on the north shore. I was told it would take 4 transfers and almost two hours. I hired a cab.

The Mulligans are very precious to Chis and me. There is something about their kids, Sam and Christine, that I connect with. They are super active and super bright, and so I have always felt that they were on a par with me (except for the super bright part). I hadn’t seen the family in 4 years, and I was growing worried that we had drifted apart. Well, one this is for sure, true family is inseparable, and the instant I saw them it was like 4 years had never transpired. Except of course for the fact that Christine, at 14, is now 3 inches taller than me. And Sam is catching up quickly.

There is something about Vancouver that gets into my soul. The fresh air, the rain, snow in the mountains… I fell right back into the outdoorsman that I find so difficult to be in New York. Jim and I snowshoed to the summit of Black Mountain, I did a ton of walking, cycling, and yoga. I had dinner with Lawrence and Janusz, which was wonderful.

I was intensely sad to leave after 5 days with them. It was true quality time with them, each of us doing what we needed to do, but still circling back to the cell of the family. I miss them terribly and have committed to be a bit more dedicated in staying in touch.

By the time Jim dropped me at the airport, my fog, the purpose of my voyage, was becoming a little clearer. It has something to do with family, and something to do with children. Maybe San Francisco will help to clear the fog. No, wait! It’s the foggy city. Clearly, the fog is a metaphor. For what, I’m not yet sure.

Posted by dave at 07:43 PM | Comments (0)

January 31, 2009

The Continental Triangle Tour

Chis and I were invited to a baby shower in San Francisco for one of his colleagues who is adopting a baby boy from Russia. We decided to go. Despite a freeze on all travel at the company he works for, he decided to take advantage of the trip and visit the office in San Mateo. I had been thinking for a while about visiting Toronto and Vancouver to see friends and family, so I decided to head out early on a triangle tour of the continent.

On Tuesday, January 27 I caught a flight from New York to Toronto. My visits to Toronto are always a little strange. Familiar – I know I can’t get lost. But it is also a place that, despite living there more than ten years, is now a place I am from. My parents, sister, half of Chisholm’s family, and important and dear friends are there. But my business contacts have withered away. We left Toronto in 1999 to live in Vancouver, returned in 2001 to live north of Toronto, then moved to Platina, then to New York. It occurs to me that I really haven’t been in Toronto in almost as many years as I lived there.

This trip was a little different. Sort of cathartic. I have been thinking a lot lately about starting a business in the US, and how to weave an immigration strategy into such a plan. I have some ideas, and decided to discuss them with people in Toronto who would be an important element of the plan, if successful. These meetings went very well, and I feel infinitely more confident in moving forward to develop the business plan. I practiced yoga, renewed my driver’s license, had dinner with my parents and sister, reconnected with an old friend, had lunch with one of Chis’ sisters, dinner with our dear friend Jim, and stayed with David, Alex and their newborn “twins” Georgia and Sadie.

It was my visit with the new family that was precious beyond belief. Georgia and Sadie are little angels, in the truest meaning of the word. At the risk of being slightly invasive of David and Alex’s privacy, this is a magical story.

Because of some fertility issues, David and Alex have spent years trying to conceive a child. They decided that surrogacy was worth pursuing, and successfully impregnated one of Alex’s eggs. The surrogate carried full term and Sam was stillborn in September 2006. The grief from their loss was overwhelming. A testament to their tenacity, they soldiered on. This time, they decided to double their odds. Georgia was born September 22 at 26 weeks. Everyone held their breath. I went to Toronto in November, the day after Georgia arrived home from the hospital. All reports suggested she was doing well. Sadie was born as nature scheduled on December 22.

In three short days, I fell head over heels for these two adorable little “twins”. I am inspired by David and Alex’s tenacity, strength and courage. They have taught me to remain steadfast in the things that are important in life. I am so happy, honoured and blessed to know them. And I look forward to watching the angels grow up in the shadow of their incredible parents.

As the days led up to my departure I was beginning to see a purpose in the voyage. This wasn’t just to visit friends and family, and to work on my new business plan. This was a personal journey. It seems like the right thing to do, and the true purpose will reveal itself along the way. But to be sure, my outlook is wickedly positive, my interest level in friends and family is upbeat and thoughtful. This feels like a pilgrimage, the purpose of which seems to be right in front of me, just ever so slightly opaque and out of reach.

As I write this, the plane is descending into Vancouver. I adore Vancouver, and miss my friends terribly. In a short period of time, I will see the Mulligans, who are a big part of our extended family. I will get some time to see some important friends as well.

Posted by dave at 07:39 PM | Comments (0)

January 20, 2009

Knickerbocker Chamber Orchestra

In early September, 2005 Chis and I sailed into New York on Platina and tied up at Liberty Landing Marina in Jersey City, across the Hudson River from Manhattan. It was to be our most northern destination. Across the dock from us, we met Toby on his First 46 "Pearl". We became instant friends and later that year with my brother Jeff, Toby helped us sail Platina from Charleston, NC to Fort Lauderdale, a voyage of three days and nights.

We haven't seen Toby a whole bunch. Life in the city takes some commitment to see friends, and either our schedules conflicted, we were sailing different ends of the Sound, or some other thing had prevented our getting together.

Toby flipped me an email invitation to a fledgeling chamber orchestra that was performing at the Winter Garden at World Financial Center this past Saturday. Being lovers of classical music, we decided to go. The performance was pretty good, although I often find that programs that are designed to satisfy all tastes are a lunch-bag letdown. There was a bit of contemporary, some Bach baroque, and some Broadway show tunes. A favourite for all of us was Strauss' Blue Danube, during which the conductor invited the audience to dance. At first, few participated, but soon plenty of all ages, even children were up dancing. It was really fun.

We went to Nam for dinner after and had a great chat. As an avid sailor, we always have plenty to talk about. We're going to try to get together more often - his freshly broken heart is not conducive to spending time alone.

On Sunday, I hopped on the PATH and went over to Jersey City to give Toby a hand with boat chores. We ended up chatting and getting very little done. The hardest thing to do when someone's heart is broken is to sit and listen. I just wanted to tap a magic wand on his forehead and make it all go away. Having been there before, the best I can offer him is my advice and my ears. Why is there no manual for life?

Posted by dave at 03:03 PM | Comments (0)

December 29, 2008

Sad News from Up North

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December 26, 2008

New Camera Lens, New York Architecture Safari

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December 25, 2008

Gingerbread Home

It's almost as small as our New York apartment! My mother's gingerbread recipe, Chis' fabulous decorating talent. Happy Holidays, everyone!

Posted by dave at 08:06 PM | Comments (0)

December 16, 2008

I Couldn't Make This Up!

With rough weather in New York today, I heeded my instincts and headed for the airport precisely 3 hours ahead of my flight.

I hopped on the F train. Somewhere in Queens, it stopped quite suddenly. This lights dimmed. The conductor came on and said "there is a red light in the tunnel, we'll be waiting here". Almost 20 minutes later, we were underway again.

I switched to the E at Union Turnpike. It was so slow. Painfully slow. Like watching paint dry. It stopped between stations. No announcement. Several minutes later, we were underway again. I got out at JFK and checked the time. My 45 minute journey had taken an hour and 10 minutes. I better hustle.

I climbed on the AirTrain and it sat there. No announcements. After about a 5 minute wait, the train left. With a sudden jolt, the train stopped. A mechanical voice said "The train has stopped. We will update you shortly." DUH! 35 minutes later, the train pulled into Terminal 1. I was destined for Terminal 8. The doors opened. And stayed open. Just as I was about to leave the train to get a cab, now 1 hour before my international flight, the doors closed and we crept to Terminal 2. When the doors opened, I spotted an official looking person in a red vest. I hustled over to her and asked her what was up. A train had derailed and was causing unexpected congestion. I asked her how long she expected it would take me to get to Terminal 8, and she replied "Go get a cab."

I left the train, hoofed it up the stairs, over the road, and down the stairs to the taxi stand. The dispatcher wasn't there. I begged the driver to take me to Terminal 8 for $20. He shook his head and pointed to the dispatcher who was heading my way. After the usual exchange of paper between dispatcher and me, dispatcher and cab driver, we were on our way. Not 60 feet from where I got in the cab, he swerved and crashed into a supporting concrete post. Gently. But it was troubling to him, and he stopped, got out and surveyed the damage. I stuck my head out the window and hollered at him "I'm sorry for your cab but I'm going to miss my flight". The meter was running.

I flew through the doors at Terminal 8, rolly-bag in tow, and sprinted for the automated check-in kiosks. I dipped my credit card, zipped my passport, and a big yellow triangle appeared telling me to wait here, an agent would be with me shortly. There were at least a dozen agents within eye-shot, and the place wasn't very busy. Not one of them was headed my way. I spotted one across the way, and waved frantically. He came over and announced that he didn't have a card to authorize me, whatever that meant. He waved over a woman with several lanyards around her neck. I imagine one of those lanyards had the card that would authorize me. Sure enough, it did. The critical issue was that my reservation was in the name of David, and my passport is John David. Once authorized, the agent, the more important agent and I stood watching the computer as though it would reveal the secrets of the universe. Instead, it did not. Nor did it spit out my boarding pass.

This set off the airline swat team. 3 more agents descended. Nobody could figure out what the problem was. I kept saying I'm going to miss my flight, but all they seemed to care about was that the computer didn't print the boarding pass. Why would that be? What buttons did I press?

Finally, they sent me to the blue light. I think that's where they send trouble makers. As soon as I arrived at the desk, they said "sorry sir, but the flight is closed and I am going to have to put you on a later fight. At this point, it's noon. The next flight is at 5:15. For $450(!) I could confirm a seat. Or I could fly standby. I asked how many seats were available. 2. I elected to fly standby.

The agent suggested that I hustle to the gate to see if I could still get on the flight. I got to security, and there was a family of 8 first-time travelers in the single open security line. First, the car seats, then the strollers, then the carry-ons, then the kids' toys... It was endless. Finally through, I hustled to the gate, which was, of course, at the furthest corner of the terminal.

I patiently waited my turn. Finally, I was next. I asked if I could still get on the flight. She looked at me with that wickedly controlling kind of smile. She said "Honey, they downsized your flight to a smaller plane, and 3 people have volunteered to take the next flight." Let me guess, the next flight is the one I am on standby for, and I just got bumped off that one, too? Yup. Damn.

She suggested that she could confirm me on a flight from Laguardia at 3:20. I would have to retrieve my bag from the carousel, hop in $30 cab, check-in and get to the gate. And it had started to snow. I wasn't feeling lucky. I said thanks anyway, just ask them to retrieve my bag, I'm going home. She called someone on the radio and they confirmed that they would "spill" my bag.

She suggested that I take my time as it might take a while to retrieve my bag. I grabbed some lunch, and wandered slowly to the carousel. I felt beaten.

I arrived at the carousel almost an hour later. No bag. I went to the Baggage Claim office. They pointed to a guy sleeping in the corner. Go ask him. I woke him up. He said it would come out on carousel 9. I sat on the edge of carousel 9 for 30 minutes. No bag. I went back to the Baggage Claim office. This time, they called Someone. Someone had not heard about any request to "spill" my bag, and they would send it shortly.

About 20 minutes later, my bag arrived.

Dare I take the AirTrain back to Jamaica Station? It was snowing hard and I didn't dare take a cab into the city. I took my chances. The ride home was far less eventful. Clearly my luck was turning.

I finally got home at 3, seven hours after I left. I had accomplished nothing. I spent money on trains, subways, cabs and airlines, and got a great big pain-in-the-neck tour of diddly-squat!

I now have a $205 ticket with American Airlines, which I can apply to any future travel by paying a $150 change fee.

No wonder this country is in such a mess!

Posted by dave at 05:51 PM | Comments (0)

December 09, 2008

Life is in the Details

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December 08, 2008

Prana & the Christmas Tree

The Prana withdrawal was killing us. It was a bitterly cold Saturday morning, and my fingers were tender when I returned from my Saturday morning journey to Whole Foods, and the delectable detour to Cafe Grumpy. Nevertheless, we decided to bundle up and head out to Huntington to see Prana.

She did not disappoint! Sitting still in her cradle, her bottom clean as a baby's bottom (thanks to several coats of Petit Vivid Black bottom paint), we unzipped her shrink-wrapped stern and climbed inside. It was wonderful to see her! We plugged in the battery charger and proceeded to look over the things we know we need to deal with this winter. The A/C through-hull is one. The propeller is another. This is due for a Prop-Speed treatment. And, my goodness, what happened to the zinc anode (it is a sacrificial piece of zinc that is attached to the prop to prevent degradation to other metals below the water line, and, eventually, electronics onboard such as GPS). It was completely gone.

We returned to the city, cold, and made homemade pizza. It took us a couple of hours to finally warm up. Memories of sailing from France to the Canary Islands in February! I have NEVER been colder.

Sunday, after returning from hot yoga (just to warm up) and Chis from a run, we wandered up to the Flower District on 28th Street to look for a Christmas tree. We arrived, found the one we liked, then discovered a woman who, well, maybe, kinda, if she put a $40 deposit on it, would pick up the one we wanted. We told the guy, hey, $115 and we'll take it now. She was not amused. The guy pointed at another one and opened it up. It was stunning! We bought it. We heaved it on our shoulders and headed south.

A guy handing out flyers said "Hey, that looks like it's going to be fun". A woman, crossing against us at 23rd Street said "Alright, way to go". It occurred to us that these, and we, were true New Yorkers.

I love this city!

Posted by dave at 07:56 PM | Comments (0)

November 30, 2008

To Brine, or Not to Brine

Our tradition for Thanksgiving is roasted turkey. And over the years, I have roasted many, many turkeys. When we lived on Platina, our Thanksgiving, Easter and Christmas turkeys were chickens. Turkeys were simply not practical in a tiny boat oven. We have hosted families and friends to enjoy turkey with us. Some of the turkeys have been relatively small, some simply enormous. One year, we bought one from our neighbour, who raised them organically on their farm. I brought it home on the handlebars of my bike.

I'm not actually a big fan of turkey. I find it dry and somewhat flavourless. If you have to dump gravy (mostly fat) on the turkey, it's probably because it's so dry it sticks to the roof of your mouth and is difficult to swallow. I guess that's why cool white wine is a good idea, too.

Too, it's a lot of work. If you survive the early morning craft of making dressing (assuming you don't make it from a box), then you have the basting for seemingly hours on end.

When it's good, it's really good.

So I keep trying. I have tried cheese cloth. Credit Martha Stewart with this one. It made for a moist turkey, but taking the cheese cloth off was messy, difficult and not worth the anxiety. I never tried again.

Some Americans deep fry their birds. It is something like the second or third source of house fires in the country. In a Manhattan shoe-box apartment, I'm not planning to try this one, no matter the promise of moist turkey.

Last year, we celebrated American Thanksgiving in Bonaire. I had sailed with Mike and Judy on PorFin from Puerto Rico to Bonaire, and Chis flew down to join us when we arrived. Judy slow-cooked the turkey in a crock pot on the dock. It was outstanding.

This year, we celebrated American Thanksgiving again (instead of the Canadian equivalent in early October). But I was flying back from Toronto on Thanksgiving, and we decided to have our turkey feast on Saturday night.

I picked up an organic free-range turkey breast at Whole Foods. A whole turkey was simply too big. On Saturday morning, with a cup of organic freshly roasted French Roast coffee, I planned the balance of our Thanksgiving feast. In my surfing of recipes online, I stumbled on the idea of brining the turkey. The concept is simple. Soak the turkey in brine (water, salt, sugar and spices) for several hours.

It was, simply, unbelievable! I highly recommend it. It is moist, flavourful, and is even better the next day. Say that about a traditionally basted roast turkey? I doubt it. Our Christmas turkey (breast or chicken) will definitely be brined.

Posted by dave at 05:26 PM | Comments (0)

October 31, 2008

Scariest Hallowe'en Costume

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October 21, 2008

Get Out of Your Own Way

There I was, lying in savasana at the end of today's rocking-awesome Bikram yoga class. A cold front blew through town today and cooled everything dow - at last. The humidity seemed to evaporate by mid-morning. The class had been a good one, challenged only by the jitters, caused by a post-Whole Foods, pre-work Cafe Grumpy soy latte fix. I worked hard. I was focused. I was in the moment. I felt good. My body was humming, buzzing softly with that sweet yoga high. My mind was clear. I felt awesome. Above everything. Beneath nothing.

And then Corinne said "sometimes you have to remind yourself to get out of your own way".

Which set my mind into a spin. What does THAT mean?

Well, I got it almost immediately. I've been running a lot, and I have noticed lately that my lower back, neck and hamstrings are really tight. This is the nature of distance running, and it is the yoga that keeps me, well, nimble. As nimble as I can be at my age and after all the running. I take these aches and pains into yoga every day with me, and they are my excuses. My barriers. The reasons why I don't do things. The reasons why I hold back.

I stood on my head for 5 minutes, let the blood rush to my brain, and pondered it further.

Everywhere around us, there are reminders of our constraints. Stop. Do Not Enter. Line Forms Here. Rules. Laws. There is a good reason for the ESC key on your computer. And, when all else fails, CTL-ALT-DEL.

Then, there are the things that make us DO less. Elevators and escalators when there should be stairs. Buttons that open and close the rear door of our cars.

We THINK too much. Modern ingenuity shouldn't make us less mobile. Our minds get in the way, telling us we can't do things (big red stop sign), or that we need help (escalator). The reality is that the more we exercise our minds and our bodies, and connect the two with our breath, the better off we will be. The mind is for entertainment. We CHOOSE what we do. How we approach things.

So, tomorrow, when my mind says STOP and my hamstrings scream at me, I am going to breathe deeply, clear my mind, and kick out. Because if I can, I must.

Get our of your own way.

Posted by dave at 08:09 PM | Comments (0)

October 18, 2008

Watershed Day

Today took some careful planning.

The challenge?

1. Consolidate two Manhattan storage rooms into one Stamford, CT storage room.

Since our new storage will be 35 miles away (and we don't have a car):

2. Negotiate with the Superintendent of our condo for space to store our bikes.
3. Move redundant furniture and art in our apartment into storage.
4. Relocate Christmas stuff to our apartment.

And finally, Prana:

5. Remove, fold, roll and store Prana's sails.
6. Store everything that cannot freeze (cleaners, batteries, etc.).
7. Vacuum seal storage bags of clothes, linens, etc.

So here is how it went down:

STEP 1: 6:30am Make breakfast (and lunch to take on the road)
STEP 2: Pick up U-Haul truck rental at 23rd Street & 11th Avenue
STEP 3: Drive 50 feet to Manhattan Mini Storage
STEP 4: 3rd Floor storage room, remove and load all items into the truck
STEP 5: Basement storage room, remove and load all items into the truck
STEP 6: Finalize lease cancellation and details for refund of the security deposits - $1,000! Score!
STEP 7: Drive to our apartment at 20th Street and 6th Avenue
STEP 8: Illegally park in front of fire hydrant, fetch redundant furniture & art from apartment
STEP 9: Forgot the vacuum. Got the vacuum.
STEP 10: Drive to Stamford.
STEP 11: Check in at Uncle Bob's Self-Storage.
STEP 12: Unload truck into new storage room.
STEP 13: Drive to marina.
STEP 14: Lunch.
STEP 15: Vacuum pack clothes and linens.
STEP 16: Load sails, cleaners, freezables in the truck.
STEP 17: Empty fridge. Turn off fridge.
STEP 18: Dispose of trash (shit, I forgot to do this last weekend, and it smells like a baby diaper).
STEP 19: Lock up Prana. (See you, sweetheart, in two weeks).
STEP 20: Drive to Uncle Bob's Self-Storage.
STEP 21: Unload sails, cleaners, freezables into new storage room.
STEP 22: Drive to New York.
STEP 23: Double park in front of condo, unload vacuum, napsack full of boat fridge stuff, laptop.
STEP 24: Fill truck gas tank.
STEP 25: Drive to U-Haul to return truck.
STEP 26: Fill gas tank again (is THAT what they call FULL SERVICE in New York?!)
STEP 27: Drive to U-Haul to return truck.
STEP 28: Do 3 u-turns to get the truck back to the not-so-obvious "RETURN HERE".
STEP 29: Pay for the truck. A lot.
STEP 30: Walk to the apartment.
STEP 31: Wander past Chelsea Meat Market and decide to spontaneously buy a roast for dinner.
STEP 32: Arrive home. Unpack backpack of boat fridge items. Put vacuum away.
STEP 33: Pour red wine.
STEP 34: Pour more red wine.

Posted by dave at 06:46 PM | Comments (0)

October 05, 2008

Fall Sailing in the Sound

Friday was a beautiful day. Bright sunshine, a little breeze, a perfect fall day. The forecast for the weekend was for plenty of wind and cool, especially at night. As we count the remaining weekends available for sailing on the fingers of one hand, we decided to make the best of it. Last weekend we were rained out, but spent the weekend at the dock anyway.

I arrived at the boat around 5pm and got things opened up, groceries put away, etc. I finally sat down around 6:30 and decided to take another stab at Ken Follett's epic take "Pillar of the Earth". I climbed under a fleece blanket and curled up in the corner. By 7pm I was chilled. We have heat and air-conditioning on the boat, which I find slightly unworthy of true seamanship. But I caved and turned it on. It warmed up quickly. Chis arrived around 8pm and agreed that the heat was a welcome spoil. We turned it off to have dinner and watch a movie on the laptop.

In addition to the winter duvet on the berth, we added a quilt. Without the heat, the thermometer in the boat said it was 62 degrees. Perfect for sleeping.

I awoke Saturday morning around 5:30 (this happens everyday, partly age, partly the way my clock is wound.) It was cold. Wanting to be a puritan, I added a second layer of fleece, long underwear, and hovered over the stove while I boiled the kettle for coffee. I ran hot water into the sink, added some suds, and washed a few dishes. The hot water felt wonderful.

The breeze had started picking up, and we decided to head out for a sail. The clouds started to clear, and we put up the sails. It was fabulous. Chilly, but wonderful sailing conditions. The sound was calm, the wind picked up to 10 knots, and we sailed all the way into Oyster Bay on Long Island. We dropped the anchor and sat in the cockpit with our books, enjoying the cool autumn sun. As the sun set, the air cooled instantly. We ran below like mice.

On anchor, we have no heat or air conditioning. It got cool fast, but we simply layered up and enjoyed it.

We woke Sunday morning to driving rain. This was not in the forecast from Friday, and I admit I was remiss in checking the forecast again. I checked the morning's weather forecast, and the rain was expected to stop by 9am. At 9:01, the rain stopped. Around 11, the skies still threatened rain, so we put on our foul weather gear, pulled up anchor and set out for Stamford. The winds were incredible again, and we had a fantastic sail.

There is something wonderful about fall. The long shadows, the stiff breeze, the cool air, and the warm sun. It takes a day or two to acclimatize, but once you've done it, it is so enjoyable. This was our weekend to acclimatize, and I can tell from the warmth in my face, and the tingle in my toes and fingers that this is a magical time of the year to sail.

Next weekend is the Columbus Day long weekend, and we plan to sail again.

The following weekend we do the newfie shuffle of our Manhattan storage room, a few things from the apartment, and a few things from the boat, to a new storage locker in Stamford. For about one-fifth the cost of the Manhattan storage room. The weekend after that we are in Washington, DC to cheer Chis' sisters Katie and Juli do the Marine Corps Marathon.

And the weekend after that, Prana comes out of the water to hibernate for the winter.

I miss her already.

Posted by dave at 07:04 PM | Comments (0)

September 30, 2008

On Markets

Yesterday, the Dow was down 777. The 30-year treasury bond yield was 4.13% .
Today, the Dow was up 485 and the 30-year treasury bond yield was 4.31%.

It seems that while everyone was panicking yesterday and bailing out of the equity markets into treasury bonds. The excess demand drove up the price of the bonds (and therefore drove down the yield), I took a rare window of opportunity to convert our 5-year adjustable-rate mortgage into a 30-year fixed rate mortgage. At a rate BELOW our current rate, which we secured in a significantly better economic environment. Clever boy!

While making dinner last night, I turned on CNN to see what the talking heads were saying. "The credit markets are frozen!". Etc, etc, etc. Really? Why then, did it seem that the credit market for our mortgage was open? Not just a little bit, but I got five ... FIVE! very competitive quotes.

I think the media is playing a dangerous and potentially hazardous role in reporting the "crisis". Sure, there are lots of people who are in, or facing, foreclosure. But here's where I get a little crazy. These people should never have bought a house, and the banks should never have lent them the money! Is there no self discipline in this country?

OMG, I just sounded like Lou Dobbs.

Posted by dave at 07:57 PM | Comments (0)

September 10, 2008

Global Warming

Last night was the annual meeting for our condominium, for which I have served as President for the past year. I did not seek re-election, for a number of reasons that I may go into in the coming weeks. One of the reasons is that you just cannot please everyone all the time, and New Yorkers are notoriously demanding, cranky, impatient and opinionated.

A few months ago, the board was approached by a production company to film a public service announcement from our roof. We had previously allowed ABC to do some stills of the exterior of the building for Lucy Liu's office in Cashmere Mafia, for which the condo association was paid handsomely.

When this new request came in, and they informed us that the public service announcement was for global warming, I recommended to the board that we allow the filming and not charge them for the use of our space. It would be our way of contributing to a very important cause on behalf of the residents.

The initiative was met with great criticism by the residents. How dare the board make such a unilateral decision without consulting the residents (which would obviously have been impractical)! I stood up to the criticism, and said that the board would not have supported a public service announcement regarding pro-life, the NRA, gay rights or whatever else, no matter how strongly we might have felt about it. Global warming is simply not one of those issues.

The filming went ahead, and the residents calmed down.

Here is the ad that was filmed from our roof

And I daresay that I am extremely proud that we stuck to our guns and contributed to the making of this ad. It is excellent.

Posted by dave at 11:02 AM | Comments (0)

September 07, 2008

Hanna, Ike and 5D

On a sailboat, I have an irrational fear of lightening and hurricanes. I fear neither on land, but at sea, it is quite another thing. I don't recall all the names, but several hurricanes chased us up the eastern seaboard on Platina in the summer of 2005. And this summer on Prana, we have had a lot of lightening, and managed, with some good luck, to avoid all of it.

Hanna blew through Long Island Sound yesterday. We decided to be on the boat. (Embrace your fears.) She cast things in an incredibly paultry grey in the early morning, with no wind. By 2pm, the winds picked up from the east, the skies thickened, and the rain started. She dumped more than 2 inches of rain. The winds were forecasted to gust to 55 knots, but we guess the most we saw was 30.

At the same time, Chis and I, bundled in our foul weather gear, barbequed steaks in the driving rain. As we embraced the weather, and Mother Nature's unpredictability, clogged terrace drains in one of the penthouses at our condominium in New York backed up, overflowed, and damaged several apartments in the building. Being on the condo board, the emails and voicemails started shortly after midnight.

At the same time, Ike was bearing down on the Turks & Caicos Islands, the Bahamas and Haiti. South Caicos, a place where we checked email at the beauty salon three years ago (and where Chis had to fix the computer in order to use it), they have estimated that every house has been damaged, and all boats were swept away. As a fishing village, the very livelihood of this community has come sharply to a halt. Ike now threatens the beautiful old historic buildings of Old Havana, and the homes of many Cubans. 48 people in Haiti lost their lives because of the flooding.

One of the voicemails I received in the middle of the night was from an owner who had not yet witnessed the damage to his apartment, declared it a "disaster scenario", and expressed concern over the mold and mildew that would eventually "poison" his family.

I breathed deeply, thanked the gods that Chis and I were safe and unharmed, and pondered the families in the south being hammered by Ike, the lives lost. I witnessed the "disaster scenario" in apartment 5D today. In the grand scheme of things, hardly a disaster.

We all have to remember from time to time, that indeed there are people in the world who suffer far more than we do. In the grand scheme of things, nothing threatens our very existence at this moment, and if it did, it would be a bus that runs me down while I cross Sixth Avenue. Or a lightening bolt that strikes Prana's mast while we are sailing. There is no great conspiracy that made the terrace drains overflow, to damage so many apartments, to cause "disaster", and, as a result, "poison" anyone's existence.

Life is short. Life is precious. Life is beautiful.

Posted by dave at 07:07 PM | Comments (0)

September 03, 2008

Labo(u)r Day Weekend

Our dear friends, David and Alex, decided to visit for the long weekend. After a couple of days in the city, they took the train to Oyster Bay on Long Island, where we met them at the train station. We had picked up a mooring in the harbour, favouring the launch service rather than 4 adults with bags in our 8-foot inflatable dinghy.

We had two brilliant days of sailing. First on Sunday out to Port Jefferson, where we dropped anchor off the beach and had a barbeque on the boat. Then on Monday from Port Jefferson back to Stamford. Both days with plenty of north wind making our journeys quick and invigorating. Here are some pics from the weekend.

Posted by dave at 12:11 PM | Comments (0)

September 02, 2008

Hurricane Hanna

Some Hanna-related news that won't make your local news channel or paper... [The Nassau Guardian]

"Schedule adjustments over the next two days are:

Tuesday, September 2

Carnival's Miracle is expected in the port at Nassau, as the ship has been diverted from its normal route.

Carnival's Inspiration has canceled for a sea day.

Royal Caribbean's Majesty of the Seas and Carnival's Sensation are expected to maintain their calls at Nassau.

Disney Wonder is still scheduled to call at Nassau as previously indicated.

Regal Empress has canceled its call at Nassau.

Wednesday, September 3

Sovereign of the Seas and the Disney Magic are expected to call at Nassau as scheduled.

Norwegian Sky and Spirit have canceled calls at Nassau.

Carnival's Miracle has requested a stop at Grand Bahama.

NCL Sky has canceled all voyages to Grand Bahama. (Note: NCL has canceled its voyages on Sky for the mid week thus far to Freeport, Nassau and Great Stirrup Cay. Voyages on the Spirit have also been canceled.)"

Posted by dave at 09:44 PM | Comments (0)

August 16, 2008

Oyster Bay, NY

I woke in the morning, made coffee, and checked the weather forecast. My routine. Chis slept. More thunderstorms "capable of producing penny sized hail and damaging winds up to 60 miles per hour". We thought best to stay put. We called the launch for a ride ashore. We wandered through town looking for a grocery store, but none were within walking distance. We returned to the boat, checked the radar and saw nothing threatening. We decided, at the very least, we would fill our fuel tanks at the local marina.

This done, I checked the radar again. Nothing.

We decided to head for Oyster Bay, due south of our Prana's home in Stamford. There wasn't a breath of wind, and a paltry pea soup haze lingering over the whole area. We made our way west, the direction from which the bad weather was coming.

Deep in the distance, night was descending on mid-afternoon. The skies thickened quickly, and the VHF radio began sputtering with hazardous weather warnings. At this point, we were committed. It made no sense to turn back. So we put on our foul weather gear and carried on.

The center of the storm was to the south of us, so we were pretty sure we weren't going to see any serious weather. Then the rains came. Heavy, but not torrential. The lightning show was fantastic, all in the distance. We could hear the thunder, but every strike was several seconds apart. Once again, it appeared that we had avoided the worst of the weather.

We picked up a mooring at Oyster Bay Marine Center, and set to the task of reading. Chis is reading Elizabeth George's latest mystery "Careless in Red". I am finishing David Sedaris' "When You Are Engulfed in Flames".

On our way ashore for dinner at the Mill River Inn, the biggest storm yet hit. We walked from the marina to the restaurant, and just as we arrived, the lightning and thunder were incredible. It just started to rain when we walked through the door of the restaurant, then watched the storm through the window.

It poured rain on our walk back to the marina. But I will say that the launch driver was infinitely better dressed for the weather than we were in our khakis and foul weather jackets.

Posted by dave at 08:07 PM | Comments (0)

August 15, 2008

Port Jefferson, NY

Plan A was to head back to the Thimble Islands and anchor over night, and get up early and have a hearty breakfast on the porch in Stony Creek. Then I checked the weather forecast, and a second low pressure system was descending on us. The Thimbles are lovely, but not the place you want to be in a blow. So we changed our minds and headed for Port Jefferson. We've been in a few times. It's not exactly our favourite place, but we can get a mooring, and help if the storms are nasty.

We had an incredible sail from Stonington to Port Jefferson. Plenty of wind, and with the tidal currents in The Race, we literally flew across to the Long Island coast.

The storms didn't bring much in Port Jefferson. The next day was something altogether different...

Posted by dave at 08:01 PM | Comments (0)

August 03, 2008

Poor Jim

Jim arrived from Toronto mid-day Friday. It was a long weekend in Canada, and Luc was on a business trip in Vancouver. Jim would have been alone in Toronto, without Luc. What better way to enjoy a long weekend than join us for a sail on Long Island Sound? Poor Jim.

We wandered down to Union Square, grabbed a late lunch at Coffee Shop, and strolled through the farmers’ market. We planned to sail to Port Jefferson on Long Island for Saturday night, but the weather was looking a bit dubious. We hummed, hawed, had another drink, then decided to head for the train to Stamford.

I called Chis, who said he could likely, maybe make a 6:30 train. Jim and I made our way to Grand Central, then called Chis again. Okay, maybe I can make 6:45. Jim and I crashed into Cipriani (aren’t they bankrupt or something) and ordered beer. Chis arrived shortly after and off we went on the train.

We woke in the morning to darkening skies. After several thunderstorms, a weather analysis with ‘Sirena’ neighbour Steve, and it looked like we could get out around 11. We started the engine, made final preparations for our de-dockage, and the line of storms that looked like it was tracking northeast, decided to track directly in our path. Nothing makes my heart pound deeper than lightening on a sailboat – I mean, on the water, the tallest thing for miles?

We waited out the weather.

By 3, it seemed to be clearing. The National Weather Service called off the severe thunderstorm warning. We left Stamford for Port Jefferson.

We weren’t able to sail much on the four-hour journey. Around 5pm, we finally picked up some nice wind and sailed. We picked up a mooring in Port Jefferson, and went ashore for dinner at Pace’s Steakhouse. The evening was clear and warm, so we decided to sit outside under the trees next to the pond.

On Sunday, after brunch in Port Jefferson, we headed back to Stamford. By noon, we had increasing southerly winds. Soon, the wind was on the nose, forcing us to tack upwind, increasing the distance of our journey. We reefed the genoa and we were well heeled. Despite the exhilarating sail, I snapped this photo of Jim - sound asleep.

Poor Jim.

Posted by dave at 03:48 PM | Comments (0)

July 30, 2008

Family Weekend

We received news that Chis' twin, Eliz, would arrive from in New York from London via Ajijic, Mexico (dear South African friend Graham said "do you Canadians know what a map is?"), and that brother John-Mark and wife, Nancy, would arrive in Stamford, CT. All in time for the weekend, and with some luck, a sail or two with Prana.

Last weekend, we had left Prana in Huntington with the dealer. Yes, still experiencing some engine issues. We were reassured that things were running fine. Before leaving Huntington Saturday morning, we called Nancy & J-M to say we would be in Stamford by 11:30am. The engine started fine, and off we went.

There was less than a knot of wind, so we motored across the sound. About mid-way to Stamford, the high temperature alarm went off on the engine, and we shut it down. Chis went below to investigate. Our engine coolant had dropped. Not just a little. There wasn't a drop. It was all in the pan below the engine. We had no spare aboard, so we called the dealer and said "what #$&^%* now?". He called SeaTow, who came an hour later and towed us into Stamford. We arrived shortly after 2, and found Nancy & J-M standing on the dock waiting for us.

I asked the dock assistant to see if there was an engine mechanic nearby. Of course, they had all left for the day. I called the dealer and asked him to send someone over immediately. Not until Monday. I was livid. Spitting nails.

Sunday morning, Chis and I set to determine the source of the problem, and quickly discovered that the manufacturer/ dealer had not tightened the drain cock on the coolant, and so it vibrated loose and spilled it everywhere. We mopped it up, tightened the drain cock, and refilled the coolant. We started the engine, and sure enough, it worked like a breeze. No coolant leaks. Nothing. We decided to go for a sail.

Eliz had arrived Saturday night and had stayed in our apartment. We had touched base, and put her on hold pending resolution of our engine issues. I called her and suggested she get the next train to Stamford. She arrived to great glee and fanfare, engine running. Despite what was turning out to be a disappointing weekend, it turned out that we had a lovely sail and an even lovelier visit with all.

Here are a few photos from the weekend...

Nancy, Dave & Chis sailing Long Island Sound

Captain Eliz

Setting the Genneker

Nancy & JM

Posted by dave at 07:32 PM | Comments (0)

July 22, 2008

Port Jefferson

Chis decided to take Friday off to work on getting the final bits and bobs on the boat. I went up mid-day Thursday on the train, and tinkered with the endless list of to-do's that comes with boats. Chis arrived around 8, and we enjoyed a pleasant dinner in the cockpit.

On Friday morning, we walked to the chandlery to pick up a few things. It was blazing hot. We took a cab back. By afternoon, the marina office called to say that a delivery had just arrived for us. It was our 45-pound anchor, 75-feet of steel chain, 150-feet of anchor rope, and some other, significantly lighter things.

We set ourselves to the task of getting our ground tackle set up. We used the spinnaker halyard to get the anchor onto the boat, then lifted the pail of chain, which easily weighed 100 pounds. Once in place, we connected the bits together and fed the line through the windlass (the winch on the bow that is used to raise and lower the anchor). We had chosen the hottest day of summer yet, allegedly in the mid-90s, to heave around heavy equipment and work in small, cramped spaces. Once complete, we enjoyed a well-deserved cold beer.

Saturday morning, we left Stamford and headed for Port Jefferson. Chis has a cousin that lives very close to Port Jefferson, and he invited us to dinner. Away we went. Once out of Stamford harbour, we discovered about 8 knots of wind. We decided to set our genneker. Like a spinnaker, but you don't need a pole to set it. Really, it's an asymetrical spinnaker.

The wind died, so we put the sails away and motored. As we approached the entrance to Port Jefferson, the wind picked up to 15 knots. Isn't this always the way it is.

We decided to take the boat back to the dealer in Huntington to have the engine looked at again, as it was giving us some grief. We had a spectacular sail out of Port Jefferson, but then the wind died. We motored the last bit, and as we rounded up in to Huntington harbour, the wind picked up. Of course.

Next weekend, we plan to sail to the Thimble Islands to meet Toby and Will on Synergism.

Posted by dave at 02:31 PM | Comments (0)

July 14, 2008

Sail Away

After an incredible yoga class last Friday morning, I hustled through the farmer's market and Union Square and returned home to fetch the weekend's gear. The backpack was so heavy, I opted to take a taxi up to Penn Station to catch the train to Huntington. I managed to catch an earlier train than planned, and arrived at the boat with plenty of time to put things away, and run to the grocery store and the chandlery.

On my return, I discovered several boxes of new gear that I had purchased online had arrived. Perfect timing. Chis was planning to leave the office early and meet me there, so I puttered about, not working too diligently because it was a little like opening everyone else's presents on Christmas morning. The hours ticked by, and Chis called to say he would catch the 7pm train. Egads! So much for early departure plans.

By the time he arrived, I had opened all the boxes, put all the gear away, and made dinner. Speedy Dave.

It turned out to be a warm and humid evening, so we dined in the cockpit and enjoyed the breeze.

The dealer arrived Saturday morning shortly after 10 as Chis and I were swapping their dock lines for ours, their fenders for ours, and putting away the remaining bits and pieces. We went through the entire boat, identified all the mechanical, electrical and plumbing bits, then left the dock for a sea trial. On returning to the dock, we grabbed some lunch, stowed our things, and left for our inaugural sail almost directly across Long Island Sound to Prana's new home in Stamford, Connecticut.

It was a delightful sail, a deep broad reach in southerly winds. Slightly anxious about the docking ahead of us, we talked our way through our docking plan, and proceeded to the marina. With no assistance, the two of us put the boat gently into her slip, tied her up safely, and settled in for a bit of relaxation and dinner.

Saturday morning was beautiful, and in true form, I woke with the sun's emergence. As Chis slept, I pulled out our new cruising genneker (an asymmetrical spinnaker) and worked on sorting out the rigging, and putting it in its sail bag. I cannot wait to try this thing out - a beautiful display of red, white and blue - decidedly American, but sentimentally French.

The forecast was for increasing winds, so we decided to head out for a sail shortly after breakfast. It was great to try out different sailing angles. We met up with Impulse, who, despite her longer water line, lighter ballast, and bigger sail area, was not significantly faster than us. We topped 8.5 knots sailing upwind in about 14 knots of breeze. Not bad considering the fact that we may not have even left the dock on Platina in 14 knots of wind!

It was a marvelous weekend of sailing, lounging, dining, and sailing. Way too much sun! And we get to do it all again next weekend.

Posted by dave at 05:12 PM | Comments (0)

July 08, 2008

July 4 Weekend in Huntington

We had a great weekend getting familiar with the boat, settling in with our gear, and getting ready for a summer of sailing in Long Island Sound. The weather didn't exactly cooperate, but we made the best of it.

Posted by dave at 01:18 PM | Comments (0)

Mind, Body, Breath

With an empty mind, there is an easy rhythm of joyful movement, and with this comes total awareness, effortless power.

Posted by dave at 12:37 PM | Comments (0)

July 04, 2008

Prana Launch

I didn't quite make it to Huntington in time to see Prana launched. I hired a driver to take me, and the 6 million bits and pieces we packed for the boat, some if which emerged from hibernation in our storage locker, to Huntington. On the Thursday before a long weekend, we got completely snagged in traffic, first at the Midtown tunnel, then, giving up there, on the FDR and Triboro Bridge. By the time we got to Queens, I had to pee something fierce.

When we were in La Rochelle, France, we contacted the boat builder and asked if we could watch Platina's launch. They found this to be a rare and odd request. They obliged. We watched, despite the cold, wind and rain on that January 20, 2005 morning. I must have taken 30 photos just as her keel kissed the sea. To me, that legendary moment is a show of respect for the sea. To be there for it, and connect with it, is important. A little histrionic, I know, but I'm like that. I'm okay with that.

I arrived yesterday too late for that monumental moment. I was a little sad to have missed the launch, but thrilled that she was in the water and the guys were working hard to get her up and running. Very exciting. We head back up to Huntington today, the 4th of July, to begin putting our personal touches on her and getting to know her.

This is a different experience than Platina. Platina was a big, blue-water, ocean sailboat. Before we left the dock in La Rochelle, we had read every manual, scoured every nook and cranny, understood every little thing about her before setting off on what became a 22-day voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. It was very emotional.

This is emotional in a different way. I can't really describe it. I guess it's a bit like having the second baby. You know what to expect.

Posted by dave at 08:02 AM | Comments (0)

July 02, 2008

Decompression

'Prana' will be launched tomorrow in Huntington, New York, on Long Island's north shore. A car is picking me up, accompanied by the vast array of gear heading to the boat. The dining room has been piled high for the past couple of weeks with all sorts of things - linens, pots & pans, cutlery, plates, tools, etc. The list is endless. And it all seems vaguely familiar.

In the summer of 2004, we had sold our house. While a select few were told that we had bought Platina and planned to sail the seven seas, most understood our motivation to "downsize" and move into smaller quarters in the city. Not entirely a lie, since we were moving into the spare bedroom in my sister's home while we waited for Platina to be built. Before we moved out of the house, we packed three steamer trunks full of gear. We hired special international movers, who understood the import tax implications of what we were shipping to France. In early September, the trunks, full of the few personal items we decided to take on our journey, wheeled out the front door and onto a ship destined for La Rochelle, France.

This time, it doesn't feel so intense. We're not selling everything and sailing the seven seas. Yet. But the lists seem endless, and I wander the aisles of the Container Store, Bed Bath & Beyond, Home Depot, and West Marine pondering the things that I have forgotten.

Forgetting something on an Atlantic Ocean crossing can be devestating. Forgetting a toothbrush for the launch of Prana is not the end of the world. But, it is in my nature. I work from the completed project backward to today. I plan. I analyze. I execute.

But it doesn't take away from the excitement. As Chis explains it, when he is sailing, he is in his element. He is relaxed, calm, and he temporarily forgets the troubles that are back at the office. Sailing is his decompression.

With some luck, I will spend a bit of time tomorrow getting things put together on the boat. Friday, we will both head up and spend the weekend fiddling, cleaning, settling... decompressing.

Posted by dave at 06:15 PM | Comments (0)

June 23, 2008

A Skeptic's Journey into the World of Yoga

CLICK HERE to see the trailer for Enlighten Up!

Posted by dave at 10:28 AM | Comments (0)

June 21, 2008

First Photos of 'Prana'

With the news that Prana was delivered to the dealer on Wednesday, Chis and I climbed on the train today and headed out to Huntington on Long Island to see her. Very exciting!

Posted by dave at 07:48 PM | Comments (0)

June 19, 2008

Happy Anniversary to Us!

5 years ago today, Chis and I went to City Hall in Toronto and tied the knot. It seems longer ago, but then, we have done a lot since June 2003. 10,500 nautical miles at sea, 16 countries, move to New York...

We watch the marriages surfacing in California and feel really excited for the entire community. There is hope for this world.

Oh, and Katie, Happy Birthday. Thank goodness you have a birthday so that we can remember our anniversary!

Posted by dave at 09:13 AM | Comments (0)

June 16, 2008

Prana is Born

"Prana", our new Beneteau 40, was loaded on a truck in South Carolina today. She is expected to arrive in Huntington, New York (Long Island) on Wednesday. A flurry of excitement and activity has ensued. The floor of the dining room is piled high with adornments for our new addition.

We're having a baby!

Posted by dave at 08:04 PM | Comments (0)

June 11, 2008

No Longer Liveaboard

I took a Bikram Break today. I played hooky. ("There is no widely accepted explanation for the word 'hookey' or 'hooky.' An Americanism that arose in the late 19th century, when compulsory attendance laws became the rule in public schools, 'hooky' may be a compression of the older expression 'hook it,' 'to escape or make off,' formed by dropping the 't' in the phrase. Or it could be related to the old slang word 'hook,' meaning 'to steal,': kids stealing a day off from school. 'Hooky' has so often been associated with going fishing that it may even owe its life to 'getting off the hook' the way a fish can; anyway, school is often insufferable as a hook to schoolchildren and many kids squirming in their seats all day look like they are on a hook." From "Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins" by Robert Hendrickson (Facts on File, New York, 1997)

Instead, I ran 9 miles along the Hudson and the biked up to Harlem and back.

On my journey, I stopped at my favourite place along the river at the 79th Street Boat Basin. Out on a mooring was an Amel, a sister-ship of Platina.

Last year, almost exactly this time, Chis and I moved out of our apartment to replace our floors. We took a seedy, dark little apartment on 86th Street, and I biked to the apartment daily to check on progress. The 79th Street Boat Basin was always a stop on the way home.

A year ago, I looked out at the boats on the moorings. I definitely connected with them. Canvas covering the boat to reflect the sun's intense rays (liveaboards are not sun worshipers), wind generators, solar panels, BBQ on the stern rail, topsides a little scuffed up, etc.

Today, I looked out at the boats on the moorings and realized that I admired them, but did not connect to them. I guess that enough time has passed since we lived aboard Platina. I connect more with life in Manhattan than life aboard a boat.

But, I have not lost sight of the dream. We will be back at sea. Someday. In this lifetime, or the next. It is in our blood.

Posted by dave at 08:12 PM | Comments (0)

June 09, 2008

36 (100) in the Shade

My impressions of summer in New York are hot, humid and hazy. I mean, growing up in Toronto, for about a week or two we would experience h3 (hot, humid and hazy). Today was blazing h3. "They" were expecting a record-breaking day, and we may have got there, although I actually think yesterday felt hotter.

New York, with its incredible density, means that the sun bakes the concrete, and the breeze off the ocean gets completely evicted by the skyscrapers. Baking concrete (which absorbs heat like crazy). No breeze. Oh, and in our dog friendly neck-of-the-nabe, pee smell. Not just from the dogs, I add.

I ran 6 miles on the Hudson River Trail at 10:30 this morning, and returned dripping wet with sweat. I stood outside our building, took my shirt off, squeezed out about a quart of sweat, then tried to squeeze the sweat from my shorts. People were staring. Really, New Yorkers really don't understand squeezing sweat out of gym wear because (a) few exercise outdoors, (b) few exercise, (c) few sweat as much as I do, and (d) I was not wearing DKNY. And pplllllease, one does not sweat in DKNY!

So did I go to Bikram yoga this afternoon? Of course I did. It was seriously hot. It felt great!

Yes, you must love the heat to live in this city. And you must love the heat to do Bikram yoga. It gives new meaning to the expression "turn up the heat".

Posted by dave at 07:27 PM | Comments (0)

June 04, 2008

Recipe Deal Breakers: When Step 2 is 'Corral Pig'

Picture this. Sitting in Madison Square Park with dear friend, Graham. I have just emerged from a very difficult yoga class, which he taught. He flips open his bag and hands me the 'Dining In' section of today's New York Times, which I did not read because I was consumed by the crossword puzzle.

I seriously burst out laughing. Gut wrenching! People in the park were looking at me, tears streaming down my face. My eyes were puffy and red. If you have ever tried a recipe and decided to throw in the whisk, read on...

Posted by dave at 08:20 PM | Comments (0)

June 02, 2008

The Forward-Thinking Niece

Chis and I spent last weekend in Toronto, visiting my family Saturday, and his family Sunday. DP & AJ, recent visitors to our New York pad, were our gracious hosts for the weekend. They were, as always, the light of our lives.

At brunch on Sunday, sitting next to niece Katherine, she was asked, at 15, when she would get her driver’s license. Her response?

“Well, in ten years, are people really going to be driving?”

Jeez, I hope not!

Now, I admit that I am hyper-environmentally conscious. At least I thought I was. But, as yet, it has not crossed my mind that cars may be obsolete in this world.

And, so today, I decided that my Canadian driver’s license, which expired last October, and which I cannot renew because I cannot get a Social Security Number, because my legal Ontario marriage to my husband is not yet federally recognized (despite Governor Paterson’s forward-looking efforts), will never be renewed.

Whew.

I feel really, really good about this. Public transportation, here I come. Feet don’t fail me now!

Posted by dave at 08:50 PM | Comments (0)

May 27, 2008

Good Grief, Charlie Brown

When I was little, my mother called me Charlie Brown. I think she thought it was cute, or sounded hip. Kids are like sponges. They pick up things. Somewhere, somehow, I picked up on the undeniable fact that Charlie Brown is a loveable loser, a child possessed of endless determination and hope, but who is ultimately dominated by his insecurities and a permanent case of bad luck, and often taken advantage of by his peers. On the rare occasion that he does succeed at something, circumstances invariably arise to lessen his victory, such as when he wins a bowling trophy on which his surname is misspelled.

Hmmm.

There are five in my immediate biological family. John, Joan, Jeff, Jane and … me. My first name is John, resulting in exactly 100% of us with names beginning with the letter J. But I have been called by my middle name, David, my entire life. Allegedly, this was to avoid confusion with my dad. I think, in fact, it was done to remind me that I am different. Uniquely not part of the “J” clan.

I fell far from the tree.

To quote Charlie Brown, "Somehow, I never quite know what's going on..."

Posted by dave at 01:07 PM | Comments (0)

May 21, 2008

The Yoga Sutra

says "when important things start to happen big things come along to try and stop them."

Oh, yes.

Yoga is about balance. Not exclusively about physical balance. Yin/ yang. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Calming the mind and the breath when the going gets nuts. Working through the struggle rather than letting the struggle beat you. Yoga is about what you are NOT doing. Yoga is about how your mind turns things around. You can't do anything about the teacher, the humidity, the funky smell of your yoga mat, the temperature in the room, the ache in your back that wasn't there yesterday (and probably won't be there tomorrow)... But you can change your attitude toward these things.

So, too, with life.

I am blessed with my health, body, breath, mind, spirit and the love of my life. The past year has been, without hesitation, one of the happiest in my life. I adore Chis more than life itself (after 16 years), I love living in New York, and I am grateful to have found my yoga, which has become a very important part of my life. It has changed me in many wonderful and profound ways. I am on this journey of stillness, fulfilment, and inner peace. These are the "important things" that the yoga sutra talks about.

With them comes the "big things that come along and try and stop them". Some emotional baggage has resurfaced from my childhood, and I daresay that without the yoga, I would have great difficulty finding balance. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Oh, yes.

Posted by dave at 01:53 PM | Comments (0)

May 03, 2008

Still Laughing

Yesterday morning, I went to yoga at 10am. My dear friend, Graham was teaching. The Bikram yoga that I practice uses a mirror at the front of the room. It's great to use it to check my alignment, but for many, it is a source of energy. Looking at yourself in the mirror for 90 minutes brings a certain hardened awareness to the yoga. The mirror also tells no lies. It gives you nothing but truth. There is no hiding behind untruths, clothing, makeup, hairdos. It reflects my body (and spirit if you can get into that space) in all of its truth. Right ear lower than the left. Dimple on my left shoulder that isn't on the right. Bow legs. Knobby knees. The challenge is to focus on who I am, without judgement, and not compare myself to anyone else in the room, or compete with anyone.

So it begins the source of my full belly laugh that started yesterday morning around 10:05 and continues unabated, and occassionally without warning and in public.

At the beginning of every Bikram yoga class, the teacher begins by encouraging the class to focus and concentrate, and something about the class being a moving meditation.

Yesterday, Graham said this:

"Standing with your toes and heels touching, hands down by your side, focus on your own eyes in the mirror. Focus, concentrate, medicate."

I was just starting my first deep pranayama breath when he said it. I burst out laughing. As did the rest of the class. It took me several minutes to get myself under control.

The irony is that about 5 months ago, Graham and I were sitting in Jamba Juice and I was encouraging him to ween himself off his anti-depression medication and see if practicing yoga everday would stabilize his chemical imbalance. We had been discussing how America is over-medicated. (Turn on the TV or open a magazine - if it isn't an ad for a drug or some cheap financing, it's probably for a gas-guzzling car). However, I did caution him to check with his therapist before trying it. He did, and his therapist recommended scaling back to 1/2 a pill a day for two weeks, then off cold turkey. Graham did and feels infinitely better.

The next time I'm feeling blue, I shall recall Graham's opening words of wisdom on that memorable May 2. Medicate, not meditate.

I love you, Graham. You never let me down.

LOL.

Posted by dave at 08:58 AM | Comments (0)

April 24, 2008

G'Mornings, Spring

When I woke this morning, the windows were open, the birds were singing, and the breeze was fresh and inspiring. It was corny, like a Downy fabric softener ad. The sun had not yet made its way high enough to get direct sunlight over the buildings and into our apartment, and it didn’t matter because my early mornings are precious and special to me.

Spring is an incredibly hopeful time of the year. The leaves on the trees are budding, the hyacinths are fragrant, the tulips and daffodils are in full radiant bloom. There is a sweet scent of pollen in the air. And the birds are busy making their nests to get ready for the first round of offspring. It is full of life. Life coming to life. Awakening from the cold deep sleep of winter.

Mornings are similar. It is a hopeful time. The Arawak Indians, the original inhabitants of the Caribbean Islands, were a peaceful and passive people. They were called Indians because Christopher Columbus determined that he had found China, but decided when he saw these indigenous people, that it clearly wasn’t China, and must, therefore have been India. The Arawak’s prayed as the sun set, prayed that the sun would rise again the next day. For them, it was like a light bulb that may burn out. And they couldn’t screw in a new bulb. Remember, it was the fifteenth century.

It makes me ponder the things we take for granted. The air we breathe. The water we drink. The food we eat. None of it would be available to us without the sun. We take for granted that the sun will rise again tomorrow. On a different level are the luxuries that we take for granted. The light switch that turns on the lights. The internet connection that helps us to communicate. Cable TV. The water that seems to endlessly flow from our faucets.

Imagine living in a world where you prayed that the sun would rise again tomorrow. That you worried that the sun may not rise tomorrow.

Doesn’t that completely make all of the worries and struggle and complaining and whining seem so irrelevant?

Nick, a favourite yoga teacher of mine, said a couple of weeks ago “There you are walking along the street, grunting and groaning about a tooth ache. Then you are hit by a bus. Suddenly, all the fretting about the tooth ache becomes quite ridiculous. Embrace the pain! Make it your friend! Breathe through it!”. He said this at a moment in the hot yoga class when the blood vessels in my brain felt like they were going to burst.

But he’s right. Each of us is confronted with a choice. Embrace the struggle, or let the struggle consume you. Fret, gripe, whine, complain, be dramatic. Or be calm, cool as a cucumber, let it roll off your shoulders. Emit the force field. Be strong and let it bounce off. Rise above. Be strong.

The sun may not rise tomorrow. And if it does, when it does, embrace it. Smell the roses. Enjoy the birds. Marvel in the details of nature. Breathe deeeeeeply. Fill your lungs with the very oxygen and nitrogen that keeps you alive. Stretch your arms to the sky. Really stretch. And be grateful that the world continues to exist around you. And support you.

It owes you nothing.

You owe it the world.

Posted by dave at 08:18 PM | Comments (0)

April 08, 2008

A Year in the Life of a Manhattan Condo President

While the stories are simply too juicy and unbelievable to write about today, once I have retired from my current thankless volunteer job (I am counting the days - is 3,744 hours too many to begin counting down?), I intend to write a book. Please, someone remind me. It will be the funniest, silliest, most ridiculous thing you have ever read. The characters alone are enough to make you nuts. It's what they do that will make you buy the book!

Posted by dave at 08:09 PM | Comments (0)

April 04, 2008

Good Golly, Miss Molly!

We bought the boat.

Hull #108 will be launched in early June in Huntington, New York!

We decided to name her "Prana", but then I started to research the number 108. Here is what I learned:

108 is sacred within Hinduism, Buddhism and connected yoga and dharma based practices.

Hindu deities have 108 names. Recital of these names, often accompanied by counting of 108-beaded mala (prayer beads), is considered sacred and often done during religious ceremonies. The recital is called namajapa.

108 is the number of sins in Tibetan Buddhism.

In Japan, at the end of the year, a bell is chimed 108 times to finish the old year and welcome the new one. Each ring represents one of 108 earthly temptations a person must overcome to achieve nirvana.

Zen priests wear juzu (a ring of prayer beads) around their wrists, which consists of 108 beads.

Many Buddhist temples have 108 steps.

The distance from the Sun to the Earth is 108 times the diameter of the Sun.

The average distance of the Moon from the Earth is 108 times the diameter of the Moon.

In Homer's Odyssey, there are 108 suitors coveting Penelope, wife of Odysseus.

108 is the automic number of HASSIUM

There are 54 letters in the Sanskrit alphabet. Each has masculine and feminine, shiva and shakti. 54 times 2 is 108.

The chakras are the intersections of energy lines, and there are said to be a total of 108 energy lines converging to form the heart chakra. One of them, sushumna leads to the crown chakra, and is said to be the path to Self-realization.

Some say there are 108 feelings, with 36 related to the past, 36 related to the present, and 36 related to the future.

1 stands for God or higher Truth, 0 stands for emptiness or completeness in spiritual practice, and 8 stands for infinity or eternity.

The number 108 is used in Islam to refer to God.

If one is able to be so calm in meditation as to have only 108 breaths in a day, enlightenment will come.

Cool...

Posted by dave at 01:36 PM | Comments (0)

March 30, 2008

More QM2

Our friend, A vonS, lives on the waterfront in Brooklyn, overlooking the harbour and, in the distance, the Brooklyn Cruise Ship Terminal. On the evening we left on our trip to the Bahamas, she and Chis were emailing each other and she was taking photos. Another friend, Mona, was in Liberty State Park watching. Here’s the email string:

Chis to A vonS and Mona:
Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2008 6:16 PM
Subject: Not left yet

It's 6:15pm and we have not yet left the dock!
If you can believe it, the wind is too strong and is blowing us against the dock.
They said that when we finally do get off the dock, there will only be 12 feet between the smokestack and the Verrazano bridge due to the tide. Go figure.
Have a great Easter.

A vonS to Chis and Mona:
Sent: Thu Mar 20 18:18:40 2008
Subject: RE: Not left yet

We are watching the tugs pulling you away from bumping against the docks! It is fascinating -
Happy Easter

A vonS to Chis:
Sent: Thu Mar 20 18:33:54 2008
Subject: Not left yet

There you go!

Posted by dave at 08:53 AM | Comments (0)

March 17, 2008

Name, Please

Okay, so Jacksonville was cool. At least the sailing was.

Downtown is a bit of a ghetto in renaissance.

We arrived very late Friday night. Up early (what a surprise) I went for a walk and found coffee, bagels (echhh) and bananas. Buffet breakfasts in big Florida conference hotels are just not our cup of chowda. We hopped in the rental and drove to the marina to meet Jeff.

Jeff was a gentleman, took us out sailing for 4 hours, and despite generally windless conditions on the St. John's River, we had plenty. The gods must have known the offshore sailors were in town!

The sea trial was bliss. She performed beautifully in light winds, and heavier winds. We followed a race and managed to keep pace with the lead boats. At one point, I locked the wheel and let her steer all by herself. She was perfectly balanced. This was a HUGE surprise. The last Beneteau we sailed, we were taking down sails in almost no winds so that we could take the work out of the helm.

We think we're going to buy it, DowJonesIndustrialAverage-CreditCrunch-SubPrimeMortgageMeltdown-permitting.

Now all we need is a name.

So far, we have:

Platinette
Pickston (from D. Pickwoad and A. Johnston - pllllllllllease!)
Jowoad (ditto - oh, may the fleas of a thousand camels infest your armpits!)
Platina II
Prana
Intermission
Quincy
Commitment
Instinct

Send suggestions to dave@platina.ca!

Posted by dave at 08:36 PM | Comments (0)

March 11, 2008

Apparently, This is the One

We're off to Jacksonville, Florida this weekend to sea trial the Beneteau 40! We wouldn't spend this kind of dosh if we weren't serious. Seems to me we made 5 or 6 trips to Fort Lauderdale to buy Platina. So, this is a drop in the bucket.

Now, we need a name?! Send ideas to dave@platina.ca

Posted by dave at 08:23 PM | Comments (0)

March 07, 2008

Is this the one?

I'm tiring of it, too. We've looked at dozens of boats. Big boats, small boats, old boats, new boats...

I put boats into 4 tiers. Our Platina was Tier 1. A Catalina is Tier 4.

I have sailed a few Beneteaus and been really disappointed. Poorly balanced, poor quality workmanship. I put them in the "charter boat" category, built to have the crap kicked out of the them in a short life. Well, both Moorings and Sunsail put hundreds of them out on charter. I put Beneteau at the bottom of Tier 3.

But recently, the offshore sailors in us have been asking ourselves why we really need to buy and offshore boat to sail in Long Island Sound. Why a Swan? Why a Hallberg Rassy? Why an Amel? An Oyster? A Tayana?

We want to hop on the train to Stamford, walk to the marina, climb onboard, head over to Cold Spring Harbour for the weekend and come back Sunday to catch the train back to Manhattan. It rarely gets rough in Long Island Sound, protected by Long Island, of course. And we're not planning to live on it (for more than a week in the summer). So why not a boat that has nice amenities, lots of room, but not too much moolah?

And so, today, we saw it.

I was impressed. I moved Beneteau up from the bottom of Tier 3 to the bottom of Tier 2. And I'm okay with the idea of not owning a Tier 1 boat.

Could this be the one?

Posted by dave at 07:24 PM | Comments (0)

January 15, 2008

Three Queens

I splurged recently on a new Nikon D40 digital camera, which I am thrilled about for my upcoming journey from Aruba to Panama. But I daresay I have to work out the kinks. I got no really great photos of the three Queens.

(Credit to www.cunard.com for the photo. It's better than any of mine.)

Queen Mary 2, the largest cruise ship in the world, home-ports in Brooklyn. The Queen Victoria was launched in early January, and the Queen Elizabeth 2 is on its final around-the-world voyage. All three were in New York Harbour on Sunday, the first and last time this happened.

We were invited over to our friend, Alexandra's apartment in Brooklyn Heights. She has a magnificent view of the harbour. The Queen Mary 2 moved off the dock shortly after 7, and the two other ships rendezvoused just off Battery Park shortly before 8. And then the rain came. And then the fireworks.

It was truly magical to see these beautiful ships together.

Posted by dave at 11:32 AM | Comments (0)

January 12, 2008

Lightning & Levitation

I have mixed emotions about lightning. I admit that I have a mild fear of lightning. Not a run-for-the-cellar kind of fear, but more of a deep respect for the power of nature. I will also admit that a good thunderstorm makes me randy, baby! It’s a dichotomy of emotions that I can’t explain.

When we lived at our Schoolhouse in Canada, I went to the barn during lightning storms. If lightning struck one of the 23 big old maple trees, the house would have been crushed. On Platina, our two masts were like lightning rods, especially when we were the only thing on the sea for miles. A sailboat struck by lightning can be very dangerous, because usually every piece of electronic equipment (radios, navigation, GPS, autopilot, etc.) gets fried. During lightning storms, we put our laptops, portable GPS, portable VHF radios, cell phones, sat phones and any other portable piece of equipment – in the stainless steel oven. Reportedly, this is the best place to protect these things in a storm.

A series of electrical storms rolled through New York yesterday.

My Bikram yoga practice reached a plateau recently. I decided to cut back a bit, go to other Bikram studios in the city to introduce new elements to my practice, run more, and do more vinyasa yoga. I went with my dear friend and Bikram yoga teacher, Graham, to a class at the Chelsea studio yesterday. It was pouring rain when I arrived and I was soaked to the bone. No matter, I would be sweating profusely in a few minutes and it just didn’t matter.

There is an asana (pose) called Camel.

You stand on your knees, knees and feet 6 inches apart. You put your hands on your butt, drop your head back, and bend your total spine backward. If you feel comfortable (when in a pretzel, one never exactly feels “comfortable”?), drop your hands to your heels, grab on tight, then thrust your hips forward and your chest up. You look like a capital “D” from the side. On a physical level, it is a wonderful stretch for the front-side of your body and compression for the backside of the spine. Gravity drains the blood from your heart into your brain on one side, and into your lower body on the other. On a spiritual level, it is a very exposing, revealing and future-oriented asana. Your heart is exposed, and your genitals are thrust forward. I have come out of Camel and cried, laughed, wanted to bolt from the room. I have seen stars, and been uber-dizzy.

Camel, like lightning, is a dichotomy of emotions. Many asanas I hate (but practice because I know it’s good for me and makes me feel better). Many asanas I love. But only Camel I both hate and love.

My yoga practice is a journey. The destination is inner peace and awareness. Some believe that when you achieve these two things, you become one with the energy of the universe, a single source of pure white light. I get this from time to time, and it is wonderful and cathartic. But it is rare. It is a completely different feeling than an endorphin high from distance running, for example. It is less physical and more spiritual.

I know, by now many are thinking “Geez, Dave, you’re wackadoo” (thanks, Graham, for this wonderful South African word).

Back to yesterday’s practice. The Chelsea studio was very humid thanks to the rain. The windows were open a crack to let some air in to dilute the closeness of the humidity. I went into my first Camel, and things went well. I came out and felt pretty good (this rarely happens). I went into my second Camel and I had just gone past the “I hate this” phase, got a wonderful deep breath and moved into the “wow, this is unbelievable” phase. I lost myself in my breath, and I became aware that nothing else mattered but this perfect moment.

And then it happened. A bright flash of white light, followed a few seconds later by a loud crack of thunder. I didn’t flinch. Not a twitch. Not even a wiggle. I was beyond my fear of lightning and beyond my hate of Camel. I was in a place of deep awareness and peace.

I’m not doing the moment justice with these words. Often, the gift of language does not provide our species with the ability to properly communicate precious moments that are filled with such pureness and peace. For example, try to describe your best orgasm.

The decision to step out of my routine and change the elements of my journey was indeed cathartic. I am inspired again.

Namaste.

Posted by dave at 10:53 AM | Comments (0)

January 07, 2008

News?

I know, I know. I've had a few desperate emails asking whether we fell off the face of the earth. Just busy with the holidays, and life, and all the other noise that seems unfitting to blog about. But I realize that in order to keep the hits on the website increasing, one must give people a reasons to visit, no?

Our holiday season this year was really quite fun. We picked out a beautiful Douglas fir tree in early December, and while they wrapped it in environmentally-unfriendly plastic netting, we scooted into Rite-Aid to buy some environmentally-friendly pine-cone shaped LED lights. Heaving the tree on my shoulder, and Chis with his canvas bag full of LED lights, we walked home to set up our tree. The tree seemed huge on the street, but when we set it up, it was tiny. Even a 7-foot tree look tiny in a room with 14-foot ceilings. The trouble is, a bigger tree has a bigger base, which, for those of you who have seen our tiny apartment, would require less furniture. And less furniture would require storage, which is in scarce supply.

Nevertheless, a stunning wreath from the farmer's market at Union Square, the tree and a beautiful poinsettia from my parents, and the place looked really festive.

DP & AJ arrived Saturday December 22 and were with us until Boxing Day (NOT a holiday in the US). We had a wonderful time. Christmas is a time to spend with family, and these two are definitely part of our family.

Jim & Luc, with whom we have spent EVERY New Year's Eve for the past 15 years (except 2005 in the Bahamas and 2006 in New York), arrived on December 28 and left us on January 1. Yet another fond memory of New Year's, which was, as always, a joyous feast resulting from 48 hours and shopping and cooking.

The apartment seems to be returning to normal. Although, I did manage to clog the kitchen drain with garberator-guck last night. I had the whole thing pulled apart today, and I expected to find a large decomposing cabbage, but instead found a rancid bundle of coffee grinds, rosemary twigs, celery strands and onion skins.

I'm off to Aruba on Janauary 18 to meet Mike & Judy on PorFin (the three of us sailed Puerto Rico to Bonaire in November). This journey will be about 600 miles from Aruba to the San Blas Islands in Panama. It should take us about 4 to 5 days. I am TRES excited!

Posted by dave at 07:44 PM | Comments (0)

December 21, 2007

Red Shirt Fridays

While I find few ways to support Dubbya's stupid wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, I find myself compelled to support the troops that are fighting. If you haven't heard about Red Shirt Fridays, please click HERE to read an entry on Curt Schilling's blog. Thanks, Jeff M, for bringing this to my attention.

By the time you watch the youtube video clip and read the story, you'll be weeping like a baby, whether you support the wars or not.

I'll be wearing red today.

Posted by dave at 08:53 AM | Comments (0)

December 01, 2007

Am I A New Yorker

I was on my way to yoga at the Midtown studio today when I decided to take a quick detour to Rockefeller Center. It still being morning, I figured I could beat the crowds. I walked up 6th Avenue, and by the time I got the 46th Street, the crowds had thickened like pea soup. I can spot the tourists from a block away. Maybe because they move slowly, walk four across, not in a straight line, and when they get to an intersection, they stop dead in their tracks, whether the light is green or red, and look up.

My progress was diminshing, as my pace slowed. I was aiming for a store on the Promenade at Rockefeller Center. Within eyesight, my progress ground to a halt. Nobody was moving. I changed course and headed for Fifth Avenue to take the east entrance to the Promenade. Better progress, but not much.

I finally made it into the store, picked up a few things, and one of the store associates approached me to see if I needed any help. Clearly she could tell I was on a mission to buy, not to browse.

As I was paying for my few things, she said "You're a New Yorker aren't you?" I hesitated for a second or two, and then said with confidence, "Yes".

She followed by saying "What on earth are you doing in Midtown? New Yorkers know better than to come to Midtown on a weekend in December." We had a good laugh, not at the expense of the swarms of tourists all around, but at my expense for not taking evasive action.

I left the store, without enough time to drop in to the MoMA store to pick up some Christmas cards before my yoga class. Maybe I'd come back after yoga? By the time I reached the yoga studio, hoofing it through more swarms of people in Times Square, I decided clearly that my trip to MoMA would wait until Monday.

I suppose I am finally a New Yorker.

Posted by dave at 04:09 PM | Comments (0)

October 30, 2007

50th Anniversary Photos

The relative silence on www.platina.ca over the past couple of weeks has been exponentially correlated to the inverse relationship between party planning and brain band width. The weekend of festivities went off without so much as a hitch (or at least, nobody told me about the hitches if there were any). Here are a few photos from the celebrations here in New York for Chis' parents' 50th wedding anniversary. Elvis is clearly not dead, and very much smitten with Julianne!

Posted by dave at 02:16 PM | Comments (0)

October 07, 2007

The Offer

The used boat market sucks for sellers right now and if they are feeling any sort of pinch from the credit squeeze, or the housing market, or the general malaise of the US economy, boats are the first things they sell. I mean, they need a place to live, and maybe they need a way to get to work, but really, if they are in any kind of pinch, they don’t need the boat.

And we are really not highly motivated, nor in any hurry to buy. Take that much money out of the market to buy a depreciating asset that will sit idle for the next five months? Nobody can convince me that this sounds like a smart plan.

So we asked ourselves how badly we wanted the Saga 43, and decided we wanted it at a certain price, but not above.

The boat had been listed for 290 for 6 months. The broker had just brought the price down to 275 about two weeks before we looked at it. He sent me a bunch of comparable sales, which suggested it should go for 245ish. We offered 200. The owner countered at 270. We decided not to respond.

The broker asked us to keep the offer alive and sign it back with a take-it-or-leave-it offer. We gave him a verbal offer of 225.

Two days later, he sent me an email to say that he had not shared our new offer with the owner, and tried to convince me that 250 was the right price. It may be the right price, and someone may actually pay it, but not us.

Several days later, and after a couple of phone calls during which I pushed the broker back, he sent me an email to say that there was some activity brewing around the boat, and if we wanted to do something, now was the time. This kind of sales tactic makes me highly suspect. I expect this in real estate, where there is a need factor. But not with boats.

I asked him to keep us posted on any offers he receives, but that we would wait until the spring. If this boat was no longer available, then it wasn’t meant to be.

I believe that the owner will become more motivated when he realizes that there is no activity. He knows that we’re sitting on the sidelines, and that we like his boat. It may fall into the hands of someone else, and that’s great because they are meant to have it more than we are.

There will be the right boat at the right price. The issue is no longer whether or not we get one. The questions is which one and at what price.

Posted by dave at 09:53 AM | Comments (0)

September 29, 2007

New Bike Lane

How unbelievably cool is this? On 9th Avenue, the city has put in a new bike lane. See the van on the far left? It's moving south (fast). See the SUV to the right of the van? It's parked. See the white painted diagonal lines? That's where the city will plant greenery. See the empty lane on the far right next to the sidewalk? That's the new bike lane!

More bikes!

Less cars!

Posted by dave at 05:54 PM | Comments (0)

September 26, 2007

This is the One

We went down to the Mystic/ Stonington area in Connecticut last weekend. Phase 2 of our sailboat shopping. It was a long journey to see two boats, and after seeing the first one, my heart was sinking. We had seen plenty of boats, but nothing had yet said "this is it!".

Until we saw the Saga 43. Wow!

We are pondering our options and trying to make a decision on what to do. We have actually talked about making an offer. Stay tuned.

Posted by dave at 03:51 PM | Comments (0)

Lions & Tigers & No Internet, Oh My!

Egads.

We have had a string of bad luck with our internet. We started with Verizon. It crapped out. We switched to Time Warner Cable. It crapped out. We switched back to Verizon. It crapped out again. Back to Time Warner.

Then Alentus, our website hosting service, crapped out. They deleted three days' worth of email. I haven't a clue who's out there cursing me for not responding to a message.

Then, last Thursday, just after I hooked up my new iPhone, Time Warner crapped out. Almost a week later, and it's back up and running.

I can live without cable TV. I can live without a home telephone. But don't take my internet away, baby!

Posted by dave at 03:44 PM | Comments (0)

September 17, 2007

Could this be the one?

We had an absolutely wonderful time in Newport at the boat show this weekend. We caught up with Toby and his squeeze to look at a couple of Alden 44's up in Portsmouth (in the driving rain). We saw lots of new boats. We were most impressed with the Outbound 46 and the Najad 44. But we're not looking to buy a new boat this time.

Late in the day on Saturday we stumbled on the boat in the photo above. It's charming. A bit of a slug, but adorable. A little shorter and heavier than we might like, but with brand new electronic equipment. The sails are looking a little fringed, so they likely need replacing. But the owner bought another boat and wants to get rid of this one.

We'll see. There are a few we want to see in Connecticut this coming weekend. We're in no hurry, and frankly, as fall wears on, people get deparate to sell because they don't want to pay to haul it out of the water and store it for the winter.

We'll see.

Posted by dave at 03:55 PM | Comments (0)

September 13, 2007

Sounds of New York

I was on the phone today with Canada Revenue Agency. (If you must know, they LOST a bank draft I sent them in April. For $28,000!)

The woman on the phone asked what kind of car I drove? I said, I live in Manhattan, I don't have a car. She asked what the noise was in the background.

I said "it's New York".

I think she was in Shawinigan or Sudbury or someplace like that. Where it's quiet, even if the windows are open.

Posted by dave at 07:06 PM | Comments (0)

Margaret Garner

Photo Credit: New York Times

Last night, we attended the opening night of the New York City Opera's new season, which started with a new production Margaret Garner. This is one powerful story. The libretto was written by Toni Morrison, based on her 1987 book "Beloved".

Margaret Garner was a slave in Kentucky in the mid-1800s. The plantation owner sends her husband away, and moves her into his home to work. He accosts her.

Her husband escapes his new "employer" and returns to move Margaret and their two children to a safer place in free Ohio. The plantation owner discovers their whereabouts and arrives to take them back, then hangs her husband.

Rather than have her children return to a life of slavery, she kills them.

She is tried for stealing the plantation owner's property - her children. The trial hangs on the question of whether she should be tried for theft, or murder. She is sentenced to hang, nonetheless. At the urging of his daughter, the plantation owner gains clemency from the court to have Margaret released to his custody. She kicks the trap on the gallows open and hangs herself.

It's a happy story.

It wouldn't be opera if it was a happy story.

By far the very best that I have seen New York City Opera do yet. If you can see it, you should.

Posted by dave at 06:58 PM | Comments (0)

September 11, 2007

Board

Well. The board meeting was interesting. The main purpose was to elect officers.

Would anyone like to nominate someone for the position of President?

E proposes me. A seconds.

Would anyone like to nominate someone for the position of Vice President?

I propose E. A seconds.

Would anyone like to nominate someone for the position of Treasurer?

E proposes A. I second.

Would anyone like to nominate someone for the position of Secretary?

I propose E. A seconds.

Getting the picture? A, E and I have 3 of 5 seats on the board. So we stuffed the developer, who retained a seat on the board by default, with nothing.

A, E and I had discussed the whole thing the night before, on a conference call that did not include the developer. All is fair in love and war.

Posted by dave at 06:40 PM | Comments (0)

September 07, 2007

Election Results

The results of our condo association board election were announced this afternoon, and I'm slightly shocked to report that I have been successful in being elected.

ElAd Properties still controls about 30% of the units, and retains a seat on the board. Their representative is evasive, non-communicative, notoriously cheap, and difficult to get along with. This, combined with the fact that not a single resident has a single good thing to say about the developer, should make for interesting board meetings. The first is Tuesday.

Posted by dave at 05:04 PM | Comments (0)

September 06, 2007

AGM

Tonight was the first Annual General Meeting of our Condo Association. I decided to run for the board. 12 people showed up for the meeting. We had a quorum (?). The results will be out tomorrow.

Posted by dave at 10:15 PM | Comments (0)

September 04, 2007

Soleus

The soleus muscle in my right calf has been feeling better lately. It didn't bother me at all while cycling yesterday. And a week off running, and some extra yoga, seems to have done the trick.

This morning, I laced up my shoes, and off I went, determined to take it slow. The first block went really well, not so much as a twinge in my leg. I waited at 7th Avenue for the light, and started again. By the time I got to 8th Avenue, the pain was travelling like a lightening bolt up and down my calf. Damn.

More yoga.

NO RUNNING!

Posted by dave at 03:46 PM | Comments (0)

September 03, 2007

SoBe, Staten Island

Chis slept luxuriously this morning as I worked diligently on the New York Times crossword (Monday is the easy one, and they get progressively more difficult as the week gets on). I cleaned the kitchen, checked email, studied the weather (and Hurrican Felix), made fruit smoothies, and readied us for our day's cycling journey.

We left around 12 noon, headed first to the storage locker to get Chis' bike (mine now has a permanent parking spot next to the red leather chair in our living room), then pedaled down the Hudson River Trail to the Staten Island Ferry at Battery Park.

We climbed aboard the ferry, arrived on Staten Island, climbed on our bikes and looked longingly at the cycling route map. Hmm. If you've ever been to Staten Island, there's nothing that looks bike friendly when you get off the ferry.

We did our best, followed some bits of road and chopped up gravel paths, until we finally stumbled on Fort Wadsworth. Ah yes, this is the place where the New York City Marathon starts. It did not bring back memories, not pangs of willingness to do it a fourth time.

We carried on, and found South Beach. Who knew that Staten Island had miles of sandy beaches? With a bike path right along side? Awesome.

We stopped for lunch along the beach, watched the kites, and kept biking south toward Great Kills Park. We finally decided to head back, and by the time we reached the ferry, we had been cycling 4 hours. No wonder my keister was sore.

Back to Manhattan, we cycled back up the river and dropped Chis' bike at the storage locker, and limped home. All in all, an outstanding day of fresh air, sunshine and leg-stretching. We'll definitely do it again!

Posted by dave at 07:59 PM | Comments (0)

September 02, 2007

Platina 2?

Hmmmm. We're off to the Newport Boat Show September 14-16. Why, you might ask? Hmmmmmm. It seems that our recent ventures into Long Island Sound, and racing on the Hudson have infected us with the sailing bug. Not that we were ever immune. I mean, when it's in your blood, you're done for.

Platina was an offshore sailboat, frustrating in light winds. While safety and stability are core criteria for both of us, I think maybe a little lighter craft may be the order of the day. Not a racer, but something a little more nimble. Maybe this?

Posted by dave at 06:47 PM | Comments (0)

September 01, 2007

Blue Yankee

Took my freekin' breath away. That's all I can say. We were invited out on Serena 3 to watch the finish of the big boats in the Vineyard Race. Wow! Blue Yankee, who set a new course record, went screaming past us a lightning speed. Truly, a sight to behold. Click here for the final race results.

Posted by dave at 06:43 PM | Comments (0)

August 31, 2007

Vineyard Race

Yesterday evening, we hopped on a train from Grand Central for Stamford, CT to join the skipper's briefing before today's start of the Vineyard Race. The race is 230 miles out to Buzzard's Bay off Martha's Vineyard, and back. Click here to track the race. It was thoroughly enjoyable, and I daresay I wish I was crew on one of the boats starting at 3 this afternoon. Last year, it was nasty weather, and only 4 boats finished.

Posted by dave at 03:56 PM | Comments (0)

August 30, 2007

Racing MoonDance

I was out racing last night on the Hudson River with friends Toby, Ryan and MoonDance owner Andrew. We had nice wind compared to last week when we simply drifted around in the current. We arrived at the starting line over by Ellis Island and wondered where all the boats were. It turned out to be a Ladies' Regatta. We were four men. We raced anyway. We were the only boat in our class. We won.

Posted by dave at 02:31 PM | Comments (0)

August 28, 2007

(नमस्ते [nʌmʌsˈteː]

My brother-in-law, and his partner, are unbelieveable inspirations. I adore them both. Her mother is dying. She is so strong, with so much energy. Her journey will be a difficult one, and hardest on the loved ones around her.

Namasté or Namaskar (नमस्ते [nʌmʌsˈteː] in Nepali and Hindi (from internal sandhi between namaḥ and te) is an Indian greeting or parting phrase as well as a gesture.

Taken literally, it means "I bow to you". The word is derived from Sanskrit (namas): to bow, obeisance, reverential salutation, and (te): "to you".

When spoken to another person, it is commonly accompanied by a slight bow made with hands pressed together, palms touching and fingers pointed upwards, in front of the chest. The gesture can also be performed wordlessly and carry the same meaning.

Many believe it has a spiritual basis, in recognizing a common divinity within the other person.

"I honor the Spirit in you which is also in me".
"I honor the place in you in which the entire Universe dwells, I honor the place in you which is of Love, of Truth, of Light and of Peace, When you are in that place in you, and I am in that place in me, we are One."
"I salute the God within you."
“I recognize that we are all equal.”
“The entire universe resides within you.”
“The divine light in me salutes the divine light in you.”
"Your spirit and my spirit are ONE."
"That which is of God in me greets that which is of God in you"
"I honor the Holy One that lives in you."
"I bow to the divine in you"
"The Light of God in Me recognizes and honours The Light of God in You and in that recognition is our Oneness."

Dear Shirley,
namaste

And,
Dear little Sam, you would be one year old,
namaste

Posted by dave at 11:20 PM | Comments (0)

August 27, 2007

OWWWWIE #2

I had just turned the corner on the south end of Pier 40 when it happened. I wasn't running all that fast, but I daresay I have been pushing this 41-year-young body a little hard lately. Vinyasa yoga, Bikram yoga, running, cycling...

And then it happened. SPROING! A muscle or tendon in my lower right calf became instantly disengaged. The pain was unreal. It shot from the top of my achilles tendon to the middle of my shin bone. It hurt like nasty to toe off.

I stopped straight away and began a series of stretches and load bearings to see if I could isolate the tear. At first, I thought it was my plantaris tendon.

I went to Bikram yoga this afternoon, in the back of the class so that I could feel my way through the pain. The heat, I figured, would help. It did. A lot. But I discovered that the pain was truly running up the inside of my shin bone, so bing-bango-bongo, it must be my soleus. Damn. This is the nasty little muscle that is to blame for shin splints.

No more running until this clears up. Stairs are miserable, but walking is tolerable.

Damn. Damn. Damn.

More yoga. Less running.

Posted by dave at 06:40 PM | Comments (0)

August 21, 2007

Owwwwie

Power vinyasa yoga was awesome. It did something for me in a similar way to Bikram. But, man, I have to say, my arms and shoulders and hips are killin' me.

Now that I'm over-the-hill, I have to be a little careful and slow down.

NO WAY! I'm in!

Posted by dave at 08:13 PM | Comments (0)

August 20, 2007

Prana Power Yoga

About a month ago, I tried a yoga called anusara. Partly to try something new, and partly because I was considering buying the SOHO studio. The yoga didn't speak to me the way Bikram does, and I didn't proceed to buy the studio.

Today, I am going to try a vinyasa yoga class. It is in a heated room, but not nearly as hot as a Bikram studio. The postures move with your breath, which is very different indeed. In Bikram, the heat brings on a mild state of panic and can often affect your breathing, making it highly irregular. Much of the time, getting the breathing under control is the better part of the battle.

The heat in Bikram yoga, for me, is a metaphor for all the struggles we face in our lives. If you overcome the effect that the heat has on you, you can overcome just about anything.

Posted by dave at 11:32 AM | Comments (0)

August 09, 2007

Of Mice, ISPs and Mighty Men

Several weeks ago, I was standing in our empty apartment with the flooring contractor, and in a sequence befitting a calculus equation, two small mice tramped across the floor right in front of us. Within minutes, I called the Super for an exterminator, who came (apparently) the day before we moved back in.

DP and AJ were visiting last week, and we were sitting around talking about a modern dance show we had just seen, when out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a mouse. It ran for hiding. Then, Chis and I were sitting on the couch the other evening, and watched a mouse darting around the living room.

1pm Wednesday, I returned home from a series of meetings to discover a red light flashing on our modem. I called our ISP, and after two-and-a-half hours on the phone, the tech told me that the problem was theirs, not mine. Hmm. Our internet phone goes yellow if it doesn’t have a signal, which was the first thing I told him before we reconfigured my laptop, and re-booted several dozen times. They asked for 24 hours to fix the problem.

20 hours later, I called to get an update. “We’re still working on it” said Electric Lucy. To speak to a technician, the estimate wait time was “under 30 minutes”. Whoa! I walked over to the cable company to see what I could do with them. For the same price, I walked out with a modem, went home and hooked it up.

On my way home, I stopped by the hardware store and picked up 12 mouse traps, and while I waited for the new cable modem to warm up, I strategically set the traps where we had seen the mice.

I called our ISP to cancel. He said I would have to pay a $79 early termination fee because I had committed to a one-year contract. I asked him to provide me with the document I signed, which he couldn’t. As I was beginning a vitriolic speech about consumer rights and the FCC, he cut in to say that they had remedied the situation and I could get back online. After another hour on the phone, I was on again. Whew! I called the cable company, who let me off without a hitch.

We hopped on a train for Princeton to celebrate a 40th birthday, and returned around 11pm. Not a single mouse in the traps. Blast!

We may not have caught the dastardly mice, but we taught those ISPs a thing or two.

Posted by dave at 10:17 AM | Comments (0)

August 05, 2007

Senors Speedies Gonzales

Carbo loading took on new meaning last night with a feast of lobster risotto, complete with fresh basil and roasted field tomatoes. And a huge salad.

I awoke shortly after 4am. I crept into the kitchen, made some coffee, and poured over yet another chapter of the new Harry Potter book, which, I would say, I am not enjoying nearly as much as the others.

I woke Chis at 5. We were out the door shortly after 5:30, and, eye-lids half closed, we walked from the subway at Lexington Ave and 86th Street to the start in Central Park at 90th Street.

The start was corralled. And we both got seeded status. Chis way closer to the start line than me. The corrals closed at 6:15am, locking us into a 45 minute wait for the start.

The high humidity and temperature of the past couple of weeks had eased, and the clear blue sky yielded wonderful running conditions. It was a spectacular race, and we were finished the 13.1-miles and back home before 10.

We gorged on greasy diner breakfast, well-deserved, after a wee snooze. Chis was uber-fast, as always. I broke 1 hour-45 minutes easily, and set a new pace record for my new "Masters" status (over 40). 7:38 pace. Not bad for an old guy.

Posted by dave at 06:12 PM | Comments (0)

August 03, 2007

Come Back Soon

DP and AJ arrived last Sunday in the pouring rain. They decided to leave their car in Jersey City, thanks to the gracious generosity of Toby, who arranged for parking at the marina where he lives on his bateau. Chis and I, soaked to the bone, met them over there. We were just happy to see their smiling happy faces. A ferry ride, a walk, a subway ride, and another walk, and we were at our humble abode.

We had a fantastic week with them. It seemed just the right pace of shopping, theatre, dance, shopping, Bikram yoga, walking, groceries, etc. Nothing too hectic, but frenetic enough to help them forget about home in Toronto, and their jobs.

It is debateable whether the lattes at Grumpy on 20th Street are better than Jet Fuel on Parliament Street in Toronto.

I dropped them in Jersey City this morning, and as they drove away, I shed a tear. I truly enjoy their company, and hope that we see them again really soon. Life is so short, and friends are so precious.

Posted by dave at 07:00 PM | Comments (0)

July 27, 2007

Moving and Shaking

10 days ago, the moving truck arrived and barfed our things back into our terribly dusty apartment (with gorgeous new floors). We have been diligent in unpacking boxes, hanging art, and getting settled again with the upcoming visit from extended family members DP & AJ. They arrive Sunday from Toronto. We are SOOOOOO looking forward to seeing them. I going running with hottie AJ, because she looks like a super-model-movie-star, and she'll make me look like a stud. Except for the gay men, who will, of course, know better.

Moving back in was easier than I thought. We knew where everything went. We had been through the musical furniture routine (otherwise known in Canada as the Newfie Shuffle). So everything fell back into place quickly and seamlessly.

The day after we moved back in, I received a call from a business broker asking if I had an interest in buying a yoga studio. Hmmmm. After a bit of work and some light negotiations, today I said no thanks. I was intrigued, but something in the back of my Manitoba brain said "maybe not". The timing was incredible because my brain seems to have switched to business mode very quickly, and very strongly.

Stay tuned. Never a dull moment.

Posted by dave at 07:34 PM | Comments (0)

July 15, 2007

Busy Sunday

In wild anticipation of our move back to the condo on Tuesday, we spent a hot, humid day scrubbing, buffing and wiring. Here is a series of photos of the condo before the Tuesday chaos.

Posted by dave at 07:36 PM | Comments (0)

Master Bedroom

BEFORE

DURING

AFTER

Posted by dave at 06:40 PM | Comments (0)

Living Room

BEFORE

DURING

AFTER

Posted by dave at 05:44 PM | Comments (0)

July 10, 2007

Home Again

Yippee. They have started to paint the walls and trim in the apartment, and once that's finished, they'll put the final coat of sealer on the floors. They expect to finish this week.

So, we're moving back in next Tuesday, July 17. 29 days later.

Yippee!

Posted by dave at 12:15 PM | Comments (0)

July 09, 2007

Water

When you live on a boat, you quickly learn not to take things for granted. You have to. Like water, for example.

We carried 1,000 litres of water in our tank on Platina. We had a water maker, which made about 150 litres of water an hour. We had to be well offshore, in clean water, and needed to run our generator. To make desalinated water, we needed to deplete our diesel stores. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

New York City employs 6,000 people in the Department of Environmental Protection. They are responsible for the water that comes out of our taps, among other things.

New York City's 8-ish million people consume 1.3 to 2 billion gallons (5 to 7.5 billion litres) of water each day. What? 200 gallons (760 litres) of water per person per day? Is that even possible?

We estimate that two of us used about 1,000 litres every 10 days on Platina. That's 50 litres per person per day. To be fair, our toilets used sea water, and we didn't shower every day.

I admit that having returned to living on land, there is a certain mental accounting that does not exist when using water. It just seems to come endlessly from the faucet. Unlimited, infinite supply. I catch myself often, and return to the discipline of conservation. Imagine that you have a tank in your basement with only 1,000 litres of water. It will cost you $1,000 to fill it when it's empty. How will your consumption patterns change?

Here's some ways to conserve water in your home.

Posted by dave at 08:09 AM | Comments (0)

July 07, 2007

La Cucarocha

Dear Mona [Chis' Mama at the office],

The very dead cockroach, which rested peacefully in the lobby of our temporary apartment building, mysteriously disappeared on Independence Day. It had been there long enough to, at least partially, decompose. I hear that you and Chis had a plan to spoil my anthropological study by moving the dead cockroach to make me write about it, which was still there many days after we had moved in. Always there to greet me when I arrived, and always there to say its special "Have a nice day" when I left. While I admire the conspiracy that you and Chis had planned, I know full well that there is no way, not in a million, trillion, zillion years, that Chis would ever, ever, ever touch a dead cockroach. There is no issue. Not even with a tissue.

Not even with hermetically-sealed rubber gloves.

Nice try, dear Mona, but you and Chis will have to try harder next time.

With love and affection,
Keep up the SmartWater,
And the stairs,
Dave

Posted by dave at 07:31 PM | Comments (0)

July 06, 2007

Things that just make you shake your head

I went to check on the progress with our new floors after yoga yesterday, and as I passed three enormous piles of boxed walnut flooring in the hallway outside our door, which they are installing in the apartment two doors down, I rescued the warranty information from an open box. It says, in bold capital letters, "DO NOT GLUE DOWN SOLID RANDOM LENGTH WOOD FLOORING. SOLID WOOD FLOORING MUST BE NAILED OR STAPLED DOWN OVER AN APPROPRIATE WOOD SUB-FLOOR AS PER NWFA GUIDELINES."

I know this. Most anybody who is remotely handy, or has stepped inside a Home Depot, knows this. And I'm not a richly rewarded New York real estate developer like ElAd Properties, who GLUED DOWN OUR FLOORS. Not one single nail. No wood sub-floor.

Why bother with the glue at all, I ask? I mean, just slap it down, fit the tongue in the groove, wedge it together with the baseboards, and then deny any responsibility whatsoever when it buckles, warps, separates, and shifts. And then, after a few people complain to the Attorney General, and threaten to sue, offer to slap down the same floor on top of the buckling, warping, seaparating, shifting floor.

Ridiculous!

Posted by dave at 10:37 AM | Comments (0)

July 04, 2007

Green is the New Black

We were at an event a week ago, hosted by Suka Design. It was a summer solstice party. When we arrived, we were given a nametag, which we were asked to fill in, and complete "I will plant my tree ...". I wrote "in Central Park" (always the pragmatist). Chis wrote "where it counts" (always the thoughtful one).

Today, we planted the trees in the gardens along the Hudson River Trail. We felt like criminals, but it had started to rain, and in our bike helmets, it seemed fitting to be planting a tree. They are very close together, but we will check on them in the fall, and if they have survived, we will transplant one further away. I cycle by the spot at the West Side Highway and 29th Street almost every day, and will sprinkle some water as I go by.

A little bit of green goes a long way.

Posted by dave at 08:37 PM | Comments (0)

Day 14 Master Bedroom

The new floor is down, and partially sanded. This is a photo before the stain goes down, probably tomorrow. We have booked the elevator to move back in on July 17. Yippee. We miss our home.

Posted by dave at 08:35 PM | Comments (0)

July 03, 2007

Raw Talent

Have you discovered this video clip yet? I’m not going to give you his background, or give you any hints about what you are about to see. Just put your ear buds in, click the links and enjoy.

Audition

Semi-Final

Final

Posted by dave at 09:07 AM | Comments (0)

July 02, 2007

Union Square Greenmarket

The farmer's market in Union Square is one of my favourite places to shop for fresh produce. It's about a 5 minute walk from home. Lucy goes early and provides a preview of what's fresh and what's new. Her site will make my market adventures a little more focused.

Posted by dave at 08:58 AM | Comments (0)

July 01, 2007

Sailing Long Island Sound

I woke early enough to get out for a 5-mile run around Central Park. By the time I returned, we had a little more than 30 minutes to grab some breakfast, have a shower, and throw together our sailing gear in time to get our train to Stamford, Connecticut from Grand Central Station. And then Chis discovered that a presentation that a colleague was supposed to send out on Friday didn’t go, and he had to drop by the office to send it. Yikes, this would be tight. We hopped in a cab and made it to Rockefeller Center in 15 minutes. I walked ahead to the train station to get tickets, find the track, and get lattes. Chis arrived with a few minutes to spare before the train departed.

We pulled into Stamford shortly before noon, and our hosts Julie and Mike arrived with their adorable kids, Hannah (6) and Max (7). It was a quick trip to the marina to meet our other hosts, Steve and Fern, and their son, Jason. Soon Vicky arrived, and we were a crew. The boat was spectacular. A custom-built carbon fibre hull, built completely for racing. Three feet longer, this lightweight racer weighed less than half Platina’s heft.

In 7 knots of wind, the boat moved about 6 knots. To put this in perspective, in 7 knots of wind, Platina would not have left the dock. Platina would have limped along doing a little more than 2 knots. The difference, of course, was that Platina was built for safety, sturdiness and stability for comfortable offshore, long passage cruising.

It was a wonderful sail, we burned our noses, had a picnic on a mooring, and caught the 8pm train back to New York, followed by the usual collection of subway trains to get back to the Upper West Side. It was a long day, full of sun, light breezes, and great company.

We’re going again in two weeks, this time for a sail on Mike and Julie’s boat. Hmmm. This could be addictive.

Posted by dave at 09:13 AM | Comments (0)

June 30, 2007

The Intrinsic Value of a Bike

How much is your bike worth? I paid $200 for mine. In a little shop in the Beach, Toronto called Recycle. They refurbish old bikes and sell them. I’m not sure if they’re still around. My bike has taken me many miles, and I have fond memories. Chis and I used to commute in Toronto to work. When we lived in the country north of Toronto, we biked the snowmobile trails on the weekends. In Vancouver, I biked from our home in Horseshoe Bay to downtown, a distance I can’t estimate now, but the hills doubled the distance easily. By the time I got home in the evening, I had just enough energy to take Quincy and Eddie down the stairs to the beach for a swim. And I sat on a big rock and watched Eddie swim around, and Quincy try to eat the bubbles on the surface of the water. His eyesight was not so good, so I can’t imagine what fascinated him about chasing the bubbles. I guess it was like a game.

Living on the Upper West Side has revealed a golden opportunity to commute again. My daily trek to check on the floor progress started out on the subway, and shortly gravitated to my bike. It is a wonderful journey up the Hudson River Trail, the highlight of which is the 79th Boat Basin. Over the past week, I have watched cruisers come and go, and most recently spotted a Platina sister sitting out on one of the moorings. Flying the French flag. There didn’t appear to be anyone on the boat for several days, and yesterday I noticed that the dinghy was in the water, and some towels were hanging out to dry. They had returned, and I imagined that they must be getting ready to head somewhere. Possibly north to New England. South into hurricane alley was a doubtful plan. We’ve been there.

But I digress. I bought a lock for my bike the other day. I lost the key for my old “D” lock. Besides, I doubt that the old lock would have done much to discourage a street savvy New York thief. I asked for the best. They must see me coming a mile away. $90. I cringed. I said “that’s more than my bike is worth”. The salesman looked at my bike, which he could tell I love because the frame is filthy and beaten up, but the gears and brakes are immaculate. He simply said “What if your bike was stolen? Then what would you do?”

Good point. My bike is one-of-a-kind. It’s worth a lot more to me than the $200 I paid for it. It has moved as many times as I have. I think I am ready to admit that I have an emotional attachment to my bike. Like I did with our boat.

$90 well spent, I say. And so far, nobody has tried to steal it. I don’t leave it out at night. I mean, in this city, that’s like stapling a c-note to your t-shirt. Nope, I carry it up the long, narrow, dimly-lit, steep staircase into our tiny, dimly-lit apartment.

Besides, a little goes a long way. The more time I spend on my bike and off public transportation, the smaller my carbon footprint.

Coming up… Is a bike a pedestrian or a car? And, hey ped, get the %^$& outta my way!

Posted by dave at 09:18 AM | Comments (0)

June 28, 2007

Day 9

These guys are going like gang busters! The bedroom is finished, and about half the living is done. It looks beautiful, and it feels like a hardwood floor when you walk on it. Yippee. I can't wait to move home.

Meanwhile, I checked on the dead cockroach in the lobby today. It's still dead.

Today was my first day commuting on my bike. I love my Rocky Mountain Fusion. I bought a kick-ass lock, and had a blast cycling up and down the Hudson River Trail. Honestly, I never thought I would see the day when I would ride my bike through the streets of Manhattan. It's surprising how easy it is. As long as I stay away from the street pirhana (aka cabs).

Posted by dave at 08:13 PM | Comments (0)

June 27, 2007

Cesaria Evora

We discovered Cesaria Evora while browsing CDs in the Virgin Record store on the Champs Elysee in Paris in 1996. We were there to run the marathon. We put on the headphones to listen to a track or two and instantly fell in love. She is from the Cape Verde Islands, off the west coast of Africa, which we sailed past in March 2005 on our way to the Caribbean from the Canary Islands.

She played Carnegie Hall last night to a sold-out crowd. She has performed in Toronto many times, but we have never been able to see her. I think we have every single one of her CDs, except for her latest one.

True to form, she performed barefoot. She was remarkable, and in broken English/ Portuguese, she introduced her 8 member band - two on drums, four on strings, one on piano, and one on sax. She said of herself "mi conductor". You just have to love her.

The opening act was The Bird and The Bee, an indie/ pop music duo from LA. I really got into their nerdy groove, but Chis thought they played too long. Have I said lately that he is four years' older than I? I especially liked Again and Again and Again and Again.

Posted by dave at 08:05 PM | Comments (0)

June 25, 2007

Day 7

The old floor is gone, and the plywood sub-floor is down.

And the dead cockroach in the lobby of our temp apt is still dead.

Posted by dave at 08:10 PM | Comments (0)

June 24, 2007

The Apartment

How best to describe our teeny weeny itsy bitsy temporary apartment.

It’s teeny weeny. It’s itsy bitsy.

The bedroom, at the opposite end of the apartment from the bathroom (?!), is wide enough to fit only a double bed, and two narrow side tables. There are two windows overlooking the courtyard. We had to peel the tape off the window to open it for some fresh air. At the end of the bed, on one side, is another window with an air conditioner. The knob is stripped, so we have to pinch it to turn it on. But the line doesn’t line up with anything so we have no idea what we turn it on to. And it randomly blows black bits into the room. At the end of the bed on the other wall is a tall bureau, on top of which is a huge TV. I think a TV in the bedroom is a huge and unnecessary luxury.

The living room/ dining room is small and dark. There is a sofa, facing an enormous TV, and a chair with no arms. In the dining part of the room is a small table with four chairs. And next to the table is a small desk. In our condo, the dining room table is my desk, so actually having a desk is a bit of spoil. The plaster in the corner behind the TV has been repaired for whatever reason, but not painted.

The kitchen is another thing altogether. A good kitchen is important to me. I can work with small, but not with bad. On Platina, our kitchen was small, but it functioned extremely well. Believe it or not, a small kitchen on a boat is a good thing, because cooking at sea is no small challenge. Wedging your posterior against the opposite counter can save you from stumbling with a sharp knife. In our first NY apartment on the Upper West Side, where we lasted only a week, it was a bar fridge, a sink, and a two-burner hot plate. The tiny round table doubled as the counter. In our second NY apartment in Midtown, our kitchen was a closet. Literally. Two of us could not fit. And I often used the top of the fridge as extra counter space. Our condo has a beautiful kitchen, which I enjoy using frequently. I have often said to Chis that it is too big.

The kitchen in this temporary apartment is better than our other two apartments, but nothing like the condo. The most fun is the neighbours. The kitchen window of our closest neighbour is about three feet from ours. We could trade recipes. They have pulled their blind down halfway, so all I ever see is below their torso. It’s an elderly couple, and they eat their meals at the same time everyday, and sit in the same place.

The kitchen sink is shallow, probably 5 inches deep, so that the dishwasher could fit underneath. The dishwasher is vintage, and I cannot find zero-phosphate dishwasher detergent up here, so I wash everything by hand. I ran the dishwasher once, and it sounded like an airplane taking off. The fridge runs non-stop. I think the seal is broken. There are about 3 feet of counter, which is enough to get a meal done. It’s the mouse poo on the counter that I can’t tolerate. And the teeth-marks in the butter.

The bathroom is fine. The toilet is tiny. I think it would be a challenge of trajectory for large person. The floors seem to have been finished several times, one on top of the other, because the tub is sunken about halfway into the floor.

There is no lift in the building, which is fine by me. The stairs are very steep, and the floors are like old hospital floors. I check periodically on the status of the dead cockroach at the front door. It’s still dead.

There is laundry and trash/recycling in the basement. I did laundry yesterday. I don’t think the dryer lint collector had been emptied in months. Next to the laundry machines are a series of rodent and insect traps. “Sweet Banana” says one. Beneath which it says “Do not touch rodents or insects in trap”.

Day 5. 25 days to go.

Posted by dave at 10:40 AM | Comments (0)

June 22, 2007

Day 3, Living Room

My level of disgust with the developer, ElAd Properties, has reached an all-time high. I didn't think it was possible.

We knew the concrete floor, to which they glued (not nailed) the hardwood floor, was not level. Not level? In front of the bathroom doors, they actually skimmed concrete to raise the floor so that it would be at the same level as the tile floor in the bathrooms. They made an unlevel floor more unlevel. In some places, the concrete has cracked considerably, and in many places, the adhesive had not cured. When our contractor pulled up the old floor, some of the concrete came with it! Unbelievable.

No wonder I could bounce on the floor.

In apartment 3H down the hall, the builder is busy shimming the floor getting ready to put down the plywood subfloor. Shimming, in this case, means a lattice of 2x4s!!! Almost 6" difference between the inside wall and the outside wall. Do they not realize the amount of moisture that will be trapped in this space below the floor? When they walk on it, it will sound like a theatre stage.

This builder cuts corners all over the place, and it confirms for us once again that we made the right decision to do our floors with our own contractor.

Posted by dave at 02:22 PM | Comments (0)

Day 3, Master Bedroom

Late yesterday afternoon, I went to check on the progress of our floors. It looked like a torpedo had exploded in the place. They had tidied up a bit before I took this photo this morning.

In the middle of the floor, you can see a small round blotch of whiter concrete. This concrete came up with the old floor when it was removed, and left about a 3/4" deep hole. No wonder I could hear crunching under my feet when I walked on the floor.

Posted by dave at 02:19 PM | Comments (0)

June 20, 2007

10 Moves, 11 Years

1 Leuty Ave to Balsam Ave (1996).
2 Balsam Ave to Vancouver (1999).
3 Vancouver to the Schoolhouse (2001).
4 The Schoolhouse to Storage in Toronto and to Platina in France (2004).
5 Platina to Storage in Fort Lauderdale and to New York (2006).
6 New York Hilton to Studio Apartment (2006).
7 Studio Apartment to Midtown Apartment (2006).
8 Midtown Apartment and Storage in Toronto to New York Condo (2007).
9 New York Condo to Storage and to Temporary Apartment (2007).
10 Temporary Apartment and Storage to New York Condo (July 2007).

Yesterday was a long, tedious and tiring day. Moving is never very much fun. It exposes the cable bill that mysteriously disappeared, the dust elephants, and the fringes of one’s stamina.

Stamina is defined as “strength of physical constitution; power to endure disease, fatigue, privation, etc”. It is also defined as the plural of stamen, “the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower, usually consisting of a filament and an anther”.

The closest synonym to “stamina” is “endurance”. I actually think they are very different things. Endurance, to me, is like a bank account. You can increase the balance in your endurance account through training. You withdrawal by running a race. You train your body to persevere. Some days, the bank just isn’t open for business. And some days, you yearn to visit. Stamina, to me, is what you need when the bank is closed, or the balance in your account is zero. It’s what keeps you going when there’s just nothing left. Endurance is the contribution of the body to the equation. Stamina is the contribution of the mind.

My endurance carried me from 5:30 yesterday morning, to almost 8:30 last night. By the time I fell asleep last night, I felt neither the power to endure fatigue, nor did I feel like a filament or anther. The bank account was empty, and my brain went on pause. I slept through a phone call from brother-in-law, Ian, whose flight from Laguardia to Toronto was cancelled. I discovered the message this morning, too late to aid the stranded traveler.

I hustled down to the apartment this morning to meet the flooring guys. They got started right away, and by 11am they were making good progress ripping out the old floor. I looked around at our empty space, and realized that we made the right decision. The floors really are awful. I know, I know, I can be a little dramatic sometimes, and I tend to exaggerate a little. But these floors are pretty bad. And with the place empty, it really showed.

It has taken us 6 months, during which we got nowhere with the developer. They took forever to own up to their responsibility, then made a ridiculous proposal to fix the problem, and then took forever to respond to our questions. We’re on the right path now. Our stamina and endurance have paid off.

Posted by dave at 05:58 PM | Comments (0)

June 19, 2007

What Song are You Humming?

Well, our bags are packed
We're ready to go
They're standing there
Outside the do' ...

And the movers arrive at 9. The art (what few pieces we had put up) is down off the walls, the closets are empty, and the kitchen is clean. Who knew that two people could generate such dust elephants in six short months?

There has been a barage of emails from the contractor, covering off all the last minute details.

And even though nobody has been in the apartment on the UWS since Friday, we cannot get the keys until 4pm. Why do I think I'll have some time to kill this afternoon? I know, yoga!

Then, I'll load the huge duffel bag, two backpacks, multiple canvas bags, napsack, drycleaning, and a few groceries into a taxi, and hurl my way up to 86th Street. I'm sure that the driver will help me in the door with everything. Then, three long flights of stairs up to the apartment.

Then, an ice cold beer.

This all sounds vaguely familiar.

Posted by dave at 08:39 AM | Comments (0)

June 15, 2007

Bye, bye shitty floors

Well, here we go.

Last week, we decided that we couldn’t trust the developer, ElAd Properties, to fix the floors in our apartment properly. The responses to our questions showed such a lack of commitment and concern for the quality of the finished product. I mean, if they couldn't get it right the first time, then denied anything was wrong, then agreed something was terribly wrong, the couldn't convince us they could make it right, why should we expect they could do this?

I called a flooring contractor whose work I have seen, and who has been to see our shitty floors. He came by the apartment on Tuesday, and he will start ripping out our shitty floors on Wednesday.

Next call, the movers. Everything has to go into storage for a month. They will be here Tuesday morning at 9.

Next call, brokers. I guess we need a place to live. I dashed around the city today and looked at some really lovely (ie. really expensive) places, and some really dodgy (ie. cheap) apartments. In the end, I chose a kinda dodgy, kinda lovely one-bedroom apartment on the Upper West Side (West 86th and Columbus). Good location for running in Central Park, and close to a Bikram yoga studio at Columbus and West 72nd Street. But man, it’s up there. No more walking to work for Chis.

Ehhh, it’s only for a month.

It will only take them three weeks to rip out the shitty floor, screw down plywood, then nail down the new floor. Afterwards, we will paint the place, and finish everything beautifully before we move back in.

While this is the last thing I imagined we’d be doing, having bought brand new construction, I am actually looking forward to it.

I mean, who wants to make the furniture bounce by simply walking on the floor?

Posted by dave at 07:18 PM | Comments (0)

June 12, 2007

Weekend in Fog City

Chis had to be in San Francisco this week for business, so we decided to go ahead and enjoy a weekend in one of our favourite cities. I went early Friday morning, and arrived in time to make it to Funky Door for a yoga class. Chis arrived shortly before 8 and we met at the W Hotel before heading to Chaya Brasserie for dinner. Chaya has a wonderful view of the Bay Bridge.

Saturday morning, I hoofed it off to Funky Door’s Nob Hill studio for a morning yoga class, and met Chis in Union Square. We dropped a few things back at the hotel, and headed down Market Street to the Ferry Building. We caught the ferry to Tiburon, and had some lunch at Sam’s Café overlooking the little harbour and marina. It reminded us of Snug Cove on Bowen Island in Howe Sound, just west of Vancouver.

Chis was fighting a serious cold, and had been coughing so much that he pulled a muscle in his lower back. We got back to the hotel around 6pm, and he had a bath and fell sound asleep. Awake long enough for a bite of dinner, he fell back asleep and didn’t wake until Sunday morning when I returned with lattes, fresh fruit and pastries. I left him with the Sunday New York Times and hiked it back to Nob Hill for more yoga. After a quick shower at the hotel, we had brunch down at the Ferry Building on the patio at a wonderful place called Market Bar. We walked down to Fisherman’s Wharf, which was really sad to see what had become of such an historic spot. We walked back toward the hotel through Chinatown, stopped for a glass of Viognier in the blazing sunshine at Café de la Presse, and returned to the hotel around 5. We grabbed our bags and hopped in a cab to the Sofitel in San Mateo, much closer to the office.

I woke at 5am Monday, and was out the door at 6 to catch my 8am flight. Chis went to the office. My flight left on time, and we even landed at JFK on time, but we had to wait for ground traffic to clear before we could get to the gate. It was very late by the time I got home in New York.

Chis flies home tonight on the red-eye.

Posted by dave at 03:55 PM | Comments (0)

June 05, 2007

Hooked?

I was first introduced to Bikram (hot) yoga in Vancouver in 2003 by our extended family member, She Mulligan. I liked it, and tried to convince He Mulligan, a fellow distance runner, to give it a try. He would have none of it. We were living at the Schoolhouse at the time, an hour north of Toronto, where Bikram studios, never mind yoga studios of any kind, were non-existent.

When we decided to move to New York last year, I suggested to Chis that we give the yoga a try. One class and he was hooked.

Just moments before we left to catch a recent flight to Toronto, I peeled off an email to DP saying that we would love to catch he and his stunning, gorgeous, drop-dead hummmalicious wife, AJ, for brunch after yoga. In fact, why not come to yoga. We left before he responded that he just might meet us there. Sure enough, he did. He’s hooked.

Last night, I took our good friend, Tobes, to his first class. I neglected to fill him in on the details, like that it’s 90 minutes. After the class, he said “Geeez, some of my dates don’t last that long”. He’s not hooked.

I am hooked. Oh, so hooked. Here’s a few stats to explain just how hooked I am:

1 number of double classes plus a 5-mile run
4 number of inches lost on my waist
7 number of litres of water I consume each day
8 number of double classes since March 1
9 maximum number of classes in a week
30 number of pounds lost (approximately)
32 maximum number of classes in a month
57 maximum number of classes in 60 days
80 maximum number of classes in 90 days
123 total number of classes since January 1

Posted by dave at 07:36 PM | Comments (0)

June 03, 2007

Blue Planet Run

I spotted a two-page ad in the New York Times this week about something called the Blue Planet Run. The ad was clearly paid for by the sponsor of the run, Dow Chemical. Chis says the ad probably cost Dow about $130,000.

The thing is, there was no URL for the Blue Planet Run's website, no phone number, and it didn't even say that the run was starting on that very day at the United Nations Plaza here in New York.

The purpose of the journey is to raise money and awareness for the 1.1 billion people in the world living without clean water, 2.2 million of whom die each year. 20 runners each run 10 miles each day. They will cover 15,200 miles, 16 countries over 95 days. It's a brilliant idea. They are on their way to Boston, where they will fly to Shannon, Ireland later this week.

Cool.

Now, if I can only figure out why a chemical company is sponsoring a clean water event? Guilty conscience? Do they have a chemical that cleans the water? Do they have technology to clean the water? I went to Dow's website the first thing that caught my eye was some agreement they signed on a coal-to-chemicals project. Hmmm...

Posted by dave at 03:08 PM | Comments (0)

Saturday in the City

It seems that New York is currently laden with impressionist/ expressionist art. At the Metropolitan Museum of Art, an exhibition of the collection of Stephen and Sterling Clark, rivalrous brothers who went separate ways and collected very different bits of art. At the Wildenstein Gallery on East 64th Street, a collection of some 60 works by Monet, pulled together for the first time. And at the Neue Gallery on Fifth Avenue at 86th Street, a collection of works by Van Gogh and his influence on Austrian and German art.

We started at the Wildenstein, which had a queue down the street. I dislike queues at the best of times, but standing in the blazing hot humid sunshine was going to put me over the edge. We passed, favouring a late Friday night excursion instead. We moved on to the Neue Gallery. Van Gogh is one of my favourite painters, and several of my favourite works by him, including “The Bedroom”, 1888 were on display. Most interesting about the exhibition was the obvious influence that his style had on artists like Egon Shiele, Kirchner, Klimnt, and even Kandinsky.

We walked past the hordes of tourists at the Met, and considered climbing the steps to see the Clark Brothers collection, but by now it was almost five and we had tickets to see Momix at the Joyce Theatre at 8. We passed on the Met for another day, and walked south through Central Park and stopped in at a favourite watering hole in Midtown.

After a very quick bite of dinner at home, and a splash of cologne to freshen up, we walked over to the Joyce Theatre. Chis is not a big fan of modern dance, but it has always been something I enjoy immensely. He loved it. The show opened with a 30-foot tall puppet towering above the dancer connected to it by a series of wires and poles, none of which you could see because of the black suit and amazing lighting. This was followed by a series of short shows depicting wonderful displays of strength, physical beauty and flexibility. Really a spectacular show. Definitely worth seeing if you have a chance.

Tropical Depression Barry approaches later this afternoon, with predictions of heavy rain. Hopefully enough rain to rinse the garbage and dog pee smell out of the city. Summer in New York. Gotta love it!

Posted by dave at 09:10 AM | Comments (0)

May 24, 2007

Queen Mary II's Ensign

Dave on the stern of the Queen Mary II, with her enormous ensign, and Brooklyn in the background.

Posted by dave at 10:31 AM | Comments (0)

Queen Mary II

Chis, aboard the Queen Mary II, with Governors Island in the immediate background, and Manhattan in the distant background.

Posted by dave at 10:28 AM | Comments (0)

A Wonderful Evening

We hopped on a shuttle bus at Park Avenue and 42nd Street shortly before 6, destined for the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal. We arrived about 40 minutes later, with glimpses along the way of the enormous Queen Mary II. We saw her in December 2004, anchored outside of the harbour in Charlotte Amalie on St Thomas, US Virgin Islands. We could see her top decks from the promenade in town, towering over the top of the island out in the harbour.

She is very glamorous. We boarded on Deck 3, and we were greeted by dozens of crew, complete with the white linen towel over the arm. We grabbed a glass of champagne and went exploring. We found our way to the Promenade on Deck 7, and walked around. 3 laps is equivalent to 1.1 miles.

We went to the theatre at 7:30 for a performance by Patty LaPone. She was not in good voice, but did her best to belt out a selection of torch songs.

Dinner was served at 8:30 and wrapped up around 10:30. We had a wonderful chat with our dinner guests, and proceeded to make our way to the shuttles heading back to Manhattan. I think we finally got home around 1am. It was a lovely evening, and important to us to support two great New York arts institutions – the New York City Opera, and the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

A junior suite is US$25,000 per person for a 6 day cruise. Just in case you wanted to know.

Posted by dave at 10:24 AM | Comments (0)

May 23, 2007

Britannia Ball

We have accepted an invitation, for a small king's tax-deductible ransom, to the Britannia Ball tomorrow night. This event supports the New York City Opera and the Brooklyn Academy of Music. The event takes place aboard the Queen Mary 2, docked at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal. The ship leaves the following day for a cruise to the Bahamas, sadly without us.

Which immediately brought to mind the necessity for formal wear. Chis recently bought a tux, because, you never know in his line of work, you just might need one. I, on the other hand, pitched my double-breasted tux that made me look short and fat, before we left on our interrupted sail around the world. Living on the boat made me cheap, er.. frugal. So I have not yet replaced the tux. But I did get a beautiful new crisp white shirt, to which I will append my midnight blue bowtie (which I did keep), and wear with a dark blue suit I recently had tailored by mail from China. It fits like a glove.

Chis will look like the Monopoly guy. I will look like his impoverished kin.

And so it goes.

Posted by dave at 07:21 PM | Comments (0)

May 22, 2007

Pillar of American Efficiency

Chis’ parents live in Mexico, and they take advantage of a service where their outgoing mail is couriered to Texas, where it is mailed by the US Postal Service, rather than getting stuck in the highly unreliable Mexico postal system. Periodically, Chis’ dad sends a shopping list for stamps. Anyone living in the US will know that the price of stamps just went up. Here’s a self-explanatory email I sent Chisholm (Chis’ dad).

“Dear Chisholm,

I have just returned from the post office, the pillar of efficiency. Chis and I came up with a plan this morning for your stamps: 75 41-cent US domestic, 150 69-cent Canada, 75 90-cent International, and 50 2-cent stamps to round-up any old 39-cent US domestic stamps you may have lying around. Am I losing you in the numbers yet? Wait, it gets better…

First, I asked for the International stamps, which just increased to 90-cents. Richard (according to his nametag and the tattoo of a cherub on his arm) looked at me sideways. “They haven’t been printed yet”. He disappeared for 10 minutes, and came back with 87-cent stamps, and a pile of 3-cents stamps, which together will get the mail to the UK.

Second, I asked for the US domestic stamps. That was easy. He handed me a pile of stamps.

Third, I asked for the Canada stamps. Richard shot me a look, as if I had asked him a second time to sell me the Brooklyn Bridge. “They haven’t been printed yet”. The new rate is 69-cents, up from 63-cents. I asked for the old 63-cent stamps, and a pile of 6-cent stamps to round them up. “We don’t have 6-cent stamps”. Now 20 minutes at the counter, I asked for more 3-cent stamps, two of which, plus the old 63-cent stamps, would get the mail to Canada. He disappeared for 10 minutes. He returned. “We don’t have any 63-cent stamps, and not enough 3-cent stamps, but I can sell you 75-cent stamps”.

I glazed over. I was numb.

Needless to say, the burgeoning envelope full of various stamps in multiple denominations will be carefully delivered on the weekend, with instructions.

Hasta viernes,
Dave

Posted by dave at 04:01 PM | Comments (0)

May 18, 2007

Uh Oh

This is an email exchange with good friend, Ted. To understand the context, you must see the entry on March 17 "Uncle O'Grimacey".

Ted writes:
Have you seen the latest two promotional Shrek milkshakes from McDonald's? Absolutely foul looking - from the McIrish McBarf days. If you don't have them there, well reason enough to list the condo and move back. NYC seems to have everything else, so I'll put a hold on the 'welcome back' banner.

Dave writes:
McDonald's manages quite nicely to completely miss me as a target. I have not stepped inside a McDonald's in probably 6 years, and although there is a McD's across the street from our building, when I walk by, I distract myself with all of the other sensory distractions. I can imagine that you land smack-dab in the middle of Rotten Ronny's target audience. What with growing kids, etc. However, on my fit-as-a-fiddle, quasi-vegetarian, health-nut high horse, I cannot imagine going anywhere near the place. But, because I admire Shrek (as a fellow underdog supporter), and I have a strange retro curiosity about non-milkshake shakes of electric green hues, I may, today, wander by and actually pay attention. I'll keep you posted on this anthropological study.

Ted writes:
you've got issues. do it for the Org.

Dave writes:
Uhhhh. So I walked by, looking disinterested, and saw nothing that looked like Shrek. I hesitated, thinking that just walking through the door would add 10 pounds to my waist. I went in. Miraculously, nothing happened. To my amazement, they have a neon green shake! Not a Shrek promotion. Are you ready for this? It's called... THE MINTY MUDBATH SHAKE. Why not just call it the "Booger Shake"? See what you made me do?

Ted writes:
there's two new green shakes; you have to go back and tell me the name of the other one.

Dave writes:
THE SWAMP SLUDGE MCFLURRY! But, technically, it's a McFlurry, not a shake. I think I deserve an award. A badge of honour. For the courage it took for me to walk into a McDonald's two days in a row. I can no longer hold my head up high and say "I have not stepped inside a McDonald's in 6 years." Oh, the shame. Have a great weekend!

Posted by dave at 02:59 PM | Comments (0)

May 08, 2007

Dogwoods in the Cemetery

Our silly little camera does not do the beauty of these trees outside our window much justice. It was this time last year we first looked at our condo, and it was the dogwood trees that did it for me. So rare to have such green space in a New York condo!

Posted by dave at 04:12 PM | Comments (0)

April 27, 2007

BRAIN DAMAGING HABITS

This has been circulating through viral email, but I actually think there is something to it. A lot of it is common sense.

1. No Breakfast - People who do not take breakfast are going to have a lower blood sugar level. This leads to an insufficient supply of nutrients to the brain causing brain degeneration.

2. Overeating - It causes hardening of the brain arteries, leading to a decrease in mental power.

3. Smoking - It causes multiple brain shrinkage and may lead to Alzheimer disease.

4. High Sugar consumption - Too much sugar will interrupt the absorption of proteins and nutrients causing malnutrition and may interfere with brain development.

5. Air Pollution - The brain is the largest oxygen consumer in our body. Inhaling polluted air decreases the supply of oxygen to the brain, bringing about a decrease in brain efficiency.

6. Sleep Deprivation - Sleep allows our brain to rest. Long term deprivation from sleep will accelerate the death of brain cells.

7. Head covered while sleeping - Sleeping with the head covered, increases the concentration of carbon dioxide and decrease concentration of oxygen that may lead to brain damaging effects.

8. Working your brain during illness - Working hard or studying with sickness may lead to a decrease in effectiveness of the brain as well as damage the brain.

9. Lacking in stimulating thoughts - Thinking is the best way to train our brain, lacking in brain stimulation thoughts may cause brain shrinkage.

10. Talking Rarely - Intellectual conversations will promote the efficiency of the brain.

The main causes of liver damage are:

1. Sleeping too late and waking up too late are main cause.

2. Not urinating in the morning.

3. Too much eating.

4. Skipping breakfast.

5. Consuming too much medication.

6. Consuming too much preservatives, additives, food coloring , and artificial sweetener.

7. Consuming unhealthy cooking oil. As much as possible reduce cooking oil use when frying, which includes even the best cooking oils like olive oil. Do not consume fried foods when you are tired, except if the body is very fit.

8. Consuming raw (overly done) foods also add to the burden of liver. Veggies should be eaten raw or cooked 3-5 parts. Fried veggies should be finished in one sitting, do not store.

We should prevent this without necessarily spending more. We just have to adopt a good daily lifestyle and eating habits. Maintaining good eating habits and time condition are very important for our bodies to absorb and get rid of unnecessary chemicals according to "schedule."

Because :

Evening at 9 - 11 PM : is the time for eliminating unnecessary/toxic chemicals (detoxification) from the antibody system (lymph nodes). This time duration should be spent by relaxing or listening to music. If during this time a housewife (ed. Note – or a househusband) is still in an unrelaxed state such as washing the dishes or monitoring children doing their homework, this will have a negative impact on health.

Evening at 11pm - 1 am : is the detoxification process in the liver, and ideally should be done in a deep sleep state.

Early morning 1 - 3 am : detoxification process in the gall, also ideally done in a deep sleep state.

Early morning 3 - 5 am : detoxification in the lungs. Therefore there will sometimes be a severe cough for cough sufferers during this time. Since the detoxification process had reached the respiratory tract, there is no need to take cough medicine so as not to interfere with toxin removal process.

Morning 5 - 7am : detoxification in the colon, you should empty your bowel.

Morning 7 - 9 am : absorption of nutrients in the small intestine, you should be having breakfast at this time. Breakfast should be earlier, before 6:30 am, for those who are sick. Breakfast before 7:30 am is very beneficial to those wanting to stay fit. Those who always skip breakfast, they should change their habits, and it is still better to eat breakfast late until 9 - 10 am rather than no meal at all.

Sleeping so late and waking up too late will disrupt the process of removing unnecessary chemicals. Aside from that, midnight to 4:00 am is the time when the bone marrow produces blood. Therefore, have a good sleep and don't sleep late.

Posted by dave at 08:09 AM | Comments (0)

April 25, 2007

Savasana

Once a week, I challenge myself with my yoga practice in two fundamental ways. I take a class in Japanese, and I take two classes in one day. I practice in Japanese because it requires extra focus; I don’t have the dialogue to tell me what to do next. I take two classes in one day to challenge my endurance and dedication, and to move deeper into the poses.

Today was a double day.

I was lying in savasana (corpse pose) after this morning’s class, with a towel over my eyes. I had fallen asleep. I was alone in the studio. I looked out the window on a brilliant blue sky. My eyes blurred to middle space, and I lay there, completely relaxed. It could have been an eternity by the time I realized that I had actually focused on the image behind the blurred middle space. The layers proceeded like this: The plastic covering the window (to keep the draft out, and the heat in), the window, the iron fire escape crisscrossing the framed image beyond, the million suspended particles between the fire escape and the Flatiron building, full of sirens, honking, beeping, yelling, talking, and white noise. The Flatiron building was crawling up the side of the Met Life Building, past its stunning 5 story clock, and onward to its beautiful gold dome and orb of lights at its top. The time on the clock was irrelevant, but the fact that something could tell me the time seemed safe. I was safe.

It occurred to me that this was an image that would remain with me for a very long time. Not because it included famous New York landmarks, but because of the sheer simplicity of the moment. Imagine being so relaxed, so like a corpse (except for breathing), while at the same time being conscious of the images beyond your focus on middle space.

I digress. So, what does one do between two hot yoga classes? Eat a big piggy lunch, for sure. Avoid distracting tasks. Like cleaning the bathroom. Or calling your mother. Do you go for a long walk? Sit in the park? Go shopping? Write a poem?

Here’s what I did after my big lunch. I grabbed a canvas bag, went to the bank to withdraw cash for our upcoming trip to the Virgin Islands, which I couldn’t do because I think I left my bank card in my shorts, or in a store, or damn, maybe on the floor at home. Forget the cash, shop at the pharmacy for cotton swabs (do you have any idea what kinda goo comes out of your ears after hot yoga?) and toothpaste. I waited patiently in line behind the eight people waiting for the ONE cashier, while THREE employees stocked the shelves (can’t buy what’s not on the shelves, can’t buy what’s IN MY HAND!). I paid my $3 with my credit card. I went to the grocery store for yogurt, milk and parmesan cheese. I dropped the cheese on the floor and it burst, ricocheting off the dairy cooler and bursting into a thousand little shreds of finely grated cheese. I sought out a broom, and offered to clean it up myself, but the guy said “no problemo, es mi trabajo” and proceeded to swiftly take care of my embarrassment.

I returned home, read some emails, talked to our Canadian tax accountant (grrrrr), and contemplated bailing on the second class in the afternoon. What? What was making me waver? I was so committed? The clouds had rolled in, I closed the windows as the temperature dropped, and the rain started. Bugger! My spirit was sinking.

I went through my usual pre-Bikram stuff. Put on the shorts, make sure I have electrolytes, have a handful of cashews and a piece of fruit, strap my mat to my back-pack, put on my shoes. I looked in the mirror, and simply said “deal, or no deal”. No deal is way too easy. No deal is not a challenge.

I went. I was a rock star (Britney?). My discipline paid off. And I realized that everything I strive to achieve in my life has taken commitment, dedication, focus, and discipline. I realized that today was a new start. A great new start.

Posted by dave at 08:05 PM | Comments (0)

April 21, 2007

Nosy Spring

What a day!

Like every Saturday in New York, I got up early, made strong coffee, yogurt & fruit smoothies, and waited patiently until 7:45am to wake up Chis. He fell asleep on the couch last night, desperately in need of sleep. It was a busy week. 7:45 is important because we find it best to eat something at least 2 hours before yoga at 10.

About 40 minutes into our class, Chis by my side, I started to notice red droplets on my towel. I cut the pose short, looking for the source. It turned out to be my nose. I haven’t had a nose-bleed since grade school. I’ll save that story for another time. Nick offered me a box of Kleenex. I was so far from the door, I likely would have alarmed everyone in the class if I had bolted for the door. I sat on my mat, lowered my heart rate, and allowed the bleeding to stop.

It freaked me out. Not the sight, but the taste.

I tossed the towels in the garbage at the end of the class.

Mid-afternoon, we dug our bikes out of storage. Ahh, the sweet rhythm of the wheels. It has been a long time, Chis on his Mongoose, me on my refit recycled Rocky Mountain Fusion, we sailed down the Hudson River Trail to Battery Park, shot the wrong way across one-way streets in Downtown Manhattan, and wound up at the South Street Seaport. It took 10 minutes to be overwhelmed by the tourists, and turned back. It was a marvelous afternoon, although I think I burned the back of my neck.

After two-and-a-half hours of cycling, we dropped our bikes back to storage, and wandered over to the famous Chelsea nabe. We dropped into a wonderful patio and had a glass of wine (okay, maybe two).

We forgot the camera. To bad, because we had umpteen opportunities to take wonderful photos of architecture, people, sights, and unbelievably handsome men on bikes (ummm, that we would Chis).

Big news! We’re off next Saturday for a week of bareboat sailing in the Virgin Islands.

Posted by dave at 07:29 PM | Comments (0)

April 07, 2007

Two Down, One Up

When we were in New York with Platina in September 2005 we visited a restaurant for lunch one sunny afternoon in the Meatpacking District. The Nicoise Salad was outstanding. The restaurant was called MARKT, with a beer list as long as the wait for a table. When Jim and Luc visited New York last May, we turned on our heels with news of a 3 hour wait for a table at Buddakan, and went to MARKT instead. It closed to make way for more chichi women’s clothing retail space.

One down.

In our random strolls southward from our old Midtown apartment to see our new Chelsea apartment, we would stumble into a place on the northeast corner of Sixth Ave and 22nd Street called Sensa. Really great calamari (although one time we couldn’t order it because “the computer” had not been updated with the “dinner” menu – it was about 5pm). It closed.

Two down.

And then, the most amazing thing. It was like that HGTV show “Trading Spaces”. The light above the door suddenly said MARKT, just below the sign that said Sensa. And the race was on. The construction crews gutted the old restaurant, assembled the new one, and opened in what must have been four days. It was incredible.

One up.

We went last night to have a glass of wine. It was fun. Not nearly as loud and boisterous as its former southern incarnation, but with the same Belgian bistro charm.

I wonder if we could hire the same construction crew to finish our building?

Posted by dave at 08:27 AM | Comments (0)

April 05, 2007

Flavio

Last night, we saw the New York City Opera’s production of Flavio. Written by Handel in 1723, this is an opera we have never seen, and one that has not been presented in New York since the early 1800s. It is a baroque opera, which means that the music is littered with imitative counterpoint, where different voices and instruments echo each other but at different pitches, sometimes inverting the echo, and even reversing thematic material. The plot is complicated, full of twists, and frankly, a little difficult to follow. There is King Flavio, who reigns over the make-believe kingdom of Lombardy (by the costumes, I would guess it is loosely French), as well as Britain. Flavio has two loyal counsellors, whose offspring are manipulating their way into falling in love with each other, or the king, or whomever happens to be on the stage at the time. Which means that the characters bend genders. The costumes are bright and fun (although the sequins were a bit too “Broadway” for me). The music is stunning. The singing was really spectacular. Baroque opera is very difficult to sing because of the repeating scales and short, quickly changing notes. In the final scene, they have all sorted out their love interests and they celebrate with a double wedding. Big, bright, gaudy white lights lower above the stage, to which I groaned. An unnecessary bit of schmaltz. I would see this opera again, for sure.

Next opera: "Luisa Miller" in Toronto Friday, April 13th.

Posted by dave at 09:29 AM | Comments (0)

April 02, 2007

Of Cigarette Butts & Plastic Bags

Monday morning rant: Why do retailers insist on double bagging everything? Why do smokers think it's okay to toss their cigarette butts on the street?

As for plastic bags, I think I do my part. I carry canvas bags with me everywhere, and I try my very best to decline a bag if offered. The garbage bags we use are made from 40% recycled materials. But compostable garbage bags are hard to find in New York. I guess I should buy them on the web.

San Francisco has made a huge decision to ban non-biodegradeable plastic bags. The EPA estimates that only 5.2% of plastic bags are recycled. Ireland imposes a tax on plastic bags, which has cut the use of plastic bags by 90%. The plastic bags going to landfill will take some 1,000 years to decompose. 1,000 years!

I heard a statistic on NPR last week that I found astonishing. New York City recycles only 17% of waste. While New Yorkers can be proud of a lot of things, this is not one of them.

Now, as for ciggy butts. It is estimated that 4.3 trillion cigarette butts are littered each year. If, at the same moment a smoker tosses a butt on the street (and invariably does not stomp it out), I tossed a candy bar wrapper on the street, I suspect they would holler at me to pick it up and toss it in the bin. Why do smokers think this is okay? Couldn't they toss it on the ground, put it out, pick it up, and toss it in the bin? Couldn't they carry one of those portable ashtrays? Do they realize that it takes 12 years for the filters to decompose?

There. I feel better now.

Thanks to the New York Times for the photo.

Posted by dave at 08:59 AM | Comments (0)

March 31, 2007

Lessons from Liu and Julie Andrews

We saw Turandot at the Met last night. It was Puccini's final opera. It was outstanding. Beautiful sets. Beautiful costumes. Beautiful orchestra. Beautiful singing.

With all the inward complaining I do about the hot yoga I do (every day), I realize that I can make plenty of small excuses for my practice. “I’m tired.” “I don’t feel 101%.” “My back hurts.” “It’s hot.” “It’s humid.” “I’m dehydrated.” I have the entire selection of excuses at the ready. I can cut short a pose with any one of these excuses. And it doesn’t take more than a nano-second.

But can a diva? There she was, Hei-Kyung Hong, belting out Liu's stunning aria. Can she say, mid-way through, “I just don’t feel up to it. I’m shutting down now and walking off the stage. It’s too hot in this costume. I’m dehydrated. My voice sounds like shit.”

No, she can’t. She has lots going on in her mind - the set, her feet, her voice, her role, the costume, the orchestra. It is a complex set of variables requiring her absolute attention, concentration, discipline, focus, and skill.

About two-thirds through this morning’s yoga journey, the instructor said something like this: “It’s usually around about here [insert the most uncomfortable, barfiest, overwhelmingly hot, out-of-control feeling you can imagine] when I feel like throwing it in. Walking out of the room. I swear at myself. I think that I never want to come in this hot room again. Then something enters my mind, like Julie Andrews singing The Hills are Alive and it inspires me to find the strength inside myself to carry on”. He even invited us to picture him as Julie Andrews in a skirt and apron if it would inspire us.

At that very moment, Julie Andrews was not the image that would serve to inspire me today. Nick in a skirt and apron, maybe.

But he said something that set off a whirlwind in my mind. What are the thoughts that inspire us to do things that are challenging, that require the courage that we think we don’t have, and that force us to step out of our element?

Is it the people that we choose as our extended family that provide us with inspiration? Does our immediate family inspire us? What do the answers to these questions mean about the people that we choose as our closest friends? Do I inspire others? Do I inspire myself?

There I was, dripping a steady stream of smelly sweat, my spine stretched, when I went through the list of people in my life who inspire me. The list surprised me.

Who’s on your list? Why are they on your list? What was the last decision you made that was unlike you? Why did you make that decision? Were you inspired by someone close to you? Did you thank them, and explain to them how important their advice had been to your decision?

Life is beautiful.

Posted by dave at 07:19 PM | Comments (0)

March 28, 2007

'snot fair

Five events from yesterday: my cold is lingering, it was 25c (77f) here in New York, I hate meatloaf, I left the hot yoga room during a class, and I walked out of an opera.

So my story begins. (By the way, if you don’t find the wonders of the human body a source of a good laugh, close your browser now.) I woke yesterday feeling considerably better, probably 90%. I went for a run, and had to stop at a public loo along the Hudson River to blow my nose. All I could find was single ply toilet tissue. Of course, my sinuses decided to pick that exact moment to unleash a torrent of glutinous, gelatinous goo about the consistency of yogurt. I will spare the slimy details. This was only the beginning.

I decided to go to yoga at 1:30. No eating 2 hours before meant an early lunch. I had ordered groceries from Fresh Direct on Monday, and instead of olive oil, they sent meatloaf. I grudgingly heated it for lunch, with a fresh salad and some papaya. It all felt like a nasty lump in my tummy. OMG, this would make for a tricky yoga class.

I got to yoga in time to chill before the class, and compared notes with Erik, the instructor, who is suffering with a similar cold. I chose the front row. Right in front of the mirror. About an hour into the class, I was in “wind-removing pose”. Yes, this pose temporarily cuts off the blood circulating to the colon. Helps with digestion. Apparently, it helps to pass gas. And meatloaf. I suddenly felt like I was going to explode.

I decided to persevere. My rule: never, ever, leave the hot room. On to the first spine-strengthening pose. The set up is simple. Face down on the mat, hands palm-down under your deltoids (boobies), elbows up in the air like grasshopper wings. Peel yourself off the floor using only lower back strength. On my way up, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. A huge smear of slime was creeping out of my nose and down toward my chin. What now? I looked at Erik, who saw immediately my plight. I waited until the pose was over, and bolted for the door. Ten minutes blowing and pulling, and it was over. There was no way there was anything left in my sinuses. I probably managed to unleash a bit of brain matter in the process. I rejoined the class.

Onward to see Madama Butterfly at the New York City Opera. I swiped my MetroCard and it bleeped “Please swipe again”. For those who have never ridden the NYC subway system, you need to understand that the MetroCard is a stored-value card, which is the flimsiest piece of plastic. You don’t want this to get wet or it would dissolve. Hence, the periodic “Please swipe again”.

I turned, and the woman behind me had already swiped hers. We began a MetroCard dance. I went through on her fare, then turned to swipe my card. She entered on my fare. The train was right there, and we both hopped on. It was a New York moment that happened instantly. It could have unfolded any number of ways, but she was so polite and nice about it.

I met Chis at Rockefeller Center, and we took advantage of the beautiful summer-like weather to wander up to Lincoln Center through Central Park. We arrived in time to grab a bite to eat, then went across the street to see the performance. The biggest problem with the New York State Theatre is that it is designed for ballet. This means the acoustics make the orchestra strong, and the stage soft. You just don’t want to hear the tip-tapping of ballet shoes. This is not good for opera. I could barely hear the tenors in the first act. It was so bad. The second act was significantly better. Butterfly’s duet with Suzuki was spectacular, but Butterfly’s famous aria was disappointing. During the second intermission, we left.

It was a surreal day. I was lying in bed last night thinking that I had watched my day unfold as it had, as though I was watching a movie. A bad b-movie. It was like someone else had done all these things.

I slept restlessly.

Posted by dave at 12:34 PM | Comments (0)

March 24, 2007

Pillsbury Doughboy

About a week ago, I finally felt that I had shaken a flu bug. It had lingered around, nagging at me, but not really settling in and debilitating me the way flu normally does. I practiced yoga all but one day through the whole thing.

I woke Thursday morning with a nasty tickle in the back of my throat. I know this tickle. The precursor of a wicked cold. I started popping Cold FX (a ginseng derivative) and doubled up on my daily EmergenC intake. By Thursday night, we were halfway through the New York City's production of "La donne del lago" when I had finished my first pocketful of Ricola.

I woke Friday morning with a full-on cold.

I missed yoga Friday and today. OMG, I miss it. Chis came back from yoga this bright Saturday morning and announced that it was one of those classes where the teacher cooked everyone, and he left thinking he might never go back. Apparently, it was a good day to be sick.

I announced that I had to get out. I was sick of being sick, and needed to feel human again. We decided to go for a walk. The plan was simple. Up to 25th Street, drop into a few galleries, then carry on to the Hudson River trail. Down the river to 15th Street, then over to Chelsea Market for some Fat Witch Brownies, a tuna steak, and some fresh veggies. Then to our favourite flower stand and home for some tea.

On our journey, and I can't remember exactly where, because we would have gone back to take a photo, there was a pile of garbage outside a building. A typical New York scene. In the pile of garbage was a clear plastic bag with a large white stuffed toy. Face down, we could tell it was the Pillsbury Dough Boy. It was the white baker's hat that gave him away. The typical New York scene had become a long discussion about how the Doughboy wound up in a plastic bag on the curb. Organized crime? Failing to heed the warnings about the high fat content in those Crescent Rolls? Had he been done-in by a spatula?

We had a swell laugh.

You can create your very own Dancing Doughboy.

Posted by dave at 06:48 PM | Comments (0)

March 23, 2007

La donna del lago

Last night, we saw our first New York City Opera (not to be confused with the Metropolitan Opera) performance. Rossini's "La donna del lago" is a not-often produced opera based on the romantic metrical poem written by Sir Walter Scott titled "The Lady of the Lake". Set in sixteenth century Scotland, the opera weaves the tale of the daughter of an outlawed Scotish clan leader, torn between her duty to her father to marry the man of his choice, to marry the man she loves, or to marry a man whose generosity humbles her. The man she loves was performed by mezzo-soprano Laura Vlasak Nolen. Yes, a woman played a man. A nice gender-bending twist. (A few years ago, we saw Ewa Podles perform the role of Julius Cesar, and she was spectacular! And don't forget that many female roles were played by castrati). Laura's performance was outstanding, and in my mind, she stole the show. It helps that we met her recently at an opera event on the Upper West Side.

While I recommend seeing this opera, I wouldn't go out of my way to see it again. The music is, at times, a little disjointed, and the first act is verrrrrry long. Which is made up for by the second act, which is much better. Go see it!

Posted by dave at 09:44 AM | Comments (0)

Crazy World

Am I the only one? This ad makes me crazy!

Posted by dave at 09:41 AM | Comments (0)

March 17, 2007

Uncle O'Grimacey

Remember Uncle O'Grimacey? The character McDonald's used to market the triple-thick Shamrock Shake? O'Grimacey spoke in a terrible Irish accent, sized and shaped like Grimace but with fuzzier, lime green fur and a vest that was apparently lifted from an overweight Macy's cashier.

And here's the jingle: "Shamrock Shakes, they're a beautiful green! The most beautiful green that we've ever seen!" That's it. All two lines. What? Did Kevin Federline write this when he was 2?

McD's pulled the electric-green shake (note it is not called a "milkshake" because there is no milk) from all restaurants in New York State. But if you're really craving a little taste of Irish tradition (?!) you can search for restaurants on the web.

YouTube has the original Shamrock Shake ad.

Here's a wannabe copycat recipe in case you just have to satisfy the craving.

And this from "The Onion", America's Finest News Source in a 1997 article titled "Sinn Fein Leaders Demand Year-Round Shamrock Shake Availability": "According to Irish legend, the Shamrock Shake first appeared when a statue of the Virgin Mary in front of St. Matthew's Cathedral in Belfast cried a 16-ounce quantity of the green beverage in 1605."

Now, go out and find yourself an artery-clogging Shamrock Shake, and have a Happy St Patrick's Day.

Posted by dave at 08:46 AM | Comments (0)

March 14, 2007

Cool Photo

Big news here. The scaffolding came down yesterday from around our building. I bumped into one of the construction guys yesterday, and complimented him on how nice the building looked. He asked if I had seen the photo. What photo? He emailed it to me today.

I think it's taken from the roof of the building on the southeast corner of Sixth Ave and 20th Street.

Posted by dave at 06:21 PM | Comments (0)

March 13, 2007

Psycho Yoga

Wondering what happened to us? Not updating the site, life must be pretty boring? Not at all.

Many of you know of my love of Bikram yoga. I have taken it to a new level lately. I now practice 7 days a week, and sometimes I practice twice in a day. I even go to classes that are taught in Japanese. Not because I'm trying to learn Japanese, but because it is a test of my ability to focus and concentrate.

Oh, and here's the biggest "oh, heavens, he's flipped". I'm considering going to Bikram teacher training. Yes, to become a certified yoga instructor. Crazy, I know. But I have seen such an incredible transformation in my body that I feel compelled to find out why this works so well.

These words of inspiration from Lululemon, the Canadian yoga-culture clothing retailer:

Observe a plant before and after being watered and relate these benefits to your body and brain.

Breathe: this lets you live in the moment.

Listen, listen, listen and ask strategic questions.

Sweat once a day to regenerate your skin. [no problem there]

Your outlook on life is a direct reflection of how much you like yourself.

Life is full of setbacks. Success is determined by how you handle them.

You always have choice and the conscious brain can only hold one thought at a time. Choose a positive thought.

Visualize your eventual demise. It has a profound effect on how you live in this moment.

Jealousy works the opposite way you want it to.

Mediocre is as close to the bottom as it is to the top. Be creative. Do one thing a day that scares you.

Wake up and realize that you are surrounded by amazing friends.

Posted by dave at 02:23 PM | Comments (0)

February 19, 2007

Amazing Cookies

It was cold and windy today here in New York, and neither of us felt compelled to do anything. This is rare. Having just moved in, you would think we would be bounding around like jackrabbits hanging mirrors, art, towel racks, etc. No, today was Presidents’ Day. So as good Presidents, we took the day off. We read, surfed the web (Chis bought a new MacBook), and baked chocolate chip cookies.

Our dear friend AJ makes the best cookies in the world, and the second best fruit smoothies (sorry, dollface, but St Barts Café in Fort Lauderdale makes ‘em better). But since she won’t share her cookie recipe, I’ve been on the hunt for a great recipe. I made these today:

In a mixer, or with a hand mixer, cream together ¼ pound unsalted butter, ½ cup of white sugar, ½ cup of brown sugar. Add 1 egg. Mix 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp of flour, ½ tsp baking soda, and ½ tsp salt. Add to the butter mixture. Add 1 cup of chocolate chips. Bake in a 325F oven for about 10 minutes.

Credit to Andrew Zimbel at Amazing Foods, awesome caterers, who some of you may have enjoyed at our parties at the Schoolhouse.

One of AJ’s secrets is to use broken-up chocolate bars instead of chocolate chips. I used a Ghirardelli’s dark chocolate bar today. And I made 6 huge cookies, and baked them 20 minutes.

Chis says they are awesome, but not as good as AJ’s.

Posted by dave at 06:07 PM | Comments (0)

February 18, 2007

Dave & Audrey

Very dear friends of ours, Dave & Audrey, emailed a few weeks ago and asked if we'd be around in February, they had some Aeroplan points to use and were considering a trip to New York. Of course, we'd love to see you. They arrived Friday evening, and I had found a great spot around the corner for them to stay (despite our insistance, they wanted to stay at a B&B). On Friday afternoon, I dropped off a bag full of what I call the New York City Survival Kit: bottle of wine, two MetroPasses for the subway, subway maps, blister bandaids, earplugs, and a few other things.

They popped by for drinks Friday evening, and we went out to the loudest restaurant for dinner. I mean, I thought Balthazar was ridiculously loud, but this was RIDICULOUS. We could barely hear each other. We asked if we could go takeout, and they moved us to the back of the restaurant, where they offered to turn the horrible music down. SAPA on 24th Street. We don't recommend it.

Saturday, we met up for dinner at our standby favourite, Il Corso on 55th Street, and then went to see the Drowsy Chaperone. Cute, but I would skip it. A couple of great lines, like "Abstinence makes the heart grow fonder", and from two gangsters disguised as French bakers "You're in big truffle now. There's muffin you can do". Get the point.

We had a brief visit Sunday morning before they trekked off to the Tenement Museum, and then caught their flight home to Toronto. We miss them already. They are wonderful people who grasp life by the short and curlies. Audrey turns 80 in April, and you wouldn't know it. We had trouble keeping up to her.

See you again soon!

Posted by dave at 06:12 PM | Comments (0)

February 16, 2007

Room with a View

A glance outside our window over the snow-covered cemetery, and a delivery truck covered in graffiti. I love good graffiti, and this was pretty good. This was our first snowfall of the winter.

Posted by dave at 11:28 AM | Comments (0)

February 14, 2007

Oh, Sweet Appliances

It seems my threats and ranting paid off. The washer/dryer arrived today!

Posted by dave at 11:26 AM | Comments (0)

February 13, 2007

Root Canal

It would seem simple, huh? Pay for a washer/dryer, have it delivered. I was horrified this week when I read the user reviews on CitySearch about Bloom and Krup Appliances.

I expected the usual balance of good and bad service experience. But holy crap, Batman, virtually every one of the 14 user reviews mention the same thing we're going through. A few of them go so far as to say they are lying thieves.

The latest entry scared me a bit. "I found out that all these appliance places order from the same warehouses, and that B&K's credit is so bad that none of them will actually release product to them!"

So I called the credit card company, and began a dispute. This will apparently take two to three weeks. In the meantime, I'm reluctant to buy somewhere else until we get the money back. Now, to be fair, "Abe" told me last Thursday that they will deliver the washer/dryer this Wednesday. I said "really, really, Abe?". He admitted that he still didn't have them in stock, but expected to have them in time to deliver. Hmmmm.

So, if they don't appear tomorrow, as he suggests they will, I will file a complaint with the New York State Consumer Protection Board.

The sad thing is, that when "Abe" first told me the appliances were backordered, my short-and-curlies stood straight up. Of course, he already had my money.

Next, I will squat outside their door with a sandwich board that reads "LIAR, LIAR, WHERE'S MY F@&^$%G DRYER?".

I'd rather have a root canal.

Posted by dave at 11:39 AM | Comments (0)

February 08, 2007

Drama

I got back from yoga last night around 6 and there was an NYPD van and a squad car in front of the building. I figured maybe it was shoplifting at the retail stores on the main floor. No, the property manager had terminated our superintendent, and he flipped. He grabbed all the keys for the apartments and all the doors in the building, plus the residents' phone numbers, and ran. They called his cell, and when he wouldn't tell them where he was, they called the police. The police issued a “no-trespass order”, locked the side entrance, and added extra security guards. When I walked into the building, George the concierge, called one of the police officers to escort me to our apartment. They checked everything, and he wasn't hiding in our place. It had crossed my mind that he would choose our place as a hide-out. Here’s why.

The building was being neglected, and I found out that he was doing finishing carpentry, painting, and doing lots of other work in apartments. He's not allowed to do more than unstop a toilet, or change some light bulbs. It’s an obvious conflict of interest. But he's been so involved doing larger projects that he was neglecting his duties. I thought this was a little inappropriate, so I brought it to the attention of the management company. Turns out so did a bunch of other owners.

The property manager appeared yesterday after lunch, and knocked on the door. We had a nice visit, and she told me what was about to happen. The super found out she was in the building, and freaked. Later, she had obviously confronted him about some of the complaints, because he cornered me when I walked into the lobby. He was yelling at me, telling me that I was a liar, and that he wasn’t “installing” quarter-round in three apartments, he had only “recommended” the concept. Funny, because when he asked me if we wanted to “jump on the bandwagon”, and bragged about his purchase of a brand new pneumatic nail gun, I declined, and told him at the time that I thought those were projects well beyond his scope as our super. I didn’t want to get involved until one morning I tried to toss our garbage down the chute, and I couldn’t get through the door because the garbage room was jammed full. I popped down to the lobby to see Bridgette, and asked if she could get the super to clean it up, and she informed me that he was not in the building, but she would point it out. In less than 12 hours, he had gone from trying to be my best friend, to be my worst enemy.

Apparently, there were lots of other shenanigans going on in the building. Like, he wouldn’t let in brokers who refused to pay an “access fee”, and kick-back deals with appliance distributors, closet organizers, and even Home Depot. The property manager found all his little agreements.

At 9:01 yesterday morning, the phone rang, and it was him. Accusing me of lying, etc, etc. Said his attorney will be in touch with me. Whatever.

Last night, I had the locks changed.

Yikes. Life in New York!

Posted by dave at 11:49 AM | Comments (0)

February 07, 2007

Progress

Well, we finally got a little paint on our whitey white walls. For some reason which we can't explain, we are drawn to red in this space. Not too much red, but just enough to be warm and inviting. I will say that it was a challenge to cut in along the crown molding, despite having a 10-foot step ladder, I felt like I was going to fall off. It's a long way up there. And from the top of the ladder, looking down into the cemetery below, it seems like a VERY long way to fall.

We have not painted red since our dining room on Leuty Ave. in the Toronto nabe "The Beaches" (or "The Beach" to the snobbies in the nabe). We did a burnt orange textured wall in Uxbridge, but when we bought Platina, our tastes had numbed to beige and dark wood. Apparently life in New York has brought out our more brazen side, with a slightly more contemporary bent to our decorating.

It has been fun settling in, opening boxes of stuff that survived the massive purge two years ago when we sold the Schoolhouse. We had decided to keep only those things that were really precious to us. These were difficult decisions, but the process was very liberating.

Apparently not liberating enough, with 12 boxes that went off to our self-store locker over by the Hudson River. To put this in perspective, this is the total number of boxes we moved off the boat.

We are pretty much settled now, with all of the boxes gone (but one), and some of the art making its way onto the walls. Our 14-foot ceilings have provided a new inspiration for hanging our art, as you can see in the photo.

Posted by dave at 01:43 PM | Comments (0)

Holy Spam!

Sorry gang. Phishing and spam has completely overwhelmed the www.platina.ca site so I have had to shut down the Comments. It's a drag that bottom feeding hackers out there are so anxious to sell me Viagra and titty websites that it interferes in our good clean honest fun. This morning, I logged in to do some website management stuff, and there were 1,099 messages. The program we use, called Movable Type, can actually block IP addresses. But you have to add each IP address for each message, and the nerdowells have figured out how to send the same message with multiple IP addresses. And so it goes.

Posted by dave at 01:28 PM | Comments (0)

January 31, 2007

Am I on Mars ... or is this New York?

I often feel like my email doesn't work, or people's voice mail doesn't record my messages. In many cases, I want to GIVE THEM MONEY in exchange for goods and services. But they don't call me back.

Take California Closets, for example. I walked into their showroom two weeks ago, and said I wanted someone to come and design closet organizers for us. She says "How's a week today?". Sure, I guess, but that seems like a long wait. They came, half an hour late, and we agreed on a design. All I'd have to do is sign some paperwork. That was last week, and despite 6 emails and 7 voicemail messages, I only today got the word that the paperwork was ready. Installation? 2-3 weeks! We bolted.

New York Loft is the designer and supplier of our kitchen cabinets. I have called every day for the last 9 days asking for someone to give me a price on additional shelves. Nada. "Be persistent" says the developer.

I attempted to wire money between Chase and Wells Fargo. I could do it online, but first I had to register for wire transfers, then wait 5-7 business days for a special code by mail. When I was all set to do it, I got an error message "You have exceeded the maximum amount. Please try a smaller amount". I called Chase-by-Phone. I was on hold for 45 minutes while various call centre people attempted to find out the maximum amount. When they finally told me, I would have to send 7 wire transfers, each with a $25 fee. But I could go to the branch and send it in one lump for one $25 fee. You would think they would incent people to online banking, no?

Cooper Square is the property manager for our building. Starting about two weeks before our closing, I sent various emails with questions, left umpteen voice mails, and only just yesterday I got a return email, which only vaguely answered my questions.

We bought a wash/dryer from Bloom & Krup three weeks ago. "Abe" said he would deliver it the following week. When it hadn't arrived by Friday, I called Abe. Abe didn't call back. I called again and again, until finally he called to say they were backordered, and he couldn't tell me when they would be available. Yesterday, I told them to cancel the order and reverse the charges on my credit card. "I'll send your request to the office". Think I'll get my money back? Or better still get the washer/dryer?

Don't get me wrong. Not everyone in this town is like this. But more often than not, short of screaming at the top of my lungs in the middle of Sixth Avenue, I can't get people to do stuff, even if I offer to pay more. I must be on Mars!

Posted by dave at 01:34 PM | Comments (0)

January 30, 2007

O'Neill the Fish

Our building is still under construction, and the lobby is the epitome of chaos in New York. Beautiful dark wood semi-circle desk, beautiful semi-circle wall (behind which our mailboxes are hidden), offset by a plywood lean-to as an entrance, plywood floor covering the beautiful mosaic tile floor, and white drywall dust everywhere. It is stark, cold and uninviting. Bridgette, our concierge, tried to spruce things up a bit by buying a fish, and named it O'Neill. She put it in with the flowers that the superintendent bought for the lobby. Shortly after the flowers died, O'Neill found his way into a plastic tub. The vase was gone. The cranky super asked her to get rid of O'Neill because "the water will attract roaches". Never mind the garbage piling up in the trash room on our floor, which he should be removing. I snapped this photo of Bridgette with O'Neill shortly before she took him home. Farewell, O'Neill, and thank you Bridgette for bringing a little colour into our dreary lobby.

Posted by dave at 04:55 PM | Comments (0)

January 26, 2007

Flirting with Bagels

I was on my way from Whole Foods to Murray's Bagels and passed by the entrance of the New York Athletic Club on 8th Avenue. They had set up a table out on the sidewalk in an effort to sell memberships. As I walked passed a handsome young man, he said "Hey, do you want a free Starbuck's coffee?". I replied no thanks, I have no interest in a gym membership. He said "I didn't want you sell you a membership, I was looking for a date".

I may be 40, but I still got it.

Posted by dave at 03:29 PM | Comments (0)

January 19, 2007

Cue Art Foundation & the Art Crates

Our move has had its challenges, but a recent one has had me stumped, until today.

Our art collection was carefully stored in Toronto in custom made wooden crates. Built out of 1x4s and panelboard, they cost a small fortune, worth every penny. We truly love and enjoy our art.

I've been emptying the crates, all 10 of them, and piled them up along the wall in the hallway outside our door. At first, I had hoped the construction crews would find a use for them - as scrap. They didn't move, until the property manager knocked on the door and said they were becoming a serious safety hazard. Before I tell you my reaction to that one, you need to know that we are at the very end of the hallway, and nobody lives in the three apartments closest to us. So the only safety in jeopardy is Chis and mine.

But I digress (hmmm... I do that a lot).

I called dozens of galleries and museums in the city. I started with MoMA. Never got a call back. Then the Met. Nada. Then I started with the nearby Chelsea galleries. I finally hit an art director who clearly understood my plea, but couldn't help me out. She offered to make a few calls. I never heard back.

Yesterday, when the property manager asked me again, I said give me 24 hours. Today, after multiple phone calls to multiple galleries, I was beginning to give up hope that I could keep these things from being thrown into landfill. If someone decided to burn them, the resins in the panelboard would cause a stench that would put the recent maple syrup and rotten egg smells in New York to a test.

I returned from a kick-ass yoga practice late this afternoon, and found a message on my cell. Cue Art Foundation had decided, after determining whether their freight elevator was working or not, that they would graciously accept my generous offer. Yippee!

My mind is at ease.

Now I have to go see their exhibits!

Posted by dave at 07:34 PM | Comments (1)

January 13, 2007

Chaos

The windows are 9 feet tall! Today, we ordered window shades, because we feel like we live in a fish bowl.

Posted by dave at 07:01 PM | Comments (0)

The New Pad

Chis isn't too sure who I was talking to when he took this photo. It was either David & Marian (the buyers of Platina), or a furniture delivery. I am standing in our new kitchen, the crates to the right are our art collection.

Posted by dave at 06:57 PM | Comments (0)

January 03, 2007

We're In!

With everything scheduled so neatly and carefully for this day, all of it was bound to go horribly wrong. The elevator was booked from 1pm to 5pm, and the moving truck from Toronto, the Sleepy’s bed delivery, the Crate & Barrel furniture delivery, the Sound by Singer speaker delivery, and the Bloom & Krup washer/dryer delivery would all squeeze into this four hour window.

I awoke, restless, around 5am.

At about 8:15am, I was in a taxi with a trunk full of most of our things from the apartment up on 55th Street. The phone rang. “This is Jim, the moving truck driver. We can’t find the address.” First, you’re about five hours early. Second, you’re about five hours early. I’ll call you back.

I arrived at the building. They had torn the front door off. The one with the address on it. They were building a plywood lean-to so that the front entrance could be renovated. After 6 trips from the curb with our things from the cab (no help from the driver, despite a hefty tip), I asked Brigitte, the concierge, if the moving truck could start now. “Sure”. I called Jim back.

At 10;45am, the phone rang. “This is Crate & Barrel, we’ll be there within the half hour.” No problem.

At 11:15am, the phone rang. This time it was Jose, the building manager. He had just had a tooth pulled, and was livid that the movers were using the elevator. They’re like five hours early, and the construction guys are complaining about it. I was in no mood. I said they were about 20 minutes from finishing, and he was welcome to call me back with a solution, but no problems. I hung up.

At 11:45am, I hopped in the truck with the movers and headed over to our self-store locker. We tucked the remaining bits into the locker, and I sent them on their way. I descended into the basement to our second locker, and retrieved a load to take back to the apartment.

At 12:20pm, the phone rang. “This is Sleepy’s. We’re here with your bed”. You’re two hours early. I’ll be there in 10 minutes. I hopped in a cab and off I went. Five minutes later, the phone rang. “This is Jose. Sleepy’s is here.” I’ll be there is 5 minutes. While I was on the phone, Brigitte left me a message saying that Sleepy’s is here. Yah, I know.

At 12:40pm, it suddenly donned on me that the washer/dryer I ordered is 110V, and the wall receptacle is 220V. I called Bloom & Krup and postponed the order.

At 12:45pm, Sound by Singer called to say they would deliver the speakers after 2pm. Whew! This means I have an hour to myself. I went to Home Depot. I was in the checkout line, and the phone rang. It was the speaker guys. “We’re here”. Bugger! I ran out the door, setting of the alarm with my new cordless drill, and finally made it to the apartment. The guys were very understanding, having been up to the apartment on 55th Street, where the doorman suggested they deliver the speakers to our new address.

By 2pm, it was all done. Well, at least everything was in the apartment. I went to Whole Foods, picked up some vino at the Chelsea Wine Cellar, and got back to the apartment around 4:30. Now, the real work begins.

By about 6pm, I was done. Completely busted. Not a drop of energy left. And nowhere to sit and relax. I unwrapped a chair, made some tea, and sat for the first time today. I meditated, did some deep breathing exercises, and found a second wind coming on. The forced meditation drifted into lists of things we needed. A couple more errands, set up the bed, hung up some clothes, and made dinner. By 11pm, there was nothing left in me.

Nighty—night!

Posted by dave at 03:18 PM | Comments (1)

Home Sweet Home

In the flurry of pre-closing chaos yesterday, our attorney called the developer of the condo building and said she was standing out front. She demanded to see our crappy floors. She had a general contractor with her. She called me. I was at the bank paying RIDICULOUS fees to be issued a RIDICULOUSLY huge amount of cashier's cheques. I raced down to the subway, which of course took FOREVER to arrive, then crept through the tunnel at a snail's pace. When I'm not in a hurry, the train is right there, and goes a like a bullet.

The construction foreman took us through several apartments, and showed us that the issues were not just in our apartment. They had glued 6" solid walnut floors to concrete. No plywood sub-floor, no nails.

The contractor, the attorney, and I went across to Starbucks. I had water. The last thing I needed was caffeine. The contractor said it was bad product and bad workmanship. $12-13,000 to rip it out and replace it.

Our attorney gave us two options: (1) don't close, and sue the developer, or (2) ask for a credit to the purchase price. We opted for (2). We showed up to the closing. She asked for the credit. The developer said no. It went back and forth for 3 hours. We got zip. We closed.

We knew that if we didn't close, the developer would simply sell our apartment for way more than we paid. We were better off closing, and putting it up for sale, or living in it for 6 months, during which we would no doubt scratch the half-coat of sealant off the floor, then need to replace it anyway. Besides, it would cost us at least $15k to sue, and you don't win your costs in this country.

In the days leading up to the closing, we were told things by the developer. These things turned out to be bold-faced lies, and in some cases, according to our attorney, ILLEGAL. Today, she will send the developer a letter, recording these things and others, with a copy to the Attorney General.

We're unlikely to sue, because it's not in our nature. But I am going knocking on doors to see if anyone wants to launch a class action suit. This way, I'll get to meet our neighbours!

Posted by dave at 06:54 AM | Comments (0)

January 01, 2007

2006 New Year

I'm not really one to celebrate the new year. Each day is a celebration. In the past, we have spent virtually every New Year's Eve with our great friends, Jim & Luc. It usually involves a gourmet feast, far too much vino, and occassionally, when the grow-op supply warrants (Vancouver), a little herbal tea. Followed by excessive giggling. This year, with the chaos of closing on the condo and moving, it just wasn't meant to be.

Last year (2005) we were in George Town in the Bahamas, anchored neatly off Stocking Island across from the tiny village. We fell asleep at about 11.

The year before (2004) we were in Paris with Jim & Luc, on our way to fetch Platina. We went to the famous La Coupole for dinner, and returned to the flat we had rented to play eucre. Someone had to nudge someone else to say happy new year. I think it was 12:20.

Last night, Chis and I went to yoga, then watched 16 Blocks on bluray DVD, then went for a late dinner at our favourite restaurant, Il Corso. We left there around 11 and tried to make our way across 55th Street to Broadway to get a photo down toward Times Square. Not a chance. The police told us to go up to 59th Street, then across. We got about half way across 59th Street toward Broadway, and the crowds stopped moving. Time for Plan B.

Our Saturday yoga leader, Chrystine, told us that if you stand on the rocky knoll just west of Bethesda Fountain in Central Park, you can see the ball drop. Too, the fireworks in the park for the Emerald Nuts Midnight Run (a 4-mile fun run that we decided not to do) were the best in the city. We decided to hoof it up through the park to the bandshell, where they had great music and dancing. All the runners were decked out in sequins and costumes. A really fun night.

It's a great time for reflection, and our great friend DP said not so long ago that Chis and I have been on a whirlwind for quite some time. It really began in 1999.

November 1999 Sold the house in Toronto and moved to Vancouver. We drove out there with the dogs?

September 2001 Sold the house in Vancouver and moved to the Schoolhouse north of Toronto full-time. We flew back. (The vet gave us a prescription for sedatives for the dogs. When I asked why the bottle had six pills, but only to give each of the dogs one each before the flight, he said the rest were for me.)

2001-2004 Massive renovation of the Schoolhouse. Started my private corporate finance practice.

May 2004 Bought Platina in Ft Lauderdale, Florida. Told nobody.

September 2004 Sold the Schoolhouse. "We're moving to the city to downsize".

December 2004 Left Canada for London, Paris and La Rochelle, France to pick up the boat.

February 2005 - April 2006 Sailed over 10,500 nautical miles, crossed the Atlantic Ocean and visited 16 countries.

April 2006 Sold Platina to David & Marian Paul (who will return to the boat in Lisbon after the holidays). Moved to New York.

Wednesday Move into our New York condo.

I have no regrets, and I wouldn't do anything differently than we've done. We are blessed with an ability to embrace radical change, and the strength to face our struggles head-on. For this, I am greatful. I am also greatful for having the best shadow and life partner I could ever have expected to find. He is my life.

While modestly cliche, yet appropriate, we wish everyone the best for the new year! This is going to be great!

Posted by dave at 09:59 AM | Comments (0)

December 30, 2006

Condo Inspection

Today was the day. An opportunity to find out that there was nothing wrong with our new condo, and that our move would be seamless and without effort.

We bought our Platina, and the builder promised it on January 31st. It was, in fact, delivered on January 31st, and everything we found that was deficient was dealt with swiftly and without question (or cost to us).

Our inspection of the condo did not go so well. It seems that someone decided to drop the fridge on about one-third of the cabinets, and the gaps in the walnut floors are the size of the Grand Canyon. "The floor will expand over time" we were told. Do they not realize that we have been through more renovations than the average psychologically-stable person should ever be put through in a lifetime? And the heating/AC units (no forced-air here) had fallen away from the walls, peeling the caulking from its apparently unwelcoming position. Oh, and a large pantry door in the kitchen was missing. And the kitchen taps leaked. And, and and...

We asked them to deal with all of the issues, and they agreed, for all but the floors. Sad and disappointed, we went to our favourite happy hour haunt "Therapy". I needed a lot of therapy. We passed the details of our experience on to our attorney, and we have engaged the advice of a real estate litigator.

We've done this once before when the sale of the Schoolhouse fell through. This shouldn't happen to good people. We don't want to go down this road, but as we learned the last time, the threat of a lawsuit is often motivation enough to compel someone to do the right thing.

And so it goes.

Posted by dave at 09:30 PM | Comments (0)

December 21, 2006

Happy Winter Solstice!

Today is the longest day of the year, and the city of New York is ablaze with lights. A beautiful and warm day, the sun seemed to set around 4 this afternoon. Despite the short days, New York is a magical place to be for the holidays.

Two years ago, we were within hours of our flight to London, and onward to Paris, and La Rochelle to fetch Platina.

A year ago, we were sailing south from Great Guana Cay in the Abaco Islands (Bahamas), to Great Guana Cay in the Exuma Cays. In fact, we were hustling to make it to George Town by Christmas Eve.

We made it to George Town mid-day Christmas Eve, and popped into the local Exuma Markets for a Christmas chicken and fresh vegetables. The following day, we met Mike and Judy on Por Fin, with whom we became instant friends. They are in Trinidad now, contemplating a long sail west toward the Panama Canal. They have invited us to join them, and we are considering it seriously.

This year, we head south to Ajijic, Mexico to see Chis' parents for the holidays.

Happy Holidays!

Posted by dave at 07:10 PM | Comments (0)

December 10, 2006

Naked

This morning, over a third cup of coffee, I finished David Sedaris' side-splitting newest book "Naked". Not quite as funny as "Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim", but close.

In the final chapter, he orders a brochure from a nudist colony for his brother, a floor sander who, due to a recent polyurethane spill, had been discovered naked by the startled owners of the condo in which he had been working. "Included in the envelope is a calendar of events. In May they held a golf-cart rally, several themed campfires, a chili cook-off, and something called Wild West horseback riding. Test eye shadow on all the rabbits you want. Strap electrodes to the skulls of rhesus monkeys and shock them into a stupor, but it is inhumane to place a nudist on horseback the day after a chili cook-off."

Posted by dave at 04:00 PM | Comments (0)

December 06, 2006

NYC bans trans fat

I honestly don't know how I feel about this. My economics hero, Milton Freidman, who recently passed away, preached less government intervention, more free markets. So the economist in me says, bugger the consumer. If they want to eat trans fat, become obese, die early from heart-related bad cholesterol, then let them do it.

When I lived in Canada, my tax dollars paid for national health care. I was paying for people to eat trans fat, become obese, and die early from heart-related disease. In that system, sure, ban trans fat. And tobacco, too.

In America, market forces of supply and demand should rule, because I don't have to pay for someone else's bad eating (or smoking) habits. Banning trans fat will drive up the cost of fast food restaurants, resulting either in squeezing their profits, or forcing them to raise their prices. This either means inflationary pressures, or belt-tightening, neither of which is productive for a growing economy.

The restaurants in New York are considering a lawsuit, arguing that more government regulation is bad for business. I agree.

But I also think that government has a responsibility to inform, educate, and possibly intervene, when it comes to public health. Like asbestos. Do I believe government had a responsibility? Absolutely.

I'm not suggesting that trans fat should not be banned. Heck, I don't eat the stuff. I'm a health NUT. And a fitness NUT. I do yoga, and I run, and I walk, and I eat really, really well. I will live to be 125.

But these are my CHOICES, which I make by becoming educated and informed. In my tiny world, the forces of supply and demand are hard at work. I do not demand trans fat, and the price I would pay for it if I did would be zero. So in my tiny world, the market for trans fat doesn't exist.

So where does this leave me. If we're going to ban trans fat, ban tobacco, too. And alcohol. These all have knowable public health care costs. I guess tobacco and alcohol haven't been banned because their lobby groups are stronger. Don't get me wrong, I love wine. And as an educated and informed consumer, I make a choice.

If we're only going part way, then let restaurants to whatever they want, and charge a "fat tax" if they serve food with trans fat. This puts the public health cost right in the hands (literally) of the people who will suffer most by it. It focuses the consumer decision on price. Like the "sin" taxes on tobacco and alcohol, if trans fat is a sin, then tax it like one.

Posted by dave at 10:01 AM | Comments (0)

La Boheme

Unfriggin' believeable. Chis and I were season subsribers to the Canadian Opera Company for years. We love, no, adore the opera. Last night, we saw La Boheme at the Met. I have never seen such an exquisite performance in anything, ever. Mexican tenor Rolando Villazon performed the role of Rodolfo. In the final act, when Mimi dies, his final adoring cries to her are piercing, full of anger, longing and love. Mimi, performed by Anna Netrebko, was also outstanding. The duets by these two highly talented performers were truly spine-tingling. The sets were incredible - the third act, outside of an inn, was set behind a veil of gauze, lending an eerie, damp, snowy feeling that lends perfectly to the emotions as the lovers decide to split. Placido Domingo conducted, and while the timing occassionally seemed a little off, the performance was spectacular. We may now have to go to see Rent again.

Posted by dave at 09:50 AM | Comments (0)

November 29, 2006

Met Opera

Chis scored 6th row orchestra seats for Tuesday's performance of La Boheme! This is nostalgic for us. One of our first dates, some 14 years ago, was to the Canadian Opera Company's production of La Boheme. I love my man.

Posted by dave at 06:55 PM | Comments (0)

November 28, 2006

I Won't Miss this place

At last, our attorney has confirmed the closing for our new condo on January 2nd! We plan to move on January 3rd. Which got me pondering the things I will NOT miss about our current apartment:

1. Putting our silverware away in a tray on top of the fridge (because there is no drawer).

2. The freezer door, which is permanently frozen shut.

3. The dark, dimly-lit hallways.

4. The front door knob that randomly pops off in my hand.

5. The bathroom sink stopper that wouldn't stop a tsunami.

6. The hot water tap in the bathtub (the one with the 'C') that spins and spins and mostly drips.

7. The next door neighbour that watches action movies at 3am.

8. The smell of simmering garlic, onions and fish at 5am (from the restaurants on 56th Street).

9. The cucarachas in the stairwells, the size of my fist.

10. The oven... er, what oven?

Posted by dave at 02:22 PM | Comments (0)

November 24, 2006

Giving Thanks

Today, I met up with a nice man from Queens named Victor.

To understand why I met this man, we start yesterday morning. Around 9am, the start of the Macy*s Thanksgiving Day Parade at Central Park West and 77th Street, I shook Chis out of a deep sleep. The rain was pounding against the windows of our apartment. It was a cold, dreary, wet, windy day, but we had decided to venture out to see the parade.

With our yoga gear in tow, we flew out the door to head west to watch the parade on Broadway. The winds were strong, and they kept the huge balloons low to the ground. First, Scooby Doo went by. Then Sponge Bob Squarepants. Then Dora the Explorer. And many more we didn't recognize because, hmmm, we're over 40.

Chis got a chill, so we decided to head up through the park to a sister yoga studio on the Upper West Side for a class at 11 instead of the noon class we had planned in Midtown. We got to Central Park West and 72nd Street, and the police said we could only cross at 88th Street, or wait for the parade to finish. Either way, we would miss our yoga class. We perched on the wall and watched Garfield pass in front of the Dakota (where John Lennon was shot almost 26 years ago). Finally, Santa's sleigh, led by 8 reindeer and a big red GMC truck, slid past, and the parade was over.

We crossed to the west side and walked over to Columbus and down to the Midtown yoga studio we had originally planned to attend. By this time, we were soaked through various layers.

We had enough time before our class for a hot tea, and time afterwards for diner grub on the way home.

The message light was flashing when we walked in the door. The first message was from Victor, who had found my cell phone lying in a puddle in Central Park. The second message was from Victor, to give me an alternate number to call because my cell phone had crapped out. The third message was from my mother in Toronto, telling me to call Victor. Victor, clever man, flipped through the directory on my phone, and figured "Mom&Dad" was a good bet. He called mom. Now, at the best of times, mom is not the easiest to get off the phone. According to Victor, mom said "talk all you want Victor, my son is paying the bill". I told him he was absolutely talking to MY mother.

I was wearing my favourite wind/rain proof jacket. I love this jacket. I bought it in Charleston when we were southbound with Platina. Brother Jeff and good friend Toby were with me at the time, and Tobes, being an avid sailor, coveted my purchase a the time. It being wind/rain proof makes it perfect for sailing. Two small problems: it doesn't breathe, and the inside pocket has a hole in it. (I have told Tobes in the past about the non-breathing part, but he will now have two reasons to have made the right decision NOT to buy the jacket).

The inside pocket with the hole in it? You got it... the very place that I put my cell phone.

Victor and I crossed phone messages a couple of times yesterday, but it being Thanksgiving, our turkey gorging plans overlapped. We finally connected this morning and agreed to meet in front of the Letterman Theatre. I in my canary-yellow-wind/rain-proof-pocket-with-a-hole-in-it jacket for easy identification.

He was on his way to a job interview, having been laid off after 15 years at Ford working as a mechanic in dealerships. He handed me my phone. I handed him $20. He refused, saying that it was what he would expect anyone else to do for him. I asked him to take the cash, and suggested he treat his girlfriend to something nice. And if he didn't want it, I suggested that he give it to a homeless person or a charity. He was greatful, and amazed.

I told him that he would undoubtedly get the job, because he had done a good deed. Good things come to those who do good deeds. We shook hands, and bid each other a happy holiday.

I felt really good as this complete stranger walked away and into the anonymous city. How wonderful the way lives intersect for mere moments, but make such a big difference.

Later in the morning, I tied on my running shoes and headed for a vigorous run in the park. I was waiting for the light to change, and a bus pulled up, knelt down, and expelled an elderly lady onto the street. She was clearly having trouble walking, so I offered her my hand to get her safely onto the sidwalk. She accepted.

I felt like I had springs in my feet as I turned on the turbo power and finished my 5-mile run with loads of energy to spare.

Pass it on.

Posted by dave at 03:10 PM | Comments (0)

November 19, 2006

Nice Dome

See the building in the background with the shiny new gold dome? That's our new home. Not the dome, but a wee smidgen of the building. We have at last got a closing date. We think. January 2, 2007 and we're waiting for the final details from our attorney. I have learned not to get too excited about these things, because, like everything in this sensory overloaded city, stuff shifts.

The New York Times ran an article yesterday about the gold dome. The two domes were removed in the early 1900s and are being restored as part of the developer's agreement with the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission.

Posted by dave at 11:23 AM | Comments (0)

November 05, 2006

7-time Tour de France Winner, First-time NYC Marathon Finisher

Lance Armstrong, in my mind the greatest athlete ever, finished the New York City Marathon today, just seconds under his target time of 3 hours. Unbelieveable! We were standing on Central Park South when he ran past. Not a great photo, but Lance is the guy in sunglasses just behind the raised arm. He looked super strong when he ran past, but we saw his finish on TV later this afternoon, and the shin splints he developed training for the race had clearly given him plenty of trouble.

Watching the marathon brought several tears to my eyes. There is something about 26.2 miles of determination that is incredibly life affirming.

Chis and I have run the New York City Marathon at least twice. (Apparently, turning 40 has impaired my memory, and all evidence is safely stored in plastic bins in Toronto).

While I feel better than I have ever felt before, an interview with Lance weighs heavy with me. He said that training for the marathon aged him more than anything in his life. At 35, that says a lot.

The shame about so much media coverage devoted to the top three runners, and Lance Armstrong, is that it distracts from the other 37,000 runners that finished the race. Each and every one of them is a winner! They all inspire me.

After our awesome efforts as athletic supporters (?!), I dropped Chis at the apartment and went to pick some things up for dinner. I went to my favourite wine store, and the manager, Steve, is a former marathoner and 3-time finisher of New York. When I walked in, he said, "hey, what was your time?". My heart sank. I really had no excuse not to run this year, save for having missed the May deadline, at which time I really wasn't up to it. Lance Armstrong's longest training run was 16 miles, a distance I've done twice in the last 6 weeks. But, of course, I'm not an uber-champion with steel determination. Well, I'm not an uber-champion.

It was truly inspiring to see the hoards of runners, and I decided that one more marathon is in order.

Posted by dave at 05:25 PM | Comments (1)

November 03, 2006

Caption needed!

You know how the New Yorker magazine has the caption contest for its cartoons? Chis and I always get a giggle out of coming up with some of them, but never send them in. These photos of me in last weekend's Marathon Kickoff 5-miler need captions. I look like I'm getting ready to cry. I look so intense. Really, it was a great race!

Posted by dave at 11:58 AM | Comments (1)

October 31, 2006

Why, Exactly?

Why, exactly, are Chis' yoga shorts standing up on their own? We do a form of hot yoga, called Bikram. Bikram yoga is done in a room heated to 105°F (40.5°C) and accompanied by specific dialogue. People of all levels, ages and body types usually practice together with a teacher acting as a guide, taking the class through the ninety-minute series.

Posted by dave at 09:38 AM | Comments (0)

October 30, 2006

Do you feel like a New Yorker yet?

Chis and I were out for a long walk yesterday after the 5-mile race in the park. Chis asked me if I felt like a New Yorker yet. I had to ponder this question a little before answering. What makes a person a New Yorker? Knowing where to get your laundry done? Where to go for a run? Where to buy groceries, and good wine cheap?

I answered "yes". But it was a hesitant yes. Something was gnawing at me.

Today, I was at Whole Foods in Chelsea (24th and Seventh). When I finished my shopping, I went to the line to pay.

Sideline for an important detail. I normally shop at the Whole Foods at Columbus Circle, where there is a living, breathing, person who tells you which of the 65 cashiers to go to. No, in Chelsea, it's an electronic voice (Electric Lucy?) and a TV screen. There are three lines, each numbered AND colour-coded. Cool. Even I can figure this out. I'm watching the pattern of numbers and colours and listening to Electric Lucy very carefully.

Suddenly, I'm at the front of Line 3, Orange. The numbers on the screen are falling into place. I somehow lose count, perhaps confused by the colours? The voice? I bolt to Cashier 16 when I hear the voice. I begin to unload my hand basket, when all of a sudden, there is a sharp pain in between my shoulder blades.

I turned. There was a big guy with a baby buggy (and a baby, which is not always the case in New York... sometimes it's a dog, and it may not necessarily be alive). It seems I stepped ahead of the guy who was next. I felt terrible. So I started to pack up my hand basket, and apologized profusely for having completely not paid any attention to who was next. I asked him to go ahead, and I would go back in line. He watched me pack it all up, then, once I was done, he insisted that I go ahead.

I did, paid, and left quickly.

I fretted the whole way home. I was furious with myself for being so stupid, then furious with him for poking me in the back, then furious with him for humiliating me. Then I was furious with myself for making him furious. I was wrong, he was right.

So, do I feel like a New Yorker yet? No. I'm not quite a New Yorker yet.

Posted by dave at 04:20 PM | Comments (0)

October 29, 2006

Poland Spring Marathon Kickoff 5-miler

One week to the New York City Marathon, and the New York Road Runners hosted a 5-mile race in Central Park today. Apparently, 6,000 other crazy people went out for the event, which finished at the same finish line where the marathoners will finish next week. We dressed for cool temperatures and high winds, and despite the variety of layers, we did extremely well. Chis, of course, beat me with a time of 37:08 (a stellar 7:28 minute per mile pace). I was close on his heals with a time of 39:10 (7:50 per mile pace). (I could run that fast, too, if my legs ended at my armpits!) It was a great run, followed by a Starbucks latte to warm up.

Despite our fit, svelt, buffed bods, we'll be cheering the 36,000 Marathon runners next Sunday. We'll be good athletic supporters!

Chis' finishing time
Dave's finishing time

Posted by dave at 04:06 PM | Comments (0)

October 18, 2006

Carnegie Hall

Freekin' awesome is all I can say!

Last night, in the pouring rain, Chis and I went to Carnegie Hall to see Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Paul Simon recorded "Graceland" with this a cappella group from South Africa. In 1993, Nelson Mandela asked the group to accompany the future president and F.W. de Klerk to Oslo, Norway for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony.

The highlight of the show for me was Sarah McLachlan. She has to be one of the most talented and gifted performers of our day. And, she hails from Vancouver. She performed one of my favourite tracks, "Angel", and most will not be surprised to hear than I wept. And wept. You could hear a pin drop in the auditorium.

She later performed "Homeless" with Ladysmith Black Mambazo, from their new CD titled "Long Walk to Freedom", a collection of 12 new recordings to celebrate 12 years of democracy in South Africa. Special guests on the CD include Melissa Ethridge, Emmylou Harris, Taj Mahal, Sarah McLachlan, and Natalie Merchant.

Sarah was strangely absent for the encore. I was doing a little shopping on iTunes last night (at first, I didn't know what I was looking for because I ever EVERY SINGLE THING she has ever recorded). I discovered that she has released a new CD titled "Wintersong", a collection of Christmas tunes. Not to be missed is the title song, and her version of Joni Mitchell's "River".

She probably missed the encore to head to her CD release party. Can we call it that anymore? I can't remember the last time I bought a CD? Perhaps we should call it her "MP3 release party"?

It was a stunning performance, even from our seats way up in the nose-bleed section.

Posted by dave at 11:21 AM | Comments (0)

October 17, 2006

Corporate Social Responsibility - Google & Disney

I think we may start to read more articles like these.

Google is installing solar panels on the roof of its corporate office, capable of generating 1.5 megawatts of electricity, roughly 30% of their total consumption. Having done some research on solar and wind power generation, I know that the economics don't work too well. The cost savings take an awfully long time to pay back the capital costs. Which means that Google is sacrificing short term profits for long term environmental gain. Hooray!

Disney decided to stop using its cartoon characters like Buzz Lightyear to market junk food. The company said they were addressing the parental concerns about childhood obesity. Hooray! Now, the cynic in me (what me, cynical?) wonders whether they are concerned about class-action civil litigation (a la tabacco). I mean, after all, didn't the junk food companies collude with the drug companies? Fatten up America, then develop a drug to lose the weight?

It was widely noted that Disney's announcement said nothing about changes to the advertising of junk food on its television networks. Hmmmm. So, let me get this straight. If I buy a box of chocolate chip Pop-Tarts, I won't find a toy Lightning McQueen in the box, but I can sit pie-eyed in front of the television, watching cartoons of limited educational value, and see ads for McDonald's? GET OUTSIDE!

Posted by dave at 10:08 AM | Comments (0)

October 13, 2006

Coming Soon - the 300,000,000th American

At about 7:46AM next Tuesday, October 17th, America will reach a population of 300 million. The assumptions? One American is born every 7 seconds. One dies every 13 seconds. And one immigrant arrives every 31 seconds.

The New York Times reported this morning that this remarkable date is also the anniversary of

1. The American victory over the British in the Battle of Saratoga in 1777.

2. The introduction of the curve ball.

3. Al Capone's imprisonment for tax evasion in 1931.

4. The start of the 1973 Arab oil boycott.

5. The San Francisco earthquake in 1989.

Here are some of my own additions:

6. Huey, Dewey and Louie, Donald Duck's three almost identical nephews, first appeared in a newspaper comic strip in 1937.

7. The musical Hair opened at the Anspacher Theater on Broadway in 1967.

8. Mother Teresa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979.

9. The United Nations General Assembly declared October 17 as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, to be observed beginning in 1993.

10. The birth of Jupiter Hammon in 1711, the first published Black writer in America.

11. We left New York City for Atlantic City on Platina, a highly memorable sail for the high winds and gentle seas.

Apparently, Robert Woo, an Atlanta lawyer annointed by Life Magazine as the 200 millionth American in 1967 is relieved. "Forty years is enough," Mr. Woo said yesterday.

Posted by dave at 01:03 PM | Comments (0)

October 10, 2006

Renting in New York

To start, the vacancy rate for rentals in New York is estimated at less than 0.7%. To top it off, the tenant pays the broker's commission, not the landlord! We pay 15% as a commission on top of our rent! And I won't even disclose what we pay in rent. Your heart would skip a beat.

Last Friday, we decided to extend our lease on our wee studio apartment to December 8th. Our terribly unhelpful broker fired back an email saying that the building has been sold, will close December 31, and the new owner wants the building vacant. What was that? Did you say, get the f&!% out?

Great. Friday before a long weekend. Let's see. Who do I call first?

I called the broker for our condo to get a status update. If we could be in before the end of the year, we would be okay. "I'm sorry, she's gone for the day". Why am I not surprised?

I called the building management company to find out if we could figure something out for January. The woman who handles our building was covering reception, so she would have to call me back. She never called back.

I called another broker who I really like, and asked if she could help us out. "I'll call you back."

I started to surf the web looking for hotels with kitchens. In Manhattan. There are a few, if you're willing to fork over a king's ransom. But, in a pinch, we would do what we had to do.

Finally, late Sunday afternoon, the condo broker called. They will apply for the occupancy certificate this week, and we will most likely close before Christmas. Whew!

Yesterday, we decided to stroll down to our new hood, wander around, and maybe take a peak at the building to see if there was progress.

Oh, yeah, baby! Progress, indeed! We have four huge windows in our condo, and half of one was always covered in plywood. The plywood was gone. The exterior was being painted, and with the lights on in our condo, we could see that they were putting on the finishing touches. We wandered around to see the lobby. Whoa! They had finished the floor, and were spraying white paint.

For the first time in quite a while, we feel confident that we will be in our new condo before Christmas. Which is good because we have to be out of our wee apartment by December 31.

Exactly what do I expect the answer to be when I ask if we can start rolling our apartment lease weekly? We are very excited, and the final stages of planning are now in play.

Posted by dave at 11:25 AM | Comments (0)

October 08, 2006

Bethesda Fountain

Chis went to our favourite Saturday noon yoga class, while I nursed my cold on the couch. It was glorious and sunny, about 21c, and I was determined to enjoy at least part of the day without hacking, wheezing, sniffling, or whining. We decided to spend the afternoon with books, newspapers, the Sunday New York Times crossword puzzle (in Manhattan, most of the Sunday Times is delivered on Saturday), and our iPods at the edge of the fountain at Bathesda Terrace in Central Park. It has become a favourite hangout, full of tourists, wedding photos, bikes, joggers, musicians, actors, and locals.

At the end of Tony Kushner's play, Angels in America, Pryor (a prophet living with AIDS) is with his friends and family at this wonderful fountain. He has lived longer with AIDS than he expected, and he tells the story of the angel, who descends from heaven and purifies the water, which cures the sick and weak. It is a scene that always makes me cry (I think I've seen the play, both parts, at least three times).

We must have spent two or three hours there, distracted from time to time by passers-by wanting photos taken, people pretending that they intend to jump in the fountain. I read Naked by David Sedaris, and with the volume on my iPod cranked, my sudden bursts of laughter seemed artificial. I was listening to opera. What could be more special that a brilliant sunny afternoon, sitting by the fountain, with my partner and best friend, listening to opera and laughing with David Sedaris?

Thanks to the big smile on my face, I seemed to forget about my flu. At least for a little while.

Posted by dave at 11:23 AM | Comments (0)

October 06, 2006

Hasta la vista, perro

He was such a stud, an idol. I can't believe that he's gone. I always knew there was something in Taco Bell's burritos that made me crazy! Okay, so maybe I have a bit of time on my hands, nursing a cold, and surfing the web. But, YouTube is just too much fun.

Posted by dave at 06:52 PM | Comments (0)

Half Marathon Photos

Know how I wrote about how dreadful the rain was last Sunday for the Grete's Great Gallop Half Marathon? Here are four photos (actually two of the same two photos) taken at the start of the race. I realize that it looks like I peed in my shorts, but I assure you it was the rain!

Posted by dave at 06:07 PM | Comments (0)

October 04, 2006

I miss the Left Coast

Wow! Vancouver/ Galiano Island-based buddies Janusz and Lawrence sent a bunch of photos from this past Saturday's sighting of Killer Whales in Active Pass, the stretch of water between Galiano Island and Mayne Island.

And news from their end of the world is that they bought the place next door to them on the island, and are renting it for vacations. If you've never been to the Gulf Islands, you absolutely must. And if you have been, go again, and I highly recommend a stay at their In the Bluff. They are wonderful people, and we've been great friends for many, many years!

Posted by dave at 04:05 PM | Comments (0)

October 03, 2006

Laugh Until You Pee

Unless you've been living in a cave, you've no doubt discovered YouTube.

This clip is very, very funny. I laughed so hard, I cried. And I almost peed my pants. It will either have you dancing, singing, or peeing!

Posted by dave at 07:50 PM | Comments (1)

Life's Great Mysteries

The New York Times did a feature article on the monarch butterfly migration, which I found absolutely riveting. Here are a few facts that are completely astounding:

1. They migrate 4,000 miles from Canada to Mexico – the migration is reaching its peak right now.

2. They can’t fly once their body temperature drops below 55 degrees (about 11 celsius).

3. They are one of the few creatures on earth that can navigate both longitude and latitude (seafaring humans only accomplished this in the early 1700s when the clock, set to GMT, was added to the sextant and compass).

4. Monarchs begin their migration when the sun at their latitude drops below 57 degrees on the southern horizon.

5. A monarch lives only 6-9 months (breeding monarchs only 6 weeks). A butterfly never makes the full 4,000 mile migration, but somehow, it manages to pass on the flight path to its offspring. No one knows why for sure.

6. Studies have been done where monarchs are moved from Kansas to Washington, DC. Released immediately, they fly south as they would have where they were. Kept for a few days in a mesh cage so they see the rise and set of the sun, they reset their compass heading.

7. Monarch caterpillars only eat milkweed, which is disappearing because of herbicide-resistant strains of corn and soybeans, allowing farmers to kill more milkweed. Milkweed contains a poison that makes birds retch.

8. The Mexican government turned 366,000 acres into a butterfly sanctuary. Nearly half the preserve has been illegally logged since 1984.

Posted by dave at 01:00 PM | Comments (0)

October 02, 2006

Another Half Marathon

As our dear friend, Jim Vibert put it “Who would have thought that moving to New York would help foster better fitness?”

When we lived on the boat, we were frequently in tropical places with intense heat and humidity that were not conducive to long runs. We ran, but not like we used to. Our temporary shoebox apartment is just 4 blocks from Central Park, so it would be a shame not to get to use it.

On August 27, 2006 Chis and I ran our first long distance run since 2000. The New York City Half Marathon. It was the first time this particular race was put on, and it was a marvelous route. Starting on the east side of the park at 81st Street, the route took us on a complete 6.5 mile loop of the park, the straight down 7th Avenue, through Times Square, across 42nd Street to the West Side Highway and down to the finish at Battery Park. It was a good run for me, but not a great one. I finished strong, with loads of energy left. I finished in 1:53 at a pace of 8:38 minute per mile. There were more than 10,000 runners, so gaining any ground on slower runners was tricky.

Yesterday, we entered to run Grete’s Great Gallop Half Marathon, part of the Norwegian Festival. Grete Waitz is an 8-time winner of the New York City Marathon. We woke to rain pounding the windows. Chis rolled over, put a pillow over his head, and moaned something about not having worked in his new running shoes. I was determined, so after bagel and coffee, off I went. I left a bag near the door with dry clothes, and said see you at the finish. The rain was light, until I reached the bandshell in Central Park. I hung back for a while, cowering under my umbrella, until they started to encourage us to head for the starting line. The skies got thicker and darker, and I shed my final layer, dumped everything in the baggage corral, and headed for the start. The rain got heavier. And heavier. The good news is, you only get soaked once. You can’t get wetter. The only challenge now would be blistering and chafing.

The rain got so heavy, I couldn’t see the 7-minute-mile pace sign about 200 metres ahead of me. Grete Waitz started the race, and said something about the fact that it was sunny and warm in Norway. I imagined it in my mind, a source of inspiration.

The route took us clockwise for two loops of the park, and finished in front of Tavern on the Green, exactly where the New York City Marathon finishes. About half way around the first loop, somebody jumped in front of me, and I stumbled to my right into a giant puddle. And a pothole. I turned my left ankle. Wow, now that really hurt. I hopped along for a few metres, and the pain started to diminish. I carried on. I felt super strong, and nothing was going to hold me back. I was powering up hills, floating down the other side, really focusing on extending my stride, and looking deep for that source of energy. I ran hard, and I hit a stride that felt like I was floating. I went into a trance, and came out of it at mile 10 with a time of 1:22. Wow. That’s not bad, with 3 miles to go. I wanted to break 1:50 and a pace of 8:30. I tried to do the math in my head. The more I focused on figuring out if I was going to do it, the more I slowed down. I decided to focus on the road 5 feet in front of me, and pour it on. I found a lot of strength, despite the driving rain. I powered up the hill at Harlem Meer, and kept going. I had been jockeying with a guy in a red cap, and finally at the south end of the park, I flew past him at a blistering pace. I heard him grunt.

I broke 1:50. In fact, my official time was 1:47:33 and my pace was 8:12. I felt great. There is nothing better than the feeling of accomplishment when you set a goal, and you reach it.

As for Chis, he awoke at 10:30 with the sound of the rain drumming against the window. About 10 minutes before I finished. My warm dry clothes would await me at home. I walked back to our apartment in the driving rain, with a big smile on my face.

As for chafing and blisters? Not even a little.

There is another Half Marathon coming up October 15 on Staten Island. I think I will enter this one too.

The New York City Marathon is just around the corner on November 5. Lance Armstrong and Bobby Flay, among other celebs, will be running. Chis and I have decided to be volunteers at the finish line. Our way of giving back to a sport that is near and dear.

Posted by dave at 11:27 AM | Comments (0)

September 29, 2006

10 Things I do for the Planet

We are all stewards of this planet, and it is our responsibility to protect and nurture it for future generations. I often think I don't do enough. So here's my list, and I invite any ideas or suggestions.

1. I take my napsack or canvas bags to the grocery store. Places like Whole Foods give me a 5-cent per bag credit for not using the plastic. Not that the 5-cent credit goes a long way, but I like that they record the fact that someone didn't take a bag.

2. I turn the water off in the shower when I am scrubbing (I learned this on the boat because we had finite water). Same thing with dishes.

3. I buy organic when I can.

4. I support small independent retailers (Westerley Market is a wonderful organic grocery store at 54th and Eighth, as an alternative to Whole Foods).

5. I don't own or drive a car (that's like saying I walk on the sidewalk - who needs a car in Manhattan?).

6. I get crazy when I see excessive packaging. Like, if I buy a tie, why do they have to wrap it in tissue, then put a little sticker on the tissue, then put it in a (usually plastic) bag. I was in L'Occitane today picking up shave cream, and she wanted to wrap it in bright orange tissue and put it in a paper bag. I said thanks anyway, and put it in my napsack.

7. I recycle EVERYTHING (except sometimes out on a walk I toss a plastic water bottle in the bin - bad, bad, bad).

8. I walk most places, and rarely take a cab. I also rarely take the subway, although I have a MetroPass and support public transportation.

9. I take stairs instead of an escalator. If I'm not carrying anything, I'll climb the 10 flights of stairs to our apartment.

10. I keep lights off unless I need them. No decorative lighting.

11. I send emails to companies who I think could significantly reduce their packaging.

12. I give money to street musicians (if they're good).

Wow, maybe I do my part. There's a lot more to be done. Like, I don't stop on the street to pick up garbage and put it in the bin. I don't give money to the homeless. New York does not do organic waste like Toronto does, and there's no room in our shoebox for a home composter. The trick is staying committed and disciplined, and I think I'm doing okay.

Posted by dave at 04:26 PM | Comments (0)

September 26, 2006

Butterfly in Times Square?

We love the opera. The Metropolitan Opera opened its new season last night with Puccini's "Madama Butterfly". The production is directed by Anthony Minghella, the Oscar-winning director of "The English Patient".

A geisha named Cio-Cio-San is the child bride of American naval lieutenant B.F. Pinkerton. He loves her, then leaves her, unaware that she is carrying his child. It's tragic. It's opera.

For the first time ever, the Met simulcast the production live at two venues - one in the plaza at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, and the other on three giant screens in Times Square.

We were on our way home from yoga at 9:30 last night when we remembered the simulcast. Chosing Times Square over Lincoln Center, we strolled down to watch it.

It was the ultimate in contradictions:

Suit and starched shirt? Yoga shorts and a smelly old t-shirt.

Red carpet? Dirty sidewalks.

Dimmed house lights? The blazing chaos of Times Square.

Pin-drop silence? Times Square.

What I find truly remarkable about the Met is its effort to reach out to the masses. Not just the celebrity crowd, the well-healed. The Met embraced everyone and invited them to see what can only be described as a truly rare talent. The opera brings together the symphony, theatre, music, and dance.

Credit to the New York Times for the photo.

Posted by dave at 02:24 PM | Comments (1)

September 25, 2006

Yippee!

How to make this long story short?

We got news about 10 days ago that the rent on our teensy-weensy-itty-bitty apartment would go up almost 20%. The first call I made was to our condo broker. Please give us a realistic expectation of closing, because if it's still 3 months away, we might move. She said we could reasonably expect to close before the end of the year.

My second call was to our apartment broker, whose ears I filled with a general thrashing of expletives. A waste of enery as she apparently had a list a mile long of people who want our matchbox apartment. At first, we decided to extend two months to mid-December. Then, I got clever. I called a broker that we had met while condo shopping, and asked if she had any finished-but-as-yet-unsold inventory. Sure enough, she did. We came close to doing a deal to move, then discovered that we can get back all of the occupancy tax we have paid on our apartment (apartments with leases for less than 6 months are like hotels) if we stay put until November 8. I called the apartment broker back and said we would extend only 1 months instead of 2. She flipped (apparently the mile-long list had shortened in just a few dozen hours).

Meanwhile, several weeks ago we had gone to our condo to take some measurements. We are shopping for a sofa and thought we had found the perfect one. When we laid out the measurements on paper, the walls didn't join up. And the couch wound up in the kitchen.

Having decided to extend our lease to Nov 8, I called the condo broker back and asked to take some better measurements. We went on Saturday afternoon after yoga.

This was the first time we entered the building through the lobby, not through the service entrance on 20th Street. And the new elevators were in and operational. We got to the entrance to our condo, and expected to see little progress. My chin hit the floor. The newly installed hardwood floor, that is. HUGE progress. All the trim, the crown moulding, and doors were in. The tile was down in the two bathrooms. The sinks, vantities, toilets and fixtures were all in. The kitchen cabinets were all in. The hood vent was installed and the dishwasher was shrinkwrapped waiting to be installed. The granite counter in the kitchen was on.

I was dumbfounded! I couldn't believe that they had made this much progress! With the creeping delays in construction, we had begun to expect further delays. But when we saw the apartment, we realized that it is very close to being finished.

My heart raced. I was excited.

We took our more accurate measurements, and laid them out again. This time, the walls joined. But our chosen sofa was still half in the kitchen. The couch was just not going to fit.

Off we went to the store, and luck would have it that they will make a smaller version for us! Having now confirmed that it will fit nicely in our plan, I will head back to the store today, and order it. 8-10 weeks they say. That puts it right around Christmas. Perfect.

Now, we have to manage our way through our temporary living arrangements.

Oh, I didn't tell you the other part. We bought a 40" Samsung flat-screen high-definition TV and a blu ray DVD player. Anything to make the matchbox feel a little more like home!

Posted by dave at 10:11 AM | Comments (1)

September 18, 2006

Anish Kapoor Sky Mirror

We were out wandering yesterday and had heard about a sculpture coming to Rock Center. We thought we'd take a look. This photo is taken from across the plaza, right about where the Christmas tree goes. Turns out the sculpture is by Anish Kapoor, who also did the Cloud Gate sculpture (informally known as "the bean") in Millennium Park in Chicago. The installation was not quite complete, but you can get an idea of what he is trying to accomplish.

"Sky Mirror, an innovative, monumental sculpture made of polished stainless steel designed by internationally renowned artist Anish Kapoor, will be displayed at Rockefeller Center at the entrance to the Channel Gardens located between 49th & 50th Streets and 5th and 6th Avenues. The 35-foot-diameter, 23-ton circular mirror will stand nearly three stories high and offer a dazzling experience of light and architecture. Presented by Tumi, organized by the Public Art Fund and hosted by Tishman Speyer, co-owners of Rockefeller Center, Sky Mirror will be on view, free and open to the public." from the Rock Center website.

Posted by dave at 11:58 AM | Comments (1)

September 11, 2006

Resolve of the Human Spirit

I didn’t know anybody that was lost in the World Trade Center horror. I feel distant from the tragedy. It is impossible for me to know what a loss of this magnitude would feel like. I can only imagine the anguish.

Fiduciary Trust, the company Chis works for, lost more than 90 people. Yesterday, Chis organized a memorial service to which they invited 900 people. I went, not because I knew any of the people, or knew people that knew people, but to show my support for the loss of others. This was my way of sharing my energy, my strength, unburdened by grief.

The service was at St Bartholomew’s Church at Park Avenue & 51st Street. Reverend Bill Tully hosted the service, and said perhaps one of the most profound things I have heard in a long time. He said “Pray the way you can, not the way you can’t”. I realized that, much like the yoga to which I subscribe, you do what you can in the way that you want, and as long as the focus is on doing good in the world, who cares how you do it. I have been skeptical of organized religion. But this message from Reverend Tully was refreshing. I don’t need to bow my head, close my eyes, kneel on the floor, fear that if I don’t do as expected that I will be damned. No, the very act of listening carefully to his words, and reflecting on what they mean to me, is prayer in itself. I took this gift with me as I left the church and felt spiritually inspired by organized religion for the first time in a very long time.

The most remarkable thing about the service was the reacquainting of so many people that haven’t seen each other in a long time. After the horror of that day, many employees of Fiduciary never went back to work. Many had not yet surfaced, and rather than moments of sorrow, the church was filled with smiles and hugs, not tears. This to me was a real example of the resolve of the human spirit.

In distance running, it’s all about how your mind overcomes the minor setbacks. In my marathon (which I have not done since 1998), the body goes beyond burning calories for energy, and I begin to burn muscle tissue. Things start to break down and the body begins to send messages to the brain: “This hurts, you should stop now”. They call this “the wall”. It has happened to me around mile 19. At this point, the brain starts to say “7 more miles at this pace is going to take me over an hour. An HOUR!” The combination of body and brain setting up barriers requires serious discipline. Resolve of the human spirit.

Yoga is like this. In the yoga we practice, Bikram, the temperature in the room is cranked up to 104F. Often I reach points where the heat becomes overwhelming, which usually relates to one of a few things: (i) I haven’t eaten enough, (ii) my electrolytes are low, (iii) I haven’t slept enough, or (iv) my nervous system is busy with something, usually less-than-productive thoughts. I can control all but the last. The heat (and my lack of flexibility) are my barriers in yoga. Oh, and often the humidity, which is extreme in New York in the summer. Lack of flexibility I can deal with (and I am happy to report is improving every day). When the heat becomes a barrier, I do two things: focus on my eyes in the mirror, and focus on my breath. The latter is often difficult because my mind is saying “get me outta here right now before I faint or barf”. Breathing deeply and slowly is difficult when you begin to panic. It’s a vicious circle. Panic causes erratic breathing, erratic breathing causes panic. I have developed a little trick where I inhale for 4 counts of my heart beat, and the exhale the same. By focusing on this rhythm, I can get through the barrier.

No matter what challenges we take on in life – grieving, a new job, a marathon, a game of tennis, yoga – it is the discipline of the human spirit that keeps us going. There is no sense in comparing brands of suffering. Each of us struggles in our own way, and nobody suffers more than anyone else – just differently. There are days when the barriers hold us back. But we just keep going, confronting the barriers, and doing our best to overcome them. These extra efforts make us stronger, and make us better people, doing good in the world by taking care of our soul.

Resolve of the human spirit.

Posted by dave at 12:09 PM | Comments (0)

August 29, 2006

Soapbox

Two exciting items to share:

At last, a website that provides walking and public transportation directions. Click Hopstop to see more. No more need to hop in the car and drive somewhere, emitting nasty pollutants. We are proud to have abandoned the need for a car (which is dead easy to do in New York), and our weekend getaway trips are on the train (no car rentals).

A movement that I have been following closely: CSR or Corporate Social Responsibility. In case you've been in a cave, CSR is about how businesses align their values and behaviour with the expectations and needs of stakeholders - not just customers and investors, but also employees, suppliers, communities, regulators, special interest groups and society as a whole. CSR describes a company's commitment to be accountable to its stakeholders. CSR demands that businesses manage the economic, social and environmental impacts of their operations to maximise the benefits and minimise the downsides.

I know, what happened to my Conservative Party membership card? UTNE recently did a cover story called the New Capitalists, which spurred my interest in the subject even further. Now, an organization called Business For Social Responsibility is hosting a conference here in New York in November. I am considering attending the conference. The fee for the conference includes the purchase of carbon credits to offset pollution caused by facility use and travel to and from the conference, making it a zero-emissions event.

Cool.

Posted by dave at 11:35 AM | Comments (0)

August 27, 2006

Rain, Rain, Rain

The last race we ran was the Vancouver Half-Marathon in the spring of 2001. Today, we completed the first ever New York City Half-Marathon. It started at 7am on the east side of Central Park, and we completed a lap of the park, headed south on 7th Avenue, and just before we got to Times Square, the city zoo dumped on us! Cats, dogs, cows, pigeons, whatever.

We turned west on 42nd Street, then south on the West Side Highway to historic Battery Park.

Chis finished a couple of minutes ahead of me, and we have yet to look up on the web our final finishing times. We both had great runs. Very strong. Who knows, maybe my 11th marathon, Chis’ 15th marathon, is just around the corner.

While we await the final tally, click HERE to see a video from the race.

The women's finish was spectacular (which I know because I had already finished?!).

Posted by dave at 06:30 PM | Comments (0)

August 26, 2006

A Legendary Day

As many of you may know, I'm lucky if I manage to stay awake past sunset. This is changing, because so much of the wonders of New York come to life after the sun sets. We bought tickets to see one of jazz's legends, Oscar Peterson, about a week ago, and I was anxious about being sleepy by the time the 11pm show started.

I went first to an invigorating hot yoga class at 5:30, home by 7:30. Chis was having a snooze on the couch, with the newspaper on his chest. My man works harder than anyone I know, so I was glad that he took some time for himself while I pampered the bod at yoga. We decided to head for a place called eight-and-a-half. It's a swanky lounge spot in some cool space in the bottom of a cool building locally known as 9 West 57th Street. It ramps up smoothly out of the ground and gradually becomes vertical. We had a drinky, and chilled a little, swapping stories of our hectic days.

We have discovered an awesome little restaurant in New York, right on our street (West 55th) called Il Corso. We are slowly becoming familiar to them, thanks to an incredible Napa Cab from Rombauer Estates. They had been out of stock for a while, and we took our chances that their cellar was restocked. Alas, we were in luck!

The restaurant is small, maybe 10 tables, quiet (rare for New York), with an unbelievable menu and even better wine list. To make it a fully incredible experience, the service is excellent.

The second time we had been to Il Corso, we met a lovely couple from Australia, visiting the city for a week before heading to England to see family. She was from Malta, he was from Australia. They were serious travellers, and we struck up a conversation about all kinds of things.

Last night, a woman eating alone at the table next to us asked about the wine we had ordered. She had apparently overhead my enthusiasm when we learned it was again in the cellar. We offered her a glass, and we instantly hit it off. We chatted all through her dinner and ours, and thoroughly enjoyed her company. She, too, was a serious world traveller, having been a flight attendant (stewardess in her days) for PanAm. Now, she is a fashion, flower and jewellry designer, and wife of the Danish Consul in Hawaii. Wow. Interesting woman.

Like our lives on the boat, we make transient friends. We laugh, talk, share, and then move on.

We got carried away chatting so much that it was 15 minutes to the Oscar Peterson show. We dashed into a cab, and got to our seats with about 5 minutes to spare. We have been blessed with jazz legends. We saw Ella Fitzgerald at Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto just before she died, and Dave Brubeck (now 80 years old) at Massey Hall in Toronto this past summer, and now Oscar Peterson, having just turned 81.

He was awesome. He did struggle to keep up with the tempo on some pieces, but his quartet stuck with him. He made it on to the stage by himself, but needed some help to get off when he finished. No encores, sadly, but the man is 81, and I can only hope that I am still doing what I love to do when I am his age.

In a crazy, complex, emotionally charged world, there really is only the basic necessities - good friends, good wine, good food, and good music. That's it. All the rest is just noise.

NEW YORK TIMES
MUSIC REVIEW
The Twilight of a Jazz Star, Still Filling the Seats, and Still Swinging

“There have been many reports that I died,” the pianist Oscar Peterson said on Tuesday night at Birdland. He waited a beat. “I haven’t gone there yet.” This was by no means an original comic premise — Mark Twain beat him to it by more than a century — but it still sparked grateful applause. Of course the audience was also making a general offering to Mr. Peterson, whose ebullient piano style has been much beloved since his emergence at the dawn of the 1950’s. He is one of a small handful of jazz musicians who can not only sell out a steeply priced weeklong engagement, but can also receive a standing ovation just for walking onstage.

Mr. Peterson, who just turned 81, required some assistance as he climbed the stage at Birdland. And his playing, once so breezily self-assured, has assumed some poignant vulnerabilities. He opened with Milt Jackson’s “Reunion Blues,” noticeably struggling with its jaunty melody, a steplike descending pattern. Because his guitarist, Ulf Wakenius, was also playing that melody, Mr. Peterson’s imprecision was evident even to those in the audience who didn’t know the song.
It was after that inauspicious beginning — the first song of the first set of the week, in fairness — that Mr. Peterson made his bid at morbid humor, which doubled as a kind of a disclaimer. More than a dozen years ago he had a stroke that severely weakened his left hand. Though he recovered and resumed playing, his technique inevitably suffered, and age now seems to have exacted a toll on his legendary right hand as well.

Yet there were some delightful moments in the set that underscored Mr. Peterson’s affinity for the blues. He has a canny sense of dramatic contrast and often followed a string of bebop licks with a chunkier, chord-based approach. On one slow blues he set up a dialogue between both hands, answering each careful right-handed phrase with a crudely rhythmic left-handed accent, not unlike an Amen chorus.

The other members of his quartet — Mr. Wakenius, the bassist David Young and the drummer Alvin Queen — were attentive and supportive, and they kept up a strong sense of swing.

Ballads also played a prominent role in the set. Mr. Peterson prefaced one of his own, “When Summer Comes,” by proudly noting that it had recently been adopted into the repertory of Diana Krall. (He didn’t mention that the lyrics are by her husband, Elvis Costello.) The sparseness of the song suited his pianism, which has always been more about line than color, even on ballads, and even in his prime.
Before he played another original ballad, “Requiem,” Mr. Peterson reflected on the many people jazz had lost over the years. His list began with the bassist Ray Brown, his closest musical partner, and the impresario Norman Granz, his most influential supporter. It ended with the pianist Art Tatum, whose virtuosity served as an obvious precedent during Mr. Peterson’s most glorious years.

“If I keep naming names, I won’t have time to play the tune,” Mr. Peterson said, placing his hands on the piano keys. There were a few good-natured chuckles, but this time he seemed fully serious.
Performances continue through Sunday at Birdland, 315 West 44th Street, Clinton, (212) 581-3080.

Posted by dave at 10:36 AM | Comments (0)

August 08, 2006

"So it goes." Slaughterhouse Five, Kurt Vonnegut

Almost every weekend, we wander down into Chelsea and stand on the north side of 21st Street, just west of Sixth Avenue, and stare proudly up at our new apartment just beyond the old cemetery. We arrive, excited, hopeful to see one less blue tarp, maybe some scafolding removed. The plywood in the windows, lights on inside, and naked steel studs suggest little progress, if any. We complete the weekend by surfing through furniture stores, looking for the perfect furniture to fit in our soon-to-be-framed-in abode. On the way, we slip carefully through one of our favourite haunts in the city for a cool martini to chill the disappointment.

I had called Broker A to let us into our space to take some careful measurements. After the half-moon couch that we bought for our Balsam Avenue home in Toronto did not even remotely fit in the space for which it was intended (a bit like trying to stuff a baked potato into a pea pod) we were taking evasive action.

"So, Erica, when is our expected closing date?" I asked.
"September", she replied, looking away.

Kenny from South Park immediately entered my mind. Kenny dies in every episode (at least for the first five seasons). I felt sorry for what was about to happen to her. She probably thought it was the concentration of chemicals that successfully turned her hair blonde when her head burst into flames.

Broker B.
"Penelope? Any news on a closing date?" I asked.
"November. Maybe December. But definitely not September." she said.

I know, I'll call our attorney. She'll get a straight answer out of the developer.
"Susanne? Any news on a closing date?" I asked.
"The fall." she said.

So it goes.

Posted by dave at 07:25 PM | Comments (1)

July 23, 2006

Just How Small is a New York Kitchen?

Life's great questions? So, we found it difficult enough to move from the sprawling country estate (exaggeration intentionally added to get my point across) to the 426 square feet on Platina. Then, from Platina to a series of duffle bags, backpacks and sundry carrying appendages. Then, to the New York apartment. Chis took this picture of me smooshing eggs in our tiny kitchen. He is standing outside the kitchen! Not on the other side of the kitchen! That's all there is. Room for only one bum. I didn't dare turn around to smile for the camera, I might have broken something!

Posted by dave at 07:15 PM | Comments (1)

June 20, 2006

Top 10 Rules for Walking the Streets of New York

1. Do not make eye contact.

2. Do not give way – stand your ground.

3. Give a wide berth to anyone with a camera or a map.

4. Give a wider berth to anyone with a fanny-pack around their waist.

5. Never be in a rush.

6. Instead of standing on the corner waiting for the light to change, advance into the street and wait for honking cabs before crossing.

7. If she’s in high heels, she’s going to avoid the subway grates – take evasive action.

8. 1 in 5 New Yorkers smokes. If you are at all sensitive to cigarette smoke, avoid office tower entrances.

9. Crank your iPod – the people you don’t want approaching you will leave you alone.

10. If you give any suggestion that you don’t know where you are going, you will be eaten.

Posted by dave at 10:01 AM | Comments (0)

June 17, 2006

Florida vs New York

Weeks ago, having finally "settled" in our 450 square foot apartment, with a kitchen half the size of the one on Platina, we decided to have our personal things delivered from storage in Florida.

Now, "settled" is a relative term. We felt more "settled" on Platina, even though we rarely stayed in the same place for more than a week. Here, while we have stuffed the luggage into the corner of a closet, we have 3 books and a stack of newspapers. Not our usual collection of stuff.

Packing it all up in Fort Lauderdale seems like yesterday. We had used the forward cabin to consolidate and pack, realizing only as the truck was pulling up to the top of the dock to take our things away, that the biggest of the boxes were not going to make it through the doorway, nor the hatch above our heads. An emergency repack solved the problem, and with seconds to spare, the movers arrived and took our things away.

The logistics had been challenging. How many times does a mover get a request to move from a boat, to storage, then sometime in the future, to New York.

I am happy to report that Florida was a cinch by comparison. Despite calling several weeks ago, the movers hummed and hawed and pardoned themselves for having issues with delivering anything bigger than a chick pea into the guts of Manhattan. I made it easy on them - how about early Saturday morning. No traffic, easy place to find. No problem.

Chis and I woke early this morning, had a bit of breakfast and 10 minutes with the New York Times, then hoofed it down 6th Avenue to 23rd Street and the West Side Highway (about a 5 block walk from our the apartment we move to in September). We arrived 5 minutes late, and no sooner the dispatcher called to say that the chick pea would arrive late. Flat tire on Statten Island. Oh, great.

We killed time, went to Balducci's Food Market, wandered past our new apartment, and back to the storage place where we were due to meet them. We waited, and waited, and waited. Finally, at about 11:30 they arrived. Good thing I speak a little Spanish. Welcome to New York. Welcome to the USA.

At last, we have our stuff. 16 boxes went into storage, and little came out in a napsack, plastic bag, shopping buggy and our DVD case. The rest will stay in storage until the final move in September.

Shopping buggy, you ask? A gift from the manufacturers of our darling Platina. What, did they think we were ancient with blue hair? Well, we used it a few times while we were on the boat, but in New York City? Well, when one lives in this density, one does not hop in the car to drive to Loblaws to pick up a week's worth of groceries. It's suicide to drive in this city (see previous entries describing the food chain on the streets of Manhattan). It's a more European approach - shop fresh, shop daily. Because that's all that you can carry. So the shopping buggy survived the post-Platina purge.

We are excited for several wonderful little things: (i) our Chinese cast-iron teapot, (ii) my collection of tiny Chinese bowls and dishes, (iii) Chis has his wide-screen laptop again (I miss him already), (iv) the duvet, and (v) my chef's knife.

And our little treasure. All the way from La Rochelle, France. 8 (now 7) crystal glasses that are stemless and shaped like tulips. We have enjoyed these along our journey, and are now amongst our most well-travelled treasures. Amazing that we lost 1 glass on the back of a tractor-trailer truck between Fort Lauderdale and New York, but 10,500 miles at sea and not even a scratch.

Posted by dave at 07:28 PM | Comments (0)

June 10, 2006

Lance Armstrong to Run the ING New York City Marathon

Chis and I have been considering a marathon this fall. We are both fit, trim, doing Bikram yoga four times a week, and running 20-25 miles a week. It's a small step for a couple of guys with a good base under our belts. (Incidentally, the yoga has dramatically improved our flexibility and our lung capacity, never mind our energy level and mental capacity.) Perhaps we will pace Lance!

Statement from Mary Wittenberg, President and CEO, NYRR; Race Director, ING New York City Marathon:

“I was thrilled to learn late last night of Lance’s decision to run the ING NYC Marathon. A bit like winning the lottery after you thought you had lost.

Lance epitomizes both the American spirit and the spirit of the marathon and it is no surprise that his drive, motivation and focus leads him to his next challenge – 26.2 miles on foot. Millions of athletes of all disciplines along with cancer survivors and their families from around the world will tune in on November 5 to cheer for Lance as he runs the five boroughs of NYC in the Tour de France of our sport – the ING NYC Marathon.

The ING New York City Marathon is a celebration of life at its finest, with tens of thousands of runners striving to overcome hurdles and achieve great personal goals, using the support of millions of spectators. Lance's example will reinforce to all the benefits of an active, healthy lifestyle and the need to persevere in the face of all odds.

Lance is a born winner and has a midas touch. I can guarantee this year’s ING NYC Marathon will have a shine to it like never before with Lance in our ranks. We welcome Lance with open arms and thank him for the lift we are sure to see in an already healthy sport of marathoning and in our efforts to get people moving toward healthier and fitter lives.”

Posted by dave at 06:39 PM | Comments (0)

June 06, 2006

Home Sweet Home (in the Fall)

At last! We did it. We bit the bullet and bought the pad.

See it HERE.

It is an old department store on Sixth Avenue at 21st Street, right in the heart of Chelsea. It is being converted into 49 residential homes, and ours is located on the north side overlooking an old cemetery that has not been used in over 125 years.

Being a department store, it has wonderful 14-foot ceilings and grand cast iron columns.

True to our pattern, it was the last apartment we looked at. We are very excited, and hope to move in by the end of September.

Posted by dave at 04:31 PM | Comments (0)

The 86 cent Experiment

We've all heard it. New Yorkers are demanding, impatient, thieving scoundrels.

I wanted to put it to a test. Where better than Central Park, Saturday morning.

Chis and I decided to go for a long run in Central Park. I bought a bottle of water, placed it carefully on a bench by the side of the path we would run on, and proceeded along with my first lap of the park. The question was, would anybody take it?

It's not like I tucked it behind a tree, or covered it with a towel. No, right out there is plain site, within easy reach of joggers, cyclists, pedestrians, homeless people.

50 minutes later, I arrived back at the site of my experiment, and there it was, safety cap securely in place, waiting for my parched throat.

New York had passed the test. The experiment was a success! New Yorkers are good people.

Posted by dave at 04:24 PM | Comments (0)

May 23, 2006

da Vinci-esque?

On two days of the year, the sun will set exactly on the centre line of every cross street in Manhattan. The street grid was designed exactly 30 degrees east of north, and on Sunday, May 28th and Thursday, July 13th we hope to get some great photos of some of our favourite architecture.

Posted by dave at 05:09 PM | Comments (0)

New York Stories

I could fill this site with New York stories. Everyday it seems there are things that go on in this city that are bewildering. For example, the pecking order on city streets – it begins with fire engines, ambulances, cops, and most dangerous of all, garbage trucks. The hyena level consists of buses, delivery trucks, and particularly crazy cabbies. The amoeba level encompasses everyone else, but even they will devour those with out-of-state plates.

The same applies to pedestrians. The rules of the sidewalk are simple. To make any progress, whatever you do, don’t let the oncoming pedestrians see the whites of your eyes. Never yield to anyone. Cross only on red lights. And wear an iPod so that when the hyenas on the streets honk and try to mow you down, shrug and point to your ears.

I have also figured out why this city has so many museums and galleries. These sanctuaries (although I would argue even the validity of this when it comes to Sunday afternoons) are the only places you can get away from the “city”. I once thought Central Park was a place to get away, but on a sunny afternoon, it’s standing room only. I was hoofing it across the Park a week or so ago to see yet another condo. I had to pee really bad, and there were no loos. I looked around, looking for a bush or tree to water, and discovered that there were so many people around, I would not have found some privacy in even this simple but natural endeavour. Unlike the camel that is my husband, I was born with the teensiest bladder. It would have to wait. How I made it to the condo sales office without a puddle around my feet was beyond me. Besides, I think indecent exposure in Central Park would not have looked good on my highly polished, and now widely disseminated resume.

Apparently, blathering on about nothing is a New York thing.

The events of the last 10 days in the Volvo Ocean Race (formerly the Whitbread) have left me pondering our decision to sell Platina. One of the 10 crew on ABN AMRO 2 was swept overboard in the dark wee hours of morning, was recovered in seemingly horrendous conditions, but they were unable to resuscitate him. An attempt to rendezvous with a German freighter was unsuccessful, and the boat sailed on, about 3 days from England. Already, I’m thinking this is no fun for 9 live guys and 1 dead guy on a 70-foot racing boat in the middle of the Atlantic. Then, it gets worse. Spain’s entry in the race, movistar, starts taking on water because of a damaged keel joint. Eventually, with a wicked storm approaching, the captain orders the crew to abandon ship. The nearest boat available – ABN AMRO 2 – comes to the rescue. In a life raft, all 10 crew from movistar, and their personal belongings, are shuttled across. Now, we’ve got 19 guys and a dead guy on a boat, and things can’t be smelling too fresh. At last, a Dutch frigate catches up to ABN AMRO 2 and takes the body off. Then, movistar’s crew are removed and ABN carries on to the finish line. When they arrived in England, the crowds were silent and speechless. Really though, what does one say?

Posted by dave at 02:12 PM | Comments (0)

May 14, 2006

Sad News

We are deeply saddened to have learned that our friend and Schoolhouse neighbour, Ina Priller, passed away on Friday. A wonderful person, with a troubled soul. Her collapsed marriage to her husband was very troubling for her. She was found in her husband's dentist chair with her dog, Molly. She died of an overdose.

Suicide is never easily understood. At first, I was angry. Angry that she would do this to spite her husband. He just wasn't worth the effort. Then I realized that the burdens she carried had been passed on to him. Now he would have to live the rest of his life knowing that in whatever small way, he had something to do with her death.

And, too, she chose a place where her friends and family would feel the least guilt. Away from the family home, in a place clearly targeted at the one individual that had grown to make her life so miserable. Somewhat poetic.

Ina, may you have found peace my friend. Do good things in the after-life. And rest. Your pain is over.

Posted by dave at 10:09 AM | Comments (0)

May 11, 2006

Pirates in the Lead!

Posted by dave at 07:05 PM | Comments (0)

Volvo Ocean Race

Leg 7.
7 boats.
7 days.
New York City to Portsmouth, England.
Click HERE for the Volvo Ocean Race website.

I think we were still in the Bahamas when Toby, great friend, famed crew member aboard the beloved Platina from Charleston to Fort Lauderdale last November, year-round live-aboard his Beneteau 43 Pearl in New York Harbour (loco?), invited us to watch the start of Leg 7 of the Volvo Ocean Race.

Abso@#&$^%$tely!

As a newbie New Yorker (I have worked in my VERY comfortable walking shoes, sharpened my elbows, and go everywhere with my “NFT” – Not for Tourist Guide to New York), getting from 55th and 6th Avenue to World Financial Center, during rush hour, then hop on the ferry across to Jersey to meet Tobes in time to be off the dock by 10:30am, I would have to leave at sunrise.

It was a once-in-a-lifetime event! How many times do you get to see highly qualified endurance sailors head across an ocean? Amazing. By far the prettiest boat is Pirates of the Carribean.

From Portsmouth, the fleet heads for Rotterdam, then on to Gotherburg. Follow the boats HERE

Posted by dave at 06:56 PM | Comments (0)

May 03, 2006

UPPER WEST SIDE, MANHATTAN

Okay, so it seems, in hindsight, that the challenges at the Hilton last week were simply an early test. It is one thing to visit this city. It is entirely another to live here. Especially when the first question is “Can I have your social security number?”. Would if I could.

We have rented a small flat in Midtown for the 9th of May, and not wanting to overstay our welcome at the Hilton, we decided to move to a very small flat on the upper west side until the flat is vacant. 73rd and Broadway to be exact.

Chis was on his first day at Fiduciary Trust, so I would manage the move. Of course, you need to realize that we are no longer traveling with just a few bags full of shorts and t-shirts. Now, we drag along the laundered dress shirts and dry-cleaned suits. These can no longer be folded in the duffle bag.

Check-out time at the Hilton: noon.

Check-in time at the Tempo Apartments: 2pm.

Appointment to see the Grand Madison condo development at 5th Avenue and 26th Street: 2:15pm.

All of our worldly possessions would just have to go into storage at the Hilton.

I returned to the Hilton around 4pm, collected our things from storage. “That’ll be $35, please”. In fact, I don’t recall the “please” part. They charged $3.50 per item for storage, and had counted 10 items. 5 bags, including a knapsack and my briefcase. Where are the other 5 items? They had counted the laundry (2 suits and 3 shirts) as items. I gave him $20 and told him to have a nice day.

The cab dropped me at the curb in front of the building. I feel for cabbies in this city with gas prices where they are, so I tipped him well. I figured maybe he’d help me with the 10 items into the lobby.

No chance. He dumped me on the curb like a sack of potatoes. Eddie the doorman was kind enough to help me in. Nice guy. “I have apartment 310 reserved”. He went pale. “There are people in 310”. I grabbed my cell phone and called the broker through which I had organized the apartment. “Uhhh, Vesna, there are people in our apartment.”

The solution – move into a 1 bedroom, and move into 310 tomorrow. The New Yorker in me surfaced again. “Vesna, where I put my head down tonight is where I stay until May 9th.” After much dodging, excusing, and chattering, they grudgingly agreed to give us a nice apartment on the 8th floor.

Nice apartment with a coffee maker that doesn’t work. I flooded the kitchen with coffee and grounds on our first morning.

This photo is of the building across the street.

Posted by dave at 05:15 PM | Comments (0)

April 29, 2006

New York, New York

On August 31st last year, we arrived here on Platina. We sailed under the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, past the Statue of Liberty, past Battery Park and Wall Street, and up the Hudson River. We spent 6 weeks here. At that time, we never imagined that we would be LIVING here!

And so here we are. As Chis' parents put it, simply, yesterday in an email:

"Welcome home".

Immigration was easier than expected. The lawyers had prepared a sheer 5 pounds of material to present with Chis’ L1 visa application. My application was about 4 pages, most of which was stuff that proved our “domestic partner” status in the US, which is not legally recognized. The lawyers wound us up by suggesting that it would depend on the mood of the Immigration officer whether they would let me in. We were told to get to Pearson 4 hours before our flight (flying through Pearson airport, you clear US Customs & Immigration before getting on the plane). We were through in less than an hour. Chis got his L1 visa for 3 years, and I got my B2 visa for 1 year. Chis can work (and pay tax). I cannot work.

Our living plans seem simple. Hotel first. Find a furnished short-term rental quickly. Then shop for a long-term place to buy or rent.

The Hilton Midtown has been a comic experience. The taxi from Laguardia barfed us onto the curb at the hotel, with our overstuffed oversized duffle bags and backpacks. I walked into the lobby in search of some assistance. The bellman told me in true New Yorker style “doorman”. Thinking I had heard “do it yourself”, I asked politely, in my best Canadian “please, we have a lot of bags”. He had no idea that we were carrying our worldly possessions with us, having just moved off a boat in the Bahamas and lugged this crap through Mexico and Canada before arriving on his doorstep. He wouldn’t have believed the story if I had told him. Not in New York. “Two doorman” is what I got back.

No doorman. We dragged the bags through the door and into the lobby. We tried the automatic check-in, but the machine spat our credit card out and said “card declined”. Step into the twilight zone. We went to the desk. They checked us in (the credit card was fine), and finally a bellman helped with the bags. I think that when he saw Chis heave the heaviest duffle up onto his shoulders, teetered a bit, near the enormous flower vase behind him, they finally figured it was time to earn a tip. Of course, we were feeling less than generous at this point.

Off we went to the 31st floor to find our room. Chis opened the door to discover the room in tatters. Towels all over the place, lights on, clearly not cleaned yet. We went back to the lobby. Room #2, 7th floor. I walked in and was completely overwhelmed by the stink of cigarettes. Oh, no, this is not good. We marched back down to the front desk, becoming increasingly less Canadian and a little more New Yorker.

“The hotel is full”. Pardon, did you say “kiss my ass?”.

Yesterday, after a phone call to Franklin Templeton’s travel guru to complain (we never complain), and my temper tantrum in the lobby (it wasn’t really that bad), they gave us another room. Smaller than the others, but clean and no smell of cigarettes. So small that you almost break the window when you put the key in the door. The biggest of our duffle bags barely fit through the door.

On our arrival Thursday night, we were craving comfort food, like a big Ruth’s Chris steak. That’s exactly what we did. After we had looked at a few apartment rentals. Chis abstained from too much wine with dinner, saving himself for his drug test. A very quick procedure of peeing into a Dixie cup, it was over in a flash. No worries about passing or failing because I think even with Chis’ last cold he refused to take a thing. Pure as the driven snow.

I spent the middle part of Friday with an agent from Grenoble, France. She tested my French and we talked about places in France. I reminisced. She pined. She showed me a few apartments. I saw one that I really liked. Until she told me about the commission. We pay the commission, not the owner. A full month’s rent. Yeah, but we only want the place for a couple of months while we look for more permanent digs. She was not sympathetic. After all of our story-telling and French-speaking? Being “nice” in New York does not make you instant friends. Then, we stumbled on a wonderful French bistro. It was wonderful. Unbelievable food, great wine, and a wonderful French atmosphere. We felt like we had returned to La Rochelle.

Following drug tests, applications for Social Security and apartment hunting, Chis and I rendezvoused back in our teensy weensy hotel room. It was time to review and prioritize. What’s next, and then, and then…

A bank account. This seems easy. We picked Chase out of the myriad of logos plastered all over Manhattan. It was there, in the basement of Rockefeller Center, that we met Andrea, our new banker. She was great, and we had some laughs. We opened an account, got rigged for online banking, and left, feeling good about the $100 we deposited in our new bank account.

It was a day of accomplishments – a run in Central Park, a scour of half a dozen apartments, dry-cleaning, drug test, social security applications, new banking relationship, and a fabulous dinner. After dinner, we slipped through Starbucks for a chamomile tea, and wandered until we were tired (about a block).

Today is Saturday. A run in Central Park. Then a late breakfast at Astro Diner. We have one apartment to see before making a final decision (we think it may be a wee place on west 55th). Then, off to wander in search of our new home. Perhaps we will buy a big screen TV and live inside the box. It will cost us just as much as about half a month’s rent.

Posted by dave at 08:36 PM | Comments (0)

October 14, 2005

Rain, rain, go away!

We returned to New York on Tuesday. With strong winds and heavy rain, the pilot said the airport was “metering”, making the distance between the planes much bigger. That’s pilot-speak for “we’re late”. It has rained nonstop since we arrived. New Jersey is flooded. This may be a good thing.

Winnipeg was great (except for the snow storm). I spent 16 years of my life there. This was clearly enough. We had a wonderful visit with the Greene family, and I turned into the 9-year old that I am. Playtime with nephews Andrew and Jordan was truly fun beyond belief. I left Winnipeg with a wound on my lip. Chis said I should tell people that it was a new highly contagious virulent strain of herpes, because nobody would believe the real story. Andrew and Jordan beat me with a garbage can! Truthfully, they missed while trying to place it on my head.

We had a short Toronto visit with family. Two Thanksgiving turkey dinners! We saw the Canadian Opera Company’s production of Carmen, and went to the Body Worlds exhibit at the Ontario Science Centre.

Chis is nursing a cold (poor Chis), with lots of hot tea, warm jazz, Sudoku puzzles, the New York Times, and fleece blankets. He has wedged himself in the corner of the couch, falls asleep, rolls over, whacks his head on the table, and wakes up. Despite my offer to set him up in the cabin with the portable DVD player, he is content to stay wedged where he is.

Later, we will don our rubber boots and foul weather gear, and hoof it to the grocery store for brillo pads and garbage bags. Life is beautiful.

We had planned on leaving today, but with talk of gale force winds and 15-foot seas outside of New York Harbour, we decided to flee tomorrow.

Posted by dave at 04:02 PM | Comments (0)

October 04, 2005

Winnipeg

Our departure from New York has been postponed due to family business in Winnipeg. And with a forecast of snow for the Thanksgiving weekend, we hardly feel good about heading north. The best part will be seeing my adorable nephews.

With suggestions of two more hurricanes for the US in October, we hardly feel in a rush to head south. Our scheduled rendezvous with Rhumboogie in Norfolk, Virginia is becoming doubtful. We had planned to join them on our southbound voyage. The only thing pressing us south is the coming colder weather. But given the choice between earmuffs and homelessness...

Oh, and incidentally, tomorrow is Chis' birthday! Happy birthday to Chis!

Posted by dave at 02:08 PM | Comments (0)

September 28, 2005

Russia! at the Guggenheim Museum

Today, Chis and I went to one of our favourite art museums - the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. We had read a feature article in the New York Times about an exhibition called Russia! sponsored by Putin. Click HERE to see highlights.

The vast extent of my exposure to Russian art is what hangs in the Louvre in Paris. Dark, sad, drab backgrounds. Controlled content. Heavy orthodox religious. Portraits of important csars and csaristas looking important, but bored.

Well, hang on to your hats! We saw some amazing stuff. Highly political Russian Revolution stuff. Cold War rebellious. Cubism. Abstracts. Sculpture. Really an exquisite show that at every corner (using the term loosely, as there are no corners in the Frank Lloyd Wright designed building) amazed the senses.

This show is worth a trip to New York! WOW!

A brief sidetrip through the Thannhauser Gallery is a must do - Degas, Monet, Picasso, Braque, Cezanne and Van Gough. The great Impressionists that turned the art world on its ears.

Posted by dave at 07:15 PM | Comments (0)

September 25, 2005

View from the Top

On a recent rigging check, I had noticed the lashing for our fore sail at the top of the mast was heavily chafed and fraying. So Chis hoisted me to the top of the mast (65 feet) and I repaired it so that we could take Jim & Luc sailing. This time, I remembered the camera. Too bad it was overcast, but the shot is impressive.

Posted by dave at 08:35 AM | Comments (1)

September 23, 2005

Ferry to Manhattan

Fairies(?) to Manhattan. Chis, Jim & Luc on the upper deck of the Liberty State Park water taxi that took us across to Battery Park in Manhattan. What a colourful bunch! All the colours of the rainbow!

Posted by dave at 08:31 AM | Comments (0)

September 22, 2005

Visit from Jim & Luc

Jim & Luc arrived Thursday early afternoon while we were fixing some rigging issues. We had a little tour, got their bearings, and headed into Manhattan for a walk and shop. We wandered into Chelsea Market at 10th and 17th and picked up some unbelieveable tuna and scallops to make on the boat for dinner. We stopped at Pastis for a drink on the way back, and finally made it to the boat around 7:30. A short break, then Luc and I started dinner. We feasted. It was awesome. It is amazing what you can do in a teeny tiny kitchen.

Posted by dave at 08:24 AM | Comments (0)

September 21, 2005

Jersey City, New Jersey

Many have suggested that we are the last people on earth that needed 10 days of “rest and relaxation” in Maine. Luxuriating in the clear waters of the Caribbean, sailing across the Atlantic Ocean, etc. Possibly, a point.

Nevertheless, we had a magical, relaxing time with David and Alex in Maine. So much so that I wept leaving on the train for Boston. Realize that this happens infrequently, and admitting it on our personal blog site is a real stretch for me. We had a wonderful time, watching the US Open (I still think Agassi should have beat Federer), going for runs on the beach in the fog, dining on wonderful fresh food, lobster feasts, and wonderful early morning conversations over freshly roasted organic coffee. Nothing could be better. Okay, sailing around the world is a close second.

Rather than returning to crazy Manhattan, we decided to take the train and ferry to Provincetown, Massachusetts at the tip of Cape Cod. Just in time for Tropical Storm Ophelia. She did little but dump rain and a bit of wind, but nothing like we experienced with Dennis in Fort Lauderdale in July. We ran tons, dined beautifully, relaxed, and enjoyed the gayness of Ptown.

[Ptown is very liberating. We walk the streets holding hands. Something many of our breeder friends take for granted.]

We took the ferry back to Boston, and caught the train to New York. Except that the computerized engine failed, and we were disabled on the track. The engineer tried to “reboot” the train, but we giggled at Bill Gates’ expense, suggesting that the engine had been a target of a virus. Modern technology installed on 200-year-old technology. We got on another train, and finally made it to the boat about 16 hours later. It was nice to see our lovely Platina again, and we slept well with the gentle rocking. We missed being on the water.

I finished two wonderful books – “Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim” by David Sedaris, and “The Secret Voyage of Sir Francis Drake” by Samuel Baulf. Sedaris’ book makes you feel awkward when you laugh at situations that are familiar and personal, but shouldn’t be funny. Baulf’s book, a gift from our Vancouver-based Mulligan family, was a treasure. I have a mild fascination with the life of Queen Elizabeth I, and Sir Francis Drake completed the first around-the-world journey in 1578 on her instructions. She did not want the Spanish to find the Northwest Passage, and instructed Drake to adjust his maps accordingly.

Our great friends, Jim & Luc, arrive tomorrow. We will spend 5 days doing our best celebrating Jim’s 40th birthday (and Luc’s 40th belatedly). Despite my recent birthday, I am still the youngest of the four of us. I am the baby. I AM THE BABY!

We moved Platina to another marina, with a view of Manhattan, and right next to Liberty State Park, with miles of trails for Chis and I to run. And the water taxi is 50 feet away, which will take us to Manhattan each half hour.

Posted by dave at 05:28 PM | Comments (0)

September 07, 2005

New York, New Jersey & Massachusetts - All in One Day

Jeff & Heather, exhausted from their trip to NYC, returned yesterday to Winnipeg for a recovery. It was a great weekend, and we thoroughly enjoyed their company. David & Alex arrived late yesterday afternoon in time for a snack of cheese, followed by dinner at The Park.

This morning, Alex, Chis and I went for a run, followed by breakfast and preparations to move the boat to a marina across the Hudson River in Jersey City. David moved the car over to the marina to meet us. With Platina tied up carefully, we climbed into their car and travelled north to Lenox, Mass. Heart of the Berkshires. Beautiful place.

Tomorrow we head to Biddeford Pool, Maine for 10 days of rest and relaxation.

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September 05, 2005

Downwind

Jeff in front of the downwind sails.

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Sis-in-Law Heather

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Dave's Brother Jeff

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August 31, 2005

Verrazano Narrows Bridge

This bridge connects Staten Island to Brooklyn. Its vertical clearance is 229 feet at the centre, good enough for our 69 foot mast. The New York City Marathon starts on the west side of the bridge. Chis and I have run the NYC Marathon at least 3 times (we can't actually remember exactly), and it was nice to have a different perspective.

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Lower Manhattan

This is a great photo passing the Battery and heading up the west side of Manhattan on the Hudson River.

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N40.4 W74 New York, New York

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