So far, 2019 has been fine, though not all that noteworthy in the grand scheme of things, which is why you haven’t heard from us in a while. We spent January doing what needed to be done; meeting with contractors, obtaining estimates, and taking care of little things that required our attention. We have selected our contractors and are ready for them to start working, but we are stuck waiting once again as they are backed up several weeks. Of course that was news we didn’t want to hear (hurry up and wait), but that is the deal. The cost of the renovations is somewhat scary. So we are mainly restoring the house to its original condition with fresh spackle and paint, new carpet, refinished hardwood floors, new doors and a new master bath. Between those costs and the bit of landscaping work around the pool, we’re looking at tens of thousands of dollars. Yikes, but it is what it is.
So, it has been a frigid and dreary January and I am tired of the cold! February blessed us with a few warm (mid 70s F) days, but now we’re back to freezing temps. While we did accomplish tasks, the pace has still been super slow and everyone is feeling bonkers from the boredom of the present and the excitement of our future adventure. With contractors not coming in for another few weeks, we’ve decided to hit the road in search of some sun, fun and family time. I’m so looking forward to kicking around the Miami area for a week of chill (not in the temperature sense of the word). It will be a long drive, but we’ve got two who need the practice so they can get their license. Besides, we’ve got the time. I am excited to see my summer clothes again, well maybe not my bathing suit! Just a few more tasks this week then we head south on Valentine’s Day. Last year on Valentine’s we were on About Time learning to sail. Has it really been a year?! We won’t be on a boat this time sadly, but the weather will be warm and our vacation rental offers views of many boats. It is also the Miami Boat Show, but we don’t plan to attend since we were at the Annapolis Sailboat Show this past October. We are also not in the market for a new boat ($$$), or any boat for the time being.
One nautical thing we’ve been able to do is practice taking noon sites. We went ahead and bought a Davis Mark 3 sextant and artificial horizon and started learning. We’ve only done two so far as the weather or our schedule did not cooperate. The first was a bit off but the second one put us within 3.8 miles of our actual location. Not too bad for newbies and it’s quite fun learning!
Oh, and we also discovered a fatal flaw in our “dream” boat: no standing shower, only wet heads. Well maybe I wouldn’t call it fatal, but it will be our home and we have to seriously consider whether we’d be willing to make that sacrifice. For a week or a month, it’s no big deal but for the next X years, that’s a serious trade off. I don’t understand why they did this with the Lagoon 440, while the 420 got standing showers. Maybe that’s why there are so many 440s for sale and far less 420s. Anyway, I still can’t see the future despite my best attempts, so I’ll just have to wait until all of this unfolds.
I hope you all have a great rest of the week and a Happy Valentine’s Day! I look forward to sharing with you when we get back from sunny Miami!
