26th Annual Writer's Conference at Cuesta College

I attended the 26th Annual Writer's Conference at Cuesta College this weekend!  As you know, Truman and I were signed up for the conference together, but he is currently preoccupied!  I was so excited about this conference!  This was my first ever Writer's Conference.  It was very conveniently located in the Central Coast, only 15 miles from my home.  Now, I am committed to return every year!  It was an amazing experience.  There were 300 attendees and 25 faculty members.  Judy, the Conference coordinator, was absolutely amazing and she is also a member of the yacht club!

Conference Organizer Extraordinairre Judy Salamacha (in red)!



Registration desks are buzzing!



The main auditorium is filling up for the Keynote speaker.



The Faculty!  Wonderful writers, agents, editors, publishers! What a treat!

The three most memorable faculty members for me were Melissa Pritchard, Paula Huston, and Jon James Miller.  I was most fascinated with Paula Huston, a spiritual writer, also an oblate with a contemplative monastic community in Big Sur. 

Reading Eat, Pray, Love about Gilbert's time at an ashram and hearing from Paula Huston tell how she goes on two-day retreats every 6 weeks at the hermitage made me want to feel a little of that peacefulness.  I may have to go on retreat!  Having the house to myself is a kind of like a retreat.  More likely than not, I have a hidden little nun inside of me just waiting to get out!

Update: s/v Go For Broke Enroute

This e-mail was delivered via satellite phone using OCENS.Mail software.  Please pray for a couple of days of calm seas!


Truman writes:
Yesterday afternoon finally calmed down for a good day of sailing. We have making about 5 knots and I think that is what we will average. Steve has been very sea sick so it has been a two man crew so far. I am a little sore and tired but I think I will get use to it.

Having fun so far learning some new sailing bits. Managing the sails isn't a constant task but they do need to be checked every 5 min or so. I miss stearing though, the auto pilot is on all the time so we have been steering by button pushing.

I will send more a day or so if weather permits.

Love,
T

Lovin' the Land Just as Much as the Ocean

I am so excited to show you my new "dynamic composter"!!!  We love keeping green things green just as much as keeping the oceans blue!  I had to stalk the Home Depot Garden Dept Guy for 10 days straight to get this.  I think he was stoned most of the time, so when he couldn't tell me when their next shipment was due I just decided to call him back everyday and ask if the composter arrived. 

By the end of the two weeks, he was starting to figure out that there is some crazy lady out there who wants a composter really bad!  I wanted this composter so bad that I actually convinced myself that it would make a good wedding present for my friend.  I bought a second one and the bride loved it!

Boat to Land Communication

Truman has had cell-phone reception while he has been in the Hawaiian islands.  We've never been much for talking on the phone.  If he was here I'd tell him that Obama has written a children's book and the first Klingon opera is playing in the Netherlands!  The Danish are trekies.  Who knew?  Maybe he is keeping up on the news, but I don't know if he heard that Reggie Bush had to give up the Heisman.  Or if some female reporter was accosted in the NFL lockerroom while trying to interview Mark Sanchez.

I guess he will have to catch up on all the news when he anchors in Morro Bay in roughly 20 days! 

After today, we will only be able to communicate via email to the vessel's common email address.  They will post updates every few days on their blog.  Anyone who reads this blog is welcome to email s/v Go For Broke at goforbroke@ocens.net.

Update: S/V Go For Broke, Honolulu to Kauai

Our beloved Go For Broke Captain and Crew are enroute from Honolulu to Kauai.  This shake down cruise will reveal any weak spots on the boat.  They can make repairs in Kauai before setting out across the Pacific. 

Each morning they will log on to the "roll call" on the SSB radio.  This is where cruising sailors out to sea call in to give weather conditions and news updates.  For loved ones at home, we can see that they've called in each day and at least, at the time of the roll call, that they were safe.  Truman says that they are in the North Pactific region and radioed into Longbeach.  They heard other people as far as Fiji and Alaska.

Feel free to check out the roll call daily to follow their progress!

~First Mate

Setting Sail for Kauai

After a warm introduction to "island time" we are finally setting sail for Kauai on a shake down cruise. The food is stocked and repairs are done. The iCom 710 SSB radio is installed and we logged into our first roll call on the Pacific Seafarers net. Getting the news about the San Bruno gas pipe explosion over the radio was kind of surreal. I will have more posts ready on the way back.

You can follow our progress here.
http://www.sailblogs.com/member/goforbroke49/

The Captain

The Mate will play while the Captain is away . . .

Labor Day weekend was really relaxing!  I did everything I wanted to do: went running twice, had dinner and bbq with friends, worked on Lil' Wheels with my marinerette-mate, juiced and cooked vegan, and slept when I felt like it, and read a ton of books! 

The best book I read which warrants mention is:
The Promise of Sleep by William Dement, MD, PhD (not pictured because I already lent it out!)

I cannot say enough about this book!  I think everyone has to read it!  Dr. Dement makes the argument that we are mostly sleep-deprived, or sleep-negligent, individuals who cannot perform optimally due to our sleep debt.  If we treat our real sleep needs like calories then we'd take better care of ourselves.  Through reading this book I have been empowered to give my brain and body the rest that it needs.

I've had three people tell me that I should buy a kindle or nook in the last week.  Do you have one?  Do you like it?

Lil' Wheels is NOT a Sabot; She's an EL TORO!

Last time we went to the Yacht Club, a wise old sailor told us that we owned an El Toro, not a Sabot.  We gave her a description of our dinghy and she said that for sure it was not a Sabot.  When we came home we looked up google images of Sabots and Toros and she is right.  Lil' Wheels is an El Toro. 

Today, we got out Lil' Wheels and put her together!  She is going to be a fun little daysailor.  We have a little work to do on the mast and boom.  I put a patch on the sail courtesy of Slo Sails.  My friend and I hope to have her on that water by the time that Captain comes back.  We will have lots more sanding to do.  I have to buy some cleats at the hardware store.  Then we will apply 4-5 coats of marine gloss, sanding in between coats.

Stay tuned.

Hoppe's Sunset

I have to give credit for this one to Hoppe's Bistro!

The Sunset Cocktail

Sparkling wine

OJ

Splash of Grenadine

Crushed Ice

Roll and serve

2 Voices, 2 Blogs

Some readers have asked me if I write this blog on my own.  Well, the Captain and I have both been writing! Sometimes we work together on one post, sometimes he writes it, sometimes I do. 

For the next 25 days or so, I'll be writing this blog all by my little matey self while my Captain is crewing a boat from Hawaii to Morro Bay!  You can follow his sail adventure with professional Captain, Lynn, and boat owner on the blog S/V Go For Broke (on our blogroll).  He left for Hawaii this morning!

Meanwhile, I will be exploring provincial life, cooking homemade tortillas, fixing up Lil' Wheels, increasing the quality and restfulness of my sleep, and juicing for vibrant health!  Stay tuned!  I think this time apart will be a spiritual experience for both the Captain and I!

~The First Mate