Trip Interrupted

Rick, Ryan and I successfully left Orleans Marina on November 11, 2011 headed for the Bahamas. With the exception of the delay at the Rigoletts Bridge, we had an uneventful trip to Gulfport, Mississippi. Kim came and met us for dinner at the Gulfport Yacht Club and helped get us ready for bed and our early start on Saturday morning.

Saturday was also a very nice sail to Bear Point Marina in Orange Beach, Alabama.

A storm was brewing on the Gulf, so we decided to delay leaving for Marathon, FL for a few days. With extra time at the marina, we decided to rearrange the boat for a more comfortable ride across the Gulf.

The morning we decided to leave for the Gulf crossing, we began having challenges with the chart plotter and the autopilot. The chart plotter was showing an incorrect heading and the autopilot wouldn't hold course. After sailing most of the day, trying every troubleshooting technique we could think of, we turned around and returned back to the ICW and Bear Point Marina.

As we pulled in to the slip playing "Hotel California" on the stereo, other boat owners at the Marina where there to catch our lines and help secure the boat. As we were discussing the symptoms of our challenge, Capt. Gary asked about new electronics and/or magnets.

Rick immediately asked me, "Where are those new speakers you bought for the boat in the Bahamas?" As I moved the speakers from where I had safely store them in the aft cabin, Rick immediately yelled "Everything's fine up here now!"

Two lessons learned: Number one, don't try to force Mother Nature to fit your vacation calendar. And number two don't put magnets near your boat's electronic compass.

52 Days and Counting

November 11, 2011 (11-11-11) is approaching quickly! My list of chores, errands, and needed acquisitions is getting longer! Still need to get courtesy flags, charts of the Bahamas, and organize more storage spaces. I need new deep-cell batteries, change the filters, and decide whether I need a folding bike or not. All in 52 days...

I'm excited that my brother Rick and nephew Ryan are going to sail with me, and sister-in-law Suzanne and niece Cali will fly down to visit. All will be perfect when Kim can fly down after her family cruise on a "big" boat!

Back to my list of list...fair winds!!

France and Ireland 2011

Just returned from a great couple weeks visiting our friends David and Laurie and playing with their two kids and two dogs.

As always Paris is a beautiful city with incredible sites...but our side trip this year was exceptionally entertaining...Dublin, Ireland.

Ireland is full of fun,happy Guinness drinking folks. Regardless of where we went, people were singing, playing and drinking Guinness.

Kissing the Blarney Stone was a one-day trip to Cork worth taking, as was the amphibious Viking tour in downtown Dublin. The girls liked the Christchurch cathedral and the boys loved the Guinness Brewery (especially the big boys!)

Paris and Dublin are high on my "Kodak moments" list, made even more special with the help of old friends!

Hypothyroidism and Gout

I don't know exactly how the two intertwine, but the pains in my joints are the result of high uric acid levels (gout), not Hashimoto's.

While having three beers at the New Orleans Yacht Club on Saturday, July 29th, my right ankle started to hurt as if I had sprained it. I blamed it on the shoes I was wearing, and threatened to throw them away. Sunday morning it was unbearable and Monday I couldn't walk. Tuesday I went in to see Dr Mary, and was diagnosed with gout...disease two in a month!

Looking back, I can see the disease progressing. Memorial weekend at Pontchartrain Yacht Club was the first time I had swelling and pain in my right big toe. Other occurrences happened simultaneously with the Hashimoto's flare-up, so I lumped them all together.

Unfortunately, the gout seems to be directly related to beer consumption. Although I drank very little in June & July, I did drink five nights in a row before this last bout. Tuesday with Derek, Wednesday at Melius, Thursday and Friday with Kim & Laurie, and Saturday at the club. Uric acid levels rise, pain sets in, and it took over a week to be relatively pain-free.

I've been experimenting with a home remedy of apple cidar vinegar. Seems to ward off the pain til late evening, thus making the gout manageable. I'm trying real hard to alter food & drink rather than beginning new medications.

So far, so good...

Office Biggest Loser Contest

It's time again for an office "biggest loser" contest. My starting weight is 269.5 pounds, and my goal is to lose 20 pounds in the next 30 days.

I met with Dr. Chuck Mary yesterday, and he is going to help me in my weight loss goal. He's going to help me try to get off all my medications within three months, with the deadline being when we go cruising.

Dr. Mary also doubled my thyroid hormone medication yesterday, so that should also help with weight loss.

Happy Fourth of July!

What a wonderful Fourth of July. Slept in late, did some backyard work in beautiful weather, had a wonderful dinner with friends, and finished the day watching fireworks from the sailboat. Even took a quick dip in Lake Pontchartrain.

Guess I'm ready to go back to work tomorrow…

French Quarter Bike Ride

Pain and symptom free today!

Met Jim at the marina at 8:30 AM. Took Robert E Lee Boulevard to Marconi and through City Park for a nice relaxing ride to the French Quarter. Rode over to the Algiers ferry, decided to save a river crossing for the next trip. Stopped and grabbed a quick cold one on Bourbon Street, before heading back to the marina. 18.3 miles in just under two hours.

Feel good, losing weight, looking forward to Paris in August.