July 28, 2008
We have been here a week and a half. Jim is working on getting the refrigeration system working. It looks like it needs Freon, Of course. He got the compressor working and then it wouldn’t cool. It appears that the thermostat is broken too. This is getting kinda old. Last week he rebuilt the pump that empties the holding tank only to have it go bad again. He repaired the toilet then it flooded over because it was siphoning the ocean into our bilge. He hasn’t fixed that yet. He also repaired the hot water heater and the pump to the fresh water system, replaced hoses and fixed the leaky water tank. He is making progress but we find new things that need fixing every day. But on the bright side, we now have hot running water and a toilet, as long as we shut it off when we aren’t using it.

Yesterday we drove up to San Diego to go grocery shopping. I was tired of trying to guess what I was buying. But in San Diego, it wasn’t much better. I knew what I was buying but it was a lot like Christmas shopping with bumper to bumper people and not much to choose from because I went to Costco and I can’t use those big cans. Then we went to Wal-Mart to get the rest of the things on my list and to my surprise, Wal-Mart was more like a 7-11 with no meat and no produce and very little of anything else to eat. The canned fruit and vegetable section was about 7 feet long and the baking section was about 7 more feet on the other side of the isle. No small vegetable cans at all. They had a lot of clothes and other things though. I got some of the basics but the only meat I got was canned tuna and chicken. Oh well, that is a start.

I went to church for the first time today. I found the ward myself and everything. The people were so friendly and helpful that I felt right at home even if I didn’t understand what most of them said. I learned that I was in the wrong ward. I need to go at 9:00. I really want to stay with this ward because they are so friendly but I will do what I am supposed to do. One of the members sat by me and pointed to all the words in the song book so that I could sing with them. Then they found someone to sit buy me who could interpret. I wonder what I can do for them?? The chorister sang the opening to the songs. They didn’t have a piano player. She just sang the first line then started over with everyone singing with here. I wished I could go play the piano. Where is Mary Ella when you need her?

Jim has made friends with two other sailors who have similar boats. They are both here fixing things. The three of them have a lot in common. One of them fixes refrigerators. (What good fortune is that?) The other came over and tried to mend the wooden rail around the top of our boat. He had some glue that he thinks will fix it. That was really nice of him. He is a retired MD from Holland. He has been sailing for a year and a half. His name is Joe. We offered him our leftover dinner in exchange which he gladly accepted.

The plan is for Jim to climb the mast tomorrow and check the rigging. Scary business! I plan on trying to remake a mattress pad we got for the bed. It needs to be cut to fit and covered. I wish I had my sewing machine.