Who Needs a Rock...

 ...when you can be carved in stone instead?

As you may have figured by now, we on Mo-C aren't what most people might describe as a "traditional family".  The parents aren't married and the child has a big ears and extremely short legs.  But that doesn't mean we don't take our commitment to one another seriously. 

Before moving onto Mother Culture (and even before living in Tater), we lived in the coolest place on earth, Ocean Beach.  We consider it home away from home and OB will always have a place in our hearts.  We still visit OB at least every other day to pick up our mail at the Post Office, to get lattes at Pirate's Cove Coffee Cart (yes, you heard me right!) or margaritas at the Blue Parrot.  OB is the town in which Lola grew up (and in many ways, it's the town where Ben and I grew up, too!)

In honor of our love for OB and for our "non-traditional family", we have carved our union (and transition) in stone along Newport Avenue in Ocean Beach... to continue on long after we're gone...

Here's to OB, Mo-C, Ben, Sam & Lola! 

Relentless

NEVER leave food unattended


Do Over


Butterfinger Breakfast


Calling All Gulls


(Please note: Objects in video appear closer than they really are.)

Photo Op

On our way home from happy hour/laundry, we cruised by Tater for a photo shoot:

Looks like Tater got a little crinkled

Ocean Beach

Here are a couple pics taken in Ocean Beach. I like to think of Ocean Beach as the place I grew up. Some might argue that I grew up in Bristol, CT, but I'd say I lived there as a child. I never really grew up til I moved to Ocean Beach. Or better yet, I "found myself" in Ocean Beach. As long as OB remains the same, it will always have a piece of my heart. OB is the place I wish I grew up.

Humble Pie

This is an old picture, but one of my favorites. I believe it perfectly captures the essence of the Earth. It was taken at Sunset Cliffs at low tide. I love being humbled by nature. Whether standing on the cliffs, gazing out across the Pacific. Or standing in the desert, admiring the majestic mountains towering above me. Nothing has a more powerful effect on the human psyche than the grandeur of nature.


". . . these are the times of dreamy quietude, when beholding the tranquil beauty and brilliancy of the ocean's skin, one forgets the tiger heart that pants beneath it; and would not willingly remember, that this velvet paw but conceals a remorseless fang." ~Herman Melville

What's Up

Since we got back from the Grand Canyon, we haven’t done any sailing. There are some things we need to accomplish before we head out again, so we’ve been working toward those goals.



The trim on our roller furling (headsail- or the one that goes in the front [bow] of the boat) is very torn so we took it down and brought it to a sail shop to be repaired. We have some alternate sails which we brought to a park and unrolled to check the condition of. In the interim, we’ll probably try using one of those sails the next time we go out.























Since we aren’t experienced sailors, we’d be foolish to sail without the security of a working engine (that has the proper amount of oil). We’ve been brainstorming how to check the oil level in the Atomic 4 engine (it seems the engine is lacking a dipstick). We will most likely research how much oil the engine should hold, drain the oil, fill it with the proper amount of new oil, and create a dipstick of our own. And when I say “we”, I mean Ben. My knowledge of engines is very limited. In January, I plan to enroll in an introductory class on automotive engines to better my knowledge. (Yes, I realize this is a marine engine, but I have to start somewhere).














Other than that, we’re just waiting for winter to hit. We’ve had the pleasure of experiencing our first two rain storms on the water (and I use the term “storm” loosely here in San Diego). The sound of rain hitting the deck is soothing, just as it was in Tater. However, the sensation of a sneakered foot stepping into 3 inches of water in the dinghy (not to mention sitting in soaking clothes while rowing from the dock to the boat) is much less soothing. We’ve each got a raincoat. I’m sure after a couple more rain storms, I’ll be hitting up West Marine for a pair of foul-weather pants, some rubber boots, and a waterproof bag for my belongings.