Guess Who Got To Go Sailing Today?

The picture pretty much says it all.

Cruising Caviar

We anchored out on the boat last night. I learned that we have some loose wires in the mast. The waves were timed such that the wires only banged around about every 15 minutes. So just as we’re fading off to sleep… BANG. BANG. BANG. Then do it again 15 minutes later. Not a very relaxing way to spend the night.

The best thing about last night is that we discovered a new cuisine. We call it Cruising Caviar; our first cruising recipe.

Cruising Caviar
Step 1) Get some peanut butter and some jam. Home made blueberry jam is best. But smuckers will do in a pinch.
Step 2) Put the peanut butter and jam on a cracker. Not just any old cracker, but one of them fancy crackers. Like maybe a Ritz cracker.
Step 3) Put the whole thing in your mouth at once. Chew. Mmmmmm… instantaneous culinary bliss.

Christmas Letter – 2007

2007 was a banner year for the ol Bethancourt family.

Chelsea is rapidly approaching graduation from LaPorte High School. Her grades are waaaay better than ours were; probably better than yours too. After graduation, Chelsea will likely pursue a Psychology degree with an eye towards law school. She will attend one of four schools: Texas A&M, Rice, the University of Michigan, or the University of Texas. We’re thinking Chelsea added the last school on the list in order to irritate us. Surely she won’t go there… surely.

Sam is doing what Sam does. School, sports, sleep. School, sports, sleep. Rinse. Repeat. What did you do when you were ten years old? Sam is an engaging and attentive child, admired by his teammates and treasured by his family. If we could get him to clean his room and bathe regularly, he would be perfect.

Despite often skipping work to race sailboats, Dana and David both still have jobs. Our respective companies have been good to us. Fair and rewarding. Bet you don’t hear that very often.

We raced more than ever this year, and raced at a higher level. David was heavily involved with three different campaigns, while Dana and Chelsea recently punctuated a year long odyssey by sailing the family J/22 to a 10th place finish at the Rolex International Women’s Keelboat Championship. We are fiercely proud of them.

In February we added a new member to the family; a 1993 Caliber 40 sailboat that we intend to rename “More Cowbell.” The boat is a floating condominium. Not very fast, But all the comforts of home. Some day soon, we will sell our stuff, jump on the boat, and cruise until it’s not fun any more. Or until the money runs out. Whichever comes first. With any luck at all, next year we’ll be typing this letter from some deserted island in the Caribbean.

Rest assured that, even if we didn’t see you much this year, we still tell stories about you. The stories get better with age. And we miss you dearly. So when you have that first glass of egg nog on Christmas Eve, you know the one, with that little nip of Jack Daniels in it; then think of us. Tell one of those old stories.
Let us be the Jack in your Nog.

Merry Christmas,

The Bethancourts

Update, 17-Dec-2007 Dana insisted that I show the picture that went with the letter, above.

 

Just your average family. Obviously. No frivolity here. Move along. There was some talk about naming the new boat Dogpile. Probably because of this picture. However we discovered that many people do not know what a dogpile is. Some 80% of the adult population (in an informal poll) thought that the word, dogpile, was a term for doggy doo doo.

Go figure.

And for those of you that are in that 80% bracket:

Dogpile
1. A rambunctious occurrance in which all people in a group who are rowdy and socially adept enough to perform it all throw themselves onto the ground in a big laughing pile.
2. A less rambunctious occurance in which one unwilling participant is buried in hundreds of pounds of human flesh.
3. A shout which precipitates either 1. or 2.

The Headliner Is In

 Actually finished this up in October, but just now getting around to sharing the pictures.

Here’s the before and after shots of the galley: 

And before, during, and after for the salon. That’s my tired looking father in law in the last picture.

 

 

And a couple shots of the forward cabin around the mast. My father-in-law made a custom mast collar to hide the gaping hole in the deck where the mast passes through. Muy bueno.

What If My Precocious Daughter Did Not Fully Appreciate the Spirit of Christmas? (#3 In a Series of Thought Experiments)

Me: So… what do you want for Christmas this year?
My Precocious Daughter: I’m so glad you asked! I’d like a 160 GB Video IPOD.
Me: Hmmm… <click> <click> <click> …those are a little pricey. Can you think of something less expensive?
My Precocious Daughter: C’mon Dad. They’re really cool. Besides, that’s the only thing I want.
Me: How bout one of these little Nanos. They’re cute.
My Precocious Daughter: That won’t hold all my music.
Me:
My Precocious Daughter:
Me:
My Precocious Daughter: It’s all I want.
Me: Mmmrpph. How ‘bout we look on Craig’s List and maybe find you a used one.
My Precocious Daughter: I don’t want a USED one! I want a shiny NEW one!
Me:
My Precocious Daughter:
Me: Can you think of anything else?
My Precocious Daughter: Tell you what; just take the amount of cash that you’re willing to spend on me, and put it in my stocking. How’s that?