Making way but oh boy, is it HOT!!

If the boat stops, there is no breeze! It is 100% humidity out there and when we turned he aircon on in the salon, half an hour ago, it was almost 89F. ...and that's inside! It was more than that outside, with temps being recorded past 95F, today, according to the marina weather forecaster.

The alarm woke us at 6.30am, and we were happy to get up. We had no aircon on last night, just our new vornado fan, in the bedroom, and while it circulates the air beautifully, it was hot air. Waz had turned the air con on briefly before retiring, but it was still 85F down there when we went to bed.

We had a cup of our usual Community Coffee as we brought the anchor up and motored on our way out of our anchorage and into the ICW channel through Fort Meyers downtown. There was a large motor yacht up our butts, so we did a slow pass and were happy to let him go. We heard his calls ahead to the various bridges and locks, as we went. We assumed the fella on the fly deck was a Capt. for hire. There was nobody else aboard.

In the space of ten minutes, the sky went from morning pink to gold!:)

 

 

 

Making our way back through the narrow markers to take a sharp left turn under the bridge. Waz decided to do a 360 in place, just for fun!

The Crabber was out early, checking his pots. These guys work hard, so really appreciate any crabs you eat!

 Our first bridge of the day, a Rail Bridge, was open and the sun was climbing!

Trains do actually use these tracks, but we have never seen one!

 Same bridge with the sun on it, after we have gone through.

We are on the Caloosahatchee River...there is a long day ahead of us...probably 7 hrs motoring. That's why we were up so early.

 Done and dusted...our first lock of three, today.

 The further east we went, the more farmland there was. Remember, we are travelling on the Caloosahatchee River, eastbound to cross Lake Okeechobee, in the center of the state. That is our mission tomorrow, weather permitting. We are told there will be light to moderate chop, which is what we had last time we crossed, and it wasn't too bad.

This swing bridge we had to wait for the operator to open. He wouldn't open coz he said he couldn't see us on the river yet. When we had been sitting around for 5 mins, we called him again, and he said he now saw us. He sure took his time slowly walking to the middle of the bridge to open it for us.

 I was steering, so Waz took this photo of a tree full of egrets. I thought they were flowers, at a glance...silly me:) Our wake shook the tree, and there was a mass exodus!

 16 miles to our overnight dock at Moore Haven. Yay! Port Mayaca is on the other side of the Lake. That will be the second lock we go through tomorrow...the first being just ahead of us at the dock. Moore Haven Lock.

 These three boats were waiting on the other side of the lock going west, when we came up the 8 feet into the river. The middle boat was waaaay over our side, and it didn't look like he was going to move for us to come out! aieee! Some of these bigger boat owners are so pushy and rude! We had a couple of rude passes today, with the captains looking at us like we should just put up with their wake..heavens!

 This fella on his airboat looked like he was having fun....I have decided I might like one of these!!:)

Nearly there....Moore Have Lock, and out the other side, making a sharp right turn, alongside Lake Okeechobee. We arrived to find an empty town dock, thank goodness, and tied up for the night. Hotter than hell and we were dripping wet by the time we crossed the road to pay out overnight fees at the county office. We cracked up when we saw the two ladies in the office wearing sweaters! sheesh!...they were complaining of too much cold air in the office. To our way of thinking, there can never been enough cold air on a day like today!
We can have the aircon on tonight..yayayayaya! we are plugged into the dock!

 ...and there we are on the dock! No huge wind like there was last year, thank goodness.

Since we have been sitting here at the dock, two more huge sport fishers have passed with considerable wake....there was another coming up behind, and I went out on the cockpit deck and waved him down in speed. He did come down, but we still bobbed around like a cork..this is NOT good for our ropes and fenders or boat. This is a slow speed zone, so what part of that don't the Capts understand? I might sound picky, but rules are made for all of us to enjoy the roads and waterways. Some people are just arrogant and don't think theses rules apply to them, sigh!

It is 4pm, and Waz has been napping for the past hour. The cabin is now down to 77F, and the two fans are blasting the cooler air around so that it is tolerable, now. I will finish up here and go and finish my book. I think I have read this one before, but I will just have to finish it to know:) We have a few more in the library, so I will enjoy beginning another before the night is through.

I think we will stay in for dinner tonight...apart from the heat, the choice of local restaurants don't sound very appetizing. We like our own food too.

A loud cracking sound just sent me outside. I thought something had fallen over, but it is the thunder storm we had been expecting. The lightening is spectacular. We wont want to be underneath it, let me tell you!

Two more boats coming, and the yacht looks like it is aiming for the dock, We might need to help.

Ciao until tomorrow night on the other side at Stuart.

No View like the one we get...

...sitting on the back of the Fly Deck with a cuppa and watching the world go by..360 degree views.
Gosh it is good to be back cruising. :)

I do wish we weren't sitting here at 9.45pm (Eastern standard time) dealing with our travel insurance company by phone and running out of money because we are constantly transferred to someone else who 'can help' us, but every time we tell them what we want, they transfer us to yet another department! arggggggggggghhhhhhhhh!

It is such a waste of resources!! They already have ALL the information they need to process our claim, and yet they want us to fill in forms (which we cant submit online) and send the ORIGINAL statements and such by snail mail. We have paid cash upfront to the Hospital and other providers and we need that reimbursement NOW. What don't they understand about NOW! and what don't they understand about wasted resources and processes that are ridiculous and redundant?

They have already said our claim is valid! Why cant they just process it and get the money back to us. They are now saying they will go ahead and pay the hospital et al, and then we can be refunded...REALLY?? and how long do they think THAT will take.....AND they want us to renew our policy with them?? aieee...

Ok, Rant over!

Yes, we have been sitting up back for hours...even ate our dinner on our knees (on a plate of course!) while sitting and watching the world go by. Sublime...and cool! Yes, there is a stiff breeze  blowing which somewhat mitigates the 90+ degree temps of the day....I should be saying that in the past tense, because it is now pitch black and night time.

We left Port Charlotte and our dock of the past six months, at just 8.20am, this morning. It is always great to hear our Cats purring down under.
The wind wasn't up yet, and we wanted to get out onto the harbor before it did arrive. The first ripples came down the canal as we cast off.

The sun was just poking it's nose above the horizon when I took this photo down the residential canal towards the harbor. See the ripples!

It was easy to drop all the lines and push on out, away from the dock, turning on the spot, and heading for the tight bend at the end of the canal. Goodbye!!

There were crab pots and a palm frond stuck in the sand at the end of the canal that we had to avoid. It did show us where the REALLY shallow parts were, but Waz took the corner like the pro that he is.

The large house at the end of 'our ' road, is now finished and looking fabulous. Over the past two years we have watched the construction and landscaping. The owner apparently spent over $250k on the latter!

 We have turned our baby around, after motoring into the next canal in order to turn. and now motoring on out of there into the harbor.

...and we are gonsville! yay! 2015 cruising, here we come:)

 There were lots of Frigate Birds fishing on Charlotte harbor. I managed this fuzzy photo as one flew overhead.

 The captain is VERY relaxed:) In his happy place, methinx! It is HOT! 95F, but we have a fan on the dash, and there is a breeze coming in the windows! phew!

 Sooo happy to see the gorgeous green water of the harbor again, after living in brown muddy waters in the canal.

We saw a Coast Guard boat standing by without his AIS system on. We always wonder why they do that stealth thing, lol.
It was a bit like main street on the ICW, once we turned in. There were also a Huge number of small fishing boats at the mouth of the Harbor. Tarpon season is in full bloom!

Coast Guard boat just sitting there!

 All the small craft fishing at the entrance to Charlotte Harbor.

 Turning around the red marker at the confluence of the ICW and Charlotte Harbor. We are southbound now.. All those boats ahead are anchored in Pelican Bay. One of the places we have never found a way into, and don't want to risk trying, coz there is a large sand bar on the way in!

The water was a little choppy, as you can see, but we liked that it was the stiff breeze creating it, because without the breeze, the heat would not have been much fun!

Lovely to see these two Osprey Chicks on the nest. Their parents were not far way, and these two were squawking up a storm.

See what I mean about Main Street? This is coming through the narrow markers as we enter Fort Meyers. Fortunately it is slow speed zone, or all the idiots would be waking us. As it was, there were those who didn't read the signs or thought they didn't apply to them, and tore on through the crowd. Aiee!

We have been to this little Island at Fort Meyers before...last year on the way north, so we know what to expect this year. There are less boats parked this time around which makes it easier for us to anchor.

Look at that! right on 3pm! not bad for a day's cruising. Parking in 7.1ft of water. Im not too worried about the depths so far...yay!...so far, I said! lol.

If you can ignore the veiny legs and appreciate my resting spot, this afternoon, this is the view from the fly deck, while I caught up on some reading and R&R:)

 

Eventually the worms got to us, and I made a cold salad plate for dinner. It was yummy!

 

Waz has been doing insurance paper work while I have been writing, and needs me to write the NICE e-mail to the insurance company so we get paid! Lets hope they can expedite this whole thing.

Being told it is easier for us to pay cash upfront, was all wrong apparently! Well, they can sort that, but they need to pay NOW!

Ciao ciao. On the road again tomorrow! Moving steadily across, then up Florida going north.

On Our Way

Today being Wednesday, we were up bright and early...well, 7.35am, to be exact! Waz's appointment at the Surgeons office was for 9.30, and we needed to get there on time. Half an hour in the traffic at that hour of the day.

We turned up and the waiting room was full up to busting! What??? I asked someone sitting close by when they had come into the waiting room...8.30am was the reply. That didn't bode well!

At 10.40am, I departed, leaving Waz to visit with the Dr, whenever that might be, and took myself off to the hastily arranged hair cutting appointment. Sally, the hairdresser was born in NZ to kiwi parents, but then the family moved to California, so she has grown up an American.

She and I are the same age and we did our hairdressing training using the same method...Marinello-Comer Method. Nice to know she will cut my hair similarly to the way I do!:)

In the meantime, Waz got in to the Dr, and was finished with the appointment by 11.10am. Not acceptable, really! We had arranged to meet across the road at the Charlotte Mall Food Court.

I was done with my new hair do at 11.30, and joined Waz for lunch at the mall. We had notes to exchange. I had received the final bill, on the phone, for the Path Lab. and he had been advised to have a Colonoscopy as soon as possible. Healing well otherwise, but better to be safe than sorry.

On Monday afternoon, we had arranged to meet a couple selling Florida Health Insurance that we had met at the Punta Gorda Farmer's Market.  Amy and Bill were very good in helping us understand the ins and outs of what is Blue Cross/Blue Shield Medical Insurance, and signing us up for the most appropriate one. We enjoyed their company and the fact that they are sailors, having circumnavigated the globe over 7 yrs in their 38ft Sailboat. They have just built their land base, but still love to get out on the water...their yacht is on their home dock, giving them an advantage over those of us who are purely boat-bound.

All signed up with US health insurance gives us peace of mind. We had been wondering how we were going to do all this, and if we are planning to stay longer in the USA, then we surely needed that.

Tuesday was spent finalizing plans for moving on, buying last minute supplies and looking for a boat waxer/buffer that both of us can handle. We finally found one at Lowes, and bought more supplies at Ace Hardware. We aren't that happy with the wax job we paid for prior to going to NZ, so have decided to do most of it ourselves, if we can. At least we can keep it up when we need to, without wasting money...which is how we feel, having paid the waxers plenty!

I made a pasta-less lasagna made with egg plant and spinach with the meat sauce and ricotta. It was yummy, and enough food for two dinners and one lunch to the two of us. Nice:)

We have just come back to the boat after going across the road to visit with the neighbors, and to leave them our contact details. We spent an hour with Billy and Barb (sisters) and laughed our heads off. Barb has just bought a new car, and is having fun discovering all the things her new car can do...and how to operate all the gadgets:) They are a well travelled pair, and off to Scandinavia later in the year. We will enjoy hearing about their trip, eventually. They have been to Aussie and NZ, so they know from whence we come:)

Our intention was to go for a walk, but having spent too much time laughing, we have cut that short, and come back to put the wet laundry in the dryer...wet? yes...it absolutely persisted down around 4pm, with the lightening and thunder straight overhead...we wondered if we should take down some of the aerials, at one stage...lightening rods we don't want them to be!

I still haven't planted the herbs and tomatoes...oh well...some time. They are thriving despite my limited ministrations.

Sorry..no photos today. We have been too busy.

I like that we are leaving, finally, but I don't like the build up to going, if you know what I mean. There are only so many things you can do ahead of time, and that doesn't include taking all the curtains down...because the sun came out again and the 10 degree drop that happened when it rained soon came back up again towards the 90'sF. 

We plan to leave between 9 and 10am, according to the tide chart. Should be more water for us. There is also plenty of water in Lake Okeechobee, right now. About 13feet, to be more exact. Nice! We should be in Fort Meyers by 4pm, and on Friday, make our way to Moore Haven where we will spend the second night. From there straight across the Lake to Stuart where we will fill up with fuel, probably...we think. Depends on the price when we get there. Otherwise we will fill with just enough fuel to get us to St Augustine, and fill up there to get us to Brunswick, Georgia, where we will stay until I have hand surgery and have sufficient ability to move on to North Carolina. We have the rest of the summer to do these things, after all. I guess we have to make a time for Waz to get his Colonoscopy too!

So, I now have laundry to fold and put away, and drink my cup of tea. it is 9.35pm...time is flying, and we need to be up and doing fairly early in the morning.

I don't know when I will post again, but keep us in your positive thoughts for safe cruising on our journey. Thanks:)

Ciao for now, and Good Night.

Making 'stuff' and Plans

The sewing machine came out again on Wednesday after we arrived back at the boat. Waz spent most of the rest of the week catching up on sleep...you tend not to get much in Hospitals!...resting and catching up on some route planning for our get-away.

The first thing on the agenda was to replace the windshield reflectors. We cut/sized/sewed them to fit the old ones, and replaced them. It was fascinating to see how much more heat was reflected once they were replaced. The windshields are cool again.

I also 'silvered' the port side window outside the pilot house, and it has greatly reduced the heat in the pilot house during these hot times.

In the process of renewing things, we discovered that the Windlass cover, which I so lovingly crafted in Texas, all of 21 months ago, AND after washing it, has come to pieces! bah! So much for Sunbrella! I guess the Florida climate just does that to things!

I had already put the sewing machine away, so it will have to wait!

 

Ok...well, another day!

 

Our Aussie friends in Tarpon Springs were supposed to come and visit for the weekend, the w/end before Waz went into hospital, but we couldn't accommodate them, so Richard came on his own this weekend. Great to catch up, but we missed Diane! He was our very first guest!:) Apparently the spare bed is very comfy. Good to know!

 

We went out for breakfast this morning (sunday) and then on to the Punta Gorda Farmer's Market where I found a plant I didn't know existed. It is a double purple Detura. I had only ever seen pink, peach and yellow flowers on these trees, but this one was something else, and quite exquisite!
I'm sure you will agree.

 

What a fabulous flower!!

 

The rest of the day was spent on planning. We also went to Sam's Club in order to stock up on some basics.

 

Waz has a Surgeons post-op appt. on Wednesday, and then we will set sail, as it were for the east coast.

 

It is high time we left the state of Florida for the summer, if these temps are any indication of what is coming, and it ain't summer yet! aieeee!:(

 

The sun is leaving the day, and we are sitting inside in the air conditioned salon. I HATE sitting cooped up, but the alternative isn't pleasant. We know the trip up the east coast is also going to be warm, but hopefully not THIS warm. 95F is just too damned hot! not to mention the humidity!

 

So, we are putting another day to bed.

 

This new week has lots in store for us, and I will let you know before we set sail!

Ciao

 

 

Husband Back on the Boat! Yay!

WOW, what a week!....and now we are into the second week post-op.

Waz stayed in hospital from the 8th through the 11th, . ..but let me back up the boat a little here.


A few photos to set the scene...you know....the food (always interesting!) etc.
Having not eaten for almost 30 hrs, he was hungry enough to eat a little of this...

 It smelled horrid! and looked horrid!

This one was chicken stew thang, and at first we thought the yellow was lemons, but that didn't make any sense. There was always going to be rice in the bed after this meal...such as it was!

Monday morning I appeared around 11am-ish, after I sent Waz a text to ask if I needed to bring his clothes, and was he being discharged. Yes, was the reply. I knew it might take a while, but went anyway. At 1.30pm I decided to leave and get me some lunch and come back to the hospital when he had been wheeled down to the lobby in a chair.

I got back into the car, wound down the windows to get rid of the hot air and put them up again as I got underway. As my drivers door window went up, something went clunk and pop and the window rapidly went down again..bah! I assumed the motor had just given out!

I drove straight to the Honda dealership at the far end of town (opp. to the hospital, of course) and found out that it would take another day for them to order the parts...and by the way, did I know I had two broken engine mounts? What do they do? Go around the car looking to make a buck on things you might not have noticed?  Yep! As my car salesman son says "Mom, these are the money making centers of any dealership" - the Service dept. I figured, but I also knew we had been squeaking where we shouldn't and it was something Waz said he was going to look at, back in December!!! So I said, go ahead and replace them! sheesh...$1200, thank you! MORE expense.!

Meanwhile, instead of leaving the window in the door and jamming it  UP, they took it out altogether, and left me, in this 90F heat, without a window, after I told them I had to pick my hubby up from the hospital. I couldn't leave the car without a window coz I couldn't lock it! They gave me some plastic to tape over the window hole..duh!

Waz called to see where I was, and I parked long enough to find him being wheeled into the lobby.

Oh happy day:)...maybe!

Our financial travails were just beginning....with the hospital and the Insurance Company. DO NOT...I repeat DO NOT volunteer to pay for anything up front if you have an insurance company. Hindsight is always 20/20!

I need to take a break here, we have to go to Sam's Club for supplies...more later..


Later>>

The heavens opened up just after we arrived at Sam's and we were safely inside. It appears that this is the norm for summer here in Sth West Florida. Hot and humid in the morning, then a deluge to clear the air. It was VERY hot today!

Back to the Hospital and Waz....

We made it home safely with the patient, and not before we went via the Surgeons office to make an appointment for follow-up, and then Enterprise Car Rentals where we rented a Nissan Versa...pretty cute and peppy! for the next day. The Honda had to go back to the dealership to get it's new window motor installed and the new engine mounts. They accomplished that in about 4 hrs, total, just in time for us to return the rental car and go back to the Hotel. Oh, I didn't mention that we had an Hotel room? gosh!
Waz got lots of naps!...we had to make an appointment to meet in the middle of the HUGE bed:)

Upon leaving the hospital, Waz had arranged to spend two nights in the Wyvern Hotel in Punta Gorda, just across the Peace River, and 10 mins from the boat. This was because he wasn't able to get back onto the boat ...yet! Another two nights of healing, and he felt better able to stretch to get back onboard. We did enjoy our two nights there, eating in the hotel the first night and the second night we drove down Hwy 17 to Phil's Restaurant, which was forgettable.

Our day time hours were spent dealing with hospital 'stuff' and moving forward with our plans to leave Florida. Planning is in the works at this stage.

Back to the boat on Wednesday.

Little Did I know...

..that what I last wrote about would somehow be prescient! The thing about making your dreams come true coz you Never know what might happen tomorrow!

Since I posted the last blog page, we have had a turn for the worse. Waz is in hospital, as I write.

It is 10.30 at night, and I have just returned from sitting at his bedside for a couple of hours and literally holding his hand. More was involved, but I wont go into too many details here.

Last weekend he complained about a sore butt. He thought is was a result of sitting on seats that weren't comfy, but by Monday, he was tending to sit on one cheek or the other, and by Tuesday night he was in pain. Wednesday we got in to see an Internal Medicine Dr, and after seeing her briefly, we were referred to a Colorectal  and General Surgeon!!! It appeared that Waz had a Perirectal Abscess.

The visit to the surgeon was made for noon on Thursday. We were literally outside the door when the phone call came from the office to tell us that the Dr was late, and we would have to come back at 2pm. Fortunately I had filled out all the new patient information 'book' (yes, about 5 pages) and was able to drop them off so they were ready for us at 2pm.
We turned up for 2pm, after going back to the boat where Waz lay on the sofa and moaned in pain for two hrs.
They hadn't heard from the DR at 2pm, so I asked them to find out where he was. They didn't seem to take the necessity to see the Dr seriously at all. Waz came into the waiting room and lay on their sofa and did his moaning in pain there. This got the receptionist a little more motivated (he had been lying out in the car, before this) and she called Dr to find out when he was expecting to be back in the office.
Dr  appeared at 3pm...took a quick look at Waz, did an exam, and determined that rather than treating him at the office with a local anaesthetic, he would admit him for hydration and pain management, which was a REALLY good idea at this time.

It was now 4pm!

We were given some paperwork...well, not much, actually, and told to report to someone called Joanne. We did, but she wasn't there. They did, however put us in the ward next to ER for supervision. As Waz hadn't had anything to drink or eat for over 24 hrs, he was very dehydrated by this stage. He had been told NOT to eat or drink before going to the specialist in case of surgery.

The nurse at the nursing station took a long time to find out what meds to give Waz, and I finally managed to get him some cold water to drink before they eventually put in a hydration drip line. The meds were another two hours coming...aieee!

There he is, all tucked up and in desperate need of pain meds!

I left him in their care around 6.30...without him having been assigned a room upstairs in a ward, and went home to get some food....I hadn't eaten since breakfast, and the worms were having a party inside me!  There was no more I could do, and I needed to get a good night's sleep. The previous night (wed. night) was pure hell. Waz was in so much pain he couldn't sleep more than a few minutes at a time...this is the man who can sleep anywhere!! at any time!!
I had to coach him in childbirth breathing technique to make it through the waves of pain...some of it worked, but instinct takes over at these times.

He was scheduled for surgery this morning (Friday), but I hadn't been told when.
After a long and good sleep, I woke at 9.45, this morning and called the hospital to find out when his surgery would take place. 11am, I was told.

I showered, dressed and got Waz's requests of toothbrush and razor (electric) together and went out the door. I had been advised by phone, that I needed to go to the administration office to PAY! WHAT? before he was even discharged?? I was told I had to pay $1,900 for his overnight visit. I said they hadn't even done surgery, so why are they saying this is the final bill??

Meanwhile...or should I say, lets go back a bit.

We had read our travel insurance policy the night before, and it said to call BEFORE he was admitted to hospital. Well, it was all happening at the same time...his admittance and me on the phone to NZ and our travel insurance company. They needed to talk to the nurse and the administrator etc etc. They cannot authorize payment without all the facts...which we didn't have yet. They misunderstood what I had said in the first place....that he was being admitted by the surgeon! So the merry -go-round with the insurance company and the administration, began.

I am in the middle of all this! 

While Waz was being admitted, the lady from admin was already getting me to sign my/our life(s) away, and insisted that I pay $250 then and there. I did with a credit card....they will take puka shells too, if  you have them! ha! just joking.What I mean to say is that they will take ANY form of payment. They just don't want you to run away without paying.

AND...today...they called me to stop by the office AGAIN, and this time when I went there they asked me for $10k!!! eh?....because I am an international client, they need a guarantee of that amount. I said I cannot pay that, but offered $5k, after hearing how they may refund part of the $10k, if necessary....There was no way I was paying MORE than necessary in the event that they MAY give me a refund...yeh riiight!

So, I parted with $5k.

When the admin lady had taken my money, she also had me sign a bunch of papers regarding privacy etc, and ONE of those pages said I was entitled to a 65% discount on my payment because I was not with any US insurance company!!! I reiterated that this morning, but was told to take it up with the CEO. Be sure that I will!

Because we actually HAVE an insurance company (and there are NO guarantees that they will pay, yet) they seem to think that we shouldn't get the discount. I will only get the guarantee when the insurance company have ascertained that Waz's condition was not a known condition...in other words, he had this before! He definitely did not! We had just had our full physical exams when we were in NZ and there was nothing noted then, or mentioned about it. It has come out of the blue.

So, keep your fingers crossed that this isn't coming out of pocket...after all...what do we pay a gazillion dollars in insurance for if it isn't for emergencies like this!? We will wait and see! I will keep you posted. Pre-existing conditions are not covered.

After much correspondence, both e-mail and phone calls with the insurance company AND the admin office at the hospital, I am praying that I have all the info I need, and they do too.

I left home around 10.30am, this morning to go to the hospital to see him before surgery. I was accosted, as I said, by the admin office. I delayed further requests by them in order to get to Waz before his op. He hadn't been told when the op was, so it was all news to him.

He had some prep done while I was there but I had to leave him again to return to admin and pay up the 5 grand. He didn't need any hand holding then, anyway.

I came back to the boat and made myself some brunch, around noon. I left the boat again around 2.30pm, thinking he should be on his way out of the post op area. He wasn't. Eventually the DR poked his nose around the corner and told me the op was a success, though it (the abscess)was larger than he had anticipated, got lots of gunk out and it was cleaned out and looked good! yay!

Waz took another hour to sober up enough to go back to the ward. We arrived in the ward just after 5pm. He was dopey still and in pain. The pain pump didn't seem to give him enough morphine, and he was thirsty.

Popsicles, water, jello, a small can of ginger ale and some hot beef brother were delivered. He devoured all but the broth! Had to take it a bit easy with the fluids, but he was so parched.
It would all catch up with him later on....he couldn't pee!

As I was preparing to leave the hospital at 10pm tonight, they were catheterizing him, and he must have passed a litre or more of fluid ( 700mls he said later) he had painfully stored. Poor dear! if it isn't one thing, its another.
He got immediate relief from THAT pain, and promptly went to sleep. I exited stage left!

So, there you have it...what a difference a week makes!

BUT ...if you don't know how to get into your partners computer or use his cell phone ....FIND OUT! You might need to at some stage. I cannot get into his computer coz he has the finger recognition thing going on...he will need to include my finger, in future! AND his cell phone...different to mine, and more complex...of course. sheesh!

It also brought home the fact that I let Waz do so much that I don't care to know about, in particular, BUT I SHOULD! That will change! I will find out, and do these things in future...JUST IN CASE!

Well, I have finished my cuppa and fresh raspberries. It is time for bed. I will sleep well, and I sure hope Waz does. I don't know what tomorrow will bring, but he told me not to rush over there. I wont!

Tatafornow

I would like to say...

....That it is never too late to follow your dreams...
We learned, in the last few days, that the mother of a dear friend has Hodgkins Lymphoma,  which is Cancer of the Lymph Nodes.
While this cancer is reported to be eminently treatable, when found in the early stages, the treatment is an unpleasant series of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. I doubt that this is on anyone's agenda, in life.
....you can look that up for yourself, if you desire

...http://lymphoma.about.com/od/treatment/p/hodgkintreat.htm    

..but my point, in this blog, is to talk about what we dream about and how to make that a reality. All too often, 'life' intervenes to make some of those dreams an unreality and darned near impossible.

I am reminded of the 'Make A Wish' foundation,which strives to make the dreams of those children (in particular) with incurable (mostly) diseases, to come true. Some of these involve Disneyland, others involve throwing the first pitch at Wrigley Field. Whatever those dreams are, many people work overtime to make them come true for the young patients.

Why then, do we not work overtime to make our own dreams come true?

IS this the same as having a 'Bucket List'? Basically, YES!

The difference between a dream and reality is simply that one is still 'out there in the universe' as an idea/passion, while the other is what happens in real time.

So, how DO you make a dream become reality? and how does one afford such things?

I hate to say this, but the process is actually quite simple...it is called 'PLANNING'!!!

Well, not everything worthwhile happens as a result of planning, but generally, planning is the best way to begin something like this.

I guess this depends largely on what your dreams are, and how big, expensive etc they may be.

Waz and I  talk to so many people about what we do (live on our boat), and they tell us, in return, how they had always dreamed of doing that...'some day'. They also say they want to visit New Zealand, 'some day'. The latter is far more doable, in our opinion than the former.:)

There are many people who might tell you that it isn't all it is cracked up to be (living on a boat)...but we could say that for most things in life, couldn't we?

I think perhaps this depends entirely on one's attitude about what it is that we want to do. Passion is usually needed to make things happen in life.

WE haven't actually made a bucket list, the two of us, but we did make a list  of what we would do IF we wont the lottery!! (Yes, well, we have to amuse ourselves somehow when it is raining (if I remember rightly)). I guess this could be considered a Bucket List, so perhaps I will start there.

NOTE...we didn't actually ever PLAN to live aboard a boat and travel the ICW in the USA, but life events dictated that we make considerable life changes, and ...here we are. BUT...We did much planning to get here when the decision was made to do so.

So...What is on our list?

1. Vienna at Christmas Time for the lights and decorations, and the music and dancing. We want to be walking the streets with snow on the ground and hear the wonderful waltzes and music coming from everywhere. ..and do some dancing as well!
Doable? Absolutely! Airfares are generally less expensive at that time of the year, and accommodations may well be the same. I don't know...planning will inform that decision!

2. Build an eco-friendly, off-the-grid, small home with huge workshop and studio spaces...
Doable? Yes, if we plan right, and as a domino effect would have to take place  (sell the boat etc) for it to happen, it is absolutely within the realm of possibilities. Just don't ask us WHERE...we are spoiled for choice!

3. Live in a Non-English speaking country (1st, not 3rd world) for a few years and become fluent in the local language.
Doable? Absolutely! Which country? Research needed for that one!

4. Drive the EU coast roads from Venice, Italy to Scandinavia.
Why? Because this was my intention, when I was living in Venice, Italy, and I spent that money (instead) on returning to NZ when my father was dying of cancer, in 1981, at the age of 59. It will be much more fun to do it with Waz, and share the experience.

None of these four items would require any great effort...but then again, they would too...who am I kidding.! It isn't as if we want to go cliff diving or sky diving...we are in our golden years, but haven't lost our moxy...just that the body isn't quite up to some of those things, anymore!

Not only do they require much planning, but finances, arrangements for life's little 'things' such as mail etc, but they would also require us to be of good health and sound in both body and mind...some more than others.

I don't think any one item has priority over the others, but it will be interesting to see which one happens first...lottery winnings or not (Fat chance, says Waz...Oh he of little faith!!!:))

So, for anyone who thinks they would love to visit NZ...go ahead...book that flight. Air NZ is going to be flying direct out of Houston, TX to Auckland NZ, from December 2015, (IF you are on the east coast or Midwest)  and if you don't like sitting on an airplane for hours on end, then I can suggest a different route, if you would like one:)

Auckland Harbor with the Sky Tower in the middle of the city. One of the more beautiful harbors in the world!

All this navel gazing ...Don't I have something better to do today? Yes, but we cant be productive EVERY day. I think I need to go and get a good book to read!:)

Ciao for now...and we hope you and all your loved ones are healthy! Don't forget to dream, and make it a reality!