Monday, 1 January 2024 - New Year Day - Amazingly, I woke up at the usual time this morning feeling pretty good...except for my left arm. It's still hurting from something, I don't know what, I did about a month ago. I haven't played pickleball since. Almost every movement from brushing my teeth to putting on a shirt hurts my upper arm and shoulder. Last week we had lots of rain and it's been very cold (to us). It has been clear down in the lower 60s, but we've had some really beautiful sunsets this week and the daily highs have been reaching into the low 70s.
                    I hope your new year is starting off great.

Tuesday, 2 January - I defrosted the freezer for the first, but certainly not last, time this year since I'll soon need to go buy groceries. I'm out of eggs and bananas and will soon be out of bread. Those are the three things that control how long I can go without shopping for groceries. I buy 6 to 8 bananas and have one each morning with oatmeal until they are gone then I switch to two jumbo scrambled eggs with Rotel tomatoes and peppers for breakfast until the two dozen eggs run out. After those are gone I switch back to oatmeal with raisins until the three loaves of bread that I use for lunches each day are gone. At that point, it's time to go grocery shopping again.
                    After defrosting the freezer I headed to West Marine to replace a malfunctioning Luci solar lantern that I got about a month ago. They are supposed to last about 6 hours on a charge and this one only lasts about two and a half hours. I also did a little shopping but no buying while I was there and at the two thrift stores that are near there.

Wednesday, 3 January - I had sealed around the solar wafer on the top of the new dinghy solar bow light last week because the distributor said that's where the leaks seem to be, but upon trying to get the old light dried out and working, I discovered that it leaked in a different spot. I masked it off with tape and sealed the joint between the cap that holds the solar wafer to the main body of the light today, I really don't think water will be getting into this one.

Thursday, 4 January - I ran out of bread today no I went grocery shopping. Before going I did a quick defrost of the freezer. It already had about a half inch of frost on the evaporator. I thought mid-day on a Thursday would be a good time to shop but I was wrong. There were plenty of shoppers other than myself and the store was out of V-8 and Miracle Whip in the sizes that I wanted. They were also totally out of several of the fruit juices that I prefer and the brand of black-eyed peas and sandwich meat that I like. I thought I was hurrying to beat rain that was reported to be headed this way but when I exited the store, the sky was still bright blue and the temperature in the 70s. The weatherman is predicting stormy weather for this coming Saturday too. I hope he's wrong with that prediction, too. Saturday is the monthly nautical flea market at the marina and the Celtic Festival is this weekend at the park. This festival is on of the big yearly events in Marathon with a Celtic color guard, sheep herding dog demonstrations, lots of big women throwing heavy poles and weights, arts, crafts, and, of course, lots of food. It's a pretty good show with good music, too.

Friday, 5 January - I decided to shower on shore today instead of on the boat - hot water! The water onboard has really cooled down with the cold weather we've been having. After showering I joined the revelers at the tiki for the weekly meet and greet. My feet eventually got tired from standing so I left the party around 6pm. As I reached the boat, Anne Mullet of S/V Meherio passed by and mentioned that Donnie McDaniel and Four Sheets to the Wind were to play at Dockside this evening at 8 PM. I tried to reach Susie but couldn't and never got a call back and I decided to get off the boat anyway. Since they weren't supposed to start until eight, I didn't arrive until then. When I showed up I expected to find Roland, Leta, and the gang but they weren't there. The only person I knew there was Donnie's wife, Michele, so I joined her and her family that was in from out of town at their table. About an hour later I discovered that Anne, Phil and Carol Vachon, and others were sitting further back in the restaurant and I just hadn't seen them. Around closing time an unusual occurrence happened. Dockside, which really is at the docks, has bright green underwater lights that attract lots of fish and I've wondered why the six to eight foot tarpon never come to feed there. I still don't know but a porpoise thought of it. It came to feed right in front of us, chasing the 10 to 12 inch mangrove snappers for about 10 minutes when they all disappeared. It's amazing how agile that porpoise is.

Saturday, 6 January - We had our nautical flea market this morning. I didn't sell or buy anything at all but did return to Island Time with a new to me set of neoprene booties, a pair of swim fins, and a telescoping pole that I may swap out for the standard for my dinghy's stern light support. After returning to the boat and then to shore again, I met Susie and we went to the park next door to attend the Celtic Festival. We walked the commercial isles, watched a bit of the ladies Celtic sports events, then found chairs and watched several bands perform at the bandstand.

Sunday, 7 January - While cleaning up the telescoping pole that I got yesterday I realized why it was given away. It doesn't twist lock at an infinite number of lengths like most boat hook poles do. It's either collapsed all the way or all the way extended but that's ok for what I have in mind for it as a light pole for the dinghy. I also managed to free up the zipper on the neoprene booties that I got yesterday. Susie worked today at the consignment store so I decided at the last minute to go back over to the Celtic Festival and watch the Screaming Orphans again. They save the best act for last but, unfortunately, they cut their act short to have all the performers from most of the acts come on stage for one last group song and it really didn't go too well. At 6:30 I met Susie at Dockside for the Sunday Night Open Mic Night. Sho brought her dog, Pika, so we only got to dance one dance because the dog usually barks when we leave the table. We still enjoyed the music.

Monday, 8 January - This afternoon I went into the marina office to spend about an hour stuffing flyers in the bags that boaters are given when they sign into the marina the first time. I stuff flyers from local restaurants, boat hull divers, fishing boats for hire, local attractions, marine mechanics and boatyards, etc., along with marina rules. The hour ended up being almost four because a whole new batch of handouts had been delivered and I had to open those boxes, pair them up with existing inventory, and make room in the already cramped space of the Cruiser's storage area, then insert 26 different advertising flyers in each of 50 bags. Tomorrow is predicted to be quite windy, but warm, and as I write this this evening I can already hear the wind picking up.

Tuesday, 9 January - I got up a bit earlier than usual this morning so I could meet Susie at the park so we could drive to Key West for me to get my annual physical checkup at the VA facility there. My primary physician there went over the lab results from last week's tests with me and she was pretty surprised at how healthy I am. I had near perfect lab results. I also had other things that I wanted to discuss and she answered all my questions and will be setting me up for more physical therapy for my shoulders and a visit to the dermatologist since I haven't been to one in quite some time. Susie dropped me back off at the marina at 1 pm and we met again at Dockside for the evening entertainment by the JibSea Cowboys, the house band.

Wednesday, 10 January - I got busy today on the boat and almost forgot that I had a dental checkup scheduled today at 2 o'clock. I made it there just in time on my bicycle. A cleaning of my teeth and X-rays cost me $312 but the good news is that I didn't have any problems that needed to be dealt with.

Thursday, 11 January - Today was overcast with intermittent showers. I stayed aboard all day and took it easy and tried to see what's been tickling my inner left ear with my digital microscope. It's really hard to hand hold and point in at something you can't see directly. The depth of field is extremely shallow and the tip is not small enough to see into my ear. Darn.

Friday, 12 January - I went ashore this evening for the happy hour at the marina's tiki hut and when that was over I met Susie at Dockside. Karen and Ron Butler were sitting at the table next to us along with Dawn and Al of S/V Another Dawn and invited us over to join them. Wow, could those ladies talk! Susie listened to Karen all evening and I did the same with Dawn. Al and Ron barely said a word all evening but we all seemed to enjoy ourselves. The only way for Susie and me to get to converse with each other was to get up and dance. The band was new to us but when they introduced themselves we discovered that two of the three were part of The Red Elvises who play music that we're not really drawn to and play way too loud to enjoy although they draw big crowds. A pretty girl with green hair was the drummer and really good, then about halfway through the night she and the lead guitarist switched places and she sang a couple of songs. She was as skilled on the guitar as he was and he was as good a drummer as was she. Their bass guitar was really good, too. We really liked their first two sets of old time rock and roll but their third set was all newer, harder rock. and way too loud. As usual, Susie turns her hearing aids off and I stick earplugs in my ears. Randy usually sets up the sound equipment for the musical acts and I think he's gone deaf. They're playing to about 75 people at Dockside but play at levels that would fill a big concert venue.

Saturday, 13 January - Right after the morning Cruiser's Net I headed into the marina to post a small package to the VA, then, while returning to the boat I tracked down the owner to a cushion and towel that I found floating near my boat. Although breezy, today is sunny and 77°F. so it seemed like a good day to defrost the 2 inches of frost in the freezer. Virtually every time I do so I either modify some insulation or try to seal possible entry ways for outside air to enter. I spent about an hour sealing the joints in the formica inner panels that I really can't imagine being the problem but I don't see anything else that could let air in either. I had planned to go ashore and watch a movie that one of the boaters was showing at the porch of the marina but Susie texted that Ty Thurman was playing at Dockside with his old partner, Cory Young, with Bob Jeager on bass guitar and a new drummer since Bongo Bob has another gig on Saturday nights. Ty plays music we like and can dance to, plus he sets his speakers at a level that I don't have to use the earplugs. That's nice.

Sunday, 14 January - Today was our 2nd Sunday of the month Meet and Greet Sunday Pot Luck Brunch at the upper porch at the marina. Lots of good food on a nice, warm, sunny morning. Right after the brunch I crossed paths with a fellow that we see at Dockside dancing with all the ladies frequently. Jack Reichert, He was looking for a dinghy air pump to borrow so I loaned him mine and he promised to return it tonight at Dockside. We joined Roland and Leta Kok, Jeff and Sheila Gordon and others at a table and about an hour later my air pump was returned to me by Jack.

Monday, 15 January - Martin Luther King Day - The marina office was closed today. I spent several hours modifying the tip of a boat hook that I got at the swap meet two Saturday ago so that I could hang my new Kizen lantern from it on the back of the dinghy. This is nice. The old PVC pole was either mounted and 6 feet tall or dismounted. This pole can either be three feet tall or six. The old one, I had to dismount to turn the light on and off, this one I don't.

Tuesday, 16 January - I picked up the outdoor transmitter for my LaCrosse weather station at the marina today and right out of the box, it wasn't working although I had put good batteries into it. I had loaned Bob Dahmer my Evinrude outboard motor a couple of years ago and he brought it back to me with a shortened pull cord which cause me to tear my rotator cuff on my right shoulder. He also forgot to return the fuel hose that went with it. He returned that recently and the priming squeeze bulb on it has hardened so much that it's not usable so I replaced that today with a spare I had onboard. It's Tuesday so Susie and I were to meet at Dockside to dance. Their calendar indicates that they would start at 7:30. At 6 pm Susie texted me to say that Bongo Bob, their drummer, said they'd be starting at 6:30 so I rushed to finish dinner and get there in time to get seats. I got there at 6:30 and the place was packed. Susie had beaten me there and had arranged to sit right up front with some out-of-towners that we don't know. Luckily, the band hadn't started and before they did, at 7:00, Jeff and Sheila Gordon, and Ellie Bohm and her boyfriend, noticed a double table leaving and quickly claimed the vacancy so we joined them for the evening. A heavy rain and cooler temperature scared away quite a few revelers but I checked the weather radar and could see that the rain would quickly pass, so Susie and I stayed till the end. Back at the boat, I hand washed a few pieces of clothing and hung them up to dry in the cockpit in 75° at 11:00pm weather.

Wednesday, 17 January - I had time to mess with the temperature sensor today. The problem turned out to be that one of the "new and good" batteries that I had installed in the old sensor when I was trying to get it to work was bad, but replacing it didn't restore the old sensor. It's shot but the new one is fine. It's 3:00 pm and while the northeast is freezing in extreme cold, it's 74°F and 85% humidity. My clothes may take a couple of days to dry at the rate they are going. On this morning's Net. I tried to give away the 6V lantern battery that I got at the last swap meet because it has screw type terminals and my spotlight uses spring terminals. Someone on the net suggested that the 6V lantern battery has lots of 1.5V AA batteries inside. I didn't get any takers for the free battery so I opened it up to see what was inside. No HAs, just four F size batteries. Those are about the diameter of D cells, but about an inch longer. I can't think of anything I can use them for so I'll try to give those away tomorrow. Susie and I are to meet Jeff, Sheila, Ellie and friend, and Leta and Roland at Havana Jacks in Key Colony Beach this evening. Jeff, Sheila, Ellie and friend didn't show up. They left a text on Susie's phone at 5:15 that they were in Key West but Susie didn't see the message until 6:15 and we were already there. However, Anne Mullet, Kim Brown-Stamp, Martha and Debra joined us so we weren't short of people.

Thursday, 18 January - I defrosted the freezer again today. The frost hadn't turned into solid ice so it melted faster.

Friday, 19 January - This afternoon I went to the marina office to pick up a package then attended the Friday evening Cruiser's Happy Hour at the tiki before returning to the boat.

Saturday, 20 January - My parents' anniversary date. They made it 70 years together. This would have been 83 if they'd made it. I still miss them both. They would have loved this boat. I spent most of the day trying to get the Mantus Marine bow light for my dinghy that got water in it a while back working again. I opened it up and, at first, thought the battery was bad because one of the cells looked swollen, but that wasn't the case. While working on it, the light came on briefly. Next, suspected the switch, but while inspecting it, one of the tiny 22 gauge wires broke on the circuit board, then another. I dug out my soldering tools, heated up the soldering iron and just as I was about to suck the solder off the first connection, the desoldering tool self destructed. It's spring loaded and when I cocked it, the backend flew off. I got out the superglue to fix that and, on the third attempt, and after holding the pieces together for three minutes instead of the 15 to 45 seconds that is indicated, the joint held. I soldered the two wires back in, but after hours of fooling with it, I never could get the light to do any more than come on intermittently. I put it all back together with the green, starboard indicating light still on because I couldn't get it to go off.
                    Susie got us tickets to go see "Barefoot in the Park" at the local playhouse so I walked up to meet her there this evening. The playhouse here does a great job and it was very enjoyable.

Sunday, 21 January - It was cool and windy today. I didn't get off the boat until I headed to Dockside to meet Susie, Leta and Roland for the evening's festivities listening to the "JibSea Cowboys". I did, however, flush out the prefilter for the water catchment system. With the threat of daily rains that I wanted to catch I had waited a bit too long and there was quite a bit of green algae in the system since the sun warms it up daily.

Monday, 22 January - Another brisk and windy day today. Tomorrow should get up to about 77°F. and the wind should back off a bit, too. I sat on my butt and read most of the day.

Tuesday, 23 January - I repaired a leak in a 2 gallon gas jug with hot glue today and met Susie, Roland and Leta at Dockside in the evening. The band plays with their volume at concert hall levels so I always wear earplugs and we usually sit midway back it the restaurant. Tonight the place was packed when we got there and we had to sit at a front row table. It sounded like they were playing to a stadium; way too loud.

Wednesday, 24 January - There was almost two inches of frost in the freezer again today so I defrosted again.

Thursday, 25 January - I did a little bit of preparation for taxes today even though I haven't received a 1099 yet. Around 1 o'clock I biked over to the American Legion for lunch and tried their pulled pork. Unfortunately, it wasn't great. I should have gone for their burger which is pretty good. Since that is on the way to Home Depot, Walgreens, and Publix I went on down to the drug store and refreshed my supply of vitamins D-3 and a package of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. I can't believe those are over a dollar per cup now. Wow!

Friday, 26 January - A catamaran recently sank while on one of the mooring balls and several people tried to refloat it yesterday, unsuccessfully. The boaters in the harbor recently collected enough donations to purchase a medium duty water pump for rescuing sinking boats and it was delivered yesterday, but not in time to be used yesterday. A couple of people went into the marina this morning to unpackaged it and prepare it for use. I intended to join them but arrived just as they finished testing it out. About 45 minutes later we and several others converged at the sunken boat to try again. There were already two divers in the water and three pumps being set up when I get there, our new one and two larger industrial pumps. We worked for about 4 hours filling airbags and then pumping with all the pumps but still to no avail. There just has to be a big hole, port, hatch, or several small ones that are open and haven't been found and plugged. Two pumps are shooting 4" streams of water and our new one is about 3" in diameter. THat's a lot of water and we weren't gaining on it a bit. We gave up around 5:15 and several of us went to the Friday evening Cruiser's Happy Hour that started at 4 PM.

Saturday, 27 January - I had planned on rejoining the others to try again to raise the catamaran but the man in charge decided to get some other equipment today and try again tomorrow. I started getting some duffle bags that we can inflate, and other things together that I'll take tomorrow. In the evening I met Susie, Roland and Leta, and others to listen to music by the Ty Thurman Band and have dinner.

Sunday, 28 January - Several of the harbor boaters, we had four divers in the water and about 6 in their dinghies or onboard the boat, worked to float the sunken catamaran today. Scotty, a one legged veteran and close friend of the lady whose boat was down, had purchase eight 50 gallon plastic barrels to use as floatation yesterday. We rigged those in pairs and the divers filled them with water, then attached them to the hull of the boat. Once that was done, we started the generators to fill the barrels with air and float the boat as high as possible. When that was done we started the three pumps to get the water out and we finally finished around 5 o'clock after having started at 10:30. The barrels were hard to rig and the other thing that took so long was that everything in the interior of the boat that would float, did, but was now soaking wet and scattered around the floors. That made it hard to get into the bilges to get the pumps' suction filters to the bottom of the interior of the boat to get all the water out. Each time one of the hoses emptied its compartment and sucked air, we had to re-prime the pump to get the water flowing again. I feel sorry for the lady. Everything is the boat is ruined and that's everything she owns. Actually, that's wrong. I found one bag of potato chips that were still crispy. I think they are planning on towing it to Marathon Boatyard tomorrow to get it hauled out, but I really don't thing there is much to salvage. Certainly not the microwave or oven and stove, none of the navigation gear, or anything else electrical or electronic, None of the food. Very little else, but maybe the outboard motor. It was okay as long as it was in the water, but it will start rusting overnight. They need to get it flushed thoroughly with fresh water tomorrow, then dried and fresh oil and gas into it immediately. I doubt that will happen. Neither of them can do it, she's doesn't know how and since he only has one leg and a recent 6 inch surgical suture that he's ripped out and needs to be repaired, it would be pretty hard for him to do it, too. I think she mentioned that she hasn't been able to get the boat insured. She was planning on spending the night onboard to be there in case the bilge pumps that we left installed needed to be run intermittently. There's nothing dry onboard so I went over on the way to Dockside to see if she needed a blanket and a tarp to sleep on, but the boat was closed up and locked so I guess she'd gone to dinner or observed that the boat doesn't seem to be taking on any more water and gone to spend the night on her boy friend's boat. I wish them both all the luck in the world.

Monday, 29 January - This morning I cleaned up the tools that I had that we used while bringing the sunken boat up, plus, I discovered while working on that boat yesterday that the tools that I thought I had in a water tight peanut butter jar onboard the dinghy were all wet and rusty because the jar leaked. The water must have gotten into the jar during the last long hard rain when the dinghy trapped about 6 inches of water, high enough to get into the jar stored in the under-seat storage compartment. I cleaned the tools up and tested the jar but it doesn't leak, so the lid must have not been tightened well.

Tuesday, 30 January - I defrosted the refrigerator/freezer this morning. This evening I went to Dockside where I happened to meet Candace Widgeon, a boater and musician. We were both headed to Skipjack Resort to help Kim Brown-Stamp celebrate her umpteenth 39th birthday along with Susie, Roland, Leta, Anne, about 20 other people and listen to Donnie McDaniel and Four Sheets to the Wind. When he stopped playing at 9 o'clock, Susie and I walked back over to Dockside for another hour of music.

Wednesday, 31 January - I walked over to Publix and bought groceries mid-day, then returned via taxi. After I put the groceries away I regaled some small magnets in the aft shower stall that I use to keep the bottom of the shower curtain in place while I shower so water doesn't get everything in the head wet. I can't believe that a twelfth of the year is already gone.