Wednesday Evening, 4 March 2015 - Well, a cold front just hit here and it's blowing like crazy and it's starting to sprinkle. It's supposed to be about 30° cooler tomorrow than it was today. Darrell Rikli says Alta had about 13" of new snow when he went up to ski with Jack Waldron today. Finally!
                I spent about two hours at the Apple store trying to figure out what is wrong with my MacBook or iPhone that won't let me stay connected between the two. They are sure now that the problem is with settings for T-Mobile in the phone, but they can't help me with that. I need to call T-Mobile. Next, I needed to go across to the other side of the freeway to Best Buy to see if I could get a holster for my iPhone. Getting across the freeway took me about 30 minutes and the iPhone is too big, so apparently, nobody makes a holster for it. I'm getting desperate. I'm afraid I'm going to drop it in the drink as I get onto or off of a sailboat. I got a new inverter for charging my laptop at Best Buy today, so if I drive each day to recharge my house bank batteries, I think I'll be in pretty good shape again now and can keep this travel log going. I also emptied my wastewater tanks. Hey, I finally accomplished something.
                As of this evening, our house is under contract to a buyer. We'll see if it goes forward.

Thursday, 5 March 2015 - The house being under contract didn't last but a few hours. I think the "prospective buyers" probably never even set foot in the house until all the dealing was done. What a waste of everyone's time. Who knows what was going through their minds.
                  Communicated with T-Mobile. They're convinced it's not their fault.
                  I had a rather interesting evening. Went to a dinner meeting of the Texas Association for Single Sailors, TASS, as a guest of Gary Powers and decided to join, since they have quite a few sailing and social activities. I also entered a raffle that they run each meeting. Buy some tickets and the winner takes all. One of my three tickets won, so my dinner and association membership were paid for, and I came home with about $30 dollars more than I arrived with. Not Bad!!!

Friday, 6 March 2015 - Spent four hours on the phone with Apple. I think we're getting closer to a solution. The problem may be/have been some settings that my Domain Name Server gave me that were wrong. We'll see. I'm holding my breath.
                  At mid-afternoon, I decided to see if I could find a CSY sailboat that I thought I had tracked down on the internet. Only about 5 miles away. I had to go through a residential neighborhood to get to the Houston Yacht Club and was a little nervous about the really narrow streets. The yacht club was gated, but at least it wasn't a dead end. I went back a ways to as parking area for a fishing pier I had passed, parked and used my trusty bicycle to get back to the marina. I slipped past the gate, rode down a couple of piers and recognized the transom of the CSY over on the last pier. The owner, of course, wasn't there, so I didn't go aboard, but at least I finally got to see one of these boats in person and in 3D. I spent about 30 minutes, then thought I'd better head back to meet Gary Powers and his wife Lorrie for dinner again. Mexican food two nights in a row. Neither was as good as El Chihuahua, by a long shot.
                  I parked last night on a quiet road that I had stayed at the previous evening, but got rousted at 1:00AM by the police. "Can't park and sleep on a public street."...but he did suggest that I go a block away to the Walmart parking lot. I told him that I had asked one of the managers about staying there, and he'd said "No." The officer said they never enforce that rule and that people stay overnight there all the time, but if I didn't want to go there, I should go down by the public boat ramp. "It is safe, out of the way, and there'll be no problems. So I did. I parked right under the bridge over the bay. Nice big area...but NOISEY with cars and trucks pounding overhead all night! I still slept well.
                  I was going to move anyway, but about 11:00AM another police cruiser pulled up in front of me and said "I know the sergeant told you last night to come down here, but you can't park under the bridge. We don't want any large vehicles blowing up under the bridge and destroying it." I told him I didn't want to blow up either and asked him where I should park. He suggested Walmart parking lot. I explained about asking the Walmart manager... He said, "people park there all the time. Don't pay any attention to the manager, but if you don't want to go there, park over there in the parking lot across the street (from where I currently was). I said there are signs that that parking lot is only for the customers of the Kemah Board Walk amusement park. He said, "Well, aren't you going to have dinner there tonight?" I said "Probably." I moved across the street into the Boardwalk parking lot.
                  I got out my bike to get off my butt and get some exercise, and rode over to the amusement park. I got stopped by security. "No bicycles allowed." I'm such a criminal!
                  Back to the motor home for lunch. There's a marina a hundred feet away, so I decided to make the best of the rest of the afternoon, so I got out the bike and rode over. "Are you familiar with CSY's, says I. "Yes, we just had one right here in the marina come up for sale. We haven't even walked over to see it." I think I'm in heaven. "...it's a one owner boat, but he says it needs quite a bit of work. Do you want to see it?" "Absolutely!"
                 Well the owner is right. There's nothing broken on the boat, but it would take months (or more), and probably $30,000 to get it in shape. It apparently hasn't been sailed in a very long time. I'm more convinced, however, that this is the kind of boat I'd like to have, spacious, lots of storage, easy access to the auxiliary engine, (you can actually get right down in with the engine on either side.) but there aren't many of them, so the broker is going to show me some boats that he thinks are similar tomorrow.
                  I can't believe it. Two CSY's in as many days. I hadn't even seen any mention of this second vessel previously.
                  Wow! Something that I think is very unusual happened. Another cop just pulled up in front of my motor home. Well, it turned out to be the same policeman that rousted me at 1:00AM this morning. He came by to say he was sorry to have had to make me move last night and said he wanted to be sure I was in a safe spot for the evening and that all was well! He said that drunks often use the road I was on last night to try to get away from the police and that he was afraid that I might have gotten hit if there was a pursuit. A really nice, jovial guy! Wished me well in my quest for a sailboat.

Sunday, 8 March - It's rained almost all day. I spent most of the day sitting on my butt and on the internet looking at boats. The broken I talked to yesterday was supposed to call me, but hadn't by about 11:00am, so I called him. All he's finding are boats that I have seen on the internet, but said he'd call me later in the day. He didn't.
                  I did get a call, however, from Art Anderson, a long time friend from hangliding many years back. He's fighting cancer and having a bit of a tough time.
                  That policeman that rousted me out of my sleep was passing by on his patrol and I waved to him. He pulled over and stopped and we talked for a few minutes. He said he'd see me again in a couple of days; today's his Friday. Wished me luck finding a boat again.
                  The rain let up a little, so I went for a short bike ride.
                  The computer's screwing up again, so I had to make another appointment at the Apple store for tomorrow at 11:00am.

Monday, 9 March 2015 - Once again I leave the Apple store not confident, but at least optimistic, that I've found a solution to my iPhone/MacBook Air cross communication problems. ...and I finally found belt clip wallet that will fit the iPhone 6 Plus. I thought I had searched everywhere. They were at a kiosk only 20 feet from the front of the Apple store. I really didn't think they would have one, but there sure was a pretty girl there, so I thought I'd better ask...and the price was right, too! The wallet, not the girl.
                  Well, the fix didn't work, so I went back in for another session at Apple... It's 6:00pm now and I've been in and out of the Apple store all day and it still isn't working properly. Left the Apple store at 10:00pm having accomplished absolutely nothing.
                  Top Ramen for dinner at 10:30pm. Hey, I discovered something!!! There's a packet inside the Top Ramen that you're not supposed to dump in the hot water with the noodles. I did. Why do they put it in WITH the noodles? Shouldn't it be separate? It's late, I'm tired. I'll sleep here in the mall parking lot.

Tuesday, 10 March 2015 - Awakened to find a warning ticket from mall security on my windshield. No overnight "camping" allowed. Found security's phone number on a sign on a lamp post and called them. Explained the situation and received forgiveness. Went in to Apple store, got another appointment within an hour and discussed the situation with the manager. It was decided that I'd better leave the computer with them for a week's testing. Can I survive for a week without a computer? It sure will make it hard to write this update. I'll make notes and type it up later.
                  I thought I might get to look at a beautiful CSY 44 up at Houston Yacht Harbor, but that fell through. I did, however, receive a phone call from a great friend and next-door neighbor that I grew up with in Fort Worth and went to school with; Charlie Broom. An amazing happenstance; he lives outside Austin, but was in Galveston to pull the handle on a few (perhaps, illegal) one armed bandits. He had read my last post and realized that we were only about 30 miles apart and called me. Said he was tired of gambling, (lost all his entertainment money), and decided to come up to Kemah for a visit. We caught up on old times, walked around the Kemah Boardwalk amusement park, had a few beers and headed out for a late dinner; almost too late. Almost every place was closed except Chili's. Had something good to eat, then headed back to the motor home for the night.

Wednesday, 11 March 2015 - Got up around 8:00 and had breakfast, decided we'd both enjoy visiting the battleship USS Texas over closer to Houston and headed out in Charlie's car. Got lost, doubled back, and spent most of the day walking around in the bowels of, or on the decks of that mighty war machine. Boy! Does it have a lot of firepower. Guns everywhere. About 3:00pm, Charlie said he needed to get back home, so we made a quick visit to San Jacinto State Monument, which is only a few blocks away. That's where the last major battle for Texas' independence was fought, defeating and capturing Santa Anna. Charlie took me back to the motor home and we said our "Goodbyes." A great visit.

Thursday, 12 March - Woke up at 5:00am to profuse lightning and thunder. I think it rained about 3" in two hours. I stayed inside reading and catching up on email via my iPhone most of the day, but finally saw a slight break in the rain and went out for a short ride on my bike. Discovered that the trailer's roof is still leaking. Too wet to fix it at the time. No way to dry the roof to make repair tape adhere.

Friday the Thirteenth - About 11:00am, a fellow came to the motor home and identified himself as the head of security for the Kemah Boardwalk, which owns the parking lot I'm in, and said that I'd have to move out. They're expecting big crowds this weekend. I asked him if I could have another hour to repair the leak in the roof of the trailer and he said, "Sure." I taped up the roof and moved back over "by" the bridge, but not under it. I was taking up about 6 passenger car slots, but there was no one there anyway. I have to park somewhere! I went out to dinner with Gary and Lorrie Powers to an Asian Fusion restaurant and had a nice evening and a great meal.

Saturday, 14 March - It's quit raining, so I unloaded some of the items from the trailer that got wet; sleeping bag, towels, etc., and laid them out to dry. Spread out the cardboard boxes in the sun to dry.
                  Along comes a cop. "You can't park here. This is reserved for passenger cars and you're taking up 6 spaces." "Well, there's lots of spaces and there's no one else here." "Yes, but it's reserved for passenger cars." "Well, if I can't park here, where can I park?" "I don't know, but you can't park here." "Well, bicycles have a parking spot and cars have reserved spaces, and boat trailers have reserved spaces; where are the spaces for motor homes in this town?" "I don't know, but you can't park here. This is reserved for passenger cars." "Well, my motor home is a passenger car and I'm the passenger. It's just a big one." "You can't stay here." "Well, where can I stay?" "Go to a commercial RV park." "They cost $30 - $90 /night...and mine's not a small one, especially with the trailer." "Wow!", he says, I did't know they cost that much, but YOU CAN'T STAY HERE." "Have a great day officer."
                  I packed up my boxes and left. I had to be at the marina to go sailing for the afternoon with the Texas Association of Single Sailors (TASS). Actually, they're not single sailors anymore. They've all found partners and gotten married. We had a nice day sailing and motoring in light winds in the bay and sipping wine, but there really wasn't as much opportunity for learning as I'd hoped. It's Spring Break down here and several of us went out to a loud and rowdy restaurant on the water's edge for dinner and a beer. Nice day!

Sunday, Ides of March - I went to an RV park to discharge my foul water tanks, then spent about an hour and a half at the Kemah Visitor's Center trying to find out where there might be free parking for visiting RV's in their fair city. They didn't have a clue so I went over to one of the marinas to walk up and down the docks looking at boats.

Monday, 16 March 2015 - I called the Apple Store to see if they had finished with my MacBook Air, and they had, so I traveled across town to get it. Moments after I parked in the lot at the mall, security pulled up beside my vehicle, so I got out and was greeted by the lady that I had explained why I had spent the night in their lot previously, and she asked if my repairs had been successful. I said, "No." and that that was why I was back, to pick up the computer that I had left for a week. She said, "Too bad! ...and that if I needed to stay overnight again, there would be no problem at all. I told her I certainly hoped that wouldn't happen, and she laughed.
                  Into the mall I went and discovered that they couldn't find anything wrong with it. Now what?
                  Since I was away from my usual area and would pass by it anyway, I went by the post office and picked up my general delivery mail that I had arranged to have sent there by my mail service. I've thumbed through it, but not opened any of it yet.
                  Again, since I was north of my usual stomping grounds, I decided to drive the short distance to the home of Leon Brundrett, whom my folks had known in this area when they were sailing here in the '70s. I called ahead, but I got a message that that phone number was't taking any calls. I had gotten that message at this number several other times, so I decided I was so close, that I'd drive over. I'm glad I did, because his beautiful daughter, Nancy, answered the door. I introduced myself as the son of Doyle and Virginia McClain, was invited in and had a wonderful evening talking about sailing, family, and friends. Leon and his wife, Pat, had sailed quite a bit with my parents and their girls had met them, too.
                  I decided to give the Kemah Police a rest and spent a quiet night in Shoreacres.

Tuesday, 17 March - Went to buy a few groceries, then headed over to one of the marinas to check out sailboats. Also received notification from our realtor that we are back under contract with a buyer on the house.

Wednesday, 18 March - Wow! This month is flying by. It was raining this morning, but the sun is out and I'm headed to the marina to look at boats. My phone weather app says it's 70°F here in Kemah and57°F in Salt Lake City today. Is winter over where you are?

            Until next time,
                        Stay in touch!