The Longest Summer

I feel like we've worked non-stop for the past 7 months. Four months we spent working in the Brokerage office (as volunteers) so we know Ray and Jeannette's business so well that we can step in any time. Jeannette is going to have to have another surgery next week and re-start her chemo in January because she's had several setbacks from her original operation back in April. And we've been so swamped with all the office/boat work that there hasn't been much to write about.

However the past 3 months we were overjoyed to have Ray and Jeannette hire Julie to fill in at the office which allowed us to focus on the disaster that is our boat.

On the boat we slaved over:

• Tore out 1 bulkhead, 1 wall, 3 counter tops, removed the stove and sink.
• Rebuilt the wall and bulkhead
• Re-plumbed all the tanks and sink
• Rebuilt new counter tops
• Added 2 new storage areas and 3 new access panels
• Installed new formica (GONE is the 70's YELLOW!!!)
• Rewired the electronics so they pass through the counter top neatly.
• Made a complete set of new molding so we now have proper sea-rails around the counters
• Stripped the 35 years of teak oil off the walls (ugh)
• Varnished everything and it looks great now.
• We have moved 3 times too (house sitting, to condo and this week to the RV) while doing all of this.

Here's a few photos of the job in progress with new Formica and varnish. (There is more to work on, but you can get the idea from the finished bits).




About the only fun things we have done are visit with Kate and Michael, celebrate Sherrell's Birthday with a surprise party and marched in the Day of the Dead parade where people chase donkey carts dispensing free beer (probably the best parade on the planet).

We are continuing to strip the teak. I just finished 7 coats on the bow section which allowed us to reload the boat with all our stuff so we can move on to the RV. The boat will probably continue to be UNLIVABLE for another several months as we work our way through the reconstruction of everything. But it's gonna look f****ing good. It's definitely the biggest single project we've ever done on the boat.

Hopefully this winter Jeannette will do well on chemo and we'll also find some time to get away from the work projects to see some more of Mexico using our little RV.

We have to use blankets already (nighttime temps are in the low 70's!!!). I think we might be running the heaters again this winter if it gets much colder. It's hard to believe I'm serious, but right now Sherrell is wrapped in a blanket and I'm jealous.