March 30, 2012 Luperon

Friday, March 30, 2012

Yesterday was planned, Fred had a dental appointment, then we had to go to the bank, get internet for Fred and come back to the boat to work on sealing leaks...NOT!

Just before we left I was brushing my teeth and felt water at my feet.  The sink in the heads drain pipe broke, (we found out later) so we had to make a return trip to the hardware store for the repairs.  Then the head clogged up because I used Kleenex instead of toilet paper because the toilet paper was wet from the broken drain pipe under the sink, which is where the toilet paper was.  Wrong move!  Fred has been on his knees in deep dodo as I sit back and watch with candles burning.   I am grateful for sinks with drains and heads that flush.  I am particularly grateful for Fred’s knowledge and especially glad there is only room for one in the head.  I can just cheer him on!  Yes, I got “the look” and a very informative lesson on what a choker valve is and what happens to “stuff” before they go thru this small slit.  Minced digestive remains is what it is but he called it something else.  That does not include Kleenex, which is made to hold together when blowing ones nose...not to dissolve thru a macerator in a head.  I quickly learned that there is more than one kind of tissue and “we” use the scotts toilet tissue and only that!  Who knew?  I think Mr Krapper’s invention was a better one.  You just pull a chain and off it goes into the dark bliss towards wonderland.  I also got to test the method of days gone by...with a bucket this morning.  I was greeted this morning in the cockpit with a 4 foot u-shaped hose (from the head) pointing at me with a goose neck on the end, and Fred informed me I had a phone call… “It’s for you”...“Bridge to Engine Room”.   He is so funny!  I think it is fixed now, and I put another bottle of bleach on the “to get” list today because I am certain I will run out of what we have cleaning this boat  head up.  I owe him at least that much after all, he is the boat library expert, thank goodness.  Might I add that I was not really interested in learning how to repair it either, although that lesson he did give me was very informative and a lesson of importance indeed.  I left him to the rest.  I will clean the mess though!  We are in this together!

The dentist was great!  I took pictures!  Fred has one more appointment at 5:30 today and he will have a mouth full of teeth.  Yippeeee! 

I needed to return to the bank because I forgot my pin number.  Must come with age.  I am glad I remembered I actually have a bank account if that counts for anything.  I am in the process of picking things up for people before we leave...gifts and requests.

We went to renew Fred’s internet and I guess they entered it wrong so he is still without internet.  Poor Fred.  I let him use mine though...but he has been too busy to get on anyway.  Now it’s another trip back to town to see why he does not have internet. 

I spent some time on deck yesterday afternoon and a new roll of duct tape, working on the hatches and it won’t stick to anything.  Not complaining...just making a mental note to hoard some duct tape so I will never run out of it again and have to settle for the silver strips of slightly sticky stuff we got here.  Some things are important to have when on the water.  Duct tape is one of them.  It keeps you from sinking...sometimes!  Maybe we will find some of the good stuff like we have in the US in our travels before we hit bad weather again.  There is always gorilla glue.  I know that’s permanent but hey...permanent works for me.

Fred is taking a nap and will attack the sink drain in the head later on.  I am so glad all this happened all at once.  It’s an “all-in-one” mess for me!  Glad this didn’t happen while at sea.  Fred is quite the guy!

I see these all as blessings of abundance.  Knowledge is good.  Expanding our knowledge is wonderful.

Tonight Puerto Blanca is having a pig roast and music.  It will be a well needed break and lots of fun, not to mention...food!  I have never been to a pig roast here but I do know it is very good luck to “pick meat off a pig and eat it”.  I plan to pick a piece off for that reason alone.  Ya never know when you need a bit-o-luck!

The day is beautiful, wind is blowing thru the hatches and ports, (good thing) so I guess I should get to work and start somewhere.  Maybe the anchor locker?