Under the weather and more for Wednesday

I have come down with a cold.  I don't feel so bad but have lost my voice.  I now sound like a deep croaking baritone.  I hope to not let the cold slow me down but coughing all the time is annoying.  It also makes people look at me with a bit of disgust, probably thinking that I am a smoker who is on his last few bronchial cells.

Today I worked at a friend's house on rebuilding his marine diesel engine.  It felt good to get some grease under the nails and on my hands.  He was my instructor for the marine engine maintenance class that I took last year.  We replaced the thermostat, rebuilt the raw water pump, and did some compression testing on the engine.  For the last few hours, I had to use hand signals because I couldn't talk.  I did manage to croak out a "Thank you" for the great dinner they fixed.

After I got home,  I helped put up some of the fall decorations.  Every season, we enjoy changing decorations.  Spooky spiders, fall foliage, rolling eyeballs, and lit pumpkins are some of the fun things that we use to decorate for fall.  Here are just a few photos of what we do:

Pumpkins are put outside and inside the house. 

This eyeball lights up when you roll it around. 

Pumpkin lights are fun in one of the garage windows. 

And who wouldn't be scared of this!

I'm not sure who gets more of a kick out of this: the wild animals or me.  I don't know what the deer and raccoons think of the skeleton.  It gives me the creeps a bit.

We hope to go on the boat for the weekend.  The weather is supposed to turn cool on Saturday.  The low may be around 49 F.   I can't wait.  Enough with the humidity and a very hot summer.  I am ready for blue skies, crisp weather, and the smell of autumn.

Well, that's about it from here.  I am going to say good night.  Hopefully,  I'll be a bit more coherent tomorrow.

Friday reflections

It's a slightly overcast day here with puffy cumulus clouds hanging close to the horizon. There's some light wind making ripples on the harbor water. I can see the church steeples over in the city as they thrust upward and above the other buildings. There may be a thunderstorm later.

Yesterday, I watched four racing sailboats set out for the final leg of an around the world race. Today, the harbor has a few cruising boats visible, but no brilliant spinnakers are billowing. I wonder what it's like to leave port and set off on the final leg of a grueling trip across the Atlantic. These sailors have already been 3/4 of the way around the world, including the dreaded passage past Cape Horn.

I'm thinking today about the trip that my sponsor is going to take. He's leaving this weekend to drive across the country. One if by land, and two if by sea. Both will yield much knowledge of self and surroundings.

I'm going to take off to go on the boat this afternoon and spend tonight through Sunday on the water. It has seemed like a long week. I've been on some antibiotics that have kicked my butt for most of the week. Last night I went to bed at 9:30 PM which is unheard of for me. Thankfully, today I feel rested.

I was reading this morning about the death of actor David Carradine. Now the news sources are saying that it was some kind of weird sex stimulation that required choking. Kung Fu was safer. I remember that program as a kid. I liked it, especially the wisdom of the Master. I'm sorry for Mr. Carradine and his family.

Speaking of weird, yesterday I got a call from a member of the public inquiring whether placing the stinging cells of jellyfish in his penis would be stimulating. I get some weird calls sometimes as a marine scientist but never one like that. Are these just other forms of getting "high" and enhancing the senses? I don't know the answer but told the fellow that called that he would no doubt be stimulated to get to an ER if he wrapped his wand in jellyfish tentacles. Enough of that .......

So I'm off to finish up some work. Hope that you are having a great Friday. I'm going to make the most out of this day.

Six weird things and a bunch of other facts

Okay, I've been tagged to write six weird things about myself. Here are the rules: People who get tagged need to write a blog entry of their own 6 weird things. In the end, I will choose 3 people to be tagged and list their names. I'm supposed to leave a comment on their blog that says they have been tagged and to tell them to read my blog!

I don't know what defines weird but I'll do my best:
1. I have 10 piercings in one ear
2. I have six other piercings
3. I once photographed a suspension party and a friend getting branded
4. I have a simian crease on one hand
5. I have Morton's toe
6. I think that leaving the toilet seat up is a sign of bad manners.

Okay after I've revealed all those weird things about myself (there are a few more that I can't mention), I guess that I'll tag Shannon, Mary Christine, and Christine.

After the six weird things, then I'm going to post another list I put together quite a while ago. It is 110 things about me:

1. I have no children
2. I have wished many times to have had a daughter
3. I was too fearful that I was too messed up to have a child
4. I would die for the people that I love
5. I am in recovery
6. From the effects of alcoholism
7. I have a mental list of things that I want to do before I die
8. One of those things is to live on a boat

9. I have a bunch of piercings
10. I am a Capricorn
11. I don't put much stock in organized religion
12. My father drank heavily when I was young
13. He also hit me on several occasions
14. I always believe in the wonderful fantasy of love
15. I take photos for they are my memory and my sentiment
16. I am pretty good at taking photos
17. I like to drive fast
18. I wear my seatbelt
19. I am right handed
20. I would like to be really good at photography and painting
21. I've met some pretty self-important people over the years
22. I’m not easily impressed
23. I love the ocean
24. I want to live on a boat with someone I love
25. I have worked on the ocean as a career
26. I could never live far from the ocean
27. I do not like to cook
28. I love music of all kinds
29. I own a home
30. I have a maid
31. I get easily bored and need mental stimuli
32. I have traveled quite a bit to some interesting places
33. I don't bullshit, mindfuck, or play with people
34. I don’t like people who try to bullshit, mindfuck or play with me
35. I once had sex 8 times in one night
36. I was never a truly wild person but I wanted to be
37. I had a horse that I loved
38. I was a good rider
39. I used to do long-distance cycling
40. I believe the full moon really does mess with people
41. If you go to Google and key in my real name you will get quite a few hits
42. I never liked my nickname
43. I once went to an all nude strip club
44. I sing sometimes but I sing badly
45. I have all my original teeth
46. I watch very little T.V.
47. When I watch TV it is generally news or the weather channel.
48. I spend too much time on the computer
49. For both work and play
50. I have no siblings
51. My parents had me after 16 years of marriage
52. My parents are deceased
53. I smoked cigarettes when I was 6 years old
54. I hate cigarettes and cigarette smoke
55. I love antiques
56. I will eat just about anything or at least try it.
57. I have an adventuresome spirit
58. I like all forms of exercise
59. I think that I will live to be old
60. I feel younger than my years
61. I have been to one X rated movie
62. I like deep long kisses
63. I sleep in a fetal position
64. I think that all forms of sex are okay
65. I believe in the idea of a soul mate
66. I don’t have any addictions
67. I don’t take myself too seriously
68. I believe you are never too old to learn something
69. I believe in the downtrodden
70. I wanted to work with Mother Theresa
71. I have never been arrested
72. I have never been in a jail
73. I am fearless
74. I love to laugh
75. I have way too much STUFF
76. I feel happy most of the time
77. I do not like to pick favorites
78. I do not like to use the word "hate" - it is such a strong word
79. I like to go camping and roughing it
80. My father told me that I should “cut the garment according to the cloth” which I seldom do
81. I like the finer things in life but could do without them if I had to
82. I am not a snob
83. I think I'm nice looking
84. I miss my mother and father
85. I hope that they were proud of me
86. I have learned to tie knots and do marlinspike seamanship
87. I like comfortable clothes but appreciate style
88. I like to sleep naked
89. My favorite color is black
90. I love animals
91. I have too many dogs
92. I don’t like gaudy jewelry on men or women
93. I can curse a blue streak but generally only around people that I know really well
94. I don’t like to kill anything
95. I once was slapped by a friend
96. I had wine thrown in my face by a woman
97. I am a Democrat
98. I don’t like things that smell bad including people
99. I believe in reincarnation
100. I would like to be reincarnated as a dog
101. I have contemplated suicide
102. I prefer to live and see what happens in the end
103. I wish that I weren’t so serious
104. I have few close friends
105. I enjoy parties but after I’ve had enough I want to leave
106. I’ve had to be tough in my job but am really a kind person
107. I want to build a small boat
108. I would like to visit Africa and the Amazon
109. I would like to see the pyramids before I die
110. I don't believe that marriage is a good idea
     

There you have it. It's a day of things about me.