We liked the city so we decided to stay a couple of weeks. We're finding the free things to do in town and limiting eating out to one meal every other day, usually breakfast (neither of us can make pancakes to save our lives...and b-fast is usually the cheapest to eat out & the least crowded) And while we're on the subject of free... there is a pricey little joint that gives out free samples of gelato (Italian ice cream - overrated in my opinion, but it is cold and cocoa-licious). Not worth paying for but if you'll give me a heaping spoonful of frozen chocolate once a day, I will walk through your doors for that free sample. Thank you very much, we pretend to ponder buying something, then leave. Nice little charade. And they must have high turnover because in over a week we've not had the same scoop-jockey yet.
We've had adventures aplenty in the anchorage...like the night the Catamaran from Annapolis decided to anchor close to us. They had one anchor on each hull instead of one central...but they were only using one anchor...with a 6ft tide...with 20-25mph winds...and they drug. I walk out on deck to see them MAYBE 3 ft. away. They were sitting in their cockpit talking...I was able to politely say "Um...I think you're dragging." Heather who was sitting down below thought I was joking because my voice was so calm. They moved, spent the next 2 hours trying to get the anchor to set and finally went into the marina.
Then there was the night the Canadians set their anchor in the wrong place, couldn't get it set, and drug our second anchor, wrapping it around the primary. That took a while to sort out, but all's well once again.
Got a good laugh last night when we saw a family walking through the town center reading the historical signs...well, one of the signs is a plaque for the Town Plan. And behind it is a little bush... one of the family member walks up to it and says... and yes, this is a perfect quote... "The Town PLANT. Wow, no ****. The town plant." We made a 180 degree turn and walked away so we could laugh out loud. He sounded mighty impressed by the shrubbery.
Working is easy from St. A. Free internet at the marina so I can send everything in gratis. That is if I had the discipline that I intended to have... I seem to remember something about the Road to Hell and Good Intentions... either way, the days have been so nice that I've had to burn the midnight oil to accomplish any paid work so we can go further north. Blah, blah, blah. Why am I writing about work when there is so much other fun stuff to discuss?????
Like the Taste of St. Augustine festival Saturday. $2 to get in and area restaurants were making samples of their foods. Best $4 we've spent yet. Fried green tomatoes, sandwiches, fudge, and some really terrible combination of mozzarella, peppers, onion, and something that I would liken to vitriol. Found a Spice place, bulk spices, salts, etc... found powdered feta, sweet Hungarian paprika, and smoked sea salt!!! I asked for a recommendation on another "interesting" salt (seeing as I was ignorant to the wide variety of flavors beyond iodized Mortons...) so the lady gave us a salt from India. One flavor was overwhelming - sulphur. I almost gagged. Out of reflex I licked the residue off my fingers, and almost gagged again. Will I learn? Most likely not.
For family and friends, sorry about email not being regular but here is the process:
Decide when we're going the 1/2 mi from anchorage to marina
Pack the computer in the watertight bag
Load everything into the dinghy, always when we're sitting opposite the current AND wind so it is at its hardest.
Go into shore
Set up everything & realize we forgot the charger, work disk, pictures, whatever.
Go back down to the dink and back to the boat
Unlock, go inside and retrieve the missing item(s)
Go back into shore
Check email & respond.
And you lazy bums just click a switch...HAH.
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