We continue to be locked down in Salinas, Puerto Rico. The stay-at-home is slowly being eased, but it is really quite meaningless for us, since the water is still closed. Boats still aren’t allowed to move around the island. No pleasure boating at all. Since we don’t have a car we have nowhere to go. I’m able to borrow a boat neighbor’s car for trips to the grocery store, but that’s been the extent of life outside of the marina for the past seven weeks. The kids take it all in stride. We haven’t heard a peep of a complaint from either of them. We skateboard, play soccer, and create other games to play in the parking lot, but that’s about it. Ali and I try to stay positive, but some days this whole thing really starts to wear on us. Trying to figure out a plan for the future is basically impossibe since there is nowhere to go, anyway.
Lowe getting dressed for his big outing to the dentist. He has a thing in his mouth to correct his bite, and it was time to get it taken out a few weeks ago right as the lockdown got underway.
Forty bucks and we were in and out in just a few minutes.
Meanwhile, back at home Ouest was making cupcakes with homemade frosting as a surprise for Lowe. He had been none too excited over the prospect of having a dentist yanking metal off of his molars. Fortunately, it was simple and painless, and he got cupcakes out of the deal.
Ouest is taking Spanish lessons with a tutor online. I think we found a good one for her this time.
I think twenty years from now one of my most endearing memories of the kids’ childhoods will be how we are always on top of each other. No matter where we are, we are always sitting just like this. We could have a huge house with four couches in the living room and we’d all be sitting tangled up on the smallest one.
This is me reading Harry Potter with Ouest on my leg and Lowe tucked in tight against me. We could sprawl out anywhere, or we could sit like this. I can’t tell you how many times Ali and I have exchanged a knowing smile between us while we sit somewhere with the kids on top of us.
The lockdown has allowed me to do a few things that I’ve otherwise put off doing. How about changing the impellers? I tend to be of the mind that if it aint broke, don’t fix it. Why go looking for trouble? On a boat you’ll always find it. But truth is, I should have taken care of these a while ago. Thing is, our engine temp is always right where it should be, and the exhaust water flow always seemed the same, so it’s been easy for me to just ignore. Anyway, I pulled the impellers, cleaned out big piles of rubber pieces from the cooler, and now the water flow is better than ever. Kind of embarrasing to admit this is about a thirty minute job.
For the past seven weeks our expenses have plummeted. We have nothing to spend any money on. About the only expense that has gone up is on books, which have about tripled during that time.
Ouest has been asking us for a blender for a while. She wanted to make smoothies. Seeing as how we’re plugged in to shore power we finally broke down and ordered one up. Admittedly, it’s a pretty awesome little contraption.
Salinas looks like a busy cruising destination, but the fact of the matter is that only about three of the boats out here have anyone on them. The rest just sit on moorings waiting for the next hurricane to come finish them off. There are three boats with live-aboard cruisers on them in the marina, and three at anchor. That’s about the extent of the transient community that’s here waiting for something to change so we can move on.
15 Comments on “One Day At A Time”
Time definitely takes on a different quality — sounds like you guys still have a lot of restrictions. The south has decided Coronavirus is over so it’s back to business as usual here — we’re still staying put and keeping as isolated as we can.
Funny about the all sitting together thing. After we finished cruising as kids one of our neighbors commented on how all four of us would always pile onto the same loveseat, even when there was a whole living room full of couches available. Something about liking proximity just doesn’t go away!
If we are sitting up on the flybridge and the kids want a drink – they ask each other to go with each other instead of alone. It is so crazy – this small 42 foot boat, and they go together. 10 and 8, and they don’t even want their own rooms. It just cracks us up.
Z. is soooo cute. But the toilet carrying thing – no way, go to the tree boy! 🙂
Pat, you might give some thought to placing a strainer between the saltwater pump and the cooler, one just large enough for full flow, easy install, saves searching for those small pieces. Better ways to spend your time.
Were you affected by the recent earthquake?
No, thanks for asking. Although we did end up putting a Tsunami warning on our phone after it happened – as it was so close, and we had just had a Tsunami warning in Jamaica. Oh wait I guess we were a bit as the internet did get really slow for a few days. Ugh, lockdown. 🙂
Hi Pat,
Your frustrated vibe comes through loud and clear. We’re in the UK but keep a caravan (google British caravan), not a motorhome in the middle of France in a farmer’s shed. The amazing thing is that it only costs about 150 US to store it for a year plus the caravan itself was only 6000 US (motorhomes are silly prices). I’m saying this as it might give you ideas for future adventures. France is so beautiful and so much space. Perfect for kids. Other ex sailboat cruisers we know have bought a canal boat and cruised the 2000 mile network of French canals. You like different modes of travel, something to think about whilst you’re enduring the lockdown.
Good luck. Our cat is in St Lucia and it is a worry with the hurricane season coming on. Neither of us have a whole lot of control here. Not used to it. Gerry
Oh goodness we would love to tour France (and all of Europe) with the kids in a caravan. With lockdown this summer…not happening – but we do have future adventures already in place — albeit a few years out. What a (stupid) season this has become. We were rocking it. And us either, we have always been in control of where and when we want to go somewhere. Well except for Mother Nature who has always ruled over us.
I hope you are enjoying the Harry Potter books as much as we did. Years ago my two youngest and I read them together for their bedtime. Fortunately I recorded many of the times where my son read in his pre-pubescent voice, doing all the English voices and we giggled in all the right places. By the time the last books were out, they were older and too excited to wait and read them together. I missed out on bedtime reading! At least I have the tapes of those times.
Being piled on top of each other is one of life’s great joys. Keep up the good work!
We’ve told them of the lines outside of stores when a new one would be released and they are just amazed by that (and happy they don’t have to wait themselves). That lady, J.K. Rowling, what imagination and storytelling. They are on Book 3, I think, and Harry and Ron are friends again – what a relief as it was nonstop talk around here. 🙂
Your opening paragraph certainly presented a balance of thought and observation of the current “COVID19 Event”. Even though a measured easing of the restrictions placed upon us is underway, you can’t escape the fact that, freedom granted only when it is known beforehand that its effects will be beneficial, is not truly freedom. Lets not forget that, emergencies have always been the pretext on which the safeguards of individual liberty have been eroded.
Children can take it all stride because their understanding and world view is mostly limited to their immediate surroundings. If they can still engage in the things that are important to them, regardless of whatever the crisis may be, their world is still intact and complete. The important things to them are, they have each other and a loving family
around them.
For all of us right now, making plans are frustrating at best. The more the “state” plans, the more difficult planning becomes for the “individual”. But lets not forget, this is an “emergency”.
For all those who have lost jobs, business’s, savings, retirement funds, etc., all of which we know are events that will always be a part of life, it certainly is less degrading if it is the result of misfortune and not imposed by authority.
A fruit smoothie sounds quite refreshing right now.
Cheers
Pat and Ali,
Have you considered allowing (encouraging) Ouest and Lowe to add a paragraph or two to each posting? Their outlooks on life and adventures would be well received and It would help them to learn to organize and record their thoughts and opinions, a valuable skill for later in life. Just a thought.
Hi Ken, they do some journaling themselves. We even told them that we would never read them so that they could be honest with their thoughts about us, traveling, friends, unhappiness, etc. Need to keep on them for sure though.
As for on bumfuzzle, I don’t think so. We would really have to explain the whole internet and privacy to them. So that they really understood, and could make a good decision if they wanted to share in a public space. This sort of thing isn’t part of their lives right now. They know of Bumfuzzle, but don’t read it themselves, or care about it. I wonder when they will. It will be interesting to hear what they think some day.
Just got the news we are going to Puerto Rico to do some dredging! However, I’m across the state at Arecibo! Darn the bad luck…would have really enjoyed meeting the family (live and in person)! Instead of living vicariously thru pics and editorials! Maybe one day!
Blessings,
Scott
Oh shoot! If it were normal times, we would definitely make the effort to have a get together (but then again, we would have been long gone from PR by now). Enjoy your time in PR!
When we returned from 2 years of cruising people would comment that our 3 kids were always right with us, moving as a tight pack even the teenagers. Even 10 years later we still see it happen. The value of that tight family bond bred by a couple of years on a small boat is incalculable.
Should you ever need a math tutor, my wife rocks! Looooong history as an educator, homeschooler, traveler, math tutor (and other subjects).
Thanks for all your posts over the many years of adventuring!