August 3

I can't believe Jordan and Jonah have been gone more than a week. The whole is cool to be alone phase is now over and I miss them. I talk to Jordan on the Satellite Phone every couple of days. Rita, his mom, has breast cancer and has just started chemo and is feeling very weak. I am so glad Jordan and Jonah are there to give her lots of kisses and at least take her mind off her troubles for a little bit. Cancer is a very difficult illness in some ways because the treatment is so unsure., If you have a bum heart, they operate and the operation is a success or isn't but with Cancer it always "we'll see in several months, we'll run tests then we see in several months again." Rita is lucky to have lots of family around her and those who aren't, we send email! My mom had cancer almost 15 years ago and did well with the treatment. I am hoping for the same luck with Rita.

I have been continuing to try to do something useful every day. I have been attacking particularly nasty looking pieces of stainless steel and polishing. It's a myth that stainless steel never has to be polished. I polish around every six months. Today I did the stainless frame for our dodger. It was a big job because the canvas needs to be removed and it stainless tubing which takes longer to polish then something flat. I like polishing - its very rewarding work to see your face reflected in the stainless.

A couple of days ago, I was flattened with a killer migraine. Took me almost 2 days from start to finish. I took my migraine medicine the second day which makes me feel very drugged and sleepy but it cured the migraine. This is super $20 a pill stuff which makes me be a little careful about not just popping it when I get a little headache. I don't know what triggered it. I seem to have had several in the last couple of months and I can't figure out why.

I have been drawing a bunch lately and it's lots of fun. I get to leave all my art supplies out on the table and I sit down whenever I want to draw. I did a self portrait the other night that came out fairly well.

Today I went on a little walk with Carole and Craig (and Moorea in the baby backpack) and a little walk for them is long for me. I am exhausted but its feels good as I have not done a lot of exercise lately. I don't like to swim here as it is a town harbor with lots of boats which pump everything overboard. There is a beach about 30 feet behind our boat and I guess the tourists don't realize that I have toilet on board not to mention the 80 other boats in this little harbor - if it was just us it wouldn't be a problem! In the US, I would have to use a holding tanks (which we have) but it requires that there be pump out stations which are at every marina in the US. There is no such thing here.