November 1

It’s been a while since I wrote due to severe depression regarding our engine. It died due to lack of oil and lack of our understanding regarding the diesals. YES people –we did have a gauge with a buzzer which showed weird high pressure ratings and then the buzzer died. We thought – faulty gauge. Yeah well hindsight is 20/20.

SO 8 thousand dollars later, much stress and nothing done except for Jordan stripping the engine so the yard can pull it out. Alright I am varnishing the wheel which looks great but seems stupid when we have huge issues like no engine to deal with. There was much stress, agnst, squabbling and drinking on the Queen Jane. But we are through it and eager to press on and follow our dream. Jordan has been really great thru the whole thing despite a mild depression – I was very cranky about the situation.  The upside is that Jordan has learnt so much about the diesal engine in taking all the fittings and stuff off of it. It was kind of like a very expensive crash course in diesal maintenance. I have learnt where the dipstick is – and I will learn how to pump oil into the engine. The work starts tomorrow – our boat is a wreck and I have to work on storage orginazation.  

I had the pleasure of meeting some distant cousins lately. Our Great-Grandmothers were related.  Julia Brendenthal invited me to a BBQ. Her sister, Christina was there with her 3 kids - Emma (11) Aaron (9) and Julian (5). Julia’s kids are William (11) , Elinor (9),

Benjamin (6) and Laura (4). It was lovely time. Everyone was welcoming and very sweet. The children were wonderful to Jonah despite his main interest in their toys. Julia and her husband, Frederic, have a lovely house north of San Diego up in the hills with a wonderful view of the Ocean. The house had a very comfy, kid centric feel. Julia and Tina are English and both met their husbands (who knew each other) here in San Diego. I am always amazed at people with more kids than 1 since I seem to be so often overwhealmed with just 1!  

Yesterday was Halloween. Jonah was a Knight but found most of his costume to encumbering so bascially he carried his sword. He had a blast. We got together with 3 other families and there kids and we had pizza first then we off we went to trick and treat the other boats in the marina. There was much running and screaming. Jonah got so much candy he made me carry his bag. Some boats were not expecting kids and we got interesting treats like money, lemons  (?), donuts and hot chocolate packets. One boat got beenie babies for all the kids and Jonah got a cat which he named Jasmine. It was the favorite thing he got – he doesn’t like candy all that much.  I had to suck down a Rum and Coke before we left as their was so much comotion. I suggested to the other mothers that we all do shots of tequila but we never got around to it. Before we left Jonah fell thru a hatch on his friends boat – lucky they make kids flexible because he was fun except for a huge scratch on his back.  The entire event left me exhuasted but Jonah was in heaven so I guess it was worth it.