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To get to London, we first had to get through the border control. I didn't even bother attempting to take pictures. A young man quickly yelled at any people with cameras out in this section. It was off limits, for some reason. Heaven forbid you take a picture of a stack of blank forms, or the endless queues. Eric and I busied ourselves with filling out the entry forms. This was, of course, easier said than done. I'd completed the form once to discover that it said that I had to use all capital letters. So, I redid the form, but made another silly mistake. I probably went through about three or so forms before I got it right. Eric took a similar amount. I insisted he use a black pen. I told him, "I'm not going to wait for you if you get held up because you insisted on using a red pen."

Trapped on a plane for 10 hours. You know, people have died from such things. If you're inactive for too long, blood clots can form. The Rick Steves european travel site recommended various stretches and walks during such travel, and noted that the in-flight movie was good for only one thing--sleep. During the flight I started to wonder if it was such a good idea that I watched so many air crash investigation videos on youtube. I'd made a point not to mention such morbid things to Eric during the days leading up to our flights. However, knowledge can be a powerful thing. Was that bump merely turbulence, or had the aileron shaft thingie sheared off? Compared to riding TheBus in Honolulu though, the ride was positively luxurious, and definitely smelled better.

Oh boy, oh boy! Nachos! Totally yummy dish. My nachos sauce just keeps getting better and better. I made a huge plate of these and watched movies the other day. Now, I'm hankering for more. Alas, I've exhausted my nachos ingredients supply unless I want to boil pinto beans and bake tortillas myself. I've done that before, but so far I haven't made very good refried beans. My flour tortillas are better than storebought though. I haven't tried corn tortillas yet, but I will soon! Oh boy oh boy, nachos! Yay!

It became quickly apparent that my bargain-priced 32GB SDHC memory chip that I'd bought off ebay was defective. Who'd have guessed? Especially after paying $14 to some random guy in Hong Kong which had reasonable seller's reputation. My first clue that something might be amiss was when the customs certificate claimed the value as $1 to avoid paying the import dues. My second clue was when the camera never finished writing a very short video. Sheesh, its becoming such that you can't trust some random foreign person promising great bargains online with your money.

Mmm, this is a hearty filling recipe that goes away fast. The cheesy topping makes a great nachos sauce also. Enjoy this food with a refreshing homemade lemonade.

Arr, it be that merry time again. The salty spray is in the air, and the ship bounces joyfully in its mooring. Even the bilge rats are cheerful, or as they're called nowadays, accountants. For today it be International Talk Like a Pirate Day! Its the Christmas for pirates, pirate admirers, and people who have seen Treasure Island a wee too much to be healthy.

Ah, California, my birth state. Breathe in that fine Californian air! *cough* *cough* *gag* Yup, just like I remember it. Sure, I still had some nostalgic attachment to this place. After all, I still had friends and family here. While the latter hardly acknowledged my existence, at least my friends were all eager to see me. Down the causeways, past the one-way security escalator, and out the sliding doors, we found ourselves waiting at the curb.

The boat was a horrendous mess. Fiberglass dust, epoxy flakes, extension cords, and tools everywhere. An ice chest used for storing electrical junk blocked the forward corridor, and a drawer inset for the galley blocked the midship corridor. To get anywhere in the boat, one had to leap the hurdles. Forget finding anything at this point. And yet, for once I didn't care. After all, I'd soon be on a flight out and away from all of that. Our bags were packed, ready to go. I'm standing here outside my slip...

Here's some ideas for stories that I've been mulling about writing further. Let me know if any particular one interests you.

We were very excited to buy and install our e-pod electric motors from Re-e-power, however there have been a lot of nagging issues, many of which are related to manufacturing quality. Currently both the port and starboard motors have stopped working, as it appears that somehow the motors have let saltwater into their casing. In light of this development, I have posted a summary of our history with the electric motors. We've been big proponents of the Re-e-power electric motors. For months we even had an advertisement hanging on our boat advertising the motors. But perhaps our enthusiasm was premature? I have lost hope that the manufacturer will set things right as Re-e-power, under Kevin Plank, has refused to respond to emails, phone calls, skype calls, BBB complaints, and certified letters.