Break from the journals again...

Some of you know we had just lived in Seattle shortly. A lot longer than our first stay, but still short-
Anyway, I wanted to share about my last day there.
I had mentioned to Brett I wanted to get pics of all the places we slept during out bike adventure. I got some, but not all of the places. Well, the day before I had to leave Seattle my second time, we ended up going to the U-District to see if we could find the building we had slept in our second night in Seattle, back in 2002.
We found it! We both commented on how crazy life is & how we NEVER would have imagined we'd be there again...this time with our 4 yr old daughter!
We parked our car (yes, we unfortunately own one of those now...) & checked to see if we could just waltz in, the way we had that memorable night in the past.
In we went! Up the stairs, 3 floors. It wasn't night this time 'round, so it felt a bit different, but we found the room! Room 301, in Gowen Hall. Of course, it had to be filled with students (something I feared would happen to us in the morning, when we slept there!), so we couldn't go in & look out the windows down into the pretty courtyard. & I didn't have my camera with me, because we didn't plan on doing this...
After that, we drove the car down the street to the place we got coffee that next morning.
(I had told Brett, "OK, now pretend we're on our bikes! Here we go..." I said, pretending I was holding handlebars. Next thing we knew, Brett was driving down the sidewalk! I guess I really got his imagination goin'!) -That was a good laugh...
So when we found the place, Brett ran in to see if he could get a coffee, so we could really relive our memory, & I sat outside with our daughter. That morning, I had called my gram from the pay phone that was right outside the building (I can't remember the name of it- I'll have to ask Brett). I remember it being a beautiful fall day. Red & brown leaves were blowing on the ground all around me. This time around, it was December, so now no leaves & also no pay phone. Of course. Everyone has cell phones now. Myself included. So I called her from my phone as Brett came out with a coffee! Yay!
I don't think anyone can really know how enjoyable this all was. That was an amazing little chunk of my life & I'll never forget it. Nor did I ever think I'd be back again.
Our daughter probably wondered why we were so amused at all this. :)
If you have the chance to do something wonderful, something everyone else is telling you will not work, is impossible, or dangerous, or this...or that... Trust God, listen to the Holy Spirit's leading, & go..........
Blessings!!!!

Thurs. 11-7-02, Fri. 11-8-02

Well, we've been gone 2 months now, & I feel like I've lived an extra 2 years in that time.

(I'm going to skip some of the entry here...)

Ah, then I went to try & get a P.O. box, & I ran into Seth, the guy we met near the end of our stay in Arcata. We had let him eat some oats w/us & had told him about the tree. Anyway, we freaked. It was so crazy to just run into him like that. I told him where we were (which wasn't much help) & then left. & also, on the way back to the park I ran into Augustino. But anyway, I got back & told Brett & he left to find Seth. & what ended up happening was craziness. Brett found him in the library & came back w/him & Seth had a big bag of clippings that he wanted to cook with. A lot of them were going bad, but we used 'em anyway. The guys went to buy some **** at the grocery store & I called my dad. He's REAL happy for us & so proud of me! He told me I'm a cool daughter to have & that to just enjoy myself, I'm young. & he told me that he & Roxy might be goin' to San Diego in Jan. & they could stop here & visit! So after the guys returned, we cooked. We made butter w/ the clippings & ate it w/ pad Thai noodles & sauce & then we made rice crispy treats. We made so much & ate SO much, we all got real ****** up. I was alright for a while, I sat outside of the boat w/Brett & played music on the guitar & viola w/him - & then once I got up to follow him into the bathrooms, I realized how high I really was, & from then on, it got worse. I'm gonna' write about it later, but right now I just wanna' chill. Brett & I are back at the slip w/the help of Aug. again. Anyway, this mornin' we biked to eat in the rain & on the way back, it was rainin' even harder. So now we're waitin' for our **** to somehow dry out at least a little bit. Seth left when we did. He was goin' to the library to see if he couldn't get himself a greyhound ticket to Louisiana I think. I gave him 10 bucks for a bracelet & necklace I picked out for myself from his box of jewelry he makes. So that'll help him. But um, I'll write about last night later.

11-6?-02

Yesterday we were at that place 'till after 3:00. WAY too long! But Brett got us food stamps & so we went grocery shopping. After we ate, we were in bed & someone ******' knocked on the boat! We were like what the ****!? A couple seconds after they knocked, we saw their shadow leave. Brett wanted to peek out & look, but I told him that'd be a bad idea. First we thought maybe it was someone we knew, but then we realized they wouldn't come & knock on our boat at 9:00 at night. So soon, Brett peeked his head out a little & slowly. He saw some man standing up by the bathrooms (which are right at the top of our dock) & then a few seconds after, the man moved & then went down the next dock over & probably into his boat. We didn't know what the hell to think (except that maybe it was a nark tryin' to warn us, or just give us ****). So we just went to sleep. & right as I reached that point to where yr half asleep & half awake, we heard someone walk up to the boat again. We waited & waited & nothing happened, & we never heard them even walk away again. & we fell asleep. Strange, strange! Anyway, this mornin' we went & signed up for a free meal at Bread & Roses again & then we went & ATE our meal! Besides the good coffee & doughnuts they had this time at the place where we sign up, once we got there & found a table for two, we got coffee & another doughnut! Yum! Then we got pretzels (2 bags- saved one), then the meal (we got the vegetarian) goulash over rice w/zucchini! & buttered bread, orange juice & apple sauce & all the coffee we wanted! I was SO extremely full! Then we went to the boat to get our dirty clothes, & went to do laundry. We ended up seeing Augustino there too. He was also doin' laundry I guess. He got us both a cafe au lait & told us he had 2 batteries for us, they were chargin' in his charger. So I'm wide awake on coffee & Brett's freakin' out on coffee & we get back to the boat, & as I'm finally puttin' the sheets back on the bed, Brett's out by the motor. I thought he was tryin' to finally get it up, out of the water, until I heard it start (I guess he was just tryin' to start it the whole time). I'm like, "Brett, what are you doin'? Whydju' start the motor?"
He's like, "We're goin' to the park."
I'm like, "But we don't have our bikes, & we don't even have all the sandpaper we need."
He was wantin' to sand it, 'cause Aug. told us we should do it right away, 'cause it's gonna' rain tomorrow & Fri. But anyway, Brett's all high & ******' freakin' on coffee & we start to move the boat & I'm like, "But now we're gonna' have to pay again."
"It's only 16 bucks, we're okay," he says.
So we make it there (it's just across the way) & I jump off with a line & Brett outs the motor in reverse when, I dunno', he shouldn't have or something & I guess the motor made a funny noise & then I watched as the side of the boat rams into the dock & it's LOUD & crunchy sounding & it leaves a black mark on the boat. Anyway, I get pissed, 'cause I realize what just happened. I'm like, "What the hell Brett? Now I have to go pay, & we don't even need to sand the boat right now. We GOT the slip, ya know? & we don't even have the **** we need." So then it starts to sink into his head too. & he's real sorry. "I ****** up bad, okay?" he says. "Please forgive me. "We don't even have a full day here, the sun'll be down in a couple hrs, & we don't even have someone to help us back into the slip. I ******* up, so now we've gotta' make the best of it. We either have to work, or call someone to help us back." He goes to call Keith & I call my mom. I had planned to call her today, so I talk to her- & she might come w/Lee for Thanksgiving! Yay! Anyway, Keith'll help us in the morning, so we go to buy more sandpaper & buy varnish too & decide that hey- at least, maybe it's good that we're not there another night. You know? At the slip. So we get back & work & Aug shows up. (He had told us,"Oh u don't need to go to the park to sand."- whatever Aug.) So I think he's a little disappointed, but he gets our motor up & tells us the batteries will be at his dock & we can come later & get them. Then he leaves & we talk a little about him. First of all, things I don't think I've written yet- Hans & Louie know him & called him a vulture. They don't like him- & also, some man walked by one night while we were at the park, & asked Brett (after he had seen the name of the boat), if we had bought it from Augustino! So we think he's been tryin' to sell it under our noses! Tellin' us to get it all cleaned up- "no, no securing a slip & getting insurance aren't important, just clean the whole boat out, clean MY whole boat up." (sarcasm!) Anyway, & when I saw him at the laundromat, he seemed weird, like he wouldn't look me in the eye. He says he stopped by this mornin' & I ask him, "Oh- did u knock on our boat last night?"
& he's like, "No, it's probably the dock master wondering if it's a live aboard."
I'm like, "No, I know it wasn't the dock master. It was some man." Anyway, so we figure, he just wants the ******' boat & he's- oh yeah- & when he came over he's like,"But everything's okay w/the marina right? You just came over here to do this right?" Tryin' to act all concerned about us, when really, all he wanted to hear I'm sure, is, "No, we got kicked out!" But uh, so we decided we need to cut him off completely. So tomorrow before we leave, we're gonna' give him the sander back & his wet/dry vac. & we're not goin' to get the batteries tonight. Tomorrow we're goin' to Home Depot to buy our own smaller wet/dry vac for 30 bucks & some sanding blocks & cheaper sandpaper, & then we can do section by section in the slip & not make a buncha' noise. & I'll buy NEW batteries when we NEED them. Aug. was like, tellin' us he has batteries for us, so we can hook up our 12 volt system & we can go anywhere. It's like, where the hell do we need to go Aug.!? Um- recently I tried to call my dad, 'cause he wanted to hear from me, & I want to talk to him too! But I didn't catch 'em, so I left a message. & just recently, while I was out helpin' Brett put on the new dock lines he's makin', he heard the pay phone ringing, & so I ran up to it, after I realized it might be my dad, & it rang a million times before I finally reached it, I pick it up & say,"Hello?' & they hang up at the exact same moment. So that really sucked & I tried to call back again, but it was takin' a while & Brett needed my help, so I hung up before I could see if he answered. I'm sad! I wanted to talk to him, but hopefully I can get a hold of him tomorrow! But I also found a little penny pouch next to the phone & took it. I counted the change & there's a dollar-thirty-five in it. So maybe it was God that called me on the phone & gave me some change that maybe I'll need in the next day or two for some phone calls I might need to make or something. Phew- I gotta' stop writin' for now & maybe for the night.

Mon. 11-4-02

I'm going to start about half way through this entry. Augustino ended up helping us into the slip, & then we ran errands/stopped at the library, etc..........

I think we did alright on our first night in the slip, but we made a little too much noise. Brett had to piss twice & he was goin' through the hatch, leavin' black footprints on the boat & makin' way too much noise. I had to go once & went through the door, after we decided it was stupid to use the hatch, besides the fact that it obviously looks like yr sneakin'. We burned our nag champa before we went to sleep & it was sooo yummy. Oh yeah- there were lights on in the boat next to us, the one that's for sale, & for some reason they were still on early this mornin'. Anyway, this mornin' we got up & out at 8:00 & signed up for free food tomorrow at the Bread & Roses Cafe. Yay! & my mom put the $1,000 in! I'm so incredibly grateful to her! I have to call her & my dad tomorrow. & we just bikes pretty far for Brett to sign up for GA. He's in line right now. The real sloppy writing at the bottom of pg 112 is 'cause we were walkin' a little ways to the building. He's gettin' helped now, I hope we get some food stamps today! That would help so much! But I dunno' what's goin' on. Here he comes-he just sat down & filled some crap out, now he's up & waiting again. I'm so hungry right now! & tired! We went to bed too late. I want some food & coffee! Oh well. Some guy just came in & said a buncha' things that will make these people ineligible. & one was, if you're here for food stamps & you have a felony or drug charge, you're not eligible. Brett might have a felony here. I'm gonna' read my little bible now.

Oooh-kay- it's 2:00 & we're still here, but they close at 3:00, so Brett should be called before then. We're both incredibly hungry & we still have a long bike ride ahead of us. Speakin' of- I hope our bikes are okay. I mean, we locked them up, so-whatever. Brett should be called w/in the next half hour.

Sun. 11-3-02

I tried to pay in full today, but the ATM only let me take out $800.00, & the bank of course wasn't open. So I had to give Sue $500.00. Now we can't move in until tomorrow & Kieth can't help us. Hopefully someone will though. Anyway, today Brett recarpeted the stairs, & made a couple small rugs for inside w/the carpet we had (navy blue). Then we went out & bought some place mats to cut, to put over the portholes & real nice dark blue velvet drapery that Brett cut & put up w/ buttons he got. We didn't get our incense today though. Today we ran out of cash completely. Neither of us can take any out for food- that reminds me, while I was coming out of Ralph's today, & I grabbed a handful of cookies out of the free sample bin, an employee stopped & told me to come talk to the manager. He told me basically that I shouldn't be taking that much & that my boyfriend & I had been in & out all day & taking candy from the bins (yeah)- I told him he was an ***hole & that the samples were free & I was hungry & I threw the rest of the cookies in the garbage & yelled at him as I stormed out. (Wow. A little mean!? Over the top? Forgive me Father!! I'm glad I've learned a bit about patience & kindness since then!) Anyway, the boat's lookin' so nice! I talked to my gram today & Brett finally talked to Cody. He was sayin' they were gonna' come here 'cause they're leavin' for Vegas on Wed., but it might not happen now. Um, I'm tired. I think I'm gonna' go lay down now.

Quick Note

I don't have access to a scanner at this time, so I won't be able to post any pics until I do. I apologize for this, as I know seeing pictures of the things I'm writing about would make it that much more interesting. As soon as I can, I will be adding pics to any post they coincide with. Peace!

Sat. 11-2-02

Last night I was reading the bible, & I found Mark, chapter 11, verses 22, 23, & 24. I've read it before, & I like it so much, & it's something I just need to remember & trust in right now, so I underlined it. "So Jesus answered & said to them, 'Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed & be cast into the sea', & does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, & you will have them.'" So I pray last night & I prayed this morning & I start calling different marinas, after I write all the #'s down from the list, & a lot of them don't even answer. Finally I call Tahiti Marina & it's it! $299.00 a month (sneak aboard though). So I talk to Sue, the dock master, & end up bikin' over there to fill out an application & stuff & end up having to go back a second time w/a picture of the boat (that Kieth did for us w/his digital) & $20.00 for a credit check & Brett's cleanin' the boat all day. Eventually we get a break & we go to get something to eat: pad thai noodles, spiced rice curry sauce, tofu & a green pepper & some soy milk & peanut sauce & we -oh- & a loaf of bread, & we have a wonderful meal. I had also called my mom after I talked to Sue for the second time & told her the news & she's sending me a thousand dollars!! Wow! & I'm sooo happy we get to stay in Marina del Rey! But I still haven't payed for the slip. It'll be about $900.00 (1st & last month's deposit, plus 1st month's rent). I'm doing that tomorrow. Keith is such a good guy! He wrote a check for $200.00 so I can afford to pay tomorrow. & he might be able to get me a job at West Marine ( a marina store). I tried to call my dad & tell him the good news, but I couldn't get a hold of him. I'll try some time tomorrow. Oh yeah- & Keith is gonna' just loan us the motor, & we're gonna' let him have the free parking spot we get. The slip is gonna' be a real tight squeeze, but I think we'll be fine. I'm sure I have more to write, but my hand is tired, & so am I.

Fri. 11-1-02

Well, we pretty much finished the cleaning of the inside of the boat today. Just little bits here & there left. Nothing major. Keith's at the park now, a couple slips over. We just cooked our first meal ON the boat. Rice pilaf. Um, there's a young couple next to us now. Listenin' to The Grateful Dead right now, sittin' on one of our "couches". Met a couple lesbos that came walkin' by w/their dog. One was from San Pedro. She's like, "Oh, I love Pedro. I'm from there." Told us, there, you're more close knit. There's more of a community there. Then told us of some marina to try down there. I called my mom today too, & I think she's kinda' worried for us. I mean, just 'cause we're not secure/stable right now. Keith offered for us to buy his dingy (one of them) & the motor for $400.00. I'm gonna' offer him $300.00. I think he'll be fine w/it. Uh- tomorrow we look for a slip again. Brett wouldn't mind findin' one around here, & sneakin' on, but I'd like to just get the one we're gonna' live at & be liveaboards. It'd be nice. & I think we might also look for jobs. So far, we've been able to stay at the park today for free. Hopefully tomorrow too. If the slip thing doesn't work out, we're just gonna' have to anchor out. I'm gonna' do dishes & get ready for bed or somethin' now.----

Thurs. 10-31-02

Well, I haven't written for a while (strange...the date doesn't suggest this!). It's late, it's probably close to midnight & I'm actually laying on our bed in the boat! The last day I wrote, Hans did get us back in time. We started watching Don like hawks when he came w/the U-Haul. He had to hire two men to help him. We overheard him say he'd be gone in about 2 hours. Our eyes lit up & we got huge smiles on our faces. We thought he was there for another night! We could start on the boat that day! & it was still early afternoon! Brett ended up finding the anchor rope Don said we could have, in his car. So Brett took that out & sneaked it over to Louie's boat & Brett also found that the spice rack was missin'. The one that was part of the boat, but that Don said he made, & then said was from a 40 foot powerboat. Don tried to take it! But Brett ran over to the U-Haul & found it on the bottom of some box & sneaked that back too! Anyway, everyone was happy when Don finally left. & we cleaned the boat. This morning, while I was dreaming about eating these delicious pecan pie/brownie things-free samples- at Ralph's Grocery, & just about to go buy some coffee, I awoke to someone saying,"Excuse me?" I peep my eyes from out from my sleeping bag & see the small man that has a boat across from Louie, & like an angel, he asks, "Do you two need an out board motor?" It 's like 5-5:30 in the morning (he was goin' to work) & all we could say was, "Yeah! Yeah, thank you!" But we couldn't fall back to sleep, so we got up & Brett started on the boat as I went to buy coffee! We're cleanin' & later Hans shows up (he's been a lot of help!!) & drives us to get some stuff. I buy an outboard motor mount & some other stuff & he drives us back. Soon, Keith, from across us, is helping us mount it on the boat & he loans us his motor, 'cause the other guys' has a small problem. Once it's on (after Brett havin' to leave twice for a new bolt & nut) he motors us around, & back, then he talks us into just goin' over to the park today, instead of waitin' for the mornin'. We pack up & head out & Keith pays for our first day here. & we've been cleanin' all day of course!- Oh, once we got to the park, we had to walk all the way back to get our rope outta' Louie's boat & return his key & get our bikes, & we're about to (somehow) bike back w/all this heavy rope, & Hans & Louie show up! They were lookin' for us. Just like angels they're there right on time. Hans drives out rope back & we bike back. But anyway, we're extremely tired, 5 hrs short of bein' up 24 hrs. Goodnight! (-Augustino cooked lamb for us, -whoops! Haha...)

Wed. 10-30-02

Tomorrow's stupid Halloween. Dumb holiday. The way Americans celebrate it anyway. Yesterday, after we both took showers, Brett & I went in & talked to Louie & his friend. We talked about Don & the boat & his friend gave us a lot of advice. He's got some kinda' accent, but I don't know what, & I don't even know his name. But soon, we were up & out & going over to sleep on this guy's 50 foot boat (sailboat). He stopped at the grocery store for us, 'cause that's what we were about to do, & we got some wild lookin' noodles & fettuccine sauce. This guy's in a similar situation as us, & he's anchored out at sea, I mean, off the coast, not in the middle of no where. There's other people anchored out here too. But um, we never made our dinner because we both got seasick. At least neither of us puked though! But I got really good sleep & dreamt that Jesus was hangin' out w/me & Brett. Now this mornin', Brett's makin' us eggs (although we've decided to work toward being vegan), & I just hope this guy gets us back before Don starts work.

Tue. 10-29-02

Okay, yesterday we finally got over to the library. I emailed Lynz back & Brett emailed back his mom, Cody, Joey & B.J. I tried to figure out how to change my email address, but I couldn't figure it out & it p***** me off. I also insured the boat. $111.00 a year. So now I've got 799.17 left. We were gonna' bus to Cabrillo yesterday too, but we decided to just bike there today. Which we didn't do! We ended up takin' the bus today & the office wasn't even OPEN! Waste of money!! Oh well, right? We're back now & Brett's swimming & acting demented. Cabrillo's a ******' ghetto! We wanna' stay here now. We hope we can. On the bus ride back, we read parts of the bible aloud. We just saw Don by his car & Brett asked him if he needed help w/ the U-Haul. & he said he had it all under control. I was like, "Well, we gotta' get our stove & fridge somehow too." He said he'd bring 'em down. I'm glad we don't have to help him w/all that now! & I'm not gonna' worry anymore about how this is gonna' work out. I'm just hopin' we can stay in Marina del Rey. We like it here. It's just that we're gonna' have to get towed (hopefully by Augustino) to the park & waste some money there by day, & clean out the boat. & we have to pay for a survey too probably. God please, please, please help us to stay in Marina del Rey & be able to pay for it all. Please help it to all work out & soon!

Sun. 10-27-02

Today's been kinda' crazy I guess. I ended up callin' the cops on Don. We came back from gettin' our breakfast & Don tells us he's takin' a day off (not that he does any work)- but he wasn't gonna' let us work. So I started yellin' at him again. Then I storm in the boat, grab his phone & call the cops. While we were waitin' for 'em to show, Brett & I are speakin' our minds. Pretty much tellin' everything we've been tellin' each other, & everything we've been wanting to say. The cops get there & I tell him what's goin' on, then he talks to Don & comes back w/ the contract. & that's where we screwed up, so the sheriff couldn't do much. He was real nice to me & everything & I could tell he felt bad, but he couldn't do anything. So, we had to get all our **** off the boat & give Don his keys. Brett was in the bathroom prayin' while I was talkin' to the sheriff. He prayed that God has the right thing happen. Whatever happens, God have happen. So I guess God wanted us the **** away from that demon! (Oh my gosh! I was freaking out!)

So now we're at Venice Beach watchin' a basketball game. It's sunny & warm today. God wants us to rest! Take a break finally & relax! We've got a few days to do just that! A guy named Louie, that we've talked to before (he's also called Don a lyin' *******) came right over & let us put all our **** on his boat & told us we can come up & sit on it whenever we want. He's right across from Don, so we can watch & make sure he ain't ruining the boat- or doing anything.

Okay-while I'm waitin' by the payphone to call my mom again, 'cause it's busy & she won't get off the phone, I'll write some more. Louie's lettin' us sleep on the boat-out on top, under a tarp. He's got a big nice boat. He says he goes to work at 10:00 & Brett asks him what kinda' work he does. He's an artist he says. Brett's like,"So are we", blah, blah, & Louie says, "I do silk screening... ya' heard of the artist Andy Warhol?"
"Yeah! We love Andy Warhol!" says Brett
"Well, I do silk screens of his art." says Louie.
He worked with/for him! He knew him! Anyway, Louie's a real good guy. We biked into Santa Monica today after we cooked our little organic shells & cheddar w/liquid aminos (oh, aren't we cool!)- & saw a buncha' people playin' dumb*** pop songs on the street lined w/ stores & I saw a baby Rot! A little Inka! So cute! (Oh- Brett surprised me w/ a large coffee!- went on the Santa Monica pier.) Then we biked along the coast on a bike path into Venice & we went to a couple big drum circles on the beach, Brett played his sax a bit. Now we're layin' on the boat. I talked to my mom. I wanted to call her, 'cause we were lookin' at the boat & Don popped his head out & told me she called & Brett told him that he'd still help w/ the U-Haul too. He kinda' has to, in order for us to be sure to get our stove & fridge. & to make sure he don't take anything off the boat.

Sat. 10-26-02

It's the holy day! The sabbath, but we HAVE to work. God knows this anyway. Jesus worked on the sabbath, performing miracles. Um, yesterday we called & talked to Augustino & he invited us to stay on his friend's sailboat again. It was gonna' rain & besides, Aug. thinks Don's a nut too. I guess Aug. stopped by sometime in the afternoon while we were out eating & Don was tellin' him about his gun collection. So anyway, on our way to Aug.'s (we were takin' out time) Brett gave me a tour of the Ritz Carleton. We ate some food that was outside someone's room & took a look at everything from the roof. Today once we got to the boat, Don was gone & it was locked. So, we got in through the hatch at the front of the boat. We cleaned a lot of the walls & **** & took the mold-infested blinds out & sprayed 'em down. They're a different color now. Eventually Don got there & opened the boat. Augustino also let us borrow his friend's sander, which is gonna' help tremendously! & he gave us the # of another friend who we could ask to store our sails at, so Don can't try & take 'em. But we didn't call the guy. We just stopped over & talked to him. He wasn't too happy, but oh well. We're on our little lunch/dinner break now- or should I say our venting break!? Actually, I've been (amazingly enough)- patient today & Brett's been tellin' Don what's on his mind. We're through bein' fake & playin' the nice people to someone who's so full of evil. (I'll just add this comment: Wow...) So I mean, he knows we don't like him now. Brett's at the West Marine gettin' sand paper for the sander I think. We read a little of the bible this mornin' as we drank our coffee & ate our free cookies & pecan pie samples.

Unstained

James 1:27~ "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world."

I'd just like to write a misc. something right now. God wants us to stay unstained from the world we live in. How do we do this? What does it look like? It's real easy to not do this.

There's a lot in our society that has changed over the years. I just read a book about a Norwegian-American immigrant mother who walked across the U.S. with her daughter in 1896. Back then women wore dresses down to their feet, stayed home with their children & usually bore as many as they could. I'm not saying this is an example of the golden days or anything. It's just an example to start with. Think about how different our society is now! Yes, that was a long time ago...but things are changing every day. American society is a good example of a lenient society. Just think about it for a minute.

It's okay for there to be half-naked people on billboards- right outside our homes- for those of us who live in the city. I've even watched some very innocent-seeming children's movies w/my daughter & had to either turn them off, or decide we wouldn't be checking that out from the library ever again! With the majority of people in this day & age, a lot of stuff is "okay". I'm all for unschooling (a type of at-home learning) & will be practicing it in my home. Another name for this is "child-led" learning. But some parents go so far as to not discipline at all. To watch their child hit another child, or take from another child, without saying a word. They figure the two children will figure it out for themselves. & will the children ultimately come up with a loving solution? Will they learn to put others first? Or are children selfish by nature?

The Lord wants a pure bride. Unstained. Does this mean we have to be perfect before He'll except us? Of course not. He came to save & love unconditionally the hurt, broken & lost. Does this mean we can do whatever we want? Don't think so. Christianity has gotten a bad rap. Some people think we claim to be perfect & then they see us doing things that are far from that, & think, "Ha! Those Christians are all hypocrites." The most important thing to our Lord regarding His followers, is to love Him whole-heartedly, & to love others above ourselves. How many completely selfless people do you know? There's not a lot. I just read about a group in Portland (one of the least Christian areas in our country), who every Friday night, go under a bridge in the city, where the homeless come & these people feed them & wash their feet! Can you imagine? But that's what Jesus did for those He loved.

A lot of people may call you old-fashioned; a nerd; uptight; a baby. Can you think of any other names a person would be called if they didn't do things that pretty much the whole of society does? A square, sheltered...I could go on & on. People who truly live for Jesus lose friends, sometimes even spouses. Some are pushed away from their own family. Remember when Jesus said that because of Him, a family would be divided? A lot of people say that Jesus came to bring peace. But in Luke 12:51, Jesus says, "Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division." & again in Matt., 10:34, "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword." He then goes on to talk about division between people because of Him. Even within a family. I suppose He did bring peace in a way. Peace between us & our Creator. He reconciled us, bridged the divide. Thank you Jesus!

So I guess that's it. I was just thinking about how hard it is to not let the world stain you sometimes. I'd love to hear others' thoughts on this. Your experiences... Love you all!

Fri. 10-25-02

Well yesterday we cleaned out half the boat. & now Don says he's missing his medication. & his headphones. Whatever. He wants to dig through the boxes today & find that **** even though he's got enough meds to last him a week! & what the hell does he need his headphones so badly for? It's 7:30 or a little closer to 8:00 & Don's still sleepin' but we're up & ready to work. Last night while I was already layin' down & Don was in the boat watchin' T.V., Brett went in the dumpster & looked through every bag we threw away & he couldn't find the ****. I don't even care! I just wanna' get the work done. After we did all that, we walked to the grocery store (cause my tire's flat) & ate some stuff, then came back, organized some stuff & then walked to Venice Beach. I started freakin' out 'cause I was so exhausted I could've fell asleep if I layed down for a minute. But Brett delt w/me & played sax on the beach & then we layed on the beach together for a while talkin'. After that we walked back (& then, that's when Brett went in the dumpsters-didn't find the ****) & then went to bed. Augustino stopped by earlier yesterday to see if we wanted to go sailin' w/him in his boat, but we were too busy. Today we finish the rest of the boat!

Well I finally freaked out today. I mean, when stuff just gets to be too overwhelming & I can't express my exact feelings, I eventually explode & that's what I did today. In front of Brett, yeah- but Don was there too & that's a good thing! Don tried to tell us we were done today, when we weren't. He was tryin' to tell us we weren't gonna' take anything else off the boat. I told him we were & that I was startin' to get pissed & then eventually it just happened. I stormed off the boat & went along the dock bawling & cussing & sayin' it's all overwhelming & it's all bull**** & his stuff is all garbage & this & that. Then Brett walked w/me up to the bathrooms so I could blow my nose & I came out still cryin'. He thought I needed to go for a walk, but I told him I didn't give a **** that I flipped out, that I wasn't embarrassed & that we could right back down to the boat & Don. I went down there, shouted that it's my ******' boat anyway & we're ******' cleanin' it out. & we did. Don was kinda' quiet for a while & then we all started talkin' to each other about the work & Brett was calmly tryin' to tell this psycho man that it's just work that needs to be done. I mean, he's completely loony! He says, "I know what you guys are tryin' to do- you're tryin' to get it ready for you guys on the 31st." Uh- YEAH! What the hell else do you think we're gonna' do?! I mean, he's just completely illogical & making me go crazy. Then, (this guy is also a compulsive liar) he suddenly tells us he can get a van for half a day & bring all the **** to storage that's sittin' out on the dock in boxes & bags. When before he said he got the van for Monday, because they just didn't have any until then. So the money he says
he doesn't have to be sleeping in a hotel this whole time, he spends on a truck & a new storage space. & he's tryin' to take our sails! I mean, he took 4 already. He says they're for his DINGY! ALL 4 OF THEM! He ain't takin' no more! He's NOT. The only venting Brett gets to do is when we take a break & walk to the store to get food to eat & he repeatedly says things we both already know. But it's alright. At least he stays under control when he needs to.

Wed. 10-23-02

Ick, ick, ick, yuk! Puke, puke! Don's on a date tonight & so Brett & I took it upon ourselves to clean some **** outta' the boat. This man has a serious psychological problem. I mean, chunks of broken wood, broken cords, empty pudding cups, dirt, dirt, dirt, things that we don't even know, ****! & all this & more was just in one quarter berth (sleeping spot)! We got a whole box filled (a big one) of **** we thought he'd like to keep, & 2 or 3 huge black garbage bags full of throw away stuff.& 1 big bag of garbage he'll probably want to look through! Augustino stopped today & brought us a wet/dry vac. But he wouldn't take a picture of the boat, 'cause we don't have the inside cleaned out. I said, "Well isn't it more important to get insurance & secure a slip!?"
& he's like, "No, no! You clean the inside & then we'll take the picture & bring to the dock master & maybe get you extra week."
I'm like, "There's a boat already comin' in on the 1st."
"Who told you that?" he asks.
I tell him Don did. He talked to the dock master already. Then he tells me we're gonna' do it anyway 'cause the dock master probably just said that 'cause they want him out & this 'n that. So whatever. He also wants us to sand & varnish all the wood. So after he left, we started on that right away. Of course we didn't finish sanding or anything. We're not even close. & then we took a break & ate some spaghetti & I called ____.

I'm gonna' skip some drama here that I don't think anyone would be too interested in reading.

& then, we went to get spaghetti sauce for our noodles. I guess we didn't eat until after that. On the way to the store- we had to walk our bikes, 'cause mine had a flat- he's talkin' about what we're doin' out here. How when he was here w/Kit doin' this same ****, how he suddenly had to leave. He'd told Kit, "I don't know what it is man, but there's somethin' I have to do." He thought it was maybe to finish school/get his G.E.D. (which he never did), or put a show together (which never amounted to anything 'cause all those people are screwed up now). So he says, "I'm assuming it was you. Ya' know? I mean, I had to go back for some reason, &...there ya' are."

So um, Don's still not back & Brett's on his way to sleepin'. Neither one of us are lookin' forward to to seein' how Don's gonna' take the fact that we went in there & delt w/some of his ****. So I hope to fall asleep soon too. I called my dad tonight also. He's SO happy for me. He thinks it's real cool. & I was so happy to talk w/him. He always makes me feel so assured. Remindin' me of Romans 8:28 & tellin' me to not worry & God will work it all out & to just do good for other people always! But my hand hurts from tryin' to write all this down, so I'm gonna' rest & try to sleep now.

Tue. 10-22-02

Well, it's after 6:00pm & we haven't eaten yet today- but Don just ordered us a large pizza! We woke up this mornin' & did laundry & Brett swam in the pool. Then we cleaned the whole outside of the boat. An EXTREME job! Augustino stopped by & took some "before" pictures. Then Brett & I biked to Tobacco Traders to see if I could get the job. I left my name & Don's #. The woman seemed very nice & she knows it's Aug. that told me about it. She's givin' my name & # to the boss tomorrow. We came back & Brett & Don brought some more stuff (from the outside of the boat) to the storage space. & I FINALLY called SOMEONE! My GRAM! I guess everyone's been really worried, so I told her everything that's been goin' on. Then I called my mom. I guess she had pneumonia, but she's better now. She was SO happy to hear from me!-Oh, pizza's here, I gotta' stop writin' for a minute.- Delicious veggie pizza!! Anyway, um, my mom was happy for me! She'll wire me the money when I need it & she might pay for the slip. She was SO glad to hear from me! She said don't worry about anything & she's gonna' pray for us & if it doesn't work out, it's okay, I'll learn a lesson. Um, tomorrow we're gonna' work on getting insurance & finding a slip. I'm gonna' read my book now for a while.

A Return to the Journals...

I'd like to summarize a couple days. Sunday, 10-20-02, Brett & I biked around Venice Beach, amused by all the people putting on acts. We didn't look for jobs this day because most everything was closed. We went to the boat earlier than usual (we were still staying in the boat Augustino's friend owned) & listened to a John Cale tape we had bought. The next day we got up early, went to the grocery store for breakfast & decided to give the boat keys back to Augustino afterwards. I'll quote the rest of this day:

We get to the store & some guy who just pulled up starts talkin' to us 'bout what we're doin'. Travelin' & ****. He's from New York & he lives here now. He ended up talkin' to us for about an HOUR! Kept sayin',
"I gotta' go!"
Then he'd walk over to his car, start talkin' some more & come over to us again. Anyway, it was 10:00 when we could finally leave- but the guy bought us orange juice, bagels, & apples n' pears! So instead of goin' to Augustino's, we had to go straight to Don's. We went to the D.M.V. & took care of **** (after Don bought us both a large coffee & some doughnuts!) Then we had to do a bunch of work at his storage space. Then we came back, & Don & Brett went to drop off some boxes that were on the boat, back to the storage, & I biked to Aug.'s to drop off the keys. Of course he made me tea & fed me dates & Brett & I ended up meeting on bikes on the way back 'cause he was worried about me, so then we went to the grocery & ate (**** is SO expensive now 'cause a' the war!) Anyway, now we're on the boat. We're sleepin' on the outside of it. Don gave us a key & tomorrow we hopefully get enough work done on the outside of the boat, for Aug. to get a picture of it & get us insurance. Oh- & Aug. gave me the # & address to Tobacco Traders, one of the girls who worked quit & I'm gonna' fill out an app. It's only weekends though. But hey- anything works!

The Lord has orchestrated something new...

I do plan to continue with the journals as soon as soon as I can, but I'd like to share something about our current adventure...

Last spring I remember telling a good friend that I had a feeling something was going to happen this winter. I didn't know if it would be good or bad, & didn't know if it would be on a personal level or not. I continued having this feeling all spring, summer & fall. I wondered what the Lord was telling me, & was a bit frustrated that I couldn't figure it out. Also hoping nothing bad would happen, to be honest.

Brett & I looked at sailboats throughout the summer online, & decided it would be fun to just go to the Puget Sound area & look at some boats. Brett even filled out applications for West Marine in Seattle. I thought well, maybe something will come of this & that's what I'm feeling. Brett wanted to leave in December. A few reasons why: He had the money, we wanted to see what it was like in winter, in case we ended up getting a boat & living on it, & there were two specific boats we wanted to see before they sold. Then the Pacific Northwest had their big winter storm. The main highway was closed due to avalanches, snow, & then floods once it all melted. Finally, it was time to go.

Our second day here, Brett got a call on his phone from a number he didn't recognize. Now, it's amazing that he even answered, considering he has phone anxiety. He looked at it & said, "ah, what the heck. " It was West Marine. Yes, they just happened to call the second day we were here. They asked him if he could come in on Tuesday at 3 for an interview. It was Friday I think. Of course he said yes.

Then we looked at one of the sailboats. It was in Port Angeles. The same type of boat we got in the story you've been reading on this blog. I thought I'd be really excited about it. Maybe feel like I was stepping into my old home. But I felt nothing for this boat. We had one more to look at. Also the same type (Islander 32), & also in our price range. But in the meantime, Brett had found a live-aboard slip in the center of Seattle. In Lake Union. $560 for the live-aboard slip, including water, sewer, garbage, showers, laundry. All in an area that is otherwise very expensive living, as far as I know.

We looked at the spot. On the end of a dock filled with floating homes colors of the rainbow. Blue, green, yellow, purple...We liked it so much that we immediately called the gentleman back & asked if it was possible to hold the slip, although we didn't even have a boat yet! He replied that yes we could, that it was awesome that we would be living aboard & that a sailboat would be perfect. He also said he would hold it for us, as long as we supplied proof of insurance once we had the boat & the first month's rent (which would be for March) & we could have the rest of this month for free. Wow. It's a cooperative dock as well. We met a woman who's lived there for 23 years!

The next day we looked at the other Islander, located in Vaughn Bay. This one I got excited about! We made a deal (for the price we wanted to pay), shook hands & said we'd return during the weekend with the money & move the boat to our slip.

So today's Sunday. Brett & Craig have been moving the boat since yesterday. It's approximately a 21 hour trip by boat. 1 hour by car. Sequoia & I drove back to Craig's. & the guys have been running in to lots of trouble themselves. Including running out of diesel, & not knowing if they'll make it where they need to, to get more. The mainsail is not in very good shape, so yes, they've been motoring the whole way. Another reason for this, are the strong currents they've had to fight.

So, Brett's new work has called to confirm he got the job & has also said we can have a month to return home, get our things & do whatever else we have to do to move out here. They told him to take his time & call them when he's ready! Another wow.

This is all the news I have for now. Once we return to Minnesota, I'll get my journals & continue writing as often as I can. Love to you all

A break from the journals...

Hey everyone, I won't be updating the blog for a bit. We're on a little adventure in the pacific northwest. We're back in Seattle! The first time since the stories in these journals. I actually got teary-eyed as we drove past Greenlake the first day we were out here. The rooftop we slept on twice is still there, although the house that was next to it had been torn down. They're building something big there. The coffee shop where we met the two folk jammers, is now gone. I took a picture of the sand dune area we slept in. I have yet to get a pic of the University building we slept in. I can't believe it's been almost 7 years! The city's so different from car! A friend we haven't seen or talked to since we sailed off in 2004, has taken us in. A lot of stuff is happening... & fast! Coincidentally, just as fast as it happened when we arrived in MdR. I'll write a lot more later...& post pics when I can. Peace in Jesus.

10-19-02

I didn't write anymore last night 'cause I was too stressed. My mind was all tangled & spinning at the same time. I didn't want to think about the boat anymore, I just wanted to sleep. It's night again & ah, it's about 9:00-9:30. Brett's goin' to call his mom soon again. He called her last night (after not talkin' to her in a very long time) & filled her in on everything. I'm not callin' my mom until **** is more organized & legit. All day today we looked for jobs around Lincoln & Maxella. Handed a couple applications in & have to hand more in tomorrow & look for more jobs. Again tonight Augustino gave us green chai tea & dates & pecans. He's done this, I think, every night now. I'm tired. & there's some waves right now gently rockin' the boat, makin' me real lazy, I'm gonna' fill out a couple more applications & lie down. Oh- wait, wait, wait! Brett shaved his beautiful white, gold, copper, brown, black beard off today & had me chop all his beautiful hair off. I've never seen him in short hair- well, this short anyway. He looks SO different! & still so beautiful! :)

Fri. 10-18-02

It's morning & I guess while I was goin' to the bathroom, Augustino stopped by & said he'll be back at 11:00 & to wait for him, 'cause he'll come w/& tell us if the boat's worth it & find a slip too maybe?

Well today I bought a $15,000 sailboat for a thousand bucks. Crazy. My mind's a mess. Augustino came, saw the boat, smiled right away & told us to do it. (I had prayed the night before, asking the Lord if He could tell us through Augustino, if we should get the boat. It was a confusing time & I thought an easy way for the Lord to show me would be through another person, because I myself didn't really know what was right. As soon as Augustino saw the boat, he smiled big & I knew right away we would get the boat.) Got the cash, came back & talked to Don w/Augustino. Went to the bank w/Don & got the title & made a stupid contract, which we shouldn't have done. We should've listened to Augustino. Went to the DMV to get the title transferred, but couldn't do it because the date on the contract, for us to have possession, is on the 1st. So now we have to wait until Mon., to talk to Don & see if he'll come w/us to the DMV & do what we gotta' do. Then we have to clean it out & up quick, because: we can't get insurance w/out the title in my name; we can't get a slip for the boat w/out insurance, & someone has to look at the boat (has to be clean) for them to accept it in the slip. It's a mess I didn't expect. & now Augustino's tellin' us how (very) expensive engines are, instead of talkin' 'bout towin' us somewhere (like he had said he could do). So, if he can't just tow us somewhere, he'll have to buy the boat from us. Because we can't afford an inboard motor. We need to see if we can get an outboard.

-can't get an outboard- waste of money & it'd ruin the boat-