Friends and Family...Here and Then Gone

We've had a really busy week here in Baltimore - first we survived a gale (actually it wasn't too bad here on the dock although we had 40 knots of wind and even the seagulls were having trouble standing around!!) Glad we weren't still out on anchor!!! There were serious whitecaps on the inner harbor - I can only imagine what the Bay was like. Hope all our friends were tucked away safe and sound - we hunkered down with the boat kitties and did some serious studying!

The Gale in Baltimore Harbor

The Seagulls Survive the Gale

After an all day class this past Saturday we are now professional rescuers in CPR and AED so have no fear guys - we'll save you. Now we're into breathing tubes, tracheotomies, severe bleeding and shock - no we have not come across the need for any large safety pins yet so Norm can rest a little easier (although sticking a tube down someone's nose or suctioning out vomit to keep their airway open does not look like much fun!!) Oh the joys of first aid!! Luckily we're practicing on mannequins because Doug's eyes got a little too bright if you ask me when our instructor told us about the nasal and oral breathing tubes!!!

Finally we have been spending time with friends and family over the past several days - first we had drinks on Saturday night with Julia and Joe from Sea Pearl, a beautiful 53' DeFever that we had met down in Marathon and then again at the rendezvous last February. They were passing through Baltimore on their way south and had read in our blog we were around so we got caught up over several cocktails and lots of laughter at Koopers Tavern, a great little bar in Fells Point near our marina (which we have come to know quite well as you might expect!)

Julia and Joe at Koopers

Unfortunately Salty (the boat puppy) was not out with them that evening but we did get to see him the next day as we ran into them on the street out exploring. Salty was not in a photogenic mood so all my friend was able to get was a picture of his behind - but then again isn't that how dogs say hello??? It was wonderful to see those guys and we look forward to catching up again much further south - trust me, we're a little jealous of anyone headed south right about now given that the forecast here for the next four days is for temps in the 40s and 50s - UGH!!!! I may even need to break out the long pants and hoodies!!!

On Sunday Doug's daughter Lisa and her three girls joined us on the boat for the afternoon as did our wonderful friend from Rhode Island, Mary Ouellette. After a quick chat together on the boat, we decided to take advantage of the beautiful day by dividing and conquering - Doug, Lisa and the girls walked to the Inner Harbor for an afternoon of ice cream and rides on the dragon boats,

Oldest to Youngest, Lisa, Caytie, Tina and Lexi, Prepare for the Dragon Boat Ride

The Girls on the Dragon Boat

while Mary and I explored the many special watering holes in Fells Point (think Doug and Lisa would have liked to switch spots with us but heh someone had to do it!!) We ran into each other outside of Moby's where Mary and I had been taking advantage of the $1 beers while cheering against the Ravens (not a popular thing in Baltimore) - actually we didn't make our opposition too well known given the mix of people in the bar - we wanted to come out of there alive after all!!

Mary Makes Friends at Moby's

We had actually been looking for a place to watch the Red Sox game which is why we had to try out so many of the local Fells Point establishments (good rationalization huh??) but as it turned out, I guess I'm glad I missed that one!

While Doug and the girls headed back to the boat for some dinner, Mary and I wound up at Koopers to watch a little of the Patriots game - we felt the need to go to a different bar after the Ravens lost and Moby's got a little out of hand! Eventually we headed back to the boat to help out with dinner for the girls - after inhaling spaghetti and meatballs (and you think growing boys can eat??? I'd take these girls any day!) and watching a great sunset, we had to say goodbye to Lisa and the girls.

Sunset over Baltimore Harbor

Time for Mary, Doug and I to head back out to Shuckers to see the end of the Patriots game - what, we had a lot of fun and catching up to do!!! Unfortunately that game didn't wind up the way we wanted it to either....bad sports day for Boston, but great day of seeing old friends and family!!

Mary and Doug at Shuckers

Mary stayed with us for several more days of fun and games - although we did get our drug tests taken (one step closer to our captains license) and did some re-provisioning. When asked how Mary's trip was, she can brag about hitting Costco, Walmart, Best Buy, etc - whooeee some fun there!! When we were out and about doing errands we happened to run into a great sign for another bar - it took us a minute but then we dissolved into fits of laughter - you just absolutely can't make this stuff up!!!

You Can't Make this Stuff Up!

Do you really think the guy didn't get it??? Anyways we made it up to her that afternoon by heading over to the inner harbor for some sightseeing - we saw the Coast Guard Cutter Taney, the last surviving warship that was at Pearl Harbor;

USCGC Taney

the lightship the Chesapeake which was stationed as a manned navigational beacon at the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay until the beginning of WW II - she remained on duty until 1970 when she was replaced by an automatic beacon;

The Lightship Chesapeake

the USS Torsk, a submarine active in several wars;

Mary and Doug in Front of the Torsk

the old converted Baltimore power plant which now houses the ESPN Zone, Hard Rock Cafe and other notable stores;

The Power Plant

the USS Constellation, the last Civil War vessel afloat;

USS Constellation

the Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse;

Seven Foot Shoal Lighthouse - Now on Pier 5 in Baltimore

Federal Hill where all the Federal troops gathered to plot attacks on the Confederacy during the Civil War, and the Katyn Memorial, which is dedicated to all the Polish military officers who lost their lives in the Russian slaughter at Katyn forest and in the three camps the officers were sent to in Russia.

Katyn Memorial

After such an eventful afternoon it was only appropriate we show Mary the other side of Baltimore centered in Fells Point - so off we went to One-Eyed Mikes, whose slogan (It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye) Doug could not resist so another tee-shirt came aboard Gypsies.

One-eyed Mike's

One-eyed Mike's is a Grand Marnier Club - the Original 32 Members' Bottles

Crystal Vodka Bottles in the Shape of a Skull

From there we stopped into the world famous Bertha's for some mussels (sadly we found it to be yet another of those legendary places that is still coasting on its reputation rather than its great food) - although the decor was worth the trip!!

Bertha's Mussells

Sign on the Ladies Room Door in Bertha's

Across the way we spied Max's Taphouse which is owned by the cousin of a friend of ours in Maine - so we stopped for a quick coldie and happened upon a couple more great tee-shirts (Mary and I couldn't resist the "Not tonight boys....I'm here for the beer!" and Doug couldn't pass up the "You can't drink all day if you don't start first thing in the morning")!!!

On the way back to the boat we did a little window shopping but couldn't resist going into the Hats in the Belfry store - in honor of Bob on September Song who we think has a hat fetish, Doug and Mary proceeded to try on all kinds of hats (Doug even tried to pose like Bob - check out our Charleston pictures where we even had a contest to pick the best hat on Bob!!!)




Little did we know that while we were thinking of Bob, he actually was acting on his hat fetish - see September Song's blog from the other day!!!! Too funny!! We obviously miss you guys a lot Bob and Stephanie!!!! and not just because you guys are headed south to where its warm!!!

The next day we awoke bright and early (OK maybe bright eyed and bushy tailed isn't exactly how it was) and determined that a big breakfast was in order so we hit the Blue Moon Cafe where we stuffed ourselves beyond all recognition - a new term STUBAR was coined!!! I avoided the Captain Crunch French Toast only through an act of inhuman will power. Then it was off to search for Mary's heros - Charm City Cakes who have a show on the Food Network (Ace of Cakes I think). Mary is a master cake baker in her own right but wanted to check out where the boys make their cakes - in a not so wonderful part of town, we found their lair but there were black trash bags over the windows so we assume they were filming (the guys walking in and out with cameras gave it away although from the looks of the neighborhood, we still weren't positive it wasn't something else!) Actually riding the metro and bus each night to class, Doug and I are getting quite a lesson in urban ghetto fashion chic - who knew the pants hanging off the butt tied off with a belt around the private parts looking like a tourniquet is still so in???

Anyways, Mary and I then set off to do a little shopping and surprisingly found ourselves at One-Eyed Mikes and the Wharf Rat (really we were looking for a tee-shirt for Mary's son Matt....)

The Wharf Rat

before we finally settled for an outside table at Slainte Irish Pub and Restaurant to enjoy the last sun we're going to see for some time and so Mary could experience one more Maryland crab cake!!

Slainte Irish Pub and Restaurant

Tammy and Mary Having Lunch at Slainte

Unfortunately then it was time for Mary to head to the airport and for us to head to class - I guess the old saying "the party's over" is appropriate. Now that we've had our fun for several days (thanks Mary for coming down and playing!!!), it's time for us to buckle down, study and get back to boat projects!!! Two more weeks in Baltimore and then we will be making tracks to head south - especially since we just heard that one of the bridges over the ICW right above Charleston is going to be closed for 10 days in mid November -we need to be south of there before that happens!!! Good incentive I guess to get to where its warm - as if we really needed one!!!

Click here to see a Google map of our location at Henderson's Wharf.

Click here to see a Google map of all the bars we visited this weekend in Fells Point.

School Is In Session

Well the party on Gypsies the day after Scott's gig in Annapolis with the Lombardos turned out to be a grand bar scheme (you know one of those things that sounds so good in the middle of the night when you are hanging at a bar partially inebriated but that in the light of day doesn't really work - come on, admit it - we've all had them!), so we left our slip at Petrini's Boatyard in Annapolis (which was kind of a cluster f___ anyways given the approaching boat show) and made for the peace and quiet of an anchorage in Weems Creek just around the corner up the Severn River. Of course not before doing battle with numerous yahoo snailbotters who for some reason decided they wanted to play chicken in the channel with a much bigger and heavier boat - hello, are you really that stupid? Toss in a couple cigarette go fasts to make our day and we just wanted to get the heck out of there!!!

When we arrived in picturesque Weems Creek we were in search of one of the free Navy moorings but since we didn't get there until about 3:00 in the afternoon (we had to make sure the party on Gypsies was in fact a grand bar scheme before we felt comfortable leaving the dock), the moorings were all taken so we decided to just drop the hook. The houses lining that stretch of the Severn River and Weems Creek were spectacular and made for some wonderful scenery for the short trip from Annapolis.

We were pretty psyched to not have to go out into the Bay that afternoon as it was blowing snot out there and we gladly tucked into our little protected anchorage where we were blocked from the majority of the wind and waves!!!

Weems Creek Anchorage

Weems Creek Anchorage

For the life of me we couldn't understand the handful of sailboats that chose to anchor out by the Naval Academy seawall open to all the Bay had to throw at them - things that make you go hmmmm I guess.

For several days we stayed put in Weems Creek doing absolutely nothing but enjoying the peace and quiet and the increasingly rare glimpse of sun and warmth - it is after all October in the Chesapeake so we'll take what sun we can get. Doug and I sat out on the front deck reading for much of our lazy couple days (I had the pleasure of reading Chesapeake by James Michener - which was so much more enjoyable given that we now know and have steamed on the waters he writes about!!!)

Tammy Reading Chesapeake Out on the Bow

with our key decision being what delectable cocktail to indulge in! I made a big jug of rum punches (I am in search of the perfect recipe...so I must keep practicing!!) which carried the day often!! We had several unbelievable sunsets or really I should say moonrises as the sun set behind us and seemed to just disappear behind the trees yet lit up the houses on the opposing shore as the moon rose majestically beside the blazing houses - really a very kewl sight!!!
Tuesday morning came complete with a killer sunrise (the first we were up to see since appearing in Weems Creek)

and we had to break out of our sloth-like existence and head up to Baltimore - as I've said before, all good things have to come to an end and what you need to make sure is that there's something even better waiting for you. In our case, Tuesday night was the first class in our Emergency First Responder course at the Red Cross. So after a beautiful steam up the Bay where we passed gorgeous old lighthouses

Sandy Point Light

Baltimore Light

and an absolutely spectacular 150 foot sailboat named the Arabella which we had last seen in Newport, RI on on trip south last September,

S/V Arabella

at about 4:15 pm we set off from our slip in Hendersons Wharf Marina in Fells Point armed with our Google Earth map and directions on how to get to the Red Cross Center via public transportation - it went something like this - walk 15 minutes, take a bus, walk to the metro, take the metro and then walk 15 minutes to the Red Cross - nothing is ever real easy when you live on a boat and don't have access to a car - oh the things we used to take for granted!!! But that's OK, Doug and I figure not only are we going to learn lots and lots but we'll hopefully jump start getting back into shape as well!!

Well our first night we were introduced to our instructor - he is a really, really HARD core former marine field medic (so Vicki I'm sure we'll learn some really cool tricks to show you later) who still very much looks and acts the part - think he has about 5 different knifes that he carries on his belt along with his tactical stun baton, semi, several hand grenades and misc night vision paraphernalia (OK maybe I'm exaggerating but not by much). Oh Boy is this going to be interesting - plus there are only 5 of us in the course and I'm the only female. As he mentioned, I have my pick of partners - think I'll take Doug although he warned me that I am going to have to learn to carry Doug in a fireman's carry....what???? Seriously though it looks like an amazing course - the book alone which he has called our bible for the next three weeks weighs a ton and we have homework for Thursday's class - the first 8 chapters!!! WOW - it's been a long time since I've had homework!!! On the way home from class via planes, trains, buses and cobblestones, we wound up at Koopers Tavern in Fells Point for burger day - $3.50 burgers every Tuesday - Doug and I have a standing date......you know all work and no play....

On top of that, I just got the materials for my captain's course which are even more voluminous than our first aid book. Suffice it to say, the next three weeks are going to fly by - I'll try to do a blog as often as I can or as often as we get our nose out of our books long enough to do stuff that is cool enough to report. Just a quick note in the "you can't make this crap up book" - Doug submitted all the materials for his captains license before we left Baltimore several weeks ago thinking he was all set - NOT!!! Turns out that the doctor who signed off on his drug test (which was the second he took since it turns out they are only valid for 6 months and not the year we had thought - his old one expired a day before he filed - ugh!) was not certified - huh??? As we found out, the doctor's 6 year certification had expired without him even knowing it the prior month - unbelievable!!! So now we are scurrying around trying to find another doctor that actually has a certification that the coast guard will accept so Doug can take yet another drug test...how many times can you pay someone to pee in a cup for you....just kidding. I'm just glad he's working out all the kinks for me so that when I get all this stuff done, we'll know it's good to go!!!

This weekend we have class all day on Saturday (T and Th evenings and all day on Sat) but then we have lots of visitors coming on Sunday - Doug's daughter Lisa and her three girls are coming for the day and our wonderful friend Mary Ouellette from Rhode Island is coming on Sunday and staying until Tuesday. Can't wait to see all of them and you can be sure that we'll cut loose and have some fun!!! I know that's hard to believe but we'll do our best!!

Click here to see our location at Henderson's Wharf Marina in Baltimore

Row Me Home

No that is not indicative of the shape Gypsies is in but the name of the new CD our good friend Scott Kirby just released - it is by far his best yet and if you haven't checked out his music before, now is your chance - visit www.scottkirby.com. This CD which was produced by Russ Kunkel who played drums with James Taylor for many years and produced the last 6 Jimmy Buffett CDs is an unbelievable collection of new tunes and will just blow you away (Scott originally wanted the title of the CD to be Blow Me Down from the song Blow Me Down to Cayo Hueso which is a tune about Scott's family roots but he quickly changed his mind when Russ told him in very explicit terms that he was not producing a CD that had the words Blow Me in the title - as Scott has said, he's the sickest person he knows and he never even thought of that - sometimes its good to have a producer!!)

We spent last night listening to another rocking performance by Scott and Dave Edmisten in Annapolis, Maryland (man can he make a guitar sing - we love Country Dave!!) and heard many of the new tunes on the CD. Not hearing enough music for one night, we later came back to Gypsies at 1:00 in the morning and listened to the whole CD again...yes it was another ugly/crazy/funfilled evening with the Key West boys!!!

Scott Kirby, Dave Edmisten on his Right and Gary Green on his Left

It started out when we ran into JR and Rick, two guys we had met at one of Scott's gigs earlier in the summer at Solomons Island - we proceeded with them to a really cool little local joint they knew of (they live not far from Annapolis) called Davis' Pub for several pre-concert beverages - it was like being in Key West or the Caribbean where people just flowed outside and into the street with their cocktails (unlike Key West however we got chastised for trying to walk down the streets with our beers - what, they were in plastic cups???)

Doug, Tammy and JR at Davis Pub

We also ran into Lisa (a good friend of JR's and another great Kirby fan that we had spent time with at and after the Solomons gig) and then all made our way over to the Annapolis Maritime Museum which is where the guys were playing.

The Guys (Doug, Rock and JR) Have Beers at the Concert

Of course we then proceeded to run into tons more Kirby fans that we have gotten to know over the course of the past several years - how funny it is that we have all gotten to be friends this way - I guess cool people just gravitate to Scotty!! Dave was lucky to make the gig as he got delayed all day in the Charlotte, NC airport waiting on mechanical airplane problems and he wasn't the only one with plane issues - Danny Lombardo, his sister and her husband were all coming down from Manchester, NH to stay with his brother Tom and wife Diane - all hard core Kirby fans and good friends!!! Glad you guys could make it - we had a ball!!!

The Lombardo Clan

A typical wonderful music, friend-filled evening with Scotty and Dave - but the surprise of the evening came when we saw Scott's wife, Michelle, who doesn't normally "tour" with him. I'm not sure who was more surprised - us to see her, or her to see the "boat people" as she affectionately (we would like to believe??) calls us!! Little does she know that Scott invited us to spend Christmas with them again in Key West.....we're back Michelle (actually I think she grimaced a little when we mentioned that we were planning on spending the whole winter in Marathon not more than a stone's throw from Key West - I think she thinks we're a bad influence on her husband...now why would she think that???) Will we wind up in jail or in AA or both...odds are being laid as we speak!!!

Actually we think we are having a party on Gypsies this afternoon with the Lombardos - things got a little fuzzy as the evening progressed and we all migrated to the Boatyard, another great local haunt in Eastport (also known as the Maritime Republic of Eastport since it seceded from Annapolis - reminiscent of Key West's secession from the US!!) You'll notice that no pictures are shown (or were taken for that matter) once we got to the Boatyard in large part to protect the not so innocent and besides who could focus at that point!!! Plans were loosely made but it remains to be seen whether in Scott's words, it was just a grand bar scheme!

After a quick morning steam from Rock Hall that was windy and choppy but not too bad (at least until we got into the Severn River and met the naval armada coming out to greet us!!!),

The Naval Academy Armada Approaches

The US Naval Academy

Spa Creek

The Spa Creek Bridge

we spent yesterday walking around Annapolis which is a fun place largely dominated by the sailing culture that permeates the town and the Naval Academy (in fact I awoke this morning to the Naval Academy's band practicing for their big game today - no, it was not just the drums pounding in my head!!) We walked across the bridge spanning Spa Creek where we are docked and walked among cobblestones to window shop (that's all we do anymore!), had a frosty Kalik (a la the Bahamas) at a cool joint called Buddy's Crabs and Ribs

Kaliks at Buddy's Crabs and Ribs

and then strolled ego alley (so named because it is a small waterway right downtown where boats can parade in, turn around and parade out while all the tourists on the docks gawk - being boaters we just laugh when someone tries this without knowing what they are doing!!)

Ego Alley in Annapolis

When we passed an ice cream/candy store and saw a couple penguins in the window having floats, we thought of our boat buddies/ice cream afficionados from September Song - Stephanie and Bob - hope you guys are having fun!!!

The Ice Cream Shop in Annapolis

We left Rock Hall after four very productive days working on the boat - we finally have a watermaker that works (or so the folks at Spectra claim - guess we'll find out for sure when we hit the Bahamas the next time! ) But we (the royal we of course) also figured out the engine problem we had the other day when our engines both conked out in the Eastern Bay when we were heading out of St. Michaels - there seemed to be a loose connection between the fuel line and the tank which allowed air to get in the lines. Hank our friendly mechanic at Haven Harbor not only sealed up the connection on the port fuel tank but checked all the other tank connections. Hank also filed down a dent in the flywheel on the crankshaft which had been causing belt dust to accumulate when the port engine ran. Finally he took off three of our motor mounts to file them down so they don't sit as close to the stringers and also to weld on some support to the back joint - we've already had two snap (one when we were in the Bahamas where there was no convenient welder - of course!!!) So long and short of it is that Gypsies is ready to kick up her heels and get back out there on the waterways! After a final happy hour/wing night at the Harbor Shack, we headed out early yesterday morning - the guys at Haven Harbor were wonderful to us as always but it was definitely time to leave!!!

Wing Night at the Harbor Shack

Lawn Art in Front of Haven Harbour Marina

We plan on hanging out in the Annapolis area through Monday and then we'll head up to Baltimore where we start our emergency first responder first aid course on Tuesday evening!! Vicki we'll make sure to take notes of any cool things (like field tracheotomies or the use of large safety pins in emergencies!!) and pass them along when we catch up with all you guys down south!!