We got home late yesterday afternoon.  I did something I'd never done
before, I got lost.  When we got home, I saw that the owners had expressed
their displeasure by unhooking my monitor from the system and pushing my
keyboard (more than once according to Jim) off of the desk I use.  I was too
hot and tired (Emily doesn't have a functioning air conditioning system) so
I said forget this, took a long cool shower and a long cool nap.
Fortunately we discovered that part of Rob's disability came in so we didn't
run out of gas on the road.  With as lost as I got us we were almost in
South Carolina before I got my hands on a map and Rob got me straightened
out.  This is what happens when you get a great mini vacation and am not
overly anxious to get home, I guess.

First of all, if you ever get a chance to meet Annie, Jim, Cinders, and
Rosie, take it and run.  This is not only one of the most fantastic families
that we've ever met, but they put the hospitality in Southern Hospitality.
And they're not originally from the South.  Rosie wasn't too thrilled about
the loud mouthed smelly intruders on her boat, and hid from us most of the
time.  Cinders loved the catnip snakes we brought them and visited the room
we were in and permitted us to pet her.  She's very sweet and relaxed.  I
wish my sea legs were half as good as hers.  The cats really love the boat
and are very comfortable with living on it.  Way cool kitties.  Annie
pointed out that they've seen a lot of boats with cats and/or d-things on
board.  We saw several boats with d-things.  The d*gs were having a great
time, one of them, a bull d*g of some sort was riding in the prow of his
boat with his head in the air and his tongue hanging out.  He was having a
great time.

I guess I expected the Genesis to be a sort of sail boat, but she is what is
called a trawler, and very well built.  Annie and Jim did a great job of
re-furbishing her as well.  Jim installed cupboards so cunning and well
matched that we wouldn't have known that he installed them himself, if he
hadn't told us.  All of the space possible is used on the ship so that they
could take whatever they need for each leg of it.  I was so impressed with
the planning and storage systems.  I don't think I could be that organized
or neat.  The inside of the trawler is paneled with teak, with some add-ons
made with popular.  Again, if Jim hadn't shown us, I wouldn't have known
that there were different woods involved.  Everything on the boat is useful
and organized to make life most comfortable.  Annie is a superb boat keeper
and so spry.  She is an excellent assistant for both Jim and the owners.

Jim is one of the friendliest guys I've ever met.  He and Rob both have deep
tenor voices, and both have that musical timber that tenors often have. He
has a great sense of humor, as does Annie.  At least they laughed at all of
our stories, even the disgusting ones.  I plumbed both of them for
information about living on a boat and they were most informative and
entertaining.

I'm so glad that we didn't make any set plans for the day as we had a great
time just chatting with them and hoping that Cinders and Rosie would join
us.  After a while we went up on the pilot deck or whatever they call that
thing and watched life in the harbor while we chatted.  Annie and I were
under the tarp and Rob and Jim were on the lower step part at the stern of
the boat when a pelican took exception to what they were saying and
expressed it's opinion in a bird's favored way.  Jim had to wash his hair
and Rob his shirt and pants.  I don't know about Annie, but I still smile
when I think about it.  Ok, I'm into potty humor.  Annie is a lady, I am
not.

It was really hot out, so, rather than heat up the boat with cooking (and I
was looking forward to Jim's spaghetti, his mother was Italian) Jim and
Annie took us to a Mexican Restaurant near by.  They got to meet Emily, the
poor old tired, dirty, cat paw covered car.  We need more paw magnets for
her though.  The Mexican food was some of the best we've ever had.  I
usually don't eat more than half of my food at a Mexican Restaurant because
a lot of them use excess grease and/or spices.  This was excellent, enough
spices to make the food interesting and different, and no excess grease.

After we got back, we talked more and Annie showed us some of her pictures.
After she gets her log and website set up, take a look at her pictures.  She
is an excellent photographer.  Both her and Jim took pictures of us that
made me look good.  That is not an easy thing to do.  She wants to get a
copyrighted site so that no one can steal her pictures and use them
commercially etc., so we'll have to wait before seeing them all.  It is
worth the wait though, I was totally blown out of the water by her artistry.
BTW, Jim is also a pretty good photographer, but he doesn't get as much
chance to use a camera as Annie does.  Ping Annie, can I have a copy of that
picture you took of Jim driving up the waterway where everything seems to
focus in a vee?  I know I'm not describing it well, but I was so awed by
that one.

We talked until 10 pm, by which time we were ALL ready to get some rest.
Annie removed Rosie from the front cabin and Rob and I took possession of it
for the night.  The front cabin has twin bunks that are placed in a V with a
ledge over the pointed part so that one doesn't want to sleep with their
head there.  So we slept with our feet pointed at each other and let the
boat rock us to sleep.  Rob was snoring in less than five minutes.  It took
me longer as I was feeling mild claustrophobia.  I almost got up and opened
the door a couple of times, but was able to convince myself that I was ok,
and slept like a baby.  I am so proud of myself that I made it, that I
announced it to everyone the next morning.  Rob thinks that I'm funny, but
understands the exhilaration I felt at conquering a part of my fears.

If you ever want to experience fine dining, ask Jim to make scrambled eggs.
YUM.  He made scrambled eggs, Jimmy Dean precooked link sausages (I'd never
had them before, they were so good I bought some) and potato cakes.  This
was as good as the Ham and Turkey sandwiches with all the goodies that Annie
made us for lunch on Friday.  They are both very handy in the kitchen and,
as I told Jim, if either of them wants to leave the sailing life, they could
easily  run and cook for a family restaurant, or they could come home and
cook our meals.  I could easily become fatter from the two of them, but they
don't do junk foods and sodas, so they are probably healthier cooks than I
could think of being and would help me lose weight.

After breakfast, we all went to Food Lion, a local grocery chain, and to the
marina supply store beside it so that Jim could replace an electrical cable
that gave him trouble the day before.  (Its a long story so I won't go into
it, I'm already invading these poor people and cats' lives too much) In the
same strip mall was "The Eccentric Cat" a cat oriented store that we'd
discovered a couple of years before.  I'm pleased to report that Oliver, a
beautiful white Tim, is still the store cat and still doing tricks for
snacks.  He let us love him a little and Annie and I browsed the store.  I'm
proud to note that I kept my promise to Rob and didn't buy anything.
Thought I'm in love with the "Hot Flashes" night gown that I saw there with
a picture of a cat standing on it's back legs fanning a house coat back and
forth to cool off.  I love that one.  There were lots of goodies and the
guys were not only done at the marine store, but had got Annie's shopping
list and had finished the shopping as well.  The only thing they couldn't
find was the flax seed that Annie was out of.  I didn't think of it at the
time, but I bet they have it at an herbal or supplement store like GNC.

After that we went back to the boat and said our good byes.  I could have
easily been talked into staying another day, and I think Rob could have too,
but we'd already cost poor Annie and Jim a fortune and were keeping them
from the tasks that they'd planned for the weekend.  So we said good bye and
tried not to cry when we left.  I decided to take a different route home,
missed my intended turn off and almost ended up in South Carolina.
Basically, we had a great time and again, if you ever get a chance to meet
Jim and Annie, grab it with both fists and hang on tight.  It was the most
fun we'd had in two days since we'd been on vacation two years ago.

Pam S.