PM's Perspective
Much water has passed under Velomer's hull since my last entry. In late January while still in Key West, we received word that John Larsson (our son-in-law's father) passed away. Although not unexpected as he had been valiantly fighting stage 4 melanoma for almost two years after being given a two to ten months remaining life span, the news was still quite unsettling. He passed peacefully at home in Vero Beach, FL surrounded by family and under the care of Hospice. From Key West, we cruised to Vero Beach in as short a time as possible stopping only for the night. Six days later, we arrived in Vero Beach to lend logistical and moral support to the family, particularly with our grandchildren, Annika and Trygvy. Within the week, Velomer was securely docked and we all flew back to Maine for John's memorial service.
You learn a great deal at someone's memorial service, about the person, about the family, about relationships. John and I didn't always think along the same wavelengths to put it mildly. I found that John had many different facets to him that he did not necessarily express to either Bob or me as his employees, friends and family members spoke of him during the service. The one very memorable statement that is a "Johnism" is "It comes with the suit," meaning that life is a mixed bag whether in business or personal life and just deal with the downside while you enjoy the upside. I have since incorporated this ism into my favorite adages.
Due to the timing of the service and Maine school winter break making flights back to Florida very pricey, we stayed in Maine for two weeks using the time to visit with friends, play with grandchildren and organize our self-storage unit while trying to stay warm in below zero temperatures. During our visit, we also learned that our dear friend, Kath Greenleaf, was diagnosed with cancer, a very disturbing moment. Kath's entire family has been such a large part of our lives as we muddled through parenthood, our professional lives, our children's college years, and personal trials and tribulations. They have always been there for us and we want to be there for Kath as she faces one of her most difficult challenges.
Upon returning to Florida, we found Velomer exactly as we left her. She is home to us, and a very
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Norfolk has multiple mermaids
around the city. |
comfortable home indeed! After letting the dust settle, we decided to head north, making Norfolk, VA by the beginning of April where we planned to stay a month. The trip north was accentuated by delightful dolphin encounters and visiting places we had not yet explored, the best of which is St. Augustine, FL, a city with a European flare, 1600's architecture, and a thriving economy. We pulled into Vinings Landing Marina in Norfolk on April 2, the perfect choice for our stay! For two weeks we cleaned, repaired and maintained Velomer as we would leave her for two weeks to return to Maine to spend some quality time with Kath and Peter Greenleaf while Kath undergoes two of 16 weeks of chemotherapy.
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| Kath with grandsons Peter (right) and Harrison |
Our two weeks with Pete and Kath were very precious. I took over much of the cooking and thoroughly enjoyed creating juice cocktails, smoothies and meals for fighting cancer and promoting health. Kath was quite willing to be engaged in these endeavors, Pete not so much. He just wasn't very keen on the beet, carrot, red pepper, kale, apple, orange, strawberry and ginger super juice. Our time in their home also gave us the opportunity to get to know their son Robbie, his wife Becca and son Peter who are living with Pete and Kath lending a helping hand. Pete has been dealing with MSA (multiple systems atrophy) for about 12 years. This disease has many of the same symptoms as ALS (aka Lou Gerhig's Disease) and is quite debilitating. His condition will never get better, only plateau or worsen. Amazingly, he has dealt with his situation with grace and fortitude and displays a phenomenal acceptance. He has lost most speech and balance and gets around in a motorized wheel chair. However, his spirits are other worldly, his mind remains sharp as a tack and he is able to communicate some spot-on zingers that bowl you over. When she was first diagnosed Kath dwelt in a very dark place for several days. Concluding that this was not very helpful to her condition, she did an about face with a fierceness I have never seen. She is a supermodel of how to stare the tiger right in the eye.
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| Velomer hauled in Deltaville |
Once again, we returned to Velomer and moved her to Waterside Marina near the Norfolk Sheraton. We stayed here a week while we attended the spring Great Loop Rendezvous sponsored by America's Great Loop Cruising Association during which time we meet other boaters planning, in progress or who have completed the loop. The camaraderie was inspiring, the information extremely helpful, and even the food was good. From Norfolk we headed north once again landing in Deltaville where we hauled Velomer out of the water for a good bottom cleaning and painting only to discover a small crack in one of the blades of the propeller. Fortunately, the boatyard at the marina was able to complete a quick repair and we were on our way once again. We left heading for Solomans Island under sunny skies and calm seas. But all that changed once we got out into Chesapeake Bay proper. After being tossed about for more than two hours, we came to the conclusion we weren't having a good time and made the decision to head into the nearest harbor which happened to be Smith's Point, a very protected marina on the Little Wicomico River. We spent two days here waiting for the weather to calm down, biking, and visiting Reedville Fishermen's Museum.
Once again we headed north toward Solomons. While underway, as I was biting into a Larabar, the cap on tooth 19 popped off. How utterly frustrating! "Fuck a duck," I exclaimed as I pulled the cap out of my mouth. I do tend to talk like a sailor when underway. "What is it?" Bob wanted to know thinking something dreadful such as a hole in the hull had occurred. As soon as we landed at Spring Cover Marina, I googled dentists in Annapolis, out next port of call, to see if I could get an appointment to get the cap recemented in place. There was only one dentist within walking distance of Annapolis Harbor and fortunately he was able to take me the following Monday. Not only that, he received rave reviews on Yelp. That Monday, Bob and I walked to the dental office and I was taken in right away, my cap in hand. I explained that this was the third time this cap has popped off. Dr. Speckler looked at the cap, then looked in my mouth, poked about a bit as only a dentist can do, and said, "I don't like what I see." Now that is not what you want to hear from a dentist as he is looking in your mouth. He continued, "You have a cavity in the tooth behind the capped tooth and a cavity under the cap. That's why the cap keeps popping off. It's sitting on mush. I'm going to clean and fill the cavity in the rear tooth and try to do the same with the capped tooth. You may need a root canal." This is also not what I wanted to hear!
To make a long story short, the cavity under the cap was so deep, I needed a root canal along with a new cap. Dr. Speckler said, "Don't worry, I've done thousands of root canals." So I resigned myself to the procedure which was made a bit better by the fact that he looked a tad like George Clooney, so I didn't mind him looking in my mouth. Root canals have been given a pretty bad rap. They aren't that bad. Modern dentistry has taken the pain out of the procedure. I also couldn't be more pleased with my new cap. We did need to stay in Annapolis for several extra days while my new cap was fabricated but we made good use of the time by exploring the area, touring the US Naval Academy and visiting several museums. So, we're still loving this life!
