Mmmmm

Soon, Jenn will be here for another visit! As usual, I am ridiculously excited.

Not all that long after we met, I told her I wanted to be her vacation. She has always been mine…my respite from the mundanities, my escape to fantasy.

  

I often think about the nature of our relationship. Sure, it is rather unconventional, but I am deliriously happy (and last time I checked, that was high on my list of goals). I know that to move in together would probably destroy my career. She’s my vacation and you can’t have vacation every day—it’s bad for business. In her case, really bad.  There’s also a bit more to it. Living in the moment means when I’m at work, I am working. When I am on vacation, I am vacationing, pointedly not working. And when I am loving, that’s the only thing I want to be doing. 

 

As our relationship matures, there are compromises. I have to laugh about the time she suggested we go to Rome. I’ve always wanted to go, but going with Jenn at the time would have been tragic. Rome, the ancient beauty, art everywhere, the food, the modern and the antiquity—I still look forward to seeing it one day. But when I’m sightseeing, I want to be sightseeing. And when I’m loving… 

This is a compromise I see coming to my life. If things continue as they have been, Jenn will never meet my friends, I will never meet her family, we will never see Rome together. I guess it’s time for me to grow up a little.

Catalina in May

A very nice visit to Catalina for Cinco de Mayo weekend!

The initial crossing was a trial, as engine troubles limited our speed and lengthened the journey considerably. My spirits fell when the sun dipped below the horizon. As the twilight faded, however, the moon rose majestically, bathing the island and water with that silvery-blue light I enjoy so much. I was nervous, but we picked up the mooring uneventfully, and soon I was enjoying my first Buffalo Milk of the season.

 

Look at that blue sky!

It's not often I see Catalina this green

Cat Harbor

Saturday started with a hearty breakfast and a hike.

Cinco de Mayo bandito

Lunch was an impromptu affair, when I commandeered the galley on our neighbors' boat and fixed some delightful chimichangas, while they forced me to drink margaritas. After a long nap, it was time to make good on the invitation we received from a yacht club that was hosting a party onshore. The carne asada was delicious and the booze, prodigious! The after-party featured billiards, more Buffalo Milk, and Catalina Punch, followed by a dinghy ride back to the Felix.

View of the pier from Felix

Sunday started early for me, and far too early for my guests. I was eager to be underway, as I was afraid the wind would be light and our progress slow. Instead, we had a beautiful crossing with an average of about 11 knots and a great point of sail. My guests slept, but I drank in the sun and sea and breeze. Just gorgeous!

The crossing gave me plenty of time for quiet reflection. It was nice to commune with Felix and the Pacific. I'm thinking trips to Catalina have a lot to offer. Perhaps my summer will be filled with excursions?