Navigating Our Way

People ask, “where are you going?” Well, anywhere and everywhere. The follow up questions is “how will you find your way?”. Answer, navigation charts and GPS. While out on the ocean we will use charts to navigate by and use the GPS as a check. I should say GPS(s) since we will have more than one.

Navigation charts can be very expensive (anywhere from $80 to $500, for a set of charts). So we will probably purchase mostly used charts from eBay and other sailors. We purchased our first set of charts yesterday and can't wait till they arrive. The charts are of the West Coast of Florida and the Keys. We purchased them on eBay for $33 including shipping. Not bad considering, that the same charts cost $150 or more at online retailer and then you have to pay shipping.

Each $1 Spent

It is very easy to forget that each dollar we spend represents some unit of work. Money represents a unit of work. Money was introduced to help remove some of the issues introduced in the barter system.

Each time I spend a dollar, I ask myself, "Was it worth x minutes of my life in exchange for this item?" When I do this, I find that I'm much less apt to spend on the "frivolous" things ... things that really don't matter to me.

Resolution of the Dinghy Saga

If you recall, back in July we purchased a Pelican hard shell boat to serve as our dinghy from Gander Mtn. and it was delivered with a long gash in the side (if you want to read the prior post click here). After noticing the damage, I contacted Gander Mtn. and they in turn contacted Pelican International. The next day, we had an appointment scheduled to the pick up of the damaged boat via FedEx Freight. Pelican International and Gander Mtn. handled everything. The only thing we had to do was get the dinghy back to shore. Our marina let us borrow one of their storage bays, to keep the dinghy, until FedEx came to pick it up.

Both Gander Mtn. and Pelican International have been a pleasure to work with. This was one of the best web purchase/returns I have ever had. We wanted to exchange the boat, but Pelican International does just-in-time production and has decided not to produce any more of the boats this year. Last week, Gander Mtn. refunded the entire purchase price to our credit card.

Time to consider new dinghy candidates.

Impending Doom

Ever notice how there is always some impending doom? It could be H1N1, or North Korea, or the banking industry collapse, or whatever. There is always some "crisis" event that hangs over our collective heads. The pressure is always there and it isn't new. What is new is the named crisis.

With each new impending doom, we, as a populace, focus in it to such an extend that we forget that it is merely another in a long line of calamities that will thrust mankind into a death spiral that we will never recover from. Yet, we recover each and every time. All the mental energy spent on "what if"s is wasted.

It is mentally tiring worrying about each individual critical crisis. I'm electing to actively remind myself at the onset of the next big thing (and there will be one) that, in the big picture of issues, it is just another in the conga line and that I should enjoy the dance. Another will come along soon enough and supplant the last one.

Fun Filled Day for $5

Twice a month, KJ and I have a Mommy/Daughter day. This is a day were we get dressed up, go have breakfast, and do something together. Our recent Mommy/Daughter day was spent at a local festival. We spent the day collecting balloons, looking at art, thanking the local firemen and police for their service to the community, getting our face painted, building a bird house, making corn husk dolls, watching a dog parade, listening to music, and the list goes on and on. It was great! We had a blast! The best part was that all of this only cost $5. The $5 was my admission into the festival. KJ got in free, because of her age. We brought a small bag with water and snacks with us, but so many booths were giving away water and snacks that we never opened our bag. We only spent 4 hours at the festival, but we could have spent the entire day.

Below is a picture of some of the stuff we collected.