Life in the Emerald City

At roughly 7pm tonight, we motored our way out of the boatyard in West Palm for the last time!!  We are headed to Panama!  It’s about 10pm now and all systems are working properly, everything is going well!  We are in calm seas with beautiful weather…smooth ride!  As we came out of the Intercoastal Waterway, breaking out into the ocean, a small pod of dolphins started playing in our bow wake!!  What a surprise…we were all hanging off the bow taking pics and video to share!!  See below…it truly is an amazing sight!  A good omen to start the adventure (along with a beautiful red sunset for good luck)..whoo hoo we are finally on our way!

Dolphins playing in bow wake

Love you all…full video in Panama!

Looking foward through hallway to V-berth

Shower turned Pantry..all stocked up!

Our cabin before it got a 'women's touch'

Our head (bathroom)

Crew Lounge...just off the galley (door in photo hides the washer/dryer)

Stairway to hell...er, the engine room

Galley...dishwasher, trash compactor, microwave, toaster oven, and sink

Looking down into galley...electric stove top, griddle, refrigerator/freezer combo (times 2) in back

Looking into the salon...couch goes in on the left, table to the right...walk straight towards the guest cabins/owner stateroom

Dining room table in salon...still being cleaned off

Looking forward up on deck...sails going up

Sliding glass doors into the helm and outside couch

Our cabin all done up

Our bathroom/head

Head storage and sink

Desk in our cabin

Yay, pictures!

The Boeing USAF C-17 Globemaster III in formation flight

Pilots from the 535th Airlift Squadron from Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, fly their C-17 Globemaster III during a local training mission Jan. 19, 2007 over the Hawaiian Islands. In February 2006, Hickam AFB received its first C-17. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Tech. Sgt. Shane A. Cuomo)

Folks, it is official – I can go on this trip without quitting my great job at Boeing!

This afternoon I completed the last peer-review walkthroughs that will be required before formal peer review of 13 detailed test information sheet test plans (DTIS-TPL’s).

Phew – I am beat and a little ILL (especially after pulling 2 all-nighters, 40 regular hours, and 14.4 overtime hours including 2 all nighters in 3 days!) but I am done! Phew!

Big thanks to all of the support from my team at AISF (Avionics Integration Support Facility).

I decided not to bring all my toiletries and personal stuff from LA because a.) it’s all old and used and b.) it would have just added more pounds to my suitcases, which were already overweight!  I went ahead and bought all the personal supplies I hope Sean and I will need yesterday…….

Voyage Supplies

1. Double shampoos
2. Double deodorants (his & her)
3. Huge coco butter lotion (w/ shea)
4. Q-tips
5. Double baby wipes (for in between showers)
6. Extra sunscreen (I brought 4 bottles from home)
7. Face wash
8. 3 months of tampons
9. Extra toothpaste
10. Contact solution
11. New hairbrush
12. Extra set of toothbrushes
13. Shaving cream
14. Leave-in Conditioner

Obviously there is more stuff to be gotten, but this is a good start.  I’ll be posting photos of the boat hopefull this evening, so check back!

***11 days till expected departure!***

So, I’ve slacked off and let my blogging go by the wayside for many months now, but I promised my family and friends I’d take tons of photos and keep everyone apprised of our adventure…here goes….

I had a wonderful week visiting family and friends in Arizona and Florida, and I thank you all for hosting me!!  I got to go to Gainesville to see old friends for dinner thanks to Christi, and had such a wonderful time!  I left Tampa today around 1pm headed for West Palm Beach, FL via an amtrak train.  What a ride!!  I was originally supposed to rent a car and drive down, but because I’m under 25, the fees for renting a car are through the roof!  My sister, Missie, suggested I take the train and low and behold, there is a train route from Tampa to West Palm…what luck!!  So for a mere $26 (down from $80 to rent a car for one day), I took the train!  Below are some photos from my trip:

Outside View of Train

Inside the train

Florida Oranges

Deli Pack Picnic

The train was really quite nice!  I sat next to an elderly woman from Cuba who loved dogs and we talked a lot about her train travels in the past.  There was a separate dining car where I purchased the cutest deli pack filled with Salami slices, asiago cheese spread, crackers, chips, applesauce, cookies and even an Emergen-C drink mix packet.  It was a bit much to finish all at once, but everything was de-lish!  Each seat has a 12-volt outlet plug, so I was able to work on my laptop the whole time, while keeping my battery alive!  The seats reclined all the way back with a foot-rest and they were very comfy.  The people kept to themselves, but were friendly and they really do come around and check for your ticket!!  The only downside was the temperature…freezing…but I should have thought to bring a sweater, thank God I brought a blanket!

The ride was fairly quick (roughly the same time it would have taken for me to drive) and when I arrived I was refreshed and ready for work!  One of my new boat mates, Scott, picked me up and it was a short drive to the rental house.  All in all a fun day of travel!

I’ll post pics of the rental tomorrow and hope to take pics of the boat tomorrow too!  Night!