Wind Surfing

When I had my internet installed by StageCoach Wireless it took a while to have it installed, and when I finally got it the connection was a bit flaky to put it mildly. I was convinced that this was due to a poor signal between the wireless bridge and the wireless towers around the harbor. I started looking online for high power antennas that I could mount on my boat and they were running about $100 or so and there were some cabling specs that I was unfamiliar with. Did a little more research and found out about the WindSurfer antenna. I printed it out, found some tin foil, glue, scissors and plopped that bad boy on there:



Now I can play WoW and watch streaming movies without problems. This alleviates one of the last fears I had about this transition and it cost me nothing.

I am researching the best way to learn about sailing. There are certification courses I can take which run about $1200 for four classes and the certification (which is only required for chartering people for money). The other way to go is someone will come aboard my boat and go with me and teach me 1-on-1 and answer all of my questions directly. The second option would be much, much cheaper and I think that is the way to go. My friends at Pacific Yachts are going to call back with their best recommendation today and I'll schedule a class for next week. All of you out there who are worried about me because I bought the boat before I knew how to sail will soon be able to rest easy. Also, if you were one of those people ... seriously, that was the least of my worries; you baffle me.

I am now working at NextSpace which is a co-op office space for people who are either independent contractors, working remotely and need an office or have a very small business of their own. It's really great! I get to work with Jeff Fredrick again and everything seems to be working out great. NextSpace is full of great people that I get to meet and interact with. The networking possibilities are endless! On top of that, NextSpace provides things like a copy machine/printer/fax, they will deliver and receive mail for you and every Wednesday I can bring in my laundry and it will be picked up and dropped off the next day cleaned and folded. The laundry and mail parts of the deal would have been the two top hassles of living aboard and they are magically taken care of now. It is like these things go together, the proverbial yin-yang.

Thanksgiving has passed. Much food was consumed. Christmas is coming up. Around this time, gifts are bought to be later given. I would like to stress at this point that although I think gifts are a wonderful idea and the thought that the friends and family that I care so dearly would want to get me things, I would ask that these gifts be purchased with consideration for my unique situation. I do not need more clothes, nick-knacks, kitchen appliances, large house plants or bronze statues of Voltron. Randall gave me a great sea fishing reel and my dad gave me two sea hand-made fishing rods and another reel. My mom gave me a rice cooker. Ben gave me a space heater. This pretty much covers everything I need and unless a need arises I really cannot conceivably find places to put anything else. With that in mind, great gifts for me are things I can eat, drink or spend. Cash and consumables folks, load me up with West Marine gift cards, rum balls and bottles of fine scotch and I will love you forever.

In other news, I am going to Dickens Faire on the 13th. Let me know if you want to go!

-Aaron