Monday, January 31, 1994 - Norfolk, VA

Awoke to a lovely, clean, white, fluffy blanket of snow, about three inches deep. The boat was covered with snow, the docks were covered with snow, everything was covered with snow. How beautiful! But most of it melted off in a few hours.
Sure feels good to have my time to myself again. Went to the Post Office first thing and found a big pile of mail in my box. Then I went to the office of the local newspaper to find out what an ad would cost. What a shock! I'd been thinking in terms of $50 to $100 per week, and I thought that was a lot. Hah! An ad the size I wanted would cost more than $250 PER DAY! No discount for multiple days. So I priced smaller ads. Can get a little ad in the weekly supplement for around $50. That's for once a week. I'm going to check some of the freebie papers.
Spent most of the afternoon writing letters in response to the letters I received.
The mechanic worked on the engine again, but still isn't done. Will be back tomorrow.

Sunday, January 30, 1994 - Norfolk, VA

Finally got into the swing of working. Zoomed along rapidly and accurately. Didn't even feel tired. Guess what--it's my last day! The job is finished. Figures.

Saturday, January 29, 1994 - Norfolk, VA

Another day of work. Tried to go faster this morning, but soon realized I was omitting some items, so I slowed down. I'll be glad when this job is over. It doesn't pay very much, but it pays more than most of the jobs around here. Even more than in New Bedford.
This is the most changeable weather I've ever seen. It's summer one day and freezing cold winter the next. Or it's warm in the morning and cold by night, or vice versa. It's hard to know how to dress when I leave for work in the morning. I've been taking my winter coat even on warm mornings to be on the safe side.

Friday, January 28, 1994 - Norfolk, VA

I'm starting to get used to working. Didn't get so tired today, and my work is more accurate. The job has to be completed by Monday, so they're working three shifts around the clock and will work all weekend. What amazes me is that many of the people working nights also work full time during the day! That would kill me.
The mechanic is still putting the engine back together. Will probably finish Monday.

Thursday, January 27, 1994 - Norfolk, VA

Got up at quarter to five and caught the 5:45 bus. Got to work half an hour early, but that's better than being half a minute late. Gives me time to relax and get a drink of water before I start working.
To get there, I take the #20 bus out Virginia Beach Boulevard. Get off at Lynnhaven Parkway and walk the last mile. Coming home, I walk back to Virginia Beach Blvd. and catch the 4:30 bus to Norfolk. Get back to the boat a little after six. Roy has a delicious supper all ready for me. He walked to the grocery store twice and bought all sorts of delicious goodies for me to take in my lunch. After supper, he washed the dishes while I got ready for bed. Went to bed at nine so I could get up at five.

Wednesday, January 26, 1994 - Norfolk, VA

Had my day all planned. I was going to go to the newspaper for a price quote on an ad. Then I'd go by the grocery store for a few things we needed. After lunch, I'd go to Pembroke Mall to see the movie I didn't get to Monday. But my plans were changed abruptly. I'd scarcely left the boat when my pager beeped. It was the company I applied to Monday. They wanted me to start at noon today! In order to get there by twelve, I had to catch the 10 o'clock bus, so that didn't leave me time to do anything except tell Roy and grab a quick bite to eat.
They wanted me to work until six. I wanted to leave at four, so we compromised on five. I was plenty tired by then. It will take me a while to get used to working again.

Tuesday, January 25, 1994 - Norfolk, VA

Went by the Post Office to check my box, not really expecting to find anything. To my surprise and delight, I found not one but two letters! One was a very nice thank-you letter from Gina, and the other was a request for more information from an agency I had sent my programming resume to. (I had received a thank-you letter from Meghan in the last batch of mail Kathy had forwarded. What a pleasure to receive thank-you letters from my grandchildren!)
For some time, I've been thinking of going into business for myself, writing custom software, so today I went over to City Hall to inquire about business licenses. Found out I could get one for as little as $30, but first I have to get a clearance from the Zoning Department. Went up to the fifth floor and talked with someone in the Zoning Department. She told me the rules for working at home, all of which were easy to comply with (no signs, no loud noises, etc.). A zoning clearance will cost $15, but first I have to get a letter of permission from the operator of the marina.
Next, I phoned several telephone answering services to find out how much they would charge. The best rate was $50 a month for unlimited, around-the-clock service.
Looked up the address of the local newspaper. Tomorrow, I'll go there to get an estimate on an ad. Assuming it's between $50 and $100, it will cost me about $200 to go into business. Will I get any customers? Can I make enough to recoup my investment? Well, I won't find out until I try.
The mechanic started putting the engine back together again. Roy is irked, because he clearly told him he (Roy) had changed the oil and installed a new filter, but the mechanic removed the filter Roy had installed and put on another new one. Worse, he ruined the one he took off by getting diesel fuel all over it.
Roy figures the overhaul of the engine is going to come to about $3500. That's almost as much as we paid for the engine originally.

Monday, January 24, 1994 - Norfolk, VA

A couple of weeks ago, I rode the bus to Virginia Beach to apply for a temporary job that had been advertised in the paper. The snippy receptionist had simply said, "All the positions are filled." She didn't even give me an application to fill out. (They had needed 50 people.) Saturday, the ad was in the paper again, so this morning I went down there with a chip on my shoulder a mile wide. I mentally rehearsed all the things I was going to say to the receptionist, but when I got there, she wasn't there. Two very nice women were at the counter. They didn't hesitate one second in giving me an application. I might not get the job, but at least I feel a lot better about it.
Walked back to Pembroke Mall, thinking it was about a mile, but it turned out to be closer to three miles. Got there too late for the movie I wanted to see, so I ate lunch, walked to a grocery store, bought a few groceries, and returned to the boat. It was a beautiful day for a walk.
It was also a beautiful day for a bike ride, so Roy, of course, was out riding his bike. He got back a few minutes before I did. He's installing the GPS in the cockpit, so we can see it without going below.
I finally got my QBASIC programs to run correctly. Now I feel a lot better. I hadn't programmed in so long, I was afraid I'd forgotten how, but it's still there.

Sunday, January 23, 1994 - Norfolk, VA

Spring is here! We went from icy winter to balmy spring overnight. The sun is shining, the sky is blue, the ice and snow are melting, the temperature's climbing. We can even go outside without a jacket. Really nice.
Did a couple of loads of laundry in the morning and then went to the grocery store. Roy is still busy installing things on the boat.
During the freeze, a watermain in the park here split, wasting about 500 gallons of water a minute. This morning, they finally got around to turning the water off. Of course, Roy was out there telling them what to do.

Saturday, January 22, 1994 - Norfolk, VA

The marina and parts of the river are covered with ice, but it's not very thick here in the marina. According to the paper, the ice on Chesapeake Bay is 6 to 8 inches thick! A Coast Guard cutter had to break a channel through the ice so a boat could take food and supplies to the people who live on Tangier Island. Tomorrow it's supposed to warm up.
The megayacht muscled its way through the ice and left. Glad to get rid of it; the crew kept disconnecting the washer in the laundry room so they could run a hose to their boat and fill their zillion-
gallon water tank. They also moved the vending machine, so it blocked access to the washer. And of course they never put anything back.
The cruise boat, Spirit of Norfolk, also went out for a while. Not the greatest day to go for a cruise. A poor seagull was frozen in the ice in back of the Spirit of Norfolk. I hope the ice broke up enough so the bird could get free before the boat ran over it.
Finally managed to get to a movie, and it was excellent: Shadow-
lands with Anthony Hopkins. What a superb actor he is! He doesn't seem to be acting at all; he becomes the character he's portraying. This movie was a true story, about C. S. Lewis. It was beautifully done. Hopkins played Lewis.
Roy rode his bike over to Boat/U.S. and got caught out after dark. Fortunately, he made it back okay.

Friday, January 21, 1994 - Norfolk, VA

Roy completed the installation of the water heater. What luxury having hot water any time I want it!
I made another attempt to go to a movie, but once more I couldn't get there. Took the bus to the vicinity of the theater, but then I wasn't able to walk the rest of the way, because it was all freeways, so I did some shopping and returned to the boat.

Thursday, January 20, 1994 - Norfolk, VA

Light dusting of snow this morning, but it didn't last long.
I finally got all the bugs out of my QBASIC program. The main problem was a tiny typo.
Went out to the Radio Shack that was supposed to get in the printer ribbon I need, but the weather had held up deliveries, so they won't have it until Tuesday. I asked about Quick BASIC, which is the compiler I need. They said they could order it for me. I checked the specs, and it should run on my computer. Then I asked the price, expecting the worst. Egghead Software had a price of $330, and Microsoft wanted $495, so I nearly fainted when Radio Shack's price was $79! I ordered it fast.
Roy is still working on the water heater.

Wednesday, January 19, 1994 - Norfolk, VA

Still bitter cold, but as long as those little amps keep running down the electric cord to the heaters, we're cozy.
Roy's busy installing the hot-water heater he bought in California. I wrote some letters, wrote up the minutes for our Board of Directors meeting, and closed the corporation's books for 1993. Also phoned the three places in Morehead City to see if they can submit Medicare claims at this late date. One was very nice and said she'd do it right away. Another was hesitant but said she'd try. The billing clerk at the hospital said the records were no longer in the computer, so there was nothing she could do. However, she gave me the name of a person to write to who might be able to do it, so I wrote her a letter. What a dumb hassle, just because Kaiser didn't give me the correct instructions in the first place!

Tuesday, January 18, 1994 - Norfolk, VA

Today, the temperature dropped as rapidly as it climbed yesterday. It's freeeeezing! Snowed in the late afternoon, nice, soft, powdery flakes, but the wind blew so hard, it blew nearly all of it away.
Walked to the post office in the morning. Hurray! My mail had arrived. Roy got his mail, too. Now we have a lot of paperwork to do and bills to pay. The insurance premium for the boat went way up, of course. And I got another stupid letter from Kaiser regarding my claim. Phoned them and found out the provider has to bill Medicare. Why didn't they tell me that in the first place? All the letters they've sent me, they could have told me what to do. So now I have to phone all three places in Morehead City and see if they will bill Medicare for my treatment last July.
Tried to go to a movie. According to the ad, the theater was at Chesapeake Square. Looked at my bus map and found a Chesapeake Square. The #13 bus went there, so I got on the #13 bus. Went right by where the map showed Chesapeake Square, but there were only houses. Checked with the driver, and she told me Chesapeake Square Mall is in Portsmouth. Terrific. The driver was very nice. She took me back to downtown Norfolk free and even gave me a free transfer. By then it was too late to go to a movie, so I used the transfer to go to the grocery store. Got a few groceries and the photos from the film I had dropped off a couple of days ago. Most of them came out quite well.
After supper, the Board of Directors of Jofian, Inc., held their annual meeting. We figured out how to pay the bills, wrote the checks, and adjourned the meeting. That's done.
Made more unsuccessful attempts to phone Nancy. Finally tried to phone Jeanette directly. She's moved, but I talked with a friend of hers who said she's fine. That's a relief.
By the way, Roy and I are both over our colds and feeling fine, even though the weather is icy. Five degrees this morning!

Monday, January 17, 1994 - Norfolk, VA

Much warmer today. The temperature went from 13 in the morning to 56 in the late afternoon! All the snow and ice melted.
Spent most of the day watching the terrible news of the Los Angeles earthquake and worrying about Jeanette. Made several attempts to phone Nancy but only got a busy signal. I sure hope Jeanette's ok.

Sunday, January 16, 1994 - Norfolk, VA

Still cold (20 degrees Fahrenheit), but the wind's no longer blowing, so it feels warmer than yesterday. A lot of the snow melted.
Roy slept all morning and feels a lot better. He installed another starter in the afternoon.
I spent most of the day entering and debugging my first QBASIC program. It runs, but needs more debugging.
Did two loads of laundry. Sure nice having a washer and dryer here at the marina.

Saturday, January 15, 1994 - Norfolk, VA

As predicted, it has turned very cold. Woke up to two inches of snow! But the water hasn't frozen and isn't likely to, since it's salt water and there's a lot of tidal action.
The wind is blowing like crazy, so the wind chill is around six below zero, but we're snugly on the boat. The sun is shining, so during the warmest part of the day, I walked to another grocery store, bought a few groceries, and rode the bus home.
Met another woman who lives on a sailboat in this marina. She's very nice. Her name is Mark, which is a strange name for a woman. She lives on her boat all year around and works in Norfolk. Has a car and offered to take me grocery shopping next time she goes.
Roy still has a bad cold.

Friday, January 14, 1994 - Norfolk, VA

Took the bus to Newtown Road. Walked the rest of the way to the Don Richards agency, where I signed up for bookkeeping and accounting jobs. They have all levels, from flunky to CPA, and pay accordingly, so I might be able to get something halfway decent here. They gave me hands-on tests, thank goodness. Did much better with this Lotus 1-2-3 test. It was divided into three parts: mandatory, general, and advanced. I scored 100% on the mandatory, 83% on the general, and 66% on the advanced. The bookkeeping test was a cinch. I aced it.
When I left the agency, I ate a baked potato at Wendy's and then took a bus to a place that had advertised for data entry operators for eight days at six to seven-fifty an hour. Had a hard time finding the place, and when I finally did, all the jobs had been filled.
Walked six or seven blocks to Egghead Software to see if they had a compiler that would run on this little critter. They had an assembler that only required 512K of RAM, but it was on 5 1/4 inch diskettes. My drive is 3 1/2. The clerk said they would be getting in a compiler on 3 1/2 inch disks, but it cost $330, which was somewhat beyond my budget. He suggested I phone Microsoft directly; he said I could buy a compiler from them for less, but when I phoned them, they wanted more. They said they had to charge the highest price, so they wouldn't be competing with their dealers. Their price was $495.
On the way home, I passed a place that rented software, so I phoned them to see if they rented compilers. The woman who answered the phone barely spoke English. I had a hard time getting her to understand what I wanted and a harder understanding her reply, but I finally gathered that they didn't rent compilers; they sold them, and they'd just sold the last one they had that was the kind I wanted. Guess I'll give up on compilers until I have room for a larger computer, or they miniaturize computers sufficiently to fit one with 4 megabytes of RAM on the boat. Of course, by that time, compilers will require 50 megabytes of RAM.

Thursday, January 13, 1994 - Norfolk, VA

Sort of a lazy day today. Went to the Post Office again, but as usual no mail. Updated the log, read, stuff like that.
Roy has a bad cold, so he spent part of the day sleeping. He's also started installing the hot-water heater he bought in California.
A severe cold spell is predicted for this weekend.

Wednesday, January 12, 1994 - Norfolk, VA

Pouring rain this morning, so we refilled our water tank.
Walked the short distance to the Dominion Towers building for my Manpower appointment. They have a lovely office, and the people are very nice, but the jobs still pay about $5 an hour. Signed up anyway, just in case something decent comes in. Instead of giving me hands-on testing for WordPerfect and Lotus 1-2-3, they gave me multiple choice, paper-and-pencil tests. I haven't had much WordPerfect experience, so I totally blew that test. Did a lot better with Lotus, but still not good enough. I'm sure I'd have done a lot better with hands-on tests. Fortunately, they gave me a hands-on data-entry test, at which I excelled. Passing was 8000 keystrokes per hour. I scored 11,616.
After lunch, I walked over to the Post Office again, but still no mail. Found a grocery store practically next door to the Post Office, so I bought a few groceries. I hadn't noticed that store Monday, when I walked two or three miles to a grocery store.
Roy is still working on the boat and glad to have me out of his hair while he tears everything apart.
An incredible yacht came in today. It's too big to enter the marina, so it tied to an outside wall of the waterfront park, next to a tour boat. It's almost as big as an ocean liner, but it's privately owned. Roy estimates it cost at least a hundred million dollars. Its "dinghies" are $50,000 power boats. They're kept inside the yacht. A section of the side of the yacht opens up when they want to launch a "dinghy". There's even a garage in the stern with a car in it! The yacht is registered in London. Must belong to the Prince of Wales or somebody like that.

Tuesday, January 11, 1994 - Norfolk, VA

Got beeped twice this morning. At least now I know my pager works. One beep was regarding the programming job. The guy wasn't sure if it was temporary or permanent, but he asked for my resume anyway, so I'll send it. The other beep was from Kelly. Even though I haven't applied yet, they had a job for me. I nearly fell over when they said it paid $5.10 an hour. And I thought New Bedford was bad! She told me all the jobs in this area pay around $5 an hour, and if I wasn't willing to work for that, I might as well cancel my appointment, so I canceled it.
Walked over to the Post Office to mail a package and see if any mail had come in at General Delivery, but it hadn't.
In the afternoon, I went out to the Janaf Shopping Center to see "Remains of the Day". It was every bit as outstanding as the critics have been saying. Don't miss it!
The engine mechanic came while I was gone, and Roy told him which parts to take into the shop. The whole boat was a disaster area when I got back; both floors in the cockpit were up, and tools and greasy parts were all over the place.

Monday, January 10, 1994 - Norfolk, VA

There's a branch post office about two blocks from here, so I rented a box. Now I have an address as well as a telephone number.
Walked a mile or two to where a grocery store was supposed to be, but it had gone out of business. Fortunately, there was another one a few blocks away, so I went there and got what I needed. Caught a bus that I thought would take me back to the marina. To my surprise, it crossed the river into Chesapeake, so I had to get off and ride another bus back.
This is the only place I've ever lived where you have to make an appointment to apply for temporary work. Phoned several places. I have an appointment Wednesday morning at Manpower, Thursday morning at Kelly, and Friday morning at another agency. There are even three ads in the paper for programmers, one of which I actually qualify for, but I'm not sure if it's temporary or permanent. Anyway, I left a message there, and I'm sending my resume to another place.
Roy made two bus trips to Boat/U.S. He's buying a sonar device to see what's ahead of the boat under the water.

Sunday, January 9, 1994 - Norfolk, VA

Really cold today. Back to longjohns and heavy coats. I've got a runny nose.
Rode the bus about 15 miles to a shopping center where there's a Sears and a bunch of other stores. Bought a few things.
Senior bus fare here is 55 cents plus 25 cents for each additional zone, and they only require a Medicare card for ID.

Saturday, January 8, 1994 - Norfolk,VA

As predicted, it rained last night, and the temperature dropped 20 degrees, but back in New Bedford, there's 17 inches of snow! Glad we got out of there.
Got my hair cut, so I'll resemble a human being when I apply for a job. Later, I walked around a little. They have a very nice water-
front park here that stretches for quite a ways in both directions. It's very pleasant to stroll along.
Roy rode his bike to a marine supply store, but was disappointed, because they only had parts for power boats.

Friday, January 7, 1994 - Norfolk, VA

This is a very nice marina. There are floating docks, large, warm restrooms and showers, and even a washer and dryer. We're right at the edge of downtown Norfolk, so there are plenty of stores within walking distance, and there's good bus service. And we only pay $195 a month, including electricity! We'll probably stay here all winter, instead of trying to go farther south.
I spent the morning washing clothes. Ran three loads. Now everything is clean.
Going south is finally paying off--it's unbelievably warm here. The temperature is in the 60's today! Tomorrow is supposed to be colder, but for now we've taken off our longjohns and are walking around in light jackets.
My top priority is finding temporary employment while Roy works on the boat. First I need a way for an agency to contact me, so I rode a bus to Circuit City and bought a pager. I had intended to buy a cellular phone, but they said I would have to pay for 12 months' service in advance, at $20 a month, and it would only be good in this area. I'd lose whatever was left when we went someplace else. What's more, that was only for ten minutes a month; over that was 55 cents a minute! Forget it. The beeper is $9 a month on a quarterly basis, with unlimited service, and when we go someplace else, I can have it changed for that area.
Roy walked around while I was gone and took a ferry ride. In the evening, we moved the boat to a more convenient slip and turned her around, bow out. The engine mechanic is coming Tuesday. He won't have to walk so far now to reach the boat.

Thursday, January 6, 1994 - Norfolk, VA

We've made it to Norfolk! In spite of being clobbered by snow and ice and gales and engine problems and even a collision with a buoy, we have arrived in Norfolk ALIVE!
The wind was against us all day, so we had to motor. By afternoon, the engine was spontaneously revving up every few minutes. Each time it did that, we held our breath, afraid the engine would conk out altogether, but it kept going, hour after hour. The sun was setting by the time we reached the Norfolk entrance channel, and it's a long channel--several miles long. The engine was still revving up every few minutes, and we were still sweating it out, but the engine kept going. Night had fallen by the time we approached the marina, but fortunately there were plenty of bright lights all around the marina and two marina employees waiting on the dock, so we had no trouble finding our way in and getting tied up. What a relief to be here safe and sound! Norfolk is the major boating center of the East Coast; we can get anything we need here. Top priority is getting the engine repaired. Then we'll haul out, and Roy will replace the planks that were chewed up by the ice and the buoy.

Wednesday, January 5, 1994 - Norfolk, VA

Perfectly calm this morning, so even though twenty-knot winds were predicted, we took off. Had no problem leaving the dock. Our main concern was that we might go aground in the shallow, unmarked channel. Roy proceeded very cautiously and slowly. We were almost to the river when the depth gauge began dropping perilously. I yelled, "To the right!" Roy turned to the right, and we were soon back in deep water.
On my first watch, I goofed up but good. I had been well aware that we had to maintain our course past buoy number one until we got to buoy "SP", but as we approached 1, I got confused by a lighthouse in front of us that I couldn't find on the chart. When I finally saw a lighthouse on the chart, I thought that must be the one I was looking at and I should stay west of it, so I turned south as soon as I passed buoy one. All of a sudden, we were in eight feet of water! I reduced speed immediately. Roy came up from the main cabin and found the lighthouse on the chart. It was the Smith Point light, marking the shoal off the point. I had gone right into the shoal area. Fortunately, we hadn't gone aground. I changed course, went past the lighthouse, and continued out to buoy "SP". Then we could safely head south.
Around noon, a favorable wind came up, so Roy put out the headsail and staysail and told me to raise the mizzen. I hooked up my safety harness and went aft. The wind was blowing like crazy. I tried to raise the mizzen but couldn't. The halyard seemed to be caught on something. I couldn't see what, so I went back to the cockpit to ask Roy to see if he could raise it, but he told me to forget the mizzen; the engine had died. He took in the headsail, so we were only making one or two knots with just the staysail. I steered while Roy went down into his little bunny hole (engine compartment). He worked on the engine for hours, with the boat rocking and bouncing. Tools and parts kept falling down, but he managed to get most of them up. The fuel filter and valve seemed to be all right, so Roy figured the problem was in the fuel pump, so he replaced it. Then a crucial, irreplaceable piece of tubing disappeared. We spent the better part of an hour looking for it. Roy finally found it on the floor of the engine compartment, getting ready to go into the bilge. What a relief! He put the tubing back on and tried the engine. It still wouldn't start, so he kept hunting. Finally, he found a part that had a tiny, almost invisible hole that apparently was blocked. He managed to get it unblocked, put it back on, tried the engine, and it started!
What beautiful music! I had never realized an engine could sound so lovely.
By then it was after four, and the sun was going down. We zoomed at top speed towards the Rappahanock River. By the time we got there, it was dark. Nearly went on another shoal, but found the channel again. The marina I had hoped to go to was closed for the winter, and the other marinas were down a channel that was only five feet deep, so we headed towards the shore and dropped anchor in 17 feet of water.

Tuesday, January 4, 1994 - Kinsale, VA

What a storm! Woke up at 3:30 in the morning to the sound of waves slapping against the hull. The wind was howling like crazy, and the boat was bouncing up and down. The wind was gusting in the 20's and once reached 32. Since the windspeed indicator is behind the mizzen mast, the actual speed was probably closer to 40. Even in this sheltered harbor, the waves were several feet high and splashing over the dock.
By seven, the wind had died down, and the water was perfectly flat. It was a temptation to leave, but we listened to NOAA weather and found out more gales were predicted. On the ocean it's blowing 40 to 50 knots with 15 to 20 foot waves! We're very glad we're in this well-protected marina and will stay here until the storm ends.
We're already enjoying an advantage of being farther south. In Washington, they're expecting eight inches of snow. Here, we should only have rain. And the temperature is 15 degrees higher here than it is in New Bedford. That doesn't mean it's hot, but at least we're not freezing.
In the afternoon, we walked to the Post Office in Kinsale, about a mile and a half each way. The marina's friendly black Lab followed us. We kept telling her to go home, but she ignored us. When we got to Kinsale, she took off, and we hoped she'd gone home, but when we got back to the marina, she was nowhere to be seen. After an hour or so, I walked back to Kinsale to see if I could find her. I hated to think of repaying the marina owners' hospitality by losing their dog. Just as I started up the hill towards the Post Office, I was greatly relieved to see a black dog that looked like Lady. She was frisking with another dog. I thought she'd recognize me and come running to me with her tail wagging, as she usually does, but she only barked at me and wouldn't come when I called her. As I got closer, she ran off. I was in a dilemma. Perhaps this was a different dog. I certainly didn't want to steal someone else's animal. On the other hand, I hated to return to the marina without Lady. I looked for her for several minutes and then returned to the boat. What a relief when Roy told me she had returned about twenty minutes earlier! I'll never know for certain whether or not the dog I saw was Lady, but if she was, perhaps seeing me reminded her to go home. At least, that's what I keep telling myself.

Monday, January 3, 1994 - Warsaw, VA

We're really in luck! This is a very nice marina, run by pleasant, friendly, generous people. The restroom is immaculate, with large showers and plenty of hot water. We only have to pay the minimum rate, which is $25 a day. And the owner loaned us his big, luxurious car to drive into town for laundry and groceries! The nearest town of any size is Warsaw, Virginia. It's about 15 miles from the marina. We gathered up our month's accumulation of dirty clothes and drove to Warsaw. Found an ATM right off the bat and liberated some cash. The laundromat was on the other side of the road, so we went there next. Best laundromat I've ever been in. Very large, with lots of good washers and dryers, and plenty of tables and chairs. Even a restroom, snack machine, change machine, etc. I did the laundry, while Roy walked from one end of town to another.
When the laundry was done, we went across the road again to Kentucky Fried Chicken and ate lunch. Then we went to Radio Shack, but they didn't have the printer ribbon I needed. Stopped in the drugstore and bought some birthday cards and generic Dramamine. A Food Lion with great prices was next door, so we stocked up on canned goods and stuff.
There are gale warnings for today and tomorrow, so we'll be here a while, which is fine. We have plenty of clean clothes now, and plenty of food, hot showers, protection from wind and waves, electricity, everything we could ask for. The wind is howling and whistling, but we're warm, dry, snug, and secure, so let it blow!

Sunday, January 2, 1994 - Warsaw, VA

Warm and beautiful! (Relatively speaking.) Had no difficulty leaving the dock. The only ice we encountered on our way south was in tiny pieces near the mouths of creeks and rivers. No problem at all. Went through some fairly heavy fog, but it soon burned off. Motored south all day, with a little assist from the headsail. Got to Kinsale on the Yeocomico River just before dark and tied to a marina. We went about 65 miles today! We're right at the mouth of the Potomac, ready to hop into Chesapeake Bay. We might make Norfolk tomorrow, if the weather is favorable.

Saturday, January 1, 1994 - Washington, DC

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
We're headed SOUTH!
Most of the snow and ice on the boat has melted, and the ice on the river has either melted or broken up. We passed a lot of floating ice on the way down, but we had no difficulty either avoiding it or plowing through it.
Reached Quantico around four. We were going to tie to the outer wall of the marina, but a man came along who advised us to go inside and tie to an end dock. There was a lot of ice in the marina, but it was in small chunks, so we went in. There are supposed to be gale winds tonight, so we're glad we're in a marina. Have 30-amp electricity to keep us warm and cook supper.
After supper, we strolled around town for half an hour or so. I had always thought Quantico was just a Marine base; I hadn't realized there was a town here. There's even an Amtrak station.