:: Trying to keep track of it all... ::

:: 6.28.2004 ::

graduashun and da fyooture

So now that I'm all edumacated, The Landing School gave me an actual diploma and a graduation ceremony to boot!
Pic 1, Pic 2, Pic 3
(Tabitha took the pictures and she has a bit of a shaky camera hand)

This past year was pretty intensive and hard at times, but totally worth it. The graduation ceremony was fun, and even though the weather was crap here in Maine we all got to go out and see the launching of the two power boats that the cruising boats class had been building this whole year. They came out real nice and it was cool to see them actually in the water, after having seen them in bits and pieces all year.
Ken and Roger our systems instructors for the year, were all dressed up and grinning from ear to ear during the whole graduation. They seemed really proud of us and happy to see us all ready to head out into the world.

So now that I've got my bevy of ABYC and EPA certifications in hand, its off to the workforce!

Tabitha and I are leaving the Atlantic shores for a bit. Were going to go and try out the north Pacific for awhile. Were in the process of buying a house in Washington State. Its a little cottage on an island just off the coast of Bellingham. It needs some finish work and a lot of landscaping, but the potential is there.Here is a little archive of photos if your curious.
Bellingham is about an hour and half north of Seattle and about an hour south of Vancouver. Its kind-of a college town, which is good and bad. Western Washington University (WWU) is there and they have about 15000 students. That means there are a lot of amenities in the town geared for college students which is cool, but it also means there are a lot of jerky college students around all the time. At least the island is pretty secluded and should be quiet.

As far as recreation goes, it would probably be easier to list whats not available!

We'll be about an hour from some amazing skiing (downhill and x-country) on Mt.Baker (900 inches of snow a year!). As residents of the island we can have a mooring in a little cove by the islands boathouse, so boating is an option. Mt. biking is everywhere. The North Cascades National Park is about an hour from us for some serious Alpine Hiking. The Olympic National Park is about 3 hours away on the Olympic Peninsula for more hiking and mountain climbing. The island we'll be living on is half mountain, and I guess there are some hiking trails there as well. The island is also on a marine kayak trail, and there are beaches, and cliffs and all kinds of stuff to see. Bald eagles, Orcas, dolphins, seals, etc. etc.
Also Las Vegas is a shuttle flight away, as is San Francisco, Los Angeles, and just a wee bit further is Hawaii!

I think theres enough stuff to keep us busy for a good couple of years.
That was pretty much our impetus to move somewhere totally different. We wanted some new places to explore, new people to meet and talk to, see some big mountains and a different ocean. The attitude on the west coast is different than New England too. More laid back, and relaxed. Well as far as we could tell. Ask us again in a couple of months.

I also already got a job out there. When we were on vacation there in April, I walked into the service office of a boatyard (Seaview North) down by Squalicum Harbor, and chatted with the service manager for an hour or so. He said to keep in touch, so end of May I faxed him my resume, and then about 2 weeks ago he called up the house, and said he had a place for me. Cool!
After we get into town, he said to come by and we'll work out the details. Hey, cant argue with that. A new house, a job I dont get it. Must have done something right along the way there.

So were moving out tomorrow. Heading down to the Cape for a night, to pick up some sundries, then off cross-country. Should take us about a week we figure. Deciding factors will be our stamina for long days of driving and the cats tolerance for car trips. I'll be driving the big rental truck with our Jeep on a trailer behind, and Tabitha in the VW with the cat. Should be quite the little parade.

So wish us luck and look for some new postings after we get there.

:: Zachary 4:17:44 AM [+] ::
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Hey Buddy your boat is crooked...

Since this was our last week of school (sniff) the instuctors took us out sailing on Casco bay yesterday.
We were sailing a Swan 40 that had been refit by the class 2 years earlier. The boats we were working on this year, ran into some parts shipping issues and were unable to be launched. So the instructors dug up this sailboat and a nice powerboat for us to play on.
It was a typical Maine day, cold, foggy, rainy, but we had a very nice breeze. Loved it...

:: Zachary 1:21:50 PM [+] ::
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Soup on my car!

Ok, I know I havent posted anything in a long time. I've really been slacking. Its unforgivable really.

But something really weird happened this morning that I just have to share.

About 7:00 AM I went out to the car as usual (it was parked on the street, not in the lot) to go to school, and as I was walking up I noticed that somebody had squirted something all over the windows.
Upon closer inspection it appeared to be butternut squash soup. Or a mango smoothie.
Pretty weird, huh?
Anyway, I went back up to the apartment and got a couple of jugs of water to wash it away, and since it was apparently fresh it came right off.

This guy Dave that I carpool with, suggested that maybe somebody had actually thrown up on the car. So I explained that it was definitely squirted. It was in swoops and swirls, not a big blob.

What I cant figure out is why somebody was walking around the back streets of Portland at between 6 and 7 AM with a squirt bottle filled with squash soup. And secondly why me? What did I do to deserve a souping?! There were lots of other cars parked near mine, and none of them had any soup on them.
I was parked in a regular spot on a public street that I've been parking on for about 10 months now, with nary an incident (except one towing for street sweeping, which they never ever do).

sigh...

It didnt really ruin my day or anything, it was more baffling than anything else.
It just was really inconvenient and seemed totally unnecessary.
But then I guess all vandalism is like that, isnt it?

Then again is souping somebody's car really vandalism?
What's next a taco in my tailpipe? Or a pizza on my sunroof?
It was so stupid, I wish I had taken a picture before I washed it off.
Oh well, maybe next time...

:: Zachary 4:04:25 PM [+] ::
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