Tuesday, November 27, 2012 – Cocoa:

            Yesterday turned out to be a pretty productive day.  After breakfast we did what has become our usual morning routine since we are not cruising and that is to go up on the flybridge and plan the day’s activities.  First up – another morning walk along the riverfront.  The morning is already warm, so we put on short sleeve shirts and ditched the sweaters and sweatshirts.  First excuse to prolong the actual exercise is to check to see if the mail has come yet.  So up to the office we go, and there’s no mail, but there is home made ginger bread which stops Bob in his tracks – so we have to have another cup of coffee and a “small” piece of that gingerbread cake.  Heavy sighs are in order from me as I see the walk getting put off again, and I’m thinking, “Oh, please don’t turn on that TV!”  I will admit the gingerbread was very yummy, but we do get going , and I think we walk about two miles.  It really is a pretty walk – a paved road with a sidewalk alongside residential homes with nicely landscaped grounds, and the river side is tree-lined with private piers and docks out over the water with little sitting areas on them – some of them even have a roof.  There is not much traffic on this road, and it seems like you can walk forever.  We don’t know where the road ends yet, but maybe if we walk longer and longer each day, we may find out.  When I said to Bob this morning that we should go for our walk, he agreed as we have walked now three days in a row.  I said, “No, this is only our second day.”  He said, actually I think it’s our fourth day.”  I said, “How do you figure that?!”  He said, “Well, I count going and coming two times!!”  Aaarrrgghgh…

            After our walk yesterday, we had lunch, and then decided it was time to check out the hardware store.  We needed another propane canister for the grill, and Bob wanted some other sundry hardware store stuff for the boat.  Old hardware stores are the best – they completely evoke Norman Rockwell times gone-by.  Travis Hardware was opened in 1885, and was no exception.  Some of the items in the store look like they have been there since that time.   It is really a fascinating and interesting place – a labyrinth of rooms, levels and odd spaces and two antique staircases with elaborate banisters and balusters.  It went on forever, twisting and turning into areas with the most unusual items – like WWII communications equipment.  They were very helpful, but they needed radios to talk to each other while they sent you to different places on different levels in this mammoth storehouse of sundry goods.   We had the best time “browsing,” we found what we needed, then proceeded to the check-out counter which was another experience.  There was an “old-timer” there (maybe one of the generations of owners) who was dispensing advice and instruction on any subject to any and all who would listen.  I almost hated to leave.

            We did finally get our mail yesterday, so a good part of the afternoon was taken up with paperwork.  You can’t escape paperwork no matter what, and, as a matter of fact, I think it is harder to deal with if you are on a boat.  We have a great mail service back home that picks up our mail at the post office and sends it to us whenever we call, but it is still a challenge to pay bills on time and to know how much you need to pay if you don’t have the hard copy of the bill in front of you.  You can look at your accounts on line (after you put in 18 different passwords and user id’s), but I personally don’t think any of the websites are user friendly.   As a matter of fact, it is about impossible to figure out your credit card bill on line, and I dare anyone to decipher their phone bill.

            Then last night we decided to sign up for streaming Netflix, and actually watched a movie on the computer!  Then this morning we did realize we could watch streaming CNN, so it was news with breakfast again.  So I guess our television addiction will be able to continue.

            So this morning, we woke up to a really nice day.   It is “spring-time warm,” with a blue sky with just a few clouds, and birds searching for their breakfast everywhere.  We have not gone for a walk as yet this morning as Bob has been on the computer checking out car rentals.  Uh oh, I think a car may have an impact on our walking activities.  But, success, we will have a rental car tomorrow and now we are headed off on our daily walk again.  I hope we can continue our exercise routine in spite of the car ,which, actually, we are only planning on keeping for a day or two!  However, just a short while into our “stroll”, Bob says he wants to turn around and head back.  It’s around 11:00 a.m., and it will be lunch time when we get back, and we are making threatening noises about getting out the bikes and heading to the grocery store again!

            And so it comes to pass that Bob wants to try the bike routine again!  This time the bikes are already unfolded and are in the stern ready to be hoisted off onto the dock.  I suggest we put air in the tires again, which works out well, because the gizmo that does amazing things, plus acts as an air compressor, is stowed conveniently at hand this time, and Bob puts air in all the tires again.  At the hardware store, we bought these handy little bungee cords, so we should be able to fasten our groceries to the back of the bikes more securely this time.  Our daughter-in-law intelligently reminded us that a back-pack would come in quite handy for this type of venture, which we will have to remember for future shopping trips!

            Our trip to the store this time was much easier than last time.  We followed the scenic river road as far as we could, then just a couple of turns later, we were at the Publix.  We got everything we needed, including Bob’s favorite pastry…but…

            Horror of horrors…I have discovered that I am in terrible, terrible trouble.  I thought I had planned so well for every eventuality – from October 8 (when we left) to December 13 (when we return home)…and I had hoped beyond all hope that this particular occurrence would not happen.  But the best laid plans…

            The cat has been on a marathon eating binge, and I fear I am running out of her “wet” cat food.  C’mon – I brought six boxes of the stuff!  But she has been an eating machine since she has been on the boat!  And, guess what…the stores in these parts don’t have the kind of cat food she is used to eating!  Do you have any idea how hard it is to change a cat’s diet??  It is virtually impossible!  Bob, in his usual genius mode, suggested that I mix up the two different kinds until she accepts that she has been fooled into thinking that nothing is different, but I have my doubts… there will be more on this later – trust me!

            So homeward bound we go, and on the way back, we ride by the nice man that gave us the bungee cords to return them to him with a nice note thanking him for his kindness.  Groceries get unpacked, bikes get stowed away, and we settle in for the rest of the afternoon.  Dinner tonight will be steak on the grill, spinach sautéed in a little garlic and olive oil, and leftover wild pecan rice.  It’s been a good day.

            This is such a nice marina and definitely worth a stop on the way home, but I thought you might be interested in why Bob likes it so much – so here are the top ten reasons why this marina is one of Bob’s favorites:

            10 – The area is relatively flat and easy to get around by walking or biking

              9 – The roads are not heavily travelled

              8 -  The town has interesting stores and restaurants

              7 -  The road along the river is beautiful and scenic to walk or bike along

              6 -  There is a professional theatre here

              5 – The marina facilities are top of the line

              4 – The marina clubhouse has a big TV

              3 -  The staff is unbelievably competent, helpful, and nice

              2 – It’s not terribly expensive

            But the number one reason that this is Bob’s favorite marina –

            It has a 24 hour surveillance camera, that is aimed right at our boat, and Bob can turn on the computer and with a few clicks of the mouse can look at the boat anytime of day or night anywhere in the world!