Friday, February 1, 2013 – Vero Beach:

            This is not starting out to be a great morning.  I don’t know where Florida is for one thing, because it is freezing cold here and the wind is howling.  After breakfast, the first order of the day was to take a shower.  The utilitarian shower is at the end of our dock, and I have decided that I don’t like the looks of it so my other choice is the shower over at the marina office which is a bit of a walk - you have to go out of our dock area, walk down the road and into the dock area where the marina office is to the nice showers.  This is a huge marina complex, and I think we are at the farthest end although I haven’t walked to the opposite end yet and probably won’t.  The laundry is also over by the “nice” showers, and I will have to cart our stuff over there when I wash clothes.  Honestly, I am really not complaining – this is just what you have to do sometimes on a boat.  I am spoiled because we have been at some really nice marinas where the facilities have been top notch (this marina is actually fine).  I guess I’m cranky because I have on my winter clothes again.

            So after my shower (and there was plenty of hot water) I felt much more human, and we wait for the microwave repairman.   He actually shows up within the designated time, and proceeds to examine the unit.  And…the first (and last) problem is he can’t get the microwave unit out of the cabinet without taking the cooktop off, and dissembling the whole entire area, woodwork and all.  Aaarrrghgh…

So what I thought was just going to be a simple replacement of the display (which we find out will actually cost more than a new microwave unit) turns out to be a major undertaking requiring architects, engineers, boat builders, carpenters, electricians, plumbers, cabinet makers, nuclear physicists (well, maybe not them) and who knows who else.  Well, replacing the unit seems the way to go except we can’t find a microwave that has the dimensions of the one that we are trying to replace so none of the newer microwaves fit in the space we currently have.  So we will need more carpenters.  Aaarghghgh…

So…there…and people wonder why I get cranky…

After the repairman left Bob and I held a boat meeting – really Bob held a boat meeting and I just rolled my eyes up in my head and thought about visions of the north…just kidding…  Bob continues to look around on the computer for a microwave that would still cook dinner and fit into the space we had, but unfortunately couldn’t find anything, and I finally threw my hands up in the air, and said it’s all too complicated – just don’t do anything!  So then we played cards and I made lunch.  After lunch I decided I needed to do something productive and that seemed to be laundry.  So I gathered up all the clothes, towels, etc., and Bob helped me carry the whole mess to the laundromat, and we hung around until the clothes were through washing, then we tossed them into the dryer and decided to stroll around the streets.  The temperature was warming up nicely as it seems to do in the afternoon even if it is freezing in the morning, and the walk seemed to clear our head regarding the microwave. 

It seems as though Bob would like to have some work done on the boat (there is always work to be done on the boat), and since the boat was serviced at one time at Whiticar Boatyard in Stuart by the previous owner, he wants to take the boat there.  So we decided to call the microwave repairman back and tell him to order the part to fix our microwave and have the boatyard pull out the microwave so the appliance guy can fix it there.  That appears to be the best way to handle this and still keep our sanity, and Bob was able to make all the arrangements.  So maybe there will be a happy ending to this story.  We will plan on being at Whiticar Boatyard next Thursday.

The clothes are taking an inordinate amount of time and money to dry, but there is nothing better to lift your spirits than clean laundry, so the end of the day is appearing brighter.  The laundromat apparently is at the farthest end of the marina, and Bob informs me that this is really not a huge marina.  After walking to the shower, walking to do the laundry and walking around Vero Beach, we have had quite a bit of exercise today, which, I guess, is a good thing.

 Tomorrow we will have a car and plan to do some exploring around the area and run some errands (I’m guessing Publix is on Bob’s list).  It’s already 5:00 in the afternoon – I have no idea where the time goes.  More of our adventures tomorrow!

View of the Indian River off our stern at the marina

Another view off our stern - part of marina office in distance