The Rizzo's Sailing (and other) Adventures

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

A Shiny Hull 4.13.2011

The weather finally got a little better today, not good enough to start the painting, but certainly good enough to wax and buff the hull. The painting begins tomorrow. She looks so shiny!

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

We are getting ready for some sailing adventures. Domingoman is getting a new bottom job. I had the old bottom paint stripped down to the gelcoat. She will get three barrier coats and then two coats of ablative anti-fouling paint. Our scheduled launch date is Friday 4/15, but the weather hasn't cooperated. Our launch date will be moved to sometime next week. I am very excited about the 2011 splash-down!

Monday, January 3, 2011

Gone from my Sight 12.31.2010

In memory of my mother-in-law, Suzanne Barrett
who departed this life on 31 December, 2010...

I am standing upon the seashore.
A ship at my side spreads her white sails
to the morning breeze
and starts for the blue ocean.
She is an object of beauty and strength.
I stand and watch her until at length
she hangs like a speak of white cloud
just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other.

Then someone at my side says:

"There, she is gone!"

"Gone where?"

Gone from my sight. That is all.
She is just as large in mast and hull and spar
as she was when she left my side
and she is just as able to bear the load
of living freight to her destined port.
Her diminished size is in me, not in her.
And just at the moment when someone at my side says:
"There, she is gone!"
There are other eyes watching her coming,
and other voices ready to take up the glad shout: "Here she comes!"

And that is dying.

-Henry Van Dyke

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Joel's Visit part 1 12.27.2010

We are pleased to have our son Joel visiting us in KL for Christmas. He arrived on 23 December via London Heathrow. Go figure, the one snow event that Heathrow has had to be when Joel was heading overseas for the first time. Fortunately, he made his connection and arrived here only three hours late. We have been having lots of fun hanging out and doing lots of things together.

Joel and Eileen heading up to the orchid and hybiscus garden at Lake Gardens Park

At Lake Gardens, we found a coconut that had already sprouted into a tree. We took it home and planted it.

Christmas morning at church, L to R...Joel, Adam, Sivin, Eileen and me, with Jamie in the foreground.

The taxi ride from church

Christmas afternoon at our apartment. Htet Aung joined us as well.

Jamie's reaction to receiving Glee Karaoke for Wii from Joel and Bri

Christmas dinner...yes, they have turkeys in Malaysia!

Ready to eat!

We went to Cosmic Bowl after dinner on Chrismas night

Batu Caves. We brought bananas and tangerines to feed the monkeys!

Another monkey video!

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Our Christmas Tree! 12.12.2010

We never thought about bringing anything to decorate for Christmas, so Eileen has been doing some amazing stuff to decorate our apartment.

She made a Christmas tree by wrapping garland around an 8-litre water bottle and made a star out of paper. She strung the lights and then hung candy canes. The base of the tree is a speaker for our TV. It doesn't matter where we are, Eileen always seems to make it home!

Jungle Walk 12.7.2010

We celebrated Islamic New Year (a National Holiday in Malaysia) by going on a jungle walk at the Forest Research Institute Malaysia. Eileen's driver Rafiq picked us up at our apartment and surprised us with a traditional Indian breakfast which was enjoyed on the way to FRIM.

Eileen isn't too happy enjoying her Idli (slightly sour steamed cakes made from a fermented rice-flour batter) with tomato chutney and coconut chutney.

Prior to entering the jungle, we stopped at this little store to buy some bananas in case we encountered some wild monkeys. We unloaded half of the bananas on the way up the mountain as they were getting too heavy to carry! I only spotted one monkey from a distance and didn't get the chance to feed it. Sorry Abby!