OT - NO POLITICS August edition - The summer wind came blowin' in……

[Aussie Bruin]

This is cool! They have been working on it for several years now. Tickets will probably be super expensive but I would love to take a trip with that engine pulling the train

https://x.com/i/web/status/1823387591770591357

Very cool. I love when people put time and effort into restoring old things, be they trains or boats or cars of whatever. A very satisfying experience, and important in preserving at least something of the past.

Nashville is on 'the list' and if we do ever get there and this locomotive is running then going for a ride will be a must.

 

[Ladyfan]

As long as you all have a lovely time, separately or together.

Bon voyage!

I will be with my daughter. We love the schooner. It is so relaxing. My daughter has a terribly busy work schedule so getting away from it all is a good thing. Plus, we know the two captains. Both are musicians. One is a chef.

A few years ago, one of the captains was in LA for some music stuff (winter) and he drove up to visit Amanda and she took him sailing...in a much smaller boat!

We have been every Summer starting in 2011. We missed one season due to COVID.

 

[GordonHowe]

I will be with my daughter. We love the schooner. It is so relaxing. My daughter has a terribly busy work schedule so getting away from it all is a good thing. Plus, we know the two captains. Both are musicians. One is a chef.

A few years ago, one of the captains was in LA for some music stuff (winter) and he drove up to visit Amanda and she took him sailing...in a much smaller boat!

We have been every Summer starting in 2011. We missed one season due to COVID.


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Lovely.

 

[Ladyfan]

Lovely.

It really is.

It is great if you don't get seasick and don't mind it a bit campy. Rooms ae small and have a small sink. There is electricity to charge a phone but no hair dryers or curling irons allowed. There are 2 single cabins, a few double beds (they are small) and bunk rooms. We get the bunks.

The galley has a big old wood stove where the bake homemade bread and cookies every day. They cook all meals on board. Food is good.
You can sit in the galley if it is cool out as the stove keeps it warm.

 

[GordonHowe]

It really is.

It is great if you don't get seasick and don't mind it a bit campy. Rooms ae small and have a small sink. There is electricity to charge a phone but no hair dryers or curling irons allowed. There are 2 single cabins, a few double beds (they are small) and bunk rooms. We get the bunks.

The galley has a big old wood stove where the back homemade bread and cookies every day. They cook all meals on board. Food is good.
You can sit in the galley if it is cool out as the stove keeps it warm.

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Envy.

Enjoy!

 

[HHHH]

Love seeing all the Maine talk!

Both of my kids went to college in Maine and we loved going up to visit from CT, especially during the one year that they were both in school up there at the same time

 

[caz16]

It's your life, but perhaps it's time to consider leaving Florida behind.

I haven't been there in 40 plus years. And you could not pay me to set foot in that state for any reason nor period of time.

PS I was broke and "living" in Denver, where I have family, for two years.

Cashiering at Argonaut Wine and Liquor on sketchy Colfax Avenue.

Up to and including rampant homelessness, pervasive mental illness, alcoholism, and drug abuse; the advent of COVID, George Floyd, looting, police riots and, not to put too fine a point on it, the national guard on my street.

If you are an outdoors type, love the West in general and Colorado in particular, good for you. Enjoy.

I am not an outdoors type. At all.

I hated every minute of my time in Denver.

Saved 10K, and with my late brother Greg's invaluable assistance, was able to return home to Massachusetts in June, 2021.

By the grace of God. And I am an agnostic.

Today, I have Lou Gehrig's disease.

Which is to say, I feel like the luckiest guy in the world.

I hope you find what you are looking for, Troublesome 85.

Take care,

I am really sorry to hear this. Your positive attitude is wonderful. I am glad you are back home where you want to be. Take care, my friend.

 

[Ladyfan]

Love seeing all the Maine talk!

Both of my kids went to college in Maine and we loved going up to visit from CT, especially during the one year that they were both in school up there at the same time

and my kid went to college in CT!

I love Maine too.

Ct has some nice places as well.

 

[Ladyfan]

It's your life, but perhaps it's time to consider leaving Florida behind.

I haven't been there in 40 plus years. And you could not pay me to set foot in that state for any reason nor period of time.

PS I was broke and "living" in Denver, where I have family, for two years.

Cashiering at Argonaut Wine and Liquor on sketchy Colfax Avenue.

Up to and including rampant homelessness, pervasive mental illness, alcoholism, and drug abuse; the advent of COVID, George Floyd, looting, police riots and, not to put too fine a point on it, the national guard on my street.

If you are an outdoors type, love the West in general and Colorado in particular, good for you. Enjoy.

I am not an outdoors type. At all.

I hated every minute of my time in Denver.

Saved 10K, and with my late brother Greg's invaluable assistance, was able to return home to Massachusetts in June, 2021.

By the grace of God. And I am an agnostic.

Today, I have Lou Gehrig's disease.

Which is to say, I feel like the luckiest guy in the world.

I hope you find what you are looking for, Troublesome 85.

Take care,

Wow. You have been through some stuff. I am happy you are in a good place.

I wouldn't want to move from New England as it is home. Grew up in MA and live in NH (moved here in the late 80s because I could afford to buy a home and the schools in my town are good). I love Maine and Vermont too.

I considered moving out of the country (Canada) in 2016. I am too old to move and hope I won't feel like I must.

 

[chizzler]

Nice

 

[Ladyfan]

A good time to be sailing.

The weekend night skies and heading into the first of next week will set the stage for the first supermoon of the calendar year 2024 with a little added flare as this year’s seasonal blue moon.

 

[caz16]

A good time to be sailing.

The weekend night skies and heading into the first of next week will set the stage for the first supermoon of the calendar year 2024 with a little added flare as this year’s seasonal blue moon.


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That sounds magical!

 

[Ladyfan]

That sounds magical!

It really is. At night they anchor the schooner in a safe place. One time the captain asked if we wanted to night sail (there was a full moon)...of course everyone said YES.

 

[Troublesome 85]

Ive thought of leaving the country as well @Ladyfan

Have always wanted to live in Japan however if I hate hurricanes here in Florida dont think id like Tsunamis out there.

 

[Ladyfan]

Ive thought of leaving the country as well @Ladyfan

Have always wanted to live in Japan however if I hate hurricanes here in Florida dont think id like Tsunamis out there.

Nova Scotia for me.

Be sure to really check out somewhere before you move. PLAN. You don't want to be too far away from folks you care about.

I hate the heat so the South is not anywhere I would ever consider. There are other reasons as well, but we are not allowed to speak of them here (which I get).

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

Wow. You have been through some stuff. I am happy you are in a good place.

I wouldn't want to move from New England as it is home. Grew up in MA and live in NH (moved here in the late 80s because I could afford to buy a home and the schools in my town are good). I love Maine and Vermont too.

I considered moving out of the country (Canada) in 2016. I am too old to move and hope I won't feel like I must.

Me too.

Inquired, but it seems Canada wants you to bring something to the table if you wish to reside there.

 

[Morris Wanchuk]

I have been on a search of moving abroad for a while now. More musing than serious but it doesn't hurt to have a backup plan.

My general consensus is....

Though alot of countries have better social safety net than the USA (Europe, Canada, Australia), the housing costs are much, much more higher than earnings in these countries compared to the USA. Like same or more expensive than the USA but you make so much less. Yes you get some of it back by not paying healthcare but you are paying high taxes.

So we are sticking in New England for now. Best tradeoff of earnings, housing costs, quality of life. Plus MA and other Medicaid expanded states have good insurance fall backs should you get laid off.

 

[BigGoalBrad]

What happened to the happy hour coming back to MA thing did it get voted down?

 

[Troublesome 85]

All this Maine talk and the first thing that pops up on youtube when I go on today is this



seems uncomfortable and dangerous

@Gee Wally @Ladyfan

 

[Gee Wally]

All this Maine talk and the first thing that pops up on youtube when I go on today is this



seems uncomfortable and dangerous

@Gee Wally @Ladyfan

Guy is nuts.

 

[NeelyDan]

It's your life, but perhaps it's time to consider leaving Florida behind.

I haven't been there in 40 plus years. And you could not pay me to set foot in that state for any reason nor period of time.

PS I was broke and "living" in Denver, where I have family, for two years.

Cashiering at Argonaut Wine and Liquor on sketchy Colfax Avenue.

Up to and including rampant homelessness, pervasive mental illness, alcoholism, and drug abuse; the advent of COVID, George Floyd, looting, police riots and, not to put too fine a point on it, the national guard on my street.

If you are an outdoors type, love the West in general and Colorado in particular, good for you. Enjoy.

I am not an outdoors type. At all.

I hated every minute of my time in Denver.

Saved 10K, and with my late brother Greg's invaluable assistance, was able to return home to Massachusetts in June, 2021.

By the grace of God. And I am an agnostic.

Today, I have Lou Gehrig's disease.

Which is to say, I feel like the luckiest guy in the world.

I hope you find what you are looking for, Troublesome 85.

Take care,

I am so incredibly sorry to hear this. My family has lots of ALS in our family and so I know first hand how terrible a disease it is. I plan to focus a portion of my retirement advocating for a cure.

You did not deserve this. Nobody does. I applaud in the truest sense your courage and positive attitude. Thinking of you.

 

[EverettMike]

I have been on a search of moving abroad for a while now. More musing than serious but it doesn't hurt to have a backup plan.

My general consensus is....

Though alot of countries have better social safety net than the USA (Europe, Canada, Australia), the housing costs are much, much more higher than earnings in these countries compared to the USA. Like same or more expensive than the USA but you make so much less. Yes you get some of it back by not paying healthcare but you are paying high taxes.

So we are sticking in New England for now. Best tradeoff of earnings, housing costs, quality of life. Plus MA and other Medicaid expanded states have good insurance fall backs should you get laid off.

What countries would you say are your top candidates? I spent a little time looking into Ireland and thought it might work.

 

[GordonHowe]

I am really sorry to hear this. Your positive attitude is wonderful. I am glad you are back home where you want to be. Take care, my friend.

Thank you, Carol.

It was a bad time, and I've had a few.

No need for sorry. As noted, I am extremely lucky and exceptionally blessed, particularly in my family and the few I call friend.

FWIW, I have found that the best place from which to operate, indeed the only place, is the present.

Not the past. Not the future.

"Living" in the past, especially relative to regret, will keep you stuck and get you nowhere.

Certainly, we all have to plan for the future. That is a practical approach.

However, in Western society, we are conditioned to worry about the future.

Many worry incessantly about money concerns, of course. They also worry about where life will take them, if they will succeed in material fashion and be loved, respected and happy.

All of this is understandable. Yet it's important not to allow our anxieties about the future and our place within in it to overwhelm that very future, as obsessive fears go jangling outward willy nilly.

I've said it before:

*This is it.*
Now is all the time you will ever have.

Life is contingent. Life is transient. Life is fragile. Life is suffering. Life is also beautiful.

Without succumbing to the morbid, you could die tomorrow.

You cannot say. You do not know.

As an agnostic raised Catholic, there are certain things I believe. But as long as I walk the earth, I will never know.

And, it's completely okay not to know. In fact, if you can grasp the idea, not knowing whether God exists, the true nature of reality, what will happen, et. al. can be profoundly freeing.

Rather than freak out at the prospect, acceptance of the fact that you do not know the answers to the above can, if understood properly, engender a lightness of spirit and acceptance of "what is."

So I don't know. So what?

I much prefer this humble admission to an obsession with such matters or a compulsive need to be "right." We all want to be right. But it ain't that important, and ultimately it doesn't matter much.

Accepting the vulnerability of life opens the heart and mind to an understanding of how precious it can be.

And this realization leads directly to the elevation of gratitude, appreciation, humility and compassion in one's life.

Some of you are old enough to remember that old Coke ad.

"It's The Real Thing." Well, that's the real thing.

That is my prolix piece for today.

Thank you for indulging it,

Brad Marchand Boston Bruins GIF - Brad Marchand Marchand Boston Bruins - Discover & Share GIFs

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tenor.com

 

[GordonHowe]

I am really sorry to hear this. Your positive attitude is wonderful. I am glad you are back home where you want to be. Take care, my friend.

To be clear: I use the term "Lou Gehrig's Disease" metaphorically. I simply mean I feel like the luckiest guy in the world.

Most of the time.

Wow. You have been through some stuff. I am happy you are in a good place.

I wouldn't want to move from New England as it is home. Grew up in MA and live in NH (moved here in the late 80s because I could afford to buy a home and the schools in my town are good). I love Maine and Vermont too.

I considered moving out of the country (Canada) in 2016. I am too old to move and hope I won't feel like I must.

I could live anywhere in New England and be happy as a clam. It suits my soul.

And if I had to emigrate elsewhere, Canada (and France, and England) would be at the top of my list.

 

[GordonHowe]

I am so incredibly sorry to hear this. My family has lots of ALS in our family and so I know first hand how terrible a disease it is. I plan to focus a portion of my retirement advocating for a cure.

You did not deserve this. Nobody does. I applaud in the truest sense your courage and positive attitude. Thinking of you.

Again, I do NOT have ALS.

All I meant was that I feel like the luckiest guy in the world. (Again, most of the time.)