Christmas Eve Eve

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve.  The town is decorated up real nicely - the palm trees have white lights strung around the trunks with green spotlight-type lights shining up under the fronds.  It is fun to paint here because everything is so colorful.  There are also creches everywhere you turn, and I like that.  I am as strong a supporter of separation of church and state as anyone could possibly be, but (with apologies to all the druids and such) without the whole Jesus-being-born-thing there would really be no Christmas as we know it today.  Obviously it has evolved into a cultural experience as well, with Santa and shopping and trees and all that, but isn't it kind of stupid to pretend it has nothing whatsoever to do with Christianity?  It's not like nobody knows.     

We lost a week's worth of work because of all the rain, so we aren't likely to get out of here before the new year.  And because it is up on stilts in the shipyard, we have been staying in hotels.  Patience, patience.  This will not be the first time we are at the mercy of the weather.  Even had we been ready to leave, we would likely have been here anyway, waiting for a weather window.  A bunch of Canadians left today, because there is not supposed to be anymore rain until maybe Sunday.  I'd sure rather wait out a storm than be all wet and miserable at sea if it is avoidable.  By the way, the woodwork that has been done looks really good.  The wind generator appears to be working well, and we are dying to check out the new performance of the solar panels since Mike changed most of the connection points.  He did all the work while it was rainy and overcast, so we haven't been able to test it out.  But interestingly, it was showing some generation even while it was overcast.  We had not noticed this in the past.  So now we are eager to see how much it generates since the repairs once the sun comes out. 

Being as energy independent as possible is one of our biggest goals.  We can always charge our batteries by running the engine, or hooking up to shore power, or even using the gas generator we have on board.  But none of that makes us really independent, because of the reliance on diesel or gas.  We enjoy our creature comforts (like the refrigerator, the stereo, the computer, hot water,and so on), and some of those use a lot of power.  There are a number of people who sail without all that stuff, even some who sail around the world engineless, and while I admire that, I want things more comfortable.  At the same time, I am looking forward to long stretches at sea without being able to get more diesel or gas or some marina slip's shore power cord.  The solar and wind will be great when we are at sea or at anchor, the frequency of which I am really hoping with improve shortly!

It is sort of strange to be away from everyone during Christmas.  It isn't like I was always surrounded by family in past Christmases, but it is strange to be completely on our own, not even going back to work in a couple days to familiar faces or waiting for my son to come home from his father's house. He will be spending Christmas with his girlfriend and her family - he now celebrates almost all his solidays with them.  He needs to get a passport to come and see me - I have told him I will pay for it but he is not getting that done - is he trying to tell me something?  Now I really am ridiculous, ha ha ha.  I am not lonely here, but it is unsettling a bit. There have been so many changes this year, I almost wish I could take a couple days from my life just to take a breath and review the whole thing.  Less than six months ago I was employed with a house and a car and everything that goes with a so-called normal life. That is a lot of change to absorb. 

Just one last note about life here in Mexico - and the great food.  Last night I had quail in rose petel sauce - the recipe from Like Water For Chocolate.  I would not have minded dying at that moment, it was that good.  And just for the record:  hotels are nice but I miss my snug cozy boat!