Condo Bliss - Sunset Celebration — Captain Father John

On Sunday, after brunch at Pietro’s on the ocean, Beachcomber Dan and Iris’s daughter Krista arrived from Minneapolis to spend the week in Stuart. Dan rented her a bicycle for the week. Only $60. That is a good deal. Krista grew up visiting Stuart so she has many of her own favorite places such as Bathtub Reef Beach.

CFJ, Krista and Beachcomber Dan carrying on the Lantern tradition at Gettin’ Crabby. The best crab bisque on the planet.

That is not Bud Light in my Bud light glass.

Sunday night was the last hurrah for Jeff and Stacy before they departed paradise to fly back to the mid-west. Fritz and Holly joined us for a farewell dinner of stone crab claws and Mahi tacos. Fritz and Holly had been racing sunfish sailboats all day. There were seven races. I asked Fritz if he won all seven. He said he only won six races. He sat one out.

Sunrise photo by Stacy from our dock. I have never seen the sunrise before

Jeff and Stacy departed on Monday morning and within in few hours Jim from Panorama Windows came to install the new hurricane proof window in our master bedroom. The former owners had installed hurricane shutters that prevented the existing louvered window from opening outward more than an inch or so. The new window is a slider and we no longer need the hurricane shutters. Bob from Shutters Plus came later in the week to install the plantation shutters. The work is all completed and we have a panoramic view of the wide water.

On Tuesday, Mary hosted a condo warming dinner party at her newly renovated condo. Her lanai furniture arrived that day. We picked up the furniture at the store so she would have enough chairs for everyone. It was a fun evening. The highlight of the appetizer assortment was “gludge”, a dip made from an old family recipe.

Mary at the Twisted Tuna

Each morning I get a little exercise with 3.4 mile walk over the bridge at Sewall’s point. Today even a big boat needed a tow.

On Friday evening a friend from college days Bill Robinson and his wife Nancy stopped by our condo for a visit and dinner at the Pelican Cafe. Bill and I were on the sailing team at Northeastern University. He moved to Gainesville, Florida and also has a condo on the beach in St Augustine. His son will have a destination wedding in Jamaica. He will arrive in Jamaica a week after Priscilla and I depart from Jamaica after our Cuba cruise. Small world.

CFJ, Bill, Priscilla and Nancy at the Pelican Cafe.

On Sunday Priscilla and I drove 4.5 hours to Marathon, Florida in the Florida Keys. Our Looper pals George and Pat Hospodar hosted an event and all AGLCA members were invited to attend the 8th Annual “Sunset Celebration” on Sunday, February 26, at Banana Bay Resort and Marina. The event was attended by 144 current (in progress) and gold/platinum loopers (completed the loop 1 or more times).

The weather for the Looper Sunset Celebration was perfect and the sunset was beautiful.

To our delight the Looper class of 2016 was well represented. Almost all of our close looper friends were in attendance. Their boats were either in Marathon or Key West. Robert and Brenda on Over Ice, Laura and Artie on Leap of Faith, Kevin and Steve on Lone Star, Larry and Ingrid on Bucket List and of course our hosts George and Pat Hospodar on Reflections. We had a great time catching up on their recent adventures and future cruise plans. Since it was a long drive we spent the night at Banana Bay.

Steve, Kevin, Robert, Brenda, Laura, Priscilla, CFJ – we could not round up all the spouses.

We had a wonderful lunch with George and Pat at Burdine’s in Marathon.

On our drive back to Stuart on Monday we stopped in Miami to visit my good friend the party animal ” fiestero juerguista ” Oscar Rubio and his wife Sylvia. Oscar and I worked together at Rust-Oleum for many, many years. We traveled to almost every South American country plus Russia. That is a story for another day. Oscar and Sylvia have a two bedroom condo in Miami. He converted his second bedroom into a world class bar with dark wood paneling, lots of glass and mirrors and plush seating. We enjoyed a glass of Blue Label before heading out to dinner at a fine dining Peruvian restaurant.

At CEV.CHI 105 in Miami. CFJ, Priscilla, Sylvia, Oscar

On Tuesday my bother Bill and his wife Joanne stopped by to visit. They had spent four days in Key West and were on there way to their condo in Sebastian.

Bonus photo – Coddiwomple:

The next adventure will be the cruise to Cuba. The weather is not cooperating for a weekend passage. The next weather window in next Wednesday. The boat we will be on will not return to the US until the owner Gabe and first mate Angela sail around the world. Needless to say there are many preparations to compete.