829 Southdrive

829 Southdrive

A New Jersey state of mind



Friday, May 27, 2011

Happy MDW!!


Half of a 150 Genoa up and doing almost 7 knots.


For the love of Joe, try to get out on the water this weekend!

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Hey Stinkbug!



Stinkbug
Hiding from the rain
Dead Bug
Wash it down the drain

Some kind of pre-historic bug is in my pad
Don't know how it got here but it's driving me mad

Stinkbug
On the window ledge
Squashed Bug
Smells like Lemon Pledge

Some think that Stinkbugs have been around for a while
I never remember seeing them as a child!

You can walk on me
You can walk on me
You can walk on me
You'll be sorry if you walk on me

Stinkbug
Clinging to my beer
Screened in
How'd you get in here?

Some say that Stinkbugs pre-date ancient history
Stinkbug removal's now a cottage industry

You can crawl on me
You can crawl on me
You can crawl on me
I will crush you if you crawl on me

Hey Stinkbug
Hey Stinkbug
Hey Stinkbug.................



Monday, May 23, 2011

Glass Onion



A Martini is simply Gin and Vermouth, at a ratio of between 4:1
and 6:1, shaken or stirred with ice, and strained into a glass,
hopefully frosted, containing an olive or squeezed lemon peel.
My favorite is a Gibson.  Vermouth is optional, and I take that
option.  Cocktail onions finish the garnish.  Some folks say,
 "fill the shaker with ice and Gin, and wave it in the direction of
Italy". I say, hold the shaker still and pour some Vermouth in. Then
shake the f&$% out of it.  It's funny.  Usually the Martini
tastes great after the first sip.  If it doesn't, wait a couple more sips
and then you can't tell any more.



Here we go with Jersey Seafood.  A sauteed Softshell Crab sits
upon a Potato cake with Bacon and Scallions in it.  To its
starboard, a stir-fry of Baby Bok Choy and Snow Peas with Ginger,
and to port, seared Atlantic City Sea Scallops.  A smear of Oyster
sauce and Sriracha lead the way, with Thyme flowers and Thai Basil
chiffonade to cover.   P.S.- Zoom in on this image. 
Your stomach will be growling.  Promise.

Sunday, May 22, 2011

I'm Only Sleeping (Finally)



It had gotten to the point where I was sleeping in the guestroom
 a few nights a week, or at least at the opposite end of the bed.
You guessed it:  I snore.  And not just cute
little snoring, but loud, obnoxious, walrus-like snoring.

And I can't hear myself snoring.  What's all the fuss about,
I wondered.  I'd get poked, nudged and yelled at every night. 
Roll over! she'd say, you're snoring! I've got advice for anyone
 in my position: Don't deny that you're snoring. 
It just makes it worse.  I'm not snoring!  Right, she said.  I just felt
 like waking you up. I was wide awake trying to get back to sleep!,
I would say.  Guess what, I did fall back to sleep.  And immediately
started snoring again, hence the elbow in my ribcage.

A lot of fun has been made of snoring over the years, and admittedly
 it is funny to hear. But it gets old very quickly.  The cause of snoring
 is the obstruction of air flow through your breathing passageway,
 thus creating vibration and noise.  Often, its cause is due to an
over-sized uvula, thick throat walls resulting in a narrower-than-usual
airway, and lying on one's back, which allows the tongue to settle in
the back of the throat. Guilty on all three counts, along with being
heavier than I should be, no doubt.  It was very firmly suggested to
me by the one with whom I share the bed to get a sleep test done
and fix this problem.  There was to be no more snoring for me.

A polysomnography is a sleep study during which sleep technicians
constantly monitor a patient with video, audio, and several different
sensors placed all over one's body to record heart rhythm,
blood-oxygen levels, and muscle, limb, and rapid-eye movements. 
And, with the addition of breathing apparatus such as a CPAP or
BiPAP, they can monitor breathing patterns.  From here, the sleep
doctor can mull over the data and come up with a treatment.


To make a long story a bit shorter, after the first of three $15,000
sleep studies performed on me (thank God for my wife's insurance),
 it was determined that I most-unmistakenly had very severe sleep
apnea.  In the 270 minutes of actual sleep I managed to get during 
over seven hours of lights-out (it didn't feel like even an hour), I had
racked up over 400 sleep disruptions.  This is where your body
realizes that it's not getting enough oxygen through your obstructed
airway, and makes a desperate GASP! to regain normal oxygen
levels.  This is the loud snort that usually awakens a loved one
or room mate.This lack of oxygen over the course of nights,
weeks, months, and even years takes its toll on body organs,
most notably the heart. It leaves the sufferer with an exhausted
feeling in the morning, more so than when he goes to bed. 
A nap in mid-afternoon needs only three minutes of eyes closed
in a comfortable chair in order to occur,
and stops at traffic lights can be hazardous at times.

When I wake up early in the morning
Lift my head, I'm still snoring

Once again, trying to make the long story less boring, I was
placed on a BiPAP machine, which stands for Bi-level
Positive Air Pressure. This machine blows plain air through one's
air passage at a certain pressure, and the pressure decreases by half
during exhalation.  This keeps the walls of those airways expanded
and free of vibration, virtually, or in my case, completely eliminating
snoring. What's more important, I don't have any disruptions due
to low oxygen levels and therefore I'm not placing my health at
risk. I've slept in my own bed for well over a month and have not
been poked, nudged, or falsely accused of snoring. 



Lying here and staring at the ceiling
Waiting for that sleepy feeling


Oh, and by the way, I've also had much less trouble falling asleep.
I do believe I'll go to bed now.......



Wednesday, May 18, 2011

And I Love Her


If I can have 25 more years, I'll be a lucky devil. 
Oh, and everything I said last year still applies.

Friday, May 13, 2011

Fender







Wahines!


My friend is in Hawaii and all he sent
me was this lousy postcard.  Kidding
Joe!  This postcard was printed with
ecologically-sound inks and Chlorine-
free paper from managed forests.

Joe, get back to your Mai-Tai before
the ice melts, and get out on the water
this weekend, huh?  I think I'll go
to bed now.

What Happened?

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Caption Contest


Love you Taru, but I couldn't resist.  The winner may win something,
but I haven't decided on the prize.  Don't let that keep you from
being creative.  This photo begs for interesting comments.  Be nice.

Monday, May 9, 2011

Barnegat Blues









 

















We had no idea what to do with them when we caught them,
but once we got them home, then came the easy part!

Thursday, May 5, 2011

'43, '63 and '77 at 829



Dad to port, and a neighborhood friend 
manning the starboard oar.


Messing about off the dock at 829 South Drive
with Mike moored in the background.


Nana next to Dad's Karmann Ghia in the big driveway at 829.
It was a double lot, so 1/2 of the property was a gravel yard
for cars, sailboats, and drying spinnakers.  And weeds.



E-Scow MC 2 with Laser 802 on top, either ready to go
down bay Saturday morning, or Saturday evening, after a day of 
racing.  Not visible is Dad's VW Squareback with the Penguin
on the roof, that towed the Scow/Laser combo.  Notice the
varnished wooden Laser blades in the foreground.

Sunday, May 1, 2011