She Knows Best

Passing by San Francisco Waterfront Piers

San Francisco Piers and Coit Tower

Oakland Bay Bridge

We had a nice drive home to Seattle and a great visit with family and friends.  David and Karen taught us to play computerized games on their “iPad"  by sweeping our fingers over the screen.  The “Xbox Connect” provided endless entertainment for Duane, Gretchen, and family who watched the  exagerated antics of grandma and grandpa playing interactive games viewed on the television screen.  What happened to the good old days when children played with sticks?  I am happy to say, however, that big cardboard boxes are still a favorite – grandchildren Zoe and Elsa had fun playing house in a large cardboard box with cutout windows and a door made by their dad.  And then there is the ever popular park with swings and climbing apparatus, which we enjoyed with grandchildren Mariah and Porter.  Before departing Seattle we met with friends Peter and Rob for early morning coffee and pastries at Pike Place Market; it was great to see our friends, who always come with lighthearted conversation and laughs.  On our drive south, we stopped in Camas to see my mother once again and to pick up Java who had a little retreat of her own.  Then it was on to Eugene, Oregon to visit friends Marcia and Richard, who had graciously invited us to spend the night.  They treated us to a wonderful barbeque dinner and Java had fun playing “hide and seek” with their two cats.  The following morning we all enjoyed coffee and pastries at a local bakery before continuing our journey back to Sausalito.  When we arrived back at the boat, we both commented on how it feels like home no matter where it’s parked.  Even Java seemed to think she was back at home.  After spending a couple more nights in Sausalito, we moved the boat to South Beach Harbor Marina near downtown San Francisco, located just south of the Oakland Bay Bridge next to the AT&T Baseball Park.  Before going to our assigned slip in the marina, we decided to stop at the pump-out station to empty the holding tank.  Leonard uncoiled the hose, just enough to reach the “deck plate” on the boat and attached the nozzle to pump out the waste.  I pushed the green button to start the pumping action but something was amiss – lots of noise but no action!  I suggested to Leonard that he uncoil the rest of the hose and lay the hose out on the dock.  I had noticed that this was done by attendants at other pump-out stations.  “Oh that shouldn’t make any difference” Leonard said.  He tried again but to no avail - “It must be broken.”  We left the pump-out station and maneuvered into our slip.  After we secured the dock lines, Leonard went to the office to sign in and he also asked about the pump-out station.  The answer, “Yes, people have trouble with it when they don’t lay out all the hose!”  “That’s bad news” Leonard said; “now I have to go back and tell my wife she was right.”

South Beach Harbor and AT&T Baseball Park

Pump-out System

Pump-out Hose and Nozzle

Waste Deck Plate on Boat